Shopping and funking

Life Christmas shopping trip in Manchester today so that I can make the most of the season ticket I have for the train. Managed to buy some nice things at the continental market and around and about. Interestingly it didn't feel less special because I've been in the city for the past five days. Actually there was something quite liberating about leaving the train at the station and going the other way up Oxford Road for a change, even though I absentmindedly walked too far, subconsciously going in the direction of the place I used to work, and nearly missed the market entirely. I suppose there are some routines which never quite leave you.

Picked up Nikka Costa's 2005 album Can't Never Did Nothin' at Vinyl Exchange and it's every bit as good as her debut. It's brilliantly difficult to classify. Imagine Anastacia without the idiotic tendency to mimic the Diane Warren power ballads, crossed with the Shakira of the pre-English language albums with hints of anything produced by the Neptunes. And James Brown. Although the current track I'm listening to is pure Stina Nordenstam. Now I'm confused. Also finally found a copy of Shelby Lynne's Suit Yourself. I'll report back when I've heard the whole thing but in the opening few moments Lynne has a discussion with her band in the studio about what they can't get the song right and the title of track twelve is Track 12.

No comments: