Political Dissidents?

There has been a lot of talk in the papers this morning about how the troubles in the city centre on Saturday were orchestrated by dissident republicans. The only eye witness report I got was from my uncle, who was standing on O'Connell bridge as the hordes bounded across. He overheard this exchange between two young locals:

Local #1: Cum onin, we're hedin to Leinster Howse.
Local #2: Wher fucks tha?
Local #1: How wud I'n know? Les juz wreck da gaff.

Maybe their politcal point just got lost the shamozzle.

Nothing Comes Between My Dumptruck & Me

I listened to an album for the first time in 10 years last night and it reminded me how much my listening habits have changed since the advent of the ipod. It had been an age since I sat through an album from start to finish and I took huge enjoyment from devoting the evening to the album, rather than my recent habit of impatiently judging albums as I stood on overheated and overpeopled dart carraiges.

It helps that Soup by Blind Melon was a favourite album of mine for years. It was a strange experience listening to it again, not knowing what was coming next but instantly recognising what I heard when it did. It was strange because this eerie feeling persisted for the 45 minute duration of the album. If you'd asked me to write the lyrics down after each song I wouldn't have been able to and yet I sang my way through the whole album. When the chorus of Skinned kicked off, I actually palmed my forehead in disbelief. How could I forget such brilliance?

I had been clearing out boxes of stuff that had been in long term storage since the move from Wicklow a couple of years ago. I found a Fisher Price tap recorder and microphone we'd bought for my sister and played a few old albums from my chest of tapes. There was a chilling moment when Sepultura morphed into a recording of my 14 year old self, singing Fell On Black Days by Soundgarden with an hilariously serious grunge intonation. I think I know now how Ronan Keating developed his singing style.

Let me make it clear that I'm not being nostalgic. The vast majority of the tapes were absolutely appalling and I was surprised that Soup stood up so well. If you didn't buy it the first time around, they're like a mature and interesting version of The Shins. The other albums I was listening to at the time, Smashing Pumpkins (nature kids), Stone Temple Pilots (elegant bachelors) and Jeff Buckley, sound horribly dated. I can't listen to Jeff Buckley now without picturing him standing half naked in front of a mirror, practicing his scales as he brushes his hair.

Looking at my jumble sale collection of tapes and comparing it to my ipod, I couldn't but be glad of the scale of progress. But I have made a number of resolutions. From now on I will:
(1) Listen to an album until what I think would be the end of the first side, press pause, turn the ipod over in my hands, wait 30 seconds and then press play.
(2) Fast forward songs at the same speed of a tape instead of skipping around. I will not look at the dial as I do this and if I overshoot, I will just have to repeat the process.

Manhattan Baby

Wonderful news, Elke and Steve are with child! And they want you to be involved in the whole process. Both agreed over the phone (binding contract) to submit the name of their firstborn to a public vote. So take this opportunity to participate in the magic of child birth by voting in the poll on the sidebar below. The happy couple are firmly commited to accepting whatever name you choose. For my part, I like the cheap thrill of Tinsel Kinsella.

On an occasion such as this I usually defer to the Word of God for guidance and comfort. And so Elke, here is a little homespun wisdom from the man upstairs which I'm sure he thought would have been comforting at the time he wrote it (he was a man of his time):

"As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes all things." Ecclesiastes 11:5

Walk the Line

Went to see Walk the Line last night and I loved it. The musical performances are wonderful, the leads are utterly charming and the film rarely stumbles into the mawkish territory you'd expect.

Usually with a music biopic the enjoyment would be in recognising events and appreciating the mimcry of the leads, but this film delivers a great deal more. There is a chilling moment at the beginning where you actually see Joaquin Phoenix become Johnny Cash right in front of you. He is auditioning for Sam Phillips in Sun Records and after getting savaged for his first attempt, Phoenix labours unsurely into Folsom Prison Blues. By the time he hits the third verse, your head is tilted forwards and you're gritting your teeth as Johnny Cash bellows out I Shot A Man In Reno, Just To Watch Him Die.

As the film develops, Phoenix seems to gather more of Cash's characteristics until at one point it seems that he even has Cash's eyes. I can't say exactly when I noticed the change but Phoenix perfectly captures the huge dinnerplate-dead stare of the raging pillhead. His eyes actually look blackened.

The hugely enjoyable musical performances dominate the film, from the Carter-Cash duet Jackson to the riotously explosive Cocaine Blues that bookends the film. Witherspoon is lovely. I can't figure out how she manages to maintain her charm with that rediculous face of hers, but its the best she's been since Election.

I really really enjoyed this film. Lorraine and I sang the whole way home and she even let me do some of the June Carter harmonies on Jackson. What a treat.

Films to Watch with Your Parents

Since I'm finishing up my thesis and saving money to visit the kids in New York, I've found myself sitting down to watch movies with my parents quite a lot recently. I think we all realise I won't visit a great deal once I've moved over to the big city (due to the inevitably long employment search I'll undertake because of my drippy qualifications) and so they've been incredibly tolerant of my thesis-broody presence in the house.

We go out for a nice meal and I pick up something to watch afterwards. The first few films were easy pickings. Ray, The Aviator and Dark Water - all pleasantly family orientated. Subsequent choices recquired an appreciation of relative film tastes however. Pat is usually satisfied if there is either revoltingly gratuitous violence or liberal swearing. Eleanor likes anything with 20 Oscars attached to it. Emma likes American high school bitchyness or Horror. Everyone likes Brad Pitt. The most successful choices then were Mean Girls, Mean Creek and Wolf Creek.

In the last couple of weeks, it's become difficult to keep everyone satisfied. On the one hand, you become intolerant of everyone else and just pick what you want. On the other, you don't want to watch anything uncomfortable. It's difficult to forget the time my mother walked in at the point in Blue Velvet when Denis Hopper is screaming Fuck Me Mommy between the legs of Isabella Rosellini. A good rule is: Do not under any circumstances get taken in by the Wonderful Black Comedy quote on Todd Solonz films. I made the mistake of renting Happiness a couple of years ago and I wasn't spoken to for a week.

Anyway, we all sat down to watch Dead Man's Shoes at the weekend and it was a roaring success. The best policy it turns out is to pick favourite films from the past (because you don't mind watching it again). This is five star material. Pat and I enjoyed the glorious Bonnie Prince Billy and Smog soundtrack. Emma, Pat and I enjoyed the violent horror aspect. Eleanor and I enjoyed the human interest quality of the story. Everyone enjoyed the amazing plot twist. There's even a chance that Paddy Considine might replace Brad Pitt as family favourite. Invite him into your home this weekend.

Tom Waits Mixtape

Lazy blogging = Repeatedly uploading mixtapes that no one downloads. But why not take this opportunity to dip your head into the oil-murky brainpool of Tom Waits? You like Brutality don't you? And you like Exotica, Farmyard Percussion and Neighbourly Intrigue. It's all here.

If your head is telling you: "Horrible yelling...no melodies...Leave it alone", then ignore it. Tom Waits has lovely ballads and the best ones are on this list. 18 songs might seem a little excessive as an introduction but it all sits together well. In any case, despite almost completely ignoring the first half of his career, I can't narrow it down anymore.

I've tried a couple of other file hosting sites so that I can link the songs directly but they are hoplessly slow. So follow the usual setup to download the songs, click here, enter clickerconspiracy as username and mixtape as password. You'll find Tom in the Files Section. That should probably be Flies Section actually.

1. Misery is the River of the World ~ Blood Money
2. Tango Till They're Sore ~ Rain Dogs
3. Don't Go Into That Barn ~ Real Gone
4. Cold Cold Ground ~ Frank's Wild Years
5. Fall of Troy ~ Dead Man Walking Soundtrack
6. Who Are You? ~ Bone Machine
7. What's He Building? ~ Mule Variations
8. Alice ~ Alice
9. Innocent When You Dream (78) ~ Frank's Wild Years
10. Reeperbahn ~ Alice
11. Going Out West ~ Bone Machine
12. Russian Dance ~ The Black Rider
13. Watch Her Disappear ~ Alice
14. Fawn ~ Alice
15. Rain Dogs ~ Rain Dogs
16. Invitation to the Blues ~ Small Change
17. In the Neighbourhood ~ Swordfishtrombones
18. That Feel ~ Bone Machine

Top Gun 2: Brokeback Squadron

Long before Brokeback Mountain, there was Top Gun. Have a look at this original trailer for Top Gun and see why it is filed under the Special Interest section in your local video store.

Brand-Spanky New Music Mixtape

The year's only a month old and there's reason already to be delirious from excitement because there's a disgusting amount of brand-spankingly good music coming out. I'm not sure if staring at rows and rows of Mathematica commands all day has finally gotten to me but I've been traipsing along with an abundance of glee all week due to this stuff. The last song, by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti 5, has filled me with so much joy that while listening to it each morning, I try to get the attention of the prettiest girl in the library and as soon as she looks up, I shoot her two thumbs up.

Sparks are back to tell us that "Chicks dig...D.I.G...metaphors", Cat Power has recorded another classic with Al Green's band and Jenny Lewis summons up the Travelling Wilburys classic Handle With Care.

South America by Nicolas Makelberge may not count as brand spanking new, but I'm sure you'll agree that, over the course of the last year, it has proven itself to be Immortal. How can you make a song about a fast car, travelling through South America, sound transcendental? By making that car red!

The mixtape is available here, the username is clickerconspiracy and the password is mixtape(the songs are in the files section). I've also stuck up a few pictures that my dad took while climbing in the Alps, have a look in the random set of the photo section.

1. South America ~ Nicolas Makelberge
2. Maple Leaves ~ Jens Leckman
3. Leave This City ~ Magnolia Electric Co.
4. Ibi Dreams of Pavement ~ Broken Social Scene
5. The Greatest ~ Cat Power
6. Noah's Ark ~ CocoRosie
7. Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood ~ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
8. Methaphor ~ Sparks
9. Handle With Cate ~ Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
10.Everynight I Die At Miyagi's ~ Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti 5

Whaaats in the boxx??

Today, while flipping through the world of shit that is Rolling Stone magazine on the subway home, I stumbled upon an article which made me run home. Dramatic I know, but the opportunity to beat 'Special K' at blogging something before he finds out was enough to put the wind in my sails.
Now what 'I' have found is a website that will make work a little easier to bear, and you can find it by clicking here------------------> www.pandora.com. Once you've clicked this non conspiracy you'll find an interwarble radio site. Now the good folks at Pandora have had musicians working for the last three or four months traipsing through a 400,000 (and growing) song collection, and linking songs with similarities according to lyrics, tone, musicality and loads of other stuff. Still not convinced! Well go there and open up pandora's box for yourself to see whats in store. For example, i typed in 'Hope there's someone' by Anto and the Johnsons and i was linked to Magnetic Fields. Brilliant, i exclaimed with mirth and a wry smile.

Bow down Kinsella.