Well, it really feels like Summer now and I spent most of my weekend sitting with the window open sewing tiny animals out of felt (from Aranzi Aronzo’s adorable Cute Book). I’d like to say I also reviewed a bunch of records but the nearest I got was posting out piles of CDs to our reviewers so at least some of those should be appearing on the site soon. Alasdair has kindly taken on the unenviable task of review box organisation so I figured out the genres and it seems to be working out so hopefully this will make the whole process a lot less tiresome.

The diskant rehaul continues but there’s not much new to show you yet. I’ve started on the new events section so you’ll notice we’re now doing little interviews with the organisers of the events we feature on the homepage. I thought it would be nice to hear from them what they’ve got planned and it’s more interesting than a couple of sentences summing up the event. There’s a new events page which will show all the upcoming events we’re recommending. It’s a bit MY FRIENDS cliquey at the moment (what can I say? They put on great events!) but we’ve been in touch with a whole lot more to feature soon. If you know of any exciting events coming up, let us know!

Don’t forget, if you’d like to help us figure out The Future of diskant then do fill out the DISKANT READER SURVEY. We really appreciate your feedback. It only takes a few minutes and there’s a great prize on offer!

Current listening:bis, Electrelane, M.I.A., Otterley, 1990s (even though the album is very disappointing).

diskant interview slackness stats: Interviewees: 0, Me: 1

Miso Funky have been putting on craft markets for a couple of years now showcasing the best of Scotland’s handmade amazingness. They recently teamed up with DADA, a Glasgow events company, for some even bigger and better events. This month the whole show is popping over to Edinburgh for the day with the usual array of jewellery, accessories, homewares, stationery, art, cosmetics and oh so much more, all with a funky style that puts a whole new fashionable face on crafting. I asked Claire to tell us more. Look out for the special discount just for diskant readers!

(Full disclosure – I will have a stall at the market and work very closely with the MF girls. I don’t have anything to do with organising the markets though!)

Can you tell us a little about Miso Funky and the ideas behind the market?

Miso Funky are a group of girls who banded together in a bid to show the world their crafting talents. The idea for the market is to spread the word of funky handmade-ness to the good people of Edinburgh! There is loads to see – from baby things, to knitted things, paper things and shiny things.

What have you got planned for the day?

On the day we’ll have roughly a dozen stalls with different delights to sample and buy. There will also be music, drinks and the opportunity to find out more about craft and how you can get involved yourself.

What would you say to people who wouldn’t be seen dead at a craft fair?

We’d say, get a grip! Handmade is the only way to ensure you’ve got an original, unusual piece of fashion – you need to wind your neck in and get down to the market!

What’s happening next with Miso Funky?

Miso Funky’s plans for world domination continue with plenty more markets coming up this year, as well as exciting plans for the website and online shop – watch this space!

Anything else you want to tell us?

Yes – for anyone too far from Edinburgh or too lazy to make the journey, you can also shop online with a special discount for diskant readers. Just quote diskant at the checkout at shop.misofunky.com to receive 10% off all purchases! No one loves you like Hamish … well, except maybe diskant.

Find out more at www.misofunky.com

Those of you who have been reading diskant for a while might remember Chris H. He was the one who wrote about films and politics and bike riding and experimental Japanese noise bands before it was fashionable. He was also a member of a collective in Glasgow who organised round the G8 summit and corresponding events in 2005 providing accommodation, resources etc. for protesters in a warehouse in the East End. The Evening Times, a Glasgow paper, printed an article about Chris and the group full of factual errors and misquotes. Chris subsequently took them to court for libel and is still stuck in all the legal processes two years on, putting him in financial and employment limbo.

He’s presenting his side of the story over at Making Lying History and I’d encourage you to read it if you have any interest in the power of the media, the courts and (what it all comes down to in the end) money in how events are portrayed to the world. I certainly never thought our tongue-in-cheek, stupid made-up staff biographies would end up getting used against someone in court.

Anyway, have a read and help out if you can. My one brush with the courts (a nasty solicitor’s letter for something a band said on diskant) turned me into a quivering wreck so I’m proud of Chris having the guts to stand up for himself in court. I don’t think I could do it.