Hello,Welcome to newsletter #54 from Kerry / The Old Post Office (TOPO)I've come back with a big to-do list, brimming full of ideas, and gratitude for community! Thanks Phil, Cat, Mark, Bryn and Hanya for covering me last week - I went to visit my mum in Lincolnshire with my toddler and it was a delight. This week we have a playlist from my design peer Keith Dodds, and I'm putting out the feelers for anyone who might want to start/host a TOPO book club. I haven't included my usual '5 local links' this week, back next week with those. Have a good week - however that looks for you,— Kerry
Music to work to #30 is by graphic designer Keith Dodds"I’m a graphic designer living in Bearwood and working in a studio at Minerva Works in Digbeth. I’ve got pretty eclectic tastes and a low boredom threshold, so I tend to listen to lots of recent music. If I’m working on ideas I tend to avoid tracks with prominent lyrics as I end up getting distracted pretty easily, but otherwise anything goes. "I’ve picked a bunch of tracks I’ve been playing a lot recently, along with a few that popped up on the huge playlist I stick on shuffle when I can’t think what to put on."
Green To You - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Emile Mosseri Always a fan of Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s hippie modernism
Rinsed (feat. TYSON) - Dean Blunt Dean Blunt can do no wrong in my eyes. Love the way the track just stops dead when he’s had enough.
No Trace - Carla dal Forno Perfect chilly post-punk.
Cranes in the Sky – Big Joanie I played the original to death, so very glad to have this cover to bring a fresh take.
Optimistic (feat. kimdollars1) – Tomu DJ The whole album’s really good, but the contrast between the sedate, spiralling keyboard figure and the frantic footwork of the drums on this track never fails.
Yanggeum for Snapped Ankle – Park Jiha and Roy Claire Potter I slipped on ice and snapped my ankle about six weeks before my son was born, but didn’t turn that experience into anything as beautiful as this. CN for language and description of injury.
Mein Maschine Ist Schön – COS Not usually a huge fan of anything that can be labelled ‘prog’. Guess I could call it ‘kosmiche’ to make myself feel better. Either way, I really like this.
King Bromeliad – Floating Points Unexpectedly found myself on a house binge recently, mainly caused by last year’s Soft Pink Truth record. This track’s been on heavy rotation.
Knees – Injury Reserve Bleak, beautiful and genuinely feels like something new. Sadly brought to a halt by the untimely death of band member Jordan Groggs. CN for language and themes of addiction.
Son – Rosie Lowe and Duval Timothy Just gorgeous.
Thanks Keith, I've really enjoyed this one For all the tracks in one playlist click hereKeith's website is: keithdodds.studio
What are you reading? I'm starting a *NEW* newsletter section - inspired by coworker Sarah Groves, who would like to start a book club, but like me, is already overcommitted to lots of things so isn't able to at the moment. I'm reading an actual paper book at the moment rather than an audiobook like I normally do - Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan, a queer and autistic Irish writer.This is her first novel - a love triangle with a male banker and a female lawyer (ooer). It's not normally something I'd go for, however I've needed something a bit lighter after having huge work deadlines and a string of heavy non-fiction reads (Who Owns England, Unmasking Autism, Pregnant Then Screwed... Neighbourhood Planning in Practice...) Exciting Times has Goodreads reviews:"The times, in fact, were not exciting.""This novel is a tedious account of one girl’s romantic flings during a year of living abroad in Hong Kong." and"very relatable, very normal, very Sally Rooney"So I'm looking forward to finishing it. I'll report back.What are you reading? Would you like to start/host a bookclub? Let me know by replying to this email.
Ps. Here's the link to book in your desk during the week.