The German Market

Oh German Market how I love you...

All this time you've never really changed have you?

I remember it used to be kind of a tradition that a year or two ago  I'd go with my parents to shop about there for a browse each year.  We'd usually walk round  and then after having bought some cool south american threads and dodgy hotdogs we'd go off.

-Side note: Seriously what the fuck is up with these hotdogs? okey its kind of funny how the bun is far too small for the sausage but when the sausage falls out it a bit annoying, its £4 for them too which is a lot.
and why do i get so addicted to them?

Anyway now that i'm 21 it was the perfect time to finally try to market as an adult, as the only place where getting wankered at 5 in the afternoon  and adding condiments to food through massive squirty udders is sort of acceptable. It was nice getting a bit drunk with colleagues and friends from work, even though i was a bit bewildered by how the whole buying a drink system worked.  It was something about a deposit and a token, it means you get your beer quicker but you don't even know what you're drinking, not that it was too amazing anyway.
It was fun though, untill we all got too cold and just decided to go to Wetherspoons instead.

still I do love the German Market though, I love the food, the crappy spiritual hoohah, and useless wooden carvings, i love the lot of it.

Oh german market.. Don't you ever change

Solihull (my home town) is officially the best place to live in the UK

"At least according to a survey that found residents there enjoying higher incomes, better employment rates and longer life expectancies.

Meanwhile, the Quality of Life Index conducted by energy comparison site, Uswitch.com, found that Scotland is where the 'worst' places to live in the UK can be found.

The study looked at 38 local areas and 24 different factors to determine where the 'best' place to live is. These factors included average salaries, disposable household income and the cost of essential goods, such as fuel, food and energy bills.

It found that Solihull, located nine miles outside of Birmingham, was top for lifestyle factors such as working hours and life expectancy.

While residents of this region pay more for houses and face higher bills, these costs are outweighed by comfortable average salaries of £27,435 a year and relatively high levels of disposable income, which sit at £17,359 annually.

Mortality rates are low and life expectancy is notably high in this area, with men expected to live until 81 and women 84. 

The top ten places to live in the UK according to Uswitch.comAmong the least desirable were regions in Scotland, with East and North Ayrshire ranked as the 'worst' place to live in the UK. In this area, life expectancy is lower - 75 for men and 80 for women - and the average salary is £24, 242 a year. This leaves a disposable income of £14, 430 per year.

The study also found that along with all these factors, people living there enjoy much less sunshine.

Rather less surprisingly, West London remains the richest region in the UK average salaries of £35,500 and an annual disposable household income of £32,800 – three times higher than disposable income in Nottingham (£10,834).

Copied and Pasted from
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ten-best-places-to-live-in-the-uk-solihull-comes-top-8938636.html

Birmingham Bands Your ears deserve to hear part two!

I've contributed yet another little blog to the guys at fairshare!
you can read it here! http://www.fairsharemusic.com/blog/2013/11/guest-blog-four-more-birmingham-bands-your-ears-deserve-to-hear/?utm_source=twitter1511btownblog&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BTown+Blog

Superfood

https://www.facebook.com/superfoodjunk

Superfood are the new likely lads, it's kind of obvious that they will  be the next big thing to come out of the B-Town scene, yet i've not written about them now because i've not met any of them, seen them live or had any stories to tell. instead however i'm going to tell you everything i DO know about them so you'll be clued up for when these guys break through.

They are now signed to Infectious Records (Alt-J, These New Puritans, Drenge) who are releasing their debut physical release, the single Bubbles and it's B-side 'Melting' on December 9th.
They formed last year and have been gigging and gaining hype since then.
They are Dom - singer, ryan- guitar, emily-bass, carl -drums.
Both their singles so Far, 'Superfood' and Bubbles have been released for free online, and you can hear the former below and the latter at http://www.superfoodjunk.com/

I'm seeing them support Peace and the Awesome Drenge in December, I'll report with more then. 

An open letter to the music industry

This is something that has been annoying me for some time, and I don't really have anywhere else to get it off my chest so i'm writing about it here. Deluxe Editions. Now i think Deluxe Editions themselves are  an annoying and good example of the greed and laziness of the music industry, but at the end of the day, it's your choice, you get the standard or pay slightly more for the softpack and 3 extra tracks.

What I am talking about is those Deluxe - Deluxe Editions, you know, those ones that come out 4 months after the original.  Lady Gaga's 'The Fame Monster'  is probably the most famous example, at the time it was a huge boost to her career, the album that bridged the line between the naff pop of 'The Fame' to the insane brilliance of 'Born This Way'. Yet I never bought this record, it always annoyed me how these great songs came out in a package with a record I'd already bought, Lady Gaga's 'Little Monsters' didn't mind of course, but then they're happy to get anything she puts out*.
Now 5-ish years down the line, everyone's doing it (Ellie Gouldings pulling of this trick was part of what stopped me listening to her). It's annoying to me because if like me you followed Ellie (or any act you'd care to name) from the beginning, you probably saw her supporting someone else first, got to like her, decided to buy one of the early EP's, read about her in one of the hip magazines and once it came out bought her album,  (on CD or for Vinyl for the dedicated fan)

The Deluxe Deluxe edition package only caters to one type of fan, those who might be late to the party, who heard the hype that the early fans caused and decided to join in. Now there's nothing wrong with this, (I bought MGMT's debut a good year after the rest of the world did) not everyone is a hipster, or is in the right place at the right time. The problem is that while the newer fans get a nice package, the fans who bought the records first time round are either going to have to buy a record twice, ignore the new tracks, or rip the new tracks for free. I don't mind these label tactics when for example, the new tracks are sold separately as an EP.  In fact packaging a new EP and album together is a nice way to encourage listeners, but it's when you can't buy the new tracks as a package, that package comes out 4 months after the original with no warning whatsoever that people are being ripped off. Record Labels need to understand that people who supported the bands from the start are the ones who need rewarding, not the bystanders.
For me the final straw is that DAVID BOWIE is re-releasing 'The Next Day' with a hand full of new tracks. In this case it is completely different because as you know David Bowie is one of the most successful, loved and influential artists of all time, he's not going to win any new fans from this re release, as new fans will be more likely turned on by the standard edition or his classic albums. So obviously, when the next Day Extra comes out unannounced around 6 months after the original, who else can it be aimed at other than the Thin White Duke's long term fans? who not knowing that this record was coming out will likely have to buy the same album again? (and may be less likely to rip the racks for free)
With this blatant example of greed and laziness becoming more common, it's time we as consumers told record labels that this is where the line should be drawn

.


*No offense to the Little Monsters meant of course.

Broken Witt Rebels

Sometime I find new music. Sometimes new music finds me. I'm friends with one or two of these guys on Facebook, despite the fact that I've not met any of them. and I've been telling them i'll write about them for a while. So i might as well give them a listen.
So how to they sound?
Well kind of like Oasis, i guess but less nasal, and more bluesey, in fact there's a definite blues and classic -rock edge to these guys, especially in the nifty little guitar solos that run throughout the songs.
or as they Put it themselves

"The arrangement of James Tranter’s dominant, layered guitar work, Danny Core’s strong and unique vocals, Luke Davis’s muddy harmonic bass playing and Anthony Byrne’s thunderous drumming are the framework of a band that’s enchanting and irresistible"


  It's obvious that these guys have genuine musical talent, more so than a lot of indie bands. The guitar playing is particularly great on the song below. Effortless, yet complex like all good blues playing.
It all seems to be working for them as they've landed a deal with sound hub records, and are headlining venues throughout Birmingham
UP The Rebels!

Website: - www.brokenwittrebels.co.uk
Twitter: - www.twitter.com/Brokenwittrebel 
Facebook: - www.facebook.com/brokenwitt.rebels 

I met Jason Bradbury! (the Guy from the Gadget Show)

I missed him the first few times he'd visited my little coffee shop in New Street Station, but this time i was right by him when he came in.  He asked me a question about one of our paninis and I looked at him for as second and said.

'Its' aright I just recognised you'. I answered the question and noticed that he was with one or two mates and that he was completely hyperactive, even more manic than on the telly. He even asked me if i thought he'd had too much coffee, to which I just blankly looked at him sand said 'I don't know how much have you had?

Another awkward moment was when i asked if him and his mate were paying together, to which he replied 'What? are you saying i'm gay?' I'd walked right into that one.

He ordered a Flat White, though he'd clearly had enough coffee. and rather than asking for his name to write on the cup like I do with other customers, I simply wrote 'That Bloke from the Gadget Show', on the side.

It was only a very short meeting but i feel we got on very well, with my dry wit contrasting his coffee assisted hyperactivity. Once again I've got no photos as I was at work but this was definitely the highlight of my day.