Try This At Home

December 2008

2008-12-01T10:59:00.001Z

Zines and comics. Rocket Science. If you want an informed view of comics you're talking to the wrong bloke, but I enjoyed this anthology comic. All the strips are connected by the linking device of a chain of everyday objects. There are several standouts. I liked Sam Chivers' tale of an errant cabaret performer bearing a striking resemblance to Ron Jeremy. Gavin Burrows' minimalist strip takes the classic 'bloke on a desert island' formula and runs with it. This apparently simple piece actually repays a couple of readings. The unfortunately named Toby Parsons (one letter away from sharing a name with a dork), turns in a couple of intriguing strips, sharing a ghostly artiness and strangely cryptic narratives. In terms of drawing style, my favourite by a nose was Peter Poole's odd space epic, which reminded me of a less disturbing Joe Coleman, if you can imagine that. Available for £2 from Smallzone or Armchair Comics, 8 Brewer Street, Brighton BN2 3HH.

Music. Downloads, MP3s. The Capstan Shafts Cretin Flowers . The insanely prolific Capstan Shafts have got a new 6 track single available for download, based on an ‘honesty box’ system where you’re invited to make a small donation. Confusingly, a full length CDR of the same name will follow soon. In the lo-fi spirit of the Shafts I’ll present my responses to my fave tracks, first take, no overdubs or edits. Space Nut to Ape Length; Swirling Hammondy organ gives a 60s garage feel to a Buzzcockesque headlong canter through this tune. Wind and the Longing Road; rockier than the usual Shafts stuff, brilliant widdly guitar intro and a chorus full of quasi classic-rock power chords. 3 million weeks of leaving. Closer to the CS of old with its mix of acoustic and fuzz guitar and the sort of opaque and curious lyrics that make you want to listen again and again; ‘She’s a theory that you doubt’? Genius. Risk-free But Listless; once I’d finished over-identifying with the title I loved the closet metal tendencies in the guitar part and the way there’s a noisy solo all over the vocals of the chorus. So, the usual, then. More throwaway music to treasure forever.

Art. Andrea Joseph. Andrea’s sketches are great. There are hundreds of them on this blog in a range of styles, but there’s always an exactness and attention to detail to them that I love. Favourites from November and December are Some Might Say, which lets you see the progression of the sketch, and Never Ever which catches the detail of the fabric with amazing realism. For some reason, although the style varies, a lot of the work reminds me of children’s fiction. Check this stuff out- there’s lots here to enjoy.

Podcasts. Zine Core Radio Show . This is a neat idea for a podcast. Hannah Neurotica brings you a regular round up of interviews with zinesters, guest readings from zines and news and announcements from the worldwide zine community. This whole podcast has got the feel of a zine – slick it ain’t, but that’s a big part of its charm. Hannah’s interview style is chatty and natural and because of this rather than despite it, she gets some really interesting answers from interviewees. And this is no ego trip; there’s a real generosity at work with lots of time given over to promoting upcoming zine-related events, comp-zine calls etc. My only tiny gripe is that the sound balance is bit off, with Hannah often much quieter than her guests, but like slightly blurry photocopying in a well-loved zine, I can live with it.

Websites and blogs. We Make Zines. If you like making or reading zines I don’t think there’s a better online community to visit than this. Zine related communities on places like livejournal are okay up to a point but they aren’t as closely focussed as We Make Zines. But what marks this site out more than anything is the genuine sense of community. People are friendly and good-natured on here. There’s no snobbery or impatience with people who are newer to zining, for example. My only complaint is that browsing the site seriously eats into my zine-making time.

November 2008

2008-11-05T10:59:00.003Z

Zines. Scratch That Itch # 2. The long awaited second issue of Scratch That Itch is a substantial and varied read. There are tips on using up food found in skips which were almost tempting enough to sway somebody as squeamish as me. Other standouts are an account of a trip to the Middle East, which uses the music Kathleen was listening to while there as a structuring device. Badly handled, that device might have trivialised the events described, but it works really well. I also really liked the overview of books she’s been reading on the Holocaust. Sometimes when you get a similar round-up in zines they’re not much more than a list and the stuff listed is a bit obvious. Here there’s real thought in her responses and she’s turned up books that it's likely you won’t have come across. Kathleen’s got a great, clear writing style which is also adaptable. It’s straightforward when it needs to be but, as in the Middle East piece, can be really lyrical and vivid. Available from Marching Stars distro.

Music. Downloads, MP3s. Five Senses, by Wankatorium. This crew specialize in apparently improvised guitar music but don’t let that put you off. I’d run a mile at the mere threat of jazz, but I could listen to this until the cows come home. What you get is a track for each of the senses, ranging from the Rip Rig and Panic style skronk of Smell, to the blissed-out psychedelic guitar noodling of Sight. Even great songs get boring eventually but because I can never remember how these tracks go, I never tire of them. Not for everyone for sure, but I likes it.

Art. Xavier Boutin I was just on the point of thinking, fuck it I’ll skip the art bit this month, because I hadn’t seen anything I liked the look of. Then I happened on Xavier’s site. His sketches all feature ordinary people in streets and cafés going about their daily business, but his technique really makes you see them afresh. I don’t know much about art but I’m starting to get an idea of what I like in terms of artistic style. This stuff is right up my alley; clear, bold black lines, outlines suggesting loads more than is actually there, lived-in faces and bodies moving through a detailed but untidy world .

Podcasts. Marvin Suicide . This podcast’s the perfect length and content for my half hour bus ride to work. Everything on the show is freely and legally downloaded from the internet. Within those parameters there’s a clear and consistent pattern to the content. There’s usually plenty of home-recorded ambient stuff and at least one bit of smirk-inducing juvenile vulgarity from the likes of Kunt and the Gang. More often than not there’s also a track from Catgut, which is always welcome, especially if, like me, (and Catgut) you think Sparklehorse’s first LP was their best.

Websites and blogs. Blog Love Omega Glee. After experimenting with multiple narrators in his novel The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus, Wred Fright continues to develop his fiction in inventive ways. Here he’s posting a new novel in blog form. Set in the near future the regularly updated narrative charts the lives of wrestling-fixated loser Jake and militant waitress Francine. I’ve got some catching up to do but this is addictive stuff. Here and elsewhere Wred’s big strength is in characterization – he’s got a real gift for getting you rooting for characters whose lives have got a bit bent out of shape. This tale’s going to be taking up my lunch breaks for the foreseeable future. Highly recommended.

October 2008

2008-10-06T10:44:00.001+01:00

I'm on holiday.

September 2008

2008-09-02T10:27:00.009+01:00

Zines. You Can’t Say No to Hope # 10/ Shadowplay #25 split zine. A quickish read but a quality one.
You Can’t Say No to Hope. A varied read from Jon. There’s an interview with the other Nuneaton zinester, Jo from Spiderplant zine, which manages to have the warmth of a chat between mates without being too insidery. Also featured are a beautifully illustrated article which told me everything I’ll ever need to know about stoats, and some invaluable advice on dressing like an arse. I’d have to admit to a slight disappointment because I misread the contents list and thought it promised a piece on stoats dressing up. Maybe in a future issue...
Shadowplay. This issue manages to cover a fairly broad spread of culture in a small space; including TV and film. There’s a thoughtful and unexpected (by me) piece on Billie Holiday and, more generally on the role of vulnerability in the appeal of certain singers. Another standout is a deceptively simple piece of fiction that’s just the right length to work as a satisfying and believable character sketch. The highlight for me is a thought-provoking piece on a trip to Auschwitz which is all the stronger for not shying away from Alex’s ambivalent feelings about the possible voyeurism of visiting such a memorial. Available from Marching Stars distro or direct from Jon.
Music. Downloads, MP3s. The Minor Thirds. Houston. Folk rock is a term that tends to make my heart sink, but the Minor Thirds pretty much redeem it for me. This track powers along with terrific bounce but without even a hint of tweeness. There's something slightly Stipey in the vocal phrasing. This is what REM would be like if they were really good. I love the down-to earth clarity in both the vocals and the lyrics; there's no fancy-pants poeticism, just a concern with the crucial stuff of everyday life. The Minor Thirds have got lo-fi production down to a fine art, partly because they understand the importance of the element of surprise. Watch out for the parping horns and the folk/Oi! crossover backing vocals near the end - they're a joy.
The Minor Thirds. The Athletes of God. Again you get the terrific attention to telling prosaic detail in the lyrics. This is easily the best song I've ever heard that mentions sandwiches. On a first listen the backing music seems slight, like a very low-rent ELO heard from a distance, but the cumulative effect of the kitchen utensil percussion, the glitchy drum machine and the barely-there keyboards is magical. There's more to this than meets the ear. The whole amounts to so much more than the sum of its apparently simple parts. Like a good sandwich. Hmm.
Art. Alltaglich. The sketches on this site were produced when the artist decided to try to produce a sketch a day, every day. There's some beautiful stuff here. What I like is that the objects selected for representation aren't the predictable things you often see in, say, your typical still life. I especially loved the warm brown and the clear detail on this ball of twine. One of my favourite pieces is this cassette tape. The more obsolete a piece of technology becomes the more emotion attaches to it, I reckon.
Podcasts. Garage Punk Podcast. I can't get enough of this stuff. One podcast feed supplies a host of shows put together by a horde of bonafide lovers of garage punk. There's some variety in the music played, with, for instance Grretchen of Hanging on For Mercy favouring the more blue-eyed soul end of things, but generally you know what you're going to get. What comes over most of all is the sheer enthusiasm of the presenters. All of them have got their quirks, but personal favourites are the guy on Get Drunk and Play Records who does exactly that, and Lord Muck, the presenter of Nasty Grind, whose show ident always makes him sound like Frank Butcher making a dirty phone call. Ace!
Websites and blogs. Prole Info. I don't know much about anarchism and anarcho-syndicalism but I'm becoming more curious about it, in an ambivalent sort of way. For anybody like me searching for more info, it's a challenge to find a good place to start. There's a huge range of articles and comic strips on this site exploring different aspects of working class life under capitalism from an anarcho perspective. Some are better than others but you won't want for choice. The layout of the site isn't that obvious. Click on the link 'online texts' at bottom right for the bulk of the reading matter.

August 2008

2008-08-04T23:26:00.005+01:00

Zines.
Last Hours # 17. There’s a week’s worth of reading here. The theme of the issue is radical illustration but tons of other stuff’s covered besides. Of the themed content, there’s lots to interest even if, like me, you don’t know much about art and aren’t even sure what you like. A highlight was the interview with Laura Oldfield Ford which shows the links between her personal/political development and her art work, so she comes across as a fairly down to earth bod who does art rather than as some bohemian pseud.
There are great articles too. Favourites are the ones on Crass, particularly Gavin Burrows’ piece, which struck a chord with me. I saw Crass once. I was the bloke stood at the back wondering what time the tune was going to start.
Inevitably I gravitated to the DIY guides section which has got a great basic how-to on zine-making from Kathleen of Scratch That Itch. There’s also handy pointers on food preserving from Isy Morgenmuffel, with some recipes I’ll definitely try.
Although I had initial worries about how ‘professional’ Last Hours looks, on balance, anything less wouldn’t have done justice to some terrific artwork throughout. Available from Marching Stars distro or subscribe via the Last Hours site.
Music. Downloads, MP3s.
Ornaith O'Dowd. Leaving Town. This is good. There's barely suppressed rage in the vocals which bounce over a great crunching, muddy riff. A bit like PJ Harvey'd sound if she'd listened to a lot of early 80's post-punk. Ornaith's done an excellent bona fide lo-fi production job on it with paper and comb vocals and a drum machine that clatters just when it needs to.
Ornaith O'Dowd. Tidying. Deceptively simple, this. A spare and clear arrangement topped with beautiful vocals. The subject matter of the lyrics might seem on the face of it like it's all been done before, but Ornaith's attention to detail and the clarity of the language and imagery makes it into something fresh, mournful and moving.
Art.
Donkey Head. Go here to have a look at some sample pages from Donkey Head comic, created by Daniel Baker. I love the style of the drawing; dead, dead clear, apparently simple, but full of a sort of quiet melancholy, if that doesn't sound too chin-strokey. The narrative's really involving too, which is high praise from me because magic realism usually gets on my tits a bit, frankly.
Websites and blogs.
Dalston Oxfam Shop. Not the most obvious idea in the world. The Dalston Shopper goes in the Dalston Oxfam shop, buys the most unlikely cassette tapes possible, converts them to MP3s and posts them here for your listening pleasure. There's something strangely addictive about this.
Podcasts.
Radio Clash. I'm just slightly too old to have got into dance music at a formative age. I'm from precisely the last generation whose default footwear were Doctor Martens, just ahead of the tipping point where trainers became ubiquitous. Anyhoo, all the more reason for me to be pleasantly surprised by this podcast. It mainly, but not exclusively, features mash ups which weld together two or more existing tracks. Occasionally there's the odd bit of dub-step which goes on a bit but generally I love a surprising amount of what Tim plays. One of my favourite tracks ever is This Mortal Coil's version of Song to the Siren. The other week Tim played a mash up based on it which was marginally more magical than the original. Clever stuff. I like the way Tim presents too. There's a refreshing lack of hipster piffle. Instead you just get a good bit of affable chat about what he's been up to lately.

July 2008

2008-07-16T12:40:00.003+01:00

Zines.
Drink the Sunshine #9/ You Can’t Say No to Hope # 11 split zine.
This is an excellent match for a split zine, combining two titles that don’t fit the more obvious zine conventions.
Drink the Sunshine. Not many zines are consistently laugh-out-loud funny. First in a field of few is Drink the Sunshine. Fans will find the usual trademark elements. They aren’t so much regular features as recurring quirks. There are the usual eavesdroppings overheard in pubs, the distinctive drawings, moments of shame in supermarkets, and an off-kilter fixation on the local and domestic. An obsession with the small and ordinary and an enjoyment of mild embarrassment recollected in tranquillity doesn’t sound like anything to write home about, but this is so entertaining it made me miss my stop on the bus.
You Can’t Say No to Hope. The latest from the man described elsewhere as the punk rock Bill Oddie ™ includes an impassioned rant about recent BNP election gains, as well as the usual nature related content. It’s good when a zine surprises you into taking an interest in something you wouldn’t ordinarily bother with. I grew up in the West Country and took against all things rural, but I still enjoyed the environmental slant here. There’s a piece on identifying oak trees and a how-to guide to making a bird box. Both are illustrated with some ace drawings and are a pleasure to read, particularly as they’re written in Jon’s elegant handwriting. You can get a copy from Marching Stars distro or direct from Jon or Tom.

Music.
Downloads, MP3s.
Ovenmitt Johnson. Hot Guitar. Crazee! I first heard Ovenmitt's music on the Bovine Music Show podcast and fell in love with it. Backing singers coo, Hammond organ noodles, Ovenmitt growls and then the guitars go BERSERK! It's hard to put this into a pigeonhole but if you think Captain Beefheart meets the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, you'll be in the right ballpark.

Ryonkt. My Room. This comes courtesy of the generous people at Dog Eared Records. I don't normally bother with ambient stuff. I even struggle with trip-hop. Ordinarily, if I want to chill out I'll have a nap. But this is lovely. A simple mournful guitar motif repeats, each time with something added; ambient sounds, harmonics, a couple of notes of piano. I could happily put it on repeat and listen to it all day.

Art.
Steve Larder. I'd seen Steve Larder's artwork in countless UK zines, but this is a chance to see load of his pictures in one place. Steve's got a really distinctive style; I've never seen anybody else draw like him. He uses lovely thick black lines and although (I think) everything's in perspective there's a bit of a wonky look to things, like you're trying on the glasses of a mate with slightly odd eyesight. Thinking back, that style took me a bit of time to get used to, like finding a writer like James Kelman with a really distinctive voice, but before you know it it seems the most natural thing in the world. What you get here that you don't get in the zines is Steve's neat use of colour. I'm not sure if it's felt tip or water colour but it works brilliantly and is really vivid because he only colours one or two elements in each picture. There's loads to look at here. Make a pot of tea and set aside an hour or so.

Podcasts.

No Pigeonholes. Hosted by veteran stalwart of the home-recording underground Don Campau, this is a thoroughly odd excursion into the world of home-made music. There's a pleasingly random feel to the content, ranging from trad rock cheese to the weirder shores of glitchy experimentalism and imrov. Don's been doing the show in one form or another for years but there's an endearing lack of slickness to the way he presents which always reminds me of the old John Peel tee shirt which read right place, right time, wrong speed.
Websites and blogs.
Lucid Frenzy Gavin Burrows' free-ranging cultural review is impeccably written, deeply thoughtful and strangely addictive. It covers TV, art, film, music and more besides. It's clear the content is totally dictated by Gavin's interests. This means you never get the sense you get with a lot of mainstream cultural criticism that some cynical hack has been sent to cover something they can barely be bothered to bluff about. It also gives the blog a nice local feel. Burrows is clearly a bloke of definite opinions, but he's always able to back up his views with strong argument. Check it out, but bring your brain.

June 2008

2008-06-04T10:24:00.005+01:00

Zines.
Sugar Paper; 20 things to make and do. For a start, this looks lovely, with a stylish colour cover. The great look continues inside. I sometimes get a bit jaded about cut and paste. I'm not quite saying it's become an orthodoxy but it can get samey. But here it looks ace with lots of 'just right' images glued in just the right places. As the title suggests the zine's got twenty things for you to do - some crafty and some just fun. The writing style in the 'fun' bits on themed film nights and learning the running man dance move is really amusing. And even if you aren't ever going to do the crafty bits they're still really nice to read - like a sort of craft porn, although I suppose that's a bit in the eye of the beholder. I'll probably never make the felt purse using the kit provided, but I'll definitely give the fairy cakes a go. Contact Kandy and Seleena to buy a copy.
Music
Downloads, MP3s. Blah Blah Blah Hopeless and Lazy. Exploring the lighter side of failure, this lot are quite blokish and skiffly. Nobody would claim they're pushing the envelope musically, but they're much cleverer than they're letting on. Most London bands with wry observational lyrics tend to get lumped in with Squeeze and Madness, but Blah, Blah, Blah are less music hall and more Play For Today. Or at least Eastenders. Good stuff.

CDs. AFUK & I (vol 1) Up the Anti! (Various artists). I've had this for ages and not listened to it until now, but it's well worth checking out. Anti-folk's a pretty nebulous term and this comp CD demonstrates how broad a category it is. Accordingly, some of the tracks I could take or leave, but there are some gems. My favourites are the countryish My Bike by Mertle, which is like folk music with the shit bits taken out, and the South London blues of Milk Kan's Gather Round, Motherfuckers. Other recommendations are the Hitchcockian psych pop of Sergeant Buzfuz's Too Stupid and the shifty gallic sounds of The Bobby McGees. I also liked JJ Crash and the Lips' Ape Man which comes over like Wreckless Eric turned folkie. See the Antifolk site for details.

Art. I love the pictures on James Reekie's blog. They seem to divide into two main styles; light-hearted and cartoony or scratchy dark and moody.

Podcasts. The Home Made Hit Show. This is such a great idea. Presented by Dave and Tony, two keen home recording musicians, the focus of the show is discussion of the realities of making music at home, rather than expert advice handed down from on high. The show's aimed at hobbyists rather than wannabe pop stars and is all the better for that. I really like the jokey unscripted rapport between Dave and Tony. The music played is pretty much an unfiltered sample of what home-recorders send in. A lot of it is a bit conventional for my tastes, but it's great to know there are so many people out there doing their stuff. Maybe if I keep listening long enough I'll finally take that 8 track out of its box.

Websites and blogs. Erasing Clouds . Erasing Clouds knock this blog into a cocked hat. Every month it gathers together some really fine critical writing on music, film and other things, created by a dedicated team from across the globe. This site is clearly a huge labour of love and would be worthy of praise for that alone, even if the criticism wasn't as skilfully written as it is. The regular feature, Is it Really a Great Movie? is particularly worth reading and stands as a pretty sound guide to many of the so-called great films of the last 70 odd years.

May 2008

2008-05-05T10:23:00.003+01:00

Zines.

You Don't Get There From Here. #6 My conversion to perzines continues. Carrie McNinch's zine is made up of comic strips faithfully charting her daily life. They confirm Harvey Pekar's claim that ordinary life is pretty complex stuff. Even on days when not much happens, Carrie documents it, proving that 'nothing to report' is a state that's worth reporting. The clear black and white drawings are beautiful in a minimalist way; nothing's wasted in them. I guess a lot of the skill in drawing, like in writing, is in choosing what to include and what to leave out. You can't help but be in awe at the amount of work and love that's gone into this zine. Although it's small in format, this zine feels like a packed and substantial read. Contact Carrie at www.myspace.com/carriemcninch or PO Box 49403, Los Angeles CA 90049

Fight Boredom. #1 I grew up in a small town and hated it, so ahead of reading this compzine I had doubts, given its theme of fighting small town boredom. But as it turns out, it's a real pleasure - an ideal zine for dipping into. The theme's broad enough for all the contributors to make it their own. Highlights are articles on life in Portadown, a piece on being a twin and a how-to guide to making a diy notebook. All the writers have their own distinct style, but glueing it together is Amber's writing which has got a generous tone to it that I really liked. In all I came away from reading Fight Boredom feeling like I'd learnt a load of stuff. Check out www.myspace.com/fight_boredom .

Music
Downloads, MP3s.
Al Foul. Shitty Little World.
As a general rule of thumb I like quite basic music, with lyrics that are either clever, funny, or at least intriguing. This track definitely fits the bill. Al's a one-man band purveying a sort of grumpy rockabilly - grumpabilly! The track's title gives you a pretty accurate idea of where the lyrics are coming from. What makes it work and what makes it funny is the sense that it comes out of bitter experience - there's a definite air of autobiographical authenticity! I've never had an excuse to use the word mordant before, but that's what this is.

The Creeping Nobodies. Psychic Weapons. Imagine the Fall with a less drunk Mark E Smith. Tough I know, but it'll give you a feel for what The Nobodies are like. But that's doing this band a disservice - I like them a lot in their own right. This track really makes the most of repetition as a device; a brilliant scratchy, loping riff gets pushed and pushed to the edge of annoyance, then the song veers off in another direction under crashing guitars or a strident bass part. The song lasts over six minutes, but never outstays its welcome, partly because there's such a great tense, menacing atmosphere to this track.

The Creeping Nobodies. Blowing on Knots. Again there's a great riff holding this together; a great lumbering, grinding thing with an overlay of male/female call and repsonse vocals. There's a bit of a PIL feel to this, which is no bad thing.

CDs. The Capstan Shafts. Chick Cigarettes. I could've picked any of the umpteen Capstan Shafts cds to gibber about but I picked this one, from the mighty (and soon to fold :( ) Asaurus records. There's so much to love about the Capstan Shafts I hardly know where to start. The 'band' consist entirely of the super-prolific Dean Wells. It'd be misleading to say they churn out CDs as this'd make them sound mechanical and weary. Instead, they spray them out in great spurts of gusto. Any band with an eye for the main chance would pace themselves and think of their career - but the Shafts apparently only understand the word career as a verb.
So what about the album? The songs are mostly very short, like little bursts of sunshine that know just when to call it a day. If, for some perverse reason you don't like a particular song, you know there'll be another along in a minute and a half. Their common feature is exhuberance, which even the sad ones share. The music is hard to categorise. Polished it ain't - it's lo-fi for sure. At a pinch you might call it anti-folk, but it's nothing like as tame. It's not quite acoustic punk - Dean Wells knows there's no need to shout.
A casual glance at the CD sleeve tells you that the Capstan Shafts give good title. But unlike some other bands with that gift, they don't use up all their ideas before they've sat down to write the lyrics. The words repay repeated listening. They're a long way from obvious but they aren't wilfully obscure to mask a lack of anything to say. I won't run through all twenty (!) songs, but standouts are the three minute epic Dying Sun , the irresistibly sing-along Too Much Shit and Not Enough Ass, and the infectious chugging jug-band weirdness of Revenge Sex Theater. Enough gushing already - just buy the thing.

Art. I really like the sketches on this blog. Nita's got a clear, unfussy style and her choice of colours makes her drawings really vivid. I especially like these shoes .

Podcasts. The Bovine Music Show Apparently presented by the sister of Professor Stephen Hawking, this show features, in Sally's own words, music made by people 'at home or somewhere similar'. This show really demonstrates how market forces reduce the choices available to music lovers. The music on offer here is genuinely eclectic. There's something for everybody, but the show isn't a complete dog's dinner; an organising mind's clearly at work. This filtering means that things don't default to the curse of home-recorded music - the mithering 'sensitive' singer-songwriter type. The mix tends towards weirdo pop, glitch, post-punk and the odd bit of home-cooked quasi-classical stuff thrown in. Every show has an average of 2 or 3 tracks that make me want to investigate the artist further.

Film. The Fun Guy. Nobody'd claim it's up there with Eisenstein, but this no-budget short put together for the Straight 8 competition made me smile and stood up to a second and third viewing. It's not big, but it's quite clever.

Websites and blogs. Artist Stamp News. There are lots of websites that give you the chance to have a bash at mail art, by listing calls. This is my favourite. It's clearly laid out and uses a fair and reasonable rating system for calls so you can judge which ones you want to bestow your efforts on. Give it a go!

April 2008

2008-04-07T10:04:00.005+01:00

Zines.
Morgenmuffel #16.
I'm not one for lists of favourites but this is probably the zine I buy most often, and like best. As with previous issues it features great cartoons of the adventures of its creator Isy; a mix of travel tales, activism and catering. Lately I've been (very slowly) teaching myself to draw. The drawings in Morgenmuffel always make me seethe with envy. There's a bit in this issue about some bloke shitting himself. I'd like to see more of that sort of stuff - otherwise I can't fault this zine. You can read back issues and order copies here.

Drink the Sunshine # 4.
I've never been a total convert to perzines. A lot give the impression that if you took the author down the pub the evening'd soon degenerate into a staring competition. But judging by his zine, Tom would be quite good company. This issue is a journal of the water crisis in Gloucestershire, where he lives. It stays true to the diary form with a mix of the thoughtful and the everyday. I enjoy all the little details, like his observations on the random element in BBC News 24 subtitles. His writing style's quite clean and precise, which is good to see in a perzine, but it's still got the conversational, familiar feel of a pub anecdote. It's also really amusing - snarky but good-natured. Tom may not be Anne Frank, but he's definitely funnier. You can keep up with his zine output here.

Music.
Downloads, MP3s and streamed audio.

This month's two picks are by Squidcat. This isn't the sort of music I listen to as a matter of course, being a kind of woozy, understated, slightly psychedelic bedroom pop, but it's really infectious. Beatniks in Love has brilliantly literate, sardonic lyrics. Just when you think the verse is about to outstay its welcome, a great uplifting, grin-inducing chorus comes in. This Isn't Arizona shows again Squidcat's capacity for sounding like their song's are about to go wrong, then redeeming themselves. There's a weezy melodica part that ought to be annoying but isn't, and a vocal refrain that'll burrow into your brain forever. This is definitely the catchiest song about cacti that I've heard this year. This band have got a definite knack for the unobvious, musically and lyrically.
CDs.
Royal Jelly e.p. by Chinwag. There isn't a duff tune on this ep, but it's a challenge to review it as it's so hard to describe without making some unhelpfully vague comparisons. The two man line-up of drums and baritone guitar play 4 completely instrumental (bar some yelping) songs that are angular, hypnotic and complex. They're skronky but not wilfully atonal or obscure. The stop-start rhythms are tricky, but they still had me dancing round the kitchen. So, those unhelpfully vague comparisons in full. Chinwag are jazzy, but I like them even though I'd rather be shot out of a cannon than listen to jazz. They've also got a bit of a math-rock, post-hardcore feel and remind me a bit of the mighty Joeyfat. High praise indeed.
Art.
I really like the sketches on Karen Sandstrom's Pen In Hand art blog. They're realistic but with a bit of a cartoony feel about them, I reckon. My recent favourite is the view from the window of the Algonquin hotel.

Film.

Watching films online doesn't really compare to watching at the cinema or on DVD but it's a good way of checking out low-budget shorts. The Meatrix animation films showing the facts behind meat production are really entertaining, but still manage to get a tough message across. Not for the faint-hearted.

Podcasts.

In My Room. People go on about how there's too much music in the world and that you need some sort of filter to find the good stuff. I'm not convinced; I happen to like the random element that, for example, the Internet brings to discovering new music. But if I wanted a filter Mike Edwards' In My Room podcast would be ideal; he's got taste that I trust. He's yet to play a record that I thought totally stunk. He's roughly my age and clearly grew up on the same range of punk and postpunk music that I did. Unlike me he's apparently maintained an informed interest in music throughout the intervening years, but I never feel he's beating me over the head with his encyclopedic knowledge. Really, what's not to like? Except maybe the bit where he always says, 'I'm Mike Edwards, and you are in my room,' in this slightly sleazy voice that always makes me think, 'Yes, I know, and I want you to let me out, right now!'

Websites and blogs.
Illustration Friday. This is a great site which offers weekly inspiration to anybody who enjoys drawing. Lots of good art to look at.