Sat on my own, in my front room. Proper above the head clapping. Accompanied by an "Oh that's simply unbelievable!" shouted out loud

What - or rather who - provoked this reaction?

Lionel Messi

And he didn't even score

I didn't think I'd ever see a player better than Zidane. I have now.

What can it all mean? Two tenths of fuck all probably. But it sounds so damn good.

Steely Dan "Aja"

And how about?

This is my favourite by them

Has anyone heard this?

Somewhere between a lost love and an early morning, a song from some hinterland between Johnny Mercer and Stevie Wonder.

Been a while since I heard that - you know - that one damn song that can make me break down and cry? Not quite maybe, but hell of a lump in the throat anyways

It's Gregory Porter and

Been travelling like buggery of late, which means that I have been a little out of touch with the good citizens of Wordland. Back now and good to know that the "was the 80s any good?" debate still rages, that Cliff Pilchard can still provoke heated comment, that Captain U is still v funny, that Ranger wishes still for the days of Johnny Haynes and sounds of hot skiffle and that messrs Hepworth, Ellen and Lewry still provide 40 minutes of gloom dispensation for free via the podcast

Anyway, just glad to be back Chez Sheev and looking forward to a day doing mostly not much other than pootling around old Londinium with The Light and The Lids.

One of the few pleasures of being on planes all the time is that you can catch up on the happening sounds of today. The two recent things I've enjoyed the most are The Besnard Lakes and Tame Impala.

The latter sound like everyone else you've ever heard. The track below sounds a bit like an outtake made by Jimmy Page and John Lennon in some off time between The Beatles last album and Zep's first.

Which, I guess, is no bad thing

Have a great Sunday y'all.

Tame Impala "Lucidity"

I thought the English press - as it always does - was bigging up this team too early. And writing the Aussies off too soon. England may regroup and win the series or at the very least draw the series and retain the Ashes. At the outset I wrote in this 'ere blog that I thought the series would be tight and the Aussies would win 2-1. I still do. What do you think?

Mine is the wonderful, wonderful "40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Been on repeat play of late. A sort of slew of Feist and T. Rex and "Sail OnSailor".

40 Day Dream. Feel a little like that myself as I'm jet-lagged to sweet fuckery. However, Boy Lid wants to go the park. It feels like minus 10 and falling and I I haven't had breakfast/lunch/dinner/whatever it is.

Still, be a man about it. Frisbee for about 4 hours. Watch him on the swings for another two. Oh yeah.

Anyway, enjoy the song and enjoy your day.

What choon might help you along today?

Forget The Beatles (HJH if you must) - the amount of flak I received for having the temerity once to suggest that the Swedish songbirds weren't, like, all that - beggared belief.

So, here are two reasons why I think their work has little merit. And when I say two, I mean at least three.

Firstly, their lyrics are clunky. It may be something to do with not being native speakers - like Conrad the novelist to draw a somewhat far fetched parallel.

For instance, in their critique of capitalism "Money, Money, Money" - they state that "...must be funny in a rich man's world." What I think they mean is - it must be fun to have money - but fun and funny are different things and the statement is rendered meaningless as meaning has been subsumed by the rhyme imperative (tmftl).

Secondly, their music is clunky. It never surprises but goes up as expected and goes down as expected. Compare this to a seemingly simple Beatles song like "All You Need Is Love" or almost anything by Bacharach/David or Smokey Robinson or The Brothers Gibb or Jimmy Webb - and you will find assonance and asymmetry, unpredictable minor falls, false climax (tmftl), unforeseeable swoops and cresendos. In other words - surprise - and surprise delights (The Rhyme Imperative's first album, of course).

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, they are emotionally clunky. They are technically perfect - their voices, their harmonies, their gender balance, their hair colour, Agnetha and Anni-Frid's satin clad bottoms - but I find them sterile and soulless. A kind of musical esperanto that's understood everywhere except here in my heart.

I'm sure they appeal so widely because they are somehow redolent of a more innocent time, more innocent world and our more innocent selves - but nostalgia aside, the fact of the matter is - they are pretty ordinary don't you think?

So, do we the United Kingdom have a "special relationship" with the United States or not?

A leaked cable in the latest batch of Wikileaks suggests that the U.S government has a slightly jaundiced, or at least, playful attitude to the whole thing

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8180709/WikiLeaks-Br...

We are clearly bound by history, by language, by popular culture but is it a partnership of equals, a meeting of mutual interests, a symbiosis of support - something from which both parties benefit?

Or frankly, are we just kidding ourselves? Is the relationship a special thing - or actually a pretty dysfunctional one?

So was it right that Lord Young went - or did he have a point?

You can keep your Marrs and Greenwoods and Malmsteens.

Earl's the man. The numero uno axewrangler.

Sterling Campbell is a shit-hot skinsbeater. Gail Ann Dorsey is the coolest chick and the best bassist on the planet

Look, Station to Station is the best album ever and "Stay" the best track. Even Maconie thinks so.

As for old As Usual. He just is.

Put this on big screen. Put the cans on and play LOUD.

Enjoy

Here's the rather jolly Gnarls Barkley number "The Last Time"

Duckworth Lewis Method? The sort of idea that even Ben Elton wrote off as a bad idea.

The Hold Steady? Fuck me they're bad,

Janelle Monaie? In what way is this good?

John Grant? There may come a time when I want to listen to the over-wordy caterwaulings of the love-child of Elvis Costello and Rufus Wainwright. That time ain't anytime soon,

Cripes that's torn it. Runs away.

I would say this guy mus' be a contender

Just marvel at his skill and delight in his delight at his own skill.

Who's your fave sticksman?

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie: 16th Note Shuffle

The ugliest band ever perhaps - or at least until The Hold Steady came along - but they made the damn fine racket titled above