Just one because there is another (better) post coming later today --

März - "Everybody's Had a Hard Year". Monica sent me this about a year ago. Scott sent it about a week ago. I woke up a couple of days ago and it was 2006, and all around me peoples' relationships were coming to pieces, debris everywhere, and yet there's a clapclapclap in order because rosy clouds were in the sky, birds winging it all over, friends only a phonecall or an emailtap away. I went to Oslo and saw snow, slipped on ice, clinked glasses with a reader of this-here-place, and then back in Edinburgh I new-yeared with fireworks zip-popping all around, all around, a panorama of colour and spark and us in an empty golf-course, running through it, and i wonder wonder wonder what will come next.

März (or Maerz) cops from John Lennon's bit of "I Got a Feeling", but instead of strain this is all ease, stretching limbs out into the morning, the spring, the new year. put down that ship-in-a-bottle, that baggage, that oof. everybody's had a hard year: snap your fingers to the push of voice, the kind glimmer of organ and guitar, and light popsong lyrics that will teach you a thing or two about life.

[maerz's baffling site]

---

A hilarious Eugene Mirman comedy clip at No Frontin' - we caught Mirman at this year's Edinburgh Fringe and his surreal (non)sense gags had me feeling glad to be alive. And I too am full of hate.

New mp3blog Red Ruin has a fantastic piece of "ethereal daydreamcore" by Japanese singer Ua. Waterbucket tictoc, says I; fancydress clockwork bjork. Red Ruin's author is the guy who sent through that great Downy track, some months ago.

Seripop has a most-wow poster for sale from the album launch for their band (AIDS Wolf).

Matt at You Ain't No Picasso has his best-of-the-year up, and the new-to-me thing that is most wonderful is the soft-fingered Shins-pop of Sambassadeur's "Between the Lines", which you can download there.

RIP NYLPM, which changed the way I listen to music. Thank you so much, Tom.

Also RIP Splendid, which was the boldest and most lunatic music ezine in the universe.

happy new year.