They would appear to have arrested one of the would-be bombers in Birmingham. They tasered the poor love. My heart bleeds.

Today's headline in the Daily Express "Bombers were dole-scrounging asylum seekers". I paraphrase, but only a bit. Honestly, it's like reading the BNP freesheet, only with slightly more adverts for adult chatlines. That rag really is a sad excuse for a newspaper.


Very many of you seem to be somewhat dischuffed this week, so I bring individual music recs, in order of them occurring to me.



If anyone would like a track uploaded where I have not done so, please drop a comment and I'll try to oblige. I was going to try to upload more but I got defeated by volume and time...

cofax7 Only Talking Sense by Finn. I think its lyrics are so good that you'd see pictures.

muridae_x Are you familiar with Ed Harcourt? You might like These Crimson Tears, which is a rough ballad. I can't seem to get it to upload, but I can email if required.

qowf World music. Righto then. AR Rahman, soundtrack to the film Dil Se, Chaiyya Chaiyya. Revel in your inner Bollywood. --->HERE

se_parsons This is Only One Way by Karine Polwart, who I had never heard of until last week. thought the punchy forthrightness of this might appeal to you. It has double-bass, fiddles and the lyric "we have to make all the trouble we can" --->HERE

erehwesle, who has splendid taste in music, is a bit of a challenge ... how about the wonderful Walk In Fire by Doves, which has more uplift than Playtex ---->HERE

musesfool, also a challenge for the same reason. Hmmm. Powder Blue by Elbow, because it's beautiful, melancholic and tells a story. Shame it's about smackheads. ---->HERE

snacky. See above. Thought's A Waste Of Time by Joy Zipper. I think you might like this because it has that vaguely Big Star vibe. Also, it's new so you might not have heard it before --->HERE

hernewshoes ditto. This is like a big warm blanket and cocoa when it's raining outside. Antony and the Johnsons Hope There's Someone You'll either love it or hate it ---->HERE

xsabx Have you heard of David Kitt? Me either -- he's Irish and his album is endearingly shambolic. Here's Long, Long Stare--->HERE

angstville I think you would like For Lovers by Wolfman & Pete Doherty, which is stored on my gmail account -- I can give you the password should you not have it

lenadances The Kaiser Chiefs are named after a South African football team and come from Leeds. They are the bastard stepchildren of Blur, XTC, Squeeze and The Jam. I think you might like yelling this song in moments of frustration. It's excellent for driving I Predict A Riot --->HERE

lilydale. Pirate Moon by Thea Gilmore. I know you must have it somewhere. *g*

kirbyfest I think you might need Ryan Adams' version of Wonderwall from Love Is Hell. If you do, I will upload.

rubberneck You might like this There Oughta Be A Law by Ian McNabb, which sounds rather Costello-ish. It's sortof acoustic --->HERE

comice Rock, eh? I think I'd go with Only One Way again, because it's so nice to yell the lyrics of a song that has some political awareness --->HERE

mandysbitch Ozzy Osbourne's version of Working Class Hero might appeal. It's a fantastic cover -- he really gets the anger of it ---> HERE

vivwiley Leela James' version of Long Time Coming, which is just lovely and languid and sure.

sharinlilbit I think you might like Message To My Girl by Split Enz, which is very XF in its description of feelings. I could imagine boyfriend singing it *g*

thefourthvine. Hmmm. I am not sure what I think of this record -- it can't decide whether it's rock music or 70s cheese so it's a bit of everything. On a sidenote, all the boys in the band wear more eyeliner than the girls. Which is nice. But at least it should give you a laugh and provide you with a theme tune when spelunking the terrifying depths of fanfiction.net What's Hideous by Do Me Bad Things --->HERE

jonquil God. I have no show tunes, if you discount Bollywood, so I'm going to have to go with something which should be a show tune: I Close My Eyes and Count To 10 Dusty Springfield. If you can listen to this without singing into the hairbrush you are a better person than I.

ros_fod A soundtrack for Nick Brendon running into Spike at a trailer park? OMG, it has to be Depeche Mode Actually, I think you would get a real kick out of No Good Advice by Girls Aloud ---->HERE

barkley I can' t upload this at the moment for reasons which surpass my understanding but I think you would like King King Frown by Departure Lounge

ropo I can only think that you would love Too Drunk To Fuck by Nouvelle Vague. It's funny and smartarsed and lovely, much like your good self

fourteenlines How about Get The Message by Electronic (Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Barney Sumner of New Order, 100% summery goodness) --->HERE

loveanddarknessDo you like electronica as in house or as in ambient or as in someotherthing? I haven't had chance to upload this but I think you might get a kick out of Everyone Wants You To Emerge by Fischerspooner. If you prefer something more laidback, have you heard any Tricky?

pauraque If you want a classical rec, I'd say Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan-Williams, which is the sound of ancient cathedrals or quiet dawns in the countryside.

leadensky Of course, Country and Western. I knew I was forgetting something. If you want C&W that's on a slight angle, I'd direct your attention to A Call To Apathy by The Shins. If you want classical, then I draw your attention to the rec above (which was also used in Master & Commander) or else Allegri's Miserere

raincitygirl Have you heard Koyaanisqatsi by Philip Glass? It can't do much in terms of chocolatey hugworthiness, but you can sink into its crystalline landscapes and forget for a bit.

loosehorses This isn't exactly acoustic and I cannot guarantee it would cheer anyone up, but it's a classic. Wonderful Life, Black --->HERE

revely This is easy. I think you'd love Above The Clouds by Turin Brakes. It's slow and sweet. I can upload if you wish.

nestra Do you like Nick Drake? Northern Sky is one of his best songs and it's not been used on an ad, to my knowledge.

corianderstem Are you familiar with Split Enz? I only ask because I was not until recently and I am now Smitten. With cap S. One Step Ahead is a fantastic piece of edgy synth music.

logovo King of the tortured boy-singers, Tom McRae, How The West Was Won. I think you'd like the story-telling aspect. Let me know if you don't have it

thassalia I don't need to tell you about Tom McRae or most of the other people I listen to, so how about Ed Harcourt? As I said, I'm having trouble uploading the Ed Harcourt track I want to pimp, but if you like, I could email.

sophia_helix I'd return to the Kaiser Chiefs here, I think, but maybe Oh My God, so that Alex can get his English accent out to play for a song. If you'd prefer tortured boys instead, could I recommend Tumble and Fall by Feeder

paulisper More tortured sensitive indie boys for a bad day... right. She's Everywhere Strangelove. They never had a big hit but this was lovely

leilaxf The 9 minute remixed version of Desert Rose which is more Cheb Khaled than Sting. I think you might like its intensity.

minim_calibre Bearing in mind your poll answer of shiny boots of leather... in a sane world this would be a show tune Strict machine Goldfrapp. Of course, the show in question would be *filthy*

dine You said you like pop and shite so this might appeal -- it's two minutes of cheery Liverpudlian angst: Dreaming of You The Coral

crankygrrrl How about Your Love Means Everything by Faultline. The singer is Chris Martin, if you wondered. ---> HERE

sinsense Blimey, this is hard. Gravity Vienna Teng



Right. Never doing *that* again.