many of horror

of all the terrible things that i could never have imagined into being, Biffy Clyro bagging themselves a Christmas number 1 via a hammed up and highly inappropriate X-factor cover version is one of them, seriously? i'm still almost entirely sure that this is some kind of practical joke, for so so so many reasons, none of which i shall vent right here and right now

for right now is about retaliation and rehabilitation, and maybe other alliterate verbs, redemption perhaps...

depressingly, first day sales seem to have Simon Cowell on course for reclaiming the Christmas Number 1 spot after losing out last year to Rage Against The Machine and the spirited campaign that captured so much attention (and so many headlines)

but just because the battle may in due course be lost, this doesn't mean that we can't put up a fight and throw a little weight behind one of the similar campaigns that have innevitably cropped up this year

The Family Guy featured song 'Surfin' Bird/Bird is The Word' looks to be the biggest contender, with Biffy Clyro's original also looking strong in the charts so far.

But it is the outsider, the underdog, that i have chosen to get behind, for rather obvious reasons.

Dubbed 'Cage Against The Machine' (see what they did there?), a re-recorded version of John Cage's silent performance piece 4'33" is currently knocking around the lower end of the top 20.

The reasons that i would choose this effort over any others, or choosing any at all is mostly down to the charities supported

one such is the British Tinnitus Association, and i have mentioned on my blog before, i am a tinnitus sufferer myself, meaning that i quite often get a high pitched ringing in my ears due to the damage i have caused to my hearing over the course of far too many gigs and clubs at far too loud volumes

sometimes it is barely noticable, sometimes it comes on strong out of nowhere but gradually fades, and rather ironically, it is when there is silence that it is most obvious that i can't actually hear silence anymore, so 4 and a half minutes of the absence of noise is rather poignant to myself and other tinnitus sufferers

The British Tinnitus Association is not the only overlooked charity that stands to gain from sales of 4'33", and full details can obviously be found on the campaign website

and regardless of musical allegiances and chart positions, it is still important to put your money where your mouth is, if you are going to spout off then back up those words and part with your cash to download the tracks and keep supporting worthy causes

4'33" (Cage Against The Machine Version) is available from Amazon, and remix bundle is also available



4'33" (CATM version) (Fake Blood`s Needle Drop Mix) by RemixAgainstTheMachine