The title of this post is the stage name for the British artist known as Sam Duckworth (kinda like Dashboard Confessional) and is a moniker famous in Essex traveler folk law, meaning ‘to live along the riverside’. I never heard of it but naturally I thought it was such a cool phrase that I had to use it for a post title. Which is appropriate since this is a post on music.
Getting the obvious out of the way: Duckworth’s album “The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager” is simply wicked cool. The melodies created with the acoustic guitar are just phenomenal, only destined to be met with smooth fast paced electronic beats and percussions that remind me of when Radiohead started experimenting with the digital age in “OK Computer”. On top of this are lyrics that are at times confusing and at times meaningful. I don’t think he’s broken the North American market which is why I’ve probably never heard of him. Check out the explosively colorful video for ‘War of the Worlds’.
Placebo have a great cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” which seems to have a growing popularity lately.
Mat Kearney’s album which commenter Maha introduced me to a few weeks ago, is one I’ve been addicted to ever since. The guy’s got his musical styling locked down: a merge of acoustic guitar and alternative rock mixed with a hint of hip hop that will sound out of place for about 10 seconds before it begins to make absolute sense.
Lastly, I’m revisiting Goo Goo Dolls’ “Let Love In” simply because (a) the song is cool (b) I haven’t listened to the album in a while and (c) the video for the song is great too (I’m a sucker for the socially conscious message)
So here’s my playlist for November thus far:
Have You Got A Story To Tell? – Get Cape
I Spy – Get Cape
The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Part One) – Get Cape
Glass Houses – Get Cape
Running Up That Hill – Placebo
Renaissance – Mat Kearney
In The Middle – Mat Kearney
All I Need – Mat Kearney
Let Love In – Goo Goo Dolls
Check’em out on the Black Iris Radio.
Hummm, no wonder you have not heard of the phrase! I lived by a river in Essex for 6 years and I haven’t either, you learn something everyday. ah and I used to go to the travelers folk festival in Wivenhoe every year to boot.
Nidal: I guess it may not be the most popular phrase but I can’t get it out of my head lately. 😀
Not sure where this guess at the meaning of his name came from but Ive read everywhere else (reliable sources) that his name came from a title to a solution in a Batman game walkthrough. Equally as crazy dont ya reckon?