The Greatest Songs You've Never Heard #005: Built to Spill - Twin Falls

Highly suitable for those with little attention span, this track from Built to Spill's 1994 album There's Nothing Wrong with Love weighs in at just 1 minute 49 seconds. Short enough for ya?

The band from Boise Idaho have released seven studio albums over a nineteen year span.

Click the player below to listen:

Visit the Built to Spill Official Site

More Greatest Songs You've Never Heard

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My Old School

      1970s  "New School"                                                  Artist's Impression of "New" New School

Yours Truly

A year after I left my junior school they demolished its Victorian buildings and built a new one a quarter of a mile away. I recall thinking it was a bit of a shame but the new site looked fabulously modern, and that those younger kids were really lucky (while I was now ensconced in the altogether more scary and dark secondary school 100 yards away).

On a visit last week to my Dad, who still lives nearby, I learned that this too was being torn down and replaced.

My initial reaction was to feel old. So old that the school which replaced my old school was itself now so ancient that it must be put out of its misery by the wrecking ball. That so many pupils had passed through its corridors since I was too old to do so, that it was just used up and worn out. Pretty depressing stuff, especially when you never quite think of yourself as a grown-up.

Then I figured it out. Should have been obvious actually. It must be down to poor building standards. The whole place was probably riddled with damp, maybe even asbestos, like in Our Friends in the North. Those poor kids were no doubt coughing and spluttering all day instead of learning. Just one of those things, really.

Yes, that'll be it.

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Things I Have Learned This Week

1. Here in England the news and everyone's thoughts have been dominated by the rioting and looting in and around our major cities. Heartbreaking tales of people's homes and businesses being destroyed, even deaths.

Amidst it all have been some remarkable examples of community spirit. The picture of the raised brooms from the clean-up operation in London has gone around the world, and appeals to help those left homeless have been well supported.

Another way that those who felt powerless against the massed feral youth have been able to (in a sense) fight back has been the opportunity to undermine the rioters and looters' "cool" by posting doctored photos of them on the website http://photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/ and now http://photoshoprioter.tumblr.com/ See above and below. You can now also buy a book of the best ones with profits going to charities helping those affected - link here.

2. Our leaders misjudged the mood of ordinary people and, while our capital and other towns burned, they seemed reluctant to return from their summer holidays.

3.. Meet the latest (temporary) addition the Blinkered household - Timmy the Gerbil:

He's the school pet and we're taking our turn to look after him during the summer break. We've had him for nearly a week and we're mostly just pleased he's still alive. You see until recently there was also Billy. An unfortunate family who were ahead of us on the rota came down one morning to find Billy dead, with bits of his stomach missing. Seems our Timmy, in the midst of his grief, got a little peckish ... probably best not to think about it too much.

4. Tweet of the Week comes from someone who isn't even on Twitter, Frank Skinner. However the quote from him is just the sort of clever, succinct line which I think would make him ideally suited to the medium. The guy quoting him, The Word Magazine founder David Hepworth, is himself always interesting, entertaining or both. Oh, and you'll only get it if you're into cricket:

5. "IT'S WHAT HE WOULD HAVE WANTED" - POSSIBLY

Questionable tribute of the week goes to a Los Angeles Deli, following the sad death of singer Jani Lane. He was the ex-frontman of 80s / 90s rockers Warrant, whose biggest hit was called Cherry Pie. You can probably guess the rest, but TMZ have the full moving story... 

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This Is England

Some worrying stuff going on in England at the moment, but there is more than one way though to get back at those indulging in these senseless acts. Taking the piss is, after all, something we as a nation are pretty good at.

There are loads more pics like this at  http://photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/ Check it out.


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Things I Have Learned This Week

This week my wife, 8 year-old daughter and myself have been on the Lincolnshire coast. We've never visited that area before and, regardless of the unusual experience of actually seeing some sun during a UK holiday, it was an enjoyable week. Things did seem a little different there however, almost like going to another country.

1. For starters, this was one of the local shops. Wondered if we had slipped through a portal into Utah or somewhere equally survival-tastic:

For all your..um...sniping needs, apparently.

Of course, as the world economy seems to be going down the toilet, we may all have to brush up on survivalist techniques. A year from now, peering into the store cupboard in our makeshift cabin might give this sobering view è:

2. Anyhoo, during our trip we were fortunate enough to meet The Mayor of Skegness...

And the good Lady Mayoress...

3. Can't say we got on too well with the locals, 95% of whom were really irritating and looked like this:

The "10 whacks of a flip-flop to kill it" species of Hover fly

4. Back home, today it seems the BBC News Channel are having a "Star Trek Original Series" dress-up day:

Though for newsreader Jon Sopel it's an everyday thing...

5. Inside the mind of Shane Warne:

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KILLER COVERS #006 The Lemonheads - (Christina Aguilera's) Beautiful

The Lemonheads hit it big in the early 90's with two equally glorious melodic alt-rock albums: It's a Shame About Ray and Come on Feel. Amidst the critical acclaim and commercial success of this period, main man Evan Dando began to make news more for the rock lifestyle than for his music, creating a reputation he's never really shaken off .

Despite this, in a sporadic career since, he has never released a bad album. His deep, rich-as-a jamaica-ginger-cake voice, over the top of a seemingly endless supply of sumptious melodies (be they driven by an acoustic guitar or full band rocking out) is something I return to time and again.

Evan has, in recent years made records under both his own name and that of the band, though The Lemonheads these days are, to all intents and purposes Dando plus a revolving door of sidemen.

This Linda Perry-penned Christina Aguilera track was featured on a whole album of covers, 2009's Varshons, and to be perfectly honest is one of the few songs on it that I was familiar with. Generally well received, Varshons included unlikely collabarations with actress Liv Tyler and model Kate Moss. Hope you like this one.

Visit The Lemonheads official site

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Things I Have Learned This Week

1. Amid the crises engulfing his Government, Prime Minister David Cameron seemed perhaps a little too grateful to put all that aside on a trip to the home of Wallace & Gromit, Aardman Studios.

2. Out and about yesterday, I began to feel hungry ...

3. Actually, the above wasn't taken in a random high street, but on a trip to a Safari Park. The day's highlight was having my faith restored in meerkats, after those terrible car insurance ads made me feel inclined to stamp viciously on the next one I came across. Of course in reality they don't speak, let alone bang on in an approximation of a Russian accent about people getting confused over website addresses.

This family included three really sweet babies. Obviously in an English summer a sun lamp for them to gather under is essential.

4. Tweet of the week this week comes from the incomparable Michael McKean (of Spinal Tap, Best in Show, Laverne & Shirley etc. fame):

5. Of all the articles and tributes this week after the death of Amy Winehouse, perhaps the most thoughtful and eloquent came from an unlikely source, one Russell Brand. Read it here:

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We Will Rock You

I'm still mystified after all these years by the success of the musical show of this name, but seeing posters for it yesterday made me think about this classic opening to a Cheers episode:



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