currently rocking my world

1. Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Have I mentioned before how much I love Joss Whedon? I have? Frequently? Oh. Well, here's just another example of why. Musical webisodes about a supervillian (Dr Horrible), his arch nemesis (Captain Hammer), and the girl of his dreams...

'Joss Whedon set out on the low-budget project during the writers' strike as a lark and a labor of love — and to show the industry an out-of-the-box project could find an audience. But the overwhelming response has caught him by surprise.

"We had this home-baked idea that we love and we're proud of," Whedon says. "We made this on the understanding that we'd never make a dime. But it's blown up beyond our expectations." '

The first Act made me giggle with absolute glee. Who else - seriously, who on earth else? - could have come up with something like this, and made such a site-crashing success? Because that's what happened - the blog was so popular the servers crashed. If that's not a show of love, I don't know what is. Joss Whedon, I salute you. And can't wait for Dollhouse.

Here's the trailer - then go watch the full episodes.

2. Y The Last Man
So on my lunchbreak today I made a trip to the comic store to pick up the most recent Buffy series 8 issues (see above for the Whedon love), and discovered the last collected volume of YTLM, Book 10 - Whys & Wherefores (which is only available for pre-order on Amazon, so was perhaps an American import?). I was reading it on the tube home this evening, after a couple of cocktails in Soho, and about halfway through really wished I wasn't reading it in public. So. Gutting. Augh.

As with all good things, I was worried about how it was going to end, and wasn't sure about the epilogue, until the last couple of pages, which just made me laugh with relief. Brian K Vaughan and Pia Guerra, I salute you too.

3. Everything else:

the year in mix tapes

With a little poetic licence, if music be the food of life, this was my diet [along with the usual helpings of Bowie and Joy Division, plus musical soundtracks (Good Morning Baltimore!) and a LOT of The Smiths when I was working at Decca] for 2007...

January 2007
1. Soluble In Air - Mystery Jets
2. Street Spirit - Radiohead
3. Teignmouth - Patrick Wolf
4. Imagine - John Lennon
5. Come See Me Tonight - Daniel Johnston
6. These Boots Are Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra
7. Like A Prayer - Madonna
8. Small Parts - the oohlas
9. Laid - James
10. Kooks - David Bowie
11. Shiny Happy People - REM
12. Cold Things Start To Burn - The Exploding Boy
13. Happy Kid - Nada Surf
14. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - Four Tops
15. Everybody's Talking - Nilsson
16. Daydreamin' - Lupe Fiasco f. Jill Scott
17. This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies
18. Gypsy Death & You - The Kills


February 2007, aka. The Imaginary Mix CD pt.1
[This was made for Faran, though I can't quite remember why now]
1. Once And Never Again - The Long Blondes
2. About Your Dress - The Maccabees
3. Stumble And Fall - Razorlight
4. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side - The Smiths
5. Our Velocity - Maximo Park
6. The Kids Are All Fucked Up - Cobra Starship
7. Golden Skans - Klaxons
8. Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above - CSS
9. My Coo Ca Choo - Alvin Stardust
10. Burning Love - Elvis Presley
11. Same Jeans - The View
12. Love Today - Mika
13. Teen Line - The Shivvers
14. Tape It - WinterKids
15. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis
16. Janie Jones - The Clash
17. The English Way - Blondelle
18. XO - FOB

March 2007
[These were made for the lovely Lauren Ashley's birthday]
Part ONE
1. Girl - The Beatles
2. The Letter - The Pretty Things
3. Friends Of Mine - The Zombies
4. When The Night Feels My Song - Bedouin Soundclash
5. Sunshine (Go Away Today) - Jonathan Edwards
6. The Stars of Track And Field - Belle & Sebastian
7. Elephant Gun - Beirut
8. The Village Green Preservation Society - The Kinks
9. You Can Have It All - Kaiser Chiefs
10. Kittens of Lust - Goldenboy
11. Sorted for E's & Wizz - Pulp
12. Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed
13. When I Was A Young Girl - Feist
14. Dry The Rain - The Beta Band
15. Rider On The Wheel - Nick Drake
16. Angeles - Elliott Smith
17. A Dog's Life - Nina Nastasia
18. You're So Pretty... - Field Music
19. Crazy - The Kooks
20. I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band - The Radio Dept.

Part TWO
1. Alas Agnes - Mystery Jets
2. A Sweet Summer's Night On Hammershill - Jens Lekman
3. Seems To Be On My Mind - Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
4. We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives - Los Campesinos!
5. Wouldn't Believe It - The Get Up Kids
6. I Should Have Known Better - The Beatles
7. Bastardo - Charlotte Hatherley
8. Ca Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrand
9. Barcelona Loves You - I'm From Barcelona
10. You're Wondering Now - The Specials
11. The Clapping Song - Shirley Ellis
12. Indication - The Zombies
13. Little Miss Pipe Dream - The Wombats
14. New Martini - Karate
15. Sin City - The Essex Green
16. Colours - Donovan
17. All My Little Words - The Magnetic Fields
18. Luka (acoustic) - Suzanne Vega

April was spent with New Yorkers, briefly in London, for longer in NY. May was spent chivvying my sister up as she left on her mammoth US roadtrip at the end of the month.

June 2007
1. Johnny Cash - Sons & Daughters
2. You Can't Have It All - Ash
3. Fell In Love With A Girl - The White Stripes
4. Bron-y-aur Stomp - Led Zeppelin
5. I'm Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground
6. Route 66 - Rolling Stones
7. Suffragette City - David Bowie
8. And She Was - Talking Heads
9. Kick, Push - Lupe Fiasco
10. Cupid's Chokehold - Gym Class Heroes
11. Buddy Holly - Weezer
12. Plug In Baby - Muse
13. Well Thought Out Twinkles - Silversun Pickups
14. Wave of Mutilation - Pixies
15. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
16. Karma Police - Radiohead
17. Mystic Lady - T-Rex
18. Something In The Air - Thunderclap Newman

July-August 2007 (Life On Mars)
[When I had nothing better to do (did you see the weather this summer??) than watch Life On Mars series one and two DVD boxsets back to back and decided I needed more 60s/70s music in my life.]
1. Life On Mars - David Bowie
2. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin
3. Baba O'Riley - The Who
4. Live And Let Die - Paul McCartney & Wings
5. Fireball - Deep Purple
6. Whisky In The Jar - Thin Lizzy
7. Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet
8. The Jean Genie - David Bowie
9. Street Life - Roxy Music
10. Blockbuster - The Sweet
11. I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top - The Hollies
12. Lay Down - The Strawbs
13. Alone Again Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan
14. In The Summer Time - Mungo Jerry
15. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
16. 10538 Overture - ELO
17. Rock On - T-Rex
18. Starman - David Bowie
19. How Can I Be Sure? - David Partridge
20. Rocket Man - Elton John

September 2007, aka. The Imaginary Mix CD pt.2
[Made for Faran while she was in London for Fashion Week.]
1. Blue Monday - New Order
2. Ice Cream - New Young Pony Club
3. Whip It - Devo
4. The Good Ones - The Kills
5. My Party - Kings of Leon
6. Out Of The Races And Onto The Tracks - The Rapture
7. Charmless Man - Blur
8. He's So Fine - Chiffons
9. Weekend Without Make Up - The Long Blondes
10. Top Of The Pops - The Rezillos
11. The Photos On My Wall - Good Shoes
12. Tell Him - Billie Davis
13. Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
14. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups
15. Monday Morning - Pulp
16. You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes - Johnny Boy
17. Oh No - Lavender Diamond
18. West Coast - Coconut Records

October 2007
[Made for Jimmyjames's birthday... which is actually in July, but... well... sometimes I'm a little belated with these things.]
1. Oh You Pretty Things - David Bowie
2. Leaves Do Fall - The Rosebuds
3. Insane - Grand Ole Party
4. Bad Education - Tilly & The Wall
5. You Don't Know - 13th Floor Elevators
6. In A World Without Love - Peter & Gordon
7. Haiti - Arcade Fire
8. Wave of Mutilation (slow/Pump Up The Volume version) - Pixies
9. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups*1
10. I Want Her She Wants Me - The Zombies
11. Roadrunner - Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
12. You're No Good - Harvey Averne
13. Everybody's Gotta Live - Arthur Lee
14. I Could Be Happy - Altered Images
15. I Want Candy - Brian Poole & The Tremeloes

November 2007
1. No Love Lost - Joy Division
2. Lithium - Nirvana
3. And She Would Darken The Memory - The Twilight Sad
4. Roscoe - Midlake
5. More Than This - Roxy Music
6. Me And Mia - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
7. We Used To Be Friends - The Dandy Warhols*2
8. Burning Down The House - Talking Heads
9. Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
10. Mad World - Tears For Fears
11. A Lifetime Of Pent-Up Sadness - Stars In Coma
12. Don't Want You To Wake Up - Teitur
13. Your Arms Around Me - Jens Lekman
14. Dress Up In You - Belle & Sebastian
15. St. Patrick - James Yorkston & The Athletes
16. This Side Of The Blue - Joanna Newsom
17. Sycamore - Bill Callahan
18. In My Life - The Beatles
19. The Leavers Dance - The Veils

December 2007
Christmas songs. Aaaaallll the time. What else??

And the year in 36 pictures, because 36 is all they would allow:

*1: A repeat from the previous month, but I was a little obsessed with this song in the second half of 2007.
*2: This coincided with a new-found obsession with Veronica Mars. I've said it before, I'll say it again - thank god for DVD boxsets.

Reading Festival 2007

Friday night: head to the K West with Alex, Ryland and Nate as their bus leaves at midnight. Having an earnest political discussion with William (TAI) at the bar over vodkas and whiskeys, Suarez palms me a guest ticket and all-access pass for Reading Festival the next day. Genius.

Saturday: oversleep. Debate taking wellies after reports of mud, decide against it (end up wearing sneakers that give me blisters. Ouch). Hop on the train to Reading, once there follow the crowds to the festival grounds. Get sent to about five different gates and access points, doing almost a complete circle of the perimeter before someone notices the AA pass and says 'Well, you could have got in anywhere with that.' Now they tell me.

Miraculously find CS quite quickly once inside. Hotter than a - well, it's very hot out so I welcome sitting down in the (relative) cool and shade of their portakabin dressing room (which is about as luxurious as it sounds). Steal a bottle of water from their fridge, say hi to Gabe and Ryland when they show up. Ryland tells us about some journalist, Guy Ripley, who's around somewhere...

The day basically progresses as such: sit in the shade drinking and hanging out with peoples, walk around to the main stage to watch The Shins/Bloc Party/Arcade Fire, walk back to the dressing room area for more shade-sitting and drinking...



At one point we're all sitting in the yard between the dressing rooms when someone approaches us and asks the kids in the bands (two of Victoria's friends are here too) to do a drawing for charity (or something), which everyone gets way in to:



When Cobra goes on stage I venture out into the masses to meet up with two girls from work who are at the Festival all weekend. We're at the back of the tent where the boys are playing and still everyone around us seems to know all the words, which is cool.

With my AA pass I'm allowed on to the viewing platforms sidestage of the main stage so got some pretty killer views of the acts and the crowds (Suarez, I don't think I said thank you enough!)


Bloc Party




Arcade Fire

Probably should have made more effort to see bands whilst there but the heat and crowds cause major apathy - and I get to see the main bands I'm interested in anyway. I split after Arcade Fire as it's now dark and I have to walk back to the station and shit, and to be honest, by that stage I'm pretty festivalled-out.

On the train on the way back I get a text: "I'm at Reading Festival too! Am working in the Carling bar next to main stage, come find me for free drinks." Alas, too late! I get home and blissfully take of my slightly muddy sneakers and sit down to watch the highlights on BBC from the comfort of my sofa...

Full Decaydance photoset

January playlists

January 2004
1. Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
2. I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra
3. Wednesday Morning 3 a.m. - Simon & Garfunkel
4. Because - The Beatles
5. These Days - Nico
6. Saturday Sun - Nick Drake
7. Don't Leave Me Baby - Astrud Gilberto
8. Pale Blue Eyes - Velvet Underground
9. The Girl From The North Country - Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan
10. Tiny Dancer - Elton John
11. Don't Worry Baby - Beach Boys
12. Losing My Religion (unplugged) - REM
13. Ain't Never Loved A Man - Aretha Franklin
14. I Only Have Eyes For You - Flamingos
15. Ooh La La - The Faces
16. Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkel
17. To The End - Blur

This playlist not only persuaded me to go for a job (unpaid work on a film, where the Production Designer for whom I'd be working had listed at least three of the same tracks as his favourites) but gained me a new friend... or two (that Production Designer turned out to be none other than the fabulous Jimmy, who is still a buddy - and through him I met James D. and, of course, Leet & Tilda)

It also includes two of my favourite all time songs, Girl From The North Country & I Only Have Eyes For You, linked for your aural pleasure.


January 2005
Too much of January Oh-Five was spent worrying about my sister's seizures - a new occurence - and rushing up to Nottingham when it happened again to make playlists.


January 2006
1. Beating Hearts Baby - Head Automatica
2. Can't Lose - We Are Scientists
3. Neighborhood 1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire
4. Better Do Better - Hard Fi
5. This Modern Love - Bloc Party
6. Apply Some Pressure - Maximo Park
7. Fuck Ups - The Holloways
8. 50 To A Pound - The Paddingtons
9. Where Damage Isn't Already Done - The Radio Dept.
10. Transition - The Longcut
11. Bukowski - Modest Mouse
12. Nowhere Man - The Beatles
13. Drugs - Giant Drag
14. Misery Is A Butterfly - Blonde Redhead
15. Needle In The Hay - Elliott Smith
16. The Way I Feel Inside - The Zombies
17. The Rapid - The Oohlas

Last January was probably almost one of the worst on record. I made a playlist to try and perk myself up - evident in the first few tracks... it does kind of descend into melancholy though. Bad effort on my part. My two main memories: listening to The Rapid on repeat, and just walking and walking, right down Manhattan, and not even stopping once I reached the river, just getting on the Staten Island Ferry and staring blindly at an amazing sunset.

January 2007
Turn away now if you're one of the people who might be expecting one of these in the mail (along with the December playlist and/or a stack of 1960s birthday cards, a belated birthday present, or a general pick-me-up)

1. Soluble In Air - Mystery Jets
2. Street Spirit - Radiohead
3. Teignmouth - Patrick Wolf
4. Imagine - John Lennon
5. Come See Me Tonight - Daniel Johnston
6. These Boots Are Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra
7. Like A Prayer - Madonna
8. Small Parts - The Oohlas
9. Laid - James
10. Kooks - David Bowie
11. Shiny Happy People - REM
12. Cold Things Start To Burn - The Exploding Boy
13. Happy Kid - Nada Surf
14. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honeybunch) - Four Tops
15. Everybody's Talking - Nilsson
16. Daydreamin' - Lupe Fiasco f. Jill Scott
17. This Will Be Our Year - The Zombies
18. Gypsy Death & You - The Kills

We have yet to see what this year will do.