Using this blog post to show the new shoes I got. They are my first pair of Converse. Correction - my first pair of proper Converse. I've owned a couple of cheap versions some high street clothes shops have done before, which were ok, but you could tell they were cheap.

Loveable Rogues were one of my favourite acts on this year's Britain's Got Talent. The trio released a mixtape at the week at the weekend, "First Things First", which gives us a little idea of what they've been getting up to in the studio since they appeared in the show. And if what I have been hearing on it is anything to by, their debut album should be cracker. Among the snippets on the mixtape are their own renditions of Blur's "Charmless Man" and 90's girl group Eternal's "I Wanna Be The Only One." If you enjoyed the trio on the show, then it is well worth downloading. But it also works as the perfect introduction to them for the uninitiated. If you love catchy melodies and witty lyrics about life and love delivered by typically British cheeky chappies, then chances are you'll fall for the Loveable Rogues too. Be warned, there are  a few droppings of the f and other bombs in this mixtape, as well as a mention of a prank involving stools (and I don't mean  the ones you sit on). 

You can listen to and download "First Things First" for free here. 

The Chevin are a band whose music I have been getting into quite a lot recently. I first came across their track "Champion" while I was searching for stuff about another artist I like. They are from Yorkshire and have been creating a bit of a buzz across the pond (as shown by this video of them performing on the legendary David Letterman show). This song has apparently also had the honour of featuring on the latest FIFA video game, which is pretty good going as well. I suppose they could be described as a bit like a British Killers - there is definitely a Killers vibe in this and in the other stuff I've heard of theirs (search for "Drive"). But there is also a good dose of Northern English grit in there too. The lucky people in the US can already buy their album "Borderland", while it is set to be released in the UK on the 15th October. I for one, shall be looking forward to purchasing it.

I wasn't interested before, and I am still not interested now.  Just because it seems that we've got on better recently doesn't mean that I have changed my mind. And I find it a damn cheek that you think that you might be in there again.  I made it clear before and I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of a response, no matter how much you try and get my attention. I am not giving you the old "fuck off", I am just wanting you to know where you stand with me. The best way I can do it is to just say nothing to you.


(and so to normal blog service...)

I have seen so much about Gangnam Style on Twitter and elsewhere that after constantly wondering what on Earth people were referring to I did the easiest thing and googled it.
 After watching the video on YouTube, I am still none the wiser. Is it merely about dancing like you're riding a horse that's going over some rather bouncy terrain? Or is it something more than that? I can see why it is popular though, even if I don't entirely get it. Weird stuff always does well on the internet.

And if you wonder what I am on about, here's the vid.

....I haven't updated this for a bit. Don't worry, I haven't been neglecting this on purpose, it's just that I have been a bit busy of late so haven't really had time or energy to do a lot of writing.  Anyway, hello. Some stuff is to follow.

Remember the other week, in my blog about the Coldplay concert I went to, I mentioned the Xyloband I got and how it may never light up again?

Well early on Sunday morning I came downstairs to find it lit up, two weeks after I'd seen them live. After bemoaning the fact that mine hadn't while others had said theirs had started days after they'd been to one of their gigs, I had finally witnessed mine doing it. It might not have been flashing, but it was still alive.

 Apparently mine had been on since about 5am at least  according to my dad, who got the fright of his life when he came down and saw it glowing (in the dark - lol) on the table in the front room. How long it had been on prior to that, I don't know, but eventually it stopped at about 10am. It made me wonder, just how and why it had come on at that point? Was there something in the mechanism that makes it light at random after a certain amount of days following a concert? Had Chris Martin sent out a secret signal to every Coldplay fan who had one in their possession? Or could it have been simply that the batteries were dying and mine was having one last hurrah before going out completely? Who knows. However, I'd be surprised if mine did come alive again at some point, as it was on for quite a few hours.

The Olympic torch is going to be passing through my neighbourhood this weekend (Sunday morning, to be precise). I aim to go and see it, though it would mean me having to get up at stupid o'clock in order to do so. Having a major event like this happen at 7am on a Sunday morning should be illegal but hey, it doesn't happen every day. Plus I could always crawl back into bed after walking round the corner and standing in the Manchester rain (because it will rain during the torch relay. Trust me on that one).

This is the first of my playlists of the week. I intend to make this a regular feature on my blog, where a share a list of songs that I love and/or been listening to. Some of them will have a theme, others will just be a mish mash of whatever I've been liking that week. 

For my first playlist, I thought I would share with you my favourite Coldplay songs. It has been over a week now since I saw them at the Etihad stadium and yes I probably still haven't entirely come down from the experience (read my earlier post on it and you'll know why).  I have even posted it all on spotify if you would like to listen to it here.

Here's the list:

Yellow
Life In Technicolor ii
Talk
Speed Of Sound
In My Place
Clocks
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Don't Panic
Shiver
Sparks
Everything's Not Lost
Politik
Brothers & Sisters
Charlie Brown
Paradise
Major Minus
Viva La Vida
Lovers In Japan
What If
Fix You
Hurts Like Heaven
High Speed

There's probably a few that I've missed (it is a bit of a long list, isn't it?) 

Yesterday you sent me a leaflet in the shape of your little blob mascot Zingy. As much as I love having a paper version of that cute little dancing thing, it would be far cooler if you made an actual toy of him. Just make sure that you make it available to everyone and not just those who sign up to your services if you ever do. Thanks.