Mick Karn Appeal

We were very sad to learn that Mick Karn was recently diagnosed with the advanced stages of cancer and as anyone who has read his new book (and if you haven’t you really should, see the review here), will be aware Mick has been struggling financially for some considerable time now and, in consequence, an appeal has been begun on his site to help to raise funds for any necessary treatment and to provide financial support for his immediate family whilst he undergoes treatment. If you would like to make a donation whether as an individual or as a group, you can do so here and, it probably goes without saying, that any support you are able to give, no matter how small, could make a big difference.

Multi Room Wi-Fi Audio System

Raumfeld, the Berlin-based multi-room audio specialists, have announced the launch of a new online shop, www.raumfeld.co.uk – to help introduce their next-generation hi-fi system. Pooling all of your digital music (be it on Mac, PC or NAS drive) the multi-room audio system then streams it around your house to studio-quality, WiFi-enabled speakers, via a touch-screen remote control which allows you to simultaneously control the music in every room of your home, Just imagine playing death metal in the kitchen, grime in the bathroom, a jazz based playlist in the living room, and your complete collection on 'shuffle' in the bedroom (actually that might get a bit confusing). Designed with ease-of-use and excellent sound in mind the system does away with multiple devices and miles of cable. You can even integrate your physical music collection – CDs, vinyl, etc. – by adding the Raumfeld Connector to your traditional hi-fi. We want one...

Ninja Birthday

One of our favourite labels, Ninja Tune – the brainchild of Jon More and Matt Black, collectively known as Coldcut - are celebrating their 20th year in (which given the slew of defunct labels to pepper the previous decade is no mean achievement), with a box-set, loads of live gubbins and a book Ninja Tune: 20 Years of Beats and Pieces by Stevie Chick. Needless to say the box-set will be a lavish affair with three hardcover cases, the first containing 6 CDs (two of which will be exclusive to the box), the second 6x7” singles exclusive to the box, a family tree, sleeve cover poster, sticker sheet etc. and the last an exclusive hardback copy of the Stevie Chick book (you can pre-order the box here). To get you in the mood however in the twenty weeks leading up to the release of the box-set Ninja Tune are showing brand new videos, running loads of comps and giving away rare material and mixes from the www.ninjatunexx.net site each download will be available for one

All New Hendrix?

Jimi Hendrix may have been dead for almost forty years now but his short recording career is still held by many to be amongst the finest ever committed to tape and for those lucky young so and so's not yet acquainted with the guitar slinging genius Sony Commercial Group and Experience Hendrix LLC have released new deluxe CD/DVD editions of Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love, Electric Ladyland, and First Rays of the New Rising Sun (also available on vinyl) and of course the all new album Valleys Of Neptune which we rather like actually and you can find out a good deal more about it and send a seriously cool message to all your Hendrix loving friends by clicking here, see if you can better our lame efforts at humour.

It's not the size...

We're not normally acquisitive types here at TM Towers but more or less everyone in the office wanted one of these big 7" single's when they saw them. These printed canvas sleeves taken from original paintings of classic 45's are constructed to resemble giant (680 mm square) 3D singles and come complete with natty chrome spindles to facilitate popping them up on the wall, they even come with realistically crinkled and worn edges. Arguments here have been raging about whether ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ by The Animals, ‘My Generation’ by The Who or ‘Paranoid’ by Black Sabbath would be the coolest choice – the choices also include Bowie, The Stones, The Clash, The Beatles and more - but regardless which one you pick we reckon any music fan would be totally knocked out to get one and you can find out all about them at www.supersizeart.com

Gold Medalists

We can only assume someone on the organisational panel of the Winter Olympic Games’s has been necking buckets of Night Nurse as this bright spark has decided it would be a good idea if Devo performed at the Victory Ceremony which will be broadcast live later this month. Not that we have a problem with Devo you understand, we often hobble around the office whistling ‘Whip It’ - apparently the chaps even have their first studio album in nearly twenty years pretty much in the can – we’re just wondering what the hell the estimated audience of three billion people will make of five flowerpot wearing loons with barely a sporting muscle between them regaling everyone with tales of mongoloid's, sloppy girls and pinheads. Actually sounds like a great idea, can't wait.

Eat My Short Guitar

OK, so it's not actually a short guitar but the delightfully named Uke 'n Play Bart Simpson Ukulele, ho yus Bart, it might be a bit early to be thinking of Christmas but if you want your kids to rock like a hurricane then this 21" soprano ukulele could be just the jobbie to get them interested. Apparently the Ukelele (which never looks right when you write it down) is one of the most popular instruments in primary schools so you can even pretend it's educational. Finished in flaming rock star red with a duckwalking 'Bart Rocks' graphic on the body and The Simpsons logo on the headstock the Uke retails at a pocket friendly £24.99 and you can grab one from the ever reliable online Nevada Music Store (oh and you can also get a Spongebob Squarepants Uke, but obviously that's just for kids). Which just leaves us trying to work out how to end this paragraph with a Doh! Oh, there, we've done it...