Belle and Sebastian Releasing New Live Record!

So at long last, Belle and Sebastian are releasing something new! Not an album, sadly – their last, The Life Pursuit, was back in 2006, and they’re currently on hiatus – but this seems almost as good, to be honest. It’s called The BBC Sessions, and is pretty much… exactly that. Live radio recordings of old songs (1996-2001) on the first disc, and a special second disc full of a live performance in Belfast in 2001 – plenty of covers to go around there.

I’m a big fan of their older stuff, and although I’ve heard a fair bit of what’s on the record, it’ll be great to hear it in different settings (especially the songs from Sinister - I’ve been meaning to get the live version of the album off iTunes). Let’s just hope I can get hold of the second disc, which according to Pitchfork is only available with the ‘initial release’, whatever that means.

Thinking > Sleeping

These last few days have been kind of weird, I think.

For one, I’ve been sharing my room with Dad, who came up to visit me on Friday, and left today. This was a challenge, as although it was easy enough to source a mattress and bedding, the actual act of sleeping in the same room proved somewhat more challenging.

You see, he snores. Loudly.

So although I really enjoyed seeing him, as it’s been quite a while, I didn’t really get a great deal of sleep over course ofthe weekend. That said, I’m not sure if Dad’s snoring was the sole reason for this. The first night especially, I think I was just busy thinking of other things – until four or five in the morning when I got to sleep, and from when I woke up until about midday Saturday, when I got up.

I’m not entirely sure of what I was thinking about it, but there was a fair amount of butterflies in my stomach, something which I rather like, but hasn’t really happened in quite some time. It’s like a relationship, but imaginary, platonic, and effortless. I dunno, really, it’s strange.

Anyway, there’s a certain girl, who works in a certain café…

That said, it’s not as if I particularly want anything to come of it. I just… You know, like thinking about things. Sounds creepy, no? I did say it was platonic!

Tiempos agradables.

The Will to Write

Awesome, I seem to have got my will to write back! It’s been gone for quite a while now, but I just managed a 3000-word email in one go, and I enjoyed it tremendously! Even if it was during the wee hours of the morning…

Hopefully it doesn’t go away any time soon!

Now, for sleep…

Ode to LHC

I know they’re completely different acronyms, but they kind of look the same, right?

Anyway, I’m spending this morning being pretty scared, to be perfectly honest. Because as excited as I am about the new Large Hadron Collider in Europe, which is being fired up for the first time rather soon, it also scares the bejeezes (sp?) out of me. Yes, I’m actually having fears about the end of the world.

I guess all we can do is hope that everything turns out for the best, and we learn a lot of cool information about the universe, and nobody dies. Right?

Right?

Oh my gosh.

The Things You Find

Gang Leader for a Day – Sudhir Venkatesh

Dawn of a New Era for NSW?

So, Morris Iemma has finally been ousted as Premier of New South Wales. I’d never have thought it, but at the moment my main feeling is, well, relief. The state government has been so damned incompetent recently, any major upset or reshuffle is very welcome indeed. Let’s hope Nathan Rees does a good job as his replacement!

¡La primavera está aquí!

For those of you who don’t learn/know Spanish: Spring is here!

And such a beautiful day for it. Perfect for listening to the Kooks, the Cure, the Beach Boys, Ben Kweller, plenty of Yann Tierson, and, of course, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Summer and Spring soundtracks are the best, no?

Oh, how I missed you.