Following on from Brians earlier posting about the late subscription brought back a dark memory.

As a kid I had a paper round. Colin Spikings, at No 16 had the NME delivered every Thursday. It was tucked inside the Express which made it too bulky to deliver.
Removing it I discovered my comedy heroes Monty Python were on the cover. Slipping it back into the bag, I took it home, devoured it and delivered it the next day.
When I went along to collect the paper money on the Friday I was grilled as to why the NME was late. I lied and said that was it's new delivery date. For a few weeks I continued this charade, taking it home, reading it, delivering it the next day. Eventually Mrs Spike went up to the newsagent to 'sort this out for once and for all'.
I was rumbled.
Later, when the paper boy stuffed my copy through the door and ripped the cover, I was livid. All I can do now is apologise to Colin Spikings for my terrible NME behavior.
I'm sorry.
I'm glad to have got that off my chest, it's been weighing me down all these years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7506982.stm

Never mind Glastonbury, did anyone see the Mandela 90th? (Poor bugger, he spends all that time in chokey, brings about the end of apartheid and has to sit next to Gordon Brown on his birthday).
Simple Minds??? Oh my life. We all know what Jim Kerr has being doing since Don't You Forget About Me - eating all the pies.
Couldn't U2 be arsed to play? Kerr was doing the poor mans Bono. Not even a poor man, a very, very poor man. A man with no legs, no eyes, no money, no heart, no hope. A destitute, dead and blind mans Bono.
Don't get me started on 'One-song Winehouse', the poor mans horse/scarecrow...
Awful, awful, awful.

Reading this thread:
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/how-many-songs-a-single-artistband...
begs the question - where do you find the time to listen to all this stuff?
I'm assuming that most bloggers are of a certain age with a job and a family, not those weird guys who sit in their pants all day at a computer screen.
On a good day I can squeeze an hour in to listen properly.
You've only got one pair of ears.
So how do you do it?
Can you stretch time?

...there's been no complaining about Coldplay posts since 19th June at 10.21?
Is everyone OK out there?

Ok, so it's not quite half time, but it's as near as damn it, so who has rung your bell so far this season?

This years Top Five in our house so far...

Merz - Moi et Mon Camion.
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid.
Sam Sparro - Sam Sparro.
The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent.
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago.

What's yours?

Bearded ladies!
Where do we want them?
On the next cover.

Come on guys, the mag has turned into Mens Beard Monthly - we need hirsute ladies and we need them now*

*not really

Watched the excellent Imagine programme about author and neurologist Oliver Sachs last night. In his new book he looks at music and it's effects on us. For a such a programme obviously an important component is the title music. Did they use The Beatles? No. Beethoven? No. Dylan? Mozart? No. Stones? No.
They used an orchestral version of Siouxsie and the Banshees Hong Kong Garden. As long time Banshees fan, it's great to know just how important they were in rock, nay all of the complete and utter history of music. Result.

Ever wondered why so much radio sounds the same?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/19/radio.bbc1

Text or call us and tell us what you think.

I work for the BBC in Newcastle.
Newcastle was built on mining and shipyards. Hard, dangerous manual work.
Sometimes working in an office can be a drag, but as I often say, it's not working underground or in heavy industry.
Until now. I'm editing a package featuring Little Jimmy Osmond and I've had to edit Long Haired Lover From Liverpool to fit the interview. Over and over again.
Altogether now: IIIIII'LLLLLLLLLL BBBEEEEEEEE YYYOOOUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRR....

After Keef and his Louis Viton handbags comes this.
I found it on page 50 of the Mirror.

http://www.supersmoker.co.uk/press.php

What next, Mick selling two pairs of slacks for 12 quid in the Mail on Sunday?

I was watching some dumb ass breakfast telly this morning. Tiao Cruz's new video was on. It's the usual R'n'B fare - but it it's very classy. How do I know? It features violinists, and, to raise it's class ratio - a lady drummer (who looked as though it was the first time drums and her had met).
In the top ten video cliches, the string section must rate pretty highly, after the winsome look, the hand trailing across water and the booty shake - got any other video cliché suggestions?

Now that the sun has come out I've been on a bit of a reggae hunt.
I happened upon David Rodigan.
Look here:

I couldn't help but smile, his knowledge, his enthusiasm and his love of music puts him head and shoulders above most DJ's. Coupled with middle aged home counties tax inspector appearance.
I couldn't imagine Dermot O'Dreary being this effervescent.
Any other excitable music heads who can hold a candle to the mighty Rodders?

Searching on You Tube for videos of The Beat (a fools errand, don't bother) I happened upon this piece of youthful exuberance.
It put a smile on my face.

If you buy the new Madonna album from Tesco you can pick up one of her other albums for free. Or, buy Immaculate, the Greatest Hits for nine pounds and you get Hard Candy gratis.
Doesn't show a great deal of faith in her new product does it?

This on the NME site:

Liverpool will host the first ever Beatles day on July 10.

The day will mark the 44th anniversary of the return of the band to their native city after touring in America.

To mark the day thousands of mop-top Beatles wigs will be on sale across the city, along with inflatable guitars. Businesses in the city will be encouraged to decorate their establishments with Beatles memorabilia.

Local radio stations will be playing Beatles music heavily and ask listeners to go on air and relay Beatles-related stories and anecdotes, reports the Liverpool Echo.

There will also be fund-raising events across the city to raise money for charities.

-----------------------------

With Liverpool being the City of Culture this year, in no way are they sitting back, resting on other peoples laurels, casting a misty scouse eye over the good ald days.

Do the people of Liverpool really hold The Beatles that close to thier hearts?
Has their legend really reached Deity like proportions?
Surely, if Liverpool is to be regenerated they need to be looking forward, rather than rehashing a sad old past? A past that they cared so much about, they turned it's holy grail, The Cavern, into a car park?

Or am I just an old cynic?

Fill in the missing word to find the names of two popular music groups or singers.

The ____ les*
Arcade ____ Engines
Aztec ______ Obscura
Balkan Beat ___ Tops
The Beautiful _____ ern Death Cult*
Burning _____ of Destiny
Britney _____ (s) of Destiny*
Buddy _____ and the Italians
Cat _____ Station
Craig _____ Bowie
Jimmy _____ Edwards
Cilla _____ Sabbath
Cockney _____ MC
Ian ______ Mayfield
Mobb ____ Purple
Eagle Eye _____ Ghost
Electric Light ________ Jazira
Generation _ Ray Spex
John _____ White
The Band of Holy ___ Division
Billy _____ Colour Scene
Lightspeed ________ The Wonder Horse
Hank ______ Gaye
Mercury ___ erend and the Makers.
Elton ____ Holt

*A bit of cheating going on here.

Who do you/did you love the most?
So deep was my love for Siouxsie and the Banshees that I saw them thirteen times.
Can anyone better that?
I do hope so.

Having feasted upon the work of the Mighty Boosh via the gift of DVD I'm of the opinion that they are the most rock n roll comedians ever. In fact, music is part and parcel of their writing and performing. Vic and Bob were quite rock n roll, Russell Brand affects a foppish rock demeanor, but the Boosh are a perfect working model of comedy and music living together in perfect harmony. And they're funny as fuck.

Unless of course you know better.