FEATURE: Young Hearts Run Free… Studio 54: The Music, Mayhem and Majesty

FEATURE:

 

Young Hearts Run Free...

IN THIS PHOTO: Studio 54, New York City/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Norcia/Getty  

Studio 54: The Music, Mayhem and Majesty

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THERE is a lot of talk about…

IN THIS PHOTO: Studio 54/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and renewed interest in the legendary Studio 54. It was a mecca for excess, lacking inhibitions and debauchery in the 1970s. Perhaps it is the years between 1977 and 1979 where its glorious first era began and ended (that is subject to reinterpretation and expansion!). The club existed previous to that but the celebrity-attracting years put the space on the map and was the go-to club in New York. For those who need a brief history of Studio 54; Wikipedia provides a neat and handy breakdown:

“Studio 54 is a former nightclub and currently a Broadway theatre, located at 254 West 54th Street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building, originally built as the Gallo Opera House, opened in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming CBS radio and television Studio 52.

In the late 1970s, at the peak of the disco dancing and music trend, the building was renamed after its location and became a world-famous nightclub and discotheque.[4][5][6] The nightclub founders spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on professional lighting designand kept many of the former TV and theatrical sets, in the process creating a unique dance club that became famous for its celebrity guest lists, restrictive (and subjective) entry policies (based on one's appearance and style), and open club drug use. Founded and created by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager in 1977, it was sold in 1980 to Mark Fleischman,[7][8][9] who reopened the club after it had been shut down following the conviction of Rubell and Schrager on charges of tax evasion. In 1984, Fleischman sold the club, which continued to operate until 1986”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Steve Rubell, Michael Jackson; Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Cherie Currie of The Runaways at Studio 54 on 31st May, 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: Bobby Bank/WireImage

You listen to stories from those who survived those heady days and would think it was Caligula’s stag party! The rampant drug-taking and loose sexual morals – the awareness of H.I.V. and other S.T.D.s was not as acute as it is now – and there was a sense of the 1960s’ free love and looseness that was transposed and reignited in those four walls. In fact, it was not only the dancefloor and main arena that played host to coming-together and outrageous activity: every toilet and corner of the building witnessed sexual lewdness, wild drinking and drug-taking. It sounds like the sort of club Satan would frequent if he has a bucket list but, in actually, Studio 54 was a space where people harmonised and shared a love of music. There was drug-taking and sex and, whilst moral indignation and outrage closed Studio 54; when the lights were up and the music was on; it was a church for Disco-lovers and those who wanted an escape. I will end with a soundtrack/playlist that collates some quintessential Studio 54 jams but there seem to be two sides: the music played there and the evocative score; the goings-on of the patrons and the reputation it gained. There is a new documentary out that looks at the club and what went on behind closed doors. Whilst some critics have accused the piece of being dry and lacking real revelation – if it were not a documentary then more liberties would be taken and it would be more explicit – but it shows why it was such a sought-after destination and how the club progressed and, sadly, ended.

IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Jones at Studio 54 in March of 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: AP

A film was released in 1998 and, whilst it did not get too many hot reviews; it was an interesting interpretation of the club and what it was about. I guess, even with all the money in the world and an 18 certificate; could you truly capture the magic, murkiness and haze that wafted through the floor in the 1970s?! Maybe it would be too crude and voyeuristic showing how things really were at Studio 54. There is another documentary that looked at Studio 54 but, in actuality, there is no single and unifying representation that authentically and adequately distilled the true essence. Who were the types of people who were being let in (and excluded) from the club in the 1970s?

“Celebs in the late 1970s pretty much had to go to Studio 54 or risk being left-out and permanently excluded.  The nightclub had its regulars: Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Halston, Cher, Diana Ross, Brooke Shields, Michael Jackson, Calvin Klein, Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Rudolf Nureyev, and Debbie Harry…. but to list every celeb who graced its disco floor would be nearly impossible: Stallone, Beatty, Travolta… it was a who’s who of the disco-era’s “beautiful people”.

But a special place was reserved downstairs for the most beautiful of all….

Rumors of Studio 54’s exclusive basement are the stuff of legend.  The club, famous for excluding the huddled stinking masses of normal people, had an even more exclusive area downstairs!  God only knows what sort of debauchery took place down there, because there was plenty of debauchery to be found even on the main floor…”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Studio 54 (circa 1970)/PHOTO CREDIT: Waring Abbott/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

There is a lot of legend and rumour regarding some events that supposedly happened in the club. Bianca Jagger, in fact, did ride a white horse through Studio 54 during its birthday celebrations and there were enough illegal activity and carnality to offend even the most conservative New Yorker during that time. It is a shame the noise and essence of Studio 54 extended past the building and created this bad reputation. What we did get, away from the celebrity and illicitness was a booming and evocative soundtrack that remains peerless and effortless inspiring. The Disco giants congregated through the speakers and exhilarated the hungry club-goers. It is a shame there cannot be a Studio 54 active and remaining today. Maybe Disco would seem a bit kitsch and short-lived – the novelty of a genre that has all-but-died might wear thin – but it might not be the worse idea! Perhaps there could be a Dance or Pop club but, in New York, there is nothing like Studio 54. In 2018, laws are tightened and there are noise curfews; there are strict checks at doors and we could not expect a loose-lipped and ethically ambiguous 1970s hangout to appeal to authorities during this time. It would be closed very soon and it would be a very bitter lesson.

IN THIS PHOTO: A woman dancing at Studio 54 in 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: Waring Abbott/Getty Images

I guess we have to celebrate what it was and, for a brief moment, what it gave to the world. Steve Cuozzo, writing for the New York Post last year celebrated forty years of salaciousness and sensation:

“…No Big Apple nightlife venue of the last half of the 20th century ever made as big a splash on the popular culture as Studio 54, which opened 40 years ago this week. As an editor who worked in the same room where Claudia cranked out story after story about the latest antics there, I was near-desperate to explore the belly of the beast myself.

The sidewalk was a scary zoo of drunk and drugged clubgoers jostling for position. Everyone under the giant marquee was yelling, “Steve, Steve” (for ­co-owner Steve Rubell) or “Marc, Marc” (for all-powerful doorman Marc Benecke).

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov with Bianca and Mick Jagger at Bianca's 1977 birthday party/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/AP

…Studio 54 was a seductive engine of denial that the city was inexorably sliding into a tailspin. We hadn’t heard of AIDS yet. There were half as many murders in 1977 as there would be in 1990. Even so, omens of doom were all around. The broke municipality had to fire thousands of cops. A power blackout prompted looting and arson that laid waste to much of my childhood Brooklyn neighborhood. Hundreds of thousands of residents flew town on the heels of Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” move to Los Angeles.

Forty years later, the city hasn’t collapsed — quite the opposite. And a new Studio 54, or anything like it, would be impossible today”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bianca Jagger rides in on a white horse at during her birthday celebrations at Studio 54. PHOTO CREDIT: Rose Hartman/Archive Photos/Getty Images

How many of those fabled and seemingly-exaggerated tales are actually legitimate?! One of the most famous events, Bianca Jagger riding on a white horse in 1977, has been confirmed:

“Bianca Jagger riding through the club on a white horse in 1977, Schrager says, actually happened as people retell it.

"It wasn't planned for Bianca to get on the horse," he says, adding they had intended for it to be ridden solely by a nude model posing as Lady Godiva, led by another nude model in painted-on clothes. Press photographers invited to capture celebrity guests sent the image far and wide. "That was the mother of all photo ops," Schrager adds.

It also began what would be a series of live animals brought in for special occasions, including doves for Jagger's birthday, livestock at a party for Dolly Parton, an elephant that posed for photos with Linda Blair, and, in December of 1977, a leopard and a panther. Included in the book is a letter from New York City Department of Health reminding Schrager and Rubell that wild animals in bars violated two different health codes”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Diana Ross at Studio 54 in New York City in 1979/PHOTO CREDIT: Bettmann/Getty Images

Rolling Stone documented a few of the best-loved and most notorious stories from Studio 54’s history:

“Although their songs were must-plays on the dance floor, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic found themselves unable to clear Benecke's ultra-strict door policy on New Year's Eve 1977. "We were invited to meet with Grace Jones at Studio 54," Rodgers told Sound on Sound in 2005. "She wanted to interview us about recording her next album. At that time, our music was fairly popular – 'Dance, Dance, Dance' was a big hit – but Grace Jones didn't leave our name at the door and the doorman wouldn't let us in." They waited around until the early morning hours. "We stood there as long as we could take it, until our feet were just finally way too cold. We were really totally dejected. We felt horrible."

The men sulked back to Rodgers' apartment just a few blocks away. "We grabbed a couple of bottles of champagne from the corner liquor store and then went back to my place, plugged in our instruments and started jamming." Aching from the rejection, Rodgers and Edwards poured their anger into the music. "We were just yelling obscenities: Fuck Studio 54 ... Fuck 'em ... Fuck off ... Fuck those scumbags ... fuck them! And we were laughing," Rodgers described to Haden-Guest. "We were entertaining the hell out of ourselves. We had a blast. And finally it hit Bernard. He said, 'Hey Nile, what you're playing sounds really good.'"

Within half an hour they composed a song called "Fuck Off." After some lyrical tweaking they arrived at a slightly more Top 40–friendly title. "First, we changed it from 'fuck off' to 'freak off,' and that was pretty hideous. ... Then, all of a sudden it just hit me. One second the light bulb went on and I sang 'Aaaaahh, freak out!'" Released as "Le Freak" that September, the song would become Chic's first Number One and biggest hit. Perhaps understandably, Rodgers now considers Benecke a friend”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Jerry Hall, Debbie Harry and Palmona Picasso were among the celebrities who frequented Studio 54/PHOTO CREDIT: Ullstein Bird via Getty Images

The sex-filled imaginations and nude-hipped partnerships were not all that exaggerated it seems – although there was a ‘special area’ where one could go:

“Once you found yourself inside the hallowed grounds of Studio 54, the next place you wanted to go was the fabled basement; a cavernous, dingy, decidedly unglamorous space decorated with damaged banquets, pillars of rolled carpet and set pieces from past parties. It was down here that the privileged few were invited to indulge in their wildest desires. "Celebrities headed for the basement. Getting high low-down," Grace Jones wrote in her 2016 memoir. "Not even those who got inside the club could all make it into the basement. You'd stumble into half-hidden rooms filled with a few people who seemed to be sweating because of something they had just done, or were about to do." Security men brandishing walkie-talkies discreetly patrolled the area, removing any uninvited gawkers. The secluded corners furnished with mattresses quickly became a popular feature”.

There have been endless stories and testimony from those who were there and others who wished they were! I would love to see an exhibition open, in London or New York, that replicated the setting and sounds (and smells) that would have been experienced first-hand in the 1970s. It would not only act as nostalgia but a beautiful glimpse into Studio 54’s glory, history and sad demise. It was always doomed for closure – it is no shock people took umbrage and did not want the club near their doorstep. In any case; the most affecting and important memory from Studio 54 is the amazing music that was played and cherished by everyone who visited. Go and see the latest documentary/film about Studio 54 – it is gaining some great reviews, too – and get an idea of what the N.Y. space was all about. I wonder, in these safe and unsure signs we will ever see anything as meteoric, controversial and magnetic…

IN THIS PHOTO: The New Year's Eve party of 1979 made headlines around the world/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

IN our lifetime.

FEATURE: Spotlight: IAMDDB

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

IAMDDB

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IF you are looking for an artist who brings…

plenty of power, attack and amazement to music then you do not need to look much further than IAMDDB. She is a stunning artist who first came to my attention with her incredible 2017 E.P., Hoodrich Vol. 3. Songs explode from the speakers and you are helpless to refute the drama and force that is coming through. Standout cuts like Conjouring and Trophy have the authenticity you’d expect from a decades-lasting artist. One might listen to the street-smart and raw vocals of IAMDDB and think she is from The Bronx or the Manhattan. In fact, the brilliant artist is based around Manchester and is one of the finest new talents we have. She was born Diana Debrito and her Angolan father was a musician. The upcoming star has been writing since a child and taking influence from all sectors of music. After a hard relationship split, she travelled to Angola and immersed herself in the Jazz scene over there. Even though she is a new name to many people; IAMDDB has been recording for a while now and is making her way through the scene. Eyes and ears are turning her way and you cannot help fall for her music. One looks at the songwriter and is struck by her beauty and fashion. You are intoxicated by her movements and incredible sounds; floored by the sheer confidence and skill that projects from every line.

I mentioned the U.S. familiarity and how she rivals the finest and freshest R&B/Rap artists from there – she is ours and we are not going to give her up! Her songs are typically one/two-worded and they have a sense of focus and economy that many artists lack. The spits and flows and vivacious; the rhymes and wordplay are amazing and you can hear a wide and eclectic musical upbringing come through in every song. There are Jazz moments and elements but you get a real smack and attack of American Rap and modern-Britain Urban sounds. Although based in Manchester; you know IAMDDB could easily slot into the South London fold or survive over in the U.S. for a few years. Her name is growing legs and I have heard IAMDDB played on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music. Her 2016 E.P., Waeveybby, Vol. 1 is an early sign of brilliance – songs such as Childsplay showing a rare soul and incredible sense of belonging. There are no nerves – none I can detect – with IAMDDB and you know she is going to go all the way in the industry. We have some great R&B/Rap artists like Nadia Rose and Stefflon Don but, to me, nobody has the same qualities and abilities as IAMDDB.

There has been a lot of talk concerning the young artist: she has not given too many interviews herself and is letting her music do the talking. The video for Drippy is out and is an arresting and alluring video that perfectly supports the song. She came third in the BBC’s Sound of… vote for this year and was interviewed by them. Asked when music came into her life, and when she started writing; she told the BBC this:

“…Around high school time, and I did music at college. But when I went to Africa, that's when I started really understanding, OK, music is actually what I want to do. I started producing, engineering, learning the in-betweens of music, not just lyricism and the beat.

Writing's always been second nature - I can write anywhere, under any circumstance. Anything can inspire me. It feels very natural to write”.

She extolled the virtues of being an independent artist – not having any sh*t from labels and being controlled – and is acutely aware of a certain shyness and where she came from. IAMDDB talked about being independent and why it means so much to her:

“I believe in myself enough to not let anybody take control of what I do with my art. I'm always up for taking criticism that can improve it, but with regards to creative control, I feel like that's so essential for any artist to have.

For me, music is my therapy. That's where I express myself. That's why I'm so honest with it. I speak about personal issues. I speak about other people's experiences”.

It is illuminating and wonderful listening to her create music and talk about her life. Her influences include Bob Marley and why his music is so significant – everything she does is influenced by him and the way he used to move. Although modern artists like Jorja Smith, Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch are important to her; Bob Marley seems to be that icon that is behind everything she does and what she is about. Another interview she conducted (last year) talked about her as a female artist and she talked about having a strong presence and the fact it can be quite intimidating being around people. IAMDDB is not someone who alienated but she has this strong and independent vibe that relies on nobody and comes through with intensity and no crap being thrown in – it is not ego but a self of assurance that might put some off. It is the passion you get from IAMDDB that amazes and fills every sense. She is a genuine artist and true talent that cannot be taken for granted and is set to take the music world by storm. I have not met IAMDDB but she is someone I am keen to interview and find out more about.

There are few who can make Trap/Hip-Hop sounds that have so much spark, colours and energy. Her rhythms are phat and there is sexiness in the voice that draws you in and can take the breath. Someone who has that Jazz-like sound and can seduce; turning into a full-on street warrior who owns the concrete and can take you off your feet…it is an intoxicating concoction that we need in the music industry right now. I have been listening to IAMDDB for a while and wonder whether we will see another E.P. this year. She is heading out on tour and people are falling over themselves to get close to her. That independent spirit means, unlike her peers, there are few collaborations. IAMDDB has worked alongside others and been remixed but, when it comes to her strongest material, there are no other voices but hers. We are hearing of female artists being overlooked and being taken for granted right now. It is true they have fewer rights (compared to men) and imbalance continues to cause arguments and debate. IAMDDB is one of those artists who blows away the argument and shows what amazing music is being made by women right now. She is not one to get drawn into the debates: her spirit is pure and she makes music that feels natural to her; she will succeed and is as strong as any male artist out there. Watch her grow and see the Manchester-based artist conquer the world. Bob Marley may be gone but, strangely, you seem to get embodiment through IAMDDB and some of his qualities running through her blood. However you see IAMDDB; you cannot deny she is an artist who is ready to do things her own way and…

DOMINATE the world of music!

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Follow IAMDDB

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iamddb

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/IAMDDB/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamddb/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/IAMDDB

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7za6M9P94wuMsOVCHopTsI

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdADIhED9-Plw02DwWqFPZA

PHOTOS: 

Getty Images/Press

FEATURE: The Rebel Girl Who Rolls Her ‘Rs’ to the Fight: The Riot Grrrl Rebellion and Its Striking Legacy

FEATURE:

 

The Rebel Girl Who Rolls Her ‘Rs’ to the Fight

IMAGE CREDIT: Julia Scheele  

The Riot Grrrl Rebellion and Its Striking Legacy

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RIGHT now…

IMAGE CREDIT: Pitchfork

there is tension in the air and a sense that equality, as we want it stand, is a way off. I keep reading news reports that cause reaction because women are being overlooked. Whether it is to do with pay or something around sexual abuse – we haven’t evolved as much as we should. Given the weight of sexism and the struggle still ahead; one might assume female artists would feel reluctant to strike forward and take charge. The opposite is happening: there are some fierce and attacking female bands that are showing what spit and determination they have. I think about things happening in music and how female artists are getting on with things. From REWS and Goat Girl to Melkbelly and Palberta – there are a lot of great female/female-fronted bands that are capturing the spirit and attitude we saw back in the 1990s. The reason I wanted to explore riot girrrl and the role of innovators like Kathleen Hanna was to illustrate the sort of energy and desire that was in the air back then. One can say things have gotten worse since the 1990s when it comes to inequality and the role of women in music. It does not have to be all about Punk and aggressive music: brilliant female Pop and Folk artists are producing wonderful work; some great Electronic minds and those adding their touch to R&B. I will conclude with a playlist, but there are some great articles that chart the birth of riot girrrl and the sort of feelings that were stirred back then. The movement was more than music and the sort of D.I.Y. Punk aesthetic that was present among the best acts. There was the fanzine culture and a wider support for women in music. There was something inspiring in the air back in the 1990s:

“Riot Grrrl was an underground feminist movement that began in the early nineties, which was closely tied to punk music, radical politics, and a DIY aesthetic. Riot Grrrl activism involved meetings, the creation of zines, and a nationwide network of support for women in music. While some say the movement lasted until the mid-90s, others contend it never ended. With the popularity of Sara Marcus‘s recently published book Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution, it seems there may be some truth to that statement. And there are many zines, which tell the tale of the origins of the movement. In 1993, according to a Canadian newspaper (as mentioned in Girls to the Front), 40,000 zines were published in North America”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bikini Kill/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

So, then: who were the articulators and innovators who defined the movement? Many have their own views as to the pioneers and crucial figures who brought riot grrrl to the underground. There are many modern female Punk groups who take seeds from that movement and are continuing the great legacy that was laid out:

“Groups like Perfect Pussy, Joanna Gruesome and Potty Mouth frequently invoke comparisons, apt or otherwise, to the Riot Grrrl movement that began in the early ‘90s. Riot Grrrl was a loose collection of women-driven bands born of a thriving do-it-yourself, activist punk subculture that directly addressed third-wave feminist concerns, like sexual autonomy and violence against women, in their music. Kathleen Hanna of the Olympia, Washington-born Bikini Kill is widely viewed as the movement’s trailblazer, paving the way for today’s punk women with her fierce charisma and politically-charged lyricism. Popular songs include “Rebel Girl,” “White Boy” and “Don’t Need You”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Alongside the music were fanzines and publications like Action Girl newsletter and Snarla; Runt and Manifixation. It was an exciting and productive era that was fed by the notion women’s’ voices were not being respected and understood. I am drawn to the music at the time – and bands like Bikini Kill – but understand there was a whole community and identity that was enforced – one that carries on today and, in hard times, needs to be highlighted. It seems strange we are surprised to find female musicians project power and read instruments. The term ‘riot grrrl’ was often applied to any female musician who had a voice. Back when the movement started; it was applied to a specific culture and style of music. Although it was a largely white movement – black female artists created a movement of their own that best articulated their struggle – it has mutated into today’s music. Artists like Beyoncé are seen as modern-day examples of the riot grrrl sound and ethos. An interesting article explored the birth of riot grrrl and a particular song that is seen as the movement’s clarion call:

“The term “riot grrrl” tends to come up as soon as someone with a vagina starts a band. There are countless women considered riot grrrl figureheads: Kim Gordon, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, the Slits, X-Ray Spex and modern musical figureheads like Beyoncé among them. Even Haim have probably been called riot grrrl at one time or another. But this list is specific to the riot grrrl scene that erupted, fanzine in hand, in the 90s Pacific Northwest, and the bands they directly inspired. The original movement ended not long after it began, as magazines started putting girls dressed in the grunge kinderwhore style on their covers and “riot grrrl was conflated with girl power”. Riot grrrl’s DIY, punk philosophy opposed alternative music’s dominant bro culture and created, through gigs and pamphlets, spaces where women could discuss issues of gender, race, sexuality, equality and enjoy being able to crowdsurf without being groped. As outlined in the manifesto that appeared in the fanzine by riot grrrl linchpins Bikini Kill (which I had pinned to my bedroom wall for all of my teens), they saw girls as a “revolutionary soul force” with the power to change the status quo.

Bikini Kill’s Rebel Girl was the scene’s rebel yell, a short, sharp shock of serrated, anthemic punk that’s an ode to attitudinal, give-a-fuck females. The titular Rebel Girl holds her head high despite people calling her a “dyke” – or, in another recorded version of the song (there are three), a “slut” – disparaging the notions of sexual ambiguity and promiscuity that the riot grrrls kicked against. But she also rides “the hottest trike in town”, imagery that matches how singer Kathleen Hanna sings the song in the style of a girlish playground taunt. Musically, it’s the ultimate riot grrrl walk-on music, with Tobi Vail’s strutty, Dr Martens-stomp of a drumbeat, guitarist Billy Karren’s crunchy, lip curl of a riff and Hanna’s exorcism-strength screech of “in her kiss, I feel the revolution”. It is, in a word, badass”.

IN THIS PHOTO: L7/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The scene might have shifted and spilt into genres like R&B, Pop and other genres. Whilst there is not the same concentration and intensity as the 1990s. Whilst there are some incredible female artists in the scene right now; the fight continues and many have been looking around for a riot grrrl-like movement that kicks up the dirt and sends a shot to the world. Riot grrrl – if we want to keep using that term – continued past the 1990s but now, in 2018, I wonder whether some of the anger and community has gone away. There might be fanzines and publications but fewer then there was. The feminist movement is strong but it has altered its makeup and appearance. Maybe a new movement will not override the sexism and imbalance we see but there is a desire for unity and a definite shot across the water. I know of so many great female groups, Punk or otherwise, that have immense skill, intensity and talent. I look back at the notion of riot grrrl and why it came about: the need for female artists to be heard and feel they were being listened to. It was more complex than that but I wonder whether lessons were learned and those in positions of power took notice of what was happening. I will end by collating a riot grrrl-inspired playlist that looks at some of the movers and shakers that let their voices shout proud. It was a fascinating and wonderful time that achieved a lot and gave maligned and overlooked female artists a forum and voice. As we look forward to music and wonder whether things will change for the better; I wonder whether we need to look back at a movement – some hate the term ‘riot grrrl’ and others applaud it – and rebellion…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sleater-Kinney/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

WHOSE echo is still being felt.

FEATURE: Self-Service Checkouts Will Destroy the World: Overcoming the Fear and Setting Sights High

FEATURE:

 

Self-Service Checkouts Will Destroy the World

ALL PHOTOS (unless otherwise credited): Unsplash 

Overcoming the Fear and Setting Sights High

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TOMORROW…

I will look at a few different things when it comes to features. Among them are (pieces about) design and cool new fashions in music; maybe there will be a look at Meltdown festival and, if there is time, a great new act to watch closely. This is a semi-personal feature that I can spread to the larger music world and, hopefully, compel others. I am looking around and there are a lot of musical people holding back and not taking charge. They have ambitions and lofty dreams but, after a bit of pushing and excitement; that seems to wane and they retreat back to their routine. I have seen many think big regarding album concepts and where they want to tour; others who are determined to gig in countries around the world and many others who want more than what they have. It is natural and understandable we would get into this mindset. Music is an industry that promises much and seems like a golden ticket to artists and those with creative ambitions. I got into journalism as a starting-point to other ventures. I have been doing this for years and, as the time elapses, I am getting more and more restless. It is a vague assertion but I love what I do but there is that hunger to do more.

IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: Adela Loconte/Rex/Shutterstock

I have written about dreams and desire in music but, to me, I should be taking my own advice. I have recently pitched a music T.V. show to a production company in Manchester and have set my visions on something huge. In years past, I have held back and not had the confidence to actually do anything about things. Rather than go for broke and really put my all into everything; fear has come through and I have retreated back to something safe and familiar. I am not sure how far my T.V. show idea will go this time around but, even if the company says ‘no’; I will push it to someone else and keep the ball rolling. I have started ventures before and submitted the first time a rejection came my way. I am also, very soon, moving to Manchester and going somewhere that is new and very different. My thought process revolves around ambition and finding a city that offers a lot more chances and music than where I am right now. I am a big fan of what is happening in new music and there are artists I really want to interview and follow. I do not feel like I have the clout and substance, where I am, to approach these acts and make a bid. Among my target demographic are IDLES and Kate Nash. They are very different artists but both producing music that is getting under my skin; saying something important and determined to make some changes in the world.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Nash/PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Patmore

Although I have a little bit of money behind me; a lot of my new objectives and strength comes from a sense of frustration and fatigue. I have battled long to elevate myself to a different platform and get my work to a new audience. You have all seen my write about music T.V. goals – so I shall not expand here – but you have to keep strong and focused when you really want something. Whether it is something as simple as a girlfriend/boyfriend or a new job – giving in and thinking you are worth less than anyone else is not the way to approach things. Every new year of music brings fresh challenges and hardships. More and more acts are coming through; stress and anxiety are on shoulders and it seems harder to actually survive – let alone do something extraordinary and expand. I will nod to fashion and music tomorrow but I have seen people talk about designing their own T-shirts/boots and subsidising themselves that way. They have the talent and tenacity to make it happen but stumble when it comes to consistent energy and financial impetus. The market, in any corner of music, is competitive and people can get down and resigned when they think of the impossibility of big success. It may sound rather unconstructive and easy for me to say you need to have strength and abandon the fear: I am not in the same position and can make any statement I want.

The music industry, now more than ever, is looking for innovators and those willing to take a stand. From fighting against injustices and imbalance to creating businesses and setting up cool record labels; there is that market and opportunity ahead. I read interviews form artists who talk about their start and how they had to struggle to make it where they are. Whilst people said they couldn’t do it and there was a poverty of expectation around them; they battled and defied all the odds and keep that dream healthy and shining. There will always be challenges and bad days – but the only way you will be able to achieve what you set out to do is by being resolute and believing in yourself. Morale and personal happiness is decreasing and we are acutely aware of musicians struggling when it comes to their health. Maybe our horizons are narrow and flickering because of music itself. You look at genres like Rock and wonder where the big acts are. Where are those ground-breaking and epoch-defining artists that we saw decades ago?! We are witnessing great musicians come through but one wonders whether music is as compelling and exciting as it was back then. There are little boutique labels and interesting projects happening in music but few of them get proper oxygen and attention.

If you want to do something musically original and unexpected then you should get out there and do it. I feel we are all aware of people’s expectations and what negative comments and stuffiness will do to our psychological composition. Every bold soul has had to endure negativity and those dismissing their ideas. If you want to create music-based fashion and try something new then it is not up to anyone else to dissuade you and think it is a bad idea. Going back to my music T.V. show pitch and you wonder why nobody else has come up with a new format. Maybe there is this culture to suggest music T.V. is a spent force or it is a thing of the past. There are those who know this is false and feel there is a gaping vacuum that needs filling. There is a lot of dissent in the industry and people that will shoot down any ideas (and things like music T.V. shows). Putting a format onto the air takes money and being rejected quite a bit! I am prepared for some refusals and will have to contact every production company I can to get the idea lit. What I am finding it other, similar-minded people are hesitant to take the first step. It seems, when it comes to those big ideas and breakthroughs; it is down to the big names and famous artists to get things done.

Whether it is streaming services or record labels; technology inventions or anything else – all we see if the elite artists pushing these forward. Maybe that is denting confidence and creating this feeling: I need to be in their position before I can make any changes and do anything great. Even if you want to make music that goes beyond the normal or you have desires to set up your own business – it is possible to do and it will take its time! Maybe you will need to get a business loan or start quite modestly at the start. Fear seems to dictate everything we do and we often wait too long before we try and realise dreams and do what we always wanted. By then, it might be a bit late or other people have stolen our spotlight. Never assume things cannot happen and you have to be an established artist to be taken seriously. I am clear-sighted and realistic when it comes to my endeavours and will not get too carried away. It will happen one day and I am not going to quit when a few people slam the door in my face. It has come to a moment where I cannot hold off and need to grab the chance to do something big. Others are telling me about their hopes and keep revealing hesitations and doubts. We need to break out of this assumption that things cannot happen and the music industry is only willing to accommodate the big and famous. The business needs the brave and striking to shake things up and add their colours into the mix. I will keep my dream intact and not submit upon the first sign of resistance. It is all very well for me to say we need to shake off this negativity and modesty but I think, once we assume we can achieve anything and our voice is needed; that will start a revolution that will…

LEAD to incredible changes and breakthroughs.  

FEATURE: The June Playlist: Vol. 3: Sharp Glass, Familial Cannibalism and a Blue Girl

FEATURE:

 

The June Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: Let's Eat Grandma

Vol. 3: Sharp Glass, Familial Cannibalism and a Blue Girl

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EVERY week, as I keep saying…

IN THIS PHOTO: Alice Glass

brings an assortment of music that hits the senses and leaves you hugely satisfied. The incredible Let’s Eat Grandma release a single ahead of their album, I’m All Ears; Alice Glass cuts to the core with Mine; IAMDDB and Slaves have new material out – Cigarettes After Sex and All Saints are not to be overlooked!

It is a productive and eclectic selection that will keep you busy and hooked for today – make sure you dip in and investigate all the treasures and treats from this week’s musical chest…

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

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Let’s Eat Grandma – Ava

Slaves – Cut and Run

Alice Glass – Mine

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Leave a Light On

Christina Aguilera – Pipe

Arcade Fire – Chemistry

Chromatics – Blue Girl

Alessia Cara – Growing Pains

grandson – Stick Up

All Saints – Glorious

Dirty Projectors – That’s a Lifestyle

IAMDDB – Drippy

Amy Stroup – Stare

Bebe Rexha – I’m a Mess

Betty Who – Friend Like Me

Catherine McGrath – Lost in the Middle

Pales Waves – Kiss

Chaka Khan – Like Sugar

Sigrid – Focus (Demo)

Cigarettes After Sex – Crush

Mura Masa (ft. Octavian) - Move Me

Death Cab for Cutie – Gold Rush

Freya Ridings – Ultraviolet

PHOTO CREDIT: Sequoia Ziff

Jordan Mackampa - One in the Same

Gorillaz – Fire Flies

Gaz Coombes – Wounded Egos 

Grace Carter – Saving Grace

whenyoung – Heaven on Earth

PHOTO CREDIT: Stephanie Sian Smith

Hannah Jane Lewis – Frozen Frames

Ina Wroldsen – Mine

Spiritualized – I’m Your Man

Island Club – Talk It Out

Nicki Minaj (ft. Lil Wayne) – Rich Sex

Ruel – Say

Villagers – A Trick of the Light

Sigma – Anywhere

Johnny Marr – Bug

Melody’s Echo Chamber – Desert Horse

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Hammer

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelsey Hart/The Little Ghost

Deap Vally – Get Gone

FEATURE: All Around the World or the Myth of ‘Leave Luck to Heaven’: The Development and Changes in Video Game Music

FEATURE:

 

All Around the World or the Myth of ‘Leave Luck to Heaven’

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

The Development and Changes in Video Game Music

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I am not one of those people you’d find rushing home…

IN THIS IMAGE: A promotion shot from Far Cry 5/ALL OTHER IMAGES: Getty Images

from work to play Call of Duty or Far Cry 5! The fact my references are probably so far outdated – and snatched from overheard discussions – shows I am not a typical or authoritative gamer! Different generations have their favourite memories of video games – it is interesting seeing how we have evolved from the somewhat primitive, if charming and simple, games of the 1970s to the luscious and near-sentient showcases of today! Technology and design have come on leaps and bounds – there is something to be said for the nostalgia of the 1980s and 1990s. I remember when Nintendo (whether the name means ‘leave luck to Heaven’ or not has to be verified) came out and how many frantic youngsters spent endless hours on them. I was a Sega boy and remember the delight of being given a Mega Drive and a selection of games. It wasn’t only about playing the games and seeing these much-loved characters come to life. I was drawn to the music and strange sounds coming (Sonic the Hedgehog was the first game I experienced, released in 1991, and inspired me hugely). There were the sound-effects associated with level completion and time elapse; you had interstitial themes and the game theme itself. I cannot recall whether Sonic the Hedgehog’s soundtrack was particularly memorable but it was more the overall sound and palette that struck my ear. I recall being taken down to Butlin’s (Bognor Regis) and revelling in the blare of the arcade. I am not sure whether it is down there still (I doubt it) but the 1980s/1990s music coming from the popular games of the day got into the brain and helped, in a way, stoke a passion for music.

Those childhood memories are vital when it comes to how we see music at a later age. Although games like Street Fighter and Golden Axe had rather sparse – compared to today – scores; it was a revelation to my ears! Listen back to the songs from Donkey Kong (1981) and Tetris (1984); BurgerTime (1982) and Paperboy (1985). Those games seem so basic and simple compared to what we are used to. Although the graphics have developed vastly and we are experiencing video games in new ways; you cannot argue against those musical incorporations. Whether a glitch electronic tune or a series of bleeps and effects – we would all hum and recite those indelible and catchy sounds! So, then: did the video game soundtrack appear in the 1970s and 1980s?

“Video games as we know them first started appearing in the late 1970s, with arcade games and console versions of popular arcade games, proving a hit. Music was created via simple synthetic chips, generating sounds in a style that became known as 'chiptune'. This was a step on from the complete silence or basic beeps and boops of early games, for example those made famous in Atari's Pong. As we moved into the 1980s, so video game music began developing as quickly as the technology. Dynamic soundtracks started to become the norm, using music to directly communicate information to the user. The famous 1987 game, R.B.I. Baseball, was an early example of music being used to reflect the actions of the player”.

Provided with little memory and technological advance; game developers and composers had to work with what they had at their disposal. By the early/mid-1980s, the sophistication of design had come on another leap and allowed new games a chance to put greater depth and variation into their soundtracks. Moving from the bleeps and boops; the simple and linear lines – now, there was something akin to actual music. I will look at the modern incarnation of video game music but, in the 1980s, the sounds we experienced were vastly different to what our parents would have been used to. How, then, did things develop from the 1970s to the mid-1980s?

“By the time Kondo went to work for Nintendo, in 1984, the capabilities of video-game sound design had evolved from the early, primitive days of the Atari 2600. Still, it was a task that had traditionally been handled by programmers, mostly for logistical reasons. As the pioneering developer Garry Kitchen explained in Karen Collins’s definitive study, “Game Sound,” there simply wasn’t enough memory to worry about elaborate soundtracks: “You put sound in and take it out as you design your game. … You have to consider that the sound must fit into the memory that’s available. It’s a delicate balance between making things good and making them fit…It’s hard to listen to some of these decades-old sounds and not feel a sense of giddy nostalgia. This fall, Data Discs will reissue the soundtrack for 1992’s beat-’em-up classic Streets of Rage 2 as a deluxe vinyl edition. It’s a spellbinding document of its time, full of the composer Yuzo Koshiro’s chirpy interpretations of the era’s bleeding-edge sounds: scaled-down club tracks, a nod to Public Enemy’s “Rebel Without a Pause,” an almost note-perfect interpolation of Inner City’s “Good Life.” It’s the sound of a familiar, age-old musical story: cherished genres translated into new idioms, young visionaries butting up against someone else’s constraints. It was the first time some heard techno, and it was the music they had been waiting for all along”.

This article gets memories flooding back: those amped-up (by the standards of the 1980s) Club sounds that was a muted version of European Dance/Rave. Whereas I started life listening to cute and light-hearted electronic sounds from the Sega Mega Drive; by the time the late-1980s ended (and I was still a child), something tougher and more ‘advanced’ was coming in. You cannot really call the Streets of Rage 2 score as a proper soundtrack, I guess: it had a sense of co0mposition but was not exactly primed for the charts! It is interesting to see how video game sounds juxtaposed and contrasted the sounds we were hearing on the radio. I was listening to a lot of British Pop and what was deemed ‘cool’ by the tastemakers. The Techno and Electronic sounds I discovered in some games was my first experience and opened my tastes to a wider world of music. I was intrigued by this raw and low-lit danger; the European-inspired Dance rehashes and wondered what these sounds were! Not only were the ‘songs’ matching the action and adding to the experience; my brain was being nourished by sounds I was not getting anywhere. Classic 1990s games like Mortal Kombat and Doom took sounds in a new direction – there were more violent and ambitious games and, with it, composers had to up their game and come up with something appropriate. The 1990s saw great trends and developments.

“Though superstars like Uematsu already had cutting edge soundtracks to their name prior to 1990, it would still take considerable time before mainstream gamers would take notice. Moreover, music for most video games at the time were very simple and rather generic (and perhaps also a bit grating).  With the exception of stand out games (largely RPGs, often JRPGs), the industry didn't get the whole soundtrack thing sorted out until the mid '90s. That's largely thanks to Nintendo.

 …That was just the start. What game soundtracks like Donkey Kong Country, Castlevania: Bloodlines, and Super Metroid brought to the table were something other than frenetic sounds designed to evoke a sense of motion or urgency. They added atmosphere--a very distinct sense of place, emotion, and character. This was especially true in Super Metroid, the soundtrack for which evoked the feelings one might experience investigating a dangerous planet. There are haunting ambient tracks as well as energetic and sinister tracks”.

I will end this piece by looking at five games that are often seen as the very best when it comes to the music. If the 1980s and 1990s saw its video game sounds produced by in-house composers or those outside the world of music; as games became more spellbinding and boundary-breaking; popular artists become involved. There are film actors who often lend their voices to games. It is a lucrative business and a great discipline that helps them as actors – and stretched their fanbase to new people. Musicians are spotting potential by adding their talents to video games. The games themselves get to such a wide variety of people, and so, the potential to recruit and compel is huge. Lush games set in apocalyptic scenes; strangely realistic war games and fantasy epics are almost film-like in their realism. One would not balk at a popular musician wanting to record a film soundtrack. So many modern games are crystal-clear and almost like you are seeing something come to life on a screen. What are the ups and downs of this new wave of video game soundtracks?

“As musical capabilities increased, big names signed on. Trent Reznor's Quakeand Hans Zimmer's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are some of the results. Conversely, game composers crossed over. Michael Giacchino made his name with the Medal of Honor series, and went on to do the music for TV's Alias and Lost and the last Star Trek movie.

…Of course, old-school purists long for the beeps of yore. A common complaint is that the new soundtracks are all so much bombast: If not sweeping orchestral strings, there are crunching electric guitars or thumping electronica beats. Or all three at once.

Composers Bill Elm and Woody Jackson brought in harmonica great Tommy Morgan (veteran of Ennio Morricone scores). Instruments include the jaw harp, cello, timpani, and in a game music first (I assume), ultrasound. Jackson recorded the heartbeat of his unborn daughter and used it for percussion.

Even now, game composers have to figure out ways around certain stumbling blocks. In this case, Elm and Jackson wrote the entire score in the key of A minor and at 130 beats per minute, to make all the sequences fit together”.

In line with the way graphics and concepts have grown; the music in video games has become more sweeping, epic and intellectual. Composers have more money and resources – as the industry becomes bigger and multi-million-dollar – and demand is increasing. The player wants something immersive and engrossing: we cannot have the same sounds as we had back in the 1980s and expect people to swallow it. FACT, back in 2015, compiled a list of the one-hundred best video game soundtracks and ended the piece with a handy playlist. My favourite games featured on the list.

Streets of Rage 2 (1992) was high up the list – “The game’s soundtrack was similarly “mature,” and unlike family-friendly fare like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario World, chirpy melodies were nowhere to be seen. Instead players were treated to techno and breakbeat-influenced compositions from Yuzo Koshiro, bringing an unusual club swagger to the game” – and so too was Megaman 2 – “In other words, it was just pure fun and the bare essentials before we knew what was coming, and all that was needed to complete the package was a bulletproof roster of incredible tunes to keep you going after Heat Man’s stage kills you again and again. You memorized the songs, then memorized the stages”. Whether SNES/NES favourite from the 1980s or a Nintendo gem from the 1990s – or a Sega classic – one could see the differences in terms of decade and development. Topping their list was the 2001 classic, Ico (Michiru Oshima, Koichi Yamazaki, Mitsukuni Murayama) on the PS2. This is a soundtrack I am familiar with – one that FACT fell in love with:

“…And yet they only make those moments of peace even more tender and special. If ‘Darkness’ has an opposite it’s ‘Heal’, the wonderous, childlike lullaby that accompanies the precious moments of rest provided by stone seats (the game’s save points). Some of Ico’s most memorable moments come from loading the game later to find the pair sleeping to ‘Heal’ like Ingemar and Saga nestled on the couch in the end of My Life As A Dog. Ico reaches moments of grandeur such as the massively cathartic ‘You Were There’, which erupts in its heart wrenching finale, but it’s Ico‘s smaller moments of gentle grace – and impending doom – that stick with us beyond anything else”.

Video game soundtracks and scores are more like albums and Classical suites than background sounds. I still have affection for the bare-naked and charming sounds of Pac-Man or Sonic the Hedgehog. Whether an arcade game where one goes looting or something on the PlayStation that involved more concentration and involvement – the sounds that accompanied my childhood obsessions remain with me still. I have not been a real gamer for a long while but am staggered at how far things have come. We all have an appreciation for those childhood games and there is so much value in the nostalgia of older gaming – compacted versions of the original Nintendo are available with pre-loaded games. Modern gaming is more immersive than we have ever been used to. New technologies – 3-D and special glasses; headsets and devices that allow us to almost physically step into the game – mean the customer wants music that is more adventurous and nuanced. They want sounds that match the mood and take them into a new and fascinating world. Modern video game sounds/songs are, perhaps, more digestible and multi-layered than the old incarnations but, to me, you cannot beat the wonderful soundtracks of the 1980s and 1990s that provided…

SIMPLE and endless pleasure!

FEATURE: A Century of Suffrage: The Empowerment Playlist

FEATURE:

 

A Century of Suffrage

PHOTO CREDIT: AP 

The Empowerment Playlist

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TODAY marks the one-hundredth anniversary…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

of women (some) being granted the right to vote. Up and down the country, there have been marches and rallies; women have been out in force to commemorate this landmark occasion. Even one-hundred years down the line, many argue there is a long way to go regards equal rights for women. There is a long way to go, to be honest, but look back one-hundred years and developments have been made since then. This article, published in The Guardian, highlights what has been happening today:

“In glorious sunshine the streets of the capitals of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland filled on Sunday afternoon with marching, cheering, singing, chanting women, rejoicing in the centenary of some women winning the right to vote in 1918 – and vowing to continue the struggle for true equality for all.

The events were both a commemoration of the mass marches and demonstrations of the suffragettes’ campaign, a celebration of their ultimate victory, and a reminder that there is still more to do at a time when women’s rights in Northern Ireland are a burning political issue.

The veteran politician Shirley Williams, observing the many men who did not march but stood on the pavements cheering on friends and family in the processions, told the BBC: “There has been a staggering leap forward and all we have to do now is persuade the men to leap forward to join us because they haven’t got there yet”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Reuters

Lady Williams said: “We’re slowly getting equality, but the next step is recognising the equality and the decency of all human beings, women and men”.

To mark an historic day; I have collated a playlist of empowering songs that provide a perfect soundtrack on a day like today – where voices have been united and women have been out in force. There is, as I say, a long way to go but there are hopes things will continue to improve – so long as there is activism and action. Take a listen to these defiant songs of strength and remember those, over one-hundred years ago, who fought so hard to…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

ENSURE women were granted the right to vote!

FEATURE: Halfway to a Hit by The Hollies: There’s Something About Mary Anne Hobbs

FEATURE:

 

Halfway to a Hit by The Hollies  

IN THIS PHOTO: Mary Anne Hobbs/PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Lewis

There’s Something About Mary Anne Hobbs

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I am kickstarting a series that investigates…

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Lewis

and highlights women in radio. A few inalienable facts remain unflinching and stubborn in my mind: the lack of women who are hosting drive-time shows on national radio is among the most alarming (fact). If one looks at the BBC stations and the bigger players in the market...you will know most of the best and hardest-promoted shows have men at the helm. It seems a strange and outdated construct that is unwilling to listen to the voices decrying music’s sexism. The reason I have started on this subject is that Mary Anne Hobbs, an icon and stalwart of the music industry, seems like a perfect voice to guide the stressed and weary commuter home from a day’s labour. The former Queen of BBC Radio 1; Hobbs now hosts the weekend morning slot on BBC Radio 6 Music – bringing her inimitable style and passion to the people; curing aching hangovers and educating minds in need of stimulation. I will come to an interview, conducted back in 2009, that showed how far the D.J. had come and why radio was a natural fit for her. Through my series, I will introduce female radio figures who are making a big impact or have endured for many years. One can talk about the natural progression for D.J.s – Mary Anne Hobbs went from XFM (now Radio X) to BBC Radio 1 – and how they, inevitably wind up on BBC Radio 2 or a somewhere where the demographic is a little less energetic.

What strikes me about Mary Anne Hobbs is how ageless and broad her appeal is. She is, I hope, someone who will not feel the need to retreat and resign to a lesser radio station: her natural home seems to be BBC Radio 6 Music and the freedom she has there. Surrounded by a great team – including Helen Weatherhead – it brings me back to my original thesis regarding radio’s gender-imbalance: why are we not promoting great D.J.s like Mary Anne Hobbs and putting them a lot higher up the family tree?! She loves where she is but (her talent) proves how great female D.J.s are as potent and influential as their male peers. There are a few things – I shall come to interview and biography later – that makes Hobbs one of the best D.J.s in the country right now. Today, I tuned into her morning show and it was filled with treasures. There was a report about Paul McCartney playing back in Liverpool, for one! It seems The Beatles legend played a secret gig at the Philharmonic pub in front of a modest selection of fans – he performed a Beatles-career-spanning set that was free from promotion and pomp. With James Corden in tow (no idea what his role was: he always seems to rile me!), the Liverpudlian icon delighted those lucky enough to be in attendance.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

Hobbs’ show also celebrated two-hundred-and-fifty years of the Royal Academy and, as always, brought the listeners into the frame. Messages were read and she, like the best D.J.s around, made those listening feel involved with every movement and song. The passion and intrigue Hobbs has for music and its endless shape-shifting is what gets to me. Whether it is a tender and beguiling revelation from Nils Frahm – a favourite artist of hers – or a hard-cutting offering from Kendrick Lamar; there are no limits when it comes to her musical tastes. It seems rather insulting and stereotyping to say those who have been in the music industry for a certain time lose their edge and tend to focus on music that lacks bite. Hobbs would have the cool and quality-driven aspect were she not employed by BBC Radio 6 Music: the fact the station encourages those spectrum-pushing D.J.s who open minds mean she’ll be where she is for many more years. Every D.J. on the station provides incredible musical variety but Hobbs manages to unearth rare gems and opens the vinyl crate to fresh and initiated listeners alike. Because of her, I have stepped up my ambition to create a music T.V. show and put a lot of time into a new music website. One of my ambitions is to have a one-off show on BBC Radio 6 Music and, as impossible as it seems, I always conspire and think which artist would kick off a three-hour show (I think a selection from The White Stripes’ sophomore album, De Stijl, would be perfect!). I listen to Mary Anne Hobbs of a morning – and her 'Recommends' shows – and am staggered by her knowledge, love of music and how varied her tastes are...

She is like the ultra-cool aunt (that is not meant to be ageist or insulting: she is a young woman but is older than I...) and someone who takes pleasure in heightened the listeners’ senses and giving props to the finest new musicians around. One cannot escape another golden facet of Mary Anne Hobbs: that incredible voice. It is a mix of, maybe, Joanna Lumley and a film heroine from the 1940s. There is a richness and chocolate-rich sultriness that strikes the mind, heart and…well, you can fill in THAT blank. It is comforting and calming; incredible sensual and engaging – which means you are hooked and would stay with her…even if she were reading Piers Morgan’s diary entries! The ‘Mary Anne Hobbs Package’ is completed with a tight twine fastening and beautiful bow: that mix of studio-played music and how she seeks out artists away from the studio. I have seen social media posts where she has spent an evening catching Kendrick Lamar enthral a Manchester audience – she is based up there – or frequent a sweatier, bladder-kicking band that demands their fans move every bone and molecule of their body. I have mentioned Nils Frahm and, given the gulf between him and a Thrash/Metal band; that sort of wide-ranging taste is hugely impressive. Hobbs does not limit herself to the studio and only do her day-shift: music is her life and, alongside a love of culture and the arts, her mind and body can be found hunting down the tastiest and most vivid performance around.

PHOTO CREDIT: @maryannehobbs

I will wrap up my feature soon but, before I conclude, I mentioned I would source an interview - that authoritatively documents Hobbs' path into the music industry. In the interview, conducted by Joe Muggs, the early life of (the curious) Mary Anne Hobbs was alarming and stirring:

“…As a young kid, I was way into punk rock, but my dad, who was an extremely violent alcoholic, had completely banned all music from the house. So if you wanted to buy a record, you would have to go to Mears Toyshop and place an order, and then one seven inch single would take nine weeks to reach the shop. At 12, 13, I was really really into punk, it was massively appealing to me. I cannot tell you how thrilling it was to sit in a class at school and be told in very grave and serious tones about how the Sex Pistols were literally on the brink of destroying civilised society as we knew it”.

Mary Anne Hobbs has written for various music publications, including NME, and that dream of getting to London was always in her mind. A rural village-dwelling music nut growing up around a violent and Punk-hating father – the youngster would flick between radio stations and see her records smashed and destroyed by her father. John Peel, it seemed, provide sanctuary and revelation – a tastemaker whose passion for music inspired Hobbs to take charge and follow her dreams. When she was kicked out of her home as a teenager; she was part of a band and worked crappy jobs to make ends meet. Food supply was grim – a bag of chips a day for a long spell – and dwellings were modest and cramped. It was a rebellious and unsure existence that, whilst money-lite and unhealthy, provided independence and those all-important first steps.

IN THIS PHOTO: The late, great John Peel (who Mary Anne Hobbs saw as a 'second father')

For me, living in a much more comfortable and secure environment; there are, however, some similarities. I am starting my rebellion later in life but there is me, now, living in a rather narrow and close-minded part of the world (pretty dull, too) and that ambition to move to Manchester and become much more involved in music. I have a list of rather dour and pointless jobs on my C.V. and there is that thing that keeps me going: knowing that music is where I belong and what gives me meaning and pure contentment. Mary Anne Hobbs’ path saw her overcome hurdles and make a huge success of her life. Her life, ideally, would be suited to a big-screen adaptation. One can imagine a brilliant soundtrack and the tale of a young girl eager to escape her small-town life and go where the action is. The last segment I will source from the interview (fascinating and engrossing) relates to Hobbs’ time at BBC Radio 1 and its male-dominated ethos:

“…So, yeah, that's the story. Anyway, I'd come out of that culture, so I was very feisty when I first came to Radio 1, also because I'd come from this very male-dominated culture at the NME where everyone was so well-educated and I had left school at 16 and gone to work at an egg-packing factory with no A-levels or qualifications of any sort. This was the era of Stuart Maconie, David Quantick, Danny Kelly, James Brown, Andrew Collins, Steve Lamacque, the list goes on: a tough environment for women to operate in without a doubt. And it was that era where everything was just that much more confrontational – so when I came to Radio 1 that was the culture I'd come out of”.

The reason I performed some 'noise thievery' (to quote a quality banger from The Streets' debut album) regarding the interview above is to illuminate how vivid and fascinating Mary Anne Hobbs’ life has been. Now, if you were unaware, you’d think there was nothing out of the ordinary and she has had a conventional road into the business. Not only is she one of the toughest and most enduring D.J.s in the business; she is that evergreen and endless promoter of music from all around the sonic globe. She involves herself with Dubstep and Metal; she throws her arms around modern Experimental and Folk music and seems like this is her calling. There NEEDS to be a Mary Anne Hobbs film at some point (I know the ideal star...) – to show what a role model she is and that incredible modern-fiction, battle-against-the-odds fight! Fast-forward to 2018 and the ever-wonderful Hobbs continues to raise awareness of gender inequality and what changes need to happen in the industry. She is part of a studio with greater equality than most: there is that need, still, to put their female D.J.s – including Lauren Laverne – higher up the order and set an example to the rest of the industry. BBC Radio 6 Music is the best station out there because of what Hobbs was denied as a child: freedom to express and to traverse music; play great music loud and not be fearful of repercussions and judgement. She is the figurehead and fountain that continues to better lives and make us all feel better and more connected. The Lancashire-born icon has brought brilliant music into all of our lives – I found Nils Frahm through her – and every weekend is a sheer delight. The Muse and radio heroine, we all hope, has a few more decades in her radio career – who knows how much further she can go and the changes she can help make! Mary Anne Hobbs kicks off my women in radio feature for a number of reasons. I feel I have covered plenty of ground and given plenty of rational but, yeah…

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Lewis

DID I mention that voice?!

FEATURE: Survivors’ Gilt: Why Decades-Lasting Artists Remain At a Time of Brevity and Uncertainty

FEATURE:

 

Survivors’ Gilt

IN THIS PHOTO: Tony Hadley/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

Why Decades-Lasting Artists Remain At a Time of Brevity and Uncertainty

__________

THE ‘Gilt’ part of this feature’s title…

IN THIS PHOTO: Spandau Ballet (with their new lead Ross William Wild, centre)/PHOTO CREDIT: Denis O'Regan

refers to the act of making something golden/gilded. It is an appropriate piece of wordplay – pat on the back for me! – because one of those bands that refuse to quit is Spandau Ballet! Tony Hadley is no longer with the band after a particular vicious towel-whipping incident permanently bruised Gary Kemp’s right testicle (although, the official cause of his replacement is different!). Even if four-fifths of the new-look band are greying/older – except Martin Kemp’s McCartney-esque trick of draining the supplies of Just for Men! – there is a reason why Spandau are still around and making new music. With a new singer, Ross William Wild, we might not see the Hadley-led belters like Gold. Maybe there will not be a True 2.0 or anything that scored our 1980s scene: the fresh incarnation, as this article shows, is going to be somewhat different:

“British pop group Spandau Ballet introduced new singer Ross William Wild in a small club show at London's Subterania on Wednesday (June 6) night. Wild was selected as a replacement for Tony Hadley after the longtime frontman departed the band last year, and is helping to usher the famed '80s musicians into a new era.

"This is a rebirth of the band," guitarist Gary Kemp told Billboard ahead of Spandau Ballet's performance. "But it still feels like the band. It still sounds like the band. The energy is the same. We've still got the main songwriter. We've still got all the same musical protagonists. And now we've got this new guy who is filling us with new vitality. He's really stepped up to the plate with a lot of talent and passion and knowledge."

The British group, which formed in London in 1979, released six albums during their heyday in the '80s before splitting up in 1990 due to disagreements over royalties. They reunited in 2009 with a new album and two global tours, and have continued to perform and write music since. When Hadley announced via Twitter last July that he was leaving the group there wasn't any doubt as to whether Spandau Ballet would carry on, largely because the musicians didn't feel finished.

"We felt that only one fifth of the group left," Kemp said. "We wanted to make it work. We really felt we couldn't let this one go. It hadn't run its course and there are still people out there who want to hear the songs played by the original guys. We just had to find a guy who would sing it".

There is an argument to suggest bands like Spandau Ballet have survived for so many years because their existing fanbase has been with them from the start. They fell for the music in the 1980s and, whilst looking for alternatives, found nothing that was as pure and memorable. Whilst modern Pop music seems to be cramped with overly-energised and throwaway tunes; Spandau Ballet refuse to modernise – lest they look limp and out-of-step – and are making a more mature and slow-burning variety. Many might see the word ‘mature’ as a synonym for ‘crap’.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

I am a fan of the group and loved the work they did back in the 1980s. I feel, although they are Hadley-less, that is not to say they will feel limbless and lighter. Ross William Wild's introduction seems like a lateral move and the band knows trying to live in the past is a bad move. Tony Hadley is planning his own album and it seems, like his former bandmates, there is stock and appeal to be mined. A lot of the bands from the 1980s have gone the way of Hitler because, oddly, the ‘fashions’ and trends of the decade have died. It is easy to see some of these legendary bands remain whilst others, who have just started, have struggled and are going out of business. Does that lead to guilt and a sense of blame? I feel like there is a place for every artist and the market is varied enough to accommodate everyone. Duran Duran are another band who have stood the test of time and keep making music – they are not the only ones. ABC and other 1980s bands are operational and artists who have been around even longer, like Elton John and The Rolling Stones, are pulling in the masses! It is interesting discovering bands of the 1980s still going and making new music. What surprises me about, say Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran, is the fact their core is not entirely middle-aged. They are bringing in young listeners – that does not shock me...

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

So many new artists are, without irony, revisiting the 1980s – or experiencing the sounds for the first time. Big acts like Madonna and Talking Heads are being updated; you get plenty of new Pop that reminds one of the 1980s’ best, too. One can understand why epic groups like The Rolling Stones and The Who have managed to last this long. They are not subject to the same machine and demands as new artists – they have leeway and rights that exempt them – and there is not the same need to get gigs in and comply with the Spotify-minded process. The music they made back in the 1960s and1970s still sounds fresh and there is someone, somewhere that wants to go see them. Look at the 1990s, too, and artists like TLC, Steps and Shed Seven are still making music. En Vogue released an album, Electric Café, recently and Destiny’s Child made a rare appearance at this year’s Coachella – led by Beyoncé and blowing the audiences away! I will look at that side of music soon but it seems like current demand and a wave of nostalgia is providing oxygen to older icons. Music, good or bad, is dictated by fashions and a sense of style. One can assume certain artists would find limited scope today because of their looks and sound. Spandau Ballet and ABC, let’s say, are not making the same music they did decades back; great bands of the 1970s and 1980s, whilst popular then, appear outdated and a bit tragic at a time that is very hip and modern.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Is there, then, a set of rules and configuration – schematics, for instance – that dictates which artists remain and which are best left in the past?! Should the reformed and enduring artists feel a sense of guilt when they see promising newcomers split and struggle in the industry – given the fact they are not as concerned about finance and starting from scratch. It is not their fault the industry is so hard and, if anything, the durability and evolution they have shown (older acts) should provide guidance and heart to newcomers. You can easily explain why bands like Erasure and Depeche Mode remain relevant; why Gary Numan is still making music. They were lauded in their day but, as children, we revelled in their sounds and thought, if we become musicians, we’ll follow their path. These children are grown up and are paying tribute to their heroes. Because of that, we are seeing a modernised version of Synth-Pop that means the original creators are still relevant and demanded. Maybe a ‘return’ of the 1980s is short-lived and will go in cycles. The Beach Boys and Queen (sans Freddie Mercury) are kicking it and U2 are not showing any signs of being aged – other acts like KISS, unfortunately, are still playing music.

I have talked about 1990s bands like Steps and Shed Seven and why they are back in the limelight. The Charlatans are still recording and, a couple of decades since they hit their peak, there is that curiosity and loyal base that will not wane. It is interesting seeing these bands survive given the fact their current music, in my mind, is weaker and less potent than their heyday best. Kylie Minogue recently turned fifty and on her latest album, Golden, she has gone Country and is a different artist to the one in the 1980s whose sugar-sweet and memorable brand of Pop that inspired a generation. Maybe that is the secret to a rich (in more ways than one…) and successful career: not only moving with the times but not trying to live in the past. There are decades-old bands living on past glories but, for the most part, the existence of the legends is down to knowledge of what the market wants. Their audience may be on BBC Radio 2 (as opposed to BBC Radio 1) but they are able to hold their own and still show huge enthusiasm. Modern music is using elements of every decade, and so, it is understandable some of the artists who were around the first time would fascinate sapling ears. Look at Destiny’s Child, for instance – the ‘Survivors’ part of the feature’s title could easily apply to their hit of the same name – and how 1990s Pop/R&B holds weight.

All Saints are recording still and, again, it is less sassy and young than their original run. I am glad certain artists are able to continue at a time when we are seeing so much premature extinction and loss. Maybe having that reputation and sense of national trust means it is not shocking discovering bands we thought were through come back up and return to form. I am worried that modern music is about conforming to platforms and certain moulds; being part of a process and not really existing in any organic and personal form. Even though music was not as streaming-driven and competitive back in past decades; established artists from back then are able to adapt. Maybe these groups/songwriters are a little creakier and grey; they are not as cool as they were and a little outside the nucleus of relevant and fantastic. They should not feel bad artists with spunk and great songs should suffer and struggle to keep their heads above water. The industry is tough and it was pretty brutal back in the 1980s – look at the mullets to realise artists had more than enough on their shoulders! I am glad we still have Spandau Ballet playing and thrilling the young and not-so-sprite alike. Their durability, strength and sense of ambition has, like their peers, ensured they have a voice today and are planning on a long future yet. It may not be Gold for the altered Spandau Ballet but, to paraphrase a famous quote…

IN THIS PHOTO: The original (1980s) Spandau Ballet line-up (with Tony Hadley, centre)

NOT all that glistens has to be gold!

FEATURE: Decomposition: The Modern Horror Film Soundtrack – and Why Less Can Mean More

FEATURE:

 

Decomposition

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

The Modern Horror Film Soundtrack – and Why Less Can Mean More

__________

PERHAPS it is quite in vogue…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

and uber-cool these days but more and more musicians are moving into the world of soundtrack composition. I am seeing artists step from their Rock/Pop worlds and score music for the big screen. Whether they pen a chelating soundtrack that tackles tense moments or pen something stirring, scenic and of-the-ocean – it provides a new canvas and a fresh challenge. The phenomenon of popular musicians going more ‘Classical’ is nothing new. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood is no stranger to film score and what it can elicit. From Bodysong (2003) to There Will Be Blood (2007) – which was disqualified from the Oscars because the soundtrack included music he had already released – there is much to love about his non-Radiohead cannon. The former film’s score uses limited transposition and impressionistic strings; Stockhausen-inspired movements and exposing Olivier Messiaen's theory of grouping melodies around interval groups. That film was a documentary about the course of a human life: from the unsure start of birth and fresh life right through to death. There Will Be Blood used expressionistically bold strings and sparser piano codas perfectly accompanied Daniel Day-Lewis playing an ambitious and will-stop-at-nothing fortune-maker in older-times America. Greenwood is nominated for this year’s Oscars: he composed the music for 2017’s Phantom Thread and, let’s hope, gets his just rewards. It is ironic I mention a ‘thread’ because it seems like I need to knit faster and come up with something focused.

IN THIS PHOTO: Thom Yorke/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I reference Jonny Greenwood because Thom Yorke, Radiohead’s lead, has been making the music news:

“The first trailer for the remake of the 1977 cult horror movie Suspiria has been shared online, featuring new music from Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke.

The clip, which you can watch below, features Yorke’s eerie and anxious score against creepy images featuring a levitating possessed girl, blood and maggots.

The film is a remake of Dario Argento’s supernatural movie and stars Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, and Chloe Grace-Moretz. It is being remade by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, I Am Love) through Amazon Studios and is due out on November 2.

It is the first feature film Yorke has scored, although he has had some involvement in film soundtracks before, contributing to Velvet Goldmine and 2013’s The UK Gold, a documentary about tax avoidance”.

I cannot wait to hear how the score comes together and the way it interacts with the music. We think of the great horror film scores and we can do our research.  From John Williams’ Jaws tension to Bernard Herrmann’s peerless chills in Psycho – there have been some varied and interesting soundtracks through the years. Whether you learn towards John Carpenter’s Halloween score – which was composed without synchronising with the picture itself – or like a more expressive and flamboyant take on the horror film score; it seems like a hard medium to conquer. I think film scores are a challenge and a different discipline to ‘regular’ music. It takes different skills and more focus on mood and the visual elements – ensuring your notes fuse with the images on screen and provide something special to the listener. Romantic films and period dramas will have a different tone and objective to scores from action flicks and ramped-up slashers. Whilst I am a fan of the aggressive and cocaine-fuelled string stabs you might find on a horror score; the bulging bass and pizzicato strings that arrive when the murder lurks in the dark – is that type of composition confined to the past? Things of modern horror masterpieces like A Quiet Place (starring Emily Blunt) and Marco Beltrami’s score had a difficult job: trying to partner a film where silence was an issue – any creeks or voluminous motions would incur death and darkness; it is about remaining still and trying to be mouse-like.

The music, as such, could not be a whacked-out and raging score that employed epic orchestration and big bursts. There are some spine-tingling numbers on the soundtrack but, for the most part, it is about heightening and supporting that never-ending sense of being on the edge. Today, scores are about psychology and how the notes create a sense of unrest in the listen. There have been plenty of blood-splattered films where the music has been physically evocative and tried to force the blood down the throat. Whereas classic horror films like Psycho, too, relied on the fear of the unseen and subtle; we always associate horror films with guts and gore – as such, do we feel the score is going to be a minimalist and delicate beast? The 1970s and 1980s sounds were defined, as this article shows, a defined and distinct aspect:

“The 1970s and ‘80s, and the rise of the synthesiser, brought fresh blood to the scene; this phase has also fuelled a recent resurgent passion for horror music. Modern hits such as the Netflix series Stranger Thingspay homage to the era right through to their pulsing electronic sounds. The alluringly eerie original score for the show, created by Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon (of Austin outfit SURVIVE), also evokes pioneers like director/composer John Carpenter (who soundtracked many of his own films including 1978’s Halloween, and 1987’s Prince of Darkness, as well as enlisting composer Ennio Morricone for 1982’s The Thing)”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

The score, in a way, is a way of involving the film-goer in the action and providing a sense of surprise. There is plenty of action and suspense in horror but, if you wallop them with blood and punchy musical interjections; that is not as unexpected and impactful as a score that brings you in and pulls you away. Whether there are violent violins or elegant piano notes; a blend of rousing horns or a delicate and eerie viola working away – providing a sonic rollercoaster (or a less wanky definition) is proving more affecting. Modern horror films are also being produced using less money and studio resources. An historical look at horror shows you (the genre) has always been a bit under-the-radar compared to the big-budget flicks that have money to splurge. Composers might have an orchestra to work with but the time and money they have to make music can be restricted. Because of this, composers are getting more innovative and priding psychological impact over sound-force and steamrolling the public. Look at classic films like Halloween and you can see the way simple and everyday instruments are used in different ways to explore all the psychological twists and contortions we’d expect. Exploring the haunt of a creaking door or the disturbed mind of a killer – the biggest delights arrive when the music is more subtle and textural.

I am looking forward to seeing what Thom Yorke does with the upcoming Suspiria. Listen to the haunt of certain songs on Radiohead’s Kid A (How to Disappear Completely) to the beauty and elegance many overlook when it comes to the band – the man knows what he is doing and is not someone who goes for the obvious. I still love those scores that keep things quiet and light before exploding into a cacophony of darting strings and scared pitches. I am seeing modern horror rely more on notes not played – if that makes sense – and creating frights by experimentation and evolution as opposed to volume and might. Some stuffier musicians might feel a mainstream artist is not fit to score films – they might not possess the right education or any sort of formal upbringing. That, to me, is what makes the new venture of Thom Yorke so appealing. He can bring something unique to films and help make the music cross-pollinating and accessible. I know he will throw in some explosive compositions but it is those stripped-back and disturbing sounds that leave the biggest mark. Whether less is really more – can you create true fear and epicness without an orchestra all rising together?! – is up to the individual but I think one can affect someone more overtly by leaving something to the imagination. I am glad the horror score remains as interesting and varied as it was back in the 1960s and 1970s.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

The 2018 scene might not have legends like John Carpenter and Bernard Herrmann working and creating masterpieces – there are plenty of older and new composers continuing their legacy and producing brilliant pieces. Hereditary, another film that is tussling with A Quiet Place for the best flick of this year gong, boasts a varied and exceptional film. It is one of the most disturbing and genius films we have seen in years and rely on that mix of psychological trauma and big-time frights. Listen to the music and, on its own, it is a fascinating and staggering work. Colin Stetson, the saxophone virtuoso, talked to FACT about composing the score and how he approached the music:

“In this case, that was a joy, as the acting performances in the film are tremendous and really inspired the sonic character of the music from moment to moment. In terms of instrumentation, I relied on a stable of acoustic sound sources almost exclusively. Clarinets were used extensively, both contrabass and Bb, as well as some bass clarinet, as well. Of course the more obvious cornerstones of my signature solo sounds are there in the forms of bass and alto saxophones, as well as deriving all of the film’s percussive sounds from the saxophones themselves, as I do in my solo composition. But I also utilized a bit of the brass world, both french horn and trumpet make appearances and a key melodic and sonic element was provided by the Lyricon, a rare analog wind synth from the 1970s”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Colin Stetson/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It seems like horror films are still a big draw and bringing the very best out of directors/actors. Even if, for the most part, we have moved away from the classic era and seeing a more eclectic and variable scene – from the cliché horror films of high-school kids getting cut to ribbons to the brilliant psychological pictures that shock the sh*t out of the unsuspecting viewer – the music that soundtracks the films is not dropping in terms of quality. There is a lot to be said for the fireworks-laden compositions but, to me, the sounds that are committed to memory longest are those that take away the breath…

WITHOUT pulling out the tongue.

FEATURE: All That We Should Leave Behind: Taking the Negativity Out of Music Journalism

FEATURE:

 

All That We Should Leave Behind

Taking the Negativity Out of Music Journalism

__________

ONE of the most upsetting things I witnessed…

this week was seeing a great musician have her work given short compassion and needless insult. Although Megan O’Neill bears no grudges and is not rallying against the journalist – I shall not name the culpable party – it was egregious seeing a short-tempered and crass shot at an album, Ghost of You, which has seen acclaim and widespread love come its way. There is a famous saying that states living well is the best revenge: the fact her record is on top of the iTunes Album Chart is a perfect banquet of delightful revenge. The Irish songwriter’s first full-length record will get an extensive tour that sees her hit the U.K. and Europe. Fans are throwing their arms around her work (and her) and O’Neill is vibing from that compassion. It seems, therefore, an act of petty and ill-educated insubordination should not throw the wheels out of motion. As I said before; the musician holds no bitterness but it seemed rather unsettling reading a review that reduced her work to such a low level. Music is subjective and open to contrasting interpretations: as part of this independence and emancipated openness comes the right to criticise and slight anything. I have been reviewing artists for years and have had to be constructive/tactful at times. When reviewing mainstream albums for the site Too Many Blogs; there have been one or two records where I have had to be a bit unkind – Liam Gallagher’s debut L.P., As You Were, was one that did not exactly blow me away!

What gets to me is how journalists and people feel they can be so mean-hearted and unconstructive. This might sound like me going all Zen and urging a 1967-like Summer of Love: what I am doing, actually, is urging something productive and fair-minded. If you hate a piece of work then why take the trouble to review it?! I guess, in a way, I am guilty of doing the same as journalists. If there is an awful Pop record or, say, Jedward launched an ear-violating piece of ‘music’ to the world; I would smile and chuckle if a journalist threw in some wittily-worded jibes and shots at the twins. It occurs to me that this approach and mannerism is wrong. Even if, by all objective means, an album/artist is horrendous then what value is there informing them as such?! There is something psychologically damaging and upsetting seeing someone ripped apart and devoured by inglorious, egotistical writers. There are albums, naturally, that we all dislike but the solution is simple: avoid them and do not take to the Internet to voice your bile. I have been disappointed by a few records this year – I had high hopes for – but felt best not to launch into a childish and angry rant. Megan O’Neill will survive an aberration of a review and brush off something so mealy-mouthed. What we can extrapolate is how influencing and anger-inspiring anger and negativity is.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

There was an ocean of support for O’Neill following that bad review and, having listened to her album, I was genuinely struck and affected by it – no idea where this rogue reviewer got his opinions from and what was blocking his ears! O’Neill is not the only one who has to face the unedited and vetted world of professional music. Journalists all around the world are eager to pop a cap in the buttocks of sensitivity and think nothing of ravaging the clothing of dignity. They see it as edgy or part of what they do: if it was all sweetness and love-ins then that would be a one-sided and closed-off representation of music. Every artist who takes to the studio has good intentions and wants to make the best work they possibly can. They are not intentionally trying to piss us off and stoke the fires of critical rebellion. Some albums are, quite obviously, not as good as they should be. Journalists need to review the record and give their take on it – I wonder whether such strong and explicit language should be used when summarising an album. We are in an age where there are more trolls and offensive mouths than ever. The Internet and social media give everyone access to say what they want and, if one looks at YouTube for a few minutes, throw acid and cruelty at anyone with a pulse.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

I have covered this subject before but, given the amount of aggression and overly-forceful views regarding certain albums; do we need to temporise and edit our words before they hit the screen?! I would say, given what we know of online abuse and how that can affect people, should those in a professional position think more concisely and rationally before they launch their words out there? It is okay to dislike a record but, if you are focused on going after an artist or providing no positives at all; I wonder what the purpose of the exercise is. I will leave this subject be but, before I move on, there is that argument as to whether the music press still holds sway. Many people buy/listen to music based on their own intuition and how many of us look to music journalists for the new recommendations? That might sound damaging for me but, when we look at social media’s power (for good and bad), it seems it is a more powerful and influential parapet. Even the legendary artists and albums received a few dodgy and short-sighted reviews – everyone from The Beatles and Beastie Boys gathered some less-than-loving opinions about their finest records. I want to quote a couple of articles when it comes to seeing the validity of the journalist and why artists can turn their attention to those who smite them. The Hollywood Reporter, back in 2013, opinioned whether we should place stock in the opinions of the critics:

PHOTO CREDIT: iStock

“The war between musicians and their critics has been fought almost as long as so-called “rock journalism” has existed. There is an extensive list of songs penned specifically about how much musicians detest their critics (Taylor Swift’s “Mean,” believed to be aimed at music industry pundit Bob Lefsetz, references a critic who “crossed the line over and over again”) but the omnipresent state of online social media has presented musicians with a no-barrier outlet that could effectively dismantle the role of the music critic.

M.I.A.’s Twitter battle with New York Times writer Lynn Hirschberg is now infamous and a highly-cited example of this direct interface -- one that can be used both defensively and offensively. After NME reported in Dec. 2012 that Jack White had called Lady Gaga “all artifice,” White employed his Third Man Records’ website as a forum to deconstruct the unverified news.

 “If you're going to try to cause drama, at least get the quotes right,” White wrote. “I think journalists should also be held accountable for what they say. Especially publications like the NME who put whatever words they feel like between two quotation marks and play it off as a quote. Maybe somebody with more lawyers can take them to task, but I'll just use the Internet and Twitter instead.”

Has the role of the music critic changed in the era of Twitter, or is it just now easier for musicians to offer rebuttals to articles they dislike? And who, in the era of the Internet, where anyone can be a critic, is qualified to “review” music? As the age-old multi-use saying goes, writing about music is like dancing about architecture -- the essence of a song or a melody is unknowable in words and will inevitably be lost in translation.

 IN THIS PHOTO: M.I.A.

Veteran music journalist Michael Azerrad, author of Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From The American Indie Underground 1981-1991 and Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, recently unveiled a new music criticism website The Talkhouse to offer a theoretical solution to the above issue. The site, edited by Azerrad, will feature one post on an album per day -- and each piece is written by a musician.

“Naturally, no one knows more about music than musicians,” Azerrad wrote in a mission statement. “They talk about their own work all the time, but they rarely get to talk about other people's music. That's what The Talkhouse is all about: smart, distinguished musicians from all genres and generations writing about the latest releases. And there's a twist: there will be comments for each piece -- but only from the artist who's being written about. The idea is promote dialogue between musicians who may never have interacted otherwise, and for Talkhouse readers to have a ringside seat to this unique exchange”.

Six years prior to this piece; The Guardian looked at an intriguing option: should we attack and throw grenades back at the so-called ‘experts’?!

“Despite TS Eliot's description of the critic's job as improving public taste, critics don't seem to have as much power as is often suggested. How else can you explain the success of the Crazy Frog? Big Brother has only been detained from obscurity by a barrage of criticism. We're continually told how awful it is to eat at McDonalds, but people still do - are these the same people who buy lousy records? Conversely, critically acclaimed records don't necessarily sell very well.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Critics provide a service to the audience, not the musician. In a way, it almost makes more sense for critics not to have a musical education, because they are reviewing an artist for the benefit of an audience who mostly don't have a musical education either. It has never been easier for musicians to record and distribute their music - a critic's job is to help their readers choose among the vast amount of music available. Perhaps critics would affect record sales more if they were more reliable - how about a way of rating the critics, like a meta-metacritic? Meanwhile, if you want the finer points of your musical prowess dissected, get a teacher”.

There is a lot to digest and discuss – regarding the purpose and strength of critics and whether they do a useful service – but I am still of the opinion that music journalists, regardless of formal education, have a place and should be listened to. I wonder whether we need to investigate those who offer nothing but unpleasantness and, if they dislike a record so much, then perhaps it is best left to someone who can offer a more constructive and pleasing review – even if they express a negativity in more intelligent and balanced ways. I hate being negative regarding music but I know there are occasions where I need to dispense with the nice-nice act and offer that artist something a little bitter – that does not mean I need to strip down and attack them without any chance for a fight and explanation.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

The artist who started this piece, Megan O’Neill, has received near-universal acclaim for her Ghost of You album and holds no malice towards anyone who has strongly opposed views on her sound and magic. Oddly exaggerated and aggravated reviews make me wonder whether music journalism is mirroring the problems of social media: anyone can say anything and does not have to think about the effects it has on that musicians. I have studied music journalism dating back to the 1960s and have seen plenty of shocking reviews aimed at biblical and world-changing records. You cannot please everyone all of the time but you can show some consideration towards a musician – even if you do not feel their music warrants positivity and that much space. If you cannot be kind, as wise people say, then do not say anything at all. Artists, especially new ones, work their backsides off and want people to enjoy what they produce. Not everyone will love all their music but there is nothing useful or helpful seeing a review that is insulting or condescending. One of the saving graces is seeing artists singled-out (often by the odd reviewer) and, after that, getting a lot of support and sympathy; that leads to new interest and, ironically, takes their music to new audiences. We all have our views on various corners of music but, when it comes to those who lob snide commentary and ignorant views towards musicians are the sort of people we…

CAN do without.

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ALL PHOTOS (unless stated otherwise): Getty Images/Press/Artist

FEATURE: The June Playlist: Vol. 2: In Love, a Family Man with No Shame…

FEATURE:

 

The June Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lily Allen 

Vol. 2: In Love, a Family Man with No Shame…

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THIS is a great week where…

IN THIS PHOTO: Jorja Smith

two of music’s biggest female artists have released new albums – both are at very different stages in their careers. Lily Allen has returned with the lauded No Shame: a record that has got critics on her side and singing her praises. Jorja Smith, on the other hand, has released her exceptional debut, Lost & Found – one of the most impressive introductions in recent memory!

Alongside a cut from each album is new work from IDLES, Anna Calvi; Gorillaz, James Blake; Snail Mail, Interpol and Rick Astley! It is definitely a wide-ranging, interesting and quality-rich selection of songs to get the weekend off to a flying start!

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

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Jorja Smith – The One

Lily Allen – Family Man

Anna Calvi - Don't Beat the Girl Out of My Boy

Amy Shark – Don’t Turn Around

IDLES – Danny Nedelko

PHOTO CREDIT: Curious Rose Photography

Anna Pancaldi – What I’ve Become

James Blake – Don’t Miss It

Bugzy Malone – Warning

Boy Azooga - Breakfast Epiphany

Christina Aguilera (ft. GoldLink) - Like I Do

Hooverphonic - Romantic

Daughtry – Deep End

GIRLI – Day Month Second

Gorillaz – Sorcererz

I See Rivers – I Don’t Know

Kim Petras – Can’t Do Better

Lykke Li – last piece

Snail Mail – Stick

The Smashing Pumpkins - Solara

Tom Grennan - Barbed Wire

Marshmello – TELL ME

Miles Kane – Coup De Grace

You Me At Six – 3AM

Eleanor Tomlinson – I Can’t Make You Love Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Shai Franco

Noga Erez – Bad Habits

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Hunnybee

Rick Astley – Beautiful Life

Isaac Gracie – Running on Empty

The Internet – Come Over

Selena Gomez - Back to You

Meghan Trainor - Let You Be Right

Interpol - The Rover

Say Lou Lou – Ana

FEATURE: Charles Darwin’s Final Diary Entry: Damon Albarn: The Ever-Evolving Icon

FEATURE:

 

Charles Darwin’s Final Diary Entry

Damon Albarn: The Ever-Evolving Icon

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WHETHER he is working in Mali…

or performing music with The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians; there is no denying the curiosity and worldliness of Damon Albarn is endless! I remember encountering (through the speakers) the Blur frontman when the band’s first album, Leisure, came out in 1991. That record, whilst not universally well-received and adored, did show the songwriter has a unique edge and an immediate talent. In terms of Blur lineage; one can see the music develop and become more ambitious. From Parklife (1994) and its commentaries on everyday life and ordinary people, through to the more American sounds-driven eponymous album (1997); the diverse and variegated/Morrocan-influenced sounds of Think Tank (2003) – Albarn has been at the centre and orchestrated the band’s finest moments. As a lyricist, he can switch from that keen observer and working-class poet who beautifully articulates Britishness and conversations that happen over garden fences. He can score sweeping and affecting songs (This Is a Low, Parklife) or straight-up Punk punches (Chinese Bombs, Blur). If the band are past their best days, or on a long hiatus, you cannot deny the legacy he left. Whether tussling with the Gallagher brothers in the 1990s – in print form, rather than physical – when Britain’s two biggest bands were vying for regency and respect; making some of the best music of the 1990s or amazing critics with his versatility – nobody can talent the innate and peerless talent of Albarn!

One of the reasons I am so blown away by Damon Albarn is his endless capacity for creativity and passion. He recently conducted an interview with Matt Everitt and was subjected to some good-natured ribbing. More than one source has playfully teased Albarn about his astonishing work-rate: the fact musicians feel bad in comparison and are made to look bad! Albarn retorted with humility and explained how he is only in the studio Monday-through-Friday and works normal office hours. The man spends his weekends doing what he wants and does not slavishly spend time in the studio when there is no need. That, if anything, makes the productivity all the more extraordinary and impressive! I guess the disciplined routine and lack of burn-out means Albarn has the energy to do what he wants and produce stunning work. Blur’s debut album was released in 1991 and, since then, there has barely been a year when the songwriter has been dormant. You can hear that inquisitive and busy mind literally going all around the world and picking up new sounds. He has worked with Syrian musicians and spent a lot of time in Africa. He has assimilated Asian elements into music and explored the very marrow of Britishness. Just shy of a South American odyssey or some Australian magic; Albarn has conquered every continent and collaborated with a host of musicians.

PHOTO CREDIT: Aaron Richter

Blur’s work has inspired countless bands and defined why British music, in the 1990s, was so revered and respected. As a solo artist, he released his debut in 2014 and gained a lot of love from critics. It is amazing when you realise Albarn is part of four different music outlets. He works on solo stuff and Blur’s material; he is part of The Good, The Bad & The Queen and is one of the animated figures from Gorillaz. Albarn worked with African musicians back in 2013 (the album, Maison Des Jeunes, was part of the Africa Express project) and has recorded on various soundtracks, too. He composed the music for the 2015 musical, Wonder.land – an Alice in Wonderland-style project - and continues to work endlessly. He revealed to Everitt, during their talk, there will be another record from The Good, The Bad & The Queen; a further Gorillaz album, The Now Now, and, who knows...maybe another Albarn solo album?! I am not sure whether Blur can follow 2015’s The Magic Whip but who knows when it comes to Damon Albarn – a new record might already be in the can! Jack White, in his career, has worked in four different guises – a solo artist, one-half of The White Stripes; The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather – and recorded slightly less music than Albarn. Both are tremendous innovators and, if you had to look at pure quality and who has made the biggest impact on music…you’d have to give the edge to Albarn.

There are a few other musicians who shift between projects but few have the chameleon-like skill of Albarn and take from such a wide and broad palette. I love the sonic shifts and beautiful moments on Think Tank; I admire Albarn’s hook-up with The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians; his early work amazed the senses and now, at fifty, it seems a perfect time to commend the songwriter and see how far he has come. I can honestly see him recording music into his eighties! The man loves what he does and is always at the forefront of the musical consciousness. Recently, he revealed he turned down a collaboration with Prince (he wasn’t allowed to smoke in the studio - the nerve!) and reacted to Arctic Monkeys’ latest record; he has opinions regarding Brexit and was keen to offer his thoughts on the royal wedding – he is an everyman who understands what is best for the nation and has that political heartbeat. Albarn is a humanitarian and someone who wants what is best for the world. This year will see more material from Albarn and lots of new, exciting offerings. He has, with a sly wink, promised next year will be quieter and he may only release the one album – such a lazy bastard! In addition to passing fifty and gearing up for the next phase in his career; the reason I wanted to highlight Damon Albarn is how he approaches music and the variation he offers.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nathaniel Welch/NY Times/Redux

There have been interviews where that question has been raised: Will Blur record another album?! Albarn knows there are three other people to consider when it comes to studio time – he is easy-going and can make a Blur album when he wishes. I have respected and followed the work of Damon Albarn since Blur’s first single and, being fifteen years younger than him, do not feel that different to him. Albarn has a few more grey hairs but, in essence, has no plans to slow down. It is his infectious desire to convey himself through music that gets to me. So many modern musicians get trapped in a rut and can get rather downtrodden. The industry is hard and people putting in insane hours! Maybe Albarn, if he was coming into music now, would face the same hurdles as everyone else. It might not be easy to stick to a five-day week and have that sort of casual attitude to recording. I think Albarn’s endeavour and versatility should give guidance to people out there. When artists collaborate, it tends to be quite limited and, if they stretch their compositional wings, it is never as far-reaching and fascinating as it could be! Again, maybe Albarn has that cache and access to resources newer musicians do not. I feel it is the way he (Albarn) approaches music and thinks about the world that should be taken to heart.

He is a composer whose ear is to the ground and keen to expose those artists that do not get the credit they deserve. Working with a Syrian orchestra, in these charged times, could have been seen as a bold and risky manoeuvre. To Damon Albarn, it was part of his job and nothing was going to stop him! To me, the Londoner has not changed his perspective on the world and let fame change him at all. Many of Albarn’s peers have lost sight of where they came from and why they got into music to begin with. Excess, wealth and popularity go to their head and they start to lose what made them special. Even if he is not as floppy-haired and youthful as the man who sung She’s So High (Leisure, 1991); there is evidence to suggest the maestro has many more years left in him. From a Bugman to the leader of Gorillaz – the man is constantly evolving, growing and changing musical forms. Not everything he has touched is golden – one or two so-so Blur albums; Gorillaz have had some average reviews along the way – but even a semi-promising Damon Albarn creation is far stronger than most of the music out there! Like the aforementioned Jack White, it is that unwillingness to disconnect from music and be ‘ordinary’ that drives the genius forward. Not willing to stick with one style and voice; switching faces and getting involved with music’s full spectrum means the creative juices keep flowing and the possibilities are endless.

Maybe we will see a Damon Albarn novel or short film along the way; there could be another solo record or he might go back into musical/theastre territory – an operatic piece or a commentary on modern Britain. It seems, in 2018, we are crying out for the sort of Blur observations that slayed critics back in the 1990s. We have few songwriters who can represent the voice of the average citizen with such wit, intelligence and pathos. Albarn is an evergreen influencer whose energy and talent is stunning to say the very least. Maybe his claims of a five-day studio lifestyle are true – I suspect he nips in there at the weekends occasionally – and he gets plenty of time to blow off steam. We have seen various lifecycles and reformations come from Damon Albarn. Even at the age of fifty, one suspects there will be more extraordinary records and movements from a musician who barely seems to tire and age! Keep your eyes out for new material from Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad & The Queen and, I believe, Africa Express. You never know what the man is up to and what an album of his will possess. It may have a vivacious and shimmering electronic fizz or some African-tinged orchestrations; it might be a guitar-laced rave-up or an acoustic number that looks at our interaction with machinery. Albarn’s mind is always working and the breadth of work he has given us is nothing short of phenomenal. So many of his contemporaries have faded and dropped off the radar but, if anything, Albarn is more focused and driven than ever. At a time when we need leaders to come through and inspire the new generation; witnessing Damon Albarn plot, plan and tease is…

PHOTO CREDIT: Gilbert Blecken (1993)

SUCH a wonderful thing to see.  

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ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images

FEATURE: The Musical Big Bang: Why John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s First Meeting Is the Most Important Moment in Music

FEATURE:

 

The Musical Big Bang

IN THIS PHOTO: John Lennon with The Quarry Men (1957)/ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Press 

Why John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s First Meeting Is the Most Important Moment in Music

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YOU will have to forgive the lack of original imagery…

because, back in 1957, there were few snaps of Paul McCartney and John Lennon! It may not be timely or celebrating an anniversary, but I wanted to look at a moment, I feel, is the most important in all of music. We can argue when music changed forever and what the most important moment is. Some see the explosion of Blues as revolutionary; the 1960s and the wave of fantastic bands that came through – some see more modern innovations and breakthroughs as more vital. I look at the album cover of Please Please Me (The Beatles’ debut) and that famous shot of the quartet looking at the camera from a balcony – from the stairwell of EMI’s base in London. They are all smiles: the excitement of launching their first L.P. and delivering it to the world. That album came out in 1963 and, thinking back; how did the greatest band who ever live come together? Many might say it is when the foursome was complete – after Pete Best departed and the classic line-up gelled – or when the debut album came out. To me, The Beatles’ beginning was back in 1957 when John Lennon met Paul McCartney for the first time. On 6th July, if you are not familiar with the details; this is how the 1960s’ best songwriting duo got together:

“In the afternoon the Quarrymen skiffle group played at the garden fete of St Peter's Church, Woolton, Liverpool. The performance took place on a stage in a field behind the church. In the band were Lennon (vocals, guitar), Eric Griffiths (guitar), Colin Hanton (drums), Rod Davies (banjo), Pete Shotton (washboard) and Len Garry (tea chest bass).

The group arrived on the back of a lorry. As well as music, there were craft and cake stalls, games of hoop-la, police dog demonstrations and the traditional crowning of the Rose Queen. The fete was a highlight of the year for the residents of the sleepy Liverpool district.

The entertainment began at two p.m. with the opening procession, which entailed one or two wonderfully festooned lorries crawling at a snail's pace through the village on their ceremonious way to the Church field. The first lorry carried the Rose Queen, seated on her throne, surrounded by her retinue, all dressed in pink and white satin, sporting long ribbons and hand-made roses in their hair. These girls had been chosen from the Sunday school groups, on the basis of age and good behaviour.

The following lorry carried various entertainers, including the Quarry Men. The boys were up there on the back of the moving lorry trying to stay upright and play their instruments at the same time. John gave up battling with balance and sat with his legs hanging over the edge, playing his guitar and singing. He continued all through the slow, slow journey as the lorry puttered its way along. Jackie and I leaped alongside the lorry, with our mother laughing and waving at John, making him laugh. He seemed to be the only one who was really trying to play and we were really trying to put him off! - Julia Baird, Imagine This

“That evening the group were due to play again, minus Colin Hanton, this time at the Grand Dance in the church hall on the other side of the road. They were due on stage at 8pm, and admission to the show, in which the Quarrymen alternated on stage with the George Edwards Band, was two shillings.

While setting up their equipment to play, the Quarrymen's sometime tea-chest bass player, Ivan Vaughan, introduced the band to one of his classmates from Liverpool Institute, the 15-year-old Paul McCartney.

 IN THIS PHOTO: John Lennon and Paul McCartney (circa 1962/1963)/PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest/Press

This historic occasion was the first time McCartney met John Lennon, one year his senior. McCartney wore a white jacket with silver flecks, and a pair of black drainpipe trousers.

The pair chatted for a few minutes, and McCartney showed Lennon how to tune a guitar – the instruments owned by Lennon and Griffiths were in G banjo tuning. McCartney then sang Eddie Cochran's Twenty Flight Rock and Gene Vincent's Be-Bop-A-Lula, along with a medley of songs by Little Richard.

I remember coming into the fete and seeing all the sideshows. And also hearing all this great music wafting in from this little Tannoy system. It was John and the band.

I remember I was amazed and thought, 'Oh great', because I was obviously into the music. I remember John singing a song called Come Go With Me. He'd heard it on the radio. He didn't really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself.

I just thought, 'Well, he looks good, he's singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.' Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave. I remember John was good. He was really the only outstanding member, all the rest kind of slipped away” - Paul McCartney, 1995, Record Collector

“Lennon was equally impressed with McCartney, who showed natural talent for singing songs that the Quarrymen worked hard to accomplish. McCartney also recalled performing on the church hall piano”

“I also knocked around on the backstage piano and that would have been A Whole Lot Of Shakin' by Jerry Lee. That's when I remember John leaning over, contributing a deft right hand in the upper octaves and surprising me with his beery breath. It's not that I was shocked, it's just that I remember this particular detail” - Paul McCartney
John Lennon, Philip Norman

That is a lot of cribbing from the history books – the actual smells and sights might be clearer to Paul McCartney. It seems strange to think that the then-teenagers would start The Beatles and, eight years from their first encounter, they’d record the debut album! It may sound like a long time considering The Beatles’ commercial career lasted about the same length of time. I feel the birth of modern music began when The Beatles’ lead songwriters found one another. If McCartney and Lennon had not met back in 1957 at that modest fete; they might never have ever met – would we have seen the band form at all or would each member record solo?! McCartney was, at that time, a superior musician to Lennon and taught the young Liverpudlian new skills and songs. McCartney’s repertoire and natural skill impressed Lennon. There were amazement and mutual affection between the songwriters during The Beatles’ regency – it sort of died down after the first few years of their career. The teenage eye-opening and discovery drove both of them to dive into music an open their horizons. We can trace music way back hundreds of years and say the likes of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly pushed music to the masses.

IN THIS PHOTO: St Peter's Church, Woolton

Everyone has their own opinion as to when the music universe was created. I think the fateful and charming meeting of Paul McCartney and John Lennon started everything. One can smell the cigarettes being dragged and the boys hanging out and sneaking a crafty drink here and there. I guess the 1957 performance by The Quarry Men did not set Woolton alive back then – it did usher in John Lennon as a local fixture and someone who was a cut above his peers. I am not sure how much musical experience McCartney had at the time but it is clear he drooled over records and practiced playing as much as he could. Even though McCartney played bass for The Beatles; he had serious guitar skills from the start and, as I said, was teaching John Lennon a few tricks. The clear affection and respect between the schoolboys meant working together was inevitable. The reason I am writing about The Beatles, now, is a feature that ran on Yoko Ono as she spoke with The Guardian. She was looking back at her life with John Lennon and returning to Liverpool for her Double Fantasy exhibition. The life of The Beatles began way back in 1957 but, with Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr still alive and well; there are many more years of stories and memories.

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney and John Lennon performing with The Quarry Men

It is strange thinking about the first conversation between a young Lennon and McCartney. It is inevitable Lennon would have had that confidence and been curious about this new star. I guess there would have been jokes but a bit of mutual jealousy, too. How, then, did McCartney come to join Lennon’s band and start playing – the previously-quoted article takes up the story:

“…After the Quarrymen's show the group, along with Ivan Vaughan and McCartney, went to a Woolton pub where they lied about their ages to get served.

Later on, Lennon and Pete Shotton discussed the young McCartney, and whether to invite him to join their group. For Lennon it was a dilemma – should he admit a talented member who may pose a challenge to his own superiority within the group, or should he persist without McCartney, retaining his leadership yet likely consigning the group to failure?

They decided McCartney would be an asset, and roughly two weeks later Shotton encountered McCartney cycling through Woolton. Paul mulled over the invitation to join, and eventually agreed to join the Quarrymen's ranks”.

After joining The Quarry Men; things broke down in the band and, eventually, they mutated into The Beatles. You can picture those early Quarrymen sets with Lennon and McCartney together; both learning from one another and performing a range of cover songs. Although The Quarry Men are still playing; it is the way Lennon and McCartney developed and grew after that time that fascinates me. Their bond and talent outshone everything else and the closeness they shared led to the most successful songwriting partnership in popular music.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles (circa 1960)

It is debatable the Liverpool legends would have met under other circumstances but does that July day back in 1957 hold an energy and opportunity other times would not have? What I mean is, if they had met a year later in another part of the country; would they have discussed music and playing together – or would it have been a fruitless endeavour? I feel the fact Lennon was playing in Woolton with The Quarry Men and playing Skiffle, on the day he met McCartney, made the difference. Today, we hear about musicians meeting online or at some huge festival. The fact the future-stadium-fillers met at a rather small and, I assume, boring fete makes the tale all the more wonderful and unexpected. John Lennon and Paul McCartney would form The Beatles in 1960: a few short years after the boys joined forces and bounced off one another. I love The Beatles’ early period and the work they produced between 1962 and 1965. I feel that was them at their most free and exciting; before they went psychedelic and pushed the studio to the very limits. Without that meeting and genius songwriters discovering one another; I argue whether The Beatles would ever have come to be. The Beatles and always will be the most important and biggest band in the world. They have inspired more musicians than anyone else – tracing the beginning of The Beatles is when we can see the birth of popular music. There were some great artists in the 1950s but it was The Beatles’ explosion and evolution that changed the world. It has been nearly sixty-one years (amazingly!) since Lennon and McCartney met and had that incredible first conversation. Their foundation might have been modest but, unbeknownst to them, that 1957 seduction would lead to a band…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles (circa 1963)

THAT changed music forever.  

FEATURE: Gone Kerouacin’ (A.K.A. The Pop Singer’s Love of the Pollen Count): The Simple and Fundamental Pleasures of Life on the Road

FEATURE:

 

Gone Kerouacin’ (A.K.A. The Pop Singer’s Love of the Pollen Count)

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash 

The Simple and Fundamental Pleasures of Life on the Road

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NOT everyone is sold on the notion…

touring is all brilliant and the best thing you can do as a musician. It may be romantic/naïve to assume there are no downsides to gigging and it is a fantastic ride. One of the unavoidable factors of modern music is the realisation that all musicians need to rely on the revenue from touring. There was a day when music was dominated by the mainstream – very few unsigned artists made their way to our thoughts – and we associated their lives with big stadium gigs and something rather soulless. Now, with the industry wide-open and everyone able to have a say; there is that necessity to get out there and play to as many people as possible. I realise there is the stress of having to make ends meet by playing so many gigs and relying on people coming out to see you play. It can be daunting getting few opportunities or seeing venues closing down. I know there are other drawbacks to touring. Being crammed into cars and vans with kit and crew can be constraining and lead to arguments; being shuttled between venues can tire and depress; even bigger artists feel the strain and wish they could get some time off. It is harder and harder making enough money to live and being able to get some proper downtime and relaxation. Whilst the journey (an actual one) can be draining and hard-going; the destination is what makes up for it.

I have heard a lot of musicians expose the pleasures of driving through countries and meeting people along the way. The idea of British touring usually involves rammed motorways, sad pitstops and nothing that really buckles the senses. With few artists able to afford international travel, is touring and being constantly on the road all it is cracked up to be? For many, the reality is being stuck in sweaty lounges and vehicles; having the fatigue and pressure of physical exertion and being away from home for long spells. The lack of relationships and anxiety can take its toll; the health risks of heavy lifting, high-intensity performances and straining the voice are obvious. An article published a few years back took testimony from artists and musical figures:

“Touring can be destructive on a musician, it was destructive on me, that’s for sure,” former XL Recordings artist Willis Earl Beal tells me over the phone from his home in Washington State. “I’d come home from tour, and I’m back to feeding the cat. My wife at the time – I don’t have a wife now – worked 12-hour shifts, so I was cooking the dinner all that sort of shit. There was a lot of tension, because I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t deserve this, I’m a big star’ and that was one of the contributing factors in ending my marriage. This fucking career, the striving towards something that never existed and doesn’t exist.”

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Nash/PHOTO CREDIT: @katebellm 

A breakdown of personal relationships is common, with many musicians feeling alienated from loved ones back home. Kate Nash, who rose to fame while still in her teens, says that the contrast between her life and that of her friends was hard to get her head around. “I was still living in a tiny bedroom at my parent’s house. Your friends are studying and you’re doing something very different. Even though that’s exciting, you can feel lost. You’re young and you’re not taking a normal path.”

Zohar agrees: “Relationships are compromised, partly because it becomes difficult to relate to people with a more stable lifestyle. Your problems and cares become radically different to the other people in your life.”

For some, however stressful and chaotic touring can be, it is preferable to daily life at home. “Touring institutionalises you and it can make normal life feel mundane,” says Vaccines singer Justin Young, recently returned from a handful of dates in the US. “You end up with a lot of expectations from life that aren’t always fulfilled in everyday tasks like going down the shops for a pint of milk or even going for dinner with friends. It’s hard to replace all that adrenaline”.

There are obvious realities and problems being a musician – many come from outside of touring and sitting in front of a laptop. I understand there are dangers to life on the road but, more than that, so many people prefer the open highways, great venues and new faces.

Modern music is becoming less and less sociable: we are spending more time sat in front of laptops and too knackered to have a drink and get into the open. Touring, for many, provides all the release and sociability that is missed every other hour of the day. I have painted bleak strokes (above) but the fact is touring and multiple gigs can strengthened artists and make a huge difference. Gigs provide the chance to get in front of tastemakers and create a reputation; it sharpens performance skills and can set a career alight. Everyone has to go through touring and, when you look back at legendary artists, you get regaled with anecdotes and wonderful memories from the road. Think about the likes of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. In some cases, that thrill and sense of excitement come from other sources – drugs and sex, I am thinking... – but is that tangible and direct connection with the fans. If you want groupies and want to blow/be blown every night then that is your decision. Modern music has stepped away from the excess, to a degree, and debauchery we associated with the biggest artists back then. Although there are sexual accusations and dirtbags infesting the industry still; they are in the minority and we are actually seeing consequences when it comes to disgusting behaviour.

I hear from musicians who love traveling around and seeing different areas. Whilst the waiting and endless driving/flying can wear the senses and lead to some dissolution; there are downsides and problems in any industry. It is about getting the balance right and highlighting all the great things associated with touring. Getting to new towns and countries expands the mind and helps build new fanbases. Social media is great in doses but cannot compensate for good old-fashioned grafting and the instant reaction of the crowds. Many yearn for the big festivals and that undeniable ecstasy of hearing thousands of people chant songs and cheer! If you tabulate all the bad points of touring and counteract that with the performance and lessons learned; can you really say things are that bad?! I love journalism but get the biggest thrill when I go to gigs and watch artists play their stuff. Travelling between venues allows new sights and smells come to the mind. You get a mini-holiday and it can be wonderful chatting with new people and seeing fresh sights. The reason I wanted to augment the delights of touring is the real and raw basic: getting into a venue and throwing love out to the people. Whether you are an acoustic performer playing to a few dozen people or a sweaty band owning a horde of moshing fanatics – there are few experiences that match the giddiness and excitement.

With more and more venues facing peril and unsteady futures; I wonder whether documentaries should be made, aimed at those in power, that shows what the fabric of the music industry is all about. That elemental and possible-life-altering pulpit of live music has transformed people and led to explosions in music. In spite of some drag and darker elements to gigs; musicians go on the road because they want people to hear their music and love what they do. The necessity of subsidisation and survival is an unavoidable cost of being a musician. So long as artists take a pragmatic and disciplined approach to health and rest on the road – eating as healthily as possible and sleeping as much as possible; keeping clean and not playing when you are ill – then life can be a lot more beneficial and pleasurable than some claim. I am always pleased when I see gig snaps and positive statuses from musicians who have basked in the buzz of a set or seen a new town that has blown their mind. These moments should be cherished and are greater motivators to get into the industry than money and fame – for those who value music and are not sell-out phonies.

Touring and its pluses can be subject to scrutiny but I still feel there is plenty of beauty and joy to be found taking music on the road and getting involved in a physical and very real way. The irony is that, the more popular an artist becomes, the more people want to see them play. That can lead to some burn-out and problems but there is that need to be sensible and give yourself necessary breaks. The industry is growing and expanding by the year and, with that, many are eager to get out there and rock the crowds. Festivals are in swing and there is that tangible eagerness radiating from the Internet. Artists are gearing up and, whether it is the electricity of the masses or the delights of going somewhere new; there are big smiles on the faces and huge ambition! I am angered venues are facing closure and we have to read bad news all the time. Maybe more people are staying in but, when you ask musicians, they want to be out there and seeing as many people as they can.

We are, in music, becoming more anxious and less happy. The demands placed on us and the way we conduct business is making us more isolated and fulfilled. I feel so much of this comes down to the online world and the inactivity many of us take for granted. I appreciated gigs can come from the Internet but the psychological upsides of live music and vibing with a crowd can do so much. It has its side-effects but there are those easy and clear benefits that can enrich musicians and lead to inspiration. Even if the car trip is a little delayed and stressed; turning up to a happy crowd and playing a great set makes everything worth it! Perhaps there aren’t the thrills and hedonistic exploits of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road but, when all is taken into account, does anything beat the live performance? It is the best aspect of music and, if you ask musicians, the majority will say it is an experience that is…

IMPOSSIBLE to beat.  

FEATURE: Roses with Plastic Petals: Why Is the Drive to Create Gender Balance at Festivals Taking So Long?!

FEATURE:

 

Roses with Plastic Petals

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash 

Why Is the Drive to Create Gender Balance at Festivals Taking So Long?!

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EARLIER in the week…

IN THIS PHOTO: Annie Mac (who has campaigned for change regarding festival gender bias)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I got downhearted because I was receiving so many requests regarding male artists – I still am, to be fair! It is disappointing seeing so many emails arrive that want me to spotlight male musicians: one wonders if there are female artists working and, if so, why they feel reluctant to come forward! The truth is much simpler: the agencies and labels who bring music to my view prefer male artists and there is this culture that suggests male artists/bands get more attention than anyone else. It seems there is still that commercial drive for male bands and, even in an industry where the solo artist is king; so many female performers are going alone and making their own way through music. I am happy to contact female musicians but I like people coming to me. There is no problem my end – I hope – but, when they see a website that puts out male artists routinely; are they willing to approach and ask to be featured? I feel music should be that equal footing where there should be a fifty-fifty split in terms of male-female focus. If sites lean too heavily either way then it risks that sexist scent and a rather narrow mindset. I am determined to get more women on my blog but am finding it hard to recruit. It is ironic seeing the male solo artist rise because, in my view, the best of this corner of music are female.

IN THIS PHOTO: Florence + the Machine (an artist who could easily headline a major festival)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

They are on the same planet and making music that is as strong, if not stronger, then their male peers. There is comparatively little celebration and, unless they established and famed; how often are they going to get to the biggest stages and have a bigger say in music?! There is an argument that suggests the plan to get an equal split on the festival bills is a little long-sighted – or should it be short-sighted? It is ironic that the target for parity on the headline stages is 2020: one feels this ‘perfect vision’ and realisation has come too late and, if anything, is too delayed. Why does it take so long to get this balance right and redress things?! You can rearrange Glastonbury and the big festivals and make sure there are female headliners across the range. It is not a case of compromising ideals and pandering: there are artists ready to tackle the festivals that have, until now, been placed under headliners. Established artists like St. Vincent and Laura Marling could take the reins; legendary performers like Björk and Beyoncé would be perfect for 2019 inclusion. Right there, you have four performers, all different, who could create incredible headline sets – none of them will be in the mind come this time next year. It seems sad we even need to have this debate!

IN THIS PHOTO: Laura Marling/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I know I am treading old ground – and keep documenting the issue of sexism – but my problem comes with small evolution and delayed gratification. Maybe there are slow developments and steps being made; nothing that suggests anything anywhere near good enough. In fact, looking at a BBC article from February this year, the target year for this equality is 2022! It is four years away and one wonders what needs to happen in four years! If it was rebuilding a nation and a radical change then it would forgivable. Being Britain, given the rate we get things done, I am not shocked it takes so long to make simple changes. That article laid out the facts and showed why the statistics are so shocking:

“The days of male-dominated music festivals could be drawing to a close, after 45 events pledged to achieve a 50/50 gender balance by 2022.

Brighton's Great Escape, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Liverpool Sound City and the BBC Proms are among those who have signed up to the initiative.

It is supported by Garbage star Shirley Manson, who recently called the music industry's lack of equality "insane".

Last year, 80% of festival headliners were male, a BBC study discovered.

The commitment to gender equality was drawn up by Keychange and the PRS Foundation, with the aim of creating a "better, more inclusive music industry for present and future generations".

"Last year, on average, women made up 26% of the festival line-ups in the UK, so we're talking about doubling that in a five-year timeframe," said Vanessa Reed, CEO of the PRS Foundation.

"That's quite ambitious but it's achievable."

The pledge has been adopted by BBC Music Introducing, which hosts stages for new artists at festivals including Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds. However, those festivals have yet to sign the pledge on a wider scale”.

IMAGE CREDIT: @lilyallen

The poster above is from Lily Allen; she took out all the male names from the mentioned festivals to show how few females were included. We are not even talking about headline slots: this is simple inclusion! It is sad to think that, come 2022, we will be no further along. People can sound off and make pledges but there is a confusion between festival line-ups and headline slots. I am appalled Glastonbury’s return (next year) is unlikely to see any female headline; the biggest festivals of this year are penis-heavy and, if you are lucky, you may see some female artists hustling near the top of the posters! I can see more women coming into festivals and, given the draw and influence of social media/streaming sites; there is more visibility and a greater opportunity to accelerate female artists to the masses. There is hope that more reinforcement and fight is coming to back the need for gender balance:

“…The initiative is being driven by Keychange, a movement from the PRS Foundation that wants to achieve real change in live music.

The opening spell of festival announcements this summer have indicated that this conversation still needs to be had, with many major events still hopelessly male dominated.

The new pledge finds 45 events aiming to achieve gender equality on their line ups by 2022, with featured festivals including Liverpool International Music Festival, Pop-Kultur, Canadian Music Week, and BBC Proms.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Victor Frankowski

The new additions join partnering festivals Reeperbahn Festival, Way Out West, The Great Escape and more, all of whom have pledged to gain gender equality on their bills within five years.

Vanessa Reed, CEO of PRS Foundation said:

“We support diverse talent across every programme we run at PRS Foundation. 40% of our grantees in 2017 were from a BAME background and 53% featured female artists. Our focus on gender equality in 2018 aligns with the centenary for some women being given the vote in the UK...”

There are the black-and-white facts and these pledges; there are angry voices coming and the need for more immediate change. It keeps me coming back to the disturbing underline: 2022 is four years away! I am in a bittersweet position where I get to see brand-new artists come my way and what is happening in the industry as a whole. The downside is the few females that get pushed to me and how hard it is to get labels/P.R. firms to open their books and be more proactive regarding scouting. I am not buying the assumption (so few women being promoted) is because they want to be D.I.Y. and not have anyone else butting in. Every week shows great female talent, of all varieties and tastes, hustling and proving they have the fascination and complexity to win hearts for years to come. If anything, the band market is dying away and the solo corner, stronger in female hands, is taking a bigger portion of the pie.

It moves me to think that realisation and reality is being ignored and refuted to make way for the predictable stubbornness of male promoters. There are many opposed to the hegemony but is those most powerful and wealthy that are withholding breakthrough. We are seeing some sexist voices that say music is about quality and what is the problem with more men being on the bills – nobody is making too much of a noise and there is no harm seeing that disparity! Whilst there is not protest in the stress; there are plenty that is shouting and getting in the faces of those in commanding positions. The biggest journalists and tastemakers are men and, in an industry that is not making huge leaps anytime soon, the need and call for change are coming from female commentators and figures – they are being drowned out by silent and muted souls; ears that are unwilling to bend. Every way you look at that statistic – festivals being equal by 2022 – seems wrong and baffling. I am listening to the biggest radio stations and, in terms of the music they play, it is almost equal regards the gender split. Look at independent and underground options and they are committed to equality. One looks at Spotify and streaming services and female artists are being featured and celebrated. We all hear great music and these stars of tomorrow but, when it comes to booking festival slots and organising the line-up; why is there such a majority of men?! You look at modern wonders like Jorja Smith and Kacey Musgraves; Goat Girl and Phoebe Bridgers and you have somewhere to start – you could stand there for a long time naming female artists who could easily appear on festival bills!

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Women feel like they are being held back and overlooked by those who have the power to make these positive changes:

“Leading female musicians and industry figures say the intimidation and exclusion begins in childhood, with girls not being encouraged to play guitar or join bands. Many shared anecdotes of the frustrations and vulnerabilities they’ve felt as female artists: “An old manager told me that he wouldn’t be sending out my music, he would just send out my photo to labels,” recalls writer and musician Emma-Lee Moss, known as Emmy the Great. “But you just have to battle through that.”

“If you prevent women from seeing any examples of them achieving, then it prevents them from believing they can achieve it,” says guitarist and singer-songwriter Laura Marling, who addressed gender inequality and its effects in her podcast Reversal of the Muse.

“In my experience there are surface visible things, like touring on my own and then realising that all the people I perform with are men. Or that I wasn’t encouraged as much to play the guitar as men,” says Marling. “For women to achieve they have to go around that bump; they have to be as good, if not better, than their male counterparts”.

Is it only festivals where there is this alarming injustice and inequality? Look at other sources and you need only look at the charts and award ceremonies to see the issue is systemic, widespread and galling:

“In an analysis of the top 600 songs from 2012 to 2017 — defined by Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 chart for each of those six years — the study found that of 1,239 performing artists, 22.4 percent of them were women.

The numbers are much lower among people behind the scenes. Of the 2,767 songwriters credited on those songs, 12.3 percent were women. Female producers — the people most responsible for the sound of pop music — are even rarer, at just 2 percent in a subset of 300 songs across this same period, the study found”.

I am looking at the drive-time/evening slots of the major radio stations and there are no female anchors. You only need look at record bosses, editors and those running P.R. labels and there is that huge male majority. The greatest disparity arrives when you look at the studio and those making music: men are still the common entity and there are only gradual moves towards closing the gaps. It seems a festival breakthrough is taking so long because right through music’s marrow, there is this male majority and ignorance towards change. I am glad there are articles coming out that shame those at the top and urge progression.

In closing, it seems like someone needs to come in that can offer a sharp and sustained boot to the arse of the industry. Our Government are not interested in music and have no idea what is happening. The men are making the big decisions - very few are as active and outraged as female artists/figures. This sluggish and endless fight is going to continue and, even if there is a fifty-fifty festival split in 2022, it begs the question as to why it takes so long. I am cynical all the forty-five festivals committed to change will comply and uphold their end. Would protest and female artists refusing to play lead to quicker change? Do we need to get on the street and literally shout about the sexist attitude? Do festivals needs to account for their behaviour and justify their decisions? I feel these are all worthy steps but it seems like, even if millions come out in shock, that would not get people making changes. The quality and variety of female talent speaks for itself which is, I am afraid, the major problem: there are relatively few male supporters and not many willing to take drastic action to effect actual action. Life on the road, as I shall document later today, is wonderful indeed: so many female performers are being denied that or forced to play small venues to get their music heard. It is 2018 and, the fact we have to sit and wait for four years (to see equality at festivals), it gets me rather angry. I am glad to see people are not sitting down quietly and satisfied with the way things are. Let’s hope, the more momentum builds and the more research put out into the world, it will open eyes and minds to the fact that the industry, right now, is really not…

IN THIS PHOTO: Lily Allen/PHOTO CREDIT: @lilyallen

DOING as much as they should.  

FEATURE: The June Playlist: Vol. 1: IDLES, Saints and a Street Fighter Named Mas

FEATURE:

 

The June Playlist

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Melbourne/DIY 

Vol. 1: IDLES, Saints and a Street Fighter Named Mas

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TO kick off June…

IN THIS PHOTO: All Saints

we have been treated to some incredible new songs! Not only is there a terrific track from All Saints out there; IDLES and Kamasi Washington have unveiled stunning work for us to get our weekend teeth into – surely enough ammunition for those who love their music varied and pure!

Alongside them are cuts from Tom Tripp, LUMP; Lily Allen, Gorillaz; Kanye West and Underworld (with Iggy Pop) – and a lot of other big names rubbing shoulders in a very exciting and hot week for music!

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

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Melbourne

IDLES – Colossus

Kamasi Washington – Street Fighter Mas

LUMP – May I Be the Light

The 1975 – Give Yourself a Try

All Saints – Love Lasts Forever

Bipolar Sunshine – Discovery

Catherine McGrath (ft. Hunter Hayes) – Don’t Let Me Forget

Drake – I’m Upset

Gorillaz (ft. George Benson) – Humility

Haley Reinhart – Last Kiss Goodbye

Johnny Marr – Walk Into the Sea

Kadhja Bonet – Another Time Lover

J Hus – Dark Vader

Lady Leshurr – Black Panther

Lily Allen – Lost My Mind

Kanye West – All Mine

St. Vincent – Fast Slow Disco

Tom Tripp – Medusa

Mallrat – Groceries

Hayley Kiyoko (ft. Kehlani) - What I Need

 

Ben Howard – The Defeat

Rex Orange County, Randy Newman – You’ve Got a Friend in Me

The Internet – Come Over

Natalie Prass – The Fire

PHOTO CREDIT: Nick Dorey

Lykke Li – two nights

Weezer – Africa

Father John Misty – Please Don’t Die

AKA - Beyonce

Benjamin Francis Leftwich – I Am with You

Charli XCX – 5 in the Morning

Spring King – Us Vs Them

Leon Bridges – Beyond

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando

Gengahr - I'll Be Waiting

Beth Orton, The Chemical Brothers – I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain

Underworld, Iggy Pop – Bells & Circles

PHOTO CREDIT: Cal

Wolf Alice - Space & Time

Goat Girl - Viper Fish

Ne-Yo – SUMMERTIME

FEATURE: On a Day Like This: Kylie Minogue at Fifty: The Playlist

FEATURE:

 

On a Day Like This

ALL PHOTOS: Getty Images/Press

Kylie Minogue at Fifty: The Playlist

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I am producing quite a few playlists at the moment…

but this one is rather important. I am keen to mark music icons who celebrate birthdays. I noted Stevie Nicks’ seventieth very recently and now, as she turns fifty, I am at the feet of Kylie Minogue. Whilst I have not followed her newer albums; I have been a fan of her work since the 1980s and note what an impact she has made on music. The Queen of Pop – or is that Madonna?! – continues to reinvent herself and move through different phases. Despite turning fifty; we have not even started to hear the last of Minogue and her music. Golden, released in April, stepped into Country and departed from what we usually associate with her. Seeing as the release of Golden arrived thirty years after her debut, we can forgive the songwriter for wanting to try something different move into new territory. It has been a long and lucrative career for Kylie Minogue that has included awards and honours; high-profile romances and her partnership with Jason Donavon; a cancer battle and constant evolution and change. To mark her fiftieth birthday and honour a hugely influential and stunning artist; I have collated a selection of Kylie Minogue’s hits that spans from her debut to her current record. Here’s hoping there are many more years of music to come…

FROM the Australian legend.

FEATURE: How Did We Ever Exist Before Starbucks?! Are We Becoming Snobbier and Less Egalitarian Regarding Our Music Tastes?

FEATURE:

 

How Did We Ever Exist Before Starbucks?!

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash

Are We Becoming Snobbier and Less Egalitarian Regarding Our Music Tastes?

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WHILST many argue…

IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press 

there is ‘guilty pleasure’ in music, I would defend there is no such thing: tastes are subjective and everything is welcome in the musical Noah’s Ark. I feel, as society has become more gentrify and people hanker after a more ‘desirable’ form of life; music and how we digest it is becoming more rigid. It is impossible to love every type of music out there – we all have cut-offs and genres we are not hot on. I am not big on some commercial Pop and I have never had too much time for anything heavier and louder than Metal. I can appreciate those who do love those extremes but, to me, we are more enriched and informed as a music fan if we embrace as much as possible. Many might say that, being a big BBC Radio 6 Music fan, I am neglecting a lot of music and going after the ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’. Rather than limiting my scope and ignoring everything outside the 6 Music remit, I am exposed to a greater spread than I would if I caught the bigger commercial stations. Whilst BBC Radio 6 Music does not play a lot of chart music and goes for the more credible material; I have discovered so much I would not have done were it not for the station. I have discovered African rhythms and picked up on older bands I was foreign to years ago. My browsing of streaming sites is fairly broad and I like to see what is happening across all music.

Running my own blog; I am sent requests from all around the world and every corner of the sonic sphere. I reject the odd request but, largely, I am open to everything that comes my way. I found myself doing something rather unexpected at the weekend: watching the BBC Radio 1 and 2 feeds of The Biggest Weekend. I watched the BBC Radio 6 Music acts – including Beck and Courtney Barnett – and enjoyed the performances there. I caught some of what BBC Radio 2 was broadcasting but it was when watching a set by Taylor Swift that I got a big shock! I have not really listened to her music because her peers, like Katy Perry and Anne-Marie, have never really floated my boat. Whilst her songs might take a while to bed-in; I was impressed by her stage command and the interaction with the audience. Post-gig, she was being interviewed and came across charming, incredibly friendly and receptive – out of breath but willing to provide good information and quality. I have ignored Swift until now and assumed her music/persona is not worth investigation. Whilst you might not see me at the front of one of her upcoming gigs, I am looking at her music and giving it a fair shot. I have attached myself to Pop talent like Sigrid and Mabel and interviewed a few new U.S. Pop artists whose sound gets close to the commercial core.

I have also extended my psyche to include Country music and genres that, until now, remained dusty at the back of my mind. Whilst I have not lost my senses and embraced everything with no filter, I am becoming a lot more receptive to music’s spectrum. I feel a lot of people are closing themselves and becoming more tribal with their music. The fact we have radio stations that cater to specific tastes/ages often means people find that safe nook and never really venture from it. Even the most broad-minded among us turn their nose up at something. I find a lot of people with my tastes refute anything Pop-based because they assume it is all for teens and those whose ears constantly bleed! There is a lot of crap out there but we are all missing out on music that subverts expectations and could easily find a home – I know we are all limited for time when it comes to searching and study. I can see a link between the way society/music is changing and how we observe music. Most of us rely on technology and want things fast and easily. We tend to stay in more and listen to less ‘physical’ music – C.D.s and vinyl – than we did before…we are browsing online and not as sociable as years before.

Once was the time we spent time in shops perusing shelves and dedicating hours investigating what was new and out there. Streaming services and journalists can make recommendations but, with music journalism read faster and not as popular as it was, I feel we are taking little scraps of information and not reading too deeply. There are loads of blogs but so many people dip in and out and the sections dedicated to reviews are not drooled over like we used to with music magazines. So many people have their own identity and seem to see music as what defines them and who they are in the world. Maybe we are fearful of what people will say if we confess to liking something ‘uncool’ and we get a bit defensive about our tastes. I am not suggesting we all throw our records away and start from scratch. We all need to be more daring and less stuffy when it comes to music. I am making changes and not writing stuff off without giving it a fair shot. If we listen to an artist and dislike it then we have tried and given it time. I have gained some new respect for Taylor Swift and Pop artists like Paloma Faith, even if I am not going to buy more of their music and go see them play.

Have we lost sight of parity and providing a fair shot to everyone? I see people in coffee shops with earphones in and demanding the frothiest and most unique/pretentious drink around. They have their playlists and keep to themselves and, if one dare approaches them to recommend some music, there is a fear they’d sneer and walk off. There are those among us who keep their eyes open for everything but I am seeing so much insulting and narrow-minded comments on social media regarding music. If the Biggest Weekend festival has shown us anything it proves what a spread there is available out there. Maybe we prefer one station over the other – that does not mean we cannot check out what is happening elsewhere. Are critics responsible for how we treat music and what we count as ‘good’? An interesting article brought in a North-South divide a certain snootiness when it came to London critics’ viewpoint of northern Indie artists like The Sherlocks:

“…That’s because the Sherlocks are representatives of a growing trend in British music: the straightforward indie rock band who are hugely popular in the north — the north-west especially — but whose fame falls off a cliff the moment you get south of Birmingham. ‘We’d sold 9,800 copies of the Sherlocks as of this morning,’ Korda Marshall, who signed the band to his label Infectious, told me earlier this month. ‘I reckon a good 6,500 to 7,000 of those have been north of Birmingham.’ You can see the relative levels of popularity when you look at the group’s upcoming tour dates: their show at the 2,600-capacity Manchester Academy is long since sold out; there are still tickets available for their London gig, at Heaven — which holds 1,000 people.

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Sherlocks/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

This divide is a real thing. A couple of years ago, I asked Spotify to hunt through its data to see which music was most popular in which of Britain’s big cities, going by its streaming figures. Indie rock was most popular in Newcastle, followed by Manchester and York. The only place south of Sheffield paying any attention was Brighton. Punk and metal were overwhelmingly northern genres, too, with the south preferring hip-hop and R&B”.

 There is that ‘music snob’ that prefers the very best but is still open to suggestions and those who deny everything that they find different and outside of their comfort zone. There is a geographical issue whereby critics in London are less receptive to music from the North; those who write about Rock and Alternative sniff at Pop; those who like Rap and Hip-Hop might not venture into Folk, for instance. Jazz has always been that genre that people love to slag off but, with artists like Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington bringing it into the forefront; I feel like the tide is starting to turn – not as fast and as readily as we’d hope for, though! With all the options and streaming services in front of us, we should all be exploring music more and less narrow as listeners. Maybe the technological grip and the way we are recommended music is backfiring and creating a more homogenised listener.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kamasi Washington/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

If we are ever to see change and big breakthroughs in the industry then we need to look at the way we promote music and why we are becoming snobbier regarding tastes. There is that small sector that has a vast range of music in their collection but few people I know are as varied as they should be. Maybe we can trace back to musical quality in the mainstream and whether there are enough inspiration and icons to really grip the masses. It is a complex tangle but critics should be more accepting and open; we all need to get away from our routines and dip our toes into other bodies of water; the sociability that used to be in music – record store meetings and swapping records – needs to come back in some form or the other. The way things stand means so many of us are passing artists by and shutting doors without hearing a single note! Maybe the Taylor Swift song I am ending the piece with is not to everyone’s tastes but, as recently as a few weeks back, I would never have entertained listening to it and promoting what she does. Whether we spend more time listening to Classic or Jazz or tune into Radio 1 for an hour; have a look at various Spotify playlists and spend a day listening to as much different music, new and old, as possible. It may not change our mindset overnight but it will make a difference and, who knows, we could discover some new treats! Snobbiness can be a good thing at times but, with something as wide and exciting as music, so many people are letting fantastic sounds…

PASS them by.

FEATURE: The Class of '98: A Year That Shone Bright: The Playlist

FEATURE:

 

The Class of '98

ALL IMAGES: Getty Images 

A Year That Shone Bright: The Playlist

__________

BACK in February…

I looked at ten albums that stood out in 1998 – by any accounts, a remarkable year for music! I am not revisiting because it is twenty years since that glorious time: I wanted to show what range and unexpected joy there was in 1998. From Madonna’s career-changing Ray of Light to Fatboy Slim’s You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby; noble offerings from Manic Street Preachers and Neutral Milk Hotel – there was some insanely great music around that year! To end this weekend, I have collated a 1998-themed playlist that brings together all the terrific album music that enthralled critics and stunned the public. The 1990s had some truly great years for music – 1994 and 1997 among the very best – but, twenty years down the line, I look at 1998 and the sort of records that I would have bought. It was an exciting time then and, looking back, it remarkable just how much wonder there was. I will stop japing and present to you the best album tracks (and a few singles) from a year that certainly ranks…

AMONG the very best!