Larsen B

Legally racism includes "Nationality".

Pulp. Really into Pulp again just now.

Probably last great musical rediscovery being that Different Class was the first album I ever got, for my birthday back in 95/96 and then I went off them because we all got too Americanised in the intervening years to like anyone connected to Britpop. Then they became one of my favourite bands again in about 2005.

I don't really count it a rediscovery unless I previously liked the band myself, but if we're counting bands who were just largely forgotten in general then The Triffids are a big 'un for me.

No no no! The third album is their best effort so far. I'd highly recommend getting it and giving it a bit of time.

Great band.

Even I, who back in the day would have appeared every bit the anti-Marc (and I guess I still do) would say Humbug is a pretty decent record, particularly Cornerstone which is exquisite.

Good win for us tims last night, and an enjoyable game to attend. Couple of our signings really taking shape. Big bald Swede, let's just call him Dan (cos I've forgotten how to spell his surname) was composed and solid at the back. Nothing fancy. Headed the ball clear everytime it was in the air, nobody got past him, and he also can pass the ball. Cracking debut. They didn't exactly pummel our defence, so a bit too early to judge, but on that performance, he looked assured at the back. Even Loovens didn't look horseshit playing alongside him. Kayal in the middle looked like a real player. I think he's going to be the closest thing to Petrov we've had since he left. He tightened up and had to come off, but a bit of match fitness and he's going to be everything that Scott Brown promised to be and more (hopefully). He did all the harrying and tackling that Scott Brown does, but could also put his foot on the ball and make a pass. Looks as if Mulgrew isn't going to be trusted in Europe - Ledley played 90 minutes at LB, and looked ok, but a natural LB would be better in there. Hopefully this Honduran dude is good.

2 good signings for the huns yesterday. The bastards.

Agreed, thought Brown looked much better too, he's not the sort of player that can pull all the strings, but is more effective coming on to the game.

Firstly, how the hell is Euan going to know the intimate intricacies with regards to the distribution levels? He's a voluntary regional correspondent - not part of the analysis/editorial/higher level team. Sure, he quoted and referenced the 108k figure in the first place - but I'm sure that was just for effect and perhaps to heighten the appeal to musicians/promoters/club nights, who may consider contacting him about being featured.

This website is not a reliable indication of what is going on musically in this city. It just really thinks it is. It contains a very small pocket of the Aberdeen scene, and that pocket is not exactly saturated with enough quality to write about on a monthly basis without repetition.

He has been trying to do that. For well over a year. And now he's trying to find out some more. By asking people and inviting them to educate him about what's going on.

Phillip, as an aside, I thought I saw your name in the contributors list of the last issue of The Fly I picked up, but couldn't see find it. What is it you do, out of interest? (I notice reading that, it seems like I'm being rude and accusing you of not actually contributing anything or something like that, but I can't word it anyway that doesn't sound sort of rude, for some reason...possibly because I'm drunk)

1. Manic Street Preachers - Empty Souls

2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat

3. Joy Division - Something Must Break

4. Liars - Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack

5. Music Weekly:01.11.2007 - Guardian Unlimited (way to ruin everything!)

6. The Decemberists - Shankill Butchers

7. The Triffids - Christmas Time

8. Smashing Pumpkins - An Ode To No One

9. Aidan Moffatt and the Best Ofs - Oh Men!

10. The Triffids - Raining Pleasure

If I was to allow for the fact that Guardian Podcast is just that and not a song, I would be adding Owen Pallett - Midnight Directives on the end.

With the exception of Lucas and Spielberg, your choice of films is excellent. Before sunrise/sunset are very underrated films... real romantic comedies as opposed to the hottie + male with shtick formula.

Also... Herzog points!!! His bandwagon has been well and truly jumped upon now but he's always been my hero.

Thank you, but don't be a snob, the three Spielberg and Lucas films there are all 10/10s. Glad you agree about Before Sunrise/Before Sunset, not sure I'd call them comedies although they are so naturalistic that there are the funny/light moments that you would expect in natural conversation between two people. I've liked Herzog for quite a while although I'd only seen Nosferatu, Stroszek and Fitzcarraldo. Didn't see Woyzeck until quite recently.

Ridiculously hard thing to do...but right now...in no particular order. Mix of long term faves and more recently viewed films I found especially affecting in some way.

Billy Liar

Summer Interlude

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Closely Observed Trains

Woyzek

Before Sunrise/Sunset

ET

Empire Strikes Back

Revolutionary Road

The Death of Mr Lazarescu

I know pretty much nothing about violins except that I bought a beginners one off someone else here a few years back for 25 quid and i'd be willing to sell it to you for a tenner, cos I lost the bow!

I would suggest even a little bit of Felt in there.

Three Colours Blue - I found it all a bit alienating really, the tragic event at the start didn't feel to me like it had enough emotional significance and made it hard for me to really empathise with Julie Binoche's character fully. Love the sudden fades and orchestral bursts at important points throughout the film, though. Did maintain my interest throughout though and the pivotal moment where the main character becomes emotionally engaged again was rather affecting in light of what precedes it. I'll be watching the rest of the trilogy 7/10

Woyzeck - totally underrated Herzog/Kinski film, their best in my opinion and the only time Kinski plays a character that is at once wild-eyed and sympathetic. Perfectly economic script and storyline. Brilliant iconic ending also. 9/10

i am amused that you could buy one of my bands CDs on eBay from someone that clearly sells all the samplers they receive, with over 24,000 on sale at the moment!

rather than these samplers why not give journalists secure password protected time limited access to streaming of new albums? surely the technology exists to do this.

and if you really wanted to catch out the source of a leak why not send out copies of new promo album with tiny noise in there that could uniquely identify the copy number used in the copy. again if you wanted to be that careful you'd be able to drop some in some reference that wouldn't be heard on initial/normal listens to album but could be boosted up and heard clearly if you knew where to listen.

I received promos in journalistic capacity. I'd say it's pretty evenly split between download links, streaming sites like soundcloud and actual physical copies. It suprises me that labels/PRs still want to send out physical copies, but most seem quite relaxed about it. Only CD that's ever come with much of a warning attached was the last Bassment Jaxx albums, with a whole schtick about it being traceable etc. It's disappointing that journalists would want to leak stuff, but not everybody is a sinless as myself. I'd still hate to see this practice stopped generally though, because I think musical journalism is important, partly because I'm full of my own self-importance of course.

I guess you've heard the kinda stuff that's informed the album whereas others may not have?

Either way, I think it's an awesome album and I'm disappointed that I was in too bad a mood yesterday to consider going to see them.

Yeah, very much, I might find some more nuances to appreciate with further listening, but on the surface I find it merely pleasant really.

I am finally getting round to reading 'Falling and Laughing: The Restoration of Edwyn Collins' as homework for an interview with the man himself, not that I think I need the research.

I think they're ok, but I'm taken aback at the amount of acclaim they've received.

Whatever any says i think this is pretty impressive. It got Robert Louis Stevenson after about 10 questions and although it took until his second guess he got Lou Reed.

And Henrik Larsson from the facts that it's a soccer player who played at world cup 2006 and isn't Russian or Ukrainian!

Edit: And Klaus Kinski in less than ten questions!! I love this thing!

'Increasingly irrelevant'? Even though they're selling less they're still very widely read and relied upon for coverage. Even independent magazines like The Fly have around 100,000 monthly readers! It seems grossly unfair for the readers of magazines and the reviewers have to lose out, as well as the labels who would have to rush advertising and press - a lot of which relies on journalistic coverage - because one or two people have leaked the record. I really don't understand that viewpoint.

And having talked to music writers, I gather that listening sessions are quite unpopular as a concept. On the topic of film reviews, that's an entirely different medium and I'd be extremely hesitant to compare them to writing about music, personally.

I agree with Euan's sentiments here. I don't think you can critically assess music in one sitting, because people don't consume music in one sitting. It's not an exact science but the whole idea or repeated listening is important. It's easier to fix your attention on a film on one sitting, because a film demands your visual and aural attention. Listening parties don't encourage an attentive listening enviroment.

As for leaks. Without going into the whole general download debate I dislike the people for doing so where they have no right to intellectual ownership over the music. That's really just theft and distribution of stolen property. I also personally enjoy the all the anticipation and excitement that goes with release dates. I'm old fashioned though.

E.T. - not much to say really except 10/10

Today I learned that the word "glamour" was invented by Sir Walter Scott.

Woah woah woah! Hold the fucking horse, here.

Are you suggesting that bassists actually contribute to a band?

Fuck that. Bassists don't contribute. They stand there and play what the fuck they are told to.

To be fair Peter Hook circa 1979 with short hair, beard and long face was cool enough to get away with just standing there...not so much now though. Horrible idea, but at least it's potentially interesting in a car crash sort of way unlike Barney's Bad Lieutenant, which was just bland bland bland. Gimme Rowetta over that boorish Ashcroft wannabe he got to sing.

Watched the Werner Herzog movie 'Aguirre The Wrath of God' tonight. Spaniard leads a bunch of others to find El Dorado and decends into madness.

I'm really not sure what to make of it to be honest.

Haha I watched it last night, what a bizarre coincidence. I'd say it didn't give a great deal of moral insight or anything within the historical context, but rather it was all about the egomaniac, the lust for power against mankind and nature. So basically it was all about Klaus Kinski, but what a performance. It's the way seethes in the background I love.

8/10

Ooh, I'm definitely coming now, I thought the Mountain Man album was prettaaaay good:

Mountain Man - Made the Harbor / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound

Just finished Skippy Dies by Paul Murray, which was pretty extraordinary and I've just taken the first book from the top of my big pile of "to read"s, which is The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson, which seems an intriguing update of the old Scottish dualism concern.

I quite like sticking on Laverne in the background when I'm not up to much else, she's eclectic and refreshingly unpretentious I find. Jarvis' show is pefect sunday afternoon listening too.

As with with Pierre it's one of the few things I ever bothered actually complaining about, writing an impassioned (and most likely inarticulate) email.

I see you got a pretty decent review on the old 'Fork today: Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Meursault: All Creatures Will Make Merry

I also made a brief, but complimetary, mention of you in my Rockness review for DiS, which you'll find via the Rockness thread...or just by going on the site itself.