The first photo in this new Photo Friday feature here on GrooveTraveler is a photo that’s very dear to me, a photo that I’m simultaneously very proud and very embarrassed of.
As my music-conscious readers might have spotted, this is a photo of none other than Jarvis Cocker (yes, he of Pulp fame). The other inferior creature is myself. Here we are, in a photo together, him looking all cool and “Jarvisy” and me having a brain meltdown.
Let me explain.
Hey guys and welcome to the second feature in the series that profiles musicians about their travel dreams and inspirations. Today we’re joined by Paper Beat Scissors, the alter-ego of British exile Tim Crabtree, a one-man musical ensemble washed up on the shores of Novia Scotia, Canada.
Tim talks to GrooveTraveler about the mystical element travel brings to his music and outlook on life. Over to Paper Beat Scissors! Continue reading
So now you’ve seen the Lion King in 3D and you want to go to Africa.
OK, maybe that’s just me but I’m sure pretty much everyone wants to go to the big-A for some reason or another, be it for a Safari through the Serengeti, a bit of lazy beach lounging in Cape Town or some white-man-guilt-volunteering in Malawi.
You might even have started planning your trip already by selecting the countries to visit, having all the flu-shots and studying the different types of Antelopes. But we all know that in order to really get into the rhythm for a big journey such as an African safari or a European roadtrip, there’s no better way to get into the rhythm of it than with a nice n’ juicy playlist. Lucky for you, It just so happens that we have bag full of genuinely African grooves and cheesy wannabe-African pop alike to sink your tune-teeth into. But fear not dear traveller, we promise you that our playlist is completely free of any cringeworthy 90′s new age world horror!
So whether you’ve already watching the stewardess demonstrating how to put on an oxygen mask on a flight to Kenya, or if you’re just dreaming of the African sun from a grey and rainy London (like me!), this is what GrooveTraveler suggests you listen to:
We’re back with the second feature in our Album cover location series and this time we aim to please all you Bob Dylan nerds. That’s right, it’s the turn of the iconic cover of legendary LP The Freewheelin’ this time around.
If you’re looking for a place to go and see live music in London – be it rock, pop, indie, jazz, metal or classical – then you are very much spoilt for choice. There are hundreds of venues in the city and you will invariably stumble across one even if you’re not actively looking for somewhere to get your groove on.
Many of London’s venues have had to close down recently. Both the Astoria and Astoria II have closed their doors for the final time because of nearby developments. Others have fallen into states of disrepair, and some have simply suffered downturns in fortune or upturns in rent. The number of ‘sponsored’ venues has skyrocketed- you can no longer visit the Garage in Islington. It’s now the Relentless Garage and the famous Hammersmith Apollo is now the HMV Apollo. Nonetheless, the closure of these venues would be a tragedy for live music and if sponsorship was the alternative, then bring it on.
There are independent alternatives still going strong. From the outside they may appear to be run down ramshackle pubs or maybe just a door seemingly leading to nowhere in particular. During my 10 years living in London – over half of them playing in small venues – I came to know many of the hidden gems.
The first musical traveler that we’ve had the priviledge to interview is the wonderful Snorri Helgason from Iceland! Not only is Snorri a very talented musician but also an extremely nice guy that sports a handsome beard that is the envy of many a man. GrooveTraveler picked his brain about his views on travelling and what life is like as a touring musician. Continue reading
GrooveTraveler eh? The new travel blogging project of two starcrossed lovers, separated by the house of Iceland and the house of England, forever doomed to wage a long bloody war with each other over trivial things like “cod” and Bjork punching out the paparazzi.
Or is it?
Well no, not really. It’s actually a lot tamer than that (although you can perhaps expect the occasional fishy tale). Continue reading
The motorhead's wet dream
The word on the European streets is that Germany is one of the best places to go on a roadtrip for some serious postcard-worthy shit. I went on one with my family when I was 9-years-old on my first visit abroad and it was great! I loved every minute of my time in that car with my fingers clutched tight around my Gameboy. My little self? Couldn’t recommend it enough.
So when you find yourself whizzing through the notorious no-speed-limit Autobahns of Germany to set free your inner Micheal Schumacher, or even when twisting around the scenic Bavarian alps on the famous (and rather offensively cheesily named) “Romantic Road” for some great car-seat scenery, you need music. Fact.
Nope, too pretty! Best put on some coldhearted industrial 80's pop. (Photo cc joiseyshowaa)
Those laughing cows with bells around their necks, cute chalet houses vomiting red geraniums, fairy tale castles and sugary snow clad mountaintops? It’s best to have an antidote to all that prettyness in the form of some glorious German industrial music, krautrock and synth tunes!
Here’s what GrooveTraveler suggests: Continue reading
You´ve probably never seen this before!
For the first album art location of GrooveTraveler I’ll start somewhere close to home with the mother of all album art spots, Abbey Road. Yes, it’s a massive cliche and yes, it’s been done to death but for a good reason. Continue reading
Who's that cretin!?
I’m sitting in my tiny room in an East London flat, struggling to give birth to this first post to what I want to be a great blog about music and travelling. The trouble is, I don’t classify myself as a traveller, so who am I to give my opinion on it? As I rack my brain with my fingers stiff on the keyboard about how not to come across as a complete self important git in this post, I’m staring at my bedroom wall. There’s a poster on it. Actually it’s a poster I got at an Arcade Fire gig in Glasgow in 2007 while I was living in Edinburgh as an exchange student. Continue reading