What becomes of the broken hearted? They head here...

Last year's Anti-Valentines session at the Keston Lodge was a hell of a lotta fun with drinking, dancing and just generally sticking two fingers in Cupid's direction by playing a selection of 'fuck love' and done-me-wrong songs throughout the course of the evening.

(My personal favourite of the night? This one)



So this Thursday the 14th we're going to do it all again from 8pm till late. Joining my good self on the wheels of rubber, steel and plastic will be Beez and Becca, aka World of Proper. Having seen those crazy kids last play at their Christmas records bash at The Mucky Pup, I'm guessing that Thursday should be -

a) a lark
b) quite silly
c) full of pardeeeee breaks
d) probably quite messy


There will also be a ban on Joy Division tunes (seriously, that's just way too obvious for an Anti-V Day bash) and, despite what it states on the flyer above, I'm sure couples can sneak in as long as they stop holding hands for at least one millisecond whilst walking through the Keston doors. Oh, and no pashing like randy students sneaking a quickie behind the cricket nets/bleachers. Right? See y'all there.

Now, back to our (ir)regularly scheduled blogging

* A quick shout out to footie blog Angle of Post and Bar which skewers the hyperbole of the cash-grabbing Premier League and big time football quite nicely. If you're a fan of When Saturday Comes then Angle is certainly one to bookmark.

* While watching the Eng-er-land vee Switzerland match this week (if only to gaze at the sartorial smoothness of Don Capello of course), my flatmate Will decided that the name of Swiss goal scorer Derdiyok was a fine replacement for the title of Maria Vidal's 80s hit Body Rock

'Derdiyok, get your body into music...'



This led to a good hour's worth of amusement watching clips from the flick of the same name, an unintentionally hilarious cash-in on a crazy new street culture known as 'hip-hop'. I'm tempted to pick it up on Region 1 DVD for a fiver just to experience the full, camp, body popping Lorenzo Lamas experience. But for now, I guess these clips will have to do (Oh, and I'm changing my name to Chilly D).







'Yo, this cut? Very big in Europe this season....'

* Forget Sony's colour ads. Honda continue to make clever and unique commercials that never fail to raise a smile. Rubiks cubes and jigsaws. Gold.



And the making of.

Nope, we're not shutting up shop, k?

Time flies when you're....

* in a new job
* entertaining visitors from overseas
* busy running errands
* playing records
* errr....

But hopefully normal service will resume this weekend. Scouts honour!

Meanwhile, I'll be playing records all weekend.....yes yes. Come down to Catch on Friday where I'll be coming off the subs bench to play alongside sioux-elin at Vinyl Glamour from 9.30pm (get well soon Lazy L!)

Saturday? After a kip and some quality time spent in the kitchen, it's off to the always lovely Defectors Weld (8.30pm till 1am). It's a bit of a warm up set for Sunday - the closing party of this year's Raindance Film Festival at Sound nightclub in Leicester Square. Hanging out with the next bunch of Spielbergs , Fords, Scotts, Capras...um.....Bolls? No matter, it'll be pretty fun.

Until this weekend's proper bumper comeback post, I'll leave y'all with this clip (gold!), and this thought....how much would you pay?*

* I went the whole hog and got the discbox. And apparantly, I'm not the only one it seems.

Farewell Blades (and God too)

Poor Sheffield United. I can't say I'm one of Neil Warnock's biggest fans, but he does give good soundbites, making a comedic alternative to most of the cliche-laden managers in the Premiership (apart from the 'special one' - everything that comes from his mouth is a joke, especially his post Champions League semi-final comments). Who would have thought a decade ago that relegation from the top-flight would cost 30 million quid?


In other action, God bowed out without a goal.


Luckily, Harry saved the day and may have landed a seat on the plane to Athens in the process. Now, if he could just nick one in the final....

Enjoy Bolton's retirement home Robbie. We'll always have the memories, right?


Bob Dylan - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Mick Harvey - I Have Come To Tell You That I'm Going (Serge Gainsbourg cover)

Architecture in Helsinki / Meltdown 2007

* New Architecture In Helsinki? Now that's something to get excited about. 'Heart It Races' is the first single from the band's new album, Places Like This and it's a calypso-tinged tune that strolls up to you in a charity store college b-ball tee, skinny black jeans, and Chuck Taylors before pulling back your hair and whispering in your ear, 'Hey man, let's get some cider, grab a frisbee and head to the park'. Summer all over.

Hear it at AIH's MySpace page.

As a special treat, I've been sent the DJ/Rupture remix of 'Heart It Races' featuring Lee G, and it's even toastier. Buss it.

Architecture in Helsinki - Heart It Races (DJ/Rupture's Ital Hymn remix feat Mr. Lee G)

Pre-order 'Heart It Races' from Polyvinyl.

Jarvis (taken by Phil Sharp)

* Motorhead, Melanie or Gonzales? Jarvis, don't make me choose! This year's Meltdown festival, at the refurbished Southbank centre in June, is being curated by Mr Cocker himself and it's certainly an eclectic collection of artists who've been invited by the ex-Pulp singer to perform. The first evening features Lemmy and the gang, a folk icon, and the quirky pianist/MC/singer. Three wonderful acts, but in three venues and all on the same night! And on June 18 there's another difficult decision - Sunn O))) or ex-13th Floor Elevators singer Roky Erickson? Thankfully, JMC will be performing solely on Friday June 23rd (well if you reform you've got to have a MySpace, let alone a website...).

Then there's Devo, John Barry, Don Letts, Clinic......oh Jarvis, you do spoil us. Tickets on sale from Thursday May 3rd (click here).

Jarvis Cocker - Black Magic

The 13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me (available on The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators)

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Reverence (Live in New York, 1992)

* What's the time? It's time....for another Beastie Boys record.


Instrumental too, as The Mix-Up is sans vocal if you know what I mean. Here's the tracklist.

1. B For My Name
2. 14th St. Break
3. Suco De Tangerina
4. The Gala Event
5. Electric Worm
6. Freaky Hijiki
7. Off The Grid
8. The Rat Cage
9. The Melee
10. Dramastically Different
11. The Cousin Of Death
12. The Kangaroo Rat

What's with the rat fascination anyway? The Mix-Up drops on June 18.

* And it's bye bye to the Special One and the Blues.

Number six in Athens?

Good things.... / Futureheads, meet Max Tundra

Here's some good things that float my boat right now.


* Lionel Messi's performance last night, although not entirely brilliant, was well timed and deserving of a hat-trick. 1, 2, 3. Thank God that the mighty 'Pool knocked Barca out last week (bring on PSV!)
(actually, I tell a lie. That third goal was a true Roy of the Rovers stunner!)


Picture courtesy of Dirty Dirty Dancing

*Justice at Our Disco on Friday were better than I expected, yet their skills behind the decks again gave weight to my theory that producers aren't always brilliant DJs. The fucked up mix of Daft Punk's 'Crescendolls' though was pure genius (although I wasn't too sure about them closing their set with 'The Butterfly Ball'. One of my most hated childhood songs!)

* Mr Max Tundra is out on the road again soon. Here's one of his tastiest remixes to date, spreading cosmic pixie dust over those Futurehead lads from oop north.

The Futureheads - Back To The Sea (Max Tundra remix)

*So close, yet so far: Arcade Fire denied a number one album by the Kaiser Chiefs and their Tesco fans.

*Shellac? I'll have some of that thanks. Albini and mates confirm a May 17 Koko gig two days before their appearance at ATP. I'm sure the drums will sound heavy, yet the bass almost non-existent in the mix. A bit like his work with these guys.

Who eats nachos at the movies anyway? Seriously.

WARNING: It's a 'back in the day' post, so if reminiscing ain't your style, scroll down to the bits and bobs afterwards. I'll make it worth your while....

Right.

Back in the heady days of my youth, when I had more free time (and cash) to spend, my regular haunts around old Canberra town were the local record store (R.I.P. Impact Records), the mall, and my personal favourite, the cinema. For a city of over 300 000, Canberra didn't do to badly when it came to places to while away a few hours in a darkened room with a bag of popcorn, a caffeinated beverage that had far too much ice in it, some rowdy kids, and a few unemployed peeps wasting the hours between The Midday Show and Neighbours.

If you wanted to see the latest Hollywood tripe, then the Greater Union in Civic and Tuggeranong would suffice. Those who wanted the finest in local and arthouse flicks could usually find a flick at either Electric Shadows or Centre Cinema to suit their refined palette. The mall in Belconnen soon acquired its own cinema in the form of the Hoyts behemoth (10 screens I believe...are that many needed?), and the small quaint picturehouse in Manuka soon became a mini-multiplex as well, although it catered to both the mainstream and arthouse crowd too, so you at least had a choice between the latest Denzel Washington or Daniel Auteuil vehicle (Auteuil everytime).

So for most of my formative teenage years going to the movies became more than just the treat my parents would provide every school holidays. Hours were spent glaring towards large screens, sometimes accompanied by THX or surround sound if my luck was in. Sure, a bad choice might have been made now and then, the realisation coming only after the Coke became watery, and all that was left in the popcorn bag were loose kernels that broke your teeth (Volcano? I think the only reason I saw that load of bollocks was that I'd seen everything else that was showing. And it was a joint decision too, so I'm only taking half the blame for that flaming turd), but overall I'd say the ratio of good to bad flicks was around 80:20.

Then a few years ago I moved to London, and all of a sudden I stopped going to the movies. Partly due to the exorbitant prices charged at the box-offices (especially the tourist traps of the West End), but partly because I had a new city to explore. Long gone were the days when I would pride myself in having seen every film nominated for Best Picture at that years Oscars. This year? Not one of the five up for the gong, not even 'Jake and Heath Get Their Spurs On'. What happened? Well it comes down to these factors - work, music, records, football, relationships, going out, far too much time spent on tubes, buses and other forms of public transportation, making ends meet, shopping, kitting out numerous flats in Swedish furniture, trawling markets for hidden gems, days in the park, travelling, and most of all, getting to know London.

Recently, I've started to watch films again on a more regular basis. Getting into Hayao Miyazaki, watching Samuel L. Jackson getting 'mother-fucking snakes' off a 'mother-fucking plane', seeing Captain Jack swashbuckle and talk his way out of trouble, watching Cary Grant run away from Martin Landau while falling in love with Eva Marie Saint.....suddenly, it's like I'm 14 again, and flush with pocket money and free time, seeing movies regularly seems natural again. Time to grab a bag of over salted popcorn, an over iced Coke, and sit back down in the stadium seats for two and a half hours at a time while my butt gets numb. This time though, no Tommy Lee Jones disaster flicks OK?

NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED

* So that's 10 million quid in the coffers - cheers Rafa!

* That Christina album isn't too bad, as long as you throw away the tripe filled Linda Perry second disc. Here's a re-rub of the Preemo helmed 'Back In The Day', with Termanology filling up a few bars just for fun (thanks to the kids at Spine)

* Nat at A Bit Nice spin-off My Two Dads is compiling a definitive list of your favourite TV theme tunes....ever! (note the exclamation mark to show just how important this task is). Won't you help out, pwwwwwwease? Here's one of my childhood favourites, with added Spanish glamour.



* One of those tarted up boozers that occasionally allows me to plays tunes, as well as get slighty tipsy, finally has a MySpace page. Add the Weld to your list of compadres.

And for those that skipped Major Leaguer's own version of The Wonder Years at the start of today's post, here's your reward.

Told you it was worth your while.

Harry, Harry, Harry

'Nuff said. Bring on Italy!

I've got a scarf, the scarf is for football...

* In the words of Adam and Joe, 'BALL BALL BALL, FOOTY FOOTY FOOTY! 'Am I tense? A little bit, but I'm sure the Socceroos can do the business tonight against Croatia in Stuttgart, with Viduka to score the winner in a 1-0 victory. Those checkerboard Croatians don't stand a chance...

* Faux-French sounds from the States? That'd be Nous Non Plus then. Check out their official digs here, or their MySpace dwellings here ('Lawnmower Boy' is a particular fave here at Major Leaguer)

* New issue of the Shoreditch bible Ditched is out next Friday from the usual trendy trendy bars and cafes in East Lahndahn. An interview between myself and the talented William Besson is just one of the highlights.

* Rekkids, rekkids, rekkids... and bands too! I'll be playing those vinyl discs at The Luminaire in September before the superb sounds of Inbetween Days at Remake/Remodel's night. More info soon.

* And last but not least, if you want to impress the ladies (or lads), then maybe a Yoda backpack isn't a wise move...(thanks to BoingBoing for the heads up)

It's never been like that, it's never been like that

2 posts in 24 hours? That's more like it.

* Now, there's this football-dealy-thingummy going on in German land at the moment and the Argentine lads didn't look too shabby yesterday. How's this for a goal? (keep an eye out for Diego's special 'moves' at the end - priceless)

* Those clever people at Adidas have done it again. First Adicolor, now this. It's not easy being green...

* June issue of Subter is up and running. Check out Brad's summer tips for your hi-fi.

* If you're not out and about enjoying the summer sun (sorry Southern Hemisphere peeps!), then why not have a Block Party in your home?

Major Leaguer Chart - June '06

MSTRKRFT - Street Justice
Phoenix - Long Distance Call (25 Hours A Day remix)
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler
Jamie Lidell - When I Come Back Around (Freeform Reform)
Audio Two vs Air - Top Billin
Annie - Crush (And The Lefthanded - Original Version)
Zongamin - Bongo Song
Mystery Jets - You Can't Fool Me Dennis (Good Books Remix)
The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack
Shy Child - Technicrats
The Chalets - Theme From Chalets
Brakes - All Night Disco Party (Graham Sutton Remix)
Tiga - Far From Home (Speed Of Sexor Reprise)

Damn....

....has it been two months between posts? Well, yes. Apologies for the lack of updates, tidbits, links and other goodies. Regular service will resume shortly now that puter problems appear to have been sorted (Scouts honour, although I was never a scout...).

* New MSTRKRFT at 20 Jazz Funk Greats. Thanks to Headphone Sex for the heads up.

* The Orwell, that lovely boozer on Essex Rd in Islington where Through Being Cool resides once a month, now has a presence on tinterweb. Bookmarks at the ready chaps and chapettes. Oh, and TBC is online too at MySpazz (yeah, yeah, say you're not addicted but frankly this social networking malarky is a disease most peeps can't shake. Why don't you add us to your 2,081 other friends? I dare ya!)

* Movie of the summer? Forget X-Men 3, M:I:3, 3 Fast 3 Furious, and any other movies with 3 in the title. It's all about snakes. On a plane. Oh yes. (The fan sites are particularly amusing too, such as this one)

* So my German adventure never got off the ground due to passport problems, and Her Maj's mail service. However, boosted by the Socceroos impressive showing last Monday, spirits are still relatively high for this Sunday's clash with those samba-pansies from South America. Go you good things.....

* Playing rekkids for the Mindie kids at 93 Ft East on August 4. It's gonna get messy fer shure. Brap!

That should keep you blighters amused until tomorrow. Over and out...