FEATURE: The Dirty Dozen: The Most Underwhelming, Average and Just Plain Awful Albums of 2018

FEATURE:

 

 

The Dirty Dozen

PHOTO CREDIT: @isaiahrustad/Unsplash 

The Most Underwhelming, Average and Just Plain Awful Albums of 2018

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THERE are a lot of lists out at this time of year…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kevin_1658/Unsplash

that celebrate the best albums and heap praise on moments of brilliance! You get the odd list that does the reverse – by going after sub-par and bad albums – but not too many! I have already listed my favourite records this year so thought I would bookend things by going down the other end of the spectrum. There were albums I had hopes would be good and disappointed (Muse and Animal Collective) and some very plain and insipid ones (from Justin Timberlake and Richard Ashcroft); the awful ones (from Mumford & Sons and Fall Out Boy) to those that need to be burned and erased (Lil Xan and Machine Gun Kelly spring to mind!). Here are a dozen albums that most people will not see on the ‘best albums of 2018’ lists and occupying much headspace next year. Maybe you will disagree with some choices – and feel more ‘deserving’ albums need to be included - but here are twelve records that, I feel, either promised much and failed; left no real impact on the mind or…

PHOTO CREDIT: @freestock/Unsplash

LEFT a sour taste in the mouth.            

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Richard Ashcroft – Natural Rebel

Release Date: 19th October, 2018

Labels: BMG/Righteous Photogenic Association

Sample Review:

“The one dimensional pace omnipresent throughout Natural Rebel doesn't help matters, and by the time it does pick up on closing number 'Money Money', a close descendant of 2000's 'Money To Burn' that's heavily inspired by Let It Bleed era Rolling Stones, interest has waned to the point of no return. Which is a crying shame when all's said and done, because despite Natural Rebel's many flaws, Ashcroft's legacy as a distinguished songwriter of some repute remains. Even if his most distinguished works are confined to the past.

Nevertheless, in an era where the likes of Idles and Sleaford Mods (whose frontman is actually a year older than Ashcroft) are kicking up a storm against the political and social injustice that surrounds them, there's never been a less appropriate time to say nothing than the present. Sadly, Natural Rebel oozes magnolia from every pore, and in the current climate that simply won't do” – Drowned in Sound

Saving Grace Track: Born to Be Strangers

Machine Gun Kelly – BINGE

Release Date: 21st September, 2018  

Labels: Bad Boy/Interscope

Sample Review:

“In an interview recently, Eminem said: “Now I’m in this fuckin’ weird thing, because I’m like, ‘I gotta answer this motherfucker’, and every time I do that it makes them bigger by getting into this thing, where I’m like ‘I want to destroy him. But I also don’t want to make him bigger.'”

Sadly, it feels that this is just what has happened with ‘Binge’. Rather acting as an gateway to an important conversation about excess, and becoming MGK’s moment to shine, it has sadly become an EP all about Eminem and, as he raps on ‘Killshot’, a work about “who can out-petty who.” It could have been so much more” – NME

Saving Grace Track: LATELY

Lil Xan – TOTAL XANARCHY

Release Date: 6th April, 2018   

Label: Columbia

Sample Review:

“Bad lyrics don’t necessarily matter in pop-rap, and his intermittent facility for hooks means that some of the tracks succeed nonetheless – Wake Up will have you mumbling “I wake up, I throw up, I feel like I’m dead” all day – and there is some fine, gothic production from Mike Will Made-It and others. But Xan often struggles to create a unique timbre – Diamonds references XXXTentacion’s flow, while Far is uncannily similar to Post Malone – and he is shown up by his more talented guest stars, such as Rae Sremmurd, who helps make Shine Hard the album’s best track.

Lil Xan serves a purpose. At the risk of sounding like a funky supply teacher earnestly preaching from a flipped-around chair, rap is America’s folk music, constantly taking stock of the nation. Some rappers vocalise its troubles, but others, like Lil Xan and his SoundCloud brethren, reflect them – their violent misogyny, torpor and inarticulacy reveals as much about a rudderless generation as, say, Kendrick Lamar does. But that doesn’t mean it’s good to listen to. Like the much-memed Simpsons quote from Principal Skinner, it’s tempting to say the children are wrong about this” – The Guardian

Saving Grace Track: Betrayed

Fall Out Boy – MANIA

Release Date: 19th January, 2018   

Labels: Island/DCD2

Sample Review:

“Instead of making Fall Out Boy seem fresh, these electronic inflections wind up hinting at the group's age, as this frenetic music never seems to come as easily as the familiar amped-up blue-eyed soul and heady punk-pop. That transparent sense of labor does indeed make M A N I A seem manic, with Fall Out Boy not so much chasing trends as demonstrating that they know something is happening, they just don't know what it is. All this feverish digital desperation makes the already clamorous M A N I A feel positively cacophonic: it may only be 39 minutes but it's one long ride” – AllMusic

Saving Grace Track: Champion

Vance Joy – Nation of Two

Release Date: 23rd February, 2018   

Labels: Liberation

Sample Review:

“But a little of that naivety goes a long way, like a supermarket trifle, and the triteness of the metaphors grates. On Crashing Into You alone he offers “I was a bird, you opened my cage”, “You light up my days, my personal sun” and “you made me feel new”. It’s Hallmark greetings-card verse as song lyrics. Still, that’s better than when he tries to get thoughtful, on Lay It on Me: “Some things are simple and hard to ignore, they say, hmmm mmm, the truth is like that.” Which things are those? Who are they? Why is the truth like that? Expect to hear every track, everywhere, all through spring and summer” – The Guardian  

Saving Grace Track: Saturday Sun

Imagine Dragons – Origins

Release Date: 9th November, 2018

Labels: Kidinakorner/Polydor/Interscope

Sample Review:

“However, love is deemed to be the cure for all of the world’s problems, from apathy to violence, on the listless Love.  “It’s been a long time comin’, feel like we’ve all been runnin’, feel like the Wild West gunnin’, listen to our elders shunnin’, flippin’ on the news be talkin’, all about the problems shockin’, we put on our headphones walkin’,” he sings, calling out our modern-day sins over a rolling beat before rushing into the handwringing chorus of “Where did we all go wrong?” A very valid question.

Misery finds a home on Origins and, while societal problems are laid bare, the solutions – like simply turning off our phones on Real Life if the constant bad news gets you down –  are as lacklustre as the songs.

For a band so concerned with losing their identity among the masses (or the charts), Origins fails to deliver anything distinctive; but, for a band that regularly sells out arenas and stadiums, the nothingness of their lyrics will be drowned out by the rest of their noise” – The Irish Times

Saving Grace Track: Natural

Justin Timberlake – Man of the Woods

Release Date: 2nd February, 2018  

Label: RCA

Sample Review:

“Tunes-wise, Timberlake’s return to his roots is partial, as standout songs like Sauce and Filthy gyrate persuasively around Princely funk and bombastic, lubricious R&B. Midnight Summer Jam is the sort of busy party production that Timberlake has specialised in for years, abetted by the Neptunes (who produce again here).

From here on in an uneasy fusion ensues, however, in which Timberlake “gets his flannel on” (Flannel) and mostly fails to combine the rural with an edgy digital aesthetic – a particularly gnomic duet with country star Chris Stapleton (Say Something) is produced by Timbaland. Sometimes, though, new ground is broken. Wave is , blithe, downright ear-pricking ska just on the “yes” side of “what?” – The Observer

Saving Grace Track: Man of the Woods

Greta Van Fleet – Anthem of the Peaceful Army

Release Date: 19th October, 2018  

Label: Republic

Sample Review:

“Blame it on GVF's desperate desire to hit their marks precisely. The group is so intent on recapturing the majestic lumber of Zeppelin at their peak, they dare not miss a step, letting the riffs pile up so they suggest epics. Sometimes, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist Sam Kiszka, and drummer Danny Wagner do work up a head of drama -- no swing, of course, because it's harder to replicate John Bonham's beat than approximate Jimmy Page's guitar army -- but they're undone by Josh Kiszka, a singer who is intent on singing with velocity that he can't muster. Josh may be the weak link, but he merely reveals how the whole band seem to have learned their moves from watching late-night concerts on Palladium while buying pre-worn vintage-styled T's at Urban Outfitters. For the band and audience alike, Greta Van Fleet is nothing more than cosplay of the highest order” – AllMusic

Saving Grace Track: When the Curtail Falls

Sting & Shaggy – 44/876

Release Date: 20th April, 2018  

Labels: A&M/Interscope/Cherrytree

Sample Review:

“Perhaps the only shocker is that this Tommy Bahama shirt of an album isn’t even fun to laugh at. Sure, Sting drops awkward reference to “my good friend, Shaggy.” “Just One Lifetime” reggae-fies Lewis Carroll’s “The Walrus And The Carpenter.” One track is called, with no apparent self-awareness, “Sad Trombone.” (It’s about a sad trombonist.) But mostly, 44/876 is just unremarkable, limply competent reggae lite, designed for Sandals resort lobbies and Sting’s office” – The A.V. Club  

Saving Grace Track: Don’t Make Me Wait

Muse – Simulation Theory

Release Date: 9th November, 2018

Labels: Warner Bros./Helium-3

Sample Review:

“Take a step back from the ins and outs of the record and ‘Simulation Theory’ stands as a ridiculous, bombastic stab of maximalism from one of the world’s biggest stadium rock bands. The chugging intro of ‘Algorithm’ is perfect for walking out to at a sold-out Wembley Stadium to, and it’s clearly been written with exactly that in mind. Single ‘The Dark Side’ is a suitably groovy aside from the album’s relative lack of danceability, and by the time you’ve stopped laughing at the frankly jaw-dropping robotic intro to ‘Propaganda’, you realise you’re toe-tapping to its ‘80s-indebted verse without even realising.

The highlight is ‘Get Up And Fight’, beginning with hints of tropical house (stay with us) and skipping along with confidence before throwing out the best chorus the band have written in a decade. ‘Something Human’ is almost admirable in its absurdity - the lawsuit from Atomic Kitten’s ‘Whole Again’ is in the post - and if a Muse album isn’t meant to make you laugh, gasp and double-take in its ridiculousness, then we don’t wanna hear it” – DIY

Saving Grace Track: Pressure

Mumford & Sons – Delta

Release Date: 16th November, 2018

Labels: Gentlemen of the Road/Island/Glassnote

Sample Review:

“Perhaps this had a liberating effect on Mumford & Sons, allowing them to jam and create in ways both familiar and new, but it's hard to hear a kinetic spark on Delta. Rather, it's a measured and subdued affair, proceeding at a deliberate pace and unfurling at a hushed volume; even at its loudest moments, it seems quiet, even muffled. This kind of well-manicured production, when paired with a series of songs focused on internal journeys, ultimately has a lulling effect. There is a pulse, but it's soft and turned electronic. There is emotion, but it's been intentionally encased in a digital cocoon, one that flattens the group's bold accents (such as an embrace of vocoders) and turns Delta into soft, shimmering background music, ideal for any soothing setting you'd like” – AllMusic

Saving Grace Track: Guiding Light

Animal Collective – Tangerine Reef

Release Date: 17th August, 2018

Label: Domino

Sample Review:

“Tangerine Reef is described as a “visual tone poem”, which goes some way towards explaining the droning gurgled vocals sounding like spoken word being read underwater. Through experimental sound sculptures of disorienting free-flowing tempos, wildly contrasting pitches and timbres, Tangerine Reef gives a musical voice to these alien coral creatures and their aquatic world. If only it were a more mellifluous voice.

Strip away the warped vocals and heavy reverb to reveal occasional glimmers of beauty and unnerving dissonance, and it could be a film soundtrack – part horror, part nature documentary. But the most beautiful thing about this is by far the luminous fluorescence of the swaying coral creatures of the accompanying film” – The Independent

Saving Grace Track: Hair Cutter

FEATURE: Are They Messiahs or Just Very Naughty Boys?! The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and Comparisons to Radiohead’s Epochal OK Computer

FEATURE:

 

 

Are They Messiahs or Just Very Naughty Boys?!

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

The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and Comparisons to Radiohead’s Epochal OK Computer

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IT is not often you have these seismic albums arrive…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The 1975 (photoed back in 2016)

that gets critics drooling and writing the sort of words usually reserved for life-changing records and biblical events! The 1975’s latest new album, A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, is out on Friday and, as the name suggests, seems to suggest an investigation into modern trends; the way we communicate and how we can be too drawn into the machine. The Manchester band is just about to release their third record (another is already planned for next year) and ever since 2013’s The 1975, the band have grown in stature and confidence. 2016’s i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it split critics; not just because of its long-winded and odd title but the material was not as sharp as it could have been – in places, that is. It seems modern life and politics has played a bigger role into A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and that sense of understanding, emotion and revelation has wowed critics! In this interview with NME; lead singer Matt Healy spoke about the Internet and its dangers:

““Understand that the internet is an attention economy,” says Matty. “Become aware that the thing on Twitter where you scroll and it waits to update is a slot machine technique, an addiction-based mechanism. We’re not in 2004, it doesn’t need to do that. It’s there to keep you excited and to keep you off Facebook. And Facebook has an infinite scrolling feed to keep you off Twitter. And YouTube does automated videos at the end to keep you off Netflix. And Netflix lets you skip the intro to so you don’t get bored and then plays another fucking thing. In the real world they’re vying for your money, online they’re vying for your attention”.

 

He noted how technological change has made us more depressed...

“When text messaging first came about, it was still a one-to-one negotiation: I propose an idea or something to you, you exchange back to me,” says Matty. “When you get to 2010/2011, this new model of communication that exists is that you put something out there into the world and then you wait for a reaction. Now, if you look at the depression rates amongst young men, the correlation between these two things is very measurably concise, and amongst young women it’s insane”.

Technology and its changing role in our lives is being noted by many bands and, in a year that has seen observant, observational and hugely inspiring records like Joy as an Act of Resistance (IDLES) arrive; it is understandable bands like The 1975 are incorporating more impressions on modern love, technology and mental-health into their work. What makes their new record so varied and appealing is that blend of traditional love songs and heartbreak together with deeper, modern-day subjects. Healy, if the album is to be viewed as a work of genius, is not sure whether music itself makes us more happy:

“It’s a myth that people make music to be happy,” Matty said back then, in the West London offices of Dirty Hit. “Like, what’s even the point in happiness? It doesn’t serve anything you know? A good analogy is people working in the early days of radioactive material, exposing themselves to lethal levels of radiation in order to achieve a goal. Happiness isn’t involved in it. My creative pursuit doesn’t elicit that much happiness because a lot of the time it’s about the darker side of me. And that’s not a depressing thought, I think a lot of the time that’s the way it should be, if you’re really really challenging yourself. But yeah, it’s fucking torture”.

The album, conducted by Dan Stubbs, delved into the creative process and how the album came together. Healy’s addiction issues clouded the early recording stages and it seemed like A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships could easily have derailed before it even begun. There was therapy and recovery and, whilst he enjoys the odd fag, it seems the lead has cleaned up and is sober. You can hear a man going through these changes and wrestling with himself; trying to find real love and, at the same time, battling against the machine and its role in the world. A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is out on Friday but, from the songs we have already heard, we get a good impression of what the record is about:

“If you’ve been following the band’s campaign, you’ll know that the songs they’ve put out so far create a picture of an utterly unknowable album: ‘TooTime…’ is bouncy piano house, ‘Give Yourself A Try’ is fuzzed-up pop and ‘Sincerity Is Scary’, released last week, is glitchy neo-jazz. There seems to be no theme; where ‘TooTime’ is wilful fluff (“I’m at a point in my life where I love anything that just makes me feel good,” says Matty), another pre-release track, ‘Love It If We Made It’ is a towering and ingenious protest song. It casts no opinion on anything, but simply describes images and soundbites of the modern world: “Poison me daddy… A beach of drowning three-year-olds…”

“It’s a bit of a… what’s a good word for curveball? It’s the least kind of on-the-nose, sticky record that I’ve ever done, there’s no theme, there’s no gags. In fact, no, there are shitloads of gags, but it’s not like so self-aware and so ‘am I a rockstar or am I a dickhead or am I an egomaniac?’ this time. It’s just really honest. But it’s not weird, because what would be a weird 1975 record is if we brought out something like that Arctic Monkeys record that was very different for them but has a consistent sound. I don’t know how to do that, that’s a skill I do not have”.

One reason why IDLES’ latest album has won plaudits and towering reviews is its relevance and fearless tones. The band tackle toxic masculinity and depression; they look at Brexit and how the country is changing and, because of that, people have these ersatz leaders who are speaking the truth and understand what we are all going through. It is that important step away from mainstream and cliché subjects – band talking about love and the same old crap – that has captivated people. Even when The 1975 talk about relationships and hearts on A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships they are doing so in a way like very few others have done.

It is clear critics have been caught and dumbstruck by what they have heard on A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. Stereogum provided their take:

“Whether people like it or not, there’s a real chance the 1975 are on track to be one of the defining names of the decade, a real chance they have a true generation-defining classic in them. There is a noble cause in their work so far, a young band not looking back as they careen headlong into all kinds of treacherous territory. That’s what makes the 1975 what they are, what makes them worth paying attention to as they mutate and try and find their way to the next sound. Because somewhere within this band, there is something that is indeed very in tune with our times”.

NME echoed that and provided their thoughts regarding the band’s album:

“‘Mine’ is a breathtaking piece of work, and one of many here that proves that The 1975’s core songwriting team of Matty Healy and George Daniel are not just the most accomplished and creative duo working in pop right now but the closest thing we have to a present-day Lennon and McCartney, a pair whose golden touch makes them near-enough unassailable. Clever and profound, funny and light, serious and heartbreaking, painfully modern and classic-sounding all at the same time, ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’ is a game-changing album, one that challenges The 1975’s peers – if, indeed, there are any – to raise their game...

PHOTO CREDIT: Danny North for NME

So Healy had set out to describe his own experience, but in doing so has produced an artefact that sums up millennial life, a magpie pop masterpiece that could only be made right now and right here. And for every stupid joke you’ve heard about avocados and house prices and safe spaces and jazz hands, this is a piece of art that shows another side to a generation, one of achievement, wit and humanity in the most confusing of times. Clever boys”.

Consequence of Sound gave their viewpoint:

“A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships stretches the definition of what a rock album can be in 2018. Through empathy and a willingness to engage, Healy, a self-described “millennial who baby boomers like,” writes songs for a largely misunderstood generation without playing into the trap of lambasting an entire group of people”.

The Line of Best Fit also commented on the Radiohead similarities:

“The album ends on a self-consciously euphoric note, with the carefully constructed soaring indie of “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes).” It could be read as the natural end point of the album’s commitment to earnestness, or a high-concept song designed for end-of-encore sing-alongs: a final Britpop goodbye in the world’s dying embers, because we all want to go out to the sound of something familiar. That it could be read as either of these things – sincere or meta – is what makes The 1975, and this record, so compelling...

 

Comparisons will be made to Radiohead’s OK Computer, another era-defining third album that examines the internet’s effects on our interpersonal lives. But A Brief Inquiry… actually resembles Kid A’s best two tracks, “How to Disappear Completely” and “Motion Picture Soundtrack” – music that wrenches magnificence from the barest bones of humanity. By interrogating the strategies we employ to keep on living in an impossible world, this astonishing album has become one”.

It is a rather bold claim comparing The 1975’s latest with something as revered and titanic as OK Computer but many critics are going there. Like Radiohead’s epochal and genre-fusing masterpiece; The 1975 are able to mix the simple and traditional with something a little unexpected. Talking with Pitchfork; Matty Healy was asked about the band’s U.K. Garage stab in How to Draw/Petrichor. Radiohead, on OK Computer, has raw rockers like Electioneering; it is seems The 1975 were keen to open their palette when it came to writing a song like this:

“Growing up in the UK, if the radio was on past 7 o’clock, it was dance music. It’s the soundtrack to nighttime, to being up too late, to being a kid. So it’s not so much us trying to pay homage to the records we were into as teenagers as much as it was the sound of being young to me. That’s why “How to Draw” is really easy for us, because that’s our identity. That’s where we come from”.

Love It If We Made It has a political edge and it is a song that seems to be very of-the-moment and represents what many of us are all thinking – with lines including Donald Trump and Kanye West:

“Basically, every day post-I Like It When You Sleep, I got [Dirty Hit Records product manager] Ed [Blow] to pick up the tabloid newspapers on the way into the office so I could eventually, after a year, have every single tabloid headline and write a song about that”.

Not only are the lyrical themes impressive and wide but the compositions are varied and eye-opening. This is not a traditional Pop/Rock album in any sense. A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationship, in the same way as Radiohead experimented on OK Computer in 1997 and Kid A in 2000, steps in different directions and uses traditional instruments, effects and genres like Jazz. Sincerity Is Scary features the brilliant Roy Hargrove. That recording experience, evidently, was impactful:

“...So intense. You’d get him in the room and you’d be so scared. He did the trumpets on D’Angelo’s Voodoo, which is the most iconic brass section for us ever. He was the greatest musician I’ve ever been in a room with, by a mile”.

The Man Who Married a Robot/Love Theme is close to one of Radiohead’s OK Computer cuts, Fitter Happier. Although Radiohead’s song features a computer voice programmed used by Professor Stephen Hawking; The 1975 used a more modern and accessible technology: ‘Siri’:

“This is a spoken word track recited by Siri about a lonely man who falls in love with the internet. How much do you identify with that character?

Probably more than I’d like to. It’s just pointing out how fucking weird things are by that removal of the human experience—just hearing a robot saying “cooked animals” on this track is a bad vibe, right? Why is it a bad vibe? This is the question I’m asking. It’s the acknowledgement of an already existing dystopian reality. It sounds like a warning of what a future could be, but you realize it’s exactly what we’re living in”.

There are tales of rehab, recovery and personal pains that weaves its own narrative around an adjacent one concerning modern life, politics and touring. The 1975 tackle touring America and tackle politics; they discuss machines and there are personal scars to be found. Radiohead took a spacey angle on Subterranean Homesick Alien and a near-fatal car accident on Airbag; they were simple on Let Down but created an anthem; Electioneering related to an anonymous but desperate politician whereas No Surprises seemed to encapsulate the exhaustion and malaise of modern life in a haunting and strangely resigned song. Thom Yorke sung about a plane crash on Lucky and Paranoid Android – their multi-part epic – looked at coke-snorting, Gucci-wearing “piggies” and all sorts of f*cking chaos. The 1975 have a comparable song on their album and they tackle the same sort of topics; their compositional variety is as ambitious and realised and, against all expectations, there is a lot of Jazz influence – more fitting of Kid A than OK Computer, one feels. Mine – a standout from the album – has an intense vocal but seems to be the band’s Jazz standard...did they expect to do that?

“Me neither. It came from our love of Coltrane. I always use the magpie analogy: A magpie will collect a diamond or a piece of glass or a piece of foil—it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s shiny and attractive. It’s the same thing with us—as long as it’s beautiful. And I wanted a standard, because imagine writing a new Gershwin song, imagine a new one of those existing. That hasn’t happened since—it’s difficult to say. Was it Mariah Carey’s Christmas song? That’s probably the last one. “Hey There Delilah?” That was big. [laughs]”.

Given the fact A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships looks at the modern age with raw honesty and grace; many would not have expected relief and lightness. Like OK Computer; The 1975 bring Britpop tones (Lucky, I guess, was Radiohead’s uplifting, if bitter, track) to end the album with – I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes), despite its less-than-joyous title, has a lot of pomp and anthemic quality. Matty Healy did not expect to write a Britpop-esque song when he went into the studio:

“Well, it did. But then, in the production, I was actually quite clever, because it sits in the middle. It’s not a “Bittersweet Symphony” or an Oasis song really, because it’s not as dark. But lyrically, vocally, it’s so Manchester. But then I got David [Campbell], who did the strings for “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls, to do the strings for it. I was thinking, “I have the potential for this to be cinematic. Why not do a gritty, English ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’?” It just made a lot of sense. As I was putting the strings on it, I was like, “Is this our big song?”

Not only does one seem some mirroring, conscious or not, regarding themes and emotional balance but, when looking at the reviews OK Computer received and how critics raved; it seems like The 1975 have achieved a lot of the same things and struck a similar tone:

“OK Computer received widespread critical acclaim. Critics in the British and American press generally agreed that the album was a landmark and would have far-reaching impact and importance,[149][150] and that its experimentalism made it a challenging listen. According to Tim Footman, "Not since 1967, with the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, had so many major critics agreed immediately, not only on an album's merits, but on its long-term significance, and its ability to encapsulate a particular point in history"[151]... 

In the English press, the album garnered favourable reviews in NME,[97] Melody Maker,[152] The Guardian,[80] and Q.[93]Nick Kent wrote in Mojo that "Others may end up selling more, but in 20 years time I'm betting OK Computer will be seen as the key record of 1997, the one to take rock forward instead of artfully revamping images and song-structures from an earlier era."[75] John Harris in Select wrote: "Every word sounds achingly sincere, every note spewed from the heart, and yet it roots itself firmly in a world of steel, glass, random-access memory and prickly-skinned paranoia."[153]

The album was well received by critics in North America. Rolling Stone,[147] Spin,[42] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,[154] Pitchfork[146] and the Daily Herald[155] published positive reviews. In The New Yorker, Alex Ross praised its progressiveness, and contrasted Radiohead's risk-taking with the musically conservative "dadrock" of their contemporaries Oasis. Ross wrote that "Throughout the album, contrasts of mood and style are extreme ... This band has pulled off one of the great art-pop balancing acts in the history of rock"[156].

I guess there are a few reasons why The 1975’s latest album is being compared to OK Computer. Both seem to represent the times we are in and have that relevance. In 1997, we saw Tony Blair become Prime Minister but there was a lot of uncertainty and dread before then. Radiohead sensed the changes and need for betterment! Now, twenty-one years later, we have a precarious and fraught country where we need to see political evolution and a new order.

Similar to 1997, music was changing and Britpop, I guess, was all but done. The hubris, joy and togetherness of being British was fading and a new, American sound was creeping into a lot of bands’ work – look at Blur’s eponymous album of 1997 and how different it sounds to 1994’s Parklife! Pop and the mainstream is changing and genres like Grime are playing a bigger role. Stormzy has been booked as a Glastonbury headliner and groups like IDLES are producing the most striking and memorable albums right now. Pop still holds relevance but artists who are succeeding are writing something much more deep and interesting than the usual fare. Radiohead moved from the slightly more conventional sounds of The Bends and brought in new elements and genres into OK Computer. The 1975 has progressed their sound and, through fifteen tracks, their lyrics and sounds go in all sorts of directions! A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships can gain comparisons with Radiohead’s 1997 opus because, in many ways, the country is in the same place as it was then! Thom Yorke’s mindset and mentality during the recording of OK Computer was quite fragile and he was not in a great space. Not burdened by addiction like Matty Healy; both leads drew from personal demons and a rather uncertainty time and harnessed that in their lyrics.

A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is very much 2018’s OK Computer in many ways. That classic album has a couple of less-than-genius songs and you cannot see it is faultless! The reasons it resonated back then were because of the leap Radiohead took and how the sounds/tones seemed to reflect a changing political and musical landscape. It was the clash of the past Pop and modern seriousness; the frail government being replaced and the need for something better. Maybe this wave of critical excitement and hyperbole is a reaction to the ambition of The 1975 and how they have made something staggeringly bold, varied and unusual. Whilst I maintain the God-like status being conferred on them is a little rash and premature; A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is an album that seems to speak to every single person. You have tales of addiction and heartache that will strike many; the cross-pollination and musical endeavour is thrilling and themes around the Internet and modern celebrity are fresh and of-the-moment. It is that blend of the contemporary and classical; the deeply personal and widespread-global that seems to make the record such a complete, daring and luminous beast.

The greatest test will be whether the record can sustain and influence down the line. OK Computer’s influence is clear and extraordinary:

“The release of OK Computer coincided with the decline of Britpop.[note 3] Through OK Computer's influence, the dominant UK guitar pop shifted toward an approximation of "Radiohead's paranoid but confessional, slurry but catchy" approach.[200]Many newer British acts adopted similarly complex, atmospheric arrangements; for example, the post-Britpop band Travis worked with Godrich to create the languid pop texture of The Man Who, which became the fourth best-selling album of 1999 in the UK.[201] Some in the British press accused Travis of appropriating Radiohead's sound.[202] Steven Hyden of AV Clubsaid that by 1998, starting with The Man Who, "what Radiohead had created in OK Computer had already grown much bigger than the band," and that the album went on to influence "a wave of British-rock balladeers that reached its zenith in the '00s".[195]

OK Computer's popularity influenced the next generation of British alternative rock bands,[note 4] and established musicians in a variety of genres have praised it.[note 5] Bloc Party[203] and TV on the Radio[204] said they were formatively influenced by OK Computer; TV on the Radio's debut album was titled OK Calculator as a lighthearted tribute.[205] Radiohead described the pervasiveness of bands that "sound like us" as one reason to break with the style of OK Computer for their next album, Kid A.[206]

Although OK Computer's influence on rock musicians is widely acknowledged, several critics believe that its experimental inclination was not authentically embraced on a wide scale. Footman said the "Radiohead Lite" bands that followed were "missing [OK Computer's] sonic inventiveness, not to mention the lyrical substance."[207] David Cavanagh said that most of OK Computer's purported mainstream influence more likely stemmed from the ballads on The Bends. According to Cavanagh, "The populist albums of the post-OK Computer era—the Verve's Urban Hymns, Travis's Good Feeling, Stereophonics' Word Gets Around, Robbie Williams' Life thru a Lens—effectively closed the door that OK Computer's boffin-esque inventiveness had opened"[9]

When we listen on Friday and have a chance for everything to sink in and play without barriers then that will give a bigger and clearer impression. I think it will take a few years to see whether A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships holds the same sort of importance and legacy as OK Computer – and whether The 1975 can impact the next generation in such a way – and whether it is ranked alongside the best albums of all-time. I do not think we can easily compare the two right away but, in terms of the immediacy and mind-blowing lyrical, compositional and production aspects; it would be quite justified comparing The 1975 with Radiohead. The latter followed that gauntlet with Kid A and Amnesiac in 2000 and took their sound in a more Electronic and Experimental direction.

The 1975 have promised us Notes on a Conditional Form next year and one wonders whether they will repeat A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships – like a two-part tale – or it will go in another direction. I cannot wait to see how their careers progress and where they head next. The band has already been confirmed as headliners for Reading and Leeds 2019 and one suspect they will duke it out with IDLES for a headline spot at Glastonbury. The five-star, hugely vacillating reviews A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships suggests we are witnessing something generation-defining and revolutionary. It will be a long time before we can legitimately and securely compare something like A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships to a heady masterpiece like OK Computer but, given the state of the world and comparisons to 1997 then who is to say?! We have been lucky enough to receive several charged, 2018-defining and political/socio-political records this year – from Chris (Christine and the Queens) and Hunter (Anna Calvi) to Joy as an Act of Resistance (IDLES) – and The 1975 end 2018 with another slice of gold! I am always uneasy comparing modern albums to the iconic examples of the past because I like to think the past is better…and modern music cannot compete! Maybe I need to rotate my dish and accept that, every now and then, records today will be able to rub shoulders against the classics. Maybe A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships will not quite earn the same respect, legacy and future-impact as OK Computer but it is clear that The 1975 are not merely very naughty boys. They might be, in a real and relevant way...

MODERN-DAY messiahs...

INTERVIEW: Hollie Haines

INTERVIEW:

Hollie Haines

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THANKS to Hollie Haines...

for talking with me about her new single, Mine, and its story; the inspirations behind her album, Letters to My Last Love, and whether she has a favourite cut from the record – she reveals some of the artists who have motivated her.

I ask whether there are tour dates coming up and if there are a few albums that are especially important; any new/approaching acts we need to get behind and what she has planned going forward – Haines picks an awesome song to end things on.

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Hi, Hollie. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey, Sam. I’m doing really well. My week has been busy - with the album coming out - but I’m happy

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I like to call my stuff ‘music-for-people-who-like-to-cry-to-music’ and that’s not as morbid as it sounds! I just mean I put a lot of feelings into my music and, if you’re into that, hopefully you’ll be into my music. But also Folk. 

Mine is your latest single. What was it about the song that marked it as a single?

I wrote mine about one of my best friends falling in love. It feels like it ties the whole album together and is about such real and pure love.

It is from the album, Letters to My Last Love. Can you explain the concept behind the album and how it started life?

Last year, I went through a big change in my life: I moved to London, I came out of a relationship and graduated university. I felt very lost and wanted to document my journey of getting back on my feet through songs and so that became Letters’ and its a journey of losing love and going through your healing. 

Do you have a personal favourite song from the album?

Yes! I Got Through, Babe is my favourite! I love it so much. It was the first healing song I wrote and it’s so special to me. It’s also really fun to play. 

Can you give me an idea of the artists, older and new, who inspire you and compel your own sound?

Richard Thompson has always informed my music and is the reason I love Folk music so much. Johnny Flynn reminds me that I can seep a bit into Country music and not taking my songs too seriously. Also listing to Father John Misty keeps me looking for new ideas and to keep moving forward with my music.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes! I’m planning a tour for February/March and thinking about my next release. It’s just in the ideas stage but if it works I’ll have something really special out next year. 

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Playing in Graz for Sofar Sounds after a twenty-four-hour journey was incredibly special. The audience really listened to my stories and came up to me after and chatted to me about my songs. It was really moving for me to have people be so open about how my music made them feel.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

Richard Thompson - Old Kit Bag; Taylor Swift - Speak Now; Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

All of these albums really inspired the way I tell stories through my lyrics and the chords I use etc. They were big educating albums for me.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be? 

Two Christmas trees in the house! I’ve been asking my parents for years but they haven’t caved yet!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Taylor Swift without a doubt. What a queen. I’d need a kettle, tea bags and a bowl of Smarties and I’ll be happy.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

No tour until next year but I have two shows left this year. 3rd December in Leeds and 8th December in Southend.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Take your time and stick to your guns. There’s no rush to put things out before you’re ready - and play with as many ideas as you can. 

IN THIS PHOTO: Ferris & Sylvester/PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Alexander Harris

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Ferris & Sylvester. They’re not really new anymore but they were when I started listening to them and they’re amazing.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I’ve been trying really hard recently to honour my time off and give myself time away from my laptop and guitar. I do yoga, go on walks and draw. I stay creative all the time even when I’m not doing music because I can never switch off from that. I’ve got a creative brain. 

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

dodie - If I’m Being Honest. My current favourite 

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Follow Hollie Haines

Official:

https://www.holliehaines.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/holliehaines

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/holliehainessongs/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3TmWI5f479FgFtRzEcs6DA?si=_jOv4OuZQ_CPsTDwwsbbBg

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/hollie-haines

INTERVIEW: Matt Perriment

INTERVIEW:

Matt Perriment

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TODAY’S first outing...

finds me talking with Matt Perriment about his new single, Oceans, and its background. I wanted to know whether he has any plans for next year and which artists are influential to him – he reveals a few albums that are especially important.

Perriment talks about his progress as a songwriter and which artist he’d support if he could; which rising acts we need to get behind and whether he gets time to unwind outside of music – he picks a cool song to end the interview with.

____________

Hi, Matt. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! I’m great, thanks. My week’s been pretty manic. We released the new single the previous week and spent the weekend shooting two live music videos in a beautiful manor house in Norfolk with the team, so it’s been busy…in a very good way!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m a British singer-songwriter based in London and lived here for about eight years after moving from down south. I'm completely self taught for all instruments and vocals and started writing music about seven years ago and never stopped. Music has always been an escape for me. From the start until this day I write and play music to deal with the ups and downs in my life; every song is a snapshot of a moment in life - a way of dealing with them in a way. 

Oceans is your new single. Is there a story behind it?

Oceans is about the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship and the longing for someone to come home. Home in this track isn't really physical. It's about being together, whether that's travelling the world or an actual home. In essence, it’s tough but it’s worth it in the end.

Might we see more material next year? What are you working on?

We’ve just started releasing new music for the first time in a year and half. On 16th November, we released Oceans, the first single of the new E.P., Memos. I’m really excited for 2019. We just signed a deal with V2 Records for the next E.P. meaning we’ve got three singles being released (November, January and February) followed by a full, five-track E.P. in March.

What sort of music did you grow up around? Which artists inspired you to get into music?

It’s odd, actually. I didn’t necessarily grow up around music and I never studied it - and I don’t come from a particularly musical family so I’ve grown up discovering music for myself. For that reason, it wasn’t other artists that inspired me to get into music, it was more discovering the way that playing and writing music made me feel which kept me going.

That being said, I'm hugely influenced by singer-songwriters like John Mayer, Matt Corby and Ben Howard but, in truth, I think songwriting and music is about honesty and integrity and any artist of any genre that plays and writes with integrity and honesty is an influence for me.

How do you think you have evolved as a songwriter and performer since the start of your career?

I’m really lucky to play with an amazing band behind me. I’ve found playing with other musicians and incorporating more instruments into my track has enabled my writing and song structure to breath. I don’t have to fill space in a track with complicated guitar all the time as we can use other instruments for that. My writing has really matured because of that and it’s opened up a completely different avenues.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

There’s some really exciting touring news to come in 2019 and we’re doing our first-ever international headline show in the Netherlands and biggest London headline show to date. Also, our Memos is out in March which I’m excited for!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

This is a tough one. There’s been so many incredible moments. I’m going to give you two…sorry.

My first every headline show in London blew me away. We sold out the Servant Jazz Quarters and it was the first time I truly felt people wanted to listen. I’ll never forget that night; playing to that room of eighty-ninety people beats playing to thousands at a festival or huge support show.

The first time someone got in contact with me to tell me how one of my tracks helped them through their depression and how it had an impact on their life really shocked me. It’s incredible and makes me really proud that my tracks can help someone in some way in their life; the same way my tracks help me. Music is incredible in that way and it’s an amazing to be a part of that.

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication

I actually used to drum along almost every day after school to this album and it was the first album I could listen to and be completely lost in the flow of the music.

John Mayer – Continuum

This is probably my favourite ever album. For me, the integrity in the songwriting and guitar playing is inspirational. It showed me that albums and E.P.s need to be versatile. This man is my hero.

Ben Howard – Every Kingdom

This guy really is the pioneer of my generation for acoustic singer-songwriting in my opinion. His use of alternate tunings is incredible and it showed me what an acoustic guitar is capable of. My set now includes six alternate tunings in one hour and I completely blame him.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

Plane ticket to Canada.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Ben Howard – and on my rider some ginger tea to calm me down as I’m fuc*ing supporting Ben Howard.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be patient. You have to grow as a musician and artist for it to be done right. The most important part of everything you do is the music. Write what you want to write and let the industry focus on the superficial stuff. Don’t be scared to release your tracks in the world and be prepared to work really hard. The highs are worth the lows.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

London headline show in March 2019. Netherlands headline show in April 2019.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Phoebe Bridgers/PHOTO CREDIT: Ray Lego (for Under the Radar)

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Phoebe Bridgers is magical. Dermot Kennedy is a lyrical genius. Henry Jamison is a beautiful storyteller.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Henry Jamison

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

In truth, no. I work full-time alongside my music when I’m not touring which is really tough. Playing music is my work; the way I relax and chill and absorbs most of my life. Wouldn’t have it any other way. I also love squash.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Unknown by Tuvaband. I’ll dedicate this one to Beatrix Perks

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Follow Matt Perriment

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mattperriment/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mperriment

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MattPerrimentMusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6sZDpE6FObUEWdKLJxv5IZ?si=TqxfvzhATQKcaKDZtzCcbg

FEATURE: From the Typewriters to the Social Media Titans: Are Celebrities More Influential Tastemakers Than Traditional D.J.s/Journalists?

FEATURE:

 

 

From the Typewriters to the Social Media Titans

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash 

Are Celebrities More Influential Tastemakers Than Traditional D.J.s/Journalists?

__________

I was reading an article today…

 IN THIS PHOTO: boygenius (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker)/PHOTO CREDIT: Lera Pentelute

that posited a rather terrifying future. Mark Beaumont, writing for NME, observed how celebrities and the Instagram elite like Kendall Jenner are pushing a greater number of people towards new music. He observed how, when giving a shout-out to the splendid boygenius;  the female trio increased their fanbase and a lot of Jenner’s followers were checking them out. I am not sure whether Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker are actually called ‘boygenius’ or it is their E.P. title but, in any case, let’s put semantics away and think about what Beaumont observed:

“At the very top of the pile (or thereabouts) sits Kendall Jenner, queen of vacuous celebrity-for-celebrity’s-sake culture and a selfless proponent of the millennial dream of becoming fabulously rich by having the best cheekbones on a shit TV show. Kendall’s the ultimate symbol of the blind devotion that’s now paid to the stunning yet pointless. Social media allows her followers to feel as though they’re somehow involved in her life, despite having the same level of personal, one-on-one relationship with her as I have with Pizza Hut’s monthly discount code generator.
Now we’re facing a future where individual A-list influencers like Jenner become out-of-control ultra-Peels. To be honest, part of me thinks that leaving Insta big-shots like Huda Kattan and Cristiano Ronaldo in charge of pop music can’t be any worse than the current algorithm system, which just gives you more and more of what you like already...

 I’ve been experimenting with clicking endlessly on whatever video is ‘Up Next’ on my YouTube feed and it turns out I’m never more than five clicks away from a Muse video, usually via several screenings of ‘Fever’ by something called Balthazar, who have presumably shelled out the big bucks to clog up my internet feeds for the foreseeable future. It’s all further proof that entertainment technology is tantamount to cultural surveillance. The other day Spotify started playing Tony Orlando’s ‘Bless You’ when I sneezed, and I only had to mention to a work colleague that I was considering listening to the new Mumford & Sons album and suddenly Facebook started showing me adverts for Dignitas”.

I guess, from a purely mathematical and observational standpoint, if any big celebrity plugs an artist or suggests a brand then, soon enough, people will flock that way. There is something obviously very controlling and inescapable about social media. I have never met Stephen Fry but love his work and, if on social media, he recommended eating a pinecone, I’d seriously have to hold myself back from having a nibble! In music terms, yeah, I am quite susceptible and malleable. I look out at music magazines and the traditional tastemakers and put them first but what is a big artist or celebrity tipped a new artist? If I trusted a celebrity and had no reason to doubt their recommendation then I would follow that tip.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kendall Jenner/PHOTO CREDIT: Gisela Schober/Getty Images

Those with millions and millions of followers can make an artist with a single tweet or Instagram photo. It is scary to think how much power they wield but, as much as anything, it is the unreserved trust that followers hold – this sort of idol-worshipping culture where the likes of Kendall Jenner has countless teenagers idolising her and would do anything she says. I am not suggesting social media is a form of brainwashing but I also feel like, unheard, she could push a lot of people the way of certain artists. One might think that there is no issue. You are not forcing them to listen and people can make their own minds up; if they are good then you have done a great thing. The thing is the power that these big names have. Look at the likes of Jenner, Kim Kardashian and any number of celebrity vloggers, Instagram stars and YouTube icons and they have legions of fans. They can get online and post a comment; they can recommend musicians and have more sway than most of the D.J.s out there. One reason why I was caught by Beaumont’s theory and post was that notion: the fact we are seeing a break from the established tastemakers and a nudge to these Internet personalities. The nature of what a music journalist is right now is changing.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @chrisspiegl/Unsplash

I have written pieces asking whether we still value the opinions of journalists and read critical reviews. Why read an album review by some broadsheet writer when we can go onto Spotify and listen to it ourselves?! Are we going to listen to a range of different tips and artist suggestions when this celebrity gives us the one name – and they have many more followers than all of those journos combined! We are relying more on our own opinions and the Internet as opposed the old guard of music D.J.s. Consider the iconic and peerless John Peel. During his lifetime, his radio show played host to hundreds of artists and his infectious personality and enthusiastic curiosity made us all feel we had this wise elder who knew the game and was giving us a rare insight into artists about to hit the big time. So many, myself included, revered the man and I discovered The White Stripes through him. He would receive records through the post and have a play – putting the ones he liked and felt has legs on his show. It was a ritual listening to him and hearing these artists perform for him. Now that radio is so widespread and music media is vast; do we ever really have the opportunity and time to focus on this all-conquering tastemaker? Do they even exist anymore?!

 IN THIS PHOTO: John Peel/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/The John Peel Archive

I listen to certain D.J.s and tend to find I am more influenced by stations and publications rather than specific people. My own reviews and interviews attract some response and influence but I wonder how powerful my recommendations are. I think the times of the printed music press guiding our thoughts and stalwarts like Peel guiding our tastes are gone. I still think, mind, artists value the backing and guidance of ‘traditional’ channels – radio and music press – rather than these celebrity endorsements. I have just heard the BBC Radio 6 Music albums of 2018 rundown and their top album is IDLES’ Joy as an Act of Resistance. The band are honoured to receive that accolade and the relationship between radio and artists is pure. I am called a ‘tastemaker’ and there are some who follow my advice. I realise my scope and power is limited and do not have the same muscle and impact as big celebrities. Kendall Jenner is not the only Instagram star that is able to sway opinion and get a music act a swarm of new fans. The murky world of paid sponsorship; the link between brands and celebrities is nothing new. This article, from two years ago, looked at how it can be controversial when celebrities endorse products – and whether they are being paid:

“But the murky rules of the relatively new form of advertising means that many celebs and lesser known fitspo, foodie and fashion 'influencers' do not always make it plain when they've been paid to post… 

FEMAIL caught up with the CEO of social media influencer app, TRIBE, Anthony Svirskis, to find out the dos and don'ts when it comes to making money from being a social influencer.

PHOTO CREDIT: @bneale87/Unsplash 

According to the popular influencer app, TRIBE, posters are not required by law to disclose a sponsored post in Australia. However, TRIBE writes on their website that: 'We strongly recommend you do'.

The app's founders recommends adding #spon, as is the law in other countries including the US and UK, next to a photograph you have been paid to promote so that your followers can reasonably identify branded contact. 

When it comes to some digital influencers, including the likes of fashion blogger, Chiara Ferragni from the Blonde Salad and celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, their followings are higher than some of the biggest international publications.

The power of click-throughs from their Instagram promotions, from Coke to Calvin Klein, has never been stronger”.

There is the danger that artists, small or big, could find themselves paying big Instagram and social media stars to plug their music and pushing people their way. You get that problem with quality and whether financial profit is the motivator rather than genuine interest. Mark Beaumont, in his article, worried whether the lure of money and personal gain would be a bigger motivator than the music:

“At least influencers might plug something unpredictable or challenging. But since they’re all so buyable, I suspect we’ll see the high priority acts queuing up to pay their way into the latest industry fast-track, another way for the money men to secure the ramparts of success. And what of those with a tighter budget? Will the musical landscape become defined by the level of internet star each act can afford to endorse them? Will rising rock bands start bunging Scarlett Moffatt a couple of grand for an Insta shot in their T-shirt, in the hope it’ll get them enough exposure to land an afternoon slot at Bestival? Will glamorous pop hopefuls shove a monkey Piers Morgan’s way in return for a sexist diatribe about their naked poster campaign, thereby bagging five minutes on Graham Norton’s sofa?”

 IN THIS PHOTO: John Peel/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/The John Peel Archive 

I do like how the Internet allows for a broader conversation and greater choice but, when it comes to music, it should be kept away from paid hands and bigger stars. We might not have someone as titanic as John Peel helping us decide the good and long-lasting but there are some great radio stations and presenters who place the quality and originality of music above everything else. If you read the great music websites out there and have a solid rotation then you will get consensus and you’ll find people who are on your wavelength. Whilst somebody like Kendall Jenner might tip a great artist once in a while; I think there is that murkiness regarding paid promotion, the influence these huge stars have and how they can take power away from the more established and ‘proper’ critics. Some might argue everyone is entitled to their opinions and there is no real right or wrong but I do worry why certain stars are motivated to promote certain musicians. The fact boygenius might have gained a bigger push towards the mainstream because of Jenner suggests celebrity is more important than the music itself – even through their music is excellent. The biggest problem is how easy it would be for so-so artists to jump the queue and get to the mainstream quickly whereas someone decent who has been working for years does not have that advantage.

 IMAGE CREDIT: NME/Getty Images

I am not so much worried about my position as a journalist and impact; how others – such as music websites and D.J.s – will be affected and whether they will lose influence. The problem revolves around the mega-stars who can make an artist so easily. You not only get this quick-fix-style career but the quality is questionable. This concern extends to products and businesses. Big musicians, celebrities and actors are using social media to plug who-knows-what and are getting paid to lend their voices to these companies. Music needs to be that safe and unpolluted industry where artists get where they want to head because of talent alone. I can see the temptation of paying an Instagram star for a boost or following the word of these stars but it is a rather unfair and singular opinion. What about the music press and listening to the voice of critics?! Even if you do not feel music critics hold as much relevance as years past, they have passion and work tirelessly to find the best music. Following the views and posts of your favourite star is alright but we can assume the more followers they have the better their music knowledge is. Confusing taste and genuine passion with popularity and celebrity is something that could threaten the role of critics in the future. I do not feel the traditional music journalist will be silenced and have a reduced role but cases where online stars have helped hugely boost an artist so easily makes me fearful...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @erik_lucatero/Unsplash

HOW we will view music tastemakers of the future.  

FEATURE: The Compilation That Seduced a Nation... Now That’s What I Call Music! at Thirty-Five: Twelve Essential Editions You Need to Own

FEATURE:

 

 

The Compilation That Seduced a Nation...

Now That’s What I Call Music! at Thirty-Five: Twelve Essential Editions You Need to Own

__________

ONE might feel that this is a bit overkill…

 IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for the latest Now That’s What I Call Music! (released last Friday)

to make such a fuss over a compilation series – not even including the offshoots from the ‘pure’ strand – but you cannot deny Now That’s What I Call Music! is a glorious thing! It is thirty-five on Wednesday and I am one of those people who grew up with the series. I was actually born the same year as Now That’s What I Call Music! and am a bit too young to remember the first edition the first time around. Looking back; I can only imagine the excitement and thrill of hearing this new album come out, in 1983, that collated all the biggest chart hits of the year and put them into one place. There was no Internet and Spotify back in 1983 so the only way people were listening to music was on vinyl and cassette. The C.D. had only been introduced to the world the year before so there was this preciousness and exclusivity owning the first Now That’s What I Call Music! If you have an original edition in your palms then one imagines it is worth quite a bob or two! The fact there was a second instalment meant the public were reacting to its unique and populist edge – songs from Culture Club and Duran Duran on the first edition meant people wanted more and a nice way of gathering the best hits of the day.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ariana Grande (one of the artists included in the current Now That’s What I Call Music! compilation)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press

The success of the series was instant and there were three further editions in 1984 – people could not get enough and that idea of having more than one Now That’s What I Call Music! in one year. Maybe the charts were more relevant in the 1980s but even now, thirty-five years after its birth; we cannot get enough of the eclectic and brilliant Now That’s What I Call Music! The latest edition, released last Friday, has everyone from George Ezra and Ariana Grande featured and it is amazing to think how far music has come since 1983. The fact we have that zeal and interest in a compilation album – given the fact we can make our own playlists – is amazing. As the Now That’s What I Call Music! series reaches its thirty-fifth birthday; a lot of folk will be looking through their old copies or going online and streaming memories of great days. I feel, like music in general, we all have specific memories ties to Now That’s What I Call Music! I first encountered the series in 1993, on the twenty-fourth edition, and call recall the songs and how it made me feel hearing everything flow. Listening to a favourite edition is not just about the songs but what you were doing at the time and how music made you feel.

Maybe the bosses and boffs behind the compilation will do some reissues on a bigger anniversary but it would be good to see the full series on cassette, C.D. or vinyl. Maybe that would be a big undertaking but, perhaps, having the chance to order one of the series and choosing your format would be great. It is nice being able to access all the songs from all one-hundred-and-one compilations online; nothing beats the thrill of having a double-C.D./cassette and having the insert; a vinyl that you could spin from, say, 1985’s Now That’s What I Call Music! editions and casting your mind back to the music of the day and what we were listening to. As much as anything; the series acts as a documentation of tastes and music that dominated the charts. You can see how genres like Pop have evolved and how our tastes have altered in the ensuing years! Many claim the first Now That’s What I Call Music! is a bit light on quality but I feel it stands up well – the fact it is the very first means its importance cannot be understated. In honour of thirty-five years of Now That’s What I Call Music! excellence; I have selected the twelve finest, must-own editions that really hit the mark! Perhaps you will disagree but I think you’ll agree there is some true quality to be found. Have a look at these twelve select Now That’s What I Call Music! sets and maybe you’ll have your own...

THOUGHTS and arguments.

ALL IMAGES: Getty Images

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Now That’s What I Call Music!: The Big Bang

Release Date (U.K.): 28th November, 1983

Number of Tracks: 30

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Billy Joel – Uptown Girl

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Culture Club – Colour by Numbers

Download/Stream: Heaven 17 – Temptation; Paul Young – Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home); The Cure – The Lovecats

Classic Track: Culture Club – Karma Chameleon

One Track to Miss: Kajagoogoo – Big Apple

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thats-What-Call-Music-VINYL/dp/B07D519QXV/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543227832&sr=1-8&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/dh4apps/playlist/3JPHTEksPQlkTyPw1X3zFL?si=vnRug7VJTciLspefASgyPw

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 8: Proving the 1980s Boasted Some True Quality

Release Date (U.K.): 24th November, 1986

Number of Tracks: 32

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): The Housemartins – Caravan of Love

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Various Artists – Hits 5

Download/Stream: Steve Winwood – Higher Love; Janet Jackson – What Have You Done for Me Lately; Peter Gabriel (feat. Kate Bush) – Don’t Give Up

Classic Track: Run–D.M.C. – Walk This Way

One Track to Miss: Doctor & the Medics - Waterloo 

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-8/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B000LYBBRQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543229053&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+8

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/dh4apps/playlist/6Ztxah0jML7g7xFkoZPnLJ?si=oFxuCeDdT6W6xp4-Vla-Qg

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 19: Trip-Hop Alongside the Pop

Release Date (U.K.): 25th March, 1991

Number of Tracks: 34

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Chesney Hawkes – The One and Only

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): R.E.M. – Out of Time

Download/Stream: The KLF feat. The Children of the Revolution – 3 a.m. Eternal; Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy; Free – All Right Now

Classic Track: Seal – Crazy

One Track to Miss: Vanilla Ice – Play That Funky Music

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-19/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B0015OR38M/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543226019&sr=1-2&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+19 

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/68UhxN53yDGNe9ekKQA8t5?si=IVO4nMSAQXWEdvVxeKX1wA

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 24: My Personal Favourite

Release Date (U.K.): 16th April, 1993

Number of Tracks: 37

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): The Bluebells – Young at Heart

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Suede - Suede

Download/Stream: Snow – Informer; The Stereo MC’s – Step It Up; Duran Duran – Ordinary World

Classic Track: Take That – Could It Be Magic

One Track to Miss: 2 Unlimited – No Limit

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-24/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B0000075H4

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/1189234760/playlist/0T9CQnISBGFCoq4aSgoDC1?si=-9q8xJniSbCwZsNGhCEuMQ

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 26: Pure Genius (and Julia Roberts Is on There!)

Release Date (U.K.): 15th November, 1993  

Number of Tracks: Forty

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Meat Loaf – I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell

Download/Stream: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Boom! Shake the Room; The Cardigans – My Favourite Game; The Spin Doctors – Two Princes

Classic Track: Radiohead – Creep

One Track to Miss: Julia Roberts – Free Love   

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-26/ 

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B000007UJS/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543230895&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+26

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/5HQAhyseF4Ei3tPtruqeBw?si=2Fbmp3ipQrqTCooNKBPvsQ

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 31: The Underrated Giant of the Series

Release Date (U.K.): 31st July, 1995   

Number of Tracks: 40

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): The Outhere Brothers – Boom Boom Boom

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Supergrass – I Should Coco

Download/Stream: Pulp – Common People; Supergrass – Alright; Weezer – Buddy Holly

Classic Track: Portishead – Sour Times

One Track to Miss: P.J. & Duncan – Stuck on U   

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-31/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B000005RQU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543232036&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+31

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/6frEaI3pqxlWbNYuHHl2pu?si=TqbI3uXAQQCNrYIyaF_ALQ

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 37: A Perfect Cocktail of Genres and Tastes

Release Date (U.K.): 14th July, 1997 

Number of Tracks: 41

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Puff Daddy (feat. Faith Evans & 112) – I’ll Be Missing You

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land

Download/Stream: The Cardigans – Lovefool; En Vogue – Don’t Let Go (Love); Blur – On Your Own

Classic Track: Supergrass – Sun Hits the Sky

One Track to Miss: 911 – The Journey   

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-37/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B000006TT3/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543229710&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+37

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/2kY83LpJudRFXVg8rkjZ1v?si=96-Eu_ItRs-zcuhxI2PoCg

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 41: Another Titanic Year from a Stellar Decade

Release Date (U.K.): 23rd November, 1998  

Number of Tracks: 42

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Cher – Believe

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): George Michael - Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael

Download/Stream: Jennifer Paige – Crush; The Cardigans – My Favourite Game; Sheryl Crow – My Favourite Mistake

Classic Track: Stardust – Music Sounds Better with You

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You [OMV] from Kaleidozkope TV on Vimeo.

One Track to Miss: T-Spoon – Sex on the Beach   

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-41/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thats-What-Call-Music-Vol/dp/B00000GV6L/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543230207&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+41  

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/0EU3Rpo674c3JieJsEsku3?si=ebk22srqRq-bMrf2cfLl_w

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 44: It Is the Best-Selling of the Lot for a Reason…

Release Date (U.K.): 22nd November, 1999   

Number of Tracks: 42

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Robbie Williams – She’s the One/It’s Only Us

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Steps – Steptacular

Download/Stream: Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...); Sixpence None the Richer – Kiss Me; Supergrass – Moving

Classic Track: Britney Spears – ...Baby One More Time

One Track to Miss: Vengaboys – We’re Going to Ibiza   

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-44/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B00002MFCV/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543231438&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+44

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/3yNHOfd65mQbRHJKDzOH58?si=gwBe1ws8QzuvQsAiODMU0Q

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 45: Beginning the New Millennium in Style

Release Date (U.K.): 17th April, 2000

Number of Tracks: 45

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Fragma – Toca’s Miracle

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Moby – Play

Download/Stream: Honeyz – Won’t Take It Lying Down; Fragma – Toca’s Miracle; Basement Jaxx – Bingo Bango

Classic Track: Moloko – The Time Is Now

One Track to Miss: Sisqo – Thong Song

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-45/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B00004SEI5/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543227016&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+45

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/1125782354/playlist/7ICbjvsA4GXws6i4RILM1p?si=DJQfMQNKSnOabjapEejUnw

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 50: One of the Few Genuine Standout Collections from the 2000s

Release Date (U.K.): 19th November, 2001

Number of Tracks: 44

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): Blue – If You Come Back

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Steps – Gold

Download/Stream: Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head; Nelly Furtado – Turn Off the Light; Groove Armada – Superstylin

Classic Track: Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious

One Track to Miss: Steps – Chain Reaction

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-music-50/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B00005S2RJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543227471&sr=1-1&keywords=now+thats+what+i+call+music+50  

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/user/abundantmusic/playlist/5rdleGynjCWlmBTpTBsUka?si=clmxFKNOSNy1IIRD0a1-Aw

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Now That’s What I Call Music! 100: The Milestone

Release Date (U.K.): 20th July, 2018 

Number of Tracks: 44

Number-One Single on the Day of Release (U.K.): The Lightning Seeds, David Baddiel & Frank Skinner – Three Lions

Number-One Album on the Day of Release (U.K.): Drake – Scorpion

Download/Stream: Years & Years – If You’re Over Me; Oasis – Wonderwall; Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head

Classic Track: Spice Girls – Wannabe

One Track to Miss: Liam Payne & J. Balvin – Familiar

Now That’s What I Call Music! Link: https://www.nowmusic.com/album/now-100/

Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOW-Thats-What-Call-Music/dp/B07C9D8STM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543232787&sr=8-1&keywords=now+that+what+i+call+MUSIC+100

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/27Jd1FgE9zyc9bJOMjZ3S0?si=l7vFPqEgTdO02qcFPzkvow

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INTERVIEW: Lisabel

INTERVIEW:

Lisabel

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THE awesome Lisabel...

has been telling me about her latest single, Green Jade, and how its story came to mind. Its incredible video is out and I was eager to know whether we might see more material next year; the albums and artists who are important and influential to her – she recommends a rising name to look out for.

I ask Lisabel if she has any time outside of music and what her favourite music memory is; what 2019 holds and which musicians she’d support if she had the tour – she ends the interview by naming a song I was a stranger to.

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Hi, Lisabel. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi Sam. I’m great, thanks. My week has been very nice as well. I’ve spent some time with family. Hope you’re good too!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m a contemporary Soul and Jazz songwriter based in London. I’ve been writing original material for the past few years and I’m finally starting to release singles which will be followed by an album, coming out next year.

I tend to write music that’s influenced by many artists and genres; each song has somehow a unique sound and vibe so the album will have a broad variety of music styles and instrumentation.

Green Jade is your new single. What is the story behind it?

I wrote Green Jade a few years ago after I was inspired by a green Jade pendant I received as a gift from Namibia. I started reading about crystals and the beneficial powers they have and I had the idea to write the song.

I understand an album is coming next year. What can you reveal about its themes and stories?

The album is very much centred around my life and personal experiences. I usually write capturing feelings and emotions, often coming from nature and the way it stimulates my imagination.

Did you grow up in a musical household? When did music come into your life?

I would say I did. I was surrounded by music as a child and I always felt a connection to it. I’ve enrolled in dance classes when I was eight-years-old and continued for four years before quitting. I loved dancing more for the music than the ‘move your body’ side of it, which is funny! I always sung but never took it seriously before the age of fourteen - that’s when I started studying music and I’ve continued ever since.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2018?

I hope that Green Jade will have touched a few people and that some of those people will be interested in keeping an ear out for more music. I’m still working on a lot of album-related things so I really want to enjoy the journey of creating as much as I can.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Next year will be an exciting one. More music will be coming out and I’ll start gigging too. Let’s see what it will bring!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

I love writing music. My strongest memories are related to that. Recording some songs of the album at Konk Studios with the band was thrilling too and shooting the video for Green Jade is a memory I will cherish forever!

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

I go through many phases and I don’t have any all-time favourites but I can tell you the albums that mean the most to me in this very moment...

Needle Paw - Nai Palm. For its storytelling that cleanses the aura; Regina - Becca Stevens. It transports me into an ancient and wise world; Wallflower - Jordan Rakei. I love the cleverness in the writing.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

I can’t think of anything material I’d ask as it would probably be easily replaced by the ‘next thing’ anyway. I’d probably ask to strengthen the bond of some of my friendships!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Nai Palm and Becca Stevens. I’d love to support musicians like them, it would be an honour. I’d like to have one-hundred stems of a type of flower called ‘eryngium bourgatii’, directly from Morocco. Haha. Just joking! I’d be easy. I’ll bring my green Jade stone and all will be as it’s meant to be (smiles). 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

It’s difficult because there are many things I’d say; most of them I tell myself every day. Be patient and get the knowledge to be self-reliant when it comes to business matters. It’s easy to get lazy and it’s easy to get deceived so it’s best to have a plan and a clear idea about how to share your music with the world.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Not at the moment; next year for sure! I’ll keep people updated through social media!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Gabriel Garzón-Montano

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

He’s not new in the scene but I was recently introduced to a songwriter whose name is Gabriel Garzón-Montano. He makes very interesting music. If you like Alternative-R&B and Soul then you may find something in his music!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Yes, I do. I would have nothing to write about otherwise (smiles). I like to arrange flowers. I studied floristry for a year or so. Flowers and nature never fail to uplift me.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Could you play Homebody by Nai Palm? Thanks for the interview...until next time (smiles).

__________

Follow Lisabel

Official:

https://www.lisabelmusic.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lisabelmusic/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Lisabelmusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwhJg-9nzku_EotfdkyxGDA

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1C0dDmhzM8QZTNw1c05wsx?si=8n6zQOj4QHGNPJEc7E0OVA

PHOTOS CREDIT:

Nikola Kovacevic

INTERVIEW: Tony Moore of The Bedford

INTERVIEW:

IN THIS PHOTO: KT Tunstall playing at The Bedford in 2008 

Tony Moore of The Bedford

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THIS interview takes me in a slightly different direction...

 IN THIS IMAGE: A shot of the new-look stage/’Globe’ at The Bedford

as I have been speaking with Iron Maiden/Cutting Crew’s Tony Moore (band/artist booker) about the  future of the legendary London venue, The Bedford. December 2018 will mark the re-launch of The Bedford, one of South London’s most important music and entertainment venues. Operated by the award-winning Three Cheers Pub Co; Balham’s legendary performance space has a strong reputation for championing grass-roots music and maintains a lasting legacy for nurturing the stars of the future. In a triumphant riposte to independent music venues ever decreasing; The Bedford will reopen boasting five bars, four private rooms; a restaurant and fifteen boutique hotel rooms, making it an excellent place for music industry events of all types and purposes.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ed Sheeran at The Bedford in 2011 (one of music’s big acts whose got the chance to cut their teeth at the legendary venue)

The multi-million pound refurbishment has been sensitively managed in order to retain the venue’s unique spirit, while enhancing facilities for both audiences and artists. The new-look Bedford will allow the stars of tomorrow to flourish in a live setting, but will also attract established acts back to where the journey began for them.

Moore talks about his involvement and some of the stars of today who have passed through the doors of The Bedford; why grassroots venues are important for musicians and why the Government need to preserve them; whether Moore still gets time to play and we can see him perform soon; a few upcoming artists we need to look out for and, as band/artist booker, what he looks for in an artist when it comes to The Bedford’s stage.

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Hi, Tony. How are you? How has your week been?

So far, so fabulous…

For those new to you/your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Well. I’ve had quite an eclectic career in music. I started by joining (the then unknown) Iron Maiden playing keyboards/synth when I was in my teens. In the early-’80s, I released an album of songs I wrote and recorded at Abbey Road and had an Xmas hit in Holland. I then went on to be keyboard player in Cutting Crew (I Just Died In Your Arms). In the ’90s, I worked as writer, co-producer and musical director with an artist called Marie-Claire D’Ubaldo whose biggest hit was The Rhythm Is Magic.

In 1996, I started a critically acclaimed underground acoustic club for songwriters called The Kashmir Klub that ran for six years; after which I came to The Bedford in 2003 to take over curating and promoting music.

 IN THIS IMAGE: The Ballroom - as it will look when The Bedford reopens in December

Tell me how you came to be involved with The Bedford?

The Kashmir Klub had to close in 2003 and the owner at the time had been many times and loved what I was doing and invited me to come to The Bedford and try and to really help raise the profile of what (The Bedford) was doing and to raise the bar on all it could be.

I know it is reopening and will have a launch in December. What was the reason behind the closure?

New owners took over last year and had an amazing vision for The Bedford. Although it has been a legendary destination for many years, it was starting to show its age and was ready for some T.L.C. With significant investment of money, love and passion; they have now transformed the place into something that will really be a jewel in the crown of London venues and bars.

IN THIS PHOTO: Jack Savoretti storming The Bedford back in 2007

If one were to come to the relaunch, what might we expect?

If you had been to The Bedford before, you will still feel all the same warm and welcoming spirit and energy but you will see a building that has been taken to a whole new level. If you are coming for the first time, the ‘wow factor’ is going to be at the top of the scale. The main bar has been tastefully redesigned into an imposing horseshoe (which was actually in the original plans but had been lost for many years). Its sense of drama, music and theatre is evident in the unique, custom-made wallpaper; the brilliant posters and the great live pictures that recognise and celebrate the long history of music and comedy that has been at the heart of The Bedford…

 IN THIS IMAGE: What one can expect when booking a room at The Bedford

We now have two floors of beautiful, boutique hotel rooms that reflect the very early incarnation of The Bedford, but bring right into the 21st century. The Club Room has been fitted with a state-of-the-art audio/visual system that will allow us to promote a much wider range of live shows, work with some bigger acts and give our weekend club goers an amazing experience.

On top of all that, The Ballroom has been turned into one of the most beautiful and inspirational event spaces that can accommodate everything from the most special wedding to the coolest private party. And that’s just the start! I have been here almost sixteen years and I have to say that what the team have done with The Bedford has surpassed all my expectations. I am SO excited to be part of the next generation of this amazing venue.

Are there big plans for 2019? Are there already events and nights planned?

We have a lot of things in the system but, for now, the most important thing is to be up and running and make our opening month as smooth as possible and get everything ready for a big New Year.

 IN THIS IMAGE: How The Bedford’s first floor bar will look

Is it true there is a new lightning system? Will the new-look venue provide an even better and more dynamic live experience?

Yes, very much so. It’s a fantastic lighting system that includes a new ceiling truss full of moving heads and extensive P.C.-controlled software allowing us to create a very special environment for any event. 

The Bedford has helped support and propel musicians like Ed Sheeran, KT Tunstall and Paolo Nutini. What has been your fondest memory from your time with the venue?

That is SO hard to answer! Over fifteen years, there have been so many amazing moments. Pete Townshend playing a free show for us one night was an incredible experience, for example. However, the real magical moments are when we see acts that started their early careers with us really take off. Ed is obviously someone we have very fond memories of and because of the shows we did with him - and his own night here - that led to him releasing the album Live at the Bedford. We feel very proud to have played a small role in his journey.

IN THIS PHOTO: Charlotte Church at The Bedford in 2010

A lot of grassroot venues are closing and a lot are in the capital. Do you think more needs to be done by those in power to preserve small venues?

Yes...absolutely. Small venues are like small airfields. If there is nowhere to learn to fly, we have no pilots for the future. Similarly, if we lose small venues, we close the opportunity for young artists to learn their craft, build an audience and gain experience. We are very lucky to have owners at The Bedford who understand this and have actually invested heavily in our ability to do more and help acts be seen and heard at their very best. The Government needs to continue to be reminded of the value of music and the importance of protecting small independent venues.

IN THIS PHOTO: Coffeepot Drive at The Bedford earlier this year

How important, in your view, are these venues regarding the next generation of musicians? Can music survive without them?!

There is no doubt that, for performing artists, the ability to play regularly, in places that will welcome you before you are famous and will help you to find fans; try out material and meet other musicians/industry people is vital. The O2 headliners of today can only get to be good enough with experience and that can only come from small venues not only surviving, but thriving.

What advice would you give to venues at the moment regarding sustainability? Do you think The Bedford has a magic formula?

The truth is that being an independent venue is a tough challenge. Between the standing costs of rent, business rates; electricity, insurance etc. and staffing, everyone needs to be creative in how they generate income for the business. Every venue, including The Bedford, has to diversify and be open to different ways of generating financial stability - from club nights to private hires to sponsorship; each venue needs to work out how they can add extra value to their business.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mercury Prize-nominated artist Jorja Smith on The Bedford stage in 2016

You have an eye for spotting musical talent! What do you look for in a musician when it comes to future promise?!

Having booked over 10,000 acts through the last twenty years as well as being a musician; I think I have developed a certain ear for what I think works for the kind of shows I book. My area is really songwriter-based music (even if it’s a band) - that is where I trust my instinct the most. I don’t know a lot about emerging talent in other areas like Dance, Jazz etc. so I follow my gut feeling about acts that I book.

 IN THIS PHOTO: ILONA/PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Berger Photography

Which rising artists do you suggest we check out and follow?

ILONA; Houndstooth; Hope and Leoni Jane Kennedy.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Hope

Might we see you taking to the Bedford stage? Do you still perform live?

I will actually play the first set of the soft launch night - and then I will make the odd guest appearance as things go along. I am still very active in music, writing, producing and playing shows.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

A special one of our ‘alumni’ to confirm a re-appearance at The Bedford for 2019.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Fleurie - Hurricane

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Follow The Bedford

 IN THIS IMAGE: The Bedford’s reinvented performance stage

Official:

https://thebedford.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thebedfordpub

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thebedfordpub/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ThreeCheersPubs

INTERVIEW: Amelia Carey

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Lily Bertrand Webb

Amelia Carey

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MY last piece this weekend...

is a chat with Amelia Carey about her new single, Over You, and how the story came to life. She explains what it was like putting the video together and what we might expect going forward – Carey recommends a rising artist to watch.

I ask her which three albums are most important to her and whether she gets time to relax outside of music; whether there is going to be more material arriving next year and if she has a favourite memory from her career so far – she ends the interview by selecting a cool song.

____________

Hi, Amelia. How are you? How has your week been? 

Hi! It’s been a bit of a wild one if I’m honest. I had my phone stolen in Camden after I saw Dusky Grey. I’m a little disheartened by it but these things happen! 

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m Amelia and I’m eighteen-years-old and have recently moved to Brighton and am studying at BIMM!

Over You is your latest single. Is there a story behind it?

Over You is about breakups in general and this song depicts that last stage of finally getting over someone! I wanted this song to communicate to people of all genders also, which is why ‘he’/’she’ pronouns aren’t really used!

 

What was it like putting the video together? Was it a fun shoot?

I had so much fun whilst filming the video, but as it was my first I was afraid of looking a little awkward! We ran into some complications due to the weather but it was still such a brilliant couple of days.

Might there be more material next year?

I’m hoping so! 

Which musicians inspired you to get into the business?

My inspirations come from the likes of Lil Peep, Billie Eilish; Amy Winehouse and Pale Waves!

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Not currently, but I’m excited for next year and what could happen!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

When I recorded my single, I recorded at RAK in London and, of course, this studio is well known. It was very scary to record somewhere that’s had the likes of Ed Sheeran walk the halls! 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)? 

I absolutely love Lil Peep - Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt.1 because of the emotional sentiment in absolutely every single song. The production from Smokeasac is amazing. 

Amy Winehouse - Frank. Her vocals and lyrics just work together in perfect harmony; again with such strong emotion and power, yet vulnerability shown in the tracks!

Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises. This album speaks a lot about mental health and how it affects you and those around you! Also, the '80s Glam-Goth aesthetic they have going on is to die for!

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

Probably for my parents to return home from Portugal for the Christmas holidays!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

I would simply need to have my friends and girlfriend present with a collection of crisps to munch on!  

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be YOURSELF!

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

Not at the moment, sadly!

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Have a look into the band joan!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I like to unwind by watching Doctor Who with my partner and enjoying some good food!

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Pale Waves - Eighteen! 

__________

Follow Amelia Carey

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3riGa0uEWIzvYQFADIM5dQ?si=FChbG5RKRfS4AmcBAsMKlg

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ameiiacarey

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/meliacarey/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/meliacarey/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZX_JGcipqCU3JwvM36ZAiQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/ameliacarey

FEATURE: Starting the Decade in Style: Part IV/V: The Finest Albums of 2010

FEATURE:

 

 

Starting the Decade in Style

PHOTO CREDIT: @alexiby/Unsplash 

Part IV/V: The Finest Albums of 2010

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THE reason I am putting together this feature…

PHOTO CREDIT: @guillaume_t/Unsplash

is to shine a light on the albums that started a decade with a huge deceleration. I feel it is hard to define what a decade is about and how it evolves but the first and last years are crucial – I have already looked at decade-ending albums. I am bringing to life this feature that celebrates albums that opened a decade with a mighty amount of quality and gave inspiration to those who followed. In this fourth part, I am focusing on 2010 and the best ten records from the year. Many assume music sort of peaked before 2010 but, as the list shows, there were some truly wonderful albums coming out. I have chosen a selection of them but, if you need reassurance the 2010s was going to begin with a real explosion, then here is all....

 PHOTO CREDIT: @mensroom/Unsplash

THE proof you need.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

____________

LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

Release Date: 17th May, 2010

Labels: DFA/Parlophone/Virgin

Review:

“Perhaps the rumor that this is his last LCD album is behind that newfound urgency. If true, it’s a shame, as the band’s Krautrock/Talking Heads-funk fusion has never sounded livelier. (Here, it’s doused in the blaring, off-key synths and jet-engine guitars of Bowie’s Berlin period.) And with the exception of the plodding, “Nightclubbing”-nicking “Someone’s Calling Me,” it never fails to yield satisfying new discoveries. But even if, as Murphy sings, his own “desire for discovery has been used up,” at least he’s given us three great albums to help us keep discovering each other” – The A.V. Club     

Standout Track: Dance Yrself Clean

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Release Date: 2nd August, 2010

Labels: Merge/City Slang/Mercury

Review:

“The anxieties of Neon Bible still lurk in some of these songs – the unease of the "Modern Man" is rendered with the deceptive naivety of Talking Heads, and the futile search for "the places we used to play" in "Sprawl 1 (Flatland)" is beautifully evoked by shimmering strings. But part of the band's appeal derives from its ability to balance music and emotions in poised equilibrium while grasping confidently for the future, so the misgivings are forever being swept aside by hope.

Playing the character of a trapped suburbanite with unfulfilled dreams, Regine Chassenet sings in "Sprawl 2 (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" about how "these days my life, I feel it has no purpose; but late at night these feelings swim to the surface". As if to suggest those lurking ambitions, it's sung over cycling synthesisers, in the manner of some self-assertive Euro electro-diva. Despite it all, she will survive” – The Independent  

Standout Track: Ready to Start

John Grant – Queen of Denmark

Release Date: 19th April, 2010

Label: Bella Union

Review:

“Backed by superfans Midlake, these are songs of impossible love, near-suicide and redemption, with an air of vastness and contemplation recalling Dennis Wilson's masterpiece, Pacific Ocean Blue. With pianos and flutes, songs such as I Wanna Go to Marz and Where Dreams Go to Die combine a surreal, David Lynch, sideways look at capitalist America with choruses most artists could only dream about. The jauntier Silver Platter Club and JC Hates Faggots brutally poke fun at rich jocks and Grant's time as a gay child in a religious household respectively. But the emotionally wringing ballads – the witheringly honest Queen of Denmark and Jeff Buckleyesque Caramel – most suggest a man whose time has come” – The Guardian

Standout Track: Caramel                                

Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

Release Date: 22nd March, 2010

Label: Virgin

Review:

“The new Marling is darker and more sophisticated. She opens proceedings with a drunken, midnight maypole dance of a song. Devil’s Spoke builds from a shadowy portrait of pastoral loneliness into an increasingly frenzied, banjo-spun romance ending with lovers “eye to eye, nose to nose/ripping off each others clothes in a most peculiar way”. Whereas so much music coming from the “nu-folk” scene sounds like nature recollected in safety, by the glowing fire of some Olde Taverne, Marling’s sounds starkly exposed to the English elements. Her songs are simple yet complex, weird but quotidien like hedgerows – twisted, full of thorns, fruit, life and death. You can hear a thrill at the savagery as well as the sweetness of our landscape in the unflinching alto that sings: “I’ll never love England more than when covered in snow.”

Many of the songs struggle with Marling’s conflicted yearning for both traditional monogamy and unfettered independence. “I tried to be a girl who likes to be used,” she sings on Goodbye England, “I’m too good for that/ There’s a mind under this hat.” Elsewhere she gazes back into Greek mythology for female companionship, addressing the marriage goddess Hera and conjuring the spirit of Odysseus’ patient wife Penelope. I Speak Because I Can is my favourite release of the year so far – and certainly an album worth sailing home for” – The Telegraph

Standout Track: Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)

The National – High Violet

Release Date: 10th May, 2010 

Label: 4AD

Review:

“Less outwardly aggressive than even the relatively restrained Boxer, and yet big and grand enough to fill the large theaters The National finally occupy after spending a decade slowly building an audience, High Violet is carefully considered without being labored, richly detailed without being fussy. “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and “Anyone’s Ghost” satisfy the band’s quota of driving, brooding pop songs, but the breathtaking “England” rises to an unprecedented climax that puts the band squarely in Arcade Fire territory. “Afraid Of Everyone” is another landmark for The National, with Berninger taking on a potentially trite subject—being a new father—and making listeners feel the sledgehammer pounding of a scared (but committed) man’s heart. With High Violet, The National has graduated from being a critic’s band. Now it belongs to everyone” – The A.V. Club

Standout Track: Bloodbuzz Ohio

Robyn – Body Talk

Release Date: 22nd November, 2010

Label: Konichiwa

Review:

“Sweden has long punched above its weight with music, but Robyn deserves a special spotlight. Swedish House Mafia are mangling early ’90s dance and setting it as the solid cornerstone of today’s UK pop-rap phenomenon; their sound is merely Robyn turned up with added oldskool sentiment. Production hype will come and go; Robyn knows when and how to associate with it, but then she leaves it behind.

She has done cuddly R&B and now she’s grown into a manga pop star. However the sound of today evolves, she’ll do it first and keep rolling. Body Talk shows just how easily she can churn out hits more frequently than labels can process production teams. Robyn deserves her success. As Body Talk (Part Three) ends with the lyrics “You and me together/Stars forever” to a bouncing house beat, it’s impossible to think of a better pop communicator for our time” – musicOMH

Standout Track: Dancing on My Own

Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Release Date: 22nd November, 2010

Labels: Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella

Review:

“The contrast in “Devil in a New Dress,” featuring Rick Ross, is of a different sort; a throwback soul production provided by the Smokey Robinson-sampling Bink, it’s as gorgeous as any of West’s own early work, yet it’s marred by an aimless instrumental stretch, roughly 90 seconds in length, that involves some incongruent electric guitar flame-out. Even less explicable is the last third of the nine-minute “Runaway,” when West blows into a device and comes out sounding something like a muffled, bristly version of Robert Fripp's guitar. The only thing that remains unchanged is West’s lyrical accuracy; for every rhyme that stuns, there’s one deserving of mockery from any given contestant off the The White Rapper Show. As the ego and ambition swells, so does the appeal, the repulsiveness, and -- most importantly -- the ingenuity. Whether loved or loathed, fully enjoyed or merely admired, this album should be regarded as a deeply fascinating accomplishment” – AllMusic    

Standout Track: Dark Fantasy

Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest

Release Date: 28th September, 2010

Label: 4AD

Review:

“The topical ground covered here is inspired, too: "Revival", a sort of Southern gothic folk-rock baptism, embraces religion. "I'm saved, I'm saved!" Cox exalts, "I felt his presence heal me." Recorded to four-track, "Basement Scene" "dream[s] a little dream" that soon turns nightmarish: "I don't wanna get old" quickly becomes "I wanna get old" as Cox weighs the alternative. And first single "Helicopter" is a beautifully watery electro-acoustic farewell that uses a tragic Dennis Cooper story about a Russian prostitute (graciously reprinted in the liner notes) to support its emotional bleakness”– Pitchfork

Standout Track: Fountain Stairs

Vampire Weekend – Contra

Release Date: 11th January, 2010  

Label: XL

Review:

“The band’s longest-ever song, ‘Diplomat’s Son’, mixes dancehall reggae, Tetris bleeps and MIA’s vocals (hypnotically sampled from ‘Kala’’s ‘Hussel’), all of which beautifully underscores a sprawling narrative of love and double-crossing, played out against the backdrop of the US’ similarly convoluted overtures towards Nicaragua’s Contra rebels back in the early ’80s. ‘I Think UR A Contra’ wraps things up with a hymnal warning about the dangers of needlessly stirring up raw emotions.

It’s fair to say that with so much going on ‘Contra’ is much less immediate than its predecessor, requiring a bit of patience to uncover its true shades, contours and charm. But it’s certainly worth sticking with, because with their second album Vampire Weekend have escaped their collegiate niche without sacrificing their true essence. Two more years, and they can do it all over again. No problem” – NME      

Standout Track: Holiday

Beach House – Teen Dream

Release Date: 26th January, 2010

Label: Sub Pop

Review:

“The songwriting is also more focused, using Devotion songs such as “You Came to Me” and “Heart of Chambers” as templates for the album's elegant longing. Like Teen Dream's title, these songs are wry and wise enough to know better about idealizing love, and romantic enough to still believe in it. “Zebra” positively swoons, while “Walk in the Park,” with its graceful coda and chorus lament “In a matter of time/it will slip from my mind/In and out of my life/you would slip from my mind,” makes losing sound beautiful, even if it's anything but a walk in the park. Despite the wintry sorrow that dominates Teen Dream and songs like “Used to Be” and “Better Times," in particular, Beach House lets a little hope into the album before it closes with “10 Mile Stereo” and “Real Love.” Though it's not as eclectic and whimsical as their earlier work, Teen Dream is some of their most beautiful music, and reaffirms that they're the among the best purveyors of languidly lovelorn songs since Mazzy Star” – AllMusic

Standout Track: Silver Soul

FEATURE: ‘YES’: John and Yoko’s Early Bloom (1969-1971): A Spirit the World Would Do Good to Take to Heart Today

FEATURE:

 

 

‘YES’

IN THIS PHOTO: John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their ‘bed-in’ at the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam in 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 

John and Yoko’s Early Bloom (1969-1971): A Spirit the World Would Do Good to Take to Heart Today

__________

I was among many who sat down and watched…

the John and Yoko documentary, Above Us Only Sky. The title comes from a line in John Lennon’s famous song, Imagine (which was co-written with Yoko Ono). One of the best revelations from the documentary was how John and Yoko met. The exact date of their meeting is unknown but, as Lennon said in the documentary; he was looking at an exhibit of Yoko’s in the Indica Gallery, London, and saw this tiny ceiling painting. Scaling the ladder placed underneath it, he was curious to see what was written on the painting – the word ‘YES’ was what he saw. He was gripped by the oddity of the scene but the affirmative message compelled him to meet the artist (it would have been around 1966). The fact someone would paint something with a positive word and get people to climb a ladder to look at it, in many ways, set the course for their relationship and how John and Yoko would write. Last night’s documentary seems to have hit a major chord with critics. The Telegraph provided their thoughts:

“This wasn’t so much the untold story of the making of a classic album as a fascinating addendum to an iconic story which had already been told in the companion film released by Lennon, Yoko Ono and director Steve Gebhardt in 1972, and fleshed out even more in Andrew Solt’s tribute Gimme Some Truth...

 

Here director Michael Epstein took the story further. He had access to Lennon and Ono’s personal archive and, for obsessives, unearthed previously unseen film footage of recording sessions, interview material, and early run-throughs of Imagine, Jealous Guy and How? But what this film really did was provide context. Not only in the words and memories of people who contributed musically to the album – drummers Jim Keltner and Alan White, bassist Klaus Voormann among others – but also friends, hangers-on, assistants, photographers and journalists who captured a precise moment in the personal and creative lives of Lennon and Ono.

More than anything, though, this film sought to give Ono the equal credit many (including Lennon in a 1980 interview replayed here) said she should have had for her contribution to Imagine’s title track. As a result, what emerged from what might otherwise have been just a gentle retrospective was a remarkably rounded picture of two emotionally fused and radically engaged talents working together to condense their thoughts on art, politics, love and music into one of the best-known and commercially successful protest songs ever.

In so doing, it also reminded us of how and why Lennon’s – and Ono’s – central message of peace, love and people-power remains so potent to this day”.

It was a compelling story that used footage from various stages of their relationship. A lot of the feature concentrated on the album, Imagine, in 1971 but there were interviews with Lennon and Ono and contemporary viewpoints from people who worked with the couple. One of the biggest realisations from the documentary is how potent and meaningful that message of peace is today; how John Lennon and Yoko Ono wanted people to come together and how much we need to take that to heart today.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Iain Macmillan © Yoko Ono

I was moved by the intimacy between Lennon and Ono and how naturally the former Beatle put these masterful songs together. It was wonderful looking in the studio and that mix of casual and serious. Players (such as George Harrison) and producers were milling and smoking; shooting ideas around by there was always that professional atmosphere. Lennon’s serious tone and commitment to the work was essential – to ensure the very best work was coming forward. There are myths and exaggerations regarding Yoko Ono’s role in breaking up The Beatles. Many assume her close bond with Lennon divided the band and meant his focus was away from the band and he was more committed to her. Yoko Ono, throughout her relationship with John Lennon, was subjected to racist abuse and misconceptions. After The Beatles’ split I 1970, it was only natural the two would start making music together. To be fair; their start was a little ropey. The conceptual trio of albums they put out in the late-1960s was not well-received by critics. Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins featured that famous cover of the two naked – the results, as critics noted, was a disaster. The second edition, Life with the Lions, featured actual silence and all sorts of weirdness and conceptual guff. It was slayed by critics and the third piece, Wedding Album, was simply two tracks/sides – John & Yoko and Amsterdam – that tested even the most ardent John Lennon fan. It was a rather sorry end to the decade for Lennon and one suspects the guidance and influence of Yoko Ono defined the tone and concept of these albums!

The 1970s, the first part of the decade, was when the work of John and Yoko really shone. Their peace-loving attitude and humanity was affecting the work more but, as much as anything, after an unstable and testing time for John Lennon; Yoko Ono was having this stabilising and positive impact. 1970’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was an album of self-recovery and reflection. Lennon and Ono, before the album, undertook primal therapy and it was a way for both to channel and expunge childhood traumas – as opposed more conventional therapy methods. Although there was a lot of peace and togetherness in the album; there was the odd shot against his old band, The Beatles. God features a dig – “I don’t believe in Beatles” – and Paul McCartney would be the subject of future songs. Reviews for John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band were extremely positive. AllMusic provided their thoughts:

“It was a revolutionary record -- never before had a record been so explicitly introspective, and very few records made absolutely no concession to the audience's expectations, daring the listeners to meet all the artist's demands. Which isn't to say that the record is unlistenable. Lennon's songs range from tough rock & rollers to piano-based ballads and spare folk songs, and his melodies remain strong and memorable, which actually intensifies the pain and rage of the songs. Not much about Plastic Ono Band is hidden. Lennon presents everything on the surface, and the song titles -- "Mother," "I Found Out," "Working Class Hero," "Isolation," "God," "My Mummy's Dead" -- illustrate what each song is about, and chart his loss of faith in his parents, country, friends, fans, and idols. It's an unflinching document of bare-bones despair and pain, but for all its nihilism, it is ultimately life-affirming; it is unique not only in Lennon's catalog, but in all of popular music. Few albums are ever as harrowing, difficult, and rewarding as John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band”.

 

Mother, one of Lennon’s most beautiful tracks, addressed both of his parents. He was abandoned as a child and his mother, Julia, was hit and killed in a car accident in 1958. It is an emotional and revealing song that showed a different light to the icon. A lot of the later Beatles songs by Lennon were cynical and not at his usual standard. The first three albums by Yoko Ono were weak and this was the first time John Lennon was able to break away from The Beatles and create something masterful. Working Class Hero is Lennon’s most revolutionary and political song; a look at how working-class people are processed into the machine and overlooked. Isolation is about the disillusion and detachment Lennon felt after The Beatles split; how he turned to drugs and the reaction he and Yoko Ono were receiving. God, one of the album’s most striking songs, looks at false idols and people he doesn’t believe in – including Hitler and Jesus – and how, if there is a God, then we are all in it/him. The impact and legacy of the album, as told here, is undeniable:

“The results put a period on everything that came before, even as they made clear the safety he found in his relationship with Ono. The act of walking away from the Beatles' dizzying celebrity on "God" may have gotten the headlines, but Lennon ends up naming and then discarding all of his earlier talismans – only to follow with a quiet affirmation of his affection for Ono. As with so much of this cathartic, utterly remarkable project, even that came from a deeply honest place...

Still, Plastic Ono Band remains Lennon's most consistent, and most important, solo work. Every part of his convoluted genius – Utopian dreamer, angry brawler, lonesome orphan, naked provocateur – is found here, and it's laid bare inside the most stripped-down, revelatory setting of his solo career”.

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

This first bloom of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s partnership was transforming this troubled and isolated songwriter and transforming him back to his very best self. Although the real heart of the Lennon/Ono peace explosion would take place later; the brilliance and chemistry that defined John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was defining Lennon’s next phase. The introspective and open tone of the record, I feel, has Yoko Ono all over it and allowed Lennon to move (John and Yoko were accompanied by The Flux Fiddlers) onto Imagine and start this revolution; a chance of peace and a genuine movement that caught the world’s attention. 1971’s Imagine was a more elaborate and ambitious effort than the previous year’s work and, with new confidence, the songs were among John Lennon’s very best work. The album was written during a bad period where there was tension between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. How Do You Sleep? Is a rather harsh and direct attack against McCartney following his jab against Lennon on the album, Ram. Lennon explained, in subsequent interviews, how the two were still hanging out and it was more creative rivalry than hatred.

Imagine’s title anthem is Lennon’s defining moment and seems to be the distillation and definition of the love he and Yoko Ono shared. Although writing credit has been changed to include Ono – it used to be credited solely to John Lennon – her fingerprints are in there and you can sense this man yearning for equality, unity and harmony throughout the world. The song, alongside the bed-in and protests that followed- pricked governmental ears and Lennon was seen as someone who could lead a hippe revolution against the then-U.S. President Richard Nixon. One reason why last night’s Channel 4 documentary got to me was because of the genuine desire to change things and spread the message of peace. Imagine did feature songs with bitterness and plenty of anger but it was tracks like Imagine and Jealous Guy that showed this tender, inspiring side. Jealous Guy started life of Child of Nature – on The Beatles’ 1968 eponymous album – and is one of the most revealing and stunning songs in Lennon’s cannon. Many cannot connect with a song like Imagine because they feel it is hypocritical. Lennon, as a millionaire, was talking about having no possessions and there being no God. The thing with attacking Lennon on those grounds is the overriding message is one of peace and harmony.

He would have given everything away to see that happen and millions of pounds does not buy peace or give you power. Lennon’s personal wealth has nothing to do with what he was trying to deliver: a paen to a new world and a change in the wind. I see the period of 1969-1971 as being especially memorable and inspiring. One might say the musical height of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, on their two titanic records, did not do much to halt the Vietnam War and bring about unity. What they did in 1969, as this article explains, was revolutionary:

“It was the year 1969, 14 years into the deep morass of the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon had been in the White House for two months, and San Francisco’s “Summer of Love” was all but a fading memory as American troops continued to drop bombs on Vietnam and Cambodia. But despite all this, a fervent push for peace and utopianism was percolating over 5,000 miles away—in a hotel room in Amsterdam.

In late March of that year, the press received word that Beatles star John Lennon was “holding court about something or other” in Room 902 at Amsterdam’s Hilton Hotel, overlooking a wide canal, as a reporter remembered years later. Lennon and his partner Yoko Ono, an artist associated with the Fluxus movement known for making art out of everyday life, had married in secret five days earlier in Gibraltar. Now they were planning to use the inevitable press frenzy that would follow to spread the message of love, “like butter,” as Lennon would later put it to reporters...

 

From March 25th through 31st in Amsterdam—and then from May 26th to June 2nd at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada—Lennon and Ono received visitors between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. They coddled babies, sung with rabbis and Hare Krishnas, played with Ono’s daughter Kyoko, argued down conservative media figures, and dispensed advice on how to resist the establishment, urging onlookers to get their hands dirty for the cause. Sometimes their advice came straight from Beatles song titles and lyrics: “Come together” or “All you need is love!”

They expounded on the importance of unity and the shared bonds of humanity, and broadcast a .it’s an achievement to brush your teeth,” Lennon would say during the couple’s second “Bed-In.”

At the time, the “Bed-Ins” attracted mixed reviews. “Beatle Lennon and his charmer Yoko have now established themselves as the outstanding nutcases of the world,” ran one headline, Kruse notes, while Rolling Stone was considerably more supportive: “A five-hour talk between John Lennon and Richard Nixon would be more significant than any Geneva Summit Conference between the U.S.A. and Russia.”

Years later, Ono would reflect back on her role as one part of Mr. and Mrs. Peace, as Lennon referred to them. “John and I thought after ‘Bed-In,’ ‘The war is going to end,’” she recalled. “How naive we were, you know? But the thing is, things take time. I think it’s going to happen. I mean, that I think we’re going to have a peaceful world. But it’s just taking a little bit more time than we thought then”.

There were some scrappy moments, musically and politically, by John Lennon and Yoko Ono between 1969 and 1971 but they were sensing something needed to change and trying to bring about peace. Aside from the Imagine album and the bed-in; it was a huge part of Lennon career where he transitioning from the break-up on The Beatles and creating some of his very best work. The biggest impression and takeaway from the Lennon/Ono golden years is the message of peace and that need to come together. Lennon’s voice is needed more than ever and we need this musical guidance. Alongside the incredible music and passion between Yoko Ono and John Lennon was this dream of stability in the world. We are so far from what they were preaching in the late-1960s and early-1970s and, at a time when there was the war in Vietnam and a corrupt U.S. government; people wanted things to be better and the violence to end. A lot of parallels remain and I wonder what John Lennon would make of today’s world. The quality and striking nature of the music he was making back then was a reaction to wars. There was this global carnage and division but there was a personal one, too. He was adapting to life outside of a band and undergoing therapy so that he could try and come to terms with harrowing memories and demons. Few expected much musical genius after the ill-conceived and ridiculous trio of albums between John Lennon and Yoko Ono but they managed to combine their powers and create two remarkable albums in John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. It was a wonderful and hopeful time and one we need...

SO desperately today.

INTERVIEW: Andria Piperni

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Nat Carson

Andria Piperni

___________

THE fantastic Andria Piperni...

has been talking with me about her current single, Say Something, and what its story is. I ask what sort of music inspires her and whether there is a strong music scene in Montréal and which albums are most important to her.

Piperni tells me what is coming up next year and which artist she’d support given the chance; if there are any tour dates approaching and whether there are rising musicians we need to get involved with and support.

__________

Hi, Andria. How are you? How has your week been?

Hi! I’m great. Busy week!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Sure! I’m a singer and songwriter based in Montreal and I like to describe my sound as a blend of Neo-Soul and Alternative-R&B. Fresh but familiar. I’ve done a lot of collaborations with local artists and I’m now putting out my first solo work. Finally!

Say Something is your new track. Is there a story behind the song?

Say Something is about a situation where you're really feeling someone and you know they're feeling you too, but neither of you has had the courage to admit it - I think we’ve all been there! It’s hard to put yourself out there when it comes to love, so you hold back in order to protect your ego and your heart. You hope the other person will be brave and make the first move…but sometimes you just have to take control and be the one to step up!

Do you think there will be more music in 2019?

Oh, definitely (smiles).

PHOTO CREDIT: Nat Carson

What sort of music did you grow up around? Which artists inspired you to get into music?

I listened to all kinds of music growing up. My parents introduced me to a variety of artists, but especially a lot of amazing female artists from Carole King to Bonnie Raitt to Norah Jones. I loved all the great Jazz queens too, like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.

As I got older, I always gravitated towards the sounds of R&B and Soul. Alicia Keys, Corinne Bailey Rae; Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill - their voices and words spoke to me (and still do) in ways that I can’t explain. They make you feel things deep in your soul. That’s what I hope to do.   

You are based in Montréal. Is there a strong music scene there right now?

Absolutely. There is so much talent here. And, with the strong French music scene, it’s especially diverse.

PHOTO CREDIT: James Traf

Do you already have plans for 2019?

You will be hearing more new music, that’s for sure.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

There was a performance I did this summer here in Montréal, for a new single that I was featured on - it was a beautiful summer night; the venue was packed and everyone was singing along! Also, the stage was extremely small so I was very close to the audience and it was so cool to see everyone having so much fun.

PHOTO CREDIT: James Traf

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

John Mayer’s Continuum album sticks out. I just remember many car rides of listening through the entire album over and over and thinking about how great his writing was. I think it was during that time that I realized I wanted to write lyrics.

Amy Winehouse’s work is definitely up there. I especially fell in love with her debut album, Frank. It’s just so wonderfully soulful and jazzy. Her voice was unparalleled. She remains one of my favourites.

Finally, I have to mention Regina Spektor’s Begin to Hope. I’m not sure how I even fell upon her music at the time - she certainly wasn’t mainstream. But that’s what I loved about it. Her writing and her voice are (so) unique and powerful. That album made me realize that music comes in so many forms; there are no rules.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Nat Carson

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

Hmm…how about a live Christmas house concert by Michael Bublé? Too much to ask?

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Can I choose Michael Bublé again? I just love him.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Nat Carson

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Honestly...I still consider myself to be a new artist. And the number-one thing I try to live by is to just be myself. I don’t think you can find success (or happiness) in this business if you’re not true to who you are. And people are drawn to authenticity, so why not give it to them?

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

No official tour dates for now, but I do have some local shows that you can find out about on my website.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Mac Ayres

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Oh man, so many! Mac Ayres, Raveena; Bruno Major, Eloïse; Jorja Smith, Charlotte Cardin; Sara Diamond…shall I continue?

IN THIS PHOTO: Jorja Smith

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Hanging out with the people I love is the best way to relax.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Fair-Weather Friend by Bruno Major

__________

Follow Andria Piperni

Official:

https://andriapiperni.com/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/246DV2fjrMTWTOSqr5kmoI?si=UzQ1q9M_ReK1vSINAfb-rQ

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/andriasmusic

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/andriasmusic/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/andriasmusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/andriamaria14

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/andriasmusic

Bandcamp:

https://andriapiperni.bandcamp.com/

INTERVIEW: Lazybones

INTERVIEW:

Lazybones

___________

IT has been cool speaking with Lazybones...

about the new track, Heart Beat Like a Drum, and filming its awesome video. Candi takes up the questions and tells me how the guys got together and what is coming up – I ask whether there are any tour dates coming along and which albums are important to them all.

I was keen to know which rising artists we need to keep an eye out for; if there is a favoured musical memory and whether Candi has any advice for rising artists of the moment – each member chooses a song to end the interview with.

__________

Hi. How are you? How has your week been?

Candi: Good, thanks! We’ve been super-busy with the video release and had lots of positive feedback, so it’s been an exciting one.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

Sure. I’m Candi and I sing and play Hammond organ. We then have Joe on bass and Sam on drums.

Heart Beat Like a Drum is out. Is there a story behind the song?

It’s not so much a story as more of a feeling. It’s all about that feeling you get when you really like someone; that excited bubbly feeling all wrapped up in a song.

Musically, we wanted to emulate that and create something people could sing and dance along to; in the car, in your living room - wherever you fancy.

The video is a one-shot filmed using an iPhone. Was that challenging to do?! What was the reason behind that approach?

It was very challenging, yes!

Especially as it was the hottest day in the year and we were all in a lot of denim, but it was totally worth it. The approach was chosen firstly because it would be a lot of fun to do but also because it would be interesting. A lot of videos are exciting for the first twenty seconds but then it kind of stays the same and you get bored. We wanted to create something that is new every second you watch it and is entertaining - and I think we achieved that.

How did Lazybones find one another? When did you meet?

We found each other in the local music scene - we were all in other bands and played gigs with each other at one time or another. We got chatting and realised we wanted to try something a bit different, had a pint and here we are. That was last November, so it’s been a crazy year.

Is there going to be more material next year? How far ahead are you looking?

We have our new single coming out in early January followed by our E.P., Bang! Bang!, coming out on Killing Moon in early-2019 (which you can pre-order now on our site!). We’re then already planning for the next release following and have spent a lot of time in the writing room in the last few weeks.

Do you all share similar tastes? Who are you inspired by?

We all have slightly different tastes. I’m (Candi) tend to like softer Rock and Pop. I’m inspired by people such as Skin from Skunk Anansie and Laura Jane Grace from Against Me! Joe then likes Black Sabbath and Chas & Dave and Sam’s into more Punk stuff and the D.I.Y. ethos.

As Christmas is coming; what one present would you each like if you could have anything?

Candi: A Britney mic. I won’t even wear it in public; just around the house for fun.

Joe: Pet chimp.

Sam: World peace.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

2019 is going to be a super-exciting year for us. As I mentioned, we have our E.P., Bang! Bang!, coming out on Killing Moon early-2019 but we are also going on a U.K. tour in February, woo! So far, we’ve announced five dates with more to be announced. We’ve then got a new release planned after, so watch this space...

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

Our favourite memory as a band was our recent single launch at Green Door Store. Lots of yellow; lots of bunting and balloons and a great crowd. It really felt like something special.

On a side-note and the worst memory - breaking the van door at 2 A.M. in the rain, fixing it with a crowbar and then locking the keys in the back. That was a long, cold night!

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Candi: Stoosh by Skunk Anansie

Skin’s voice is absolute perfection and the variety of songs and themes include every emotion, so it always has you covered, whatever mood you’re in.

Joe: Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

It’s just four skint guys recording an album in a day or two and it still sounds huge today. Great instrument sounds, great songs and such a huge contribution to Rock/Metal and the rest.

Sam: I can’t possibly answer that question but maybe At the Drive In - Relationship of Command, because no matter when I play it it’s still good.

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

We’d support someone like Blondie or Black Sabbath…if they ever tour again. If not, maybe Jack White.

The rider has to include Custard Creams, really good pizza and at least eight cans of Stella.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be as creative as you can with what you have and play to your strengths. It’s a really saturated industry but, if you work hard and learn what makes you unique, you can really create something new and exciting.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

We’re playing on 10th December at The Old Blue Last, supporting Fangclub and Big Spring which is going to be awesome. Our tour dates in Feb are then as follows:

15/02/19: Crofters Rights, Bristol

16/02/19: Good Mixer, London

19/02/19: The Horn, St Albans

20/02/19: The Hope, Brighton

21/02/19: Frog & Fiddle, Cheltenham

With more T.B.A.!

 IN THIS PHOTO: DITZ

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Definitely, we would recommend our pals DITZ - they are killer live and just came off tour with The Coathangers. Also, Gender Roles and Orchards  - both Brighton bands and both bring something new and really exciting to the scene.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Orchards

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

I’d like to say I do yoga or something productive but, instead, I binge-watch terrible teen dramas and then deny all knowledge of them when questioned. I also read a lot. Joe then watches Forensic Files or Simpsons and Sam just plays more drums. Drums.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Candi: Black Me Out - Against Me!

Joe: The Lord of Lightning - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Sam: The Reason They Hate Me – Daughters

__________

Follow Lazybones

Official:

https://www.wearelazybones.com/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0CBPtqOqwRhnK93GuXE715?si=NJ_Sf7TsSBS3uzTcWUHkPg

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/wearelazybones_

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wearelazybones/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/wearelazybones/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTZCus55u0MUwLmBJgJL1kQ

ALL PHOTOS:

Thomas Lisle Coe-Brooker

TRACK REVIEW: Jeremy Tuplin - Bad Lover

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Jeremy Tuplin

Bad Lover

9.5/10

The track, Bad Lover, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q3l2grbY0g

GENRE:

Indie

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

23rd November, 2018

_________

BEFORE I get to the positive…

and music-based aspects of Jeremy Tuplin; I need to look at a sense of anonymity that has creeped into music. It is not a slight against anyone or a criticism but, more and more, an identity has been lost from new music. Maybe it was like that before but, with mainstream acts, you have these interviews and longer biographies that give you a sense of who they are, what music influences them and where they are heading. You can watch YouTube videos and read articles that give you insight and explanation; a fuller picture that builds a sense of who we are dealing with and what we can expect. A lot of rising artists do interviews but most prefer to go for reviews as a sense of publicity. The issue with a lack of interviews, especially video interviews, is the mystery behind the artist. Only the music remains so we have to piece together what we can from what we hear. That is okay in a sense but music is much like a business and attraction. Before you get to the music itself, you have the social media pages. You need something that attracts you and hooks the mind; a bit of background and story that gets you invested and gives a sense of explanation. If there is a few lines – or fewer – then you never really know where that artist came from and who they are. Jeremy Tuplin has a lot of great aspects and qualities – as I shall investigate – but many will experience his social media pages before the music. Maybe they will be struck by the music itself but, once heard, there is that desire to discover more about the man. I am not suggesting every artist has video interviews and a spread up but few have a fuller biography. For someone like me, who writes 4,000-word reviews, you need some personal details, unique aspects and points to work off; explain who the artist is and where they have come from – before you get down to the music.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Holly Whittaker

It is happening a lot, and not a shot at musicians, but there is a lot of good in Tuplin’s work and locker that you want to see it on the page. I want to know where he comes from and how music struck him; what his songs are about and what separates him from the pack. Many feel giving a lot away means people will not listen to the music or it will not leave mystery but there is a danger that too little will be revealed and someone will move along. You need to attract labels and venues; get festival organisers and radio stations onto your pages and they need to know a little bit about the artist. It does not need to be a story and long explanation but something in the way of background and ambitions is a way of making it easier for the listener and potential fan. Tuplin is an interesting and rounded music and, in these competitive times, putting some background into the mix, I feel, would give him an edge. The legends and icons of music endured and influenced because we heard them being interviewed and we understood what drove them and got to match that with the music they were putting out. In a steaming age where we are exposed to so much choice and colour; how are we going to decide what is best and whether we should stop and investigate? Photos and information are important as the music themselves but, at the end of the day, a strong sound is what people stick around for. The most important parts of Tuplin is his music and its sense of personality. When you listen to the man sing and get involved with his music, you start to get an impression of who inspires him and what makes him tick. Maybe allowing the music to work hard and the imagination to stretch is a good way of challenging listeners but I still would like to know more about the man and his personality.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Holly Whittaker

Listening to a song like Bad Lover and you get a real indication of an artist who can go a long way. I will talk about conscientiousness and a different angle in music; what sort of sounds can shape 2019 and the challenges facing new musicians – I will end by thinking where Tuplin can go and what his future holds. I am drawn to voices and a sense of the original. You do not often get that and it can be hard to find in the mainstream. Look at artists at the top of the game and it can be a bit hard deciphering whether a band/artist is worth some time. Their sounds might be a bit samey or uninspired and the songs talk about the same things. Pop relies a lot on diary-entry confessions and heartbreak. This can get a bit weighty and haunting; the vocals can stand out but I am still finding a lot of repetition on the whole. Other genres of music provide some eclectic nature but I am still seeing more boldness and promise coming from the underground. Someone like Jeremy Tuplin is unshackled by a big label and is not having to conform to what is deemed popular and trendy. When one hears him sing and the music flow; you get a hint of artists like Scott Walker and Nick Cave. There is a combination between classic croon and something darker and more coffee-rich. The more I hear his voice, the more I want to know about the young Tuplin and how it came to him. The lyrics and music resonate and absorb into the skin but it is the voice that makes that huge impact. It is hard to link it to another artist too strongly because there are a lot of different shades and sounds combining.

It has that depth and alluring quality but there is maturity and wisdom. Many people overlook the voice and what it holds and go straight to other angles. I am always looking for artists whose voices stand out and remain. With the slew of talent shows and the factory-processed artists coming along; do we really value a special and standout singer? Jeremy Tuplin has a presence and sense of captivation that will keep you by his side. You can learn a lot about someone from their voice and the way they project. On his latest single, there is vulnerability but there is playfulness. Some people have remarked he has a humour and playfulness one would not imagine hearing his voice and that is what makes him so complex. Reviews and commentators have noted how there is this natural link between the oddity of someone like David Bowie and the gravity of Leonard Cohen. Tuplin’s upcoming album, Pink Mirror, suggests Nick Drake (in its title) and previous work has seen astronauts and space come into play. Tuplin’s voice might be grounded and have that deeper quality but the lyrics take you all over the place and into other worlds. You get something unconventional and conversational in the music. Many artists push the listener away and do not really bring them in. Tuplin talks about something personal and real but he is willing to let you in and allow you to become part of the music. One of the best aspects about his songs is the accessibility. One can understand what he is writing about and what makes him tick. The reality and conversation in the music makes it real and brings much more life to play. So many songs are one-sided and too personal and you never get a sense of progression, story and adventure. Tuplin’s songs are more like plays or novels in a sense. Rather than have something insular and detached, you have a writer who can pen these stunning and imaginative songs. I Dreamt I Was an Astronaut was released earlier this year and Pink Mirror will be out in March. It will be interesting to see how Tuplin has developed and grown between albums.

Tuplin’s last single, Long Hot Summer, raised money for Friends of the Earth and was designed to get people thinking about the planet and what is happening to it. The fact the wildfires in California have devastated homes and claimed lives shows how brutal and frightening climate change is. Global warming is costing us so much already and the forecasts are bleak. It is told more and more lives will be lost and money spent to help protect the planet from the worst effects of global warming. It is great Tuplin took this approach and did something good. You get the feeling he is a conscious writer who thinks more deeply about the world. If Long Hot Summer’s proceeds went to charity and there was that desire to raise awareness then what he is producing now takes your mind elsewhere. The reason I mentioned his previous single and its merits is because you have a musician who is not just here to make music and that is it. You feel like he wants to change the world and make a real impression. You do not get many who go out of their way to raise awareness, make things better and get people thinking more strongly about the world around them. Tuplin’s lyrics and sense of story demonstrate a keen and flexible mind that links him to classic songwriters. I have mentioned Nick Cave and Nick Drake; two songwriters whose music takes you someone special and grabs you by the lapel. You have the strength of the voice but, when you listen to what is being sung, you are brought into this fantastic world. Rather than sing about broken hearts and get people to sympathise with him; Tuplin projects these sweeping stories, glorious worlds and tackles conventional topics with a fresh perspective. It is rare finding a songwriter who does that and can make the music so honest and open – whilst still leaving some mystery and room for interpretation.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Richie Phillips

We are moving into the new calendar year and that will get people wondering what sounds will dominate. The ‘sounds of 2019’ have not been published yet – they happen in December and January – so I am not 100% certain what is being demanded. I feel Pop will play a large role but Grime and Rap are making more of an impact. YouTube have presented their ones to watch for next year and there is a great blend of Rap, Pop and Grime. There is a bit of Rock and Alternative on the fringes but it is more varied than last year – where one got the sense the new Pop breed were what critics were looking forward to. Pop is always going to be at the forefront but people are seeking something a bit more potent, charged and, maybe, less personal. Given the times we are living in right now; there is a split demand between escapist music and artists who are addressing something more relevant and important. Tuplin fits between those two camps. His music has that escape and fantasy but it is much more stirring and long-lasting than mere love songs. His voice, lyrical style and mystical blends will spike a few ears and fit in with what 2019 promises. It might be a few years before he gets on these big lists but I feel, right now, he is readymade for 2019 and what the public needs. Rather than the sugary Pop artists or processed sounds; we still want something energised and interesting but imbued with more personality, strength and importance. How one defines ‘importance’ is personal but something that goes beyond cliché heartache and anxiety is a nice change of pace. I do not feel a lot of the 2018 tips have paid off and I feel next year will be a bigger one for music. I shall stay on this topic because there is a lot to unpack before we get to next year.

Jeremy Tuplin will fit into the pack because he has already won hearts and gathered kind words. Critics have noted his strengths and unique flair and highlighted him for big things. What strikes me is how varied his work is. There is a distinct sound with Tuplin but he allows his music to breathe and vary between releases. Next year is a big one because we have been through so much political stress and division and it is hard to know exactly what sort of music will comfort us. I do not feel the Pop mainstream is sufficient enough but we do not want to embrace artists too soft and vague; those that are slight or writing in a very predictable way. I have spoken about personality and how it is important to get a sense of the artist and what makes them write. Embracing complete and original artists is, I think, what people are going to look for next year. Tuplin has a terrific sound and it definitely lingers in the brain. I am excited to see where he might head and what 2019 holds. I know there will be an album and many journalists and radio stations will get a hold of it. Many might claim the sound appeals more to a ‘mature’ audience – those who experienced legends like Nick Cave back in the day – but, really, Tuplin appeals to all demographics. Many artists have a narrow sound that only markets to a certain audience but Tuplin’s music goes a lot further. I will end this section of the review because, before I get to his new single, I want to look at challenges that face artists next year. It is exciting as we head into 2019 but there are some considerations that need to be addressed.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Richie Phillips

Jeremy Tuplin, like his peers, is gearing up for an album release and has ambitions. He will have goals regarding gigs, festivals and success and I am sure he is looking to boost his fanbase. I will end by looking at Tuplin and how he can grow next year but he already has a lot of quality and love his way. His social media numbers have risen and there are some glowing reviews that he has received. More and more artists coming onto the scene means there is going to be that competition and need to distinguish yourself. It is all very well for talented artists to come along and put out material but is that focus and hard work enough? The most important deciding factor between the promising and successful is those who can match an original sound with that hard work. I see so many artists put out music and promote themselves heavily but you never really return that often. So many repeat what is out there or feel they need to be close in sound to the masses – that is the mark of popularity and what will get them fans. I know it is hard to be special and standout with so many people around but many artists are so narrow regarding their compositions and lyrical templates. You have to wade strong and long so you can get into crystal waters and discover those who have their own vibe and do not closely stick to what is already out there. The challenges, therefore, is being able to have that distinction and letting people know about it. Tuplin has already proven himself but will be pitching himself all over again as he readies another album. At the start of every year, critics and fans are looking around for new heroes and  they will want to see who is making the biggest moves. Tuplin has a solid and appealing sound but I would also suggest a bit of an introduction. Maybe a small video or an interview would be a good accompaniment to his incredible sounds and make for a perfect pitch to those recommending artists to watch in 2019.

The start of any song is vital and important. People are going to be sold in the first few seconds and, if you present something a bit wooden or wandering then they will go elsewhere. Bad Lover starts quiet and then there is a brief moment when you can feel a transition happening. Spirited and racing electric strings have a light feel but there is urgency there as well. Wordless vocals, male and female, sound almost tribal and it is an uplifting and alluring tonic. I got some hints of Nick Cave and the way he can use harmonies but also a bit of Paul Simon in his Graceland period. It is unusual to start a song with harmonies and something melodic because most artists go in with lyrics or they let the music hover in the ether – leaving the harmonies and moments like this to the chorus. Tuplin makes sure he grips people from the outset and you are always wondering where the song is headed. Tuplin’s delivery, when he comes to the microscope, has a quick and matter-of-fact sound and barely pauses for breath. It seems like Tuplin could be broken-hearted and twist what is inside him out and spit venom; he could complain and blame someone else and he is contemplating how to progress. You sense a slight wink and commentary regarding songs and how there is always this need to accuse and find fault with the other party. Maybe Tuplin is predicting how people will react to the song – he is blaming the girl and what she has done – and the opening lines subvert expectations and, instead, ponder and show a little bit of humour. The voice has that deep quality that gives the words seriousness, but the composition has an airiness and playful, tactile nature that balances the mood. If we are naming names - I know that is an easy thing to do – then I can hear bit of The Divine Comedy and The National.

  PHOTO CREDIT: Richie Phillips

The vocal and deep tones remind me of the U.S. band but it is Neil Hannon that comes through. That sense of wit and intelligence; his accent and way with words, I feel, has made an impression on Tuplin. It seems like there is this devil inside him and something that keeps coming out. Whatever has happened in the past is happening again. Maybe he is in a new relationship and Tuplin can see patterns emerging. Rather than accuse her of being a mess and screwing him around; I get the feeling the man is looking inside himself and unable to resist the urge to be a bit mean. The chorus harmonies give the song its relief and, in a way, causal humour – after such strong and personal words, we get this rather cute sound – that makes it so rich. I know there is some blame regarding his lovers but Tuplin is looking at himself and wondering whether he should keep some emotions and temptations locked away. The hero talks about the cosmos and altering lives and feels, rightly, it is personal decisions and what we know for sure that affects our actions rather than the heavens. The girl seems to be patient and knows what she is in for but Tuplin seems to be more solid and secure on his own. Perhaps that is a harsh conclusion but the ease of compatibility has not come to his door. I get the sense there are these moments when things got serious and he is unable to invest himself. All the great songwriters that Tuplin might be drawn to – from Nick Cave and Tom Waits to Neil Hannon – have found happy love but they have worked hard and long to find that security. I am not sure whether Tuplin is in a long-term relationship or whether he is finding himself going through the motions time and time again.

The contrast between the fast-flowing and deep-voiced lines sit nicely against those flowing and harmonious vocals. One feels the hero is looking for a sense of comfort and satisfaction but might not be seeking something permanent right now. Even though he is quite open with his thoughts; I was left wondering whether the blame – regarding the temporary status of his affections – lies with the woman or with himself. There is culpability on both sides but it appears Tuplin knows he has flaws and does not seem to be too cut up about his fate. Bad Lover is a delirious, serious and humorous song that has these contrasts and these voices working and blending together. Although the track seems to whisk by quickly and delivers its message without much pause; you will come back and listen to it time and time again. Tuplin has a couple more tour dates and you will get a chance to see him in his element. I love Bad Lover and feel it has that classic edge to it. I have only mentioned songwriters like Nick Cave because Tuplin can match them and leave you wanting more. He is so different to what is out there at the moment and makes you wonder what comes next. I cannot wait for his new movements and see how he follows Bad Lover. Listen back, too, to Tuplin’s previous work and see all the wonderful stories and strands that play alongside one another.

I have talked a lot about Tuplin’s various qualities but there has been some constructive feedback. I do not usually bother doing that with artists I do not feel have longevity and potential for growth. It is clear Tuplin will continue to evolve and make his way to the top but I feel a quicker way to get into the collective consciousness is a bit more detail. His photos are great but maybe another shoot will come the closer we get to the release of his album. The visual side is great – rare to find among current artists – and the sound is incredible. Having a few interviews or putting something out that would accompany what is already available would strengthen his foundations and be attractive to new fans. It is hard to know how much to give away and what to say in this streaming age but I feel it is easy to strike a balance between too much and too little. The music from Tuplin is turning heads and, in years to come, what people remember and listen to. There are so many musicians who will fade away but I know Tuplin will continue to work. You can mention artists like Nick Drake, Nick Cave and David Bowie when thinking about his sound but Tuplin is his own man – but he does have qualities of these great icons. I have not encountered too many new artists who have so many appealing and interesting facets. I know many new followers will come the way of Jeremy Tuplin next year and Bad Lover is a great examples of why people are raving. Maybe I have been a bit hard in places but it is only because I am invested. I have met so many similar and predictable artists this year and most of them will evaporate from the mind and not be remembered. Tuplin is someone who continues to impress and strike and I feel he has an opportunity to make some huge steps. Bad Lover might seem like a negative title and something that will drag you down but, even after one listen, it is clear we are dealing with a very...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Holly Whittaker

PROMISING artist.   

___________

Follow Jeremy Tuplin

 PHOTO CREDIT: Holly Whittaker

Official:

http://www.jeremytuplin.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JeremyTuplin

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jeremytuplin

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https://open.spotify.com/artist/1yVLjFzHAyCZHcfaYeeBJI?si=q5-N69rLSIGW4iQk4hK7Ag

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https://jeremytuplinmusic.bandcamp.com/

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FEATURE: Starting the Decade in Style: Part III/V: The Finest Albums of 2000

FEATURE:

 

 

Starting the Decade in Style

PHOTO CREDIT: @emmafranceslogan/Unsplash

Part III/V: The Finest Albums of 2000

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THE reason I am putting together this feature…

 PHOTO CREDIT: @iampatrickpilz/Unsplash

is to shine a light on the albums that started a decade with a huge deceleration. I feel it is hard to define what a decade is about and how it evolves but the first and last years are crucial – I have already looked at decade-ending albums. I am bringing to life this feature that celebrates albums that opened a decade with a mighty amount of quality and gave inspiration to those who followed. In this third part, I am focusing on 2000 and the best ten records from the year. The 2000s (the first decade of this century) was a great time for music and I think the years 2000-2005 provided some of the best albums of all-time. Have a look at ten decade-starting albums that show how sensational....

 PHOTO CREDIT: @all_who_wander

2000 was.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

______________

Radiohead – Kid A

Release Date: 2nd October, 2000

Labels: Parlophone/Capitol

Review:

“The experience and emotions tied to listening to Kid A are like witnessing the stillborn birth of a child while simultaneously having the opportunity to see her play in the afterlife on Imax. It's an album of sparking paradox. It's cacophonous yet tranquil, experimental yet familiar, foreign yet womb-like, spacious yet visceral, textured yet vaporous, awakening yet dreamlike, infinite yet 48 minutes. It will cleanse your brain of those little crustaceans of worries and inferior albums clinging inside the fold of your gray matter. The harrowing sounds hit from unseen angles and emanate with inhuman genesis. When the headphones peel off, and it occurs that six men (Nigel Godrich included) created this, it's clear that Radiohead must be the greatest band alive, if not the best since you know who. Breathing people made this record! And you can't wait to dive back in and try to prove that wrong over and over” – Pitchfork

Standout Track: How to Disappear Completely

PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

Release Date: 23rd October, 2000

Label: Island

Review:

“Harvey’s delighted at getting Yorke to sing, “Night and day I dream of making love to you now baby”, too. More than ever – check the snarling ‘Good Fortune’ and ‘You Said Something’ – she’s indebted to Patti Smith. Here, Harvey’s adopted her mentor’s positivity, so that the urban vignettes are filled with a lust for life. If the roar of ‘This Is Love’ represents the album’s sexual climax, the still moment in ‘One Line’ where she sings, “And I draw a line to your heart today, to your heart from mine/One line to keep us safe”, is its brilliant emotional fulcrum.

You could quibble Harvey has absolved her responsibilities by making an album earthed in the New York sound of 20 or 30 years ago. But when rock is so invigorating, so joyous about love, sex and living, all arguments are null and void. Hey, take a walk on her wild side” – NME

Standout Track: A Place Called Home

Queens of the Stone Age – Rated R

Release Date: 6th June, 2000

Label: Interscope

Review:

“That might alienate listeners who have come to expect a crunchier guitar attack, but even though it's not really aggro, R is still far heavier than the garage punk and grunge that inform much of the record. It's still got the vaunted California-desert vibes of Kyuss, but it evokes a more relaxed, spacious, twilight feel, as opposed to a high-noon meltdown. Mark Lanegan and Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees both appear on multiple tracks, and their band's psychedelic grunge -- in its warmer, less noisy moments -- is actually not a bad point of comparison. Longtime Kyuss fans might be disappointed at the relative lack of heaviness, but R's direction was hinted at on the first QOTSA album, and Homme's experimentation really opens up the band's sound, pointing to exciting new directions for heavy guitar rock in the new millennium” – AllMusic   

Standout Track: Tension Head                      

D’Angelo – Voodoo

Release Date: 25th January, 2000

Labels: Cheeba Sound/Virgin

Review:

“Such advances don’t negate the romance stance that made him a star — his falsetto just may serve as women’s answer to Viagra. ”Send It On” is a stately soul ballad like they just don’t make anymore, while his cover of Roberta Flack’s ”Feel Like Makin’ Love” remains a sweet, sticky delight. Only a crudely misogynistic rap from guests Method Man and Redman on ”Left & Right” upsets the organically sensual vibe. Still, what’s most thrilling about Voodoo is that D’Angelo is unafraid to tamper with his successful formula: This is elastic, impressionistic music that doesn’t cater to radio formats. If you’re looking for an antidote to the processed-cheese disease that’s infected today’s pop, a little bit o’ Voodoo is just what the witch doctor ordered” – Entertainment Weekly   

Standout Track: Playa Playa

Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker

Release Date: 5th September, 2000 

Label: Bloodshot

Review:

“As for the original album, Adams’ ramshackle confidence still amazes, belying the fact that it was his first solo shot. He proved right off the bat that he could find that sweet spot between Bob Dylan’s brattiness (“To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High”) and Gram Parsons’ tenderness (“My Sweet Carolina.”) It’s also interesting to hear Adams at a time when he didn’t narrowcast his albums; Heartbreaker finds room for departures like the Elliott Smith-like intensity of “Amy” and the wild rumble “Shakedown On 9th Street.”

What’s also striking is how convincingly Adams played the role of sensitive ne’er-do-well even then; others have spent careers trying to cultivate that stance and can’t approach the authenticity he had right out of the gate. Heartbreaker gets all the bells and whistles it deserves in this deluxe edition, but the fact that it contains some of the earliest and best examples of Adams’ prolific, prodigious talent means it really doesn’t need any extras to be worth it” – American Songwriter

Standout Track: To Be the One

OutKast – Stankonia

Release Date: 31st October, 2000

Labels: LaFace/Arista

Review:

“"Ms. Jackson," meanwhile, is an anguished plea directed at the mother of the mother of an out-of-wedlock child, tinged with regret, bitterness, and affection. Its sensitivity and social awareness are echoed in varying proportions elsewhere, from the Public Enemy-style rant "Gasoline Dreams" to the heartbreaking suicide tale "Toilet Tisha." But the group also returns to its roots for some of the most testosterone-drenched material since their debut. Then again, OutKast doesn't take its posturing too seriously, which is why they can portray women holding their own, or make bizarre boasts about being "So Fresh, So Clean." Given the variety of moods, it helps that the album is broken up by brief, usually humorous interludes, which serve as a sort of reset button. It takes a few listens to pull everything together, but given the immense scope, it's striking how few weak tracks there are. It's no wonder Stankonia consolidated OutKast's status as critics' darlings, and began attracting broad new audiences: its across-the-board appeal and ambition overshadowed nearly every other pop album released in 2000” – AllMusic   

Standout Track: Ms. Jackson

Madonna – Music

Release Date: 18th September, 2000

Labels: Maverick/Warner Bros.

Review:

“...So, yes, thank you, you do like her acid rock. It’s not that, as cynics suggest, her discovery of dance music was the equivalent of a jaded millionaire’s rejuvenating lamb foetus injections at a Swiss sanatorium; rather, her contributions splice precious pedigree pop cells into raw new matter. ‘Music’ is a bionic record, a triumph of advanced mechanics and the faultless design of a consummate superstar. Only now, the act is vanishing” – NME   

Standout Track: Music

Doves – Lost Souls

Release Date: 3rd April, 2000

Label: Heavenly Records

Review:

“These two songs alone chart new and comely shores of melancholic psychedelia. 'Rise' is a volcanic explosion of melodically lovely sadness, while 'Lost Souls' is like having your face brushed with warm and brightly coloured light as Jimmy Goodwin dolefully intones,"Every little thing that I say you just can't ignore/She consoles/For she cries for all the lost souls" over fluttering organs and drums.

Gulp.

Do the sums (Mancunian melancholia + woozy psychedelia + sonic whoosh) and you're left with the first great debut album to come from Manchester since 'Definitely Maybe'. Doves may not have any of the attitude, youth or sartorial influence of their forebears but, by God, they make being sad after drugs sound great”– NME

Standout Track: Catch the Sun

The Avalanches – Since I Left You

Release Date: 27th November, 2000  

Label: Modular

Review:

“It's no cloyed nostalgia trip, pieced together humbly by Aussies who are probably telling you the truth when they say they listen "to a little bit of everything." The unflinching mix offers plenty of tempo variety, knowing just when to change the pitch before hitting overkill. The second half features a subtle lull that builds up in time for "Live at Dominoes," possibly the strongest cut. There's little doubt to Since I Left You's status as one of the most intimate and emotional dance records that isn't vocal-based. Working on a mystical level, don't be too surprised if a future dig through the wallet unearths a membership card to the Summer Break Funk Association” – AllMusic     

Standout Track: Since I Left You

Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP

Release Date: 23rd May 2000

Labels: Aftermath/Interscope

Review:

“I'm willing to lay money on the fact that the vast majority of people reading this have already heard this album and made up their minds. If you haven't you pretty much missed out on the most culturally important musical event since grunge - maybe even since punk. Nevermind though. (Pun intended.) And it's for that reason that I'm not sure what score to give this album. It's not perfect (the 3 skits and Under The Influence could be slashed from this album without any caring), and thus doesn't deserve 5 on that scale. Not to mention, it is an immensely opinion-dividing album, and one blamed for offending as many people as it delights. And yet, a 5 denotes an album that everybody should hear and should own - and I believe that to be true of this album. Even if you ignore the album's importance, it remains a truly special album, unique in rap's canon, owing its spirit to rock and its heritage to rap, in a way I've rarely heard. How can I give it anything less” – Sputnik Music

Standout Track: Stan

FEATURE: Real-to-Reel: Vague: Why Previous Attempts at a Full Madonna Biopic Have Been Flawed...and Why an Authoritative, Career-Spanning Project, with Madonna’s Backing, Would Triumph

FEATURE:

 

 

Real-to-Reel

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in her 1982 ‘lollipop’ photoshoot/PHOTO CREDIT: Deborah Feingold 

Vague: Why Previous Attempts at a Full Madonna Biopic Have Been Flawed...and Why an Authoritative, Career-Spanning Project, with Madonna’s Backing, Would Triumph

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THERE is a lot of division when it comes to the music biopic…

and whether we should see them on the screen. I have written about the biopic and the great and bad, it seems there is that clear division between those artists whose lives have been brilliantly brought to life through the viewpoint of an actor and those, sadly, whose career has been given a bit of a blow. A couple that have been making the news revolve around Freddie Mercury and Amy Winehouse. The former left us twenty-seven years ago and the biopic that has just been released, Bohemian Rhapsody, did receive some bashing and negative remarks - but many have thrown praise its way. Those who were indifferent to the film felt a lot of Mercury’s personal life was omitted and (the film) skirts around some of the singer’s more arresting moments. You can never please everyone and it is very hard making a film about someone very known and loved and getting it right. The Queen lead was an enigmatic and contrasting figures whose personal life was very different to what he projected on the stage. It is hard to find that perfect balance between the iconic showman and who Mercury was in private. Maybe there are some flaws but there has been a lot of love put the way of Bohemian Rhapsody. Whether Mercury would have approved of the film and loved everything is something we will never know. It has been good to see this legend projected through film and, let’s hope, reach new audiences.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse in 2009/PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Lake

The reason people make biopics is because, well, they want to see that artist’s life on the screen but ensure their life and magic is introduced to fresh generations. A lot of biopics, to be fair, concern dead artists. It makes senses to cinematically revive a musician but there is that issue of consent and appropriateness. Another artist who is getting the big screen treatment is Amy Winehouse. I can see the lure and desire to see Winehouse’s life projected on screen. The details, at the moment, remain brief:

“Just days after Amy Winehouse‘s estate revealed plans to tour a hologram of the singer, her family also announced that a big-screen biopic about Winehouse is in the works. The Winehouse family will serve as executive producers on the upcoming biopic, which will begin filming in 2019, the Guardian reports. Proceeds from the film will reportedly benefit the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

“We now feel able to celebrate Amy’s extraordinary life and talent,” the singer’s father Mitch Winehouse said in a statement. “And we know through the Amy Winehouse Foundation that the true story of her illness can help so many others who might be experiencing similar issues.”

Monumental Pictures’ Debra Hayward and Alison Owen, the mother of fellow British singer Lily Allen, will also produce the film, with Kinky Boots writer Geoff Deane on board to script Winehouse’s life story”.

You have to consider a number of factors when approaching the film. Do you focus on the tragedy and alcoholism or, in a way, omit the darker details. Did the story of Freddie Mercury look at his sexuality and AIDS? A great biopic tackles the personal lows and highs and I do not think you can cherry-pick. Winehouse is regarded, rightly, as a modern icon so there will be a lot of her incredible music and loveable personality. She was, away from the tabloid gaze, a humble and honest woman that was, in a way, tortured by the pressure of fame. Who do you get to play her and will they sing her songs – something that is quite sacred and hard to equal! Will we get her early life and life before music and will we end with her sad death in 2011? If you miss any of these questions out, before it has even hit the screen, you have a critical failure. Fans will want to see Winehouse fairly portrayed but focus more on the music. It is a hard balancing act and, for that reason, I am a bit reluctant about this one. The fact Winehouse’s music has been exploited to an extent – posthumous releases and the fact a hologram version of her will tour – and it takes away from the purity of her work. The fact she was only twenty-seven when she died limits the scope of the film and will there be enough to keep people gripped and invested?! It is easy to see why music biopics have a hard time succeeding.

It can be hard telling an artist’s story legitimately and fairly if they do not get a say. The problem is one that was put at Madonna’s feet. My notion regarding a biopic is not a fresh one: there has been long-talk of a biopic, Blond Ambition, doing the rounds. I do not know whether it is being produced and when we might see it – if at all. When the biopic was suggested and its details revealed, the Queen of Pop was not best pleased:

“Madonna’s claws are out. To be fair, they’re probably always out, given Madge’s proclivity for quick comebacks and cutthroat takedowns. But this time, her claws are sharper, shinier, and adamantium-strong, and sinking into a surprising new victim: a biopic called Blond Ambition. Universal recently snapped up the rights to the script, which is a retelling of Madonna’s early life and career. However, the singer greatly disapproves of the story, even more so now that she’s read the screenplay.

“Why would Universal Studios want to make a movie about me based on a script that is all lies???” she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post, per The Hollywood Reporter. “The writer Elyse Hollander should write for the tabloids.”

Hollander’s screenplay, which follows a young Madonna struggling “to get her first album released while navigating fame, romance, and a music industry that views women as disposable,” shot to the top of the Black List last year. Michael DeLuca (Fifty Shades of Grey) of Brett Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment is set to produce the film, alongside John Zaozirny of Bellevue Productions...

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in Greenwich Village, 1982/PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Cunningham

The pop superstar continued trashing the project, singling out specific script details like a scene in which a young Madonna tells Dick Clark on American Bandstand that she was born in Detroit and dropped out of high school.

When news of the biopic originally broke on Tuesday, Madonna immediately took to Instagram to voice her disapproval. She posted a photo of herself in all her 80s splendor, with the caption: “Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen. Only I can tell my story. 📚Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool. Looking for instant gratification without doing the work. This is a disease in our society. ✍️🙃”.

I can see why there was some rankling and anger from Madonna. If you are not purporting the facts and doing something very lazy regarding the truth; how is that going to reflect the artist? The fact Madonna is alive and can have creative input, if approached, is a bonus. I am not sure whether that film has been made or what is happening but I do wonder whether an opportunity was squandered. Why focus on the early career rather than focusing on her entire career? Why not consult Madonna and negotiate? Surely a less hurried and more personal biopic is better than none or one that does not present things as they really transpired?!

It seems, in terms of documentary, it is easier to get things right and strike that balance – as the facts and woman herself is telling her own story to a degree:

“...But a documentary? On Monday, the first trailer for Madonna and the Breakfast Club, a documentary about the same early period of the Queen of Pop’s life as Blond Ambition, was released. Despite apparently treading some of the same territory, this is not the same film that so inflamed Madonna last year. Described as a “docudrama feature film about Madonna’s pre-fame days in New York with her first band”—the titular Breakfast Club—the documentary features interviews with Madonna’s collaborators from the era as well as what look to be pretty substantial reenactments of key scenes with actor Jamie Auld, perfectly cast in her first role, playing the musician. (A quick browse of Auld’s Instagram only confirms what’s in the trailer: The actor is a definite doppelgänger for the now-60-year-old soccer mom.)”.

As a big fan of her work; I am keen to do something revolving around her work – maybe a documentary would be the best first step. I feel Madonna’s beginnings and story has Hollywood and the cinema written all over it. The fact she left Bay City and worked her way to become the Queen Pop is a remarkable achievement and one that would inspire generations. It need not be a single film: a multi-part drama/comedy-drama would passionately and faithful chart her entire career and would allow people to see how she managed to transform music.

One could start in her early life and that desire to head to New York and create its first big chapter with her debut album in 1983. There is this ongoing career where she has evolved and managed to create such huge artistic works; a private life that has been put through the tabloid mill but, when you listen to the woman speak without misguidance, she is not like she’s portrayed. To me, seeing the young Madonna fight for artistic control and independence is the biggest key. Many overlook the way she was determined to guide her own work and how Madonna’s singular vision is what has led us to now. She worked with other producers and writers but it was the determination and strength from Madonna that ruled. I can understand why Madonna would feel slighted if someone made a biopic and it was not to her satisfaction. There is no other artist, I feel, that would be able to tell such a compelling story. You have all the different albums and how she transitioned from her 1980s heyday and reinvented herself in the 1990s; the big tours and iconic fashion changes; the way she is still making music and has inspired countless other artists. I do not feel she’s object unreservedly to any project regarding her life. As the trailer for Madonna and the Breakfast Club shows; it is possible to tell her story right and get her backing – it is the story/documentary of Madonna’s struggling days in New York with her first band, The Breakfast Club, and the period leading to her first solo record.

The best way to go about an authentic and proper Madonna biopic is to, first, approach her and her label, Interscope, and her management, Maverick, and not make a single move until everyone has sat down. A T.V. serial/multi-part would avoid Hollywood hands and duplicitous studio hands and, if funded by someone like Netflix or Amazon, it would have the budget but have a sense of independence – or not as controlled as you’d get from a bigger Hollywood studio. You would not need to glamorise details or overly-sexualise her life. She is an honest artist and her sexuality is part of her progression. The personal facts are the most important aspect. Regarding her high-school life and when she left Bay City; whether she wants to mention her marriages and any sexual past – going ahead without her consent risks alienating the one person you are trying to please the most. You would need to establish the tone of the series and whether it is going to have elements of her relationships and controversies – especially around her Erotica-Sex period in the 1990s – or whether you want to focus purely on her musical rise. Having an approved and malleable production company on board is the biggest step. Finding a director, female preferably, who could bring her story to life and ensure Madonna loved it would be easier than you’d think. You’d need the writers to work with Madonna and, if she had an executive producer role, it would mean details would go through her without her necessarily controlling every aspect of production.

A biopic/series that offends the subject is a failure and that is why there is an ethical quandary when telling the stories of artists who have already passed – would they want their story to be told at all?! Madonna is going to be without us an awful lot longer and there is no huge rush to throw something out without her understanding and backing. If you put something to her and she says ‘no’ then ask if there is something that can be done to get her involvement. If she shuts down every approach then it is best to leave things but that is not what has happened before. There is so much to unpack and concentrate on so I do not think you can sufficiently get to grips with the real Madonna with a two/three-hour film. It would look great on a big screen but I think something more detailed and thorough is only right. I spat out the title, Vogue, because that song (from 1990’s I’m Breathless) seems to be a particular peak. The word evokes fashion and cool and would be a good title. I do not know but, in any case, most production companies would want the involvement of Madonna herself. The script and story would be good to tell and something someone like me would love to see. You need to get inside the woman herself – in a non-smutty way! – and what drives her.

 IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Madonna’s eponymous debut in 1983/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Image

If Madonna was on board and was invested in the project, I think it could genuinely be a huge hit. Biopics involved deceased artists can be risky and if you try and guess what they would want told and how they actually lived then you are taking a gamble. By having the Queen of Pop with us and producing music still, there is this huge interest and lure. We all want to know what Madonna will bring next and, at sixty, I feel she has a lot more to say. My favourite periods from her career are her debut in 1983; the period between 1992 and 1994 when she released Erotica and Bedtime Stories (respectively) and rode a wave of flack; her 1998 album, Ray of Light, and where she is now. Madonna’s eponymous debut is a landmark album and one of the best introductions. By 1994, she had undergone changes and creative shifts and, with tongue in cheek, was apologising for her raunchy and indiscreet album/book beforehand. By 1998, nobody expected her to produce something like Ray of Light. It is her musical evolutions and reinventions that make her the Queen of Pop. The personal side of Madonna is important and cannot be overlooked. There are marriages and tabloid tackling; we know about her huge live shows and it would be good to see what happened behind closed doors and get a glimpse of the Madonna that few of us have ever got to see.

There is a lot of Madonna documentary and interview material to cull from and getting the right actress is essential. You’d be looking at Madonna from the age of around sixteen and following her career up until now, aged sixty. Whether you’d keep one actress and age her or employ several is a problem but I feel having several actresses playing her is best. They would need to learn her speaking voice and mannerisms but the studio recordings do not need to be replaced. I feel getting someone to re-record her songs would be a mistake and you need to keep them as they are. There are so many different areas to investigate and how she got involved with every part of the process – from writing and producing to music videos and hiring dancers for her tours. Some might say Madonna having too much say would make it subjective and gloss over some aspects but I feel her aim would be to have her life told as she actually lived it. There is a demand to see her life on screen and you cannot look at the epic career of Madonna and not feel it would be perfect and brilliant on T.V./film. As we have seen; going ahead and producing something that is half-truth risks the subject herself create distance and feel offended so the only realistic Madonna biopic would need her complete involvement and direction.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in her 1982 ‘lollipop’ photoshoot/PHOTO CREDIT: Deborah Feingold 

I think her music videos, songs and interviews are a great legacy but having this single/multi-party story would bring everything together and provide a chance for rare details and revelations to come into play. Many people idolise Madonna and a drama/film would show how she took a risk and got into music; how she rose to where she is and could bring in messages around sex, feminism and creative control. It is a modern-day story that is needed in music and, given the lack of icons, talk of #MeToo and sexism in music; having one of our finest-living artists tackling this retrospectively and currently would make a big impression. You cannot argue with the fact there is nobody like her but, if her life and career was put on film and was told truthfully; who is to say somebody out there who aspires to be like her could not take a similar path and create history?! It is exciting to see but I wonder whether previous attempts – whether they get past the green light and emerge into the light of day is unsure – will stump another pitch. I cannot believe Madonna would be opposed to ANY biopic or dramatic interpretation. As we saw in the article near the top of this piece; she wants things to be accurate and as experienced and telling lies is not a good strategy.

IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna at the Met Gala 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: George Pimentel via Getty Images

A documentary would be less risky and would not necessarily need Madonna’s input because you are collating what is already out there and the portraying the facts. Films, biopic or otherwise, always tend to bend the truth to a degree and there is the temptation to exaggerate and scandalise Madonna. You do not need to do that as her life and career is fascinating and screen-worthy without distorting the facts. It would be brilliant to have the Queen of Pop giving the go-ahead for a new/proper biopic because I, for one, would be able to bring a lot to it. Maybe we will see an upcoming biopic – not approved by Madonna – but I hope any projected or half-finished idea will not see the light. A gorgeous, touching and powerful telling of Madonna, from the teenager to the established icon she is today would bring in huge viewer figures and would provide people to see the Pop icon’s story as told by the woman herself. Not many artists have that opportunity so I hope, if the right idea came her way (I have a great one that would be perfect), she would get behind it and see something personal and honest...

DELIGHT millions.

INTERVIEW: Ciircus Street

INTERVIEW:

Ciircus Street

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THANKS to Ciircus Street...

for telling me about their track, Broken, and how it came together. I was keen to learn how they formed and whether Sam and Jim share similar musical tastes – they reveal some rising acts we need to keep an ear out for.

I ask whether tour dates are coming and which albums strike them hardest; if they have anything they especially want for Christmas and what next year holds – they each select a cool track to end the interview with.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! We’re good thank you. We’ve just finished two weeks on tour with Coffee House Sessions, so recovering from that and preparing for our headline show in London next week.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Sam: Hey. I’m Sam and I play guitar and half of the vocals. I’m a big fan of olives and a nice cup of tea. Pretty much sums it up.

Jim: I'm Jim. I play piano, the other half of the vocals and occasionally an egg shaker!

When did Ciircus Street form? How long have you been playing together?

We formed about three years ago - this month is actually our anniversary! We used to perform solo music and one day went to go see Saint Raymond in Oxford; had a few beers and decided to make a band! Actually got up the next day and did it as well! (After sorting out our hangovers).

Broken is your latest track. Is there a story behind it?

Yeah. Broken is more written from a hypothetical perspective, rather than anything we are currently going through. It’s about someone who has finally got the strength to leave a relationship they weren’t happy in - and the relief that came from them actually doing it.

Is there going to be more material next year? How far ahead are you looking?

Yeah. For sure! We definitely want to release more next year - as we waited a year in between songs. Now, we're excited to get some more ou; hopefully before the summer.

Do you share similar tastes? Who are you inspired by?

We do and we don’t…

Musically, we love a lot of the same things, and then we have some things we prefer more. However, we both agree crumpets with Marmite are banging. I think we draw inspiration from a lot of places. Listening to a lot of different genres of music, we take it all in. When writing Broken we had been listening to a lot of Lewis Capaldi, so I think that had some input on the end product.

As Christmas is coming; what one present would you each like if you could have anything?

Sam: I actually love Christmas and start getting excited by it in January, so the fact it’s coming round is enough for me. But, If I could have anything, probably a new guitar. Mine’s doing alright, bless it, but it was cheap when I bought it and I’ve been banging it around for years.

Jim: I'd have a new keyboard. I've always fancied a Nord but maybe that's a little unrealistic; mine is just so heavy!

Do you already have plans for 2019?

At the moment, we have some basic plans but we’re having some meetings at the moment to see where we really want to go with the year. We’re definitely excited!

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

We went to Dublin earlier this year and we've got some really fond memories of that. We had a good laugh and played some cool shows, so that was pretty sick.

Which one album means the most to each of you would you say (and why)?

Sam: In Utero by Nirvana for me, for sure! I was the first album I listened to. I remember playing it in the car on the cassette player and just sitting there listening over and over.

Jim: I have absolutely no idea. I really like Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park. It reminds me of when I was a teenager and didn't have any responsibility!

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

Jim: I'd love to support Muse! Mainly because I'd love to see them live. Rider would probably include some beer and a burrito each. Nothing too fancy!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Work hard, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Sometimes, there are going to be really hard days but that’s cool. It’s okay to have them; just enjoy it and be yourself. Don't take anything too seriously.

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

We have our headline London show on 27th November at the Servant Jazz Quarters in London which we’re mad-excited about. It’s going to be really fun. 

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

Sam: Yeah. I enjoy playing games. There are a lot of games for the Switch coming out, so that’s going to be a laugh.

Jim: I'm pretty basic. I enjoy stuff like cooking and a few beers with friends down the pub.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

We have listened to Ocean Wisdom since he dropped his video for walking and have been massive fans since. If you’re into Hip-Hop or Grime, go have a listen if you haven’t heard him already.

IN THIS PHOTO: Ocean Wisdom

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Sam: Ahh. Wicked. My song choice would be Fake Happy by Paramore. I have been listening to them again a lot recently and that song is sick.

Jim: Cowards by Raleigh Ritchie is an amazing song, I love it at the moment and more people should listen to him!

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Follow Ciircus Street

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fcClrnWaQ4WQcMvxgeVxY?si=T8NhRQXwR4-5AS1pGKcc3Q

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Ciircus_Street

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ciircus_street/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ciircusstreet/

 PHOTOS:

Viv Morris

INTERVIEW: talker

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Bridgit Fatora 

talker

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I have been speaking with talker...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jocelyn Raulston

about her latest track, Intimidated, and its story. She reveals which artists are important to her and albums that mean the most; whether there is more music coming and whether her upbringing has a lot of great music in it.

I ask talker if there are tour plans and what is afoot for 2019; any rising artists we need to look out for and how she spends time away from music – talker ends the interview with a great track selection.

__________

Hi, talker. How are you? How has your week been?

Hey! It has been great and exhausting. I just got back from Mexico City, which was amazing. Readjusting from a trip is always a little weird though!

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

For sure – my name is talker and I’m a Grunge-Pop artist from Los Angeles.

Intimidated is your new track. When did it start life? Is there a story behind it?

Intimidated actually took a while to come together. It started really organically when I was just writing in my room and I didn’t think much of the song. A couple months later, I was going through my voice memos on my phone and stumbled upon an early draft and realized I really liked it. And then I reworked it a bit and it all came together! There’s not a huge story behind the song besides that. I just really tend to overthink and get in my head too much and I let it affect my relationships. This was one of those times.

Is there going to be more material next year do you think?

Definitely! I’ll be putting an E.P. out pretty soon after the New Year.

Did you grow up around a lot of Grunge music? When did bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden come into your world?

I did. My parents listened to a lot of Alternative and Rock, not only Grunge, when I was growing up. Apparently, they would listen to it on the way to the hospital when my mom was pregnant with me, so they claim that I started listening to it in the womb. So it runs deep!

PHOTO CREDIT: Sean Nunley

Do you already have plans for 2019?

We’ll see! Right now, I’m focusing on putting out the E.P. and booking some shows for the New Year - but I’m just planning on writing a lot more and putting more music out as soon as possible.

Have you got a favourite memory from your time in music so far – the one that sticks in the mind?

I feel really lucky because I have so many! But, a really special one is when I performed at Red Rocks with Frenship, which is a band that I play keys for when they tour. That was really surreal; it’s just a beautiful and iconic place unlike anywhere else in the world.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bridgit Fatora 

Which three albums mean the most to you would you say (and why)?

Oh, wow it’s so hard to choose from my top-ten or so. Definitely Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie. I’m really influenced by Ben Gibbard’s lyricism and think he’s an absolute genius. That album doesn’t have a single filler track and every song makes me lie on the floor and cry. That album has seen me through years of insecurities and growing up.

The 1975’s self-titled debut album is another one for me. I have a lot of special memories with that record and I also just think it’s so well done and groundbreaking.

It’s so hard to only pick one more! But, definitely High Violet by The National. In all honesty; I want to say all of their albums because I’m a huge fan of theirs and each record means a lot to me. But, High Violet is the first album of theirs that I got into and it’s been a lifelong obsession since.

As Christmas is coming up; if you had to ask for one present what would it be?

If there’s no limit to that present then a plane ticket (and all other expenses paid if I’m being honest), good for any location that I choose. Is that too much to ask?

PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Bender

If you could support any musician alive today, and choose your own rider, what would that entail?

If we’re dreaming big I would love to open for Foo Fighters. I’m obsessed with Dave Grohl and wish he were my cool uncle. Honestly…I just want a lot of amazing food on my rider. And socks.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

It’s funny answering this question because I’m still figuring everything out myself and am super-new to the scene! But, I’d say just try everything. Go to every show. Meet everyone you can. I am such a different artist and person than I was when I first moved to L.A. and it took a lot of soul-searching and musical experimentation to figure out who I was artistically. And, while I’m confident with where I am now, I’m still constantly evolving and figuring it out!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Bridgit Fatora 

Do you have tour dates coming up? Where can we catch you play?

I do! I’m opening for my friend and amazing artist Yoke Lore at The Dacres in Walla Walla, Washington on December 7th. And then I’m playing a free, full band show in L.A. on December 11th at Madame Siam in Hollywood as a part of the We Found New Music and BuzzBands L.A. holiday party.

Might you come to the U.K. - or are you playing in California for the most part?

I would love to come to the U.K.! Right now, I’m mainly focusing on California and other semi-local shows, but I’m really hoping to get over there sometime within the next year or so. I’d also love to do some writing over there too.

IN THIS PHOTO: Dan Sadin/PHOTO CREDIT: Rachael Wright

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Yes! My friend and close collaborator Dan Sadin has an awesome E.P. out – he also shreds on guitar. Another friend of mine, Chanel & the Circus, just put out their new video and is, hands down, the most creative and genuine person I know. Plus, their music is catchy as hell. Who else can I shout out? Colyer just put out a sick E.P., as did my amazing friend Fiona Grey. Honestly, I’m super-lucky to be in a tight-knit community of incredible artists! They inspire and terrify me.

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

My brain is definitely always wrapped up in music. It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole and get a little obsessive; always trying to be productive and constantly worrying about wasted time. But, I love to spend time with my friends, hike; drink good coffee, watch Friends on-repeat and travel as often as I can. I really strongly believe that it’s important to focus on my personal life and the people and things that make me happy and the rest will follow. Just have to remind myself sometimes.

Finally, and for being a good sport; you can choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Ooh, fun! Your Loves Whore by Wolf Alice – one of my forever-favorite songs. Thanks, guys!

__________

Follow talker

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1wcTmtixisIzV10W69W6lm?si=_1AX5HwSQcSNotoMxrblpQ

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/talkerceleste

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/talkerceleste/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/talkerceleste

FEATURE: The November Playlist: Vol. 4: We Only Want YOU This Christmas

FEATURE:

 

The November Playlist

IN THIS IMAGE: Rita Ora 

Vol. 4: We Only Want YOU This Christmas

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I told you there would be…

 IN THIS PHOTO: The 1975

a few Christmas songs appearing soon enough and, lo and behold, they are coming through! I have included a couple in the pack but the return of Rita Ora has excited a lot of critics. I have included a track from her latest album, Phoenix, in addition to songs from Sam Fender, LUMP; The 1975, The Streets and Weezer. It is another great week for music and covers a pretty wide spectrum. Have a listen to the selection of these new tracks and I know you’ll have much to enjoy. It is a top week for music and, as you will see, we have not been subjected to a huge amount of Christmas material. Let’s enjoy another week or relatively Christmas-free tracks because, this time next week, I feel…

WE will get a pretty big dose!

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

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Rita Ora – Only Want You

Blood Red Shoes – Howl

LUMP – May I Be the Light

Dan Caplan (ft. Sinéad Harnett) – Closer to You

Billie Eilish – come out and play

Mai Kino – Young Love

The Streets (ft. Chip, Grim Sickers) - Call Me in the Morning  

The 1975 - Sincerity Is Scary

AJ Tracey – Doing It

PHOTO CREDIT: Tawni Bannister for Time Out Chicago

John Kander and Lin-Manuel Miranda - Cheering For Me Now  

Wengie – Ugly Christmas Sweater

Marlon Williams – Beautiful Dress

Claire Richards – My Heart Is Heading Home (This Christmas)

Jamie Lawson – Testify

Sam Fender – Poundshop Kardashians

Vitas – Fade

PHOTO CREDIT: REX

Wiley – Raise Your Glass

Ed Harcourt – Keep Us Safe

Nita Strauss – Mariana Trench

Jaden Smith – SOHO

Weezer – Zombie Bastards

Mike Posner – Stuck in the Middle

Hunter Hayes – This Christmas

Stalking Gia, Blackbears – miracles

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cayley

Perfume Genius – Not for Me

Cody Simpson – New Crowned King

Call Me Loop – Business

issac gracie – broken wheel  

Quincy Jones (ft. Chaka Khan) – Keep Reachin’

Grandaddy – Bison on the Plains

Clean Cut Kid – Deafening

Mauwe – Balcony Dreams

TRACK REVIEW: The Wild Things - I Think You Can Do Better

TRACK REVIEW:

 

The Wild Things

PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Maschwitz 

I Think You Can Do Better

9.6/10

The track, I Think You Can Do Better, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4oPcy277XcBR7ZfE06SPpm?si=bEhTCwcZR0S0EfR_RUj5pQ

GENRES:

Rock; Alternative

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

The album, You’re Really Something, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/6gneTPou4zH5gJvmeIXNz9?si=tE2_WQw-QXi9mKUvCiB9xw

RELEASE DATE:

23rd November, 2018

_________

WE are coming to the end of the year…

and there are some late charges for the ‘album of the year’ title. Most artists bring out their records during the spring or summer, if they want to make a big impact, but you do get some good ones later in the year. I will talk about release dates but, when thinking about The Wild Things, I will cover sounds and the variety that others lack; female-fronted bands and, again, the talent that is out there and not being represented; a bit about fun and adventure in music that elevates it from the stale and ordinary – I will end by assessing The Wild Things and why they have so much potential. It is interesting looking at albums and when an artist releases them. It makes sense to release them in the warmer months because, psychologically, we are in a better mood and temperament and that can have an effect. For mainstream artists, they sometimes time their releases around award ceremonies or so they do not clash with another big act. A lot of times it is about scheduling and when albums are ready to go but, if you look at the best/best-received albums of this year; most of them pre-date, say, the start of this month. The last couple of months of the year do sometimes see great releases but most tend to come before the late stages. I am not sure whether one can track this through every year of music but, largely, artists are putting out their records before the weather gets too savage. The reason I mention this is because it is always good to have something to look forward to, musically, that isn’t Christmas-themed. I have digested all the brilliant albums that have arrived this year – from IDLES, Christine and the Queens and the like – and you have only the inevitable slew of Christmas-themed songs and carols to ‘look forward to’. I like the classics like anyone else but do wonder why musicians tend to go quiet at this time of the year – whether they feel people are not in the frame of mind to give them full attention.

The Wild Things, happily, have brought us some late-November treats. Rather than have to suffer some Christmas album by a celebrity; the world gets to experience a fresh and original album that has the bones and front to challenge some of the established order. I know the guys have been concocting and formulating their material for a long time and this was the right time to release the material. A lot of the songs that appear on You’re Really Something have a vibe that would not sound out of place in the summer climbs. There is energy and vibrancy to be found and I think it is a masterful stroke releasing the record now. We get to experience something genuinely warming and uplifting and, at the same time, witness an L.P. that makes a late bid in terms of the best from the underground. One of my biggest gripes, when it comes to albums of the year and the best out there, why unsigned and lesser-heard artists are not included in the remit. I know I am wandering a little off topic – I shall find my map and wander back onto the path soon! – but this year has seen some fantastic albums from smaller artists that can ably challenge the higher order. The Wild Things’ album is the result of Syd, Cam; Rob and Pete working their bottoms off and putting their everything into the final result. The sensations one absorbs whilst listening to the music is hard to describe and it is a masterful work – as I shall explain a bit later. They have made a great decision releasing the album now because we have this brilliant and bold album to enjoy and it puts them clearly in the mind as we look to 2019. Because the album is box-fresh; one excitedly wonders where The Wild Things are going and where we can catch them on the road. Look at their videos and you get so much imagination and brilliance. One will have their favourite cuts from You’re Really Something and wonder if these songs will be released as singles. In essence, you have this band who are ending the year with a bang and, in doing so, getting many lips wet with anticipation. Festival organisers will be looking and I predict next year will be the biggest for the London-based foursome.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Maschwitz 

Like Piglet leading Winne the Pooh home after he’s had one too many dips in the honey jar – it’s early so you’ll allow me some odd deviation! – I have talked a lot about that one subject but it was interesting to me so it is something to consider. Let us, instead, investigation variation and soundscapes in albums. This is something I get obsessed with and wonder whether there is an argument for artists taking a closer look at someone like The Wild Things. You get albums from artists big and smaller that have an identity and original voice but, a lot of the time, the music sounds rather one-dimensional and unadventurous. The tracks have different lyrics, of course, but the sonic impression is very samey. If it is a Folk album then you might get a lot of the same calm; Rock albums with the same riffs and speed and Pop records that are either relentlessly introspective and anxious or imbued with empty cheer and sugar-sweet sentiment. One wants to discover artists that can push things and show a bit more diversity. It is not betraying your vision and voice by mixing emotions and providing the listener with something broader. What has ruined a lot of potentially potent albums this year is the absence of colour and spark. If one looks at a song like I Think You Can Do Better – or the album itself – then you can detect a band who have a real ear for sound and mood; they can keep things fresh and enticing. Flesh & Bones is a different beast to Loaded Gun; Devil’s Witness and Where Flowers Grew protrude from different soil. Each song is incredible and full but you do not get the same aesthetic and mood with each. Lesser acts would simply alter their riffs or add in little details and not really expand their horizons. Whilst You’re Really Something is not as bat-sh*t-mad as The Beatles’ eponymous album in terms of its sonic leaps and variety; there is plenty of range and wonderful moments that keep things thrilling and fresh. More musicians should take note!

 PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Maschwitz 

This sense of adventure and confidence, so early in a career, could come off as ambitious and ill-conceived if the band did not have the fortitude and chemistry to back things up. It is the closeness and communication within the band that means they can take these big steps and have great ambition. Beside the fact Cam and Syd are siblings; you have a tight and democratic band that have a lot of affection for one another. Too often, one person’s vision dictates things and you can get a rather one-sided and samey sound that is being directed by a single voice. There is fun and friendship within The Wild Things’ camp and that translates into their music. Syd might be the lead voice but the guys each have a say and there is a lot of trust to be found. Because of this, you have songs that sound organic and thrilling; each player puts their all into it and the band has that common objective. They want to create music that is distinctly them but does not stand still on the same spot. The Wild Things can mix softer and more emotional moments together with bigger, bold tracks that show their teeth and rip your knickers off. They can also stretch out instrumental moments and toss in some big riffs; a few nice little kicks here and there to bring us heady, colourful and unpredictable music. I have not got the time to give the album a proper review and do it justice but, having listened to every song, I can attest to the fact it is one of this year’s best records and wins you over from the first listen! The guys have played sold-out shows and big venues like Islington Academy and that experience and reception they have gained means it goes into the music – unafraid and confident to put their vision and true selves into the music. The fans have given them love and passion and the group have grown in confidence as writers.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Barney McCann

I will talk more about the exceptional sounds and originality of The Wild Things but their biggest asset, I feel, is having Sydney Rae White as their lead. That might sound insulting to the lads but, with her acting experience and range – dramas and comedies like Uncle mean she can bring that into the music – you get this in every song. A fantastic and natural actor; White has that advantage with regards story and plot in tracks; she has a naturally wide range and brings physicality to every track. A lot of musicians are able to act but, as an actor, White brings something extra to the party. Not only does she have a full emotional and sonic locker but her personality shines through. I find a lot of all-male bands rather charisma-free and you often do not get a lot of interesting vibes at all. White stands out because of her humour and charm. She is engaging and funny on social media; has a girl-next-door look but, actually, there is proper spunk and toughness in her heart. It is a wonderful blend that is not faked or put on for effect – this is a real star and someone whose personality and easy appeal is not the only bonus. Listen to the way she sings and how she emotes; the sheer confidence and passion put into every line and how she makes you feel. A talented musician who can write stories like no other...someone who leads the band with grace and fire. The rest of the group, of course, are no second fiddle but the fact they have a female voice at the front is their biggest strength. Look at the recent announcement regarding Leeds and Reading’s headliners for next year and there are four male acts! Not only is the quality rather dubious but there are no women to be seen. I fear Glastonbury will make the same mistakes and I wonder why, time and time again, there is that reluctance to hire female headliners.

There is no rational reason behind the decision so it seems ‘tradition’ is the only answer. We have great female-fronted bands like Wolf Alice but there are a slew of great female solo artists – from Pop acts like Lorde and Dua Lipa to Beyoncé and St. Vincent – who could do a wonderful headline set! I feel, personally, women are leading music and producing the best albums. This quality and talented is not being rewarded with a chance to play the biggest stages. The Wild Things have ‘headline slot’ written all over them and, whilst it is too soon for them now, there will be the time when they are primed and I wonder if festivals will respond. I am seeing so many brilliant female artists coming through and I do have the concern that they will not be taken seriously. Syd White is someone who can own a stage and has as strong a voice as any man in music! Maybe The Wild Things will get a Glastonbury call in a couple of years but the band have the potency and talent, soon enough, to be considered for the headline slot. I feel someone like White has a much more appealing and intriguing personality than most out there – I have just thought of another diversion, if you will allow me a few moments?! I will finish this section here but, on the subject of female performers and potential, there is that star quality around Syd. I have been musing why there has never been a biopic made about Madonna. I am not sure whether White is a fan but, in terms of looks, she has a Madonna vibe. White’s personality does not have the spikier nature of Madonna – perhaps that is why something has not been brought to the screen! – but there is that same sort of stature and interest. I look at her and you have someone who gets into the heart. Similar to Mads; Syd has that ability to switch genres and guises easily; there is a fashion edge – an artist who can adopt different looks and rock them all – and a natural human who can win you over because they are so much more than all over musicians out there – they have, as I said, that star quality. As much as I’d like to see White as a Madonna film version – whether she is even a fan of her music – my point is you have someone can own the stage, win over minds and warrants headline attention. Alongside the band, we have a wonderful, complex and easily loveable artist who can pave the way for other women in the industry.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Martin Allen

The cascading and flowing guitar notes that open I Think You Can Do Better remind me of the great acts of the 1990s. There is something a little Britpop about the opening notes; a sense of classic and familiar that is put through The Wild Things’ prism. Rather than race in with something too intense and fulsome; they guide us with this evocative and cool sound. Just as you feel the song will carry on the same lines and explore the guitar sound more; White comes in with the song’s title. There is a bit of American accent with the delivery and it is almost like a Californian teen telling her friend she could do better. That mixture of 1990s Britain and Californian-American gives the song these two sides that work together really well. In fact, when the band step out and the song bursts into life, you get these two sides combining into something really strong and intoxicating. The strings and beats stagger bite and snarl and you, again, get a lot American influence. The riffs are intense and the entire band combines in this thrilling and addictive sound. Before the vocal comes in, you have been captured by this exhilarating and thrill-ride smash that will move the body and get the head nodding. There is a heroine that is skipping down as a form of redemption. Things that make her scream are, according to White, better drowned and ended – so that she is clean and renewed. The use of language and imagery makes me wonder what the story is. Maybe there has been a bad relationship and this toxic bond and, rather than confront it, the heroine is fleeing and feels she needs to get away. No names are mentioned but I get this instant feeling something destructive has played its hand. Lyrics of burning houses and salting the earth builds on that destruction and loss but I wonder if it is purely about a relationship. One can interpret the words as a heroine getting away from a bad guy and ensuring that rotten flower does not re-bloom but I wonder whether there are wider considerations.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Maschwitz 

In these tense and uncertain political times; you can look at the lyrics and the song’s title and feel like it is a shot against those who hold power. Maybe there is an aspect of the destruction leaders cause and how they are leaving everyone high and dry. This might be me over-reaching but I got visions of our P.M. and Donald Trump and how they have sort of screwed everyone. Going back to the relationship side of things and, although there is a lot of bad mojo and poison memories to expunge; White performs her vocal with great consideration for story and impact. She is never too heavy-handed and intense; she has plenty of rawness but you can feel some sympathy in the mix. I love the physicality and energy of the track and how the band manages to keep things sparkling, hot and kicking. The idea of doing better, at first, seemed to apply to a bad boy and someone destructive and, next time around, seems to look at an inexperienced suitor and someone who is not as confident as the type of men the heroine is used to. At every stage, it appears the heroine is making mistakes and not doing herself justice. White brings in some cackles and laughs that add yet more colours and personalities into the song. She manages to mix straight delivery and seriousness with humour, oddity and layers. The song has a distinct story and sense of drama – many songwriters write in a flat way and would perform a similar song with very few original ideas (like The Wild Things do). The chorus – burning houses and salting the ground – seems to be this mantra and addictive coda. It is quite intense but has a singalong quality and melody. More and more, the political side comes to my mind and I do wonder whether The Wild Things are assessing leaders and what they are doing to the world.

“Take what makes you scream...” is one of the standout lines of the album and has this catchy and classic vibe. I mentioned embers of the 1990s before but there is something vintage – in a good way – when you hear The Wild Things. One gets that classic and brilliant sound that seems to be lacking from a lot of music. Everyone will have their own vantage point and view of the song but I feel I Think You Can Do Better is a shot against leaders and those who make decisions but has its roots in a bad relationship. Maybe it is taken from personal experience but the openness/oblique nature of the words means everyone can make their own mind up. On first listen, you are caught by the addictiveness of the song and what the lyrics mean. You go back to experience that hypnotic chorus – and see if there is any fresh revelation – and you will keep spinning it to get to the bottom of things. I was caught by the sheer quality of the song. That might sound insulting but I mean it sort of pops and settles right away. It is one of those complete songs that could have been taken from any classic album of the past. The authority and confidence the band put out is amazing and there are plenty of other examples on You’re Really Something that have the same sort of beauty and brilliance. I wonder whether others will take away the same impressions and feelings as myself or interpret the song in other ways. I went straight back in and was minded to think more fully about the political and social aspect of the song. Perhaps there is this concern regarding the state of play right now and how we need to rise up. Certainty, few can say those in power are speaking for us or doing a great job and I do wonder whether, in fact, there needs to be this people’s movement. There is a lot to take in and weight up and that is the beauty about a Wild Things song. I Think You Can Do Better is a fantastic cut from a remarkable record.

I have talked a lot about various aspects of The Wild Things and the only reason I highlighted I Think You Can Do Better for special consideration is because it’s my favourite choice. Tell Me Why and Better Off Alone is great but, true, every one of the dozen tracks is great. It is hard to pick favourites because of that consistency and natural brilliance and I know how hard the band has worked on the record. You’re Really Something is an epic record that is one of this year’s best and I am fascinated to see where the band go next. I have been following their singles and looking at how much hard work they put in and I do hope as many people as possible listen to their album. Going forward, I think next year will see big festivals and gigs come their way. It is a great time for them and, with the album the band has laid down this incredible declaration. I have heard some brilliant mainstream albums this year but not so many from newer acts. That is not a slight against them but there has been little that can rival the best from the big guns. The Wild Things, in November, have put out this wonderful album that can proudly sit alongside treasures from the heftiest names! I shall wrap things up in a second but wanted to end by congratulating the band on their development. I came across The Wild Things a couple of years back and knew, then, there was something about them. It is always hard knowing if a band will go on to great things that early and last but I had an inkling. A number of factors have been behind this longevity and evolution. You have this very tight band of friends who have been with each other for a long time and there are no egos in the ranks. The fact they are all so close and have endless respect for each other means the music is a lot more engaging, appealing and nuanced. I think The Wild Things will go on to some very big things and I hope a headline slot awaits them! There are problems with the industry and it needs to be addressed. If you need a great record to end the year with an explosion then you need to get involved with You’re Really Something.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Marcus Maschwitz 

FILL in later.  

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