FEATURE: Keeping It Pure: Should Radio Turn Into a Medium for Actors, Comedians and Non-Musical Personalities?

FEATURE:

 

 

Keeping It Pure

PHOTO CREDIT: @nofilter_noglory/Unsplash 

Should Radio Turn Into a Medium for Actors, Comedians and Non-Musical Personalities?

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MAYBE it is me being an elitist or a case of sour grapes...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy is presenting a show of his favourite songs on BBC Radio 6 Music today/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

but I am hearing a lot of non-D.J. personalities coming onto the radio. It has been happening for many years but now, more and more, there are programmes dedicated to actors, comedians and celebrities. It is great these types of celebrities can be part of shows and be interviewed for radio but I wonder whether too many are being given their own shows. From Peter Crouch making it onto Radio X to Cillian Murphy, Russell Crowe; Martin Freeman and Diane Morgan getting their own slots of BBC Radio 6 Music; I wonder what value is being brought in. Maybe it is the cache these personalities have but I have never been interested in what an actor has to say about music. Maybe there are one or two in the world whose opinions I would like to see stretch to a show but there are so many one-offs and series where famous figures get to ‘entertain’ the public with their music choices. I love BBC Radio 6 Music immensely but I can think of few less interesting and relatable shows on radio than Russell Crowe growling about his favourite songs or Martin Freedom chatting about Jazz. It is not like we have endless musicians acting so I wonder why we need hear so many actors/comedians/etc. being given their own show and telling the world about their music. Perhaps the only exceptions where I want to hear famous people have their own radio stations is the biggest and most famous around.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Actor Miranda Richardson (one of the few non-musical celebrities I would like to see present her own radio show)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am actually a fan of Miranda Richardson and feel she has cool music taste but I would not go as far to hear a show where she runs down her tastes and passions. Stations like BBC Radio 6 Music have a show dedicated to those in the acting community and the link between acting and music. I think it is a good series and it is kept aside from the other shows on the station. Having guest presenters and other shows where we see celebrities taking the spotlight puts me off. This might sound like a personal gripe but how many of us look at an actor or comedian do their thing and are itching for them to explain what music is important to them?! It is this odd association and one that is entering the radio waves more. It is not only one-off shows where we see needless celebrity and fame being allowed even more exposure than normal. Big broadcasters such as BBC Radio 2 have celebrities and T.V. personalities and regular D.J.s and, before they got the gig, they had no real experience or music qualifications. Look at radio stations where the D.J.s are comedians and are brought in because they are entertaining and funny. There is a world of wonderful D.J.s, journalists and musicians out there who struggle to get their voice heard and, annoyingly, they are being overtaken by those whose musical credentials are almost zero.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @jonathanvez/Unsplash

I have nothing against people like Martin Freeman and Cillian Murphy as people and I know they love their music. The same goes for D.J.s who have come from a field outside of music and are getting big gigs without much passage and experience. If they are interesting and popular then not many can argue against their booking. The thing is there are people like me who have been working for years and know full well a better, richer and more varied show can be put together – compared to the actors who are booked to do shows on the basis of their fame and rather uninteresting bond to music. I have listened to so many shows where non-music-related personalities talk about music and play their favourite songs and it is never as interesting as when you get musicians and D.J.s doing the same. I watch T.V. shows and films to watch that person do what they are trained to do and rarely am I wondering what their favourite music is. Music and television/film have a natural link but it is the directors and producers who get to choose the music. I have seen directors talk about music on the radio and I guess that makes sense to a degree. If they are responsible for soundtracks and scores then it is reasonable they get to talk about it.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Actor Martin Freeman has presented a couple of radio programmes this year (including one about Jazz)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

They can do that through an interview or part of a special series; it is these one-off shows that annoy me and actors being promoted to full-time D.J.s. So many journalists and D.J.s are starting out or having to go through every rung on the ladder to even get half a chance. Many do not make it and get where they want and it is harder and harder to get exposure. There are countless musicians I would like to see talk about their music tastes and upbringing but so many stations are recruiting actors, comedians and celebrities to do the D.J. thing. Even If they sound natural and engaging on the microphone then what makes them more qualified than someone who has been in industry for years?! It comes down to cache and, to me, an unfair advantage that is taking spotlight from those who have worked hard. It would take me ages to name all the musicians I’d rather hear have their own show and there are newcomers and rising names in the media who are passionate and would do a great show. Maybe there needs to be some sort of celebrity or reputation before someone is approached but so many bookings are done because the name is well-known and popular – rather than their musical association and knowledge of the industry. One of my biggest dreams is to have a regular show or one-off that allows me to talk about the best classic and new music and explore other angles – doing regular slots and a documentary-style approach to things.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @peterlewicki/Unsplash

It will take a while to get to that stage but the fast-tracking of famous actors and personalities does make me angry. I guess radio, as with T.V., needs to be a broad church and not be rigid but it is hearing all these celebrities getting regular slots and these shows that irks. Everyone who is passionate about music wants a D.J. to talk about the music and know their beans; to be able to capture the heart but have that deep and authentic knowledge of the records. So often, one tunes into a station and there is a reality T.V. personality, comic or actor who is spending more time talking about themselves or trying to be ‘funny’ – rather than getting out the music and actual doing what they should be. Maybe there have been exceptions but I have never heard any celebrity/non-D.J. do a show or present a one-off programme and be captivated by it. I listen to radio because I know the men and women on there have worked their way through the ranks and been in the industry for years. They are where they should be and are not using the platform for vanity of exposure. Across every big station seems to be someone who is there from another field – either acting or comedy – and what qualifies them to be on radio?! I understand people can change fields and move between industries but so many of these examples relate to one-offs...giving them their own show as they move between projects.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @joaosilas/Unsplash

I am aware actors, celebrities and the like can have great taste in music and it can be interesting hearing what they say. My objection comes with this ability they have to get cherry gigs on big stations without having worked in music before. Why should a big actor get a show easier than someone who has been toiling in music for years and could do a better job?! It comes down to that fame and lure and, in most cases, is rather misjudged. If we are to except actors crossing into radio then at least make the booking interesting! If we are going to have a comedian or reality T.V. star becoming a D.J. then make sure they can talk about music with authority and understanding. I get tired of famous people being made D.J.s where they have little love of music and are there to further their career. The rather stilted and pointless cross-pollination attempts where actors talk about their musical tastes baffle me. It all comes down to that issue of why we truly care about their tastes and what relevance it has to us? I watch T.V. and films to see actors act: I listen to radio to hear D.J.s do what they do best. I do not need or want to see the worlds collide and have these rather pointless shows – the sentiment is shared by many others. It means people like me, who have dedicated years to promoting music, have to watch as these famous names get a platform without giving anything to the music industry themselves. There entire radio shows, such as Desert Islands Discs, I am happy to hear celebrities discuss music but I do not really want to hear them presenting shows on my favourite station or being regular bookings. I think there is an important connection between music and other forms of art (especially film) and I hope that bond continues for decades. Radio is a fantastic forum and I think we should be scouting for the finest D.J.s coming through and those who are best suited for future roles. When it comes to actors, comedians and the likes getting shows and talking about their ‘musical journey’ then I would rather this be left to the imagination. There are so many more deserving people who would kill for the chance and I think, for that reason alone, we need to keep...

IN THIS PHOTO: T.V. personality Rylan Clarke-Neal will launch his BBC Radio 2 afternoon show from next year/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

RADIO pure.

FEATURE: Into the Grooves: Madonna’s Celebration at Nine: The Career-Spanning Masterpiece That Is Impossible to Ignore

FEATURE:

 

 

Into the Grooves

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

Madonna’s Celebration at Nine: The Career-Spanning Masterpiece That Is Impossible to Ignore

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I have already said goodbye to Kate Bush pieces in 2018...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Madonna in a promotional shot for her 2015 album, Rebel Heart (the tour of the album)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and will pick things back up next year. I wrote a lot about her because, not only did she turn sixty, but there was a lot of activity going on. There was no new material but we got her albums remastered and reintroduced and a book of her lyrics. I think there will be more next year from Bush (I hope so!) and the same can be said of Madonna. She also turned sixty this year and many of her albums came to mind. Every anniversary that marks another year of one of her masterworks makes me dig into the original work and why it struck such a chord. It may sound like a flimsy excuse to mark Madonna but the vinyl release of her greatest hits collection, Celebration (hard to get on vinyl (at a reasonable price) at the moment so the streaming version is easier), came out nine years ago in the U.S. – nine years ago yesterday, in fact! I think, without releasing any material, it has been a big year for Madonna and a chance to celebration her life. Many artists are fearful of getting older and celebrating certain birthdays but Madonna took to sixty with aplomb! I have looked at some of her albums, such as Erotica and Bedtime Stories, this year and investigated the ins and outs. I am not sure why but it seems like, the more time passes, the more interesting these albums become. Many feel The Immaculate Collection is the defining greatest hits collection but I feel Celebration is a wider and more appealing selection.

It does not take much for me to celebrate and mark a Madonna release but there are so few modern artists who can project the same sort of intrigue and consistency today. I wonder how often we put greatest hits collections on and buy them on vinyl. To me, the true way of listening to music in on vinyl and I think a greatest hits collection is a great way of discovering a new artist. Every Pop innovator has their own greatest hits collection but, as it is Christmas, many might be looking for an introduction to Madonna and her incredible body of work. I would advise you to pick up Celebration – the non-U.S. version or the U.S. version – and diving into an awesome back catalogue. I love how accessible and wonderful Madonna sounds in 1983 (on her debut) and the fact she is delivering the goods on her modern albums. To say goodbye to Madonna for 2018, and provide additional guidance for those who want some essential Madonna vinyl; here are five crucial albums that you should snap up alongside Celebration. The greatest hits collection is a must-own and shows how the Queen of Pop has matured and changed through the years. It is hard distilling Madonna’s brilliance into five albums but I think these records should be part of everyone’s collection. Grab your copy of Celebration and, to go with it, get your hands on these classic Madonna records!

IN THIS IMAGE: The back cover of Madonna’s 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

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Madonna (1983)

Release Date: 27th July, 1983

Labels: Sire/Warner Bros.

Review:

“This is music where all of the elements may not particularly impressive on their own -- the arrangement, synth, and drum programming are fairly rudimentary; Madonna's singing isn't particularly strong; the songs, while hooky and memorable, couldn't necessarily hold up on their own without the production -- but taken together, it's utterly irresistible. And that's the hallmark of dance-pop: every element blends together into an intoxicating sound, where the hooks and rhythms are so hooky, the shallowness is something to celebrate. And there are some great songs here, whether it's the effervescent "Lucky Star," "Borderline," and "Holiday" or the darker, carnal urgency of "Burning Up" and "Physical Attraction." And if Madonna would later sing better, she illustrates here that a good voice is secondary to dance-pop. What's really necessary is personality, since that sells a song where there are no instruments that sound real. Here, Madonna is on fire, and that's the reason why it launched her career, launched dance-pop, and remains a terrific, nearly timeless, listen” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5lrlWKjNY0eTDXp9Bd3LpW?si=MiIAnoblTxy9flrAO1qXrQ

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Madonna-VINYL/dp/B007BWUIHA/ref=sr_1_15?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1545560568&sr=1-15&keywords=madonna+vinyl

Standout Tracks: Lucky Star/Burning Up/Holiday

Key Cut: Borderline

Like a Prayer (1989)

Release Date: 21st March, 1989

Label: Sire

Review:

“The emotions on Like a Prayer aren’t all fraught. “Cherish” is a feather-light declaration of devotion that calls back to Cali-pop outfit the Association while updating Madonna’s earlier exercise in retroism “True Blue”; “Dear Jessie” engages in the reaching toward sounding “Beatles-esque” that was in vogue at the time, pairing fussy strings and tick-tock percussion with images of pink elephants and flying leprechauns. “Love Song,” meanwhile, is a synth-funk chiffon co-written by none other than Prince, one of Madonna’s few pop equals at the time. The two of them feel locked in an erotically charged session of truth or dare, each challenging the other to stretch their voices higher while the drum machines churn. Prince also played, initially uncredited, on “Like a Prayer,” the sauntering pop-funk track “Keep It Together,” and the album-closing “Act of Contrition,” a two-minute maelstrom that combines Prince’s guitar heroics, backward-masked bits from the title track, heavy beats, and its title inspiration, the Catholic prayer of… confession” – Pitchfork

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/48AGkmM7iO4jrELRnNZGPV?si=3YJEH3x9RfGbnlW5QE0aFA

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Like-Prayer-VINYL-Madonna/dp/B007BWUJ60/ref=sr_1_14?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1545560568&sr=1-14&keywords=madonna+vinyl

Standout Tracks: Express Yourself/Cherish/Oh Father

Key Cut: Like a Prayer

Bedtime Stories (1994)

Release Date: 25th October, 1994

Labels: Sire/Maverick

Review:

“To increase the threat, Madonna’s lyrics mingle sex and romance in more personal ways than ever. Previously, she wrote largely in characters and slogans; now she writes, more complexly, from the heart. In several songs she exposes an emotional perversity with the clarity she once had reserved for her sexual kinks. In ”Forbidden Love” she dismisses any relationship untouched by taboo, in ”Love Tried to Welcome Me” she fetishizes rejection, and in ”Sanctuary” she aligns love and death in a way her shrink may want to seriously examine.

In fact, she’s on far surer ground thrashing through such neurotic (if not uncommon) views of relationships than she is trashing the media. In striking back at her critics, Madonna simply sounds self-righteous and smug. ”I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex,” she sneers in ”Human Nature.” ”Did I say something true?” Yes. But tooting your own horn about it just sounds petty. For Madonna, luckily, revenge needn’t lie in such squabbles. She wins through the catchy bass hooks and clear persona of the music.

Longtime Madonna fans may still pine for the ecstatic buoyancy of her early hits. And even open-minded listeners may find that the new tracks work less as individual songs than as a sustained mood suite for the boudoir. But seven albums into her career, there’s no denying that Madonna keeps moving forward and crossing barriers — this time, helping another kind of black music further penetrate into the mainstream. Apparently, pop’s most shameless exhibitionist still has something to reveal” – Entertainment Weekly

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1saoZHjleM0tAQQoCvpMrB?si=DPPbB8cjTU6DH2pSTlnjqQ

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bedtime-Stories-Madonna/dp/B000002MUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1545560892&sr=1-1&keywords=madonna+bedtime+stories

Standout Tracks: Secret/Human Nature/Bedtime Story

Key Cut: Take a Bow

Ray of Light (1998)

Release Date: 22nd February, 1998

Label: Maverick

Review:

“Returning to pop after a four-year hiatus, Madonna enlisted respected techno producer William Orbit as her collaborator for Ray of Light, a self-conscious effort to stay abreast of contemporary trends. Unlike other veteran artists who attempted to come to terms with electronica, Madonna was always a dance artist, so it's no real shock to hear her sing over breakbeats, pulsating electronics, and blunted trip-hop beats. Still, it's mildly surprising that it works as well as it does, largely due to Madonna and Orbit's subtle attack. They've reined in the beats, tamed electronica's eccentricities, and retained her flair for pop melodies, creating the first mainstream pop album that successfully embraces techno. Sonically, it's the most adventurous record she has made, but it's far from inaccessible, since the textures are alluring and the songs have a strong melodic foundation, whether it's the swirling title track, the meditative opener, "Substitute for Love," or the ballad "Frozen." For all of its attributes, there's a certain distance to Ray of Light, born of the carefully constructed productions and Madonna's newly mannered, technically precise singing. It all results in her most mature and restrained album, which is an easy achievement to admire, yet not necessarily an easy one to love” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6cuNyrSmRjBeekioLdLkvI?si=XcVXnRooTl2P7LjtERy60w

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ray-Light-U-S-Version-Madonna/dp/B000002NJS/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1545561137&sr=1-1&keywords=madonna+ray+of+light

Standout Tracks: Ray of Light/Nothing Really Matters/The Power of Good-Bye

Key Cut: Frozen

Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

Release Date: 9th November, 2005

Label: Warner Bros.

Review:

“If Price can't stop Madonna writing songs that tell you fame isn't all it's cracked up to be in a way that suggests she thinks she's the first person to work this out, he can summon up more than enough sonic trickery to distract you. There are hulking basslines, fizzing synthesisers, rolling tablas on Push and an unlikely combination of frantic double-bass riffing, Goldfrapp-ish glam stomp and acoustic guitar filigree on the closing Like It or Not, a collaboration with Swedish pop songwriters Bloodshy and Avant. Isaac falls flat, its lyrics about Kabbalah teacher Isaac Freidin married to global-village trance makes you think of Australian backpackers dancing badly at beach parties in Goa - but elsewhere, the songwriting sparkles. The choruses of Get Together and Sorry are triumphant. I Love New York may be the most agreeably ridiculous thing Madonna has ever released: timpani, a riff stolen from the Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog and a Lou Reed deadpan.

It may be a return to core values, but there's still a bravery about Confessions on a Dancefloor. It revels in the delights of wilfully plastic dance pop in an era when lesser dance-pop artists - from Rachel Stevens to Price's protege Juliet - are having a desperately thin time of it. It homages the DJ mix album, a format long devalued by computer-generated cash-in compilations. It flies in fashion's face with a swaggering hint of only-I-can-do-this: "If you don't like my attitude," she suggests on I Love New York, "then you can eff-off." Dancing queens of every variety should be delighted” – The Guardian

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1hg0pQJLE9dzfT1kgZtDPr?si=ONbcB0reQXC0mzGk6q9GcQV

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Dancefloor-VINYL-Madonna/dp/B000BRBGO6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1545561357&sr=1-1&keywords=madonna+confessions+on+a+dancefloor

Standout Tracks: Sorry/I Love New York/Push

Key Cut: Hung Up

INTERVIEW: Phé

INTERVIEW:

Phé

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IT has been great speaking with Phé...

about her new E.P., Crisis, and what sort of themes inspired it. I ask her whether she has a favourite cut from the E.P. and the artists/albums that mean a lot to her; whether she has any plans worked out for 2019 and which rising acts we should keep an eye out for.

The U.S. songwriter tells me about Los Angeles and how important it was moving there; what advice she would give to artists coming through right now and how she spends time away from music – Phé ends the interview by selecting a great track.

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

Hey! My week has been good. Pretty crazy, but good! I released my debut E.P. on Friday (December 14th) and then flew home to Canada on the 16th, so it’s been a packed weekend.

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

My name is Phé. I’m twenty-four years old, and I’m an independent, contemporary R&B artist, originally from Vancouver Canada but currently living in Los Angeles. I attended the Berklee College of Music where I studied Songwriting, Vocal Performance and Music Business. And it was actually during my time at Berklee that I decided to pursue a full-time career as a solo artist and songwriter.

Fun fact: I love Disney movies - I know, essentially, all the words to all the songs from the Disney Princess movies. I also really love musical theatre and wanted to be on Broadway growing up.

Crisis is your new E.P. What sort of themes and idea inspired the songs?

My debut E.P., Crisis, follows my first experience with love and heartbreak. It explores themes of love and heartbreak but, deeper than that, it really takes a look at my experience with love at a young age and how I lost myself in the relationship. So, when it ended, I felt like I had lost myself and my sense of worth. So, the project looks at the ideas of self-love and self-worth; sexual exploration and sexuality; mental-health, drug and alcohol abuse and how I dealt with those things throughout my relationship and breakup.

Do you have a favourite song from the E.P.?

That’s a hard one for me! They all hold a really special place in my heart because they played such a large role in my healing process. But, Incredible is definitely my baby because it was the first song I wrote that felt like something I would want to release as an artist. It was my first exploration as an artist and was really the catalyst for my journey as Phé.

Are there particular artists that inspired you to get into music? Who do you count as idols?

Some of the artists I really look up to are Erykah Badu, Sade and Lauryn Hill. These three women really stood out and impacted me when I was young! They all hold such an incredible power and have their own special feminine energy that I really admire - and that spoke to me from a very young age. Growing up, I would listen to their music, watch videos of their live performances - and music videos - and was just so drawn to the way they carried themselves, expressed their stories and invited the listeners into their space. Each is super-different and I look to each of them for something different.

You are based in Los Angeles. How important is the city and the people regarding your sound and drive?

Moving to L.A, was a huge step for me and was not an easy transition at all. It’s a giant city with a lot of people - a majority of who seem to be in the entertainment industry in some capacity. So, that was super-overwhelming for me! But, having started to find my groove - and settle in here -, I’ve been able to take advantage of how great of a city it is.

A large chunk of my community from Berklee is actually in L.A., so I’m lucky enough to have a huge support system and a large network of creatives to work with. It keeps me in check and allows for me to always be creating and collaborating with amazing people that I wouldn’t be able to work with in the same way, if I wasn’t in L.A. I think being in the middle of all the action (which, for the music industry, mostly takes place in L.A.) is super-important. It allows you to be in spaces and make connections that you just don’t have access to in other cities.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I definitely have plans for 2019! With the E.P. finished and released that frees up a lot of time to work on writing and recording music new music. I don’t have anything set in terms of the next release - I want to enjoy this release and let the next project happen organically. But, I am always creating and working on new stuff so, as I create more, the next project will become a little more concrete.

I also want to play more shows in 2019 because I love being on stage and playing live. Beyond that, I’ve recently started playing around with production which has been a lot of fun and has helped me to find a new outlet of expression! So, I want to keep learning and building up that skill.

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

I would have to say my most recent, favorite memory would be a show I played at Winston House in Venice. The space and the audience had such a beautiful energy and we were all just present and there sharing this moment together. It was a space where I felt truly seen and heard and where my music got to speak for itself - and people were super-receptive of that.

I feel like in today’s social climate, we don’t often get moments where everyone is present and open and to feel that energy of support and presence from a crowd of people - and then to be able to give that same energy back - was a really beautiful and transcendent experience.

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

This one is a little tough for me because there's a lot of music out there that hold a special place in my heart or life. A lot of my memories are associated with music or with events that surrounded music, so to pick three that means the most is a bit of a challenge. But I think, overall, the albums that really opened my eyes and inspired me to be the honest, vulnerable and explorative artist that I am are the following:

Frank Ocean - Chanel Orange

I had never heard an album like this before and the first time I heard it, I was immediately hooked and inspired. It’s so smart, so well done and is a beautiful body of work that takes the listener (or at least me)on a new journey every time. The sonics, language; imagery and stories in this album are all so beautifully crafted and expressed. Frank invites the listener into these intimate and personal moments. And not only that, but he paint such great pictures of each moment: one can’t help but feel like that are there or they experienced it themselves.

Solange - A Seat at the Table

This album speaks to me heavy. Solange tells these stories of her experience as a young woman of color in such a poetic and beautiful way, even though the experiences or emotions that she is depicting really tough and painful things to go through. Her art of storytelling, both musically and visually, honestly blows me away. She is gentle with herself, yet commands this unmistakable power.

Having also interned for Solange and her team, and seeing the songs come to life in a live performance setting, was also a magical experience that really opened my eyes and mind as a young woman and artist. Every moment is so well thought out and has so much intention. And, I think that's a huge lesson that we as young people need to learn regardless of our race, class; social status, career path etc. To move through life purpose and intention...

Lastly, I would say the soundtracks to the Disney Princess Movies that were released between 1989 and 1998 - Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid; Mulan, Pocahontas; Aladdin and Hercules, even though they aren’t technically ‘princess’ movies.

These movies and their soundtracks were sort of how I started singing as a little girl. I would sit and re-watch them over and over; singing along to every word of every song - and that's how I taught myself to sing. They were my first exploration of my voice and allowed me to feel free and happy. Even now, when I’m not feeling so great or just need to be cheered up, my boyfriend will put on a song from one of these movies and it honestly perks me right up. I will dance around our apartment singing along at the top of my lungs and, by the time the song is over, I almost always feel better.

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

For Christmas this year, I would ask that you - my family, friends and fans - share my E.P. with one other person who hasn’t heard of me or of the project. That would mean so much! I just want my music to bring clarity and healing to people’s lives.

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

My rider would be pretty simple, honestly. I’m not too fussy. Ahaha. It would probably include bourbon, honey; lemon and hot water for a nice hot toddy to loosen the nerves a bit pre-show, without drying out the vocal cords too much. Some snacks that aren’t too heavy for before the show - fruits/berries and veg (no honeydew, cantaloupe; peppers or mushrooms) - hummus, crackers and maybe like assorted Clif Bars.

And hot Cheetos and Sour Patch Kids for a post-show snack! (Laughs).

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Trust your instincts; be honest with yourself and try to be as objective as possible when it comes to the business of your craft. The universe didn’t show everyone else your vision or your purpose: it showed you! So, trust yourself and listen to how people, spaces; situations, your music; the choices you are faced with and the way you are going about building your career make you feel. Is it authentic? Does it satisfy your spirit?

With that, it’s also important to be honest with yourself and as objective as possible when it comes to running your business - which is your brand, your music and your career. What are your strengths? What isn’t working? Why? What needs to change or could improve? These are questions that we need to constantly be asking ourselves and re-evaluating.

There are a lot of people out there that can help you but there are also people will take advantage of you. There are people who want the best for you and those that want the best for themselves. But, at the end of the day, you hold the power for how far you can go. So, be sure you are having that internal dialogue and constantly checking in with yourself. Just be real. Be you. That's what the world needs and people resonate with that.

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

I am working on some dates for the New Year but, right now, I have one gig with Sofar Sounds confirmed for January - location T.B.A. but everything will be announced on my socials.

Follow me on the socials to stay up to date on future shows!

IN THIS PHOTO: Jessie Munro

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Ouuu...there are so many! Especially because a lot of my friends are in music and have really amazing projects.

Jessie Munro is INCREDIBLE! She released a project a couple months ago and it’s soo good. LILI N is an Italian R&B/Pop artist and songwriter who is about to blow up. Check out her single, Spiritual Level. And, another super-cool up and coming artist is Mafalda. She does really beautiful Indie/Alternative Pop music that will shake your soul.

IN THIS PHOTO: LILI N/PHOTO CREDIT: Lizzie Steimer

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

My chill time is very sporadic and random, because I do generally make my own schedule and I find that I work better when I am busy. Very recently, a lot of my usual free time has been filled with playing around with music production - because that’s something new and exciting to me.

But, outside of music, one of my biggest priorities is spending time with the people I love - my boyfriend and friends (or my family when I am visiting home). I also love Netflix (maybe a little bit too much). I really enjoy cooking and baking. I’ve been exploring the different hiking spots in L.A. and I love going to see live shows when I have the time and money - it’s hard out here for an independent artist (laughs). I also enjoy learning about things like auras and energy, astrology; numerology, human design; holistic healing methods etc.

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).

D’Evils by SiR

______________

Follow Phé 

Official:

http://phemusic.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PheMusicOfficial/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/phemusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6YeRP0HVcmPzXp23KtM61s

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/phemusic/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE2jMqmagS4GHw1OfhJTxUQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/phemusicofficial

TRACK REVIEW: Satanic Ritual Abuse: Hurting (Adjective/Verb)

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Satanic Ritual Abuse

PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Scott

Hurting (Adjective/Verb)

8.8/10

The track, Hurting (Adjective/Verb), is available via:

https://soundcloud.com/memorials-of-distinction/satanic-ritual-abuse-hurting-adjectiveverb/s-37jze

GENRE:

Alternative

ORIGIN:

London/Brighton, U.K.

The album, Hurting, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/68Cujpmj1IVFX76bv2FVeL?si=XEHQcGlETK-qG5Nj4nmMVQ

LABEL:

Memorials of Distinction

RELEASE DATE:

7th November, 2018

__________

I am not sure whether this will be my last...

PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Cohen

review of the year but, before I get to Satanic Ritual Abuse, I wanted to address a few themes that I am considering for 2019. I have been thinking about reviews and what I take on because, through 2018, it has been an interesting year but there has not been a massive amount that stuck in the mind. Maybe that is my problem – short attention span or too tired – but I am going to be going after artists for reviews rather than have people come my way. I think one of the main issues is a saminess that has pervaded the music scene. I have yearned for difference in terms of sound and artists who go out of their way to create something unlike anything else. It sort of takes me to Satanic Ritual Abuse and, whilst the name is not something that interests me or has that edge; the music being created by him (Josh) is excellent. I shall mention sound difference and, because there is strength and difference in the music, a couple of constructive points relating to social media and images that I reserve for those who can go far; a bit about minimalism and a sense of the basic – in order to create something quite epic and atmospheric. As I said, I am not really taking too many requests next year because I feel like a lot of my reviews have been about the same sort of thing. Consider how I write them – long and in-depth – and it is hard to say something new about an artist who sounds pretty much the same as the one I just covered. That is not necessarily the fault of the artist but I am seeing a lot of the same thing coming out. I listen and look at Satanic Ritual Abuse and there is that room for interest. The name might point you in the direction of Heavy Metal or something foreboding but that is a bit of a mislead. It is a humorous take and name that certainly gets in the mind and sort of points you in the direction of the music.

Certainty, there is a lot of hectic and strange energy running throughout and one is reminded of artists like Aphex Twin to an extent. Rather than repeat what is out there right now; we have someone who is taking a stand and creating sounds that get into the mind. It is a witches’ brew of odd scents and movements that fuse together quite well. I will come to look at minimalism and creating something grand with very little but I am trying to categorise Satanic Ritual Abuse. It seems to be an Alternative sound but there are electronic glitches and machine-made drama; a blend of harder edges and softer middles. Maybe it is Electronic or Art-Noise but it seems to go against the conventional and commercial. I am not sure whether the creator has an idea regarding genre but it is interesting trying to define this music. Maybe that is the best thing about it. One is not instantly reminded of someone else and the music stands aside. I think it has a touch of those darker innovators like Aphex Twin but there is more accessibility and warmth to be found in Satanic Ritual Abuse. To me, the music does not really need categorisation or any sense of defining. Experience it without labels and you are free to swim in the details, depths and textures. It is more a soundscape and, as the songwriter says, a mix of teen angst and ecclesiastical grandeur. There is colour and consideration but there is also explosion and anger. It is almost like the manifestation of the human psyche. Perhaps it is the contrast of emotions and how we can go from calmed and nice to rather heated. In any case; this is a style of music that I am interested in and have not really had a lot of in 2018. Before I explore the music more, a few considerations regarding Satanic Ritual Abuse and 2019.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Scott

It is hard for an artist who deals in sound more than image to get a lot of photos online. I have been reprimanded and blasted a few times this year for mentioning photos and lack of them but it is something I have to bring up. Even though I like the sounds being put out by Satanic Ritual Abuse, I was a bit sceptical regarding images. You can see there are a few out in the review – and the man might want to retain mystery and a sense of intrigue – but music is a visual medium and image is as important as sound. Some might contest that but I would say, because of social media and competition, people cannot afford to overlook photos. Again, given the nature of the music, it is not like we have a Pop artist who can take shoots and is not reserved about getting images out there. It does not need to be shots of the man’s face or something forced but I feel like there need to be a few more photos. As much as anything, it will bring more people in and catch the eye. It boils down to the nature of the images and what will be in there. Maybe it would not be studio shoots and Josh reclining all seductively and a few shots of a laptop or studio are not quite enough. He could have a concept whereby there is a stylisation or effect added to photos that would look professional but not necessarily be the usual, glossy photoshoots. That might aggrieve him but there needs to be this consideration among musicians regarding their images because, more than anything, music is visual and the aesthetics are as potent as the sound. All the positives and important highlights go to the music but those peripheral aspects need to be taken to heart. It is never a criticism and, if I was not interested in the music, I would not even raise the issue of snaps.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ellie Rawlinson

I do feel like artists feel that the photographic side of music is not vital and it is all about sound. The music rules and will remain but the way people are attracted is through images; journalists will be more invested if they have a spread of shots and can make a great piece. In as much as anything it shows that the artist is invested in their music and, even if they have little cash, they can still afford a selection of images. I shall move onto the music and a lot of positives but I am thinking about social media too. There are social media links at the bottom of this review but they are for Memorials of Distinction: the record label Satanic Ritual Abuse is under and a popular label at that. It is good one can access the music of Satanic Ritual Abuse through these channels but, as we head into 2019, I would urge the songwriter to get together a concurrent and accompanying social media spread. Another reason why I am going after artists and turning so many away is because of the lack of social media presence. Many either do not have a Twitter account or their portfolio is so limited and light of support. It is understandable if the numbers are light in the early stages but I wonder whether artists are doing enough to keep their social media lines fresh, appealing and funded. Maybe Josh does have social media links for his music but I would say you the essential options are Twitter, Facebook; SoundCloud, Spotify and Instagram. I am a bit remiss when it comes to Instagram but I would urge him to set all of those up and run it alongside the label. Keeping these channels updated and getting a lot of people in not only appeals to journalists and new followers but it means you can get your music to radio stations, the press and other avenues.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Brydges

Music is as much about business and success as it is creating a quality product and making sure you are original. The best way to promote the product and get out into the world is exploiting social media and being as active as possible. If Satanic Ritual Abuse combines some new shots with these social media sites; bringing them together with the music then I think he can be one of the most promising artists of 2019. I understand how he wants to project some mystique and a lo-fi outlook regarding images and that side of things but, if he wants to get the great music to the masses, a few compromises need to be made. He is a new act and not overloaded with cash but I see great promise in what he is putting out. I and many others would love to see the sounds succeed and go as far as possible. Satanic Ritual Abuse already has a Spotify account and one can access the E.P., Hurting, there right now. These are all things he can take to mind but I feel like there is that promise – one wants it to be fulfilled and the world to share the music. Let’s get back to the music itself and a few points that spring to mind. Satanic Ritual Abuse mixes that sense of angst with something grand and epic. The recordings on his E.P. are culled and primed from 2009 (when he was sixteen) to 2014. It is, in a way, a historical journal from the stages of adolescence to adulthood. In an era when we are so fixated with quick turnaround and instant satisfaction; it is gratifying to see someone produce material that has that lineage and history. In many ways, Hurting is like a greatest hits collection or an anthology. You get a literal sense of growth, maturation and revelation happening. Seeing this composer grow and change as you listen to the songs is quite potent!

There is experimentation and a lot of little samples. You have a sparseness and atmosphere but there are bigger moments. Another change I am making next year is going after cheerier music that has a smile and sense of energy. Whilst one cannot easily describe Satanic Ritual Abuse’s music as upbeat and cheery; there is an energy and fascination in there that gets the blood working and provokes images. The lyrics themes look at the pains of love and isolation; paranoia and other concerns. That sounds heavy and a bit bleak but the music creates space, a sense of redemption and a chance for change. Perhaps this is as un-Christmas-like one can get regarding music but, in many ways, this is an end for me. I am, as I say, taking in happier and more high-spirited music next year and artists with a bigger following. The reason I wanted to focus on Satanic Ritual Abuse is because I see that promise and can think of very few other artists like him. It is amazing listening to the various layers unravel and stepping inside this strange world. I was engrossed by the E.P. and have selected the sort-of-title-track because it seems to embody all the aspects and definition of the work. It is a deep and enriching song but one that provokes quite a lot of emotion. I have talked about artists like Aphex Twin and, as I am not that versed in the lo-fi end of the spectrum and have been denied that pleasure a bit; I am struggling to compare the sounds with anyone else. Maybe that is the best thing one can say. You can hear the sense of discovery and endeavour; a young man who is making sense of his tribulations through music and being as bare and honest as one can be. One is brought into the mind of Josh Cohen throughout and, at every stage, you get a new side to a complex young man.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Scott

Recorded and created between Brighton and London; Hurting is an album that warrants a lot of focus and I am sure will be on many people’s minds in 2019. I will look at the title song from the album very soon but wanted to finish up looking at the nature of the music and why more people should be invested. Consider the way the music was created and how it differs from the mainstream. There are a lot of D.I.Y. artists around right now but not many of them are making music that seems more like a score and soundtrack than conventional music. One of the issues I have had with music this year is that lack of boldness that takes risks and steps into new territory. Perhaps my horizon has been narrow and I have played it safe but one listens to Satanic Ritual Abuse and you get something very different and gripping. I am fascinated by technology and seeing what can be created from such a humble foundation. I can imagine Satanic Ritual Abuse working away on a laptop and experimenting to get the best sound possible. There are lyrics in the songs but the main focus and pull is the sound itself. You are attracted to the compositional elements and the sense of mood created. Switching between nervous energy to anger and through to something lighter; it is a refreshing and varied bouquet that filters into the brain and infuses the imagination. It can be hard marketing music like this to the mainstream because it is so different to what is already there. I feel the scene needs to be more open and embrace these artists who  take chances and go away from the conventional. Perhaps these sort of radical changes are years away but I do hope the scene takes greater note of artists like Satanic Ritual Abuse because we need to see the music get out to the wider population. Look back at a time when artists like Aphex Twin, The Prodigy and Orbital ruled and the effect they had. Their music is a little different to what we have here but not a million miles away. People got behind it and we saw something inspiring come into the mainstream. I miss those days and feel there is something lacking.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ellie Rawlinson

It is hard to describe the sound and sensation one gets listening to the opening of Hurting (Adjective/Verb). It is very lo-fi and you can hear percussive clatter and some softer strings. It is a melting of the classical and elegant and something more industrial and raw. Whilst not full-blown Electronic territory and as edgy as artists on the odder end of the spectrum; you get this rather strange feeling and are bonding with sounds that take you into different worlds. I was attracted by the lo-fi production and how the music leaps from your left to right ears (if you are wearing headphones). You are almost placed in the song and hear all these little details fizz and unite with alacrity. When the hero comes to the microphone, the vocal has a sense of drone and there is this very focused and deeper sound. It juxtaposes the mood of the composition and offers some instant gravity. One has floated, dreamed and imagined before and, with the vocal, you are levelled and planted more. There is a sample in there that sounds familiar – I can’t recall it for the life of me! It is melodic, sensuous and immediate and it balances against the original notes which are more jarring and darker. There is hiss and a sense of electronic wash; you have vocals that are in the mix but less audible and decipherable than the composition. That is a deliberate mood as it places the hero underneath this wave of sound, emotional disconnect and strain. It is a heavy listen and one that should not be taken lightly. I would never warn people from listening to music but, if you are not familiar with the sort of music Satanic Ritual Abuse is throwing out, then it might take a while to rotate your dish! It is not overly-Christmas-like (my fault regarding timing and being busy!) but Hurting (Adjective/Verb) is a busy and intoxicating song that makes you want to come back.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Cohen

You listen to the song and, as I said, it is more about sonic mood and composition than the vocal. One can decipher the odd word here and there but it is not a case of interpreting the lyrics and trying to piece together this story. The track is more like part of a concept and story of a man growing from adolescence to adulthood. I am not sure whether the tracks are sequential in that respect and we are hearing something written around 2010 (this song is in the middle of the album so might have been written around that time). It is interesting to sit Hurting (Adjective/Verb) against other tracks on the record and compare. The lo-fi charm of the electronics and drone fuses with that sample and more accessible sound to create the clash of two worlds. Percussion continues to clash and roll whilst the hero croons and offers up words. He is being driven crazy and intense by someone and it is clear some sort of romantic dislocation has come to play. That sample – I shall ask him what it is! – is lifted and it seems almost like a cover version...albeit, one that you will not often hear! The twanging strings and metallic percussion do not seem like easy bedfellows on paper but they work really well. There are so many different aspects and elements that are unified to create this deep, strange and oddly understandable soundscape. It might not be to everyone’s liking but you cannot deny the innovation and production quality. I love how all these rather disparate elements form and how they sound when mixed. You go into the track not knowing what to expect and what will come. You need a clear mind before you do step in but there is this feeling you get that is hard to describe. It is an unusual listen but one that stays in the mind. I am a fan of the more experimental side of music and think more people should check out Satanic Ritual Abuse. The fact it is so different to everything out that means it will take time to resonate but is a much more rewarding listening experience than you’d be used to. Investigate the Hurting album as a whole and it is interesting hearing how Hurting (Adjective/Verb) sits alongside all the other tracks. If this is my last review of 2018 – I might fit another one in – it is a good one and has introduced me to someone I might not have otherwise discovered! Make sure you have a listen and discover something unique and truly special.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Georgie Scott

I have talked about some alterations and steps Satanic Ritual Abuse can consider next year but the fact its creator runs Memorials of Distinction means there is that popular platform promoting the music. Josh Cohen founded the label and has other acts under the wings – including Viewfinder and Tree House. Maybe he will get another set of social media sites but I think a few more snaps to accompany the music would be a wise investment. Whatever he has planned going forward, I am excited to see what happens and how far he can go. The Hurting L.P. is the result of years of hard work and there has been some delay. Personal things have hindered true progress but now the album is out, we can see what has been happening and get a real sense of Satanic Ritual Abuse. Maybe I will come around to the name – might take a while! – but one cannot argue with the music and the quality available! It is a wonderful thing to discover an artist that is very different and kindles some excitement. I have lacked a certain bite and curiosity the past few months and it is something I am going to remedy next year. I am going to end things by looking at where Satanic Ritual Abuse and Memorials of Distinction can head next year. I feel the label is one of the more popular around and is building a lot of steam. The social media following is impressive and the artists being represented are putting out great work. I think they can go further and there are some underground artists that would be a perfect fit. I am not sure how they recruit new signings – whether it is word of mouth or they listen to demos on streaming sites etc. – but I know a few other acts that would be a nice fit for the label.

There is a great deal of respect for Memorials of Distinction and that is down to its founder, Josh Cohen. He has put his everything into the label and his musical project, Satanic Ritual Abuse. I feel he could tour quite extensively next year and progress from the comfort of home and studio and get his music around the world. I am not sure what he has in mind regarding gigs and how it translates to the stage but I would love to see it brought to life at a gig. Maybe there are technical difficulties making the music resonate the same way from the stage but Hurting is a great album that warrants a lot of affection. I will wrap things up here and go about my merry way. Before I do that; I wanted to advise not only Satanic Ritual Abuse to get that music as far as possible – I know Cohen is doing as much as he can to get it to the masses – but people in general to be more open and aware of the selection we have in modern music. Still we focus on the mainstream or what is being recommended by radio stations. It is hard to get a good handle on the best out there – given the vast array of sounds – but we are missing out on so much. I am not saying we need a revolution but there are so many great artists being overlooked because they do not conform with what is deemed ‘popular’ and ‘trending’. It is hard to change things radically and have said this a lot recently. I do think we need to consider music as a spectrum and ocean rather than something very narrow; stop following trends and be more open to unexpected and unusual sounds. I have been looking for someone like Satanic Ritual Abuse and it is great to see this rare and ambitious composer/songwriter who can go a long way. As I start to wrap things up for 2018; I am thinking about next year and what I want from music. I am keen to up my game regarding the popularity of artists featured and need to think about moving to the next level. I also want to be more daring regarding sound and the type of thing I produce. It is good, therefore, to review Satanic Ritual Abuse, and someone who is very different to anything I have covered this year. Best of luck to him because, after only one review, I have been compelled by this rare talent who, I feel, can go a long way...

  PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Brydges

IN a short space of time.    

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Follow Satanic Ritual Abuse/Memorials of Distinction  

Official:

http://modrecords.co.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/m_o_d_rcrds

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/memorialsofdistinction

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0SImbZcSBgrJoxtLAA26Fy?si=3-qREBh5SQOgiVyzyMPgCQ

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/memorialsofdistinction/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTYWRnNu2LRvZNA5IK3wHnQ

Bandcamp:

https://memorialsofdistinction.bandcamp.com/

FEATURE: Vive la Résistance! Album of the Year: IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance

FEATURE:

 

 

Vive la Résistance!

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

Album of the Year: IDLES – Joy as an Act of Resistance

__________

THIS opinion has been echoed by many others...

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES/PHOTO CREDIT: Ebru Yildiz

and, in the course of deciding on the best albums of 2018, this record has been at the top of my mind. I guess, like many, I was only made aware of IDLES after their debut was released last year. Brutalism seemed to come out of nowhere and signalled this brave band who was taking no prisoners. I had detected a revival and fronting of Post-Punk and a heavier sound but have not really been embraced fully in Britain. Other bands like Slaves were coming through and it would be a few months before Shame joined the one-word band party. I have seen more bands come into the mix since then but IDLES, to me, are at the summit. Brutalism scored big reviews and many wondered why it missed out on a Mercury Prize in 2017. The album was eligible for nomination – not this year as many people wrongly felt – and it would be an absolutely miscarriage of musical justice were 2018’s defining album, Joy as an Act of Resistance, miss out on a nod. I think the boys should already be ordering the top hats, suits and canes so they can casually swan into the ceremony, say how much they love the other nominees – to get their hopes up – and act all shocked when they get the award. I do not think there has been a stronger British album in years and would be flabbergasted if one equalled IDLES’ sophomore L.P. by the time the Mercury shindig rolls around!

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Many knew the band would produce an epic and biblical album after their lauded debut. The press were right behind them and there was there was this genuine excitement. The band are already talking about the third album and, given the touring they have completed and where they have been, I am surprised they even have time to go to the toilet! The buzz has been immense and they have pummelled the globe with their extraordinary live set. Led by the charming and hirsute Joe Talbot; the band are this incredibly connected and innovative band who are unbeatable as a unit. Each player is unique and can improve any other band: together, they have this majestic connection, chemistry and brotherly kinship that feed into the music. I am not sure many, the band included, knew how strong Joy as an Act of Resistance would be. Released on 31st August; IDLES had time to absorb all the splits, stresses and strains that defined the year before. Brexit was, believe it or not, in the mess it is now back then but the band was feeding from the anxieties and uncertainties many felt. We are all in a very scary and pitiful situation and it seems this floating island of ours is getting further from the rest of the world by the day. IDLES talked about important subjects such as the nature of masculinity and manhood on their debut. On its follow up, they seemed to reach new peaks and crystallise their thesis.

Once was the time – and it still happens to a degree – where male bands talked brashly about sex, being a bloke and ‘manning-up’. That notion that men should not disclose their feelings and remain aloof has been a common thread in music for decades. Other bands are talking about toxic masculinity but none have done so as effectively and loudly as IDLES. The boys have thrown away the men-in-bans-who-play-loud rulebook that has been stained, tattered and abused for years. They have come in, proved they can pen this immediate and energised songs but not compromise in terms of intellect and emotional maturity. Maybe that is the reason I prefer Post-Punk to the original movement. Newer artists are not nearly as brash, sexist and emotionally closed-off as their forefathers. I love groups like the Sex Pistols and The Clash but they did not often talk about opening up and talking about your feelings. To them, and their peers, that notion seemed counter-intuitive and not suitable for a movement that spat, smoked and shagged its way into the heart. Another reason why I feel IDLES’ Joy as an Act of Resistance is this year’s king record is the sheer range of subjects. They can talk about masculinity on Never Fight a Man with a Perm but stand up for immigrants and this country’s rich tapestry on Danny Nedelko.

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES captured for The Line of Best Fit/PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Massaro

In the course of two tracks they manage to open your mind and eyes; shout against the push of anti-immigration and those who feel men should be men – meaning they need to keep things bottled in and not be too emotive. Samaritans is an intense and deeply striking look at male suicide – one of the biggest killers in young men – and, again, this is the sound of a band more akin to a political party. I have jokingly suggested IDLES should run the country and one feels having Joe Talbot as the Prime Minster and his brothers in the Cabinet would lead to a richer and much more stable country. The man should seriously consider a role in the Government but, in many ways, Joy as an Act of Resistance is the revolution, rebellion and rouse that has awakened the music scene. Other charged and socially-aware albums from Anna Calvi, Shame; Christine and the Queens and SOPHIE have helped make 2018 one of the best years for music in a long time. The 1975 have also made a late charge for ‘album of the year’ with A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships and, again, social subjects and political touches have made their music so bold, exciting and relevant. So much of what has come before has been the traditional mainstream fare: songs about love, the usual balls and not really reflecting what is happening in the wider world.

IDLES are at the forefront of this new scene that takes responsibility and holds others to account. One might think their second album is a judgmental and needlessly angry affair. Rather than scorn and smash against people with no constructive side and humour; IDLES infused Joy as an Act of Resistance with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and wonderful asides. They are, as this Guardian review states, a band who can mix the absurd, emotional and humorous and create this strange and wonderful effect:

“But he can also be laugh-out-loud funny. “You look like a walking thyroid / You’re not a man you’re a gland,” he sings at the small-town bully in Never Fight a Man With a Perm: “a Topshop tyrant / Even your haircut’s violent.” Conversely, June addresses the death of Talbot’s daughter at birth, with a version of the poignant, six-word poem often attributed to Ernest Hemingway: “Baby’s shoes. For sale. Never worn.” The band tackle everything from I’m Scum’s Fall rockabilly to soul classic Cry to Me, previously recorded by Solomon Burke and the Rolling Stones. Idles won’t be for everybody: this isn’t good-time, aspirational, radio-friendly pop. But for anyone in need of music that articulates their concerns or helps them to work through their troubles – or anyone who simply appreciates blistering, intelligent punk – they might just be Britain’s most necessary band”.

There is a lot of emotion and charged sentiments at play on IDLES’ masterpiece. As AllMusic stated in their review of Joy as an Act of Resistance; the band manage to make the heavy and intense sound accessible, digestible and instructive:

“It runs the risk of being overwhelming, if not for the sense of elation that Talbot brings to the table, masterfully exemplified by his staunch defense of immigration on "Danny Nedelko," which is both a personal case for a good friend -- the lead vocalist of Heavy Lungs -- and a series of more relatable characters that immigration has brought to the U.K. Most importantly, the track swells to such manic levels of celebratory joy that it inescapably sweeps everything along with it. Conversely, the linchpin of the album, "June," features heartbreaking lyrics and is easily the most personal song for Talbot; it entails the tragic loss of his baby daughter, an honest and brave move, especially considering how recently that unfortunate event took place.

In a move almost possible to predict, Idles have also included a full-blown cover with their own rendition of Solomon Burke's "Cry to Me," which works more than it really should, both thematically and in this new crunchier form. Overall, Joy as an Act of Resistance manages to plumb new depths for Idles -- that they've achieved another record in such a short space of time is admirable, let alone one that shines head and shoulders over the majority of their peers -- and it certainly upholds their status as one of the U.K.'s most exciting new acts”.

Reviews like this have flooded in over the past few months but I know the band do not take them lightly! They have been touring like nutters but Talbot and the gang have taken to social media to show their appreciation and affection for the fans and journalists who have helped make their latest album this sensation. The credit should be given to the band that have made an album with such urgency have this complexity. Unlike so much Punk and Post-Punk music; this is not about creating flammable and enflamed music that is designed merely to get people chanting and moshing. So many bands exert little wit, thought and maturity when it comes to making an album, in their mind, primed for the legions of fans and masses. Listen to opener Colossus and how it has these layers and nuances. Danny Nedelko is crammed with witty lyrics and unusual lyrics that paint pictures whereas Samaritans provokes tears with its directness and emotional weight. Guitar lines are often bursting with colour, flavour and invention. So few bands have the same ability to cram so much into a song and still have it sound effortless and easy to understand. Each of the twelve album tracks are bursting with life and it is hard to decide upon a defining anthem. From the snarling and brilliant closer, Rottweiler, to the peerless I’m Scum; each song has its own skin and each thrills the bones!  Love how some songs can completely change directions and do not conform to cliché and rigid structure.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Melbourne for DIY

IDLES are a band who play by their own rules and do not blindly follow the pack. This, coupled with the need to speak more freely and purely than any politician out there has led to this amazing album, Joy as an Act of Resistance. I know for a fact the L.P. will be nominated for awards and win most of the silverware. 2018 has been especially strong regarding themes and the importance of the lyrics but IDLES, to me, have reached higher and lingered in the mind longer. I know the guys will have some time to recharge over Christmas and one wonders how they can follow an album like Joy as an Act of Resistance?! We said that after 2017’s Brutalism and, in a short time, the band answered those queries with an album even stronger and more complex. I know a third album will document the same sort of themes as Joy as an Act of Resistance but expect new elements to come into the mix. Given the amount of touring IDLES have done; that additional strength and honing will go into the studio and they will be an even stronger unit than they were this time last year! The band, Talbot especially, have provided incredible interviews this year and spoken more articulately and beautifully than any other artist.

I will wrap things up but this interview with The Line of Best Fit from a few months back seems to define the passion Talbot has; how he sees many of the song as reflections of himself and the need to better himself:

 “...As are all my songs, right?,” he snaps back. “'I'm Scum' is about me! It's because these come from a point in my life where I have had to reflect on myself to improve. I had to get the horrible little corners of my psyche out, and these were not from a time I was proud of – I'm not really proud of anything – but it was a crappy time in my life. I behaved abysmally, and I brought that with me when I came to Bristol. I was a real cunt at times.”

Awakening that kind of reaction is a tall order, but every tiny detail in the album has been crafted to a defined set of goals – a benefit of working to a brief – with an enormous amount of subversion in place to force people to think in new ways. Politics, masculinity, and violence are all turned topsy-turvy for effect, but even the vehicle of punk is subverted – it's traditionally an angry, viscious, masculine artform, but IDLES make it anything but.

“It's all mindful and picked out,” explains Talbot. “Subversion is a perfect word. For instance, the context of 'punk' and all that crap that goes with it – it's a very machismo-driven sphere. Rock 'n' roll is machismo... it's a bunch of codpieces and bullshit ideologies driven by bloated egos and cocaine. We get called a punk band all the time; this album is an awareness of that”.

It has been a hectic, successful and revelatory two years for IDLES and the sheer pace, pressure and pride put their way could see them fold. They are beloved and growing bigger with each record. I hope they afford themselves some time to detox from the rush and sweat of the stage; enjoy a brief break and then think about 2019. The guys have loved the fans’ love and touring all around the world. They must be knackered and I do hope they have adequate space to reflect and ponder. What they have given the world with Joy as an Act of Resistance is a modern-day sermon and mandate that takes tricky subjects and lesser-discussed areas – suicide and immigration, for example – and opens them up for conversation. Not only have the band created these fine and memorable songs but their lyrics have provoked discussion, helped people and made many, myself included, less afraid to speak and be emotional. That is a very special and rare gift and one IDLES should be proud of! Who knows how many lives they have enriched, saved and changed because of their music. I am not saying every album should have the power to do that but if you create a record that potent and universal then how can one not get excited?! This has been the year of IDLES and, to me, there is no other album that can topple Joy as an Act of Resistance. I would love to catch up with the guys next year and see what they are planning next but, given how frantic their year has been, I hope they have a mini-break where they can open presents, relax with family and do some chilling. It was in no doubt after the first listen but, eleven weeks after its release, I am beyond-certain that 2018’s strongest album is the incredible, rich and immaculate...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana for DIY

JOY as an Act of Resistance!

INTERVIEW: Delena

INTERVIEW:

Delena

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I do not have too many interviews left this year...

but I have been getting to discover more about Delena and her latest track, Animal. She shares the story behind the track and reveals what is coming next – I ask whether there any particular artists and albums that have particularly inspired her.

She talks about plans for next year and what she thinks of modern Pop; whether she gets time to unwind away from music and whether she grew up around a lot of music – Delena ends the interview by selecting a cool song.

____________

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

Hi! I’m good! Looking forward to the Christmas holidays and New Year! 

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

For those who don’t know me, I am Delena! I was born in Kiev and my music is inspired by my life growing up there, which wasn’t always easy - and you can see in my song titles it’s very freedom-inspired! 

 

Animal is your new track. What is the story behind it?

The story behind Animal is how I feel and used to feel while growing up (and even sometimes now)! I wanted a song which is strong and powerful and anybody in the world could relate! Animal is a symbol of being free, strong and honest to yourself! People every day are struggling to be who they want to be and it’s not okay! Everyone must be able to speak their minds free! 

Who are the artists that inspired you growing up? Did you grow up around a lot of different music?

I have got a lot of inspiration in my life! As a child, I would listen to Queen and Michael Jackson! I would also listen to Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James! I would always listen to music as a child and I never got tired of it.

What do you think of the modern Pop industry? Do you think it has strengthened over the last few years?

The Pop industry today has developed in so many ways! And I think it did strengthened! Everyone today has got a chance to show their talent in so many ways! And it requires you to be different in so many ways which I think is amazing!  

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Oh, yes! I am so looking forward 2019! I can’t wait to put out new music and work on my album! 

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

I would say that every memory in music is my favorite! I love it so much that I can’t just choose between them!

What does music mean to you? How important is it in your life?

Music is my source of inspiration! It helps me when I’m down and it helps me when I’m up! I don’t know what I would do without it! I would probably end up listening to the winds. Ha-ha.

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

I would ask to be with whole family together because this year we all going to be in the different parts of the world! 

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

I would probably want to support The Weeknd or Bruno Mars! They are great talented artists and I love their music! And, in my rider, I would probably ask for some Ukrainian food like Pirozhki. 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

I would say that it’s very important to be true to yourself and understand what you really want! Take advice and be open to anything coming into your life. It’s all happening for a reason! 

Which three albums mean the most to you? 

If I’m honest, I don't really listen to many albums! I mostly listen to singles and go to shows of artists I love. I'm a big fan of Adele, The Weeknd and Sia though. 

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

Not yet! But I will be working on this very hard! 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kali Uchis

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I really like Kali Uchis! She is so interesting to listen to! Her music can be very inspiring! And also, I like Lauren Jauregui! Her new single is great and the video is amazing!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lauren Jauregui

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

Usually, I don’t want to chill from music because, as I mentioned before, music is everything to me! But I love to travel and spend time with family! There is nothing better than being all together! 

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 please pay Kali Uchis - After the Storm 

___________

Follow Delena

Official:

https://www.delenaofficial.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DelenaMusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/_delenaofficial

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2eJcMcN7LjLK6gWStAVG4G?si=pKJyoSjISD2quzanAmsOAg

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdbgRIE_RTOb4_tZX0v3xbQ

INTERVIEW: BABYTEETH

INTERVIEW:

BABYTEETH

___________

THE epic BABYTEETH...

have been talking with me about their cracking song, Cocoon, and how it came to be; whether there will be any more material coming and how the band came to be – I ask which albums are most important to them and what sort of music compels them.

BABYTEETH tell me whether there are tour dates coming up and who they’d support given the chance; if they have a favourite memory from their time in music so far and what advice they would give to artists coming through - they select me select a quintet of songs to end things with.

____________

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

BITCHIN’! Sam was bitten by a wild animal and fell down a hole in the pub. The rest of us are dandy. We’ve been rehearsing.

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

We used to be babies…and now we have teeth...

Cocoon is your new single. Can you talk about the background and how it came together?

Camilla and Sam write the songs; we then arrange it together in our sweaty little rehearsal room. We recorded this one a little while ago in London with the awesome Cam Blackwood producing it.

Will there be more material coming next year do you think?

YES! Itching to share it all with everyone.

How did BABYTEETH get together? What drew you to one another?

We met through friends. And, after all of our periods synced up immediately, we knew it was the perfect match.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Gastón Torres

In terms of music; which artists are you drawn to?

We just love really great song writing, regardless of genre. There isn’t any music snobbery with us. Our music tastes are pretty eclectic.

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

A trip to Chessington World of Adventures with Gareth Gates.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Big ‘yes’. We’re not allowed to tell you yet but it’s gonna be mega. We’re excited. 

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

Playing with Adam Ant this Wednesday will be our best new memory. Unless we fall of stage or piss our pants in front of thousands of people or something.

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

Hole – Live Through This; Beach Boys – Pet Sounds; Deep Purple - Made in Japan; Radiohead - OK Computer; Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine. Because they inspired us to become musicians and songwriters and give us the belly feels. It’s more fun if you guess which one of us chose what.

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

Garbage. And we’d like a team of dancing dwarves and a massive bottle of Bourbon.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Do something else...music’s full. If you just can’t help yourself though then work absolutely ridiculously hard to get better than everyone else - and maybe also be willing to sell an organ or two to pay your rent.

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

Yes - but they’re not announced yet so keep checking in on our Facebook for updates. Thank you, please.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Us, us and us. There are lots of other great acts but we need you more. And we’ll love you more than they will, we promise.

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

Stroking cats, eating chips and snogging people.

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).

Thank you very much for playing our music. We love you more than Santa loves children. As it’s Christmas, we’ll let you pick a song from each of our all-time favourite albums!

___________

Follow BABYTEETH

 PHOTO CREDIT: Gastón Torres

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Babyteethmusic/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/babyteethmusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/babyteethmusic

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0UeCjdNcuD0atlbAPfW7pZ?si=eGHWq8pZRUKLHGQJMdSssQ

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDH44sVlMToaV7nB2imfqxg

FEATURE: The December Playlist: Vol. 4: Is It the Sort of Sunday Driving The Beatles Talked About in Day Tripper?!

FEATURE:

 

The December Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: The Raconteurs 

Vol. 4: Is It the Sort of Sunday Driving The Beatles Talked About in Day Tripper?!

__________

IT is mostly about the smaller releases…

as the bigger artists are hibernating or have released their material earlier in the year. It will be exciting to see what comes along next year and which singles make a big impact at the start of January. It has been a busy and great one for music and, before we wind down and look to 2019, there are more songs coming through. Aside from the smaller releases, there are some big cuts from Dido, Sir Paul McCartney and The Raconteurs! There is no denying the quality and variation there and it is good we have some of the big artists making statements around this time of year. Ensure you have a look at the new singles out and I know there is enough in there to keep you busy! I am not sure whether there will be another playlist before next year as I cannot imagine many songs coming out between then and now – you never know! In honour of what might be the final assortment of new songs until 2019; enjoy what is on offer now and, whilst there are not many Christmas songs in the pack, there are songs in here that will…

IN THIS PHOTO: Sir Paul McCartney

WARM the heart.

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

__________

The Raconteurs – Sunday Driver

Paul McCartney – Who Cares

Ally Brooke – The Truth Is in There

Cigarettes After Sex – Neon Moon

Dido – Friends

Jay Sean – Need to Know

Florida Georgia Line – People Are Different

Nipsey Hussle – Perfect Timing

Kevin Gates – Discussion

Meek Mill – Trauma

Kelsy Karter – Catch Me If You Can 

Phoebe Bridgers – Killer

Picture This – One Drink

5 Seconds of Summer – Lie to Me

Sam Smith – Fire on Fire

6LACK – Been a While

IN THIS PHOTO: Gia Genevieve & The Raconteurs (The Saboteurs)/PHOTO CREDIT: Julian Pinder

The Saboteurs – Now That You’re Gone

Goody Grace – Rest Your Eyes

Loren Gray – Queen

Alex Aiono – As You Need

BB Nobre –Oportuindad

Mighty Oaks – Like an Eagle

Sophie Rose – Best Friend

Alanna Matty – Loved You First

PHOTO CREDIT: @nathangroff

Yung Pinch – Cloud 9

Sofie de la Torre - Voicebreaks

Alice Glass – I Trusted You

Maya Jane Coles – Waves & Whirlwinds

Robbie Rivera – Tribal Man

Vindit – Sayeh

Richard Ashcroft – Rare Vibration

Rusko – Mr. Policeman

Delta Sleep – Dream Thang

Rudimental (ft. Maverick Saba & YEBBA) – They Don’t Care About Us

Petrie – Too Damn Busy

TRACK REVIEW: Rachael Sage - Myopia

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Rachael Sage

Myopia

9.4/10

The track, Myopia, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/track/5yjKamYcJep1mGnM3NC80a?si=drQ0HgVCTzebubd-VPvnqg

GENRE:

Singer-Songwriter

ORIGIN:

New York, U.S.A.

The album, Myopia, is available via:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2SDxgZrPIHEIOUenCrAlfk?si=_CypwmMsSMusvIXYpN9kxA

RELEASE DATE:

4th May, 2018

__________

I am not sure how many reviews I will do before the end...

of the year but there might only be another two or three after this. There are some new tracks coming through that are worth exploration and consideration but, at the moment, I am catching up with an artist who I featured earlier in the year. I will talk about Rachael Sage and her sound in a bit but, right now, I wanted to look at changing style and hooking up with collaborators; artists who have a boldness and colour to them; artists bringing more positivity and reflection into their albums; those who are achieving a lot and look set to make a big break in 2019 – I will talk about New York and why it is an area more of us should explore. Sage’s new album, Myopia, sees her in a different light and it is a bit of a move for her. It is hard to believe that this is the songwriter’s thirteenth album and that sort of longevity is very impressive indeed! I guess artists can produce that many albums if they do not have a label and that sort of commercial pressure. One feels, if Sage were signed to one of the big labels, she would still have that endurance and be making records still. I have not seen many modern acts who have managed to sustain themselves through the years and continue to evolve. There are some great artists out there but few manage to crank out so many albums! Sage has managed to endure and survive because she puts so much life and colour into everything. Every album from her has its own themes and skin and you never get the same thing. Myopia is a new step for Rachael Sage and a different turn to what we are used to. If you are familiar with her piano stylings and something familiar; there are collaborators and the guitar is put more to the fore. It is not a huge leap in terms of sound but Sage has managed to add new touches and brought fresh voices to the pot.

It is good seeing names such as James Mastro (Patti Smith, Ian Hunter) and a new instrument is put under the spotlight. I think longevity is underrated and many tend to forget about artists if they drop off of the radar. Rachael Sage has a huge love for music and would not be doing anything else – it is a world that suits her perfectly and every album from her is a huge delight. I love how she manages to say something new with every album and how you get this artist very much connected to themes, images and aesthetics. I will talk more about visuals and that side of thing in a bit but I think making changes and taking your music in a new direction can revitalise what you do. I am not a fan of those who throw in too many producers and collaborators because it can crowd things and make an album sound impersonal. When you bring in a few select names and get that balance right; listening back and you have this rather wonderful and inspiring thing. That is what has happened with Myopia and the songs throughout. I shall move through and look at other topics but I wanted to look at how Sage has moved forward and what she is doing right now. Sage, when looking at the album, titled it as such to reflect society’s narrow views and bad sight. There is a lot of prejudice and discrimination; people struggling and so much hatred around. Rather than get angry on the album; Sage has brought something inspiring, warm and hopeful to the plate. There is a look at the negative sides of life and how we can be myopic – I shall go into detail when reviewing the album’s title cut – but she has taken a big leap on her thirteenth record. As owner of her own label, MPress Records, for two decades now, you have someone who can take control of their own sound but is always eager to explore. So many artists get stuck in a rut or reproduce the same thing every single time. Rachael Sage is somebody who, here, has abandoned (to an extent) the piano-centric sound and brought some guitars to the party. The change is not radical enough to abandon and alienate her core base but it will tempt new listeners in.

There is a natural versatility that comes with Sage – always producing varied and brilliant work that is stronger than most of the stuff out there. It is her wide-aiming songs and a sense of vibrancy that catches the eye. Look at the photos sprinkled throughout this review and you will see someone who has that rather vivid and exciting look. Sage is a character and a musician; someone who seems to embody an icon and pioneer. I see so many musicians who are listless and rather boring when it comes to their sounds and music. I will address positivity and bringing more of it to music but, looking at Sage, and I think about those who are gripping and provide us with relief. Sage can and does talk about serious subjects – not someone who overlooks what is important and urgent. Rather than being all about the gloom and anger; albums such as Myopia showcase plenty of hope and life. I was drawn to Rachael Sage because of her sense of character and colour. Too many artists do not draw the eye or capture the imagination; Sage is somebody who has that potent, dynamic edge and sense of adventure. I love what she is doing and have seen how she has grown as a performer through the years. One wonders where she will head from here but, right now, the music being put out into the world makes you stand up and take notice! I have not got time to review more than one track but, on Myopia, tracks such as Alive capture you with a retro sound and real drive; Snowed In is about the ever-controversial Edward Snowden and Haunted by Objects is about a hoarder whose only option is to set fire to everything! Those stories might sound darker and sinister but, in the hands of Rachael Sage, they are spellbinding and accessible. Lesser artists might make them too dark and depressed…but that is not what you get here.

Instead, we have someone who can introduce humour and a sense of fun into songs; make sure a message is being put across but grab you with a big personality and an even bigger voice. I am looking out more for artists who have the ability to get under the skin and infuse the senses. What amazes me about Rachael Sage is how she can create these deigns and concepts for albums and bring together so many great stories and songs. I feel the fact she has changed style/sound a bit and brought in a few different names means she is free to wander and open her imagination. I know there are artists who can meet my requirements and get into the blood but there are few who do things like Rachael Sage. I know she will continue to grow and enjoy success. She should act as a guide to other artists who are looking for ways to get their music heard and bring something fresh to the plate. Sage can discuss current events and address the world at large but ensure there is little aggravation and sense of misery. I love all the different facets and sides to the songwriter. The way she can entice and allure with her fashion and look; how her promotional shots really do draw you in and how you dive into the music and remember it for a very long time to come. I think a lot of music in 2018 has been about a rather angry and unhappy mood and, whilst that is fine, I am looking at artists who can give some uplift and hope. I am finding too many acts who are endlessly downbeat and cannot really present anything encouraging. Let me move on and talk about that particular side of things because I would like to see more of it in 2019 – a redemptive and hopeful spirit that counteracts the tension and stress that is out there in the wider world.

This year has seen a lot of stress and strain permeate music. The political landscape has been fractured and fraught – many artists have reflected this and tried to make sense. It seems 2019 will start with the same sort of friction and dislocation as we have seen; as we try to make sense of it all and move forward. I can understand why many would want to add their sense of disgust to what is happening but it has been rare to see sunshine and brightness in 2018. Even bigger Pop artists are not showing their usual verve and optimism and I wonder whether that is the way music is going. I feel 2019 is a chance for many to change the tide and, even though it is important to assess what is happening in the world, ensure fun is not lost and we can inject some positive spirit in. Rachael Sage does talk about the myopia of the world on her new album and figures that are controversial. She looks at serious things and big problems out there but does not weigh things down with anger. Instead, there is that hope of things thawing and what can happen if we take a more positive stance. We can be quite short-sighted and blind but, instead of fighting and being naïve; getting together and trying to make things better is what is required. Sage taps into this feeling of hope and being able to make the world better. That stance is to be applauded and, throughout Myopia, we have an artist who wants everyone to try harder and show that positive spirit. In fact, the balance of emotions we get on the L.P. is incredible. We are able to have this brightness and sense of hope but that does not mean the problems in the world are overlooked. I think Sage has created an album that is perfectly suited to this year and seems to match some of the very best albums from the mainstream. I am seeing more and more modern songwriters abandon more traditional aspects of love and relations and investigate politics and their world.

I shall move and round off this first section of the review but it might be worth looking at 2019 and what can happen there. I feel there will not be huge shifts in terms of subject and sounds; maybe there will be some minor shifts but I wonder how much politics and the state of the world will impact music. Artists are entitled to have their say and interpretation but I do hope many take a lead from Rachael Sage and see what can happen when you offer a more optimistic perception. She is not ignoring the seriousness of things nor is she making the music too weighty and bleak. Striking that balance is vital but I feel more fun in general needs to come into music. It has been a bad year in so many ways and many are looking for refreshment and new starts. If you are unfamiliar with the work of Rachael Sage than Myopia is a good place to start. It would be ironic if you overlooked the album but I feel like this is her most confident and complete work yet. The record is packed with textures and nuance; there are songs that take a few listens to get to grips with and others that are instant. It can be impossible navigating the underground and making sense of everything that is happening right now. I feel artists like Sage warrant more focus and love and, let’s hope, she will be afforded the chance to tour around the world next year. I will come to the reviewing part of the review soon but I wanted to look at Sage and what she has achieved so far in her career. Not only has her sound and style changed and grown but the plaudits have come in and she has played in some really good venues. I think those big moments and adventures can impact the work and create confidence.

Sage has shared the stage with artists as lofty as Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin and Beth Hart. She performed in the U.K. last spring and performed alongside Howard Jones. That appeal on both sides of the Atlantic mean she has these big fanbases and can experience very different music scenes. I love the fact Sage has that experience and she can bring all of that into the music. She has performed at the Fringe in Edinburgh and won several music awards here in Britain. A lot of her tracks have been played on T.V. shows and it has been a busy last few years for Rachael Sage. Of course, this will continue next year and I am excited to see how far she can go. The music industry is a tough one but Sage has managed to make her impressions felt and is growing all of the time. I feel 2019 will be a massive year for her and all of the past experiences she has had will come into play. Myopia is a fantastic album that seems to integrate all of the previous records and moods and signals another direction. I am already excited to see what her next album sounds like but shouldn’t get too carried away! I love how many different ideas and stories are explored throughout Myopia and what you get from each one. It is a packed and fascinating album that seems to perfectly look at some darker sides to the world but, above all, urge for movement and something more positive. We do need more songwriters like this and need to embrace those with big hearts, personalities and voices. I shall talk more about Sage in the conclusion but, as she does have an album out that is doing very well; it is time I got to looking at Myopia’s title-track and what it is all about. It is a wonderful song that gets into the heart and bones but also makes you think hard and deeply.

The opening stages of Myopia bring together wordless vocals and a rather tranquil setting. I have mentioned how piano has been overtaken by guitar to an extent throughout the album but you get a nice and potent piano sound that brings the introduction to life. Sage is wordless to start and the introduction has this very bold, effusive and romantic quality that seeps into the skin and creates a very distinct mood. Even through the track suggests short-sighted people and something more negative; the heroine is talking about someone who knows what they can live with and without and, right away, you start to wonder. Maybe it is about someone who is materialistic or people who are uncompromising when it comes to their own lives or others. All of these thoughts went around my head but I struggled to get over the beauty of the performance. There is no real aggression or urgency that would put you off. Sage is comforting and soft but able to project power. It is a brilliant concoction and sound that catches you by surprise. Sage talks about people seeking answers and, when they have received all the answers they need, they will have more than enough to survive. Maybe we all do get too fixated with being spoiled or seeing ourselves as victims; expecting too much and taking so much for granted. It is hard to listen to the song and not think about political figures and what they are doing. Although it is not a direct message to leaders and how they control countries; I feel it looks at society in general and how we do not often look beyond our own lives and think more deeply about the wider world. Sage suffers from myopia herself – as do I – and uses the word in a couple of different ways. There is a literal sense of poor vision but, away from that, she has been a little selfish and not bold enough. She talks about holding a kite too tightly and lacking some perspicacity.

Sage’s voice always has that sweetness and breathlessness that gets into the soul and makes the song come alive. I can see Myopia as a call to everyone to be a little less concerned with their own universe and having a more positive outlook. The lyrics have that oblique nature in places that means you are free to interpret and take things in your own direction. The heroine talks about earning an embrace and that feeling of having enough. Maybe we do value our own worth and success in terms that seems unreasonable and, if we let some things go or change our views, then we can all become a little richer and see things differently. Myopia brings in yearning strings and all sorts of elements. You get little bits of Country and Folk and it is a wonderful blend. Sage – sounding like Briana Corrigan to an extent – talks about a screen of myopia and being tangled up in her own way. Things were piling up and she was not able to get through that. She does not say whether relationship burdens or the busy nature of everyday life meant she was being selfish and not taking stock of things. Whatever was causing this burden and strain seems to have been lifted and she is now in a more productive and clear space. It is nice to hear her looking forward and in a different space. I am not sure whether the change will be instant but the heroine is urging others to remove the clutter and take a different view of the world. Maybe things can get a bit much and we do not often think rationally about what we have and how much we possess. The musicality and strength of Myopia means the song will remain firmly lodged in the mind for a while.

Everyone will get something different from Myopia but, in essence, it is about changing your way of thinking and taking a more positive approach. I love the song and how much life is in it. The music is never too heavy-handed but it is lush and has a real sense of the romantic. Within the yearning strings and the tender notes; Sage lets her voice shine through and guide. She offers laughter and syncopation; some really nice expressions and a real personality. It is a song filled with heart but that message regarding a different viewpoint and perspective. If we can be content and satisfied with what we have and not being too demanding then that will make us look more clearly at the world. I took something from the song and I know many others would have too. It is a number that you can learn a lot from but the music is accessible enough so you can play it in the background and let it wander. Few songs have that ability to get right into the brain or float in the atmosphere. It shows what an accomplished songwriter Rachael Sage is and how she can deliver songs with such confidence and ability. There are plenty of other songs like Myopia on the album but I feel the title offering stands from the pack. It seems to hold the most weight and nuance and I think it is the representation of what Sage is trying to say. It is a wonderful song and one that is perfect for this time of year. We are with family and giving a lot but many of us are caught up in the tensions around us and maybe not being as open and humble as we can be. I think next year provides an opportunity for reassessment and change and we all could do with something more positive. Sage is definitely one who wants change and is offering the listener with excellent wisdom and guidance.

I have explored various sides of Rachael Sage and I hope I have done justice to her work and endeavour. Even though the Myopia album came out a few months ago, I was keen to review a song from it and not let it slip by. Ensure you investigate every track from the record and do not let it pass you by. There are some fantastic songs throughout and you will get something different from each of them. I was hooked by so many of them and will make sure I listen more through the weekend. It is a bit too early to see where Rachael Sage will go and what the next few months will be about. I think there are touring dates booked but make sure you look at her social media channels and get to grips with her moves. I know there is a lot of love for Sage in the U.K. and, although I mentioned it in the introduction, I forgot to talk about New York. Maybe I have not left myself enough time but it is an area of the world that always produces sensational and deep music. Perhaps it is the sheer size and variety there but you have the history and richness that runs through the streets. It can be hard living in cities and built-up areas of the world and finding peace and positivity. So many urban songwriters are beholden to a general mood of fatigue and suffocation and, whilst it is genuine and understandable, we need to embrace those who have that hope of positivity. N.Y.C. seems like a very intimidating and scary place to live but there is humanity and so many different nationalities living there. It is hard living in the U.S. and U.K. right now and there are so many problems that need to be tackled. Songwriters cannot ignore everything going on around them but music’s role, in my view, is to help guide and to offer something comforting. Rachael Sage is a natural leader in the sense she can write music that makes you feel better and there is so much going on that spike the mind. I know she will be very busy next year and many more people will be turning onto her music. I hope she gets back to the U.K. and we get a chance to see her take to the stage here. I shall wrap things up in a bit but I have loved listening to Myopia and getting involved with its title offering. The song is brilliant and it is one of those cuts that get into the brain and you will be remembering it for a long time. I might do a couple more reviews before the end of 2018 but I was keen to involve Rachael Sage. Make sure you have a listen of the album and follow Rachael Sage on her social media channels. Congratulations to Sage on a brilliant and productive year and let’s hope this continues into 2019. I have heard so many different songwriters and offerings but few have the same qualities and highlights as Sage. She is one of those artists who stands aside from everyone else and offers much food for thought. We need that in music right now and a lot more of it next year. I shall end the review now but want to encourage people to listen to Myopia in its entirety and, if they want a track to pick for special consideration, then its eponymous offering is, to my mind, the best. It is another wonderful, intriguing and spectacular release from an artist who...

FILLS the heart with something special.    

___________

Follow Rachael Sage

Official:

http://rachaelsage.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rachaelsage

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/rachaelsagepage/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7EedWEoxpzbiPNkqkDp3Vw?si=t65XcWO7RayhZek0r90HLA

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Jackie Venson/PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Cavazos

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

__________

BEFORE I look ahead to next year and what is happening...

 IN THIS PHOTO: FiFi Rong/PHOTO CREDIT: @stefanoboski⠀⠀

I am still fascinated by the music of 2018 and the artists making a big impression. I feel the best albums of this year have been made by women and they have added so much to the musical landscape. To honour them and the music the underground is putting through; I have collated another winter-ready playlist that unites some of the very best female artists emerging (there are a couple of older tunes in the mix). It is a stocked and impressive playlist that demonstrates great variety and potency – and the contrasting moods and shades of winter.  Have a look through these songs and I know there is enough in there that will be able to warm you and bring plenty of cheer...

  IN THIS PHOTO: Hailee Steinfeld

BEFORE Christmas comes.  

ALL PHOTOS (unless stated otherwise): Getty Images/Artists

____________

Raindear - World Below

 Jackie Venson – A Million Moments

UPSAHL – The Other Team            

Emma Sameth (ft. Jeremy Zucker, WOLFE) – Spin with You

Zuzu – Distant Christmas

Kill J – Dead Weight Soldier

Hailee Steinfeld - Back to Life (from Bumblebee)

PHOTO CREDIT: Zuzia Zawada

Ishani – Stormy Emotions

Alice Glass – I Trusted You

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica Chanen

Joyeur – Daisies

PHOTO CREDIT: Hob Junker

DOTT – Floating Arrows

PHOTO CREDIT: Filmawi

SIPPRELL – Journey

Y.A.S – 100 YEARS

Carla J Easton (ft. Michael Pedersen) – Song

Sarah & Julia – Hooked on the Hype

Emma Charles – Comfort in the Chaos

Phé - Feel You

Elles Bailey – Medicine Man

Rina Sawayama - Flicker

Emily Hackett – Yours

Daisy Gray – Rumours 

Lex Panterra – Lies

Loren Gray – Queen

Sofi de la Torre – Voicebreaks

beabadoobee – Eighteen

FiFi Rong (ft. LO) – Foreign

Kirsty Merryn (ft. Steve Knightley) - Forfarshire

FEATURE: Snap, Crackle and (Some Great) Pop: The Best Pop, Alternative-Pop and R&B Albums of 2018

FEATURE:

 

 

Snap, Crackle and (Some Great) Pop

PHOTO CREDIT: @jsharp9066  

The Best Pop, Alternative-Pop and R&B Albums of 2018

__________

THIS will be the last of my genre-specific pieces...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Robyn/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

but there will be other rundowns that celebrate the best of 2018. I am not done shining a light on the good and exceptional from this year but, when it comes to genres; let’s end with the very best Pop, Alternative-Pop and R&B albums from 2018. It has been a busy year and one stuffed with adventure, innovation and delight! I have combined some truly great and popular albums that have stuck in the critical mindset and impressed listeners. Here is a selection of brilliant records that, once more, prove what a great year...

 IN THIS PHOTO: The 1975/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

WE have had for music.  

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

________________

Let’s Eat Grandma – I’m All Ears

Date of Release: 29th June, 2018

Label: Transgressive Records

Producers: David Wrench/SOPHIE/Faris Badwan

Review:

“I’m All Ears (otherwise produced by David Wrench) translates LEG’s weirdness into proper pop: amid interludes of purring cats and trilling ringtones, their songs are mini odysseys that intertwine rave-y euphoria and menace. With its battering chorus, Falling Into Me is as galvanising as its determined lyrics. They do softness, too: It’s Not Just Me, the other Sophie and Badwan track, is dreamy and unsettling, while the rainfall on Ava makes the piano ballad even more wrenching.

LEG’s lyrics, far from their debut’s fairytale nonsense, have become uncanny and piercing, which is enhanced by their muscular vocal melodrama. There’s a brilliant line on Snakes and Ladders that confronts gender’s power imbalance and the false salve of consumerism: “How do you feel so respected, majestic? ’Cause I’m objecting to things I go off and buy into, selecting the pails I’ll be pouring your tears into.” Cool and Collected perfectly distills the desperation of social awkwardness: “I still blur in the haze that you cut straight through.” While missed connections litter the album – missed calls, disembodied names on screens – I’m All Ears is about abandoning fear and leaping boldly towards desire. It is remarkable” – The Guardian

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5Bnhkya5cGltQFTrnC0grx?si=OIbRaj1YSluXKwJvhaXjpA

Standout Tracks: Falling Into Me/The Cat’s Pyjamas/Ava

Finest Cut: Hot Pink

Kimbra - Primal Heart

Date of Release: 20th April, 2018

Label: Warner Bros.

Producers: Various

Review:

“Still, Primal Heart takes listeners on a smoother journey than The Golden Echo's wild ride, and if some of these tracks are a little more straightforward, they're also great showcases for Kimbra's soul-baring. Her writing feels more personal than ever as she tackles getting older, wiser, and stronger on songs that range from "Lightyears"' soaring exuberance to the defiance of "Everybody Knows." The album's ballads are some of Kimbra's most compelling yet, whether it's "Version of Me"'s torchy drama or the late-night searching of "Real Life," which features some of the most evocative processed vocals since Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek." A consistently winning album, Primal Heart finds Kimbra hitting the sweet spot between imagination and accessibility -- if her nods to the mainstream get more ears pointed her way, so much the better” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4pj0BkJ7u39i009oqe8V79?si=7P8dozXGTP-RP-N9PuekgQ

Standout Tracks: Top of the World/Like They Do on TV/Version of Me

Finest Cut: Everybody Knows                              

Camila Cabello – Camila

Date of Release: 12th January, 2018

Labels: Epic/Syco

Producers: Various

Review:

“Perhaps emboldened by Havana’s vast success, Cabello has developed a habit of carrying on as if her debut album is a starkly uncompromising personal statement, free from the kind of pressures that were brought to bear on Fifth Harmony’s output. That lays it on a bit thick. Cabello gets a writing credit on every song – a rare occurrence with her old outfit – but Camila is clearly a pop album made in the traditional way, by committee, with one gimlet eye always fixed on commerce. The supporting cast features everyone from Ed Sheeran collaborator Amy Wadge to Ryan Tedder, and there’s something very telling about the ruthlessness with which a succession of songs that failed to shift sufficient units as singles were expunged from the final tracklisting.

It doesn’t matter. Camila is one of those moments where the committee approach strikes gold: smart enough to avoid smoothing out the quirks and slavishly chasing trends, it’s a product of the pop factory that doesn’t sound run-of-the-mill” – The Guardian

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2vD3zSQr8hNlg0obNel4TE?si=r6GCZBdWQmWRfyf0C29tCg

Standout Tracks: Never Be the Same/Consequences/In the Dark

Finest Cut: Havana

Kylie Minogue – Golden

Date of Release: 6th April, 2018

Labels: BMG/Liberator

Producers: Various

Review:

“Radio On is a ballad about coping with heartache by listening to the radio, while the album’s final track – Music’s Too Sad Without You, a duet with Jack Savoretti– also touches on the importance of music as a place marker in life. Both tracks are downbeat and show a rare weakness, as her voice lacks the depth to carry them off with any great impact. Sad Kylie is much more effective when she’s dusting herself down and dancing her cares away.

Just in case you weren’t sure who you were listening to, Raining Glitter is not only in the running for the campest song title of all time award, but also a career defining key change – it’s THE sound of Kylie. But on the whole her vocals are relaxed and she sounds at ease, at home. This is pop for the whole family. She’s done a Take That; created a grown-up, Radio 2-playlist, guitar-driven, dance-flecked album with a warm glow.

Golden stands alongside her classic records; in a world of disposable music, Kylie’s return is welcome and shows how slick, smart pop music should be done” – musicOMH

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5vroCXY4FWNiIAovi5KsQB?si=M0RcihLiRVGCvDMQgTVcVA

Standout Tracks: Stop Me from Falling/Radio On/Every Little Part of Me

Finest Cut: Dancing                  

Tove Styrke – Sway

Date of Release: 4th May, 2018

Label: RCA

Producers: John Alexis/Joe Janiak/Elof Loelv/Gustaf Nyström

Review:

“Equally at home on a made-for-radio chorus (dancehall infused ‘Say My Name’) as on the vocoder manipulated vocals of ‘I Lied’, you’re left with no doubt that Styrke’s is an force to be reckoned with. And then there’s ‘Mistakes’, the glorious musical equivalent of getting butterflies in your stomach. Shimmering, percussive production is punctuated by Styrke’s robotic vocals boldly declaring its mischievous chorus: “You make me wanna make mistakes.” It’s pure pop perfection.

Clocking in at just 26 minutes, ‘Sway’ is a succinct but comprehensive statement from Styrke – one that demands attention and declares her as a musical tour-de-force. The release of this album comes in between a string of dates with industry darling Lorde and this month’s shows with pop behemoth Katy Perry. Although Styrke is supporting them now, ‘Sway’ proves it won’t be long until she’s standing shoulder to shoulder with them” – NME

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3fSRbKgYW6kcR1ZFMaaNV4?si=_7ht9UyUR0S1xIeqArLUMw

Standout Tracks: Sway/Mistakes/Vibe 

Finest Cut: Say My Name                                              

The Lemon Twigs – Go to School

Date of Release: 24th August, 2018

Label: 4AD

Review:

“Like all the best concept albums, however, we leave Shane in a good place, alone but at peace, accepting that love within oneself is more important than love from others. There are questions – why did the most popular girl in school sleep with a chimpanzee? How did Shane not realise he wasn’t human? Just how does he like his breakfast bananas prepared? – but overall, Go To School is a blast, a joyous, ridiculous journey that treads a perfect line between silly, funny and heart-breaking.

After closer “If You Give Enough”, one gets the impression that, ultimately, the D’Addarios do care about their poor protagonist, this pure chimp corrupted by human civilisation. What’s more amazing, as the spotlight fades out on Shane, alone in his tree like some anthropoid Buddha, is the fact that now we do, too” – Uncut

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5c42OLUNIZldeqhSSOER8d?si=ufCRg5YxT7OWRJbCCFvMow

Standout Tracks: Never in My Arms, Always in My Heart/The Bully/Go to School

Finest Cut: The Fire                                                                           

Years & Years – Palo Santo

Date of Release: 6th July, 2018

Label: Polydor

Producers: Various

Review:

“However, what ‘Palo Santo’ has that ‘Communion’ lacked is an inventive ballad. ‘Hypnotised’, a delicate and unworldly highlight, and ‘Lucky Escape’, a palpable moment of agony and anguish, are elevated because of their intricate production (they also boast the best vocal performances from Alexander’s career).

The title track, though, is where Olly’s sermon is delivered. Here melancholia and desire battle with volatility, a hazardous tug-of-war where sexual fulfilment conflicts with loneliness and morality. The base piano is joined by skittish beats and lashings of falsetto, giving the song sweaty urgency.

In a thrilling conclusion, ‘Up In Flames’ sees Olly in unmarked territory as he grieves his relationship with his estranged father over Greg Kurstin’s ominous production and pacey beats. It’s a candid end to an overwhelmingly intimate record that makes you wonder just what Years & Years could be capable of next” – DIY

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2CccDD18ZzCqRXkiMrhfoW?si=HfzVaQyAQQK7ctUg3wh-gA

Standout Tracks: All for You/Preacher/Palo Santo

Finest Cut: Sanctify                                                                          

Tracey Thorn – Record

Date of Release: 2nd March, 2018

Label: Merge Records

Producer: Ewan Pearson

Review:

“Such intuitive common sense is writ large throughout Record, which mixes tight-fitting production (by longtime collaborator Ewan Pearson) with superlative signature vocals and guest appearances by Corinne Bailey Rae, Warpaint rhythm section musicians Stella Mozgawa (drums) and Jenny Lee Lindberg (bass), and UK singer/songwriter Shura.

One-word titles imply focus rather than lack of thought, and from opening electro-pop tune Queen (“Here I go again, down that road again”) to closing Kraftwerk-referencing Dancefloor (“Where did we begin, back in the days we lived inside each other’s skin”) via the punkish Babies (“Every morning of the month you push a little tablet through the foil/ cleverest of all inventions, better than a condom or a coil/ ’cos I didn’t want my babies until I wanted babies”), and self-referencing Air (“Too tall, all wrong, deep voice, headstrong”), Thorn digs deep yet carefully, avoiding traps rather than setting them. With such insight and pop nous, Record comes across as the very, very best of Tracy Thorn: a charming, challenging mix of reflection and reaction with added beats” – The Irish Times

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4rb4OC3d46iZld05PU927t?si=Q870bNLKRuW5f9FY_hWzew

Standout Tracks: Queen/Babies/Dancefloor 

Finest Cut: Sister        

Ariana Grande - Sweetener

Date of Release: 17th August, 2018

Label: Republic

Producers: Various

Review:

“Songs are arranged as call and response, with Grande taking both parts, multi-tracked voices flowing in gossamer light harmonies. A short interlude, named in honour of her comedian fiancé Pete Davidson, is utterly gorgeous, a sweet nothing dissolving into blissful oohs. On closing track Get Well Soon she sounds like a one-woman doo-wop combo.

With such stellar writer-producers at the controls, the quality of the songs is high, although there are moments when they might be trying too hard to demonstrate that the teen queen is all grown up now.

Dropping an f-bomb into Better Off seems gratuitous among the gentle hugging and kissing. Abrasive guest rappers Nicki Minaj and Missy Elliott sound like they dialled in clichéd verses for a pay cheque. But as modern, branded, blockbuster pop albums go, Sweetener is a delightful confection” – The Telegraph

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3tx8gQqWbGwqIGZHqDNrGe?si=4cB7VMyET7KMeiSNsjXYww

Standout Tracks: God Is a Woman/sweetener/no tears left to cry

Finest Cut: the light is coming

Robyn – Honey

Date of Release: 26th October, 2018

Labels: Konichwa/Interscope

Producers: Joseph Mount/Mr. Tophat/Adam Bainbridge/Robyn/Klas Åhlund

Review:

“She delivers her own style of sexual healing on the masterful title track, describing it as something nourishing beyond mere pleasure. "Baby Forgive Me" is both soft and daring; though she risks it all by asking to be taken back, she asks so sweetly that it's almost impossible to say no. Perhaps as a tribute to her connection with Falk, Robyn made Honey with other close friends. Along with Klas Åhlund, her collaborator since the Robyn days, the album features lush, expressionistic tracks produced by Kindness' Adam Bainbridge ("Send to Robin Immediately") and Mr. Tophat ("Beach 2K20"). However, her main creative partner is Metronomy's Joseph Mount, who contributed to over half the album and brings a crisp synth-pop edge to "Ever Again," which finds a stronger, wiser Robyn promising herself to never be this devastated again. The eight years between Body Talk and this album would be a lifetime for almost any artist, and several lifetimes for a female pop star, whose career longevity isn't usually measured in decades. However, Robyn continues to make the trends instead of following them, and with Honey, she enters her forties with some of her most emotionally satisfying and musically innovative music” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/0CQ68SLY0B5e6L1rn8jfkc?si=huVfcJ-MTty6Q9qptmp4pQ

Standout Tracks: Baby Forgive Me/Honey/Between the Lines

Finest Cut: Missing U

The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships            

Date of Release: 30th November, 2018

Labels: Dirty Hit/Polydor

Producers: George Daniel/Matthew Healy

Review:

“Perhaps the biggest surprise comes in the form of ‘Mine’, a Cole Porter-influenced jazz number that evokes golden era Hollywood, Disney soundtracks and finger-clicking crooners while reflecting wryly on modern life (“I fight crime online sometimes / I write rhymes I hide behind,”), a jarring dissonance that feels like hearing a song you’ve known your whole life for the very first time.

‘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” – NME

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6PWXKiakqhI17mTYM4y6oY?si=aUXC_HQSTpWNIX59rySZaw

Standout Tracks: TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME/Love It If We Made It/Mine 

Finest Cut: Sincerity Is Scary

Rita Ora – Phoenix 

Date of Release: 23rd November, 2018

Label: Atlantic UK

Producers: Various

Review:

“Between these already established tracks, the newer material slots in well. “Let You Love Me” is frank and affecting in its exploration of emotional barriers – “I wish that I could let you love me/ Say what’s the matter with me?” – but you don’t need to engage in its emotional crisis to appreciate this mid-tempo bop. “New Look” is catchy too, despite a beat that sounds like it’s being played on a radio with intermittent signal.

There are a few low points: “Keep Talking”, even with left-field pop connoisseur Julia Michaels on board, is frustratingly plodding, while “Summer Love” builds threateningly towards a clumsy drop. For the most part, though, Phoenix is worth the wait – whether you were doing so with indifference or bated breath” – The Independent

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6Vn8F3hERVHYYz5RfKmsAN?si=0zFrZY67QiSLbQ3DlfgASQ

Standout Tracks: New Look/Your Song/First Time High

Finest Cut: Let Me Love You

Mariah Carey – Caution 

Date of Release: 16th November, 2018

Label: Epic

Producers: Various

Review:

“With production from Blood Orange on Giving Me Life, it is hardly surprising that this is the defining and most eclectic moment on the album. With echoes of The Roof and The Beautiful Ones from the iconic Butterfly album, the chorus is an immediate classic and the breakdown towards the end of the song is a stunning showcase of that vocal range against a backdrop of electric guitars.

The album closes with the slow burning and vintage Mariah ballad Portrait. We find her at her most ethereal and reflective, and the narrative focuses on the relationship Carey has with herself. The glorious vocals towards the end are truly magnificent and the track is a fitting and definitive end to such a cathartic and phenomenal album.

The message from Carey here is clear. You can come into her life, but make it count and do not throw caution to the wind. This is why her lambs are never silent in their perpetual adoration. Sublime” – musicOMH

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/64zK6tmksJw9gNZR0L4DVx?si=7UIZVnS0R9iJasjOiC0Z7w

Standout Tracks: Caution/8th Grade/Portrait

Finest Cut: With You

INTERVIEW: Riva Taylor

INTERVIEW:

Riva Taylor

___________

I have been lucky enough to speak with the fabulous Riva Taylor...

about her new single, Mr Right, and its story. I ask whether there is too much pressure put on women to be settled and in relationships; what she has planned as we head into 2019 and a few albums that are important to her.

Taylor tells me about the musicians who inspired her to go into the business; a precious musical memory and whether she gets much chance to chill away from things – she ends the interview by selecting a great track.

____________

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

Hi! It’s been a good week. Christmas festivities in full swing; planning some exciting things for the New Year. Celebrating with friends and forward motion - enjoy both a lot! (Smiles). 

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

Hi. I’m Riva! A singer-songwriter from London. I’ve been singing from before I can remember and making records since I was twelve. 

 

Mr Right is your new single. What is the tale behind the song?

This is a song about music and men. Let’s say the song stuck, the ‘Mr’ didn't. 

It is about the constant that is music in my life. Something that has always been there; a positive force. The song personifies music as a more ideal man. It draws a comparison between the inconsistency and unpredictability of relationships and the constant joy that can be found in music! There is a reference to Adele's Someone Like You in the second verse. The listener could substitute music for any of their passions in life and the song still works (I hope!). If they’re really lucky, they could insert the name of their partner! 

Given the relationship demands and expectations suggested in the title; do you think there is too much pressure on women to settle for someone?

Wow. I could write an essay on this! We are definitely living through an interesting time with some significant changes and shifting attitudes in this area. Women seem to be challenging social norms and expectations more than ever. While there are some undeniable pressures for women by a certain age to settle, I don’t think there is too much with a growing weight placed on gender equality, choice and scientific advances throwing all sorts of interesting questions and options into the ring for women.

I love a podcast and there are constant questions surrounding ideas of polyamory, true love and happiness. Do we need to find a ‘Mr. Right’ to achieve our own self-satisfaction and happiness? I know for many friends, happiness has come in the form of settling down. For others, it’s been understanding and accepting that they don’t need to or there is no rush. There seems to be a greater understanding of our choices when it comes to the quest to achieve our own fulfilment potential! 

Do you think there will be more material coming next year?

A whole album’s worth! I can’t wait to share what I’ve been developing the past few years with everyone. 

Are there particular artists that inspired you to get into music?

Into music the first time...so many and, at different points in my career as I effectively re-entered music after a pause from it all when I was in my early-twenties. In fact, as a kid on the West End stage, the beginning for me was Streisand and the old Hollywood golden girls who glamorised performance (for me) and made me want to get up there. As I grew up a bit, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush and Sade were all playing in the house when I was a kid and I was obsessed with their music videos and live performances.

They opened my eyes to a world of artistic individuality - their music was as original and authentic as their image felt. And there are still artists who emerge and inspire me to continue and explore new avenues and options for my career. Evolution is so important for any artist - Adele being one. 

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I’m releasing more music. I’m excited to be heading over to the States to do some more writing early next year - although the album is done I think it’s important to never stop if you’re feeling creative! I’m also really excited to be starting a songwriting night at The Roundhouse which I’ve been helping to organise showcasing some of the amazing songwriting talents we have in the U.K. 

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

Tough one. I’m going to give you a few! Standing on the Twickenham pitch about to sing the National Anthem - the buzz; there were BIG flames flying everywhere and so much suspense. 

My debut at the Royal Albert hall and the nervousness and excitement associated with the importance of that; especially knowing Prince Charles was in the audience. 

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

Coldplay - Parachutes

An album that I will always listen to from start to finish! Such great material on there. Reminds me of lying on my bed studying for my GCSEs with so much excitement for the future.  

Michael Jackson - Bad

Always a go-back-to. Lifts my mood whether that’s during a workout or in the car. It is full of nostalgic happiness. I remember making dance routines to it as a young girl. Amazing to hang with the producer who made this in L.A. and hear the stories behind its making. 

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Another inspiration of mine. I grew up hearing this in the house. My dad was such a fan! Another one I used to mime to as I mimicked Kate’s dance moves! 

I have to add to this one of my favourite feel-good albums of the past few years - Taylor Swift’s 1989. A great Pop record. Taylor’s choices and approach to the business always interests me.  

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

I’d love to take my mum and go to Borneo and hang out with the beautiful little orangutans. So tragic what’s happening there and I’m looking to support and encourage people to protect them any way I can. I’m also obsessed with the idea of a pet cat right now but maybe bit cruel for Santa to bring her down the chimney...so she might be a part of my life in the New Year. I’m liking the name ‘Stella’. Sorry, I totally gave you two there and neither can be wrapped up and put in a stocking!

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

Wow. That’s such a tough one. There are a few! Love to support the legend Elton (John) before he retires...I have a few months. I also have this dream of performing alongside Matt Bellamy and Muse, performing an epic power ballad at one of their shows! 

My own rider usually involves a lot of fruit and lemons, flat Coke; a small amount of port for before the show and celebratory drink for after (unless I’m performing the next day). Milk for Stella (T.B.C.). 

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Persevere. If the magic doesn’t happen overnight - which it likely won’t -, do not lose hope. Longevity is everything so long as you can find joy in the build. Surround yourself with a team who will support your vision, who you respect and challenge you to be your best. It can take time to find that but keep looking. Remain true to that vision, you know! 

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

These will be announced in the New Year...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Grace Carter/PHOTO CREDIT: SHOT BY PHOX

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Enjoying Grace Carter’s vibe and her track, Silence! Looking forward to hearing what’s next from her. 

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

It’s always quite difficult to switch off from things - the ‘out of office’ is never on! But, it is healthy to. I enjoy my fitness and yoga and start my day as much as possible in the gym. I also love art for a bit of escapism and inspiration. Chilling with friends is always a healer! 

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).

Ha. Thank you! Imagine Dragons - Bad Liar. Always enjoy their music! 

___________

Follow Riva Taylor

Official:

http://rivataylor.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/rivataylorofficial/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rivataylor/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/IAmRivaTaylor

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hzLG70PWZqBi4snoFZ60d?si=7v88oDkBRJOMyrtrHJK3iw

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9tI7WY-J99zH2fsRkV65w

FEATURE: Music Sounds Better with You: Ones to Watch 2019: Part V

FEATURE:

 

 

Music Sounds Better with You

IN THIS PHOTO: Indoor Pets/PHOTO CREDIT: Felicity Davies

Ones to Watch 2019: Part V

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IT is coming close to the end of the year...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Tom Tripp

so you might be hunting about for artists worth exploring in 2019. It can be tricky predicting who will be around for a while and those artists who are not quite there yet. The ‘ones to watch’ lists will start to come out soon and we will have a better impression of the artists worth some time and focus. I have been keeping an eye and, whilst there might be one or two instalments left; here is the fifth part of my recommendations for next year. I am especially excited by the female artists coming through and think they will have a big say. Have a flick through these suggested names and keep an eye out...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Glowie

FOR other future recommendations too.

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

______________

Alba Plano

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/albaplanomusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/albaplano

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3yBixiJKuSRl1gPwJWPVi5?si=jju6i-GlR5qEBOe2lszhxA

Nakhane

PHOTO CREDIT: James Emmerman for Pitchfork 

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/nakhaneofficial/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nakhaneofficial

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2nrShcJFP8D5bQT8RgdBhH?si=qeAuXAhERmOiWhoZelV7FQ

Indoor Pets

PHOTO CREDIT: Felicity Davies

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/indoorpetsband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndoorPets

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5abBw7CgjR22S31JWg0g84?si=tqYQaMCgTFO2btQeVNfPng

She Makes War

PHOTO CREDIT: Ania Shrimpton Photography  

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/SheMakesWar/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shemakeswar

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/60pqdwKZJntyArUleTR5Qj?si=j15D4pYxQpqaamDmUalU3g

Glowie

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/itsglowie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsGlowie

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/303SwmjLibkh8OJH5xxZOM?si=ndAUiC6aRxSRaiYr7I5bRg

Aaron Taos

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/aarontaos/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AARONTAOS

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AcBSoCVhxILXJnfLcJb66?si=RSMgKCArR9SefX_uBhFoDA

Tom Tripp

PHOTO CREDIT: @ronanksm  

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/TomTripp/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomtripp

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/62hBIrrKtkCUEBuV1HSKr5?si=h6rjBTFuQtqBK9HUrYNFyA

Dan Owen

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/danowenmusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/danowenmusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3wrdNgjTSLLQZ382sPyoA5?si=WWvPqsTRQnGJoQs1p6NgDg

HEGAZY

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/hegazyband

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hegazyband

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1NSX9n3FgiR9mnwE2OcF3z?si=8iStELcyR8m_wHYbUaUbwQ

Big Wild

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/bigwildmusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigwildmusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0PxzGnCYBpSuaI49OR94cA?si=zjrAmeh2Qfiw_2ph-MXJMQ

Amber Olivier

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/amberoliviermusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amberolivier

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5qeWpRuIDDT5BBPojh8afd?si=kdTSnNXRRHOFZIvaMKEzSg

Madonnatron

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/Madonnatronband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadonnatronBand

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5296LoeRErq9LMXgcFw3yX?si=6xsOLbzSSIa865re-y099Q

Muncie Girls

PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Christian

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/munciegirls/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/munciegirls

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ROJnWSWDBDXsKFh0ytRDJ?si=dQys2F29RDaIVteICvc_bQ

Mae Muller

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/maemullerx/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maemuller_

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1BEUkE2CSUgHTLSBMZdnFB?si=5Zh8IG0WSu6FUQhtn5dPNQ

Sons of an Illustrious Father

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/sonsofanillustriousfather/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonsOAIF

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VAFUUDHtPPnmyyPMz6YAa?si=4sgWvcHySzetZn_hvyLWmw

Mediaeval Baebes

PHOTO CREDIT: Karla Da Silva

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/mediaevalbaebes/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mediaevalbaebes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1vQmLYgD92RwmsfHqTwjmQ?si=gX5gxEDuTlWC6XIJ35S7UQ

RAYE

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/raye/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/raye

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5KKpBU5eC2tJDzf0wmlRp2?si=H5z68ydFTY2xwv6YnZcMvA

Izzy Bizu

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/IzzyBizu/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IzzyBizu

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6b5YOgXIliAozdo49vUCJQ?si=6LKgF6UrQUK2xdjUqSBpbQ

 

GAZELLE

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/thisisgazelle/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisgazelle

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Lw0iRDFFdZuKmdet7xr2n?si=_ibNHs5WSdSWT5FubCKPNA

Eva Lazarus

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/Eva-Lazarus-117339965031307/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvaLazarus

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/68eE2HHE6By6hOsOcsArcp?si=AqHvnGMgRyyZQb14uN5O_A

Thyla

PHOTO CREDIT: @readdork/@bufola                                                                     

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/thylamusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thylamusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ySHS7UojGu20XfUPaBlyu?si=aotvcLW9TbiTwJ2bogLz9g

Maggie Szabo

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/allaboutmaggie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/allaboutmaggie

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1V5IVmwHG2veT0CUw3kb48?si=W6WKar_ETYeVwxHaxJ6EMA

SUGARTHIEF

PHOTO CREDIT: Luke Jones   

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/sugarthiefuk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sugarthiefuk

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3nvnlJyJuJUKTaRrf7tJZQ?si=0X9U6Qz7SiadVNh_Kl7gOA

Liv Dawson

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/LivDawsonMusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/livdawsonmusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7i8fq2gFSVgPdWVXOlDEx7?si=h438-RfKSuenuXuJ29bsFQ

Scott Quinn

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/scottpquinn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottPQuinn

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0FlBLkbHEvmCMu2X46Ail1?si=4WzIJZ-ATQecUloTu10W-g

Little Simz

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/LittleSimz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LittleSimz

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6eXZu6O7nAUA5z6vLV8NKI?si=UI0hpeLiTyWIoRV7lPmBOw

Adamn Killa

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/adamnkilla47/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamnKilla

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2AwAtRmbmsuIr40rJFIWlv?si=0HBGIgEZTkmyKYOeLFao5w

ADI

Follow: https://www.facebook.com/AdiUlmanskyOfficial/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdiUlmansky

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3USGrdyXkg1eLoWJ7KhrhJ?si=SyTxRoaBS1Cc-fXLWSq1kQ

Self Esteem

Follow: https://www.instagram.com/selfesteemselfesteem/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RLT___

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3K9muOlJVKLgH4SIwwZiDe?si=krEuX-i8SbCokibBQtaTcA

FEATURE: Dreams, Machines and Wonderful Scenes: The Best Electronic Albums of 2018

FEATURE:

 

 

Dreams, Machines and Wonderful Scenes

PHOTO CREDIT: @thomashabr/Unsplash 

The Best Electronic Albums of 2018

__________

AFTER this piece, I am going to do one or two...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Jon Hopkins/PHOTO CREDIT: Pitch Perfect PR/Getty Images

more lists that collate together the best albums from particular genres. Today, I am looking at Electronic albums of 2018 and the ones that thrilled the critics. Electronic music has changed radically through the decades and it is always great charting its changes and evolutions. 2018 has been a big one and produced some truly stunning albums. Here are the essential Electronic albums that you need in your life and prove what a...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Helena Hauff/PHOTO CREDIT: Julian Bajsel, courtesy of Panorama

SUPERB genre it is.  

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

________________

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Date of Release: 4th May, 2018

Label: Domino

Producer: John Hopkins

Review:

“Details are where this album is most rewarding: every moment is deeply considered. Hopkins intended for it to be heard in one go, and there’s every reason for listeners to set aside an hour and let themselves be carried off into his mesmerising world. ‘Feel First Life’ comes close to a religious experience by harnessing the transcendent power of sacred choral music (Hopkins trained at the Royal College of Music as a teen). Then there’s the warm come-down of piano tracks such as ‘Echo Dissolve’ and ‘Recovery’, which he recorded on two separate pianos – a grand and an upright – and cut together to combine their timbres. The former, something like Nils Frahm’s ‘Felt’, is so intimate that you can almost hear the keys brushing against one another as they’re pressed.

Perhaps the clearest example of Hopkins’ painstaking hypnotic mastery is ‘Luminous Beings’, a 12-minute, glitchy warp-field: first he envelops the listener in a muted, arrhythmic clattering, then, like some beneficent Willy Wonka, sets them adrift in a cloud of bubbling synths, and draws them momentarily above cloud level on a pillow of keening strings before letting them loose again. Like the rest of the album, it’s magic, and when closer ‘Recovery’ ends – on the same note upon which the album started – you’ll want to start the trip all over again” – NME

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1nvzBC1M3dlCMIxfUCBhlO?si=EIBvE3M-RsWObq35CjpK-A

Standout Tracks: Singularity/Everything Connected/Luminous Beings

Finest Cut: Emerald Rush                                                               

Aphex Twin – Collapse EP

Date of Release: 14th September, 2018

Label: Warp

Producer: Richard D. James

Review:

“The elastic percussion rolls and stutters, recalling the fluid beat structures of Second Woman, before reaching sonic overload. Yet after all of that, it doesn't end up sinking the rhythm or melody, which continue on their merry way. "1st 44" features shredded, scratched-up samples of old-school jungle over scrambled electro beats, referencing the past without sounding like a retro throwback. "MT1 t29r2" includes harp-like tones which recall Aphex's classic 1993 single "On," but this track is more fractured and hyperkinetic than angelic. Concluding track "pthex" (inexplicably left off the EP's vinyl issue) is another exhilarating blend of atmospheric pads and adrenalin-rush beats and glitches which threaten to overpower everything, but the track maintains it composure. Somewhat ironically titled, Collapse ends up being one of Aphex's stronger post-2000 releases” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3SbGxJVC8fHv41RFKCGIl3?si=8DSGQhufQbCjID16S9ab1A

Standout Tracks: 1st 44/MT1 t29r2/pthex

Finest Cut: T69 Collapse                                                                  

SOPHIE – OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES

Date of Release: 15th June, 2018

Labels: MSMSMSM/Future Classic/Transgressive

Producer: SOPHIE

Review:

“Her other mode of expression is the one she deployed on early tracks such as Hard: mechanistic dance tracks as sexual, tough and water-resistant as the prostate massagers she once sold as merch. But where once those tracks were tinny, here they have become steroidally imposing, gilded with distortion and industrial heft. Based around catchy chants, perfect for skipping rope games conducted by dominatrices, Ponyboy, Faceshopping and the Aladdin-quoting Whole New World/Pretend World are dazzlingly brash and butch. Pretending is less successful – a stately bit of Tim Hecker-ish ambient, where her very particular sonics get lost in reverb – but it leads into the album’s biggest pop moment, Immaterial, where all the latent J-pop vibes get brought to the fore in a high-speed pachinko cacophony.

Despite software advances, so many electronic producers are content to lapse into nostalgia or a safe, compromised emotional range; Sophie has crafted a genuinely original sound and uses it to visit extremes of terror, sadness and pleasure” – The Guardian

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6ukR0pBrFXIXdQgLWAhK7J?si=BzRwVC44TAa1nal5SQgQ3A

Standout Tracks: Ponyboy/Faceshopping/Not Okay

Finest Cut: It’s Okay to Cry                                                            

Oneohtrix Point Never – Age Of

Date of Release: 1st June, 2018

Label: Warp

Producers: Daniel Lopatin/James Blake

Review:

“Lopatin, AKA Oneohtrix Point Never, has become increasingly collaborative in recent years, producing for David Byrne, writing for singers FKA Twigs and Anohni, and composing an eerie soundtrack for the Safdie brothers’ 2017 film Good Time. As such, Age Of is a collective effort, employing Anohni’s choral vocals on the distortion-heavy Same, noise artist Prurient’s screams on Warning and James Blake’s keyboards on the pixelated melodies of Still Stuff That Doesn’t Happen.

Lopatin entices the listener through sweeping orchestrations, such as those of the title track and Manifold, and then abruptly manufactures discordance. Expectations are subverted, as when the opulence of the harpsichord is manipulated beyond recognition or a piercing shout infiltrates a rhythm. Since every composition holds this tension within its structure, it feels like an aesthetic choice rather than a gimmick. The more time you spend with Age Of, the more Lopatin’s instrumentations reveal depth” – The Observer

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/05A41BF3z2E5F0tnTyWRNh?si=QhzT_YocTc-GCmOpB2Sm9g

Standout Tracks: Babylon/The Station/RayCats

Finest Cut: Black Snow                                                                    

Gaika – BASIC VOLUME

Date of Release: 27th July, 2018

Label: Warp

Review:

“Unsurprisingly, the album is a melting pot of musical references. “Black Empire” has echoes of dancehall whereas the title track offers a distorted vision of R’n’B, steeped in reverb. On the pulsating “Hackers & Jackers”, on the other hand, a heavy beat forms its back drop while choral chanting fleshes out “Seven Churches For St Jude”. If this sounds chaotic, it isn’t. Basic Volume is one of the most cohesive and meticulously thought-through albums of the year.

Throughout the record, GAIKA’s vocals enter under various guises of distortion. The result could at times seem stark, but instead produces an entirely unique industrial soundscape. You wouldn’t be wrong to detect a dystopian slant both lyrically and musically overall. But it is not a dystopia of GAIKA’s own creation; rather Basic Volume serves as a mirror to the one we have already created. Gaika is not just the artist we want, but the artist society desperately needs” – The Line of Best Fit

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6Cn4sBJRdjOhl5201IwAIF?si=CR-smUR7SHWjo-srBrGzeg

Standout Tracks: Seven Churches for St Jude/36 Oaths/Yard

Finest Cut: Born Thieves                                                                 

Objekt – Cocoon Crush

Date of Release: 9th November, 2018

Label: PAN

Review:

“Track five, “Deadlock,” is the album’s heaviest cut, but it’s also the slowest: a bare-knuckled hip-hop instrumental that sounds like classic Def Jux rendered in retina-burning high definition. Even on “Runaway,” the album’s only true club cut, he refuses to play it straight. In the middle, he removes the beat for nearly a minute, layering tentative piano chords and gurgling synths over the sounds of a children’s playground. When the beat finally returns, it’s stronger, as if recharged by a meditative walk around the block. It’s like a diagram of the creative process itself.

The closer, “Lost and Found (Found Mix),” is a rework of the intro, but it’s no mere coda. A more customary producer would have floated an ambient intro and then wrapped up with the dancefloor version, but Hertz takes the opposite approach: The closing is a seven-minute deconstruction of the opener that jettisons almost all trace of conventional beats. It’s no coincidence that the version subtitled “Found Mix” is the one that ventures furthest from the familiar: To find the essence of Objekt, Hertz has ventured well past techno’s borderlands. Four years later, Flatland still sounds ahead of its time, but Cocoon Crush is leagues beyond it. It shows a total disregard for club music’s strictures, concerned primarily not with floor-filling, but world-building” – Pitchfork

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2mMr1UCtck27p1xPJzqrLL?si=IfrwSEMQRwCnnW_KD7hlXg

Standout Tracks: Nervous Silk/Runaway/Secret Snake

Finest Cut: Deadlock                                                                        

Marie Davidson – Working Class Woman

Date of Release: 5th October, 2018

Label: Ninja Tune

Producer: Marie Davidson

Review:

“Throughout, Davidson refuses to be pigeonholed into any one corner of the club – with each track, she flexes her songwriting muscles in fascinating ways. The dreamy ‘Lara’ is a mind-melting composition, while the twinkling final track ‘La chambre intérieure’ acts as a remarkably human closer: “I feel empty in the summer breeze / In the mountain facing me“. ‘So Right’ is a bouncy club bop where the poppier edges rear their head, but it’s the pulsating beats of ‘Workaholic Paranoid Bitch’ and ‘Burn Me’ that will drill down into your brain longest.

Davidson’s ‘Working Class Woman’ is smart, intriguing and deserves to be heralded as one of the year’s most inventive releases – Lord knows she’s worked hard enough for it” – NME

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5AG8Dvo3N4y9ZlCjU06yXh?si=SkCG5LwfSranvl1H18E3og

Standout Tracks: Work It/Lara/Burn Me

Finest Cut: Your Biggest Fan                                                         

Gwenno – Le Kov

Date of Release: 2nd March, 2018

Label: Heavenly Records

Producer: Rhys Edwards

Review:

“There wasn't a song on Y Dydd Olaf as catchy and simple as the bouncy duet with Gruff Rhys, "Daromres Y'n Howl," or one as epic and deep as "Den Heb Taves." They layer guitars, synthesizers, piano, and drums in a very psychedelic manner throughout, keeping things murky and warm like a humid summer night. Gwenno adds her vocals on top of the mix in a number of ways, intoning breathily ("Hy a Skoellyas Lyf a Dhagrow"), cooing sweetly ("Jynn-Amontya"), billowing in wispy clouds of harmony and reverb ("Aremorika"), and sometimes adding some bite ("Eus Keus?") or melancholy yearning ("Koweth Ker") to the proceedings. While the diverse musical settings she and Edwards cook up for each song are impressive, Gwenno's vocals are a dream throughout. It's clear that she feels strongly about the words she is singing, and she inhabits every song fully. The music, words, and voice come together on Le Kov like fragments of the past put back together and made into a satisfying new whole that works as a lovely tribute to Cornish culture, while also solidifying Gwenno's place as an important artist” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1jEsE25YERUfbs5ZFsPqlf?si=vgHxdxv5S4ep_BZnJlKnYg

Standout Tracks: Herdhya/Den Heb Taves/Hunros

Finest Cut: Tir Ha Mor                                                                     

Smerz – Have Fun

Date of Release: 6th March, 2018

Label: XL

Review:

“On “Oh my my,” Stoltenberg punctuates every few lines with a sardonic reading of the title phrase, muttering about “basic bitch problems” over a shuddering, vacuum-like effect. You’re left wondering exactly what constitute “basic bitch problems” in the Smerz extended universe: is switching from dairy to almond milk making them feel bloated, or are they being sucked into a cold, blank void? The contrast is profound enough to make you giggle, especially since it’s obvious Smerz are in on the joke” – Pitchfork  

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1ua8lJy0UubynYUU8AEf8q?si=QRW4JVAmRYCDBTujekdq9w

Standout Tracks: Worth It/Oh my my/Fitness

Finest Cut: No harm                                                                         

Leon Vynehall – Nothing Is Still

Date of Release: 15th June, 2018

Label: Nina Tune

Review:

“Leon Vynehall’s evolution as a producer has been fascinating. ‘Nothing Is Still’ retains the sultry atmosphere and warm synths of his previous work; but departs from Chicago house nostalgia for a melting pot of jazz fusion, ambient sound collage and trip-hop.

The outstanding distinction is a preference for atmosphere over song structure. On ‘Ice Cream’, ‘It Breaks’ and ‘Birds On The Tarmac’, synths and loops hover dreamily over field recordings of nature and everyday life. In sound, it is far closer to Basinski or Tim Hecker than Pepe Bradock.

Louder moments, however, are thrilling. ‘Envelopes’ is a particular highlight, with shades of Portishead in its slow, accented beat and dramatic strings. House appears in flashes, on ‘English Oak’ and ‘Drinking It In Again’, but the mixes are fuller and more psychedelic.

Many may still see Vynehall as a specialist in euphoric house, but this album has a richness and depth that transcends the dancefloor” – CLASH

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6WeIO0CpDMiMXTglv0KuLr?si=Wis0XVAsSwOsCBAUm6fjag

Standout Tracks: Julia (Footnote IV)/Envelopes (Chapter VI)/Ice Cream (Chapter VIII)

Finest Cut: Movements (Chapter III)                                         

Vessel – Queen of Golden Dogs

Date of Release: 9th November, 2018

Label: Tri Angle

Review:

“There’s clearly a lot of erudition behind this project – although how Gainsborough’s slightly obscure name-dropping enriches the listening experience is hard to gauge. What anybody can quickly glean is that this is an album intent on sustaining a constant state of flux. Sometimes the change is gradual – Arcanum (For Christalla) opens with a tune played on what sounds like a lute that begins leisurely and ends up frighteningly frantic. Elsewhere, it’s more stark, as when Argo’s spritely strings are greeted by disorientingly syncopated percussion. But for an album that veers between the hallmarks of happy hardcore and ghostly choral incantations, Queen of Golden Dogs makes a surprisingly satisfying whole. That’s largely thanks to Gainsborough’s efforts to maintain the balance between entertainingly jarring and modernity-evoking erraticism and a gratifying sense of beauty and peace that feels age-old” – The Guardian

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4wVHohBynJ5eFHw6Cc1WzD?si=MSFVurrNTy-QfsqyEJ3afA

Standout Tracks: Good Animal (For Hannah)/Glory Glory (For Tippi)/Sand Tar Man Star (For Aurellia)

Finest Cut: Argo (For Maggie)                                                     

Helena Hauff – Qualm

Date of Release: 3rd August, 2018

Label: Ninja Tune

Review:

“‘Qualms’, and its sister production ‘No Qualms’, on the other hand, use this slow progression to their advantage, maintaining a romantic melody that lends itself beautifully to the initial beatless piece and to its bouncy electro evolution. ‘No Qualms’, in many ways, is a therapeutic hike through an otherwise distorted dreamscape.

In ‘Panegyric’ we see a complete meandering from the raw aesthetic of the record. Helena’s post punk influences shine through on a track that sounds like it has come from the past, all be it with a distinctive futuristic edge.

We reach the climax of the record with another moody statement in the form of ‘It Was All Fields Around Here When I Was A Kid’. I’m unsure if the title of track is a direct inspiration, but given its wording you can almost see a time-lapse unfolding before you as concrete emerges from what once lay bare.

With ‘Qualm’, Helena Hauff has created the record we both wanted and needed. It’s a statement of romantic infatuation amongst an otherwise hash, twisted and raw landscape. A glance into the past and a look to the future. There is nothing apologetic about this record, and that’s what makes it so great” – CLASH

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2hYmcjIinZoVCog5sP4k0H?si=xtg6aslfTdCVkNx6XLzkIw

Standout Tracks: Barrow Boot Boys/Fag Butts in the Fire Bucket/No Qualms

Finest Cut: Qualm                                                                             

INTERVIEW: Saint Lo.

INTERVIEW:

Saint Lo.

___________

FOR today’s interview...

I have been speaking with Saint Lo. about their new track, Wounds, and what its story is. They reveal how they got together and what is coming up in 2019; what the scene is like in Canada right now and which rising artists we should watch out for.

The band talks to me about their favourite musical memory and albums; what sort of music they are drawn to and what they would like for Christmas this year – they end the interview by selecting a couple of very cool tracks.

____________

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

It has been good! We released our video for our single, Wounds, last week and played a lovely show in Montreal this past Sunday. It’s been a good week. It's also approaching -20° in Montreal so we're keeping warm.

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

We are Saint Lo. We are an Indie Folk Pop-Rock band from Montreal. Our band members are Bashu Naimi-Roy, Marc Richard; Laura Glover, Isabella Harned - and our most recent addition is Jory Strachan.  

Wounds is the new track. Is there a story behind it?

Yes. Wounds was inspired by heartbreak/pain that came from the ending of a three-year-long relationship and the strength that came from sitting with and acknowledging pain and then turning it into art. Wounds grew from an experience that was deeply rooted in the process of healing. The lyrics were co-written by Bella and Laura and the whole band collaborated on instrumentation and arrangement. In the direction of our music video, we really wanted to capture that heartbreak does not occur in isolation; it is marked by many intersecting systems of power.

We wanted to challenge the male gaze by depicting our actor moving through suffering, sadness; playfulness, creativity and, ultimately, healing - on her own.  

How did Saint Lo. form? Is there a secret behind the band’s name?

Saint Lo formed in 2013 in the Mile End area of Montreal. We came together serendipitously through mutual connections. We noticed a certain magic when we played together and we’ve been nourishing it ever since. We were previously known as ‘St Lawrence Warehouse Company’ after an old building.

You are a Canadian band. Is there a strong and growing music scene in the country?

Our band members come from all across Canada - Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Ontario. We recently toured British Columbia and it was a beautiful experience. We think the Canadian music scene is super-strong and supportive - we have felt nothing but love in all the places we’ve played. We are also very smitten with many other Canadian musicians whom we’ve met in Montreal and on the road. Super-proud to be part of the Canadian music community, for sure.  

In terms of music; which artists are you drawn to?

We are a band with many individual and collective influences: among them are Fleetwood Mac, Sylvan Esso; Arcade Fire, Haley Heynderickx; Janis Joplin, Emma Ruth Rundle; Andy Shauf, Phoebe Bridgers; Godspeed You Black Emperor, Cat Power and Broken Social Scene, to name a few.

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

A complete transition to sustainable energy systems! And dark chocolate is nice too.

Do you already have plans for 2019?

Yes! We have a few surprises that will be announced in the New Year. We will also be releasing our debut L.P. in 2019. Stay tuned!

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

In a small mountain town in British Columbia, there's a siren that goes off at a certain time every night for one hundred years now. It's ear-splittingly loud, very close by the venue we were playing and nobody thought to tell us about it. It went off in the middle of our show. Thankfully, we didn't panic.

The promoter admitted afterwards that she didn't warn us because she likes to see the look of complete incomprehension on visitors’ faces. The siren also happened to be perfectly in key with the song we were playing in that moment. So, that memory and memories of being hosted by beautiful warm people all along our tour.

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

Bashu: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor. I was fourteen and it was the first album I bought. I didn't know you were allowed to make music like that.

Bella: Joni Mitchell’s Blue. My earliest memory of loving a whole album was lying on the couch with my mum (I think I was nine or ten) singing the lyrics at the top of our lungs to the entirety of it. Still to this day my favourite album of all time.

Jory: Tournament of Hearts by the Constantines. I don't think any album compares to the song structures and brilliance in writing. Very formative album.  

Laura: Julia Jacklin - Don’t Let The Kids Win. I’m super-inspired by Julia Jacklin’s writing.

Marc: Joel Plaskett - Three. I learned what I know about song structures by listening to this prolific album.

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

It would be sweet to play with Mountain Man or Big Thief. Our rider would probably involve an elaborate snack plate.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Believe people when they believe in you.

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

We have some exciting announcements coming up soon! You can hear them by liking our Facebook page or following us on Instagram (at @sttt.lo.)

IN THIS PHOTO: Saint Sister/PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Foster Photography

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Bashu: My two favorite new and hard-to-Google bands are Someone and Pronoun and they are both very worthwhile. I've also recently been moved by Fenne Lily, IDER; ANIMA!, Saint Sister and Andy Shauf's new band Foxwarren.

Jory: I'd highly recommend keeping an eye out for housepanther and JayWood out of Winnipeg, MB in 2019. Also Montreal's yoo doo right are doing exciting things.

Bella: I’d recommend checking out Victoria BC’s, Looelle - incredible velvety harmonies.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Looelle/PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Graeme

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

We like to go to shows, spend time with our pets; be outside and host improbably-themed house parties.

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

Bashu: Thanks for having us! I'll choose Abigail by Richard Garvey

Bella: Tomberlin – Self-Help

___________

Follow Saint Lo. 

Official:

http://saintloband.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/saintloband/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sttt.lo/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/saintloband

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1XdUjBVeT2UiK7xo8Rgbir?si=K-sdBa4rQPGR0ccJ-ilr6w

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8OPHsD4bKLhI7jbbqpdPaw

Bandcamp:

https://saintloband.bandcamp.com/

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/saintloband

An Alternative Christmas: Some Untraditional and Rarer Christmas Songs

FEATURE:

 

 

An Alternative Christmas

IN THIS PHOTO: Katy Perry/PHOTO CREDIT: Nadia Lee Cohen

Some Untraditional and Rarer Christmas Songs

__________

MOST of us are familiar with the ‘classic’ Christmas tracks...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @jeztimms/Unsplash

and we are hearing a lot of Mariah Carey, Wham! and Slade right now. I love the golden oldies and always-reliable Christmas tracks and, whilst The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale of New York takes some beating; we have all heard it over and over and pretty much know it word for word! Maybe it is that routine and reliability that we like but, if you look a bit harder, you will find these alternative Christmas songs that are interesting and fresh. You may be familiar with some but I think there are a lot that do not get an airing. To give you a more rounded look at the Christmas songs out there, I have compiled a selection of new and older Christmas tracks that often play second fiddle to the big guns. Have a listen to an alternative take on Christmas and I know there are plenty in there that will...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @freestocks/Unsplash

CHARM and entice.

FEATURE: Horns, Improvisations and Wonderful Glitches: The Best Jazz and Experimental Albums of 2018

FEATURE:

 

 

Horns, Improvisations and Wonderful Glitches

PHOTO CREDIT: @jensth/Unsplash

The Best Jazz and Experimental Albums of 2018

__________

I have a couple more of these features to put out...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Julia Holter/PHOTO CREDIT: Gabriel Green

and I am keen to explore Pop and a couple of other genres. I think Jazz and Experimental music is not given the same appreciation as other genres - and Jazz especially is still seen as one of these niche and rather if-you’re-in-the-right-mood types of music. The modern crop is much more accessible and varied than some of the older Jazz icons. I have loved seeing the best of Jazz in 2018 but there have also been some great Experimental albums released too. It might seem odd putting these genres together but they do share similarities and, as I say, both sides of music that are not given as much love and plaudit as you’d like. To honour that, here is a selection of Jazz and Experimental albums that have helped make 2018’s music scene...

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

RICH and truly stunning.  

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

________________

Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth

Date of Release: 22nd June, 2018

Label: Young Turks

Producer: Kamasi Washington

Review:

“Earth opener ‘Fists of Fury’ is a fantastic entry-point on this epic journey. It is easily the most immediate track on this record to hook the listener into the next two and a half hours (should you have the time to sit through it all in one sitting) with a brilliantly funky groove and a melody line that will become instantly lodged into the synapses. Meanwhile, Heaven opener ‘The Space Traveller’s Lullaby’ instantly creates the spacey, spiritualised side of the record to a head, with a beautiful vocal-choir performance rising and falling with the music. ‘Street Fighter Mas’ features an irresistible funky beat, helped no less by Washington’s long-time collaborator and the other current hot jazz pioneer (though coming at it from a completely different angle) Thundercat.

Heaven & Earth is ultimately yet another example of Washington’s incredible prowess behind the saxophone but also as a composer. Hopefully Washington’s music is a launch pad for a jazz revival in which the whole genre enjoys success, as it is worth remembering there is an incredible slew of talent out there to discover. This writer included, after recently witnessing this sheer power of Washington and his band The Next Step, there’s a whole world I am excited to discover. But for now, Heaven & Earth is a pretty damn great place to start” – Drowned in Sound

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5mG7tl4EW2xrTy5rI8BgGL?si=nOfb2NL8T3S5kybmHdzIGg

 Standout Tracks: Testify/Street Fighter Mas/The Psalmist

Finest Cut: Fists of Fury

Meitei – Kwaidan

Date of Release: 30th January, 2018

Label: Meitei

Review:

“‘Kwaidan’ is a spellbindingly curious study in the “lost" art of Japanese ghost story-telling and horror folklore, marking the sublime first release on Singapore’s bijou Evening Chants imprint.

Inspired by living in Kyoto for the past two years, ‘Kwaidan’ - a form of Japanese ghost story - is focussed on musically crafting a form of “Japanese Mood”, or Meitei. Taking this word as his moniker, Meitei becomes his subject in a pointed effort to revive or at least keep this artform alive, using a combination of frayed, enigmatic backdrops to tactfully limn a specific mood.

The delicate approach and febrile, shapeshifting results recall to our ears the subtly suggestive sound sets of Sugai Ken as much as Jan Jelinek at his dreamiest, conjuring winding passages of crackle and shimmering subaquatic chords, finding beauty lurking in the low key and peripheral, spectral and metaphysical realms...” – Boomkat

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/0COOSP2TWDQQLdLE1HdGlO?si=h9cLiXybTQOt5uZ0uCHoSQ

Standout Tracks: Curio/JIZO/Shoji

Finest Cut: SAZANAMI

Sons of Kemet – Your Queen Is a Reptile

Date of Release: 30th March, 2018

Label: Impulse! Records

Producer: Shabaka Hutchings/Dilip Harris

Review:

“Kinetic and thrilling as the uptempo blasts are, where Your Queen shines is on the slower pieces, revealing that Hutchings can purr, murmur and wax lyrical as well. With another up-and-coming British jazz star Nubya Garcia, the two twine around each other on “My Queen Is Yaa Asantewaa” (for queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire if you’re not up on your black studies) each pushing the other to range further and deeper, every line a mix of fire and eloquence. The drums slow to a sacred, nyabinghi heartbeat on “My Queen Is Nanny Of The Maroons” and Cross’s tuba wades deep into dub bass territory as Hutchings offers up his most poignant solo, one that need not rise above a whisper to prove that this Jamaican national hero and Your Queen as a whole is worthy of national worship” – SPIN

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4pxnDGBdoGu88h8ZInX5f5?si=tdRtFmGKQcuGPwyrT2G1dA

Standout Tracks: My Queen Is Ada Eastman/My Queen Is Anna Julia Cooper/My Queen Is Nanny of the Maroons

Finest Cut: My Queen Is Yaa Asantewaa

            

Park Jiha – Communion

Date of Release: 2nd March, 2018

Label: Mirrorball

Review:

“Both the title track and ‘The Longing Of The Yawning Divide’ have a crystalline sense of magic realism about them, their musical lineage resting neither in the folk-tradition of their instruments nor fully in the world of the varied styles they occupy.

Communion closes on a high with ‘The First Time I Sat Across From You’. A (supposedly) improvised flute passage whirls and winds as the dulcimer pulse behind it becomes ever more chaotic until at last it dissipates, leaving us only with the touching, mysticising sounds of plucked strings.

Park Jiha has composed, performed and produced an album that treats clarity with the utmost respect, in that it realises that with lucidity comes an understanding of calamity and disorder. The world she has created succeeds because of that understanding. So much music that tries to fuse the traditional with the contemporary fails because of an idolisation of its parts; Communion idolises nothing, and is all the more tangible and engaging for that” – The Quietus

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5cOsXBUTKytilc5odrPtpk?si=sQ5GHX2cSIGXu3qYhti-YQ

Standout Tracks: Accumulation of Time/Sounds Heard from the Moon/All Souls’ Day

Finest Cut: Communion

 

Amnesia Scanner – Another Life

Date of Release: 7th September, 2018

Label: PAN

Review:

“To end where Another Life begins, “AS Symetriba” sounds like the pixelated din emanating from that notorious video of cyber goths dancing under a bridge, their tassels twirling over the neon gas masks and jet-black goatees. The devious gesture Amnesia Scanner are making in this sonic contiguity here — and more generally throughout Another Life — is a wry one, at least as old as Duchamp: a mockery of authorship and a robbery of the value that it conducts between concept and object.

But this is a shitty simile — and Amnesia Scanner know it. While Duchamp’s toilet stood on a pedestal in a gallery unused and unusable, Amnesia Scanner’s toilet invites us to dance like those goths and their fingerless gloves, invites us to use it, invites us to shit in it. If the art kids with the bowl cuts and the dangly earrings don’t want to let loose when the beat explodes into clattering syncopation and flanged exuberance, then let them keep their distance, let them hold it in, let them shit their pants while the toilet bowl gleams right in front of them” – Tiny Mix Tapes

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5xYZZk3w1qqSUPokXTQvLr?si=YB9ToHtXQnSMBCoAMu4cig

Standout Tracks: AS A.W.O.L/AS Too Wrong/AS Faceless

Finest Cut: AS Symmetribal

Eartheater – Irisiri

Date of Release: 8th June, 2018

Label: PAN

Review:

“The ability to turn her voice into a chimera of sound helps Drewchin explore her own embodiment as a site of various inhuman pleasures and intensities that is built on the back of her dance and video performances. On the “ghost track” video only release of ‘Claustra’, Drewchin contorts her own body into a crab-like humanoid, scuttling around a graveyard, while on the video trailer for Irisiri, she is digitally portrayed as a weird animatronic centaur. Throughout Irisiri Drewchin is preoccupied by her body’s component and functions, such as on “inclined” here she talks of “piercing without penetration, before demanding you to “suck her bile”. She compares herself to a snowman on ‘Inhale Baby’, licking herself till she melts before declaring in a roboting manner that “there’s so much stuff coming out of my skirt”. The final tract, ‘OS In Vitro’ takes the amalgamation of body and technology to a near pure cyborgian level. Yet Drewchin still insists on retaining her body as something that is not a quantified object as her digitised voice declares: “Computer, this body is a mystery / These tits are just a side effect / You can’t compute her/ You don’t decide for my chemical”.

Irisiri is an album that explores the concepts of femininity, technology and the how many non-conforming bodies end up falling between the cracks in the seemingly implacable poles of gender, sex and the human, all her songs display seemingly disparate contrasts of surrealist wordplay, with organic, fragile tones and cold, machinist grind, as she pieces and stitches them into idiosyncratic little monsters that at times bewilders, but ultimately beguiles you with their curiosity and playfulness” – The Quietus

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2G176tUq4Qc60xbUW3qB9i?si=LYy9GVzWQPScdbT3XvutwQ

Standout Tracks: Not Worried/Curtains/Slyly Child

Finest Cut: Peripheral

 

Julia Holter – Aviary

Date of Release: 26th October, 2018

Label: Domino Recording Company

Producers: Julia Holter/Kenny Gilmore

Review:

“The majority of Aviary is designed to be mused on mindfully, but there are a handful of more immediate moments. The spellbindingly brilliant I Shall Love 2 builds gradually into a chamber-pop ballad, whose droning quality and sense of childlike disarray recalls the Velvet Underground. Whether is a jaunty piece of electrified post-punk, while Les Jeux to You features jolly staccato singing in broken English that resembles odd Euro-pop from the 1970s. Holter doesn’t drop quite enough of these joyful crumbs to cajole the listener through the entirety of this 90-minute epic – yet there remains a glut of beauty and braininess in store for those willing to stick around” – The Guardian

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6icpwcJQWK4nq9Xilk4yRu?si=49AUdVp4T9SGaEtJAGBv6g

Standout Tracks: Voce Simul/Another Dream/I Shall Love 1

Finest Cut: Turn the Light On

Tony Bennett & Diana Krall – Love Is Here to Stay

Date of Release: 14th September, 2018

Labels: Verve/Columbia

Producers: Dae Bennett/Bill Charlap

Review:

“Their rapport is established on ’S Wonderful, with Bennett chuckling softly at Krall’s accented phrasing and Krall quietly scatting beneath him on their return chorus. Charlap even tosses in a cheeky quote from Clap Yo’ Hands. The discursive piano playing on the bluesy My One and Only draws some tasty jazz phrasing from both singers, who also give a warm maiden reading of I’ve Got a Crush On You.

There are two solo tracks. Accompanied only by Charlap, Krall sings But Not For Me with unforced fragility. As with the best interpreters of this ballad she understands how its lyrics use humour to push home the pathos. It’s a spine-tingling performance. Bennett does Who Cares? with his usual elan, effortlessly varying tempo and texture. Like Gershwin, Krall and Bennett’s lovely music is here to stay” – The Times

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7dj3N9Ue8kXeMjXyxesD2t?si=Hs3yr5twQmWlCDoBvLxHOw

Standout Tracks: My One and Only/I Got Rhythm/Do It Again

Finest Cut: Love Is Here to Stay

Cécile McLorin Salvant – The Window

Date of Release: 28th September, 2018

Label: Mack Avenue Records

Review:

“Salvant has found a fine match in Fortner, a New Orleans native who has played with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, John Scofield, and Paul Simon. He doesn’t accompany her so much as join in the conversation she’s having with these songs, occasionally even arguing with her about them. He toggles between the blues and jazz and classical figures with dizzying fluidity during “I’ve Got Your Number,” while his tectonic bass chords for “By Myself” make it seem like the ground is constantly shifting beneath Salvant. And when it comes to songs, it is: Salvant sings with the understanding that no tune is ever set in stone, even one as frequently sung as “Somewhere.” On The Window, she excels at keeping every possibility open all at once” – Pitchfork

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2XClSOjimwtkeWYPo53mHG?si=1r573kOaQ622NB7Ih4eAXg

Standout Tracks: By Myself/Obsession/Wild Is Love

Finest Cut: One Step Ahead

 

Brad Mehldau Trio – Seymour Reads the Constitution!

Date of Release: 19th May, 2018

Label: Nonesuch

Producers: Brad Mehldau

Review:

“The influence is especially felt on the aptly named Mehldau original "Spiral," in which the pianist lays down a descending circular theme in a roiling time signature that has the dreamy feel of riding on a train with your eyes closed. They conjure an equally Jarrett-esque vibe on their sophisticated reading of Sam Rivers' classic "Beatrice," with Mehldau moving in and out of tonality during his kinetic, serpentine solo. As intense as that track can be, it never gets out of hand. In fact, much of the album has a balmy, laid-back quality as if it were recorded during a sunny afternoon at home. That sunny atmosphere is also at the core of the title track, in which Mehldau and Grenadier often share the melody, bumping up against each other in a bluesy dance. Elsewhere, they launch into a sprightly rendition of the Lerner & Loewe standard "Almost Like Being in Love" and offer up a bright, waltz-like take on the Beach Boys' "Friends," the latter of which is so friendly you can almost sense Mehldau and his bandmates smiling at each other” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/2lPb2KYIudWUQcaL0vAlUm?si=SypNEzBESe2MezqXSeGojg

Standout Tracks: Spiral/De-Dah/Great Day         

Finest Cut: Almost Like Being in Love

 

Heather Leigh and Peter Brötzmann – Sparrow Nights

Date of Release: 26th October, 2018

Label: Trost Records

Review:

“Peter Brötzmann has spent more than 50 years repping the aggro fringe of free jazz. But the saxophonist behind famously abrasive Sixties sessions such as Machine Gun has always been a more nuanced player than his reputation as an air-raid-siren screamer would suggest. That’s why Sparrow Nights is a revelation. The 77-year-old German improviser has rarely sounded more vulnerable than he does on this set of atmospheric studio-recorded duets with American-born pedal-steel guitarist Heather Leigh, his frequent foil in recent years.

Many Brötzmann collaborators have engaged him in gladiator-style combat, as heard on another recent release from the saxist’s aptly named power trio Full Blast. Leigh instead emphasizes negative space. Set against her echoey, meditative swirls or harsh, pealing distortion (textures she combines with otherworldly vocals on a new solo album), Brötzmann — blowing hoarse laments or rough wails on a bevy of reeds, from bass sax to contra-alto clarinet and his customary tenor — often sounds like he’s interacting with the elements. The setting’s sparseness foregrounds the forlorn existential-blues pathos that’s been at the heart of his performances for decades. If Machine Gunwas Brötzmann’s steely catharsis, Sparrow Nights is the haunted aftermath” – Rolling Stone

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/0xBfH9Gp7hu2YeK3E3qSos?si=xFLEupPkTI6GmbI-UqDWVA

Standout Tracks: Summer Rain/Sparrow Nights/At First Sight

Finest Cut: This Word Love

FEATURE: Legends Have It: Throwing the Spotlight on the Artists Who Have Endured and Continue to Amaze

FEATURE:

 

 

Legends Have It

IMAGE CREDIT: @GlastoFest

Throwing the Spotlight on the Artists Who Have Endured and Continue to Amaze

__________

I have written a few pieces this year regarding ageism in music...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kylieminogue/Getty Images

and the fact we treat it less passionately than sexism. Any discrimination is bad and should be abolished - but how many of us take ageism as seriously as other forms of discrimination?! I feel like radio stations and festivals are rather cavalier and crude when it comes to age and the type of artists they feature. A lot of the radio stations in the country – and throughout the world – have definite age barriers and, depending on where you look, you have a set demographic and ‘sound’. One is less likely to see an artist over the age of, say, fifty on any of the younger stations…and there is a definite compartmentalisation. Festivals are culpable too and you do not often see a lot of middle-aged and older artists given big billing. Maybe some of the bigger festivals’ headline slots go to the icons and legends but what of any of the less-known older acts?! The reason I am writing this piece is the fact Kylie Minogue has been booked to play the ‘legend’ slot at next year’s Glastonbury. The Guardian have proved the details:

“Kylie Minogue will perform the Sunday teatime “legend” slot at Glastonbury festival 2019.

The heritage act slot on the festival’s main Pyramid stage tends to draw the biggest crowd of the weekend, and has been filled in recent years by Barry Gibb, Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton. Festival organiser Emily Eavis said she was “delighted” with the booking, adding: “We cannot wait”...

It will be the first time Kylie has played a solo set at Glastonbury. She was due to headline the Pyramid stage in 2005 but had to cancel following a breast cancer diagnosis – Basement Jaxx replaced her, and fellow headliners Coldplay performed a cover of Kylie’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head in tribute. She also made a guest appearance with Scissor Sisters in 2010 for a performance of their song Any Which Way.

The only other act to have been announced for the sold-out festival is Stormzy, who will headline the Pyramid stage on Friday night”.

We have seen one headliner, Stormzy, announced for next year but I suspect the other two headline slots will be occupied by new acts too. There is talk of Sir Paul McCartney playing – more on him later – but one suspects he might be another booking in the legends category – accompanying Minogue at 2019’s Glastonbury. It is important to give big stages to newcomers and those coming through but I think, to a degree, we overlook those who have given so much to music. Consider someone like Kylie Minogue and how she has reigned since the 1980s. I grew up listening to some of her earlier hits and the infectious, giddy delight of songs like Hand on Your Heart and more modern cuts like Can’t Get You Out of My Head - they are hard to beat!

 PHOTO CREDIT: @kristsll/Unsplash

The fact those lucky enough to see Kylie Minogue at next year’s Glastonbury means they will get to hear her big hits alongside some newer material. I think she is someone who continues to provide magic and, even though Golden (her latest album) is a more Country-sounding offering, it is the sign of an icon adapting and not standing still. Whilst there has been a lot of praise regarding Minogue getting that booking; others are accusing Glastonbury of going with cheese and lacking any sort of cool. If they book artists that are deemed ‘fashionable’ and ‘in’ then that is very boring and exclusive. You cannot have festivals overloaded with the new or predictable. It would be a shame if Glastonbury booked newcomers for their headline slots next year or they just went with bands/acts that are currently trending. If you like Kylie Minogue or not then you cannot argue against her legacy and popularity. She has remained and inspired for decades and, in an industry where it is hard to survive, she is a guiding light for artists coming through. Ensuring she has that stage to shine on and remind people why she has remained in the heart for all this time is very important. I have been thinking about other Pop artists who have created a legacy and might not be the first in mind when it comes to the big festivals.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Christina Aguilera/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Christina Aguilera

Consider other female acts like Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera. I think all three are working on new material and tours – Spears is heading to the U.K. soon and Madonna is writing a new album – and they have each made their mark. I recall Spears and Aguilera coming into music in the late-1990s and early-2000s and being fresh and unexpected. It was a period where we needed those anthemic and bold artists to provide a sense of balance and fresh life. I am a bigger fan of Britney Spears’ work and love how she evolved as an artist. Both are huge American Pop pioneers and, although they are in their thirties, they are not going to be courted by the likes of Glastonbury or Coachella. I do think there is a definite sense of shelf life and festivals need to focus on what is modern and currently popular. Artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera continue to make great music and, even though their music is more mature than it once was, recognising what they have given music is essential. I am not sure which other legends will be playing Glastonbury next year but I think more space and focus should be given to acts that have helped changed music. Go even further back and think of all these icons we grew up around. I know Paul Simon has just retired from touring but think about some of his peers – such as Paul McCartney - and I think we should be giving these musicians as much time as possible.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paul Simon/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I think festivals are too dependent on what is considered to be mainstream and relevant; relying on newer acts or, when they go further back, not really celebrating older artists. Festivals such as Reading and Leeds have booked bands who were popular in the 1990s but think about the musicians who were ruling before that and how many get a proper platform? Maybe we have festivals, like Glastonbury, who have stages for legends but I think there should be natural consideration for the icons and pioneers – even if their glory days are in the past. Consider the recent excitement caused by Sir Paul McCartney when his Beatles bandmate, Sir Ringo Starr, took to the drums at one of his gigs – accompanies by a Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood. How can you beat a moment like this:

“...And not just any friends - the 76-year-old was reunited with Sir Ringo Starr, 78, on drums and joined forces with Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood, 71. The supergroup lined up to perform The Beatles' 1969 hit Get Back at London's O2 Arena and close the UK leg of Freshen Up tour. Sir Paul stunned the sell-out crowd before the encore of his show on Sunday night, saying: "We've got a little surprise for you. It's a surprise for us, actually - it only happened today."

After the performance, Sir Ringo said: "I don't know about you, but that was a thrill for me.

"I'm just going to let that moment sink in," McCartney added as the two musicians left the stage”.

I hope Sir Paul McCartney gets a chance to play Glastonbury and the fact we have so much love and respect for these legends leads me to believe there should be more of a balance at festivals. Whether we are talking about Pop legends or the big bands who dominated in the 1960s and 1970s; it is not merely nostalgia having them on bills. I feel many people are too primed by what is recommended on streaming sites and digesting what is new and at the forefront. It is all very well dipping into the past and recognising the big musicians who have helped progress the industry – I feel like they warrant a lot more fondness and appreciation. Consider radio stations and how so many artists gets ignored when they get to a certain age. The likes of Kylie Minogue, Madonna; P!nk and Pete Waterman have spoken out against ageism and recognised that music, for the most part, is dedicated to the young. Even when you get to thirty you have to look over your shoulder and wonder whether you are going to be seen as relevant and ‘with it’ Some of the iconic artists in their fifties and sixties are producing their richest and most personal work to date. The music industry owes a debt of gratitude to artists who have survived and campaigned for decades and helped inspire the new generations.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Stormzy (the first confirmed headline act for next year’s Glastonbury)/PHOTO CREDIT: Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage

I am pleased Glastonbury have booked Kylie Minogue and the fact she will prove a more popular draw than their confirmed headliner Stormzy shows why we need to respect these legends who have done so much. It is, as I say, not just about looking back and getting that nostalgic blast. The modern output of the likes of Kylie Minogue, Sir Paul McCartney or someone like Johnny Marr (The Smiths’ former songwriter and guitarist) is hugely important and should not be written off. The only way the fans and musicians of the future will get to know where music came from and how it has changed is to see these titans in their element on the stage. We have streaming sites and can buy records of the legends but ensuring there is a stage where they can perform is crucial. It is always disappointing to see great artists excluded and marginalised by certain radio stations when they get older. Their legacy and role in music is being diminished and, again, so much attention and spotlight is given to the new and ultra-cool. I feel every station and festival should provide equal weight to the unsigned/newcomers, the modern mainstream and the legends of the past. Maybe music is so busy and packed that it is impossible to give an equal billing to everyone!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Bruce Springsteen/PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Clinch for Variety

I think we need to think about ageism and ask whether we give as much to the icons and legends as we should. From Minogue to McCartney through to Bruce Springsteen and the more recent Pop progressors – I feel having their music on stages every year is a no-brainer. If you head to Glastonbury and are lucky enough to see the legends play (I am not sure who else is going to be confirmed) then you get that wonderful blend of their new material and all the hits. I have looked back at Glastonbury festivals and, in recent memory, performances by Nile Rodgers (and CHIC) and Barry Gibb (the Bee Gees) have proved more popular than the headline acts! I have nothing against the new breed at all – and feel we need to show them as much love as we can – but due respect and warmth needs to be given to those legends who have managed to put out great music for so long. I know festivals around the world give a stage to the legends but more can be done. I would like to see radio stations being more inclusive and less ageist; festivals integrated legends more every year and, unless the greats of the past are given the chance to keep performing on the big stages then we risk a generation passing them by entirely. It is a long way off but I know there are thousands out there who have their Glastonbury tickets that are looking forward to Kylie Minogue taking to the stage and belting out her golden hits to the...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @v_well/Unsplash

ADORING and delighted masses.

FEATURE: An Edge That Cuts Deeper: The Best Hip-Hop and Rap Albums of 2018

FEATURE:

 

 

An Edge That Cuts Deeper

PHOTO CREDIT: @ohthehumanity/Unsplash  

The Best Hip-Hop and Rap Albums of 2018

__________

EVERY year produces some exceptional Hip-Hop and Rap albums...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Noname/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and 2018 has been no different! There have been some truly wonderful offerings from genres that are still confined to the borders. I think artists in Hip-Hop and Rap are producing some of the finest music around and they deserve a lot more acclaim. In any case; here is a look at the best albums from the genres – proof of the intent, potency and quality of the very best artists out there. As we head in 2019, I feel the Hip-Hop and Rap genres will continue to delight and provide the sort of strength and firepower...

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Carters (Beyoncé and Jay-Z)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

OTHERS cannot.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Getty Images

________________

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy

Date of Release: 5th April, 2018

Labels: Atlantic/KSR

Producers: Various

Review:

“That presence, which anchors Invasion of Privacy, breaks with the rap game’s minimization of women to amplify a multifaceted female MC who is enamored of her own sex appeal and disinterested in the rules. A loud-mouthed Afro-Latina who refuses to be silenced in a world that has historically penalized black women for speaking their minds, Cardi B has changed the trajectory of the hip-hop narrative by upending longstanding street lore about how to earn wealth and respect in the genre and supplanting her male peers by daring to make herself the star of the story.

A woman with no need to rely on a more prominent male counterpart is the protagonist at the controls rewriting the rules, teaching other women how to get to the bag and challenging the men to keep up. Her presence proves that rap is only made better and more compelling by a diverse crop of female talents that do not fit neatly into any particular boxes or gender roles and are not shrinking violets. Cardi B is the real deal. Only thing fake is the boobs” – Entertainment Weekly

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4KdtEKjY3Gi0mKiSdy96ML?si=XhtycAb_S02lxUa7ovVkrQ

Standout Tracks: Be Careful/Money Bag/She Bad

Finest Cut: Bodak Yellow

J. Cole – KOD

Date of Release: 20th April, 2018

Labels: Dreamville/Rock Nation/Interscope

Producers: Jermaine Cole/Ibrahim Hamad/BLVK/Mark Pelli/Ron Gimore/T-Minus

Review:

“Most compelling of all is "Once an Addict," a regretful reflection on struggling as a child and young man to cope with the toll heartbreak and alcohol took on his mother. Cole's few departures from the narrative method are sometimes for the worse, such as the point on "KOD" where he gets combative about the lack of guests on his records and deflates boastful rationale with some of his weakest wordplay. Two other instances conversely make for highlights. "Brackets" sharply turns from a millionaire bleating about paying taxes to a detailed treatise on who does and doesn't benefit from the process. Finale "1985 (Intro to 'The Fall Off')" is straight talk directed at a certain sect of younger commercial rappers, mixing sharp cultural commentary with condescension and guidance: "These white kids love that you don't give a fuck/'Cause that's exactly what's expected when your skin black." As the value of Cole's witticisms, and the intellect required to decrypt full meaning of his verses, continues to be debated, the increased strength in his clear-cut writing evinces promise of greater work ahead” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Wv5UAieM1LDEYVq5WmqDd?si=dnozvPOaRYGl8grm7OFSrA

Standout Tracks: Photograph/ATM/BRACKETS

Finest Cut: 1985 – Into to “The Fall Off”

cupcakKe – Ephorize

Date of Release: 5th January, 2018

Labels: (Self-released)

Producers: Def Starz/Turreekk

Review:

“The album isn't flawless. While LGBTQ support has long been a key component of Harris' voice and perspective, her songs voicing it can still feel a tad clumsy and overstated. 'Crayons' finds her characteristic cleverness replaced by a well-intended jackhammer, repeating “Boy on boy / Girl on girl”, with CupcakKe pointing out she has a gay stylist. It's hard to find any fault with her, giving much needed voice in a homophobic musical arena, but one hopes she finds a way to more naturally graft it into her songwriting.

It hardly detracts from the project overall, and on 'Post Pic' she's back to imagining men masturbating to her pictures, while 'Meet and Greet' brings the aggression back, offering the gem, “Only time a bitch can tell me 'Have a seat' / is if I'm on the Ellen Show.” CupcakKe's confidence and complete lack of a filter remain her greatest allies on Ephorize, with the album feeling like an arrival. Queen Elizabeth may have made some noise, but here, she drowns out the competition. Her position has become undeniable, leaving room for only one thought: what's next. She's sure to be eating on the couch for a while” – The 405

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5vnAsJiYwz1Cb3lydVGN9W?si=Zqp8hpccTNq4ugebJbrIYA

Standout Tracks: Duck Duck Goose/Crayons/Self Interview

Finest Cut: 2 Minutes

The Carters – EVERYTHING IS LOVE

Date of Release: 16th June, 2018

Labels: Parkwood/Sony/Roc Nation

Producers: Various

Review:

“Everything may lack the emotional depth of Beyoncé’s last two solo records, but it more than makes up for it in holy-shit-Beyoncé moments. Throughout, Jay doesn’t really try to compete with her, which is probably its most revealing insight into their marriage. The past few years have seen a flood of megawatt, full-length team-ups, but only Jay’s own work with Kanye (and Drake and Future’s collaborative 2015 takeover of rap radio) even approach what the Carters have done here, at least as far as fusing their disparate personae into an appealing whole. Both have built vast personal myths across their sprawling discographies, filled with recurring characters and motifs, mothers and hometowns and tragedies. They bring all of that and more into Everything Is Love, an album that deliciously fills in backstory (Jay brought a friend to their first date?), raises the specter of every beef the two have ever had (apologies to Nasir), and demands art history explanation alongside tabloid speculation” – The A.V. Club

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7jbdod8XNRfe2nIhppht46?si=8yVxqbBcQ-GQk5Qkd_euxw

Standout Tracks: BOSS/713/BLACK EFFECT

Finest Cut: APESHIT

Buddy – Harlon & Alondra

Date of Release: 20th July, 2018

Label: RCA Records

Producers: Various

Review:

“As ever, this much variety is a risk. But there's a delicacy in the approach that ties everything together. Where other sample-based producers might just loop up and check out, the team here – from Bruno Mars collaborator Brody Brown to master sticksman Roofeeo – craft arrangements that are intricate and deliberate. A barely-there string quartet closes "Real Life Shit"; a Wurlitzer purrs in the background of Young; every bit of close harmony and double-tracking is crisp and considered.

And the rapper cum singer has the vocal equipment to join the dots. Spitting 'Dear Diary' scrawl or political polemic, singing gospel or R 'n' B, Buddy leans into each style without losing a thread of idiosyncrasy. There are simply no duds.

Even more exciting is the amount of industry support behind him. 2018 is barely halfway through, but Harlan & Alondra will have to be crowbarred out of end-of-year lists come December. An absolute triumph” – The Line of Best Fit

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/5djciKtjqkY9ZQ1OhKICXN?si=5Vmo-469RUmzIcvSzxGzag

Standout Tracks: Real Life S**t/Trouble on Central/Young

Finest Cut: Hey Up There

Kids See Ghosts (Kanye West, Kid Cudi) – Kids See Ghosts

Date of Release: 8th June, 2018

Labels: GOOD/Def Jam

Producers: Various

Review:

“For once, Cudi sounds like the one who has it together, the apprentice supporting his former mentor. On an album of highlights, "4th Dimension" and "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" are standouts, as exciting and vital as anything West produced in his early-2000s golden years. Sampling Louis Prima's swinging holiday track "What Will Santa Claus Say," the former features KSG's best flow, which, when the hard beat clicks into step with Cudi's verse, is a thrill; while the latter track builds upon the brief glimmer of hope offered on Ye's "Ghost Town" in a bold and exciting moment of triumph as Westproclaims, "Nothing hurts me anymore/Guess what, baby? I am free." That energy is peppered throughout, from the mantras of "Reborn" ("I'm so reborn/I'm moving forward") to the Kurt Cobain-sampling "Cudi Montage," where the song's namesake repeats "Stay strong/Lord, shine your light on me/Save me please." Kids See Ghosts is everything Ye wasn't, delivering a worthwhile listen in spite of the extended PR disaster that preceded its release. With Cudi as the yang to West's yin, the pair inch closer to finding peace and a light in the darkness” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6pwuKxMUkNg673KETsXPUV?si=kVulTW-6QnmZBjjMXf9L7A

Standout Tracks: Fire/Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)/Reborn

Finest Cut: 4th Dimension

BROCKHAMPTON – iridescence

Date of Release: 21st September, 2018

Labels: Question Everything/RCA

Producers: Brockhampton

Review:

“The album’s emotional centrepiece, though, is ‘WEIGHT’, an urgent, necessary cleansing of deep-seated doubts from Kevin. He confronts self-doubt (“I’ve been feeling defeated, like I’m the worst in the boyband”), the mental health of his bandmates (“I’m still worried ‘bout when Ashlan [Grey, Brockhampton member] finna put the razor down”), his sexuality (“Every time she took her bra off my dick would get soft / I thought I had a problem, kept my head inside a pillow screaming”), before he simply and softly decides to move on from all the controversy the band have faced, singing: “I don’t wanna waste no more time, I’m ready to go / I live my life on standby, I can leave you alone.”

By confronting the bumps they’ve found in the road over the last year, Brockhampton have found a new sense of unity, and when ‘iridescence’ confronts every single one of these bumps, it proves that the band possess a truly special voice. It was a record Brockhampton had to make - now it’s done, they’re free to move on and become the biggest in the world” – DIY

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3Mj4A4nNJzIdxOyS4yzOhj?si=tkUCAsoIR2GeaSsU1oykMw

 Standout Tracks: BERLIN/LOOPHOLE/HONEY

Finest Cut: WEIGHT

Marlowe – Marlowe

Date of Release: 13th July, 2018

Label: Mello Music Group

Review:

“There are few things I dislike more in hip-hop than annoying transparency, and I love the fact that I have to actively try to figure this record out. I recognize that not everyone shares this opinion, and the fact that Marlowe is just as strange in style means it’s probably not for everyone – but those who will like it will really like it. Brigham’s droning, monotone delivery is perfect atop L’Orange’s dynamic and driving beats, with both always pushing each song along at a meditative pace. I found myself bobbing my head similarly to when I listen to Neu! or Boredoms, and I’m grateful that I’ve finally found a hip-hop record with this sort of rhythmically hypnotic effect. The skits are short, entertaining, nondisruptive; the pacing perfect; the ending conclusive and satisfying despite my never really knowing what was going on. I really can’t say enough good things” – Noise Not Music

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7bqvcSakcw6pS57fMOvlHL?si=evpXEIr8So67aJ96vhzEvA

Standout Tracks: Demonstration/Medicated/Mayday

Finest Cut: Lost Arts                  

Pusha T – DAYTONA

Date of Release: 25th May, 2018

Labels: GOOD/Def Jam

Producers: Kanye West/Terrence ‘Pusha T’ Thornton/Steven Victor/Andrew Dawson/Mike Dean/Pi’erre Bourne

Review:

“Pusha wastes little time on “Infrared” before diving back into his shots at Drake; there’s a Quentin Miller reference and at least one other jab about ghostwriters, and in context, the anecdote about Jay needing that Annie sample to match Grammys with Will Smith seems pointed.

The real venom is saved for Baby and Wayne, though. Pusha thanks Rick Ross—who appears earlier on Daytona—for holding Baby’s feet to the fire for his alleged exploitation of Cash Money artists: “Salute Ross ’cause the message was pure/He see what I see when you see Wayne on tour/Flash without the fire/Another multi-platinum rapper trapped and can’t retire.” It’s withering, and while it’s likely rooted in fact (the details of Wayne’s lawsuit against Cash Money were unbelievably bleak), it serves primarily to cast Pusha as the savvy one, the one who could face boardroom or back-alley obstacles and come away unscathed. That’s not the whole story, of course. But what Pusha has done is carve out his own corner of rap where he can reign as king for as long as he wants” – Pitchfork

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/07bIdDDe3I3hhWpxU6tuBp?si=fGp-5TAdRh6mCV596GYHWA

Standout Tracks: The Games We Play/Hard Piano/Come Back Baby

Finest Cut: Infrared

Noname – Room 25

Date of Release: 14th September, 2018

Producers: Phoelix/Noname

Review:

“Meanwhile, In ‘Don’t Forget About Me’ – a tender, wordplay-filled tale of a mother going through chemotherapy – Warner muses on the limited powers of her art, and cracks out the most arresting couplet of the year: “All her hair gone/ Feeling fishy, Finding Chemo/ Smoking seaweed for calm / These Disney movies too close”. Her ponderings on mortality give way to a spiralling string orchestra that wouldn’t sound out of place in the opening moments of Cinderella.

Noname said in a recent interview that hiring that particular 12-piece orchestra (she remains thoroughly independent, an expensive business) blew the entire budget for the project. Unlike many rappers out there, Noname isn’t bringing us a romantic rags-to-riches story; here she acknowledges the pitfalls of fame (as well as the occasional perks) with whip-smart honesty. Just like ‘Telefone’, it’s flawless” – NME

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7oHM3Sj0l2nXAzGAxW0KOt?si=E67SuiECQ2iibSPL-TWMgg

Standout Tracks: Prayer Song/Don’t Forget About Me/Part of Me

Finest Cut: Blaxploitation

Vince Staples – FM!

Date of Release: 2nd November, 2018

Label: Def Jam

Producers: Cubeatz/Hagler/Kenny Beats/KillaGraham

Review:

“Yet, despite the impressive roster, FM! remains the Staples' show, his head-spinning flow and twisting wordplay making every track he touches a must-listen. Unsurprisingly, he hits the same themes that he's known for -- including black pride, street violence, "Norf"side repping, and partying -- all with characteristic bite and wit. Without the harsh drill production of Big Fish Theory, FM! is slightly more accessible -- as summer-breezy as Staples can get -- and hypnotizes as effortlessly as it menaces. "Relay," "Outside!" and "FUN!" are the highlights on an album of standouts, but in reality, every track is worthy of attention. Despite FM!'s brevity, Staples jams so much into every bar that it fully satiates, all while still managing to end so abruptly that it comes as a surprise. The electrifying thrill of FM! is a triumph for the rapper who remains at the top of his game” – AllMusic

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/1XGGeqLZxjOMdCJhmamIn8?si=SY42YoMFTYuANmzOyHElFw

Standout Tracks: Relay/FUN!/Tweakin’

Finest Cut: Feels Like Summer

Saba – CARE FOR ME

Date of Release: 5th April, 2018

Labels: Saba Pivot/LLC

Producers: daedaePIVOT/Daoud/Saba

Review:

“While Saba handles the majority of the production on the album, he gets a hand from producers DaedaePIVOT and Daoud. Saba's lyricism on every track reminds me of a mix of Chicago rappers Mick Jenkins and Chance the Rapper; however, on "Life," Saba says "stop comparing me to people, no I am not them," and that's fine. He has his own sound and stands out as an artist, with this album possibly being the one to distance himself from being overshadowed by other Chicago rappers. He does hold it down for showing his upbringing through his music as a Chicago artist in a more authentic way this time around.
 
His rawness is revealed throughout the entire album. He starts off the album with "Busy/Sirens," which reflects on the life situations he's dealt with in the past few years, while touching base on his cousin, who passed away due to a stabbing in February last year. It only gets more personal from there.
 
His reflections on living as an artist, depression, relationships, love, death, trust issues, the dangers in Chicago and more show that, despite being a known artist in the industry, he's human. Saba confronts his life by writing every thought possible, storytelling to let listeners be aware that he struggles too, possibly with things he can't seem to escape from. His honesty and melodic, calming choruses and singing are for those who want to hear something real” – Exclaim!  

Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6Te111t5gDZ7W94myHRqUt?si=Jd8SCz5fS1K-YFaTa-kUWA

Standout Tracks: BUSY / SIRENS/FIGHTER/SMILE               

Finest Cut: LIFE

INTERVIEW: Banner.

INTERVIEW:

Banner.

___________

MY first piece of the day is a chat...

with Banner., who has been telling me about his upcoming E.P., Years in Shade, and what inspired it. He talks about his musical past and some albums that are important to him; where we can catch him gig and what the music scene is like in the Netherlands at the moment.

Banner. shares his plans for 2019 and recommends a rising act; how he spends time away from music and how he feels his new E.P. differs from his previous work – he gives some useful advice for any musicians coming through right now.

____________

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

I'm doing very well, actually. Just added another year of age to my tally while releasing my track Years in Shade which is the title track for my upcoming E.P. and I celebrated both last weekend. Also, having my sis' birthday a day behind mine means I don't have any reason not to have fun.

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

I was born and raised in The Hague (still live there) and write 'folkish' pop songs. I just turned twenty-three. I taught myself how to play the guitar at the age of twelve and began writing songs when I was eighteen. I'm intrigued by finger-picking and use some alternate tunings. I tend to rely mostly on my guitar for new songs so, in a way, I'm making guitar pieces that more or less stand by themselves.

The E.P., Years in Shade, is out next year. What can you reveal about the songs and ideas that we will hear?

The songs that appear on the E.P happen to be a bit more personal. The tracklist consists of five songs that I put in chronological order of me going through stuff (not to sound dramatic, though, I'm fine.) Most of them have a different presence in the songs in terms of 'how' I play; meaning the tracks have a more 'upright' approach of movability and perhaps have more space for vocals. I'd have to say it would be more 'accessible' yet (could be) easier to listen to. Basically, I could say the songs are built with more of a 'Pop' construction, which enables a certain playfulness on stage while playing with band.

How do you think your latest E.P. differs from your earliest stuff?

The approach to writing the songs definitely differs from the tracks that are on the Over Blue E.P. The first one was me starting out trying to develop a ‘sound’ (if that's what you want to call it) while the second was more about experimenting and finding out if my songs were compatible with different sounds and purposes. I never intentionally started experimenting with these songs. But, also, I sort of did. Meaning that what I was doing while writing the songs was all natural and felt as the right thing to do. 

Part of the process was freeing up some space and take a step back in complexity and let my first mind guide me through the tracks that would later become the Years in Shade E.P. I kind of challenged myself to let go and leave more blanks for the band members to fill in and the whole process itself was a very learning experience. An experience that is going to be helpful for my future me as a musician.

Are there particular artists that inspired you to get into music?

The reason I developed a love for music has various reasons, but I can't remember one certain artist that dragged me into the whole songwriting thingy. The thought of music itself was just more appealing to me I think. At first, I only played guitar for a five years and went f'ing around with different genres and also a loop pedal but, after a while, I was sick of not having a product or result which I could identify myself with...until I kind of gradually got into songwriting and it immediately made an impact as I took it more seriously, which was caused because I entered a music competition just two months after writing my first songs and made it to the final. So, that was a very good start and very motivating. 

Do you already have plans for 2019?

I recently got back into writing new songs. So, I might have an idea of what would be part of it. Other than that; it's safe to say that I'll play some in Germany and some more back here in the Netherlands but, as a musician, I'm always looking forward to what might happen in the near future and that makes 2019 no exception with my new E.P coming up and getting more and more opportunities to play live in countries other than the Netherlands.

You are a Dutch artist. What is the scene like in the Netherlands at the moment? Is it growing in terms of its music?

It's easy for me to keep track of everyone’s movement because you're actually in not that big of a boat and you have to share it with others. But, whether Dutch music is evolving? I can't really tell. Everything that's happening nowadays in the music industry is very promising, but I don't see that directly flowing through the Dutch music industry. Tons of Dutch artists might be a bit doomed to get big but just in the Netherlands.

I also don't know whether it's a choice or a curse. You could say getting big is easier here in the lowlands because we're a relatively small country with decent resources to play music - but since it's so small you can easily play every venue in the country in a short amount of time which, in my opinion, is a bit scary when you're working on something new but the places you visit are the same every time you go on tour, that must be a bit repetitive. That's why I tend to focus not solely on Dutch grounds (Not to throw shade at Dutch venues or artists though). Either way, there are lots of colleagues here doing a great job and that doesn't have to be kept a secret. 

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

Tons of memories I have from being a musician and they are mostly all great, but one moment that I keep thinking of is playing support for Newton Faulkner and Villagers. Big crowds being super-quiet and respectful; also fun and kind people to talk to afterwards. People describing what they see and what I do in maybe a bit more technical way is a bit dull sometimes, but people explaining what it does to them and their feelings is what really makes a difference for me as a songwriter.

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

Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were 

For me, this album was an eye-opener because it showed me how versatile a songwriter could be. Not meaning that he is capable of playing every genre, but as in how deep you could dig into your own music and by doing so having a progressive mindset. Don't know if these were his intentions but that's what I learned from it trying to be progressive songwriter. Also, he just doesn't seem to be bothered anymore by the Every Kingdom era, despite the popular demand. He's a songwriter who earned his stripes with nothing other than making music he wants to make. I really dig Noonday Dreams but I have to give I.F.W.W.W. most of the credits in terms of I approach my own music.

Nick Mulvey - Wake Up Now

Such a sweet-sounding and loving record, which is also how I would describe Nick Mulvey as a person based on seeing him a few times live and listening to his interviews. In these interviews, Nick describes the progress of recording/writing as learning and liberating since he would let go of being in control all the time. Something I felt I was doing while making my new record. One of my favourite songs of all time is on this record and it's called In Your Hands which, in my opinion, is astonishing.

Sticky Fingers - Land of Pleasure 

Been following these guys for a while now, since they released their album Caress Your Soul, and ever since they just kept delivering such pleasant and fun songs. They're so easy to listen to on so many occasions and I can come up with just few bands that keep delivering the way they do, without sacrificing their identity. Why Land of Pleasure speaks to me the most is because I remember them playing bits of that album for the first time and I absolutely lost my head back then. It was at a tiny venue located on the beach with just the most beautiful sunset and I was graduating from high-school, so you could say life was extremely good. Also wondering what some of them Australians have been drinking because there are some true gems coming from the land down under which I can't clarify just yet.

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

I'm pretty content with the stuff that I have. Clothes are always welcome but, other than, that I am satisfied with what I own and I'm hoping that it will stay like this. Just hope people are going to like the record in 2019 and maybe, if I had to make one wish, then I would wish for a job that still enables me to make loads of music. 

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

I think would like to play support for Nick Mulvey, mostly because of what kind of audience he attracts to his concerts. But, other than that, I don't have a strong desire to play support for someone because in music you never know how things are going to be. Being surprised is what kind of makes it exciting.

The rider kind of depends of the tour I would be doing but good care and comfort is actually all I need; maybe a bottle of whiskey which is already on my rider.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

There's loads of cheesy stuff to say to people who are just starting out which are true. I'm actually packed with stuff I want to mention but let's try keeping it easy and understandable. Always remember to have fun, don't expect too much and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Results shouldn't be the reason you make music. Of course there are times where you have to take protection in order to do what you love. But, still I think tons of people forget that it's mostly about the music that you make and if you do that properly the rest eventually will revolve around that.  By the way: I'm not talking as if I already made it, but still...

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

There are a few dates in Germany and a co-headline show with Matt Perriment which I really look forward to. Also been busy with another tour which I can't tell you about just yet but it's coming and maybe it's about time that I actually set foot on British grounds for a change.

25th January - Paard, The Hague

26th February – Auster-Club, Berlin

28th March - FZW, Dortmund 

5th April - Tivoli, Utrecht (with Matt Perriment) 

 IN THIS PHOTO: Seoul

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Don't know if I'm cool enough to recommend songs that 'nobody' knows but there's this band from Canada I think who are called Seoul and they make this melancholic, ambient Pop music. For me, a sweet find and definitely worth checking out.

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

Of course I have to make sure that I don't lose my mind when making a lot of music, so I unwind just by hanging out with friends and get a beer. I have also been dancing for fourteen years now and I still enjoy doing that; keeping body and my soul in shape. Now and then I stroll through my hometown, just to clear my mind.

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).

Nick Mulvey – In Your Hands

___________

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