September 2017.
I think my favourite song of the summer has to be Alt J's 3WW. It's grown on me to the point that I have to limit my listens. I have been waiting for the new LCD Soundsystem album since they announced that they were back from the dead 18 months ago. It's had mixed reviews, which I don't really understand because it's exactly what it should be; great songs, beautiful layered production and some bleak, grumpy and sometimes celebratory words. Is it their best? Probably not. Is it a good addition to the canon? Absolutely. Loyle Carner's album Yesterday's Gone... is fantastic. If you like Tricky's best work, or indeed Massive Attack then this is well worth a try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSkqM5Cd8zw And he's from London and only 22. A bright future!
There's a new magazine called Vanguards that's trying to raise money on Kickstarter and I think it's the perfect passion project and worth your tenner (or more). Help them here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1682168539/vanguards-a-biannual-magazine-about-brands-design. Next Draft continues to entertain me on a daily basis. Sign up for the newsletter here http://nextdraft.com/ It's free, funny, opinionated and informative http://nextdraft.com/ And here's a nice short piece on The National in The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/09/11/the-nationals-beautiful-claustrophobia I subscribe to the magazine on my iPad. Honestly, I can't recommend it more highly.
I am an inveterate enthusiast. This is both good and bad. Last night -with better things to do- I decided to jot down a list of my current 100 enthusiasms. Or 100 of my current enthusiasms. I doubt you care, but here they are (men like making lists, I like lots of things). Indulge me or find something better to do, it's up to you.
Twirls. Roquefort. Red Wine (except Pinot noir). LCD Soundsystem. Narrow trousers. Tolix chairs. Grizzly Bear. Geoff Dyer. Amateur oil paintings. Double espresso (Allpress). Vintage rugs. Perrier. Oliver Goldsmith glasses. Redwing boots. The National. Jay Mcinerney.Famous Grouse with soda. Perrier. Elbow. Campfires. Axes (especially Best Made Co). Vintage flags. Jonathan Franzen. Arcade Fire. Almost all non-mini dogs. OrSlow clothes. Vintage matches. Sunspel T shirts. Copper. Verdigris. Hiut jeans. Loyle Carner. Hans Wenger chairs (almost all). Brocantes and vintage markets. Land Rovers. Sage with pork. Most salt and vinegar crisps. Glass display domes, but only old ones. Opinel’s new knives with painted tips. Digoin pottery. Kubb (best garden game ever). Liverpool FC. Fresh mint tea. The New Yorker. Next Draft daily email. Playing football. Camp Wandewega. 1st PAT-RN cord jackets. Fortela roll neck jumpers. Bella Freud candles. Corrugated iron sheds. Herons (they're just so fascinatingly solitary/shy). The Gudak App. Jon Ronson’s books on Audible (even better than the actual books).Audible generally. Michael May penknives. Le Laboureur workwear. Good manners. Dave Bounaguidi screenprints. A.B.C.L brushed cotton work shirts. Prayer flags. Japanese knives (the more expensive the better). De Bruyer steel pans. Cauliflower with stalks, garlic, capers and vinegar. The New Yorker. Round wooden chopping boards. Zinc. Oliver trees. Bright socks. Cold Toblerone. Highland Spring (fizzy, plastic bottle not glass). Comte (chronically underrated in GB). Canopy beds. Nespresso (i know, I know, but I can't find a better home machine and I have tried and tried). Mike McCormack’s Solar Bones. Adam Buxton’s podcast (hurry back). Elizabeth Day’s The Party. Targets/Dartboards. Ping pong. Wood-fired ovens. 3WW by Alt-J. Stickers. In My Head by The Darker the Shadow. Eytys shoes. Juniper Ridge shower gel. Neon masking tape. The Superior Labor canvas pouches. Aesop moisturiser. Button badges (generally). Yellow (the colour, but very bright). Rosemary (the herb; not a person). Aztec throws (vintage). Vintage pencils. Windburn (altogether better than sunburn). Hand tinted vintage postcards. Revisionist History Podcast. My own podcast (just doing it). Optimism. David Sedaris. Adam Lallana.
We've seen two great concerts this week: LCD Soundsytem and The National (currently rebranded as The Ntl). What a privilege! Two bands at the top of their games. Her's a review of the former from the FT. 'Falstaffian' in a pop review https://www.ft.com/content/2fe62cd8-a1dc-11e7-9e4f-7f5e6a7c98a2 I am not a big tv watcher -and so am definitely not an authority- but have become quite firmly hooked on Tin Star. It seems like good, simple jeopardy but gently in the mould of Twin Peaks. Ali Fakra Toure's remasters are amazing.
On my beside table are; Dylan Jones' David Bowie book and David Cannadine's Victorious Century and they are soon to be joined by Jeffrey Euginedes' Fresh Complaint (I think he's one of my favourite writers and although short stories aren't usually my thing -not enough 'meat' I am going with this one) and Jennifer Egan's new book (she wrote A Visit from the Goon Squad).