Jólabókaflóð vibes.

This was always my favourite verse when I was a child. Proto-Goth or something.

We found out about the fire when a customer came in, ordered 3 pints of Caffreys, then - as I handed them to him & asked for payment - said 'do you know the roof's on fire?' The roof was thatched. He walked into a burning pub for a Xmas pint. There'll always be an England.

The upside of getting old is no family expectations or travelling at Christmas. Just me, him and whatever we want to do. The absences are bitter-sweet this time of year, but at least it's restful.

For some reason I can’t reply to this, so quote-crashing to say I’ve always wanted to hear The Cure’s Christmas album and in fact if they don’t do one I may have to do it myself

Making mince pies while listening to this. Must be Christmas Eve.

With all the fuss about how crap the delivery companies now are, I was kind of hoping that it might change the prevalent "you can get it online" mentality. Because it's actually less hassle going to the shops.

Always good to see jokes about Andrew M-W but actually number 5 in this list is the best. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

I try not to do envy, but I keep seeing people posting about their writing sheds...

Today's Nice Thing

Happy solstice

Monthly sales have hit double figures for the first time since April. Someone's getting it for Christmas somewhere I suppose. Whoever you are, still buying Unsaid Unsaid after 2 yrs, you're just the best you are. x

Thread

Today's Nice Thing

Best book I've read on the subject.

Time to escalate my calls: I think something is rotten at Meta, and they are in trouble

"We were all punks, but not like London punks—more old suits than chains, whips, zips, and all that shit. We were into stuff like The Fall, Subway Sect, Pere Ubu, Talking Heads, and Gang of Four." Great stuff.

"The Northern Lights of the rock’n’roll firmament." Christmas 1985, and an impressive hometown gig for Echo and the Bunnymen. You can read the review in my latest Substack. pennykiley.substack.com/p/echo-and-t...

Not gonna link to it but I've just read this sentence about a coffee shop being planned for near where I live: "The AI-powered drive-thru concept has been designed by Sodaclick, using conversational voice AI technology, adding a human touch to the customer experience of ordering." Kill me now.

Today's Nice Thing.

“That rare space where intimacy and community collide”. Beautiful writing by David Lloyd in @liverpoolpost.bsky.social about the friendly connection with the world around that is being lost as the BBC ‘stealthily but surely’ takes the ‘local’ out of ‘local radio’ www.livpost.co.uk/losing-local...

And obviously, books are the best Christmas presents.

Astonished at the number of creative intelligent discerning people who casually use “I asked Chat GPT” when talking about their daily lives. AI is bad, the work of bad people, who hate you, normalised with bad intent. You wouldn’t say “I wrote to the Daily Mail” I wish people had more shame.

Do you remember this? Back in 2019 *this post* caused quite a stir on social media.

We're currently just 25 subscribers off the magical 2000 that ensures the long-term viability and stability of The Quietus. Join the Subscriber tier today & get instant access to hours of music in playlists covering our three main end of year charts: thequietus.com/subscribers/

I found that quote about seeking nourishment very pertinent during lockdown. And it remains so in these dark days. I wrote about creative consolation at the time: olderthanelvis.blogspot.com/2021/01/reas...

Today's Nice Thing

It’s a terrific book.

Being annoyed by ‘mixed tape’ shows my age. (I’ve obviously done all these many times.)

Liverpool friends, it would be lovely to see you at my book launch. 5th March, at the British Music Experience, in conversation with Jeff Young @wildtwin.bsky.social. Non-Liverpool friends, we are planning events in London and Oxford too - watch this space. www.britishmusicexperience.com/pennykiley

I finished a piece of work recently and said to myself: “I bloody love copy-editing.” And then I thought: with all my experience, I'm bloody good at it. I suppose that loving something and being good at it go together. Here’s why. pennykiley.com/2025/12/15/w...

#IntoTheGroove has been reviewed in the Daily Mail today. Thank you Mark Mason. Though the word ‘arse’ does appear in full, with no pants on, in the book.

Come and join us at @booksellercrow.bsky.social in Crystal Palace on Thurs 11 Dec with the team from @deserterblog.bsky.social, to launch and celebrate both our new books. I will be interviewed about my #IntoTheGroove book by @clairywoowoo.bsky.social. It will be fun. Please come!

A fine primer for the uninitiated on the late great birthday boy, Ken Campbell.

I wish more companies used alt tags in their images so I could share you wonderful news

My review of @millerscave.bsky.social's new book. Scroll to the end for a link to a fab playlist.

Today's Nice Thing

A bunch of young men just got on my train and one was singing "I am Charlie Kirk." WTF?

Prediction: all celebrity kids books to be written by AI starting now.

Latest Substack is a review of a 1986 gig to launch the St Helen's compilation LP Elegance, Charm and Deadly Danger - featuring an early line-up of the La's (with @mikebadger.bsky.social sky.social) and a bunch of other good stuff. pennykiley.substack.com/p/elegance-c...

Today's Nice Thing

Got the train to Oxford this morning. Dismayed (and angry) to see union and St George flags on lamp posts opposite Didcot Station. Don't tell me this is grassroots: you'd need specialist equipment to get them that high. Grrr.

Looking out of train windows is an important art, which must be nurtured.

This is what we want. More examples, please, of Good Things that have been done this year.

Why does everyone assume we all go to parties this time of year? I haven't been invited to any. And if I was, I probably wouldn't go.

FFS.

Wifi toothbrush? NOPE. Car that doesn't let you start til you've paid your subs? NOPE. Ring doorbell? NOPE. It's high time a popular movement began to reject these things. Not crazy 5G conspiracy shit, but a serious analysis of how bad this has become.

I've blogged about @johnharris1969.bsky.social's memoir Maybe I'm Amazed. It's about music and autism, so right up my street. And yes, Monotronic Superdrive would be a great name for a band. olderthanelvis.blogspot.com/2025/12/book...

Recommendations please - need a shit-hot audio editor who’s done immersive audio comedy at a professional level. Podcasts / radio etc. For a paid audio project that requires a lot of fun sound design to a very high standard!