2013 So Far (In A Playlist)

My blog is now in its third year of posting the music that’s grabbed me the most, floated my boat, captured my heart during the first six months of the year, in a historically strict twenty-five tracks. (I fully expect the person who first made me think of doing this will, as usual, come up with a far superior list).

You can play my 2013 tracks so far via YouTube or Spotify.

1. Mount Kimbie – Made To Stray
2. Daft Punk – Lose Yourself To Dance
3. John Grant – GMF
4. Kurt Vile – Was All Talk
5. Public Service Broadcasting – ROYGBIV
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Despair
7. Daughter – Youth
8. Suede – It Starts And Ends With You
9. Vampire Weekend – Diane Young
10. Boards Of Canada – Reach For The Dead
11. Haim – Falling
12. David Bowie – Where Are We Now?
13. Wolf Alice – Bros
14. Darwin Deez – You Can’t Be My Girl
15. Disclosure – Latch
16. Local Natives – Wooly Mammoth
17. Villagers – Passing A Message
18. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Mermaids
19. Jessie Ware – Imagine It Was Us
20. Phoenix – Trying To Be Cool
21. Fuck Buttons – The Red Wing
22. Gaz Coombes Presents – One Of These Days
23. Foals – My Number
24. Kelis – Jerk Ribs
25. Queens Of The Stone Age – I Sat By The Ocean

Sunday Swoon. 9th June 2013.

1. I’ve had One Of These Days on constantly this week. This is such a stunning track. Gaz Coombes tracing time hauntingly, the man responsible for the care free soundtrack of my late teens with Supergrass now writing heartbreaking songs about loss eighteen years later.

2. Unexpected new Hot Chip track arrived this week, Dark & Stormy (one of my favourite rum based mixes). Consistently great and one of my favourite bands to see live.

3. For all the hipsters (and I mean the good sort of hipster, which does exist) into electronic music you’ll be as happy as I with the new Fuck Buttons track The Red Wing. Annoyingly clashing with the one band I’m determined to see at Glastonbury this year. Festival clash woes starting already.

4. Disclosure’s debut album Settle was released this week. Every track uplifting and instant. Such a great time for electronic music. So good that Boards of Canada even return next week.

5. My love for Tom Krell (How To Dress Well) grows deeper on Shlohmo’s track Don’t Say No. I didn’t think I could love him anymore after he covered Janet Jackson’s Again at Field Day. I suspect myself and Jo were the only ones in the audience that recognised the cover, or were willing to admit we did.

6. Finally Vampire Weekend released another video for Diane Young. Featuring Dirty Projectors, Santigold and The Walkmen. I especially appreciate naked tambourine playing.

Marylebone and Eton Mess

I won’t name the person in question as she’s far too modest and wrinkles her nose up at praise. Pay her a compliment and she accepts gracefully but always adds “funny how people see you isn’t it?”. I’ll leave it up to her if she wants to share this post. Today is her birthday and well, she’s truly been a bloody brilliant friend to me the past year.

She’s helped me move house on a Monday night straight from work, carrying boxes and boxes of books to the top floor of my building. Shared many a glass of wine and gin. Shared some special gigs. Reminded me I’m well loved during tough times. I remember a particularly low day last July she sat opposite me in a pub in Marylebone. Her expressions a complete mirror of my own, she was genuinely as upset as I was.  To me that’s a dear friend, someone whose very expressions show they’re going through it with you. She’s an amazing person.

So, this mixtape is for her, you can play it on Spotify or YouTube.

Happy Birthday and I’ll see you later so you can blow out the candles on your Eton Mess. ♥

1. Bonobo Feat. Andreya Triana – Stay The Same
2. The Knife – Heartbeats
3. Zulu Winter – You Deserve Better
4. Jessie Ware – Taking In Water
5. Polica – Lay Your Cards Out
6. How To Dress Well – & It Was U
7. Daft Punk – Get Lucky
8. Kindness – Swingin’ Party
9. Chromatics – Kill For Love
10. SBTRKT – Pharaohs

East London Loves. #1

I suspect this will be the start of a number of fawnings I have over East London since moving a month ago. In anticipation of this I shall mark this as number one.

1. My nearest cinema is now The Aubin Cinema in Shoreditch. I got to stretch my legs, sink a beer and nerd out over Star Trek last week. This is independent cinema at its greatest. 3D capabilities, cosy sofa’s and arm chairs draped with cushions and blankets. The attention to detail is above and beyond. They were playing William Shatner’s and Leonard Nimoy’s Spaced Out album as we waited for the film to start. Genius.

2. You have to love London. Friday it was announced that Canalival was cancelled, Saturday everyone turned up and went for  it anyway. To everyone I came into contact with (hipsters, the fuzz, soaked through to the skin drunks with missing shoes and wet iPhones, all the people who came out this morning to help tidy up the carnage) thank you for being hugely entertaining, happy and hysterical!  If you were there you’ll be smiling through the severe hangovers today I am sure.

3. Friday nights are swiftly turning into “bunk off work as early as possible and head to Street Feast” nights. My flat mate rightly summed it up as “like having a food Glastonbury right on our doorstep”. I’ve had hot dogs and jerk chicken followed by tiny Tiramisu and stunning ice-creams. The atmosphere is always incredible. People always have huge smiles on their faces when it comes to food and drink. Real joy to feel part of the happiness at the start of a weekend.

4. Last Sunday morning I sat out on my balcony with lemon tea and toasted crumpets slathered in London Borough of Jam, made in Hackney by Lillie. I picked up the Strawberry and Verbena flavour from Leila’s shop of Cambridge Circus. It’s sweeter than any jam I’ve ever tasted. Wish I was as talented as my mum when it comes to making scones.

5. Within moments of moving I felt an overwhelming urge to cut something asymmetrical into my hair. One feels the pressure standing next to Hipster’s at the bus stop. It so happens I ended up going through with it in a place that can’t be disguised (my fringe which has been the same for twenty years) at a place of friendly brilliance. Rockalily’s on Kingsland Road is creative and not once did I hear any inane hairdresser holiday chat. It wasn’t until I watched Star Trek a few days later that I realise this new look has actually turned me Vulcan. I’m embracing it.

Live Long and Prosper.