Fab Four

Under normal circumstances I don't work with children or animals. There's a very good reason why this is an exception; if one day you're feeling down in the dumps just sit and watch these guys.

The Last Thing You Do Before You Die Is...

You'll have heard of this I'm sure but bewarned that this is not the full episode, merely the last 6 minutes.

The Death of Chef from South Park.

Bashing The Bush

It's not always about the music and stuff.

This is political but qualifies for inclusion here as it's also very funny and entertaining - as it most of the stuff on "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central, or More4 in the UK). Presented by Jon Stewart it provides hope and reassurance that sanity still resides somewhere on the other side of the pond whilst making ya laff quite hard too.



Have a search on YouTube for more clips from the show - time well wasted.

Better, Stronger, Faster.

"She's breaking up, she's breaking u...".

You may have to be of a certain age to remember this but hopefully the repeats will have broadened the appeal.

What? Did you think Radiohead were making it up?

"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him".



Lee Majors married Farah Fawcett and made her Farah Fawcett Majors.

Respect.

Fuckface

NSFW.

Not because of pr0n or anything but just because you have speakers and you're trying to retain some sort of dignity.



Bloody Italians....

Disconnect And Self-Destruct

In anticipation of the new Tool album 10,000 Days due in May, it's not a bad idea to get all excited now by listening to someone else - we'll come back to Tool closer to the time.

Tool lead singer James Maynard Keenan is also in A Perfect Circle - brilliant when they do original material but awful when covering Marvin Gaye.

This is a personal favourite; the rather fabulous The Outsiders even more fabulously live. Keenan declares his love for Rage/Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk for a reason that someone can explain to me if they known why.

Or not, as one mans love for another needs no justification.



And then there's this, one of only two tracks from their eMOTIVE album that's not a cover and therefore better than most other tracks therein; A shiny glistening gem in a pile of poop.

Climbing The Walls

Continuing the Patton lovefest, Leo pointed me in the direction of this live performance of Faith No More on SNL from 1990.

No shortage of manic energy here.

Mini Michael

In a desperate attempt to raise funds to cover his legal costs, Jacko's taken up busking.

And shrunk a bit.

Toy Trainspotting

Way back when they were merely Adam & Joe, Adam & Joe produced this. The very first sketch in the very first episode of the show that Adam & Joe made called the Adam & Joe Show.

From memory alone, this is 8 years old or thereabouts.



To this day they host a Saturday afternoon radio progamme on London's Xfm radio which is probably available online; link from here.

More of Adam Buxton here - take the time to be amused.

You might have more luck than me finding Joe Cornish here.

Stroke My Clover, Kiss Me I'm Irish.

Lost for ideas on how to celebrate St Patricks Day?

Perhaps a drink would help?



Or maybe a drink is actually a bad idea......



Not that any of these stereotypes are true you understand.



Someone, however always takes it that one step too far.



So, you have drinking, fighting, religion and everything's gone green. We could do with a donkey really but all I have is this horse. A Eurovision song entry from Father Ted and Dougal. (In reality it's by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy)



Happy Paddy's Day!!!

Let Peeping Tom Lie

May 2006... a good month for Mike Patton fans.

Patton will be perfoming in Modena Italy on the 8th of May this year. The program for the Concert (Italian web-page, but I don't foresee that as being a problem) is available here.

Lucky Italians...

Then, this just in from Ipecac Recordings: (I say just, I mean just Tuesday...)

First up, Firecracker, Mike Patton's acting debut, is to be released on DVD on May 23, 2006.

Make of it what you will... I've been following this one for a considerable amount of time and personally I can't wait. Catch the trailer here.

Or the typically sketchy youtube vid here:



Then one week later, on May 30, 2006, Ipecac Recordings will release the highly anticipated (and long overdue, IMO, having notoriously taken the man over 6 years to complete) debut album from Peeping Tom. Patton's pop masterpiece is finally almost upon us.

Joined by an impressive lineup of guests, here is what you get for your hard earned moolah (Or NOT, as the case is most likely to be) ;)

1) Five Seconds (featuring Odd Nosdam)
2) Mojo (featuring Rahzel and Dan the Automator)
3) Don't Even Trip (featuring Amon Tobin)
4) Getaway (featuring Kool Keith)
5) Your Neighborhood Spaceman (featuring Jel and Odd Nosdam)
6) Kill The DJ (featuring Massive Attack)
7) Caipirinha (featuring Bebel Gilberto)
8) Celebrity Death Match (featuring Kid Koala)
9) How U Feelin? (featuring Doseone)
10) Sucker (featuring Norah Jones)
11) We're Not Alone (featuring Dub Trio)

So, some recently regular collaborators there then... but wait... Norah Jones? WTF?

Patton in her defence is quoted as saying:

"One of the album’s highlights, is 'Sucker'. It’s a pretty vulgar song,” he said, laughing.
“You don’t recruit someone like that unless you … I mean, I had something real specific in mind for her, and I wanted to take her out of her element and put her in a new environment and make it exciting, and she loved it. She did great. But yeah, you won’t recognize Norah. She’s cussing her ass off. It’s insane. She’s like a cruel vamp, and it’s super sexy, hot and, yeah, cruel.”

The man certainly keeps himself busy. More to follow on his various other side projects.

Not The Simpsons

A truly bizarre little cartoon from 1974 featuring Black Sabbath. Concrete evidence if it was ever needed that Ozzy has always been off his trolley. The band go on holiday to Hawaii and high jinks ensue.

View The Pedestal Craters in Utopia

Why?

Because you can.

Googlemaps for Mars (yes, the planet).

Like a Whale Needs a Hole In Its Head

This is a beautiful piece of kit, revealed yesterday at the CeBIT technology fair. The future may not be exactly like this but you won't hear me complaining if it is.





More information available here and here.

"Going Down Y'all, Like The Wall of Berlin"

It's a truly truly awful line but it's thankfully lost in the rest of the rather great new Prince album, 3121.

I was singing along with the opening title tune by the end of the first listen and although track 3, Te Amo Corazen is a slightly dreary ballad and easily the weaktest track on the album, it picks up again quite nicely with the value Prince's "candle" being discussed in what will probably be a single release "Incense and Candle".

In fabulous falsetto fashion Prince goes all retro with one of his classic fuck me songs on "Satisfied" and is brilliant from then to the end. This is isn't intended as an album review so I won't go to the extent of detailing every track but from here on in it's a pretty flawless Prince performance.

Now available.

Life Imitating Art Imitating Life

Maybe it's because it sounds like such a bad idea, but why it has never been done before is beyond me.
Or not really, because after all, it is a bad idea.

Unless you execute it this well.

The Simpsons by actors that have to be paid.



Our resident Simpsons expert (The Curly One) has noticed a few anomalies in the production. But then she is quite anal.
When it comes to The Simpsons I mean....

For example, young Maggie is sat on the viewers right in the car scene with Marge. When you understand however that this is an English production, the reason for this becomes clear.

For the same reason, Chief Wiggams' counterpart is in the uniform of the English Constabulary. Quite rightly wearing the flat cap of the Chief Superintendent Inspector.

And there's no letter box on the front lawn as there is in the (un)real version.

God forbid.

Chip Off the Old Block

We should like this.

From James Murphys label and the support act for LCD Soundsystems tour of last year, this is Hot Chip.





I haven't actually got my hands on any of their releases yet so keep your eyes peeled for us all on this one. You will however find a selection of clips, videos and other media at their online home or on their myspace page. "Over and over" could actually be an LCD tune in my mind and is due as a single release next week.

Other curiousities...

James Murphys production team DFA (also the label) remixed Bellhead by Liquid Liquid who were featured here a little while ago. AND a remix of a Tiga tune (who I think Luke had mentioned). Not only that but apparently he's been known to spin a few Junior Senior tunes when DJing...

There's a new LCD album called Introns due in Mid-March. Essentially an album of remixes, the track details and little conversation with Mr Murphy is usually available on his forum. Will include the Tiga remix of Tribulations.