Plumplechook

Fantastic UK documentary about the history of the single: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R5UUhP-m8E

This from the second night is pretty damn good:

Interesting article by ex Galaxie 500 member Damon Krukowski breaking down the meager royalties currently being paid out to bands by streaming services and what this means for artists today. http://pitchfork.com... 993-the-cloud/

Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter. From guitarist with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers to defense consultant, including chairing a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense.

There are two terrific documentaries on the Small Faces out there. ''Small Faces: All Or Nothing 1965 1968'' features 27 complete performances as well as interviews with all and sundry. Stumbled on it on TV one night and was blown away. And there was also a BBC doco released in 2010 narrated by Phil Daniels - at least some of which has been posted on Youtube:

Agreed. And I found this speech by Obama to his supporters the day after the election moving and inspirational.

One of the most confounding things about this election was the way the right wing turned on Nate Silver for daring to produce polling stats that showed a consistent Obama lead. The guy is basically a money-ball stats nerd who relentlessy crunches numbers. Among other things he predicted the GOP gains in the mid-terms with uncanny accuracy. But because his stats for this election didn't fit the Republican narrative about Romney's ''momentum'' he was lambasted by almost every right wing commentator for some imagined liberal bias in his modelling. It's bad enough shooting the messenger -

From the Guardian: On Fox News, Republican strategist Karl Rove is refusing to accept reality, calling Fox's own call of Ohio "premature".

Take a bow Nate Silver. Meanwhile Donald Trump calls for a 'revolution'.

Beautiful but creepy at the same time:

Haven't seen recent episodes - but this clip from last year featuring Todd Rundgren and Daryl is mighty fine. Great version of this perfect-pop classic - and what a beautiful setting!

Looks like a few folks who were at the Celebration Day premiere in London on Friday night video'd the screen and have started uploading clips to Youtube. This has got me juiced for next Wednesday when I am seeing it at my local cinema (try and ignore the guys head in the row in front of the person filming!).

Since this has slipped off topic...I was at Zep's last ever show in July 1980 in Berlin. A few months later Bonham was dead. I had been a huge fan but this was my one and only time seeing the band. It was a disappointing performance with Page not on his game (in hindsight I think it may have coincided with the height of his drug issues). Got to see Page and Plant together again in the mid-90s and they totally redeemed themselves!

A rock-n-soul act from LA. Saw them in concert earlier this year at a small venue in Sydney and they put on a great show. Nothing particularly innovative but fun and energetic - especially their front man Ty Taylor who has a James Brown/Otis Redding thing happening. Kind of a surprising choice as an opening act for The Who I would say because their act seems taylor-made (ha!) for small clubs rather than arenas. Here they are on the Jools Holland show last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsw4ipHcMvY

Pavement. Used to love them but listened to a couple of their albums recently and they had lost all their charm for me. The slacker-inflected vocals and shambling intros which I used to enjoy now sound annoying. Of-their-time for me I guess.

I'm a big fan of Albert Lee. Seen him twice in Sydney in the last few years (at The Basement) and he puts on a terrific show. Really engaging personality - and of course a brilliant guitar virtuoso. Certainly one of the fastest players I've ever seen - but can also do lovely subtle stuff. Also a fine singer and piano player. I'd never miss an opportunity to check him out in concert.

Twin Peaks

Wishbone Ash pretty much built their career around the dual lead guitar.

And Chuck's pupil Dave Edmunds.

Chuck Berry

I would start with Spring Hill Fair - which is the album that first turned me onto to these guys - although Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express is probably their masterpiece. Another couple I would strongly recommend are Oceans Apart - a terrific album released in 2005 not long before the untimely death of Grant McLennan - and Before Hollywood from early in their career. Quiet Heart, which has just been released here in Australia, is the first compilation to span the band's whole career including songs from the albums released after the band reunited in 2000. It's a great collec