Debut

Is there a more beautiful album cover? My 13 year old heart melted when I got this, the album that I would tape for my first girlfriend and wish that she had those eyes, that jumper, that winter glow. My heart's debut.

The rain has brought the night,
and the night has brought the rain.

Crazy in the Coconut

Respect for the masters of mash-up! I've been mashing potatoes to this tune on replay for an hour now. Does it get any better?! Come back Avalanches, let's mash together...

For we, which now behold these present days,
Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.

Shakespeare - Sonnet 106

Tessellation

Tell me that I'm not alone in my tessellation admiration! The humble floor or wall tile is transformed into a miniature canvas of loveliness when pattern and decoration are added, from the Portuguese and Spanish exterior displays to the hidden delights of Islamic interiors.

Earth. Fire. Bake. Glaze. Stone. Sand. Mosaic. Symmetry. Dazzle. Geometry in flames.

Indian Summer

Wimbledon Common, Oct 08, Mr Tom

A gift. Utterly unasked for. Crisp October sunshine and blue skies. Walking on Wimbledon Common today was my fleeting, delicious Indian Summer, whose ashes will become winter.

Clear moments are so short.
There is much more darkness. More
ocean than firm land. More
shadow than form.
Adam Zagajewski

Awareness

"There are all kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talked about in the great outside world of winning and achieving and displaying. The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able to truly care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day. That is real freedom. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the 'rat race' - the constant gnawing sense of having had and lost some infinite thing. None of this is about morality, or religion, or dogma, or big fancy questions of life after death. The capital-T Truth is about life before death. It is about simple awareness - awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over and over: 'This is water, this is water.'"

Taken from a speech by the American writer David Foster Wallace who died last month.

I am who I am because of everyone

My class wrote their own "I am" poems inspired by the Orange adverts. Here is a class version using lines selected by all the children.

Nizlopi

Mr Tom has a sad heart having heard that one of his favourite bands is most likely splitting up. Nizlopi (Luke Concannon & John Parker) have been doing their own thing from the start: powered by only double bass, acoustic guitar and John's beat-boxing, their sound blends folksy hip-hop with jazzy indie, throwing in some reggae for good measure. The lads momentarily made it into the headlights with their number 1 song "JCB" in 2005, but have otherwise spun out quiet masterpieces from their family record label under the general radar. The October tour they are about to embark on is rumoured to be their last, which is sad sad news seeing as though it is playing live when they stand out from anything else around. Moral of this post: catch them on this (final) tour, support them by downloading their stuff and spread the Nizlopi word...

The Gentle Good

At the Green Man Festival 2007

The debut EP

Last year I mentioned The Gentle Good in a post on a folk festival I had been to. Because I can't believe that this Cardiff-based secret has not escaped into the big old world yet, I thought it was high time to blog about him again. Gareth Bonello is a folkey dokey ragtime guitarist spinning sweet sweet music in English, Welsh and Spanish. He himself describes his sound as "plinkey plonkey," but to that you've got to add warm, melancholic, understated, rootsy and lullaby lovely. Throw in some mighty fine banjo playing on top and you've got The Gentle Good. Make it an Autumn resolution to listen to this man daily; order the EP online or listen to tracks here on his Myspace.

I got in touch with Mr Gentle Good to ask him a hodge-podge of random questions. Here are his lucid responses. Cheers Gareth!

Musical Influences?

Started with Bob Dylan, then onwards to Martin Carthy, Julie Murphy & Dylan Fowler, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Nick Drake, Richard James, Bonnie Prince Billy, John Fahey, Earl Scruggs, Dave Evans and Joanna Newsom. You also have to mix in a bit of Super Furries, Gorky's, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock for good measure.

Best thing about Cardiff?
the tropical climate and friendly locals.

Favourite chord?

I don't have a favorite chord as it wouldn't work without other chords either side. I am secretly partial to an Aminor something or other though, but don't tell the others.

Which animal would you be?
A gibbon - all that swinging in the trees.

Favourite pudding?
Apple crumble with custard.

Mornings or evenings?

Evenings - I used to be a morning person but not any more. the problem is if I have an enjoyable evening then the following morning isn't up to much. It's a hard cycle to break once you've started.

Beat Control

A class in Taiwan made their own music video to the happy song "Beat Control" by Tilly and the Wall. It's hard not to smile for a long time after watching it!