FEATURE: The July Playlist: Vol. 1: If She Says It Doesn’t Matter…

FEATURE:

 

The July Playlist

 IN THIS IMAGE: Christine and the Queens 

Vol. 1: If She Says It Doesn’t Matter…

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THE heat shows no sign of abating…

IN THIS PHOTO: RAYE

so we might as well stay in and listen to some music! I have been hunkering down and doing my best to stay cool. If you are need of similar refreshment; have a look at a selection of songs from artists such as Christine and the Queens, Anna Meredith; Tom Grennan and RAYE – Years & Years and Self Esteem are in there to add their own candour and colour.

It is another intense, packed and varied playlist that should keep you entertained and keep you occupied during the hot days. A fantastic and alluring concoction of new tunes that is sure to stay in the head for a long time to come!

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

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Christine and the Queens – Doesn’t Matter

PHOTO CREDIT: Kate Bones

Anna Meredith – Anna / Four Seasons: Stoop - Spring

Fiona Apple - I Walk a little faster (underwater)

Dirty Projectors - That's a Lifestyle

YUNGBLUD - Medication

Self Esteem – Wrestling

IN THIS PHOTO: Caroline Polachek/PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Newton

felicita (ft. Caroline Polachek) - marzipan

Boniface – Dear Megan

Menace Beach (ft. Brix Smith) – Black Rainbow Sound

Gulp – I Dream of Your Song

PHOTO CREDIT: Neelam Khan Vela

Her’s – Harvey

PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Brooks

Francobollo - We're Dead

Iggy Azalea – Tokyo Snow Trip

RAYE – Friends

Bugzy Malone – Drama

Tom Grennan – Lighting Matches

Forest Blakk – Tread Lightly

Years & Years – Preacher

Francis and the Lights – Try Tho We Might To

Justin Timberlake – SoulMate

Mac Miller – Small Worlds

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Levacher

Tebi Rex – Peggy’s Bus

Kiran Leonard – Paralysed Force

Orchards – Age of You

PHOTO CREDIT: Justin Bettman

Jason Mraz – Might As Well Dance

Sunset Sons – Love Lights

CAGGIE – Here We Go Again

Jax Jones, Mabel (ft. Rich the Kid) - Ring Ring 

Ward Thomas – Lie Like Me

Maeve – Martyr

Benny Benassi & Sofi Tukker - Everybody Needs a Kiss

Zernell Fontaine – The Wave

FEATURE: Platinum Bond: Seventy Years of the NHS: For Musicians; For Everyone…

FEATURE:

 

Platinum Bond: Seventy Years of the NHS

For Musicians; For Everyone…

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WE keep hearing about the NHS…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

and how perilously underfunded it is. This is true, indeed, but I wonder if there are solutions and whether, alarmingly, the National Health Service will survive in its current state: a free enterprise that has helped millions and has done immeasurable good for Britain! Budgets are getting tighter and workers are being stretched to their limits. It is the seventieth anniversary of the NHS and, whilst we celebrate; one cannot help look at the financial burdens and how little the Government are doing right now. Plans have been mooted to freeze duty on alcohol and fuel to allow some extra money to go the way of the NHS. Looking at this article and it seems like an important debate will bubble tonight:

“That will be the question tonight, when on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the NHS, Sky News hosts a live debate about the system's future from Guy's Hospital in central London.

Sean Worth, a former health adviser to David Cameron when he was prime minister, and Sonia Sodha, a policy adviser to Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader, will present two different arguments for how the NHS should be funded.

We give you an outline of the case each of them will make during tonight's debate.

Sean Worth will argue:

"The NHS is under unbearable pressure, with staffing shortages, financial deficits and over 2,000 operations cancelled every week.

"The service is doing a great job, but is constantly pressured to do more for an ever-growing and ageing population.

"We can keep pouring more money in, but it will never be enough.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

"The big change we need is to allow more outside experts in to deliver more NHS services, including from the private sector.

"There is so much extra capacity, innovation and amazing technology there, but only 7% of NHS services are delivered through outside organisations.

"The trade unions' rage against the private sector delivering NHS services is preposterous - especially as many of their senior NHS members are moonlighting for private firms on the side”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Other reports suggest the Prime Minister, Theresa May, is ready to inject financial support into the marrow of the NHS:

“Theresa May has decided to give the beleaguered NHS a “significant increase” in its budget to coincide with the service’s 70th birthday in July, the health secretary Jeremy Hunt has revealed.

The prime minister intends to ramp up spending in order to show that the Conservatives can be trusted to run the NHS and because it needs extra cash to tackle chronic understaffing, cope with the ageing population and improve care, Hunt said.

May will fulfil her pledge of a “long-term plan” for NHS funding by ditching the austerity-era 1% annual rises it has received since 2010, the health and social care secretary told the Guardian in an exclusive interview.

“She is unbelievably committed. You should not underestimate how committed she is to the NHS. So she is absolutely 100% behind getting this right,” Hunt said”.

Whilst these words might balm and soothe the furrowed brows of those deemed with guiding the NHS forward; it will provide small consolation to those NHS workers who have committed so much of their lives to the jobs they love. I wonder why it has taken so long for the Government to find money to put the way of the NHS. I am sure education and other areas have been funded. The thing is this: nothing is important as the health service and the NHS’ survival. If you cannot live, operate and go about your day then you cannot teach or be educated. The NHS supersedes everything and is at the top, one would hope, funding totem pole! This article argues why the money promised by the Government might not be enough. We hear about aims to support those with mental-health issues: the reality is not enough is being done and there is a long way to go. I wonder how the NHS will change when Brexit finally happens; will certain people have to pay and will others be excluded?! Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been urged to think his position on the NHS when outlining the party’s Brexit plans. Labour are, as he says, the party of the NHS: the interests of those who rely upon our healthcare system is top of his focus.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

If we get a hard-Brexit then the fate of the NHS could be different were we to have a soft-Brexit. It seems, even though the P.M. has pledged £135bn by 2023-2024, a £20bn increase on this year’s budget, and equivalent to an average annual increase of 3.4% - maybe that is only going to keep the NHS afloat as opposed expanding and improving it. There is a lot of stress and uncertainty when it comes to the amount given to the NHS; whether social care and healthcare will be on a level footing – so people are not pushed from one to another – and how Brexit will affect plans going forward. When Welsh Labour minister Aneurin Bevan created the NHS on this day in 1948; he would have no idea what it would do and how many people it would help. From those who have worked/work in hospitals to those who have had their lives saved – the importance of the NHS cannot be understated.

IMAGE CREDIT: Gruff Rhys

Musicians are celebrating the seventieth anniversary in their own way. Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) has released a song, No Profit in Pain, to mark the anniversary; pay tribute to the NHS and show why we need to keep it alive and accessible-for-all. He was writing in The Guardian and explaining why he, and many people he knows, have come to rely on the NHS’ great work.

“The NHS is something that we can too easily take for granted. I’ve twice toured with musicians in America when they’ve had broken limbs and not been able to afford treatment. Each time, they had to continue touring in pain in cramped vans, using homemade splints and slings. It’s a precarious way to live if you don’t have insurance.

The NHS has been there for me throughout my life and has saved many of my family members’ lives. It means more than anything I could ever hope to convey in a melodramatic synth-pop power ballad. For the song (recorded with Kliph Scurlock on drums and Llion Robertson producing), I focused on the battle to keep the NHS as a free service in public ownership. There’s loads of swearing in it”.

I have been lucky (touch wood) enough not to have to rely too heavily on the NHS but, looking around, and one cannot quantify the number of musicians who have been saved and helped by the NHS. I know so many people with mental-health problems and psychological issues who have been for counselling and been hospitalised. Receiving that care and attention has not only kept them alive but has led them to create music and turn their lives around. Many other musicians suffer strains and muscular distress; some injury themselves whilst performing and others incur pain during their careers. Whether it is something as minor as a cut face or a broken leg; the fact they can go to hospital, be seen and fixed is vital. It means they can continue to play/earn and do not have to break the bank. We all know there is a mental-health epidemic that means more musicians are self-harming and depressed; many suffer psychological illnesses and it is worrying to see.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Waiting lists are increasing – to see a counsellor or psychiatrist – and those available do a sterling job. It is the psychological side of the musician’s life that makes me feel the NHS needs more money to do what it does. The number of people seeing mental-health professionals is at all all-time high. Throw into the mix all the physical risks of being a musician – back and neck problems to injuries and falls – and the value of the NHS cannot be measured. I guess Gruff Rhys will not be the only musician paying tribute to the NHS today. There are gigs around the country and today provides a chance for people to think about the NHS’ longevity and changes and pay thanks. It is not only musicians/creatives who have benefited from the NHS: families, friends and those we rely on have also had their lives saved/prolonged. If the NHS did not exist, or was to privatised, then there is a concern some would not be able to afford it or there would be alterations that would negatively impact the way it is run and operates. We have a committed body of professionals who put in extraordinary hours and energy to enrich and preserve the lives of millions in the country. Musicians rely upon the NHS as much as anyone else out there.

We are all very lucky to live in the U.K. – in respect of our healthcare – when you look at the U.S. Whilst Gruff Rhys has revealed why the free health service is valuable to him; fortunes are not as bright and stable in the U.S. – as this article from 2010 shows:

“Josh Homme has a pertinent piece of advice for any musician hoping for help from the American medical system. "If you want to live," says the leader of Queens of the Stone Age, "you better be rich."

Two years ago, Homme's Queens bandmate Natasha Shneider died from cancer, aged just 52. She was put on chemotherapy pills – two a day at $500 a time. Schneider had health insurance that split the cost, but that still left her paying $500 a day for essential treatment. Now Brian O'Connor, the bassist in one of Homme's other bands, Eagles of Death Metal, has been diagnosed with stage-four colon and lung cancer as well as tumours on his bones.

"This was a 6'3" guy," Homme says. "He went from 230lb to 180lb in six months. None of us could understand it. It's just heartbreaking. I'm 37 now and I've been beating myself up my whole life, but I'm insured, I know the status of my own health. Brian is only 44 and his insurance is sorted now, but even when you're insured you still get slow-rolled. The bureaucracy of insurance has become its own problem. Brian's cancer is incredibly aggressive. He needed surgery immediately, so we paid for four days in hospital with a brilliant anaesthetist and one of the best surgeons in America. That was $25,000…”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Many are looking forward to another seventy years (and more) of the NHS and what it can become. There is one part of the mind that worries whether enough money will be allocated to ensure services can continue and the NHS can be sustained, expanded and strengthened. Those who work tirelessly are doing their best but we are all aware how much they sacrifice – it is unfair we should ask so much of mere mortals. Every person alive has exposure and experience of the NHS and the good work that is being carried out every day. Musicians, as I said, would not be able to create and continue were it not for the NHS. It has been a long and hard road for the nation’s most-loved service and a shining example for the rest of the world. I hope my fears around funding and long-term survival are unfounded and premature. It would be upsetting to see the foundations crumble or people suffer because there is not enough resourcing or staff. Rather than dwell on the bad; let’s all, as we have been today, celebrate and mark a wonderful anniversary. Seventy years strong and the NHS continues to patch up and help those who need them. From musicians struggling with mental-health issues and the inevitable gig injuries; musicians are as grateful and full of respect for a platinum-gold service…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

WE all rely on and cherish.  

FEATURE: Bring It Back: The Artists Who Continue to Make Incredible Music – Yet Seem to Be Defined by Their Biggest Hits

FEATURE:

 

Bring It Back

IN THIS PHOTO: Róisín Murphy/ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES: Getty Images

The Artists Who Continue to Make Incredible Music – Yet Seem to Be Defined by Their Biggest Hits

__________

I have been reading the Twitter feed of Róisín Murphy…

and am troubled by what I read! The Irish singer-songwriter has been emotional and is fighting against those who cannot see past her work with Moloko. Some, when reviewing her recent work, recognise Murphy is as potent as ever - they give her proper kudos and see she is an ever-changing artist. I admit: I am one of those people who followed Murphy and (Mark) Brydon during the 1990s/2000s. I loved the albums, I Am Not a Doctor (1998), and Things to Make and Do (2000). That decade (millennium)-spanning brilliance from the duo spawned singles such as Sing It Back and The Time Is Now. I even loved an album that got less critical love than those two: the brilliant, underrated Statues. The brilliant, lead-off single is one of my very favourites: Familiar Feeling is Moloko at their sassiest and most addictive. In musical-journalism-chess-terms; this might be a discovered attack or en passant play: in any case; I am reacting to an article that highlighted Moloko’s best-known hit, Bring It Back. The article is, as Murphy states, brilliant and very passionate. The first standout quote/segment from the article distils the song’s energy and what it was all about:

“Wilfully idiosyncratic, gloriously arty and fiercely protective of what Moloko stood for, Sing It Back represents a strange anomaly in their career; both their defining moment for many, but also not entirely their baby. Its gestation involves tantrums, label arguments, hanging out with Mel C and furniture reupholstering”.

Another extract – the piece is a conversation with Murphy as she explores the song’s oirigns and impact – looks at Sing It Back and what it meant to her:

“It still feels like a victory, honestly. Actually, it still feels like a lesson more than a victory, in that you should trust your instincts. The best thing about Sing It Back and Time Is Now, is that it took us to festivals all over the world, to play in front of thousands and thousands and people. That was the best thing that came out of it. I also got to perform it on Top of the Pops just as I'd imagined it after I put the CD on in Sheffield months before. Who else was on the show? Sporty Spice was there with the Canadian fella... Bryan Adams! Or was that with The Time Is Now? I forget. I do know a lot of these young popstars were watching me and going 'hm, it is possible to be cool and popular at the same time”.

I was sixteen when Sing It Back was released (15th March, 1999) and recall the playground chatter and the way we took the song, and Moloko, to heart. It was an incredible time and one that opened my eyes to a different form of music!

I was growing up around chart music and the rise-fall of Britpop: Moloko’s candid, colourful and inventive music did something staggering and changed mine and a lot of people’s lives. Whilst the article from i-D pays tribute to a decade-scoring gem; there seems to be the insinuation that Róisín Murphy is the sum of that one song. Maybe there is an irony in The Time Is Now: we are not looking at the work she has produced post-Moloko and where she is in her career to this day. One of my best moments from music journalism was reviewing Murphy’s Take Her Up to Monto. I was writing for The Metropolist (now defunct - not my fault!) and gave it a hearty four-star thumbs-up. My words suggested, however, something akin to a golden five-star review. I tagged Murphy on Twitter and she, with a wink, asked how the rating system worked over there – why was she not getting top marks?! I worried I’d peed her off and should have given it five stars as the album was worthy of it – the actual fact is sites/papers are reluctant to dish out too many five-star reviews as a whole. In any case; I was amazed by the album and how it differed from her Moloko work. Lip Service, Ten Miles High and Romantic Comedy are two of the finest songs Murphy has penned (she co-wrote the album with Eddie Stevens). Critics gave the 2016-released album a load of love and recognised what a sensational effort it was.

Track back to 2015’s Hairless Toys, with Stevens’ co-writing, and you have another brilliant creation. There are eight tracks but (the songs) take longer to unwind and are more explorative. From the sharper and more instant songs of Moloko to a woman now building new foundations and creating a new musical empire. The Guardian assessed Hairless Toys thus:

“…From the glasslike Gone Fishing to its Italo-disco and house mutations and unusual country diversions, it draws from the past but adds a crisp, modern polish; and unlike other revivalists, there’s a depth to Murphy’s vocals, as if she has experienced the freaks and fantasy of Studio 54 firsthand. Hairless Toys is pure, evocative elegance, her performance as flamboyant and fragile as the subculture she celebrates”.

Hairless Toys arrived eight years after the amazing Overpowered. That album employed more songwriters and was more Disco-influenced. The label, EMI, provided a bigger budget and, as such, Overpowered feels like a more expansive, explosive and full work – compared to what was around the mainstream at the time. Murphy is, and always has been, a maximalist who puts every corner of her heart, soul and blood into every ounce she produces. Even on Ruby Blue, her 2005 solo debut; critics were on board and knew Róisín Murphy was entering a new creative phase. This AllMusic review sums up the transition – and why people should not live in the past:

 “As brilliant as Moloko could be -- on both their most eccentric and most conventionally pop moments -- their albums never quite jelled into something as uniformly great as Roisin Murphy's solo debut, Ruby Blue. By teaming up with producer Matthew Herbert, who remixed Moloko's "Sing It Back" back in the I Am Not a Doctor days, Murphy keeps the alluring sensuality and unpredictable quirks that made Moloko unique, without sounding like she's rehashing where she's already been. Both Murphy and Herbert are artists who are equally at home with the wildest and most accessible sounds (and especially when they bring those extremes together), so their reunion on Ruby Blue feels very natural, and gives the album a smoother, more organic sound than might be expected from a debut”.

I am reading what Murphy is putting out there and the struggle to get people to listen hard; get a bigger budget and have her endless hard work rewarded. She posted a video that showed, as she said, the challenge to get people engaging with genuine art and intelligent content is draining. She, like many artists, have to move on from the perception of the past and how people see them. The fact many hear the name ‘Róisín Murphy’ and instantly spring to Sing It Back/The Time Is Now shows we are either stubbornly nostalgic or less attentive in today’s market. Back in the 1990s; perhaps there were budgetary constraints and issues – one feels there were more people listening in and the scene, in many ways, has weakened. Murphy has been producing top-quality music for twenty-five years and still has to campaign to get her videos properly funded and people talking about them. With her latest video, Plaything, out there; I wonder how many of the journalists who backed and celebrated her career during the Moloko regency are throwing love and deserved plaudit her way?! The video’s story and imagery are thought-provoking and engaging; the song is classic Murphy: fulsome, nuanced movements and striking vocals; part-youthful and part-mature…the perfect song for a music scene crying out for proper depth and substance!

I hate to throw the word ‘ageism’ about but have we, in a way, become too obsessed by what we perceive as the young and trendy? Look around the music scene and every icon has to tackle that barrier. It is not only Róisín Murphy who has to face being labelled with her former moniker – so many other artists are defined by one song/album. Paul McCartney is always seen as a Beatle. That is not a bad thing but he has produced incredible solo music and did brilliant work with Wings. Look at other female artists like Tracey Thorn (formerly of Everything But the Girl) and Shirley Manson (who gave her support to Murphy following her disbelief and anger). These musicians used to be in one phase of their career, when they were part of that ‘young and cool’ demographic. I wonder, now, whether they are seen as vital and needed as they were years ago. Maybe, then, the question shouldn’t be around a single song/album: maybe artists who have been around for years/decades are being dispensed with and seen as ‘past their prime’. Record labels are less willing to part with cash; magazines and journalists are fickle and move on to the new breed – is there loyalty and trust in artists who have helped shape music and break barriers?!

I have interviewed so many artists who have been influenced by Róisín Murphy and have got where they are because of her music. The irony is, the source of that inspiration gains less affection and respect than those who are fresh and untested. Look at artists from the 1980s and 1990s – or before then – and see where they are now. To survive and have a fanbase after so many years is a feat in itself given the capricious and busy nature of modern music. So many new Popstars last only a few years, and yet, they are loaded and can do anything with music videos; every critic around features them and radio stations are scrambling over themselves to support them. Although it is not only women who face this ignorance and ageism; I was reading an article about Madonna (published in April) where she provided her experiences – and why, in her fifties, she is not allowed to be confident and sexually bold:

“The icon told The Cut in an interview about her MDNA Skin line that she "got so much flak for using sexuality as part of my creativity" and was labelled a "sexual provocateur" in the beginning of her career.

She now thinks that the challenges she endured 20 years ago are now "ludicrous."

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna

"Why should only men be allowed to be adventurous, sexual, curious, and get to have all the fun until the day they leave this earth?" she asks.

"What I am going through now is ageism, with people putting me down or giving me a hard time because I date younger men or do things that are considered to be only the domain of younger women," explains Madonna.

The 59-year-old musician plans to keep fighting against ageism.

"Ten to 20 years from now, it's going to be normal," Madonna says of how she lives her life. "People are going to shut up."

The singer says that "by standing up to men" it's only a matter of time until certain behaviours won't be dubbed "ageist".

I am indebted to those exceptional musicians who changed my life and fostered an insatiable appetite for sound and colour. I have not abandoned them or feel they are less worthy than when they started out. Every artist, who has been around for years, that fights needlessly hard for acclaim gets my sympathy. In the case of Murphy, Madonna; McCartney (whose new album, Egypt Station, is out on 7th September) and their like; why must they have to work so hard to get people invested and stay among the chasing pack?! I wonder whether social media and modern journalism have changed music for the worse?! There is so much being thrown at us these days; perhaps we are consuming music too fast and not looking for anything healthy, healing and beneficial – too busy swallowing the tasty, easy and sweet.

It is a complicated argument but I feel the stalwarts of music should not be diminished or (be seen as) less relevant because they are not as trendy and ‘commercial’ as they once were. The reason the long-lasting artists remain is that they evolve and make endlessly arresting and impressive music – you’d think they’d have a blank cheque from labels and not have to get so frustrated. I am seeing so many musicians, established and new, who have to be their own bosses and campaign managers. They are doing endless admin and working themselves half to death to even get themselves heard. There is still the obsession for the young Popstars and what is seen as ‘cool’. I grant there are plenty of established artists who get acclaim and pomp – not as much as they should and, when you think about it; do they get as much gleeful and proud press as when they first started?! Music should be less about commercial and profit and more a meritocracy: supporting those who have lasted longer and are producing the best work. I hope the likes of Róisín Murphy are given more credibility and respect. They have earned it and I worry labels and the press are unwilling to move on from the past and back an artist once they move on and grow older. I will leave you with another exert from the i-D article: it shows Murphy talking about the Bring It Back remix and fighting the label:

“…So then I rang the label. This was all me pushing for this, by the way. Just this young bird from Sheffield that people don't necessarily listen to. Anyway, I was like 'we've got the remix, it's going to be a hit'. The record company were like 'no, we've got to do the Todd Terry version because we paid a fortune for it'. I was like 'just because it was free, doesn't mean you should ignore it'. They just wouldn't listen and I had arguments with them where I was literally lying on the ground crying going 'please!'. I was almost pulling the carpet up. They weren't having it and it was a fight that I lost. They put [the Todd Terry remix] out and it entered in the lower reaches of the top 40. So that was a disappointment, because back then you got your best shot in the charts in the first week...”.

To those labels, publishing companies and assorted others who overlook wise decisions and artists who have worked their socks off for years; realise that, if you want them to keep inspiring musicians and adding their (precious) work to the scene then…

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover of Róisín Murphy's 2007 album, Overpowered

GIVE them the passage and resources they richly deserve!  

FEATURE: Spotlight: Georgia Anne Muldrow

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES: Getty Images/Artist 

Georgia Anne Muldrow

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WHAT with the music industry swelling and expanding…

it gets harder to detect and identify the musicians worth sticking with. You have the flash-in-a-pan artists that seem interesting and then fade without a trace. There are some that look promising but they falter and you wonder why. Music is a tough and competitive stable that packs a lot of promise but little longevity. When you look at Georgia Anne Muldrow, you realise there is a natural-born star who is ready to add her voice to the musical history books. She was born in Los Angeles to the acclaimed Jazz musician, Ronald Muldrow, and was exposed to music at a young age. It was not only Jazz that was rattling around the mind of the impressionable Muldrow: spirituality and religion played as much a part as local vibes and dishes. Muldrow graduated in L.A. and soon moved to New York for the New School’s Jazz program – where she met fellow students Robert Glasper and Bilal. Whilst immersed in the N.Y.C. scene; she was hooked by the eclectic artists and the myriad opportunities around her. The devastating effects of the World Trade Center attacks led her to move back to L.A. Muldrow was on the Subway, underneath the attack, when it happened; it was to have a profound effect and shook her badly.

Since 2001, the songwriter has produced a range of albums; from Olesi: Fragments of an Earth (2006) to 2009’s Early; through to Owed to Mama Rickie (2011) and 2015’s A Thoughtiverse Unmarred. Listening to Muldrow and you get a combination of classic Soul/Hip-Hop artists and something unique. Rapper Mos Def, when trying to distil her essence, threw in name likes Roberta Flack and Nina Simone; Ella Fitzgerald…I could add Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill. The way she expresses herself is unlike anything out there. There is the Hip-Hop expressionism and rhythmic cadence; a physicality and poetic candour that none of her peers possesses. One gets flavours of Amy Winehouse but, to be fair, comparing Georgia Anne Muldrow to others too firmly would do her a disservice. You have this individual who wants to put her aura and magic into the world. Over the past twelve years or so; she has raised her profile and brought her music to a mass of hungry and stunned faces. Eyes and ears are turning her way. A new single, Overload, is out and already gaining a lot of love. Pitchfork have already had their say:

“Muldrow finds peace in comfortable places: She cozies up to the kind of sumptuous and psychedelic R&B beat she forged with Madlib on 2012’s Seeds and offers gratitude for an all-consuming romantic love. “I’m on overload and overdrive/I’m overwhelmed,” she sings in the chorus, her voice punching through the syllables until she stretches into a final declaration of solidarity: “I built this lifetime trust up in you…

…The giddiness of that romance is palpable. Anxious gusts of hi-hats blow through, a reminder of how draining love can be. But they’re outmatched by a warm keyboard line that wraps itself around her voice in the same way two people wrap themselves around one another after a long day. Here, she can give while she receives; “I’m there for you like air,” she coos near the song’s end. It’s a tender exchange that mirrors the political unity that’s sure to follow; after all, waking up is always easier when you do it in someone else’s arms”.

It is impossible to know how far Muldrow can go and what she can do to music. There is a lot of talk about gender imbalance and racial bias in the industry. We are in a tense time where there is imbalance and a lot of problems present. Muldrow, in a way, seems like a guiding voice and, when you are at your most stressed, relaxed the bones and opens the mind. You cannot listen to the woman sing and remain passive and unmoved. Her songs are a transcendent and life-altering experience. Before I end this feature; I will bring in an interview from a few years ago that explored Georgia Anne Muldrow and what makes her tick. I wonder how far she can go and what the future holds for her.

Muldrow is one of those artists who has a loyal fanbase but has not been given the mainstream pass she deserves. We are looking for heroines and heroes that can change the scene and make genuine progress in the industry. Muldrow seems like one of those talents who can inspire the next generation and remain in the public consciousness for many years to come. I am excited to see whether a new album is due; what she has planned regards touring and where she is headed. Let me take you to that Afropunk interview (from 2015) and a couple of questions that popped out:

How has your family influenced you?

“It was ingrained in me to never commit to an instrument that my parents did. It was the sense of rebellion and not wanting to commit to anything personally. However not wanting to disappoint them was something I had to break through, it brought a lot of pain. My parents showed me Coltrane and it changed me forever”.

How have you faced any issues because of your image?

“There have been a lot of things, people saying that I need an image consultant, people saying we are too revolutionary. I’m just saying what people are thinking in the streets. I think it’s that kind of thing. Being told I’m too black for TV. The distancing from people feeling like people are scared of me sometimes, it’s not us it’s what we represent”.

It is an exciting and great time for Georgia Anne Muldrow. Overload is upon us and people in the U.K. have been stunned and hooked. It is getting a lot of praise in the U.S. and, before long, it will spread around the world. Muldrow has been influenced by her parents but has chosen her own path; she has defied those who say she is too black for T.V. and not what they (producers and production companies) are looking for. Her defiance and incredible talent speak louder than the limitations placed before her. The discrimination and ignorance that comes from T.V. companies remind me of the days of MTV and Michael Jackson’s struggle. He faced issues getting his videos on the station and faced racism and ignorance. The passion and energy he put into defying the odds led him to be crowned the King of Pop. Although the situation is different for Muldrow; she has come against those who feel she is not ‘ideal’ and ‘perfect’ – she will have the last laugh and rise to the top of the music tree. If you are not familiar with Georgia Anne Muldrow; make sure you get behind her music and discover a truly wonderful artist. Her new single, and its title, gives impressions of excess and a need for some restraints. When it comes to this U.S. treasure; it is simply impossible to have too much…

OF such an incredible force of nature.  

FEATURE: A Pride of Lions? Is the Music Industry Becoming More Accepting of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. Artists?

FEATURE:

 

A Pride of Lions?

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash 

Is the Music Industry Becoming More Accepting of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. Artists?

__________

ONE might read that headline…

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

and take issue with a couple of different points. I shall address the ignored elephant in the room, then. I am not suggesting, for one minute, the music industry is homophobic or sees artists who do not identify themselves in binary teams as outcasts and oddities. I am suggesting, perhaps, we are less keen to shine a light on those L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. acts and their vivid, entrancing and incredible stories. They are still not as conventional and ‘accepted’ as some and, I guess, some people feel uncomfortable. I have used the term ‘L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.’ – rather than ‘L.G.B.T.Q.’ – as it is more inclusive, and, actually, would identify myself somewhere in that acronym.

We all know what the traditional five-letter acronym stands for: the ‘I’ is for ‘Intersex’; the ‘A’ is for ‘Asexual’. I guess, by virtue of not having sex at the moment (going through a patience-testing dry spell) I cannot claim to be celibate or ‘holding out’ – I guess, though, there are normal desires that are not being met and I cannot seem to slake. I am confusing things already but that kind of raises an interesting point. Do we have a great understanding, then, of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. and what the rainbow encompasses? Sexuality is anything but binary: widening horizons and parameters means we do not exclude those who do not class themselves as lesbian, gay; bisexual, transsexual or queer.

I am going to liberally source from a New York Times article that, before we traverse further, explains the altering lexicon of sexuality and how one need not identify in simple and limited territories:

“Take, for example, the addition of “Q” that became increasingly popular as the 20th century turned into the 21st. Some insisted this stood for “questioning,” representing people who were uncertain of their sexual orientations or gender identities. Others declared it was for “queer,” a catchall term that has shed its derogatory origins and is gaining acceptance.

Now there’s also I, for intersex; A, for ally (or asexual, depending on whom you’re talking to); and often a plus sign meant to cover anyone else who’s not included: L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+.

That’s not all, however — that’s just the beginning.

What follows is a by-no-means inclusive list of vocabulary.

GAY AND LESBIAN It’s important to start with the basics, and “gay” and “lesbian” are as basic as it gets. As “homosexual” began to feel clinical and pejorative, gay became the de rigueur mainstream term to refer to same-sex attraction in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Gradually, as what was then called the gay liberation movement gained steam, the phrase “gay and lesbian” became more popular as a way to highlight the similar-yet-separate issues faced by women in the fight for tolerance.

Gay is still sometimes used as an umbrella term, but these days, it also refers specifically to men, as in “gay men and lesbians.”

BISEXUAL Someone who is attracted to people of their gender or other genders. It is not a way station from straight to gay, as it had once been described.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Get Images/Pride in London

The stereotypes around bisexuality — that it’s a transitional stage or a cover for promiscuity — have been at the center of fraught conversation within L.G.B.T.Q. circles for years. The musical television show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” which features a bisexual male character, had an entire song refuting this.

As advocates speak out more about what they see as “bisexual erasure” — the persistent questioning or negation of bisexual identity — the term has become resurgent. But some people also argue that the prefix “bi” reinforces a male/female gender binary that isn’t inclusive enough.

PANSEXUAL Someone who is attracted to people of all gender identities. Or someone who is attracted to a person’s qualities regardless of their gender identity.

Once a more niche term used by academics, pansexual has entered the mainstream, pushed in part by celebrities bringing it visibility. The singer Miley Cyrus identified as pansexual in 2015. In April, after the singer Janelle Monàe came out as pansexual in a “Rolling Stone” article, searches for the word on Merriam-Webster’s website rose 11,000 percent, according to the dictionary.

ASEXUAL Or “ace.” Someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction. They are not to be confused with “aromantic people,” who experience little or no romantic attraction. Asexual people do not always identify as aromantic; aromantic people do not always identify as asexual.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Get Images/Pride in London

CISGENDER Someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

TRANSGENDER A wide-ranging term for people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from the biological sex they were assigned at birth.

TRANSGENDERED Not a word. Often used as one.

TRANS* OR TRANS+ Two umbrella terms for non-cisgender identities

GENDER NONCONFORMING, OR G.N.C. One who expresses gender outside traditional norms associated with masculinity or femininity. Not all gender-nonconforming people are transgender, and some transgender people express gender in conventionally masculine or feminine ways.

NONBINARY A person who identifies as neither male nor female and sees themselves outside the gender binary. This is sometimes shortened to N.B. or enby. One notable example: Taylor Mason, a financial analyst on the show “Billions,” who is believed to be the first gender nonbinary character on television and is played by the nonbinary actor Asia Kate Dillon.

GENDERQUEER Another term often used to describe someone whose gender identity is outside the strict male/female binary. They may exhibit both traditionally masculine and feminine qualities or neither.

GENDER FLUID A term used by people whose identity shifts or fluctuates. Sometimes these individuals may identify or express themselves as more masculine on some days, and more feminine on others.

GENDER-NEUTRAL Someone who prefers not to be described by a specific gender, but prefers “they” as a singular pronoun (the American Dialect Society’s 2015 Word of the Year) or the honorific “Mx.,” a substitute for “Mr.” or “Ms.” that entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2015.

M.A.A.B./F.A.A.B./U.A.A.B. Male-assigned at birth/female-assigned at birth/unassigned at birth.

INTERSEX A term for someone born with biological sex characteristics that aren’t traditionally associated with male or female bodies. Intersexuality does not refer to sexual orientation or gender identity”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Get Images/Pride in London

Even in that rather lengthy and emphatic piece; you can see why some people would be confused, in music, as to whether we are fully acceptant and all-inclusive. Few articles in the mainstream media address sexuality in music and whether we have evolved through the decades. When I was growing up, a lot of the artists I listened to had a ‘camp’ demeanour or, from a young child’s perspective, a sense of theatricality that spoke to me. As a heterosexual male; I was always, as I grew up, drawn to female songwriters and artists – none, to my mind, identified themselves as gay or bisexual. George Michael was one of the artists I listened to when I was a child. His struggle coming out meant he risked facing commercial failure and judgment; the fact early Wham! videos portrayed Michael as a straight and woman-chasing chap was not who he was about.

It was a brave decision, coming out, and one that was not always met with acceptance and happiness. As a journalist, I have interviewed and featured artists who identify themselves as gender-fluid or gender-non-specific. There are those who proudly identify themselves as bisexual and gay; others who are asexual and some are pansexual – most are very proud and open but there has been stigma and judgement placed at their feet. Look at the mainstream through the decades and there have been very few non-heterosexual artists celebrated at the forefront. Some artists have possessed a kitsch and camp vibe; many others, fearful of coming out, have hidden their sexual preference.

We keep reading how hard it is being a woman in the modern-day music industry: the fate and life of those who identify themselves as L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. is just as hard, I would say. The fact it was illegal to be homosexual as recently as 1967. The decriminalisation of homosexuality was seen through my parents’ eyes: if we still lived in a world where it was illegal to be homosexual (in some countries, it still is!) then there would be mass protest and disgust. Whilst we have made some strides; I wonder whether there are artists a little hesitant to fly the flag and fully embrace who they are. It seems, to a degree, there is still the need to be clandestine and cloistered.

That is never the fault of the artist themselves: without a unified and fraternal clatch at the forefront; there is that fear of ostracism and alienation. Maybe there is no barrier that is consciously excluding artists on the sexuality spectrum. Maybe, as I fear, the marketing men and labels are too rigid with the sort of artists they place at the forefront. The young, sexy and commercial artists are put forward and we never really question things. In fact, when an artist like Selena Gomez is seen with a female friend; the magazines and journalists start the rumour mill – is she gay, perhaps?! Life & Style, back in March, wrote this:

“It's only been a couple of weeks since Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber seemingly decided to take a break from their hot and heavy rekindled romance, but does that mean she's already in a relationship? Not exactly. The "Bad Liar" singer is currently in Australia for a Hillsong Church conference and without Bieber in sight, she got super cuddly on social media with a woman, prompting gay rumors.

IN THIS PHOTO: Selena Gomez 

The singer took to Instagram to promote body positivity in a video montage that featured her and a few friends on a yacht. But the way she rested her head, cuddled, and cozied up to a female friend in the footage got some attention. Fans commented on Selena's post with rainbow emojis — which is a universal symbol that represents the LGBTQ community — and different colored heart emojis”.

Do pieces like this add pressure on the shoulders of an artist or open the way for them, if they are gay, to reveal that to the world?! I am not sure whether Gomez is gay – it is not unusual for a woman to be seen close to another woman; think it is called ‘friendship’ – but I do wonder whether the article is much-raking and sensationalism – rather than support and opening channels when it comes to discussing sexuality! Whilst there are some artists in/near the mainstream who identify as gay or bisexual; I feel it is not a subject being given enough oxygen and respect. The reason this article is timely is the approaching Pride celebrations in London. The celebrations began last month but the parade happens this Saturday. Look at the official website and you can remain informed of all the photos, events and happenings. Quite rightly; artists and music-lovers have been taking to social media and throwing their support behind Pride. It is that strange time of year when London becomes a unified and sociable part of the world; colour floods the street and people actual smile! I may be exaggerating but, against the bustle, anxiety and commuter woe; the capital transforms into a beacon of conversation, delight and wonder.

I am seeing artists – some I know and others I do not – proudly back the event and pledge their support. It is great to see and hear sexuality discussed and shine a spotlight on people who, until fairly recently, would not have been allowed to celebrate their sexuality. I feel we are a more informed and educated people in many ways: sexuality is no longer black-and-white and we are more aware of the complexity and variation of the spectrum. I am also seeing many female bands identify as gender-neutral and not be defined: others bands have bisexual and homosexual members; the band addresses and tackles their sexualities and brings it to the people. As many of us open our eyes, minds and hearts; I am concerned there is uneasiness, largely, to actively encourage talk of sexuality in the mainstream.

The artists I have reviewed and featured are unsigned or away from the limelight. The only way events like Pride can spill into music – a bespoke and music-specific day/week – is to de-stigmatise artists who are fearful of coming out; others who are asexual or transgender and are not sure how to broach the subject. We are hearing in the news, today, the Government is cracking down on conversion therapy: where gay people are ‘taught’ not to be gay or have their sexuality taken away (through methods that are medieval and humiliating). The fact such a Stone Age and despicable practice remains still shows we have not completely discarded past disgrace and narrow-mindedness.

One could argue there are not that many artists in music that are homosexual or pansexual, let’s say. Not only is that untrue – there are many more than you know! – but there are so many who are confused and not been given proper support. Not that we are told heterosexuality is the norm but I feel there is still that pressure for people to confirm and fit into holes – anyone who falls outside of the diagram has to struggle and fight harder. Pride will bring awareness and help promote true evolution. I will end the piece by highlighting artists who are L.G.B.T. – Billboard not opening up their keyboard to include a few extra letters! – but I wanted to talk about testimonies and stories I have heard from artists. I know quite a few artists who are gay or see themselves as pansexual. Rather than tell that to a label or inject that into their music; they are reserved and feel people would not understand and it would not be played on the radio. Others want to explore stories of love and sex through their own eyes: women want to talk about dating women; men want to talk about dating men or being attracted to both sexes. I am hearing some artists, big and smaller, who are being bold and open. Many others, for various reasons, are talking about their experiences in neutral terms and not attaching genders to their lyrics; others are talking about drunken flirtation and titillation (regarding the same sex, for instance) rather than singing about passionate relationships and love.

I am seeing some improvements and developments but I wonder how far away complete assimilation, inclusion and community is. These small steps – events and artists talking about their sexuality – are inspiring others but there need to be more active, targeted and regular events; bigger artists taking gambles and showing their true colours. Maybe commercial depreciation is a reason for hesitancy: Can we really keep going as we are and making artists comply with what others see as ‘normal’?! This report shows the proliferation of depression and anxiety in young and older members of the L.G.B.T. community:

“The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) released a report in 2013 on LGBT youth that states the following:

·         Fifty-five percent of LGBT youth feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and 37 percent feel unsafe because of their gender expression.

·         Seventy-four percent of LGBT youth were verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation, and 55 percent were verbally harassed because of their gender expression.

Sixteen percent were physically assaulted, either punched, kicked, or injured with a weapon, because of their sexual orientation, and 11 percent of them experienced this type of assault because of their gender expression.

This study suggests that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults also have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders and are at a higher risk for suicidal behavior than heterosexual adults. Depression in lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults is usually rooted in discrimination and victimization from childhood and adolescence. Research on transgender people is still lacking.

Some research aims to study depression in older gay men. It examines cognitive behavioral therapy, its benefits, and how effective it is for gay men over the age of 60”.

I am going to select five artists from this piece that was published on 1st June – it highlighted some great L.G.B.T.Q. artists who should garner more attention and backing:

Dizzy Fae

PHOTO CREDIT: Brad Ogbonna

Dizzy Fae’s debut project Free Form is a wonderland of experimental R&B with bonkers production and pop sensibility. “What I loved about labeling my first project as a ‘mixtape’ is that it created room for me to grow any direction,” she explains. “Whichever way that is, you know it’s ya girl, Diz.”

Shea Diamond

PHOTO CREDIT: Greer Inez

Songwriting juggernaut Justin Tranter serendipitously discovered Shea Diamond when he saw a YouTube clip of her singing an original song at a #TransLivesMatter event. The soul singer is an open book -- and given her ten year stint in men’s prison, she’s got a story to tell.

Bronze Avery

PHOTO CREDIT: Justin Gilber

Orlando-based pop singer Bronze Avery realized how important Pride celebrations were when his hometown felt the devastation of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre: “It's surreal to see an entire community rally together. It's important to instill this culture of love and acceptance down to future generations so that Pride can continue to be a safe haven for us.”

REYNA

PHOTO CREDIT: Katia Temkin

Indie-pop sister duo REYNA grew up in a religious Mexican-American household. Comprised of sisters Victoriah and Hannah Gabriela Banuelos, the former -- who is openly gay -- describes her first Pride as an awakening: “I found people that were going through the same struggles I was and I became more comfortable with myself.”

Michael Blume

PHOTO CREDIT: Shervin Lainez

NYC-based indie artist Michael Blume blends gospel, hip-hop and electronica, but it’s the message behind his music that truly sets him apart. Through his tracks, Blume explores themes like identity, self-expression, queerness and social justice.

Lauren Sanderson

PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron Postforoosh

Lauren Sanderson is the definition of DIY. Last year, she saw her self-released EPSpaces top the iTunes R&B albums chart without traditional promotion and she independently routed and booked an 18-city tour. The Indiana-native is known for penning handwritten letters to her 200K+ social media followers.

There are some terrific L.G.B.T.Q.(I.A.) artists out there who are gathering fans and unafraid to shine and strike. I wonder how long it will be until every artist who is non-heterosexual – apologies to word it like that but it is less wordy – feels like they will get full support and acclaim if they write about their experiences…rather than camouflage their identity or mask their sexual/romantic experiences through byzantine and cliché terms. Changes will come, and greater integration will occur, but I feel we are not as far ahead as we should be. There are some great L.G.B.T.I.A. artists emerging and inspiring others. Whilst they are in the minority I hope, soon enough, we can be in a position where artists, who are much more interesting, deep and original get the acclaim and pulpit they deserve. Whether that is just around the corner, or might be many years away, is really…

ANYONE’S guess.  

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Purple Ferdinand/PHOTO CREDIT: Olivia Rose 

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

__________

I swore the last instalment…

IN THIS PHOTO: Jade Bird

would not be followed up but, as music has always shown; fantastic new talent comes around when you least expect! Because of that; I am extending my feature and have collated some incredible female talent who are producing brilliant moments. Whether fizzing, sun-seeking bombs or something cooler and more chilled; this is a playlist that will get the listener uplifted and inspired. It is an assortment of fantastic tunes that can, at once, raise the body temperature and…

SETTLE the body.  

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

_____________

Liz Huett – Responsible

PHOTO CREDIT: @ecclesinephoto

Maty Noyes – Spiralling Down

PHOTO CREDIT: Quinn Wilson

Your Smith – The Spot

Rosey Cale – Whiskey Than Wine

Meg Myers – Jealous Sea

LIEZA – Yellow Roses

PHOTO CREDIT: Rosie Hardy

Emma Moore – Good Girl

McKenna Bray – The Way I Loved You

Zolita – Come Home with Me

Purple Ferdinand – Left to Fight

Janie Bay – Can’t Be the One

Facing West – Confession

Bisola – Come Alive

Liv Dawson – Talk

PHOTO CREDIT: John Londono

Kandle – Bender

PHOTO CREDIT: Adam Custins

Princess Chelsea – I Love My Boyfriend

NIKI – Warpaint

Calpurnia – Greyhound

Talitha Rise – River

HARRY – Accessory

Jade Bird – Furious

Marie Dahlstrom – Bring Me Back

Vic Allen – Quit

Mairead Furlong – Pinocchio

FEATURE: It’s Hard Being Green: Should Music Festivals Do More to Ensure They Are More Environmentally Conscious?

FEATURE:

 

It’s Hard Being Green

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Unsplash 

Should Music Festivals Do More to Ensure They Are More Environmentally Conscious?

__________

WHILST the sun is frying people…

and we are all wiping sweat from our buttocks (sorry to put that image in your head!), we are trying to stage hydrated and, let’s face it, conscious! Many of us complain about the lack of alcohol on a site – the latest gig Queens of the Stone Age was ‘marred’ by long queues for the beer tent – and we often get disgruntled when we are not accommodated and have to wait around. I can understand why people would get annoyed if they cannot get a drink but it is not a case they are being denied water and dying – they can bring bottles of water in. If it was a case of being denied life-saving liquid, then I could emphasise with the plight of the masses: those robbed of instant booze are lower down my list of the abused, denied and heroic. I find we are all carrying too much plastic waste and not being responsible when it comes to waste management and being economical. We might grab a few beers and, each time, a new plastic cup is provided. That then gets put in the bin, or the ground, and it all piles up. Crisps and snacks are bought and that gets placed in the same place – the same can be said for straws and bottles. An article on the BBC’s website looks at festivals and whether they are sustainable/responsible. The piece looked at plastic waste and ways to reduce the burden:

“Examples of single-use plastic items at festivals include:

  Plastic drinks bottles

  Plastic straws

  Plastic food trays

  Cable ties

  Toiletry bottles

The association says their focus is on "reuse not single-use" and to encourage this they will be selling metal water bottles to encourage festival goers to use fewer disposable materials.

Melinda Watson, founder of sustainability charity RAW, said: "Recycling is important, but it is far from the solution".

The issue of festivals and their environmental damage is not a new thing: for years, we have been looking at the effects of the likes of plastic and pollution taking their toll. An article from 2013, in America, looked an issue over there:

“It probably will get worse before it gets better, as the festival circuit continues its rapid expansion. Events like Coachella and Sasquatch now occupy two weekends each, while the trendiest promoters are taking their parties to sea. (And we all know how filthy cruise ships can be.)

Most festivals don't seem to be making big efforts to be green, as anyone who has seen their refuse bins overflowing with plastic water bottles can attest. The behind-the-scenes garbage pile at Coachella, which hosts some 160,000 folks over two weekends, is particularly mountainous, and other large events suffer as well.

"Sasquatch was more like 'Trashquatch.' It was awful," says Tucker Gumber, who attends festivals constantly — he hit 18 of them in 2012 alone — and reviews them on his website, thefestivalguy.com. "The grounds are so pretty, but inside there weren't enough trash cans, there were no cleaning crews coming through, and the trash next to my campsite didn't get emptied all weekend".

IN THIS PHOTO: A scene from Sasquatch Music Festival (which will continue no more, it has been reported)/PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Gehrke

That was five years ago: we are still concerned and not doing enough but it seems improvements are coming in. Recent news has reported how festivals are tackling plastic, especially, and why we need to be more proactive and responsible:

“More than 60 music festivals in the UK have pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic from their sites by 2021 and will also ban plastic straws from this summer. The move has been announced by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), whose events include the likes of Bestival, Boomtown Fair and Shambala. The AIF said it was also in talks with festival membership organisations across the UK and Europe with the aim of bringing hundreds more festivals to commit to similar goals by the end of this year”.

I have thrown a lot of data and quotes – the long and short is we are resolved to make big changes regarding plastic and ensure there are fewer cases of pollution and littering. Plastic is a big problem but there are other issues that affect music festivals: pollution from vehicles driven to sites; glitter and accessories from gig-goers; general emissions and pollution; other forms of litter and waste (non-plastic) that can affect wildlife and cause problems – it is a big task tackling it all. The reason I am compelled to investigate ‘going green’ at festivals is down to the way we often nonchalantly discard waste and are not always thinking straight when going about our business.

Most of us would never litter of drop stuff in the street but there are more of us who would feel okay, maybe drink would be involved, dropping cans/bottles or not really looking at our carbon footprint. The BBC article, which I shall quote from again shortly, asked whether festivals could go green and whether we are doing enough to reduce the issue of pollution. With recent festivals like Parklife, Slam Dunk and Field Day having passed; I wonder what the total cost was in terms of the plastic waste, omissions and overall pollution. Measures are coming in to reduce our plastic waste but I wonder how achievable it is – considering the heat our there right now and how many extra pints/bottles we are all taking along?! What is the news regarding vehicle omissions and what we all need to do?

“In the UK, transport accounts for most greenhouse gas emissions at 26%, according to the Office for National Statistics.

And similarly, audience travel to and from sites tends to make up most of a festival's carbon footprint. Cars, lift shares and trains are the most popular forms of transport.

Festival goers might not want to take public transport while carrying the weekend's supplies on their backs. But, with UK audience numbers hitting nearly four million in 2016, live music events might need to take further steps to reduce their emissions”.

Some festivals are already bringing in measures and being aware of their carbon footprint. Burning Man places importance on recycling and composting and has a ‘Leave No Trash’ policy – they still have an issue with transportation and vehicle fumes. Coachella has on-site phone chargers you power with bikes and is using bikes/bike energy as part of its ethos. Bonnaroo uses 100% compostable food-service items and encourages people to bring their own food. The U.S. are making changes and some of their biggest festivals, whilst not perfect, have their own designs and innovations. I am seeing improvements at U.K. sites. There are more recyclable food and drink packages; more areas for waste and rubbish; punters being more conscious of how much plastic they purchase – people are car-sharing and walking to sites. It is not always convenient trekking to a festival but, if you can make changes and cut down on pollution, you definitely should. Festivals will have to comply with laws regarding plastic waste and that will extend to plastic productions – beads and trinkets that are worn for example. I think there are improvements coming in but there need to be bigger stands made. We all need to eat and drink when at festivals but I would expect to see festivals clamp-down on those people with an excess of plastic. Limiting to a single bottle and providing on-site recycling bins would, at least, try to limit a person’s affect. Encouraging more vehicle-sharing and having environmental polices in place would be beneficial.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Little motions, rather than huge leaps, can set wheels in motion that can, ironically, stop wheels motioning. That drive to get more people using public transport might be difficult – considering the supplies they haul around – but shuttles between bus/train stations might be an idea. I feel no festival, a major one, can be all-green and cut down completely. What we need to see are organisers looking at the piling landfills and the sheer cost of cleaning up – the staff who have to de-litter and tidy a field after a festival is eye-watering! Many might see it a pain in the arse picking up and being all ecological but, when you look at the financial and environmental impact being felt; there might not be a choice anymore.

Imposing fines on those who contravene on-site laws/regulations would lead to change – it would not be too harsh and is there to protect others and the land where festivals take place. We never think where our litter goes and all that plastic ends up; how vehicle emissions affect the environment and what a post-festival site looks like after a full-on weekend. If we were aware of what others had to face – and what the collective impact on the environment is – I feel there would be that wake-up call. I think, with some tiny movements and gradual changes, festivals can go a long way to being…

A lot greener!

FEATURE: From Beginning to End: 2018-Released Gems That Show the Album Is Definitely Not Dead

FEATURE:

 

From Beginning to End

IN THIS PHOTO: Kali Uchis 

2018-Released Gems That Show the Album Is Definitely Not Dead

__________

THERE have been some terrific records…

IN THIS PHOTO: Superorganism

released to the world this year! I have already collated a list and formed opinions but, since a couple of months have passed; new treasures have come in and it has been a busy time. It is hard to get a grip on all the fantastic music that has come through. In any case; there is plenty of evidence to suggest the album, as an artform, is not dead. We are told people prefer singles as opposed albums: if you can find a wondrous and biblical record then you are compelled to stay with it from the first notes to the last embers. Here is a collection of the best works of this year so far that show the album is very much…

IN THIS PHOTO: Eleanor Friedberger/PHOTO CREDIT: Philip Cosores

IN demand and going strong.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES: Getty Images/Press

______________

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Release Date: 30th March

Label: Mercury Records

Stream here

Review Snippet:

“Less concerned with outside forces than internal balance, Golden Hour stands as an assured, artful snapshot of a particular rush of feelings, but its wisdom speaks volumes to Musgraves’ ongoing evolution. “If you’re ever gonna find a silver lining,” she sang in the first track on her major label debut, “It’s gotta be a cloudy day.” Even then, she suspected that ecstasy is most rewarding when it’s hard-won. On Golden Hour, she wears the sunlight well.” - Pitchfork

Natalie Prass – The Future and the Past

Release Date: 1st June

Label: ATO Records

Stream here

Review Snippet:

“Prass’s voice and writing are more than capable of handling the stylistic shift she’s initiated: indeed, they frequently feel liberated by it. Her usual vocal style is soft and understated enough that it’s easy to overlook what a fantastic singer she is. No danger of that on Never Too Late, where her voice soars without ever dragging out the melismatic fireworks. It’s all about control, and I’ve got lots of it, as Janet once put it.” – The Guardian

Shame – Songs of Praise

Release Date: 12th January

Label: Dead Oceans

Stream here

Review Snippet:

“With Songs of Praise, Shame have smashed through walls with a bold and unflinching manifesto and raised the bar for young bands wanting to make an impact. It’s the sound of politically engaged youngsters living between the cracks demanding to be heard in a society that’s more than happy to look right past them.

Listening to the raucous anthems that bury into your very soul, it feels as magical as something almost on the verge of collapsing can feel. Whip smart, furious and, most importantly, fun, Songs of Praise is the first essential album of 2018. And what an album it is.” – The Line of Best Fit

SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES

Release Date: 15th June

Label: Future Classics

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Review Snippet:

“’Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides’ retains the innate oddness that sits at the centre of SOPHIE’s work and, as such, is an album that interrogates the nature of pop music as much as it embodies it. Riffing on Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’, ‘Immaterial’ imitates the synthetic claps and drop-chasing patterns of mainstream dance music, and the vocals – provided by Cecile Believe – are hurtled up and down multiple octaves like a plastic bag in caught a gust. Beneath the studied structure – at times, almost a parody of mainstream EDM – SOPHIE’s lyrics concern escaping societal structure. “I could be anything I want/ Immaterial boys, immaterial girls.” - NME

Eleanor Friedberger - Rebound

Release Date: 4th May

Label: Frenchkiss Records

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Review Snippet:

“The emotional rollercoaster sees her hurtle from “losing my mind to ZZ Top” to achieving some kind of connection in the dreamy love song, Nice to Be Nowhere. It’s all held together by sharp, tunefully lovely songwriting, and the likes of Make Me a Song and Everything are copper-bottomed, classy, euphoric electro pop.” – The Guardian

Lily Allen - No Shame

Release Date: 8th June

Label: Parlophone

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Review Snippet:

“Rather than worrying about radio play, Allen has made an album that captures the mindset of an artist and a mother approaching a pivotal crossroads. It definitely still has hits – look no further than lead single “Trigger Bang” featuring English rapper Giggs – but it also has a more endearing purpose. With No Shame, Allen has eschewed making an Irish exit from her days as a party girl and instead delivered a eulogy that gracefully buries the past while continuing to seek the sunshine of the future.” – Consequence of Sound

Leon Bridges - Good Thing

Release Date: 4th May

Label: Columbia Records

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Review Snippet:

“Faster than you can say “A change is gonna come,” Bridges has shuffled things up for “Good Thing,” probably correctly divining that what seemed fresh on the freshman outing would start to look like a one-Cooke-pony stunt by album two. He renewed work in the same vein with the same longtime band that produced and co-wrote the first record before thinking better of it. Instead, he started over with project overseer Ricky Reed, a 2017 Grammy producer of the year nominee whose labors here won’t hurt his chances at a repeat nomination. Reed has wisely kept Bridges’ original crew on board for a few tracks, but brought in a broader range of neo-soul collaborators for the others.” - Variety

Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy

Release Date: 5th April

Label: Atlantic Records

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Review Snippet:

“Cardi B’s rapping may not be as elastic as some of her peers’, but she’s endlessly daring, comparing her breasts to Beyoncé‘s twins on ‘Money Bag’ and asking Rihanna and Chrissy Teigen for a threesome on ‘She Bad’. She also matches the randiest male rapper with her sexual agency. When she raps “Give him some vag’, I’m gettin’ a bag” on ‘Bickenhead’, it’s one of several ‘Wow, she really went there’ moments. But this doesn’t mean ‘Invasion Of Privacy’ becomes one-note. The way she flips from righteous fury to plaintive desperation on ‘Thru Your Phone’, a track about her partner’s infidelity, is thrilling and palpably emotional.” - NME

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

Release Date: 5th April

Label: Atlantic Records

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Review Snippet:

“Other collaborators connect Dirty Computer to the best of pop’s now: Grimes brings vibes on the deliciously softcore “Pynk,” tagteaming off Aerosmith’s “Pink” with an amusingly Taylor Swiftian pre-chorus (its liner note credits also shout out “Kali, Sheela Na Gig, Isis, Sheba, Athena, Medusa, Mary … Vagina by Naomi Wolff, Interior Scroll by Carolee Schneemann and the calligraphy of Sun Ping). “I Got the Juice” features kindred spirit Pharrell; it’s a tasty ode to secretions and personal power that nods to Kelis’ Neptunes-produced “Milkshake” while declaring “this pussy grab you back.” Kendrick Lamar cohort Thundercat turns up alongside Wilson on “Take a Byte.” Other current A-list pop co-writers here include Taylor Parks, Julia Michaels, Justin Trantor and Mattman & Robin.” - Rolling Stone

Hookworms – Microshift

Release Date: 2nd February

Label: Domino Recording Company

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Review Snippet:

“You would have to search far and wide to find a transformation in an already great band that works as well as this. The key to it all is the vulnerability that MJ is now willing to put on display, giving the newfound musical incisiveness the emotional fuel it needs to really fly. If this isn’t one of the albums of the year then we must be in for something special.” – Drowned in Sound

Tierra Whack – Whack World

Release Date: 30th May

Labels: UMGRI/Interscope

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Review Snippet:

“The triumph of Whack World feels that much more important given the music industry’s stubborn refusal to champion diverse portrayals of women in rap outside of hypersexualized stereotypes. There is freedom in the margins, and Whack has crafted a work that beautifully manifests her own vision on her own terms. The result is brilliant—from the length of the songs down to the exaggerated imagery. Though she springs from a rich stylistic lineage, her 60-second confections have few modern precedents.” - Pitchfork

Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel

Release Date: 18th May

Label: Mom + Pop Music

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Review Snippet:

“The source of Barnett’s frustration is a moving target though – and she is both fuelled and exhausted by it. Need a Little Time, whose melody is at once bright and flat, feels like a conversation with herself: “You seem to have the weight of the world upon your bony shoulders.” The peppy isolationist anthem City Looks Pretty is conflicted too, dabbling in optimism and nihilism, succumbing to neither: “Sometimes I get sad / It’s not all that bad / One day, maybe never / I’ll come around.”

As much as finding a neat conclusion might lighten that mental load, Barnett has none to offer here. All she can do is show her workings, but leave the problems unanswered.” – The Guardian

Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth

Release Date: 22nd June

Label: Young Turks

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Review Snippet:

“The album hits its full, glorious stride during its last several tracks. “The Psalmnist,” a taut, unassailable post-bop theme by trombonist Ryan Porter, sparks one of the sharpest Washington solos on the album, before a virtuoso battle royal between drummers Tony Austin and Ronald Bruner, Jr. The next tune, “Show Us the Way,” opens with a modal crush of piano chords that recalls “Change of the Guard,” from The Epic. It culminates, after a rafters-raising Washington solo, in a refrain by the choir: “Dear Lord,” they sing, invoking John Coltrane, “Show us the way.” – Pitchfork

Nils Frahm - All Melody

Release Date: 26th January

Label: Erased Tapes Records

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Review Snippet:

“As we turn into the final straight with “Kaleidoscope”, it's clear we are dealing with a composer of profound textural appreciation. The main riff is a cascading arpeggiated pattern that is both spine tingling and compelling. It plants us right back in that rainforest, but this time it's more of a dreamscape - a kind of meditation space between dimensions. It’s astounding stuff from a modern master.” – The Line of Best Fit

Kali Uchis – Isolation

Release Date: 6th April

Label: Virgin EMI Records

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Review Snippet:

“Each song on ‘Isolation’ sounds wildly different from the last, but Uchis proves to be the constant, pulling and manipulating the strings in all the right places. Disco bangers in the shape of Tame Impala collaboration ‘Tomorrow’ brush shoulders with ballads like ‘Flight 22’, via the Amy Winehouse-recalling pop triumph ‘Feel Like A Fool’. Miraculously, it feels in no way forced: it’s a joy to witness her glide into any genre and totally own it.” - NME

Tess Roby – Beacon

Release Date: 20th April

Label: Italians Do It Better

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Review Snippet:

“What standouts most about the record is Roby’s vocals. They are deep and luscious, almost the opposite of her lithe synth work, but also a heady complement. Roby credits this to having spent eight years of her childhood as a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company.” - FACT

Field Music – Open Here

Release Date: 2nd February

Label: Memphis Industries

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Review Snippet:

“The driving, funky, sax-honking Share a Pillow could even be their belated answer to David Bowie circa Fame, with Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl drumbeat, were it not a touching ode to struggling to get a child to sleep. Everything comes bundled up in sumptuous production, with terrific tunes, and there’s never long to wait for a killer hook. Short of running naked through the streets of Sunderland, it’s hard to know what else they can do to alert a wider public.” – The Guardian

Florence + the Machine – High as Hope

Release Date: 29th June

Label: Virgin EMI Records

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Review Snippet:

“Stirring violins open “The End Of Love” like a sinister eulogy; Welch’s voice comes in with gorgeously textured harmonies, unfolding elegantly as she details a finished relationship with bittersweet recollections. Finally, “No Choir” is transparently self-deprecating: Welch sings about the fear of lost inspiration as she leaves those wild years behind her and confesses: “I did it all for myself… but the loneliness never left me.” She drifts off on an airy “la da da” as the violins fade until the song is stripped bare, left with just her vocals, sounding lighter and freer than ever before.” – Independent

Boy Azooga – 1,2, Kung Fu!

Release Date: 8th June

Label: Heavenly  

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Review Snippet:

“Bright, exciting and full of effortlessly intelligent songwriting, ‘1, 2, Kung Fu!’ is an absolute joy to listen to. Wickedly fun, and made to be played on festival stages this summer, it’s short glimpse into the musical landscape of Newington’s mind – and one that we’re pretty bloody glad he shared.” – NME

Superorganism – Superorganism

Release Date: 2nd March

Labels: Domino Recording Company/Hostess Entertainment   

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Review Snippet:

“Wake up wake up wake up,” whispers singer Orono Noguchi in the opening of ‘Night Time’, the last track on Superorganism’s self-titled LP. And that’s exactly what this album will make you do. Open your eyes, refresh your senses and make you woke into a whole synth pop paradise of cola cans being cracked and poured, hushed tones and – you know those sticks that make the noise when you flip them – something like that too.

The disorientating utopian ride you take when listening to this album in full will no doubt bring you glee, and maybe some weird dreams if you think about being a prawn too much.” - CLASH

FEATURE: Pop Art: Michael Jackson: On the Wall

FEATURE:

 

Pop Art

IN THIS IMAGE: Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II (2010) by the American artist Kehinde Wiley is displayed for the first time in the U.K. at the exhibition. The painting is the last artwork commissioned by Jackson before his death/IMAGE CREDIT: Kehinde Wiley/Stephen Friedman Gallery/Sean Kelly Gallery 

Michael Jackson: On the Wall

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THERE are plenty of great music-related…

IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson performs in Germany in June, 1988/PHOTO CREDIT: David Baltzer/Zenit/IAIF/Reduz 

events happening around London – there is one that sticks out as a particular highlight. The exhibition at The National Gallery, Michael Jackson: On the Wall, needs your pennies and bodies. It is a celebration and retrospective that looks at the King of Pop. Following the death of Michael’s father, Joe; it has got me thinking about the departed superstar and what he had to endure. Whilst the new exhibit does not, obviously, allude to Jackson’s childhood and domestic abuse; the fact we all know what happened in that home makes the exhibit more special and needed. All of the Jackson children would have endured some strict and harsh punishment; an upbringing Joe Jackson felt was encouraging and beneficial. Alexis Petridis, writing in The Guardian after his death, looked at Joe Jackson and his different sides:

“Joe Jackson’s legacy is the shaping and promotion of the Jackson 5, comprising his sons Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, and later Randy. The young family band from Gary, Indiana, became a phenomenon in the late 1960s and 70s, with their first four singles, I Want You Back in 1969, and ABC, The Love You Save and I’ll Be There in 1970, topping the Billboard charts.

But Jackson’s legacy is also one of cruelty. In 2003, he told the BBC that he whipped Michael as a child. In 2010, he told Oprah Winfrey that he beat his children with a strap and didn’t regret doing so. “It kept them out of jail and kept them right,” he said. In the 2003 ITV documentary Living With Michael Jackson, the singer told interviewer Martin Bashir that his father would oversee the Jackson 5’s intense rehearsals “with a belt in his hand” and “tear you up, really get you” if one of the brothers missed a step.

IN THIS PHOTO: Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen portraits by Andy Warhol on display at the Michael Jackson: On the Wall at the National Portrait Gallery on 27th June, 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo

“I just remember hearing my mother scream, ‘Joe you’re gonna kill him, you’re gonna kill him, stop it,’” Michael recalled. “I was so fast he couldn’t catch me half the time, but when he would catch me, oh my god it was bad, it was really bad.” Michael also said his father would taunt him about his “fat nose”, and later told Winfrey he was so afraid of his father that he would sometimes vomit when he saw him. In 1979, Michael fired his father as his manager and took control of his career himself. The rest of the Jackson 5 followed suit in 1983”.

It wouldn’t be much of a leap – reading those words – to realise Jackson’s cosmetic surgery and physical alterations could have stemmed from that childhood abuse. The feeling of inadequacy and not standing out could well have led to the radical and unsettling changes he made to his appearance. In any case; the death of Joe Jackson uneasily conflicts with a celebration of Michael Jackson’s life and influence. Before adding my thoughts; here is a description of Michael Jackson: On the Wall from the National Portrait’s website; they give you an overview of the exhibition:

“This landmark exhibition explores the influence of Michael Jackson on some of the leading names in contemporary art, spanning several generations of artists across all media. Curated by Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition will open in the summer of 2018 to coincide with what would have been Michael Jackson’s 60th birthday (on 29 August 2018).

IN THIS IMAGE: Michael Jackson (1984), a silkscreen, features in a room dedicated to the work of Andy Warhol/IMAGE CREDIT: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./DACS

Michael Jackson is one of the most influential cultural figures to come out of the 20th century and his legacy continues into the 21st century. His significance is widely acknowledged when it comes to music, music videos, dance, choreography and fashion, but his considerable influence on contemporary art is an untold story. Since Andy Warhol first used his image in 1982, Jackson has become the most depicted cultural figure in visual art by an extraordinary array of leading contemporary artists. For the first time, Michael Jackson: On the Wall will bring together the works of over forty of these artists, drawn from public and private collections around the world, including new works made especially for the exhibition”.

IMAGE CREDIT: David LaChapelle

There is a lot to view and marvel at – if you are a fan of Michael Jackson or not. It is wonderful to see the King of Pop commemorated and given great tribute by some wonderful artists. Jackson was quite misunderstood through his life and was never far from paparazzi and the media glare. The image we have of him in private – if he ever got it! – differs from the man on the stage and in the recording studio. These artworks look at Jackson in a number of poses and settings; wonderful creations that stick in the mind and open the eyes wide. The reviews have come in and tell you what effect the exhibition has. Time Out gave their thoughts:

“Susan Smith-Pinelo’s dancing cleavage, bouncing to ‘Working Day and Night’ across a series of screens, tells you infinitely more about the man. MJ made the world dance, and in the process opened floodgates of black sexuality and cultural pride. There are plenty of brilliant black artists here. Glenn Ligon paints MJ as a child as if it’s a self-portrait, Isaac Julien uses his face in collages, Auppau Junior Boakye-Yiadom attaches helium balloons to a pair of shoes, leaving them eternally on their tiptoes. This is MJ as a statement of the power and legitimacy of black America, a revolution in pop and culture.

 IN THIS IMAGE: Michael Jackson commissioned Mark Ryden to create the cover for his 1991 album, Dangerous/IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy Mark Ryden/Paul Kasmin Gallery

But he also represents the absolute excesses of fame. Suddenly, MJ becomes twisted, troubled, fragmented. He’s Jesus in David Lachapelle’s photos, he’s the capitalist antichrist of communism in Dan Mihaltianu’s installation of masks, he’s the modern Baudelaire in Lorraine O’Grady’s photos”.

Will Gompertz offered his views and impressions on the highs and lows - and some notable omissions:

“The elephant in the room - or chimp, I should say - is that the curators were unable to loan any one of the three or four versions of Jeff Koons' famous sculpture Michael Jackson and Bubbles. That's a bit like not having Pele in the best ever Brazilian soccer team, or cutting a chapter out of Great Expectations.it leaves a big hole in the show.

But despite that necessary omission (wittily acknowledged by the curators with a prominently displayed photograph of the sculpture by Louise Lawler, and a satirical take on it by Paul McCarthy) and a scrapbook feel of the display, it is an affecting exhibition.

We bear witness to a sensitive, creative young boy becoming a commodity to be exploited: a Warholian product of popular culture whose soul is used like the fizz in bottle of Coke to add a little sparkle in the lives of thirsty consumers”.

It is great there are these multiple sides and interpretations of Michael Jackson. From the rather sweet yet ambitious projection one gets around his Thriller/Bad days (1982-1987) to the rather inflated and extraordinary images that greeted us on his 1991 opus, Dangerous. Jackson grew into that unstoppable king of the world who saw himself as a saviour and majestic creature. He not only had to fight abuse from his father but discrimination and racism from music T.V. and producers. Seeing Michael Jackson – a then-black artist – on MTV and helping break barriers was a huge step that opened the door for others artists. Ignoring the fact that, in all likelihood, Jackson changed his skin colour to fit into music and not have to face discrimination does not hide what he did and how long he campaigned.

IN THIS IMAGE: The Man in the Mirror room of the exhibition includes this mixed media work by German artist Isa Genzken, Wind (Michael David) (2009)/IMAGE CREDIT: Isa Genzken/VG-Bild Kunst/DACS/Jen Ziehe/neugerriemschneider

The way Jackson saw himself differed, I guess, to the public perception. Aside from the controversies and accusations; there was this man who changed the face of music and, of several decades, was one of the most influential artists of his generation. Rising from the Jackson 5 to the behemoth Pop superstar who ruled the airwaves; it was an exciting, fractious and media-courting ascension that changed lives and, in many ways, changed the music industry. I am a huge fan of Jackson and first encountered his music after the release of Bad – maybe in 1988 or thereabouts. I was captivated by this eccentric, energetic and accomplished human who had that fire and genius songwriting ability; a performer who gyrated and gesticulated in a thrilling and evocative way. When interviewing songwriters; so many of them name-check Michael Jackson and rank his albums as especially influential. He still exerts this pull and power today – nine years after his death – and remains the undisputed King of Pop. From biblical representations to disturbing images; pomp and gaudiness; reality and a man who knew how large his fanbase was – to a tender and free-spirited human who wanted to express himself through music and connect with his fans. It is an extraordinary and intriguing documentation of an artist who inspired other artists (in the painting/illustrative sense) to spring into action and view Michael Jackson in their own…

UNIQUE manner.

FEATURE: For Crying Out Loud: How to Write a Bestselling Pop Song: Is it Possible to Create a Song Without Being Sued?

FEATURE:

 

For Crying Out Loud: How to Write a Bestselling Pop Song

IN THIS PHOTO: Ed Sheeran/ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images/Press

Is it Possible to Create a Song Without Being Sued?

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IF you look at the recent…

IN THIS PHOTO: Ed Sheeran with Anne-Marie/PHOTO CREDIT: Will Beach

news stories relating to Ed Sheeran; it seems suing and legal matters are all you can see! Sheeran is suing a musician after losing £20million in revenue.

“…And now, according to The Sun, the 27-year-old is filing his own lawsuit against musician Sam Chokri, after losing royalties to the song Shape Of You. The tune has allegedly made £20million in revenue, but Ed hasn’t seen a single penny after it was put ‘into suspense’ on 10 May, when musician Chokri claimed the singer had copied his track Oh Why. The Performing Rights Society decide royalty payouts and banned Sheeran from receiving any after considering an expert report submitted by Chokri earlier this year”.

If you feel Sheeran’s lawsuit is an over-exaggeration and a little severe; it seems those suing Ed Sheeran are taking things even further!

“In 2016, after Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke lost the “Blurred Lines” lawsuit (for the first time), more than 200 recording artists banded together in support of Williams and Thicke because of the slippery slope the original verdict created. Essentially, they argued that forcing artists to pay massive amounts of royalties to other artists who had clearly influenced them—even if there was no direct copying in a song itself—would “stifle creativity and impede the creative process.” The appeals court upheld the original verdict, though, with the dissenting judge noting that Marvin Gaye’s family had managed to both “copyright a musical style” and opened the door for similar legal battles.

Well, it looks like she was right, because lawsuit magnet Ed Sheeran is now being sued for copyright infringement for the third time since 2016. According to Variety, he’s being sued for $100 million in damages for allegedly ripping off “Let’s Get It On” by—of course—Marvin Gaye. The suit accuses him and co-writer Amy Wadge of having “copied and exploited” the Gaye song for Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” including “the melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bass line, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation, and looping”.

One can extrapolate a couple of thinks from the latest lawsuit. It seems the estate of Marvin Gaye, and those associated, have nothing better to do than look at modern Pop artists and see if they are stealing/borrowing the odd note here and there. You have other big acts launching lawsuits but I wonder why Marvin Gaye’s people are so particular about brining inflated, multi-million-dollar suits against anyone who goes near one of the Soul legend’s songs. If you look at Ed Sheeran’s song and listen to Marvin Gaye’s classic; it is not as though the two are dead-similar and duplicates. There are similarities and suggestions but is that enough to take it to court and ask for such a ridiculous amount?! It seems (the lawsuit) has little to do with copywriting and creative possession: it is about bleeding artists dry and taking advantage. I am not a huge Ed Sheeran fan but feel it is unnecessary suing the man for what amounts to nothing much.

We have got to a point where the slightest similarity to another song can get you in court and faced with financial ruination. Sheeran has made a lot of money in his career but that does not provide a motive to go after him and his wallet. I struggle to see what suing people do and how it solves things?! The songs are not similar enough to warrant legal process and it is a bit pathetic Marvin Gaye’s representatives feel they should take these measures. Sheeran, as it has been reported, is no stranger to these kinds of turmoils. The man has had a fairly productive career so, along the way, it is inevitable he will run afoul of someone. If there is an obvious rip-off of a song then, sure, it is only right you take legal action and approach the star. Rather than launching an expensive suit; why not go to them and negotiate when it comes to royalties. Ask them to split royalties, rather than trump some ludicrous lawsuit that asks for a huge amount of money – based on no real-world calculations and sense of common sense. I am not sure how the Ed Sheeran case will play out but I assume he will have to give some royalties to the Marvin Gaye estate/representatives. Earlier this year, we saw Radiohead and Lana Del Rey embroiled in a rather strange lawsuit that really didn’t go anywhere. I wonder whether Sheeran will face the same consequence (getting off) or he will have to part with a few million.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lana Del Rey/PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Carrithers

It seems these legal disputes are started by people other than the artist themselves. Radiohead didn’t go after Lana Del Rey; Marvin Gaye, obviously, didn’t hear Sheeran’s song – it is the people charged with looking after the paperwork and royalties that are taking the trouble to be annoying. What does all of this mean for artists writing songs right now? If you are a Pop artist like Ed Sheeran; do you carefully listen to what is being written and get scared when there are a few notes the same (as another song)?! Ay Wadge co-wrote Thinking Out Loud and Jake Gosling produced – do they get sued, too?! Asylum and Atlantic are the labels who released the album, x, and they are not in the line of fire! Consider, also, the fact Sheeran’s album was released four years ago. How did it take so long for the Marvin Gaye people/lawyers to notice these similarities?! It cannot be that obvious considering Thinking Out Loud has been out for ages and played all around the world! It is ridiculous we have reached a point where lawyers/record labels are going to so much trouble dissecting songs in case they sound similar to their artist’s works. It is not only composition and melody that faces the scorn of those willing to sue. Back in February; this came to light:

“Earlier this month, British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor made a bold statement by accusing Kendrick Lamar of copyright infringement and cultural appropriation. “Cultural appropriation is something that continually happens to African-American artists, and I want to make a stand,” she said to the New York Times, stating the rapper stole her series of gold-patterned paintings, Constellations, and used them in the "All The Stars" video made for Black Panther: The Album. On Wednesday (February 21), the artist filed a lawsuit with not only Lamar, but SZA, who contributed to the song and visuals, too.

Viktor claims she was contacted multiple times by Black Panther representatives asking permission to feature her work. She ultimately refused in order to retain creative control of her art. However, there is a scene in the disputed video that looks an awful lot like Constellations. The 19-second-long segment, starting at the 2:59 mark, shows Lamar walking behind a group of women posed in front of gold-patterned geometric shapes”.

Ed Sheeran settled his last lawsuit – Photograph was accused of infringement and copycatting; he had to pay £16million – and, one suspects, there is another hefty bill coming his way. What irks me is how this kind of event will impact modern music. Will laws change so artists have to put their songs out there and wait until every lawyer and label in the world decides it is clean and original?! There are thousands of songs released every year; we have limited notes, melodies and possibilities when it comes to songwriting and endeavour! How can we create something that is completely fresh and bares no similarities to any other song ever created?! There are tracks that remind one of other songs but, unless it is a blatant and deliberate copy; why would you punish an artist for something accidental?! I guess suing is not new to the music industry: things are getting worse and the sums artists are expected to pay is ridiculous.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

I quote articles and use other people’s words in my work – as you’ll see in a minute – but credit them and do not mean to pass their work off as my own. In music, we have had seventy years of Pop music and we cannot escape the fact songs will sound the same. There is a difference between someone plagiarising a song and copyright issues:

“When that happens, they will call in a musicologist – but until it is possible to wire your brain into the Spotify database, there is a catch. “We’ll say: ‘This song is similar to another one. Is it too similar and what do we need to change?’ But to go to him in the first place, we need to have already spotted which song the new song sounds like.”

One such musicologist – a forensic musicologist, in fact, and don’t pretend you wouldn’t like that on your business card – is Joe Bennett. Does he agree with the hypothesis that pop might be running out of tunes?

“In cases of melody-based plagiarism disputes,” Bennett says, “melodic probability can be used to ask: ‘How likely are two melodies to come out identically, or very similarly, through coincidence?’ A lot of people assume that identical melodies could be independently generated by separate songwriters, but you don’t need to get very deep into the maths to see why that wouldn’t be true.”

Bennett then goes very deep into the maths, proposing a scenario where he and I each decide to write a melody. “I might start on C and you might start on E – two of the seven notes in the major scale. The odds [against us choosing the same note] aren’t exactly one in seven, but you get the idea. Then you come to the second note: I might choose D, you might choose another E. So then we’ve got a seven to the power of two probability, and that’s just within two pitch choices”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Little Mix

Maybe it comes down to the argument concerning inspiration and the room to manoeuvre. Some artists lack creative depth and intelligence; they will look at other songs and, at times, pinch the odd line or note here and there. I have heard a few songs that sound very samey and one wonders whether the decision, by the recent attempt, was deliberate – they knew what they were doing and chose to ‘borrow’ from the originator. I think, mind, music is so vast and never-ending that we cannot avoid unconscious similarities. Sheeran did not go out of his way to steal from Marvin Gaye; other artists accused of snatching notes/ideas like Little Mix – their song, Shout Out to My Ex resembled G.R.L.’s Ugly Heart, it was claimed – have been under the microscope and raised questions. Look at legends like The Beatles and ask whether some of their early songs sounded similar to other Pop songs or Blues numbers. Are there legal justifications for plagiarism – returning to the previous article – for new artists?

“Interestingly, Bennett goes so far as to suggest that plagiarism could be considered a defensible part of the songwriting process. “It’s a legitimate part of composition,” he states. “You’re creating something that sounds good, while discarding all the ideas you’ve heard before. You might see sculpture as the ultimate metaphor for subtractive creativity; Michelangelo said that every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”

 Surely, in that case, it must have been easier for the Beatles? Obviously, they had a knack for a decent tune, but they didn’t have the spectre of 70 years’ worth of popular song looming over every writing session. “Well, I don’t buy that personally,” Bennett says. “Yes, there’s been a lot of pop since the Beatles, but one might say there was more music before. People have been making music for thousands of years. I do believe pop behaves evolutionarily and passes on its ideas to the next generation, but I don’t think that makes it any less likely that songwriters will continue to write original cool pop melodies for ever.”

Not everyone is so sure, however. Someone who does at least partially back up the theory that pop is running out of songs is Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills. “We do this silly feature where the idea is: ‘Radio 1 needs to be worried because we’re a new music station and we’re actually running out of music,’” he says. The feature involves playing similar songs side by side. “Our premise is like yours: surely there are only so many notes, melodies and combinations?”

We will see more lawsuits and court cases come up; big names will be put in the firing line and forced to justify their songs – have they deliberately stolen from their client/artist?! I think things are quite ridiculous now and we need to get out of this culture of suing artists if they have, deliberately or not, taken a few notes or have similar melodies in their music. Maybe artists need to study the law and, if they have doubts, consult a legal team or find a way of avoiding legal punishment. I feel everything comes down to the reality: we have so much music out there; there are limited notes, possibilities and ideas. Artists can cover a song and not have to ask for permission – it is a courtesy – but have to pay millions if they write a track that bears some familiar edges. That seems really stupid. Rather than go after artists like Sheeran and achieve nothing in the process – outside of financial gain –; understand that musicians (most of them) are not trying to rip anyone off but, instead, want to create music that…

TOUCHES people in a direct and emotional way.

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS IMAGE: JONES

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

__________

I am concluding this all-female…

IN THIS PHOTO: Laurel/PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Mae Perez

feature by including artists/songs that mix the heat and simmer of the summer. There are some songs that get you a little more chilled and cool you down when needed – a contrast and clash that will nourish the bones and get into the bloodstream. Take a listen to the artists below and let their majestic music get into the head and take you somewhere special. It is a playlist that will get the spirits racing and, when you need it most, take the energy down and…

IN THIS PHOTO: NINA/PHOTO CREDIT: Joakim Reimer 

PROVIDE that gentle soothe.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images

_____________

PHOTO CREDIT: Naomi Lee

Freya – Nineteen Hours

FiFi Rong – Awake

PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Melbourne

Matilda Eyre – F.Y.A.

Rider - Hurts Me Too

​​​​​​​

Courtney Cooper – Damn

Róisín Murphy - Plaything

Jade Helliwell – Boom Tick

Hazel Iris – Candle

Ailbhe Reddy – Nothing to Doubt

Lauren Marsh – Take Me with You (When You Go)

Sharna Bass - Hit & Run

PHOTO CREDIT: Katie Knight-Adams

NINA – Empire of Love

PHOTO CREDIT: Ebru Yildiz 

Marissa Nadler – For My Crimes

Riva Taylor – My Mouth

Sara Diamond – Fool

Laurel – Same Mistakes

Ina Wroldsen – Mother

Kymberley Kennedy - Don’t Pacify Me

JONES – Silver Screen

Lauren Waller – Can’t See

ESS SEE – Fast Cheap Easy

Shefali – Let U Go

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Qveen Herby/ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images 

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

__________

THE penultimate instalment of this feature…

IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Housley

overtly mixes the contrasts of summer: the blazing heat and rushing lust together with the sleepy and romantic evenings. It is a playlist that, again, covers a multitude of genres, artists and areas; guaranteed to get inside the head and provoke further investigation. I hope you explore the artists and follow them closely as, between them, we have some definite future stars. As the sun starts to go down and the heat drops (slightly); spin the playlist and escape into a weird, comforting and memorable…

IN THIS PHOTO: Molly Hammar

WORLD of music.

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Natalie Shay – Perfume

Roz Yuen – Feels So Good

Qveen Herby – SADE IN THE 90S

Tally Spear – Fade to White

Rae Okino – Mind

Moscow Apartment – Be You

Molly Hammar – Bathtub Moments

Bianca Ryan – Remember

Catherine McGrath - Lost in the Middle

Mitski - Nobody

Robyn Cage – Space Oddity

PHOTO CREDIT: Brittany Berggren

Lindsay Ell – I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)

Freya Ridings – Ultraviolet

Only Girl - Bittersweet

HOTO CREDIT: Bill Bernstein

Rachael Sage – Alive

Lauren Housley – My Sleeping Heart

Elley Duhé - LOST MY MIND

Accü – Did You Count Your Eyes?

PHOTO CREDIT: Bobby Mandrup 

Nelson Can – Downtown

Dream Wife (ft. Fever Dream) - F.U.U.

Lauran Hibberd – Fun Like This

DIDI – Fast and Furious

Roxanne de Bastion – Rerun

Sophie Simmons – Burn Me Down

PHOTO CREDIT: Jesse Crankson

Lyves – Still

Starling – Profiteroles

FEATURE: Moans + Longing: Artists and the Long Pause Between Albums

FEATURE:

 

Moans + Longing

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash 

Artists and the Long Pause Between Albums

__________

A new Florence + the Machine album…

IN THIS PHOTO: Gemma Hayes/ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images

is out on Friday and, whilst it going to receive terrific reviews and do great business; I am relieved there is something out there – her last album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, was only released three years ago but it seems like a bit of a gap. There are other artists who take that extra-long pregnancy to extreme lengths: The Avalanches released their debut, Since I Left You, in 2000 and only followed it up two years ago! Whilst Florence brings High as Hope to us; there are other artists who I have been looking out and wondering if the ellipsis between records has been worth it! I have written about this before when Royal Blood and London Grammar released their sophomore cuts – both arrived after a few years away from the mainstream. One of the exceptions to my general rule – not leaving too much of a pause between records – is a certain Paul McCartney. He released the album, New, back in 2013 (sounds ironic when you consider his follow-up is not out yet) and surprised us all with the announcement Egypt Station is coming out way in September. We can forgive The Beatles legend a little time to gestate, relax and ensure his music sounds just right. He has been in the music industry for so long as influenced countless musicians; he is not dependant on label approval and not concerned with keeping people interested because, like; well...he’s Paul McCartney!

The reason I have chosen Gemma Hayes as the ‘cover star’ of this article is that I am keen to hear more music from her. The fifth studio album from her, Bones + Longing, came out in 2014 and it is high-time the Irish wonder treated us to some more music. Her voice is that blend of heavenly and raw-toned; her wordplay and sense of connection (with the audience) is tremendous. I am a fan of Hayes’ music and feel we could do with her unique insight and sound. Other artists such as Natasha Bedingfield – not to everyone’s tastes, I know – has been relatively silent since 2008 and many fans are eager for new work. Maybe I am being a little harsh on Gemma Hayes: four years is not a long time and she has a busy creative and personal life to juggle. Beck took six years to follow up on 2008’s Modern Guilt but has released two albums since then. Lauryn Hill has only released one album (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998) and there are many others who would put an elephant to shame when it comes to holding back (their pregnancy can last anywhere up to two years!). It seems, though, every time I complain about an artist leaving gaps between records, low and behold, they bring something out.

I sent psychic grumblings out to the universe regards Paul McCartney and Jack White when I noticed a bit of a period between releases but I wonder whether there is too much pressure on musicians bringing stuff out regularly. There are extremes where you hear a brilliant album and then have to wait many years for anything else to come. Gone are the days when the biggest artists would release an album every year (or more, in many cases) but there are expectations that come from the public and labels. The reason big bands and artists could bring out albums so regularly was the comparative lack of competition and stress in the music industry. There has always been a competitive burden but now, with social media and streaming, people are getting more restless and patient. It is harder to stand out in the mind and resonate with so many artists doing the same thing. I wonder whether the way artists are tackling this issue is the right way of doing things. I mentioned two acts, London Grammar and Royal Blood, who released successful debuts and saw huge tour demands come from that. Rather than capitalise and strike whilst the iron was hot; they left it too long and brought out records that added very little to their debuts. It is a hard balance to strike I guess. You can hunker down in the studio and see if that urgency produces wonder or spend time honing and thinking about new angles.

IN THIS PHOTO: London Grammar/PHOTO CREDIT: Emma Viola Lilja/NME

I hold every hope Gemma Hayes will be back soon; there are other artists where I wonder what they are up to and whether they are leaving too long a gap between records. Paul McCartney’s unexpected releases, lately, show that time away has done the legend good: the first tastes of Egypt Station mix McCartney’s early solo career with classic Beatles sounds. I know artists like Hayes have faced pressure from record labels and been forced to make their music more commercial and ‘popular’. I wonder, too, whether artists are rebelling against labels and trying to be less commercial and obvious. The tendency is for acts to bring out great albums and then, when labels see they have done well, to do the exact same thing and quick-release a duplicate. A lot of artists, especially women, are styled by the label and made to conform with a certain ideal. Maybe that involves make-up and tight wardrobes; leaving nothing to the imagination and placing sex and flirtation over music and integrity. That is not always the case but you hear of artists unhappy with how they are marketed and that need to do things their own way – hence, the pause between records. Maybe we need to be more patient as consumers and respect an artist’s right to release music at their own rate.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

I worry, though, about the size of the market and what effect a long wait between albums can have. Look at articles like this and this that looks at big artists who took an awfully long time to bring out fresh material. It is an interesting debate but I feel the debate is not as simple as artists dragging their heels and endlessly fettling. Maybe The Avalanches are a bizarre case of disappearing and losing focus – other artists have taken over a decade to follow up albums – but what is the acceptable time between records? So many new artists are bringing stuff out regularly to keep in the mind and ensure they have an ear. Increased competition and technological development mean songs can be produced quicker but, with that, sees thousands come out every year – if you sound like someone else then you are less likely to succeed, endure and carve out your own market. Everyone is free to create and release at their own rate but it is true we are spending less time around whole albums and accessing music like we drink water. We tend to see an album come along; pick a few tracks from it and then that it is it – we put it aside and, unless it is really fantastic, we move on to the next thing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

Perhaps I have opened up another argument, or there are no answers, but there is that concern people will forget about you if you leave too long a wait between albums – or they forget the previous L.P. and let their minds wander. I think, if we look at why artists take a long to follow up albums, we can get to the root of the issue. Maybe it is that need to be radically different; perhaps they are being guided and told what to do by labels and other people; they might want to concentrate on family and take a breather. A lot of it comes down to the pace of the music industry and how hard it is to stand aside or do something genuinely radical. Maybe artists want something to be as good as possible: putting out a rushed and scrappy record could do more damage than leaving it years to do anything! I guess we could all do with appreciating music more and, instead of digesting everything without breathing and moving on; take time to listen to an album and artist – properly enjoy what they are putting out there. When it comes to releasing music and listening to the final project, maybe patience really is a virtue. Those artists who we assume are out in the wilderness and are not coming back; I am sure they are regrouping and producing albums that are different and personal. The likes of Gemma Hayes, who has faced commercial expectation and label interference, has earned the right to release music when she feels ready; others are trying to follow big releases and make the wait worthwhile. My biggest hope and concern is The Avalanches and whether they will wait another sixteen years to release album three! There are tolerable periods of creativity but taking that long; sorry boys, really is…

IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for The Avalanches 2016 album, Wildflower

A bit too much!

FEATURE: In the Days of Wine, Lavender and That Oft-Repeated Britpop Moment… Why Caitlin Moran’s Voice and Work Is Ever-Relevant and Inspiring to Me

FEATURE:

 

In the Days of Wine, Lavender and That Oft-Repeated Britpop Moment…

 Why Caitlin Moran’s Voice and Work Is Ever-Relevant and Inspiring to Me

__________

MAYBE it seems odd to focus…

on someone who, in her work as a journalist and novelist, does not write about music – not for the most part, at least. Caitlin Moran is someone who, for many years, has been a bit of a spirit guide! Her latest work, How to Be Famous: A Novel, is out, I believe, tomorrow and she is promoting it right now. I heard her speak with Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe – on BBC Radio 6 Music yesterday – and it (the novel) concerns a nineteen-year-old who lives in London and writes for an ultra-super-cool magazine. It is framed and captured during the giddy and flash-in-a-pan Britpop regency and sees the heroine fall for a musician, John Kite, whose album goes to number-one. Before long, their worlds separate and the trappings of fame – in foreign and strange tone – becomes a deal-breaker. Johanna Morrigan (A.K.A., Dolly Wilde) starts her own column and exposes ‘the Famouses’ around her: those who are enjoying the luxuries and access of a high-profile record (those are a bit arsehole-ish, it seems). Morrigan/Wilde’s rising stock and notoriety means she has to face sacrificing the one person/thing keeping her grounded – it is an eye-opening and vivid work that reminds someone like me, around and coming to school-age maturity, around the Britpop time (between 1993-1996, in broad terms).

Previous Moran bestsellers – like 2011’s How to Be a Woman and 2016’s Moranifesto – have dealt with the author’s lives and experiences of being a woman. This is a fictional foray that has kindled new ambition in me. In addition to her work as a novelist/comedy writer, let’s spin the cassettes back to track-one; Moran is one of The Sunday Times/The Times’ biggest and most-popular writers. Her current piece, a parental guide to the new (complex) GCSEs is available and demonstrates the wit, observations and honesty that has made her a star writer. She has been writing for The Times since 1992 and, once upon a time, was a writer for Melody Maker. If I can wind the tape back a little more – without unspooling it! – and her work pre-The Times/Sunday Times and it is the way she has risen to prominence and been able to affect journalism that amazes me. Raised on a council estate in Wolverhampton – anyone who has seen her sitcom, Raised By Wolves, knows the autobiographical notes it strikes – she received very little ‘formal’ education and her early life was defined by instability and a lower-working-class reality. Her father, a former drummer, was confined to the sofa by osteoarthritis and Moran’s clan were dubbed ‘the only hippies in Wolverhampton’ (great band name, by the way!). Moran’s talent for writing and natural ability saw her, aged fifteen, win The Observer’s Young Reporter of the Year, and then, begin her path into journalism.

Rather than vacillate and pitch a biopic of Caitlin Moran – that possibility cannot be far away, surely?! – I wanted to outline why she is someone we should anoint an (unofficial) music leader. Although her music journalism days are behind her, Moran’s knowledge of the industry and exceptional taste (she picked Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation as a tune on Radcliffe and Maconie’s show: a real banger, she says, that is proper and does not dumb things down) marks her as a ubiquitous and utilitarian voice. One of the reasons I write the way I do is because of her. I love the work she created pre-The Times but it is the work/novels she is putting out now that really get to me. I, as a man, have an instant burden on the shoulder: part of a gender who are holding musical equality back and seeing the middle-aged, middle-aged minds of the business stagnate evolution and festoon music’s potential-perfume with their proprietary blend of ignorance and lame excuses – in other words, the men who run the show are c*nts. Although many are helping to accelerate gender equality; there is not a lot of vocal outcry from male music journalists. I make every effort to highlight women’s importance in music – see my last few features, for example – but feel I am in a minority. As a working-class writer, avoidably so; it feels like my aspirations to write regularly for someone like The Guardian, who I shall nick from/quote soon, seems far-fetched and foolhardy.

Caitlin Moran is someone who speaks to me, and many like me, in a very real and understanding fashion. Although; I doubt she will read this piece, she has influenced me in big ways and continues to open my mind (and eyes). Listening to her Desert Island Discs turn from January of last year and I noticed some similarities (between her and me). I have a huge love of Kate Bush and one of my earliest memories of her was seeing her in Wuthering Heights’ video in that white nightie (or a dress, I guess!). My favourite album is The Kick Inside, from where that song is from, and it seems Moran saw that video and aspired to be Bush (if it as easy as wearing a nightie and spinning around…); she loves The Beatles – choosing only one for her appearance (the Lennon-vocal-shredding Twist and Shout) – and feels like there is a surfeit of working-class writers in the media. It is great to feel there is someone out there who thinks like me and, for someone yearns to affect change and change people’s minds; maybe it is possible to get to the same position as Moran. Music is in a bit of a state where sexism is being talked about but ineffectively combatted; the working-class bands are working underground and not visible in the mainstream; there are cracks and issues that need to be addressed and tackled.

Caitlin Moran’s new book addressed Britpop and, in interviews, it seems the defining image is Noel Gallagher going to 10 Downing Street and, in a way, getting Labour into Government (in 1997). There were some great albums/times but we seem to look at that time in British music with rose-tinted glasses – the sort Liam Gallagher would have rocked with his hands behind his back! – but Moran was writing and blossoming during that time. Loathed to call her career a ‘journey’ (lest I vomit blood and destroy my laptop!); she has made her way from near-impoverished foundations and risen to become one of this country’s premier writers: an inspiration and guide to anyone who feels they cannot make it in the industry. My situation is slightly different but I have been given so much impetus and definition listening to Moran speak and read what she is putting out into the world! Before I wrap this piece up, and provide a conclusion/semi-coherent outro; a few points struck me regarding a recent interview with The Guardian – that shows why Moran is one of the finest voices in Britain at the moment:

“Your books and your sitcom Raised By Wolves are based on your real life. Do you ever worry that you’ll run out of material?

Within the panoply of fat, clever, working-class girls who really like to shag – I don’t think we’re overserved for those role models yet. Also, teenage girls are a cipher. Their concerns tell you precisely what the problems are with being an adult woman in any era. And right now, one in 10 teenage girls is being referred to mental health services. Girls are rejecting the idea of being an adult woman”.

The question/answer that properly caught my ear was this:

“You once said, when you’re thinking about the next day’s writing you salivate. Do you do anything particular when you’ve finished writing?

I don’t just salivate. I get tingly nips and my knees go warm. This [laptop] is my playing field, I’m like David Beckham there. I always time my finish so it’s exactly the minute before my kids come home from school. If I’ve smoked a lot, I’ll quickly have a shower so they can’t smell the fags”.

The interview covers everything from GCSEs, hairiness and masturbation – not in the same question! – and is a typically funny, accessible and memorable chat: considering how many guarded and phoned-in interviews you get now; it is refreshing seeing Moran so open and down-to-earth. Although those snippets I have quoted (legally, I hope: if not, then The Guardian has grounds to raise multiple lawsuits!); it is not hard to see why I, and many others, gravitate towards Caitlin Moran. I hope How to Be Famous: A Novel is not the only music-related offering we see from her. Her latest novel is a story that, although set back in the '90s, seems strangely appropriate and unchanged in 2018 – a reflection regarding social media’s impact on fame and the conflictions we have in music. I don’t know. What I do know is that, as I grope for an opening into the welcoming bosom of mainstream music media – perhaps not the most P.C. analogy/description I could have attached to my dreams – I keep sipping from the fountain of Moran (or something far less wanky!) and uncovering truth and motivation.

The final reason I wanted to talk about her was something she said in the aforementioned BBC Radio 6 Music interview: people do not escape to cities like Manchester to pursue ambitions and work in music. London has always been the go-to Mecca – that is where Moran is based – but, in actuality, I am embarking on relocation to Manchester – a chance to evade the boredom and haemorrhoids of the Home Counties and go mingle with some proper-boss people (I might get beaten up regularly!). It is a scary endeavour and a big risk, I realise that. It may not work or be slow to formulate (I am a little bit shi*ting it at the moment…) but I need to do something different and live somewhere that can accommodate my personality and does not seem so foreign – even if it means a brief stay that sees me come down to London instead. Among the doubting tones and northern clichés (apparently it always rains in Manchester and it isn’t all that), I am given much strength and motivation listening to/reading Caitlin Moran. As someone who is working-class and suffers from a cuisine-fusion of psychological troubles (clinical depression farts in the bed of Asperger’s; insomnia is already awake and anxiety is pacing the room…), getting to where I want to eventually go – a show on BBC Radio 6 Music, too, would be ace – is hard enough. Having someone like Caitlin Moran, who endured worse and is humble concerning the fact, out there in the world is invaluable. Make sure you snap up How to Be Famous: A Novel (details at the foot of this feature) and I will leave you with a final snippet from her Guardian interview. This quote personifies why she is dear to my heart and a bit of a role model:

“…Every book of mine is a list of topics I haven’t seen addressed, taboos that need to be busted, secrets that need to be told, things that I want to boggle at. What is everybody else not talking about or too scared to talk about?”

Caitlin Moran is in fine form and continues to ask the questions few of us dare. At a time where we are being given obfuscation and misled by those in power; it is just as well we have someone out in the media who is willing to show…

PROPER leadership, reality and clarity!

______________

Caitlin Moran’s How to Be Famous: A Novel is available from Thursday, 28th June, 2018 through Penguin Books - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1093443/how-to-be-famous/

PHOTOS/IMAGES: Getty Images/Press Association

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Salt Ashes/PHOTO CREDIT: Milli Lune 

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

__________

I may put out another part…

IN THIS PHOTO: Amber Mark

of this feature but, for now, I will put it to bed with a fantastic assortment of songs – covering multiple genres and locations. It is a mixture of red-hot and soothing blues; a veritable spectrum of musical colours that is guaranteed to end the day with a memorability and impact. Take a moment – or quite a few… - to dip into the teasing selection that will get into the head, heart…

IN THIS PHOTO: ILL

AND blood.  

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherrwise): Getty Images

____________

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Eckert

Eleanor Friedberger – Make Me a Song

Mondegreen – Unsung Hero

Me for Queen – Loose End

Esther & Fatou – Home

MYLK – Haiku

PHOTO CREDIT: Kenny McCracken

Abi Wade – Hawk in Your Side

PHOTO CREDIT: Rosie Marks

Paige Bea – Your Echo

MADI – Intimate

Ishani – Insomnia

Austel – Anaesthesia

PHOTO CREDIT: Debbie Scanlan

Salt Ashes – Girls

Alba Plano – Out There (Blue Lab Beats Remix)

PHOTO CREDIT: @ldzbar

FRANKIIE – Dream Reader

Heagzy – Here to Stay

PHOTO CREDIT: CCZH Photography

Hollie Haines – Like I Used To

ILL – Power

PHOTO CREDIT: Austin Hargrave : Photographer

Maren Morris – Rich

Amber Mark – Love Is Stronger Than Pride

Kim Petras – Can’t Do Better

Kailee Morgue - F**K U

Danielle Lewis – Live Forever

Hayley Kiyoko (feat. Kehlani) - What I Need

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: IAMDDB 

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

__________

THE second part of this feature…

IN THIS PHOTO: Brandy Zdan/PHOTO CREDIT: @alyssegafkjen 

brings together some sun-ready songs that will get us all jumping and energised – there are those that are a bit more sedate and thoughtful, too. In any case; it is an all-female playlist that spans genres and will keep the fussiest of music listeners interested and occupied. Take a good look at the selection and I’m sure you’ll find a few songs that…

IMAGE CREDIT: Haiku Hands

WILL be on regular rotation.  

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images

____________

Matilda – You

Ruby Francis – Heart Rate

Kris Angelis – Photobooth

Jessie Munro – Under Fire

Brandy Zdan – Get to You

SIIGHTS – GOT IT

Toya Delazy – London Town (Wes My Meds Remix)

IAMDDB – Drippy

Chelsea Jade – Laugh It Off

PHOTO CREDIT: Curious Rose Photography

Anna Pancaldi – What I’ve Become

GIRLI – Day Month Second

Jena Rose – Reasons (Dirty Werk Radio Remix)

Valley Latini – Pay My Rent

Mags on Earth - CRYBABY

LENN - Cheap Talk

Sink Ya Teeth – Substitutes

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura-Lynn Petrick

For Esmé - For Others

PHOTO CREDIT: Historiq

Chess Galea – Never Be Another You

Saba Abraha – Do’s & Dont’s

Haiku Hands – Jupiter

Seil Lien – A Little While More

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Wall

Hatchie – Bad Guy

Wyvern Lingo – Crawl

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

FEATURE:

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: GAZELLE 

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

__________

WE are witnessing the hottest days of the year…

IN THIS PHOTO: Ebony Bones

and, with that, thinking about summer and how long it will stay with us! In fact, we are looking at a rather clement and settled period for weather. In music, there are those artists that can perfectly score the conditions with their unique brand of music. I have compiled an all-female playlist with songs that either get the body going and sweat dripping or take the mood down and get us in a calmer frame of mind – in any case, a perfect accompaniment and varied selection of songs. From a few big names and a healthy dose of new artists to brand-new songs and those that have been around for a bit – sit back and let these songs…  

IN THIS PHOTO: Bahari

TAKE you somewhere blissful.

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images

____________

Anna Calvi – Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy

Jain - Alright

 

Rihanna (featured guest Cara Delevingne) – ANSWR

Rhi – Night Driving

GAZELLE – Stay for the Night

IN THIS PHOTO: RAYE

RAYE, Mabel and Stefflon Don – Cigarette

PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Madigan Heck 

Dua Lipa (ft. Calvin Harris) – One Kiss

Sophia Mina – Conversations

PHOTO CREDIT: Blake House Filmmakers Cooperative

LIINES – Cold

ARK – Over and Over

Charlotte Black – Nobody Else

Hailey Tuck – Alcohol

MAAD – New Religion

Jorja Smith – Teenage Fantasy

Megan O’Neill – Good Love

Kadija Kamara – Eyes on You

Ebony Bones – No Black in the Union Jack

Bahari – Fucked Up

Tallia Storm – Girls Are Changing the World

Skott – Russian Soul

Kimbra x Dawn – Version of Me

PHOTO CREDIT: Kristin Burns

Natasha Bedingfield – Hey Boy

FEATURE: The ‘Perfect Time Capsule’: Why the One-Hundredth Edition of Now That’s What I Call Music! Should Be Celebrated

FEATURE:

 

The ‘Perfect Time Capsule’

ALL PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): Getty Images 

Why the One-Hundredth Edition of Now That’s What I Call Music! Should Be Celebrated

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THE bestselling, much-discussed Now That’s What I Call Music! series…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

is going to reach triple-digits very shortly. It seems remarkable to think it has come this far – I remember purchasing a particular edition when I was young and, seeing how many future releases have followed makes me feel somewhat old and a bit tragic! Go to the official website of Now That’s What I Call Music! and there is a countdown. It will be exciting to see the countdown end and what we will get in the shops – which songs will soundtrack this landmark release?! Not to be a snob and turning my nose at the current breed but I wonder whether the upcoming release will be as stocked and evocative as the earliest editions?! Before I come to look at my personal memories, and quote from a fellow article regarding the one-hundredth edition; let’s go via Wikipedia and a history of the famous record series:

“The idea for the series was conceived in the office of Virgin Records in Vernon Yard, near Portobello Road, by the head of Licensing and Business Affairs at Virgin records (1979–1990) – Stephen Navin, and General Manager (1983–1988) – Jon Webster.[2] The concept was taken to Simon Draper (Managing Director at Virgin Records) and then Peter Jamieson (Managing Director of EMI Records (1983–1986)). Jamieson had similar plans to launch such a compilation and he immediately agreed to the partnership. The deal was negotiated and finalised on Richard Branson's boat moored in Little Venice.[3]

...The series took its name from a 1920s advertising poster for Danish bacon featuring a pig saying "Now. That's What I Call Music" as it listened to a chicken singing. Richard Branson had bought the poster for his cousin, Simon Draper, to hang behind Draper's desk at the Virgin Records office. Branson wrote "He was notoriously grumpy before breakfast and loved his eggs in the morning, so I bought him the poster, framed it and had it hung behind his desk.".[3] The pig became the mascot for the series', making its last appearance on Now That's What I Call Music 5.[4] It has recently made a reappearance on the cover of Now That's What I Call Music! 100, which is to be released on July 20th, 2018.

The first Now was released on 28 November 1983[5] and featured 30 UK hit singles from that year on a double vinyl LP or cassette. Although the compilation of recent hit songs into a single release was not a new concept (K-tel and Ronco, for example, had been issuing various artists' compilations for some years), this was the first time that two major record labels had collaborated on such a venture. Virgin agreed to a deal with EMI, which allowed a greater number of major hits to be included (the first album in the series included a total of "eleven number ones" on its sleeve). The album went to number one, and soon after, CBS/WEA's The Hits Album, adopted a similar format to Now!. The two series co-existed for the rest of the 1980s, but when Universal joined the collaboration the Now! series was more successful commercially. The Out Now series by MCA and Chrysalis was also established as a rival to the series,[6] but was short lived.

 By 1989, Now, Hits, and other various-artist compilation albums were occupying such a high fraction of the  UK Albums Chart that a separate UK Compilation Chart was created to restrict the Albums Chart to releases by a single act”.[7]

Peter Duckworth is one of the directors of the Now That’s What I Call Music! series and has been compiling for over half his life. In the Sony offices (in London), he and his team are about to commemorate and launch the triple-figured Now That’s What I Call Music! They, like me and many fans, define the year in music by the triple-disc set. The offices are a hive of activity and speculation; planning and cutting. Like any edition of the series, the team have to cut down a longlist and decide which songs are worthy of the final running order. I will bring in a few snippets from a feature that questions Duckworth and asks what comes next. It seems, though, the plans following the much-anticipated one-hundredth release are simple: keeping making them and see how high we can go! There is no reason to stop the series and one has to ask the question: How has it managed to endure and remain popular for so many years?! In an age of digital downloads and streaming; I wonder how many people are listening to an entire copy of Now That’s What I Call Music! and actually getting right the way to the end.

IN THIS PHOTO: Peter Duckworth/PHOTO CREDIT: Leonie Morse for the Guardian

The fact the C.D.s are still shifting and there is the excitement of getting the three-disc compilation in hand cannot be understated! The series is a distillation and celebration of the year’s best music from all around the musical landscape. Whilst some claim the Now That’s What I Call Music! is largely Pop-based and takes heavily from the mainstream; that has always been the case, hasn’t it?! Maybe the series throws in the odd edgy choice and angle but look at the tracklist for the last instalment. After you get past its glittery and vivacious cover; you can see the likes of Dua Lipa (IDGAF), Kylie Minogue (Dancing) and Taylor Swift (…Ready for It?) sit alongside offerings from Stormzy, J Hus and Portugal. The Man. That was released in March and, by late-July, we will have that epically-numbered compilation before us.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

One assumes it will be the same blend of current chart favourites and some Rap/Urban acts with a bit more swagger and cool. I wonder, mind, whether there will be any anniversary left-turns and nostalgia inclusions. Seeing as it is a chance to look back at the series and how far it has come; might there be some older cuts and a blend of classic and new?! I shall end by sharing my memories and favourite Now That’s What I Call Music! but, as mentioned, there is a fascinating article that spent time with the music’s makers and asked how they decided on the running order and how they selected the tracks that are included:

“...I ask how they come up with the running order and they invite me to the mixing day for Now 99. By 35-year tradition, the mixing takes place in a small upstairs room at Abbey Road Studios. Fisher brings her bag of memory sticks and printouts of a spreadsheet that lists about 65 songs for possible inclusion. There’s room on a double-disc comp for about 45. The cull starts at 10am, after the trio are joined in the studio by an engineer, Alex Wharton, who has “been doing this since the late 70s or early 80s, in Now-time”.

 ...Wharton uploads a couple of gigabytes of songs to a PC attached to a mixing board. He has to crawl in behind the computer tower and thunk in each memory stick. Beside Fisher on a sofa, Pritchard has an iPad, waiting for the midweek chart numbers to come in. Duckworth, on an office chair, twirls a Biro. It’s 10.17am when they start to compile Now 99 and by 10.19am Fisher’s pitch for the first track on disc one –  These Days by Rudimental – has been agreed to.

Easy. The song’s ubiquitous. Its sales and streams are unarguable. “We try to get that opening section to be familiar with as wide a section of the population as possible,” Duckworth says. Tracks two and three don’t take long either. Dua Lipa? Portugal. The Man? They do a lot of “top-and-tailing”, as Duckworth calls it, repeatedly listening to the first and last 15 seconds of each song to see how they segue into each other. The process will be familiar to anyone who’s obsessed over the momentum of a homemade mixtape”.

There is a lot of science and calculation when it comes to providing a cohesive and focused mixtape: it is not only a case of tossing the biggest songs together and hoping they all hang together! The dedicated team have to cut the longlist down to the finest and then, before it goes on sale; they need to work at the pace and order to ensure the listener gets the best experience and it is neither too top or bottom-heavy.

One of the big reasons why people still talk about That’s What I Call Music! is because it is that time capsule and perfect yearly memory. The fact a song makes it onto one of the C.D.s is the fact it is a hit and resonated. It does not matter where in music it came from: if it has charted and scored big then it wins its place. The meritocracy of the Now That’s What I Call Music! series means you can preserve and encapsulate the flavour of the year – they release more than one edition a year – in this long-lasting and unique series. The fact there are Now-related spin-offs shows how it has captured the imagination and remains enduring and relevant. As we think ahead to the one-hundredth edition and what it will contain; I am looking back at a very special Now That’s What I Call Music! and one of my earliest memories: owning and playing to death the Now That’s What I Call Music! 24 (1993). I was ten (ish) when that came out and in secondary school. The biggest hits of the time, including Snow’s Informer and Shaggy’s Oh Carolina were compiled together for an accessible and exciting treat! I remember the compilation was bought at my local record shop – it has been reincarnated many times over now and long-since died! – and getting out the booklet and reading the little snippets about the songs (when it came out and where it charted).

From the corny-but-strangely-brilliant-to-a-young-mind songs like Young at Heart (The Bluebells) and Labour of Love by Hue and Cry to the right-on bangers like Stereo MC's Step It Up; the insane No Limit by 2 Unlimited and Peter Gabriel’s Steam – there were also offerings from Lenny Kravitz and k.d. lang in the pack! Not that I am subjective, but the ten-year-old version of me was delighted to get all the radio-friendly, instant classics in one place. I gloated as I told my school friends I had bought That’s What I Call Music! 24 and we dissected the tracks and picked our favourites. Hearing it (I still have the C.D.!) takes me back to that time when I really started to understand and play music. In many ways, that savvy purchase was the most important thing I did as a child. Every edition of the fabled compilation series is a perfect frame of the time’s music and what was popular with the public. I can remember few aspects of 1993 but, upon hearing the opening notes of Tasmin Archer’s In Your Care and nostalgic conversations and school-time scents are opened in panoramic and Technicolor detail. It is emotional listening to the triple-disc release and remembering how I felt when I first bought it. I remained with the series until 1999/2000 before I moved away from it. Maybe it marks a tapering-away of my love of the charts – maybe it peaked then – but I still listen to the latest Now That’s What I Call Music! series because it gives me an insight into the mainstream and what is being favoured.

I hear, ACTUALLY, that the one-hundredth edition will have a special ring-fenced second disc that is dedicated to nostalgia and the classic tracks – I am excited to see how they whittle thirty-five years of Now That’s What I Call Music! magic into a single disc! The series was born in the same year as me (1983) so I feel a loyalty and sense of companionship. I feel the 1991-1996 period was the zeitgeist and golden age of the music series. One can see the changing of the mainstream and new trends emerge and die in a single offering. In many ways; Now That’s What I Call Music! is a history of music’s changing face and the trends that come and go. I wonder how long the idea will last and whether we still have the same appetite and demand twenty years from now as we do today.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

The digital revolution has not dampened the sales one bit: the Now That’s What I Call Music! series seems like a cockroach (in a good way) and diamond that cannot be eroded by nuclear fire and changes in fashion! As we wait with baited breath for the big 1-0-0 and what songs will make the cut; think about your favourite Now That’s What I Call Music! and why they are so special. One can still buy the older editions (they have gone up in price, I fancy) and enjoy the memories and brilliant music. Whilst the C.D. itself might be waning and certain genres have gone out of fashion; it is refreshing and comforting to discover the humble and ever-reliable Now That’s What I Call Music! keeps stoking the public fire and remains firmly…

IN the heart.

FEATURE: Nostrils, Upper Lip and Eyebrows Pointing North: The Fine Art of Musical Snobbishness and Personal Attack

FEATURE:

 

Nostrils, Upper Lip and Eyebrows Pointing North

IN THIS PHOTO: Florence Welch (Florence + the Machine)/PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Beard 

The Fine Art of Musical Snobbishness and Personal Attack

__________

AS much as I love certain music websites…

PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Fisk for the Observer

and eat up every feature and interview they put out there; I often feel bad when I read the comments sections and the ‘views’ of the general public. I will quote from an interview that has just been put up concerning Florence + the Machine. It is a timely and interesting discussion with the beguiling artist: a look at her creative process and ambitions; what her upcoming album, High as Hope, is all about and what we might expect. The record is out on Friday and already garnering praise and great press. I am a huge fan of Florence Welch and have been following her career since the very start. I have seen her blossom and know how she has grown since the earliest days – less bombastic, perhaps, than the woman who scored Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) and You’ve Got the Love. Whilst the enraptured and scintillatingly powerful vocals of those songs has been replaced with something subtler and more calming; I wonder whether a sense of critical and public pressure enforced that change; maybe it was a natural mirroring of lyrical maturity and new aspects coming into her music. Eva Wiseman, writing in The Guardian, interviewed Welch and picked her brain. To see Welch in print and allowed physical freedom in photography is like seeing Kate Bush at her early peak – a free-flowing and captivating bird (in terms of wings and song; I’m not going all Essex!) who captures the eye and makes you want to dig deeper.

I may be a little biased: Florence Welch is a bit of a dream and I have limitless respect for her. What galls me is how snobbish and imperious a lot of people are regarding certain types of artists. Look at the comments section regarding the interview above and the sort of feedback one sees, from middle-aged men I assume, makes the skin crawl. I can understand if someone like Flo is not your bag: music is a subjective forum and everyone is entitled to dislike whoever they wish. I get affronted and offended when individuals feel it necessary to passively-aggressively and childishly mock certain elements of an artist. In this case, the free-flowing nature of Welch and how she comes over in interviews – theatrical at times; very open and honest at other intervals – and the assumption she is being a bit pretentious and effete. I feel there is a core of people who feel anyone with an imagination, personality and sense of expression is communistic or a bit ‘too much’! Whilst the music of Florence + the Machine can split some people’s views; to go after someone in an interview setting and criticise their motives is beyond the pale. It is rather harsh and unforgivable considering some of the revelations that came out:

“…Now 31, her hair less roaring fire, more gentle sunset, Florence Welch is a calmer woman than the whirling girl behind three number one albums who headlined Glastonbury in a silver suit. Today, removing her jewellery so as not to jangle over the tape recorder, she looks like the Lady of Shalott in blue jeans. It was during that everywhere period, when Welch could hear herself coming every time she stepped out of the house, that she started to crack, slightly.

PHOTO CREDIT: Vincent Haycock  

“That’s when the drinking and the partying exploded, as a way to hide from it. I was drunk a lot of the time, on extra dirty Martinis – my way of drinking three shots at once. I was never interested in,” and she laughs, bitterly, “a nice glass of wine.” She says the phrase as if it were an urban myth; she had always enjoyed a party. It was in the toilets of a London nightclub that, in 2006, she auditioned in front of her now-manager, becoming Florence and the Machine and breaking America three years later. In that period she rarely slept. When she got home after a two-day party, she was always in trouble. She’d get a text, typically, “Where RU?”.

The fact the songwriter has come a long way and overcome battles, recklessness and emerged the other side – it gives warning and inspiration to artists; a word about the perils of the fame circuit and how to avoid disaster. I am getting too hung up on Welch but I feel this kind of snobbishness and arrogance extends to other artists. I have been enjoying the pleasures and revelations of Kamasi Washington’s new (double) album, Heaven and Earth. Whilst most critics are drooling over the record and extolling its confidence, sheer wonder and endless beauty. I am one of those people who could listen to Washington for hours: some are of the opinion his music is a bit too adventurous, undisciplined and against the grain of ‘traditional Jazz’.

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

Many prefer their Jazz en passant – translation: a little boring, rule-orientated and level-minded – and do not like these new-fangled artists coming through and getting all boisterous and physical. Maybe I am talking about a small number of people who do not want change and cannot tolerate any artist that is exciting and different. It is not only the best and most engaging of 2018 that are causing eyebrows to raise beyond the hairline and nostrils to contort and twist into all sort of ugly shapes! It seems like either area of music is in danger of pointless criticism and those who are troubled by reality and substance. I am not a massive fan of Pop artists like Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift but will never dismiss their music and think they hold little value. They both, alongside their peers, are inspirational and doing something different. Dua Lipa has been commended for her natural ability and songwriting skills; newcomers like Sigrid shows maturity and longevity at an early stage – the game is changing and we are seeing an evolution. There are many – maybe not only those who post comments with snide comebacks on websites – who feel those who do not write every morsel of their music or do not play instruments is a bit pointless. I am seeing interviews and reviews of modern Pop artists – who do not play music but can write their own songs – getting flack because they are not a one-woman/man band who can do everything and does not need other bodies. Beyoncé, for one, has been subject to that sort of snobbishness, even though she is one of the finest artists and icons of our day.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

I guess the ‘art’ of sticking your nose up at anything with a strange pulse and sense of the curious is as old as time itself. Legends like The Beatles and Bob Dylan would have got some heat; Joni Mitchell divides opinion and modern-day favourites have had their share of judgement. I guess it is part of music but I get rather annoyed many feel the need to poke and criticise artists because they are a free spirit or they are poetic; maybe they are not your traditional musician or they have other people to help them write. I know music is subjective and different people go after certain sounds: we need to all be a bit more broad-minded and stop seeing negatives where there are none. Going back to the Florence interview and comments ranged from attacks at her drinking confessions (thinking she was being attention-seeking or overdoing it) and assumptions her music was all P.R.-driven and substance-free. There are those – with ears and brains – who can see why Florence + the Machine is so celebrated and one of the finest artists in the country. I wonder why people, who make such immature and stupid comments, actually listen to music and what their ‘ideal’ is. I have been culpable of being stuffy regarding new Pop and getting a little shirty regarding some Rock acts and how much power they wield.

IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

My concerns, in those cases, concern musical credibility and the originality of their sounds. I have never gone out of my way to attack someone’s backstory or personality; have a go at their intentions and feel they are posers. Seeing great artists, in any genre, reduced to meat or subjected to snowballs or cold acclaim makes me shudder and feel ashamed. Maybe ‘snobbishness’ is not the word I am looking for: a C-worded response might be more appropriate and accurate when describing ruinous trolls and those who are never happy. There is too much negative energy around and I wonder, when reading people’s opinions regarding certain artists, why they are so put out and angered. If you do not like someone or what they are doing then why go out of the way to be negative and potentially offend them?! It seems counterintuitive being so schoolboy-like and adopting such an aggressive demeanour. I feel we all need to check our heads and how we approach certain avenues of music. I am resolved to be more open-minded regards commercial Pop and give it a chance; listen more closely to modern Rock and what is coming through – artists I have been a little distant with I shall give more heart and love to. One of the good points and outcomes of the Internet-driven pettiness is the artists being highlighted; they are gaining massive critical love and respect from the best and finest music fans.

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

I shall leave things here and ask whether we need to make changes and look at a negative culture that is spreading online. I guess the sort of comments that came onto The Guardian’s website today are tame and comparatively polite when you look at some of the bombs and bile that is aimed at some musicians. Perhaps being special, different and ambitious comes at a price: you have to endure the slings and arrows of outright c*nts and the victory comes with success, respect and longevity. In any case; those who feel obliged to be offensive and denigrate the worth of an artist because they dress a certain way or have had their troubles need to take a hard look at themselves. If you do not like a Jazz artist because they are avant-garde and brash then you have a very confined and narrow appreciation of music. Sounds evolve and the only way we are going to see a strong and progressive industry is to embrace those making changes and standing out from the crowd. Dilettanism and childish petulance is discouraging artists and looks really pathetic in print. I get annoyed when I see snobs having a field day and wonder, really, what are they looking for when it comes to music?! It seems, in their mind, people should be English, reserved and rather obedient. They cannot have any unique insight and lead an exciting life – if the likes of David Bowie conformed to such insane limitations then music would be so much poorer for it! If you are only looking for that kind of cloistered and dull type of artist then you have to ask the question: Are the sheer joys, variations and delights of music…

PHOTO CREDIT: Unsplash

COMPLETELY wasted on you?!

FEATURE: The Sound of Silence: The Gift of Hearing and Opening Up New Worlds

FEATURE:

 

The Sound of Silence

ALL PHOTOS: Unsplash 

The Gift of Hearing and Opening Up New Worlds

__________

MOST of us will never have to go through…

something as horrifying as losing our hearing or having to live with a disability as severe as that. We do not often think about those who are less fortunate and do not get to experience music like everyone else. As I review music and rely on it so heavily; I could not imagine having a world closed off and not being able to hear sound at all. In a way, it is like having something removed and being deprived. If you are born without the ability to hear, then you could argue there is nothing lost and (they) do not know what they are missing out on. I wonder whether we are accommodating those who cannot hear and whether we consider those who are unable to enjoy music like you and me. Imagining seeing others around you; digesting and celebrating music and able to form groups and clans – those who can share experiences and come together in time to the beat. We have all had those experiences of being at gigs and getting lost in sound. Others are more comfortable listening from home and experiencing music in a more intimate and safe space. Whatever your preference; think back to times when music has opened your mind and you have been flabbergasted and struck. We all have those moments when we cannot speak and are unable to take all the sounds in we are experiencing. It is a profound and wonderful thing to behold and be a part of.

Think about the reverse: not being able to listen to music or hear anything at all. How do we explain to deaf/those with partial hearing what music is like and how it makes us all feel. In the way we need to make more accommodations and considerations for the physically impaired and those with physical disabilities; we do not really look at blind and deaf people and make music more tangible for them. The reason I am exploring hearing and experiencing music in new ways is an inspirational and heart-warming story that has come through recently. I was tuned into BBC Radio 6 Music – no big shocks there! – and heard about Joanne Milne. This article takes up the story:

“As part of the regular slot on her show, this week's Memory Tapes, which now airs on Wednesday mornings, was created by a man called Tremayne Crossley, who had put together a mix tape for his friend who was slowly getting her hearing back…The woman in question, Joanne Milne, from Gateshead, had been born deaf and is registered blind, but is now able to hear music after 40 years due to successful cochlear implants.

While she had the operation months ago, today her good friend shared the experience with (Lauren) Laverne.

Crossley said: “Jo has recently had a bilateral cochlear implant in an attempt to restore her hearing, this is being gradually switched on over five sessions.

“The volume has to be increased slowly to allow the brain to adjust to the new information coming from the ears. Jo told me about a guy who went grey over a one month period due to the shock of hearing how noisy the world actually is”.

“It was with this in mind that Jo asked me to put a playlist of songs together, songs that I thought she needed to hear or that would form an ‘Introduction To Music’ playlist.

“I said it would be an absolute privilege but when I sat down to start I realised how monumentally difficult it would be, and what a responsibility.

"I decided I needed to set some parameters for myself, so I rejected everything from before her birth (which got rid of anything classical or deciding what Beatles tunes to use!) and restricted myself to one tune from each year of her life”.

Listening to her talk with Laverne and you can hear how Milnes’s progress is coming along. It has been a few years since she was fitted with an implant and things are not quite perfect. It is not as easy as switching the device on and everything being okay. It is strange hearing for the first time and something as complex and rich as music does not instantly click and become a natural accompaniment. What was wonderful to hear was how, in a way, she was making up for lost time and experiencing a new language. David Bowie, she said, was a big draw and she spent time exploring his music, iconography and imagery – a true pioneer that, until recently, she has only been able to appreciate in a visual sense. There are other benefits away from music when it comes to the gift of hearing – people talking and the birds singing – but music is much more overt, complex and fascinating than any conversation and part of nature.

The mixtape Tremayne Crossley put together for his friend was an insight and opening to a side of life she had not had access to previously. The listener response after hearing that mixtape was immense and filled with love. It brings me back to my original thought: What would we do if we were in the same position as Joanne Milne?! It would be such a strange and frightening experience having people’s voices entering our mind and being able to hear. It seems so routine and basic for us but, to Milne, it was a revelation and explosion. I feel the pleasure of music and all it gives cannot be quantified and its weight is immense. Having that removed, or not being able to enjoy it, seems like an immense tragedy and deprivation. Do we have deafness wrong and assume that it is a binary thing?

“Hearing people always assume that there is only one way to enjoy music, and that is by listening/ hearing to it. In a world dominated and driven by able bodied privilege, that assumption is prevalent, and when a deaf person shows up at a concert, heads turn. However, deaf people can enjoy music in ways that differ from how hearing people enjoy music, but they can definitely derive pleasure out of it.

First of all, deafness does not mean that someone does not hear anything at all – there are varying levels of deafness. Second, deaf people can feel the vibrations produced by the music being played and consume those vibrations through their body. The humming sound produced by picking a bass string or the boom of the drums can be felt very easily by them”.

There is a difference between the profoundly deaf (those who cannot hear any sound at all) and those able to hear some sounds/vibrations. In any case; having limited hearing is a burden and strain that few of us can understand. I wonder whether we need to do more to accommodate and support those who are deaf and unable to get as close to music as you and me. Is America starting to make waves and progress?! An article published last year explored the subject in more depth:

“As pop culture has begun to better recognize the experiences of deaf Americans, there have also been signs of progress for the Deaf community in sports and politics. The Obama White House included two deaf women in prominent roles – Leah Katz-Hernandez, the first deaf person to serve as the receptionist of the United States (one of the first people to greet White House visitors), and Claudia Gordon, the public engagement adviser for the disability community in the Office of Public Engagement, who is also the first deaf black female attorney in the US. Around the same time, Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman became the first deaf Super Bowl champion during Super Bowl 48; Coleman’s status as the NFL’s first deaf offensive player prompted a major halftime commercial by Duracell batteries (the tie-in being Coleman’s use of battery-powered hearing aids). In 2016, Smirnoff vodka featured deaf dance instructor Chris Fonseca as part of its inclusivity-minded “We’re Open” campaign.

Though Deaf culture has nudged closer to mainstream visibility in the past several years, progress remains stunted in spaces where DHH people aren’t considered part of the equation to begin with. Music festivals in particular have been slow to include the DHH community, despite the industry’s explosive growth over the past quarter century. In 2014 alone, 32 million people attended at least one US music festival, according to Nielsen Music”.

I have ignored the complexities of deafness and being unable to hear: it is a spectrum and we cannot take a binary approach to the subject. This makes answers and thorough investigation more complex and time-consuming:

“Hearing people tend think of deafness as one side of an on or off switch — you can hear everything or nothing — but deafness is actually a spectrum. You can range from profoundly deaf to some ability to hear sound above a certain threshold to hard-of-hearing with the ability to process speech, usually with the help of hearing aids or implant; smembers of the DHH community will also identify themselves as "Big 'D' deaf" to indicate they're part of the Deaf community, or "Little 'd' deaf" to indicate they are not involved in the Deaf community even though they have no hearing. The DHH community is also a large one: According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a quarter of the population will have “disabling hearing loss”between the ages of 65 and 74; it jumps to 50% by the time people reach age 75. Music fans exist across the entire DHH spectrum and have devised many alternate ways of listening when their ears are of limited use”.

Looking back at Joanne Milne and how she must have experienced music before she had an implant – there would have been stresses and drawbacks, for sure. A lot of venues do not offer a signing service and interpreters; there is limited access and, often, sight can be blocked by fans and constructs – it makes understanding what is being sung and performed even harder! I will take one more snippet from the aforementioned article that talked with an American woman who has faced discrimination and struggles when attending gigs:

“…Krista Reese is one of them. She’s been coming to Lollapalooza since she was 21 (she’s 26 now) and is enjoying the Zara Larsson set so much I almost feel guilty asking her to talk about times when festgoing wasn’t so great. “People would say, ‘Why do you get to be up front? You can’t hear, so you should be in the back,’” says Reese, who is hard-of-hearing. “I’ve never been close enough. Before this, I only listened to dance music, because I could feel the beat. But now I can branch out to other genres.” We both watch the ASL interpreter while Larsson sings “Make That Money Girl.” The music morphs from audible to tactile as the interpreter smacks her pinched fingers against her open palm to form the sign for money; you can imagine the fat stack of bills slapping back and forth in the interpreter's hands”.

A lot of us know very little about those with disabilities and the plight many deaf people face – whether they are profoundly deaf or fall in other areas of the spectrum. The sheer delight and epiphany of hearing for the first time and letting music in cannot be explained in words and is something many of us (luckily) will never have to discover. There are great charities who are raising awareness regarding deafness and music; ensuring there is better access and their needs are taking into consideration. I do wonder how much is being done and how many are being denied the opportunity to enjoy music like the majority of us. Many are not fortunate enough to have cochlear implants and that sort of opportunity but, for others, – a lot of deaf people feel part of a culture and do not want to give up what they have, in a sense – their needs are being ignored. I feel we should be more conscientious and thoughtful when it comes to those unable to hear; those who struggle and want to be part of the action. Hearing inspiration stories like that of Joanne Milne and her new adventures make me feel very lucky I am able to enjoy music without hindrance: I think about others and how they experience music in a very different way. I hope, alongside the great stories and terrifically uplifting moments, we spare a moment and ensure we are doing everything we can to ensure those with hearing difficulties…

ARE not being overlooked and ignored.