Head Space Daily Words...

Right. I had my barnet seen to this morning and this evening I'm off to see Andreya Triana at Madame JoJo's. She is a singer with a truly stunning voice who I first saw perform at Ronnie Scott's with Bonobo, at a launch gig for their Black Sands album. Her voice took my breath away and she is one of the rare artists who vocally sound stronger when singing live. She takes it to another plain. I have seen her at The Tabernacle, Jazz Cafe and Madame JoJo's is a venue I always intended going to in my clubbing days but it never happened, so it will be interesting to see how the venue suits Andreya. The pictures on line look slightly kitsch and lavish, small and intimate, so it should be a good space for her music. Hopefully the sound system will match the club and we will get a taste of some new material...

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Tomorrow is March 1st and the closing times notice for our local park carries a reminder that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will be open until 8PM when British Summer Time begins...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Andreya Triana - Up In Fire

This is one of the superb tracks from Andreya Triana's debut album 'Lost Where I Belong.'

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My time in between jobs is spent searching for work, being ready like a ninja for the next job and doing things that would otherwise pass me by. Today it was the Man Ray exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. The portraits were obviously excellent but also very evocative of a certain time, when an art and music scene was in full swing in Paris. An actress in one of his pictures was obviously the inspiration for Bjork's hair in her Biophilia project. Another one of his subjects, Lee Miller, with whom he had an affair, went from being a model, to fashion photographer, to front line war photo-journalist. He also pictured a guy called Henry Crowder, a black jazz musician, originally from Georgia, who went on to spend a couple of years in a Nazi prisoner of war camp. Blimey...

                                                 Man Ray's portrait of Henry Crowder...

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Could this be where a future Andy Murray is created? The tennis club where my kids go for lessons...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Nina Simone - Love O' Love

Had a right result at the charity shop the other day, with a bundle of 7" singles at 25 pence each!! Including vinyl from Sly and the Family Stone, The Miracles, Nina Simone, Etta James, Bob Dylan and Soul To Soul. I selected 'Love O' Love' by Nina Simone because I had never heard it before and my word, it is beautiful...

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I went to a terrific exhibition at the Hayward Gallery this morning, called 'Light Show.' As you can gather from the title, all the work was using light as its focal point. The exhibition is really well put together, with the first and last exhibits the party pieces but all the works have something about them, be it inspiring, humorous or thought provoking. That's a picture of my shadow below in a room bathed in orange light and dry ice. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who can get along. I have always had a soft spot for the Southbank Centre, with its concrete angles, nooks and crannies. It always feels as if something is happening. I worked on the Southbank for seven years and no matter what kind of daily rollercoaster you were on, you could always guarantee a striking view, either across Waterloo Bridge to Parliament, or in the other direction to Saint Paul's...

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This is an old photograph I took from when I used to work on the South Bank, looking across Waterloo Bridge, past the London Eye, towards Parliament - you can make out the Big Ben clock face through the London Eye . As we neared the end of each year we would be treated to our own light show with some incredible evening sunsets...

Head Space Daily Tune...

The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset

The only tune for it after time spent around Waterloo and the Southbank...

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There are certain features which are distinctly British and number one amongst these has to be the good old cup of tea. It quite simply puts the world to rights, gives us pause for a cause, the chance to reflect, or to summon the resolve to face what is coming next. I can imagine great British creative geniuses having a eureka moment over a cuppa. Coleridge may have liked his opium but his best work surely came whilst having a brew and just think what Shakespeare could have achieved had tea been around at the time. As you can see from the picture below, I drink my tea black. An editor I once worked with - and editors are the fount of all knowledge - told me that the British are the only nation to put milk in their tea. The reason being, that the most expensive item working class families owned back in the day and their prize possession, was a decent china tea set, and it was discovered that putting milk in tea would prevent the white china from becoming stained. You wouldn't want to be known on your street for lowering the tone with your dirty china tea set!! Now you know...

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My cup of black tea...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Friends Of Ours - Elbow

I can't say I am a prolific Elbow fan but like a cup of tea, they are distinctly British in flavour and I must say, they are growing on me. Unlike a cup of tea, they are not likely to become a regular daily past time for me anytime soon. This track though, it must be said, is a lovely song to drink tea to...

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I recently came across a framed copy of a Guardian front page (see today's Daily Image) from when I was working as a Production Assistant at the Paramount Comedy Channel in the late 90s. Dom Joly started out at Paramount and we would help him carry out his stunts, from turning up at Liam Gallagher's house wearing Mick Jagger masks and boxing gowns, to the one pictured below, when a group of us gatecrashed the opening of a posh furniture shop on Tottenham Court Road, dressed up as horror characters to greet 'The Prince Of Darkness,' Peter Mandelson. I am dressed as Frankenstein, peeking out between Mandelson and Dom Joly, who is dressed as the devil. Paramount was an incredibly creative place to work and a great laugh. Plenty of careers in comedy and the TV industry were launched there and I doubt I will work anywhere like it again...

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This is the infamous Guardian front page - when the Guardian only cost 45 pence - as mentioned in Daily Words above, from when we mobbed Peter Mandelson, 'Prince Of Darkness,' in one of Dom Joly's 'World Of Paramount' stunts...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor

I 'won' this classic Northern Soul tune on e bay today. A 7" picture disc including a couple of other tunes. Simple pleasures...

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I caught some of the Comic Relief celebrity dancing programme this evening and apart from the audience not having a clue who the celebrities were, I was particularly struck by a reportage insert, featuring a blubbing Harry Styles witnessing a baby at death's door, suffering from acute malaria. It's nice to see his brand/image/look/influence being put to a positive use. Instead of persuading his army of pre pubescent/teenage girl fans to buy his appalling music, which is something the majority will be ashamed of in 20 years time, he is bringing the suffering of others in poorer countries who have never heard of a triple AAA down grade, to their attention. Through his great big, dewy, puppy dog eyes and intense emotional black mail he is persuading them to donate (via their parents) money to a hugely worthwhile cause. Whilst Comic relief is in full swing, One Direction's affront to public decency and their butchering of Blondie and the Undertones can be forgiven...

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This tower of cards was hand crafted and created, slot by slot, image by image, by my missus - or wife, as she prefers to be known. She made it several years ago and not only does it look great but as the photos become older and more rooted in memories, it is a really good reminder of happy times gone by...

Head Space Daily Tune...

LCD Sound System - No Love Lost

Liz Kershaw was doing a feature on her show today about great cover versions. There are loads of fantastic covers but one that sprung to my mind is this LCD Sound System cover of 'No Love Lost' by Joy Division. I love the energy, a great version...

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Tonight, I'm a bit tired, so I'm going to stay in with a beer, watch some Modern Family and not do a great deal of thinking. Daily Image and Tune have been posted. Thanks for looking...

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Mercyland Parish, not to be confused with Disneyland Paris, is a religious theme park that opened several months ago in our area...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Archie Bell & The Drells - A Thousand Wonders

A nice little Northern number from Archie Bell and his Drells to put a spring in our steps on this cold Winter eve...

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I caught the train back to Paddington this evening with a Norwegian colleague who was telling me that in Norway there is no class system and no public or boarding school system of education. Some people have more money than others but that is the main difference. Several years ago, she was studying in London and her class was asked to define themselves. She was surprised when every British student mentioned their social class. Should it really be so important? Surely a person's football team and record collection are their defining traits!! Whenever I see a celebrity interview, it annoys me how the majority of them make the point that they were brought up on a council estate as if being working class is a badge of honour. Well you're not working class now are you? With your millions in the bank. What would Britain be like without an elistist class system? More like Norway perhaps, where the people seem to have a better quality of life and more respect for one another...

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This is the inside of the Viasat office, coming on like an inside out Pompidou Centre. Nice...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Leon Thomas - The Creator Has A Master Plan

A truly beautiful song. This is how you lose yourself in a vocal. Some amazing soul/jazz yodelling from Leon Thomas. Exceptional...

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On my way home, I listened to an ATP supplied, Battles curated, DJ EMZ mix. The perfect accompaniment for people watching. A guy in green knit hat soul searched over his crossword, two business men sat toe to toe, deep in conversation and all the while DJ EMZ kept banging away. A Chinese woman slept, unstirring in the corner, a teenage girl perched on a seat, all aloof, black leather jacket, beanie hat and red converse and DJ EMZ kept banging it out. A woman got on with baby strapped close and through Southwark, London Bridge, Bermondsey and on to Canada Water DJ EMZ kept on banging... 

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I've often seen this flamboyantly dressed guy around central London. He is a busker and I had the pleasure of standing behind him on the tube this morning and photographing the back of his head...

Head Space Daily Tune…

Mr Hopkinson's Computer - Fool's Gold Cover

Follow this link to Mr Hopkinson’s Computer's SoundCloud page and scroll to the bottom for an unbelievable rework of The Stone Roses Fool’s Gold. It’s like a Kraftwerk/DJ Pierre/Stephen Hawking collaboration. Seriously. Hearing is believing…

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Seeing Mumford and Sons win a Grammy the other night got me thinking about beards. Personally, I'm not a fan, mainly because facial hair just wouldn't look good on me. There is currently a big beard and bobble hat fashion scene on the go but the only time I experience any kind of growth is when I've not bothered shaving, which got me thinking that beard cultivation may be down to laziness. Do some blokes just not bother shaving and then think "I'll give it a go?" A man was sat opposite me as I wrote this. He wasn't the tallest fellow, nor the slimmest and the beard was not working across his chubby chin, but hey it's his choice!! There are several men of Nordic extraction, at the place where I'm currently working, who favour the hirsute look and to be fair, it suits them. Maybe a good beard comes down to your genes and Scandinavian guys obviously carry the 'beard gene.' Not wanting to stereotype but do you ever remember at school, seeing a picture of a Viking without an immense, raging beard? My favourite beard of all time belongs to the Swedish footballer and Aston Villa legend, Olof Mellberg - a Viking amongst Villans...

                                               Olof Mellberg - A Viking amongst Villans

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After a full on day in the office, without venturing outside, or even looking out of the window for that matter, walking outside to a fantastic half lit sky, with an aeroplane flying over two industrial units was a revelation...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Sivuca - Ain't No Sunshine

For those of you who don't know him this is Sivuca, a Brazilian gnome, a great musician and this is possibly the best version of 'Ain't No Sunshine...'

Head Space Daily Tune...

Peshay - The Real Thing

This is a blinding tune from Peshay and those heady days when Mo Wax ruled the world in the late 90s. Great vocal, my favourite drum and bass tune...

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The wall tiles of the platforms at Paddington station create a mosaic of pictures. I don't know who or what they pay homage to but many have an intelligent, mechanical feel, probably recognising some engineering genius or other...

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It's been that kind of day when you just don't come up for air. Anything could have happened and until I check the internet or hear the news, it might well have done - although it would be hard to top last weeks meteor strike, girlfriend killing athlete and pope resignation. During my attempts to get my Swedish, Danish and Norwegian promos to air, the world could have stopped turning, Michael Jackson could have risen from the dead and pigs could have finally learnt to fly. If I see porky gliding overhead, I'll let you know...

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The BBC should locate the next series of Spring Watch to my mum and dad's back garden. It is like a bird sanctuary. A huge bird feeding device, consisting of various nut holders hanging from an ornate metal frame, proudly stands as it's centrepiece. They can tell you a tale or two about the range of great, blue and willow tits, jays, linnets, chiff-chaffs, woodpeckers, magpies, robins and dunnocks. It is a good job their cat is so fat or else there would be a regular bird massacre...

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As well as the feeding contraption, bird food is strategically placed in neat piles throughout my parents garden...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Gwen Guthrie - Seventh Heaven

Gwen Guthrie certainly had more going on than just the rent. This tune was lodged in my head on the journey home to London today, the bass line going round and round. A perfect mellow electro-disco vibe for a Sunday. Go Gwen...

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Getting a night out is a rare event, so looking forward to going to the cinema tonight, although slightly taken aback by the three hour running time of 'Django Unchained.' Not many films need to be longer than 90 minutes, two hours at the most, so it will be interesting to see if this three hour Tarantino epic holds up for the duration. Pulp Fiction managed it, Jackie Brown didn't quite pull it off. I can't wait to find out, so long as the Guinness from earlier doesn't send me to sleep...

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You know you're home when the local chippy has a signed Villa shirt in a frame, next to the kebab rack...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Dick Dale - Misirlou

Tarantino's movies are accompanied by some fantastic music but this track from the opening titles of Pulp Fiction has to be the defining Tarantino anthem. Not necessarily the best piece of music, but the defining one - setting the tone for what is to come...

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This flat block looked great on the way to work this morning. A model of near perfect symmetry against a perfect blue sky. Everything lined up, including the ubiquitous row of satellite dishes...

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I'm off to the Motherland this weekend. That well known Mecca of the modern world - Birmingham. Nothing quite beats coming over that ridge of the M6 to see the distant lights of the Second City twinkling in the distance. That last sentence is not actually true, there are many better views but approaching the city where you grew up always has that feeling - you know what I mean. It's where I bought my first record, saw my first football match, made my first friends, had my first club night, drank my first pint...It's where my folks and some of my friends still live. Where you grow up will always remain a part of your DNA, there is no getting away from it - whether you like it or not...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Toro y Moi - Say That

Along with Aluna George and Disclosure, this is another current artist pushing the vocal house vibe...

Head Space Daily Words...

It's Valentine's Day. Je t'adore. Te amo. Hug, kiss, bump, grind. Have a red rose and a cheeky card. Ready meal from M&S. Warmed up beef and a bottle of plonk. Can you just turn it on for February 14th? Flick a switch? Let the passion roll and the juices flow? Not these days, that's for sure. By the time I got home I was ready for my ovaltine and a garribaldi biscuit...

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A young couple sat opposite me on the tube home. They were obviously very much in love, unaffected by Valentine's Day cynicism and they bore no sign of an M&S ready meal...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum

There are too many good love songs to choose from on Valentine's Day, so instead I've gone the other way and selected some bah humbug realism from the Arctic Monkeys - an affectionate love song in it's own way...

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I'm fully into my first week back at work now, rolling with the punches and putting up a strong defence. Work is essentially - and this applies to all work places - performing a tail spin with a smile on your face and so long as everyone else is spinning and smiling around you, like a well choreographed Take That or Jackson 5, then all is good...

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Wednesday means bin day around our way. My old man wan't a dust man and I've never seen a dustman's hat, but hats off to the street cleaners and refuse collectors who keep our towns and cities clean...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Betty Wright - Clean Up Woman

Refuse collection is a male stronghold. We talk of bin men but never bin women. This Betty Wright track, although purported to be a story about a woman picking up men that other women have cast aside, could just as easily, if you read between the lines, be about equality and redressing the balance in the rubbish business, by introducing clean up women...

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The Underground is pretty damn amazing, keeping London moving, working, flowing. It is 150 years old this year. I wonder what it was like when it first began. Slow probably. There's a good Transport For London poster actually, showing people dressed for different eras, going up an escalator. As for the tube map, wow. A work of art, sheer colour coded genius. I wonder if it will change much over the next 150 years...

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I need to do a bit of research into West Drayton but as an outsider looking in, it would appear not to have a great deal going on. The 'Kebab Centre' though, parked behind the De Burgh Arms pub, always shines it's light brightly into the night sky...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Prince Buster - One Step Beyond

I always knew Prince Buster was a massive influence on Madness and The Specials but I had never heard the Prince Buster original of One Step Beyond until today and it is quite a treat...

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I was back in the saddle and riding the work horse all the way to West Drayton this morning. It's good to be back, it's good to be working, to be around other people and doing something constructive. It's good to be valued. What I will miss about being at home is taking the boys to and from school and having a family life. There is no such thing as work life balance - not in the real world. What I will miss most of all is Sarah Lund. I only have one more episode of The Kiling Series One to watch...

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A wintry scene at West Drayton station this morning...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Laura Marling - Goodbye England Covered In Snow

I've gone all folksy today. It was snowing on my way to work and throughout a large part of the day. It didn't settle but I still love watching the white stuff and this Laura Marling track is my favourite song about snow in this country - the title says it all really...

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Today had many angles covered. An outing to Tate Modern for a gallery mooch, a visit to Harper's for a fine greasy spoon. A car journey home with soulful pirate beats, then Villa put us through it on the edge of our seats. So far so good as our thoughts turned to roast but it was not to be as our oven is broke!! There is always something to keep your feet on the ground...

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I love all the graffiti and art work that you get randomly posted on the walls out and about in London or any other major city. This piece, not far from London Bridge, caught my eye today and from what I gather on line the artist is known as Donk and puts up his art work throughout London. He has a Flicker account called Donk_1971's photo stream if you want to see more of his/her work.

Head Space Daily Tune...

Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long

On our drive home from Tate Modern today, we listened to a pirate radio station. I think it was called Vision and in between the DJs many shout outs and jokes about horse meat and Black Beauty, this was our favourite tune.

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The scent of barbecuing chicken wafted through my nostrils this morning as I walked past the yard of Jerk Garden, a Carribean take away on Brockley Road. I was on my way to watch son number two at his football training. One touch, ball sits up nicely, right leg, knee bent, foot primed, blast. Bottom corner, net bulges, go on my son. Table tennis competitiveness this afternoon with son number one, accompanied by the tunes of Gilles Peterson, remembering Donald Byrd and celebrating the live vocal talents of Laura Mvula. It is a gift to be able to sing like an angel and it is a gift to be able to shake your ass like son number two...

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Six months after the Olympic Games were held in London, this plaque remains outside our local pub. The irony is that our local pub doesn't actually have a TV screen, so no live action celebrating would have been taking place. I notice a fair amount of Olympics advertising memorabilia dotted around town, particularly in newsagents. I liked the retro feel of the Coke advertising, which already felt nostalgic in it's look before the event had even happened - a case of pre nostalgia nostalgia, which must now be classed as retro pre nostalgia nostalgic nostagia. I think this plaque should remain as a permanent memorial.

Head Space Daily Tune...

Donald Byrd - Dominoes

Hearing both Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles playing the music of Donald Byrd today I had to post another DB track. This is Dominoes which was sampled by Stetsasonic for 'Talkin' All That Jazz...'

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Right, time to get this year started. A couple of weeks work confirmed at Viasat from Monday. The place is like a multi national European Community Centre with a few Aussies thrown in for good measure, very good people with a respectful atmosphere. It may be in the back of beyond but at least that will give me time to write my blog on the train home...

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This is the exterior of iconic local ballroom 'The Rivoli.' It may not look much from the outside but inside it is lavish 1950s splendour. The location is used regularly in film and T.V and Bill, the owner, will happily regale you a tale or two about its glamorous past - although they seriously need to improve on their New Year's Eve musical offering...

And here is a link to the Rivoli for great pics and history...

The Rivoli...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Donald Byrd - Wind Parade

I learnt today that Donald Byrd has passed away this week at the ripe old age of 80. He was a jazz funk pioneer and the creator of some fantastic sounds. One of my prize LPs is an original 'Slow Drag' on Blue Note records. His legacy will live on. Wind Parade is one of my favourite DB tunes...

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As Horace Andy once sang for Massive Attack, "the big wheel keeps on turning" - and there is no denying that fact. As night brings the curtain down on another day, there have been calls and e mails for work, a visit to the dentist, an old friend stopped by as she was passing through, Noah ran eleven laps for charity, Joe learnt the 'bus shelter' method of division, I talked music with Charlie's dad - and tomorrow, who knows...

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I have to play a daily game around my streets called 'Dog Dirt Dodge.' There are two tactics to adopt. Firstly, stare at the floor to avoid any dog mess; secondly, and the most common approach, is to spot the poo at the last moment, be forced into a stuttering jig, a hop and a possible star jump to avoid an unpleasant underfoot experience. As a result of this and the fact that several of my boys footballs have been mauled by dogs in various parks, I am not a fan of our four legged friends. I realise that most dog owners are responsible and teach their pets an ethical code of moral conduct, which is why these words painted on the side of a house really annoyed me. It is threatening in its tone and not only implies the dogs are dangerous but that it somehow falls on the public to look out for muttley, because the owners can't be bothered to take responsibility themselves. Why I oughtta...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Foals - Inhaler

I saw Foals at the Roundhouse a few years back and wasn't that impressed. I thought they took themselves a little too seriously but I've been really sold on the first two tracks from their new album. 'My Number' is out now and a real departure but the energy of 'Inhaler' knocks me sideways - good video too...

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A couple of calls to put out for work, update my Linked In page, devise a plan of action for tomorrow and out once more into the cold London air. This time I stumbled into unchartered territory in Bloomsbury and Lambs Conduit Street, an interesting little road running between Guilford Street and Theobalds Road. It possessed a laid back feel and a pub named 'The Lamb' which just called out to you to enter it's inner sanctum and spend the day drinking ale and consuming pie. Maybe next time...

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On a day when I could hardly feel the ends of my fingers and the cold would have caused my dad to say when I was growing up, "it's too cold to snow," photo opportunities were at a premium. This light bulb in a restaurant on Exmouth market caught my eye though, with it's clear glass and large zig zagging filament. As my brother is a purveyor of quality light bulbs, I will have to consult him on the model, design and catalogue number...

Head Space Daily Tune...

Cymande - Dove

This is a track that can send shivers down my spine. One of the greatest instrumental pieces of music ever made in my honest opinion and an immense slice of deep funk - from Camden's finest...