TIN TRAINS HAS MOVED

As some of you may have realised, Tin Trains moved from here long ago.

If you haven't found it's new home yet then just click right here.

Cheers.

Rob.

Dasal would not be pleased...

Last night I saw the wonderful David Byrne (ex-) lead singer of Talking Heads at Oxford's New Theatre.

Despite missing the first 3 or 4 songs due to rubbish train systems it is still by far the best gig that I have been to in 2009. Backed by an incredible band (sure they're not Talking Heads but they would certainly give them a run for their money!) he ripped through several songs from his fantastic 2008 collaboration album with Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today as well as a truck load of Talking Heads classics.

The backing singers were pitch perfect and full credit goes to the sound engineer who made the utilisation of two percussionists totally worthwhile.

The band were also accompanied onstage for the majority of songs by a few dancers who performed some of the most bizarrely choreographed dances that I have ever seen, but they suited the mood quite well and were always enjoyable to watch, especially when Byrne himself joined in.

Another highlight of the night was when a bouncer told a dancing member of the audience to sit down, which David Byrne happened to spot. He stopped mid-song to reprimand the bouncer and told everyone that it was ok to have a good time, causing the whole audience to stand up and dance for the rest of the show! Legendary.

Finally came the part that Dasal would not have liked. In total disregard of Dasal's second rule of encores he and his band proceeded to leave the stage not once, not twice, not even three times but FOUR TIMES, pausing to bow on each occasion. They totally deserved it though and it was nice to hear a crowd actually working for the encores for once. Maybe it was because it was mostly full of middle-aged people, but it certainly was a breath of fresh air and created a wonderful atmosphere.

The highlights for me were 'Houses in Motion', 'Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)', 'Air', 'Life During Wartime'... I could go on until I named everything he played. Having missed the first few songs I am very tempted to go and see him again in London this coming week.

Rob

In Transit Show 29th March 2009

Guest hosts Ryan Hakimian and Nick Taylor.

Playlist:

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You (Middle Cyclone)
2. Wyclef Jean - Where Fugees At? (The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book)
3. The Last Shadow Puppets - Calm Like You (The Age Of The Understatement)
4. Staff Benda Bilili - Je T'Aime (Tres Tres Fort)
5. Stevie Wonder - Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing (Innervisions)
6. Arcade Fire - Wake Up (Funeral)
7. Marissa Nadler - Mary Comes Alive (Little Hells)
8. Alien Ant Farm - Movies (ANThology)
9. The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll (Hot Fuss)
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Dull Life (It's Blitz!)
11. Dent May - Meet Me In The Garden (The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele)
12. Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (Illinois)
13. Animal Collective - Fireworks (Strawberry Jam)

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The lost Art of the Encore

What has happened to the encore? I've been to many many many gigs, and in my opinion the encore was warranted in 1. (bloc party doing skeleton at the forum - video)

Now, I'm not against a genuine encore, where a band has played their entire set, and caved into audience pressure. They should be special, not dealt out at every single gig. However, I have come to realised that for many gig attendees, the encore is now expected (its special if there isn't one - damn), so I have compiled my encore rules. If you must:

1. Make the break short (<>
2. NEVER ever do the MULTIPLE ENCORE, whats the fucking point Metallica.
3. Play something special, fan favourites (not big songs / hits - these should have been in the set anyway)
4. Keep me guessing. Put the house lights on or put the DJ back on, makes a nice little surprise when the encore does happen.

There you go, Dasal's rules for encores. Take note you 1000's of bands that are reading this, my opinion rocks.

Dasal

4am Inspiration

If the greater part of The Beatles discography isn't proof enough that doing drugs and making music can incur incredible results here's more:



And for any Conor fans who haven't seen the cover of his new album check it out here.

Rob

Tin Trains Twitter is Launched

Pointless I know, but fun nonetheless.

http://twitter.com/tintrains

Follow us and we promise to follow you!

In Transit Show 22nd March 2009

Guest host Tom Allen

Playlist:

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass (Silent Alarm)
2. The Apples - Killing (Buzzin' About)
3. Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Chunk of Change)
4. Camera Obscura - Honey in the Sun (My Maudlin Career)
5. Desmond Dekker & the Aces - Mount Zion (Black & Decker/Compass Point)
6. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored (The Stone Roses)
7. Doves - Kingdom of Rust (Kingdom of Rust)
8. Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope) (Run Come Save Me)
9. Tiny Masters of Today - Hologram World [feat. Karen O and Nick Zinner] (Bang Bang Boom Cake)
10. Franz Ferdinand - What She Came For (Tonight: Franz Ferdinand)
11. Babyboom - Sister (Babyboom EP)
12. Brendan Benson - I'm Easy (Lapalco)
13. Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Music For A Found Harmonium (Broadcasting From Home)
14. Radiohead - There There (Hail to the Thief)
15. [Secret Track: Tom Allen - In Transit Freestyle Rap]
    

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Podcast Recomendations

I've only fairly recently discovered the brilliance of a good podcast, but I thought I'd share with you a few of my favourites, and hopefully you can tell me some of yours!

Sound Opinions

Presented by Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis; two music journalists from Chicago who are true music lovers. Each week they present an hour-long show that features music news, reviews, features, in-depth analyses, live sessions and some great music debates. Since I have started listening they have featured, amongst others, Radiohead, The Hold Steady and Frightened Rabbit on the show. These guys know their music from rock to pop to hip hop, classic and modern.

This is what I envisioned In Transit sounding like before Olly came along and gave it a bit of a different odd-ball direction.

Click here for more about the Sound Opinions podcast.

Guardian Music Weekly

Like Sound Opinions; but the British version (and not as good). Presented by Paul MacInnes and Rosie Swash each week they have news, interviews and "singles club" in which they review (and often slate) the newest singles being released that week.

Often there is more emphasis on British music which is a good thing.

Click here for more about Guardian Music Weekly podcast.

RadioLab

Now for something a bit different. This was originally recommended to me by Robin Pecknold believe it or not (if you don't know that's this guy). This a pop-science podcast that comes out in seasons of 5 episodes at a time.

They take a theme such as genetics and present interesting experiments done in the field in an easy to understand and enjoyable manner. They range from 10 minutes long to an hour.

If you want a clearer idea check out one of the most recent ones called 'Mischel's Marshmallows' which was only 15 minutes long but definitely one of the best yet.

Click here for more about the RadioLab podcast.

Most People Are DJ's

Now for something a little more homegrown. This is another show on Rare FM, also on sundays from 9-10pm, presented by our friend Edwin.

The fact that it is named after a song by The Hold Steady only gives you a small insight into Edwin's music tastes. Each week he presents a barrage of great and diverse acts that range from the mainstream to the extremely obscure. In fact listening to Edwin's show often leaves me with a sense of despair at the fact that I will never have the time to fully explore all of the great artists that he has just unveiled to me in as much depth as I would like.

Click here for the Most People Are DJ's blog. (It's not technically a podcast but a weekly download in the same vein as the In Transit one).

------------------------------

Hope you enjoy these, I have some more up my sleeve if you are interested. Please feel free to recommend some to me.

Rob

In Transit Show 15th March 2009

Guest Host Wil Benton

Playlist:

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. John Frusciante - Carvel (Shadows Collide With People)
2. Dr. Dre & Eminem - Forgot About Dre [Kraddy Remix] (The Illegal Album)
3. Black Lips - Bad Kids (Good Bad Not Evil)
4. Ponytail - Late For School (Ice Cream Spiritual)
5. Caspa & Rusko - Caspa & The Others - Well ‘Ard - Sub Soldiers (Fabric Live 37)
6. Plastic Little - Dopeness (She's Mature)
7. The Dead Weather - Hang You From the Heavens (Horehound)
8. Little Boots - Stuck on Repeat [Fake Blood Remix]
9. No Doubt - Spiderwebs (Tragic Kingdom)
10. Radiohead - Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2) (Airbag/How Am I Driving EP)
11. Bat For Lashes - Sarah (Fur and Gold)
12. Micachu - Lips (Jewellery)
13. Paul Van Dyk - Castaway (Cream Future Trance)
14. Björk - Earth Intruders (Volta)
15. Nine Inch Nails - The Great Destroyer (Year Zero)
16. Modest Mouse - King Rat (Dashboard - Single)

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Staff Benda Bilili

Last night as you probably know was Comic Relief. The quasi-annual appeal to the British public to donate whatever they can afford to the charity which helps out millions of people; most primarily in Africa.

These appeals are interspersed with short videos of various famous people performing something or other, mostly comedy sketches.

I think what they're doing is amazing and I am over the moon that last night they reached their highest ever total. Despite the credit crunch people know that they're in a far better conditions than a lot of people around the world and showed this by donating last night.

The one thing that I would like to increase on Comic Relief is the exposure of the good things to come out of Africa, not just the bad. Africa has an extremely rich culture and music is one of the facets of it that has been exposed a lot recently with projects such as Africa Express. The level of enthusiasm and interest shown so far in African music is amazing but something on national television going out to tens of millions of viewers could raise it to another level entirely.

And so I think I have found the perfect candidates to play at the next Comic Relief; a band that have come to my attention very recently called Staff Benda Bilili.

Staff Benda Bilili are a group of disabled men from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have been disabled since they contracted Polio in their youth and they now move around on custom made tricycles. Their music is often backed by a group of street orphans and the star of the show is one young boy who shreds on his "satonge": a home made lute that is essentially just a wire and a tin can. It is not just their unique background that makes them stand out; they make fantastic songs too.

Check it out:


I think this is great, but the stuff on their myspace is even better.

There are a few videos on youtube and they also have a myspace. If you like what you hear you should buy their recently released album called 'Très Très Fort' which is available on iTunes now.

Hopefully we'll hear more from them soon; maybe they'll play at Latitude festival?

Rob

In Transit Show 8th March 2009

Guest presenter Mike Afro

Playlist:

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. The National - Secret Meeting (Alligator)
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Crosstown Traffic (Electric Ladyland)
3. Buen Chico - Giving Your Gifts (Right to Rearrange)
4. 4 or 5 Magicians - Change The Record (Change The Record/Ideal Man - Single)
5. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Thriller)
6. Junior Boys - In The Morning (So This is Goodbye)
7. Flight of the Conchords - Carol Brown
8. Curtis Mayfield - Super Fly (Super Fly Soundtrack)
9. Louis XIV - Finding That True Love is Blind (The Best Little Secrets Are Kept)
10. The Postal Service - Against All Odds (Against All Odds - Single)
11. The Beatles - Ticket to Ride (Help!)
12. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in L.A. (Glee)
13. The Kinks - Strangers (Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One)
14. The New Pornographers - Testament to Youth in Verse (Electric Version)

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Who watches the Watchmen?

[Warning: some mild spoilers]


Well for tonight, the answer to that question was me and thousands of others around the globe. Some people have been waiting 20 years for a movie, some less time, some haven't been waiting at all. I personally have been waiting six months, and a long six months it has been since I finished reading Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons seminal graphic novel.

Reviews have been coming in from left, right and centre; there are those who loved it, there are those who liked it but saw a lot of flaws and there are those who hated it, as well as many other good ones.

Now it's my turn. If you bothered to read any or all of those reviews that I've linked above then you're probably already worn out from all the reading/listening so my review is going to be a simple like/dislike lists format. So here we go:

What I liked:

• Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) - the perfect unlikely, disgusting but overall loveable hero
  
• Visually incredible from start to finish
• Awesome opening credits
• Hey that shot's exactly as it was framed in the graphic novel!
  
• "Rorschach's journal..."
• All Rorschach monologues
  
• Patrick Wilson's great performance as Dan Dreiberg
• Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt definitely made me eat my words over my initial concerns about his ability to pull it off
• The Comedian is unbelievably badass
  
• Action scenes brilliantly choreographed and not way over the top
• Nice bone breaking
• Nice amounts of gore
  
• Very true to the source material
  
• New ending works just as well as the original ending
• Some nice bits of cinematography
• Grime and grit is not lost
  
• Great sets
• Dr. Strangelove war room
• The length - I like long movies
• Story is well paced
• Ambiguous journal ending intact
  
• Looking at Malin Akerman
  
• Malin Akerman's breasts
  
  
  
  

What I disliked:

• Too much slow motion in the opening scene
  
• Malin Akerman's acting in some (not all) scenes
• Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan
  
• Rorshach's voice is too similar to Christian Bale's Batman (although it does suit Rorschach too)
• (Practically) No Comedian in the second half
  
• The scene on Mars - engrossing on the page; but boring on the screen (maybe because it revolved around the two worst actors?)
• Music: Great songs (Simon & Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan et al.) but did not at all suit the scenes
• Sex scene - too much of a joke (but I wouldn't cut it as it featured the aforementioned breasts)
  
• President Nixon's way too comical gigantic nose
• Dr. Manhattan growing and shrinking looked like a piece of clip-art being dragged larger or smaller
• No explanation of Rorschach's mask
• No in-depth Rorschach psych analysis (though this probably wouldn't have worked in the film)
  
• Linking it all to Veidt took less than two minutes and was hard to follow even for someone who has read the graphic novel

OK so there are quite a few things I disliked about the film, but there are a lot more things that I loved, and they are the more important things too.

I'm really excited to hear what people who haven't read the graphic novel have to say about the ending; I don't think many more divisive (or genius) endings to stories have ever been written.

Overall I don't think we could have wished for a better adaptation; by no means is it perfect, but it's engrossing, fun, thought provoking and overall thoroughly enjoyable. An admirable accomplishment for the "visionary" Zack Snyder.

Rob.

And for those of you who know nothing about Watchmen here is the trailer to (hopefully) spark your interest:

In Transit Show: 1st March 2009

This is Olly's last show. If you're interested in guesting in the upcoming weeks get in touch with either me or Dasal.

Playlist:

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Contender (The Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
2. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin (Actually)
3. The Proclaimers - (I'm Gonna) Burn Your Playhouse Down (This is the Story)
4. Here We Go Magic - Tunnelvision (Here We Go Magic)
5. Grizzly Bear - Little Brother (Yellow House)
6. Bob Dylan - Girl From The North Country [feat. Johnny Cash] (Nashville Skyline)
7. N.A.S.A. - Spacious Thoughts [feat. Kool Keith & Tom Waits] (The Spirit of Apollo)
8. Anvil - Metal on Metal (Metal on Metal)
9. Dr. John - Right Place Wrong Time (In the Right Place)
10. M. Ward - Stars of Leo (Hold Time)
11. Jaydiohead - Dust Off Your Android (Jay-Z x Radiohead)
12. Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band)
13. Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood (Fleet Foxes)

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The Pancake Mix

A compilation of mine and my flatmate Nick's best (and worst) pancake tosses from pancake day this year.

It gets better as it goes along.



Rob

In Transit Show: 22nd February 2009

This week we had the wonderful Nick Taylor filling in for Olly, and he did a great job! Check it out!

Playlist:

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. Joy Division - Disorder (Unknown Pleasures)
2. Sondre Lerche - The Tape (Phantom Punch)
3. Nirvana - Lithium (Nevermind)
4. The Walkmen - I Lost You (You & Me)
5. The White Stripes - There's No Home For You Here (Elephant)
6. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno (Searching for the Young Soul Rebels)
7. The Whip - Divebomb (X Marks Destination)
8. The/Sections - Take Me Back in Time (http://www.myspace.com/thesections)
9. Michael Jackson - Stranger in Moscow (HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I)
10. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mayonaise (Siamese Dream)
11. Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz (I Should Coco)
12. Foo Fighters - Baker Street (The Colour and the Shape [Bonus Track])
13. Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch - Lua (Dark Was the Night)

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This is why you're fat.com

This is the best diet motivation in the world! I recently came across the gut wrenching, heart attack inducing, cardiac causing "this is why you're fat.com" Check that shit out.

I've always thought I have a bad diet, what with chocolate, cake an the Woody Grill featuring in my diet, however when I stumbled across this website, I realised I have treated my body like a temple.

I am so, so, so glad that I don't live in the USA, a place where food like this is still legal. Possibly the worst dish on here is the "Baconnaise."

Oh dear.

Truly yours,

Dasal

In Transit Show: 15th February 2009

1. Jeff Buckley - Mojo Pin (Grace)
2. Jonathan Richman - Abdul and Cleopatra (Back In Your Life)
3. Brooke Benton and Dinah Washington - Baby (You've Got What It Takes) (Endlessly: The Best of Brook Benton)
4. Fanfarlo - The Walls Are Coming Down (Reservoir)
5. The Beta Band - Wonderful (Heroes to Zeros)
6. Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Still Crazy After All These Years)
7. The Dears - Money Babies (Missilies)
8. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (The Magic Position)
9. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough (United)
10. Grizzly Bear - He Hit Me (Friend EP)
11. Tilly and the Wall - Love Song (Bottoms of Barrels) [N.B. We played the version from their Daytrotter session]
    
12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Fever to Tell)

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scattergories

1. Things that are sticky
2. Famous landmarks
3. cars
4. herbs and spices
5. bad habits
6. cosmetics/toiletries
7. celebrities
8. cooking utensils
9. reptiles/amphibians
10. mountains
11. leisure activities
12. things that fasten
    

The Life Traumatic : Episode 4

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
  

In Transit Show: 8th February 2009

Format: Artist - Song (Album)

1. Modest Mouse - 3rd Planet (The Moon & Antarctica)
2. Seasick Steve - Dog House Boogie (Dog House Music)
3. Blink-182 - Adam's Song (Enema of the State)
4. Green Day - Welcome to Paradise (Dookie)
5. Sly and the Family Stone - Everyday People (Stand!)
6. M.I.A. - Boyz (Kala)
7. Radiohead - Climbing Up the Walls (OK Computer)
8. Beach Boys - Surfer Girl (Surfer Girl)
9. The Flaming Lips - Brainville (Clouds Taste Metallic)
10. GDSP Music - Not Right Now (http://www.myspace.com/gdspmusic)
11. Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer (Aretha Now)
12. Panda Bear - Comfy in Nautica (Person Pitch)
13. RevoLucian - Bale Out
14. Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters (Ghostbusters Soundtrack)
15. Doves - There Goes The Fear (The Last Broadcast)

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