FEATURE: The January Playlist: Vol. 3: Chemtrails in the Sky

FEATURE:

 

 

The January Playlist

Vol. 3: Chemtrails in the Sky

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THIS is a busy playlist…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sleaford Mods

this week, where we have a load of great songs across multiple genres. In terms of big-hitters, there is music from Lana Del Rey, Sleaford Mods (ft. Amy Taylor), Foo Fighters, Ghetts (ft. Stormzy), Ashnikko (ft. Kelis), Maxïmo Park, Pale Waves, Baby Queen, John Grant, Ariana Grande (ft. Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion), Tom Jones, and Julien Baker. There are some terrific cuts from Gia Margaret, Mogwai, Field Music, shame, Selena Gomez, Kara Marni, and Middle Kids! It is a really interesting week for music so, if you need to get your weekend off to a good start, then I think I have the tunes for you! Have a listen to some fascinating cuts that are sure to give you the motivation and energy…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Pale Waves

YOU need.

ALL PHOTOS/IMAGES (unless credited otherwise): Artists

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Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club

Sleaford Mods (ft. Amy Taylor) – Nudge It

Foo Fighters – Waiting on a War

Ghetts (ft. Stormzy) - Skengman

Ashnikko (ft. Kelis) - Deal With It

Black Country, New Road – Track X

Anne-Marie, KSI, Digital Farm Animals - Don’t Play

Pale Waves – Easy

Maxïmo Park – All of Me

Baby Queen - Raw Thoughts

PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Ryan Anderson for The New York Times

Julien Baker - Hardline

Gia Margaret – Solid Heart

Field Music – Orion from the Street

Mogwai - Ritchie Sacramento

shame – Born in London

Selena Gomez - De Una Vez

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PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Ariana Grande (ft. Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion) - 34+35 (Remix)

John Grant - The Only Baby

Tom Jones - Talking Reality Television Blues

Angie Rose - Unstoppable (Do It Again)

Kara Marni - Trippin

Middle Kids – Questions

Fickle Friends – IRL

Kings Elliot – Dancing Alone

Fia Moon – Falling for You

Carly Wilford, Mr. V – Generation X

Emma McGrath – Paradise

PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan MacPhail

William Doyle - And Everything Changed (But I Feel Alright)

GIRLI – Passive Aggressive

PHOTO CREDIT: @__ellt

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Alex Amor – Love Language

Jess Bays – Love We Had

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Orla Gartland - More Like You

You Me at Six - Glasgow

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PHOTO CREDIT: Zômpà & Zítü

Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains - Holly Golightly

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Noga Erez - End of the Road

dodie - Hate Myself

Blanck Mass – Starstuff

Zoe Wees – Girls Like Us

Emotional Oranges (ft. Chiiild) – Bonafide

Wild Pink - Oversharers Anonymous

Pearl Charles – Only for Tonight

PHOTO CREDIT: Polygon1993

La Femme - Foutre le bordel

Miss Grit - Impostor

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Issey Cross - Who

Deap Vally (ft. jennylee)  - Look Away

FEATURE: Second Spin: London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing

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I have always been a fan…

of London Grammar (Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic 'Dot' Major), and I think the combination of the evocative and inventive compositions matched to Hannah Reid’s stunning vocals and honest lyrics make them one of the best groups around. I loved 2013’s If You Wait and, to many, that is their definitive moment. Songs like Wasting My Young Years, and Strong are remarkable tracks, and the entire debut album is wonderful. It was four years until we got their second album, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing. Released on 9th June, 2017 by the trio's imprint, Metal & Dust and Ministry of Sound, it came as a relief that the trio were continuing. I think there was a lot of fatigues and stress from the touring of their debut album, so there needed to be a period of returning to normal life. I will bring in an interview from NME, as the band were promoting Truth Is a Beautiful Thing. They were asked about the demands and rush after their debut album:

““We definitely came back and lost our minds a bit,” nods London Grammar guitarist Dan Rothman, looking back at their return to ‘normal life’ after the whirlwind success of their debut and relentless tour schedule. “I think that’s natural. Most people in their mid-20’s have an existential crisis – or a quarter life crisis.”

Singer Hannah Reid chuckles: “That’s what people said about our first record, so we’re still in it!”.

Their debut ‘If You Wait’ drew universal critical acclaim, with their slick but loaded trip-pop taking them from being three Notts Uni student mates jamming in each others’ bedrooms, to ending their tour with two sold out nights at Brixton Academy and accepting an Ivor Novello Award from Jimmy Page.

Then, they disappeared”.

There were rumours that the band had broken up or that they were taking an extended break. I can appreciate that they needed some space to create but, after such a great debut album, one can understand that people would have expected a second album within a year or two. It seemed like the time gap was a good move:

“No they hadn’t split, nor were they hibernating. Their years in the wilderness saw London Grammar return to what made them want to be a band together in the first place: friendship, songwriting and living life as normal human beings. As you can tell from the two taster singles of ‘Rooting For You’ and ‘Big Picture’, the result of this and years at the drawing board is a ‘dreamlike, widescreen cinematic’ album – packed with ‘more variety’, a fuller spectrum of colour, and above all ‘more life’.

“The first album was a lot more about relationships, but then the second one is too – but in a different way,” reveals Hannah. “It’s probably about the relationship you have with yourself, rather than one specific other person. The relationship that us three had on the road, and there’s a lot about the meaning of life in general, which is SO lame, but that is what we talk about!”

So after time away on their own terms, London Grammar 2.0 is an entirely different beast – fully confident in its own skin and highly-evolved beyond any misconceptions or weak comparisons you may have once had about them.

“Oh, [back then] it was just The xx thing,” shrugs Dan. “I think that is going to be even less so now. It sounds like a completely different realm. No disrespect to them, because I think they’re amazing. It is the fact that there’s three of us as two girls and a boy – but it’s just lazy.”

Dot diplomatically interjects: “I do think that’s totally natural. The attention span that people have, and that’s not negative because I have it as well, but you look at something and you want a point of reference to mean if it’s going to be worth even five seconds of your time. Having some kind of comparison is inevitable. The xx are amazing, of course.”

So misconceptions aside, what can fans expect from London Grammar in 2017?

“They expect an emotional connection, above all else,” Hannah replies. “That is the most important thing”.

I really like Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, even though it did not score the same sort of reviews and praise as If You Wait. I am writing this now as the group’s third album, Californian Soil, arrives on 9th April (pushed back from 12th February). In some ways it seems like a return to the form of their debut but, in another, it is them moving forward and exploring new ground. One of the criticisms for Truth Is a Beautiful Thing is that it lacked variety and was not a sufficient move from their debut.

There were some good reviews for Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, though some critics were more mixed. This is what AllMusic observed in their review:

“Four years after their debut, English trio London Grammar returned with their sophomore set, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing, featuring production by Jon Hopkins (Imogen Heap, Coldplay), Paul Epworth (Florence + the Machine, Adele), and Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia). Once again, vocalist Hannah Reid takes center stage with her powerful, angelic instrument, which can stir the soul at the smokiest depths before jolting everything to the heavens in a fashion much like Florence Welch or Annie Lennox. Dan Rothman and Dominic Major provide lush accompaniment to Reid's voice, creating a gorgeous cinematic landscape that ranges from dreamlike wisps to fully enveloping grandeur. The first half of the album takes time to pick up, as Reid slowly eases listeners into "Wild Eyed," an expansive moment that recalls 2013's "Hey Now." The thumping heartbeat of "Oh Woman, Oh Man" gives the band equal time to shine. Other highlights include the throbbing "Non Believer," the uplifting Florence-esque "Bones of Ribbon," and the sweeping "Leave the War with Me." These tracks provide a much-needed jolt of energy to balance the album's other quieter moments, which tend to lull the listener into a dreamlike haze. While it's an overall relaxing experience, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing is never boring; it's a comforting and often heartbreaking listen that really gets under the skin, especially with Reid's emotive delivery”.

Truth Is a Beautiful Thing is a rich and rewarding listen. I think the songs are more varied than on their debut – despite what some say – in terms of lyrics…and Reid’s voice seems stronger and more astonishing – if that was even possible! I want to source from CLASH, who had a lot of positive things to say:

“London Grammar’s second album ‘Truth Is A Beautiful Thing’ mirrors the blueprint of the band’s 2013 debut ‘If You Wait’, marrying understated electronics and synths to transcendent melodies and vocals. Singer Hannah Reid’s voice remains the centrepiece, flowing like liquid gold through the intricate soundscapes, shaped by a fragile loveliness, and underscored by a Tolkien-esque otherworldliness.

Her voice leads and dictates proceedings but never feels overbearing, with the band deftly balancing the interchange between Reid’s vocals and the twinkling keys and subtle instrumentation that envelop it, notably on lead single ‘Rooting For You’, and on the elegant title cut.

Thematically, the LP is set against the backdrop of youth’s eternal quest for love, and the pitfalls we must navigate along its treacherous pathway. Heartache, angst and endless introspection bleed into all eleven tracks: “I’m no better than those I judge,” implores Reid on ‘Hell To The Liars’. And elsewhere on ‘Who am I’ there’s obvious self-denial when she bemoans “Who am I to want you now you are leaving?”

The main criticism you can level at the LP is that it lacks variety – that it doesn’t stray far enough from the space that the band so ably carved for themselves on their debut. Ultimately, though, this is a beautiful album that’s as absorbing as it is emotionally affecting”.

If you overlooked Truth Is a Beautiful Thing or felt that it lacked the impact of If You Wait, take a listen to it again and check out gorgeous singles like Oh Woman Oh Man, and Big Picture, in addition to deeper cuts like Hell to the Liars, and Who Am I (that are stirring and hugely memorable). Ahead of London Grammar releasing their third album, I wanted to throw some love on their second. I don’t think it has received the praise and deep dive that it deserves. Maybe it is not quite as mighty as their debut but, to me, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing is stronger in many different ways. I am looking forward to Californian Soil arriving and, in preparation, I am listening again to the fantastic Truth Is a Beautiful Thing. It is a solid and really interesting album that should be seen…

IN a new light.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: The Best of Stock Aitken Waterman

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: Kylie Minogue, circa 1990 (Stock Aitken Waterman wrote hits for her in the 1980s and 1990s)

The Best of Stock Aitken Waterman

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FOR this Lockdown Playlist….

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman/PHOTO CREDIT: Rex

I am concentrating on the songwriting partnership of Stock Aitken Waterman. Consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman, the trio had huge success from the mid-1980s through the early-1990s. They are considered to be one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all-time, scoring more than one-hundred U.K. top-forty hits and selling forty-million records. Because of that, I have put together some of their best hits - either ones they have written or produced. I remember listening to a lot of Stock Aitken Waterman in the late-1980s and 1990s, and I was always hooked by their knack of writing these simple and catchy Pop songs (for a wider look at their work, I would recommend buying the album, Stock Aitken Waterman Gold). You will find many of these in a playlist that honours producers and songwriters who had their…

FAIR share of big hits!

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: The Best of Susanna Hoffs

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

The Best of Susanna Hoffs

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I am a big fan of Susanna Hoffs…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Susanna Hoffs with The Bangles

so, as her birthday is on Sunday (17th January), I wanted to put together an assortment of her songs – either where she is taking a lead/backing vocal or is credited as a songwriter. Susanna Hoffs is best known as a co-founder of The Bangles. She founded The Bangles (originally called The Bangs) in 1981 with Debbi and Vicki Peterson. They released their first full length album, All Over the Place, in 1984. Hoffs started a solo career after The Bangles split in 1989. Her first solo album, When You're a Boy, arrived in 1991. She later formed the faux-British 1960s band, Ming Tea, alongside Mike Myers and Matthew Sweet (who she recorded several covers albums with). To honour an incredible musician and songwriter, this Lockdown Playlist is dedicated to the amazing Susanna Hoffs. There are quite a few songs in the playlist that you will recognise, but I hope that everyone discovers…

SOME new gems.

FEATURE: Spotlight: The Goa Express

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

The Goa Express

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THERE is not a lot of music out there…

from The Goa Express yet - so I will be mostly including photos of the band. That is not a bad thing, as they are fairly new off of the blocks, but they are already establishing themselves as a major act to watch. NME recently named them among their one-hundred acts to watch this year – other sites are similarly tipping them for success. Apologies to go back and forth regarding interview chronology, but I want to bring one in from CLASH from last year, where they highlighted a band on a roll:

“Emigrating from nearby Burnley to Manchester, The Goa Express are on a hot streak of momentum. Already having played iconic venues around the country such as Band on the Wall, Brudenell Social Club and Hebden Bridge’s Trades Club. Their single ‘The Day’ rises above the standardised indie parapet. “I like the smell of weed but I don’t like the smell of smoke,” singer James declares. A song that encourages defiance, telling you to seize each moment whilst not letting others interfere.

Angular rhythms, a drum track that races alongside, and a layer of synth sandwiched in the middle - it’s a lot to take during a run time of just over two minutes. They were even given a hand by Fat White Family’s Nathan Saoudi, which serves as an exciting endorsement of this band’s potential”.

Even though the band have not put out a massive amount of music, they have been performing together for a long time now. I found an interesting interview from Louder Than War from 2018, where we learn more about various aspects of the band and how, with them being unsigned, their progress was pretty impressive:  

“Fashion and image aside, Goa Express have recently recorded their debut EP, at Leeds’ iconic and renowned studio, The Nave. Having taken three years to get to point of recording their debut EP, it has been a journey to say the least. From Bryne’s (ex-keys) garage to Naham coming to turns with fret’s, as Joey reminisces; ‘Me and Clarkey (James) did a bit of guitar, Sam did a bit of drums and we thought why don’t we start a band? Naham didn’t even know what a fret was. Then we met Bryne, he was like ‘yeah I play this and that’, so we went to his garage.’ James adds, ‘First gig we played we played was in that garage’. Laughter follows the recollection of the memory, as Joey finishes the tale; ‘50 people crammed into Brynes garage, and his mum was like ‘you’ve gotta calm it down they’ve got babies next door and that’, and Bryne was like ‘we’ve got two more songs mum’ and his dad comes down, pissed as fuck like ‘your gunna have to calm it down’, and everyone’s going ‘one more song’.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing; heavy weekends result in heavy comedowns. James brings up a lack-of-serotonin-induced Weatherspoons scrap, as the second round of convo-pong unfolds, Joey opens; ‘After Beatherder, Naham had been doing bare dids all weekend’, before James adds, ‘Me and Joey came back from Benicasim so we were all on horrendous comedowns and it full on kicked off’. Above the laughter, Joey further adds ‘Naham was shaking going ‘come on then’, before James re-enacts, ‘I’m going ‘come on Naham just fucking smack me around the head’. As funny as the tale is to tell, at the time it was dangerously close to the end of Goa Express. Definitely one to tell the kids.

Besides the fun and games of band life which has been enjoyed in these three years, lack of financing has held the band back, as James provides; ‘There’s no financial income apart from what we make ourselves.  No one else funds us, apart from our manager.’ Goa’s only encounter with label backing came with Wrong Way Records, which ended abruptly after a wishy-washy attempted release of their debut single, ‘Kiss Me’ with B-side ‘GOA’. The encounter was but a learning curve; onwards and upwards is the only way Goa know, as Naham comments; We’re always writing tunes and everything. Like you record something that doesn’t get released for five months and by then you’re like ‘ah we can do a lot something better now’. Getting drummers to shut the fuck in an interview is hard. But if you can get one to talk some next level inspirational quote in interviews, you’re probably on the correct career path;

As an unsigned band, Goa’s progress thus far is impressive. Getting regular, and well attended, support slots at Hebden Bridge’s Trades Club, Goa have played iconic venues of Manchester and Leeds, including Brudenell Social Club, Gulliver’s and Deaf Institute. With this, Goa have also performed with some of the UK’s most well-respected band’s, including Cabbage, Yak and The Orielles, as James states; ‘It’s always good when you know the band beforehand, then you can just party with them before and afterwards.’ Enjoying such support slots is one thing, but there is a strange mix of reassurance and frustration on behalf of the band, as Joey elaborates; ‘It’s a bit of both really. When you see local bands doing really well, it’s like ‘we just want that push with us’. We’ve worked really hard since we started, we see a lot of bands around us getting that push. We just need that bit of exposure, that push which gets us more gigs, more listens and that’s all we want”.

I will bring in a couple of other interviews before wrapping things up. Back in October, Under the Radar spoke with The Goa Express and asked about what they want to achieve in the future and how they have developed through the years:

“You were scheduled to play numerous festivals throughout the summer as well as go on tour. Does it feel as if the momentum has stalled because of COVID-19?

Joe Clarke: It’s a weird situation but then on the bright side, every other band is also facing the same kind of issues. We have lost momentum through not being able to play live but I think we’ll get it back when the time’s right and hopefully people will still be up for it same as they were before the pandemic. If not more so because there’s been such a long hiatus. We’re pleased in many ways that we didn’t have an album ready for this period because then we could have seen serious momentum dwindle away.

The Goa Express have progressed and developed at their own pace over the past four years, nurtured in some ways by your association to the psych rock scene. Do you think that’s played an important part in the band’s growth?

James Clarke: The people within that scene are so loyal as well. People that originally came to see us as fans who we now regard as some of our best friends. Some of them were coming to our gigs from day one and they’re still coming now. It did feel as if we were being boxed in a bit when people started labelling us as a psych band. But then without people on that scene giving us the opportunity to play and building our fanbase we probably wouldn’t be where we are today so we’re eternally grateful for that.

Have your plans changed as the year’s progressed in terms of recording and releasing an album as you’ve written more songs?

James Clarke: We’ve actually been in a mate of ours’ studio in Burnley doing about an album’s worth of demos. All recorded live and mixed in the same day. We were fairly ruthless. Then we went in the same studio for another session the week after. We recorded about 12 songs, 10 of which we’re happy with. Just recorded as rough demos which we worked on that day. So that’s part of our planning towards an album and which songs might work well together. In terms of singles, there’s definitely going to be more coming soon. We’re just trying to work out strategically what the best move is. When the singles come out, which songs they should be, then after that we’ll focus on putting together an album.

Apart from one member leaving in the early days The Goa Express has operated with the same line up from the outset.

James Clarke: We’ve all been best mates for years. The only reason our old keyboard player Bryn left the band was because he decided to stay in Burnley when everyone was moving to Manchester for Uni. So, Joe came in on keys. But we’re still very close friends with Bryn. This line up is permanent now. No one will ever come into it and no one will ever leave. If they do, the band won’t be here anymore. The Goa Express is just us five.

Joe Clarke: We’ve all agreed that should anyone leave then that’s it. We wouldn’t want to do it with any other people. The main thing about our band is we’re all best mates, me and James too even though we’re brothers.

Moving onto a post-COVID world within the music industry—whenever that may be. Do you think there will be many significant changes going forwards?

James Clarke: I don’t think we’ll be playing any proper gigs before the end of this year. We’ve got to be proactive about the way we think about these things but I guess we don’t spend that much time thinking about it. I think the industry will be massively affected, and I’m not sure how long it will be before everything starts up again or even goes back to normal. The more time you spend thinking about that the worse it makes you feel. I’d love to say we’ll be playing in two- or three-months’ time but you just don’t know. So, I guess we’re just using this time to carry on writing and perfecting all the things we needed to sort out before the pandemic”.

I have been a bit misleading when I said that The Goa Express have not released much material. They put out material years ago but they have taken that offline, leaving them with two singles whilst under Rough Trade management. I am not sure whether the older stuff will come back or, as they are progressing, they feel the songs they have put out recently are more fitting. In this NME interview, we learn about the songs that are available online, in addition to how the music has come together:

“‘The Day’ echoes the simplicity of The Ramones’ short and snappy hits. It’s less blowing up Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, and more pissing off university with excruciatingly loud parties, but the act of defiance still holds true. It’s all about having a laugh. “The security guard in my university halls absolutely despised me and got me in so much shit I got fined £400-odd and had to do community service,” he explains of the backstory, adding it was always bassist Naham Muzaffar by his side. “We were a bit chaotic back then but if you’re able to make a song out of it and it does quite well, who’s the one laughing?”

Only able to afford a couple of days of recording, they sought the help of Fat White Family’s Nathan Saoudi at his Sheffield ChampZone studio, across the road from the infamous City Sauna brothel. “There was a mutual understanding between us. We weren’t being ripped off for something that we had to be over the top with,” Clarke says. “It helped that we weren’t tied down by making everything perfect. It was spontaneous, off-the-cuff and we could do whatever we wanted.”

For ‘Be My Friend’, they returned to Sheffield but to instead work with Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, Amyl and The Sniffers) just metres away from where they’d been with Saoudi. When asked about working with Orton, it’s a barrage of flattery. From similar Northern working-class backgrounds, the days spent together were full of getting to know one another. “He knows what he’s doing,” Clarke puts simply. “We had free reign to get fucked up and didn’t need to fret over the very details of things.”

Released nearly a year after ‘The Day’, new song ‘Be My Friend’ track follows in the odes to life in Manchester. A dismissal of hyperconnectivity, it’s a “fuck you” to feeling the need to know everyone’s business all the time. “I never really feel the need to go and join other people’s social groups. I’ve got everything I need right here,” he says of his close-knit group. “I see a lot of falsity in friendships. You’re not friends because you follow them on social media. People need to be more comfortable within themselves and not being friends with everyone.”

It may seem all mad parties and winging it, but that’s far from the truth. Having taken all of their older material offline, leaving them with just their two singles released while under Rough Trade Management (Shame, Black Midi), it looks like a plan of sorts is forming but even they don’t seem too sure. All they can promise are “some very chaotic and fun nights ahead”. All aboard The Goa Express, it’s going to be a messy ride”.

Go and follow The Goa Express if you have not done so already, as I think we will get some new material from them this year. When artists can go back to touring, I know there will be a lot of demand for their music. They have been compared to bands like the Ramones, but I think they have their own style and sound. With many tipping them for success, I will be interested to see just how far The Goa Express…

CAN go.

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Follow The Goa Express

FEATURE: Second Spin: Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Read My Lips

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Read My Lips

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THE year 2001…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Sophie Ellis-Bextor in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Simon Flamigni/Getty Images

was one where Pop and Dance music was still really strong. With terrific albums from Destiny’s Child, Gorillaz, and Basement Jaxx out that year, there was plenty of energy and dancefloor motivation. I am a fan of what Sophie Ellis-Bextor does and, if you need some motivation, then check out her Kitchen Discos. Her most-recent album, Familia, arrived in 2016 and it received some of the best reviews of her career. I am not sure whether there is a new studio album coming soon but, as she is bringing out her Songs from the Kitchen Disco album soon, I think there is that impetus and energy for new music. As 2020 saw quite a few Disco-infused albums, I would not be surprised to see Ellis-Bextor following the likes of Kylie Minogue and Dua Lipa in creating her own Disco smash! Although there is a lot of love out there for her, I think Ellis-Bextor’s albums have divided critics. Her 2001 debut, Read My Lips, is one such album. After the disbandment of the Britpop group Theaudience (in which she served as vocalist), she was signed to Polydor. Read My Lips combines 1980s Electronica and 1970s Disco. Maybe one of Read My Lips’ problems is that it is fairly top-heavy. Opening with the single, Take My Home (it is a cover of the Cher song with lyrics rewritten by Ellis-Bextor), we get this cool and slinky moment that perfectly introduces the album.

Take Me Home was a chart success, and I really like Ellis-Bextor’s vocal on it. Some have said that her voice contains little pizzaz and personality but, in actuality, one gets plenty of emotions and there is a lot to love. Move This Mountain, and Take Me Home are singles that also performed really well; they are great songs that can get you moving. Sophie Ellis-Bextor co-wrote every song on Read My Lips, and I feel that is important when it comes to conviction and her connecting with the words she is singing. Maybe there are few moments on Read My Lips that match her 2000 collaboration with Spiller, Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love), but there is a lot to like on the album – that track was included on the 2002 reissues of Read My Lips. I think a lot of critics dismissed the album too quickly and missed out on some clear highlights. Music Gets the Best of Me, and The Universe Is You are bangers (I am quoting and following the 2002 reissue of Read My Lips). The original U.K. version of 2001 contains ten tracks, and it features the fantastic Leave the Others Alone, and Believe - though I would recommend people check out the 2002 reissue. I shall try not to switch back between 2001 and 2002, but the original release is packed with life and quality!

Maybe the final track or two are not as strong as the first three or four cuts, but Read My Lips is a great listen that will bring you plenty of oomph and energy! Even with the reissue out, there has not been much appraisal. I recall hearing Read My Lips when it came out in 2001, and I found plenty to enjoy. There have been a few positive reviews, but many have been mixed. This is what entertainment.ie observed in their review:

“Sophie Ellis-Bextor is currently being heavily promoted as Genuinely Posh Spice, a haughty English rose with an impeccably indie pedigree (she used to sing with theaudience) who now wants to be a proper pop star. Unfortunately, while she certainly looks the part, the material on her debut solo album only rarely does justice to her distinctive upper-crust voice. A mixture of 70s disco pop and moody 80s electronica, Read My Lips is certainly a polished package but most of the songs sound laboured and plod where they should swing. For now the verdict on Sophie Elllis-Bextor must be that the substance is still some way off the image”.

I would encourage critics and listeners to re-spin and spend some time with Read My Lips. The album reached number-two in the U.K., and it has since been certified double-platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). I think a few of the reviews were rather cold and cruel, so I reckon that now is a good time to check back on an album that turns twenty this year.

I will bring in a review that offers more positives. This is what Blue Coupe wrote in 2002:

“Read My Lips is worth a second run just to hear the splendid electric guitar and superb vocals of "Murder On The Dance Floor." Easily one of the best tracks, this catchy hymn, featuring Guy Pratt on guitar, is a charming piece that hooks you in, and halfway through you'll be reaching for the repeat button before it ends. "Murder" is so spellbinding, it will have you murmuring: "DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down," next time you're strolling into a masquerade ball.

If you are a sucker for well-produced soft tunes, "Is It Any Wonder," is astounding. Luxuriate in the lucidity of Ellis Bextor's quaint voice by turning this one up when cruising along the coastline in your convertible. (And if you have neither convertible nor coastline, it can help you pretend.) The mellow beat and soft melody makes this poignant ballad a delight to listen to. This song, about the joy of finding a soul mate, is rumored to have Moby involved in its production. In fact, Ellis Bextor has been working with Moby on five other songs that were left off this album due to time constraints.

In brief, Sophie Ellis Bextor's Read My Lips is stylish pop that has a delightfully wayward appeal. It lands somewhere between Pet Shop Boys' synth-pop faculty and Blondie's Parallel Lines album. Giving Read My Lips a comparison to the timeless Parallel Lines is an overly bold statement, because Read My Lips is no classic, but it's important to mention because of Ellis Bextor's comparable vocal style and composition.

 Fans of "GrooveJet" should not expect much from this album, but it does deliver a dynamic electro disco sound that is sometimes analogous to her breakthrough-hit single.

There is pop music, and then there is "good" pop music. While Read My Lips is not brilliant, its urbane charm and infectious rhythms make this "good" pop music”.

If you get some time today, check out Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s impressive debut. Maybe she has released more rounded and consistent albums, but there are at least four or five huge songs on the album alongside a few other tracks which are really good. Read My Lips has plenty of cool and coo. There are these songs which put you in a better mood and provoke a lot of movement. I will be interested to see if Ellis-Bextor releases an album this year and does something akin to her what we heard in 2020 from the Disco queens. I am not sure whether she performs songs from Read My Lips when she tours and holds the songs in great affection. I have a lot of time for the album. It is one that got overlooked by some when it came out. I feel the 2002 reissue is a bit stronger but, looking at the 2001 original release, and it holds enough gold and interest to keep you listening. If you have not heard Read My Lips for a while or do not listen to Sophie Ellis-Bextor a lot, then I would adviser you spend a moment with a decent album and discover some of its fine moments. For those who have dismissed Read My Lips before, I would advise you…

GIVE it another try.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Songs from Great Albums Turning Forty This Year

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

Songs from Great Albums Turning Forty This Year

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EVEN if 1981…

is a little less packed with classic albums compared with 1971, 1991, 2001, and 2011, I think there were some really good albums released that year that are celebrating forty years in 2021. I think the 1980s sort of really got hot by the middle of the decade - but there were some treasures to be discovered early on. If you are a little unfamiliar with the sort of albums that were popular in 1981, then I think that this Lockdown Playlist will help out. There are some excellent cuts to be found so, without further ado…

GO and check them out.

FEATURE: Rolling the Ball… Kate Bush’s Them Heavy People

FEATURE:

 

 

Rolling the Ball…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at her family home at East Wickham Farm in 1978

Kate Bush’s Them Heavy People

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I like doing a few Kate Bush song-specific features…

as they allow me to delve a bit deeper. I am going to look at her later albums and songs in future pieces but, now, I am interested in one of my favourite Bush songs: Them Heavy People from The Kick Inside. Everyone knows my feelings towards her debut album and, whilst Wuthering Heights, and The Man with the Child in His Eyes are the U.K. singles that many people associate with that album, there are terrific songs that do not get as much attention. I have said before how I wish there were more than two singles released in the U.K. from The Kick Inside. Them Heavy People was released in Japan (where it reached number-three), and I think it could have been an even more successful U.K. single. Moving was released in Japan but, as one of the best songs on The Kick Inside, it could have been  hit here. I like the fact that Them Heavy People enjoyed success in Japan as it is one of my favourite songs. My first exposure to the song was seeing the music video when I was a child. I saw the Wuthering Heights video included on the VHS of Bush’s 1986 greatest hits compilation album, The Whole Story - and then I saw Them Heavy People shortly afterwards. The song is about religion and the teachings of Jesus and George Gurdjieff (among others). The song expresses an insistent desire to learn as much as possible while she is still young.

There was a music video made for the live version of Them Heavy People – that track was the lead from her On Stage E.P. of 1979. I love the video, as Bush looks incredible and she pulls these wonderfully exaggerated facial movements. With her dancers, we get this great routine where we see, among other things, her smashing one of the dancers with a chair and, in return, she gets a bottle to the head. It is goofy and fun, but it would have been interesting to see it released in the U.K. and having an official video filmed – I would have liked to see if the concept would have been different to the video that we see. Bush performed Them Heavy People on several T.V. programmes, including her only appearance on Saturday Night Live in the U.S. and the short-lived Revolver in Britain. I want to bring in the Kate Bush Encyclopaedia, as there is an article where we get to read some useful background on Them Heavy People by Kate Bush:

“The idea for 'Heavy People' came when I was just sitting one day in my parents' house. I heard the phrase "Rolling the ball" in my head, and I thought that it would be a good way to start a song, so I ran in to the piano and played it and got the chords down. I then worked on it from there. It has lots of different people and ideas and things like that in it, and they came to me amazingly easily - it was a bit like 'Oh England', because in a way so much of it was what was happening at home at the time.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1978 

My brother and my father were very much involved in talking about Gurdjieff and whirling Dervishes, and I was really getting into it, too. It was just like plucking out a bit of that and putting it into something that rhymed. And it happened so easily - in a way, too easily. I say that because normally it's difficult to get it all to happen at once, but sometimes it does, and that can seem sort of wrong. Usually you have to work hard for things to happen, but it seems that the better you get at them the more likely you are to do something that is good without any effort. And because of that it's always a surprise when something comes easily. I thought it was important not to be narrow-minded just because we talked about Gurdjieff. I knew that I didn't mean his system was the only way, and that was why it was important to include whirling Dervishes and Jesus, because they are strong, too. Anyway, in the long run, although somebody might be into all of them, it's really you that does it - they're just the vehicle to get you there.

I always felt that 'Heavy People' should be a single, but I just had a feeling that it shouldn't be a second single, although a lot of people wanted that. Maybe that's why I had the feeling - because it was to happen a little later, and in fact I never really liked the album version much because it should be quite loose, you know: it's a very human song. And I think, in fact, every time I do it, it gets even looser. I've danced and sung that song so many times now, but it's still like a hymn to me when I sing it. I do sometimes get bored with the actual words I'm singing, but the meaning I put into them is still a comfort. It's like a prayer, and it reminds me of direction. And it can't help but help me when I'm singing those words. Subconsciously they must go in. (Kate Bush Club newsletter number 3, November 1979)”.

Despite the fact the album version was never released in the U.K., a live version to promote On Stage did see Them Heavy People get to number-ten. I really think that Them Heavy People is among Bush’s top-twenty tracks - and there has been a lot of love from fans and the media through the years. With a song that dealt with themes like philosophy and Dervishes, it was going too get parodied by comics of the day – Pamela Stephenson did so on Not the Nine O'Clock News in a song called Oh England - My Leotard. I think it is a complex and original song from a teenager, and the fact Them Heavy People was so different to anything of the time, perhaps, attributed to why some lampooned it. If you have not heard this Kate Bush classic then do have a listen to the song as it is one that gets stuck in the head and, at the same time, it provides something quite deep and unexpected. Listening to Bush’s albums, and she has never really written many straight or conventional songs one might have heard from chart acts of the day. I think that is one reason why her music is so special and has resonated with so many people! From its refrain of “Rolling the ball…” to the exceptional vocal performance, I have been in love with Them Heavy People since I was about six or seven. It is a truly wonderful song that I am…

HAPPY to play over and over.

FEATURE: If These Walls Could Sing: Looking Ahead to the Abbey Road Studios Documentary

FEATURE:

 

 

If These Walls Could Sing

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mary McCartney (who will direct new documentary about Abbey Road Studios, If These Walls Could Sing, to mark the studios’ ninetieth-anniversary celebrations and immense legacy)

Looking Ahead to the Abbey Road Studios Documentary

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2020 was a bit of a write-off…

when it came to gigs and a lot of exciting things in music. One big setback was the Peter Jackson-directed documentary, The Beatles: Get Back. That is now coming out later in the year but, today (12th January), we learned of another projected connected to Abbey Road Studios – The Beatles are synonymous with recording there – and Paul McCartney. Mary McCartney (daughter of Paul McCartney) is directing a documentary about Abbey Road Studios, If These Walls Could Sing, ahead of its ninetieth-anniversary celebrations in November. Before I get to that (from the Abbey Road Studios website), here is some history regarding one of the world’s most-famous and importance studios:

“Abbey Road Studios is the most famous recording studio in the world and a global music icon. Originally a nine-bedroom house built in 1829, it was purchased by the Gramophone Company in 1928 who went on to build the world’s first purpose-built recording studio. The St John’s Wood address was chosen for its large garden and ideal location – close enough to the performance spaces of the time, but away from the noise and vibrations of the traffic and trains.

The grand opening ceremony on 12 November 1931 included a performance of Land of Hope & Glory in Studio One conducted by Sir Edward Elgar. The Gramophone Company merged with Columbia Graphophone Company to form Electric and Musical Industries (EMI) in 1931, and the studios later became known as EMI Recording Studios. Since EMI engineer Alan Blumlein patented stereo at Abbey Road in 1931, the studios have been famed for innovation in recording technology, largely developed by the Record Engineering Development Department (REDD) who were responding to the needs of the artists and producers using the rooms.

 Their innovations include the REDD and TG desks, as well as studio techniques such as Artificial Double Tracking (ADT), created by studio technician Ken Townsend, who went on to become the studios’ MD, as well as Vice President of EMI Studios Group.

While initially a venue for classical recordings, the studios’ repertoire soon embraced jazz and big bands, too, as well as the first British rock & roll records of the 1950s, including Sir Cliff Richard’s first single Move It. Abbey Road is of course synonymous with the legendary work of The Beatles, who worked with EMI producer Sir George Martin and recorded 190 of their 210 songs at the studios. But Abbey Road’s unparalleled history spans the wild experiments of Pink Floyd to iconic recordings from Shirley Bassey, Aretha Franklin, The Hollies and many more.

Since those exceptional years, artists from Kate Bush, Radiohead, Oasis, Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Kylie and Muse to Sam Smith, Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga and Adele have made Abbey Road their creative home, producing countless landmark recordings.

IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse/PHOTO CREDIT: Island Records 

As the demand for classical recording spaces declined, Ken Townsend found a new role for the big rooms – movie scores, with the first major film score being Raiders of The Lost Ark in 1981. Since then, Abbey Road has developed into one of the world’s premier destinations for movie scoring. Blockbuster films such as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Skyfall, the Harry Potter series and the Oscar-winning Gravity feature scores recorded here, while recent projects include Black Panther, Solo: A Star Wars Story and the multi award winning The Shape of Water.

The studios house a number of state-of-the-art mastering suites, with engineering expertise spanning direct to vinyl and half-speed mastering. Recent projects mastered or re-mastered by Abbey Road’s award-winning engineers include music from The Beatles, Sam Smith, Sade, Abba, Krept & Konan, Graham Coxon, Novelist, Johnny Marr, Roxy Music and The Rolling Stones.

In Spring 2017, in the biggest transformation since first opening, two new contemporary studios were launched - The Gatehouse and The Front Room - making the magic of Abbey Road accessible to a whole new generation of recording artist. They have already hosted artists from James Bay, Jess Glynne, George Ezra and Skrillex to legends like Nile Rodgers plus grime MCs Novelist and Jammer BBK”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Nile Rodgers/PHOTO CREDIT: David Yeo/The Guardian

It will be fascinating to see what If These Walls Could Sing might contain and what angles it explores. NME reported a treat we can all look forward to later in the year:

“A new documentary about Abbey Road Studios is currently in development, with Mary McCartney set to direct.

If These Walls Could Sing is set to be the first feature-length documentary about the iconic studios, produced by Mercury Studios – the must-first content studio from Universal Music Group.

Mary McCartney, a photographer and filmmaker as well as the daughter of Paul McCartney, speaks of her “personal perspective” in a press release describing the upcoming film, set to be produced by John Battsek (Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars).

“Some of my earliest memories as a young child come from time spent at Abbey Road,” she said. “I’ve long wanted to tell the story of this historic place and I couldn’t be collaborating with a better team than John and Mercury Studios to make this creative ambition a reality.”

Mercury Studios CEO Alice Webb added: “Mercury Studios could not be partnering with a more visionary and passionate team than Mary McCartney and John Battsek to tell Abbey Road Studios’ incredible story on film for the first time.

Isabel Garvey, Managing Director of Abbey Road Studios, said: “If these walls could sing. I have lost count how many times I’ve heard that said at Abbey Road Studios over the years. I can’t wait for some of these stories to finally come to life in what will become a timeless documentary.”

If These Walls Could Sing is set to be part of the 90th anniversary celebrations of Abbey Road Studios, beginning in November this year”.

I cannot wait to see inside studios that have welcomed some of the finest musicians ever. I have never been to Abbey Road Studios, but I would love to take a tour post-pandemic and breathe in the essence and aura of a hallowed space! I think we will see some great music documentaries throughout 2021; I am looking forward to November when we get to celebrate Abbey Road Studios and mark such an important milestone. Many of us know about the studios through various albums, but learning more about its past and magic will fascinate a lot of people. At the start of a grim year, it is good we can put these dates in the diary – if the documentary gets a cinematic release, one can imagine cinemas being opened again and people being allowed in as normal. Although If These Walls Could Sing is not out for a while yet, ensure that you keep your eyes peeled and…

YOU do not miss it.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Captain Beefheart at Eighty: His Prime Cuts

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

bbbb.jpg

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Freeberg 

Captain Beefheart at Eighty: His Prime Cuts

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I am going to bring in a large chunk of information…

from Wikipedia because, whilst I know his music pretty well, I am not too firm about some of the biographical details and facts. The iconic Captain Beefheart was born on 15th January, 1941 and, as what would have been his eightieth birthday is approaching fast, this Lockdown Playlist is a collection of some of his best songs (with His Magic Band). Here are some more details about a hugely influential musician:

“Don Van Vliet (/væn ˈvliːt/, born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. He conducted a rotating ensemble called the Magic Band, with whom he recorded 13 studio albums between 1964 and 1982. His music blended elements of blues, free jazz, rock, and avant-garde composition with idiosyncratic rhythms, absurdist wordplay, and his wide vocal range. Known for his enigmatic persona, Beefheart frequently constructed myths about his life and was known to exercise an almost dictatorial control over his supporting musicians. Although he achieved little commercial success, he sustained a cult following as a "highly significant" and "incalculable" influence on an array of new wave, punk, and experimental rock artists. An artistic prodigy in his childhood, Van Vliet developed an eclectic musical taste during his teen years in Lancaster, California, and formed "a mutually useful but volatile" friendship with musician Frank Zappa, with whom he sporadically competed and collaborated.He began performing with his Captain Beefheart persona in 1964 and joined the original Magic Band line-up, initiated by Alexis Snouffer, the same year.

REVELATION and inspiration.

FEATURE: Spotlight: girl in red

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

girl in red

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BEFORE I bring in some interviews…

with the sensational girl in red, it is worth noting that her debut album, World in Red, has been announced for this year. I don’t think a firm date has been set, but the album is sure to be among the most-anticipated of 2021. I am going to bring in a few different sources, as I think it is important to get some background to the incredible rising star. Not only is girl in red being tipped by many sites as one of the artists we need to keep an eye out for this year; the BBC have included her in their Sound of 2021. There is no doubt that this year will be a busy and successful one for girl in red. Before moving on, I want to bring in her Wikipedia page - where we get some biographer and background:

“Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 16 February 1999), also known as Marie Ulven or professionally as Girl in Red (stylized in all lowercase), is a Norwegian indie pop singer-songwriter. She is known for appealing to people with her "bedroom pop anthems about romance and mental health.”  Her single "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend" has gained over 150 million streams online, and was listed at No. 9 on The New York Times list of "The 68 Best Songs of 2018". Since 2018, Ulven has released two extended plays from her bedroom studio and has amassed over 7 million monthly streamers on Spotify.

Ulven has been named a “queer icon” by Paper, and a “phenomenon” that is “one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music” by The New York Times. Her music, which is made from the comfort of her bedroom, has amassed over 150 million streams as of October 2019.Since 2019, Ulven has been on two North American tours and two European tours, and has performed at festivals such as Lowlands, Rock en Seine and Øyafestivalen. She was named by NME as “one of the most hyped acts at The Great Escape” in 2019”.

Although this year has not been a great one for an artist who was hoping to tour and get her name out there a lot, we have seen singles in the way of midnight love, rue, and two queens in a kingsized bed. They sound terrific and it has helped raise anticipation and excitement for her announced album. I think one of 2019’s best releases was girl in red’s chapter 2 E.P. This glowing review proffers that we need more artists like girl in red out there:

“Each song is interlaced with her own experiences with being queer, dealing with mental health, and just being a teenage in this society. This album is like a sneak peek into her diary and gets her raw unfiltered thoughts through her lyrics, many of which are touched with her sarcastic remarks. She’s on brand with the bedroom pop that’s becoming increasingly popular in the US. Her debut album was bold entrance as an unapologetically truthful artist. I like songs like “i wanna be your girlfriend” because it’s just an honest look at her experience with unrequited love. Music like this just reminds you how human we all are, that many of us live the same experiences and go through similar situations. I wish more music was like this, just made you feel normal or proud of musicians for being vulnerable.

In the last year, girl in red’s music has bubbled up from occasional uploads on SoundCloud and Bandcamp as a hobby  into a growing phenomenon; Ulven has more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify despite having only 10 songs posted there. She is currently on her first American tour, warming up crowds for Conan Gray. She credits her success to a more welcoming pop music climate for gay artists, a progressive path in the last couple years that paved a way to mainsteam media with stars like Janelle Monáe “Sam Smith, longtime gay performers like Tegan and Sara, and rising artists like Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko and King Princess, among many others.” Marie Ulven has set the stage for herself and I can’t wait to listen to more”.

If you want an artist to follow this year who is going to have this huge breakthrough, then you need to look the way of girl in red! I am going to bring in a few different interviews just so that we get a wider scope of an intriguing and wonderful artist. The first interview piece I want to bring in is from DIY. They spoke with this exciting new talent in 2018 - we got to discover what the music scene is like in girl in red’s native Oslo:

“What’s your earliest musical memory?

I think it was when I was six years old. I was gonna perform for the first time in my life and I got so nervous and my voice got really shaky, so I ran off stage crying (lol) and didn't perform in years.

Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?

I wasn’t really inspired by any specific artist starting out. I was mainly just so intrigued by the idea of creating something.

You’re based in Oslo - what’s the music scene like there at the moment? Are there other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?

I really like the music scene in Oslo. There is a lot of different music here, and that keeps it interesting! I have several music friends here, and they all have their own projects and they are doing so well! I'm inspired by the whole idea of doing what you love, and pursuing the things you want in life. I’m cheering for them all!!

Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to in 2019?

I'm really excited about releasing and making new music and I also wanna get better at producing! I'm also super stoked about touring with Conan Gray in the US for over a month! I've never toured before so it's gonna be a really interesting experience.

If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?

Be gay and loud!”.

I want to bring things up-to-date regarding the following interviews. This year has been one where girl in red has put out music but, as I said, I think she had bigger plans regarding gigs and making a big move. When she spoke with EUPHORIA. in February 2020, we learned more about girl in red’s start…in addition to the types of gigs that she prefers:

“When did you decide to pursue music full-time?

I decided to do it when I realised that it was possible. It was obviously something I had been working towards for many years, but I guess I fully committed to it in early 2019. I dropped out of college and went all in!

Was there a specific moment in which you really fell in love with music as an art form?

Not really a specific moment. I’ve always loved music so it’s kind of hard to pinpoint. But definitely, after I started producing my own stuff, music excited me even more. So even though I’ve loved making music all along, I love it even more now.

You had an exciting start to 2020 and announced that you’re performing at Coachella this summer, congrats! Do you prefer intimate gigs or big festival performances?

Thank you! I think both types have something really special to them. An intimate gig is cool cause you get a really close connection with the people at the show, but there’s also something incredibly sick with a big festival stage where a bunch of people show up to have a good time. Like so many people chose to be there instead of somewhere else, and everyone has something in common cause they like the music. I think that’s really beautiful and hella dope.

You’re refreshing and extremely authentic when it comes to your true self and your identity. Was there ever an existing fear surrounding making such openly queer songs?

Not really. I’m really comfortable about my sexuality and I also don’t give a fuck [laughs].

Lastly, if you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

I would change all stupid leaders making terrible decisions and ruining the world for the ones who need the most help”.

A lot of the big interviews with girl in red happened prior to the pandemic in 2020. Whilst it is bittersweet hearing her talk about plans for that year and what she wants to achieve, I think she can pick up where she left off at some point this year.

In a deep and fascinating interview with NME, we discover a lot about girl in red’s music and how she has progressed. Not only has she got a strengthened and improved bond with her fans; she is also considered to be one of the most important queer spokespeople of her generation:

“We can see it too. That’s why we’re kicking off the NME 100 2020 – our tips for the year’s essential new artists – with Girl In Red. With massive tunes, religiously rowdy gigs, and a dedicated young fanbase hanging on to her shameless message of fun, progress and acceptance, she’s the hero that the decade needs – and one to win over indie kids across the planet. Among the peers of her generation rewriting the rulebook of what it is to be  the rockstar, 2020 is hers for the taking.

The first time NME spoke to Ulven was during her first US tour last April, where she’d already found an audience so devoted that they’d “just run right up and scream in my face”. She was already changing and saving lives. “I have a bunch of queer kids following me because they see themselves in me and the lyrics, because they need that direct ability to relate to something,” she told us. “I have people messaging me all the time to say like ‘Yo, I came out to your song’, or ‘I’m in the car right now and I just played ‘Girls’ in front of mom and I told her I’m gay’.”

How does it feel seeing more and more of your fans in the flesh, instead of just streaming numbers?

“I’ll see two million streams on my new song, which is awesome but it’s also this number that I can’t understand. To see 1,000 people in front of you singing to that song is when it really gets cool.”

How would you describe your relationship with your fans?

“Right now, I feel like it’s really healthy. In the beginning, I think I got too close to some people. Not in a weird way, but they would pour their entire emotional life onto me and I would try to help them and give advice and stuff like that. Eventually, I realised that I don’t have enough emotional capacity to also take care of all these other people.”

How does it feel to read that you’re a ‘queer spokesperson for your generation’?

“I’m not. I just happen to like girls, make music and have a platform. That doesn’t mean I’m saying, ‘Yo, I know everything about queer culture, and now I’m always gonna speak about it and it’s gonna be right’. I don’t think people think of me as some kind of sensei who knows everything about being queer and queer history. All I can do is say ‘from my perspective’ and think about how it might be from other perspectives, but right now I don’t even know what I’m saying. Still, when someone is hateful and homophobic I’m like, ‘You’re wasting your time honey! We are gonna win this representation war’!”

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Almeida

The last interview I want to source from is from DAZED. She spoke with them back in June, where we get even more insight into this phenomenal talent. I want to bring in a few questions and answers that caught my eye:

“What does community mean to you?

girl in red: Community is really important. It’s a given, almost, for people to (want to) feel like they belong somewhere. And having a community is like having a place to turn to. That’s really important to me – to have a place where I feel like I belong.

How does your community inspire your creativity?

girl in red: I think what inspires me – especially with the community I’ve created with my music – is seeing all the good vibes! There’s so many good vibes in my community and at my shows. The community that’s being created there really inspires me to do this forever. I just don’t want to stop. Because the way I feel in a room with a bunch of people is such a great vibe. And that type of vibe is what the world needs, because everyone is so accepting. There’s no one pushing each other, no one’s fighting, and everyone’s just chilling.

What’s overrated?

girl in red: Football. Wait – no. I take it back. Football creates community, and I’ve been to football games and they’re really fun when you’re drunk!

What keeps you motivated?

girl in red: I have a really great album plan and really big ideas I want to achieve. New ideas (are) so motivating.

Which film do you never get bored of?

girl in red: The Perks of Being a Wallflower!”.

I am writing this feature two days before the start of 2020 - but I know that 2021 will be a huge year for girl in red. I have been hooked on her music this year and, when World in Red (maybe the title is stylised in lower case?) arrives, there will be even more focus her way! We may get some news on the album soon but, back in June, NME provided us a status update:

“My grandma even said it: ‘Marie, you’ve grown so much this past year’,” she said. “So I feel like my new music sort of reflects that growth, that’s sort of been off-screen. Nobody has seen it because it’s not really been in my music yet.”

Ulven continued: “So I feel like people will definitely get to know a more mature version of me. I’ve been able to reflect way more on things that are not only happening on my behalf, but also understanding other people’s feelings.”

Speaking to NME in April, Ulven said: “The album is still cooking and I want to be sure that I put the best stuff on there. I want it to feel present and close to me. I’ve got plenty of bangers that are still on the table”.

Make sure you follow girl in red on social media (you can find the links below), as she is already being tipped for huge things this year. I feel like she will be an artist who is still inspiring and making waves years from now. In girl in red, the world has…

A role model and hugely influential artist.

______________

Follow girl in red

FEATURE: Back to Life: Making the Most of Our Empty Venues and Those in the Live Music Sector to Ensure We Can Vaccinate More People

FEATURE:

 

 

Back to Life

PHOTO CREDIT: @hakannural/Unsplash 

Making the Most of Our Empty Venues and Those in the Live Music Sector to Ensure We Can Vaccinate More People

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AS of the time of writing this feature (9th January)…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @adigold1/Unsplash

there has not been approval to use road crews, those in the music industry and empty venues to administer COVID-19 vaccines. It seems odd that there are so many various-sized venues being unused that can be utilised to administer jabs. With a third vaccine arriving in the U.K. in the spring, I think there will be increased interest from the live music sector when it comes to helping in the vaccination effort. This article from The Telegraph explains more:  

“Could it be ravers to the rescue? With their experience of marshalling thousands of loved-up revellers in vast venues, music-industry leaders have urged the Government to let them help with the vaccine drive.

“This is not Brain of Britain stuff. It’s bloody obvious,” says John Giddings, organiser of the Isle of Wight festival. “[We] need to do something to accelerate this process.”

Giddings recently became frustrated by the pace of the inoculation roll-out, and thought someone needed to crack the whip. On January 5, he took up the mantle himself and tweeted a novel solution: expand vaccination centres to include music and festival sites, and let the thousands of roadies, security teams and bar staff standing idle help to organise the push.

The Government has announced plans to get more than 13 million of the most vulnerable people vaccinated by mid-February. They have also confirmed they will use seven locations – including the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel complex in London’s Docklands, Epsom Racecourse in Surrey and the Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol – to host pop-up vaccination centres.

IN THIS PHOTO: John Giddings 

How they will marshal the delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines by that deadline, though, is under heavy scrutiny.

The Army is involved in discussions about the logistics. But, Giddings argues, they don’t have on-the-ground knowledge of the locations involved. “We know all these venues inside-out. The Army would steam in and ask a load of questions that don’t need to be asked.”

In his opinion, the Forces may also lack the soft touch necessary to shepherd vulnerable citizens through what could be a frightening and confusing experience. Meanwhile, he says, “tens of thousands” of music-venue staff have mostly been at loss since last March.

“There are thousands of people employed in the music business who are skilled, capable at running venues and crowd control. You name it, they can do it.

“At the Isle of Wight Festival we employ 500 people, so multiply that by all the festivals in the UK.”

James Lindsay, 62, chief of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, agrees. “The hospitality industry over the last 43 weeks has been targeted by the Government. And the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, an iconic London landmark and a major contributor to the night-time economy, has been deeply affected by the decisions.”

But won’t the public be more comforted by stiff-backed soldiers than long-haired roadies at vaccination centres? Giddings doesn’t think so.

“We’re not 9-5ers. We’d work on shifts 24 hours a day to expand it. Trucks leave our sites at all hours. If someone said to me: ‘Turn up at Hammersmith Apollo at two in the morning and you’ll get a vaccine,’ I’d be running there now”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @schluditsch/Unsplash

There are concerns that the vaccine is not being deployed speedily enough and that there are pharmacies not been exploited. Venues will not be able to open properly until things are greatly improved and, at such a critical time, it seems like a no-brainer that they should be opened so that those trained to provide jabs can do so at an accelerated rate. Think about the stadiums and venues that are dormant that have capacity to safely house a lot of people; be turned into vaccination centres. One of hopes for 2021 is that live music can return and that venues will be able to open their doors. Let’s hope that the offer of support from the music industry helps the Government to realise the value of venues and live music – and that they pledge more money to ensure we lose as few venues and people in the industry as possible. As soon as the effort is ramped up to get more and more vaccines delivered, there will be plenty of willing venues across the country that can open their doors - in addition to festival sites that can provide accommodation. Given all the crews and vehicles that are also being unused…they can help transport vaccines and provide useful support. I know the army are being drafted in to help with the vaccine rollouts, but there is this horde of people in the music industry that have the time and energy to help in the national effort. Let’s hope that the Government respond to the offer from those in music in terms of offering space and time. As there is a plea to have more vaccines delivered to more people, let’s hope that we can put those wheels in motion so that society and live music can return…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @djswingkid/Unsplash

AS soon as possible.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Songs from Great Albums Turning Fifteen This Year

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

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Songs from Great Albums Turning Fifteen This Year

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AS I am keen to highlight…

big album anniversaries this year, I am doing playlists on albums that are five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five, forty, forty-five, and fifty. This Lockdown Playlist is all about albums celebrating fifteen years: some epic releases from 2006. It was a pretty exciting and variegated year in music where we got stunning albums from some many different genres! To reflect that, this is an assortment of songs from important albums turning fifteen this year. If you need a sense of how good 2006 was, then these tunes will definitely give you an idea! I hope that this Lockdown Playlists provides you with…

SOME energy and delight.

FEATURE: Vinyl Corner: Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

FEATURE:

 

 

Vinyl Corner

 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

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EVEN though one might have to import…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Fleet Foxes in 2011

a copy of Fleet Foxes second studio album, Helplessness Blues, on vinyl from the U.S., I think that it is well worth doing. I am thinking of Fleet Foxes as they released their fourth studio album, Shore, last year. The band is essentially Robin Pecknold these days, but there was a bigger band behind him for 2011’s Helplessness Blues – including Josh Tillman/Father John Misty (vocals, drum kit, percussion). I think that anyone who is unaware of the beauty of Helplessness Blues needs to get hold of it, as it received huge praise from critics. The album also contains some of Fleet Foxes’ strongest material – it also went on to be nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th Grammy Awards; the album peaked at number-four on the Billboard 200 (the band's highest position on the chart to date). Although Tilman left Fleet Foxes in 2012 to start his solo career, I love the fact that there are quite a few musicians in the throng. With debuts from bass guitarist Christian Wargo and multi-instrumentalist Morgan Henderson, Helplessness Blues is such a sumptuous and gorgeous album! The original plans was for Pecknold to release a second album as soon as 2009 – the eponymous Fleet Foxes album arrived in 2008 -, but intense touring meant that this was not possible. Convening to record new songs in February 2009, the band got together in Seattle but, as the band members were spending a lot of their own money during these sessions, it was scrapped.

Also, Tillman was due to play a solo tour from 2009-2010, so there was disruption when it came to getting the second album organsied and down. Despite some setbacks, the record did eventually come together. Pecknold took Fleet Foxes in a less Pop direction for Helplessness Blues and, whilst this meant that it was less uplifting, I think there is more beauty and nuance to be found. Pecknold wanted something less polished and rehearsed; vocals that were laid down quick to capture something more Folk-like and raw. The band had recorded since April 2010 in different locations after two years of writing material, though they decided to scrap the earlier idea of a fast recording (according to the band, the vocal takes so far have all been done in one take - perhaps in line with the original imperfect recording idea). I want to bring in a couple of reviews before finishing things off. When they assessed the album, this is what AllMusic had to say:

“Props to Helplessness Blues for making the fretless zither cool again. On their second album, Fleet Foxes continue to take their music in unusual directions, creating a baroque folk-pop sound that hints at a number of influences -- Simon & Garfunkel, Fairport Convention, the Beach Boys -- but is too unique, too esoteric, too damn weird to warrant any direct links between the Seattle boys and their predecessors. It's still a downright gorgeous record, though, filled to the brim with glee club harmonies and the sort of stringed instruments that are virtually unknown to anyone who didn't go to music school (and even if you did, when's the last time you rocked out on the Marxophone?).

Relying on obscure instrumentation can be a dangerous game, and Fleet Foxes occasionally run the risk of sounding too clever for their own good, as if the need to "out-folk" groups like Mumford & Sons and Midlake is more important than writing memorable, articulate folk tunes. But Helplessness Blues has the necessary songs to back it up, from the slow crescendos of the album-opening "Montezuma" to the sweeping orchestral arrangement of the encore number, "Grown Ocean." Robin Pecknold remains the ringleader of this Celtic circus. His is the only voice to cut through the thick, lush harmonies that Fleet Foxes splash across every refrain like paint, and his lyrics -- rife with allusions to the Bible, Dante the Magician, and the poetry of W.B. Yeats -- reach beyond the territory he occupied on the band’s first record, which painted simple geographical portraits with songs like "Sun It Rises," "Ragged Wood," "Quiet Houses," and "Blue Ridge Mountains." On Helplessness Blues, he's just as interested in the landscape of the human heart. Still, it's the music that stands out, and the band's acoustic folk/chamber pop combo makes every song sound like a grand tribute to back-to-the-land living”.

Fleet Foxes always deliver sublime albums, and, in Robin Pecknold, they have one of the greatest songwriters and singers of our time! One cannot help but to lose themselves in the music as, even when things are more downbeat, there is still something wonderous and stunning to be found.

I want to source from Pitchfork’s review, because they make some interesting observations regarding Helplessness Blues:

“The group harmonies that flowed from Fleet Foxes are in shorter supply here, employed largely to embellish tracks, allowing Pecknold to take a clearer lead role, both vocally and lyrically. He first emerged as an impressionistic songwriter, but he's since become stronger and more descriptive, conjuring vivid imagery of men striking matches on suitcase latches and penny-laden fountains. Mostly, he spends time working out his own personal puzzles, pondering the big questions of existence and meditating on the dissolution of his five-year relationship during one of Helplessness Blues' more difficult creative periods.

The record reflects his determination to deal with the present while leaving the past behind. At times, Pecknold's voice takes an aggressive tone, as on the eight-minute breakup saga "The Shrine/An Argument"; other times, it cracks slightly, exposing his pain on the bittersweet "Lorelai". But the warmth is there. On the album's most intimate track, "Someone You'd Admire", he contemplates the contradictory impulses to love and to destroy, accompanied by spare harmony and softly strummed guitar.

Pecknold confronts more universal concerns as well, starting with "Montezuma"'s memorable album-opening lines: "So now, I am older/ Than my mother and father/ When they had their daughter/ Now, what does that say about me?" He wrestles throughout the record with his own measurements of success, and whether any of it adds up to anything. He asks questions only to come up with more questions, and they all lead into a sort of resolution on the album's title track, "Helplessness Blues". Here, he retreats from the world into idyllic, pastoral imagery and wishes for a simpler life before trying to come to grips with his newfound renown. "Someday I'll be like the man on the screen," he promises at the end of the song.

Helplessness Blues' analytical and inquisitive nature never tips into self-indulgence. Amidst the chaos, the record showcases the band's expanded range and successful risk-taking, while retaining what so many people fell in love with about the group in the first place. And once again, a strong sense of empathy is at the heart of what makes Fleet Foxes special. Much has been made of American indie's recent obsession with nostalgic escapism, but Robin Pecknold doesn't retreat. He confronts uncertainty while feeling out his own place in the world, which is something a lot of us can relate to”.

If you do not own a copy of Helplessness Blues, I would definitely recommend people to do so as it is a wonderful listening experience – you can always stream it if you do not get it on vinyl. I have so much love and respect for…

ONE of the best albums of 2011.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Greentea Peng

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Hadden for CRACK 

Greentea Peng

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I am ramping up the Spotlight features…

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Stefy Pocket

because we are now in 2021, and it is important that we shine a light on great artists who have the potential to do great things this year. One such artist is Aria Wells, a.k.a. Greentea Peng. I have been following her music for a couple of years now; her blend of Neo-Soul, R&B and something a bit more psychedelic is such a wonderful brew that stays in the memory for a very long time! Last year’s singles such as Revolution, Spells, and Hu Man are some of her best work…and I really do hope that there is an album coming at some point this year. I will reference one of her previous E.P.s in a bit, but I want to quote from a great interview - where we get a bit of background regarding the name, Greentea Peng, and what her teenage life was like:

“It’s a bit of an obvious question but I wondered if I could get a quick backstory on the name Greentea Peng?

Green tea is like my favourite tea, and there was a packet I found while I was away, this amazing packet, it was dreamy. It was called Green Tea Seng and the woman on it was really peng so I was like oh, Greentea Peng. That’s literally where it came from. It started as a bit of a joke so it’s not that deep.

I think it’s such a cool name, it suits you well.

Thank you. It’s funny that it does because it’s such a random thing but I hear that it actually does. I feel like it does too, so it’s worked out well.

You were born in South East London, is that where you grew up too?

I stayed there until I was ready for secondary school, then I moved to the seaside in the South of England. A place called Hastings, by Brighton and that. I spent most of my teenage years in Hastings.

What kind of teenager was Greentea Peng growing up in Hastings?

[Laughs] A mad one. Lots of partying and everything. I was always coming back to London for summer holidays, my dad stayed in South London and I moved back when I was about 17.

When did you start singing and what kind of music was inspiring you early on?

I started singing about age 4. My dad inspired me a lot, he was into a lot of classical music and theatre. He’d teach me a lot of the theatre songs, so I started off singing stuff like that, and in the church choir and stuff. Then I started to get inspired by Ms. Dynamite and Lauryn Hill and The Fugees, stuff like that. I was very much into R&B and hip-hop quite young, watching MTV Base and that sort of thing. When I got a little older my tastes broadened a bit, I got into rock music, reggae, ska, and heavy metal, but before that it was mostly R&B and hip-hop”.

If you have not investigated Greentea Peng then I would hugely recommend you do so. Revolution was one of my favourite tracks last year, and I think that she has a very bright and busy future ahead. I also hope that Greentea Peng can get back on the road this year and take her music to the people.

I want to bring in an interview from The Line of Best Fit, because it reveals some interesting information regarding how important London is to Greentea Peng - in addition to why it took her a long time to realise her talent:

“London is at the heart of Peng’s writing, in what she explains as “the tongue-in-cheek of it, the kind of vibe... it’s an attitude, innit.” At present, she’s chatting over the phone while taking a break from a studio session in the city, before performing a DJ set. “It’s the most diverse city I’ve ever been to. Growing up I very much loved London, my Dad brought me up very ‘yeah London town, the best town in the world.” Listening to songs like “Inna City” from the EP, you can hear the capital laced throughout. From the twang of her vocals, to the eclecticism of the production, and lyrics like, “Your double vision, inna city / You can get it if you're witty / Work your way up in a jiffy / What you got, I want it, gimme,” she perfectly illustrates the lovable-toughness of life in the Big Smoke.

Despite always having been naturally creative, Peng admits that she had suppressed her talents for a long time, the result of teenage angst and trying to figure out who she was. “I was quite inside myself and angry at the world,” she confides. However, she took the leap of moving to Mexico once she had left school, pursuing her desire to travel. It was here that her love for music was re-ignited. “I was watching a lot of live music and it reminded me of how much I was in love with it, how much I needed it. I needed a creative outlet,” she explains. While out there, she met her manager who would encourage her to carry on singing. Once she had returned home, her talent became a serious professional opportunity and she released her first EP Sensi in 2018.

Maybe there will be an E.P. rather than an album this year. I think that Greentea Peng has developed a lot since Rising of 2019. That said, I really love the E.P. and it is a beautiful collection of songs that demonstrates huge originality. The Line of Best Fit mentioned the E.P. in their interview with Greentea Peng of 2019:

This progression is evident from the first listen of Rising. Leading with the title track, the EP makes an immediate impact: the combination of swirling production and Peng’s soulful vocals as she repeats the titular word to dazzling effect. “It’s such a mad beat innit,” she says. “It’s the same guy who made “Downers” [from the first EP] Fred Cox, and those two songs, I was in similar thoughts. It was December time, and I get proper mad in that transition of the seasons. I think those songs are both quite restless. And I think it’s quite a brave song to start with, it’s quite violent.”

Seasonal change is also interwoven throughout the first single from the collection, “Mr Sun (Miss Da Sun)”, which blends a sense of longing for ones partner with the end of summer. With lyrics like, “Mr. Sun I need you / I'm only happy with you / No one lifts me like you do” – and considering the inspiration behind Rising – it seems necessary to ask how much influence Peng draws from her environment. “The majority of it,” she says. “I’m greatly affected by my environment. “Mr Sun” is about missing the sun, I was missing my man at the time too”.

Apologies for being a bit random with the information sourced but, as Greentea Peng is such a fascinating and multi-layered artist, I want to include as much as I can. I want to end with an interview from this year. One of the most appealing and striking elements of Greentea Peng’s music is the peacefulness and this positivity that you hear. The hopefulness and uplifting vibes of her music is so powerful. 2020 was especially bleak, so it is understandable that Greentea Peng has been as affected as everyone else. That said, the messages of love and togetherness comes back. When she spoke with High Snobiety, Greentea Peng talks more about what she has learned from a tough year – and why she has such a positive outlook and attitude:

“Since this whole thing has kicked off,” she explains, “it's been very much ups and downs and me having to realize that actually, you are really attached to this material realm, aren't you? Because if we weren't, then this wouldn't bother you. I'm a highly conflicted individual, I'll say that. I've learnt that nothing is as it seems. And that you should fact check the fact checkers. That would be the main thing I've drawn from this year. Nothing is as it seems.”

Nevertheless, “You always got to try and bring it back to love,” she says.

Sharing universal messages of love and hope seems to be particularly effective when coupled with the fact that Aria’s never been one to cling to labels of identity. “If I'm honest, I've never had a strong affiliation or a calling to a certain tribe or, I've always been very out and about,” she explains. Her father, Arabic from the Middle East, was adopted, and her African mother is estranged from her family, so she’s never been able to contextualize her existence in a traditional family tree type of way. “I know I was born in England. I don't necessarily feel like I'm meant to be in England, because from as young as I can remember, all I've joked about is moving to the jungle. So I guess, I could say like I'm a jungle person, I do like jungle music too!” she playfully recounts.

Her jungle heritage, free of the constraints of over-identifying with a certain time, place, or people might allow her to see things without many attachments clouding her vision. When asked what we, as a species, could stand to let go of, Greentea Peng hesitated, not wanting to speak for others. But in pondering her own personal growth over the past few years, she settled on ego. “We're all reflections of each other,” she explains. “The chances are we're feeling it on an individual level and the whole fucking collective is feeling it somehow, in some way”.

I think that this year is going to be a very busy and successful one for Greentea Peng, despite the fact there are restrictions and things will take a while to get back to normal. I would encourage people to support her music and follow her, as one gets something truly special from her music. I love what she is putting out and how she views the world. Maybe there will be a debut album this year but, so long as we keep getting music, then one cannot be too demanding! Lots of people are compiling their artists to watch in 2021 features and, whilst I am getting some good suggestions, I think that Greentea Peng should feature a lot. With music like hers and so much promise for this year, she needs to be…

ON everyone’s list

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Follow Greentea Peng

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Songs from Great Albums Turning Forty-Five Year

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The Lockdown Playlist

 Songs from Great Albums Turning Forty-Five Year

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NOT to completely go overboard with albums anniversaries…

for my Lockdown Playlists, but I like to sprinkle them in with other features. I want to get them all out in January, as it makes people think about all the brilliant albums that have anniversaries and, when doing so, we can push these works out to people who might not be aware of them. This Lockdown Playlist is all about the best albums of 1976 – golden releases that have their forty-fifth anniversary this year. I experienced many of these albums during childhood when my parents played them so, in doing a bit of research, it has struck a chord! Here is a selection of songs from 1976-released albums that shows what an exceptional year it was! Enjoy some epic cuts from..

SOME amazing artists.

FEATURE: The Lockdown Playlist: Songs from Great Albums Turning Ten This Year

FEATURE:

 

 

The Lockdown Playlist

Songs from Great Albums Turning Ten This Year

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I will not put too many anniversary Lockdown Playlists…

out there, but as there are some really good albums that have big anniversaries this year, I wanted to mark that. Now, I am looking back to albums released in 2011: some pearls that are celebrating a decade in the world this year. 2011 was not that long ago, but I think the decade-mark is an important anniversary so, with that being said, here are some amazing songs from the first year of the previous decade. In the course of compiling the playlist, it has been nice to go back and realise just how strong 2011 was! If you need a reminder, then this Lockdown Playlist is all about albums that get to celebrate ten years in the world…

VERY soon.

FEATURE: Walk Straight Down the Middle: Kate Bush’s Awards and Nominations – and Why She Deserves Even Greater Recognition

FEATURE:

 

 

Walk Straight Down the Middle

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush  attending the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in November 2014 (where she won the Editors Award)/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Benett

Kate Bush’s Awards and Nominations – and Why She Deserves Even Greater Recognition

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THIS might be a theme that few…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at the Capital Radio Awards in March 1979 at the Grosvenor Hotel in London (she won two awards: for Best British Female Singer, and Best British Newcomer)/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Young/Rex Features

Kate Bush fans are demanding be covered, but I was looking back on some features from last year and it struck me: just think about all the awards Bush has been nominated for since the start of her career! It should come as no surprise but, through the years, she has been nominated a lot for her incredible work. Back in August, I asked whether she would be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022 (and nominated this year) – Bush was nominated in 2018, though she remains one of the most famous non-inclusion. I know that awards and honours are not everything and the mark of a great artist, but it is a way of giving kudos and recognising their impact. When it comes to Kate Bush, in many ways, she remains underrated and under-furnished when it comes to awards. I have been re-watching a video of Bush receiving the Editor's Award from Evening Standard in 2014 (below). Although she is nervous, she truly seems humble and grateful - she was given the award for her residency, Before the Dawn. In 2013, Bush was awarded a CBE, and one has to think a damehood cannot be too far away! Whilst some people do not like honours like this and return them, I think Bush is genuinely touched and blown away if she receives such high esteem. I will go into a bit more detail but, in terms of the big honours that have come Bush’s way, her Wikipedia page gives us some information:

“She has been nominated for 13 British Phonographic Industry accolades, winning for Best British Female Artist in 1987, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. In 2002, Bush was recognised with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. In 2017, she was nominated for induction in the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bush was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to music”.

I will have a look at this alphabetically but, as you can see from the relevant section of Wikipedia, Bush is an artist who has been nominated for BRIT Awards, yet she has only received the one: in 1987, she won for Best British Female. It is not a surprise that she has been nominated so often, but I am surprised that Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) did not win Best British Single in 1986; likewise, Bush was nominated as Best British Female in 2006 after the release of Aerial (the year before). I know award shows like the BRITs have been accused of odd omissions through the years, but Bush is a quintessential British treasure whose music should have garnered more respect from them through the years! It is good that she has been nominated quite a few times, yet I wonder whether there should be a special award created. Bush won a Q Award in 2001 – she picked up the Classic Songwriter gong. As Q is no longer in publication, I think the wave of attention her work has garnered through the years should see an award show like the BRITs create a new category(ies) like Q’s Icon Award, and Classic Album.

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at the Q Awards in October 2001 (she was given the Classic Songwriter award on the night)/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Young/Rex Features

One might say that this is crowbarring an award or two into things to accommodate someone like Bush, but I think there is an opportunity to nod to legendary musicians who have made a huge difference in the world. It is a shame there will be no further Q Awards, as it was one of the last great ceremonies that provided a great range and some awards that you really wanted to see go to someone like Kate Bush! I think that her appearances like the one in 2001 for the Q Awards was quite rare, as that particular one happened eight years after The Red Shoes arrived - she took a long break from music after that album. She was out of the public spotlight at this point, so a rare appetence like this was treasured. The award clearly meant a lot to Bush; it was only four years later when she would release Aerial into the world. I think many of her award ceremony appetences have been rare, as she does not go to film premieres or things unconnected with her own music. It is always wonderful seeing music industry people and fans applaud and provide ovation when Bush collects an award!

I am shocked that her massively-praised 2014 residency did not pick up many awards. I think the BRITs has streamlined its categories recently, and I feel we will see change regarding separating genders when it comes to awards - I think the awards will become more gender-fluid and less segregated. Even so, I think Bush is worthy of a bit more love from the BRITs given all that she has accomplished! In 1978, Bush won Best International Single at the Edison Awards. This is one of the world’s oldest music ceremonies and, given the success of Wuthering Heights, I am glad that it won. If one does look through all the awards that Bush has been nominated for, it does seem a shame she has not won more – though how bothered she is by this remains to be seen. Being an American ceremony, it is small wonder that Bush has been overlooked by the GRAMMY committee. She did not really feel major success in the U.S. until 1985, so maybe one can forgive a lack of representation before then. I do wonder why Hounds of Love received no nominations in 1986 and why it took until 1988 for her first nomination – Experiment IV for Best Concept Music Video. Bush received a couple more nods in the 1990s, but I think that her American fanbase is much larger now than it was in the 1980s. She has made an enormous impact on so many musicians and, given the sheer amount of categories, I do think that albums like Aerial, and 50 Words for Snow are big omissions. Both could easily have fitted into Best Alternative Music Album, I think, and I feel that this would have reflected appreciation for tremendous albums.

The Ivor Novello Awards are among the most prestigious in all of the world. This award show seems tailor-made for Bush. This is a case of an award show truly recognising Bush’s contribution to music. Although she has been nominated and lost quite a few times – for Wuthering Height (The Best Song Musically and Lyrically, and The Best Pop Song) in 1979, Babooshka (The Best Song Musically and Lyrically) in 1981, The Dreaming (The Outstanding British Lyric) in 1983, Running Up That Hill (Best Contemporary Song) in 1986, and 50 Words for Snow (Album Award) in 2012, she did win in 1979 for The Man with the Child in His Eyes (The Outstanding British Lyric). Bush also won in 2002 for Outstanding Contribution to British Music and, whilst I am surprised Running Up That Hill did not win and Aerial was not even nominated, she did get that honour back in 2002. To add to that, Bush became a Fellow of The Ivors Academy last year (she was quite thrilled: “I feel really honoured to be given this fellowship by The Ivors Academy. It means so very much to me. Thank you to all my family and friends and to everyone who has been there for me over the years. I’ll treasure this statue of Euterpe always and ask her to sit on my shoulder while I work”). The MOJO Awards are one of the less-hyped of the calendar, but I think that it is less commercial than many others. Bush has received two nods from the MOJO Awards: 2005 and 2006 for the Songwriter Award. Again, it is surprising that she did not win those awards; one would have expected some sort of nomination for 50 Words for Snow. The fact that she is nominated at all is brilliant and, when you look at the sheer breadth of award shows that have included Bush’s music, it is simply amazing!

I guess the NME Awards is another big one and, whilst many might not assume Bush to be their sort of artist, she did win in 1979 for Best Female Singer. Her return to the stage did get her nominated in 2015 for Music Moment of the Year…and I do hope that she wins the Icon Award very soon – last year, Courtney Love won. Again, some might say Bush is not the most ‘Rock’ or alternative artist around, but her contribution to so many artists who are covered/loved by NME should be noted! That said, the Progressive Music Awards have nominated Bush a few times: in 2012 for Prog Goddess, and Artist of the Year; in 2015, Before the Dawn was nominated for Live Event of the Year. Given the reception to that residency, it would be interesting to know how Bush lost out on that last nomination! Circling back to NME’s awards, and I think Bush has plenty of Rock credentials. Consider albums like The Dreaming in 1982, and even Hounds of Love. I think she has been left out when some of her albums would have made for perfect winners! Once more, she has been nominated (which is important), but I wonder whether there is a perception of Bush’s music and people pigeon-holing it. The penultimate award show I wanted to mention is the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. It was one of the most popular award shows when Smash Hits was in publication (1978-2006).

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush at the 1979 British Rock and Pop Awards ceremony on 26th February, 1980 (she won for Best Female Singer; she also picked up the same award in April 1979)/PHOTO CREDIT: Mirrorpix

Although she was nominated in a very questionable category, Most Fanciable Female, in 1980 and 1981, she did win Best Female Singer in 1980. I think this award win holds more clout and dignity than the Most Fanciable Female. I am glad that Bush won in 1980, as this must have been before Never for Ever (her third album) was released. I do wonder why Hounds of Love was not nominated, mind. Not to undermine the fact that Kate Bush has been nominated a few times, but you think about some of her best albums and wonder why they did not garner more in the way of awards. I guess sales and chart positions are more important, however it seems like there are periods where she was ignored somewhat. The last award show I will bring in is one where Bush has won once: the South Bank Sky Arts Awards. 50 Words for Snow won Best Album in 2012, and I am pleased the album got that respect. I think it is another case of others/award shows not truly appreciating a wonderful album. Bush showed up to collect her award and, like other occasions where she has  given an acceptance speech, she seemed stunned and thrilled – and quite nervous too! (I have included a video at the end of this feature).

I will end it there, but I wanted to shine a light on the awards and honours aspect of her work and the bodies that have included Bush through the years. Even though there have been some real omissions – from the GRAMMYs, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the likes of NME -, it is wonderful that Bush has had her work honoured and celebrated so often! I don’t think Bush has collected her last award yet and, in the coming years, I feel there will be some big honours such as an Icon Award - or a similarly high plaudit. I highlighted a few awards Bush has won but, from Wikipedia (apologies if some of the dates/exact award titles are incorrect), there are some that I have not covered: BPI Awards (Best Female Singer, 1979); Record Mirror Poll (Best New Artist, 1978)…

Melody Maker Annual Poll Awards (Best Female Vocalist and Brightest Hope of 1978); BPI Awards (Best Female Singer, 1980); Music Week annual awards (Top Female Artist, 1979); Capital Radio Awards (Best British Female Singer and Best British Newcomer, 1979); Record Mirror poll (Best Female Singer, 1979); TV Times top ten awards (Most exciting TV female singer 1979) and US College Music Awards (Best British Female Solo Artist, 1987). Many might say that Bush has achieved more than enough with her adoring fanbase and success but, when it comes to recognising one of the greatest musicians, songwriters and singers ever (and producer), more awards are…

THE very least that she deserves.

FEATURE: Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure: The Beach Boys - Kokomo

FEATURE:

 

 

Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure

The Beach Boys - Kokomo

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WHEN we think about the classic songs…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mike Love, David Marks, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys in 1962/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images

from The Beach Boys, God Only Knows, or Good Vibrations springs to mind. I know that there are people who like Kokomo, but I have seen it appear on many lists of guilty pleasures – and it is a song that I really like. I admit that it is not one of the best songs the American band ever recorded, but I feel it has been unfairly maligned by many. I am going to grab a bit from Wikipedia when it comes to providing a bit of information on Kokomo:

"Kokomo" is a song written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher and recorded by American rock band the Beach Boys. Its lyrics describe two lovers taking a trip to a relaxing place on Kokomo, an invented idea of an island off the Florida Keys. It was released as a single on July 18, 1988 by Elektra Records and became a No. 1 Hit in the United States, Japan, and Australia (where it topped for about two months). The single was released to coincide with the release of Roger Donaldson's film Cocktail and its subsequent soundtrack.

It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in 1988, but lost to Phil Collins' "Two Hearts" (from the film Buster). "Two Hearts" and Carly Simon's "Let the River Run" from Working Girl jointly beat it for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song”.

Although Kokomo has done well in regard to sales, it is a track that has split critics. On the surface, the song is perfectly harmless and there are no lyrics that make you cringe or that stand out as being particularly bad. Maybe it is just the general sound of the song that has led people to give it some bad press or see it as a guilty pleasure. I have been a fan of The Beach Boys since I was a child, so I am pretty broad-minded and open when it comes to their songs. Even though I have a lot of time for Kokomo, others have not been so kind. Returning to the Wikipedia article, and one can see that Kokomo has won success and derision:

"Kokomo" has received mixed reviews. In 1989, the song received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song – Motion Picture in 1989. Conversely, it has been included in lists of poorly received songs, such as VH1's "40 Most Awesomely Bad No. 1 Songs" and Blender magazine's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever”.

I want to introduce an article from Stereogum from 2018 - as they looked back at Kokomo thirty years after its release. They highlight the fact that The Beach Boys, by 1988, were almost a spent force. However, despite the state of the band, Kokomo is a song that resonated at the time and still gets played to this day:

“We’ll start with the most obvious thing: there is no Kokomo. Not off the Florida Keys, anyway. Sure, a couple places staked claims, but only after the occurence of the least obvious thing: a has-been pop act, minus their creative engine, scoring a #1 hit off the soundtrack to a forgettable film about bartending. “Kokomo” — released 30 years ago this month — was the Beach Boys’ first original Top 20 single in 20 years, and their first chart-topper in 22.

The state of the Beach Boys in 1988 was, in a word, shitty. Their last record, 1985’s digitally crispy The Beach Boys, performed middlingly despite contributions from Culture Club, Ringo Starr, and Stevie Wonder. A couple clues to their malaise appear within the record. On the back, there’s a dedication “to the memory of our beloved brother, cousin and friend”; Dennis Wilson, the band’s drummer and only true surfer, had drowned in the water off Marina Del Rey in December of 1983. And on the label, there are three songwriting credits for E. E. Landy.

The result was ruthlessly catchy: a combination of dreaminess and insistence, like a tank disguised as a cloud. The “Aruba, Jamaica” bit was bumped to the beginning for maximum effect; Love managed to work in a reference to cocktails, and possibly (in the line “that Montserrat mystique”) a reference to Baron Tennant’s island folly. Van Dyke Parks parachuted in to arrange the steel pans and play accordion, despite (allegedly) being stiffed by Love on plane fare. Studio saxophonist Joel Peskin (whose professional relationship with the Boys stretched back to 1979’s L.A.) contributed the oddly poignant solo. One name was notably absent: Brian was unable to attend the sessions, possibly due to his doctor’s interference. When he first heard the song on the radio, he didn’t even recognize it as a Beach Boys tune. His solo record had just dropped — deliciously, the opening lines are “I was sittin’ in a crummy movie/With my hands on my chin.”

In time, though, “Kokomo” fever faded, and the men responsible for it are starting to pass on. Carl Wilson died in 1998, John Phillips in 2001, Terry Melcher in 2004, Scott McKenzie in 2012. Mike Love, who has long enjoyed the exclusive rights to tour under the Beach Boys name, is the sole living writer. Last fall, he released a double album, with the second half devoted to re-recordings of Beach Boys classics. “Kokomo” is nowhere to be found. Presumably, he decided not to mess with perfection”.

I am a big fan of The Beach Boys’ earlier ‘surf’ period and the work they were producing in between 1962 and 1964. That said, I feel that Kokomo has received some unwarranted flack as it is a catchy song that gets into the head! It is not as sophisticated as what we heard on the masterpiece, Pet Sounds, in 1966; it does not have the same sort of timelessness as their classic cuts. Even so, have a listen to the song as it cannot fail to lift the mood. One can hear the layered sound and great vocals The Beach Boys were known for but, perhaps, without Brian Wilson injecting his songwriting genius, Kokomo was never going to be an all-time great song from The Beach Boys. I think it is much more than a guilty pleasure and, if you need some sunshine and escapism, Kokomo has you covered and will get you singing along! If you have been resistant to Kokomo and have not heard it for a while then I must offer a warning: as soon as you start to listen to it, the song will…

 PHOTO CREDIT: ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images

RATTLE around the brain for ages!

FEATURE: Second Spin: Queen Latifah - Nature of a Sista'

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

Queen Latifah - Nature of a Sista'

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WHEN thinking of…

Queen Latifah’s second studio album, Nature of a Sista’, it is a classic case of critics wanting something similar to her debut and being disappointed with a slightly new musical direction. That 1989 debut, All Hail the Queen, is a hugely confident and wonderful album that gained a lot of great reviews. When Nature of a Sista’ arrived in 1991 there were quite a few who were hoping for something like Hail the Queen. The most marked difference between albums is Queen Latifah incorporating more sounds and moving away from a pure Hip-Hop sound – we can hear elements of Reggae, Jazz, and R&B. Whilst there is a broader sound palette – some felt Queen Latifah had diluted her sound -, the lyrics of gender politics and romance are effecting and stunning. I think the songwriting through Nature of a Sista’ is incredible and, whilst there are a few weaker tracks, this is an album that deserves more praise. Queen Latifah wanted to stray away from a more hardcore sound and experiment. Other acts like A Tribe Called Quest were doing it in 1991, and this was the golden age of Hip-Hop for that reason and many others (if you wanted something more intense and political, then you could listen to Public Enemy, say). I like that there were artists who had Hip-Hop at their heart, but they were broadening their sound and crossing genres. Maybe critics were hoping that Queen Latifah was going to be this hard-hitting Hip-Hop artist through her career and, when she took a detour on her second album, there was a degree of deflation in terms of reviews.

I really respect Nature of a Sista’ and the instrumentals, which were provided by live musicians, fuse elements of Reggae and Jazz. There are a lot of different styles mixing alongside one another and, whilst that could have been messy and unfocused, Queen Latifah makes it work. In terms of lyrical perspective, she was employing humour and self-assurance; encouraging women to take pride and respect themselves - rather than placing any stock in sex or money. The early-1990s was an interesting time for Hip-Hop, with artists like Queen Latifah and Monie Love (who Queen Latifah teamed up with on 1990’s Ladies First) among a wave of wonderfully diverse and amazing artists. Although her label, Tommy Boy, dropped her after the disappointing performance of Nature of a Sista', Queen Latifah delivered Black Reign in 1993 – that album contained the huge anthem, U.N.I.T.Y. I think that there are people who see Nature of a Sista' as a bit of a blip between her debut and third album; I feel Nature of a Sista' is the sign of a brave and curious artist not wanting to repeat herself. It is a shame that the album gained some mixed reviews. One such review came from AllMusic, who had this to say:

“Nature of a Sista isn't the outstanding album Queen Latifah is quite capable of recording. But even so, it's a decent sophomore effort that has more strengths than weaknesses. The North Jersey native tends to spend too much time boasting about her microphone skills -- something that can wear thin in a hurry -- but there's no denying the fact that she has considerable technique. As on her first album, Latifah indicates that she could hold her own in a battle with just about any rapper, male or female. And the positive image she projects is certainly commendable. But as likeable as much of this album is, it's obvious that she is capable of a lot more. Artistically, Latifah is selling herself short”.

There were not a great deal of feminist songs in Hip-Hop in the early-1990s. There was a lot of misogyny and sexism, so I think that albums like Nature of a Sista' are very important and inspired a lot of people. Maybe, at the time, there was some dismissal from critics…but one looks back on albums where sisterhood and self-respect are being discussed and wonders whether reviewers need to take another listen and reassess. If Queen Latifah turned her focus back to her community for 1993’s Black Reign, albums like Nature of a Sista' were a reaction to the culture of the time. In this article from Refinery29, we learn more about the sort of themes and attitudes prevalent in Hip-Hop during the early-’90s:

“The terms were used so often in 1990s hip-hop that they became colloquialism, rolling off the tongues of male rappers as easily as if they were describing the color of someone’s eyes. As hip-hop became the dominant (and most profitable) genre of the mid-to-late '90s, status rather than street cred became the primary bragging right of artists. Songs about struggle were replaced by anthems of excess. The setting moved from the street corner to the bow of a yacht. And one of the most coveted trophies of all was a woman.

 But not just any woman. She was a fantasized fetish, disposable arm candy. In many music videos of the time, women like this wore as little as possible and gyrated or sulked in whatever way best pleased the alpha male rapping the lyrics (the point of view in hip-hop was still overwhelmingly male.) This wasn’t empowerment through sexual expression. It was sexist hate speech. Queen Latifah wasn’t having it, though”.

Maybe some critics and fans were looking for music that was as potent and driving as some of the lyrics – an idea that the messages seem a bit weak without an intense vocal or some huge beats in every verse. I think that people should check out Nature of a Sista' as it is a fantastic album with many highlights. Maybe Queen Latifah was aiming for crossover appeal with Nature of a Sista', and I guess one can see Black Reign as a more focused album where she cemented her reputation. In a more positive review from 1991, Entertainment Weekly noted the following:

“Three years ago Queen Latifah tore the rap world apart, slapping macho rappers in the mouth with her fast and furious feminist rhymes, hitting them below the belt with groove-heavy rhythms and hard street beats. She spiced up hip-hop with a fierce house-music tempo, infused rap with Jamaican-style chanting and toasting, and never sounded contrived. Now an established club and recording artist at 21, Latifah is staking out new ground. Nature of a Sista’ bounces with the Queen’s usual dose of feisty, fresh rhymes, but it also shows her softer, more feminine side.

 She still keeps the brothers in check (”Latifah’s Had It Up to Here” and the album’s first single, ”Fly Girl”), but she’s toned down the sass and become more sensual and sophisticated. Here’s one woman who rejects sexism, but not sex. There’s more to Latifah than just gender politics; she purrs on some of the album’s slower tracks, then picks up the tempo on the ragamuffin-style ”Sexy Fancy,” which shows that Queen Latifah can be hard-line and playful at the same time. There’s something else special in the nature of this deep and resonant sista’: class”.

There are certain albums that you listen to and love personally that others do not rate it as highly. I have been listening to Nature of a Sista' this week and really getting involved with the album! It is not Queen Latifah’s best release, but I think that it is far stronger than its reputation suggests. It must have been hugely challenging and tough for women in Hip-Hop in the 1990s, so I do genuinely think that Nature of a Sista' is groundbreaking - and it is an album that needed to be released. One might say that certain tropes and attitudes in Hip-Hop have not changed – themes of excess; sexism and misogyny -, but I feel Nature of a Sista' inspired a lot of female rappers to follow in Queen Latifah’s lead (even if she was not the first to talk about empowerment and raise issues around sexism). If you have not heard Nature of a Sista', give the album a try as it is a really…

REWARDING listen.