h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi,

I saw on the 'What are you listening to ...' thread, that you're listening to the Beta Band, you're the first person i've seen on this site that's heard of them.

i went to see them in glasgow a couple of weeks back, they were fantastic, really really good. Dry the rain was brilliant. the barras is a special kinda place to see a band, but the ballroom was rocking last saturday.

Just thought i'd say Hi, and thanks, i was beginning to think i was alone.

like anyone else interesting?

I saw them last year, after the Beta Band album.
I think I first heard them round about the time of the Los Amigos Del Beta Banditos ep (the third of the three eps). Thought it sounded interesting and have since got hold of anything I could (including the king biscuit time ep).

Didn't you put down a mention of the Super Furry Animals in there?
What's the new album like? I'll probably get it anyway whatever

Other stuff, If you check out the rest of the thread, they really are what I was listening to. It's been said (when Abi asked that question) that I have somewhat eclectic music tastes.
Anything from down right old style back country blues (north mississippi all stars) to the supposed sophisticated electro pop of Air or Zero 7 through everything in between - dodgy 80s pop to modern indie to latex clad cock rock. If it sounds interesting, looks interesting, tickles some itch for whatever reason (I used to download mp3s just because I had some snippet of song turn up in my head ) I'll see if I can find it.

How about yourself, what other stuff are you into?

The new Super Furries lp is great. i've never really paid that much attention to them in the past; i've heard some stuff but i always figured that they were scary and experiemental, but i was pleasantly surprised - not too scary certainly not mouse from mars kinda scary. rocky folk. i'd recommend you get it.

like yourself i have fairly ecclectic tastes (everything from frank zappa through issac hayes/barry white to oh i don't know mozart {his requiem is the greatest piece of music ever written) to metallica and gregorian chants to groove armada and jurassic 5), lets see.... what am i obsessively playing at the moment, apart from the beta band and the furries?... i'm basically a sunday person ie most of my favourite music is meant to be played on a sunday with that morning after the night before kinda feeling. kings of convience, badly drawn boy, turin breaks, starsailor. Again i'll listen to anything. Are you going to see Air?

is you like the beta band you might be interested in some of the stuff one of the ex memebers (don't ask me who) is doing - lone pigeon, heard some stuff the other week on't'radio, sounded good.

got anything interesting lately yourself?

Hi it's still me, just at work

I'm not sure about seeing Air. I think I would like it but then again... I really aught to go and buy the last two albums (Virgin Suicides and 10000Hz Legend).

I think the thing about the SFA is their tendency to break out into welsh songs I'll probably go and buy the album at the weekend now.

I like the description sunday morning music It does rather fit.

Interesting stuff... The new Bran Van 3000 album Discosis is fun. The album by Lupine Howl, The Carniverous Nocturnal Activities of. They're one of the spin offs from Spiritualised (most of the band). From what I've heard of the new Spiritualised stuff sounds good and I'd like that album when it's out. I goy put off them though when I saw them live and it was a rather dreary set.

That's a pity, i fancied going to see them, so you don't rate spiritualised as a live act?

I like Air and i've got tickets to see them at the barras, it should be interesting if nothing else (i wonder if it'll be mellow or high nrgy?). you know, i think i must be one of the few people who rate Premiers Symptomes (god i hope that's the right title - short term memory loss) you know their first one, higher than moon safari. much more funkier/mellow lp. haven't gotten around to buying 10000Hz Legend yet, like so many stuff, i hear it.. say oh got buy that then end up coming out of fopp with something completely different, happened the other day went in to get hot shots II came out with that, the super furries and a john martyn cd i'd been trying to get for ages (it must be been re-released)

i'm not conscience of welsh singing on the lp, but the track run christian run is superb. some of them did a track on the Mogwai cd, made up on the spot and in welsh... now that's talent!

I don't know. I think I'd like to see them live again, especially after hearing the newer stuff that the ex members of the band have done.
Yup it is Premier Symptomes the first Air album. Have you got the Zero 7 album yet? Similar but with a slightly different feel as the guys in Zero7 are british.
I know what you mean about just ending up buying stuff, I do it all the time. I went out to buy the Jason Downs album and came out with REM and a couple of compilations as well. Happens when I hit 2nd hand bookshops also
The SFA did release an album totally in welsh a couple of years back (or was it last year) mwng I think. Then there are some of their earlier tracks such as The Man Don't Give A F**k. Couldn't be played on the radio that one. I'm trying to remember what the first stuff of theirs was that I thought I liked, God Show Me Magic, I think.

I'm quite enjoying this, not had a good talk about music for ages

What do you make of this years mercury nominations? They seem to be filled with those sunday morning kind of artists.

i'm enjoying too, taking bets as to when my knowledge of strange and avant garde music runs out and my true feelings are revealed and i resort to talking about atomic kitten !

yeah the mercury music thingy is full of sunday music and i'm proud (yep i don't think i'm ashamed) that i've got 6 out of the 12 albums. who do i think's gonnae win .... i'm stuck between turin breaks and pj harvey ... but its probably going to be gorrillaz (a fine album)

i've not heard Zero7, they sound interesting. i like the band les rythmes digital (who sound french but are from reading apparently) saw them a couple of year ago, really fun! the REM album was another of those 'meant to' purchases.

there's something quite sexy about the welsh accent ....mmmm.... excuse me

so, what does work consist of and why have you got two accounts?

I've only got two of the albums on there this year, but I have had the winner of the last 3 well before it was announced I may buy the Goldfrapp album as what I've heard sounds interesting.
I didn't get the new REM album but an old singles compilation on IRS I think.

I now work in the city doing support for some internal apps. The new account was so I didn't have to change my regular account to a*******r from goo. As I've been here for a week now I've still not got that much to do

Atomic Kitten - Isn't the man behind them one of the guys who used to be in OMD...

I see you've seen the mighty horse (from a quick perusal of your space). Top talent
I saw them on the We Came, We Saw, We Cantered Tour way back when
I even managed to meet then when they opened a record store near my parents (came away with a R1 record bag )

I also saw the comment about U2. Must email my friend who said that they might be able to get a ticket for me...

You are my personal hero .... meeting the boys. its another one of those could have stories, if i could have gotten my act together i could have went to the after show party (me and everyone else there) but i didn't.

my friends have a spare ticket for u2 in birmingham on the 15? but i really can't afford to go, i'm at a conference the weekend (a conference on a weekend - who ever heard of that?) before in brum and i can't afford to go twice in the one week - i'm absolutely gutted! i've seen them a few times before (on the war, joshua tree and i think pop (not the last one, the one b4) still a top act.

goldfrapp? its one i've picked up a couple of times but always put down ... so you're admitting to having the badly drawn boy cd? nice...

as well as having impecible taste in music i really like pop music - you can't beat a bit of perfect pop (although that atomic kitten track is crap) i love gerri halliwell !!!

And then there was the time I blagged into a Clint Boon aftershow

Some friends got a load of tickets for Manchester and I was offered one. I realise it's not to far away now, better see If I can sort something out. The last album seems like they have remembered how they used to do it and that Bono may have finally got his head out from his backside...

I admit Badly Drawn Boy, Talvin Singh and Gomez. All different, all very good. Of the three I do think the Gomez one it best as it has just that little bit extra something the others don't. I don't know what it is, perhaps it's that they are a band rather than talented individuals and so can get something greater than the sum of their parts.
(Have I stopped making sense yet , time to cut the pretentious crap!)

Some of the Gerry stuff is OK. I'm not keen on her cover of it's raining men though.
Of current pop, I do like the last couple of Shaggy singles, some of the boy/girl/mixed bands have had some good songs and have good singers in them. Still given the weather here over the last few days (hot and sunny) you can't beat the Beach Boys.

hot and sunny huh!!! it's been pretty overcast up here in the north.

u2's latest is a return to form, not that they wandered too far off form with the last couple, it was just sitting in the lemon that flipped (a metaphor for the excesses of rock'n' roll)

clint boon eh? ... i've not really got any claim to fame - my friend's all work at king tuts (voted radio 1's premier nitespot for live and emerging talent) so i get to hang around there after gigs sometimes, grandaddy and the webb brothers are lovely. - now they're two fine acts.

i'd have to go with badly drawn boy over gomez. they're alright and i've seen them a couple of times, but BDB is more uplifting - i defy you not to dance to 'disollusion' (or, like me, bob your head)

i don't get to listen to the radio anymore at work (changed jobs) so i've really no idea what the kids are listening to, but loved 'pure and simple' by heresay and of course the last one by atomic kitten. but you're right gerri's last effort was pretty poor, but check her out!

Friends who work at King Tuts! That's cheating

yeah, i suppose its quite easy to ligg there and by the same token some of them are in belle and sebastian!

.... my mum went to school with john martyn (early island artiste) and ian brady, the moors murderer! that's it, apart from the tuts connection - nothing....

let me just say, that meeting mark 'n' lard far outweighs anyone i could possibly meet tuts - respect!

John Martyn, cool
Ian Brady, NOT cool

I went to the same school (many years after) as Mick Hucknall.

my sister went to school with jerry sadowitz

i don't think i think of anymore. after a long day at work doing nothing, its time to go home. its been a realy pleasure, we must keep doing this!

have fun

mick hucknell ... not cool

To right!

a man with many crimes against music

You said you've got two of the mercury nominees ... lets guess .... radiohead and pj harvey?