coxy's blog

I can't stop listening to the new Tellison track. Love it.

Stephen (from the band) is coming to Oslo at the start of December. It'll be good to see him again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coxy/2882470733/

I haven't really felt the need to update the blog with what I've been doing recently. Part of this is down to just being too busy doing other stuff to sit down on the computer and plague the internet like I used to.

The other week I seen Tellison (pictured) three times in one week. Monday at the Manchester Academy, Wednesday in Liverpool's Bluecoat Gallery and a 'secret gig' again later that night in Manchester's The Phoenix. It was amazing. Check them out.

http://www.last.fm/music/tellison

Tellison are, without doubt, one of the best live bands around - I've just returned home from seeing them play Manchester's Roadhouse. Support was from Tubelord, The Maple State - who are each excellent - and Scholars, who I missed play.

It's the last tour for Ben, who plays in Tellison as part of the live line-up - but this just means that there's some exciting new stuff in the pipeline from Encyclopedia, which can only be a good thing!

I shot a whole roll of film and have no idea what I was doing with the flash / retro 60s manual camera combination. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pics next weekend.

ITC2007 is not quite over yet, but I've certainly seen enough to give a round-up (of sorts) so far - and what a busy week it will have been. With Bring on the Dancing Horses on Thursday, gigs on Saturday and all-day Sunday; all that's left for me is either Sam Isaac or Elle S'Appelle for tonight. That will make it a total of six different gigs in five days - phew!

Some of the bands I got to see included Darlings of the Splitscreen, data.select.party, Elle S'Appelle, Salty Lips, Tellison and The Glamour Sound System. Amid the bands that I met, but didn't get to see perform were Vile Vile Creatures and goFASTER>>.

Aside from the above-mentioned bands, a new discovery for me, and ones to watch are Cage the Elephant (myspace). I caught the end of their set as I arrived at Jabez Clegg where they were playing to around 15 people.

Special note must go out to Salty Lips who pulled off one of the most disturbing and entertaining performances of my weekend. Pics up on Flickr - possibly a few more to come.

I decided that I really needed to update my blog; so we have a new header up 'top and I'm all ready to ramble about something or nothing.

Over the past week I've been really looking forward to seeing what post I've got each day. Since I got paid, I've ordered a whole bunch of stuff online (music, mostly) and can't wait to have it drop through my door. I went a bit crazy and just started spending so other than what's already come through the door, I can't tell you what I've ordered - because I don't know.

Out of what I've received so far, which shockingly isn't too much, (damn Royal Mail) my favourite purchase has to be the new EP by National School. I've been eager to get my hands on their material since Munkyfest and have been playing it non-stop!

I've uploaded track one off the EP for your listening pleasure. It's pack as a ZIP containing one high-quality MP3 and is available to download from senduit.com (link expires 14/07/2007)

Elsewhere in music I went to see Kanye West this week and reviewed it for Entertainment Manchester, re-publishing the review on Newsvine. I also got some tickets through today for Unknown Pleasures at the Quays and am tempted to go to that. We shall see, though.

One thing I am looking forward to is going to Leeds in ten days time. Tellison are playing; but more importantly, I really want to see Encyclopedia (pictured). I refuse to explain why I'm excited to be seeing them play; especially when Ben has wrote such a marvellous blog post illustrating the reason on their MySpace.

With the UK release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix impending, Vikki gets ever more disgusted at the fact that I've never seen a Harry Potter film. So much so, that when she was threatening to buy the whole collection on Amazon, I gave in and agreed to rent them all instead.

The first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone dropped through the door this morning. I don't mind watching it, but I don't particularly think it's a film I'll enjoy - I've just never had an interest in the series of books or movies.

Since highlighting to the folk over at Clusty that their mobile search didn't work with Opera, I've been talking in fair detail with one of the guys about possible improvements to Clusty. I find that when I get into conversations with developers of products I like and admire that my enthusiasm shoots right up and my head nearly explodes with ideas - making me really eager just to invite myself to join the team and get started on making them.

Of course, it never happens like that. It's a shame that most of the people I speak to about such things are all based in America (or other silly countries like Norway) and it's not like I could just 'pop by' one day after work to lend a hand.

(for those that haven't realised, I'd really love to be in with all the folk that are up there shaping the web; making it a better place for the both of us. one day - i'm hoping media city will pay off for me.)

As most of you are aware, I generally use Yahoo! products, but I could often be found to switch between Clusty and Yahoo! search on a daily basis. A few weeks ago I changed all my default search boxes from Yahoo! to Clusty and have been trying it out on a more permanent basis.

Anywho, I don't think I've got much more to say. It's taken me far too long to write this as it is.