Cine city, Manchester

I was reading through the excellent blog by Laura Skilbeck(http://lauraskilbeck.blogspot.com/ well worth a look) when I stumbled across the sad news that the derelict Cine City cinema had been knocked down to make flats. It opened in 1912 as the Scala, only the third cinema to open in Britain. Can you imagine how electrifying it would have been to be taken to see you first film there, the air still rich with the smell of sticky wet paint?

I knew nothing of its history before looking it up today to be honest. I haven't been near there since 2003. To me it was a really cool looking building that I looked at from the top deck of the bus, on the way to visit a friend in Didsbury. But I was fascinated with this building. It looked cool enough to be on a record sleeve. I even went on a mission to take some photographs of it(arty black and white jobs, you know the drill), a plan scuppered by a pair of gentleman-of-the-street sitting on the steps drinking what suspiciously looked like a bottle of port,who kept asking strange questions about my trousers, and became enraged when I got my camera out, mistakenly thinking I was photographing them.

Whats really interesting to me, is that I dug up some pics someone had taken after breaking in the place. Initially, I was pissed of as I thought it would be shots of chavy ‘erberts pissing up walls etc. but actually, the are hero historians. Without them, I would have no idea what the inside of the building would of looked like. it’s a funny old world isn’t it? Now, pass the popcorn.

cool pics-

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28157
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=21211

http://brilldream.blogspot.com/

Wee pop! records.

Being a fan of a music is sometimes testing. Every now and then you have a crisis(usually after hearing the latest ’hit’ by the Kaiser chiefs) You know the drill. ‘all new music is rubbish’, ‘its all so commercial’, ‘I cant believe that singer/band/label/the NME has sold out’. the last time that happened to me, Wee pop! Came to my rescue. Its quite hard to put into words how much I love this label. Its single handedly put my faith back in music and indie labels as a whole. it’s the anti-Amazon.
When you receive you cheaply priced record (£3 for 3” CD,£4 for a 7” single), the love and attention put into it takes your breath away. Its more like getting a birthday present than record shopping. Each little CD comes in a hand crafted , beautifully designed sleeve. With it you get lovely hand written note of thanks from the lovely Camila, a wee pop! badge and, if you’re really lucky, a sweet(I was thrilled beyond words to receive a humbug with a CD ordered around Xmas time). Music isn’t just about money, its about love. Its about care. Its about a DIY attitude and keeping the faith. With people like a Camila and wee pop! Around, music is in safe hands.

http://www.weepop.net

http://www.myspace.com/weepoprecords

The pains of being pure at heart

I feel a little bit silly writing this post, because I was certain everybody had fallen in love with this band already. It would appear I was wrong. The new york four piece deserve your time. Their self titled album is something to cherish. Imagine the perfect soundtrack for a real, heart stoppy, lollipoppy crush. Its that good. Or the thrills but really, really good. With sweetly fuzzy guitars, pounding indie rock drums, sweeling organs(ooh er) and mumbley vocals, the songs have a remarkable quality of sounding loud and hushed at the same time. Critics have described them as wearing their C86 heart on their sleeves, and whilst Ride and JAMC are obvious influences, the over all feel is more of a teenage fanclubesque pop rush. Single ‘young adult friction’ is hyper active, not so much a toe tapper as a leg pumper, with classic boy-girl vocals, a middle 8 to hand clap too and sweet teeny lyrics(‘in your old sweatshirt and your mothers old skirt, its enough to turn my studies down’)that recall big star, and chant-along outro to boot. Other cuts include ‘this love is fucking right!’ , an anthem with the slightly dodgy line ‘youre my sister and this love is fucking right.’ and ‘a teenager in love’, which wouldn’t be out of place in a john hughs film. Really, do yourself a favour and buy this record, get giddy with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4itzHRpltQ

http://www.thepainsofbeingpureatheart.com/

http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart

didi noel-let the music play

i recently had a bit of a debate with my girlfriend about 'suedehead' by morrissey. to cut a short story shorter, her viewpoint was that it was so sad because it sort of 'gives up'. i didnt share her idea, but i know what she meant. 'let the music play', on the surface, is a northern soul stomper. but the vocal lends this air of meloncholia. it makes me sad and i dont know why. i kind of like that. sometimes a song doesn't need to be a call to arms or a weepy or a dancer. sometimes a song, like a life, can be a weary sigh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz1QYI3S6t8