Here’s my latest Pitchfork column – a piece on ABBA!
I deliberately wrote it as a quite ‘old school’ bit of music criticism – heavy focus on lyrical meaning, artistic themes, privileging of maturity and meaningfulness et[…]

QUESTION EVERYONE ASKS ME ABOUT OCEAN’S 13:
Is it better than Ocean’s 12?
Answer: Yes. Just. Despite having a massive plot hole in it* (that leads to a big spoiler), it is ruthlessly efficient with its plot and realises that we don’[…]

Right, ANY DREAM WILL DO. I only actually watched the final of this TV reality show (aim: cast lead of new production of Joseph + Dreamcoat) tho I was aware of it cos Isabel was keen. I was disappointed by the pick for winner – a tousled smooth[…]

“I have to stay in my house ALL DAY on Saturday waiting for the Glasto ticket after a series of mishaps etc. I knew this would happen. WHY CAN’T THEY USE ROYAL MAIL AND HAVE IT WAITING FOR ME AT THE POST OFFICE? Like everybody else doe[…]

You heard me, SPOILERS.
Spoilers for what?
I DON’T KNOW. (more…)[…]

37 mins, and 34MB, of my favourite tracks from the last year of podcasts…
Ain’t No Other Man – Aguilera, Christina
Not This Year – Aly & AJ
Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
Me & You – Cassie
Don’t Let Stars Get U[…]

So GlastoWeatherWatch has left us a little in the lurch this year (congratulations on your wedding though :)). OK, so there’s Glasto Festival Forecast attempting to fill the gap, but they look like they’ve jumped into bed with THE MAN, h[…]

These are the tracks for the Pop Open, week one. Theme: sex.
[ROUND OVER – TRACKS UNLINKED]
What is the Pop Open? It’s a game we’re playing over at the Poptimists LJ community. It’s too late to be a contestant but not too late[…]

Last year Freaky Trigger reported on the madness of Bill Oddie. Well, he’s back on our TV screens for Spring Watch, the BBC’s seasonal look at the birds and beasts of these fair isles. For an hour. EVERY DAY. (more…)[…]

Marketers at Nintendo has credited the popularity of Pokemon to its expert combination of two previous fads – the Tamagotchi and the Beanie Baby. Fair enough, but this isn’t why Pokemon has become so successful as a brand, capturing the imagi[…]