Six months ago my last.fm subscription ran out just after they had stopped being a feisty London-based indie start-up and jumped into the pocket of media giant CBS. My concerns then had a lot to do with the rather depressing thought that nobody seems to want to try and make a go of it on their own - that every start-ups ambition is nothing more than to be hoovered into one of the Internet conglomerates - it’s all still true and still rather depressing…[1] [2] [3] etc.
But despite that I bought myself a xmas pressie of a 12 month sub to last.fm not because I missed being a subscriber after all the benefits of subscription are pretty minor…
No ads - I haven’t seen an ad on last.fm in the six months I’ve been unsubscribed thanks to Adblock
Personalised radio - While I’m more inclined to listen to last.fm radio than almost any other radio station I’ve been happy enough with the limited access I’ve had for free.
Who’s visiting? is a nice little bonus but hardly a clincher especially given that almost no one vistis my profile…
Red carpet treatment (priority server access) - I can’t say I’ve ever really noticed any server access problems enough to make me dig in my pocket to improve things
Top secret beta access - I think I can manage without bleeding edge perks.
No…the reason I subscribed is because last.fm is good and, like Flickr, ultimately I’m happy to put a few quid in the coffers of something that I really like.
We want people to subscribe because of the features, not because they feel like they’re doing us a favour anyway
…I’m afraid that, while it may not be a “favour”, its closer to that than to anything else.
Along with Flickr and Google (mail, reader, search etc.) last.fm is one of the very few sites that I visit every day - and that’s why I got the urge to come back into the last.fm fold…
Kirstiecat has a a short review and a lovely set of photos of Damon & Naomi’s recent show in Chicago…
I’m looking forward to the end of November when they reach London although I’m a bit sad that they only seem to be doing a support slot in a mid-sized venue rather than a headliner in a tiny club…that would be so much nicer.
Recently I’ve found it hard to enjoy music in big sit down venues so despite the long wait (I’ve had the tickets for six months!) I was a little apprehensive about seeing Joanna Newsom at the Royal Albert Hall. Ys may be the best album I own and that’s the first time I’ve said that about a non Galaxie 500 album in a very VERY long time. I’m not sure it can work like that - it exists so far removed from anything else I own that it seems almost ridiculous to set it alongside the indie-guitar music that makes up so much of my listening.
So anyway I arrived at the RAH just as The Moore Brothers set was finishing up and I opted for the lav and a bottle of water over catching the end of it, I hadn’t been all that impressed by what I’d heard on the Internet but should probably give them a bit more of my attention (particularly given Joanna’s effusive praise). Roy Harper arrived on stage at eight and played through his 1969/1971 album Stormcock…it was great to hear and he still has a great voice and presence.
As an aside, my first introduction to Roy Harper was in the middle of my Heavy Metal phase (probably 80 or 81) and my cousin Clare asked if I could go and buy her Bullinamingvase, I guess because it was hard to get a hold of in Cork. I was happy to oblige but equally happy to mock her for listening to such "old" music - I taped it before I passed it on (because I did that with any album that passed through the house). It was probably ten years before I actually listened to it and became aware that my mockery was very poorly placed and that it was me whose blinkered attitude was deserving of mockery.
Anyway, Joanna arrived on stage to a rapturous welcome - I’m still astounded at just how successful she has become - she is, after all, a stunningly individual and unique talent (on an indie label) and that sort of talent doesn’t often get recognised (probably Bjork and Kate Bush are the obvious exceptions). She opened with Bridges and Balloons, which seems to be the norm, and then played an astounding set including all of Ys (not together), a couple from The Milk Eyed Mender, Colleen, a trad song and a new song. High point in a show of astounding highs was Sawdust and Diamonds. It was great hearing Ys in the stripped back and stunnigly beautiful (four-piece) arrangements it worked so much better than I imagined it would (even if the Ys Street Band EP had given clues…)
She seemed genuinely in awe of the venue, the audience and particularly of Roy Harper’s performance, about which she gushed enthusiastically, which solicited a shouted "you’re welcome" from Roy in a box at the back of the hall.
So apprehension was misplaced, it was an astounding performance. She is a treasure.
David’s Music Arcades blog recently dug out Victorialand by The Cocteau Twins and I thought about how long it had been since I listened to any Cocteau Twins and thought that maybe I should dig out Victorialand or Treasure or even Blue Bell Knoll…then the Mahogany album I ordered from Track and Field arrived…and suddenly I didn’t need to…Mahogany most definitely ♥ The Cocteau Twins. The album is great, and comes with a bonus disc of remixes including one by Robin Guthrie as if they needed to reinforce their love.
This is probably as far from the Cocteaus as they stray…and that’s not too far…
It’s been nearly two years since I came across Blanket and in those two years I’ve still not managed to get off my lazy arse and go see them - despite numerous shows in London - only they never seem to head to the west and I really am too slack to cross town to see anyone. Anyway…I’m not sure how I became inspired to look them up again today - maybe it was just seeing them slipping down my last.fm charts that made me think that it is about time I checked up on them.
I so love Yo La Tengo - and they’re playing the (300 capacity) Bush Hall - nice and local, nice and small, “number nothing! Indie Rock Club!” - and I have my ticket. Me = happy camper.
