William Shatner "It Was a Very Good Year"

Well, maybe 2009 was good for some, but for me 2009 - like 2008 - was just another waste of time with no highlights or lowlights - just what felt like a thousand endless non-entities. Bugger that!!
I've decided not to wish or wonder if 2010 will be any good or not, because I simply don't trust calendars anymore...
By the way, happy new year.




Leigh

The Wonder of Appearances

Originally posted on the Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive Centre
---------------------------


A long time ago (the late-90's I think), I frequented an IRC site for a short period where all sorts of bored computer nerds pretended to be all sorts of real-life "interesting" people.
Being young and stupid I got fooled a couple of times, but not in any way that did any damage and in any case, it was often forgotten fairly quickly. Bored people on the internet often do boring things whilst under the impression that they are clever and this is just one of those instances.

This afternoon, a little piece turned up on Twitter about Sauber announcing that their second driver will be announced next week... ahem.
Anyhoo, the Peter Sauber Twitter site is apparently a fake and although Nick Heidfeld is far and away the favourite to partner Kamui Kobayashi next year, there has been no confirmation of the seat as of yet from official sources and no information as to when it will be announced either.


Leigh

The Best Television Moment of the Year... (*Updated)

...is without doubt the great Michael Schumacher's appearance as "The Stig" on BBC's Top Gear show earlier on this year. Filmed in June, this of course all happened prior to Felipe Massa's injury which has since gone on to reignite Michael Schumacher's return to Formula 1 for the 2010 season with Mercedes.

For those that don't know, Top Gear is a motoring show that is shown in the UK and the Stig is an anonymous driver (thought often to be an ex-F1 driver) that tests many of the car on the show. For this episode, only Schumacher was allowed to publicly test the Ferrari FXX and so took up the character for the show. Once unveiled, Schumacher gives a brief interview as well as a plug for Bacardi's anti-drink and drive campaign.




Leigh


(*Update - here's the actual lap from the Ferrari FXX as driven by Michael Schumacher)

Albums of the Decade Review

For anyone who is interested in a quick overview, my albums of the decade list can be found right here, but to cut directly to the posts, click below.

2009; Super Extra Bonus Party - Night Horses
2008; Portishead - Third
2007; LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
2006; Kap Bambino - Zero Life, Night Vision
2005; Broadcast - Tender Buttons // Blindking - Please Memorise and Destroy
2004; Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel
2003; Ghazal - The Rain
2002; Death in Vegas - Scorpio Rising
2001; Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon
2000; Radiohead - Kid A


Leigh

...and the Worst Television Moment of the Year (with added rant!!)

There were so, so many dreadful moments on television this year, that most would struggle to defy belief. Of course, there were moments of absolute and pure joy too, most notably when busy hallucinogenics finally burrowed their way into our hapless thought-centres of our collective head's, in the same way that a stroke ceases many brain functions due to a disturbance of blood supply.

As a result, I am patiently waiting for the day that 10-year-old children run thoughtlessly from their houses into oncoming traffic because they have just absorbed another 60 minutes of Piers Morgan having an "in depth" discussion with a clearly deluded and deeply stupid Peaches Geldof, who will most likely be sprouting some bullshit about Africa being a part of a great Australasian empire as she falls deeper and deeper under the spell of faux celebrity and Scientology.
I could so easily posted a picture of the "wonderful" and "talented" Peaches "unknowingly" shoveling her tits in our collective fa(e)ces, but deep down I know that I could never be so crass.

If anything, how could we possibly forget the moment when Susan Boyle emerged from a far flung spaceship amidst a cloud of floating black-ice to plunge deeply stupid viewers into an even deeper reality of dumbstruck oblivion or the moment a vast and hypocritical band of the world's population mourned a recently deceased Michael Jackson as the "world's greatest", despite polishing him off as a kiddie-fiddler for some years previous to that.
A number of these viewers are often just dumb fuckwits busying themselves with the Daily Mail or Metro letters page, while another large percentage of these roaming eyeballs should probably just know better - in the meantime, here's a metaphorical deep hole; jump into it please.

If anything, television has somehow managed to act as a wonderful parody of real life and nothing could be closer to that than the oft shambolic realm that is the news. Truth be told, there are some truly awful news organisations active in the world that proclaim themselves to be "Gods of truth and righteousness" when in actual fact they are just as poisonous, one-sided and hateful as the "terrorist news networks" they often condemn with smug glee.
As far as I am concerned, the likes of Sky News, Fox News and ITN (amongst a whole batch of other broadcasters) fit into black hole of news reporting, as so many broadcasts become sideshows of reality television viewers are "allowed to express their views" as long as their views are thoughtless, simplistic and less than 140 character spaces. Who needs coverage when the viewers interact via twitter?
What is odd about many news services is that a few are now broadcasting 24-hour non-stop services, yet manage to somehow cover very little of anything that is happening. Instead of in depth coverage, 24-hour news stations have developed a way of broadcasting the same headlines every 15 minutes with zero leverage towards anything other than a quick headline. The operation have very quickly become "find your banner line... and repeat!!"

This year though, nothing made me feel more ill than the shit stained travesty that was the RTE apologising to Brian Cowen for reporting the news about nude painting of the Taoiseach being hung in the national art gallery in Dublin. The painting (above) was a satirical view of great and impotent leader (ahem...) in these difficult economic times as he struggled on the toilet and removed his clothes to display a rather large tub of belly and man boobs; unless Cowen likes to stuff pillows underneath his shirt everyday, he (probably) has both of these voluptuous items. Admittedly RTE reported the finding of these painting in the gallery as a somewhat lighthearted manner - which was exactly the attitude the piece deserved, yet the following day the RTE was "leaned on" and forced to apologise.

What was even more shocking about this incident was the use of the An Gardai during this situation. Attempts to coerce Today FM into handing over e-mails regarding the paintings and artist failed, but when they did eventually find the artist after "an exhaustive 3-day search", they arrested him and questioned him with regards to criminal damage and inciting hatred. Thankfully, there were no charges; however this had absolutely nothing to do with realigning of An Taoiseach's image and more about a shocking abuse of power. This is why people laugh at Ireland.
I must be brutally honest, I have little to no respect for the police in Ireland for they are quite often the most brainless, racist and despicable people one could ever have the displeasure to come across - a last chance saloon for people that are often too shit at everything to be good at anything. In the UK, these people normally seek out Big Brother for their kicks, but in Ireland they just join the police.
An Garda Síochána has a rather large number of pillheads, drunks and violent jerks that get their jolly's at any moment possible - as a live music promoter for a number of year's, I had the misfortune of dealing with the cunts regularly.

The absolutely crass mishandling of this incident by the Government was just another indication of their contempt of the Irish public and legally pissed on an individual's freedom of expression as well as dictating to the media what the can and cannot report - the tactics employed by government during this mess were purely bully-boy in nature and nothing short of scandalous.
No government anywhere, regardless of who the are and who they represent, should ever dictate measure's of art. As I have said before, those on the receiving end of satire probably fully deserve to be lampooned.



I digress though; the following words are probably banned from live television in case they upset a Daily Mail reader from their bowl of "life's sour grapes and bitterness" - fuck, cock, shit, bollocks, fuckwit, dick, shitfucker, penismobile, wank, piss, tit, knob, ballsack, cumquat, shaftmanager, breastmolester and cunt - most of which can and should be directed at our beloved Miss Geldof with same level of devotion and work ethic that so many furrowed brows of the news industry deem so necessary.
But fear not young people of the world out there - as long as Peaches is reporting fashion in some way shape or form, then we can be safe in the knowledge that looking like a recycled homeless person is rather chic. There will no doubt be folk out there who will proclaim dear Peaches to be some sort of embodiment of sex, but it's unlikely that I could ever possibly know the difference as in the past my crotchular region has acknowledged a tinging sensation by the sight of dripping vomit on a pavement at 4am on a Sunday morning. Oh what a life....


Leigh

The Black Prince "Paris Peripherique"

Originally posted on the Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive Centre (December 29th, 2009)
-----------------------------------------------------

"The Black Prince" tries for a record run around the Peripherique of Paris. Shot in 1989, this 35km jaunt around the ring of the city is completed in just over 11 minutes at an average speeds on 192kph, but was eventually beaten a few years later. However the new record was set at night with little traffic on the road. This drive on a Kawasaki ZXR750, is somewhat jaw-dropping and is - obviously - massively dangerous. It is stupid, reckless and mindless in the most obscene way imaginable.
Unfortunately the first half of this jaunt isn't online yet and it isn't in English, but you don't need to understand it - you just need to watch it.



Leigh

Happy Christmas Folks - Here's a Present

Following the rush to get the Albums of the Decade out over the last couple of weeks (as well as a lot of other things) I may not be around for the next few days, so in the meantime, here's something that should hopefully keep folks occupied and maybe even raise a smile.
Originally coming out in 1965, the Vince Guaraldi Trio released A Charlie Brown Christmas - a rather sublime collection of Christmas and seasonal songs recorded in a style that can only be described as a slightly neurotic body of work with a number of relatively intoxicated jazz ramblings. That's not a criticism - the album is actually wonderful.
Anyhoo, there is a link to the album on Spotify below; but to wet your appetite's, the album's third track "My Little Drum" is sat below for your listening pleasure.
Happy Christmas!!

Vince Guaraldi Trio "My Little Drum"


Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas; Extended Edition on Spotify


Leigh

Albums of the Decade - Super Extra Bonus Party "Night Horses" (2009)

A truly stand out long player for 2009?? It's very, very difficult as this year simply hasn't had any truly extraordinary albeit none that I am aware of. However, in saying that, there have been many very good albums.
It's quite tricky really, as most of the albums that I have listed are there because rather than pronounce themselves as instantly stellar works, they have endured over the years and remain relevant long after release; so it is more than possible that the best album of 2009 has to sink in.
One thing is for certain - the years best album were not produced by Florence and the Machine, Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear - although Lungs, Merriweather Post Pavilion and Veckatimest are still very good albums, they quickly folded in on themselves.

If anything, the stand out elements for 2009 have been EP's with many of the short term players rather devoid of unnecessary fluff as some stunning efforts from the likes of HeartsRevolution (Ultraviolence EP), Cold in Berlin (Destruction / What Went Wrong?) Kap Bambino (Dead Lazers) proved; however there were few long players that were able to fully sustain my interest for more than a few listens.
From the regurgitative chic and flat-out influential robbery that was Ladyhawke, Lily Allen, Pixie Lott and Lady Gaga to the sheer fucking awfulness that was Kings of Leon and U2; 2009 for the most part made me want to put a bullet through my head - more than anything, we have borne witness to some of the most explicit musical grave-robbing in the history of recent music. I'm fairly certain there's a time limit for the utterly pointless stars of 2009 and I mean them all disrespect. Will anyone listen to any of these artists or albums in years to come?? Probably not...
2009 may well be remembered for the lamentable comebacks of Magazine and Public Image Limited; however it may also be remembered for so much worthy, but dull post-rock; invigorating, yet repetitive electropop and some purely bland guitar bands desperately trying to find a past to pilfer. Christ, when one of the best albums of the year is a fucking Kraftwerk reissue, then surely someone somewhere must clock that something is very wrong.

While I don't wish to finish the decade on a negative, there is simply very little positive to claim back from this year; however there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Night Horses, the second album by Super Extra Bonus Party is the very good body of work from the Kildare six-piece. Mixing touches of electronica, indie and hip-hop that is definite step forward from their self-titled debut of two-years-ago. Opening with the excellent "Super Team Go!", the band showcase an eccentric streak that is somewhat reminiscent of "panther Dash" by the Go! Team from the mid-point of the decade.
"Who Are You and What Do You Want?" is a wonderful song dominated by sweeping electronic samples and crisp percussion over a sleepy drowned out vocal track. This is soon followed by some more excellent vocal-less songs, such as "Night Horses"
This album also marks the end of the relationship between the band and occasionally vocalist Rodrigo Teles and computer megatron Michael Donnelly, both of whom are now off to do their own thing - in fact, it Teles' final performance with the group, "Do Incio Ao Fim", that is one of the finest songs on the album.

On what is a very good effort, it is naturally a shame that the tone of quality is reduced somewhat by the poor performances of some of the guest artists on the album. During "Radar", Cadence Weapon sounds absolutely bored to tears and the turn the young duet Heathers on "Comets" is also a low-point as their shrill voices simply go through my fucking head - just imagine someone with drill gnawing at one's brain and you get the idea. Mr Lif's contribution is just shit, which is a shame because the instrumental behind him on "Thin Air" is excellent and Fight Like Apes' MayKay appearance on "Eamonn" is frankly unnecessary.
On the other hand "Sonora" with Ann Scott is excellent as her light vocal offerings veer in between light touches of banjo and other worldly wandering sounds. This precedes "2" - with its sombre violin and folkish guitar shuffle that feels closer to Beirut or Juana Molina than the Super Extra Bonus Party we have come to know in recent years.
"Mark Hughes Top Corner" sees a swift return to the energetic works start started Night Horses with its raging trumpets forcing the rest of the instruments through at a frightening pace and that is followed by the final track "A Midsummer Night's Cricket Disco" which ends the album on a slightly similar vain, but with a lighter touch.
...and beyond that, there is little else to say other than Merry Christmas.

Worth Buying Are:
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Florence & the Machine - Lungs
Hunter-Gatherer - I Dreamed I Was a Footstep in the Trail of a Murderer
Kap Bambino - Blacklist
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!


Leigh

Christmas in a Crisis

A rather quaint and somewhat humourous Christmas related affair here from the chaps at 'Like Hearts Swelling'. Whilst normally a radio show, the chaps have expanded somewhat and have taken to filming a few short videos too, which can be seen on their YouTube page.
Anyhoo, for the meantime it is just over a day until Christmas and so as the likes of Tesco's and Dunnes' open up for 24-hour shopping behemoths, I may just sit back, put my feet up and do my best to get over this shitty fucking hangover...




Leigh

Albums of the Decade - Portishead "Third" (2008)

Portishead returned in 2008 with their third long player, called - ironically enough - Third. Eleven years is an eternity in music and with this being their first new album since they released Portishead in 1997, the three-piece from Bristol faced a challenge of making an album that showed that they were still relevant.
That Third is a thoroughly engaging and entertaining listen is not only a credit to the songwriting skills of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley, but an indication of some wonderful production work by the trio.

From the depth of "Silence" through to "The Rip" and the razor sharp guitar and synth lines on "We Carry On", Third is epitome of dark and brooding - elements of dark ambient/downtempo as well as experimental cut-up electronic rock run through these recordings. Gibbon's haunting vocals make this even more clear.

Even through the second half of the album, feelings of brittleness and frailty persist with "Deep Water"; featuring just Gibbon's soft tones over a lone ukulele. This is promptly followed by the absorbing scattergun industrial effort of "Machine Gun", confirming this rejuvenated Portishead is not afraid to show the boat out in terms of what is expected of them.
On the other hand, the subtle use of synths and sequencers throughout Third is very welcome indeed - a more hamfisted effort might have set these elements out in front in an attempt to claim a space as a modern band "in step with the kids" - thankfully Portishead have avoided this trap with some grace.

Portishead could easily have just remade their first two efforts that may have appealed to long term fans and trip-hop enthusiasts (technically U2 have been making the same album over and over again since Pop), but that is something that may have permanently cast them into obscurity. Instead they have created a body of work that has no problem standing up alongside their first two efforts and shall endure as one of the finest album's of the decade.
Portishead - Third on Spotify
Portishead - Third on Amazon.co.uk

Also Worth Buying Are:
Elbow "The Seldom Seen Kid"
The Dodo's "Visiter"
NOMO "Ghost Rock"
Ponytail "Ice Cream Spiritual"


Leigh

Bring John Belushi Back to Life!!

I figured that seeing that Facebook "apparently" gave us an unexpected 2009 UK Christmas Number 1, I have started to wonder if the same "trick" can be used to bring the great actor/comedian John Belushi back to life.

Before we let the memory of our dear departed John slip too far from our collective minds, I think it's high time we mobilised our digital army to force the hand of death into a very overdue u-turn, so that Belushi-led sequels of "Animal House" and "Blues Brothers" can be made annually for our joy and amusement!!

It is with this in mind that I have created a Facebook Group that emphatically demands that Belushi, not only be brought back to life, but also back to our beloved TV and cinema screens. Thus the "Bring John Belushi Back to Life Facebook Group" can be found here - please feel free to join and contribute in any way you see fit, for I believe it is our duty to stop this ongoing mortal travesty.

Oh but there's more!! On January 24th 2010, to celebrate the 51st birthday of the dearly departed John, a pagan-lite ritual shall take place in a field somewhere, where we - "the disciples" - shall chant in a deeply spiritual manner in the hope that we can raise the Spirit and reconfigure the Body of Belushi. There may also be copious amounts alcohol involved. If you wish to attend this event, please RSVP here.


Leigh

Pete Doherty in Stupidity Shocker (Updated**)

What gobshite would be so utterly stupid to take drugs into a court? Well, Pete Doherty does actually.
The former Libertines guitarist/singer - who has been battling with his growing irrelevance for several years - was arrested in Gloucester Crown Court today only a few minutes after being fined for possession and drink driving.

Apparently, he dropped some illicit substances whilst walking through the corridors of the building, after which he arrested and taken for questioning. There was a police report earlier that once again uttered the immortal line "...Pete Doherty is currently helping us with inquiries..."
Brainless fuckwit.


Leigh
(December 21st, 10.30pm)


(Update**)
It was heroin - who takes heroin into a fucking court? Especially when they are about to face charges of possessing drugs. This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "stupid fuck monkey".
(December 22nd, 1.25pm)

Albums of the Decade - LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver" (2007)

2007 was the year that commercial electro grew up and with it, so did James Murphy (aka - LCD Soundsystem). Murphy, who in terms of commercial music is something of an old guard had spent some years knocking out singles, EP's and remixes before launching LCD Soundsystem's self-titled debut in 2005 and while that album was excellent, it feels somewhat disjointed when heard alongside his 2007 effort Sound of Silver.
Opening with the slightly robotic "Get Innocuous!" that brings Murphy's 1980's sensibilities to the fore; however rather that commit itself to being a parody of nostalgia, the progression made by LCD Soundsystem since his debut has marked Murphy out as a musician intent on growing musically and thematically.
This is the sound of a musician with a natural and specific aim and whereas so many of the successes of the early part of decade have been playing catch-up, Murphy is on natural terrain here.

Therefore it is with the wry and sarcastic "North American Scum" that Sound of Silver really finds its feet - its buzzsaw verses beating against a hedonistic chorus groove that defines this as one of the most danceable songs on the album. It is followed by the perfect antidote in "Someone Great" - its synth and bleep-like techno ramblings vying for space Murphy's heartfelt lyrics:

"...I wish that we could talk about it, but there, that's the problem.
With someone new I could have started, too late for beginnings..."

the words triggering an emptiness that is mirrored by by some rather quaint and sparse instrumentation. What a shame though that the power of "All My Friends" is somewhat robbed by a constant piano synth that is not only far too high in the mix, but also a little annoying after a while - remove (or lower it even) and suddenly you are in possession of one of the best songs of the whole decade.

Electro-funk manifestations make themselves known as the album rolls into its latter half with "Us V Them" - a song not too dissimilar from "Yeah (Crass Remix)" from LCD Soundsystem. It plays the same tricks by starting light and building and building until the listener is presented with something akin to sonic mass under the constant refrain of

"...the time has come..."

This could so easily become tiring, but there is more than enough going on to make this a very enjoyable listen - if I could dance, I would be tempted to shake my rather large bootie. "Us V Them" is for all intents and purposes 'jam music' or shoegaze, only with synthsisers as opposed to droning guitars. This sound and feeling continues through the magnificent "Watch the Tapes" and "Sound of Silver", which also brings to mind thoughts of Kraftwerk's more active side.

Sound of Silver finishes on a high note with the sublime "New York, I Love You (but You're Bringing Me Down)" - a love letter to the city that recognises both the trappings and beauty of New York whether it's reflecting "mad billionaire mayors", it's newly found record as a safe city or minimum wage "rats in a cage". The light piano of the closer perfectly captures these realities of a down and out surrounded by a vast metropolis; that is, until, the band explodes into a full anthemic thrill complete with a wailing Murphy "singing" into the distance.
If anything, Sound of Silver proved Murphy to a fully-fledged and excellent songwriter in his own as opposed to someone that got lucky with some remixes and a few danceable riffs on their debut. Excellent stuff again from LCD Soundsystem and rumours of a third effort in 2010 coming too.
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver on Spotify
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver on Amazon.co.uk

LCD Soundsystem "New York, I Love You, but You're Bringing Me Down"


Also Worth Buying Are:
ADULT. "Why Bother?"
Dan Deacon "Spiderman of the Rings"
Deerhunter "Cryptograms"
Sexy Sushi "Marre Marre Marre"
Super Extra Bonus Party "Super Extra Bonus Party"


Leigh

A Quick Reminder...

...for all the deeply stupid fuckwits that were goaded like pathetic brainless sheep into buying either Rage Against the Machine or Joe McElderberry for this year's UK Christmas Number 1, this one is for you. I originally posted this earlier on this year, but recent events have put this wonderfully scripted piece of satirical animation into sharp focus.




Leigh

Phantom 105.2FM New Years Eve Party (The Academy, Dublin; Dec 31st)

Those that fancy bringing in the new year with a night of the tiles would be well advised to try and pick up tickets for this year's New Year's Eve party at the Academy held by Ireland's "alternative" music station (ahem...), Phantom FM.
The show in the main room will be headlined by Dublin based rock band, Delorentos with support from Noise Control and Funeral Suits; in the basement there will be sets from Tallulah Does the Hula, Rarely Seen Above Ground, Heritage Centre and Planet Parade. The live show will be followed by DJ sets from some Phantom FM folks.
Doors are at 9pm and tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster and are priced at a quaint €25.

Current listening:
Kap Bambino "Zero Life Night Vision"


Leigh

Albums of the Decade - Kap Bambino "Zero Life, Night Vision" (2006)

By the time 2006 came around, the indie pop/rock movement had become a dreadful parody of itself. At any other time, bands like the View, the Twang, the Hoosiers, et al would have roundly rubbished and quite rightfully shat on. It's fairly plain to see now that the sound of many of these third generation bands was actually the sound of a barrel being well and truly scraped with a rusty spoon.

In terms of popular music, one of the most important albums of 2005 was LCD Soundsystem's self-titled debut. It took the mantle of electro and brought to the forefront of modern pop culture - something that was solidified in 2006 by Hot Chip's more accessible second album, The Warning. There were quite obviously a number of other electronic contenders; however they've been covered on other sites on many different occasions and whilst these were all well and good, there was something dreadfully "soft" or lacking about them.

Having formed in 2001, Bordeaux inhabitants Kap Bambino released their debut album, Kap Bambino Love Khima France two years later, but it wasn't until 2006 that the French duo really hit their stride. Whereas many bland indie bands artists desperately (and unsuccessfully) tried to reinvent themselves as electro-rock artists in the face of both a sinking recorded industry and a dwindling fan base, Kap Bambino set themselves apart by creating a sound that was uncompromising, ugly and utterly thrilling. It is a tradition matched by the likes of Crystal Castles, HeartsRevolution, DAT Politics and Sexy Sushi amongst others - it is a revival of New York and French based electro has brought a whole host of new artists to the forefront and although they may not be pop, they are certainly exciting.

As a live prospect, Kap Bambino are pure digital hardcore - the sheer energy and violence of their shows is perfectly demonstrated by vocalist Caroline Martial's enthralling and hyperactive attitude and synth programmer Bouvier Orion's manic aural output leaves an undeniable mark on one's imagination. Often this boundless energy is lost upon recording, but Zero Life; Night Vision manages to trap the sonic mayhem for the listener, rewarding them with of the most difficult and pleasurable listens of the year.
From the initial bursts of album opener "Zero Life", Zero Life; Night Vision is an absolute digital monster that just makes the listener want to stomp like a maniac. Admittedly the lyrics are mostly incomprehensible, but that's probably for the best as Martial's lack of English is quite apparent from some rather line structures. The sonic punishment is carried through the single "New Breath" with its rumbling synth bass lines crouching underneath the harsh vocals.

Through "Save", "Hunger Texas" and "Seed", this album is like getting a knuckle duster in the face after years of being pummeled to death by chart orientated rock music pretending to live life with a ridiculous air of cool. When Martial shrieks

"...save save save save..."

during the aforementioned song, it does faintly feel like a saviour has come to the door. While Martial's vocals give a definite focus for the band, the musical backbone of Kap Bambino is held up by the excellent synth workings of Bouvier Orion, whose sonic twists and turns keep hitting like sledgehammers, while still maintaining a sense of musical fluidity.
Admittedly this form of punk orientated electro and deconstructed techno may itself get tired in time to come, but at that moment, the freshness it injected into a rather tired electronic music scene cannot be understated.

Oddly, the unofficial video for "Hey" which showcases a fan stomping insanely (below - needs to be seen) has been picked up the band and officialised to a degree and has led to numerous copycat versions amongst fans across the world - for example there's this one, this one, this one and ehhhhhhh... this one too.
Coming towards the latter section of Zero Life; Night Vision, the duo's energy just does not let up as "Night Vision Ocean" and "Kaos Killer" pick up directly where "Hey" leaves off by delivering utterly mental and infinitely danceable songs. It closes with the duo of "Warriors" and the absolutely mega "More Machine" - two pieces that carry on some severe sonic punishment.
Weighing at 31 minutes, the dozen songs that make up Zero Life; Night Vision flash past at an absolutely incredibly rate. When I originally picked this up in 2006, I was astounded that such threatening and powerful electronic music could still be made and quite frankly, it still sounds streets ahead of a majority of the output from the electronic arena in 2009.
Kap Bambino - Zero Life, Night Vision on Spotify

Kap Bambino - Zero Life, Night Vision (Vinyl) on Amazon.co.uk


Kap Bambino "Hey"




Also Worth Buying Are:
Beirut "The Gulag Orkestar"
Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out of This Country"
Hot Chip "The Warning"
Rubicks "In Miniature"
Tapes and Tapes "The Loon"
Trost "Trust Me"
(...and I'll say a little about a certain Easy Music for Difficult Ears that was released on November 6th, 2006...)


Leigh

Britney Murphy (R.I.P.)

US actress Britney Murphy has died of a heart attack earlier on today. The 32-year-old star of such class movies like 8-Mile, Spun, Girl Interrupted and Sin City (and such dross as The Little Black Book and Just Married) has admittedly been rather quiet over the last couple of years, although she did collaborate with Paul Oakenfold on the electropop single "Faster Kill Pussycat" in 2006.

Sad day indeed.
(Britney Murphy, 1977-2009)

Leigh

Rage Against the Machine UK Christmas Number 1

So, they did it; Rage Against the Machine have apparently secured the 2009 UK Christmas Number 1 with "Killing in the Name Of" by securing approximately 50,000 more sales than the latest X-Factor robot - good for them!!
As far as I'm concerned, the people who bought into this campaign are vacuous fucking sheep that are seriously lacking in relevant brainpower, but considering that this is Christmas, that's no surprise either. It would also appear that Joe McElderberry is finished before he even started - ahhh well, you play the game and sometimes the games plays you. Too bad...

I stil have trouble believing that so many people were coaxed into buying an anti-authoritarian song, but then again, when so many mindless fuckers watch X-Factor and read the Daily Mail, it's probably time to except that most of the human race is full of thick mindless fuckwits. Oh, the irony of it all...
Happy Christmas.


Leigh

Albums of the Decade - Blindking "Please Memorise and Destroy" (2005, Part Two)

I'm going to do something that I promised I wouldn't - for 2005, there will be entries for two albums. While Broadcast's Tender Buttons is truly a stunning body of work, someone needs to write about Please Memorise and Destroy by Cork's Niall Rooney - otherwise known as Blindking. Put simply, Please Memorise and Destroy is the best electronic album to have ever come out of Ireland (if not one of the best Irish album's full stop); however there is a little snag - Rooney never actually released it...

Once upon a time, we were both members of the Irish music website, CPU.ie and after numerous exchanges, a 15 track disc was sent to me in the post; after which I was left absolutely gobsmacked - as far as i was concerned, the bar of electronic music has just been considerably heightened. Following one listen, the sparse electronic rhythms and haunting guitar lines absolutely had me; the feeling of ghostly possession emanating from songs such as "Rike", "Nikhedonia" and "Why I Set Myself on Fire" point to influences such as an otherworldly Brian Eno and the Super Furry Animals.

Opening with the challenging bass and organ driven "Shoot the Beautiful" and followed by the contemplative "Shacane Romance" with its laid back bass sitting underneath a heavily overdriven guitar that is coupled with vocal samples announcing to the world that "...the song doesn't really matter until the songs begins to get you down"...
Truth be told, there is very little on this album that does get me down - in fact, much of it is extremely uplifting; especially when the aforementioned "Rike" and "Nikhedonia" breeze through with their slouched over electronic soundscapes partnered by intricate guitar lines. These lead into "Any Combination of 3 Digits", which, while utilising similar format, forces them into overt distortion creating a sonic tension not heard again on the rest of the album.

The second half of the album contains more rather ambient musings; especially with regards to the eloquent "Scrambled Debutante" and "511512", followed by the wonderful "Why I Set Myself on Fire". "Ray Gun Geek, Part Two" and "Accidentally Nice" maintain a subtle ambient flow, but make a turn towards darker and more ominous thoughts. Please Memorise and Destroy finishes with "Light and Sun", a song that feels like many of the thoughts of the previous songs rolled into a perfectly formed outro.
I've spent this entire piece showering this album with (deserved) superlatives, but I suppose if there any drawbacks to be noted, it's that Please Memorise and Destroy was quite obviously never fully mixed or mastered, so while the songs themselves are excellent, thee is only a half picture of how good they could have been.
So, this may never have been officially released, but as far as I'm concerned it kicks the arse out of most of the bullshit that comes out of Ireland - ever.
Blindking MySpace


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Albums of the Decade - Broadcast "Tender Buttons" (2005, Part One)

Following on from critically successful of Ha Ha Sound, Birmingham electronic and dream pop band Broadcast released what was my album of 2005; the sublime Tender Buttons.
With the departure of guitarist Tim Felton in 2004, Tender Buttons became the band's first album as a two-piece and thus the their direction swung somewhat towards hard electronic sounds, kept in check by Trish Keenan's haunting chanteuse-like vocals.

The difference between the two albums is quite apparent - gone are the tendencies to veer towards slightly psychedelic warmth as Broadcast's new material showcased an ever more cold and desolate surface; however this coldness worked to Tender Buttons' advantage as heard on tracks such as "Black Cat", "Corporeal" and "Goodbye Girls".
That's not to say that all semblance of feeling was removed - far from it in fact. The soft strumming held within "Tender Buttons", "Tears in the Typing Pool" and "You and Me in Time" against the soft vocal lines expose a depth that many thought might be lost with Felton's departure.
Tender Buttons is a wonderful album and an astounding 40 minute document to behold and having seen them two weeks ago, I can safely say that Broadcast are just as thrilling in a live arena as they are on a shiny, shiny disc.

Broadcast - Tender Buttons on Spotify
Broadcast - Tender Buttons on Amazon.co.uk

Also Worth Buying Are:
Alarm Will Sound - Acoustica: Alarm Will Sound performs Aphex Twin
Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah
Ladytron - Witching Hour
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
The Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done


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Albums of the Decade - Apostle of Hustle "Folkloric Feel" (2004)

So, an indie album steeped in subtle latin touches and traditional folk?? I must be honest - on paper, it sounds like a dreadful, but guitarist Andrew Whiteman really makes this album work beautifully.
While Folkloric Feel may not strictly his first solo album, this is the his debut effort as Apostle of Hustle - produced at a time when his main group Broken Social Scene were also incredibly active. That Folkloric Feel manages to not become a weak hodgepodge of throwaway Broken Social Scene material is also commendable considering how many of the collective actually star on the album.

From the moment the album opens with subtle guitar slips from its title track, to the slow breathy atmosphere of "Baby, You're in Luck", Folkloric Feel exudes an anti-folkish mischievousness that wears a wry grin - playfulness is apparent.
After which, "Energy of Death" rings through with heavily distorted and oppressive sounding vocals that sit upon heightened guitars and pounding drums. After a time of quiet contemplation, this feels as if the joy within is finally being unleashed; a theme that continues through "Kings and Queens", before subdued sounds return and slow latin influences come to the fore once again for "Animal Fat".

The aforementioned energy returns for the album's final trio, albeit in fluctuating forms. "Dark is What I Want / Strutter's Ball" bursts out from the shadows of "Animal Fat" like a soul released, while the excellent "Gleaning" (that makes me think of shadow-boxing for some reason...) makes a move for a sleek latin shuffle.
Folkloric Feel closes with "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" - a rather sweetly wind down, that goads the listener to turn away; not in despair, but in bliss. With a final refrain that rings like "...the dream is over, go back to sleep again...", the softly, softly approach wins out over some of the years more petulant efforts - and still does several years later.
Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel on Spotify
Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel on Amazon.co.uk

Also Worth Buying Are:
Air - Talkie Walkie
Beck - Guero
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Soulwax - Any Minute Now
The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
Simple Kid - 1


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Albums of the Decade - Ghazal "The Rain" (2003)

One of the most criminally under-looked albums of the decade is a recording of a live performance by Kurdish/Indian troupe, Ghazal.
Recorded in Switzerland in 2001, the three-piece's music perfectly blends haunting Indian and Persian classical and traditional music that demonstrates a true depth not often realised by western cultures.

With a mixture of sitar, tabla and kamencheh, Ghazal display a hypnotic texture that realises the full potential of the sitar and kamancheh - two instruments often subjected to an oversimplified misuse by Western artists looking "for a new angle". However, in the hand's of experts, the true abilities and intricacies of these instruments is quite apparent.

Although this album only contains three songs, it clocks in at over 53 minutes as each piece ("Fire", "Dawn" and "Eternity") slips into Eastern raga mode. All three pieces are mostly instrumental and improvised and while this can often backfire with less talented individuals, with Ghazal it feels just right and each player's instincts feed off of eachother.
Even the titles are not throw away or meaningless as each movement manages to conjure a vast amounts of imagery that play into the hands of the contemplative and thoughtfully active. This is for all intents and purposes, a wig-out, but it does not descend into musical wanking at any stage.

This peaks during the final song, "Eternity". Starting with fluttering moments from the sitar of Shujaat Husein Khan, the music slowly builds as the other instruments forge relationships with eachother - for a time it sounds as if the instruments are actually conversing as rhythms and notes slip from musician to musician; all the time becoming more and more heated... but not in a sense of portrayed anger.
"Eternity" is all about engaging the energy of pure joy and discovery - there are even vague mumbling of encouragement on stage; little of it is recognisable, but its meaning is clear. The closest I can think of in terms of comparison's is that of the fiery jazz explosions of Chico Hamilton and more recently the Animal Collective. This is absolutely wonderful stuff.
Ghazal - The Rain on Spotify
Ghazal - The Rain on Amazon.co.uk

Also Worth Buying Are:
Animal Collective - Here Comes the Indian
Blur - Think Tank
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Juana Molina - Segundo
Kid Koala - Some of My Best Friends Are DJ's


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Albums of the Decade - Death In Vegas "Scorpio Rising" (2002)

Following on from their second effort, The Contino Sessions (1999), Death in Vegas released the final album for Concrete Recordings in September of 2002. Whereas, The Contino Sessions moved them away from the dub-soaked nature of their debut, Scorpio Rising places Death in Vegas in the more solid arena that electronic rock - more guitar orientated without losing their electro sensibilities.
Gone are the lingering electronic musings of previous recordings, to be replaced by album with an awful lot more structured material. Even the guest appearances on Death in Vegas' third effort are somewhat more notable.

As well as ADULT. vocalist, Nicola Kuperus and Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star and Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions), guest appearances are also made the king of revivalist mod, Paul Weller and Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher.
Indeed it is Gallagher's contribution which one of the most stunning of the album - his Mancunian-toned raspy vocals adding the bite that made "Scorpio Rising" a fantastic single - while Weller's vocal contribution led the way on a cover of the late Gene Clark's "So You Lost Your Baby".

In the end, there are two tracks on Scorpio Rising that absolutely sealed the deal however; the synth and organ driven instrumental that is "Girls" and the album's closer, "Help Yourself" - the latter bearing Sandoval's contribution. At 10-and-a-half minutes, the tracks surges from longing guitar lines and soft, subtle vocal intrusions and later gives way to a full band backed with multiple additions of eastern instrumentation that fully open up at the 8-minute mark. It is a truly sensational piece of music.

Admittedly, I still believe The Contino Sessions is actually a better album overall, but in the "Girls" and "Help Yourself", they have produced two of the finest songs to come out this decade - along with eight other fine tracks on the album, it is these moments of sheer beauty that make Scorpio Rising the stand out album of 2002.
Death in Vegas "Scorpio Rising" (Video)
Death in Vegas - Scorpio Rising on Spotify
Death in Vegas - Scorpio Rising on Amazon.co.uk

Also Worth Buying Are:
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Low - Trust
Tom Waits - Alice

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Albums of the Decade - Electrelane "Rock it to the Moon" (2001)

For all their worth, I have more often than not, been at odds with "jam albums" - now more commonly known as post-rock music.
As an evolution of shoegaze born by the like of Spacemen 3, Galaxie 500 and My Bloody Valentine, post-rock albums have a tendency to descend into either non-stop overbearing riffs that make one's eyes glaze over; or they wander blindly into solo-ville, where 10-minute wank sessions become the order of the day.
It is why I hate bands like the Mars Volta with such an utter passion.

Thankfully Rock it to the Moon by Brighton band Electrelane, managed to avoid post-rock's common trappings. Ten instrumental musings (and one with buried vocals) work because there are enough changes to keep every song interesting without becoming deliberately difficult and they also thankfully avoid pointless guitar solo's.*
That there are few words is also important. Many songs and albums have been ruined by the assumed necessity of stringing any old set of lyrics to music, when in reality the music is potentially good enough to speak for itself without the aid of pointless verbiage - Rock it to the Moon is a perfect example of this.

From the "Peter Gunn" homage that is "Long Dark", to the overt beauty of "Blue Straggler" before charging towards the manic bursts of guitar and farfisa organ noise that are "UOR" and "Mother", this album is steeped in a fiery cosmic aura cannot be disputed or ignored.
Underrated and under-appreciated, not only is Rock it to the Moon easily the album of 2001, it is probably my favourite album of the entire decade.
*All guitar solos are shit.

Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon on Spotify
Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon on Amazon.co.uk

Also worth buying are:
The Beta Band - Hot Shots II
Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By
The Strokes - Is This it?
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World


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Delorentos stream "You Can Make Sound"

Delorentos' second album, You Can Make Sound, has been uploaded on to the social networking website/music directory LastFM.com to stream for free.
The rather generous Dublin indie-rock have felt the need to gift this their fans, music lovers and everyone else, because it is, well y'know... Christmas time. However, should anyone fancy purchasing a CD copy with rather perfect quality (as opposed to lower grade mp3's), You Can Make Sound can be bought from here at Road Records for €13.99.

Coming up rather soon, the quartet will be playing at Phantom FM's New Year's Eve show at the Academy in Dublin. More details on that at a later date I'm sure.
The LastFM page for You Can Make Sound can be found here.
Delorentos MySpace


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Cold in Berlin (London, Dec 16th) // Popical Island Christmas Show (Dublin, Dec 17th) // The Butterfly Explosion (Dublin, Dec 19th)

There are three shows worth checking out this week should one be in the correct City/Country. Tomorrow night (Wednesday December 16th), Cold in Berlin will be playing their second last show of the year at Proud Galleries in Camden (London) as part of one of Forward/Slash Music's shindig's. The London quartet will have support from The Black Tricks, The Dissidents and Boog.
Doors are at 7.30pm and if you click on the flyer and print it off, door tax will be £6 (down from a regular £8). It's has been an interesting year for Cold in Berlin - the band had a mid year name change, released a cracking single with fantastic shows to boot and were nominated by Artrocker magazine as the highlight of this year's Offset Festival.

Following that, it's to Dublin for two further shows on Thursday (December 17th) and Saturday (December 19th) respectively.
First up on Thursday is the Popical Island Christmas Show that takes place upstairs in Whelan's of Wexford St., Dublin. Doors are at 9pm and for €5, you get The Lie Ins, I [heart] the Monster and Land Lovers - who will also happen to be giving away a brand new CD entitled Yuletide Miscellany, when money is exchanged on the door. DJ's and alcohol-related vomit will be following the band's late into the night, so watch your feet.

As well as all that shindiggerry, shoegaze/post-rock specialists, the Butterfly Explosion will be performing their last show of the year at Crawdaddy in Dublin on Saturday night. Support comes from the Slurps and someone else (I think) and doors are at 8pm; however I can't inform you how much tickets are as there's no price stated on the poster, the website or even on the venue's website - time for a slow clap. Amidst all that verbal meandering, I must point out that the rather good Butterfly Explosion will (finally) be releasing their highly anticipated debut album at the start of next February - something that I am sure will be met with much joy (and sighs of relief).
Anyhoo, if there happens to any room leftover, those that are at the Butterfly Explosion gig might be able to gain entry to see the XX perform a DJ set, although why anyone would want to see hang around to watch a couple of member's of the latest trend plonk CD's for an hour, while local subordinates fill out the rest of the night is somewhat beyond me.
However, I'm sure some drunken fun shall be had.

Current listening:
Dizzy Gillespie "Workin' His Greatest Tunes"


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Albums of the Decade - Radiohead "Kid A" (2000)

When the 1990's began, the quality of rave and other forms of electronic music was in severe decline and its downturn was met by a resurgence of hard rock and latterly brit-pop/rock.

By the time the 90's ended, even rock had degenerated into a creative mire as the lamentable sounds of nu-metal and snarly pop-punk wore the mask of "alternative music".

Released in October 2000, Kid A by Radiohead served notice and a musical shift began to take hold. For the first time in many years, an off centre electronic album had garnered headline for both its quality and for the giant leap the band themselves made.
Dreamy ambient moments such as "Everything in its Right Place", "Kid A" and "Treefingers" gave way in equal measure to the album's harsher moments like "National Anthem" and "Idioteque".

Everything was in it's right place and it was the first of a string of albums that made an entire generation sit up and realise that "spring-break rock" was, in fact, a complete fraud. Although some rock monstrosities, such as Nickelback, have flat out refused to fuck off, most were thankfully consigned to the scrapheap making the early years of the 21st Century very different from the latter days of the 90's.
Admittedly the quality of output has gotten progressively worse as the decade has worn on, but no one can deny that decade got off to an amazing start.
Radiohead - Kid A on Spotify
Radiohead - Kid A on Amazon.co.uk

Also worth buying are:
Add N to (x) - Add Insult to Injury
Air - Virgin Suicides OST
Avalanches - Since I Left You
Pram - The Museum of Imaginary Animals


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Rage Against "the Machine"

Ahhh Christ - just couldn't avoid it in the end. That there are nearly three-quarters of a million people on a Facebook page supporting some randomer's battle to topple the X-Factor as Christmas number 1 is something that I find rather embarrassing.

Admittedly, this is the next generation of mindless sheep that desperately tried to get the Leonard Cohen's and Jeff Buckley's godawful versions of "Hallelujah" to the top of the Christmas pile last year; however even I must admit that there is something quite different... and sad about this years attempt.

The instantly obvious points are:

• they group organisers are asking people to buy en masse into a song about about non-conformity and defying authority and;
  
• let's face it, for an anti-capitalist group, Rage Against the Machine seemed to have absolutely no qualms signing to Epic Records; a wing of Sony Music Corporation - even in 1992, Sony were the second largest music entertainment group on the planet.

Doing major festival jaunts and licensing your songs to major Hollywood movie soundtracks also does not sound like the act of a band rallying against office and boardroom.

More than anything this "incident" is a rather sad indictment of how sheepishly many users of sites like Facebook blindly jump when they are told to jump. It's also ironic that they are the very people that need to really pay attention to the lyrics within "Killing in the Name" to understand that they need it most.
However, here's a very special tip for everyone - if the song is crap, don't buy it, but don't elevate another song under clearly false pretenses!! With regards to X-Factor's Joe McElderry, I do feel for him somewhat - his chance of a long career at the top of the music industry may be very small. Modern audiences are both fickle and forgetful and if he is not careful, he may disappear along with all the other solo male artists from shows of that ilk.

By the way, the first ever person to score a UK Christmas Number 1, Al Martino (better known as the character Johnny Fontane from the first Godfather film), passed away on Friday October 13th of this year - just so you know. Martino, who held the number 1 spot for nine weeks with "Here in my Heart" had turned 82 only six days prior to his death.
Ironically enough, the crooner made his name by winning Alfred Godfrey's Talent Scouts TV show in 1948 - an event that landed him a recording contract with Philadelphia recording company BBS. Oh how the world turns...

Currently listening:
BBC Radio 3 "Through the Night [TX: 15th December 2009]


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Starting Tomorrow: Albums of the Decade

Starting tomorrow morning, I will be launching a daily series of "albums of decades" posts starting at 9am with 2000 and finishing on Christmas with this years efforts. Everyone else seems to be doing one, so this will be my effort and with that in mind I hereby give present to you (the small number of readers that do read this):
ALBUMS OF THE DECADE
(ta daaaa....)


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Securing the Future of the new Formula 1 Teams

(***This originated from the Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive Centre***)
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This has been an interesting week for not just Formula 1, but Motorsports to an extent with a raft of changes being either announced or proposed; however out of all of the changes, the most visible and immediate is the complete restructuring of the rewards in Formula 1. The new points system, which now ranges from 1st down to 10th place was devised to accommodate the fact that the grid will be at 26 cars again from next year - as has been revealed in many other places, the new scheme will follow a path of 25-20-15-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

This is the first change in the system since 2003 when the points for a win were squeezed to accommodate rewards for 7th and 8th place - something that was shoehorned into the sport following Michael Schumacher's total domination in 2002 (he won the title that year by July at the French Grand Prix in Magny Cours). This kneejerk reaction didn't stop the German maestro taking two further titles and an even more dominant championship in 2004. Prior to that the points had gone down to 6th place with multiple variations over the years; however this particular adaptation of the points is the most radical and far reaching yet, with the main reasoning behind it to aid new teams that are entering the sport now.

While the new scoring scheme may not be popular with everyone, it is quite forward thinking to a degree. The expansion of rewards will potentially ensure the survival of a number of the newer squads in the sport - something that was drastically overlooked during the last days of full grids in the late 80's and early 90's. Admittedly, a vast majority of the smaller teams in F1 during those years were truly woeful and slow, with some absolutely dire squads running at a snails pace compared to even them!!
A common thread from the Formula 1 of those years ago was that many teams barely lasted eighteen months and when they were on track, they were dreadfully slow and it is a trap that the series cannot fall into once again. For a form of racing that is considered the pinnacle, it was utterly embarrassing to watch a number of cars slogging it around at the back of the field piloted by less than mediocre drivers with more money than talent - often getting lapped by the eighth or ninth tour around. However, the chances of seeing a repeat of the likes of Andrea Moda Motorsport (pictured left) or Life Racing are extremely limited.

Although there has been very little news from USGPE, they are apparently well on target to be ready for the group launch at the end of January. As for the other new teams, Virgin and Campos Meta are supposedly quite far into their projects, with Lotus not far behind them. While not suggesting that an extra hand should be given to the new entrants, more should be done to stop them from falling into a downward spiral, from which they may never emerge - the expanded points system may go so way to stop to that. However, if a team deserves to survive, then they probably will... probably.


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Accessories and stuff

Ahhh yes, all an aspiring racing driver needs; helmets, fireproof suits, gloves, seats, steering wheels - everything!! Now if only I could drive...




















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The Muppets "Bohemian Rhapsody"

This really doesn't need much of an explanation - it's a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" by the Muppets. Pretty much coinciding with the release of Queen's Greatest Hits (ughhh....), it's a timely reminder of bloody entertaining Jim Henson's inventions can actually be.




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Interview: JR Hildebrand (2009 Indy Lights Champion)

(***This originated from the Formula 1 and Motorsports Archive Centre***)
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I often find interviews (and the organising thereof) to be rather frustrating at times. Some potential interviewees don't have the time; some have PA's that restrict a line of questions so severely that render interviews dull and irrelevant; a majority just don't even respond.
And then there are those that are happy to give you a little of their time to answer some questions - thankfully 2009 Indy Lights Champion, JR Hildebrand falls into the latter category.

At the age of 21 California native, Hildebrand, has secured titles in the SCCA Formula Russell Championship and the US Formula Ford 2000 Championship as well as the aforementioned Indy Lights tournament. In 2005, Hildebrand was awarded a Team USA Racing Scholarship followed by a drive at Brands Hatch for the now sadly (temporarily?) defunct A1GP Series with the Team USA squad. More recently he tested for Force India at Jerez during the Formula 1 rookie week.
However, rather than just throw myself in at the deep end with what JR is doing right now, I figured that I might as well start at the beginning and discover how he got to where he is now...

You started racing karts at the age of 14 at the Jim Russell Arrive and Drive Championship - tell me about your journey into motor racing from that point on. Having started karting somewhat later than most, did you find yourself having to play catch-up with more experienced competitors or was racing something that came very naturally to you?

I was definitely up against more experienced guys for the first few years that I was racing, but never really looked at it like that I don't think. Especially when you get into a racecar, it's such a mixed bag of experience and talent to start with that I just focused on trying to be competitive no matter who I was racing against. I had always played competitive sports and had an acute desire to do things that involved going fast, so in a basic sense, there was nothing about combining the two of those things that seemed unnatural when I first got going.

While you were on the karting circuit, you also scored some impressive results when at school - how did you balance your eduction with a fledgling racing career?

I was actually well into my racing career when I finally finished high school, so that was a serious challenge. Being that I didn't start racing karts until I was already in high school, by the time things really got going I was right in the thick of the toughest part of my education and was heavily committed to it. I remember when I was a senior I decided that I would graduate a semester early so that I would be done with school by the Spring of that year so that I could move if I needed to for racing.
That Fall, however, I ended up heading off to Europe for the Team USA Racing Scholarship Program and missed the last three weeks of school before finals. I think I can definitively say that I'm the only guy whose had to sit in a pitlane doing differential equations to keep up with their Calc class! That was tough, and I made the decision after that semester that I needed some time away from school to really pursue my career.

I'm also led to believe that when you were younger, you were a very impressive baseball player too - was a choice between the race track and batting fields a tough decision or was breaking into cars always a priority?
In terms of playing baseball, I guess I never considered that to be a career path for myself, but it was also something that I had been doing and had been good at since I was five years old. I always loved playing ball, and enjoyed all the guys that I was playing with in high school. Racing was my priority, so that made it an easy decision in the sense that I knew I had to make it and never had a problem with the fact that I had to choose between the two, but it was not an easy decision for me to deal with right away. Even now I take my glove with me a lot of the time just in case I have a few minutes to throw the ball around.

Although the Indy Car Series has a relatively small (but hardcore) following here in Europe, the Indy Lights Series has completely flown under the radar. Could you tell us about the series, what the competition is like and what its links to the Indy Car series are?

Indy Lights really is exactly that. The Lights cars a very similar in their general characteristics to the Indy Car, run on similar tires, and run at all the same circuits. Much like the IndyCar Series car, the Lights car has to be capable of running on both road courses and ovals so it's not specifically designed for maximum performance on either one, but is a quite capable package - the main chassis is the same as the WSR (World Series by Renault) car, and it utilizes a de-tuned version of a previous IndyCar engine.
The competition on road courses is quite good as it's now the premiere feeder series to IndyCar in the states and over the last few years has attracted strong challengers from both North and South America, and the competition on ovals is usually even more intense than it is for the IndyCar guys because everything is so evenly matched. Because it has such a mixture of circuits and disciplines, it's actually quite a good series because drivers and teams alike have to adapt to a variety of different situations. Some of the IndyCar teams have Indy Lights teams that they either run or are affiliated with, and the two series are run very closely together.

One of the more quirky features of the recent years was the emergence of the "Captain America" nickname - how did it come about? I even hear there was a Captain America doll present at a few of events this season...

Yeah, that all got started when I did the Brands Hatch A1GP race for Team USA. All of the crew for the A1 team were Andretti Green guys that I worked with during the season either in Lights or when I did my IndyCar tests, so when I emerged in my American flag suit for the race I became an easy target for a goofy nickname! I wouldn't consider myself to be the flag-waving patriot type, but I was certainly proud to be a homegrown American guy that have a real shot at the Lights championship so it stuck.

In the current economic climate, a common complaint from many experienced Indy Car drivers is that funding and sponsorship is proving very difficult to secure - from your perspective as a driver on the cusp of the Indy Car series, how hard is it to secure a good budget right now to go racing?

I think it's tough to secure sponsorship in general in all fairness, only because there's no strategy that's guaranteed to work. A lot of things have changed in the states over the last few years and as you said, the current economic climate isn't doing anybody any favors. I've found it difficult, but have also gotten some traction in recent months, so I'm optimistic about my chances of making it work.

Last week, you completed a three day test with the Force India Formula 1 squad at the Jerez circuit in Spain - how did the test come about and how do you feel you performed?
The test came about through a sort of shootout on the team's simulator in the UK a couple of months back. Paul di Resta and I apparently had the best performances and so we were selected for the test. I had a great time driving the car and working with the team, and while it wasn't easy to adapt to such a different environment in so many different areas, I was extremely happy with how the test went. On both the second and third days my best runs were hampered by some accidental engine settings and then a red flag, so although the sheets didn't say it, we were actually quite fast, and particularly fast in the high speed sections of the track. At the end of the day I was very comfortable driving the car and felt like I was able to push it's limits while also giving useful feedback to the engineers, so I was very satisfied.

Naturally there must be massive differences between an Indy Lights machine and a Formula 1 car - what was your preparation for the test and did you ready yourself for the potential performance gap between the two types of machinery?

The Lights car and the Formula 1 car are different in more areas than just outright performance. In the states, most of the formulas run on lower profile and stiffer sidewall tires, whereas in Europe, the tires have large, softer sidewalls. That just by itself changes the entire behavior of the car and the way it's set up. Knowing that it was going to be a lot different, I tried to not have too many preconceived ideas about what to expect. I changed my physical training to cater more towards my neck and shoulders while studying the track and cars as much as I could, but other than that I figured a lot of it was going to be down to how well I could adapt on the fly.

There were a number of other rookies at the Jerez test that have been in the European fold for a number of years - did this increase the pressure on you to register a good laptime or was the test purely about gaining information and experience? How did you find the conditions at the circuit?

I didn't feel like there was a lot of pressure on me, and when it came down to it, I didn't really care because I was going to do the best job I could do either way. I went in with the goal of getting comfortable with how fast the car was capable of going, especially in high speed cornering as I figured that would be a pretty limiting factor if I couldn't sort it out, and of learning as much as I could as quickly as possible.
The laptime wasn't really there in the end, but the fact that it was because of some unfortunate circumstances rather than because I was just off the pace makes that an easy pill to swallow for me personally. I found the conditions at the circuit to be more or less what I would expect, so I just tried to focus on what I was doing, focus on what the team was doing, and put it all together as best as I could.

How important was the Jerez test with regards to being seen by certain members of the Formula 1 paddock as well as all of the connected formulae? Is F1 something that you would like to try to attempt at some stage in the future?

I think anyone in open-wheel racing aspires to be in Formula One, I felt very lucky to have the chance to do the test and get involved. It gave me a great appreciation for what the series is like, and also gave me the chance to get introduced to a different crowd, as you said. I'll definitely be looking into how I can stay connected and what opportunities I might have down the road. As you know, I've also been preparing myself for racing in the IndyCar Series for the last bunch of years and have a special appreciation for the racing on this side of the Atlantic as well. I plan to look at everything.

Now that we are in the off-season, what are your plans?

My plans for right now are to get a firmer grasp on where things stand stateside and go from there. I was working on sponsorship before getting involved in the F1 test and that sponsorship could be key regardless of what I'm doing, so I intend on focusing heavily on that in the short term and hopefully having the chance to make something of it soon.

Having just won the 2009 Indy Lights title, what can we expect to see from JR Hildebrand in 2010?

Well I can't say for sure, but regardless of the car or series you can be certain that you'll see him trying like hell to make the absolute most of it!

Thanks to JR Hildebrand and all the best for the next season.
JR Hildebrand Racing

Current listening:
Pram "The Museum of Imaginary Animals"


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