October 2006 Archives

I actually cannot listen to the radio without thinking of this now! Every time a chorus spells out the FM digits of a radio station I have to go 'ohhhhh sexy giiiiirlfrieeeend'!

Ian's had three glasses of wine and is being silly. It's times like these when I need a video camera.

Just a note to say that I'm still alive. If I'm honest I'm not feeling too inspired to blog lately, which should be self-evident.

Everything's ok. Job's going well, am feeling nice and challenged at work. Went to a fancy industry do the other night; Fiona Bruce has absolutely no rack to speak of. Am exercising new morning system which involves a cup of tea in bed - quite a nice way to wake up, except for the early morning chill in the kitchen. Had a sweet German girl come to visit, only one of my favourite people from my university days, and we watched a friend get married in a beautiful old church.

Life is good - I'll be sure to post my musings on the American political system or the Pussycat Dolls some time in the future. In the meantime, fill up on South Park, Spongebob and Family guy here.

Gives her viewpoint on Google's acquisition of YouTube. Hilarious!

After much anticipation, the new album by The Killers was released on Monday.
I think a lot of people did the same thing, but when I listened to their first album, I felt a real personal connection to a lot of the songs. This has as much to do with the subject matter (Believe Me, Natalie being a high point, *ba-da-dishhh*) as it has to do with the sheer singalongability the album had. It was all synth and jangles and lovely anthemy stuff. I felt this album was made just for me. But then so did everyone else who listens to XFM.

It was always going to be a struggle to bring out the second album. To my mind, Coldplay are a good example of an insanely successful band who cracked this problem ? A Rush of Blood? was such an insanely good album that it left snarky comparisons to Parachutes in the dust. But Brandon Flowers dd something stupid. He went on record as saying that Sam?s Town was going to be the best album in the world ever, or something. I don?t have the exact quote. But come on man ? don?t create that kind of expectation when you bring an album like Sam?s Town out.

This kind of cocky preamble was always going to leave us disappointed with the real thing. It?s an okay effort, and the reviews are really mixed ? which I think points to the fact that while it?s not shite, it?s not nearly as good as dear Brandon would have had us believe.

Maybe he was too close to the creative process, maybe he?d had Springsteen on loop for too long, but he was wrong.

The album is good, sorta. You can?t fault it in terms of cohesiveness, a critique a lot of people had about Hot Fuss. It?s a proper album, in that it has a couple of singles, some extraneous stuff, and some songs that are just plain uninteresting. ?When You Were Young? is gorgeous, and it set me up for disappointment. I find it?s the first song I play when I listen, in a sort of sad reminiscent way, as it leads me into the rest. ?Bones? is good, it?s sure to be the next single, and then they may crack it lucky if they release ?Sam?s Town? to a sympathetic audience. But there are no secret shining gems, there?s no ?All These Things??, so stunningly aired to the world at Live 8, no ?Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll? for me to be annoyed by and then grow to adore.

It?s sad. What we?re left with is a listenable album, but one devoid of singles for the band to feed off into the Festival time of 2007. Had this been their first album. I can?t say I?d dig this band all this much.

PS I know the top of this post looks funny.

JUST BE HAPPY I BLOGGED! I know you people live on my blog crumbs.