Lost Ticker Tape

So I now had a clinical diagnosis, this internal war raged on and I was given steroids to reduce the swelling of my liver, get my body under control and immunosuppressants to well, suppress my overactive immune system (I would rather have an overactive imagination than immune system it would be much better but hey, can't get everything you want!). I can take on the world! Oh, okay, maybe not...my knees hurt. Do you remember I spoke about being on steroids before? Well, that was a drop in the ocean compared to 18 months of steroid induced highs and lows and side effects. The highs made me feel like I could take on the world! Come on world, I am up for some mischief! This was frankly bollocks, I wasn't fit to take a trip to the shops some days never mind take on the world. The lows/side effects were feeling like I would never get better, having clearly visible shakes, pain, nausea,  gaining weight and having a moon face however the weirdest was becoming more hirsute. Th...

Ding! Ding! Round 3!    Living with Crohn's Disease became just part of the day-to-day, intermittent periods of feeling like my insides were trying to come out of my body were the worst but they seemed to come and go. That was until I was 26. I began feeling entirely exhausted in June 2009, a familiar but overwhelming exhaustion. I doubt I will ever forget the (now ironic) words of the gastroenterologist who, when I told him I was so exhausted I found going to work difficult, told me 'it's just part of having Crohn's Disease, just count yourself lucky that you are not worse off or permanently on steriods'. Two and a half months later I was vomiting daily, unable to keep anything substantial down and feeling wretched. I thought my Crohn's was playing up but I was still vomiting after 10 days and I was losing weight quickly. When I started to get pain in my left knee joint, I couldn't sleep at all and every inch of my skin itched I knew somethi...

A nurse told me recently that it was just as well I have a sense of humour. This was said as she had to make a third attempt at taking blood from my hands, the second attempt hit my bone and I knew if I didn't laugh I would end up letting these things get to me, there would be no point as I have to get this done once a month, every month and this won't ever change. Having a sense of humour is useful, actually it is essential, to get through the day when you have two different auto-immune conditions. For the (luckily) uninitiated, auto-immune conditions are those where your body goes a bit haywire and starts thinking it's own bits are foreign and attacking them, like a mighty war going on inside your body. There is nothing you can do to foresee, prevent or cure this, all you can do is manage it and try to laugh about it. Ding-ding Round 1! The first illness/condition/disease (whichever makes you less squeamish) I was diagnosed with was Oral Crohn's Disease (when...

So here is 2012 in all of it's shiny new, cold, dark, stormy glory. This new year I have one resolution and that is to be happy. It seems so pathetic when written down, most people make tangible resolutions like lose weight, learn a new language or quit a particular vice which are all admirable but I want for nothing more right now than to simply be happy. I have spent huge chunks of the last two and a half years being really unhappy due to my health, the health of my family and due to the employment that keeps a roof over my head but enough is enough. Things are so very different now to how they were a year ago, huge shifts in friendships, relationships and just life in general mean I have no idea what I am doing, where I am going or how I am going to get there but I am figuring it out day by day. While all of the above may seem a little gloomy I am actually happy and I aim to keep it that way. I am about to get involved in music again (hopefully with people that...

The impending release of Build A Harbour Immediately by Adam Stafford , on a yellow cassette, got me to thinking about tapes. First off, Adam (ex-Y'all Is Fantasy Island) really is an incredibly talented man, I could write for ages about all of the things he has done but it's better that you see/hear/read for yourself: http://www.accidentalmedia.com/adam_stafford.php Oh, and go and see him play in Stereo this Saturday 20 th August! Anyway, back to tapes. I was fascinated by tapes as a kid, I wondered how all of the voices and instruments were held on this piece of plastic (this partly explains my study of Music and Audio Technology). I still own tapes and still have something to occasionally play them on which fills me with nostalgia. Cassette tapes are a little piece of my teenage years that I can't leave behind. There are so many people who will wax lyrical about the humble cassette and the time, effort, thought and patience that went into maki...

Normal service is resumed! I have been thinking and I can not let this little outlet for whimsy and things I love fade into the backgroud. If anything, it is more important now than ever before to make time for it. Little things that made me happy today: 1. Speaking to my 71 year old grandmother who told me she went whitewater rafting on holiday last week along with my grandad and 60+ aunt and uncle. Incredible! 2. Hearing my musical moniker being read out on radio (I was tweeting, I have not yet written anything radio worthy!). 3. A beautiful email from a friend I haven't seen in a while. 4. Being sent new music. Sometimes the simplest of things make the day better than it would otherwise have been. More soon!

I am finding less time to get absorbed in things which are not political at present. I fear that normal service of whimsy and nonsense will never be resumed as life changes and priorities shift. I could write for hours about this but I have strike action to prepare for, I will be there on my picket line and at the rally in George Square in Glasgow on Thursday June 30th. If you are free on Thursday please try to make it to a local rally or picket line and show your support to PCS, NUT, ATL and UCU strikers.

The orange bike above is mine, bought from Glasgow Bike Shed, it is old and a little flaky, the seat squeaks and the breaks scream (so much so that everyone within 100 yards turns to stare) but I love it! It has no name other than 'my lovely orange bike' so suggestions are welcome. Spring sunshine, bike rides and reading in the park were the main features of last weekend. Getting somewhere under your own steam by bike is remarkably satisfying , even more than if you were to walk that same distance. I forget just how much I love being on a bike just enjoying the sunshine, the breeze and the sense of freedom it allows. I like the idea of cycling to work however I reckon I would be squished by a Glasgow bus within a week as the drivers seem to have an almost pathological hatred of cyclists. So, it will be leisurely trips via scenic routes to parks and gardens around Glasgow. Any takers for bike rides in the sunshine?

So, as time goes on this blog reveals a little more about me. Apart from my love of music, dancing and whimsy I do have other things on the radar. Some of you will already know this however a few of you may be surprised to hear that I am a trade union rep. With my diminutive stature, being female and under 30 I'm not exactly what you picture when you think of a union rep, however it is something I am fiercely proud of. I won't go on extolling the virtues of unionism as this isn't the forum for it however I did want to post about what I will be doing next weekend. I will be joining hundreds of thousands of people in London to march for the alternatives to the cuts the Conservative government is making (see http://www.pcs.org.uk/ for more info or google March for the Alternative). It has been proven that these are ideological, unnecessary cuts and I for one will be adding my voice to the call for the alternative. I can post line after line of anti-cuts rhetoric but if ...

There is something about 'the nights fair drawing in' that makes me nostalgic for the winters and bonfire nights of childhood. I know the history behind Guy Fawkes night but for me it's all about being 5 again and standing in my Aunt's garden all snug and warm, wooly jumpers having being dug out for the winter ahead, watching the fireworks explode over her garden and jumping every time a really loud one went off! When I was older it was the muddy walks in the dark to Crawl Park, with wellies and waterproofs where there would be a huge bonfire and us kids would be allowed sweets and sparklers (not at the same time mind) and we would watch the display with huge grins on our faces. I would stand with my head tipped skyward and watch a woven gold brocade falling towards me and fountains of coloured sparks that are bright only for a moment. Stars burst and light up the dark then drift slowly to earth, fading as they fall. Beautiful tracer trails fill the night ...

I know it's such a damn cliche but I couldn't imagine my life without music, I play it, I sing it, I (try to) write it, I listen to it at every opportunity and now I seem to consume it faster than ever before which is why I take time out to write about it once in a while. I have previously written a little here about music and how I still love it the same way I did when I was 15 years old. This is the reason why I can't describe the feeling I get when I discover a beautiful piece of music, that first spark of realisation that what you are listening to is something special, something affecting and truly beautiful. I don't review music, I simply post about new-to-me music that I love and hope that other people will also discover and fall in love with too, so here goes....... First off are Honeybear, utterly beguiling music and beautiful illustrations.....I need say no more: http://www.therealhoneybear.com/ Some perfect indie pop in the form of ...

I need to head west and get some sand in-between my toes before the seasons change. I need to look out on water that that shimmers in the summer sun and goes further than the eye can see before the sky is cobalt at 3pm with a sea to match. The city is starting to wear me down like a weight on my shoulders I can't shift and I think this feeling has a lot to do with not making music. I have this feeling of being adrift without Incrediboy & The Forget Me Nots as we had 18 months of making something fun and quite often beautiful. But times change, there are things brewing and directions to be chosen and decisions to be made so watch this space for something new.

It's been.....well......erm......months. I am rubbish at this blogging lark but I will persevere! I saw Open Swimmer again recently and once again was totally enthralled (see previous post). If you can see them then please do! You can hear Canyon here: http://www.facebook.com/openswimmer?ref=ts

This is really just a quick post to mention a band I saw at The Captain's Rest in Glasgow last night. I didn't catch their name during their set so after the gig I went up to the singer to ask the name of the band, I did mean to stop at this question but ended up the gushing idiot you see at gigs telling the band how good they were with way too much enthusiasm! However, in my defence, the reason for this enthusiasm was that this was their first gig and they just looked, sounded and acted like seasoned professionals. Ben (the singer) was extremely polite and listened, with what seemed like slight bemusement, to my enthusiastic praise. I only wish there were some songs from last night for you to hear, the music was simply beautiful. A small concession is that there are three videos of Ben playing the Tram Sessions here: http://vimeo.com/9851988 They are playing The Captain's Rest on 2nd of June, I for one will be there but will be sworn to silence this time! ...

Based on everything written here you think it would be safe to assume that I am your run of the mill, indie loving, dress and cardi wearing, tea drinking, whimiscal girly singer however you would only be partly correct. Admittedly, Eurythmics were my first musical love. I was obsessed by them and by Annie Lennox when I was about 11. I remember buying Eurythmics Greatest Hits on cassette from John Menzies, it was the first album I ever bought (I still have it!). My tastes have expanded over the years from 80s legends at 11, to chart bothering indie rock at 13, through to 'proper alternative' music from about 15 onwards. Like most teenagers I would listen to Lamacq and then Peel and that was, for a long time, my only source of new music. It's probably fairly obvious that Belle & Sebastian, The Smiths, Mogwai, Arab Strap, Idlewild, Pavement, The Delgados, PJ Harvey among many others were on heavy rotation on my CD player and then it happened.............I w...

It is with a heavy heart I write that Incrediboy is leaving The Forget Me Nots behind in a few weeks as he has a new job that is too far from here to make playing together possible. I can't say this is the end as I sincerely hope that I will have the pleasure of standing on a stage with him again, singing some songs and making a general din sometime in the future. I owe him more than I can say here and more than he knows, without his encouragement I would still be that girl who was too nervous and too scared sing a single note. Thanks for everything Incrediboy. xxx

...it is in in the 45 minute album that has been on repeat on my MP3 player for the last 5 days. The long wait was finally over on Monday when The Unwinding Hours released their self titled debut album. From the first shimmering notes to the heart stopping end, I have been captivated by this album. A beautiful mix of fragility and sheer noise makes this essential listening. The gut wrenching tenderness of the vocals singing lyrics which are heartfelt and bittersweet continues to catch me out. I am no reviewer (which is very clear from what's above) however that is never my intention. I just think this is an album that people should be aware exists! You can listen to Knut and Solstice at http://www.myspace.com/theunwindinghours and if you like what you hear then you can catch them at Stereo in Glasgow on 5th March. They were brilliant at Chemickal Underground's 15th Birthday party so this gig should be a cracker!

A band I have been meaning to mention for a while is The Unwinding Hours. The two slightly gruff looking men above are Iain Cook and Craig B (both previously of the wonderful Aereogramme) and they are getting people excited. They currently have two songs up, Solstice and Knut, both are fragile, extremely beautiful and captivating and if these two tracks online are anything to go by, the album is going to be brilliant. Pop over to www.myspace.com/theunwindinghours and have a listen. They will be playing at Chemikal Underground's 15th Birthday party on 31/01/2009 at the ABC in Glasgow. It should be a fantastic evening as the line up also includes Emma Pollock, Zoey Van Goey, Lord Cut Glass and Aidan Moffat.

Reasons to be cheerful (Part II) starts with the wonderful eagleowl as they are set to release their new single Sleep the Winter on Friday 11th December at the Bowery in Edinburgh with a Glasgow show to follow on Monday 14th December at the 13th Note. If you can make to either of these shows then please do so, you certainly won't be disappointed. If you can't make it then you can always listen to them at www.myspace.com/eagleowlattack . I would like to introduce you to a girl called Sarah who writes music and makes charming videos under the name Line & a Dot. Her songs are sweet, simple, vulnerable and honest. The videos she makes are lo-fi and all the better for it! I particularly like the video for L.O.V.E. so here it is: You can listen to Line & a Dot at: www.myspace.com/abovethevaultedsky Next up is another wonderful female singer/songwriter, Kathryn Edwards. Such sparse and beautiful instrumentation compliments her gorgeous voice perfectly...

Once again time has passed faster than I can account for. Autumn seems to have passed me by, it's golden glory has faded leaving behind it the cold, bleak days of winter. But.....there are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful! First up is Christmas. You're reading the wrong blog if I have to expand on this any further. Next is the weather. You may be wondering what the hell I am talking about, you may exclaim "The weather is a reason to be cheerful?! It's winter you mad fool!" but I like it. Yes, I miss the sun as much as the next person but I think we should make the most of it! I look forward to those cold, crisp days where the sky is cloudless, cool and blue and the sun is low and blindingly bright. I will get wrapped up and get out in the kind of cold that makes your nose tingle and your cheeks rosy, I feel like I could walk forever on those days. The dreich days when it's wet and miserable and all you want to do is go home and h...