Almost year since my last post.

It's been a pretty interesting year.

Maybe I will write about it.

Converse-ation

It's no secret that I like shoes. I own more pairs than it is worth counting but there is one brand which play out as favourites. This brand is Converse. I have owned many pairs and I have decided to document them here.

The first pair I bought were turquoise low Chuck Taylor All Stars. I bought them for going into 3rd year of high school in 2004. I had previously had a pair of own brand "converse" from topshop and it was about time I went authentic. I still own them and they used to sit proudly in my bedroom.

After these, the order gets a bit blurry but never the less, we will boost through them all. Brown Suede  One Star Converse were the first non canvas pair I owned. I wore them to death! 

One holiday in Verona saw the purchase of what can only be described as my favourite Converse I have ever owned. Blue low top Chuck Taylor All Stars with multi colours circles and dots. I still own them and as I couldn't find a photo on the internet, you are getting to see them in the form they still stand!

For a brilliant summer I treated myself to slip on green low tops. I wish I still owned these. One of the few pairs to ever see the bin. They were ripped and had "Hi Kirsten" written on the sole. A friend once accused me of being "too cool for laces" when I wore these. They will forever be known as the shoes I wore the summer before Uni.

My first (and only) pair of leather Converse were the biggest let down. Yes they kept my feet dry but I missed the white sole. Out of every pair I have ever owned, these are in the best condition as I just didn't wear them as much as I could have.

Next on the list is the first of the pairs from America. These were bought by a friend, for herself in Florida but she bought them too big. So they became mine! Skinny royal blue low tops. I have never seen another pair like this. Everything about them is smaller. Skinny sole, skinny laces and even extra eyelets! I loved them though!

Next up we have grey low top Chuck Taylor All Stars and I wore these for months. Took them paint-balling once (because they were done) and afterwards I cleaned them to the point where they re-entered my wardrobe and they have been there ever since.

I have owned two pairs of grey Converse. The second were a pair of low one star Converse. I can not find them to photograph them (I fear they may have been left in Germany!) so I have found the closest I can. If you can imagine the image below with a yellow star and yellow stitching. They were my fail safe shoe. I used to keep them under my desk in Germany just incase I ever needed them.

At one point, I owned Converse running shoes. I am unable to find these anywhere in the internet. The closet is shown below but the pair I owned were brown and pink. I bought them from Qube on Argyle St. 

The second pair of Converse I own that came from the USA were a gift from New York. They feature gradients of blue through to grey. I have photographed them as they currently stand. Not got a clue what happened to their laces!

The third pair of American Converse were a Christmas present from my Brother and his Fiancee when they were living in Texas! They are purple and grey tartan low top one star Converse.

Now to document my high tops. I have owned three pairs. The first were turquoise high tops. It felt good since my first ever pair of converse were also turquoise. I still own and wear these regularly.

I have also owned two pairs of Navy high tops. These have been the best and most worn out of every pair. I love them. 

So lets look at them as a whole. I have owned 3 pairs of Chuck Taylor high tops, 6 pairs of Chuck Taylor low tops, 3 pairs of low top one star, one pair of Ladies running shoes and a pair which don't fit in either category. 14 pairs. I am happy with that number. 

Mercury Gongs

Since giving all my time to Radiohead, I haven't given much time to listening to anything else. But next week marks a huge day in music for me. It’s this years Mercury Music Prize and this is the first year I actually care about it. There are 12 albums up for the award and I think my opinion on my favourites justifies a post. 

An Awesome Wave - alt-J

One sunny evening when I was driving home from a lovely day out, I first heard of Alt-J. "Tessellate" was featured on the radio and it very quickly became a track I enjoyed. It's quirky rhythm, twinned with an almost dub step sound was pretty mesmerising. It made me very interested to hear what else would come from this band. Festival season hit and I managed to miss them 3 times. I wasn't too fussed as I had yet to hear the rest of the album. Now, I would fight to see them. The album is filled with brilliant melodies and fantastic arrangements that leave you thinking of a sort of Maccabees/Radiohead mix. It's a perfect summer soundtrack with songs such as 'Matilda' and 'Fitzpleasure' lingering in your mind for hours. Their unique style and sound could make them a perfect candidate for the Mercury Prize. 

Every Kingdom - Ben Howard

Oh Ben. You wonderful man. This album is what dreams are made of. Soulful tunes that grasp you from the very first note. Ben Howard’s album is a storybook that is filled with tales and adventures that you just cannot get enough of. Romantic and inspiring are two words I would use to describe it (can you tell I love this album yet?). My favourites include "Keep Your Head Up" and "The Wolves" with both tracks filling you with a sense of hope and wistfulness. I saw Ben live at Latitude Festival and loved every second of it. Do I think he is in for a chance at the Mercury Prize? I am not so sure. He is a bit to everyday for this award but I could be wrong...

Ill Manors - Plan B

This album may not be something I would obviously listen to, but no one can doubt how much impact it’s had this year. You couldn't move without hearing this on radio stations and music channels. It has a massively different sound to anything else on the list, which could give it an edge over everyone. Clever lyrics and story telling have made sure this album could be a winner.

Django Django - Django Django

Edinburgh based band Django Django stormed my summer. I saw them at three festivals and have listened to their album on repeat for hours. "Default" is a definite contender as my track of the summer having played it constantly on radio and introducing it to anyone who will listen. Their self-titled album is filled with upbeat tracks that will keep any dance floor moving. They are unusual and have an interesting edge to them. I would class them as one of the well less known artists on the Mercury Prize list but I think they deserve it. They bring a new flavour to the musical table that is 2012 and create something that bit different. I think they could stand a good shot but could have difficulty competing with some of the bigger names. 

Devotion - Jessie Ware

I have given Jessie Ware a couple of plays recently. Her tracks "101%" and "Night light" are pure brilliance. Quirky beats with beautiful vocal's make for astounding records. The album makes for very good listening and I think there will be lots more to come from this lovely lady. She bringing something quite interesting to the music industry and I think Devotion could be up amongst the top albums in this list. 

Home Again - Michael Kiwanuka

Back in February of this year, I had the pleasure of seeing Michael Kiwanuka in King Tuts. Since then this man has shot to fame. His voice is astounding and his tracks are filled with honesty and love. Home Again is a genuine feel good album that should be heard in houses around the land. Michael won the honoured title of BBC Sound of 12, something that I have no doubt to be true. It would be a nice surprise if he managed to pick up the Mercury Gong. 

Given To The Wild - The Maccabees

This album is the sound of the year to me. The Maccabee's came back with a stormer of an album. With tracks like "Ayla" and "Feel to Follow", this album is undoubtedly brilliant. Upbeat melodies give it great soul and depth. I find it difficult to express how it makes me feel because I am so attached to it. The first time I heard it, I was blown away by how much was going on in each track but how it all just fit together beautifully. I had the greatest pleasure of seeing them live at Reading and I was not disappointed. I would love for them to win the Mercury Prize. I think they deserve the credit.

I know there’s a few missing, but I felt I couldn't pass judgement if I hadn't given the albums fair time. Lianne La Havas could put up a good fight (Having seen her live, she is pretty damn good and what I know of the album has impressed) or it could go to one of the acts I have never heard of (Included in this list are Field Music, Roller Trio and Sam Lee). Richard Hawley falls into the same category as Lianne La Haves except I have much less appreciation or awareness of his music. 

The whole thing is pretty exciting and I look forward to hearing who will win. If I had to put my money on someone... alt-J.

Radiohead-ucation

On Tuesday I made my way across London and stood amongst thousands in The O2 Arena, eagerly awaiting Radiohead to take to the stage. Excitement and nerves raced as I wondered whether or not my preparation would be enough.

Only three weeks before I was lucky enough to get my hands on Radiohead tickets. However unlike my other half, I was not a massive fan. Sure I knew a few tracks but not enough to justify the money. So Chris (the aforementioned other half) took to the challenge of creating a fan.

Headphones in and hitting play on my ipod, I tentatively took my first steps into my Radiohead-ucation.  Keeping close tabs on me, Chris allowed me access to one album at a time. So I gradually made my way through their extensive discography.

I struggled my way through OK Computer and Kid A, falling in love with both but taking my time to wrap my head around the interesting arrangements. A quick listen to Amnesiac and the question of "when will I get to listen to stuff that I can sing along to" took me straight to The Bends. I was caught up in the catchy tunes and 'High and Dry' stayed in my head for days.

I have this fear at gigs of being the only one in the room who doesn't know the most popular songs. So I stepped away from my allocated listening and gave 'Creep', 'Karma Police' and 'Paranoid Android' multiple spins.

Jumping back on the album train, In Rainbows became top of the list. Melodic and much easier to listen and get involved with that Kid A and OK Computer. People claim it's Radiohead's best album and I have yet to find reason to disagree.

And then I ran out of time.

Opening with Lotus Flower and straight into Airbag, I was swept away in the fandom. Rotating screens  and a fantastic light show accompanied the band as they swiftly delved through all their anthems. Too many highlights to list but 'National Anthem', 'Everything In Its Right Place' and 'Idioteque' stole the show. 'Videotape' left me teary eyed and was a lovely addition to the set. It's a song I hold close to my heart and I was delighted to hear it. (As an aside, they didn't play Creep or Karma Police so I wasted my time on the best known tracks.)

It was one of the best live performances I have ever seen. They made sense of tracks that I had struggled to wrap my head round and brought new light on the songs I had fallen in love with. A large portion of the show covered tracks I didn't know but this didn't hinder my night. If a band can make me feel and enjoy a song thats new to me, they are worth every penny I payed for the experience. I am now most definitely a massive Radiohead fan.

Some numbers for you to ponder. I joined last.fm in May. My most listened to artist of all time is Radiohead (238 plays).  Second is Bon Iver (119 plays). I only started listening to Radiohead 3 weeks ago. That's a lot of Radiohead in a very short period of time.

First Post.

Hello.