The Destroyers release their debut single today.

‘Out of Babel’ and ‘Where has the money gone?’ are available to buy from iTunes and the push to sell as many as possible during the first week of release, could edge this crazy band of maestros towards chart success.

Anyone who’s seen them live knows that this band mean business - armed with virtuoso playing and solid infectious rhythms they can render even the most static of audiences helpless to the urge to dance.

Recorded at Magic Garden studios with Gavin Monaghan, the single comes from their forthcoming debut LP,  due for release later in the year.

So, go on… for less than two english pounds, grab yourself an mp3 now and help this band toward the wider recognition they deserve.

We were fortunate enough to have an early line up of the Destroyers play our wedding… you’ve never seen a conga like it!!

- so, here we go oh oohh… Out of Babel!

ps. the slightly unhinged looking chap with the white hair?…  yep, that’s my Pa!  

I love this flickr set ‘Cover Versions’ by UK based designer Huw Gwilliams.

He’s taken lots of LP covers and treated them to look like Pelican book covers of yesteryear… very nice indeed.

Definitely worth a browse.

It’s a similar idea to the ‘I can read movies’ set  by Spacesick, that I first saw a while back. Classic films presented as 60s/70s style book covers. Brilliant stuff too.

Here’s a great little film made by ‘Project X‘ about some of the issues faced by landlords/licensees in Digbeth and Moseley regarding complaints about noise in their venues…

I remember when the complaint against the Spotted Dog was made someone (who I don’t remember off hand) made the point that it was like buying a canalside apartment and then complaining about the water being a hazard…

Choose city living cause you like City life?! (purleease!!) -
and as Mr T might say… shuddupfool!

I saw this on ffffound. It made me laugh, so I thought I’d share…

Perhaps best not to teach this classic game to the young ‘uns with this theory applied…

This interesting series of images hands drawing power to trees in the wind.

Artist Tim Knowles - explains

A series of drawings produced using drawing implements attached to the tips of tree branches, the wind’s effects on the tree, recorded on paper. Like signatures each drawing reveals the different qualities and characteristics of each tree.

I really like this as a series of work, and the ‘work in progress’ images are brilliant too.

More of this and other interesting stuff (including Balloon drawings and Vehicle Motion drawings) on Tims website.

Spotted via the excellent Build blog.

Cookie Monster is interviewed on American station NPR.

Class!  :)

Over Easter we had a weeks break in the countryside. Having never been before, we set off to Norfolk for some fresh air and relaxing. Not abroad just the broads…

From our kitchen window we could see a Windmill and a bush that looked like an aardman character - it really doesn’t take that much too amuse me! It’s so flat over there, lovely but really NO HILLS, like none!!

On our last day we went for a walk along the coast and had one those up close nature moments that make you feel happy and warm

We encountered basking at the waters edge, 3 groups of 40 to 50 seals.

Really ace! - Seals - loads of Seals!

Photographer and film maker Matt Murtagh has made this brilliant animated journey from Moseley to Birmingham City Centre using frames from the newly launched and rather brilliant (if spooky) Google Street View.

StreetViewBrum from Matt Murtagh on Vimeo.

Matt’s site is well worth a browse too - plenty of brilliant photography - and even includes a snap of my Dad with his cohorts The Destroyers rocking Moseley Folk Festival last summer.

- spotted on Created in Brimingham

Previously I blogged about this brilliant large scale painting - today Matt sent me the link to the lovely film he made of Lucy creating her gallery piece at Walsall New Art Gallery at the end of last year.

Beat13 / Lucy McLauchlan “Tacit” from Beat13 on Vimeo.

The film previewed at the brilliant Flatpack festival earlier this month on the big screen and now it’s on Vimeo for all to enjoy…

Also turn up the speakers cause the soundtracks ace!!

Found via Swiss Miss, this is very funny clip of a rather ambitious piece of live art…

Using skilled shepherds and their dogs, sheep of different colour are herded to make huge images and even a live hillside version of the atari classic - pong…