Happy new Year!
Well, after the festivities and the excitement of the Journeys last week (awards are on the way, honest!) we’re back to normal for the first update of 2014. Yay! And there’s been quite some movement, so let’s take a peek and see how your favourite journal authors have been ringing in the new year.
Briks gets the honour of kicking us off as he finally takes Manky’s recommendation on The Wrens’s “The Meadowlands”, and seems very taken with it in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...seur-cave.html. He’s also listening to Elliot Smith, which no doubt will please our 2013 Workaholic Award winner, Ki!
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ening-log.html is coming along nicely, with entries on, among others, CoinLocker Kid, Strawfoot, Lonesome Wyatt and the Holy Spooks and Lana del Rey. If this keeps up you can make this journal your go-to place for checking out new music!
After returning in triumph last week, just in time for the final update of 2013 but sadly not in any position to be nominated for awards,
James is getting his journal
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ove-stuff.html underway now, with a deep examination of the phenomenon of Arcade Fire. Like them or love them, you’ll want to read his words. A really great start from a long-missed member.
Someone who did win an award, and rightly so, is
Junkyard Donner and she’s
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-tripping.html this week with a rather, um, colourful review of “Canyon candy” by Javelin.
The Workaholic is back! Surely he’ll slow down for 2014? Doesn’t look like it.
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-music.html says
Ki, and he means it as ever, with an examination of one-hit wonders (neither of which, I’m glad/proud to say, I’ve heard once. Radio? Ray-dee-oh? No, doesn’t ring a bell, mate! MT what?), a review of an album he’s been looking for for some time, which if he says it’s like Theocracy I need to check out, and some games he’s been looking forward to playing. And this all in the first few days of the new year! Expect a lot more, I’m sure we’ll all be blown away by his workrate once again. Chiselling your name on the 2014 award as we speak, man…
Oddly enough, our man
Neapolitan, who has not been around for literally months, is back this week with the announcement that
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...i-journal.html will be starting up again and also beginning a new journal, very interesting idea as he checks out
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ut-albums.html. For once, I wish I had thought of that! What: five journals not enough for you, Troll? Well, now that you mention it…
Another welcome returnee is
Plankton, who is giving us the latest chapter from his journey towards guitar herodom in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...um-bucket.html
while
Powerstars is really doing it. Ladies and gentlemen, make your way to
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...sicalness.html for Trollheart Rip-Off Month! I feel so special! Special delivery for Mister Powerstars: you’ve just been served!
He’s kicking off by digging up that annoying worm I used to employ (does he know about the Daily Earworm’s hundred-dollar-a-day addiction, I wonder? And that unsavoury fling he had with my Stacey-Lynn? Hmm) and also reviewing RHCP’s “Blood sex sugar magik” under my banner of “Classic albums I have never heard”. Don’t think I’d consider that a classic myself, but hey, as he points out, this is his journal. Even if he’s using my ideas. Till the injunction kicks in that is…
And
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...all-music.html is back too! Yay!
Screen13 is diving right in, with extended sections on Thomas Dolby and Modern English. Glad to see you back man!
Another journal coming into its own is
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...iet-grave.html, where
Taxman is slowly learning the joys of Iron Maiden and prog rock, and looking at the Beatles’ classic “Revolver”, as well as his top albums from the nineties, with the likes of Nirvana, Flaming Lips and Ween so far. Sounds like it could be interesting.
Bringing us back to me. Now, I must admit that last week I did eff-all in my journals and that was understandable, given all the work I was putting into the review of the year and the awards. But this week I’ve really kicked it, haven’t I? Well, no. Fact is, I’m busy writing stuff for the
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...-emporium.html, which is quickly running out of material. So at the moment all that’s there for 2014 for far is some more Babylon 5 episodes while in
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...d-journal.html there’s another entry in The Hook, as well as another Discovery, featuring the Riverdogs. Oh, and a review of an album by Arena. Sorry for such a paltry update, but as I say, I’m working behind the scenes and will be back to my regular multi-updates as soon as I can.
After running some top album and band lists from the seventies, and advising us of some changes to be made to
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...y-history.html,
Unknown Soldier is getting closer to catching up with us all, hitting into 1980 with his typical hard and heavy style. 1980 is a year most of us metalheads have been waiting for, because of one six-letter acronym that means more to us than just about anything: NWOBHM. It’s bound to be an amazing ride in the company of the Soldier adn he starts us off with albums from Krokus, Scorpions and Manilla Road. Strap yourselves in! No refunds will be given and no responsibility will be taken for headbanging-related injuries!
With all the excitement about and attention focussing on the year in review and the awards ceremony last week, I hardly got a chance to mention one of the coolest new journals that only started last week. If you haven’t already checked out
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...who-thing.html do yourself a favour and go there now. Whether you’re into the series or not
Urban is always a hoot and he has a way of putting things that makes me realise why he likes Charlie Brooker so much.
Seriously, go and read it. It may not make you a fan, but I bet anything it’ll make you laugh. Currently he’s on the “worst ever” episodes, so it’s really hilarious, with appearances from Colin Baker, Peter Davidson, William Hartnell and David Tennant, and some great one-liners: “After three and a half episodes of pointless running around someone finally realises...
HEY WE'RE STANDING ON A PLANET MADE OF FUCKING GOLD,
LET'S USE IT TO KILL THE CYBERMEN” Urban, you’re the king. There is no other.
Though his last entry was on New Year’s Eve I didn’t include it in the update last week (probably wasn’t approved at the time, or I was too tired. Or both.) so let’s take a peek at what comes
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ta-coffin.html this week, with another Journey winner,
William The Bloody, wrapping up his look at The Smiths and preparing to move on to something new and, no doubt, great.
And finally our mate
Zero is also back, where
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...nal-sound.html this time is looking at “Antenna” by Cave In. Interesting little writeup. Also lets us in on some of his favourite tracks from last year.
I’m still a little drained after last week’s efforts so no post of the week but I should be getting back on track soon. January is a time for making resolutions so why not make one to try your hand at journal writing? Few who do ever regret it, and it’s a great buzz.
Until next week,
Toodles!