All the great bands

There are so many bands around at the moment who are making great music. It feels like being a teenager all over again. The influences are straight from that time for me – Joy Division, Television, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Patti Smith, Talking Heads.

I have been really impressed with albums by Doves (‘Some Cities’ and ‘The Last Broadcast’), The Editors (‘The Back Room’), The Open (‘The Silent Hours’) and Kasabian (‘Kasabian’) and The Arcade Fire (‘Funeral’). There is nothing pretentious about this music – just great guitar band music. I saw The Editors recently playing support to Franz Ferdinand, and thought they were really good. This music restores faith in the direction of music again.

Looking back over the last few decades, music seems to go through cycles. Just as we are enjoying music like the current scene, it won’t be long before the focus shifts to dance-oriented and manufactured music again. So we might as well enjoy it whilst it is here.

What's he building in there?

What’s he building in there?

Apologies for the prolonged break in transmission. There is an immutable law in this process which says that the longer you leave it before posting, the harder it is to get back to. This is because the expectation I place on myself that the return post should be fantastic increases the pressure. So the gap grows and the expectation rises.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to just get on with it. So here I am. What have I been building? Well, I have been putting a lot of time and effort into the world of work, the world of music, and the world of Buddhism and Reiki. Although the last pair in that list would benefit from a lot more focus than I have given of late.

I have been writing up entries in the other journal I keep – the one with a rubber band round it, which I carry most places with me, and which I keep private thoughts in. This is where I play and test out ideas. Some of them find their way onto this blog. Some don’t.

Well, the posting resumes – I am a few days away from a break, and with it will come an increase in posts to the blog…

The title of this post – “What’s he building in there?” – follow the link for the song it comes from.

Sounds that need time

Here are some CDs that have appeared in my collection over recent months and are just shouting out for more time to listen. I have so much wonderful music at my fingertips that sounds better the more it is played:

1. Iarla O’Lionaird – Invisible Fields


2. Nine Horses – Snow Borne Sorrow


3. Kate Bush – Aerial


4. Jon Hassell – Maarifa Street


5. Brian Eno – Another Day on Earth


6. Afro Celt Sound System – Anatomic


7. Jackson Browne – Solo Acoustic Vol. 1


8. Nitin Sawhney – Prophesy


9. Nitin Sawhney – Human


10. Keith Jarrett – Radiance


11. Charles Lloyd & Billy Higgins – Which way is East


12. Charles Lloyd – Lift Every Voice

… and in most cases – the better for listening through headphones.