Albums of 2015

10 Lovely Albums of 2015

10. Death Grips - The Powers That B
9. Four Tet - Morning Evening
8. H. Hawkline - In The Pink of Condition
7. Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
6. Destroyer - Poison Season
5. Ought - Sun Coming Down
4. Pile - You're Better Than This
3. Vulfpeck - Thrill of The Arts
2. Viet Cong - Viet Cong
1. Krill - A Distant Fist Unclenching

xxxx

Year of Travel

Last year was a great year of travelling for me, including my work abroad. Here's where I got to:

Belgium
Australia
U.S.A (Florida)
Spain (Barcelona & The Canary Islands)
Italy (Milan)
Switzerland (Zurich)
Liechtenstein
Austria (Innsbruk & Salzburg)
Ireland (Cork)

A busy year, let's hope this year is just as fruitful.

My plan to go to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan this year has been somewhat thwarted by having to replace my broken laptop so that will have to wait until next year. However, still some other cool trips in the pipeline:

Germany (for work and holiday with Housemates)
Qatar
Oman
Italy
Switzerland
Romania
Iceland for ATP
Denmark
Morocco

Here's to an adventurous year

Recommended Listening - Volume 5

It's been a long time since I was last here. I've sold a lot of CDs and purchased a lot of records. Here're some of my picks from the past six months:

1.

Viet Cong - Cassette

A few guys from another great Calgary band, Women. Their new album comes out today. Excited.

2.
Bâton Rouge - Totem

French band with great ear for melody with a DIY edge.

3.

坂本慎太郎 - ナマで踊ろう

Shintaro Sakamoto's second album Let's Dance Raw. I was introduced to his previous band Yurayura Teikoku by a good friend in Japan. I've been a big fan of anything he's done ever since.

That's it for now, life is going well, see you soon.

Lee

x

I've worked in worse places...

I'm in the States for the first time ever, working on a few adverts for Gatorade and have been ingesting material in my hotel room. It's been immensely enjoyable.

Tasmanian Sky

March 9th, 2014

I went to Tasmania for a few days and loved how beautiful the sky looked in comparison to the constant blue mainland Australia offered. Here's a video to show my appreciation of it.

Music also composed for film.

Hail! The Planes - Pontvane, April 2014

Wales, April 2014

Four of the H!TP sextet made our way to Pontvane this spring to write some stuff for our upcoming album. I didn't film as much as I wanted to but I've made a short preview of what's to come, enjoy!

A Very Large Mosque

A few years ago, I heard that they were building the largest mosque in Europe right here in London. 

I thought no more of it after that, but a few months ago I decided to look it up and found out that it was located no more than 4 miles away from my house!

It turns out that it is in fact the largest mosque in Western Europe

I'll be deeply honest, Morden is not a pretty place. It's a little bit like Tooting but without the intensity. 

The Baitul Futuh is located just on the outskirts of Morden near Morden South train station and it really is a strange site to witness. 

The building incorporates much of the structure of the old dairy factory it is built upon and certain parts really look like a factory from the outside.

I entered the gates at the front of the building and asked if I could have a look around.

The staff were more than happy to give me a guided tour of the area, and let me take a few photos of the exterior too.

The great hall inside can take up to 4,500 people at a time and it's incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately I couldn't take photos of the interior but the exterior has some great sites too.

Upon leaving the mosque I was told I should come and witness prayer time when I am next in Morden.

I might just do that.

Recommended Listening - Volume 4

It's day 3 of my non-stop migraine and I've taken so many drugs that I feel quite splendid/horrible.

What better way to start the day than with this classic from Action Bronson.

Yours,

A poorly Lee Wood

Oh, The Places You'll Go

December 2013 - The Channel Tunnel

Riding through this tunnel to Belgium, so many memories race through my mind.

10 Albums from 2013

Hey all,

So this year was really good for releases. It made me want to make a list of albums that stood out.

If you haven't listened to any of these yet, I highly recommend you do!
_________________________________________________________________


10.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away

I've loved The Dirty Three and Warren Ellis for many years now and because of this, have always had a soft spot for Nick Cave.

Warren's influence in Nick Cave's later albums is immediately recognisable, and this album is definitely one of his more mellow in recent years. A brilliant choice!

9.

White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade

I saw White Denim live for the first time in November this year and they blew my mind. Incredibly technical, varied and interesting. I've had a lot of respect for them since I heard their first album at Zavvi in 2007. Despite it not being their strongest album, I still really like the sound they are adopting.

8.

Melt Yourself Down - Melt Yourself Down

When I first heard the first track from this album I immediately thought Seb Rochford was part of the lineup. Turns out the bassist from Acoustic Ladyland is part of this and not Seb, can't win them all.

7.

Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Love the stuff these guys do with Do Make Say Think and their own stuff is great too. They also seem like the nicest hippies! This album would've been higher up the list if it weren't for track 6, which is admittedly, incredibly difficult to listen to.

6.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II

These guys have the best song of the year but as a whole, the album isn't enough to make it my favourite... close though.

5.

Phosphorescent - Muchacho

Phosphorescent has been very consistent with his "bad album, good album" releases. This year is good album time, when he strays away from ultra country and goes more into his depressing tones.

4.

Braids - Flourish//Perish

Braids were such a new experience for me when I first heard them. Their debut album is one of my favourites of all time and this album wins the "most anticipated" award. 

When I saw them at End of The Road they only played the song below from this album. Everything else was brand new, which means I'm going to have to wait for two years until I can listen to them. Already a contender for "most anticipated 2015".

3.

Julianna Barwick - Nepenthe

Here's another act I saw at End of the Road, although surprisingly I wasn't that swayed by her. On record though, it's a different story. Though not ideal as live music, this album is incredibly beautiful, and just for the amount of times I have played it this year, deserves a spot in this list.

2.

Bill Callahan - Dream River

The way Bill Callahan can weave stories into his music astounds me. I never thought I'd be so involved in a song about someone's part-time job painting boats. Outstanding work.

1.

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

The band I want to be in. Such a mature sound for guys at such a young age. The most well rounded album of the year and new material can't come soon enough.

Current Happenings

Hello all,

The past few months have been busy and exciting;

I've recorded a few tracks with my London band which we should be sharing with the public soon. It's heavily influenced by bands like Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall. We're really happy with the sound and I'm looking forward to playing some shows with the guys soon.

In terms of compositions, I made a few tracks for a friend's

 short film. It's kind of apocalyptic, kind of ambient, kind of a soundtrack. I'll share it here once the film's out!

For other work, I had a pleasant surprise in August when I was asked to help out Hail! The Planes for their EP launch and several other gigs. It's been great playing with them again (I was one of the founding members when we all moved to Cardiff together in 2007) and their new stuff is fantastic too.

As well as a 12" Vinyl on sale, there is also a music video featuring Holly. Check it out below:

Love

Up Close

After having spent the last month recording whatever I could find. I thought I'd showcase it all in a different way.

Please enjoy some colour coordination from the last 4 weeks with added music and memories!

Dorking

My housemate recently started a new job in Dorking about an hour or so drive from our place.

Recommended Listening - Volume 3

In my current job, I have to commute 30 miles a day to get to work and back.

This gives me just over 2 hours a day in my car to listen to music and enjoy the ride.

Today's recommendation list comes from the CDs that have been featuring on my commute the most.

1.

Death Grips - The Money Store

This album is brilliantly aggressive. Certainly Zach Hill's greatest project yet. His instantly recognizable, off-kilter drum grooves are ever present.

2.

Braids - Native Speaker

This album is so beautiful. Braids have a talent of shifting tempo so well in their songs that it's seamless. The whole album is a standout but it was Same Mum that made me fall in love with them.

3.

Twin Shadow - Forget

I first heard of Twin Shadow via Grizzly Bear sharing the music video for Slow on their Facebook page. I was in Japan when I first heard that song so I didn't buy the CD and subsequently forgot about it until I came back to the UK last year.

The rest of the album is not as "My Bloody Valentine" as Slow but more of a New Wave journey with sick basslines.

In a Good Way

Last weekend, I went to Cologne with a dear friend to watch some beautiful music and admire the surroundings. On the Saturday, we had some fun with chalk. I made a short film showing some of the time we spent on one particular piece.

A Firm Attachment To His Country

I went to a family get-together in Leicester over the weekend. I hadn't seen most of my family in over fifteen years.

It was good seeing everyone. We all drank a lot and I spoke to my nephew about Minecraft.

I got to Leicester a few hours earlier than the rest of the family so, I took a walk around the surrounding area. I went to the Richard III exhibition and also bought Idlewild's "Captian" for 99p, result!

On my way to Leicester Cathedral I went through a graveyard and came across some amazing gravestones. There was one in particular that grabbed my attention:

"Beneath are deposited the remains of Richard Braginton, Quarter Master Serjeant of the South Devon Militia; who expir'd suddenly in this Town on his march to Nottingham, in the night of the 15th of February 1812 after retiring to rest in perfect health;

Aged 60 years.

He served 40 in the said Regiment, with unabated Zeal, diligence, and Loyalty to his King; and firm attachment to his Country;
While his private conduct was equally commendable.

For Rectitude, Probity and Sobriety; He was esteem'd by his Officers, and beloved by his fellow soldiers. 

To perpetuate the remembrance of his worth, This stone was caus'd to be erected By his Colonel Lord ROLLE.

Reader, may this additional Example of the awful uncertainty of Life, prove a warning to thee to prepare for a similar fate by a faithful discharge of the duties of thy station; and by an humble reliance on the merits of thy Redeemer."

The words on this gravestone - particularly the last paragraph - really brought the gathering of my family into perspective.

I loved this gravestone so much, that I've written and dedicated this piece of music to Richard.

Window

The seasons are changing and my garden now looks like a jungle!

Compared to a few months ago the landscape has changed dramatically, I love it.

Here's a little video showing its current state.

Also there's a shovel in there somewhere.

Commute

For a few weeks in February I filmed my journeys to and from work when on my nightshifts in an old job. 

Central London can be quite beautiful in the dead of night. It mostly consisted of tube rides but there were a few buses involved too. 

Music also composed for this collection. Enjoy!  

Brussels to Luxembourg

I've just got back from a little trip to Brussels and Luxembourg. I met some old friends, I made new friends, it was brilliant!

I'll write a full entry about the trip soon, in the meantime, I made a video and wrote some music involving the train journey from Brussels to Luxembourg. Enjoy x

Recommended Listening - Volume 2

The recent announcement from Soundway Records of a new Africa Special compilation coming out at the end of this month has got me very excited!

My first foray into West African music from the '60s - '80s was when I won one of these compilations in a competition at an old job.

This newest selection is the record label's first release from East Africa, it's also the first Africa Special release in three years so it's been a long time coming. I've already pre-ordered my copy and you can here: http://soundwayrecords.greedbag.com/buy/kenya-special-selected-east-afri/


With this in mind I'm going to recommend two albums today for anyone who wants to listen to any music from this fantastic era.

1.

The Anambra Beats - Ayamma

From the album "Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Blues & Nigerian Blues 1970-6"

This is the song that started my love for this genre and compilation series. This is the first track from the album(that I won from work). Everything about this song makes me smile; the tonality, the repetition, the key, the guitar rift, the trumpet solo, the main vocalist's throaty voice, it's a joy to listen to. 

Every song on this compilation has the same heart and soul as this starter and it's a great place to begin your journey.

On a side note, the Nigeria Special series also has a disco compilation which is unlike anything else I've ever heard.

2.

Orchestra Baobab - Sou Sedhiou

From the album "Bamba"

Orchestra Baobab are a Senegalese band that have been around for decades. They went on a 15 year hiatus in 1986 but released a new album in 2007. It was this album that I first heard of theirs but it's this compilation of earlier tracks, released in '93 that I keep coming back too.

Although they are heavily influenced by Cuban Son music, my favourite song from this album is this fast-paced highlife soaked number. This song brings nothing but good feelings to me and it has possibly my favourite guitar solo ever (2:30 in). It's also been one of my main bass practice songs so I've heard it a lot and am still not sick of it!