Here’s where i’m going tonight to bring in 2011 with friends….
MP3: Ben Butler and Mousepad – Future Tent
I wish a Happy New Year and all the best to everyone when 2011 gets here.
The Best of 2010 lists will be up on the site within the next fortnight, when my Christmas and New Year hangover finally evaporates.
S.I.T WOLF X
Filed under attacking your speakers
Last week a friend i hadn’t spoken to in a while got in touch to wish me Merry Christmas, we had a little online chat and the like as you do. We won’t be able to physically catch up for a good while (he lives in France) but we’re gonna keep in touch through the internet and swap music, pictures etc. The other night we swapped some “boredom fighting” games. I enlightened him to the Google “You Need…..” game* and he gave me this one….
“Using only song names by a single band/artist, answer these questions. You can’t use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title.”
Roman used Nine Inch Nails. I used Deftones.
So here are our conclusions…..
ROMANS LIFE ACCORDING TO NINE INCH NAILS:
Pick your Artist: Nine Inch Nails
Are you a male or female: Mr Self Destruct
Describe yourself: Big Man With A Gun
How do you feel: Head Like A Hole
Describe where you currently live: Year Zero
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Beginning Of The End
Your favourite form of transportation: The Downward Spiral
Your best friend is: God Given
You and your best friends are: We’re In This Together
What’s the weather like: A Warm Place
Favourite time of day: The Day The World Went Away
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Just Like You Imagined
What is life to you: Somewhat Damaged
Your relationship: Ringfinger
Your fear: March Of The Pigs
What is the best advice you have to give: Everyday Is Exactly The Same
Thought for the Day: Love Is Not Enough
How I would like to die: Into The Void
My soul’s present condition: Something I Can Never Have
MY LIFE ACCORDING TO DEFTONES:
Pick your Artist: Deftones
Are you a male or female: Birthmark
Describe yourself: Passenger
How do you feel: Bored
Describe where you currently live: My Own Summer
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Hole In The Earth
Your favourite form of transportation: Be Quiet And Drive
Your best friend is: Teenager
You and your best friends are: Mein
What’s the weather like: Dai The Flu
Favourite time of day: When Girls Telephone Boys
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event
What is life to you: If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
Your relationship: Sextape
Your fear: Deathblow
What is the best advice you have to give: This Place Is Death
Thought for the Day: Change
How I would like to die: Minus Blindfold
My soul’s present condition: Needles And Pins
Give it a go yourself and feel free to leave your “Life According To Music” results in the comments section.
S.I.T Wolf X
* The Google “You Need….” game is easy to play. Just type your first name into Google followed by the word “needs” and record the first ten results. So for example i would type “John needs”. I’ve posted my results from this game in last summer.
Filed under it's all fun 'n' games
The kind people over at Winning Sperm Party gave away 5 free EPs for our listening pleasure on Christmas Day.
They’re all gloriously noisy and chaotic in their own little ways. Have a listen…
MP3: Blue Sabbath Black Fiji – An Open Skull Is The Devil’s Breakfast
To download the full BSBF EP for free go here.
MP3: Pro Life – Scene Stealers
To get a free zip file of the Pro Life EP go here
MP3: North American War – Me & My GI Joes
You can grab the full North American War EP by going here.
MP3: Triple School – Sniffing Glue
Treat yourself to Triple School’s wee collection of tracks here.
MP3: Gropetown – Production Vomit
To download more tracks from the Gropetown n Phat Trophies split click here.
All that’s left to say is….
——————————————————————————-
Winning Sperm Party weren’t the only ones in the festive spirit though.
On Christmas Eve, Glasgow pop stalwarts, Mitchell Museum released their brand new EP “The Closer We Got The Harder We Fell”.
MP3: Mitchell Museum – Dirtknife
For full tracklisting and info check out the guys’ bandcamp. All they ask for is your email address in exchange for their music. Fair trade. Go on.
—————————————————————————-
The Klaxons were also feeling charitable this Christmas. Remember all the recordings they done with James Ford two years back? Which they then decided to scrap and start work all over again on what was to be second album “Surfing The Void”. Yeah? Well they decided Christmas was the perfect time to reveal all from the James Ford sessions. How lovely.
Head on over to their website for their reasons and download instructions.
The tracklisting is…
1. The Pale Blue Dot
2. Silver Forest
3. Ivy Leaves
4. Wildeflowers
5. Marble Fields
They only slight downside is that the files are in wav form and therefore the tracks are huge in size but we mustn’t complain when it’s free! I took the liberty of converting “Pale Blue Dot” to MP3 form for any like minded WAV haters out there.
Hope everyone had a brilliant Christmas.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under aye choons
The fourth edition of “Are Friends Eclectic?” is a very special one indeed. I’ve managed to convince a certain guy to take time out from his hectic day and give us an insight into his musical tastes and whatever else takes his fancy.
Yes, that’s the real Santa right there. Yes he smokes. Yes, that’s a half coconut/pineapple concoction and cocktail in his right hand. Yes, he sticks a white beard over his “manly goatee” and no, the big red suit’s not at the dry cleaners. He’s dressing down this year.
SIT WOLF: Describe music in 5 or less words.
SANTA: Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!
SIT WOLF: Nice start. Also, it isn’t Christmas yet.
SANTS: It’s always Christmas.
SIT WOLF: Ok, whatever, answer the question?
SANTA: Music in 5 words or less? Mistletoe and Wine.
SIT WOLF: What was the first album you bought?
SANTA: Usually i just steal albums off of all the naughty children. I’m experienced at handling packages now and can usually tell which ones are CD’s so if a certain kid has been bad and doesn’t deserve his Cliff Richard album then i’ll keep it all for myself or put it in Mrs Claus’ stocking as an extra.
SIT WOLF: So you’ve never bought one?
SANTA: I have bought one or two yes. The first one i bought was the single “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” by Wizzard. That was a while ago now.
SIT WOLF: What was the last album you bought?
SANTA: I purchased Low’s “Christmas EP” off of the mincePIEtunes website last week. I gave it to one of the elves who was getting a little too festive for my liking. It depressed him accordingly. I don’t like my workers to get too happy at Christmas. I run a tight ship through the months of November and December. It’s head down, arse up, all out work. The lazy bastards get the rest of the year off anyway.
SIT WOLF: What are your views on illegal downloading/file sharing?
SANTA: Well i can’t wrap up MP3’s so that’s a big fat bearded NO from me! Buy the CDs children!
SIT WOLF: What was your very first gig?
SANTA: Ah, i remember this fondly. It was in a small igloo in Lapland in 1916. Cliff Richard was only in his early twenties then, what show he put on.
SIT WOLF: What was your last gig?
SANTA: I was at Paul McCartneys gig in Liverpool on Monday night there (20th December). I was intent on keeping a low profile but i got a little carried away after a few brandy’s and couldn’t resist singing along to his Christmas songs. I had to make a swift exit before i got mobbed by fans. Luckily Rudolph is off the beer in preparation for the the big journey so when i paged him and asked him to pick me up he was there within 5 minutes.
SIT WOLF: What’s the next gig you’re going to?
SANTA: It’ll probably be next year. I think Sleigh Bells are touring Lapland next summer.
SIT WOLF: If you were stuck on a desert island and told that you could only listen to 3 albums over and over again for the rest of your life, what would they be?
SANTA: That’s an easy one. “A Santa Cause: A Punk Rock Christmas”, it’s various artists doing Christmas cover songs. “Christmas with Johnny Cash” is another favourite, his style of music blends so well with the Christmas spirit. The third one would be “Phil Spectors Christmas Album”. Full of classics that is.
SIT WOLF: What 3 songs are currently on constant rotation on your IPod/MP3 Player?
SANTA: “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue, it puts me in the mood to ravish Ms Claus….whilst thinking of Kylie of course. Don’t tell her that though.
SIT WOLF: She might be reading this. Do you have Wi-Fi in Lapland?
SANTA: She better not be reading this. She better be helping the rest of those little fuckers pack up my sleigh!
SIT WOLF: You’re a slave driver Santa, a slave driver!
SANTA: Please, call me Nick.
SIT WOLF: Ok, Nick, what other 2 songs are making you stroke your beard with delight?
SANTA: I love Dave Bazan’s voice so Pedro The Lions “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” is always a favourite. The last one is one i always play when i’ve dropped the last present off at the last house and my work is done. It’s a track by The Legendary Tiger Man called “Fuck Christmas, I Got The Blues”. Killer track.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite remixes?
SANTA: Anything off of the “A Mutated Christmas” by Corporal Blossom and the “I’m Dreaming Of A White Noise Christmas” mash up by 65daysofstatic. My favourite remix right now though has to be “Jingle Bells” remix by Dan The Automator.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite films?
SANTA: Oh there are so many! What are yours? I hope i’m in your favourites!
SIT WOLF: I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.
SANTA: Bad Santa makes me laugh so hard that the buttons on my jacket pop so that’s gotta be in there.
SIT WOLF: Are you sure they don’t just pop cos you’re a fat fuck?
SANTA: So would you be if you ate cookies at every house you went into!
SIT WOLF: Anyways, we’re not here to discuss your weight problems fatty. Another 2 films please.
SANTA: I’m festivally plump not fat! Other 2 favourites are Home Alone and Miracle on 35th Street.
SIT WOLF: You mean 34th Street?
SANTA: No, 35th. It was the sequel! Ahahahaha! What are your favourite festive films then?
SIT WOLF: Die Hard, Scrooged and Love Actually.
SANTA: Love Actually? Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite websites?
SANTA: I’ll say Illegal Art so that i can big up the aforementioned Corporal Blossom christmas album. My all time favourite website is www.northpole.com, it has everything you need to contact me! I also love my page on wikipedia. Can i put one in for Rudolph and his pals?
SIT WOLF: Go on then, since it’s Christmas.
SANTA: Thank you! It’s Reindeer Coffee.com. The best hot drinks in all the land!
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite blogs?
SANTA: Oh i’m very clued up and tuned into the blogosphere. As soon as the laptop’s on the first blogs i check are always 365 Days of Christmas, Claus Chronicles and any blog that has good Christmas food recipes! I love my Christmas cooking!
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite cover versions?
SANTA: I love Far’s take on “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, that little added bonus of Chino Moreno and other friends pushes it along nicely too. Sugarcult cover “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” pretty well and….
SIT WOLF: Yes?
SANTA: Maybe Matt Cardle’s new Biffy Clyro cover?
SIT WOLF: Get your sack and leave!
SANTA: I jest i jest! The Enemy doing “Last Christmas” for the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge a few years back was a nice touch.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite music videos?
SANTA: Mariah is pretty hot and has a great set…of eh……eyes, so i’d put her video for “All I Want For Christmas Is You” at number 1. Watching the Band Aid video always gets me in the mood too. Boy George does my tits in though. Well we’re on the subject of being annoyed, know what else rips my knitting? That new Coca Cola one with those fucking bastards Train in it! What was wrong with the old Coca Cola song and me and the side of a big lorry. They’ve went and ruined it by using those gleamy teethed All American do gooders. I’m not racist by the way.
SIT WOLF: Clearly not. A third video o’ bearded one? Once you’ve calmed down obviously. Here, have another shot of Christmas liquor.
SANTA: Thank you child, don’t mind if i do. Now that third video, it’ll need to be The Darkness “Christmas Time”. I like the cheekiness of it. Don’t Let The Bells End hahaha. Get it.
SIT WOLF: Yes, i get it for fuck sake. Moving on.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite TV shows?
SANTA: Father Ted solely because it’s Christmas Special kicks all other Christmas Specials arses! The Alan Partridge Christmas special was another favourite of mine. To add a little bit of crudeness i’ll say A Very Special Christmas With Beavis and Butthead.
SIT WOLF: Do you play an instrument? If so, which one?
SANTA: I practice throughout the year on everything and anything. My favourite is the harp. Even if it does get caught in my beard sometimes.
SIT WOLF: If you could make a Supergroup (5 members) that you’d love to hear who would be in it and what would their name be?
SANTA: The name would be very original…..Santa’s Little Helpers. I’d have Cliff Richard on lead vocals with Shane McGowan passed out on the floor next to him adding occasional vocal harmonies. Mr Blobby playing drums. Matt Cardle’s head and other limbs as the kick drum and drumsticks.
SIT WOLF: That’s two singers, one drum kit and a drummer. What about the actual music you’d need, the melodies? Or is it gonna be vocals and drums only?
SANTA: Gimme a minute here. I’ve got it! Bing Crosby on piano. There that’s 5.
SIT WOLF: Give me and the readers 3 bands that you think we might not know but we should check out?
SANTA: Santa Esmeralda, they’re a French-American disco group from the 70’s. Yes, we have Snow Disco parties. They’re amazing, you should come next year. Another would be The Reindeer Section, who are a Scottish supergroup consisting of members from Belle and Sebastian, Arab Strap, Idlewild and many more. Dark Elf is another one to check out. He’s one of my most musically minded workers. His music’s trancey, almost hypnotic. Perfect for the long nights.
SIT WOLF: What would your ideal gig be (3 bands)? And where would it be?
SANTA: It would be in the Antarctic and it would consist of Slade, proceeded by Elton John and finished off with East 17.
SIT WOLF: That’s a pretty shit gig.
SANTA: It’s only so i can hear the Christmas classics that they’re famous for live and in the flesh.
SIT WOLF: It’d be pretty hard to get East 17 together again. We’ll need to go pull Brian Harvey out from underneath hos own car first. We could always tie and rope to the end of your sleigh and try and tow/pill him out.
SANTA: I know what NOT too bring Brain this year for Christmas. Baked potatoes!
SIT WOLF: Who are your 3 favourite writers?
SANTA: Goes without saying really that Charles Dickens is one. The other two would need to be William Shakespeare and Ferrol Sam.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite books?
SANTA: Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry, A Plain and Simple Christmas by Amy Clipston and Christmas In Hell by Michael Lent.
SIT WOLF: What songs best encapsulate your moods?
A) Happy
B) Sad
C) Angry
D) Lonely
SANTA:
A) Jackson 5 – Frosty The Snowman
B) Gary Jules – Mad World
C) The Mr T Experience – Merry Fuckin’ Christmas
D) Merle Haggard – If We Make It Through December
SIT WOLF: Who, in your opinion, are the 3 most attractive males in music?
SANTA: Cliff Richard, Roy Wood and Noddy Holder.
SIT WOLF: You baffle me.
SIT WOLF: Who, in your opinion, are the 3 most attractive females in music?
SANTA: Katy Perry (in the Ms Santa suit), Mariah Carey and Kylie Minogue.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite album covers?
SANTA: For sheer cringe value i’ll need to say Air Supplys “The Christmas Album”. For some “what the fuck?” value i’ll say Rudy Ray Moore with “This Ain’t No White Christmas” and my all time favourite album cover is James Browns “Funky Christmas”. The Godfather of Soul is the only man who makes the famed red and white hat look nearly as cool as i do.
SIT WOLF: What word best sums your musical tastes up?
SANTA: Crackers?
SIT WOLF: Sounds about right.
WORD ASSOCIATION: SIT WOLF words in bold. If anybody doesn’t know how to play word association (which i’m sure everybody does but i’ll explain anyway) it basically involves someone saying a word and you instantly reply with the first word that comes to mind.
Ok, this time i’ve put a bit of a spin on the usual Word Assosciation game. It’s has a little more of a Christmas-sy feel to it.
ADVERT – Coke
BUFFET – Sprouts!
CAROLS – Out of tune
DECORATIONS – Stressful
EVE – Busy
FESTIVE – Drunk
GREETINGS – Cards
HO HO HO – Prostitutes
IGLOO – House
JOKES – Crackers
KNITWEAR – Bad jumpers
LANTERN – Dark
MISTLETOE – Kiss
NATIVITY – Play
ORNAMENTS – Snow globes
PRESENTS – Giving
QUEUES – Jumpable
REINDEER – Lazy
SANTA – Amazing, of course
TREE – Lights
URBAN LEGEND – Me!
VIXEN – The lazy one
WRAPPING PAPER – Effort
XMAS – Should be an illegal word, it’s Christmas! Not Crimbo, Xmas or any other abbreviation!
YULETIDE – Festival
ZEBRA (Apologies for lack of imagination!) – James The Christmas Zebra Game!
SIT WOLF: And that brings to an end our Christmas Eve interview. Thank you for taking time out of your no doubt busy schedule.
SANTA: It’s been a pleasure. I really must dash though. Rudolph and those other 8 lazy bastards are waiting outside, we’re in a rush, i need to get to the off licence before 10pm to pick up a carryout for the sleigh ride. Bye bye!
The Christmas conclusion…..
MP3: Dan The Automator – Jingle Bells (Remix)
MP3: The Mr T Experience – Merry Fucking Christmas
MP3: Far, Deftones and Will Haven – Feed The World (Do They Know It’s Christmas)
MP3: Low – Just Like Christmas
Merry Christmas Everyone,
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under are friends eclectic?
The last week or so has been absolutely sensational for gigs in Glasgow. Some i did make, some i didn’t make and one got cancelled altogether. Over the course of 6 days from the Tuesday (14th December) to Sunday (the 19th) there were some pretty amazing shows performed and played throughout Glasgow and it’s various musical locations. Below i’ve compiled a list of the best gigs and included MP3’s (where available), videos and links.
The week should have began with Civil Civic but they sadly had to cancel their gig at The 13th Note last Monday. But since they’re so good we’ll include them anyway and just imagine in our heads and ears that they blew the roof off of The Note!
MONDAY 13th DECEMBER
Venue: The 13th Note
MP3: Civil Civic – Run Overdrive
TUESDAY 14th DECEMBER
Venue: The Captains Rest
MP3: Withered Hand – Providence
MP3: The Japanese War Effort – Usain Bolt
www.myspace.com/vikingmoses
www.myspace.com/witheredhandmusic
thejapanesewareffort.bandcamp.com/
www.myspace.com/undergroundrivermusic
TUESDAY 14th DECEMBER (yes, there was TWO good gigs on the 14th!)
Venue: The 13th Note
MP3: Sleepy Eyes Nelson – Black Rum Blues
www.myspace.com/deadotter1
www.myspace.com/craighughesmusic
www.myspace.com/damnablecontraptionsucks (my friend’s band, check them out! it’s noisy. you’ve been warned!)
www.myspace.com/sleepyeyesnelson
WEDNESDAY 15th DECEMBER
Venue: The Captains Rest
MP3: Drum Eyes – 50/50
MP3: Ultimate Thrush – Ladyfingers
www.myspace.com/drumeyes
www.myspace.com/ultimatethrush
www.myspace.com/prayerrug
Prayer Rug (Live @ The Arches, November 2010)
THURSDAY 16th DECEMBER
Venue: The Flying Duck
MP3: Eternal Fags – Street Juice
MP3: Blue Sabbath Black Fiji – Contact High
MP3: Kylie Minoise – Neck Brace Art Appreciation Club
MP3: Gropetown – German and Blue
www.myspace.com/gropetown
www.last.fm/music/phat+trophies
www.myspace.com/thecosmicdead
eternalfags.com/
soundcloud.com/streets-of-rage
www.myspace.com/kylieminoise
myownspace.fr/bluesabbathblackfiji
www.myspace.com/grimalkin555
Grimalkin555 – The Gift That Keeps On Giving
FRIDAY 17th DECEMBER
Venue: Nice N Sleazy
MP3: Gummy Stumps – Gumbo
longdistancerunners.wordpress.com/
www.myspace.com/thegummystumps
www.myspace.com/tutvuvu
SATURDAY 18th DECEMBER
Venue: The Arches
MP3: Zombie Nation – Worth It (Part 1)
MP3: Burns – Turbo
www.myspace.com/zombienation
www.myspace.com/thisisburns
www.myspace.com/unicornkid
www.deathdisco.info/
SUNDAY 19th DECEMBER
Venue: Nice N Sleazy
The Electra French Christmas Party line up was Mitchell Museum, The Seventeenth Century and Behold….The Old Bear. The Electra French site is well worth checking out. It’s full of cool t-shirts and an amazing array of artists.
MP3: Mitchell Museum – Mission 1
MP3: The Seventeenth Century – Roses In The Park
www.myspace.com/mitchellmuseum
www.myspace.com/theseventeenthcentury
www.electrafrench.com/records/beholdtheoldbear
Mitchell Museum – Tiger Heartbeat
That’s a lot of good live music and artists right there. Feel free to download the tracks (just right click and save as)
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under aye choons
Tired of the same old boring Christmas songs year after year? The same songs in the same style every December? Fear no more…..
This is a Christmas mix with a little bit of a twist. Nothing too “out there” or but different enough to keep you from going insane with the sounds of X-Factor garbage or other annually released festive “songs” ringing in your ears.
The mix starts off with an epic track from Mew and goes into some Christmassy pop and funk then we head into Christmas cover territory and mix it in with some fuzz from the Crocodiles, Dum Dum Girls and a boy/girl cracker (pardon the pun) in the form of The Hives and Cyndi Lauper. After that the mood drops slightly with some more sombre and thoughtful numbers….but wait, we’re rescued by E from Eels telling everything’s gonna be cool! Then Maps serenades all the mistletoe lovers with his version of East 17’s “Stay Another Day”, Band of Horses make us glow like Christmas trees with “The First Song” then Jonah, Chino and Grady give us their take on the Band Aid classic. After that it’s time to test the ears. Can you recognise all the different versions of of “White Christmas” that Corporal Blossom has mashed together? We end with 65daysofstatic take on the same classic song. And if your brave auditory system can get through the joyous white noise you’ll be rewarded with the little Christmas bonus of Arcade Fire having fun doing a version of “Jingle Bell Rock”. Full tracklist below.
An Alternative Christmas
————————————
1. Mew – She Came Home For Christmas
2. Best Coast and Wavves – Got Something For You
3. James Brown – Soulful Christmas
4. Summer Camp – Christmas Wrapping (The Waitresses cover)
5. Jimmy Eat World – Last Christmas (Wham cover)
6. Weezer – O’ Come All Ye Faithful (Christmas carol cover)
7. The Hives and Cyndi Lauper – A Christmas Duel
8. Death Cab For Cutie – Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) (Darlene Love cover)
9. Crocodiles and The Dum Dum Girls – Merry Christmas (Baby, Please Don’t Die)
10. Asobi Seksu – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight) (The Ramones cover)
11. The Boy Least Likely To – Christmas Isn’t Christmas
12. Bon Iver – Blood Bank
13. Frightened Rabbit – It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop
14. E – Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
15. Maps – Stay Another Day (East 17 cover)
16. Band Of Horses – The First Song
17. Far, Deftones and Will Haven – Do They Know It’s Christmas (Band Aid cover)
18. Corporal Blossom – White Christmas
19. 65daysofstatic – I’m Dreaming Of A White Noise Christmas
20. Arcade Fire – Jingle Bell Rock
Download it over at mediafire An Alternative Christmas with SIT Wolf
or have a listen first on the Soundcloud link below and then head on over there and download it.
I made the mix 70 minutes long so that it will fit nice and snugly onto a CD and you can entertain/bore your family with it over Christmas dinner. I’ve already made a few CDs up for my friends and family.
S.I.T Wolf X
ps. I’ve had to hold off the “Are Friends….” interview with Santa till during the week. He was busy this weekend, said he was wrapping stuff up or some shit like that. Fucking amateur.
Filed under the weekend mixtape
MF/MB/ is guitars, drums, bass, synthesizers, vocals and computers, but most of all it’s Victor, Jocke, Sebastian, Christine and Erik, making the best music they know. Not cool or not-cool, that’s up to you. And even if you get it, you still just don’t get it.
MF/MB/ is countryside and city streets, it’s woods and concrete, cigarettes and alcohol, hope and despair, clubs and saunas, autobahn and bad English. MF/MB/ is gay sex and straight sex and endless studio sessions. It’s the anger and disillusion of performing in Berlin, on tour with The Sounds and The Faint, as 18 year olds and then going back to Sweden to play in small pubs in the middle of nowhere for people who’d rather listen to Basshunter.
MF/MB/ is a terrible band name. MF/MB/ is self confidence and bad conscience. Lack of money. Good looks. Clothes. Never looking back, always doing the same mistakes. It’s about frequent stupid questions in interviews – “Christine, how does it feel being the only girl in the band?” – and the inability to give the answers those questions deserve. MF/MB/ is a thousand compromises from a million ideas. It’s about filling up empty holes. It’s about staying alive by playing live. The oxygen on stage. Eyes of the audience. The handclaps and the shouts.
You should treat your ears to their album “Folded” on Spotify and if you like it then treat yourself to an early Christmas present and go buy it!
They even do cooler than cool remixes.
MP3: HEALTH – USA Boys (MF/MB/ remix)
I discovered these guys through a very like minded (musically anyway!) friend called Simon. He doesn’t use his blog very often but when he does it’s always good stuff. Have a wee look and see.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under attacking your speakers
You may or may not be aware of the absolutely torturous and downright hazardous amounts of snow that swept through Scotland at the end of November right though until early-mid December. We weren’t alone though. Snow engulfed practically the whole of the UK in early December.
But with me living in Scotland we’ll concentrate on that.
Now, i like the snow. I love it in fact. But the snow became too much. It brought Scotland to a well publicised halt. I got sent home from work early on the 29th of November because it got ridiculously heavy and lay on the ground at almost knee height in East Kilbride (where i work) and a day (unpaid day may i add) off from work the next day. The roads were so bad that people were abandoning their cars on the motorways and walking/slipping all the way home. There were cars parked all over the place. Pavements, grass verges, roundabouts, bus stops, random pathways. Everywhere and anywhere. So not only was the snow causing grief to the motorists who decide to soldier on but now they also had random vehicles planted all over the place to deal with. The snow had got to the point that it wasn’t fun anymore. Apocalypse Snow indeed. Then suddenly…..it disappeared. Granted, it left behind streets full of ankle threatening ice and gritted yet still not fully safe roads. It stopped in time for me to make a reasonably safe journey up to Dundee last weekend and the last remnants of snow and black ice seemed to be melting away like a Ben n Jerries left in a sunshine filled park in California. The chaos had ended…..or had it.
The picture above was taken of Glasgow early yesterday morning. The Big Chill is back and this time he’s brought his friend Mr Mist with him.
Yep, we’ve got more heavy snow fall, gale force winds, mist and below zero temperatures coming our way over the next few days if the weather “experts” are to be believed. Going by this picture, which reminds me of the film The Day After Tomorrow, they could be right again and we’re in for another very cold patch and snow oblivion this winter. Let’s just hope we deal with it better now than we did earlier this month. It always baffles me how countries all around the world can deal with snow, probably a lot more than we get, on a yearly basis but we, the UK in general, always play the “we don’t know what to do” card.
Anyway, onto music and sticking with the winter theme…
MP3: The Decemberists – Down By The Water
MP3: Muddy Waters – Cold Weather Blues
MP3: Twin Shadow – Castles In The Snow
This is also the perfect post to stick up this classic song. A band i had forgot all about until this weather kicked in.
Here’s what the weather geeks at Scotlands “top rag” The Scottish Sun (how ironic?) predict for the weekend ahead.
Now, where’s my gloves and my piano scarf?
Oh there they are…
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under hot water bottle music
This song makes me think of Christmas for some reason. In an almost gloomy but uplifting way. I think it’s the music and the vocal harmonies and “oooaaahs” throughout. I could imagine it being sang as a Christmas carol by a massive childrens choir.
Something filled up
My heart with nothing
Someone told me not to cry
But now that I’m older
My heart’s colder
And I can see that it’s a lie
Children, wake up
Hold your mistake up
Before they turn the summer into dust
If the children don’t grow up
Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up
We’re just a million little gods causing rainstorms
Turning every good thing to rust
I guess we’ll just have to adjust
With my lightning bolts a-glowin’
I can see where I am going to be
When the reaper, he reaches and touches my hand
With my lightning bolts a-glowin’
I can see where I am going
With my lightning bolts a-glowin’
I can see where I am going
You better look out below
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under poetry or politics?
I won’t be getting do much posting, well none actually, this weekend.
I’m off to Dundee again for birthday celebrations. It shall be a no doubt liver damaging but good memory enhancing weekend.
Here’s some stuff to keep the page ticking over while i’m gone.
————————————————————————–
This is still one of the most beautiful tracks i’ve ever heard. I heard it for the first time exactly a year ago today and it still gives me butterflies.
A beautiful Scottish alternative lullaby.
MP3: Meursault – Crank Resolutions
Meursaults album “All Creatures Make Merry” will be another that is a shoe in for a place in most, if not all, end of year Best Of Lists.
This live version at Glastonbury take the hairs on the neck to a new level of standing.
—————————————————————————————————————
I remember letting my flat mate hear this a few months back when this track got leaked. A strange concoction that works so well (like a White Russian cocktail) was my description at the time i believe. You may or may not be aware that this song is a cover of a band called Platinum Blonde……yeah, i didn’t really care either. This version’s waaaaaaay better. The “Not In Love” EP was released officially on 6th December. Go buy.
MP3: Crystal Castles – Not In Love feat Robert Smith
I also remember wanting to post about it at the time but not finding the time or energy to do so and then kinda forgetting about it. So what better time than now? It also reminded me about a subject i’ve been wanting to post about for ages. Collaborations. Good and bad!
I’ll look into that in the New Year.
—————————————————————————————
Finally, Intelligencia uploaded a track to the interwebnetworldvideothingy….or YouTube.
This crazy Glasgow 4 piece (my bro in law included) couldn’t and shouldn’t have stayed quiet that long! The jam session lovers have hit the nail on the head with the cut and paste video for “Howl”. As amazing as the live version is, i’d still really love to hear a recorded studio version. Please Gary!
———————————————————————————————–
Lastly, some good news for all you big kids out there……
Yes, i know he’s a busy man, but i’ve managed to book Santa in to do an interview for the “Are Friends Eclectic?” section. He’s gonna take a break from his chaotic wrapping schedule and pop in next weekend. Be sure to check it out.
————————————————————————————————–
That’s all for now. I’m off to Dundee……..to get thrown out of a nightclub. My friends will know what i mean.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under aye choons
Someones In The Wolf 
