Jarvis Cocker: Nature Lover

News comes from NME and The Independent that our old friend Jarvis Cocker has helped put together a free album for UK's The National Trust. It's not quite what you might think though. This is an album that could be best described as ambient life and nature sounds: birds singing, noises of waves...even people walking up stairs and playing billiards. While it appears that Cocker solely plays curator, here is what he had to say about it:

(from The Independent article found here)

Cocker said he hoped that listeners would use the 13 tracks to help them to unwind and get a feel for the historic properties in the 33-minute soundscape.

He said: "It's not really meant to be listened to intently, like a piece of music, but more as something to have on in the background to aid relaxation or contemplation."

He added: "I hope it has the feel of one continuous journey and conjures up an image in the mind's eye of the places featured. I also hope it could inspire the listeners to then visit the sites for themselves."

Such is the musician's appeal that the National Trust website struggled to cope with the number of people logging on to hear the sounds for themselves yesterday.

There you have it. You can download the free album here. And remember to support your national parks and historic landmarks wherever you may be.

Jarvis Cocker, "Angela" 7 inch

Rough Trade has announced a 7" for Further Complications lead single "Angela". Only 1,000 copies will be pressed and it will come with the exclusive "I Found Myself Looking For God" on the flip side. You can pre-order it at HMV. Or just try your luck at your local record shop.

"Angela" video:



Jarvis was a guest Monday on The Radcliffe & Maconie Show that airs on BBC Radio 2. You can relisten to the show here. Skip ahead to around the 35 minute mark.