Sunday 26 July 2020

Chop’s Journal - 26 Jul 2020

This was an eventful week though, as I mentioned last week, I’m catching up on posts and things are beginning to fade from my memory a little. 


After lord knows how many weeks of me doing the weekly shopping I’ve got into the groove and am generally less stressed by the whole experience. It was a little unexpected then that this would be the week I got into a massive argument with someone in Tesco. I was queuing at the checkouts & things are less regimented than they were a few weeks back but I had an eye on where I expected to go. 


A new cashier jumped on and called me forward to a different till. I spotted this old fella with a basket & tried to point him out but we’re all quite far apart and it’s difficult to make myself heard. She was quite jolly & beckoning me forward, old fella not paying attention either, so I go with it & begin to unload. I have three shops as I’m getting bits for the old folk across from us. Get first on when till manager waves to my cashier to try & get old fella in. That’s fine. I step back and let them through but old fella is being grumbly. 


Then the cashier realises her till is broken & she needs to switch. She explains this & moves over, taking my first shop with her. Old fella is still unloading his basket on what is now the wrong till. She calls him over & it’s this point things get heated. He gets cross & moans at her. Tesco supervisor comes back to assist. Doesn’t help. He gets moaned at too. My first shop is now in the way, 3 Tesco staff are trying to assist & old fella is just being horrible to them so I step in and explain they’re just trying to help him out but that makes him angrier. 


He starts having a go at me for pushing in. I kind of did but not deliberately and I explain that. He just carries on having a go at everyone. I have a go back. The 3rd Tesco cashier suggests moving me to another till and again helps me move my stuff. We leave grumpy fella to his thing and get set up ready to get my stuff paid for. She says thank you for trying to stand up for them. Of course grumpy fella didn’t have much to get through and walks past my new position. He has another go at me at which point I finish loading my shopping on the till before walking up to him & really letting rip. 


This is a few days before masks become mandatory in shops. I’m wearing one. He isn’t. I point this out. I don’t believe in masks he counters. Of course you fucking don’t. Security guard arrives unaware of what has gone on but it’s over and he ends up just walking out with the grumpy git. It’s not a nice feeling to lose your temper in public & I regret it but I hate seeing people who don’t appreciate what folks like shop workers have to do, especially over the last few months. 


Later on that week there was a fire at one of our neighbours. She’s been renovating for years and only moved in recently. We don’t yet know her very well & she was out at work when it happened. Builder had stripped the paint off the front sash window and left for the day. Seems an ember or two had slipped inside the sash housing and caught light. 


My immediate neighbour had clocked this, he’s a decorator by trade and explained afterwards he’s always worried about the risk of stripping back like that. Maybe because he was concerned meant he was on look out but he smelled the smoke first & saw what was going on. As he rang the fire brigade we ran our garden hose round and I started trying to damp down the smoke. Got another hose on it from the other side too but by now it’s billowing smoke. 


Fire brigade turns up within 5 minutes & we bail out the way. They put some proper hoses on it but it still takes half and hour to get it done. They have to rip off part of the housing & smash a window to get in the house. All things considered not that much damage and another neighbour brings them a cuppa when it’s done. 





New SOTW


Dee Dee Ramone - Helen Love


https://open.spotify.com/track/05BN0nqt0hwAz0ysMg5T6p?si=WWSkirSyRmGYVOffrr8FLA 


Music I’m enjoying


The new album from Samantha Crain is a stunner. Possibly her career best. I’ve failed to catch her live yet but did watch a little streamed show she did for Music’s Not Dead to support this release and very much hope to see her for real when we get the chance. 


I’m also enjoying the debut Silverbacks album. I saw them play a free show at The Old Blue Last in January and they were the best band on the bill. 





Chop’s A2Z - Week 4: D


‪Week 4 of #chopsA2Z please suggest a favourite album by a band or artist beginning with D and explain why you think I should listen to it. 


Albums I’d not heard before


1: Tanya Donnelly “Beauty Sleep” @perlalaloca - Absolutely loved this. I’ve got two more listens to go but really looking forward to them. Highlights were The Storm & So Much Song. 


2: Devo “Duty Now For The Future” @citizen_jc - This wasn’t the instant hit I’d expected. They definitely sound like a band I should like but maybe need my full attention and this week I’ve been multi tasking a lot. 


3: Destroyer “Kaputt” @tristanjt - Some interesting songs on here. Another album I think needs further listening for me to really get. I’m not a huge fan of Dan’s voice but maybe that’s just down to expectation again. 


4: Dusty Trails “Dusty Trails” @sulaviedilejo - Sumptuous cinematic vibe that I really enjoyed. Reminded me a little of the Air debut album but also very soundtracky. Some nice brass additions & loads of very cool bass lines. 


Albums I already own


🔹Death in Vegas “The Contino Sessions” @mjgelder

🔹Dark Star “Twenty Twenty Sound” @eveshambaggy

🔹Detroit Cobras “Mink, Rat or Rabbit” @girlshirl1 

🔹Dead Kennedy’s “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” @davidrogmoor @pablooplywiss 


Of the albums I own already the Detroit Cobras is my absolute favourite. Full of stomping soul driven garage rock. The DKs a close 2nd with a ferocious album that I still love. DiV & DS felt like they’d aged less well but nice to hear both again. 


Overspill list


🔺Disco Inferno “The 5 EPs” @williemcalpine 

🔺Dory Previn “Dory Previn” @paul_hilton 

🔺Doris Duke “I’m A Loser” @wcboggs 

🔺Dion “Born To Be With You” @sineadmcq

🔺Devandra Banhart “Cripple Crow” @tobiascotton 

🔺 Department of Eagles “In Ear Park” @citizenmeh 

🔺DJ Shadow “Endtroducing” @disco_juan & @factoryjimbo 

🔺Dumb “Club Nites” @SandyWishart


I was actually looking for a way to cut down the albums I listen to but there were too many intriguing suggestions this week for me to ignore. 


Glad I gave this bunch a listen too. Actually pretty much enjoyed every one but Doris Duke, DJ Shadow, Dumb & Department of Eagles were my favourites.


The full list of nominations 

▪️Dandy Warhols “Come Down” @shakastic

▪️Demented Are Go “In Sickness & Health” @dingasurfbunny 

▪️The Doors “The Doors” @pahudson

🔹De La Soul “3 Feet High & Rising” @herealexhere 

▪️Donny Hathaway “Everything is Everything” @danred71 

▪️Delays “Faded Seaside Glamour” @neilc79 

▪️Delta “Slippin’ Out” @sirsidneyp 

▪️The Drums “The Drums” @hertfordsoul 

▪️Iris DeMent “My Life” @darrenmjones

🔹Death in Vegas “The Contino Sessions” @mjgelder

▪️Dead Prez “Let’s Get Free” @emdehaney 

🔹Dark Star “Twenty Twenty Sound” @eveshambaggy

▪️Dale Hawkins “L.A. Memphis & Tyler, Texas” @greatestalbum70 

▪️Dinosaur Jr “Farm” @elhozzo3

▪️Dinosaur Jr “Where You Been?” @ipswichjon 

🔹Detroit Cobras “Mink, Rat or Rabbit” @girlshirl1 

▪️The Distillers “Coral Fang” @preservation76 

🔹Deus “Worst Case Scenario” @GreeneDermot67 

🔹Deus “Worst Case Scenario” @Maffrj

▪️The Distractions “Nobody’s Perfect” @ambnorwich 

▪️Desert Mountain Tribe “Either That or the Moon” @stillhonest 

🔺Dory Previn “Dory Previn” @paul_hilton 

▪️Desperate Journalist “Grow Up” @GLPNE73 

▪️DIIV “Oshin” @tansleyjames 

▪️DIIV “Oshin” @cjl__73

▪️Dr Dog “Fate” @rock_goal 

▪️Dr Dog “Be The Void” @tmulraney

🔺DJ Shadow “Endtroducing” @disco_juan 

🔺DJ Shadow “Endtroducing” @factoryjimbo 

🔺Doris Duke “I’m A Loser” @wcboggs 

🔺Tanya Donnelly “Beauty Sleep” @perlalaloca 

▪️Dvorak’s Symphonic Dances @nakedfooty 

▪️Drab Majesty “Modern Mirror” @catanddrumsc 

▪️Des Demonas “Des Demonas” @gigticket 

▪️Delicatessen “Skin Touching Water” @bodlingboy 

🔹Diesel Park West “Shakespeare Alabama” @domsg 

▪️Dumptruck “Positively Dumptruck” @agarr45 

▪️Dumptruck “For The Country” @apostatehymnals 

▪️Dalek I “Compass Kumpass” @durutti74 

▪️The Dream Syndicate “The Days of Wine and Roses” @davidpeters_

🔺Disco Inferno “The 5 EPs” @williemcalpine 

▪️Disco Inferno “Open Doors, Closed Windows” @thesweetcheat 

▪️Deja Vega “Deja Vega” @joefinegan1 

🔹The Delines “Colfax” @kedwondo 

🔺Devo “Duty Now For The Future” @citizen_jc 

▪️Dub Sex - any album @mrwhotzit 

▪️Drive Like Jehu “Yank Crime” @ruskus

▪️Decemberists “The King is Dead” @aussieguy11901 

🔺Destroyer “Kaputt” @tristanjt 

▪️Drive-By Truckers “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” @heckler_spray 

▪️The Dead South “Good Company” @thelovelyilgwu 

🔺Dusty Trails “Dusty Trails” @sulaviedilejo 

▪️Desert Ships “Doll Skin Flag” @seatinthestalls 

▪️Departure Lounge “Too Late To Die” @lokessimon 

🔺Dion “Born To Be With You” @sineadmcq

▪️Dean & Britta “L’Avventura” @simon_dodsworth 

▪️Doll By Doll “Doll By Doll” @bullantics

🔹 Do Make Say Think “Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn” @spooner_daniel

🔹Dead Kennedy’s “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” @davidrogmoor 

🔹Dead Kennedy’s “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” @pablooplywiss 

🔺Devandra Banhart “Cripple Crow” @tobiascotton 

▪️ Dukes of Stratosphere “Chips From The Chocolate Fireball” @d_grayer

🔺 Department of Eagles “In Ear Park” @citizenmeh 

▪️Dancing Hoods “Surfing All Over The Road” @darrell_clem

▪️The Damned “Phantasmagoria” @johnynocash 

▪️Diagrams “Chromatics” @vicaviber 

▪️Dumb “Club Nites” @SandyWishart

🔹Dexys Midnight Runners “Searching For The New Soul Rebels” @davidohanlon7

▪️Distophia “Soda Lake” @brinyhoof 

▪️Delphic “Acolyte” @zakw123

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