I recorded a demo of this new song yesterday, well it isn’t that new but it’s been around long enough to warrant a drum sample. 

It’s been a long old year, I’ve been very busy working behind a bar, touring and recording with Leagues Apart and moving between Manchester and London. I’ve not been doing many solo shows but my friend, Rivalries bassist and fellow Lifter Puller enthusiast Tommy Simpson asked me if I wanted to play a show he was putting on. I can’t say no to such a sweet young man so on Friday I’m opening up for Cement Matters, Plaids and Rivalries at   The Stags Head pub in Hoxton. Thats a pretty tight line-up plus apparently there’s some sort of soul DJ after which means bodyshaking to some Al Green till sunrise. It’s only £4, shit starts at 7.30pm. 

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AL GREEN - 

With this in my head constantly: 

“In the corner on the pouring rain” 

There’s much worse ways to spend your Thursday night than checking out Joe Tilston’s new record. It’s a good late evening jam from a lovely man. 

renspitsatmagpies:

recorded some new songs. they’re free to download. click ze pic and have a looksie.

My relentlessly talented girlfriend has just released a new EP. Pay loads of money for it so I can be treated to pizza tonight. Let’s get Jimmy pizza! 

I recently did a cover for my good friend Paul’s record label Cats? Aye! records. Loads of other people have contributed to it and there’s not a bad song on it. Although Fighting Fiction’s cover of Oliver’s Army is really something.

I originally meant to do Bastards of Young by the Replacements but, well, there’s no way in hell I was going to be able to do that justice especially after Doctrines did such an awesome cover of it at Manchfester, trying it acoustic and with my wobbly voice just ruined one of the best songs ever written. So in the spirit of finding easy ways out of difficult situations I did an early Tom Waits song; (Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night. I really like this song for a few reasons, number one its quite a simple approach to capturing quite a universal yet complex feeling, that feeling of excitement and mystery that anything could happen over the course of an evening. What you’re actually searching for you don’t really know but what matters is that you’re escaping from something. It’s (I think) one of the first examples of Waits’ obsession with beat writing coming to the fore successfully (not neglecting Diamonds On My Windshield which is probably a better example.) It’s a song that brings out youthful naivety and optimism, everything in it twinkles with possibility. I like that.  

Anyway I hope I did it justice because it’s a great song and I really enjoyed figuring out the chord sequences and adding telephone style backing vocals. Check it out at: 

http://catsayerecords.bandcamp.com/track/looking-for-the-heart-of-saturday-night-tom-waits

You know Menzinger is the phonetic pronunciation of the Germanic word for troubadour. Now stop asking and watch the video.   

themenzingers:

Here’s our video for Nice Things! Thanks to our good friend Andrew Seward for shooting it.

My friend Oliver John Ward plays songs in a band called It’s Not OK! They’ve got an EP coming out in the not too distant future and have just put up a little sampler/recording diary type thing on this website called youtube. I just stole a pair of Oliver’s shoes so I kind of owe him. He promises if the video gets over 200 views then he won’t beat me up or if you’d prefer if the video gets over 200 views he will beat me up! Your call internet!