I mentioned this album last week and now it has arrived I thought I'd share my thoughts. I am quite enamored with it. It's not ground breaking, but it's such a pleasure to listen to, comforting, warm and un-troubling, it feels like a friend I've rediscovered.

Oh dear, does that sound like it's easy listening? That's not what I mean. It's not bland, or uncomplicated, but it is harmonious, it has flutes and gentle guitars, vocals that are like half remembered lullabies, like psalms, the songs are shaped as my mind expects them to be and yet it does not sound second hand.

Comparisons with Espers, and by extension British psychedelic folk from the late sixties/early seventies occur to me, but it's not dated. I'm not describing this very well, but I find it satisfying to listen to and faintly addictive, when it finishes I just put it on again. It is a balm, I recommend it.

February is a good month already, from a musical point of view, anyway. The Eden House's ep of covers and DVD came out yesterday, but as I don't really want the DVD, I just downloaded the tracks from iTunes for £2.49. A bargain I'm sure you'll agree. It's called 'The Looking Glass'. Covers are a funny thing aren't they? They can give you a way into a band or they can really annoy you, if you liked the song already. I know that I love the music of the Eden House, but I wasn't sure if this would work. Overall, I'd say it does.



I love Julianne Regan's vocal on the track 'Remember (walking on the sand)' which was apparently originally recorded by the Shangri-Las, I hadn't heard it before. It's quite hard for me to say how much it's been changed, but I like the dramatic feel to the Eden House version and Julianne makes it very sensual and summons up some delicious longing from the lyrics.

Not entirely sure about the Radiohead or Bjork cover; is it even a good idea to try to cover Bjork? I'm really not convinced that it is, but Amandine Ferrari doesn't try to sing like her which is a blessing. I already have a favourite cover version of the Stones track '2000 Light Years From Home', which is by the Danse Society, but the one here is perfectly acceptable. That's a bit damning with faint praise, isn't it? I haven't really had a chance to engage with the Velvet Underground cover, apart from admiring the swoony guitar, either, but all the tracks have the same lovely dreamy, dense feel to them which seems to be the Eden House trademark. They make their own world, to me it smells faintly of musk rose incense, is a place between waking and sleeping and tastes of southern comfort (don't ask why, I'm searching using non logical means here).

I'm waiting for the new Midlake album, 'The Courage of Others', to arrive as we speak. All the reviews say more folky and psychedelic than the last one, so I pretty much know I'll love it as those are two of my favourite things. I'm not sure how some Americans are so good at sounding like british folk rock bands from the late 1960s, but I'm glad to listen to them. I like the cover too.



I only just got around to buying IAMX's 'The Kingdom of Welcome Addiction' because I didn't really like the single that preceded it, but now I have it, I wish I'd bought it earlier (to be honest the price tag on Amazon put me off, I haven't payed nearly £15 for a CD very often). It doesn't sink to the level of decadent and desperate living that 'The Alternative' managed to wallow in, but it conjures it's own more subtle beauty. I especially love the last track on the album 'Running'. I think fans of Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, rock, electro, dance and the film Cabaret would like it, but I'd recommend 'The Alternative' as it's harder and more viscerally appealing, if they're a new band to anyone.

Just finished reading Charlaine Harris' 'A Touch of Dead'. So lovely to spend some time with Sookie again. It's short stories, not many of them, but it's great fun, Eric is in it and the stories are between books so nothing really terrible happens. Happy reading.

I've just finished reading a book about an orphaned wizard called Harry, but it may not be the one you're thinking of. This one has a magically enhanced leather duster coat (I want one) and hangs about in the mean streets of Chicago, narrowly avoiding death on a regular basis.

I believe zoo_music_girl recommended the author Jim Butcher to me, particularly his Harry Dresden series, for which I'd like to thank her profusely, it's been a while (well since the last Sookie Stackhouse novel) since I've picked up a book just after tea time and only stopped reading it to go to sleep until I finished it the next morning. I made a basic fantasy reader error and started with book six, but apart from knowing more about Harry's family than I should do, I don't think it will spoil the books before it. I've just ordered a lot more of them from the library, I found two short stories on the website and I consider myself a fan.

I'm so pleased to be reading again, I've felt like there was something wrong with me without a book to keep me company. I'm planning to re-read Gwyneth Jones' 'Bold as Love' series again whilst I wait, but I hope it won't be too long.

The longest, darkest
Night hid unexpected snow.
Sparkling Solstice gift.

I was so excited by the un-forecast and unexpected snow that arrived overnight,(I saw it first at 3am) on the Solstice that I forgot to post to wish everyone a good one. Happy Solstice a day late!

( This is what I woke up to... )

Have you seen the new stats tool paid member have to play with?
http://community.livejournal.com/paidmembers/24250.html
It tells me how many people read my entries. I'm not sure I need to know, but couldn't resist having a look. I'm surprised how many people who aren't on livejournal, or who aren't logged in when they look, visit my public entries. I wonder who these grey lurkers are? I'm sure what I write is not of universal interest, so how do they stumble across my words of wisdom?

Having studied statistics as part of my Master of Science degree, I am deeply suspicious of them and what use they'll be put to, but I suppose I could look for patterns if I had nothing better to do. I bet videos of cats get lots of views, let's experiment. Here's a video of a kitten which is testing my decision not to own a cat quite severely...




I'll let you know.

Here are Mr Bethnoir's photos of the squirrel which visited our garden last week, it had a very twitchy tail
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A small insight into the 1970s for my younger readers. On long car journeys, as a treat, we were allowed to have cheese triangles to eat and, at the time there were variety packs. I think there was a ham one, a tomato one, maybe a chive one, but my favourite was the pickle one. I want one now! This is what happens when I'm allowed to drink*. I get the munchies for dubious, unobtainable snacks. I'll be after marmite flavoured mini cheddars next. Oh damn. Does anyone else remember these vile sounding snacks or is it just me?
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Suddenly, and unexpectedly, the song 'Sugar Sugar Sugar' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds appeared in my head this afternoon and I decided to listen to it when I got home. However, it doesn't appear to be on my computer despite the fact that the album 'Tender Prey' is. This was puzzling, but having noticed that 'Sunday's Slave' is listed as being 8.42 minutes long, I think I may have worked out where it's gone. I wonder why and if it's possible to correct? Also if this is the case for everyone or just me?

It's not a very lovely song, however, I was sad that it had disappeared, but I can now revel in it's tawdry poetry again (as long as I don't mind listening to 'Sunday's Slave' (my friend Damien's favourite Nick Cave track), as well).

I have answered my own question so I guess I should delete this post, but I like it so, here's a photo of my brother, our cat Bandit and some of my Tender Prey poster from about fifteen years ago. Nick used to scare my Mum with his malevolent expression. Sorry Mum.

Look at John Peel's festive 50 from 1985
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/festive50s/1980s/1985/
Now, I've never liked the Wedding Present or The Fall, but aren't there a lot of good tracks in that list?
I've just been listening to the Rose of Avalanche (thank you wolfy_codex), who, for the uninitiated were a great band from Leeds who should have been more popular. I remember thinking at the time I first heard them, probably 1989, what a lot of great music there was around. I wonder if it's just because I was young then and hadn't heard it all before?

Still, the Rose of Avalanche, alternative, danceable, very rocky and yes, goths liked them, is that bad? Why on earth Americans didn't take to them, or most of the UK, come to think of it, I can't understand.


Maybe they just needed to wear more eyeliner?

Do you think Erin Boag fell out with the costume department? Is it me, or is this dress a bit of a disaster, I didn't like the dance either but, fringes on the sleeves? Purple with Ricky's red? Weird hole in the middle?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0058bww

Finally the gales seem to have subsided and a damage survey is possible. Considering that, on Friday night, it sounded as if the wind was trying to either tear the roof off or remove the walls, it is cheering to discover that only the fences and wooden play house need repairs and these are mainly of the nailing bits back together kind. I like to be reminded of the power of the weather, but since some vital roof tiles blew off at our old house, I feel less secure than I did when the rain drives and the wind makes the trees creak beyond my tightly shut windows.
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My goodness work has been terrible this week. Running on a skeleton crew and then some of those skeletons being off sick and on holiday meant that those remaining were under more pressure than is comfortable by a long way, still I was very cheered on friday night by some gorgeous chips from the fish and chip shop and a fabulous firework display choreographed by Mr bethnoir and enjoyed in the company of some good friends. I was tired, but conscious that enjoying the moment is very important and the green, pink, bright white and gold firework was particularly noteworthy.
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I've just read that the vocalist with Elusive, Jan Kenneth Barkved died on the 27th October. I know no details, but I liked the band. Very sad. May he rest in peace.

Well, I can never predict the British public. A fifth of them apparently have very dubious voting intentions and some of them keep phoning up Strictly Come Dancing and saving boring Craig from the dance off. I know one is much more worrying than the other, but Jade Johnson having to dance to save her place? It's an outrage, I tell you. Ian's trousers alone should have won the day.( Read more... )

if Guenevere, Lancelot and Arthur could have come to some arrangement between them, they could have saved everyone a lot of trouble. Surely Lancey could have fathered a son and that would have been more fun all around? Look here's a photo of Lancelot kissing Arthur's sword (oo-er)... ( Read more... )

Further to my last post, my garden at night


Howard and Edgar with tea lights


makes the dark evenings worth it.

I bought a new pumpkin, isn't he cool? He's called Edgar. Here he is with Howard, my old one, I think they're listening to a joke in the first photo and laughing at it in the second, what do you think?






They'll look even better in the dark with candles inside them, but I couldn't wait to take a photo. I can't remember where Howard came from, but Edgar was in Aldi for a very reasonable £7.99. Much more fun than most of the plastic tat that's around, although I do like plastic bats and I'm tempted by the window stickers in Sainsbury's.

In other fascinating news, I finally got around to refilling the bird feeders, have a stack of ironing and housework to do and saw a cat nearly roll off next door's roof when she stretched, whilst I put the washing out this morning. She was fine, but there was much clattering of claws as she fought to regain her balance. Silly thing.

I read Stephenie Meyer's 'Breaking Dawn' gosh it was awful. It went off at an Anne Rice tangent, but an unpleasant Mayfair Witches one, not a cool vampire one, I was truly surprised, but far from delighted.

I don't want to give away the plot, but I am very uncomfortable with some of the ideas in this novel, particularly the betrothal of babies to grown men and the negativity surrounding child bearing, however I am glad to have read the conclusion to the series because it means I don't have to read any more. They're making it into a film, I won't be going to see that.

In better vampire news saw some series one Buffy on Sci Fi channel, it was so sweet and Angel was so thin and pretty. I wish Dollhouse had some of Josh Wheedon's humour, I really liked it when he was funny. Must vacuum now...pity me.

I saw an interview with Nick Cave on youtube in which he said that there were only three things to write songs about, love, death and God. I pondered this for a while, it is empirically true for him, but as a general statement, I don't think I agree. There are bands who have a whole career without writing about some or all of them, it made me wonder if I had to tie myself to topics, what I write about.
I think love, death and dreams.
How about you? Or if you don't write, three broad themes you always want to read about?

Last night, in my dreams, I spent time with a much missed friend I went to school with. I haven't seen him since we accidentally met in the British Museum in about 1990, last contact was a brief internet communication some years ago where he shared news of his recently born son, but I stumbled across a photo of him as a toddler in a book I was reading this week, so I assume that is why he appeared. In my dream he had been in prison, had lost his wife and children and had generally lived a life of suffering. I hope none of it is true, apart from the skill at playing the piano, which he didn't have before but might have developed. I wish I could find out, but not everyone is on Facebook, sadly.

I haven't really spent all week watching TV, but I did channel surf last night and found the American version of 'Strictly Come Dancing' on Watch (Dancing with the Stars). I quite enjoyed contrasting it with the UK original. The emphasis was much more on show dance style theatrics than more traditional routines, Len was predictably not impressed and gave one couple a 4. He seemed to have merged his usual judging style with Craig's, being more critical and abrasive than I expected. The male professional dancers were much more camp and made up. Interesting. I'm looking forward to tonight's Strictly, I think I may be a bit too keen on it this year, but I love watching them dance.


I've discovered that a surprising number of my friends have birthdays at the end of September/beginning of October. Firstly, I must write them all on the calendar, but secondly I don't know even know what star sign that makes them, can anyone enlighten me?

Here's a picture of some cats as I believe it is obligatory :-)