Saturday 28 November 2009

TOM PHONETIC'S TOP TENS.... 1. COVER VERSIONS

I'm the kind of sad little person who likes to make lists of things so you'll be seeing quite a few of these in the future. This week it's cover versions. Let me know if you agree with my choices or if you have any other suggestions....

1. Tainted love - Soft Cell (Gloria Jones)
2. Twist and shout - The Beatles (The Top Notes)
3. Message to you Rudy - The Specials (Dandy Livingstone)
4. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
5. All along the watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)
6. Hurt - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
7. Nothing compares to u - Sinead O'Connor (Prince and The Family)
8. Dear Prudence - Sioxsie and the Banshees (The Beatles)
9. You make me feel like a natural woman - Aretha Franklin (Carole King)
10. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams (Oasis)

Monday 23 November 2009

UP


Was lucky enough to watch this film by Disney/Pixar last night. Heartbreaking, funny with some of the most amazing animation I've ever seen! It's brilliance was emphasised by the twenty minutes of 2012 that i saw beforehand, a steaming dog turd if ever I've seen/smelt one. Anyway, it had my girlfriend crying like someone was beating a kitten to death in front of her very eyes (Up, not 2012). Feel kind of bad about watching it on pirate now.......

Friday 6 November 2009

MOTHERS BEST CHILD

Check them out!

http://www.funnyordie.com/mothersbestchild

Wednesday 28 October 2009

I f****** hate Gillette

Time for a rant. I promised myself that I wouldn't swear on this blog but when it comes to this manufacturer of overpriced, gimmicky men's grooming products the number of expletives currently fighting to bounce off the tip of my tongue is almost unquantifiable. The main problem I have is their television advertising. Why do they feel the need to use words like 'turbo' and 'refuel' to sell their products? Do they feel the only way to get through to men is to mention words that might have something to do with cars? This kind of advertising may appeal to the average Top gear watching, socially challenged alpha-male or to those horribly 'driven' young businessmen, who 'play to win' and don't 'understand the word failure', but you can count me out! I hate to get all men's lib on you and granted, being a non-driving Smiths fan with little interest in traditional male pursuits (cars, sports, fighting) I'm probably not part of Gillette's target demographic but you can almost see the marketing meeting now. It makes me sick.

Imagine this, an idyllic Xmas morning, somewhere on the outskirts of London........

MUM: What did you get in your stocking Alan?
ALAN (late 20's): I got Jeremy clarkson's new book, a packet of Gillette razors, a guide to beating up Asian people and a bottle of Rohypnol, so I can rape to my hearts content! Thanks Grandma!
MUM: That's nice dear

Friday 23 October 2009

What a let down

Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, appeared on the BBC's Question Time last night. A predictable furore surrounded the event; protests outside television centre, questions about freedom of speech. I don't want to talk about whether he should or shouldn't have been invited to appear, nor do I want to talk about the legality of the BNP. They are both complicated, contentious issues and to be honest, I'm not sure on which side of the debate I stand.

I would prefer to talk about the complete failure of the host, panelists, studio audience and the BBC to put Mr Grifffin through his political paces. Almost every question was concerned with race or another suitably controversial topic. We already know the BNP are racists! Their position on homosexuality is well known. If the BNP want to be taken seriously as a political party then surely they should be subjected to the same line of questioning mainstream party representatives face week in, week out; the current economic crisis, M.P.'s expenses, anti-social behaviour. I can assure you, had Mr Griffin been pressed on these issues he would have been exposed as the clueless politician he really is. That would have done more to damage to the BNP than the anti-racist witch hunt he correctly predicted would occur last night. We have now played right into his hands.

Follow me on twitter! www.twitter.com/tomphonetic

Wednesday 7 October 2009

GUANTANAMO GUARD CONVERTS TO ISLAM

Read this article today in the Guardian G2 today. The content isn't particularly shocking or revelatory; Guards at Guantanamo are ignorant, booze addled sadists with a thin grasp of world politics; Guard with a troubled family history finds religion and is ostracized as result, but it is still terrifying to be reminded of the attitudes and skewed world view that exists within the world's most powerful military force.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/07/guantanamo-bay-islam

Friday 2 October 2009

NEW STUFF!


DON'T MOVE! - Coventry has had it's share of ups and downs. The bad:- Having the shit bombed out of it during WW2, The Enemy: to the sublime: - The Specials and two tone. Luckily, Coventry four piece Don't Move! fall nearer the latter.
Having just released their debut album, 'The new pop sound of.....' on Tin Angel Records (home to Mumford and Sons), you can catch their 60's inspired, Love/Coral-esque pop at Cargo on the 21st of November.

www.myspace.com/dontmove

Thursday 1 October 2009

UNICEF DISASTER APPEAL



As i'm sure most of you will know, there's been a catastrophic series of natural disasters in South East Asia and the South Pacific, starting with typhoon Ketsana in the Phillipines, the tsunami in Samoa and the earthquake(s) in Sumatra.
With so much going on, it can be difficult to know who and how to help, which appeal to give money to, where to donate, etc. Thankfully, Unicef have launched a new appeal aimed at helping children in all affected areas. Go to their homepage and follow the links to donate online!

http://www.unicef.org.uk

Wednesday 30 September 2009

OI YOU!-CARNIVAL SPECIAL

A big, belated thank you to the Oi You! boys for making the best weekend of the year even better with their first carnival bash, at the Duke of Wellington on Portobello Road.
Smiling faces, big tunes and copious amounts of Red Stripe made this a bank holiday weekend to remember and a perfect end to summer 2009.
Follow the links below to keep up to date with what they're doing next.  Whatever extravaganza they've got planned, you can be sure it's going to be massive!

www.twitter.com/oiyoulondon

www.youtube.com/oiyoulondon






Monday 28 September 2009

MY NEW FAVOURITE BAND!!! - DEPORTEES


I've recently been introduced to this band, a four piece from umea, Sweden and have completely fallen in love with them! Check out their new album 'Under the pavement-the beach', out now on Dolores Recordings. I'm not sure whether you can get it in British record shops but I managed to get a copy through i-Tunes.
It's a record full of the sort of pop sensibilities that run through a lot of Swedish guitar music, but without the tweeness and I really love the simple clean, production and Peder Stenberg's soulful falsetto.

Stand-out tracks: 'Will you talk, (if I listen)', 'When they come'

Check them out at www.myspace.com/deporteesmusic

THE WORST POP BAND IN THE WORLD - THE SATURDAYS


(Saturdays manager) - "Hey Mr producer guy, i've got this girl band who are incredibly bland, have got no discernable personalities and are all as thick as tree stumps. Any chance you can give them a decent song so they're not all working back at top shop by the end of the year?"

(Record producer) - "Not a chance you miserable little turd! You can have whatever crap I decide to evacuate from from my gold plated arsehole and be done with it. Just put them on T4 every week and get Steve Jones to touch them up. No-one will notice."

(Saturdays manager) - "ok"