FEATURE: The New BBC Radio 2 Line-Up: A Pretty Remarkable Day One

FEATURE:

 

 

The New BBC Radio 2 Line-Up

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IN THIS PHOTO: Zoe Ball is the new face of breakfast on BBC Radio 2/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC/Getty Images 

A Pretty Remarkable Day One

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WHEN the new shows at BBC Radio 6 Music...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Sara Cox is the new drivetime host on BBC Radio 2/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/BBC

started up last week, I was eager to review them and see what sort of impact they would make. It was not like there were new D.J.s and there was a big overhaul. In fact, it was a case of a bit of a shift and putting the D.J.s we all know and love in new time slots. I loved the new line-up because it was different and I think this year needs to be fresh – it is great listening to your favourite station but a change is a good thing. I was full of praise for the new assortment and felt that each presenter added their own stamp to their new shows. Shaun Keaveny was moved from breakfast to the afternoon and, despite a few minor slips on the first show, it was a brilliant introduction and he has really taken to it. I love his new show and Keaveny sound refreshed and revitalised. I am not sure how long that energy will last but it is a good switch. Lauren Laverne has stepped into breakfast and moved from her morning show. She has, again, taken to this post and has made the show her own. I love her new show and all the fresh features make it really exciting. Mary Anne Hobbs moved from weekend breakfast to weekend mornings and she has a chance to shine. Not that she lacked sparkle before: it is harder to get noticed on weekend breakfast and this means she has more time to wow the nation.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Jo Whiley has taken over the evening slot on BBC Radio 2/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

There have been a lot of debates regarding gender equality in radio and whether it matters whether we have an equal spread. I remember there were grumbles when it was announced there would be a woman helming BBC Radio 6 Music breakfast. The moves that have been made this year are not political or designed to fill quotas. Instead, it is a case of recognising some incredible talent and making some necessary changes. BBC Radio 2 had a change and there have been some big moves. Chris Evans has gone to Virgin Radio and Simon Mayo departed his evening show with Jo Whiley. Many grumbled and blamed Whiley when Mayo left but it was nothing to do with her and his decision. I was pleased, therefore, when I heard Jo Whiley had been given the 7 P.M. slot on BBC Radio 2. She had been getting relentless abuse from people regarding Simon Mayo leaving the station and that affected her. Her new show started brilliantly and I feel she should have been given that slot earlier – keeping Mayo but giving him his own show. That is all in the past but it was exciting to hear a refreshed Whiley take to her new show and welcome the listeners in. I am interested to see how the show develops but it is her connection with the listeners and the great music that will bring new people in. A lot of evening shows are too gimmick-heavy and do not really play enough music.

I think Whiley has a perfect blend between listener interaction and the tunes. Despite the fact she only has a couple of hours – maybe increase the show to three hours?! – it was a great show. Trevor Nelson also has his Rhythm Nation on BBC Radio 2 from 10 P.M. and he is an important part of the new line-up. Whiley opened her show with Buffalo Stance from Neneh Cherry. I think it is the best opening song from all the presenters’ shows – including those at BBC Radio 6 Music – and announced her show in style. There was a nice mix of classic songs/artists – including James and Buzzcocks – together with classic cuts from Beyoncé and Arctic Monkeys. It was Dave Grohl’s fiftieth birthday yesterday so Whiley played some Foo Fighters (Everlong); she spoke with Mark Ronson from L.A. and, among the other songs played, we had A Tribe Called Quest, Lucy Rose and Sister Sledge among the pack! I do not always tune into BBC Radio 2 because the music can be a bit so-so and I find BBC Radio 6 Music is stronger. Whiley’s show was rock-solid and I do not think she put a foot wrong with the songs. A lot of D.J.s go a bit safe and obvious but she played some terrific songs; they were all programmed right and there was that just-right sonic blend. She sounded more relaxed and happy at the mic than I have heard for a while and it was a triumphant opener.

Maybe the music will become a little less sh*t-hot today and this week but I doubt it! By a final tine from Four Tops, it was the end of the maiden show. Given the quality of music played and how entertaining Whiley was; I wonder whether there will be a chance to extend the show at all. In any case, it was a great show for those who were relaxing from a hard day and chilling out. I do not usually tune into that time slot on BBC Radio 2 but I think Whiley has changed my mind! Turn back the clock to 5 P.M. and we had Sara Cox take to drivetime. It was great to hear Cox hand over to Whiley and two great female broadcasters stand next to one another. I shall come to the subject of gender at the end but, like Whiley, there were eyes on Cox. Her appointment, I think, was a great one and there needed to be a change to drivetime. I think she did brilliantly in her old show position but I always felt like she was not given the platform deserved. Her music selections have always been ace and that was continued on her first outing yesterday. I looked at some little video clips Cox posted before her show; her walking into Wogan House and high-fiving people; smiling and cheering and, at the end, walking into the studio to have Jeremy Vine tell her she was five hours earlier!

Like Jo Whiley, there were some great little bits with the listener and it was an interactive show. So many D.J.s are quite closed and do let people in: Sara Cox was energised and eager to have the listeners take part and get involved. She has been on radio for years so we knew she’s be great but she sounded completely natural in the drivetime role. The opening track was Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves from Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin. Maybe it was a bit on the nose but it was a perfect anthem to open up the show and a classic belter. The quality of the show is vital but I think it was a big moment for the station – a female D.J. hosting this slot – meant a lot of eyes were Cox’s way. She was funny, charming and her usual self. The first song was a bit of a nod to Zoe Ball – who I shall mention later – and the remainder of the music was top-notch. I think it was pretty level in terms of quality with Jo Whiley and there was that mixture of the big hits and some rarer cuts. One or two dodgy songs filtered in – Ed Sheeran and Kygo were in there – but all the other tracks were awesome. Sara Cox fans know she likes her 1980s music and we had some classic Madonna (Express Yourself) and George Michael (Faith).

A couple of new tracks were in there – including a collaboration from Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris – but the emphasis was on the classics. There was Pop and R&B from Lady Gaga and Rihanna; some Phil Collins (Two Hearts) and big tracks from Paul Simon and 10cc. She played out with Odyssey’s Back to My Roots and it was the end to a great show. I loved the music and it was a balance between typical BBC Radio 2 stuff and some Cox favourites. I do hope there will be more 1980s music through the week because we do not hear enough. Her infectiousness and zeal for the show meant the two hours seemed to zip by and, again, like Whiley I do wonder why the shows are two hours when they could easily extend them. I guess there are a lot of shows to get through but the fact one wants more after each show shows they are pretty good. It is early days so it is hard to say whether the formats will change drastically. Maybe there will be new features and ideas but I think the fact the shows are quite chat/music heavy works. Neither Cox or Whiley showed any real nerves and their aim, to get people in and having fun, definitely worked! There were a lot more eyes looking the way of Zoe Ball and her first breakfast show...

She is currently on the air doing her second shift but the opening show as another success. I read and saw interviews she gave leading up to the show and she confessed her nervousness. That is only natural and, when you follow someone like Chris Evans, there are going to be nerves. Many were sad to see Evans leave and wondered whether anyone could fill the void. Evans starts his new show next week and there were a lot of media bodies waiting for Ball as she walked into Wogan House to start her first show. She had teased us about the opening song and it was clear a lot of thought went into the selection. Aretha Franklin’s Respect opened the show and it was a great shout. Not only do its messages seem to make a point – give her some affection and respect her in this new role – but it was a powerful wake-up. There is a new team on the breakfast show. Tina Daheley, Mike Williams and Richie Anderson join Ball and they have an instant chemistry. I think Daheley especially shines and is perfect on the news. It is good to have this team together that sounds close and have that affection for one another – rather than one assembled by a committee. The guys all posed for photos prior to the show and if there were any nerves then I couldn’t tell.

Ball welcomed the listeners in and there was this slight sense of trepidation – although you knew she would smash it. The first segment of the show was female-heavy and the fact Rita Ora was played after Aretha Franklin set the tone. The first caller to the show was a woman and Tina Daheley was the first of the new support crew to speak. It makes a change from a lot of the male-heavy breakfast shows and I wonder whether we will see these changes spread to other networks this year. I will talk about the music and moments but The Guardian had some kind words about the first Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.

“As it dawned that she was now in the line of succession to Terry Wogan and Chris Evans, Ball’s pulse could almost be heard thumping under the opening link at 6.30am. But in the next three hours, she was confident without being cocky, stumbling verbally only once after the Radio 2 “bosses” turned up behind the glass. The arrival of managers seems to have, even for a rare employee earning more than her employers, much the same impact as on a factory floor.

The first show also felt deliberately calculated to thwart reporters seeking stories of broadcaster rivalry. Ball revealed that Evans (who starts his new Virgin Radio breakfast show next Monday) had sent her a “lovely” good luck text, while Cox – who finished second in the race to replace Evans before being given the consolation of drivetime – phoned in from her dog walk to compare first-day nerves. “You’re going to smash it, gorgeous. Love you!” said Ball, to which Cox replied: “Love you, babes.” David Dimbleby and Fiona Bruce did well to avoid such a handover on Question Time last week”.

One thing we can rely on when we talk about a D.J. like Zoe Ball – Sara Cox and Jo Whiley too – is the fact they will be professional and have that experience. Ball is no stranger to the radio game but the BBC Radio 2 breakfast slot is a big one. She spoke to John Cleese who was warm and witty. Cleese can sometimes be a bit guarded in interviews but he gave Ball good value and was keen to open up and chat. Ball showed how easily she could connect with her public and the new listeners. This rapport and connection meant it was a smooth and easy-going show. I wonder how big the listener numbers were for the opening show because I can imagine a lot of people tuned in just to hear this big unveiling. There was only one slight bump. The BBC bosses appeared behind the glass during the show – just to see how it was going – and it must have put Ball off her guard for a bit. It is a good gesture but I think it is like someone standing over you when you type! Ball was fine and, apart from being a little taken aback, she cracked on with what she does best. I am not sure whether she is going to get used to the 4 A.M. wake-ups – or just after – but there were no signs of bleary eyes. Some have said the rapport was too ‘young’ at times whilst others claim some of the music was a bit ‘old’ – it was the review I just quoted, actually. I feel Ball is a very young and cool listener so she is quite natural when being a bit more ‘down with the kids’.

There are a lot of young listeners tuning in so it is only right the tone would reflect this. I like the fact the show was not stuffy and there was a cooler, more relaxed edge. The music was fine too. BBC Radio 2 does play ‘older’ music because its demographic expects that. It was not going to be all chart bangers so the fact there was some Phil Collins in the mix was great. Breakfast is about waking you up and providing a kick but there are those who want some chill and a chance to hear some classics. The features on the new show included Show and Tell and Seven-Second Shout-Out. The former welcomed young listeners in to broadcast their talent to the nation. There was an interesting mix of sounds on the first breakfast show. Cher’s Believe and Coldplay’s Adventure of a Lifetime made it into the show and there was no leaning towards one genre or another. The fact we had Rita Ora and Silk City alongside The Cardigans and Stevie Wonder meant all the age ranges were catered for. Maybe there were one or two tunes that divided listeners but the selection was broad and interesting. New tracks from Fleur East and Sam Smith mingled with The Human League – Phil Collins popped up again to end the show. One was not expecting a radical change regarding the music and tone because it is BBC Radio 2 and the breakfast slot needs to have that balance.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Zoe Ball and her Breakfast Show team are ready for action/PHOTO CREDIT: @TinaDaheley

I like the fact Ball got to have an input regarding music and it was not just a cut-and-paste playlist. Chris Evans was very hyped and restless regards a presenting style whereas Ball favoured a more relaxed and subtle approach. There was plenty of enthusiasm from her and the team but the emphasis was very much on the music and the listeners. The first show would have been a miss were she to talk too much or copy Evans. Ball managed to come in and offer her own style: a balance of warm and friendly nods to the listener but ample interaction with her new team. Maybe some of the features will take a while to settle but it is nice to hear the public included right away. Maybe something music-based like BBC Radio 6 Music’s features would be a good idea but it is early and there is time for development. Some classic anthems from Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies – and Madonna - Vogue – spoke to me and I loved a bit of Divine Comedy (National Express). The social media reaction to the show as generally positive and people were excited to hear Zoe Ball in the breakfast slot. I think her tenure will be long and successful and I like the fact there is an experienced and popular pair of hands at the decks. Evans was a great host and had his following but it was time for a bit of a change.

I have spoken about the changes and the fact that, on BBC Radio 2, female D.J.s are filling the biggest shows. That triple-threat of Zoe Ball, Sara Cox and Jo Whiley is great and they have all earned their place. There has been some criticism and snottiness – Jeremy Clarkson was especially ‘direct’ – regarding the appointments and the fact that it might have happened to make the station less male-heavy. All the D.J.s already worked on the station so it was not like they brought in new women from other stations. Having Zoe Ball at the breakfast helm was natural because we all know and love her work and she offers something different and fresh. There are no male names I could think of to fill the position so there is no complaint there. Drivetime needed a female host and it has been occupied by men for years and years. I feel like partnerships can be risky and fail so having Sara Cox present it solo was a good move. She has the energy and wit to carry it on her own and, again, there are no male D.J.s on BBC Radio 2 who could do a better job. Jo Whiley was great in that later slot and I have often wondered why she did not get the call sooner. A lot of the big shows are still occupied by men – Ken Bruce and Steve Wright – so it is not like female D.J.s have taken over!

It shows that BBC Radio 2 are conscious of the fact there are great women in their ranks that deserve the chance to get their voices heard on the biggest shows and I love the line-up now. We wake up with Ball and get that sturdy hand of Ken Bruce right after. It is then to Jeremy Vine and Steve Wright and, after that male trio, to the female duo of Sara Cox and Jo Whiley. Trevor Nelson comes in later and it means there is a lot more balance, in terms of gender and tone, than we are used to. The new shows are great and, through the weeks, they will be honed and sharpened but there are few niggles one can have. It was a brilliant start to the new week and a new dawn for BBC Radio 6 Music. Make sure you follow the new shows through the week because there is a lot of gold in there. I will switch between BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2 because I think there have been a lot of positive moves and much-needed switches. It is good hearing women in powerful positions and it is a lot more than tokenism: it is about these much-admired figures stepping into new slots and showing they are naturals! Many wondered how the new shows would fare on the first day at BBC Radio 2 but Zoe Ball, Sara Cox and Jo Whiley – alongside Trevor Nelson – have shown that...

THEY were born to host these shows!

FEATURE: Director’s Cut: Michel Gondry: His Eleven Finest Music Videos

FEATURE:

 

 

Director’s Cut

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IN THIS PHOTO: Michel Gondry/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Michel Gondry: His Eleven Finest Music Videos

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I have quite a few features on the go...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: David von Becker

so I should probably call this one the last! It is nice to have a few different things spinning and it gives me the chance to concentrate on a specific area of music. I have looked at vinyl albums and the ones you need to get: now, as I look at music videos, I am celebrating long-lasting and inspiring directors and their greatest videos. The music video is often overlooked and there was a time when it was what defined a song. I feel stations like MTV helped push directors to new heights and there have been some iconic examples through the years. Whether they are as relevant today as they were years ago remains to be seen but I think a well-directed and imaginative video can change a song and elevate it. It can be hard creating a video that endures and resonates but there are plenty out there. To me, there is no better music video director than Michel Gondry. He has directed films too – including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – but it is his music vids that strike me hardest. Whereas a lot of directors, when faced with a song, will go for something straight-forward and grounded; Michel Gondry pushes open the mind and weaves in these weird and wonderful visuals. Perhaps is best known for his collaborations with Björk but, through the years, he has directed sterling videos for The White Stripes, Donald Fagen; Beck, Kylie Minogue and Daft Punk.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: A promotional shot from the Showtime series, Kidding, which stars Jim Carrey (pictured) and is directed by Michel Gondry/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Showtime

Sometimes, I struggle to get my head around concepts and what I am actually seeing! He sometimes does split-screen videos and will have two different threads playing that unite at a point; other times, he does a single-shot video and, in many ways, it is hard to define a ‘typical’ Michel Gondry video. I guess he does not have a distinct and unified style: his work is definitely imaginative but Gondry is masterful in a number of different moulds. He can create these huge and evocative pieces but is just as skilled when toning it down and using some brilliant piece of trickery. I think music videos are not quite as special and memorable as they used to be but, in many ways, they are more important. There are more artists out there and every song requires a visual accompaniment. I know budgets are tight but there have been some terrific videos over the past few years – have any of them reached the same height as a Gondry masterpiece? You can make your mind up but I have combined the eleven finest Gondry videos, when they were released and the standout moments from each – hard to do when his videos have so many highlights. Have a look here and associate yourself with one of the music world’s greatest directors. You might not know his name now but, when watching these videos, you’ll want to get more invested...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Michel Gondry with Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey on the set of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

WITH Michel Gondry.

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

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The White Stripes – The Hardest Button to Button

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Pitch: This is a video that makes use of pixilation animation and creates dozens of kits and guitar amplifiers. We see Jack and Meg White multiplied and each image projected in time to the rhythm of the song. Every time there is a guitar strum or drumbeat, there is another image of them. It creates this trippy and unforgettable visual. The effect we get – where Meg moves forward and occupies a new drum each time, leaving a vacant one behind her – was achieved when a trail of bass drums was set up. She would play on the last drum, that was removed and then she would move back one drum; move back another drum and play another beat. The sequence was filmed and run in reverse. The video was filmed in New York and sees the duo pass by local landmarks and down the Subway.

Song Release Date: 9th December, 2003

Album: Elephant (2003)

Standout Moment: (2:25): Beck appears in a cameo in a white suit and presents Jack with a “box with something in it”. What is in the box, man?!

Lucas – Lucas with the Lid Off

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Pitch: In terms of the actual story, it follows Lucas as he takes us through various scenes. The chorus sees him in the booth, singing his song but, as the verses come through, he can be seen lying on his bed, taking a train and watching something at the cinema – one assumes a fictional ‘video’ for Lucas with the Lids Off. The video is rare because it was a single take; a long continuation with no edits, cuts or post-production magic. The video is shot in black-and-white and it is filmed on a set. It is an amazing technical feat and one that could have been sticky for the actors. Gondry keeps the camera moving and takes us through the world of Lucas and the creation of a song. To me, the video is a tale of the creative process from conception to execution: another Michel Gondry masterpiece that has yet to be equalled!

Song Release Date: October 1994

Album: Lucacentric (1994)

Standout Moment: (0:42-0:44): A delicious twist of the camera takes us from Lucas rapping at the microphone to underneath a table where we see a woman’s legs. It is a quick move but one that is dazzling and all done in that single shot.

Kylie Minogue – Come into My World

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Pitch: We are taking into the world of Kylie Minogue on the streets of Paris. Adding a new spin to the song’s title and chorus, it is a typically impressive Gondry video that finds Minogue, at first, walking a circuit and singing to camera. Eventually, we see another Kylie doing the same circuit, and on and one. The multiple versions of Minogue interact and she literally ducks under a version of herself. The screen gets busier and busier as we see multiple layers and people; an arresting and challenging video that makes you wonder how it was done. In fact, the video was shot on 8th September, 2002 at the intersection of Rue du Point du Jour and Rue de Solférino in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris. Forty extras were on hand and the video took a total of fifteen days to design and master.

Song Release Date: 11th November, 2002

Album: Fever (2001)

Standout Moment: (2:53): One version if Kylie Minogue swings around a lamppost as another one ducks under her arm.

Daft Punk – Around the World

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Pitch: Perhaps this is the most iconic and recognisable Gondry video! Gondry was tired of choreography in videos and seeing fast cuts and shallow editing – something needed to change. He used five groups of chatters on a platform that represented a vinyl record: four robots walking around in a circle; four athletes wearing tracksuits with prophetic heads on as they walked down stairs; four women dressed as synchronised swimmers moving up and down another set of stairs; four skeletons dancing in the centre of the platform and four mummies dancing in time to the song’s drum pattern. Each ‘group’ symbolises a different instrument and the robots, as Gondry told, represent the singing.

Song Release Date: 17th March, 1997

Album: Homework (1997)

Standout Moment: (3:30-3:32): A wide shot sees all the performers dancing onto the central part of the set (the middle of the vinyl record) as robots then dance on the outside circle.

Donald Fagen – Snowbound

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Pitch: We see a combination of impressive stop-motion and real-time footage. The real-time visuals were imposed onto models. These models are then sent to a modelled, futuristic city – effects were added in post-production. The story of the video revolves around worker drones whose daily lives are cluttered. It is a grey city where they work and they live in a red, hazy state of repression. Imposed onto the images of this daily grind is soft snow falling. Fagen’s face appears like an overlord as he watches over the drones. The video spotlights one male and female drone but the arresting moment happens when one drone gets zapped whilst napping; Fagen shoots electricity from his vantage point above the city. The drone goes to fight Fagen but is then tossed off from that watch point.

Song Release Date: 16th December, 1993

Album: Kamakiriad (1993)

Standout Moment: (4:13): A striking image of Fagen’s head appearing on a metal structure; spanners as his hands. A tiny man in a tiny car passes by him on a railway-like system as Fagen turns a stern look in his direction.

Björk – Jóga

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Pitch: It is hard to pick which Björk-Gondry video to pick because there are so many great examples. This is the first one that comes to mind as it signalled a departure from his usual style. It is quite a subtle, if gorgeous, video that focuses on Icelandic terrain and landscapes. Björk is only seen at the beginning and end of the video: the rest of the video follows this once-peaceful scene being interrupted by an earthquake (done using computer animation) and we end with an image of an island floating inside Björk’s chest.

Song Release Date: 15th September, 1997

Album: Homogenic (1997)

Standout Moment: (0:05): The first time we see Björk in the video. It is an aerial shot and we zoom into her face. Seeing her as this tiny figure against the beauty and vastness of nature is a stirring and gorgeous image.

Cibo Matto – Sugar Water

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Pitch: It is hard to watch this video only once! It is one of my favourite ever and is an early example of Gondry using split-screen effects to look at two different stories happening on screen at the same time. The duo, Miho Hatori, Yuka Honda, start their day in bed as the screen is split and follows each of their days. The left-hand screen is shown is shot forward and the right is reversed. It is dizzying but you will see why that effect was employed. Hatori is seen showering with water whereas Honda is showering in sugar. They get dressed and walk down the stone stairs of their respective apartments. To the left, we see Honda on the ground having been knocked from a moped. On her lap is what looks like a death threat with the letter saying ‘You Killed Me’. The left of the screen shows her getting up and walking away whereas the right shows the moments before. The video then shows the moment the death threat was mailed and Hatori posting it. It all tracks to the opening moment of the duo showering. It is not explained why the accident happened or why that sinister message was sent – creating mystery and allowing the viewer to make up their own mind.

Song Release Date: 1996

Album: Viva! La Woman (1996)

Standout Moment: (2:00): Where we see a close-up of the death threat/letter and both images are fused to spell out ‘You Killed Me’.

The Chemical Brothers – Let Forever Be

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Pitch: Let Forever Be often tops lists when we think of the best Michel Gondry videos. The video depicts a young woman’s (played by Stephanie Landwehr) nightmares. It was inspired by Ray Davies’ 18975 Granada TV production, Starmaker. It employs ground-breaking effects and is a dizzying insight into a haunted and nightmare-riddled mind.

Song Release Date: 2nd August, 1999

Album: Surrender (1999)

Standout Moment: (0:31-0:34): We see a line of the heroine dancing by a mattress. The effect is great and it is a typical piece of Gondry brilliance. She is dressed in a sparkly dress and all of the images then merge together to the one bed where we see her under the covers and the alarm clock by her.

The Living Sisters – How Are You Doing?

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

Pitch: Similar to the video with Cibo Matto, this one is shot using split-screen – we see three images rather than the two. It follows the trio and contradicts the positive messages of the song with a series of disastrous events. Included early on is one member burning breakfast, the other pregnant and worried and the third on a plane. We follow those stories as they each try and deal with the events. There is a figure in the kitchen, the baby looks like it is coming and the plane is struggling in turbulence. The anxiety heightens and we see a burning house as the women flees. In the pregnancy scene, the woman packs a suitcase and hops into a taxi. Oxygen masks come down in the plane. Each member makes it safely and hits the road – the first and middle shot by car; the final using a motorbike – but things go wrong as we witness a robbery, labour and a lost woman stranded. An earthquake hits and affects the situations: the baby is delivered but, elsewhere there is carnage on the streets as cars crash and the ground splits. It all ends happily as all three band members are in the delivery room and see the baby.

Song Release Date: 2011

Album: Love to Live (2010)

Standout Moment: (2:46): All three segments of the screen merge in the hospital room and it looks like a single shot. It is wonderfully shot and a great resolution to a tense day for the band!

Björk – Army of Me

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Pitch: The music video opens with Björk, wearing a black karate gi, driving a large vehicle that is carrying a man in cryonic slumber in a city, but the passers seem to ignore the mass of the vehicle. The vehicle begins to sputter and slow, prompting Björk to check the motor. Before floating off the vehicle, she turns to the camera and shows metallic teeth. The vehicle's engine assembly consists of a mouth in which all of the teeth appear rotten, comically exaggerated by a shaggy-looking man engulfed in a stench-cloud crawling out of the mouth and offending passers-by.

Björk touches her cheek, appearing to have a toothache, and proceeds to a nearby dentist's office. While she is going to the room of the dentist, her image appears reflected in a series of mirrors that make it impossible to distinguish her real self. She is examined by the dentist, an anthropomorphic gorilla, who discovers a diamond in her mouth. The dentist attempts to steal the diamond for himself, but Björk leaps onto his back and pummels him, and, retrieving the diamond, escapes the office. She takes the diamond back to her vehicle, all the while it multiplies in size until she is barely able to carry it. Björk tosses the diamond into the vehicle's mouth, apparently correcting its earlier affliction.

She then drives to a museum and proceeds inside, carrying a satchel containing a bomb. The museum is full of surrealistic things like mirrors reflecting non-existent people. Sneaking past the museum's guards, she places the bomb on one of the exhibits, a man lying on an altar in a deep sleep. She then bolts toward the museum's exit, concerning the guards and other patrons. She makes it out of the building just moments before the bomb explodes. After the explosion, she re-enters the building to find all the unarmed visitors and the man from the altar, who appears to have been just wakened by the blast. Björk hugs him, crying teardrops of jewels - Wikipedia

Song Release Date: 21st April, 1995

Album: Post (1995)

Standout Moment: (2:02): The gorilla dentist removes a diamond from Björk’s mouth.

Beck – Deadweight

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PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Burbridge  

Pitch: Everything is back to front and the wrong way around! Beck starts on the beach but he is working at his desk. Clips of the film, A Life Less Ordinary, are interspersed and impact Beck. Beck takes photos from the walls of his house – samples of wallpaper in frames – and we follow him as he seems to appear in the film itself. Maybe the film is a dream or a daze; a clever device that gets you wondering. In one of the most striking images, Beck’s shadow pulls him along the street.

Song Release Date: 27th October, 1997

Album: A Life Less Ordinary (film soundtrack) (1997)

Standout Moment: (2:59): Beck is on the street and waves as his shadow waves back.

FEATURE: In Your Honor: Dave Grohl at Fifty

FEATURE:

 

 

In Your Honor

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IN THIS PHOTO: Dave Grohl photoed in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT:  Jen Rosenstein for Rolling Stone

Dave Grohl at Fifty

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THERE are two schools of thought when you...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Dave Grohl with his Nirvana bandmates (circa 1991)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

think about Dave Grohl. There are those who like him as a frontman and lead – he helms the U.S. band, Foo Fighters. There are those, like me, who prefer Grohl as a drummer and feel that is where he does his best work. In any case, the man turns fifty today so it is only right to mark that birthday! We also recognise big birthday for icons and, last year, we celebrated Kate Bush and Madonna at sixty. Dave Grohl might not quite have the same legacy and stature as them but I think he is vastly underrated as a musician and performer. Look at how long he has been in the business and how much he has contributed to the world. I love Nirvana’s debut album, Bleach, but so many critics say the same thing: there is a lack of percussive force and it is crying out for something more powerful and immediate. Chad Channing does a fine job on the record but one wonders what could have been if Dave Grohl was there from the very start. Think about the extra respect and kudos Nirvana would have gained if Grohl were in the fold to offer pummel and his animalistic brilliance! Grohl appears on Nirvana’s breakthrough album, Nevermind, and that is where I came across his brilliance. I was only young when the album came out but there was something naughty about listening to Nirvana.

At the time, we were listening to a lot of British Pop and chart music and were not really used to Grunge. I and my friends were aware of American music but nothing quite as intense and different as this – it was a new experience and something that blew me away. I recall hearing Smells Like Teen Spirit on the radio when it was released in September 1991. As an eight-year-old, that sort of thrill and explosion almost blew my head off! It would be a couple of years before I fully investigated Nevermind but, rather than the lyrics and vocals hitting me first, it was the percussion. These were the days when we bought music and checked out the credits. I recall getting Nevermind on cassette and looking at the notes at the back. Checking out who did what, I was eager to know who was responsible for the drumming on the album. This is when Dave Grohl came into my life. It was a minor revelation but one that made me appreciate a new style of music and gravitate towards the drums. At the time, I was hooked by the singer and felt that was the most important part of a band: after discovering Dave Grohl, I had a new appreciation for the drums and the power they hold. One can argue until the cows come home as to the definitive Dave Grohl percussive performance.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Nevermind features the twenty-two-year-old Grohl limbering up and providing Nirvana with the percussion chops they needed. Listen to Breed – the album’s second track – and what Grohl contributes. Sure, there is a murky, swampy and gritty guitar sound from Kurt Cobain and some epic bass from Krist Novoselic but it is Grohl’s granite, titanic sticks that define that song. Listen to that introduction and the machine gun riffle that beckons things in. Before then, Nirvana did not have that sort of power at the back and, in many ways, Grohl offered Nirvana new possibilities and the chance to push their music as far and hard as possible. Alongside producer Butch Vig, the band produced a masterpiece and I think a lot of the credit should go to Dave Grohl. Come as You Are allows Grohl to mix something subtler into the mix but he is back on electric form with Breed; Lithium finds Grohl teasing and offering a solid backbone whereas Territorial Pissings sees him return once more to that fired and frantic brilliance. The rest of that album sees Grohl display his range and ability and give songs such as Drain You and Stay Away new characteristics and nuances. We all know how popular Nevermind became and how influential it is. The chemistry between the trio was immediate and clear; the songs were strong and accessible enough to bring in people who would not usually listen to such music; the performances incredibly strong and eclectic.

You can argue it is Cobain’s leadership that defined Nirvana’s brilliance but I think Dave Grohl is the lynchpin. When the band stepped away from the commercial and recorded the more raw and ‘natural’ In Utero in 1993, it offered them a chance to write music that was less aimed at the charts – the band felt Nirvana was a bit too polished and commercial – and more to themselves. That may sound like a big statement but I think the band were a lot more comfortable on their third album and felt it was a better representation of who they were. There are actually some softer moments on In Utero. Dumb and All Apologies are striking and affecting; the band less intense but more emotionally striking. Grohl, as a drummer, showed he was not just about force and attack and provided subtle yet powerful performances on the songs. He led the attack on Scentless Apprentice and Very Ape; provided one of his best turns on Milk It and was crucial in making Heart-Shaped Box so affecting and urgent. The band would not record another album after In Utero – Kurt Cobain took his own life in 1994 – but they would, again, make history with MTV Unplugged in New York. That album was recorded on 18th November, 1993 and was Nirvana performing for a respectful and excited audience. The band spanned their back catalogue but also brought in a few cover versions – most striking among them was the extraordinary finale, Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (A traditional song that was arranged by Lead Belly).

Although it was hard for Grohl to shine during a concert that was meant to be a bit softer and less intense, he did gives the songs some drive and definitely added to the mix. Many were unsure what would become of the two remaining members of Nirvana after Cobain’s death. It was not long until Grohl started Foo Fighters, in Seattle, in 1994. He was keen to keep playing but rather than remain behind the drums, he was the lead. The band, in fact, started as a one-man project. Perhaps that came from a sense of confusion and not knowing how to process Cobain’s loss. He recruited Nate Mendel, William Goldsmith and Pat Smear to complete the line-up. The band would see new members come and favourites leave but, on 1995’s Foo Fighters, we had a band that were keeping the spirit of Nirvana alive but also bringing in their own sounds. The album received great reviews and there were big hits like This Is a Call on there. Many noted similarities to Nirvana and the fact Grohl inherited some of Kurt Cobain’s vocal elements. The songs were written by Grohl and it was a revelation realising he was a natural leader. I guess drumming is how he started out and would not challenge Cobain when it came to writing Nirvana songs. I am a bigger fan of Nirvana (compared to Foo Fighters) but have a special place in my heart for their 1999 album, There Is Nothing Left to Lose. It was the first Foo Fighters record I really got behind and I love tracks like Breakout and Learn to Fly.  

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

The Foo Fighters have recorded nine studio albums and their latest, Concrete and Gold (2017), shows that Dave Grohl can still compete and match anyone out there. I guess the best Foo Fighters material came prior to 2005’s In Your Honor but the band continue to make arresting and stadium-sized albums. Grohl has performed for a number of bands through the years but another one of his big credits is being part of Them Crooked Vultures. The band has only recorded one album – their eponymous record in 2009 – but the line-up featured Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). I forgot to mention Grohl’s role in Queens of the Stone Age but will come back to that in a bit! As part of Them Crooked Vultures, he was back behind the kit and providing that avalanche. Listen to No One Loves Me & Neither Do I and the technique throughout. On New Fang and Dead End Friends, Grohl provides the perfect backbone for Homme and Jones. It is clear, in everything he does, he is one of the most powerful and inspiring musicians in the world. I suggest people get Them Crooked Vultures as I feel Grohl’s drumming is more complex and varied on the album. He was iconic in Nirvana but Them Crooked Vultures allowed him more range and flexibility. It is wonderful hearing a lot of the tracks with the drumming isolated. I often wonder how Grohl manages to get through takes of certain songs without his arms falling off because he exudes such fever and passion!

I do hope Them Crooked Vultures come back and record again because we have not heard Grohl at the drums for a while. I often wonder why he was not recruited as a permanent member of Queens of the Stone Age because, on Songs for the Deaf (2002), he adds new dynamics and energy to the band. No One Knows is an instant classic and, when listening to that song, I am always on the air drums! The riffs are meaty and fresh but it is Grohl’s octopus-like agility and multi-limbed attack that gives the song its oomph and potency. Grohl’s input on Songs for the Deaf gives songs like Go with the Flow and Six Shooter depths other drummers could not achieve. Grohl would not return to the band until 2013’s ...Like Clockwork. Maybe it was his commitment with Foo Fighters but it was great to hear him back with Q.O.T.S.A. Joey Castillo, their long-term drummer, left during the recording of the album and that left the door open for Grohl to return. He plays drums on the tracks If I Had a Tail, My God Is the Sun; Fairweather Friends, Smooth Sailing and I Appear Missing. I actually think his contributions are the most impressive and better that what Castillo managed to record before he left. Maybe Grohl will perform with the band again but they have Jon Theodore as their new sticks-man.

I still think there are no finer drummers in the world than Dave Grohl. He is a great lead and guides Foo Fighters but he is an epic gun-for-hire and can transform any band/album. I do hope he gets the chance to get on the drums more permanently because, even though he would be in the background, it seems to be his natural home. Not only has Grohl inspired countless musicians but he is, as everyone says, one of the nicest men in the music world. He is conscientious and keen to speak out. This article lists reasons why Grohl is a legend but you can see, from the charity work he does to how he respects his fans, this is no mere musicians. In many ways, Grohl is a leader and icon that goes beyond the expected and connects with the people. He has donated money to fans and he has spoken out against fans fighting at his gigs. The man wants peace and love in the world and, even though he is a muscular and explosive drummer, he is a teddy bear who wants the world to be a better place. It is almost embarrassing to list the good deeds he has performed and how much joy he has brought. Not only is Grohl a sweetheart but he seems immune to pain.

 IN THIS PHOTO: King Dave Grohl performing whilst recovering from a broken leg/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

When he broke his leg in Sweden in 2015, he continued to play on and actually performed gigs sitting on a custom-made throne. The band had to pull out of Glastonbury but did get to headline in 2017. I am one of the most vocal people around when it comes to bands like Foo Fighters headlining. I am a huge fan of Dave Grohl but feel like they have headlined enough and the new breed need a chance to shine. I think Grohl can bring an epic set but we do need to freshen up the headliners and take chances. In fact, when thinking about Grohl being accident-prone; he recently fell off the stage at a Las Vegas show after chugging a beer. The man is not willing to slow down and play it safe and it is good to see! Even though he is fifty today, there is rebelliousness and that Rock spirit that will never die. He is that unique mix of inspiring and sometimes-controversial frontman and a charitable, benevolent man away from the stage. Grohl is always funny in interviews and his title is not without proof – he really is The Nicest Man in Rock. In a time when we have few bands leading the way and standout musicians; Dave Grohl is a sort of father figure and one of the few icons left in music. Before I leave things, I want to bring in an illuminating interview – read the whole thing – he gave to GQ last year.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

In the interview, Jonathan Heaf (who chatted to Grohl and followed him and Foo Fighters on tour) discussed Grohl’s energy and readiness:

“Ready? Grohl is on a permanent countdown to launch. He is, was and always will be in PSR – a positive state of readiness. The atmosphere in the Foos’ dressing room since we arrived at the venue around two hours ago – running red lights from their hotel, the Four Seasons, in a convoy of nine blacked-out Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer people carriers with 12 accompanying police bikes and two squad cars, sirens screaming and lights flashing – has been akin to a house party just before the cops shut it down, always about one round or one hit shy of someone getting hurt.

Grohl’s freewheeling enthusiasm for life, that whole charming raconteur shtick, is for real. One can’t help but feel, however, that calling him “the nicest man in rock” – as almost every journalist has, since forgiving him for daring to make any music after Nirvana – is utterly disingenuous. He’s way smarter than that. Anyway, since when was calling someone “nice” considered a compliment? Aren’t school children always told “nice” is the laziest adjective they can possibly use to describe someone? If you need one word to describe Grohl, it should be the absolute antonym of “lazy”.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Grohl went on to talk about his America and how things have changed under the leadership of Donald Trump:

“For someone who has gone around the world as much as him, has Grohl... “Felt the impact of Donald Trump in regards to what other countries feel about Americans?” he interjects. “Of course. I remember when we were touring in the Nineties, people would come up to me and still spoke of wanting to come to the US, to see Texas and see the desert, to walk around the Big Apple. The American Dream was still tangible, still desirable. Today, the American Dream is broken. I’ve probably travelled internationally more than our current president and the one thing I understand that he doesn’t is that the world isn’t as big as you think it is. It is all in your neighbourhood. India, Asia, Iceland aren’t other solar systems. I am ashamed of our president. I feel apologetic for it when I travel”.

He was asked about Nirvana and asked whether he still listens to the music he made with the band; whether he takes the time to dig back or avoids it altogether:

“Even today, listening to Cobain’s music, for Grohl, is almost impossible. “I don’t put Nirvana records on, no. Although they are always on somewhere. I get in the car, they’re on. I go into a shop, they’re on. For me, it’s so personal. I remember everything about those records; I remember the shorts I was wearing when we recorded them or that it snowed that day. Still, I go back and find new meanings to Kurt’s lyrics. Not to seem revisionist, but there are times when it hits me. You go, ‘Wow, I didn’t realise he was feeling that way at the time’”. 

 

I would urge people to look at Dave Grohl interviews and spend some time listening to how he talks and how fascinating he is. The man tackles politics and society but he knows music like nobody else. There are very few musicians who are spellbinding when interviewed and match that on the stage. Grohl is an all-rounder who is always pushing boundaries and doing things differently – have a look at his documentary, Play, to get a sense of that! He is entering his sixth decade of life but it seems like Grohl is happy to play on and continue to reign. He is touring with Foo Fighters and the band will play Readings and Leeds later in the year. It will be a busy 2019 but I do hope there are times when Grohl can get behind the microphone. Whatever he is doing today and however he is celebrating his fiftieth birthday, it is a good chance to play some classic Dave Grohl and remind ourselves why he is so revered. Since the 1990s, he has been in our hearts and will continue to remain...

THERE forever.

FEATURE: A Meteoric Rise: Introducing Octavian: BBC’s Sound of 2019

FEATURE:

 

 

A Meteoric Rise

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IN THIS PHOTO: Octavian/PHOTO CREDIT: Ollie Adegboye  

Introducing Octavian: BBC’s Sound of 2019

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EVERY time the longlist comes out...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Technique PR

regarding the BBC’s Sound of... I look at the artists and give them a spin. Previous winners of the poll include Adele and Sam Smith and, whether you like their music or not, it is clear the honour can help boost a career. Over the past few years, the winners have not made an instant impact but I feel like Octavian’s win could change that run. Artists such as Slowthai and King Princess were in the running to win the poll but it has gone to Octavian. It is rare to see a Rap/Drill artist get the nod so this makes it extra-special. I will quote a few articles to tell the story of Octavian and why his rise is unexpected and inspiring. The Guardian have documented the artist’s reaction:

 “On receiving the honour, Octavian said: “I knew that one day I was going to be successful. I get inspired and I try to make a new sound every day. It’s going to be a very loud year for me. Loads of music, loads of visuals, loads of albums.”

Rapping over genre-straddling production that touches on US trap, UK drill, grime and more, his rise has since been swift – Canadian superstar Drake was filmed rapping along to Octavian’s breakthrough track Party Here, and he was chosen by Louis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh to model for a collection. He released his debut mixtape, Spaceman, in September...

“Octavian is not in any genre – he is absolutely in his own lane,” said BBC Radio 1 DJ Benji B. “The first couple of tunes he released into the world [Party Here and Hands] were some of the most futuristic, forward thinking, raw and inspiring tunes to come out of the UK in the last two years.”

According to Guardian pop critic Alexis Petridis, “His music exists outside the security of a scene or sub-genre – it carves out a space of its own, somewhere between grime, drill and trap, drawing in influences from beyond their confines. For all the vulnerability in his lyrics – he left home at his mother’s behest aged 15, a state of affairs that clearly left its mark – there’s a poise and self-assurance about his work that goes beyond the standard rapper’s bluster”.

Octavian’s 2018 mixtape, SPACEMAN, is filled with original direction and personality. It is not a hard album to get behind and marries Drill, Hip-Hop and Rap. There are U.S. influences in there but sounds of London and a little bit from other parts of the world. The voice that drives the track is very much that of a man who wants to remain for many years and stand out. It is clear Octavian is not playing around and is already showing a lot more endeavour and ambition than his peers.

When speaking with The Guardian before the release of his mixtape last year Octavian talked about his humble start and the challenges he faced:

 “Moving house no longer fazes him. Born in Lille in north-east France, Octavian moved to south London with his mother when he was three, but their relationship became strained. When he was a teenager, she sent him back to France to live with his uncle. They fought a lot, often physically, and after two years he was sent back to his mother. Knowing he wanted to pursue music, Octavian landed a scholarship to the Brit school – previously attended by Adele and Amy Winehouse – but soon grew disillusioned. “There were literally people doing backflips and singing harmonies in the corridors … it was not my type of thing,” he says. “I just don’t believe that you can teach someone how to be creative. As soon as you start teaching someone, they lose their originality.”

Evicted by his mother, he dropped out of school before finishing his course. Several years of homelessness followed. He tried to get a council house, but he didn’t qualify because, on paper, he was from France. “That’s just how life works,” he shrugs. “There’s bare things that come with being poor. I didn’t have the money to be English, but I was English, I was raised here, I went to school here … then you have someone telling you you’re not English enough? I hated those authorities.” But he says hetook those turbulent teenage years in his stride. “When you’re young, it’s cool. I didn’t have no money, but I still managed to eat, to live ... it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Once you’re there, that is your life. You can only look up, because down there’s nothing left”.

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IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Octavian’s mixtape, SPACEMAN/PHOTO CREDIT: Spotify 

It is amazing to think that anyone who has experienced homelessness could overcome that low and rise to become a successful artist. It is early days for Octavian but you can see how much he wants it and the fact he does not want to be defined. He cites artists like James Blake as idols: those who cross genres and are never willing to settle. I am not sure what happens from now but Octavian will want to get his mixtape on the road and he will be keeping busy. Octavian has joked in interviews there will be loads of albums this year but I think he will need some time for the dust to settle and plan his next moves. Consider the fact a lot of his teenage years was spent poor and unable to get about; it is amazing that that determination and passion for music has seen him through. There are few songwriters and artists who can right about struggle and actually draw from their own life. Octavian knew that there was a chance of success in the dark times and he held that belief strong. He stayed on a clear and straight course and, rather than sell drugs or turn to crime, he had that focus and knew what he wanted from life. That story is inspirational for anyone in a similar position; the fact you can make it and to hold on to that belief.

Octavian has done a lot of interviews after the BBC announcement and spoke to NME about his next steps:

“It’s crazy, my phone’s blown up”, he tells NME on the same day that his victory is announced.

“It was bare surprising, I felt undeserving but it was great, man.”

The accolade sees Octavian joining previous winners including Sam Smith and Adele – and he’s keen to follow in their footsteps.

“It’s gonna be a very good year – to have my music out there and know that people understand my craft is very special. It’s gonna be great”, he explains.

And while a release debut for his debut album is yet to be announced, Octavian says that fans can expect it “very soon.”

“I am delighted that UK rap music has got such great placement in the list – Octavian is a truly original and exciting artist, pushing the boundaries of the genre and it’s great to see such a progressive artist getting such a huge accolade”.

It is clear 2019 is going to be a huge one for Octavian and he is going to take every chance he can. He has come a long way and there is talking about that debut album – even though there is a mixtape out in the world. It is an exciting time for someone who, at one point in his life, wouldn’t have imagined he could ever get to this point. Or maybe he did. It is clear, when talking about Octavian, the man never loses sight and is always...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @OctavianEssie

REACHING for the sky.

FEATURE: It’s No Secret: Kylie Minogue: A Pop Icon Who Will Always Inspire

FEATURE:

 

 

It’s No Secret

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IN THIS PHOTO: Kylie Minogue captured for her Specsavers eyewear collection shoot/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Press 

Kylie Minogue: A Pop Icon Who Will Always Inspire

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A lot of important moments will unfold in Kylie Minogue’s life...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Kylie Minogue 

this year - more on that a bit later. I guess it takes a while for critics to warm up to iconic artists but there were a few, back in 1987, who were not 100% in love with Minogue. Her first singles, Locomotion and I Should Be So Lucky, gained great reviews but there were some who were not too hot. The latter track was released in 1987 but redone for a 1988 release – The Loco-Motion did not chart in her native Australia but was a hit around the world (her 1987 version was a number-one in Australia). It may make her sound old but I remember listening to her debut album, Kylie, when it came out. Granted, I was born in 1983 so I was only five when the album was released here in July 1988. Her songs had been out in the world the year before but the 1988 release was the first album from Minogue. The cover sees a young-looking and cherub-like artist who was sporting some rather nifty 1980s hair! I connected harder with Minogue’s music by the 1990s but one cannot overlook the Pop brilliance and catchiness of her early songs. I am in two minds whether her debut is her strongest early work or if that honour belongs to Enjoy Yourself. One of the things that galls me most is the sort of reviews the sophomore album received.

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

A lot of snobby critics were harsh about the record and felt there were too many lightweight songs. I love both of her first two albums and there are plenty of cuts from the debut that stand up. I love I Should Be So Lucky and The Loco-Motion. They are some of the biggest hits of her career but you can throw It’s No Secret and Got to Be Certain into the mix! It is a solid record and one that announced this rare and wonderful talent. The Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman-written songs provided a perfect platform for Kylie Minogue to shine from. The young artist was hungry and instantly popular and while it would be a few years before her finest album came along, she was producing these fresh and memorable songs. If some critics felt the songs on the record were a little light and simple; the sheer personality and verve of Minogue sold them. The follow-up album provided more hits and, in my view, saw Minogue strengthen as a performer. I listened a lot to the songs from Enjoy Yourself when I was a child and heard a lot of the songs, strangely, on family holidays in Britain. We would holiday abroad but it was the local holidays that introduced me to Minogue’s great songs. I would hear her songs on the radio and share them with friends but, by the time her second album came along, I was hooked.

I would not necessarily listen to songs like this now – the more sugar-sweet Pop songs of today are more aimed at young girls and a different audience – but  Minogue’s music remains universal. I love the subtle changes between her first and second albums. The covers are similar – by the second album, Minogue is a bit more confident on camera but sports a similar look. With big hits like Hand on Your Heart, Wouldn’t Change a Thing and Never Too Late starting the album in fine style, Enjoy Yourself is an appropriate direction to the listeners. I love the charm and the sense of fun through. The songs have a distinct personality and are not merely retreads of what was around in the late-1980s. Kylie Minogue sells and delivers everything with aplomb, style and grace. Rhythm of Love opened the 1990s in style and, in a year when the likes of Deee-Lite were adding a new spin to the scene, it was refreshing to hear Minogue taking some of the 1980s with her! That is not to say her third album lacks modernity and progressiveness. If anything, Rhythm of Love is my favourite album from the early stage of Minogue’s career. Soon enough, she would evolve once more...but I shall get to that soon. The Stock, Aitken and Waterman machine continued to crank out the solid hits!

What Do I Have to Do and Better the Devil You Know are instant classics but the song from my childhood I associate with Kylie Minogue is Step Back in Time. It is hard to compare her with any other Popstar at the time – including Madonna – and that is a good thing. Minogue kept Step Back in Time in her tour repertoire for quite a few years after its release and, with its infectious video, the song struck a chord and captivated the masses. As she moved through the decade – Minogue was producing an album a year – the songs became more diverse and the performances more solid. Let’s Get It On (1991) showed she could switch between emotions and the album saw a more soulful and interesting production shine through. Disappearing were the colour covers with Minogue smiling and projecting innocent. From 1991, her album covers were sporting black-and-white images where she was moodier and more alluring. 1994’s Kylie Minogue arrived at a time when music was at its strongest and most varied. Another Pop idol, Madonna, was ready to release her most mature and important album, Bedtime Stories, and Kylie Minogue was embarking on a new chapter. Minogue was stepping into new genres by 1994. Middle Eastern grooves and darker tones mixed alongside her usual disposition. 1994 saw her with a new label, Deconstruction, and it allowed her more creative freedom.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Kylie Minogue in 1994/PHOTO CREDIT: Rankin

The Stock-Aitken-Waterman magic had dried up and she was looking for a new lease. Deconstruction allowed her to step more into Dance territory and songs such as Confide in Me sound completely foreign to the work she was putting out a few years earlier. A stylish, slick and experimental track; Confide in Me saw Minogue blossom and move in a way we had never heard before! It is a risk for any established artist to take a big step but others would – 1998’s Ray of Light was Madonna’s Minogue-like reinvention into Dance territory. I think Minogue was unhappy with her label prior to 1994 and felt that there was little room to move left and right. PWL were not willing to give Minogue the options and freedom she needed: things changed with Deconstruction and this meant her second phase was underway and a bigger critical success. Impossible Princess of 1997 had to adapt to the changing musical styles happening. Britpop was ending and guitar music from the U.S. was coming in more. Minogue’s sixth album kept the Dance template but there were softer moments and some Britpop-esque numbers. It was a perfect bridge between her older roots and what would arrive soon enough. Some were not instantly taken to the new direction but retrospective reviews were kinder and more open-minded. I think the fact Minogue co-wrote the entire album meant it was a more personal and natural recording.

When Minogue stepped into the 1990s, she was rising in fame but there were still a bit of her 1980s sound around. She would throw off those layers and increase her confidence soon enough but I was glad to see some of her debut magic remain in 1990. As she moved in 2000, she needed to release an album that started things off with a bang – Light Years remains one of Minogue’s finest and most daring around. We all know the Spinning Around video and those famous golden hot pants. To guys of my age – I was seventeen at the time… – it was a bit of a fantasy and I must have played the video to death. I love the song as well and it is a sort of left-turn back into Pop. One could detect the embers of her experimental albums and Dance but Light Years is a breezier and more airy offering than the previous two records. With Parlophone as her label, Minogue was joined by new writers and collaborators – including Guy Chambers and Robbie Williams – and she was (again) a co-writer on all tracks. Maybe there was some commercial disappointment before Light Years’ release but an artist like Kylie Minogue was not going to be deterred. Maybe it was timing or the fact the music industry had changed; whatever the reason, Minogue was at her most assured and consistent. There are plenty of highlights on the record – including Spinning Around and her duet with Robbie Williams, Kids – and the songwriting is solid.

In terms of genres, you get some softer tones and Dance groove; there are Disco and House splicings and it is amazingly strong record. The reviews that met Light Years’ release were among the most passionate and positive of Minogue’s career. AllMusic assessed the album like this:

“In 1998, Kylie Minogue was dropped by dance label DeConstruction, and some thought she had committed career suicide. Obviously the backlash of 1997's Impossible Princess taught the diminutive Aussie one important lesson. Sometimes you have to just go with what you know -- go back to basics. And that's just what Minogue has done with 2000's Light Years. Symbolically dropping her last name from the cover, she re-enters the territory that made her great. Granted, with the teen pop movement at its strongest, one could say she just has good timing, but this work is leaps and bounds better than her Stock-Aitken-Waterman work. Light Years is not just another Minogue dance-pop record, but a great collection of disco stylings and Europop kitsch. "Spinning Around" is a fun and string-laden declaration that she may have made a mistake back in 1997, and the Robbie Williams/Guy Chambers-penned "Your Disco Needs You" is probably one of the best dance songs of the '90s. Arguably one of the best disco records since the '70s, Light Years is Minogue comfortable with who she is and what she's good at”.

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

One would forgive Minogue for taking some time out but the popularity of Light Years – combined with touring commitments – meant there was little room for breath. One of the defining characteristics of Kylie Minogue is her warmth in interviews and her radiance. If she was under any strain you would not know about it. She is a constant source of sunshine and warmth and keen to promote her new album. Light Years was barely out of sight before 2001’s Fever arrived. The world was strained in October 2001 – this was a few weeks after the terrorist attacks on New York – and it was a hard time to release new material. If the 1980s albums covers from Kylie Minogue projected a singer sweetly smiling and in playful mood; by the 2000s, Minogue was this confident, in controlling artist – much more a complete product and star than a merely promising artist. Fever’s cover finds Minogue with microphone aloft, in the throes of a passionate song. Fever boasted plenty of epic hits. Not only was there Love at First Sight and Come into My World; Can’t Get You Out of My Head and In Your Eyes made it a truly essential album. Whilst Minogue did not co-write all of the songs, there were fewer cooks in the kitchen and, as a result, Fever seems like a more accessible, instant and simple album.

Over six-million copies of Fever sold worldwide and one can see the popularity of the record and how it changed Pop. From Britney Spears’ new dynamic to Madonna embracing Dance/Disco on Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005); it remains an influential album to this day and the very best from Minogue. I am not sure what was happening in Minogue’s life around the time of Fever but she sounds more comfortable, happy and inventive. Perhaps it was fresh love or new writers; a momentum that would continue or a moment when she felt truly safe in her own skin. Gone were the days of being directed by a label and having to fit into the charts. The legendary Pop artist – only thirty-three at the time – was showing the new breed how it is done! Maybe there was not as much depth as one would hope on some songs but the icon was in her thirties and she was determined to have fun and cut loose – able to show maturity and keen intellect on a number of tracks. Post-Fever albums would become less dancey and more sophisticated. There was no artist who could touch Minogue by 2003’s Body Language. X arrived in 2007 and the gap was explained by the fact Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. Again, this news and setback would floor many but Minogue battled and was back in sparkling form by 2007.

She was still carrying emotional scars but the music popped and sparkled. Savvy and passionate throughout; Minogue was committed to the material and invested in every breath. With a new lease of life and determined to keep on top of the world, 2010’s Aphrodite was a success. All the Lovers and Get Outta My Way are classic Minogue cuts and, with every album, she was embracing new sounds. AllMusic, again, nailed Minogue’s intentions and were very positive about Aphrodite:

“This ability to tailor her performance to the song is a rare quality in the pop world of the early 2010s. It may lead people to underestimate Kylie's artistry but really, Aphrodite is the work of someone who knows exactly what her skills are and who to hire to help showcase them to perfection. She and her team have crafted an album that’s both full of songs that could/should hit the upper reaches of the charts, and also a collection of songs that hang together as an album. One of her best, in fact”.

Kiss Me Once, in 2014, was filled with songs about freedom, empowerment and new beginnings. Whilst not as big a shift as some of her previous albums, Kiss Me Once is another solid album and proof that there is no slowing Kylie Minogue. Perhaps the biggest shift of the past couple of decades came between Kiss Me Once and last year’s Golden.

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

That may be a bold claim but Minogue’s latest album saw her record a lot in Nashville; co-write all the tracks for the first time since 1997 and adopt new sounds into her music. There are Country and Folk touches and considering we were used to Dance, Pop and Disco, it was quite a strange thing hearing Golden. Minogue is always moving and exploring so it should have shocked few when she announced Golden. Minogue described the songwriting for Golden as a form of therapy and, whilst there are Pop and Dance moments, it is the new Nashville influence that results in some of the most tender and interesting songs of her career. I have been a bit narrow regarding Golden: there are plenty of styles working away and the record is a smart and assured offering. Minogue, once more, was leading the field and standing out in a disposable scene. A lot of new artists are generic and bland but, with Golden, here was an artist who could have compromised and played it safe – Minogue was always shifting and looking to break new ground. Dancing and One Last Kiss are songs that hit you when you hear them once but you will keep coming back. There were some great reviews but this one, from musicOHM, is glowing.

“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”.

That is a bit of a whistle-stop tour through the complete work of Kylie Minogue. I wanted to write this for a number of reasons. Not only has she been releasing music for over thirty years and continuing to shine; she is an icon who should act as a guide to new songwriters. She is still only fifty and there are many more years to come from Minogue. The Pop scene is becoming less interesting and more homogenised and a lot of artists are unwilling to dare.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Kylie Minogue 

Minogue started her days with a distinct songwriting team and, to an extent, controlled and directed by her label. As she stepped into the 1990s and continued to grow, Minogue would start taking more control and bringing about these huge evolutions. I feel there are very few icons around but Minogue is one of the last survivors. She has managed to adapt to the changes in the music industry and,, although there have been some minor albums and bumps, her popularity is unchanged and there is always demand for new Minogue material. I also wanted to talk about her upcoming slot at Glastonbury. She will play the ‘legends’ slot this year and it will be a great occasion for her to perform a career-spanning set. It might sound a little insulting calling someone a legend – if it age-related or dismissive – but the compliment is pure and just. There are few musicians around today who can be seen as a legend but Kylie Minogue definitely warrants that tag. There is huge ageism in music and the mainstream wants things to be shiny, accessible and undemanding. It is great having artists like Kylie Minogue to show how things should be done and rebelling against stiff demands. Now she is in her sixth decade, one wonders where she will head next and what her next album will contain. She has a lot of tour dates around the world and heads to Australia fairly soon.

Life has changed a lot since her 1987 debut but the hearts she has won...they cannot be counted! I remember listening to her as a child in the 1980s and early-1990s and was captured by these exceptional and catchy songs. Watching her grow and embrace new genres opened my eyes to new worlds. I was not sure whether a Pop artist could do that and had seen few evolve so consistently. The music side is impressive but Minogue constantly impresses in interviews. She has so much warmth and time for people and, if she has been uninvolved and distant at times, it does not show. So few artists manage to win you with their music and personality but Minogue strikes on both fronts. She is a fashion icon and her looks have wowed; her musical development is unabated and she is always looking to keep things moving. I might not be able to make it to Glastonbury but it will be a big gig for her and chance for thousands to celebrate a music legend. At a time in history when music is becoming more throwaway and we are always looking for that new thing and sensation...having Minogue as a constant and rock is refreshing. We might get bored of other musicians and not stick with them but, when it comes to the decades-ruling Pop queen, there is no way...

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PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/Kylie Minogue 

PEOPLE will ever grow tired of her.

FEATURE: The BRIT Awards 2019: Part Two: Things Get a Bit International

FEATURE:

 

 

The BRIT Awards 2019

IMAGE CREDIT: @BRITs

Part Two: Things Get a Bit International

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THE nominations have come in for The BRIT Awards...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Christine and the Queens (Héloïse Letissier)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and we have a lot of quality in the running! I have already looked at the best British male and female categories alongside the albums. I now move on to the final part of the feature – where we check in with the singles, videos and international artists. I think 2018 was a bumper year for music and so many great records came out. I feel British artists have helped define the year but so many international treasures have had their say. When the ceremony happens in a month, I cannot wait to see which artists walk away with the prizes. It is hard to predict who will win and that is part of the beauty: who can ever tell whether the expected favourite wins or an underdog steals the show! I have collated the final categories and everyone nominated. 2019’s BRIT Awards are more diverse than last year’s and (the nominations) cover a lot of ground. Here are the runner and, at the end of each category, I look at those I feel will walk away with the prize.

ALL IMAGES/PHOTOS (unless credited otherwise): @BRITs

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British Single

This is a really interesting and broad category and one that is hard to call. The same can be said of every category but the singles market is full and frantic. It is hard enough narrowing down to a shortlist let alone predicting who the winner will be. There are ten names in the list and there are cool singles from Anne-Marie, Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa; Clean Bandit (ft. Demi Lovato), Dua Lipa, George Ezra; Jess Glynne, RAMZ; Rudimental (with guests), Sigala and Paloma Faith and Tom Walker. I think there is a lot of quality in the running but there are two British singles that stand out. Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa streamed by the bucket-load with One Kiss and Dua Lipa ruled with IDGAF. Jess Glynne might win with I’ll Be There and there is an outside shot with Tom Walker. I think it will be hard to predict but that is because there are two or three very strong songs. It will be between Dua Lipa and the Calvin Harris/Dua Lipa blend. In any case, it seems like Dua Lipa is in with pretty good odds! She has been overlooked in a lot of categories and this is her time to shine. She did win big last year so it is not that shocking she is nominated less this year. I think the singles market is an important one and we tend to think everything is about albums. Maybe, in fact, singles are more important than albums and the British crop are standing apart.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa/PHOTO CREDIT: @DUALIPA

Predicted Winner: Dua Lipa - IDGAF

International Male Solo Artist

The BRIT Awards is not only about British artists. That might sound odd but you cannot have an award show that just focuses on the one nation. I like the international categories and think some of the best winners are taking from them. That is not to say British music lacks compared to nations like the U.S. but it is good having that diversity. Drake has been in the news for the wrong reasons recently but his album, Scorpion (2018), proved popular with fans and critics. It might not be his finest work but Drake’s popularity means he will be among the favourites for the award. Kamasi Washington is a welcome addition to the category and feel that The BRITS is diversifying in terms of genre. Including a Jazz record/artist is a big step and I feel like Washington will be in with a shout. Heaven & Earth is a remarkable record and I feel Washington created one of 2018’s very best. Eminem has been busy in the past year and his most recent album, Kamikaze, was a quick response to 2017’s Revival. Shawn Mendes and Travis Scott are nominated and might be worth an outside bet. I do not feel either will win the award but the fact Mendes’ eponymous scored well with critics might put him in the running. It is going to be a tight call between Kamasi Washington and Eminem but it will be interesting seeing who gets the actual award. I have my own idea...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Eminem/PHOTO CREDIT: @Eminem

Predicted Winner: Eminem

International Female Solo Artist

Like the British equivalent; I love the female category because I think there is more diversity and quality to be found. I cannot believe how quality-laden this category is and it is probably the hardest one to predict. It has been a great year for Christine and the Queens and Janelle Monáe. The former released Chris and it is a remarkable album! I love the record and it is one of the very best of 2018. I think she will win the award but Monáe’s Dirty Computer was another big album. Monáe has been announced for Glastonbury whereas Christine and the Queens have been touring heavily. Cardi B produced Invasion of Privacy last year and it was another stunning album. I feel that record put her ahead of peers like Nicki Minaj and she has definitely stepped up her game. Camila Cabello is not to overlooked and her 2018 album, Camila, is a wonderful thing. It is full of fresh rhythms and instant songs. It might be worth putting some money on her but I think it will be between two names this year. I like the fact Ariana Grande has been recognised and many argue she made the biggest impact to music last year. It has been tough in many ways but she responded with excellent music. Sweetener was another big album from last year and one that sparred with the biggest Pop offerings. This is a really important category and one that will be watched very closely.

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Predicted Winner: Christine and the Queens

International Group

In terms of sheer scope and variation, this is a hard one to beat! Again, like British groups, there is a lack of big guitars and anthemic choruses. That is not to say music has gone in the wrong direction but it is clear other sounds are making ground. Twenty One Pilots have been booked for Readings and Leeds this year but I do not think they will win this award. Nile Rodgers & Chic are an unusual inclusion but I think it is worthy! It’s About Time was the last album from them and was a great addition to last year. I think The BRITS have lacked diversity through the years so including some Funk and Disco-styled music is a good thing. It will be down to three names when it comes to taking away this award. BROCKHAMPTON released iridescence last year and it was one of those underground albums that did not get the exposure it warranted. The reviews it did pick up were warm and encouraging and I would not be shocked to see BROCKHAMPTON win this prize. The Carters and First Aid Kit will be the ones to watch. EVERYTHING IS LOVE was the collaboration between Beyoncé and Jay-Z and had a lot of expectation on its shoulders. It is not as fine as each artist’s best solo works but it is a passionate and tremendous record. I do not know whether The Carters cannot be considered a ‘group’ but I would like to see the duo walk away with the award, maybe. First Aid Kit are a favourite of mine and they are worth watching. Ruins was a great album from them last year and completes a very eclectic award category!

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

Predicted Winner: The Carters

British Video

There are some repeats from the single category so it would not be unexpected to see the winner of one win the other. Anne-Marie’s 2002 gets another nod as does Dua Lipa for IDGAF and One Kiss (with Calvin Harris). I like the Dua Lipa videos but feel that they are not as memorable as the singles themselves. Maybe it is hard to translate the songs into inventive videos but they are not bad by any stretch of the imagination. I think Anne-Marie is in with a better shout and 2002’s video stands up on its own feet. It might not be the best video of 2018 but it is a very solid one and I think she stands a very good chance. This year’s awards is recognising, in singles and videos, collaborations. Jax Jones and Ina Wroldsen united for Breathe and its video certainly accrued a lot of views. Jonas Blue and Jack & Jack united for Rise but did not provide the best video around – I do wonder whether there are better videos that could have made the cut. A more appealing and engaging video came from Liam Payne and Rita Ora. Although the single, For You, is not especially terrific, the video is stronger and at least provides a bit of interest. This category is heavily weighted to the Pop end of the spectrum and the inclusion of Little Mix and Nicki Minaj for Woman Like Me is no shock. Rita Ora’s Let Me Love You video is better than the effort with Liam Payne. I think it will be a close call between her video and that from Anne-Marie. Rudimental’s These Days is a strong video but I cannot see it winning the award. The video category is important and the dominance of Pop shows what the voting panel are interested in. I have a couple of names in the top spots but I feel Anne-Marie will win it.

Predicted Winner: Anne-Marie – 2002

FEATURE: The BRIT Awards 2019: Part One: Ladies, Gentlemen and Brilliant British Albums

FEATURE:

 

 

The BRIT Awards 2019

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IMAGE CREDIT: @BRITs 

Part One: Ladies, Gentlemen and Brilliant British Albums

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THE nominations have come in for The BRIT Awards...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Anne-Marie has been nominated for four BRIT Awards (including British Female)/PHOTO CREDIT: Spotify

and there are some great names in the list (the ceremony takes place on Wednesday, 20th February). Past years have seen many criticise the rather Pop-orientated nature and the fact that it seems to reflect what’s in the charts and nothing else. I do wonder how much we pay attention to music award shows and whether they hold the same weight as they used to. Maybe some are homogenised and it can be quite galling seeing the genuine best overlooked in favour of something more commercial and Pop-facing. I agree that The BRITS have suffered from that single-minded attention to Pop and not really diversified. The past couple of years have rectified this and we are seeing improvement. This year’s nominations are available for all to see and showcase a diverse mix of artists and tastes. It is interesting to see how the award show has grown the past couple of years and the fact the outlook is a lot better. There are a range of categories and I already have my feelings regarding the best and brightest. I shall provide some predications regarding each award but feel that all the nominated acts deserve their place and it good to see The BRIT Awards reflecting a diverse music scene and drawing attention to a wider range.

ALL IMAGES: @BRITs

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British Breakthrough Act

I feel like this category could widen a bit and you could throw a few more names into the mix! The five names nominated this year are IDLES, Ella Mai; Jorja Smith, Mabel and Tom Walker. I feel like it has been a great time for new artists and we are seeing more and more terrific sounds flood the market. I think Ella Mai has had a great year but do feel like her time is around the corner. Her eponymous album was released last year and received some warm praise. I like the sound she is producing but feel that her best work is a couple of years away. She is one to keep an eye out for. I think Jorja Smith is more formed and seems like she has hit her stride right away. Her Mercury-nominated debut, Lost & Found, scored some big reviews and, while there are nods to Amy Winehouse in the vocals, she is an original artist who is producing some sumptuous, fantastic and soulful tracks. She is a British star that will continue to make music for a long time. Mabel and Tom Walker have both had great years (2018). Mabel’s Ivy to Roses (Mixtape) drew in a few collaborators but the abiding and standout voice was hers. You would not expect anything less from Neneh Cherry’s daughter and I feel like Mabel is one of those artists who will forge her own path and build a huge fanbase. Tom Walker has released a few singles and has an intriguing sound. His recent track, Just You and I, is full of life and energy and I think Walker will enjoy a long career. I think IDLES have had a sensation past few years. Their debut, Brutalism, came out in 2017 and was denied of some much-deserved awards. Last year’s Joy as an Act of Resistance. scored massive love and their tour demands are through the roof! The band has a lot of dates coming up around the world and they are storming it right now. Their album reflected the sort of tensions we all have and delivered big messages with plenty of heart and humour.

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Predicted Winner: IDLES

British Male Solo Act

This is a hard one to call and there is definitely a good mixture in there! I think Aphex Twin have been around a long time and it would be unusual to see them win the award. I am not sure whether the panel are looking for the best British artist from the year (2018) or looking to address those who have the most potential. I love Aphex Twin and their Collapse EP received a lot of new love. It is a fantastic work but not as good as their classic output. It would be good to see them win, mind. Craig David and George Ezra are nominated and they have both produced great work recently. Ezra’s album, Staying at Tamara’s, proved popular and seemed like a maturation. I am not a huge fan of his but think his popularity is well earned and he is someone who can produce simple and charming songs that get under the skin. Craig David is another one of those established acts and released The Time Is Now last year. The man has not put out a great deal of work the past few years but he is definitely back on the scene and has always had a place in the market. I like the fact he has not repeated the sound of his early days but definitely has retained that core. Giggs and Sam Smith seem more likely to win the award. Smith released his last album, The Thrill of It All, in 2017 and has been busy since then. Wamp 2 Dem was Giggs’ last album back in 2017 so, although neither has released albums in 2018, they are definitely in the mindset and big artists. This will be a tough category to call and there is a great variation in there. I like the mix of established acts and newcomers and it will be good to see the award go to legends like Aphex Twin – I do not feel they will scoop it. It is a good award for a British male to win because it will aid their career and see them gain a new audience.

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Predicted Winner: Sam Smith

British Female Solo Act

This is a category I am more invested in and I am always keen to highlight fantastic female artists. Many assume the best female acts are American but it is obvious we have some great talent in this country. Two artists who have been nominated before are Anne-Marie and Jess Glynne. Speak Your Mind was released late last year and scored great reviews. It is her most confident and rounded work and many noted a maturity and rise in quality. Anne-Marie has produced great music since the start of her career but it seems like she has hit her peak form. Given the big reaction to her album, would you count against her winning the converted prize?! Many might be confused by the fact Dua Lipa – who won the award last year – is not included. Jess Glynne’s inclusion is understandable because she continues to score big hits and reign. Always In Between was released last year and got some fair praise. Whilst not as strong as some of her other work, it is a solid album and had enough quality in there to keep her fans happy. Jorja Smith is back on the list and feel she could turn heads at The BRITS next month. Certainly, she is very different to the Pop names who have won in the past and the fact she was nominated for a Mercury last year means she has the backing of the industry. I am not shocked to see a fellow Mercury nominee Lily Allen in there. She is always in our minds and last year’s No Shame talked about personal struggles and really delved deep. Although Allen missed out on a Mercury, could this be rectified by The BRITS?! I feel, given her reputation and past work, you can never bet against her. Again, another Mercury nominee is on the list – in the form of Florence + the Machine. It makes things tough to call and I feel this category will be one of the very hardest to predict. I feel there is more strength in the female category (compared to the men) and this is really tricky. I love Florence + the Machine and always buy her records. I do wonder which way this award will go and whether a more mainstream artist like Jess Glynne is preferred over someone like Jorja Smith.

Predicted Winner: Jorja Smith

British Group

This is another eclectic and interesting category. I think there are some great British groups but many say it is solo artists dominating right now! That said, we have some established artists in the running. Gorillaz will be among the favourites to win this and after releasing The Now Now last year, they have fresh material out there. I feel this album is one of their stronger works so it means one could easily see them winning the award. Talk about a rise in popularity and The 1975 are in your mind. They released A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships late last year and it was one of the contenders for the best album of 2018. I feel the sheer celebration that record received will tip the scales their way but there is a lot of competition. Little Mix continue to put out interesting work and have recently spoken out against body-shaming and Piers Morgan. It is clear they have a strong voice and are keen to say something important through their work. Last year’s LM5 gained respectful reviews and it is a potent Pop album. Years & Years are a great band who continues to grow so I do wonder whether this will be their year. Last year’s Palo Santo scored big respect and it would be good to see that translate into awards. Many will have their own opinions but there is that split between the more commercial Pop side and artists like Gorillaz. One notices the lack of guitars in the line-up and I do wonder whether tastes have changed and we will see a return to the past. I like the fact band music has changed but am concerned there is a lack of great guitar bands in the country. Arctic Monkeys are also nominated and last year’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino did get a Mercury nod. I think they are one of the best bands we have in the country but wonder whether their slight change of musical direction will affect their chances. Their latest record is terrific but many were divided and felt it was not as rewarding and great as their classic records.

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Predicted Winner: The 1975

Mastercard British Album of the Year

Aside from the corporate sponsor attached to this award – I guess Hyundai sponsoring the Mercury is no different! – it is a great category! The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships faces Anne-Marie’s Speak Your Mind; Florence + the Machine’s High as Hope goes against George Ezra’s Staying at Tamara’s and Lost & Found from Jorja Smith. I like the fact there is consistency and we are seeing the same artists appear in different categories. It means there is a consistency but I wonder whether overlooking the Arctic Monkeys is wise. I guess you have to draw a line but it is still a rich and interesting category. I feel like the outsiders will be George Ezra and Jorja Smith. I would love Smith to win and feel her album is incredible but there are three names that stand out. The 1975 got a lot of focus with A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships and Anne-Marie’s latest record is her best. Florence + the Machine continue to produce fantastic music and Florence Welch is one of the best songwriters in the country. It is another tricky award to call but I do think there is a clear winner. Whoever wins the award, it shows there is a varied and great scene in Britain and our best artists are stepping up. I do like the fact that The BRITS are recognising female artists more and the fact the majority of the names in this category are female is a good shout. This category will be hotly-contested and I feel like the bookies will struggle to decide. I feel there is only one who can win this one, mind...

Predicted Winner: The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

TRACK REVIEW: The Lottery Winners - That’s Not Entertainment

TRACK REVIEW:

 

The Lottery Winners

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That’s Not Entertainment

 

9.6/10

 

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The track, That’s Not Entertainment, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPjrQOjof3Q

ORIGIN:

Manchester, U.K.

GENRE:

Indie-Pop

RELEASE DATE:

9th November, 2018

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ONE topic that springs up when I review a rising act...

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is the need for more information and input! This is the only constructive criticism I have regarding The Lottery Winners but they are rising and need to take it to heart. I will mention bands from the North and why Manchester always thrives; bands that can rule and have had that backing; great chemistry in the ranks and how that aids the music; unusual influences and why I welcome that – I will end by looking at the future for The Lottery Winners and how this year will go. To start with, I want to see more artists give more information to their fans. There is a school of thought that says, if you are new, there is not much to give and you want to let the music fill in the blanks. I admit that the music needs to guide and do the lifting but journalists and fans still like to know where someone comes from and what music they are inspired by. When reviewing Sharon Van Etten yesterday, I had a press release attached and it gave me a lot to go from. I know she is a big artist but anyone can assemble a pack that talks about a song’s background and how the band/act came together; where they hope to head and some personal background. It is not too revealing providing some information regarding where you are from and what you are about. I pitched an interview to The Lottery Winners but they never got back so do not have insight and revelation I can put into the review. Given a lot of reviews are just simple and short pieces, I feel more musicians need to think about providing something substantial and helpful. In the case of The Lottery Winners, they have great reviews we can see on their social media but what of the guys themselves? I would like to hear about their start and how songs come together; a bit about inspiration and how songs come to them.

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I love their music but do not have a lot of other information to build a review around. It is a problem that affects a lot of artists and I can understand why some would want to hold stuff in reserve. If you are too bold and wordy then it means people have that impression and do not value the music the same way. There is middle-ground where you can provide some information for fans and the media and still allow the music to do the bulk of the work. I hope more artists amend this in 2019 and understand that there is a desire to find out about them and get a sense of who they are. In a competitive and hectic industry, I think that attention and addition will make a big difference. I am hoping the interview comes back from The Lottery Winners because their music suggests a fun and original flair – I wonder if this translates to conversation and what the guys do away from music. The Lottery Winners have great music behind them and they have some cool photos available. This is pleasing to see but I still hanker to discover more about the northern band and how they all found one another. I think there is a lot about them to recommend and it is clear many people are falling for The Lottery Winners. They are from different parts of the country but Manchester/Greater Manchester is where they base themselves. I have always been a fan of music from Manchester and feel artists there do it differently; there is something about them that stands out from the pack. The Lottery Winners definitely have a distinct flair and direction about them. I hope, going forward, they put a bit on their social media pages regarding their home and how music came to them; how they plan on moving forward and how a song like That’s Not Entertainment came to be. Whilst I do not need to know the story of the track, a little bit about the music in general would aid my opinions and would provide a bit of colour and truth regarding the group.

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I have mentioned the North and how music differs there. I think there is all this attention paid to London and, whilst I bring this up a lot, I do feel like the spotlight needs to point in other directions this year. I can understand why we keep focusing on London: so many different stars are being made here and there is so much going on. It is a busy city, for sure, but that does not mean everywhere else is inferior and quiet. Manchester has always thrived and been an essential cog of the music machine. Look back as far as the 1980s and you can see how Manchester acts have inspired what we hear today. I have visited Manchester a few times and feel there is something special about the city that keeps musicians rooted and leads to very cool music. I think London is full of interesting people and the music can reflect that diversity. More often than not, I am sensing something a little anxious about music from London. So many people I talk to from here are feeling the strain of daily life and it can be hard separating that from the music. You want to be truthful and reflect what is going on in your life and, more often than not, we get something that has tension and a sense of fear. That might be all-sweeping but you can definitely see a split between artists in London and those in the North. I think there is more wit, story and personality in music from Manchester. I am not suggesting London lacks personality and charm but you tend to find a higher percentage in Manchester. Look at The Lottery Winners and they are your typical example. They love fun and want to ensure the music makes you feel better. I am sure they have the same problems and stresses as everyone but it seems their natural environment is a lot calmer and more inspiring than it would be if they were in London. Maybe that is a bit rash but I cannot see them moving anytime soon.           

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What is it about the North that leads to original music? I have met a lot of people there and there is more time for communication and conversation. You can always expect to find a friendly face somewhere and that simple thing can inspire music and a human in general. If you are bustling and rushing through a city then it is hard to reflect and take the time to sit and rest. Manchester is busy and popular but one gets a different vibe there. More easy-going for the most part and, when you get to know the people, their stories and humour can really lift you. For a musician, having that at your feet is invaluable and I can tell The Lottery Winners are comfortable where they are. Maybe it is not as simple as saying northern artists are brighter and more optimistic but I can always rely on a certain wit, colour and brightness when I investigate acts from Manchester. At the very least, you get something fresh and exciting. The Lottery Winners occasionally look inward feel the pinch but they are more concerned with projecting a vivacious and multifarious canvas. I have listened back to their previous tracks and there is a distinct sense of adventure, energy and brightness about them. I feel the cynicism of the world will not change their demeanour and they will continue to write these classy gems. I think the media, if they want to discover artists bringing the joy, need to look further north and investigate Manchester more. I feel the last bold and nation-uniting movement that came from music, Britpop, was northern-led and we need to recapture that sense of togetherness and hope – even if you think Britpop was a fad and fake, you cannot deny there was some epic music from that period in the 1990s! I would like to know more about The Lottery Winners and how the guys’ music comes to be. Maybe they will disclose a bit more later this year but, right now, people are falling for the music.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @samanthajguess

I have read the reviews The Lottery Winners have garnered and they are all very positive. I have been obsessed with solo artists the past few years and it has been a tough time for bands. There is this never-ending divide between the mainstream and the underground. I mention this a bit but it is interesting to see the different layers. Look out at the charts and the big scene and most of the music coming through is from solo artists. A large percentage of the best albums of 2018 were from solo acts and there was not a lot of band influence. That is very different when you dig deeper and look at the artists coming through. Maybe there is still a weight of solo artists but I am seeing some terrific bands emerging. The Lottery Winners are definitely needed in the mainstream right now. Many have damned the Pop market and claim it lacks feeling, substance and longevity. Maybe there is that demand for music that is quick and easy to understand. Often, we like our sounds quite uncomplicated and catchy. Perhaps bands deal more with something a bit heavier and there is not quite the demand for their work right now. What I am finding with a lot of mainstream bands is the fact they lack a real spark and sense of identity. There are so many recycled sounds and not that many who genuinely go down their own path. As I stated when reviewing Leeds’ allusinlove recently, it seems the underground band market is in safe hands. The Lottery Winners have a distinct style and passion that could help bring about a revival and improvement. It might take a few years until we see the solo hegemony end but I think we do need more balance in the mainstream. The fact The Lottery Winners have the ear of stations like BBC Radio 6 Music – as I shall explain later – shows they are doing something right. How does a band manage to get from the underground and emerge in the big leagues?

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @BBC6Music

It is clear it takes more than good tunes to make that happen. I feel a committed social media presence is needed and putting your music out as much as possible. By this, I mean bands need to keep sharing their music and update fans as much as possible. You do not need to keep releasing songs but do not leave a big gap between releases. The Lottery Winners have ticked all the boxes and they are keen to update their fans all of the time. We get a real bond with them and it makes it a lot easier to follow them and stick by them. I feel so many artists leave gaps between communication and it is hard to find out what they are doing. If you have a great act that keeps you in mind and does not leave this big pause then you are more committed and invested. I think there is a great relationship in the band that comes out on the screen and in their music. Maybe it is harder to resonate as a band because, in many ways, it is easier to bond with a solo artist. It is an easier and simpler relationship and solo acts can easily get into the heart and speak to you. Bands, largely, find it harder to be personal and deliver music the same way as solo artists. This is my opinion and you might have a different take. It is clear that a successful band needs to have faith and trust working through everything. Look at bands such as IDLES and you just know the fellas are great friends and they have that unbreakable connection. I have heard so many bands that fail to register because every member seems to be on a different page. Listen to The Lottery Winners and you just know they have nothing but respect for one another. It comes out in their music and that makes you stick by them and see what comes next.

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I think chemistry is important and you need to be a solid unit. Music is a difficult business and it is even more stressful now. If you are a band like The Lottery Winners, friendship and solidity is vital. The band specialises in sweeping and big songs and you need to commit to them. If there was any tension or struggle in the ranks then it would be harder to sell those songs. I do like the fact that there are these promising bands coming out that have a deep respect and affection for one another. I think it is harder being in a band compared to life as a solo artists and it is easy to get under each other’s skin in a bad way. If you have that mutual respect it makes the songwriting process smoother and means the music is much more natural. I love The Lottery Winners because they are connected solidly and you just know the songwriting and rehearsal sessions are full of laughter and fun. I think the future is very rosy for the band and they are definitely filling a void right now. I don’t know when the change occurred but I definitely recall when the music scene was a more positive and upbeat place. Compared to what we have today, one could find music that got the heart pumping and made you feel better. More and more, it is harder to discover that sort of bliss and much-needed bliss. One might say society now is more anxious and we are all obsessed by technology – less connected to one another and more stressed as a people. I keep saying it but music needs to be somewhere one can escape to and give us a distraction from daily life. If we have a mass of artists who are mirroring the strain and unhappiness around us then how is that going to make us feel? It would be impossible to demand that every artist cheers up a bit and produced sunnier music but we definitely need to promote those artists that understand the problem – this is where The Lottery Winners come in.

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I will end by looking at their backing and how the critics are receiving them. In terms of where they come from, musically, there is a lot of the North in them. I was delighted to discover a band that had elements of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South in their D.N.A. One can also hear the jangle of The Smiths and it is very clear The Lottery Winners keep the North close to them. One can hear some southern tones but it is the classic songwriters of the North that direct what they do. I wanted to mention influenced because it can be important when it comes to understanding an artist. I always delight in being able to mention The Beautiful South whenever I can. The reason so many have noted a link between The Lottery Winners and The Beautiful South is because of the wit and the  catchy choruses; the fact both bands could make you smile and produce quintessential Pop music – the sort that makes you feel better but can provide a bit of bite here and there. I miss The Beautiful South and feel they never got the respect they deserved. Led by songwriter Paul Heaton, we all know at least a few of their songs and grew up around their music. I love the way Heaton (and composer Dave Rotheray) could articulate the less glamorous and more realistic sides of domestic harmony and relationships. Heaton was masterful when talking about the mundane and familiar; the sort of horrors that lurked behind closed doors and things most songwriters were not discussing. We have not really seen a replacement for them and it is a shame so many songwriters feel writing about love needs to be a draining and harrowing thing. Where are those that artists that add some wit and story to the blend? I long to hear bands that articulate the wit and worldview of The Smiths and can pen those classic tracks like The Beautiful South did.

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The Lottery Winners, whilst not in the same league as them, have a similar ambitions and attitude. You can tell they are tired of the same songs that address the same things. Rather than follow everyone and hope to get to the mainstream but being samey and common; the band provide a lot more sparkle and intrigue. You listen to a song like That’s Not Entertainment and, aside from the rewording of a Jam song, there is so much to unpick and become hooked by. There are few bands that deliver solid and uplifting songs and I think we all need to spend a bit more time with The Lottery Winners. The guys have been backed by BBC Radio 6 Music and D.J.s such as Chris Hawkins rank among their fans. I feel that sort of backing is impressive and rare. I am not suggesting BBC Radio 6 Music are the only station who matter but they are not interested in the commercial and cheap. Instead, they look out at the music world and are keen to support musicians who are different and place quality over popularity. I shall move onto the new song from The Lottery Winners but, before then, a bit about backing. I have read great reviews that all seem to say the same things about the band. People are noticing the jangle and the fun; the fact the songs get into the head and stay with you. Maybe it is a northern thing but many have been charmed by the wit and verve of The Lottery Winners. I hope the guys continue down this road and do not let the rather pessimistic and bleak shadow so many are under come their way! I think it is right to look at a song that came out late last year. That’s Not Entertainment points at great things and shows that, with every release, The Lottery Winners are more assured and ambitious.

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The first moments, as I keep saying, of any song are vital and you need to bring people in. They say we tend to turn off and make a decision about a song after only a few seconds. I fear for those who slowly build a song and rely on a listener sticking with things for longer! The Lottery Winners are masterful when it comes to hooking you right away. One gets a nice jangle and spirited swagger to the first few seconds and a declarative vocal that drives the song forward. Strangely, I get impressions of Smash Mouth (their hit, All Star, comes to mind) when listening to the melody and delivery. Maybe the U.S. band was not in the mind of the Manchester clan but we can hear a bit of them. Our hero steps to the microphone and confesses this: nothing on the radio means that much to him. A lot of songwriters have talked about the absence of quality on the radio – including Nelly Furtado – and it is, sadly, a subject that has plenty of ‘inspiration’ – the mainstream has not become much stronger or more varied lately! You wonder whether the song will be an attack on the state of commercial music or whether the band have their tongues firmly in their cheeks. I definitely get a flair of Smash Mouth and, rather than discuss confidence and pumping up the senses, The Lottery Winners look at those who are proferred by big labels and stations. If you are good looking then that does not mean you are better than anyone else. One wonders whether artists like ZAYN and Harry Styles are being revealed: the sort that is quality-lite but have a distinct look and appeal that pre-teen fans love. The song, despite some sharp-tongued directions, is light and has a conversational style. It seems these stars are being taken for fools and are being guided by labels that want a lot of money and do not care about the quality.

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I love the blend of sounds that seems to unite the early days of The Beautiful South but there is a bit of U.S. Rock to be discovered. It is a big and impressive sound and one can understand why so many critics have been raving about The Lottery Winners. The band seem to share the same attitude as me when it comes to talent shows: they are bubblegum and exploit those who want their fifteen minutes and have sob stories to tell. Look at the T.V. schedules and we have inane dance contests on BBC and singing shows all over the place. All of them lure in the lightweight and slight who only have minor talent and do not have the worth and substance to remain and inspire. It is not new attacking these outlets but The Lottery Winners do so in a fresh way. Their always-light and affecting charm means you are never uncomfortable and feel anxious. It is great to hear that catchy and fantastic sound give the song a freshness and audible smile. Balance that against the cynical words that wonder whether there is much treasure to be found on the radio and on the T.V. Maybe The Jam did not have ideas that, years after That’s Entertainment! Was released, there would be this sly retort. I am not sure what the original was inspired by but the music scene has changed since 1980. The static and white noise we are subjected to is getting boring and we are looking around for some light. The band throws in guitar stabs and wonderful accents. It keeps the song alive and appropriately interesting. It would be bad to hear a song that rebels against the bland if the song itself was the same – The Lottery Winners have produced a fine and epic song that gets you pumped. That’s Not Entertainment is a song filled with spritz and excitement. One can stand by the song’s messages and ethics. You will find yourself nodding your head and singing along to a song that brings the fun but conveys a serious message. I wonder whether the messages of That’s Not Entertainment will run off on the artists being accused!

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I have discussed The Lottery Winners from different angles and covered them quite well. I do hope the band put more online regarding their story and make sure they share as many interviews as possible – let’s hope they get mine back to me soon! That’s Not Entertainment is a solid and interesting song I was keen to review and, although a bit late, I wanted to take the time and do it justice. 2019 has not been with us too long but I know the band are planning ahead and seeing what is coming. I do hope there is more music afoot and they take their tracks on the road. I am not sure what they have planned regarding tour dates but they will cover the North and do as much at home as they can. I am looking at this year and seeing what sort of artist will define things. I think The Lottery Winners are worth keeping an eye out for and following. They have a good link with their fans online and they produce a wonderful live show. I would like to see them play further south and I do hope they have quite a few gigs lined up. I am sure there will be an E.P. later in the year and it is an exciting time for them. A lot of artists are making early bids regarding singles but it might be a couple more months before we start seeing big albums arrive. That is a weird thing with music. How many great albums, from history, came out in the first couple of months of the year? It seems like most of the classics, from recent times or the past, arrive later in the year. This is just me musing but I feel The Lottery Winners should be thinking about an attack around March; lining up some dates after that and readying themselves for the festivals. I love what they are putting out right now and, if you have not discovered them, ensure you...

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FEATURE: Love, Simplicity and Racial Revolution: A Reign Supreme: Motown at Sixty

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Love, Simplicity and Racial Revolution

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IN THIS PHOTO: Diana Ross & The Supremes outside Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, MI in 1965/PHOTO CREDIT: Art Shay

A Reign Supreme: Motown at Sixty

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A lot of genres and eras in music come and go...

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Marvelettes scored Motown’s first number-one on the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 with Please Mister Postman on 11th December, 1961/PHOTO CREDIT: Billboard

and we are never that bothered. I still miss Disco and Grunge but realise the former was maligned by many and the latter was part of a specific time in history. We still have bits of both these genres existent today but music trends and waves come and go. It is right to celebrate their births and mark their anniversaries. There are few times in music more important than Motown. What I mean is the start of Motown is one of the most important in music history. Sixty years ago today, this wonderful and hugely instrumental brand came along. It is hard to know whether Motown was a genre, label or phenomenon. I guess it is a bit of all three but, in any case, 12th January, 1959 saw something truly exceptional occur. Many were not expecting something so wonderful and fresh at the end of the 1950s. The decade did see artists like Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley shine but I associated that decade with some good Pop, Doo-Wop but few standout moments. The 1960s provided greater strength and genius and Motown sort of arrived at the right time. Not only did Motown play a vital role when it came to inter-racial assimilation at the time but it was the first time an African-owned label gained mainstream acknowledgment. Before then, there was a dominance of white labels and genres: Motown changed everything and helped bring about social change and important integration.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: The Miracles (among their string of Motown hits was 1961’s Shop Around)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Motown built off of Pop and Soul and sort of blended them together – it gained remarkable success for a small label and had seventy-nine records in the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969. We look back at the 1960s and associate it with bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones. We think of Bob Dylan and a lot of artists that cover distinct genres – Folk, Pop and Rock. We all know about those epic 1960s-released albums and the artists who defined the time. Berry Gordy Jr. established the Motown label but could not have imagined the success it went on to have and the fact that people would be talking about it sixty years later! Detroit is not short of musical genius – given the Garage-Rock movement and how many artists come from there – but Motown is synonymous with the Michigan city. Gordy relocated to L.A. after the Detroit Riots of 1967 but nobody can deny Motown is a Detroit sound. By the 1990s, Motown had changed and been sold but its legacy and relevance is crucial. Let’s go back to the start. The BBC chart the start of Motown and define its sound:

“On 12 January 1959, the music sensation that changed America – and the world beyond it – was set in motion. Detroit-born 29-year-old Berry Gordy founded Tamla Records with an $800 loan from his family’s collective savings. By the following year, he’d merge this into the Motown Record Corporation: an independent empire that would seal its genuinely iconic status, introducing legends including The Jackson 5; Diana Ross and The Supremes; Stevie Wonder; Smokey Robinson; Marvin Gaye; Martha and The Vandellas; The Commodores and many others among its hundreds of signings...

Sixty years on, Motown’s classic catalogue remains ubiquitous and influential: forming a blueprint for modern soul and pop successes, from girl groups to hit singer-songwriters; sampled on countless hip hop and dance anthems and covered by acts of every genre. On its anniversary, the music is celebrated in the book Motown: The Sound of Young America by Adam White with Barney Ales (Thames & Hudson) – filled with rarely seen and previously unpublished photos”.

The Motown sound influenced and guided artists from 1959 and you can hear its legacy today. Maybe we do not have bands like The Temptations and The Supremes but that is not to say we have forgotten the lessons and dynamics of the label. In many ways, mind, Motown seems to be very different to the modern scene. The Motown label pushed this tight, punchy and spirited songs; the aim was for artists to write, produce and be as authentic as possible – something we should remember today, where the mainstream is become less punchy, concentrated and personal. That desire for artists to be able to dance, sing and produce sounds rigid and strict but it was designed to ensure the music we were hearing had heart, soul and (that artist’s) stamp. A lot of artists made the label a huge force but few came bigger than The Miracles. The BBC article picks up the story:

“The Miracles would become Motown’s first million-selling recording artists. The first of scores of Motown number one singles was delivered by teen girl group The Marvelettes: 1961’s Please Mr Postman had Gladys Horton on lead vocals and backing from Motown’s ultra-sharp house band The Funk Brothers (including Marvin Gaye on drums); like countless Motown gems, it would also inspire major cover versions – in this case, by the likes of The Beatles and The Carpenters”.

Motown’s boom and popularity peaked by 1967 and that coincided with the riots in Detroit. Motown was rare because it was a black-owned label with multi-racial staff. Civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped raise awareness of inequality and bring about change but, in musical terms, Motown was key and huge. Racism and a lack of opportunity for black artists would rear its head in the 1970s and 1980s but Motown helped break down barriers and see some of the best black artists of the day in the mainstream. Gordy set up the Motown label with a solid ethos: to write songs for every race and make everyone feel good. Motown certainly achieved that and took the world by storm. That is not to say Pop and mainstream sounds before then lacked heart and smile but Motown threw something new into the mix. Funkiness, soulful grooves and these brilliantly tight and catchy songs got the world dancing and remain classics to this day. Motown was as much about promoting love and peace as it was a simple and effective style of music. Have we seen a label/genre arrive that, at its heart, was about love and making everyone come together?! It is amazing to think that, if we tried today, the notion would be shot down and mocked. Motown was not all about general themes like love and harmony: political anthems would emerge once Motown’s superiority was established by 1970. Edwin Starr (War) and The Temptations (Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today) would deliver political directives and these hugely powerful songs.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images/Spotify

Marvin Gaye (What’s Going On) and Stevie Wonder (Innervisions) put out albums that talked about political corruption, racial tensions and rivalries. Maybe Motown’s sound and stable changed after the 1970s and the label relocated to Los Angeles. Big stars like Michael Jackson had moved to other labels by the 1980s but the kindred spirit and family connection remained strong. Every Motown anniversary is important but now, for its sixtieth, something great is happening in Detroit – as this article shows:

“The Sound of Young America now has 60 candles on its birthday cake. And in Detroit, the party is just getting started.

Motown is celebrating its diamond anniversary in 2019, marking 60 years since Berry Gordy Jr. founded the company that became a musical, cultural and commercial force inextricably linked to the city, right down to the name.

The anniversary will bring a series of high-profile hometown events led by the Motown Museum, including a new exhibit, a spring block party and a celebrity-studded Motown 60 Weekend in the fall.

The birthday is officially Saturday: On Jan. 12, 1959, Gordy secured $800 from a family co-op fund to start his independent record company.

But the Motown anniversary campaign will be a yearlong affair, including global initiatives by Motown Records and Capitol Music Group, the latest corporate parent since Gordy sold the label in 1988. It will be a year that honors Detroit stars now gone and the luminaries still with us — working alumni such as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wilson and Martha Reeves, along with groups such as the Temptations and Four Tops, helmed by respective founding members Otis Williams and Duke Fakir”.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr./PHOTO CREDIT: Forbes/Getty Images

I love Motown and get a great feeling when listening to a golden hit from its stable. As from 2011, Universal Motown was separate from Universal Motown Republic Group. It is not the same label as was set up in 1959 but artists from the Universal Motown label have been transferred to the revitalised Motown label. It is a subsidiary of Capitol Records but it is good to see the Motown name operating and surviving to this day. I love the fact there were these divisions and different Motown camps. We had Tamla Records that was established in 1959 and was in operation a couple of months before the Motown Record Corporation. The label was merged with Motown in 1988 but the stable gave us Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and Stevie Wonder. Motown Records, established in 1960, was purchased by MCA in 1988 but gave us Michael Jackson, Four Tops and Lionel Richie. The appetite and desire for Motown is still around today. In 2011, President Barack Obama hosted a star-studded Motown Gala at the White House; Gordy’s biography led to the Motown the Musical it made its way from Broadway to London’s West End. Even though we do not have the same pedigree as the 1950s-1980s; it is clear people still love Motown and the label’s reputation will never fade. My personal favourite Motown track is Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone from The Temptations.

It was written by Motown hit-makers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for The Undisputed Truth in 1971. The Temptations took the song to number-one late in 1972 and it remains one of the most instant and icon Motown songs. Why has Motown endured and why has its name extended beyond the music itself? Was it a well-timed offering or was the simple philosophy of Motown too hard to resist? I will make one last trip to the BBC article and leave the final offering to Berry Gordy Jr.

“There is something else that explains the enduring power of Motown. Gordy, recalling a tour of the American South, said that “despite the hostility and racism we faced, we knew we were bringing joy to people. The audiences were segregated. The venues had a rope down the middle of the audience separating blacks from whites, but soon the rope was gone and black kids and white kids were dancing together to the same music. It created a bond that echoed throughout the world”.

Not only should we spin some classic Motown to celebrate sixty years but take to heart the spirit and aim of the label. How often do we talk about love and compassion in music today? Is there the same simplicity and joy as we got from Motown? I think we could revive a great time and corner of music that produced some of our very finest artists. As we end the day, let’s raise a glass to Berry Gordy Jr. and...

 IN THIS PHOTO: A group of Motown recording artists and employees, c. 1962-1963 (from left to right: Stevie Wonder, Eddie Kendricks; Uriel Jones (on step), Elbridge Bryant; Otis Williams, Esther Gordy (unconfirmed); Paul Williams, (unknown); Melvin Franklin, Diana Ross; Robert Bullock, Patrice Gordy; Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

A revolutionary record label!

FEATURE: BBC Radio 6 Music’s New Evolution: Weekend Breakfast with RadMac

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BBC Radio 6 Music’s New Evolution

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IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie are the new weekend breakfast presenters on BBC Radio 6 Music (Maconie is doing it solo until Radcliffe returns next month)/PHOTO CREDIT: @BBC6Music  

Weekend Breakfast with RadMac

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ONE of the saddest announcements of last year...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: A disguised Mark Radcliffe makes sure he is present for the final RadMac show of 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: @BBC6Music

was that Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe were moving from their afternoon slot during the week and were heading to weekend breakfast. In some ways, it seemed like a bit of a punishment. It is like demoting someone and putting them to a less popular slot; they cannot cause trouble and are out of harm’s way. Another sad thing was hearing their final weekday show last December. They ended things with dignity and positivity – they were not leaving but merely moving – but the fact Mark Radcliffe was recovery from his throat cancer treatment brought a lump to my throat. Wonderfully, he made a brief return to the show in the form of a snowman! With his voice a little sore and hoarse still, it was still the same Radcliffe we all know and love – just a bit unwell and on the road to recovery. Hearing him back on the air made that decision to move ‘RadMac’ to weekends – how could they do this to a much-loved radio partnership?! The BBC had their rationale I am sure – beats me what it is! – but they kept that at the station at least. I was a bit teary hearing the final moments of the weekday show and knowing the two of them would not be in their natural place made me very cross. It was with a cheer and sense of relief that we welcomed the duo back – one-half of it, at least – to radio this morning.

Hearing Stuart Maconie present the first of the weekend breakfast shows was strange but instantly familiar! His voice was not in tip-top shape (recovering from a cold) and that was a fact that was slightly mocked by a welcomed caller during the show! As with Shaun Keaveny and Lauren Laverne opening their accounts – I did not have time to review Mary Anne Hobbs’ inaugural show – that all-important first song was studied. Many people were guessing and wondering what it could be. Laverne opened with Prince whilst Keaveny went for Arctic Monkeys. I know Maconie would opt for something with some swagger from the 1990s. Given the fact that was a ripe and bounteous decade for guitar music, the list of available songs was certainly long! I think he gave some cryptic clues on his Twitter leading up to the show and mistakenly said that a clue would be found above a library in Aberystwyth – the opening line of A Design for Life was unveiled by the band at the Cardiff Central Library. It was a minor factual error but not one that stopped people getting the correct answer! It was a perfect opener to the show, too. If Maconie had gone with something Freak Zone-esque (he presents his Freak Zone on BBC Radio 6 Music) then the tone would have been wrong. If he has chosen something modern then, I feel, that would have not been quite up to the grade. A classic slice of Manics gave us all a lift and a song we could belt out!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson is the new voice of The Chain/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Hearing a croaky Maconie welcome us in gave me the shock of my life – thinking he was seriously ill too! I can only imagine how strange it was for him to wake up at God knows what time and traipse to MediaCity in the dark. The fact he is use to waking up at a sensible time and arriving to work in the daylight means this new show was already a bit strange. Armed with some breakfast treats – Twitter photos showed us some orange juice and croissants – he went on with it and laid out the stall. We knew The Chain was carrying over (Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson is the new voice of The Chain; Diane Morgan fills in for Kirsty Young regarding the interstitials/humorous links) and it would have been a mistake scrapping such a long-running institution. (Tea Time Theme Time also survives but we will hear that tomorrow). The music played was a reliably mixed and quality-heavy assortment. It was business as usual in that respect and apart from a slightly more uplifted tone and a few more morning-appropriate bangers...it was the same show in terms of the tunes. The tunes were big and Maconie would play everyone from Dr. Dre and The xx to Stealing Sheep – one of my favourite bands of the moment! The first part of the show was certainly eventful. I was expecting Maconie to be bleary-eyed and stumble through a few links; get lots wrong and be a bit moody...I would be if I was having to adapt to this ungodly waking time!

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 IN THIS IMAGE: The Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, was discussed by Clare Crane and Stuart Maconie in This Week in Music (it did sterling business at the Golden Globes where it was noted, by Crane, it is the lowest-rated (by critics) film to win Best Picture since 1986/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images

Illness be damned - it was a humorous, warm and humble open. People were getting in touch to offer praise and support for the new show. One of the oddest moments of the show came when Maconie played Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. That was not the odd bit: the fact it was cut short was the baffling bit. The decision to play the song sounded ration to me: another diverse turn so the show was fresh and covered a broad spectrum. I half-expected to hear the news the Queen had died when Maconie arrived unexpectedly quick on the microphone. I am not sure if a producer had stepped in or they got a phone call from the bosses as soon as the song was played. Apparently, it was not ‘appropriate’! If he had played a profanity-laden Eminem song then that’s fair but what was wrong about Tubular Bells?! Maybe the higher-ups felt the tone was too creepy or wrong for a morning show (let’s hope this is not the sort of sh*t that the duo will have to endure as they take to weekend mornings!). The fact they have been screwed regarding their time slot and now have management breathing down their necks made me angry. Maconie handled it well and played The xx instead – I would have preferred a bit of Oldfield to be fair!

Plenty of delight soon came in. A first caller on The Chain kicked things off well (if a little timid at times) and it was good to see this well-liked and established part of RadMac make the move. I was keeping my ears out for new features and we would get a couple. One was This Week in Music with Clare Crane; the other was Sampled Underfoot (where an original song was played and then a song that samples that one...a clever and nice idea). I shall come to those but a welcomed and much-missed voice soon came on the phone – a certain Mark Radcliffe. Not as croaky and tired as he sounded before Christmas, it was good to hear the friends chat again. Radcliffe was, as you’d expect, in sparkling form and very funny. He mocked Radcliffe for sounding rougher than him and proposed a new idea in the show whereby they would each drink a pint of lager during a song – I forget the names he gave for the concept but it will come to me! Radcliffe has a new dog, Ziggy, that has put some pep in his step and he (Radcliffe) sounded very fresh and excited to come back – we were told an early-February return is more than a possibility. Looking at a photo posted of him, he looked very fresh and good right now. I guess the fact Mark Radcliffe is almost back with us sort of makes up for the fact that the beloved weekday show was bumped down the ladder!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Clare Crane, a fixture of the afternoon show, presents This Week in Music on weekend breakfasts/PHOTO CREDIT: @CraneClare

I like the new feature involving Clare Crane. I felt the daily news was a little overkill weekdays. On Shaun Keaveny’s breakfast show, Matt Everitt or Georgie Rogers would deliver the news and then, a few hours later, we would get the same from Clare Crane or Elizabeth Alker. It was good for those who missed the original news but was not really giving Crane or Alker the chance to offer anything new. Now, with This Week in Music, it was a chance for Crane and Maconie to chat about news stories that had cropped up the week before. They chatted about the threat to HMV’s future and made some good points regarding a Guardian article that dismissed the purpose and importance of the music giants; taking to task the somewhat sanctimonious and snotty tone of the piece. They talked about David Bowie – last week marked the three years since he died and his seventy-second birthday – and it was good to see a more in-depth discussion and Clare Crane given the chance to offer her own opinions. I like the feature and feel there is plenty of material to draw from. I am not sure whether she is back tomorrow morning but I guess she will be! A humbling aspect of the new show was people, such as myself, waking up early to catch it.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Mark Radcliffe with his new dog, Ziggy/PHOTO CREDIT: @themarkrad

One might assume the only people up at that time were drunks and the insane but there are plenty of people who listen to the breakfast show because they want to start the day right. A 7-10 A.M. burst of Radcliffe and Maconie sounds like a brilliant way to get the weekend kicking! I cannot wait to hear what comes tomorrow and see the return of Tea Time Theme Time. The music, as I said, was the usual blend of new and old; perhaps with a slight emphasis on keeping things upbeat and not dropping the pace too much. The best aspects of the new weekend breakfast show was the comparative freedom Maconie was given. Apart from stuffy corporate noses objectifying to some Exorcist-scoring sounds from earlier, the show felt quite loose and not like management hands were controlling everything. I felt, at times, the afternoon show was being moulded too much or there were ears and eyes closely monitoring. I suppose weekend breakfast is a different cup of tea and there is a bit less pressure. Anyone expecting nerves or any sort of radical change would have been left disappointed. I love the fact Stuart Maconie provided a dignified, solid and interesting start to the new slot. Not many breakfast shows are genuinely funny, charming and varied so it is a benefit to have Radcliffe and Maconie leading the ship.

I love the fact regular features are sitting alongside a couple of new ones. I do wonder whether one more new addition might complete the set. It does not need to be too radical but I think there is scope for another feature or song-related segment. Maybe that is all to come but one can have no grumbles regarding the new weekend breakfast show. The addition of Mark Radcliffe’s voice provided us with cheer and comfort and the entire three hours whizzed by! For those looking to adapt from the familiarity of the weekday afternoon show and its pace wouldn’t have taken too long to get behind the new breakfast show. I guess Stuart Maconie will get used to the dark start and early alarm call but I was so pleased to hear him back. When he and Mark Radcliffe re-join forces in a few weeks, it will be the first time we have heard them both on the microphone for a whole show in months. I feel all of the BBC Radio 6 Music D.J.s changing slots – Lauren Laverne, Shaun Keaveny; Mary Anne Hobbs and our weekend breakfast hosts – have done really great shows and they sound natural. It will take a few more weekends before we are in the groove and fully converted by the opening show was a triumph. Stuart Maconie spoke with Will Poulter (who plays Colin Ritman) from Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and it was a nice piece. Poulter was articulate, warm and interesting and talked about the new show, his decision to take time away from Twitter and his love of Hip-Hop.

One of the biggest losses is that regular interview segment of the RadMac show. I love their interviews and, through the years, we heard some classics! Given the early hour of the show, it is hard to recruit people. That said, Lauren Laverne is interviewing and, if someone came in after 9 A.M., then it allows them plenty of time to get up! I hope there will be some in-studio interviews because I love the way Radcliffe and Maconie bond with their guests – so long as there is not a Father John Misty-like guest coming in, that is! It is still early and I hope as much of the afternoon show gets transferred across. It is full respect to Stuart Maconie who has helmed most of the shows himself since Mark Radcliffe’s hiatus. I hope they present the first show back together in February but I know Maconie will need a breather in a bit! Many people were wondering whether the new RadMac show would be a different beast to the one we know and love. There is always going to be suffering and loss – the fact they are only on two times a week is the biggest problem. I like that there are no major alterations and there is chance for great features, eclectic music and lighthearted chat. I got up early to listen in and so glad I did!

I’m still a bit pissed about the Tubular Bells one-eighty but everything else was spot-on. Maybe an extra feature would do well – there are plenty of ideas that come to mind – and the decision to retain The Chain is a good one. By the end of the three hours, it was like Stuart Maconie was never away and one of BBC Radio 6 Music’s best voices was back at MediaCity. I do wonder what Maconie will do during the week and I feel like BBC Radio 6 Music could give him an extra show – it seems harsh that a decades-inspiring broadcaster and journalist is just doing weekend breakfast and The Freak Zone. Most of us end the working week with depressive enervation and a need for a huge boost. Stuart Maconie provided that this morning and it will be great to hear Mark Radcliffe back in the fold soon enough! Given the success of the first breakfast show, we are all going to tune in tomorrow and get another burst of goodness! The fact we do not get to hear Radcliffe and Maconie five times every week is a crime and I hope the BBC heads realise the negative reaction to the move – in the sense we all wanted them to stay where they were! – was justified. There are fewer finer broadcaster around and they deserve more than just the weekend. I have every faith Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie will find their way back to weekdays/evenings very soon but, on the first weekend breakfast outing, Stuart Maconie gave us a...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Stuart Maconie enjoying a healthy breakfast before his first weekend show/PHOTO CREDIT: @BBC6Music

TRULY wonderful and memorable show.

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

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IN THIS PHOTO: cupcakKe 

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

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WE have passed into January...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Jerry Williams/PHOTO CREDIT: SHOT BY PHOX

and there is a lot of great new music out. I have been stunned by the explosion of great sounds that have come in the past couple of weeks. Because there are so many female-led tracks out now, I am excited and have collated some of the very best. In this latest instalment, there is a range of genres and tastes that will keep you entertained. Take a listen to these winter-ready songs that will warm the body and keep you comforted. We have some emotional tracks and belters that showcase the sheer talent out there right now. Sit back, have a gander and enjoy this sprinkling of...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Self Esteem/PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Patmore

GREAT new tracks.  

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

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Cat Delphi – Feelings

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PHOTO CREDIT: Julien Mignot

Nili Hadida – Another Drink

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YVA – Pink Lemonade

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PHOTO CREDIT: SHOT BY PHOX

Jerry Williams - David at the Bar            

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Lucy Rose – Conversation

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Self Esteem – The Best

whenyoung – Never Let Go

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cupcakKe – Squidward Nose

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Broods – Hospitalized

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Alaina Cross – Backstabber (Who’s Laughing Now)

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Jaira Burns – Numb

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Madeline Merlo – Unravelling

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Olivia Lane – Hey 3AM

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Amaal – Not What I Thought

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PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana

Stella Donnelly – Old Man

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Chlöe Howl – Call Out My Name

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Danielle Durack – I Know

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Sarah Buxton – Only the Truth

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PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Harris

Rosie Carney – Your Love Is Holy

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Natalie Shay – Yesterday

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Betty Who – I Remember

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PHOTO CREDIT: @anthonyconwayphotography

Dani Sylvia – Dark Blue

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Laura Misch – Hibernate

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Blood Red Shoes – Eye to Eye

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Adia Victoria – Different Kind of Love

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Anna Loos – Hier

FEATURE: The January Playlist: Vol. 2: Lana Leads a Fine Charge!

FEATURE:

 

The January Playlist

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IN THIS PHOTO: Lana Del Rey/PHOTO CREDIT: @LanaDelRey 

Vol. 2: Lana Leads a Fine Charge!

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IT has not taken long for 2019…

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Lucy Rose/PHOTO CREDIT: Harry Wade/Press

to burst into life and provide a fabulous week! Not only are their new singles from Lana Del Rey, Lucy Rose and Self Esteem; we have The Chemical Brothers, Sleaford Mods and Radiohead in the assortment! It is an epic list of tracks that ensures your weekend will get off to an absolute belter! This is a mighty week for tunes so make sure you get involved with them all. I am not sure whether next week can improve upon this selection but it is clear we are back from the Christmas break and artists are primed and ready to make their mark. It will not be long before some big albums come our way but, until then, we have some great singles to get our teeth into. I am excited to see what next week provides: right now, we have a golden selection of fresh cuts that will surely start the day…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Sleaford Mods/PHOTO CREDIT: Roger Sargent

THE right way.

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

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Nicole Nodland

Lana Del Rey - hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it

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PHOTO CREDIT: Simon King/Redferns/Getty Images

The Chemical Brothers – MAH 

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Janelle Monáe (ft. Zoë Kravitz) - Screwed

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Sleaford Mods – Kebab Spider

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Lucy Rose – Conversation

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Deerhunter – Plains

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Radiohead – Ill Wind

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Karen O – Anti-Lullaby

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Self Esteem – The Best

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Girlpool – What Chaos Is Imaginary

Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen

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PHOTO CREDIT: Pooneh Ghana

Stella Donnelly – Old Man

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Fat White Family – Feet  

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IN THIS PHOTO: Slowthai

Slowthai, Mura Masa – Doorman

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RAT BOY – Don’t Hesitate  

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PHOTO CREDIT: @nathangroff

Halsey (ft. Juice WRLD) - Without Me

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Sam Smith (ft. Normani) – Dancing with a Stranger

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Betty Who – I Remember

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Future – Jumpin on a Jet

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Billie Eilish - WHEN I WAS OLDER (Music Inspired By the Film ROMA)

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IN THIS PHOTO: Post Malone/PHOTO CREDIT: Lorne Thomson/Redferns

Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower

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Catfish and the Bottlemen - Longshot

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Cherry Glazerr - Wasted Nun

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Busted – Radio

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COIN – I Want It All

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Charlotte Cardin - Drive

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Joe Goddard – Jack Come Back

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Kehlani (ft. Ty Dolla $ign) – Nights Like This

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Lauren Jauregui – More Than That

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PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Gullick

White Lies - Tokyo

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Beirut – Landslide

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Anna Clendening – Dead End 

Mercury Rev (ft. Norah Jones) – Okolona River Bottom Band

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Kelsey Lu – I’m Not in Love

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Natalie Shay – Yesterday

TRACK REVIEW: Sharon Van Etten - Seventeen

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Sharon Van Etten

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Seventeen

 

9.5/10

 

 

The track, Seventeen, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7sTHoeH0eA

ORIGIN:

New York, U.S.A.

GENRES:

Indie-Rock/Alternative

The album, Remind Me Tomorrow, is available from 18th January. Pre-order here:

https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/music/sharon-van-etten-remind-me-tomorrow

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THIS is the first review of the year...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Pfluger

where I am stepping things up and dealing with a big artist. I am not suggesting all subsequent reviews will be like this but I have been keen to explore musicians who have more of a name and I can approach from a different angle. Before I come to review Sharon Van Etten’s latest single, I will talk about a few aspects that are relevant to her. I want to talk about artists who make changes between albums and change dynamics; those whose life situations and developments impact their sound; adding something fresh to the mix and the records that will soundtrack the start of the year – I will end by talking about Van Etten and why we need to follow her more. I am reviewing her album, Remind Me Tomorrow, early next week and am keen to get into that. It is a fantastic album that reveals something new every time you listen to it. Are We There (2014) was the last original album from Van Etten and received fantastic praise. I am looking at the reviews and there is so much love for the record. There is darkness and atmosphere in the record but there is so much beauty as well. Now, on her latest album, you get something else. Van Etten embraces the darker edges but we are seeing some more intimate, sensitive and spirited on Remind Me Tomorrow. I do admire artists that can alternate and evolve and, with Van Etten, life and how she perceives the world has been responsible for this change. I will talk about that in a bit but think it is interesting when you get these established artist who do move forward. It would be easy for her to repeat her previous album and stick on that same course. Given the critical reaction and how that album was received, one would forgive her for repeating what happened before. It is good to see a big artist take steps and go in a new direction.

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Those familiar with Van Etten’s work will not see something radical and foreign: it is very much the same artist you love but with new additions to the sound. She is very much embracing the present on Remind Me Tomorrow and it urges the listener to explore their deep emotions – tenderness, bravery and a special fortitude. I wonder where she will head from here and how quickly we will get a follow-up. Look back at Van Etten’s catalogue and you can see and hear something fresh with every album. I do feel like many ignore that need for development and alteration. I do get bored with acts who feel it is okay to do the same things every time and not really stretch their imagination. Look at the choices out there and what you can do – why do so many stick with a rigid style and repeat what they have already done? Sharon Van Etten has been in the business for a very long time and can be forgiven for doing things her own way; sticking with a single style and not really venturing far from that. Her latest album does not abandon what we love her for but it reflects changes in her life and different emotions. We get to hear an artist who has written and recorded in a different way and someone taking a leap. That might sound a gamble but, with everything Van Etten does, there is that authority, assuredness and confidence. I love Remind Me Tomorrow and, judging by some reviews already through, people back that up. Van Etten is keen to investigate avenues and ideas not put down on record before and, as new life has come into hers, she has created a record that, although dark in places, is more emotive reflective and embracing. She wants listeners to feel what she feels and immerse themselves in the music. We are seeing the songwriter open a new chapter and, from what I have heard of Remind Me Tomorrow so far, all of these amendments have led to a wonderful revelation.

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Let us look at Van Etten and how her life has changed since her last record. She wrote her new album whilst pregnant and a lot of it was written in scraps and between spare moments. Life has definitely been different the last couple of years and Van Etten, when expecting her child, expressed her fears about raising a child in New York. New York is a wonderful city and somewhere you can fall in love with easily. I always associate it with the single life or not having any commitments. We all hear about the danger and crowds in New York; the way it is hard to get around and how uncertain things can be. Throw in the noise and rush and you have a lifestyle that might be best for those without children. That said, Van Etten spoke to Katherine Dieckmann whilst she was in school and she (Dieckmann) has lived there the past thirty years. She and her husband lived across the hall from one another and they made things worked. She assured Van Etten that things would be fine and she would be great. Maybe Van Etten will not be in New York for thirty years – I can see her moving to L.A. at some point – but it seems like she can make it work out fine. I feel these feelings and concerns have affected her album. I think the title of her latest album came from a simple source: clicking on those prompts that say ‘remind me tomorrow’ when running computer updates. She kept clicking on that and, in many ways, that sense of not having time for small things enforced the album. You get a feeling Van Etten was dealing with her pregnancy but she was busy with other stuff. That is not to say the record is rushed or insincere but it was recorded in a different situation to previous offerings. I love the sense of urgency but, given her pregnancy, there is that wondering of the future and some maternal urgings.

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  PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Pfluger for @TheCut

I will talk about Van Etten exploring other talents and putting down the guitar later but, when writing and making Remind Me Tomorrow, she worked alongside John Congleton. He suggested that the mood of the album is more upbeat and forward than inward and reflective. Instead of producing a record that looks at fears and the unsure nature of New York and new motherhood; these concerns have been fed through a bright prism and we have an album that has upbeat energy and a great vibe. Van Etten knew she had to work with a producer and approach her music in a different way. She gave Congleton music by Nick Cave and Portishead as guidance. Maybe we do not get as many elements from them as past Van Etten albums but you can hear them in there. What Congleton did was to bring fresh light and idiosyncrasies from Van Etten’s music and take her sound in a new direction. You can hear new light and love in the album. Van Etten has embraced new passions and lines when writing the album and all of this comes through. It is hard to describe the biggest changes through the years but is clear something fresh had to come into the mix. The fact she was expecting a child and realised life would be different could have resulted in a fearful and reflective album. Instead, we can hear excitement and a longing for the future. We do get some sadder and more insular cuts but the abiding mood is of an artist who is refreshed and approaching music differently. I will come to her latest single, Seventeen, in a bit because it is a song that struck my ear the first time I heard it! You can hear Van Etten, on her album, talk to her new son about the world and present something positive for him. She was tearful writing love songs and took a maternal approach to her messages: making her child feel like everything would be fine and putting a positive spin on it all.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Jody Rogac for The New York Times

This is humbling to hear and has led to the most emotional, tender and uplifting album she has produced. I think she was getting into a headspace where she relied on the guitar and had writer’s block. She was writing music for Strange Weather and naturally had the guitar with her. It got to the stage where she could not get past a certain sound and was feeling a little constrained. Instead of becoming frustrated, she turned to organs and synths. She was sharing a studio with someone who had these instruments and was inspired. That score took a new life but, when it comes to Remind Me Tomorrow, it gave her a new lease. This is the first time in a while Van Etten has approached a new sonic direction and used different instruments. All of her records are busy but the guitar has been the focal point. It can be hard when you have reached this stage and cannot take a sound any further. Rather than getting frustrated and defeatist; Van Etten found that impetus and has moved her music in a new direction. I love what she is doing at the moment and it seems like she has this new guide and influence. Many other artists can learn from her and I would like to see more try something new and be inspired by something else. So many acts do get into a rut and they seem to churn out the same record every time. This means we get bored and everything is predictable. I feel Van Etten has seen that life is not the same and she will have to look at the world differently. Because of that, the themes on Remind Me Tomorrow are not the same as As We Are; the tones have a new life and we get a more positive and fulsome sound. I shall move on and come to the final topic.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Leah Woliansky

I have already mentioned Dieckmann already. Van Etten composed the score for Strange Weather. The two worked together and, when writing music for Dieckmann’s film, it cleared her mind and influenced what would come on Remind Me Tomorrow. Van Etten also brought her music to the stage for David Lynch’s revival of Twin Peaks. A lot has been happening but I feel the multiple outlets and projects have made her latest record stronger. Van Etten has got the chance to experience different settings and styles; she has composed film music and been given some sage advice but a director. All of this got into the mind and compelled the U.S. songwriter to tackle her music differently. I think Remind Me Tomorrow is an album of 2019. There was a lot of anger around in 2018 and that is understandable enough. We saw a lot of division and stress and artists were keen to make sense of this all. I do feel like there was too much negativity and anger circling around. Music needs to be honest and open but we need it to lift people and elevate their mood. If you are always listening to music that gets you down or angry then it has a big impact on your mental-health. I feel music in 2019 is going to be more positive and have that determination to lift the listener. I am excited to see what comes but feel Remind Me Tomorrow is a sign of what is happening. I do want music to reflect a strength and courage of fortitude. I am a bit tired of hearing so many anxious records and people who are angry. What annoys me is this feeling that anxiety and anger is commercial and what people want to hear. We want to listen to music and feel better; get our mind elevated and our imagination opened. Van Etten is doing this and I think she is leading a new direction for 2019.

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 IMAGE CREDIT: @WSJMag

There is an anxiety in the album and a feeling or tension but it does not define things. Rather than lean on that fear and uncertainty, we have an artist who is definitely looking ahead and wanting to embrace a new feeling. She has a new child so did not feel it was right to pen an album that is all sadness and fears. Music has the power to change lives and make thing everything sound alright. I want artists to realise this in 2019 and make music that is forward-looking and uplifting. Maybe it is ambitious to think everyone will go this way but I have hopes things will change. The world is getting more tense and divided so music can fill a gap and get us all in a better mood. Van Etten has crafted an album that does open its heart and show some fear but there is light and a sense that everything will be okay. This is good to hear and I hope other artists feel inspired. A lot has happened in her life, as I have mentioned, and all of this comes out in the album. I am excited to see where Van Etten heads now and how the next couple of years will affect her. It is a big time for her and I think her new projects and parental responsibilities will impact the music. I better investigate Seventeen and get down to things. I got a sense of what Remind Me Tomorrow would be like when hearing Van Etten’s single, Comeback Kid. That set the tone and gave us a flavour of how this album would be different. Seventeen carries that sound on and provides a lot of intrigue and interest. I will stop my nattering and get involved with the song – one of the strongest Van Etten has crafted in a while.

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The video is worth watching alongside the song because we see Van Etten in New York and her being tracked. It opens with the buzz of the city and her on a staircase outside. It is an intriguing start and, before a note is delivered, you sort of get a real insight into her world and the beating heart of the city. Seventeen is very much beats-led. The song has that taut and tough beat that gets under the skin and drives you forward. The sound has a positive vibe to it and physicality but one hears the heroine talk about people who are all the same. These people are being led astray and knowing something they don’t. Maybe, given the title, it is about age and naivety – perhaps someone thinks they are grown up and they have mastered life. Perhaps there is political naivety and the feeling of what is happening in the U.S. right now. One can interpret the lyrics as a shot against those who profess to have wisdom and one gets a feeling that inexperience and arrogance are at work. It becomes clear that Van Etten is talking about herself and the younger years. Casting her mind back to her teenage times, she used to be halfway up the street and life was very different. I have discussed Van Etten and how motherhood has changed things. She is not who she used to be and life has taken a turn. That is no bad thing at all. Rather than see the past and free times as a better state and place to return to, Van Etten feels more educated and wise now. There is this figure – whether a friend or family – that used to be like her. Maybe the younger heroine was sad and low; they were looking for answers and chasing life. Van Etten acts as the older and more aware narrator who can see herself in someone else.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Leah Woliansky

I did wonder whether it was Van Etten talking to her younger self or she was directing her words at a friend. It is clear past experiences and Van Etten’s teenage years are acting as a guide to this person. In the video, we see Van Etten climbing chain fences and standing to camera. A younger version of her (Rachel Trachtenburg) is looking at camera and the fascination builds. I kept wondering whether it was a message to her younger self. It seems, as Van Etten talks about growing and how life was…it is a message to who she was. Van Etten wishes she could go back and tell her seventeen-year-old self that things will get better and influence her. Maybe the younger Van Etten was impulsive and not sure what to do. She would flitter, to an extent, and was unsure about the world. I like the video and how it cuts between Van Etten looking solemn and stern and the young actor who plays her teenage self – moving in a taxi and looking through the window. May be Van Etten is trying to lose her shadow or forget about who she was. It is hard to determine whether there is regret about who she used to be or whether there are general fears in her head. Seventeen is a busy song that has a big sound and definitely projects energy. The percussion drives the song through and you are hooked by the waves and punch of the track. I was invested from the very start and could hear something fresh from Van Etten. I had heard Comeback Kid before and it seems like the new Van Etten sound is one that gets the blood hot and the mind opened. Even though there is some looking back and uncertainty in the song, you feel like the heroine is looking forward and is in a better place. We all look at our younger self and wonder how far we have come.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Dusdin Condren

You can detect some squalling sounds in the back and electronic influence but it is not as guitar-led as past songs. I love the new synths and electronics that seem to offer new burst and fire. Seventeen is quite an intense song but not one that weighs you down. It is inspiring listening to Van Etten cast back and see who she used to be. That mystery starts to grow. When talking to her young self, Van Etten says that there were fears. When she was young, she felt like she would turn into the adult she is now. Whether that means more fearful and less free, I am not sure. We learn that the rebellious Van Etten would skip around and how a lack of care. She would gamble and had a sense of liberty. Maybe growing up means having to give that up and assume some responsibility. Van Etten is a mother and cannot do what she used to do when she was a teenager. Perhaps that feeling is rather sobering and I do wonder whether there is a part of Van Etten that wants to return to that world. She has a great life but that need to cut loose and be free once in a while is in her heart. Life is good now and you cannot remain on the same course all of the time. I love the power of the song and how much emotion Van Etten projects. Her voice is as strong and potent as ever and it seems like the subject matter of Seventeen means a lot. In the video, Van Etten looks across at her young image at a train station and it provokes some emotion. I still wonder whether Van Etten wants a bit of her old life back but you get a real hit when seeing a younger Van Etten with a suitcase look at who she is now – sharing that look and seeing what the future would be. By the end of the song, you wonder whether these words to the past Van Etten have been taken to heart and she will realise how life has changed. I like how there is a mystery and listeners can decide whether Van Etten is excited to be where she is or yearns to be who she was. I think she is in a great space now and wants to let her young self know it will be okay and you will be more grounded.

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I have spoken a lot about Sharon Van Etten and how life has changed for her in the past year or so. She has a new son and has been busy with various projects. Situated in New York, I wonder how the setting will direct her next album and whether she will remain put. It seems like the city feeds her and is a perfect environment to test her material, get ideas and collaborate. Keep an eye on her social media channels for tour news and what is coming next. I do hope Van Etten can come to the U.K. and play here very soon. There is a lot of love for her and the demand will be huge. Even though her album, Remind Me Tomorrow, is not out for six days; people have been reviewing it and the feeling is positive. Critics have noted the stylistic shift and the fact there are different tones/subjects inspiring things. I have been following her work for a while and can see these changes. It is good to see Van Etten walking in a different way and it seems like she is excited about the future. Maybe there was some doubt about remaining in New York with a child but it seems like the people are in her blood. I can imagine things being hectic in 2019 and I wonder whether she’ll do any more film work and composing. Maybe there will be collaborations but it is clear her diary is going to be busy! I love Seventeen and it is one of the best singles of the year so far. That might sound like a half-compliment but Van Etten is a masterful songwriter who continues to make incredible music. It is hard to think of an artist like her: one who has not really put a foot wrong and continues to grow. She could have easily repeated the past for her latest L.P. but has come in and done something fresh.

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I am thrilled to see her venture into new territory and find new motive. When she hits the road and brings the music to the people, there will be a big reaction. Her live shows are great and she always puts in a huge performance. I will end things now and let you all get on but it is good to see Van Etten with a new album. It has been a busy time and many would have felt fatigued by all of it. Instead of being weighed and affected, we have an album that combines all of these times and filters it into exceptional music. Seventeen is a cracking song and one that I will continue to listen to. These are early days regarding the best albums of 2019 but I think Van Etten has made a big statement. Make sure you listen to Remind Me Tomorrow and follow Van Etten. There is news and developments coming out all of the time and little time to rest. She is looking out to the world and keen to get her album to the people. Maybe the writer’s block and new motherhood would have drained her or led to an album that is uninspired and bad: instead, we have one of her best records and a great new addition to her cannon. Take a listen to the record and drink in every track. I have heard it and can feel this revitalised and repurposed artist looking to the future. One gets some fear and doubts but there is a lot of light, life and positivity to be heard right through Remind Me Tomorrow. I have spun Seventeen a few times and am discovering fresh stuff every time. It is a great song and one that proves Van Etten is one of the finest songwriters around. Make sure you listen to this brilliant song  - and her fantastic album (pre-order it) – and start your day…

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Leah Woliansky

WITH a real spark.

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Follow Sharon Van Etten

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FEATURE: More Than Ad Enough: Is It Time to Start Charging People for All Music Content?

FEATURE:

 

 

More Than Ad Enough

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PHOTO CREDIT: @bravelyventure/Unsplash 

Is It Time to Start Charging People for All Music Content?

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WE are fortunate enough to live in an age...

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Abi Hardaker

where we can access any music we want and any music website without charge. Think back to years when we had a printed press and no Internet option; we had to buy albums from a shop and there were very few opportunities to get some free stuff. This was okay for musicians and journalists because there was some money coming their way. I am not sure what percentage of a magazine sale would go to the writers but publications still filled their pages with adverts – another way of bringing revenue in and giving them a bigger budget. The profit that went to musicians is less clear. If we bought an album or single, how much of that would go to the act itself? Unless you were a big name shifting units like nobody’s business, I wonder whether there was much money in it. In any case, people were expected to pay and, in return, they would get a great record or magazine. The advent of the Internet and the introduction of streaming sites have changed the landscape. There is still a printed press and small, boutique magazines are actually faring quite well. I realise how narrow the profit margins are. They have to attend gigs and pay for travel costs; there are overheads and expenses that need to be accounted for.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @joshuaearle/Unsplash

A lot of journalists are working for free – in exchange for getting their name out there – and it is tough to make a successful magazine in this age. The same is true for musicians. Albums sales are down on C.D. and vinyl sales stagnated last year for this first time. Singles are not charged and in physical format anymore and I wonder how much an artist makes getting their music streamed on Spotify. I know it takes hundreds of thousands of streams to make a decent turnaround and, for new artists, they get paucity. Unless they get some good merchandise sales and sell gigs out, how much money do they take home? The sad effect and result of this free market is an increase in advertising. I made a decision last year to use an ad-blocking software that meant I would not be inundated with pop-ups and ads every time I visited a website. For the most part, this worked well in terms of my conscience. The bigger sites that I used I donated to and did not feel grubby avoiding the ads. Any others I dipped in and out of did not bother me. I have reversed my ad-clocking decision and have regretted it since. It is not only music websites culpable: go to any website and, in order to make money, we have a slew of adverts that seem to dominate the screen!

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @leon_bublitz/Unsplash

One can right-click on an ad and get rid of it but, before you know it, another one takes its spot! YouTube is the same. Unless you block ads then you have to sit through an advert for most videos – it can range from fifteen seconds to a full minute. I understand the need for sites and artists to make some money but are they actually generating profit? The message I got from a website when I was using an ad-blocking site said that I should uninstall it because they (the site) relied on advertising to make money. The only way they can make money is if I or someone else responded to an ad and clicked on a website. I have never done that nor do I intend on starting! They make zero from me if I simply browse and ignore every ad they put my way. In fact, after you visit these sites, the adverts start to follow you about. I have gone to Facebook and seen an advert follow me from a website like NME. Maybe I have been to The Guardian or somewhere like that and you get the same adverts following you to another site. It is infuriating and creates the reverse of what these sites want: people to stay and give them business. YouTube is the most frustrating of the lot. It is hard to find a video that does not make you sit through an ad. Again, I never click on that advert or buy anything being thrown my way. What sites are doing is annoying me and making the decision to switch adverts off very easy! The fact they operate this way is because a percentage of people do follow ads and make them money.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @sam_truong/Unsplash

They rely on this to get some revenue and make sure they can continue to operate. The flaw is it that most people are going to ignore adverts and there is no way of forcing them to do anything. I think, in order to move forward, we need to look back. It was simpler and more ethically sound when we paid for magazines and papers; we bought our records and we made sure we were not getting something for free. The problem now is the sheer expense of buying music – you have to buy a whole album and what effect does that have on the scene if people are not given a free option?! I have long-suggested paying a small amount for sites we use a lot. If I am briefly looking at a website then I do not expect to pay nor be bombarded with adverts. The ones I rely on and use regularly, yeah, I should be paying for. I am not helping them out regarding adverts so they are getting nothing for me. It would not need to be a big fee. If you charged someone a fiver or tenner a year to use the website ad-free then that would mean they get a definite sum and the person is free to roam without distractions and irritation. One might argue the combined cost would be unfeasible but it is not that big!

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @thisisramiro/Unsplash

Maybe there was a system whereby we had a data plan and paid a small amount for a certain number of days. We could pay more to increase that and, regarding YouTube and Spotify, we should make people pay regardless. So many of us listen to music for free which means we get adverts but are not made to pay anything. I feel, if we enforced a small charge to everyone, that would reduce ads and more goes to the artists. One might say the downside is people with little money are denied access to music. We have radio stations available for free and, as I say, the charge need not be that steep! If you made someone pay twenty quid a year for limitless access to Spotify and YouTube – a single cost for each platform - you could get a good whack and not have to annoy the consumer. I know how underfunded music magazines are and offering a subscription would be a fair compromise. Even if we were charged a few quid a year to look at websites then I figure they are getting more money from us each than the advert route. As it stands at the moment, I pay to use Spotify and read The Guardian. I do not pay for any other platform which means the inevitable heap of adverts! I do not have a lot of money but feel obliged to fund websites and streaming platforms.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @bank_phrom/Unsplash

It is hard to compromise and make people pay but, considering it is a way of preserving the music press and getting artists remunerated; I feel we need to stop tossing adverts in people’s faces. I have stopped visiting some sites because all you get are pop-ups and adverts. I have never been tempted by any and feel it is foolish to rely on this option for revenue. I think more people than you’d imagine would be interested in paying a small fee if it meant they had a smoother and less busy website waiting for them; if they could stream and watch videos without having to wait and have the momentum ended. It is hard to say how the music press will fare in the years to come and whether there will be some sort of legislation regarding sites like YouTube and Spotify and how they pay artists. We have got into the habit of expecting everything for free and, in return, have to buy into this unsigned contract where we get a wave of adverts. For so many reasons, we need to start looking at how we fund music and the press and asking people to pay for what they see/hear. Many might say the adverts we see on websites is a good way of providing free content but ensuring some money comes in. I have never heard of anyone who has responded to an advert, whether that be on Spotify/YouTube or a music website. This needs to be considered. More and more, with endless adverts being hurled my way, I am finding myself less and less conflicted when I reach for that...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @stayandroam/Unsplash

GOLDEN ad-blocking option!

FEATURE: Leave Me Alone: Will Michael Jackson’s Legacy Always Be Tainted?

FEATURE:

 

 

Leave Me Alone

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IN THIS IMAGE: Michael Jackson by Andy Warhol (1984)/IMAGE CREDIT: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C./Gift of Time magazine © 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Licensed by DACS, London  

Will Michael Jackson’s Legacy Always Be Tainted?

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IT has almost been a decade since the death...

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson during the 2005 trial in which he was accused of child molestation/PHOTO CREDIT: Aaron Lambert/AP

of Michael Jackson (25th June) but it seems a lot of his posthumous recognition has revolved around scandal and digging up old allegations. It is a rather difficult time for music and with another big musician, R. Kelly, in the news following the documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, there is a lot of debate as to whether his music should be on streaming sites. In the case of R. Kelly, there are fresh allegations that follow up from an early court appearance – where he walked away a free man. It seems like this new wave of attention will go back to court and many people are asking for his music to be banned from Spotify. I think there is validity to the accusations and artists such as Lady Gaga, who worked with R. Kelly in 2013, have spoken out and backed the women. There are accusations abused and molested minors and it means, once more, the singer is in the news for the wrong reason. With news of a new Michael Jackson documentary, Leaving Neverland, about to hit the screens; we are seeing another popular male artist under the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Michael Jackson is no stranger to controversy but he has been in court before; cases that were either thrown out or he was found innocent. Now that two fresh revelations have come to light, as The Guardian reports, it has led to sensationalism and fresh filmic inspiration:

“Michael Jackson’s estate has condemned a new documentary film, Leaving Neverland, which features allegations that the singer sexually abused children.

Speaking to TMZ, representatives from the estate said the film was “another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson … just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations. It’s baffling why any credible film-maker would involve himself with this project.”

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson’s Neverland estate photoed in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Mark J. Terrill/AP

Leaving Neverland explores what a synopsis calls the “manipulation and abuse” of two unnamed men, from the ages of seven and 10 onwards. The film, directed by Dan Reed, who has won Baftas for documentaries including The Paedophile Hunter and Terror in Mumbai, is described as “a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception, documenting the power of celebrity that allowed a revered figure to infiltrate the lives of starstruck children and their parents”.

The four-hour film will receive its world premiere at the Sundance film festival in Utah on 25 January, and will air on Channel 4 later this spring”.

I can understand the need to take these accusations seriously but Jackson is not with us and cannot face his accusers. Many say he was the architect of his own downfall and did himself no favours with his erratic behaviour and abuse of power. I do not claim to know the real truth but do feel like there has been exaggeration, exploitation and falsehoods from those who have accused him in the past. Whether or not these latest accusations holds weight is yet to be seen – we will never know the truth because the accused cannot have his say. Whereas R. Kelly can answer himself and there are shocking details coming to light, is Leaving Neverland, a cheap and disrespectful documentary designed to once more attack and tarnish Michael Jackson’s name?

Last year, when Jackson turned sixty, we should have seen features looking at his biggest albums and how he transformed music. Madonna and Kate Bush also turned sixty, as did Prince, and it was a year when living and departed legends were celebrated. Whilst Madonna received celebration and Kate Bush got a few nods – not nearly as many as she should have -; Michael Jackson’s life and milestone birthday was dedicated to muck-raking and scandal. I recall looking at the combined press output and must have counted two articles that marked his life and his great work – countless others who talked about the idea as Jackson the predator and discrediting his name. I can never condone any accusation of sexual abuse but it seems like Michael Jackson will never find rest. Yes, the man changed his appearance, he was in the news for his bizarre behaviour – including dangling his child from a window – and deserves some sense of scorn. Those rather weird and wild moments, some say, is what made him a unique and interesting figure. I think some of his behaviour was troubling and his last days were very sad. The thought of the King of Pop in such a poor state, in ill health and dependant on medication...it breaks your heart thinking who he used to be and what he was in 2009. I shudder to think how the world’s media will the ten-year anniversary of Jackson’s death. Today, we are remembering David Bowie three years after his death. There is nothing but praise and one wonders whether anyone will have a kind word to say about Jackson come 25th June!

We cannot overlook the more sworded side of Jackson’s life but it seems the media can think of nothing but. It is none of their business what happened or what was alleged. This latest matter should not be put to film because it serves no purpose. What is the point of heaping yet more dirt on the bones of Jackson?! He cannot respond and what we have is a film that will be viewed by those who want to kick Jackson and hear something sensationalist and salacious. His true fans and supporters are shocked by this film and want nothing to do with it. Have we all forgotten what Jackson gave to the world? From his infant years as part of The Jackson 5 – the 1969 album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 – to his final album, Invincible, in 2001; his genius and impact cannot be doubted. His work spanned five decades and the promising child grew into this colossal star who had the world in the palm of his hand. Jackson spoke out against MTV not showing black faces on the screen and was one of the people responsible for bringing about change. Some claim his change of skin colour was an attempt to get more attention but Jackson was passionate about seeing black artists on the screen and fought against discrimination. Albums like Off the Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982) catapulted him to superstardom and thrust him into the spotlight.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify/Getty Images

I prefer Off the Wall because it is more complete and has fewer filler tracks but Thriller is the album many know Jackson for. It is considered one of the best albums ever and is the second-best-selling album ever (behind Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits – 1971-1975). Bad is my favourite album and, when it came out in 1987, there was no bigger Pop artist on the planet. Madonna was competing but she would hit her peak in 1989. 1991’s Dangerous was a fairly quick response to Bad – he took five years to follow Thriller – and one that saw Jackson adopt an angrier and tougher sound. A lot of this anger was a reaction to press allegations and constant haranguing. Whilst this anger fuelled some of his best and most reflective work – including Why You Wanna Trip on Me and Who Is It -, it was a clear sign, even then, Jackson was never going to get any room. You could say the press being on his case led to some brilliant music and urged him to become bigger and more successful. I feel like Dangerous marked a moment when the intrusion and constant attention started to affect Jackson’s psyche and behaviour – this would only intensify and get more extreme as we moved through the 1990s. I look back at Jackson’s back catalogue and am amazed by the consistency and quality. I think one of his only missteps, Invincible, cannot damage his legacy and the fact he was truly the King of Pop.

The man not only helped inspire legions of musicians and created some of the best albums ever; his live shows were incredible and his performances were legendary! He was a complete star and one who was always trying to escape his past. After Jackson’s death, we learned a lot about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, Joe. Joe Jackson died last year and we heard about the abuse all of the Jacksons received. Maybe that affected the aspiring artist and made him more determined to stand alone and be successful. It is clear the young Michael Jackson had a hard start and was thrust into the limelight very young. I love the way Jackson overcame that difficult childhood and managed to conquer the world. Although the man away from the stage was complex, often controversial and quiet; who he was in the studio and what he gave to the world as an artist matters more. Everyone has their favourite Michael Jackson album and we can all compile our favourite songs from the master. I genuinely did mourn his death and felt his final years were desperately lonely and sad. Some of that was his making but we cannot overlook all the beauty and brilliance he gave to us. It seems the media is keen to see Jackson as a monster and not willing to even mention his music.

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify/Getty Images

Leaving Neverland is another posthumous chapter that focuses on the scandal and abuse. I think, if there is validity to the claims, we need to ensure the victims are compensated and acknowledged but there is no reason to bring it to the big screen. It is clear the motive goes beyond justice: what the filmmakers and ‘victims’ are doing is to expose Jackson and kick him. Nobody can truly say whether the accusations are true and justice will never be done. It is a sad affair but pointless because of the futility. What is to be gained from this new film? The men who accused Jackson will benefit but they will never get to see Jackson in court. It is another attack on an iconic musician. I am never saying we should ignore this sort of thing and sweep it under the carpet. The fact R. Kelly is in the news for similar reasons means there will be a lot of interest regarding Leaving Neverland. He still gets to release music and I am sure he will continue to be oblivious to the gravity of the situation. In the case of Michael Jackson; it seems like we are only seeing him now as a disreputable and seedy character – we have no way of knowing if these allegations hold any substance. I was appalled by the lack of positive attention on Jackson’s sixtieth birthday and the fact he seems beyond redemption.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Rather than spend some time, as we should in June, looking back at the hugely impressive body of work Jackson has given us and how he has inspired so many others, I feel we’ll get a slew of articles vilifying Jackson and digging up his past. At the very least, I wonder whether Michael Jackson as an icon and innovator will ever be seen in the same light. Where is the film that charts his rise to fame and what he did for music?! How about we expose the fantastic songwriter and performer he was so that new artists can take guidance and be moved?! I will never ignore any allegations of sexual assault and turn away from this sort of thing but Jackson has already been acquitted and the man has been gone for a decade. Look back at all the news regarding Michael Jackson over the past year and it has been negative and scandalous. If people cannot find the time to write something nice and celebratory about Michael Jackson – there is plenty of ammunition and great music! – then can a moratorium be called?! His estate have reacted angrily to Leaving Neverland and dismissed it. There is this conflict between recognising this Pop genius and ensuring we do not overlook allegations and push it into the shadows. It is a tricky conflict but I wonder whether, when 25th June rolls by, we mark the tenth anniversary with applause and profiling of his great work or continue to only see Michael Jackson...

AS a dark and disgraced figure.

FEATURE: The Immortal David Bowie: Three Years Gone: A Master Whose Changes Will Inspire the Future

FEATURE:

 

 

The Immortal David Bowie

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IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie captured in 1995 during a Berlin exhibition/PHOTO CREDIT: Gavin Evans

Three Years Gone: A Master Whose Changes Will Inspire the Future

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IN my last piece concerning David Bowie...

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 IN THIS IMAGE: David Bowie as Aladdin Sane/IMAGE CREDIT: Paul Meijering

I asked whether the mainstream of music is becoming too dull and linear. I think there is a sense of homogenisation and there are few artists where you look and them and think there is a true original. I guess artists have expectations and there is that pressure to release music; to conform a certain way and not really concern themselves with looks and sonic image. How many artists do you see now who develop and change that much between albums? I look out at music now and do not see people who stagger you with their design and look; they are not really shifting between albums and the crowded nature of music means it is harder to foster rebels. I will quote from a similar article that talks about the theme I want to address: how immortal David Bowie is and how we can learn from him. I have discussed his best albums and I feel, if you want a true sense of who he is, you need to attack all of his records. Even his underrated efforts – such as Earthling (1997) and Pin Ups (1973) – warrant serious attention. You can argue Bowie made a few forgettable albums, like every great artist, but even those have an intrigue of their own. One of the reasons David Bowie will continue to reign and inspire is his sense of style and image.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Bowie as the Thin White Duke in 1976/PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Kent

That may sound shallow and insignificant but think how much of his art and sound was directed by his look. Whether he was adopting a persona or simply changing his hair; he was reluctant to sit still and always keen to explore new territory. In many ways, Bowie acts as a guide and mentor to those who want to stand out; who want to show their true self or fantasise if they want. He showed you could be anyone you want to be and do not have to follow the pack. I picture Bowie and myriad images come to mind. Whether he was more accessible and down to earth or made up as Aladdin Sane or Ziggy Stardust; here was some someone who want to be super-human and, in so many ways, he was! The musicians who stand out and will always be remembered are those that challenge convention but, in many ways, connect with their audience. I think we are in a time when identity and changing things up is not that important. Maybe musicians connect with their fans musically but does it run deeper than that?! I think today we feel more disconnect, alone and unsure than we ever have. It is a scary time and I think, for musicians and fans, Bowie acts as a source of inspiration.

The way he spoke about identity and how he overcame barriers was amazing. He arrived in music rather modestly; testing the water and, soon enough, would bloom into this otherworldly and startling human. Bowie, as this Independent article explores, urged people out in the world to overcome limitations and explore life in a different way:

“In breaking his own “suburban curse”, as he put it, Bowie ushered multiple generations of people to do the same. Often, he wrote about loneliness and isolation, a feeling of falling to Earth and not really knowing what’s going on, and either leaving it there and revelling in nihilism or exploring its treatment: connection.

Has any other artist transmitted more creative freedom to their fans? Or had something more meaningful or profound to say about identity? Bowie took himself and his life seriously as a subject, but, crucially, avoided groan-inducing pretension by spiking his art and commentary with humour and silliness (“The Laughing Gnome”, anyone?). He was also deeply self-aware. He said he started wearing costumes because he wasn’t sure if he even had a personality. “I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human”.

We can never see Bowie in the flesh again and experience that first-hand dose of magic. That is okay. Because of the Internet, Bowie’s gigs and music will be preserved forever. Listen to the man im interviews and he was more than an average, keep-in-on-trend artist: Bowie was exploring the nature of technology, philosophy and religion.

He, to me, seemed like more of a spiritual figure than a mere musician. I think his constantly shifting image and sense of exploration can compel generations to come. Whether you are hiding who you are or afraid to express; scared of being labelled or judged...Bowie’s legacy and boldness will lead the way. We do have some artists in the mainstream who imbue some of his D.N.A. (such as Lady Gaga) but there is nobody like him. Three years after his death, we are still learning from him and picking up new gems. David Bowie is so adaptable and chameleon-like that everyone gets something different from him. Some might be struck by his characters and how he wanted to be more than human – they will take from that strength and bravery and express who they want to be. To others, Bowie’s sonic shifts and need to explore new ground will compel them. To me, his humanity and sense of accessibility is his greatest weapon. We had this genius among us that never pushed anyone away. Many artists with Bowie’s brilliance and popularity might seem aloof and not one to really touch fans. Think of other icons like Madonna and Michael Jackson and you wonder whether you could talk to them down the pub or they would be the sort of artist who spoke for you – someone who was grounded and, therefore, a tangible role model.

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IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie captured in 1995 during a Berlin exhibition/PHOTO CREDIT: Gavin Evans

South London’s David Jones never lost a sense of who he was and where he came from. Strangely, his mortality and human side is what makes him immortal. We got to know the man behind the music and Bowie never shut away his audience. Thinking about Bowie and I feel his true brilliance will not be realised for years to come. Music needs someone like him to open the market and throw a grenade in there. There is nobody out there who moves like him; who has that sense of identity and inspires the masses. I do not think we will ever see an icon like Bowie again but I do feel artists will come through who are deeply moved by the great man. Maybe that will involve changing their look between albums and showing the same flair for expression and keeping things fresh. Maybe they will take note of Bowie’s sonic moves and how certain albums are influenced by distinct genres and periods of time. Perhaps they will take guidance from his interviews and how the man away from the studio was this rooted and friendly guy who charmed everyone. There is a gap now but, the more we discover Bowie and remember him, I feel that will be filled. Every week seems to see something new from David Bowie. We are lucky enough there is plenty in the vaults that show more sides to him.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Music is in good shape but I do feel like it lacks a certain spark, sense of colour and magic. Perhaps the electronic hand has meant we are less concerned about standout musicians and more interested in getting tracks quick and constantly moving along. So many people out there have struggles and are hiding something in them; many are scared of the future and anxious about the world. I think Bowie’s majestic music and ever-changing moods are more important now than ever. Being free and open; never compromising and trying to change the world – this is what David Bowie was about and what we all need to remember. I mentioned how he meant different things to different people and I always loved how the fact there was this split personality. You had the musician who was this genius who changed his skin and sound but always remained true to his roots. Outside of music, David Bowe was this truly humble and warm soul who starred in films, T.V. shows and had so many different talents at his disposal. Children growing up would mimic his looks and take great strength from this wonderful human who embodied characters and gave them a sense of voice. I think, in many ways, Bowie will keep on impacting music for decades. I am seeing artists take little bits from him and new acts come through that definitely channel Bowie.

My greatest prediction seems to contradict what I was saying recently. I do not think we will see an icon like Bowie icon and music has changed so much that makes it difficult to breed this type of musician. I do feel we will see more and more artist taking from Bowie and compelling their fans. Whether they rediscover albums like Low and Station to Station and create their own version of that; maybe they will look at his incredible concepts and gigs and be moved by them. Perhaps Bowie’s changing looks and his unique expressions will rub off and either led to personal revelation or a need to be bolder and more interesting. It is hard to tell but Bowie is one of very few artists who is immortal and will constantly impact the world. His death shocked us all and made music poorer but we have these wonderful albums and memories that will never go away. Even if it is something as simple as playing one of his songs or watching an interview with him...he makes you feel better, more open to the world and stronger. I want to end by quoting from an interview Bowie did with The New York Times in 2002. He spoke about how, at age fifty-five, he approaches songwriting:

''When it's taken that nakedly, these are my subjects. And it's like, well, how many times can you do this? And I tell myself, actually, over and over again. The problem would be if I was too self-confident and actually came up with resolutions for these questions. But I think they're such huge unanswerable questions that it's just me posing them, again and again”.

There may be these huge questions that we all struggle to answer and make sense of but, with David Bowie’s beautiful and ever-inspiring aura out in the world, we all feel we are...

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock

CLOSER to knowing the answers.

INTERVIEW: Bouts

INTERVIEW:

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Bouts

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IT has been a while since I have done an interview...

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but I have speaking with the Irish bands Bouts. They (Barry fields the answers) talk to me about their upcoming album, Flow, and what we can expect; how they got together and the type of music that drives them – they reveal some rising names to get behind.

I ask whether there are going to be tour dates and what comes next; which musician they’d support on tour if they could; an album that means a lot to them – they pick a great song to end things with.

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

Barry: It’s January; we’re surviving (like everybody else) but gearing up for album launch at end of the month.

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

We’re an Irish Indie-Rock band who just don’t know when to quit. Over seven years now. Taken the scenic route but now on album-two and back to touring after almost five years. We sound like melody mashed into vaguely Emo-guitar noise, sprinkled with a little shine and voila.

Your new album, Flow, is out later this month. Are there particular themes and experience you drew from when writing the songs?

I guess, as a whole, the album is concerned with small-scale dramas as they play out against the bigger whole. How they intertwine. How we all keep on keeping on. Other keywords might be perseverance, growth; acceptance and resignation.

It is a return after five years. What was the reason for the hiatus?

It’s a return to live shows after five years…

We released an E.P. in early-2016 and recorded constantly in the interim. Initially, I moved away from Ireland in mid-2014 (to London), then further afield to Asia and now based in Amsterdam. Our bassist is now also based in London, while the other two guys are still at home in Ireland. Just takes a little more effort to get ourselves together, but now we’re all back in roughly same the geographical sphere we’re getting out there as a band again.

Did you enjoy recording the album? Did you have to change your working process this time around?

It’s always immensely enjoyable to record an album. Our process was relatively straightforward; just a little drawn out and with minimal actual band contact. It concentrates the mind. First sessions were in late-2016. We grabbed some more time together over different weekends between then and now, in Ireland and the U.K., further rehearsing and refining ideas. Not taking too long to let them become over-thought was also important and is the single biggest difference between making album one and two.

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How did Bouts start life? Were you all living in the same part of Ireland?

We were all based in Dublin and playing in different bands. As so often happens, back home we all kind of knew each other anyway. It just so happened that myself and Daniel started playing together as both our previous bands had sort of wrapped and gradually Bouts began to take shape…

Do you already have plans for 2019? What can we expect from you guys this year?

To play live as much as we can and enjoy it as much as possible.

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

Playing a festival in Dublin and our slot was after the late Bobby Womack. Coming on stage and blasting noisy guitar rock to the utter bemusement of the crowd definitely sticks in the mind.

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

Well. One album that really means a lot to me personally is Phoebe Bridgers’ Stranger in the Alps from last year. It’s extremely searching, soulful; lucid and, ultimately, life-affirming Indie-Rock.

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

For supporting musician and rider: Stephen Malkmus - and you can’t go wrong with beer and snacks. 

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

We’re playing a bunch of dates around Ireland at the end of January and in London on 26th January.

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As your name is Bouts; if you could get any celebrity in the ring, who would that be?

Don’t take the name too literally: we’re not huge boxing fans and have no desire to get in a ring with anybody.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Write many, many songs before you release any. Be alive to your own creative spontaneity and don’t listen to advice from anyone – do it your way!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Nilüfer Yanya

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Nilüfer Yanya; KAKKMADDAFAKKA.

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

Podcasts. We’re all doing that now, right?

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).

Swearin’ – Grow into a Ghost

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Follow Bouts

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FEATURE: When St. Vincent Met Sleater-Kinney... Why More Superstar Hook-Ups Like This Are Needed

FEATURE:

 

 

When St. Vincent Met Sleater-Kinney...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Sleater-Kinney and St. Vincent (who will produce) chilling in the studio as they prepare a new album/PHOTO CREDIT: @jonny_stills  

Why More Superstar Hook-Ups Like This Are Needed

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THIS year has already provided some nice surprises...

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify/Getty Images

regarding new material and possible ventures. I did not even know Sleater-Kinney were working on a new album…but I definitely did not know St. Vincent was producing! I am not sure whether she is producing as ‘St. Vincent’ or ‘Annie Clark’ but, regardless, this is great news! There is no reason why the two parties would remain distant but I was not aware they knew one another. The album is the follow-up to Sleater-Kinney’s 2015 gem, No Cities to Love. That album is masterful and was one of my favourite records of the year. John Goodmanson produced that record and did a great job. I am not sure whether the band likes to switch producers but No Cities to Love is rich and polished but there is ample room for Sleater-Kinney to provide something a little raw and sharp. The strength of that album is how stripped and instant it sounds; concentrating on these fairly short Punk songs that match a professional sound with some jagged edges. It is a pure and nuanced album that will hit you first time around and you’ll come back time and time again to get another blast. The news of St. Vincent hooking up with Sleater-Kinney was reported by Pitchfork:

“Sleater-Kinney will release a new album this year, and it will be produced by none other than St. Vincent, NPR Music has confirmed. Both the band and Annie Clark posted about the team-up on Twitter, accompanied by photos of all of them in the studio...

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IN THIS PHOTO: Sleater-Kinney (left to right: drummer Janet Weiss; singer-guitarist Corin Tucker and singer-guitarist Carrie Brownstein/PHOTO CREDIT: Brigitte Sire/courtesy of the artist 

“We always planned on getting back in the studio—it was just a matter of when,” Carrie Brownstein told NPR Music. “If there is an overarching principle to this album, it’s that the tools on which we were relying proved inadequate. So we sought new ones, both metaphorically and literally.”

Last year, St. Vincent shared a short clip of herself covering Sleater-Kinney’s “Modern Girl.” 2017 saw her and Carrie Brownstein collaborate on a series of surreal short films for Instagram. The last news of a new Sleater-Kinney album came at the beginning of 2018, when Brownstein told Billboard, “Now, just so you know, we’re going to do this very slowly... It’s an ongoing conversation.” The band’s last studio album No Cities to Love was released in 2015”.

The coolest photo of the two parties is Sleater-Kinney in the background of the studio whilst St. Vincent is in the producer’s chair with her arms out (as shown at the top of this piece) – realising how cool this is and how boss she looks (never understand why she wears sunglasses for her indoor publicity shots!). I am not sure when the album is out or what we can expect but it is good to see things are moving along and we have St. Vincent at the helm!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: St. Vincent in 2015/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I am casting my mind back and cannot recall when a big musician produced for a big band. There have been these collaborations but most of the albums we see have a ‘traditional’ producer or the artist themselves produce. I like when artists self-produce but finding a good producer, whoever they are, is always cool – so long as everyone is on the same page! One of the reasons why I was excited by this St. Vincent-Sleater-Kinney news is the fact we know what St. Vincent can do! Her albums are always terrific and I wonder whether she will bring some of her sound and direction to the band. I love St. Vincent and always make sure I buy her albums. There is some overlap with Sleater-Kinney but the two artists have their own sound. There is no real need for clashes and any struggle because it seems like there is harmony in the camp. I feel it will take Sleater-Kinney in a new direction and I am thrilled to see where they head. It is also good St. Vincent is producing as, not only will it lead to other big artists doing the same, but she can bring that experience back into the studio for her next album.

It has been a busy past year-or-so for St. Vincent what with her album, MASSEDUCTION (2017), coming out – she reworked it last year as MassEducation – and some tour dates. I am not sure whether there will be another studio album from her this year but I would not be surprised. Knowing about the past work of St. Vincent and Sleater-Kinney; I am pumped to see how they unite and what results. I feel we will get the same sort of sound as No Cities to Love but a slightly more expansive sound that throws in some new elements. Maybe Annie Clark will decide to take the band in a whole new direction and give it a more St. Vincent-like sound. When producers normally come in, they have their own sound and idea and, when the chemistry is right, it can lead to magic. I often wonder what we would get if an experienced musician came into the studio and produced. This collaboration is not the first but it is a big move at an important time. I feel there are some awesome female producers around but they do not get the credit and attention they deserve. Most of the albums in the mainstream have male producers and it seems to disguise the fact there are terrific female producers everywhere. We forget that so many female artists produce their own work and already have that knowledge.

I think a lot of non-musician producers can be quite academic and you do not get the same approach as if a musician produced. St. Vincent is a big artist who has produced and written her own material. She will be a big asset and the collision of these two worlds will be immense. It seems like they have a sisterly bond and the fact St. Vincent is producing will highlight female producers and the fact we need to recongise them. I feel this unity and hook-up will compel other musicians to work with their peers. Who knows what we could see in the coming years? Maybe Sir Paul McCartney will produce Ringo Starr? Maybe Laura Marling will produce the next album from This Is the Kit? Perhaps we will see Beyoncé produce Solange at some point? Those are examples but is interesting to see how a record sounds when produced by a musician. There are so many artists out there who produce and are capable but are often restricted to their own work. I am not suggesting we replace all other producers but I feel there will be more and more big-name collaborations coming. My dream hook-up would be Lana Del Rey producing Lady Gaga. That might sound odd but I think this blending would lead to something sensational. It can be hard for artists to approach one of their peers.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: @drewpatrickmiller/Unsplash

We all know what they sound like and, as producers, the fear is they might enforce their own sounds too heavily. A St. Vincent-flavoured album might be a good turn for Sleater-Kinney but they will want to stay true to their roots. I think we will hear a lot of mutual respect and, rather than St. Vincent calling the shots too much, she will give the band a new edge and dynamic. Aside from their debut album – their eponymous effort was co-produced by the band themselves – the band has always worked with male producers. John Goodmanson has been in the chair quite a lot and I am sure he will be back soon enough. It seems like the band realise he did a great job in 2015 but they want to take a leap and try something new. I guess there is the worry the sheer hype and mind-melting quality of the unity might lead people to give big reviews before listening. I am sure that will not be the case and I hope, when the new Sleater-Kinney album comes out, people give it a proper listen and appreciate it. I guess, if you are established like Sleater-Kinney, you can attract a big name and do not have to stick with the same producers. I do hope 2019 is a year when we highlight female producers and how essential their voices are.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Josh Homme (who produced Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug alongside James Ford in 2009) could add some life and new purpose to Foo Fighters’ music/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Thinking ahead, we will get that Sleater-Kinney album (I guess later this year), but other acts will see the news and think hard. Rather than get a regular, ‘professional’ producer; how about working with another artist and getting their take? I genuinely think this approach could help add some much-needed originality and expression to the mainstream. There were some great albums released last year but there were some letdowns. Whether it was a case of generic material or a band reaching a plateau; a fresh injection would help and getting the mind and voice of a fellow musician could really add something! Whether you are a big band like Foo Fighters – maybe Josh Homme or Jack White could produce them?! – or a relatively rising name like IDLES; I am intrigued by the bucking of trends and choosing a musician to produce for you. I am especially interested in female artists who could produce. This cross-pollination would up their skillset and allow them to bring something into their own music but, for the band/artist who receives this new producer, they get a fresh perspective and a new way of working. I feel the as-yet-untitled Sleater-Kinney album will be a combination of their 1995 debut and St. Vincent’s latest work. That might sound like a bad mix but we will get a youthful, fresh and bare-boned sound that, when you least expect, provides these odd tangents and wonderfully colourful expressions!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Sleater-Kinney/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I have not investigated Sleater-Kinney for a bit and, actually, having a big artist producing will bring in more new fans than any other type of producer. Sleater-Kinney do not need that patronage and boost but so many more people will come to their sounds – curious to see what attracted St. Vincent to them. Maybe they will reciprocate and produce the next St. Vincent album! We know for sure all songs will be produced by St. Vincent and the return of Sleater-Kinney after four years (if the new album comes out this year) is brilliant. Everyone will have their fantasy list of musicians producing for other musicians. There are some collaborations crying out to happen and it is so rare to see something cosmic like St. Vincent directing Sleater-Kinney! It adds excitement into music and will actually inspire so many to get into producing. This musician-directed sound is rare and I will be interesting comparing the upcoming Sleater-Kinney album with their previous one. This news is great for music fans and keep your eyes open for track news, release date information and teasers. Until then, this legendary band will be working alongside a newer, if slightly more popular, artist who is stepping out of her world and into theirs. I am not sure what the resultant sound will be of this magnificent hybrid but, knowing the work of St. Vincent and Sleater-Kinney, it is going to...

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IN THIS PHOTO: St. Vincent/PHOTO CREDIT: Inez & Vinoodh

BE astronomically good.

FEATURE: David Bowie: Remembering the Master: Will We Ever See the Like of Him Again?

FEATURE:

 

 

David Bowie: Remembering the Master

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IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie/PHOTO CREDIT: Masayoshi Sukita 

Will We Ever See the Like of Him Again?

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THE start of January is always a hard time...

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IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie in a promotional image for Blackstar/PHOTO CREDIT: Spotify/Getty Images

to transition and it can be really difficult getting into the spirit of the fresh year. Back in 2016, we had no idea what would befall music. It was a terrible year regarding deaths and losing icons. Among those that we said goodbye to was David Bowie - his death on 10th January stunned the world as we never knew he had cancer. Only two days previously, we were celebrating his sixty-ninth birthday and the release of his album, Blackstar. It was a treat to have a double celebration on that day. Many snapped up the record and had no idea what would come next. Bowie knew he wanted to release the album on his birthday but he wouldn’t have been that sure he would die so soon after – or maybe he knew, in a final piece of show-stealing, that we would get this masterful album and then the curtain would come down. I recall hearing the news during the morning of 11th January – I think that is when it broke over here – and wondering how it could happen and what was going on. He kept his illness secret as not to have people pry but that shock and unexpected bombshell resonated. David Bowie tributes were read and we all played his best cuts – keeping his memory fresh; unwilling to except that this was the end.

Of course, as with Bowie, he continues to amaze us from the grave. We celebrated his seventy-second birthday yesterday and it was a great chance to play his songs and remember him. Like all the icons, we will mark his birthday and passing every year. Tomorrow will be sad because we not only get to commemorate his final album but look back three years and feel that absence. It does not seem that long ago and it is still sad to think he will never be able to release a new album. I said Bowie continues to influence after death and there is a new app available – where we get to walk in an exhibit and into his world. AdWeek lay out the details:

“David Bowie might make augmented reality a hero–at least for one day.

To celebrate Bowie’s birthday, a new AR mobile app for Apple and Android devices lets fans explore hundreds of items from the late singer’s life. The app, a collaboration between the David Bowie Archive and Sony Music Entertainment, is called “David Bowie Is,” a title bearing the same name as the touring exhibition that’s already attracted more than 2 million fans across 12 cities.

The app—available today on what would have been Bowie’s 72nd birthday—allows users to place a virtual version of the entire exhibition inside of their home or office. Along with narration from Bowie friend and Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, fans can examine more than 50 high-resolution costumes along with “videos, handwritten lyrics and original works of art,” according to David Bowie’s estate’s website. The app will also feature items that weren’t on tour, which ended in July after making stops in London, Brooklyn and other cities around the world...

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IN THIS PHOTO: David Bowie in an outtake from his 1974 People Magazine shoot in Los Angeles/PHOTO CREDIT: People Magazine/Getty Images 

Upon opening the app, users are greeted with a reminder that “David Bowie showed us that we could be who we wanted to be,” before inviting them to tour through 25 rooms and 400 objects.

It also uses spacial audio, which connects where a person walks in real life to what they hear on the app—part of an emerging trend that already has manufactures like Magic Leap and Sennheiser developing various prospects for augmented reality sound. (Upon plugging in headphones, users hear enthusiastic applause—much like what Bowie himself might have heard during an encore at a show.)

The experience is meant to take place on a table top. After scanning the surface a costume appears, followed by the voice of Oldman as the viewer’s room transforms on the screen to pitch black, illuminated only by the object’s digital glow. After that, the costume disappears, and is replaced by a black and white photo of Bowie at six years old, along with some drawings ranging from a portrait of his mother to sketches for stage outfits. After learning about his early years, the scene transforms yet again to outer space, explaining the origin story of “Space Oddity” along with the history that influenced it”.

That is a really cool idea but there is also some more David Bowie martial coming. NME have revealed there will be some new songs coming our way!

There has been a dribble of previously unreleased material since his death: from demos and rare cuts through to some live performances, we have not been denied when it comes to Bowie! I do wonder, as we mark his passing tomorrow, whether any fresh revelations will come our way. I love the fact there is stuff in the archives and people are finding ways for the public to stay connected with the master. I look around music and wonder whether Bowie was the last true icon in music. I have raised this topic before but I feel like the days of icons has left us. Madonna is still around but cannot project the same drama and buzz as she did as recently as the 1990s. I feel like she is an icon but not really on the same level as Bowie. Think about how the man continued to reinvent himself and even on his final album, we had this man who was not willing to repeat himself. Blackstar is one of the darker efforts in the Bowie cannon but one of the most accomplished, memorable and unexpected. His albums of the twenty-first century vary in quality: Heathen (2002) and Reality (2003) are promising whereas The Next Day (2013) and Blackstar (2016) are up there with some of his best work. It is heartaching to know that Bowie was on an upward trajectory and was hitting a new peak.

That is the mark of the icon: they have these dips but they are always looking ahead and you can guarantee they will turn that corner. I do not agree that the period between 1971-1977 was his best time and everything around that was inferior. Bowie created some great albums in the 1980s - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) being among them. I agree that the 1980s was not his most engaging and successful period; the 1990s would see stronger albums come through but none that quite matched the 1970s’ best. Every David Bowie is interesting and he was not willing to repeat his early work; always moving forward and addressing new themes. From 1970’s The Man Who Sold the World through to 1977’s “Heroes”; here was a man who had no rivals and was constantly reinventing. From personas such as Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane through genres as wide as Dance, R&B and Art-Rock...it was impossible to pin the man down! The Brixton-born artist developed a love of art and music as a youngster and decided to become a professional musician in 1963. He was always able to predict trends and move with the times. When Glam exploded and became huge in the early-1970s, he gave us Ziggy Stardust. I love how Bowie managed to make these radical shifts and keep the audience hooked. By 1975, he embraced ‘Plastic Soul’ and that gave him big success in the U.S. – even if it took a while for his U.K. base to come around to the idea.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: A chilled David Bowie in 1969/PHOTO CREDIT: REX

His number-one single, Fame, gave him crossover success in the U.S. and by 1977’s Low there were Electronic inflections and, yet again, a musician reinvented. Albums such as Let’s Dance (1983) meant he has commercial success in the 1980s but it took a little while before he was back into his stride and at his very best. I have raced through his evolutions but it is amazing he gave us something as staggering and fresh as Blackstar – considering he was ill when he recorded it, the fact it sounds so good makes it all the more impressive. It is not only the music and the personas that captivated people and won him millions of fans. His acting work showed a new side to him and every interview he gave seemed to reveal new light and layers. Many say Bowie was able to predict the future and he seemed aware of what was to come in terms of technology and changes in the world. Maybe that was intuition but it is clear Bowie could think ahead and had a very keen sense of how the world was moving and what was needed. I urge people to listen through his back catalogue and watch as many Bowie interviews as you possibly can. There is a reason why he is regarded as an icon and a legend!       

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 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify/Getty Images

It is three years after the Starman left the world and there are these recordings in the vault. I look at all the albums he left and what he managed to achieve in his life. We had this strange and wonderful creature that seems like an extra-terrestrial. Certainty, nobody like him has come since and it makes me wonder whether anyone will ever match Bowie. I know we have potential icons in music right now but there is nobody around that, I feel, can get anywhere near Bowie. In many ways, his death marked the end of an era and the death of the final icon. I imagine, if Bowie were still alive, he would be planning his next move and would probably stun us all with some strange tangent and fantastical oddity. His fashion and looks became less radical as he left the 1970s but his music remained daring, unique and varied right up until his death. There are new features that recommend classic and rare Bowie songs to investigate – I recommend you check out this one from GQ. Yesterday was sad but we got to celebrate what would have been David Bowie’s seventy-second birthday. The new app and promise of recordings gave us reason to smile and tomorrow, as we mark him once more, I know there will be some happy memories. We also lost Prince in 2016 and, again, an icon that managed to transform music.

I see music evolving and modernising and, with the electronic dominance and a certain homogenisation, do we really have the market and room to foster the pioneering, bold and Bowie-esque?! There will be nobody like him but I am curious whether there are musicians inspired by him that feel like they will not be accepted or able to stand out today. Certainty, there are accusations the mainstream is as homogeneous and limited as ever. We do not look out and see an ocean of individuals who are moving in their own way: instead, there is a vague and grey blob that occasionally spits out something special. It is concerning to think we are breeding Spotify-owning stars who are primed for streams but there is no space for those who want to shine and tread their own path. Maybe music has radically changed and we want different things from our artists. It is sad to ponder but it makes David Bowie’s memory and legacy even more important. We can never see anyone like him and that is a good thing – having another Bowie would seem odd and I love the original! Rather than feel too sad tomorrow and wonder why he was taken from us too early; use it as an opportunity to dive back into his extraordinary catalogue and check out as much as you can.

His interviews as priceless and there are some great live recordings around. In terms of his albums, I would urge you to digest everything from 1971-1977 and, if you are heading back further, have a listen to David Bowie (1967). In terms of the 1980s, have a listen to Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) from 1980 and Let’s Dance (1983). Listen to 1990s’ efforts like ‘hours…’ (1999) and check out his last two albums, The Next Day (2013) and Blackstar (2016). I will be having my own Bowie listen-a-thon and have ended this piece with a Spotify-based playlist – where you can hear work from his debut right through to his last album. I was going to suggest that we could foster a Bowie-like artist but I have been looking around and that does not seem possible. I think David Bowie will always remain unique and will always be relevant. As we can see; there are new inventions, ways of keeping him alive and material coming out. The genius gave so much during his life but, in so many ways, he is inspiring musicians today and will do so for many decades more. I think we need to use David Bowie as an icon and reason why it is sad to mark the end of icons. I think music could benefit from some new and otherworldly artist that continues to change and stands out from the crowd – could we ever realistically see that in the modern time?! It is hard to say but it remains clear that, three years after his death, the immaculate, inventive and wonderful David Bowie...

IS on a planet all on his own.

FEATURE: Surviving R. Kelly: What Can We Learn to Make the Music Industry a Safer Space?

FEATURE:

 

 

Surviving R. Kelly

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IN THIS PHOTO: R. Kelly/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

What Can We Learn to Make the Music Industry a Safer Space?

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THERE has been a lot of discussion and feedback...

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PHOTO CREDIT: r-kelly.com

regarding the T.V. series, Surviving R. Kelly. It talks to women who has been abused and assaulted by Kelly (some as minors) and is quite an emotional watch! Not to be too graphic and give too much away but there have been tales of women being held as sex slaves and some rather atrocious behaviour from the musician. Last year saw, unfortunately, a few male artists named and shamed when they were caught – inappropriately touching female fans or going much further. I am not sure how far this problem extends but it takes some beating to top the sworded and extraordinary details regarding R. Kelly. His catalogue of crimes is a long one and, even though we cannot say for certain everything did happen, it seems like the singer has crossed a line more than once through the years. In fact, many who have watched the series have asked why R. Kelly remains a free man and how he can walk the streets. He has made a video where he tries to defend himself and explain his situation but we are not talking about lurid comments and sexist remarks. Instead, some queasy and disgusting stories are being told where R. Kelly has abused his position as an international star and has done thing that would see most nob-celebrities jailed for years! Even though these upsetting revelations are coming to light, it seems like R. Kelly is more intent on releasing music rather than facing the accusations:

 “Lifetime’s docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” not only broke viewership records, but provided us with an appalling glimpse into the unspeakable harm he inflicted upon dozens—if not hundreds—of black women.

And while the rest of us were glued to our television sets over the course of the six episodes spread out over three separate nights, TMZ reports that Kelly was “disgusted” by the gruesome details unearthed in the docuseries and refused to watch a single minute of it...

Reportedly, he also believes the documentary is merely a “vendetta” against him, as opposed to a call for both accountability for his behavior and justice for those he tormented.

Furthermore, his team reportedly informed him of which individuals appeared in the docuseries and he denies knowing half of them, while dismissing the rest as traitors with self-serving motives.

Keenly aware of the attention the docuseries would inevitably draw, he released a new song—”Born to My Music”—in the days leading up to the premiere of “Surviving R. Kelly”.

But instead of celebrating his latest release, the world has instead focused its attention on admonishing his behavior, purging his music from our lives, and engaging in long-overdue discussions on the persistent dangers that black women and girls face”.

Some have watched the shows and ask why the women have only come forward now. Why did they not go to the police after the incidents?! The same could be said of the woman who were abused by Harvey Weinstein but, at the time, you are fighting against a celebrity and many would not take your side. There is the emotion of having to reveal the details and you are processing things. I am in no doubt regarding the veracity of the stories and it makes me wonder whether artists with a certain reputation and popularity see themselves above the law.

The Guardian reacted to Surviving R. Kelly and provided their take:

“Lifetime has made an impactful series, if at times heavy-handed in its use of sound and visual effects. It twists Kelly’s story and your stomach in knots. Most of the information expressed in Surviving R Kelly has already been made public, largely led by the tireless reporting of Chicago journalist Jim DeRogatis. And so, even when you have turned it off, the docuseries lingers with the stench of unresolved questions: what will happen to the women still believed to be living with Kelly, estranged from their families? What would it take for Kelly’s label, RCA Records, to address the overwhelming testimony made so far? And, finally, where can a viewer direct their rage, when Kelly has proved himself above scrutiny?

I’ll be honest: you’ll wait a long while for easy answers to those questions. New information gleaned during the show’s production rarely leaves you feeling satisfied, or as though Kelly has been held fully accountable for the claims about his behaviour.

So the show arrives at a confusing, and confused, time. Collectively, we don’t really understand how to deal with abusers who manage to avoid further scrutiny and career censure. Sceptics are quick to shout “Did you call the police?” when women share stories of sexual misconduct, abuse or harassment. But what happens when video evidence and verbal testimony aren’t enough to incriminate? Kelly’s a prime example: he was never tried on rape charges, and a jury instead acquitted him in 2008 on all 14 child abuse images charges, even after viewing the so-called “sex tape” that prompted his arrest in 2002”.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: R. Kelly attends the Ovadia & Sons front row during New York Fashion Week on 14th July, 2015/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Not only are there many questions that need answering – including what is to be done now and whether artists need to be punished heavily – but it makes me wonder just how far the problem extends. Last year, as I said, there were cases of male artists groping and abusing female fans. I think there is this view that they have consent and are able to do such things because of the adoration from fans; an unspoken agreement where they can cross that line and it is part of the business. A story has just come out that shows an incident (from 201) involving Drake:

“Video has surfaced of Drake kissing a 17-year-old girl in Denver, Colorado in May 2010. In the clip, the Canadian rapper invites the girl on stage during his performance at the Ogden Theater, dances with her, kisses her neck, comments on her shampoo, then pulls her shirt down at the back of the neck to kiss her again.

After reaching both hands across her chest while standing behind her, he picks up the microphone and says he is getting “carried away”. When asked her age, the unnamed girl replies: “17.” Drake responds: “I can’t go to jail yet, man!”

He continues: “I don’t know if I should feel guilty or not, but I had fun. I like the way your breasts feel against my chest.” He then kisses her on the cheeks and forehead”.

This kind of thing is happening at a well-populated gig and you have to ask how many other occasions have occurred where a female fan has been groped, kissed or touched in such a manner. R. Kelly is an extreme case but the incident involved Drake is unseemly and creepy. I think R. Kelly’s case, especially, should inform new guidelines and action. How many undisclosed stories are there of women being abused?! How many other artists are abusing their power because they feel it is acceptable and what the woman wants?! One can say sexual assault and cases like this have been present in music for decades and, in reality, how far have we actually come? It is the arrogance and sheer since of ignorance displayed by R. Kelly that gets to me. He seems unaware of what he has done and unconcerned with the damage done. We have social media now and there is no place to hide if you are guilty of these crimes. The case and controversy will continue but, at the end of it, you can see R. Kelly walking away and continuing to protest his innocence. All of the musicians who were accused last year, to the best of my knowledge, evaded imprisonment and there were no charges brought. I do wonder whether there is one set of rules for those in music and those out.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Kevin Spacey/PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage

We are seeing Kevin Spacey in court now, having to answer himself and explain his actions – he has been accused by multiple people of sexual assault. I hope there is strict action against R. Kelly and a proper court case - one where these new allegations and findings are used and every angle is explored. All the time he protests and deflects, the worst it becomes. I think something needs to happen to ensure there are fewer cases like this and women, whether fans or fellow musicians, are safe. It is hard to police the whole industry but so many of the accusations arrive a while after the incident – many do not result in prosecution or any stringent punishment. I do not think there have been many improvements made and many women feel unsafe at gigs or vulnerable right now. I hear of cases of women – journalists, artists and others – who have been touched or been harassed by men in music. We need to respond and react to shows like Surviving R. Kelly and, rather than being horrified, finding ways to make the music industry a safer place for women and make it clear this sort of thing will result in criminal proceedings. The Guardian’s article makes a good point at the end:

“…And still, we flounder and argue when faced with the men who make art and money and connections, yet allegedly hurt women. This is really about trauma, falling in a grey area more nuanced than current legal terms. We need an understanding deeper than the confines of rape and consent laws developed hundreds of years ago by men. In the meantime, you get to decide whether to turn away from, or listen to, the voices that accompany the tears”.

We definitely need to listen to women affected and, rather than see this as attention-seeking or sensationalism, respect the fact they are coming forward and there are perfectly good reasons why they did not come forward sooner. The continued series of male artists overstepping and not feeling the full force of the law has to end. I am not sure whether there is a ‘quick fix’ or a way of creating safety but we need to do something, that is for sure. I saw too many cases last year of male artists being accused – ranging from seedy photos sent to fans right through to alleged rape. It is a bad time where many young women feel exposed and as though they are unsafe. I know this only applies to a very small percentage of men in music but there are still too many incidents happening. The pantomime and circus that is R. Kelly is harrowing to watch. He seems to see these accusations and tears and responds with denial, new music and very little empathy. I shudder to think just how deep the accusations go with R. Kelly and how many more women will come forward. I have been left cold by what I have heard and seen and I definitely feel something needs to happen so that we do not see anything like this again. If we unite and work about a way of preventing someone like R. Kelly striking again then I think it will make women in music...

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PHOTO CREDIT: r-kelly.com

FEEL a lot safer.