"Stroker Ace" Digital print on 100% archival cotton canvas. 20 x 16 inches.
From "Stroker Ace" by Lovage.
Lovage is a collaborative project headed by Dan the Automator aka "Nathaniel Merriweather". The album is called Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, which was created in team with Mike Patton (ex Faith No More) and Jennifer Charles, who both provide vocals.
Automator has either been responsible for or contributed to many of the most interesting and progressive hip-hop/electronica/trip-hop/pop musical projects of late including Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Dr Octagon, Peeping Tom and Deltron 3030. His list of collaborators reads like a who’s who of the music worlds best innovators. Including the afore mentioned Mike P and Jennifer Charles the list includes Prince Paul, Kool Keith, DJ Shadow, Damon Albarn, Kid Koala, Primal Scream, Blues Explosion, Danger Mouse, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Shaun Ryder, Roots Manuva, Sean Lennon, Mike D, De La Soul, RZA, Cat Power, Jack Johnson, Jamie Cullum and more.
"Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By" is a concept album that’s agenda is clear in the title.
Not being much of a cat person I used to think they were intelligent, manipulative and self-centered creatures. But now I know they're just pretty dumb.
But they do like to watch...
"I Ain't Drunk" Digital print on 100% archival cotton canvas. 32 x 16 inches.
After Jimmy Liggins's 1954 "I Ain't Drunk".
The son of a San Diego minister, Jimmy Liggins started out as a professional boxer at age 18 under the name of Kid Zulu, then he quit boxing and took up driving his brother Joe's band around on tour. Following the success of his brother, Jimmy Liggins started his own recording career as a singer, guitarist, and bandleader in 1947. His band had a rougher and more tempo conscious sound than his brother even though Joe was more established and had greater recognition.
One of his early releases, "Cadillac Boogie" was a direct forerunner of "Rocket 8", itself often called the first rock and roll record.
This period of music known as Jump Blues, or Rhythm and Blues (nothing at all related to today’s R&B) is interesting as it's the bridge between swing (the pop music of the time), jazz and blues into the birth of rock n roll. The Liggins brothers and a stream of other musicians took swinging jazz, striped it back into a smaller format, added the blues and then, most importantly for rock music, made it jump!
Then, as with all-important modern music advances, white musicians took what they had created sanitized it and called it their own.
"I Ain't Drunk" still carries an important message for today in it's promotion of having a good time. There's a difference between getting drunk and having a drink.
Elmore James was a key figure in Blues History starting off as an acoustic guitarist (James's first instrument consisted of a tin can, a wooden board and a single metal string) he switched to a fiery electric slide style in the 1940's. He was one of the many Mississippi Delta bluesman who later found fame in Chicago where they created a new urban strain of the music.
In his early years he travelled the Delta appearing with the likes of the legendary Robert Johnson.
I have a few types of catfish in my tropical fishtank with my Salt and Pepper Catfish (Corydoras habrosus) being a favourite.
"You Can't Roller-Skate in A Buffalo Herd" Digital print on 100% archival cotton canvas. 32 x 16 inches.
After Roger Miller speaking some home truths.
Being in my early 30's I'm from the school of thought that believes that indie-pop reached it zenith in the mid-90's with everything coming afterwards lacking. There are a few notable exceptions thankfully. Glaswegian art-school indie-rockers Franz Ferdinand are a band I really enjoy.
I was blissfully rocked out by The Fallen, the first track on their "You could have it so much better" album.
In late 2005 I had lined up a job in Glasgow, Scotland. I spent a week there and then another week in Edinburgh before heading back to London. I absolutely loved it up there. Unfortunately the job fell through and I stayed in London.
Edinburgh is a beautiful city, where are Glasgow is more of a "real Scottish city". It used to be quite seedy, depressing and dangerous but in the last decade has really turned around and has some amazing culture, shopping and living standards.
For one reason or another I've never been able to step foot back in Scotland. It is my promised land.
RESOURCES (via You Tube)
There is no footage, film or otherwise of Elmore James playing but here is Samuel Jackson performing the song from the movie Black Snake Moan.
2 comments:
Writings?! What madness is this?!
It's very important that i own that catfish.
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