Simply having an adequate Chr*stmas time.

Well, Chr*stmas sure took a walking jump, didn't it?

I remember it being the beginning of December, having plenty of time to sort stuff out (enough time, in fact, to indulge in my favourite past-time of 'not sorting stuff out'), when suddenly A WILD CHR*STMAS APPEARS and after hours of browsing I'm forced to batter my brain into believing that yes, Dad will want a Top Gear pilot light maintenance set as a symbol of his son's love. The way it works is that, if the pilot light goes out, a plastic representation of Jeremy Clarkson spouts something vaguely inflammatory in a clearly calculated attempt to attract as much attention as possible.

In Phoria news, there's little to tell but plans being laid: get to Abbey Road at the end of January, release soon after that, have a little tour, then look forward to new material. Those are our goals. We've been banging on for ages about releasing this stuff, and we're all so glad that it's finally getting there and that there are dates and bookings and words and pictures surrounding it. Every time Trewin plays me a freshly tweaked version of the songs, they sound better and better. We are counting down the caesium oscillations.

The year is ending, isn't it? Soon enough.

While I'm here, with a laptop and a piece of broadband rather than a little wax tablet and a strand of cooked spaghetti that I imagine to be a telephone wire, I'm going to share two songs from two albums released this year that I loved. How lucky we/you are to live in such an age. It's always a little awkward when people share stuff in this way, but, hey, it's Chr*stmas. Don't want my gifts? Go and put a mince pie in you or something. Go on. 

First: A band pointed out by Jeb on the Phoria facebook page a little while ago, and who we managed to catch when they came by to Brighton. I cannot stop listening to this album. It sounds like retro-futurism from the future.
This is Belispeak, from the album Shrines by Purity Ring:

Ahhh.

I think the whole band (read: world) agrees on that choice.

Second: A band that I was very disappointed to hear are now on 'indefinite hiatus', which means a forthcoming plethora of 'unreleased material' and a comeback tour in ten years at £80 a ticket. Jeb and I also managed to catch these guys live on what turned out to be their last tour. Oh, how we get around.

Nothing says Chr*stmas like a dense slice of psychedelic prog rock, right?

[Note to self: warn people of scary speaker smashage before they get to playing the videos]

I hope you've got all your presents bought and wrapped, and are sitting in your favourite armchair sipping something poisonous and flicking idly through the Radio Times. Or maybe hanging out with friends and family, if you're into that whole 'social' thing.

Everybody keep warm, keep dry, and keep happy. We need you.

Merry Christmas, or whatever.

Tim

PS. If you want to buy us something, or are flushing £50 notes down the toilet in tribute to Rod Stewart's publicist, why not donate to Shelter instead.