Bradford's own Odeon - cinema and one time host to popular beat combo The Beatles - is to be knocked down and these people are angry about it with good reason.

Personally having spent more time that I should admit watching movies often on my own save the projectionist in the huge 1,000+ cinema I can see the problem and the financial need to make changes but it was the place I saw Star Wars aged three and I have some affection for the place.

More curious though is what the building would be replaced with. Do we really need…

Thu 22 Feb – Laboratory Noise

Laboratory Noise at The Delius in Bradford is hardly the stuff of huge comment or massive missives but after watching another of the collection of bands that are making up a currently nameless scene in Bradford and West Yorkshire I get heartened by the idea that there is - to steal a phrase - something going around here.

Sounding like Kevin Shields produced Grunge meets Mode Laboratory Noise are worth a listen and the projected film means they are worth a watch too. They sit as further proof of the depth of quality around…

Mon 12 Feb – The Long Blondes

Well… The Lodger Really. Such a necessary evil playing support to the band that energises young listens so much that you get a 18+ stamp on your hand on the way in and such a thankless task.

For sure later on Kate, Dorian et al would impress and in the mean time Leeds based The Lodger have to fill ear time.

The come on looking strangely confident and set about a set with steady precision.

Lead guitar and vocals Ben Siddall projects and disinterest turns to curiosity. Feet tap and comparisions are draw.…

Fri 9 Feb – Heads We Dance, Laura Groves, Sportsday Megaphone

It snowed, lots, and for a long time the Love Apple was empty feeling with bodies of people around the sides drinking shorts to keep the sub-zero temptretures at bay.
Then it was filled and it was warm and an energy surged through the room as Laura Groves picked at a guitar and powered her voice around the room and everything was touched and everything was illuminated.

Coast was dubbed “A song about Filey” and stood out. Imaginary Flights mingled with the fluttering of what was a blizzard falling…

Monday - which is tomorrow - was supposed to be The Radio Dept. at Leeds Cockpit but I guess they had something else to do. From a pension plan point of view this is probably a bad thing - I still by stuff from bands I saw fifteen years ago regards off the quality and TRD could have got on that gravy train and earned a cool £8 every two years - but I'm sure they will cope and frankly I only go to Leeds cause work make me.

Oddly enough though in fifteen odd years of going to gigs…

A few debates at work lead to us creating a few lists and albums of The Beatles. Cutting the chase…

My "Make The White Album into one great record" album

Side One
1. Back In The U.S.S.R.
2. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. Blackbird
6. Julia

Side Two
7. Revolution 1
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
9. I’m So Tired
10. Long Long Long
11. Good Night

Select one track from each Beatles Album:

Please Please Me – I Saw Her Standing There
With the Beatles…

A couple of resolutions - such as they are - which are mentioned elsewhere in more detail but will be tracked on these pages.

I'm going to see 12 gigs at least this year because one a month is not too hard and I've got Radio Dept, Long Blondes and The Wedding Present. Progess can be tracked at LastFM


Learn to play the guitar properly by next Christmas because I just use it to make noise at the moment.

So here it is - my album of the year along with as succinct a reason as I can manage. Reverse order me thinks and a summary first…

The Ten

10. Nighteeneighties
09. Crushing Love
08. Ringleader of the Tormented
07. Someone To Drive You Home
06. Costello Music
05. Pet Grief
04. The Jarvis Cocker Record
03. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not
02. Broken Boy Soldiers
01. This Hungry Life

With Information

10. Nighteeneighties
The guy who either thinks he is Neil Young or really is Neil Young does covers of the…

While you are waiting - seriously - don't wait - for album of the year 2006 this is top fifteen of my track of the year (assuming that nice girl from X Factor does not reinvent music in the next two weeks) and for the record the top three will be written on a post card and sent off to the BBC for old time's sake…

01. The Worst Taste in Music
02. Intimate Secretary
03. Boys Don't Cry
04. Bang Bang
05. Once and Never Again
06. New England
07. Bang Bang
08. Leave Before the Lights Come On…

I am very aware of how anal creating a record of the year as voted for by oneself and for the consumption of - well - oneself but nevertheless I am doing because I miss the process of organising records that came with the Festive Fifty.

For those who are interested the not that shortlist for the entirely prestigious Michael Wood's Album of 2006 is (In no order)…

Dirty Pretty Things – Waterloo To Anywhere
Guillemots – Through The Windowpane
The Radio Dept. – Pet Grief
The Long Blondes – Someone To Drive You Home
Morrissey – Ringleader of…