Graham Coxon

Graham Coxon，原Blur樂隊吉他手，離開樂隊之后，也從未終止過自己對音樂的熱愛，繼續進行著自己的演藝事業。今年初，他舉辦了離開樂隊以后的第一個個人演唱會，取得了不同凡響的效果。雖然離開了Blur樂隊，但是他在樂隊的位置是無人能夠替代的。無論是樂隊成員、所有藝人、還是樂迷，都不能否認Graham Coxon是一個天才吉他手，他對音樂的理解、對吉他的喜愛，無人能及。他不是在控制手中的吉他，也不是在玩吉他，演奏好像也不足以形容他那種如魚得水的感覺。只能用他自己的話說：“一個好的吉他手要了解自己手中的那把吉他，要根據對它的了解結合對音樂的理解，這樣才能發出最美妙的聲音”。他正是用自己對音樂、對吉他的這種感情，讓人們享受著來自吉他的美妙樂聲。 He's the guitarist of one of London's most delightful Britpop bands, and Graham Coxon is the quiet one. As the chief guitarist of Blur, his sheer and jointed guitar riffs made him a distinctive piece in leading the four-piece into alternative creative outlets, not to be overshadowed by the popular hysteria painted by the press. Noticeably, Blur went from cockney rebels to experimental intellects throughout their growing roster of material during the mid- to late '90s. Still Coxon wanted to steer into another musical invention. Expectations and personal wishes led him to throw his energy into a solo career. It was a side project of sorts, a loophole for Coxon to streamline his own ideas his own way. Blur enjoyed mainstream success in America with "Song 2" from their 1997 self-titled release. Coxon's musical influences start to appear during this time, elements of American indie rock (Pavement, Pixies, Sonic Youth) shower through the band's work. It was shortly thereafter that Coxon founded his own label, Transcopic and released The Sky Is Too High in 1998 (the album was released on Caroline stateside). His straight-ahead lo-fi sound and post-punk yearnings were finally captured on a glowing debut, a favorite among the college charts, but still a stifling move for die-hard Blur fans. No one was sure what to make of Coxon's solo motivation. Unfortunately, a year later, it was brushed aside by the release of Blur's sixth album, 13. Coxon remained the quiet one, despite his deepest efforts to make his most artistic side more apparent. But keeping up with the speed of things, Coxon put all things Blur aside to release his second LP, The Golden D, in mid-2000. Two years later, Coxon shocked Blur fans around the world by announcing his departure from the band. Recording for Think Tank had just gotten underway in Marrakesh, Morocco; however Coxon had already grown distant, personally and creatively, from the rest of the band. In turn, Coxon fell back on his solo career and focused on fatherhood. His fourth album, Kiss of Morning, appeared in October. Two years following, Coxon hooked up with producer Stephen Street for his biggest solo achievement yet. Happiness in Magazines was released in May 2004. Love Travels at Illegal Speeds appeared two years later.