Carrying the baton

Because I'm "a good sport"...

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?

Zero. I have nothing, nowt, zilch, nada at all on my computer. Does this make me a Luddite? Well, yes, I guess it does. Thanks, Mike, for outing me as such.

I can try all the excuses I like - I haven't got enough space on my computer, I haven't got decent speakers to make it worthwhile, I haven't got an iPod that I'd need to stock up with songs from a PC - but none of them cut the mustard.

*hangs head in shame*

New Year's Resolution: Get With The Programme.

2. The last CD you bought is:

Universal Audio by The Delgados. Sublime choruses as ever, but they've lost the strings of The Great Eastern and Hate and gained a poppy spring in their step. You get the feeling that there's darkness lurking around every corner, though - when the sun's at its brightest, the shadows are at their longest...

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?

'So Says I' by The Shins. Already cursing myself for not finding a place for this in the SWSL Top 20 Singles Of 2004. Utterly infectious power-pop completely out of step with the season and downbeat January mood. Their first LP Oh Inverted World is high on my shopping list - partly because of the joys of its follow-up, Chutes Too Narrow, of which 'So Says I' is just one, and partly because of exposure through 'Garden State'.

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

'Teenage Riot' - Sonic Youth. People who don't like Sonic Youth don't deserve to draw breath. It's that simple.

'Never Understand' - The Jesus & Mary Chain. Noise, glorious noise. The Beach Boys caught out in a big fucking blizzard. Good vibrations indeed.

'I Don't Like Mondays' - The Boomtown Rats. Simple and to the point. An opinion with which I can readily agree.

'This Charming Man' - The Smiths. One bar of this and wherever I am, I'm instantly transported to the Nottingham Irish Centre at 1am on a Friday night, dripping with sweat, off my face on cheap booze and waving an imaginary bunch of gladioli aloft (sometimes this involves waving a real empty bottle of lager and getting scowled at by the bouncers).

'It's A Motherfucker' - Eels. If we ever get married (NB those of you who know me: this is NOT a cue to expect wedding invites any time soon, merely a hypothetical statement), this'll be the song for our first dance.

Ask me tomorrow, I'll give you a different five. Probably.

5. Who are you going to pass this stick to? (3 persons) and why?

Skif of Hobo Tread, because as a fanzine writer I'm sure he'd love the chance to enthuse about some obscure and overlooked gems.

Phill of Danger! High Postage, because he's a man who knows his musical onions.

He Who Cannot Be Named of Excuse Me For Laughing, because it's about fucking time he wrote something.

Thanks to Mike for passing the baton on to me.