Norwich UEA Gig List 1963 – 2023: Wish all UK mid-sized venues had their shows recorded in a neatly formatted PDF; every gig/support/price, a treasure trove of history

Meklit Hadero's "A Piece of Infinity" Ethio-Jazz album on Smithsonian Folkways from September is ideal New Years Day listening. Particularly like the stately and serene collaboration "Tizita" with Brandee Younger. Good review here: daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the...

Got my @thestorygraph.com 2025 wrap-up today, 71 books last year - buoyed slightly by reading a bunch of short but excellent @404ink.bsky.social Inklings titles in November. Despite what it says, had 7 books given the full 5* (in alt-text) which isn't a bad average.

This rips, the kids are alright.

Some excellent instrumental guitar albums from this year discussed on the new All Songs Considered www.npr.org/2025/12/30/n...

For reasons unknown, our cat has decided that the top of the stairs is now her domain.

Somehow completely missed there was a new Voices from the Lake album this year, decade+ on still the best in the game voicesfromthelake.bandcamp.com/album/ii

Liking this mixture of psychedelic dream-pop and downtempo folktronica from Car Culture, hazy vibes #nowplaying naffrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/rest-h...

This is a good one, consistent throughout but particularly like it when it strays into funkier territory

Found a pair of Ring-Necked Parakeets partaking in some Xmas over-indulgence 🪶

What’s everyone’s favourite avatar quote? "The first rule of avatar is: You do not talk about avatar"

Lots of good stuff in the Tate Sale: shop.tate.org.uk/sale/view-al...

Yousuke Yukimatsu is a man of refined taste and culture

Working through my 2025 music backlog, enjoying L'Antidote (feat. Persian percussionist Bijan Chemiran, Albanian cellist Redi Hasa & Lebanese pianist Rami Khalifé). Reminds me a bit of Dawn of Midi, all very tightly played and rhythmic with an improv edge lantidote.bandcamp.com/album/lantid...

Wasn't aware of Germany's love of setting off fireworks at each other on New Year’s Eve

We made a friend

Thoroughly enjoyed the "Love & Landscape: Stanley Spencer in Suffolk" exhibition at Gainsborough House, Sudbury. Lots of fascinating pieces I hadn't seen more and learnt more about his absolutely bonkers/traumatic love life, obsessive and then some gainsborough.org/event/stanle...

Loved this, I knew little bits of Garland's story but came away with renewed appreciation

I always reach for the standards during the festive season

This 1979 documentary on British Front Gardens hosted by Candida Lycett Green (daughter of John Betjeman!) is legitimately one of the best things I've watched this year.

Loved the Young Vic's production of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. A blackly comic, strange and knowingly absurd play but hits hard - maybe works better with the 20+ year remove from the war. Even parachuted in last minute, Kathryn Hunter may be one of the magnetic stage presences I've seen

Nearing the end of the audiobook of Jonathan Coe's The Closed Circle and the narrator just burped

Stereolab v.good this evening @ RFH but only occasionally wandering into the more revelatory experience I was anticipating as a first timer. Maybe a little swamped by the stage and the muddy Festival Hall acoustics, would have sat more comfortably as a club show.

Wandered into a filming of Slow Horses this evening

Finished Insecure this evening, maybe the the best TV show about the 30's millennial experience (albeit with far more attractive people than my own experience)

David Runciman on depopulation in @lrb.co.uk is a fascinating read - "Japan now produces more nappies for incontinent adults than for infants"

"The verse is too dangerous to be shared with the public" is what I tell my critics when they ask where the next poem is.

Worrying amounts of divorced energy emanating from this blurb: "From 0 to goosebumps – in a single sound curve. The strictly limited-edition (500 pieces) 911 Soundbar 2.0 Pro, made from the original Porsche 992 GT3 (992) exhaust system."

Introduce yourself with 5 concerts you’ve seen. James Brown Glenn Branca Prince Television Sky Ferreira

You had me at "Rising from the ashes of Cerebral Rot, Austin’s Corpus Offal pick up the vile stench where that death metal troupe’s stank lingered"

Been listening to some early 90s techno this evening. More modern dance music should have samples throughout from movies, sad this stopped being a thing

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 50: Charli XCX feat Lorde - Girl So Confusing (Remix) (2024) (UK/NZ)(ISC-Y, NKC-Y) One day I'll get through this without welling up a bit. 11 points www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q3K...

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 49: Amaarae - Co-Star (2023) (GH) (ISC-Y, NKC-Y) www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY9e...

And people wonder why the UK voted for Brexit

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 48: Shygirl ft Danny L. Harle - encore (2024) (UK)(ISC-Y, NKC-Y) A nicely filthy paean to hedonism

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 47: Confidence Man & JADE - gossip (2025, AU/UK, ISC-Y, NKC-Y) As good as JADE's album was, this is still the best thing she's realised in 2025. Apologies I realise I have fallen behind, another will be posted today to catch up www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xid-...

to the tune of "21st century schizoid man"

Technically flawless set from Tortoise this evening in London, but didn't fully connect at a deeper level for me. Maybe wasn't in the right frame of mind

Fortunate to see Jay Kelly earlier with post show Q&A with Noah Baumbach, George Clooney & Adam Sandler - all almost exactly as you'd expect. Very enjoyable film, will connect with anyone of a certain age - slightly overstuffed possibly but it flew by, some v.impressive practical effects throughout

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 46: f5ve - Underground (2024) (JP)(ISC-Y, NKC-Y) Frothily addictive. I like how the video goes all Cyberdog at the end

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 45: U.S. Girls - 4 American Dollars (2020) (ISC-Y, NKC-Y) 🎶No matter how much/You get to have/You will still die/And that's the only thing🎶 Skewering the American Dream through some warm funk

This is going to be off-the-charts outstanding next April! Tickets now on sale. Upset The Rhythm presents… ORCUTT SHELLEY MILLER EARTHBALL Monday 20 April Cafe OTO, 18-22 Ashwin St, London, E8 3DL 
7.30pm | Tickets: link.dice.fm/gd281c5833f5 @cafeotodalston.bsky.social @billorcutt.bsky.social

Happy birthday to the Soviet linguist Yuri Knorozov who casually deciphered the Mayan script in 1952 and got pissed when editors removed his cat as co-author on papers or cropped her out of his author headshot (the only picture of himself he even liked)

Have I ever mentioned my mortal fear of former BBC News substitute presenter Mishal Husain? Probably not, since it's not a big issue generally. Anyway, best get to work

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 44: Doja Cat - Jealous Type (2025, USA) (ISC-Y, NKC-Y) Recency bias maybe, but this slaps. The VMA performance of this is a must-see, she makes it all look effortless

Regrettable karaoke intermission aside, had a bunch of fun at Yelle who brought much of the capital's French population to Islington. I saw them after their debut record in 2008 at Sònar and they haven't changed all that much (complimentary), albeit with a much beefier back catalogue to draw on.

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 43: Charli XCX - anthems (2020, UK) (ISC-Y, NKC-Y) Another day, another Danny L Harle track. Pandemic-era cabin fever reformulated into a total banger

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 42: Danny L Harle & PinkPantheress - Starlight (2025, UK) (ISC-Y, NKC-Y) PP & Danny L Harle showing us the inner workings of the universe through the medium of hard dance "WOW"

#TheTwen2ie5 Day 41: DJ K feat. MC Menor Adr, MC Daneve & MC Kaique da Sul - Flauta do Novo Mundo (2023, BR) (ISC-Y, NKC-Y) Some of the underground Brazilian funk producers are releasing the most exciting music I've heard this decade, a total new sound. I particularly like DJ Ks tinnitus celebration