Monthly Archives: April 2013

acoustic, discovery, memory, Music

Gareth Dickson Plays…Ned Collette

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Let’s regale you with a tale music fans! I caught singer-songwriter Gareth Dickson at a recent Edinburgh house concert and was bowled over by the intricate, wistful worlds he conjured with his deft fingertips. An artist who demonstrates incredible skill, his songs have strikingly original compositions and are filled with intricate, mesmerising guitar work.

Here Gareth fills us in on an influence and friend, Australian singer-songwriter Ned Collette.

Gareth High Res

Gareth Dickson Plays…Ned Collette

I have chosen an Australian singer/songwriter called Ned Collette; you can start anywhere with him but if I had to pick a couple of tracks they would be Boulder and The Country With A Smile.

I met Ned in Australia when I was playing there in Vashti Bunyan‘s band. He and his girlfriend came up to me after the gig and we got talking. He told me he was a musician and was planning to come to Europe soon and we swapped email addresses.

For me it’s just great pop music, sometimes he reminds me a little of David Bowie, other times Leonard Cohen, but essentially he has his own voice. It’s usually catchy and melodic but there is always a depth to it as well.

True to his word he came to Europe and actually spent some time living in Glasgow. We met up a few times for a drink and he and his Ozzie pals are among the only people I’ve met who like beer more than Weegies do. I remember one of them in the kitchen at a party completely wasted with his mobile phone in an empty pint glass to act as a kind of bass boost for some awful techno he was dancing too. Hi-tech stuff. They have great phrases too, as anyone else who wasted a good part of their youth watching Neighbours and Home And Away already knows.

Find out more about Ned Collette here and check out a selection of Gareth’s music below! His live set is memorable, catch it if you can.

baking, film, Music, random facts

The Weekend Edition

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Your weekly chunk of cool things to check out!

Record Dinner Plate

Eating the Beats

I discovered this amaaaaaazing blog which posts recipes inspired by great music. As someone who likes baking and records it’s a total winner, check out this amazing Savoury Apple Bread, inspired by Fiona Apple, and a recipe for home made pop tarts.

Matthew E White 

I scooted over Matthew E White’s album when it was released, it never really stuck with me. This song has won me over, it’s literally on repeat as I draft this. Also very good summer music, for whenever the sun may come our way!

Raising 1.5 Million in a Day 

Yeah, that’s what Zach Braff did via Kickstarter for his new film, a follow up to Garden State. Read more via Rolling Stone. Now what could I ask for…

For those who haven’t heard or loved the Garden State Soundtrack as much as me (remember the Shins moment? sigh) here’s a few solid tunes.

Music, Uncategorized, writing

Haiku Salut Play…Detektivbyrån

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haikusalut

Haiku Salut are a musical trio from Derbyshire making dreamy instrumental/baroque pop music counting Múm and Yann Tiersen amongst it’s influences. See the bottom of this post for more and their tunes! Gemma Barkerwood from the band – and her pooch – share some love of another inspiration, Swedish electronic band Detektivbyrån.

Haiku Salut

Haiku Salut Play…Detektivbyrån

Since first hearing Detektivbyrån five years ago my music taste has changed. A lot. Before this I was listening to a lot of straightforward indie music. Detektivbyrån soon put a stop to that by providing the perfect answer to a question I didn’t realise I’d asked. This Swedish three piece used accordion, piano, organ, glockenspiel, percussion plus numerous other instruments to make beautiful (if sometimes a little cheesy) classical epics. The sound they create is calm and simplistic, the way in which they perform it chaotic and full of energy. I first heard them on a friend’s myspace page, the track was called Nattoppet from the EP Hemvägen and is glorious from start to finish. It uses a clock as the rhythm and plays glockenspiel with drumsticks. It blew my little mind.

They’ve release two albums since: E18 (consisting of Hemvägen plus a few extras) and Wermland. You should listen to them both, it’s perfect summer music! Unfortunately they’ve split up and I never got to see them live but I think in a strange way that makes me like it even more.

Detektivbyrån opened the floodgates to weird instrumental music. Along with Jon Brion and Yann Tiersen, it changed the way I listen to and also the way in which I write music. I’ve always preferred playing classical music though I love the atmosphere of proper gigs. It’s given me the perfect pocket to climb into so thanks pals!

 Music box stuff indeed, I imagine twirling around dreamily at a fairground. a black and white photo montage, a band who – if they didn’t – should have featured on the Amelie soundtrack. You can check out Detektivbyrån’s star scattered website for more!

Check out Haiku Salut‘s pretty and surreal new video for ‘Los Elefantes’ and the effervescent ‘Glockenbar’ below. Both tracks are from debut LP Tricolore, a swirling, twinkling journey I’m just halfway through it comes with an adorable illustrated booklet.