It's all working again!

Hello :)

Hope you are all well and the winter has been kind. Spring is officially (I think) here; at least the daffodils and snowdrops in our garden seem to think so. This is A. Good. Thing!

Been having a few technical problems of late, but I've finally managed to get it all working again. Thought it was going to cost me an arm and a leg, but ended up with me only losing some marbles and a bunch of time. Thank dog for that.

It's been a good year so far and some great music is coming out from all across the world. I can heartily recommend the new albums by Elbow, James Vincent McMorrow, The Boxer Rebellion, Agesandages, Tom Williams & The Boat, The Joy Formidable and Chapel Club.

I've been having some battles though. I really can't understand why some albums are only released in certain countries. Take the James Vincent McMorrow album as an example. This amazing record was released in Ireland last year, but only available legally in the UK on Monday of this week. That's a whole year. A whole year where I haven't been able to pay the artist the respect he deserves. I've now got the same problem with an album by a Danish band called The Scarlet Chives. Brilliant music, but I am not allowed to buy it unless I pay nearly £30.00 for a CD (that I don't want as I am trying to be media free) and shipping.

I thought that membership of the EU meant free trade between the participating countries. Or are record companies exempt from those trade rules? Would you wait a whole year for your new TV or toaster to be delivered? No. You'd go and buy one from somewhere else! C'mon record companies, this is the 21st century FFS. If you really; and I mean really want people to stop stealing your product, at least give them the opportunity to buy it and not make them wait and wait and wait.

It seems that things never change and I will continue to love the music but hate the industry until my dying day.

As Ben Elton many moons ago would say, "A little bit of politics for you there". Rant over :)

So, a new year and a new podcast, hopefully the first of 6 bi-monthly ones for 2011 and beyond. You can either subscribe using the links at the top of the page, through the iTunes podcast directory or download it direct from here. (Right Click, Save As)

Tracklist is as follows
# TITLE / ARTIST
01 Don't Look at Me (I Don't Like It) - The Lovely Eggs
02 Shenanigans Of Old America - Deadlovers
03 Who's In Control - British Sea Power
04 Popinjay - The Joy Formidable
05 The Horror - Scarlet Chives
06 Spiral - Eins, Zwei Orchestra
07 The Runner - The Boxer Rebellion
08 Mexican Mavis - Boy & Bear
09 Civilian - Wye Oak
10 Mirror, Mirror - Dr. Dog
11 It's Raining Outside Today, Hooray! - Susan Gibson
12 Hit 'Em Up Style - Carolina Chocolate Drops ft The Luminescent Orchestrii
13 Cars - The Leisure Society
14 From the Woods!! - James Vincent McMorrow
15 Break/Hands - Cameras
16 Get Older - Tom Williams & The Boat
17 Souvenir - AgesandAges


Finally, if there is anything on this podcast you like, please remember to support the artist(s) by buying a track or two or even go and see them live. If you are an artist that has a track on this podcast that you would like removed, please get in touch with me and it shall be done without prejudice.

Until the next time....probably the end of April,

Thanks for listening.
It's good to listen.

Rob
xxx