The Pink Turntable

O.o

2011-12-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

O o. Gonna Set the cat among the pigeons:Best Albums of 2011:1. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver3. Atlas Sound - Parallax4. James Blake - James Blake5. P J Harvery - Let England Shake6. The Beach Boys - The Smile Sessions7. Washed Out - Within Without8. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues9. The Antlers - Burst Apart10.The Weeknd - House of BalloonsBest Songs of 2011:1. St.

The Weeknd

2011-08-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

New Weeknd mixtape??? And one more to come later this year??? We are indeed blessed. The Weeknd

I used to hate on Pitchfork

2011-08-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

I used to hate on Pitchfork. It's true. In my younger and more vulnerable years I hated Pitchfork. I hated the ostentatious prose, harsh review scores, and the hipster badge that was attached to being a Pitchfork reader. I hated the fact that a significant amount of the music I was into when I was younger received hilariously brutal reviews and scores from Pitchfork writers. I guess a significant

New Adventures in Ricoh (Cornwall Collages)

2011-08-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

NEW TURNTABLE (not pink)

2011-07-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

Because I have a job now and what-not, I decided it was high time for me to upgrade my naff old broken plastic turntable with something a bit proper.My view is that, with turntables (and to a large extent with hi-fi in general), if you invest in the best entry-level thing you can, then without spending thousands of pounds you'll struggle to best the sound quality. So, after a bit of market

Review: Please Please Me

2011-05-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

One, two, three, four! And that's it, they're here. The most beloved pop-group the world has ever known; four men whose legacy, 40 years on, is still as rich as it is suffocating. And what do they sound like, these gods of pop-culture? Like a rock and roll beat-group actually. The remarkable thing about Please Please Me is how complete it sounds. Quite simply, this is the debut record of a fully

Reviews…

2011-04-30T11:58:00.001-07:00

So, I bought myself The Beatles stereo box for my birthday last year, and as I'm getting back into writing again I figured I might try and give my take on their reissued catalogue.What I thought was, If I'm gonna take writing more seriously again, my writing style needs refining; my stuff is often long, overblown and dull. So I figured, what better way to refine it than by writing about the only

Gig: Metronomy + ghostpoet

2011-04-30T03:38:00.001-07:00

Had a nice "welcome back to York" gig on Wednesday, went to see Metronomy and ghostpoet.Was pretty sweet. Gig was only a tenner and Metronomy played a full show, encore and all (unlike the fucking Mystery Jets in November, who only played a 40 minute set).The highlight was definitely this lovely chap ghostpoet, who I got to meet after his set. He does that murmuring Tricky kind of vocal, against

klkdvlskv

2011-04-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

Blogger is the worst piece of crap.

First Ricoh Photos

2011-04-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

So I went for a walk and I took the Ricoh with me, and this is what I came up with. Or at least the best of what I came up with, I might put some more images up later.It was a pretty standard walk, and an opportunity to test out a serious analogue camera. It still surprises me how striking Berkshire can be if you take the time to step into it once in a while, and it really is a case of stepping

Results of my first Holga experiment

2011-04-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

So, a week ago I modified my Holga, perhaps an extravagant word considering the materials I used (cotton wool and masking tape), to take 35mm film. This was largely because I wanted to get going right away, and because normal film for the Holga (120) is expensive and difficult to produce.The use of 35mm film in a medium format camera means that the images bleed across the sprockets and over

COOL NEW TOY =)

2011-04-07T04:31:00.001-07:00

I've been thinking for a while now that I really quite fancy getting into a little amateur photography.A few of my housemates have polaroid cameras, and I really love the warmth that you get in those photos, and in analogue photography in general.So I had a peak around the internet looking for a cheap, novel way of introducing myself properly to analogue photography. And I found the

......HEY

2011-04-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

So.I'm at uni now, studying English and Politics.Pathetically, I haven't made time to blog, get in a band, write for the paper, or do any of the other "extra-curricular" stuff I was hoping to.But that's changing from now on (I say that now...). As usual I've got some writing that's been on the backburner for ages that I'll try and get on the blog in the near future. If I get anything published

The XX win the Mercury

2010-09-08T03:15:00.001-07:00

So London gloomsters The XX have won this years Mercury. A good choice?I reckon so, though the prize was awarded surprisingly predictably considering the industry panel's usual tendency to pick left field outsiders.'XX' is a haunting LP full of minimalist beauty and nuance...and a bucketload of thinly veiled sexual references. It wasn't my favourite album from last year, but it was certainly in

New Deerhunter Song is THE SHIT

2010-09-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

Helicopter. Dreamy, stare at your ceiling rock. Good video too.http://halcyondigest.com/helicopter/Halcyon Digest is gonna be good me thinks.

Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People EP

2010-09-06T08:15:00.001-07:00

Sufjan Stevens - Indie god. Evangelical choir master. Instrument whore. Genre whore. Collaboration whore. The hardest working man in pop since James Brown (isn't it kinda funny how he had to physically keel over and die before he gave that title up?). Yes, I think it's fair to say that since 2000 debut 'A Sun Came', Mr. Stevens has kept constantly, ridiculously busy – maintaining an impressive

Wouldn't it be nice to be Dorian Gray? Just for a day...

2010-09-06T03:55:00.000-07:00

"You will always like me Dorian...Yes Dorian, you will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you have never had the courage to commit""I have known everything" said Lord Henry, with a tired look in his eyes, "but I am always ready for a new emotion. I am afraid however, that for me at any rate, there is no such thing. Still your wonderful girl may thrill me. I love acting, it so

New Stuff

2010-09-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to write more and more book reviews/analyses. Which, sad though it is, I'm really enjoying. So I figured, why don't I expand the blog to incorporate books a little more? So now I'm gonna be publishing my literature writing as I write it - There's also a little thing on the left telling you my five most recently read books. =)Also, my super awesome friend Mikey (that's Elliot

The Remains of the Day…

2010-09-03T06:41:00.001-07:00

Stevens, the tired old butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a motor trip across the English countryside to meet an old friend.During the journey he recalls his past, removing for the first time the mask of servitude he has worn so faithfully throughout his life, he reaches slow, unhappy realizations about wasted time, missed opportunities, and most painfully of all, lost love.The premise is a

Pink Turntable's Occasionally Updated 12 Track Musical Playlist!!!

2010-05-06T17:06:00.001-07:00

I've made a little 12 track playlist on Spotify, which should give you a little idea of what music I'm really digging at the moment.I'll try and put new songs on it frequently, and comment on the current list every now and then. There aren't really any rules as to what I'm going to be sharing. The songs are gonna be a mixture of old and new, loosely linked by what mood I'm in, or a theme which

Spotify

2010-04-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Got Spotify today, and I have to say.... I'm not all that sure it lives up to its hype. But yeah, I might well take advantage of my invite and start a Pink Turntable playlist. Also, new albums from LCD, New Pornographers and The National have all turned up, and they are pretty damn good. The new National album in particular is excellent.

Tess...

2010-04-26T04:35:00.001-07:00

Confession: For the past couple of weeks I've been working on an English essay instead of music rambles. Sad though it may sound, I actually quite miss writing these essays.So here it is anyway. I'm quite pleased with it.What is the role of fate in Tess of the d'Urbervilles? To what extent does Tess's tragedy hinge on improbable coincidence?The tragedy of beautiful, suffering Tess is a

Ramble: Electro-Ice Cream-Pop

2010-03-01T18:13:00.001-08:00

What is it about electro-pop that divides its adoring fans from its sickened critics with such precision?There are some, myself included, that find the genre to have a genuine vitality about it. A real, gasping, desperate desire to hold you close and carry you along a turbulent emotional rollercoaster, a ride which peaks at squeaking synth powered highs, and descends to melodramatic miserable

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

2010-01-01T17:32:00.001-08:00

After the re-release of the Beatles catalogue in September, now felt like the right time to offer up some of my thoughts on 'Abbey Road':Many a Beatles analyst has attempted to sum up the Lennon/McCartney over simplistically, perhaps even crudely, as a melodious – dissonant juxtaposition, a conflict between the avant guarde and the tried and tested basics, a battle between open hearted optimism (

The Pink Turntable Summer Mixtape ’09 (Part 2)

2010-01-01T13:09:00.001-08:00

Super Furry Animals – The Very Best of Neil DiamondFor those warm evenings seeped in candlelight, when the promise of autumn – seemingly an impossibility, has become an almost sinister certainty - and begins to worry…Never mind though! Our favourite breed of furry animal are here to deliver this dark, groovy rattle, a bloody good rock-out, based on everyone's favourite country singer: Neil

Alright gays?

2010-01-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so after a ridiculous absence, I am actually going to post some rambles on my blog.I've left a lot of writing stewing on my hard-drive. I guess I felt unsatisfied with it all for one reason or another (over laboured, unfinished etc. etc.), but I'm past the point of caring, so everything I've been working on over the last three or four months is going up.Hope it's not too crappy. =)

The Pink Turntable Summer Mixtape ’09! (Part 1)

2009-06-26T04:23:00.001-07:00

Thank you. No, honestly – thank you.Yes, thank you benevolent weather making god, cheers for the sweltering hot weather that I cannot enjoy. How did you know that I was taking my exams?? You're just so, so bloody omniscient aren't you?I never would have guessed how awesome it is to watch summer come and go from my bedroom window...so much better than actually experiencing it....Anyway.Here's some

-

2009-05-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Though youth may fade with boyhood´s caresNew fear will catch us unawaresI know it willSo you might saythe path we share is one of dangerand of fearuntil the end.

POKEMON!

2009-05-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hey again.I'm sorry about my two week absence, but I'm right in the middle of exams, and I've yet to find enough time to compose a decent ramble.I should be able to jump right into it again by the 23rd of June (my last exam).In other news...I found a long-lost Pokemon game the other day, and am now completely absorbed. =)To commerorate this glorious discovery, I am releasing some rare art-work

Animal Collective + Summertime Clothes + Letterman = Good.

2009-05-10T05:29:00.001-07:00

Seriously, if you haven't heard 'Merriweather Post Pavillion' yet.... *Insert outlandish comment here*

Deff Metal = Good.

2009-05-07T11:51:00.001-07:00

Jesus Skewered On A Rusty Spork.http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=297728849=)

Sorry!!

2009-05-06T14:52:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the lack of updates and rambles, I've been swamped with coursework (now all finished) and revision. So here's a brief update.The new Dylan album is... rather good.Isn't it wonderfully ironic that as Dylan has become older, and his horrible voice has become increasingly more...horrible, his music, in contrast, has become all the more accessible?The new album is a very cosy collection

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Yeah

2009-04-24T11:26:00.001-07:00

Let me set the scene, Weavers Walk after school.Calum/Paul: Isn't that a mega drive being thrown out of Oxfam?Yes readers, yes it was. And after a bit of rattling about in the back, I found an old PS1 as well.Yes, there may already be a PS2 in my house, and yes, there weren't any games available with those consoles.But needless to say, you will not be seeing me outside. Ever Again.

Eurg. Skewl

2009-04-20T14:49:00.001-07:00

School tomorrow.We're into our last few weeks ever, and yet I still want to sleep in tomorrow morning.In other news, thoroughly enjoyed Open Mic Night at the Canal Bar yesterday evening, but I can't be bothered to review it properly. I might do so in the future.I'm also hoping to review Bloc Party's performance at the Olympia on Easter Sunday, just as soon as these coursework deadlines have

Ramble: When motown saved the world

2009-04-16T13:21:00.001-07:00

'Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying'Political albums.Either there's something wrong with my hearing, or I'm receiving an almost unanimous sigh from all who have just read those two words. Why? Because the sad truth of the matter is that people are pretty uninterested in listening to pop stars talk about....anything, really.The reality is that it doesn't matter how well meaning Bono's

Ramble: Damn Quality Control!

2009-04-05T14:14:00.001-07:00

I wonder how many of us now contribute to online music sharing communities…Surely, we all enjoy unlimited access to any music that might tickle our fancy, commercial or otherwise?And hasn't the discussion and recommendation of music to like-minded individuals become a common pleasure?If I am correct in my assumptions, then, on one level or another, we are all disciples of Oink (the ill fated

Ramble: Reading Fest 2009

2009-03-31T10:24:00.001-07:00

The ticketing fiasco is over for another year, and, I'm happy to report, it has concluded with the smallest amount of stress I have yet experienced (a relatively tiny 4 ½ hours were spent queuing).So, while I'm in my current mood of happy contemplation, I thought I should spend some time analyzing my response to the lineup:Kings of Leon return to Reading for the third time to deliver some

Piers Morgan - Where would humanity be without you?

2009-03-29T15:01:00.001-07:00

Wow. Has anyone noticed my page views!? Less than 20 on Friday, and now up to 135.I'm enormously flattered at the generous responses I received to my first proper blog ramble, and would like to say cheers to anyone who took the time to bother reading it.As I write this, Piers Morgan is interviewing Ulrika Johnson, and my brain is literally pouring out of my ears.My next ramble is coming up, but

Ramble: Bleeps and Whirrrrs

2009-03-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

What is it about the so-called electronic reinvention that's become so infectious? It's like a sort of parasite that has a particular taste for the vulnerable, disenfranchised indie band. In fact, I'm so concerned about this recent outbreak, that I'm going to suggest that you get your favorites' vaccinated or something, else they too fall prey to this chirping, beat laden disease.Well, before you

Shleeeepy.

2009-03-25T08:45:00.001-07:00

I am feeling quite tired after last night's rapid blog creation, and have been landed with buckets of work.On the plus side however, I have been gifted with two hours of good TV this evening.(I don't care what people think, The Apprentice followed by Desperate Housewives is a match made in heaven)I'm currently attempting to write a little something on Abbey Road… love that album.Having said that,

New Blog! (Ramble: By The Way)

2009-03-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, here it is. My very own blog.I've even done the header...It's quite fitting that I place one of my past diary entries here to begin with, not least because it contains ramblings on what is probably my favourite ever album. =)Have returned to By The Way by RHCP again. It must be my favourite album, I often credit it with really sparking off my interest in music, and I every time I listen to