I sort of abandoned this for most of June, sorry. After believing that I didn't need to get stressed about the exams this June, as soon as they started I sort of went to pieces and found that I could barely even listen to music, let alone write about it. It wasn't a very nice couple of weeks, but I'm feeling better now, largely because my exams are essentially over.
An article I wrote went up here, it's about lyrics and poetry. That's at a poetry magazine I'm involved with, but it's more about lyrics than poetry really.
The Guardian, of course, has since decided to publish lyrics of the 'greatest' lyricists ever or something, and they've got a really boring, predictable list of people that everyone basically already knows. Problem is, I was thinking what I'd put in my own list, and it's impossible. Seven? No, you can never only have seven greatest lyricists ever. I mean, a quick list of some bands/singers with lyrics that I like can't really be done, because that's pretty much all the music I listen to. Like, most people wouldn't really consider Kenickie a lyrics band in the same way they'd consider, say, Okkervil River, and maybe they're a bit less about that - but I still like their lyrics a lot, and don't want to dismiss that bit in Come Out 2nite when she sings "we don't have time to be sad / come out tonight you've got to grab it / if you want to have it" or Classy's pretty awesome "WE'RE CLASS WE'VE GOT CLASS". They're good in different ways to like, Okkervil River or The Hold Steady or whatever, but is that a bad thing? I don't think so. But lyrics like theirs will never be published in booklets, and probably shouldn't be. To be honest, I think the whole idea's a pretty stupid one - you need to hear them.
Also, who chose which songs to put in the booklets? Irish Blood, English Heart over, say, pretty much everything else Morrissey's written, except for the other few that were included? For serious?
23.6.08
1.6.08
SUNDAY MISCELLANY
it's time for another round of the recurring feature that requires less effort than a track-by-track! wahey!
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Why did no one tell me that BARR were unmissable until today? I mean, I'd known that they were meant to be good, but evidently I'd never heard that they were so amazing that I had to check them out. BARR are incredible. My favourite at the moment is Summary, the title track of their most recent album, but pretty much everything I've heard has been really good. It's spoken word, really, over music, but it's so great and compelling. There's this amazing bit in Summary where he talks about rules and something about it just hits me full-force.
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I think Johnny Foreigner have actually become my second favourite band. My actual favourite band, who I don't go on about as much here for some reason (it's not for lack of general zeal) is Los Campesinos!, but JoFo are drawing in. Er, not that it really matters where I rank bands, but still.
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I tried reading some Daphne Du Maurier to BARR today and it wasn't a very good idea. I could read to Fleet Foxes still, though. They're growing on me, I think, but very slowly. At this rate, I might start really rating the album in about a year's time.
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Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out Of This Country is a bit of an anthem (in a good way), isn't it? I keep playing it and dreaming of getting out of this country.
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I borrowed my Dad's headphones so now at least I can listen to CDs again. Johnny Foreigner and Robyn are good for listening to on ther bus on the way to the library.
...
On Friday I was sitting on a picnic bench at some nowhere place in the country, CD player and lit magazines in hand. I read all of the latest issue of Succour and then listened to Bikini Kill's In Accordance To Natural Law at an extremely high volume. It was amazing. I love Bikini Kill, although not all of their songs. Carnival's my other favourite by them.
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I want to make a mix of songs about buses, and maybe another one about trains. Suggestions? For buses I'm thinking Routemaster by Fear of Flying, The Chinatown Bus by Bishop Allen, On The Bus Mall by The Decemberists... for trains, Lua by Bright Eyes, Train from Kansas City cover by The Shop Assistants, Steaming Train by Talulah Gosh...
...
Why did no one tell me that BARR were unmissable until today? I mean, I'd known that they were meant to be good, but evidently I'd never heard that they were so amazing that I had to check them out. BARR are incredible. My favourite at the moment is Summary, the title track of their most recent album, but pretty much everything I've heard has been really good. It's spoken word, really, over music, but it's so great and compelling. There's this amazing bit in Summary where he talks about rules and something about it just hits me full-force.
...
I think Johnny Foreigner have actually become my second favourite band. My actual favourite band, who I don't go on about as much here for some reason (it's not for lack of general zeal) is Los Campesinos!, but JoFo are drawing in. Er, not that it really matters where I rank bands, but still.
...
I tried reading some Daphne Du Maurier to BARR today and it wasn't a very good idea. I could read to Fleet Foxes still, though. They're growing on me, I think, but very slowly. At this rate, I might start really rating the album in about a year's time.
...
Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out Of This Country is a bit of an anthem (in a good way), isn't it? I keep playing it and dreaming of getting out of this country.
...
I borrowed my Dad's headphones so now at least I can listen to CDs again. Johnny Foreigner and Robyn are good for listening to on ther bus on the way to the library.
...
On Friday I was sitting on a picnic bench at some nowhere place in the country, CD player and lit magazines in hand. I read all of the latest issue of Succour and then listened to Bikini Kill's In Accordance To Natural Law at an extremely high volume. It was amazing. I love Bikini Kill, although not all of their songs. Carnival's my other favourite by them.
...
I want to make a mix of songs about buses, and maybe another one about trains. Suggestions? For buses I'm thinking Routemaster by Fear of Flying, The Chinatown Bus by Bishop Allen, On The Bus Mall by The Decemberists... for trains, Lua by Bright Eyes, Train from Kansas City cover by The Shop Assistants, Steaming Train by Talulah Gosh...
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