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fun! BOAT came in and played live! they're also playing the next day at the biko garage with other sweet bands. and lapcat reunited and played! yes! and iji, math the band, and jason anderson almost played, but they got in too late. bummer. next time. it was a really fun show!

5...4...3...2...fun!!
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Muscle - The Lil' Hospital
Boo to the Freaks - Fine China
I'm Dreaming - The Estate of Samuel
Stroll Always - Lois
What You'll Miss - The Lucksmiths
To Understand - The Encyclopedias
Sensible Shows Blues - Milky Wimpshake
At The End of the Rain - The Desks
Blue Like Nevermind - Kimya Dawson
Willow Trees - Emily Powers

LIVE: BOAT

double decker bus - Fat Tulips
Student Body Treasurer - Sissybar
Phthalo Blue - Fairways
The Radio - The Escargo-Go's
Kickball - Gritty Kitty
Daddio - Teen Sensation Glasses
Megaphone - Blankets
Baby You And Me - The Wee Turtles
Star World - 14 Year Old Girls
Summer's Near - Apple Orchard
Friend For Life - Boyracer

LIVE: Lapcat

Clapping Hands - P:ano
Let My Last Words Not Be in Rhyme - Bread and Roses
byron - Aberdeen
daddy's boy - Corduroy Utd
There's a Place - Holiday
How I Am - The Luv Café Book Group
The Rise Of Incorporated Modular Technology - John Wayne Shot Me

level 11_guitari 2600 - The 32-Bit Handhelds
Carmen Overture - Lord Of The Yum-Yum
Magical... I Don't Know - Lullatone

The festival season is nearly here and the lineups are causing considerable discussion. The hallmark of Glastonbury in recent years has been quirky eclecticism (whereas years ago populist chart acts would have never got near the place). James Blunt is not really contentious in the scheme of things (I can't stand his music personally) because the festival now has so much to offer that no visitor will leave without seeing at least a few acts they like. That's a good thing obviously. Loud music in a muddy field full is something all music lovers should experience at least once. Events like Guilty Pleasures, and an absence these days of factionalism in youth culture, mean you can like whatever you want and if anyone questions your partiality to something a little bit naff...well, you're just being ironic.

Brief discussion in the Lucas Arms with Manning the other night about how - if the trend for giving away recorded music continues - there may be a tendency for bands to write more anthemic tunes with singalong choruses. I think we can expect to see more of it as gigs become the primary income stream. Recorded music risks becoming a loss leader or at very least a teaser to get people out to gigs or into buying merchandise. (Anyone scared by that?).

So is there maybe a great divide coming between gig music and recorded music (analagous to the the C86 reaction to pompous rock)? Records are lovely things; especially 7" vinyl with decorative sleeves. Listening to music alone in your room is a treat. And for such occasions I have tendency towards quieter guitar based music and lyrics with a personal and confessional side. I'm not going to any festivals myself this year so I think I may have made my mind up which side of the fence I'm going to be on. This summer I will choose intimacy over orgy . I intend to emerge from a cocoon in October for British Sea Power, a now superanthemic terrace chant band who have plunged headlong into the arms of the crowd.

Here's a few sensitive souls to listen to on my own in the dark (but who will sound just as great outdoors this summer)...

Fat Tulips Ferensway
The Six Parts Seven Falling Over Everything
The Servants Transparent
The Legends He Knows the Sun
Charlene Soraia Daffodils
Broken Social Scene Love and Mathematics
The Melody Unit Welcome Back Tomorrow
Pale Saints Featherframe
Spokane Automaton
Midlake Roscoe
Big Star Watch The Sunrise
American Analog Set Aaron & Maria
Iron & Wine He Lays in the Reins


Just noticed how many of these I got as legal and free downloads and I own none of the on 7". That may make me a bit of a hypocrite.

For me to remember:

Take the 50 top artists in your musical profile, and create a cloud of the similar artists that are not in your top 50. The result is a collection of highly recommended artists for your personal profile. You can generate your own cloud (in BBCode) at http://anthony.liekens.net/pub/scripts/last.fm/recommend.php

My recommendations are

A Smile and a Ribbon Azure Ray Belle and Sebastian Ben Kweller Billie The Vision And The Dancers Bright Eyes Cat Power Celestial Club 8 Eisley Elliott Smith Fat Tulips Hari and Aino Hello Saferide Håkan Hellström Irene Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins Laakso Love Is All Loveninjas Metric My darling YOU! Neutral Milk Hotel Nixon Pelle Carlberg Pocketbooks Red Sleeping Beauty Rough Bunnies Sambassadeur Second-Hand Furniture Strawberry Story Summer Cats Säkert! The April Skies The Cat's Miaow The Charade The Concretes The Decemberists The Field Mice The Lucksmiths The Magnetic Fields The Motifs The Pains of Being Pure at Heart The San Marinos The Siddeleys The Smittens The Tidy Ups The Unicorns Vapnet The Electric Pop Group

An all vinyl evening:

Slits - Typical Girls
Crass - Big A, Little A
Redskins - Keep On Keepin' On
Monkees - Mary Mary
McCarthy - Get A Knife Between Your Teeth
Paul Haig - Heaven Help You Now

Scars - All About You
Clinic - Ipc Subeditors Dictate Our Youth
New Order - Ceremony
The Housemartins - Five Get Over Excited
Prefab Sprout - Faron Young

Belle & Sebastian - The State I Am In
Sundowners - Always You
Wire - Mannequin
The Wave Pictures - We Dress Up Like Snowmen
Trembling Blue Stars - Beautiful Blank

The Fall - The War Against Intelligence
Cookies - Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)
Edwyn Collins - Don't Shilly Shally
Rosa Yemen - Larousse Baron Bic
The Fall - Wrong Place, Right Time

Rosa Yemen - Decryptated
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Here Come The Martian Martians
Randy's Group – Royal Charley
McCarthy - The Well Of Loneliness
Dexys Midnight Runners - Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One)

Pacific - Barnoon Hill
Wah! Heat - Better Scream
The Fall - Big New Priest
jet stream - Ready To Leave
New Order - Vanishing Point

The Tough Alliance - Hung Up On A Dream
Prefab Sprout - Life Of Surprises
The Monochrome Set - Ten Dont's For Honeymooners
Crass – Nagasaki Nightmare
Crass - Reality Asylum

The Monochrome Set - Eine Symphonie Des Grauens
BMX Bandits - Sad?
Scritti Politti - Jacques Derrida
Canned Heat - Going Up The Country
Move - I Can Hear The Grass Grow

Kirsty MacColl - Terry
Orange Juice - I Can't Help Myself
Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers - All By Myself
Trembling Blue Stars - The Rainbow
Cure - Plastic Passion

Go-Betweens - Streets Of Your Town
Electronic - Disappointed
808 State - Pacific State
Saint Etienne - Kiss And Make Up
Crass - Bloody Revolutions

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Buzz Buzz Buzz -
Skeeter Davis - I Can't Stay Mad At You
Monochrome Set - He is Frank -
Franke - Jag Älskar Dig
Moscow Olympics - Still

Cure - A Forest
Young Marble Giants - Final Day
Primal Scream - Imperial
Fire Engines - Get Up & Use Me
Fat Tulips - To Put It Bluntly

Shangri-Las - Shout
Au Pairs - Inconvenience
Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
Christine's Cat - Your Love Is
The Fall - Psycho Mafia

The Fall - Repetition
The Fall - Totally Wired
The Fall - Guest Informant
Television Personalities - A Sense of Belonging

I made a zine. It has interviews with Loverlee, Strawberry Story, Katy from the Fat Tulips.

Bands that are mentioned in passing or alluded to are: The Lucksmiths, The Ramones, The Smittens, Bikini Kill, Julie Ruin, Blueboy, Luna, Red Pony Clock, Beat Happening, Heavenly, and Helen Love

I reviewed a manipulator alligator/Tinyfolk split.

It has coloring pages, one of those crazy cool "Can you find 5 differences between the pictures" thing-a-ma-jigs, two crayons, a crossword and a word search.

You can find out ordering information at myspace.com/sapricot

Ian

Everyday Sensations - No Applause
The Afternoon Naps - Orange Paws
Rocketship - Hey Hey Girl
Velocity Girl - Pop Loser
Vic Godard And The Subway Sect - Stop That Girl
Camera Obscura - San Francisco Song
The Chesterfields - Completely and Utterly
Beat Happening - Bewitched
Pipas - Barbababa
Math and Physics Club - Baby, I'm Yours
Sparky's Magic Piano - Like Falling In Love
Club 8 - Whatever You Want
Primal Scream - All Fall Down
Felt - Ballad of the Band
Tiger Trap - Words and Smiles
Milky Wimpshake - Dialing Tone
Belle and Sebastian - The Model

Alice

My Favorite - Homeless Kids Club
Disco Inferno - Sleight of Hand
The Brittle Stars - Circus
The Brunettes - Mars Loves Venus
New Order - Ceremony
Mahogany - Neo Plastic Boogie Woogie
The Pastels - Yoga
Guided by Voices - Surgical Focus
Sambassadeur - Subtle Changes
Asobi Seksu - Strawberries
Broadcast - Americas Boy
Belle and Sebastian - Me and The Major

Katey

Fosca - Secret Crush on Third Trombone
Talulah Gosh - Bringing Up Baby
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names - Noodles
Belly - Now They'll Sleep
Pavement - Cut Your Hair
Hefner - Painting and Kissing
Cats on Fire - White-Mantled King
Pelle Carlberg - Clever Girls Like Clever Boys...
Morrissey - You're the One For Me Fatty
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Head On
The Fall - Touch Sensitive
The Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres

Marianthi

Black Tambourine - We can't be friends
Dorotea - I wish I wish I had some money
The Bumblebees - Cool science
Sportique - If you ever change your mind
Fat Tulips - Where's Clare Crogan now?
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - This love is fucking right!
The Raveonettes - You want the candy
McCarthy - We are all bourgeois now
Stereolab - Eloge d'eros
The Aislers Set - Been hiding
The Wake - Crush the flowers
Bis - Popstar kill
Heavenly - C is the heavenly option
The Cardigans - Rise and Shine
Pocketbooks - Don't stop

Katey

The Go-Betweens - Lee Remick
Le Tigre - My My Metrocard
The Smiths - Handsome Devil
Black Tambourine - Throw Aggi Off the Bridge
My Bloody Valentine - Thorn
Kenickie - Punka
Belle and Sebastian - Legal Man

Alice

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folk
Club 8 - Heaven
Stereolab - Jenny Ondioline
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Happy When it Rains
Jonathan Richman - Velvet Underground
All Girl Summer Fun Band - Dear Mr and Mrs Troublemaker
Velocette - Get Yourself Together
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
of Montreal - So Begins My Alabee

Ian

The Field Mice - Emma's House
Jens Lekman - Black Cab
The Smiths - William, it Was Really Nothing
Belle and Sebastian - Boy With The Arab Strap
The Only Ones - Another Girl Another Planet
Tullycraft - The Punks Are Writing Love Songs
The Pastels - Nothing To Be Done
Orange Juice - Wan Light

Marianthi

Talulah Gosh - My best friend
Shop Assistants - Safety net
Strawberry Switchblade - Since yesterday
The Hidden Cameras - I believe in the good of life
Jonathan Richman - I was dancing in the lesbian bar
The Vaselines - Son of a gun
Helen Love - I love indiepop
The Darling Buds - Hit the ground
The Aislers Set - The red door
Saint Etienne - Who do you think you are?
The Housemartins - Happy hour

Det finns klubbar och det finns klubbar. De flesta kan slänga in lite ballonger, rigga ihop ett schysst ljussystem, slänga på lite coola lasrar och skruva upp basen.

So Tough! So Cute! är ingen klubb, det är ett kärleksbrev till popmusik, en hyllning till den där dorkiga killen/tjejen som satt längst fram i klassen som alltid sa fel saker men ändå rätt. Ett blandband med de allra bästa låtarna, de som får dig att dansa av lycka, de som får dig att beställa in den där ölen extra som du egentligen inte borde, låtar som får dig minnas den där första förälskelsen på den där skolresan till Tjörnarp eller var det Brösarp, låtarna som får dig minnas den där kyssen när allt kändes så rätt, eller den där gången på skoldansen när den coole killen fick dansa med tjejen som du trånat efter hela högstadiet. Låtarna som fick dig att tro på musik som något större, som något viktigt, något som kan förändra världen.

So Tough! So Cute! trycker in allt det här och sin själ i en liten källare på Retro. ”Love Don't Come No Stronger”, det här är real-life shit på riktigt. Popmusik som ett vapen; mot tristess, mot apati. Det här är ingen klubb, det är ett manifest och du ska skriva på, med din själ och ditt blod. De må vara pretentiöst, men fuck det, popmusik får vara pretentiös bara man gör det med själ och hjärta och inte glömmer ha kul. Kevin Rowland hade rätt idé, Redskins hade det, Clash hade det, Heavenly Records hade det och So Tough! So Cute! har det!

Så kom ner och dansa, låt musiken rena dig och föra dig till den där magiska platsen där du tror på din själ...

So Tough! So Cute! gästas i vår av:

2 Februari - Ylwa Skywalker (UK)
Straight outta Walthamstow kommer den unga jedi-riddaren i en kväll fylld av twee och girlgroups.

1 Mars - Clare Wadd (UK)
Clare som grundade det legendariska bolaget Sarah Records kommer och spelar alla sina favoritlåtar.

29 Mars - Ben (UK)
Forne Melody Maker journalisten har numera Fire Escape Talking bloggen där han gräver upp gamla låtar och skriver hatartiklar om allas vår älskade Bobby G. Du vet alla de där obskyra svindyra popflexisarna på ebay? De har Ben.

26 April - Gregory Webster (UK)
Gregory Webster från Razorcuts fick taket att droppa svett senast med sin blandning av punkig twee och girlgroups.

24 Maj - Harvey Williams (UK)
Harvey Williams från Another Sunny Day kommer tillbaks med sin solskenspop och svåra singlar. Sist så fick han till ett absolut fantastiskt sett där tillomed hotellgästerna på den översta våningen dansade i sina rum

So Tough! So Cute! spelar Field Mice, Comet Gain, Belle & Sebastian, Supremes, The Tough Alliance, Orchids, Primal Scream, Television Personalities, Supremes, Byrds, Dexys Midnight Runners, Dolly Mixture, Razorcuts, Orange Juice, Go-Betweens, Black Tambourine, Ronettes, Nixon, Wire, Four Tops, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Fall, Buzzcocks, Heavenly, Camera Obscura, Pastels, Free Loan Investments, Aislers Set, Hefner, Magnetic Fields, My Favorite, Another Sunny Day, Tullycraft, Dinosaur Jr, Bubblegum Splash, Pooh Sticks, Shangri-Las, Modern Lovers, Cure, Aphex Twin, Broder Daniel, Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera, Cookies, Biff Bang Pow!, Blueboy, Josef K, Shangri-Las, Talulah Gosh, Only Ones, Fat Tulips, Pastels, Trembling Blue Stars, McCarthy, Zombies, June Brides, Monochrome Set, Felt, Sea Urchins, Hit Parade, Brighter, Left Banke, Twa Toots, Saint Etienne, Girls at Our Best!, Love, Wedding Present, New Order etc

US (25):
Rilo Kiley
Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
The Eames Era
Adrian Orange
The Blow
Grand Ole Party
John Legend
Devendra Banhart
Eels
Citizen Cope
Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan
Math and Physics Club
Incubus
Bob Dylan
the lonesome architects
Be Your Own Pet
Jeff Buckley
The Aislers Set
Mates of State
Ani DiFranco
Cake
All Girl Summer Fun Band
The Rocket Summer
A Boy Named Thor
Eisley

Ireland (1):
Damien Rice

New Zealand (1):
The Brunettes

Brazil (1):
Cansei de Ser Sexy

Great Britain (8):
The Beatles
The Pipettes
The Smiths
Patrick Wolf
The Boy Least Likely To
Television Personalities
Helen Love
Fat Tulips

Scotland (2):
Camera Obscura
Belle and Sebastian

Sweden (4):
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
The Sounds
Acid House Kings
Club 8

Russia (1):
Regina Spektor

Canada (5):
Stars
Metric
Amy Millan
Feist
The New Pornographers

Australia (1):
Even as We Speak

Norway (1):
Maria Mena