Glorious Return -ish?

Okay, okay.

Basically I've had a bit of an unforeseen blogging hiatus over the summer due to real life getting in the way. Some things had to get put on the backburner and this blog ended up being one of them. To those of you who are still here (apparently) thankyou for your patience, normal service will be resumed shortly.

I've bought a few albums over the summer, although not as many as I would like (again - real life issues - this time crippling student poverty) and you may see some retrospective reviews. During the summer I also went to the Reading Festival and I all I can really remember is Rage Against the Machine and, for some reason XX Teens. Not because the rest was bad or that I was wasted, but just that my memory really is that shit.

Plus I went from loving Kings Of Leon to hating them during my job which forced me to constantly listen to Radio 1 "Daytime" (AKA hey, we haven't played that song in the last quarter of an hour, let's play it again until our listeners want to burn their ears off with matches) to that tripe they call a "comeback single". Never went away etc. etc. My (i.e. someone elses) opinion on their album (which I haven't even listened to.... very lazy) is summed up by a fantastic review on the music website that appears to hate music, Pitchfork.

Enjoy, until I have a chance to catch up properly myself.

Reading/Leeds Festival Line-up reaction (MAIN STAGE FRIDAY)

I got my ticket for this year's festival in the earlybird sale after last year's festival. 2008 will be my fourth Reading Festival. Now I'm going to go through the line-up and speculate what bands I might see. Purely for my benefit, really.

FRIDAY READING/SATURDAY LEEDS
MAIN STAGE:
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
-Oh dear god yes, I've been hoping for this since their announcement for Coachella last year. I was one of those people who only got into them after they split up, and was having an interesting conversation with someone who had seen them before and was wondering if they are still as good as they were. if the footage on Youtube is anything to go by, they haven't lost it yet. Quite possibly looking to be my band of the weekend, and I've not even gone yet. But that's bias for you.
Can't Wait to Hear: "Freedom"

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
I've seen them a couple of times before, and they are one of those bands whose live sound is so tight and skillful, despite the line-up changing every time Josh Homme gets his hair cut. I'm looking forward to hearing the stuff from Era Vulgaris, but their best song live has always been No One Knows. (Performed at 2005's festival here)
Can't Wait to Hear: "Sick, Sick, Sick"

THE FRATELLIS
I think this was one of the early bookings, made when people still remember this band. It's 2008 now, and everyone's (unfortunately) still talking about...

THE ENEMY
The baton has been passed and "This year's Fratellis", hopefully short of their decimation of a Bowie classic, are fourth down the list on the main stage moving up from halfway through the NME Stage last year. They will attract a big crowd, although are up against the duo of hype bands MGMT and Vampire Weekend on the NME stage.

BIFFY CLYRO
Just like Steven Gerrard for England, Biffy are always one of the first names on the teamsheet for the big game, and 2008 is no exception. They were at 3 of the 4 last festivals plus many before, yet somehow I've always managed to miss them. Although the new album is not quite to my taste, its worth seeing them for "Joy.Discovery.Invention".
Can't Wait to Hear: Anything from Blackened Sky, except "Christopher's River", obviously.

SERJ TANKIAN
System Of A Down's joint-frontman Serj, continues his solo world jaunt with a stop at Reading and Leeds. I saw him supporting Foo Fighters at the O2 and although I've never been a SOAD fan, his set was fun, if all a bit too much like his main band.

DIZZEE RASCAL
Returning after playing before Primal Scream on the NME Stage in 2006, Dizzee returns with some new material from his upcoming untitled album.

TAKING BACK SUNDAY
I'm alright, thanks.

GET CAPE, WEAR CAPE, FLY
I've not heard much, but I didn't like what I'd heard. Plus I've been told bad things about the new album.

ANTI-FLAG
Legendary modern day punk outfit anti-flag, complete with frontman Justin Sane, prop up the Main Stage bill, and will probably be playing yet another face-shattering set in the Lock-Up Tent, much as Jimmy Eat World did last year.