HIGHLY RECOMMENDED W/ TUGBOAT CAPTAIN (again)
* Providing the A's to the 5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Q's today is Tugboat Captain— a group of music makers out of the UK, who have recommended things highly before, and who also have a great new album out called on Double A-Side Records called ‘Rut’ (singles from which you can find sprinkled throughout HI54 playlists, including ‘Everything About You’ on the HI54 Mix CD ‘EVENINGS’).
#1 - WHAT IS THE ONE ALBUM (OR EP OR SONG) THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE THE VERY NEXT MUSICAL THING THAT EVERYONE PRESSES PLAY ON THE NEXT TIME THEY FIND THEMSELVES THINKING “WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NOW”?
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the new Mr Ben and The Ben’s record, ‘Life Drawing’, over the last few months. It’s a beautiful collection of indie-pop songs and I absolutely love Ben’s vocals and arrangements across the album.
It’s definitely provided solace whilst in lockdown and I finally got around to picking up a copy on luscious white vinyl the other day at a lovely record store called Gatefield Sounds in the sleepy Kentish seaside town of Whitstable. Also I strongly recommend checking out Ben’s magnificent pottery which also graces the cover of his new album.
#2 - WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE OR TV SHOW THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE NEXT IN EVERYBODY’S NETFLIX QUEUE (OK, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NETFLIX, WE’RE ALL INTERNET ADULTS HERE AND KNOW HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ONLINE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)?
So my tv habits have slumped significantly in the last few months… The monotony of being isolated at home with little to do on top of the anxiety of a global pandemic has meant that I’ve generally sought out very gentle television. My girlfriend and I are currently binge watching Come Dine With Me.
I don’t know whether it’s an international concept but it is the perfect, mundane escapism.
#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE LOCAL BOOK STORE (OK, MAYBE THE LOCAL LIBRARY FIRST) TO FIND THE VERY NEXT BOOK THAT I WILL BE PUTTING SOME EXTREMELY VALUABLE ‘ME-TIME' ASIDE FOR. WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU GET, IF YOU WERE ME (AND, I SUPPOSE, YOU HADN’T ALREADY READ WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SUGGEST)?
At the beginning of lockdown a good friend of mine, Josh, who works for Repeater Books sent over a bunch of brilliant things for me and my house mate to get our teeth into. I’m generally a very bad reader but the selection of politically fuelled books have definitely stoked a fire of rage that has been bubbling below the surface. Nathalie Olah’s ‘Steal As Much As You Can’ is a fantastic place to start with Repeater and I couldn’t recommend it more.
Also shout out to Josh’s band The BV’s are just great.
#4 - WHAT IS THE ONE WEBSITE (OR JUST ANY OLD INTERNET THING: APP, GIF, SERVICE, WHATEVER) THAT YOU WOULD GET REALLY DOWN IN THE DUMPS ABOUT IF IT WERE TO SUDDENLY GO AWAY?
The delicate ecosystem of blogs and DIY bands is something that deserves to be recognised on a wider level. As a DIY band we’d be going nowhere fast without the incredible support we get from a number of amazing blogs. I’m hesitant to name any for fear of forgetting others but in particular For The Rabbits definitely deserve a shoutout.
Sam who runs the blog was one of the first and has continued to be one of the most vocal people to write about us and we could not be more grateful for that. It’s a real bonus that I also happen to love his blog, the music he writes about and the way he writes so i’d be devastated if For The Rabbits were to suddenly go away!
#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITTING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.
Since there are no gigs at the moment I’ve definitely started spending more money on records. The money that I’d normally spend on tickets has instead been put into local record stores and I’d strongly recommend everyone do the same.
There’s just something so magical about picking up a release on vinyl from your local record shop and the curated process of browsing through what a store has is an added bonus. It’s a great way to support local businesses and artists so put your mask on and go do that!
OK folks, there you have it. Things that Tugboat Captain think you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go see if your town still has a local record shop, make sure to follow Tugboat Captain on the Facebook / Twitter / Instagram and then also give ‘Everything About You’ a listen below…
…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further tugboat-captain-flavoured audio exploring over on the Bandcamp / Spotify.