Kangarat Murder Society

Two post in less than a week! I know it's whack! Buy also funky fresh. Do you remember when people used to say stuff like that on TV and things? I'm pretty sure they did anyway, back when you used to get the internet on free AOL CDs. I really do think the internet on CDs is the defining part of the generation that grew up in the 90s. That and Kenan and Kel.

First off: liking things for no real good reason. This follows on from the cricket things before, no reason to like it but apparently I do? I then realised on Sunday evening that there was another similar one. Why do I like Top Gear? I can't drive so really there isn't anything in it that should appeal to me all that much. And that goes for the Formula 1 too, for basically the same reason. Not that I'm going to change anything just because I don't know why I like things, if I like stuff I guess that's a good enough reason yeah? Maybe I'm just being overly analytical.

THE NEXT PARAGRAPH GETS PRETTY NERDY SO YOU CAN SKIP IT IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT MY OPINIONS ON VIDEOGAMES (though I talk about other stuff too)

Following on from another previous post (the one about piracy and how much society sucks), I have finally bought Alpha Centuri. Yes despite what I said I didn't get it illegally but bought it in an actual shop instead. The way the problem was solved was to split the £10 for 3 games deal between me and Greg, and for two of these actually buy collections of games in one box. Including the Alpha Centuri expansion pack we got like 8 games cheap and terrible for a tenner! Also although it is a pretty great game I kind of feel I might have been looking at it through rose tinted glasses as I have got bored of it pretty quickly. On the other hand this seems to happen for most of the hundreds of games I have bought over the years. Which kind of suggest Capitalism may have won again. But one of these days Capitalism, one of these days!

OKAY VIDEOGAME CHAT IS OVER NEXT I TALK ABOUT MUSIC (but I get pretty grumpy)

On the radio recently they have been playing Simian Mobile Discos new single. A lot. I don't have a problem with them, they have a cool name, but their new single is atrocious. It is a song which contains such awe inspiring lyrics as "I got that grape kool-aid filled swimming pool", "I got that Tammy Faye milk money butterscotch" and "I got that honey-dipped tennis wear just for play" amongst many more. I will be honest I don't know what any of that means and I don't give a flying fuck what ridiculous shit this man has. I hope it is funny and he is taking the piss out of rap or something (I like rap though, don't assume I don't like rap), but guessing by the way he is singing it he is serious about this shit. If you do know what any of that stuff he sings about means, keeps it to yourself and feel ashamed.

Right okay I am calm now and so it's time for good music talk. I have been listening to this song a lot: which is apparently over a year old but I missed somehow? I just really like it though I'm not too keen on much of the other stuff by the band. I think I've been listening to quite a lot of music a bit like this recently though. I've got no real idea what the genre is. I heard indie folk rock suggested somewhere but I don't think that works and really I just thought I'd mention it because it sounds hilarious and takes the squashing two genres together to make a new one to a fantastic new level. If you have any idea of the genre or other music I might like based on that tell me about it!

Also I am thinking about starting a petition to replace Ode to Joy with Europe Endless by Kraftwerk as the EU anthem.

Okay well I'm tired now and I've sort of lost my train of thought as to where I was going next with this (and it's probably long enough already), no doubt you will see whatever I was thinking of next time I post something.

I saw some bands

This weekend I went to Leeds to see my Brother and Sister-in-Law and to go to Live at Leeds which is like a live music thing which goes on all across Leeds with a couple of pretty big bands, like the Maccabees (who I guess were like the headline act) and a lot of smaller ones in variously sized venues all over the place. So here for you is a sort of diary/review type deally:

Brunch at Dave's

Hey this is some nice cooked breakfast, but aren't we going to be late for piskie sits or whatever they were called?

Piskie Sits

We are late for piskie sits. I have no idea what they even sound like. Also Elbow Rooms has no good beers. Seriously I have to drink Guinness. The next band here are called Rook and the Ravens but we're going somewhere else.

Fran Rogers

Fran Rogers is at Holy Trinity which is a church in the city centre. She is really good and the venue is great for what she does, which is being a woman with a guitar and being very good at it. I know I've heard at least one of her songs on the radio and I've actually seen her live once before. She has a website too apparently: http://www.franrodgers.co.uk/index.htm

Wild Beasts

Last time I saw Wild Beasts, Fran Rogers was supporting them now that I think about it. The venue is packed and we can't get into see them. I mean they are a pretty decent band but when did they get this popular?

Blacklisters

or possibly Blcklstrs are at the Packhorse and are the total opposite end of the scale. They have a song called Swords which is about a man with swords for arms and it accurately conveys this concept. They have other songs too, its loud, sort of metally, loud and loud. Good if you like that stuff and they are pretty decent I guess. For some reason the lead singer was wearing some cheap nu-ravey type shirt though, what's that about?

Are we going to see Mt or 7 Hertz

Also is Mt pronounced Em-Tee or Mount? It doesn't matter because there car has blown up or something and by the time we know that the beer garden seems far too good to leave. We talk about cricket and solvent abuse amongst other topics. We head back into the pub and it turns out one of the guys is writing a review of the event for Mojo, I figure he should really be seeing more bands.

Monster Killed by Laser

Sounds like a monster being killed by a prog laser, I'm enjoying it a lot but the music journalist hates them and so my trust in music journalism declines even further than before! To be honest I didn't have any to start of with but there you go.

Chops

I can't remember much about Chops other than them being okay and the singer having an irritating shirt.

I think we were going to see Dinosaur Pile-Up?

I get a burger from a kebab place where an Irish guy is ranting at some Canadians about Canadian history. The ketchup is well weird and is like fluorescent or something. The band we are going to see is at the Leeds Met Union but there is a massive queue because the Maccabees are on in TWO HOURS. We move on to the Cockpit.

Future of the Left

Future of the Left rock to an obscene degree. Seriously they are fantastic. Also if you like them buy their album because apparently they still have day jobs because so many people are pirating their music instead of paying for it which is pretty shit really. Honestly though I cannot really get across how good they were so I won't try.

Aidan Moffat off of Arab Strap

apparently he has a secret gig at the Brudenell but holy crap is there ever a massive queue. Obviously it is not that secret (that's probably how we know about it). We head home and watch a DVD of the Johnny Cash show instead.

Summary

So in the end I saw 5 out of a total of... well over 100 acts. But a good day was had, and in the end isn't that all that counts? No.