Contemporary dance

I know what you're thinking, when did I get so cultured. But hang tight. This post will again confirm that I'm horribly mainstream.

You see, I've learnt last summer that contemporary dance doesn't have be 'dancing' in a morphsuit/floaty pastel dress to clanging atonal music. Oh no. There's a subdivision I have named Mainstream Contemporary Dance. It's for dancing numpties like me.

I was watching Dancing With the Stars on Saturday morning. See, right there, mainstream. Anyway Christina Perri was on it (again with the mainstream, although I'll come back to this later). Anyway the American version of Strictly seems to have some sort of 'Sob Story Slot' (this might not be the actual name of it) and so there was a girl who'd had a brain tumour on dancing to Christina Perri's song 'Arms'. Now with all the airplay (remember, mainstream) of Jar of Hearts I hadn't heard this. It's lovely and the dance was beautiful. More ballet perhaps than contemporary dance (although in my limited understanding of contemporary dance that seems to be ok), but beautiful all the same.




Skip to 3.00 for the dance, although her story with the brain tumour is worth it for context.

Anyway that reminded me of reading Christina Perri's story and how her Jar of Hearts song was featured on the American So You Think You Can Dance last summer when she was trying to make it. She was working as a waitress, the song was used and bam, two weeks later she had a recording deal. I came across this reading another blog I dip in and out of and it had me in a loop of watching dances from the American SYTYCD (which is infinitely better than ours by the way). So in this small way, I was ahead of the curve on Christina Perri. Not mainstream. Ha!

Then on Sunday night's Strictly, who was appearing? Only Christina Perri. She sang Jar of Hearts (see aforementioned airplay) and they had Kristina and Robin dance to it in that Stricly come-on-half-way-through-the-song way. I don't really know what 'style' of dance they did, essentially they just did a lot of tricks and what not. It reminded me of the free dance the finalists do, although Christina's dress is Rumba-y. But then she's in bare feet which is the contemporary signal to me, so it's confusing to a dance novice like myself. I will say this though, those candles must have been a bally nightmare to light and keep lit. And it now seems to be important for men to dance to Christina Perri songs with their shirts unbuttoned.




You don't have to watch it, it wasn't my favourite and it's not that important to the post, but seeing as I mentioned it I thought I might as well make it easy for you.

Anyway, this is all pointing to my two favourite contemporary dances from my tour through them last summer which I thought I'd share (annoyingly, I can't embed them here, but you've stuck with this post this long, you may as well click on through).

First off, the Jar of Hearts one that discovered Christina Perri. I'm going to sound like a real contemporary dance numptyhead here, but I thought the interpretation of the lyrics was so much better than the Strictly one. You can watch it here.

This is my favourite one though. Just beautiful. And then Cat Deeley starts to speak. It's to Collide, which interestingly is song that featured on my August 2006 playlist...the same time as I was watching Travis Wall (who choreographed this routine - he's standing at the end) competing in SYTYCD. Yeah, fair enough, only interesting to me.

Much like this post. Unless you too are a fan of mainstream contemporary dance.

Unplayed

I'm been working on my computer tonight so thought I'd play some music. I was a bit bored of whatever was playing and thought it'd be a good idea to play some of the tracks I've never played before. I was shocked, shocked I say to discover there are 3039 of them. Three thousand and thirty nine of them! Are you kidding me?! Even taking out the 133 re-imported voice memos (love you iOS 5) that's 2906 songs I've never listened to. I've gone to the trouble of putting them on there and never listened to them. Why, why?

Some of the things are just recent imports from #TinaLostinSpace but there's still some surprising songs, either because I have them, or because I've never listened to them, and of course there's some no-great-shock-I've-never-listened-to-you songs.

Here are some examples:

Category 1 - Songs I can't believe I have
Lost Pup (in a Christmas Shop) - Adam Faith (Seriously? What?)
Venus - Bananarama (No way, I have that?)
Axel F - Crazy Frog (You are making a mockery of my iTunes.)
Hero - Enrique Iglesias (I don't have a lighter, that's probably why I've never play this)
Let's Face the Music and Dance - Fred Astaire (He sung too, did he? Huh.)
Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan (Fear not, I've played Too Many Broken Hearts)
The Rain in Spain - My Fair Lady (Well I know the film, forgotten I had the soundtrack.)

Cateogory 2 songs - Songs I'm surprised I've never played
Make You Feel My Love - Adele (I'm not that fond of this song, which is unfortunate because I watch the X-Factor. )
Chasing Pavements - Adele (Yeah, no, not this one either. Still thought it might have sneaked in there though.)
Hand in Pocket - Alanis Morriestte (Really?! Definitely thought this would have been played once, at least for teenage memories sake.)
Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler (Oh come on Tina, play a power ballad!)
Prospekt's March EP - Coldplay (I have no excuse to offer you.)
Home - Dixie Chicks (Again, I heart the Chicks.)
Things Can Only Get Better - D:Ream (This once was the lead song on Top Tunes, my homemade tape compilation tapes so this does shock me a bit.)
Standing Still - Jewel (Shocked. She's brilliant.)
I've Been Everywhere - Johnny Cash (I'm sure I've listened to this, maybe I have it twice?)
Kids - MGMT (Hmm, I'm not, like, a massive fan, but I would have thought this would have got played one time.)
Losing My Religion -REM (No. Way. Surely I would have played this at some point. If you had to name one REM song chances are this would be it.)

Category 3 - No shock here
No Matter What - Boyzone (Whine on boys.)
Sacrifice - Elton John (My least favourite Elton John song ever. Ev-er. Even more than Diana Candle in the Wind which makes everyone cringe nowadays.)
Some Day My Prince Will Come - Disney (Tests have shown this song can make your ears bleed.)
When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge (Boke.)
Most anything by The Killers (Aside from Mr. Brightside, I'm not a fan. There I said it.)
Most anything by The Kooks (Say your Rs right and I might listen to you.)
Most anything by Lionel Ritchie (You can whine on as well.)
Most anything by Mariah Carey (Dreamlover? Do me a favour.)
Most anything by The Prodigy (At the risk of sounding 90 it's just noise.)

So I started working my through the list, but I couldn't do it. Aside from the fact it would take ten and a half days, it was just too painful for the most part. So now I'm just picking out the real travesties of justice and playing them, you know like I Know Where It's At - All Saints.

Now where are my oversized cargo pants?

The musical equivalent of well-read

The title of this comes from a compliment I once got from Jose. But this post makes me question whether it was really a compliment or not.

During the clear out and tidy up of the roof space (that is slowly killing me)  I came across my CD collection. They were proudly displayed in my room until a few years ago it became apparent there was really no need as everything was on my computer and iPod.

Or so I thought.

Part of the process of the tidy up is to put things into plastic Ikea boxes (or samla in Ikean). As I was putting them in I realised that I had never imported some CDs onto my computer.

[The links are to the You Tube video of the mentioned song for you to hear and remember. I haven't listened to them much past the opening bars. Hope there's no effing, jeffing or inappropriate content.]

Ever keen to right the wrong of BBMak et al not making onto iTunes I set to and spent a happy 6 hours importing and playing tunes from days gone by. I tweeted about it too, mentioned the fact that I was putting on the hits from Nows 29-35 that had previously been overlooked. Needless to say some tracks didn't make it; my iTunes knows of no such artist as Michelle Gayle for instance. But my goodness there were some classics on those Now albums, such as Corona, Rhythm of the Night, The Boo Radleys, Wake Up Boo! (Did they have another hit?), Ini Kamoze, Here Comes the Hotstepper (same question applies), Supergrass, Alright, The Outhere Brothers, Boom Boom. Need I go on?

I found two Brit albums (1997 and 1999 - Billie Myers, Kiss the Rain, Alisha's Attic I Am, I Feel were both nominated. Who knew?!) Mind you, even with those discoveries the only Manic my iTunes knows is of the Monday variety for the Street Preachers will never be on any iPod of mine.

Other CDs I imported were Surrender from Autumn Soul Tour all those years ago (I don't know why, I can still remember singing Better is One Day in parts), Tunes from the Toons (what? It's for the kids!), Cast (bit of Britpop never hurt anyone. Well except possibly the Gallagher brothers) and Travis (for when I want to be depressed). Soundtracks were not ignored anymore, and happily imported is The Thomas Crown Affair, Sister Act, Shrek and Pretty Woman. Good times.

Then I came to the singles box. Oh dear.

It didn't start off well for me with singles. The very first one I ever bought was Boyzone, Love Me for a Reason. Actually, it didn't start of well for albums either, that purchase was Wet Wet Wet, Picture This, no tracks off which got imported during this discovery. Says it all I think. Thankfully it picked up for the firsts, iTunes reveals the first song I ever downloaded, way back in 2005, was Arcade Fire, Rebellion. I get some cool points for that one, right?

Anyway, CD singles. Making on this time I added some classics. Ahem. Who remembers Smashing Pumpkins, Tonight, Tonight? Me, I do! Great strings, shame about the singing. And Fool's Garden, Lemon Tree. Ah the memories of listening to that on my mini hi-fi.

In the box alongside the modern CDs were tapes. Yes, actual cassette tapes offof the eighties. Except I bought them in the late nineties, early noughties. I couldn't play them to listen to them on my computer. I'm sure there's a device I could get on a Sky Mall-esque magazine but no need because the interwebs has reminded me of all I needed. For your musical enjoyment and laughter here are the songs that I bought. With actual money. I haven't heard of any them since.

[Some of the videos won't embed but you can still click through to hear them.]




'It's all about the money. It's all about the dum dum de de de dum'. Apparently those are the lyrics that made Ivor Novello start the awards.



I can only assume, from watching this video, they were some sort of Hanson wannabes.




A bus and a train you say? 'Eighteen wheeler' is probably too hard to fit into a line.



I really don't know what's going on with the flames in this video.

Other cassettes I had from this era included these greats. Sorry.

99 pence?! What a bargain for a piece of chart history.

Again, sorry everyone. I helped it stay at number one.

What was I thinking?!

I will not apologise for this one though.

This is like a badge of honour for any teenage girl growing up in the nineties.

No, it was meant as a compliment and I shall take it in that spirit. You can see why I'm having a hard time though.

Travels with my mother (part 1)

I had the (somewhat) recent fortune to take two trips with my mother. Everyone should travel with their mother. It's an experience. On these trips I learnt my mum would travel practically nowhere. Not that she doesn't have a sense of adventure, it just needs to be coaxed out of her. Thank goodness for Take That and Wimbledon then.

Take That
I've never been a massive Take That fan. Sure, I like them, but I'm not obsessive over them. I didn't really like any of their songs when I was a teenager, until Back For Good. I remember watching the video for that on The Chart Show (remember The Chart Show?) And I liked Never Forget, but then Robbie left, and they did that awful How Deep is Your Love cover (to be fair any cover of that song would be terrible, as it is a terrible song) and it all went pear shaped.

I wasn't here when the documentary came out that got them back together as a four. Likewise, when their first new singles were coming out I was in Singapore, so I really did miss the hype and what not. I liked The Circus ok, and I saw the show on TV and it looked really great. All the same I wouldn't say I'm a massive fan of them.

Mum likes the new stuff a lot so when the Progress tour was announced I thought it would be a nice Christmas present to get her tickets to go. So on the day they came out I got up early and sat with three computers on the go and got tickets. Like I mentioned before I actually got three sets of tickets because Caroline, who is obsessed with Gary Barlow, didn't realise the tickets for Dublin went on sale at 8.00am, not 9.00am. And then Karen (David's) wrote back to my text from the night previously and said she did want to go, so the two I got for mum and me were sold on and I got three for us. I did feel a bit bad though to hear of diehard fans who didn't get tickets that day and there's me with eight, bought on three separate transactions.

Anyway, eventually June rolled around and we were headed to Dublin. At times Dublin felt like it was taking part in a record attempt for the world's biggest hen party. Feather boas, group outfits, drunk women, you know the deal. We gave ourselves nicknames for our non-existant t-shirts. Mum became Duke of Ed. She had every possible map, timetable and info about the concert. Heck, she even brought packed sandwiches for the way back. Karen is 'Got Your Ticket?' due to an unfortunate lost ticket incident. My name? Well because we were at the back of the stadium I wanted to bring binoculars, you know, so we could see their faces. Too bad we couldn't find them and all we had was this:

A monocular. So I became Nelson.

 So what of the concert? Well, of course it was fantastic. Robbie's bit was my favourite. He is such a showman and had the audience in the palm of his hand.

This was during Rock DJ. I enjoyed that one.

I really liked when they showed the crowds in front of  them. I bet Robbie thought he'd never play to as many people again.

Quite the set too. Now, are your people involved in 2012? Because that would be a good idea.

Just a short week later I was off travelling with mother again. Honestly, the last mother-daughter trip was c. 1989 to Penzance and now two come along at once.

The name's Nadhaswaram?

I had a solid week there of not doing very much. I've fallen in the trap of thinking I don't have very much to do, when actually when I think about it there's loads to do. But instead of working through my to-do list, I worked through The Good Wife.

I've started working through my iTunes because it was in a state. I don't really know why. It started because I was at the points of not having the music I wanted on there because I was running out of space. Then I discovered that the genres were all over the show. [One of my last days in uni I saw this flyer for student elections. This girl wanted different band nights in the Union.

She was also proposing a different spelling of genre. Not really surprised, different spelling has clearly been in Johanna's breeding.]

Anyway, back to my iTunes genres. I discovered I had Electronica & Dance and Electronica/Dance. Now, I don't really know much about the Electronica and/or Dance world, but I think I could safely say they could be put under the same genre. Also, with Hip hop/Rap and Hip-hop/Rap, I didn't think the Hip hop fraternity would mind if I amalgamated them with their hyphened counterparts. I did struggle over Pop/Rock and Rock/Pop, but haven't changed it just yet because a track might just be more rock than pop, but have important pop undertones which must be recognised, or indeed vice versa. But is it too much to ask for a consistent spelling of Soundtrack. One or two words I'm sure is fine, consistency is the key.

iTunes seems to choose genres all by itself too. Like, Coldplay seem to straddle a lot of different genres. That's ok, I get that. I can see how a band might produce albums that are Rock, Pop, Live, Christmas, Alternative & Punk, and just plain Alternative. Biffy Clyro are the same: Indie, Alternative Rock, Alternative & Punk and Alternative. That's fine, I can see that. Far be it from me to confine your musical greatness to one genre. I did get the biggest laugh of all though when I got to Savage Garden (oh come on, what girl growing up in the late 1990s didn't love a bit of 'I Knew I Loved You'?!). A pop classic surely? No, iTunes put them firmly in the Rock camp. I think not. But then iTunes had also marked Abba and a-Ha as Rock, so if that's your yardstick, then Savage Garden would also come under that umbrella.

Then there are times when iTunes just got lazy and marked an artist as 'Other'. Like the Foo Fighters. Really iTunes? And Gwen Stefani? Yeah, ok, fair enough, if ever an artist was to be labelled 'other' it's probably her. I did find iTunes' definition of the MTV Unplugged album as '0' interesting. But then it was clear to me: zero plugs, therefore the genre zero. Duh.

And of course I had the same problem my mum had back in the summer of iTunes finding album artwork. Just look at this one.

I didn't even know there was a Best Of.

I'm back!

As you might have gathered from my previous post a few weeks ago I took a little break from technology. It was nice actually. So nice that I still haven't tweeted anything since I started reading tweets again. I kind of feel like I have nothing to say now. I think once I tweet something though, that'll be it, the flood gates will have opened and I'll be back tweeting all the time again! But for now it's Twitter silence from Tinaarena22.

I found it too hard to be at my computer most of the day and not to check all those sorts of things. So I went cold turkey for a while. Why was I at my computer most of the day? Well, I finishing off my dissertation, silly! It was long. 75,000 words long. 180 pages long. See, long. Now, don't get too impressed there, only 20,000 words were mine, the rest were interviews and appendices and what not. 

According to my supervisor they 'added weight to my argument'. Yeah, no kidding.

As is the rule with anything to do with Methodism and their relation with anyone else I was obliged to use the 'Friends of all' motto in my title. No, seriously, it's a rule. 

There'll be more of my research findings in the coming blogs. Oh, not serious stuff! Stuff that might make you laugh!

Since I finished it I have:

1. Got my hair cut. This was an important part of my week of celebration.

2. Started back to walking, with a view to starting to run again. In the latter half of last year I ran twice. Twice! What with getting a bike and then a knee injury (doesn't that make me sound sporty?!) I didn't do any real exercise towards the end of last year. In 2011, unless we're counting skiing, I have done nothing. The infamous 'Golden Steps' currently have me beat. Honestly I sound like a smoker going up them. Not for long, I will beat you Golden Steps!

3. Tried to sort out my iTunes. This was prompted by Ruth getting a new computer. She joined the Mac Club and so has now realised how much fun computers are! She's even started her own blog, with a nod towards her new addiction!

4. Watched The Good Wife. Well not all of it, but a lot of season 1. Bethem sent me a message when I was skiing asking if I'd ever seen Miranda. I said no, she said I would love it and she'd lend me the boxset. So ever keen for a new TV show I reminded her to lend me and I got given The Good Wife instead, something to do with her sister already lending to someone else or something, not that I'm complaining, I love it! And all of season 2 is 4OD. So once I finish this I'll be able to catch up on recent developments! Win.

Next I'm supposed to be doing the job that I put off last summer: tidying my roofspace. That'll be a major piece of work and it'll be a trip down memory lane because I have thrown nothing out. Since we moved, when I was ten, I have barely thrown out so much as a cardboard box. Everything in the eaves beside my room. Well not everything, the rest is in David's old room. It's going to be painful. 

Maybe I'll go for a run just to avoid it?

Breaking my technological silence...

to say that if you haven't watched Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave on their longest ever Radio 1 show ever then you are missing out. It has been brilliant. Brilliant.

I drove a lot yesterday and it was quite nice to drive home late at night and be able to listen to Radio 1, because, well we all know it, once Zane Lowe arrives at 7.00pm it gets a bit...rubbish (although I think the term they use is 'specialist'). I think I've lasted a maximum of 1.2 minutes on Radio 1 after 7.00pm. Not last night. Or tonight either for that matter.

My falling in love with the specialists started with Grimmy last night and has carried on tonight with MistaJam and Kissy Sell Out. Eh hello? That's someone who can't spell mister and doesn't value spaces between words and a guy called Kissy. Right.

Mind you, I think most of it has been because of Chris and Dave and their enthusiasm for what they're doing.

All throughout the show they've been reminding us to text so as to donate to Comic Relief. I can't believe they thought they would only raise £100,000 through this. Clearly they've captured our attention though - they passed £1,000,000 at the 37 hour mark. Brilliant stuff.

So my two recommendations tonight: go to iPlayer and donate if you enjoyed any part of it donate.

From the drafts: Playlists

I stopped telling you my music ages ago. Maybe if I'd posted this the practice wouldn't have stopped. This should have gone out on October 26, 2009.


It's been a while since you heard what music I'm listening to so here is October's playlist:

1. The Road - Frank Turner

I'd heard this a few times on the radio but didn't know who sang it til I was driving home and Zane Lowe was on. I normally try to avoid him, he's a bit specialist. And "I'm on board" is just irritating but he was talking to Frank Turner and so I listened. Apparently Frank Turner loves what he does, going round gigging and that so wrote a song about it, which is quite refreshing from the usual artist moans of another hotel room etc etc. But I just thought the song was catchy.

2. Drumming - Florence + the Machine

Her and Paloma Faith are...unique. I've said before that I'd walk past many of the people on my iPod without recognising them. Not them. I'd notice them. But goodness they can belt it out. I love this song. She really captures the intensity of it all.

3. Wheels - Foo Fighters

I'm not a Foos fan. They are ones I'd definitely walk past them on the street. But this song is so catchy. Needs to be listened to driving on an interstate or something.

4. The Captain - Biffy Clyro

I think it's safe to say I have no notion what this song is about. Heck, I can't even determine one of the line, I'm pretty sure it's not what I sing, "I can't walk rat arsed".

Lift music

I was back at the doctors' this week. I haven't been at the doctors' for actual years, like before I went to NC. But then with my knee and womanflu I've been three times in the last month. Good old NHS eh?!

I noticed the last time I was there they like to play orchestral arrangements of movie songs. When I was there about my knee they played 'Eye of the Tiger'. It's hard when that song is playing not to feel fine, especially when you are there about your sore knee.

This week, I went to the doctors' with my dad (who made me sick). Not because I am a child, but because it's a bally nightmare getting through on the phone so when I did, I asked for two appointments, one for me, one for him, so then she gave us them ten minutes apart.

This week's songs were another fine selection. We had:

(I encourage you to play them and imagine the scene in the surgery waiting room!)


I so wanted someone to do commando rolls as their name got called. Maybe they did and I just didn't notice because they were so stealth like?


Always a classic. I would have run out (in slow motion) had I been called during this song. It wasn't to be though.


This was a good choice. Except for the dark part in the middle when I can only assume the Death Star is attacking. That's not appropriate for a surgery.


Uplifting and inspiring.

But the best one, which my dad got to walk out to, was this one.


I swear, even though he was dying inside, he held his head higher and walked taller because of this tune.

The interweb sure is cool

I've liked Arcade Fire for a while. In fact iTunes tells me theirs was the first song I ever downloaded! But this, this is just cool.

From The Purple Revolver:

Arcade Fire have set a new gold standard for music videos for new song We Used to Wait off of their new album, The Suburbs.

It’s basically one big ball of HTML5/Google Maps/musical goodness.

The video was announced today on the bands Official Google Blog, which details exactly what elements went into its creation.

Dubbed The Wilderness Downtown (developed by writer/director Chris Milk) the video is a new kind of musical experience, reminiscent of the hypertext storytelling of old but much more advanced.

Basically, you go over to The Wilderness Downtown page using Google Chrome (don't use Safari!) and type in the address of your childhood home when prompted.

If Google Maps has enough footage of the house, you’ll be pooled into a multi-browser movie of your own making.

The experience of watching this highly personalized video is not easily described, but basically the story of childhood ending as time rapidly slips away, trees shoot up out of nowhere on your old street, culminating in an opportunity to write a letter to a younger you.

The new endeavour really shows off the capabilities offered by HTML5. As the Chrome Experiments page expresses, the new audio, video and canvas tags mark a new and exciting direction for personalised music videos.

Check out the new video here:

http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/

Truth be told, I don't know what HTML5 is. But I do recognise a cool video when I see it. Try it! My actual childhood street didn't work, but my dad's Belfast one did.

Andy Williams has let himself go a bit

My mum got a new computer this week. It's very exciting! She's gone back to Mac, her computer roots. Forever and a day my mum had a Mac. She had a Classic II, then there was one with a coloured screen (actually that was the one I used in university), and then there was the first of two of the famous coloured iMacs (Grape and Blueberry Mac geeks).
















Thankfully her new one is a bit more advanced that this.

Anyway, to help her out I have been showing her the ropes, as it were. Well she's good on computers, but with something new sometimes she can be all at sea. Now, in all fairness she's not like my dad with computers, who, when he held a mouse couldn't work it. (It kept moving down as he moved it up, and he had no clue the wire was supposed to come out the top of the mouse.) But this week I told Mum to go to a certain website, I can't remember why, it was part of her training. But she just looked at me like I'd asked her to fly to the moon by flapping her special wings. She said after it was because Safari looks so different. We'll not mention that the principle of address bar is same. And in the exact same place. But ok.

One of the things we did we did was transfer her music. But for reasons best known they were in all sorts of a mess. Albums split, no artwork, but album artwork in the music folder. We tried to use the useful 'Get Album Artwork' that iTunes has. While it helped for most, I can't help but feel it got some wrong. I took some screen shots from Cover Flow to illustrate some of the mismatches.






















Ok, close enough. I see what you were going for there, 60s and Soul were clearly the key words here.





















Again, solid attempt. But clearly you don't know my mum if you think she's into her karaoke hits.





















Hmm. Not sure what you aiming for here, iTunes. Blues Sound Good Vol. 1? For future reference God will usually refer to a Christian album.





















Andy Williams has never looked like this. Or that guy in the Hawaiian shirt.

But the best one has to be this effort. Again you can see what iTunes was thinking.





















This is wrong on many, many levels iTunes.

At this point I feel it my daughterly duty to say (and before she bans me from her new shiny computer for posting this) that the album my mum, of course, actually has this Vineyard one. You knew that, I knew that, iTunes didn't know that.

Right must go, been listening to too much of my mum's music. For the past while it's been Glenn Miller.

'Pennsylvania 6-5000!'

Go on, one last post in November

I've done it again, haven't I?! Unintentionally ignored my blog. Well here I am with a music-I'm-in-to-in-the-autumn-months round up. You're excited, I can tell!

Never Forget You - The Noisettes

Kept on hearing it but always missed who sang it. Then one day I managed to Shazam it! Very 60s eh? The song, not Shazam.

Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons

Love it. Folksy. Except for the swearing possibly.

Breathing - Lifehouse

An iPod on shuffle find. Keeps on sounding like something else, then I realise it's actually just that song.

New York - Paloma Faith

Cracking song. She looks a bit...unique. And does not at all talk like you'd expect.

The Road - Frank Turner

Heard this on Zane Lowe. Surprising as I spend about two seconds a week listening to Zane show before his incessant shouting gets too annoying. But I am on board with this song Zane!

Drumming - Florence and the Machine

I really wasn't sure about her at the start. Bit too specialist for me, but this song has really grown on me.

Wheels - Foo Fighters

I usually don't like Foo Fighters. But I like this song. Makes me want to drive a long trip in America.

The Captain - Biffy Clyro

I have no notion what's this song is about. Like none. And if you follow me on Twitter you'll know my confusion about some of the lyrics, 'I can't walk rat arsed'. Interestingly, I learned this is called a Mondegreen (a mishearing of the ear, usually a song lyric.) So there.

End Credits - Chase and Status

Love it, so calming at the start. And surprisingly underplayed I thought by my beloved Radio 1.

Children in Need - Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band

You already know my feelings on Children in Need. But that's now what Sky+ and BBC London is for. I loved this, although I didn't know half the new characters (Nicky and Heidi gave me an education. We used to live in similar worlds, now theirs is so different to mine!) Clever intertwining of the songs and brilliant video, but no word on whether Chippy Minton was ex-directory though. Bet he was raging.

This next one is a worry and I can only apologise. I know, you used to respect my musical tastes and I hope we can still be friends...

A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion

Ok, before you get all judgemental, let me just explain. It was used on Strictly the other week, Chris and Ola did their Viennese Waltz to it, and I love them and that dance. If makes it any better, if I could have downloaded the BBC version, I would have.

See, isn't it nice?

The last item I have been 'listening' to isn't a song. I know, nearly as shocking as the Celine revelation. It's this video. I used it taking YF last week and love it. Very clever editing, but I think it's the way the words appear on screen that make it. I just wish they'd fade the music at the end.

So that's it, December tomorrow. Bring. It. On.

This never happens

Driving home last night I got an unprecedented run of good music. I know it's my own iPod and that should happen all the time but it doesn't. When my iPod is on shuffle all the crap rises to the top and I have to skip on past Boards of Canada, Yellowcard, Hawthorne Heights etc. But not last night. Last night was pure gold! Let me demonstrate:

1. Mr. Brightside - The Killers (Killer start some might say)

2. Valerie - The Zutons (You can keep yours Amy!)

3. Glory of Love - Peter Cetera (A-miz-in!)

4. Never Ever - All Saints (Who can still speak the opening? 'A few questions I need to know...')

5. Feel - Robbie Williams (Everytime a good Robbie song comes up I mourn the loss of good Robbie songs)

6. Please Don't Stop the Rain - James Morrison (Love him)

7. Holy is the Lord - Passion (Ace!)

8. Fix You - Coldplay (From LeftRightLeftRightLeft which had me reminiscing about seeing them live)

9. God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You - Kiss (This one reminded me of NC)

10. Teenage Kicks - The Undertones (John Peel's favourite song you know)

11. Always - Erasure (Classic)

12. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship (No, this is classic)

13. Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis (No, no, no! THIS is classic!)

14. It Is You - Newsboys (Reminds me of Brazil, although no idea why!)

And then it came. Track 15 was Lionel Ritchie 'Endless Love'. Proving, once again, I cannot go thirty songs without Lionel Ritchie popping up. And I don't even know how he got there in the first place.

Three for three

That never happens any more!

I'm watching the Brits by the fire pretending to 'work'. And by work I of course mean I'm dossing on tinternet and eating cinnamon lozengers. 

I would consider myself pretty mainstream but watching this has made me realise how much I'm not (and I don't say that to make me sound and cool and alternative. Clearly, I'm just about to make the move to Radio 2. Which means, by my calculation, Radio 4 is only ten years off. Oh boy.) Katy Perry got an award right at the start and I swear I'd never seen her before in my life. Kings of Leon are just off and I wouldn't be able to pick them out of an identity parade. And that's after having seen them.

My other thoughts on the 'British Music Industry Awards of the Year'.

-U2. Hate that song, beginning to dislike them too. Maybe they've always come across as arrogant and I just haven't noticed.

-Natalia Imbruglia. Seriously?

-How small is Jamie Cullum? He made Jamie Oliver look tall.

-Paul Weller? Is this a joke?

-How old is Duffy? Is it just me or does she look old? Oh my, she's only 24!! I feel bad now.

-Kings of Leon again. Maybe I will recognise them if this keeps up? Is it wrong to be suspicious when a big international star/band are there and win stuff? Same at the BAFTAs and the like.

-I'd like to have been a fly on the wall where they decided on Take That's performance.

As much as I'd like to continue this for the next hour, I really do have work to be doing. David Hasselhoff may have pushed me over the edge. Plus the cat needs letting in.

I am wonderful

I really like this song at the moment and I much prefer this video to the actual one where he's running so I thought I'd share it with you.

I still have an iPod! And my ears pierced!

A quick check today revealed that today is myPod's birthday! Two years together (and since I got my ears pierced)! So in a fit of celebration I thought I'd share my Top 25 Most Played.

25. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire (the first song I ever downloaded on iTunes, 68 plays)

24. Let Me Go - Three Doors Down (Truly don't know how this got here but it has 69 plays)

23. Consuming Fire - Third Day (Reminds me of walking round the Lake, 70 plays)

22. Stop Crying Your Heart Out - Oasis (I love this song, surprisingly this is the only Oasis song on the Top 25 but it's not my favourite of theirs,  71 plays)

21. Never Went to Church - The Streets (I downloaded this after their Live Lounge, 72 plays)

20. It's a Great Day to Be Alive - Travis Tritt (the first country song, but not the last! 73 plays)

18. You and Me - Lifehouse (this reminds me of the summer, 75 plays)

18. Move Along - The All-American Rejects (this was another early download, 75 plays)

17. Make a Move On Me - Joey Negro (on the Running playlist, 76 plays)

16. Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts (I actually prefer this to the original! 77 plays)

14. Naive - Kooks (I would walk past them on the street even though this song has 80 plays)

14. Praise You in this Storm - Casting Crowns (my US church used to sing this a lot, 80 plays)

13.What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts (another Rascal Flatts song, 81 plays)

12. My Deliver - Rich Mullins (reminds me of driving from Greenville,  83 plays)

11. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray (this song came out first when I was in America, 85 plays)

10. Bless the Broken Road - Rascal Flatts (I like them! 86 plays)

9. The Long Way Round - Dixie Chicks (this is my theme song! 87 plays)

8. No Tomorrow - Orson (have they had other songs? 91 plays)

7. She's in Love With the Boy - Trisha Yearwood (a former number 1 on my Top 25, 93 plays)

6. Nature's Law - Embrace (Great song, 94 plays)

5. First Time - Sunblock (another Running song, I actually think I ran round the Lake with this too, 101 plays)

4. Standing Outside the Fire - Garth Brooks (how he only has one song on my Top 25 is a mystery, 102 plays)

3. In the Light - DC Talk (an oldie but a goodie, 104 plays)

2. Cowboy Take Me Away - Dixie Chicks (this could well have been the only song I listened to driving home from Washington, DC, 114 plays)

1. I've Always Loved You - Third Day (I woke up to this song on the radio one Easter Saturday and sang it all the live long day so it's no surprise it's number one with 121 plays)

I have just worked out I have listened to about 3 of these songs every day since I got myPod! That's scary! But encourages me that it was money well spent.

So there you go, 2 dance songs, 5 Christian and 8 country songs amongest others. But the number one was not country. Who'd have thunk it?!

Stop 4: Sydney

We made it to Sydney! We started out yesterday morning on the 1000km trip and arrived in our hostel this evening. Woo hoo!

I've discovered that roadtrips are only good when you have good music. This should be a word of warning to you all: You should always locate the iPod FM transmitter in your luggage before embarking on said 1000km trip. Furthermore, if that roadtrip goes along the Gold Coast where, to quote Lynsey, the only radio station is 'Shite FM' then knowing exactly where that FM transmitter is paramount.

Yes, that's right somehow in all my luggage I could not find it so yesterday was a day of pain while we searched for a half decent radio station. I didn't think it would be so easy to have 8 hours of songs that none of us had ever even heard before, but apparently it was. Like, I mean never heard before, not just unfamilar songs. Honestly they were crap songs. It put us all in a bad mood!

But thankfully after a total reback of the big suitcase I found it! Hurrah! So today was a much better day. But we're pretty tired now so it might just be a shower and then bed so we're fresh to explore the city tomorrow. No doubt I'll keep you updated.

New Wave

I went to see this band at the weekend. Très bon.

iPods work better when they are charged

The Big Listen is over. I got to song number 2803 ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, The Pretenders, when my battery unexpectedly died. Gutted, that was 2 months work there. I was quite looking forward to completing it and I probably only had another two weeks to go.

But the end did mean that I was able to sync and download some new music and podcasts, which I haven’t done since it started. There wasn’t even an April 07 playlist!

And for all of you worried about the memory problem, I fixed it. I am a computer genius. Ok, only in that I can search the internet and find a website that told me exactly what to do step by step.

Anyway, on May 07’s is:

- I Can’t Stop This Feeling I’ve Got – Razorlight (I think I should have just bought the album. Although I don’t like In the Morning so maybe not.)
- Signal Fire – Snow Patrol (I used to not be fussed on them, although I am definitely not fussed on Spiderman 3.)
- Home – Daughtery (This is the music that’s played when they get kicked off American Idol. Depending on who it is and whether they cry, I usually cry.)
- I Don’t Like Mondays – Boomtown Rats (I don’t either Bob. Everytime I hear this though I am reminded of the Tori Amos version that was used in the West Wing. Brilliant.)
- The Story – Brandi Carlile (This was a free download a few weeks ago, I got it, then never listened to it until I heard it again in a Grey’s Anatomy. More good TV music.)

I hope you are having a nice Bank Holiday. I told my classes today it was a Bank Holiday at home, and one boy said ‘when in Rome, Miss’.

All things considered though, I'd rather be in Belfast today. I don't know anyone in Rome for a start.

I used to not like Jo Whiley

I’m still not that sure about her, I think she can be smug. I have no time for smug. But over the course of the past few years I’ve heard more of her show and she’s warming on me. I like Changing Tracks, I like Rocks and Sucks but I love, love the Live Lounge. It is the best thing she does. So I was dead excited when she ran text polls a few Christmases ago to get listeners’ opinions about what should go on a compilation album. Twenty two months later and it’s out and I have it.


It’s brilliant. You should buy it.

So with that in mind, here is October’s playlist:

1. Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance (one of those songs you liked ages before you realised you liked it)
2. America – Razorlight (damn Jo Whiley got me into this song too)
3. Set Fire to the Third Bar – Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright (love her voice)
4. Buck Rogers – Feeder (player player player player player player…)
5. How to Save a Life – The Fray (ah the brilliant Grey’s Anatomy, brilliant programme, brilliant music)
6. Wonderful World – James Morrison (one of those songs you think is all lovely but isn’t)
7. Song 2 – My Chemical Romance (not the original but a great effort)
8. Romeo – Basement Jaxx (love them, this is brilliant live)
9. Push the Button - Orson (different, definitely different)
10. The Scientist – Coldplay (how do you make a beautiful song better? Sing it live of course)
11. Gold Digger – The Automatic (makes me laugh out loud)
12. Love Machine – Arctic Monkeys (same)
13. Hey Ya – Will Young (my first memorable Live Lounge)

They haven’t made it yet, but I suspect they might, Love It When You Call – The Feeling, I Write Sins Not Tragedies – Panic! At the Disco.

I’m also fighting the temptation to get McFly’s new song. I swear there are endorphins realised through it, it actually makes me happy. But I think it might be a little too pop for me to have. Maybe Jo Whiley has every right to be smug afterall, I can’t imagine she’d be the biggest McFly fan.