A Little Something About Me and Music

Hello again readers.

Once again its been a while. I apologise. I’ve been up to my eyeballs and other assorted extremities in work.

As explained in my last blog I’ve been working as an intern for the record label Sunday Best. We’re coming up for 4 months now. It’s mental. I love music, all types (we’ll get to that later…) and it’s been a rollercoaster since starting there in September. Not many people can say in their first 4 months of working for a small independent record label operating out of a box office on Denmark street that they’ve worked at one of the biggest festivals of the year with Bjork and The Cure as headliners. Then put out the legendary film director David Lynch’s (Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet) first solo album. Then put out a 32 track live album of The Cure. All on a label which started as a DJ night in London. Mental. I’m very privileged to have played a part in all these things. And I’ve learnt an absolute bucket load in the process, and I’m fairly certain now that the record industry is where I want to make my career. God that’s a dangerous word. Career.

Not bad for a rocker working in a hip hip/dance label…

Now, most that know me will know that I’m a rock man. Born and bred with the likes of Led Zep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and much other weird and wonderful collections from my fathers array of vinyl. Others may know me as “that guy who likes blues”. A lesser-known curse of the pentatonic scale (Sorry, I’m talking guitar for a moment), is that every ruddy lick you play has a blues edge more or less. And then there are the few out there who know me as the metal/post-hardcore/’emo’ guy.

The latter set of genres there are what I learnt to play guitar to. Funeral For A Friend, From Autumn To Ashes, Senses Fail, (Early(!)) Soasin. From there, I found hard rock and blues. There were a good few years there where I was exclusively a blues guy. Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and the list goes on and on.

Now, where am I going with this you may ask?! I fear that people are becoming less multi-genred again. I remember at school, anywhere between 11 and 4 years ago, you were either a grunger/greebo/emo, or a chav/pikey/sket. If you listened to Hip-Hop/R&B/Rap, you were a chav. If you listened to Rock/Metal, you were a grunger. If you listened to Jazz, the only reason you were on the fence is because you were being pushed on from either side of it.

I was a grunger. Long hair, played guitar, loved music. But I can remember thinking “Jay-Z is a genius” or “Timbaland’s beats are so inventive” back then. I remember on more than one occasion being heckled for long hair or something equally as trivial, walking past, and then correcting a set of my oppressors (That might be a bit over the top) on Hip-Hop lyrics/release dates/collaborators. Much to their surprise.

And there was a shift. I remember it well. Chavs started listening to ‘Rock’, or should I say ‘bands with guitars that didn’t look like greasy metal heads’. Hard-Fi, The Ordinary Boys, Libertines (Although they did look greasy at the best of times).

Indie music had arrived.

Now, indie music is not a new thing. It wasn’t even a genre to start with back in the day. It just meant ‘A Record Label that wasn’t a major’ in a nutshell. I work for an Indie now, but I wouldn’t say we put out Indie music. Warp Records in the North is an Indie, but I wouldn’t call Battles and Aphex Twin indie acts. Worth remembering that. Hell, Roadrunner records, known now for Slipknot, Nickelback and Mastodon, was an indie back in the day!

Anywho, back to my point. This ushered in a time of great music. Cross-genres. People listening to more than one genre. Rockers listening to Rap, Chavs listening to Rock. Anyone could listen to anything.

But im starting to fear that the trend is shifting to one or the other again. I hope it isn’t. We shall wait and see.

And why am I writing this?

At work I had a flashback to a track my old drummer from a Post-Hardcore/Emo band I was in back in 6^th Form showed me.

The Sound Of Animals Fighting - Act 1: Chasing Suns.

Live

Studio

A bit self indulgent this blog. But I wanted to write it, so there.

Enjoy!

PaisleyMusic x

So...its been a while...

Hello, blogging denizens of the world!

Its been a while. My last blog was....20 freaking months ago. Jeez...

So, whats happened since?

Well, I graduated. So now theres a fancy little BSc (Hons) after my name, should I choose to look like a fancy pants. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance yet. Having said that, part of my reasoning for going to university was to get letters after my name...and to graduate, which is more or less essential to the first task. So, 2 life goals ticked off the check list there!

So, im no longer at the O-Bar, which I miss terribly. Im now back in Kent!

After a short and rather unfulfilling stint at a local pub, which ended strangely and well...ridiculously to say the least.

But then, there was a light! After a local cider fueled weekend in Cornwall, I started working at Sound & Image, my local Guitar and Record shop! Which was excellent, as I listened to fantastic music all day, got to play fancy guitars, and made the most of it!

But that was...2 months ago nearly. Im still there on a Saturday, but now, Monday to Friday, I work in the mad and frantic world of London, for a record label.

Sunday Best Recordings LTD is my base now, Radio 1 DJ and Camp Bestival/Bestival curator extraordinaire Rob Da Bank's label. Dealing with acts such as Dan Le Sac vs Scroobious Pip, Beardyman, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis and many more.

Commuting. Sucks. So tiring. A warning to all.

But, im learning. Its tough, but im getting there. And I got to go to Bestival, meet people, and got paid to be there! And, I work on Denmark Street. GUITARS EVERYWHERE! That I can't afford :( Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhfuckitillcope.

So, thats me.

Other than that, i've put some covers onto YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePaisleymusic

Have a look, tell me what you think!

Other than that, not a lot.

Some music for your ears though. No links though, so google IS your friend!

Scroobious Pips latest album, Distraction Pieces is a masterpiece. That is all. Listen. I mean listen. Hes a poet and spoken word artist. But dont think of it as poetry. Its got a hard music vibe to it.

Foo Fighters latest offering Wasting Light is awesome. Im a FF fanboy, and finally got the chance to see them live this year. So I might just be a little bias...

You Me At Six's 'Sinners Never Sleep' is also awesome, as is Mastodons 'The Hunter' is also a great offering, less prog but more still punchy.


So thats it. Hopefully ill be keeping this updated more now. And I need to get a few more covers up onto the YouTube Channel and some originals too!

Much love, happiness, hugs and naughty things.

PaisleyMusic x

And now for something completely different

Hello again all.

Im in the mood to blog, so this is probably going to contain a lot of nonsense as I haven't planned any music to show you guys! Maybe i'll write about what i've been up to instead.

Valentines day is a day I love, purely because I always get cards and presents. Arrogant you might say. My birthday, I would reply! I am now officially 'Over the hill', or just plain old, as a friend of mine keeps calling me at the moment. I prefer to just say 21. Its easier.

One of the best things I did over my birthday weekend this year was to go for a Cut Throat Shave, a la Sweeny Todd, but minus the death, being made into a pie, and Alan Rickman singing. If you are male, and grow facial hair (Hence the previous male comment. If your female, be worried.), I highly recommend it. My father, brother, and I travelled up to London to St James Road (Near Piccadilly, which is where you'll find many of the high fashion shops, i.e. Tiffanys, Prada, and also Alexander McQueen, which had a very fitting black window display with nothing but a bouquet of white roses in each window, god rest him.) and went to a barbers called Truefitt & Hill. I will mention, that at £40 odd, it was the most expensive shave of my life. However, its like being 13 again. My Dad, a 50 year old, was amazed. You get the works there. Hot towel, face massage, advice, everything. Thoroughly enjoyable, and well worth it.

My old man and I, looking very youthful!

Its the simple things in life that do it though. Going home and seeing my Parents and family, having my cat attack me as per usual, because it chooses to sleep in my bed when i'm not home, and gets the hump when I try to claim it back!

Le Mog, looking blurry on a sleeping bag!

Im still doing the radio, for those of you interested. Its all changed a bit though since the start of the year. No longer will I be on the airwaves for 3 hours. Just 2 now, which is much nicer really. Means I don't have to rush to work for 8 if thats when I start. So tune in from 4-6 on a Friday to hear my lovely voice, or any other week day, if you can bear to be without my tones!

Well, I think that will do for now. Should have another written by the end of the week with lots of music for you guys to listen to.

Paisleymusic