FEATURE: One for the Record Collection! Essential July Releases

FEATURE:

 

One for the Record Collection!

IN THIS PHOTO: Fontaines D.C.

Essential July Releases

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THINGS could change…

IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Weller

between now and July, but there are some fantastic releases due then – artists are still pushing back releases due to the COVID-19 situation. At the moment, the albums below have been announced for July, and there are some real gems in the list! Out on 3rd July is Paul Weller’s excellent new album, On Sunset. You can pre-order it here, and The Guardian have already reviewed it. In their review, they made some interesting observations:

“Another curveball comes with Equanimity, which features Jim Lea of Slade on violin and sounds like David Bowie, an artist Weller paid open homage to on True Meanings: not, it’s worth noting, the Bowie of Ziggy Stardust or Low, but the Bowie found on his eponymous 1967 debut, in thrall to music hall and Anthony Newley’s brand of musical theatre. At the other extreme, meanwhile, there’s Baptiste and On Sunset, offering warm, soul-infused rock that could have been released in 1969 and 1972 respectively.

The rest lurks somewhere in between, offering gentle disruptions of the familiar. More offers the kind of relaxed bucolic sound found on 1993’s Wild Wood, but underpinned by a taut, metronomic bass line that leans towards krautrock. Old Father Tyme has a naggingly familiar guitar riff weaving through satisfyingly off-beam production – a drum machine fades in and out of the mix, Weller’s vocal comes decorated with little bursts of dubby echo – and one of a number of lyrics on which Weller, who spent his early years as a songwriter obsessed with his own youth, addresses ageing with surprising equanimity. There’s a lot of stuff here about contentment and growing into yourself: “Not a thing I’d change if I could, I’m happy here in my neighbourhood,” he sings in Village”.

There are a few decent albums out on 10th July that you need to invest some money in. One of those albums comes from Margo Price in the form of That's How Rumors Get Started is available to pre-order here, and it is her third album. The highly-acclaimed All American Made was released in 2017, and it is shaping up to be another tremendous release from the U.S. Country/Americana artist! Even if you are not a fan of the genres, the songs are so accessible and will appeal to all listeners. I am excited by NZCA Lines’ Pure Luxury album. The title track has been doing the rounds; NZCA Lines are a British Synthpop band founded by Michael Lovett. Previous members of the band include Charlotte Hatherley and Sarah Jones. Go and ensure you pre-order your copy of Pure Luxury. Lovett recently spoke with Under the Radar about his lockdown experiences, and whether it has been a creative time for him:

“Have you been doing any live-streamed concerts during COVID-19 or do you plan to? A lot of artists have been doing them, do you think it’s a challenge to make them original and interesting?

Yes, I started out doing stripped back performances of songs from my two albums, NZCA/LINES and Infinite Summer, throughout March and April on Instagram Live, and have been adding in covers—figuring out what live-streaming is for me, really! I do think the challenge is bringing something original to it. Personally, without the prospect of playing live in the near future, I’m trying to bring in some kind of production value, so it can introduce people to the world of my music a little more. I’m very keen on aesthetics, and whilst the intimacy of live-streams is quite special, the lo-fi aspect can get a bit limiting.

Has the quarantine been a fertile creative time (are you writing or recording new music, for example) or have you found it hard to focus on creative endeavors?

I entered into this quarantine period with a big to-do list surrounding plans I’d already made for releasing my recent single, “Pure Luxury,” and its accompanying video, which I directed with Alina Rancier. This helped me stay busy, which in turn definitely gave me purpose over the past weeks. Now that both are released, I’m starting to focus on making new music, and making visuals for the next releases I have planned. I’m not going to lie, it’s a little tough to get started sometimes, but creating your own structure is really important. I’m definitely having to radically rethink my plans, as it’s impossible to shoot videos like I was planning to for these new releases, but I’m trying to view these limitations as a creative challenge”.

Rufus Wainwright’s Unfollow the Rules was one of those albums that was due for an earlier release, so that might have changed again by the time this feature is published. It is slated for a 10th July release, and you can pre-order a copy now. From interviews I have been hearing, it seems lockdown suits Wainwright, and he has been able to get quite a bit done! The Beths’ Jump Rope Gazers is an album you’ll want to order, as the New Zealand band’s second album – after Future Me Hates Me of 2018 – is going to be one of the biggest of the summer.

In this NME feature, we learn more about the album:

“In a statement, frontperson Liz Stokes said the writing on the album was influenced by the band’s hectic overseas touring schedule in 2019, resulting in them being thousands of miles away from their friends and family.

“It was a rough year in general, and I found myself saying the words, ‘wish you were here, wish I was there,’ over and over again,” she said.

“When you’re home, you miss everybody, and when you’re away, you miss everybody. We were just missing people all the time”.

Nobody needs me to tell them how great The Streets (Mike Skinner) is, and the new album, None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, is looking pretty awesome! It is available from 10th July, but you can pre-order a copy now. Whilst Skinner’s music and lyrics has changed since his debut, Original Pirate Material, of 2002, he remains one of the most relevant and sharp artists in music. Here are some more details regarding the album:

“The return of Mike Skinner. The 12-track mixtape marks The Streets’ first album in nearly a decade and features collaborations with the likes of Tame Impala, IDLES, Hak Baker, Ms Banks, Donae’O, Kasien, Dapz on the Map. and many more.

Tonga, the balloon filled rap, grime and dubstep party by Mike Skinner and Murkage Dave, had been a series of shoobs to remember. Copenhagen to Manchester to Berlin. Brum to Brixton. Usually arriving with a coterie of legendary UK figureheads and gobby upcomers in tow, like Kano, Giggs, Jammer or Jaykae, the pulsating essence of the nights needed to be immortalised.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mike Skinner (The Streets)/PHOTO CREDIT: Jenn Five for DIY

The original plan had been to release a Tongs album. But as night moved to day, and day moved along to night, it… just didn’t happen. Instead, a new mixtape titled None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive steps up to take its place. Recorded between work on his film and accompanying solo The Streets album, it is the unpredictable sonic continuation of those parties.

Taking in UK Funky and twilight zone UK rap, and with guest spots ranging from Grammy nominated psychedelia sovereign Tame Impala to cult south London rapper Jesse James, as well as 2019’s key-fiend-friendly drum’n’bass collab with Chris Lorenzo, None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive is the most eclectic and highly collaborative collection of songs from The Streets yet. Or as Mike puts it with characteristic distinction: “it’s really just a rap duets album”.

There are a few awesome albums that are coming along on 24th July. The Chicks’ Gaslighter is one I would recommend. The legendary Country group recently changed their name (from The Dixie Chicks), release their eighth album very soon, and I would urge people to listen to it if you are not familiar with them – they consist Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire. You can pre-order the album, and this was another one that was delayed for various reasons. I am looking forward to the album, as the title track is already out, and it is one of the best songs from the group.

This is what Pitchfork wrote when they reviewed the Gaslighter single earlier this year:

“With its buoyant rhythm and singalong chorus, “Gaslighter” merges the open-road optimism of their early records with the sharper power-pop of Taking the Long Way. Other than their vocal harmonies—still radiant and seamless, like different strings on the same instrument—banjo player Emily Strayer and fiddle player Martie Maguire accompany Maines in subtle ways, weaving the confrontational verses into the rallying cry of a chorus. The songcraft is so compact, and their trademark sound so welcome and familiar, that its message of empowerment comes across equally jubilant and defiant. And while it may soften the heavier implications of the title, their breezy mix of emotions makes its own statement. The Dixie Chicks know that history has been good to the battles they’ve fought. So now they’re working on their own time, answering to no one”.

Although I have not listened to all of her albums, Ellie Goulding’s Brightest Blue is one I am interested in. You can pre-order the album, and I think Goulding is one of the more underrated Pop artists on the scene. Brightest Blue is Goulding’s fourth album since her 2010 debut, Lights. I think she has changed and matured a lot since then, and it will be interesting to see how critics respond to Brightest Blue. Goulding recently spoke with Vanity Fair about her experiences in lockdown and how that has affected her work:

“The pace is not what Goulding had planned for 2020. The last 10 years saw the singer hit the top of the charts with singles “Love Me Like You Do” and “On My Mind,” nab a few Grammy and Brit Award nominations, make a name as a climate change advocate, and attend a few royal weddings. After a punishing two years spent touring behind her acclaimed 2015 album Delirium, she took some time off to regroup. “Somebody said the other day, ‘Oh, you must be having a nice break.’ But I kind of had a break before the lockdown. I was just doing my own thing. Now I have all this energy and nowhere to direct it,” she said. “I’ve been so excited and so ready to get back out on the road and travel again, and now I’ve definitely got the itch to do it again.”

Despite the disruptions, Goulding said she appreciates how our new normal has changed her thinking about the songs she’s been working on for years. “I’m really feeling for people who are naturally extroverted but are spending these times by themselves. I’m really feeling for people who are still out there working, like health workers,” she said. “I’m just going to release this new music and if people out there happen to be fans, they’ve got a new album to listen to. I’ve stopped being preoccupied with it.”

By herself, she’s been thinking more about some of the elements she might have left to others. “I think you can get quite complacent as a pop singer, because you get given so much on a plate. You’re given a band, you’re given a musical director, you’ve got everyone around you doing stuff for you—which is great because it makes your life easier,” she said. “I’ve definitely played guitar more in the last two weeks than I have in years”.

One of the most-anticipated albums of 2020 is the upcoming JARV IS... album, Beyond the Pale. Fronted by Jarvis Cocker, it is an album you are going to want to buy. Singles such as Save the Whales and Must I Evolve? are like nothing out there, and nearly everything Jarvis Cocker turns his hand to turn to gold! JARV IS… are a band featuring Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar, percussion), Serafina Steer (harp, keyboards, vocals), Emma Smith (violin, guitar vocals), Andrew McKinney (bass, vocals), Jason Buckle (synthesiser & electronic treatments) and Adam Betts (drums, percussion, vocals), and I cannot wait until their album is out on 17th July. 

Another album that is out on 17th July is The Pretenders’ Hate for Sale. Led by Chrissy Hynde, Hate for Sale is a phenomenal album you will want to pre-order. This is from the Rough Trade website:

“Hate For Sale, produced by the revered Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur), is the latest studio album by The Pretenders via BMG. The album features 10 new songs written collaboratively by Chrissie Hynde and the electrifyingly dynamic guitarist James Walbourne, in what is the first Hynde/Walbourne song writing collaboration to date”.

Jumping to 31st July, and the final album that I suggest people investigate is Fontaines D.C.’s A Hero's Death. It can be pre-ordered here, and it comes barely a year after their Mercury Prize-nominated debut, Dogrel. Capitalising on the wave of affection and acclaim they received, A Hero’s Death looks set to scoop the same sort of passion and acclaim Dogrel did! Frontman Grian Chatten spoke with NME recently, and he discussed the early stages of A Hero’s Death, and what influenced the new album:

“An initial version of the album was recorded in Los Angeles but scrapped and re-recorded with ‘Dogrel’ producer Dan Carey in Streatham at the start of 2020. Now just a ghost memory of the place remains on the record; it’s there in lines such as “You shoulda heard ’em in the Bowery” (from the churning, early R.E.M.-like opener ‘I Don’t Belong’) and the track ‘Living In America’, which sounds like The National’s ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ – if it were trapped, Pulp Fiction­-style, in a basement in Buttfuck, USA. That song makes their stateside experience sound like a hellish prowl through a world of spray tans and “snowman coal”. Was it all cocaine and superficiality out there?

 “There was an awful lot of that, yeah,” Grian nods. “A few of us were fairly heavy on the gargle, on the booze for a while. We drank almost exclusively whiskey for the whole tour. A pint or so of it before each gig, just to see you through and a bit more then after to help you sleep in the van. We weren’t really eating and we were burning the candle at both ends. It became a bit surreal as towns melted into each other and faces started to look a bit strange. It was a surreal environment we created for ourselves.”

Fontaines D.C. are a band born beneath bootheels – ‘Dogrel’ brimmed with disgust at the gentrification of Dublin and simmered with the knowledge that greed and capitalism are the real virus. Yet ‘A Hero’s Death’ surges with pride, self-belief, a rebellious defiance and – dare we say it in such troubled times – optimism.

It’s there in the title track, written as an open letter from an estranged father to their child, imparting advice such as “Don’t get stuck in the past… Bring your own two cents, don’t borrow them from someone else”. It concludes: “Life ain’t always empty… If you give ourselves to every breath then we’re all in the running for a hero’s death”. And it’s there when Fontaines cast their minds forwards to the post-corona world”.

There are some great albums due next month and, if you cannot afford to buy the albums I have recommended, they will be available to stream on the day of release. It is going to be an exciting month, and I think we will see one or two year-defining albums released. It has been a busy and fantastic year so far and, with a crop of fantastic albums coming out way in July, I reckon the momentum of 2020…

IN THIS PHOTO: Rufus Wainwright/PHOTO CREDIT: Suki Dhanda/The Observer

WILL continue unabated.

FEATURE: She’s an Artist, She Don’t Look Back: Kate Bush’s Views on Her Early Work, and a Reluctance to Revisit the Past

FEATURE:

She’s an Artist, She Don’t Look Back

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978

Kate Bush’s Views on Her Early Work, and a Reluctance to Revisit the Past

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IN this piece…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978 during the taping of the Hammer Horror video shoot

I am going to revisit a subject I have looked at before – as I am prone to do -, and look at Kate Bush as someone who does not really look back/look back fondly at her older work - and I want to also cover Bush’s love of older technology and recording equipment. A lot of artists look forward and do not often discuss what came before. There seems to be this split of musicians who do not mind harking back to their past albums, and those who are a bit hesitant. I guess artists change over time, and it can be a little embarrassing talking about a time that was very different and, maybe, a little below their best. I think Kate Bush is someone who naturally does not listen to her own music a lot. She works on albums for so long, that she must get sick of hearing it by the time it is mixed and released! In so many interviews, she has been asked about her past albums, and she always says how she doesn’t really listen to them. That is understandable, I guess; it might be a bit odd to put on one of your own albums and, unless a song of hers comes on the radio, there are not many occasions when she would be exposed to the past. I have talked about most of her studio albums before, and how it would be good to hear some demos put out. There are some remarkable early demos out there, but they were never really meant for public consumption.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush celebrates after scooping the Top Female Singer Award from Melody Maker in 1979

Kate Bush has always been about moving forward. She did remaster and release her back catalogue a couple of years back, and that was chance to put those albums on her own label, Fish People, and ensure that her studio work was out there on vinyl – before 2018, a few of her albums were hard to find on vinyl. Bush also performed her Before the Dawn residency in 2016, and that found her performing songs from (largely) Hounds of Love and Aerial. 2011’s Director’s Cut was Bush reworking tracks from The Sensual World and The Red Shoes and, as I have said she is not a fan of revisiting the past and talking about older albums, she has touched on the past when the occasion was right. I do like how Bush concentrates on what she is recording and is not really one for nostalgia and reminiscence. When she has been asked which of her albums are favourites, she has named Hounds of Love and Aerial as ones that mean a lot – two times in her life when she was very happy and fulfilled. I will end the feature by briefly mentioning how, even though Bush does not look back that often, she does have a fondness for traditional/older recording equipment and sounds – rather than fully embracing modern technology and the present-day method of consumption. I think one of the most surprising aspects of Kate Bush’s career is how she sort of draws a line under anything before 1985. She loved Hounds of Love (1985), but she kind of feels The Dreaming (1982) was a mad and unsettled time; the albums before then were not quite what she wanted to say and is all about.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1993

I can appreciate how Hounds of Love was a peak for her, and it was the result of years of experimentation, growth and hard work. As a big fan of her pre-Hound of Love work, it is a shame that the first four albums are not held in such high regard by her. When she was interviewed by Q, she was asked about her earlier albums – and one particular song was mentioned that, years later, is not one she cherishes:

“She is oddly disparaging of albums like Lionheart and Never For Ever now and even then seemed keen to leave this phase behind, perhaps understandably -- she had been given two years to write the songs for The Kick Inside and, allegedly, four weeks to come up with Lionheart. By 1982 she was under the influence of Peter Gabriel and the revolutionary drum sound of Phil Collins's In The Air Tonight. Determined to do something like this herself, she became locked into a hellishly expensive round of aborted studio stints, finally emerging with The Dreaming, easily her weirdest effort and one that effectively stalled her career, peaking at Number 3 (Never For Ever entered at Number 1) and spawning a batch of flop singles. Wild rumours abounded, including the choice story advanced by the Daily Mail that she had ballooned up to 18 stone. This was patently untrue but she *had* ground herself down into a state of nervous fatigue, not helped by a reputed diet of junk food and chocolate. It was not the happiest of times.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush during her Tour of Life in 1979

"I look back at that record and it seems mad," she says now. "I heard it about three years ago and couldn't believe it. There's a lot of anger in it. There's a lot of 'I'm an artist, right!'" Fingers burned by the experience of The Dreaming, she decided that a studio of her own and a retreat into her domestic shell was a priority. Thus was ushered in a period of stability from whence came the enormously successful Hounds of Love and, in 1990 [1989], The Sensual World. These later records reflected her growing interest in the studio as a compositional tool and her growing desire to stay well out of the public eye”.

“As someone who's written a very stirring song about England (Oh England My Lionheart), will you always be happiest here?”

(Astonished:) "Do you like that one? That's one of the ones I meant. It makes me just want to die. There's just something about that time. It's such an old song. Ooh God, I haven't heard it for so long. Must have been on tour in 1979. Anyway, England, yeah, I am happiest here. We're a funny race, we give each other such a hard time, don't you think? One thing we take very, very seriously is this whole business of taking the piss, the whole stuff about irony. I think there's a real integrity about us under all the layers and our sense of humour is so strong. I've always felt pulled to Ireland because my mother was Irish, but whenever I've gone, I've never felt very at home. So I've played with the idea of staying there. I'm not sure I really could live anywhere else but here. But it might be interesting. For a while".

I guess it sort of answers my question but, as we await (if it will happen) another Kate Bush album, there are plenty of fans who would die to hear her albums from 1978-1982 (inclusive) re-released with demos or receive new attention. I can appreciate how Lionheart, her sophomore release, was rushed and she was given the impossible task of repeating a successful debut in a matter of weeks. I think it is an album that has some wonderful moments; Never for Ever (1980) is a much-underrated record where Bush become bolder in terms of lyrics and compositions (and her vocals), whilst The Dreaming, to me, is one of her best albums. Bush has said, in so many interviews, how she is never truly happy with anything she records – she is at the time, but there is always something that niggles. Perhaps Bush considers her work pre-1985 to be too controlled by the record label/other people. Hounds of Love was the first album she produced solo where there wasn’t this feeling of strain and burden. Maybe it was freedom and the album she had wanted to make all along but, as I have said in features previously, it wouldn’t have been advisable or possible for her to solo produce too much earlier, as she was still learning and benefited from the advice and expertise of more experienced producers and engineers.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

That reluctance to live in the past and discuss her older records might be a bit stifling for an interviewer – in the next feature, I am going to discuss Bush as a dream interview subject -, but that focus on the here and now is what makes her albums sound so new and original. If she was to try to ‘redo’ The Dreaming or Lionheart, then it would seem regressive and lacking in motivation. I do feel that her first four albums are very impressive, and I sort of struggle to understand why Bush is a bit embarrassed. Certainly, she sounds very different on an album like Aerial compared to The Kick Inside. Not only is there a huge time gap between the albums; Bush would naturally change her sound and music as it was. I think Bush should re-examine her earlier albums, as they sound wonderful, and there are so many incredible tracks to be found – even if she is not a fan of Oh England My Lionheart. Whilst Kate Bush is not massively keen regarding her earliest work or talking about that period too much, she is someone who, from a technical and recording standpoint, is more than happy to look back at the past. I have also spoken about this before, but Bush is not overly-fond of digital recordings and the sort of production sound she had to adapt to in 1993 (for The Red Shoes). She feels that digital recording is less warm and full than what you get from analogue.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush poses for the painted cover of Never for Ever (1980)

Nowadays, she mixes digital and analogue, but I think Bush would happily stick with analogue, if it didn’t take so long to record and layer on that format! She is also – and never has been – a real advocate of the way music is being consumed now. Perhaps it is unconnected with Bush’s lack of fervour for her earlier work, but I wanted to illustrate that, whilst Bush is very much about the here and now regarding her albums and not wanting to hark back; in other respects, she is not that happy about the march of time and how it has affected the industry. Many of us consume music digitally, but Bush much prefers her albums to be heard on a physical format, so that people enjoy them as a full piece, rather than selecting tracks or skipping through them. Also, she loves what a vinyl provides: a great album cover, something you can hold, and a real feeling that this is a very real thing. As the album cover is less important, I feel Bush is becoming more dissatisfied. It is a shame that there is so much reliance on the online, but look at the album cover for 50 Words for Snow (2011) and hoe good that it; the fact that so much effort was expended making the songs sound right and producing such brilliant sound – an album that one simply must listen to as a full thing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Armando Gallo

I think all Kate Bush albums have their own skin, and they are all very different. Whilst her first couple of albums are defined by a more romantic, piano-led tone and a particular vocal sound, she did change fairly quickly and, on 1980’s Never for Ever and 1982’s The Dreaming, she opened up her musical palette and grew in confidence and ambition. It is a pity we might not get a retrospective or revisit of the earlier albums from Bush herself, I don’t think they should be seen as embarrassing or insignificant, as they have affected so many people. Bush has changed her opinions since that 1993 Q interview, but I have heard interviews since then where she almost skips past the albums and feels they were a leaping-off point. I think Bush’s work from 1978-1985 was as important as anything after that point, and what we get to hear is a unique artist entering the scene and, with each album, revealing new layers and possibilities. I do think that nostalgia can be a dangerous thing and, if you are a long-serving artist like Kate Bush, you are not going to wasn’t to discuss previous albums when you want to move forward – and they were so long ago, so it can be hard summoning too many clear memories from that time. Bush will now, as she always has, look ahead and almost draw this dividing line through Hounds of Love. Considering Kate Bush’s (relative) dislike of retrospection, it is unlikely we will see too much revisionism and fresh love of those earlier albums that are, in my opinion, astonishing. Though it will never happen, I would love to hear The Kick Inside, Lionheart, Never for Ever and The Dreaming get a new vinyl release with demos and lesser-heard tracks. It is a bit sad that this, alas, will never…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in a promotional photo for The Red Shoes (1993)

COME to light.

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Eight: Tori Amos

FEATURE:

 

A Buyer’s Guide

IN THIS PHOTO: Tori Amos in 1999/PHOTO CREDIT: Lynn Goldsmith

Part Eight: Tori Amos

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THIS is an exciting…

edition of A Buyer’s Guide, as I am a big fan of Tori Amos, and I have been following her work since the 1990s. It is hard to whittle down to her essential albums, but I have been looking through her back catalogue and have selected, what I think, are her very best albums, an underrated one that is prime for new appreciation, and her latest album – in addition to highlighting a great new book from Amos herself. If you are new to Tori Amos, I hope this feature acts as a guide and can point you in the right direction regarding her work. In this week’s A Buyer’s Guide is the very best work of one of the music world’s…

BRIGHTEST stars.

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The Four Essential Albums

Little Earthquakes 

Release Date: 6th January, 1992

Labels: Atlantic (U.S.)/East West (Europe)

Producers: Tori Amos/Eric Rosse/Davitt Sigerson/Ian Stanley

Standout Tracks: Crucify/Silent All These Years/China

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Tori-Amos-Little-Earthquakes/master/64690

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4xbivyNgO8FTIfxnzBtr5j

Review:

“With her haunting solo debut Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos carved the template for the female singer/songwriter movement of the '90s. Amos' delicate, prog rock piano work and confessional, poetically quirky lyrics invited close emotional connection, giving her a fanatical cult following and setting the stage for the Lilith Fair legions. But Little Earthquakes is no mere style-setter or feminine stereotype -- its intimacy is uncompromising, intense, and often far from comforting. Amos' musings on major personal issues -- religion, relationships, gender, childhood -- were just as likely to encompass rage, sarcasm, and defiant independence as pain or tenderness; sometimes, it all happened in the same song. The apex of that intimacy is the harrowing "Me and a Gun," where Amos strips away all the music, save for her own voice, and confronts the listener with the story of her own real-life rape; the free-associative lyrics come off as a heart-wrenching attempt to block out the ordeal. Little Earthquakes isn't always so stomach-churning, but it never seems less than deeply cathartic; it's the sound of a young woman (like the protagonist of "Silent All These Years") finally learning to use her own voice -- sort of the musical equivalent of Mary Pipher's Reviving Ophelia. That's why Amos draws strength from her relentless vulnerability, and that's why the constantly shifting emotions of the material never seem illogical -- Amos simply delights in the frankness of her own responses, whatever they might be. Though her subsequent albums were often very strong, Amos would never bare her soul quite so directly (or comprehensibly) as she did here, nor with such consistently focused results. Little Earthquakes is the most accessible work in Amos' catalog, and it's also the most influential and rewarding” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Winter

Under the Pink

Release Date: 31st January, 1994

Labels: Atlantic (U.S.)/East West (Europe)

Producers: Tori Amos/Eric Rosse

Standout Tracks: Pretty Good Year/God/The Waitress

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Tori-Amos-Under-The-Pink/master/64981

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Lqd8nVPIU0X3vFrBZZPrB

Review:

“These adjustments transformed Amos from rising singer-songwriter to major alt-rock upstart: "Cornflake Girl"—the cartwheeling UK hit that preceded the album and showcases one of her spunkiest solos—helped Pink enter the UK chart at #1, while "God"—the grousing, gnarly U.S. single—topped modern rock playlists. It’s nice that Sam Smith and Hozier subvert the religious overtones of their churchy presentations with orthodoxy-slamming videos, but both lack the clarity and courage of Amos chanting, "God sometimes you just don’t come through."

The rest wasn’t as pointed as that, but Pink’s extroverted arrangements worked as hard as Earthquakes’ lyrics and melodies. Amidst other overseas hits like "Pretty Good Year", Amos dug deeper, particularly on "Bells for Her", which suggests a ghost pirouetting across John Cage’s prepared piano. The pitch on certain keys is way off, like an old upright in your grandparents’ basement, but the effect is finessed the way Jimi Hendrix bent notes from music to cacophony and back again. "Can’t stop what’s coming," she moans repeatedly while refusing to name her subject. Adulthood? The rupture of a childhood friendship? Orgasm? Amos’ mysteriousness sometimes subsequently got the best of her, but here she masters it” – Pitchfork

Choice Cut: Cornflake Girl

Boys for Pele

Release Date: 22nd January, 1996

Label: Atlantic (U.S.)/East West (Europe)

Producer: Tori Amos

Standout Tracks: Caught in a Life Sneeze/Hey Jupiter/Putting the Damage On

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Tori-Amos-Boys-For-Pele/master/64995

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7vuSTl6tuWg0CQdmfphkFQ

Review:

“There is a classical grandeur to Boys for Pele, a timelessness that stretches far beyond 1996. Tori Amos is simply not operating on the same plane as the rest of us. The imagery she employs, the power and conviction of her singing and playing, the defiantly unorthodox song structures, moments of astonishing beauty and harsh ugliness… it reflects the real dynamic of a relationship, perhaps many relationships, but it does so through the lens of fearless imagination riven from personal turmoil. Boys for Pele is audacious, often difficult and impenetrable, not an easy listen that immediately captures its audience with sharp melodic hooks. It’s completely uncompromising, and if it seems to wallow in self-pity at times, well, that’s what we humans often do when we’ve been hurt down to our core. It’s an album like no other, and it only could have come from Tori Amos. It’s winding curves and unexpected trajectories are endlessly fascinating. Twenty years have passed since Boys for Pele was released and viscerally captured the feelings of countless fans who have also lived the heartbreak, confusion and turbulence the album expresses so poetically. People relate to it because it’s undeniably real and compelling, and often speaks to their own experiences. Its power is undiminished. Boys for Pele continues raging unabated, eternal fires blazing” – Pop Matters

Choice Cut: Professional Widow

Unrepentant Geraldines

Release Date: 9th May, 2014

Label: Mercury Classics

Producer: Tori Amos

Standout Tracks: Wild Way/Selkie/Invisible Boy

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Tori-Amos-Unrepentant-Geraldines/master/686093

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/0kkamqFFUDYRuQWwQ7SJkA

Review:

“In the last 15 years, Tori Amos’ pop albums have gravitated toward two distinct categories: those where she utilizes elaborate characters and extended metaphors to illustrate her points, and those where she uses more straightforward, subjective inspirations for her lyrics. For fans, this has been somewhat frustrating, as Amos has always been a confessional commentator—especially at the intersection of the personal and political—and deriving emotional attachment from her intricate fictions has often been challenging.

The engaging Unrepentant Geraldines, however, splits the difference between these categories perfectly—mainly because this time, Amos’ muse led her into a variety of deeply personal, vulnerable places. An affinity for visual art is clear in an affecting treatise about the unique struggles women face while they age (the Cézanne-inspired “16 Shades Of Blue”) and a powerful song about not being spiritually oppressed by government or religion (the title track, inspired by an etching from Irish artist Daniel Maclise). A talented trio of bakers Amos knows in real life is the backdrop for a scathing attack on the NSA and unfair taxation in “Giant’s Rolling Pin,” while her daughter Tash inspired “Rose Dover”—which stresses that growing up doesn’t mean having to lose whimsy—and “Promise,” a simple proclamation of love and support” – The A.V. Club

Choice Cut: Trouble’s Lament

The Underrated Gem

To Venus and Back

Release Date: 20th September, 1999

Labels: Atlantic (U.S.)/East West (Europe)

Producer: Tori Amos

Standout Tracks: Concertina/Glory of the 80’s/1000 Oceans

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Tori-Amos-To-Venus-And-Back/master/65199

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7kB4e3bz7DZBzwXw3vzY3t

Review:

“Originally intended as a rarities collection to tide fans over until she completed the follow-up to From the Choirgirl Hotel, the double-disc To Venus and Back mutated into something entirely different as Tori Amos worked on it. She experienced a sudden creative burst, writing 11 new songs. In light of these new tunes, she decided to devote the first disc of the collection to the fresh material, with the second dedicated to live material recorded during 1998. As such, it provides an interesting contrast. With Choirgirl, she decided to add muscle to her music by working with a full band, which naturally transformed her fragile, intimate songwriting into something weightier, or at least heavier. That much is evident from the live album, Still Orbiting, which puts many old favorites in a new light. The first disc, titled Venus Orbiting, proves that Amos is better in a more intimate setting. Ironically, the album was recorded with her touring band, but the arrangements aren't as showy as the live reworkings, and her songwriting is a bit more straightforward. That's not to say that she has changed direction or ironed out all her quirks -- her lyrics remain almost impenetrably cryptic, her songs follow elastic, unpredictable structures -- but she has returned to her strengths: namely, concentrating on ethereal, dream-like song-poems. She's still expanding her music, but she's letting it breathe naturally, resulting in her best, most cohesive record since Under the Pink. It's a bit of a shame that it's married to the live album, since that gives the impression that both discs are for hardcore fans. That's not the case at all -- Venus Orbiting will likely win back fans that have strayed from the fold in the past few years” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Bliss

The Latest/Final Album

Native Invader

Release Date: 8th September, 2017

Label: Decca

Producer: Tori Amos

Standout Tracks: Reindeer King/Up the Creek/Climb

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Tori-Amos-Native-Invader/master/1233888

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/79ZYYTpqesBlTe4hrWiO8b

Review:

“This album is buttressed by the terror of our current political climate, but it is more significantly a quest to counter it; to use “the militia of the mind.” That is to say: this is an album of resilience and not melancholy. Amos may have found the power to resist in the Tennessee Smoky Mountain area, where for her, the natural, cosmic, natural and political coexist. She undertook this trip around the time her mother suffered a stroke which left her permanently unable to speak, and Donald Trump’s presidency began. In ‘Wildwood’, Amos invokes Wiccan mythology to draw significance from her hikes around North Carolina’s woodland. She imagines walking off the pilgrim’s path’ with a talisman to guide her to ‘winter’s past’. She weaves through a wilderness of ‘Alders and the Oaks’ which bare a history of history of violence and renewal. She remarks on the parade of trees, who had been savaged by floods and fires, and learns that: “you can’t escape anguish/but how to live with it”.

This is the lesson that Amos puts forward in Native Invader’ She encourages us to invoke nature’s power of regeneration and renewal, as she ends her quest with the knowledge that human beings possess the resilience of nature. She draws on Greek mythology to refer to us as “Knowledge sown in Gaia’s bones” on the ritualistic ‘Up The creek’. On ‘Benjamin’ she even encourages us to reappropriate invasion. Singing over computer signals which sound like a 1960's conception of 'the future', she refers to the case of Juliana vs the U.S. – and encourages us to invade undesirable information in the digital age. The invasion of references and allusions – which may appear to be doggerel on first listen – are the key to infiltrating this bizarre masterpiece. They not only point to the idiosyncrasy of narrative itself, but give us the strength to combat our dominant and despicable white-people-against-the-world one. So, if the music sounds outdated then it should do. That's exactly what the winds of Donald Trump and fascists and Nazis carrying tikki torches are” – Drowned in Sound

Choice Cut: Cloud Riders

The Tori Amos Book

Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change and Courage

Author: Tori Amos

Publication Date: 5th May, 2020

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Synopsis:

“Since the release of her first, career-defining solo album Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos has been one of the music industry's most enduring and ingenious artists. From her unnerving depiction of sexual assault in 'Me and a Gun' to her post-9/11 album Scarlet's Walk, to her latest album Native Invader, her work has never shied away from combining the personal with the political.

Amos was a teenager when she began playing piano for the politically powerful at hotel bars in Washington, D.C., and her story continues from her time as a hungry artist in Los Angeles to the subsequent three decades of her formidable music career. Amos explains how she managed to create meaningful, politically resonant work against patriarchal power structures - and how her proud declarations of feminism and her fight for the marginalised always proved to be her guiding light. She teaches readers to engage with intention in this tumultuous global climate and speaks directly to supporters of #MeToo and Time's Up, as well as to young people fighting for their rights and visibility in the world.

Filled with compassionate guidance and actionable advice - and using some of the most powerful, political songs in Amos's canon - Resistance is for readers determined to steer the world back in the right direction” – Waterstones

Buy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/resistance/tori-amos/9781529325607

FEATURE: The June Playlist: Vol. 4: Club Cougar, Los Angeles

FEATURE:

The June Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: HAIM/PHOTO CREDIT: Daria Kobayashi Ritch for Rolling Stone

Vol. 4:  Club Cougar, Los Angeles

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IN this week’s…

IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah

Playlist, there are some really strong tracks in the mix! There is new music from Nadine Shah, HAIM, Jessie Ware, The Flaming Lips, and Khruangbin. We also have some great slices from The Chicks, Arca, Skott, Lianne La Havas, The Streets, Jónsi, and Paul Weller. It is another big and eclectic week for music so, if you need some boost and energy to get you going, then I think the tracks below will do the job! Have a listen to the best tracks from…

IN THIS PHOTO: Skott

A brilliant week.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

__________

PHOTO CREDIT: Fraser Taylor

Nadine Shah - Club Cougar

PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Thomas Anderson

HAIM – Los Angeles

Jessie Ware - Soul Control

PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Kang

Khruangbin – Dearest Alfred

The Chicks - March March

Skott – Settle Down

PHOTO CREDIT: George Salisbury

The Flaming Lips - My Religion Is You

Arca - Riquiqui

Lianne La Havas – Weird Fishes

Matilda Mann – As It Is

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando Photography

Willie J Healey – Fashun

Becca Mancari – First Time

PHOTO CREDIT: Jenn Five

The Streets (ft. Hak Baker) - Falling Down

PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Gleeson

Gordi - Extraordinary Life

PHOTO CREDIT: Ebru Yildiz

Anna B Savage - Dead Pursuits

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Crofts

Paul Weller – More

Kesha - Children of the Revolution

PHOTO CREDIT: Ciaran O'Brien

Ailbhe Reddy - Time Difference

Tenille Townes – I Kept the Roses

Hurts – Suffer

PHOTO CREDIT: Ian Laidlaw

Tash Sultana – Greed

Jónsi – Swill

Kelly Lee Owens - On

Emily Burns – Curse

Dermot Kennedy – Giants

Hoops – Fall Back

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Joseph

Oceanator – A Crack in the World

Keaton Henson – Ontario

Bright Eyes - Mariana Trench

Carlie Hanson – Stealing All My Friends

Oh Wonder – Don’t You Worry

Noga Erez - NO news on TV

BLACKPINK - How You Like That

Holly Humberstone – Overkill

Usher – I Cry

Cheat Codes – Heaven

Bad Moves – Local Radio

CeeLo Green – For You

FEATURE: Second Spin: The Beautiful South - Quench

FEATURE:

 

Second Spin

The Beautiful South - Quench

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IN the latest part…

IN THIS PHOTO: The Beautiful South’s Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

of my Second Spin feature, I am focusing on a band that I have a lot of love for. Although The Beautiful South split years ago, I still think their music stands apart, and they are one of those groups that have penned so many classics. With the songwriting coming from Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray, the band put out ten studio albums – their final, Superbi, came out in 2006. Whilst my favourite album from The Beautiful South is Choke from 1990, I think Quench is an album that gets overlooked a lot. It arrived in 1998 and, following the success of 1996’s Blue Is the Colour, maybe it marked a bit of a dip from the band. I love the tracks on the album, and the vocals from Paul Heaton, Jacqui Abbott and Dave Hemingway are stunning. You can buy Quench here, and it is well worth getting hold of. The band’s sixth studio album was not a big critical success but, thanks to some epic singles, it was the band’s third album in a row to hit the top of the charts. The eye-catching cover of Quench depicts a boxer by Scottish painter Peter Howson. Commissioned for the album, the original painting can be seen in the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull. After the band cropped the image and used it in merchandise and promotional material, Howson took legal action against the band. It is a bit of a shame that was some controversy regarding the album cover because, when you explore Quench, you get this great mix of instant gems and those more slow-burning numbers.

If, like me, you were a teen when Quench arrived, a lot of your friends would have been chatting about singles such as Perfect 10, and Dumb. Perfect 10 was this huge hit, and it reached number-two in the charts. That natural and striking interplay between Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott is one reason why the song is such a fantastic piece of work. The lyrics are humorous and memorable, and it is one of those songs that we all know. I think Dumb is one of those songs that doesn’t get the acclaim is warrants. The second single from Quench, I love the simplicity of it, and the effectiveness of backing vocals from Dave Hemingway and Jacqui Abbott. How Long's a Tear Take to Dry? Is another single from the album and, when you look at the tracklist, there are three or four songs that match the very best from The Beautiful South. One of Quench’s problems might be that the biggest hits are in the top half. The album is quite top-heavy, and some momentum does get lost. Songs on the second half such as The Table, Window Shopping for Blinds, and Your Father and I are brilliant, and I think the compositions are varied and brilliant throughout. Heaton’s lyrics are always sharp and gold, and I don’t think he lost any of his touch on Quench. Maybe there is nothing quite as sharp as Don’t Marry Her, or the mighty Old Red Eyes Is Back, but that is not to say Quench is arid and dehydrated.

In fact, listen to the non-single tracks, and there are some really interesting stories being told. Look What I Found in My Beer contains the brilliant lines “Look what I found in my beer/A couple of dancing ladies and a ticket out of here/Look what I found in my beer/A start to being lonely and an end to my career”, whilst I love the intrigue and poetry of these lines from Big Coin – “It's a tiny little heart that challenges the coin/But the coin has no beat or no breath/Big coin won't even leave you a love note/Big coin, big death”. The reviews for Quench are largely mixed, despite the fact the album sold really well and spawned a few enduring hits. This is what AllMusic had to say when they tackled the album:

“In what has become a familiar pattern, Quench, the Beautiful South's sixth regular album release (not counting the singles compilation Carry on Up the Charts), entered the British charts at number one in October 1998, following the number two success of its single, "Perfect 10," while in the U.S. its release was delayed until July 1999, when it made no commercial impression at all. As usual, Paul Heaton and his comrades take a jaundiced look at the world while crooning melodically over pop, rock, and cocktail jazz tracks. The CD booklet contains only one photograph, an out-of-focus shot of a barroom, and as the album's title implies, Quench is awash in alcohol.

Its most telling self-portrait may be "Look What I Found in My Beer," in which Heaton views his musical career as his salvation from alcoholism and self-loathing. "Look what I found in the mic," he sings, "An end to screwed-up drinking and a Paul I actually like." But he often uses metaphors to get across his viewpoint, notably on such songs as "The Slide," "The Table," and "Window Shopping for Blinds." Singer Jacqueline Abbott serves as his foil and expands the dramatic possibilities, especially on the album-closing "Your Father and I," in which parents tell conflicting stories about a child's conception and birth, only to conclude, "Your father and I won't tell the truth." If the Beautiful South's early work mixed biting sarcasm with pop riffs, Quench finds the group playing in less of a pop style, while Heaton's lyrics have become more bitter and self-pitying, but no less witty. Still, American recognition continues to seem unlikely for a writer who likes to make puns involving Peter Lorre and a lorry (that's a truck to us Yankees)”.

It is a shame that, years after The Beautiful South split, that albums like Quench are not being revaluated and given new attention. The band did record more consistent and popular albums, but I think Quench is awash with their patented mix of humour, pathos, and that wonderful chemistry that they held onto through the years. I like the vocal line-up of Paul Heaton, Jacqui Abbott and Dave Hemingway, as the different tones blend wonderfully. I have been looking around to see a review that does Quench justice, but most are quite lukewarm.

This is PopMatters’ assessment of Quench:

 “It may be inexplicable to the Brits, but on this side of the pond the Beautiful South barely rate a "yeah, they're OK" among the folks that have even heard of them. That's an injustice, of course, and may have more to do with the lack of appreciation, much less a market, for terribly, clever subversion (just ask Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy) about it). That's what Paul Heaton and company do best, you know. Beneath the middle of the road arrangements, which Heaton himself has acknowledged are nothing earth shattering, lurk some of the most bitterly funny lyrics to emerge from the sceptered Isle since the days of Noel Coward. One can almost imagine Heaton's pen being behind a line like: "If England is a garden/then we ought to have more manure." (from Coward's "There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner").

Quench follows up the bluesy Blue Is The Colour, and, while is not on the level of their debut Welcome to the Beautiful South, does manage to add a bit rockier touch and the witty lyrics for which they are famous. If you're a fan, give it a go. If you've never heard these guys, start with the greatest hits album Carry On Up the Charts”.

I have a lot of affection for Quench, perhaps because I was in high-school when it came out, and there were some good memories from that time. Listening back some twenty-two years later, and I think Quench stands up, and the tracks do not sound dated or slight. There are one or two weak spots near the end of the album, but the majority of tracks are strong and stand up to repeated listens. There is, as I said, that blend of the hits and lesser-heard tracks that makes Quench such an interesting record. If you get the chance to play this brilliant album, you’ll hear that it deserves…

MORE love than the critics gave it.

FEATURE: Podcast Picks: Sodajerker on Songwriting

FEATURE:

 

Podcast Picks

Sodajerker on Songwriting

___________

FOR a brief feature…

I am highlighting some great podcasts that are helping me stave off the boredom and help educate me at the same time. As a huge music fan, there are ample options out there when it comes to podcasts and audio stimulation. One podcast that I have recently switched onto is Sodajerker on Songwriting. I would encourage people to visit the podcast’s website (and their Instagram), and to give Sodajerker a follow on Twitter. Here is some more information about Sodajerker and the podcast they run:

“Sodajerker is a songwriting team from Liverpool in the United Kingdom. Founded by co-writers Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor, Sodajerker is the creative outlet for two friends raised on the celebrated songbooks of such luminaries as Lennon and McCartney, Bacharach and David, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Goffin and King and The Chic Organisation.

Like the profession from which they take their name, Sodajerker use their hard-won skills to conjure artistry from the everyday. Their songs have been heard on radio stations around the world and on a number of film soundtracks.

Simon and Brian are also the co-hosts of the Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast, a programme featuring interviews with some of the world’s most successful songwriters. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts or listen to episodes here on the site”.

I like the fact Barber and O’Connor are songwriters, so they have this understanding of the industry and, as such, you get some real insight and connection with the artists featured. I have just listened to one of the most-recent episodes (Laura Marling is the latest to feature) with Rina Sawayama, and it was great to learn more about her musical upbringing and how her album, SAWAWYAMA, came together.

IN THIS PHOTO: Rina Sawayama/PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Farana for DIY

Paul McCartney has featured on the Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast, and that must have been quite a coup, as Barber and O’Connor are huge Beatles fans! In fact, I first heard about Sodajerker, when they appeared on a Beatles podcast, I am the Eggpod, last year. I think music-related podcasts are great, and it is nice to hear an artist sat down in conversation, and it allows the listener to get deep with the subject. I think so many chat shows turn guests around so fast, you never really learn anything at all. On podcasts like Sodajerker on Songwriting, for just under an hour, one can sit back and become absorbed in this fantastic chat. During lockdown, things have not changed radically for the podcast, but the guests are remote, so there is a slightly different feel and tone to the episodes. Apart from that, it is business as usual! I know I am a little late to the Sodajerker party, but I would recommend it to all music fans out there, and anyone who is thinking of starting their own podcast.

The interviews are really interesting; Barber and O’Connor are knowledgeable, funny and warm, and I am spending the next couple of weeks catching up on all of the episodes I have not heard yet. I think my favourite so far are the two with Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon, and he is someone who does not give too many interviews, and I love to hear McAloon speak – I think McAloon is the only guest who has appeared on the podcast twice! If you can donate to the podcast then do so, as it is one of the very best on the market. I will leave things there, but if you are looking around for a brilliant music source that delivers humour, depth and variety, then make sure you tune your ears into…

IN THIS PHOTO: Paddy McAloon

THE Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Epic New Jack Swing

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @roxy142/Unsplash

Epic New Jack Swing

___________

THIS edition of The Lockdown Playlist…

PHOTO CREDIT: @chrisyangchrisfilm/Unsplash

is all about those New Jack Swing classics. I love this genre of music, and I think it was most popular during the 1980s and 1990s. One does not hear it around so much, but there are so many gems from that time that just pop and jam! I think the lockdown is coming to an end very soon, in the sense that many of us can start to return to normal. I might rename the playlist if I continue it but, for now, I am putting a couple/few out every week. If you require a bit of a spring and are lacking in energy, then have a listen to these songs in the playlist and I am sure that they will give you that…

PHOTO CREDIT: @ryanquintal/Unsplash

EXTRA kick you are searching for. 

FEATURE: Sunday Girl: The Iconic Debbie Harry at Seventy-Five

FEATURE:

 

Sunday Girl

IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry photographed in 2019/PHOTO CREDIT: Celeste Sloman for The New York Times

The Iconic Debbie Harry at Seventy-Five

___________

WHEN it comes to marking big birthdays…

of music icons, I can be a bit early and quick off of the mark! Debbie Harry turns seventy-five on 1st July, but I wanted to be one of the first to send a nod her way – I am sure I will write something else and publish on the day she turns seventy-five. Although Harry’s age is not important as such, I do think that it is important to salute one of the most inspiring artists of all-time. At the age of seventy-five (almost), she is still inspiring new artists, and has no equals. I encountered Blondie’s music when I was a child, and I think the first song I discovered was Sunday Girl – it is from their 1978 masterpiece, Parallel Lines. Although that song was written by the band’s guitarist, Chris Stein – he and Harry were in a relationship for over a decade -, I think it is Harry’s cool and powerful voice that takes the song to a very special place. I will end this feature with a playlist of the best Blondie and Debbie Harry solo material, but I listen to the music of Blondie and look at images of Harry from the 1970s and 1980s, and there was nobody who had that same magnetism and sense of authority! I can only imagine what it was like female artists in the 1970s in terms of how they were perceived and marketed. Debbie Harry was in various bands before forming Blondie (with Chris Stein), and they played various clubs throughout New York.

IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry with Blondie

Harry soon become an icon and key figure in the Punk movement because of her incredible style, streetwise cool and her obvious musical talent. I know she would have faced a lot of sexism and prejudice, but she, alongside the band, became a global megastar and inspired and gave strength to many other women. It is hard to narrow down to the best Blondie albums, but I think their debut, Blondie (1976), Parallel Lines (1978), and Eat to the Beat (1979) contains some of their best work. I think Debbie Harry gets overlooked as a songwriter, but she co-wrote some of the band’s biggest songs – including Union City Blue, Heart of Glass, X Offender, and Rapture. Rapture was an important song, as it was the first number-one song in the U.S. to feature Rap vocals – which was a huge catalyst and shook the music scene in 1981. The year 1999 was a scary one for me, as it was the last at high school, and I was about to embark on a move to sixth-form college. Though Blondie’s comeback album, No Exit – their first since Hunter in 1982 – is underrated and not ranked alongside their best, I think Debbie Harry (and the band) are amazing throughout. Maria is a phenomenal track and can rank alongside the best Blondie tracks. I feared that album might be a one-off from the band. Luckily, they continue to put out albums and their latest album, 2017’s Pollinator, is a fantastic record and one of their strongest to date.

I felt I knew a lot about Debbie Harry and her career before her memoir, Face It, came out last year. I would urge people to buy it, as it is very honest and well-written. I learnt so much from it, and I got a lot better impression of a fascinating woman who has experienced some real highs and lows. The memoir received a lot of praise and fresh wave of media attention. Here is what The Atlantic wrote when they reviewed Face It:

“It’s hard to put your, um, finger on the Harry that emerges from Face It. While other aging-rocker memoirs have earned press for the gossip they’ve revealed, so far the biggest brouhaha about Harry’s book has been about a clumsy attempt at summing her up. “In her memoir, Debbie Harry proves she’s more than just a pretty blonde in tight pants,” read a Washington Post tweet that went viral for the wrong reasons. Sibbie O’Sullivan’s corresponding book review began with disdain (“Even if Debbie Harry, of the band Blondie, isn’t to your taste—her voice too thin, her sexiness too blatant, her music too smooth—you can’t dismiss certain truths about her”) and ended with the backhanded praise of the tweet. In the scorn storm that brewed on social media in response, the journalist Alicia Lutes asked, “Legitimately who has ever thought so little about Debbie fucking Harry?”

PHOTO CREDIT: David Levene for The Guardian

One revelation of the memoir is that the public hasn’t been given a ton to think, good or bad, about Harry over the years. Absolutely there’s a well of fervent and uncomplicated admiration for Blondie’s music, which includes some of the most crystalline pleasure-rushes of the ’70s and ’80s: “Heart of Glass,” “Hanging on the Telephone,” “One Way or Another,” “Call Me.” Definitely she’s remembered as a fixture of CBGB, the legendary New York City punk club. But when I went to look up her role in Please Kill Me, the canonical dirt download about that era and place, I found an interview in which she told the writer Legs McNeil, “Supposed to be questions about fucking punk, man,” when he asked about her backstory. Now, with Face It, Harry is here to fill in some of the blanks—briskly, humorously, and mixed in with abstract riffs on appendages and animals”.

Before I get to the playlist, I want to source from a few interviews, as it is interesting to hear from Debbie Harry herself and get a personal insight into a music legend. Not only does Face It paint a picture of the music scene in the 1970s and how Harry and Blondie approached things, but she does not hold back when it comes to writing about some of the more painful and harrowing events that have happened to her. One reads various extracts and chapters of Face It and you cannot help but be moved by Harry’s plight and strengthened by her resolve and bravery.

IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry in 1977

When she spoke with The Evening Standard earlier this year, Harry was asked about an occasion where she was raped and how she wrote about it (in her memoir):

“On and off stage, Harry has never been one to conform to expectations, and in Face It, she describes her rape in a breezy tone that some have found uncomfortable. ‘I was more embarrassed than afraid,’ she writes, adding it was the perpetrator’s theft of Stein’s guitars that ‘stung the most’.

What would she say to those who see her response as unusually flippant? ‘It’s an opinion,’ she shrugs brusquely. Can she honestly say the attack had no psychological impact on her? ‘I have a friend who is a great example to me,’ she says, going off at a tangent. ‘I used to be all morbid about things and this friend would say, “Well, I’ve got five minutes for that,” and then she’d move on. For a while I wondered how she did it, but I took a lesson from it and managed to make it work for me. I can’t always make it work. Sometimes I live with this darkness or idea of impossibility, but I was in a great relationship [with Stein] at the time and we supported each other through it.’

As well as the rape, during the 1970s Harry endured a violent ex-boyfriend who became her stalker and constant encounters with institutional sexism in the music industry — she has also written about a kidnap attempt by a man whom she believes was the serial killer Ted Bundy. Although she’s adamant that none of these incidents has had any long-lasting effects on her life, it’s hard not to see her Blondie persona as a riposte to the men who did her wrong. ‘I was saying things in the songs that female singers didn’t really say back then,’ Harry writes of the band’s early years. ‘I wasn’t submissive or begging him to come back. I was kicking his ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass, too’”.

I do not want to make this feature about the trauma that Harry has encountered; more that there are events and periods of her life where she has encountered setbacks (if that is a fair word?!), but one needs to address them to get a bigger and clearer picture of her – and not just focus on the hits and Blondie albums. Bearing in mind Blondie’s eponymous album made a big impression and turned heads, it is not a surprise that Harry was in demand and all over the media. It must have been crazy for her and the band to receive such attention so soon. When she spoke with GQ last year to promote Face It, she was asked about the sort of attention she received in the early days:

“Did you enjoy that first flush of fame?

It was weird, because so much was happening in London at the time, but when you’re riding a success like we were with Blondie, it’s hard to keep up with everything, hard to be a part of an evolution or revolution or whatever you want to call it. You’re too busy to work out what’s going on. I should have enjoyed the process a bit more, but you just didn’t have the time. You never have the time. You’re just in the middle of all this crazy activity and you just hang on for dear life. What I do know is that it was wonderful and it was especially wonderful being in London. It was exciting and it was a huge learning experience and, of course, we had all been aware of The Beatles and The Stones and all of that period from the Sixties, I guess. As music is such an important part of British culture, it felt great to play such an important part in it”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Debbie Harry in 1978/PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Rock

Debbie Harry is an icon, for sure – whether that is a term she feels comfortable with -, and many wondered why it took a long time to write her memoir. I guess it can be quite revealing writing about your life, and there is that feeling of being naked or the reader having complete access to a lot of information that would have been secret for a long time. In the same interview, Harry addressed the reason why it took a while for the memoir to come about:

I guess I was a coward really. I never really thought of doing it and I never really wanted to do it especially. People came to me and said, “Oh, you’ve got all of these great stories, you really ought to tell them,” but I was kind of reluctant. This is the first interview I’ve done for the book and I’m still quite tentative about it if I’m honest with you. It seems unnatural. To me it just seems like the same old story, but then I guess you’re not me. I mean we all have stories to tell, so in the end I did get it together, but I feel like there’s so much missing from this book actually, because it’s impossible to cram everything in. There are lots of stories in the book that aren’t just me and so-and-so going out and having a night or doing this or doing that, little anecdotal kind of stories about the process of writing songs or that day in the studio or my phone conversation or this or that. I suppose the book is an overall kind of broad brushstroke book, trying to externalise internal events. In the end I just had to stop or else I’d still be writing”.

One cannot forget the wonderful music of Blondie and just what an innovator Debbie Harry is. I do not use the word ‘icon’ lightly: few artists have achieved as much and changed the music world like she has. So many artists owe a debt to her, and I don’t think we will ever see anyone like her ever again! I want to finish by casting back and imagining what it would have been like for an obviously very beautiful woman to be thrust into the limelight, and the sort of attitudes she had to deal with. It still happens today, but Debbie Harry (and her peers) experienced a lot of sexism and objectification. I found an interview Harry conducted with The Guardian last year, and the subject of sexism and being objectified arose:

“Few women have been objectified as much as Harry. Her face – those killer cheekbones and heart-shaped mouth – is immortalised on Blondie album covers and in Warhol’s famous portrait. Was she always aware of men’s reaction to her? “I think we all have issues of self-esteem and I’m not clear of that,” she says, by way of an answer. “I also think that because it’s my occupation – to be a performer and to attract attention and to appeal to sexuality – it’s sort of a given in showbiz.”

Did she feel objectified? “There was a time in the earlier Blondie years when I was trying hard to perform, sing and write, and all of those contributions would be overlooked [by critics]. And that was, well …” She doesn’t finish the sentence. She was furious when Blondie’s record label put out a poster with a picture of her wearing a see-through blouse. In the book, she writes: “Sex sells, that’s what they say, and I’m not stupid, I know that. But on my terms, not some executive’s.”

IN THIS PHOTO: Chris Stein and Debbie Harry in 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: Lynn Goldsmith

Did she feel dismissed because of the way she looked? “Yes. A bit of fluff.” Wasn’t that infuriating? “Yes, but, you know, in a way it was good because I can sneak up on them unawares. I think times have changed in that respect. Women are serious wage-earners, and we create great things, and it seems clear to me that we can be supportive of one another regardless of what sex [we are]”.

I wonder how Debbie Harry is dealing with lockdown, and whether there are any Blondie songs taking shape. The band have not ruled out another album, so it would be wonderful to think they have written songs or are planning stuff for later in the year. I want to track back to that interview from The Evening Standard, as Debbie Harry discussed her life today:

“A conventional life with a husband and kids never appealed, although she admits to pangs of jealousy when Stein married Sicuranza. She lives in Manhattan with her dogs and spends her time writing music, painting and reading. Does she date? ‘Very much so. There are less men around for people my age, though. They’re all married with children. What’s wrong with them?’ She wrinkles her nose. ‘I think what’s going on, there’s more extra-marital relationships and maybe that is the right way. I’m looking for something really chemical’”.

I have thrown a lot of information out – not necessarily in the most cohesive manner! -, but go and get the Face It memoir, and buy as many Blondie albums as you can. Long may we hear music from the wonderful Debbie Harry. As her seventy-fifth birthday is a matter of days away, I want to show some love, and end the feature with a playlist of the finest songs from her Blondie and solo catalogue. On 1st July, I hope all corners of the media and music world will pay their respects…

TO a music legend!

FEATURE: “Mmh, yes” Inside Kate Bush’s The Sensual World

FEATURE:

 

“Mmh, yes”

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush shot for The Sensual World’s single cover in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Inside Kate Bush’s The Sensual World

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THOUGH I have…

discussed Kate bush’s album, The Sensual World, before, I have not really investigated its title cut. It is a song I have seen shared online quite a bit over the past week, and 16th  June marked the famous Dublin day spent by the character Leopold Bloom in James Joyce's novel, Ulysses. Kate was drawn to the book's closing speech by Leopold's wife, Molly (Bloom). I do love artists who are curious about literature and can get something from classic literature. Usually, a songwriter, might sprinkle in a couple of words from a novel or they might loosely base a song on it. In Kate Bush’s music, you hear someone inhabit a character like Molly Bloom. Literature has always played a role in her creativity. Although Bush wrote Wuthering Heights after seeing a T.V. adaptation, one has to draw back to the original novel by Emily Brontë. I can imagine why Bush was struck by this moment where Cathy comes to Heathcliff as a ghostly vision, and the sheer power and strange romance that this image conveys. Similarly, Molly Bloom’s sensual soliloquy in Ulysses would have resonated for a different reason. Although The Sensual World and Wuthering Heights both take from classic literature, the songs are very different; by 1989, Bush was heading in a new direction and not the same artist she was on 1978’s The Kick Inside.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

Pitchfork, when they reviewed The Sensual World last year remarked on how the album was an important step forward for Bush:

“She didn’t need to prove her own steeliness to anyone, especially the male journalists who patronized her and harped on her childishness as a way of cutting her down to size. Instead, The Sensual World is the sound of someone deciding for themselves what growing up and grown-up pop should be, without being beholden to anyone else’s tedious definitions. It gave her a new template for the next two decades, inspiring both the smooth, stylish art-rock of 1993’s The Red Shoes and the picturesque beauty of 2005’s Aerial”.

The Sensual World was the first song from the album of the same name, and it was released in September 1989. As I was born in 1983, I was not around first time to experience Bush’s first four albums. The Sensual World might well have been the album that I was aware of when it came out. I think the record remains quite under-explored and exposed, and songs like The Sensual World prove that Bush could evolve and change direction and remain more captivating and original than any other songwriter. The song reached number-twelve in the U.K. charts, and it remains a favourite among fans. I love the musicianship and rich sounds on the song. I think the composition is the first thing that hits me. We have Del Palmer on bass, Charlie Morgan on percussion, who provide this tight and incredible rhythm section.

It is the way the bass and drums work with the more unconventional instruments that gives The Sensual World its personality and aura. Paddy Bush’s swished fishing rod is subtle but powerful; Davy Spillane’s uilleann pipes gives the song its Irish blood and rush; John Sheahan’s fiddle and Dónal Lunny’s bouzouki are perfect, and these musicians bring so much to the song. I think Bush’s voice is at its most stirring and tremulous, and she provides this incredible sensuality and beauty. I will talk more about the music and vocal but, interestingly, the most notable aspect of The Sensual World is the fact that Bush could not get permission to use text from Ulysses when the song was recorded. It was not until 2011’s Director’s Cut – when one assumes the copyright might have expired –, when Bush was finally granted permission from the Joyce estate to use the original words from the novel. This article discusses the atmosphere of The Sensual World, and the challenges Bush faced when trying to obtain the rights to source from Ulysses:

“Musically, one of the main hooks in the chorus of The Sensual World was inspired by a traditional Macedonian piece of music called Nevestinsko Oro, or "Bride's Dance". As in the traditional version, the melody is played on uilleann pipes, in this case by Irish musician Davy Spillane.[2]

She found inspiration in the literary world again, scouring the pages of James Joyce’s landmark 1920s novel Ulysses to find Molly Bloom’s closing monologue, in which the character steps from the pages of the book and revels in the real world. Bush was delighted to find that the rhythm and sound of the words fit perfectly with the music she had been working on.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989

This revelation was frustrated by the intractability of Joyce’s estate, which repeatedly refused Bush permission to use the words as her lyrics on ‘The Sensual World’. She was forced to rebuild from the ground-up, writing new passages that captured the same breathless energy as Bloom’s soliloquy. The finished product mirrored the inspirational text very closely, anchored around the repeated erotically charged ‘Yes’ which Bush delivers with a quivering intensity. The lyrics detail a panoply of sensual stimuli, from peaches, to mountain flowers, to seed-cake, whilst the syncopated rhythm of her voice rides the irresistible flow of music. Bush had often resisted the urge to write in such a potently sexualised voice due to the exploitative nature of her early career, but here it felt as if feminine sensuality was finally being expressed on its own terms. Molly Bloom simply supplied the creative insulation – a mask to slip behind when things became too personal”.

I think one of the big motivations Bush recorded the Director’s Cut album was so that she could record The Sensual World again – the new version, Flower of the Mountain, saw her record the lyrics she had always wanted to, some twenty-two years after The Sensual World was released. Of course, there are other songs on that album that Bush wanted to tackle again, but I feel there was this huge desire to ‘complete’ The Sensual World.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Cummings

I have a lot of respect for the 1989 album, and the way The Sensual World perfectly opens and closes: the title track is this wonderfully evocative opening, and we end with the startling and deeply emotional This Woman’s Work. After the success of 1985’s Hounds of Love, Bush could have repeated herself and written an album that was inspired by similar themes. Bush always moves and never wants to rehash what has come before. I think The Sensual World is a more mature album, in the sense we never hear a track as child-like as The Big Sky, or as propulsive as Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). It is the sheer awe and hush Bush portrays through her voice that makes The Sensual World’s title track so affecting and popular – and I can completely understand why she was very keen to secure the rights to quote Molly Bloom. I also really love the song’s video, which was directed by Bush and The Comic Strip co-creator Peter Richardson. In it, Bush is dancing through a forest wearing a red medieval dress. To me, she has never looked so entrancing and beautiful as she does in that video – maybe And So Is Love (from 1993’s The Red Shoes) comes close! I really like the way the video sits alongside the song and how Bush (and Richardson) brings her song to life so fully and beautifully. Watching the music video is this wonderful experience, where one is drawn into a different world. I have watched the video countless times, and I am always moved and mesmerised.

The Sensual World (track) gathered a lot of reviews. This is Sounds’ review from 14th October, 1989:

“Isn't the single absolutely withoug equal? Especially the way the "mmh yes" punctuation gets progressively more urgent as the song unwinds. There is really no doubt about it, when Kate Bush says "The Sensual World" is "a string expression of positive female energy" she isn't kidding. That 45 proves that she's come a long way from "Wuthering Heights" and is now writing approximations of the soundtrack to Body Heat. Stunning stuff.

That song is the best thing on this, her sixth album. It's probably her best song to date, although -- lyrically at least -- it's possibly rivalled by "Rocket's Tail" and "The Fog" for classic Bush-like unsettling, mesmerising undertones”.

This is how The Quietus assessed the song when they wrote about The Sensual World (album) in 1989:

“The Sensual World' itself sets out the album's autumnal stall immediately – soft, pealing bells give way to an arrangement that incorporates pipes, warm synth washes, and an insistent drum pattern; its accompanying video, following the singer through a forest of crimson leaves, is as seamless a supplement as could be”.

If you have not explored The Sensual World, I would advise you do, as it is a terrific song that marked a real growth and departure for Bush – never before had she sounded so grown-up, autumnal and alluring.

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

I just want to quote another passage from The Quietus’ review, as they make some very interesting observation about The Sensual World’s title track:

“The Molly Bloom of Joyce's soliloquy escapes the confines of his text, "stepping out of the page into the sensual world," to enjoy the "down of a peach," the "kiss of seedcake," to "wear a sunset," where bodies roll "off of Howth Head and into the flesh." Kate described the album as her first to really explore "positive female energy" – "I think it's to do with me coming to terms with myself on different levels," she told NME. "In some ways, like on Hounds Of Love, it was important for me to get across the sense of power in the songs that I'd associated with male energy and music. But I didn't feel that this time and I was very much wanting to express myself as a woman in my music rather than as a woman wanting to sound as powerful as a man. And definitely 'The Sensual World', the track, was very much a female track for me. I felt it was a really new expression, feeling good about being a woman musically".

Kate Bush was thirty-one when the single came out, and it has almost been thirty-one years since the track came out. I remember listening to The Sensual World when I was a child and being struck by this amazing song. I listen back now, and it still provokes something deep inside of me. The Sensual World must go down as…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

ONE of Kate Bush’s most important and impressive tracks.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Pillow Queens

FEATURE:

  

Spotlight

Pillow Queens

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WHEN we talk about new artists…

making a splash right now, Pillow Queens have to be in the mix. I think I was one of the first people to host them in London a while back. I was one of a selection of guest bloggers as part of Blogtober: a month of nights where some of the best upcoming artists played at The Finsbury. It was a big moment for them, and they got a great reception from the crowd – many of whom were not aware of them. That was almost a few years ago, and the Irish band have just released the single, Handsome Wife. The band also have an album coming along. Here is some further details from The Line of Best Fit :

“Four-piece Pillow Queens have proven to be no strangers to heavy-hitters, but they might have outdone themselves on their new single “Handsome Wife”.

Sonically, “Handsome Wife” carves itself out a lot of space, and then shows it has the power to fill it. Everything about the song soars: an alt-rock mix of scruffy and grandiose with a rush of a chorus that seems to stretch out to fill the entire skyline.

Emotionally, Pillow Queens have that knack for projecting the small conversations, worries and wants we wrap our relationships around onto the bigger screen that music provides, and on “Handsome Wife” those feelings erupt into a scream that gives the song the total knockout force to win anyone over.

“'Handsome Wife' begins with a glimpse into an emotional homecoming, one that intensifies and romanticises the seemingly insignificant,” the band say. “Throughout, the mundane but tender moments are held up and deified, paying reverence to the ease in which a love can thrive outside the realms of tradition. The song continuously references structures and rituals that were once out of reach, but are now within our grasp. In spite of this ‘Handsome Wife’ affirms that they pale in comparison to the communities we’ve built ourselves.”

“Handsome Wife” is out now, and Pillow Queens’ debut album In Waiting will release on 25 September, available to pre-order now”.

I love their new song, and the album is going to find a big audience. The group have released quite a few tracks, and it has been great seeing them grow and gain new confidence with each release. Having seen them live, I can attest to their connection, chemistry and craic. I am going to bring in a couple of interviews, as the band themselves can give more details and history than me. I do think In Waiting is going to be one of this year’s best albums and, if gigs are kicking back off next year, they will want to get on the road and bring these tracks to the people! Not that I have a leaning towards female bands, but I do think that the industry is skewed in favour of male artists.

There are some great bands fronted by/consisting of women, but I do think they are overlooked. Pillow Queens are a band one can see enduring for years to come. I think they will get a lot of festival bookings for next year when the album is out and being played. I do love what is coming out of Ireland right now. Pillow Queens, Fontaines D.C., Sinead O’Brien and The Murder Capital are among my favourite bands/artists of the moment. I want to bring in an interview from a couple of years back, when Pillow Queens were interviewed by The Irish Times. We learn more about their 2016 E.P., Calm Girls, and how the band have this very tight connection:

“Rachel Lyons (drums, vocals, from Kill, Co Kildare), Cathy McGuinness (guitar, vocals, from Arklow, Co Wicklow), Pamela Connolly (bass, guitar, lead vocals, from Donaghmede in Dublin) and Sarah Corcoran (guitar, bass, lead vocals, from Finglas in Dublin) arrive to a pub smoking area, lugging gear, a few days after a triumphant appearance on the main stage at Body & Soul.

Pillow Queens write charmingly scruffy and smart tunes, and perform them with vigour. On record, their songs’ lo-fi qualities belie a brilliant catchiness and emotional depth. Live, they’re lovable, unaffected, loud. They are gimmick-free, hardworking and with an authenticity marketeers would kill for, and there’s a purity to their breezy modus operandi: write good songs, play them well, have fun, and enjoy the opportunities such endeavours are now bringing.

An EP in 2016, Calm Girls (a joke about their collective anxiety) gave them an instant anthem, Rats, as good a rock song as any that has come out of Ireland this decade. After the fingers-in-the-air audience-built call and response of Rats came Wonderboys, illustrating where Pillow Queens’ brilliance lies: it’s in the space between tender and tough, knowing and naive, wry and goofy, ironic and straight-up.

That confidence was born out of the instant chemistry Corcoran felt when they were in a room together for the first time, “I was just watching it going ‘woah, this is cool’.” Lyons was the last to join the band. “This last year and a half has been a whirlwind for me,” she says. “My personal development has been massive . . . I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since I was a teenager. I’ve also learned to work with other people in a different kind of environment. You have to listen to people, they have to listen to you, and you have to give them a part of you, because we’re all emotional wrecks.” She pauses. “Mostly me.”

Connolly is seen as the peacemaker in the band. During moments where people may be “overwhelmed and tensions are high”, McGuinness says, “Pamela will be super chill and she’ll come back at a more logical time and say ‘this is what I think’.” Connolly’s humour, Corcoran says, tends to diffuse situations. “Pamela will say something and you can’t help but laugh”.

I will bring in one more interview before rounding this thing off, but I would recommend people follow Pillow Queens on social media. They are a great band, and I think they have a very promising future. Having seen them grow in reputation and stature, I think 2021 will be a very important year. Their music definitely has a unique stamp, but each track is different and remarkable. The band spoke with KEXP earlier this year, and I latched on to questions that asked about the Irish music community and queer identify:

“You were all in bands before forming Pillow Queens. What's the Irish music scene and community like?

Pamela Connolly: It's amazing. I guess maybe when we were all in bands, it was a little bit before it became as good as it is now. Most of us were in bands during the recession. So it was good, but people would get taken advantage of a lot. But now the scene – not even just Dublin, all around Ireland – is amazing. The scene coming out of Limerick is class. And it's not just guitar music. It's hip-hop. It's R&B. There's a revival with trad and lovely folk music as well. The scene is really strong and people are taken a lot more seriously now being from Ireland. I hope it keeps going that way and it just gets better. But I highly recommend [to] look up as many Irish bands as you can because they're all pretty good. We're only OK [laughs].

Corcoran: Irish bands really support each other at the moment, which is really nice. I mean, maybe that's always been the case, but definitely, from our experience of being in Pillow Queens, we've received support from bands of every genre on touring, recording, on just getting local gigs. One of the guys from Bitch Falcon lent me a bass for this session because my bass is terrible and I can't afford to buy a new one. So I was like, "Can I borrow a bass?" And he was like, "Yeah, absolutely!" Just gave me his bass for this.

Sarah Corcoran: mean, writing is always cathartic anyway. So you can put your worries into a song and then it's just like boxing them up and not dealing with them [laughs].

Queer identity seems to come through in a lot of your music. Pretty directly in songs like "Gay Girls." Is it important for you to share that perspective in your music?

Connolly: And yes and no. I think it's it's hard to not because it's so much a part of your identity that when you're writing it just comes out anyway. Then someone may ask you a question like, 'Oh, you're really trying to protect your career identity.' I'm actually not. I'm just writing the way maybe a straight man would write about his experiences, I'll write about mine. We'll write about ours. So it's not at the forefront of our mind, but we do know that it's important. But I don't think it's a thing that's always on the table. It just happens. It's not conscious. And I like it that way because I think if we were trying too hard it would come across that way. I like casual queerness [laughs].

Corcoran: I think as well, a song like "Gay Girls," the title would make you think that it's a song about queerness, but it's only really on the very cusp of being a queer song. The title, obviously, but it's more a comment on religion and that sort of thing. I mean, the wringing hand imagery is like... We can't help but write about religious things. We all were brought up in very religious environments so it always comes out. And because I suppose queer themes are so contradictory maybe of like religious themes, maybe that's where the juxtaposition happens”.

This year has been a bit of a pain for all musicians, but I know there will be a load of gigs next year. Make sure you pre-order your copy of In Waiting, as it is going to be one of those albums that scoops some huge reviews! I think bands like Pillow Queens are helping to raise awareness for Irish bands – a vital corner of music that has not been slightly ignored and not given the oxygen it deserves. Long may Pillow Queens reign and put out excellent music! They are a tremendous force, and one you need to get involved with. If you have not investigated the music of this incredible band, then make sure you do…

RIGHT away.

________________

Follow Pillow Queens

Official:

https://pillowqueens.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pillowqueens/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/PillowQueeens

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7BDvurihyagH0uSPNDJX7d

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pillowqueensband/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbsEGI3QVqif8YCHIdsj1w

PHOTO CREDITS:

Pillow Queens

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Eagles – Hotel California

FEATURE:

 

Vinyl Corner

Eagles – Hotel California

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IN future editions…

PHOTO CREDIT: RB/Redferns/Getty Images

of this feature, I will include more albums made by women – as I am aware that many of them in Vinyl Corner are from men. I wanted to cover the Eagles’ Hotel California as, to me, it is one of the strongest albums ever. I suggest people buy the album on vinyl, as it is a tremendous record and one that is absolutely jammed with classics! How many albums have an opening trio of songs as strong as Hotel California, New Kid in Town and Life in the Fast Lane?! I think this might be up there with the very best opening three songs ever! The album’s title track is one of the greatest songs ever, and it is this incredible piece that has various movements and stages; one of the best choruses you can imagine, and an amazing band performance. It is a perfect way to open a phenomenal album, and it sets the bar very high! Life in the Fast Lane ends that open set with a kick and has a slightly different pace to the other two tracks. Wasted Time completes the first half and, even after four songs, it feels like you have been listening to a greatest hits collection! I think Hotel California is top-heavy if anything, as its three best songs are done with by the end of the first side. That said, Victim of Love and The Last Resort are awesome tracks, and there isn’t really a weak song on Hotel California. The fifth album from the U.S. band, Hotel California was recorded between March and October of 1976.

There is debate as to which Eagles album is the very best, but I think it would be between Hotel California and One of These Nights – released in 1975, it is the album that preceded Hotel California. I think the fact guitarist Joe Walsh replaced Bernie Leadon offered the band new direction and possibilities. One does notice new sounds and varieties that were not present on the band’s first few albums. Hotel California topped the Billboard chart, and it was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys – it lost out to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (showing what stiff competition there was that year!). Interestingly, Hotel California was not recorded in Los Angeles, as the band favoured, but Miami. Producer Bill Szymczyk was fearful of earthquakes in L.A., so they recorded largely in Miami – although there was also some recording in Los Angeles. I am not sure the Eagles had a stronger line-up than Don Felder – guitars, backing vocals; Glenn Frey – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, lead vocals; Don Henley – drums, percussion, lead vocals, backing vocals, synthesizer; Randy Meisner – bass, backing vocals, lead vocals, guitarrón, and Joe Walsh – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals. With the songwriting powerful of Don Henley and Glenn Frey (who died in 2016) leading the songs, it is no wonder Hotel California is such a popular and enduring album. I think the band possibly hit their peak on the album, and you can hear that they are giving their everything to each song.

The reviews for Hotel California are largely positive. When AllMusic assessed the album, this is what they had to say:

 “The Eagles took 18 months between their fourth and fifth albums, reportedly spending eight months in the studio recording Hotel California. The album was also their first to be made without Bernie Leadon, who had given the band much of its country flavor, and with rock guitarist Joe Walsh. As a result, the album marks a major leap for the Eagles from their earlier work, as well as a stylistic shift toward mainstream rock. An even more important aspect, however, is the emergence of Don Henley as the band's dominant voice, both as a singer and a lyricist. On the six songs to which he contributes, Henley sketches a thematic statement that begins by using California as a metaphor for a dark, surreal world of dissipation; comments on the ephemeral nature of success and the attraction of excess; branches out into romantic disappointment; and finally sketches a broad, pessimistic history of America that borders on nihilism. Of course, the lyrics kick in some time after one has appreciated the album's music, which marks a peak in the Eagles' playing. Early on, the group couldn't rock convincingly, but the rhythm section of Henley and Meisner has finally solidified, and the electric guitar work of Don Felder and Joe Walsh has arena-rock heft.

In the early part of their career, the Eagles never seemed to get a sound big enough for their ambitions; after changes in producer and personnel, as well as a noticeable growth in creativity, Hotel California unveiled what seemed almost like a whole new band. It was a band that could be bombastic, but also one that made music worthy of the later tag of "classic rock," music appropriate for the arenas and stadiums the band was playing. The result was the Eagles' biggest-selling regular album release, and one of the most successful rock albums ever”.

The current line-up of the Eagles recently thrilled Madison Square Garden with a Hotel California show, and I am learning new stuff about the album. I think everyone should check out Hotel California, as it is one of the best albums of the 1970s, and a good place to start if you are new to the Eagles. If you are in need of some vinyl recommendation and want to listen to a classic album, then I can definitely steer you in the direction of…

A damn fine record.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Songs from the Best Albums of 2020

FEATURE:

  

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @gift_habeshaw/Unsplash

Songs from the Best Albums of 2020

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IN this latest…

PHOTO CREDIT: @dizzyd718/Unsplash

part of The Lockdown Playlist, I have been thinking about the best albums of this year. It has been a terrific year for music so far, and we have been treated to some of the best releases for years. Because of that, I want to put together a playlist featuring a track from each album, with the hope of providing some form of energy and motivation. I wonder what more will come this year in terms of terrific albums and just what we might receive. Even though we are still in lockdown – to a lesser extent than we were -, I do feel like music continues to deliver and artists have not really slowed down all that much. In this playlist, I am championing the very finest albums of this year. I hope you get something from…

PHOTO CREDIT: @dizzyd718/Unsplash

THIS assortment of terrific cuts.

FEATURE: Second Spin: Amy Winehouse - Frank

FEATURE:

  

Second Spin

Amy Winehouse - Frank

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I often wonder what…

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse photographed by Phil Knott 2003

Amy Winehouse would be doing if she was still with us. It is so sad that the world lost her in 2011, but I think she would have a few things to say about the current lockdown and what is happening in the world. Although she released two studio albums, her legacy and impact are huge. So many artists today count Winehouse as an idol, and I do not think the music world has seen anything like her since. Winehouse’s 2006 breakthrough, Back to Black, is considered a masterpiece, and it is her most-successful album. There is a planned biopic coming very soon, and it will be interesting to see how she is portrayed on the screen. It is great that Back to Black has won so much acclaim, but I do think many people overlook her debut, Frank. It did collect some good reviews in 2003, but I think a lot of people thought that Winehouse was too close in sound to singers like Ella Fitzgerald, and that there were few standout songs on that album. Winehouse began writing music at the age of fifteen, but she worked in a few different jobs before getting her break in music – including entertainment journalism and singing with a local group, Bolsha Band. Camden’s most-famous daughter’s distinct and powerful voice is one that arrests and stuns to this day. Counting artists like Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington as influences, I can only imagine the younger Amy Winehouse listening to these Jazz greats at home. Of course, she would have been listening to contemporary music and classics bands, but I think it is these iconic female artists who made the biggest impression on her.

Eventually, Winehouse was signed to Simon Fuller’s 19 Management in 2002, but they were not allowed to let their prodigy out of the bag yet. One of the people who was struck by Winehouse was Darcus Besse. He was A&R at Island Records – who Winehouse would sign with -, and it took several months of persistence of asking around before Besse was able to connect with Winehouse – Winehouse had already signed a publishing deal with EMI, so there was competition and a lot of fascination aimed at her. One of the key figures in Frank is Salaam Remi. The two formed a close working relationship, and they would continue that partnership for Back to Black. Remi co-writes and produces several songs on Frank, but I think one of the problems with the album is that there are quite a few people in the mix. Frank was recorded at several studios in the U.S. and U.K., and there is quite a cast of writers and producers on the album. One might not think that unusual as, if you look at so many Hip-Hop and R&B albums from big stars like Beyoncé and Drake, and you wonder how much input the artist had in any song! On Back to Black, Winehouse took greater charge as a songwriter, and there are fewer cooks in the kitchen. I think it is the increased confidence, more personal nature of Back to Black and the fact Winehouse proved herself on Frank that means her second album is more cohesive, resonant and stunning.

I feel some people look at Frank as a scrappy-yet-promising debut, and one where Winehouse was finding her voice and making her way. It was necessary for there to be quite a few producers and writers on Frank, as Winehouse, prior to Frank, was largely singing covers, and she would not necessarily have had that many original tracks formed before signing her record deal. I think the pressures of fame and the pains of love was a big influence for Back to Black, whereas Winehouse was lesser-known prior to Frank, and she was writing from a different perspective. I do not think that Frank is Winehouse mimicking her heroes and showcasing her voice – on songs that are quite lightweight -, as that would be doing her a disservice. Frank has gained new respect and depth in the years after Winehouse’s death, but I can remember the excitement of hearing Frank in 2003. I love the album’s cover, as we see a radiant and fresh-faced Winehouse let loose – whereas Back to Black finds her sat down with a glum and serious look on her face. I am not going to get into the way the tabloids hounded her and the problems Winehouse experienced, but to see her in those early days perform and look so excited is bittersweet. With greater attention, she would feel the pressure and it is so tragic the way things worked out. I love Frank, as it is Winehouse coming through; before all the tabloid s*it (or most of it) and the addiction issues.

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse photographed by Hamish Brown for Harpers & Queen Magazine in 2003

Although Back to Black is a masterpiece and one of the most affecting albums ever, I do reckon Frank has more than its fair share of diamonds that means, seventeen years after its release, it is fit for reappraisal. I will pick my highlights, but I wanted to bring in one of the positive reviews for Frank. This is AllMusic’s take on Amy Winehouse extraordinary debut:

“If a series of unfortunate comparisons (like the ones to follow) cause listeners to equate British vocalist Amy Winehouse with Macy Gray, it's only natural. Both come on like a hybrid of Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill who's had a tipple and then attempted one more late-night set at a supper club than they should have. Despite her boozy persona and loose-limbed delivery, though, Winehouse is an excellent vocalist possessing both power and subtlety, the latter an increasingly rare commodity among contemporary female vocalists (whether jazz or R&B). What lifts her above Macy Gray is the fact that her music and her career haven't been marketed within an inch of their life. Instead of Gray's stale studio accompaniments, Winehouse has talented musicians playing loose charts behind her with room for a few solos. Instead of a series of vocal mellifluities programmed to digital perfection, Winehouse's record has the feeling of being allowed to grow on its own -- without being meddled with and fussed over (and losing its soul in the process).

Simply hearing Winehouse vamp for a few minutes over some Brazilian guitar lines on "You Sent Me Flying" is a rare and immense pleasure. Also, like Nellie McKay (but unlike nearly all of her contemporaries), Winehouse songs like "Fuck Me Pumps," "Take the Box," and "I Heard Love Is Blind" cast a cool, critical gaze over the music scene, over the dating scene, and even over the singer herself. With "In My Bed," she even proves she can do a commercial R&B production, and a club version of "Moody's Mood for Love" not only solidifies her jazz credentials but proves she can survive in the age of Massive Attack”.

Stronger Than Me is a wonderful opener, and I am surprised it did not do better in the U.K. singles chart – it only got to number seventy-one. It is one of Winehouse’s best songs, and I love how naked and raw it is. In My Bed, and Take the Box are wonderful tracks, and the penultimate number, Help Yourself, is another cracker! I do not think there is any filler on the album, and there is a lot of lyrical, musical and vocal diversity across Frank. The album has enough personality and unique perspective to make it far stronger than many suggest, and Frank has taken on new life and meaning, given the way Winehouse would explode into the public consciousness soon enough. It is disappointing that there were so many mixed reviews.

Many people felt the same: a few great cuts and brilliant vocals, but not a lot to rival the best albums of 2003. I feel there was a perception that Winehouse was promising and would come into her own a few albums down the line – the fact that she managed to do that on her second album is quite a leap! This is what Pitchfork wrote in their review of 2007 (perhaps comparing it unfavourably against Back to Black, rather than reviewing it on its own terms when it was fresh in 2003):

“Winehouse has a hell of a voice, even when she imitates her favorite jazz vocalists-- especially Billie Holiday-- much too closely. (Just in case anybody misses the idea that she's supposed to be a jazz singer who's somehow stumbled into a neo-soul record, Frank begins with a little fragment of Winehouse scat-singing, and the chorus of "October Song" doesn't just namedrop Sarah Vaughan but lifts its melody from "Lullaby of Birdland".) None of her songs here are as indelible as "Rehab" or as cutting as "You Know I'm No Good"-- and the best are co-written with Nas and Fugees collaborator Salaam Remi-- but you can hear the development of the high-powered songwriter she turned into on Back to Black in the snarky character sketch "F*** Me Pumps" and in the way the sharp-nailed ballad "You Sent Me Flying" breaks into a Soul II Soul beat halfway through.

And although she hasn't quite nailed the 1972 vibe of her later record (despite some corny vintage-vinyl sound effects), a couple of her stylistic experiments pay off, especially the high-drama soul loop that underpins "In My Bed".

I strongly feel Frank warrants fresh inspection, and if one listens to the album in full, they will get a lot from it. There are those standout hits, but even the ‘lesser’ tracks have real weight and depth. Winehouse would go on to better with Back to Black, but Frank is more than a promising debut. It is a wonderful album that sound epic on vinyl, and it definitely connected with a lot of upcoming artists at the time – many of whom cite Frank as a key album. I know it is dangerous to think what kind of music Winehouse would be making were she still alive, and just what she would be doing right now. After the exceptional debut, and the majestic Back to Black, it is evitable that we all wonder…

WHAT could have been.

FEATURE: A Deal with God: Kate Bush and a Positive Approach to Love

FEATURE:

 

A Deal with God

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

Kate Bush and a Positive Approach to Love

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I have written other Kate Bush features…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush and Michael Hervieu in the video for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

where I said I would keep it short and, inevitably, it would be quite a long and drawn-out thing! This time around, it will be a little more succinct! I recently wrote about Bush’s approach to love and the sort of language she employs. Right from her earliest work, there was something in the lyrics that was very different to anything else around. She would mix quite poetic and florid descriptions alongside sentiments that were quite explicit and left very little to the imagination. At other times, she would articulate lust and passion better than anyone else and, in every song, she was written from her heart and mind – and not following what was commercial and plain. I might write a feature in the future about Kate Bush’s influences and how she nodded to artists like Laura Nyro and David Bowie, and how their approach to writing might have shaped Bush in some way. Following on from my previous feature regarding love and how Bush approached that, I wanted to highlight her positive side. The title of this feature was the original title for one of her most-famous songs, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). As some American quarters were rather conservative and there was a fear the song would not be picked up in the U.S. because of the mention of ‘God’ – even though there is no blasphemy involved -, A Deal with God was changed to the less-striking, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God).

That Hounds of Love track was released on 5th August, 1985. It did not reach number-one (it got to number-four here), but it remains one of Bush’s most-recognisable and iconic moments. I will look back at earlier albums from her, but the 1985 masterpiece celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary in September, and it will be examined and have features written about it. I think its best-known song is so timeless and wonderous because of the sentiments expressed. Although there is a lot of fear and uncertainty expressed through the album – predominantly on the second side, The Ninth Wave, and Mother Stands for Comfort -, I think there is an optimism and sense of understanding that bonds one closer to Kate Bush. In an interview with Richard Skinner from 1991, Bush had this to say about Running Up That Hill:

“I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other's roles, if we could actually be in each other's place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, 'well, no, why not a deal with God!' You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called "Deal With God", that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it would not be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had God in the title”.  

PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz

A little earlier, in 1985, she spoke with The Times, and remarked:

“It seems that the more you get to know a person, the greater the scope there is for misunderstanding. Sometimes you can hurt somebody purely accidentally or be afraid to tell them something because you think they might be hurt when really they'll understand. So what that song is about is making a deal with God to let two people swap place so they'll be able to see things from one another's perspective”.

It might have something to do with the fact that Bush was in a positive space and frame of mind when she was writing for Hounds of Love, but that natural inclination to write about relationships from an understanding and warm place is inspiring. Think about a lot of the more commercial artists who were around her at that time, and there were a lot of songs about blame, broken hearts and negativity. I am not suggesting the majority of love songs are break-up tracks where someone is pointing the finger, but it rare to find an artist who has a very healthy and positive nature when it comes to love, disagreements and break-ups. Although Kate Bush, like some of her peers, did not court a lot of tabloid gossiping and engage in high-profile romance, she is someone who has had her heart broken or broken the heart of a man. One could forgive her for being scornful and accusatory in her tracks, but there is always this aspect of hope and balance – something g I touched on when I wrote about her lyrics last time around. I wanted to expand on that feature and talk about the purely positive side of her music. Running Up That Hill is a song where she is trying to put herself in the shoes of the man; she wonders what it would be like if men and women could trade places so they could see what it is like to be them and, maybe, that would make relationships stronger, or provide this sense of respect and patience that you do not often encounter. Long before 1985, Bush was putting out these very pragmatic and hopeful songs. Maybe Bush had very little interest in airing her dirty laundry or being angry in music. Look at one of her earliest songs, The Man with the Child in His Eyes (from 1978’s The Kick Inside), and that was about a young girl and older man. The man had this innocence and child-like quality in him, but nobody else knows about this man. Bush said that she wrote the song as she admired how most men/boys had this sort of magic inside them and a child-like innocence that never really went away. Rather than framing it in a song that lambasts immaturity and a lack of growth, Bush decided to use that observation and frame it in a beautiful way – The Man with the Child in His Eyes was written when Bush was thirteen, and it was about her then-boyfriend (and her first boyfriend) Steve Blacknell.

Even when a song has a slightly rawer quality, like Lionheart’s Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake, there is this defiance to be found – “Don't drive too slowly/Don't put your blues where your shoes should be”.  Even when a song dealt with something fictional with an element of deception – like Never for Ever’s Babooshka -, there is not really any real anger and sorrow to be heard. Never for Ever’s All We Ever Look For seems to be about searching for meaning and something more; its stable-mate, The Wedding List, is a humorous tale of a groom being shot at his wedding (it does not sound as dark as I make it seem!), but we do not get Bush blaming a man or opening a bleeding heart. Maybe it is because, even when she is discussing the loss of love or the throes of passion, she is often writing about characters or not directly referencing herself. Her language is exquisite and unique, but that might suggest Bush does not do the direct and bare. Far from it: she is capable of letting her pain show but, even then, it is more about healing and coping rather than trying to kick someone and be negative. I will not go through album-by-album, but there are a couple of tracks from 1982’s The Dreaming where there is an interesting perspective on a relationship. The gorgeous Night of the Swallow is one where an adult relationship is seen through the prism of a child’s view/bond with their mother. Bush remarked the following in a Melody Maker interview from 1982:

"In this song she wants to control him and because he wants to do something that she doesn't want him to she feels that he is going away. It's almost on a parallel with the mother and son relationship where there is the same female feeling of not wanting the young child to move away from the nest. Of course, from the guy's point of view, because she doesn't want him to go, the urge to go is even stronger. For him, it's not so much a job as a challenge; a chance to do something risky and exciting”.

I wrote a feature about The Dreaming’s Houdini not long ago, and I love it so much, as it concerns Harry Houdini and his wife, Bess; the fact that they have this special code they only they know as Bush sings about the  escapologist hitting the water and wondering if he will be able to escape from the watery depths. One could explain Bush’s lack of negativity because she is a very nice and warm person. She had some breakups when she was younger and, even though her and long-time boyfriend Del Palmer (who she still works with today) were very much in love, they did have fights and bad periods. Other songwriters would have been desperate to get that hurt and stress off of their chests, but Bush’s default setting is to find the good in everything and approach something as hard-hitting as a relationship crumbling in a very constructive way. Hounds of Love was when she was at her happiest (she would enjoy similar happiness and contentment when writing 2005’s Aerial), so it might have been counter-intuitive to pen music that was sorrowful. I cannot think of many other artists who have rarely written a bad-natured or negative love song – or any song for that matter. Bush has written songs where she examines her own state of mind, anxieties and sadness, but she is not one for firing shots and engaging in confrontation. Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave is Bush looking for safety, home and the embrace of her loved ones. Whilst Bush was rarely aggressive and blame-shifting, she was often vulnerable and exceptionally moving. Consider this lyrics from The Dreaming’s All the Love: “Only tragedy allows the release/Of love and grief never normally seen/I didn't want to let them see me weep/I didn't want to let them see me weak/But I know I have shown/That I stand at the gates alone”. The Sensual World is an album of great beauty and self-examination, and that endless desire to find common ground, to embrace peace and love. Love and Anger might suggest Bush cast aside and shouting out against being wronged, but it is one of her most tender and moving tracks – “Tell you what I'm feeling/But I don't know if I'm ready yet/You come walking into this room/Like you're walking into my arms/What would I do without you?”. Though Between a Man and a Woman starts with an argument – from a third-person perspective -, Bush is not blaming the man or taking sides; there is an objective truth (“But the truth lies somewhere in the middle”, as she says). 1993’s The Red Shoes has mystery and questions about the right one to love – Why Should I Love You? -, and of bouncing back time and time again – Rubberband Girl -, and, through it all, there is this strength-against-the-odds mantras combined with searching, sensuality and deep curiosity – hallmarks one can find on all Kate Bush albums. Although this feature is turning out to be longer than anticipated, I want to finish by quoting from an interesting article. I do think that it is amazing how Bush has remained positive and shied away from love songs that have a sour tone.

Bush has experienced loss in her life – her mother died in 1992; she ended a long-term relationship at the time of The Red Shoes, and she has seen friends pass -, but she never strikes out at the world and writes these songs that make you feel uncomfortable. Instead, Bush tries to find sense and reason; always looking for a positive in the darkness - or, at the very least, some safe footing and place where she can recharge and reflect. A lot of her songs do employ characters or versions of herself – as she has said how she finds it more interesting to write from this perspective -, but I really love how there is this whiff of eccentricity and the unusual in every album. Consider Misty from 50 Words for Snow where a woman spends the night with a snowman, awakes and find he has melted (“Sunday morning/I can't find him/The sheets are soaking”); Mrs. Bartolozzi (from Aerial), is a tale of the mundane nature of domestic life and housework but, this being Kate Bush, there is eroticism and the fantastical to be found. I think Bush’s lyrical approach is very uplifting, because she can be honest and open with the listener, but one never feels uncomfortable or ill at ease. I think this is one big reason why Bush has inspired so many female songwriters – from Tori Amos and k.d. lang through to Solange Knowles and Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes).

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

In a feature for Her Campus, Ellie Spenceley highlighted Kate Bush as a feminist icon, and why she is such a much-loved and influential person:

“On both a lyrical and practical level, Bush laid groundwork for women being able to exist unapologetically in an otherwise male-dominated industry. Her lyrics are confessional and tender. She demonstrates a stunning versatility in subject matter, being able to go from a slow and emotionally charged ballad like ‘You’re The One’ to a more upbeat song like ‘Babooshka’ in a manner that never steers from a central identifiable style. Her music is raw and tender, encapsulating feelings of loss, grief and simply being allowed to feel. It is no surprise that in 2018 she released a book, ‘How to Be Invisible’, filled with lyrics from her songs, notable as they are in their encapsulation of the dynamic nature of the female experience. Bush is able to light a fire of hope inside all of us when she sings lyrics like ‘I just know that something good is gonna happen’ in ‘Cloudbusting’, speak to our desperate desire to feel significant in ‘Running Up That Hill’ when she says ‘Tell me, we both matter, don’t we?’, and speak to a universal desire to be set free from rigid societal expectation in the experimental ‘Leave It Open’ when she says that ‘we let the weirdness in’.

What makes Kate great is that she is able to be so distinctly personal whilst reaching out and resonating so stunningly with multiple generations of women and making them feel seen. Catherine Pierce from The Pierces said that Running Up That Hill felt like Kate was ‘reading her heart’, and this is a common feeling. In the introduction to her lyric book, David Mitchell says that a ‘paradox about her is that while her lyrics are avowedly idiosyncratic, those same lyrics evoke emotions and sensations that feel universal’. No stone is left unturned; every emotion is acknowledged, explored, displayed without shame”.

The warmth, intelligence and imagination Bush has laced into her music since her debut album is one reason why she is my favourite album ever. I have approached Bush’s songs and lyrics from different angles over the past few years, but I have been listening to her music a lot more lately than normal, and I am getting a lot from it. Bush can connect and dig into the heart, but there is this abiding aura of positivity and understanding. It takes me back to the opening and discussion around the song, Running Up That Hill. There is a section of the song that seems to underline what I say about Bush being able to feel pain and the capriciousness of love and human relationships but, rather than put her hands up to attack, her arms are open to accept and talk: “Is there so much hate for the ones we love?/Tell me, we both matter, don't we?”. Songs that are raw in their confessional tone can stay in the mind and give one strength (through this feeling of shared emotion and relatability), but taking a practical, communicative and open-hearted approach to love, loss and heartache…

IS so much more powerful.

FEATURE: The First Cut Is Not Always the Deepest: Moving Radio Playlists Away from the Well-Known Singles

FEATURE:

  

The First Cut Is Not Always the Deepest

PHOTO CREDIT: @dmjdenise/Unsplash

Moving Radio Playlists Away from the Well-Known Singles

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I have sort of covered this…

PHOTO CREDIT: @duck58cth/Unsplash

in other pieces concerning radio, but I thought that it warranted repetition. I love radio and, like so many people, these tough times have been made more bearable and positive by radio. It is great to tune into your favourite station and hear a collection of brilliant new and established tracks being played. I do love that you get music, listener interaction and this real sense of community coming through the airwaves. At the heart of radio, of course, is the music itself. I will try not to repeat myself too much, but I know stations have playlists where they play new tracks from various artists every month. Those individual tracks get played several times a day so, if you are a dedicated listener to a station, you might hear the same track several times a day for over a month. It is the way new music is covered by radio, so that as many people as possible can be reached. I am not a huge fan of that method because, even if you really like the song, there are few who will want to listen to it that much – the life and colour of the track is rinsed, and it can get quite irritating. I am not sure what the alternative is but, in previous features, I suggested having playlists refreshed every couple of weeks; so that you’d have an A, B and C-list (depending on the status of the artist and which list they made), and that would be refreshed every fortnight. That way, you’d get quite intense coverage, but it would not be too over the top.

IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers/PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Ockenfels

It is not a big quibble, but I am not a fan of the new music playlists because, ironically, a song might still feature on the playlist as the artist has released another single! The problem I butt up against is when a new artist releases an album, and the fact that there is an opportunity for stations to play non-singles. If, say, Phoebe Bridgers’ Kyoto is on a playlist – as it is on several radio stations -, one has heard that quite a lot. Her Punisher album is now out, and it is receiving massive acclaim and plaudits. Same radio stations might make it their album of the day, which means some deeper cuts are offered and spun. The big issue is, further down the line, how they will revert to the single. That same song that was on the playlist days/weeks ago goes back into rotation, rather than a newer single or an album track. I think, once an album is out and stations have fulfilled an obligation to promote the lead/latest single from it, why then do they not explore the album and play deeper cuts. Bridgers is an excellent example. Punisher has had a few tracks out as singles and, as it is out in the world, people are noticing these great songs that were not released as singles. I think radio should be a space where albums are explored and less-obvious songs are spun.

PHOTO CREDIT: @akeenster/Unsplash

Who wants to hear the same single repeated endlessly, when there is a whole album out there full of gold?! I think many people will miss out on a great album if they just hear the same song or two; if they are so used to it and do not realise that the album from which those songs came is so packed with brilliance. This year has provided us with so many world-class albums, and I know so many wonderful songs from those albums will never get airplay. As far as I am aware, as I have stated before, there is no rule that says non-singles are excluded from airplay when an album/single is being promoted. Especially after the release, why are radio stations reluctant to take a song from that album that has not been heard before?! It seems a bit odd. That repetition and over-familiarity with a single can be grating, and it doesn’t seem like the most logical way of promoting an artist and their album. Playing the hits and best-known tracks is important, but the most satisfying thing about radio is when a band or artist is played who you have known for years hits you because this album track arrives. You might think you have heard all the music of Blondie, or Kraftwerk, or Pixies but, just as you think you have them all figured out, a deep cut is played and it changes everything!

PHOTO CREDIT: @brucemars/Unsplash

I have moaned about this before when talking about artists like The Beatles and Kate Bush; how the singles are played and you very rarely hear a deeper cut. Album are a beautiful thing, and I think there is a fear that, if a station plays a deep cut or a song that is not instantly recognisable, people will turn the radio off or complain. It is like a band playing a gig and performing an album track when the punters want all the big hits! The same rules don’t really apply to radio. The reason I do love radio is that, now and then, you will hear these rarer tracks that completely hook you. One might buy the album the track is from. At the very least, you have something new and unexpected! I give full credit to radio stations, as they are playing eclectic music and new stuff and trying to please everyone. It is such a tough job balancing the music and making sure you are giving the listeners what they want. It does bother me that so many artists are reduced to a few songs, and the fact that, on their albums, there are some awesome songs that never see the light of the day. The same happens with new artists and that single promotional cycle. When the associated album comes around, the same track or two are aired, but what of the album songs?! I shan’t bring up this subject again for a while, but it is a little shoulder-sagging to hear the same tracks from big and new acts on the radio! I have nothing but respect for radio, but I wonder how the playlists are created and whether there is a genuinely good reason why deep cuts are, for the most part, in the minority when it comes to airtime. There is so much brilliance going begging and, when it comes to the music we hear on our favourite stations, a change would…

PHOTO CREDIT: @claybanks/Unsplash

DO them good.

FEATURE: A Buyer’s Guide: Part Seven: Red Hot Chili Peppers

FEATURE:

 

A Buyer’s Guide

Part Seven: Red Hot Chili Peppers

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THIS time around…

PHIOTO CREDIT: MTV/Getty Images

I am recommending the essential albums from the band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They can divide people, but I really like them, and I feel they have produced some terrific albums! I have recommended four that you need to own, an underrated one, and their latest. I have also popped in a book suggestion so you can get fully acquainted with the band. I am going to continue this series for a few weeks, as it is opening my eyes to the work of some truly brilliant artists. If you are not overly-familiar with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, take a look at the suggestions below and…

DIVE right in.

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The Four Essential Albums

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Release Date: 24th September, 1991

Label: Warner Bros.

Producer: Rick Rubin

Standout Tracks: Breaking the Girl/Give It Away/Under the Bridge

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Blood-Sugar-Sex-Magik/master/42522

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/30Perjew8HyGkdSmqguYyg

Review:

“The Red Hot Chili Peppers' best album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik benefits immensely from Rick Rubin's production -- John Frusciante's guitar is less overpoweringly noisy, leaving room for differing textures and clearer lines, while the band overall is more focused and less indulgent, even if some of the grooves drag on too long. Lyrically, Anthony Kiedis is as preoccupied with sex as ever, whether invoking it as his muse, begging for it, or boasting in great detail about his prowess, best showcased on the infectiously funky singles "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss." However, he tempers his testosterone with a more sensitive side, writing about the emotional side of failed relationships ("Breaking the Girl," "I Could Have Lied"), his drug addictions ("Under the Bridge" and an elegy for Hillel Slovak, "My Lovely Man"), and some hippie-ish calls for a peaceful utopia. Three of those last four songs (excluding "My Lovely Man") mark the band's first consistent embrace of lilting acoustic balladry, and while it's not what Kiedis does best as a vocalist, these are some of the album's finest moments, varying and expanding the group's musical and emotional range. Frusciante departed after the supporting tour, leaving Blood Sugar Sex Magik as probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make” - AllMusic

Choice Cut: Suck My Kiss

Californication

Release Date: 8th June, 1999

Label: Warner Bros.

Producer: Rick Rubin

Standout Tracks: Around the World/Parallel Universe/Scar Tissue

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Californication/master/42546

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2Y9IRtehByVkegoD7TcLfi

Review:

“On the surface filled with the usual punk funk, the band had now matured enough to make it sound more convincing. Keidis' voice, ravaged by age and excess, now emerged as a mighty instrument, while Frusciante's guitar held far more subtle nuance.

The album yielded four hit singles (Around the World, Otherside, Californication and the Grammy Award–winning Scar Tissue) but even more interesting waas the way the band let more than just fun and frolics into the mix. Frusciante on Get On Top even fused Public Enemy with prog rock, admittting that his unsdersatated solo had been influenced by Steve Howe of Yes.

Overall the album has a far more meditative feel, allowing you to finally believe that they'd come to do more than just party your town dry. It was the album that confirmned them as world class. They remain such today, and it's all down to this re-birth” – BBC

Choice Cut: Californication

By the Way

Release Date: 9th July, 2002

Label: Warner Bros.

Producer: Rick Rubin

Standout Tracks: By the Way/Universally Speaking/Dosed

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-By-The-Way/master/42557

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ueGcY7b6BzBFyssWpEjZb

Review:

“The Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth studio album finds the California foursome exploring the more melodic freeways of harmony and texture, contrasting the gritty, funky side streets of their early days. Luckily, with this more sophisticated sound, the Peppers have not sacrificed any of their trademark energy or passions for life, universal love, and (of course) lust. Although they recorded the spiky Abbey Road EP in 1988, this album actually sounds a lot closer to the Beatles' Abbey Road, with a little of Pet Sounds and elements of Phil Spector's lushest arrangements all distilled through the band's well-traveled funk-pop stylings. Harmony vocals and string arrangements have replaced some of the aggressive slap bass that the group was initially recognized for, but fans of both the gentle and the fierce Chili Peppers styles will embrace the title track and first single, "By the Way." In fact, this song on its own could almost be a brief history of everything the Red Hot Chili Peppers have recorded: fiery Hollywood funk, gentle harmonies, a little bit of singing about girls, a little bit of hanging out in the streets in the summertime, some rapid-fire raps from Anthony Kiedis, some aggro basslines from Flea -- the song plays like a three-and-a-half-minute audio version of Behind the Music. Overall, the album leans more toward the melodic end of their oeuvre, but they have grown into this kinder, gentler mode organically, progressively working toward this groove little by little, album by album. What once were snapshots of a spastic punk-funk lifestyle have grown into fully realized short stories of introspection and Californication. Though the pace of the album falters at times (particularly in the verses; the choruses are all pretty spectacular), it is refreshing to see that as the four Chili Peppers continue to grow older and more sure of themselves, their composition and performing skills are maturing along with them” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Can’t Stop

Stadium Arcadium

Release Date: 9th May, 2006

Label: Warner Bros.

Producer: Rick Rubin

Standout Tracks: Snow (Hey Oh)/Stadium Arcadium/Slow Cheetah

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Stadium-Arcadium/master/38645

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7xl50xr9NDkd3i2kBbzsNZ

Review:

“That’s not to say they’ve turned into simpering acoustic-botherers though; this album yields a lot of great songs. ‘Hump De Bump’ is straight back to the old school – fast, goofy guitar toying, with reverberating bass that jumps around the frets à la ‘Love Rollercoaster’, with vocal gymnastics to match and odd brass squiggles. ‘Storm In A Teacup’ is a P-funk ‘Freaky Styley’ classic, sanded down to ‘Californication’-era smoothness, and John Frusciante gets to do what he does best on the likes of ‘Turn It Again’ and ‘Animal Bar’. Here is a player increasingly interested in the sonic, tonal capabilities of his instrument as opposed to fret wankery. Somewhere along the line the Chilis got sophisticated on our asses.

‘Charlie’ (not just about cocaine we’re relentlessly informed) is a syncopated treat that stumbles into anthem territory, while the likes of ‘Snow (Hey Oh)’ sees them opt for power-songwriting from the outset, throwing on “hey oh, whoo ah oh” choruses labelled “For Crowds At Wireless Festival Only”. ‘Hey’ is another titanic tune lumbered with wah-wah-esque guitar solos – an awesome prospect and even better if you’re partial to a bit of ’80s Eric Clapton among your coffee table lounge jazz” – NME

Choice Cut: Dani California

The Underrated Gem

Mother’s Milk

Release Date: 16th August, 1989

Label: EMI America

Producer: Michael Beinhorn

Standout Tracks: Subway to Venus/Taste the Pain/Fire

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Mothers-Milk/master/42512

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1oOkcBu5bgkUzZTvKD1m8z

Review:

“A pivotal album for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1989's Mother's Milk turned the tide and transformed the band from underground funk-rocking rappers to mainstream bad boys with seemingly very little effort. Mother's Milk brought them to MTV, scored them a deal with Warner Bros., and let both frontman Anthony Kiedis and the ubiquitous Flea get back into a good groove following the death of co-founding member Hillel Slovak. With a new lineup coalescing around the remaining duo plus new drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, and with producer Michael Beinhorn again behind the boards, the band took everything that The Uplift Mofo Party Plan hinted at, and brought it fully to bear for this new venture. If anyone doubted the pulsating power of the opener, "Good Time Boys," it took only a few bars of band's outrageous and brilliant interpretation of the Stevie Wonder classic "Higher Ground" to prove that this new lineup was onto something special. Wrapping up with the aptly titled and truly punked-out "Punk Rock Classic" and the band's own punched-up tribute to "Magic Johnson," Mother's Milk was everything the band had hoped for, and a little more besides. Effortlessly going gold as "Knock Me Down" and "Taste the Pain" careened into the charts, the album not only set the stage for the band's Blood Sugar Sex Magic domination, it also proved that funk never died; it had just swapped skins” – AllMusic

Choice Cut: Higher Ground

The Latest/Final Album

The Getaway

Release Date: 17th June, 2016

Label: Warner Bros.

Producer: Danger Mouse

Standout Tracks: We Turn Red/Goodbye Angels/Go Robot

Buy: https://www.discogs.com/Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-The-Getaway/master/1015499

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/43otFXrY0bgaq5fB3GrZj6

Review:

“After 25 years, the Chili Peppers chose to record with a producer other than Rick Rubin; but in Danger Mouse, they chose wisely. He imposed the same method that proved so successful with The Black Keys, co-writing new material and bringing a keen pop sensibility to the arrangements – damped guitar picking and mouthed hi-hats for the title-track; crisp synthesiser sci-fi funk for “Go Robot”; and piano and two guitar figures muscled aside by Flea’s slap-bass for “Dark Necessities”, Anthony Kiedis’s claim of dangerous charm. As ever, California gets plenty of mentions, though there’s less filler than usual, the album reaching a yearning epiphany in the string-draped song for a son, “The Hunter” – The Independent

Choice Cut: Dark Necessities

 The Red Hot Chili Peppers Book

Scar Tissue

Authors: Anthony Kiedis/Larry Sloman

Publication Date: 3rd November, 2005

Publishers: Little, Brown/Book Group

Synopsis:

“In SCAR TISSUE Anthony Kiedis, charismatic and highly articulate frontman of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, recounts his remarkable life story, and the history of the band itself.

Raised in the Midwest, he moved to LA aged eleven to live with his father Blackie, purveyor of pills, pot, and cocaine to the Hollywood elite. After a brief child-acting career, Kiedis dropped out of U.C.L.A. and plunged headfirst into the demimonde of the L.A. underground music scene. He formed the band with three schoolfriends - and found his life's purpose. Crisscrossing the country, the Chili Peppers were musical innovators and influenced a whole generation of musicians.

But there's a price to pay for both success and excess and in SCAR TISSUE, Kiedis writes candidly of the overdose death of his soul mate and band mate, Hillel Slovak, and his own ongoing struggle with an addiction to drugs.

SCAR TISSUE far transcends the typical rock biography, because Anthony Kiedis is anything but a typical rock star. It is instead a compelling story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemption” – Waterstones

Buy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/scar-tissue/anthony-kiedis/9780751535662

FEATURE: The June Playlist: Vol. 3: Satellites and Muses Going Their Separate Ways

FEATURE:

 

The June Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Beyonce/PHOTO CREDIT: Elle

Vol. 3:  Satellites and Muses Going Their Separate Ways

__________

THIS year has been a marvelous one for music…

IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers/PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Ockenfels

and this week has seen three of the best albums of the year released. Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher, Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways, and Neil Young’s ‘lost’ album, Homeground, have been picking up five-star reviews! Apart from these artists, there are great new tracks from Beyonce, Doves, IDLES, Noname, Public Enemy, H.E.R., Dream Wife, and Khruangbin. Also in the mix this week are The Killers, Braids, Max Pope, and All We Are. It is a great and bumper week for music, so if you need some energy and motivation to get you through today, then have a listen to the songs in the playlist! It has been a tough time for all of us lately, and music is playing a part in lifting us up. Hopefully, the best music from this week will help in…

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images for ABA

MAKING things a little better.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

__________

Beyoncé – Black Parade

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Ockenfels

Phoebe Bridgers – Chinese Satellite

Bob Dylan – Mother of Muses

Neil Young – Separate Ways

Doves - Carousels

ARTWORK CREDIT: Russell Oliver

IDLES – Grounds

PHOTO CREDIT: Eitan Miskevich

Public Enemy - State of the Union (STFU)

Noname - Song 33

PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Kang

Khruangbin – Pelota

Dream Wife – Temporary

Braids – Young Buck

Alicia Keys – Perfect Way to Die

The Killers – My Own Soul’s Warning

H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe

L.A. Witch - I Wanna Lose

All We Are - Not Your Man

J. Cole – Snow on Tha Bluff

PHOTO CREDIT: Cass Meyers‬

Anderson .Paak – Lockdown

Tom Morello – Marching on Ferguson

Jetta – I Wanna Know

Max Pope - Candy

Gregory Porter – Mister Holland

PHOTO CREDIT: Ida Bjørvik

Lil Halima – Friends

Songhoy Blues – Worry

Kate Teague – The Temporary

BTS – Stay Gold

The Ninth Wave – I’m Only Going to Hurt You

John Legend – Ooh Laa

Amber Mark – My People

Saweetie – Tap In

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – Fire

PHOTO CREDIT: @eivindhamran

BETSY – Behind Her Smile

Tiana Major9 - Lucky

Tyga – VACATION

Victoria Monet, Khalid – Experience

FEATURE: Through the Windshield: Are Drive-In Gigs Going to Replace Festivals in the U.K. and Other Parts of the World?

FEATURE:

Through the Windshield

PHOTO CREDIT: @carlodagnolo/Unsplash 

Are Drive-In Gigs Going to Replace Festivals in the U.K. and Other Parts of the World?

___________

IN some ways…

PHOTO CREDIT: @kdarmody/Unsplash

we have sort of gone back to the 1950s and 1960s! Because of social distancing rules, many have been going to drive-in cinemas, and that is being seen here in the U.K. and other nations. Drive-in films are being seen in Canberra (Australia) for the first time in many years, and it seems that the comfort and relative safety of the car is giving people access to films and other forms of entertainment. There is no telling when festivals can return in their traditional form. Some say it will be next year, whilst there have been forecasts that we will not see festivals resume until 2022. That is a worrying proposition for music lovers, artists and festival organisers, so there are alternatives being suggested. I am not sure how far we are from having a track-and-trace system implemented where people can be tested before they go to a festival/gig and we can avoid social distancing. Whilst that is being worked on/discussed, the drive-in gig might become more common. It is something that has already been trialed in Denmark, and it must be an odd experience for everyone involved! Rather than dancing and bonding at gigs, it is a lot more static and confined. Fewer people will be able to attend, but it does offer musicians a chance to perform and get some money coming in. It will be interesting to see whether there is a way to make festivals accessible sooner rather than later.

PHOTO CREDIT: @micheile/Unsplash

Drive-in concerts will provide encouragement for many artists who have not been able to earn revenue during the past few months. This article from The Guardian looks at Australia and how their festivals will look for the immediate future:

“Theirs is just one of many drive-in gigs set to take place next month as Australia slowly begins to reopen. For three nights from 10 July, drive-in festival Airwaves will set up on the Sunshine Coast with a line-up led by the Chats. In Melbourne a “live entertainment precinct” called The Drive-In will take over Flemington racecourse, offering weekly live music as well as comedy and movie nights. Another offering, Drive-in Entertainment Australia, plans to launch around the country next month.

Drive-in gigs have emerged as a creative solution for an industry in crisis. The pandemic has indefinitely halted traditional live shows, music’s financial lifeblood. Large public gatherings sardine-packed with sweaty bodies will be among the last things to return: Splendour in the Grass, which was previously rescheduled from July until October, announced this week its 2020 event will not go ahead.

And while major events like Falls festival plan to proceed with local line-ups in December, some are predicting festivals as we know them won’t be able to return until late 2022. With thousands out of work, the industry is lobbying the government for financial assistance including business grants and an expansion of the jobkeeper scheme”.

Some might say that a drive-in festival or gig is like watching music on T.V. In the sense you do not get to actually see the artists up-close and get close to people. With the Government not doing much to subside and sustain the live music sector, there is a real worry that the majority of concert spaces in the U.K. will close permanently.

PHOTO CREDIT: @bukowski/Unsplash

Gig-goers are being asked how they will approach live music going forward, and I do think that there is this sort of unease; people worrying about going to gigs but, on the other hand, not wanting venues to close. Drive-in will work better for festivals, and it might have to be the way things are next year, unless there is a vaccine or things have improved considerably. In terms of smaller gigs, I guess some form of socially-distanced alternative will need to come in, but I think the drive-in option is a way for festivals to restart in some form. It is very strange we have readopted the notion of the drive-in for entertainment! I do think drive-in festivals will be rolled out in the U.K. and U.S., and I think most of Europe will do things this way. Whilst bigger festivals might not go drive-in, there are some U.K. gigs that will benefit from this format:

“A series of drive-in concerts are to take place across the UK this summer, promoters Live Nation have announced.

The likes of Ash, Dizzee Rascal, The Lightning Seeds and Gary Numan, have all signed up to play at the "Live From The Drive-In" events.

Outdoor spaces in Birmingham, Liverpool, London will play host, as well as Edinburgh, Bristol and beyond.

The 300-car gigs have been designed to provide a safe alternative to the many events that have been cancelled.

The concert series, which will also feature The Streets and Tony Hadley, will run from mid-July until September, while music venues continue talks with the government about how and when they might reopen in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

I keep coming back to small venues, who do not have the option of doing drive-ins. If venues cannot get adequate funding and relief in the coming months, then there will have to be some form of contingency where they can open their doors but have fewer people inside or have virtual gigs. Laura Marling recently performed a live-streamed gig in London, and some have asked whether this initiative might be a solution. Can we have virtual gigs and festivals, or should artists follow the likes of Marling and film gigs at beautiful venues, to at least provide something more exciting and immersive than home-filled gigs? The lack of connection between performer and artist is loss, and there is not that reception and rapture you get at normal live gigs. I do think these options need to be explored, as there is a real danger of losing most of our live sector. Festivals might fare better in the short/long-term, as there is more space to explore drive-ins and have people at least get within sight of a real gig. Although the notion of a drive-in gig/festival might same old-world and unusual, it might be the only way to keep… 

PHOTO CREDIT: @samuele_piccarini/Unsplash

LIVE music going.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: The Best U.K. Number-Two Tracks

FEATURE:

 

The Lockdown Playlist

PHOTO CREDIT: @melodyjacob1/Unsplash

The Best U.K. Number-Two Tracks

___________

NOW that so many …

PHOTO CREDIT: @wildlittlethingsphoto/Unsplash

shops have reopened, it feels like we are almost out of lockdown – even if many of us cannot return to work or see family. I am not sure how many weeks we have left but, for this Lockdown Playlist, I wanted to look at those brilliant tracks that were denied the number-one slot. We all know of those singles that should have been awarded a top-of-the-chart placing in the U.K. but, for some reason, they were beaten. Because of that, this playlist assembles a mighty collection of cruelly-denied smashes that not only were overlooked by music-buyers, but they also provide a kick or a definite source of beauty – as many of us need it right now! Here, in this latest rundown, are some uplifting, memorable and incredible songs that almost made it…

PHOTO CREDIT: @mehdizadeh/Unsplash

TO the top of the charts.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Katy J Pearson

FEATURE:

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: @Sharon Lopez

Katy J Pearson

___________

A lot of radio stations…

PHOTO CREDIT: Phillip J Randall

are playing artists and songs that, to them, define this year. We are past the half-way point of 2020, and I am considering the albums, singles and artists who have made this year special. One of the bets new artists around is Katy J Pearson. I love her new single, Take Back the Radio, and how different it sounds to everything around. To me, there are elements of Stevie Nicks in Pearson’s voice – one can imagine Nicks being an influence on Pearson. I have been listening to Pearson for a little bit, and I wonder whether we will see an album later in the year. There is a lot of talk around her, and I am excited to see where she heads. Before moving on, here is an introduction and information about Pearson for the Heavenly Recordings website:

“A hazy dusk falls on a crossroads somewhere between Gloucestershire and Bristol. A wooden signpost points in two directions: good ol’ fashioned country heartache to the left; effortless pop hooks to the right – and underneath, cross-legged on still-warm car bonnet, sits Katy J Pearson, strumming an acoustic guitar as she spins a tale of blossoming dancefloor romance.

‘Tonight’ is the product of scrapping everything and going back to basics – Katy’s first outing as a solo artist after a joint project with her brother ran its course. Writing for her own enjoyment and “no longer writing songs for men in suits, or trying to impress them”, the springy riffs and sweet, upbeat melody of ‘Tonight’ were gently coaxed into being in Katy’s home city of Bristol, in her own time and on her own terms; the antithesis of the fast-paced, surreal and London-centric blur of her previous musical career.

The first of a handful of songs written during solo sessions at community artist space Island Studios, ‘Tonight’ was later recorded with Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, M. Ward, Perfume Genius, Gruff Rhys) at his studio, Toy Box. Its premise is classic and universally relatable: the meeting of two people, be it in a club or anywhere else, and how they are made instantly more vulnerable by their romantic spark.

With its wheedling strings and warm production, ‘Tonight’ sounds more tinged by the South Western states of America than the South West of England. But any country inclination is happily accidental, says Pearson – it just kind of happened. “People said I was sounding quite country and I hadn’t even realised – my eyes were opened!

For its physical release, the fizzing anticipation of new love captured on ‘Tonight’ is perfectly counterbalanced with a tender and soulful B-side ballad – a cover of M. Ward’s ‘Poison Cup’. Though similarly romantically-inclined with a softly-country-round-the-edges vibe, ‘Poison Cup’ sees Pearson strip instrumental accompaniment way back, allowing her striking voice to take the front seat, and further cementing the message: here is Katy J Pearson in her most undiluted form”.

I do like the fact that there is a mixture of the British countryside and America in Katy J Pearson’s music. I can imagine the songwriter playing in America in the future and maybe living there for a bit. When one listens to a Katy J Pearson song, you get all these emotions and colours that flood forth. They are so deep and interesting.

Her music is getting some love from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music, and I know there is going to be a lot of demand for her when we are allowed to go to gigs again. I want to pinch some words from a few interviews, as it gives context and detail regarding this fantastic artist. I mentioned Stevie Nicks earlier and, when Pearson spoke did an interview with Fred Perry last year, Fleetwood Mac were mentioned:

 “Describe your style in three words?

1970’s Texas Mom.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?

Fleetwood Mac since they’ve been one of my favourite bands since I was a little ween - I used to have a tape recorder that had 'Little Lies' on it - and Interpol - only got into them a few years ago but that first record is so raw it’s unreal.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

The 1970s folk scene and New Romantics; both such an interesting time for fashion and music”.

Hey You is another fantastic track from Katy J Pearson that I have been listening to a lot lately. I do really love singers who have a dreaminess and whisper to their voice, yet there is a lot of power and sweetness too. Whilst I have compared Pearson to Stevie Nicks, I think that would be unfair. Pearson’s voice is very much her own, and the composition is fantastic.

With Pearson’s vocals layered and providing this wonderful harmony, there is a blend of the warmth from the organ and something a little more emotional and sadder in the lyrics – as Pearson offers a hand and a shoulder to a friend in need. One might assume that Katy J Pearson is very fresh on the scene and has not recorded much before. She is with Heavenly Recordings now, but she had a whole different musical life before signing to them. When she spoke with Loud and Quiet earlier in the year, Pearson talked about that phase of her life – and how important Bristol is to her:

“Before penning the dream deal with indie heartthrob Heavenly Records, Katy was in a hype band with her brother called Ardyn. A major label deal and three EP releases down, they were dropped before putting out a debut album. It was the kind of situation where parameters for success had to become recalibrated – 14 million streams just don’t cut it. “When we were dropped, my brother and I moved back home, and he had glandular fever and so I just went into the studio every day by myself, using Logic and started writing. It was hard work, once you’ve been on such a busy journey. As soon as it stops you hit the rock bottom… or at least, a very low point. Maybe that was how I was able to write these very personal songs. I was writing to make myself feel better rather than writing to do something for my career. It definitely gives you a bit of a kick, too. When it’s only you, you realise that you’ve got to do all the work or literally nothing happens.

“When I was signed to a bigger label and had more of a monthly income, I found it so detrimental because I wasn’t doing anything but sitting there and trying to write. When you’re busy, it’s so much better for your head, being able to live and let the creativity hit you. Being able to take time over it is so important. And I enjoy working, it gives me balance.”

Bristol has been an essential part of nurturing this new creative world around her. “It’s such a lovely music scene, and there’s a bit more space to grow,” she says. “Everyone’s doing entirely different things – Scalping are doing heavy rock, techno, massive vibes, and then there’s Grandma’s House who are my really good friends – they do this surfy post-punk thing. Then there’s Fenne Lily doing folk. I dunno, there’s not really anyone doing exactly the same thing, which feels special. You don’t think about Bristol and easily categorise it”.

I am not sure what the immediate future holds for Pearson, but I can imagine she is keen to perform as soon as possible. It does seem like her signing with Heavenly Recordings has been a real turning point, and I would not be shocked if we saw a lot more songs coming out before the end of this year. I will wrap things up soon, but I have been scouring interviews and looking online, in an attempt to discover more about Katy J Pearson and her musical world.

PHOTO CREDIT: @downatthefront

In a recent interview with Groovy Tunes, she was asked about Take Back the Radio, and creating this unique visual persona:

 “Now that you have the freedom to write about topics and themes of your own choosing, are things naturally pouring out of you? Has your subconscious been expressing things you might not have realized you had or were feeling?

Yes for sure... but it doesn’t happen all the time. I feel like at the moment it’s such a surreal and strange situation that I’m finding it hard to draw upon just one feeling or emotion when I write, as I’m feeling quite a few at once.

You’ve got this very authentic sweet country gal persona that can be seen through your quirky music video but also the way you perform live. At what point did you start to cultivate the visual aspect to this personality? Were you always attracted to the rhinestone/twangy/southern look you present?

Thank you! Well I’ve always loved denim and rhinestones a lot. But I think the more I got closer to my sound and style the more confident I became with the visual aspect. I think it was from day 1 really I started dressing pretty western on stage but I love it.

You recently released your new single ‘Take Back The Radio.’ With the certain world situation, was this a natural pick for your next release?

Yes definitely! I think right now is a time where there are no rules really so we were like let’s do ‘Take Back The Radio’ next. I’m so glad we released in this time period as it seems to have really connected with people which is so so wonderful.

You had Davey Newington (Boy Azooga) and your flatmate Laurie Nankivell (Squid) get involved by bringing in drums, cornet, and various other textures to the piece. Is it sort of a breath of fresh air to have that community of other Bristol musicians there to get involved and support you in your work? People with similar artistic tastes and styles?

Yes so so much! It was loads of fun and just really exciting to have new faces in the studio with me. They are both so talented so it was a real pleasure to collaborate with them”.

Go and follow Katy J Pearson and check out all of her music. She is one of the most promising artists of this year, and I would love to see her play when gigs start back up. I adore her voice and aesthetic; how her songs have a personal touch, but they are wider and more all-encompassing than a lot of songwriters – one feels a part of her music. I also really like the fact that she is growing in confidence and is primed to be this big artist. Ensure you follow her movements, as she is as truly phenomenal proposition. If you are new to the music of Katy J Pearson, then change that right away, as, very soon, you will be hearing…

A lot more about her.

________________

Follow Katy J Pearson

PHOTO CREDIT: Lorenzo Ottone

Heavenly Recordings:

https://heavenlyrecordings.com/artist/katy-j-pearson/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/katyjpearsonband/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katyjpearsonnn

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/katyjpearsonband/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5i51Cl2taLqXCdZrS7kUcw

Bandcamp:

https://katyjpearson.bandcamp.com/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6xBsaFua2lgAUlNv8Yh0nQ