Music

The Killers (Glastonbury 2005) has successfully been converted from DVD to WAV format and to ATRAC format on a CD. Thanks to two excellent software tools: MediaCoder (DVD to MP3 converter) and Audacity.

Student, indie, garage band who obviously love Blur and Half Man, Half Biscuit (but sadly lacking the humour) and then, one day, after missing a Physics lecture, the drummer comes in with a Macc Lads tape. No wonder they gave CD’s away free at their early gigs. I should have known better - always give a wide berth to any band who have ever been described in glowing terms by NME....

A kind gentleman (on The Chameleons forums) once reviewed ‘Interpol’s ‘Antics’ thus: No thanks. If I want to listen to Joy Division, I will put ‘Unknown Pleasures’ on. A worthy review which introduced me to one of my favourite bands. He also followed up more recently by reviewing ‘The Back Room’ by The Editors as follows: No thanks. If I want to listen to Interpol, I will put ‘Antics’ on....

I have been playing a CD in my car on Disc-Random-Shuffle mode for ten weeks. The CD contains close to 200 songs. I have heard all the songs once, some twice and a handful three times. This morning, I heard something that sent a shiver down my spine, chilled my bones and momentarily froze me to the spot. ‘Spectre versus Rector’ by The Fall. This ‘song’ is a 8 minute rant from Mark E....

Mark Burgess once introduced ‘Here Today’ with these words. I just read on The Chameleons message board that Mancunian musician, Bryan Glancy, died at the weekend. I didn’t know Bryan Glancy. I never met Bryan Glancy. I just happened to see him supporting The Chameleons in Camden back in November 2002. Just very sad for his friends and family to think of another young person gone before his time. Elsewhere, four young people are convicted of manslaughter (not murder) for kicking a man to death in a random attack on London’s South Bank....

A long time ago, there was a unique band called The Chameleons who hailed from Middleton, Manchester. Like a lot of bands, The Chameleons made some records, built up a dedicated following, played lots of gigs and then split up. Like a lot of bands, The Chameleons reformed. Like a lot of bands, The Chameleons made some more records, played some more gigs and then split up (again). However, unlike a lot of bands, the lead singer, Mark Burgess, once went to a private individual’s house and played at their birthday party....

Bob Geldof wanted The Killers to appear at Live 8 at Hyde Park in London. The Killers themselves desperately wanted to take part. Harvey Goldsmith couldn’t find room to accommodate The Killers in the running order because of problems about the closing time and the provision of police/ambulance/London transport cover for a late ending at Hyde Park. Eventually, The Killers played one song on another band’s kit at Live 8 in sharp suits to save time on the changeover....

The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It U2 - City of Blinding Lights Wonder if Brandon got up and played the piano when U2 recently supported The Killers.

There is nothing more tedious than a blog that starts: Mood: Restless. Currently listening to: X&Y, Coldplay However I have just burned a CD in ATRAC3Plus format using Sony SonicStage which contains 15 albums ! The Killers - Hot Fuss Interpol - Antics Snow Patrol - Final Straw British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power The Chameleons - Live at the Academy (2 discs) Morrissey - Beethoven is Deaf Radiohead - The Bends R....

I have got an old radio cassette in my car with a aerial mounted in the rear windscreen. The MW reception is pretty poor and if you go under a bridge, the interference nearly makes your ears bleed. As I listen to Radio 5 Live quite a lot, this is rather irritating. After months of prevaricating and thinking, I impetuously went out and bought a Sony DAB6650. This is a DAB radio (with FM/MW/LW as well) and a CD player....