Does he cry through broken sentences like "I love you far too much"?

Apologies for my recent lack of writing,to be entirely honest I've been far too preoccupied to discuss music lately as for the most part I've been consumed by Harry Potter,what with 'The Deathly Hallows' and 'The Order of the Phoenix'.Well I did my part with the midnight queuing and was rewarded with a pristine copy for only £5.I won't share my views on Harry Potter here as it's not the place but suffice to say that I enjoyed every minute of it and cried lots.My reading since have been a lacklustre experience in comparison.My current read is my initiation into the 33 and a third series on classic albums,my first choice is Colin Meloy's book on The Replacements 'Let it Be'.It reads more like a memoir than a book about the Replacements,and as a bona fide fan of The Decemberists it's nice to read about Meloy's formative years.

In musical news I am honoured to announce I will be seeing a certain Ryan Adams again in a matter of months in what looks like a beautiful venue in Cardiff.I feel beyond lucky,and can only assume the two tours this year are my cosmic payload for the shitty reasons behind missing last year's solo tour.(There was a hospital stay and much trauma and general devestation,both from being ill and missing Ryan).I will also be seeing Rilo Kiley next month,which I am looking forward to despite the godawfulness that is 'The Moneymaker'.A funk-style song leads to just one question:"WHY?"

In another attempt at discourse on my most treasured albums I bring Bright Eyes 'Fevers and Mirrors'to the table.After listening to it whilst travelling through some of the Midlands less desirable spots yesterday I was overwhelmed by how fucking much I love this album.Not a new revelation of course but one it's worth remembering despite,or maybe because of my recent Conor bashing on this blog.Songs like 'The Calendar Hung Itself' and 'Haligh,Haligh,A Lie,A Lie'never fail to move me.I love the desperate emotion in lines like "she had eyes bright enough to burn me,they reminded me of yours" and "I was determined in Chicago but I dug my teeth into my knees".As for 'Haligh...'that has the honour of being the first song I added to my favourites on the arrival of my MP3 player and it's still there.Every line is exquisite,where has that attention to detail when discussing despair dissappeared to?So it was nice to be reminded of the awe I experienced when first listening to Bright Eyes is still there.I then listened to 'Letting off the Happiness' and Read Music,Speak Spanish',the latter being an album I need to be in a certain kind of mood for but completely adore.

So all in all a time for revisiting and rediscovering old favourites rather than new ones,but that's certainly cheaper for me anyway.I am also playing 'Born to Run'religiously,and must say that it's a perfect soundtrack for washing up.The soundtrack for reading 'The Deathly Hallows'consisted of much Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams and a healthy side order of Harry and the Potters.How awesome is it that Harry Potter has inspired so many bands?I mean come on,'Voldermort Can't Stop the Rock'?There are no words to desribe that level of greatness,wizard rock rules.

And on that note,my geekiness fully exposed I will depart and return soon with word of my latest fixations.

You cried the union forever,but that was untrue girl

I've set up a 'stats'feed for this blog so I can see how many visits it's getting and I must say that I've been pleasantly surprised so far and hope that by posting regularly I can increase that gradually.Thanks to those of you who do read,in particular those who have left comments,it's always nice to have made connections with other people,especially as a lot of the time I feel like one of the only ones who feels so strongly about music.(I know I'm NOT,I just don't come into contact with like minded types too often,certainly not in 'real'life anyway as gigs seem to be populated by morons).

Anywho,I was in London for a few days this week which was fab as always.I love it there,the vibrance and the noise and the hustle and bustle.It is also the location of my favourite bookshop in the country.I haven't visited every one in the land of course but it's safe to say that outdoing this one is not possible.There are also some lovely record shops there and I found some wonderous things,like 'The River'.Perhaps belatedly I am in the grip of a Bruce Springsteen fixation and am very slowly building a collection of his records.'The River'was particularly sought after as it's considered such a classic,and double albums are always worth perusing.It is a fantastic album and I'm very glad I found a reasonably priced copy.I also found 'Tim'by The Replacements,which sent me into a music fan stupour,another fantastic record.Sadly there was nothing by The National to be found but I will persist,and I am more than happy with my purchases.I also found Eleni Mandell's 'Miracle of Five'for £1!I believe I was introduced to her by a certain Lis(http://lastyearsgirl.pixlet.net/) and the album is lovely stuff.

Of course the main reason for my visit was to see The White Stripes,but my description of that can only be a heavy hearted dissapointment.I'm not sure what it was about the performance but I just didn't feel the spark that would mean the gig would forever be in my mental hall of fame.It didn't help that the crowd was huge and unbearably squashed close together.The other times I've seen them were much better and this time seemed a little perfunctory to me.I wasn't keen on the meandering solos either,but I guess you expect all the crowd pleasing flourishes at such a huge gig.I left feeling a little hollow though,glad to have seen them again but feeling as if I hadn't heard most of my favourite songs.I also hate it when bands have one very iconic song that the majority of the crows is waiting to hear and will inevitably be the gig's finale.Of course that song is 'Seven Nation Army'and while I like the song a lot and do think it's probably amongst their best I hate the predictability of its appearance and the crowd's response.Especially as a guy behind me remarked "everyone in the place is just waiting to hear that opening riff",well actually,I wasn't.I would have preferred 'The Hardest Button to Button','The Union Forever'or 'The Big Three Killed My Baby'.I'm still looking forward to hearing 'Icky Thump'for the first time tomorrow,although I must admit not being that impressed by the couple of live previews.

As I write this I am listening to the Bats for Lashes album.I got it about 8 months ago and listened to it but had neglected it since then,until today I stumbled across a rather magnificent cover of 'I'm on Fire'which led me to rummaging around for the album.It's a lot more memorable and loveable this time so I guess it's a grower.The opening track 'Horse and I'really reminds me of old Bjork.I love the first three Bjork albums dearly but have liked the more recent three less and less.I can't really get into 'Volta'at all,I just find it overwhelming,it seems to have taken on far too many styles.

Well,this has seemed like a very long post to type so I will end it there,I'm sure I'll be back soon with my thoughts on a certain 'Icky Thump'.

Bastards of Young

Perhaps by this stage in my life I should be beyond posting lyrics I relate to online,but this song is helping me out a lot at the moment,and the lyrics are highly relevant to anyone having the quarter-life crisis,so I thought I would share them.

The Replacements-Bastards of Young

God, what a mess, on the ladder of success
Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung
Dreams unfulfilled, graduate unskilled
It beats pickin' cotton and waitin' to be forgotten
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons
Clean your baby womb, trash that baby boom
Elvis in the ground, there'll ain't no beer tonight
Income tax deduction, what a hell of a function
It beats pickin' cotton and waitin' to be forgotten

We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the son
Unwillingness to claim us, ya got no war to name us
The ones who love us best are the ones we'll lay to rest
And visit their graves on holidays at best
The ones who love us least are the ones we'll die to please
If it's any consolation, I don't begin to understand them
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of youngThe daughters and the sons
Young...take it, it's yours...

Spread our ashes round the yard

I feel a little irrate right now as already I have discovered the potential peril lurking beyond my dissmissive attitude towards the 'save as draft'option.I just wrote a post and then entered an imcompatible character in the tag,meaning the post is unpublished and lost.It wasn't particularly impressive but I'm annoyed that it didn't save as I can't write exactly the same things from memory and now the ideas seem contrived as opposed to spontaneous thoughts.

I'm currently listening to The Replacements,and as ever once I've discovered someone new I curse myself severly for not paying more attention previously.All I can say is thank you Jesse Malin for introducing me to them.Not only do you produce outstanding music of your own but you are also a huge music fan.I loved hearing his description of 'Broken Radio'at the gig I attended a few months ago,"It's about when music was a way of life",I found that profound and something I could relate to wholeheartedly.It's no joke to say I don't know where I would be without my music.

Thinking along those lines lead me to contemplate songs I feel moved by every time I hear them.As a rather sensitive type who always listens to emotionally wraught music it's not surprising there are an army of examples behind me,I thought I'd just share a few of them.The song I was listening to earlier on as I considered this theme was 'That I Would Be Good'by Alanis Morissette.She is someone I have been a fan of for a long time and retain a lot of appreciation for.I've never understood why she is dismissed as something of a joke.'That I Would Be Good' and 'The Couch'which follows it are both such fragile and stirring songs that I can never listen to either without feeling moved.I love the music I listened to to expose raw emotions and that's exactly what they achieve.I CARE about the sentiments being expressed because they are so genuine,unlike many overly earnest singer songwriters.

Another song which abandons me on the edge of tears after each listen is 'Naked As We Came' by Iron &Wine.I would reproduce the lyrics if I didn't think that might leave me in some kind of trouble,but needless to say those three or four minutes have moved me more than any poem I have ever read.Put simply it is one of the most poetic and affecting songs about death I have so far encountered.

This theme is one I plan to return to,but for now I want to make sure I can actually 'publish'this without losing it again!