Spotify

One of my co-workers came into my office and installed spotify on my laptop a couple of days ago. I fear my research career is now doomed. Spotify is amazing.

I've been able to find loads of obscure indie-punk tracks by band like The Weirdos, The Seeds, fIREHOSE and the Flaming groovies. It's also good for B-sides and rare tracks by more mainstream blands. Hopefully it will save me cash by stopping me buying crap records at random.

try www.spotify.com

50 dead men walking - film review

I went to see this film last week, not really knowing very much about it. It's the story of a young Irish Catholic man in Belfast in the 1980s. He's a petty criminal although both the IRA and the security forces see some potential in him. He becomes a double agent giving information on IRA operations to the police.

The lead character spends a lot of time being beaten up by the British forces and the IRA. Lots of people die and are horribly mistreated. The film was OK but it just highlights how nasty the situation in Ireland was at the time.

Fucking hell

Kurt Cobain died 15 years ago.

I am very old. I'm actually 5 years older than he was when he died.

Suicide is stupid. Life gets better

Too many CDs

I rescued 4 more crates of CDs from my parents house yesterday. It's good to have all my music in one place but I have too much of it. I think I have about 4000 CDs.

It was great to listen to my Cramps CDs yesterday but I have serious storage problems now. I need more shelves. I'm also a bit frightened by the multiple copies that I have of several albums. I have 3 copies of one Goldfrapp CD which is not good.

The Damned United - film review

I'm not a football fan. I've not been to a football game for over 20 years and I normally avoid football on the telly. I have a vague interest in the Scottish national team and a passing opinion on the Old Firm but I am not a football fan.

I went to see The Damned United because a friend wanted to see it and most media coverage suggested that it was good. I have a memory of the name Brian Clough but little else.

The film is a good character study. Clough is portrayed as a driven man capable of great things but with a tendency to self destructive film. There is very little football in the film.

I probably would not have watched this on TV or DVD but I'm glad I saw it.

Polar Bear and Dirty Projectors - Live at Glasgow ABC2

This was a great double bill for £10.

I have seen Polar Bear and their various other incarnations several times in the past. They generally put on a good show and they did not disappoint tonight. They played a few new songs as well as a couple of older numbers that I recognised. I've got a couple of their CDs but I couldn't tell you any song titles. The drummer continues to have the most impressive hair in jazz. Google it.

Dirty Projectors are weird. I have their 'rise above' album which is a reinterpretation of 'damaged' by black flag in a female vocal/jazz manner. It's cool. Apparently the main guy did this from memory and had not listened to 'damaged' for several years when he did this. Sounds a bit Asperger's......

They did not disappoint live. The music was jerky and angular. The 3 female vocalists were present and supplied some interesting vocal harmonies. The band seemed very young. I was reminded of the Talking Heads. The singer looks a bit like Rich Hall, the american comedian. His jerky dancing made me think he had a movement disorder. Interesting chap. Their songs were great and they finished with a version of 'gimmie gimmie gimmie' infused with Black Flag anger. The only bad thing about the show was some heckling from two wankes standing in front of the mixing desk. They didn't realise that you can just fuck off home if you dislike the last band of the night. You don't need to stay and piss everyone else off.

I'm keen to see both bands again.

fuck me it's hot

glasgow has sun!

Charlie Brooker

I've just finished reading 'Dawn of the Dumb' by Charlie Brooker. It's a collection of his journalism from the Guardian and it's rather entertaining. Brooker writes about modern society and television and he seems to share several of my opinions and attitudes.

He also wrote 'Dead Set' which was fucking brilliant and he presents 'Screen wipe' which is great. There is a new BBC4 show called 'News wipe' coming soon and I am looking forward to it.

To read some of his writing check out http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charliebrooker

WATCHMEN - the movie

I know I'm a sad bastard but I'd been desperate to see this film as soon as I heard that it was being made. I first read the book when I was far too young (10) in 1987 or 1988. I've probably read it again 50 or 60 times over the past 20 years. I own 3 copies. I admit to being a Watchmen nerd.

Having disclosed the above information I'll try and be unbiased in my review of the film. I liked it. It wasn't perfect but it was a good effort. The film stays true to the spirit and most of the plot of the comic. The characters are no more likeable than they should be. Rorschach continues to be a horrible little monster and Dr Manhattan is still inhuman. The Comedian is still an asshole and Nite Owl is still impotent.

The film looks good. It is apparent that the graphic novel was used to storyboard the film. At times it does look like a computer game but that is OK. The soundtrack is unsubtle and too high in the mix but otherwise inoffensive. The choice of songs is good if obvious.

The ending is slightly different but makes sense in the context of the film. A few minor sub-plots are missing but I hope these will resurface in the DVD.

This could have been very bad. Zack Snyder directed 300 which I hated. I do think it is good although my intimate knowledge of the book helped. I don't think this is a summer blockbuster and I think it is too slow and wordy for mainstream audiences. The people who saw the film without reading the book didn't really get it.

I'd give this 9 out of 10. See it if you are a Watchmen nerd.

Franz Ferdinand live at the Glasgow Barrowlands

I was trying to work out how many times I've seen Franz Ferdinand on my way home from last nights concert. I saw them at T in the Park, I saw them in Leicester, I saw them at the SECC and I saw them at the Grand Old Opry. I might have seen them in the ABC but I'm not sure. I know I saw the Blisters at least once.

I do like Franz Ferdinand. I thought their first two records were very good although the new album has not yet found a place in my heart. On a good night they are are an excellent live band.

Last night they seemed a bit stale. The big hits sounded good and energetic but for the rest of the gig the band seemed a bit tired. They seemed a bit bored. This was most apparent in a version of Walk Away that sounded out of tune.

I still like them but it wasn't their best night.