I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me

So the wheel of the new year has started to turn once more and the Godess has given birth to the Sun God and we head into the light of the coming summer.
In the seasonal spirit of rejoicing the new year here is my choice for a New Year Eve tune. A message of defiance for any hardship we may face.

MP3: This Year - The Mountain Goats 

The Future is unwritten Joe Strummer (a film by Julian Temple).

As a childhood Clash fan I was eager to watch this film when a friend lent it to me. It's a documentary style film covering Joe Strummer's life and career including: his childhood; his first successful band The 101ers; his days living as a hippie in London squats; the rise and fall of The Clash; his life post Clash including his continued musical career with The Mescaleros. It is not just a rockumentary and tribute to Joe Strummer but also a fascinating insight into the times in which he lived, his personality, and relationships with band members and people he met and worked with. There are many interviews with people who knew Joe, these are filmed in the ambiance of a cosy campfire. Campfire 'get togethers' at music festivals where occaisions for which Joe was renown. The interviews, (Conversations with Joe), are also available on the DVD as an extra feature to watch separately, this also includes interviews that didn't appear in the film itself.
I enjoyed the film and found it informative with great footage and music. This DVD was two hours well spent. Clash and Strummer fans will love it.

For a more eloquent and informed review and loads of MP3 music downloads from the film visit:
Minniapolisfuckingrocks(MFR)

Xmas#2

My second, and personal favourite, christmas tune is by a country and western singer from Nashville, Tennessee called Brian Beathard. Damn it I'm Vixen was a single taken from his Debut CD. both are available to buy on his website.

Damn It, I'm Vixen! was written for those people who feel like its always someone other than them in the lime light and that somebody else always seems to get the credit for the things they do. It is important to remember that Rudolph wasn't the only reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh.
ref: link

MP3: Damn it I'm Vixen (full HQ) - Brian Beathard

Save Godiva Festival

This debate and threat seems to come back every year. Let's hope the council see the good for the community that the festival brings. People getting out and meeting each other, coming to our city - that sort of thing. Coventry should be proud of Godiva Festival not shun it!

Coventry's Memorial Park has become a focal point in our city for cultural festivals and events. The Godiva Festival, in particular, regularly attracts more than 60,000 visitors each year, making a valuable contribution both to our local economy and the vibrancy of our city. Residents of the Memorial Park's local vicinity have long campaigned for this small number of festivals to be stopped, claiming 'noise and nuisance' as their reasons. We do not agree that the events held at The Memorial Park cause any undue or additional noise or nuisance to the local residents on the very few days each year they are held. Furthermore, we believe that Coventry's Memorial Park exists for the use of ALL of the people of Coventry. The Godiva Festival is a highlight in the city's cultural calendar, whose benefits to the wider population of the city far outweigh the somewhat questionable case of a very small minority. As such, festivals and events like The Godiva Festival should be protected and continue unhindered and unrestricted.

ref: here

Sign the petition here

PS: Spread the word

Xmas#1

My first festive offering is a cover of a Christmas classic that will be (and rightly so) played to death over the next few weeks. But to offer you something you may not have heard before I thought I’d post this Christy Moore live version. I believe I found it on a blog somewhere a few years back at about this time of year, so it's time to pass it on.

MP3: Fairytale of New York – Christy Moore (live)

Driving in darkness

The local traffic was hideous this morning. Driving through Kenilworth and into Leamington at 8am was like queuing to get into Vfestival but without the bacchanalian blowout at the end. As I drove home last night, in the perpetual darkness this time of year offers, I noticed that some people have already bought pine trees and dressed them up like tarts in tinsel and then covered their properties with 2000 rhythmically flashing coloured lights. I don’t mean to be a scrooge, but 'dudes!', your tree will be dead and void of any needles come the big day, half of the lights will have fused and the Santa will have fell from the top of your porch on at least two occasions and will be minus its head. The inflatable snowman hung from the chimney will be deflating and look more like a hung villain rather than festive décor.

It seems that the roman calendar has been altered whilst I was on the nod and it now reads October, November, Christmas, January. Christmas is of course the time of year when Jesus was in the Walsgrave after giving birth to Santa by caesarean. It ordinarily would have annoyed Jesus being in hospital for Christmas but he quite liked the morphine and would be out by New Year’s Eve anyway.