Kurt Cobain, Philip Glass and Mung Beans

I saw the new Kurt Cobain doc in the cinema this week (thanks, BAFTA Scotland). Powerful and engaging. I felt I got an insight into how troubled Cobain was and how his music was so necessary to him. When Nirvana played the QM in Glasgow with Captain America and Shonen Knife I managed to be in the dressing room after the show but I didn't have any meaningful interaction with anyone (there goes that book I was going to write...). I have a vague memory of Kurt Cobain saying to Norman Blake that Teenage Fanclub should play show shows with Nirvana and they did. Unfortunately I wasn't in TFC at the time. When Molly's Lips came on in the cinema it sounded particularly rocking. Which reminds me:

I've got a ticket to see Philip Glass's "Music In 12 Parts" in Glasgow next month. Should be quite an experience. As I previously tweeted, my 6 year-old's reaction to the CD was, "I like this music... It's like a miracle happening and a robot dancing for it". Here's one of his first pieces I spent time with.

*cough* Back to my album "Music For String Quartet, Piano And Celeste".

Here's an interview I did for Tom Dunne on his show for Irish radio station NewsTalk.

Oh, so - what have Teenage Fanclub, Camera Obscura, Laura Cantrell, The Vaselines and Coronation Street got in common? Clash magazine asked me to explain in this amazing interview

Anyone got any good recipes for mung beans?

Oh and before I go - this.... (come on!)


PS - remember, a vinyl LP isn't just for Record Store Day - it's for Christmas too.

Book recommendation an' that

So I've been digging this.
 

Nearly finished. Don't want to get to the end just yet. It's funny and charming and evocative. Takes me back and I wasn't even there. It's good to get a book that you go through like a hot knife through butter.

This was a brilliant piece of telly I caught up with last week:

The more I think I about the speech I gave at the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards last week (I was presenting for Composer) the more I wonder if I actually said it - or was it maybe just an anxiety dream? O well. Done now.

Oh! I'll be singing a couple of songs at the Bare Facts event at Cottier Theatre, Glasgow on 30th April. I'll be chuffed to share the bill with the amazing Kathleen MacInnes.

 Nearly managed to get through a blog without mentioning this.

 This is a groove.

x

Moi Moi Moi

As I type my album "Music For String Quartet, Piano And Celeste" is Top 5 in the Official Specialist Classical Chart. (Aand No 12 in the Official Classical Albums Chart.)  (huh?!?).

This led to getting a spin on BBC Radio 3's Breakfast Show this morning. Download the podcast here.

And this in turn inspired me to make a wee video for the track - "Triet For David Hockney":

If you haven't bought the album yet but you are thinking about it - go and buy it: www.FrancisMacdonald.com

In other news I had a swell time at the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards in Glasgow last night; I saw Wild Tales and liked it a lot; I was given a surprise gift of Stuart David's new Belle & Sebastian memoir which looks like an entertaining read; and...och I think that's enough excitement for one blog.

The day I met Bob Dylan...

 ...April Fool!

Every year when I was wee my late mum used to say, "There's a big black dog in the garden!" and I would run to the window. Suckered again. I tried it on my 6 year-old today. His reaction: "You said that last year".
 
In other news, the "Music For String Quartet, Piano & Celeste" bandwagon rumbles on.

I scaled the heady heights of #11 on the i-tunes Classical Charts for a bit this week...there have been more plays from Classic FM and Jarvis Cocker on BBC6 music and from both John Kelly on Lyre FM and Kelly-Anne Byrne at TXFM Dublin in Ireland...The Scotsman described "Music For String Quartet, Piano And Celeste" as "fine and beautiful"...and the lovely Janice Forsyth had me on her BBC Scotland Culture Studio show and made my interview one of her podcast highlights. Click and download to hear a Scottish man fail to take a compliment in his stride.

Makes you want to buy it, right? Well, here come some links:

Signed CD/LPS

7 Digital

iTunes

Amazon
 
Spotify

eMusic

Napster
 
Before I go - I saw two good docs this week: "Pantani - The Accidental Death Of A Cyclist" and, on BBC's Storyville, "My Mother The Secret Baby".

There.

THE END

Nae Pasaran

On Friday I attended a ceremony at Glasgow City Chambers to honour the actions of trade unionists in East Kilbride in 1974. Engineers John Keenan, Robert Somerville and Bob Fulton, along with their colleagues, refused to work on Rolls Royce aircraft engines that were to be serviced for the military dictatorship in Chile. I was in attendance to watch these men receive the highest honour that the Chilean government can bestow on a foreign citizen. Robert, Bob and John were shown a film of messages of thanks and appreciation from citizens of Chile. Then they each gave short, modest speeches. Moments like this can restore your faith in humanity. Here is the kickstarter page for the planned feature film.

In other news:


Here is a short film with some Glasgow music folks talking about Alex Chilton's relationship with the city.

And in other news:

Here is my interview with Janice Forsyth on BBC Scotland. I am blethering about my new album "Music For String Quartet, Piano And Celeste".

The Herald gave my album a nice review mentioning "a given gift for melody" - so yay.

www.francismacdonald.com

Monkey Thinks God Is A Banana

Domestic religious discussion. Six year-old son is talking about sharing his pal's god. This is probably more a ploy to do with trying to share his X-Box. Meanwhile five year-old daughter wants to know what 'god' is. Jeez. I mean golly. I venture that some people believe in God and think of him as a friendly ghost. For others he exists but only in their mind. But lots of people don't think he is real at all. Five year-old daughter declares, "Monkey thinks god is a banana."

Monkey yesterday

 
In other news, "Music For String Quartet, Piano And Celeste" has had some plays on Classic FM, RTE Lyric FM (thanks John Kelly) and BBC Radio Scotland's "Classics Unwrapped" (Listen here.)

The Herald also ran a positive review so it's official: I have a "given gift for melody".

*breathes on nails, brushes them on lapels - or place on cardigan where lapels would be*

You can order CDs and LPs (white vinyl, limited run) here.

Oh, and i-tunes link here.

Fare thee well and may your banana go with you.

PS:

David Hockney and Jackie Brambles

This week I...

Recorded some tambourine, egg shaker and backing vocals for Teenage Fanclub. Yes we are still working on the album and no it is not going to be called Boyhood.

Made a new video for "September Weekend", a track from my instrumental album Music For String, Quartet, Piano & Celeste.

Was asked to do music for a new TV project which I can't talk about and it's - d'oh!

Watched House Of Fools and a very good David Hockney* doc and a Hungarian film with loads of dogs.

Got bought a drink by Jackie Brambles (she didn't just buy one for me but it sounds more enigmatic if I don't elaborate. )

Had a couple of play of this from Classic FM.


Next week I..

I believe I am going to be a guest on the BBC Radio Scotland Culture Studio with Janice Forsyth on Fri 27th March blethering abut my new album. Did I mention my new album?


 Oh...

And I believe BBC Radio Scotland's Classic Unwrapped is going to play some of my new music on Sunday 22nd March between 9pm and 11pm.

THE END

(applause)



*(I wonder if he ever got the album I sent him?)