All Things Considered

The Monroe Transfer
Posted by Simon Lewin

I came across The Monroe Transfer via Nick Gill who works at Hand & Eye Letterpress.

Nick's a member of The Monroe Transfer, a 7-piece instrumental group making “sad, angry, melancholy, triumphant instrumental music”. I'd recommend their 2008 release "I dreamt I was a hammer & everything was glass".

Although it's not out for a little while, the artwork for their forthcoming album "Trials" has just been been featured as one of the records sleeves of the month over at Creative Review.

I've yet to see a copy but it looks like a lovingly created piece of print, designed, screen and letterpress printed the TMT's Nick Gill and Daley Walton. Read the CR blog in full.

For up to date news re. the album's release and forthcoming gigs, keep an eye on The Monroe Transfer's website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on February 14th, 2010

Dieter Rams
Posted by Simon Lewin

We're hoping to get along to the Dieter Rams exhibition at the Design Museum in the next few days. First became aware of his work through Vitsoe (we've developed a bit of an addiction for his shelving system) though as a kid I remember Dad having one of his Braun alarm clocks.

Particularly like Dieter Rams' Ten Principles of good design:

Good design is innovative.
Good design makes a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic.
Good design makes a product understandable.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest.
Good design is long-lasting.
Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
Good design is environmentally friendly.
Good design is as little design as possible.

The exhibition runs at the Design Museum until March 2010 (if you visit before the end of January you'll also be able to see the show about the work of architect David Chipperfield). Here's a film about Rams' work for Vitsoe:

Posted by Simon Lewin on December 30th, 2009

Tomasz Stanko Quartet
Posted by Simon Lewin

Another musical interlude... Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko will be appearing as part of the London Jazz Festival on Saturday (though the gig has now sold out). Here he performs with his quartet.

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 13th, 2009

David Byrne – Playing The Building
Posted by Simon Lewin

My post below about the Bow Gamelan Ensemble has in turn reminded me of David Byrne's Playing The Building project. Byrne created the installation at the Roundhouse in Camden in August, but here's some footage of the project in New York.

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 10th, 2009

Bow Gamelan Ensemble
Posted by Simon Lewin

All of these autumnal pyrotechnics put in my mind of the Bow Gamelan Ensemble who I saw a few times in what must have been (from memory) the mid-late 80s.

In 1983 Paul Burwell, Richard Wilson and Anne Bean formed the Ensemble, described in Burwell's 2007 obituary in The Independent as "a multi-media urban-junk-and-pyrotechnics percussion trio".

Here the Bow Gamelan Ensemble reunite with others to perform on Wilson's boat the Slice of Life (a slice of a tug boat on the river Thames in London). More about the Ensemble

Posted by Simon Lewin on November 7th, 2009

The Neil Cowley Trio
Posted by Simon Lewin

The Neil Cowley Trio are currently on tour in Australia. Here's an interview with Neil in Brisbane. For tour dates and other news, visit the Trio's website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on October 30th, 2009

Devon Sproule
Posted by Kate Sullivan

Enchanting, talented and cool - Devon Sproule's compelling personality is captured throughout her songs, instantly grabbing the audience's attention at The Norwich Arts Centre last weekend. Joined on stage by her singer songwriter husband Paul Curreri (before he embarks on his own UK tour in November) they amused us by singing, dancing and laughing in perfect unison.

Her latest folksy-bluesy-country compilation "Don't Hurry To Heaven" wasn't written in her native Virginia as with her previous albums but instead written here in the UK with her touring band. Sproule's songs are whimsical, witty and charming - perhaps a result of of her upbringing on a rural hippy commune in Virginia.

"...growing up with 80+ adults (many of whom I was very close to and spent lots of one-on-one time with) creates a need for versatile communication. That's what I see in people who have lived at Twin Oaks - a desire to communicate and a willingness to do it not only on their own terms, or in their own personal language, but in whatever manner will get the job done . . growing up in an income-free environment, the lack of money never bothers me much... So yes, on the whole, I'm proud of my alternative upbringing."

Devon Sproule's UK tour dates.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on October 20th, 2009

Jelly Festival 2009
Posted by Kate Sullivan

The second annual Jelly Festival 2009 takes place tomorrow at Compton Hall, South Creake, Norfolk. This year there will be more stalls, bigger acts, an acoustic stage and camping.

Headlining the festival are The Bays, a group of four musicians who improvise live dance music.

“What drives this band is a need to communicate with their audience in a way not possible with traditional live bands. There are no ‘songs’ as such to perform, there’s no album to promote, and there are no commercial imperatives at play. The Bays only perform live, they never rehearse, they don’t have a set-list and they couldn’t ever do the same performance twice. It’s all about the moment – an experience or an event that exists between the band and the audience for one time only.”

Also playing are 6ix Toys, Yimino, The Sleeping Years, Boy-Com, Peas and Swede Lil Rice and The Three Beards who I recently saw at Norwich Arts Centre – an Eastern European foot stomping Cossack sound.

Tickets are available on the gate from midday at £17.50 (£27.50 camping). Children under 12 accompanied by an adult go free. Contributions are made to the Spinal Injuries Association. Photo of The Bays by Tom Oldham.

Posted by Kate Sullivan on July 31st, 2009

Cover versions
Posted by Simon Lewin

Thanks (again) to Paul Hammond for putting us onto this...

Graphic designer Littlepixel has 'reimagined' a series of classic record sleeves as if they were vintage Pelican books.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 5th, 2009

Caught By The River – Live
Posted by Simon Lewin

News in from Caught By The River about a live event they have put together for Saturday 11th July 2009 at The Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London...

"Featuring Laura Barton and Gavin Pretor-Pinney reading their pieces from 'Words On Water' with live sound accompaniment from the great Chris Watson -  a really exciting prospect. We are also showing a short film of the late Roger Deakin in his house and garden. This was made by Mike Dibb as a pitch for a BBC documentary slot. With real short sightedness that slot was never commissioned and this wonderful fifteen minutes of history have sat on Mike’s shelf until their existence came to our attention and we tracked Mike down. We are also honoured to be joined by the authors of two of our current favourite books: Michael McCarthy reads from ‘Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo’  and Andrew Brown reads from ‘Fishing in Utopia’ which has just come out in paperback.  We’ve also got Will Hodgkinson reading from his forthcoming book ‘The Ballad of Britain’ and live music, in the foyer of the QEH, from The Memory Band and friends, who will be performing the soundtrack to The Wicker Man."

For full details and to purchase tickets visit the Southbank Centre website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 2nd, 2009