. . . looking forward to
To Primavera Sound festival from May 26th-28th. The latest additions to the Barcelona indie festival – including PJ Harvey (right), Interpol, James Blake, DJ Shadow, Big Boi, Sufjan Stevens and PiL – have persuaded us to buy that flight and book a room. Who needs Electric Picnic and Oxegen?
. . . coveting
The full box set of Penguin Mini Modern Classics, including F Scott Fitzgerald, Jorge Luis’ Borge and Katherine Mansfield. Individually they cost less than a fiver.
. . . looking forward to
This year's Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. It'll mean a diet of popcorn and soda – and daily coverage in The Irish Times.
. . . glad we went to
Milk and Cookie Stories at Exchange Dublin in Temple Bar. Even on a wet and biting-cold Tuesday evening the queue for this monthly storytelling event snaked down Exchange Street. Those who’d braved the elements were met at the door with a choice of delicious cookies and cakes and a cup of tea or coffee. And all free of charge. Audience members signed up to show and tell (this month’s theme) and spun yarns that were by turns touching, amusing and macabre. And all the while the Inklude Collective projected their “live doodles” on the wall; see milkandcookiestories.com for details.
. . . playing
The forthcoming game Bulletstorm, with its delirious slapstick violence.
. . . watching
Tool Academyon E4 – never has a television reality programme been so aptly named.
Episodes– it was a slow start for David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik's sitcom of British writers being transplanted to American T. But while it is often predictable, Matt Le Blanc does a good version of himself and the culture clash jokes have won us over.
Mario Rosenstockas Vincent Browne on TV3, especially the two minute sketch on the "Tweet machine".
. . . streaming
Home,the stunning debut film by Earth from the Airphotographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, at homethemovie.org.
Everything Is a Remix, Part 2, the New York film-maker Kirby Ferguson continues his wonderful analysis of how all culture owes a debt to its forebears, this time focusing on cinema. You've heard of the influences on Star Warsand Kill Bill.Now watch them side by side; everythingisaremix.info.
. . . reading
The pithy, moving and hilarious short stories of EC Osondu, Voice of America, winner of the Caine “African Booker” Prize.
. . . listening to
The five-track pre-release from REM's forthcoming album, Collapse into Now.The glory days are back.
The eponymous comeback album from Seefeel, an early 1990s electronic/rock group that few realised were gone in the first place. But its synth shoegaze has a surprising freshness.
