and all I do is miss you and the way we used to be.....

Earworms of the Week

“Loughborough Suicide” – The Young Knives

I know that I always say this, but the Young Knives just seem to be one of those bands that have crept under everyone's radar: I'm a fan, but their last album slipped out without me noticing.  I only picked up on it when I heard 6Music playing their single a few times.  They're distinctive, and if anything, have been getting more mainstream and (slightly) less quirky with every release.  This is from their first, Mercury nominated, debut album. It's a marvellous album too, and still sounds as fresh today as it did back in 2006.  I must wear my "I am the Prince of Wales" t-shirt soon, now I think of it.

“Bluetonic” – Bluetones

Great band, of course, although like the Young Knives, they're another that have spent a lot of their career underneath the radar, in spite of getting better and better as they went on.  I have to admit that I thought they had finally called it a day, but LB brought it to my attention that they're headlining the Mychoone festival in Derbyshire in August.... along with **ahem** Reef and Toploader.  Glastonbury is brilliant, obviously, but it might be quite nice to go to a much smaller festival... especially if it's local.  You don't have to watch Toploader, do you?  Have I ever mentioned that I used to work with a guy in HMV York who used to be the bassist in the Bluetones?  No?  Lovely guy.

“Golden Touch” – Razorlight

Johnny Borrell is a cock, obviously, but this remains a lovely song.  I also listened to "Naive" by the Kooks, and thought much the same about them too: I saw their new song on the telly and it was entirely forgettable, and yet they were capable of much, much better and showed as much on their debut album.  Razorlight? Reasonable band, but nowhere near as good as Borrell thought they were.  Self-belief and rockstar posturing are all very well, but he's hardly Bono is he? (as if we needed another one.)

Top Gun Anthem

I spent a happy half hour one evening this week with a colleague, grafting the head of one of our other colleagues from a photo onto a photo of someone wearing a terrible pilot fancy dress.  This chap had been to Ascot on a stag-do and had been mortified when his costume turned up to discover that it had a PVC hat and velcro stripper trousers.  Not content to let this pass, before he came back into the office, we knocked up a few of these with some choice quotes from Top Gun on the bottom of each one ("I don't like you because you're dangerous" etc.)  It amused us, anyway.

“D.O.A” – Foo Fighters

Nicest man in rock, etc.  Listened to this and "Stacked Actors" this week, and was reminded what a good singles band they are, if not quite a good albums band.

“Rehab” – Amy Winehouse

Pub quiz team name this week: "On reflection, yes, yes, yes".  Poor girl.

“Uprising” – Muse

I've listened to a lot of Muse this year.  I always used to find them a little hard to listen to for any period of time, with a little going a long way.  That seems to have changed a little this year, and although I bought the resistance 18 months ago before we set off for Hong Kong, it's only in the last few months that I've really found myself going back to it and listening to it beyond the singles.  Good running music, too.... handy as my runkeeper sent me an email this week telling me that in July 2011, I've run more miles than in any month since I started tracking my training.  80-odd miles, with another one to come on Sunday before the month is over.  Phew.

“I’m So Ronery” – Team America OST

A guilty pleasure, but I love the Team America OST... this song in particular.  I think there's something so absurd about their portrayal of Kim Jong Il that I find it irresistible.  Not high art, but very, very funny.  ("Why aren't more people interrigent, rike me?")

“My Name is Jonas” – Weezer

I think I just woke up one morning with this in my head.  I've not been listening to them or anything, it was just in there.  Could be worse.

“London Calling” – The Clash

Appropriate song for the London 2012 Olympic Games?  Well, from the point of view of the title, I suppose it is.... but if you listen to any of the lyrics, then I'm not sure that it really is, is it?  Great record - love that menacing bass line.  Just try not to think about the Scouting for Girls version.

“Romeo & Juliet” – Dire Straits

Does this count as a guilty pleasure too?  They're not exactly the most fashionable of bands, but I absolutely adore this record.  It popped up on my iPod when I had been out running for about 4.5 miles but hadn't yet turned around: this song literally marked the point where I began heading for home.  I love it, and have loved it from the moment I heard it playing over a massive PA as we skiied down into Italy a few years back.   I like the Killers cover too, but there's something magical about the original: it's oddly moving and makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time I hear it.

Right.  That's your lot: I'm settling down to watch the Trent Bridge Test Match to see what the state of play is going to be when we rock up there tomorrow morning for a weekend at the cricket.  Our Indian developers at work are VERY excited about this game: players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are bona fide megastars in India, and some of our guys have found out what hotel they're staying in and have been hanging around there.... they would never get a chance to be this close to their heroes in India, apparently.  It's quite sweet.  The game is moving on very fast though, so as many of them have tickets for the Monday, I just hope that play lasts that long.

Anyway.  Have a good weekend, y'all.