EARLY SUMMER NUTRIENT

Nutrient: (noun) a substance that provides nourishment essential for the maintenance of life & growth. 

Here are Mil's for this quarter -  (he wrote so much Jolene will revisit hers at a later date!)

Mil: MacGuffin + Raw Vision - in praise of print

Like many teenagers coming of age in the ‘80s, much of my exposure to new music, fashion and culture was delivered in weekly or monthly instalments via various print publications, purchased at the local newsagent, which offered tantalising glimpses into alternative worlds outwith my own family environment, where the family TV was actually locked in a cupboard, and my interest in pop music was viewed with confusion and contempt!
By sheer luck, my teens coincided with a golden period of easily accessible music journalism courtesy of the UK’s  NME (New Musical Express), and the birth of the massively influential style FACE magazine, both of which I consumed as much for the writing as the imagery and were massively influential in the evolution of young Mil! If only I had kept hold of these early copies, which at the time were precious, but didn’t seem worth lugging around for the rest of my life…

Paul Simonon of the Clash by Pennie Smith for NME

Jerry Dammers of the Specials for the Face, Issue 1

What I didn’t really connect with at the time (though it must have crept in) was the design of these seminal publications - no-one who I knew spoke about graphic design, so I didn’t understand it was a thing, let alone something one could do for a job! (When I informed my school that I wished to take Art as one of my 3 A level subjects, I was met with the counter-offer “…or perhaps Economics?” as if this were just a slip of the tongue!)

My appreciation of print magazines remains undimmed, and I am an absolute sucker for specialist publications with the correct ratio of stimulating written content, striking visuals and great design (‘correct’ in this instance is entirely subjective - we each have our own!), and take great delight in discovering new titles with a strong and distinctive ‘offer’.  

On that note, though I was late to the party, I want to shine a light on the dutch magazine Macguffin, which was launched in 2015. Published biannually, each edition focuses exclusively on a single, different object, featuring in-depth articles, expert interviews, stunning photography, and unique illustrations, making it a treasure trove for those intrigued by the intersection of design, art, and everyday life. Kirsten Algera, co-creator of the magazine with Ernst van der Hoeven, says they wanted to make a magazine that could offer an alternative approach to describing design, using objects as plot devices, like the MacGuffins in Hitchcock films. “We imagined that each magazine would be in the geostationary orbit of an object, using that object as a starting point to explore the stories (historical, cultural, political, visual, etc) it generates”

I recently picked up a back copy of Issue No 7 - The Trousers - which is exactly what you would imagine (or wouldn’t… that’s the whole point) and am very happy to recommend. The latest edition, which I am now awaiting, is entitled The Wall… what’s not to like?

I get mine at our local specialist mag retailer Ripe Mags, which is conveniently housed in the back of the equally fine coffee/cake/delicatessen outlet Sister Midnight on King St, about 20 metres from ISP HQ!

A final magazine recommendation: Raw Vision, which was first published in 1989 with the express purpose of bringing the phenomena of Outsider Art to a wide public. There is a good free weekly newsletter, but also a quarterly print subscription  in the most recent of which I was delighted to find a large feature on Glasgow’s own Greg Bromley, who needless to say I had never heard of. 

 

Simple Minds: Everything is Possible

I came down with an annoying cold/cough/sore throat a few weeks back, and had to spend a few days in bed which is very unlike me. In between bits of work and coughing spasms I indulged in a bit of tv, and came across this lovely film about Simple Minds which I enjoyed much more than I had expected to. At one point ‘the Minds’, as they were colloquially known in their home town of Glasgow (where we are based in case you didn't know), were one of the biggest stadium-filling bands in the world but somehow I just never really connected with them, and in retrospect I can't understand why! This very intimate documentary is built around humble interviews with Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill and a supporting cast of willing (and unexpected) collaborators/fans taking us through the whole story. If you only know the mega-hits (Don’t You Forget About Me, Alive & Kicking…) you are in for a treat: the early albums sound experimental, ambitious, fearless … I wish I had listened to my childhood friend Alex at the time, but I was in a Jam/Clash/2 tone vibe and at that point in my blinkered worldview these worlds seemed incompatible (I think the pixie boots were a deal breaker). Stupid youth! Check it out if you can.

During the same self-imposed bed-rest I binged the Michelle Mone 2 parter, also on iPlayer. Another Glasgow tale of rags to riches: equally compelling, for different reasons!

Nutritious sounds

Finally, we are happy that Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon finally got her first solo record out, which features the lovely standout single Sad Makeup.

Also discovered a re-released double album of recordings from the student led Detroit Artist’s Workshop 1965-81, which was established to try and stimulate the cultural scene in the ‘motor city’ and features session tracks from Yusef Lateef, Bennie Maupin and Donald Byrd amongst others, and an intriguing ’synth-only’ album of avant-futurist jazzer Sun Ra interpretations by Bitchin Bajas called ’Switched on Ra’

Finally, RIP to 2 massive legends… Roy Ayers and Sly Stone. I saw RA live about 20 years ago at the Fruitmarket in Glasgow. He was amazing. I haven’t managed to catch the Questlove ’Sly Lives!’ movie yet - we dont have Disney :( - but I am sure it’ll be great, as you’ll know if you saw the fantastic ’21 documentary Summer of Soul. 

You might know the big Sly hits, but in case you dont know it, here’s his version of Que Sera, Sera which bookends the cult 80s film Heathers with Doris Day’s more famous ’signature’ version. I love this arrangement - so much space: surely it must have been done live in one take.