The Cat on "Where The Action Is" Kirkcaldy VRN 1287AM - Sunday 27 December 2009

I figure that by Boxing Day people have had enough of Christmas records so I've decided instead to give myself a musical Christmas present. I'll be joined in the studio - snow permitting - by my mate Dave as we host a two-hour Jocknroll special, playing a variety of well-known and not so well-known Scottish bands from the last few years:

Camera Obscura - Swan (4AD 2009)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)
Aberfeldy - Tom Weir (Rough Trade 2005)
Roddy Hart - Flames (Odd Art 2004)
Sergeant - The Time Is Now (Shy Recordings 2009)
Ally Kerr - Could Have Been A Contender (Much Obliged 2007)
Roddy Frame - Western Skies (Redemption 2006)
Aztec Camera - The Boy Wonders (Rough Trade 1983) (Connect 3)
Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap (Jeepster 1998) (Connect 3)
The Beatstalkers - Little Boy (CBS 1968) (Connect 3)
Big Dish - Miss America (WEA 1990)
The Bluebells - Wishful Thinking (Will She Always Be Waiting) (London 1984)
Superstar - Superstar (French vocal) (Deconstruction 1997) (Foreign Language)
Orange Juice - I Can't Help Myself (Polydor 1982)
The BMX Bandits - Let Mother Nature Be Your Guide (Karaoke version) (Vinyl Japan 1989) (Half-Time Instrumental)
Teenage Fanclub - Slow Fade (PeMa 2005)
Colin MacIntyre - Famous for Being Famous (Future Gods 2008)
The Fabulous Artisans - Sycamore Square (Bendi 2008)
The Goldenhour - Julie's In Control (Neon Tetra 2007)
Trashcan Sinatras - People (Lo-Five 2009)
Attic Lights - Never Get Sick of the Sea (Island 2008)
Del Amitri - Ceasefire (Chrysalis 1985)
Justin Currie - What Is Love For? (Rykodisc 2007)
Daniel Wylie - Define Love (Neon Tetra 2007) (Connect 3)
The BMX Bandits - I Wanna Fall in Love (Version #2) (Unreleased 1996) (Connect 3)
Simple Minds - Love Song 12" (Virgin 1981) (Connect 3)
The Orchids - Thaumaturgy (Sarah 1992) (Two of a Kind)
The Orchids - Last Thing On Your Mind (Siesta 2007) (Two of a Kind)
The Quik - Bert's Apple Crumble (Decca 1967) (show theme)

Please not that some of these tracks probably won't be aired due to the great likelihood of Dave and I blethering too much!

Good day, good health and enjoy the rest of the festive season. I'll be back on the 3rd of January with my normal show and a new theme tune.

The Cat
=^..^=

TWITTER v BLOGGING, COMPLAINTS, WEBSITE HELP NEEDED

It seems that since I joined Twitter I’ve stopped Blogging, well almost. Although the more I think about it I know that’s it simply because I’ve been so busy. I’ve attended two one-day courses this week; one to do with Dreamweaver, which I’m using to upgrade the Jocknroll website, and one for work to do with my employer’s new Intranet/Content Management site. Both were interesting in their own ways and I look forward to utilising what I’ve learned.

It seems to be feast or famine with me when it comes to Blogging. I had a ‘rich vein of form’ recently but I’ve only posted my radio show track lists since then. Mind you, I’ve been replying to entries by Clair, Modern Gutnish and Avenues and Alleyways who are never anything less than interesting.

I’ve had some more Recommends in The Scotsman:
- Best Slosh Songs
- Best Unfinished Scottish Things
- Best Scottish Lurve Song

I’m still having issues with the ILA and my learning provider (I’ve lost £200 in funding thanks to a cock-up), the BPI (no reply yet regarding my Brits observations), E.ON (no reply to two e-mails) and Orange (still getting messages that I was told would stop) and when any of them get back to me I’ll let you know what they say.

I enjoyed a Twittering menage-a-twit during The Brits with Jim Gellatly and Joe McAlinden on Wednesday. Rather ironically, I didn’t actual watch it and instead chose to comment on their observations.

More work is required on the Jocknroll website and I’m looking to join up with Amazon Affiliates. Yeah, selling my soul a bit but I’m not greedy. I just want to make enough to pay for the running of the site and to maybe get some Jocknroll t-shirts and badges made. I’ve added a whole load of new album sleeves this week and I’m now looking into things like Keywords, Descriptions and Google Analytics. (The site does have some text embedded to do with Analytics already but I can’t access the information. You won’t be surprised to know that I’ve e-mailed them for help.)

I need to think about what direction I want the site to go in. Any ideas? Maybe we should run another poll. I need to add more Artist links, as well as checking all the links on the Links page to ensure that they’re still extant. I hate going on to other websites and finding out-of-date links.

Does anyone know the best way to get up to date Scottish Music News on to the website? RSS perhaps. Or even General Music News in which I can weed out the non-Scottish stuff.

I’d appreciate any comments on the Jocknroll website from my Blogging Buddies. I can take it on the chin(s), whatever your observations are.

Does anyone know how I can link the headlines from my Jocknroll Blog entries to the main website, maybe like a news ticker-tape? I’m also looking at adding a new Contacts page on the Jocknoll website with Blogger and Twitter widgets embedded. Does anyone know how, and if, I can do this? Questions, questions, so many questions.