FEATURE: Scenes from a Diner Jukebox: Quentin Tarantino: The King of the Film Soundtrack

FEATURE:

 

 

Scenes from a Diner Jukebox

Quentin Tarantino: The King of the Film Soundtrack

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THERE is an obvious connection between film…

IN THIS PHOTO: Margot Robbie plays Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood/PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Cooper

and music that has existed for decades. A fantastic song can elevate a scene and stand in the memory for decades! Whether it is a slice of epic score or a classic Pop song slotted into a contemporary film, we all have our favourite moments from film where music has really stood out. I think the film score and soundtrack can be as important as what is happening on screen; sometimes more powerful than the script and more illuminating than the direction. At the very least, music and film have this natural chemistry and, when the combination is right, it can be absolutely magical. In terms of directors synonymous with their musical flair, there are a few modern examples that spring to mind. Edgar Wright is a brilliant British director whose film, Baby Driver, has a simply stunning soundtrack.

IN THIS PHOTO: Quentin Tarantino/PHOTO CREDIT: Time/Getty Images

Music plays a central role in the film and you can tell the directors who merely employ music to accompany a scene and those who understand the real depth and promise of pairing beautiful songs to wonderful scenes. To me, Quentin Tarantino is the master of using music to add layers and brilliance to iconic scenes. There is talk that his next film will be his last – Tarantino has announced plans to retire and it is sad that he might not be directing for long. There are various polls that decide which are the best songs in his films; the most memorable moments of Tarantino and music colliding - and we all have our favourite Tarantino soundtracks.

Tarantino is a broad and always-boundary-pushing director and his soundtracks have always captivated and engrossed. My favourite soundtracks are of the Kill Bill films but, when we think of his ‘definitive’ soundtrack, perhaps Pulp Fiction takes that honour – I will come to that more in a minute. Before highlighting five soundtracks from Tarantino that stand the test of time, I want to bring in some articles relating his current flick, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and its very specific and illuminating soundtrack. One might be forgiven for thinking Tarantino assembles all of the songs and puts everything together unaided. Mary Ramos is someone who is a big key to the success of Tarantino’s soundtracks. This feature from Variety spoke with Ramos about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and some of the classic soundtracks:

His longstanding partner in this is Mary Ramos, who worked as a music coordinator on his first two features and then has been upped to music supervisor on every film since. Variety spoke with Ramos about her work on movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “Django Unchained” and, now, the joys of becoming effectively a 1960s KHJ DJ for a day — or many months, actually — as they worked on the playlist for “Once Upon a Time.”

We would think that ever since “Pulp Fiction,” which really was kind of a milestone for using existing songs in movies and making kind of latter-day hits out of them that, money issues aside, it’s going to be an automatic yes, almost all the time, for a Tarantino movie. 

You would think that, wouldn’t you? And that’s if this director chose regular songs — regular artists that are alive, now. But because of the nature of Quentin’s tastes, a lot of the artists are not familiar with who he is, or passed away and you’re dealing with the estate.

IN THIS PHOTO: Music Supervisor to Quentin Tarantino, Mary Ramos/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Obviously he is a big music fan, but he was probably never as obsessive about music as he has been with film. He probably knows more nooks and crannies than being the type of nerd who knows every single by every obscure artist. So is there any any sort of breakdown of how many of the choices come from you and how many come from him?

Well, that’s not interesting. [Laughs.] It’s more interesting to talk about Quentin and how these stories come out of his imagination, based on his experience. And so song choices, score choices, all these things are filtered what he may have come across when he was growing up or what really impressed him at a certain moment. Music definitely sets him off and gives him inspiration when he’s writing. And then from there, I can take over and help fill out his palate, once he’s set it up. But he’s a very musical director.

In the film’s end credits I counted close to 60 music cues. You can’t put out a 60-track soundtrack. Did you narrow it down yourself?

Oh, no, he’s very specific. From the very first soundtrack he did, he really approaches them thinking of his fans and really wants it to be a souvenir of the movie for his fans. And that’s why he has wanted to put snippets of dialogue … A lot of thought goes into the track listing. and you’ll be surprised by the track listing of this one. There’s a lot of very well-known songs that are in the movie that may or may not be on the soundtrack, and that’s not because we couldn’t get ‘em. It’s because he went through it and really decided what he wanted to share”.

Rolling Stone has also published a feature with Ramos and the big difference, as the article explores, is the fact that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is more specific time-wise regarding the songs featured on the soundtrack:

According to Mary Ramos, Quentin Tarantino’s longtime music supervisor, the process for selecting songs for one of his films starts in a record store—which happens to be in his Hollywood home. What Ramos describes as Tarantino’s “record room” looks like a vinyl boutique, with LPs separated into bins labeled by genres like soul and soundtracks. “In the past, when we’ve started preparation,” she says, “he invites me over and I madly scribble as he’s talking a mile a minute and pausing to put the needle down on records. Everything starts in his record room.”

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The major difference with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was the time frame. For his poetic-license retelling of the intersection of Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, the Charles Manson posse, and fictional actors played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, Tarantino didn’t want any of the music heard in the film to go beyond one year (1969, when the film is set). Although they were approached by several name acts to record covers or – in the case of Lana Del Rey – offer up their own material, Tarantino stuck with his time-capsule idea. “Nothing later than 1969, some things from before,” Ramos says. “He was a bit more anachronistic with this. He wanted to stay very specific to the period.”

The Buchanan Brothers, “Son of a Lovin’ Man” (1969): Heard in a party scene set at the Playboy Mansion, this adult-bubblegum deep cut wasn’t made by actual brothers but by a trio of singer-songwriter-producers (two of whom went on to form the folk-pop duo Cashman and West). “It’s such a great dancing song, and it’s not that easy to find,” says Ramos. “That was a record in Quentin’s collection.”

Jose Feliciano, “California Dreamin’” (1968): The Mamas and the Papas, the Laurel Canyon quartet that so embodied the sunny air of the era despite their own inner-band turmoil, are a recurring motif in the movie. In one scene a character plays their “Straight Shooter” on a piano, and elsewhere actors portray Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot. Puerto Rican singer-guitarist Jose Feliciano’s cover of their “California Dreamin’” is also featured. “There’s so much pathos in that version,” Ramos says. “Also, there’s something about using a song that has been over-used. It becomes wallpaper and you don’t really ‘hear’ it anymore. So using this alternative version was a beautiful way to have that song re-heard”.

I am ending the feature with, what I think, are the finest Tarantino soundtracks – choosing the best tracks from each album. A lot of directors have a great passion for music and understand how it can elevate a scene but, for Tarantino, it goes much further than that. One can detect an obsession and burning desire that means only the best songs will do. For many, the definitive Tarantino soundtrack is Pulp Fiction. One would think a film that weaves several crime stories in L.A. together would be filled with Rock and Metal but, in 1994, Tarantino subverted expected and assembled – with some trusty help – a beautifully broad and original collection of music. Screen Rant explains in more detail:

 “For Pulp Fiction, Tarantino selected a lot of surf music, because he saw this as the rock ‘n’ roll version of Ennio Morricone music and he wanted Pulp Fiction to be the rock ‘n’ roll version of a spaghetti western. Dick Dale’s now-iconic version of “Misirlou” bursts onto the soundtrack when the shot freezes on Amanda Plummer’s Honey Bunny threatening a diner full of people and continues through the opening titles until it’s replaced by “Jungle Fever” by Kool and the Gang in a shuffling of radio stations.

A movie playing around with music this much needs the goods to back it up, and thankfully, Pulp Fiction has it: Chuck Berry, Dusty Springfield, the Centurions. It might be the greatest movie soundtrack of all time”.

Whether it is Death Proof or Django Unchained, you are treated to these excellent soundtracks that stand alone as intriguing and eye-opening collections but, in the context of the films, they seem to give new life and fascination to scenes – lesser directors and writers would go for ordinary, commercial or overused tracks or would not value the importance of music. I think it is harder to compile a great soundtrack as opposed to creating an appealing score. Soundtracks contain songs many of us have heard so I feel there is that pressure to get it right and make sure the right song accompanies a particular moment – whereas a score is slightly different and there is not the same expectation. For those who want all Tarantino’s best soundtrack inclusions in one handy playlist; as NME explains, he has saved you the trouble:

Quentin Tarantino has made a huge playlist of all his favourite music from his own films. You can listen to the playlist below.

Taking over Spotify’s ‘Film and TV Favourites’ playlist, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director has compiled almost four hours of his favourite songs that have all appeared in his own films.

Some examples of the songs included are Nancy Sinatra’s version of ‘Bang Bang’ from Kill Bill: Volume 1, Chuck Berry’s ‘You Never Can Tell’ from Pulp Fiction and The White Stripes’ ‘Apple Blossom’ from The Hateful Eight. The list contains over 70 songs

In addition to the lengthy playlist, the soundtrack to Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is also streaming alongside an in-depth podcast in which Tarantino explains all his musical choices in the film, track-by-track.

The 31-track soundtrack was unveiled last week (July 25) and features the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond and Deep Purple. It comes out via Columbia on July 26 to coincide with the film’s US release (the film comes out in the UK on August 15), and will be available on CD, vinyl and digitally”.

To finish up, I have listed what are, in my view, the essential Quentin Tarantino soundtracks; with the essential tracks listed and a link where you can buy each soundtrack on vinyl. Listen to each soundtrack through but, more importantly, go and watch the films and discover how each track is used to, often, devastating and brilliant effect. It is a shame Tarantino is retiring after his next film -there is a rumour it will be a Star Trek film – but we will always have his wonderful creations and, alongside them, these variegated, passionate and popular soundtracks.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack

Release Date: 23rd September, 2003

Labels: A Band Apart/Maverick/Warner Bros.

Standout Cuts: Twisted Nerve by Bernard Herrmann/Woo Hoo by The 5.6.7.8's/The Lonely Shepherd by James Last & Gheorghe Zamfir

Definitive Track: Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kill-Original-Soundtrack-Version-VINYL/dp/B0000CABE8

Review:

After Nancy Sinatra's torchy "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and Charlie Feathers' tough, swaggering rockabilly chestnut "That Certain Female" set the story and the mood, the record is devoted primarily to instrumental pieces that range from surging epics to the calm kitsch of Zamfir's "The Lonely Shepherd" to the intense funk pastiche of Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" (the song that kicks off nearly every trailer and ad for Kill Bill). The reduced presence of dialogue from the film -- a hallmark of Tarantino soundtracks -- is a reflection of the film, which places emphasis on action and visuals. Hell, even the tracks on the soundtrack have minimal lyrics, consisting largely of instrumentals. This gives it more of a meandering feeling, and the soundtrack kind of peters out, ending in two quick excerpts of futuristic electro music by Quincy Jones and Neu!, then a gaggle of sound effects and Kung Fu hits. Nevertheless, its cavalcade of contradictory moods has its own coherence, and it's more musical than most pop music soundtracks. Plus, this has no familiar material, nor does it have anything that would be a single on digital radio, which is why it works as an album on its own -- it doesn't just reflect the movie; it follows its own logic, and displays fearless imagination. It makes you hungry for Vol. 2, both the movie and soundtrack” – AllMusic

Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction

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Release Date: 27th September, 1994

Label: MCA

Standout Cuts: Jungle Boogie by Ronald Bell, Kool & the Gang/Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon by Neil Diamond/Flowers on the Wall by Lewis C. DeWitt

Definitive Track: Bob Bogle, Nole ‘Nokie’ Edwards and Don Wilson - Surf Rider

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulp-Fiction-VINYL-Soundtrack/dp/B000002OTK

Review:

The songs go hand in hand with the corresponding scenes. It’s seamless, really. The moods that Tarantino is able to create with music, and that includes silence too, are spot-on. The surf music sets the time and mood without being too overwhelming. Tarantino mentions in the interview that he picked surf music because to him it sounds more like a spaghetti western than surf music, and that he doesn’t understand what surf rock has to do with surfing in the first place. The surf rock combined with songs like Let’s Stay Together by Al Green, Jungle Boogie by Kool & the Gang, and Lonesome Town by Ricky Nelson tell you that its the ’70s without cramming it down your throat. You know like the Forrest Gump soundtrack. The songs also give you insight to the scenes and characters, as well: Bruce Willis character Butch Coolidge singing Flowers on the Wall by The Satler Brothers, or Let’s Stay Together playing while Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) and Coolidge are discussing fixing the fight, for example” – Consequence of Sound

Reservoir Dogs: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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Release Date: 13th October, 1992

Label: MCA

Standout Cuts: Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede/I Gotcha by Joe Tex/Magic Carpet Ride by Bedlam

Definitive Track: Stealers WheelStuck in the Middle with You

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reservoir-Dogs-Black-Vinyl-VINYL/dp/B00UOEP5FC/ref=tmm_vnl_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review:

Only five songs here were featured prominently in Quentin Tarantino's rousing crime film ("Little Green Bag," "Hooked on a Feeling," "I Gotcha," "Stuck in the Middle with You," and "Coconut"), but the record includes Steven Wright's introductions from the film (separately indexed, thankfully), as well as Tarantino's infamous interpretation of the meaning of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and Harvey Keitel's monologue on how to rob a jewelry store. In total, that's about 15 to 20 minutes of material. Padding out the rest of the disc are three new songs that were heard in passing in the film -- "Fool for Love" is very good, "Harvest Moon" passable, and "Magic Carpet Ride" is abominable. After this, the disc has passed the half-hour mark by two minutes. The amount of music you'll actually want to listen to makes it even shorter, but it is a soundtrack you'll want to return to” – AllMusic

Jackie Brown: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture

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Release Date: 9th December, 1997

Labels: Maverick Records/A Band Apart Records

Standout Cuts: Across 110th Street by Bobby Womack and Peace/Strawberry Letter 23 by The Brothers Johnson/Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) by The Delfonics

Definitive Track: Bill Withers - Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jackie-Brown-Miramax-Motion-Picture/dp/B019GEFHGM/ref=tmm_vnl_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review:

Jackie Brown, Tarantino's long-awaited third feature, finds him exploring new territory, creating an homage to blaxploitation flicks as well as a surprisingly subtle character study and love story, and its soundtrack appropriately finds him in new territory as well. The soundtrack still features snippets of dialogue, which simply aren't as effective separated from the film as those from Pulp Fiction, but the unified collection of '70s soul and funk is refreshing. He has wisely selected a batch of songs that haven't been worn out by oldies radio, building the bulk of the album with cult favorites like Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street," Bill Withers' "Who Is He (And What Is He to You?)," Randy Crawford's "Street Life," Minnie Riperton's "Inside My Love," the Vampire Sound Inc.'s "The Lions and the Cucumber" and Pam Grier's "Long Time Woman." Only "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time," "Strawberry Letter 23" and "Natural High," as well as the Grass Roots' "Midnight Confessions," are familiar oldies items, but they play an integral part in the film itself and help make the soundtrack a thoroughly enjoyable, compulsively listenable experience” – AllMusic

Inglourious Basterds

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Release Date: 18th August, 2009

Labels: Maverick Records/Warner Bros. Records

Standout Cuts: The Green Leaves of Summer by Nick Perito & His Orchestra/The Man with the Big Sombrero by Samantha Shelton & Michael Andrew/Tiger Tank by Lalo Schifrin

Definitive Track: David Bowie - Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inglourious-Basterds-VINYL-various/dp/B002H3ET46

Review:

The soundtrack to Inglourious Basterds might not have the road trip-ability that the soundtracks to Pulp Fiction and Death Proof do. This one is like a fine wine to be sipped at home on a Sunday night, something to put on as an appetizer before you pop in that DVD copy of the 1968 mercenary adventure Dark of the Sun you were inspired to rent after hearing its theme song utilized with such love and attention in Tarantino’s alternate universe WWII epic.

Sure, it’s a bit of a bummer that there isn’t any of the brilliant Basterds dialogue snipped in between songs like Tarantino’s previous soundtracks. I, for one, would’ve loved to have heard Brad Pitt’s whole spiel about scalping Nazis get dropped in before the powerhouse funk of “Slaughter” fills up my stereo speakers. But alas, this particular soundtrack is a bit different than Tarantino’s previous collections in that little drops of script will not help entice fans of Tarantino’s films into buying it. The soundtrack to Inglourious Basterds caters to the upper echelon of Tarantino appreciators, those who see the music as a crucial aspect of the whole unique filmmaking process of creating a Quentin Tarantino film as his systematic choices in camera angles and dialogue lines.” – Pop Matters

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Sly and the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Goin’ On

FEATURE:

 

 

Vinyl Corner

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Sly and the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Goin’ On

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WHEN it comes to selecting albums…

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Sly and the Family Stone (L-R (back): Larry Graham, Gregg Errico; Freddie Stone, Cynthia Robinson (front): Rose Stone, Sly Stone and Jerry Martini/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

for Vinyl Corner, I guess I have not looked the way of Funk that often. Although, as I will explain, Sly and the Family Stone changed their tone and sound for 1971’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, there is a lot more to talk about than the sonic shift. The fifth album by the American group, the recording of There’s a Riot Goin’ On was marred by a period of heavy drug use by frontman Sly Stone and tensions within the group. If anything, however, some could say the tensions being felt and the problems the group experienced help create a darker, more challenging sound then their previous work – such as 1969’s much-celebrated Stand! Although There’s a Riot Goin’ On has gone on to top the lists of best albums ever and has influenced so many other artists, it was not apparent at the time (when recording the album) whether it would be a success…or whether it would get made at all. There was a lot of turmoil and disagreement in the Sly and the Family Stone camp when There’s a Riot Goin’ On was being made and, whilst that does not sound like a recipe for success, it did take the group in a new direction and opened up their music. If previous albums were more accessible Funk, There’s a Riot Goin’ On was more political, intense and provocative. Sly Stone was involved with the Black Panther Party who were insisting the music made by the band was harder-edged and reflective of the black power movement.

Filtered, rifling drum machines and a new energy defines Sly and the Family Stone’s fifth album. Although one might assume this was a record born of political motivation and aggression, a lot of personal and diverse themes run through There’s a Riot Goin’ On. (You Caught Me) Smilin’ is an ode to getting high and forgetting your troubles; Africa Talks to You (“The Asphalt Jungle”) is Sly Stone’s response to a lot of the grief he was copping from friends, family and the record label; Family Affair – the number-one single from the album – is about the highs and lows of being with family and the difficulties and triumphs experienced. Critics responded emphatically to There’s a Riot Goin’ On. This more mature brand of Funk was taken on by Funkadelic (among others) and the themes throughout There’s a Riot Goin’ On scored the social and political troubles of the early-1970s. In a retrospective review, AllMusic had this to say about Sly and the Family Stone’s masterpiece:

This is idealism soured, as hope is slowly replaced by cynicism, joy by skepticism, enthusiasm by weariness, sex by pornography, thrills by narcotics. Joy isn't entirely gone -- it creeps through the cracks every once and awhile and, more disturbing, Sly revels in his stoned decadence. What makes Riot so remarkable is that it's hard not to get drawn in with him, as you're seduced by the narcotic grooves, seductive vocals slurs, leering electric pianos, and crawling guitars…

As the themes surface, it's hard not to nod in agreement, but it's a junkie nod, induced by the comforting coma of the music. And damn if this music isn't funk at its deepest and most impenetrable -- this is dense music, nearly impenetrable, but not from its deep grooves, but its utter weariness. Sly's songwriting remains remarkably sharp, but only when he wants to write -- the foreboding opener "Luv N' Haight," the scarily resigned "Family Affair," the cracked cynical blues "Time," and "(You Caught Me) Smilin'." Ultimately, the music is the message, and while it's dark music, it's not alienating -- it's seductive despair, and that's the scariest thing about it”.

Soundblab wrote these observations last year:

But in essence, musically and lyrically (and let's not forget its cover) what we got is something that is certainly one of the most inventive and influential r&b/soul albums ever, drug binge or no drug binge, Black Panthers or no Black Panthers. His incorporation of rock and funk was actually one of the key influences then (on George Clitnon’s Funkadelic and all other incarnations for sure) and now, and the album itself currently is among the top sampled albums around.

With the elastic, drown out tempos of There’s A Riot Goin’ On Sly came up with something you can call ‘slacker funk’, maybe even inspiring all those slacker rockers that came on later (remember Evan Dando’s Lemonheads and their “My Drug Buddy”?). I guess they all listened to “(You Caught Me) Smilin’” quite a few times.

IN THIS PHOTO: Sly Stone/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

But incredible rhythm shuffles and intricate brass arrangements like on “Brave & Strong” are still there, and the album makes even the crude rhythms machines (or any rhythm machine, for that matter) available at the time sound good, as for example on the opener “Luv N Haight” or “Spaced Cowboy”.

Its acerbic and seemingly downtrodden lyrics are a matter in itself, but like in “Africa Talks To You," “The Asphalt Jungle,” or the closer “Thank You For Talking’ To Me Africa”, they certainly show a hefty dose of optimism; a bit veiled, but there nevertheless. The album’s full glory though, is embodied in “Family Affair,” probably one of the best funk/rock/soul tracks ever (musically and lyrically), showing the full complexity There’s A Riot Goin’ On as an album brought, and fully negating any negative opinions it has garnered through the years. An album to be cherished. Always”.

Go and buy There’s a Riot Goin’ On and snap up a vinyl copy as it sounds absolutely fantastic in that format! There is a debate as to which is the finest Sly and the Family Stone album but, to me, they do not get more powerful and memorable than There’s a Riot Goin’ On. This piece from How Land Echoes talks about Sly Stone’s delivery and some of the innovations that appeared on the album:

His delivery is where the music gains some of its greatest moments though. The slurred words, which are at times indecipherable, only adding to the general sense of decay around the whole album. Lines come and go, but on specific lyrical points, Stone attempted to momentarily raise his game. The fact that his drawled register that cries out in desperation doesn’t hit the required marks only makes it that much more harrowing and real.

In Just Like A Baby Sly’s vocals are swamped within the murky instrumentation like a fish swimming beneath a surface of visibly impenetrable water. Confined to his mansion, he overdubbed the vocal takes to such an extent that the tapes began to audibly smudge.

Lyrically, the focus was mainly switched from what was going on in society to personal matters. On Brave & Strong he declares “Out and down, ain’t got a friend,” and you sadly tend to believe him. The fact that a rich man who had the adoration of millions could feel so hopeless and alienated was striking in its very notion at the time”.

I think what makes There’s a Riot Goin’ On distinct when compared with earlier albums from Sly and the Family Stone is the fact that, in some ways, it is a Sly Stone solo album; there was a lot of chaos and excess involved. CLASH explained in more detail:

Recorded in a $12,000-per-month Bel Air mansion, replete with secret studio behind that bookcase, details of the recording are hazy at best. Most of it was done alone by Sly, or members of the band recording single overdubs – despite the track, this is no Family Affair. It was overdubbed to death, creating that awfully seductive murky sonic sludge…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The world’s sharp corners are blunted, its bright lights are dimmed. There were bodyguards, guns, groupies, in-fights, affairs, a constant stream of celebrity guests, from Ike and Tina to Miles and Herbie. You can hear Bobby Womack, Ike Turner and Billy Preston on the record, you can sometimes hear the Family Stone. But what you can really hear is Sly, and Sly’s crying. Even when he’s yodelling”.

Not only is There’s a Riot Goin’ On seen as one of the finest albums of the 1970s but numerous artists have covered and sample the songs. Even though the album has a unique vision and sounds, the likes of Iggy Pop, De La Soul and Beastie Boys have dug into the grooves and extracted gold for their own tunes – passing this remarkable work on to new ears and uniting Funk with other genres in the process. It is a masterful and stunning album that sounds relevant today and still reveals layers of wonder. Put on There’s a Riot Goin’ On, close your eyes and let the incredible songs…

CARRY you away.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Rosie Lowe

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

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PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Rosie Lowe 

Rosie Lowe

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I have to thank BBC Radio 6 Music…

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Rosie Lowe

because they are responsible for so much of the music I listen to! I am capable of digging my own stuff and looking out there for what is good but I find the station is expert when it comes to discovering the very finest and most diverse artists. I have been conscious of Rosie Lowe since her 2016 album, Control. Tracks such as Who’s That Girl? and Nicole are glorious. Lowe can switch between the bright and evocative Neo-Soul sound to something chillier, more emotional and intense. Right now, Lowe is turning heads and recruiting new fans with her album, YU. It is a fantastic record and, although it has been three years since her debut, you do not really notice the gap. A lot of pressure is put on artists to follow up on successful artists and I do think that it cases pressure, anxiety and poor results. Cate Le Bon is a comparable artist who released Reward earlier this year – three years from her previous album, Crab Day. YU is a fantastic record from Lowe and one that, like her debut, has that mix of sounds. I think her current offering is more assured, bold and adventurous than her debut. Maybe it is the passing of time or life events that have gone into the music. Whatever the reason, the Devon-born artist is one of the most interesting and promising of the moment.

I cannot compare her work with anyone else and, at a time when we need more artists like Lowe, there is an absence. The way Lowe can fly and glide before swooping down; the layers of her music and the arresting vocals – there are so many different reasons why she is an artist to look out for. Birdsong is the song I first encountered from YU; played on BBC Radio 6 Music, it stuck in my brain instantly and I just love the unusualness of it. That might sound insulting but it really isn’t: the fact is, again, there is nobody like Rosie Lowe so her music has this unique aspect. The reviews for YU have been largely positive; critics keen to add praise and provide their thoughts. CLASH, in their review, had this to say:

Delivered in Lowe’s trilling vocal, her pointed and pithy lyrics centre on fulfilment and possibility: ‘The Way’ joyously looks at a love-filled future; lead single ‘Pharoah’ asserts the “power in my imperfections that make me”, while even in dark times her independence blisters, as in final track ‘Apologise’, where she quite simply refuses to.

A confident and wonderfully coherent mingling of genres with an impressive roster of collaborators – see Jamie WoonJamie Jidell, Jay Electronica – it feels like a huge statement from a relatively new female artist in what’s sometimes a male dominated arena.

‘YU’ is a swagger drenched, masterful treatise from a woman with a new perspective, new weapons, and the confidence to use them. Careful now”.

PHOTO CREDIT: @smedleyshots for CLASH

The Line of Best Fit posted a positive review and they took a slightly different approach:

I could go on, because YU is also never boring. Skip to any point at any track and there is something rumbling in the background - be it a scatter of hand claps. An extra layer of guitar. A rogue vocal sample. It oozes craft.

And that’s partly because it’s full of artists that are masters of craft. Not just Okumu - there are more players and more voices on this record, from Sam Shephard (Floating Points), Alfa Mist, Jay Electronica to a choir of Jamie WoonJamie LidellJordan Rakei & Kwabs on “Birdsong”, which is just showing off.

The only thing that’s lacking on YU is a few more big hooks. “Birdsong” has it. “UEMM” does. “Little Bird” just about does. Some of the other tracks, though beautiful, can sometimes blur into one another, get a bit sluggish (I’m looking at you, “ITILY”).

Though taken as a whole, YU is a wonderful record. Okumu and Lowe are a dream partnership, and along with the rest of London’s modern soul players present on YU and hiding amongst other projects, have way more to give us over the next few years”.

I maintain 2019 is dominated by women. They are making the most original and satisfying albums and I also think they boast more variety than male artists. Rosie Lowe is a great example of the dexterity and brilliance coming from women in 2019.

Not only is Lowe’s music fascinating: when you read interview she has conducted, she is quite revealing and you get all these different jigsaw pieces. That is not to say Lowe is a puzzle but she has complexities and layers that are explored through YU. When speaking with The Guardian a few months ago, she talked about the three-year gap between Control and YU and discussed some of the themes addressed on YU:

You sense that Lowe, 29, quite enjoys challenging people’s expectations. While she’s aware that the three-year gap since 2016’s debut Control doesn’t chime with music’s voracious appetite for the new, she’s unbothered by the wait. “My favourite artists take 10 years between albums, so I’m always like, pfft,” she says, shuffling into a cross-legged position on the sofa, a pose that, along with her thick elasticated headband and approachable, earth-mother vibe, makes her look like an off-duty yoga instructor. She’s also adamant about crushing any gendered assumptions about who’s in charge of her creativity. In fact, YU’s artwork, which crops most of her face, is a statement of intent. “I didn’t want a pretty black-and-white beauty shot because then I’d be trapped, and it would be less about the music.”

As well as touching on love and religion, YU also continues Control’s focus on feminism (Lowe’s debut featured the excellent Woman, an analysis of unfair standards), with Mango redressing the dynamic in the story of Adam and Eve. She says her feminism was influenced growing up by her mother and sisters, and has developed as she’s got older. “What I think has been prevalent in the last few years is that there’s not one version of feminism,” she says. “I’ve learned my feminism is not the ‘right’ feminism, it’s just my experience of misogyny. Or equality. I think it’s important to remind ourselves of that. A white feminist is going to have a very different experience to a woman of colour because they have to deal with different versions”.

I shall conclude the feature soon but, sticking with interviews, and I was struck by the revelations in The Line of Best Fit’s interview. Lowe chatted about psychotherapy and how that has helped; why she has worked alongside Dave Okumu for YU:

 “YU is built upon these relationships; whether cosmic, spiritual, or physical, these unspoken connections are the lifeforce of the record. It becomes clear during our conversation that there are two relationships at the heart of YU – two people in her life that this album probably wouldn’t be possible without. The first is musician and producer, Dave Okumu. After helping to turn her first album Control into reality, YU is as much a reflection of Okumu’s character as it is for Lowe. They have been longtime collaborators but never written together, so this was new ground for both of them. Again, Lowe had to give herself over to someone else for this to work. And luckily, it did.

“I want to work with people long-term, grow and develop with them – which is exactly what me and Dave have done. So we agreed to do this album together, no matter what happened or who was involved,” Lowe says. “We made that commitment to each other and it was natural that it would include writing together. It was actually quite scary going into this process and collaborating with him in that way. We thought, ‘Oh god we hope this works” because we’re best friends and long time collaborators. Luckily it did work and it was beautiful.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Nathan Barnes for The Line of Best Fit 

Lowe also studies psychotherapy alongside her musical career. Learning how the mind works has helped her to understand why her mind works in the way it does. Her training has enabled her to recognise her faults and deal with them head-on. Sometimes some problems are too big to face alone, and Lowe knows that she has people around her that can pull her through, as she sings on “UEMM”: You ease my mind / When you’re around it feels so simple to be / but through the night / it’s an empty shadow that stares back at me.”

“On my song. ‘Little Bird’, I actually started writing it about my nephew, who was around one and a half at the time. He was always falling over, taking a few steps, falling over again and hurting himself. I was just watching him. I wrote this song for him to let him know that you shouldn’t be afraid to fall. You’ve got to fall to learn to fly”.

Rosie Lowe is keeping pretty busy over the next few weeks and months. There is promotion still for YU and the business of touring. You can keep an eye on her dates and, if you can, I would recommend you go and see her play. She is a wonderful live performer and you get a different side to the music you do not hear on the albums. If you have not bought YU then snap up a copy because it is pretty damned good. I think it is one of those albums that will challenge for the best of 2019 and it is, as I started out by saying, so different to everything out in the world. Maybe there are not as many big hooks as some would hope for but those more interesting, intimate moments keep coming back to you when you least expect. There is so much detail and depth in YU that you listen over and over because it provides such a hit. I love Rosie Lowe’s music and I do hope we hear many more albums from her. She is a fascinating songwriter and I have read a lot of interview she has given. Lowe is always honest and arresting and, even though I don’t know her, I feel closer to her having read about her – it seems strange but there is this rare power that Lowe possesses! This year has been a successful and busy one for her bit, with so much love for YU out there, there is not going to be rest for Lowe…

QUITE yet.

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Follow Rosie Lowe

FEATURE: Queens of the Underground: Part Four: Lauren Deakin Davies

FEATURE:

 

 

Queens of the Underground

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PHOTO CREDIT: Bellanova Photography 

Part Four: Lauren Deakin Davies

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I was going to do another Female Icons

 PHOTO CREDIT: Bellanova Photography

feature but, rather than that, I want to continue my Queens of the Underground thread. Next weekend, I will do a Female Icons piece and feature Tina Turner but, right now, I am spotlighting a great producer who warrants a lot of respect and love. So far, I have featured two D.J./presenters and one producer in this feature: Carly Wilford and Georgie Rogers; Catherine Marks yesterday. Like Marks, Lauren Deakin Davies is a fantastic female producer who is helping to break ground and bring more women into the studio. A lot of my features over the past few days have focused on women but I think it is important to champion great women in the industry as, so often, it is the men who get the focus. That is especially true when we look in the studio. The statistics still show that things are imbalanced regarding gender and production. Maybe it comes down to impressions regarding the careers women should be pursuing. We are still not talking enough about women becoming scientists, astronauts and engineers and so, when it comes to music, do we assume women should just be on the stage? So many of the biggest hits are written by men and most studio engineers are male; in terms of producers, what is the reason for a gender gap? Billboard ran a feature last year and posited a few theories:

Why does record production remain the ultimate boys club of the music industry? There are myriad reasons, ­including a lack of role models. "I just don't think there are that many women interested," says songwriter-producer Perry, who, along with Missy Elliott, has been arguably the most successful female producer in pop and R&B, ­having worked with such hitmakers as P!nkChristina AguileraBritney SpearsCourtney Love and James Blunt. "Where are they if there are?"

But when women first start to ­produce, some say that ­uncomfortable moments can arise.

PHOTO CREDIT: CK Goldiing 

"There have definitely been times you'll [suggest] an idea and the artist will pass over it and the guy in the room will say the same idea and they'll say, 'I love it,' and you're like, 'Oh, my Lord,' " says Hope. "You can't really show any signs of not knowing what you're doing. You are at the helm."

"Sometimes people are like, 'Why is this girl in the room?' " says WondaGurl. "Earlier, I would never talk; I'd just play the beat. I wouldn't give ­direction much, because they wouldn't take it. Now they take it seriously."

Catherine Marks, who has ­produced Manchester Orchestra and Wolf Alice, says the initial leap from engineer to producer was "a difficult and unexpected ­transition ... When I first started out I always thought, 'Ooh, I can't wait to be in that role.' And the more I learned and the more I began to ­understand the studio dynamics and the ­responsibilities that come with that role, I was like, 'Maybe I'm pretty happy where I am.' "

While many male and female executives have been supportive, several female producers expressed dismay that more female artists don't seek out female producers. "It's ­interesting that a lot of female artists have this feminist message and they'll make their record with all men. It seems kind of ­hypocritical," says Hope. "This [woman] will get up to accept an award and be surrounded by straight, white, middle-aged men".

There are great female producers around and, whilst there is willingness for change and the chance for equality, I think there are a lot of reasons why women feel discouraged. Another argument comes down to parental leave and the assumption that a female producer might not be able to balance maternal responsibilities with production duties. There is a lot we need to discuss and dispel but making production a viable and attractive career choice for women and girls is paramount. I think more female artists will want to work with female producers if we get the numbers up. An American study shows that, whilst there are some remarkable female producers around, the numbers are not rising as fast as we’d like – and there are stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes still in place:

Turning to producers, the percentage of women working in this role remained stagnant in 2018, and only 2 percent of producers across 400 songs were female. For producers, this translates into a gender ratio of 47 males to every one female. Only four women of color have worked as a producer on the 400 songs analyzed.

"Women are shut out of two crucial creative roles in the music industry," Professor Smith said. "It was critical to understand what factors contribute to the lack of women songwriters and producers in order to open up more opportunities and create sustainable change."

Through interviews with 75 female songwriters and producers, the study explores the lived experiences of women in music. More than 40 percent stated that their work or skills were dismissed or discounted by colleagues, and 39 percent said that stereotyping and sexualization were impediments to their careers. Finally, more than one-third said that the industry was male-dominated—a belief borne out by the numbers in the quantitative report. Women also cited instances in which they had been doubted or questioned and illuminated how the recording studio is a site for objectification and place where personal safety is a concern”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling (Lauren Deakin Davies worked with Marling on her project, Reversal of the Muse)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

This might sound all bleak but, when turning to Lauren Deakin Davies, and she provides a perfect example of why we need more female producers. When I talked about Catherine Marks yesterday, I listed some of the artists she’s worked with (The Amazons and The Big Moon among them) and the fact she is so passionate, eclectic and dedicated. Lauren Deakin Davies is another one of these great female producers who many others are looking up to. So far, Deakin Davies has written over two-hundred commercially released tracks and seen her work played on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 6 Music. She was named producer of the year in 2017 and 2018 at the NMG Awards and is the youngest female producer to have tracks played on BBC Radio 2. Deakin Davies has this affinity and natural intuition that means she is a producer you definitely want to work with. She comes from a musical household and performs her own music as DIDI. As DIDI, Deakin Davies’ Pop-Punk sound is fresh and exciting and I think this gives her advantage in the studio. A lot of producers are not musicians themselves but Deakin Davies has that edge. She knows what is needed to succeed; she has that musician’s eye and realises what it takes to make a song shine and pop. Whilst a lot of female artists self-produce, there are standalone producers like Deakin Davies, Catherine Marks; Sylvia Massy and WondaGurl.

I am a particularly big fan of Lauren Deakin Davies’ production because it is so varied and nuanced. She can bring so much from a song and her expertise and experience really shows. I will continue on but I want to bring in an interview Deakin Davies gave last year to Music Tech:

Working out of her impressive studio, The Den, Lauren’s productions have garnered interest from a range of high-profile artists, such as Laura Marling, Kate Dimbleby, Peggy Seeger and The Hoosiers. She also became, at the age of just 19, the Music Producer’s Guild’s youngest full member and has won two Producer of the Year accolades at the NMG awards. So how did her interest in music production begin?

“Well, I’ve been doing music since I was 11 years old and I’ve been in bands of varying sizes,” Lauren tells us. “One of the bands I was in when I was 15 started doing alright, and we ended up going to Universal Studios and Metropolis Studios and places like that. I remember walking into a studio and thinking, ’Oh my God, this is the coolest thing in the world!’, so I really got into it then. There was also a local studio called The Cream Room which had a young artist called Alexa Mullins. She wanted me to come into the studio to sort of make sure she was okay and enjoy it. She knew I was embarking on studying music production, so I ended up working at that studio for a while which gave me a lot of grounding.”

It wasn’t long before Lauren’s work started garnering high profile interest, and an invitation to join the Music Producer’s Guild landed on her doorstep, then at the astoundingly young age of 19. We ask Lauren what it’s like being the youngest member of the coveted collective.

“I’m not sure if I am still the youngest member to join, but I definitely was at the time (the youngest member now is still older than me when I originally joined though). My really good friend, who is also the bass player in my band, who is two days older than me, has just joined too. That membership was integral to when I was starting out. When I joined it meant I had a foundation and a base of people who were all willing to help. I ended up working on the Laura Marling project through meeting an acquaintance on the MPG panel. I wouldn’t have got that unless I’d been part of the MPG.”

In an already diverse career, one of Lauren’s most memorable collaborations involved the daughter of a popular broadcaster. “I think working with Kate Dimbleby on her album Songbirds is one of the most influential projects I’ve worked on. Kate is David Dimbleby’s daughter. She’d done a jazz album before, but she wanted to do something completely different, a whole album with no instruments – all just vocals. It was an interesting concept and quite challenging. All of the songs sound different but they’re obviously coherent as an album and it was just so interesting. It was like, ’How can you mix a 30-track vocal thing of random loops?’ There were 50 tracks on some of the songs, so that record was definitely one of the coolest ones, and Kate’s attitude was so positive. There are a few others: I really like the Danielle Lewis stuff that I’ve worked on; Minnie Birch’s albums as well. I’ve done quite a few albums but that’s the one [Kate Dimbleby] that sticks out for me”.

You can see the range of projects Deakin Davies has been involved with and some of the musical challenges that have been put her way. Working with such eclectic artists has strengthened her foundation and the projects Deakin Davies has been involved with its seriously impressive. The fact she worked with Laura Marling (on her Reversal of the Muse) stuns me as Marling is one of my favourite artists and someone I admire greatly. If there is a perception that many female artists do not want to work with female producers, Lauren Deakin is dispelling that. Having worked alongside Bella Gaffney, Minnie Birch; Kate Dimbleby, Roxanne de Bastion and Emily Mae Winters recently, it is wonderful seeing a great female producer working with some great female artists. If pioneering producers like Catherine Marks are working more with Rock and Alternative artists, Lauren Deakin Davies has more experience in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter/Pop realm. Deakin Davies’ advice to upcoming producers is to network and get out there. I think Marks gave similar advice when speaking with Georgie Rogers: see if there are any interns going at studios and don’t be afraid to ask around and get out there too. It may take a while to get to the position Deakin Davies and Marks are in but they both started on modest foundations. Through experience, learning and commitment, they have risen to the positions they are in now.

Lauren Deakin Davies is a producer who gets to know the artist before beginning work so that it gives her extra information and impetus when working on their material. The reason for me starting this Queens of the Underground feature is to highlight inspiring women who are working tirelessly and creating some fantastic work. I do think that Lauren Deakin Davies is a producer who will attract bigger and bigger names. I know there are girls and women out there who want to step into the studio but will feel hesitant and reserved. Maybe the wave of male faces seems daunting but producers like Deakin Davies will give them guidance and heart. I know Deakin Davies has spoken to young women about getting into the industry but I do wonder whether she has considered giving bigger talks and seminars as she has a lot of wisdom and experience to impart. I shall leave things there but I urge people to check out Lauren Deakin Davies’ work and follow her career. She is one of the best producers in the U.K. and, as I keep saying, proving an inspiration muse for women who are thinking of producing. I predict the future will see Deakin Davies producing albums for some of the biggest artists in the world and getting to work in the U.S., perhaps. Her award-winning career so far has been eventful but I think there are so many big years ahead. There are some truly fantastic producers in music but, when it comes to Lauren Deakin Davies, there is…

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Deakin Davies

NOBODY like her.

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Follow Lauren Deakin Davies

FEATURE: Hands Off! Continuing Cases of Sexual Assault and Inappropriateness in the Music Industry

FEATURE:

 

 

Hands Off!

IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Tate of Hands Off Gretel wrote an open letter to men (it was published in Kerrang!) who attend the band’s gigs, making them aware of some of the abuse/inappropriateness she and her bass player, Becky Baldwin, have faced/PHOTO CREDIT: Hands Off Gretel 

Continuing Cases of Sexual Assault and Inappropriateness in the Music Industry

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THERE are a couple of different stories…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Hands Off Gretel/PHOTO CREDIT: Neil Chapman — with Becky Baldwin.

that have got me thinking about the darker side of the music industry. It seems, in an age of social media where everyone can be aware of dangers and some of the worst sides of music, we are still seeing too many disturbing cases when women are being assaulted. It seems like the perpetrators have this ignorance like they will not be shamed or caught; maybe there is this age-old problem with certain men assuming they are above the law and immune to judgement. Not only is their widespread sexism in music but, more and more, male fans and those in the industry are crossing the line. Hands Off Gretel’s lead, Lauren Tate, recently wrote an open letter, addressed to the men who come to her shows. It was published in Kerrang! and makes for some upsetting reading:

If you listen to UK punks Hands Off Gretel, you know that they don’t take anyone’s shit. Not only are they a part of the Riot Grrrl movement, but their songs showcase a vivid and emotional portrayal of the experience of being a woman. So, when lead vocalist/guitarist Lauren Tate and bassist Becky Baldwin are disrespected at their own shows by predatory men, they are going to speak up.

“Dear guys that come to my shows. Please stop kissing my cheek. Please stop sexualising myself and my bass player. Please let girls stand at the front more. Please be more aware that I really don’t want to be touched or told I am sexy. I am a MUSICIAN and I get messages and comments all day from men about myself and my female bass player being sexy or eye candy or some bullshit and it honestly kills my soul and makes my eyes roll into the dirt. I’ve seen ‘band’ posters cropped with just myself and Becky in them used to promote shows! Can you imagine how it feels to be the guys? It’s shite! SOOOO…

To all the guys that respect personal space, genuinely love my band for my music and let young girls stand up at the front I really really thank you. You have no idea how much it means to myself and many female musicians when we are valued for our skills and seen as equal to the guys in bands on the same bill. Please note that a lot of girls stand politely and smile when they’re skin is crawling in so many situations it’s mental.

We just want to be valued and respected. AND WE REALLY REALLY NEVEREVER EVER EVER WANT TO BE KISSED or touched all over believe me! … In this photo here I’m locking eyes with the girls I requested come forward in the crowd. I’m holding the guitar that I wrote every song on for the new album, the guitar a guy told me after the show to ‘put down and stop playing’!!! See… us women are fierce. I’ve heard so many girls in other bands talking about these issues with men at shows and how we tackle them. It’s starts with the good guys. Look out for the girls in the crowd. If you see someone being a dick or a general creep… Call them out. Make them aware. We need more amazing guys like you in the world to stop these shitty men ruining it all for everyone. Massive respect to all those guys that do this… gigs should be for everyone to be themselves and have fun. I shouldn’t be worrying about anything while I’m up there on the mic playing my music for my fans #handsoffgretel #discuss #talk #girlband#girlstothefront #feminism#equality #respect#laurentate #femalemusician #rant

I am not keen on the way Kerrang! sort of ended that piece by suggesting that, if this letter makes you angry, you can listen to some of Hands Off Gretel’s feminist jams. I get what they mean by it: there is anger in the music and it can provide catharsis. I do feel like there is a genuine attitude that, maybe, if we ignore these incidents then they will go away. I have written about sexual assault and inappropriateness in music before but, more and more, incidents like the ones Tate describes are coming up. I know not all men who attend gigs are the same but I have read so many cases where female musicians are either sexualised and objectified or, worse, they are touched and molested at the stage. Whether a woman is stage-diving, getting sweaty in the audience or close to a fan, that does not give the right to a man to assault her or touch her. I am going to bring in a new of articles and cases where, from musicians through to cases at festivals, sexual abuse and predatory behaviour is still alive and well. Whilst the likes of Lauren Tate are asking for anger and change, I wonder how much the industry as a whole is doing to ensure women are protected and feel safe at gigs and on the stage. It does not just end there, of course. In the social media age, abuse, harassment and assault can manifest itself in the form of photos, tweets and posts.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Jonny Fox/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I do wonder whether music is a safe space for women. In a piece I am writing for next week, I am exploring the groupie culture and how that has been a bit of music for decades. There are cases of famous musicians years ago abusing their young fans; taking advantage of their status and perpetrating awful and disgusting acts. Before I look at some research and statistics, there is another case in the music news where rapper Jonny Fox is in hot water. The Guardian reported the news – Fox claims he is being harassed by women who claim that he is a sexual predator and sends bad messages through his music:

Five women who raised concerns online alleging that the singer/rapper Jonny Fox is a “sexual predator” and emotionally abusive are facing a multiple libel claim of up to £60,000, court documents show.

The case, which has reached the high court, is an example of the clash between Britain’s defamation laws and the MeToo movement.

Fox, lead vocalist and founding member of the punk-rock band the King Blues, who is commonly known by the stage name “Itch”, alleges that the women have individually, and as a group, engaged in a “persistent campaign of harassment” spreading lies about him in a series of online articles published in 2016. He denies all the accusations.

According to court claims seen by the Guardian, the women he is suing variously sent him a “menacing photograph and message”, contacted his current partner about the claims, staged a protest at the band’s performance and encouraged “militant” action against Fox.

IN THIS PHOTO: Petrol Girls (their lead) is one of the five women being sued by Fox. (You can support Solidarity Not Silence here)/PHOTO CREDIT: Martyna Wisniewska

In the articles Fox was described as a “sexual predator”, “domestic abuser” and someone who turned “the feminism he raps about into a joke”.

“The women felt it was in the public interest for them to speak out to warn vulnerable young women. That’s why they have called their fundraising campaign ‘Solidarity not Silence’. They feel this claim is an attempt to silence them.”

The court claims say that, at one concert, a group of 10 protesters hoisted banners declaring: “Itch: Stop your abuse of women” and “Call it out”. They were eventually escorted out by security guards”.

I do worry about artists who have to face sexual assault, sexualisation and abuse. Unfortunately, the music industry has seen too many cases where men in groups have assaulted and abused their fans. This BBC article makes for illuminating and shocking reading – I have selected a couple of rather upsetting cases:

"I started a friendship with him back when I was like 14," Rachel says about the man. She doesn't know exactly how old he was, but says there were "rumours" he was older than 30.

He would use his position to get her into shows for free and introduce her to bands she liked. But then, after a night at the pub, they went back to his flat.

"I basically remember waking up laying on the side of his bed with him having sex with me. I remember pushing him off. I'm crying at this point and he just kept going and kept going."

She has no doubt that the way the music industry works contributed to what happened to her.

IN THIS PHOTO: Moose Blood 

"It's an easy preying ground for these people to find fans that want that little bit more - they want that backstage pass, they want to meet the band, they want to get in for free.

In 2017, Zoe accused the lead singer of pop-punk band Moose Blood of stealing nude photos from her phone and sharing them in the band's WhatsApp group.

Moose Blood have always denied this and last year announced they were taking a break from music, blaming "serious false accusations" against them.

Regardless of whether it's true or not, Zoe told us the situation only came about because she was such a big fan.

"I didn't realise it was a bad thing because they were my favourite band and I was a bit flattered by the attention.

"I was just thinking: 'Oh my God, my favourite band are here in my house', so I just didn't react to it the way I probably should have.

"I think bands need to take full responsibility and realise their status and the effect they can have on their fans".

These might seem like isolated incidents but there are many cases going unreported. From young female fans to artists and those behind the scenes, what is the solution? It might seem improbable to eradicate all cases of sexual abuse and inappropriateness but we need to get to a stage where music is not being dragged through the mud and women feel safer.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

This interesting article asked whether, like Hollywood, music was facing its #MeToo moment – in light of allegations against artists like R. Kelly and Ryan Adams:

Stories of powerful players offering access in exchange for sex are rife in an industry where the #MeToo movement has so far had less visible impact than in film, TV, and media. That may be changing. In recent weeks, iconic artists R. Kelly, Ryan Adams, and the late Michael Jackson have finally faced a reckoning for alleged sexual abuse. Credit a rise in the power of female musicians and shifts in public opinion about sexual abuse. Change-makers are pressing their advantage at a time when old music-business institutions are waning in power, forcing the industry to reckon with a tradition of sexual exploitation that’s as deeply ingrained as the grooves of a vinyl record.

Ms. Powers says that one reason why this sort of sexual misconduct has historically been difficult to expose is that, unlike Hollywood, the music industry isn’t a centralized entity. Its male-dominated silos – including record labels, the concert-tour sectors, and media promotion – often protect abusers by enforcing omertà.

“In a society in which people are uncomfortable talking about sex, music was a realm where we could experience sexuality,” she says of an industry where ”groupies” were regarded as job perks and female singers and musicians were encouraged to play up their sexuality to advance their careers. “Because of that there’s been a kind of permissiveness around the music-makers’ sexual lives that we are now having to reckon with

It is good that there is a call for change and there are areas of the industry where improvement is happening. I do think that there are far too many cases where women have to speak out and get angry about things that have happened at gigs; occasions when they have been taken advantage of and objectified. One of the most positive aspects of sexual harassment and assault in music is alternations occurring at some festivals. Teen Vogue reported a couple of months ago:

Offset from the crowd, Kim Warnick, the executive director of Calling All Crows, has set up a table with information so fans, too, can learn how to help prevent sexual violence. It’s part of the #HereForTheMusic campaign, launched two years ago, working to end abuse and harassment in live music. Warnick, who has worked in sexual violence prevention for more than a decade, conducts most of the sliding-scale trainings. To date, the campaign has trained over 1,000 people.

The goal of the campaign is to give as many people as possible the tools to address this long-overlooked issue. It’s hard to have exact numbers on the pervasiveness of sexual violence in live music, given how few people report sexual assault. Yet some data does exist: A 2018 survey conducted by YouGov, a data analytics firm, involving 1,188 music festival attendees in the U.K. found that 22% of them had experienced assault or harassment.

In many cases, Warnick has found that venues and musicians had no process in place to respond to sexual violence. Even major players in the industry have been slow to address this. “I don't know that we ever actually laid out an official protocol prior to last year,” said Laura Sohn, the director of sustainability at Bonnaroo. “I think that was new for a lot of us in the industry.” For the second year, Bonnaroo will work with Calling All Crows in the days leading up to the festival to hold trainings for fans, staff, and volunteers. The festival's website also includes information on consent and sexual assault prevention.

Last year, Teen Vogue journalist Vera Papisova interviewed 54 women who said they were harassed at Coachella. While it doesn't work with Calling All Crows, the festival launched its own initiative called “Every One,” rolling out a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and assault, and providing spaces with trained volunteers for people to seek out should they experience it”.

It is clear that things are moving in the right direction but I was appalled hearing what Hands Off Gretel’s Lauren Tate had to say and what her experiences are. I know her case is not unique: there are women all across the music world that are facing the constant threat of assault, inappropriateness and attack. There needs to be stricter penalties for men who step too far. If anyone at festivals are seen assaulting a woman or make them feel unsafe then they should be given a man; a ban also needs to go to men at gigs who are culpable of incidents. There is a long way to go and we should not have to hear of these horrible cases where women are being taken advantage of and touched. It is harrowing and disappointing to see but, with more action from the industry; the affected speaking up and shaming those who go too far and calling for change then, gradually, we can see some genuine evolution. Most male fans and artists are respectful and nice but they are being let down too. Women should not have to feel unsafe at festivals, on the stage or anywhere, really, so we need to take action. These cases of assault and inappropriateness might be in the minority but we should not have to live in an age where women are made to feel…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @cristian_newman/Unsplash

UNSAFE and vulnerable.

TRACK REVIEW: Taylor Swift - The Archer

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Taylor Swift

The Archer

 

9.3/10

 

The track, The Archer, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=154&v=8KpKc3C9V3w

GENRE:

Pop

ORIGIN:

New York, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

23rd July, 2019

The album, Lover, is released on 23rd August, 2019 through Republic/Taylor Swift Productions. Pre-order here:

https://taylorswift.lnk.to/LoverTw

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THIS is a bit of a departure for me…

because I do not often review a mainstream Pop artist. Taylor Swift is more than pure Pop but, when it comes to commercial artists, I tend to stay away. The reason I wanted to review her latest track was that, when one considers Swift, there is a lot to recommend. She may divide some in terms of her sound but, as an idol and someone asking for change, there is a lot to applaud her for. Before I react to her latest single, I want to talk about Swift as a huge star and how there is a lot of pressure on her shoulders; the fact that, just recently, she has started giving interviews after a three-year gap. I also want to move on to her role as a role model and how she will inspire the next generation; her brand of music and how it mixes in Pop, Country and other genres – seemingly more rounded than a lot of the mainstream music we hear at the moment. I will also discuss her role as a potential future headliner and icon and, also, whether we put too much expectation on bigger artists and whether we can separate the music from their personal life. I will discuss Taylor Swift and the fact she is giving interviews (after a long pause) but, when we think of the biggest artists in music right now, Taylor Swift must be near the top of the pile. With her, it goes beyond the music itself. Swift is not just an artist; she is a businesswoman and philanthropist who gives a lot to charity and is a big supporter of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. Maybe I should start with that. There are a lot of big artists out there but I do wonder how many use their platform for good; to raise their voice for causes and people. So often, one hears their music and they promote that but things rarely go beyond that. I do think that a lot of the biggest stars around are not really being vocal enough.

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For a while, Swift kept her political views away from music but she has spoken out. She is someone who is disgusted at the way America is going and what is happening. Even if you are a bit sniffy when it comes to Taylor Swift, you cannot deny that she has a certain power and charm that is hard to ignore. Her songs are varied and interesting and she is someone who puts messages into her tracks. You Need to Calm Down is about homophobic and her critics. ME! boasts a video that is glittery and extravagant whilst the aforementioned You Need to Calm Down is one of her most vivid and talked-about videos. She is a fantastic entertainer and has this incredible passion that one is sucked in by. Taylor Swift goes beyond merely music and performing. For so many out there, she is a guide and idol that is speaking for them and fighting their corner. With that, there comes this pressure and demand. I guess you can say the same for any big star but, with Swift, it seems like her every move is tracked. She is barely allowed a moment to relax and, one suspects, the reason she did not do interviews for a long time was because she needed some privacy and space. Many artists and young girls will want to follow in Taylor Swift’s footsteps but they will be seeing the media scrutiny and obsession and wondering whether it is such a wise move. For someone as popular and exposed as Swift, it is hard to lead an ordinary life. I know she has tackled criticism and pressure in her music but one wonders what happens behind closed doors. I do feel for a lot of Pop artists who have such a following and, whilst they inspire devotion, there is that downside where you can never get a breath and have time to yourself. This has been the way of music for decades and I do think there is this problem that we need to tackle. Not only do artists like Swift have to fight for their right for room and privacy, but there is that impact on their physical and mental well-being.

Swift has just begun conducting interviews again after a few years. I have not researched the reasons why she stopped doing them but one suspects that she was a bit tired of being picked apart and misrepresented. It is always interesting reading interview from Swift because she seems to be a lot more accessible than a lot of her peers. Rather than being someone in the business for fame, she genuinely does want to touch people and make a difference. In this interview with Elle, she talked about connecting with her fans and the nature of social media today:

 “So often with our takedown culture, talking sh*t about a celebrity is basically the same as talking sh*t about the new iPhone. So when I go and I meet fans, I see that they actually see me as a flesh-and-blood human being. That—as contrived as it may sound—changed [me] completely, assigning humanity to my life.”

And when it comes to social media, Swift considers it to be both a blessing and a curse because of the way people can be judged and treated, for better or worse, based on what they post.

“Our priorities can get messed up existing in a society that puts a currency on curating the way people see your life,” Swift began. “Social media has given people a way to express their art. I use it to connect with fans. But on the downside you feel like there are 3 trillion new invisible hoops that you have to jump through, and you feel like you’ll never be able to jump through them all correctly. I—along with a lot of my friends and fans—am trying to figure out how to navigate living my life and not just curating what I want people to think living my life is."

Swift has also had trouble figuring out where to set boundaries between her private and public life, how to be open enough on social media that she doesn't seem fake without compromising her privacy. "I’m not always able to maintain a balance, and I think that’s important for everyone to know about," she said. "We’re always learning, and that’s something that I also had to learn—that I’ve got to be brave enough to learn. Learning in public is so humiliating sometimes…."

But for now, things are going well, and she's enjoying that moment. "Do I feel more balanced in my life than I ever have before? Um, probably yeah," she said. "But is that permanent? No. And I think being okay with that has put me in a bit of a better position”.

There is, as I say, so much assumption from the media; they do like to fabricate stories and, when they are not doing that, the glare on big stars is immense. It is unsurprising that someone like Taylor Swift would need a break to reflect and relax. When speaking with MTV, she discussed the reason behind taking a gap from recording – between 1989 and Reputation – and how the album-making process is always different:

Believe it or not, she's speaking from personal experience. While discussing what keeps things "fresh" for Swift after all these years, she admitted that she doesn't always feel inspired and happy from making music. As fans recall, there was a three-year gap between 1989 and reputation, and according to Swift, it was because she needed to take time for her mental health.

"It's not always fresh for me," she conceded. "There have been times when I've needed to take years off because I just felt exhausted or I felt really low or really bad. You never really have the same process making an album. Right now, thankfully, I feel really energized, which I'm feeling really grateful for. It's not something that I take for granted, that I feel this energized and this excited about this new music".

I just wanted to bring in a couple of interviews because it reveals a bit about Swift and the fact that she is relatable. Many of us do not really talk about musicians and their health and I think we need to do it more. Social media, pressures of modern life and musical expectations can all weight heavy and I do think that the likes of Taylor Swift are going to help raise awareness by speaking out and being open. I do think many people feel Pop artists are always happy and have this perfect life. For some, that might be true but the realities of modern music are quite stark. I am glad Swift is in a good headspace now and she is positive about making music.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Valheria Rocha

It is good Swift allows herself some time to breathe and step away from music because so many artists through the years have succumbed to the pressure or they have gone off of the rails. Let’s leave that aside because, when I was talking about popular stars speaking out more and discussing big issues, they could take a leaf from Taylor Swift’s book. She, for so many, is a role model and champion. She is a big supporter of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community and she is keen to promote messages of togetherness acceptance and progression. She knows there is not the equality and understanding there should be but, for so many who feel isolated and alone, Swift is a light in the dark. For young girls and women out there, Swift is an advocate and inspiration. A few years back, there was a rise in girls playing guitar and it was traced back to Swift. The fact she has encouraged more girls to take up an instrument and get into music that way is fantastic. Swift is someone who has earned a lot of money through her work but she is a charitable individual and someone who wants to share her wealth in order to fund great causes. Recently, she donated a large sum of money to the Tennessee Equality Project and, again, it is an example of her standing with the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. Swift is one of the most generous stars in music and is always happy to support causes she believes in. Rather than being this wealthy artist who throws money at charities to make themselves look good – it does happen -, Swift wants to make the world a better place and she wants to see greater acceptance and harmony through the world. So many people will look up to her, at the forefront of music, and be moved. There are artists who release music and not a lot else but Swift is always busy using her power and wealth to help improve lives.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @ashleyophoto

Not only is she charitable but she involves herself in other areas. As this article explores, Swift has used her personal experiences to help raise awareness for women who are sexually assaulted:

Many of Swift’s fans and anybody who reads the news are probably familiar with at least some of the details of her lawsuit against Denver DJ David Mueller. The pop star accused the DJ in 2013 of groping her during a photoshoot, an accusation that eventually caused her to be sued by Mueller for defamation, after which she countersued.

Swift was eventually vindicated in court when the jury ruled that Mueller did, in fact, grope her.

Swift took an active role in these trials, using them as a public platform to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault against women everywhere. “My hope is to help those whose voices should be heard,” Swift reported in a statement delivered in the courthouse. She tied her case in with other victim’ by thanking “anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault,” pledging afterwards to make donations to organizations who assist those affected”.

I have talked a lot about Swift as a humanitarian and someone who wants to make a difference in the world and I know she will go down in musical history as one of the most inspiring artists ever. Swift is still only twenty-nine and she has decades more in the industry. So many people her age are just sitting around and watching others help change the world but Swift is at the front; always looking to make a difference. It is inspiring for everyone and for someone like me – who is not her usual target fan demographic – you get this very different impression about mainstream stars. I think many of us just assume they are obsessed with social media and fame; they have quite an easy life and are keener to line their own pockets rather than give something back. Taylor Swift is a very different type of artist and a human who has influenced so many people around the world.

It may be surprising to some to see I am reviewing Taylor Swift. I am not usually a big fan of mainstream Pop because it can be quite processed, overly-energetic and vague. I do think there is this core that put in generic lyrics and sound exactly the same. It can be depressing to hear that and, every year, people ask whether Pop music has gotten worse and why the older sounds were the best. I do think there are some great modern Pop artists around but the more commercial side of the market lacks real quality and longevity. Taylor Swift is not a straightforward Pop artist. She is someone who, on her eponymous 2006 debut, was a lot more Country-Pop then she is now. That album gathered some great reviews because, not only did Swift co-write all of the songs, but there was this huge maturity from someone so young – she would have been a teenager back then. The songs had elements of Country heartache but there was the youthfulness and slight naivety you get with Pop. It was a great blend and she built from there. On albums like Fearless (2008), she created something mature and accessible. Blurring the lines between Country music and Pop, Swift released an album that was very personal and accomplished; much more accessible and appealing than a lot of the mainstream fare – artists having teams writing for them and being more concerned with streaming figures as opposed the quality of the music. She kept her Country roots for 2012’s Red but that album was a bigger and more experimental thing; she talked about toxic relationships and, to many, Red was her most affecting and personal album. By 2014’s 1989, Swift released an album that was broader than her previous work and stepped from Country-Pop to Synth-Pop. This was a turning point for her and showed that she was not someone who was repeating herself and doing the same as her contemporaries.

1989 was the first album not to take shot at lovers: it was a more hopeful album and one full of self-discovery; although there were more emotional moments, it was a very different sound from Swift. Maybe it was a change of personnel and people around her but, with each album, she stepped into new ground and did something completely different. 2017’s Reputation is a much bigger and bolder record than anything she released until that point and it was another step forward for the Pop mastermind. So many modern artists do repeat themselves and bring out the same album time and time again. Swift is always keen to venture forward and, whilst relationships and heartache are never that far away, she documented something darker and deeper on Reputation. Her seventh album, Lover, is out on 23rd August and one suspects that this record will be a lot brighter and more optimistic than her previous one – maybe it will be quite dark but I sense something with more colour and positivity. I know Taylor Swift has her detractors and critics and, whilst her music is not for everyone out there, one cannot deny she is always evolving and experimenting. Her tracks are big and celebratory; she has a deeper side and is one of the most personal and intelligent Pop lyricists around. I do feel like the modern industry is harder than ever and it is so difficult getting a foothold and staying relevant. Swift has managed to transcend from this hopeful and appealing debutante to this blossomed and powerful mainstream artists who has not compromised her direction and independence. She does write with others but her voice is at the forefront; she calls the shots and she wants to make music that actually means something. Again, perhaps I am not who she is singing for – like a lot of Pop, there is a rather tight and particular demographic at work (unusually those under eighteen, let’s say)-, but I can appreciate her songs and the fact that she is changing people’s lives.

I have talked about expectation and the fact that we do heap pressure on artists. For someone like Taylor Swift, she is not afforded much quiet and privacy. Every move is watched and every song is pulled apart in a way you would not get with newer, less-popular artists. Swift handles the pressure with maturity and grace and, rather than rally too much against critics, she keeps pushing on. I do wonder whether were will see Taylor Swift headline a festival in the U.K. I believe she has headlined festivals around the world but when it comes to somewhere like Glastonbury, will we ever see the day? Ed Sheeran has, unfortunately, headlined Glastonbury and I feel Swift is a much more appealing and inspiring artist. Newer talent like Billie Eilish played Glastonbury this year and showed, in doing so, that there is headline worthiness there. I think Swift has been in the business long enough to warrant that sort of stage and I wonder whether there is reluctance to put a Pop artist on as headliner. It does happen but, more often than not, bands and other genres are favoured. Perhaps this will change over time but I do think that Swift has earned her striped and would make a genuinely popular headliner at one of our festivals. I do not hear her music often on the radio because, like everyone, I have my favourite station (BBC Radio 6 Music). It is ignorance on my part but I should listen to her music more; I think a festival appearance would make more people aware of her music; those who would otherwise avoid it. Swift is a fantastic live performer and I do think, at a time when Pop is still being criticised and compared with the past, festivals here need to book her. I have not mentioned Swift’s new song, The Archer, yet so I should probably get around to it! I know Lover is due to feature eighteen tracks – more than any of her other releases. It is clear Swift is in inspired mood at the moment and she has a lot to discuss.

It is clear The Archer is about cruelty in love and, as the title suggests, getting shot in the heart and avoiding the cruel slings and arrows of heartache. The opening notes of The Archer are quite calm and romantic. There is dreaminess and sense of composure as Swift comes to the microphone. If previous songs have been pretty buoyant and fired, this is quite different. Her voice reminds me of a cross between Lana Del Rey and Cyndi Lauper. Swift’s delivery is breathy and affected as she talks about combat; she is ready for combat and it seems like she is in the midst of a breakup. Swift observes that “cruelty wins in the movies” and she has thrown out a hundred speeches she was going to say to the guy. I have mentioned how Lover is an album with a more optimistic bent but I do think there will be more introspective tracks. Rather than attack her lover, Swift is discussing how capricious love is and how passion can come along easily and then leaves. She is leaping on the train and has this rather solitary nature. Maybe Swift has always been that way: someone who never stands still and cannot imagine herself with someone. I do think The Archer will get a remix at some point because its lyrics have a flexibility that suggest they could translate into Dance. Swift’s delivery is tender and delicate and, whilst never really blaming her sweetheart, you can tell there is an ache and sense of disappointment.  The chorus brings in this idea of the lover being an archer who is shooting arrows. Swift has been an archer too and, as the lyrics unfolds, you get these vivid images of the bond. Swift is one of the most original lyricists around and she documents and paints her plight in a very interesting way. With some 1980s synths backing her, there is this vintage sound that seems separate from the rather plastic and ultra-modern vibe of modern Pop today.

I know a lot of artists are bringing the 1980s into their music – such as Bat for Lashes – but Taylor Swift’s music seems a lot more mature and interesting than a lot of the modern Pop scene. Swift asks who could leave her and who could stay; she has cut her nose off to spite her face and beat herself up. Swift is hard on herself and not, as I keep saying, attacking her lover. So many artists jab at their lovers – and Swift has done this before – but Swift is looking at this situation/strain from different sides and looking inside herself. One might think The Archer is quite depressing and heavy-going but it actually a pretty accessible song. You can involve yourself in it and never feel like you need to be Taylor Swift to understand its words. Those expecting beefy chorus sounds and processed vocals might be in for a disappointment. Swift has created one of her most personal and evocative tracks to date. Her vocals get layered to create this ghostly sound and, when it comes to the spectral, she talks about waking at night and feeling like a ghost; she is wants to be held on to – the room is on fire and Swift notes how all her heroes died alone. Not only are the lyrics clever and illuminating but you cannot help but feel impressed by the poetic nature. So many modern artists rely on tropes and clichés but Swift does not go there. She sings how all her enemies started at friends and how she is broken right now – all the king’s horses and men couldn’t put her together again, it is said -; how she needs this protection and togetherness but something is getting in the way. It is never revealed why things have turned bad and how she has got to where she is. Perhaps it is a pattern she cannot get out of or a particularly tough time. The honest, emotion and maturity one hears throughout the song and, whilst The Archer is a lot cooler and slower than songs like ME! and You Need to Calm Down, it demands repeated listens and, I think, is more appealing. Because it is not a bold and colourful song, I do think it has the potential to cross over to a number of different radio stations and hit a wider demographic. Taylor Swift has always been a broad artist but, on Lover, she is mixing so many themes and sounds together. The Archer is a fantastic song and one that holds a lot of depth, intrigue and personal exposure.

On 23rd August, Taylor Swift will release Lover. Three singles have been released so far so it is hard to get a grip on the overall theme and sound of the album but, according to Swift, there is a more romantic gaze (than previous albums). We can find love in loneliness and hard times and it seems like Lover will be a pretty positive and potent album. We shall see what comes around but The Archer is a song I was eager to review. On every album, Swift adds something different into her sound and she, to me, is one of the best lyricists in modern Pop. With a new album, there will be tour demands and new expectation. I was keen to include new interviews from her because it shows a human side that often gets buried in all the glitz and promotional cycle. Swift is someone who has experienced pressure and had to take some time away from music. It seems like she is in a more positive place at the moment and I do hope that this continues. I am not interesting in the gossip side of things and her romantic life but I believe she is making plans for the future and, as she hits thirty in December, children are on her mind. I can imagine life is anything but normal and easy for one of the most influential artists in the world. With millions of followers online, Swift has a huge army behind her but I can imagine it is hard to just switch off and be a normal person. Her music has enriched lives and she is inspiring so many other artists. I guess songwriting is autobiography and she can get a lot of her emotions, feelings and angers out that way. I don’t know. It is a hard balance I guess but Swift is one of those people who seems indefatigable and incredibly strong. If you have not listened to her music or have been a bit reluctant before, take a look at The Archer because it is a genuinely great Pop song. Swift has such a varied career and it is impossible to label and define her. Not only is Taylor Swift one of the most varied and accessible artists in Pop but she is, as I have explored, someone who gives so much to others. It is not often we talk about Pop artists in terms of being an ambassador-like figure but, when it comes to Taylor Swift, she is…

A definite role model.

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Follow Taylor Swift

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FEATURE: She Can’t Love You: A Lost Treasure: Destiny’s Child’s The Writing’s on the Wall at Twenty

FEATURE:

 

 

She Can’t Love You

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A Lost Treasure: Destiny’s Child’s The Writing’s on the Wall at Twenty

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I was just wondering…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Destiny's Child at the 1999 MOBO Awards/PHOTO CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

whatever happened to girl groups and why the scene faded away. Maybe music has changed and evolved now, so that girl groups seem outdated. We have female bands…but perhaps focusing on gender is the wrong thing to do. At a time when there is gender inequality and a need for progress, are girl groups a sign of the past? It is a hard question to answer but I do feel like there has been a change from those brilliant girl groups of the 1990s and the first few years of the 2000s. There have been girl groups in music for decades but I think there was a real peak in the 1990s. With the likes of Destiny’s Child, En Vogue and TLC ruling the charts and crafting these sublime R&B/Pop cuts, it was a golden time. Destiny’s Child, I feel, get overlooked and are not as lauded as the likes of TLC and En Vogue – or British counterparts such as the Spice Girls and All Saints. Whilst Destiny’s Child’s definitive line-up would come after The Writing’s on the Wall, one cannot deny the brilliance and resonance of the group’s second album. The album was produced by Missy Elliott, Kevin ‘She'kspere’ Briggs; Rodney Jerkins, Eric Nealante Phillips and Beyoncé among others. When many think of the best Destiny’s Child album, they often look at 2001’s Survivor. Sure, that album has some of their biggest cuts but I think most gravitate in the direction of Survivor because it seemed like the group were on a solid footing after some of the problems that arose around the time of The Writing’s on the Wall – and how there were disagreements and problems within the ranks.

Destiny’s Child are R&B icons and have influenced so many artists around the world. They are one of the best-selling female vocal groups ever and combined a strong sense of independence, these huge anthems with a vulnerability – not to mention fashion sense and incredible power. Other girl groups would form after Destiny’s Child split but many have them to thank for forming in the first place. The incredible tracks and empowering messages have inspired the likes of Tinashe and Ariana Grande. I shall muse more on the girl group but I do think, as it is twenty today, The Writing’s on the Wall warrants new investigation. I think the album is more confident than their eponymous 1998 debut and there is a greater range of sounds; more hits and stronger vocals from the group - Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett; LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland. At sixteen tracks, The Writing’s on the Wall is an ambitious record and there are a few fillers in the mix. Everyone will have their own favourite numbers but, to celebrate twenty years of a great album, Billboard ranked the tracks. I can agree with most of their selections and it is clear the mighty Bills, Bills, Bills, Jumpin’, Jumpin’ and Say My Name are the biggest hits – and the songs everyone thinks of when they talk about The Writing’s on the Wall. Rather than sugar-coating love, Destiny’s Child often employed a cynical and jaded view – never off-putting or negative; they were definitely striking out and not taking any crap.

On tracks like Jumpin’, Jumpin’, the fellas are in the club; they are “ballers” and their pockets are “full grown” – the group would have observed these cheaters on the dancefloor; the kind of guys they would have known and been let down by. One of the biggest hits of the late-1990s was Bills, Bills, Bills and it is genuinely one of my favourite tracks from that era. At that time in music, there was a lot of great R&B emerging; some brilliant Dance music and Pop nestling alongside one another. These brilliant groups like Destiny’s Child were providing a great blend of R&B, Soul and Dance and, in the process, put down these hugely addictive and memorable tracks. You only need to hear a few licks of Hey Ladies, Say My Name or Bug a Boo and you are transported back to that time. A lot of tracks from that period do not stand up to ageing but The Writing’s on the Wall sounds as compelling and fresh now as it did twenty years ago. Maybe girl groups have died out but the harmony-rich sounds of Destiny’s Child and their peers have found a new home; they have made their way into the new generation but I still think there is a potency that you only get with girl groups. That harmony and richness is all over The Writing’s on the Wall; there are those slamming hits and lesser-mentioned songs that deserve new ears.

I especially love She Can’t Love You. It is a gorgeous track that has been written off a token Latin song – something that girl groups and Pop singers were doing; maybe an attempt to be seen as varied and eclectic but not as authoritative and complete as you’d hope. I think She Can’t Love You is one of the best tracks on the album and it is a song that, once heard, gets into the brain and infuses every pore. Others disagree but that is the mark of a great album: everyone has their own opinions as to which are the strong and weaker tracks. In all honesty, most of the tracks on The Writing’s on the Wall are brilliant and the album never gets the full respect it has earned. In this Pitchfork review from 2017 they passionately assess the album and talk about what was happening behind the scenes:

There is no better microcosm of what happened to Top 40 music between 1993 and 1999 than this. Bands like the “Star Search” winner were buried in a landfill of post-grunge, while R&B groups built out from soul and quiet storm to create a sound innovative enough to earn the “futuristic” label almost everything got in that pre-Y2K time. This bore itself out in the revival in the early-to-mid-’90s of excellent girl groups vaguely in the Supremes mold—TLCEn Vogue, SWV—but it would be Destiny’s Child who would become their true successors.

PHOTO CREDIT: Markus Klinko

The Writing’s on the Wall, one of the best-selling R&B albums of all time, is perhaps most known for what was going on behind the scenes. In spring of 2000, founding members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson fired, through an attorney, Mathew Knowles, the group’s replacement for late manager Andretta Tillman and, more importantly, Beyoncé’s father. They alleged that Mathew Knowles kept too much of the group’s profits and that the group’s attention was disproportionately allocated in favor of Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé, increasingly featured both as lead singer and in promo. “Ninety percent of the vocals you're hearing is Beyoncé and Kelly,” Mathew Knowles rebutted in the Houston Chronicle, “but they all got paid the same.”

The Writing’s on the Wall, by contrast, was recorded quickly, in about three weeks, and feels like it. Everyone sounds hungry, everyone has new ideas. You can tell from the intro alone: a Godfather-inspired sitdown, steeped in drama with a take of Spanish guitar from Andy Williams’ “Speak Softly, Love” and kept there by the four women styling themselves as Mafia dons—the capo di tutto capi played by, naturally, “Beyoncé Corleone, from the Southwest.” What seemed silly at the time coming from a barely established girl group makes more sense decades of concept albums and a world domination later.

The Writing’s on the Wall is presented with a loose religious theme—each track is introduced in the form of a Commandment, and the album ends with a prayer: “Amazing Grace,” dedicated to late manager Andretta Tillman. Specifically, its theme is confession: a catalog of relationships and the failings thereof…

This was, and is, fraught territory. Practically since the album’s release, Destiny’s Child have dodged accusations of man-hating. Beyoncé stood in front of that giant FEMINIST display at the VMAs not as a response to a couple of thinkpieces but to over a decade of misinterpretations of her work, starting here. Forget the dated technological references in “Bug a Boo,” its hapless-clinger archetype has stalked his way from pagers to cell phones to today’s social media. “Bills, Bills, Bills” was so vastly misunderstood the group had to patiently re-explain it in almost every interview”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The group were still in the teens when The Writing’s on the Wall was recorded so you can overlook minor flaws and some lyrical repetition; maybe some naivety regarding relationships and love. At the time, The Writing’s on the Wall received some muted acclaim but I think subsequent years have shown how influential it is. Its fusion of sounds and inspiring lyrical themes were carried into the next decade (the noughties) and Beyoncé especially would go on to huge solo success – not abandoning her Destiny’s Child roots; simply modifying the sounds and anthems to her own agenda. The confidence, quality and range on offer through The Writing’s on the Wall is amazing and I think that it is one of those albums that sort of got overlooked; it gained traction and relevance years after its release and, at a time when we do not really have girl groups like Destiny’s Child and fewer uplifting mainstream anthems, I think The Writing’s on the Wall is ripe for new reviews. It was a difficult period for Destiny’s Child and, whilst they would change line-up, the music on The Writing’s on the Wall is sensational! The big hits are timeless and instantly recognisable but there is more than the singles to get your teeth into. The Beyoncé-led group were providing inspiration and impetus to young women around the world but, in reality, The Writing’s on the Wall spoke…

TO so many more people.

FEATURE: Queens of the Underground: Part Three: Catherine Marks

FEATURE:

 

 

Queens of the Underground

Part Three: Catherine Marks

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I will feature other producers in this feature…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Marks wins the Breakthrough Producer of the Year at the Music Producer's Guild Awards in 2016/PHOTO CREDIT: Music Producer's Guild

but, so far, I have featured two fantastic D.J.s/presenters: Carly Wilford and Georgie Rogers. Both are remarkable and I believe they are going to be big names of the future. In a way, I am making a connection from Georgie Rogers to Catherine Marks. I have been a fan of Marks’ production work for years now and she is responsible for some of the best and more memorable albums of the last few years. Before I come to that, I want to talk about Marks and why she is such an extraordinary producer. She produced allusionlove’s single, It’s Okay to Talk – one of my favourite bands – and The Amazons’ latest album, Future Dust. There is something about each of these works that gets into the bones like nothing else. Maybe it is Marks’ feel and personality that helps shape potentially-great music into something essential and hugely memorable. Look at the work Marks has been involved with thus far and you can see the sheer range and quality on her C.V. She has mixed tracks for St. Vincent but, to me, her finest hour was producing and mixing The Big Moon’s album, Love in the 4th Dimension. Released in 2017, the album was recorded over twelve days and you can feel this very natural and pure album – the band did not give themselves enough time to second-guess and went with their guts.

It is an incredible record and, although the band’s music stands out, you can feel Marks’ hand guiding and getting the best from them. I want to talk about Marks’ chat with Georgie Rogers but, before I do, let me let Marks introduce herself (information is taken from official website):

Catherine is a Producer, Engineer and Mixer.

- Winner of UK Producer of the Year 2018 MPG Awards

- Breakthrough Producer of the Year 2016 MPG Awards

-  Mercury Shortlisted Album 2017  for The Big Moon "Love In The 4th Dimension" (Producer)

- Grammy nominated for Wolf Alice "Moaning Lisa Smile" - Producer and Mixer

- Grammy Winner  2019 for St. Vincent - "Masseduction" - Best Rock Song  - Mixer

-  Grammy nominated 2019 for St. Vincent - "Massseduction" - Alternative Album - Mixer

Having long worked closely with legendary producers Alan Moulder and Flood, Catherine now has over 10 years of experience working in studios worldwide. Her production, mixing and engineering credits include Wolf Alice, The Amazons,  Manchester Orchestra, Blaenavon,

The Big Moon,  St. Vincent, Sunset Sons,  Foals,  Alex Winston,  PJ Harvey, Roman Lewis, Champs,  Kanye West, Ian Brown, MIA, Placebo, Ride, Killers, Mr Hudson and Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes. 

Catherine collaborates with both new and established artists and  always seeks to get the best out of those she works with. Completely in tune with the mechanics of the studio environment, Catherine is calm, devoted to and passionate about each project she works on. As such, artists will feel the environment is right to develop and experiment with their sound”.

I was aware of Marks before she sat down with Georgie Rogers but, in the Super Women series (where Rogers highlights amazing women across various fields), Marks sat down and discussed her career. Listening to Marks talk and she has this deep passion for what she does - and helping artists get the most from their music. Catherine Marks talked to Georgie Rogers about her path and, as Marks explains, she is not a gifted performer but has this love of music. She met the producer Flood at a Nick Cave concert 2001 and was given some valuable advice. Flood gave Marks the keys to his studio when he went off to work on a Killers album and, by learning that way and playing around with the studio/ProTools, she got a feel for production. That makes it sound quite simple: Marks’ progress and rise to success was difficult but she has grown through the years and is always learning. Rogers asked Marks about gender and the fact that, when she came onto the scene, there were not many female producers. Marks sort of kept her head down but also said that, yeah, she is a woman but she is also very good – Marks has helped shine a light on female producers and inspired many to come into music. I suggest you watch the rest of the documentary and it shows just how incredible Catherine Marks is.

I love listening to her talk about her career and process – maybe it is the Australian accent that gets me – and her body of work is staggering. From Eliza Shaddad to Sunset Sons, Marks has produced across a range of genres – she was engineer/mixer on PJ Harvey’s phenomenal album, Let England Shake. Not only is Marks an accomplished producer but she is also an award-winner. Last year, she was crowned UK Producer of the Year at the MPG Awards and was interviewed following her win. Here, she talks about her job and how she blends producing, mixing and engineering:

 “I love [engineering, mixing and producing] equally for different reasons,” she enthuses. “I haven’t done as much engineering for a while now, but a few years ago I engineered for John Parish and it was so awesome to be let free to do some interesting sonic stuff without the responsibility of the producer role. But I love production and being at the beginning stage of a record when you can’t wait to hear how it’s going to sound at the end. With mixing I just get totally absorbed. It’s like this awesome exploration of someone else’s vision.”

According to Marks, this blending of roles makes not only for a more varied working pattern, but can also bring numerous benefits to the project in hand.

“All the roles are really fluid,” she explains. “For example, I’ve just been working with Sunset Suns and the engineer we were going to use unfortunately had to go to hospital, so I ended up doing that. How things sound is very much part of production for me and I love creating interesting sonic textures.”

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Catherine Marks gives a speech at the Music Producer's Guild Awards in 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: Catherine Marks 

Marks discussed the variety of artists she works with and how her process changes from album to album:

“It varies from project to project,” she says. “With Manchester Orchestra the songs and the idea of the record had already been established, there was a real story thread that ran through the songs. What they were interested in was experimenting sonically and how far we could take it sonically. Whereas with The Amazons we loved going into the rehearsal room and ripping the songs to shreds and rebuilding them. Sometimes they had songs that were already written or they had an acoustic idea that we would transform into something else. It’s usually just me sitting on the floor saying to the drummer, OK play a Billie Jean beat, or let’s try this beat from Deus, and everyone just trying out different things with me basically directing a jam.”

With the clock winding down, conversation turns to the producers and engineers of tomorrow. In the space of just a few years, Marks’s reputation has transformed from up and coming star to contemporary studio icon. Though unable to reveal details as of yet, she currently has requests and projects piling up as her star continues to rise. Her advice to the next generation is simple: be yourself.

“I remember thinking, Why would someone want to work with me over someone else?” she concludes. “If you are unique you could provide something that someone else doesn’t have. Knowing how to set up mics and use software isn’t what people are interested in. They are interested in what you are as a person has to offer and what your personality will bring. I can’t be anyone else, I’m just me. It seems to work”.

I will end this feature by providing more of my thoughts regarding Marks but I have included her in this feature because she is such a pioneer; leading the way for women in the studio and breaking down barriers. I love her energy and attitude and the fact she is a definite leader. So many producers I know struggle to strike a balance between letting the artist get on with it and chipping in now and then and being too controlling. Marks’ talent is reading the room and knowing when to interject and how to perfectly work alongside a huge range of different artists. I think she is one of the best producers around and she is responsible for some of the best Rock and Alternative music of the moment. I actually interviewed her in December of last year and, among the questions asked, I talked about gender inequality and what was the most rewarding part of her job:

 “There are more female producers coming through, but the industry still is filled with male producers. Do you think it is harder for women to be accepted - and does more need to be done to turn the tide?!

I think we are in the process of the tide changing. There is, of course, always more that can be done. Having these kinds of conversations helps. The Music Producers Guild have also done a lot to give recognition to the women who are doing well in their field and hopefully that will inspire more women to be involved. I’m looking forward to the day when this isn’t a question that needs to be asked and it’s not about being male or female - just about being awesome at your job.

But, it’s important that we keep having these conversations to raise awareness but also to highlight those who are kicking ass and doing well to encourage and inspire. It’s a tough job irrespective of gender but can be incredibly rewarding.

Your job involves a lot of different aspects and roles. What is the most rewarding part of working on an album and seeing it come to life?

The most rewarding aspect is the relationships you build in this really unique context and usually in a really concentrated period of time. Watching an artist grow confidence or seeing what they had in their head all along fully realised.

It’s usually when the plan that I’ve had in my head comes together. Just making music that everyone involved loves!

Would you have any advice to anyone looking to become a producer? How does one get started?

There are many ways, but one suggestion is getting in touch with producers who you like and ask them if they’ll let you come and make them tea...learning on the job is how I started.

Also, don’t be discouraged if your first experience working for a studio or producer is a disaster. It’s all part of the learning process. It’s a very unusual working environment. People working in close proximity where emotions are much more magnified and heightened. Be prepared for your first situation to be horrible and trust me when I say the next person you work for will be infinitely better”.

Coming back to Catherine Marks’ talk with Georgie Rogers; she was asked about women in the studio and parental duties. Marks name-checked some great female producers when I chatted with her – “Olga FitzRoy, Marta Salogni; Heba Kadry, Steph Marziano; Anna Laverty, Laura Marling; Sylvia Massy, Linda Perry;  Rhiannon Mair, Lauren Deakin Davies and Alex Hope just to name a few...” – but she highlighted Olga FitzRoy as an inspiration; someone who is fighting for change so that women can have families and do not need to compromise their careers.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Zoë Jordan

There is this impression, still, that women are less reliable in the studio because of things like maternity leave and whether they can be relied upon. It is Stone Age thinking but there are still these attitudes that pervade. The likes of Olga FitzRoy are striking to make changes and ensuring great women like Catherine Marks are not discriminated against. I want to bring in one last interview, where Marks was asked about retaining big acts and how she works with high-profile artists; she was asked what advice she would give to people entering the studio for the first time – adding slightly new angles when I posed the same question:

How do you get the high-profile acts to back to you?

I like to think I bring something different to the studio. Whenever I work with someone, it’s quite all-encompassing and absorbed. There are a lot of phone conversations, meeting up, and getting to know the person, getting to know what they want. Once I’m in the studio, they’ve got me, whether it’s for three weeks or six weeks. But that is my main focus. They’re getting 100 percent of me.

Have you got any advice for aspiring producers entering the studio for the first time?

I’d suggest the same approach as artists and don’t be afraid to use stuff. It’s also okay to ask questions about how something works, whether it be the best mic for drums or best amp for guitar on a particular sounding track. You don’t have to pretend to know how everything works. That’s basically how I learned. You’re not expected to know everything about every single bit of gear.

Just be well prepared, have an idea in your mind about what you want to achieve in the time that you’ve got the studio for. This means you  can be efficient because studios are expensive”.

Catherine Marks is an amazing talent and someone who has so many fantastic years ahead! Even though she has worked with the likes of St. Vincent and The Amazons, I know there are numerous acts out there who will have Marks on their mind – that sounds like a great game show or documentary, perhaps! I digress because, as you might be aware of from reading what I have included here, there is a lot of love for Marks. She is a respected producer, engineer and mixer and is helping encourage more women into the studio. I wonder whether we will get true equality in that sense but, with the likes of Marks influencing others, I think the day will come. Maybe there is still this perception regarding women in studios and some ridiculous stereotype. We need to highlight brilliant women like Catherine Marks. I shall end things soon but, three installments into this feature, and I am having my eyes opened to some music queens; incredible pioneers and professionals who are opening the door for their peers and are primed to become huge names. When it comes to inspiring figures, Catherine Marks definitely comes to mind. Her work is tremendous and she is part of this wave of wonderful female producers who are changing the game and opening up the discussion. Make sure you follow Marks on social media, check out her work and show her some serious love. There are some great producers out there in the world but none have the same qualities and talents as…

THE sensational Catherine Marks.

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Follow Catherine Marks

Official:

http://www.catherinejmarks.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/cjmarks

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cjmarks/

UNCREDITED PHOTOS/IMAGES:

Getty Images/Catherine Marks

FEATURE: Spotlight: Penelope Isles

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

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Penelope Isles

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AS if a band like Penelope Isles

 PHOTO CREDIT: Russ Leggatt

could get any more lovable and appealing, they go and appear on Shaun Keaveny’s show on BBC Radio 6 Music and kick ass! Not only did they perform on the hottest day of the year so far (Thursday, 25th July) but they came from Brighton (to London) and played a trio of songs that brought some serious cool. They were completely charming in conversation and came across as down-to-earth and funny. The sort of band you can hang out with and be mates with; this incredible crew that are providing some of the freshest and most original sounds around. Their Facebook biography is brief but, in short, Penelope Isles are described thus:

Hailing from the Isle of Man, Penelope Isles is the sounds of Jack and Lily Wolter, with the help of friends Becky Redford and Jack Sowton. Currently based between Brighton and Cornwall, the band perform melodic fuzz pop with dynamics that will transfix and satisfy. Hypnotic, chiming bedroom pop music. For the lovers of Radiohead, The Magic Numbers and Deerhunter”.

Their music and live sets have this wide-eyed brightness and optimism that is impossible to ignore. On the surface, Penelope Isles’ music is sweet and bubbly but there is an underlying scuzz, scruffiness and rush that gives this sense of danger, the unexpected and complex. Their single, Leipzig, has been getting a lot of airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and it is a track that seems to sum the band up: dizzying and twirling with a catchy chorus but it there is a raw core and punch that gets to the gut.

The band’s new album, Until the Tide Creeps In, is a ten-track gem that allows the band to breathe and venture. Although there are only ten tracks, a lot of tracks last over four minutes and there is incredible musicianship on display. Songs such as Not Talking display the dreaminess and haze that Penelope Isles do so well; a sense of floating in warm waters whereas Gnarbone is rushing, eclectic and lasts over seven minutes – although the song seems to fly by and you will come back time and time again. Although 2019 has produced some wonderful albums, I think Penelope Isles will compete for the best album award; they have the ammunition and songwriting brilliance in addition to range and natural chemistry. The reviews for Until the Tide Creeps In have been positive. This is DIY’s take:

Brighton quartet Penelope Isles – centred around the brother/ sister duo of Jack and Lily Wolter – have never been particularly ‘cool’. Favouring pure melodies, and the classic, harmony-laden sensibilities of bands like The Thrills over the grungy riffs of many of their town’s fellow bands of note, it’s a viewpoint that’s made them hard to place in 2019.

Yet, on their debut, shying away from any kind of pigeonholing is a trait that works in their favour; moving between the heady sonic embrace of early track ‘Round’, ‘Not Talking”s fragile, swelling croon and the bigger, denser build of ‘Gnarbone’, it means the band can go wherever they like.

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What holds it all together, meanwhile, is this sense of something insular and emotional, of unashamedly bright melodies that throw you into the sunlight and make the darker moments even more striking. ‘Until The Tide Creeps In’ is a record totally out of step with any modern music scene, and all the more timeless and special for it”.

Underwater Record Store is my favourite track from the album because it sounds like the opening to a Quentin Tarantino flick! I can imagine a cool-ass heroine driving a classic car through the desert as the sun sets; a great shot that shows a trail of carnage behind her (as the camera pans back and, as the camera moves overhead (and does not look in front of the car), there is a pan to the windscreen where we can see a line of police cars and cops with guns pointing at her; a mischievous glint in her eyes as, looking into the backseat, we see someone tied up. Songs that provoke images like this and that sort of wild imagination should be applauded. Most artists do not managed to craft these songs often: Penelope Isles have done it ten times on their debut album! PASTE, when they reviewed Penelope Isles’ album, had these thoughts:

Penelope Isles’ style ranges from psych pop to art rock, ringing with influences like Radiohead, The Hives, Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala, and maybe a pinch of the Flaming Lips. “Underwater Record Store,” the album’s fourth track, does sound like the kind of title Wayne Coyne would come up with for one of his own songs, after all; the image is evocatively bizarre, classic Lips, except it’s personal to the Wolter’s experience—it’s the only song on the record to make mention of their father…

It isn’t the first time the record references him, though: The cover boasts a picture of their dad building a sandcastle, taken when he met Jack and Lily’s mother, which reinforces the familial bonds woven throughout Until the Tide Creeps In.

“Underwater Record Store” is the Wolters’ sweet, ethereal ode to dad, Lily’s account of a childhood incident on a beach or perhaps, simply a dream. Given the plaintive and astral quality of the music, maybe it’s a bit of both, a yarn about the time she built a sandcastle and sat helplessly to witness the iniquity of passerby trampling her work. “My Dad took me to a real castle / To make me see that nobody’s got me down,” she sings in reflective appreciation of the lesson, of Dad, of the memory. Like so much of Until the Tide Creeps In, “Underwater Record Store” is space the Wolters have created to examine together their individual and joint pasts. It’s music to reminisce to”.

Have a look at the band’s website to see where you can catch them perform but, by the looks of things, they in Finland at the moment. It is great to see there is that demand out there and not only are they proving popular in Brighton but venues around Europe want to support them. It has been a busy past year for the band and, between completing their album and the media duties, there has been little chance to chill.

It is revealing reading interviews with Penelope Isles. Here, they talked with Brighton Source and they highlighted the band’s performance at this year’s Great Escape:

On a breezy early-summer Saturday, at the Village pub in Hanover, we begin with reminiscences about the previous month’s Great Escape, where we first see Penelope Isles downstairs at the Hope and Ruin on the Friday afternoon. The set-up’s basic; the sound is edgy, but simultaneously lucid and vibrant. The band are fantastic: a sonic club sandwich filled with 60s-inspired harmonies, held together with cocktail sticks of synth ambience and topped with a fizzing, thundering, ten-minute motorik jam-out, called Gnarbone.

“It felt like going out with no make-up on,” says Lily Wolter (keys, vocals, bass) about the gig’s intimate, rough-and-ready nature.

We love them so much at the Hope that we go to see them again the following night, at the Sallis Benney Theatre. Surely they can’t be that good again? They are even better. This time, the sound is thick, warm and lush, and the place is rammed. To us, it feels like a turning point. And they appear to agree.

“I felt it was probably our most special Brighton gig,” says Lily. “But then I also felt that at the Green Door Store at the Great Escape”.

This interview shows that the band is a stunning live proposition and they can sort of transform depending on their setting: if there is a small space then they can do intimate whereas they are able to spread and expand where there is more room to manoeuvre.

Although the band love Brighton and know there is so much there for any musician – the venues and great people – they are thriving on the road and have this incredible connection. When speaking with DORK, the familial bond of the band was highlighted in addition to a stunning realisation: Penelope Isles have taken their first big steps and it seems like even better things are coming up:

Also at the heart of Penelope Isles is of course family. Not for the Wolters any Gallagher-esque fisticuffs, instead it is an idyllic-sounding existence of shared hopes and experiences. "It's amazing", Jack admits, "It's a wonderful feeling, especially now we've started to travel. Neither of us have really done it before because when all your mates are doing it, we were skint because we used all our money to go on tour or something."

There's something infectious about his excitement for these upcoming travels, as well as the sheer pleasure and pride in finally having that debut under his belt. "We've fallen in love with it, we've fallen out of love with it and back again, and now I'm just really excited for people to hear it!"

With their largest ever headline tour in the bag later this year, and the first baby steps to album number two already begun, there is a sense that the tides are starting to swell for Penelope Isles. Bringing the seaside to a town near you, it's time to dive in”.

Penelope Isles have come a long way since their formation and, if you want to see how they sounded a few years ago, listen to Comfortably Swell and you can see the differences. They have always been excellent but I think the band have grown in confidence and have added more into their mix. The band is heading to the U.S. later in the year and it will give them a new audience; a fresh world and the opportunity to get their music played by new radio stations. They are definitely moving in the right direction and who can blame the world for latching onto this beautiful and dreamy sound? Penelope Isles are hard to describe and pin down because, as I said earlier, they mix the ethereal and calm with songs that fizz, blossom and burst. Until the Tide Creeps In is a fantastic record that warrants a lot of love and appreciation. The more you listen to it, the more the songs reveal themselves. They are so well-written and nuanced; fascinating, instantly appealing and accessible. You’d hate the band if they were jerks and made this great music but, as I started out with, they are sweethearts – they really are the complete package and everyone should throw their weight behind them. Check out their social media feeds (at the end of this feature) and keep an eye on Penelope Isles. These guys are going to be pretty huge very soon and, honestly, they deserve every ounce of credit and respect. Go and buy Until the Tide Creeps In if you can and go and support them on the road. Just one sip of their heady music and your mind wanders into this…

BEAUTIFUL and wonderful place.

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Follow Penelope Isles

FEATURE: Sisters in Arms: An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. VI)

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

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IN THIS PHOTO: Rico Nasty 

An All-Female, Summer-Ready Playlist (Vol. VI)

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IT doesn’t feel too summery out there…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Icona Pop

at the moment but the last few days have provided us with some great weather. These new tracks – a few are a few weeks old – should bring a sense of sunshine and heat and, when we need cooling down, there are some selections that will do the job. It has been a very exciting time for female-led sounds and I have tried to combine several genres and styles. As it is pretty rainy where I am (and maybe where you are), I do think we need something upbeat and energetic. Have a listen to the great tracks below and I am sure there is something that will catch your ear. It is another wonderful week with some seriously…

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IN THIS PHOTO: UPSAHL

TALENTED artists.

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

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Freya RidingsHoly Water

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Bishop BriggsTattooed on My Heart

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Hildebrand

Tia GostelowGet to It

Caroline PolachekOcean of Tears

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Vivian GirlsSick

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Rico NastyTime Flies

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G FlipStupid

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Biig PiigSunny

PHOTO CREDIT: Lewis Parsons

Angie McMahonAnd I Am a Woman

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Engel for C-Heads Magazine

Nina KravizI Want You

Icona PopNext Mistake

Miraa MayNo Shame

Tegan and SaraI’ll Be Back Someday

UPSAHLWish You’d Make Me Cry

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PHOTO CREDIT: Brynley Davies

Sans Soucis - Visible

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Hanne HukkelbergThe Young and Bold and I

Emotional OrangesDon’t Be Lazy

MabelBad Behaviour

TWENBaptism

Rosalie CunninghamRiddles and Games

PHOTO CREDIT: Marieke Macklon Photography

RiderJump

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Lauran HibberdFrankie’s Girlfriend

PHOTO CREDIT: Cara Robbins

Gothic TropicDrunk on a Rhythm

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JJ WildeThe Rush

LAOISESeriously?

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Emily BreezeWork

HushtonesHeart on Your Sleeve

PHOTO CREDIT: Amanda Leigh Smith

FRANKIIECompare

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Chloe Tang - Take Care

FEATURE: The July Playlist: Vol. 4: Rocket Fuel to Get Us Away from This Burning Planet

FEATURE:

 

The July Playlist

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IN THIS PHOTO: DJ Shadow 

Vol. 4: Rocket Fuel to Get Us Away from This Burning Planet

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THIS week is a brilliant one…

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift

for new music…and we have some rather eclectic songs on display. The 1975 have released a new track with an environmental message; Taylor Swift has given us a new single and there is music out from DJ Shadow & De La Soul, Liam Gallagher and Rat Boy. As the weather has been so unpredictable and sweaty, I do think we need to cool down with some stunning music and relaxing vibes. This is a particularly strong week and I am glad there are so many standout cuts in the selection. Have a listen to the amazing tunes and I am sure they will give your weekend a kick-start. Settle down, turn it up loud and let the music…

DO its thing.  

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

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 IN THIS PHOTO: De La Soul/PHOTO CREDIT: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

DJ Shadow & De La Soul Rocket Fuel

The 1975 The 1975

Taylor Swift The Archer

Ross from Friends The Revolution

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PHOTO CREDIT: Michele Yong

Metronomy - Walking In the Dark

Bat for Lashes - Feel for You

Liam Gallagher Once

Rat Boy Truth of the Youth

FeederDaily Habit

YONAKA - Rockstar

Marika Hackman all night

YUNGBLUDTime in a Bottle

PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Wilton

Friendly Fires - Run the Wild Flowers

LEISURE Man

Broken Hands - Wrong Track

AineDislocated

Bishop Briggs Tattooed on My Heart

Mabel Bad Behaviour 

Chrissie Hynde - How Glad I Am

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Blink-182 Darkside

Sara & Tegan I’ll Be Back Someday

H.E.R.21

SlipknotSolway Firth 

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Lykke Li neon

Violent Femmes Not OK

PHOTO CREDIT: Guy Eppel

Caroline Polachek Ocean of Tears

Alessia Cara - Ready

Emotional Oranges - Don’t Be Lazy

TRACK REVIEW: The 1975 - The 1975

TRACK REVIEW:

 

The 1975

IN THIS PHOTO: Greta Thunberg and Matty Healty/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/The 1975

The 1975

 

9.5/10

 

The track, The 1975, is available via:

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

GENRE:

Spoken Word

ORIGIN:

Manchester, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

25th July, 2019

LABEL:

Dirty Hit

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IT might be a bit unfair to claim that…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Anders Hellberg

this new track from The 1975 is entirely the work of The 1975. Although it is called The 1975, it is an essay/speech read out by environmental activist, Greta Thunberg. She is the central aspect of the song but, before I get there, I want to talk about bands that expand and grow hugely over time; why environmental issues are at the fore right now and we should be taking more notice; how bands like The 1975 are going to inspire others to talk about big themes in their music; role models and artists that we should be looking up to; a bit about Pop and how some are helping to redefine it – I will end by stating where The 1975 are heading and what lies in their future. Let’s start by talking about The 1975 as this act who have really blown up through the years. I remember when they released their eponymous debut back in 2013 and how different it sounds to what they are producing now. The band consist lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew ‘Matty’ Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann; bassist Ross MacDonald and drummer George Daniel. They have come an awful long way in a few years but I do like how they started. Maybe their self-titled album was not as ambitious and original as the work they are producing now but there were some hits and memorable numbers on the debut – no less Chocolate and Sex. They sort of upped their game by 2016’s I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It and, whilst that titled annoyed many people (it is a bit stupid!), it was another evolution for a band becoming more confident and experimental. I think The 1975 really developed their sound and became a lot more ambitious as time went on. Maybe few would have expected them to survive after their debut but, lo and behold, they continued on and last year’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is their finest work. It has just been nominated for a Mercury Prize and many are tipping it to win.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Haywood-Schiefer

This is a group who have come a very long way since the start of their careers and they seem to be growing stronger by the release. Listen to A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and it is a very different beast to The 1975. They are less reliant on pure love songs or straight numbers that have great hooks and make you sing along. They are introducing new sounds and formats; stretching what an album can be and are becoming more socially conscious and bold as they go along. That will lead me to their latest song but one only needs to listen to what they have released recently to see The 1975 are one of the biggest bands in the world. This is a time when solo artists are dominating so it is nice to see bands like The 1975 around. I would hate the music industry to become too reliant on solo artists and, as there is not the same level of Rock bands as we had years ago, maybe it is harder for bands to succeed. The 1975 are leading the way and are proving what can be achieved; how bands do not need to sound the same and I do think we will see a lot of new bands form that are inspired by The 1975. I wonder how far The 1975 can go because, very soon, they are bringing out their album, Notes on a Conditional Form. In fact, I think the album is coming out next year but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pushed forward, given the momentum they have created. I am not sure what their upcoming album will revolve around but, if it is anything like A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, then it is going to be a smash – that album was one of the best-rated of last year. Touring and adulation on the road has helped when it comes to The 1975 growing and expanding their horizons but I think they are looking around them and writing the types of songs we need to hear right now.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/The 1975

That brings me to the environment and other subjects that are not necessarily documented in music all that much. I know artists like ANONHI (4 Degrees) have talked about the changing climate and how serious it is but, largely, the mainstream still consists of artists talking about themselves. What this year’s list of Mercury-nominated artists shows is that we have some great British acts that are getting urgent and starting to talk about what matters. From Grime and Hip-Hop albums that investigate modern Britain and the realities of the street to artists tackling toxic relationships and gender imbalance, it is great to see something serious being injected into music. I know this is not new but I still feel like there is too much personal heartache and commercial sounds at the forefront. Given the fact the world is changing and the environment is under threat, I do think artists have a responsibility to talk about it and open eyes. I doubt there are many of us who want to experience too many days like we have done recently – especially the heat of Thursday! It was really unbearable and it is quite worrying to realise that this sort of heat will become more common. The problems with the environment are manmade and we need to do all we can to try and reverse climate change. Maybe it will be impossible to undo all the damage but it is imperative that we do all we can. It might be a bit scary talking about environmental changes in music and hard to articulate something moving but I feel more artists need to try. The 1975 are one of these bands who are not shying away from the big subjects and want people to react and take action. I do feel, as climate change takes hold, musicians have a very important part to play. I am not suggesting they can lead to revolution and solve all the problems around but I do not think the Government are doing enough.

If the Mercury shortlist shows anything it is that the best music at the moment strays away from the strictly personal and has a political edge. I do love artists that discuss their own lives but, as the world becomes more divided and there are so many problems around, artists are leading the way and doing what politicians should be doing. The 1975 are a fantastic band and, no doubt, will inspire people to make changes. The money raised for their new single is going to Extinction Rebellion – an environmental charity – and I do hope that our current Government are moved to take action and introduce measures…although that might be a bit of a stretch! Music is fine as it is right now but how many tracks open your eyes, move you and actually make you think?! There are not that many, I bet, and I do think that artists around the world need to start talking about big subjects. Many do already but I think we need a lot more recruitment and a louder voice. I am not surprised The 1975 have brought out this song that puts Greta Thunberg at the front because she is someone who is inspiring many. Only sixteen, she is an activist who is making speeches and calling for change. The 1975’s new track is less a traditional song and more Spoken Word; Thunberg delivering this impassioned and striking speech that calls for action and revolution. Some have claimed the messages are quite irresponsible and will provoke violence but it is clear what she is saying: we are being let down and the planet is in real danger at the moment. If we let things carry on as they are, it will mean extreme heat will be the norm and future generations will suffer. I am a bit worried how things will work out and what state the planet will be in (in) about twenty years. We all need to take action because we are reaching a point of no return – somewhere we do not want to be at all!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jordan Hughes

I want to bring in a couple of interviews The 1975 gave last year when promoting A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. I do not think there are many bands out there at the moment you can call iconic or role models. I feel The 1975 transcend mere band status and have a much bigger role to play. Matty Healy, especially, is someone who speaks out against gender inequality and wants balance; he is concerned about the planet and wants to see changes there. So many musicians remain quiet because they fear the label will object or fans will turn away but music’s huge platform is not necessarily being exploited by popular artists. More and more, issues big and small are cropping up and I do think musicians have a duty to bring them up in their work. In this interview with DIY, Healy talks about how tough it is being a human and the fears he has:

 “Instead, ‘A Brief Enquiry…’ looks set to beat with a far more human and fallible heart than these early technology-infatuated movements might suggest. Of course, there’s an overly complex explanation about the renouncing of his previous postmodern songwriting tendencies (“always referencing myself, always referencing another song”) to explain it all, but really it boils down to a far simpler point: “Everything is so ironic because the idea of sentiment is more difficult to deal with. Being human is more difficult than being ironic.”

At a time where society is more politically polarised than ever, and a fear of being publicly burned on social media has the world treading on fearful eggshells, The 1975 want to tap into the real, human feeling at the centre of it all. “You look at the Right, and the Right has got Nazis in it, so we put that in a box and we know that’s not a good place to go. And then you look at the Left and you’ve got this whole group of people who just won’t stand for any nuance.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/The 1975 

So everyone’s scared. I’m scared. I think that people are scared to feel, and they don’t know what to say. So I think that going deeper is where this record’s come from,” Matty explains. Later in our conversation, these fears manifest themselves in a way that’s echoed by many conscientious males in the public eye right now. “Let me ask your opinion on something,” he cuts in. “I can be quite tactile, so am I deluded or paranoid to think, would it be good for me to always have a chaperone in interviews if the journalist is female?” he questions. “I’m worried about being myself and just chatting. I know that women are made to feel uncomfortable by men, so is it my moral duty to say, would you like another person around? Or does that make me seem guilty? I’m not a bigot, and I’m not a racist and I’m not sexist, but what if there was some ridiculous scandal that was not true but managed to really discredit me?

There are very few leads who are as open and revealing in interviews and, whilst someone like Matty Healy is quite accessible, there is also something pretty amazing about him. He is a bit of a role model but his path has not always been clear and straight. Healy has had to overcome problems and challenges but, as he explained to GQ, excess and addiction is not a good path – almost eschewing the traditional mantras or Rock bands and that idea life:

 “He starts to tick them off, “Sex, drugs, done all of them, that’s not a path to salvation. Not that I don’t have a good sex life, not that we need to get personal about it, but art, drugs, sex, religion... Religion, unfortunately, [is] not an option, especially if you live in England. They’re all just forms of losing yourself and I think I see that at shows, kids having that moment of freedom. That’s one of the only times I feel really free, when I’m on stage, not because people are looking at me, but because I’m fulfilling my purpose.” He adds, “I’ve learned more from artists who signpost toward utopian ideals as opposed to politicians and leaders that actually try and create them and fuck them up. Artists have taught me way more than anyone else really”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jordan Hughes

Healy is a cleaner and more focused artist than he once was and many people should be looking up to him, I think. There are too many artists around with very little to say but The 1975 are almost like their own political party. They can craft music that is catchy and radio-primed but there are deeper messages and important themes being tackled throughout. In many ways, The 1975 are part of a movement who are redefining Pop and what it stands for. Even though there is a lot of commercial Pop flying about still, The 1975 are showing what direction it should be moving in. They are discussing themes around sex, politics and social issues but are pairing that with compositions and vocals that stick in the heart and has a lighter touch. Other artists like Billie Eilish are also taking Pop in new directions and it is pleasing to see innovators around who are not just following everyone else. I know other bands are compelled by The 1975 so it will not be too long until we see them make their way to the mainstream. Music is in a good state I think but there is still an absence of the biggest artists using their voice to actually talk about stuff that matters: still, there is this reliance on the commercial and personal. It is a bit sad to see but I guess it will be hard to override that. As we are made more aware of problems around climate change and the environment, I feel musicians will react and we will hear more songs that call for action and change. I shall move on in a second but I am glad The 1975 are riding high right now and delivering these very stirring and inspiring songs. I should probably stop with the gabbing and actually get down to reviewing The 1975’s eponymous track.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Campanella

The opening of The 1975 is soft piano and something quite tender. We hear a couple of voices (one of them belonging to Greta Thunberg) chatting and there is this delicate and tender piano line. It never really gets to the forefront but brilliantly scores Thunberg who comes to the microphone and, with a serious tone, she talks about what we are experiencing right now. Rather than get angry and fire the words out, there is this stern feeling but she never shouts or forces the issue. Instead, Thunberg talks about how we are living in an environmental crisis and we cannot hide from it. Many governments around the world are not calling it what it is and we need to start accepting that there is a huge problem that we need to face and rectify. We do not have all the solutions yet unless, as Thunberg says, we simply do nothing. It seems that there is this general apathy and inactivity that means the world is being destroyed needlessly. Nobody can ignore the facts and harsh truth and so, with that in mind, what are we to do? Thunberg states that the “older generations have failed” and this current climate battle is one we are losing. These words seem quite haunting and perilous but, rather than scare and put you off, they are designed to make you think and inspire. I do like the fact the composition is very much at the back and the attention is on the voice. Some artists, if they tried a song like this, would have electronics and all manner of sounds getting in the way. Thunberg outlines how political movements are failing but we as humans have not yet failed – and we can still turn this around if we want to. We need to recognise the failings of our systems and, if we do not do that, then we stand no chance. This sort of disaster has not befalling the world and we have seen nothing like this before. Now is the time to speak clearly and not be polite about things.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Thunberg recognises that this is a huge issue but we need to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases; it is a simple fix but so many of us are passive and ignorant. Maybe the track is not providing information we did not already know but, in this context, it sounds much more powerful and moving than it ever has. So many people are talking about the danger of emissions and the fact that nothing is being done to cut that down. One of the most emphasised and memorable parts of the song is the nature of black-and-white. Thunberg says that we are told nothing in black or white but, in the case of the planet and whether we continue, it very much is – we can either choose to go on or not. There are no grey areas regarding survival and the preservation of the planet and we can take transformational action to safeguard the world for future generations. Coming from the mouth of a teen, these words sound more moving and emotional than, say, an older person. It is almost like we have this girl who is fearful she will not live long enough to see old age because of the climate crisis. It gives The 1975 this very sad edge but, rather than drag the listener down, Thunberg is building us up and saying that we can make changes. Rather than sit around and accept that things are lost, we all can make that change and help keep this planet safe. Strings stir and build in the background and there is this symphonic quality to the track. Thunberg knows that individual change alone cannot redress the balance and reverse the damage done. There needs to be this systemic and widespread movement that pledges action and brings in laws. Cutting down on emissions and making sure we reduce pollution is key. Thunberg wants us to wake up and make the changes required because we can all do it and we have that power inside us.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Penguin

It might only be small changes – using public transport more and being more conscious of our environmental impact – but it needs to start now. There is clear emotion in her voice as the tracks nears the end. It might seem impossible but the facts are before us and we cannot ignore them. We are using so much oil and that alone is creating a huge impact. If we can recognise where the problems are starting and the main causes of climate change then we know what to do; how to make those changes so that we can start to make a difference. The final lines of the song are the most effecting. When it comes to keeping that oil in the ground, there are no rules and polices. Governments and big companies can do what they want and, because of that, greater intensity needs to happen; this is a moment to revolt and take to the streets. In the rather calm context, that sentiment hits you and it seems very extreme. Many will debate whether street-level protest can achieve that much but Thunberg is advocating something more extreme: it is time to rebel and create civil disobedience. The song ends there and you have to sit back and think. We need to take action today and, really, is the best way to see fast improvement and betterment hitting the streets and creating unrest?! It seems like all other methods have failed and maybe we have left it too long – revolution is the only solution to the problems we have caused. The 1975, with Thunberg, have created a track that will affect many people and let’s hope that there are people in power who have heard it and will be compelled to act. I do think we are in a situation where we cannot afford to wait and we do need to think about the next step. Whether it is making huge personal changes or civil disobedience, The 1975 is a song that you will not forget in a hurry.

The 1975 have been shortlisted for a Mercury for A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and they must rank as one of the favourites right now. Others are tipping Dave, Little Simz and Anna Calvi for their albums but I do think The 1975 have a lot of momentum at the moment. Make sure you follow them on social media to see where they are heading but the next few months are going to be very busy for them. Not only do they have to prepare for the Mercury Prize ceremony in September but their album, Notes on a Conditional Form, is coming along. There are touring demands and it is going to be pretty hectic for a little while. I do hope they get time to chill and relax at some point because they have been pretty full-on for a while now. They are, debatably, one of the biggest bands in the world and they seem to be on their own level. I still look back to where they came from and how much they have developed since their debut. They almost sound like a different bands and it is quite amazing matching their debut album to their latest. Maybe it is just a natural evolution but The 1975 of today are far more essential and urgent than the band of the past. They are on top form and you can never predict what they will come out with next. A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is an album very much of this time. Tackling some big issues and deeper subjects, bands like The 1975 show that you can mix the thought-provoking and serious with something more fun and catchy. The 1975’s new track will turn many heads and it will inspire some younger listeners. I do not think our current Government are truly aware of climate change and how serious things are now. I doubt they will take action and get involved like they should so, really, is it down to musicians to take their place?! That seems quite sad and alarming but I do know the likes of The 1975 and Greta Thunberg will compel many people out there to speak out and demand change. I shall end things here but it has been an unusual and great experience reviewing a track that is less musical as it is a stirring speech. I do not get to do that often so, when the opportunity arises, I am always keen. The 1975 is a song that will stun everyone and Thunberg really delivers this evocative and powerful statement. It makes me wonder whether other songs on Notes on a Conditional Form will be as original and bold but, as a potential first taster, it is stunning indeed. A track that gets into the head and stirs the blood, it is yet another arresting cut from…

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ONE of the biggest bands around.

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Follow The 1975

FEATURE: Into the Groove: Trying to Create That ‘Ultimate’ Music Podcast

FEATURE:

 

 

Into the Groove

PHOTO CREDIT: Rex 

Trying to Create That ‘Ultimate’ Music Podcast

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THAT title at the top…

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @moco1384/Unsplash

is a bit of a placeholder and I am not sure whether that will be an actual reality – Into the Groove seemed to fit what I want to do but, inevitably, something more apt will appear and form closer to completion. There are some great music podcasts around and there are lists and features that point you the way of the best around – there is a podcast designed for every music-loving soul, it seems. I have been trying to set up my own podcast for the longest time and I have also tried to get a Kate Bush podcast going. That might take a little while to get going but there are few Kate Bush podcasts so I think I can fill a hole. In terms of broader music, it is harder being unique and providing something different. I think a long running radio show such as Desert Island Discs gets into the heart because it features interesting people simply choosing eight songs (or discs) that mean a lot to them. There are great podcasts/shows like Matt Everitt’s The First Time with… that brings together famous figures from music and they literally talk about their first times – records, gigs and memories. It is another simple and popular format that combines interviewing with personal musical choices. There are a lot of podcasts around that are similar and each have their own little touches and special fabrics.

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 IMAGE COMPOSITE: Vinyl Me Please

It is challenging coming into the podcast market with something completely fresh that will take people by storm. You also need to think about finance and paying for the thing. The initial set-up and equipment is affordable enough but, when it comes to song clearance/licensing and paying for that; sorting out guests and other expenses…that can add up and you need to look at the other end: getting some revenue back and being able to afford a podcast. One might look at advertisers and sponsors but, if you are new, you might not be able to command big sponsors and get that much from advertising revenue. I have thought of all of this and, with a small budget, I think I can put a first series together. I have pitched ideas before but I think the latest incarnation holds promise. It will be a ninety-minute show divided into two: like a record’s A and B side, guests would pick six tracks in the first half and four in the second. Like a lot of music podcasts, the categories (relating to the songs chosen) would be specific. It would start with the first song the guest remembers – they recall that special moment when music came into their life. They would talk about the first album they bought and select a song from that; their most-treasured/favourite album (and select a track); their favourite artist and band – ditto regarding songs – and, oddly, pick a song from their favourite NOW That's What I Call Music! compilation.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @oceanswide/Unsplash

I wanted to choose a couple of categories that are unusual because, not only was NOW That's What I Call Music! born the same year as me (1983) but because it sort of joins us all. We all have the series in common and, whether at school or later/earlier in life, we have some degree of exposure to NOW That's What I Call Music! That would end the first side/half. Like a record, it would then end and we would flip over. Throughout the opening half, the interview/process takes the same sort of form as Desert Island Discs where guests talk about their musical tastes and upbringing. Unlike most other options, this podcast is purely about the music – there will be personal discussions but, for the most part, it is all about music! That first side would last forty minutes and, before the second forty minutes, there would be an intermission/pause. We would lift the needle up and there would be a chat/special section that would last ten minutes. I am still working on the idea in full but I think it is important to break up the music and usual format and provide that transition. When the second half comes on, there would be four more tracks and a ‘bonus track’. The first track off of the break continues where the first side left off: a rather unusual category and, again, I think it would join us all: a favourite track from The Beatles.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Wilma

Everyone loves The Beatles – or they will do if they are on MY podcast – so it is a chance to chat about the band and select a song from them. The next track selection would be a track from a film soundtrack – the guest chooses their favourite film soundtrack and, after brief discussion, they can select a cut from it. The guest would then move on to new music: talking about a band/act that is fresh to them and setting up a song. The last choice would be their favourite track; the song that means everything to them. The ‘bonus track’ that I allude to can last no longer than one minute. It can be anything: from a T.V. theme to an interview or a very short song – something that ends that guest’s ‘album’ and would add a lovely finishing touch. That would commence the show and, whilst the podcast is digital and all the music would be sourced online, each track is included onto a record the guest can take away with them – the selection of songs from each guest is included in a playlist; the podcast would have its own Spotify channel and all songs featured are on there. It has elements of existing formats but the concentration on music discussion and those different categories means that it would set itself apart from everything else. It – whatever I choose to call the podcast series – would have bespoke playlists where guests get to talk about their musical experiences and would take interviewees from all corners of the media.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Laverne (who would make a perfect guest)/PHOTO CREDIT: Boden Diaries

From radio presenters and actors to writers and directors, it would be an interesting mix. I have not considered all of the ten names I want for the first series but I am thinking about BBC Radio 6 Music/BBC Radio 4’s Lauren Laverne – as she hosts Desert Island Discs – and musician Hayden Thorpe (formerly of Wild Beasts); also The Guardian’s deputy music editor, Laura Snapes. The idea is to go in-depth with the guests and explore what music means to them and the artists they were exposed to. I am still concocting what will fill that between-sides segment but it is a chance to kick back with the guests and do something different. In time that will come but I have always wanted to put together a music podcast that has a similar feel to the best around but has its own skin and dynamic. Coming in at ninety minutes a go, it is not too long but would allow enough time to go deep and feature an array of great tracks. Everyone’s tastes are different so getting that ‘ultimate’ podcast made might not be possible. Perhaps it is too subjective a thing but I do feel that striking that balance of relaxed and detailed is hard but, if done right, it is a perfect blend. My podcast (I will have to decide on a title: maybe Self-Titled?!). I am quite optimistic and I think I can get some great guests on.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Hayden Thorpe (who would make another ideal guest)/PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Smithies

There are a lot of great music podcasts but, with so many music-lovers out there, you can find room and a market if you do it right. Just thinking about it, the guest can come up with their own album cover. During the conversation, they would reveal their favourite album covers and, when it comes to their own album (they take away at the end), they can design the cover – the album, as a possible title suggests, is self-titled and the album cover would be the cover image for each episode. I shall leave things there but, as I have been searching for a podcast I can invest in and push forward, I do think that this might be it. It is simple enough but has that deep conversation that urges a guest to look back to their childhood and when music arrived; bring it right up-to-date and really open up their vinyl collection. I have other ideas that I will add to the concept but I think, as it stands, it has legs. The guests are important and, whilst I have only two or three clear names in mind for the first series, I want to divide it between radio presenters, musicians; actors and directors/producers with a journalist and writer in there – making sure there is an even split of male and female guests. The podcast market is crowded but the demand is there and, when it comes to music, there is always going to be a place – if the idea has potential and the promise of longevity. The idea of chatting with a special guest, getting serious about music and playing some top tunes sounds like…

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PHOTO CREDIT: @brookecagle/Unsplash

PERFECTION to me.

FEATURE: Queens of the Underground: Part Two: Georgie Rogers

FEATURE:

 

 

Queens of the Underground

PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Rogers 

Part Two: Georgie Rogers

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WHEN I started this feature yesterday…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Georgie Rogers recently interviewed Mercury nominated artist, Nao (she was shortlisted for her album, Saturn)/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

I kicked off by talking about a fantastic D.J. and curator, Carly Wilford - and I am going to continue that into today. There is a lot to discuss when it comes to Georgie Rogers (as there was with Wilford) as she is getting busier and busier, it seems. There are a couple of reasons why I want to include her in this feature: for one, she is one of the best young D.J.s around and I love her work on Soho Radio and BBC Radio 6 Music – especially the latter. As stations like BBC Radio 6 Music remain fairly rigid with their personnel and talent, I do think there are great people like Rogers who could come to the station in a regular slot (maybe a late-evening position) and spin some tunes. I do like everyone who is at the station but I think she would add something fresh and exciting – and, I think, it would make her one of the youngest D.J.s there (it would help attract listeners from other radio stations and help bring more listeners in). That sort of decision is down to the bosses at the BBC but, as is always the way, recognition and progress takes a very long time! Go listen to Rogers on Soho Radio and you can also catch her on Beats 1 – a station, I feel, would benefit from Carly Wilford’s presence, as I argued yesterday.

PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Rogers/Getty Images

Whilst she only occasionally gets to present the music news with Shaun Keaveny during the week – Matt Everitt is the regular presenter; Siobhán McAndrew also presents sometimes – it would be great to hear more of her on the station. Right now, Rogers has been interviewing the nominated artists for this year’s Mercury Prize. She has been chatting with Joe Talbot of IDLES and Nao (among others). There is a rapport and connection she has with interviewees that you do not get with anyone else which, as you can imagine, brings something out of them. Rogers has conducted some big interviews and, whilst it is great that she gets to talk with the Mercury shortlisted, hearing her on a more regular basis would be great. I often feel that, as there must be room at a station like BBC Radio 6 Music, there is a show in her; maybe something interview-based or similar to what she does at Soho Music. That might be a little way off but Rogers is one of the most dynamic and hard-working presenters around.  A naturally warm and friendly voice, Rogers has something that many stations can benefit from. I think she is worthy of inclusion into this feature because her shows (on Soho Radio) are so memorable and I am always picking up new tracks and suggestions from her. It is not just Electronic music that Rogers is attracted to: she covers all the genres and is keen to promote and uncover the best sounds from all areas of music.  

I have skipped forward a few steps and, really, I should have begun by introducing Rogers – or at least her do it:

Georgie Rogers is an established broadcaster, music journalist, DJ and voiceover from London. 

A tastemaker and new music champion, she regularly contributes her warmth, knowledge and personality to BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, Apple Music's Beats 1, Soho Radio and Monocle 24. 
BBC 6 Music has been her spiritual home for the past 10 years where she works as a broadcast journalist after being scouted on the red carpet at the NME Awards. She continues to indulge her boundless enthusiasm for music, musicians, culture, art and fashion within a national news team who both value her work and respect her attitude towards it.

Hear her regularly bantering with Shaun Keaveny on breakfast, Radcliffe and Maconie and several other presenters on the network and her interviews and investigative pieces with some of the biggest names in music. She's had the pleasure of time with many of her heroes Led Zeppelin, Mick Fleetwood, Sir Paul McCartney, Cat Power, James Murphy and even Ryan Gosling!

Following an English and Drama Degree and early work at XFM and BBC 6 Music Georgie started honing her skills as a broadcaster presenting for Jersey's Channel 103, Diesel U Music, Strongroom Alive, Brighton Festival Radio and Amazing Radio, with her national DAB Amazing Breakfast being featured in The Guardian by Elisabeth Mahoney and again by Miranda Sawyer, as well as Cooler Magazine.

From 2012-2015 she spent four years anchoring shows on XFM (where she had interned and got her first paid job in radio six years previously) with her own Friday overnight slot, long stints on the weekday 7-10pm specialist evening show, John Kennedy's X-Posure and covering across the schedule.

Two years on Virgin Radio followed her time at XFM until the end of 2017 with Georgie presenting, curating and self-producing a Sunday night new music show Music Discovery. Testament to her character, contacts, dedication and passion for great music her guest list included Death From Above, Jessie Ware, Blondie, Formation, Boxed In, Pond, The Maccabees, Wild Beasts, Joe Goddard, Sylvan Esso, All Them Witches. She invited so many fantastic artists to play sessions from Aldous Harding, Nadine Shah, Fink, Zola Blood, Juanita Stein, Nick Mulvey, Flamingods and Tame Impala's Cameron Avery.

 

Georgie is an entertaining host having compered and helmed festival stages, competitions or social media content for brands like Mixcloud, Vevo, Rolling Stones Exhibitionism launch at the Saatchi Gallery, Vevo, Fender, Barbour International at the Malle Mile, Record Store Day, Standon Calling, Festibelly, Youth Music, 7 Dials Soundtrack and The Selector for the British Council.

As a voiceover artist she has TV and digital campaigns with Avon, Mitchum, Pantene, Revlon, Wisdom, Film 4, BBC Four and 5SOS under her belt.

When it comes to DJing Georgie is well-versed at tearing up the dance floor. With a clear, uncompromising idea of what's popping. She was one of the small crew that put on successful deep house and disco club night Cat Lovers every month in Shoreditch for six years. It was a platform for breakout DJs and live acts booking the likes of Moxie, Monki, Wookie, TCTS, Strong Asian Mothers, Femme, Shura and Blaenavon. 

Georgie's DJ credits include spinning tunes for Whistles, Facebook, Topshop, Crack Magazine, Mac Cosmetics, Hunter, Benefit Make-Up, London Fashion Week, Little Gay Brother and Dr Martens at venues like the V & A Museum, Meadows in the Mountains in Bulgaria, Field Day, Dalston Superstore, The Lake Stage and Collosillyum at Secret Garden Party, St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Rockness and the Ace Hotel.

Despite her rock roots and deep love of alternative music, her decks time is usually an opportunity to indulge in all things electronic.  Georgie is right at home mixing an eclectic bunch of house, deep house, techno, disco, nudisco, progressive selections, world beats & exotic grooves.  In her DJ bag you'll also find a far-reaching trove of tracks past and present; soul, funk, hip-hop, blues, R 'n' B, pop, anything that will make you get down, so wherever she's commandeering the decks she has all the tools to pull out all of the stop”.

I will move on to a new project Rogers has set up but, at the moment, I am minded to return to her interviews. When I talked about Carly Wilford yesterday, I discussed her interview style and how she D.J.s around the world; the fact she is a pioneer and businesswoman. All of these qualities can be applied to Georgie Rogers. Just listen to her interviews and there is, as I said, this natural chemistry that summons great answers from guests. Take a look at some of her other interviews and you get what I mean.

I think, for someone who has been behind the microphone for so long, it might be unusual for Rogers to give interviews herself. She is such an inspiring and evolving talent that I feel a few new interviews would be great; a chance for those who want to follow her lead to learn where she came from and how she got into the business. I want to bring in an interview she gave with We Are Mad to Live, where Rogers discussed her background and talked about women in the industry – and what she wants to accomplish in the future:

 “How did you break into the radio-presenting and the DJ industry?

After internships at BBC Birmingham, Channel 106 and Virgin Radio I started a placement doing music journalism for XFM. That led to my first paid job doing red carpet interviews, writing articles and putting together music stories for the website. It felt like my calling, I'd done English and Drama at Uni and I loved music, bands and gigs. A break came writing the news for the website at BBC 6 Music after a chance meeting at the NME Awards. I was a full-time music journalist there for three years, learning reporting and broadcasting skills on the job. I've been there ever since, freelancing regularly and occasionally popping up on Radio 2 to do Ken Bruce's Music News.

Hosting my own shows came when I got the Breakfast Show on national digital new music station Amazing Radio in 2010. That then led onto Strongroom Alive, cover on The Selector by The British Council and later a return to XFM as a DJ at the end of 2012. I had my own show on XFM on Friday mornings,. This year I started on the newly launched Virgin Radio. DJing is something that started as my bit on the side.  Getting people dancing and proving a release for them is a great feeling so once I started I got hooked.

How do you believe the female voice can be better amplified within the male-dominated radio-presenting/music industry?  Is it important to do so?

Someone once said to me an excuse for there being less women on the radio is because some stats revealed that women don't like listening to women on the radio. What a load of BS!

Most of my favourite broadcasters are female. There's certainly more women on air these days and I'm so proud to work at a national station with Edith Bowman in the coveted Breakfast slot. Edith, Kate Lawler, myself and The Mac Twins are on air regularly, there's lots of female producers and broadcast assistants and I can only speak for myself but I feel we are counted and appreciated. At certain stations it can still be a boys club as with much of the music industry. Just last year Pitchfork's Senior Editor Jessica Hopper asked the people of Twitter for experiences in music where you felt you didn't 'count'. She got hundreds of replies, so many of them infuriating examples of sexism. Since I started it's encouraging to be surrounded by more women in radio production, music production, presenting and Djing.

It's so vital to show young girls that it is possible to make it your career”.

MOST OF MY FEMALE CONTEMPORARIES KNOW THE VALUE OF SHOWING SUPPORT, STICKING TOGETHER AND HELPING EACH OTHER OUT. BEING COMPETITIVE WITH EACH OTHER IS POINTLESS. LOOKING BACK AT MY PLAYLISTS NOW, IT'S AN UNCONSCIOUS THING BUT I FEATURE SO MANY FEMALE ARTISTS SO I GUESS I CAN DO MY BIT THAT WAY.  WEBSITES LIKE THE POOL ARE DELIVERING INTELLIGENT CONTENT FOR WOMEN THAT NOT JUST ABOUT LIPSTICKS, BUT LIPSTICKS AND POLITICS, FEMINISM, FASHION, THE ARTS AND HEALTH. IT FEELS LIKE IT'S A BIG TALKING POINT AT THE MOMENT SO LET'S KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT.

What are your goals within your career for the future?

I'd like to continue doing it for a long time, for it to be my career. I've been filming some backstage videos with Vevo recently which has been so enjoyable so I hope to do more on camera bits next year. The daydream of presenting the Glastonbury BBC telly coverage doesn't seem to ever go away, or Desert Island Discs, but Kirsty's got that down for a good while and I'm in the queue of what... everybody else in music broadcasting!

That interview was back in 2016 and, since then, a lot has happened for Rogers. I think there have been some small steps regarding women in radio/the industry – BBC Radio 2 made some big changes this year – and we have seen festivals, slowly, redress the imbalance on their bills. I think Rogers makes a good point when she talked about women not wanting to hear other women on the radio. Maybe that is true of some older listeners but radio is about personality and how you speak to the audience. If you are quite offputting or distant then, regardless of gender, that will be a fact. Some of the best female broadcasters of the moment are bringing in huge listener figures – from Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 6 Music to Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2; Maya Jama and Clara Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. I know some of those broadcasters are long-established but they continue to attract new listeners and are inspiring for women who want to get into radio.

I do think that all areas of music have an issue when it comes to recruiting women. Maybe they feel women are not going to be as commercial and connective; they might not have the same clout as men and things are okay the way they are – none of that is even remotely true! Created alongside filmmaker Alice Smith, Super Women is a new series that spotlights pioneering women – not just in music but across all areas of society. The most-recent edition (there have been two so far) featured the brilliant producer and engineer, Catherine Marks – who has worked with the likes of The Amazons and The Big Moon. The series is fantastic and it is a case of a pioneering and inspiring woman interviewing others; a concept that is long-overdue and shows why we need to demand faster equality across all areas of society. I have seen interviews of Rogers online but it would be great to see her interviewed and, Desert Island Discs-style, choose some of the records that define her; select some heroes and heroines and talk about her career so far – maybe it is something I should kick off myself; maybe a podcast that features strong and brilliant women in music?! That is food for thought and, as I go off to scribble some notes, I would urge people to check out Georgie Rogers’ work. You can check out some of her videos and have a look at her official website; check out some of her choice mixes - and throw her some love on social media (the links are all at the bottom).

Like Carly Wilford, I know Georgie Rogers is inspiring women in music and helping bring about change and discussion. I know she wants to have her own show on a big station and I think that will come. I do feel radio bosses need to open their eyes and ears to talent like Rogers; someone who can offer so much passion and variety. I love the fact she is a brilliant D.J. but she is also this champion of great women; someone who wants to bring about improvement and parity – exactly what makes her an underground queen. Like her BBC Radio 6 Music colleagues Lauren Laverne, and Mary Anne Hobbs, Rogers tirelessly looks out for the hottest sounds around. She is this curator and D.J.-supreme; a budding documentary-maker (I do think there are other concepts in her) and general all-round-legend.

Rogers is still very young and she has decades more to give the world but I think, as radio/music still needs to do a lot when it comes to acknowledging talented women, she has to be in the mix; she has a lot to give and I think she can add new life and nuances to stations like BBC Radio 6 Music. I shall stop pushing her to the bosses but, when it came to this feature, I wanted to highlight the remarkable work she is doing. Her recommendations have helped rising artists find exposure; her interviews are unique and essential and, as a D.J., there are few that bring so much joy, heat and personality. As I head off to plan my own podcast, I am taking inspiration from Georgie Rogers and suggest that she is a big…

IN THIS PHOTO: Georgie Rogers chills with the legendary Nile Rodgers/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music/Georgie Rogers 

STAR of the future.

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Follow Georgie Rogers

FEATURE: Hardly a ‘Lucky’ Star: Madonna’s Groundbreaking Debut at Thirty-Six

FEATURE:

 

 

Hardly a ‘Lucky’ Star

ART DIRECTION: Carin Goldberg/PHOTO CREDIT: Gary Heery 

Madonna’s Groundbreaking Debut at Thirty-Six

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I was going to write a Vinyl Corner feature…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna captured in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

about Madonna’s eponymous debut as it turns thirty-six tomorrow (27th July). There are a number of reasons why the record is so special and has endured for so long. Madonna is a great album to hear on vinyl, mind, and it sounds as fresh and energetic as it did back in 1983. I wanted to go deeper than a mere nod to the sound of the record and why it is perfect on vinyl: there is such much more to Madonna than meets the eye! Her debut album is, in many ways, groundbreaking and unusual for Madonna. She established herself as a promising singer in New York during the early-1980s and she was signed to Sire by their President, Seymour Stein. Her debut single, Everybody (1982), was a success and he could clearly see she has potential, ammunition and momentum.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna looking relaxed for Richard Corman in 1983

I think Madonna’s debut is quite rare in the sense that, on five of the eight songs, she is the sole writer – she would not enjoy this sort of freedom for quite a while. Madonna was used to working with other producers and writers but, right from the off, she was penning her own songs and had a sense of freedom. So many Pop artists would have been told to stand aside whilst producers/a committee wrote songs that, in their mind, would launch their new artist. Madonna would collaborate more on future albums which is a weird way around: usually, artists might start with others but break away; Madonna sort of did things the other way around. I like the fact Madonna is an album where the creator gets her say and it is not just another throwaway Pop album where there are endless credits and the artist is sort of buried in the mix!

It is staggering to think that Madonna is about to turn thirty-six! I was born the same year the album came out but I was being made aware of its hits when I was at school. I will talk more about the tracks but Borderline, Holiday and Everybody are among the most immediate and finest Pop tracks of the early-1980s. Madonna is also unconventional in the sense that her songs were not a conventional three minutes in length and necessarily primed for radio. Rather, the songs are suitable for discos and clubs; where D.J.s can let the song play and people are not concerned about running time. Many overlook Madonna’s eponymous album in favour of bigger works such as Like a Prayer and Ray of Light. That is fair but it is unfair to judge Madonna as an inessential record – considering the legacy it has and, in 2019, there is nothing that sounds quite as fresh and upbeat! Listen to Pop music now and it either sounds too processed and busy or it is experimental and darker. There are some 1980s-inspired artists like Shura but, for the most part, Pop has gone in new directions. If someone wants to sound Madonna-like, they tend to fail – maybe it is hard to reproduce an album that was of a particular moment. That said…there are so many artists around now that are taking from Madonna’s debut and being influenced by it.

It is small wonder as Madonna is rife with Disco sounds; made using technology of the time such as Linn drum machines and the Oberheim OB-X synthesiser. Madonna was not quite the singer she is now – or at her peak around the time of Like a Prayer (1989) – but I do think her debut sells and resonates because of the more girlish and bubbly delivery. If the vocals were too deep, dramatic and experimental then it would damage the songs. You get this very real and colourful burst of life coming from a singer who, whilst still learning and far from her best, was seducing people around the world with her incredible songs. Whilst the songs on Madonna are memorable and nuanced, they are relentlessly bright and youthful. There are deeper and more mature moments but I love the sheer sense of optimism and verve. If Madonna herself went on to dismiss her debut to some degree, its importance and legacy is clear – more on that a bit later. In 1982, a year before Madonna was released, Madonna was living in New York and trying to get herself signed. She performed in The Breakfast Club and was joined in the band by her then-boyfriend Steve Bray (who would write for Madonna from Like a Virgin (1984) onward; he was not working with her by 1992’s Erotica). The Breakfast Club were more Hard-Rock-driven and did go into Funk territory. The band continued without Madonna but it was clear, even then, she wanted to move in a different direction and was a clear star.

  IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna is snapped by Richard Corman in 1983

Singing for a band is great but, with such ambition and desire, Madonna was writing her own material and has dreams of making it on her own. Although Madonna worked with Steve Bray a lot after her debut, she chose not to do so on her debut – she opted to have a Warner Bros. producer, Reggie Lucas, helm the record. Maybe Madonna was looking for something New York disco-like; something quite free and not too complicated. As the demos started to develop, more instruments and layers were built in. Lucas eventually left because there were disputes between him and Madonna. She felt he did not listen and consider her ideas; there were too many instruments and she did not have enough control – showing the tenacity and boldness this new artist has right at the start! There is plenty for everyone on Madonna. She was a little disappointed there was not as much variation as she’d hoped; a bit too reliant on the Disco sound. It is understandable she’d pine for Disco considering that is where she started and that is what she was fascinated by. Future albums would see her spread her wings but, to Madonna and some, her debut is not as eclectic and variable as you’d hope. If there is an emphasis on more upbeat and danceable songs, there is sentimentality and emotion on offer.

Borderline is about a love that is never fulfilled; I Know It – an underrated track on the album – is gentler and has saxophone and unusual chord changes; Holiday is pure Pop and remains one of her defining tracks. There are few songs on the album but those that are on there are fulsome and fascinating. If there were more tracks then it might grow tiring: the fact there is so much energy means that you are pretty satisfied and exhausted by the end. Madonna would come to be defined as a style icon later in her career but she was definitely standing out in 1983. Shot by Gary Heery and directed by Carin Goldberg, the front cover is striking. Wearing a dog chain around her throat, rubber bangles on her hands and her hair blonde and short, it is an eye-catching cover that seems to show two sides of Madonna: the vulnerable and playful sparring with the tough and assured artist. Madonna would develop a more sexualised and provocative image before too long but she was not exactly she and holding back on her debut album – unlike so many peers who were far too safe, placid and bland. Madonna peaked at number-eight in the Billboard 200 and was certified five-time platinum by the Recording Industry Association. Critics at the time were positive (for the most part) but I think Madonna has gained greater attention and praise in the years since; seeing how it has influenced and the fact, unlike so many albums from that period, the songs do not sound overly-dated.

IMAGE CREDIT: Billboard Magazine 

In their review, AllMusic, had this to say about Madonna’s 1983 debut:

 “And her eponymous debut isn't simply good, it set the standard for dance-pop for the next 20 years. Why did it do so? Because it cleverly incorporated great pop songs with stylish, state-of-the-art beats, and it shrewdly walked a line between being a rush of sound and a showcase for a dynamic lead singer. This is music where all of the elements may not particularly impressive on their own -- the arrangement, synth, and drum programming are fairly rudimentary; Madonna's singing isn't particularly strong; the songs, while hooky and memorable, couldn't necessarily hold up on their own without the production -- but taken together, it's utterly irresistible. And that's the hallmark of dance-pop: every element blends together into an intoxicating sound, where the hooks and rhythms are so hooky, the shallowness is something to celebrate. And there are some great songs here, whether it's the effervescent "Lucky Star," "Borderline," and "Holiday" or the darker, carnal urgency of "Burning Up" and "Physical Attraction." And if Madonna would later sing better, she illustrates here that a good voice is secondary to dance-pop. What's really necessary is personality, since that sells a song where there are no instruments that sound real. Here, Madonna is on fire, and that's the reason why it launched her career, launched dance-pop, and remains a terrific, nearly timeless, listen”.

Writing in 2017, Pitchfork investigated Madonna and had this to say:

Disco and disco-adjacent stars like Donna Summer and Michael Jackson still were programming their hits, but the overall focus was back on a full-band sound. There’s no shortage of organic instruments on Madonna’s debut—“Borderline” wouldn’t be the same without the piano’s melodic underscoring, standout album cut “Physical Attraction” without its funky little guitar line—but the slinky digital grooves often take center stage. Through this, Madonna is able to achieve an almost aggressive twinkling that still feels fresh: the effervescent fizz at the start of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Cut to the Feeling” seems cribbed straight from “Lucky Star.”

Madonna vaguely criticized her debut’s sonic palette while promoting its follow-up, 1984’s Like a Virgin, but its focus is part of what makes the album so memorable, so of a time and place. She would soon become known for ritual pop star metamorphosis, but with a clearly defined musical backdrop, Madonna was able to let shine her biggest asset: herself.

Maybe the New York cool kids rolled their eyes at the Midwest transplant after she blew up, but she had effectively bottled their attitude and open-mindedness and sold it to the MTV generation (sleeve of bangles and crucifix earrings not included). Innocent as it may look now, compared to the banned bondage videos and butt-naked books that followed, Madonna was a sexy, forward-thinking record that took pop in a new direction. Its success showed that, with the right diva at the helm, music similar to disco could find a place in the white mainstream—a call to the dance floor answered by everyone from Kylie to Robyn to Gaga to Madonna herself”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna shot by Deborah Feingold in 1982

There are numerous reasons why we should reinvestigate Madonna’s debut - seriously, though, snap it up on vinyl if you can. The sheer thrill of dropping the needle and listening to those songs burst forward is more exciting and evocative than listening through headphones or digitally. Madonna brought Disco vibes to the mainstream after Disco had sort of died – when Punk arrived in 1978, it was not long until Disco was declared dead and, on 12th July, 1979, Disco ended. If Madonna has been released in 1980 or 1981 then it might have suffered: it would be too soon to try and reintroduce Disco but, with a break of four years, Disco was back in the forefront – although it was not as widespread and popular as it used to be. Madonna’s debut helped bring Dance-Pop to the front, too, and it would also set her on a path; an ambitious and always-inspiring artist who paved the way for so many others. Everyone from Janet Jackson and Debbie Gibson can lay claim to having been inspired by Madonna when it came to their own direction. Maybe it was her sound of the fact she had this unique look but Madonna had star power in 1983 and instantly set herself aside from everyone else – more than a chart artist, she was a pioneer and it would not be long until she was crowned The Queen of Pop.

Not only did her fashion turn heads but the videos for Lucky Star, Borderline and Burning Up mixed this idea of Madonna being a girl-next-door type but introduced a tough edge: a woman who was accessible but definitely took no sh*t from anyone. The hits from Madonna became radio staples and so many girls/women around the world were introduced to this new role model. For men and boys, perhaps there was this attraction: this clearly tough and determined artist who was also quite mysterious and down-to-earth. Future albums such as Erotica (1992) and Like a Prayer (1989) would cause some ruffling of feathers and showed this bolder, more sexual Madonna – her debut has this charm and innocence that is hard to resist. Of course, critics took shots at her and were cruel about her voice – that it was high-pitched and Minnie Mouse-like – and claimed she’s a one-hit wonder.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna stands tall for Richard Corman in 1983

Madonna took this in her stride and, with some impressive attitude and her distinct image, she definitely shut people up and proved she was not going to take it. This criticism spurred her on to become even bigger and more ambitious. It is strange how criticism and negativity can drive us on but I wonder how many of those who dared criticise Madonna in 1983 are sneering now – if they are even still alive, that is! I will end with a couple of features that pay tribute to a groundbreaking album from a future icon and megastar. This article talks about Madonna’s first exposure to the U.K. – it would take longer for people here to latch onto her sound/look than in the U.S. – and how one particular video seemed to define who Madonna was and who she would become:

Madonna’s eponymous debut album was released on 27 July 1983 to largely positive reviews. It heralded a new era of dance music populating the mainstream, fusing irresistible pop and R&B hooks with club-friendly beats, utilising the latest technology. The album entered the Billboard chart at number 123 and climbed gradually as Madonna embarked on an extensive promo tour, often playing three clubs in one night. Her act consisted of singing along to backing tracks and performing a series of choreographed routines with her back-up dancers, Martin Burgoyne, Erica Bell and Christopher Ciccone (Madonna’s younger brother).

Following a trek across the US, which helped Madonna to peak at number eight in October 1984, having sold 2.8 million copies, Madonna made her first visit to the UK to promote the album. As well as a seemingly endless round of interviews and photo shoots for magazines such as Smash Hits, The Face, Sounds, Record Mirror and i-D, she performed a showcase at Camden Palace, and performed Holiday on Top Of The Pops and The Tube (famously filmed in The Haçienda in Manchester).

The video for her fourth single, Lucky Star, released in September 1983, served as the perfect introduction to Madonna. For many people, who were seeing her for the first time, it was a shocking revelation that the voice they’d heard on the radio wasn’t, in fact, a black artist but a white girl. The video’s iconic opening shot, a close-up of Madonna taking off her shades, gives way to the singer gyrating in front of a white background, exuding star quality and a potent sexuality, with Christopher and Erica dancing behind her.

The video gave the singer her first taste of controversy – something she’d court throughout the next three decades – with some viewers enraged that someone calling herself Madonna was emanating such a sexual image (little did they know at the time that Madonna was her birth name). Despite this, the video became one of the most requested on MTV and sent Lucky Star to number four on the Billboard chart, giving Madonna her first Top Ten single.

The video also highlighted Madonna’s unique sense of style. Her tousled hair, cropped tops, cut-off tights, rubber bracelets and lace gloves became synonymous with her, and she pioneered the underwear-as-outerwear trend. Her look was streetwise, provocative and attainable for her growing army of fans, who soon copied their idol’s every fashion statement”.

Popfection talked about the importance of Madonna and how it has endured over the years:

Madonna was on the fast track to taking over the world, which would come with her second album. 34 years down the road, Madonna is hailed as one of the finest pop records of the 80’s and one of the greatest debut’s in the history of music. The album’s iconic cover, incredible singles, and watertight production have left behind a legacy that few other albums earn. Birthing the career of the woman that would go on to change the face of the industry, this album was a gamble that paid off. Obstacles lined the road to success, but Madonna never stopped and she persevered her way to the finish line. In the words of the woman herself, “I went to New York. I had a dream. I wanted to be a big star, I didn’t know anybody, I wanted to dance, I wanted to sing, I wanted to do all those things, I wanted to make people happy, I wanted to be famous, I wanted everybody to love me. I wanted to be a star, I worked really hard, and my dream came true.” No truer words were ever spoke”.

I also want to bring in a feature from CLASH who claimed, quite rightly, Madonna is a bold masterpiece:

It's difficult to think of many more debut albums that, in retrospect, hint so boldly at the career that an artist would grow into and the reputation that they would subsequently cultivate - the only one that springs immediately to mind is U2's ‘Boy’, an album made in Dublin kitchens but destined to be played in the world's biggest, best arenas.

Throughout the course of ‘Madonna’, she discusses the tropes present on most pop debuts - the idea of love, loss and the struggles of early adulthood. The overriding presence of her lyrics here is her independence and her ability to challenge the preconceived ideas that others have of how she should act and the choices that she is making.

Whilst nowhere near as daring sonically or visually as Madonna’s later works would prove to be, her debut album is, nonetheless, a masterpiece. Offering something for everyone without ever selling her talents short, to say it’s a tone setter for the themes that she would come to personify throughout the rest of the decade would be a huge understatement.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna shines for Richard Corman in 1983

It’s a record of immense power and longevity that feels as impressive today as it would have done upon first release and the contrarians who say otherwise are the kind of people that you’d never really want to bump into at a party”.

On Saturday (27th July) it will be thirty-six years since this bright, infectious and classic Pop debut arrived in the world. As the weather is so hot and sticky, it seems like Madonna is the perfect album to spin. That said, the sort of energy the album provokes might be a bit dangerous so it might be best to listen to it through headphones! That is what I shall be doing. Some critics turned their noses up at Madonna’s debut and Madonna herself sort of dismissed it – or does not see it as personal and important as some of her later work. They are all wrong because, when you listen closely, it becomes apparent that this incredible debut is one of the most important records…

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna looking chic for Richard Corman in 1983

WE have ever seen.

FEATURE: A Move in the Right Direction: This Year’s Fantastic Mercury Prize Shortlist

FEATURE:

 

 

A Move in the Right Direction

IN THIS PHOTO: Anna Calvi gains her third Mercury nomination for Hunter - she is proving to be a very popular shortlisted artist/PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Pentel 

This Year’s Fantastic Mercury Prize Shortlist

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ALTHOUGH there has been criticism regarding…

 IN THIS PHOTO: slowthai has been shortlisted this year for his album, Nothing Great About Britain/PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Smithies

the Mercury Music Prize, it seems like the last couple of years have seen it move the right way. I think there has been a feeling that the ceremony does not award an album/artist that is the best; maybe they have been quite commercial and many have voiced their concerns. Whilst last-year’s shortlist pleased me and there was variation, there were some who felt that nothing had been learned: still leaning on the commercial and not taking any risks. In terms of the nominations, there were some excellent albums – Wolf Alice won with Visions of a Life – but there were some gaps, I guess. Writing in The Guardian, Laura Snapes reacted to the twelve nominated artists/albums (last year):

Just as the Mercury gave grime its dues in 2016 and 2017 (this year limited to Novelist, for Novelist Guy), in 2018 we might have seen the token choice taken seriously, with – humour the thought – more than one jazz contender. Kamaal Williams’ The Return is oddly absent, and albums by Tenderlonious(The Shakedown featuring the 22archestra), Zara McFarlane (Arise) and Joe Armon-Jones (Starting Today) were similarly worthy of recognition.

If any genre gets an unusually strong showing, it’s pop. Lily Allen’s first Mercury nomination, for the intimate and exposing No Shame, is both overdue and welcome: if her 2014 album Sheezus felt like a misplaced attempt to pop a wheelie on the zeitgeist, her equally moving and acidic fourth record sounded like the work of an artist following her instincts and trusting that it would find its people.

But if the judges wanted to recognise real innovation in British pop, they would have chosen Charli XCX’s Pop 2 (technically a mixtape but still eligible), Sophie’s wipe-clean Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides or Rae Morris’s inventive (and chronically overlooked) Someone Out There over Florence + the Machine’s High as Hope – the best album of her career, though not one of the past 12 months’ – and Jorja Smith’s conservative R&B debut Lost and Found.

If there’s anything approaching a scandal of omission, it’s the complete disregard for British dance music. Although it’s divided hardcore electronic fans, you would have thought Bicep’s breakout debut would have been in with a chance. Mount Kimbie, Powerdance, Nabihah Iqbal and Four Tet’s respective recent albums also had a place here – and it would be galling that Karen Gwyer’s Rembo came out on 21 July 2017, a day before the eligibility period began, if you thought there was actually any chance of it having been recognised. There’s a sharp drop-off in black British music too: Nines’ Crop Circle might have made the list, though again, Dizzee Rascal’s return to form Raskit was released a day too early to have been considered”.

Although the eventual winner was a quite popular choice, maybe some genres were excluded or not given fair representation. Many criticised a rather safe judging panel and, whilst there are some return judges this year (including Jamie Cullum), having Jorja Smith and Stormzy on the panel might have, you’d imagine, had an impact regarding this year’s list. Last year had some omissions – including Shame’s Songs of Praise – but I guess you can never really include everything when you are limited to a dozen albums!                 

I made my predictions recently and the shortlist has just been announced on BBC Radio 6 Music. Anna Calvi’s Hunter is in there; black midi are in the pack for Schlagenheim as are Cate Le Bon for Reward and Dave for PSYCHODRAMA. Also nominated are Foals for Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1, Fontaines D.C. for Dogrel; IDLES for Joy as an Act of Resistance, Little Simz for GREY Area; Nao for Saturn, SEED Ensemble for Driftglass and slowthai for Nothing Great About Britain. Also in there is The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and, when speaking with BBC Radio 6 Music, Anna Cavli was buzzing. I predicted most of the shortlist and it is good to see Calvi get a third nod. I hope she wins this time but, with IDLES and The 1975 alongside slowthai proving to be favourites, it will be a close year! Many are tipping The 1975 to take the award away and I like the fact that there is a nice blend of genres this year. There is no pure Pop like recent years – Ed Sheeran and Lily Allen – and there are still more men nominated than women. I knew Rap and Hip-Hop would be key and I think Little Simz’s GREY Area is one of the best albums of the year. It is a strong year where guitars are high in the mix. I was not expecting black midi to get a nomination but they have come through strong and proving to be one of the most exciting British bands.

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES are on the shortlist for their much-acclaimed album, Joy as an Act of Resistance/PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Melbourne

The meat and teeth of IDLES sits alongside Fontaines D.C. and, whilst there is no nod for Sleaford Mods (and Eton Alive), I am glad there is some fantastic Post-Punk in the list. Whereas Wolf Alice won last year, will we see a similar act win in 2019? I think it will be a close call between strong female artists Anna Calvi and Little Simz and the trio of IDLES, slowthai and The 1975. Inventiveness and originality are ahead of commercial sounds and safety this year. Gone are the shock entries and, whilst there was no nomination for The Comet Is Coming, Nao and SEED Ensemble are worthy entrants. I must admit I am not overly-familiar with SEED Ensemble but, having heard their music, they are definitely a lot more daring and rewarding than so many artists we have seen shortlisted for the Mercury before. I would love to see a female solo artist like Nao, Anna Calvi or Cate Le Bon walk away with the award in September - but I feel it will be one of the male acts. That is not an easy thing to say but I feel there is so much attention the way of acts like The 1975, IDLES and slowthai right now that it is impossible to feel it will go any other way. If I was hoping for an outsider to win then it would be Anna Calvi and the excellent Hunter. Little Simz is also a worthy winner and I do think the competition is as hot as it has been for years. Maybe there have been stronger line-ups since 1992 but, when it comes to quality, variation and value, I think this is the best shortlist for a very long time indeed!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz’s album, GREY Area, is Mercury shortlisted/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I know a lot of people will call for an Anna Calvi win – few can argue against her and it would be a great move. Considering the political mood and what is happening right now, the sounds of slowthai, IDLES and Fontaines D.C. will be right there. Dave is also a hot contender so I do feel this year’s winner will have a slightly political and social edge. Anna Calvi explored feminism, toxic relationships and deep subjects on Hunter but I do think a political record/political-minded record will be the winner (she has been nominated twice and this would be a much-deserved win, were she to triumph). The quality factor was a big problem before and many were wondering whether the Mercury judges were backing certain labels and really embracing the spirit of the Mercurys. Maybe there has been a problem with chart acts and something pretty safe being in the pack but this year’s dozen looks a lot healthier and stronger. There is always going to be an issue with some missing the boats – there is only a dozen albums on the list so you cannot please everyone! I wanted to see James Blake make the cut for his Assume Form album and I am a bit surprised Self Esteem was not nominated for her album, Compliments Please. A lot of articles will come through and I am sure there will be some not too happy. I think it is a solid list and, as you can see from my Mercury Shortlist Playlist, this year’s nominations are…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dave has been shortlisted for his album, PSCYHODRAMA/PHOTO CREDIT: Lily Bertrand-Webb

PRETTY damn solid.

FEATURE: Queens of the Underground: Part One: Carly Wilford

FEATURE:

 

Queens of the Underground

PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Goodman 

Part One: Carly Wilford

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IN conjunction with my Female Icons feature…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Carly Wilford

I am looking at the women in the underground who are doing great work. For my Female Icons spot, I have selected some of the most-iconic female artists ever but, whilst it is great to spotlight them, there are a lot of great women in music at the moment doing terrific work. In future parts, I am going to be talking about other D.J.s and producers; other great women across all areas of music. To start things off, I am celebrating Carly Wilford. I have been a fan of hers for a long while now and, by the year, she seems to grow in stature and ability! Her magnetism and sense of ambition is admirable; her endless drive and desire is infectious. If you do not know about Wilford then, quoting from her official website, this gives you some good background and information:

Pioneering brand new tastemaker radio platform & collective SISTER, Carly Wilford has become a trusted voice for the underground. A groundbreaking Presenter & DJ, she takes the artists she believes in and broadcasts their music to the world. With her daily radio show on Los Angeles based station Dash X, she strongly connects both the US and UK music scenes, her solid roots in the UK helping to bring through so many of the artists on today’s airwaves.

Not only is she a global tastemaker but a forward thinking A&R. Her confidence to take risks on artists from a very early stage has seen her build bonds with the likes of Sam Smith, Rudimental and Skrillex who have all spoken publicly about her unrivalled support. Having interviewed the likes of Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Annie Mac, A$AP Rocky, Zane Lowe, Alison Wonderland & J Cole and with recent guest mixes on BBC 1Xtra & BBC Asian Network her honesty and foresight helps to shape the music industry of tomorrow.

Her natural energy and lust for life shines through in her interviews. With millions of views across her YouTube videos you can see why the music industry is talking about her and why she is on speed dial for artists, manager’s, PR’s and key media figures within the industry.

Seen backstage at some of the Worlds biggest festivals she has she has interviewed the likes of Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Eve and Usher to name but a few. As well as covering Glastonbury, SXSW, Ultra, Snowbombing, Sonar, EXIT Festival, V Festival, Wireless, BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend and Secret Garden Party. Hunting out the hottest artists, chatting to the crowds and dominating the press pit, on the Red Carpet she has presented at the MOBOS for sponsors HTC, The Brit Awards for VEVO and The EMA’s, The BAFTA’s and The Fashion Awards for Snapchat.

Carly is at the forefront of everything music related – from new artists to secret collaborations, if you need to know about it she has already got it covered. She films, edits, produces and presents her own work as well as having written for Hunger Magazine, Wonderland & Huffington Post. With big aspirations and infinite drive she is one to watch very closely. No ear piece, no ‘note cards’ and none of the fake attributes the industry is often full of – just raw ambition and real talent”.

With Shan McGinley, you can catch her on Subtle FM every other Friday as part of SISTER Radio. If you have not heard it then I suggest you check out the SISTER Collective and the incredible podcasts.

As a curator and interviewer, there are few like Wilford. She is an eager and always-busy talent-spotter who is a trusted voice in the underground; finding the best new artists around and broadcasting them. Although Wilford is based in the U.K., she has traveled the world as a D.J. and presenter and is one of the finest voices around. Having appeared on Kiss FM and Dash Radio, you are hooked by the sheer knowledge and passion coming from her; the perfect voice for radio – soft with dulcet tones but able to get pumped and energised when the mood calls -, I do hope she gets more gigs very soon. I know Wilford is very busy and always on the move but I reckon she could easily host her own show on a station like BBC Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra. There are great female D.J.s across the stations such as Maya Jama and Arielle Free and I feel like a genre-specific show from Wilford would be a useful addition – maybe a collection of her favourite Electronic and House/Disco tracks from today and the past. Likewise, I think a station like Beats 1 would be a great fit and very lucky to have her. Maybe that is in her future (I hope so) but it seems like Wilford has her hands full right now. I have seen her give talks where she discusses her past life.

Having come from a very different lifestyle – a comfortable home, married; a successful business -, she made this change in life and decided something was not right; that she needed to pursue her dreams. Maybe, in terms of life chronology and dream-chasing, it is the other way around: do the D.J. work underground and radio; then progress to life away from the city and get married. It is inspiring that as one suspects she was comfortable in her previous life but not always happy. There are going to be many men and women out there in the same situation and, hearing Wilford’s story, they will be motivated. She is a bit of a role model, not just for artists and D.J.s but for ordinary people who want to break free. I will use a few quotes from an interview she gave to Huck last year where she discussed her situation now and how life has radically changed over the last decade:

Or the time she was DJing in a big club in Cologne: “There were people hanging off the ceiling. I had sweat in my eyes. It was one of those moments where I had to really step up and hold the crowd, and it was one of the best gigs I’ve ever played.”

It’s hard to believe that, 10 years ago, she was on a much more conventional path. “I had the house in the country, the dogs, the business, the husband,” says Carly, reminiscing in a Shoreditch cafe. “All the things everyone thinks that you should go after, I had – and I wasn’t happy. I had to find that happiness within myself”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Jamieson for Huck

I will circle back to Wilford as a D.J. and future superstar but, when it comes to her defining characteristic, I think it is her sense of campaigning, awareness and desire for change. On Saturday, I am reviewing The 1975’s new track, The 1975, that is narrated by Greta Thunberg – it calls for civil disobedience and action regarding rapid climate change. The 1975 are a band that can shock and enlighten with their passion; Carly Wilford is someone who has a similar power. In terms of gender inequality and the fact that women in Electronic music and in the underground are relatively under-represented, Wilford knows there have been steps over the years and things are moving in the right direction – more can be done and we are not in the position we want to be. Returning to the interview and Wilford dispenses some useful advice to women out there who feel alone:

Dance music hasn’t quite had its ground-shaking Time’s Up moment yet, Wilford says. The Forbes list of the world’s 10 highest paid DJs featured no women yet again last year; there was only one woman for every four male DJs on the worldwide festival circuit in mid-2017, according to a study by the group female:pressure.

“Know that however lonely you feel, you’re never alone,” she says. “Even if the people around you don’t understand you, your tribe is out there.”

The second lesson is to “know who you are: the bits you like and the bits you don’t. When you’re getting into any industry, you hear loads of advice from different people. But you might be here to do something completely groundbreaking and if you were to listen to [everyone] then it might throw you off track”.

I have written numerous articles – too numerous to link individually – regarding gender inequality and how there are fantastic women throughout music that are not having their voices heard. As part of this series, I am looking to highlight women in Electronic music and behind decks; those in studios and the fantastic writers who do not get the credit and acclaim they warrant; not the same level of respect as their male counterparts. I am someone who is keen to see change in all areas of music and I do know that, for the most part, things are moving along. Given that we have such pioneers and talents like Wilford gives everyone strength as she features women prominently and is calling for equality. From her curation and mixes to her interviews, Wilford is always looking to push things forward. Not only is her voice essential regarding equality but the number of rising artists Wilford has helped push through the ranks because of D.J. and radio work is key – so many can thank her for making their voices heard and getting their music out into the open. One suspects, as the weather continues to get hotter, she will bring us more sizzling bangers and epic anthems – let’s hope she keeps safe in the sun and does not have too many outdoor gigs (it makes me sweat thinking about how hot it would be D.J.ing outside!).

From playing at Citadel Festival to Latitude; talking to Danny Baldwin at Apple, Regent Street as part of Apple’s Pride series, there is no stopping Wilford. She is such a breath of fresh air in music. With greeny-blue hair (I am not sure what the exact colour/shade is called!) and an undying energy and focus, I predict really good things for her. There is so much going on with her right now that I do not feel I have done full justice in terms of her work and brilliance. I have included her social media links below and I suggest you check out as many of her videos, mixes and work as you possibly can. I do genuinely think Wilford could transition from where she is now to work on huge stations like BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music. Maybe she is happier where she is at the moment but I know she will continue to get bigger and more popular – would one bet against her rising to such giddy heights very soon? As a presenter and interviewer, maybe something on T.V. beckons too. I have always been arguing to get a proper music show on T.V. and I could well see Wilford fronting something like that. In terms of location, Wilford has traveled the world but I can imagine her rocking up to New York one day and living there for a bit; spinning some great tracks in a very different environment  - maybe the new Queen of Queens or the Don of Brooklyn?!

This is all speculation and prediction…but consider where Wilford came from (in terms of her more domesticated life) and how busy she is right now! As queens of the underground go, there is no better place to start than at the feet of Carly Wilford. A presenter-D.J.-businesswoman-innovator-boss, considering her tender years, it is scary seeing how far she can go. I do feel she also has a lot to offer on the business side and calling for changing; maybe setting up a label or body that asks for parity and represents artists around the globe; some documentaries and series – it seems like, when it comes to her, the sky is the limit! She is fantastic and I know for a fact there are so many female artists, D.J.s and creatives who are looking up to her. Who can ask for more than that?! In this extreme heat, there is not a lot of use going outside if you do not need to and, instead, check out this incredible woman who is adding her invaluable voice and colour to the music industry. A trailblazer, leader and innovator; I am excited to see what the rest of the year holds for Wilford. She is someone who is endlessly dedicated to music and bringing joy to people. At such a testing and strange time for our country – what with the horrible new Prime Minister and what is happening in Government – I think music can provide solace, escape and inspiration. Carly Wilford is someone some of you might not yet know but, trust me, it will only be a few short years before she is owning the waves on some of…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Carly Wilford

THE nation’s biggest radio stations!

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Follow Carly Wilford

FEATURE: Flower of the Mountain: Kate Bush: The Uniqueness of a True Icon

FEATURE:

 

Flower of the Mountain

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the photoshoot for Hounds of Love (1985)/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush 

Kate Bush: The Uniqueness of a True Icon

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EVEN though she has not released any new material…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy

for eight years (or just shy of), I am always fixated by Kate Bush and the fact that, even now, there is nobody quite like her! If I repeat myself then I apologise (or do I?!) but, when it comes to Kate Bush, there is always relevance and angles unexplored. I am writing this for two reasons. For one, it is her birthday on Tuesday and, I hope, it means more of her music is played and dissected. Another reason for doing this feature is to explore the uniqueness of Kate Bush and her incredible catalogue and ask, with such a body of work under her belt, why so many people only associate her with a few tracks. I will start with that point, actually. I am a huge follower of radio and feel that it is still the essential resource when it comes to discovering new artists and those classic tracks. I am not sure whether there are station guidelines and strict rules but, when it comes to certain huge artists, you only tend to hear a small selection of their songs played. Take Kate Bush as a perfect example. You occasionally hear her songs played but, when you do, you just know it is going to be the same tracks – usually Wuthering Heights, Hounds of Love; maybe Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) or Babooshka. I understand one cannot play every song by every major artist but, when you think of Kate Bush, you think of this singular artist whose album tracks are as compelling as her singles.

Think about a song as intriguing and stunning as The Dreaming’s Houdini. Maybe throw in Symphony in Blue (from Lionheart) or, perhaps, a dash of The Infant Kiss from Never for Ever. We all know how brilliant Bush’s music is but I do not think she gets as much exposure as she deserves. So many great tracks are nestling on albums but do not get featured on radio playlists. That is a shame but, as I pitch a case for Kate Bush as this unique artist, go and buy her albums and discover just how fantastic she is. I do have a feeling we will hear news from Kate Bush at some point this year! It has been a while since 50 Words for Snow was released (in 2011), so I sort of think there will be movement. Listen to any Kate Bush song or see one of her videos and you cannot compare her to anyone! Her visual flair and inventiveness in front of the camera is striking; her music never sat with the sounds of the time and, when it came to lyrics, she was talking about subjects no other Pop artist was. From incest and menstruation her debut album, The Kick Inside, to warfare and nuclear destruction on 1980’s Never for Ever – not too bad considering, at that point, she was only on her third album! We have some pretty bold and daring artists in today’s music scene but, whilst none can really touch Bush for inventiveness and originality, there are artists who have shades of Bush.

 PHOTO CREDIT: PA

This Variety article mentions U.S. artist Billie Eilish and asked whether she is 2019’s Kate Bush:

Eilish is an outlier who arrived at a time of need: Despite her couture-in-a-blender look, her songs represent a move away from verses full of conspicuous consumption. Rather than focusing on the well-worn territory of interpersonal transactions — “Me!” “You!” “We!” — the 17-year-old vital and visual artist twists our notion of gender.

Neither Eilish nor Bush are ruled by men. Rather, they thrive in their own versions of femininity.

She officially proved herself as a pioneer when, at 19, she released her literary first single, “Wuthering Heights” — based on Emily Bronte’s gothic romance — which topped the U.K.’s charts for an entire month. In so doing, Bush became the first female artist to score a No. 1 hit that she wrote herself. She went on to become the first woman in the history of the British charts to have eight records simultaneously in the Top 50. (To put this achievement in context, she’s now trailing Elvis and the Beatles for having simultaneous Top 40 records; Presley had 12, the Beatles 11.) Not bad for an artist who only toured twice in her entire career — with a 35-year break in between”.

It is true that both Bush and Eilish are trained dancers; both sort of keep their music in the family (Bush’s brothers, Paddy (Patrick) and John (or Jay), worked alongside her whilst Eilish writes with her brother, Finneas O’Connell); both are non-conformists regarding sound and lyrical content and both artists create strong albums rather than bang out a few commercial singles here and there.

I love the fact that there are (clearly) artists taking a lead from Bush but, even when the best of the new breed are moving in Bush’s direction, none can penetrate her golden circle (that sounds weird but, hey, I think Bush would approve…I hope!). To me and so many others, Kate Bush’s music is transformative and sense-altering. I can be in a really bad mood and I find Bush’s songs evoke emotions and feelings nothing else can. I will not go as far to say she is some sort of tonic and cure but, when you want to escape and truly immerse yourself in music then put on one of her albums and the effect is staggering. I guess many people associate her with 1985’s Hounds of Love and, when it comes to her high-point, few would argue against it. On her first couple of albums, Bush was definitely unique in regards what she was writing about and the vast maturity she displayed. That voice, the central weapon, was higher in pitch (than it would go on to be) and there was this very distinct and unusual sound. In interviews, Bush claimed not to listen to a whole lot of contemporary music (anything from, say, 1980-ish and the years surrounding it) and listened to relatively few female artists – as she did not want to be influenced or lead in that sense; she listened to artists like Elton John, Pink Floyd and David Bowie.

 PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

By the time Hounds of Love arrived, her voice moved in a different direction – slightly deeper, rawer and less flighty – and, as you’d expect, she was not about to go conventional and chart-friendly when it came to her tracks and concepts. This fascinating article from The New Yorker talked about Bush as an enduring talent and explained why Hounds of Love, and especially its conceptual second side, was a revelation:

“The Ninth Wave” is about a woman lost at sea after a shipwreck and awaiting rescue. As she floats in icy waters, she fights but intermittently succumbs to fitful sleep, longing for the ordinary human pleasures, wishing she had a radio (“I’d tune in to some friendly voices, talking ’bout stupid things”), and hearing the murmurings of her family, coaxing her back from the brink of death. The songs make poignant and musically ambitious use of spoken word and helicopter sounds, church bells and chopped-up vocals, Uilleann pipes and fiddles, and of a single whistle note at the end of “And Dream of Sheep.” The Irish folk musician Dónal Lunny said later that Bush had him play it over and over for three hours until it acquired the right “bend.”

On just a listen or two, the lyrics from “The Ninth Wave” worm their way deep. Take these, in which the woman, alone in the cold, dark water, imagines sheep in a meadow: “Oh their breath is warm / and they smell like sleep / They take me deeper and deeper / like poppies, heavy with seed.” Everything about those lines is right, down to the poppies, with all their layers of association: the field of sleep-inducing flowers in “The Wizard of Oz”; poppies as the source of opiates, and as symbols of remembrance for the dead, adopted after the First World War in Britain; poppies, which, because they have such wide, blowsy heads atop such tall, slender stalks, can look like they’re nodding off as they sway in a summer breeze”.

So many modern artists – and even some legends – sound too safe between albums; they never really push themselves and one wonders why that is. Maybe they are fearful of losing some of their fanbase or they might be aiming to keep a familiar sound in order to remain popular; maybe taking bigger risks further down the line. Kate Bush was moving tonally and thematically in every album. She was loathed to stand still and repeat herself. She never wanted to follow the commercial crowd and was (and is) this always-curious and ambitious artist who wanted to explore just how far she could take her music. Hounds of Love is the moment when her ambitions and life situation – she moved from London and set up her own studio in the countryside; after a tough period creatively and personally, she was definitely refreshed and revitalised – sort of meshed and peaked; there was this special time when everything sort of fell in line. Although albums such as The Dreaming (1982) are quite divisive, just listen to all the different sounds running rampant and consider how many other artists of the time were doing what Bush was! There were some great albums released in 1982 – no less Michael Jackson’s Thriller! – but there was nothing out there like The Dreaming; perhaps it was too experimental and intense for critics to handle. Even now, the album sounds mind-altering and, although Bush temporised and focused more for Hounds of Love, it goes to show that she was unique – in the space of two albums, it is almost like you are listening to two artists; or the same artist decades apart.

I will end this piece with a Kate Bush playlist – a slightly revised one; I have published others before – that shows how she evolved through the years. Not only has her music eluded convention and predictability but, when she arrived on the scene in the late-1970s, her demeanour and look was not exactly familiar and traditional. Whereas many artists then were embracing Punk and had a particular vibe, Bush’s more ethereal, mystical and spiritual bent caused some consternation in the press – as the article from The New Yorker explains:

(Graeme)Thomson (whose Kate Bush biography, Under the Ivy, is essential reading) contends that, at a time when musical camps were more fiercely armored than they are now (remember when people had to choose, absurdly, between punk and disco?), Bush got a bad rap from some music journalists for being a dreamy middle-class girl rather than an angry working-class bloke. There was grumbling about her tweeness, her witchy, unapologetic femininity. “Most of her records,” the jazz critic Richard Cook, writing about Bush in Sounds magazine, complained, “smell of tarot cards, kitchen curtains and lavender pillows.” That said, John Lydon—a.k.a. Johnny Rotten—loved her music. In a BBC documentary about Bush, from 2014, he allows that “a lot of my friends at the time couldn’t bear” Bush’s high-pitched, passionate warbling on “Wuthering Heights” and other early songs. “They just thought it was too much”—and, indeed, Bush is the high priestess of too much. “But that,” Lydon said, “was really what drew me in”.

Bush’s music videos, like her music, were fantastical and unique. Many people’s first exposure to Bush was the video for Wuthering Heights  - a transcendent debut single that was backed with a video (two, actually) of Bush dancing in a dress; a simple but beguiling choreography that could not but transfix. Again, I look at so many modern artists and, whilst they might put out one or two truly moving and special videos, there is very little that catches the eye and stays in the mind. The first video I saw featuring Kate Bush was her single, Them Heavy People (from The Kick Inside). Maybe it is her facial expressions – exaggerated and playful – or the way she is moving – I was stunned as a child and this was, literally, the first time Bush’s music entered my mind. Go check out Bush’s videos because they are as inspiring and dream-like as her music. Everything about Kate Bush was original when she arrived in 1978 and, in 2019, I still cannot see anyone who comes close to capturing her essence and unique cupboard of potions, spells and scents. That said, as this article explains, so many modern artists have a lot to thank Kate Bush for:

Little Boots joins a small army of musicians to have saluted Bush: everyone from Grimes to Florence Welch, and Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke to Outkast’s Big Boi has hailed her. “What caught me [about Bush] the most was, first, the production and the voice of course, but also the different meanings behind the stories she was telling,” Big Boi told Rolling Stone in 2011. New York-based Brazilian musician Yann similarly describes himself as a Bush super-fan.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

“If it wasn’t for Kate, I’m not even sure if I’d be a musician today,” he tells me. “The way she’s able to convey such vivid imagery through songwriting is masterful. The song and video that made me a huge fan at such a young age was Babooshka – the storytelling and visuals really mesmerised me. Growing up gay in a conservative culture as I did can be extremely isolating. Kate’s unapologetic weirdness felt like a safe space to me: she didn’t sound, look, dress, sing, or even dance like anyone else”.

We have just seen the annual flashmob: where Bush fans dress up as she did in the Wuthering Heights video:

Inspired by a one-off flashmob organised by British performance artist Shambush in 2013, “The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever” has grown to become an annual event where people in over 30 cities unite to celebrate Bush’s most famous song and video.

There’s something liberating about spinning with abandon dressed in a flowing red gown in a field, and I think that resonates on some profound level with her audience,” Belinda Burton, who organises the Sydney event, tells me. “I’ve heard people say time and time again that they would kick aside their lounge room furniture and spin to Wuthering Heights whenever it came on. For other people, they see it as a ‘reclaiming’ of their personal power from past relationship traumas. In an increasingly grey and punitive world, you could even say it’s an act of defiance. I know it’s an overused word these days, but there’s an authenticity to Kate Bush that’s inspirational. And I think that’s her legacy, really”.

It is clear that there is such devotion and love for Kate Bush! Another reason, I guess, for penning this piece now is because I can sort of sense the desire for new Kate Bush material. Maybe it is the political climate and the fact Boris Johnson is now Prime Minister; maybe it is the weather or the fact one always needs Kate Bush music. There is nothing on the horizon at the moment but, as an artist who normally released albums around September through to November, there is still time. If nothing comes this year then that is okay: just listen to what Bush has put out and you cannot help but marvel. I have not even mentioned her interviews and how engaging they are. Always full of intelligence, light and warmth, she is a fascinating and charming subject. She gave quite a few interviews when she released 50 Words for Snow and hearing the then-fifty-three-year-old discuss her music and comparing that with her earliest interviews is…well, you can hear the difference but that Kate Bush charm and beauty remains. In six days, it is her birthday so I hope there will be new articles and fresh appreciation for an artist whose career has spanned over five decades and, as I have stated, there is nobody quite like Kate Bush. In this very hot and sticky weather, it is best (if you can) to stay inside or as cool as possible – listen to some Kate Bush and that will definitely do you the world of good! Go buy her albums, go stream her music; watch her videos and read up about a woman who, since 1978, has delighted the world. It is clear that, when it comes to Kate Bush and her multiple gifts, she is an artist…

IMPOSSIBLE to rival.

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Traveling Wilburys – The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Traveling Wilburys – The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

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I guess the idea of a supergroup was appealing…

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 IN THIS PHOTO: The Traveling Wilburys (left-right:Tom Petty, Bob Dylan; Roy Orbison, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne (centre)/PHOTO CREDIT: Alberto Tolot (Courtesy of Concord Records)

in the 1970s and spawned the likes of Cream (who released their debut album in 1968). I am not sure how the phenomenon started but I guess, when you have these big artists that need a new creative lease, it makes sense they would look around and, in a close-knit community, reach out to musician friends. Here is a list of some epic supergroups - and I am a big fan of a lot of them. If you want the ultimate supergroup, look no further than the Traveling Wilburys. If your least famous members are Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne then who the hell are the MOST famous?!  In the case ofthe Traveling Wilburys, we have Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and George Harrison! Whilst Harrison was recording his 1987 album, Cloud Nine, the idea was sprung: Harrison and Lynne started the endeavour after the five Wilburys recorded a bonus track for the European release of Cloud Nine. Handle with Care was seen as too strong for such inclusion and the band was set. It is amazing to think that you could bring all these world-class musicians together for a one-off track for the European market – would we ever see anything like it today!? It is clear that Dylan, Orbison; Harrison, Lynne and Petty held great respect and affection for one another; so it was understandable an album would come.

Bringing together such eclectic and fantastic artists might have been a bit of a mismatch and failed experiment. There have been some botched supergroups because people – mainly labels – think you can shove famous artists together and magic will happen. There needs to be chemistry and friendship and, with the Traveling Wilburys, the connection was clear from the debut album. Not only did The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 help revitalise the careers of Dylan and Petty but it provided this sensational sound that was effortless across ten tracks. Released in 1988, Harrison was keen to record an album with his mates and, when one of your mates is Bob Dylan, how could it go wrong?! A lot of groups have ego struggles but, with the Traveling Wilburys, there was this carefree writing and partnership that you rarely find. Although certain members took the lead on each track, the rest of the gang would pitch in – Dirty World is a prime example of each member chucking in a line! Harrison and Lynne became friends with Tom Petty in late-1987 when Petty’s band, The Heartbreakers, toured Europe as Dylan’s backing band; Lynne was working with Petty on his debut solo album (Petty), Full Moon Fever, and Harrison has enormous respect for Dylan. Rather than it being this unwieldy coalition of mates, the criteria for being in the band was the ability to hang out; each member had to get on – for one, they all bonded over their love of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

I believe, as the story goes, there was an awkward moment where Bob Dylan was singled out. Being, perhaps, the best solo composer of the group, there was a conversation around status – the band would treat him like anyone else and not put him on a pedestal. Happily, Dylan responded by saying he was in awe of the other guys and, so, this remarkable band was cemented. Although Harrison was the band leader and sort-of-manager, Lynne helped direct the recording sessions – there were no power struggles and it was as carefree as you would hope. I shall come on to some reviews and my personal experiences with the album but, in order to get that relaxed and natural flow, the songwriting sessions for The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 was pretty casual. The group would meet at lunch and have some coffee; they would pitch ideas and exchange lyrics and they would finish at around midnight – often made golden by Roy Orbison who would captivate his bandmates with stories of his Sun Records days. It wasn’t too long after the album was released on 17th October, 1988 that I first heard it. It might have been a couple of years after but, as I was driven to my grandparents every Sunday – the family and I would visit them and, along the way, stop off for a cheeky MacDonald’s – The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 was played.

 

I adore every song on the record but the opener, Handle with Care, is a perfect thing: Harrison leading vocals (with Orbison joining in), and the song rising and flowing; some great guitar twangs, a catchy chorus and this instant sensation. Last Night is a great song that utilises Orbison’s vocal gifts – Petty leads but Orbison swoons in to add some shiver and power – and Not Alone Any More is Orbison solo on one of his most affecting and quivering performances. Heading for the Light and End of the Line are exceptional group performances and Tweeter and the Monkey Man – a bit of a Bruce Springsteen homage/dig – is one of Bob Dylan’s finest songs of the 1980s…and the song from the album that made the biggest impression on me growing up. Although every song but one (Rattled is only a second shy!), only one of them lasts over four minutes (the aforementioned Dylan gem). It is almost like the band knew that a perfect song has time to breathe but never goes on too long: they had this set formula and left you wanting more. At ten tracks and with that great pacing and running time, one is in awe. The tracklisting is perfect so it starts and ends with these group performances and easygoing melodies (Handle with Care and End of the Line); each songwriter has their moments in the spotlight and the finest tracks – a subjective measure but I think many critics agree – are scattered evenly so The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 is neither top of bottom-heavy.

There were a load of great reviews for The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 upon its release. It could have been a bad idea bringing together such renowned musicians but the bond was obvious and people responded! The retrospective reviews have been hugely positive and, in a year when U.S. Hip-Hop and epic Dance/House music were dominating (1988), there was this appetite for a Folk/Country-Rock album – maybe its simplicity and casual vibes was a perfect balance against the more aggressive and energised styles of the time. AllMusic, in their review, had this to say:

Looking back via The Traveling Wilburys, the group's success seems all the more remarkable because the first album is surely, even proudly, not a major statement. Even under the direction of Lynne, who seems incapable of not polishing a record till it gleams, it's loose and funny, even goofy. It's clearly a lark, which makes the offhanded, casual virtuosity of some of the songs all the more affecting, particularly the two big hits, which are sunny and warm, partially because they wryly acknowledge the mileage on these rock & roll veterans. "Handle With Care" and "End of the Line" are the two masterworks here, although Roy's showcase, "Not Alone Anymore" -- more grand and moving than anything on the Lynne-produced Mystery Girl -- comes close in the stature, but its stylized melodrama is a ringer here: it, along with Dylan's offhand heartbreak tune "Congratulations," is the only slow thing here, and the rest of the album just overspills with good vibes, whether it's Tom Petty's lite reggae of "Last Night," Jeff Lynne's excellent Jerry Lee Lewis update "Rattled," or Dylan's very funny "Dirty World," which is only slightly overshadowed by his very, very funny Springsteen swipe "Tweeter and the Monkey Man."

These high times keep The Traveling Wilburys fresh and fun years later, after Lynne's production becomes an emblem of the time instead of transcending it. (The album contains two bonus tracks in this reissue, the excellent Harrison song "Maxine" -- a low-key waltz that should have made the cut -- and "Like a Ship," a folky dirge that builds into ELO-esque pop which is pretty good but doesn't have the effervescence of the rest.)”.

Uncut were similarly impressed by The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1:

Recorded in L.A. in just 10 days, the supremely accomplished Volume 1 now seems like a boxful of revelations. Dylan submits to the novelty of placing his unruly voice amid Lynne’s scrupulous, glossy production on “Dirty World,” “Congratulations” and the captivating “Tweeter and the Monkey Man”. Orbison absolutely blows the roof off what would be his last rock aria, “Not Alone Any More”. Petty’s “Last Night,” suffused with bonhomie, and the synth-meets-horns production number “Margarita” exemplify the extremes of his longstanding partnership with Lynne. And the reinvigorated Harrison’s “End of the Line” returns him to the form of his early solo work, while coming off as both more poignant and more life-affirming in retrospect”.

I recommend people listen to the debut from the Traveling Wilburys on any format but, if you snap it up on vinyl then do so. The band would record a follow-up album, 1990’s The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3, without Orbison (he died in December 1988). It was not as successful and, whilst there were a couple of good songs – New Blue Moon and 7 Deadly Sins -, maybe it suffered because of a lack of Orbison’s presence. In any case, one cannot overlook a remarkable debut that, in my view, does not get talked about enough! I would continue but, having written about The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 for a while, the songs are stuck in my head so I am now off to allow these wonderful tunes to…

DO what they do best.

FEATURE: “And the Award Goes To…” The Best Mercury Prize-Winning Albums

FEATURE:

 

“And the Award Goes To…”

IN THIS PHOTO: Wolf Alice won last year’s Mercury Prize for their album, Visions of a Life/PHOTO CREDIT: Wolf Alice 

The Best Mercury Prize-Winning Albums

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THE shortlist for this year’s Mercury Prize

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Dave is expected to make this year’s shortlist with his debut album, PSYCHODRAMA/PHOTO CREDIT: Lily Bertrand-Webb

happens on Thursday (25th July) and many are predicting their shortlists. I have already made my suggestions and I feel that there will be the odd surprise in the pack. I expect big Pop acts like The 1975 to get nominated and it would be shocking were IDLES to miss out – I have actually tipped them to win this year for 2018’s Joy as an Act of Resistance. I do feel like it is hard to get a good handle on what will be nominated because each judging panel has their own views and tastes. There are odds out there and it seems like some of the names I tipped are included – Dave and Slowthai are riding high in the pack and it seems like Self Esteem is worth a shot; I would be very surprised if Rebecca Taylor’s moniker was not included. After Wolf Alice won last year’s award for Visions of a Life, many people are wondering which album will win this year. I have been looking back at the Mercury Prize’s history and the albums that have won the illustrious prize – from 1992’s introduction to last year, it has been a fantastic and unpredictable ride. PJ Harvey is the only artist to have won twice whilst Radiohead have been nominated five times and never won; M People caused an upset in 1994 with their album, Elegant Slumming, and every year seems to throw up these surprises and shocks. I shall react to the Mercury nominations on Thursday but, for now, I am dipping back into the archives and collating, in chronological order, the best Mercury-winning albums. Everyone will have their own opinions but, to me, these are the finest-ever…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Jorja Smith was nominated for a Mercury last year for her debut labium, Lost & Found/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

MERCURY Prize-winning albums.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

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Primal ScreamScreamadelica

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Winning Year: 1992

Release Date: 23rd September, 1991

Labels: Creation/Sire

Producers: Andrew Weatherall/Hugo Nicolson/The Orb/Hypnotone/Jimmy Miller

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: The Jesus and Mary Chain – Honey's Dead and U2 – Achtung Baby

Standout Tracks: Moving’ On Up/Higher Than the Sun/Come Together

Key Cut: Loaded

Review:

This is such a brilliant, gutsy innovative record, so unlike anything the Scream did before, that it's little wonder that there's been much debate behind who is actually responsible for its grooves, especially since Andrew Weatherall is credited with production with eight of the tracks, and it's clearly in line with his work. Even if Primal Scream took credit for Weatherall's endeavors, that doesn't erase the fact that they shepherded this album, providing the ideas and impetus for this dubtastic, elastic, psychedelic exercise in deep house and neo-psychedelic. Like any dance music, this is tied to its era to a certain extent, but it transcends it due to its fierce imagination and how it doubles back on rock history, making the past present and vice versa. It was such a monumental step forward that Primal Screamstumbled before regaining their footing, but by that point, the innovations of Screamadelica had been absorbed by everyone from the underground to mainstream. There's little chance that this record will be as revolutionary to first-time listeners, but after its initial spin, the genius in its construction will become apparent -- and it's that attention to detail that makes Screamadelica an album that transcends its time and influence” – AllMusic

PortisheadDummy

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Winning Year: 1995

Release Date: 22nd August, 1994

Labels: Go Beat!/London

Producers: Portishead

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love and Oasis – Definitely Maybe

Standout Tracks: Mysterons/Sour Times/Numb

Key Cut: Glory Box

Review:

It’s possible to hear in Dummy a collection of gratifyingly sad-but-sexy gestures, and plenty of Portishead’s followers—Lamb, Morcheeba, Olive, Alpha, Mono, Hooverphonic, Sneaker Pimps, and dozens of other acts forever lost to the cut-out bin of history—did just that. Whole retail empires flourished and collapsed while Portishead and their ilk were piped through the in-store speakers. Is Dummy stylish? Of course it is; you don’t evoke ’60s spy flicks without some deep-seated feelings about aesthetics, panache, the proper cut of a suit. But style, stylishness, is only the beginning. None of Portishead’s imitators understood that it’s not the blue notes or the mood lighting that make it tick—it’s the pockets of emptiness inside. Like Barrow once said, it’s the air” – Pitchfork

PulpDifferent Class

Winning Year: 1996

Release Date: 30th October, 1995

Label: Island

Producer: Chris Thomas

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go and Oasis – (What's the Story) Morning Glory?

Standout Tracks: Mis-Shapes/Disco 2000/Sorted for E's & Wizz

Key Cut: Common People

Review:

At first, it appears to be a memoir of the tense and skint years, plotting and honing some kind of spangly pop masterplan to perfection; Pulp, as so many glowing features have told us, have been wannabe stars in the indie chart relegation zone since round about the Battle Of Balaclava. But then it all swings open and reveals itself to be much less glib, much more insidious and vindictive and so, so precise. "I've been sleeping with your wife for the past 16 weeks," Cocker gloats, Smoking your cigarettes/Drinking your brandy/Messing up the bed that you chose together". Simple revenge on some Year in Provence-toting prick isn't enough. When you've been wronged as deeply and consistently as Cocker, only a connoisseur's savouring of the invasion of someone else's privacy - a euphoria of humiliations - will do” – NME

GomezBring It On

Winning Year: 1998

Release Date: 13th April, 1998

Label: Hut (Virgin)

Producers: Gomez

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Massive Attack – Mezzanine and Pulp – This Is Hardcore

Standout Tracks: Tijuana Lady/Get Myself Arrested/The Comeback

Key Cut: Whippin’ Piccadilly

Review:

This much-hyped Brit fivesome would be more at home trading licks with John Popper on the H.O.R.D.E. tour than sharing a stage with Tricky, Fatboy Slim, or others of the English leading edge. While their retro pastiche of swampy guitar, Vedderesque vocals, and goofy lyrics is initially bewildering, Bring It On slowly grows into sonic shapes that are as dense and oddly beautiful as wild kudzu” – Entertainment Weekly

PJ Harvey Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

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Winning Year: 2001

Release Date: 23rd October, 2000

Label: Island

Producers: Rob Ellis/Mick Harvey/PJ Harvey

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain and Zero 7 – Simple Things

Standout Tracks: Beautiful Feeling/This Mess We're In/This Is Love

Key Cut: Good Fortune

Review:

On the album's best tracks, such as "Kamikaze" and "This Is Love," a sexy, shouty blues-punk number that features the memorable refrain "I can't believe life is so complex/When I just want to sit here and watch you undress," Harvey sounds sensual and revitalized. The New York influences surface on the glamorous punk rock of "Big Exit" and "Good Fortune," on which Harvey channels both Chrissie Hynde's sexy tough girl and Patti Smith's ferocious yelp. Ballads like the sweetly urgent, piano and marimba-driven "One Line" and the Thom Yorke duet "This Mess We're In" avoid the painful depths of Harvey's darkest songs; "Horses in My Dreams" also reflects Harvey's new emotional balance: "I have pulled myself clear," she sighs, and we believe her. However, "We Float"'s glossy choruses veer close to Lillith Fair territory, and longtime fans can't help but miss the visceral impact of her early work, but Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea doesn't compromise her essential passion. Hopefully, this album's happier, more direct PJ Harvey is a persona she'll keep around for a while” – AllMusic

Dizzee RascalBoy in da Corner

Winning Year: 2003

Release Date: 21st July, 2003

Label: XL

Producers: Dizzee Rascal/Chubby Dread/Moulders/Mr. Cage/Taz/Vanguard

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Martina Topley-Bird – Quixotic and Radiohead – Hail to the Thief

Standout Tracks: I Luv U/Jus’ a Rascal/Do It!

Key Cut: Fix Up, Look Sharp

Review:

“…Presumably, they haven't heard Boy in da Corner, which appears to borrow from nothing other than the terrifying sound inside Mills's head. Disjointed electronic pulses pass for rhythms. Above them lurch churning bass frequencies, disturbing choruses of muttering voices, clattering synthesisers that recall police sirens and arcade games, and, on forthcoming single Fix Up Look Sharp, bursts of rock guitar. In contrast to the macho swagger of most garage MCs, Mills delivers his rhymes in a frantic, panicked yelp. The overall effect is shocking and unsettling in the extreme.

Shocking and unsettling people may be the point. The lyrics of Boy in da Corner deal with teenage life on an east London council estate, a world of "blanks, skanks and street robbery... pregnant girls who ain't got no love, useless mans with no plans". There is much talk of stabbing and shooting - "We used to fight with kids from the other estates," says Mills on Brand New Day, "now eight millimetres settle debates" - and a distinctly queasy humour on display. I Luv U tackles the subject of underage sex with mordant wit: "Pregnant? What you talking about that for? 15? She's underage, that's raw” – The Guardian

Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Winning Year: 2006

Release Date: 23rd January, 2006

Label: Domino

Producer: Jim Abbiss

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Richard Hawley – Coles Corner and Muse – Black Holes & Revelations

Standout Tracks: The View from the Afternoon/Fake Tales of San Francisco/When the Sun Goes Down

Key Cut: I Bet You Look Good on the Danccefloor

Review:

The knock-out punch is saved for the finale, though. And when it comes, it smacks you three times. Just to make sure, like. ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ is the sound of the streets long after the Ritzy has kicked out for the night, ‘From The Ritz To The Rubble’ is a three-minute blast that dares to take on that most grotesque of creatures (nightclub bouncers, not Kerry Katona). The clincher, though, is ‘A Certain Romance’. As perfect a pop song as you could ever hope to hear, it rivals even The Streets in its portrayal of small-town England, a place where “there’s only music so that there’s new ringtones”. Alex’s message is compact yet delivered with dazzling poetic flair: “All of that’s what the point is not/The point’s that there ain’t no romance around here”.

By the time it finishes, you don’t feel sorry for Arctic Monkeys any more. They might have been swamped in more hype than Shayne Ward ballroom-dancing across the set of I’m A Celebrity… but all of that’s what the point is not. The point’s that there ain’t no disappointment around here” – NME

ElbowThe Seldom Seen Kid

Winning Year: 2008

Release Date: 17th March, 2008

Labels: Fiction/Polydor/Geffen

Producers: Craig Potter/Elbow

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim and Radiohead – In Rainbows

Standout Tracks: Starlings/The Fix/One Day Like This

Key Cut: Grounds for Divorce

Review:

"I'm asking you to back a horse that's good for glue," sings Guy Garvey on "Starlings", the opening track of Elbow's fourth album – though on the evidence here, this band is far from ready for the knacker's yard.

Admittedly, it's a ponderous opening, with Garvey's intimate vocal punctuated by blasts of blaring synthetic horns; but "The Bones of You" and "Grounds for Divorce" allay fears, the former a lilting indie waltz, the latter resembling a modern chain-gang chant. The diversity expands with the subdued brass-band hook of "Weather To Fly" and the uncategorisable "An Audience with the Pope", with its quixotic jangle of zither or dulcimer.

"The Fix" employs suitably furtive organ while Garvey and Richard Hawley wield racing-fraud imagery ("Too many times we've been posterly pipped/ We've loaded the saddles, the mickeys are slipped"), before "One Day Like This" concludes things with a celebration of life's small mercies: "Throw those curtains wide/ One day like this a year will see me right". An absorbing, life-affirming set” – The Independent

PJ Harvey Let England Shake

Winning Year: 2011

Release Date: 14 February, 2011

Labels: Island/Vagrant

Producers: Flood/Mick Harvey/John Parish/PJ Harvey

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Adele – 21 and Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi

Standout Tracks: Let England Shake/The Words That Maketh Murder/On Battleship Hill

Key Cut: This Glorious Land

Review:

Her musical allusions are just as fascinating and pointed: the title track sets seemingly cavalier lyrics like “Let’s head out to the fountain of death and splash about” to a xylophone melody borrowed from the Four Lads’ “Istanbul (Not Constantinople),” a mischievous echo of the questions of national identity Harvey sets forth in the rest of the album (that she debuted the song by performing it on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show for then-Prime Minster Gordon Brown just adds to its mischief). “The Words That Maketh Murder” culminates its grisly playground/battleground chant with a nod to Eddie Cochran's anthem for disenfranchised ‘50s teens “Summertime Blues,” while “Written on the Forehead” samples Niney's “Blood and Fire” to equally sorrowful and joyful effect. As conceptually and contextually bold as Let England Shake is, it features some of Harvey's softest-sounding music. She continues to sing in the upper register that made White Chalk so divisive for her fans, but it’s tempered by airy production and eclectic arrangements -- fittingly for such a martial album, brass is a major motif -- that sometimes disguise how angry and mournful many of these songs are. “The Last Living Rose” recalls Harvey's Dry-era sound in its simplicity and finds weary beauty even in her homeland’s “grey, damp filthiness of ages,” but on “England,” she wails, “You leave a taste/A bitter one.” In its own way, Let England Shake may be even more singular and unsettling than White Chalk was, and its complexities make it one of Harvey’s most cleverly crafted works” – AllMusic

James Blake Overgrown

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Winning Year: 2013

Release Date: 5th April, 2013

Labels: ATLAS/A&M/Polydor

Producer: James Blake

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: David Bowie – The Next Day and Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle

Standout Tracks: Overgrown/Take a Fall for Me/Digital Lion

Key Cut: Retrograde

Review:

James Blake’s uniqueness has much to do with the middle path he walks between folk and pop. His penchant for straightforward crooning (at full force when he covers, say, Joni Mitchell) lends itself to a narrative style. But he dabbles equally in other pop forms and emotional collage. “Life Around Here” nods directly at Timbaland, with a beat that sounds like it could have come out of a basement in New York circa 1994, Blake plucking sensory tidbits from the ether and patching them together. Hip-hop rears its head, too, with the RZA-assisted “Take A Fall For Me” sticking out as the most straightforward and naked lyricism on the album by a stretch. James Blake’s talent is in his ability to smoothly synthesize disparate influences; his willingness to grow and develop while doing so is fascinating and frequently rapturous” – The A.V. Club

Sampha Process

Winning Year: 2017

Release Date: 3rd February, 2017

Label: Young Turks

Producers: Rodaidh McDonald/Sampha

Biggest Mercury Challengers That Year: Loyle Carner – Yesterday's Gone and Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer

Standout Tracks: (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano/Timmy's Prayer/Incomplete Kisses

Key Cut: Blood on Me

Review:

Sampha's vocals can be an acquired taste, but they're instantly identifiable and heartfelt. They're all the more compelling when detailing interpersonal ruptures, drawing imagery like "I took the shape of a letter, slipped myself underneath your door," or in a state of agitation, "gasping for air." The album reaches its most stirring point in "Kora Sings," built on an alternately serene and jittery production, over which Sampha sings to his dying mother, trailing off after "You don't know how strong you are." None of it is particularly light. Sampha's exquisite melodies and detailed productions nonetheless make all the references to longing, disturbed sleep, injurious heat, and shattered glass go down easy. "Reverse Faults," sparkling low-profile trap with a dizzying combination of smeared glints and jutting background vocals, might be the best display of Sampha's skill set. Another marvel is the hurtling, breakbeat-propelled "Blood on Me," its last 40 seconds juiced with some of the nastiest synthesized bass since Alexander O'Neal's "Fake." In a way, this all makes the previous output seem merely preliminary” – AllMusic