Parkway (holiday read)

Parkway is a novel about a group of youngsters devoted to the britpop scene in mid-90's (probably the only novel with a myspace). It takes place in London's Camden Town, of course, and the soundtrack features blur, oasis, pulp, suede and so on... The target readers, I suspect, are those like me: britpop moaners. Those who cling to a very short-lived and local scene that is well gone. The book reads very easily, and I doubt anyone without a particular interest in the scene or above 20 would find the teenage rage and romance any interesting. Nevertheless, it is a good guide to those lost tracks and can serve well as a handbook for britpop pilgrimage and worship... if you happen to be into it.

Here's the trailer for live forever, the documentary on britpop and cool britannia....

(source)

Good old days I never lived.

Comebacks

Plus1 is a free British magazine that would seem to be a bit like what subbacultcha is in The Netherlands. I grabbed and enjoyed very much the april's issue. The article that sticked the most to my mind is about the recent avalanche of comebacks in the music world, and the real motives behind them. Money, boredom and charity seem to be salient motivations. In the case of blur the suggestion is that it comes down to just being bored....

Following the indefinite hiatus of Blur in 2003, Damon Albarn asserted his role as the wunderkind of British pop...Meanwhile, Coxon released a series of solo albums, and Alex James retired to a quite life making cheese in the countryside. But look a little closer and you see the conditions are perfect for a reunion; Albarn had fused together every conceivable sub-genre of music...Coxon was contemplating making a concept album (which is never a good sign), and James was obviously not missing the limelight at all, what with writing an autobiography, working for Q magazine, and making numerous television appearances. Maybe in this example, the reasons were boredom; Blur had done everything they wanted to outside of the band, and were now ready to get back to their rock raison d'etre.

The upside? the theoretical possibility of the smiths playing next to blur in a summer festival. I cannot possibly wait to see Blur on July 2. It is bizarre. Long life bored artists.

Morrissey greatest hits

Morrissey's new greatest hits is to be released soon. The track-list is kinda biased to the most recent albums. Inspired by Niklas' blog, here's my more old-fashioned Morrissey's greatest hits ideal track-list:

1. Disappointed



2. Alma Matters



3. Ammunition



4. Satan rejected my soul



5. In the future when all's well



6. The Boy Racer



7. Sister I'm a poet



8. Everyday is like sunday



9. The last of the famous international playboys



10. First of the gang to die



11. Let me kiss you



12. Don't make fun of daddy's voice



13. The National Front Disco



14. The more you ignore me the closer I get

Song of the week

I never saw it as the start
It's more a change of heart
Rapping on the windows, whistling down the chimney pots
Blowing off the dust in the room where i forgot
Yeah i laid my plans in solid rock
Stepping through the door like a troubadour whiling just an hour away
Looking at the trees on the roadside feeling it's a brighter day

You and i should ride the coast
And wind up in our favourite coats just miles away
Roll a number, write another song like
Jimmy heard the day he caught the train

He sipped another rum and coke and told a dirty joke
Walking like groucho sucking on a number 10
Rolling on the floor with the cigarette burns walked in
Yeah i miss the crush and i'm home again
Stepping through the door with the night in store whiling just an hour away,
Looking at the trees and the star-bright feeling it's a brighter day


You and i should ride the tracks
And find ourselves just wading through tomorrow
But you and i when we're coming down
We're only getting back
You know i feel the sorrow

When you find that things are getting wild
Don't you want days like these...
Don't you need days like these...

Song of the week

Here's me with the guy, someone told me we look like homeless amsterdammers.

Kasabian

No wonder why Kasabian was nominated to best brit live act award. Yesterday they gave an awesome concert here in Amsterdam.

Favourite of the nite: Processed beats

I ran from the tide
won't let you hide
won't let you hide...

Oh little C what you doing to me?

Sing along




Oh little C
What you doing to me?
When will we fall apart?
Oh little C
I just want you to leave
You make me so predictable

[Chorus:]
I want to be in the Key of C
It's easier to play it
I want to be in the Key of C
Whichever way I lay it

Right next to B
Looking up at me
I thought that A was the start
Right next to B
What you doing to me?
You're messing with my art

[Chorus]
I want to be in the Key of C
It's easier to play it
I want to be in the Key of C
Whichever way I lay it

I want to be in the Key of C...

[Chorus x2]
I want to be in the Key of C
It's easier to play it
I want to be in the Key of C
Whichever way I lay it

I want to be in the Key of C...

London calling

I spent Friday's evening at the London calling festival. It takes place in paradiso, former church and venue of choice for small gigs here in Amsterdam. The London calling festival is tailored to showcase upcoming British bands. There are two editions a year (fall and spring), and the line-up is usually made up of new British bands just about to release material.

The festival's been around for more than a decade, and I think it is sort of an indie institution here in Amsterdam. Previous editions featured:

• blur (1994)
• ash (1994)
• catatonia (1996)
• super furry animals (1996)
• travis (1997)
• embrace (1998)
• snow patrol (2001)
• ladytron (2001)
• franz ferdinand (2003)
• bloc party (2004)
• the infadels (2005)
• dirty pretty things (2006 spring)

(see the full archive)

From this edition I liked The Holloways, and The Rifles. I actually liked The Rifles a lot.

A bit on the sad side I left the festival with the impression that all brit bands nowadays sound somewhat the same to some extend. Gone are the days of britpop, which you could not literally define on a style basis. It makes me feel a bit nostalgic.