Mr Douglas Anderson

Football Through Your Eyes Not A Viewfinder

Douglas Anderson — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:31:06 +0000

With the English Premier League title now decided in the most dramatic of fashions, I think I can now reflect on two aspects that were most pleasing. As a neutral, the final day was a most exciting listen as I prepared for the week ahead with the radio blaring and the broadcasters jumping from ground to ground as the destiny of the title seemed to be going to Old Trafford until the very last minute of the the very last day of the season. This late, unexpected drama got me thinking. For some time now, and in direct correlation with the increasing popularity of the camera phone, there is a tendency not to live in the moment and instead hold a camera and film things in the hope that a “moment” might happen and will be caught on camera for prosperity . Due to the fact that the drama played out at Manchester City yesterday was so last minute and unprecedented, I imagine that very few in the stadium were sitting with their camera phones rolling in expectation that City would score two injury time goals and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. As a consequence, everyone was watching events develop with their own eyes and emotions as opposed to through a viewfinder. This is refreshing as it seems that at football matches these days the minute a corner is awarded, 2-3 thousand people seem to see this as a cue to get their camera out and take a picture of a player taking a corner which statistically, has a 1 in 100 chance of leading to a goal. It’s not dissimilar at gigs when it appears that some attending are only there in order to rush home after the encore and upload their footage on to youtube. I can’t criticise that too much, I’ve watched a lot of gig footage on youtube but I shall leave my “Top Ten Youtube Gig Moments” for another day. The other aspect I found most enjoyable was a the commentary of City’s winning goal by an Argentinean commentator who after the obligatory “Gooooooooooaaaal” decided that the addition of an Aguero song was a good idea, I cannot disagree. Good on that man. You can enjoy it below.

Fighting Talk and a Big BBC Green Couch

Douglas Anderson — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:48:15 +0000

As I always say, it’s down to the individual how they prepare for a live show but if it’s possible to find a strange looking green couch to sit upon and compose ones thoughts it has to be viewed as a bonus. Thankfully, this was the case pre-show at the new BBC HQ in Manchester ahead of Saturdays Fighting Talk. Alas, my fellow panelists Kevin Bridges, Andy Dunn and Danny Mills did not take immediate advantage of the strange yet comfortable seating contraption. Regardless, it was a great show and if you fancy, can be listened to here.

Don Draper and The Rolling Stones, Forest Hills, NY 1966

Douglas Anderson — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:50:33 +0000

The current series of Mad Men recently saw Don Draper go to a Rolling Stones concert in an attempt to sign up the band for a Heinz commercial, the idea being the band would re-record Time Is On My Side as Heinz Is On My Side and no doubt sell a lot of beans. Regardless of the fact that in real life the band never did record such a ditty, the concert in Forest Hills, Queens, did take place at the time of the latest series of Mad Men being set. Brilliantly, there are some photos of the show comprising the band playing, girls screaming and police no doubt wondering why this is all happening on their watch. The photos can be seen here courtesy of The Gothamist. This would have been around the time of the album Aftermath, when Brian Jones was playing a multitude of instruments on stage and in studio, Altamont was three years away and the prospect of The Rolling Stones’ music being used in advertising campaigns for amongst others Bleu De Chanel and Microsoft still some way off.

Image – The Gothamist

Beck is back and not a moment too soon…

Douglas Anderson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:22:24 +0000

Here it is, the new Beck track Looking For A Sign which features in the new motion picture of the same name. My favourite Beck album is Sea Change and this is definitely in the same mould which makes me happy. I would be happier still if he released a new album soon but this will do for the moment, quite marvelous.

The BMX Bandits and True Independent Filmmaking

Douglas Anderson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:01:32 +0000

I had the pleasure of seeing Serious Drugs, the new feature documentary on The BMX Bandits as part of the London Pop Festival last week. The band celebrated their 25th anniversary last year and although there have been several line-up changes in that time, the one mainstay is chief Bandit Duglas T Stewart. I have been friends with Duglas for many years and I’m glad to report he and his vast musical output comes over very well and is entertaining and inspiring in equal measure. One man who was certainly inspired by Duglas’s music was the films director Jim Burns who had never made a feature before this. In the accompanying q&a, he detailed how the BMX Bandits music and in particular the album My Chain helped him deal with the depression he has suffered from over the years and not only did the music afford him solace but the idea of making a film about the band gave him a great artistic undertaking. This would ultimately produce a touching and insightful film. I spoke to Jim afterwards and it was inspiring to hear how he got hold of a camera, a microphone and set out to document a bands music which had changed his life even though he had no previous experience in that field and all the time had to hold down his day job. The true spirit of independent filmmaking is alive and well as long as there are people like Jim around. Here is the trailer -

Clip Joint in London’s West End

Douglas Anderson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:45:52 +0000

So, having done four Clip Joint shows in Camden Town’s theatre bar The Camden Head, it’s now time for a change of venue, to London’s glittering West End no less. It does feel rather fitting though that the new venue for the show is in the only independent cinema left in the London’s theatreland, The Prince Charles. The ethos of the show remains the same, we show clips of things we think deserve and indeed need to be seen by a wider audience whether they be films, documentaries, music videos or anything else deemed appropriate. Some of my choices so far have included a somewhat unintentionally funny documentary on the making of the film The Longest Day entitled D-Day Revisited and hosted by the films producer Darryl F. Zanuck. I’ve also gone for scenes from the Leonard Cohen documentary Bird On A Wire which sees Cohen having to deal with groupie requests rather uncomfortably on camera and also the superb 1976 short film by John Smith, The Girl Chewing Gum. It’s also interesting and highly entertaining to have our special guests bring along a clip they are passionate about and want to show. So far, we’ve had Miles Jupp screen a short film starring himself and Kevin Eldon, Josie Long playing her favourite Hammer Horror clip, Iain Morris opting for a scene from John’s Not Mad, a documentary on Tourettes and Bob Mortimer choosing a sketch from Monty Python and a scene from Breaking Bad. We also invite the audience to bring along clips and so far we’ve had a delightful range of the weird and wonderful. I already have my clips selected for the next show on February 19, our first of course at the new venue. At the moment I’m not sure what Iain or our special guest Danny Wallace will be showing but I look forward to finding out nearer the time. The very reasonably priced tickets can be purchased here and while you do have a gander at the website, it’s rather dandy. In this age of austerity we still need some laughs and a night out, let us cater for both.

Record Player In Car

Douglas Anderson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:19:04 +0000

Practically, having a record player in your car may not be the greatest move, especially if the suspension is not up to par. My knowledge of car suspensions, especially on vehicles from the nineteen sixties is limited to say the least but regardless, I think this is a pretty good addition to any automobile. The person in the photo is former Manchester City forward Mike Summerbee. He also appeared in Escape to Victory with Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and John Wark. The record he is about to play is Ruby Tuesday by The Rolling Stones which was on the b-side of Let’s Spend The Night Together. I think this goes some way to disproving the notion that footballers have rubbish taste when it comes to music.

Image – mcfc.co.uk

2011 Albums Of The Year

Douglas Anderson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:38:45 +0000

Once again it is time for my albums of the year. As ever I’ve tried to keep things fairly concise with nine new releases and one re-issue. As I said last year when compiling my best of 2010, I still approach end of year polls in newspapers and magazines with extreme caution as I agree with some choices and vehemently disagree with others. The following simply consists of the records that have meant the most to me and of course, those I think are the best. It’s all subjective. I have included links to songs and performances from the artists featured should you wish to investigate more. The list is in no particular order and I am sure there are some albums I have forgotten to include but there it is. Here then are my top ten albums of 2011.

1. The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy

Quite simply, this album contains some of the most beautiful, melodic and at times haunting songs I’ve heard in quite some time on the same album. This was obviously a band with great musical ambition and it seems rather strange to speak about them in the past tense as shortly after this release, the group disbanded. One can’t help and wonder what might have been if they had stayed together, it seems a real shame to produce something this good only to call a halt to proceedings. It is a great epitaph though.

Click here to watch the video for Jesus Came To My Birthday Party

Click here to listen to As I Go To See Janey

2. Jeffrey Lewis – A Turn In The Dream-Songs

I went to my first Jeffrey Lewis gig this year in London and I hadn’t experienced a show like it in a long while where I was hooked from first song until last. His opening number that night was Time Trades from this album and displays brilliantly his lyrical dexterity. Some of the set was also accompanied by a backdrop of Lewis’s own cartoons leading to a mixture of DIY music making and almost Harvey Pekar-esque story telling. An intoxicating concoction to witness live, a great album in its own right.

Click here to listen to Time Trades

Click here to watch The Guardian How I Wrote Session for Try It Again

3. The Phoenix Foundation – Buffalo

I really do think that is as strong an album as has been released by anyone this year. This is actually the fourth album by the Kiwi band as well as two soundtracks so they could never be labelled as workshy at least. Their live shows, two of which I’ve been in attendance at in 2011 comprised music from all four albums and certainly helped to showcase a band with expert musicianship and an ear for a nice hook even in the more psychedelic parts of the show. Weirdly at times, the percussionist seemed to act as if he’d won a competition to play on stage with a signed band if his dancing like a loon was anything to go by but regardless, this album is quite magnificent and has yet to achieve the wider acclaim it deserves.

Click here to watch the video for Pot

Click here to watch the band perform Buffalo on Later With Jools Holland

4. Stevie Jackson – (I Can’t Get No) Stevie Jackson

The most surprising aspect of this debut solo release from Belle&Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson is that it took until 2011 to see the light of day. It was worth the wait though, for the albums title alone. Thankfully the music is also a joy to behold. I’ve always been a huge admirer of Stevie’s songwriting in Belle&Sebastian in songs such as Jonathan David, The Wrong Girl and To Be Myself Completely and this craft is exemplified superbly on this album. From the lush Gretsch driven melody in Richie Now, a song concerning the dreams shared with a school friend about one day becoming rock stars to the humourous stresses of sending an e-mail to someone you’re attracted to in Press Send, this is a most accomplished debut album, albeit by someone with more than a little previous experience in music making.

Click here to watch Feel The Morning performed at Dr Jimmy’s in Glasgow

Click here to listen to Kurosawa

5. The Warm Digits – Keep Warm… With The Warm Digits

The first time I heard The Warm Digits was when Andy Weatherall played the song A Warm Front, Coming From The North as part of a mix he was doing for BBC 6Music. I mistakingly thought I was listening to a great lost Nue! or Tangerine Dream song. As it turned out they are from Newcastle which isn’t in Germany, not even close really. Whatever the case, their take on krautrock and electronica works very, very well indeed.

Click here to listen to A Warm Front, Coming From The North

Click here to watch a live performance of Keep Warm

6. AgesandAges – Alright You Restless

This is the debut album from the Portland band and has been described in some circles as “raw choral pop”. There certainly seems to be a “less is more” philosophy to the music making which is something I’ve always been drawn towards. Having said this, it never sounds too sparse, just beautiful and rather uplifting. The musical equivalent of someone you fancy complimenting you on both your dress sense and bone structure.

Click here to watch the video for Navy Parade (Escape From The Black River Bluffs)

Click here to listen to No Nostalgia

7. Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts

Hearing this album again after the news of Moore’s split with Kim Gordon certainly makes for a more poignant listen but regardless of relationship status it’s still a winner. With no new Beck album this year (I hope he does another soon) I was interested in this long before it came out as Beck was producing and he does so with aplomb. I imagine some still immediately associate Moore with loud, feedback driven guitar music but this is a far more acoustic effort with violins taking prominence over the more traditional harsh guitar sounds of Sonic Youth.

Click here to watch a short Thurston Moore documentary with performances from the album

Click here to listen to Illuminine

8. The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient

I imagine this record will be popping up in a quite a few other end of year lists and with good reason. They have been compared to everyone from Spiritualized and Bob Dylan to Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. To be honest, I see more Jason Pierce in here than any of the others but that’s just my take on it. I sometimes in moments of ponder, think that along with the melodica, the harmonica is a somewhat underused instrument in modern music. Thankfully, the use of it on this album, albeit subtley at times, is most welcome.

Click here to watch the video for Baby Missiles

Click here to listen to I Was There

9. The Shivers – More

Based in New York and signed to Fence Records in the UK, the first song on More is only thirty seconds long and features a piano and nothing else, no bad thing. The theme of love seems pretty prevalent throughout the songs contained or more precisely lovelornness, but it certainly isn’t a morbid listen. As a slight aside, I think that a Transformer-era Lou Reed would have done a terrific cover of Love Is In The Air. If an album on this list benefitted from repeat listens more than any other I would say it was this one, sometimes immediacy takes a bit time.

Click here to listen to Irrational Love

Click here to watch the video for More

10. Primal Scream – Screamadelica (re-issue)

I felt obliged to include this re-issue not so much for the original album but for all that came with it. I re-bought this on iTunes for £12.99 and I think it may have been the bargain of the year, all the more so if I didn’t already own most of it on vinyl but now isn’t the time for nit picking. As well as a re-mastered version of the original “classic”, the price included the Dixie Narco EP, various remixes and a quite brilliant live show from the Los Angeles Palladium. I went to see them play Screamadelica at the Manchester Apollo and while it was a great show, Bobby Gillespie seemed intent on asking the crowd if they were ready to “testify” before launching in to Movin’ On Up at the start of the show. This led to some confusion on my part as for a second I was unsure if I was at a gig or a bystander at the Salem witch trials. As it turned out I was at a gig. Either way, it’s hard to better this re-issue on value for money at least, but the music is rather good too.

Click here to see Bobby intent on the crowd testifying

Click here to see the band perform Come Together live at Glastonbury

Lawrence Of Belgravia

Douglas Anderson — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:24:11 +0000

I managed to get to the final screening of Lawrence Of Belgravia at the London Film Festival last week. As a fan of the Lawrence’s work going back to the Felt days I was looking forward to learning more about him but must admit that when the director of the film Paul Kelly stated in his introduction that the film didn’t rely on archive footage or talking head interviews to help tell the story I was slightly unsure if it would work. Happily it did, in fact, a non-reliance on traditional musical documentary techniques simply served to add a freshness to the genre. What comes over strongly is the idea of a man with his own artistic vision and a complete disinterest in re-treading past glories. Although it would probably be fair to say that Lawrence comes across as a slightly oddball figure, he is also funny, self effacing and a genuinely interesting artist clearly at odds with the commercial music business. This film deserves to get at least a limited cinematic release but it remains to be seen whether it will. A review courtesy of Screendaily can be found here and one from The Guardian here.

Image: The Perfect Kiss

Keep Warm With The Warm Digits

Douglas Anderson — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:02:42 +0000

I heard Andy Weatherall playing this track on a mix he did for BBC 6Music and it blew me away. The album Keep Warm With the Warm Digits is a bit of a mix of krautrock/electronica and well worth the purchase if you are in to that sort of thing and really, why wouldn’t you be? For more information the bands web site can be found here. Herein ends this latest public service announcement.