Sounds of 2010

Daisy Dares You
Sixteen-year-old Daisy Coburn makes bubblegum punk, teen pop about friendship and families and fancying boys. Although this could be another Avril Lavigne in the making the fact that she cites Karen O and Kurt Cobain as her idols is promising, along with record companies fighting over her, there does seem to be talent here. The jury’s still out on this one.

Delphic
Indie guitars and euphoric electronica have rarely gone together well, but this Manchester group make them a natural fit. Hypnotic songs are driven by pulsating beats as frontman James Cook sings infectious hooks. The fact that they have supported Kasabian and Orbital is a great plus working in their favor too.

Devlin
The next big rapper emerges from East London? Pretty big on the underground scene, time will tell if he has what it takes to emerge into the mainstream. It looks promising.

The Drums
One of the most talked about new guitar bands of next year. Hailing from Florida, via New York, they mix surf pop of the Beach Boys with The Cure and can even sound like Lou Reed/Iggy Pop covering 1960 girl groups. If nothing else, it will be an interesting debut album.

Everything Everything
Will this Manchester band bring the indie scene back to life? With Radiohead and the Beatles as their influence this may be their biggest asset or greatest downfall!

Giggs
Another South London rapper who has spent time in jail is similar in style to Dizze Rascal and Chipmunk and has even worked with The Streets. Everything looks good for this guy so far.

Gold Panda
Real name, Derwin, makes instrumental soundtracks to those dreamy summer days. He takes distorted samples and wraps them in minimal beats. It should be great! Also, with a strong Japanese influence it could add an extra dynamic.

Ellie Goulding
One of the greatest promises of 2010 Ellie Goulding is a solo female singer-songwriter with a strong personality and a cutting-edge style, 21-year-old. Her distinctive high-wire voice carries passionate lyrics, occasionally being cut and spliced with club-friendly electro results.

Hurts
A moody and exceedingly stylish duo from Manchester, Hurts inhabit an enigmatic, cinematic black & white world where they construct melancholic 1980s-inspired electro-pop. They resemble Tears For Fears.

Joy Orbison
Twenty-two-year-old Pete O'Grady from Croydon, who goes by the name Joy Orbison, is one of the hottest dance producers around. O'Grady has been DJing since the age of 12 and meshes late-night house and UK garage, with soft bass, hypnotic home-made percussion and distant chopped-up vocals.

Marina and the Diamonds
Another very promising outlook for 2010 is the quirky and flamboyant Marina Diamand who is gaining a following for her inventive songwriting, theatrical stage shows and dazzling style. She creates overblown pop and gets her inspiration from Britney DVDs and Gwen Stefani!

Owl City
Adam Young, 23, is inspired by the boredom of his home town and the twinkling laptop-made beats and soft, innocent vocals evoke faraway fantasies and innocent daydreams. He appears to be coming from nowhere and getting quite a large following in the process also.

Rox
Roxanne Tataei is a half Iranian, half Jamaican Londoner who makes nourishing soul music and counts Lauryn Hill and Sade as her biggest inspirations. She has a jazzy voice which will no doubt get comparisons to Amy Winehouse.

Stornoway
This 5-piece-band craft hearty folk using banjos, violins and brass. 2010s Mumford and Suns maybe?

Two Door Cinema Club
Hailing from Northern Ilsand, this upbeat art-pop comprise three guitars, some jaunty keyboards and no drummer until recently. Should be a band to look out for.

Local Natives
They gain their influences from post punk to afro beats to create their own form of indie rock. Could be a bad to really be excited about for 2010

Jack Splash
He won a Grammy in 2009 for producing music on Jennifer Hudson’s debut album plus production credits for the likes of Jamie Foxx, Estelle, Missy Elliot and Britney Spears; now it’s time for him to make his own mark on the music scene.

Little Comets
They have a happy indie pop beat suitable for the dance floor but surprisingly enough they are not from Manchester, but Newcastle. They boast catchy hooks, a fun attitude and whole range of indie influences.

Music Go Music
Epic rock pop with a distinctly retro 70s glam sound is what Music Go Music bring to the table. They have been compared as much to Abba and Blondie as much to The Clash and The Ramones. It should be very interesting.

Erik Hassle
Looks like La Roux but sounds quite different, being more influenced by soul with a Euro dance beat.

Nneka
With a beautifully soulful voice Nigerian born and Germany based Nneka is a singer-songwriter who has seen her gospel style morph into hip hop with occasional dance hall undertones.

Chase and Status
They may already have released their debut album but it wasn’t until Chase & Status released soundtrack single “End Credits”, remixed Jay Z to The Prodigy and collaborated with Rihanna and Snoop Dogg that the duo finally started getting recognition for their versatility.

Dinosaur Pile-Up
Leeds-based trio Dinosaur Pile-Up hope to take their rock to new levels in 2010 with the rather modestly titled The Most Powerful EP in the Universe sure to see them following up on their success across Germany and France.

Sound of Guns
Shrugging off the music associations with their hometown, Liverpool lads Sound of Guns are firing on all cylinders with diverse influences driving anthemic power chords, jangly guitars and group vocals. Influenced by: Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors.

Eliza Doolittle
London born Eliza Doolittle believes in music and fun which is probably why she creates happy bubblegum pop. Her softly sweet voice belies the thoughtful lyrics but don’t expect hyper dance beats--Eliza’s music relaxes just like running through fields of daisies on a summer’s day. Maybe Lily Allen is passing the baton onto Eliza for 2010.

Best Albums Of 2009

1. Bat for Lashes: ‘Two Suns’ The second album from Natasha Khan and co explores the theme of dichotomies. Rich with imagery, melodramatic vocals, along with grand complex arrangements and lyrics. It appears highly pretentious but this album is genius without ever trying to be.

Essential Tracks: ‘Daniel’, ‘Pearl’s Dream’, ‘The Big Sleep’

2. The Decemberists: ‘The Hazards of Love’ An unapologetic prog-rock album based around the 1960’s Brit-folk rival. It’s an epic 17 track hour long affair including minstrel laments, medieval vibes, choirs, heavy metal, guitars, rock opera and folk elements. The story is so audacious that it’s baffling. The story of Margaret ravaged by a shape shifting animal, her lover, a forest queen and a cold blooded lascivious rake! It has to be heard to be believed.

Essential Tracks: It would be like recommending chapters of a book to read. You have to listen to the whole album.

3. Pet Shop Boys: ‘Yes’ Not many great bands of the 1980s are still going strong today. This album is a success thanks partly to the great production and other part to the band themselves. The Pet Shop Boys hark back to their old sound which made them so popular in the 1980s. They certainly hit jackpot with this release; fantastic arrangements, the usual intelligent and witty lyrics, and catchy, if somewhat camp, tunes. In a word, amazing!

Essential Tracks: ‘Love Etc.’, ‘All Over The World’, ‘More Than A Dream’

4. Muse: ‘The Resistance’ This overblown album sees Muse in their most comfortable territory. The arrangements are so ‘out there’ that it borders the line between genius and ridiculous. Thankfully they stay clear of ridicule as they deal with topics ranging from love to state control. Expect to hear rock, guitars, harmonies, falsetto and classical offerings in between. They have raised the bar so high it’s hard to see where they go from here!

Essential Tracks: ‘United States of Eurasia’, ‘Uprising’, ‘Exogenesis Symphonies parts I-III’


5. Florence and the Machine: ‘Lungs’ She was so hyped up that it was always going to be hard to live up to. Fortunately, the hype was justified. With her instantly recognizable vocals, an array of musical styles, and great lyrics this album delivers on all fronts. It’s clever, it’s witty and most importantly of all, it leaves you wanting more. The future looks bright for this new artist.

Essential Tracks: ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)’, ‘You’ve Got The Love’, ‘ Blinding’

6. Antony and the Johnsons: ‘The Crying Light’ One of music’s true original artists offers his third full length album full of cabaret/chamber pop and it’s just as staggering as its predecessors. This time Antony opts for a more intimate feel yet the arrangements are often grander than on previous albums thanks to the introduction of a full orchestra. The topics range from nature, birth, death and humanity. A must hear of the year, it’s like nothing else out there.

Essential Tracks: ‘Epilepsy is dancing’, ‘Another World’, ‘One Dove’

7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: ‘It’s Blitz’ Karen O and the gang have certainly progressed from their raw sounding debut to this foray into dance music. However, it is so much more than just an album full of pleasant dance tunes. Karen’s vocals are as vital as ever as the band still bases their sound around the simple chord structures. I loved their raw sound when I first heard them and their natural progression into bigger and better things is both a pleasure to see and hear.

Essential Tracks: ‘Zero’, ‘Heads Will Roll’, ‘Hysteric’

8. The Swell Season: ‘Strict Joy’ The combination of Glen Hansard’s loud, hoarse and dominating vocals along with Marketa Irglova’s fail, fragile voice is a winning combination. Both are essential to making this album work. The first album was more both of them offering singles independently; whereas here they are working firmly as a team which is ironic considering this album is about the end of their relationship. This album is full of heartbreak and struggle but is beautiful in its delivery. There are great acoustic songs melding piano, guitar, and strings to create simple folk-pop songs.

Essential Tracks: ‘Two Tongues’. ‘Low Rising’, ‘High Horses’

9. Royksopp: ‘Junior’ The Norwegian dance duo deliver yet again by fusing the best elements from both of their previous releases. By fusing house and electro they have produced something uplifting and fun. This album is heavy on vocals from guest stars and is therefore the most accessible than all their previous albums to date. One if highly anticipating the release of ‘Senior’ in 2010.

Essential Tracks: ‘Girl and the Robot’, ‘This Must Be It’, ‘Happy Up There’

10. Little Boots: ‘Hands’ and La Roux: ‘La Roux‘ La Roux represents everything that was good about the 1980s; androgynous features, outrageous hair, cold emotions and firmly brought their retro sound firmly into the 21st century. Little Boots does the same although her image couldn’t be farther from that of La Roux. This sexy, highly produced album; Hands, offers strong synths, catchy melodies and most importantly of all, talent! Combine both to get the best 1980’s infused pop album of the year.

Essential Tracks: ‘Stuck On Repeat’, ‘Symmetry’, ‘Meddle’, ‘Quicksand’, ‘In For The Kill’, ‘Bulletproof’

11. Leonard Cohen: ‘Live in London’ Leonard releases, quite literally, the best album of any 75-year-old. In fact, it’s one of the best live albums I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. This force of nature showed everyone how it is done.

12. The XX: ‘XX’ This was probably one of the biggest surprises of the year, and in a good way. Combining elements of electronic and R+B to create minimalist pop at its best and bring reverb guitars back to the forefront of music. Something we haven’t had the pleasure of since Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’. Sadly, this may be the only release from this now partially disbanded outfit.

13. Mumford and Sons: ‘Sigh No More’ They seem to effortlessly combine rock, folk, and bluegrass into something quite stunning. The changes of rhythm and pace and passionate lyrics make this release a breath of fresh air. They have also managed, along with Steve Martin of all people, to bring the banjo back into fashion, which is no easy feat!


14. Lily Allen: ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’. She proves, against my own belief, that she is not just a one album wonder. Not only that, she has surpassed her previous album to create something fantastic. Her announcement that she may never release another album is not just sad but also a great loss to the industry!

15. Lady Gaga: ‘The Fame Monster’ Love her or hate her, there is no denying that this girl has made it massive this year thanks to her outlandish stage performances, awfully catchy melodies and sheer determination. Dare I say it, she actually has musical ability! Not content on releasing one critically acclaimed album this year, she follows it up with another acclaimed EP. Madonna may have finally found someone to pass on the crown to.

16. Jarvis: ‘Further Complications’ Thank the Lord that Jarvis came out of retirement of the French countryside to do what he does best. He’s middle-aged now but he’s certainly not showing it. It’s a mix of Brit rock, elcetro-pop and soul. Welcome back Cocker!

17. Fanfarlo: ‘Reservoir’ The melancholy tone set can be a little off putting at first but what lies underneath is an array of beautifully layered instruments, great vocals and understated offerings. It gets better with each and every listen.

18. Yusuf Islam: ‘The Roadsinger’ After 28 years in the pop wilderness, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, made long overdue return to music. His previous effort had some great songs but was not quite up to par overall. This, however, is a different story. Fantastic from beginning to end.

19. God Help the Girl: ‘God Help the Girl’ A great offering and especially good vocals from Catherine Ireton. It’s very ‘Belle and Sebastian’ in tone and reads like a soundtrack to a movie. Strong 1960’s girl band influences as well as some classic pop.

20. Various Artists: ‘Dark was the Night’ This reads like a who’s who of contemporary indie rock. We are treated to interesting duets, great covers and original material which equates to an awesome album.

It's Christmas!!

Friday was Christmas Day, unfortunately it also meant work! However, the morning was not so bad as it was games organized by us for the entire two hours, better than teaching that's for sure. All the kids got a visit from Santa at the end of the morning which kept them mildly amused for a while. The, afternoon went quite fast too and then it was off to the German restaurant near our place for Christmas dinner. George had the meatloaf and i had the ribs, both were pretty good. Then it was home to relax for the evening.

On Saturday we went for Christmas dinner at Carnegie's, it was good to have a traditional Christmas dinner! Then we spent most of the day at home taking it easy. On Sunday we went for lunch at the diner and then hung out around 101 for the evening. A nice quiet, relaxing weekend as no doubt New Year's will be fairly hectic. And the best part, New Years falls on a Friday so it's a long weekend, great stuff!!

China and Taiwan agree deals on trade

Chiang Pin-kung (R) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Chen Yunlin (L)
Chen Yunlin (left) is on a four-day trip to Taiwan. China and Taiwan have signed the latest in a series of economic deals, amid some disquiet on the island at their ever-closer relationship. Chen Yunlin, China's top Taiwan envoy, agreed the deals with his Taiwanese counterpart on the second day of his four-day visit to the island.

His trip comes as Taiwan debates how close a relationship it wants with its former rival, China. President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan has led a rapprochement with China since he took over last year, and the two governments hope to sign a free-trade pact by early next year. The Taipei government says Taiwan will be marginalised by China in global trade if it does not sign the agreement. But critics fear a free-trade pact will flood Taiwan with cheap Chinese products, cause massive job losses and undermine the island's sovereignty by making it too economically dependent on China.

Chen Yunlin arrived in Taiwan on Monday, for four days of talks on the proposed Economic Co-operation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Mr Chen hailed improving cross-strait ties, but said he respected people's right to protest against his visit. Mr Ma's pro-China stance at one time had a lot of support from the Taiwanese people, but his mishandling of the response to a devastating typhoon in August and other accusations of mistaken policies have dented his popularity.

Analysts say more people are now beginning to doubt his argument that closer economic ties with China will aid Taiwanese prosperity. Taiwan's opposition Democratic Progressive Party - which supports formal independence from China - made huge gains in recent local elections.

George Finishes the Army!!

George finally finished the army this weekend! Well, he has actually been home since last Tuesday on leave and only had to go back on Saturday to collect the certificate. On Thursday evening we headed to Ximen to see Avator. It was visually spectacular but the story line was fairly weak, nothing new. On Friday we just relaxed at home. On Saturday afternoon we met up with Eddie, Noah and Rich for lunch in ShiDa. It was so cold this weekend, well into single figures! So lots of coffee and warm meals was the call for the day. After lunch we headed to City Hall to look around. I bought a new book: 'Living Biblically for a Year' and it seems like it's gonna be a great read!

Then George headed back to the army while i went home to write some Christmas cards, thought I'd make the effort this year! Then in the evening we went to Chilli's with Steve and Hamish where we experienced the biggest earthquake i have experienced in my life, it was reported 6.4 in Hualien but was not as strong in Taipei, but still scary stuff! Then we went for drinks at Roxy Roots and Watersheds with them and the guys we had lunch with to celebrate the end of army life for George. On Sunday we just went for lunch and spent most of it inside as it was too cold to go out.

Although I may be counting my chickens before they have hatched i believe my eye infection may be on its way out after 10 weeks!! Here is all the medication i have taken over the course of the past 2 and a half months. Let's hope it never comes back!

Powerful Earthquake Rocks Taiwan

A powerful earthquake rattled the nation last night, shaking buildings throughout the country and causing minor damage. The temblor struck at 9:02pm on the 19th December and measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said. The epicenter was 25.5km off the coast of southeast Hualien County at a depth of 45.9km, the CWB said.

The earthquake was felt nationwide with an intensity of seven in Hualien, Taitung and Yilan, five in Yunlin and Chiayi, and four in Taipei, Hsinchu and Taoyuan. High-speed rail services and Taipei’s MRT were temporarily stopped while TV news reports said four car accidents occurred in Taipei as a result of the tremor. Local cable TV reports said that a building had collapsed in Taipei County’s Tucheng (土城), although it couldn’t be confirmed as of press time.

BBC Poll of the Decade

Is it really possible to sum up a decade?

We asked readers to help us to create a portrait of the decade. Each day last week we focused on a different theme - words , people , news stories , objects and culture
An expert picked 20 of each

With the help of thousands of readers, maybe it is. Last week, we asked readers to send in their suggestions for the words, people, events, objects and cultural highlights which they thought defined the Noughties. Our panel of five independent experts considered all the suggestions and each has drawn up a list of 20.

The results below give a snapshot of who and what has shaped the last 10 years. Technology, celebrity culture and environmentalism are dominant themes.

Words:
9/11
24/7
Bling
Blog
Credit crunch
Chav
Facebooking
Fairtrade
Footprint
i-
lol
Meh
Obamamania
Pandemic
Slumdog
Sustainability
Truthiness
Tweet
WAG
War on terror

People:
David Beckham
L/Corp Johnson Beharry
Osama Bin Laden
Tony Blair
George W Bush
Shami Chakrabarti
Simon Cowell
Roger Federer
Norman Foster
Stephen Fry
Bill Gates
Jade Goody
Brian Haw
Rupert Murdoch
Barack Obama
Jamie Oliver
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
David Tennant
Jane Tomlinson
Jimmy Wales

News:
Danish cartoons controversy
Death of Dr David Kelly
Death of Michael Jackson
Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
England win the Ashes 2005
Final Harry Potter book
Fuel strikes 2000
Human Genome Project
Indian Ocean tsunami
Iraq War
John Darwin, missing canoeist
Launch of Big Brother
Launch of Wikipedia
London bombings 2005
MPs' expenses scandal
Northern Ireland power-sharing
Run on Northern Rock
September 11th 2001
Smoking ban
Usain Bolt at Beijing Olympics

Objects:
Bag for life
BlackBerry
Bling jewellery
Bluetooth earpiece
Credit card
Flat-screen TVs
Gherkin (London's Swiss Re building)
Hair straighteners
High-visibility vest
Hoody
iPod
Organic vegetable box
Oystercard
Playstation3
Sat-nav
Sky+ box
Toyota Prius
Ugg boots
Wheelie bin
Wind turbine

Culture:
Black Watch (play)
Box sets
Curb your Enthusiasm
Live opera beamed into cinemas
Liverpool as European Capital Of Culture
Lord of the Rings trilogy
From Dome to O2 Arena
Rise of music festivals
Return of Doctor Who
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra at the Proms
Spotify
St Pancras station reopening
Strictly Come Dancing
Sultan's Elephant
Television on-demand
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The Office
The Thick of It
The Wire
YouTube

What cultural higlights best define the decade?

Big Brother, X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Jerry Springer Opera, YouTube, MySpace, iTunes, Spotify, summer festivals, podcast, iPlayer, The Office, Little Britain, The Ricky Gervais Show, social networking, freesheet, celebrity confessions, memoirs of childhood trauma, CGI??

Which objects define the deacde?

Which objects best define the decade?

It bags, giant flat screen TV's, iPod and iPhone, recycling bin, credit cards, disposable coffee cups, Eden Project, The Gherkin, gossip magazines
rectangular glasses, skinny jeans, egg chair??

1) Kate Bush: 'Aerial'

Prior to the release of Aerial, the last time Kate Bush released a record was in 1993 when Britopop was sweeping the nation and acts such as Ace of Base, Boyz II Men Meatloaf were dominating the airwaves. A twelve year hiatus in the music industry is virtually suicide for one’s career. However, Kate Bush is no ordinary artist; in fact she is one of the best musicians to have ever come out of the United Kingdom, a true legend and genius. At 40, sense and precedence decree that she should no longer be relevant; however nothing could be further from the truth.

Since she appeared on the music scene, thanks to Dave Gilmour, as a young teenager waving her arms and screeching her way through an Emily Bronte novel, she captivated the world with her unique approach to music. Simply because she has decided to shun the celebrity lifestyle that’s part and parcel of being a famous musician, people have referred to her as an eccentric recluse. In fact, for the past decade Bush has done nothing more eccentric than raise a son and be a housewife.

When Aerial was released in 2005 this did not have the air of someone who had not released anything for more than a decade, there was still a buzz and excitement about the release months before the scheduled release date and the hype was well worth it. Aerial is an album made in isolation from anything else out there. Kate is still relevant because she has never tried to be relevant. All her albums could be released in any decade and not sound out of place, she is simply incomparable to anyone else out there.

Aerial is a madly ambitious double album and comes in two parts; A Sea of Honey and A Sky of Honey. The sprawling, yet focused, first part deals with chores, children, Joan of Arc and the beauty of numbers to name just a few. The second part is a day in the life of light from dawn through afternoon and dusk to the monochrome glaze of moonlight. Musically she delves into folk, renaissance, classical, reggae, flamenco and pop.


The first part, A Sea of Honey, is a suite of personal reveries. The opener was first conceived by Bush fifteen years earlier and is a prime example of her timeless quality. ‘King of the Mountain’ is one of Kate’s best efforts to date. It is a contemplation of unbridled celebrity and isolation with references to, and an impersonation of, Elvis and Citizen Kane. Bush's synthesizer, sequencer, and voice weigh in ethereally from the margins before a full-on rock band playing edgy and funky reggae enters on the second verse. The next song is ‘π’ which is something only Kate Bush would do, in fact; she is the only artist to get away with this. She sings Pi to the 137th decimal place. It’s a truly mad but beautiful song demonstrating the beauty of numbers and the strange fascination people have of devoting their lives to finding out small piece of information to things that have no end. Next is ‘Bertie’ with its Harpsichord and strings, it would easily fit nicely into the Royal courts of Henry VIII as it does in the 21st century. Here, Bush serenades the love of her son. Viols are bowed and arcane strings are struck as Bush delivers yet another mind blowing song. ‘Mrs. Bartolozzi’ which is an ode to household chores and a beautiful piano ballad. Only Kate Bush could transform household chores into erotic wonder. Then there is ‘How To Be Invisible’ featuring a spell for a chorus, precisely what you would expect from this artist. It is a funked up piece of rock-pop and absolutely awesome! Next is ‘Joanni’, a hymn to Joan of Arc. An interesting choice to say the least but as with Kate Bush the song takes on epic proportions here. Finally there is ‘A Coral Room’ which is one of the most moving pieces Kate Bush has ever written. Although it is just piano and voice the classical overtones and changes in tempo accentuate this moving piece about the death of her mother.

The second CD is devoted to a concept piece and is nothing short of stunning. She uses metaphors of the turning of the day and the flight of birds; she orchestrates a meditation on the cycles of life. ‘Prelude’ is a short atmospheric piece with sounds of birds singing and her son. This leads beautifully into ‘Prologue’ where the piano enters along with chanted viol accompanied by Bush crooning to romantic love, the joy of marriage and nature over some asserting drums. ‘An Architects Dream’ see’s Bush meet a street painter, it seems ordinary but the loops, fretless bass and drifiting keyboards give this relaxed piece an amazing feel. ‘The Painter’s Link’ is amazing for its inclusion of Rolf Harris alone! However, it is ‘Sunset’ where things really take off. The song combines a languid, jazzy arrangement with stunningly vivid imagery. The flamenco interlude is genius and dynamic. A short duet with birds follows with ‘Ariel Tal’ before we are treated to something equally as enthralling with ‘Somewhere in Between’ which is perfect in every way. Kate Bush also dabbles with drum and bass also on this number. It is Kate Bush at her very best. Bush starts to bring things to a close with ‘Nocturne’ where the rhythms assert themselves over electric guitars and layers of keyboards. Finally we end with ‘Aerial’ which see’s Bush dabble with dance music as she celebrates the coming of dawn. She sounds almost deranged shouting out the lines to the beats but it’s a stunning end as Kate’s voice slowly fade and becomes one with the birds.

This album is a clear example of perfection from one of the greatest artists of all time. Kate is by no means the most prolific artist around. However, if they are this good I am willing to wait another decade for the next, although I hope it’s not that long a wait! Here at number one, my album of the decade is Kate Bush: ‘Aerial’

What key events best describe the decade?

What events best describe this decade?

Attacks on the World Trade Centre, collapse of Lehman Brothers, Indian Ocean Tsunami, Cyclone Nargis, Bam earthquake, assassination of Benazir Bhutto, independence of East Timor, retirement of Fidel Castro, Cyprus joining the EU, 7 wins of Lance Armstrong in the Tour De France, end of Concorde, Led Zeppelin reunion, Harry Potter books, death of Michael Jackson, global warming, elections of Bush and Obama, Large Hadron Collider, Copenhagen Climate Summit, 2008 Olympics, launch of Wikipedia, other global communication launches such as facebook, twitter, YouTube and blogs??

Which people define this decade?

Which people define this decade?

McCann's, George Bush, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair, Rupert Murdoch, Steve Jobs, Shawn Fanning, Simon Cowell, Jade Goody, Barack Obama, David Beckham, J K Rowling, Dave Peltzer, Jamie Oliver, Sir Fred Goodwin??

Words which sum up this decade.

Which words best sum up the decade?

Noughties, 9/11, axis of evil, moral crusade, sexing up dossiers, great recession, toxic debt, quantitative easing, bling, nonebrity, Twitter, Tweet, Twitts,poking, Facebook, chav, chavi, tsunami, green, carbon footprint, eco-towns, swine flu, globesity, iPod generation, Asbo, WMD, Blarism, Jade effect????

Taiwan, Lowest Birth Rate In The World!

Source: Time Magazine

At a community center in Taipei, a church bulletin board displays family pictures with children showing off drawings of pink lotus flowers, lush trees, ponds and imaginary bears from a drawing contest at the Botanical Gardens. Catherine Wu, a newcomer to the church, noticed something unusual on the board that any outsider might overlook: each family had two or more children. "Are people encouraged to have children around here?" she asked.

In many societies, photos of four-member families wouldn't be much to stop and take notice of. But as of this year, Taiwan has the lowest birthrate in the world, with just one baby born per woman. According to the Population Reference Bureau's 2009 annual report, Taiwan has now surpassed both Macau and Hong Kong, which have held the lowest spots on the world chart for the past five years.

"This is a tragic society," Taiwan's Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang proclaimed in a Nov. 28 speech at the National Science and Technology Museum. He warned that if the island continues on this track, the population would experience a future labor shortage and that the next generation of children would have significant difficulty covering the health costs of their aging parents. That intense financial pressure, he said, could raise the future suicide rate. The Education Minister, in a separate statement, predicted that one-third of Taiwan's colleges will close in just 12 years if the trend continues.

In a society where the cost of living is high, the notion that kids are an unwelcome burden — taboo in many cultures — has become an accepted idea. Take the title of a recent panel discussion put on by Taiwan's Human Social Sciences Foundation: 'Having Children! Does It Hurt That Much?' "The hurt," explains the foundation's president, professor Liu Pei-yi, "refers to financial loss." In a research poll administered by Kun Shan University in 2007, students interviewed 100 residents of Taiwan between the ages of 20 and 40 about their family plans. One-third didn't plan to have any children for fear of losing two precious things: money and freedom.

Balancing work and family life has proven to be a challenge for both men and women in Taiwan. According to the Swiss-based International Institute of Management Development, Taiwanese work some of the longest hours in the world, averaging nearly 44 hours a week, and Taiwan's women are very career-oriented. "Most women are afraid of losing their jobs" by taking time out to have a child, says Liu. He says Taiwan should follow the lead of European countries like Germany, where women are entitled to up to three years of maternity leave by law. Taiwan has been making progress in this area; in 2002, the government passed a law requiring companies to allow their employees two-year parental leaves without pay. This year, a policy came out that enables parents to take six months of parental leave while receiving 60% of their salary. But many say these changes only look good on paper, as most bosses discourage people from taking the time off.

Underneath these logistical issues, however, may be a fundamental shift in values. Two-thirds of working women in Taiwan are university-educated, and fewer of them are jumping into tying the knot early. "I'm not pursuing marriage," says Hsu Yu-hua, a 30-something accountant in Taipei. "Not with today's divorce rate [38% in Taiwan]. I'm financially independent, and it's more convenient to be single." Only a third of Taiwan's women are married by age 30, in contrast to 20 years ago, when the average age for marriage for women was 26. Many more men have also been marrying women from other Asian countries like China and Vietnam, both countries where women are statistically inclined to have more children. China, even with the government's one-child policy, still has a birthrate of 1.6, compared with Taiwan's 1.0 (Vietnam's is 2.1). Today, 1 in 8 babies in Taiwan is born to a non-Taiwanese mother.

The chief of Taiwan's Child Welfare Bureau, Chen Kung-huang, says lowering housing prices for families with children and other related goals — like helping singles date and mate — are all items on the government's to-do list to try to boost the number of babies being born in Taiwan's delivery rooms. But underlying factors behind the low birthrate may be beyond the grasp of government policy. When asked if she wanted to have children, happily married broadcast journalist Huang Shih-han replied, "I like reading and, well, you can't read if there are children wailing." Why does she think Taiwan's birthrate is so low? "I think our generation is more selfish," she says. "When you have children, you have to sacrifice a lot, and I don't want to do that."

The Aliens have landed!

On Friday evening I was feeling exhausted. George was having his farewell dinner with friends so I headed home, via Toasteria, to chill out until George arrived home with some wine. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing in front of the TV.

On Saturday we went to see two great movies. The first was 500 Days of Summer. It was actually a really great movie placing a new spin on the traditional love story movies. It was far more real to life and poignant, in places, than most of the dire boy meets girl efforts. Next we saw District9 which I have to say is probably one of the best Alien based movies I have ever seen and for the same reasons as the previous movie, because it was different. Based in South Africa, the first part focuses upon the logistical nightmare of relocating over a million aliens from urban to rural life with a documentary approach. The second half takes on a more typical form with the lead character slowly transforming into an alien and transform the movie into a race against time. It was gripping from beginning to end and highly entertaining.

On Sunday we headed to Carnegies for lunch and then met up with George’s dad in the evening for dinner. On the way home we stopped off at Coldstone’s for dessert. George had the new Bailey’s flavored concoction whilst I opted for the more traditional chocolate one.

2) Radiohead: 'Hail To The Thief'

I fear I am cheating a little here, when I began this list I only intended to include one album from one artist only. However, Radiohead have to break the mould as they simply are the best band of the past twenty years. I was torn between two albums. Kid A is quite simply a stunning album which was way ahead of its time. It really should be on this list, however, not to include three albums from the same band I forced myself to make a decision. The album which holds more sway and memory for me is the shockingly underrated Hail to the Thief. For any other band this would be their crowning glory; for Radiohead, however, who have set the bar so high for themselves with past releases, this was widely seen as an average album by their standards. It is far from it!

Radiohead's Hail to the Thief bridges the gulf between their early epic progressive rock and their latter skittering electronic theatrics, borrowing equally from each. This is not an album full of optimism, it is a product of the time it was written in 2002. The songs are filled with anger and dissent and clearly reflect the feelings people were feeling at the time, the war on terror, the pending war in Iraq, and heaven forbid, the prospect of a full 8 years of George Bush! Radiohead opt for eloquent metaphors and complicated arrangements to express their fear, uncertainty in the post 9-11 world.

We start with the fantastic prog-rock opener 2+2=5 lifted fittingly straight from Orwell’s 1984. Society have idly sat back and let governments take over and ruin the world. The song starts off with a simple guitar backing Yorke’s vocals which lead into the dreamy mid section before transforming into a manic screaming frenzy repeating the same line over and over in a fit of rage. Next is ‘Sit Down, Stand Up’ starts off in a lesson of vocal harmonies over a drum machine glocks and piano and slowly builds into a heavy drum and bass piece, which is odd even for Radiohead’s standards but works! ‘Sail to the Moon’ is one of the most beautiful ballads Yorke has ever written, appealing to the younger generations to not make the same mistakes the present generation are making. The vocals are perfect, the arrangement intersperses piano and guitar to amazing special effect. Next is ‘Backdrifts’ with its pulsating drum machines and synths driving this number along. ‘Go To Sleep’ is a more accessible number of upbeat acoustic guitar, a great single. Then we have the stunning ‘Where I End and You Again’ which combine sci-fi effects with a traditional rock track. Then there appears to be an attack upon the music industry and the reality TV singers beginning to be turned out by Simon Cowell et al. with ‘We Suck Young Blood’. Following this is the experimental ‘The Gloaming’ which combines odd effects with time signatures, not exactly easy on the ears but stunning musically. ‘There There’ is a laid back drum led piece and is quite phenomenal. ‘I Will’ is a short piece which leads into my favorite track on the album ‘A Punch Up At A Wedding’. This jazz laden track is Radiohead at their best. ‘Myxomatosis’ is the one song on the album I really never connected with, a rather odd inclusion I feel. However, this side step is recovered with the fantastic ‘Scatterbrain’. Finally we have ‘A Wolf At The Door’ with fantastic arpeggiated chord and drums accompanied by Yorke’s confusing lyrical rant. A fantastic end to a much underrated album. Here at number 2 is Radiohead with ‘Hail To The Thief’.

3) Amy Winehouse: 'Back To Black'

Amy Winehouse’s debut in 2003, Frank, was both commercially successful and critically acclaimed laying down tracks infused with jazz and ska. However, nothing could have prepared us for the astonishing follow-up in 2006 with ‘Back to Black’. On this album she changed direction and what resulted is a retro masterpiece.
Unfortunately, as much has been said of Amy Winehouse’s music as to her rather colorful private life. The boozing, the brawling, the drug abuse, her rather unstable relationship and overall self-destructive nature. Yet there is no denying this girl is a raw talent and puts most other artists to shame when it actually comes down to what really matters, musical abilities.

The first stroke of genius is the production which is second to none. For this Winehouse enlisted the aid of the great Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, who have managed to fuse elements of hip-hop, soul, gospel, and R&B into something quite amazing. The overwhelming influence is that of1960s Motown, in particular the Phil Spector Girl groups of that period, and what results is some exuberant neo-Motown swing. However, despite the retro sound, the album is certainly rooted in the present and the soul stylings suite Amy’s voice perfectly to create a 21st century soul classic album.

In saying this, no matter how good the production is, it is the singer which is the star of this album. She is quite simply awesome. When this 22 year old opens her mouth she is somehow transformed into a middle-aged 1950s jazz club singer, reminiscent of some of the great black female artists of that time. Yet what is different is the content which she is talking about. The constant obscenities, infidelity, drug use, love life and relationships are all contained in this classic collection of songs. In a nutshell, she is talking about life in contemporary London.

Opener, ‘Rehab’, is already a classic song, and is a massive single to lead with. It’s sassy, brassy and reads as a gospel-tinged stomp creating something which is pure class. ‘You Know I’m No Good’ is yet another formidable song with the big drums and bar room tale of infidelity. ‘Me and Mr. Jones’ clearly demonstrates its nod to the past with its stardust doo-wop sound but the lyrics are anything but old. This track is a clear example of why this album is so much more than just a tribute to the sounds of past. ‘Just Friends’ sees Amy back into territory she visited on her debut album, that of ska, and it fits perfectly onto this album. The title track ‘Back to Black’ highlights the Phil Spector girl group sound more than any other track with its melodrama-dripping wall of sound. The echoed drums, the rhythmic piano, the chimes, the saxophone and close harmonies makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. We are then treated to an amazing series of soul songs with ‘Love is a Losing Game’, a bitter, broken-hearted anthem, as poetic as it is exquisite, ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’, which is beautiful, evocative and oozing with passion and then with ‘Wake up Alone’ and ‘Some Unholy War’. Then we are treated to the more upbeat ‘He can Only Hold Her’. We are left, finally, with ‘Addicted’ which could be a Supremes anthem until the lyrics bring you crashing back down to earth. This can be no one other than Amy Winehouse.

Quite simply this album represents perfection on many levels. Perfect production, perfect lyrics, perfect styling, perfect voice and overall, a perfect album. Here at number three is Amy Winehouse with ‘Back to Black’ .

The Weekend on a Shoestring.

It's the end of the month and after buying an iPhone, paying out nearly 5000 for scooter repairs and the continuing saga of my eye infection, I have had to pay a lot this month. So it was a quiet weekend for us. We got some food Friday night and relaxed at home. The theme was continued throughout the entire weekend. It was mainly eating and watching movies. We watched some great movies; The White Ribbon, Still Standing, Thirst and Fish Tank. The big change of the weekend was that George got to stay home on Sunday night, for almost the first time this year. The end of the army is coming into sight fantastic!

4) Antony and the Johnsons: 'I Am A Bird'

There aren’t many albums that can make me people overcome with emotion; Antony and the Johnson’s second release ‘I am a Bird’ is one that will affect you one way or another, there is no sitting on the fence with this album.

Antony is unique in more ways than one. His big, bulky frame suggest anything but the octave-straddling voice that comes from him. It is a majestic soaring vibrato reminiscent of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday or even Jeff Buckley. His warbling tenor can range from falsetto highs to rumbling soulful lows. He has the uncanny ability to take a standard blues progression and give it authority, making you empathize with every single syllable that he sings.


The music itself, is a mixture of chamber pop and bluesy parlor room music. Much has been said of the ‘gender-bending’ topics contained on this album but the themes dealt with are universal, ranging from gender issues, abuse, loneliness, death, a sense of belonging, companionship, love, and loss. His lyrics range from the profoundly personal to the somewhat ambiguous. You feel extreme sympathy for him with these lyrics but at the same time great appreciation for the music as well.

Antony’s band, the Johnsons, are a talented group of musicians who do excellent work backing up their amazing leading man. However we are also treated to a stellar line up of special guests such as Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Boy George and Devendra Banhart. When one combines all of these aspects together , the result is nothing short of exhilarating albeit disquieting at times.
The album takes us on a journey. Antony’s voice is like a caged bird held prisoner and its hard to be effected by the feeling of his trappings within his own body. However this album is about one of transformation and metamorphosis. That bird is set free by the end of the album and serves as a metaphor for Antony himself.

The opening track ‘Hope There’s Someone’ is nothing short of mesmerizing. The trembling voice is haunting and heartbroken accompanied by a simple piano line. The layered vocals are ghastly and beautiful in equal measures before the song ends with a chaotic crashing of spiraling piano crescendos and operatic chorus harmonies. Next is ‘My Lady’s Story’ which is a soft, smooth flavored waltz with added viola. This leads nicely into ‘For Today I Am A Boy’ yet another ambiguous song in nature but quite simply amazing. The emotion one man can impose purely from singing accompanied to a piano is truly awesome. ‘Man Is The Baby’ continues the cabaret offering before we are hurled into the astonishing duet between Antony and Boy George, ‘You Are My Sister’. Both put in amazing performances and is even more profound when one realizes that the man singing with Antony was the inspiration to live the way he does and to do what he does so well, sing. ‘What Can I Do?’ is one of my favorite tracks of all time, Rufus is a stunning choice of lead vocals, a languid meditation of death which sounds like it’s being sung from a smoke filled room. It’s all to brief, but stunning! ‘A Fistful of love’ is the gospel-tinged number featuring Lou Reed. We are treated to a horn section as well in this ode to domestic abuse. ‘Spiraling’ features Devendra Banhart with her disturbing incantations at the start of this staggering effort. Finally Antony is set free with ‘Free At Last’ and ‘Bird Girl’ marking the end of this stunning album, the songbird finally gets to fly, free at last.

I can understand this album not being to everyone’s taste however, for anyone who truly appreciates music this is quite literally one fo the most amazing albums made of any given time period, it’s different, it’s timeless and it will be regarded as a classic for many years to come. Here at number four is Antony and the Johnsons, ‘I Am A Bird Now’

conjunctivitis returns yet again!!

My conjunctivitis is back for yet another terrorizing of my eyes!! After slowly introducing my eyes to contacts again, i thought, after 3 days of no problems, that they were fine but unfortunately not. Last night when i took out my lenses they were as bad as ever and i am back to square one again. One more week of glasses and antibiotics! Unbelievable. On top of that my side is really hurting from last weeks accident although its beginning to feel a bit better today. This week is all about just getting through!

Victim

Prominent lawyer, Melville Farr, goes after a blackmailer who threatens the exposure of gay men (homosexuality being illegal at this time). The thing is the lawyer, supposedly happily married, is gay himself. Farr has to deal with the collapse of his marriage and career to bring about justice. Although the film looks pretty dated, it was amazing, given the prevalent views at the time, that this movie was even made in the first place. It gives a great feel of what it was like to be gay at this time and how far, in some ways, we have come since then. A classic movie. 5/5 stars

L'épine dans le coeur

The Thorn In The Heart is a great documentary which follows the the directors aunt, Suzette, and her career as a teacher and her relationship with her son. It was a very interesting movie. The woman did not live an exceptional life, it was just an ordinary story, it could well have been about any old lady's recollection of life. However, because it is just an ordinary family, the themes touched upon are common to all and one can really empathize with the people in the documentary. A fabulous effort and exquisitely made. 4.5/5 stars

Life During Wartime

I loved this film. Despite the very serious topics it delves into it retained a lighter side with its dark humour throughout. It is the ultimate dysfunctional family story; the struggle for love, forgiveness, the hope for a 'normal' life to name a few. The acting is exceptional, in particular the mom, and although the story is slow at times, i think it fitted the overall feel of the movie very well. A great movie, 4.5/5 stars

35 Shots of Rum

Set in modern day Paris, the story revolves mainly around a single father and daughters close relationship and how that is complicated by the arrival of a new love. The movie is wonderfully paced and the story is very well told. People have raved about this movie, I wouldn't necessarily consider it a must see although it was full of emotion throughout and is certainly worth seeing.

Last Week of the Golden Horse

On Friday we headed to Ximen to watch 35 Shots of Rum. Then it was home to prepare for the movie marathon on Saturday. We got up fairly early and headed to Ximen to watch two movies back to back; 'Life During Wartime' and 'The Thorn in my Heart' both of which were pretty good. Then we headed back to XinYi for the last movie of the film festival, Victim. After that we headed home and chilled at home with some beers. On Sunday we had a lie in before getting up in the afternoon for lunch at the diner. Then i went to get my scooter fixed. Basically the whole damn thing had to be replaced at the cost of $4800!! However, it works perfectly again now, glad to have it back in good working order.

Mixed Week So Far

This week has proved both good and bad so far. Firstly it would appear my eye infection has finally gone and I'm able to wear my contacts again. My eyes still get a little sore and red but they no longer hurt.

Unfortunately that's the only good thing that happened this week. The weather has gotten really cold, even enough to think about getting out the heater! Hope it warms up a little bit as its only about 15oC at the moment.

Another bad story, I had a fall on my scooter today. Some idiot pulled out of nowhere on Civic Boulevard. Luckily, as it was raining, i was driving slowly and when i came off my scooter i just took a light fall on my left side. Although the asshole drove off i was able to sort myself out quickly and sustained no injury to myself or the scooter, so I was lucky!

So a mixed week so far, hope the remainder of the week is better than the first!

5) Radiohead 'In Rainbows'

Finally we come to my favorite band of all time. Initially when I thought of compiling this list my intentions were to include just one album for each band only. However, when it comes to Radiohead I find it next to impossible to comply with this rule. I really want to include Kid A as one of my all time favorite albums but if I were torn between making a choice I believe the release of their seventh studio album, In Rainbows, should be more highly regarded.

Amid speculation that the band were directionless, frustrated and on the verge of splitting up, they released this gem from nowhere and it was the release itself which got people talking before even a note of music was heard. Not only did they release In Rainbows as a download only, they also introduced the pay-any-price-you-will policy. It showed a realization of the inevitability of today’s means of acquiring music and appealing to people’s consciences to actually pay for music. If nothing else, it was a triumph of marketing.

Surely after five critically acclaimed albums they couldn’t repeat the same feat again and make it six? Yet again, they proved they are master musicians and did make it six. This album certainly doesn’t sound like a band contemplating their direction. Radiohead sound complete and confident, a band at the peak of their powers no less. Incoorporating both avant-garde electronics and more straightforward guitar rock with the usual political undertones throughout it feels the band have liberated themselves from their self-imposed pressure to innovate. Given the fact Thom Yorke was given the opportunity to vent his more experimental tendancies on his solo album, it showcases just how good the band are when they are actually doing what they do best, play music. A special mention to Phil Selway whose drumming which is firmly back.

However, it also shows an exploration into an area which is never touched upon by Radiohead, that of emotions, romance, and love. It’s a gentle and even subtle affair using the full musical and emotional spectra to conjure breathtaking beauty.
The multifaceted opener, ‘15 steps’, is a great introduction and harks back to a more experimental sound we have become familiar with from the band; clattering beats, dub-style bass but also with a relaxed guitar based sound kicking in through. More importantly, it uses the much underused 5/8 time signature to create, overall, a rather interesting piece. ‘Bodysnatchers’ is a great rock number with aggressive outbursts from Yorke as a propulsive distorted bass riff. If there were any doubts Radiohead couldn’t rock anymore, this lays them firmly to rest. Next up is the long overdue ‘Nude’ which has been lingering around in their live shows for almost a decade and has finally been committed to an album. It’s simplicity is the key here, simple drums, undistorted guitars, a modest bassline reminiscent of an organ, and the well known Yorke warbling throughout. ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’ brandishes drums behind its drain-circling arpeggios and we are treated to some amazing Yorke metaphors which make the band so lyrically satisfying. Next is "All I Need", which dresses up what begins as a skeletal rhythm section in cavernous swaths of glockenspiel, synths, pianos, and white noise. ‘Faust Arp’ is a simple yet effective piece using just finger-picked guitar and strings throughout. Next up is the stunning ‘Reckoner’ with Yorke’s falsetto playing off brilliantly with clanging percussion and meandering guitar lines and ranks up there with some of the best work the band have created. ‘House of Cards’ pounds along with a rather unsettling pulse, chipped guitar chords and waves of reverbed feedback. ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ rides a propulsive bass and drum part coupled with moaning from Yorke before we are lead into a great song but admittedly feels rather pedestrian at times. Finally, we are treated to the almost funeral march quality of ‘Videotape’ but it is more dreamy than dreary. Overall, a great album by a great band, here at number 5 is Radiohead with ‘In Rainbows’.

iPhone

I decided to buy a new phone last weekend and I thought why not splash out a bit and get an iphone! So here it is, the latest addition to my aresenal of gadgets. I'm having great fun playing around with this.

Darbareye Elly

Three Iranian families travel to the North of the country in order to introduce a teacher of one of the families’ children to a recently divorced member of the family. Everything looks to be going well until Elly suddenly disappears. Is she alive, is she dead? As the story unfolds details about the characters unravel as the truth lays itself bear for everyone to see. The movie is powerful and gripping throughout and the slow unraveling of the plot is fantastic. If this is a snippet of what Iranian movies are all about I will certainly be coming back for more. 5/5 stars

Monty Python's Holy Grail

The Monty Python classic is still as good now as it was when it was first released in the 1970s, an all time classic and a master class in what a good comedy should be. King Arthur sets out to find worthy knights to join him in the quest for the Holy Grail. This movie has everything; the history satires, coconuts instead of horses, killer rabbits, song and dance interludes, the dreaded knights who say ‘ni’, memorable characters and lines, as well as great versatile acting. I cannot fault it, amazing from beginning to end. 5/5 stars

Patrik 1.5

A Swedish gay couple, Goran and Sven, have been cleared to adopt a child. They can hardly contain their excitement at the news that they will adopt Patrik, a one and a half year old boy. However, due to a clerical error what they get is a homophobic teenager with a criminal record who throws their lives into chaos. The movie was actually very entertaining and retains a light hearted feel throughout despite many of the serious topics it tackles. My only criticism is that it tries to cover too many issues without ever exploring or developing the situation further. Also some of the parts are almost cringe worthy. When the husband drives away leaving the other heartbroken only to return two minutes later to declare his undying love for him is a clear example. However, taken for what it is, it was well acted, intelligent and entertaining, all-round a good movie. 4/5 stars

Film Festival Week 2

This weekend saw the continuation of the Film Festival. On Friday i grabbed a quick bite to eat at Burger King as George had already eaten after he left the base to join his colleagues for a birthday dinner. Then we saw Patrik 1,5. On Saturday we spent most of it relaxing at home as the weather was pretty bad. In the evening we headed to Ximen to watch The Holy Grail which was as fantastic as ever. On Sunday we headed back to Ximen to watch About Elly which was surprisingly good. Then I decided to get a new phone as my old one is on its way out. So I decided on the iPhone. I've been having lots of fun trying out all the applications!

6) Daft Punk: 'Discovery'

Consisting of two French musicians; Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, Daft Punk are musical geniuses of their genre, that of electronic music. They gained prominence in the late 90s French house scene and have released albums that are widely considered essential to the genre. Their debut release ‘Homework’ was stunning and introduced the world to their amazing talent via the single ‘Around the World’. They are not only famous for their music but also for their visual style and live performances. They never make appearances which reveal their faces, preferring to disguise themselves under layers of robot suits and masks. This air of illusion only serves to add to the overall affect.

Discovery was released in 2001 and is easily on of the greatest albums ever made. It is unbelievably beautiful from start to end and contains few flaws, if any. IT’s an album that can be listened to again and again and never get bored with. It is a towering tour de force covering many bases; catchy pop, driving trance, electro house and somber electronic.

The album begins with the irresistibly catchy ‘One More Time’. It’s addictive, its infectious and grows on you in such a way that every time you hear it you simply have to dance. ‘Aerodynamic’ is a great electro-metal piece with really amazing guitar effects which transform the instrument into a keyboard and ends in a crazy blend of stomping bass and hyped up harmonics. Next is ‘Digital Love’ which evokes images of 80’s synth pop, it’s a great fun song despite its monosyllabic lyrics throughout. ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ is a gem of a song and a resounding standout. I can’t believe I am actually saying this given that Cher completely destroyed any credibility the Vocoder had, but Daft Punk’s use of the Vocoder is simply stunning; they are masters of their work! ‘Crescendolls’ is one of my favorite songs, I understand the repeated sampling of the same line again and again may be irritating for many, but Daft Punk are the only band that can do this and not bore me. Their gigantic beats and pinpoint precision always keep it interesting and is a highly sophisticated song despite its apparent simplicity ‘NightVision’ brings the tempo down to some somber mood, short but exceptionally put together under laid with the pounding heartbeat throughout the piece. ‘Superheroes’ is another upbeat genius g-beat songs. Again, minimal sampling but done in a way that is truly amazing. ‘High Life’ harks back to the disco era and is one of the most danceable songs I have heard in a long time. This leads us nicely into the next more down tempo song ‘Something about Us’ with its mellow groves and soothing vocals. ‘Voyager’ is an interesting piece and some great bass work to match. ‘Verdis Quo’ starts of slow but builds upon layer on layer to create something truly awe inspiring. It reminds me somewhat of Jean Michelle Jarre but is great nonetheless. ‘Short Circuit’ is the only let down on this album, the ‘what were you thinking’? moment if you will. It’s best to skip this track and pretend it was never on the track listing. ‘Face to Face’ is one of the best songs on the album, I cannot even begin to praise this song enough, my only criticism is that it’s only 3 minutes long when it should be some 8 minute epic. Finally we finish with ‘Too Long’ which at first appears a joke when the track clocks in at 10 minute precisely. It’s different to the other tracks on here but it, again, is terrifically made and really adds to make this album as great as it is.

This album is an essential for any music lover, you cannot even begin to start a record collection and omit this classic. One of my favorite albums of all time, here at number 6 is Daft Punk with ‘Discovery’

20 years since the Berlin Wall fell

Celebrations to mark the fall of Berlin Wall on November 9th 1989 have been held this week. As a climax to the celebrations a symbolic wall, built with dominoes from contributors all over the world, was toppled.

The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes is a restored classic from 1948. Centering on the authoritarian ballet company director, Boris Lermontov, we see the addition of two great talents to the company; composer, Julian Craster, and Victoria Page, a promising new dancer who has major potential. The success of their ballet, The Red Shoes, leads to more ballets and ever growing success until Lermontov finds out about the love interest between Craster and Page. Feeling Jealous, Lermontov dismisses Craster and the problems begin. After convincing her to dance one more time, tragic consequences are the result of this fantastic piece. 4/5 stars.

Moon

Moon is the first movie by David Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones. Set in the near future, we follow the life of astronaut Sam Bell who has spent the past three years isolated, except for GERTY to talking computer, on the far side of the moon producing Helium-3 to return to Earth which apparently has become the main source of energy. However, just as it is time to leave the station and return to his beloved wife and daughter, his health drastically deteriorates and he finds himself crashing his lunar module. Things take an interesting turn when he is saved by a younger version of himself who is there to serve another three years after he has gone. As the harsh reality, that they are just clones, sinks in they set about trying to rectify the situation and find a way to get back to Earth. 5/5 stars, a must see of 2009.

Enter the Void

Based around a group of expats in Tokyo, the story follows Oscar and his sister Linda. One night Oscar, who is a small time drug dealer, gets caught up with the police and killed as a result. However, he is determined to keep his promise to his sister that he would never leave her. Therefore the film focuses upon the world through the spirit of Oscar and is told in a rather distorted and psychedelic fashion. We get to see how each character is affected by the death of Oscar all based around the underlining theme of life after death. A truly original piece and well worth seeing albeit at nearly three hours long it is a little long. It’s certainly not for everyone but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 4/5 stars.

Police, Adjective

Set in present day Romania this movie focuses around Cristi, a police detective, investigating youths suspected of smoking cannabis and the moral dilemma he faces over his conscience to convict them of something that appears very trivial to him. The premise sounds fine but the movie was tragic. It was just a self-indulgent bore fest. I could see what the director was trying to do as well as depict the dreariness of everyday Romanian life but I just couldn’t concentrate on this. Endless walking scenes, shots of houses where nothing happens for ten minutes, it was beyond frustrating. I found myself focusing more upon the small hole in the upholstery on the seat in front and trying to find a way to fix it rather than the movie itself. Shocking! 1/5 stars purely for two entertaining scenes involving a rather annoying song and what seemed a 30 minute sketch looking up words in a dictionary.

The Golden Horse Film Festival Begins.

The Golden Horse Film Festival started last Thursday, 5th November, so we are fully booked for movies for the remainder of November. We wasted no time getting started so, on Friday I drove straight to Ximen to meet George from work and we also met up with Maria as we were watching a Romanian movie, Police Adjective. We had some Japanese food and then relaxed in Starbucks for a while before heading to the movie. After the movie George realized he had lost his bad, fortunately it only contained dirty laundry from the army so it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. On Saturday we were up early to watch a morning movie at Vieshow, Enter the Void and then off to Ximen to try and locate the missing bag but to no avail. So we met up with George’s dad for Thai food and then headed home to rest for a while. Then we headed to Gordon Biersch for dinner with some of George’s old classmates. We then headed to Viewshow to see Moon. After that we went for Coldstone and then home to relax. Sunday saw yet another early start to see the movie The Red Shoes. Unfortunately my eye infection came back with a vengeance so I was suffering considerably. Therefore George went to Ximen to see the afternoon movie while I rested at home. I can’t believe my eyes are bad again; it’s been more than a month already! On Monday I went back to the hospital to get more eye drops. So I’ve started yet another weekly course of medication. This time it better work!

7) The Darkness: Permission to Land

Visit Lowestoft and you will see a plethora of sixty year old folks lying on the beach, or slowly shuffling along, where the hardest decision of the day appears to be which flavor ice cream to devour. Therefore a hard rock band hailing from these parts of the world are altogether very surprising. However, that is exactly what happened in 2003 with the formation of The Darkness and their debut album ‘Permission to Land’.

For a debut album the track listing reads like a greatest hits package, every single track is a highlight, there are no fillers on this album. However, there is no electronic experimentalism, garage rock, or pretentious acoustic efforts. All we have is screeching guitars, thumping bass, crashing drums; amps turned up to 11, over-the-top falsetto and a pyrotechnic display visible from space.

Therefore such high camp is quite unforgiving and therefore a lot of rock snobs will be truly offended by this venture. They are, however, missing the point entirely. The sub genre of flamboyant rock, or pomp rock, is so easy to spoof that it is almost a spoof genre in itself, Spinal Tap anyone? However, these guys are doing it with a straight face with plenty of passion and seriousness. It’s about turning this up loud and having fun, not to critically analyze. Just because it doesn’t have any profound meaning it doesn’t make it less of an album. The Darkness, unlike most other rock bands of the late 20th and early 21st century, are not depressed and ooze charisma in the same vain as AC/DC, Queen, Kiss and Thin Lizzy.

Lead singer Justin Hawkins, has vocals that could shatter steel and burst through your speakers with the force of an elephant stampede and use of falsetto that would make even the Bee Gees blush with stage swaggering bravado fully kitted out in spandex from head to toe. His brother, Dan, brings the guitar solo back into fashion and Frankie’s bass and Ed’s drumming complete this rock and roll fest with one killer moustache and leather to match.

The album starts off as it means to carry on; hard rocking and with intent, ‘Black Shuck’, a reference to their home county of Suffolk, rocks and there is nothing more to say. Turn it up and get the air guitars ready! Next is the genius ‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman’ and with lyrics like “octoped you have six arms too many, and you can’t keep them to yourselves” I have never gotten tired of listening to this now classic rock song. ‘Growing on Me’ is a grower, no pun intended, and is now one of my favorite songs from the album, not so much falsetto and a great song overall. ‘Love is Only a Feeling’ is a get-your-lighters-out moment, a monster of a ballad with stunning guitar solos. ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ will literally blow you away, probably their best song with a riff that is as memorable as any of the great rocks classics. ‘Givin Up’ is yet another great sing along effort from the band before leading into yet another genius song ‘Stuck in a Rut’. If you don’t get out your air guitar for this hard rocker then nothing will, awesome! ‘Friday Night’ is a great bit of fun before we are led into the fabulous ‘Love on the Rock with No Ice’ again, one of my favorites from the album. We finish with ‘Holding on my Own’ which is a great way to end of the best rock albums ever made.

Sadly, the band were short lived, shortly after their, less impressive follow up, they disbanded and remain only in our memories. Yet it has inspired others, namely Steel Panther who have carried the torch on into the late 200o’s. Here at number 7 is The Darkness with ‘Permission to Land’

Crazy Weekend!

This weekend turned out to be a really busy yet fun weekend! On Friday, although I finished class early (6:40) I was absolutely exhausted so I picked George up from the base and we headed to a Vietnames place for dinner. Then we just chilled at home for the rest of the evening.

I slept for about 12 hoursm then we got up about 12:00 and and lunch before heading to Ximen to catch the Gay Pride parade. We got there in good time to meet Eddie, Noah and Richard and catch some of the parade too. Then we went for coffee and parted ways. George and i went to check out the concert being held by the Presidential Palace but it was kind of slow, not really the kind of atmosphere it should have been. So around 6:00 we headed to Jack's new place, The White House where we met up with Maria and the others to have some great Oysters and wine. After that we headed to The Underworld in ShiDa to see David play with his band. It was actually pretty good. The drummer stood out and basically carried the band but David was a decent bass player and they took us on a tour de force of many rock bands of the past 20 years. Then we headed to DaLiDa for some drinks and finally to The Village Bar near Shand Dao temple before heading for something to eat at Swenson's at around 5:00. It was a busy yet fun day!

Sunday we got up late and headed to the International Travel Festival. Although there were some good deals we got there quite late and it was really hectic. Not the best thing to do with a hangover. It gave us some ideas about what to do for our holidays though which was good.

Halloween

Friday turned out to be a tiring yet fun day in a way, especially for the kids. In the morning it was up to me to organize a two hour lesson for all the students and keep them entertained with various Halloween games. They seemed to have good fun and got lots of candy so it kept them quiet, for a while anyway.

In the afternoon we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Here are some pics of the day. More can be found in the photo album.

The Return of the Eye Infection

Last week turned out to be extremely hectic. Getting things ready for Halloween on top of lesson plans for next month and a rather busy teaching schedule meant I was burning the candle at both ends for the whole week. By Friday I was exhausted! On top of that after wearing my contacts again my eyes reacted badly so i had to wear my glasses and keep on using the drops. Even now they are still delicate. Hope it fully heals pretty soon as it is getting rather annoying now, two weeks already!

8) Blur: 'Think Tank'

Blur have always been progressive with their sound and no truer word could be said of their seventh studio album ‘Think Tank’ with one fundamental change. With Graham Coxon at the helm, Blur rode the wave of Britopop and made through the backlash unscathed. Yet he plays no role in the making of this album, except for the final song.

This is not to be blown out of all proportion, this is not the break-up of Lennon and McCartney or Jaggars and Richards, but still; Coxon played an instrumental role in the sound of Blur. Imagine 13 without him! His vitriolic guitar, taut musical presence and brake on Albarn’s experimentations-gone-too-far were key to their success. Could the remaining three produce anything near the groundbreaking material of the 1990s. Amazingly, the answer is a resounding yes!

What replaces Coxon is mainly just space, experimentalism and a host of guest producers including Norman Cook! It sounds like Blur only in the sense of the distinctive vocals from Albarn. However, the influences are far worldlier and the layers and textures are far more involved than ever before.

It’s devoid of guitars and replaced with keyboards, chilled dance beats and a host of other sounds which I don’t even pretend to entertain what they might be. The sound ranges from wistful string laden tunes through to hardcore punk via woozy freeform jazz, and Andalusian strings; each track is different and they pull it off perfectly.

The bass work on all the songs deserve a special mention as they are amazing and its promoted to lead instrument. It finally pays testament to the awesome bass player James really is and how vital he is to the Blur sound.

We start off with ‘Ambulance’ where Albarn softly lilts “I ain’t got nothing to be scared of” among stuttered percussion, ominous bass, and eerie gospel influences as well as distant oohs, an amazing start! It is followed by the equally stunning ‘Out of Time’, dreamy vocals, gentle African drums. ‘Crazy Beat’ ups the tempo with production by Cook. It is loud, brash and a bit of fun from the band. ‘Good Song’ is next and it certainly lives up to its name, it is just that! ‘On The Way to the Club’ brings images of walking though a Marrakesh market under starry skies. Next is ‘Brothers and Sisters’ which pounds along before we are treated to ‘Caravan’ which contains imploding submarine sonar pulses, with muffled guitars and vocals to match. The brilliant ‘We’ve got a File on You’ is a short but sweet punk song which provides an adrenalin boost half way through this laid back affair. Then we are led smoothly into ‘Moroccan People’s Revolutionary Bowls Club’ where James freaks out on bass like a Funkadelic foray into post-punk . ‘Sweet Song’ sports echoing pianos and rusty guitar work witch work effortlessly with the clear melodies. The next track, ‘Jets’ is good, albeit a bit long, and deserves a special mention for the sax solo towards the end. ‘Gene by Gene’ is a cacophony of bizarre sounds from unorthodox sources and adds to the confusion by employing cross rhythms. Finally, is the great ‘Battery in your Leg’, Coxon’s only contribution, which is a yearning, sorrowful song and a touching end to an amazing album.

Don't buy this if you're expecting the Blur of old. The blur of old has died with the release of this album; what replaced it was a new, more open Blur who are more alive than ever! Don’t buy this because you are a Blur fan; buy it because you are a music lover! Here at number 8 is Blur ‘Think Tank’.

Q Music Awards 2009

- Best New Act (presented by Red Stripe) - White Lies
- Breakthrough Artist (presented by My-Wardrobe.com) - Mr Hudson
- Best Video (presented by Nixon Watches) - Lady GaGa - Just Dance
- Q Idol - Spandau Ballet
- Q Inspiration (presented by HMV) - The Specials
- Q Classic Album - U2 for The Unforgettable Fire
- Innovation In Sound - Sonic Youth
- Best Track - Lily Allen for The Fear
- Q Icon - Marianne Faithfull
- Classic Song - Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
- Q Legend - Edwyn Collins
- Best Live Act (presented by Marshall Amplification) - Arctic Monkeys
- Best Album (presented by Citroën) - Kasabian for West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
- Classic Songwriter - Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens)
- Best Act In The World Today (presented by Russian Standard Vodka) - Muse
- Q Outstanding Contribution To Music - Robert Plant

Bye Bye Eye Infection

Finally, I can start wearing my contacts lenses again from tomorrow. After a week of enforced usage of glasses i'm reminded of just how much a hassle they are. Bye to restricted vision, headaches and all-round discomfort!!