Lunch News

Coq-au-Vin at the all new and improved Alpino on Chapel Market. Literally, delicious and only a fiver. The Italian couple who run the place appear to be two of the happiest people in the known world. Bless them...

New Music Friday

M9: Paintbrush (Dark Matter Records, 2008)
The first time I heard this track - about an hour ago - I thought, "Jesus, this is a bit good" then played it again. Then again. Then I played the rest of the album and, oh Jesus, that's really good too. I was finding it hard to decide between this and two other tracks (Soldierz and Dark Matter), but decided to go for this as, I feel, the humble paintbrush has seen no love whatsoever from hip hop to date and, frankly, it's time for a change. Anyway, M9 is from Shepherd's Bush and he has clearly spent a lot of time chewing on the end of a pencil waiting for inspiration to strike and not a moment has been wasted as his lyrical skillz - excuse me, near 40-year-old coming through - are quite startling. As are those of Cyrus Malachi and Masikah who also appear here. Nice Wu-ish beats too... *orders another Lady Grey*

He also performs well as a public speaker...

This Old Record Is Quite Nice

Henry Mancini: Return To Paradise (RCA, 1957)
I've been playing this album every single morning for about three weeks now. Rain, grey or bright sunshine it sets the day up perfectly being, in turns, a bit odd and discretely adventurous, but never less than dizzingly melodic. This track in particular is gently amazing in ways that it's just not possible to be anymore. How can you make music that suggests the silky push and pull of waves on a half-dreamed of exotic shoreline in an age where, should the mood take you, you can just pull it up on Google Earth (or flickr) to see if it's really that nice?

Ickworth House

Landcroft House is just back from a long weekend away to celebrate my 'special' birthday.

Ickworth House is one of those family friendly hotels and it really lived up to its promise. It's the East wing of a stately home so the building itself is fabulous as are the grounds. There are bikes, games, trampolines, a spa, an amazing swimming pool in a stable, early tea for kids and listening service and smart dinner for grown ups.

We could have spent the week in Portugal for the same sum and Scrap's manners let us down at the breakfast table once he'd got his hands on the 'bowful of fun' that are Cocoa Pops but what a lovely weekend!

My New Prawn Brooch

I got this for my birthday.
It came from here.
I am going to wear it every day.

Something Else I Found In The Basement

Michael Brook: Diffusing (4AD, 1994)
One of the greatest gigs I have ever seen was Brooksie* playing at London Zoo's aquarium to help launch his album, Cobalt Blue. In fact, the gig was so good it was later released on CD in its own right. Happy times, eh? Can you imagine a record label releasing a live CD of a guy playing his own launch party now? No, me neither. This track isn't from that (I lent it to someone about 8 years ago and never got it back, oh dear), it's taken from a 4AD promo called All Virgos Are Mad which featured a load of tracks recorded at the label's 13th birthday shows in LA. I used to have a nice t-shirt of said event which I wore every third or fourth day for about six years. But I've no idea where it is now - perhaps that's in the basement too?

*No one calls him "Brooksie", not even me.

Things You Find In The Basement While You're Looking For Something Else: 1

Studio Pressure: Relics (Natural Mystic mix) (Certificate 18, 1996)
I went down to the basement looking for a book and found a pile of CDs in a small, rather dusty looking box. There were some horrible old mix CDs in there and a pile of risible magazines (some of which I used to work for), but this caught my eye. Studio Pressure is Photek by another name. When I was still working in the record shop, Photek got signed to Virgin for, we were led to believe, £800,000. I wonder how that's working out for him... Anyway, this is a properly wonderful slice of mid-90s "intelligent" drum and bass that just happened to be on my friend Paul's label. Hope you're well, Mr A.

French Catalan Tuesday

Pascal Comelade: Stranger In Paradigm (Because Music, 2008)
He's quite a chap, our Pascal. He formed his first band in 1974 and has, ever since, been ploughing along making music equally influenced by toy instruments and what electronic music was called before it was called electronica (and other stuff). Anyway, Stranger In Paradigm (he gives very good title, does Pascal, another track on the album - a poem in fact - is called The Lonely Skinhead) sounds a bit like The Shadows might do after a full-on nuclear strike. Something to look forward to there. There is also a toy xylophone cover of Sunny Afternoon on the forthcoming Best Of album (The No Dancing - it doesn't exist on the internet yet, out November 17) that is properly lovely.

Literally, hurray.

The Most Alien Place On Earth...

... is, apparently, Socotra in the Indian Ocean. I stole the picture from here where, if you feel the urge, you'll find a great article about the island (I want to go now).

Professional Gig Review: Bon Iver

Bon Iver played a concert in London last night. They (Bon Iver are a band now, donchaknow) were, literally, quite good. In fact, I'd go so far to say that they were, y'know, better than that. They played all the songs very well, including, to my mind, the best one. I enjoyed the nice bit where everyone* sang along and shouted a bit. They covered Talk Talk's Spirit Of Eden - great moment - and they played a new song which was so full of wall-shakingly anthemic Coldplayisms that, were I their A&R person I would be ordering the king shrimp and cocktails now and waiting for the money to come rolling in. Because it will. People love this band in a quite remarkable way.

*Everyone apart from me. I have my hack pride. Hence standing at the very back sipping mineral water and tapping the side of my "glass" instead of actually clapping (despite thinking it was all rather good). Btw, I am available for all photography jobs...

This New Record Is Literally Quite Good

HMS Ginafore & King Creosote: Quarter Inch (Fence, 2008)
And still the great Fence records keep coming. HMS Ginafore is Jennifer Gordon, assistant curator of the Anstruther Fisheries Museum which, to these ears, sounds like one of the all-time great jobs of all time. Anyway, this record is very brief - less than two minutes, stopwatch owners - and very, very lovely. If you can make out what HMS G is singing then, please, let me know. I get, "There is not one quarter inch of you I would not wish to charm..." then it all gets a bit misty. But that's OK - I kind of like misty. Anyway - this wonderful album is out in November. It doesn't exist on the intersquizz yet, but check here for "news"...

Momentarily Diverting Polish Movie Posters From, Largely, The 1980s

This one is for War Games. This one is vastly more interesting and intriguing than the movie it set out to advertise, while this one is as odd and unsettling as the film.

Lots more here...

The Best Restaurant in London

According to Gary Rhodes, for Indian food it's The Painted Heron. In fact he likes it so much, he takes his wife and kids there every other Saturday night! 

Anyone been?

Who Fancies A Night Out?

Is This The Worst Comic Strip Ever?

Well, these people think it is and I, for one, am in no mood to argue. I've read every single one of these I can get my hands (eyes) on and have yet to feel even the tiniest flicker of electrical pleasure crossing my eager synapses. This, in a perverse kind of way, makes me like them more. You reach a sort of Zen relaxation point after your fourth or fifth strip where not much seems to matter anymore and the sun scoots almost imperceptibly across the sky. Sometimes it's really good to engage with stuff that demands nothing of you whatsoever, don't you think ("Yes," say all regular LH "readers")?

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 37

Gilberto Gil: Procissão (Phillips, 1968)
There aren't many people who could argue that, as an entire package, they're a lot cooler than Gilberto Gil. A long-term musical and political activist, his late 60's work was thought of as so inflammatory that it got him thrown in prison by Brazil's then military government. He was, until recently the country's Minister For Culture. That's progress, right? Anyhoo, this absolute belter of psychedelic, tropicalian, sambatic loveliness was originally to be found here, but it's now here for a very reasonable price. Stuffed full of uh-mazing choons too...


Hollowbody: Chains (Sleeping Horse, 2008)
I opened my post this morning and there was a hand-written postcard from this chap Dan Weltman who records as Hollowbody. Now, I'm a complete sucker when it comes to hand-written notes, so I whacked this straight on and, oh dear, it's really, really good. Weltman has a fantastically easy sort of voice, like he's not hugely bothered if you're listening or not, and he swings in and around the tune with a real charm. He plays that guitar nicely too. So, a good package then. Thanks for the CD Dan. Good luck with it all...

Tiger Beer Singapore Chilli Crab Festival

Landcroft House is leaving SE22 for a few hours this weekend to go to this.
See you by the chilli crab stand, about midday?

Children's Chocolate Party Cake

One of the mums at Scrap's nursery organised a leavers' party this weekend. It was held in a lovely sports pavillion and while the nice girls quietly joined in with the juggler and his plate spinning, all the grubby boys spent their time running the full length of the fields, only legging it back when he started fire-eating.
Anyway, I made the cakes - some little fairies and a very basic chocolate sponge made to look exciting with curly wurlies and rolos.Serves 20
6 eggs
300g caster sugar
275g self raising four
25g good cocoa
300g softened butter
FOR THE ICING
180g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
250g butter, softened
280g icing sugar
chocolates: minstrels, buttons, planets, maltesers etc

Mix together the cake ingredients with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Divide between two lined, 23cm, loose-bottomed tins and bake at 180C for 20 minutes or so until risen and just set. Leave to cool.

Beat together the chocolate, butter and icing sugar. Use a quarter of it to sandwich the cakes together then spread the rest up the sides and over the top. Scatter the chocolates on top and leave to set.

Crispy Onion Bhajis

Last night’s dinner had an Indian theme. The main course was a Lamb Shank Dhansak, roughly based on an old Nigella Lawson stew recipe and for starters, hot little onion bhajis with raita and chutneys. After turning the house upside down looking for the scrap of paper with my ancient recipe on it, I ended up following the one on the side of the Natco Gram Flour bag. And they were great. Eat them as soon as they come out of the pan.

Makes about 24
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves
2 green chilles, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
½ tsp hot chilli powder
1 -2 teacups gram flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
lemon wedges, to serve

Heat a few centimeters of sunflower oil in a wok.

Mix together the onions, coriander, chillies, cumin, salt, chilli, gram flour and bicarb, making sure the onions are well coated. Stir in some cold water to make a thick batter then leave to rest for 5 minutes or so until the oil is hot enough.

Drop small spoonfuls into the pan (I cooked mine in batches of 4 and put them straight onto the table where they disappeared just as the next batch was ready) – and cook until crisp and golden - they should take about 3 minutes, if they’re taking longer, let the oil get a bit hotter to ensure they cook crisply. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with wedges of lemon.

Heartbreak Rap: It's The Future

Jack Flash: Intoxicating (Klinik Records, 2008)
I have now listened to this six times on the trot ("But the bad nights kept coming, and she was changing, and that's when my heart started breaking...") and I'm not even nearly done with it yet. This works on all the important levels: the samples are beautifully simple and layered, the lyrics are eye-wateringly personal and there's even a sing-a-long chorus to warble on the bus. Jack is from Huddersfield and seems like a decent sort of cove. There's a lot more JF stuff here. Excellent work that man (even if it is about "pot" and not The Ladies).