Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Selectagone
![](http://www.davidbelbin.com/uploaded_images/Picture-6-761252.png)
Selectadisc was a legendary, eclectic, superbly stocked record store and I'm going to miss it a great deal. As is the city of Nottingham. I feel I ought to be writing more of a memoir of the shop or something cutting about the recession here. Or maybe some thoughtful comments about how the way people now get most of their music for free has a downside that reaches beneath record companies. But I'm too dispirited about the whole thing, I'm afraid. Do read Mike's Guardian piece about the shop if you'd like to know more.
After my abortive trip I went to FOPP (whose survival ensured Selectadisc's demise) and bought the only 7" single they had on sale (Doves' fine "Kingdom of Rust"). Where will I get my 7"s now? On Selectadisc's myspace, the track on the player is Roky Erickson's You're Gonna Miss Me. Too right.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
American Scene
![](http://www.davidbelbin.com/uploaded_images/Landon-Counterpoint2-797385.jpg)
Just back from the terrific American Scene touring exhibition at Nottingham University's Djanogly Art Gallery, where I fell in love with the screenprint on my left, Counterpoint by Edward Landon, from 1942. If anyone knows where I can buy a decent reproduction, please let me know. I know I could fork out for the catalogue and I probably will, but I'd like it on a wall and would prefer to have it in the original size.
It's a British Museum touring exhibition, subtitled From Hopper To Pollock and it runs until the 19th of April. The range of work featured is broad and rather brilliant. You can, for instance, trace Jackson Pollock's work as it moves from figurative to abstract expressionism. There's an accompanying lecture series that looks really interesting. I'll definitely be going again. Twice.