I was just looking a website for an unsigned bands competition (Festibull), which got me thinking about bands I’ve been in. The longest running and most interesting was ‘The International’ — we didn’t gig much, but we were completely out-of-time modish art-rock. We used to have a practise room next to Mistress (very metal) and Coaster who became Dexter who became Walk.DontWalk (who were a totally different band - one member remains - then, very OCS).

We self-released a ’single’ (EP, more a demo really) — so I thought I’d pop an mp3 onto the band competition thing to see what the process was. I have a copy upstairs, but I couldn’t be bothered to go and find it then rip to mp3. Maybe, maybe it’s already up on the interweb somewhere. So judicious searching later I found an abandonned geosites page belonging to one of our guitarists (who I haven’t seen for five years at least).

We did have a website (back in 1998 this was a odd thing), it’s long gone - or at least the WayBack Machine can only find a bit of it. (”Van Gough, Stan Collymore, The International, add us to the list. The explosion will be visible from space.”). I’ve now been motivated to scan the cover of the EP - although I can’t find a colour version of the cover (locked up in my box of old crap in the loft I think):

And of course, for posterity if nothing else, the mp3s… (I’m singing and playing bass — badly of course):

The International - Joan of Arc (was in the Go Gos)

The International - Freeze-Dry Me A Love Song

The International - The Hard-On Song

Martin Belam cooly assesses Zager and Evan's quality of prediction. [link]

I’ve thought for a long time that there was a great eposodic book (or possbily radio doc series)  in having a chapter on each of the peopl that have a some point or another been called the “fifth beatle” - anyone is welcome to have a go, I’ll never get round to it. Neil Aspinall’s death has reminded me - let’s see how many we can think up:

Pete Best

Stuart Sutcliffe

Brian Epstein

George Martin

George Best

Billy Preston

Murry The K

(actually there are tons on this Wikipedia page)

Mark Ronson is Mike Flowers, and not even good Mike Flowers. Can he please go away?

One with a cold, it seems when you listen to this frankly awful, but somehow wonderful Christmas single. Daleks’ voices are done electronically (I hope I’m not spoiling the magic there) - not here it seems.

Been laughing at this manatee for some time, but felt it needed a touch of synth-pop.

Weeeeeeellllll, I’d like to ask you ladiesungentlemun do you feeel allllright Cenyewrockunroll inthuhareundhoundz?
Thankyewvurymuch.

Gwen Stefani (yes, I know, not my usual thing, a return of a longstanding agreement from the last time I dragged my other half to watch Belle & Sebastian or somesuch) is not averse to using the odd bit of popular culture - in the first half hour she’s played songs that piggy-back on Topol and Julie Andrews - so when she tells us she went to the zoo yesterday, I’m immediately thinking a hip-hop mash-up of Julie Felix is on the cards.

Turns out she really had gone to the zoo, held a baby monkey and fed the elephants. She tells the crowd this and is a bit nonplussed that we don’t cheer the zoo (and all the staff she’s invited to concert) loudly. What she doesn’t realise is a lot of us are trying to work out which zoo she’s been to. Dudley Zoo, for a start doesn’t have any elephants.

While she’s off for another costume change, leaving vocal duties to Bowie’s long-time bassist Gail-Ann Dorsey, I’m thinking Drayton Manor? No elephants there either.

While she’s fitting in an incongruous ballad, but refusing to sing anything from No Doubt, I’m thinking Wipsnade? She can’t think that’s in Birmingham.

While she’s rampaging through the audience, scaring the shit out of security (she got right up the back of the arena), running while singing the one that goes “You know we’re cool” that sounds like Belinda Carlile, I’m thinking Chester Zoo? Nah.

While the fibre glass goats (I’m not kiding) are put away and another lacklustre ballad stutters with breakdance interludes, and you start to wish for the return of The Go Go’s (actually I pretty much aways think that), I’m thinking - surely not London Zoo? No elephants I don’t think, and wouldn’t she have invited the keepers to the Wembley Arena gig.

While she encores with What You Waiting For and I remember why for all the GIRL, GIRL, GIRL fake hip-hop posturing and the sad demotion of ska in her affections she’s still a cut above most pop acts, I’m thinking Twycross.

Twycross. It has to be.

Bob Dylan invents lolcats

You’ll have to click, can’t find where in the source the flashcode is hid.

Site is incredibly flaky (and sending only worked on a PC in IE7) but it’s still very cool.

EncoreOriginally uploaded by bounder

The Polyphonic Spree are indie’s worst nightmare, a matching 28-piece army-cult of pure exaltation. The bass player throws rock poses in front of the harpist, the brass section dive out of the crowd for a mosh, the Glee club even take out the seats and relax for once.

I wonder if this is the last time we’ll see the Spree over in the UK, there were tears before bedtime as TIm berated the trombonist for “going back to school” and revealed that his niece (one of the four possessed backing vocalists) was off too - after seven years.

It seems impossible to me that they haven’t had that euphoric 10-weeks-at-number-one hit single, and I’ll be disappointed if their cover of Lithium is the song that breaks them in England - heartbreakingly wonderful though it is.

Go get Fragile Army now.