It's like buses

Good old Graham Coxon. Not only is he a member of one of the greatest bands of recent times, creator of one of the early contenders for 2009's album of the year and one of the few musicians willing to contribute honestly and openly to online discussion boards, but he's pioneering exciting and alternative ways to make money out of music. As huge fans of music, this can only be pleasing news for us, as the more that musicians develop ways to make releasing tunes into the current climate viable, the more great music we'll continue to be graced with.

Coxon's new single, 'Sorrow's Army', is available in one format only. An art print. Ok, that art print comes with a download code for that track, but the release itself is something you can't actually play. The print itself is rather lovely (click to see the image, as uploaded by 'salmon' from the Blur forum) and sets you back £4-£5 depending on where you purchase it from. Not bad for an art print and it's worth remembering that the song on its own would have sold for 79p. Not a bad mark up. Naturally, art prints aren't suddenly going to become the format du jour, but it's a great example of an artist adapting to the rapidly changing commercial nature of music selling. Graham's fans all seem pretty chuffed with the item and it'll be raking in the cash for his record label. It's certainly a more appealing alternative format than the USB releases that Keane and Ed Harcourt have attempted of late and, while I'd never have considered buying 'Sorrow's Army' as a single, having already purchased the rather splendid album, 'The Spinning Top', my five quid went winging its way to Transgressive Records quicker than, well, much quicker than they actually sent the bloody thing, but we won't dwell on that.

This seems like a good time to mention just how utterly terrific his new album is. I'm not sure what I was expecting from it - certainly not what I got. The Record Store Day exclusive 10" of 'In The Morning' gave a pretty decent indicator, with eight minutes of acoustic splendour, gentle vocals and a delicate touch not normally associated with solo Coxon.

Two immediate highlights are the aforementioned, 'In The Morning', and 'Look Into The Light'. Listen to both below.

See? Now go and buy the album.

What, you need more convincing and a more persuasive pitch?

'The Spinning Top' is Graham's masterpiece, lengthy but enthralling, beautifully sung and exquisitely rendered. There are touches of Nick Drake, particularly on 'Look Into The Light', and, as he's explained in numerous interviews, the music of Davey Graham sent him off in this direction in the first place. Gently affecting, hugely understated and unlikely to immediately strike you as a stone cold classic, 'The Spinning Top' slowly abducts each and every heart string until suddenly the one, almighty tug brings you on side and from that point onwards there's no looking back.

Now go and buy the album.

Apparently they are getting back together

Paul Weller and Graham Coxon have just released a three-track EP thingy via the usual download services. In a couple of weeks it'll also be on 7". What's interesting is that two commercially potent artists get together and bash out some spikey indie rock and yet the one format they don't touch is CD. People who get paid to talk bollocks about the future are already announcing the death of the CD. A load of old cock, naturally. But, what's more interesting is the strength of the 7". Indie bands are releasing singles on CD, download and 2x7" these days. Yes, part of it is about being collectors' items, but surely part of it is also because vinyl is cool. Anyway, the EP is decent enough, although nothing life-changing. But then I don't imagine you thought it would be. Best place I've found to purchase is 7 Digital, with 320kb/s mp3s of all three tracks for £1.77. Can't complain.
Speaking of vinyl and Graham Coxon, I nipped down to the sorting office this morning to retrieve another lovingly mauled parcel from the care of Royal Mail. Inside said parcel was an item I've been after for years, the double-vinyl, gatefold edition of 'Blur' by Blur. If I was being Sherlock Holmes I'd say that the previous owner was an alcoholic based on the scratches at the start of each side of vinyl, a la the scratches around the keyhole on Watson's father's watch. Snap, crackle and pop aside, it sounds bloody brilliant. I'm well aware, as indeed I've said before, that I tend to listen to vinyl through, er, rose-tinted earphones but it definitely sounded more alive than either CD edition that I have. (Yes, I own it three times now.) It remains one of my all-time favourite albums. For a while I thought I'd have to demote it because 'Think Tank' had made it into the top list too, but then realised that nobody gives a flying fuck what my all-time favourite albums are, and thus it could be a list consisting entirely of Blur and it wouldn't matter.
And finally... The Chemical Brothers' greatest hits record turned up from play.com today. At £2.99 it seemed rude not to. I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. I haven't returned to the new one yet, despite intending to do so. Some of the vintage tunes are surprisingly fresh a decade on. 'The Private Psychedelic Wheel' sounds better now than it did back then. 'The Golden Path' is probably the best Flaming Lips song ever made, and they didn't make it. Still £3, and well worth a punt.
P.S. Just finished watching 'Grass', the sitcom starring Billy Bleach, a bit-part character from The Fast Show, turned police informant. Bloody marvellous and yet no bugger knows about it. Full, gushing review in the revelations on Sunday.