So yeah, somewhat rested from the closing bout of this year's Edinburgh Film Festival... I can get to rustling up a few words here. Air Guitar Nation (not to be confused with West coast of Scotland's Ayr Guitar Nation) is a great little documentary that works in spite of the obvious daftness of the subject. We've all done it. We've all caught that mighty riff and made that Townsend windmill at some point. You haven't? Your arse. So anyways, The USA decides to get in on the Annual Finnish World Air Guitar Championships and this charts that journey. Admittedly there are dubious sequences throughout the film which makes it look like a spoof. This Björn Türöque character seems like a "plant" but all turns out well in the end and like it's said. Finland rocks. And so does this film. By the end you'll be grinning like a loon and up for having a go at it yourself. One wee gripe is that they spell Roy Trakin's name wrong twice in the credits but hey, it was a surprise to see him up there. AGN is actually headed for Oulo in September where airaoke may well eat itself but it'll have a whole lot of fun in the process. Would have liked to have stuck around for the Q&A and maybe even the Mercat event but I had to make a quick exit and get to the Cameo for loudQUIETloud: a film about The Pixies. I was never a fan but they had their moments and it seems like Charles Thompson is something of a character. This documentary about their reunion doesn't offer much in terms of a reason why they became so huge but it holds together pretty well, even for a non-believer. Somebody should be writing a treatment for a Deal sisters reality show though. It could well be a new Osbournes. They are something else. Nothing much happens in between playing to packed houses, the old tensions are apparent and that's what probably feeds the urgency of their trademark sound as described by the title. It's probably better that they don't make another Pixies record but who knows. lQl offers up some some great live footage and while it maybe won't convert you, it's a reasonable way to spend a litle under 90 minutes.

So let's see, this thing looks like it's working again. It wasn't before I went to catch Air Guitar Nation and loudQUIETloud: a film about the Pixies. More about these tomorrow, I just had the train ride from hell back from Edinburgh. Packed with pissed-up Snow Patrol fans and sundry other divots. Not pretty or clever. And people ask me why I don't like to go out, if you'd have been there then you would have seen a cast iron, maybe even titanium example. Wonder if the poor guy who had to go all the way to Stirling among this rabble and then change for Perth made it? First Scotrail really need to get their act together, the thought is making my neck pop. Time to calm down with some Bilko.

PCL Concerts present the New York Dolls at ABC 1, Glasgow... Thursday 26th Oct 2006 at 7pm - £15 Over 14's, under 16's must be accompanied by an adult.

RIP - Maynard Ferguson

Did you hear the one about the chemical spill? I didn't. Not until I got up and discovered a message from Stewart Cruickshank about it this morning. Tis said to have taken place yesterday at 4pm or thereabouts but I heard nada. No sirens, nowt. Didn't have the TV or radio either and all of this was going on yards from the bunker here. The person quoted in this news report is my downstairs neighbour. I can see the road closure from my front window.

Divinyl Benzene on the loose allegedly, I thought to myself, isn't he that new folk guy? The one that sounds vaguely Bolan-ey. Hey you say Baloney, I say... no harm done - eh?

The very great Yo La Tengo are back in Scotland. Just over a year since they shook Edinburgh's Liquid Rooms to it's very foundations. They play on September 3rd as part of the Indian Summer bill in the Victoria Park. It's a two day event which includes The Fall, CSS and Camera Obscura. Much more of a curated bill than yer average festival line-up. Check out the full rundown here.

When you consider the amount of shite that's reissued week in and week out, can it really be possible that The Distractions "Nobody's Perfect" is out of print in any format? A quick "Google" would suggest that this is indeed the case. Pulled out my vinyl copy and it's a wee bit the worse for wear but it'll have to suffice. What a fine album it is, owing more to the spirit of The Undertones than their fellow Mancs that they're often compared to. Top, timeless pop gold surely ripe for resurrection?

Douze posters, handscreened, numbered, etc. Thanks to Ulli at Flying Revolver for the jpegs.

Yesterday was crummy for various reasons and I was (makes tiny distance gesture between thumb and forefinger) this away from blowing out my Film Fest fix, "Walking To Werner". Well, i'm glad now that I dragged myself into town because it was easily the best thing I've seen so far. Maybe not something for everybody but there's a curious honesty about WtW which should chime with any driven soul. It doesn't come over as contrived which is another plus. The passages of Herzog dialogue sit well within the concept and the music by Turpentine Brother, Justin Hubbard is the proverbial frosting on the cake. A version of "I'll Be Your Mirror" by producer Dayna Hanson is cracking too. If you get a chance to see this, i've no idea if it has distribution or not, then take it. Take any tosspot diatribes against it with a pinch of salt (like the one that almost put me off going) because there's a naive charm here that's all too rare in this day and age. irrespective of how easy it is to "shoot" roadkill with DV.

If you are a "musician" headed for the UK then you might want to consider this. Is there a sturdy enough product on the market to be baggage-handler proof? Perhaps not, such a vessel might be viewed as a challenge to their art... then there's the temperature/pressure issue? Who could blame you if you decided to cancel. Or maybe you could arrange to borrow an instrument? Of course, it's not the same as having your own but it beats the heck outta having your beloved guitar or whatever trashed. The very thought gives me the heebies...

Upcoming REZILLOS shows! Spanish dates with Suzy Y Los Quattro!!

SPAIN
14th September - Madrid - El Sol
15th September - Murcia - Lemon Pop
16th September - Durang0 - Kultural Platermina
17th September - Barcelona - Apolo

29th October - Glasgow - Academy

BRAZIL
17th November - Sao Paulo - Hangar 110
18th November - Sao Paulo - Hangar 110

A SYNERGY promotion. Check out their site.

No sooner is The Cameo "saved" than the burghers in Edinburgh are at it again. Now they want to close The Queens Hall... I only just found out about this. Please sign the petition. Also some background to the situation here. A waterfront Concert Hall eh? Oh that'd be handy... this utter stupidity needs to halted now. If I didn't have other stuff to attend to then I could really go off on one. Why not just flatten the Castle or at least scoop out the insides and make it into a mall? Then it could look down on the sorry-ass state of Princes Street from its primo retail position. I think the people that run the city need to be thinking about restoring the vital signs at its heart and doing everything in their hamfisted power to keep great OLD venues like The Queens Hall alive as a positive aspect of their acreage. These (insert term of abuse here) have no respect so why should we show them any. On the other hand, this for Bo'ness...

Check out Kitty Kowalski's pictures from last week's Nomads boat trip. If you keep going you'll find her shots from Gearfest also.

Saw this yesterday. Clerks 2 is out here on September 22nd and is the expected puerile smut with a good heart. Kinda thought Kevin Smith woulda been there for an introduction at least but nope. If you're not familiar with the franchise then I don't know what to tell you. It's no "Chasing Amy" or "Mallrats" but Rosario Dawson is great and Wanda from "Curb" is in it. People keep putting the boot into "Jersey Girl" too but as I recall, I liked it better than "Dogma". Anyway, there are no frontiers being broken down here but if some stupid entertainment is on your agenda then this'll do you just fine. Also, check out the View Askew website, some funny stuff going on in yonder.

The Cramps interview from backstage at the Astoria for Michael the Mutants website...

My shopping phobia is getting worse but sometimes needs must so I dragged my bahookie out early this morning. Driving through old 'hoods where the wrecking balls have been in operation only adds to my misgivings about even heading out the door. However, there was the bonus that it was raining and generally driech so this, plus my Hello Saferide soundtrack kinda made me impervious to what was happening "out there" beyond my environs. So anyways, I reach my destination and it's immediately evident that I struck out. No hanging about, back into the car and offsky. Foray two fared no better and other than managing to get shot of a bunch of bags into a recycling facility, nada. There's no choice anymore, stocks are cut and you either make do with the shite that they do have or you come away cursing. Let's hear it for the ol' potty mouth. So, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" as Boner whined. We finally have something in common. Innit.

Another day at the film festival then... starting with Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman. Sounds like an Ealing comedy but it seems like the prototype which segued into shows like "The Streets of San Francisco". based on a Swedish novel and relocated from Stockholm, it almost seems like a TV pilot but that said it's a great snapshot and they certainly don't make them like this anymore. It has gone with an equally snappy (not) title of "An Investigation Of Murder" in a previous life. On equal billing with any of the players, the star is old SF itself. Something that added to the whole experience was the introduction by Eddie Cockrell of Variety who obviously knows his onions and cares enough to share them. This screening was at Filmhouse but it was off to the antiseptic "wheel 'em in" Cineworld for Gretchen. There's not much on this interweb thing about this except comparisons to "Napoleon Dynamite" and "Welcome To The Dollhouse". I never saw ND but it sure as hell isn't "Dollhouse". Anyway, it's like if Harmony Korine made a movie for Disney. The contrived dysfunction snuffs any humour in the uncomfortable crawlspace. It has it's moments but those are pretty few and far between. One of the characters, Marla (Yasmine Kittles), looks a little like Triche Boonaaara so that was a plus. I thought Courtney Davis (Gretchen Finkle) looked like Melissa Joan Hart so thatw as a little too much dibelief to suspend. There's no Q&A or director present, or even an EIFF representative on hand to try and buff up the premise. Perhaps because the previous screening in that room over-ran. I dunno. Anyway, I was kinda glad to get out of there because much grazing on popcorn and other processed foyer shit was going down. Can I recommend it? In all honesty no. Might try and catch more of the "They Might Be Giants" thread because at least some effort is being applied in this department and we're dealing with work that has trailblazed in it's time.