Funny. Blogging is more like corresponding with a friend than it is writing for newspapers. It is a rewarding experience when you find the time, an informal and affectionate exchange. However, with no editor to enforce deadlines, it is left to your own diligence to keep it up. Once you leave it beyond the point when you should have written, the guilt becomes paralysing rather than inspiring; the more things happen, the less able you feel to write about them. Thus we drift out of touch, as much through our own inward pressures as any lost love. This is wrong. So I shall try to make amends.

1) The National (left), one of my favourite bands in the world, are playing at the Astoria tonight, in support of their fine fourth album, Boxer, of which the first track is here, for free. It has many charms. I especially like the way it lays a four beat piano over triple time drums, a neat inversion of the chorus of Mr November (the last track of their last album), which put a tripleted vocal line over four square drums. I would like to think this is deliberate:

The National: Fake Empire.mp3

One newspaper recently described the band thus: 'With those shimmering, translucent guitars and peaking choruses, they could be U2, in a parallel world where Bono sees his reflection in a puddle and says "You know what, Bono? You're a shit."' Which rather hits the nail on the head. Much as I despise Bono and his friend the Edge, I do admire the heft and muscle of their music. The National take this widescreen, driving, American sound, go boozing with it, get a lap dance, regret it and maybe have an argument with their wives about it. But it's still there, anchoring Matt Berninger's oblique, grown up lyrics, giving their songs a weight that so few indie bands attain. I have just read Everyman by Philip Roth - a painful account of an American male life. In my head, the National provide the soundtrack. Dammit I can't wait for tonight.

2) I have just heard news that Beach House - the gorgeous, sleepy, American boy-girl duo (right) I blogged earlier - have been signed to Bella Union, and will make their UK live debut at that excellent label's showcase at the new Royal Festival Hall on 10 July. Their album will be release over here in August. I've posted this before, but see no reason not to do so again:

Beach House: Apple Orchard.mp3

Midlake, incidentally, are headlining the showcase; judging from their recent set at Shepherd's Bush Empire - which brought to mind all the best bits of my father's prog-rock collection - it should be quite an occasion. 

3) I found the Lily Allen vs Cheryl Tweedy spat very dispiriting - as any male who has listened to intelligent females lament their shape will have. Hopefully the former will have a rest and pull herself together and the latter will be piqued, sit down in her vile footballer husband's house, attempt to write a song as good as this and fail miserably:

Lily Allen: Cheryl Tweedy.mp3

Art always has the last laugh. Mind you, Lily Allen's never recorded anything quite as good as Biology.

4) Is this a hoax, do you think? Elton - "that ludicrous jackdandy" in Brian Sewell's memorable phrase - covering the untouchable Nick Drake, all the way back in 1968?

Elton John: Way to Blue.mp3

Surely not?