Last week we moved house. This week we'll be unpacking many of our belongings. With a bit of luck we might even find our books somewhere at the back of bedroom 3. If we do I'll put on Maximo Park's Books From Boxes. This is the track from the Earthly Pleasures album that first piqued…Read more Books From Boxes
Full Circle
In 1997 my partner and I moved from Leicester to York. On Tuesday we move back to a Leicestershire village just a few miles from where we used to live. Appropriately, as we travel south I shall be accompanied by Half Moon Run singing Full Circle. It's a catchy tune with a contemplative feel and one of the…Read more Full Circle
Leaders of the World
Nearly 10 years ago now a new song on the radio interrupted my idle thoughts. After a few quiet drum beats a gritty bass line cut in like a teacher's voice. "Pay attention, children!", it said. Dutifully, I sat up and listened. The authoritarian voice of the teacher started to sing - "I'm sick of working for a…Read more Leaders of the World
Live in Dublin
One of the albums on my wish list for last Christmas was Leonard Cohen's Live in Dublin. It wasn't in my stocking then but I did get a generous helping of iTunes vouchers for my birthday at the end of January so I bought it as a download. It's a live album recorded in September…Read more Live in Dublin
Love Song #43
It will be Valentines Day on Saturday, so let's have a love song as my track of the week. I've got plenty to choose from - most pop songs seem to be about romantic love - but I don't want anything too sentimental. I think Made Up Love Song #43 by Guillemots fits the bill. As…Read more Love Song #43
King Crimson
They say, if you invent a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door. I think there is some truth in that, but it has to be a much better mousetrap. Fortunately, there are a few examples of products that are so desirable that they hardly need to be promoted at all: the Morgan sports car, the…Read more King Crimson
Side
This blog is the story of my journey through the hills and valleys of the land we call Music. On my travels I have already come across a shape with three sides (Alt-J, "the alternative triangle band") and one with five sides (Pentangle, whose trees they do grow high). It's hard to imagine a shape…Read more Side
Air On The G String
When I launched this blog I said it would cover a wide range of genres, including a "smattering of classical". I was using 'classical' to mean anything in the styles prevalent in the 300 years or so from about 1600 - mainly orchestral and in one of a number of recognised forms (symphonies, concertos, etc.). Music…Read more Air On The G String
Magic Is Afoot
One morning earlier in the week there was a knock on the door. I was up but not yet dressed. Opening the door I was greeted by a woman carrying a bundle of small, glossy brochures. It was cold outside and a stiff breeze ruffled my dressing gown. I feared I was about to be…Read more Magic Is Afoot
Alt-J
On your computer keyboard, down by the Control key, there's an Alt key. In fact, there are two of them, one each side of the space bar. In most applications the two Alt keys have identical functions; they modify the effect of typing some other key. On an Apple Mac holding down the Alt key and typing…Read more Alt-J
Crotchety Man 