Now I know that I'm going to get slated for this, no Editors, no Johnny Foreigner, no Twang, no whatever is in your head....but this is my own personal opinion and believe me it was a HUGE struggle to get this list down to 15 (it should be 10!), anyways this is my submission to the Brum Bands of the decade at http://bluewhalestudios.wordpress.com/ THE BANDS ARE LISTED IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OF RELEVANCE/IMPORTANCE ETC! they're all great! Download the podcast direct BY CLICKING HERE! Alternatively the audio streams can be found at http://brumcast.podomatic.com
Here's the playlist
1. The Destroyers - Out of Babel (4:09)
2. The $hit - Smash 'N' Grab (3:21)
3. Miss Halliwell - I'm a Puppy (5:29)
4. Crash Repeat - Trigger (3:00)
5. Fade To Sepia - Solvent Jitterbug (2:42)
6. Modified Toy Orchestra - A Grand Occasion (2:07)
7. Scarlet Harlots - Benefits (2:18)
8. Mistress - In Disgust We Trust (4:28)
9. Sunset Cinema Club - Gojira Suit (4:49)
10. Einstellung - Und Das Rest Sind Doner (9:45)
11. Misty's Big Adventure - How Did You Manage To Get Inside My Head? (4:02)
12. The Courtesy Group - Brickhouse Blues (Live) (3:06)
13. Mayday (now Tantrums) - Nigel Brown (2:01)
14. Tantrums - Gorpse (3:37)
15. Old School Tie - God's Electric Super Scene (5:26)
16. Betty & The Id - End Is Nigh (5:41)
Hope you enjoy it and a Happy New Year to all!
Cheers
Chris
Brumcast on Twitter http://twitter.com/brumcast
Brumcast on myspace http://www.myspace.com/brumcastbirmingham

Bye bye Birmingham Post. I have been with you for more than 21 years. In those years you have been through eight editors, gone from being a broadsheet, to a tabloid, to a broadsheet and back to a tabloid again, only we don't call you that. You were black and white then, you're colour now. You were a six day a week publication when I joined. Now you are a multi-media operation of which the newspaper is only a part.

In those 21 years, I have changed too. My mother has died, I've been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I've lived in community, I've lived on my own and I've lived with my family. I've married, I've had a son, I've had two books published and I've learnt to sing jazz. I've gone from being an angry idealist determined to change the world to someone who is content to change her little bit of it and is happier than I knew was possible - same hairstyle though.

It's a pretty bleak midwinter right now. I've done all the tinkering on Farm Town I can possibly do for a day or so. It's a computer game on Facebook, in case you didn't know. I've caught up with all the Dr Who episodes I missed (mwah, mwah iPlayer), ready to watch Tennant go out with a great gush of emotion on Christmas night. And his Hamlet on Boxing night as no one could get tickets at Stratford or in London. I even watched the truly excellent Dr Who edition of Never Mind the Buzzcocks. I'm confidently expecting Tennant to become a US TV star on the scale of Hugh Laurie with his next project.

Has anyone else noticed the steep increase in ballet programmes dominating mainstream television? Stepping up from the usual camera-switched-on broadcast from the Royal Opera house, the BBC and Channel 4 seem to have gone mad for ballet this Christmas - with an exciting line-up of ballet treats to get you salivating at the mouth. Here's what I'm looking forward to watching this year while chomping mince pies:

• The Spirit of Diaghilev, 7.45pm, Friday 18 December, BBC Four
  

BBC Four recently brought us Margot - a film about the turbulent love life of Margot Fonteyn as well as english National Ballet performing in For Art's Sake: The story of the Ballet Russes (six days left to watch on iPlayer and next on Saturday at 01.30). Now comes an exciting new series of programmes celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Ballet Russes, featuring a range of new work, performances and choreographer interviews - starting with this week's celebration of the celebrated choreographer Diaghilev. Another reason to stay in from the cold on a Friday - or watch on iPlayer if you find it clashes with the office Christmas party.

There are a few guaranteed seasonal goodies which never fail to amuse year after year - like that terrible jumper knitted by auntie and the naff Ferrero Rocher ads on TV. The Christmas show at Warwick Arts Centre is decidedly un-naff, more than living up to its seasonal expectations - it's usually one of the most interesting in the region, and this year is no exception.

Cinderella offers bags of fun and catch-your-breath magic for all the family without any panto nonsense - and, like our 11-year-old, you may even get the chance to dance with the prince. A word of warning, though. This version by Ben Power and Melly Still goes back to the tale as retold by the Brothers Grimm, so there are genuinely dark elements - as in all the best fairy tales.

This year, I'm afraid to say, Strictly hasn't been as gripping as the last. Previous years have seen contestants fighting to stay in the game, now with Natalie and Leila out of the competition, we've only got little Chris and his delightful dance partner Ola who are really in it to win it.

There's no doubt Ricky and Ali both have natural dancing talent - but neither of them have improved anywhere near as much as Chris Hollens, the BBC Breakfast sports presenter.

As a dance critic, I love watching Strictly with a sharp eye - seeing how the contestants grow and improve, and enjoying the professional dancers for technique and stunning ability.