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We recently published our Top 20 Albums of 2016, but this only reflected a section of the amazing songs that came out this year. There were great albums we missed, albums that just missed out and songs that came out on single this year. So, as a bit of an end of year bonus, here are the best songs of 2016 that didn’t feature in our end of year album list.
16. ESP Ohio – Royal Cyclopean
It wouldn’t be Neon Filler without a Robert Pollard track, and this horn driven gem from his latest collaboration with Doug Gillard is one of his best this year.
15. The Wedding Present – Rachel
There are rumours that this year’s Wedding Present album may be there last, if that is the case then they are finishing on something of a high.
14. Childish Bambino – Me and Your Mama
Donald Glover is a successful comic actor, the face of the young Lando Calrissian and a Grammy award-winning singer, sickeningly talented.
13. The Shins – Dead Alive
The Shins releasing a song that sounds like they could have recorded 15 years ago may not seem that exciting, unless you think early Shins is about as good as music gets. Which I do.
12. Allo Darlin’ – Hymn on the 45
Allo Darlin’ sadly called in at day in 2016, but just as they played their final shows they released one last single. A final document, if nothing else, of why they’ll be missed.
11. Car Seat Headrest – Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales
Car Seat Headrest is the work of Will Toledo, this year’s bespectacled indie geek de jour. The album justifies the hype this time around.
10. The Avalanches – Subways
The new Avalanches album may not be much of a step forward given the huge gap between this and their debut recording, but there were enough good songs to make it worth a listen.
9. Parquet Courts – Human Performance
The New York band have been releasing consistently great music since they broke through with Light Up Gold in 2012. The title track from their latest album shows them in almost subdued mode.
8. Angel Olsen – Shut Up and Kiss Me
2016 was a bit of a breakthrough year for Angel Olsen, her 4th LP getting a lot of attention and radio play. This track showcases as much fuzz-pop as folk and is a bit of a break from the softer country vibe she’s associated with.
7. Case/Lang/Veirs – Best Kept Secret
Three of the best vocalists in country-pop come together and, unsurprisingly, the results are great.
6. Okkervil River – Judy on the Street
Every two or three years Will Sheff’s band release an album and they all range from good to excellent. This track from Away is no exception to the rule.
5. Teenage Fanclub – Thin Air
More than a quarter if a century in and Teenage Fanclub can still produce some of the best melodic guitar pop around.
4. Girl Ray – Trouble
One of the best bands that we saw at Indietracks this year and one of the bands to watch out for in 2017.
3. Field Music – Disappointed
Due to its release at a busy time we sadly didn’t get round to reviewing Field Music’s excellent 2016 album Commontime. We still loved it though and can assure you it was a typically excellent release from the Brewis brothers. This was a single and one of the best tracks.
2. Luke Haines – Smash The System
Smash The System saw Haines revisit some of his previous themes, with a number of nods to his Baader Meinhof album. The Monkees references in this song are confusing but welcome.
1. Eyelids – Slow It Goes
Eyelids didn’t have a new album out in 2016, that is coming next year, but they did release this song and showcased what we can look forward to. Excellent video as well.
Full of smiles, School of Language kicked off their Spring tour in Bristol, with an amiable and fun gig at the Exchange. Although a solo pop/funk project of Field Music’s David Brewis, this tour has a full band feel with his brother and Field Music co-creator Peter on drums, along with Hazey Jane’s Andrew Mitchell on guitar, Andrew Lowther on bass and The Futureheads’s David Craig on synth.
School of Language
Even before they started playing the audience were aware this is a band with a sense of fun, as they made light of having to be their own roadies by taking to the stage to set up in ‘Field Music Productions’ branded caps and boiler suits, smirking throughout.
A quick change into shirts and in David’s case a rather smart grey suit jacket and they take to the stage, with smirks turning to smiles as one member of the audience shouts out “where’s Devo” in reference to their earlier attire.
David is on the road to promote Old Fears his second School of Language album. Although unmistakably Field Music with its angular chops and changes, it is a far more funkier/pop affair, with Prince’s Dirty Mind as an influence.
Live the guitars are much more to the fore, giving the album a far more Field Music feel, which in particular for tracks such as set finale So Much Time, give David and the band a chance to really show off their intricate playing.
School of Language
Highlights were key Old Fears tracks such as Between the Suburbs as well as highlights from his first school of Language album Sea From Shore, especially Rockist (Part 1) which was greeted with rapturous applause.
During each song David is exemplary in his focus, concentrating on hitting just the right notes and just the right intricate guitar lick as he interweaves superbly with Mitchell. Peter too on drums is full of focus playing the drums like he’s operating some kind of giant computer from the 1950s. All throughout they give each other knowing smiles. This is a bunch that clearly enjoys the whole process of performing and making music, something that the audience really picks up on and revels in.
Thankfully David and the band didn’t slip into any Field Music songs, even to fulfill a an audience members’ encore request for “covers.” In the end the encore was turned down “not because I’m being coy, we just don’t have anymore songs,” explained an apologetic David at the end.
Support was provided by London’s Barbarossa, a synth, drums and beards duo who are also on Field Music and School of Language’s label Memphis Industries. Their sound quality wasn’t as clear and crisp as School of Language’s with one particular bass buzz driving a few to the toilets, but there was enough tonight to know this is a fine act, with vocalist James Mathé superb singing, which is reminiscent of Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis, shining brightly among their electronica. Mathé tells us that a new album is in the offing and is one I’ll be looking out for based on this performance.
Every few years Field Music’s brothers David and Peter Brewis venture into solo waters; Peter in 2008 with The Week That Was and David in the same year and this year with School of Language.
At times its hard to distinguish these different acts, all are unmistakably Field Music and David’s second School of Language album Old Fears is no exception, with his brother as well as other Field Music regulars also contributing.
But there are some small, notable differences. Field Music’s more recent releases have a greater focus on guitar interplay and a 70s production, whereas The Week That Was and School of Language have more of a 80s feel to them, with the latter venturing into pop funk at times.
On this latest School of Language release David Brewis is even channelling his inner Justin Timberlake, particularly on the slick track Dress Up (see the track’s excellent Talking Heads style video here). He admitted to The Quietus recently that rather prog and inventive rock by the likes of XTC and King Crimson, it is the pop of Shalamar and Prince that are his key influences on this album.
There is indeed some great pop on display, with Between the Suburbs and Dress Up in particular standing out. But the album still lacks the knockout killer pop blow that was Sea From Shore’s Rockist Part 1. That track’s beatboxing vowel intro proved a highlight of that debut but thankfully there’s still some similarly inventive vocal work on this latest release, most notably on the track Suits Us Better.
Despite the pop feel to Old Fears, the Field Music progressive rock sound is not far away and there’s still plenty of the King Crimson and XTC-esque guitar trickery that has typified Field Music’s most recent releases, especially on tracks such as Distance Between, Small Words and A Smile Cracks. The production though is far cleaner, dazzling with a Top of the Pops 1983 shine rather than chin stroking with a Top of the Pops 1975 straggly-haired prog rock vibe.
The main point to get across when reviewing this album is that, yes, it is a solo off shoot project from a much loved band, but no, it is no diversion. It has the same core Field Music sound that has garnered a growing fan base and a Mercury nomination (for 2012’s astonishing album Plumb), albeit with a slower, relaxed, chart friendly groove.
What makes a great gig? We are looking to compile a list of your best ever gigs via the comment box in this article and to get you thinking our contributors have taken a stroll down memory lane to revisit some of their favourite concerts.
The Flaming Lips’ explosive Greenman 2010 set. Pic by Arthur Hughes
For some of our writers a great gig is simply being in the right place at the right time, when a band at the peak of their powers performs at a stellar venue. For others it is one of their first tastes of live music, while for others it has been seeing musical history being made. Judging by the responses from our writers going to see the The Flaming Lips, almost anywhere and at any time, is also a sure sign of a gig’s greatness. So stand up, get your lighter and mobile phone out and settle into a feast of great gig memories. Look forward to reading about your gigs.
Joy Division, Assembly Rooms, Derby, October 1979
Joy Division were the support for The Buzzcocks and played in semi darkness, four stark immobile Mancunian stick insects. It was loud, brutal and threatening, then Ian started doing his mad dancing during She’s Lost Control; some people laughed, we hated them for laughing as for us here was something new. As Shadowplay echoed around this architectural monstrosity we looked at each other and realized punk was over, something had eaten its corpse and was spitting out blood, Ian was dying for us and nobody had noticed. (John Haylock)
Fugazi, Zap Club, Brighton, November 1989
Back in the late 1980s the now closed down Zap Club regularly booked up and coming alternative bands from the US. The legendary and superb bands I saw at this sweaty damp venue, nestled into the old fisherman’s arches on the seafront, included Mudhoney, The Lemonheads, Rollins Band, Teenage Fanclub and Hole. But for me the best of the bunch was Fugazi. I was tucked up just to the side at the front of the packed venue, half on the stage as lead singers Ian Mackaye and Guy Piciotto, together with the precision rhythm section of Joe Lally and Brendan Canty, powered the band through a remarkable set. The timing was shortly after their first EP Margin Walker had come out and before 1990’s Repeater. Breathless, exciting and superb. (Joe Lepper)
Faith No More, Reading Festival, August 1990
In many ways this wasn’t an ideal gig. Sat between Nick Cave and The Cramps on the bill Faith No More were a bit of an oddity. The 1990s were also the decade when Reading was at it’s least “Rock”, it was the most “indie” of all the festivals during this period. The sound quality was also terrible, something that Reading was often guilty of, and a bootleg cassette I picked up some years later sounded pretty terrible. But it was my first real full-on festival rock experience and it seemed pretty wonderful at the time. The band arrived on stage to billowing smoke and an orchestral soundtrack (2001 perhaps?) before launching into a breakneck version of ‘From Out of Nowhere’. They rocked, they sneered (a snatch of New Kids on the Block in the middle of ‘We Care A Lot’) and front-man Mike Patton (replete in a kilt) scaled the stage scaffold. That was how to do it, something that The Pixies failed to emulate with a phoned in headline slot on The Sunday. They clearly already wanted to call it a day. (Dorian Rogers)
Nirvana, Astoria, London, October 1990
Friends at university told me that Nirvana were the next big thing. They played me Bleach, their only album at the time, and I was quite impressed even if it did sound like a Mudhoney rip off act. Turns out my friends were right, live they were sensational and across the 19-strong set Bleach’s tracks and Cobain’s vocals were filled with a passion I hadn’t grasped before. We were also treated to two new songs, Lithium and In Bloom, both destined for their forthcoming album, 1991’s Nevermind, which catapulted them to legend status. This was one of those great, ‘I was there’ moments in music history. (Joe Lepper)
Julian Cope, The Event, Brighton, September 1995
This gig happened at a point where Cope’s popularity (he had a top 40 hit with ‘Try,Try’Try’ from his then latest album 20 Mothers) was slightly out of kilter with his overall trajectory, having been dropped by Island a few years earlier. It may have been at the beginning of the end for Cope as a popular recording artist, but it was an exemplary live performance. Three sets were played that night involving 39 songs in total, the first being heavily drawn from his most recent albums and including a host of excellent cuts from Peggy Suicide. After this the band left the stage and Cope treated us to a set of solo acoustic numbers, chatting jovially and taking requests from the audience. And as is this wasn’t enough the band returned to the stage and treated us to a full greatest hits set featuring his best known songs both solo and with the Teardrop Explodes. Everything sounded great and at that moment he seemed like the best live performer in the world. (Dorian Rogers)
Neil Young, Phoenix Festival, Warwickshire, July 1997
After an eternity of soundchecking and with a minimum of fuss Young tore into Hey, Hey, My My. It was akin to being in the eye of a screaming tornado of sound and unbelievably it got better with Sedan Delivery, Why Do I Keep Fucking Up, Cinnamon Girl and Down by the River all having their entrails ripped open and fed through sixty thousand watts of amplification. It was guitarmageddon in a cowboy hat as he carried on, nailing acoustic versions of Sugar Mountain, Heart of Gold and Needle and the Damage Done. Forty six bottles of Evian water later I remember encores consisting of Like a Hurricane, Dangerbird, Rockin’ in the Free World and of course Cortez the Killer. My review in a word – legend. In another – goosebumps. (John Haylock)
Oasis, Cardiff International Arena, December 1997
My first ever gig – this is where it all began. The excitement, anticipation and the immortal feeling of being 15 years old and experiencing your musical idols for the very first time. I remember hearing ‘The Boys are Back in Town’ over the loudspeaker before the large curtain at the front of the stage suddenly opened and the band launched into ‘Be Here Now.’ The volume of those guitars hit me in the chest like a sledgehammer (in the best way possible) and, with that, I was born as an Oasis fan, gig goer and music fan for life. (Scott Hammond)
The Flaming Lips – Various, 1999-2012
Bowlie Weekender, Camber Sands, April 1999 – On the main stage were Divine Comedy, on the smaller stage were The Flaming Lips. Their album Soft Bulletin had just come out and I’d only heard the name not the music before. But as soon as lead singer Wayne Coyne took to the stage, bashing away at a giant gong with his giant personality and tiny, passionate voice, I knew this was no ordinary live band and the Divine Comedy could do one. The Flaming Lips didn’t even need animal costumes and giant space balls back then to be great. (Joe Lepper)
The Flaming Lips, Greenman 2010, pic by Arthur Hughes
Bristol Academy, January 2003 – My 18th Birthday night saw a busload of mates journey to see The Flaming Lips at the peak of their powers. Peerless pop conducted by Wayne Coyne’s all-engrossing showmanship. (Matthew Nicholson)
Greenman Festival, Wales, August 2010 -They were totally mindmeltingly awesomeballs. The grandiose epicness of the music married to the everything but the kitchen sink pyrotechnics of a stage show was so out there it would have put the big bang to shame. The power of live music to make you love this beautiful world, this, ladies and gentlemen is what it’s all about. (John Haylock)
Primavera Sound, Porto, June 2012 -I was excited when they were announced as part of the Primavera Sound festival lineup in Porto, but wasn’t prepared for the utter elation I felt seeing them live for the first time. They’re one of the best live acts ever – the colours, the spectacle, the songs – it all makes for a surreal, psychedelic explosion of music, complete with dancing girls and glitter cannons. I defy anyone to come away from a Lips gig feeling anything but on top of the world. (Patrica Turk)
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Bowlie Weekender, Camber Sands, April 1999
This is my second entry from this excellent festival, which was curated by Belle and Sebastian and kick started the All Tomorrow’s Parties events. Watching Jon Spencer’s trio for the first time made me feel like a 1950s, Tennessee teenager at an early Elvis gig. I’d heard of Spencer’s band, I heard the odd track on CD, but nothing could prepare me for the incredible performance of dirty rock ‘n’ roll from this incredible front man, Judah Bauer and Russell Simins. To this day the most exciting live act I’ve ever seen. (Joe Lepper)
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Radiohead, South Park, Oxford, July 2001
A wet homecoming night in which my favourite band headed a stupendous line-up (Humphrey Littleton, Sigur Ros, Supergrass, Beck) and delivered a heavyweight set of alt-rock anthems. (Matthew Nicholson)
Guided By Voices, ULU London, September 2003
This was the last time that Guided By Voices played in England, and possibly the only time that I’ll ever get to see them play. Bob Pollard’s famous hatred of travelling and their aborted ATP show in 2012 give little hope of a UK gig any time soon. Many people are stuck on the “classic” line-up of the band, but this gig featured the twin guitars of Doug Gillard and Nate Farley and they sounded pretty amazing to me. Blasting through a set that drew heavily from the then-current Earthquake Glue album we were treated to dozens of oddities and classics with fan favourites ‘Game of Pricks’, ‘I Am A Scientist’ and ‘Echos Myron’ getting a particularly enthusiastic reception. This is a band that works hard playing a huge set (around 45 songs on this occassion) with an encore that lasted longer than some acts entire back catalogue. Legendary. (Dorian Rogers)
Guided By Voices
Roger Waters, Hyde Park, London, July 2007
As with many 16 year old teenage boys, desperate for intellectual stimulation and strange sensations, I was drawn to the minimalist soundscapes and sixth form philosophy of Pink Floyd. Listening to Dark Side of the Moon while staring at the ceiling and broodily muttering about the evils of Money was heaven to a tubby pubescent teenager with few social skills and no girlfriend. Seeing Roger Waters make a rare performance of the entirety of Dark Side of the Moon at this central London park, arms wrapped around fellow Floyd Fanatics, was made all the more luscious as the moon came out and he sang the final refrains. (Conal Dougan)
Monsters of Folk, Cardiff Coal Exchange, November 2009
An intimate gig in front of a seated audience, the supergroup played for a whopping 2 hours and 45 minutes. Playing the MOF album in its entirety along with a panoply of Bright Eyes, M Ward and My Morning Jacket tunes, I couldn’t quite believe I was bearing witness to two of my all-time musical heroes (Conor Oberst and Ward) on stage in this tiny space in Cardiff Bay. Costing less than £15 a ticket and with only 300 people in attendance, I truly blessed the world for its lack of taste. (Scott Hammond)
Blur, Glastonbury Festival, July 2009
Watching a reformed band on the heritage rock scene can offer be a sad experience. Not so when Blur decided to reform for a run of gigs that included a show stopping set at Glastonbury. They played everything you hoped they would but it was Tender that provided the real spine tingling moment and, indeed, the mass singalong. (Matthew Nicholson)
Pulp Brixton Academy, London, September 2011
Growing up in Australia, Pulp were a band that I thought I’d never get to see live. But then, as so many do, they reformed and toured. They’re the songs from my teenage years and seeing Jarvis up close and personal was a girlhood dream come true. Nothing compares to hearing and seeing your old-time favourites performed live and it was a terrific moment of past-and-present excitement all rolled into one. Jarvis is still my hero. I even have his face on my tea mug. I’m 30. (Patricia Turk)
Pulp, Brixton Academy, 2011. Pic by Patricia Turk
Field Music and Stealing Sheep, The Fleece, Bristol, February 2012
Sometimes gigs are just perfect in every way from venue to support to crowd to stage banter. Field Music’s musical talent is well known on record, but live their mixture of King Crimson prog rock with the jerky pop of XTC is even more incredible. Here they were on top form, rattling out 23 tracks, from their back catalogue and to promote their then latest album Plumb. They were funny as well in between songs and just about the most engaging band you’ll ever see. To top it all the support act, Liverpool’s Stealing Sheep, left the packed crowd at this legendary venue in awe with their blend of folk, hippy chic and surf rock. The best support act I have ever and probably will ever see. (Joe Lepper)
Field Music, The Fleece, Bristol, 2012
Django Django, Bestival, Isle of Wight, September 2012
The highlight of an astounding festival, featuring knock-out gigs by De La Soul, Stevie Wonder and The XX, was a small tent performance by Django Django. With the speaker volume tempered to make later headline acts more of a spectacle, the crowd was pulled ever closer to the stage to be immersed in their folktronica rhythms. The crowd joined to become a single amorphous beast, embracing each other to shift body weight and crouch for the peak of Default. Jazz fags and rum punches were merrily shared with trucker women and inebriated Glaswegians as the best weekend of my life got off to the perfect start. (Conal Dougan)
First Aid Kit, Moles, Bath, September 2012
Enjoying a pre-gig pint in a quiet pub adjacent to Moles, I suddenly saw the young Swedish sisters emerge from a neighbouring building and casually walk towards the venue completely without regard from anyone passing by. It was almost like they weren’t brilliantly talented, precocious songwriting prodigies or something. I got to the door, handed over my £10 ticket and was astonished to find that the 220 capacity venue hadn’t yet sold out. I then found my standing space just 10 feet away from Klara, Johanna and those gorgeous vocal harmonies. (Scott Hammond)
First Aid Kit, circa 2012. Pic by Joe Lepper
Tame Impala, Primavera Festival, Barcelona, May 2013
Primavera Festival is renowned for its outstanding sound quality above its atmosphere, with main stage headline sets sounding intimate and personal. Upon arriving early on the first day, however, we really were treated to an intimate gig, with Tame Impala rehearsing their full set to only a handful of us. Frontman Kevin Parker’s remark that “we thought there would be more of you here” came just before we were escorted out by a security team, embarrassed from mistakenly letting us in early. The brilliant set they played later that night to a huge crowd, the balmy sea breeze flowing through Parker’s hair as the band waded through their psychedelic back catalogue, was made all the more magical by having seen them rehearse for our sole pleasure. (Conal Dougan)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Glastonbury Festival, June 2013
Nestled about 20 people back from the main Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 2013 on a Sunday evening I was expecting to be impressed by Nick Cave but not completely blown away by his brilliance. Across his hour long set he provided a masterclass in live performance. The whole experience was made even better by his scheduling just before the Folk-lite of Mumford and Sons. Their eager young fans being beaten back verbally by Cave’s middle aged hardcore fans was great to see. The poor Mumford dears that sneaked through were left open mouthed as Cave showed them how live music should be played. And as if that wasn’t enough, during Stagger Lee Cave moved into the crowd and serenaded a female fan dressed entirely in white, who appeared atop a pair of shoulders like Kylie’s ghost rising out of the swamp. (Joe Lepper)
Nick Cave crowd schmoozing at Glastonbury, 2013. Pic by Joe Lepper
The National, Roundhouse, London, June 2013
When a snap show at the Roundhouse was announced I was more than prepared to spend an hour and half in an online queue to see one of my most favourite bands in one my most favourite venues. It was everything I wanted it to be. The National are a special band of super talented musicians, led by an extraordinary voice in Matt Berninger. The songs are emotional, intelligent and epic, and the gig was intense, driven, amazing. There’s nothing like being part of an audience that adores the band they’re seeing. Spectacular. (Patricia Turk)
Melody’s Echo Chamber, Greenman Festival, August 2013
Propelled by Melody Prochet’s ethereal floaty vocals, the band add crunch and added freak out, I stood there entranced like a good looking deer in the headlights of a pop car, that is until I got so carried away during Crystallized that I became a danger to passing aircraft. They swept me up in a whirling vortex of sound that I keep playing back in my mind like some antiquated reel to reel tape recorder. A week after this gig and I wanted to see them again and again, I want to go to every gig, become an uber fan, have Melody’s poster on my wall. (John Haylock)
Remember to tell us about your favourite gigs in the comment box below.
The culture of illegal downloading and Spotify playlists have conspired to give the album a torrid time this year. According to latest figures from industry body the BPI, album sales fell by 13.8 per cent during the first half of the year and in the second week of August Rhianna’s album Talk That Talk became the lowest selling UK number one album when it shifted just 9,758 copies.
Albums are arguably becoming a more niche purchase among consumers, which is why there will be a whole bunch of albums in this best of list that you will have never heard of and by bands whose names will be new to you. But that doesn’t mean the quality of these albums is diminished. We have at least one enormous seller, a couple of concept albums as well as some stunning debuts by brand new bands. Above all all those on our list are interesting, have tales to tell and are showcasing artists doing interesting things with music. Album sales may be down, but the quality of music produced this year shows that critically at least 2012 was a great year for the album. Sit back, get your Christmas lists ready and enjoy Neonfiller’s Top 20 Albums of 2012.
20.North Sea Scrolls
North Sea Scrolls is an album that brings together two celebrated musical grumps, Luke Haines and Cathal Coughlan, along with journalist Andrew Mueller, to create an alternative history of the British Isles. That’s right its a concept album, but one that has a worthy place on our list due to its notion of a Britian where the broadcaster Chris Evans is ritualistically sacrificed, 60s producer Joe Meek is culture minister, Enoch Powell is poet laureate and Ian Ball, the kidnapper of Princess Anne, has a crisis of identity in Broadmoor about Ian Ball the singer from Gomez. (DR) More
19. Jack White – Blunderbuss
We are proud to admit that foppish indie bands who struggle to shift a few thousand CDs are our usual review fodder. It is unheard of for us to review an album that is top of the UK and US albums charts at the time of writing. But for Blunderbuss, the stunning solo debut of former White Stripes man Jack White, we will make an exception. (JL) More
18. Lambchop – Mr M
As Lambchop albums go Mr M lurks somewhere between the soulful sound of Nixon and the intimacy of Is A Woman. Its tender subject matter and strings give the impression that Lambchop leader Kurt Wagner is drifting up to heaven with Vic Chesnutt, the late singer- songwriter and friend to Wagner who the album is dedicated to. One of the most beautiful albums of the year. (JL) More
17. Shearwater – Animal Joy
Shearwater have come along way since they were formed by Okkervil River man Jonathan Meiburg as a folky side project. Now signed to Sub Pop and with Meiburg long departed from Okkervil River, they are a fully fledged indie rock band in their own right. This is arguably their most accessibly release yet, with Meiburg’s fiercely environmental lyrics blending well with a raft of powerful and thought provoking indie rock tracks, with Breaking the Yearlings and centrepiece Insolence among many highpoints. (JL) More
16. The Shins – Port of Morrow
James Mercer’s Shins are back and getting regular play on alternative and mainstream radio stations alike. There aren’t many acts that can appeal to such a large demographic, but then not all acts are able to expertly serve up one of the best summer pop music albums of the year. Mainstream music with an alternative edge doesn’t get better than this. (DR) More
15. Efterklang – Piramida
This is the least orchestrated album the Danish band has produced. It takes time to reveal itself, but it is worth the initial persistence to let it unravel its charms. It is not an album that will appeal if you are looking for catchy melodies or a sing-a-long chorus, the songs brood and build and work their way into your brain over time. (DR) More
14. The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth
As you would expect from frontman John Darnielle’s writing there is still a hell of a lot of lyrical self-help, with the track Until I Am Whole a fine addition to the Darnielle survival songbook. But with the birth of his son Roman this year he has presumably less time to wallow, as his life fills with even more hope and optimism. The use of brass, arranged by Matthew E White, across the album probably best typifies the uplifting feel, particularly the trumpets on the relentlessly upbeat Cry for Judas and the sumptuous horn arrangement on White Cedar. Another great release from the man many believe is one of America’s greatest living lyricists. (JL) More
13. Darren Hayman and the Long Parliament – The Violence
In the final instalment of the former Hefner man’s trilogy about his native Essex he turns his attention to the horror of the county’s 17th century witch trials. This double album is packed full of history, subtle melodies, powerful images and above all a sense of humanity typifies so much of his songwriting. The Violence has been a huge hit among critics this year who admire Hayman’s attempt to find Albion, a quest that has been in decline in the music industry since the 1960s and early 1970s heyday of The Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention. A modern folk classic. (JL) More
12. Hospitality – Hospitality
Central to the success of this Brooklyn indie-pop trio’s self titled debut album is the singing and songwriting of lead singer Amber Papini. Her turn of phrase, effortless vocals and keenest of ears for a catchy single are only hinted at on opener Eighth Avenue, a kind of Belle and Sebastian rip. But as the album progresses track after track of hook laden, memorable, potential singles follow. If you don’t believe us, then maybe Rolling Stone will convince you. The magazine has named it among their Top 50 albums of the year. (JL) More
11. Beach House – Bloom
Beach House’s fourth album is called Bloom for good reason, as it emerges spring like from the icy cold wintery pop of 2010’s breakthrough album Teen Dream. As with Teen Dream, Bloom is still full of wonderful dreamy synth and guitar pop but the duo, of singer and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally, are no longer walking with snow crunching under foot. They are now in a sunlit meadow somewhere gazing at the dandelions and marvelling at the world. (JL) More
10. Django Django – Django Django
Good old-fashioned pop with some modern art rock sensibility is key to Django Django’s appeal. Storm and the insane Duane Eddy-meets-astronaut-meets-Cairo market trader single Wor are included and are immediate standouts. But there’s plenty more pop up the sleeves of this London based band that topped our Bands to Watch Out for in 2011 list and met while studying art in Edinburgh. (JL) More
9. The Walkmen – Heaven
To use an REM comparison, The Walkmen’s latest album Heaven is their Lifes Rich Pageant moment. Just like that fourth album by REM, Heaven is an album by a band on top of their game in life and career and enjoying every moment. Some fine work behind the production desk by Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse and Built To Spill producer Phil Ek has helped create this joyous sound. He’s not only added some pastoral Fleet Foxes moments, but has also roped in the Foxes’ Robin Pecknold for backing vocal duties. Think Fleet Foxes with balls. (JL) More
8. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
The road to Nebraska is littered with the ghosts of Americana and getting there demands a humble homage to the stoic wraiths of bearded plaid shirts to navigate its precise route. It’s rare for outsiders to succeed and unknown for the path to start from suburban Sweden, yet First Aid Kit have majestically transposed their whimsical folk deep into the mid-west, repairing the genres often passive conservatism, to redefine the contours of alt-country. (DN) More
7. Bob Mould – Silver Age
The former Hüsker Dü and Sugar man has gone back to basics for his first album in three years. Amid an eclectic career, which has included devising TV wrestling shows and DJing, Mould has returned to what he does best for this album; fronting a three piece indie rock band with his gigantic voice and crunching guitar. (JL) More
6. Frankie Rose – Intersteller
Well this was a surprise. There we were bracing ourselves for another standard indie-pop release from former Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls member Frankie Rose when this pops into our in box . Turns out she has created not just one of the best indie-pop release of the year, but one of 2012′s best pop albums. More
5. Field Music – Plumb
If you haven’t been sold on Field Music by any of their previous releases you are unlikely to be converted here, but you are clearly a lost cause. If you love their previous work you may find Plumb takes some time to reveal its brilliance, but once it does you’ll be hooked by their XTC and King Crimson-style riffs and quick fire pop. (DR) More
4. Guided by Voices – The Bears For Lunch
Release the Bears is an excellent record by a seminal 1990s act enjoying their productive renaissance. This is album number three for the band in 2012 alone and is the best of the bunch. Sure, there are a couple of underdeveloped tracks and throwaway numbers, but us die-hard GBV fans wouldn’t have it any other way. (DR) More
3. Tame Impala – Lonerism
It was no surprise to see MGMT, Mercury Rev and Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridman credited with applying the finishing touches to Tame Impala’s second album of psychedelic pop. Largely recorded by Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker at home, in hotels, studios and even a plane, Fridman has added that final pop savvy touch, just as he did to the band’s stunning debut Innerspeaker (2010). The end result is something that perfectly blends the care free attitude of a bedroom recording act with the swagger of a seasoned old pro behind the mixing desk. (JL) More
2. David Byrne and St Vincent – Love This Giant
Collaborations are something to approach with caution, for every example where the combining artists bring out the best in each other (Iron & Wine and Calexico) there is another where the worst of both is brutally exposed (the appalling Lulu by Lou Reed and Metallica). The good news is that Love This Giant, the work of David Byrne and Annie Clark AKA St.Vincent, falls firmly into the former category. Love This Giant, from the opening seconds of the brilliant ‘Who’ shows itself to be a fun, high quality, set of pop music. It is clever and sophisticated, but never in a way that stops the music being accessible. (DR) More
1. Tigercats Isle of Dogs
Our only 10/10 score for a new album this year and our only ever top mark from our co-editor Joe Lepper for a new album. As an indie-pop album goes this is as good as it gets. It’s teaming with radio friendly, infectious hooks, especially on Full Moon Reggae Party, Easter Island and Banned at the Troxy. It also has a sense of completeness as the band take us on an indiepop road tour across the east end of London. This is an album that may take time to find a wider audience but over the next decade will gather more and more fans. (JL) More
Reviews by Joe Lepper, Dorian Rogers and David Newbury
We make no secret of or love for Field Music here at Neon Filler, they topped our album of the year poll in 2010 and have received numerous live reviews on the site since we set it up in 2009. I have no reservations in saying that they are the best band operating out of the UK today and thoroughly deserve their nomination for the Mercury Prize this year. As such it was a great feeling to see them play such a confident set at the Haunt in Brighton last Thursday.
The set started with the first three tracks from Plumb, a near perfect sing suite and a brilliant prog-pop opening to the evening. Several songs from Plumb featured in the set, including a brilliant encore of ‘(I Keep ‘Thinking About) A New Thing’, but the evening was notable for how widely they picked from across their career to date.
Measure featured strongly, and the tightly wound new-wave funk of ‘Let’s Write A Book’ was just one of the songs played during the evening that deserve to have been bigger hits when released as singles. Another “lost 45” candidate was ‘Rockist’, from the School Of Language side project, a staple in the Field Music set since the end of their short hiatus.
As someone who came to the band via 2006’s Tones Of Town it was ‘In Context’ and ‘A Gap Has Appeared’ has stood out as the two high points in a set that no weak moments. It seems strange to think that these songs are 6 years old, the fresh faced brothers now veterans of the music scene.
It was also of note just how much the band has matured and grown as a live act over the past few years, and how strong their sound has become. This was no fey indie show, the guitars crunched and the drums pounded to produce a big sound that carried the songs with a punch.
The band state that this tour, with only a sold out Newcastle date remaining, will be their last shows for a while. We can only hope that this means more recording and the Brewis brothers will be back instrument hopping with a set of new songs sometime soon.
There are some ground rules for a successful cover version that apply to all but the ropiest of lost cause tribute bands. Ensuring the cover sounds different to the original while avoiding parody is key. An admiration for the original also helps give authenticity and passion but the crowning achievement is to produce a cover version that sounds even better than the original.
Few have achieved that, with Jim Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower and Johnny Cash’s Mercy Seat being among the rare exceptions. With this in mind we find ourselves listening to an eight track mini-album by newly Mercury Music Prize nominated Field Music, bringing together their covers of tracks from the likes of John Cale and The Beatles that have already appeared on charity singles, magazine give aways and B-sides.
The tracks that work best are when they successfully put a Field Music spin on it, filling it with tempo changes, jerky arrangements and their, perhaps now trademark, guitar string bending. Opener Terrapin is perhaps the best example of this and achieves the rare accolade of bettering the original, which is a painfully dire psychedelic mess by the late Syd Barrett.
Another success is their take on Roxy Music’s If There Is Something, which takes away the original’s cheese factor, plays around with its intricate guitar arrangement and benefits from Field Music brother Peter and David Brewis having similar north east of England accents to Roxy frontman Bryan Ferry. The Beatles Don’t Pass Me By is another triumph, with the original’s psychedelic rock and change of pace proving the perfect foil for Field Music. Their version also benefits from not having Ringo Starr singing on it.
Less successful is John Cale’s Fear is a Man’s Best Friend. It’s a great song and while they do a passable version, they don’t add much more to it or attempt to play around with its stomping piano moments. Born Again Cretin, originally by Robert Wyatt, is full of admiration for the original, but fails to top it. But then again who can? And while I like the two Pet Shop Boys covers, of Heart and Rent, it is the latter that really shines. David Brewis’s vocals brings out the sadness in this pop gem perfectly. Once again the similarity in accents between the brothers and North Shields born Neil Tennant helps.
Here is our October preview of the best music releases and events in the coming month. Items marked with an * are currently scheduled for review on the site.
Album of the month: The Greatest Hits Of Boston Spaceships – Out Of The Universe By Sundown*
We wouldn’t normally pick a best-of collection as our album of the month but as this is the first Boston Spaceships album to get a UK release we’ll make an exception. Collecting 15 tracks from the bands five albums it represents some of the best music of Robert Pollard’s career. (Out on Fire Records on the 8th October)
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Lost Songs
Of Montreal – Daughter Of Cloud*
Peter Broderick – These Walls Of Mine
Neil Young – Psychedelic Pill
Madness – Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da
Gigs and tours
Tour of the month: Field Music
Field Music have been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and you have the opportunity to see them on what may be their last tour for some time.
Oct 03 2012, Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree
Oct 04 2012, Glasgow, Oran Mor
Oct 05 2012, Leeds, The Cockpit
Oct 06 2012, Liverpool, Kazimier
Oct 10 2012, Southampton, Cellars
Oct 11 2012, Cardiff, clwb Ifor Bach
Oct 12 2012, Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms
Oct 17 2012, London, Electric Ballroom
Oct 18 2012, Brighton, The Haunt*
Oct 19 2012, Bath, Komedia
Oct 20 2012, Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre
The Twilight Sad tour the UK in October:
18 Thur NEWCASTLE Cluny
19 Fri WAKEFIELD The Hop
20 Sat MANCHESTER Sound Control
22 Mon BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds
23 Tue LONDON Dingwalls
24 Wed BRISTOL Louisiana
25 Thur CAMBRIDGE Portland Arms
26 Fri LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
27 Sat PRESTON Mad Ferret
Cheatahs – The new Wichita Records signings on tour, including several dates with The Cribs
17 October – London, 100 Club w/Veronica Falls & Mazes
23 October – Oxford, Academy 2, w/The Cribs
24 October – Norwich, Waterfront w/The Cribs
25 October – Liverpool, 02 Academy w/The Cribs
26 October – Manchester, Apollo w/The Cribs
29 October – Manchester, 02 Academy w/The Cribs
30 October – Sheffield, 02 Academy w/The Cribs
01 November – Leicester, Academy w/The Cribs
02 November – London, The Others
06 November – London, Village Underground w/Cloud Nothings
The Tallest Man On Earth – Dates across the UK and Ireland through October
HMV Forum Kentish Town, London, Oct 23
Colston Hall Bristol, Oct 24*
Vicar Street Dublin, Oct 25
Mandela Hall Belfast, Oct 27
HMV Picture House Edinburgh, Oct 28
HMV Ritz Manchester, Manchester, Oct 29
St Bartholomews Church Brighton, Oct 31
Efterklang – The Danish band play live with the Northern Sinfonia
23.10 GATESHEAD, NEWCASTLE, UK – The Sage
24.10 EDINBURGH, UK – Usher Hall
27.10 COVENTRY, UK – Warwick Arts Centre
28.10 BRIGHTON, UK – Dome
29.10 MANCHESTER, UK – Bridgewater Hall
30.10 LONDON, UK – Barbican
The festival season is over in the traditional sense, but there are still interesting festival events happening through the Autumn.
Oxjam is a nationwide music event throughout October with events nationwide raising money for Oxfam. Our event featuring Rotifer, Tigercats and Danny Kendall is sure to be on of the best but you can look for events throughout the month in your area on the Oxjam wegottickets portal. You can find out more about the event, and about the good work that Oxfam does with the money raised, by visiting www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam.
A Carefully Planned Festival
A Carefully Planned Festival is a multi-venue festival featuring 100 acts in Manchester on the 20th and 21st October. Amongst the bands playing is Neon Filler favourite Free Swim who will be playing track from their brilliant new EP She Dreams In Lights. More details can be found at www.acarefullyplannedfestival.wordpress.com.
Magical Mystery Tour on DVD
On the 8th October you will have the opportunity to purchase a the much maligned 1967 Beatles film on DVD and Blu-Ray. The soundtrack has considerable high points, including ‘I Am The Walrus’, but the jury is out on the film that was considered one of the band’s bigger follies.
The Magical Mystery Tour
To get your album/gig/tour/film/book/festival/t-shirt included in our monthly preview please send details to firstname.lastname@example.org.
Tomorrow is Record Store, a celebration of music and all the things that make record stores such an integral place in the music industry. The widespread move to MP3s and online consumption models has made a big impact on the industry and seen many shops close over the last few years, but many independent retailers have hung on and maintained a large loyal customer base that enjoys the tangible elements of music consumption.
Record Store day is in its 4th year and as usual a huge quantity of exclusive and limited records is available for those prepared to get up early and join the inevitable queues. You can visit the Record Store day website for a full list of titles on release and there is something to appeal to most musical tastes with vinyl being the primary format on offer.
I’ll be queuing myself with the hope of picking up records by Field Music, Guided By Voices, Ryan Adams, the Wedding Present and maybe an early release of the box-set of the Mermaid Avenue Sessions by Billy Bragg and Wilco. As usual I will set myself a strict budget, but in the heat of the moment, with a queue behind, it is easy to get carried away and come home with a handful of unexpected items. The BBC Radiophonic Workshop Dr Who sound effects record is one item that may well make it into my bag, despite the fact that I am unlikely ever to play it more than once.
One thing about Record Store Day does bug me, and that is the way it is used as amoney making exercise by some. In 2010 I just missed out on a copy of ‘Fool’s Day’ by Blur, their much anticipated reunion single. That very same day it was available on Ebay for hugely inflated prices, and not just a couple of copies but dozens and dozens. Each year the same thing happens, sealed copies of hard to get records are sold on Ebay as soon as they fly off the shelves.
In the NME this week a feature on Record Store day (and kudos to the paper for such a big feature) had some ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for the day. One of the ‘don’ts’ listed was:
Don’t play any of the records for Heavens sake. This will sharply diminish their value.
Now, this list was intended to be comic, and I don’t want to be too pious, but it does highlight a nasty truth about the day. If it is about a few individuals making a quick profit at the expenses of others, then is that really a celebration of the record shop? Or does it turn something fun and celebratory into a kind of Bargain Hunt with queues?
I know people who used to habitually buy up tickets from popular concerts and then sell them on Ebay at a profit when the shows had sold out. You could argue that is just people using their common sense to make some money, or you could argue that it is a nasty reflection on a greedy capitalist society. if you actively reduce the supply, then it isn’t a fair state of supply and demand.
The same is true of Record Store Day purchases, the price charged in the stores on the day is a fair reflection of the supply and the demand. If people who have no interest in owning or listening to the records, then buying them just to sell them at a profit denies people who really want them the opportunity to get them at a fair price. The shops restrict purchase to one item per person, but I have seen people come in with friends to get extra copies (and even coordinate other groups of friends at other shops). Even if only a few people try and use the day as a money making experience then it can ruin it for dozens of others, there are only small amounts of many of the records on sale.
So, if you want to really celebrate the music and the record stores you love, then go down tomorrow morning and buy yourself some musical treats. And then take them home, rip off the plastic and play them. After all isn’t that what a record is for?
With Glastonbury taking a break during 2012 there’s the possibility of around 200,000 revellers looking for an alternative trip away. To offer some of those Glastonbury regulars and others decide where to spend their festival cash we’ve selected our pick of the best the UK has to offer. Our focus is on the best line-ups, those that give new bands a chance to get a bigger audience and those located in unusual and excellent settings. For those looking for the type of middle of the road bore fest that T in the Park or V Festival have served up once again this year then our list will not be for you. For those looking for an excellent, interesting and diverse line up then read on.
All Tomorrow’s Parties
Jeff Mangum Curates, March 9-11; The National Curates, Dec 7-9, both at Minehead
The ATP format, of a band curating a weekend of music at a holiday camp, has taken a few knocks in recent months from disgruntled fans. The Jeff Mangum event was moved back to March from December last year by ATP without explanation, leaving many fans who had booked transport out of pocket. ATP has still not given an explanation. The move also meant a number of bands, by strange coincidence mainly those with mammals in their names (The Mountain Goats, Fleet Foxes, Panda Bear) had to pull out. The resulting line-up is still stellar, with Mangum’s oddball tastes represented in the likes of Sun Ra Arkestra, sitting along side ATP regulars such as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Joanna Newsom, Sebadoh, Thurston Moore and The Magnetic Fields. The event is also a must for fans of the Elephant Six collective that Mangum is part of, with Oliva Tremor Control, Apples in Stereo and an Elephant Six Holiday Surprise set completing one of the most eclectic line-ups of the year. Hopefully The National curated festival doesn’t suffer the same postponement without explanation. It is already shaping up to being a great festival with the US band already selecting among others Owen Pallett, Suuns and My Brightest Diamond for the bill.
Dry The River: One of the highlights of The Great Escape 2012
Get your running shoes ready for this Brighton based festival that features 300 bands at 30 venues across the city. Our advice is make sure you arrive at venues in good time as they can be tough to get into at this increasingly popular event. Among the line up, which focuses on new and emerging talent, is Django Django, who topped our ones to watch list for 2011 , and Dry the River, who made our 2012 list after we caught their energetic performances at last year’s Great Escape and Glastonbury.
This 20,000 strong one day festival in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London, is now in its fifth year and in the past has hosted the likes of Battles, Foals and Laura Marling. This year’s line-up is among the most interesting of any UK festival, featuring Neonfiller favourites such as Django Django, Revere and Andrew Bird alongside more mainstream attractions such as Metronomy and The Vaccines.
For the last two years we’ve made sure we cover the Indietracks festival. Not only does it offer visitors one of the most scenic and unusual settings, at a vintage railway centre in Derbyshire, but the line up is often a who’s who of indie pop. Teenage Fanclub, Pains of Being Pure At Heart and The Primitives are among previous headliners. This year’s event is shaping up to being one of the best yet with US indie-pop label Slumberland Records teaming up to curate. Neonfiller favourites Tigercats, Allo Darlin and Veronica Falls have already been confirmed among a line up that also includes The June Brides, Tender Trap, Evans the Death, The Sunbathers, Gold-Bears and Sea Lions.
Set in Glanusk Park, Wales, this three-day event offers an enticing blend of folk and alternative acts. This year sees Feist as one of the headliners on a bill that includes Neonfiller favourites CW Stoneking, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and Field Music. Further down the bill we urge you to check out Liverpool trio Stealing Sheep, one of the best acts we’ve seen this year.
The stunning setting at the Larmer Tree Gardens, North Dorset is almost a big a pull as the line-up, which always delivers one of the year’s most interesting mixes of the unknown and more well known alternative acts. This year Beirut, Joanna Newsom, WildBeasts, Laura Marlng and Mogwai are among the major draws on a line up that also includes Best Coast, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and one of Neonfiller’s favourites The Leisure Society. Also watch out for Canadian act Timber Timbre and This Is The Kit, whose recent albums have impressed us.

domain: artistic


text:
« VorigeDoorgaan »
woven with great beauty into the body of the fable. Of this kind is that paffage in the prefent book, where defcribing Sin and Death as marching though the works of Nature, he adds,
-Behind her Death
Clofe following pace for pace, not mounted yet On his pale horfe
Which alludes to that paffage in Scripture fo won derfully poetical, and terrifying to the imagination. And I looked, and behold a pale horfe, ‹ and his name that fat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him: and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with fword, and with hunger, and with fickness, and with the beafts of the carth.' Under this first head of celeftial perfons we muft likewife take notice of the command which the angels received, to produce the feveral changes in nature, and fully the beauty of the creation. Acsordingly they are reprefented as infecting the ftars and planets with malignant influences, weakening the light of the fun, bringing down the winter into the milder regions of nature, planting winds and ftorms in feveral quarters of the sky, ftoring the clouds with thunder, and in fhort, perverting the whole frame of the univerfe to the condition of its criminal inhabitants. As this is a noble incident in the poem, the following lines, in which we fee the angels heaving up the earth, and placing it in a different pofture to the fun from what it had before the fall of man, is conceived with that fublime imagination which was fo peculiar to this great author.
Some fay he bid his angels turn afcance
We are in the fecond place to confider the infernal agents under the view which Milton has given us of them in this book. It is obferved by thofe who would fet forth the greatnefs of Virgil's plan, that he conducts his reader through all the parts of the earth which were difcovered in his time. Afia, Africa, and Europe are the feveral fcenes of his fable. The plan of Milton's poem is of an infinitely greater extent, and fills the mind with many more aftonishing circumstances, Satan having furrounded the earth feven times, departs at length from Paradife. We then fee him fteering his courfe among the conftellations, and after having traverfed the whole creation, purfuing his voyage through the chaos, and entering into his own infernal dominions.
His first appearance in the affembly of fallen angels, is worked up with circumftances which give a delightful furprife to the reader: but there is no incident in the whole which does this poem more than the transformation of the whole au
dience, that follows the account their reader gives them of his expedition. The gradual change of Satan himself is defcribed after Ovid's manner, and may vie with any of thofe celebrated transformations which are looked upon as the most beautiful parts in that poet's works. Milton never fails of improving his own hints, and bestowing his last finishing touches to every incident which is admitted into his poem. The unexpected blifs which arifes in this epifode, the dimenfions and bulk of Satan fo much fuperior to thofe of the internal fpirits who lay under the fame transfortion, with the annual change which they are
fuppofed to fuffer, are inftances of this kind. The beauty of the diction very remarkable in this whole epifode, as I have obferved in the fixth paper of thefe remarks, the great judgment with which it was contrived,
The parts of Adam and Eve, or the human perfons, come next under our confideration. Milton's art is no where more fhewn than in his conducting the parts of thefe our first parents. The reprefentation he gives of them, without falfifying the story, is wonderfully contrived to influence the reader with pity and compaffion towards them. Though Adam involves the whole fpecies in mifery, his crime proceeds from a weakness which every man is inclined to pardon and commiferate, as it seems rather a frailty of human nature, than of the perfon who offended. Every one is apt to excufe a fault which he himself might have fallen into. It was the excefs of love for Eve that ruined Adam and his pofterity. I need not add, that the author is juftified in this particular by many of the fathers, and the inoft orthodox writers. Milton has by this means filled a great part of his poem with that kind of writing which the French crities call the tender, and which is in a particular manner engaging to all forts of readers.
Adam and Eve, in the book we are now confidering, are likewife drawn with fuck fentiments as do not only intereft the reader in their afflic tions, but raife in him the most melting paffions of humanity and commiferation. When Adam fees the feveral changes of nature produced about him, he appears in a diforder of mind fuitable to one who had forfeited both his innocence and his happiness; he is filled with horror, remorse, defpair; in the anguish of his heart he expoftulates with his Creator for having given him an unasked existence.
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me man? Did I folicit thee
From darkness to promote me or here place
He immediately after recovers from his pre fumption, owns his doom to be juft, and begs that the death which is threatened him may be inflicted on him.
The part of Eve in this book is no lefs paffionate, and apt to fway the reader in her favour. She is reprefented with great tenderness as approaching Adam, but is fpurned from him with a fpirit of upbraiding and indignation, conformable to the nature of man, whole paffions had now gained the dominion over him, The following paffage wherein the is defcribed as renewing her addreffes to him, with the whole fpeech that follows it have fomething in them exquifitely moving and pathetic : He added not, and from her turn'd: but Eve Not fo repuls'd, with tears that ceas'd not flowing, And treffes all diforder'd, at his feet Fell humble; and embracing them beforght His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint.
refolution to bear them, and fubmit to the difpenfations of Providence. Our author has therefore with great delicacy, reprefented Eve as entertaining this thought, and Adam as difapproving it.
We are, in the last place; to confider the imagi nary perfons, or Death and Sin, who act a large part in this book. Such beautiful extended allegories are certainly fome of the finest compofitions of genius; but as I have before obferved, are not agreeable to the nature of an heroic poem. This of Sin and Death is very exquifite in its kind, if not confidered as a part of fuch a work. truths contained in it are fo clear and open, that I fhall not lofe time in explaining them; but fhall only obferve, that a reader who knows the ftrength of the English tongue, will be amazed to think how the poet could find fuch apt words and phrafos to defcribe the actions of thofe two imaginary perexhibited as forming a bridge over the Chaos; a fons, and particularly in that part where Death is work fuitable to the genius of Milton.
Adam's reconcilement to her is worked up in the fame spirit of tenderness. Eve afterwards propofes to her husband, in the blindnets of her defpair, that to prevent their guilt from defcending upon pofterity, they thould live childless; or, if that could not be done, they fhould feek their own deaths by violent methods. As thofe fentiments naturally engage the reader to regard the mother of mankind with more than ordinary commiferation, they likewife contain a very fine moThe refolution of dying to end our miferies, does not fhew fuck a degree of magnanimity as a
Since the fubject I am upon gives me an oppor tunity of fpeaking more at large of fuch thadowy and imaginary perfons as may be introduced into heroic poems, I thall beg leave to explain myself in a matter which is curious in its kind, and which none of the critics have treated of. It is certain Homer and Virgil are full of imaginary perfons, who are very beautiful in poetry when they are juft fhewn without being engaged in any feries of action. Homer indeed reprefents Sleep as a perfon, and afcribes a fhort part to him in his Iliad; but we must confider, that though we now regard fuch a perfon as entirely shadowy and unfubftantial, the heathens made ftatues of him, placed him in their temples, and looked upon him as a real deity. When Homer makes ufe of other fuch allegorical perfons, it is only in short expreffions, which convey an ordinary thought to the mind in the most pleafing manner, and may rather be looked upon as poetical phrafes, than allegorical defcriptions. Inflead of telling us that men naturally fly when they are terrified, he introduces the perfons of Flight and Fear, who, he tells us, are infeparable companions. Instead of faying have received his recompence, he tells us, that that the time was come when Apollo ought to the Hours brought him his reward. Inftead of deferibing the effects which Minerva's gis produced in battle, he tells us that the brims of it were encompaffed by Terror, Riot, Difcord, Fury, Purfuit, Masacre, and Death. In the fame gure of fpeaking, he reprefents Victory as following Diomedes; Difcord as the mother of funerals and mourning; Venus as dreffed by the Graces; Bellona as wearing terror and confternation like a garment. I might give feveral other inftances out of Homer, as well as a great many out of Virg. Milton has likewife very often made ufe of the fame way of fpeaking, as where he tells us, that victory fat on the right hand of the Meffiah, when he marched forth against the rebel angels; that at the rifing of the fun, the Hours unbarred the gates of light; that Difcord was the daughter of Sin. Of the fame nature are thofe expreffions where defcribing the finging of the nightingale, he adds, Silence was pleased;' and and upon the Meffiah's bidding peace to the chaos, Confufion heard his voice.' I might add innumerable inftances of our poet's writing in this beautiful figure. It is plain that thefe I have mentioned, in which perfons of an imaginary nature are introduced, are fuck fhort allegories as are not defigned
defigned to be taken in the literal fenfe, but only to convey particular circumftances to the reader, after an unusual and entertaining manner. But when fuch perfons are introduced as principal actors, and engaged in a series of adventures, they take too much upon them, and are by no means proper for an heroic poem, which ought to appear credible in its principal parts. I cannot forbear therefore thinking that Sin and Death are as improper agents in a work of this nature, as Strength and Neceffity in one of the tragedies of Æfchylus, who reprefented thofe two perfons nailing down Prometheus to a rock, for which he has been justly cenfured by the greatest critics. I do not know any imaginary perfon made ufe of in a more fublime manner of thinking than that in one of the prophets, who, defcribing God as defcending from Heaven and vifiting the fins of mankind, adds that dreadful circumftance, Before him went the Peftilence.' It is certain this imaginary perfon might have been defcribed in all her purple fpots. The Fever might have marched before her, Pain might have ftood at her right hand, Phrenzy on her left, and Death in her rear. She might have been introduced as gliding down from the tail of a comet, or darted upon the earth in a flash of lightning: he might have tainted the atmosphere with her breath; the very glaring of her eyes might have scattered infection, But I believe every reader will think, that in fuch fublime writings the mentioning of her, as it is done in Scripture, has fomething in it more juft, as well as great, than all that the most fanciful poet could have bestowed upon her in the richness of his imagination. L
vals of foft notes to fongs of love and wine, fufpended the cares of human life, and made a festival of mutual kindness. Such parties of pleasure as these, and the reports of the agreeable paffages in their jollities, have in all ages awakened the dull part of mankind to pretend to mirth and good humour, without capacity for fuch entertainments; for if I may be allowed to say so, there are an hundred men fit for any employment, to one who is capable of paffing a night in company of the first tafte, without shocking any member of the fociety, over-rating his own part of the converfation, but equally receiving and contributing to the pleasure of the whole company. When one confiders fuch collections of companions in past times, and fuch as one might name in the prefent age, with how much spleen must a man needs reflect upon the awkward gaiety of thofe who affect the frolic with an ill grace? I have a letter from a correfpondent of mine, who defires me to admonith all loud, mischievous, airy, dull companions, that they are mistaken in what they call a frolic. Irregularity in itself is not what creates pleasure and mirth; but to fee a man who knows what rule and decency are, defcend from them agreeably in our company, is what denominates him a pleasant companion. Inftead of that, you find many whofe mirth confises only in doing things which do not become them, with a fecret confcioufnefs that all the world knows they know better: to this is always added fomething mifchievous to themselves or others. I have heard of fome very merry fellows among whom the frolic was started, and paffed by a great majority, that every man should immediately draw a tooth; after which they have gone in a body and fimoaked a cobler. The fame company at another night has each man burned his cravat: and one perhaps, whofe eftate would bear it, has thrown a long wig and laced hat into the fame fire. Thus they have jefted themselves ftark naked, and ran into the streets, and frightened women very fuccefsfully. There is no inhabitant of any standing in Covent Garden, but can tell you an hundred good humours, where people have come off with little bloodshed, and yet fcoured all the witty hours of the night. I know a gentleman that has feveral wounds in the head by watchpoles, and has been thrice run through the body to carry on a good jeft: he is very old for a man of fo much good humour; but to this day he is feldom, but he has occafion to be valiant at the fame time. But by the favour of these gentlemen, I am humbly of opinion, that a man may be a very witty man, and never offend one statute of this kingdom, not excepting even that of ftabbing.
The writers of plays have what they call unity of time and place to give a juftness to their reprefentation; and it would not be amifs if all who pretend to be companions, would confine their actions to the place of meeting for a frolic carried farther may be better performed by other animals than men. It is not to rid much ground, or do much mischief, that should denominate a pleafant fellow; but that is truly frolic which is the play of the mind, and confifts of various and unforced fallies of imagination. Feftivity of fpirit is a very uncommon talent, and muft proceed from an affemblage of agreeable qualities in the fame perfon. There are fome few whom I think pe. culiarly happy in it; but it is a talent one cannot name in a man, especially when one confiders G that
MONDAY, APRIL 21.
HOR. Od. 12. l. 4, v. ult. 'Tis wifdom's part fometimes to play the fool. HARLES Lilly attended me the other day, and made me a prefent of a large fheet of paper, on which is delineated a pavement in Mofaic work, lately difcovered at Stunsfield near Woodstock. A perfon who has fo much the gift of fpeech as Mr. Lilly, and can carry on a difcourfe without reply, had great opportunity on that occafion to expatiate upon fo fine a piece of antiquity. Among other things, I remember he gave ine his opinion, which he drew from the ornaments of the work, that this was the floor of a room dedicated to mirth and concord. Viewing this work, made my fancy run over the many gay expreffions, I have read in ancient authors, which contained invitations to lay afide care and anxiety, and give a loofe to that pleafing forgetfulness wherein men put off their characters of business, and enjoy their very felves. Thefe hours were generally paffed in rooms adorned for that purpofe, and fet out in fuch a manner, as the objects all around the company gladdened their hearts; which, joined to the chearful looks of well-chofen and agreeable friends, gave new vigour to the airy, produced the latent fire of the modeft, and gave grace to the flow humour of the referved. A judicious mixture of fuch company, crowned with chaplets of flowers, and the whole apartment glittering with gay lights, cheared with a profufion of roses, artificial falls of water, and inter
that it is never very graceful but where it is re-
No. 359. TUESDAY, APRIL 22.
by the way we all knew that he was turned of threefcore). You may eafily guefs, continued Will, that I have not lived fo long in the world without having had fome thoughts of fettling in it, as the phrafe is. To tell you truly, I have feveral times tried my fortune that way, though I cannot much boaft of my fuccefs.
Will Honeycomb, who looks upon love as his particular province, interrupting our friend with a janty laugh, I thought, knight, faid he, thou hadft lived long enough in the world, not to pin thy happiness upon one that is a woman and a widow. I think that without vanity I may pretend to know as much of the female world as any man in Great Britain, though the chief of my knowledge confifts in this, that they are not to be known, Will immediately, with his ufual fluency, rambled into an account of his own amours. 1 am now, fays he, upon the verge of fifty (though
I made my first addreffes to a young lady in the country; but when I thought things were pretty well drawing to a conclufion, her father happening to hear that I had formerly boarded with a furgeon, the old Put forbid me his houfe, and within a fornight after married his daughter to a fox-hunter in the neighbourhood.
I made my next application to a widow, and attacked her fo brifkly, that I thought myself within a fortnight of her. As I waited upon her one morning, he told me, that the intended to keep her ready money and jointure in her own hand, and defired me to call upon her attorney in Lion's inn, who would adjust with me what it was proper for me to add to it. I was fo rebuffed by this overture, that I never enquired either for her or her attorney afterwards.
A few months after I addreffed myself to a young lady, who was an only daughter, and of a good family; I danced with her at feveral balls, fqueezed her by the hand, faid foft things to her, and in fhort made no doubt of her heart; and though my fortune was not equal to hers, I was in hopes that her fond father would not deny her the man she had fixed her affections upon. But as I went one day to the house, in order to break the matter to him, I found the whole family in confufion, and heard to my unfpeakable furprise, that Mifs Jenny was that very morning run away with the butler.
S we were at the club last night, I obferved that my old friend Sir Roger, contrary to his ufual cuftom, fat very filent, and instead of minding what was faid, by the company, was whistling to himself in a very thoughtful mood, and playing with a cork. I jogged Sir Andrew Freeport who fat between us; and as we were both obferving him, we faw the knight thake his head, and heard him fay to himfelf, A foolish woman! I cannot believe it.' Sir Andrew gave him a gentle pat upon the fhoulder, and offered to lay him a bottle of wine that he was thinking of the widow. My old friend started, and recovering out of his brown ftudy, told Sir Andrew that once in his life he had been in the right. In short, after fome little hesitation Sir Roger told us in the fulness of his heart, that he had just received a letter from his fteward, which acquainted him that his old rival and antagonist in the country, Sir David Dundrum, had been making a visit to the widow. However, fays Sir Roger, I can ne ver think that fhe will have a man that is half a year older than I am, and a noted republican into the bargain.
lofs to this day how I came to mifs her, for the had I then courted a fecond widow, and am at a often commended my person and behaviour. Her had faid she never saw a gentleman with such a maid indeed told me one day, that her mistress fpindle pair of legs as Mr. Honeycomb.
After this I laid feige to four heireffes fuccef
fively, and being a handfome young dog in those days, quickly made a breach in their hearts; but I do not know how it came to pafs, though I feldom failed of getting the daughter's confent, I could never in my life get the old people on my
unfaccefsful attempts, particularly of one which I could give you an account of a thousand other
made fome years fince upon an old woman,' lours, if her relations had not come pouring in to whom I had certainly borne away with flying coher affiftance from all parts of England; nay I believe I fhould have got her at last, had not the been carried off by a hard froft.
turned from Sir Roger, and applying himself to me, As Will's tranfitions are extremely quick, he confidered laft Saturday, which deferved to be told me there was a paffage in the book I had Milton, read the following lines, which are part writ in letters of gold and taking out a pocket of one of Adam's fpeeches to Eve after the fall.
Mankind? this mifchief had not then befall'n,
Sir Roger liftened to this paffage with great attention, and defiring Mr. Honeycomb to fold down a leaf at the place, and lend him his book, the knight put it up in his pocket, and told us that he would read over those verses again before he went to bed.
No 360. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23.
-De paupertate tacentes Plus pofcente ferent.
HERE is an evil under the fun which has not yet come within your speculation, and is, the cenfure, difesteem, and contempt which fome young fellows meet with from particular perfons, for the reasonable methods they take to avoid them in general. This is by appearing in a better drefs, than may feem to a relation regularly confiftent with a fmall for'tune; and therefore may occafion a judgment of a fuitable extravagance in other particulars: but the disadvantage with which the man of narrow circumftances acts and fpeaks, is fo feelingly fet forth in a little book called The Chriftian Hero, that the appearing to be otherwife is not only pardonable but neceffary. Every one knows the hurry of conclufions that are made in contempt of a person that appears to be calamitous, which makes it very excufable to prepare one's felf for the company of thofe that are of a fuperior quality and fortune, by appearing to be in a better condition than one is, fo far as fuch appearance shall not make us really of worse.
It is a juftice due to the character of one " who fuffers hard reflections from any particular perfon upon this account, that fuch perfons would enquire into his manner of spending his time'; of which, though no further information can be had than that he remains fo many hours in his chamber, yet if this is cleared, to ima• gine that a reasonable creature wrung with a
narrow fortune does not make the beft ufe of 'this retirement, would be a conclufion ex'tremely uncharitable. From what has, or will
be faid, I hope no confequence can be extorted, implying, that I would have any young fellow 'fpend more time than the common leifure which his ftudies require, or more money than his fortune or allowance may admit of, in the purfuit of an acquaintance with his betters: for as to his time, the grofs of that ought to be facred to more fubftantial acquifitions; for ' each irrevocable moment of which he ought 'to believe he ftands religiously accountabic. And as to his drefs, I fhali engage myself no further than in the modeft defence of two plain fuits a year for being perfectly satisfied in Eutrapelus's contrivance of making a Mohoc of a man, by prefenting him with laced and ' embroidered fuits, I would by no means be 'thought to controvert the conceit, by infinuat
HOR. Epift. 17. l. 1. v. 43. The man that's filent, nor proclaims his want, Gets more than him that makes a lod complaint. CREECH. HAVE nothing to do with the bufinefs of this day, any further than affixing the piece of Latin on the head of my paper; which I think a motto not unsuitable, fince if filence of our poverty is a recommendation, ftill more commendable is his modesty who conceals it by a decent drefs.
ing the advantages of foppery. It is an affertion which admits of much proof, that a 'ftranger of tolerable fenfe, dreffed like a ' gentleman, will be better received by thofe of quality above him, than one of much better parts, whofe drefs is regulated by the rigid notions of frugality. A man's appearance falls within the cenfure of every one that fees him; his parts and learning very few are judges of; ' and even upon these few, they cannot at first 'be well intruded; for policy and good breeding 'will counsel him to be referved among strangers,
and to fupport himfelf only by the common 'fpirit of converfation. Indeed among the injudicious, the words delicacy, idiom, fine images, ftructure of periods, genius, fire, and the reft, made ufe of with a frugal and 'comely gravity, will maintain the figure of ' immense reading, and the depth of criticism.
All gentlemen of fortune, at least the young ' and middle-aged, are apt to pride themselves a little too much upon their drefs, and confequently to value others in fome meafure upon the fame confideration. With what confufion is a man of figure obliged to return the civilities of the hat to a perfon whofe air and attire hardly intitle him to it? for whom nevertheless the other has a particular efteem, though he is afhamed to have it challenged in fo public a manner. It must be allowed, that any young fellow that affects to drefs and appear genteely, might with artificial management, fave ten pounds a year; as instead of fine holland he 'might mourn in fackcloth, and in other parti'culars be proportionably shabby: but of what fervice would this fum be to avert any misfortune, whilft it would leave him deferted by the little good acquaintance he has, and prevent his gaining any other? As the appearance of eafy fortune is neceffary towards making one, I do not know but it might be of advantage fometimes to throw into one's difcourfe certain exclamations about Bank Stock, and to fhew a marvellous furprise upon its fall, as well as the most affected triumph upon its rife, The ve neration and refpect which the practice of all ages has preferved to appearances, without 'doubt fuggefted to our tradesmen that wife and politic cuftom, to apply and recommend them, felves to the public by all those decorations up, on their fign-posts and houses, which the most • eminent hands in the neighbourhood can furnish them with. What can be more attractive to a Ga man

domain: literature


text:
Kay Stanley and Curt Seymour referenced history in this brand-new built Daufuskie Island house that looks as if it has endured centuries of salty air and sandy feet.
Start with a Smart Plan
Kay and Curt built history into their home with a plan that looks as if it has been added onto over time. Throughout the interior, the couple chose inconsistent window styles and varying board widths (on floors and walls) to create a haphazard effect, furthering the idea that the plan was not completed at once. Enclosed porches represent renovations the structure would have endured over time. “When someone enters our home and says, ‘This house is in great shape for its age,’ we’ll know we hit the mark,” says Kay.
A 78-inch-long porch swing stands in as a sofa on the back screened porch, which is Kay’s favorite spot to relax and design new fabrics.
Maximize the Impact of Wood
“There is not one single sheet of drywall in the entire house,” says Kay. “Every wall and ceiling is wood plank.” To achieve a nostalgic feel, Kay and Curt held off on the gypsum wallboard and opted for natural wood, leaving the beams exposed whenever possible. “Wood brings warmth and character that simply can’t be matched by any other material,” says Kay. Whether it’s board-and-batten, beaded board, or single planks, wood guarantees instant impact, even if the budget only allows placing it on a single wall or ceiling.
The foyer’s oil-rubbed electrified kerosene lanterns were originally attached to the sides of wagons that were headed west during the gold rush.
Throughout the home, heart-pine flooring obtained from a South Carolina textile mill recalls history. “It has the original nail holes,” says Kay. “If you look closely, you can still see oil stains from factory weaving machines.” Salvaged beam work and reclaimed interior doors also pack a big punch and add character.
Wood-clad walls, ceilings, and floors give the house a sense of historic charm. Hanging lights by Georgia artist Eloise Pickard.
Opt for Muted Hues
Earthy tones inspired by the island setting offer a timeless look. “The colors in this house are all meant to blend in, not overshadow,” Kay says. Thinned paint coats walls, ceilings, and cabinetry to create the patina of weathered wood. The subtle, delicate process is barely noticeable from a distance but adds a layer of interest for the discerning eye. “If the paint had been solid, it would have looked too new and stark,” she says.
Just above the kitchen’s apron-front sink, a dark-stained window repeats the floor’s warm hue. “We took a photo of the original windows at our family cabin in Minnesota and copied the look,” says Kay.
Choose Authentic Lighting
Composed of electrified gas lanterns, rewired and repurposed antiques, and vintage reproductions, the home’s lighting maintains an authentic period look. Kay and Carolyn called upon Adairsville, Georgia, lighting guru Eloise Pickard to create custom lighting throughout much of the home. “Each of Eloise’s fixtures is absolutely a highlight,” says Kay. To complement the look, Kay selected handcrafted reproduction fixtures, which appear every bit as genuine as their original counterparts.
An interior casement window connects the breakfast nook to the adjacent kitchen. Built-in seating and a custom light fixture made from an old lampshade evoke cottage charm.
Keep it Casual
“As with the home’s exterior, I wanted the interior to seem as if it has been collected and pulled together over time,” says Kay. The couple brought antiques east from Kansas City and combined them with painted pieces, flea market finds, and antique reproductions for a casual beach look. “Carolyn got what I was trying to do with the old, beat-up kind of thing,” says Kay. “We scoured Savannah antiques stores for one-of-a-kind finds and piecemealed the rooms together.”
In the primary bedroom, this burlap pendant light suspended by a rope pulley system makes an eye-catching focal point.
Don’t Overlook Details
“We tried to re-create exactly how the house would have been built in every way,” says Kay. “I wanted everything as vintage as possible.” Glass doorknobs add charm to the baths. Most light fixtures in the house operate with a push button, and some function with an old-fashioned pull-down chain. In the kitchen, Kay concealed a Sub-Zero refrigerator with an intricately crafted stained oak panel complete with vintage icebox hardware. “It’s absolutely the coolest thing in the house,” she says.
The kitchen ceiling soars to 20 feet, allowing the lofty bank of clerestory windows to radiate daylight.
See more in Creating a New Old House: Yesterday’s Character for Today’s Home by Russell Versaci; amazon.com.


text:
Pea shoots are delicious and rich in Vitamin C,A and protein, prominent in Asian cuisine. The tender stalks of sweet peas, nutty distinct and delicious pea shoot can be used in a variety of cuisines as a garnish, for plating, with salads. High in Vitamin A, K and E pea shoots can add niacin, phosphorous, vitamin and potassium to your diet. Microgreens are nutrient dense foods. Including microgreens in your salads and smoothies males sure that you are getting your average intake of vitamins and minerals.
Perishable Goods once sold are non-returnable.

domain: food


text:
SEE MORE: Read: Bournemouth tops cycling casualty statistics. Watch: A day in the life of a Bournemouth cyclist
Follow a student at Bournemouth University as they show the dangers and risks of being a Bournemouth cyclist. SEE MORE: Read: Bournemouth tops cycling casualty statistics. In Pictures: Cycle infrastructure in Bournemouth.
The Dorset Cyclists’ Network (DCN) have called for more action on cycle safety after the Bournemouth and Poole area topped national statistics for cycling casualties. John Hayter of the DCN has called on the council to “do more” to reduce cycling casualties in Bournemouth Mr Hayter has suggested more “on road cycle lanes” for commuting cyclists and […]

domain: news


What You Ought to Know About Seal Coating
Asphalt is thought to be the paving materials of alternative for a lot of pavement tasks. Nonetheless, the fabric deteriorates quick when not properly maintained. Untreated pavements will dry out, fade, crumble, and crack over time. Prime coat sealing Rock Hill will shield and lengthen the lifespan of your parking tons, roadways, and even driveways.
On this submit, we weigh the doable challenges and worthwhile benefits of seal coating your floor. This helps you resolve if high coat sealing Rock Hill is the only option in your dwelling.
What’s asphalt seal coating?
Asphalt pavement is a mixture of gravel and sand mixture held along with binders. The petroleum-based binders make the mix versatile and pliant, regardless that it’s at all times the place the degradation process begins. Water, UV rays, street salt, and different chemical compounds will shortly degrade the binder, making the asphalt dry out, crumble, crack, and fade.
Prime coat sealing Rock Hill reduces these impacts, extending the lifespan of the asphalt. Seal coats are comprised of paving materials and formulated oils, utilized within the liquid composition by spray, brush, or squeegee. When you use it on the proper time, the seal coat creates a proactive barrier in opposition to the elements. Efficient seal coating will reduce water injury, stop oxidation, and create a slip-resistant floor.
Advantages of seal coating
After making use of the seal, it is going to soak into the asphalt materials and provide essential benefits to the parking zone and driveway. Pavement seal coating advantages embody:
- Restores the shiny, deep, and black look of the freshly laid pavement
- Varieties a protecting barrier in opposition to water, UV rays, oil, and oxidizing brokers
- Replenishes the degraded petroleum binder and formulated oils
- It retains the asphalt from turning into brittle, cracking, crumbling, and drying out
The Seal Coast presents light asphalt a brand new, contemporary look. The solar and climate circumstances will make the pavement look washed out and gray with time. Driveway or parking zone seal coating will restore sun-bleached asphalt to its new form. It smoothes out the floor’s look by filling the gaps within the aggregates. Enhance your private home’s aesthetics and worth with a clean, shiny, and fresh-looking parking zone and driveway.
Prime coat sealing Rock Hill strengthens the asphalt by replenishing any crumbling or dry elements within the petroleum binder. UV rays and water dry out the floor over time, whereas the gasoline and motor leaks deteriorate the binder. So, the seal creates a protecting layer in opposition to dangerous elements and oxidizing brokers. That manner, the binder stays versatile and pliant for a very long time.
Potholes are fashioned when water or oil contains the asphalt pavement’s construction integrity. Unaddressed cracks within the pavement will flip into harmful and unpleasant potholes. A seal coat will stop oxidation and block all components that create potholes within the unsealed floor.
Earlier than making use of a high coat sealing Rock Hill:
- Make sure you full all of the asphalt repairs.
- Fill the cracks and patch up the potholes.
- For badly broken and degraded asphalt, put down an excessively to revive its look.
- After curing the asphalt, add a seal coat to maintain the pavement engaging and secure.


text:
Limbo of the Lost
was a game which caused a bit of a giggle in the gaming communities when it was revealed that the game basically consisted of screenshots of Oblivion
overlaid with some awful Poser-made animations. Things got even better when the final cutscene of the game was discovered online - a stunning musical number
to rival Portal
One group of people who probably aren't laughing though is the development team, who are now facing legal action from Bethesda (at least) and the full scorn of the gaming community. Well, that's what you get when your 'game' is cobbled together from pieces of Oblivion
and so on.
Now the development team - a three man team who apparently met in a pub in Kent
- has issued the first statement as a response to claims of plagiarism. Find it below.
"In response to the shocking notification that some alleged unauthorized copyrighted materials submitted by sources external to the development team have been found within the PC game Limbo of the Lost, we (the development team) have given our consent and full cooperation to both publishers who are recalling all units from all territories immediately,
" opens the statement
"Please be assured that we do not condone in anyway the use of unauthorized copyrighted materials and if we had been made aware earlier, we would of course have ceased development of the product and rectified the issue prior to the publication process.
points out, all that is well and good and basically boils down to "It wasn't us, it was the art team!
The only problem is that a forum post
made by the development team in 2004 has the game's creator - Majestic's Steve Bovis - taking full credit for all the background art in the game and saying that he made it all.
How could anyone expect to be able to get away with this? Pass your thoughts along in the forums

domain: game


text:
"WHY PAKISTAN NEEDS A TAKEOVER LAW"
The absence of legislative codes is helpful in some ways and very troublesome in others
By KHALID NAZIR Director,
AKD Securities & Safe Deposit Company Ltd.
Nov 16 - 22, 1996
In western stock markets talk of takeovers and mergers gets the investment bankers' creative juices going. Hostile takeovers are the stuff of best sellers. The logic is that fear of takeovers keeps managements performing and being nice to shareholders. In a large shareholders democracy driven by professional managements rather than owner entrepreneurs, dividend records and share price performance becomes the primary object of corporate policy. In the takeover jungle, performance less than the market is a crime and 'punishment' through a takeover is fair revenge by shareholders. Takeovers encourage companies to perform and directors to be mindful of all the shareholders' interests not just their own. Also, takeover activity is a catalyst in turning round depressed over-sold markets. In the UK and USA takeovers and mergers have been all the rage for nearly twenty years. Europe has been a bit slow, while in Japan the tradition of cross-holdings and cosy corporate relationships means that takeovers are actually frowned upon.
In Pakistan take-over and merger activity is still in its infancy and the total deals done so far can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Two of these have been carried out by AKD Securities of which I must confess at the outset, I am a director and founding member. My limited experience in this market has thrown up the several serious problems which stand in the way of takeovers becoming a significant market force. Currently, I estimate there are over 300 companies trading below or equal to net asset value. Of these, almost half are trading at less than half their NAV. There are some very good 'discount to assets' situations. But there is no way the shareholders can benefit from these discounts. The reasons are to do with market structure and lack of a regulatory frame-work.
J Most companies in Pakistan are still run by owner entrepreneurs which generally means that over 51% shares are held by the sponsors. That is no bad thing in itself but unfortunately it is often bad news for the minority shareholders.
J There are no guide-lines or legislative codes on takeovers and mergers. This is actually helpful in some ways (building up stakes on the quiet) and very un-helpful in others, (changing management control).
J Consolidation of accounts is not allowed in Pakistan. This makes it extremely cumbersome to have a 'holding company' or a Hanson style conglomerate.
J There is no clear legislation on changing the board of directors. The Companies Act 1984 only provides for elections every three years. This means that for a bidder, removal of the board of directors is not possible through an EOGM until the next election date. Of course an irate board could destroy the target company during the intervening time. This is ridiculous given that a sitting Prime Minister can be removed through a vote of no confidence anytime during his/her tenure. Yet the shareholders cannot remove the CEO/director or other directors by calling an EOGM. If a bidder waits till the election are near, he runs the risk of being victim to fouling tactics of the target company. The case of Dadabhoy Cement is well known where the shares of a major stake acquired openly and legally from Pak-Kuwait were not transferred in the name of the new owners through delay tactics until after the directors had been elected. Clearly, if the takeovers are going to be possible, shareholders should be able to call an election through an EOGM at any time and vote a new board in. This is one of the most fundamental rights of the shareholders currently not protected by law. The Companies Act 1984 should be amended.
Who should make the policy
The competent authority to do this job can be the KSE itself but it is likely that it would need the backing of the CLA. In the UK there is very little legislative support for the City Code on Takeover and Mergers which works largely through self-regulation. The code is administered by the Panel on takeovers and mergers set up in 1968 on the initiative of the Bank of England, (Dr. Yaqub please take note!). The City code defines the etiquette of all the key players in a takeover or a merger situation in great detail. Its key features:
J that all shareholders of the offeree company must be treated equally both in terms of the information available to them and the price offered. This usually requires the bidder to make a 'public offer' and publish a prospectus.
J The board of the offeree company may not do anything to frustrate the offer. The directors cannot play foul with the offer, for example, by making a rights issue or by causing delays in registration of the shares in the bidders name. Both tactics have been used in Pakistan.
Much of the takeover code will not apply particularly with owner entrepreneurs running the show. India's SEBI has already adopted a takeover code.

domain: economics


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