As Sound Waves makes it to the end of our inaugural year, we look back in a ramshackle manner at the events which shaped this blog's niche interest in 2007.

You might think that surfing, taking place mainly in hot countries that don't understand the concept of snow, does not have a take on Christmas, you would be wrong. Here are some of our favorite Christmas themed vids.

Douglas Adams once wrote that the answer to the question of life, the universe and everything was 42. Now a surfer says he has found the answer, for real.

Well, here it is, my surf music top seven of 2007.

Ok, ok, it does sound grandiose but basically, ever since I started on Cluas none of my submissions to the end of year polls have got a look in because basically I don't listen to Phantom FM (apart from a deadly dull two week research period), I don't much care for indie rock and I don't read the NME.

Phoebe, the fictional chantuese from hit sitcom 'Friends', famously performed her unique brand of music in the plush environment of the Manhattan coffee house 'Central Perk'. Now it appears that she may have been ahead of the curve.

Seven years ago Sound Waves attended a music industry convention in France where DRM was the buzzword de jour. Today, its all change as Apple and Amazon slug it out over song offerings without copy protection.

The Radiohead launch on October 10th is going to be watched very carefully by their old label.

A spate of articles on the blogosphere point the finger of blame for the present slump in the music industry mainly on the shoulders of the internet but Sound Waves feels that commentators might be overlooking the obvious; the teenage girl with twenty quid in her jeans.

Phantom FM claims that they are out to provide, "a rock music format that thousands of Dublin radio listeners have asked for. Isolated by existing stations, our listeners have demanded choice and to hear new music". Sound Waves wonders whether this is US style radio in disguise.

The new Channel 6 surf show 'Cois Fharraige' (hmm, that name sounds familiar) has sent out brochures to advertisers seeking sponsorship. Sound Waves has the lowdown.

A timely article in The Sunday Times Culture section (9/9/2007) on the high profile failures of the Irish music industry leads Sound Waves to ask, "But why does anyone want 10 album releases by The Thrills when the first one was as good as it gets for the band?"

The Guardian today (10/9/2007) has a great article on the Christian Surfer movement.

Thanks to The Irish Times, y'all can get the lead single off Bruce's new album free as a download. Does it rock ? Yeah! Am I excited ? Yeah! Is he still the CEO of Rock? Yep!

Sound Waves has just got in some PR bumpf telling us that Ireland's First Surf & Music Festival has just sold out. Big deal but they did include the final line-up of acts. So, if you are going you should probably read the following. No, you don't need to thank me, it's all part of the Sound Waves Customer Service Charter. By the way, don't miss white hot UK act The Enemy.

Recent television coverage of the Tour of Ireland only confirmed the opinion of Sound Waves that Le Tour is still Le Tour.

It was a movement that began with Woodstock, rolling around in mud, listening to music of varying quality and being treated like a farmyard animal. Today, the options for wallowing in crap, listening to crap, eating crap, drinking (one brand) of crap and being treated like crap are greatly expanded thanks to the Irish music festival season and if the (non)reactions of Irish concert goers (with the noble exception of Barbara Streisand fans) is anything to go by, rock and rollers are happier to bend over and get stuck by the Man than do any sticking of their own.

Sound Waves is, to say the least, a little slow on the uptake of this wonderful songwriter. Anyway, here he is on TOTP performing' Trouble' solo and acoustic, no miming for this dude. Peace y'all.

The Rolling Stones keep on rolling...in cash.

Its been a slow week but here are some clips that have been bounced around or discussed by the guys in my surf crew, they are dumb and they are based around Star Wars, not much to do with surfing or music, or much else. This whole surfing culture thing is a lot more complicated than it looks you know

If you think that My Bloody Valentine is the height of obsessive rock perfectionism in Irish music then think again as Sound Waves dials you in to the strange but true story of the musically gifted but doomed Galway band Tu Meni Notes

This guy was my choice for musician of the year on the Cluas poll a couple of years ago before he was nominated for a Mercury. Now, he is a big name and this is the video for his song 'Lady of The Sea', about a sunken ship.

She plays Dublin in the Tripod on 30th August, don't miss here. This is the video for her song 'Fidelity'

Will Ferrell is Sound Waves' favourite comedian but it appears he is also something of a muso so here, courtesy of YouTube, is a selection of his best musical moments.

He is from San Diego, he surfs, here is the video for his song 'Wordplay'.