Radiohead: Environmentally Conscious

"But at the moment we make money principally from touring. Which is hard for me to reconcile because I don't like all the energy consumption, the travel. It's an ecological disaster, traveling, touring...We did one of those carbon footprint things recently where they assessed the last period of touring we did and tried to work out where the biggest problems were. And it was obviously everybody traveling to the shows." read more
~ Wired via Jason

In the Press: Sydsvenskan

I ended up getting interviewed briefly by a Swedish Newspaper yesterday lunchtime. This morning, when Christopher's paper came through the door, there I was.

Here's a sketchy translation for you non-swedish speakers:

How much would you pay to download a song off the internet?
About 3 kronor (just over 30p)

Do you download music?
Yes, I recently downloaded the new Radiohead album for £2

For those of you who think I'm a skinflint for paying so little, I assure you that they received more from me this way than they would if they were signed to a big record label.

Check out downhillbattle.org for more on this.
Click here for the original article.

25 Years

So I've just turned 25! A quarter of a century. So far I've:

• had breakfast with Sofia (including Gingerbread Yoghurt (or Pepparkaks fil for you Swedes))


• had Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday played to me by Christopher as he dashed out to work.


• As well as: experiencing the Facebook Enigma (more to follow...), and


• Spoken to my Mum and Zoe on Skype.

Nice.

Ryan Adams

When we took the train to Copenhagen on Thursday afternoon, my expectations were high. We were to see the artist who, as a 14 year old said:

"I started writing short stories when I was really into Edgar Allan Poe. Then later, when I was a teenager, I got really hard into cult fiction: Hubert Selby, Jr., Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac." (via)

He has inspired the likes of Elton John, who credits Heartbreaker as an influence to his Songs from the West Coast album, not to mention the many who have covered his songs (including Bono).

We were excited as we ate Thai food in Fredricksberg, picked up some salty licorice, and joined a long queue that took us into the Falconer Hall.

And we weren't disappointed.

From the moment Adams and his Cardinals entered the stage we were delighted with the skills of not only a great songwriter, but a band of skilled musicians. They are a band who, for me, redeem a genre (country), which is oft filled with hype, commercialism and a sickly glitz.

We marveled as Adams, who reported that he was going deaf, delivered some of his greatest songs (highlights included Nightbirds, When the Stars Go Blue, Goodnight Rose...the list goes on.) with everything he had.

Yes, I would have liked to have seen him in a smaller venue, but this was still one of the best gigs I have watched.

Last night: Niklas Hegfalk

I recorded this on my phone. That's why the quality sucks!

A note on Ringtones

When choosing a ring tone be careful not to choose a track by a band you really like. For the past month I've had 'The Well and The Lighthouse' by Arcade Fire. Now I associate the track with stressful moments when time is demanded from me without prior warning.

Black Ox Orkestar: best musical discovery of the week

Black Ox Orkestar are linked with so-called "New Jewish music", resetting European Jewish folk ballads traditionally sung a cappella, by writing and performing new, political texts in Yiddish. ~Wikipedia

Their members also play in the amazing Godspeed You! Black Emperor Go listen!

'At One With The Tide' by Niklas Hegfalk
Last week we finished the artwork for Niklas' new demo. If you want to get hold of the recording visit Demo Butiken by clicking here.

Here's the new video:

Want to hear Easy Tiger, the new album from the magnificent Ryan Adams? Click here.

Beatbox
Here is a guy called Reggie Watts producing soulful, skatty, hip-hop with the use of just his voice and a small sampling machine... (via)


The clip below, from the same guy, made me smile too...

Music
For me, Christmas, and the winter season, always brings with it a hankering for the mellower edge of my musical tastes. I was delighted to receive Johnny Cash's final contribution to the musical world, 'American V: A Hundred Highways' and also Sufjan Steven's 'Illinois' this year.

I love the rawness of Mr Cash's final recordings, which he made in collaboration with Rick Rubin, the guy who founded seminal hip-hop label Def Jam. There's a beauty and wisdom in his tired, old voice. I was also moved to read that, in the days leading up to Cash's death, Reuben and He were daily celebrating the Lord's Supper together...

As for Sufjan Stevens, I was delighted to hear that Mark Churchill's ravings were not in vain. Stevens really is a gifted songwriter and musician who seems to grapple with some of the intricate tensions of life with inspiring grace. My favourite track from this album is Casimir Pulaski Day, the lyrics of which you can read here.

Finally, while I've been aware of his existence for some time now, I've really only just began to appreciate Ray LaMontagne. He played at Jools' Holland's annual Hootenanny, and his voice was as rich as any recording I had heard. He also has an amazing beard.

Links...

Blogs
Andreas Andersson
Angela Anstey
Barbara Harrison
Ben Cook
Beth Keck
Biz Stone
Bristol Vineyard
Carla Morgan
Chris Evans
Claire Lewis-Norman
Daniel Fritzon
Dave Henson
Elinor Dixon
Emelie Reimers
Eric Keck
Freelance Theology
Ian Wootten
Jason Evans
Keith Warrington
Kevin Rains
Lewis and Maria Parfitt
Lisa Whiteman
Mark Churchill
Mark Evans
Mark Garbers
Matt Turrigiano
Neil Morgan
Nic Hope
Reuben Whitehouse
Roger Harrison
Sarah Hine
Sharon Phipps
Sofia Carlbert
Tom Hope
Viv Nicholls

Photo Blogs
Daily Dose of Imagery
Emma Nordeborn
Mark Churchill
Mark Evans
Sofia Carlbert
Stina Carlbert
Stina Nordeborn

Artists
Beastie Boys
Ben Folds
Ben Harper
Coldplay
Counting Crows
Dashboard Confessional
Dave Matthews Band
Ani Difranco
Foo Fighters
Fugazi
The Getup Kids
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Incubus
Jack Johnson
The Mars Volta
Pedro The Lion
The Postal Service
Queens of the Stoneage
Rage Against The Machine
Reggie and the full effect
Thrice
Tool
The Weakerthans

Sites I designed
Human Technology
Business Intelegant
Skapa
Sofia Carlbert
Via
Malmö Vineyard
Keith Warrington

Misc.
Dallas Willard
Heart of Worship
Make Trade Fair
Soul Survivor
Relevant Magazine

About Me

Name: Jonathan Joel Morgan
Date of Birth: 19th December 1982
Height: 5’11½
Dietary requirements: Vegetarian
Myers Briggs type: ENFJ

Favourite things:
Taking photographs. A good book. Moral philosophy. Mountain biking. Fair trade. The Kingdom of God. Music. Friends. Candles. Good food. A nice, full-bodied acoustic guitar with a natural finish and Martin SP strings. Good coffee.

Up to…
Having completed my Law and Politics degree and an internship at Bristol Vineyard I'm living in Malmö, Sweden, designing websites and figuring out what it means to follow Jesus. In January I move to South Africa to learn some more about community development and serving the world poor. If you're interested in what becomes of me, keep an eye on this blog...

Films (in no particular order)
1. Fight Club
2. Lost in Translation
3. Kill Bill (I and II)
4. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
5. Crash
6. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
7. Garden State
8. Good Will Hunting
9. American Beauty
10. North by Northwest

Albums (in no particular order)
1. Rage Against the Machine – Self Titled
2. Tool – Aenima
3. The Postal Service – Give Up
4. Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
5. Ryan Adams – 29
6. Counting Crows – Recovering the Satellites
7. Fugazi – The Argument
8. Radiohead – Kid A
9. Queens of the Stoneage – Songs for the Deaf
10. Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Amen
11. The Getup Kids – Something to Write Home About
12. Foo Fighters – Self Titled
13. Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World
14. The Dismemberment Plan - Change

Books (in no particular order)
1. Richard Foster – Celebration of Discipline
2. Dallas Willard – The Divine Conspiracy
3. Nick Hornby – About a Boy
4. Harper Lee – To Kill a Mockingbird
5. Carol Wimber – The Way It Was
6. George Eldon Ladd – The Gospel of the Kingdom
7. Henri Nouwen – The Way of The Heart
8. NT Wright – The Challenge of Jesus
9. Michel Foucault – Discipline and Punish
10. Douglas Coupland - Hey Nostradamus