Sunday, September 25, 2005

And The Glass Handed Kites

is the title of the new album from one of my favourite bands, Mew, a little-known rock band from Denmark. I first got interested in this band when I saw them supporting Martin Grech at the Leadmill in Sheffield several years back, and, in a remarkable break from custom, bought the single on sale at the merchandise stand, "Am I Wry? No". This song rapidly became, and stayed, my favourite song in the world. Since then I've been following their progress with interest, eagerly snapping up their brilliant first album, "Frengers", a collection of 10 slow, melodic, soaring, dreamlike guitar-driven songs. "And The Glass Handed Kites" continues in the same vein, providing a mighty 14 tracks. On first listen, I'm very satisfied with it. The songs don't seem to have the individuality that characterised Frengers, and none of the tracks are as anthemic as "156" or "Snow Brigade", but over a solid 53 minutes of music their distant, evocative style has been developed to near-perfection. The high point of the album is probably the ominous, epic first track, an instrumental named "The Circuitry Of The Wolf".

Mew's website will tell you more, if you're interested.

I'm back from Cornwall and from Wales. Had a lovely few days' walking, first along the ridge of the Black Mountains in beautiful sunshine with panoramic views in all directions. If you want to know what I've been up to in Cornwall, look at this.

If anyone's feeling generous and wants to buy me an album, make it one of the following:

Vanessa Carlton - Harmonium
My Vitriol - Between The Lines
Anything by The Rasmus
Anything by The Cooper Temple Clause

or some others which I've forgotten for now.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

The Turning Point

Me and Latifa have college kids! Yay! They aren't linguists, but it doesn't matter. The love will still be spreaded.

My work over the summer has ended with a knackering four shifts in three days. Now the eight or so weeks of boredom and life-selling are over and I can do something interesting. Or lots of interesting things. September is actually going to be incredibly busy. I'm going away to Minack on the 7th, coming back on the 19th, then heading straight off to Wales on the 20th to finish the Offa's Dyke footpath. I then return on the 24th, the day of Joe's 21st birthday party, before heading off to Melton Mowbray for the Clare CU house party on the 28th. From there I go straight to Cambridge on the 1st of October, when I somehow have to squeeze in meeting Mum and unpacking my stuff in my new room, the tech rehearsal for Threepenny Opera, and a meal with my college kids in the evening.

I still have lots to sort out, including some props for Minack, so I'll go away now, secure in the knowledge that I can cross "post on my blog" off my To Do list.