Ahoy there, playmates TIMOTHY HOPKINS’ CD (DECEASED) All is quiet in the trousers-hopkins-hall household. Mostly because Tim hasn ’t moved in yet. However, his record player has, which has led me to invent a hilarious pastime to while away the long summer evenings. For this hilarious pastime you will need the following equipment: one (1) glass of weak lemon drink; a selection of assorted popular music lps. First drink your glass of weak lemon drink. Then find a tune guaranteed to offend Mr Hopkins’ delicate P!O!P! sensibilities. Then play it very loud. So far I have played The Pixies “Come on, Pilgrim”; “Laughter, Tears and Rage” by post-Propaganda ZTT losers Act; “Introspective” by the Pet Shop Boys; “Aja” by Steely Dan; “Exile on Main Street” by The Rolling Stones; “Blue Bell Knoll” by The Cocteau Twins and “Babelogue” by Raymonde. We still have one week to go, so any further suggestions will be gratefully received at the usual address. NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL NOODLY ARTROCK DROSS YOU MORON Iron Mike Jones burbled: “Early Brian Eno?” Yes please! You can never have too much Eno in your life. This year is proving to be a bit of an Indian Summer for ludicrous pop-conceptualists, with both Scritti Politti and Art of Noise remerging with confections of perfection, much to my delight (and I suspect, Mr Jones’s). Actually, I don’ t think there’s any such thing as an “unconcious influence” when you’re as self-conscious as Mr Merritt. I still think he should call his forthcoming soixanteneuf-er “More Songs about Songs and Songs”. Mike also mentioned funny Americanisms; I have always wandered about the phrase “ass-backwards” which roughly translates as wrong way round. But surely it should be “ass-forwards”? No? ELECTRIC HONEY Perusing The Guardian Guide this weekend I noticed an ad for the forthcoming Cropreddy Festival, where Fairport Convention will once again kick out the jams, motherfucker. Halfway down the bill, who should I see billed but “The Honey Band”. So that’s what he’s been up to, the sly devil. Talking of Honey and folk rock, I was interested to see that the ringletted minstrelle Kate Jugsby has been nominated for a Mercury Music Award this year, along with The Manic Street Preachers and The Stereophonics (shurely some redundancy here). The Guardian call her “an outsider”, so I think the Mighty Arm of Sinister oughta rig this award too. MUSIC FOR GIRLS Carsmilesteve mentioned in a throwaway fashion that his mates’ band were going to be playing with Baxendale in London on Saturday. You should definitely all go, cos Baxendale are the cat’s pyjamas, the mules’ eyebrows, the dogs’ bollocks, and the best pop group I’ve seen all year. Even the fact that singer jumped off the stage and landed on my bad foot the last time I saw them cannot douse my ardour. I share this opinion with Dickon Edwards and Matt Haynes and Darren Hefner, so I must be right. THE BIG SHEEP This month I have mostly been reading the Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. If you go to Waterstones at the moment you can get a big discount on his new book “South of The Border, West of The Sun” which is very B&S-friendly, all about falling in love with a young girl with a wonky leg and listening to scratchy old records. All his other books are fantastic too. Actually, I had a gander through the archives, and it seems that people were telling you all this ages ago, but I had never heard of him before, which goes to show how much attention I pay. I’ve read more good books this year than I have heard good records, which must mean I am getting old. Until next time Stevie Trousers xxx +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the reborn Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". WWW: http://www.majordomo.net/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "jelly-filled danishes" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+