Good Question That

Staying in '79 a little longer with Derry's finest. Ever since Alexander Graham Bell invented the dog and bone, kids the world over have been asking the question Feargal Sharkey poses here. Few will have matched the pure urgency in his voice though. "Do it, do it, do it, do it..."

The Undertones - You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)

So Hard To Beat

Currently enjoying Good Night And Good Riddance, David Cavanagh's lovely new book about legendary BBC dj John Peel. Presented as an alternative history of the UK from the sixties to the nineties of sorts, and filled with tons of accurate and often very witty insights, this does the late tastemaker proud indeed. For the soundtrack: an everlasting Peel fave from Derry's Undertones. "The reason the song resonates so deeply with him isn't because it reminds him of his teenage kicks. It's because it reminds him, overwhelmingly, that he had no teenage kicks at all..."

Undertones - Teenage Kicks

Balcony days

It´s one of these January weeks that makes one especially happy to be living in the Catalan capital of Barcelona.  Apart from great atmosphere, great food and great football, to name but a few, the mediterranean climate sure agrees with me. And as I used to live in much colder climes (Holland, England and to a lesser extent Ireland), I sure do appreciate a clear blue sky and a bit of warmth in winter... Rain and sleet, be gone.

It´s been 19 degrees centigrade and sunny for days now, which gives you the privilege to sit on the balcony in just a t-shirt for a couple of hours each afternoon. Spring really starts here in early March, but some plants are already budding out now, the odd bee is flying about and even the bats have woken up from their hibernation. And I´m enjoying every minute of it. No doubt we´ve got a few chilly days still ahead of us here - although it never snows and subzero temperatures are unheard of -  but I´m already dreaming of a long hot summer. "Time to discover what fun is about".

The Undertones - Here Comes The Summer MP3