Being a dad seems to be simultaneously making me feel old and young. Permanently tired from lack of sleep and the constant requirements for stimulation, I am also immersed in childish activities, toys and fascinations. The late nights have found me watching popular music on TV (which sometimes paradoxically makes me feel old because it all sounds the same as something that's already been done, blah blah...), time at home listening to the hits on the radio, days out visiting exhibitions; not a lot of time for reading but keeping up to date with the news etc.
We recently took a ferry trip to Northern France and spent some time with my parents. Whilst there we did some day trips out which included visiting the Scriptorial of Avranches. This houses the ancient documents of the Mont St Michel monks, and currently a nice but patchy Marc Chagal exhibition. My favourite thing was the modern concrete and glass architecture within the ancient castle walls which made for great flow around the museum.
My playlist for the driving included Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire and Biffy Clyro - Mountains (two bands I've never really had much interest in before); Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone; Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal; Kooks - Shine On; Coldplay - Viva La Vida; Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time; and Keane - Spiralling. On the latter, I never paid any attention to Keane, can't recall anything they've done before. And when I first heard this single I did'nt really rate it. But like good pop music it has eaten its way into my consciousness, with its slick 80s sound. In particular the lyrics sound to me like they're talking about the spiralling, unfathomable process of love, life and death, and destruction; the apocalypse, the revelation, the destruction and creation. Impressive stuff for the charts.
Currently also loving the Tilly and the Wall single 'Beat Control' which Radio 1 will no doubt play to death until we're sick of it. Had enough of Verve, although that happened a short while before Bittersweet Symphony....
New Streets album out on this week. He played a new song on the Jonathan Ross show the other week, something about 'heaven for the weather and hell for the company'. It wasn't bad but he looked pretty miserable (or perhaps that was just Street bravado). I'm still undecided about the current single 'Everything is borrowed', but it is growing on me a bit. Wondering where the energy has gone, seems all a bit introspective. He was interviewed by Jo Whiley on Radio 1 and the idea behind this record is that its more about big issues and less about daily life. From his perspective no one was doing that when he started out, and now everyone's copied him, and anyway he wants to do something new. Which is fair enough I guess. He seemed to be having a bit of a laugh with Jo so I wouldn't necessarily take this without salt, but he was saying he'd do one more album as The Streets, a more electronic affair, before embarking in new musical direction. Sounds a bit Damon Albarn really.
Next weekend there's a show at the ICA which has toured the country called Approximately Infinite Universe, featuring American and Finnish artists together: Kemialliset Ystavat & Axolotl, Es & Fursaxa, Islaja, Blevin Blechtum and others. 27 Sept http://www.no-signal.net/aiu
10 Oct sees Chuck D doing spoken word at the Southbank's Purcell Room.
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/literature-spoken-word/productions/chuck-d-42804
Also on the Southbank that day is US indie-country oldskooler Juliana Hatfield playing songs from her new album.
http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/music/productions/juliana-hatfield-42403
The Wire magazine are presenting a couple of nights of music in various venues in the East End 2-3 Oct. Names include Kimmo Pohjonen, Bass Clef, Kim Hiorthoy, Vadislav Delay. http://www.concreteandglass.co.uk
Jazz and Funk fans should check out Plumstead Radical Club's music at www.impossibleark.com
Whitechapel nights include: Red Velvet Curtain Cult on Friday; and Here: Radical Animation Now on Sunday and Monday www.whitechapel.org
Portsmouth-based artist Jon Adams' work Word Wall is on display now at London Bridge station. He's also riding on a bus around Pompey (yes right now), getting people interested in art. Jon's work is inspired by Dubuffet in terms of being hidden away in unexpected places, and he is also fascinated with maps, diagrams and systems.
Projektor Film Fest is on now at the Café Gallery in Southwark Park until Sunday http://www.cafegalleryprojects.com/pdf/2008_Projektor_Colour.pdf
The Hayward Gallery has an interesting Warhol exhibition coming up. Described as a fresh perspective, focusing on his comerciality and integration in popular culture, it opens 7 Oct and runs until 18 Jan 09. http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visual-arts/productions/andy-warhol-other-voices-oth-41967
Roy Voss' exhibition Pine is on now at Matt's Gallery until 2 Nov. His work features assisted readymades, installations and wallpaper, exploring the natural and artificial. http://www.mattsgallery.org/artists/voss/exhibition-1.php
Rick Buckley's exhibition Facets of Reason is on now at Union Gallery Ewer Street, featuring works on paper which explore man's dark, melancholic interior. http://www.union-gallery.com/
Tony Oursler is on at Lisson Gallery until 3 Oct. www.lissongallery.com
And this weekend is London Open House, so go out to stay inside!
