For those that missed it in the cinema last year, I Swear is on Netflix from tomorrow. It’s a great film with terrific performances from all involved (but, especially, the BAFTA winning Robert Aramayo).

I Swear

Long story short is that, following my Mum’s death and a lengthy (partly self inflicted) probate, my brother and I are selling my Mum’s house. It’s been a while since I’ve had to use an Estate Agent and I have mostly not had great experiences. Since then, Rightmove (and others) seem to have transformed the market and what used to be a locally run marketing campaign by a bricks and mortar Estate Agent now seems to be, largely, a gateway to Rightmove for the same percentage fee.

There are a large number of online only estate agents which have a range of fixed fee services which can either be paid up front or on a no win, no fee basis. With some flavours in between.

Does anyone have any experience of selling online only? Did it work and would you do it again?

There are a few songs that I consider to be, without sane exception, brilliant. Those songs that no one, in their right mind, could dislike. I’m intrigued as to how many there are out there, And, whether the AW Massive is an appropriate laboratory to prove or disprove these songs as being universal.

If you have a song you consider universally accepted as brilliant, post it and get it checked out.

My couple in the comments.

Watching the interview with Farage about his behaviour at school, a couple of things occurred to me.

Firstly, he looks really uncomfortable – shifting in his seat, perspiring, switching from defensive to aggressive and struggling to work out how to fix this with his normal approach.

Secondly, he is trying to call out around 20 people as liars whilst categorically not denying that he said those things he has been accused of, only that he did not deliberately intend to cause any hurt.

It raises the interesting question of how much bigotry and arrogance is going to be too much for Reform to retain the current levels of support. Is this Farage backstory going to work in their favour or is it going to be a step too far for those floating voters.

Video in the comments.

Geese are a band new to me but the latest album – Getting Killed – is a cracker. Sounding like an a list of Word friendly influences (I’m getting Spoon, Talking Heads, Rufus Wainwright, Guillemots, Car Seat Headrest & Radiohead) it still sounds new and interesting.

The poppiest song on the album , Cobra, is in the comments.

I recommend it to the house.

It’s very quiet round here…

Flicking through TikTok (I know – I’m too old), a clip of a man and a piano singing a song came up. It was good – shades of Macca, Nilsson and Rufus Wainwright. Video in the comments.

I love how TikTok is adding a new way of discovering music and artists. This is one example but the other week I had the Cocteau Twins on in the car when picking up my 17 year old daughter up. She immediately said that she knew the song and loved it (Heaven or Las Vegas) and that she’d heard it from TikTok. She is now delving deeper into the Cocteau Twins. Which can only be a good thing.

Hurts are a band that I have a vague recollection of but not sure I ever listened to anything by them. Saw a clip of them over the weekend on the socials performing a live version of Illuminated. Properly impressed and don’t recall seeing anything about them. It’s like the best Eurovision song ever – complete with a bit of operatic backing vocals.

Video in the comments.

The EDC thread had a diversion into the world of fountain pens caused by @fitterstoke calling out the HongDian M2 as a great value Kaweco Sport alternative. A couple of other M2 owners sung it’s praise and at least 3 were ordered.

So there are a few of pen enthusiasts here (there are other terms but some of them sound quite sinister) and I wondered what ink you use and recommend?

I have some cartridges for my Kaweco (some black and some grey) and a bottle of black Lamy ink for my Lamy fountain pen. A quick search on theinternet suggests that there is at least as much conversation around ink and colour as there is about pens.

So – what do you use and why? And which bottles have the best way of avoiding (or minimising) and inky end?

I wondered how many Afterworders have succombed to the burgeoning EDC craze? I dare you to look it up on You Tube. It’s where the doomsday preppers meet the tech nerds in the Venn diagram of socially awkward men.

I like the idea of having some useful stuff with me and, having stumbled onto some you tube videos – I decided to start. I bought a little wallet sized pouch thing (Alpaka Pouch) and have shoved a multi tool, some pain killers, some tape, some antiseptic wipes, spectacle wipes, a tiny sheet of phone numbers, bank cards , drivers licence, a credit card sized tracker and some cash in it.

I’m quite pleased with myself (especially the phone numbers thing – the rest of my family wanted one). But I am also clearly quite ashamed of it (only my son is aware of the stuff in it – he is impressed). I don’t dare tell my wife – waiting more for that moment where my mini scissors, gorilla tape and pain killers are useful (use you imagination) to quietly and herically save the day in front of either Mrs LB or my daughter.

Anyone else doing this? Or are » Continue Reading.

Unfortunately, not my waistline but a whip smart, grown up and sentimental comedy programme on Apple TV+. It has a whiff of Ted Lasso about it – especially the generous amounts of learning and journey people are on. But it is terrific.

Jason Segel is perfect in the lead role of a recently wodowed father whose wife was killed by a drunk drive. He is also a therapist who finds it easier to help other people solve their emotional problems than address their own. Full of ridculously attractive and likeable people it should be terrible but it isn’t. It takes on tough and emotional themes and still makes you laugh while you are on the rollercoaster.

It’s worth watching for Harrison Ford alone. But there is much more to it than that.

And it often has beautifully selected music in it’s soundtrack.

It’s very easy (I find) to forget just how good R.E.M were a few years ago. I heard The Great Beyond for the first time in ages today. It’s perfect R.E.M. Apparently, it was their highest chart placign single in the UK as well.

Video in the comments.

Vulpes has posted a Rocky Horror Show song in the great pauses thread. It made me think that I have never heard the song and have never seen the show or film. I am vaguely familiar with the Timewarp song but I do not recall ever listening to it actively or all the way through. I have certainly not done it. I then realised I have a strong desire to go nowhere near the Rocky Horror Show. I think its the sheer cheese of what it has become – like a hen night/stag night made into a quirky gothinc musical.

I have other actvively managed blackspots.

I don’t like the idea or concept of Tull. Too much hair and flute. Time changes, folk influences. They remind of my Dad’s cooking – he would continue adding ingredients until he had no more to add.

I avoid Star Wars at all costs. It’s just not good enough to warrant the hype and love that it seems to get. To me, it’s the Greggs sausage roll of film franchises. It’s bland and boring and there are so many better options.

The Marvel universe. The film equivilant of eating delivery pizza every day. » Continue Reading.

Emboldened by my Sam Fender post, I’m going to stick my head above the AW Muso parapet and post about my love of Lewis Capadi.

A Scottish Ed Sheeran I hear some of you say? Yes – but also no. He can knock out a tune in the same manner. And, similarly, he can hit the bullseye on emotional, acoustic pop music. But he is also, I think, a lyricist capable of work beyond his years. He is also the least likely pop star possibly ever. Genuinely so.

The song that got me is Before You Go. A simple love song at first glance but, actually, a song written about his aunts suicide. It’s a moving song and a great performance.

His recent documentary is also well worth a watch. It shows a down to earth lad dealing with enourmous amounts of fame and work struggling to deal with the pressure. He then discovers he suffers from Tourettes. It’s not your standard pop star stuff – and all the better for that. He seems to me to be something of a throwback to where pop stars were famous becasue the songs were good.

Video in the comments.

I’m a little surprised at how little attention Sam Fender gets round here. @niallb has sung his praises before but apart from that, not much.

And yet he seems to the right in the Afterword sweet spot. Like the offspring of a one night stand between Bruce Springsteen and The War On Drugs with his very own pop sensibility, The music is both classically rock but also bang up to date. Tunes aplenty, brilliant productions and lyrically interesting. I think the lad is ticking every box.

His last single, People Watching, is a groove, a tune and a moving set of lyrics about the loss of a family member. A fresh version of what we used to enjoy a few years ago.

Video in the comments.

Following on from the kitchen hacks thread, and prompted by a thing I learned via the internet during the recent (very) cold snap, I thought it would good to have a more general hacks thread.

My recent discovery was caused by the doors on my wifes car freezing up to the point that I thought I was going to break the door handles before the door would move.

A quick google came up with the suggestion of cleaning the rubber door seals with a product called Gummipflege (as ever, it seems, the Germans have solved this problem). A wipe down of the seals later and the next day (the coldest yet) the door opened with absolute ease.

So thats my top tip – what are yours?

Good luck to all and sundry for the first competition of 2025.

If anyone is interested in 3 tickets for The Damned show in Newcastle let me know. A friend has managed to buy them for the wrong venue and is open to offers. Face value £45 each

Video in the next comment but just need to share this glorious thing.

Heard this in a shop yesterday (a very hipster denim shop in Spitalfields where I could buy a pair of jeans that cost as much as a washing machine). I did one of those stand still in the shop just listening to it (much to the consternation of my wife) things and then got Soundhound out.

My intent is to secure 4 tickets for Wembley next August. My daughter especially is a fan and my wife is very keen to see them. My son and I are both partial to ‘ver Play. And I doubt anyone doea big gigs better. And gig going as a family is one of my favourite things.

I joined and was immediatly thrust into position 55,042 at 09:00. 55 minutes later, I have reached a dizzying 37,659. This is clearly going to go on until lunchtime when, I fear, the tickets will run out before I have managed to get 4. I will keep you posted.