Pushing it to the back of my mind, you see to all intents and purposes I'm fine

Just finished reading my first book of the year.  I really should have done it sooner especially as I claim to be such a big Edwyn Collins fan. The book is quite heart breaking most of the time, as you read all of what he and Grace, his wife went through to get him well again but they got there in the end,  it's an incredible story.

 

My best Edwyn story is the one about me and Graeme from The Love Parade going  to see him play at the Dovecot Arts Centre in Stockton. We thought we would be able to pay on the door but it was sold out when we got there,  so we had to stake out the doors to try and catch Edwyn coming or going. Graeme was lucky and as Edwyn strided up to the back stage door he told him we had travelled miles to see him and would there be any chance of us getting in on the guest list,  "of course" he said. We witnessed a magnicent performance, it was around the time of the Hope and Despair LP and he was on fire, i can remember him jumping about on the speakers brandishing his guitar, I wish there was some footage of that gig somewhere.



I was late to the Orange Juice party Rip It Up was first thing I bought by them. It was a double pack 7" with a fold out cover that I remember having up on my bedroom wall, the bue tack stains remain on the reverse. I always preferred  A Sad Lament, reminded me of T Rex? I also remember recording a Janice Long session around about the same time and one of the songs was Flesh Of My Flesh, for years I always thought it had a bit of "are you being served" vibe about it, but I found an mp3 of it on a web site recently and it sounds nothing like it!

When are you gonna see, I carved your name in the cherry tree

Well I really hope Teenage by Veronica Falls is released as a 7" on Slumberland soon, maybe gorgeous coloured vinyl too. I saw them a couple of years ago in Leeds supporting Teenage Fanclub and was well impressed but then when I listened to their records they seemed much darker with almost goth tendencies, but this is pop music the way it should be. It rushes along and leaves you breathless, then you go and play it all over again.

I heard about it on Xanthi's songs for girls to sing blog. (Sorry I stole your post title but I had to.)

Cheer up, Fucking cheer up , it might never happen, in fact it already has

Why is everyone so surprised that the Wolfhounds have returned with a stunning new single? Cheer Up is full of chugging guitars , insistent wiry lead guitar, a chorus so catchy that when you  sing it to miserable bastards it will be impossible for them not to crack a smile. Only January but it's my single of the year.

this old heart is beating for her, the sweetness in her spark is gonna make me stay

Well here goes with my top 8 singles of 2012 in no particular order. Well I bought them in 2012 maybe some were released sooner… links to have a listen are here too, I hope someone finds a song they've never heard before and likes it enough to buy it.

Cassolette - Stay Heavy (Cloudberry) (soundcloud)
Close Lobsters - Steel Love (Firestation) (soundcloud)
Alpaca Sports - Just For Fun (Dufflecoat) (soundcloud)
Go Kart Mozart - New World In The Morning (Brum) (youtube)
Sad Day For Puppets - When You Tell Me That You Love Me (acoustic) (Fastcut) (youtube)
The June Brides - January Moon (Slumberland/Occulation) (soundcloud)
Lightships - Sweetness In Her Spark (Domino) (soundcloud)
Lets Say We Did - The Stars Above Looked Bright And Green (Nesna) (soundcloud)

Should all the stars shine in the sky, they couldn't outshine yoursparkling eyes

But now you're gone everything has gone, will you remember me?

I like going to the dentists when everything is fine, like today!

Going to try and grow some veg again this year, couldn't get into the swing of it last year. Started today, digging over the first raised bed, didn't last too long, I forgot how much it hurts my back!

True it's a dream mixed with nostalgia, But it's a dream that I'll always hang on to, That I'll always run to, Won't you join me by the riverbank

 I can't believe I didn't write a single entry on here all last year, will try and be a bit more productive this year. The river at Hurworth on Wednesday.

Cup of tea and a date slice at Richmond indoor market cafe

 William Morris book. £2 British Red Cross, Richmond. Shame someone ripped three of the pages out of it.