Academia

I've got a few things I want to write about on here - most prevalent being attending Bingley Music Live on Sunday to see Editors debut some new material (an interesting and enjoyable experience) and then there's tonight's Mercury Music Prize fandango

But unfortunately I'm consumed by my Masters degree which I've touted on here before, the hand in of which is just 16 days away

As written previously, this ties up with the current 'development' of HONOUR BEFORE GLORY - academically I'm supposedly discussing the relationship of artist & producer. I say supposedly because it's a hard thing to be subjective about.

So at the moment I'm concentrating on making the best record possible and that's going pretty well - it's quite exciting finally hearing the realisation of songs that I've been developing for many years - some ideas have been floating in my head since before ¡Forward, Russia!

Simon of Leeds football hero's FC Lokomotiv has provided the pounding rhythms and at the moment I'm spending my days fucking them up and adding squealing noise over the top. Hopefully some majestic melody's will be added by myself and other people who can sing.

The plan is - a version of these songs (I'm currently working on 3) will be finished for the end of the month. I'm hoping by the time I go to Germany I'll be happy for the songs to be released into the world. But we'll see... there's a lot to do in a short space of time

Soundtrack to this post: Editors / Quack Quack / Get Well Soon

My Leeds Festival 2009

This year I've felt a little too self absorbed to induldge myself in Leeds Festival properly. I spent the Friday & Sunday bed down in House Of Mook perfecting the mix for You Animals forthcoming opus, and setting up for recording some Honour Before Glory tracks on Monday

I did have a great day in attendance on the Saturday, though as usual it was the social aspect as much as the bands that made it the occasion it was.

I started the day watching The XX, who's album has quickly become a bit of a favourite of mine. It was an odd entity live, I wasn't expecting it to be that much more than it was, but I still thought it was a shame there wasn't more to it. Still, it's made me listen to the album today and I've enjoyed it all the more.

After The XX, I wandered around the site a little bit and checked out the BBC Introducing Stage, caught a little bit of ex-Loiner Anna Prior in Metronomy, before watching the Grammatics in the Festval Republic tent. And very good they were too

Later on, we camped out on the main stage to catch Vampire Weekend (who reminded me more than ever of Gracelands), bits of Bloc Party (very festival) and then Radiohead.

Radiohead was a bit of an odd one as not the set per se, but the whole set-up seemed very hard for a casual observer to 'break through' - and what I find odd, is why a band that was doing a sponsor-less tour in their own tents, was headlining such a 'corporate' festival?? With the 'arty' set up of video screens and lighting it was hard to connect from a distance, so I lost interest. I'm sure if I'd have been in the mood for an intense Radiohead set it would've been outstanding. I guess it was the festival equivalent of The Wire - not one for the casual observer. But that's what I go to the festival to be.

Two brief links / mentions:

1) To the festival volunteers who are actively getting involved. Great work if you can get it:

http://festvolunteers.blogspot.com/

2) Check out highlights of loads of bands on 'death of independent journalism' website the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/readingandleeds/2009/videos/

Keep an eye out for Faith No More covering the Eastenders theme

Many thanks to the kind people at Festival Republic though for letting me attend again. Hopefully next year I can do something worthwhile to attend

Soundtrack to this post: Wilco, Fever Ray