Hola

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. Some pithy wisdom from Seth Godin that really stuck with me. — The opposite of "more"
    
2. One for the curious. — Where did England’s counties get their names?
    
3. Bruce Springsteen seems to be pretty good at the viral video thing (this is his second Five Things appearance in two weeks). He also seems to be a pretty cool guy! — Bruce Springsteen Invites Teenager on Stage Who Steals the Show
    
4. Good advice and a challenge from cartoonist and teacher Paul Karasik. — Study something you love in depth
    
5. This morning I interviewed my good friend Jay Goodrich for a new project (more on that another time). Last week his band Druids released the video to their song Stuart Slater Alligator (it was directed by my brother Scott). Their debut album is out on the 3rd March. Can't wait to hear it!

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, sign up to receive future posts or check out my previous Five Things posts.

Think Love

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

1. I just finished reading John Seabrook's fantastic book The Song Machine. It explores the evolution of popular music, how chart-topping songs are written (or manufactured…) and how the music industry tries its very best to guarantee hits. A pretty mind blowing book, essential reading for musicians and music fans.
    
2. I’ve recently been enjoying The Guardian’s Audio Long Reads podcast (I prefer to read long-reads with my ears wherever possible). A recent episode, The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell (an extract from a book of the same name), tells the true story of Brian Regan and how his plot to sell American secrets was foiled by the FBI. It’s a fascinating story. (Here’s the non-audio version of the piece).
    

3. Here’s a video of Bruce Springsteen working out (with help from his band) how best to play You Never Can Tell live on stage. Great musicianship and great to watch!

4. “When you can’t create you can work” — Henry Miller’s 11 Commandments of Writing and His Daily Creative Routine

5. On Monday evening I saw the film Lion. It featured one of my favourite pieces of music, Atomos VII by A Winged Victory For The Sullen. The whole soundtrack was great but I love that song! If you get a chance to see Lion, I’d recommend it, just be ready to shed a few tears…

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, sign up to receive future posts or check out my previous Five Things posts.