Party like it's 2009

A pre-emptive happy new year from SWSL!

Apologies for the lack of activity on here for the last couple of weeks, but that's what a stupidly busy festive period does for you - Oxford to Cardiff to Bury to Morpeth to Bury to Cardiff, and then back to Oxford (via a stop-off in Bristol, naturally) tomorrow for (joy of joys) three days of house-/flat-hunting.

Coming up on this 'ere site in the early part of 2009: a couple of outstanding reviews (the Isis and Torche gig and Richard Herring's visit to Oxford at the beginning of the month), some belated thoughts on the latest addition to the Wallace & Gromit canon (possibly) and, of course, some equally belated end-of-year lists. Still busy digesting and deliberating over a handful of albums (most notably TV On The Radio's Dear Science and Foals' Antidotes), but even then the list of records I'd have liked to have heard but haven't is far too long, as ever...

In other 2009 news, I've just been given a copy of the Spillers calendar - surprised to see that not only did I make it in as part of the group photo on the steps of Cardiff Museum, but also in a holiday snap of me in my T-shirt on the Cape Tribulation coast in Australia, as part of a montage also featuring Henry Rollins, Jamie T, Euros Childs, Billy Bragg and Jamie T. Just call me Mr November...

Right, I'm off to see the new year in with good food, good booze and good company - after all, as times change, some traditions are worth maintaining. Have a good one and I'll see you on the other side...