Heard : Real Animal by the excellent Alejandro Escovedo. Spiky roots rock. The song Chip'n'Tony opens with the great line "All I ever wanted was a four-piece band". Plus a haul of stuff from a Fopp clearout, including some Trojan compilations - Reggae Chartbusters Vol 1-6, at £3 each.
We Are Only Riders, the Jeffrey Lee Pierce tribute is wearing well. And I finally caught up with the new Midlake album, The Courage Of Others. It is a very coherent album, best enjoyed with some peace and quiet and as a whole.

Seen : Tutti Frutti, John Byrne's TV series about "The Majestics", a fading rock & roll band. It was much funnier than I had remembered, and quite a bit darker, too. Very good - consumed in one sitting.

Also - hot off the presses- absolutely brilliant gig by Jerry Dammers Spatial A.K.A. Orchestra, opening night of the tour, in Coventry.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/jerry-dammers-spatial-aka-orchestr...

Read : The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard.A stormer. Great dialogue, great characterization. Interesting plot device - threading the rise of Public Enemies like Dillinger through the rise of banks and lawmen - reminded me of James Ellroy using JFK in the same way.

The Last Mad Surge Of Youth by Mark Hodkinson. Recommended for anyone who was a teenager in the fervour of punk and post-punk. A story told in parallel, of lives both as they are now and as they were when teenagers. Captures beautifully the missionary zeal of post-punk theorists and the eternal verities of showbiz.

READ: The WORD 2.0. Liked it, but where did the TV column disappear to?

SEEN: Flags Of Our Fathers. Another over-praised Eastwood film. A modern occurrence.

HEARD: A Reality Tour by David Bowie. The Dublin gigs I missed in 2003, because I was broke, are now available on CD. *Almost* makes up for missing them. A terrific showcase of a substantial songbook.

"Life" Season One (bought very cheaply from E-Bay) - LA Cop thing with Damien Lewis - not bad in a daft kind of way;

READ: James Lee Burke "A Stained White Radiance" - brilliant, as ever;

HEARD: Mainly due to recent threads on here have been re-listening to "Young Americans", "Scary Monsters" and "Hejira" - loving all of them. Have also been listening to the new Field Music album but I'm not sure about it yet.

"In All The Empty Houses" Epic45 - It's a real bugger getting anything by this lot isn't it? Worth the effort but still...

Seen...

"A Single Man" - I *heart* Julianne Moore (sighs...)

Read...

"Orwell In Tribune" George Orwell - collection of his As I Please columns written for the Tribune during the war. Completely fascinating in every way

Watching the Wire for the third time,Up on Blu-Ray and Klute a film I'd not seen in a long,long time.Just finished reading a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami,some good,some not so.Been listening to Joe Ely,Lucinda Williams,Portishead and a lot of Mahler.

Seen: The Hurt Locker, absolute must-see. Visually amazing, tense, nerve-jangling all the way and Jeremy Renner is fantastic.
Glee: Only the first episode, but I'm smitten. Big smiley face on the mug the whole way through
Dexter: Series 4, even more twisted than before

Read: Phil Silveron's hugely enjoyable Filthy English, as featured in the Word podcast and George P Pelecanos' The Big Blowdown, earlier work and one of his best. This guy is something else.

Heard: Gill Scot Heron's new album and American VI from Johnny Cash.

Heard - Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca, had it for a while and found it impenetrable. Played it again recently and I have started to get it. Dukes of Stratospear - Sonic Psunspots - bit late in the day i know but loving it.
New stuff would include Field Music, Jack Rose and the last Johnny Cash recording Aint no grave. If this really is his last recording Goodnight Johnny and you left us with some great music!!

Seen - Midlake - when they lined up on stage with 4 guitarists I thought it would be overkill but it was sublime. Also Jerry Dammers Spatial Orchestra, as said above it was a great gig. Sublime space music.
For fear of being pilloried I am also enjoying the ITV series Married,Single, Other. A updated Cold Fett I know but compulsive nonetheless.

Read - George Orwell came out again - Down and out in Paries and London. Still as good as I remember it.
Just got the latests Neil Cross and will report on that on Blog X1

to say thanks to the people who recommended the BBC4 docs on the Pentagon papers and on Dennis Wilson-I think I probably wouldn't have seen the former without this and it was riveting. Also those who have encouraged me to revisit Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and the bass playing of Danny Thompson ...

Heard

Steve Forbert - Down In Flames

This is Forbert's 5th album which was recorded in 1983 but never released by Columbia. I bought the deluxe set which is 3CDs, a DVD and a t-shirt. The music is great but all in all it was quite expensive(when postage from USA and customs duty is added)and I'm disappointed with the packaging. After all this time I was hoping for a collectors item whereas it seems almost like a home made bootleg.

Steely Dan - Citizen (box set)

Due to a thread earlier I thought I'd listen to all 7 albums and pick out a favourite track. I was unable to pick one as there are so many beauties. I did come to the conclusion that the first 2 albums(Cant Buy A Thrill and Countdown To Ecstasy)are my favourites. Wonderful listening but I've has enough of Fagan's voice for a while.

Read

Falkirk : A History - Ian Scott

Falkirk/Grangemouth is an industrial/manufacturing area in central Scotland. ICI, BP and Carron Iron Works are just 3 of many major companies that are/were in this region. I've worked in this sector all my life so found this a great read.

Soul Circus - George Pelecanos

The 3rd in the Derek Strange trilogy. In my opinion the worst too. I just couldn't get into it....probably my fault and not the authors though.

Paul Simon (the definitive biography) - Laura Jackson

I really liked this one. Sometimes biographies can get bogged down in detail and seem like hard work. This one was easy to read with just enough detail of his life and some good song interpretations. I need to get a couple of his solo CDs now.

Seen

Graceland (Classic Albums - The making of) DVD

Wonderful! I need to look out for the actual concert in Zimbabwe DVD now.

Read:

The Renaissance - A Very Short Introduction by Jerry Brotton.

An excellent overview of that funky period when being clever was sexy. Particularly interesting for me was Brotton's argument that there was a continual cultural exchange between East and West that meant it wasn't simply a European phenomenon.

Christianity - A Very Short Introduction by Linda Woodhead.

As I get older my interest in religion and spirituality grows apace. This is an excellent primer for anyone interested in how Christianity evolved over the centuries and continues to do so.

The Medici - Story of a European Dynasty by Franco Cesati.

Aside from having a major headache from trying to keep up with the succession of Cosimos, Francescos, Giovannis and Ferdinandos that appear throughout the family's convoluted history, this was a fascinating read. My favourite nugget of information concerns a bibliophile by the name of Antonio Magliabechi who used slices of salami as bookmarks.

I've also been looking at numerous art books featuring the work of Donatello, Botticelli, Tintoretto, Fra Angelico and collections of early Dutch and Sienese painting.

Seen:

The Christians by Bamber Gascoigne.

Aired by Granada Television in 1977, this excellent series charts the experiences and actions of Christians from the birth of Christ through to modern times. It deserves to be held in the same esteem as classics like Civilisation, The Ascent of Man and Cosmos.

Francesco's Italy by Francesco da Mosto.

There was a little too much emphasis on passion, pizza and family bonds for my liking, but the series introduced me to some new delights of Italian culture that I intend to follow up when I return to the bel paese in August.

Shooting the Past by Stephen Poliakoff.

I've seen this tale of a photographic library facing closure a few times now and it remains an engaging piece of work. However this time I found some of the minor characters very annoying (Emilia Fox's Spig tries so hard to be mysterious and idiosyncratic, but comes across instead as a pretentious twat.) But the performances by Timothy Spall and Lindsay Duncan are superb.

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz.

The loneliness of a loser in love. I adored this when I was a kid and decided to watch it again this Valentine's Day. It is adorable still.

Heard:

'O Sole Mio - Favourite Neapolitan Songs by Luciano Pavarotti.

I am in love with this record and the great man's extraordinary voice.

Carreras Domingo Pavarotti - In Concert by José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.

Opera is an acquired taste but for me it's classical heavy metal with bow ties and cufflinks. It's a taste I'm rapidly acquiring...

Gesualdo - O Dolorosa Gioia, Madrigali by Carlo Gesualdo.

A beautiful collection of madrigals by the homicidal maniac (he murdered his wife and her lover) turned composer.

Read:

'The Given Day' By Dennis Lehane. Not a crime thriller, more a Great American Novel (whatever that is). Set in Boston at the end of The Great War during a time of revolutionary communist paranoia and police strikes. The main relationship between the maverick Irish cop and the Negro on the run is couched in very contemporary dialogue but doesn't suffer for it. Excellent.

Seen: Not a lot. I have 'Anvil' to watch on DVD but have been mainly falling into a post-work midweek stupor in front of Masterchef. Just how many episodes do we need in one evening? I do like watching the 2 judges necking the desserts though. That is my current Fantasy Job. 12 puddings a night. What's wrong with that picture? Nothing.

Heard: Little Feat Sailin' Shoes. Hmmmm... It's pretty tepid boogie. I want to like it. I've been looking at footage on You Tube and Lowell George gave good show. On record though I'm still trying to light a candle for them.

Also 'The Music Weaver: Sandy Denny Remembered' Beautiful.

Got David Gilmour's Live In Gdansk 2CD and 1DVD set for £3. Great versions of Shine On You Crazy Diamond (soft and horizontal) and Echoes (very heavy). Shame the solo album, here in its entirety, is so weak.

I bought the MP3 version of Harvest (2009 remaster) by Neil Young for 69p even though I own the 80's CD. I listened to the two masters of the opening song "Out on the Weekend" back to back on my iPod. Sounded identical to me (the 80's version was volume corrected to be the same volume as the 09 master). The only differences I could hear was maybe a tiny bit more echo of the room on his voice and the bass maybe went a minuscule bit deeper. In my opinion the remaster is surplus to requirements if you have the 80's version.

Seen:
Synecdoche, New York which I blogged about here and got no response.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/synecdoche-new-york

Also started season 5 of The Sopranos. I'm up to episode 3 but it's meandering and a bit indifferent. Not sure if I can be bothered continuing.

Read:
I'm reading the Warren Beatty biography Star by Peter Biskind. It's good but nothing special. Also read Bad Vibes by Luke Haines. It was a fun read. Shame it ends so soon as a few more years would have been interesting.

SEEN: Saw Stewart Lee performing live, truly excellent and worth catching (I don't usually go to many comedy gigs but he's made me think about going to more.) Was disappointed in the Nurse Jackie season finale, but it was otherwise a fine series and I'll be in the queue for season 2. My reality TV guilty pleasures have been camp-as-Christmas Project Runway on Sky3 and the bonkers Popstar To Operastar, the only thing I've watched on ITV that doesn't have Harry Hill or Simon Cowell in it for years.

READ: I was late to Ben Goldacre's "Bad Science", and however big an a**hole he is in real life (if Jude Rogers' interview was anything to go by), it should be made a set text at UK schools. Enjoyed 2 musicbiz autobiographies: Simon Napier-Bell's "I'm Coming To Take You To Lunch" is his third volume, concentrating on his years managing Wham! and setting up their gig in China. Fun and gossipy, but frustratingly light on the music side; also, Tony Wilson's adaptation of the "24 Hour Party People" screenplay, a great story in any format. Finally, apologies to Mr. Andrew Collins of this parish, but I found his "Where Did It All Go Right?" far lighter than I expected, maybe my expectations were too high.

HEARD: Highlight was Todd Rundgren performing "A Wizard, A True Star" at Hammersmith - discussed here already in some depth so I won't go on, but a great gig. Despite 2 further albums, Nellie McKay's been off the radar since the hype surrounding her Geoff Emerick-produced debut in 2004, but her new album of Doris Day covers ("Normal As Blueberry Pie") is excellent, though not for everyone. Otherwise a Spotify recommendation took me to Rod Stewart's 60's work which I'm loving, and The Rich Morton Sound from the Word CD are doing the trick, too.

Book: Beyond Reach by Graham Hurley. Tenth in his series of gritty, authentic police procedurals set in Portsmouth. I'm from the area myself so can totally immerse myself in the action. His previous books have been widely praised by the broadsheets so I'm amazed that this latest one seems to have slipped out without so much as a national newspaper review. If you like Rebus, Wallander or Harry Bosch, Hurley's stuff is seriously recommended - but best to start with an earlier novel like Angels Passing.

Music: Heathen by Bowie, thanks to the recent thread here. Somehow missed it when it came out. Incredible.

1) Heard: Broken Bells by Broken Bells (CD)

A contemporary re(pro)tooling of soft psychedelia, fueled on multi-tracked vocals with more than a knowing nod to California's finest 60's canyon (Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, etc), all driven by just enough innocuous contemporary indie to roughen the edges. Add in Danger Mouses' heavily contrasting production beats and arrangements, and you're riding with the alternative Gnarls Barkley: Where Cee-Lo Green brought the 60's soul, James Mercer seems to prefer cherry-picking the whiter shade of that periods candy store.

On its first (and if I'm honest, second play) the album left me mostly unmoved, with its ten tracks that are perfectly polished, undeniably cool in their references - not least the over-riding psychedelic indulgence - but which lack much punch or bite.

Initially, at least, the only real surface noise or variety across this album comes from the pair's bizarre decision to alternate the indie influence they drive each successive song with. 'The Ghost Inside' is so clearly haunted by the Dandy Warhols circa 'Monkey House' it's a toss-up between a nod and a wink; The Specials lurk within 'Trap Doors' with a gloomy, but highly astute Terry Hall-alike vocal that had me checking the sleeve credits; and there's an unmistakable whiff of New Order and The Cure on 'The Mall & Misery' and 'Mongrel Heart', respectively.

Credit where credit is due, though, by the third and fourth listens the album began to come into its own: a sweet pop confection, a kind of all-purposing mix-tape affair; one for the car, thus doing away with having to change the CD every other track. Looking back, I think my attitude towards this album says more about the current state of the market, than the music: the hype that surrounds new albums means we (I) expect too much from new releases; for them to move the Earth under my feet, instead of letting me become friends with a long player over time, as I eventually did with this one.

2) Watched: Tony (DVD)

Tony is quite an achievement. Much is hyped about low-budget movies that punch above their weight, but in the case of this movie, all of the attention is much deserved. Beautifully made, concise, moving, and so evocative it's guaranteed to stay in your mind long after the final credits, Tony is one of the best movies I've seen in quite some time.

While the actual violence mostly happens off-screen, and is implied more than glorified, the film expertly runs many parallel sub-texts: the destructive harm of alienation, and the failings of society when it comes to failed social housing plans, mental illness, and the destruction of community; the sadness of poverty, and the insidious stain of mass-media on our interior perspectives.

In terms of production, yes, Tony is low-budget, but the skill is that you'd never know, because instead of trying to over-stretch itself, this movie plays very much to simple but effective strengths. The direction is economic but sharp, with the evocation of gloom and loneliness a major triumph; and the subsequent contrasts between interiors and exterior, and the passing of time are amongst the most effective I've seen. Equally, the art direction is spot-on. (To anyone watching this outside London, the blue plastic bags Tony uses may just be bags, but if you've lived in the city, you'll feel the creep of many a late-night corner shop visit).

A major nod must also go to the collective performances, which are all stellar. Peter Ferdinando's Tony is expertly rendered, even down to his dodgy haircut; and the supporting characters that pass through Tony's life are also most valuable, all suggesting rich back-stories, thus - and importantly - allowing the film to transcend exploitation cliches to set this tale in a real life that's all too believable.

Last, but no means least, the soundscaping soundtrack - provided by Matt Johnson of The The - is perfect; the reverberation of accordions and pianos coming and going as echoes, building into a series of motifs that empower the visuals without ever being overbearing; complementing the action expertly in direct polarity to the lazy use of music for mood in so many Hollywood blockbusters.

Inevitably, this film won't appeal to all tastes, perhaps proving too sparse or arty for some, and no doubt too gory for others, but in terms of effective film-making Tony is a major, major triumph. A word of warning, though; Tony will stay with you long after, and may even bring you down for a while. But as a work of art - which this film is, without a doubt, or recourse to hyperbole - I can't recommended this film enough.

3) Read: The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis (good old analogue book form)

I really struggled with Yellow Dog, eventually giving up around the half-way mark. The same almost happened with this, Amis' follow-up major work. As ever, the plot is secondary to the author's musings on life, love and the current state of the world. Something of a stylistic mash-up, between old (nay, classic) Amis and the more mature post-Night Train, Kingley-shaped writer he's grown into, Pregnant Widow is sometimes affected, initially frustrating, but eventually blooms into a compelling thought-piece on the crushing roots of what makes (and breaks) us as humans: sex, either for reproduction, or recreation; age, and the hell that is other people.

For the best part, Amis generally tends to rewrite The Prince & Pauper; The Pregnant Widow is no different, only this time the central character's nemesis is himself.

Overall, not an easy read, but one that eventually enriches; like a hard gym session, you'll ache at times, but feel the buzz once you've reached the end.

Heard; Hold On, the new single by Friendly Fires

seen; 13 days. The GLW started witching this on the week while i sat down with the laptop, however started watching this and it had me gripped through to the end. I thought it was fantastic and it was the fist time I have been so captivated by a movie for some time.

Read; just re-reading a selection of different atuff at the moment in lieu of some new books so Im going to pick In Search of The Crack by Robert Elms

Heard: A Collection by Anne Briggs. Mostly stick-your-finger-in-your-ear acapella versions of traditional songs, but her voice is a thing of eerie and ethereal beauty. Also include a sparsely instrumented version of Blackwater Side, which ver zepplin turned into Black Mountain Side. Also Can You Dig It? The Music And Politics Of Black Action Films 1968-75 - bought on the strength of a recent Word review. Lovingly packaged precis of a whole era. Fantastic played on car journeys (I mean that as a compliment).

Seen: Il y a longtemps que je t'aime aka I have loved you for so long. This had very good reviews, but I was very disappointed with it. Basically, it is a mid-week ITV "major drama production" with a plot that has more holes than Leedammer. However, the whole thing is just about worth watching due to Kristin Scott Thomas hypnotic performance. I love her, I do.

Read: I thought I am at the age where I should be tackling one of the big ones, so I am currently doing The Idiot by Doystevesky. About 30-40 % through it at the moment. It is not a book one can read lightly, but it pays the effort. I didn't realize that, like Dickens, Doystevesky wrote many of his novels as episodes for magazines. I can actually see some parallels in themes and styles - for example, the plot has an almost picaresque central character who bumps into all sorts of schemers. It is full of powerful passages, I was particularly struck by a section where the idiot of the title describes a hanging and imagines the thoughts of condemned man. You couldn't construct a better anti-capitol punishment argument.

Heard: Been away for almost all of February so not really much chance to listen to anything new. As I was on a birdwatching holiday in Central America it seemed apt that "There Have Been Sightings" by Birdwatchers of America was played a couple of times.

Read: Sebastian Faulkes "Human Traces", a big thick holiday book which may seem dull to others but as a psychiatric nurse is fascinating reading to me.

Seen: Over 300 species of birds - many of which for the first time, does that count?

READ: Michael Bracewell Roxy: The Band That Invented an Era. Good, but does make you want spontaneously exclaim 'Get on with it..'

Cathi Unsworth - Bad Penny Blues - a fictionalised take on the very-real serial killer, Jack the Stripper. Perfectly captures the cold, gin-tinted feel of early sixties London

SEEN: Air - two Frenchmen and screensaver doing retro-futurism at The Roundhouse. Like Gilbert and George go digital.

Cathi Unsworth - reading from Bad Penny Blues at Plectrum events. Gave the line 'here comes the candle to light you to bed' a chilling new spookyness

Dean Chalkely's New Faces expo..
http://www.deanchalkley.com/html/press_release.php?id=75

HEARD: Atlantic soul comp's This Is Soul, Soul Together.

Was wondering when this was going to rear its head again.

Heard:
New Massive Attack is really good. I like it more every time I hear it. Tracks from the "Sunshine" soundtrack by Underworld are superb and really fascinate me at the moment. Also been loving Nick Cave's early work in The Boys Next Door on their album "Door Door", as well as reassessing the work of Can, Psapp and Wiley.

Viewed:
Mostly been watching Lost series 4, 5 and 6 (in a bit of a jumble) in order to catch up with what's going on. People find it annoying because the storyline is so complex. That's what I love most about it! It's not the type of program you dip in and out of. Have also been loving the 4th series of Skins, which is just as dark as the last. Although yesterday's did have its nice moments.

Read:
Terry Pratchett's Nation is a must read. Its superb. Not the usual discworld stuff, but it makes you reassess yourself and the way in which your worldview is formed, which I think can only be a good thing. Also just finished reading "Neighbours" a non-fiction work about the murder of Jews in the town of Jedwabne in Poland in 1941 - very depressing that all of the non-Jewish townspeople could be so bitter and violent!

seen

"Little Dorrit" box set another fantastic Andrew Davies adaptation

heard

The Graham Gouldman Thing-a wonderful British pop writer

The Book of Love 45-cant get it out of my bloody head..I feel a doo wop period coming on

Bo Diddley Best of-one riff everyone the same everyone different

Might Baby-Martin Stone... a lost genius?

read
The Given Day-Denis Lehane..magnifico

Read - still working my way through and still thoroughly enjoying War and Peace.

Seen - Avatar, meh. Run Fatboy, Run on DVD: started out well but then faded fast. It had a few snort out loud moments. Casino Royale on DVD: loved it. Particularly enjoyed my (11 year old) son's astute question: "Dad, are all James Bond films about bad men and pretty girls?". Pretty much so, Joe; pretty much so.

Heard - quite a bit of new stuff. Enjoying Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca and Yeasayer's Odd Blood. Think I might enjoy the new Hot Chip and F*ck Buttons albums with a couple more listens (though I must admit to being pretty determined initially NOT to like the FB's because of their oh-so-sixth-form name...). Not sure about Four Tet and Beach House.

Read - Mark Hodkinson's Believe in the Sign is very good - I'd expect most of us to go for The Last Mad Surge of Youth after the last podcast - I did, but got this one too and have nearly finished it, despite it only arriving on Wednesday. If I were inclined to file my books in some kind of thematic, atmospheric or stylistic order, I'd put this near my David Peace and Gordon Burn novels.

Heard - My Beauty by Kevin Rowland. I'm indebted to El Hombre Malo for fixing me up with this. If you thought that the sleeve was the most embarrassing thing about this record then you never heard his version of Labelled With Love. There is some great stuff here too, his voice is wonderful but it won't replace the Dexy's Midnight Runners' albums in my heart.

Seen - nothing much. Wading through Dexter series 2 - its ok - the addition of Carradine to the cast works for me, the English actress who plays Lyra is wholly unconvincing in my opinion, and stinks the joint up.

Heard - Richard Thompson and band at what was previously "Portland's Largest Adult Theatre" - blinding set as usual, the new album will be culled from these performances, and sounds most promising. A fairly conservative selection of classics, apparently, not enough time to rehearse as all the new stuff was developed live, or something

Saw - Dexter Series 4. Good strong stuff, it's prety implausible, as always, but there are cliffhangers aplenty, John Lithgow chews the scenery in a most agreeable way, and the ending is a bit of a shocker.

Read - Really starting to cook in earnest again, so have dug out Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook. it probably wouldn't go over well in the vegetarian thread, but even if you don't cook from it, it's an enjoyable, muscular read.

Also read - "Absolute Friends" (John Le Carre). Bored the pants off me, couldn't wait to get to the end, not his finest hour. "Await Your Reply" - semi-interesting take on identity in the modern world, but I found it strangely lacking.

Heard, among other things, the truly excellent new album by Field Music (Measure) which is, of all things, a double disc. I think this is a quite major achievement as it doesn't sag or outstay it's welcome. They are a mackem 'Steely Dan', lots of ideas, unpredictable rhythms and hooks galore. Seen, some fantatsic old movies particularly the Manchurian Candidate (brilliant performance from Frank Sinatra despite the weird 'kung fu' fight scene) and Network (a bizarre satire that is genuinely thought provoking) with Faye Dunaway being completely ravishing. Read, Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith which I really enjoyed but felt it ran out of steam towards the end. It effectively captured the sheer paranoia of soviet era Russia in a way that, conversely, made you nostalgic for its passing.

is Faye Dunaway not ravishing? What a woman.

Heard: It's been non-stop female led American alternative rock round here this month - Liz Phair, The Breeders, Belly, Verucca Salt, Letters to Cleo. I may need an intervention soon, I find myself longing to own some floral doc martens...

Seen: Starshaped and No Distance Left To Run, which confirmed my long held suspicions that Blur are the greatest band in the world ever. It also confirmed that while in the folly of my youth I was a Damon and Alex girl, these days it's all about Graham... *swoons*

Read: Finally found the time to read a book Sheev recommended to me ages ago - Suspects by David Thomson. It's very good but does stretch the old brain cells a bit, as it links various film noir characters into one overarching story. Worth a go if you like noir.

Listened: Lots of early 70s Jethro Tull bootlegs. I am cool

Also, a lot of recordings of Jon Ronson's shows for Radio 4. He has a charming, slightly pathetic manner that I find very appealing. This in turn led to...

Read: The Men Who Stare At Goats by the aforementioned Ronson. I have no idea how this could have been made into a quirky comedy movie as there's a lot of it that's completely terrifying.

Now reading his previous book Them: Adventures With Extremists. That pathetic manner must be partly an act because some of the stuff he gets up to in these books shows him to have balls of steel. Or maybe he's always sure to appear as unthreatening as possible

Watched: A couple of documentaries about Oliver Postgate on iPlayer. Also checked out an episode of Pogle's Wood, which was great

Played: Brütal Legend. An utterly ridiculous romp in which you fight demons in a world seemingly based on every heavy metal album cover ever. And it has Budgie and Diamond Head on the soundtrack. ROCK!

Listened to:
Imelda May - She is the real deal. Can sing, can swing, great band, and amazingly writes most of her own material.
The Dan - Triggered by a recent thread spent a Sunday doing some dull and boring work related documentation listening to the wonderous world of Messers Fagen and Becker.

Watched:
BBC4 season on latin music which I loved, in particular the live specials and in particular, in particular, the Ry Cooder BBC special from the early 80's.

Read:
Working my way through the "Girl with The Dragon Tattoo" trilogy. On the last one now. Not classic literature but great page turners.
Next up Denis Lehane - The Given day- which has got favourable reviews earlier in this thread.

Live:
Blown my Cr. card to get tickets + Ryan Air Flights + hotel to see Steve Winwood and Clapton in Wembly Arena in May. For me the gig of a lifetime. When I heard they were gigging together me and my long time friend agreed to go see them if anywhere within striking distance.

Have been reading Susan Forward's Emotional Blackmail, about manipulation and button-pushing in relationships. Valuable to say the least. On a lighter note, Phil Silverton's Filthy English. Very funny.

New on German TV: HBO's In Treatment had me hooked within minutes. Understated and intense. Also Flash Forward looks like holding interest. So all the best TV does come from America, eh?

As far as music's concerned, heavy bouts of Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell (you know why..)and a really nice mixtape-like Back to Mine from Lamb, plus new discovery of Stravinsky's Petroushka.

Coming up: large doses of John Zorn (you know why Hombre..).