Um, Arctic Monkeys.

They released a song earlier today and was amazed by how much I didn't like it. I mean, it was alright, but just not to the caliber of their old stuff. I was never part of the crowd that said they were going downhill with Humbug, because personally I think it's a good album with a more unique sound than their first two records, though perhaps lacking in the good lyrics department. In the first ten seconds of the song, all I was channeling was mid-oo's "I wish I was Jack White" blues rock silliness that is pleasing but decidedly overdone at this point in time. Then it got more poppy, yet somehow slower(this band seem to do that a lot), but...there was no big chorus. there were no witty anecdotes about day-to-day life in northern England. not even some insane, frantic drum beat. No, all I see is flowery dresses and palm trees and dissapointment. what gives?

I'm sure it'll grow on me. They do that a lot. But I do think it's their weakest single to date. Also, no, I do not want Whatever People Say I Am Part II, not at all. I subscribe to the beleif that bands need to change and every record needs a different sound. I'd rather they did this than did something samey. It's just my personal beleif that this is less creative than their other work. no big deal.

Still uber excited for August though. Rihanna got added to the V lineup. Needless to say, If I see Eminem I'm guaranteed a live Love the Way You Lie duet, a privalage few have had. I'm up for that. I honerstly don't understand the blatant anti-Vness this year. They sold out in 80 minutes! So what if it's pop? It's about having fun. When did the festival scene become about faking acts of lunicy and conitnuing festival-going cliches, ie drugs, indie music, and mud. it's so silly, people, geez. As for my V-going, I might be up for someone on the 2nd or 3rd stage Sunday night, depending. I've never been to the 3rd stage, oddly--it's a tent, but the entrance is a bottleneck so getting in and out is hell. Dunno about everyone else, but I'm excited. my dad took a look at the lineup yesterday(he was in Switzerland on a business thing for most of the week) and he said it was 'not amazing' which was upsetting...

People so saw last year's V through rose-tinted glasses. V always have pop. And it will always have bad bands and bad live peformances(for example, KoL were shockingly bad live. Everything except Sex On Fire was completely underwhelming). That's what's cool about it, though, cause it appeals to loads of different people. As for me, I'll take my Wombats, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Manics, and Hurts and leave all these miserable people be.


I just listened to Katy B's "Katy On A Mission" last night. I used to hear this on Radio 1 loads over the summer, and I was never completely sold. I'm not a Dubstep fan. But going back to it now, I just suddenly become aware of this gritty, clubby vibe and I realized how good it is. Also, I fell in love with Primal Scream on the very first listen to Some Velvet Morning. All I was aware of was this great wannabe-late-90s trip-hop psychadelic rock thing with a touch of sixties flower power thrown in for good measure. So, so fantastic. Primal Scream I think are gonna be 2nd to stage headliners, and my God, they'd better clash with Eminem rather than AM. I'm high on Primal Scream songs. Cannot wait until my birthday, I'm so asking for Screamadelica.



Enough of V.


My iPod might be broken though it might just be the headphones, but it's acting weird. It's lived a good, long life.


It'd be nice if I could keep my eyes open lately. I was bored last night so I tried to watch Return of the Jedi but I could not pay attention. I was up till midnight the day before last doing a science paper that was twice as long as it needs to be, too much shock and ridicule from some friends. However, we got progress reports a couple days ago and she ranked the whole class based on grades and mine was at number one so like hell am I backing down now. (I admit the ranking business is cruel, but please let me bask in this brief period of narcissism). I got a 99% on a quiz. I wonder why I'm so fixated on grades this year? It wasn't really much of the case last year. Odd.

Shame science was awful for the other parts of the week. we're doing projects outside at the moment, testing water for O2 and Co2 and temperature and such. We have to walk outside, in freezing weather, over an icy hill, to a field where the snow isn't properly compacted so I feel in to my knees, through the forest. We're in three groups and each examining one section. Of course, being three groups, which we are allowed to choose, there is only one way 14-year-olds divide themselves up--girls, guys, and the grumbly leftovers. I'm the third category! I'm with these two know-it-all girls, one guy everyone hates, a bossy leader, and a bunch of guys whose names I cannot be bothered to learn. Plus, the three groups are as follows; wetland, stream, pond. Here's the thing with the first two--THEY HAVE RUNNING WATER. Us pond-goers were outside in negative godknowswhat at 9:30 digging a hole through ice that was at least eight inches thick. It took forty minutes, much swearing, and an array of bleeding hands. With help from our teacher, we got through with five or ten minutes to rush through our testing, run for fifteen minutes back to class, and wait for another two hours to be about to feel our thighs, let alone our noses and ears and such. sigh sigh sigh. The upshot is, our place is gonna be gorgeous in the spring.


Plus, I have another project on glaciers, with three other people. Our whole group is infested with arrogance and over-inflated senses of our self worth, so it'll be a mess. A horrible, competitive, passive aggressive mess.


Today I got asked if I was a sophomore in art, then later asked if I was junior. Haven't a clue why this should be, but there we go. I don't physically look older so I guess I'm just standoffish or something.

Getting especially tired of my world civ class, to be honest. We spent four days researching for a class timeline project. my group had no idea what we were doing and ours came out a total mess. Plus, I doubt there's a single person on the planet who has an actual interest in the Byzantine Empire. I certainly don't.

English is literally beyond boring right now--short stories and essays and vocab, blah, I almost want to cry. It's no fun having it last block. Other classes are at least onto reading books, whereas we're still reading these crappy short stories and looking for dualities. I wanna get going on a book, that's something I might actually enjoy.

I'm giving Philosophy Club at school a go. It's basically sitting in a room with six other students(almost all of them being nerdy Asian junior girls) and talking. And there's a Spanish teacher and I believe a math teacher. It's fun, actually, I intend to go again.


Let's do countdowns--V in 168 days, Pancake Day in three days, NEW ELBOW ALBUM OH MY GOD ADSLFjsdfl in two, new Kills album in a month, birthday in 51 days, new AM album in four-ish months, the Killers getting back together in two months, the Script + Tim Minchin in three months, new Kasabian album at the end of the year, new Florence album at the end of the year, etc.


Music at the moment that hasn't been mentioned--The Mariner's Children, Tinie Tempah, Hurts, Editors, Imelda May, Neil Hannon's beautiful cover of Yann Tiersen's "Les Jours Tristes". Love music. Neil's voice works so well with the flutes.



I have to have lunch and do science homework(sniffle), good day.