Chop’s Journal - 10 Jul 2020

My eldest returned to Gloucester this week to recommence rowing training now that’s possible again. It’s been lovely having him home, despite the difficulties of us all being at home during lockdown, and this time it was harder to see him go than previous departures.

Whilst he was back he helped both me & Mrs T5 buy new bikes and was a really positive influence on my youngest. They did exercise together regularly and got on as well as they have ever done. 

These are difficult times but there are little silver linings here and there that give me strength and spending more time with my boys than I would have done has definitely been a big positive. 

New SOTW

Lockdown - John Coghlan’s Quo

https://open.spotify.com/track/4LInS6uIHRFdb1BQlHmZ3R?si=arCbK198TH6acRnimcZjHw

Music I’m enjoying

A mixture of albums by artists beginning with C and new releases. The standout album that coincidentally meets both criteria is Grande est la maison by Cabane which is an achingly beautiful record by Thomas Jean Henri which features vocals from Will Oldham and Kate Stables. 

Book Reading 

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane - Neil Gaiman: Gosh, I really loved this book. It’s fairly short but possibly the best Gaiman novel I’ve read. It’s one of those books that left me feeling a little bereft at finishing it. There’s elements of fantasy horror but ostensibly this is a tale about childhood, how we see things as children & how we remember them as adults. It really got me thinking about my own childhood memories & brought back some happy recollections. 

Chop’s A2Z - Week 3: C

Albums I’d not heard before

‪1. Cinerama “Va Va Voom” @elhozzo3 @ApostateHymnals - I’m sure I must have listened to this before but this time it really hit the mark for me. I absolutely love it & if gigs ever happen again I’m gonna make sure I see Gedge do a Cinerama set soon.

‪2. The Clean “Anthology” @drums_wires - Every bit as good as people suggested & a clear influence on many of my favourite contemporary bands. I only listened to disc 1 as there’s a lot here but will come back to disc 2 at some point.

‪3. The Colorblind James Experience “The Colorblind James Experience” @StillHonest - I know Move To Memphis very well but I’m not sure I’ve listened to the whole album which was a mistake as I liked it a lot. Great lyrics, quirky tunes. Spot on.

4. The Congos “Heart of the Congos” @thehatandbeard - Another album I’ve played before but don’t know very well. It’s a smashingly positive & uplifting record. Definitely put a smile on my face. Completes a clean sweep of hits this week.

Albums I already own

‪1. Calexico “Feast of Wire” @vicaviber - The bands 4th album and the last one before I lost contact with their releases. Conversely I think this is the point they really took off success wise. I know it less well than their earlier stuff so great to revisit it.

‪2. Cornershop “Handcream For A Generation” @LokesSimon - This was, I think, the bands first album following “When I Was Born ...” which was such a huge record for me I was bound to be a little disappointed with what came next. It’s actually a brilliant collection of songs and one I should have listened to more often. Lessons Learned from Rocky I to Rocky III my absolutely favourite but there are plenty of absolute belters on here. Cornershop are a really great band.

3. Crack Cloud “Crack Cloud” @herealexhere - One of my favourite current bands & absolutely astonishing live if you ever get the chance. This is a compilation of 2 previously released EPs but counts as their debut album as I think it was their first global release.

‪4. Cowtown “Paranormal Romance” @gigticket  - Absolutely joyful punky pop that is hard to resist. I’ve loved this album for ages but not yet managed to catch the band live #chopsA2Z ‬

Perfect Sounds Whatever pick

Cate Le Bon “Crab Day” @perfectsoundpod - I’ve not kept up with CLB as much as I should have done. I bought previous album Mug Museum (suggested by @emdehaney) & loved that so really should have got this one too it’s fab & the story behind the album title is ace.

The full list of nominations

🌀Crab Day - Cate Le Bon @perfectsoundpod 

▪️ CocoRosie - La Maison de Mon Rêve @slowthrills 

▪️Come - Eleven : Eleven @grizzlybeard

▪️Califone - Roots & Crowns ‪@darrenmjones ‬

▪️Crispy Ambulance - The Plateau Phase @thesweetcheat 

▪️Crowded House - Temple of Low Men @call_me_cynical 

▪️Chavez - Ride The Fader ‪@jjvwaardenberg ‬

🔹Crack Cloud - Crack Cloud @herealexhere 

🔹Calexico - Feast of Wire @vicaviber

▪️ Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Twinkle Echo @citizenmeh 

▪️ Chris Cohen - Overgrown Path @pauldn1

▪️Care - Diamonds & Emeralds @wallytbm 

▪️Childhood - Lacuna @glpne73

▪️Codeine - Barely Real @beautifulpigeon 

▪️The Chills - Kaleidoscope World @DrFilth 

▪️Curtis Mayfield - Curtis ‪@1HowardWalker ‬

▪️Jayne Cortez & the firespitters - Taking the blues back home @sineadmcq 

▪️Chumbawumba - Anarchy @sharkastic

🔺Chumbawamba - Slap! ‪@GreeneDermot67 ‬+ 2

▪️The Charlatans - The Charlatans @zakw123

▪️ Candidate - Taking On The Enemy’s Sound @realruskus 

▪️Julian Cope - 20 Mothers ‪@pablooplywiss

▪️Cotton Mather - Kontiki @durutti74

▪️Laura Kantrell - Not The Tremblin’ Kind @williemcalpine 

▪️Cloth - Cloth @MattLXIX

▪️Compulsive Gamblers - Crystal Gazing, Luck Amazing @wcboggs

▪️Coldcut - Journeys By DJ ‪@sirsidneyp ‬& @eveshambaggy 

▪️Cold Beat - Mother ‪@SuspendedZimbra ‬

▪️The Comsat Angels - Chasing Shadows @domsg 

▪️Crass - Christ the album ‪@madefromtoffee ‬

▪️Cardiacs - A Little Man and a House & the Whole World Window @brinyhoof

▪️Cardiacs - On Land and in the Sea @davidrogmoor 

▪️Cardiacs - Sing To God pt 1 & pt 2 @spooner_daniel 

▪️Chagall Guevara -  Chagall Guevara @sipperana 

▪️China Crisis - Working With Fire & Steel

‪@SeanKChambers1 ‬

▪️The Cure - Pornography ‪@jnlangton ‬

▪️The Cherry Orchard - The Start Of Our Affair @emmas_house

▪️Clint Mansell - Moon @pahudson

▪️Colman Brothers - Colman Brothers @tobiascotton 

🔹Cate Le Bon - Mug Museum ‪@emdehaney ‬

▪️Colorama - Box @d_grayer 

▪️ Cibo Matto - Viva La Woman @adespink 

🔺The Colorblind James Experience - The Colorblind James Experience @stillhonest

▪️ Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career @brown_ak

▪️Chromatics - Kill For Love ‪@CatAndDrumSC ‬

▪️Campag Velocet - Bon Chic Bon Genre ‪@Simon_Dodsworth ‬& @preservation76

▪️The Common Cold - Shut Up! Yo Liberals! @jakepalmer04

▪️ Crime & The City Solution - Shine @adthedoor 

🔺The Clean - Anthology @drums_wires 

▪️Chris TT - The 253 ‪@Perlalaloca ‬

▪️Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas @tristanjt 

🔺The Congos - Heart of the Congos @thehatandbeard 

▪️The Chameleons - Script of the Bridge @girlshirl1

▪️The Connells - Ring @resumisu 

▪️Cardinal - Cardinal @ambnorwich 

🔹Cowtown - Paranormal Romance @gigticket 

🔹Cornershop - Handcream for a generation @lokessimon

▪️Constant Mongrel - Living In Excellence @hodge_nufc & @kazashton

▪️Cactus World News - Urban Beaches @tmulraney & @bullantics 

🔹The Cornshed Sisters - Tell Tales @millie_ran 

▪️The Cult - Dreamtime live at The Lyceum ‪@sulaviedilejo 

▪️Canshaker Pi - Canshaker Pi ‪@ApostateHymnals @elhozzo3 ‬

🔺Cinerama - Va Va Voom ‪@ApostateHymnals @elhozzo3 ‬

▪️Camp Cope - How to Socialize and Make Friends @ascott64