Lakenheath Old Boys

We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Footie Moments of 2008

Another thrilling year of footie comes to an end tonight, so it's time to take stock of all of it. Here are my highlights:

Team of the Year: Spain; it was fitting to finally see the best side win a major tournament pulling away.

Player of the Year: Lionel Messi; he frightens every defender in the world and adds a frisson of excitement every time he touches the ball.

Goal of the Year: Ronaldo's free kick against Pompey; every once in a while a player does something that confounds my understanding of the physics of the game.

Game of the Year: Turkey's incredible 3-2 comeback against the aging Czechs in Euro 2008.

Disappointments: The Football League upholding LUFC's 2007/8 15 point deduction; England's absence from 2008.

Hopes for 2009: Fairly obvious; promotion for the Whites and WC 2010 qualification for Fabio Capello's England.

So how about the rest of you lads?

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Freddie Hubbard 1938-2008 RIP

Jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, who played on a lot of my favorite albums on Blue Note in the 60s, has died at the age of 70. His trademark high runs and trills made him a much sought after sideman for John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk and many many others during that time. Like many he had trouble making the jump to the fusion period in the 70s but that doesn't diminish what he accomplished on albums such as Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz and Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth. Check out his playing on Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage disc and give him a thought today. Freddie will be missed.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Costa's Title Bid About to Wobble


So, Steven Gerrard has been arrested over night!! What a shame. Costa Del Pool's title challenge has its first bump in the road.

Take a read


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7802932.stm


UWS

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Sunday Football


Full slate of footer today. Only a few clubs aren't playing
Costa take on the Toon first as well as Stockport vs Leeds

Join me

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Movies of 2008

It’s been a bleak year movie-wise for me in the hinterlands with no arts cinemas for miles around and only Netflix for film solace, so I'm hardly the one to start this thread, but I'll give it a go nonetheless. I’d love to hear from those of you with access to the likes of E Street.

Here are the celluloid moments that most thrilled me this year:

1. The Visitor – Richard Jenkins soared as a widowed professor whose life is energized by the presence of two illegal aliens and learning to play the drums.

2. Offside – An Iranian drama, featuring a group of soccer-crazy girls trying to get into a stadium to see a World Cup qualifer, that dared to be funny.

3. In Bruges – This could so easily have been a Guy Ritchie knock-off but for the manic energy of Colin Farrell and a witty, understated performance by Ralph Fiennes.

4. Be Kind Rewind – Michel Gondry’s latest mind-bender pairs Mos Def and Jack Black as two video store clerks who are forced to make their own versions of movies after Black inadvertently erases all the tapes in the store.

5. The Honeydripper – Danny Glover stars as a Georgia bar owner trying to keep his business afloat in the latest of John Sayles’s tour of the states.

6. Cairo – Nest of Spies – This wacky French spy farce was exactly what Steve Carrell’s sad update of “Get Smart” was trying to achieve.

7. War Inc. – John Cusack wrote, directed and produced this dystopic look at a future in which every aspect of life is branded.

8. Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? – Morgan Spurlock’s latest doc was never really about tracking down the world’s most infamous Saudi terrorist; rather it was a chance for a humorous look at U.S. foreign policy.

9.Then She Found Me – Helen Hunt’s comedy/drama was a well needed adult respite from the summer rubbish. And we got to see Salman Rushdie as a gynecologist!

10. The Rape of Europa – This fascinating documentary shed light on the historic theft of Europe’s art treasures by the Nazis.

Other Notables:
*Baby Mama
*Birds of America
*The Changeling
*Forgetting Sarah Marshall
*Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
*Pineapple Express
*Smart People
*Stepbrothers
*Stop Loss
*Swing Vote

Disappointments:
*Cloverfield – As a Lost fanatic, I expected a lot more from J.J. Abrams than this sad monster movie.
*X-Files – The once great franchise has run its course.

Still to See:
*Burn after Reading
*Doubt
*Frost/Nixon
*Happy Go Lucky
*I’ve Loved You So Long
*Man on a Wire
*Milk
*Rachel Getting Married
*Religulous
*Slumdog Millionaire
*The Wackness

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Friday, December 26, 2008

Boxing Day!

"Jingle bells, ManYoo smells, Chelski ran away. Oh what fun it is for Leeds to win on Boxing Day...!"
Yes, it's that magical day today when the rest of the family is locked away in the cupboard and the footie watching commences. It all starts with ManYoo away at Stoke in a few minutes. And then FSC is serving three live lashes of Boxing Day plum pudding.

Pull up a comfy chair and join me.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Some Last-Minute Shopping Advice



Beware of the Doghouse- Hilarious! - video powered by Metacafe

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND, CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE, CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD


So, United are champions of everything!!! I got up for the second half. I just missed Vidic being sent off! He will miss the first leg of the Inter tie!
Other news... Gary McAllister has been fired at Elland Road. Do they have a plan for someone else? I think it is a little harsh. Your thoughts Bob.
I am sitting here with more snow falling. I hope for some company for today's matches.


UWS

Friday, December 19, 2008

Champions League Knockout Stage




Chelsea v Juventus

Villarreal v Panathinaikos

Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich

Atlético Madrid v Porto

Lyon v Barcelona

Real Madrid v Liverpool

Arsenal v Roma

Internazionale v Manchester United


Ties to be played on February 24 and 25, and March 10 and 11.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Man United 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Away Kit Revealed

And doesn't that dance at minute 1.51 remind you of the Gator's patented goal celebration?

An LOB Holiday Tradition



Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Sock and Awe!




Have a go!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Irish Radio Stars Back Keano.


Radio personalities gather, "Band-Aid" style to back Keano at Christmas.

CLICK!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Music of 2008



The year started on a real high note. R.E.M. put our a record that is their best since the departure of their long-time drummer Bill Berry. Accelerate has songs that look forward and also that look back to their heyday, Supernatural Superserious does both. It sounds fresh with a crunchy guitar lead that then steps back for that dreamy jangly sound, and also satisfies those fans who fell in love with that Stipe twang and that Mills harmony.

I hope Big Ditch Road has more than the 6 songs on their EP in their future. Waiting To Destroy has a Wilco-like jangle with a piercing lead, and vocals delivered in a pleasant nasal tone, with a la-la-la chorus that sticks in your head.

Thao and her current band, Get Down Stay Down might end up being just too precious to appreciate over the long haul. The title of her record is We Brave Bee Stings and All. But her Bag Of Hammers song is a little gem, and one that would have fit perfectly on a cool ad for the new iPod, iMac, iTV, whatever Steve Jobs was peddling this year.

Liam Finn’s pedigree cannot be overlooked. He’s son to Neil Finn, one of the two New Zealand brothers who put out brilliant pop music as Split Enz and Crowded House in the 80’s. He obviously absorbed his dad’s ear for tunes. Second Chance is such an interesting song. It starts with a beat that sounds like a reel-to-reel projector starting up, and then carries on through a wash of stung guitar notes all leading up to a crescendo of noise, that ends with a chop-chop-chop percussive sound. This song is completely terrific and real headphone stuff.

There are some songs that awaken the 15 year old in me that got really super excited when I heard something that hit me in the pleasure center of my brain. Always Where I Need by the Kooks is one of those. Singer with a crying croak in his voice? Check. Heavy, garage-rock guitars? Check. Do-do-do-do chorus that could be shouted along with the band played live? Check. Noisy? Oh, yeah.

I have a friend who contends that decades are defined by bands and the 90’s belonged to Laetitia Sadier, Tim Gane and Stereolab. They’ve been putting out sophisticated art-rock that references Neu and Faust, but that’s appealing to a wider audience. They’ve survived divorces, and most recently the death of Mary Hanson. Neon Beanbag is from Chemical Chords and it’s as good as anything they’ve ever done.

My break-out band this year was Fleet Foxes. They’ve got a rich choral sound that brings to mind the most sophisticated Beach Boy songs. Quiet Houses is my favorite song from an overall excellent record that I strongly recommend.

You can rely on Amy Mann for great pop songs about heartbreak and disillusionment. You scratch that shiny veneer in Thirty One Today and it’s got a pretty dark sentiment. But you still find yourself humming that beautiful melody when you’re happy even if the words send you straight to your bottle of Zanax.

Oh was I excited to hear that David Byrne and Brian Eno were working together again after years of independent solo work. The record Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is a departure from their previous work. This record is more gospel and groove driven and Strange Overtones is an excellent song that could have been taken from a great Talking Heads record of the mid-80’s.

Fools is a song that sounds wonderfully off kilter. There’s the driving tribal drumming and the amped up Joy Division delivery of the lyric. The yelled chorus really reminds me of Ian Curtis. It’s so time that someone copped his thing and the Dodos do it well.

Another off kilter song is Call It A Ritual by Wolf Parade with its horror movie piano riff that gets swallowed up in guitar fuzz and distortion. They then start the real head trip with beeps and whirrs and squeaks. If you listen to this in the car, you’ll swear that something in the engine is desperately wrong. But the song, it’s overwhelmingly good.

I’m a sucker for that call and answer trick that bands with male and female vocalists can achieve. Your Control by Crooked Fingers raised the hair on my neck it’s so good. And these guys have all sorts going on behind the vocals. Is that a Bontempi organ going on back there? Sounds like it.

The Wake Up Song from the Submarines is one of my three top songs of 2008. It’s got that male female call and response, a great pop melody, and the interesting sound of the melodica that Augustus Pablo made so famous.

TV On the Radio have been making critically acclaimed music for several years now. The Dear Science record has made several best of lists because they stretch out of their dark fuzz rock sound and bring in a more R&B feeling. Halfway Home is not the best example of this move, but rather recalls what intrigued me about TOTR in the first place. This is all darkness, fuzz, and brooding hushed vocal. Quite a soundscape.

Knife by Grizzly Bear is another brooding song with a Soft Cell meets Depeche Mode synth opening. This version is the remix that CSS helmed and is my favorite take of the song.

Another contender for song of the year is Santogold’s L.E.S. Artistes. At first listen, you’ll be reminded of last year’s excellent Paper Planes by M.I.A. Her vocals are similarly delivered, but her music overall is delivered with less dread. Santogold really leans into the mic during the chorus and takes this into the atmosphere.

And finally, The Hold Steady’s Sequestered In Memphis stayed in the forefront of my mind all year long. It bangs the doors wide open with a loud E. Street Band piano and guitar opening. The Craig Finn delivers a hilarious story of misadventure and hooking up. But for me, the best part is the chorus, “Supoenaed in Texas, Sequestered in Memphis” shouted football chant style. I think next season, the DCUnited faithful will be singing Santino Quaranta, Santino Quaranta to this one.

I was really disappointed by Portishead’s Third. I waited 11 years and they delivered a challenging record that try as I may, I cannot appreciate. Listening to this sent me back to Dummy and the second record that are still fantastic. Ah, well.

But I loved these records…

Everything that happens will happen today by David Byrne and Brian Eno
Accelerate by R.E.M.
Fleet Foxes debut
Just A Little Loving by Shelby Lynne
Dear Science by TV on the Radio
Stay Positive by the Hold Steady
Honeysuckle Weeks by the Submarines
Cymbals by Vinicius Cantuaria

I saw two shows of note this year, Jose Gonzalez at the Historic Sixth Street Synagogue, and Shelby Lynne at the Birchmere. If anyone knows the name of Shelby’s guitarist, I’d appreciate it if you would let me know. He’s an axe handler of no little prowess.

Bivalve Betsy has a list of her favorites under the All Songs Considered thread that you should check out, b-t-w.

Carlton Cole Shows Us How to Miss a Sitter

Okay, so maybe we didn't deserve all three points, but how in the world does Cole not scored in the 92 minute? He's going to goal, dead center, can take his time, but chooses to rush a feeble shot. Shame.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Premiership Live!

If it's Saturday, it's the Premiership. All the action starts in a moment with Arsenal traveling to Boro for one of those cold weather away days that the Gunners love so well. Then at 10 we've got Liverpool vs. Hull and later United at Shite Fart Lane to take on Spurs on the box.

I'll also be monitoring the Division 1 play with Leeds at home to Colchester most on my mind.

Join me for the usual Saturday LOB routine.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

All Songs Considered Year in Review

While we're mulling our musical choices for 2008, it's fun to listen to what the likes of Bob Boilen, Carrie Brownstein and Tom Monk were listening to this year. Sure, it's more "Some Songs Considered by the Bicoastal Rock Criterati" - in the same way that Ira Glass's NPR show should really be called "This Boho Jewish Gay Greenwich Village Life." So no jazz or country or hip hop but a whole load of beardy folk rock.

Still, like most of these "year in review" projects, you'll always come across at least one gem that you slept on during the year.

Download it from iTunes.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Champions League - The End of the Groups

If yesterday was an anti-climax, today's Champions League action will be a dead bore. Coming into this last gameday, all four last groups have been sorted and the only thing to play for is first or second place and some advantage in terms of seeding.

ManYoo host Aalborg while Arsenal travel to Porto today.

If you're not asleep, join me on the blog. I'll be blogging from the office so expect some long pauses on the feed.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Champions League - Final Gameday!

The Champions League group stages have been even more tedious than usual this season with the obvious favorites taking up the top two slots well ahead of this last gameday. It's true that Chelski have a bit of work to do today, but they're at home to Cluj and only the most nervous Blue would imagine an almighty clanger that would see them drop out. In the other groups, Liverpool and Athletico and Barca and Sporting are already through. Only in Group B is there a real three-way horse race between Inter, Panathinaikos and Anorthosis.

Join me if you can't get enough Tommy Smyth.

Monday, December 08, 2008

Books of 2008!


It's that time again! 2008 has been jam packed with historic events and it's about time to take stock of them. I'll start things rolling with a list of my favorite books from the past year. I'll look forward to hearing what you've been reading.

1. Tom PerrottaThe Abstinence Teacher: Perrotta latest novel focuses on what happens in a small town when a sex educator speaks the truth with her students. Need I say more?

2. Joe BoydWhite Bicycles: Boyd's memoir of the sixties music scene is the best book on music I've read in yonks. As Kate Bush says on the dust jacket - "Joe Boyd knows."

3. Junot Diaz The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Diaz’s epic narrative of Dominican family history won the Pulitzer for literature this past year.

4. Naomi Klein The Shock Doctrine: Klein’s latest puts forward the interesting thesis that free marketeers have taken advantage of natural disasters from the tsunami to Katrina.

5. Chuck KlostermanIV: Someday I’d love to publish a book simply called “IV;” but while I’m waiting for that to happen, it’s fun to read Klosterman’s latest take on popular culture.

6. Sarah VowellAssassination Vacation: Vowell's television persona is really irritating but this travelogue through the history of Presidential assassinations was hilarious.

7. Miranda JulyNo One Belongs Here More Than You – A weirder collection of stories is hard to find, combining almost childlike innocence with a sharp look at modern alienation.

8. Marc Spitz Too Little, Too Late: Spitz’s funny and wise second novel details the rise, fall and rise again of a garage band from Ohio.

9. Stephen Kinzer Overthrow: Kinzer answers the question "Why do they hate us?" by documenting the catalog of crimes against humanity committed by U.S imperialism in the last century.

10. Chuck Culpepper - Bloody Confused: The LOB's foray into book clubbery was an amusing memoir of one season in the life of a American rookie Pompey fan.

Notable others:
Daniel LevitinThis is Your Brain on Music
Sebastian FaulksEngleby
Wynton Marsalis How Jazz Can Change Your Life
• Tracey ChevalierBurning Bright
David Cay Johnson - Free Lunch

Disappointments:
Nick HornbySlam: Hornby's first foray into young reader's literature is a cheap morality play about teen pregnancy.

Ann Patchett - Run: Patchett's follow-up to the sublime Bel Canto is a messy sociological study of race and privilege with none of the charm of her earlier work.

Worst:
Bill Cosby and Alvin PoussaintCome on, People: A millionaire entertainer hectors the poor about their supposed cultural deficiencies.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Coldplay Sued!



So Britband Coldplay are being sued by guitar maestro Joe Satriani for allegedly violating copyright on his jam "If I Could Fly" for their hit "Viva La Vida." Did Chris Martin and co. rip off Satriani? You be the judge.

Saturday, December 06, 2008

It's Great to be a Florida Gator!

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday


Greetings from snowy, frigid Fredonia. I'm bunkering in today to watch my fill of footie while we get a fresh load of the white stuff outside.

It all starts in a few minutes with the early show featuring Citeh meeting Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Minnesota...Minnesota...are you Florida in disguise?

What on earth is going on in the Gopher State? It's been a month since Election Day, it'll be Christmas in another few weeks and they're still counting bloody ballots up there. Both the Coleman and Franken camps are claiming victory and the whole mess is bound to end up in the courts. MSNBC showed some contested ballots last night where the geniuses had either voted for every candidate on the ballot or hadn't made any mark at all.

Something in the water?

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Keano Out at Sunderland


After six defeats in the last seven matches, Sunderland and Roy Keane have parted ways. What's next for the former ManYoo supremo?

Your thoughts, gents?

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Midweek Footie Grab Bag

It's a little bit of Carling Cup, a little bit of UEFA Cup, and a little bit of something else on the docket today.

I've got ManYoo's Carling Cup clash with Blackburn up and running and I'll be checking the other scores periodically.

Join me if you're about.

Monday, December 01, 2008

Hillary. Really?!


They spent the spring bickering largely about foreign policy. Now Obama has picked Clinton to be his new Secretary of State.

What gives?