The Chemical Brother's new album builds of the strengths of 2007's 'We Are The Night'.

No guest vocalists. Swirling electronica. Staggering build-ups. Beautiful soundscapes.

Gone are the days of big-beat breakdowns. This is a maturing and beautifully able band pushing forwards. This is electronica for those with discerning palettes.

Great stuff.

Even without their severely injured bassist Chi Cheng Deftones have returned with a stonking album.

This is almost a culmination of their art - marrying the ferocity of Adrenaline and Around The Fur with the more experimental and electronic White Pony and Saturday Night Wrist.

All of the songs are beautiful in their layered texture and aching vocals. This cannot easily be expressed in words. It is Deftones to the max.

Enjoy.

This is possibly the best article I've read in a while:

Douglas Murray of the Spectator

via
Dr Joyce

Now should I buy an iPad or a Kindle?

Now obviously, I actually don't have any money for either and other things are more important at the moment (food, work, lady etc), but it's the thought...

Kindle = cheap. VERY cheap. Good contrast. World leader in eBookiness.

iPad = Expensive. Good for everything. World leader in Tablets...

God I don't know. It might have to be the kindle you know...

Unless I get my desire - an Apple iphone-ipad-iTV-Macbook Pro syncing system that is useful and works independently of others, i.e. iphone and ipad can sync, as can macbook pro and itv etc...

We'll see.

The vampire season continues unabated.

Daybreakers is an interesting take on the vampire story, offering an alternative reason and reality. A plague causes humans to turn into vampires. Whilst this grants them immortality it does make them dependent on the humans for food. Cue a night-time world, with 'subwalks', human 'farms' and blood in everything.

From here on in the action commences and actually well worth the watch. Whilst it isn't going to change the world, it is a good, well structured story, which doesn't try to be everything at once. It gives you enough to be interested, without having to spend too long in monologue explaining the plot.

The blend of horror and thriller is nicely judged. Competent.

Now it's difficult to really dig into this film without giving too much away. Needless to say it's yet another Tour De Force by Christopher Nolan, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in yet another fantastic film. These guys have really hit a rich vein of form recently.

The plot line is of a heist film, but built deep within the mind. Think of the Matrix squared, but without the insanity of trying to make it religious.

There is but one main theme, love, and it is beautifully portrayed without cynicism or attempts to inject strands of melodrama.

It is an awesome, thinking persons film. Beautifully shot, brilliantly realised. Fantastic.

Fantastic Gig.

2+ hours of 1 man, a piano, and a guitar.

So many great songs. So many good ad libs. Such fun. Only problem is that the lady should have been there too.

Included were Becoming More Like Alfie, If..., National Express, Indie Disco, Everybody Knows, Tonight We Fly, Geronimo et al! About 30 songs in total!

Support act were pretty good too - Kath Davies I think.

See the pics here.

Somerset House is a beautiful place in the rain, let alone on a hot summer evening with the lady.

And when I got there, sweaty and late after work, the first thing that happened is that Air played a blinder. Brilliant. 2 hours of Gaellic perfection. All the classics, and some cracking posturing. Beautiful.

See the pics here.

Managers are usually not nasty people. However in the NHS they appear to be fuckwits.

Nicely put by a nursing colleague

Consultant in charge