The Fatima Mansions- Viva Dead Ponies (1990)

Vitriol delivered in a smooth package. A poisonous soft centre. Bugs Fucking Bunny- what a great title that would have been. John Peel famously said that he could listen to Cathal Coughlan singing the 'phone book. And he's a clever songwriter as well. More than a touch of the Scott Walkers- I'm rapidly exhausting my stock of Cathal Cloughlan cliches.
This album- the years 1990-c 1994- desperate times. Fear, unhappiness, my friend Jimmie and his brown leather bag, the bed and breakfast man, wandering around the country, occasionally turning up and always playing his battered cassette of this LP.
I don't drink and I don't do drugs but I'm still plagued by that nervous hunger. I must learn to conquer fear. Enjoy.

Fixed links

The links for posts from 2009 are now almost all fixed. One or two I have failed to do because I had deleted the files containing the rips- there's a couple of vinyls I'm going to re rip when I get the chance. For some I have added links to alternative sources.
I've already started  replacing dead links for the 2010 posts and I hope to actually post something new in the next couple of days.
Enjoy the music and thanks for your ongoing support.

Portishead - Roseland NYC Live (1998)

When I was a young boy my father was a lorry driver and I used to go for trips with him during the school holidays. I went to Portishead a few times in the early to mid seventies.Crossing the Severn bridge was the high point of the trip (literally) looking down at the estuary from the high cab.
This album was recorded in 1997 and 1998 , featuring the Bristol trio in collaboration with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

19.08.11

John 'Jac' John and Leonard Worsell, killed by the army.

In August 1911 The Worcestershire Regiment fired on unarmed protesters who were supporting the Railway Workers' Strike at Llanelli in South Wales. 2 men were killed and two others injured. During the following days four more people lost their lives following an explosion in the railway yard. Order was restored in the town center by troops with fixed bayonets.

Dead Links

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Pentref Wrth Y Mor (1994)

Gorgeous. Lyrics in Welsh and English: http://www.gorkys.freeserve.co.uk/gorkys/disco/lyrics/npentref.htm

Bratmobile- Peel Session September 10th 1993

In all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Molly Neuman- drums, backing vocals
 Erin Smith - guitar
 Allison Wolfe -vocals

There's No Other Way/No You Don't
Bitch Theme
Make Me Miss America
Panik

MC Tunes (feat. 808 State) - The North At Its Heights (1990)

This album is credited to MC Tunes only- tho 808 State provide the music and production.

http://d01.megashares.com/dl/aT7NBqg/Mc Tunes vs 808 State - The North At Its Heights.rar

MC Tunes vs 808 State- Tunes Splits The Atom (1990)

Madchester. Might sound like New York but with the lovely bass loop from I Am The Resurrection by The Stone Roses and a sample from Testone by  Sweet Exorcist (Sheffield) it's a very English affair.
Younger readers mightn't know that 808 State took their name from The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer,one of the first programmable drum machines, made between 1980 and 1983 (TR standing for Transistor Rhythm).

Nicky Lockett aka MC Tunes.

Riots

As an anarchist it would be hypocritical of me to remain silent during the rioting that is going on in London. I don't have anything enlightening to add to the millions of words that have already been written about the situation.
But , confronted with images of buildings on fire, of  lawlessness and disregard for property and the sight of the Police outnumbered and losing control of the streets- I have to say- GREAT STUFF.

Interactive Democratic Justice (Revenge)

I think I've come up with a solution to delivering justice (or should that be 'revenge') along the democratic lines favoured by the hysterical keyboard jockeys who are petitioning the government.
1- Trials (a)- dispense with all the boring old courtroom stuff- let's make it a more viewer friendly process. There is great potential for nail biting,  drum rolls and anguished expressions in close up as we await the results of phone polls and online voting on both the verdict and sentencing.
2- Trials (b)- reintroduce trial by ordeal and trial by combat.
3- Trials (c)- select juries (judges even) from those who have a particular interest (or a particularly strong thirst for revenge) in the type of crime involved. So if you've had your car nicked you can apply to pass judgement in car crime trials (minimum sentence for TWOC should be at least ten years!)
4- Cops - 'a life for a life'- everytime a cop kills a member of the public we are allowed to do one of them in without getting the rope. They probably owe us a few already.
5- The current system will still be available. Assumed consent will be in operation, so unless you inform the Ministry of Justice that you wish to 'opt out' (fee payable) you will be subject to the new system.

e petition to free me from impotent rage.

Ever been Incandescent With Rage? It needs capitalization.
IWR.
There are many causes:
Billions (not millions, billions) of pounds been paid out in housing benefit to incomers from EU countries. Sharia law being declared in what was once a good working class neighbourhood.  The possibility of Formula One being shown only on Sky. Prisoners having 'human rights' and playing the X Box 23 hours a day. People not supporting 'our troops' in the 'war' in Afghanistan.
A characteristic of the 'rage' in IWR is that the sufferer is actually impotent to act on this rage in any meaningful way. They might kick in the TV, or beat the dog, or the wife, or the kids when things that were beyond their control annoyed them. Or they could even explore alternative outlets like decking someone in the pub or joining a fringe neo nazi organization.
But the times they are a changing! Now when you're in the grips of IWR you need no longer suffer the concomitant feeling of it being an Impotent Rage. Because now you can create an E PETITION! https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/new
The other night I was sat at my computer, IWR (and an  impotent rage it was brothers!) at the thought that some smug cunt wanted to rekindle the debate on capital punishment. Even if we in the UK do not enjoy the privilege of living in a Secular Republic at least the state couldn't murder us. (Not in a predetermined manner, only if you got in the way of it's tools). What made me rage even more was that the fool in question had appealed to the lowest common denominator in wanting it brought back for child killers (if the child is killed in the line of duty, apparently. oh yeah, and for people who kill cops?).

The wannabe imitators of this petition are riotously funny. One twit has asked for the 'reintroduction of  capital punishment for capital offences'- which of course do not exist in the UK as we have no capital punishment.
 Of course, many decent upstanding folk want to hang the local kiddie fiddler or drug dealer. Why even bother with the judicial process?
Nice to see this ones doing well, tho. Twice the number of signatories as Mr Staines' twisted effort: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1090
One day pricks like this will get the  Totalitarian Fascist Dictatorship they deserve, but until then its either piss your knickers cause you don't rule the world you muppet or start an e petition!.