Spreading like a…

Complete your own metaphor here. Prizes awarded for answers that make me laugh.

Tagged to do that “Top 6 songs” thing by mrtreacle. Usual tedious “only six” and “only valid for next ten minutes” disclaimers apply, because obviously, I want you all to think I’m the sort of deeply interesting person that loves all sorts of music, and has a really hard time picking just six out of the huge breadth of my taste.

But despite the fact that I listen to both classic jazz, and obscure shit that shounds like a three year old trying to fit a cat into a kettle, my list is, in fact a tediously predictable load of uncomplicated alt-type stuff, because I’m a tediously precitable and uncomplicated alt-type at heart, and I really can’t fight it. So, in fact, forget those disclaimers. It was quite easy to do this, and you can regard this list as good for a whole month or two. Yes.

Tom Waits – “Come On Up To The House”.
Tansads – “Drunken Serande”.
Dropkick Murphys – “The Dirty Glass”.
Shane MacGowan and Sinead O’Connor – “Haunted”.
Firewater – “Dark Days Indeed”.
Flogging Molly – “Within A Mile Of Home”.

Kodo

Was at the Barbican last night, seeing Kodo live. If you weren’t there, and lets face it, you probably weren’t, then you missed out on one of the most impressive and beautiful experiences going. They were fucking amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. One of those experience you just know you’ll never forget.

Galas

Before I forget: Diamanda Galas was ace, last night. Beautiful and frightening. Her command of her voice is just astonishing, and she’s a damn fine pianist. I’d love to give a proper review, but honestly, I don’t know where to begin, except to say that she was good. Three encores and a standing ovation good. That’s about the best I can do.

Music Again

Today, I have bought:

Luke Haines “The Oliver Twist Manifesto”. My friend Paul, who introduced me to Mr Haines work used to have a .sig file that read “Luke Haines is a genuis and you will all buy his records if it kills me.” He was right. Luke Haines is a genuis. Go and buy his records, or I’ll kill Paul.

Cocteau Twins “Four-Calendar Cafe”. Cocteau Twins. What more need be said? Hymns from an alien religion. Beautiful, and weird as all hell.

Red House Painters “Red House Painters”. First one of their albums I’ve bought. I’ve got one track of theirs, on a 4AD sampler CD, and I really liked it, so I thought I’d give them a go. More when I’ve had a chance to listen and absorb it.

Lastly, and most excitingly:

A ticket to go and see Diamanda Galas at the Royal Festival Hall in a few weeks. Hurrah, I say! Hurrah! Mad shrieking women playing the piano and terrorising the audience. Tori Amos is nice, but Diamanda comes with knives and anger. I’m so looking forward to this. Can you tell?

Mugged By Music

I knew I’d regret poping into Beggars Banquet last week. I was back in there today. I think the big problem is that they sell far too much 4AD stuff on CD, 90% of it for under a tenner. Last week, it was The Birthday Party, The Pixies and The Aphex Twin, this week, The Breeders, Throwing Muses and the Cocteau Twins. 6 CDs for about 35 quid isn’t bad, but I know it’s false economy.

Playlist

At work, the technical department is in a separate room. We tend to have music playing, because we can, using the G4 Mac as a jukebox. Now, I know my musical taste doesn’t agree with most of the office, so I listen to my own music on headphones. But a while back, while trying to make a tape for the trip to Bristol, I copied a bunch of MP3s over to the Mac so that I could burn them to CD.

Someone has started them playing, which I’m certainly not complaining about. But this is a room where you’re all you’re normally likely to hear something chilled and ambient, or Another Generic Ibiza Album. Right now, this is the playlist:

New Model Army – Vengance

Dead Kennedys – Holday in Cambodia

Joan Jett – Bad Reputation

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Papa Won’t Leave You Henry

The Pixies – River Euprates

Ramones – It’s Not My Place (In The 9 To 5 World)

Buzzocks – Boredom

The Fall – How I Wrote Elastic Man

Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster

The Birthday Party – Zoo-Music Girl

The Undertones – Teenage Kicks

The Only Ones – Another Girl, Another Planet

No-one seems to have the nerve to turn it off.