What's your filing technique?

Mine's awesome. Chronological-style like my man Mike Gordon. Davis Rees' follow-up to Get Your War On is a brilliant snapshot of office politics and the insanity of day-to-day life in a cubicle. Hand me my stapler and a box of sharpened 2B's.

* A fiver is all you need for the super-duper DFA Holiday Sampler. It's sampleriffic!

* Spotted in Piccadilly Circus today - Giles from Buffy! Well, Anthony Stewart Head if you're going by real names. No, wait, his real name is Giles. Honest.

* Before you gorge yourself on candy, swat up on your Halloween history. Spooky.

* Good to see Elvis is still the king when it comes to making money from beyond the grave, despite Biggie and Bob's best efforts (cha-ching!)

365 days ago....

...I started this 'ol blog. In that time I've -

* posted 137 times (including this one)
* kept the same ol' job
* moved from the ghettos of Wood Green to the ghettos of Dalston
* lived through the break up of Busted and the rise of McFly.
* started playing records out and about
* started writing for these guys, and these guys, and these guys.
* curtailed my addiction to Friendster
* tried to curtail my addiction to MySpace (but failed miserably)
* visited home
* saw my football team become campeones europeos (thanks to El Rafa)
* discovered the joy of Rhubarb yoghurt
* started cooking again (try this one for tomorrow night)
* found a new favourite band
* and said goodbye to another one
* broke all promises to blog regularly
* missed many deadlines
* got broadband and cable (hooray!)
* and a monthly bill for them (hiss!)
* realised carrying two boxes of flyers probably isn't wise for my back
* found a great local watering hole with the best jukebox in town
* and realised that life isn't that bad (and will be even better if I get an early birthday present in 3 weeks time)

Beware: Giant Worms (and Bevin Kacon)

OK, hands up out there who's seen Tremors? I was flicking channels last night and happened to stumble upon it by accident. Class. One of the cheesiest horror films of all time (heck, does it even classify as a horror film now?) with equally cheesy performances by Bevin Kacon, the dad from Family Ties and Reba 'yee-ha' McEntire, not to mention a bunch of giant worms. I remember first watching it at a sleepover when I was 11...memories. Part of a video/pizza bill that included The Lost Boys, Die Hard 2 and Predator 2, followed by Coke-fuelled mayhem as my friends and I went outside to water bomb the neighbourhood. Ah, those heady days of youth...

* Happy Birthday Winona! I bought you a present, but someone stole it...

* Peep the new Gorillaz video for 'Dirty Harry' here. Features cute animated kids (Hewlett style of course) and the Pharcyde's Booty Brown jumpin' around in the desert. A much better single than 'Dare'.

* More visual pleasure, this time of the ass shakin' time - new Madonna, and it's not pants! That Stuart Price fella can fix anything.

* I know what I want for Christmas Sandy Claws. Why, a Girls Aloud doll!

* What? More Ryan Adams albums? He's some kind of indie-starlet datin', tune writin' cyborg! Get your wallets out on December 19th (or the following day if you're Stateside) for his third album of the year, 29 (so that's another Ryan Adams new album, some Girls Aloud dolls, and a pony. I've been good, I swear!)

* More alt-county goodness. Jeff Tweedy tells Billboard about the new Wilco album which will come out sometime next year.

The World of Kane! / Scarlet Mist

I've been on a writing holiday this week, hence the lack of bloggy goodness in the past week. To make up for it, here's a dearth of news, tidbits and links for y'all.

* Major Leaguer extends a warm welcome to Will Kane's entrance to the blogging community. Enter the World of Kane if you dare!

* UK readers only - Fed up with being unable to grab tickets for that upcoming Sufjan Stevens or McFly show? Yes, I know that's the only time you'll ever see those two artists in the same sentence...anyway, head on over to Scarlet Mist for a non-E-Bay alternative to securing those prized front row seats. Scarlet Mist aims to bring together people who are looking to buy tickets with people who are looking to sell tickets. If you see tickets highlighted for sale, simply fill in a form on the site, and in no time at all you'll be in contact with the person that owns them. No nasty booking fees, no overcharging, just tickets at face value!

* Phil's on trial, but just look at his hair!

* Something just as scary - letting Jacko in front of a microphone for charity.

* Stating the obvious #1 - 'Pete Doherty needs a good slap' - Sharon Osbourne in an interview with Attitude magazine. Really? Damn, that's just what he needs Sharon. Why didn't I think of that?

* Stating the obvious #2 - Test Icicles admit they were 'really shit' during their their aborted support set at last week's Leeds leg of the Arctic Monkeys tour, after failure to soundcheck properly (and write decent tunes, lyrics etc.) It seems they're not to keen on the Monkeys fans either.

* Swoon....new Neko Case due in March next year. Sigh. Oh, and Neko's delightful New Pornographers are playing next Tuesday Nov 1 at the Borderline, and Thursday Nov 3 at 93 Feet East.

Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase

Woozy goodness abounds. 

Album of the week

Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase

It doesn't feel like three years since everyone's favourite Scottish electronic duo were last filling our ears with lush, dizzy soundscapes. In fact, it seems much longer, especially since Mike Sanderson and Marcus Eoin are so far ahead of their contemporaries that an age probably has passed since an electronic album bearing the quality of The Campfire Headphase has graced the Major Leaguer stereo. Well, maybe that's not quite true, but the high standards BOC set early in their career have influenced a generation of bedsit beatmakers around the globe, much in the same way Radiohead or Jeff Buckley influenced the glut of high-pitched emoting bands that were a dime-a-dozen at the turn of the century. It's also safe to say that BOC's latest collection of fables from a faraway land is one of 2005's most anticipated releases, with messageboards, indie sites, and not to mention copious blogs (yes, this lil' ol' site included) being overloaded with information and hype on WARPCD123. There were even erroneous tracks 'leaked' all on the web during the last month to wet the whistle of fans the world over, in one of the strangest forms of flattery shown towards an artist by fans in recent years.

Indded, such anticipation is merited in the case of The Campfire Headphase, which proves to be the equal of the duo's previous album, Geogaddi, if not quite a career peak. 'Chromakey Dreamcoat' warbles gently along a sea of gentle broken beats, while the spectral beauty of 'Dayvan Cowboy' starts slowly with the gentlest of guitar loops, before taking flight. Shimmering strings weave in amongst crashing hi-hats before fading into the distance, providing the albums highlight. Where this latest album differs from previous BOC outings is the way in which the duo have integrated the guitar soaked melodies of Bibio, as well as the skewed beats of Boom Bip, to provide an atmosphere that although might not please the hardcore fans of Music Has the Right To Children, which remains a benchmark electronic recording that continues to assume greater importance with every passing year, shows the duo aren't going to rest on their laurels just to please the purists. A clear sign that while Sanderson and Eoin are continuing to follow their own path, they're not afraid to venture into the unmarked trails etched in the grooves of The Campfire Headphase's dream-like landscape.

Listen to Boards Of Canada's The Campfire Headphase here.

'Let 'em riot. We're Sonic-fuckin-Death Monkey'

Good. You know your music. You should be able to
work at Championship Vinyl with Rob, Dick and
Barry


Do You Know Your Music (Sorry MTV Generation I Doubt You Can Handle This One)
brought to you by Quizilla

Yes kids, it's the easiest music quiz around. Failure is unacceptable, OK?

*The word on Serenity? Go see it. To paraphrase my comrade Will Kane, 'The worst part of the movie was trying to figure out which female character I liked most'. Well said WK.

Happy John Peel Day y'all.....go buy the new Fall album and turn it up to 11 in his honour.

Nope, no slayers here / Aardman Studios is burning down

But where are the stakes? 

Off to see Serenity tonight. Wasn't a huge fan of Firefly but have heard only good things about Mr Whedon's latest work. Plus, this will be the only work from Joss until his take on Diana and her lasso (and that's not going to be ready until 2007) so I'd best get my fix now. Random burblings from my mushy brain...

* Guess Britney wanted her bra after all. Nuts!

* Spare cash? Spend it on these beauties.

Various Artists - Leave Them All Behind
Damn fine collection of tunes from the always reliable Modular stable, plus other assorted indie-dance tracks that sit very nicely alongside them. Pretty much all the tunes you've heard at Trash this year and more. Two CDs for a tenner? Bloody lovely I tell ya.

The Fall - Heads Roll
Mark E Smith in fantastic album shock! OK, the man is a bit of an icon (even if his appearance almost a year ago on the BBC on the day of John Peel's death was a bit random) but recent Fall albums have been underwhelming to say the least. Heads Roll however is a rampaging return to form, complete with Smith's drawled lyrical flow and tunes that veer from lush the one moment to downright stomping the next.

* Fancy a round of golf with the RZA?

NEWS JUST IN! Aardman studios is ablaze....sniff! Wensleydale on toast anyone?

Subter October / Britney's bra? You're so kind.

Subter October is a go-go. In it you'll find -

* an interview with the de-lightful, de-lovely and de-lish RecordPlayer lasses

* critiques on both Spain (the country) and The Strolling Bones (the retirement home escapees) from Houman Sadri

* and the first burblings of a new way for bands to be heard online

(Note to all fledgling bands and artists: Yes, there are other ways for your music to be heard instead of bombarding all MySpace users to be your 'friends'. I don't care that your influences are Incubus, Led Zepplin and Phish. Your music still sucks.)


That's a lot of diamonds. 

* Fine, I'll admit it. I enjoy the Britney celebrity roadshow (who, unlike Paris Hilton, does have a shred of talent). Combine that with charidee, and by golly folks, you've got yourself a weiner. All proceeds from the 'Out Bid Me Baby One More Time' auction go towards the Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund.

Oh, and if you want to donate but ain't down with Brit's garments, the OkayPlayer kids have some lovely 'ReNew Orleans' shirts you can trade for your hard-earned. ReNew Orleans? Geddit? Huh? Geez, I don't know why I bother. Grumble....if anyone wants me I'll be bidding for Britney's beret. Whaddya mean pink ain't my colour? Oh, yeah, that was last season, and I'm not down with the Jude Law style.

Fire Demons 'R' Us

Finally saw Howl's Moving Castle yesterday and it was pretty good, although not a patch on Princess Mononoke. Have to go see it again though as my local kino only had the 'American' dubbed version, and I'd have prefered to see it with the original Japanese language soundtrack. I guess that's what DVD's are for, although I'll be waiting until November 16.

*If you live in Lahhndahhn town, head to the fine record store that is Phonica for a free Slices DVD featuring clips and multimedia from Warp, Hexstatic, Novamute and Mantis. Tasty tasty!

*Speaking of rekkid stores, I had a fine weekend record shopping with the regular Soho trawl on Saturday, and a trip to Brighton on Sunday (with possibly the best record shop to person ratio in the UK). No pier of rock action for me though as it was straight to Resident and then Mic Check for some tasty treats where I found the new Roots rarities mix-tape compiled by DJ Ayers. I also finally snaffled the lovely Foreign Exchange 'Connected' album from last year, and a few cheapies from Rounder Records (Gang of Four, Beasties and Alter Ego). Grand total? Just over 20 squid. Met up with some new friends for evening pints, and then caught the last train back to the big smoke. Slept like a baby...a bit like this one!


Lil' Xander and some weirdo. 

* One Soulful Negro has a Roots rarity too, featuring the last appearance of Malik B. Heck, they even compare it to Prince's infamous 'Wally'. Oooh!

Kate. Bush. Yes.

Yes, not long now... 

Have just heard Kate Bush's new single on WOXY.COM, and it's simply beautiful. One of those songs you hear for the first time and halfway through the goosebumps begin to tingle. Stunning. Pencil in October 24th in your diaries for the single, and November 7 for the album.

Hand + ball = What do you think?

No goals, no penalties. Jipped, I tells ya!

*You've got only 3 more days to check out ?uestlove's fine selection of tunes on last weekend's Worldwide show on Radio 1 (filling in for Gilles Peterson).

*A sequel to No Direction Home? C'mon Bob, you know it makes sense.

*Kicking more dirt on Johnny Cash's grave - yes, it's the totally unecessary musical of his life, 'Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical Story'. Oh. Dear. Surely not another lemon, sorry, Lennon.

*Pharrell's solo joint is dropping on November 15, entitled 'In My Mind'. Here's the first single, Can I Have it Like That featuring Gwen 'Never mind Gavin, I still love you even though Institute are shit' Stefani. If you listen to ?uestlove's Worldwide show above, you'll find the Timbaland-helmed track Spaceship (feat. Magoo) around the 35 minute mark, and it's even hotter.

*New stuff too from The Strokes, Juicebox, but be quick! Thanks to Badminton Stamps. First impressions?

'Arr, squiddy, I got nothin' against ya. I just heard there was gold in yer belly'

Thar's the culprit! 

Giant Squid! Suddenly I don't feel like swimming in the ocean for quite some time. Bet Steve Zissou never saw one of those. However, I'm sure he doesn't care since he's too busy admiring his nifty kicks. I don't care what Gawker says, I gotsta get me some!

Shoes, shoes, shoes...

*For those wondering, Can't Mix Won't Mix is in hibernation, but may surface in a new venue (and possibly under a new name) in the next few months. I'll keep y'all posted.

*Ding Ding! Here we go again.

*Oh dear. Looks like Steve Jobs has a problem on his hands. But why do people need more than one iPod?

Roots / Breakin' with Mr T / R.I.P. Maxwell Smart

Howdy pardners. Anybody catch part one of Scorsese's Dylan documentary last night on BBC2? Fascinating stuff, and the footage from the Newport Folk Festival with Dylan and Joan Baez was just lovely (even if he did then treat her like most other women in his life. Poor form Bob!). Part 2 is on tonight, and the DVD comes out on Monday for those who've missed their fix of Zimmerman action.

News news news...

* Illadelphers The Roots have found a new home after leaving Geffen. Yup, they're now rockin it with Hova down at Def Jam. Does this mean a reunion of the killer combo from Jigga's unplugged set?

*Gold. Yes, it's Mr T learning how to break and body pop in the campest way possible. Hey, don't mock him fool!

*Sad day for spies all over the globe as news filtered through that Agent 86 passed away last weekend. Sniff!

Stax of slacks / 72 years is a loooong wait (Well done Swans)

In the aftermath of seeing Blues Explosion rip up Koko this week as part of the Don't Look Back series, here's Major Leaguer's top five songs about slacks, pants, trousers...

5. Dirty Jeans - Magic Dirt
4. Baggy Trousers - Madness
3. Bellbottoms - JSBX
2. Hot Pants - James Brown
1. Short Shorts - The Royal Teens (yes, this wins by a country mile!)

Oh, musn't go without quickly mentioning the good work of Mr Leo Barry from Sydney. Well done Sydney. I'm sure some regular Major Leaguer vistors woke up with sore heads this morning ;)

Been a while, I shouldna left you....

Yeah, yeah. Blogging doesn't necessarily maketh the man, or summin' like that. I've got to stop reading those classy liberal newspapers, what with their big words and lack of Page 3 models. Shame on me! Although the new format for the guardian is lovely indeed (yes, it's in lower case because that's how the title appears on the front page. You can download free PDF versions of the new Berliner format until September 26).

So kids, what's news? Spent the week having various drinks of the alchoholic and non-alcoholic kind with friends old and new (Conal - have fun in South America! I'll see you next time I'm in Melbourne), writing some things for Ditched and Subter, spending an hour last night gazing at a lush full moon before falling asleep, buying records I can't afford (but that's not really news since it's the same ol' story every damn week), and seeing bands of varying degrees in Camden. Such as...

* Pedro The Lion (last Sunday at The Underworld), who avoided the sound problems that befell their support acts, and provided this indie-rock geek with two hours of warm mushy emo, filled with the occasional chopping guitar riff. I'd write more, but I'll save it for another day (or more importantly the next issue of Nature Loves Courage ...available at all good London record stores from mid-October, issue launch party coming soon) . But if they're playing in your neck of the woods then check them out.

If I had a little money...I'd snap up some of these records out this week.

* Nada Surf - 'The Weight Is A Gift' (CD, Barsuk/V2)
* Papa M / Unhome - 'Mama You've Been On My Mind / Pine Tree'("7 re-issue, Awkward Silence)
* Broadcast - 'Tender Buttons' (CD/LP, Warp)
* Jackson and his Computer Band - 'Smash' (CD/LP, Warp)...this album's just a wee bit special, and fans of quality electro up for something new in the vein of Isolee need look no further...

Oh, and even though Lil Kim's jail term starts today, at least The Source sees fit to provide us all with some laughs to ease the pain, as pointed out by the fine peeps at Spine. Yup, 5 mike review for 'Naked Truth' (I mean, I know The Source's standards have slipped in recent years but...what? 5? Does that means she's as good as Eric B and Rakim or Nas?.......what? 5?!?!)

Put the needle on the record....

....and the drum beat goes like this!

Had a blast spinning tunes on Sunday for the Cancer Research '12 Bands in 10 Hours' gig at The Duke in Chiswick. Money raised, bands played (Eddie and Paul - you lads will go far one day!), drinks drunk, and a good time was had by all. Thanks to Chris, Lucas, and Eddie for inviting me to participate in a lovely day out...

* The September issue of Subter.com is up and out there. Check it out peeps.

* If you're up for a dance this Thursday night, pop along to Bethnal Green Workingmen's Club for the new night from those elegant deckwreckers The Record Players. Cheap pints, live music from Sam the Balladeer amongst others, and surprises galore.

* If you only buy one record this week, make it Little Brother's The Minstrel Show, ok? Over and out.

Major Leaguer stereo selections (or 'party stuff what I played on Sunday, y'hear?')

VHS Or Beta - Night On Fire (Cut Copy Mix)
Nada Surf - Blankest Year
Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Chronicles is out in paperback this week!)
AC/DC - Back In Black
The Roots - I Don't Care
ODB feat Kelis - Got Your Money
The Clash - Hateful
Gang 90 - Jack Kerouac (from this year's best compilation of Brazilian punk-funk, The Sexual Life of Savages...yes, there's been several of them!)

Diss this, diss that - Common vs Rising Son, Yungun & Doc Brown

Oops...looks like Common's in a spot of bother, due to comments made on the subject of inter-racial relationships during an interview in the June issue of Touch, as well as lyrics from the track 'Real People' from his latest album, Be. In response, UK rappers Rising Son, Doc Brown & Yungun have joined together, and created 'Dear Common (The Corner Dub)', where Rising Son calls one of Chi-town's favourite son's a 'racist bitch'. Ow.

* Hear the trio's response track (thanks to HipHopGameUK)

* Read Elle J Small's original article in Touch which kicked off the whole shebang (one of the best pieces of music journalism for quite some time)

* The Okay Player boards have some interesting, if sometimes irrelevant, views about the issue.

All I got is Nada....oh, and Antony

Ricky from the Kaisers never looked this good... 

First things first, it looks like the 'juggling ball' Mercury music prize got it right for the second year in a row. Who'da thunk it? Well done Antony.

News, news, news!

* Saw the power pop stylings of Nada Surf at The Spitz last night (which is the cosiest venue I've been to in quite some time. Gets a bit hot though!)

So....no, they didn't play 'Popular'. Yes, they played heaps of tracks from Let Go, and a few from Proximity Effect. And, yes, they played half the new album, highlights being 'Do It Again' and 'What Is Your Secret' which are prime candidates for future singles. Here's what the fans thought...

*Phew! Alex Chilton is safe and well after being rescued from the murky New Orleans waters. Unfortunately, thousands of other Big Easy residents haven't been so lucky. Here's a list of charities and organisations that you can contact to pledge your support.

* On a related note, here's Kanye's outburst during last week's New Orleans beneift telethon (and whether you agree with Kanye or not, the bemused look on Mike Myers face is priceless)

Sleater-Kinney @ Koko - 2/9/05

If you go down to the woods today... 

...you'll see Sleater-Kinney rockin' their socks off. Last night's SK gig at Koko in Camden was one of the best gigs I've seen in a long time. Plenty of tracks from The Woods , a few choice oldies (finishing their final encore with 'Dig Me Out'), and some stellar jams between the three of them near the end of the main set. The segue from 'Let's Call It Love' to 'Entertain' was a nice surprise, especially since I expected them to go into 'Night Light' like they do on the album.

Janet Weiss is one of the best drummers I've ever had the chance to see live, Carrie was extremely energetic with Townsend-style high kicks all over the stage, and although Corin's vocals sounded a bit rough at the start (quite possibly due to the length of the European festival tour they've been on), she soon kicked into gear with an brilliant turn on 'Jumpers' (song of the night).

They're touring the UK again in November so if you haven't had the chance to check SK live yet I strongly recommend it.

Let Sleater-Kinney 'Entertain' you.

Kate Bush! Hooray!

She's back! 

Click the link and go running up that hill again with Ms Bush! We missed you....