Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Tuesday Tunes in the Live Lounge

Anyone with a passing interest in the current music scene needs - I mean medically needs - a copy of Radio 1's Live Lounge - Volume 2. I actually think Volume 1 is better, but this way the review is slightly less out of date...
There are two reasons for listening to this CD - and the Live Lounge on Jo Whiley's show - the live versions of tracks you know: check the awesome acoustic version of Times Like These by Foo Fighters; The View's Same Jeans; and Snow Patrol's Run; and the cover versions.
The choices are often unusual, but always worth listening to. On the CD you get:
The Enemy do Madonna's Hung Up - wierd!
Keane doing Dirrtylicious - wierder!
30 Seconds to Mars doing Kanye West' Stronger - bizarrely, it works!
Corrine Bailey Rae does Sexyback - mellow!
Maximo Park do The Proclaimers - awesome!
Natasha Bedingfield does Snow Patrol - ooooh

Most of the current crop of indie rockers are in there, but the mix of artists is pretty eclectic: from the mellow songwriter types like Damien Rice and James Morrison, to the (very different) hip-hop stylings of Dizzee Rascal and The Streets, and the all out rock fabulousness of Foo Fighters and Gossip.
So in short, if you like music of any sort at all, buy this CD. Oh, and listen to Jo Whiley too. ;)
Sci-fi Song of the Week
Well, there aren't any on those CDs, and since I have no idea where the blog's going next, I can't offer a topical one, so...
The Ballad of Tom Jones it is then.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

CSFF Blog Tour: The Begotten




Happy St George's Day!


I've been busy lately. (What do you mean you couldn't tell?)

Unfortunately, not entirely busy working on Project Seven, although the timeline has now fallen into place which opens a few more definite options for the setting and 'action' portion of the story.
But the combination of St George's Day and a passing blog tour seemed like a good reason to drag this little web page out of retirement.

So, on our tour this week, it's The Begotten by Lisa T Bergren, which appears to be a 'religious thriller', but, unlike The Da Da De Da Da Code, is part historical fiction too, being set in 1339.

Where that fits on the CSFF blog tour may not be apparent from that, but throw in the lost letters of St Paul, which contain prohecies of the Gifted - people with spiritual gifts on steroids - and you get the link.

Yes, this is part historical fiction, part religious thriller, part alternate history, and part medieval superhero story. All things to all people, you might say.

One thing strikes me as odd here, particularly about the Christian publishing universe. In a Christian novel, it seems, you're not allowed to swear, but rewriting the Bible as we know it is OK. The CBA must be a very odd place. I'd quite like to visit someday, but I don't think I could live there.

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Jackie Castle
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Todd Michael Greene
Michael Heald
Christopher Hopper
Joleen Howell
Jason Joyner
Kait
Carol Keen
Mike Lynch
Terri Main
Margaret
Melissa Meeks
Pamela Morrisson
John W. Otte
Rachelle
Steve Rice
Ashley Rutherford
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Rachelle Sperling
Stuart Stockton
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Laura Williams
Timothy Wise

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Goodbye Captain Jack, hello Doctor Who

First there was the Torchwood finale. I realise this may put me in a minority, but I have to say I've quite enjoyed season 2. There were even episodes I would probably watch again. Sadly the finale wasn't one of them; crammed full of excitement it may have been, but the actual story was pretty forgettable and I'm left with a vague sense that if I watch it again too soon I'll just notice a lot of plotholes.

So having killed Owen off half way throught the series (albeit he didn't stop moving) they should co-opt that nice Doctor Jones on a more permanent basis and try again. Oh, and would somebody please neuter Captain Jack before season three?

Putting all of that in the shade, however, is the return of Doctor Who. I may have been a bit sceptical about Donna Noble to start with, but she seemed less annoying than when she first met the Doctor, and after the rampant hormones of Torchwood it will probably make a nice change for there to be absolutely no romantic tension in Doctor Who. At least, not until Rose, Martha and Sarah Jane turn up.

I've been watching The Bionic Woman lately too, and it occurred to me last night: that Michelle Ryan does the unconvincing-Hollywood-British-accent, um, quite convincingly.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Phursday Photos: The RAF turns 90

The Royal Air Force turned 90 this week, so to celebrate that fact here's a few favourite photos of their hardware. It doesn't cover the whole 90 years. I'm holding some back for the centenary post...

Armstrong Whitworth Meteor

Gloster Javelin

Couldn't not have a Vulcan, could we?

I once had a Lightning hung from my ceiling too...

Achtung! Spitfire!

Achtung! Er, the other one...

No action shots of these guys to hand. Sorry.