headlong into 2006............

well it's twenty to eight in the evening on New Years Eve & we are going out soon to the downtown Canmore New Years Eve party, live bands are promised & fireworks - promises to be good

back in London they are already several hours into 2006 & over in Sydney it's probably lunchtime - hope the hangover is OK Rob!

i struck out again into the wilds of the Rockies today, crossed the border into British Columbia & then crossed the continetal divide a little further down Highway 93

stopping a few times for photos & exploratory hikes it was a pleasant afternoon, but the sting in the tail was a flat tyre on Highway 1 on the way back - luckily I'm covered under my Audi protection thingy & was able to call out roadside assistance. changing a tyre on the wafer thin hard shoulder, with huge road trains whistling past at breakneck speed is not for the faint hearted.

time i think to post up my track of the year on this top 26 countdown.

here is a band i have slavishly followed for a few years now, in my book they are the best band on the planet right now but seem to be hugely under appreciated in their native America and worshipped back in the UK (just look at Uncut for proof of this)

i had the pleasure of recieving an advance copy through a good mate at Faber & Faber of the new, debut novel - The Motel Life - by Willy Vlautin the lead singer / songwriter with Portland, Oregon based band Richmond Fonatine. Like his songs, the book wove a wonderful but desperately sad tale of broken down, out of luck, fucked up but lovable characters - i read the final few pages as i flew home one night crossing the snow capped mountains & it brought tears to my eyes

as well as writing this book Willy & the band released another epic album - The Fitzgerald - this year, reading like a graphic novel & again full of sad tales, beat up characters and tales from the flip side of the American dream

one song in particular leapt at me & haunted me for days, even now it's desolate narrative has no joy, no redemption but is ultimately a subtle way of underlining that bond between father & son & the incalcubable sense of impending loss that lingers in any relationship

god this is bleak for new years eve, i better get out & watch those fireworks & hug my wife & daughter

No.1 Richmond Fontaine - Incident at Conklin Creek

Happy New Year.