Notebook Letters 8.

* Reindeer have UV vision.

* It is illegal to sell moon rocks in the US.

* Parakeets are bullies.

10 things we didn't know last week; Ceefax page 129; 27th of May, 2011; 3/3.

Lackthereof/ Your Anchor

Reviews by John Earls

Better known as Menomena's drummer, Danny Sein began this solo project three years before starting Menomena.

Previously limiting himself to homemadw CD-Rs, Sein's proper debut shows him to be a gravelly-voiced wise commmunicatir similar to Lambchop's Kurt Wagner.

Shuffling, echoey drums get equally sparse world-weary vocals, a minimalism that makes for a sinister landscape easy to get lost in. 7/10

1/4.

F***ed Up/ The Chemistry of Common Life

Having been a word-of-mouth phenomenon, their first album since crossing over is a triumph.

Far from the screamers of many hardcore bands, the utilise questing ambient instrumentals, Cream-style '60s rock & roll, Jethro Tull flute-prog and Pixies' teasing heavy pop.

Sure, they get out the battering ram too, but there's an inclusive diversity that's more punk than punk. 8/10

2/4.

Attic Lights/ Friday Night Lights 8/10

As the search for a new Teenage Fanclub goes on, drummer Francis Macdonald manages new Scotpop protégés.

Every vocal harmony trick since The Byrds is used, but they're sung with such joy and are wrapped in such killer songs that for each four minute burst, any criticism is forgotten to bathe in their sunshine instead.

Ridiculously feelgood, they've stumbled on a well of golden pop. Keep digging.

3/4.

Gregory & The Hawk/ Moenie & Kitchi

Choosing her alias to duck pigeonholing as a female singer-songwriter, Meredith Godreau releases her debut album and proves to be, er, well...

Sweetly-sung folk, produced with great taste by Mice Parade's Adam Pierce, Godreau's folk is pretty.

Yet, lacking in any unique songwriting skill, it wafts about like a cleaned-up Vashti Bunyan and is too shiny to convince as a heartbroken folkie. 5/10

4/4.

Teletext page 824; 9th of October, 2008.

Green Mile made me weep

Films that have made me sob: The Green Mile, Schindler's List and Requiem For A Dream. They're heartbreaking. On another note, the romcom Definitely, Maybe is good, if more of a drama. Sade, Ess*x

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 9th of October, 2008; 1/6.

Gervais forgot Withnail

Gervais forgot about Withnail And I, the finest film known to humanity. James, London

Few, if any, question the never-ending run of Bond films so why not an Indiana Jones one? Only, given harrison's advancing years, hurry it up this time! If it's not in cinemas by 2011, we may as well forget about it. Dene Kernohan, Country Antrim

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 9th of October, 2008; 2/6.

The Haunting scares me

The Haunting (the original, of course) scared my sster and me when we first saw it. I hadn't realised how involved in the film I had become until a particularly nerve-wracking sequence came at midnight and the storage heatng snapped over on the wall behind us.

"Goodness me," we both cried as we fell back from the ceiling (or words to that effect).

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 9th of October, 2008; 3/6.

Haunting scared me

I aged seven years there and then. For genuine scares the mere existence of "torture p*rn" troubles me. Who is enjoying this stuff?

However, although I've never seen it, I suspect triumph of the will (leni riefenstahl's nazi propaganda piece) or some other film of its ilk deserves the title scariest film ever. Tim Ruffle, County Durham

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 9th of October, 2008; 4/6.

Madge's 007 not so bad

I used to hold Madonna's Die Another Day as the worst examle of a James Bond theme, but now I think she sounds like Shirley Bassey after hearing Alicia Keys and Jack White's collaboration for the new one! Would have preferred Amy Winehouse! Adrian Towsend, Retford

Two of the best films on DVD: Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Big Lebowski. Both hilarious and classics. Any other fans? Faris Shoubber, London

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 9th of October, 2008; 5/6.

A Troma fan writes

For weird, what about The Toxic Avenger: wimp mop-boy Melvin is changed into a "hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength" by a vat of nuclear waste. Troma rules! Julian, Telford

The only film that brought a tear to my eye was Bridge To Terabithia. It was sad! Best dracula is Christopher (the master) Lee. Wasn't the Elephant Man British? Michael Marton, Middlesbrough

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 9th of October, 2008; 5/6.

Vince doesn't need to wonder what Sid Vicious would advertise. His and ian curtis's pictures are being used in trainer adverts. It's not on, is it? Fi Rose

Where is the next pj harvey, Hope Sandoval or Bjork? They won't be found on X Factor. Unless they conform to the usual Whitney, Christina or Mariah routine, then any hope of a unique, quirky talent shall never be given a chance. Steve Carter

The Void; Teletext page 827; 10th of October, 2008; 1/7.

I didn't say Pete Doherty is a genius, despite Duke's sneering. I would never condone drugs but, look beyond them and Pete's hat, and I do think he's a good musician. If you want musical genius, try Marc Bolan. Hackney Rob

The Killers' new single doesn't ask "Are we human or are we dance?" as Bradders states. It's denser, not dancer. Brandon Flowers doesn't need biology lessons, it's Bradders who needs a hearing aid. Aaron O'Neill

The Void; Teletext page 827; 10th of October, 2008; 2/7.

It's sad that once anti-establishment figures such as Ozzy Osbourne and John Lydon are now considered to be lovable eccentrics. Where is the voice of angry middle age? Steve Oldhippy

Void: Can we recommend Carbon/ Silicon?

I'm Outta Time is Liam Gallagher's finest hour, with great lyrics and it's beautifully sung. Maybe it should have been the first single from the album and beaten Pink to No 1. It had better be the second. Malcolm Wilson

The Void; Teletext page 827; 10th of October, 2008; 3/7.

I'm chuffed that my aunt got me an Oasis shirt for my birthday. Wiping the mist off my car windows in the morning is now a doddle. Negative Creep

coldplay are apparently goading their detractors with the surely deliberate dullness of their song titles. glass of water: is cup of tea next? postcards from far away? What? As opposed to postcards from next door... actually, that's a far better title. rainy day: satirical geniuses. Rob Hunt

The Void; Teletext page 827; 10th of October, 2008; 4/7.

People miss the point when they say era-defining songs like Common People should have been No 1. The single chart has always been naff, with novelty and pop outselling rock and indie. Blur and Manic Street Preachers have only had two No 1s. Although Oasis and U2 have 14 No 1s between them, all of them only had one week each on top. Pat Palloon

A goosebumps moment: Martha Wainwright and Teddy Thompson's We Can Work It Out on Live From Abbey Road. Wahhh. mondo

The Void; Teletext page 827; 10th of October, 2008; 5/7.

I loved Sonic Youth's Death Valley '69 on 120 Minutes Banned. Who wouldn't want to be stabbed to death by Lydia Lunch? Jade Webster

I welcome the support Kaiser Chiefs got after some people didn't listen properly to their lyrics. I loathe tepid guitars and indie with its whiny vocals, but Kaiser Chiefs have great hooks, and catchy, uplifting choruses that are always needed. Scary Guy

The Void; Teletext page 827; 10th of October, 2008; 6/7.

Honey Ryder/ Rising Up

Reviews by John Earls

Martyn Shone gave up being a City banker to make an album with ex-MTV worker Lindsay O'Mahony.

You can even buy shares in the duo, which is evidence of how heinously anti-rock & roll their twittering is.

In the real sense, it's music for those who don't care about music: background platitudes for Magic FM listeners who are happy for nothing other than feeble sub-Sundays ballads. 3/10

1/6.

Nitin Sawhney/ London Undersound

Everyone from Paul McCartney to Ojos De Brujo guest on Sawhney's concept album about London's changes since 9/11.

It's an elegantly-constructed work, and perhaps just a bit too classy to work as a protest piece: everything is just so, and few of the guest vocalists are impassioned enough for the theme.

Imogen Heap is an exception, and the deft music glides with purpose. What that purpose is, is less clear. 6/10

2/6.

Eugene McGuinness/ Eugene McGuinness

After his patchy mini-album debut, the Anglo-Irish singer succeeds by getting friends in as his backing band.

After a too-formal approach last time, McGuinness spreads his wings so that, in a similar vein to Ed Harcourt, he runs through everything from Pixies to Cole Porter, more like an eclectic band than a singer-songwriter.

As tuneful as he is adventurous, the free-spirited nature pays off. 8/10

3/6.

Los Campesinos/ We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Although it's their second album within a few months, there's a marked improvement from their past pomposity.

Though the lyrics still read like hectoring dissertations and the odd vocal like the title track is a nasal whine, mostly now they make brassy euphoria like the chaotic Ways To Make It and Asterisk's celebratory stomp.

Largely breaking free from Student Grant shackles, to their credit. 7/10

4/6.

James Yuill/ Turning Down Water For Air

An expanded version of last year's self-released debut, it follows Yuill's remixes for Tilly And The Wall.

Like a less visceral Her Space Holiday, Yuill only fitfully crafts the right song for his mix of precise, soft vocals and guitar'n'laptop comfort.

He's spot on with This Sweet Love, which echoes David Kitt, but much else feels like any grit is airbrushed beneath the pristine surface. 5/10

5/6.

John Mellencamp/ Life Death Love And Freedom

Since his last album, Mellencamp has got into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and won q's Classic Songwriter Award.

He's also a clear influence on The Hold Steady, and the renaissance will only be furthered by an album this sturdy.

The combination of social commentary and pithy anecdotes about everyday Americans ring loud and clear, played with both a veteran's skill and the determined fight of a newcomer. 8/10

6/6.

Teletext page 824; 10th of October, 2008.

* Fifa are a charity.

* Vultures are better than sniffer dogs at searching large, overgrown areas for dead bodies.

* A Devon cream tea has scones then cream first then jam on top, while a Cornish cream tea has scones with jam first then cream on top.

10 things we didn't know last week; Ceefax page 129; 3rd of June, 2011; 1/3.

* You can see the shockwaves from a trombone. On video.

* Shale gas drilling can cause earthquakes.

* Heart disease is less common among religious people.

* Among certain early humans, the women left home and the men stayed behind.

10 things we didn't know last week; Ceefax page 129; 3rd of June, 2011; 2/3.

* Penguins do a Mexican wave to stay warm.

* An intense fear of dying can make a heart attack worse.

* It's possible for a horse to paint.

10 things we didn't know last week; Ceefax page 129; 3rd of June, 2011; 3/3.

Got any foreign films?

Watched the comic and absurdly surreal Belgium flick The Ordeal. This is one twisted tale that leaves a mark. Only foreign gems like Oldboy, Audition and Save The Green Planet have had me staring in disbelief like this film did. Any thoughts? Col, Heatley, Cumbria

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 10th of October, 2008; 1/6.

Troma on Vortex?!

Re: Julian, Telford. Never did I think Troma would get a mention in these pages. Paul, Telford

Vortex: Hey, we love Troma!

It's true excellent British films are rare. My fave of the last decade is Mike Leigh's wonderful Topsy Turvy. Paul, Hailsham

Weepies: last half hour of The Green Mile and Pan's Labyrinth. Ian, Wolves

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 10th of October, 2008; 2/6.

Worst films ever made

It would seem I set the cat amongst the pigeons with my Blade Runner comments. I'm sorry to upset certain individuals, but it's only my opinion, and attacking my tastes in films won't change it.

How about the worst films you've ever seen? (Don't worry, Blade Runner isn't on my list.) For me it has to be Eyes Wide Shut: awful. It's the biggest load of pretentious codswallop.

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 10th of October, 2008; 3/6.

Worst films ever made

Members of the audience were shouting at the screen and walking out. I followed the experience the next week, by paying to see the triumph in marketing that is The Blair Witch Project.

On screen the actors were shouting "We're going to die." I was saying "Yes, please, and soon". They're two of mine. Let's hear yours. John-Paul, Liverpool

Vortex: Magnolia: celluloid sedative.

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 10th of October, 2008; 4/6.

Madding gets a vote

No good British films since 1950, eh? That's stuff of nonsense. Try Far From The Madding Crowd (1967) directed by John Schlesinger and starring Terence Stamp and Alan Bates among others. Fab film.

As for a film to be scared by: at 12 I saw Night of The Demon (1957), a b/w chiller, on the TV one night. I am still scarified by the film, even though the demon is a big fake puppet! Brrrr! Rosie Gilbert, Hants

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 10th of October, 2008; 5/6.

Exorcist 3 beats 1

Horrifying film: the underrated, forgotten, but superior to the original, Exorcist 3. Although darkly comic, An American werewolf In London is terrifyiing. Anon

Great British films made since the '50s. Get Carter, Billy Liar, Withnail & I and The Long Good Friday. Paul, Derby

Vortex: Next update is on Monday Oct 13. Simon Pegg's £1m memoirs deal: is he really that famous? Come on!

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 10th of October, 2008; 6/6.

Universal did it with Amy Winehouse, twice. Now it's Duffy's fans' turn to be fleeced. When buying the "Deluxe Edition" of an album, are we supposed to give the original one to a friend? Just in time for Christmas, too. Eve's Treasure

Pink hasn't evolved in her years as a pop star. So What is just the same average fodder that seems like it could have been released four years ago. Calum Gardner

The Void; Teletext page 827; 11th of October, 2008; 1/7.