Early New York Subway Graffiti 1973-1975

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Whilst in Bristol over Christmas I popped into Rise, an independent record shop near Park Street in the hope of spending a bit of Christmas money and unearthing a few gems.

Through their tweet feed i'd read of a book recently published by photographer Keith Baugh, documenting in photo's graffiti on trains from the Harlem, South Bronx, Times Square and Coney Island in New York. I was working in London when he did a signing at the Bristol store, but I managed to pick up a copy before I headed back and it proved to be a completely compelling read.

As well as having many photo's of trains covered in tags, graffito and designs, Baugh also includes some other shots at the time and a few pictures of those involved at the time as they are now. The book comes with extensive sleevenotes on the background to his work and those involved at the time. A very colourful book, useful for both coffee table and to see some of the early pioneers at work, would highly recommend getting hold of a copy!

The book has lots of colourful tags

As well as interesting designs spanning entire carriages

 

Author and photographer- Keith Baugh

2011- end of year review

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As the year draws to a close i've been pondering my fave(ourite) albums of the year and books too. It was a great year for some excellent music and thankfully far too much to list here. Music is such a great blessing!

So below are my favourites, but what are yours?! Be great to know what music has inspired you or that you would put in your end of year lists!

MUSIC
Top albums of 2011 (in no order)

 






















Oddisee- Rock Creek Park
Inspired entirely by nature and Gods creation! The hiphop producer fell in love with Rock Creek park in Washington and dedicated an album to it, soundtracking the different areas within the nature reserve. Funky and filled with vinyl crackle in all the right places this instrumental ode has stayed on the stereo and been revisited often.

Charles Bradley- No Time For Dreaming
With a voice that sounds world weary and weathered it'd be fair to say Bradley hasn't lived the easy life. With his voice drawing close to the great James Brown at times, this is an excellent stateside debut. Backed by the impressive Menahan Street band this includes the song 'why is it so hard to make it in America', modern funk at it's best.

Dangermouse- Rome
Featuring an all star cast including Jack White and Norah Jones, this album is something akin to a modern Ennio Morricone soundtrack, but without the film.

Tigran Hamasyan- A Fable
Delicate in places this undulates excites and saddens in equal measures as the 24 year old piano virtuoso took folk songs from his native Armenia and spins them to an american style. Without doubt my favourite jazz album of the year.

Gardens & Villa- S/T
Mixing slow, cosmic boogie with 80's influences such as Talking Heads this is a perfect post 9pm album to segue Autumn nights into Winter.

Real Estate- Days
Melancholic but dreamy and melodious the New Jersey acts second album is indie rock brilliant..

Samiyam- Sam Bakers Album
Funny thing is i used to know someone called Sam Baker at school, but this is a different Sam Baker. On FlyLo's Brainfeeder imprint this is geared towards after-hours listening, or post-club (if you 'club'), soft, vibey keys blur with looped vocals, film samples and various beats, flittering between hip-hop, broken beat and dubstep!

The Kramford Look- 1970
Flying so far below the radar it could easily have been missed or overlooked, but the Manchester duo have literally hopped into a time machine, gone back to 1970-80, watched a heap of blaxploitation and action films and then put pen to stansa. Thanks to Gaz in the office for putting me onto this one!

Raphael Saadiq- Stone Rollin'
All prepped and ready to dislike this but Saadiq who crazily is nearly 50 now, has come up with the goods as he looks towards prairey house folk, chunk funk and the odd slice of honeyed R&B. The cover art reminds me of Cassius' 1999 too.

Glen Campbell- Ghost On The Canvas
Sadly due to his terminal illness, this is the country star's final album but fittingly it's heartfelt with a touch of nostalgia and thankfulness and is as catchy in places as some of his hits.

Best of the rest:
Venice Dawn- Something About April
Dawes- Nothing Is Wrong
Austra- Beat And The Pulse
Dennis Coffey- D.E.T
Seapony- Go With Me
Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee Volume II
Common- The Dreamer, The Believer (rel: 19th Dec)

Listen to all of these albums here: BristolFunk- Approved Albums of 2011

BOOKS
I managed to read about 6 books this year, most of which are included below, in 2012 i'm going to try and read some more music biographies too..


A. Dom Joly- The Dark Tourist
Disturbing but hilarious Joly journals his visits to some of the least likely tourist destinations including Iran, North Korea and Chernobyl

B. Canon Andrew White, The Vicar of Baghdad- Faith Under Fire
C. Michael Baughen- One Big Question (why does a God of love allow suffering)
D. Chris Evans Autobiography part 2
E. Malcolm Duncan- Kingdom Come, The Local Church as a Catalyst for Social Change


Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a blessed and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous 2012

Playlist: Every Sample from Showbiz & AG's Runaway Slave album

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Listening to Show & AG's seminal hiphop debut Runaway Slave on the way into work last week, I noticed lots of crate digging samples that the likes of DJ Shadow and Kanye would have been pretty chuffed with,

So here's a little playlist, including every available, original, sample from their 1992 opus!

Playlist:::
Showbiz & AG - Samples from Runaway Slave

(please subscribe and pass on!)

A Fable

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Armenian born piano virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan releases his first album via the Verve imprint and impresses with the perfect winter album.

Having heard of this album and Tigran's American upbringing via Giles Petersons producer @cushtilla , I set about discovering more and was instantly hooked by the dramatic bounce of 'What The Waves Brought' and the pensive tinkering of 'Legend of The Moon', both just from watching on youtube.

Amongst several other moments of genius on the album are the scatty title track and 'The Spinners' where melancholy meets hope, originally an arrangement of the philosopher George Ivanovich.

When he plays live, hunched double over the keys, it's with such intensely that at times he mutters to himself like he's absorbed in another world. You can even hear his jitter on this concept album, where folk songs from his native Armenia are reworked to American jazz.

With jazz great Herbie Hancock calling him 'amazing', i'd definitely recommend checking this album out over Christmas :)

**** 4/5

Beats, Rhymes & Life

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When browsing shook.fm I was sad to see i'd missed the London screening of this Tribe Called Quest documentary.

Midnight Marauders is my favourite Tribe record and this looks to provide a great insight into an act that defined a classic era of hip hop. Here's the trailer added a playlist i set up :)

Zelda Symphony

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On the 25th of October at Hammersmith Apollo I did something that i've never done before at any gig, a couple of tears actually rolled down my cheek. My brother had spent much of his teenage years playing on Zelda and i'd picked up a tune or two off the N64 game and his ocarina.

2011 marks 25 years since the first carnation of the game released in cartridge format on the NES, which spawned versions on the 64, DS, Gameboy, Gamecube and currently, Nintendo Wii. This night was to be a timely celebration of the game but more so, of it's legacy of music. The Royal Philharmonic took charge of the proceedings for a concert which had previously only been performed in Tokyo and Los Angeles. This was to be the finale of the trio of performances worldwide, and as such, tickets had been selling fast for up to £100 each.

Behind the orchestra was a humongous screen, on it during the performances were to be clips (including battles) of gameplay from Zelda's finest moments across different formats. From the cute blocky Zelda's of 25 years ago, to the slicker more grown up player he is now.

Throughout the night we were treated to the themes of Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda, Kakariko Village, Ocarina Melody suite, and lastly the theme tune to the new game Skyward Sword which as it ended prompted a few whoops.

On any other night, grown men walking round in Link costumes would have been an odd occurrence, not so tonight and i've never felt more akin to Big Bang Theory as I did here.

For purely nostalgic reasons, and even though i've never played the game before, this was a brilliant concert. Shame I didn't get better pics..

Gardens & Villa

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I've been meaning to review this one for quite a while but it felt too summery and this is a debut album you should really only listen to when it's dark outside..

Hailing from Santa Barbara, California, Gardens & Villa got their name from their house on Villa Street, where they often got stuck in to a bit of gardening (the modern man knows no limits!).

I often imagine most bands from CA to be a bit like the beach boys, full of poppy melodies that are instantly gratifying and catchy. Not so though with this four piece, who whilst retaining choruses that are darn memorable, are built by intricacy, melancholy, disco and take influence from the likes of Talking Heads and importantly, indie rock.

With a languid boogie groove meeting a casio beat, the opening of Orange Blossom is one of the best you're likely to hear, whereas Chemtrails is another slow mover, punctuated with echoing tamborines, a tinkly piano and Chris Lynch's tenor vocals leading a reflective verse. Flipping on it's head three and half minutes in, Lynch finishes the line Dandylions Flying High... and drops uhooo uhoo uhoo' most satisfyingly.  A well constructed song and as infectious as they come.

The album draws to a close on another highlight in Neon Dove as finger picking guitars intertwine with bossa beats, the band again choosing the right moments to drop out the instruments to focus on the core of synths and those sweetend vocals.

A perfect post 9pm album to segue Autumn nights into Winter

****

You can check out my other top albums of the year (so far) on Spotify here

Gardens & Villa - Chemtrails by electricsoundofjoy