Favourite Quote

life is about love, lost minutes & lost evening. About fire in our bellies & about furtive little feelings & the aching amplitudes that set our needles all a-flickering & they help us with remembering that the only thing that’s left to do is live.

Frank Turner – I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous

Favourite Book

My Top 50 Albums of the Decade

So.

Records.

I’ve spent an immense amount of time over the past few weeks mulling over this list, so much so the fuse blew on my Hi-Fi, what really spurned me on to complete this list was someone’s passing comment about a band I love – “They’re shite, everyone hates them”

Which in my humble opinion is all the wrong reasons to judge any form of music, rather than being faceless and following all the trends about who’s cool and who’s not, you should follow your own lead and express yourself by finding music on your own terms. Some say real music has died, it hasn’t it’s just there are too many clueless n00bs who don’t bother looking for it.

My opinions my come across as overly strong (or even completely stupid) to others but it’s something inside me that will never change. After all my years of making time and effort into this amazing art form, looking at this list makes me feel rewarded.

It’s not been easy but here is (in no order) my incredibly personal and undiluted top 50 albums from the past decade.

Comments plox, and please get writing your own!

Turf Wars – Daggermouth (2007)
Borders and Bounderies – Less Than Jake (2000)
Over the Counter Culture – The Ordinary Boys (2004)
The Fall of Math – 65daysofstatic (2004)
Relationship of Command – At the Drive-In (2000)
Rockin’ The Suburbs – Ben Folds (2001)
Angles – Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip (2008)
Keasbey Nights – Streetlight Manifesto (2006)
Civil Disobedients – Capdown (2000)
Silent Alarm – Bloc Party (2005)
Give Up – The Postal Service (2003)
Famicon Connection – Sabrepulse (2005)
Melody A.M. – Röyksopp (2001)
New Found Glory – Sticks and Stones (2002)
Matisyahu – Youth (2006)
Gypsey Punks Underdog World Strike – Gogol Bordello (2005)
Discovery – Daft Punk (2001)
Billion Dollar Gravy – London Elektricity (2003)
How I Spent My Summer Vacation – Bouncing Souls (2001)
Your Favorite Weapon – Brand New (2001)
010 – The Mad Capsule Markets (2001)
All Killer No Filler – Sum 41 (2001)
Love, Ire & Song – Frank Turner (2008)
Since I Left You – The Avalanches (2000)
Your New Favourite Band – The Hives (2001)
Mutiny! – Set Your Goals (2006)
Pump Up the Valuum – NOFX (2000)
Geogaddi – Boards of Canada (2002)
The Vertigo of Bliss – Biffy Clyro (2003)
Transatlanticism – Death Cab For Cutie (2003)
I Get Wet – Andrew W.K. (2001)
Veneer – Jose Gonzalez (2003)
Our Live Album Is Better than Your Live Album – Reel Big Fish (2006)
Warning – Green Day (2000)
Cool to Be You – Descendents (2004)
A Jackknife to a Swan – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (2002)
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine – Death From Above 1979 (2004)
Swagger – Flogging Molly (2000)
Rise or Die Trying – Four Year Strong (2007)
Off Key Melodies – Rehasher (2004)
Sometimes – City & Colour (2005)
sixpeopleaway EP – sixpeopleaway (2007)
Sink or Swim – Gaslight Anthem (2007)
The Expendables – The Expendables (2007)
Bleed American – Jimmy Eat World (2001)
The Mark, Tom & Travis Show – Blink-182 (2000)
Streetcore – Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros (2003)
† – Justice (2007)
Sounding a Mosaic – Bedouin Soundclash (2004)
The Private Press – DJ Shadow (2002)

Spotify selection of these records: http://bit.ly/7mnCuz

Thou shalt not read NME, thou shalt think for yourselves.

Blinding Lights and Car Park Signs

Caffeine fuelled, stumbled daydreams
The current state of my mind.

Soul Meets Body.

I’ve been thinking about how I myself, as a person, has changed, I used to care about what people would say about me. But now I’ve come to realize people can say the worst things about you, really dire stuff, try and peer deep into your soul and take everything and make it the opposite and then maintain that as the truth.

But they can’t effect your ability to:
Earn
To love
To be loved
To have a good fucking day

Everyday we wake up to this world, we open it up and take in all this information relevant to us, everyone can get fucking lost in it. Following our little mouse trails.

I’ve spoke to countless people about things that other have said about me, that have upset me, and the same response I get is not “aw that’s shame” they’re like, “so?” Maybe I need to think that I’ve already won, after everything that’s happened to me, with the help from others, I’m still standing here with a cheeky smile on my face.

You hit that point where you’re fed up with all the bullshit and you’re like
I’d rather be getting stoned
Playing football
Dancing at the martell
Playing halo 3
Taking the dog for a walk
Have a cup of tea with big Linda!

I get it.

I know some people don’t like me, but so much of your life passes by when you try to sort these ties, now I’m like ‘delete’

Why bother? Life’s too fucking short :)

You wouldn’t let someone into your house who continually shat on your floor, eventually you get to the stage where you GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, that’s the place where I’ve gotten to, people are going to make their own assumptions of me, bad assumptions, all I can do is know who I am and know what my motivations are.

You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last.
But whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast.
Yonder stands your orphan with his gun,
Crying like a fire in the sun.
Look out the saints are comin’ through
And it’s all over now, Baby Blue.

Hot air balloon of life vs. the BB gun of reality

We have returned to the station once more, the dust and screams have settled.

But what’s this? The carriage is moving up the chain hill once more, at the top I can see whats in front of me for miles.

I wonder where I’ll end up? I hold my breath as I get to the edge, here we go again

Scavenger Hunt Objectives:

1) Drive thru meal without using words of what you are buying
2) Brick from concrete jungle (hallglen)
3) Strangers eating food
4) Gnome swap
5) Tescos busk super happy time challenge!
6) Cordon (block) off a street
7) Fancy dress for less than 3 pounds (independantly verified)
8) Shit on a roundabout
9) Pee on a roundabout
10) Fruit for Thomson
11) Me no speaky engrish…
12) Wobber a lamp-post
13) Moon a shop
14) 1ft of water paddle
15) Funny place name picture (street/village etc…)
16) Car wash
17) Small free childrens toy superglue fun
18) Pee in a bottle in a car (Mobile unirination station)
19) Haircut (camp, 80′s/redneck, skinhead)
20) Eyebrow shave
21) Get a wax
22) Drink three pints of milk in three minutes
23) Photograph three seperate species of animal (humans don’t count)
24) Get caught “having sex”
25) Find the white poo!
26) New best friends (a point for each!)
27) “Acquire” porn
28) Re-enact a movie scene
29) Ask for directions to Sauchiehall street then act surprised that you’re not in Glasgow
30) Kerbcrawler
31) Break the law ten times (Speeding counts once)
32) Three legged shop (buy at least three items)
33) Playpark in pants and shoes
34) Eight different leaves
35) Car traverse
36) Stuntman (three consecutive commando rolls in public)
37) Bin raker
38) Positive grafitti
39) Impromptu aerobics class (driver is teacher)
40) Pay with dance
41) Climb a tree
42) Dr. Doolittle
43) Weird novelty condom
44) To the five boroughs (Polmont, Hallglen, Bainsford, Camelon, Larbert)
45) Maximum facial insertion (minus one nostril)
46) The Red Hand
47) Tape a random object to the other teams car
48) Drive three miles in your pants
49) Find roadkill (double points if you can move it or bring it with you)
50) The anagram game

Patter: a Scottish guide

Feeling rather gash today so I’ve decided to cheer myself up by making a wee list of my favourite sayings from my home land :)

“Howzitgauncheif?”
How are things with you on this fine day?

“Naeborra big man”
Your kind felicitations are agreeably accepted

“That wiz rerr, by the way”
I must say, I rather enjoyed that

“C’moan, getaff!“
This is as far as your ticket permits you to travel

“Geez a slug ae yer ginger, ah’m gaspin”
May I have a drink of your fizzy pop to quench my thirst

“Geezanurrawannathem”
I would like the same again, please

“Aw naw, snaw!”
Oh dear, wintery conditions are upon us

“Haw maw! They peeces ur mingin”
Oh mother, the sandwiches you made re not very tasty at all

“Naw ahm urny”
No, I most certainly am not

“Naedanger”
Not a chance

“Gies a wee swatch ae yer paper pal”
May I have a quick look at your newspaper

“Giez a shot”
May I have a go

“Ya dancer”
Hurrah!

“See youz aw later, ah’m offski”
Goodbye

Breathe In

Its not often that I get things right
But I know all the wrong turns, the trips and falls
Brought me here
And where was I before the day
That I first seen your lovely face?

That time we talked all night
The best conversation I’ve had,
With your eyes so wide and bright

I was afraid,
I thought I’d run out of things to say
But in the blink of an eye
I forgot about the hole in my head
Due to the swelling of my heart

I’m sorry I can’t look you in eye
But I’m too shy to show my smile
Is it ok if I take your hand?
I’ll take you anywhere

I breathe in
Take it in deep
What is it about you that I adore?
I wish I could tell you
But the words I would come out wrong

Clouds

You called me crying

I was all the way across town

I know what I’m like

I don’t need no plaintiff to drag me down

Who are you to say what is wrong or right

You can’t even be truthful to yourself

You looked me in the eye

And you still fed me your little lies

The closer I got to you

The harder it got

Tell me!

Tell me how many times you felt you let me down

The countless time I waited for you, waited for you in vain

It made me think that you never cared

Did you ever?

Did you ever? I guess I’ll never know.