Chanel No. 5 of course…
Welcome to the future…
Now that the Brits are done and dusted, it’s time to look forward at some of the new music around. Here are five music acts I think we’ll be talking about in 2011…
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Ed Sheeran – first album is due in August, but if you dig around there is a wide back catalogue of material available. Essentially an acoustic guitar wielding singer songwriter but with an iPhone full of grime scene contacts. Checkout the No. 5 collaborations project for work with Devlin, Wiley and P. Money amongst others. Spotify Link / Homepage. |
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Gypsy and the Cat - don’t know much about this lot, but hailing from Australia, reminded me a little of a blissed out MGMT. I found their Gilgamesh album after hearing a track on the Kitsune Compilation No 9. Spotify Link / Homepage |
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Wretch 32 – Grime and HipHop stars from London must be queuing up to make it into the big time… but this fella must be near the head of the queue. I picked up a couple of great mix tapes from this London MC – featuring a who’s who of grime stars. Wretch 32 also features on the Ed Sheeran EP at the top of this. Homepage |
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Missing Andy – second place on Must be the Music, I can only hope that their Essex boy, mod-ish sound translates better to an album than Emma’s Imagination did. No Spotify / Myspace |
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Jack Hayter – previously a member of Hefner, and later Dollboy – I heard about the ‘Sucky Tart’ EP after hearing the lead track ‘I Stole the Cutty Sark’ on Radio 6. Blending a folky sound, with some great lyrics and an almost haphazard production style – he reminded me a little bit of David Ford and Ivor Cutler. Lovely stuff. Spotify Link / Homepage. |
What are you listening to for 2011?
Productivity + Organisation = Wellness?
I had a great opportunity to get organised and productive today – leaving the office with my Inbox at it’s lowest for many months, and a fully planned out list of actions to complete next week.
For the first time in ages – I managed to get ahead of my work and spend some time performing a sweep of my inbox and other main collection points.
Nothing unusual there.
Except this time, driving home, I felt physically lighter, happier, and ready for enjoying the weekend. It was an excellent feeling – and I’ll be planning that exercise in every Friday evening from now on.
Radiohead–King of Limbs
I’ve just downloaded and started listening to the new Radiohead album, ‘King of Limbs’ – but I have to comment on the model for getting the album out.
Announce the album on Tuesday, telling everyone it will be ready for download on Saturday, Make pre-orders on the website a very reasonable £6 for a digital copy. Then, release the album a day early to those that have bought it in advance. Ensuing press coverage is excellent.
Excellent stuff – that’s the way that bands should do business – limit the opportunity to leak and pirate the album as much as possible, price the album well and then deliver quickly and at high quality.
This feels like the future… now, let’s hope the album is as awesome as the dancing in the first video.
Choice
The leadership team I am a member of at work are having an interesting conversation about Work-Life balance, and how we open up that conversation with the 30 plus people in the wider team. We are focusing on personal choice, and building a culture where team members can do what is right for them.
I was reminded of this quote from David Allen:
Essential : Mogwai / Hardcore will never die, but you will.
The follow up to last years live album, ‘Special Moves’ –Mogwai deliver another run through some of the finest song titles of all time. I guess if you (mostly) deliver instrumentals, you get a free hand with tracks like ‘George Square Thatcher Death Party’ or the marvellous ‘You’re Lionel Ritchie’
The music itself – is perfect – just as you’d want and expect a Mogwai album to be, sweeping, filmic and at times tender – but contrasting with impenetrable ‘walls’ of sound. Epic stuff at times, especially in the 8 minutes long ‘Lionel Ritchie’
Fantastic album – well worth a listen (Spotify) / download (Amazon)
Test Post–second of the day…
Adding this second post to see if a small modification to my blog theme is working. You’ll note that the date only shows once every day now. so multiple posts will appear under one day heading.
The excellent team over at Themify found a way for this to work – the full details are here.
Thanks for your help guys!
How to be more productive…
“The real top line answer is more on the philosophy and less on the mechanics. There is no shortage of systems for getting things done. But there is a danger: the more we focus on getting things done, the less time we have for thinking, prioritising and evaluating and the less we consider whether we are indeed getting the RIGHT things done. The more we automate and reduce to a system of mechanics our productivity approach the more we perhaps detach ourselves from what is actually vital.To spend more time thinking. To be more of a philosopher perhaps, allows the soul to remind us-quite naturally- of that which needs attention. Our health perhaps. A longer term vision for the organisation perhaps. And out of those reminders of which the mind is always aware so long as its consciousness hasn’t been knocked out of it through sheer draining busyness, tactical plans can be developed.More philosophy, less mechanics.”
From the always excellent Nicholas Bate
Or – productivity in just 11 words…
One thing at a time. Most important thing first. Start Now.
Have you got the heart for it?
Another week starts, a new blank page, a new list of priorities, another test of your passion and motivation.
Have you got the heart for it?
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