I know from personal experience that winding up racists can be pretty good sport. However, this takes it to the next level. White Power? White Flour! A textbook example of countering ridiculousness with more ridiculousness. A hoard of KKK’ers take on regiment of clowns in Knoxville, USA [indymedia.org]. I always did think humour was the best weapon.
Texan band Spoon have caused the old ears to prick up now I’ve heard their new album; Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It’s a definite contender for my album of the year. It’s certainly in my top 10 (sorry, M.I.A., not this time!).The whole thing is just so chilled, relaxed, yet funky and without filler. A little Beck-esque in humour and manner, yet without quite as strained nuttyness. Slap it on and be taken away like it’s not even trying. Maybe they’re not. This is the 6th album from Spoon and from what I’ve heard; the greatest.
A good start is this video for “Don’t You Evah”. Likeable despite the whole clichéd Japanese robot thing. The whole album is available to listen to for free here and they’re also supporting Creative Commons. So on so many levels, it’s pretty hard not to like them right now.
Was awoken up this morning by a police officer knocking on my door. He told me there had been “an incident” and wondering if I’d seen anything. As I wasn’t dressed and was rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, he figured pretty quickly I hadn’t. Only once I’d got myself sorted and ready to go to work did I discover that the road outside our house was cut off by blue police tape that I had to work my way through to get to work. I figure I was technically in a crime scene!
Apparently a bank-van had been held up by armed men as it refilled a near-by cash machine. I don’t think anyone was hurt, but they made off with a hell-o-a-lotta cash. South Road in Sheffield does seem to be attracting an inordinate amount of police attention recently. I don’t know why, maybe because it’s close enough to the city centre to have targets of value, but far enough from the city centre to be free from CCTV etc. I’m only speculating here. I have absolutely no idea.
Sad news this weekend as cancer finally claimed Tony Wilson; son of Manchester and focal point of the ‘Madchester’ scene. Okay, cards on the table; he was a bit of a wanker (in his own words!), but he was such a likeable wanker. He was there in the thick of such great things like Factory Records, The Hacienda and Joy Division. He could have made a lot more money out of it all than he did, but he didn’t. Manchester is my favourite city in this country and has seen a lot very positive development over the past decade. I think the music scene is in no small way responsible for this and Wilson’s contribution to this was not inconsiderable. He talked in a way that to some was not especially likeable, but he wasn’t afraid to rock the boat. I remember seeing him on telly, defending his city to a mocking London-centric media snobs. He spoke well about the talent available in Manchester and I certainly agreed with him when he spoke about such things.
As a result he was not only an asset to Manchester, but also to the North as a whole. He fought in our corner. He’ll be missed for more reasons than simply being remembered as managing the Happy Mondays.
R.I.P Tony Wilson: 1950 - 2007 (obituary from HARP magazine)
Not me. And no, not that Obama girl. I keep meaning to write my take on the Facebook phenomena. When I do; this is definitely going to get a mention. Apparently on Caroline Giuliani’s (daughter of terrorism-obsessed mega-bore Rudy Giuliani) Facebook profile, she’s backing Barack Obama. This has to be pretty embarrassing for the Republican candidate. Kids ‘eh!? I guess even she got fed up of him going on about 9/11.