"The Best it's ever been, be this good again..."

I always look forward to end of year lists of friends records, especially friends who I don't see that often who may have discovered a gem that I may have missed.

I have decided to list my 10 fave musical recordings, my fave gigs, my fave wildlife sightings and places I visited this year.

Hands down my fave album of the year is...

Helen Chambers - Penny Arcade 

http://shop.specialistsubjectrecords.co.uk/products/528428-helen-chambers-penny-arcade-cd-digital-preorder 

Closely followed by...

Young Conservatives - S/T https://youngconservatives.bandcamp.com/

Prawn - Kingfisher topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/kingfisher

Failures Union - Tethering failuresunion.bandcamp.com

Echo & The Bunnymen – Meteorites www.bunnymen.com/

Personal Best – The Lovin’ personalbest.bandcamp.com/

Protectors – Soul & Fire is all we ever need protectors.bandcamp.com/

Owen – Other peoples’ songs owenmusic.com/

Stay Clean Jolene – S/T http://staycleanjolene.bandcamp.com/

Dolly Parton – Blue Smoke dollyparton.com/

My fave gigs:

Out of Spite 2014

Echo & The Bunnymen - Oxford 

Gregory Porter - Brecon Jazz

Failures Union - Undertone Cardiff

Helen Chambers - Le Pub
Dolly Parton - St David's Hall Cardiff
Gregory Porter - St David's Hall
Echo & The Bunnymen - Cardiff Uni
Pale Angels & Luuv - Le pub
Thousand Arrows - Last Gig at Moon

My wildlife highlights:

Seeing Puffins, Seals, Dolphins, Porpoise, Peregrines, Guillemots, Razorbills, Wheatear, Red legged Partridge, Chough, at RSPB South Stack

Seeing my first Weasel crossing the road near Barmouth

Seeing Little Ringed Plover and Chicks at Parc Slip

Seeing my first dog otter at Hamwall 

My fave places I visited:

South Stack

Holyhead - Holy mountain

Lisbon - Staggersaurus Rex

Barmouth - Hendre Fechan Cottage 
Ham Wall & Shapwick Heath

Merry Chrimbo & Happy New Year 
One Love
Stubbs
xx

Crudely Drawn Christmas

I have since my 100 bird year triumph, struggled to see many new species.

I recently went in search of Goshawks at Cwmcarn forest drive and failed miserably barring what we call a little bit of jizz, not enough to be sure.

I have sort of stuttered along still really enjoying what I do see regularly but not seeing anything new.

I also hit a bit of a wall creatively and stopped drawing for a bit too.

After a walk on the weekend in the beautiful winter sunshine I decided to commemorate the idyllic scene of a Robin having a little wash in a puddle after foraging for food on the muddy path.

I think what I need next from all the literature I have read is to get better at identifying birds by their song.

I have also been enjoying the newly renovated Eastern Prom at Barry Island, and think it would be a fab place for impromptu acoustic gigs...

I would love to have a beach hut


















I also went to see my faves Echo & The Bunnymen with one of my oldest friends the enigma Gary Pliers in Cardiff. Another sterling set with all the hits.

I am really enjoying this record Kingfisher by Prawn which ties in nicely to the blog too.



"We are Old Souls, In New Skin"

I am very much looking forward to Out Of Spite Festival next week a long running Leeds DIY Punk Rock and craft Ale all-dayer featuring:

The newly reformed Milloy http://milloy.bandcamp.com/

Also Young conservatives https://youngconservatives.bandcamp.com/ who I am yet to see live and naturally pretty excited.

As well as Protectors who have a great new album out
http://protectors.bandcamp.com/

And a new band called Stay Clean Jolene featuring members of the much loved Leif Ericsson & The Great St Louis http://www.bombedout.com/

Hardcore Bird Action

"Images? The same. Ideas? The same. Footage? The same. Sales pitch? The same. They flash before the eyes; to hide."

The lyric pretty much describes how I have been feeling in recent years towards Hardcore. Nothing I hear really grabs me as it did before, maybe I am starting to show my age...

However, upon hearing some friends all from good breeding stock, (see Imbalance, The Horror, That F**king Tank!, Matadors and Magnificent) had formed a new hardcore punk band, I decided to give it a spin.

I wasn't disappointed, needless to say, Young Conservatives debut self titled EP harks back to a time when the lines between the two genres of Hardcore and Punk didn't really exist. 6 tracks all sub three minutes, balls to the wall, HC punk rock & roll. The music is great, but it's the vocals and lyrics that really do it for me. Political, intelligent, yet short, sharp and to the point. I love Andy's voice and I think it's what really gives YC an edge for me. You can hear the EP on bandcamp on the link below and preorder the vinyl too, I cannot wait to see them live.

http://youngconservatives.bandcamp.com/


"What do we stand for, what is it we stand against, why do we stand at all?
What do we believe, what is it we disbelieve, do we believe at all?"



I have also been back to see how the little ringed plovers are doing. I spent half an hour in the elevated hide, with my spiritual shaman Kes, staring at an empty scrape; not seeing anything, but a few gulls having a wash. I did however, spot my first Green Woodpecker.



After leaving the hide, walking along the path, Kes could hear the plovers calling, but couldn't see them, when a chick popped up from behind a verge, on the other side of the fence, merely tree feet in front of us. Followed soon after by an adult, calling and bobbing to one another all the time.




We also saw tiny frog-lets emerging as the rains set in. 

We also saw loads of birds with young chicks out and about. 

Including this Canada Geese creche family, who were soon spooked by some highland cattle grazing which the clearly thought were Bears or some other large predatory beasts.

I also took the opportunity to recapture one of my fave pics ever.

Insert Hardcore band bird puns below...

Crow Mag(pies)