This Weekend I am mainly...

attempting to have a bit of a spring clean, update my blogroll before half my readers think I'm a stuck-up cow. Not stuck up or selective I am afraid - just a tad bloglazy. And - I'm going to try find the time to do a new Listen With Rockmother podcast. I'm not sure where I am in the slutbitch Top 50 anymore but do find time to vote if you can dearies... generally usually hovering around no 37 these days which means I have dropped out of the Top 20 which simply won't do.


Right - where are my Marigolds and my deephouse-coat? Margot?

Competition Update: And The Answer Is

that the odd one out was indeed T'Pau because they were only band in that group to integrate the saxophone into their song to worse rather than better effect. Obscure - yes - so sorry. It was originally just going to be a post about how few bands have been able to incorporate the saxophone into popular music to good effect but on an impulsive, uncontrollable whim I turned it into a competition. Well done to Miss Violet who basically guessed it. But seriously, The Blockheads, X-Ray Spex and Iggy and the Stooges all use the saxophone brilliantly within their repertoire where perhaps you would imagine that it really shouldn't work at all. A tetchy, squealy punctuation that actually becomes the signature of the tune. The difference is that these bands played it punchy whereas T'Pau innapropriately married pop with that smooooth sax sound which just made the song sicklier and over-produced. Don't get me started on Candy Dulfer! Shouldn't have been allowed near a brass instrument if you ask me. Ditto Curtis Steigers. George Michael is let off because Careless Whisper is a perfect Greek pop song.

It's OK - Bob's Back!

Don't panic!
It's ok - I am happy to report that Mr Bob Swipe has been found alive and well....rather kicking actually.

That's Bob's back on the right as he was welcomed by RAF Wing Co Cynthia Mallarde and Miss Tracy Catkins President of the British Heart Foundation Twickenham Labrador Lovers Association. Tracy Catkins rather thoughtfully brought a white cardie in case Bob needed treatment for shock.

All is now resumed after he lost his calliper on the way to the belt section, tripped and got rather bizarrely wedged between LP's and Bric a Brac Corner. Bob celebrated with a pint of Twickenham's finest Toffee 'Buie Breezer and thanked all especially the industrial winch team that helped to dislodge the prosthesis.

You can listen to and buy his album here - it's really very bloody good. No doubt the next one might be a concept number based on this week's traumatic events!

Roel - Romo's One to Watch - Clever Dutchman

This gives the music video industry hope. A one take wonder. zZz is playing: Grip is the first video of Roel Wouters aka Xelor. It's a one take music video simulating typical video effects that we encounter from day to day. The video was recorded live as part of the opening 'Nederclips' at the Stedelijk Museum Holland.

The project was commissioned by the TAX-videoclipfonds. The proviso of shooting it was that the audience at the opening would be able to witness the whole shoot, and that the videoclip would be added to the exhibition immediately after filming. There was no option to reshoot or edit if something went wrong. It is really clever and a breath of fresh air. It is a great way of seeing things that we take for granted and using them to illustrate something completely different.



You can check out more from this years 'Romo's One to Watch' here. I predict big things in the world of music video and advertising for Mr Roel. And you can check out 'the making of' here...just as interesting as the video itself. I love the marriage of music and maths.

I'm Wicked and I'm Laaaaaaaazy

A short quiz as inspired by having to endure T'Pau on the radio the other day. I swear Carol Decker is stalking me - she just won't take no for an answer and is still wanting to be my friend on Munterspace. What does she want - China in her hand? Anyway - before I start doing an impression of Microdwarf Simon Amstell...

Who/which band is the odd one out...and why?

or
or
or

I have been a bit diverted by commenting rather than posting lately - I have thought of many things to post like how much I have been enjoying the rather marvellous Electric Roulette. Go, see, hear, read, watch, learn, listen. They even wore their fingers numb and bleeding scouring the internet for this: Iggy and the Stooges 'doing' Madonna at the Hall of Fame ceremony the other week. I have to say - not everyone's cup of tea but quite frankly had I been there I would not have been able to contain myself. I would have leaped atop my hosts table, started ripping at my clothes and generally inciting all and sundry to join in and behave with great badness. Even Madonna sat there like a dork - a shocking waste of a performance if ever I saw one. She should have at least tried to move one of her heavily botoxed eyelids. Feel something! Feel something Iggy rasped as a line of elderly record executives looked on in horror and frantically popped another Ambien.




Talking of great music I went to see Supergrass at the Roundhouse last Friday. I can't post a proper Rockmother Review as I drank so much champagne and vodka the larger detail is still missing but when it comes back in some sort of coherent form I will. All I can say is that they were absolutely brilliant, loud, in time and generally on faultless form. I fear I may have cracked a rib jumping up and down too much and attempted to breakdance at the backstage aftershow party and I might have taken Gaz's kebab home by mistake and left it in the back of an Addison Lee cab (sorry Gaz) but you know - that's what it is like in the rock and roll fast lane. Look out for Glange Fever - the Chas Harrison Rokumentary to accompany the forthcoming Diamond Hoo Ha album release - you can see the trailer here as shot and edited by none other than my eater algo Mr Cafe Del Nightmare.

Wow is that the time? I really must be going but before I do - my old college friend Steve who is something of a genius clever cyber uber overlord and is always getting asked his opinion on stuff like the internet and often more complicated things like how do you widgify that into a host-based online multistreamlined creational environment? In his own words he can 'state the total cost of a job during a pitch without laughing, proofread a Powerpoint presentation on a moving escalator, get a smile from the snootiest Venture Capital receptionist in Mayfair and divine the secret purpose of a digital strategy using only instant coffee and a pencil'. Added to which he has come up with the great invention of Speechification and Watchification - both a sort of diagonal slice through the output of Radio 4 (and various other speech radio stations delivered as a podcast) and BBC TV respectively. Watchification are making regular selections from the BBC's new streaming iPlayer. By the wonders of 'embedding' you can watch the video direct at Watchification without having to wade through the Windows only iplayer format. An interesting amalgam of distributing a 'best of' selection in a completely user friendly way. You can even follow on Twitter and tell your friends.




Miaow. And look what the cat dragged in! Sayonara until next time my little love kittens xx

Ugly DJ Syndrome

Now and again I listen to my local radio station - Radio Jackie FM - especially in the car for some reason. There is something really comforting and normal about local radio wherever you are. Radio Jackie's main claim is that they go out 'Live! From Tolworth Tower!' I don't even know where Tolworth is. I used to catch the 72 bus from Hammersmith to Barnes after school - the 72 went to Tolworth Broadway - that is all I know about Tolworth. Actually the real reason why I like Radio Jackie is because they play a lot of 70's and 80's music which always sends me into a reminiscent reverie of too much eyeliner, remembering boys I used to fancy and feeling ashamed at knowing all the words to songs from bands I purported to hate at the time (mainly Duran Duran). The other thing I like about Radio Jackie are the local advertisements - "Get on down to Ashford Aquatics! Just past the Middlesex Crematorium on the A326. Ashford Aquatics - come on dooooown!"

Radio Jackie FM claims to be SW London and North Surrey's best radio station - actually I think it is the only radio station that covers that area. On looking at their website it reminded me how weird DJ's look in real life. You can build up a great persona with your radio voice can't you but in the flesh you might often look a bit of a shock. Why is that? Why are most DJ's so odd looking? Jimmy Saville being the most extreme example.....


Bruno Brookes with his massive bulbous forehead, Noel Edmonds with his tidy beard and Janice Long with her utter fright of a hairdo. Did they all get dressed in the dark I wonder?

I nominate my Radio Jackie DJ Hairstyle Horror of the Week to be Mike 'Mullet' Hayes! Take it away Mike!

Mike's on at 16:00GMT today if any of you are interested...

Who is your favourite DJ and why?

My only favourite DJ ever was John Peel.
And Alan 'Fluff' Freeman
Not'arf.
Bye.