Depeche Mode: Music For The Masses era

The album. The singles. The songs. The tour. The live album.

The X Factor

It's very unlikely that I'm going to write something completely new and revolutionary about a TV show that's been going for 12 years now, but luckily no one is forced to read it, and I find it a fascinating subject.

Just to make it clear: however frequently it is referred to as a "talent show", The X Factor (just like every other similar programme) is primarily a reality TV show, talent comes second (or possibly third). You have a much better chance of making it into the broadcast by being "interesting" rather than just singing well. Reality shows are all about the casting: if the format isn't completely ridiculous, you only have to fill it with the right characters, and lots of people are going to watch it.

Thirteen

Despite my fondness for both the character and the actress, this is not about Dr. Remy Hadley, better known as "Thirteen" from the great TV series called House M.D., it's in fact a follow up to Twelve, posted here a year ago.

Depeche Mode: Black Celebration era

The album. The singles. The songs. The tour.

Cinderella, are you happy?

Nicola Roberts, whom I called "the coolest popstar on Earth" a year ago, turned 30 today. She's still cool, but I'm not entirely sure she still qualifies as a popstar.

High Speed Train

Around The Sun is often ranked at the bottom of R.E.M. album lists, and I don't think it's their best work either, but it's still R.E.M., and even at their so-called worst, they're mostly OK, with some excellent and absolutely wonderful songs hidden amongst the not-so-good ones, like this particular song.

Tourfilm

Today marks the 25th anniversary of R.E.M. releasing their first ever live video, Tourfilm, which - I think - captured them at their peak.