bun-u

Jesus Licks at the Tate (6th January 2006)

Jesus Licks, who are best described as kinda folk-indie, are quickly emerging as one of London's finest bands.

Though I would say that as they happen to be friends of mine, but check them out for yourself at this gig in January and check out some of their songs here

posted by David M @ 5:37 pm 0 comments

Broadway Market Squatters Evicted

URGENT!!!!! EVICTION OF OCCUPATION AT 34 BROADWAY MARKET

Sheriffs and Police broke into Tony's Café this morning, injuring one of the occupiers and have allowed Dr Wratten's men to start an immediate demolition. Within an hour the building was rendered unliveable.We lodged an appeal yesterday with the High Court but the bailiffs ignored that and went ahead anyway. Two of the occupiers are at the courts right now trying to get a stay of execution but Wratten's men have done so much damage that it seems unlikely we could re-occupy the café.The sad thing is that more people than ever were coming to the café and there was still a fantastic energy to the occupation.We plan a show of local solidarity tonight at 6pm, outside the Café. Please come and show your anger and support!

posted by David M @ 5:23 pm 0 comments

Fifteen of the best for 2005

Ok we all love a list, so here’s a list of the albums (and occasional mixtape and complication) that have done it for me in 2005.

1. Ariel Pink - Worn Copy/The Doldrums/House Arrest

Probably my favourite new sounds this year were made by California’s Ariel Pink. Ariel Pink has recorded several CDR albums on 8-track since around 1999 and now three of these have now been released on Animal Collective’s imprint Paw. The soundscape produced by cassette recording is very much part of the sound as near perfect Beach Boys pop motifs are wilfully obscured and distorted to sound like it’s coming through a not-quite-tuned-in radio hosted by a DJ playing dusty warped cassettes.
Favourite track: Ocean of weep (on House Arrest)

2. The Focus Group - Hey let loose your love

The Focus Group is Julian House (formerly Broadcast’s record designer) and he (together with the rest of the Ghostbox artists) has been exploring the often dark childhood nostalgia last explored by the likes of Position Normal and People Like Us. Forgotten library sounds, schools programme soundtracks, radio workshop explorations are all delved into here on tracks that mostly run under 2 minutes. The whole package is made complete by the Polytechnic text book-style covers.
Favourite track: Hey let loose your love

3. Animal Collective - Feels

Incredibly, this is the Animal Collective’s 7th album and also most commercial-sounding release. It also catches them at something approaching their peak. Following on from last year’s excellent Sung Tongs album, Feels feels more like the product of a full band, with Avey Tare, Panda, Geologist and Deakin all pitching in to create the densely layered, moving and regularly catchy songs.
Favourite track: Banshee Beat

4. Bun B -Trill

In 2005 US rap’s epicentre moved to Houston, Texas with Mike Jones, Bushwick Bill and Pitball all releasing big-selling and critically acclaimed LPs. Surpassing them all though is former UKG player Bun B, with Trill. Though possibly let down by the occasional weak track, Trill makes it into this list with the sheer weight of tracks like Draped Up, Pushin and The Story.
Favourite track: Draped Up

5. Various - Target presents Aim High Volume 2

Roll Deep’s Target and Danny Weed at the controls for this year’s best grime mixtape (and DVD to boot). The signature accordion sounds are everywhere while the scene’s best MCs deliver big bars over the 25 tracks on offer.
Favourite track: (Riko & Godsgift's) Dead That

6. The Books - Lost and Safe

Perhaps the most delicately produced album of the year, the Books pluck sampled voices and arranged them inside simple compositions made with guitar, banjo, andpercussion. Based on moments of contemplation and often crammed with pent up emotion, the album creates a more melodic path for the Books after their first two albums.
Favourite track: An Animated Description Of Mr. Maps

7. Isolee - We Are Monster

The only dance music entry in the best of list, Isolée is Rajko Müller who has been making minimalist house since the mid 90s, Beau Mot Plague being a huge dancefloor hit in1997. We are Monster continues Isolee’s use of warm tones, pulsating rhythms and crushing melodies. This sound is both simple delivered yet feels cleverly crafted. Favourite track: Schrapnell

8. Kanye West - Late Registration

Though not quite reaching the heights of the awesome College Dropout, Late Registration is still one of this year's best rap albums. The album has a strong input from co-producer Jon Brion and this has undoubtedly has helped West’s sound evolve .
Favourite track: Gone

9. Electrelane - Axes

Axes sees Electrelane take a huge advance on their sometimes patchy previous work. Now transcending their influences, they are full of fire ripping into the modern age and on their game. Favourite track: The Partisan

10. Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice - Xiao

Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice are part of America’s emerging ‘avant folk’ (or whatever you want to call it) community. Here folk is used as the catalyst for blending improve, jazz and psychedelic influences, while the occasional Funkadelic and kraut rock grooves can also be heard.
Favourite track: Paper trail blues

11. Kevin Blechdom - Eat my heart out

Thankfully the work of the now-defunct San Francisco duo Blectum from Blechdom (1999-2001) is gaining its deserved credence, which it failed achieved at the time. Both Blevin and Kevin have since released excellent solo records, with Kevin Blechdom's perhaps closer to the duo’s original manifesto. Eat My Heart Out continues in a similar vein as Blechdom’s first LP Bitches Without Britches, though the pushing-the-boundaries-of-good-taste quota is higher (mirrored by the visual aesthetic on the original front cover – not the one shown).
Favourite track: The Porcupine and the Jellyfish

12. Roll Deep - Creeper Mixtape Volume 1

There are supposedly 5 of these Creeper mixtapes around, but they’ve been held back by Relentless, who understandably were keen for Roll Deep fans not to have too many distractions from the official In at Deep End release. For me, the first Creeper mixtape (I haven’t heard the others) provides a better Roll Deep manifesto than the slightly disappointing album.
Favourite track: (Wiley’s) So sure freestyle

13. Hot Chip - Coming on Strong

Reminding me a little of Max Tundra’s LP from a couple of years ago, Hot Chip are a kinda like a strange fey Indie take on disco, soul and funk. Sounding a bit like Belle and Sebastian playing Prince numbers or awkward indie kids attempting to be sexy.
Favourite track: You ride, we ride, in my ride

14. Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain

Roaring bass, drums and screwed vocals creating easily the noisiest album on my list this year.
Favourite track: 2 Morro Morro Land

15. Ruff Sqwad - Guns and Roses Mixtape Volume 1

The first third (8 tracks) of this mixtape is a ball of Ruff Sqwad energy mixing their love of guitars, dense sound and fiery lyrics.
Favourite track: We bring it down

And Bubbling under...

LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Jackson and his Computer Band - Smash
Richard Hawley - Coles Corner
Belbury Poly - The Willows
The Advisory Circle - Mind how you go
The Fall - Fall Heads Roll
Antony and the Johnsons - I am a bird
Juana Molina - Tres Cosas
Richard Devine - Cautella
Annie - Anniemal


Singles (grime)

Ruff Sqwad and Roll Deep - Sidewinder
Ruff Sqwad and Roll Deep - All day long
Skream - Late night request line
Ruff Sqwad and Wiley - Together
Young.dot – Young.dot EP
The Essentials - State your name
Roll Deep - When I’m ere (Wiley rmx)
Davinchie - Dirty Canvas 3
Crazy Titch – Singalong (Imp Batch - Gype riddim)
JME - Serious/Radio guys
Ruff Sqwad - Underground
Doctor - Jealousy and hate
Trim and Scratchy - Trim and scratch
Wiley - Tunnel Vision
D Double - Freestyle (on Grime)

Singles (other)

Bun B - Drapped up RMX (ft. Lil Keke, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Aztek, Lil Flip)
Mike Jones - Still tippin’
Three Six Mafia - I gotta stay high
Vashti Bunyan and Animal Collective - Prospect hummer EP
iWayne - Can’t satisfy her
Damian Marley - Jamrock
Amerie - One thing
Cesaria - Angola (Bateau Ivre Rework By Pepe Bradock)

posted by David M @ 4:20 pm 1 comments

Haunted Hawksmoor

The eerie scene in Spitalfields on Sunday afternoon as the sun was setting through the black clouds coming from the Hemel Hempstead inferno

posted by David M @ 5:40 pm 0 comments

For those of you with an interest in Hackney politics, here is the info about tonight's meeting about dodgy Council sell-offs on Broadway Market...please come along:
-------------------------------------

PUBLIC MEETING
Come and Have Your Say!
The Occupation of Tony¹s Café has raised many issues in the national, London and local press. We are calling a public meeting for local people to discuss these questions:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOW BROADWAY MARKET IS CHANGING?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DEVELOPERS WHO NOW HAVE A LARGE STAKE IN THE AREA?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAY HACKNEY COUNCIL IS MANAGING REGENERATION?
All parties are invited: local groups, council representatives, developers
Chair: Rev William Campbell-Taylor
Letters of invitation have been sent to:
Chris Berry Interim Head of Planning, Hackney Council Jessica Crowe Deputy Mayor of Hackney Guy Nicholson Regeneration Officer, Hackney Council Andrew Boff Conservative Councillor, Queeensbridge Ward Bill Hodgson Labour Councillor, Queensbridge Ward (Chair of Planning) Arthur Shuter Local Advocate and Spokesman for Protest at Tony¹s Café Carl Taylor Hackney Independent Stephen Selby Broadway Market Traders and Residents Association Maria Flynn Regents Estate TRA Fred Filce Whiston & Goldsmiths TRA Dr Roger Wratten Stirling Properties Broadway Investments Hackney Ltd
All parties will be invited to speak for 2-3 minutes on one or all of the issues.
Questions will be taken from the audience.
Thursday 15th December between 7.30pm and 9.30pm St Michaels Hall, on the corner of Lansdowne Drive and Lavender Grove, E8.

posted by David M @ 3:42 pm 1 comments

Through the wire

Hold tight Matthew Ingram (aka Woebot) for his review of Ruff Sqwad @ Dirty Canvas in this month's Wire mag (p86)

posted by David M @ 7:03 pm 0 comments

Are you gonna hold it down?

The Essentials will be headlining at the second Dirty Canvas night on 17th Febraury 2006, at the Whitechapel (art gallery). Here's them performing at the Gateside Festival in New Cross Gate in August.

The Essentials Crew are Remerdee, Nu Era, 2 Face, Bossman, Kidman, Jendor and come from New Cross and Deptford. They’ve been going fro over 4 years and in that time produced quite a few underground hits, including ‘shut down shop’, ‘jenny’, ‘state your name’ and ‘get over it’. Their collaborating producer Davinchie, has been making a name for himself throughout the scene, he produced Kano’s ‘Ps & Qs’ and also the Dirty Canvas EP series (which helped name the night).

posted by David M @ 12:04 pm 0 comments

Way back when the sun was shining

Some pics from Vyner Street festival held in August this year...

Hoping to do it again this summer.

posted by David M @ 5:29 pm 0 comments

Gentrifyers against Gentrification

As reported in the Guardian last week this little episode in taking shape near my gaff in Hackney. Keep abreast of developments here. As someone tainted by working somewhere within the “regeneration industry” (and what an expanding self-serving industry its becoming – more on that another time) I am perhaps appreciative of some of the wider pressures faced by the likes of Hackney Council (from the Government definitely but also their council tax payers) to balance their books. But that’s no excuse to purposefully destroy community-valued businesses. Even if you were that way inclined, favouring unscrupulous property developers with no connection to the area is bad for the market (if every sense).

The other thing about this affair is that it is fairly multi-faceted – organisers have kept the protest 'issue-based' and have steered clear of macro-politics as seems de rigueur these days. This has allowed the organisers to draw on a broad church of support ranging from seasoned activists to occasional lifestyle choosers. I’ve been down to the squat a few times in the past week to lend my support….as have plenty of other professionals, new media types, artists…and thought to myself, ‘wait a minute this is - gentrifyers against gentrification’!

A bit like tourists who don’t want to go anywhere touristy and yet propagate the whole process, there are gentrifyers who like to infiltrate an area where they can be an exclusive voyeur to a quirky community setting. As more of this ilk arrives so the exclusivity goes and the thing that makes it originally attractive is disturbed. Like tourists, the hipsters can dip in and out of areas as their stock rises and falls…while the long-standing community watches from the sidelines. A theme park to some a community to others.

I remember some right-wing American economist (Michael Porter I think?) talking about regenerating your downtowns by first attracting the ‘gays, artists and quirkys’ to create a bit of a local fizz….after this, the investment would follow. It’s no coincidence that most speculative property investors who can buy swathes of property and sit on them for 10-20 yrs, often turn them into cheap artist studios to help boost their return.

I guess in reality there is some kind of tipping point. Middle classes coming into an area can to a point bring some advantages to the long-standing communities living there. Like it or not, the schools tend to get better teachers, Council services suddenly get done, better stores come in and existing people can benefit from all of this. But the negative side sees rents increase, expensive organic/farmers markets taking over inexpensive ones, valued community businesses being priced out by footloose investment. Someone should do an interesting London-based study on all of this - the gentrification continuum (if you will). Begin somewhere like Stratford and go through about several other areas at different points of the gentrification process, and perhaps end in Notting Hill.

posted by David M @ 4:03 pm 5 comments

Upper class yobs

It turns out the person who mindlessly vandalised mine and my partner’s bike outside a pub in Islington last night was the extremely posh middle-aged lady who lived in the million pound property next door. Locking our bikes against her railings was obviously too much for her to bear. The locals in the pub had initially covered for her by saying they saw some kids messing with the bikes (and suggesting that we move them) but the non-locals confirmed that an apoplectic woman demanded that the bikes from her mansion be removed or she was going to damage them (we were out of ear-shot in the back room). We found them with flattened tyres and damaged wheels – and at the time thinking through our possible courses of action (brick through window, pitchfork through woman) we settled on going to the police for criminal damage. Any better suggestions gratefully received…

posted by David M @ 3:45 pm 3 comments

Dirty Canvas (4th November 2005) @ the Whitechapel

Some pictures from the first Dirty Canvas night, which took place a fews weeks ago at the Whitechapel Gallery. The night had a kind of unfamiliar feel to it...the gallery hadn't put on this kind of night before, Ruff Sqwad hadn't played this kind of gig before and the situation was pretty new to me too, but Ruff Sqwad really made the night work, holding down a brilliant performance.

The next night is on Friday 17th February 2006 at the same venue (The Whitechapel) and I'm courting a South London line up...details soon.

posted by David M @ 2:28 pm 1 comments