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Random Thoughts


- The Scissors Sisters record is the best album released so far this year in my house. A fantastic pop record that almost makes me want to listen to Pink Floyd's The Wall. Yes, it's that good. This is of course off the back of the Bee Gees style version of Comfortably Numb. One of the best moments of recent Top Of The Pops was the Sisters performing Comfortably Numb in all their 'just stepped out of a NY gay club' pomp. This was immediately followed by the turgid new single by the Stereophonics who just looked laughable trying to be all rock 'n' roll. What a contrast and totally showed the Welshman up for being the dullards they clearly are.

- In many ways Altered Images are fantastic especially later in their career when they released the quite fantastic 'Don't Talk To Me About Love'. A classic single. All this despite Clare Grogan's voice which on some tracks sounds like she's sucked down a whole bottle of helium. On the afore mentioned track she keeps it in check but on the follow up Bring Me Closer which is an equally great song she loses it completely and ends up in chipmunk territory. Maybe it's like Neil Young or Joni Mitchell, you either can stand their singing or you can't. Maybe I'll need to learn to like it and live with it. I managed it with Neil and Joni, in fact Joni initially annoyed me more especially on the album Blue for some reason. Of course now I recognise it for the brilliant record that it is but it took some time.

- Discovering some Ivor Cutler just now thanks to FOPP. He's a big favourite of John Peel and has done many sessions for him through the years. He released his first records back in the 60's, appeared in Magical Mystery Tour as Buster Bloodvessel and indeed had George Martin produce his jazz trio album Ludo. A lot of his tracks are short poems although he also performs songs accompanied by the harmonium. He's Scottish with the most wonderful expressive voice and well worth punting £5 on in FOPP if you're looking for something different. I've bought Dandruff and Jammy Smears so far and may yet get Velvet Donkey (such great titles!).

- Jason Falkner has a new EP out Bliss Descending. It's got 5 tracks and it's only available from Not Lame. It sounds good after 2 listens but I think his style has become too defined now and his records don't surprise me. Whether this is because he plays all the instruments himself and never lets anyone else's personality affect his music or whether he's just limited in his songwriting I don't know but on his next full length I hope he does something a bit different. For me he still hasn't bettered that first solo record '...present Author Unknown'.

- I enjoyed my first listen to the album Beautiful Collision by Bic Runga (Kiwi singer/songwriter) but I don't know if I like her because she's the Dido you've never heard of. Similar to me liking Teitur (Faroese singer/songwriter) when he's the David Gray you've never heard of. If these records were suddenly huge over here, selling singles and always on the radio would I like them quite so much? Pathetically I think not, over-exposure and mass appeal can so quickly ruin a record. So no going and buying their records and making them really popular.

- I've updated my iPod list on the right in case you haven't noticed.

- For those complaining I don't post, there you go I posted.

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