Hey dudes!

From the ashes of Poptimism we bring you (for one night only)... HANDPUMP THE VOLUME!

Where: downstairs at Mason & Taylor, Bethnal Green Road, E1
(at the top of Brick Lane, right near Shoreditch High St Overground station)
When: Friday 19th August, 9pm-2am
What: Chart bosh, 90s rave, euro bangers and +24 Hyper Hyper 180BPM mentalism covers of Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. You are very likely to hear more than one song featuring Bill Drummond. Basically it is Poptimism but BIGGER, BETTER and BOSHIER and there will be tons of nice ale to drink.

Plus it's FREE ENTRY!

We're only doing this once, so if you don't come along you will regret it for ever.

Here's the Facebook event if you want to see a list of all the gorgeous and brilliant people who are already coming along.

Tags: beer, bosh, handpump the volume, shamless plugging

[Originally published earlier this year in Re/action magazine]

In a 1997 interview for British television, rapper Ma$e was asked by a female interviewer why his (and many other hip-hop artists') videos contained so much booty-wiggling. He replied in a lazy drawl: "Well if you don't like the song, then at least you've got something to look at." ( Read more... )

Tags: music videos, reaction, writing

It's OCTOBER, which means it's time for the quarterly music round-up (I ended up posting July's list over on poptimists instead).

Here are my top 20 songs of the year so far:

( I been Southampton but I've never been to Scunthorpe )

Tags: music

Next Friday (i.e. a week today, 10th September) is the LAST EVER POPTIMISM! Yes that's right, EVER.

WHEN: 7-midnight, although the usual suspects will be downstairs from after-work-o'clock.
WHERE: Upstairs @ The Horse Bar, 124 Westminster Bridge Road (just by Lambeth North tube or a short walk from Waterloo).
WHAT: Free entry, proper beer at reasonable London pub prices, TOP BANGING POP TUNES.

Please come along and give us a good send-off!

Tags: poptimism
Current bangin' choone: Something BANGING

I'll be part of the awesome team of music writer superheroes liveblogging the first Eurovision semi-final tonight from 8pm at The Singles Jukebox. Come join us!

I've also cast my eye over some of the participant's promo videos at The Vids Are Alright - contains a) horses b) giant cardboard heads c) SWIMMING POOL.

Tags: eurovision, music, public, writing

I wrote something about Lady Gaga, Rihanna and image issues for female pop stars.

Tags: music, shamless plugging, writing

Cor everything is a bit hectic at the moment. Yet I found the time to play Lady Gaga bingo!

Here is what I said about 'Telephone' on Singles Jukebox:

"Bad Romance" may have been an all-conquering stand-alone masterpiece, but at first "Telephone" really does sound like it was cobbled together for a bonus album at the last minute. The lyrics are shoe-horned into the delicate opening melody like a square peg in a dodecagonal hole, and there is no universe in which 'And-I can-not text-you with-a drink-in my-hand, eh' scans well, even over the most basic three-chord off-the-shelf progression. But the awkward, annoying delivery sticks - in fact, it's as awkward and annoying as someone ringing you up moaning about their FEELINGS when you're concentrating on the important business of i) recreating the dance routine to "Tragedy" with your chums ii) managing not to spill your pint over everyone.

The rest of the song is a jumble of brilliant choruses ('call when you want/cos there's no-one home/and you're not gonna reach my telephone') and rep-rep-rep-repeating syllables, which seems to be the closest thing Gaga has to a trademark sound. Most importantly, the guest spot proves key: Beyoncé rises to the bait and throws a massive strop at the caller (backed by her marching band) but Gaga keeps focused, no histrionics, not wanting to waste her time or energy on puny human emotion when there's drunken dancing to be had. Fire and Ice! Doing the Macarena together round their handbags! What better way to let off steam?

( A selection of my recent Singles Jukebox reviews )

Tags: music videos, singles jukebox, the vids are alright, writing

Great news for all our readers: I am taking over from carsmilesteve as a regular Poptimism DJ! The next one is Friday 29th January at the Horse Bar (just by Lambeth North tube) and it would be lovely to see you all there. Oh look! Here's a flyer that will make your eyes go funny if you scroll up and down:



More info here: http://freakytrigger.co.uk/poptimism/

Tags: poptimism, public, superstar dj

And here's my favourite song of the decade:

Tags: bosh, drunken tomfoolery, music, ruin
Current Mood: drunk

( Kanye West - Graduation. )

Tags: music, public

[Posted here instead of over on FT, as it's a bit out of date now - this was written in June.]


A 27-year-old mother-of-two is suspended in the air above a fiery chasm, kept only from plummeting to a grisly death by the grip of a muscle-bound man's thighs. Thunderous drumbeats ring out around the arena, where 20,000 people look on, all holding their breath...

( Britney Spears at the O2. )

Tags: britney, gigs, music, writing

Oh dear, La Roux gets feminism wrong AGAIN

First it was 'girls look a bit stupid playing guitars', now this:

What's your stance on the way that female musicians either choose to or are forced to use a sexuality that's essentially just designed to appeal to men?

"It's really patronising to women. I know that there's far more ways to be sexy than to dress in a miniskirt and a tank top. If you're a real woman you can turn someone on in a plastic bag just by looking at them. That's what a real woman is, when you've got the sex eyes. I think you attract a certain kind of man by dressing like that. Women wonder why they get beaten up, or having relationships with arsehole men. Because you attracted one, you tw4t. It's a funny culture, it's definitely a funny culture. Those women are just insecure, but they'll turn round to me and say 'you're just jealous 'cos you want a tan and you want big boobs, stupid boy-looking girl'. You can't win, they wouldn't believe me for a second."

Jebus, is she *actually* saying that by dressing in a certain way, women are inviting men to abuse them? I think she is. Sigh.

Tags: music, people are idiots, ph34r my feminist ire

Blimey, I've actually finished a writing project:

http://freakytrigger.co.uk/series/blog-92/ (starting from the beginning)

The last entry ('Blue Room' by The Orb) is here, and a link to a Youtube playlist of all the tracks is here.

Tags: blog 92, public

Tags: i got election

Please go and read uon's post about the Kent Climate Camp - julietk is there and has witnessed some awful behaviour by the riot police.

( Stanmore to Harrow & Wealdstone )

Tags: adventure

I'm DJing at Poptimism tomorrow along with 11 other guest DJs. We get 15 minutes to wow the dancefloor so come along and give your support! I may well play something like this:



Cross Kings, 8pm-2am, totally FREE and they do proper beer. SEE YOU THERE!

Tags: poptimism
Current bangin' choone: Santogold - Say Aha

( Brixton to New Cross Gate )

Tags: adventure
Current bangin' choone: Guns of Brixton (honest coincidence!)

( Do keep up! )
Phew! Roll on next year :)

Tags: eurovision

on the radio! The Lollards Of Pop will be broadcasting from this time last year, so on Wednesday keep your ears tuned to Resonance 104.4FM and listen to myself, Eli, catsgomiaow and Lord Sukrat bibble on about STUFF.

DJing at Poptimism on Saturday! It's going to be a SUPER GOOD one as I am going to play TWENTY YEARS OF BOSH and miss_newham is going to play Cliff Richard. I can't wait! It's totally free and there will be CAKE.