Never let the bastards grind you down

I'm really pleased that the Secretary of State for Health can only carry out PR stunt visits to hospitals with the aid of a phalanx of cops and security guards. In this excellent video, an enraged doctor puts down his golf clubs to take up arms in defence of public health. This is what I want from the next 4 years until the election: a government forced to duck and weave as angry citizens make their disapproval manifest - not smug rich men behaving as though they were elected with a huge majority and solid mandate. Nobody voted for the privatisation of the NHS, policing and education, but that's what's happening. That gives us the right to harass, heckle and torment these arrogant bastards every time they appear in public.



Meanwhile, just because it's being going through my head all day, and it's a brilliant burst of feminist enthusiasm and musical genius, Bikini Kill's 'Rebel Girl'.

Suck My Left One!

I've been listening to The Drums' eponymous new album today. I thought I'd like it because all the reviews say that it's in thrall to C86 and in particular the wonderful The Field Mice.



Er… no. It's so derivative and vacuous that it resembles nothing so much as a sustained bout of necrophilia. Truly, all style and no substance.

So I'll cleanse my palate with the next band in my trawl through the hard drive. It's a doozy. Prepare your ears for Bikini Kill's Pussy-Whipped and The Singles (I have everything else on vinyl). It's Riot Grrrl: punk, metal and indie unite in a blaze of righteous fury and I love it. The first track, Double Dare Ya is kind of the Riot Grrl manifesto.









Happy days!

Bricks are, like, heavy, know what I mean?

Having spent yesterday listening to Tortelier's recordings of the Bach Cello Suites, I'm having a 90s female indie day: Veruca Salt, Juliana Hatfield, L7, The Breeders, Babes in Toyland, Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear and so on. Bliss was it to be alive in that time of para boots, floral dresses and spiky guitars. Where are the riot grrls of yesteryear?

Update - just bought some Juliana Hatfield and received the new The Horrors album, as it's so much better than the first. Anyone rate Luscious Jackson?