More of wot I have heard…

I have bought some more new music for my birthday and this batch included the following albums:

Sea Sew by Lisa Hannigan. This is the Irish singer, songwriter and musician’s debut album which was Mercury nominated and it is a pleasant indie folk collection of songs.

Life in the Dark by Felice Brothers. The latest album from this American folk rock / country rock band is a lively foot tapping affair. I particularly like the first track Aerosol Ball.

Home Again by Michael Kiwanuka. A British soul musician who won the BBC’s Sound of 2012 with this album. He has a great voice compared to many soul heroes.

Sea of Brass by British Sea Power. This indie rock band is from Brighton and they have been compared to The Cure, Joy Division, Pixies and Arcade Fire. This album takes the band’s songs and reworks them alongside bass bands, the result is interesting and sometimes challenging, but I think ultimately rewarding.

Sing to the Moon by Laura Mvula. This is the debut album from this English recording artist that was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize. She is a soul/R&B singer with a strong, well-controlled voice that can be haunting and powerful in turn.

Uptown Special by Mark Ronson. This is the fourth studio album from this English record producer that has been described as ‘pop-friendly, and undeniably sexy collection of funk and R&B’ which is pretty accurate to my ear.

KC Rules OK by King Creosote. This is a studio album from this Scottish singer-songwriter from back in 2005 that uses songs written over an extended period and has a distinctive sound based in the traditional folk genre.

Our New Life Above the Ground by Avalanche City. Based in New Zealand this folk musician has a delightful gentle sound that is easy on the ears.

Saint John Divine by SJD. Another New Zealand musician recommended to me by friends has released this quirky collection of electronic rock songs that I think have a noticable NZ sound to them. 

Brunch in Town…

We took Deb and Barbara to a lovely small gathering with Jamie and Gia first for brunch at Temple & Sons (a Jason Atherton establishment) in the city and afterwards at a nearby pub. It was great to catch up with them and for Gia to meet more of the family.

Games Day…

We hosted a now regular gathering with friends where we play table top games old and new. It was only with Martin and James this time but we did enjoy what we played, finding some more difficult than others.

Folk on the Farm…

A repeat event from where we first saw this Northumbrian band Assembly Lane play a collection of their songs/tunes. They are a very talented group of young artists and we are eager for them to produce their first album.

Wok-Off…

After some garden clearance, rubbish burning able assisted by ‘garden slave’ Deb, and planting of raspberry canes, we staged our first Wok-Off completion with our neighbour Howard. We prepared and cooked dim-sum starters and Howard provided various main dishes. The food was fabulous and everyone was happy to declare it a successful draw. 

More of wot I have seen…

We saw Logan at the Everyman in Reigate, a cinema that has the attraction of having a bar and fresh cooked food. Luckily we took the train as we had a few drinkies. We enjoyed the film but I think much of the attraction for Sue was to see Hugh Jackman with his clothes off.

Out in the Country…

Recently we visited friends Andy and Jodie who live near Ludlow in Shropshire and we caught up with them tacking time out to visit the delightful market town of Shrewsbury where we had lunch in the fabulous Henry Tudor House with ‘period’ pictures of past musicians and comedians. We enjoyed a few new card games, lovely home cooked food and a drink or two and were sad when the weekend was over and we had to return home.