I'd like to marry Neko Case

Pictures

almost gone

evening

I'm busy packing suitcases, getting ready to go places over Christmas and New Year. Theres a fight for space between clothes and weird French foods that we've bought for people. Food always makes a good present, nobody can be disappointed with chocolates and supermarket crepes. NOBODY.
I suppose I won't be writing much music for a couple of weeks, but it will be thought of. lots. I decided on an album title, its going to be called 'Red brick'. Its the title of a song on the record, so it could seem like a bit of a cop out....but I really like that song, and its at the front of my mind right now.
I'll try to explain the title but I could sound utterly ridiculous. When I was younger, 6 or 7, I found something incredibly comforting and warming about red brick houses. But a very specific type of red brick house, one I'd never actually stood beside or inside in real life. I was in awe of Brooklyn style townhouses, big 3 floor Cosby show style homes. I guess I'd seen them in films and on TV enough by then that they just caught in my brain as some kind of ideal; making me think of something bigger, louder and further away than Oxfordshire. Its strange what you hold on to, what you clearly remember...I can still picture being sat in back of the car, going on one of the regular Sunday afternoon DIY shop excursions, thinking about those houses; looking out of the window, ignoring my Dad and brother, just wondering: where are they if they aren't here?
Strange? I don't know, I'm sure everyone has their own comforter. Mine is a building. Somewhere else in the world.

Here is a song for today. Merz is amazing, all three albums are perfect in their own way, and I hope that he gets the greater commercial recognition he deserves soon.
X

Making things up

I've started working on some new ones. Well, one is *new*, the other one's been sat in the corner for a year or so, he just needs my attention. The *new* song is being called 'Flooding valleys' for now and the older/new one is currently going by 'Only son'. This morning I'll clear my throat, warm up my hands on the heater and do some roughroughrough demo's. Depending on how hideous these sound, I might try to find a way of putting them up here tomorrow.
I've also been ummming and ahhhhing over what to name my album...the album that has just now reached the finish line, about 2 years later that expected...he is right this moment being wrapped in one of those foil cloaks, sucking on an orange and dripping sweat everywhere. There's a shortlist of 3 names, and it could very easily come down to me throwing darts at a piece of paper to decide.
Here is some music for today. Its David Bowie reinventing himself yet again, this time as some kind of soul stick man in the 70's...its soooooo good (please note: I'm aware that its a little bit illegal to actually enjoy music with this much saxophone on it, but...), the energy is blistering...probably being pushed along by some rather choice coke, but still. LOOK AT HIM DANCE. Bowie was one of those artists I didn't get until quite recently, then suddenly all the praise and recommendations that I'd pretty much ignored for 10 or so years, starting making sense...that and the fact that I spent a 9 hour bus trip with an exclusively Bowie ipod: nothing like tedium to make you fall in love.

A song in the morning

So far no talk about me writing songs, but I'll get there. First today, we have to brave the cold/busy streets of Paris and go Christmas shopping, because its creeping up and I haven't even begun to think about stockings yet.
So here is a song for watching (maybe I'll make this something of the blog; post a song that I'm into everyday).
This is Phil Ochs. Phil Ochs was a genius, and he really doesn't get recognized enough as such. By and large, the idea of 'Protest' songs doesn't really appeal to me. I think there are only a few people in the world who ever really got it right...Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan and of course Mr Ochs ...and there really is some piss poor stuff out there at the moment with half baked political agendas, I won't name names because this blog isn't called 'People I think are badddddd'....but what I'm trying to say, is that its a real artform, getting it right without sounding like you're frowning upon, preaching to or judging people, is quite something.

Today in pieces

The weather outside is frightful, so today has mainly been an indoor day. No songs written or planned...it is Sunday. Some things have saved me from any sort of cabin fever.
Fire, Hathaway and a fat Japanese cat sliding through diet beer boxes.
Bises

Something else to neglect...

...or maybe not...maybe I'll actually remember to give this pet some water...maybe I'll make a point of writing things here on a daily basis...maybe I'll force myself to do it.
Why? Firstly, it'll keep my brain ticking over; I fear the freeze in there. Secondly, I can keep anyone who cares to know what I'm doing (or meant to be doing) in the know.
I thought it could be a blog about me trying to write songs, kind of dissecting the process... if there is a process. Words before music, music before words, both together? I've never made a point of noting how one song came about in a different way to another, never kept any kind of record of the steps before.
Saying all that, this blog will probably be just as much about nothing at all...but thats probably just as important.