Best blogs of '03 so far

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
THE PILLBOX, THE YES/NO INTERLUDE and of course TMFTML. Pick your favorites.

robotchant (sine), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

BLISSBLOG.

robotchant (sine), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Blissblog start in '03? URLs please, I've not been keeping up. Last year's best new (music) blogs were Church Of Me and Spizzazz, though. Matthew Ingram's one is excellent.

Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.blissout.blogspot.com

robotchant (sine), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:30 (twenty-two years ago)

(Not sure if I agree with his recent 'Pop Shite' [which I'm not sure if it may be a sideswipe at ME or not; "not everything's about ME"] but yeah, generally T.W.A.N.B.O.C. is excellent, though, but, actually trails out into wittering non-sense.)

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Blissblog started in late '02, but I could be wrong.

What is TMFTML?

Despite what Momus had to say about the Pillbox, I love it.

Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

robotchant, so that's favourite blogs of 2003, [not new blogs of 2003?]

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha I'd not read Pop Shite, blimey I'm pleased somebody else likes [PRE-MODERATED TO SPARE IMPRESSIONABLE READERS]

Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, not new blogs. (I feel very ashamed now for not clearing that up)

robotchant (sine), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Top 10 for 2003:

Blissblog
The Church of Me
ijamming
it's a trap
Mick Mercer
Mostly Weird, Some Normal
NewFrontEars
Nightclub Jitters
No Rock & Roll Fun
T.W.A.N.B.O.C.

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.popfactor.com/tmftml-that's TMFTML.

robotchant (sine), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I apologise. Here: http://www.popfactor.com/tmftml

robotchant (sine), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:48 (twenty-two years ago)

momus is wrong about the pill box - best thing on the interweb for my money... lovely to be able to read a bit of penman every day...

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 5 June 2003 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Blogs I read regularly:

Blissblog (ideas, ideas, ideas everywhere);
The Church of Me (though I often feel swamped);
TWANBOC (too too hipster? really informative on obscure music and a record collection the size of Jupiter);
Heronbone (insatiably intelligent mind snowing onto the page in spills and spurts);
Skykicking (gorgeously written passioniaiaiaiaia);
Radio Free Narnia ("though I often have no idea what he was talking about");
The Pill Box ("who are all these old people?");
You Can't Wear Nail Polish... (because Matos roxor, obv)
Quicksilver Shapeshifter ("woe! eternally stuck in position")
My own, obv (because I like to read what the people are reading when they read it).

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

(Which is as boring a 'canonical' list as you'll see, I suppose - I can't help who the best writers are).

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to say, my favourite blog of the year so far is probably my own. But that's cos I've got an overinflated opinion of myself.

caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

yes Mel W is excellent but Quicksilver Shapeshifter has next to nothing in 2003!

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

B-b-b-but I keep on looking.

That's enough.

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

tip for Cozen, download the mp3 linked, on this webpage: Aspera [it's sounds like The Associates for 2003]

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:11 (twenty-two years ago)

(Thanks DJ M, I have that album on my wishlist after the Associates [god when will my obsessions LEAVE ME ALONE?!] popped up in Kulkarni's Bang review of this album).

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:15 (twenty-two years ago)

My list would be almost exactly like Cozen's.

I'd like to read more Stelfox, Stelfox!

I still think Goldfrapp's new one is closer to (my idea of) what the Associates would sound like in '03. The Aspera and Dinky albums definitely have traces.

Andy K (Andy K), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Andy, I have Associates -> Goldfrapp, Aspera, Coloma pegged down for an article.

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I salute everyone who has the time to keep up with those suckers. My own brain is currently mulch.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

(My girlfriend and I talking about this last night [talking about FACT] both agree that Stelfox is the greatest name in the history of Daves.)

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yes -- how could I forget Coloma? (Early #1 of '03 contender.) If You Can't Be Good goes so far to use an Affectionate Punch-era Associates bassline. Not in the actual sense, but, you know...

Andy K (Andy K), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I amend what I say above - Spizzazz is actually the best music blog ever.

Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

People, people, I am not disparaging Ian Penman's blog, it is one of my top ten for sure and full of lovely, lovely things. All I am saying is that it looks horrible. Look at it! He's left a bold unclosed, so that half way down the page (ie 50,000 words in) it all goes bold and stays that way until the end (ie 300,000 words in), which makes even reading about Vincent Gallo's unfeasibly large penis an eye-straining chore!

Momus (Momus), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Unfeasably large penis in eye-straining chore shocker!

Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Spizzazz = full of dull radio 1/ 1-xtra rnb rubbish [one of the worst blogs of all time !]

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

(NB I agree with Momus - I thought he was arguing for fanny-dangling proper web design with php and all that, not just good old Brutish text-and-pics stuff)

Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

heronbone

gareth (gareth), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The ones I've been reading the most lately: You Can't Wear Nail Polish to a Surgery, TMFTML, Freezing to Death in the Nuclear Bunker, Church of Me, and Anthony is Right.

o. nate (onate), Thursday, 5 June 2003 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

the nu-wave of british incomprehensiblogs drives me nuts. they feel like navel-gazing indiekids all growed up to use big words but stay self ob-fucking-sessed and fucking self superior.

Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

My list is boringly canonical and nepotistic, but there's not much point repeating it here as they are all linked on CoM...however, the regeneration/transfiguration of Ian Penman, both on Pill Box and in the current Wire, is one of the few things this year which has actually cheered me up.

Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

martian are you naturally mindnumbingly boring or do you practice in front of the mirror every morning? you list list list a thousand records and they all end up accounting for the same 1% of music. wearying didactic pointless goose-stepping; how are you any different from gier again? get retarded

Chip Morningstar (bob), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't understand approx 3/4s of what I read on blogs.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

spizzazz is funny but so is martian (= the xgau of darkwave)

mark s (mark s), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Top 10 Blogs (as compiled by the M.O.M.U.S.)

The Dullest Weblog in the World
http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/dull/
Genius!

The Apathetic Online Journal Entry Generator
http://www.brunching.com/journalgenerator.html
Horribly realistic!

Seahorse Liberation Army
http://cdm.sfai.edu/pel/index.html
Pure glamour!

Kwark Platjes
http://www.kwark.org/Gfx/2003/
So Dutch!

Flip Flop Flyin'
http://www.flipflopflyin.com/
Sparkling programming!

Jean Snow
http://jeansnow.net/
The mysterious Orient!

Geisha Asobi
http://www.wtbw.net/geisha/
Those whacy Japanese, ho ho ho!

Ziboy Beijing
http://54boy.com/ziboyhome.htm
Face masks in real time!

The Pill Box
http://apawboy.blogspot.com/
Unclosed and bold!

Half Unconscious I Walk Away From The Wreck (Gea A.)
http://www.livejournal.com/users/futter_mein_ego/
Hott!

Momus (Momus), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"British Incomprehensiblogs" = Best Scenetag Ever!

Although, actually, I love me some British incomprehensiblogs. Instead of feeling dumb about a subject of which I'm truly ignorant (say, particle physics) I can feel well nigh retarded about a subject like music, which I thought I knew something about. I like to think of TMFTML as a service to all the dumbfucks out there like myself; surely we deserve blogs we can understand, right?

TMFTML (TMFTML), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

z3mk0: sterling wants to talk about heronboner et al but actually he has put himself in a nutshell and submitted that instead
toffee sock: hahaha

minna (minna), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

has anyone emailed ian penman abt the look of his blog.

its nice to see he has one.

I don't quite see the point of simon reynolds' blog. the webpage he had before was enough surely.

I only occassionaly read blogs but when i do its ILX related (+ ian's blog).

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

toffee sock: haha i want to paste your last thing about nutshell
z3mk0: yes but then he'd say "yuh-HUH that's what is was doing, it was irony" somethimes people are so blindly wrong you begin to doubt yourself!
z3mk0: of course he might not be but then WILL YOU RISK IT
toffee sock: yes the risk is v real
z3mk0: well ok i know you could faux-naif cut and paste from this chat and then i can pretend i knew what sterling was doing when he calls me out

minna (minna), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

z3mk0: heheh the new face of AIM!!
z3mk0: making things conversational so you don't have to face the consequences!

minna (minna), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

z3mk0: and make sure you put the z3mko bit to show it's aim and also you laughing afterwards hee hee
toffee sock: hahaha
z3mk0: cos that will make it more cliquey as well!
toffee sock: ok

minna (minna), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

z3mk0: nah ok leave it at that
z3mk0: GO GO GO!
z3mk0: woo this is phun!
toffee sock: i kept pasting i can't help it!!

minna (minna), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Point of Simon R's blog = he actually updates it :)

Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"The British Incomprehensiblogs" - I want to see this as the cover feature on next Saturday's Guardian Weekend mag!* David Thomson to thread! Hermione Lee to thread!

(* complete with obligatory shot of moody-looking Oxbridge bloggers all dressed in black and scowling)

Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

z3mk0: omg you pasted everything!
toffee sock: hahaha
z3mk0: that's it i'm not saying any more to you!
z3mk0: (bah this is getting pasted too isn't it)

minna (minna), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

complete with obligatory shot of moody-looking Oxbridge bloggers all dressed in black and scowling

Ha ha ha, that'll be Simon R!

(Lovely, lovely man, links to my Thoughts therefore my brane, please insert him into my Top 10 instantly.)

Momus (Momus), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to read more Stelfox, Stelfox!

Andy, Cozen - I can feel the love on this board!

Andy, my blog is scant as it gets right now as I'm just so darn busy writing paid things and i have a terribly boring day job to do, too... incidentally I'm just wondering if I know you at all... drop me a note offa da list...

and momus, re penman's bad-looking blog, i find it really endearing that he can write so beautifully and still be shit at HTML... hey, a man can't be good at everything ;-)

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

creativity and individual self-suffiency are rarely related: almost all writers need a support team

making yr own paper: classic or dud (jh prynne to thread!!)

mark s (mark s), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Karl Kraus to thread!

Momus (Momus), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Best blog of 1903: Die Fackel:

'Success was not the primary concern of Karl Kraus; rather, it was perfection. He was known to sit for hours hovering over daily newspapers and magazines. When he had read every bit of news available, he would begin his arduous task of clipping out the articles that captured his attention, and pasting each one to a large sheet of paper. On each sheet he would painstakingly document his sardonic attacks in a minuscule scrawl, one that was nearly indecipherable for most, including his printer. Kraus worked throughout the night, and after each printing he would insist on editing it himself so as not to miss a single flaw. With a few exceptions, Die Fackel contained only polemical and satirical essays by Kraus. This was due to the high fees demanded by those he wished would write for him, as well as the need to have full control over his periodical.

Because Kraus was financially independent, only very few advertisements appeared in his periodical, and these only in the very beginning. Kraus detested partiality of the press, and hoped to remain neutral. The irony is that his essays were extremely opinionated and kept him in constant debate with the public. More ironic is Kraus' overall view of the press in general. He considered journalism "the goiter of the world" while he himself was a journalist.'

Momus (Momus), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

there haven't been any decent new blogs this year

jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Myn ist thar bezt blug int eet?

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 June 2003 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Chip Morningstar needs some ice cool water to drink on a hot day to cool down, i cover a great diversity of great music !

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

also, blogger is driving me phukkin' crazy lately.... anyone else having probs?

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

*scratches badly shaven face at martian's post*

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

DJ Martian covers too much music. I get lost.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

look above to earlier post, julio.

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I know what chip said martian. i think he has a point (but then you prob I think I've already said this on ILM).

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

you 'cover' nothing. you list. i would rather hear you talk about just one record and why it is supposedly great

Chip Morningstar (bob), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

No z3m I was not being ironic.

Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

there haven't been any decent new blogs this year

said by society lady at country club as she lazily stirs her gin & tonic

s1utsky (slutsky), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

now have you come here to till the soil and nuture the vine? or merely to play in the garden?

jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

till the soil! till the soil! sorry sir! sir thank you sir!

s1utsky (slutsky), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

society lady seargant...coming this fall on fox

jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 5 June 2003 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Heronbone isn't incomprehensible.

Cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 5 June 2003 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)

What makes a 'good' blog?

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 June 2003 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

a couple of my votes, but then I don't really read music blogs -

Of course, Where is Raed ?

Languagehat

Samuel Pepys' Diary

Gawker
And.. though it's winding down I suppose.. the New York City Anti-Hipster Forum
To me.. a good blog is focused but not too focused, and is written by someone w/a deep knowledge of a subject, often part of a community of fellow.. scholars/devotees of that subject, & is sharing it & making it accessible - as in Languagehat, I have learned a lot & found great links to like-minded blogs - and thus have been led to tons of language resources in several languages that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. And, of course, Salam Pax's blog provided an absolutely invaluable perspective on life in Baghdad before & during the war.. and it's extremely well written to boot.

daria g, Thursday, 5 June 2003 21:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Or, if it's fluff.. it's entertaining & unusual fluff! :) At least Gawker lets me take celebrity gossip in efficient-size does.

daria g, Thursday, 5 June 2003 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

The Apathetic Online Journal Entry Generator Momus linked to is a great idea gone totally to waste. A more accurate sample entry would read something like:

Today suked. I got like 80 calls in 20 mins while that lazy bitch Carrie was in the bathroom. What does she do in there? It probably takes her that long to cahnge her rag!!! lol!!!

What is happening in the world? There is so much war, and people dying just cos our president is jealous of his dad or something. Not that I hate my country or anything, I'm not stupid. Gusy in uniforms are so hotttt!! lol!!!!

(nb I totally love webdiaries and read them all the time.)

chester (synkro), Thursday, 5 June 2003 21:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't claim to have a best blog of any year, but this is a lame excuse for me to point out that I now have a domain:

http://www.chezchrissie.co.uk

Isn't it a wonderful name? Just the right amount of cheese. :)

ChristineSH (chrissie1068), Friday, 6 June 2003 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

fuck it.
i am proud of mine, and i think the writing is good, and i am going to wreck my humble nature by metioning it here.

anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 6 June 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Go Anthony. Now link us to it so I can link you up to Auspicious Fish.

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Friday, 6 June 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

a tip for Nick, you will get more web traffic [via search engines, various blog search tools], if you leave out www. in blogspot addresses]

DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 6 June 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

www.pinkmoose.blogspot.com

anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 6 June 2003 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Plugging myself - http://weblog.quartzcity.net

Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Saturday, 7 June 2003 08:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I feel so out of touch.

Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 7 June 2003 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

is this where I say I have more of a life and am too busy to update.


that must be it alright.

erm......

Ronan (Ronan), Saturday, 7 June 2003 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Oddly enough, when I had even less of a life and was vastly more depressed, I wrote stuff on there much less often. (And I'm afraid most of what I did write at that time has since been deleted on the grounds of being a load of angst-ridden shite...)

ChristineSH (chrissie1068), Saturday, 7 June 2003 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

http://natepreston.diaryland.com

dz, Sunday, 8 June 2003 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Inevitably any blog thread becomes "Plug Your Blog" !

In the '03 I particularly love TWANBOC, Everything's Usable, Spizzazzz, Astronaut's Notepad, Blissblog, Church of Me, Matos's blog. World of Stelfox has gotten off to a promising start but more is needed! And we must never forget the one, the only Josh Blog, still dropping shock and awe on me after all this time.

In the '03 I mourn the passing of Technicolour and the not-updated-enough-ness of NYLPM or In Review.

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 9 June 2003 01:38 (twenty-two years ago)

the pillbox is the stirner to blissblogs' freurbach.

Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 11 June 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I like this one, oddly: Business Park Observer. Don't know if it's new though.

Rockist Scientist, Monday, 23 June 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

i like that a lot rockist!

(btw, i have received your tape, thanks, i really appreciate it! i just havent been able to play it yet because im living in a limboland in which i have not been able to play ANY music in nearly 2 months, and even before that i was without tape player. all this is to be rectified soon though)

gareth (gareth), Monday, 23 June 2003 15:58 (twenty-two years ago)

World of Stelfox has gotten off to a promising start but more is needed!

i'm undergoing a horrible house-move (it's taken the best part of a month just to box up records cds books and videos) and a shitstorm of deadlines for print stuff so am in semi-retirement until after july 12 (my b'day) then it'll be back up with decent updates and more regular posts... in the meantime, read other people's: they're better and more reliable!!!

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 23 June 2003 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Forgot to mention that I've been totally enthralled by The Silk Road Journal written by a guy travelling around Central Asia.

Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Thursday, 26 June 2003 02:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I've been enjoying Steady Mike's Tennis-based group blog here: Wimbledon 2003

Especially good to see Steady Mike's Dad make a vintage appearance: "Big soft girl".

Tim (Tim), Thursday, 26 June 2003 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...
http://www.livejournal.com/users/randythetool

The blog of a high-school acquaintance I haven't actually seen in three years. His old blog was actually a great deal more depressing, I've kept reading because it seems that his life is getting better.

That and it takes fifteen seconds to read his entries.

miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i totally stand by my earlier comment

strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

And I stand by my subsequent joke.

s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 02:48 (twenty-two years ago)

three months pass...
Here's the best blog I've ever seen:

http://www.biroco.com/journal.htm

colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Friday, 7 November 2003 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

tho i'm not saying mine is one of the best at all by any stretch (i haven't posted in months), it's just that other folks mentioned it so i feel i should say that i've torn it up and started again. will be posting a lot more, all manner of stuff. expect a good burst of material over the next few days...

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

i'll add a link to your blog from mine dave! i'd been meaning to

geeta (geeta), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

btw, its @ worldofstelfox.blogspot.com

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

okay, i'll do likewise when i get my links sorted over the weekend! yay for links!

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 7 November 2003 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)


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