Via BBC News-

Prince Harry has told a service to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, that she was "the best mother in the world".

Of course, he's a bit biased in saying that, isn't he?

10th anniversary or otherwise, since Diana's death there's been no chance at all of ever forgetting her. Who can forget all those ridiculous conspiracy theories, only so infused with stupidity and nonsense as that of the suggested fake moon-landings? Cheap memorabilia tat, pointless concerts and festivals- there's never been any escape from her death or supposed "legacy"that many will cite as the worst reason she's gone.

The Right Reverend Dr Richard Chartres, said the princess's memory should no longer be used to score points, and urged: "Let it end here."

Skateboarding. As a videogame genre you really wouldn't think there would be much room for improvisation or innovation. Afterall, it's a sport just like Football, and you can only go so far with that concept before you break away from it entirely. With the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series undoubtedly having been the dominant skateboarding title in the last decade, the thought alone of trying to change the genre for the better is a brave move, but when pulled off successfully, for once, EA should be praised.

The demo for EA's answer to the skateboarding genre skate. hit the Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday, and after about fourteen hours of downloading (I kid not) I finally got to try it out. Lasting half an hour the demo gives you a chance to learn the controls and moves of the game while also allowing for some free skating and some mini-challenges, before rudely, turning itself off. From the outset it's quickly established that this is a born-again experience, and within minutes you find yourself struggling to forget old strategies and controls developed in past titles and subsequently learn new ones. Suddenly a mere ollie is a technical accomplishment, while grinding and kickflips are pure joy to perform, such is the intuitive controls and accompanying learning difficulty. It's all so satisfying, even better, one of those demos that you'll be revisiting everyday until the release of the game.

But there are problems. what am I saying, of course there's problems. With the camera for the most part focussed on the trucks of the board a la skate videos there are times where it's difficult to see exactly where you're going, and perspective can be tricky to judge occasionally, particularly when grinding. Likewise, it's a little too easy to find your character stuck in some of the environments with no means of getting out.Despite this the physics and movement of the game works well, as does thankfully the collision detection, perhaps a little too well, but if you've seen footage of skateboardings hurting themselves, well, that seems appropriate.

skate. from EA may finally be the game to rob the Tony Hawk series of it's crown. A year ago or even at the height of the series this would've been laughed of, but with fantastic presentation, great visuals and most of all, innovation in all the right places, EA may be the new kings of the skateboarding genre.

With much promise of returning with a CD from a specially selected list of just over twenty albums, my sister came back recently from a shopping trip with the fantastic third outing from Surrey rock trio Reuben, "In Nothing We Trust".

Racecar is racecar backwards was an altogether fantastic debut that impressed in all the essential areas, but I passed entirely on the second album (such is musical development and trends), forgetting about them almost entirely, though still keeping that intense love for the debut record. In Nothing We Trust then is a fantastic follow-up to those styles and sounds already established both in the previous album and indeed the even earlier stuff, and a successful one at that.

Frontman Jamie Lenman as ever is an individual composed of different sounds and traits, going from hardcore to melodic whispering in mere seconds and verse changes, the music of course adjusting to the changes with such rapid succession and careful execution, making for perhaps one of the most intense and interesting rock acts from the UK, as well as subsequently, mental queries as to why they're not bigger. There's no faulting Lenman's contribution to the songs, usually making them what they are, but the album also features Million Dead's Frank Turner on the slow-burning and grungy Deadly Lethal Ninja Assasin, to mixed success.

Elsewhere, the second track of the tracklisting, We're All Going Home In An Ambulance is evidence enough however of this afore-mentioned split-personality, with the opening two thirds of the track providing a raw and guitar wailing affair, all burried under intense screaming and drumming. It's an undoubted album highlight, most noticeable at the point where the song pacing and style changes completely and breaks down into calm melodic swinging and grooves. Closing track A Short History Of Nearly Everything follows similar dynamics, as does, almost appropriately, half the album. Good Luck, appearing roughly midway through the listen changes everything. A slow balladic affair with guest vocals from Hannah Clarke and no changing point, it comes as a complete surprise from a band as heavily notorious as that of Reuben, but it works entirely purely for such individuality, and reinforces that idea that Reuben are as variable as human emotion itself.

In Nothing We Trust is a fantastic follow-up album to a band already renowned and adored in cult circles and rockfans alike. While it doesn't seem as strong or as longlasting as that fantastic debut, this outing is exceptional and unique, and certainly, a sound and schizophrenic style that more UK rock acts should aspire to.

I know that, you know that.

Or, if you are American (and silly), perhaps you prefer your spelling without the 'u' and therefore simpler?

Either way, don't vote for the latter.

New Young Pony Club are a five piece from London, who's biggest break so far has easily been their nomination for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize, an award many insiders are suggesting they'll walk away with on the night. It seems a random choice given the mainstream wins of the past couple of years including Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys, but Fantastic Playroom, the band's debut offering is just as accomplished as either record, if not more so.

Pigeon-holed wrongly into that Nu-Rave lunacy that only NME readers seem to use, the band's sound is an eclectic mix of indie, pop, dance and 80s synth, with elements of punk throughout the proceedings. While never as extreme as, say, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, lyrically and indeed musically there are underlying themes of punk, evident in a lot of the faster-paced tracks as well as the laid-back simple vocals that accompany much of this music. Opening track "Get Lucky" is largely representative of this, with the following track and it's tribal grooves and basslines, "Hiding On The Staircase" showing exactly just how variable and experimental this band can be. All of course before flowing with ease into the 80s synth-funk-heaven of "Ice Cream", a track very reminiscent of genre stablemates Cansei de Ser Sexy.

There's time however where you just want more. Unfortunately Fantastic Playroom never hits the extremities of volume, always instead remaining low-fi and subtle. An example of this is "The Bomb", with a pacing designed to entice you straight towards the closing seconds with it's structure and beat, but when the time comes falling completely short, and never going quite as crazy as you'd like it to, despite the pulsing synth at about the 3.17 mark of the track timeline, but as the track suggests lyrically, good for dancing to nonetheless. "Jerk Me", the track that follows, is entirely similar in it's approach, but unfortunately refuses to build up to anything whatsoever, and there's similar moments elsewhere on the album.

From that midpoint in the album things get a little different, and sans completely the charm owned by that fantastic first half. There's little redemption, but penultimate track "F.A.N" is a hands-down winner, as with the other highlights of the album, mixing that simplistic approach with real content and charm, again the band fusing genres and styles into whatever they want. Lyrically it's just as low-fi and abstract as the rest of the album, but throughout the playthrough frontwoman Tahita Bulmer should be applauded for being funky, groovy, and well, altogether cool. Her vocal contribution to this effort is easily what makes the album, and her presence cannot go unnoticed easily with the singing -despite it's simplicity- being a major draw to the overall appeal of the album.

While the "Nu-Rave" indietronica labels currently show no signs of stopping and stop themselves from being "this year's big thang", NYPC are one of the bands that define this new hybrid makeshift genre hands down with ease. Thought the debut album at many points in it's pacing feels empty, the band nonetheless should be applauded for being experimental, funky, and altogether different from the UK music industry, if not the other Mercury Music Prize nominees they'll be facing in the coming weeks.