Random bits of music-ness

I've been going through an annoying hayfever-related ill period since getting back from Download which has meant energy levels have been pretty low, so with the peacefulness of the Grizzly Bear record in the background, here are a few random bits of musicness that I've been getting up to lately, so you know I haven't been slacking.

Popped into HMV quickly yesterday and bought some records - glad to get Major Lazer's Hold The Line on 12", but did slightly weep at the £8.49 price tag. Got a couple of 7"s too - Empire Of The Sun's We Are The People, Leona Naess's Leave Your Boyfriend's Behind (very odd title, that) and Five Finger Death Punch's The Bleeding. Only really bought the latter because they were at Download and it was numbered and I got number 15 out of 1000 which isn't bad for a random store purchase. The Leona Naess single was numbered too, but with the slightly less impressive 352.

Was slightly surprised to see in HMV that the Chickenfoot album had got into the top 40 - if you've not heard of them (and I doubt you have because they're not up to much), they're a side project (or super-group if you're being generous) featuring the drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Chad Smith), Sammy Hagar of Van Halen fame, the Van Halen bassist (Michael Anthony) and Joe Satriani (famous recently for suing Coldplay over them allegedly stealing his song). Actually, now I write it out like that, that's not such a bad line-up if you're a rock fan, so maybe it's not that surprising to see it bothering the charts.

Popped into Universal Music's HQ on Tuesday to pick up a signed Global Cool t-shirt that Chris Cornell had done. Was hoping to get a Papa Roach one too but that's apparently still on their tour bus. Pesky rock bands.

I used to work in that building and since leaving there 3 years ago have only been back once before, so I was a little surprised to find that I was actually a bit nervous, though I don't know why, almost like seeing an ex-girlfriend. Fortunately though, it looks a lot more lived-in now and more like you'd expect a record company office to look, and not the corporate mess that it was when I was there.

They kindly let me have some free CDs, so I got new albums by Eels, Marilyn Manson, Black Eyed Peas, Jonas Brothers (as a present for someone!) and also the Elbow CD of them performing The Seldom Seen Kid at Abbey Road for the BBC. But the one I was actually most excited about was the 2Pac Best Of - not something I thought I'd want given the quality of the output bearing his name since his death (some of which I'm afraid to say I worked on). But this one was different - it had Changes on, which has never been on iTunes so thus far has remained elusive on my ipod. Result.

Went to a Let's Wrestle single launch party in some basement bar on the Kingsland Road last night but left before they came on. My heart wasn't in it and that seemed to be the theme running through the folks I was with too. Nice to have a chat though. I was going to buy their 7" on the way out anyway, but at £5 I thought that was a bit cheeky.

And in between I've watched a bit of music TV - caught up on Jools Holland though thought this whole series was a bit underwhelming, although admittedly my busy-head may have been the cause of that. And I've finally got round to reading Nick Hornby's 31 Songs book, which is an easy read.

So that's it - I haven't been slacking, just not had much blogging head-space. Normal service is now resumed though, so stay tuned.