I'm on the hunt, I'm after you....

Earworms of the Week

“Montezuma” – The Fleet Foxes

So many things to love about the Fleet Foxes, not least the reliably offbeat tweets of Robin Pecknold telling us things like how touring Europe is so much more fun when you have a bicycle with you (and I don't know about you, but I'm thinking a big old fashioned thing with a wicker basket here....).  The new album perhaps isn't a massive stride away from their debut, but it is definitely a progression and it's also really, really good.  Love those harmonies and can't wait to see them again this year at Glastonbury.  The sun would be nice (albeit apparently looking increasingly unlikely), but I don't mind getting my wellies on if I have to.....  Bring it on!

and now.... Number 1.  The Larch.  The Larch.

“Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac

Listening to The Pierces all week has inexplicably brought this song to mind.  I have no idea why.... although I wonder if Stevie Nicks has been poring over their album looking to see if she has any songwriting credits.

"Shiny Happy People" - REM

Now, famously REM don't like this record.  Neither do I.  I haven't listened to it for some time.  Hell, I haven't even listened to the band at all in a few weeks.....and yet when I sat in the sauna this evening, there it was.   If I knew how earworms worked, then it probably wouldn't be quite so much fun tracking them, eh?  It's the randomness that appeals, to be honest.

"King of Pain" - The Police

I listened to the Police quite a bit about six weeks ago, but worked them out of my system and moved onto other things.  But here they are.  Again, this isn't even a song that I like very much - I much prefer their earlier stuff - but here it is.  Go figure.  Oi!  Sting!  Out of my head!  NOW!

"Love Goes Down" - Plan B

Ah, now this is a bit better.  The song that GJ recommended to me at work that led me to taking a punt on Plan B in the first place.  He's playing Glastonbury, and I'd quite like to see him, I think.... although I have a horrible feeling that he clashes with the Eels.  I've wanted to see E play for some time.  I rather suspect that he's not the kind of guy who will be inclined to play a festival set, and may well focus on his newer albums (and he's nothing if not prolific).  Do I see Eels just to say I have?  Do I stay at the Pyramid and watch Plan B?  It might depend on what else is on, how bothered I can be and what the weather is like... or I may watch neither and sit in the circus tent instead.

“Hanging Tree” / “Go With The Flow” – Queens of the Stone Age

You can vote for your favourite QOSA songs and the band will play the top ten at their Glastonbury set, apparently (well, vote now closed, but you could).  Well, I couldn't help but think that a vote for "No One Knows" or "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" would be a waste, so I went for Hanging Tree.... love the Mark Lanegan stuff on those albums.... and that promptly planted "Go With the Flow" in my head.  Both good songs though, so it's all good.  REALLY looking forward to seeing them live.  They were amazing when I saw them in Rock City back in the day.  They will be epic.

“Waiting for an Alibi” - Thin Lizzy

....yeah, usual drill: I listened to Thin Lizzy once about a month ago and they surface in my subconscious all this time later and won't go away.  That.  Again.

“The Wild Ones” - Suede

They're reformed, haven't they?  Not with Bernard Butler, of course, but with the "Coming Up" era line-up.  This album always reminds me of the four months I spent living in Venice, when I listened extensively to "Dog Man Star" and "The Holy Bible" by the Manic Street Preachers.  Good times.

“Secret” – The Pierces

Good gig.  They played lots of their new stuff, but threw in two or three older songs, including this one.

Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won't tell what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of them is dead…

I loved the way the sisters looked across at each other pointedly as they sang that last bit. 

“Hungry Like The Wolf” – Duran Duran

You might remember that I have to contribute to a weekly report.  With everyone's contributions pasted together, it's huge and dull and no one reads it.  To keep myself interested, even if no one else cared, I started to pick a band each week and then use song titles from that band as the headers to each of the three or four paragraphs I contributed. Occasionally I'll throw other song titles into the text itself, but I'll always try and keep the titles relevant to what I'm talking about.  Well, it keeps me entertained.  This week's band -- suggested by GJ -- was Duran Duran.  I thought about the songs I might use in my updates about the progress of an EPOS update, graduate recruitment and three year planning, and quickly decided to use as many titles as I could, peppering them throughout the text.  In about 150 words, I used about 12, including "Union of the Snake", which was a bit of a challenge.  It made me laugh, although I do wonder how far I can push things before they start editing me for not taking this seriously (although, to be honest, is the point of the report to be interesting enough for people to read it, or to be so full and dry that no one bothers?).  They wrote some songs though, didn't they?  This is a GREAT song.

Right.  That's your lot.  Have a good weekend y'all.  I'm off for my motorbike lesson tomorrow.  Should be fun... just don't tell my dad.