#joshword

Hello, hope you are all well. So my blogs been a bit crap lately. I've just been a bit busy and/or lazy and haven't been on Tumblr all that much. And when I have I've just lurked about and not really posted anything or done a quick re-blog of a good song.

I was saying last week about how I'm thinking I will probably get a tattoo soon and it will be Gaslight related. With my lack of creativity and all round boring nature I was thinking just to go for a lyric that I really adore/speaks to me. Right now I'm onto the idea of getting "We could run all night, and dance upon the architecture", which is from a song called Casanova, Baby. I'm sure you knew that though if you follow my blog as most of you are as fanatical as me about TGA. And if you aren't, then well, you're gay. But yeah any thoughts on it would be good? I'm a bit of a tattoo noob (i'm such a loser) and as such have been seeking advice from my sister who seemed to like what I told her.

I'm off to LA in just under 4 weeks now and I am so damn excited (if you hadn't noticed already!). Coachella Festival is going to be something gret I'm sure. And if it's not, I'll just have to make it so! If any of you are going on Weekend 2 and fancy going for a drink or just saying hello, then send a message my way! I'm still not sure how I'm going to camp there as I don't know who I can camp with and it looks like I will just have to blag it when I get there. So if you have any camping space, get in touch! I'm a nice person, I promise!

The whole summer should hopefully be pretty exciting in general. I'm planning on going to Latitude and Reading. I may even fit in Bestival but that will very much depend on money come August. Emily, a few of her friends and I are going to work at Camp Bestival too and hopefully some other festivals which will be cool. Just hoping to get to as many as possible really.

I've been really slacking lately on my writing which is slightly annoying. I had hoped to finish my first proper draft of my attempted novel this month but I've done about a page or two more than I had 6 weeks ago. Well done Josh you lazy prick! Hopefully by the time I go away it will be done though or at least by May time. I think I'm going to self publish it on the Kindle over the summer once I'm completely happy with it and just see what happens. Worth a try right!? I'm just about to start reading a book called Submarine which my lovely friend Stevie has lent me. I have given her High Fidelity in return and we will report back with our thoughts next week over a probable Nandos/The Hunger Games session. Submarine was turned into a movie. I don't know all that much about the film, I haven't seen it though I'm sure Alex Turner wrote the soundtrack for it. I'm very much hoping she likes High Fidelity because I only read that recently but I thought it was brilliant. Much better than the movie as most books do tend to be.

Not sure what else to really say to be honest. I lead a pretty boring life I guess! No gigs in March for me since Laura Marling on the 7th. In April - LA aside - I am going to see Glasvegas, Frank Turner & Bombay Bicycle Club so that should be pretty cool. Alabama Shakes is at the start of May too and I'm really stoked to be seeing them again.

“Children, Wake Up!

 Hold your mistake up.

Before they turn the summer into dust.”

MY FAVOURITE BANDS - (Part 3/50)

  ARCADE FIRE (Montreal, Canada)

Genre - Indie rock

You might like this if… - You watched the Grammys and decided to listen to Arcadia, your annoying friend bugged you to listen to this shitty under the radar band for ages (until 2011 when it was for some reason decided they should take over the world), you've seen them live, you like it when lots of odd looking people go wild and play music together

Favourite Album - Funeral

Favourite Song - Keep The Car Running

The General Lowdown - It was only in 2010 when I finally got to see Arcade Fire perform live at Reading that I really understood the fuss about this band. I liked their debut album Funeral and have since grown to absolutely adore it but I had never really sat and endlessly listened to them, nor felt the need to throw them in people's faces like I do with most bands I adore. But when I saw them headline Reading it clicked. I saw them in a new light and this Canadian husband and wife led band suddenly became a huge part of my life. I know a lot of other people who either don't like Arcade Fire, don't really get them, or it took them a long time to come around on the band but once you get through that early period and really give them a proper chance you won't regret it. They didn't win album of the year at the Grammys among many other awards for no good reason! I chose Wake Up for the song because it's probably my favourite live song to be a part of. It's one where as part of the crowd you can really get involved with. Seriously, if you haven't seen Arcade Fire live before, make sure you do one day. You'll remember it. Probably in my view the best band in the world at this moment; or at least in 2011. The one band out of all the over hyped crap we have at the moment that I actually believe aren't over-hyped one bit. Though I admit I did used to think that! Three albums to their name, all brilliant though none quite as enthralling as their debut Funeral. 

Anything Else? - When I saw them at Reading 2010, they were the only band I went to see on my own that year. All my friends wanted to go see Pendulum but I had a real feeling that the Arcade Fire set was going to be something special, and fortunately it was! I've also traveled to Edinburgh to see them live.

I've spent the last hour or so watching Swell Season videos. Hope you are enjoying my slow unveiling of my favourite 50 bands. So slow, that they will probably change on numerous occasions by the time I get to a number 50. And most of you probably know which ones I'm going to pick anyway. But I like to think I'll be able to get some of you to listen to artists you never could be bothered to before.

Now I've had enough Glen Hansard and Marketa for the night I'm going to chuck on Netflix on the Xbox and watch endless episodes of Season 5 of The Office until I fall asleep. Exciting times. I just wish they had Seasons 6 & 7 on there for me. I bet the US Netflix is so much better than our crappy UK one. Though it pleases me greatly that Arrested Development is not only on Netflix in full but also features briefly on the UK advert!

"But boys will be boys, and girls have those eyes,

That will cut you to ribbons sometimes.

And all you can do, is just wait by the moon,

And bleed if it's what she says, you oughta do."

MY FAVOURITE BANDS - (Part 1/50)

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM (New Jersey, USA)

Genre - Punk rock/The best thing you'll ever listen to

You might like this if... - You're a Springsteen fan/you like punk rock/you like rock music/you like music/you like great songwriters/you like life.

Favourite Album - The '59 Sound

Favourite Song - Here's Looking At You, Kid (Above)

The General Lowdown - Fantastically consistent but wonderfully modest American band. Never shy away from their influences and heroes. Three albums to their name. All sold very well considering they have been independantly released. Signed to a major label (Mercury) for 2012. In general I've found that it seems that you've either never heard of/listened TGA properly or you're a die hard fan. I got my mum into them.

Anything Else? - If/when I meet a woman out somewhere who loves this band half as much as I do; well just marry me.

...Is a lot like sleeping in bed with a woman!

I'm a lot lankier and awkward; the girl/dog's a lot cuter. The girl/dog tends to want cuddles and strokes and then falls asleep possessing 90 percent of the bed for the night. I end up in the corner nearly falling off grabbing as much of the minimal available cover hoping to not to wake the girl/dog up or make it growl! The girl/dog doesn't appreciate when i try to make things sexual when they just want to sleep.

Firstly I will admit that the last one may not apply to dogs and secondly I was tempted to just generalise and use the word ”bitch” as it fit so well but I thought that wouldn't be a very tasteful way of making such a point. Nor accurate in how I see women who I am lucky enough to end up in bed with!

Just watched the first episode of the new Channel 4 show Fresh Meat. I didn't think it was brilliant but well worth a watch anyway, It will be interesting to see if it gets better as you get to know the characters a little more. To be honest, I didn't really find them a very likable bunch and Simon from The Inbetweeners, was well, too much like Simon from The Inbetweeners for my liking...

But overall it was pretty good, and quite amusing too at times. I have the second weeks episode recorded so I'll give that a watch tomorrow.

Loving the song choices from this weeks show. Damien Rice, KCi and JoJo, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift.

It's such a lame show yet I look forward to it every week. In love with that girl from like week 1 still who had her own youtube channel and the guy who sung Cannonball was awesome today.