Some things turn out well in the end...

The man responsible for the song with the greatest pop-sax break in the world ever, although - controversially - not responsible for the sax break itself, turns up after having been missing for a worrying amount of time.



Were I ever to write a novel intending to capture the essence of the British 1970s, that video probably contains all the research material I should need...

Stewart Lee, Scourge of Plagiarists

Take that, Joe Pasquale!

A few vids for 1990s indie pervs...

The Auteurs, Light Aircraft on Fire



Lush, Hypocrite




Dubstar, Stars

But...

...there's never that much cause to whinge when the internet lets us watch stuff like the following 24/7...





How cool is Phil Lynott? Also, why are all the audience just bumbling around like they were watching Leo Sayer or something? Don't they know how lucky they are?

Back to Reality

I HAVE FINALLY SUBMITTED MY PHD THESIS!

I feel like I need a debriefing session now, AKA this scene from Red Dwarf:



Thankyou very much to everyone who supported/ encouraged me. Many of you are in the ack's by name, you're all there in spirit.

J

Urusei Yatsura/ The Delgados

One of the plus points of spending eons in front of a computer as I finish up is that it's given me time to rediscover my love of Scottish boy - girl indie bands. Here's two more from the surprisingly rich seam of Central Belt noise pop:

Urusei Yatsura - 'Hello Tiger'



The Delgados (Of 'Alan, show us yir watch' fame' - 'Everything Goes Around the Water'

By way of making up...

...for tipsy late-night rambling about Manchester United, here's a new Sons & Daughters clip (where they're being introduced by Steve Jones, who bears an uncanny facial/ vocal similarity to my old flatmate.)

Ride, 'Leave Them All Behind'

Bit obsessed with Ride at moment...been listening to Nowhere repeatedly while tinkering. Unfortunately, the song I wanted to put up here - 'Here and Now' - was only available in the form of one of those pointless home-made 'videos' where it's just a static image. Instead, here's the opening song from Going Blank Again. Vintage Cherwellian effects pedal music...

Sons & Daughters - 'This Gift'

A while ago, I left a post declaring this to be my favourite single - and, indeed, song - of 2008 so far. I've now found a video for it, and it almost does the tune justice - I'm not usually a huge fan of 'live performance' vids, but this one works. Take note, all you Minibertines: this is what it's supposed to be like.

On another note, I'm glad to see S&D rigorously maintaining the historical links between the west coast of Scotland (where they're from) and C&W. And they're nice people as well: they once came down to Sonic after a show and danced with everyone instead of piously going back to their hotel room (this is the unglamorous reality of the touring indie band, in my experience: a couple of cans of warm Red Stripe after the show, then the manager bundles everyone into the van so they can go and eat Pot Noodles in a Travelodge.)

Onion TV- World of World of Warcraft

Treats

I had a supervision today: it went well, and I now feel like I might finally be 'Doctor Kennedy' in a year's time. To celebrate, here is a Youtube Sweetmeat...




How weird is the bit where Jimmy Page starts playing in a different key? It sounds nothing like the record.

Bolton, Barnsley, Nelson, Colne...

If anyone truly understands Northern Gothic it's money-burning maniac Bill Drummond. I met him at one of the performances of that show where he flogs you bits of a Richard Long piece he's cut up into little pieces, and I mumbled the never-to-surpassed phrase 'my favourite motorway is the same as your favourite motorway'.

Anyway, this is the video for the KLF's 'It's Grim Up North':



And, as if that wasn't enough, here they are celebrating the merits of 'Northwich, Nantwich, Knutsford, Hull' on TOTP (as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu):

Boards of Canada, 'Dayvan Cowboy'

This BOC video shows some of the world record for both the highest altitude parachute jump (31,300 metres) and the longest freefall (four minutes and thirty-six seconds, to 5,300 metres). The record was set on August 16th, 1960, by American Joseph Kittinger.

I'd love to know what he did that night...'Alright Bob, nice day at work?' 'No, my secretary was off sick and I had to field all of my own calls. Yourself?' 'Oh, you know, the usual. Thirteen mile free-fall from the outer stratosphere, got frostbite because the pressurizer in my glove was knackered...my hand nearly fell off. What are you drinking?'

Good old Boards, though- always good for the tear-jerkers.