Thursday, February 5, 2015

Freakaholics Anonymous - Fen Invasion


Cambridge duo and former radio show guests Freakaholics Anonymous release their debut album which is as random and kitsch as the Tron inspired artwork. There are tales of love between and eagle and trout, bus driver and passenger and possibly the first disco track on the subject of keeping tropical fish. A lo-fi synth fest with a healthy disrespect for convention.

Have a listen to their Headstand interview here and look out for their freaky multimedia stage show.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

UK Party Leaders' Twitter poems

New site Poetweet creates poems from Twitter feeds. The social media network has become a vital channel of communication for politicians, so what poetic gems lie in the major party leaders’ tweets in the run up to the general election?



An eloquent sonnet by the prime minister starts in St Symphorien cemetery in Belgium and ends in the city’s financial district. Ed Miliband delivers a confused manifesto for an equal Britain while Nick Clegg shows rare passion and vitriol in a sonnet that urges the public to vote and backs industries of northern England and Scottish devolution. 

This is what you get when you feed the party leaders’ tweets through new Brazilian site Poetweet which trawls twitter feeds for material to produce poems in one of three classic forms. You can almost hear Nigel Farage intoning lines about tobacco and the international media in a short sharp indriso, which in true Ukip fashion, ends with an own goal. Not surprisingly, Green Leader Natalie Bennett’s rondel, The Ground, features air, clean water and healthy food and condemnation of fossil fuels. 

If you follow the links you can view the poems on the site and hover over words to view the tweets they were drawn from, and while you’re there have a go at making a poem from your own tweets or someone else’s.

Who gets your vote as the bard of Twitter?

With friends
by David Cameron

St Symphorien cemetery in Belgium
Financial security for them.
Madiba's life at the FNB stadium.
Of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
On ITV's at 10.35pm with and host
Courage and fortitude.
Government will pick up the cost.
Respect, admiration and gratitude.
Happy New Year!
Who've worked hard all their lives.
Labour couldn't be more clear:
Ending sexual violence in conflict.
We must be doing something right."
Of the city's financial district. 

And Abingdon
by Nick Clegg

Vile. This is totally out of order.
Half marathon in April to support
Sure the UK is a world leader.
Today. Well done, what an effort!
Sure you can vote! Register here:
Don't care, jobs lost?
Fans. Unbelievable atmosphere.
The Thames to support bid to host
Industries in North of England.
The public have waited long enough.
We will honour her life’s work and
As the original card though.
Package of new powers to Scotland. 

Equal Britain
by Ed Miliband

Spend valuable time with loved ones
Before they can claim benefits
Barbaric killing of David Haines.
Create jobs and make profits.
Abuse We need zero-tolerance:
Of Rochdale for three decades.
Callousness and incompetence.
A time for restraint on all sides.
Missed from the House of Commons.
And every day he proves them right.
No answers on the key questions.
To BT and CWU working together
Terrorism to be totally condemned.
Next May I'll scrap it altogether:

Has summarised
by Nigel Farage

Have shared tobacco, not chocolate.
Maths or Medical degrees.
Ask for inclusion in a 2nd debate
Your followers who expect better
International media paid no heed:
Admit they've made politics matter
Against the EU Arrest Warrant:
UKIP is elected. Desperate times... 

The ground
by Natalie Bennett

All support appreciated!
Understood!
Of, but happy to try if invited:
Air, clean water, healthy food...
To fully cover my top corners!
Fossil fuel projects despite pledge
&ignoring views young voters
Are some mushrooms in the fridge!
Issues they'd hope to see raised.
Not prop up a Tory government.
Sigh, not surprised...
Carving. Not a political statement!
Totally opposed: