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Monday, April 26

Scene: A Manchester record shop - slightly off the beaten track

A kid of about 14 walks in wearing a nicely fitting shellsuit. Under his arm he carries a strangely shaped case - inside is obviously something quite heavy judging from the trouble he has getting into the shop.

"Ey mate" he says to the guy behind the counter
"How can I help" says the guy in the shop with a somewhat dubious Irish accent
"Do you buy stuff?" enquires the kid
"Depends what it is" Cagey in a way that only someone who works in a second hand record shop can be
"I've got a telescope" says the kid
"A telescope!" replies the Irishman somewhat incredulously "This is a record shop" - he obviously doesn't see the scally as an amateur astronomer
"I'll give you a good deal" says the kid slightly desperately
"How much?"
"I'll give to to you for £xx" - says the kid hopefully
"Let's have a look" replies the bloke sceptically

Then proceeds a torturous few minutes where the kid tries to open the telescope case - somewhat blowing the illusion that he has ever used it and bringing where he got it from into question....

"It's nice" says the record guy
"It's a mates" says the scally
"A mate" *eyebrows raised*
"Yeah he doesn't want it anymore"

They negotiate and reach a price - the guy hands over the money to the kid who now suddenly becomes more cocky....

"Do you want a phone?" revealing a selection of three or four phones inside his coat
"Get out my shop!"

The kid departs and the guy (who I believe is putting on a fake Irish accent) takes the telescope to the back of the shop giving me a kind of 'kids today' expression. He then takes the piss out of Dean for buying a Billy Bragg LP.

Will the telescope be used to fund international terrorism?
In Manchester you can never tell these days...


MP3's and other stuff

New Carina Round photos taken by Candice Lawler on MTV.com

Blonde Redhead are a very cool Japanese/Italian art-rock band based in NY. They are unique both vocally and musically, and there new album is excellent - worth checking out

Truck Records
are in independant label from Oxford. They release a lot of cool eclectic stuff and host the Truck Festival in Oxforshire every summer - they've got a variety of free downloads on their site.

You've got the mighty Meanwhile Back in Communist Russia - officially owners of the second worst name in rock after Kajagoogoo - they deliver amazing blasts of quiet/loud guitar interspersed with Emily's delicate yet deeply cutting vocals. Then there's The Rock of Travolta, mainly instrumental and featuring the guy who wrote the new official Oxford United song - as well as the delicate folk of KTB, who has her photographs taken by Squib and Katy, so she's got to be good. And then there's Goldrush, ahem.

MP3 - Blonde Redhead - Misery is a Butterfly
MP3 - Blonde Redhead - Three more tracks
MP3 - Truck Records Catalogue Items and Rarities - Various tracks by KTB, Rock of Travolta, MBICR, Goldrush, Black Nielson and others.

Remember of you like the MP3's then buy the albums, you cheeky monkeys