Hi, long time no post... but anyways... Congrats to Mike on the happy addition to the household :-)


M.I.A - Arular. This is what pop music should sound like in 2005. Fun, sexy, highly danceable, subversive and a mashup of more musical styles than you can shake a stick at. A breath of fresh air.

DJ Shadow - Diminishing Returns. This is a DJ mix that was played on John Peels BBC show in 2003 I think. Only a thousand copies were produced and it cost me more than any CD is worth but what the hey... it rocks.

Mum - Yesterday Was Dramatic... Only just picked this up and I should have grabbed it ages ago.

Nina Nastasia - Dogs. They're all good aren't they? This could be the best... depends on the day.

Prefuse 73 - Surrounded By Silence. Not his best and I've only listened a couple of times, all over the map but still good.

Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum. Getting better all the time.

Caribou - The Milk Of Human Kindness. Only just got it and unsure so far.

Nick Cave - Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus. Nick and the Seeds in full flight.

DNTEL - Life Is Full Of Possibilities. Major reappraisal for this one. Wasn't that thrilled back in 2002 but now I think it's fantastic, don't really understand what I was thinking.. This is the dream of Evan and Chan is wonderfull and yet I put Last Songs on a comp which although it presages Four Tet's - Rounds by a year or two is hardly representative of this album.

Dalek - Absence. As in your face as I can take probably. Washes of noise and guitars over Hip Hop beats and virulently political rapping. I'm sure I've read of it being compared to Loveless which seems a stretch. I love it and I wish there was more Hip Hop that was pushing the envelope away from that RnB schlock that makes me... well never mind.

Roots Manuva - Awfully Deep. When it's good which is most of the time it's very good but when it's bad it makes you really wonder WTF he was thinking.

Enough already... Chris.