BOOKS:
David Rees’ How To Sharpen Pencils,
Penguin’s new edition of Arthur Machen’s White People,
Savage Continent by Keith Lowe,
a deliberately unreliable history of obscure ’90s comedy called You Are Nothing by Robert Wringham,
Julian Cope’s Copendium,
Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics The Untold Story.
TV:
Endeavor (Young Morse) on ITV.
BBC’s Sherlock Holmes,
Call The Midwife,
Hollow Crown,
She Wolves,
Vikings,
Limmy’s Show,
and Upstairs Downstairs.
E4’s Cardinal Burns,
C4’s Grayson Perry’s All In The Best Possible Taste,
Sky’s Touch of Cloth.
LIVE MUSIC:
The Fall at Islington Town Hall,
The Ex at Café Oto,
Howe Gelb and KT Tunstall together and unannounced in a Stoke Newington cafe,
Han Bennink solo at Bishopsgate Festival,
Jane Bom Bane’s harmonium and bespoke hats mash up on the Edinburgh Free Fringe,
Fushitsusha at St John’s Church Hackney.
RECORDS :
Matthew Bourne – Montauk Variations,
Earth – Angels of Darkness Demons of Light II,
Bill Fay – Life Is People,
Giant Giant Sand – Tucson,
Belbury Poly – The Belbury Tales,
The Bohman Brothers – Back On The Streets,
The Woodbine & Ivy Band – s/t,
Rich Hopkins & Luminarios – Buried Treasures,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill.
THEATRE :
Dublin Gate’s Watt in the Edinburgh International Festival,
Teatr Biuro Podró?y’s satirical stiltwalking sci-fi space rock opera Planet Lem,
Jeff Achtem’s Beefheartian kids’ puppet show Swamp Juice.
1) Matthew Bourne – Montauk Variations (Leaf)
Alone at the piano, Bourne’s uncharacteristically meditative improvisations used cautiously melodic figures to trace penumbral shadows of memory and regret. Cecil Taylor slips Erik Satie something heavy on the way back from the gents.
2) Earth – Angels Of Darkness, Demons of Light II (Southern Lord) Earth’s rustically tinged folk metal, scratched out of iron at impossible volumes and immobile tempos by the infernal method, attained a new level of dumbstruck, devotional awe.
3) Bill Fay – Life Is People (Dead Oceans) The sainted singer-songwriter descended from the top of his North London pole to deliver his first album proper for forty years, a gravitationally weighty set of holy-minimalist bar room ballads.
4) Giant Giant Sand – Tucson (Fire) The durable Arizona outfit Giant Sand expanded in size to assimilate everything they’ve dabbled with, from cocktail crooning to ambient tex-mex grunge, re-imagining Tucson as a Lynch-Lurman musical.
5) Belbury Poly – The Belbury Tales (Ghost Box) Belbury Poly sound like dispirited psychedelic era survivors, attempting to subvert the soundtrack demands of the seventies television executives now employing them, whilst eating ploughman’s lunches.
6) The Bohman Brothers – Back On The Streets (Peripheral Conserve) This year the kranky spoken word artists enjoyed a silent cameo as pointing men in the art house hit Berberian Sound Studio. But these apparently random recitations of everyday verbal detritus threatened to reorder our very reality.
7) The Woodbine & Ivy Band – s/t (Folk Police) Manchester indie types played British folk standards, and a Wicker Man song, late ’60s Californian style, creating a historically implausible but highly satisfying hybrid.
8) Rich Hopkins & Luminarios – Buried Treasure (Blue Rose) A textbook liberal who rocks like a redneck, Hopkins 28th album feeds small town heartaches, border country crises, and personal anxieties through the filters of Detroit proto-punk, blue collar country, and Crazy Horse-style feedback jams.
9) Witch – We Intend To Cause Havoc! (Now Again) Who even knew ’70s Zambia had its own indigenous hard rock, hairy funk, garage punk band, let alone that they’d left a legacy of four cd’s worth of invigoratingly unvarnished stash.
10)The Azusa Plane – Where The Sands Turn To Gold (Rocket Girl) This vast document compiled the complete works of the late Jason Demilio, who imagined My Bloody Valentine or The Velvet Underground without the pop scaffolding, and all that abstract sonic dressing dragged center-stage, where it could carry whatever emotional weight you cared to place upon it.
TV
Morse Year Zero in ITV’s Endeavor.
BBC’s Sherlock Holmes, Call The Midwife, Hollow Crown, She Wolves, Vikings, and Upstairs Downstairs.
E4’s Cardinal Burns,
C4’s Grayson Perry’s All In The Best Possible Taste,
Sky’s Touch of Cloth;
Books
David Rees’ How To Sharpen Pencils is the book of the century so far,
Penguin’s new edition of Arthur Machen’s White People,
Savage Continent by Keith Lowe,
You Are Nothing which was a deliberately unreliable history of obscure ’90s comedy by Robert Wringham,
Julian Cope’s Copendium,
Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics The Untold Story;
Film
Troll Hunter,
The Artist,
Avengers Assemble,
Looper,
and Andrew Kotting’s comically and calmly meditative Swandown, which I was in for 5 minutes;
Gigs
Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb & pop’s K T Tunstall together and unannounced in a Stoke Newington cafe,
Han Bennink solo at Bishopsgate Festival,
Jane Bom Bane’s harmonium and bespoke hats mash up on the Edinburgh Free Fringe,
Kunt & The Gang’s scatological Depeche Mode grooves on the Free Fringe,
The Caesareans acoustic at a birthday party, Fushitsusha transcending time and space at St John’s Church Hackney,
Patti Smith shaming everyone in Bethnal Green;
Theatre/comedy
Dublin Gate’s Watt in the Edinburgh International Festival,
Teatr Biuro Podró?y’s satirical stiltwalking sci-fi space rock opera Planet Lem,
Jeff Achtem’s Beefheartian kids’ puppet show Swamp Juice.
Bad thing – Paddy Power desecrating the Uffington White Horse.
Good thing – Obama, relatively speaking.
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph