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akaomiru.bsky.social
AkaoMiru 🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
@akaomiru.bsky.social
190 followers 360 following 520 posts
Scot/Canadian, pop-culture bobbins, etc, etc
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akaomiru.bsky.social
I'm realizing that '76 is quite underrepresented in my record collection. Lots from '75 or '77, but '76 doesn't have too much for me. It does have Dylan's "Desire" though, so that's next for this morning #NowPlaying
The album cover of Bob Dylan's "Desire", featuring a photograph of Dylan in profile, wearing a white, wide-brimmed hat, a patterned scarf, and a fur-collared jacket.
November 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
I still have the house to myself so I've decided to keep on listening to 1976, with Genesis's "A Trick of the Tail". Not that I ever really need a reason to listen to this one mind you. #NowPlaying
The album cover of Genesis's "A Trick of the Tail", featuring a row of characters illustrated in a vintage-style in sepia on a mottled yellow background.
November 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
I'm starting my Sunday morning with an album that I've never heard before - Loudon Wainwright III's "T Shirt". I went through a Loudo phase about 25 years ago, but I don't remember seeing this one on CD even... So far, so OK, though opener "Bicentennial" sounds like it has wah-wah on the vocals?
The album cover of Loudon Wainwright III's "T Shirt", featuring a photograph of the singer in the corner of a white room, surrounded by crumpled colourful t-shirts on the floor. He's sitting cross-legged, pulling up the red t-shirt that he's wearing over half his face, exposing his chest and belly. It's a choice I guess, but wouldn't be out of place in one of those "worst album covers" listicles.
November 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
It has arrived in Canada! Split Enz in 5.1!!! Never thought I'd see the day, but getting to hear a surround mix of "Second Thoughts" (AKA the Chrysalis "Mental Notes") is quite fabulous ❤️ Thanks to @super-deluxe.bsky.social for putting this out.

Now, I just need to upgrade to an Atmos setup...
The Blu-ray cover of Split Enz's ENZyclopedia Volume 1 & 2, featuring the cover painting from Mental Notes of the band in assymetrical coloured suits and haircuts against a surreal backdrop.
November 20, 2025 at 5:39 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
One week to go until Split Enz's "ENZyclopedia: Volume One & Two". My surround sound version from @super-deluxe.bsky.social will hopefully be on its way to Canada soon, and the vinyl version (perhaps?) under the Xmas tree? 🫰
Screenshot of the Spotify entry for Split Enz's ENZyclopedia Volume One & Two, featuring a countdown showing 7 days, 14 hours and change, under the cover painting used for Mental Notes of the band in asymmetrical suits and unusual, windswept hairstyles.
November 6, 2025 at 2:55 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
I survived the Jays' store on game day! Ready for game 6 #GoJaysGo
Selfie of a balding middle aged white guy with a short beard and glasses, wearing a grey "World Series" Blue Jays hoodie.
October 31, 2025 at 6:14 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
My cat representing how most of Toronto (and the east coast) feels this morning.
A fat tabby cat with a white belly seen from above, lying stretched out on his back, corpse-like
October 28, 2025 at 12:02 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Feeling very Canadian today - curling this morning, Rush on the turntable this afternoon, and game 2 tonight! #GoJaysGo #NowPlaying
The cover of Rush's "Moving Pictures", featuring a tableau of men in red jumpsuits carrying framed pictures on the steps of Queen's Park while a family looks on, crying. The cover stands next to a vintage turntable on top of a shelf of records.
October 25, 2025 at 7:09 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Getting in the spirit of things at the office #GoJays @tourcntower.bsky.social
A painting of a blue jay, wings spread, on the windows of the CN Tower observation deck overlooking the Rogers Centre
October 24, 2025 at 2:13 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
A rather chill Saturday night with the latest @stevenwilsonhq.bsky.social on the turntable - quite possibly my favourite album of this year? #NowPlaying
The cover of Steven Wilson's "The Overview", featuring a graphic of a blue circle against a starry sky. It stands next to a vintage turntable on a shelf of records.
October 19, 2025 at 2:47 AM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Thanks to Toronto Public Library, I'm already started on @tkingfisher.com's new Sworn Soldier tale, "What Stalks the Deep"!

This is going to trigger my claustrophobia, isn't it? 😬

#BookSky
The cover of T. Kingfisher's "What Stalks the Deep", as seen on the Libby app
October 1, 2025 at 3:07 AM
akaomiru.bsky.social
A Dan Dare story in 3 reprint editions:

Left - "The Man From Nowhere" (Dragon's Dream 1979)

Centre - "Rogue Planet" (Hawk Books, 1992)

Right - "Reign of the Robots" (Titan Books, 2008)

I do wish I'd got all of the large Hawk ones back in the day, but they were not cheap IIRC...
3 reprint volumes of Dan Dare comic strip stories: a small, black hardcover with "futuristic" title fonts and a single panel of Dan Dare and Digby floating down to an alien world; a large green hardcover in the centre with Dan being apprehended by a giant, stern-faced alien; a white hardcover with retro art deco design, featuring a picture of the green-skinned Mekon in a circular frame.
September 30, 2025 at 9:07 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
I can't believe I missed the 40th anniversary of Dexy's "Don't Stand Me Down".

(Actually, I can believe since I usually only find these things out when someone else posts about an anniversary...)

#NowPlaying
The album cover of Dexy's Midnight Runners "Don't Stand Me Down", featuring a photo of 4 band members in grey business suits sitting, staring at the camera. The cover is standing next to a vintage turntable on top of a shelf of records.
September 30, 2025 at 8:08 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Growing up with 80s Elton meant that for too many years I didn't know how good early 70s Elton was - "Honky Château" is a case in point 💯 #NowPlaying
The album cover of Elton John's "Honky Château", featuring a sepia-toned 3/4 portrait of Elton, framed on a gold background. The cover stands beside a vintage turntable on a shelf containing other records.
September 23, 2025 at 8:16 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Well, seeing that post in my timeline inspired me to stick this on - Heaven 17 "The Luxury Gap". No fascist groove thangs, but it does kick off with "Crushed by the Wheels of Industry" #NowPlaying
September 18, 2025 at 8:27 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Baby Daryl Hall to start the afternoon with the Fripp-produced "Sacred Songs", recorded in '77 but not released until '80 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_... #NowPlaying
The album cover for Daryl Hall's "Sacred Songs", featuring a photo of the singer holding up his right hand with the index and middle fingers extended. The cover is on a shelf of records, standing next to a vintage turntable.
September 18, 2025 at 4:37 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Seems like the right thing to start the day with - Supertramp's "Breakfast in America". #NowPlaying #RIPRickDavies
September 8, 2025 at 1:09 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Well, this hits differently these days, eh?

Decided to read "V for Vendetta" again for the first time in I don't know how many years...
The graphic novel of "V for Vendetta", by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, featuring a painting of the grinning "V" mask on the cover, sits on a round, wood table.
August 22, 2025 at 3:18 AM
akaomiru.bsky.social
I'm slowly building a John Martyn collection (not an easy thing to do in Canada), and a vintage copy of "Inside Out" is my latest find. Still looking for a copy of "Solid Air" in Toronto tho... #NowPlaying #vinyl
The cover of John Martyn's "Inside Out", featuring a silhouette in profile of Martyn against an orange sky, with storm clouds superimposed in the silhouette. The cover is standing next to a vintage turntable.
August 21, 2025 at 10:21 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Well, since we're not getting anything too exciting with the Split Enz "Enzcyclopedia" releases, at least I still have the originals to go back to (though I'm willing to be happily surprised with whatever Eddie does to the mixes...)
The cover of Split Enz's "Beginning of the Enz" stands next to a vintage turntable.
August 19, 2025 at 6:01 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Something different from the weekend haul - "The Earl Scruggs Review Anniversary Special - vol 1". I bought this mostly for the absolutely blistering version of "The Swimming Song" with Loudon Wainwright III #NowPlaying
The cover of the Earl Scruggs Review Anniversary Special Vol 1", with a black and white portrait of Earl holding his banjo. The cover is standing next to a vintage turntable.
August 18, 2025 at 8:20 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
More b'day treats for me from the weekend - the Rezillos' "Can't Stand the Rezillos" (an "unofficial release" from Australia?). I remember seeing this among my brother's collection when I was a kid. Cannae beat a bit 'o east coast punk from Fae Fife and the guys. #NowPlaying
The cover of the Rezillos' "Can't Stand the Rezillos", featuring a colourful abstract design of paint splodges, with black and white cartoon panels in the bottom-left corner. The cover is standing next to a vintage turntable.
August 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Picked up a few things for my b'day on the weekend, including this RSD release of Remi Wolf's first 2 E.P.s, "You're a Dog/I'm Allergic to Dogs" ❤️ #NowPlaying
The album cover for Remi Wolf's "You're a Dog/I'm Allergic to Dogs", featuring an over-saturated photo of Remi wearing comfortable clothes, sitting, legs spread wide with her hands in her lap. The cover is standing next to a vintage turntable.
August 18, 2025 at 3:20 PM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Speaking of links between Crowded House and Split Enz, the CH newsletter yesterday had a lovely little excerpt from an interview with Paul Hester in 2003, reminiscing about seeing the early Enz in Australia...
In 2003, Crowded House's Paul Hester spoke to RNZ about Mental Notes: "The first time I remember seeing Split Enz, as a youngster, was at a hippy dance up in the Dandenongs, called Dragonflight. It was when they had their first album, and everybody was very impressed with that record. All the hippies thought, finally, somebody’s made a record that was mature and suitable, and tasteful and inspiring, and had songs like 'Time For A Change' and just some incredible stuff. "For Australians, I think it really gave a sense of some of the beautiful art that was coming out of New Zealand that we weren’t really aware of - the sophistication. And that’s what that first record was for me, it was a landmark record, as youngster. I played that thing to death, and couldn’t stop looking at the album cover. It was just like a really great, fantastic British record you might have had. That’s the way you felt in Australia - it was from overseas, y’know, it was from somewhere else, it wasn’t from here. "I remember seeing them play, and just being totally overwhelmed and knocked out that you could put such a great art rock thing together, as it was back then. Paid homage to all sorts of theatrical tones and the music actually rocked. It was something Australia hadn’t seen much of. There was a fairly strong hippy scene and lots of bands, but there was NOTHING here like Split Enz, ever, so it was kind of beautiful to go and watch it, because it was completely apart from what was going on. But it was also very much a part of the pop era that was emerging. "They were a very confronting bunch. A lot of people weren’t sure how to take it on. They knew there was something there that was talking to them. It wasn’t very straightforward. I always liked that in music and art - somebody slightly unnerving and somehow gets under people’s skin. That’s what they did early on, that’s what they did for me. And I never dreamed in a million years that I would actually be in that band one day, playing some of those songs." Paul Hester photo and interview by Jeremy Ansell, 29 June 2003.
August 1, 2025 at 11:56 AM
akaomiru.bsky.social
Yeah, I'm not done with Mental Notes today. Time to give it a whirl... #MentalNotes50 #SplitEnz
The album cover of Split Enz's "Mental Notes", featuring Phil Judd's painting of the band in ill-fitting colourful suits with wind-swept hair against a surreal background of random figures from old snapshots. The cover is standing next to a vintage turntable.
August 1, 2025 at 12:01 AM