Thursday Thoughts; suprise euro-sceptic

 My name is James Reay and I am a euro-sceptic. Not because I want World War three (see David Camer-wrongs comments), not because I want to please ISIS (see Camer-wrongs comments again) or because I believe that the EU is Hitler (Bozza's comments) but because I don't think it's working out. We pay money to be part of a club that I don't see working for us. I don't agree with the rhetoric or some of the key arguments put before me.

• Immigration is not an issue that concerns me with the EU. But Vote leave are keen to bring it up. Time and Time and Time and Time Again.
• I am concerned about the money aspect. We spend money only to get some back so why don't we pay less up front. Is that an odd suggestion?
• Sovereignty is an issue; laws made by people I have never met, seen or elected, making laws that get implemented whether I like them or not. 
• The remain campaign are worried if we leave we will lose influence in the world. I couldn't care less. A quiet life not policing the world. problems or getting into illegal wars, sounds fine to me.
• Ever closer union is worrying. A superstate Europe is a step closer to New World Order. True or not, it is a scary thought.
• The £9.4million brochure promoting one side of the argument was a rubbish attempt to sway the vote in favour of the government. Maybe protecting Cameron's future as PM. This is money that will have to be privately funded but the opposing side. Unfair really.

These are a few thoughts on Europe. I haven't made up my mind but I am swaying leave based on the above & because haven't heard any staying in compelling staying in arguments.

Also buy my EU zine at the up and coming etc exhibition at the University of Cumbria.

Here is the Facebook event page; Free Beer & Food on the opening night; https://www.facebook.com/events/584152795094418/
Here is the face 'like' page https://www.facebook.com/Etc-1539362693035822/ 

Thursday Thoughts; This is the End

First I'd like to apologise for last Thursday. Thursday I do a weekly segment where I talk about about everything/anything but this didn't happen. I normally write each post a week in advance but forgot to schedule a post, I was too busy trying to make sure everything was in order for my final hand in..ever. Yep you heard me. Final hand in ever because I don't ever see myself doing education again. It's only theory from here on out and I am no good at that. I'm also a practitioner, doing work for other people.

I have spent three years doing work for the same group of people, some work good, some work rubbish. Sharing a work space with the same bunch of 40 people. I like most of them and it's scary to say that in a few weeks I will say bye for the last time. This also applies to the 2nd years that I have become friends with. (if the is a missing m in this text it's because that key is sticking on my laptop).

I have enjoyed my time at uni but I think its because of the company that I have kept not because of the teaching. I have liked most of it but it has been inconsistent. Good projects matched with build a dog inspired by architecture or do a brief that you have to pay for the privilege to submit. If you are reading this team grillust take note.

I look forward to getting a foot in industry but it is very scary; I have gone as far as I want to with education which has taken up most of my life so far so not to have the safety net of the education system is an unknown, I have not known this.

I will leave you with this thought; it was a £9000 a year adventure that my family didn't think I'd take. I have learnt a lot, my family are proud of me and my brother is following in my footsteps (and doing a better job of it...maybe)

For a vaguely chronological story of me at uni; see below

Thursday Thoughts; Confidence is a Preference

The end is nigh! is being shouted in our general direction as a class by the tutors. The people who have taught us for the past three years. Its gone quickly. Yes. It has caused me stress. Yes. Am I better for it? probably.

We have been prepping work for the exhibition and for our portfolios and have come to the conclusion that I like my work. I never thought that I would say that. Some of it's clunky, some of it could be tweaked and some could easily thrown in the bin and forgotten about but the few case studies that I could bring up; Conventional Experimental Records, the EU zine, the work for Young Minds (which is being printed), Some of the Brickyard Posters...I could go on.

Confidence is harder than I thought to find but I have found it. I am going to have to cling onto it as long as I can, as I need it for the grillust exhibition. To network with strangers, talk to strangers and then to sell things to strangers. I will HAVE to do it so I WILL do it. That's the best strategy that I have for doing things that seem scary.

To conclude were I thought we were going; If I have confidence in me, the stranger/client will have confidence in me and they will hire me.

Wish I Could Be like David Carson

When I first saw his work I had no idea what to think. It was so different. I was only introduced to it in my first year at university. 2013. 20 years plus after it was initially published. 20 years after it was fresh. But it struck a chord. This work didn't look legible. The text was so abstract. Put it on on a Jackson Pollock painting and it would fit in.  It becomes legible once you understand the motivation behind the work. It was all about feel and look not whether you could "read it" traditionally.

This book is like a "best of" compilation of his early work.

I have watched many of his talks online. Most repeat stories but they all just show an honest bloke talking frankly about the work he has done. And that's fascinating because it seems initially that big designers are rockstars or the visual world but to see a so called "big designer" being like everyone else. In one lecture he says you can actually ring him or email him and he will reply. That's better than most job sites offer at the minute (am I right?).

What I am trying to say is I like his work and his approach to fans/other designers. If or when I get more well known I want to keep this approach. David Carson, you set a great example.

Why I love underworld

A band who are relatively new to me despite having some age to them. Designers, artists musicians, underworld have been around since the 80s but became rather explosive in the 90s with rave culture. And the bside with 4 additional letters NUXX exploded on the soundtrack to trainspotting. I have only listen to a couple of their LPs but I have so much love for them it just seems logical to like the band.

Musically it's dance but not as you know it. It's more sophisticated than a lot of the bands going for this. The songs have phases rather than just drop after drop but don't get me wrong Rez does that latter formula so well. The lyrics aren't average of dance tracks either. Declaring love for skyscrapers being the prime example.

For one moment I want to talk about Karl Hyde, now not to inflate his ego if he ever reads this but his voice seems to reference the best of alternative music. Hear me out. On the new rather smashing LP Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future, it is almost impossible not to hear it. It's inflections of Damon Albarn, shouts Mark E Smith, spirit of David Bowie, croons of Julian Cope/ Ian Mcclouch.

I am just so impressed with the musicality of the band too. It's fast, very intense music that manages to stand out characteristically as them in a dance marketplace where it is so easy to sound generic. The synths are layered on thick, the arps just add to the percussive nature of the songs and vocal effects add the icing on.

If you have not listened to these guys before listen to; Two Months Off, Cowgirl/Rez & I exhale and you will understand the power of this band.

Cold Chimpanzees

 Spot the Difference

Arctic monkeys are ten years old. And they sound nothing like when they started. Whatever people say I am that's what I'm not, still remains the exciting masterpiece that it was. I used to have a great respect for Alex Turner and co but that disappeared as the forth album was released. Songs up until that point were lyrical master strokes with kick ass instrumentation. Like I said their first album is faultless. Second is nigh on perfect. Third is a different kettle of fish. Fourth is bland. Fifth is bland.

But the song writing falls apart, with instrumentals far removed from any logical formula, it all just falls apart. Don't sit down cos I've moved your chair pales in comparison to the writting on A Certain Romance. It's all very disappointing at this stage, and then AM comes out. I respect an artists decision to change things up a bit but this I not funny. Slow boring guitar riffs, previously heard drums, bass line of nothing and singing is full of itself.

At this stage, the visual difference in Alex Turner says alot. He is not from Sheffield, he is American. His hair has gone from messy to greasy. His songs aren't poetic, they are covers of johm Cooper Clarke. Now he has reformed Last of the Shadow Puppets and made the dullest album I have heard since Paramore's self titled.

Thursday Thoughts; Why I Love... Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire are just great. The David Bowie of indie music. (that's an odd claim to fame) This band I got into late as far as their career goes. "The Suburbs" being their third album (the first I heard) is such a masterpiece, doing a concept album for your third release is brave to say the least.

The reason that I say they are the David Bowie of Indie Music, is they are chamelionic in styles like the late great Bowie. They were big Bowie fans and performing with him on record & live. When Bowie died they performed his music with the New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band. A band open to new ideas and developing is a band I like (in the main).

• Funeral; Indie guitar
• Neon Bible; Americana/folkier
• The Suburbs; Art rock with strings
• Reflektor; Disco/Dance Rock

It's all well and good changing but if the songs are no good, where can go go but these guys just have so many good songs. Sing a Long Anthems, Experimental tracks & Songs to Dance to. Aesthetically, they are fabulous. Art direction is fabulous. The teaser campaign for Reflektor was awesome.

To end, here is a hilarious video of "The Arcade Fire" accepting a Brit Award for International Album and no one knows who they are and at 1:30, no one knows any of the bands they are thanking for their existence.

Thursday Thoughts; Gigs, Gigging, Gigger

Gigs. To many music fans they are the epitome of a good night out. Beer in one hand, ticket in the pocket, screaming your heart out to the song/fan favourite/ b-side being played by the band before you. I love gigs and have been trying yo remember all of the gigs I have been to. I have been going to them since year 10/11. 

The first (proper) gig was My Chemical Romance, with Mindless Self Indulgence support. It was a rubbish gig but great experience. The ritual of going to see a band live was set and confirmed by the second gig, the great Kaiser Chiefs (The Little ones and We Are Scientists support).

 I have seen some great shows, to list a few; The Lucid Dream, Sleaford Mods, The Wedding Present, The Prodigy, Primal Scream. I have seen less good too; Resurrection (Stone Roses tribute), Elvana (Elvis crossed with Nirvana), The Strypes, MCR, Oasis. 

But when a gigs good nothing can really beat it. At the end of The Prodigy, I was so tired a woman asked me if I was alright. Too much raving. Heaven 17, too much dancing. The Wedding Present, too pogoing. 

If you find yourself bored see what gigs are near you. Go out enjoy yourself. Better than watching repeats of repeats of Dad's Army on Saturday night.

Thursday Thoughts; The Fall. Why?

Everywhere you read about them, you read the John Peel quote “Always Different, Always the Same” and he was right. No song has ever been performed the same way twice and some mr Mark e smith has probably forgotten about.  No band sound like The Fall and if they did they were just called copyists (like Pavement (who I actually like)).  It’s quite a feat; I can imagine listening to them in the late seventies and going “What is this racket!?” and I still stay that to this day.

But with the technology and time you can see where this racket came from. I have somehow by some twist of events become a massive Can fan and they sound like The Fall. I have found myself owning a copy of Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart & Magic Band and that sounds like The Fall. But as a Punk in the late 70’s you wouldn’t know that. 

I can’t quite put my finger on why I like them so much. It’s not just because Peel liked them. It’s not the fact that my dad likes them. It’s not that all of their albums are awesome (see This Nation's Saving Grace & Ersatz GB (some great songs but as albums, not sold). Is it because Mark E smith is a lyrical genius? No. (see Industrial Estate). It’s just different.

And now I have to decide whether to buy a ticket to go see them based on an excellent last album and a really rather chaotic EP. and it seems a same not to share this on the subject of The Fall. Saw this live as part of a set by Mark Wynn as support for Sleaford Mods and loved it.

Thursday Thoughts; Twit

So if you didn't already know, I can now be found on twitter, the oddest of all of the social media's in my opinion. I have never been one for celebrities, I just knew that some people were more famous than others. Celebs cannot be found on facebook, pinterest, tumblr but can be found on twitter (some are on instagram but no one wants to see Kim Kardashian selfies or what she ate).

 Twitter gives these people 140 character voice. Now like I said I don't like celebs but notable people are on their and I find it baffling that they interact with people. Celebs ignore you but two notable people have came up on my notifications. Mark Stewart of Pop Group fame liked one post and retweeted my RIP George Martin post. This guy wrote "We are all Prostitutes". The other person is Simon Reynolds, the respected music writer. The author of such books as Rip it up and Start Again and Totally Wired:Post Punk interviews and overviews. He "Followed" me. 

 I only joined to promote work and now interesting people are appearing and interacting with "normal" folk. I will report back with more developments.

Trans-bored

 Have Love? Will Travel (if it's not too expensive)

Transport. What is it good for? Getting to places but why is it so expensive? To get to London and back, it cost £98 per person. It cost more to come back than to go and it was even cheaper the week before we ordered the tickets. Why does it change so much? Its all a load of bollocks. 

Europe does transport so well; same price ticket both ways whether you order one month or one hour before you travel, 24/7. Only in Britain has this system and I am fed up with it. I always imagined, instead of going abroad for my first few holidays, I was gonna explore the UK. Brighton, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Birmingham, Glasgow, all appeal to me but cheap travel isn't an option. We, the 7th richest country in the world, don't have fast, affordable, rail travel.

 I don't have a solution, the politicians don't have the solution. I am not gonna say Jezza has the solution but we need to talk about it. 

Also HS2 is a waste of money.

Mur-Don't

 Thursday and it's that time again. No, not pre-Friday drinks, My ramblings.

I don't have a problem with big business. I never have and I never have as long as they pay a fair share to society via tax/jobs they create. However this is not what is or has been happening in recent years. The rich have got away with sweet heart deals with the taxman and have seemingly only created jobs to be filled with political peers of the party the paper follows. 

Murdoch is great at this sort of thing. He seems to own a lot of the media people consume and its insane. Sky News has his input. The Sun has his input. The former winner of Britains most read newspaper (I think) was read by so many people they had to hack into peoples phones for stories. Cos they were that exciting. For the scam, no one high up or mates with camer-wrong got sent to prison despite guilty being on their forehead. It is deeply troubling when people and firms think they themselves are above the law. It creates a culture for generations to come.

Thursday Thoughts; Camer-Wrong

 Hello again, short and sweet this time around but it's just a quick thought.

A matter of respect. I don't hate Mr camer-wrong as much as I should. I respect his opinions and the rest of his (trophy) cabinets opinions. However I just happened to think everything he seems to do, believe and stand for is wrong. There is nothing wrong with that.

 However Mr camer-wrong does not respect those with opposing opinions. Instead he shouts at them across the dispatch box in a bid to score cheap political points on his side of the political system. Thus getting the press coverage he wants. PMQs is not a debate, its a joke.

POP! What is it good for?

 Is pop music real? does it exist?

Well yeah it exists but why? Exploring my favourite past time lists. I watched so many end of year worst hit songs of the year and expectedly, I knew very little as I hate hit songs. Put more than that. I know these are the worst of the worst but why? how did some of these songs pass quality control of a record label?

The artists on these lists are not new people, these are seasoned artists on major labels. Yeah artists I hate but still; Drake, Lil Wanye & Nicki Manj, and thats just on one song. How does music with weak production, misogynous lyrics and just poor all rounds, become popular. Don't give a voice to these people. Ignore them. How is Chris Brown still allowed to make music? He is a women beater and still produces songs, claiming he sleeps with X amount of ladies and Y amount of money. This formula is old. Really old. It has been used by so many people, you probably couldn't manage to fit them all on a double album.

The reason I say a double album because that was a medium used by bands who had artist merit, who had music that was thought about & who put blood, sweat and tears into everything that they did. Yes It doesn't take a double album to show you are credible but it shows ambition; any of these artists above have none of that their music sounds bored rigid.

Thursday Thoughts; The F Word

 Not that one the other one.

Now I know what you are thinking; "oooo a leftie male student talking about feminism, how typical!" And you'd be right, I am running low on subjects that are within range or stuff I know a little bit about. The reason I wanted to address the F word is for a number of reasons really. It is said every so often at uni and thrown around like a taboo or buzz word or worse a buzz taboo.

My understanding of the F word is that is is all about female empowerment and women to be to be equal to men in pay, in powerful positions and just in general. But surely, is equality for all not a better system? There will be places where men don't equate to women so just make a level playing field.

When I look in a shop window in town I see a man who could never be me and I imagine a girl walking next to me ( not with me, I haven't got a girlfriend silly) would see a women she could never be or want to be even. But which one gets talked about more? I am never gonna get a six, four or a two pack unless they are from the off license. So why do I see it.

When people say there aren't enough women in engineering or manual labour jobs; have these people considered that women might not want to do them sorts of jobs? Just generally or for fear they will be stereo typed into being the women in a boiler suit for one of those Lads calender's. *shivers*  the same with the care sector, schooling or nursing, men might not want to do them jobs for the stereotype of if you are a nurse and a man you must be gay. It's rubbish.

You see what I am saying people. Equality for all not just for women. There is pressure on both sides to look great, get the right job and be successful. I am evaluating this objectively because I have learnt not to let the dominant culture get the better of me. I just want to be me.

Thursday Thoughts; Diss the Dissertation

I HATE WRITING DISSERTATIONS; I am lucky I only have to write one but it is hard.

Dissertation by the time I post this I should of handed my dissertation in. (I write these posts in advance and schedule them so) anyway; I think now that it is over, I can rant about it.

What an absolutely useless piece of writing that was. We are not academics. We (my class) are a bunch of awesome people who are doing a vocational course. It is not core subjecting like scientists or literary greats or mathematicians. We are people whose job it is to get a message across visually. Now note that word, visually.  Not in writing (typography maybe).

So cue a piece of writing; using theories, theorists, critics and personal arguments to answer a self imposed question. The logic by it being a question you have posed means it will be on something you are interested in. No one tells you that it will drain any enthusiasm that you have for the subject.
Critical thinkers are not easy to come by in the album cover world, I think for two reasons; one; most album covers don't have any meaning. You honestly think a picture of the airbrushed male or female artist showing cleavage has any meaning other than "Sex Sells".

Two; its a new area in the grand scheme of things. Pop music covers are less than 100 years old. Art has theorists and thinkers because most paintings are provocative and laden with symbology. Albums still haven't gotten out of the rut on putting the bands name on the cover and the ones that don't have names on the cover are much more interesting.

Being critical is key when you are writing your "war and peace" but you have to justify everything you say. A statement without a because after it might as well not be there. We have been taught three to five sessions over the course of three years on essay writing and people wonder why we feel ill prepared. We (the class again) came to illustrate and design not write. I didn't read it in any brochure, any scheme of work or told it at an open day. I still would of gone to uni but I would of known what I would be in for.

Thursday Thoughts; My New Favourite Band

Manic Street Preachers are the subject of this weeks post; enjoy;

My new favorite band are Manic Street Preachers. Now this band are not new to me at all. My brother is a massive fan having all their CD albums apart from one and heard them all bar one and that's my favourite one on both accounts. (Futurology)

But the other day, I stuck generation terrorists on and its sublime. It's got the self coined, least Manics sounding song, Loves Sweet Exile.  & then I put on The Holy Bible and that is a staggering record. With my new favorite Manics song on it "Faster". The  poetic use of language, them great riffs and the sound of the album as a whole; its all very dark. Then I was told there is a US mix of the album so I put that on and they sound head banging.


I first learnt about them during there comeback. NME, in 2008, give them the godlike genius award and they had a great album out " Send Away the Tigers".  Then they did the great follow job with "Postcards from a Young Man". So they had been floating around just not properly listened to them and now I have they are awesome. 

I didn't listen to " Rewind the Film" but the latest album "Futurology" is a must listen.

Thursday Thoughts; The Left Will Rise Again

 It's that time of the week again, ladies and gentlemen, it's;

So the left is out in force or has been as it were. It seems there's a mandate for change. Us in the UK, it is the person of 2015 Jeremy Corbyn and in the US of A it is presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. And I have never been so happy with politics. It brings me great pleasure to see men with the "right views" been given the chance to consider power.

I remember the first time I heard Jeremy Corbyn's name is was on the world tonight (the radio 4 news program) and pretty much the day before voting was closed within the party for leader. The final people who voted for this man were hoping, by voting for him, they'd widen the debate for the next leader. But little did they know they'd voted for a man with strong personal principles and a man of pure honesty.  The rest of the candidates just looked like face representing a face. Burnham looked like Blair lite and the women (no offense) were not strong enough to convince people.  Hence lack of selection; there were ideas of shy Cooper voters but they didn't materialise.  So now we have a really new and exciting politics again and all of this from an aging man. Why has it taken a man of age to revolutionise the left. If so many young people opposed the Tories why didn't they rise up not as a protest but as a party. It's democracy after all.

Now across the pond to the US of A, where elections are run on such massive scales, they will make us fall over and the election campaign takes over a year in length and where, the young, I think couldn't give two monkeys.  This is where "celebrity" endorsements come in. On the left we have the person who I want to get runner up for Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, she seems quite on the ball in terms of policy but the thing to get young people to vote for her; Katy Perry, she is friends with the queen of stadium pop. I mean Obama is also friends with rap super power Jay Z. Now the man I would vote for if I could but I can't is Bernie Sanders. He is on point (as my friend would say) with policy. He knows what he wants and he is another aging example of someone rocking the political boat, as it were. His celeb is more than just an  endorsement as much a fully fledged promotion tool. Killer Mike from Run the Jewels invited the senator out to his Atlanta barber shop to get an interview, the hour long interview covers all key policies in the most open and honest debate I have seen in politics. There's no curtain, to hide behind & no façade. open & honest debate, that's what the public want. And if the The Jam got it right "the public gets what the public wants" fingers crossed we'll see.

Thursday Thoughts; Rain

Just a little bit of house keeping; Sorry I haven't posted in a while uni has taken over for...up until Monday but I have a few thoughts I would like to share in the newly revised Wednesday Write Down. I even have a logo for it that I am making as I type this. Hope you like it... the writing not the logo.

 It is said that you go to heaven for the weather and hell for the company so please let heaven swing by for at least a few months. Living in the north of over Christmas all I have seen is grey and not a nice one; Grey like a weak cement mix. Is a bit of sun too much to task for.

Oh and the rain please no more of the wet stuff. I wasn't personally effected by the floods but it postponed my uni teachings and damaged my friends houses. And my favourite route into uni has been blocked by a bridge being damaged.

But everything seems to be back to normal now.