Harkive: a day of listening

This is a work in progress throughout the day of 9th July, 2013, as part of the global Harkive listening project. I will be updating this post at various points and finishing it around midnight.
For what it's worth, I did something similar over the course of a week in May 2012, though you will have to dust off my tumblr to read that.

Location: Chesterton, Cambridge
0700
Radio alarm clock offered Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky' first thing, so that was today's ear-worm sorted straight away, then 'Heart Attack' by Demi Lovato. That was enough pop music for this time of day so I got up. No music during breakfast as we have Chinese language students staying and we are having some issues communicating. Let's just say that iPhone translation apps are the way to go at the moment.

0900
Two more pop tunes whilst getting 'properly' dressed, again courtesy of the clock radio which I hadn't turned off yet. Michael Jackson's 'The Way You Make Me Feel' and Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody'. Some people think I shun pop music because of the nature of this blog, but I don't really.

0945 (moved out to the garden now)
Listening to Julianna Barwick's forthcoming album Nepenthe as I had to file a review of it at the weekend and I have been tardy. It's lovely. Listening via mp3s on iPhone if anyone cares. There is a tame blackbird near my feet. Idyllic, eh?

1130
I listened to Nepenthe twice more and sent the review. Blackbird is still hopping around!

1245

As I'm interviewing one of the long lost band Bowery Electric tonight, about his new project Happy Families, I listened to BE's second album Lushlife (on Spotify) whilst thinking about making lunch. It was a more trip-hop influenced effort than their debut, which of course featured 'Slow Thrills' the track which gave this site its name. 

1600

I'm working tonight so a siesta was in order. First 2 tunes on radio (6music) when I got up were Dinosaur Jr 'Start Choppin' and Arctic Monkeys 'Do I Wanna Know' 

. Not bad!

Location: Chesterton, Cambridge to Cambridge railway station (approx 3 miles) 

1620

Decided, possibly foolishly, to walk across Cambridge in 26C heat. This included the complete length of both Midsummer Common and Parker's Piece. I had itunes on shuffle throughout. I paused (both itunes and my walk) at the Green Dragon pub for a restorative pint. I sat in the garden by the river Cam so there was no music, just birdsong, and if you listened hard enough, the odd cow from Sttourbridge Common.
Here's the shuffled playlist rom the walk. The most memorable bit was the Boredoms track which kicked in as I left the path of the river and headed across the scorching common. 

Candy - Chromatics
Cave mountain stream - Zomes
Dusted down - Date Palms
Smallpox Champion- Fugazi
Cavalry Scars - Deerhunter
When you wake you're still in a dream - My Bloody Valentine
(circle) - Boredoms
The Harbinger - Julianna Barwick
Wandering star - Portishead
Running from the sun - Chromatics
Other Boys - Eleanor Friedberger

1815
Location: On a train en route to King's Cross
Due to the fact that my Denon headphones are very closed over my ears, I had to give listening a break for a little while, whilst I cooled down after that walk. Sweaty ears is no fun.
Anyway, I listened to Waxahatchee's new album 'Cerulean Salt' for the rest of the journey, via the magic of Spotify on my iPhone. Such a good album, and a reminder to myself that I haven't done the best of June releases yet. Oops. I only have nine definites and about six maybes, I better sort that out tomorrow.

1900
Location: from King's Cross station to Stoke Newington High St
This didn't take very long, so I only had time to listen Nothing Ever Happened and Saved By Old Times by Deerhunter as I changed trains and needed to pay attention to where I was going. Also, still a bit fed up with the warm ears, to be honest.

1930
Location: The White Hart, Stoke Newington
I'm here to interview Lawrence and Lucia from Happy Families on the eve of their debut single release. We sat in the gigantic beer garden and talked about a lot of music, but I am not aware of actually any music playing, even when we were ordering at the bar.

2200
Location: my workplace, London W1
I didn't listen to anything on the way over here, apart from checking that I had recorded the interview properly. I listened to 'Hymn to the Odin' and 'Why Did the Chicken Cross my Mind'from Julian Cope's new album 'Revolutionary Suicide' again from Spotify on my phone. And I heard the BBC Arabic identity music at either end of their news bulletin, because that is what I am working on until nearly midnight. I'm also looking for the new Freeview ad to see if that really is Public Service Broadcasting on it. Ker-ching!

2345

Location: Efes Kebab Restaurant, London W1. 

Well this is my 'lunch break' from work and I'm very hungry so here I am. Listening to contemporary Turkish music, I believe, and this where my Harkive day ends.