It’s quite rare that I will actually promote an album on my blog. My musical tastes are somewhat fussy, almost to the extent that if it’s not of Queen or Oasis standard, it must be shit (although you might hear reports that I have played Barbie Girl by Aqua on very rare occasions – mainly as a means of annoying my friend Jon White). However, the new album from The Editors, “An End Has A Start” is truly fantastic.

I am listening to it for the first time as I type, so maybe that is an unfair reflection – after all, I may grow to hate it after a couple of plays, and the remaining tracks could be dire. What I have heard so far though, has been superb.

The album starts with the popular single “Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors” an amazing record, which mixes melancholic moods you may hear on a Coldplay record, with the uplifting beats similar to that of the great U2. Sorry… I’m no music journo, I can’t write very good reviews so won’t try :o)

To call An End Has A Start a “one hit album” would be very wrong. The other tracks, including those which will never be released in single format, are also impressive. I highly recommend this album. Best piece of music I have heard in 2007.

Finally, some people have been calling the album depressing. I think I can explain this one. The Editors are based in Birmingham – a depressing place. Look at The Manics, they took have been accused of having gloomy music – they’re from Wales! To back myself up – Kaiser Chiefs from Leeds – big, loud, thumping sounds. Let us not forget The Wurzles. They may all be over the age of 84, with one foot in the coffin, but they make some hilariously funny songs, and they’re from Somerset!

I was (ever so slightly) saddened to read that music and DVD store, Fopp has gone bust, closing 105 of its stores nationwide.

I used to be a regular customer, and bought some real treasures from there, most notably one of the last remaining Die Hard I & II limited edition DVD boxsets in the country.

Like many customers, I haven’t been in ages and have simply relied upon cheaper online stores for DVD purchases and MP3 downloads. It is inevitable that HMV will also go the same way as Fopp, MVC and Our Price, in the not too distant future.

You have to feel sorry for the staff who have lost a months pay. Expect shit loads of stock from pissed off ex-employees, who beat the liquidators to the stockroom, to appear on eBay.

R.I.P. Fopper

Making my way home from work today, I saw an injured bird in the car park. I had noticed it earlier on in the morning, but just dismissed it. As it had been there all day though, it was obvious it’s wing was injured, so thought I had better help in some way.

I returned to the office and recruited a colleague to help me in capturing the bird. The plan being for me to take it home in a photocopying paper box and nurse it back to health.

Getting anywhere near the poor creature proved troublesome. For an injured bird, it was certainly able to run fast and hide underneath parked cars. After much effort, we decided to give up.

As we admitted defeat and begun to make our way back, the bird leapt out from under a parked car and flew into a nearby tree. Obviously it was less injured than we first thought – or we scared it into flying! Either way, I was left happy that it was back in the safety of a tree and not left on the floor as a tasty ready meal for a cat.

On our return to the office, we decided to be mean, and play a trick on Sam, who had been left behind to man the fort while we went out bird catching. My colleague recorded bird sounds into my mobile phone, which I then placed into the paper box. When Sam inspected the closed box, high-pitched bird song was emitted from inside. We had him fooled for all of 30 seconds until he realised it was simply a mobile phone!

* I say Starling, I think it may be a Thrush. Putting ”Stop The Thrush” as a blog title may have lead to many misunderstandings though!

The second Grand Theft Auto 4 trailer was released on Rockstar’s website today.

As expected, the short clip showed off what we can expect a next-generation GTA to look like. Most of the trailer content appears to be FMV- I just hope the actual playing experience is just as good. Hopefully there will be some in-game footage in the third, final pre-game teaser.

GTA4 hits the UK on Friday 19th October 2007. I have already booked both the Friday and following week off work. If things go to plan, the vast majority of my 10 days off will be spent locked in my flat, curtains drawn, playing the game. I’ll return to work a week later, looking pasty, spotty, fat, and suffering from rickets due to natural light deprivation. I will then go home ill and spend another week playing from my sick bed.

The Spice Girls have reunited for a world tour – but are they too old?

I’m still getting harassed by this girl, via e-mail – she sounds desperate now.

Hi! I am tired today. I am 25 y.o. girl that would like to chat with you. Email me at iuc@anymailonline.info only. You will see some of my private pics.

I may be very wrong, but somehow I don’t think I’ll get any breast or arse from this hottie. By responding, I think the only meat I’ll get is spam. Still, if anyone thinks differently, be my guest and e-mail her. You never know, she may be a lonely, fit 25 year old girl, typing in random e-mail addresses, and desperate for sex.

President Blairs may have only departed Downing Street a few hours ago, and his wife’s hairs may still be in the plughole of the bath, but it’s clear that all us Brits have forgotten about him already. According to BBC News, more people in the UK care that ex-Celebrity Big Brother contestants, Preston and Chantelle, have split up than the fact Blair has a new job – (ironically) as a peace keeper in Iraq.

A revised GTA: Bath cover. I think it’s better.

In between fixing annoying computer problems at work today, Sam and I discussed a very important topic – one which any self-respecting Grand Theft Auto fan has almost certainly contemplated at some point in their life… What would happen if a GTA game was made in their hometown – in our case, Bath.

Bath is a small city, and having played the massive San Andreas on the PlayStation 2, I feel confident that it would be possible to map the whole of the town, including shops, streets, landmarks, etc into one single game – especially with the technological advances now offered by the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Bath is a historical city, and would offer many opportunities and new ideas for GTA game designers. Here are a few we thought up…

• All new vehicles including hot air balloons, bendy buses, canal boats, city tour buses and horse taxis
• Locations including Bath Abbey, riverside and tow path, city centre, Bath Rugby ground, Bath City F.C., Victoria Park and the Roman Baths
• New enemies including Twerton chavs, charity workers, tramps and rugby fans
• When you get arrested (or “busted”), you would re-appear outside Bath Police Station in town.
• Getting killed (or “wasted”), would re-spawn you outside A&E at The Royal United Hospital.

The possibilities are endless. If by some chance, an employee of Rockstar is reading my blog, why not make the next GTA game in the series (after IV) set in Bath – you know it makes sense – I even designed a front cover for the game!

I saw this today on Kitbag.com. Time to update the site, I think…

 
Henry leads the exodus

Sorry Simon! Please don’t kill me.