SUPERGRASS Low C (Parlophone)

They’re no longer alright, they are swinging along to a much slower Badly Drawn Boy-esque sway. But it works! Music fans everywhere are gossiping about the how dark the music of Supergrass has got but the consensus seems to be the same everywhere, that it is an excellent move!
Low C, the first single to come from Road to Rouen, is the epitome of this style. It views days gone by through sepia-tinted glasses.
****

2DTV – THE COMPLETE SERIES 5

15, 100mins (Contender Home Entertainment)

Series 5 of this hit show pokes fun at some of the most easily ridiculed celebrities, politicians and royals. The only concern is that some of the sketches are probably not all that far from the truth; indeed this is what makes them all the more entertaining.
Wayne Rooney, John Prescott and Gordon Ramsey all feature in this series and while the sketches that feature Peter Andre and Jordan are particular highlights, the most entertaining ones have to be those that make fun of Mr Bush.

The Future’s Funniest

This week Jongleurs is hosting the Cardiff heat of a comedy competition that allows the audience to choose tomorrow’s comedians.
Taking place on Thusrday 13th Oct, the event is part of the Samsung Mobile Comedy Live Tour that is searching for the student comedian of the year. The night will feature sets from the two competitors as well as stand-up routines from Jongleurs comedians.
Votes made by the audience on the night will contribute to 50% of the final vote, with the other 50% being made online at www.samsungcomedylive.com. The four competitors with the highest number of votes by Tuesday 29th November will take part in the final in London on 4th December.
The winner will not only be given the chance to do six paid gigs, but will also win £1000 cash and a Samsung mobile.

This is chance to have your say in the comedians of the future.

Brendan Stuart Burns, Oreil Davies Gallery, Until Sat 3 Dec

One man who appreciates his country is Welsh artist Brendan Stuart Burns. His works, celebrating the Pembrokeshire coastline, are being displayed in Oriel Davies from 15th October.
Winner of the National Eisteddfod Gold Medal in 1998, and Welsh Artist of the Year in 2000, this is a chance to see both existing and new works of one of Wales’ most promising artists.
Burns sets out to explore concepts of space, time, weather and light, mainly using pigment and wax. His extensive knowledge of the ever-changing Pembrokeshire Coast has been the influence for this large and ongoing series of paintings. Rarely seen charcoal and graphite sketches are to be featured in the exhibition, alongside the more familiar paintings.
Since obtaining his degree in Fine Art at Cardiff University in 1985 Burns has gone on to win many awards and to have been involved in many exhibitions. Burns is accustomed to being featured in exhibitions both as the main subject and as a contributing artist. Oriel Davies latest exhibition however is a major solo exhibition. Admission: free. Info: 01686 62504 (LB)

Supergrass aren't Alright but they're doing well out of it

It’s been over a decade since they told us that they were Alright, but on Friday Supergrass will be at Cardiff Union proving that they’ve now experienced less happy times.
The past few years have been a testing time for some of the band members but the result is what is said by many to be their darkest album to date, Road to Rouen.
Although they have never had a UK number one, Supergrass have been a regular act on the singles chart since they first appeared there in February 1995. They are set to be back in the charts in a couple of weeks with new single Low C, scheduled for UK release on October 13th.

Review - Mariah Carey - Shake It Off and Get Your Number

She’s been kicking around the charts for years, but unlike other artists for whom the same can be said, she is still considered cool. Her endless success in teaming up with some of the hottest acts of the moment, Busta Rhymes on Give It To Me for example, is a sure help towards her endless success.

Get Your Number, released 26th September as a double A-Side with Shake It Off, is no exception; it is Jermaine Dupri that she has worked with to write and record this track together. Snoop Dog, Twista and Nelly are also artists featured on The Emancipation of Mimi, the album from which these tracks are coming.

Shake It Off is about having the strength to leave a bad relationship whilst Get Your Number plays upon the experience of meeting in a club. The videos to both tracks are hot and loaded with all the coolest imagery, exactly as you would expect from Mariah, a girl who is much about the visual.

Marked out by Mariah’s endlessly beautiful and individual voice, both the latest album and Shake It Off are taking the US Billboard charts by storm. They follow the success of summer love-song We Belong Together.

It is worth your while listening to these tracks if you are either a Mariah fan or if you appreciate mainstream R’n’B.

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS
PG, 81mins (Channel 4 DVD, DVD)

Based on the illustrated novel by Raymond Briggs, author of The Snowman, comes a tale far more disturbing than the festive favourite.
First released in 1986, when the threat of nuclear war was great, it tells the tale of an elderly couple who endure a nuclear attack.
Although the animation reminds us how far we have come cinematically in twenty years, the subject is almost still as relevant today.
It’s refreshing to watch a film that’s making a social point, but don’t watch this if you’re looking for a comforting film.***LB


SHOOTING STARS: DRUGS, HOLLYWOOD AND THE MOVIES
Harry Shapiro
(Serpent’s Tail, £9.99)

In Shooting Stars, Shapiro poignantly highlights the differences and ironies between the reality of the drug world and its silver screen representation. He particularly focuses on the substance abuse that takes place behind the closed doors of the LA hills.
Using startling evidence and citing frightening statistics, Shapiro produces a startling book that is sure to interest fans of Trainspotting and of the Howard Marks biographies.
***



ROWETTA
Rowetta (Gut Records)

It seems that Rowetta was so excited about being able to record a solo album that she just sang her favourite songs, regardless of whether or not that would make for a good album. There are only three originals on this 16 track album.
Some good versions are delivered though, with her rendition of Oasis Stop Crying Your Heart Out being a particular success. As with many covers it allows the true brilliance of the song writing to stand out.
She’d be good in a cabaret but is not going to storm the album charts.
**

Cardiff Afterlife

Well I moved to Cardiff two months ago and so far it seems like a very cool place to live in. Clearly the money that Swansea really needs is being spent here on such things as the £77 million Welsh Millenium Centre. This results in a beautiful and fun city that really means hardly anyone ventures on further into Wales unless absolutely necessary.

I'm trying to think of something intelligent to say but am failing. I have just begun on Cardiff University's Post Graduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism so I'm hoping that my ability to say something intelligent will come soon.

I've just seen the new DVD series of 2DTV, utter brilliance. I am reviewing both that and The Good Shepard for Buzz Magazine. I'm going to find some nice pretty way of presenting my reviews on this blog with the help of technological genius Dan.

Hob-nobbing Lauz

The last couple of days have been pretty cool so thought it was about time for an update.
On Thursday night the Manic Street Preachers played in Swansea, I was already reviewing them for the Big Issue but thanks to Dan I also got to take part in something a bit more special. The university were making Nicky Wire an Honoury Fellow and in order to do this the Vice Chancellor and Dan were making a presentation to him backstage before the gig. I went along and met the band and it was all very cool. The gig itself was awesome too and by far the best I've seen the Manics (now seen them 3 times!).
The following morning Phil Jupitas and his 6 Music team were broadcasting from Swansea's radio station and so Dan and I were down there for 6 to get them all set up and provided with coffee. It was a really fun morning as we got to talk to them alot. They were cool guys and gave alot of useful "In the know" tips. I wrote a couple of articles for Sound Nation magazine on this stuff as well.
I also had my interview for Cardiff's magazine course on Monday. I felt it went well so now I jsut have to wait.
There is a lot more to say but it's late and I have to get up early tomorrow to get on with yet another essay. Five weeks left of uni ever but a hell of a lot of work to do in the meantime :-(

It's all mad

It's been a while and I'm just sitting down to work on an essay so thought I should really write something on here first. It's a very stressful time at the moment but I am feeling really good at the moment (a different story to the start of the week).
As far as uni goes it's hardcore at the moment, a lot of work but it's nice to be able to tick things off knowing that it's the last time I'll ever have to. My last exam is on May 17th and then straight after that I'll be buggering of to Italy with Hannah for a holiday before a week in London on a work-experience placement with a very cool music PR company.
I've been a pretty crap girlfriend lately in that I always seem to be moaning or stressing at Dan lately. I pre-warned him that I'd be like this over these last few months and to just ignore me and he has been a saint, I'm very grateful. We went to Centre Parcs a month ago now and that was lush to just get away from all the madness of Swansea and chill out swimming (if you can call the jacuzzi that) and all the rest of it.
The Summer Ball at uni is planned and looking very cool. We've got GLC, Kosheen, Hundred Reasons and 411 (Dumb-diggity-diggity-dumb) plus a fairground which is free admission all night. It's gonna be messy but it's gonna be bloody awesome. It's on 10th June but gd knows what I'll be doing and where the hell I'll be for the rest of my summer. Watch this space, literally!

Lauz xxx

This is serious now

One week in to Semester 2 of my 3rd year I finally feel like I am doing a degree; I have never felt so stressed out by work! I have to do a presentation on the work that I have done on my dissertation so far in two weeks, panicing because I haven't actually haven't done all that much.
I have been working hard on my applications for Postgraduate Magaine Journalism for ages now and they are finally ready to go, just awaiting my references.
In the last month I have started freelancing for Sound Nation Magazine, it's nice to feel that I've actually made the career choice and also lovely to get paid for some of this work finally! Makes Top Shop seem more boring than ever but I'm just basking in the thought that I will only be there for another six months.
Anyway, that's all the crap stuff mentioned, life is far more fun than that. I've been to loads of gigs lately and have a few more lined up this week; going to the NME Tour and Green Day this week and over the past few weeks I've been to see Keane live and to the Tsunami relief concert in Cardiff. Although we got really cold there it was bloody brilliant! Snow Patrol, Embrace and Keane were my highlights.
Although I am realising this is the last few months I have iwth people in Swansea and although there is a lot of work in between now and the end I know it will come fast and I'm looking forward to it in a way; certainly to feeling more grown-up and new places and challenges.
Off to Centre Parcs for Valentine's Day in a couple of weeks, really looking forward to it, will be really nice to chill out for a few days.
Anyway that's my life at the moment, hope you are all ok,

Luv and hugs,

Lauz x

Happy New Year

First of all thanks to everyone who helped to make my Christmas lush despite it being largely dominated by the highstreet whore that is Top Shop. I had a lush time with family and friends over the Christmas period and spent New Year's Eve in Swansea, at house parties and on the beach for Midnight. Unfortunately because I had drunk an entire bottle of Malibu I didn't last much longer but it was good none-the-less.
On to a different, much sadder note wanted to say something about the recent Tsuanami disaster in Asia. I have been deeply saddend by the pictures of places that I visited this summer in such distress. We all should do a little something to help the people who have lost everything.
As per usual I'm writing on here because I have an essay to do. It's very boring. As my Dad reminded me the other day this is the downhill slog now and although I love uni to bits I'm actually quite glad about that. I'm sick of studying something that I hate and to be honest have had a enough of living in such a huge house (no offence to housemates, but 9 is alot). This is certainly gonna be a year of change for most of us lot so I just wanna say good luck to you all. We've gotta make the most of our last few months together and if you don't stay in touch after July there'll be trouble!
Best of luck for the looming exams, meet me at the bar!

Lauz

xxx

Lonely in the library

Well it December 21st, not long to go. I'm still in Swansea thanks to bloody Top Shop. It's not too bad though, I'm in the library working on my PGD applications still. Taking ages, starting to worry about my uni work, wanted this done in a few days. Figure that it's the most important thing at the moment though.
London was lush although I long for the day when money's not an issue. We went up on Megabus which cost just £7 but was freezing cold and a bit restrictive for space. This was particualrly bad for Dan who's very tall and therefore felt very squished! Our hotel was ok but the TV had one working English channel and even that flickered as the tube rumbled under our room! In the morning we went to the Borough food market which was awesome, a treat for the senses for sure. They had food stales from all over the Uk. It was cold but it was nice to drink take-away coffee and eat burgers in the cold. After that we went to Oxford Street were our visits to Selfridges and the Apple shop caused us to make vowes to get high-paid jobs ASAP!
For the last few hours we went over to my favourite place in London: St Paul's cathedral. We walked over the Millenium Bridge to Tate Modern before heading back to our coach home.
Saturday night was the Traditional Christmas feast at home which was lush as always. Gem and Katy really put my cooking to shame. Was good to see everyone and relive the insanity that was Jo's party.
Sunday I had to be up at 5 to getr from Somerset to Top Shop for 9. This left me feeling ill so as soon as I got home from work I collapsed in bed. In the afternoon I cooked a meal for Dan and think that I have finally succeeded in not creating a culinary disaster! Have to thank my Mum who I had on the phone throughout the whole project.
Monday I slept till 12 which was lush and had a relaxing day. Also had my first bag of Mini Eggs which Spar now have! Mad or what?!
Saw this cool book in London that I desperately want now: The Babe Bible. Looks like the kinda book all us girls should own. I vow to get a copy ASA I have money! :-(
Sick of being poor.
Gotta get on with this stuff now. Keep well and warm everyone,

Luv and hugs,

Lauz x

"I Live to Fall Asleep" - The Manics

Well the Autumn term has come to an end and I am sat in the now quite quiet library working on my application for Cardiff's Magazine Journalism course. Feeling quite tired but listening to Coldplay's Yellow and remembering again how much I love this song. This evening Dan and I are going up to London. We're staying in a hotel tonight and tomorrow are going from the shops and Christmasy sights which will be lush. I don't really have any money but it will just be nice to look and we don't really get that much time together so it will be nice in that respect too. We have also just booked to go to Paris for Valentine's day which will be lush.
Now I look back over the term I realize that yet again it was quite different to any that pre-dated it. I got heavily involved in university life and loved every second of it. I am seriously dreading leaving and am desperate to sort out what I'm actually going to be up to come June. Don't know where to live over the summer, the thought of being stuck in Somerset frightens me to death.
Also no longer sure what to do for New Year's Eve as it has now been cancelled in Divas. Bummer.
Looking forward to spending some time with my family and getting all my work and prospects up together over the holidays.
Merry Christmas to you all,

Don't eat too much turkey!

Lauz xxx

Oh no, drunk again! "Ya'I'know!"

Just got back from Divas and am really very wasted! Writing on here is probably not the best idea but who ever said I had good ideas. It's been a good week although another very mature week i.e this is the first night I've been drunk in a week and a half (that's a long time). That's because I've had loads of coursework and no money. Together that equalls Lauz staying in.
We had our first Ents Committee meeting on Wednesday. We came up with a really good ad campaign so watch this space.
Really wanting to hear the new U2 and Destiny's Child Albums but reluctant to buy them.
Been to the gym quite a bit this week.
Next week is looking manic. Monday is the Waterfront social (if you wanna come and join us in Time VIP let me know ASAP), Tuesday Fairy Ball. Wednesday is the Firewalk, Thursday and Friday are Arcadia and then am going to a party in Somerset on Saturday.
Cooked another very awful meal for Dan lsat night bless him. I really need to learn how to cook but he's very good at pretending food really isn't that bad! He totally beat me tonight by producing a meal that was both properly cooked and yummy.
Got Karl Morgan on the show on Tuesday which should be cool. Haven't been able to do it for the last couple of weeks due to reasons of commitment and technicalities!
Tomorrow is looking as hectic as any other day but that's the way I like it.
Tired but not wanting to sleep. Loving the new albums from Jimmy Eat World, Embrace, The killers and the Manics. If you haven't heard any of them then you must.
Watched Bridget Jones far too much lately.Decieded she is my best friend!
Finally gettign to sort Thailand photos out, yay!
Christmas is suddenly all over me making it hard to breathe! Want to buy everyone so much, wish I had more money (or should I say money at all).
Really wanting to go away at the mo. Planning to go to London before Xmas and also planning to go to Paris in Feburary which will be lush.
Anyway think that I should stop myself before I allow my drunken state to embarrase me further!

Luv and hugs,

Very drunken Lauz xxxx

Control the boiling blood!

A post was put on the university forum complaining about Waterfront. The author gave all these brilliant suggestions for things that we could do to change it.

(http://www.swan.ac.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=435)

Although some of the points were fair most were naive and unfounded and it annoyed me because I hate people who do nothing themselves but are happy to sit around and complaining about the efforts of people who do have a go. After a few hours I posted my reply (1245 words) and I hope that is had good effective. On the up side is was good to see Waterfront evoking so much emotion, makes me feel that we are doing something right.
I'm in Somerset at the moment, came home to have a bit of a slog on the old coursework. Progress has been constant but slow, better than it would have been in Swansea! Why is it I can't get any work done there?
Saw Bridget Jones 2 the other day, loving it. Like most other women who watch that film I see so many similarities between her and myself, it restores my faith and stops me from feeling like a total failure by realising everyone else feels the same!
In mentioning Bridget Jones I realise I already realise that I sound like a typical girl and my next comment is going to further support that idea: Cosmo is great. I read it the other day and I'm not sure exactly why but it made me feel so good. Long live Cosmo!
Suppose I should really get back to work, grrrrrrr!

Why?!

This all began one dark winter's night when I should have been doing my coursework, like so many things do.
Right now I'm feeling guilty about my work so shall go and do that and come back and say something profound later once what's left of my blonde brain has completely shrivelled up.

Lauz x