A quick review of my year where i can see that i've made fewer postings than in previous years, in part because i've been completely consumed by my job - my workload increased by a third this year - flat hunting took up all of the last quarter and more than likely, a bit of 'laisser aller' has crept in...

I'm not going to go the whole hog and do a resumé of every month, instead, just a few lines about the music that sneaked up on me in '08

The first track that i associate with last year is a pissed off/rebellion/revolt song by french group Noir Desir which dates back to '92 but is still as relevent as ever "Soyons desenvolte ayant l'air de rien..."

The song got dragged up from the memory bank in January where i realised that the cost of having a humble pizza delivered cost f.i.f.t.y euros ! ... a stitch up that i repeated multiple times over the year *yup, me is that dumb sometimes*
It was also my soundtrack throughout the month of february and above all, the dark mournful month of March where i was entreatied to move upstairs and into the office next to BoyIdiot's whereupon i became aquainted to the notion that perhaps, maybe, he suffers from Aspergers

In blooming beautiful April i kicked the Amy W addiction but chose Duffy as my prefered replacement therapy.

Her hit, Mercy, was omnipresent throughout the assorted bank holidays of May (which encouraged me venture out and go to parts of Paname that i'd not naturally visit and to pick up a b.o.o.k, to boot) the 'action packed' month of June, where i managed to visit Balajo in Bretagne (who a few weeks later, had a mighty tussle with a catfish) and the very good Yurpeen footy fest You can imagine that a playlist of one track on my i-pod, on the pc at home and at work, meant that i came *that* close to losing all ofmy friends and acquaintances

After the summer holidays, or the rentrée, the french public was bombarded with 'Beggin' by Madcon : which is a bit on the negative side of fortunate, if we get a gist of what an anglo/french translation comes up with ;@)

Anyhooo ... it was the start of the new term and as usual we had the usual crop of trainers handing their notice, and, as like the current resident of the white house, i'd decided to let the owners know that i'd be outta Dodge at the end of january (although i'm sure that i won't be lifting stuff that doesn't belong to me as i skulk out into the dark shadowy night)

Aaaaand just like any other compilation album, there is always a bonus track :@)



Go to the You Tube page and the official sites for tour dates and other groovy stuff ;@)

Retrospective

'tis the end of the year when we think about the friends we've made and the friends we've lost, a time for recentering and thinking about the next twelve months.

Any old excuse then to re-post a few images that struck me and of the sounds that made my year for different reasons :p

At the the same point last year i said that i would have to make a few tough decisions ... over the next eight traumatic weeks or so, i was listening nonstop to the Raconteurs Broken boy Soldiers album from last year.

As a wake up call (from february's archive) i posted the title track that i grew to love for it's retro hybrid Led Zepplin / Deep Purple sound

The Raconteurs - Broken boy soldiers




From April's archive someone commented that i had found myself un piége à poulets.

Out of irony i posted this vid of a very young Jacques Dutronc during one of his first tv appearences

How serendipitous, given what we know now about the NastyLittleElf who became president ...

Jacques Dutronc - Les Playboys




In May, my sis came over for a flying visit in between organising things for her wedding.

One evening whilst floating around YouTube i found this little vid which takes us all (i think) back to childhood.

"I'm Luke, I'm five, and my dad's Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB"

Nizlopi - The JCB Song




After two months of absolutely glorious weather, the month of June arrived, raising high hopes of an equally glorious summer.

How quickly disappointed we were when the weather stuttered and stalled between average heat and monsoon-like conditions.

My Sis got married in Italy, where, yup, it rained pretty much non stop the whole time.

The Hoxtons Vs Cream - Sunshine of your love




June drifted into July with little apparent change and for no particular reason i got hooked on Gotan Project ...

I reckon next year i will finally take up Tango, Salsa or some kind of 'real' dancing :@)

Gotan Project- Santa Maria



Gotan Project - Differente



Gotan Project - Amor Portento



Gotan Project - Notas




Summer came to an end, the new season started and Amy Whitehouse hadn't yet been in the news for all the wrong reasons

As usual my work life took priority


Amy Whitehouse - Rehab




Winter is now well and truly upon us, the strikes have come and gone - until next spring at least - and my nocturnal sorties have been reduced to a bare minimum.

Coming home after a rare night out, i came across this little gem that i hadn't seen in a long time.

It's been on my work and home play-lists ever since

Alain Bashung - la nuit je mens



Heartfelt thanks to every one who made my year - i can only wish you good fortune and happiness for the next one !

mouahh *Smax*
:@)