Ouch!

I have just been informed by my good friends Disco Nap about a horrid sounding incident unluckily occuring to a personal favourite band of Pop Cultureddd's.

Read it here.

Photographs of myself cross-dressed as the lead singer of this band will not be shared.

Endings..

When something is over there is sometimes nothing you can do about it. End of. Full stop. It can come as a blistering shock or a welcome relief or anything in between these poles. Depending on temperament, time of day, circumstances, mood it can be held in your mind in different ways.

An emotional feeling can feel like a physical force. Can make it hard to breathe. Can make it hard to move. Can make it hard to speak. Can make it hard to think.

To relieve the pressure or just to make the tears flow that little bit harder music can have such a strong impact.

The gravity of this song actually makes me feel like I've been winded. It makes the heavy weight of grief on my little ribcage feel a lot more than I can deal with. But its an ache to learn to carry on with.

M83 - I Guess I'm Floating [via zShare]

But from an ending and a painful loss, lessons will be learnt and inspiration derived.

Midnight Juggernauts

So, today my iTunes is being gay. Windows Media Player won't burn anything. My shoulder hurts. I have to pack for 'The Move'. I've still not given my Mummy her birthday present because she is bloody elusive. It's my very own Birthday on Sunday. Bleurgh.

However, in a bid to procure randomness I popped Midnight Juggernauts on. And lo-n-behold, yipee, woo, and other such excitable noises, I am grooving my aches and pains away.

I'd seen their name around on various blogs but I'd either forgotten or just not had chance to peruse any further.

But all I can say is take a good 15 minutes of your life. Tell everyone to either listen or fuck right off. Turn up the volume on your audio playing machinery. And get this into your ears.

Midnight Juggernauts - Shadows [streaming via MySpace, along with some of their other uber-cool tracks]

My Toys Like Me

My Toys Like Me may be the most startling discovery for myself in a while. Shocked in a disturbingly enjoyable way there is something wholly captivating and sinister about Barnaby.

Watch the video, if you dare..



You should definately buy it, like. It's only £1. Fucking bargain! Click here to spend a tiny little insignificant pound on a very good track.

Alfie

There are things in this world that are lined with tragedy. The story of Alfie is one of them. But the great thing is that out of tragedy came for me friendship and love.

I cannot at all, sat on my floor now, racking my mind, think of a time before Alfie. I can neither pin-point my first encounter with them. I remember that they had a sound that distinctly grew on me. Became more immersed into my life. Songs that stuck out as striking memories of things that had happened. A long, lonely train journey to Manchester eased by the sounds of Alfie. Summer never officially starting until Alfie had been played in the blazing sunshine.

The friends I've made along the way in my life that have also had a strong affection for Alfie have always ended up being friends that have meant the world to me. Sitting in the break from county wind band rehersals, naughtily eating sweets that would then get our reeded instruments sticky but not caring for the intoxicating talk of Alfie. Meeting a very tall, twee and dazzling guy I couldn't even bring myself to talk to when I realised he was an Alfie fan, 'could he be cooler?!', and becoming great friends. And receiving a MySpace message out of the blue to be told I must be worth at least saying hello to because I liked Alfie by someone someone whose divine ability for words had us in deep conversation of personal gigs by the band.

My gorgeous summer, jangly indie band.

That I never got to see.

The artwork for A Word In Your Ear is also probably my favourite artwork of all time. It goes perfectly with the album and its glorious sound that is consistent throughout, but also the concept I always will think is genius. Andy Votel came up with it and it was done by Stan Chow and basically depicts the band Alfie in one of those old style 50's kids books that tries to build the vocabulary of children as they are learning to read. And today's word is 'Alfie'. Woo.



Alfie were not widely known. I personally think they just were not lucky enough to have that perfect timing or promotion that seems to nowadays catapult very undeserving, mediocre bands into astronomical success. So eventually, with four albums under their belt, Alfie split. I remember crying when I read the statement given..

"it's hard to keep faith that "everything'll be alright", (which has been my mantra from day one), when it feels, ultimately, like no-one's listening." (Lee Gorton, 27th October 2005)

Since then I'd always been devastated to think I never got to see them live. I was even vehement that they'd reform to play a gig in my room for my 21st last year. Yet hope is a strange thing and now I just adoringly hold onto my Alfie singles, t-shirts, badges and vinyl that I seek out.

So for those who are not familiar with the late Manchester band here is a few tracks to get you going.

Alfie - You Make No Bones [via zShare]

Alfie - Not Half [via zShare]

Alfie - Your Own Religion [via zShare]

And, a track that holds special signficance to me..

Alfie - James's Dream [via zShare]

Now if you download these and like then I beg you to invest in their albums. They will make your record collection instantly amazing just by owning them. Yes, honestly, they have that power! Click here and ignore all the Jude Law nonsense.

This is just one little post dedicated to a late friend of mine he is more sorely missed than he could have ever known. In loving memory of RN. I miss you. And I am sorry for everything and nothing.

On a personal note..

I recently received some news that completely shattered my world. It's hard to kind of put into words, which I suppose is fairly suprising for me, but it is one of those things that I'd never had to deal with before.

It is very hard to factor this loss and change into my life.

But I can't hide away forever and just because I've not been listening to the hippest, hottest, coolest, freshest new tracks shouldn't mean anything. Because my blog wasn't always intended to be like all the other super cool, cutting edge blogs.

A reader (who is now a very good friend of mine) once said that the whole appeal to him of reading my blog was that I blatantly wasn't influenced by others and that it was nice to get little fragments of the ongoings of my life and how that effected what I listened to.

Well, what I've been listening to has generally been fairly depressing, cathartic and heart-wrenching tracks to grieve to.

Please be supportive of Pop Cultureddd in this time. And as I scramble back to my feet in a bid to achieve some sort of changed medium there may be changes. Less pussy-footing, more criticism and more randomness of my writing style.

He'd have hated for me to become mediocre.

Mogwai

Oh dear.

It has really all gone to pot.

The sun is shining onto me now and I feel incredibly dark, sombre and sullen.

So obviously Mogwai is required.

I suggest Happy Songs For Happy People.

Go get it or look for it in your collection, get it listened to. If I'm going down I'm dragging you all with me!

Pop Cultureddd may be sporadically attended to in the coming weeks. Stress, turmoil and many tears are the current state of play.

Bjork and Simian Mobile Disco

What a great combination!

I feel swells of bias whenever anything Simian Mobile Disco related appears on the radar.

They've gone and remixed Bjork's new single Innocence. And as I listened to the remix all I could think was..

"Why not sooner?"

Well, its here now and I thought before I popped off to London for a few days tomorrow I'd leave it with you all to enjoy in the absence of Ms Mulrine.

Bjork - Innocence (Simian Mobile Disco remix) [via zShare]

Peter, Bjorn and John

They are re-releasing Young Folks.

Can opinions sink lower? Apparently so.

Blameful, shameful crimes.

Does It Offend You, Yeah?

There is a new offering from Does It Offend You, Yeah?. If you are already hip and have them as a friend on MySpace you may be aware that clicking here, there and everywhere will get you a free download.

Let's Make Out.

Sexual commands shouted to distorted backing is always a winner for me. Play this in a dirty hotel room with a bottle of vodka. All hell will break lose.

The end sign-off is pure brilliance too. Very DIOY,Y?.

Field Day

I don't have tickets for the weekend.

I'd been waiting til I got paid and they've bloody sold out.

I'm devastated.

If anyone could help out a desparate Mulrine please contact me.

I'm a robot man..

Yes, The Aliens were absolutely fantastic. Having taken an enormous amount of time to sound check it was worth it for the set they played. And to make up for the time they lost soundchecking they overplayed their set, much to the upset and fidgetting dismay of the organisers. A guy stood at the side looking decidedly uneasy.

"Fuck Damon Gough! He can wait! The Aliens are on!"

I think I may have been heard to say. But had you have seen their set you'd have applauded such a comment. I was tickled to see Gordon Anderson demand his fellow band members back on stage to play a bit more. Ha! Brilliant.

Rebellious antics aside, their set really was great. They have a sound that must be very hard to translate into a live set. Key changes and soaring harmonies. Its not particularly suprising that they spent a while preparing. But it was definately worth it. I chanted alongside anthemically. As I have been doing ever since.

"I'm a robot maaaaaan, I'm a robot maaaaaan, I'm a robot maaaaaan, I'm a robot maaaaaan!"

Ha.

Stockton Riverside Festival

This weekend sees my hometown of Stockton-on-Tees being taken over by the yearly festival. I must admit that I always used to miss them as a kid as I spent my summers with my Dad, museum hopping in Yorkskire.

But this Saturday I am looking forward to it. If I get myself there. With the headliner being Badly Drawn Boy (okay, okay, I know I have no affection for him further than Hour Of The Bewilderbeast but whatever, its free!) it doesn't look too bad, headliners for the other days include Echo And The Bunnymen and The Ordinary Boys. All three days, Friday (today), Saturday and Sunday showcase some of the best local acts and little-known acts from further afield.

But I must say that among the other obvious acts to really get excited about, the wonderous The Chapman Family and the very brilliant Dirty Weekend, the main one I must say I've come round to actually be really excited about seeing (again) is The Aliens.

After not really being impressed by them live at Fibbers in York, which was mainly to do with the fact that a) I wasn't familiar with The Aliens b) I was more excited about being in the same room as ex-The Beta Band members and c) they were fucking wrecked! So fingers crossed that they can stave off the temptation of alcohol long enough to perform well tomorrow night.

Yet, having worked in Stockton for far too many days recently I am slightly worried that a band as truly brilliant as The Aliens are going to simply be overlooked. One of the most socio-economically deprived areas of Britain might not quite understand the enormity of the greatness and musical genius that is The Aliens.

Here is a taste of them:

The Aliens - Rox

Wow. Thats quite a talking up there, isn't it? They better be good.

Chromeo

Now if you feel like browsing through blogs you'll probably see this pop up constantly. Chromeo are not to be overlooked, like I did, as it is folly to do so. Folly, I say!

You'll stumble upon the Sinden and MSTRKRFT remixes if you have a look here and there. But to be honest don't get caught up in single tracks and random remixes. Not yet, anyway. First port of call get the Chromeo album Fancy Footwork itself.

It really is something quite awesome. You'll certainly rise to your feet at least once and do some sort of a little jiggle. It will compell you to.

I thought groove had been lost.

Chromeo have found it and will make you want it.

Here's a bit of Tenderoni..

Tenderoni

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