FEATURE: California’s Dreamin'? The Chaos and Horror of the Wildfires and Mass Shooting and the Effect on the Californian Music Community

FEATURE:

 

 

California’s Dreamin'?

IN THIS PHOTO: Santa Monica, California/PHOTO CREDIT: @rutgerg_sink_sink_sink_sink_sink  

The Chaos and Horror of the Wildfires and Mass Shooting and the Effect on the Californian Music Community

__________

NATURAL disasters and climate-related destruction…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Part of a staircase stands amid the remains of a home that was one of thousands destroyed by the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif., north of Sacramento; 8th Nov., 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

is becoming more common and, as the temperature rises; certain areas of the world are vulnerable to wildfires and needless destruction. You have to wonder whether President Donald Trump will do anything to redress the issues in California and the loss that has been incurred. He seems pretty unmoved when it comes to climate change and is one of those people who assume everything is fine and nothing needs to be done. You can hardly avoid the news and the terrible details we are hearing about California. The BBC has given an update regarding death toll and the latest news:

“The death toll in wildfires sweeping California has risen to 31, with more than 200 people still missing, officials have said.

Six more people were confirmed killed in the Camp Fire in the north of the state, taking the toll there to 29.

That fire now equals the deadliest on record in California - the 1933 Griffith Park disaster in Los Angeles.

In the south, the Woolsey Fire has claimed two lives as it damaged beach resorts including Malibu.

An estimated 250,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to avoid three major blazes in the state.

With strengthening winds threatening to spread the flames, California Governor Jerry Brown has urged President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster, a move that would harness more federal emergency funds...

 

The appeal came a day after Mr Trump threatened to cut funding for California, blaming the fires on poor forest management.

Harold Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, called the president's comments "reckless and insulting".

California is one of the world’s biggest economies – bigger than the U.K. – and to hear about such loss and suffering there is horrible. One can only imagine the distress felt by those seeing their homes go up and losing everything they own. Although a small gesture; Kim Kardashian-West has ‘dedicated’ an award to the brave firefighters:

“Kim Kardashian-West has dedicated an award win to the emergency services dealing with wildfires and a mass shooting in California.

Accepting the award for best reality TV series at the E! People's Choice Awards, she said: "We truly appreciate what you've done for all of us."

She's one of several celebrities who have had to flee their homes as wildfires spread across the state.

A gunman also killed 12 people at a bar in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday.

Speaking at the award ceremony on Sunday, Kim said: "Our country is stronger when we come together and we cannot face devastation alone.

"We must continue to reach out and help each other in these trying times".

There are two California-based ‘events’ I want to look at but the unending and horrific wildfires that are sweeping through the state and destroying homes and lives is something that is affecting the music community. I am sad every time a musician is affected by bad weather here. Whether it is flooding or strong winds; you hear about big bands and artists having their studios destroyed and losing so much. In California, I am reading reports of studios and homes being devastated.

IN THIS PHOTO: Neil Young performs at Festival d'ete de Quebec on 6th July, 2018 in Quebec City, Canada/PHOTO CREDIT: Scott Legato/Getty Images

There are a lot of less-known, local musicians whose homes and studios have been impacted but Neil Young has spoken about his loss. This article looks at the loss incurred and how it is affecting some of the California-based musicians:

“Neil Young has criticised Donald Trump for his reluctance to act on climate change after California wildfires destroyed the songwriter’s home.

In a tweet posted on 10 November, the US president blamed California’s “gross mismanagement of the forests” for the damage caused by the wildfires in northern and southern California. He implied that federal funding would be withdrawn if the situation was not rectified.

In a post on his website, Young responded: “California is vulnerable – not because of poor forest management as DT (our so-called president) would have us think. We are vulnerable because of climate change; the extreme weather events and our extended drought is part of it.”

Young is among a number of stars known to have been affected by the wildfires. David Bowie’s long-term pianist Mike Garson tweeted on Saturdayabout losing his home and studio. Actor Gerard Butler posted a photograph of his charred home and thanked firefighters for their “courage, spirit and sacrifice”. Miley Cyrus said that she lost her home but escaped with her fiancé, the actor Liam Hemsworth, and their animals.

Lady Gaga tweeted that she had been evacuated from her residence. “I’m sitting here with many of you wondering if my home will burst into flames.”

Katy Perry and Rod Stewart also criticised Trump over his tweets. “This is an absolutely heartless response,” Perry tweeted. Stewart said: “California needs words of support & encouragement, not threats or finger pointing & accusations”.

 

I know natural disasters impact all parts of America but the fact California has suffered such loss and houses such a wide and important music community makes me fearful of the future. Trump might be in the White House for another six years – horrifying to think! – and you wonder whether he will ever budge when it comes to climate control. He is in the dark and is blissfully unaware of the realities that face the world. Look at all the important culture that comes from California and realise how vulnerable it is. The full death toll will not be known until the fires are extinguished and one cannot truly say how much physical loss there will be regarding homes and businesses. The fact that some big-name musicians have been impacted is bad enough but there are many more, who will not make the news, who will have to rebuild their studios and homes and start again. Every right-minded person knows about global warming and how climate change is affecting the planet and for a nation to be run by someone so ignorant is terrifying and doing untold damage. Who knows how many other wildfires will ravage California and what damage that will do?! Another horror that has impacted the U.S. state is the gun massacre that occurred recently.  A few days ago, we had to hear the news of yet another mass shooting in America.

The BBC provided news as it unfolded:

“A US Marine Corps veteran with suspected mental health issues killed 12 people in a busy bar in California, including a policeman, officials say.

The shooting began at 23:20 local time on Wednesday in Thousand Oaks about 40 miles (65km) north-west of Los Angeles.

At least 200 people were reportedly inside the Borderline Bar and Grill, which was hosting a student line-dancing night.

Police named the suspect as 28-year-old Ian David Long.

Earlier this year, police mental health professionals cleared him after he was found behaving "irrationally" at his home, said authorities.

One survivor said he and his friends also escaped death last year in the deadliest US mass shooting of modern times, when a gunman killed 58 people at a Las Vegas country music concert.

Nicholas Champion told CBS News: "We're all a big family and unfortunately this family got hit twice."

Popular among students, the bar is close to California Lutheran University, Pepperdine University and Moorpark College”.

Although the shooting happened at a line dancing event; a lot of Country music fans attended the bar and some, as you can see, survived the horrific shooting in Las Vegas. Like climate change and the effect it is having on California/the U.S.; many are calling for stricter gun control and new laws. Whereas there has been a physical loss – property etc. – with regards the wildfires; the killings at Borderline was an attack on music fans in a very popular and populated part of California. I was angered when writing about the murders in Las Vegas last year and felt that, given the loss of life, how can someone like Trump stay still and ignore the massive issue in the country?!

You can guarantee there will be more wildfires and there will be more mass shootings. One suspects we have not, sadly, heard the last of attacks against the music community and the huge loss being suffered by many in California right now. An economy and state as big as California, one would feel, would be more secure than other parts of America. The fact that many could have seen these wildfires coming is a result of a lack of empathy and understanding from the President. The massacre that claimed so many lives a few days ago, again, is a problem that can be traced to Trump and his ineffectiveness. It seems gun laws are stricter and more regulated in other parts of America:

“A California law designed to help police or family members keep guns out of the hands of at-risk individuals might have stopped the shooter who killed 12 people at a country and western bar.

After a mass shooting four years ago, the state passed a new law where courts could be asked to temporarily bar an at-risk person from owning guns.

The massacre in Thousand Oaks, California, has troubling parallels to the 2014 shooting, experts said, highlighting the fact that California’s three-year-old “gun violence restraining order” law is still rarely used.

Passed in the wake of the 2014 Isla Vista shooting, the new law was designed to close gaps in existing laws on mental health and violence – gaps that had allowed the Isla Vista shooter, Elliot Rodger, to legally own guns, despite a history of disturbing behavior that had alarmed his family and prompted a welfare check from law enforcement.

“There are a lot of law enforcement officers in this state who have never heard of the gun violence restraining order,” said Allison Anderman, the managing attorney at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, who is working to improve implementation of the law.

“There’s nothing at the state level that I’m aware of that requires officers to be trained in this law”.

This is an absolutely heartless response. There aren’t even politics involved. Just good American families losing their homes as you tweet, evacuating into shelters. https://t.co/DJ4PN26bLZ

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) November 10, 2018

Maybe, you say, ordinary folk have suffered more than the music community regarding these two events – and you’d be right in many ways. I am not suggesting the lives of musicians are more important than anyone else’s but I can see how the shootings and wildfires have affected the community; from some world-famous artists to less-known musicians; it has been a hellacious and devastating last week or two. Whilst there has been some very visible and notable damage done to the musical community in California; one wonders what comes next and what the next step is going to be. One suspects there will be a benefit or fundraising concert and I suspect big artists like Neil Young and Katy Perry will contribute. I am sure Neil Young will write a song about the events – when he can get into a new studio/home – and the music community will react with anger. Fundraising and raising awareness is a good step and it will help spread messages to the world. We all know about climate change and gun massacres in the U.S. but recent occurrences, again, have raised calls for greater action regarding climate change laws and stricter gun control. Other parts of America’s music community are affected by climate and gun concerns but California is completely opposed to Trump and what he stands for. If California’s musicians and music locations want to avoid needless loss and devastation then is succeeding the answer?! The New Statesman gives some more details:

“The concept of “Calexit”, or “Wexit” if joined by other progressive western states such as Washington and Oregon, has existed for years, drawing inspiration from fellow independence movements in Scotland and Catalonia. But it was in the wake of Donald Trump’s election as US president that the campaign truly gained traction. On issues such as immigration and free trade, Trump’s politics are diametrically opposed to those of California...

IN THIS PHOTO: Malibu, California/PHOTO CREDIT: @xangriffin

Evans was in Sacramento, the state capital, the day after Trump’s victory in November 2016. “People were just walking around the streets and crying,” he recalled. “It was weird. I’ve never seen that before. People just crying uncontrollably everywhere you went.”

Yes California’s membership increased by 400 per cent after election day. The organisation’s mailing list now has 98,000 subscribers; its Facebook page has 42,000 members, which, Evans pointed out, is only a few thousand less than the page for the California Democratic Party. In January 2017, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed support for state independence had risen from 20 per cent to 32 per cent; a Stanford University poll the same month found that 36 per cent of 18- t0 29-year-old Californians were in favour of secession, with a further 23 per cent undecided.

The notion of an independent California is far from absurd. The state’s Democratic governor Jerry Brown views “the sixth-largest economy of the world as capable of playing more of a nation state-like role”, his biographer, Orville Schell, told Politico last year.

In May, California surpassed the UK to become the world’s fifth-largest economy with a gross state product (the equivalent of GDP) of $2.747trn. Crucially, it is also a net contributor to the US federal budget: it receives considerably less ($356bn) than it pays in ($369bn). The state’s population of 39.54 million makes it larger than Poland”.

The music coming from has always been vital and I fear the long-term effects of Trump’s naivety and ineffectiveness will mean we’ll see more natural disaster, shootings and who knows what. The state is a huge economy and power in its own right but, essentially, still has to live in Trump’s America. You might say that California separating itself from the rest of America is extreme but we can see the devastation unfolding and how recent events have happened so easily. If California could be its own entity then I feel it could mean gun laws coming in and fast and effective climate control regulations. I am not sure what the government there would have in mind but it would mean having some sort of say and independence. Whilst it would be a good and smart move for the citizens; I feel the music community could also benefit. If we could avoid the sort of tragedy felt the last week then that would be a good thing. The state is vulnerable and I feel something needs to be done. As I said; who knows what could happen next regarding another tragedy. There is a fear and sense of unease in California and the fact Trump’s blind consciousness and general buffoonery is leading to needless loss of life is good enough reason to talk about the state becoming independent. I am not sure whether it will ever be realised but many, not only in the music world, would like to see it happen. The Golden State has a glorious music scene and so many artists we all rely on and, under Trump; there is this tarnishing and general unhappiness that need to be combated. If California rebelling against Trump and separating themselves from the U.S. prevents devastation and huge loss of life then I am all for it. The music community is being hit hard and effected in different ways and it is very clear...

IN THIS PHOTO: Flames from a wildfire burn a portion of Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California; 9th November, 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

SOMETHING needs to be done!   

FEATURE: Ending the Decade in Style: Part V/V: The Finest Albums of 1969

FEATURE:

 

 

Ending the Decade in Style

PHOTO CREDIT: @trommelkopf/Unsplash  

Part V/V: The Finest Albums of 1969

__________

THE reason I want to put together a new feature…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @romankraft/Unsplash

is to shine a light on the albums that end a decade with a huge bang. I feel it is hard to define what a decade is about and how it evolves but the first and last years are crucial. Entering a decade with a big album is a great way to stand out and, similarly, ending it with something stunning is vital. It can be hard leaving a brilliant and bountiful decade of music but I wanted to shine a light on the artists who brought out albums that did justice; gave hope the next decade would be full, exciting and brilliant. I will do a five-part series about albums that opened a decade with panache but, right now, the fifth in a five-part feature that collates the best decade-enders from the 1960s, 1970s; 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. I am focusing on 1969 and the best ten records from the year. The 1960s was a truly staggering decade and some of the very best records from the decade were released right at the very end. Have a look at these ten 1969-released albums and I am sure you will agree that the 1960s was a pretty....

 PHOTO CREDIT: @priscilladupreez/Unsplash

FANTASTIC decade.

______________

The Beatles – Abbey Road

Release Date: 26th September, 1969 (U.K.)/1st October, 1969 (U.S.)

Label: Apple

Review:

“Then, just for a moment, we're into Paul's "You Never Give Me Your Money," which seems more a daydream than an actual address to the girl he's thinking about. Allowed to remain pensive only for an instant, we're next transported, via Paul's "Lady Madonna" voice and boogie-woogie piano in the bridge, to this happy thought: "Oh, that magic feelin'/Nowhere to go." Crickets' chirping and a kid's nursery rhyme ("1-2-3-4-5-6-7/All good children go to heaven") lead us from there into a dreamy John number, "Sun King," in which we find him singing for the Italian market, words like amore and felice giving us some clue as to the feel of this reminiscent-of-"In My Room" ballad.

And then, before we know what's happened, we're out in John Lennon's England meeting these two human oddities, Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam. From there it's off to watch a surreal afternoon telly programme, Paul's "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window." Pensive and a touch melancholy again a moment later, we're into "Golden Slumbers," from which we wake to the resounding thousands of voices on "Carry That Weight," a rollicking little commentary of life's labours if ever there was one, and hence to a reprise of the "Money" theme (the most addicting melody and unforgettable words on the album). Finally, a perfect epitaph for our visit to the world of Beatle daydreams: "The love you take is equal to the love you make ..." And, just for the record, Paul's gonna make Her Majesty his.

I'd hesitate to say anything's impossible for him after listening to Abbey Road the first thousand times, and the others aren't far behind. To iy mind, they're equatable, but still unsurpassed” – Rolling Stone

Standout Track: Come Together

 

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II

Release Date: 22nd October, 1969

Label: Atlantic

Review:

“Every track on this record is musically brilliant, and in the span of just a few months it’s amazing how much Page had enriched the band’s sound. Chiming acoustic guitars provide the contrast to the crunch in a whole new way on “Ramble On” and “Thank You”, offering yet another template for mixing folk with proto-metal. “Whole Lotta Love” might have gotten the band sued by Willie Dixon, but there was no sonic precedent for it in rock music—it’s a sound that would have been unimaginable without the rise of drug culture. If you are not a drummer, it’s hard to imagine listening to “Moby Dick” very often, but better evidence of John Bonham’s genius is found elsewhere on the record. Zep’s rhythmic underpinning, especially the locked-in tandem of Jones and Bonham, was always their secret weapon, the thing that divided them from contemporaries like Black Sabbath” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Moby Dick

The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

Release Date: 5th December, 1969

Labels: Decca (U.K.); London (U.S.)

Review:

“The Stones were never as consistent on album as their main rivals, the Beatles, and Let It Bleed suffers from some rather perfunctory tracks, like "Monkey Man" and a countrified remake of the classic "Honky Tonk Woman" (here titled "Country Honk"). Yet some of the songs are among their very best, especially "Gimme Shelter," with its shimmering guitar lines and apocalyptic lyrics; the harmonica-driven "Midnight Rambler"; the druggy party ambience of the title track; and the stunning "You Can't Always Get What You Want," which was the Stones' "Hey Jude" of sorts, with its epic structure, horns, philosophical lyrics, and swelling choral vocals. "You Got the Silver" (Keith Richards' first lead vocal) and Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain," by contrast, were as close to the roots of acoustic down-home blues as the Stones ever got” – AllMusic   

Standout Track: Gimme Shelter                   

Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left

Release Date: 3rd July, 1969

Label: Island

Review:

“Drake is often painted as a retiring man, yet he was often extremely vocal over his muse. He and Boyd initially fought over Drake's wish for a stripped back approach (which he eventually found on his last masterpiece, Pink Moon). In the end old college friend, Robert Kirby, provided orchestration that beautifully captured the yearning 'autumnal' element in the songs "Way To Blue" and "Day Is Done".

What's more, the string arrangement by Harry Robinson on "River Man" - possibly Drake's finest song - succinctly turned his Delius-meets-folk-jazz opus into something that no one had ever heard before. It's a key text for Drake fans, containing the return to nature matched against the infidelities of city life: A theme he would return to again and again, while the album title's sly reference to smoker's delights (as well as "Thoughts Of Mary Jane") showed that Drake was no stranger to the standard musician's indulgences.

Widely ignored upon its release, with hindsight it's easy to see how such ignorance conspired to make Drake a bitter man. Yet ultimately all we can do is bask in the unique vision captured here and be grateful that, for a short period, Nick Drake was able to share it with us all” – BBC

Standout Track: Way to Blue

Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline

Release Date: 9th April, 1969  

Label: Columbia  

Review:

“John Wesley Harding suggested country with its textures and structures, but Nashville Skyline was a full-fledged country album, complete with steel guitars and brief, direct songs. It's a warm, friendly album, particularly since Bob Dylan is singing in a previously unheard gentle croon -- the sound of his voice is so different it may be disarming upon first listen, but it suits the songs. While there are a handful of lightweight numbers on the record, at its core are several excellent songs -- "Lay Lady Lay," "To Be Alone With You," "I Threw It All Away," "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," as well as a duet with Johnny Cash on "Girl From the North Country" -- that have become country-rock standards. And there's no discounting that Nashville Skyline, arriving in the spring of 1969, established country-rock as a vital force in pop music, as well as a commercially viable genre” – Allmusic

Standout Track: Lay, Lady, Lay

 

Dusty Springfield – Dusty in Memphis

Release Date: 31st March, 1969

Label: Atlantic

Review:

“Sometimes memories distort or inflate the quality of recordings deemed legendary, but in the case of Dusty in Memphis, the years have only strengthened its reputation. The idea of taking England's reigning female soul queen to the home of the music she had mastered was an inspired one. The Jerry Wexler/Tom Dowd/Arif Mardin production and engineering team picked mostly perfect songs, and those that weren't so great were salvaged by Springfield's marvelous delivery and technique. This set has definitive numbers in "So Much Love," "Son of a Preacher Man," "Breakfast in Bed," "Just One Smile," "I Don't Want to Hear About It Anymore," and "Just a Little Lovin'" and three bonus tracks: an unreleased version of "What Do You Do When Love Dies," "Willie & Laura Mae Jones" and "That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-De-Ho)." It's truly a disc deserving of its classic status” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Son of a Preacher Man

MC5 – Kick Out the Jams

Release Date: February 1969

Label: Elektra

Review:

“Since 1965, singer Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, bassist Michael Smith and drummer Dennis Thompson had been cutting their teeth in and around the Motor City: gradually evolving from British Invasion and garage rock foundations to incorporate the region’s R&B influences and even the work of free jazz exponents like John Coltrane and space-jazz legend Sun-Ra.

The latter’s unique aesthetic would duly inform Kick Out the Jams’ tripped-out "Starship," while those osmosis-acquired R&B and blues lessons made their presence known in apocalyptic blasts like "Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)," "‘Motor City is Burning" and "I Want You Right Now." Finally, the young group’s interpretation of rock and roll history resulted in heavy rock and proto-punk slabs such as "Ramblin’ Rose," "Come Together" and "Borderline." Fittingly, the LP stirred public opinion as soon as it hit record store shelves — seemingly because of Tyner’s profane invocation while announcing the title track (later overdubbed with “Kick out the jams, brothers and sisters”), but primarily due to the militant associations spearheaded by band manager John Sinclair.

Much more than a simple manager, Sinclair carefully orchestrated a comprehensive philosophical manifesto for the MC5 — one that went well beyond their music and, although rooted in the same, wide-ranging call for societal reform prevalent throughout the late-‘60s, took things quite a few steps further into fiery activism and included a controversial affiliation with the White Panther Party.

Between these two points of conflict, mainstream retail chains were soon refusing to carry the album (and anything released by Elektra, for that matter), inevitably forcing the record company to censor Tyner’s rallying cry, as explained above (though not before limited quantities landed behind record store counters), and irreparably damaging band/label relations.

Within the year, Sinclair would be incarcerated on trumped-up drugs charges, Elektra would drop the MC5 for fear of further recriminations, and the band would never recover their musical or emotional momentum, thus making Kick Out the Jams an even more historically unique and, ironically, powerful musical statement that still reverberates down the decades” – Ultimate Classic Rock

Standout Track: Kick Out the Jams

 

Scott Walker – Scott 4

Release Date: November 1969

Labels: Phillips; Fontana

Review:

“Walker dropped out of the British Top Ten with his fourth album, but the result was probably his finest '60s LP. While the tension between the bloated production and his introspective, ambitious lyrics remains, much of the over-the-top bombast of the orchestral arrangements has been reined in, leaving a relatively stripped-down approach that complements his songs rather than smothering them. This is the first Walker album to feature entirely original material, and his songwriting is more lucid and cutting. Several of the tracks stand among his finest. "The Seventh Seal," based upon the classic film by Ingmar Bergman, features remarkably ambitious (and relatively successful) lyrics set against a haunting Ennio Morricone-style arrangement. "The Old Man's Back Again" also echoes Morricone, and tackles no less ambitious a lyrical palette; "dedicated to the neo-Stalinist regime," the "old man" of this song was supposedly Josef Stalin. "Hero of the War" is also one of Walker's better vignettes, serenading his war hero with a cryptic mix of tribute and irony. Other songs show engaging folk, country, and soul influences that were largely buried on his previous solo albums” – AllMusic

Standout Track: The Seventh Seal

 

The Stooges – The Stooges

Release Date: 5th August, 1969

Label: Elektra

Review:

“The Stooges were signed to the peace-and-love promoting Elektra Records when A&R man Danny Fields caught them in concert as he was signing the MC5. After being forced by label boss Jac Holzman to write more material, The Stooges was produced by John Cale immediately after leaving the Velvet Underground. Cale’s all-faders-open production is one of the most exciting captured on record. This is rock at its most primordial. Ron Asheton’s guitar solo on “I Wanna Be Your Dog” has absolutely nothing to do with virtuoso grandstanding – it’s played as if his whole life depends on it. “No Fun” dispels any notion that the 60s were all about hippie harmony

The Stooges’ debut album is the original punk rock rush on record, a long-held well-kept secret by those in the know. The influence on John Lydon and Mark E. Smith in particular is immense. Rolling Stone said in 1992 that “there’s a finely honed metal-edge to the Stooges' Motor City psychedelia that keeps it from sounded dated.” This is absolutely true; it sounds like it’s been recorded in a garage this very morning” – BBC

Standout Track: 1969

 

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy and the Poor Boys

Release Date: 2nd November, 1969

Label: Fantasy

Review:

“Make no mistake, Willy & the Poor Boys is a fun record, perhaps the breeziest album CCR ever made. Apart from the eerie minor-key closer "Effigy" (one of John Fogerty's most haunting numbers), there is little of the doom that colored Green River. Fogerty's rage remains, blazing to the forefront on "Fortunate Son," a working-class protest song that cuts harder than any of the explicit Vietnam protest songs of the era, which is one of the reasons that it hasn't aged where its peers have. Also, there's that unbridled vocal from Fogerty and the ferocious playing on CCR, which both sound fresh as they did upon release. "Fortunate Son" is one of the greatest, hardest rock & rollers ever cut, so it might seem to be out of step with an album that is pretty laid-back and friendly, but there's that elemental joy that by late '69 was one of CCR's main trademarks. That joy runs throughout the album, from the gleeful single "Down on the Corner" and the lazy jugband blues of "Poorboy Shuffle" through the great slow blues jam "Feelin' Blue" to the great rockabilly spiritual "Don't Look Now," one of Fogerty's overlooked gems. The covers don't feel like throwaways, either, since both "Cotton Fields" and "The Midnight Special" have been overhauled to feel like genuine CCR songs. It all adds up to one of the greatest pure rock & roll records ever cut” – AllMusic  

Standout Track: Down on the Corner

INTERVIEW: Charlie Melrose

INTERVIEW:

Charlie Melrose

___________

MY final interview today...

is with Brighton-based Charlie Melrose who talks to me about her single, The Original Ghost, and its background. I ask what it is like having famous musicians in the family and what she has planned going forward – Melrose talks about some rising artists we need to get behind.

I was curious to discover what her early life was like in terms of music exposure; whether there are plans in her mind for next year and which musical memory stands in the mind – she ends the interview by selecting a great song (or two)!

__________

Hi, Charlie. How are you? How has your week been?

I’m good! Are you? My week has been manic but good. I’ve been prepping for the upcoming single launch; we’ve got a lot planned for this event!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m am Artpop/Neo-Soul artist brought up in Scotland/Cornwall and now based in Brighton.

The Original Ghost is your new single. Is there a story behind it?

Yeah, there is…

I suppose perhaps it comes across as a song written by a ghosted lover…but it’s not how it is. The song is about my biological father - he is the ‘original ghost’ in my life story; coming in and out of my life (mostly out) as he pleased and me spending most of my childhood and adult life not knowing his address or where he might be. Maybe some would shun a ‘father’ like that…unfortunately, for me, I just accepted it and got hurt and hurt over and over. It affected my relationships with men and I got into a vicious circle of going out with men who would treat me in a similar way to him; not taking any of my feelings into account. I didn't see myself as worthy deep down because the child in me thought ‘there must be something really bad about me that I’m not worth contacting or caring about’ - so I let it keep happening.

But, one day (about this time last year actually), I stood up to my ghost. Through a lot of hard work, I have convinced myself that I am worthy of better treatment and…love. I agreed to meet him in Brighton (he was on tour with Hazel O’Connor - his sister and my aunt) and I was extremely brave. I stood up to him and told him that what he had done to me was wrong and that I was in charge now - and I told him I was never to hear from him again; he is not allowed to contact me ever again and he shan’t ever hear from me or follow me on social media. I took control of the situation and ghosted him back. Forever, done; capiche.

I walked away crying and laughing at the same time. It was the single most empowering and terrifying thing I have ever done. The Original Ghost embodies some of that empowerment and also tells of some of the story that I have been through with him and relationships.

Might we see some more material coming next year?

Absolutely! This is just the beginning - I’m aiming to release an album; there may be some more singles first.

Hazel O’Connor is your aunt! How influential is she in regards your music?

She is! She’s not been massively influential on purpose. Weirdly, I got told something very strange when I performed in my first band at nineteen. It was a battle of the bands-type thing. The judge said “You probably don’t know who this is but you remind me of Hazel O’Connor”. I was astonished. My response was “Well, I don’t know her personally…but she is my auntie”.

The first time I met her I saw her at a gig and it was very emotional for me. She was fantastic. I felt so sad that I had missed out on having her in my life for my whole childhood. She seemed almost like a myth to me…but we really were related. Maybe she was another sort of ghost; someone I looked up to but never knew...

Did you grow up in a musical family? Which artists did you discover at a young age?

My musical family are my ghosts - Hazel and Neil. My mum and my stepdad are not musical at all: my mum has always been really supportive but admits she didn’t particularly want me to sing because she knew how unreliable of a career path it was. But, it was impossible for me to not pursue music. It feels like it’s a huge part of what makes me who I am.

Artists I loved at a young age weren’t particularly good. Haha. My favourite singer was ‘Sporty Spice’ when I was a kid, no joke! I loved her. I used to dress like her and everything. In my teens I was into Emo and Punk (and Metal apparently but I was massively lying to myself on that one) and, in my late-teens, I loved Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black (and still do); Wallis Bird’s Spoons and Kate Nash’s Made of Bricks.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

A successful launch of The Original Ghost and some festival slots booked for next year.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Absolutely: write and record the album, tour and play festivals.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Yeah. I sure do. I used to front a Punk/Rock band and we opened the Main Stage for the Buzzcocks at Rebellion Festival (2012) to a huge crowd in a big ballroom (Blackpool Winter Gardens). The feeling on that stage was phenomenal.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

So beautifully written; so real, so heartbreaking; just incredible. Amy touches my soul.

For All We Know - Nao

Amazing music with pure passion and GROOVE. My favourite modern artist besides Christine and the Queens.

Spoons - Wallis Bird

Every song means something to me; it’s such a brilliant album. I think songs you really incredibly love as a teenager will always take you back to those moments that you identified so deeply with at the time. It’s very nostalgic for me.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Christine and the Queens, please! That would be so sick.

Ooooh; rider. Prosecco, grapes; loads of water (boring but essential. Haha), roasted vegetable wraps; roast potatoes (for afterwards, please); dairy-free chocolate milk and vanilla yoghurts.

Haha. I’m talking to you like you’re booking me.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

If you have a passion, drive and a plan you’re halfway there. Want it. Want it bad. But, don’t want it so much that you forget to enjoy the journey. There will be moments where you’ll tear your hair out and you’ll wonder what the point of it all is - and then you’ll play ‘that gig’ and that’ll remind you exactly why you’re doing it.

IN THIS PHOTO: Yazmyn Hendrix

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yazmyn Hendrix is epic! Loop artist with all the vocal chops and a fantastic songwriter. Tasha Robertson is wonderful. I sang backing vocals for her for Sofar Sounds Chichester. She has a lovely, sweet voice and folky, poppy tunes. She’s like a sweeter more tuneful Kate Nash.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I love yoga and surfing. I love exploring and adventures. I really need an adventure every once in a while to chill my mind out. I’m quite a highly-strung anxious sort of person who needs to be reminded to have a day off. I love countryside missions and riding horses. I also love to DANCE.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Christine and the Queens - Girlfriend

OR

Bad Blood - Nao

Both are wonderful

__________

Follow Charlie Melrose

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/charliemelrosemusic/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/charliemelrose/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0xPg9VQMYIHLCVxB0zHjNS?si=NYSsPxn8TG-JcawljgPbAw

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/charliemelrose

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4ixe4T8aqdjIrt-v7-bJQ

INTERVIEW: Lost Cousins

INTERVIEW:

Lost Cousins

___________

I have been speaking with Lost Cousins...

about their new single, Stay, and how it came together. I was keen to know how the band found one another and what the story is; if there is going to be more material coming through and whether there are going to be some tour dates approaching.

The guys talks to me about some rising artists to watch and the advice they’d give to approaching musicians; how they chill away from music – they reveal which people they’d like as ‘lost cousins’ if they could choose anyone in the world.

__________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Our week’s been great! It’s been a little hectic between preparing for some upcoming shows and being consumed by the process of releasing new music - and a few other cool things we’ve been cooking up - but we’re excited to share our new material.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Of course! We’re Lost Cousins; a four-piece Psych-Rock band from Toronto, Canada. People have described our sound as a mix between Tame Impala, Local Natives; Washed Out and My Morning Jacket. Lots of big ambient textures but with a big dynamic range and driving rhythms.

Stay is your new single. Is there a story behind it?

There is a subtle story behind Stay. It’s about moving away from somewhere that you love to a new, unfamiliar place. Our drummer and singer Cam moved across the country when he was a kid and our band moved to a new city right after school, so the song sort of touches on both of those experiences. The lyrics are about sitting in the backseat of a car and staring at the changing scenery that passes while awaiting a new beginning.

Might there be more material coming next year?

We have another new single coming out on November 23rd and our debut album, In Scenery, is scheduled for Feb. 1st release!

I believe there is an interesting story behind the formation of Lost Cousins. Can you elaborate…?

Lost Cousins stemmed originally from the name of one of our songs. The group started as a project that gained and lost members through a ‘friend of a friend’-type system and was gaining new fans solely through playing shows. We had virtually no music online and so the band was facilitated entirely through friend groups. Due to the fact that the group started in university, each one of us had moved from a different city and ended up playing music together in another.

I think, because we all left friends and family in our respective homes, we felt a sense of new community, but also the loss of another. The name ‘Lost Cousins’ came from those feelings. People always say to us “Hey. I have some cousins I haven’t heard from in years” and that sort of explains what the band name means – feeling connected to people outside of your physical environment, who you might not have communicated with in a while. It’s that sense of community (whether near or far) that helped our group form initially.

Do you share similar tastes? Who are you inspired by?

We do have similar tastes; which is helpful when we are arranging our music, but naturally there will always be some differences in what we listen to and draw inspiration from. We tend to be most inspired by experimentation and uniqueness. Bands or artists that create sounds never heard before are huge inspirations for us and have shaped and directed our own ambitions in producing our music. We really admire and strive toward the intersection of enticing melodies or progressions that are supported by creative production ideas and innovative textures and sounds.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

We hope that our longtime fans can enjoy and resonate with our new music and that we can connect with some new people by the end of 2018. Since our first ‘single’ and E.P. in 2015, we only released one song before Mindmaker came out this year. We’re unbelievably stoked to finally share what we’ve been working on.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

As mentioned, our debut album comes out in February. Other than that; we plan to hit the road, take to the air and never come back.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Cam: On a personal level; we played at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa earlier this year and the acoustics blew me away. Everyone was seated listening to us (which is often not the case) and were therefore really attention to what we were playing. The sound could not have been better in that room and I was extremely happy to share our live sound in that setting. I’m also from Ottawa originally so it was a special night for me. I think, as a band, one of our first festival performances sticks out for sure.

Also - we played at the inaugural Wayhome Music and Arts Festival, which has since fizzled out of existence but it was an extremely cool festival north of Toronto run by the same team that puts on Bonnaroo. That show sticks out because we played to about 1000 people and, before that, our biggest audience had probably been about 200.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

We actually only have singles released before this, so our debut album will and does mean the most to us.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I think, if we could support any musician today, it would probably be either M83 or Local Natives – we’ve listened to those bands for ages now and would love the opportunity to play alongside them.

We’re not too picky with riders, but we do have this one thing going on where we ask for a Tide to Go Stick and then purposefully spill on ourselves before the set in order to make good use of it. Rituals.

Given the band’s name; if you each found out you had a long-lost cousin, who would you want that to be and why?

Cam: I would have to say some iconic producer/artist like Brian Eno.

Lloyd: I tried to think of something hypothetical but all I could think of was a real story that just happened - I actually was recently fortunate enough to connect and meet up with a second-cousin who moved to Toronto in September. We had met once when we were five and seven-years-old or so but had never met or even had a conversion prior to a month ago. He also happens to be a great musician and has started his Master’s in Musicology at the very same school in which I’m doing my PhD in Music Education.

Thomas: The music nerd in me wants to say Dave Smith - an early innovator in synthesizer design and manufacturing. I spend a huge chunk of my time obsessing over my synth keyboard possessions, and to meet the man who created them in the first place would be a dream come true. But, if we took that a step further and he was actually my cousin...?! (Smiles).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

We’re still in the middle of figuring all this stuff out too, but our advice would be to play lots of shows; meet as many new people as you can, and really try to connect with them. If you believe in your music, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and just go for it.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Within the next month we’re playing plenty in Canada - specifically in Montreal, Ottawa; Kingston and Toronto. We’ll be doing a lot more playing once the album has been unleashed on the world.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Close Talker/PHOTO CREDIT: Jono Bernstein

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

So many...

Here are a few we came up with:

Close Talker - we’ve toured with these guys and they are an insane live band. Their records are awesome and get better with each listen. Highly recommend this Canadian band!

Adrianne Lenker - not necessarily new because she also happens to be the lead singer of Big Thief but her solo record, abysskiss, is amazing and perfect for fall/winter vibes.

argonaut&wasp - great Dance-Rock duo from Brooklyn we’ve connected with a few times when we’ve been in N.Y.C.

The Brandy Alexanders - smalltown Canadian band with a big-time Psychedelic, Indie-Pop sound.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Adrianna Lenker

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

We do spend a lot of time together, but we all kind of have our own lives and ways to get away from the music outside of the band. We like to play Settlers of Catan a lot and going to see other artists is really cathartic for us. A few of us like to read and write which we find is a great way to remove yourself from the stresses of life.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Cam: Letting Go by Wild Nothing

Lloyd: out of your mind by Adrianne Lenker

Thomas: Only a Shadow by The Cleaners From Venus

__________

Follow Lost Cousins

Official:

http://www.findlostcousinsband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LostCousinsBand/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LostCousinsBand

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lostcousinsband/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2yZQbeFIRhUpRehbauidnq

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/lostcousinsband

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/lostcousinsband

INTERVIEW: Cavey

INTERVIEW:

Cavey

___________

THANKS to Cavey for kicking this week off...

by telling me about the latest single, About to Start, and how it came together. I discover how the band came together and what is coming up in terms of gigs and material; which musicians and sounds inspire what they do – they recommend a rising artist to look out for.

I ask whether there is a favourite career memory so far and what they want to achieve before the end of this year; the advice approaching songwriters should take to heart – the interview is completed with a rather good song choice.

__________

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello! We've had a busy one preparing for the single launch, celebrating too!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We are Cavey; a four-piece Alt-Rock band from London. We try to tastefully combine playing styles into our particular sound; the interplay between Jazz harmony, electric guitar and my songwriting. It’s just Alt-Rock, but that's a pretty broad umbrella. There's something different in us and it comes from the band's technicalities.

What is the tale behind your new single, About to Start? How did it come together?

I haven't asked, but I'm sure most musicians experience a sort of double-reality; one in which they are fulfilled by the joy of playing and connection with bandmates and the audience and another in which nothing they do is ever enough to satisfy the abstract idea of success portrayed in films and the media. One is always in danger of succumbing to the latter, which can include overworking yourself, neglecting others and feeling incomplete. About to Start is about the conflict of love and the belief that the only way to make it is to sacrifice everything. 

Was it cool having Blaenavon’s Frank Wright produce? What was that like?!

Frank and I have been friends for years, so it was very comfortable. Because we know each other so well it makes it easier to communicate musically. I feel like we both know we can criticise each other constructively without negative consequences - which is always good - because then we're serving the song and not somebody's ego. 

Might we see more material from you guys next year?

Absolutely!

How did Cavey get together? Do you all share tastes in the same sort of music?

Cavey formed two years ago after Frank Wright (Blaenavon) introduced me to Adrian (drums) at a show in Kilburn. I had a couple of songs that weren't right for any of my current Country or Hard-Rock bands, because the songwriting was a little gentler and a little bleaker,  so I decided to form a new project. Adrian introduced me to a bunch of Jazz musicians at Guildhall and the songs I had written grew into a more cohesive sound that seemed like a good kind of different.

We played a few shows as a trio, with Alex (keys) doing the bass parts with his left hand, and had great feedback and support from the crowd so we decided to record a few tracks. We tracked them cheaply at a studio beneath Camden Roundhouse and they went on to become our first E.P., Night Time. We had Josh Eggerton of Social Contract play bass for a while, but he got too busy with his band, so Adrian suggested Refa playing double bass. She had all the songs down in like three days and smashed the E.P. launch so she was definitely in! That's still our current line-up.  

Refa, Alex and Adrian all studied Jazz music at Guildhall and they have their idols in that discipline, Sonny Clark, Tony Williams and Charlie Haden, as well as more contemporary Rock and Pop stuff. From Radiohead to ABBA, they really know their stuff! I learnt guitar with Classic-Rock and Blues. Classic stuff like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Sabbath on the Rock end and Howlin’ Wolf, T-Bone Walker and Freddie Kind on the Blues end. But, now I tend to gravitate towards the lyrically talented musicians - Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and Joni Mitchell to name a few. So, we are quite a mixed bag but there are definitely cross over points.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Now the single is out, we're gonna spend a while writing songs. I'm gonna try and have an album’s worth by Christmas.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Hopefully, the recording and release of that album!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

We played a show at Barrel Project in Bermondsey recently, but we weren't playing Cavey songs; it was mainly Jazz and Funk tunes. It was great to see Adrian Alex and Refa in their element and put myself out of my comfort zone too. In the end, we had such a great jam. It's sometimes more pressure playing originals so it was nice to blow off some musical steam like that!

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)? 

Adrian: Life to Everything by Phronesis

Because it’s really good.

Cavey: The Best Air Guitar Album in the World... Ever!

After listening to that a few times, I asked my dad for an electric guitar.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I'd support Ryley Walker. I’d ask have the promoters install a nacho cheese pump in the green room and serve us a sh*t-load of crisps and beer...and a million pounds.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

29th November at The Old Queen's Head. Tickets are £4 here. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Practicing and playing all the time are more important than a social media presence. Get your sh*t together before you start spreading stuff everywhere.

IMAGE CREDIT: Dick Stusso

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I recommend Dick Stusso.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Yeah, but I normally feel guilty for not working hard enough, so it can be difficult. If I can remember to tell myself I'm working hard enough, I'll go out and blow off some steam. I like dancing and karaoke is always fun. 

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

How Do You Think It Feels by Lou Reed

__________

Follow Cavey

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Caveyband/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/__cavey

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/__cavey/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SbnovsX1hCqILfAjptxnH?si=oZBVOVuZRxKMoFK4jzN3lQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/caveyband

INTERVIEW: Bryony Dunn

INTERVIEW:

Bryony Dunn

___________

I am ending the weekend by speaking with Bryony Dunn...

about her latest track, I Can’t Look Away. Her E.P., Full Bloom, came out on Friday so it is a busy time for the young songwriter. She tells me about her musical path and the albums that mean the most to her; what she has planned going forward and which rising artists we need to get behind.

I ask Dunn if she has a favourite memory from her time in music and what sort of sounds she grew up around; what she wants to achieve before the end of the year and whether we might see more material coming – she ends the interview by selecting a great track.

__________

Hi, Bryony. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! It’s not been bad at all, thank you. Started off with a gig at Cardiff University; popped into BBC Introducing Live and then a gig on Saturday at The Gladstone Arms in London – plus, my E.P., Full Bloom, came out. That’s pretty big I guess!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Bryony Dunn. I’m a singer-songwriter based in the Surrey Hills and I make Pop music.

I Can’t Look Away is your new track. What is the story behind it?

It’s a song about feeling pretty low in terms of self-esteem and then having someone - a friend, lover or family member - coming and pushing you to accept yourself and be a better person.

Will there be a music video for I Can’t Look Away do you think?

Hopefully, in early-December. My friend Willow and I have been planning but she’s at university at the moment so I intend to film when she gets back, fingers crossed!

Are you looking ahead to future material? Might we see more next year?

I’ve been writing so much over the past few years. I have a bunch of tracks that I absolutely love that aren’t quite ready yet. Depends what happens with the E.P.! 

Can you give me a sense of the artists you grew up around? When did music come into your life?

My parents always played so many different styles of music. The first gig I went to was Madness at the age of six and then the second was a Genesis reunion tour when I was about eleven (?). I also always listened to things like the Spice Girls and Britney Spears as well as Paul Simon and Fleetwood Mac, so it’s pretty eclectic - but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

A New Year’s Eve kiss. If you know anyone who’d be interested, direct them towards my D.M.s. Haha. But, if that’s not achievable then a whole bunch of streams on my E.P. would be really nice.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yep. I’m spending the first few months in the French Alps as a resident musician in a bar; then, hopefully, getting some more tunes out and doing some more gigs around the U.K.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

I did something I’ve always wanted to do in my gig in Cardiff. Half way through my electronic set; I stepped out totally unplugged into the audience with just me and my guitar and everyone sang along! Insane. It’s my new favourite thing.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Gosh. This is far too difficult; there’s no way I can pick a top-three but I’ll give you three good albums and why I chose them:

Torches by Foster the People means a lot to me because I listened to it on-repeat age fourteen with my good pal Tilda on a family holiday in Provence. We had an earphone each from my little U.S.B. Sony MP3 player (to which I had downloaded the live versions from YouTube of the album because my parents didn’t want to buy them for me) in our little twin bedroom when we were meant to be sleeping. Listening back to it now it still sounds sick.

Every Coldplay album has so much meaning for me and I adore the way that their albums flow from the first song to the last. But, Mylo Xyloto sticks out because, in our music class, three of my loveliest friends and I were allowed to go in a group for the Pop song project and we covered Paradise. We were then asked to perform it in the school concert which was a real beginning for me on the Pop music side of things.

Retrospectacle - The Supertramp Anthology. I remember singing in the back of the car on many long family journeys to Scotland to visit my grandparents. There was a song for every sort of feeling and they really moved me. I was lucky enough to get to see Roger Hodgson live at the Albert Hall once as well.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

It would have to be Coldplay. Their show is always incredible and every support act I’ve seen of theirs has subsequently blown up. As for the rider - a nice bunch of flowers, hot water; honey and lemon; tea and all of the food ever would probably do just fine to be honest.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’m not sure I can really give advice at this stage, but I asked this same question in a Q&A with Christine and the Queens and she said “Only you know best I think. You can ask for advice if you want but only you know best”. I think that’s pretty good advice.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

On the 25th November, I’m supporting Tom Williams in Guildford and on the 28th November I’ll be at Northern Guitars in Leeds. I’m also planning a bit of a party gig in Dorking on 17th December…so watch this space.

IN THIS PHOTO: Chincilla

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

AMBR. She’s a legend. Bedroom / Boredom are super-cool. FOXE are doing great things and Chinchilla doesn’t have any music out yet but, if you can catch her at a gig, you will not regret it.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bedroom / Boredom/PHOTO CREDIT: Adam Green/PHOTO EDIT: Jack Lynch

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I think time to chill is so important for staying sane. I go out walking with my dog Jasper and I like to read - but there’s nothing quite like a cup of tea and a movie.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

It’s got to be Crying Over You by HONNE. Can’t stop playing that at the minute!

__________

Follow Bryony Dunn

Official:

https://www.bryonydunn.co.uk/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/bryony.dunn

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BryonyG_Dunn

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bryonydunn/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7oY4MeaDDCv3FFalNWzUPR?si=N1Ngy73VTnC82GcZBw1NGw 

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Peter Gabriel - So

FEATURE:

 

 

Vinyl Corner

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Peter Gabriel - So

__________

IT would take a patient person…

 IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Peter Gabriel (1982); the songwriter’s fourth solo album/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

to tolerate an artist who released four eponymous albums in a row – in fact, releasing more than one would test patience! When Peter Gabriel released his fourth eponymous record in 1982; many wondered whether he was going to keep doing it and where it would all end! Think about the difficulty of doing that today. It would be a nightmare when it came to searching and ordering it from a record shop would be a bit of a palaver! 1982’s Peter Gabriel contained some strong songs but was not as well-received as some of his earlier work. A commercial change was needed and the outsider, cooler-than-anyone songwriter needed to take a leap. Although Gabriel claims So is a commercial album and one that he is not completely happy with; many consider it his finest record and it was a huge leap. The use of the Fairlight CMI synthesizer – which would inspire artists like Kate Bush to use it in their work – was still used but phased out to an extent by the time of 1986’s So. Even though there was more accessibility and commercial appeal; Gabriel was mixing genres as far-flung as Soul, World and Art-Rock into this complex and heady brew! The fact that his fifth solo album was the first non-eponymous effort sort signalled a shift to get his music properly marketed.

The album’s lead single, Sledgehammer, signalled what Gabriel was all about and why the album became so popular. The slam and catchiness of the song; the propulsive swagger and physicality of the song has lasted through the decades and is one of Gabriel’s best-loved songs. The trippy, animated video scooped awards and blew plenty of minds. Even by today’s standards, Sledgehammer’s video is groundbreaking and forward-thinking. One reason why So is perfect for a close investigation and should be bought on vinyl is because of the textures and variations on the record. From the chugging Sledgehammer we have the raw emotion and touching Don’t Give Up. A duet with Kate Bush – who was an early collaborator of Gabriel and appeared on Games Without Frontiers (1980) -; it shows Gabriel as a man whose dreams have been lost and his frailty is coming through. There is a gloom and hopelessness but, as Bush comes in, that plea to keep holding on emerges. Bush asks him not to surrender and provides a pillow for his troubles. African and Brazilian beats were coming into his music and, although So is the least experimental album from Gabriel; it is the one that gets into the head quickest and remains the longest. There is that radio-friendly sound to singles like Sledgehammer but the songwriting genius and incredible range from Gabriel means it could never be seen as chart-fodder or anything other than exceptional.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Peter Gabriel recording in 1986/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Before looking at some of the standout tracks; here is a look inside the recording process and how Gabriel attacked his fifth album:

“The studio's basic equipment consisted of "two analog 24-track machines, a Studer A80, and a Studer A80 shell that had been modified by a local electronics wizard, with its own audio cards and transport controls".[nb 2] To record vocals a Neumann U47 tube microphone and a Decca compressor were used without equalization.[8] All of So's songs were made in a similar format. Gabriel would record a piano demo on a modified "B machine" and play this to the band. During rehearsals, the band would listen to the B machine through headphones and record their output onto the "A machine"; parts of Gabriel's demo would also be transferred to the A machine at this stage. Subsequent takes of the song were then put onto the B machine in order for the band to hear what they had played with the demo, as well as the song's new and old takes.[8]

Other equipment included the "groundbreaking" Fairlight CMI synthesizer, which Gabriel said in an interview for Billboard meant "more human imagination is involved". He added, "the creative decision-making process has become more important than technique. You have a wider range of tools, a wider range of decisions".[9][10] Although remaining continually inspired to produce new music, he often struggled to write lyrics and would procrastinate.[11] His proclivity to being dissatisfied with them required Killen to isolate certain vocal performances as the master track, in order to keep other tracks available so new lyrics could be edited in.[8] Lanois took adverse measures to encourage his writing, such as destroying his much-used telephone in the nearby woods and, on one occasion, nailed the studio door shut to lock him inside.[11]

 

Towards the end of recording, Gabriel became "obsessed" with the track listing and created an audio cassette of all the song's beginnings and ends to hear how the sounds blended together.[12] He wanted to have "In Your Eyes" as the final track, but its prominent bassline meant it had to be placed earlier on the vinyl edition as there is more room for the stylus to vibrate. With later CD releases, this restriction was removed and the track was placed at the end of the album.[13] So was completed in February 1986 and cost £200,000 to make”.

Even if Gabriel disliked the idea of titling an album – as it distracted from the cover art and design – there is a slightly nonchalance and shrugging with So (it is almost sarcastic in its brevity). If the master was a bit unsure of his new direction, the songwriting was incredible. In Your Eyes is one of his greatest love songs and, against such diverse and eclectic progeny shows the sheer wonder and scope of So. The track features a pounding heartbeat of a drum and a potent vocal performance from Youssou N’Dour (singing in his native Senegalese). Big Time is one of my favourite songs from the album and has a definite Funk vibe. The lyrics slam the yuppie scene of the 1980s and that gaudy commercialism!

The song helped Gabriel assess his own life and whether he wanted fame at all – lest he turn into the sort of figure he was satirising on Big Time. It is hard to get a grip on all the scenes, stories and sounds inherent in a masterful record! If there were reservations from Gabriel regarding So and a move away from his usual working pattern; critical reviews and awards showed the music he was making could not be faulted. Rolling Stone said this of the record:

“The bravado of “Sledgehammer” is undercut by the solemnity of “Don’t Give Up,” in which Gabriel outlines the despair of “a man whose dreams have all deserted.” In this one, Gabriel is haunted and defeated, acknowledging his frailty. A mournful melody is interrupted when a ray of hope — embodied by Kate Bush — penetrates the gloom. “Don’t give up,” she breathes with the voice of life itself, “‘cos you have friends.” Every time Gabriel proffers a reason for surrender, Bush answers him back with a litany of comfort. “Rest your head,” comes her simple advice, “you worry too much.”

He seems to find what he’s looking for “In Your Eyes,” perhaps the closest thing to a conventional love ballad Gabriel has ever recorded, though what he sees in her eyes is symbolic and Graillike in the extreme: “In your eyes/I see the doorway to a thousand churches/In your eyes/The resolution of all the fruitless searches.” The pomp and pretentiousness of such a sentiment might collapse under its own weight were Gabriel not shrewd enough to underscore the song with a roiling pancultural jamboree of scat featuring guest vocalist Youssou N’dour.

So is a record of considerable emotional complexity and musical sophistication. Beneath its disarming simplicity and accessibility is the voice of an artist who does what his heart tells him to do. That So would finally bring Peter Gabriel commercial success is an extremely positive sign for the acceptability of intelligence on the airwaves and in pop music in general”.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

So was nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy but lost out to Paul Simon’s Graceland – if you are going to lose to anyone... – and Sledgehammer got five nods in 1986 (including Record of the Year and Song of the Year). The track won for its video at the Brit Awards and there were many more nominations. So is seen as one of the defining statements of the 1980s and one of the greatest albums ever made. It showed an experimental artist could make a move into the mainstream without losing pace and compromising. So does have that experimental side but there are hooks and big anthems; challenges and complex interactions move alongside something free-flowing and easy. It remains one of those immense achievements and constantly features in critics’ all-time finest album rundowns. Gabriel pushed what a Pop number could be. He could have a powerful and quotable chorus but put twisting hooks and nuanced into the blend; little surprises and exciting diversions. Maybe Gabriel was keen to get more commercial success and see his work proffered more but the move proved effective. Those who preferred his eponymous artiness found much to love in So whilst those unaware of his music were provided something fresh and fantastic.

Gabriel spoke to Rolling Stone in 1987 as he was touring the album. He discussed some of the themes and stories that inspired the music:

“The fact that some of those growing pains are reflected on So is one of the reasons Geffen Records is so happy with the album. “Throughout the years, I didn’t really know who the man behind the mask was,” says the label’s Gary Gersh. “With this album, part of the idea behind our whole marketing campaign was letting people know that there really wasn’t a mask anymore, that the man was actually touchable. You can listen to the record and get inside his emotions.”

There’s one subject that touchable man finds himself returning to again and again, and with a little prompting Gabriel locates it. “There is some sense of, uh…,” he says, then pauses for a long time. “Alienation is a common theme, which is the struggle to break out of a sense of separation.”

And has that been a struggle in his own life?

“Yeah, I think so,” he says, and his voice gets even softer than usual. “Definitely.”

“My lifestyle hasn’t really changed,” Gabriel says, shrugging. “I’ve lived comfortably for five to seven years now, but I still look to save a few pennies here and there, because that’s a very hard habit to get out of.” He has no plans, he says, to move out of the quiet English community in the Cotswolds where he lives. Nobody there makes a fuss about the resident pop star unless he’s on Top of the Pops...

 

But he does want new video equipment and an upgraded studio, and he wants the time to experiment by making videos for all the So tunes not yet turned into clips. He would like to mount a performance-art piece and tour smaller halls next summer. And he’s still interested in the idea of an alternative park that would be “a mixture of amusement park, art gallery, university and holiday camp.” It combines many of his current fascinations: high technology, behavioral research, environmental and interactive art. Plus some old-fashioned thrills, courtesy of the author and psychiatrist R.D. Laing, who has talked with Gabriel about a Ride of Fears, in which the most common phobias would be presented with increasing intensity until the rider conquers them all or pushes a panic button”.

So has gone down in legend and is a perfect album to buy on vinyl and relax to. Its details and secrets are unveiled as you listen and it is amazing to hear how much activity and sounds work alongside each other on an album that, on the surface, seems so simple. In 2012; Gabriel spoke to Rolling Stone again and looked back on a remarkable achievement:

“Why do you think So managed to reach a much broader audience than your previous albums? 
There was less sort of esoteric songwriting. I think they were simpler songs in some ways, but I think we caught a wave. They were done with passion and we had a really good team working on them. Then, of course, we had things like the “Sledgehammer” video, which helped enormously. It got us a wider audience. Also, the one concession I agreed to was to place an actual photo of myself on the cover rather than the usual obscured stuff I had been doing....

 

You also gave this one an actual title.
It was named, yeah. That was a reluctant choice. In the old days I would go through my vinyl and identity each record by the picture, not by the title. I always liked that. In some ways, I’m just a visual person. It was the idea to just do away with titles. Give the pictures space to breathe and speak for themselves. But, of course, it caused confusion in the marketplace. The American record company, Geffen, got so fed up with me that they said they weren’t going to release my fourth record unless I gave it some title. So, it was called Security in America and it had no title everywhere else in the world.

The next time out I decided to go for the anti-title. There’s only two letters: So. It can be more a piece of graphic, if you like, as opposed to something with meaning and intention. And that’s what I’ve done ever since...

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover of Peter Gabriel’s 1992 album, As/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

You didn’t release a follow-up to So for six years. Do you think that was a mistake? You sort of lost some momentum there.
I’m sure commercially it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I’ve never really worried about that. And to be honest, I think one of the reasons I’m still lucky enough to put out records and have audiences come to shows is cause I haven’t played that game very well. I think that consumer culture tends to be very hungry. It can’t get enough of you for a very short time and then your taste gets boring and they spit you out and take the next new thrill. And so, while it was never a predetermined strategy, I would probably recommend it to artists now if they want a long career. If you got something worth saying, if you’ve got something to put out, don’t worry about what the record company tells you. Take your time”.

Gabriel would go on to make other incredible albums but nothing matched the magic and genius of So. The Sledgehammer video alone took his music to new heights and would lead him to experiment with videos and push boundaries – although his later song, Steam, is seen as a second part of Sledgehammer; its visuals are staggering. I love So because you get contrasting songs against one another and there is that fearlessness. Gabriel could have gone in a new direction or faltered but he followed four eponymous records with something blistering and historic. As we look at a modern mainstream with few innovators and wonderful Pop albums; it is worth studying Peter Gabriel’s 1986 masterpiece and taken guidance from it. Your mind explodes and explores as the songs unfold and take you somewhere special. Between 1977-1982, Peter Gabriel released four self-titled albums and took four years to follow that up. Gabriel might have lost his name for his fifth album but he gained so much more! The stunning songwriter abandoned a well-trodden path and, in doing so, brought his incredible music...

TO the wider world.   

FEATURE: Ending the Decade in Style: Part IV/V: The Finest Albums of 1999

FEATURE:

 

 

Ending the Decade in Style

PHOTO CREDIT: @thomholmes/Unsplash 

Part IV/V: The Finest Albums of 1999

__________

THE reason I want to put together a new feature…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @trommelkopf/Unsplash

is to shine a light on the albums that end a decade with a huge bang. I feel it is hard to define what a decade is about and how it evolves but the first and last years are crucial. Entering a decade with a big album is a great way to stand out and, similarly, ending it with something stunning is vital. It can be hard leaving a brilliant and bountiful decade of music but I wanted to shine a light on the artists who brought out albums that did justice; gave hope the next decade would be full, exciting and brilliant. I will do a five-part series about albums that opened a decade with panache but, right now, the fourth in a five-part feature that collates the best decade-enders from the 1960s, 1970s; 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. I am focusing on 1999 and the best ten records from the year. The 1990s was a wonderful time for music and produced some truly epic albums. One might assume the final year would not be as explosive and genius as the likes of 1991 and 1994 but, as these ten albums show, there was a pretty wonderful treat that greeted...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @crew/Unsplash

THE end of a brilliant decade.

______________

Eminem – The Slim Shady LP

Release Date: 23rd February, 1999

Labels: Aftermath; Interscope

Review:

“The production -- masterminded by Dr. Dre but also helmed in large doses by Marky and Jeff Bass, along with Marshall himself -- mirrors his rhymes, with their spare, intricately layered arrangements enhancing his narratives, which are always at the forefront. As well they should be -- there are few rappers as wildly gifted verbally as Eminem. At a time when many rappers were stuck in the stultifying swamp of gangsta clichés, Eminem broke through the hardcore murk by abandoning the genre's familiar themes and flaunting a style with more verbal muscle and imagination than any of his contemporaries. Years later, as the shock has faded, it's those lyrical skills and the subtle mastery of the music that still resonate, and they're what make The Slim Shady LP one of the great debuts in both hip-hop and modern pop music” – AllMusic    

Standout Track: My Name Is

 

The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin

Release Date: 17th May, 1999

Label: Warner Bros.

Review:

“The song alternates between pixie dust and angel dust-- first it flows, then it swaggers with a killer Moog-and-drum battle with the audience going Qui-Gon at the altar of the Bulletin. The following cut, "The Spark That Bled", is even more adventurous. Coyne's little boy vocals take on a philharmonic of yearning, tackling it down with its ambiguous "I stood up and I said 'Yeah'" chorus. 4AD used to be this dreamy-- now they're picking at leftover Red House Painters demos and wondering when people are going to like Kristin Hersh. (Never, by the way.) This is on Warner Brothers?!

Oh, but there's more. So much more. Drummer Steven Drozd gets mad props for his thundering percussion which, for the most part, was recorded on one microphone. Hard to believe during a dense number like my personal favorite track, "The Gash". As much as I giggled over the title, I was bowled over by the song. A gospel choir sings an inspirational (!) song of perseverance over tweaked synth tracks and louder-than-Christ funky drumming. I defy you to listen to it without seeing just how loud your stereo can get.

Drozd also makes quick work of "Waitin' for a Superman", another inspirational piece-- one that was inspired by the death of Coyne's father. The result is this band's "Losing My Religion". Seriously. If Top 40 gets ahold of this song, we're all going to be very, very sick of it. Still, it's an amazing track, a shuffling dirge with a few bells, and two amazingly well-placed trumpet blasts, but mostly just some slightly hungover piano.

Speaking of death, it's a lingering theme on The Soft Bulletin. "Suddenly Everything Has Changed" is a neat, twisty little ditty about how thoughts of mortality can attack you when you least expect it. "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" is a more direct rumination on the subject, a dreamy blast of vacuum cleaner guitar and reverb, reverb, reverb! Again, hardly party music, but remember Dark Side of the Moon? Pass the bong. This is some good shit” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Waitin’ for a Superman

Beck – Midnite Vultures

Release Date: 23rd November, 1999

Label: DGC

Review:

“'Midnite Vultures' is bound to entrench opinions on both sides of the Beck divide. The doubters will recoil from its myriad layers of self-knowledge and the fact that the author's tongue is almost permanently lodged in one cheek or another. But just because this isn't a conventional dose of 'reality' doesn't mean Beck can't be sincere, and the force of character laid bare here is quite an awesome thing to behold. Narrower in scope than 'Odelay' but more immediate in impact, it's clearly been conceived as an accompaniment to our hedonistic habit of choice, the last great party album of the millennium. And like a certain song says, parties weren't meant to last” – NME  

Standout Track: Sexx Laws                            

TLC – FanMail

Release Date: 23rd February, 1999

Labels: LaFace; Arista

Review:

“Almost ten producers worked on the record, all trying to replicate the easy, appealing sound of Crazysexycool. And "replicate" is the right word, since there are no new innovations on FanMail, apart from a few lifts from the Timbaland book of tricks. Nevertheless, that may be for the best, since TLC and their army of producers have spent time crafting the songs and productions, turning FanMail into a record that almost reaches the peaks of its predecessor. By the end of the record, it appears that they can do it all -- funky, hip-hop-fueled dance-pop, seductive ballads, and mid-tempo jams -- and they can do it all well. Other groups try to reach these heights, but they don't have the skills or the material to pull it off quite so well. True, the five-year wait felt interminable, and they're now standard-bearers instead of pioneers, but if takes TLC as long to make a sequel to FanMail, so be it -- they have one of the best track records in '90s urban soul” – AllMusic

Standout Track: No Scrubs

Basement Jaxx – Remedy

Release Date: 10th May, 1999

Label: XL

Review:

“BASEMENT JAXX Remedy (Astralwerks) British DJs Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton may have sharpened their sample-trigger fingers in the Brixton underground, but this dynamic duo has a knack for leavening deep house grooves with passion and wit. Their debut album, Remedy, shines a thousand points of light down on the dance floor with shimmering jams that connect the dots between Soul II Soul’s elegant hip-hop, Prince’s one-world utopianism, and DJ Armand Van Helden’s relentless thump science. This blissful joy ride is hard to resist and easy to love” – Entertainment Weekly   

Standout Track: Red Alert

 

Mos Def – Black on Both Sides

Release Date: 12th October, 1999

Labels: Rawkus; Priority

Review:

“The main reference points are pretty much the same -- old-school rap, which allows for a sense of playfulness as well as history, and the Native Tongues posse's fascination with jazz, both for its sophistication and cultural heritage. But they're supported by a rich depth that comes from forays into reggae (as well as its aura of spiritual conscience), pop, soul, funk, and even hardcore punk (that on the album's centerpiece, "Rock n Roll," a dissection of white America's history of appropriating black musical innovations). In keeping with his goal of restoring hip-hop's sociopolitical consciousness, Def's lyrics are as intelligent and thoughtfully crafted as one would expect, but he doesn't stop there -- he sings quite passably on several tracks, plays live instruments on others (including bass, drums, congas, vibraphone, and keyboards), and even collaborates on a string arrangement. In short, Black on Both Sides is a tour de force by an artist out to prove he can do it all. Its ambition and execution rank it as one of the best albums of 1999, and it consolidates Mos Def's position as one of hip-hop's brightest hopes entering the 21st century” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Umi Says                      

Moby – Play

Release Date: 17th May, 1999

Labels: Mute; V2; EMI

Review:

“Portions of this techno imp’s best album since 1995’s Everything Is Wrong are built on a simple premise: setting snippets from old blues and gospel recordings to new rhythmic (not always electronic) settings. What could’ve been a condescending gimmick yields some of the year’s most haunting, and haunted, music. Moby’s elegant soundscapes wipe away the mustiness on these decades-old voices and make the singers’ heartache and hope seem fresh again. Although in need of a bit of pruning (notable exception: the gorgeous ”Porcelain,” featuring Moby’s own plaintive vocal), Play is music that truly moves back to the future” – Entertainment Weekly

Standout Track: Natural Blues

 

Rage Against the Machine – The Battle of Los Angeles

Release Date: 2nd November, 1999

Label: Epic

Review:

“Rather than illuminate a political injustice with narrative (a la Dylan’s “Hurricane”), de la Rocha opts to incite with fiery slogans of agitprop. “All hell can’t stop us now” is the conclusion of “Guerrilla Radio”; “My panther, my brother/We are at war until you’re free” is the refrain of “Voice of the Voiceless,” a song about Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther on death row in Philadelphia for a cop murder he says he didn’t commit. Though some may find the lyrics naive and over the top, fans do take them to heart — though not always in context, as can be attested by anyone who saw the marauding teens chanting, “I won’t do what you tell me” as they lit a match to Woodstock ’99. Rage Against the Machine may never ignite the youth war they want to see. But at last, with The Battle of Los Angeles, they’ve managed to win a war within — one in which the band’s notoriously feuding members have come together to produce a sound that’s not quite louder than a bomb but that’s definitely as loud as Led Zeppelin II” – Rolling Stone

Standout Track: Guerrilla Radio     

 

Missy Elliott – Da Real World

Release Date: 22nd June, 1999

Label: EastWest America

Review:

“Thankfully, Da Real World is clearly a Missy Elliott album in most respects, with Timbaland's previously trademarked, futuristic-breakbeat production smarts laced throughout. The churchgoing Elliott has often remarked that she wishes she didn't need profanity to get attention, and the album accordingly includes satirical nods to other clichéd notions of hip-hop -- the single "She's a Bitch" is the best example, wherein Elliott reappropriates the insult to refer to strong females. She also takes on the cartoonish Eminem for "Bus a Rhyme," a track that turns out to be one of the best on the album. Da Brat and Aaliyah make repeat appearances, and Redman and OutKast's Big Boi also contribute to this excellent follow-up” – AllMusic      

Standout Track: She’s a Bitch                                        

 

The Chemical Brothers – Surrender

Release Date: 21st June, 1999

Labels: Freestyle Dust; Virgin; Astralweeks

Review:

“Surrender is both the Chemical Brothers most immediately satisfying work and, perhaps not coincidentally, the most like a rock album of their career. Unlike a fair share of techno, these songs feel like "songs," not a collection of clever samples and a race to the fastest BPM on the planet. Yeah, you can go out and buy your jungle, your trance, your trip-hop and your ambient, but why would you when you'd be sacrificing the greatest gift of all: Surrender's love and understanding” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Hey Girl Hey Boy         

FEATURE: Joy Division: Is It Time to Look Back and Bring the ‘Pop’ Back into the Mainstream?!

FEATURE:

 

 

Joy Division

PHOTO CREDIT: @wenutius/Unsplash   

Is It Time to Look Back and Bring the ‘Pop’ Back into the Mainstream?!

__________

I have touched on this subject a few times…

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Jamie Cullen 

but it warrants a bit of a repeat. One of the reasons I tend to look back when listening to music – rather than looking at the now – is the sense of uplift I get! Maybe it is easy to hark back to the music we grew up around and know we are in for something wonderful. This music is tried and tested and we know, whenever it plays, we will be in a better mood. I will bring in an album that keeps coming back to my mind but I have to ask what is happening in the mainstream. I know it is not the be all and end all of music and the only thing that matters. There are wonderful artists working in every sector of music that does not get the spotlight deserved. I know genres like Soul, Grime and Folk have some mainstream inclusion but not as integrated as they should be. When we see the word ‘mainstream’, our minds look at Pop and maybe Rock. That is fair enough, I guess, as this is what is played on the biggest radio stations and what is hovering around the charts. In terms of the sensation we get from the mainstream artists; can we truly say the music coming through puts us in a better mood?! Most of the songs I hear are either really quite defeatist in terms of their lyrics or, if the words are quite sprite, it is let down by a rather lumpen and unaccomplished compositions.

There are some great Popstars who can bring some genuine fizz and excitement and, more often than not, are genuinely trying to have fun. Fun does not mean compromising substance and projecting something meaningful. It is a hard act to balance but I have noticed, more and more, the mainstream is a lot more resigned, inward-looking and, well...miserable. I was researching for this piece and came across a Pitchfork article that holds the same onions:

“Quick: Name the fun song on the Billboard charts right now—the celebratory one, the one about embracing life, about living like tonight is the last night. Not just the fun song, but the FUN! song, the one accompanied by glitter bombs and T-shirt cannons. Normally there are at least five flouncing around the upper reaches of the Hot 100, impervious to trends: “Uptown Funk” or “Shut Up and Dance”; “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” or “Happy” or “Shake It Off.”

Still looking? Yeah, you won’t find it.

Skip across playlists or tangle with a car radio dial and you will quickly absorb that the world is an awful, squalid place, where emo-rap stars like Juice WRLD take “prescriptions to feel A-OK” and where “Sicko Mode,” a hit song released in the dead of summer, begins with the words “sun is down, freezing cold.” Bebe Rexha, a songwriter whose persona and style switches completely from song to song, is currently at No. 39 with “I’m a Mess,” where the line “It’s gonna be a good, good life” is chased with a bitter “that’s what my therapist say,” and the chorus rewrites Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch” for the age of pure anhedonia: “I’m a mess, I’m a loser, I’m a hater, I’m a user”.

It seems the mainstream market has streamlined and there is a move towards a more ‘realistic’ view of the world. Artists, for some reason, feel the realities of heartache and life kicking you in the scrotum is a much more marketable vibe than promoting the wonders of life. We are told, more and more, that there is a mental-health crisis (and there is) but I wonder whether we are being flooded with this message. It is great we can connect with an artist because they feel the same way as us but, rather than providing inspiring and positive messages, there is this negative and submissive impression that is getting rather heavy. Once was the time when Pop was there to get us all happy and move the body; when artists could be heartbroken but there was this sunshine and chance to get better. When was the last time you checked out what was in the charts or on the radio and heard a song that genuinely, without irony, was talking about moving on up and embracing life?!

“Aren’t pop songs generally meant to lift us up? Or at least make us forget, for a moment, how terrible everything else is? One good working definition of a pop song might be “a three-minute reminder that hedonism exists.” How and when did things turn so morose?

The armchair-cultural-anthropologist answer is the easiest one: Everything is garbage! Who wants to celebrate when the world is crumbling? It’s a seductive explanation. After all, many of us are currently grappling with the reality that the Earth will probably be partially drowned within the next four or five presidential administrations (assuming presidential administrations keep happening)”.

It is not just the Pop genre that is to blame for the funk. I think there has been a move, through the years, away from the mainstream star who was promoting something pumping, energised and catchy to the more private, anxious and ‘aware’ artist. Maybe the state of the world and the feeling of depression a lot of us feel needs to be presented in music and we need to feel musicians understand us. Other genres are less keen to explore this side of life so, as they are the leaders of the mainstream, the Pop elite have to address this. I do wonder whether we need to assimilate other genres into the mix in order to find some more energy and optimism. You can say Hip-Hop and Rap is at its best when not entirely entwined with the mainstream and left to its own devices. Whilst there are powerhouse newcomers like Cardi B, Travis Scott and Anderson .Paak out there at the moment; I tend to find I am rarely uplifted by what they are saying. The energy is there in the music and one can hear some warmth but the lyrics are not the sort that stick in the head and make me smile – maybe they are not supposed to. Is Rap and Hip-Hop in need of a bit of a shake-up?

“Crippling depression amid unspeakable luxury has been a default setting in rap for a long time now, from Kanye to Drake to Future. And the spiritual avatar of this feeling right now, at least on the pop charts, is Travis Scott. Scott has been involved in Kanye’s work for at least five years, dating back to the sessions for Yeezus. Now, he is atop the charts with a massive and sprawling work of his own, ASTROWORLD. The fundamental presumption of Travis Scott music is that nothing feels good, especially not the stuff that’s meant to. “She thought it was the ocean, it’s just a pool,” Scott mutters on “Sicko Mode”—not the mindset of someone particularly enamored with their spoils of success, or impressed with the company it has brought them”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Travis Scott/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I have mentioned a lot of the classic Rap and Hip-Hop artists like the Beastie Boys and De La Soul and what they were all about. I love the humour and the comedy you can get with Beastie Boys. Think about the way they could splice in cutting jabs and weird sentiments with some brilliant sounds that punched in the heart. Maybe there were a bit of a rarity but the scene around them was not plagued by depression and a lack of hope. In the modern-day lexicon; there is not a sense there is much to shout about and feel happy about. We are seeing artists succumb to addiction and depression and, as such, the music has to reflect that struggle. I am not sure when the emotional decline began and how we got here but, more and more, the quick-listen, playlist-in-the-background culture has seen a move away from the more rousing and fulsome number to the slightly less challenging and more downbeat mood. I said I was going to bring in an album – and I have already mentioned a couple of Hip-Hop artists who are guaranteed to lift my mood. Now That’s What I Call Music! 24 is the first album I ever bought and I remember the sheer delight of hearing it on my cassette player for the first time.

Not only was it thrilling walking into the music shop and finding this shiny cassette on the racks but playing all the music in-full was scintillating. The songs from this period (1993 and the previous year) stay in my mind because of the uplift and cheer. I am not saying music was all happy back then – Grunge was responsible for a lot of gloom and destruction – but these songs were indicative of the spirit of the time. Even when the songs were talking about something more strained and anguished; there was a more melodic note or sentiment that lifted the track up. Maybe The Bluebells’ Young at Heart was a cheesy way to start things but you could not argue against the optimism within. You have Take That’s Could It Be Magic and Informer by Snow. The latter is about the rapper being hassled by the 5-0 (the police) but its sheer energy and fun is hard to escape. Shaggy and The Stereo MC’s keep it going and you have World Party and Paul McCartney retaining that pace and energy. Peter Gabriel brings some Steam to the kitchen and there is a cracking offering from Lenny Kravitz (Are You Gonna Go My Way). It is an album that does not hide heartache more anxious songs but the abiding theme is joy and positive energy. The mainstream back then had to compete with the same issues as today regarding the more gloomy songs/artists but there was plenty of delight and energy to be found. The Dance scene was inspiring a generation and Britpop was around the corner.

Maybe I am idolising past days but I can see how things have changed and, the last few years especially, we are seeing this slide into a funk that will be hard to get ourselves away from. Even when artists try to write happy and gleeful songs – such as Happy by Pharrell Williams – it comes across as more grating than memorable. Pop artists are still capable of getting the heat on and making us move but there are few songs out there I can see lasting through the years. This BBC article looks at modern Pop songs and how they have changed – the use of the first-person narrative is rising:

“A year before that, the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts published a report which looked at how the language of popular song has changed over the last 30 years. Researchers took a sample set of the Top 10 most popular songs in America from 1980 to 2007, and looked at how words are used to try and assess how pop fans used music to soundtrack their emotional state at the time. The report suggests that, "Simply tuning in to the most popular songs on the radio may provide people with increased understanding of their generation's current psychological characteristics."

They found that the use of the first-person singular pronouns (the word 'I') has increased steadily over time, suggesting that fans have become more interested in reflective first-person songs. This matches a decline in words that emphasis community and working together. They also noted a rise in antisocial and angry words, suggesting that pop hits are reflecting a growing sense of personal fury and social unrest. Accusations with which Eminem will be familiar”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @cbarbalis/Unsplash

Not only has Pop got more personal and first-person; it has, as Pitchfork have laid out, gotten darker and a lot sadder:

“As pop gets softer, sadder, grimmer, darker, more intimate, something else happens—it shrinks. If pop music used to blare at us, it did so out of a certain confidence, a bone-deep certainty that it was one of the most important voices in our lives. We were a captive audience, or at least pop treated us that way. Like many cultural institutions, pop music feels chastened now, in retreat. The ground beneath it is shaky and it finds itself with no mountaintop to scream from. Now pop music lies coiled up inside our phones alongside everything else—the banalities of friends and strangers, the horrors of the news. It’s there if, and only if, we need it”.

Minor keys and slower tempos are becoming more popular and even when an artist is bringing the energy levels to dangerous heights, often their messages are not about togetherness and embracing sheer fun – you find a lot of accusation, bitterness and generic salaciousness coming out. Even though life can be a miserable shell and it can be really crap to get out there; do we necessarily want that reflected back at us through music? The reason music is so potent and inspiring, yes, is because we can relate to it but where does one go for escapism?!

I can hear a lot of 1980s sounds and vintage wisdom coming into modern music but those who are lifting the spirits are few and far between. Is subjectiveness and age playing a role in this grumble and assertion? Are we down on new music because we go back to our childhoods and remember the music we adored? This article explains when our musical tastes are locked-in and how brave we get with our tastes as we get older:

“The New York Times has proof. They recruited author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, whose Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, And What The Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are is a must-read, to discover why so many people still go to Gin Blossoms concerts (besides the fact that they still rule). Spotify provided the data, and Stephens-Davidowitz measured every Billboard chart-topping song released between 1960 and 2000 and the ages of their biggest fans when those songs first came out.

The results are illuminating, if not all that surprising. According to the data, the average man’s musical taste is developed between the ages of 13 and 16, while a woman’s takes shape between the ages of 11 and 14. Data also revealed that the early 20s are “half as influential” in determining adult musical tastes as their early teens. Radiohead’s “Creep,” for example, is the 164th most popular song among 38-year-old men—who would’ve been 13 when the song was released—while it’s not even in the top 300 for those born a decade earlier or later. We twenty- and thirtysomethings will never understand Ed Sheeran, nor will the children of our children, who will roll their eyes every time their parents play “Perfect” for the 30th time”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @hyingchou/Unsplash 

Maybe I am being a bit cranky and nostalgia-drenched but, if the above is true, it means we are breeding a generation whose musical tastes are defined by what is out there now. Given the growing rate of mental illness and issues out there; shouldn’t music act as a contrast and lift the emotions to a special and safe place? If a child now is raised on modern mainstream and absorbs this for the rest of their days; will we have them humming depressive lyrics and gloomy synths instead of the big beats and rousing choruses that was rife in the past. Look at music from the 1950s to the early part of the last decade and there are years filled with joyful music and songs that will last the rest of time. It is counterintuitive writing music in a minor key and being closed-off in a society that is struggling with its mental-health. Music needs to rebel against this ill and is there to lift the spirit! One can write about their own lives and heartache but it is just as easy to throw in some top-notch bangers that grab life by the neck and hug it. I do fear the mainstream has gone too far down the rabbit hole to come back. How do we get to where we are now and have a scene that brings back that optimism and sunny disposition?! Say what you want about the reformation and touring of the Spice Girls but, even though they had their fair share of cheesy moments, the music they were putting out was designed to inspire and lift. Give me the choice of the modern top-forty and one of the finer Spice Girls cuts and that is...

NOT a hard choice to make.   

INTERVIEW: Tez Cadey

INTERVIEW:

Tez Cadey

___________

THANKS to Tez Cadey...

for talking about his start in music and the artists/albums that influence him. I ask about his new album, Lizard Days, and what themes inspire it; whether he has a standout track from the record and what the scene is like in France at the moment.

The Electronic artist tells me about what he hopes to achieve next year and whether there is anything to achieve before the end of this year; if he gets time to chill outside of music; which rising artist we should be aware of and whether there will be gigs coming up.

__________

Hi, Tez. How are you? How has your week been?

Amazing, thanks! We just released the album last week and so far the feedback has been great. I’m spending a lot of time looking at streaming stats, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but I can’t help it.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I'm a twenty-five-year-old producer from France making Electronic music, Pop and House.

Lizard Days is your new album. Are there particular albums that inspired it? 

I was listening a lot to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band during the making of this album, so it must have crept in somewhere - particularly in the song arrangements. There is actually one break in Your Way were a crescendo of orchestral nonsense takes place that was directly inspired by A Day in the Life. You can also hear it on the last part of the outro, Divine. I just love how the songs evolve on this record (The Beatles' one).

Is there a standout or personal favourite from the record would you say?

It changes from time to time but I'd say Logic is my personal favorite. I still don't get tired of it. I think it has a unique and timeless touch that keeps it fresh and interesting to listen to. And, most of all, it’s at the crossroad of my influences; between Pop, old-school House and Psychedelic-Rock.

Did you grow up around a lot of music? Which artists did you follow at a young age?

I grew up mainly listening to what my parents listened to, like many kids I guess! So, a lot of New Wave, Rock and a some House music; ranging from the Cure to New Order to A Guy Called Gerald. A lot of English music. Haha.

As a French producer; what is the music scene like in the country right now?

The scene here was great a few years back with a lot of newcomers trying out new things and great support from the public. Now, there's still interesting stuff going on but it's harder to break through. I feel there's so much content being released every day. People now have less time to give.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Well. It's coming up fast, so I just hope I'll see the album grow a little! 

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes. I've been in the studio since August now working on new material. I'd love to release it before next summer. It's going to be more Dance-oriented for sure; more like my older tracks.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

There are so many to pick from so it's hard to choose! My best memories from my time in music has been the touring. I love spending time in the studio but it’s a rather lonely process. Going from place to place; discovering new cultures, new people and connecting through the music is, by far, the most gratifying experience.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

I'd say Tame Impala's Currents, Justice - Cross and Mac DeMarco - Salad Days

I don't really know why I like them that much. One of them I don't even play anymore but they were albums I used to listen to a lot during certain periods of my life. So, they have a strong nostalgic effect on me. Salad Days is also the most laid-back album of all times. I used to put in on a loop when I was living in Mexico. Just thinking of it brings back good memories.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

You mean for the rider or the musician I would support? For the musician, as long as it’s coherent with my project I’m in. For the rider...surprise me!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

It’s going to sound generic but don't be too influenced by what is going on: try creating what feels right to you, what your guts want to hear. It can be tempting to make music that sounds like what’s going on right now and it can feel reassuring. But, here’s the thing; it’s already been done and the guys who did it first probably do it better!

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Not that I'm aware of. I've been limiting the gigs during the winter time to work on the next singles. But, you can expect new tour dates starting next summer!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Yarosslav/PHOTO CREDIT: Jean Marc Eloy 

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

My friends from Yarosslav are putting out some very cool songs at the moment. Check them out!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Being full-time in music is a relatively new experience for me. So, I'm still learning on how to take a step back from it from time to time. My best answer to this for now has been finding another hobby. Like painting or reading or programming or anything really! Just to take my mind off the music and off the pressure.

__________

Follow Ted Kazey

Official:

http://www.tezcadey.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/tezcadey/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TezCadey

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tezcadeymusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cBeFQv3kBVP8o15CmPTKb?si=pasyFh04Rx61kxcLxGshVA

INTERVIEW: Prins Obi

INTERVIEW:

Prins Obi

___________

IT has been cool finding out about Prins Obi…

and his project/band Prins Obi & the Dream Warriors. The lead talks about the video for Vortex and what we will get from the Prins Obi & the Dream Warriors album; the sort of music that is important to him and what the music scene is like in Greece right now.

Prins Obi reveals how he got started in music and whether there are plans for gigs; which three albums mean the most to him and how he unwinds outside of music; the advice he would give to artists coming through right now – he ends the interview with a great track choice.

__________

Hi. How are you? How has your week been?

Hello. I'm fine, thank you. Busy week, but I'm really excited that my album is coming out.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

The name of the project is Prins Obi & the Dream Warriors. I am the vocalist and keyboardist; Pantelis Karasevdas is the drummer; Sergios Voudris is the bassist and the second vocalist; Kostas Stergiou is the percussionist and Chris Bekiris is the guitarist. We are a Freak-Rock band with pop sensibilities.

The video for Vortex is out. What is the inspiration behind the song and what was it like putting the video together?

I was really stoned in my cottage house one long summer night...I fell asleep and I dreamed of this song. It tells the story of an unfulfilled romance. The video was Vasilis Katsoupis' (A.K.A. ‘dipyadeep’) inspiration, the brilliant director who envisioned the whole thing. I had really great time working with such a talented dude.   

The Prins Obi & the Dream Warriors album is upcoming. Are there particular themes that inspired the record? How does it differ to your previous record?

I wanted to create something more coherent and raw than my previous album; to aim straight at the heart. It is an L.P. of songs and I think it is the first real ‘Rock album’ I've made thus far.

Partying, exorcising demons; recapturing romantic moments, exonerating miserable situations and laying emphasis on live energy were themes and goals that inspired us.

When did you start out in music? Which artists inspired you?

I am a classically trained pianist and I started playing at the age of seven. I was a huge fan of the British Prog-Rock scene when I was in high-school and these bands and artists defined me to some extent.

Is there a big and productive music scene in Greece right now? Is it challenging getting exposure?

Where there is crisis, pain and suffering there is always a huge amount of good music. The problem is that the largest amount of the population is addicted to sub-culture trash.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

To be healthy and in harmony with the people I love.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

To book some awesome gigs promoting the album and have really great time playing together. I have also formed a Hard-Rock band with my local pub friends (Electric Feat) and hopefully our debut album is coming out in 2019.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Recording the first Baby Guru album (my previous band) with my other two childhood friends. So much passion and innocence combined.

Which one album means the most to you would you say (and why)?

If I could choose one album right now, it would be Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963. This live album is unbelievable...the energy, the songs; the audience, that VOICE.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be true to yourselves, fu*k trends; think out of the box and speak from the heart.

Do you have tour dates coming up?

Not yet, but we are rehearsing.

Where can we catch you play?

When the gigs are planned, I will let you know.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Oh; the list is countless but, to tell you the truth, I am a little bit of a retrophiliac.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Actually, I am pharmacist during daytime. That's my day-job and music is my way of unwinding.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Sam Cooke - Bring It on Home to Me (Live)

__________

Follow Prins Obi

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/prinsobiproject/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/prinsobi/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IzOZjZx9lrkDidj9sHfV7?si=x_-n1ZoJR3eLIbbdGD20SQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/prinsobi

PHOTOS:

Eftychia Vlachou  

INTERVIEW: Abel Miller

INTERVIEW:

Abel Miller

___________

I have been catching up with Abel Miller…

as he tells me about his track, Feel Good, and his upcoming E.P., Private Island. I ask which artists and albums are important to him and he reveals what is coming up in terms of music and gigs – Miller reveals some rising artists to get involved with.

I ask whether he has a favourite memory from music and what it is like getting support from some big radio stations; the advice he would offer artists coming through and whether he gets much time away from music to relax.

__________

Hi, Abel. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi. Yes, it’s been a great week. Had a few radio interviews and premiered the new single toom titled Ride for Me, with DJ Ace at BBC 1Xtra.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Yes, of course. My name is Abel Miller. I am an R&B artist from London, U.K. I would say I have been putting out music around nine years; however, I have been singing practically all my life. It’s been a grind! But, I love making music and I was featured on one of the early tracks from K Koke entitled Nobody But Us and this brought a buzz as he just signed with Roc Nation at the time. I then went on to putting out E.P.S. The first one was titled Make You Love Me and the track No Gentleman was playlisted on BBC Radio 1Xtra.

What can you tell me about your latest track, Feel Good?

Feel Good’s concept is actually different to the title - when you first see it you would think it’s an uplifting, positive ‘feelgood’ song (laughs). It’s more about a female going through things and not feeling too good and I’m explaining that throughout the verses. The instrumental has a tropical edge but, at the same time, R&B chords.

Private Island is your upcoming E.P. What sort of themes do you explore on it?

Yes. Private Island is the E.P. It’s got a lot of mid/up-tempo songs on there; a bit of Island and also an Afro-Swing feel to it. It’s a six-track E.P. and it starts with Feel Good - which is the slower track on the E.P. - and then picks up into tracks like Chasing Rain (ft. Sona) which is more on the up-tempo end.

Do you have particular music idols or artists you grew up around?

Growing up, I listened to a lot of Gospel in my mum’s home; artists like Fred Hammond and Yolanda Adams and so on...then I would stay at my dad’s and hear the latest tracks. Really, an album I won’t forget is Usher’s 8701. I had that on-repeat back in the day.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I just really hope this E.P. gets heard by as many people as I can reach as I believe it’s my best body of work and showcases different sides; so I’d say to get the E.P. buzzing!

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I have a few songs in the pipeline that I am planning on putting out, but I’m just taking it each day with this E.P. Definitely will be a headline show from me at some point too.

What has it been like getting support from the likes of BBC Asian Network?! How much of a boost does that give?

It’s been great as I haven’t really been on BBC Asian Network so it opens me up to a different audience. Also, the track Drop It Down by Nash (ft. myself) has done well there too so that support is good.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

So far, I would have to say 25th June, 2017. This is when I put on my first show and I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I had never done one so I was nervous; the turnout was amazing and the show was a success!

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Bob Marley – Exodus

This means the most as it’s my go-to-album for encouragement and uplifts people.

Usher – Confessions

To me, it is a solid R&B album so I will have to include this!

Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On

For the live instrumentation, I would say this album is up there.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I would definitely need my MacBook and may bring the mic too when I’m on the go. I’m not fussed about the rest. Sweets and drinks of different varieties and I’m good!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I’d say try keep that quality control over what you’re putting out try make the music mix-downs sound clean; get visuals looking epic as that counts a lot these days and be consistent also. It’s easier said than done as it costs a bit but, in the end, you have something you’re happy with and that means a lot.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Not at present, but I hope to get back to you with dates for 2019 (smiles).

 IN THIS PHOTO: Daniel Caesar/PHOTO CREDIT: Roots Canada

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

You may already know of these two (laughs). I like Daniel Caesar’s album and also Ella Mai.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ella Mai

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Sometimes (laughs). My relaxation would be either going to an arcade with friends and family or simply looking after my little boy. These things take my mind off music.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Ok. Thanks for having me! Daniel Caesar – Get You

__________

Follow Abel Miller

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/itsAbelMiller/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AbelMiller

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/abelmillerofficial/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GGvrkVreV5x8gtTlJcddt?si=CQoPXmfjSLqwQPxM7NjqJA

TRACK REVIEW: Jessie Munro - On My Own

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Jessie Munro

On My Own

9.4/10

The track, On My Own, is available via:

https://soundcloud.com/jessie-leith-munro/04-on-my-own

GENRES:

Electro-Pop; R&B; Soul

ORIGIN:

Los Angeles, U.S.A.

The E.P., On My Own, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5JPnOkhObOdg84w3WqCBAO?si=VD3Vs6mdRHWKGPpjBqaeBA

RELEASE DATE:

28th September, 2018

_________

THIS time around…

I will talk about the climate of modern Pop and Electro and look at Jessie Munro in the context of Los Angeles. I will discuss suggestions for her to strengthen her position in the scene and talk about a maturity coming through in music and taking a different angle on a very common subject; those who start with a Classical mindset and can add that into the music; a little about songs that remain in the mind and what 2019 might hold for Munro. I wanted to start off by talking about modern Pop and Electro and a problem that has formed at the moment. Whilst Munro does not fall into this trap – and hope she does not – I am worried there is an environment around her that is not good to see. I will look at this later in more depth but it is not only the mainstream that can accused of a rather sad and fatigued sound. You do not have to strain your ears too much to discover something pretty down and insular. It is happening more and more: artists pouring out a pain and leaving any sort of fun at the door. Music has been turning that way for a while and it is happening a lot in terms of underground artists. I am not sure whether it is a case of people seeing that as a popular and natural sound but I do wonder where the energy and interest has gone. I hear too many artists who tend to pitch their tent on a particular sound and vibe and it is hard to shake that off. I understand the need to document your feelings and truth but that is coming at the expense of any positivity and fun. I am not saying music needs to be a constant carnival but it would be nice to see some more cheer and hope emerging right now. Jessie Munro has to talk about love and breakup, as I shall get onto, but there is something more vibrant and fulsome.

You get a full-bodied and eclectic sound with her and, whilst the themes can be quite challenging at times, the mood is never brought down and you feel like she wants the listener to take something positive away. There are times, naturally, when she has to dip the lights and get a bit emotional but the sensation is never too heavy and moody. Instead, you get an artist who can talk about post-breakup considerations and discuss love without getting into clichés and that rather dour sound. As I said; I will talk about this later in the day but I am concerned by the modern scene. It is not all genres that are culpable: Hip-Hop and Rap are, as always, not interested in wallowing and try and add as much fun and energy into proceedings. One might say there is anger and aggression in a lot of songs but that is part of the culture. The fierceness and confidence of the artists is what makes the music so exciting and compelling. So many new artists are falling into the Pop/Electro mould and, with it, you tend to have this particular sound. The same, to an extent, is true of Folk and Indie. All of the different genres grab more attention (than Hip-Hop) and, as such, there is that samey and rather gloomy outlook. Munro is someone who wants to remain personal and accessible but does not want to get too caught up on being too depressing and revealing. I can appreciate why artists want to pour themselves out on the page but, if you compare the mainstream not to, say, 1993 and you can hear vast emotional and dynamic differences. Time and technology should not have changed the emotional spectrum of modern music as much as it has but, here we are, listening to artists who have forgotten how to look up and get away from the personal. The reason why I wanted to look at Munro’s music is because there is something working away that strikes the mind and lifts the mood. It is the way she injects soulfulness into the mix and brings those interesting compositions together – someone who is showing plenty of spirit and hope.

Los Angeles is an area of California that has experienced bush fires and loss over the past few days. We have all seen the news regarding the devastation and how things have turned there. It is horrifying to think of the loss and destruction – and the man in power who is doing very little to change things. Whilst there is geographical and personal loss in the state; the musicians of Los Angeles are as strong and eclectic as ever. I hope they are not affected too much by recent events because, as I have said time and time again, it is a fantastic area for music. Maybe there is that leaning more towards Electro and Pop whereas, in New York, I tend to find more Rock and Alternative bands; not to mention Hip-Hop and Rap artists. There is a natural sunniness and warmth in L.A. that is going to affect the music. It is one of the downsides, I guess, regarding the warm weather and sunshine – events like the bushfires will happen. In music terms, there is a lot to be recommended right now. Every time I interview an artist from Los Angeles, they say there is that support among musicians and there are great venues to play. Whilst we are suffering losses in the U.K. and many venues are shutting their doors; Los Angeles’ vastness and comparative wealth means a lot of their best venues are remaining open and encouraging musicians. The economy there is better and that is providing hope and comfort for the new breed. In terms of the sound and sensations coming from L.A. and California; I am amazed by the sheer endeavour and ambition of artists. Even when they are in the Pop/Electro headspace, you get this sense of individuality and boldness. A lot of British acts can be quite samey and plain but, in L.A., that extra fizz and layer of brilliance comes through. Maybe it is coincidental but I know there is a community and sense of freedom in L.A. that you do not really get anywhere else.

I have talked about the area many times before so I cannot bring fresh angles to the party. What I will say is that every time I get to assess an artist from the city/state, I am blown away by the sound that comes through. The range and sheer breadth one finds somewhere like Los Angeles is amazing. In a music world where the negative sounds outweigh the positive; it seems like Los Angeles’ artists are trying to do something a bit different and provide some strength. It is interesting see the new generation come through and what they are offering the world. I wonder how this will grow and change in years to come. What I like about Los Angeles artists is their willingness to go off the track and not copy what everyone else is doing. Although Jessie Munro was born in Canada, she is taking to the L.A. way of working and producing something great. I have taken a while to get around to this review – her E.P., On My Own, has been out for a while now – but that sort of works in my favour. In terms of sounds, everything starts to come to the fore and reveal itself after a set amount of time. I am finding new revelations and positives emerge; sounds pop and show themselves that were hidden before. I am not sure whether that is the direct influence of L.A. or it is something Jessie Munro has taken from her own life. Whatever the reason behind the nuance and build, I am glad I got to review Jessie Munro and investigate her current sounds. Before I come to look at her sounds and why she is standing out, there are a few things that could be adapted and added to ensure her music and online profile is spread as far and wide as possible.

I have been getting tough on people requesting interviews because, a lot of the time, the standard of responses is lax and poor; the time taken to get the written responses to me is huge and the images I am being sent are sub-par. What I say to everyone is to look at what they are putting out there and how they approach interviews and ask whether it is the right way of doing things. Most of Munro’s online portfolio is great but, in order to exert even more influence and strength, there are a few points to note. Images and updated shots are always on my mind and it is the biggest flaw for a lot of artists. Some have reacted angrily when I have pointed this out in reviews – which is fair enough – but it is for their good and not a criticism. What I look for when doing pieces like this are sharp images and having a choice when it comes to shots. You will see some good shots in this review but I had to collate quite a few of them from Google – a lot were not included on Facebook and Twitter. Munro is someone who pops on camera and is extremely photogenic and there are so many different possibilities that could be explored regarding photos. She has a few current shots online but a lot of her photos are from a little while back. People like me are going to be drawn to images before the music itself. More will go out of their way to do these big pieces on artists where there are photographic choices. It is not too expensive getting a shoot organised and I wonder whether artists need to address this more. One of the most important things they can do is to get regular images online and make sure they are as sharp and focused as possible. Music is so much about images nowadays and taking care of that visual side. You can have brilliant music but if you do not consider photos and getting a range online then that will have a damaging impact.

Everything about Munro’s music is fine and great but there is that need to know what she is up to and how things are going. I know her E.P. is out and she promoted it when it arrived but there are new fans and followers who can be recruited. Putting out regular updates and sharing tracks from the E.P. would hook new listeners in and encourage her current fans to share the love. I am familiar with her music but there are many out there who have not heard it. Getting in contact with radio stations around the U.K. would give her a good footing here and, whilst she does have a team behind her, the artist needs to take this on board and keep active. Even if it is a case of posting something on Instagram or updating fans regarding tour movements, it is essential to keep busy. Her Twitter feed has not been updated for a little while and, to causal observers, that looks like something is wrong or she is quiet. I am sure there are tour dates and plans coming; there is a great E.P. out there and this music people can hear. You do not need to post something every day but this is a whole world to connect with and modern artists need to be keeping their social media feeds fresh and updated. I will not labour these points too much but they are more constructive than critiques. I know how tough it is in the business and the competition that is out there. The way to keep ahead and not fall behind it to concentrate on all areas and, when it comes to journalists and fans, the more information and options they have in front of them (regarding an artist) the more appealing that is. I shall moves things on and get to talking about Jessie Munro and why her music has a maturity and sense of depth.

I have talked about a certain slump in music and how emotions and negativity seems to be infiltrating every crack and avenue right now. There are exceptions and positives to be heard but, in terms of the mainstream, there is either a vapid air or a sense of depression. Munro could have easily followed that path but, even as she talks about splits and being alone, the music never drags you down. One can attribute this to a maturity and sense of musicianship that allows for an emotional balance and a sense of abiding hope. Maybe she has had her heart broken but the songwriter is looking at better days and aiming for something uplifting. That is rare to see and, whilst I like what she is talking about and how she approaches music, it is the feeling one gets when listening that is most impressive. All of the strongest artists are able to deliver something fresh and familiar at the same time. You can listen to a song like On My Own and, from the title alone, know what it is going to be about. The more the song plays, the more you know you are listening to something new and personal. Munro can present a song that provides that familiar air but she adds in her own blends and touches. She has seduced audiences around the world and one of the reasons for that is because her music has that great balance. One can dive into her songs and find comfort but there are layers and elements that strike you and take you by surprise. I am impressed how she has developed as an artist and how far her music has come on. A lot of the stuff I am hearing right now is somewhat petulant or lacks maturity: Munro is someone who can talk about bitter times and cragged roads and do so with more dignity and intelligence. Many might say a maturity and sense of dignity equates to a boring and rather insipid song. That might be some people’s impression but that is not the case here.

Munro splices together R&B and Soul and there is that integration of Electro and Pop. All these different sounds could easily have been divided and clumsily mixed but, in her hands, they are perfectly blended and you get this rich cocktail. I said I would mention Classic music earlier and it seems like more and more artists start off in that genre. Maybe it is the natural avenue for many children. When you have an interest in music, you will be guided to the piano and instruments like that. A few might know what they want to do in terms of future music endeavours but the piano and the world of Classical is a good way in and gives you that taste. I think, in many ways, a lot of the disciplines and traits required in the Classical world can be translated and brought into other genres. In the case of Jessie Munro; she got into Classical and musical theatre at a young age and even attended Berklee College of Music. All of this experience has gone into her music and why there is such maturity. You listen to her new E.P. and every song has its own skin and voice. One gets a real sense of adventure and complexity in the music and you can trace a line back to her training and education. I think everything she has learned and absorbed since childhood has made her the artist she is now and means her music stands out. There is nothing to suggest Munro cannot go on and be a big name in the mainstream one day. The competition is fierce and never-ending but she has so many assets and positives working in her favour. I feel she avoids easy traps regarding lyrical themes and sounds and can provide this alluring and deep blend that gets into the heart and under the skin. Munro is inspired by a lot of the songwriting greats and you can hear their inspiration working away.

I feel a lot of modern songwriters are following the mainstream too closely and getting hooked on what is happening there. We have this very contemporary and fresh sound in 2018 and, whilst there are some great artists to be found, I wonder how many look back and take guidance from those musical greats? Every artist is inspired by the past and the music they grew up around but very few are wearing that on their sleeves. In terms of influences for Jessie Munro, you get the feeling someone like Carole King made a big impact. The way her music gets into the soul and can talk about love and breakup like nobody else...this is something we do not see enough of in modern music. Munro can take some elements of King and her artistry and splice that with modern R&B and Pop. It is an intoxicating and decades-hopping combination that provides her music that depth and strength. I shall move on to looking at a song I was keen to focus on but, before then, it is worth looking at her locker. I can hear Daniel Caesar and Carole King collide; Charlotte Day Wilson and a bit of Laura Marling; there is a nice unity of the old-school legends and the new breed making their mark. I feel it is always the temptation to ape your icons and follow what they did. It is tempting but, if you are too obvious then that can be a danger. Munro avoids this and, instead, seamlessly creates something new. You get these details and little touches in every line but are never too firmly reminded of anyone else. There are few songwriters who have the attributes and personality traits of Jessie Munro. I hope more learn from her and we can see the scene change a little bit.  

One might expect On My Own to start quite quietly or either race out of the blocks with something quite urgent. Instead, there is a build and tease that takes you by surprise. Rather than do what is expected or what we are guessing; Munro laces in a few gentle electric guitar strums and layers in this rather interesting mood. You get invested and interested and are settled to see what arrives next. The words are delivered with passion and intent and you have this rather soothing sound. Munro’s voice hits you with all its soulful passion and depth. You swim inside the vocal and its beauty. The heroine has faced a lot of heartache and change recently and she is not willing to let all the pain in quite yet. It seems she does not want to forget the good times and the memory of her sweetheart but has to acknowledge things have changed and life is not as she imagined. One might think a rather calm and slow delivery lacks the same impact as a faster and firmer one. The full effect of the emotions come through when things are unveiled with greater care and consideration. You are allowed time to absorb the words and picture the scenes. You get sensations of classic Soul and R&B when hearing the silky and water-flow notes cascade and trickle. I investigate my thoughts and wonder whether the breakup has happened or whether there is still that spark. It seems like Munro still cannot forget the passion and relationship and she might be kidding herself to an extent. Maybe she is unwilling to let it go and fade away. During the day she is pretending but, by midnight, she is letting herself slip. The chorus arrives and you get a rush of vocals and instruments. The composition has that warmth and passion and you get this incredible rush. There is this big declaration from Munro, that she is on her own, but it is never delivered with sadness.

One feels this determination and strength but there is the acceptance things are not as they were. You are involved in the song and get the feeling she has been going back to her sweetheart and trying to rekindle the flame but things are not as they were. I am wondering whether this is a long-term relationship or something that has just started but, whatever the truth, it has made an impact and the heroine is feeling the force. You get this wonderful blast of Soul that makes you shiver and sigh and the firmness and potency of an Electro backbone. It is hard to put into words but the mix of sounds and sensations is brilliant. The heroine gives time for the music to speak and breathe and you get a lot of story and progression through the notes. There is piano/keys and some subtle beats that provides a smoothness and tender touch. The more the song goes on, the more images flood and you start to present your own interpretation. I was backing the heroine and hoping things would work out but it seems things have gone wrong and there is no coming back from it. Munro is being distracted by something/someone and going through the motions. Maybe she is dating others and engaging in something easy and fast in order to compensate for this loss. It is easy to assume there is this rather reckless behaviour but I feel Munro is trying to resist the temptation to come back to her lover. On My Own is a great offering that you will want to listen to again and again. It forms an important part if the On My Own E.P. story but stands up on its own. I have provided my interpretation of events but maybe the truth is somewhat different. However you envisage the story; one cannot deny the strength and beauty of the song.

There are a few update happening here and there on her social media but I feel the next few months will be quiet for Munro. She has been busy working on her E.P. and put that out so, naturally, there will be gigs and she will look ahead to more material. For those outside of L.A., it might be a while before we see her play around our way but keep your eyes focused on social media and let’s hope there is news of international dates. She is cementing her name locally and keen to get the music to the people there. I am excited to see how far she has come and what her music stands for. It is a big blend of the old and new, the emotional and positive – how often do we get to say that?! If you have not heard her sounds then check out the On My Own E.P. and all it is about. There is that story of breakup and the stage of discovering that loss and having to deal with it. It would have been easy to write something bathed in misery and anger but, instead, the natural strength and maturity of Munro means the songs keep their head but do not lose their heart. Her six-track E.P. is crammed with life, possibilities and wonderful takeaways. I am curious where she will step next and whether there will be more touring. The demand is out there and, here in the U.K., her name is not as well-known as in the U.S. I think that could change in 2019 and we will hear more from her. As I said in the opening paragraphs; we need to have that social media updating and keeping fans in the loop. It has been a busy time for her but many will be eager to catch her live and find out where she is heading next year. I have enjoyed listening to Munro and her track, On My Own, and can thoroughly recommend the entire E.P. Make sure you get invested and discover what she is all about. There are many artists out there you can choose from but there are few...

QUITE like Jessie Munro.  

___________

Follow Jessie Munro

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/jessieleith

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jessieleithmunro/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/21QJrHTnMGTyGZj1Rbm9rW?si=OcPOF8l5SGeTXYcz-WRHtA

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jessieleithmunro/

INTERVIEW: Nick Ellis

INTERVIEW:

Nick Ellis

___________

IT has been wonderful finding out more about Nick Ellis…

and his new album, Speakers’ Corner. Ellis talks about the album’s themes and I ask what he thinks of our current government and what is happening in the country – he selects some albums that matter most to him and what sort of music he is inspired by.

Ellis reveals whether there will be gigs coming along and what he has planned for next year; what it is like getting plaudits from some big radio names; which rising artists we need to look out for and which musician he’d support live if given the chance – he ends the interview by selecting a great track.

__________

Hi, Nick. How are you? How has your week been?

I'm fine, thank you. So far, my week has been interesting, to say the least. 

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Yes, sure. My name is Nick Ellis. I live and work in Liverpool. I am a writer/songwriter who transcends stories, narratives and characterizations through an acoustic guitar, mainly. I use a finger-picking style that incorporates a method of rhythm and melody. 

 

Speakers’ Corner is your new album. What are the themes that inspired it?

Speakers' Corner has three main themes: engagement, communication and expression.

The album's theme and title was inspired by a local writer called Andrew Lucas who introduced me to the work of Liverpool sculptor, Arthur Dooley. Lucas showed me an old picture of an iron 'speakers' corner' that was designed and made by Dooley (and an architect called Jim Hunter), situated in Liverpool's Pier Head area. I'd forgotten all about this red, industrious landmark-esque podium and realised it had been removed without any one really noticing way back in 1993/1994.

Its erection was funded by the Trade and General Workers’ Union, back in 1973, for public use as a place for people to gather and share their thoughts, views and ideals. I was astonished that this 'place of gathering' had not been resurrected by the local council (as it was paid for by people's money, not theirs) after the area’s development - and thought that I’d bring it to people's attention…

So, I made an album about it. 

Do you take a lot of inspiration from modern politics and what is happening now? How do you see the state of politics in this country?!

I take inspiration from the reaction of people to modern politics, rather than the actual political options that are being presented. I find the processes, structures; approaches and choices that we are used to are no longer serving the needs of its people. It has been very inspiring to see the reaction of people, not just in this country but all over the world, to the changing tide of politics. It is no longer about what is blue or red, or right and left: it's about what is right and wrong.

The state of modern politics in this country has gone beyond satire. The people who are in government are extremely evil people, never mind incompetent - the way that the Grenfell Tower disaster was dealt with spelled this government's intentions out very clearly: 'We don't care'. And we are paying these people. It's obscene. But, what is worse is the fact that people vote for this kind of ideology. And that's just plain sadistic. 

Which artists did you grow up listening to? Was there one that compelled you to get into music?

Yes. Buddy Holly, Elvis and Pete Townshend. Their music, presence and energy made me want to do similar. On the writing side of things, I was moved by the work of Alan Bleasdale at a very early age. There was an emotional intensity that was threaded within his work, especially in Boys from the Blackstuff and G.B.H. 

 PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Clewley

You have gained applause from the likes of Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2) and Lauren Laverne (BBC Radio 6 Music). How does that make you feel?!

I appreciate the support from anyone who takes the time out to enlighten people with my music. I certainly don't get any ego boosts from it, though. Radio should be playing grassroots music, more. Otherwise, one day, hey...we might not exist. Bob was really friendly and accessible.

I emailed him various questions about some Folk players, like Nick Drake and Nic Jones - and he took the time out to share his thoughts and memories on those cats and was very articulate and encouraging about what I was doing. As regards to Lauren; I met her years ago and she knew her stuff and was very amiable. I don't know her or anything, though.  

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I hope to begin recording the next album. 

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes. We plan to tour this album throughout spring and release another album in the autumn. 

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Yes. I was very fortunate to meet and play with Johnny Echols, from the band Love, back in the summer of 2016. Jon was one of the most inspiring, kind and friendly souls I ever met in the music game. He took time out to answer all our questions about Love and shared a few secrets with us - about that band and time - that I swore I'd never share.

They say you should never meet your heroes, but Jon was beyond that. He was the embodiment of 'love' - a beautiful soul, spirit and mind. I always knew that band and its music were special and I was right. 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Love - Forever Changes

Because it does. There's nothing I’ve come across that says it all like that album. 

Jim Sullivan - U.F.O.

Because the mystery of that man's life is embedded in those songs. 

Davey Graham - Folk, Blues and Beyond

Because it combines mastery, mystery and folklore. What a combo, eh!  

PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Clewley

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Bob Dylan. And a rider that consisted of the finest, purest Peruvian flake cocaine. Me and Bob would be whoopin' like Ric Flair well into the night. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?​

Get a decent job that pays well and gives you and your family security. There is no money in music...well, for those at the more challenging rung of the ladder, anyway. 

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Next up is at The Harrison in London on Thursday, 29th November, 2018.  

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes. Musicians Luca Nieri, R.W. Hedges and John Stammers from London. Writers Russ Litten (from Hull), Duncan Lyon and a spoken word artist called Roy (both Liverpool).

PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Clewley

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I go looking for trouble. 

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Luca Nieri - Hummingbird and R.W. Hedges - Signalman. Both are excellent.

__________

Follow Nick Ellis

Official:

http://mellowtonerecords.com/artists/nick-ellis

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Nick-Ellis-Music-133381333379089/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/nickellis_music

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/nickellismusic/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4YsGMbC6ydAxsi8DKHCaZJ?si=6fiVP4qETVq6ltCxmqpU3g

FEATURE: Ending the Decade in Style: Part III/V: The Finest Albums of 1979

FEATURE:

 

 

Ending the Decade in Style

PHOTO CREDIT: @pear/Unsplash 

Part III/V: The Finest Albums of 1979

__________

THE reason I want to put together a new feature…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @koalamoose/Unsplash

is to shine a light on the albums that end a decade with a huge bang. I feel it is hard to define what a decade is about and how it evolves but the first and last years are crucial. Entering a decade with a big album is a great way to stand out and, similarly, ending it with something stunning is vital. It can be hard leaving a brilliant and bountiful decade of music but I wanted to shine a light on the artists who brought out albums that did justice; gave hope the next decade would be full, exciting and brilliant. I will do a five-part series about albums that opened a decade with panache but, right now, the third in a five-part feature that collates the best decade-enders from the 1960s, 1970s; 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. I am focusing on 1979 and the best ten records from the year. The 1970s is often seen as the greatest decade for music and many feel the 1980s is the worst. 1979 was, for many, the last year for fantastic music and the glorious end of a huge decade. Here is a selection of ten albums that ended the 1970s...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kxvn_lx/Unsplash

WITH huge style.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

______________

The Undertones – The Undertones

Release Date: 13th May, 1979

Labels: Sire; Aredeck-EMI; Rykodisc; Sanctuary Records (U.K. C.D. release).

Review:

“What is a perfect album? One could make an argument that a perfect album is one that sets out a specific set of artistic criteria and then fulfills them flawlessly. In that respect, and many others, the Undertones' 1979 debut is a perfect album. The Northern Ireland quintet's brief story is no different than that of literally dozens of other bands to form in the wake of the Clash and, more importantly, the Buzzcocks, but the group infuses so much unabashed joy in their two-minute three-chord pop songs, and there's so little pretension in their unapologetically teenage worldview, that even the darker hints of life in songs like the suicide-themed "Jimmy Jimmy" are delivered with a sense of optimism at odds with so many of their contemporaries. There's no fewer than three all-time punk-pop classics here; besides that song, the singles "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You" are simple declarations of teenage hormonal lust that somehow manage to be cute instead of Neanderthal; perhaps it's Feargal Sharkey's endearingly adenoidal whine, or the chipper way the O'Neill brothers pitch in on schoolboy harmonies, like a teenage Irish Kinks” – AllMusic   

Standout Track: Teenage Kicks

The Clash – London Calling

Release Date: 14th December, 1979

Labels: CBS; Epic

Review:

“London Calling certainly lives up to that challenge. With its grainy cover photo, its immediate, on-the-run sound, and songs that bristle with names and phrases from today’s headlines, it’s as topical as a broadside. But the album also claims to be no more than the latest battlefield in a war of rock & roll, culture and politics that’ll undoubtedly go on forever. “Revolution Rock,” the LP’s formal coda, celebrates the joys of this struggle as an eternal carnival. A spiraling organ weaves circles around Joe Strummer’s voice, while the horn section totters, sways and recovers like a drunken mariachi band. “This must be the way out,” Strummer calls over his shoulder, so full of glee at his own good luck that he can hardly believe it.” El Clash Combo,” he drawls like a proud father, coasting now, sure he’s made it home. “Weddings, parties, anything… And bongo jazz a specialty.”

But it’s Mick Jones who has the last word. “Train in Vain” arrives like an orphan in the wake of “Revolution Rock.” It’s not even listed on the label, and it sounds faint, almost overheard. Longing, tenderness and regret mingle in Jones’ voice as he tries to get across to his girl that losing her meant losing everything, yet he’s going to manage somehow” – Rolling Stone

Standout Track: London Calling

Donna Summer – Bad Girls

Release Date: 25th April, 1979

Label: Casablanca

Review:

“Producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte recognized that disco was going in different directions by the late '70s, and they gave the leadoff one-two punch of "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls" a rock edge derived from new wave. The two-LP set was divided into four musically consistent sides, with the rocksteady beat of the first side giving way to a more traditional disco sound on the second side, followed by a third side of ballads, and a fourth side with a more electronic, synthesizer-driven sound that recalled Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love." Though remembered for its hits, the album had depth and consistency, concluding with "Sunset People," one of Summer's best album-only tracks. The result was the artistic and commercial peak of her career and, arguably, of disco itself” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Hot Stuff                         

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

Release Date: 15th June, 1979

Label: Factory

Review:

“Then, after such an auspicious start, Closer really clicks into gear. "Means to an End" is death disco before the fact, buoyed by a surprisingly rousing (and wordless) chorus. "Heart and Soul" is a remarkable collision of atmosphere and minimalism, the stuttering drum beat, synth and Peter Hook's melodic bass lead linked to one of Curtis' most subdued performances. "Heart and soul," he sings, as the stark instruments intertwine and twist together. "One will burn."

"Twenty Four Hours" briefly tries to pry free from the album's looming inevitability before "The Eternal" and "Decades" draw the music back down and the listener back in to Curtis' world. "The Eternal" is the bleakest thing the band ever recorded, and if "Decades" comes off a relative respite in comparison, the lyrics quickly quash that idea. "We knocked on the doors of Hell's darker chamber," moans Curtis. "Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in” - Pitchfork

Standout Track: New Dawn Fades

Pink Floyd – The Wall

Release Date: 30th November, 1979

Labels: Harvest; Columbia

Review:

“The album opens by welcoming the unwitting listener to Floyd's show ("In the Flesh?"), then turns back to childhood memories of his father's death in World War II ("Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1"), his mother's over protectiveness ("Mother"), and his fascination with and fear of sex ("Young Lust"). By the time "Goodbye Cruel World" closes the first disc, the wall is built and Pink is trapped in the midst of a mental breakdown. On disc two, the gentle acoustic phrasings of "Is There Anybody Out There?" and the lilting orchestrations of "Nobody Home" reinforce Floyd's feeling of isolation. When his record company uses drugs to coax him to perform ("Comfortably Numb"), his onstage persona is transformed into a homophobic, race-baiting fascist ("In the Flesh"). In "The Trial," he mentally prosecutes himself, and the wall comes tumbling down. This ambitious concept album was an across-the-board smash, topping the Billboard album chart for 15 weeks in 1980. The single "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" was the country's best-seller for four weeks. The Wall spawned an elaborate stage show (so elaborate, in fact, that the band was able to bring it to only a few cities) and a full-length film. It also marked the last time Waters and Gilmour would work together as equal partners” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1 

Fleetwood Mac – Tusk

Release Date: 12th October, 1979

Label: Warner Bros.

Review:

“It’s not hard to imagine the voice of Buckingham’s internal foil during these sessions, whispering seedily, naysaying each new melody, pushing for more: “This is fine, but it’s not Art.” I don’t know anyone who cares about making things who hasn’t at some point lobbed the exact same challenge at themselves: Can’t you do better? Hasn’t someone done this before? Haven’t you done this before? You get the sense of a broken-down person trying to rebuild himself. He is diligent about getting the architecture right.

All of which makes “I Know I’m Not Wrong”—the first song the band started recording for Tusk, and the last one to be finished – even more poignant. When Tusk was reissued, in 2015, the expanded release included six (!) different “I Know I’m Not Wrong” demos, all recorded by Buckingham in his home studio. The chorus is a declaration of intention, of confidence: “Don't blame me/Please be strong/I know I'm not wrong.” It’s not a thing a person gets to say very often. But Tusk isn’t a record that gets made more than once” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: Tusk

Michael Jackson – Off the Wall

Release Date: 10th August, 1979

Labels: Epic; CBS

Review:

“In collaborating with producer Quincy Jones, Off The Wall found Jackson using his newly found creative freedom by departing from his previous Motown sound, instead opting for an album that combined disco, soul, pop, soft rock and funk influences. Additional to Jones' polished, professional productions, Michael Jackson collaborated with some of the finest songwriters of the time, including Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Rod Temperton. As a result, Off The Wall became the first album ever to spawn four Billboard Top Ten singles: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Off The Wall and She's Out Of My Life.

Since it's release, Off The Wall has sold over fifteen million copies and many critics believe as an album it has not been bettered by any of Michael Jackson's subsequent output” – BBC

Standout Track: Don’t Stop 'Til You Get Enough

Talking Heads – Fear of Music

Release Date: 3rd August, 1979

Label: Sire

Review:

“Worked up from jams (though Byrne received sole songwriter's credit), the music is becoming denser and more driving, notably on the album's standout track, "Life During Wartime," with lyrics that match the music's power. "This ain't no party," declares Byrne, "this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around." The other key song, "Heaven," extends the dismissal Byrne had expressed for the U.S. in "The Big Country" to paradise itself: "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." It's also the album's most melodic song. Those are the highlights. What keeps Fear of Music from being as impressive an album as Talking Heads' first two is that much of it seems to repeat those earlier efforts, while the few newer elements seem so risky and exciting. It's an uneven, transitional album, though its better songs are as good as any Talking Heads ever did” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Animals

The Jam – Setting Sons

Release Date: 16th November, 1979

Label: Polydor

Review:

“The Jam's Setting Sons was originally planned as a concept album about three childhood friends who, upon meeting after some time apart, discover the different directions in which they've grown apart. Only about half of the songs ended up following the concept due to a rushed recording schedule, but where they do, Paul Weller vividly depicts British life, male relationships, and coming to terms with entry into adulthood. Weller's observations of society are more pointed and pessimistic than ever, but at the same time, he's employed stronger melodies with a slicker production and comparatively fuller arrangements, even using heavy orchestration for a reworked version of Bruce Foxton's "Smithers-Jones." Setting Sons often reaches brilliance and stands among the Jam's best albums, but the inclusion of a number of throwaways and knockoffs (especially the out-of-place cover of "Heat Wave" which closes the album) mars an otherwise perfect album” – AllMusic

Standout Track: The Eton Riffles                     

Blondie – Eat to the Beat

Release Date: October 1979

Label: Chrysalis

Review:

“Maybe this accounts for the stylistic ragbag that emerges. Eat To The Beat still bears the traces of the art punk roots that had given birth to them back in their CBGB's days in New York (on the title track, the manic Accidents Never Happen and Living In The Real World); but at times the album reads like a veritable history of chart styles: Here was their first proper foray into reggae with Die Young Stay Pretty, the Duane Eddy-at-the-disco grandeur of Atomic, the skittering, Spectorish pure pop of Dreaming and Union City Blue and the Motown stomp of Slow Motion. Sound-A-Sleep goes even further back into the kind of 50s dream pop that might feature in a David Lynch film. 

Americans, still hamstrung by the double-edged values of the late 60s, were always suspicious that a band first marketed as 'new wave' could be so mercenary and saw it as ersatz 'selling out', giving the album a lukewarm reception. Meanwhile in Europe their ability to soundtrack every great disco, wedding and barmitzvah was rightly valued. In the end, pop is pop and Blondie, at this point, were making the timeless variety that still sounds box fresh today” – BBC

Standout Track: Union City Blue

FEATURE: Spotlight: Loyle Carner

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

IN THIS PHOTO: Loyle Carner snapped for Interview in May 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Holyoak

Loyle Carner

__________

THERE are a few artists who get all the love…

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Loyle Carner’s 2017 album, Yesterday’s Gone/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

and seem to glide by without much trouble - and then there are those who have to fight a bit harder because their music means that much more. There was a lot of talk around Loyle Carner when his debut album, Yesterday’s Gone, arrived at the start of last year. I recall listening to the album when it came out and being blown away by the originality! There are British Hip-Hop and Rap artists who can move you and get the mind but none have the same personality and passion as Loyle Carner. It is something about his delivery and wordplay that is superior to the competition. One hears anger and determination but there is never needless aggression and boasting. The man has confidence and is slick with a rhyme but never boasts and shows off without being able to back it up. There is humbleness and modest that is hard to find in the genre and, unlike a lot of U.S. Hip-Hop artists, the subject matter is less about boasting and wealth and more concerned with the everyday lives and beat of the street. I think British Hip-Hop has always been second to that coming from America but with artists like Loyle Carner and Kate Tempest bringing their brand of poetry and passion to the party; we have some genuine competition for the giants of American Hip-Hop. Many have been asking whether there is going to be a follow-up to Yesterday’s Gone and what we might expect next year.

I guess two years is a little while when it comes to following up albums but Carner needs time to craft the material and get the feeling right. Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner (‘Loyle Carner’ is a spoonerism of his surname) is a Lambeth-born, Croydon-raised artist who was brought up by his mum, Jean, and stepdad (Nik) had minimal contact with his birth father growing up. Having been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as a child; Loyle Carner moved through the ranks and fought hard to get his voice out there. He studied at the Brit School and was enrolling in a Drama degree when his birth father died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Carner decided to embark on a career in music and focused on that passion. A dedicated Liverpool F.C. supporter and someone who wears his heart on sleeve; you can hear Carner’s life and loves spill out in his music. He is enormously close to his mum and she has even been involved in his music/videos. Everything about Carner has that honesty and humbleness. He is close to family and where he grew up and has not forgotten his roots. Yesterday’s Gone is the distillation of his early life and his rise; everything that made him and what he wants to achieve. The album was nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2017 and lost out to Sampha’s Process.

I felt Loyle Carner should have won the award and boasts the stronger record. Whilst Process has soulfulness and is emotional stunning; Yesterday’s Gone has more variation and lasts longer in the mind! The way Carner rhymes and raps; what conversational style and stunning flow that brings the words to life and paints vivid pictures - there are few out there like him. A sophistication can be heard through every song and the lyrics really grab you. It is as though you are rolling with Carner and walking along with him. A lot of Hip-Hop artists can divide with their aggressiveness or what they are talking about – a grand or dangerous life – but Loyle Carner takes you into his world and, like a musical host, shows you every sight and sound. Reviews for Yesterday’s Gone were hugely impressive and effusive. The Guardian had this to say:

“It’s not all heavy going. Carner worries about girls too, and text messages (+44). Another interlude, Rebel 101, finds him being ordered to “eat bad food and party” by producer Rebel Kleff. But instead of posturing then landing a couple of blows to the soft tissue, Carner’s scuffed, wry flows grab you by the feels from the get-go and do not relinquish their grip. All of his candid songs so far have built up a picture of a thoughtful young man rejected by his biological father, sustained by his family, propelled forward by his ADHD diagnosis (he has set up a cookery programme for others with the condition, Chili Con Carner)...

On Florence, he imagines cooking pancakes for an imaginary little sister; Kwes sings the hook. The death of his beloved stepfather in 2014 prompted Carner to give up a place at the Brit School studying drama to take his place as a breadwinner. In this sense he’s a hustler, parlaying his biography into pounds and pence”.

NME approached the L.P. from another angle:

“On ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ US rap’s trademark arrogance 
is replaced by unabashed sensitivity and some serious emotional openness. If it seems like you’re listening to Coyle-Larner reading out his diary when you listen, well, that’s because you kind of are. This is music as catharsis, with much of the sonically laid-back album dealing with family, loss and friendship, over lived-in J Dilla and Tribe Called Quest-worthy beats. But that’s not to say that there aren’t some significant bangers in the mix. As epic album openers go, ‘The Isle Of Arran’ is way up there. A glorious gospel choir sample and a warm old-school soul sound both 
play out behind Coyle-Larner’s effortless flow, as he serves up a heartrending study of grief and a family in turmoil, like Kanye West had he watched one too many episodes of EastEnders”.

It is interesting listening to The Isle of Arran and hearing all those layers and brilliant moments. Few Hip-Hop artists can deal with family heartache and pains and make it sound so beautiful and dramatic. It is a wonderful opening and gives you everything you need to know about Loyle Carner!

Collaborations with Tom Misch (Damselfly) and Kwes. (Florence) show he can bring others into the mix without stealing focus or letting them having too much of a say. The collaborators on the album – Rebel Kleff is amazing on NO CD and No Worries – are brilliant and give Yesterday’s Gone and more rounded and community feel. It is unsurprising someone who is close to family and has that sensitivity would bring friends and allies to the record. What shines above everything else is the variation and lyrical prowess. NO CD is a swaggering, confident song that, yes, is actually does name-check C.D.s! Yesterday’s Gone is perfectly weighted so you have two incredible tracks leading and we finish with the title-track. There are fifteen tracks (on the album) but it never sounds too long and there are no fillers. The songs have their identity but hang together as a cohesive and deeply personal statement. By the end of proceedings, you get to know about Loyle Carner, his family and where he comes from – and where he intends to go. Ain’t Nothing Changed is my favourite because not only are there incredible lyrics and a powerful lead vocal but the composition is fantastic. Smooth and caramel horns run throughout and beautifully bring the song to land. I have put a couple of reviews in and, by the end of 2017; Yesterday’s Gone was in most critics’ top-ten list. An award-nominated album that got under the skin and announced this incredible talent; we were seeing this confident and confessional songwriter show his heart and soul with every line.

There were, of course, gigs and appearance after the album and Loyle Carner has been busy since January 2017. The new single, Ottolenghi, joins Carner with Jordan Rakei and, again, it is a perfect combination. I feel the lyrics of Ottolenghi are among the strongest he has ever produced and one of the most immersive stories. We hear about our hero on the train and the rain coming down; children wondering if the sun will ever come and an potentially edgy situation stemming from a misunderstanding – “They ask about the Bible I was reading/Told them that the title was misleading/Labelled it Jerusalem/but really it's for cooking Middle Eastern”. You get the image of Carner reading this cooking book – where the title of the song stems from – and people thinking he was reading something provocative and controversial. The track is about the twenty-four-year-old knowing it is easy to go back and feel lost and he looks forward and wonder whether he’ll ever raise a child. It is the Hip-Hop poet assessing life and taking stock of everything that has unfolded. This makes me wonder whether we will see another Loyle Carner album next year. The intent and drive is there and fans of Yesterday’s Gone will be intrigued to see where he goes and what comes next. His debut was about the path he has walked and his family; the mix of heartache and strength and living in a complicated world.

Given what has happened in the country – from Brexit to the Grenfell tragedy – it might give Carner impetus for songs and, whatever he comes up with, it is going to be a hotly-anticipated album. There are some promising British Hip-Hop artists around right now, including Not3s and Lady Leshurr, but there is something about Loyle Carner that stands him aside from the pack. Maybe it is the confessional style of the lyrics and the accessibility of the music that means it is easier to get involved with and suitable for all moods. I hear a lot of modern Hip-Hop and it intense a lot of the time and accusatory; it relies on phat beats and jagged electronics and does not really stretch the palette. Carner can bring in Jazz elements and homemade beats; something D.I.Y. with soothing, grand swells that give the songs fresh dimensions and nuances. This is the reason Yesterday’s Gone was taken to heart and received such praise. Loyle Carner is still, in my mind, the leader of British Hip-Hop and it is quite a lot to put on his shoulder! I am excited to see where he steps next and what his next album contains. Music needs someone like him: a truth-telling and popular artist who can unite cutting realities with poetic and elegant thoughts. On Ain’t Nothing Changed; Carner confesses that he’s “just another number”. When you look at all he has achieved and what he gives to music that assessment could not be...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Loyle Carner snapped for Interview in May 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Holyoak

FURTHER from the truth.   

INTERVIEW: Brian Falduto

INTERVIEW:

Brian Falduto

___________

THE amazing Brian Falduto…

has been telling me about his new album, Stage Two, and its origins; what inspired the songs and what sort of music he is inspired by – Falduto talks about his work as an L.G.B.T.Q. Advocate and a Life Coach.  

I ask the American artist about his acting work in School of Rock and which albums are important to him; if there are any gigs coming up and which musician he’d support if he had a choice – he ends the interview by selecting a cool track.

__________

Hi, Brian. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! My week has been fine. Thank you for asking. We released my album on Friday so it’s been a fun first few days having the project out there.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

My name is Brian Falduto. I’m an artist; I seek connection and tell stories through songwriting and acting. I also share in the stories of other people through my work as both an L.G.B.T.Q. Advocate and a Life Coach.

 

I am interested in your single, Rainy Day. Is there a story behind it?

There’s definitely a story behind it, though, not one I’m very proud of. Without getting too specific, it’s about someone I was in involved with during my time in L.A. The song calls him out on a lot of what he was putting me through at the time: emotional abuse, infidelity and just a general degradation of my self-worth.

But, the song is less about him and more about what I allowed myself to get involved in. It’s me taking ownership of my role in creating that toxic situation. I had many chances to walk away but I chose to keep putting it off for a ‘Rainy Day’ – and, as we all know, it doesn’t rain often in L.A. It’s kind of like the gay version of Stay by Sugarland.

I believe your new album, Stage Two, has psychological derivations. Can you explain the concepts behind the record?

Situations like the story behind Rainy Day and other tracks on this album are very reflective of a time in the development of a gay man’s life that has been termed by psychologist Alan Downs as ‘Stage Two’ in his book, The Velvet Rage. I’ve named the record after his research in the hopes of directing people to his book as I feel it contains some essential findings on the self-esteem issues that gay men face following a life in the closet and how those issues manifest themselves in relationship decisions made after coming out.

What was it like putting the album together? Did you learn a lot about yourself making it?

The album is something I’m proud of for the very simple fact that, by creating it, I’ve counteracted every habitual mentality that’s been forming inside my mind for my entire life. I double-majored in college because I was too afraid of failure - and being a Performance major was too risky a venture for me without a back-up plan. I convinced myself that I enjoyed a full-time job working in radio promotions (even though I was miserable) because I was afraid I wouldn’t be successful otherwise. I got really bad at ‘acting’ for a while because I put too much pressure on myself to be ‘good’ and I lost the enjoyment of working on my craft.

This project took a lot of time, effort and money. Once I started, I never looked back. I had to make a lot of creative decisions on the spot and I had to trust my gut. I had to believe in myself and know that I am good enough. I didn’t leave myself a back-up plan or a way out. I proved a lot to myself by completing this project and I can happily say I broke some habits and overcame some obstacles along the way. It was a growing experience for me.

Did you grow up in a musical family? Which artists did you discover at a young age?

No one in my family is musical. Much like many young gay boys, I quickly fell in love with an array of female artists: Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion; Faith Hill, Michelle Branch; Hilary Duff...and eventually Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. My mom instilled a young love of Barry Manilow in me and my dad dropped some Goo Goo Dolls, James Taylor and Aerosmith into my life. My brother was a big fan of Alternative-Rock: Secondhand Serenade, All-American Rejects; The Last Goodnight.

I’ve been obsessed with musical theatre since seeing Wicked in 2003 and, in high-school; I discovered a love for Country music after hearing the song Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band (which is still my ring-back tone, by the way). I’ve always been a bit all over the place and still am.

How does your acting work, and your role in School of Rock, link with your music?

Well, as far as School of Rock goes, I’m honored to be circumstantially a part of a film that has not only inspired thousands of kids to pick up instruments and try their hand at musicianship but it’s also inspired a worldwide movement in the form of television shows, movies and even educational institutions dedicated to continually keeping the message of the movie alive: Stick it to the man. You are cool enough. Music’s not about being perfect: it’s about thinking outside the box. Follow your dreams.

I guess you could say that, with my album, I’ve finally caught a little bit of the inspirational impact I had a hand in creating fifteen years ago.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I’m currently trying to mobilize myself back to L.A. for the winter so that I can do Pilot Season out there again. I’ll probably play a few more shows on the East Coast before I head out and, of course, finish up the album promotion.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Acting is a big goal for 2019. I truly feel like I’m at an incomparable point in my work and I want to bring myself to some roles in the New Year and tell stories that way again. 

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

The story that seems to come to mind involves my grandma. She’s always been my biggest fan and my best friend. She’d never missed a performance of mine for my entire life but, unfortunately, in her old age, dementia overtook her and she was forced to go into assisted living. Understandably, she couldn’t make it out to support me anymore and this was very sad for her. So, we brought the show to her! A few members of the band and I loaded our equipment and instruments out to New Jersey and performed for her entire facility.

Seeing her face that day was my favorite memory of my time in music so far. Getting to give back like that to the only person who I can honestly say has never stopped believing in me is something I will treasure forever. She passed about a year ago and I perform at nursing homes as often as I can in her memory.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Stronger - Kelly Clarkson

You can laugh if you’d like but I really feel like she does a brilliant job at capturing a wide range of potential heartbreak scenarios and delivering them with a power and a punch that lets you know you’re going to be just fine. Every single track on this album has been an anthem for me through one break-up or another and I’m very grateful for it.

Live at The Troubadour - Carole King, James Taylor (live)

Carole King is the songwriting QUEEN, as far as I am concerned. She blends such universal truths into her melodies. I love this live album because it’s just her and James Taylor trading hits and sharing stories and just being so candid and honest. It’s a beautiful, relaxing listen.

Pioneer – The Band Perry

I think this album is a great example of the type of work I hope to be known for. It’s a collection of Pop-Country tracks with catchy melodies and crafty lyrics that all dramatize very relatable experiences. There’s a large variety of sounds and instrumentation on the record; I think it’s a great mix of strong musicality and strategic hit making.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Matt Alber. If you don’t know him, he’s amazing. He’s one of my favorite artists to just put on shuffle and never press pause or skip. And his work in the L.G.B.T.Q. community is very inspiring to me. I think I could learn a lot from him.

I always have a little bit of whiskey before I perform, so that would definitely be on my rider. Also; lots of water. I love water…but whiskey first. I don’t always eat a lot before I go on stage because I hate feeling bloated and tired up there, so maybe some French fries waiting for me when I get back to my dressing room?

I guess, if I ever got big enough to make diva requests, I’d request that all the weird, little things I carry in my bag every day be provided for me: a lint roller, a notepad; hand sanitizer, ChapStick; a highlighter, a pencil; Advil, gum; my phone charger and whatever book I’m reading.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

The filmmaker Roger Corman once said “Just be a craftsman”. Meaning: Just do the work. Just keep showing up and doing what you gotta do to improve and learn and grow. He continued: “...And every now and then, you might do something that is actually art”.

 You’re not an artist because you make something and then culture deems that thing artistic. Actually, what makes something artistic is when you’re able to see the world unlike how most of culture sees it. I often remind myself that Vincent Van Gogh never had a single buyer in his entire life; yet he created masterpiece after masterpiece. We can’t look to others to validate what we are doing. Find something that fulfills you and do it.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Currently planning some shows! Follow me on Instagram (@brianfalduto) for the deets!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Elizabeth Wyld/PHOTO CREDIT: Rosie Cohe Photography 

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Elizabeth Wyld. She’s fantastic and I had the pleasure of collaborating with her recently. I dare you to not love her song Strange Love on Spotify.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I do! I’m a Life Coach and one of my primary goals is to encourage my clients to develop a healthy relationship with themselves. For me, chill time is essential for that - especially as an artist in New York City. Ninety-percent of your energy here goes into surviving and keeping any sense of mindfulness about you. We live in the busiest city in the world.

I treasure any down time that I am able to carve out for myself and be present with myself and my thoughts; the end goal being to set aside enough time to eventually get connected with my feelings enough to write some music.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Currently, I’m listening to Miss Me More by Kelsea Ballerini a lot. I kinda wish I wrote it!

__________

Follow Brian Falduto

Official:

https://brianfalduto.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/brianfalduto/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BrianFalduto

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brianfalduto/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0K43uL5uJQWsN6DFzOFhiG

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqCQIb_oJVv1cQr8YLRpvyA/featured

INTERVIEW: Evan Myall

INTERVIEW:

Evan Myall

___________

CHEERS to Evan Myall…

for telling me about his new single, Frances, and what we can expect from his upcoming (out on 16th November) album, Basic Gardening. He reveals his musical tastes and some albums important to him; a few rising musicians we need to get behind and how life as a solo artist differs from his time in bands.

The songwriter discusses his plans and tells me what he does outside of music; whether he grew up around a lot of music and whether there are things he wants to achieve before the end of the year – he selects a great track to end the interview with.

__________

Hi, Evan. How are you? How has your week been?

I’m hangin’ tough! It’s been a mellow week (smiles).

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m Evan. ‘Myall’ is my middle name. I’m a guitar player and songwriter from Northern California.

Frances is your new single. Is there a tale behind it?

Frances is a thinly-veiled love song. I wanted to stray away from lyrics that were too cryptic or mysterious. “I love you. We can do anything. This is why…”

It is from the upcoming E.P., Basic Gardening. What sort of stories and ideas influenced the songs?

Each song has its own tale. The lyrics document the human experience in the face of...desire, heartbreak; alienation and the feelings surrounding an impending doom. We’re all in this (life) together. Divisiveness isn’t helping anyone.

Is it just yourself on the songs or are you working with other musicians?

Bobby Renz produced the record and played all over it. Owen Kelley played bass, guitar and piano on a few tracks. Hannah Moriah sang on a couple tunes. Tyler Green played guitar on one song. Couldn’t have done it without these unbearably talented friends.

I know you have worked in other projects/bands. How does life on your own differ in terms of discipline and the type of songs you are writing?

Yeah. For better or for worse, I’m writing all these songs from start to finish without any help. The collaboration part happens at the studio and within the production/recording process. But, I’m piecing the structure, melodies and lyrics together on my own. I don’t have anyone to lean on! It’s a challenge…in a good way.

Did you grow up around a lot of music? Which artists did you follow at a young age?

My first concert was at a stadium in Columbia, Maryland for Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill tour. That was awesome. I had so many different phases…both good and bad. Slash’s Snakepit. MxPx. Jay-Z. 311. The list is endless. It wasn’t until I was sixteen and bought a Velvet Underground C.D. that I felt like I had found my calling and was mostly on the right track.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

Put out the Basic Gardening album digitally (it comes out 16th November).

Do you already have plans for 2019?

One of my oldest friends is helping me put out the record on vinyl which is so cool and nice of him! I hope people will buy some copies so I can pay him back. I’m going to play more solo Ev gigs with a band.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Playing Mexico in front of 10,000-plus kids with Sleepy Sun supporting Arctic Monkeys was a big one. I’m so grateful for all the musical experiences I’ve had. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Neil Young – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Evan Myall – Basic Gardening

V.U. and Neil because they’re my heroes and Basic Gardening because it’s my first solo record and I love it.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Nah. Walk w/Wendy (my dog).

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Neil Young. Lots of water.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Have fun!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Aerial East

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Aerial East; Spellling; Michael Nau and Cut Worms.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Nau/PHOTO CREDIT: William Alexander Brown

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I’m playing at Café Du Nord in San Francisco on December 22nd to celebrate this release.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Power Trip - Soul Sacrifice

__________

Follow Evan Myall

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/evanmyall/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MyallEvan

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/evanmyall/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Rn4yROJnb8Jju7FZmS81b?si=3nr-nSGtQ6Cn5yJR7x-jog

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/evan-reiss-1

Bandcamp:

https://evanmyall.bandcamp.com/releases

FEATURE: The November Playlist: Vol. 2: Julia

FEATURE:

 

The November Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Julia Jacklin 

Vol. 2: Julia

 __________

IT is a good week for music…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Good, the Bad & the Queen

and the fiftieth anniversary of The Beatles’ eponymous album has been marked by stunning releases that collate demos, outtakes and the original songs in a new and shiny package. One of the standouts from The Beatles, Julia, is in my mind and connects me with a great new track from Julia Jacklin. I have included a track from The Beatles alongside Jacklin’s latest single and there are fresh offerings from Billie Marten, Muse and The Good, the Bad & the Queen; sizzling cuts from The Orielles and Drenge and something a bit calmer from Fleet Foxes. It is an amazing and varied week for new music that shows true quality and impact. In this rather uncertain and moody weather; have a seat and put on this week’s cracking new songs and let them…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Orielles/PHOTO CREDIT: Neelam Khan Vela

WORK their magic.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

___________

PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Mckk 

Julia Jacklin - Head Alone

The Good, the Bad & the Queen – Gun to the Head

The Orielles – Bobbi’s Second World

Billie Marten – Blue Sea, Red Sea

Drenge – Bonfire of the City Boys

Iceage – Balm of Gilead

Anderson .Paak – Who R U?

Cheryl – Love Made Me Do It

Ella Vos – Cast Away

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris

Fickle Friends – Broken Sleep

Ice Cube – Arrest the President

Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Gratitude

Jennifer Lopez (ft. Bad Bunny) – Te Guste

Little Mix – Told You So

Sasha Sloan – Older

PHOTO CREDIT: Apple Corps Ltd

The Beatles – The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (2018 Mix)

Chelsea Cutler – Mess

Muse – Get Up and Fight

Lil Peep – Sex with My Ex

PHOTO CREDIT: Harley Weir

These New Puritans – Into the Fire

Ariana Grande – thank u, next

Conor Oberst – No One Changes 

Foster the People – Worst Nites

The Wombats – Oceans

Fleet Foxes – In the Hot Hot Rays

Poppy Ajudha – When You Watch Me

TOUTS – Rip It Off Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Linda Strawberry

The Smashing Pumpkins – Knights of Malta

PHOTO CREDIT: Lottie Turner

IDER – Mirror

Gengahr – Atlas Please

PHOTO CREDIT: Melissa Gamache

Emilie Kahn – Island 

Cherry Glazerr - Daddi

PHOTO CREDIT: Warwick Baker

Laura Jean - Devotion

Kash Doll – Ice Me Out

TRACK REVIEW: Billie Marten - Blue Sea, Red Sea

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Billie Marten

Blue Sea, Red Sea

9.6/10

The track, Blue Sea, Red Sea, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWgwXocHh1w

GENRES:

Folk; Singer-Songwriter

ORIGIN:

Yorkshire, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

6th November, 2018

_________

IT has been a while since I last reviewed Billie Marten…

with a deep and curious pen! Isabella Tweddle (Billie Marten) is back with new material and, ahead of her second album, it gives me the chance to compare and contrast. The last time I gave her a proper investigation was about a year ago and, in her world, a lot has changed. I will talk about development and maturity; the nature of the sound she produces; how colours seem to be pivotal in terms of emotional expression; Folk and how she still leads young singer-songwriters; how emotional revelation and honesty can bond songwriter with performer; a bit about Marten’s future and how her style of music is a beautiful contrast to what is out there. One will forgive any sloppy errors in this review as I am currently suffering from sore muscles...or something like that. My rib cage is aching and it is hard to bend at the moment; like I have been given a good beating but have, in fact, been sitting down a lot. I cannot blame old age (…as I am thirty-five) or anything ‘naughty’. It is a bit of a mystery but, luckily, Billie Marten’s music is providing balm and comfort. There is a lot of great music out there in the world and, more and more, artists are competing against a packed environment; doing everything they can to get ahead and get their music noticed. There are many things to love about Billie Marten – I shall bring more of them in later. I was one of the first to get to Writing of Blues and Yellows (I make it sound like I was the first cop on the scene of an R.T.C.) and marvel at its profound beauty and maturity. The then-school-age Marten had released this album into the world without trumpeting, the carnival of modern promotion and any sort of ego. This was a strikingly talented, if modest and shy, young artist who had collected together original songs (bar one cover right at the end) and, yeah, that was it. Such a lack of fuss and hoopla might have been a dangerous move in 2016 but, wonderfully, it harked back to what music should be about: an artist going in with a proper album of brilliant music without the need to rinse it through the digital wringer!

What I loved about the album – and was keen to highlight in my review – was the sheer grace and beauty of Marten’s voice. One could hear little elements of other singers but, largely, it was the Yorkshire-based songwriter being pure to who she was. Tracks like Emily and Heavy Weather are, remarkably, still in my head and I cannot get over the rousing beats of Green; the images one provokes when listening to Teeth (Marten, one suspects, pouring her heart out on the piano in a quiet room) and the fabulous little oddities about the album – I think, at one stage, one can hear her dad mowing the lawn in the background! Marten’s music, like my writing to an extent, rewards those with patience and the desire to listen to music without skipping and being distracted. I was appalled critics did not place Writing of Blues and Yellows in their end-of-year top-fifty countdown. Some pretty crap albums made some lists – whatever tat Robbie Williams had that year broke The Sun’s top-fifty! – but I did not see Marten’s name come up! It was a shame and I wonder why that is (she did not make the lists). She was, I think, sixteen at the time so maybe the naivety of youth was a consideration; the songs did not explode and pop the same way Beyoncé did on Lemonade. She was not a mainstream artist and there was not these endless promotional spots on T.V. and radio. What one got, instead, was a pure Folk/Singer-Songwriter album in the spirit of Nick Drake’s Bryter Later, John Martyn’s Solid Air or Joni Mitchell’s Blue. Marten, after the album was released, toured around the world and allowed the songs to resonate and romance. What has happened in the distance between the debut revelation and this modern day?! Well, in terms of sound, as I shall explore, there have been minor additions but that reliable Marten gold remains pure and bountiful as it did back in 2016. The biggest change, oddly, is the lack of radical change. I half-suspected a lack of widespread critical bosom would lead Marten into a dark corner: reinventing herself as an Electronic artist or producing the same sort commercial Pop one would get from Rita Ora or Dua Lipa or going a bit mental.

Typical of a woman who keeps her roots, family and musical ethics close to her soul and warm; her first ‘new’ single, Mice, arrived a few weeks back and, as I drew breath worrying she might have gone a bit Ora-ble and Pop-y; Marten, wonderfully, was the same girl we’d always known (a White Stripes pun/switch), albeit it one with a more matured voice and a new story to tell. Now, on Blue Sea, Red Sea, Marten has delivered another gem from the as-yet-untitled sophomore L.P. The teenager is someone whose music puts one in mind of classic songwriters and you can imagine her, in this digital age, writing music/lyrics on paper, reading an assortment of her favourite books and composing music, largely, the same way my idols like Kate Bush and Jeff Buckley would have done back in the day: some crutches of the studio but, true to them, the analogue warmth and something simpler. I would not have minded were Marten to go a bit Electronic – I think she could produce something akin to James Blake and be able to pull that off – but we might get something like that in her album. The most striking aspect of Marten, in 2018, is her artwork and looks. Writing of Blues and Yellows (and covers for singles from the album) were art pieces; beautifully designed images that had a romance, Parisian edge (strange, but I always think Marten would be happiest in a Paris apartment with art on the wall and a record player in the corner) and something striking. Promotional images of the songwriter saw that long blonde hair hang and a slightly shy, if intrigue, look present. It was a homely, modest and élégant teen who stuck out against many of her peers – who were flouting flesh, pouting and trying to thrust their image down the throat. The hair is still long and blonde but, with a little lick of rebellion, I notice a nose ring. The young woman we fell for on Bird (Writing of Blues and Yellows) seems different, physically, to the one we hear now. Not that Marten has gone full-bold and tattooed herself and shaved her head but it is a nice touch to show she is still the same person but there is something new. Similarly, promotional images for her singles Mice and Blue Sea, Red Sea, see water play a role. Mice’s cover is Marten in a lake with wet hair and a focused look; images around her latest cut see insects on her face and this rather alluring/haunted look (it truly does combine the two). Whilst we are not hearing a reinvention akin to David Bowie in the 1970s or Madonna in the 1990s; Marten has evolved in some areas and is, as you’d expect, reflecting who she is as a woman.

This visual and physical evolution does not, as I say, mean the music has compromised its ethnicity and dynamic. One listens to Blue Sea, Red Sea and trace a line to the debut-era Marten. What is most obvious about the music is the lack of change. That might sound contradictory but attention, a couple of years and an altered lifestyle/routine has not lead Marten down a wrong path. She is, as I imagined, a woman who still writes in her bedroom and loves curling in with a good book when the rain lashes against the window but there are touches here and there. For instance, as I shall explore more; the lyrics have kept the same narrative voice (in the sense that they are personal songs on a common theme) but her linguistic mindset has changed. It is hard to explain but there is something more striking and urgent about the words. On Writing of Blues and Yellows, there were tales of doomed heroines and something tragic but there was the poetry of weather and a lightness that suggested, when all the excrement hits the fan, the heroine could get out into the Yorkshire air and find sanctuary. Maybe she could be warmed by her mother’s embrace or, after all the emotion has come out, she could find some light. Not that there is fatalism in the modern work of Marten but the passing of time has not provided much relief and release for Marten. One might feel a raising profile and the relief of a well-received debut would have afforded her some happiness – and I know she is grounded and satisfied in life – but the writer is as raw and open as she was a couple of years ago. Water and other images make their way into the music more; there are slightly starker lines here and there but the same woman – slightly older but the same Billie Marten we love – is here.  

The biggest regret would have been for Marten to change who she is, musically, or let any sense of personal struggle affect her progression. I mention how her music is as honest as ever but she has added new elements into the work. I associate Writing of Blues and Yellows with the homemade sound, a sparseness; a combination of piano, guitar and voice with a few other elements thrown in (some strings here and there with some percussion). There were some backing vocals (by Marten) but, largely, it was a Folk-based album that framed the vocals more than anything. I think now, more than anything, the lyrics are in the spotlight more and the music/vocal side of things has evolved. Maybe Marten wants the power of the words hit more than the beauty of her voice because, when I listen to Blue Sea, Red Sea, the images and personal poetry stand out most. There are new sonic touches (new instruments and the production sounds is slightly bolder; backing vocals more striking) and it was important for Marten not to repeat herself but keep her core intact. Colour is important when it comes to Billie Marten’s music. Her debut album, obviously, has yellow and blue in the title and, to me, that seemed to represent fear/sunshine and unhappiness/the open sky. Other songs seemed to have that pastoral and riparian colour scheme. You could smell the Yorkshire countryside and its bloom but, when the lights were dimmed, the colours of Billie Marten were splayed onto the page. That might sound wanky/psychotic but she writes as an artist thinks. By ‘artist’, I mean one who paints. Rather than define her music in thematic and emotional terms; colour and visions seem to guide her mind; much in the same way visionaries such as David Bowie used to think. Not only were colours overtly references on her debut but her latest single talks of a red and blue sea. I will talk more of interpretation and symbolism then but, instantly, Marten is using colours to make one think and project. I think the ‘red’ could refer to blood or stillness and the blue to escape or depression. Rather than give us long titles (no song she has put out into the world has employed more than four words); she is keeping them brief (cryptic and oblique too) and letting the colours themselves do the talking.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Liz Seabrook

One thing that stunned me when listening to Billie Marten back in 2016 was how honest and lacking in pretence she was. Given the fact she was (and is) a teen could have meant an avalanche of modern slang, technology and lyrics that focused on sex. Maybe we might get some more salacious on her new album – a new/old/same boy in the scene; the growing woman exploring her physical side more – but it was the charm and earnestness that got to me. You wanted to give Marten a hug and a cup of tea and talk with her; tell her it was all going to be okay and listen to records with her. That sound odd but, without meeting her, I felt like I knew who she was and what makes her tick. I think we share musical obsessions (I actually bought John Martyn and Jeff Buckley vinyl I was going to send her but never did…) in terms of those classic singer-songwriters. We both have various psychological barriers – I am older but, as creatives, our minds are wired the same – and Marten’s quirkiness and humour is something that seems to set her aside from the copy-and-paste, rank-and-file artists that are being rolled out. Although colour and texture are prominent features in her music, the true personality of the songwriter is not disguised. Marten makes references (on Blue Sea, Red Sea) to wishing her mum could come and pick her up. Mice was influenced by a rainy and horrible day where she sat on a bench (in a graveyard, I believe?) and let everything out. Whilst Isabella Tweddle the daughter/student/northern star goes through depression and has struggles; at the end of it, can giggle with delight when seeing an alpaca (she has a love of those) and get excited by the emergence of Christmas; that is not filtered and dressed in fake clothing. The woman away from the microphone is not different to the one behind it. Marten is as raw and revealing in her music as anyone I have heard. You can tell she thinks deeply and has to wrestle demons but she does no use subterfuge and ambiguity when expressing these feelings.

There are more and more songwriters coming out talking about their emotions and issues – once was the day when it was considered taboo. Marten is frank regarding her struggles but she mixes it together with romance, literature and the comfort of home. Back in 2016, I had never heard anyone like Billie Marten. There were/are young female singer-songwriters like Lucy Rose and Julia Jacklin but the unique scent of Billie Marten is impossible to match. I have seen, in the ensuing two years, a lot of artists trying to get together their own version of tender, spellbinding and emotionally true music. Some have made a gallant effort but, again, there is nothing out there like Billie Marten! This is wonderful to see but I think it is that reflective and un-distilled revelation that makes her such a stunning artist. Even though her second album is not out and the songwriter is tender in years; she has come on leaps and bounds and proven herself to be one of the best young artists in the world. Look at what is out there at the moment and you get nothing quite like Billie Marten. I am hooked on Muse’s new album, Simulation Theory, and it is light years away from Marten. Although songs like Pressure are funkier than out of date milk in Nile Rodgers’ fridge; it does not have the same impact and emotional effect of Marten’s music. I can hear a lot of solo Pop/Folk artists who open their hearts and minds but they lack the same combination and chemistry as Marten. That immediate beauty and distinct accent; the sophistication and accessibility of her lyrical palette and the way her compositions act like characters and voices in a novel are to be applauded. No other songwriter, in my view, can combine those aspects as consistently and effectively as Billie Marten.

I have mentioned how depression and anxiety are coming into music more...and I will not dwell for too much longer. It would be easy for Marten to write about the rush of passion or the cheating liars who have broken her heart and appeal to the commercial mindset – but that is not who she is. Maybe she has experienced that recently (I hope not) but her songs are largely about her. Writing of Blues and Yellows dealt with third-person narratives in some songs but, in every moment, I felt like these characters and scenes were projections and sides of Marten herself. Maybe the biggest change from her debut is the greater personalisation of her music. Maybe songs – on the debut album – like Bird, La Lune and Emily talked of other bodies but, listening hard, and I feel it is a way for Marten to talk about herself without being too obvious and personal. It seems the two songs we have heard from her upcoming album have stripped away those layers and provided something clearly personal and direct – much in the same way Teeth did on her debut. This year has been a busy and eventful one in music and I feel the biggest impression has been made by female artists. Aside from stunning albums from the likes of IDLES – I feel Joy as an Act of Resistance will top everyone’s end-of-year polls – it has been a year for female artists to shine and strike. From Christine and the Queens to Anna Calvi and Cardi B to Kacey Musgraves; it is all about the strength and personality of the best female artists around. Marten’s debut was overlooked by some back in 2016 but I feel her unflinching honesty and artistic brilliance cannot be overlooked now. Many have already expressed their love and affection for Mice and reviews are coming through for Blue Sea, Red Sea. It would be a foolish reviewer who went in to reviewing her second album with preconceptions, naivety and any sort of negative comments.

Things start a lot more quickly and urgently than many might be used to. With some bass and a spirited acoustic strum; Blue Sea, Red Sea has that sense of weight and momentum without much flirtation. One actually gets a sense of the waves tumbling and the water churning as Marten, against the grumble and speed of the strings, provides some gravity and comfort. It is amazing to hear her pure and smoky voice contrasted against the composition. It is impossible to deny the sheer wonder of the voice but one can never ignore the lyrics! I have studied her work for a while and the way she employs language and presents images is exceptionally impressive. Here, somewhat unexpectedly, she plugs herself into someone else’s eyes; walks in their shoes and sees the world through their eyes. She likes what she sees and, at once, you get the sense Marten is at sea and lost. Maybe she has gone through a bit of a funk and cannot regain that spirit but she wants to recharge and come back. The heroine is a content fish in a blue sea and swimming along merrily. Rather than sympathise and wish she could get this release and happiness; Marten does not want anyone to love her and feel sorry. Gorgeously backed by (her own) vocals – to create this wave-like beauty and serenity – you feel like the heroine is comfortable in her skin but she needs her distance and time alone. The chorus employs wordless vocals (a series of “la la las”) and there is a delicious combination of strings and bass. My musical anatomical dissection is a little lax but you can hear a nice grumble splice with the skip of acoustic guitar. One can imagine Marten floating in the sea and there is no harm in sight. Maybe it is a rather casual and detached way to a feeling of stress and unhappiness but the heroine is by herself and dealing with her issues the way she wants to.

After the interjection of wordlessness; we see snow falling heavy and the need for her mum to come and get her. You can imagine Marten covered in snow and looking unhappy; waiting for familiar headlights to hove into view and rescue her. Whereas she talked about a blue sea and the warmth and solitude of moving in her own way; she wants the tranquillity and stillness of a red sea (maybe the Red Sea itself?) so she can feel that weightlessness and not sink. In an instant, you get a clear view: the blue sea is her underwater and feeling submerged whereas a red sea allows her that safety and she will never sink. Maybe I have jumped the gun but that is how it came together in my mind. Marten, still, does not want people picking on her with their sympathies and concerns. I love the backing vocals and how they heighten the song; the echoing and twanging strings and how she has introduced subtle new elements into the work. It is hard to suggest any improvements in the composition – I yearn for the piano – but there are lovely little sounds that come through as the song evolved. Marten wants to make friends with the angels and, whilst it sound fatalistic; there is that desire to be on her own plain and get away from all the crap the world is delivering her. Above all, that need to feel secure and not bombarded is most striking. As she did on so many songs on Writing of Blues and Yellows – including Bird, Heavy Weather; Hello Sunshine and It’s a Fine Day – weather and the sensations of nature are impinging her mood. On her debut album; you got the sense the Yorkshire countryside acted as safe space for her to wander and breathe. She has always used the weather and nature to act as symbols and characters. Few songwriters are as influenced by their surroundings as Billie Marten. She can be honest and revealing through her music but, at every stage, the natural world and its power plays a big part. It is another remarkable offering from Billie Marten that shows she has updated and pushed her sound forward but will not alienate people. The core elements remain but there are new instruments and little touches into the blend; a familiar lyrical bent but told in a fresh way. The extra exposure and attention she has been afforded after the success of Writing of Blues and Yellows could have changed her but, luckily, the young artist is keeping it real and very much her.

I have taken up a lot of your time so, before it gets dark and chilly; I will wrap things up and get down to it. Check out Billie Marten’s social media pages – all the links are at the foot of this review – and you can see she will be on the road. She is on BBC Radio 6 Music next week (performing for Lauren Laverne, I think) and she will be gigging in the capital (I am keen to see/meet her). The best thing about where she is now is the opportunities she has in front of her. She is supporting Isaac Gracie and Villagers and radio stations such as BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 Music have spun her music. Marten is not an artist who appeals to a narrow sector: her universal lyrics and connection with the listener transcends age and language barriers and, as such, it seems like 2019 will be busy. I am not sure when her album is due – I suspect it is early-2019 – but there will be more gig demands and possibilities. Marten’s song, Live (as in ‘to live’ rather than ‘play live on the stage’) might have confused some with its homonymic brevity but the heroine wanted to break free and travel across Europe; take some time out and chill. The two years between the release of her debut and the new material has not been idle. She has travelled and performed and spent a lot of time reflecting on her life and trying to make music that pushes her work forward but remains honest to whom she is. That is a hard act to balance and kudos to Marten for achieving that. I am not certain whether Blue Sea, Red Sea and Mice are clear indicators of her sophomore sound but it will be interesting to see. I can envisage Marten playing in the U.S. – she would go down a storm on the West and East coasts – and more of Europe. I am not sure what she is like with long-haul flights but I can also see her conquer Melbourne and Sydney; taking her sounds around the world and seeing new faces. Maybe some would say the emotional rawness and sense of vulnerability in Billie Marten’s would put off some and appear a bit jarring. In fact, we are drawn to her more and can find something familiar and inspiring in her words (an artist being so honest with us); a songwriter who is not willing to compromise and wants to connect with the listener on a very deep and meaningful level. Although Billie Marten has changed slightly – the nose ring and a slightly different look on single covers – it is the same warm and charming woman we have grown to know and love! I am not sure when another single will come but we have the brilliant Blue Sea, Red Sea. Away from the evil of Donald Trump and environmental strain; the divisions in the country and all the horror we have seen in the news; above all of this madness and unhappiness, it is good to have Billie Marten...

MAKING it all seem better.  

___________

Follow Billie Marten

Official:

https://www.billiemarten.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BillieMarten

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/billiemarten/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/02YLJJnWC7YQVixkjEBRn7?si=NztdCJAnTdO_J1fpmh5w3g

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/billiemarten/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7B-nApg76kClvW-YBYezQQ

TOUR DATES:

https://www.bandsintown.com/en/a/10386009-billie-marten

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise):

Getty Images/Artist