Music To My Ears

A wander around the shops last week didn't yield anything exciting clothing finds, so I absentmindedly wandered into HMV. It's been awhile since I bought some CDs; I've been downloading stuff and borrowed discs recently; but it reminded me of the importance of 'concrete' music purchases. While a CD might not take on the patina of age like a vinyl record, it's still a physical product with inlay notes, artwork and an actual disc. Now that we've all digitised our music collections, it's easy to forget humble compact disc. And while iPods are undoubtedly easier and more convenient than CDs when you're on the move, some of my most treasured possessions are records and CDs from my Dad. I am very passionate about my music; regular readers will know about my summers of many festivals, but I've also been lucky enough to attend loads of gigs, DJ regularly and invest serious time and money into music and a brilliant stereo. I also think it's pretty important to pay for your music; if you don't pay for it, it's not going to be there - artists need money to survive; you wouldn't steal a shirt from your favourite boutique (though you might borrow a shirt from a mate from time to time), so why should this be different with music? Plus, if you apply fashion's 'cost per wear' analysis to a CD, then they're bloody brilliant value for money too! Anyway, whoever's doing the buying for HMV's dance section is doing a fantastic job; the selection there is better than some indie stores, and pleasingly without the aching-trendiness of certain shops as well. Any of these albums would be a brilliant addition to any musical collection (especially the Blondie remixes disc from 1995 which I picked up in a junk shop for £2!); download if you must, but make the point of going to a record store at some point this week and having a browse; it's well worth the time! Other Staples this week:
A big pile of new CDs
Selfridges Pantone 109C mugs
Growing a beard (to hide the stitches)
Writing for Brandish
Old Jamaica Fiery Ginger Beer
A nautical bandanna around the neck
Voting

Where's Your Head At?

If you're a true music fan, you get proper equipment to listen with; decks, a good-quality pair of speakers and high-end cabling are Staples for getting an extra level from CDs and records, and this was the first thing I invested a significant amount of cash in; even before a suit. For my birthday (which now seems quite a while ago), my parents bought me these lovely, bright blue WeSC headphones from HMV. They are now my constant companion, offering much superior sound quality and generating previously unknown depths to my music. Coupled with my shiny Xmas iPod and newly-acquired home internet, this means I can finally start putting some of my (worryingly large) CD collection into mobile transit usage. Although I was initially unsure about the colour of the 'phones (my bro thought they looked a little "International Rescue"); it's definitely grown on me, and has been commented on by lots of music-y people (and Liberty shop assistants); nothing if not distinctive. Aside from better sound quality, they clamp securely & warmly over my ears, making them almost like musical earmuffs; pretty essential in this cold snap. they're neither too big nor too large, and feel like they will last much longer than most of my previous pairs (life of the last pair: 2and-a-half weeks). They work pretty well for DJing too. Finally, they stop sound leakage out to the rest of the tube carriage, and are less likely to damage your hearing as a result. Musical harmony fused with style and practicality - if only more of my purchases were this useful...
Anyway, on to this week's Staples:
Blue WeSC headphones
Waitrose Cheese & Poppy Seed Twists
Being able to use the internet at home AT LAST
Simian Mobile Disco at Koko; Fab new single Synthesise
Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds Musical (1978)
Slowly becoming addicted to Twitter (id: sebulous)
Soulwax Nite Versions still has the ability to make me smile whatever

The streets are alive with the Sound of Music too...

I listen to music practically non-stop. I don't like it when there's no music in the background. From the moment I get up, either the TV or the stereo is on; the only way I can deal with the tube (at any hour) is to clamp my headphones over my ears and retreat into some appropriate tunes; at work, I always have some music playing and when I am napping I need some appropriately chilled music in the background. Every so often, I stumble across an album which shapes the next six months or so, and will not be leaving my iPod. Previous examples (in chronological order) include: Sound of Silver (LCD), Transparent Things (Fujiya & Miyagi), Writer's Block (Peter Bjorn and John) and a Bugz in the Attic LifeStyles compilation of '80s funk. Just before Xmas, I read about the incognito DJ and producer Burial, whose new album had been rated amongst the best of 2007. Normally, end-of-year lists are a little overone, but this was on DrownedinSound.com, the forum of uberMusos and sonic aesthetes of the highest (and often elitest and most pretentious) order. Duly, I investigated, after having many pleasant aural discoveriesas a result of positive reviews. And the fantastic sounds within - muffled garage beats over orchestral arrangements; choral crescendoes clashing with electronic shufflings - have provided a soundtrack to the last few months of dark winter. The sonic landscape (yes, it sounds grand, but it's not until you listen to this album that you can really grasp just how visual and grand a noise it makes) on display in 'Untrue' genuinely envelops you, swirls around you, sucks you down into a thickly smoky and richly delicious place; perfect for when you're swaddled in your scarf in the rain on your way home from a club at 3am. It's the kind of album that I have played, then heard in several different places, the kind that slowly seeps into your unconscious and before you realise it, the album has become a Staple. This is what makes a great album; personal conenctions with truly fantastic music. Other Staples this week:
Burial's album 'Untrue'
A slim silver leather belt
The Queen Mary pub on the Thames
American Apparel pants
Having a working boiler
Hoegaarden with Lime
Argos' self-service machines & "the laminated catalogue of dreams"