the 80s soundtrack of the year to come

The head-lining name of The Times newspaper's pick of 2009 pop stars in waiting futher cements my suspicion that this year will be a head long dive into the late 80s, pop culturally speaking. La Roux's synth tunes are fairly average for my tastes, although her forthcoming single "Quicksand" does merit the attention it's getting in the press - it's like a Human League song without the bloke belting for all he's worth. The song's video is exhibit A in what's becoming a long line of evidence supporting that what's "fresh" now is what was fresh in 1987, albeit shot and photographed with much better cameras :

The Chromatics & Glass Candy have stripped back their music to expose the rather alluring darkness of the mighty synth. They've taken the 80s as an influence, no doubt, but unlike the perfectly studied karaoke of La Roux, they use that influence as a starting point for their musical trip, not as the road map.

The rather worrying implication of the ongoing cultural regurgitation of what each generation was weened on is that what's to come might not have the dandyish excess of the 80s electro as an excuse - please God spare us a Brit pop revival, in all it's glorification of lads and laddets! There wasn't an ounce of style in it. The karaoke school of worship tends to lack critical faculties which is what makes a night out at a karaoke bar so much fun, but doesn't translate so well into a cultural compass.

The article also name checks Florence and The Machine who, apart from her fabulous name, totally deserve to be embraced by everyone who hasn't heard her already. The music press has rushed to compare her to some sort of Siouxsie Sioux/Kate Bush love child but I think her music has a distinctive feel all of it's own, something that sounds like a sensuous riot of youth.

Her song "Dog Days" is a heart-felt beauty. I leave you with its opulent video set in a woodland copse.

Here's to all the 2009 mix c.ds to come!

Bring in the 2009!

The aftermath of New Year's eve in our tiny walled garden... my mum keeps on about returning to Australia to live but I don't know she could cope with their fire work ban! She's already stock pilled for the year here. Poor pot plants.

WHYs & WHEREFOREs

I was unexpectedly called home a few months back when my mother was diagnosed with cancer again. Thankfully she's on the mend now but as the drama resulted in major surgery, it's that fabled long road to recovery for the foreseeable future. I had no idea how much my mother did to keep the cogs turning until I was landed the job of running the household. Truth be told, I sort of enjoy the challenge so that's not been the issue. The problem is being stationed back in my home town again - an run-down industrial town on the northern coast of England. It's exceptionally bleak and due to my ongoing erratic education and lust for travel I know hardly anyone in the area,( well, with the exception of the workman who come to the house to rip us off and the 60 year olds my Mother played bridge with before she became ill.) 

If I had car insurance I'd take to the road just as I'd catch the next train, were there a rail connection running anywhere worthwhile for less than a small fortune. Like it or lump it, this is it for now.

To prevent myself going totally stir-crazy and snapping in the middle of the grocery run to the supermarket, I have decided to use this page as a creative distraction. It might also end up providing a sexy little forum to gather all the impossible threads of my internet pooterling. 

So, just about 3 years after the wheels fell off the bandwagon, I'm adopting a "blog." Every man and his cat has one so... chucks away!