fluff

The Windmills have just released their 3rd album, Now is Then, and my favourite track is "Something Spring," which has nice 12-string guitar on it and a good tune.

I'm not really qualified to say much about this kind of music, because I had my head up my arse in the 80s and don't really understand where it's coming from. A bit like the Guardian attempting to review Sara Evans or Martina McBride.

But I really like "Something Spring," it speaks to me from a far off place; it's exactly the kind of song, you'd buy the soundtrack of the film (or Episode of Buffy) it was in just to get that one track. But Roy claims the other band members see the song as a bit of fluff, some filler for the album. Whereas for me it's the main reason to have the album.

All of which reminds me of a conversation I had with Simon yester, about how, from the centre of a "scene" there are always some things/bands that everyone laughs at. And these are the bands that go global. For example, I was well acquainted with Toad The Wet Sprocket, part of the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The Sprockets were okay, if you like that kind of thing, and happened to have a bassist and guitarist who were truly excellent, but they never went anywhere, beyond the odd Tommy Vance session.

On the other hand, you might have heard of bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, also part of the NWOBHM, who everybody in the "scene" probably laughed at. In fact, I remember laughing at Def Leppard's preposterous attempt to choose a name that was a little bit along the lines of Led Zeppelin. But not quite. You knew they'd never make it, in the same way that the internet will never catch on.

I bet there are people in rock bands now who despise and disdain the Darkness. And I know someone who turned down a gig with Marillion, because he thought they were naff. Which they are, but that's not the point. The point is, that if you're too hardcore you sometimes can't see the universal appeal, and you will be forever left behind to plough your lonely furrow. In the meantime, the happy go lucky fluffy types go off and make a fortune. Which hopefully isn't the reason you make music, but still.

Maybe there isn't really a point, but it's fun to think about.

Talking of Buffy, I was just down at Confetti Studios for a Digidesign event. Confetti have a greeter who deals with clients (in this case punters arriving for the event). She is absolutely lovely, in a Buffy-like way. The kind of girl, as she's walking away, you want to say, in a small and plaintive voice, "I love you."