Dub dot dash

Now hear this.
Grabbed a cd reissue of Rock For Light by Bad Brains from Sounds, of all places. They are having a 'collector's sale, featuring rarities, imports, and interesting stuff', which translates as marketing-speak for lets get rid of that wierd indie crap that we never move. I aint complaining - Bad Brains for sixteen bucks. Sweet.

Also been listening to the latest album from Recloose (Detroit native now based on Kapiti Coast) called Hiatus on the Horizon, tasty stuff. You've probably heard his tune 'Dust' on the radio, features Dallas from Fat Freddy's Drop on vox. “A sophomore LP, ranging from edgy techno-inspired club tracks, to ska-laden rhythms and downtempo soul.” says Straight No Chaser Magazine. So there. And the new album from International Observer is pretty choice too, if you like laid back electro-dub, which I do.


Miles sent me a lovely email saying nice things about my blog, bless his cotton socks -he's got his own blog on the joys of commuting via Auckland's fraught train system, it's worth a lookee...


Here's a handful of MP3's on the theme of answer records via WFMU - example...
Carole King: Oh! Neil - Answer to Neil Sedaka's Oh! Carol
Sonny Wright: I'll Come Home A' Drinkin' - Answer to Loretta Lynn's Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'
The Bar-Kays: Son of Shaft - Answer to Isaac Hayes' Theme From Shaft
Paul Peek: Brother In-Law (He's A Mooch) - Answer to Ernie K-Doe's Mother-In-Law

You get the idea? Check it.





Shameless plug
Caught this twisted new UK comedy/drama called Shameless on Prime TV last night (screens Monday round 9.45pm). The premise goes like this... "The critically acclaimed and brilliantly funny drama from award-winning writer Paul Abbott features the Chatsworth Estate's Gallaghers, probably the UK's most dysfunctional family.

Head of the family, Frank, embarks on a series of adventures with his remarkably well-balanced children Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl and Liam - not forgetting the seventh kid on the way with Frank's valium-fuelled lover, Sheila.

Shameless is packed with sex, drugs, gratuitous violence, love and scams. Chaos ensues with more tales of how one extraordinary family goes about its normal everyday life." It's set in the ugly confines of a Manchester housing estate. Here's some of the characters...

FRANK GALLAGHER (David Threlfall)
Age 42. Roaring drunk, colourful, angry and self-pitying, Frank's the biggest kid of the family.

FIONA GALLAGHER (Anne-Marie Duff)
Age 20. The feisty eldest sister, she’s bright, sassy and craving a bit of adventure in her life.

LIP GALLAGHER (Jody Latham)
Age 16. Mouthy, adolescent and extremely intelligent – a dangerous combination. Lip has two obsessions – to lose his virginity and to escape the Chatsworth Estate.

STEVE (James McAvoy)
Age 23. Cool, handsome, charming, with a steady job (car thief). Once a medical student, he comes from a nice middle-class background.

IAN GALLAGHER (Gerard Kearns)
Age 15. Keeps his private life very private - you don’t let on you’re gay on the Chatsworth Estate.

VERONICA (Maxine Peake)
Age 30. She’s the Gallagher’s neighbour and Fiona’s best mate. Calls herself a nurse but was actually a cleaner in the local hospital.

KEV (Dean Lennox Kelly)
Age 33. Good old dependable Kev is Veronica’s long-term boyfriend. He works in the local pub, loves Veronica and keeps getting embroiled in the Gallagher’s scams.

KASH (Chris Bisson)
Age 35. Runs the local mini mart. Kash is a hard-working, married, Muslim father of two. And he’s having a love affair with his under-age shop assistant.

I've also been perservering with Outrageous Fortune, which aint a million miles away from Shameless in terms of it's premise. This local comedy/drama focuses on the ups and downs of a westie family, and no matter how often I watch it, there are no signs of life. Not funny, not engaging - put it this way - Shameless is like Outrageous Fortune, but good.
Diana Wichtel in The Listener suggested that "unlike The Insiders Guide to Happiness, Outrageous Fortune is not another great leap forward for local TV drama. The sad thing is that it clearly could have been."
And did you see Hayley Westernra's rack on the news last night? Wow.