The Joy of Six

Usually when The Sun breaks a clearly sensational and fabricated story I become annoyed; bored with the "bloody immigrants", "back our boys" or "Britains got talent" nonsense. However last week I fleetingly rejoiced when " The Voice of Britain" broke the news that Chris Moyles was finally leaving Radio 1. Such joy was not due to listening or caring about Moyles and his team of brainless sycophants and was instead mainly some schadenfreude at seeing such an odious idiot finally leave the airwaves.

My frustration with the burp in mike, talk about women as if meat crudity pionereed as entertainment by Moyles led to a transferral of listening allegiances along time ago as drag myself from bed every morning. My frustration with adverts and the Paolo Nutini informed content of Virginesque commercial stations left limited scope for where to go next. Then I tuned in to 6music.

6music is a digital radio station from the BBC that plays an eclectic mix of music mainly informed by contemporary indie and classic punk, rock and anything inbetween. In short it is heaven, a musical utopia far removed from the Duffy dominated shit play lists flogged to within a inch of their lives day in day out by Radio 1. Because I am a boring pedant I put a comparison together highlight the brilliance of six and the utter triviality of Radio 1's output. Last Wednesday upon waking up I was treated to the incredible :

The Rolling Stones - She's like a Rainbow

Green Day - Know Your Enemy

Gomez - Whippin Picallily

Peter, Bjorn and John - Young Folks

George Harrison - My sweet lord

Silversun Pickups - Theres no Secrets this Year; and the best of the lot...

Snoop Dogg - Whats my Name

At the same time Radio 1 listeners of Radio 1 would have been treated to a selection of songs picked on the basis of their performance in "focus groups" comprised of idiots. The current songs set for the equivalent of a PRS anal rape include such musical luminaries as Alesha Dixon, Britney Spears, Girls Aloud, Pink and Tinchy Strider. Case closed.

Not only is the music infinitley better on 6 the DJ's are also quality. Sean Keaveney in the mornings is an eloquent northener with a healthy distate for the celebrity culture so adored by R1 who is unafraid of having a vocabulary and intelligence. His guests are invaribly interesting, funny and not restricted to those that have a book out that week. Instead of the self obsessed chatter employed constantly by Moyles ( " I was out the other day and the paparazzi wanted to take pictures of me because I am famous! Gutter" ) Keaveney actually has legitimate features that excite each day. The constantly fascinating Ear Worm is a track designed to stick in your head and suggested by a listener every morning and gets played at 8. It works. Wichita Lineman by Glenn Campbell was played around 3 months ago and I haven't been able to dislodge it since.

Keaveney's brilliance is matched in the weekend morning slots by Adam and Joe on staurdays, the channel four comedy duo (apparently) from the days of yore and Jon Richardson an up and coming stand up and former radio partner to Russell Howard. Most importantly they are all original and unafraid of being a bit intelligent. Whereas Moyles steadfastly is self righteous in his stupidity 6music instead encourages maybe just a small amount of thinking. It's not exactly the Today Program and it isnt designed to look down on anyone - it just doesnt think being stupid is cool. And that is the joy of 6.

Scabarous

Subtly is not always the best facet of comedy, yet it also has the capacity to make us laugh more than any other factor. Davd Brent's sly looks can make us laugh just as much as his insane dance moves but comedy is perhaps best when the two are combined.

In the Loop a cinematic remake of In the Thick of It, a TV program written by Armando Ianucci, combines two of comedy's essential qualities to create a dark satire on the process that led Britain and America to war in Iraq. Dealing with the serious issues of the creativity utilised by governments to make a case for war, as well as the allure of power and the obsession with career, In the Loop manages to be hilairous despite its bitter subject matter. It's other triumph lies in the fact that it's character's are horrendous to a fault they are either stupid, vain, self serving, bullying or flexible with their morality in the face of war's gathering storm where they feel their reputations will be forged or their career's broken. Peter Capaldi is brilliant as a spin doctor who brings new meaning to the term foul mouthed, whilst Tom Hollander brings life to the simpering minister caught up in the intentions of transatlantic executives. Steve Coogan has an excellent cameo that brings into sharp focus the priorities of government ministers and perpetuates the mentalist character trend perfectly.

In the Loop asks important questions about power and democracy whilst being hugely funny at the same time. Although it's characters are invariably hideous the fact that you would never want to meet them doesn't prevent you from laughing at them making Ianucci's film a dark, scabarous but enjoyable affair.

The Jake and Tiarnan Podcast - Episode 4

To celebrate a month of Podcasting we continue in the same vein by talking utter shit related to yesterdays Mirror. Amongst our topics are bomb scares at the London marathon, Natalie Cassidy's weightloss techniques and Tiarnan's first ever constructive contribution which goes horribly awry. As always the Kapp meister is there with two jingles to herald it's utter shitness.

*she is definatley breathing in

Smeared

Although I'm not sure it's historically accurate it's widely said that Emperor Nero fiddled whilst Rome burnt. It could be said that those in the Labour party are doing much the same during this possibly government ending recession. As I know from my in depth study of the West Wing it is those behind the men at the top that really make things work; the strategists, the thinkers, the spin doctors. That is why it is worrying that such political operatives are devoting their time to set up blogs to spread rumour about their opposition rather than forming a strategy to try and stop people losing their jobs.

Damien Mcbride, who sent the emails, is now staring down the barrel of a life in the political wilderness after what is a a pretty petty mistake to make. Maybe superficially it's a petty action to undertake but is actions have undertones of something more serious. At a time of recession we need people motivated by a sense of civic service not a desire to secure another term through the dirtiest electioneering tactics. When John Mcain consistently tried to smear Barack Obama in the US elections it was largely dismissed as the actions of a desperate man, aware that he was heading towards defeat. With similar ideas being employed by Labour and distinctions being made on private lives rather than policy perhaps they are bound for a similar fate.

The Jake and Tiarnan Podcast - Episode 3

In a podcast marred by technical mishaps and editing problems we talk about getting dryered, Harry Pothead and Robinson Chewso. As usual there is the terrible Andy Kapp along with around half an hour of other humourous bollocks. Tiarnan decides not to libel as many people and instead sticks to having a go at me. You can get it all for the princley some of nothing here and it should now download automatically through Itunes as the feed problems are getting sorted!

Mental

The Guardian (the greatest of all the papers) has obtained footage which shows the sole casualty of the G20 protests being batoned and pushed to the floor by police just minutes before his death. This could result in an unholy shitstorm for the Met Police and a Spooks like story line of police brutality for the rest of us. What I don't understand is that this man was walking home from work. Sure he seems in the video as if he is ignoring police instructions but that isnt usually the cause in Britain to baton someone about the legs. He seems as though he is trying to make a point; that he wont be hurried by the Police's desire to get amongst the other protesters, his day wont be altered by the political concerns of others. This incident perhaps serves to starkly show the nature of British life today. By no means were the protesters a victimised community, there have been rumours that a man pictured prominently by most front pages the next day with blood streaming from his face was seen cutting himself with razor blades on the tube, but at the same time it seems that violence was the immediate response to a group of people angry and frustrated by a number of nameless individuals that have wreaked economic turmoil on their lives by spinning the wheel of the stock exchange. The way they organised themselves should have been better and the anarchist umbrella groups they utilised were a mistake. They allowed people that wanted a ruck to dictate their agenda and looked bad and chaotic as a result. But ultimatley these people were those completely disenfranchised by a governmental and economic system that have totally failed them and are asking many of them to pay with their jobs and prosperity. I am sure many people share these feelings and would have protested if the messages beforehand were not the ones of conflict issued by the organising groups. One man wasn't interested in any of it, he only seemingly wanted to get home from work and he was pushed to the floor by armed riot police and died two minutes later.

The Jake and Tiarnan Podcast - Episode 2

In Episode 2 we talk about Bionic Frogs, listener friends, duff barmaids and Guantanamo Health Spas TM. And, as always Tiarnan's being mental and exhibits an insane facial expression whilst being constantly laddish. Not to disprove such an idea we also talk about Wetherspoon's "New Deal", judge Apprentice contestants on the basis of their looks and throw some casual racism at the French. Regular segments make a come back with in all their unfunny glory; mainly the (still terrible) Andy Kapp and an attempt at talking about our weeks. As always get it here or just subscribe through Itunes. Then send us your credit card details ( we arent doing this for the good of our health).