cat's eyes

I've been listening to the Cat's Eyes album, which is by Faris Badwan, frontman of the Horrors, and Rachel Zeffira the opera singer.

But this isn't a faux classical trip, just a classic.

The first time I heard it as an album was in reverse, courtesy of that iTunes thing where a CD's tracks get reversed in 'recently loaded' or whatever its called.

And the first striking thing I noticed was the space on the sound. Really wide - a kind of old school analogue stage with the music rolling gently away. I continued with the reverse listening and decided that this was one chilled album.

Most of the songs are only two or three minutes long, but the effect is a very solid work of instantly re-listeneable music. There's all kinds of little sonics included, a touch of early Pink Floyd synth and Cor Anglais on a track called 'Bandit' plus sweeping violas and vibraphones dotted here and there. Laura Palmer would have played it at Twin Peaks.

There's channeling of 60's style pop, and some tricks played with the vocals without resorting to the annoying comedic ueber-autotuning on most of pop radio output at the moment.

Spacey trippy, pass the jasmine joss.

it's got a basket, a bell that rings and things to make it look good

I popped briefly into the bike show in Earl's Court today for which they'd set up a big bicycle park outside.

Inside there was a strikingly blue carpet (more or less the main colour of the rashbre central background) and large numbers of people roaming around looking at the various equipment on display. It's ages since I've been to an Earl's Court exhibition, and I suspect the last time was for something to do with information technology.

The format seemed identical, though, with the stands, a few larger areas and some exhibits - in this case of mountain bike trails and a commuter circuit where the latest folding and fixie bikes were being pedalled around. The edges contained snack bars which I'd place in the 'absolute emergency use only' category.

There were plenty of exotic bikes on show, and lots of high tech gears and gizmos.

I'd wondered if it was going to be a small affair, but there seemed to be a largish part of the Hall set aside and in some places the crowds completely blocked the walkways.

Perhaps the combination of improving cycleways, green agenda, London Hire Scheme and similar is moving more people back onto two wheels?