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This happens to me all the time.
I’m not sure it’s entirely polite to refer to a grown man as adorable, but Kwes just is – perhaps in the very British way that causes well meaning Americans to yell it in my face when I visit their country. I can’t wait to own his EP on Monday, but in the meantime I will be heading to the Southbank on Saturday for the launch of the Kwesachu Mixtape vol. 002 launch. From what I can tell our old blogspot is one of the very last places on the internet you can still download vol. 001…
Alice Grant of the quinoa like slow-release super group Moats and Thrones‘ voice is so addictive I will even listen to the audio from a muffled recording in a barn at last years In The Woods Festival on repeat (not sure where the mic was positioned, possibly outside the barn in a small puddle, these things happen).
In The Woods is one of the very few UK music festivals I will be going to this year, partly because I am so excited about putting on a stage and party at Soundwave Croatia everything else pales in comparison, and partly because for some reason everyone seems to think having the same line up as each other is a good idea.
The Laurel Collective who run In The Woods don’t think this is a good idea however, and so far they have announced the likes of Alt J, Kwes, and Peter and Kerry (previous line ups have included The Invisible, Lianne La Havas, Micachu and various other people I heart very much). I’m crossing my fingers a few other PMOI favourites may be in contention for the line up this year, but regardless I will be heading to the secret location in the woods (that’s a real secret location, not all this “secret” east London warehouse business). I’m hoping you need a compass and orienteering skills to find it. You should come too, especially if you have said orienteering skills.
My friend Theo Jemison, whose beautiful work I’ve featured here often, sent over this footage of Gil Scott Heron shortly before he passed away. There’s something so intimate about the way it’s shot, it makes you feel as though you were in the room, like an invented memory, or the memories of other gigs past joining up to take you a short leap in to the El Rey that night.
Whilst obviously Gil was a performer of the very best kind – honest, warm, sincere and musically very gifted – this kind of film makes me so grateful for film makers who are there to capture those moments for posterity. I don’t know how I would describe artists like Gil to my future kids with just their music to rely on; the next generation will be so much more visual than I, and I wonder how it will translate, but to have a little of the essence of the great and important voices of history preserved in cinematic moments like these gives me hope they will continue to live on vividly.
Feists’ latest video features the equally hilarious and thought provoking Back To The Future project of Argentinean photographer Irina Werning, in yet another moment of brilliance from the woman who can do no wrong. (Metals was hands down my favourite album last year, I’m still listening to it constantly).
I saw this guy live last year supporting Lianne LaHavas at Servants Jazz Quarters. It was a warm up gig for her performance on Jools Hollands’ show and subsequent world domination. Usually reading an artist bio makes you groan – they’re so often swimming with unhelpful comparisons and watery chunks of irrelevant information. L.A. Salami’s is very accurate however, in that it confirmed word for word the conversation I had with my companion at the gig “this guy sounds like he could have been a rapper but fell in love with Bob Dylan instead”. Dylan may be an influence but Salami has enough interesting stories of his own to set himself apart, and I look forward to writing about whoever ends up supporting L.A. Salami before his probable future appearances on Jools Holland and the likes’ shows.
