New Video of Tomorrow's World - Les Inrocks

This catchy minimal wave style  track has been on You Tube since the beginning of this year but to date had no video. Now the duo of Jean Benoit from Air and Lou Hayter from New Young Pony Club have released the excellent So Long My Love as a single and now they have this exclusive video on Les Inrocks Exclu : le nouveau clip de Tomorrow's World - Les Inrocks. Still no release data for the album but they are playing at the Ooh La La Festival in Los Angeles this month.

Jonteknik - Manoeuvres - YouTube

Great track by Jonteknik. Retro synths and a very industrial style video. Jonteknik - Manoeuvres - YouTube.

Toy - Motoring, Peaking Lights Remix

One of my favourite bands at the moment. They supported The Horrors recently with their brand of psychedelic, Kraut Rock and are excellent live. They have just released their debut album. Here is a remix by the electronic West Coast duo Peaking Lights. Toy - Motoring (Peaking Lights Remix)

Billy Bragg; Still Suitable for Miners Book Review Good Reads

Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners: The Official Biography by Andrew Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Billy Bragg is one of those blokes who could be described as a national treasure. He has entertained with his own songs influenced by Punk and Folk music. He has been involved in many political campaigns through the eighties to the present day. This book is the updated 2007 edition of the biography that describes his time in the army and the time in his early band Riff-Raff at the height of Punk. It also covers his family background and the early death of his father. This influenced him to write the song ‘Tank Park Salute’ on’ Don’t Try This at Home’.

He emerged in the 1980s in the days of Margaret Thatcher and the Cold War, just before Glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Bragg was influential in the formation of Red Wedge and suggested the name from a poster by the Russian constructivist El Lissistsky (Beat The Whites With The Red Wedge). This was the group of comedians and musicians who were attracting the youth vote for Neil Kinnock and The Labour Party. Red wedge included performers such as Porky The Poet – better known today as Phil Jupitas, The Style Council, and amongst others Tom Robinson and Jerry Dammers. Red Wedge was successful in upping the youth vote but it was also a victim of the in-fighting at the time between those trying to elect a Labour government after years of conservative rule, and those like Militant and The Labour Party Young Socialists who were more obsessed with ideology that could sometimes be counter productive. This is best summed up by Paul Weller who was unsure whether to be involved in Red Wedge. In one amusing story he said he was made to feel guilty for talking about each other’s shoes, as clothes are a ‘bourgeois trapping’. The term ‘Champagne Socialists’ was later used in a similar way a dig at MPs with Upper Middle Class lifestyles and socialist convictions. Weller became apolitical after this and went on to a solo career but Bragg continued his involvement in various political campaigns.

The early days of Bragg on Go-Discs includes label mates the Housemartin's. The Housemartin's managed to mix pop with politics but Bragg became concerned about the attention that fame can bring. This kind of attention led to the decline of the Housemartin's when the press started to run celebrity type stories, particularly The Sun who ran a story that two of the Housemartin's were gay (a crime in the eyes of the tabloids at this time). The story was untrue but it was a warning about the price of fame. Bragg though managed to survive this world and left Go-Discs when it was in the process of being taken over by the major label Polygram. Bragg’s performances on Top of The Pops stood out against the world of DJs like Steve Wright and the false party like atmosphere. He made sessions for Peel in the BBC studio and Peel Mansions, and made appearances on Question Time and even The Weakest Link (surprising himself by getting to The Weakest Link Champion of Champions).

Although he disagreed with Tony Blair’s support for the war in Iraq he continued to work with Labour MP’s realising that it’s difficult to work with politicians to try and change things without getting your hands dirty. He became involved in Lords Reform and Charter 88. He made a DVD to send to MPs called ‘Apathy into Action’ and suggested reforms in ‘a Democratic Lords: The third stage’ this was in association with the Fabian Society. He has supported tactical voting and helped the Liberal Democrats in 2001, arguing that voting for a traditional party wouldn’t change things and it would unseat Oliver Letwin. He more or less took over the stories in the local newspaper the Bridport news during the elections. Bragg also got into book writing. He had been disillusioned by the way people in his old home town returned BNP members into power in Barking, After writing the album English Half English and the single ‘Take Down The Union Jack’ he later wrote the book ‘The progressive Patriot’ to continue his obsession on English identity after appearing on TV discussions about this subject.

Bragg continues to make music. He still loves Woody Guthrie after his association with Woody Guthrie’s daughter Nora and the band Wilco recording songs with them. He is also hosting a Woody Guthrie Centenary shortly at The South Bank Centre. He continues to write for The Guardian and for his own blog. He still supports many causes such as electoral reform and he supports new artists like Frank Turner who continue the tradition of libertarian pop singers. This is a great book and makes me glad that we still have people like Billy Bragg who continues the tradition of protest singers.

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Electrospective - Electronic Music since 1958

As part of the recent release of the electrospective compilation double CD, EMI are releasing classic albums by electronic artists, You can watch interviews by Electronic Artists from early electronic music to the present day and you can also watch classic videos from Daft Punk, Kraftwerk, and The Human League and read about the key events in the history of electronic music. Electrospective - Electronic Music since 1958.

My Book Review of Vietnamerica A Family's Journey on Good Reads

Vietnamerica: A Family's Journey by GB Tran

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The graphic novel Vietnamerica is the family story of GB Tran whose parents fled Vietnam in 1975 after the fall of Saigon when the American’s gave up the war and the tanks rolled in from North Vietnam. The author was born in 1976 in South Carolina in the USA. Growing up in the US his life is much different to their past experiences and he is not really interested in his family history. This changes when he visits Vietnam after the death of his grandparents who died within months of each other. The trip back to Vietnam is a culture shock not just for him, but also some of his family members who are shocked to see how life has changed in Vietnam with crowded streets and the influence of globalization (MacDonalds , Hilton Hotels etc).

His family wanted to forget their past after fleeing to the USA. Many family members were involved in researching this book. Their story is told out of chronological sequence but we learn of their individual experiences living in Vietnam through the various foreign occupations by the Japanese, French and Americans. The events after the fall of Saigon when the South and North are re- unified and the communists take over are not covered much. References are made however to the disappearances of South Vietnamese men to re-education camps. There is a constant theme of hardship and imprisonment by different regimes and the rule of ‘man’ rather than ‘law’ but this book does not really take sides.

This graphic novel examines his families fascinating history through great storytelling and great art mostly in colour but some in black and white to give it a documentary feel. There are also some family photographs and family trees. This Graphic Novel is a history of not just Vietnam but also its people who immigrated to the US. Another great example of Graphic Novels being able to cover serious issues and being enjoyable for people who wouldn't normally read a Graphic Novel. Anyone who has read Maus, Waltz with Bashir or Persepolis will enjoy this.

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A Few more photos from the Mr Brainwash exhibition

Here are a few more photographs from the recent Mr Brainwash exhibition at the old sorting office in New Oxford Street.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="244"] Kate Moss[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="244"] Elvis Presley with Tommy Gun[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="244"] Banksy or Mr Brainwash?[/caption]

One Love - Bob Marley by Mr Brainwash

Visitors to the exhibition by Thierry Guetta  -who creates art under the pseudonym Mr Brainwash - are given a spray can as they visit an exhibition of his work. Various canvasses and sculptures are influenced by Andy Warhol and Jeff Koon. He has designed an album cover for Madonna and has worked with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He is a vintage clothing store manager from LA and was in the Banksy film 'Exit through the Gift Shop’. The exhibition is in the old sorting office in New Oxford St until August 31st.

My Book Review of The Iron Jackal (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #3) by Chris Wooding on Goodreads

Goodreads | The Iron Jackal (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #3) by Chris Wooding - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists."

New Murals in Frankham Street Deptford

Some new murals have appeared on the site of the old Tidemill Primary School site in Frankham Street. These murals are in the style of bank notes. They are part of an installation entitled Gold Standard by Hew Locke on commercial buildings in Deptford. They are painted and drawn over original share certificates to explore the history of money, power and ownership. This is part of the Deptford X festival running from 27th July to 12th August www.deptfordx.org. The Lions on the old school building have the slogan 'Chemins Der Fer Ethiopia' which translates as Railway of Ethiopia. They have provided a welcome transformation of these old school buildings after the move to the new school buildings in the Deptford Lounge. More murals can be found on billboards just down the street.

 

 

Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery Open Day

It was the Fifth Anniversary of the Friends of Brockley and Ladywell cemetery today. There are over 13,700 gravestones in the cemetery.  There were guided walks of the cemeteries that were originally the Lewisham and Deptford cemeteries opened in 1858. They were separated by a wall until 1948 and were later renamed Ladywell and Brockley after boundary changes. They became a single cemetery after being administered under the London Borough of Lewisham in 1965.



The volunteers help protect and improve the monuments and natural environments. Its a beautiful place to walk around with over 17 varieties of butterflies as well as many gravestones that reflect the maritime heritage of Deptford. Here are some photos of the angel monuments in the cemetery.

Hello world!

Welcome to my new blog. I did have a blog but gave up on it as I had bloggers block. I have moved to wordpress and hope to add more stuff about books, music and my local area.

Brockley Snow Madness

Everyone has forgotten what snow looks like. Everyone was smiling. Not sure about this snowman though outside St Peter's Church in Wickham Road.

 More snow madness in Hilly Fields.

Gung hei fat Choi - year of the dragon

Its Chinese New Year - Year of the Dragon - January 23rd.These photos were taken in South Moulton Street. They were from an exhibition called Hong Kong Live in September last year. These installations were on display to celebrate Chinese Year of The Dragon January 23rd to February 9th 2013. Its a shame they weren't there a bit longer.

Deptford Douglas Square Street Murals

These are the new Deptford street Murals in Douglas Square (opposite the Albany). They were done during last years Deptford X Festival by Peter Anderson. These paintings were scaled up from photographs taken in Deptford and New York. Many of these 'poster-ised' images are music related evoking the rhythms and sounds of South-East London. There are also playful icons and objects collected from Deptford market. This replaces the previous railway yard mural.

My personal favourite is the dog in sun glasses.