This is the Alabama Shakes. They are unsigned. Just been spotted by Flavorpill newsletter and for once I totally agree. The lead singer/guitarist is going to be a star.

Heaven knows I'm not an All Blacks fan (Cymru am byth, if you are interested) but this is a marvellous up lifting piece of film.

I dedicate it to Sir Fraser of Lewry

These three unlikely looking men played key roles in the development of a particular genre of music. Can you name the genre, the men and their contribution?
1.

2.

3.

I've just read the Steve Bowbrick article on blogs in the latest edition of Word. I help write a blog called www.soundofthehound.com which I'm keen to draw people's attention to. I am sure that many other members of the Massive also have their own blogs and wouldn't say no to a few more readers. So in the spirit of Steve's article, let's swap blog details and support our local blogs!

www.soundofthehound.com is about the history of recorded music and concentrates on the technological developments that have underpinned the record industry and the businesses that have formed to exploit them. I'm a trustee of the EMI Archive Trust and we started the blog to highlight some of the great things in our Archive and try to place them in context. We've gone as far back as 1857 when the first recordings were made (but it would be another 20 years before any recordings were played back...)and as far forward as the recent Gorillaz album that was made on an ipad while Damon was on the tour bus. We are inevitably EMI biased at present and are concentrating upon the very early history of recording but we are looking for contributors to extend our reach into other companies and eras. If you fancy contributing get in touch.

And if you want to know what the people in the picture are up to, click >>>> http://soundofthehound.com/2011/05/13/the-saviour-of-the-record-business...

So,
1) You'd be very welcome to come and browse our blog, and
2) I'd be very interested in your blog, so why not post a brief description of your blog and a link to it.

Blogtastic!

I was catching up on podcasts yesterday and Messrs Ellen and Hepworth referred to a past interview over lunch in an excellent fish and chip shop in Lisson Grove but said that the chippy had since closed down.

They can only mean the Seashell which did indeed have to close for a while after it burnt down in strange circumstances. They may be interested to learn that the Seashell has been rebuilt and since re-opening is a little bit more "modern" and a little bit more "pricey" but still serves what I have found to be the best fish and chips in London. Very good mushy peas too.

And you will occasionally see musicians from nearby Abbey Road and RAK studios eating there on a Friday lunchtime....

I find myself alone and at a loose end in sydney for the next 48 hours. Do the massive have any suggestions as to what I should get up to?

I'm putting together a wordpress blog and would like to add some (public domain) music to the site. I like the way tim tunes did this:

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/lost-work-partgorecki-0

What is it? Would it work on wordpress? Is it easy to do? Are their more suitable things out there?

All help gratefully recieved!

Thanks

..the Bryan Ferry article in October's magazine. I've just got to it and reading it felt like being a fly in the room with the pair of them. Excellent stuff.

And I never knew that the Hand & Flower in Olympia - an old local of mine - played its part in the rise of Roxy. I shall raise a creme de menthe frappe to the musical ghosts next time I'm at the bar.

I don't think we've had one of these for a while.

Rules are simple. What are the last 3 books you've read (you must be honest here) and what did you think of them. Here are mine:

1) "One Day" by David Nicholls.

Like most of the country (of a certain age, perhaps?) I have enjoyed this enormously. Its very well written (in a deceptively simple Chick-lit kind of way), hugely engaging and, like his earlier book "Starter For Ten", describes people, scenarios and developments that I recognise from my own life. I read it in two days. Unputdownable.

2) "Family Britain 1951-57" by David Kynaston.

The second doorstep of British social history which draws as much on the diaries and opinions of normal people and our popular culture as it does official statistics and records. It reads like a novel and some of the diarists are wonderfully quirky. By describing their gestation and development, these books have made me think again about some of the things we take for granted like the welfare state, TV, holidays & washing machines and they have also helped explain some of my parents opinions. A great book.

3) "The Borribles" by Michael de Larrabeiti

This book won Londonist website's poll for the best London novel earlier this year. I'd never heard of it. Neither had my local bookshop nor the library. Surprising as it,s based in my South London neighbourhood and is very good. Written and set in 1976, Borribles are kids who have ended up out of the mainstream, living in derelict houses on food stolen from the street markets. They are fiercely working class and exist in tribes that are very loyal to and defensive of their "manor". Borribles develop pointy ears and don't grow old unless they are caught and their ears are clipped by the police. The book begins with the middle class Rumbles who are keen to move into the area to gentrify it. The Borribles mobilise an elite task force to drive the middle classes back to their areas & all hell breaks loose. At times its pretty violent. Ostensibly aimed at young teenagers I found it a rollicking good read. Maybe not the best London book of all time, but a very good London in 1976 book. And all you lefties out there (evidenced by all the election threads)will enjoy the class warfare theme.

So no duds for me in my last three.

What have you read recently?

Was I the only member of the Massive at last night's event? If so, you lot missed a treat. TSTL is the latest venture of The Word's own David Hepworth and its very very good. Its an evening of stand up story (as opposed to joke) telling and is a monthly venture held in an upstairs room at The Compass pub in Islington. NB The pub serves very good beer and, although I didnt try the food,(food being the enemy of the drinker and all that) it looked and smelled terrific and is worth a visit on its own merit.

Various Word galactico's were present. Jude Rogers told a story that, among other things, explained why Led Zep played a record of an old Welsh song as they trooped off stage at the end of their reform gig at the o2. Fraser, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth himself of course were also there.

I'd strongly recommend coming along to the next one if you can. You can find out more here: http://www.truestoriestoldlive.com/2010/01/the-morning-after/

I've done a fuller review in my blog if anybody's interested (and I'm not breaking any blog rules) here:
http://thelondoni.com/?p=228

An excellent night out. It might be an idea for a London Word Massive meet up at the next one of these in Feb?

This TV series was mentioned on the Great British TV thread of a while back. I have just noticed that it's being broadcast on Yesterday channel this coming week. If its as good as I remember it, it will be worth a watch.

Can somebody please check that Eamonn Forde is OK. Did he catch his bus this evening?

I went to the National Theatre last night to see Mother Courage. It is an astonishing and brilliant piece of drama that was dramatically (see what I did there...) enhanced by this guy singing some very weird and beautiful songs during the play.

Apparently he's a proper pop musician and everything. I like this song:

but I dont like it as much as the music he sang last night. Reminded me why I fell in love with (pop) music.

You can download a sampler album on his website www.dukespecial.com and I'd recommend you give him a try (the first song on it is from the play)/

I'd also recommend the play if you are in The Smoke and dramatically inclined.

This new Madness record is very special. It could be the best London record ever; its a fantastic piece of grown up pop. Well done the middle agers!!

I have just changed my email address. Where on earth do I go to re-subscribe to the newsletter? I am doing something wrong; can't find it anywhere...

Help