press the red button now

I picked up some new 7"s last Friday that I never got around to writing about. The first was by the John Butler Trio. I've never heard these guys but here's a blurb from their biography. :- "During the last two years The JBT has been making new friends and winning over large audiences all over the world. Highlight performances so far have included two sold out shows at the legendary Fillmore East in San Francisco, a standing ovation at the celebrated New Orleans Jazz Festival, selling out the prestigious Grand Rex in Paris, rocking the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, becoming the highest selling act at the Cambridge Folk Festival and performing main stage at Glastonbury, one of the most coveted gigs on the international festival circuit, and a landmark television performance on the David Letterman Show."

Well? How about them onions? The new single is called 'Funky Tonight' and it's an upbeat bluegrassy/folk rock mash up. Well that's how I'd describe it anyway. It's taken from their new album 'Grand National' which may be titled so to attract the horsey set, I'm not sure! You can listen to it on their myspace site and decide for yourself.

I also picked up a copy of Ms Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black'. I know bugger all about this girl but I've seen her sing live on a few TV shows over the last couple of years. I thought she put in a pretty good performance on all of them and I quite liked that tune 'Rehab' too. You can check about one minute of her new tune on her myspace site. She obviously got a little precious with the remaining three minutes or so. I'd say she could peel an orange in her pocket.

This election thing is up and running here and I can't venture out into my front garden in the evening for fear of meeting the hordes of political canvassers. You can check out the Irish Election blog here if you're interested in that sort of carry-on. I'm not but here's my tuppenceworth all the same. Here is the delightful list of individuals that I have to choose from come polling day:

An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, Fianna Fáil - This man does not need my vote, nor will he get it.

Senator Cyprian Brady & Councillor Mary Fitzpatrick, Fianna Fáil - These people do need my vote but they won't get it. I can't see how either of these will get in, they're both fairly anonymous.

Paschal Donohoe, Fine Gael - I'd rather eat my eyeballs than vote Fine Gael but this lad seems to work his nuts off.

Joe Costello TD, Labour - Hard working salt of the earth labour bloke. Seems to be a decent old chap.

Mary Lou McDonald MEP, Sinn Féin & Patricia McKenna MEP, Green Party (Are they still both MEP's? Who knows? Who cares?)- The two women 'parachute' candidates in the constituency. You could say that these two are different shades of green. The former is a republican shade of green and the latter is the environmental shade of the colour. I have a natural aversion to candidates who are stuck into a constituency at the behest of their party headquarters. I'm not a big fan of either of these politicians to be honest. However much useless and uninspiring the Green Party are they'll always get a high enough preference vote from me. On the other hand, I'm not really a Sinn Féin kind of guy.

Tony Gregory TD & a host of pretty insignificant local independents - Tony would appear to be a shoe-in along with Bertie in this constituency. I think he'll get in again this time. The other independents don't stand a chance.

Prediction Time- I reckon Bertie will be first elected, with Tony Gregory to follow. The next two seats are a bit unsure but I'll put my head on the block and go for Joe Costello of Labour and Paschal Donohoe to take the final seat. The political spectrum in Dublin Central should read as follows: Two centre-right TD's, one left of centre-right TD and one slightly left of centre TD. It would break your heart.