Is it too late to claim the cash, do you think?

(click for bigger pic)

Fuck off, Gretna


(Yes, I know, they are fucking off. To the SPL. Bastards)

Best tour name ever...

The Decemberists' newly announced European tour in what those American types refer to as "the fall" (over here, that involves a grouchy old geezer firing his band members every five-uh minutes-uh), is being called "A Great Smiting of Chavs". Marvellous...

"is it something about history?" *

So I've dragged my weary bones reluctantly into the 21st century, and I can now be found on myspace. I'm only there for the Urusei Yatsura track, honest...







Edit 12.44am 26/4/07: So the post title is meant to be a quote from Friday's Peep Show. Only I've just watched the repeat and it should have been "is it something to do with history?"(one of the few lines that tickled my fancy in a largely disappointing episode, as it happens) Buggeration. Silly me and my not-quoting-accurately-ness.

Sold!

Today, I have been mainly looking at vintage advertising at Plan59 and fruit-related sister site Box of Apples

They don't make them like that any more

I'm listening to BBC7 just now (quelle surprise), an adaptation of Dorothy L Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey stories. There's an actress in the cast by the name of Ambrosine Philpotts.



Ambrosine Philpotts



Magnificent, isn't it? A moniker fit for a PG Wodehouse character, so quintessentially English, yet faintly outlandish is it.



Ambrosine Philpotts.



It seems she's been in a few films, including Expresso Bongo, which, despite starring Cliff Richard, is actually jolly good.



Ambrosine Philpotts

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What the fuck, part 2451

So I just got home and switched on the TV, only to see some numpties on the screen going on about "local laws for local people", blaming UK Post Office closures on the EU (erm, how, exactly?), and wanting to have elected police officials. Turns out it was a Party Election Broadcast for the Scottish wing of the UK Independence Party, that charming bunch of xenophobes. Oh no, silly me, they're a "libertarian, non-racist party seeking Britain's withdrawal from the European Union". Because, obviously, a political party has to explicitly state it's opposition to racism, that's not just a given. They're at pains to show how inclusive and mainstream they are - from their party history:

In order to protect the party from infiltration by extremists, all party members must sign a membership form supporting the party's principles, which must also be respected by conference. All prospective candidates and constituency office bearers must sign declarations confirming that they have no criminal record and no previous association with extremist political groups of right and left

Now, why would extremists seek to join them? Couldn't be anything to do with their policies and aims, could it? No, of course not, they don't hate foreigners. Just those pesky Eurocrats.

Make your mind up...

There's some conflicting advice on my 3 litre super-bargain cheap as chips supermarket own-label cider.

On the one hand:

Consume within 48 hours of opening

On the other:

Please drink responsibly

Okay then...

Rainy days and Carpenters songs always make me cry*

Sense prevails

Or perhaps not...

From that last one:

This is not the nation celebrated in its own mythology and the imagination of much of the outside world. Now apparently, we, the British, are prepared to betray our traditions, truth, duty, dignity, decency and ourselves. It seems that since we no longer recognise the concept of honour, we no longer have any shame. We think it is fine to say anything to save our skins. To be subjected to unpleasantness is unbearable, even if we have chosen the profession of a fighting man or woman. Emotional experience, of whatever kind and however tawdry, is turned into vicarious entertainment for the populace.

Someone send that man a collection of First World War poetry and then see if he's so keen on Honour Above All.





*There's a documentary about The Carpenters on TV as I type. I'm okay so far, they haven't got to Rainy Days and Mondays yet...

Happy Easter

(more here)

Copycat

Bloody Tony Blair, jumping on my bandwagon...

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And finally...

Rounding off YouTube Week, we have a small clip from series one of Peep Show.

There a piece in the Guardian Guide by writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, and there's more on the show here. The new series starts on Friday.

Plucky underdogs do it again

For a nation of only 5 million or so, Scotland packs a fair punch when it comes to music. Here are a few of the best.

The Rezillos - My Baby Does Good Sculptures.

Josef K - Sorry For Laughing

The Associates - White Car In Germany
I was very very very pleased to find this one...

Altered Images - I Could Be Happy

Orange Juice - Rip It Up

Aztec Camera - Oblivious

Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday

The Blue Nile - Headlights On The Parade

The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
This is the proper version, mercifully free of "comedy" "characters"

Teenage Fanclub - The Concept
Not their best song by a long shot, but included for sentimental reasons - back when I were a lass, this was one of my three regular plays on the Student Union jukebox (the other two being The Breeders - Cannonball and Nirvana - Polly, fact fans)

The Yummy Fur - Theme From Ultrabra
There's a Yummy Fur presence on YouTube. Colour me amazed.

Lung Leg - Punk Pop Travesty
There's a Lung Leg presence on YouTube. Colour me amazed-er.

Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
Footage from their last ever show.

Belle and Sebastian - Lazy Line Painter Jane
With added Monica Queen

The Delgados - American Trilogy
More bands should be named after cyclists.

Aberfeldy - Tom Weir
The man in question.

Camera Obscura - Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken

Just received the latest mailing from the evil people at Ticketmaster -

"Don't miss Pink - standing"

I'm looking forward to the next batch now:

"Don't miss Westlife - sitting on stools till the key change"

"Don't miss Amy Winehouse - propping up the bar"

and of course

"Don't miss Elton John - still standing after all these years"

La Belle France

So, the 1960s.
An explosion of bands from Liverpool.
Swinging London and Carnaby Street.

Me, I'd rather have been in France.

Jacques Dutronc:
Les Playboys

Les Cactus

Francoise Hardy:
Il Est Des Choses

Ma Jeunesse Fout Le Camp

Hardy and Dutronc together

And of course, the Grand Master himself, Serge Gainsbourg:
Manon

Bonnie and Clyde (with Brigitte Bardot)

Fabulous Absolutely

YouTubery

As it seems to be YouTube Week, I may as well continue with the theme...

For your viewing delectation, I most humbly present Mr Stephen Fry and Mr Hugh Laurie in some excerpts from their BBC show A Bit of Fry and Laurie

And for a change of pace, I bring you Mr Stewart Lee and Mr Richard Herring in some clips from their BBC show Fist of Fun

This one features Mr Peter Baynham, who you may remember from such comedy writing as The Day Today, The Harpoon, I'm Alan Partridge, and Borat

Bringing us full circle with a little reference to Mr Fry there...
(And here's some background on the Patrick Marber baiting)

Alanis Morissette in "sense of humour" shocker