7 Inch Single Competition
Redesign “Blowin’ in the Wind” 7 inch
The HAL chair is the creation of English designer Jasper Morrison, and manufactured by Swiss company VITRA. It’s an interchangable shell chair with everything from classic stacking chair legs, to bent metal tubes (giving it an art deco air) to sturdy looking birch legs which are my personal favorite.
As well as these fittings it comes in a variety of colours and finishings, tying in to Morrison’s ideal of ‘Super Normal’ or something reduced to it’s absolute essence.
Woody Guthrie’s One by One
Woody guthrie was well known as an activist, folk legend and rancantour as well as enormous influence on Bob Dylan, upon his death from degenerative Huntingtons disease in 1967, he left behind thousands of lyrics that went unused until an unusual project involving Billy Bragg and Wilco recording new music for them that was released as Mermaid Avenue in 1998. One by One is one of these and speaks to his tenderness and romanticism (less well known than his political voice) and has almost the modernist feel of a Frank O’Hara poem.
“One By One”
One by one the teardrops fall as I write you
One by one my words come falling on the page
One by one my dreams are fading in the twilight
One by one my schemes are fading fast away
One by one the flowers fading in my garden
One by one the leaves are falling from the trees
One by one my hopes are vanished in the clouds clear
One by one like snowflakes melting in the breeze
One by one my hair is turning gray
One by one my dreams are fading fast away
One by one I read your letters over
One by one I lay them all away
One by one the days are slipping up behind you
One by one the sweetest days of life go by
One by one the moments stealing out behind you
One by one she’ll come and find not you or I
One by one I hear the soft words that you whispered
One by one I feel your kisses soft and sweet
One by one I hope you’ll say the words to marry
One by one to one by one forever be
One by one my words come falling on the page
One by one my dreams are fading in the twilight
One by one my schemes are fading fast away
One by one the flowers fading in my garden
One by one the leaves are falling from the trees
One by one my hopes are vanished in the clouds clear
One by one like snowflakes melting in the breeze
One by one my hair is turning gray
One by one my dreams are fading fast away
One by one I read your letters over
One by one I lay them all away
One by one the days are slipping up behind you
One by one the sweetest days of life go by
One by one the moments stealing out behind you
One by one she’ll come and find not you or I
One by one I hear the soft words that you whispered
One by one I feel your kisses soft and sweet
One by one I hope you’ll say the words to marry
One by one to one by one forever be
Is there a better look than the cover of this new Lee Hazlewood comp? what a beautiful man.
Japanese version of Thomas Pynchon’s “Inherent Vice”, illustrated by Adrian Tomine.
Ireland in spring is a melancholy time, caught between blindingly sunny days with ice cold northern winds and long stretches of dimly lit, relentless rainfall, it’s also strangely beautiful. Here are some personal seasonal highlights:
1. Shinya Hasegawa and his one man operation ‘Batten Sportswear’ is very much in the tradition of Japanese design that takes an American staple (in this case classic outdoors gear from 60s through to the 80’s) and raises it to the level of fine art, including this very classy 70’s style 60/40 parka, made slim and modern in a great orange colour, perfect for the unpredicable and merciless showers of Ireland in spring.
2. GORSE! gorse is a rugged spiny bush found throughout Ireland with a glorious bright yellow flower that provides the Irish landscape with a distinctive color and texture, lovely stuff.
3. When the days are long, dark and wet, they call for food that tastes of both comfort and warmer climes, and what better than Jamaican cuisine with its simple spicey broths, hearty Ital rice and beans and various Jerk spice rubs for chicken and fish alike. Best served with delicious ‘Red Stripe’ Jamaican lager. Recipe
4. Last but not least: Jamz
a.) My Bloody Valentines E.P’s collection: Released next week, this epically delayed release (first announced in 2003) collects the brilliant Irish-Anglo bands four E.P’s sorrounding their legendary ‘isn’t anything’ & ‘Loveless’ LP’s, acting as a singles collection that captures a more conventional, pop driven side to the bands songwriting, as well as rounding up unreleased tracks from the same era. must have. listen
b.) Dennis Wilson Pacific Ocean Blue: A lesser known companion to the legacy of the Beach boys is Dennis Wilson’s Soul-Gospel driven solo debut, dense and twisty songwriting and production alongside a knack for classic melodies makes this possibly the last worthwhile beach boys release and the undercurrent of melancholy in Wilsons booze-ravaged voice makes a perfect soundtrack to an Irish spring. listen
I’m not sure if it’s to do with Canada’s ever-shifting and loosely defined national identity, but I’ve never seen Canadian cinema as reflecting the nature of the country in the same way European or Asian films do, and this is a shame but the exception is Quebec, a self governing French speaking state within Canada that has a handful of exceptional films to its credit, including the excellent Oscar winner ‘the Barbarian Invasions’ that are in the vein of French domestic drama and social realist styles, Monsieur Lazhar looks to be in this fine tradition, I look forward to seeing it.
It’s reassuring to know that some fashion geeks in Japan share my zen for 1950’s-era Bohemia and it’s aesthetics, frequently overlooked in the chronicles of style and sharply portrayed in ‘Love on the Left Bank’ (or it’s schlubby Hollywood take-offs like Gene Kelly in ‘American In Paris’ or Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday both of which I got love for) appropriately the line which appropriates various mid-century basics is called ’ Traditional Uniform ‘
Rod Stewart - Italian Girls : Few enough people know that in the late 60’s and the early 70’s Rod Stewart (with his band the Faces) was the coolest, gnarliest singer in the world, he put out 4 incredible, beautiful solo albums in a row that played folk like greasy rock and rock like dusty blues standards, with muscle and grace. Out of these, my favorite and definitely in my top 50 of all time is Italian Girls, it rips.
I’ve listened to Levon Helm sing this song hundreds of times and everytime he becomes the sorrowful confederate veteran, just as he became a broken farmer, an acadian drifter and the weight. I can’t think of a better elegy.
Levon Helm: 1940 - 2012
