Home Sweet Home

In the middle of last week I moved back to my parents’ house, in a vague effort to prompt a ‘on step back, two steps forward’ action in my life. So far it’s been pretty nice. All the home comforts which I’ve been missing whilst living by myself are making up for the minor inconveniences I’ve had to suffer (the most notable being my mum panicking when I didn’t come home on Thursday night. I’d stayed round my friend’s house as the long walk home/ taxi wait was that little bit too much.)

The main advantage so far has been the internet access. Although by the end of weekend I think I’d exhausted all the good websites to look at and that vague feeling of boredom that comes with living with ones parents was beginning to set in.

The internet access is proving particularly useful when it comes to last.fm previously I was just scrobbling tracks from my ipod, which had it’s (very notable) limitations. I’m still doing this (with increased frequency and hence more accuracy) and I’m doing it from itunes as well, which means the charts I produce are more accurate than they were and the minor obsession I was developing can be relaxed a little.

So, in what may become a regular feature of this blog, here is my ‘top 10’ tracks of the week:


1 Brakes – Cease And Desist 5
2 The Gothic Archies – Walking My Gargoyle 4
2 The Gothic Archies – we are the gothic archies 4
2 Brakes – Mobile Communication 4
2 Brakes – Isabel 4
6 Big Star – The Ballad of El Goodo 3
6 Big Star – Feel 3
6 Oblivians – Trouble 3
6 Oblivians – Christina 3
6 The Gothic Archies – Crows 3
6 Brakes – If I Should Die Tonight 3
6 Brakes – Porcupine Or Pineapple 3
6 The Gothic Archies – How Do You Slow This Thing Down? 3
6 The Gothic Archies – Things Are Not What They Appear 3
6 The Gothic Archies – A Million Mushrooms 3
6 The Gothic Archies – Smile! No One Cares How You Feel 3
6 Brakes – Hold Me In The River 3
6 The Gothic Archies – freakshow 3
6 The Gothic Archies – shipwrecked 3
6 Klaxons – Magick 3
6 Ludacris – He Man 3
6 Brakes – On Your Side 3
6 Brakes – No Return 3
6 Brakes – Spring Chicken 3
6 Brakes – Margarita 3
6 Brakes – Beatific Vision 3

As you can see I bought the Gothic Archies' new album this week and downloaded the Breaks album. I’ve been enjoying both quite a lot. The Gothic Archies album is almost great, but seems a little flippant and quirky in comparison to the Magnetic Fields so is perhaps a little disappointing. Thats all relative though, as the Magnetic Fields certainly set the standards high. The Brakes album is virtually the opposite and some of the quirky charm from their debut seems to have been lost. Initially I thought this was a bad thing, but I’m quickly warming to it.

The other entries in the chart include Big Star who I’m finally growing to appreciate. I’ve always had a fondness for their best known tracks but felt the albums were lacking a little. I’m kind of seeing them in a new light at the moment. Particlarly ‘Watch the Sunrise’ which for some reason isn’t in this chart. Maybe it’s not as accurate as I’d hoped.

The Oblivians are in there too after I downloaded their album following an indiesoc recommendation. The new klaxons single has had a couple of listens although is yet to lodge itself in my brain, and the He-Man sampling Ludacris song got a few run throughs, but the novelty has already worn off.