Lost AT E Minor

WE'RE SUPPORTING

London-based indie-prog group Klaxons take their name from the Greek word ‘to shriek’. We interviewed vocalist and keyboardist, Jamie Righton, and asked him why, unlike many of their contemporaries, none of them grew up to become great footballers: ‘Me and Simon are from Stratford-upon-Avon and the only famous footballer to ever come from there is Gary Barnett! Jamie’s from Bournemouth and there are even less from there. I was asked to play for the Tottenham Hotspur Legends and Celebrities team in a new Sky TV programme but it clashes with our US tour. Gutted’. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

The first album released by the Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, Dimanche a Bamako, bordered on exceptional, if not for its songwriting then for its sheer diversity. You’d be forgiven for approaching cautiously an album that draws its influences from Syria, Cuba, Egypt, India, and Colombia, as well as its own country – much like a restaurant that offers every cuisine on the planet: choose one and do it well, you’d argue. But the album is fantastic: so full of life, so catchy and so accessible. Read more

WE'RE THINKING

I started reading a very funny book over the weekend by the English writer Toby Young called The Sound Of No Hands Clapping. Brilliant. Never has a title been so apt as Young bumbles his way through the fickle Hollywood movie industry. It’s an excellent study in human nature. And a mighty big whack to to the shallowness of the celluloid world along the way. [illustration by Cecilia Carlstedt]

WE'RE WEARING

With waiting lists and pre-orders already taking place, there’s enough competition for this label without sharing it with the world. But what the heck. A little bit of fashion karma never goes astray. So listen up ladies. If you haven’t heard of Aussie label Maurie & Eve, you need to pay attention. Because their current collection, ‘End of the Line‘ is due to sell out as soon as it drops during October. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Each room in Copenhagen’s Hotel Fox is an individual piece of art. 21 international artists descended on the hotel to turn each of the 61 rooms into a unique space, featuring creative artwork ranging from Japanese manga to fluid graphic design. Read more

How many times can we play the same song in different settings? Hmmm, I don’t know. But it is a hell of a song, from a hell of a band, as that uniquely English oddity, Jules Holland would no doubt concur.

WE'RE READING

DJ Spooky — That Subliminal Kid — is just about the deepest crate digger around, trawling the barrels of long-lost record stores for choice vinyl to spin in his wickedly dubby sets. He gave us the inside word last week on his eight favourite songs right now via our sister website, My Secret Playlist. This is what he had to say about Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Panic in Babylon: ‘If there’s anything that the twenty-first century has told us, it’s that dub is the real original hip-hop. Lee Scratch even had to make it clear in 1965 by adding “Scratch” to his middle name. Take that, Grandmaster Flash!’ Read the rest of DJ Spooky’s Secret Playlist.