Live: Jamie Cullum at Kenwood House

Kenwood House is an estate owned by English Heritage, and every summer it hosts a series of concerts on it’s grounds- and charges insane amounts of cash for tickets. Which is fine, if the weather’s good. But it was raining. Heavily. And so, while sitting on deckchairs in the open air smelling soggy clothes from the people around us wasn’t very nice, Jamie Cullum was really good. I’ve wanted to see him live for so long and despite the shit weather, I reckon it was probably one of the best gigs I’ve seen in a really long time. There’s something about jazz that just sounds brilliant live.

New Music: Tallest Man On Earth

And so, my obsession of soloists with guitars continues… I’m not sure how long this guy has been going for, but I really like his happy folky sound. It’s very suited to an English summer. I also love his name. Very cool. I can just imagine his live shows being a lot of fun. Check out here.

Skinnerisms #2

But don’t take the shortcut through the subway
It’s pay or play, these geezers walk the gangway
Deep seated urban decay, deep seated urban decay,
Rip down posters alight
From last weeks big Garage night
And the next Tyson fight
I cook em at 90 degrees Fahrenheit
And don’t copy the copyright
I got em in my sites, blinding with the lights
Taken to dizzy new heights

Click here to check out one of the new breed of British MC’s, Skittles, and download his free EP.

Skinnerisms #1

I have a lot of love for Mike Skinner (i.e. The Streets). So I feel inspired to post some ‘Skinnerisms’ sporadically for the next few weeks on here. Just because. First one, and it seems appopriate, is from ‘Turn The Page’, an epic tune that opened his first album, Original Pirate Material back in 2002.

All stare, eyes glazed
Garage burnt down, the fire raged
For 40 days and in 40 ways
But through the blaze they see it fade
The sea of black, the beaming heat on their faces
Then a figure emerges from the wastage
Eyes transfixed with a piercing gaze
One hand clutching a sword raised to the sky
They wonder how, they wonder why
The sky turns white, it all becomes clear
They felt lifted from their fears
They shed tears in the light

Click here to check out one of the new breed of British MC’s, Skittles, and download his free EP.