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I'LL HOLD MY BREATH UNTIL I GO BLUE.

It's good news that Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine has remixed The Go! Team, even better news that amongst other songs he's got his mitts on the superb 'Ladyflash' but ultimately bad news because he'll probably recall the tapes on the day of pressing and insist on tweaking them until about 2023. In fact, there was no mention of a new My Bloody Valentine album in all of that John Titor stuff, was there?

And as I lean back in my rocking chair (that's 'rocking' chair, like a rocking chair, but fast) I'm reminded of how Alan McGee maintains that in between the time of My Bloody Valentine departing Creation Records to sign to Island Records (around 1991) and, well, the present day the only piece of music that Kevin Shields has delivered to his new label is a cover version of the song 'We have all the time in the world'. If that story's true, it's sheer situationist genius.

MBV in their heyday : Just 'cos I can

Go here and play the second song down to hear 'You Made Me Realise' in all it's insane glory.

I'M JUST SORE COS THEY DIDN'T ASK ME.

Mind you, I've only been doing this for ten minutes.

A load of music bloggers and podcasters have got round (computer monitors) and nominated their Top 40 UK acts of 2005. Instead of taking the results and systematically destroying them under the watchful eye of someone from MI6 then promising never to speak of it again, they've published them online.

Seriously, it's a good job I'm here, isn't it?

That said, if they do come knocking this time next year, I've already saved a draft email that simply reads "No-one. No-one at all".

A Committee : Designing, earlier.

AND THE COOLEST PERSON IN BRITAIN IS...

...that Alex bloke from out of the Arctic Monkeys. According to the NME, anyway. It's not even a sub-category, like 'Coolest popstar who's still got a paper round' or anything like that. Based on their one single "I bet that this sounds bad on the dancefloor", and the flurry of self-promotion surrounding it.

Of course, by definition making a list of things/people/activities that are cool is geeky and not 'cool', so I'll let you draw your own logical conclusions...

A jubilant Alex Monkey : Got it finished
faster than ever today.

MISSING LINK

Sadly, guitarist Link Wray has died aged 76. I won't go on about what he invented cos everyone knows that Mark E Smith invented everything. Just ask Mark E Smith. Why, just last Saturday Nark E invented football pools announcer Bill Hamilton.

Anyways, when I think of Link Wray I always think of John Peel surprising me by throwing in some dirty great swampy guitar tune on his show, probably while I was waiting, pause button at the ready to tape Bastard Kestrel in session.

You will know Rumble by Link Wray, though. You probably just won't know that you know it.

Listen to Switchblade as well. Just 'cos.

Link Wray : REAL swagger,
not the pretend stuff.

INEVITABLE PICTURE OF THE WRONG GOALKEEPER JOKE AHEAD.

If any of you were reading this back when I posted this song by Jens Lekman you might remember I couldn't find a link for his song 'Black Cab' that got everybody all excited about him a couple of years ago. Well, it seems it's resurfaced and *just* on the off-chance that you've never heard it, it's well worth not hearing again.

Anyway, about that visual 'joke' I promised you.

Pat Jennings Lekman

I hope I find some more of his MP3s soon. I've got an entire Panini sticker album to work through yet.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHYERAHBASTARD!

Early news this cos Arab Strap are due to play an instore set at Reveal Records in Derby at 1pm today.

The last instore this year of an impressive run at Reveal that has included Brendan Benson, Laura Veirs, Maximo Park, Rammstein and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. Subject to change/disappearance.

So if you happen to be accosted by a drunken Scotsman shouting about his sexual indiscretions this afternoon, you might have taken a wrong turning and ended up at The Padley Centre on Becket Street. Have a quick look round, if you're surrounded by racks of CDs and Vinyl and stuff - you're at the gig. Just step back from him a bit and don't make eye contact.

Arab Strap : Photo by Mick Rock.

HIT THE NORTH STAND!

Go here to see RealPlayer footage of Mark E Smith from The Fall reading the UK football results on television last Saturday.

Nothing really happens during the reading itself, but that doesn't render it any less surreal.

KNOCK KNOCK! WHO'S THERE? ARCTIC WHO? ETC....

Apparently there's no fuss whatsoever any more about The Arctic Monkeys as everyone has moved onto not being sure about this Rumble Strips video.

It's the most INDIE thing I've seen/heard in a long time. The singer is harping on about bicycles and them not being able to fly, but sadly stops short of describing his method of transport as 'punctured'. Shame.

It makes me think of early Dexy's Midnight Runners, as well. But I'm still not sure whether I like it or not.

I quite like the video though. It must have been a right pain for singer-y bloke to hit his mark on it. You can almost hear the director shouting "Pedal faster! Faster, you mopey sod!"