FEATURE: For the Joy of It: How Music Can Heal and Cure

FEATURE:

 

 

For the Joy of It

PHOTO CREDIT: @priscilladupreez/Unsplash 

How Music Can Heal and Cure

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I think there is a bit of a problem...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @thanospal/Unsplash

in music right now because there is this lack of energy and fun Pop. I am writing about modern Pop tomorrow and how the scene has changed. I have written about this before but I think it is worth repeating. Every year that goes past seems to see a departure from the more buoyant and catchy Pop music to something more processed and similar. There are some great Pop artists now but I tend to find the music being produced is a little too machine-fed and lacks the real heart and bang of past years. I do wonder whether we can return to that time when mainstream music was filled with something interesting and spirited. Look out at the scene now and I do not see the same sort of music as I did when I was young. I guess that is the way things go but this does not mean everything in modern music lacks determination, crackle and effervescence. Look away from Pop itself and you’ll find plenty of artists who write music that gets you uplifted and in a better mood. I think there is a need to bring more kick to the forefront but, for now, the most fun and inspiring music is coming away from the mainstream. I am listening back to more and more older music because I know it can produce the happiness I require. There is, in fact, a song I am trying to think of that was released in the late-1980s/1990s and it has been rattling around my head.  

 PHOTO CREDIT: @duck58cth/Unsplash

I can recall a few of the notes and sounds but the damned thing will not come to me! I am sure it will reveal itself but the fact the song is in my mind is down to the fact it is so fun and energised. I often scout Spotify for music I remember and know will put me in finer spirits. As life gets harder and there are bad days, music is doing its part and making a huge impact. I am turning to it a lot and it is doing much more than I could possibly imagine. Some of the music is from now but most of it is from the past. I think the real power and potential of music is overlooked. A lot of times we hear these familiar songs and they make us smile. We will have a sing and chant along and we all feel better. Without thinking about it, we gravitate towards music and do not really consider why. I know music I listen to will make me feel better but it goes much deeper than that. In other pieces, I have talked about music being therapeutic and helping those with memory issues. There are a lot of generic playlists on streaming services that are designed to make us feel better or cure the Monday blues. They are great and help alleviate the strain but we often listen and then forget about the songs. Music can be this very powerful tool that helps us through heartbreak or makes us think of someone. I feel, as we all lead busier lives and there is a mental-health problem, music has a huge role to play.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @neonbrand/Unsplash

I love music for a number of different reasons but it is the way it can put me in a better headspace and improve my mood that amazes me. I listen to a lot of 1980s and 1990s music and do wonder whether artists now need to look back and realise why songs from then are still popular. I am not suggesting music can replace therapy and medication but think about the burst of life and radiance you get from particular songs. Music does not necessarily have to be happy and peppy to make us feel better or get into the mind. Songs that are more emotive can help us unburden ourselves and they sort of strike a chord. I guess so many modern artists write in a slightly more downbeat way is because they are trying to relate to the listener and, in turn, there is that sense of connection. Whether you gravitate towards a more emotive song or prefer tracks that are kicking and alive, music has this extraordinary ability. I find music not only helps my psychological state but it can help me physically. A lot of times I experience aches and tiredness and a well-selected group of songs can ease the stress and pains and bring me back to life. Maybe there is something general about the mood of the song or it might be connected to nostalgia but I know music can do something other people and things can’t.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @wiesehofer/Unsplash

That tie to childhood might be a reason why I can often transport myself to another place. Music is subjective but we all have these songs that remind of us better times. Whether that is school days or memorable moments, we can play this music and instantly have all the worries melt away. That sort of relief and release does not instantly go away. Maybe music is not as effective as, well, genuine happiness but it is a very potent and striking remedy. It makes me wonder why more radio stations do not promote more high-energy sounds and those designed to put people in a finer mood. I think there is this dependence on music that is more synthetic or moody; artists that are interesting but do not write to make people feel happy. Streaming services can do their part and ensure listeners are exposed to upbeat music. I know they have to promote new acts and there are playlists around but there is so much wonderful music that can make us all feel revived and delighted. I know I can feel bad and like everything is a bit hopeless and then play music and feel so much better. Some of it is down to memories flooding back and the rest is that combination of pure sounds and positive messages. It is important music is broad and we promote everything but so much of the biggest sounds and move-improving gems are left aside and not bring put out there.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @creativesimonn/Unsplash

I have learned so much from music and, at bad times, I know there are songs I can play that will do something wonderful and change my mood. Music is brilliant when it comes to making us all feel happy and together but it goes much deeper than that. There is this power and ability to help the body and aid recovery. Whilst conventional therapies and medicines are most important, music has been used as therapy and a way of recovery. Something as simple as a playlist – adding to it as you discover more music – can be very important and helpful. I will not post one here but I would suggest everyone think about their favourite songs that have energy and fun; that lifts the body and brain and makes you smile. It might not be a long-term solution to bigger problems but I think we underestimate music and how it can transform us. As much as anything, it brings pleasure and happiness when everything around is quite bleak. I do wonder whether modern artists are too concerned with being personal and revealing and forgot what many of us look for: thrills, energy and a spirit that creates happiness. It might be hard to do but, as we can all attest, music has immense powers. The weather is a bit naff at the moment and spring is not quite here. If you need your spirit and soul nourished and you need that smile back on that face, spend some time collating a playlist of music that...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @brucemars/Unsplash

BRINGS back the happiness.

FEATURE: An Incredible Vision: The Exceptional I Trawl the Megahertz

FEATURE:

 

 

An Incredible Vision

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify 

The Exceptional I Trawl the Megahertz

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THIS is the second day in a row where I have...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paddy McAloon proudly sporting I Trawl the Megahertz/PHOTO CREDIT: @Prefabsprout/Getty Images

featured an album that was recorded during a difficult period. To be fair to J Dilla, he did die shortly after the release of 2006’s Donuts but he recorded a lot of it from his hospital bed. The man was near to death and suffering from a blood disorder and, with not much time left, determined to record this album. What resulted was staggering and I wonder how the man managed to actually have time to think, let alone make music that is of such a high standard!  At some points, he was being led between his hospital bed and instruments. Although Paddy McAloon was not as ill-fated and unwell as J Dilla when he recorded I Trawl the Megahertz; I wonder how he actually got around to recording and making music. I will come to his recent round of publicity regarding the reissue and remastering of the 2003 album but, so long after the heyday of Prefab Sprout, many were not expecting anything new at all. The new edition is credited to Prefab Sprout but, as it was McAloon, essentially, doing this on his own (bar musicians and engineers etc.) the album was credited to him. Certainly, it is not like any other record you’d expect from the man who leads Prefab Sprout! I think many of us have our own favourites and impressions when it comes to Prefab Sprout.

To me – I shall wander back onto the straight and focused path soon – I am fascinated by The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. To me, all Pop music should take the same stand and create something fresh, quirky and utterly fun! I do wonder whether the mainstream has lost its way and should follow Paddy McAloon’s lead! I recall that song being played a lot and first encountered it when on a family holiday. It was playing at a water park (in this country) and I completely fell in love with it! The chorus is among the catchiest ever written and I love its video – complete with someone in a frog costume and a male diver. It is a brilliant track and, although some critics felt it was beneath the best McAloon was capable of, it remains one of Prefab Sprout’s finest songs.

A lot changed with Prefab Sprout between 1988’s From Langley Park to Memphis (where The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was housed) and 2003. I shall come back to the band’s past work later but, in 1999, McAloon was rendered blind for a period. He suffered from detached retinas (a congenital condition) and, understandably, was not able to do too much. Most of us would be panic-stricken and unable to adjust to life without sight. His vision did come back but there was a period when the northern songwriter was pretty much house-bound.

It was during this time when McAloon found solace and inspiration in radio plays, transmissions and shortwave radio. Everything from chat shows and call-ins entertained him and, whilst it was possible to listen to the T.V. and get something from it, the radio was a much more suitable medium. McAloon recently provided an interview for BBC’s Newsnight and, looking resplendent in a crimson suit and hat, he is a million miles away from the man we remember from the 1980s. I shall come to that later, too, but I often wonder how McAloon found the focus and energy to record material for a new album as his vision was failing. The material that would make its way onto I Trawl the Megahertz is a big departure from the Prefab Sprout sound. Prefab Sprout traded in these intelligent and unique Pop songs that were very smart but were accessible and popular. They could write something like The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll but also pen something like Desire As (from Steve McQueen, 1985). There was a lot to admire about Prefab Sprout and right at the centre was these incredible songs that won their way into the heart. There is only a bit of McAloon vocal on I Trawl the Megahertz as the remainder is instrumental. Aided by co-producer Calum Malcolm and composer David McGuinness; the album turned out to be a revelation!

Not THAT different to what McAloon had written before, it was a little aside from the more radio-friendly sounds many were used to at the start of the Prefab Sprout run. I Trawl the Megahertz contains myriad sounds; there are samples here and there and Classical passages inspired by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. McAloon, Malcolm and McGuinness (there’s a law firm in there somewhere!) translated McAloon’s writing, computer-produced sounds and ideas and integrated them with actual players. The spoken samples we hear on the album are from Yvonne Connors. She performs on the title-track and provides samples for the excellent I’m 49. McAloon does sing on Sleeping Rough but, for the most part, this is almost the work of a Classic composer. Many might seem it odd I compared Paddy McAloon and J Dilla  at the top of this piece. Both were very unwell whilst creating but there is a sense of mortality and reflecting on life on both records. I Trawl the Megahertz is very personal and poignant; it has mournfulness but philosophical looks at life and loss. Look at the title cut from the album and the samples and vocals (from Connors) is this unbelievable and highly emotional suite that sort of takes your breath! Although McAloon was not using as many snippets and samples as J Dilla did when he recorded Donuts; both were using sound in a unique way and creating work that could be personal and deep whilst bringing together other sounds and effects.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Paddy McAloon and Wendy Smith during the Prefab Sprout regency/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Many might feel Prefab Sprout’s records were quite ‘out there’ and on a different plain – that was nothing compared to I Trawl the Megahertz! Paddy McAloon is inspired by artists like Howlin’ Wolf and T.Rex - so it is no shock to hear that he would integrate the odd dose of the eccentric and ambitious into his work. Many assume he was this songwriter that just talked about heartache and the normal sort of things. McAloon was always a cut above the competition and, as early as Prefab Sprout’s debut, proving he was a genius songwriter. McAloon did fear I Trawl the Megahertz would miss the critical spotlight and the record would be seen as this somewhat overlooked thing. The reviews were highly positive and it was clear there was a huge amount of love for McAloon. He had lost none of his gift and passion and, on this rare and wonderful record, showing a new side to himself. The most recent Prefab Sprout record, Crimson/Red, was released in 2013 and is more conventional and story-based. Even though Prefab Sprout included McAloon’s brother Martin alongside Wendy Smith and Neil Conti (there were other various members at different stages); the work McAloon was putting out around 2003 was very much him. McAloon is still in touch with the former members and I know his brother still works with him. It is great we get to see I Trawl the Megahertz rebranded under the Prefab Sprout moniker as it shows McAloon has a lot of love for the group and, too, wants it to spread to a wider audience.

When I Trawl the Megahertz was unleashed to the world, it was received with warmth and fascination. I wanted to include the review from AllMusic as it seems to say a lot about the album’s brilliance and why McAloon is, and always will be, a musical genius:

“I Trawl the Megahertz, Paddy McAloon's first solo album, is as likely to perplex and infuriate as it is likely to stun and spellbind. Grand, heavily orchestrated, predominantly instrumental, and not the type of thing you put on prior to going out or when you're in the mood for cleaning the house, the record is incredibly powerful -- almost too powerful -- even when held up against everything from Prefab Sprout's past. The most significant song is the opener; 22 minutes in length, it's nearly elegiac in it its mournful tones played out by a swaying string arrangement and a weeping trumpet. Throughout its duration, Yvonne Connors speaks matter-of-factly -- yet dramatically enough to be poignant -- as she rifles through fragments of her memory, the most disarming of which reads like this: "I said, 'Your daddy loves you very much; he just doesn't want to live with us anymore.'" Of the eight remaining songs, McAloon's voice is present on just one, which doesn't come along until near the end. This song, the particularly autumnal "Sleeping Rough," is almost as emblematic of the album as the opener, expressing a somewhat sorrowful but content coming to grips with the passage of time ("I'll grow a long and silver beard and let it reach my knees"). The album was conceived during and in the wake of McAloon's bout with an illness that temporarily took away his eyesight, but it's plain to hear that his vision remains”.

IN THIS PHOTO: Paddy McAloon captured in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Putland

I urge everyone to go out and get I Trawl the Megahertz and enjoy this fantastic creation! If you can get it on vinyl then I think you’ll get the best and most immersive experience possible. I love the fact the album is very different to other Prefab Sprout material and is largely instrumental. McAloon has always been this curious and changing songwriter and, being confined to the house, it was only natural he would explore sound and take a different approach. The title-track is this masterful thing that could have been an album itself and would have sold! You need to listen to the twenty-minute-plus epic and get to grips with all the brilliant sounds and elements that make it so symphonic, emotive and captivating. The nine-track album is a masterpiece and proof McAloon, whatever decade he is creating in, is a step above everyone out there. This takes us to the present. I have mentioned how he has been given interviews and spreading the word regarding I Trawl the Megahertz. McAloon, now, is a very different-looking man to the floppy-fringed imp of the earliest days. His white beard and hair makes him seem prematurely old but I love his look. In some ways it is a way of compensating for poor vision and hearing (he has Meniere's disease). The man may look different but that wonderfully warm and witty voice remains.

McAloon was on Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music this morning and was in fine form. He explained the process of recording I Trawl the Megahertz and discussed some of his influences. He looked back to a time when he met Paul McCartney and was stunned to discover the former Beatle loved The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Instead of thank Macca for the compliment, McAloon felt the song was not what he should be writing and wondered if it was the right direction – McAloon, this morning, admitted to the fact he should have just said ‘thanks’ and left it! The interview was fantastic and McAloon was really funny. He was asked, cheekily, whether he would tour the remastered album (McAloon is unable to tour because of his conditions) and McAloon joked he would be doing this big tour and would open with Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls! It was a really great chat and you can catch it here (the chat is in the final half an hour of the broadcast). It makes me wonder whether we will see more material from Paddy McAloon/Prefab Sprout. McAloon can write and record fine but not the way he used to. It is a different process now but that is not to say we will never hear another album from him. 2013’s Crimson/Red gained great reviews and many said the same thing: McAloon is one of the best songwriters in the world! That is true and, even if he does not release many more albums, we have this incredible catalogue.

Look at the classic Prefab Sprout albums – such as Steve McQueen and Jordan: The Comeback – and you can hear all these different sides to this masterful songwriter! McAloon’s voice is soulful and pure; it can cut and jab but there is so much passion in there. Anyone who is unfamiliar with Prefab Sprout should spend a few hours going back and looking at their albums. I Trawl the Megahertz arrived at a challenging time and McAloon would be forgiven for resting and waiting until his sight was better. Instead, he crafted this sonic adventure that is amongst his finest work. I love the title number and think it is one of the finest pieces ever. Fall from Grace and Orchid are masterful and, in fact, the whole album is astonishing! I am glad McAloon is giving interviews at the moment as he always brings humour and incredible stories. He is a songwriter that does not get the same credit as John Lennon and Paul McCartney – I think he should! Not many artists could pull off I Trawl the Megahertz and make it sound completely natural and effortless. Pick up a copy of the new edition of I Trawl the Megahertz and let it envelop you! It is a staggering work from someone who, whilst short of sight, had not lost any of his vision. The album is proof that the incredible Paddy McAloon then, before and now is one of this world’s…

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

GREATEST talents! 

INTERVIEW: Molly Marrs

INTERVIEW:

Molly Marrs

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I have been finding out about Molly Marrs...

and her latest track, All of Me. She explains the inspiration for the song and what comes next; the artists who inspire her and whether there are tour dates coming up – Marrs reveals an artist she would like to tour with if she had the chance.

I ask when music came into her life and whether she gets time away from her busy schedule; what advice she would give to those coming through and how she feels being on the stage – she ends the interview by suggesting a cut from a Pop favourite.

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

Hello. My week has been great! This rainy weather has allowed me to stay in a few days to work at home - so I’ve been keeping myself busy making sure everything has been ready for this release.

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

Hey guys! I’m Molly Marrs; a singer-songwriter here in Los Angeles. I’m a Texas native and I’m out here to share my story to as many people as I can through my music. 

(You can watch my mini documentary here).

 

Your new single, All of Me, is out. Is there a tale behind the song?

I wrote this song at a point in my life where I had let other people’s opinions matter more to me than my own. It ultimately led me down a lonely road of constant struggle and unhappiness. I found myself in a toxic environment that was getting me nowhere. It was both damaging to my personal life as well as my business relations.

At this point, I had found myself in a vicious cycle of betrayal and un-loyalty and it really tested my character. I finally came to the realization that I deserved better and needed to move on and cut ties. I completely started with a new slate and rebuilt my team organically from the ground up.

Here I am two years later and happier than I’ve ever been. I feel like I'm finally able to be confident in my work and I'm doing it independently. To me, that’s the most valuable accomplishment.

Do you foresee more material this year? Might there be an E.P.?

Yes! I’m currently working on some more stuff that I’m super-excited to be releasing soon.

You have worked with a lot of different artists and producers. Do you think this has made your own work stronger?

Yes. I feel like I've learned something from everyone along the way.  

Having gained support from Boyz II Men and Fergie, how does that make you feel?!

Shawn Stockman was great. It was honestly a blessing and privilege to have worked with such an iconic talent in my first project out here in Los Angeles. Making friends and finding genuine people in the music industry is very rare and unheard of...but Fergie has been that one exception.

To see his success journey, and how humble he truly is, it amazes me! I value all of his advice/teachings but one thing I admire the most is his honesty. He’s been supportive, looked out for me and I had never met someone like that until now. So, I definitely feel honoured and grateful to have him apart of the team.

When did music come into your life? Did you have favorite artists as a child?

Music has been a part of my life for as long as I could hold a microphone. I remember for Christmas one year when I was seven, my dad had bought me a small PA system. I would wheel the speaker outside plug it in on the front porch and then run inside the house to sing for all my neighbours and the cars driving by. I listened to a lot of artists but I think my all-time favorite would be Christina Aguilera.

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

My favourite memory would be when I performed at Hakkasan in Las Vegas in November.

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

I honestly don’t have one! I love all kinds of music across all genres: it’s hard to pinpoint just one.

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

I would love to support Selena Quintanilla! Growing up, my mom would always play her and tell her all her wonderful stories. When Jennifer Lopez released the movie Selena, I watched it non-stop.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

My advice to any new artist is, regardless of what anyone says, no one knows you better than yourself. If you don’t feel 100% confident or passionate about a project, a deal, or even lyrics to a song, don’t release it. If you’re unsure about a contract and have questions, seek advice and never assume anything. 

This industry does extremely well at telling others what they need to be, rather than taking what's already there and enhancing it. Everyone is going to have an opinion regardless - so might as well make yours the most important.

Do you think there are going to any tour dates coming up?

Hopefully, soon! Just trying to take one day at a time and enjoy the journey.

Is the stage somewhere you love to be? Can you describe the feeling when you are up there?

It’s electrifying and my heart is full of pure happiness. Nothing else matters but that moment right there...regardless of the genre, I’m about to about to deliver a passionate message and I love being able to connect with others that way. Music truly is the universal language and that’s what makes it special.

Anyone and everyone can relate to or connect with a simple song. It’s always a privilege to be able to perform and I look forward to it every time.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Alina Baraz

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I really like Alina Baraz and Lolo Zuoi.  

 IN THIS PHOTO: LOLO (Lolo Zuoi)

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

Time away from music? No, very unlikely. If I'm not in the studio myself, I still have to listen to something. To be honest, it’s hard for me at a time to sit in complete silence. Especially if I'm home alone making dinner, or working on my laptop; I will always have a candle lit and background music going on.

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).

I’m a huge Ariana Grande fan! She’s just dropped her new album thank u, next so it’s got to be a track from there

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Follow Molly Marrs

Official:

https://mollymarrs.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mollymarrs

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MollyMarrsOfficial/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mollymarrs/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/51hU7IPJUvfx858zVivf2l?si=TsZIMog-TjykXRV6c2JhgQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/molly-marrs

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMU9b1juoZSB8bpWNRA948A

FEATURE: The February Playlist: Vol. 2: Diamonds Turning to Gold

FEATURE:

 

The February Playlist

IN THIS PHOTO: MARINA 

Vol. 2: Diamonds Turning to Gold

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I intimated, last week, that the new selection…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ariana Grande

of music was not that strong but, lo and behold, there is a raft of epic music to compensate this week! I have been picking the very best and it is great to see the return of MARINA (formerly Marina and the Diamonds). Alongside her new single is music from Ariane Grande and Kelly Rowland; The Amazons, Drenge and Anna of the North. There is so much good tuneage to get your head around and there is such a variation! I hope you enjoy what is on offer and, as the weather is pretty mediocre, it is a good time to stay in and listen to some quality music! Let the sounds do their work, move your way through this week’s new selection and I am sure the music will take you somewhere…

IN THIS PHOTO: Drenge

TRULY special.  

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

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MARINA – Handmade Heaven

Nicki Minaj – Bust Down Barbiana

Ariana Grande – bad idea

Kelly Rowland – Crown

The Amazons – Mother

Cleo Sol – One

Circa Waves - Me, Myself & Hollywood

Ibibio Sound Machine - Wanna Come Down

IN THIS PHOTO: Beck

Beck (ft. Robyn and The Lonely Island) - Super Cool (from The LEGO Movie 2)

PHOTO CREDIT: Harley Weir

These New Puritans - Anti-Gravity 

SOAK – Valentine Shmalentine

Dizzee Rascal - Quality

The Japanese House – We Talk All the Time

GIRLI - Deal with It

Drenge - Never See the Signs

PHOTO CREDIT: @idafiskaa_

Anna of the North – Leaning on Myself

Charly Bliss - Capacity 

Dermot Kennedy – Lost

Fontaines D.C. – Big

George Maple – Champion

Honeyblood – The Third Degree

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelsey Cherry Photography

Leah Nobel – Truly Known

Jack Walton – We Are Golden

Mahalia – Do Not Disturb  

Superorganism – Hello Me & You

IN THIS PHOTO: Maren Morris

Maren Morris (ft. Brandi Carlile) – Common

Yizzy – Yeah

Sarah Close – london

AJ Tracey – Country Star

Cass McCombs – Real Life

Jessica Pratt – As the World Turns

Rita Ora - Soul Survivor

MNEK - Girlfriend

Mercury Rev – Jesseye’ Lisabeth

Laura Stevenson – Living Room, NY

Talkboy – Someone Else for You

TRACK REVIEW: Orchards - Age of You

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Orchards

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan  

Age of You

9.5/10

The track, Age of You, is available via:

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

ORIGIN:

Brighton, U.K.

GENRE:

Pop

RELEASE DATE:

29th November, 2019

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THIS year will see me do things a bit differently...

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan  

as I am getting a lot of requests from solo artists who are a bit under the radar. It is okay because, naturally, people will contact you and ask if you can feature them. The reason I am making changes is because I am getting a lot of solo artists coming through and it can be a bit samey. In that respect, I am going for bigger names; those that are a bit more recognisable and have more of a standing. It has come to a point where I am getting lots of requests and they are not really interesting me and providing any sense of ambition. My mind is turning to bands more and, whilst I will apply the same rules to them very soon, I am keen to include more in my blog. Sam Rushton, Dan Fane; Will Lee-Lewis and Lucy Evers form Orchards and they are a crew that spike my interest. My rules regarding status and follower numbers will include everyone very soon but I think it is interesting to see a group like Orchards grow and see what they have become. It is early days for them at the moment but there is a passion there. Before I come to look at their current single, I want to talk about a few subjects. I will look at Brighton and the scene that inspires originality in artists; why bands and female-led bands are growing; simplicity and originality regarding songs and videos; why bands are starting to take more of a stand and have more promise to them; touring and how getting that gig experience can make a big impact. I miss Brighton a lot and do not get a chance to visit much. I haven’t been since Christmas Eve and always love heading down there. I love the people and vibe down there and always gravitate towards the vibe. It is a very colourful and friendly part of the world and you always get relaxed and feel better when around the people.

The reason I mention Brighton is because the band are based down there and it is a great spot for talent. Whilst one or two of Brighton’s big venues have closed the past few years, it is an area that is thriving and worth a closer look. The atmosphere and feel of the place inspires something different and fresh. The people are a lot different to, say, London and you are put in a good mood when walking the streets. That may not seem important when it comes to music but I think there is something in the air that compels musicians. Of course, if you are more relaxed and happier then that will translate into great sounds but I think there is something else at play. The fact artists are more relaxed and it is a less busy and packed place means they are free to wander and not so stressed. Brighton has a lot of great shops and bars; a great pier and beach and there is a tonne of stuff that compels the imagination. Other areas of the U.K. are great but there is nowhere quite like Brighton. Maybe it does not have the same opportunities and stature as London and Manchester but Brighton’s music is brilliant. There are a lot of female-fronted bands coming from here and I will talk about that later. It might be a stretch to suggest the sound of Brighton is vastly different to that of London but one gets a different tone. I am bit late to the party regarding Orchard’s new single, Age of You, because I got the request last year but it was hard working out timing and getting everything together. I am not reviewing any song in the past soon – singles released a few weeks or months ago, say – but I will make an exception here. The band will be planning new material so, in a way, Age of You is still quite fresh and worth exploring.

Orchards had a busy 2018 and achieved quite a lot. I will end by looking at their touring schedule and the fact they are pretty busy this year. I wanted to address female-led bands because they seem to be on the rise. There have always been female-fronted bands and some of the greatest from the 1990s, - including Skunk Anansie and Republica – have inspired a lot of groups today. I think there was a period when there was a lot of male bands and they tended to dominate. It might be the case they are the ones still getting booked for festival headline slots but the new wave of female-fronted bands should redress that. One of my biggest annoyances is the fact festivals still go with the all-male band and the same predictable sort. It can be annoying and does not reflect the changes in modern music. By that, I mean there is more depth and variety to be found. Female bands are more evident and mixed-gender bands provide a nice tonal shift. I am not slagging off all male bands but I think they can be quite limited and there is something lacking regarding sound and vocals. I do prefer a female voice and, when you have one leading a band, it can provide greater thrills and emotion. I feel all-male bands do not have the same depth and chemistry and bands with a female member. That might sound general and flawed but I think female-fronted bands are really exciting. Brighton has quite a few female-led bands (including Yonaka) and I love to promote them. Maybe festivals will get their act together and realise, when it comes to bands, there is much more pleasure and colour to be discovered in female-led bands. I am not sure why there are a lot of female-led bands coming through but I think it is something to do with the lack of variation and surprise you get from a lot of male bands. You have different voices in the group and, with a female voice at the front, it can add something you would not get from a male band.

It is interesting seeing how the band market is changing but, in many ways, it still has to compete against the solo hegemony. It has been the case, for many years, solo artists are ruling and they seem to take more of the pie. I wonder whether bands will get the same attention as them very soon or whether this pattern and landscape will remain for years to come. I think, if bands are to take more of a stand, then we need to look at moving away from the all-male variety. It might sound harsh to write them all of but I think they can be quite limited in terms of sound. When it comes to the male bands I am approached by, they tend to be Alternative or Rock bands. You might get the odd different one here and there but they tend to be a bit heavier. That is okay but you do tend to get a bit bored after a while. Unless you are IDLES are a band like that, you are not likely to make a big an impact as a band that has a bit more range and endeavour at their disposal. It is the Pop element that Orchards add that I love. I also love how bands like Yonaka can add something fiery and intense but, because it is delivered by a female voice, it provides something very different to what is out there. Not only does one get a more interesting vocal performance but you have a new lyrical perspective. Lucy Evers leads the boys but she does not dominate and steal too much of the focus. Instead, she puts her incredible voice at the front but you can hear the connection and intuition. I like how Orchards have this close bond and there is this original sound. I do hope festivals will book more female-led bands and, in years to come, they will get to headline. The same can be said for female bands too: a more interesting and fresh alternative to the sort of male bands that are headlining festivals right now.

Orchards have already released their E.P., Losers/Lovers, and it gained some big reviews. Age of You is about making promises and not quite being able to fulfil them. Lucy Evers has said it is a therapeutic song but quite hard in an emotional sense. The track is about having chances to be the best version of you but knowing there is something missing. There are still too many tracks about love and heartbreak and I think many artists are lacking when it comes to ambition. Think about the average human and how complex they are. They have so many sides to them and I do wonder why so many get caught up with relationships and focusing on them. We all go through so many different situations and very few of them are actually documented in music. I do love music that talks about matters of the heart but how inspiring is that for the average person? If you have not been in love or going through that sort of thing that is more academic than anything. I think music is most potent when it reaches the largest amount of people and has that familiarity to it. If you are not in a relationship then it can be hard to get behind songs that talk about splits and strains. I do think a track that talks about not being at your best is more common and we can all relate to that. We have all been in the position when we try and give everything to someone/life and still feel like we are lacking. Rather than provide a rather tense song that is quite depressing, the Brighton band do offer some hope and it will teach you some lessons. It is quite emotional and hard-hitting in places but I like its overall sound and we can all take something away. How many artists are writing songs that connect with everyone and go beyond the average and ordinary? Not only can a simple yet effective song resonate and endure but the same can be said for videos.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Joe Keys

Orchards had Stewart Gardiner direct the video for Age of You and they collaborated with their fans. The band wanted to keep things quite simple in terms of the lightning and set and not have something too cluttered. They reached out to their Instagram followers and, on certain lines, photos from them filled the blanks. Rather than the director compose the band in a scenario, they used these snaps to sort of respond to questions posed in the song. It is a nice way of involving the fans and quite a fresh twist. I think too many music videos try and tell a story and they do not feel personal or seem a little ambitious. It can be hard getting the video right and making it hit but there are ways to make it stand out. Given the rise of social media, I like the fact Orchards incorporated Instagram but the video itself has a lot of great elements and moments. It is a stunning video but a fairly simple one. I like music and videos that can make an impression based on something quite easy. Orchards manage to pack a punch with their song but do not need to use complex language and expressions. The song is cleverly written and sharp and it digs deep. One can feel it is very personal but everyone can relate to it. The video could have gone in the wrong direction and been rather wasted but the band and director have crafted something superb. You look at the video and remember the sights and scenes. I do wonder whether artists are taking advantage when it comes to videos and trying to craft something unique. It is costly to make a video but that does not mean you have to skimp on memorability. Orchards and Gardiner have produced something fantastic and charming. It almost juxtaposes some of the more serious aspects of the song itself and helps heighten the words. I can tell the band enjoyed the video and it perfectly visualises their track.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Dan Chase

I intimated bands will struggle to match solo artists and not get the same credit. Whilst I think there is too much focus on solo artists and that seems to be what is popular right now, I feel bands can make a break. There are some great solo artists in the market right now and the work they are creating is stunning. Whilst one can relate to solo artists and love their music, I do think bands provide something more emphatic and fulsome. When seeing a band live, there is something different compared to seeing a solo act. Bands used to rule and have the biggest say but things started to chance at the beginning of the last decade. Maybe it was a natural evolution but I think bands now are struggling to get mainstream attention. I think one of the reasons why bands have struggled is the fact they have been sticking with generic themes and sounds. Solo artists can provide more depth and flexibility and groups have not been able to match them. I am seeing the older order die out and those groups that are all heavy riffs, generic songs and the same old feel. In their place is a more ambitious and original line-up that has that knowledge of what the market wants. There are predictable bands out there still but there are many more that have something real to say. Whether it is the emotional struggles they face or the state of the world right now, it is a lot more than simple riffs and the same sound. Genres are being fused together and, with more female-fronted bands around, there is ample choice for festivals and fans alike. Bands are becoming more varied and I like the options out there. One can find an Electro-Pop group and there are some great Pop-Punk options. Depending on what you are into, you are likely to find a band that can fit the bill. I do think this choice has been missing and it is good to see a host of bright bands who can inspire the next generation.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Smethers

Maybe bands will not completely bring us back to the 1980s and 1990s but there is nothing to suggest we will see less of an imbalance. I think the best live performance is from a band and there is something thrilling watch a group interact on stage. Solo artists are great but it can be quite hard to project the same sense of urgency, energy and colour you get from a band. Orchards are a group that showcase what is out there and how the market is changing. They have Pop and Rock elements working away but their lyrics are as personal and arresting as any solo artist. It is the chemistry in the group and the way each member adds to the pot that gets to me. You get that sense of togetherness and I feel Orchards are the match of any solo act out there. I do feel like male bands have struggled to adapt and too many are not saying anything new. That can lead people to solo artists; the band market starts to shrink and it can be sad to see. I feel this new breed are a lot more conscious of what the public wants and why solo artists are taking a big slice of the pie. Perhaps it will take a few years before we start to see real change but I can see bands taking a stand and getting more focus. Orchards are a brilliant group that have a long future and they seem rock-solid. I like the way they do things and the sounds they produce. The more bands that come through, the harder it can be to be distinct and stand aside. One of the dangers of bands swelling is the fact you get soundalikes and there is repetition. That is natural but there are plenty of bands who are on their own page and have their own scent. Let me come to the song, Age of You, and express why it is so good.

Age of You opens really well and springs right into life. It skips and has a crisp sound that instantly gets you invested but does not sound like anyone else. It is quite a catchy opening that has plenty of energy but there is depth to be found too. Although a few words do get lost – either buried by the composition or delivered quite fast – the lyrics talk about the heroine talking to herself and asking some big questions. It appears she has being trying her best and being the best version of who she can be but that has not been enough. She has thrown fireworks and maybe struggled a bit in relationships. Rather than beat herself up and blame others, this is this sense she has room to grow and is aware of problems that have arisen. Even though the odd lyrics does get lost and fades a bit, the heroine’s voice strikes out and she is looking back at opportunities lost. She talks about relationships past and wonders whether the right decision was made. Would things have been different if the bond was still intact and would it have made her happier? It is always hard to look back and wonder whether you have made the right call; if you did what was necessary or was a little rash. It seems like the decisions made were right and seemed natural but there are questions being asked. I like the fact the song has this quite energised and sprite tone but it is never too heavy. One would feel an emotional and personal song would be quite gloomy but the band ensure things are kept light and appealing. A lot of choices are being investigated and whether the decisions made are right. I do wonder how our lives would be different if we had stayed in relationships or taken a different path. Our heroine is wondering whether things would be better if she had done things different and maybe stayed with someone.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Helen Messenger

I think these are natural doubts and she cannot be too hard on herself. We all go through times when we look back and question our minds. There is something quite interesting about the vocal. In terms of sound, it is like nobody else but there are some familiar strands around the edges. It is a powerful and rousing delivery and one that brings the words to life. I like how the band connects and the interplay. The music is wonderful and often stands aside and strikes. There is a lot being said in the composition and it beautifully blends with the vocals. The lyrics talk about being the best version of you and thinking about yourself. I wonder whether the heroine was looking at herself and wondering whether she could have made things better or is taking a new leaf in 2019. She has been through some hard times and made mistakes but I think she is looking forward rather than back. Maybe there have been some hard decisions made but she is in a place now where she can evaluate and move forward. I’d like to think she’s happy now and excited about the next moves. I know Orchards, on Age of You, want to write about something missing and someone not being there. Maybe it is based on some single experience or relationship or it might be about a general feeling something is missing. You can look back and decide what is missing and moments lost but looking ahead and making a better version of you is a more positive thing. I feel the band are looking to embrace this sense of fulfilment and making improvements. Our lead has been through some bad moments and might regret some decisions but she is keen to move forward and build as a person. The lyrics are quite tough and revealing but there is a lot of positivity people can take away. We have all been in that mindset where we think we have missed out or are a bit incomplete. Orchards project this song that has a sense of optimism and cheer but that does not mean the song is slight and ineffective. The deliver and lyrics are powerful and memorable and the combination of these two elements is extraordinary. A terrific and impactful song from a promising young band that are growing stronger and stronger. Age of You is a cracking song that we can all relate to and take something away from.

Orchards embark on their first headline tour I March and April and tickets are available. Ensure you see them live because they are fantastic and a brilliant proposition. The band has a great 2018 and I think one of the reasons they are so strong is because they have toured a lot. There are some great venues down in Brighton and local bars to cut your teeth. The great thing about Brighton is that attracts a good mix of people and the artists are more eclectic. Maybe it is to do with the sea air and the people but the music seems more organic and nuanced. I like how Brighton artists do things and it is an area we all need to look at more closely. Orchards performed at festivals last year and got some great gig experience. I think this has translated into their music and has opened them up creatively. Not only do they sound sharp on record but their songwriting has broadened. Losers/Lovers has a great sense of range and I think Orchards have become more ambitious the more they have toured. They have played to a lot of people and had a chance to experiment with music. They have seen a lot of other acts play alongside them and all of this has been brought into the studio. Their play is excellent and you can hear the tightness and confidence. I feel a band with less gig experience might not sound as strong in the studio. They might be too reliant on their influences and not quite as electric as other acts. Those who have been on the road and had the chance to test their songs and work on them in front of the people have that unique perspective. They can get that instant reaction and people can respond. If they like a song then the band does not need to change much but, if a track does not get the big reception hoped, they can chop and change a bit before bringing it to a producer. Orchards have been out to the people and, through various gigs, seen that response. Check out their social media pages because they have gigs coming in March and April and make sure you go see them. I will leave things now but I am glad I have got the chance to review Orchards and bring them to new people. 2018 was a big one for them but 2019 is also going to be huge. Not only does the band have a headline tour but they will be thinking about new material and their next step. Given the strength of Age of You (and Losers/Lovers), I cannot wait to see...

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan

WHERE they heads next.

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Follow Orchards

 PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Morgan  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/orchardslive

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/orchardslive

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4XWU6kWmuSBJJ1QL0BV3NZ?si=p1bhn7aaRQCNZEDqlhMSDQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/orchardslive

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-8fed89VyZJqhSWxDKpHA

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/orchardslive/

Bandcamp:

https://orchardslive.bandcamp.com/

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

FEATURE:

 

 

Sisters in Arms

IN THIS PHOTO: Jamila Woods 

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

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THE weather is pretty shocking...

 IN THIS PHOTO: SOAK

and it is clear we are in the depths of winter! I am determined to let some great music compensate and bring warmth and brightness! There are some slower and more intimate songs in the pack but there are plenty of upbeat and spirited songs that showcase some brilliant female talent. Many assume music from women is a genre rather than being, well, nothing of a sort. The fact there are so many women being denied chances to headline festivals and have the same opportunities as men annoys me so, in these playlists, I am keen to exploit the finest female artists around. Here is a typically fulsome and interesting collection of songs that will stay in the head and linger in the bones. This is a packed collection that will distract you from all the crappy weather and bring plenty of joy and energy. If you need that boost and extra kick to get you through to the weekend then make sure you...

 IN THIS PHOTO: MARINA

INVESTIGATE all the songs here.

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

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Ebony Buckle – The Mermaids Said No

PHOTO CREDIT: Knut Åserud

Jackie Charles – Time Travel

Mahalia – Do Not Disturb

Vera Blue – Like I Remember You

Anna of the North – Leaning on Myself

Vivienne Chi - Woman

Le Butcherettes – in/THE END

Baker Grace – Wrong Kind of People

Elohim – TV

Calva Louise – No Hay

 PHOTO CREDIT: Wilk

Meg Mac – Something Tells Me

IAMDDB – Wokeuptoflexxx (WUTF)

SOAK – Valentine Shmalentine

MARINA – Handmade Heaven

Orla Gartland – Why Am I Like This?

Jamila Woods – ZORA

Shaqdi – Daydreaming

PHOTO CREDIT: @ebruyildiz

Boy Harsher – LA

Lucy Rose – Solo(w)

Shahrae – Awkward

Lisabel – Stars Dance

Erica Cody – Over & Over

Jessica Pratt – Fare Thee Well

DEWEY – Bent Star

PHOTO CREDIT: Francesca Tirpak

jellyskin – Half Pedal

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Scarlett Romain

Sonia Stein – Party

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilde Cunha

Vaarwell – Money

FEATURE: A Secret Recipe: J Dilla’s Incredible Influence and the Peerless Donuts

FEATURE:

 

 

A Secret Recipe

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify 

J Dilla’s Incredible Influence and the Peerless Donuts

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YESTERDAY marked what would have been...

 IN THIS PHOTO: J Dilla/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

J Dilla’s forty-fifth birthday - and there were a lot of tributes on social media. Many non-Hip-Hop fans might not be aware of his work but he not only had this incredible solo career but worked with a range of other artists. He emerged in the 1990s and was part of the underground Hip-Hop scene in Detroit. Among the luminaries he worked with were A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul; Erykah Badu and The Roots. J Dilla (or James Dewitt Yancey to give him his real name) died of a blood disease, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in 2006 and the world was stunned. Not only were people deprived of this incredible talent but he died so young: he was only thirty-two. J Dilla met Detroit musician Amp Fiddler in 1992 and – under the name Jay Dee at that stage – he worked alongside MC Phat Kat – they formed 1st Down and they were the first Detroit Hip-Hop group to sign with Payday Records – a deal that ended after one single when the label collapsed. By 1996, he went on to record the album, Fan-TastTic Vol. 1, as part of the group Slum Village. That album helped bring Jay Dee to the public consciousness and was a huge hit in the Hip-Hop community. Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) felt 1st Down could succeed A Tribe Called Quest – Jay Dee felt uncomfortable with this comparison. He, in the mid-1990s, worked on a number of singles and remix projects; working for Janet Jackson, De La Soul and Busta Rhymes.

A lot of these projects were relatively low-key but Jay Dee did work on seven tracks from The Pharcyde’s album, Labcabincalifornia (released in 1995) and, by the turn of the century, J Dilla (we can switch between names) was working on new material. By 2000, the major label debut of Slum Village, Fantastic Vol. 2, emerged and there was this fresh following for J Dilla as a producer and M.C. His first solo album came in 2001 and the single, Fuck the Police, was followed by the record, Welcome 2 Detroit. The switch from Jay Dee to J Dilla occurred in 2001; by then his name was huge and his music gaining this huge following. J Dilla moved to MCA and they requested a record with a big commercial lure that was free from samples and accessible. I will come to an album that contained samples and showed the true skills of J Dilla: Champion Sound (recorded with Madlib) was a success in 2002 but not the album J Dilla wanted to make. I will finish by looking at J Dilla’s epic album, Donuts, and why that is special but, before then, a tribute from Pitchfork caught my eye. The article is illuminating and shows how wide J Dilla’s influence is:

“And while plenty of rap and R&B artists have absorbed his influence-- from fellow Detroit resident Black Milk's excellent Tronic to Kanye West's production on Common's Finding Forever-- his influence isn't limited to hip-hop and neo-soul. Flying Lotus picked up on elements of Dilla's style for his 2006 debut album 1983-- underwater basslines, stripped-down snare-tap percussion, bristling synths, textural hiss-- and has been boldly mutating them into a new strain of b-boy IDM ever since, culminating with this year's expansive Cosmogramma. He's at the vanguard, but he's not alone; artists on L.A. labels like Brainfeeder, Alpha Pup, and Proximal Records have hit creative paydirt by siphoning Dilla's ear for rhythmic suppleness through electro, dubstep, and ambient funk”.

It was the way J Dilla – there are reasons behind that moniker but not important now – evolved and continued to push what was possible that meant he stood out from the pack:

“His immaculate sense of rhythmic interplay and carefully built atmospherics were what put him in the upper echelon of  producers in the late 1990s, and his creative restlessness and experimentation were what kept him there through the 00s. He was never content to wring every last drop out of one of his stylistic phases, opting instead to move on once he felt he'd hit a particular zenith. This left him with a body of work that was a succession of distinct yet naturally progressing phases, exploring and evolving where other great producers were merely content to inch forward or simply maintain”.

Check out the article to look at all the artists and projects J Dilla worked on but there is one that stands out to me – him working on Janet Jackson’s Got ‘Til It’s Gone (Ummah Jay Dee’s Revenge Mix) in 1997. Pitchfork explain why there was some controversy:

“One of the more contentious moments in Dilla's career is an issue of attribution. Yancey claimed co-authorship of this song alongside Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the original version of "Got 'Til It's Gone" bears all the hallmarks of the Ummah style: neo-soul electric pianos, subdued kicks paired with prominent snares, and bass that burbles so thickly that it flows instead of pops. But the official production credits name Jackson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis alone.

The revenge in question, then, is simply a matter of cranking up those aforementioned trademarks until the source is unmistakable. The bassline congeals, the keyboards are run through a rippling wah-wah, the titular Joni Mitchell loop fades in and out of focus-- it's the difference between a neon sign and a lava lamp”.

There have been very few albums, Hip-Hop or otherwise, that have been quite sample-heavy over the past couple of decades. I think about the late-1980s and early-1990s for those rich and ambitious records that take these disparate cuts and fuse them together into something wonderful. There were great sample-rich albums through the 1990s but it sort of stopped by the early-2000s. There have been posthumous J Dilla records but Donuts was released around the time of his death in 2006. By 2002, J Dilla has been diagnosed with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and he knew it was incurable (the disease is terminal). The idea for Donuts occurred whilst J Dilla was in hospital in 2005.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

The album is an instrumental Hip-Hop album and, whilst it is not as overloaded with samples as some of the classic Hip-Hop albums, the way the samples are used and moulded is extraordinary. In many ways, it is sort of like nothing else around: most albums that used a lot of samples and instruments contained vocals and some sung passages. In a way, it is like scanning between radio stations because each of the thirty-one tracks last between one and one-and-a-half minutes (some tracks are a bit longer). The album starts with an outro and ends with an intro; there are all manner of wonderful sonic moments and it allowed J Dilla the chance to do whatever he wanted with samples and produce the record he wanted to. The ending of the final track is an infinite loop: it goes along with the donut (doughnut) concept and the fact that it is circular and never ends.

Most of the tracks on Donuts was recorded in hospital and he worked on a modest record player and sampler. His mother brought records to his bed and that would form impetus for the sounds heard on the album. His mother, it is said, brought a crate of records to his bed and, whilst he removed a dozen or so, he pushed the rest aside and said they were not good. There was this determination to finish the record – as his condition worsened and he was barely able to move – and he was physically moved between his bed and instruments so he could record these songs. It is gobsmacking thinking how ill he was and how courageous he was at the time – he only wanted to get the music down and that steely eye goes right into Donuts. CLASH, when talking about the record, had this to say:

“‘Donuts’ is a joy, from start to finish – amazing given the circumstances of its creation, with the vast majority of tracks laid down from Dilla’s hospital bed. It’s entirely instrumental, sampled snatches of vocals aside, and yet feels like a really personal statement, a beyond-satisfying epilogue of sorts coming after the great production work Dilla had put into tracks by The Roots, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo and so many more. Those relationships, between producer and vocalists, helped to shape Dilla’s career – but it’s ‘Donuts’ that caps it, and exploring every one of its details is as magnificent as scaling the tallest peak...

IMAGE CREDIT: Dewey Saunders  

Its legacy is undeniable, too. Listen to a host of producers today and you can hear elements informed by the work of Dilla, from Clams Casino through to Hudson Mohawke. And beats from ‘Donuts’ continue to be sampled for fresh use amongst contemporary rappers: members of Wu-Tang Clan, Drake and Big Pooh have turned to these 31 cuts for still-fresh sounds to contextualise anew. Pitchfork deemed ‘Donuts’ worthy of a 10/10 on its 2013 reissue, while Clash has previously celebrated its brilliance in our Essential 50 of 2009 (here). And we see no reason to not continue our love affair with such a remarkable record.

AllMusic observed the following in their review:

“It's fitting that Motown echoes, a predominant theme, are often felt, from the use of Dionne Warwick's Holland-Dozier-Holland-written "You're Gonna Need Me" (on "Stop"), to the shifting waves of percussion plucked from Kendricks' "People... Hold On" (on "People"), to the Stevie-like piano licks within Kool & the Gang's "The Fruitman" ("The Diff'rence"). Most of the tracks fall into the 60-90 second range. It's easy to be overwhelmed, or even put off, by the rapid-fire sequence, but it's astounding how so many of the sketches leave an immediate impression. By the third or fourth listen, what initially came across as a haphazard stream of slapped-together fragments begins to take the shape of a 44-minute suite filled with wistful joy. Like everything else Dilla has ever done, Donuts is not defining; in fact, elements of its approach bare the apparent influence of Jaylib collaborator Madlib. His mode has always been too slippery and restlessly progressive to be equated with any one track or album, but Donuts just might be the one release that best reflects his personality”.

This great article shows how J Dilla managed to change the future and have a big impact on the Jazz community; this Wikipedia page shows just how influential the album was and how, in many ways, it continues to inspire artists.

There are some great features that look at Donuts and its influence and appeal. Study Breaks wrote last year about Donuts and how it has inspired the new breed:

“In the years following the album’s release, “Donuts” has become a classic. Ranked 66 in Pitchfork’s Top 200 albums of the 2000’s list, the album has a vast influence on the hip-hop genre today in the work of amateurs and professionals alike.

Musicians such as Knxwledge, the producer behind Kendrick Lamar’s song “Momma” on “To Pimp a Butterfly” and Adult Swim collaborator Flying Lotus — both groundbreaking artists in their own right — have stylistic foundations steeped in J Dilla’s work.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Dilla’s influence on artists within or without the hip-hop community through music arguably surpasses that of any other hip-hop artist, except for The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac. The artists whom his music influenced vary from Joey Badass, Big Sean and Common to Ghostface Killah, MF DOOM and The 1975.

Surprisingly enough, one of J Dilla’s homagers isn’t an artist at all. Adult Swim’s famous bumper music, which plays during breaks in the programming, has included both tracks from “Donuts” and from Dilla’s posthumous albums. This homage showcases the song to a demographic largely unfamiliar with J Dilla or his music.

In the music magazine Pitchfork, Nate Patrin writes, “Dilla threw everything he’d known into this album and wound up delivering a simultaneous farewell and magnum opus three days before his passing; we should all be so lucky to produce something this moving in the face of our own mortality.” J Dilla’s music in “Donuts” embodies his legacy, and it is one of the best anyone could possibly hope for”.

This fascinating piece from Red Bull Music Academy Daily takes a deep look at Donuts and how it differed to everything else out there. It is well worth reading the whole article but these words stood out to me:

“For 43 minutes across the 31 tracks of Donuts, released ten years ago this week, J Dilla breaks and rebuilds samples in a way that breaks and rebuilds the way you hear music. While the music is sample-based, the sources aren’t so much looped as they are transformed into molecules of sound. Dilla’s production turns tracks into convection currents, samples roiling in and out of the mix. And unlike any other instrumental hip hop album you’ve heard, you never once want, miss or even expect a single bar from an MC, let alone 16. Without question, it’s the high point of instrumental hip hop. It was also the last album Dilla would make.

IMAGE CREDIT: Dewey Saunders  

Its influence has never waned. Five years out, his reach was long, his grip on hip hop – both indie and commercial – as strong as ever. Just listen to two Kanye West beats, a producer Dilla greatly admired, one five years pre-Donuts, one five years post. First, cue up to “Izzo (H.O.V.A)” from Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, one of Kanye’s first major commercial beats. The beat is inspired, no question, and catchy as hell, but hear the relative reverence for the Jacksons sample. Now listen to “Otis” from 2011’s Ye and Jay reunion Watch the Throne. Hear how chopped and jolting it is, how little deference is paid to the loop, to the sanctity of Redding’s voice. It’s garbled, warped, bleating. That’s a donut”.

A lot of people still do not know about J Dilla and how he managed to transform and evolve Hip-Hop. Even if you only listen to Donuts and do nothing else today, it gives you a better impression of the man and the passion he had. He was this rare gift and exceptional mind whose imagination ran wild and led to this wonderful music. His experience with other artists gave him the experience and confidence to put so much into his own work and I know albums like Donuts will continue to shape music for decades to come. There is more to his legacy than his final album (that he was alive to see released) but, in an age where there are few samples and instrumental albums, it is both rare and bittersweet. I wonder whether we will see a record like it and something as bold, original and packed with colours. It is clear we will never see another J Dilla: a superb and multi-talented M.C. and writer whose music has touched and changed so many lives. I will end things now but wanted to pay my respects to J Dilla, a day after what would have been his forty-fifth birthday. Sunday marks thirteen years to the day he died and it is a perfect reason to play his music and learn more about the man. Even this many years after his death, we are all learning details and sounds that show he was in...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Irish Times/Getty Images

A league of his own.

INTERVIEW: Peter and Kerry

INTERVIEW:

Peter and Kerry

___________

MY last interview of the week...

is with Peter and Kerry who have been talking with me about their great new single, They Know God (But I Know You), and how it came to be. I ask if there is going to be more material coming later this year and how the duo has evolved together – they recommend rising artists to look out.

I ask them which albums mean the most to them and whether there will be tour dates; how they found one another and whether they get time to unwind away from music – they select some great songs to end the interview with.

____________

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

Kerry: Very good, thank you. I’m just moving into a new studio so lots of packing and unpacking but very exciting.

Peter: Yes, also very good. I’ve been working with a good friend of mine on some of her new music in my studio which is super-fun.

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

Peter and Kerry: Sure. We are Peter and Kerry, a duo based in London and on the South East coast.

Are you managing to stay warm in the winter weather? Does it inspire musical ideas?

Kerry: Yes. I suppose so. Cold weather does make me sad.

Peter: Both my home and working space are very cold environments.

They Know God (But I Know You) is your new single. Can you explain the story behind it?

Peter and Kerry: They Know God (But I Know You) is about the strength both given and received in close relationships. We were on a little writing retreat recently, sat around the piano and it just flowed. We wrote the song very quickly.

How did you find one another and start playing together?

Peter and Kerry: We were both signed to the record label Tape Club Records and it was suggested we try collaborating on a song or two, so we hot-footed it to Pete’s dad’s house, instruments in hand. It was just supposed to be a one-off thing, but we ended up recording what was to be our first E.P. Clothes, Friends, Photos that weekend and never stopped writing together.

Do you feel there will be an E.P. coming later in the year?

Peter and Kerry: Who knows. At the moment, we just want to take the pressure out of goals, plans and strategies and release singles as and when we finish a song. But anything could change.

How do you think you have progressed as a duo over the last year or so?

Peter and Kerry: We had a really long chat after our hiatus about what we wanted and we both agreed that it was to enjoy making music again and not feel pressured by industry ‘rules’. So, we did just that: we started making music for ourselves again which is a huge progression for us.

In terms of music, do you share tastes? Would one find similar albums in your collections?

Kerry: Most definitely. It was through our love of similar music that we first bonded in friendship. I mean, there are a couple of artists we heavily disagree on, *ahem*, The Pretenders.

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

Kerry: For me, playing Le Botanique in Brussels is still up there as one of my favourite gigs of all time. Everything just fell into place.

Peter: There are way too many. Lots of innocuous, everyday things that I take for granted like being able to play/sing songs for friends in a fun situation like a dinner party; then, much bigger things like recording in Abbey Road or playing in Shepherds Bush in front of 1,800 people...or having audience members sing words back at you. They are all great feelings.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Carina Crenshaw/www.sugah.de 

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

Kerry: Ani DiFranco - So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter

It got me through some angsty times during adolescence and it’s the album that made me really want to hone my craft.

Peter: This is unbelievably difficult. It might be The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds because it got me to think so much deeper about music arranging. Or Michael Jackson’s Thriller because it was the first album I owned as a kid. Or Radiohead’s Kid A because it led to a huge interest in Electronic music (from Pop/Rock music).

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

Kerry: Very tough question…probably Erykah Badu. Rider would just be an endless supply of Old Fashioneds and margaritas.

Peter: Stevie Wonder! Could the rider please include Ottolenghi to cook us some food?

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Kerry: Try to keep one foot in the present, because having both feet in the future doesn’t allow you to acknowledge your achievements.

Peter: I would absolute most certainly agree with Kerry’s advice.

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

Peter and Kerry: Not yet but watch this space!

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kadhja Bonet

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Kerry: Kadhja Bonet

Peter: Anna Leone’s My Soul I was my song of 2018.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Anna Leone/PHOTO CREDIT: @__gracerivera

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

Peter: I work within music in some form every day but love to go running and organise my thoughts then. And dancing.

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

Peter and Kerry: Oh my god, there are way too many. Let’s go with Noname – Don’t Forget About Me and ROSALÍA - PIENSO EN TU MIRÁ (Cap.3: Celos)

___________

Follow Peter and Kerry

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/peterandkerry

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/peterandkerry/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/peterandkerry/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rF521dtu6ReJEyMureStC?si=vfhVxk3RR5GGjXLkZ7_PCA

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/peterandkerry

YouTube:

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

FEATURE: That First Year of School, All Nervous... A Dozen Classic Albums Turning Five in 2019

FEATURE:

 

 

That First Year of School, All Nervous...

IN THIS PHOTO: Beck (circa 2014)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

A Dozen Classic Albums Turning Five in 2019

__________

I started this process yesterday...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Perfume Genius (date unknown)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

and began by looking at albums celebrating fifteen years of life in 2019. It was good to uncover some great records that helped change music and make a giant impact. I am turning the clock forward and looking at albums released in 2014. It is good to uncover some great records that did really well that year but now, five years later, still sound brilliant and essential. It is always difficult to see which albums will last the test of time and whether it is worth marking their anniversary. In the case of these twelves albums, there is just cause to celebrate and get out some bunting. These are big albums that made their mark back in 2014 and are still being played/unpicked to this very day. You might be new to some of these albums whereas others will be pretty familiar and ingrained. I think you’ll agree these dozen albums are all magnificent, nuanced and filled with great moments! Make sure you take time to listen to them all and, when their anniversaries come out, mark them by spending some focused time investigating the songs. I look back at this magnificent year and am amazed by all the terrific albums that arrived. Familiarise yourself with these epic creations that made 2014...

 IN THIS PHOTO: La Roux captured in 2014/PHOTO CREDIT: Nicole Nodland for Billboard

A year to celebrate.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Spotify

____________ 

FKA Twigs – LP1

Release Date: 6th August, 2014

Label: Young Turks

Producers: Various

Review:

“There aren't as many 4am jams on here of the 'Papi Pacify' ilk, which may bother some fans, but the album operates a little later into the hangover and is more impressive for it. It feels carefully crafted and yet somehow gloriously spontaneous and accidental.

Twigs seems destined for endless comparisons with Banks such is the similarities in their sound, and it will be interesting to see whether the American's debut album can live up to this when it drops in September, but Twigs has the edge at the moment in terms of originality and texture, the vocals being of a higher thread count, the melodies reaching that bit further out into the ether.

FKA Twigs emerges the high priestess of R&B's latest corruption, and the world will kneel at the altar” – The Independent

Standout Cut: Two Weeks

Download/Stream: Pendulum/Video Girl/Kicks

Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2

Release Date: 24th October, 2014

Label: Mass Appeal

Producers: El-P/Little Shalimar/Boots/Wilder Zoby

Review:

“Paranoid androids like "Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1" benefit, as if Run-DMC embraced EL-P's compressed beatmaking and dropped the F-bomb whenever possible. "Early" is deadly serious with Killer Mikepleading "I apologize if it seems I got out of line sir, cuz I respect the badge and a gun/And I pray today ain't the day you drag me away right in front of my son," and that's right before things turn grave. "All Due Respect" with Travis Barker enters Death Grips' territory with punk, techno, and vicious rhymes all crawling up the spine, but this rebel music can still come with a smirk, as a stuttering Zach de la Rochaoffers the infectious and weird hook on the wonderfully titled highlight "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)." If the first album was the supernova, RTJ2 is the RTJ universe forming, proving that Mike and El-P's one-off can be a going, and ever growing, concern” – AllMusic

Standout Cut: Blockbuster Night, Pt. I

Download/Stream: Oh My Darling Don’t Cry/Lie, Cheat, Steal/Angel Duster

The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream

Release Date: 18th March, 2014

Label: Secretly Canadian

Producer: Adam Granduciel

Review:

“Dream’s best song, “Burning,” finds Granduciel confidently driving across an emotional rift, while “Dancing In The Dark” synths hum underneath. Dreamy instrumental “The Haunting Idle” is the only weak track; since the record is already abstract, the song redundantly interrupts its momentum.

As with other War On Drugs records, every hook on Lost In The Dream attempts to organize emotional chaos into understanding. Or as Granduciel puts it on “Burning,” we’re all “wide awake to redefine the way you listen in the dark.” On Lost In The Dream, The War On Drugs provides the darkness, and fans are just lucky enough to listen” – AV Music

Standout Cut: Under the Pressure

Download/Stream: Red Eyes/The Haunting Idle/Lost in the Dream

St. Vincent – St. Vincent

Release Date: 24th February, 2014

Labels: Loma Vista/Republic

Producer: John Congleton

Review:

“St Vincent's 40 minutes offer an embarrassment of fantastic songs: the electronic judder of Psychopath, the sumptuousness of I Prefer Your Love. It feels emotionally lighter than its predecessor – last time around there was a lot of sex, some of it a bit painful in every sense, whereas this time there's a lot more love – but Clark still comes up with some startling lyrics. Floating along on a kind of synthesised spectral chorus and blessed with the kind of tune you just want to wallow in, Prince Johnny is a fascinating puzzle: it's hard to work out whether the titular character is male or female, whether or not the song's narrator has slept with him or her, or how much their affection is tinged with contempt. In fact, the words are often ambiguous – Digital Witness isn't the only song about the disparity between public image and reality – but they're the only thing here that is: bold, poised, precise without sounding sterile, St Vincent seems to be a straightforward triumph” – The Guardian

Standout Cut: Digital Witness                 

Download/Stream: Birth in Reverse/Regret/Psychopath

Perfume Genius – Too Bright

Release Date: 23rd September, 2014

Label: Matador

Producer: Adrian Utley

Review:

“Hadreas' sexuality is obviously a huge part of his work, but he's above all a human—one who's spoken about battling addiction and sickness and sadness, and one who possesses the ability to write about it in a way that feels universal. A huge part of what makes the work so strong is the generous human spirit that bleeds into it, and Too Bright is the best example to date of the lengths he goes to confront his fears and demons. These songs feel less like songs and more like treasures, ones that fill you with power and wisdom, and as a result, Too Bright seems capable of resonating with, comforting, and moving anyone who's ever felt alienated, discriminated against, or "other-ized," regardless of sexual orientation” – Pitchfork

Standout Cut: Queen                                  

Download/Stream: Fool/My Body/Grid

Sharon Van Etten – Are We There

Release Date: 14th May, 2014

Label: Jagjaguwar

Producers: Sharon Van Etten/Stewart Lerman

Review:

“Both ‘Break Me’ and ‘Tarifa’ float along with the buoyancy of vintage soul, recalling the misleadingly upbeat dynamic of ‘Tracks of My Tears’ by The Miracles or The Temptations' ‘Just My Imagination’. ‘I Love You But I’m Lost’ and ‘I Know’, on the other hand, rely on just one or two instruments to get their point across.

Although there is the occasional overwrought lyric (such as “Stab my eyes so I can’t see” on ’Your Love Is Killing Me’), and nothing ground-breaking here in terms of song structure or instrumentation, the emotion in the delivery makes up for it. Van Etten tackles heartache with refreshing sharpness, distilling complex sentiments into something beautifully simple” – NME

Standout Cut: Taking Chances                

Download/Stream: Your Love Is Killing Me/You Know Me So Well/Break Me

D’Angelo and the Vanguard – Black Messiah

Release Date: 15th December, 2014

Label: RCA

Producers: D’Angelo/Alan Leeds/Kevin Liles

Review:

“At the other end, there's "Another Life," a wailing, tugging ballad for the ages that sounds like a lost Chicago-Philly hybrid, sitar and all, with a mix that emphasizes the drums. Black Messiah clashes with mainstream R&B trends as much as Voodoo did in 2000. Unsurprisingly, the artist's label picked this album's tamest, most traditional segment -- the acoustic ballad "Really Love" -- as the first song serviced to commercial radio. It's the one closest to "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," the Voodoo cut that, due to its revealing video, made D'Angelo feel as if his image was getting across more than his music. In the following song, the strutting "Back to the Future (Part I)," D'Angelo gets wistful about a lost love and directly references that chapter: "So if you're wondering about the shape I'm in/I hope it ain't my abdomen that you're referring to." The mere existence of his third album evinces that, creatively, he's doing all right. That the album reaffirms the weakest-link status of his singular debut is something else” – AllMusic

Standout Cut: 1000 Deaths                       

Download/Stream: Really Love/Back to the Future (Part I)/Prayer

Beck – Morning Phase

Release Date: 21st February, 2014

Labels: Capitol/Fonograf

Producer: Beck

Review:

“Beck remains a master of pastiche, and trainspotters can have a field day mapping reference points: “Blue Moon” shares a name with the Rodgers-Hart and Alex Chilton songs, but more closely resembles Bob Seger’s “Mainstreet” getting abstracted by Brian Eno in a Laurel Canyon time share. The strings from “Cycle” resurface in “Wave,” a lovely voice-and-orchestra meditation that could almost be a Björk cover. On “Country Down,” reminiscent of Harvest-era Neil Young, he sings about a man in a lifeboat while Greg Leisz’s pedal steel draws chem trails across the sky.

The album ends with another aching morning song, “Waking Light.” But the line that persists comes a few tracks earlier, on “Don’t Let It Go.” “In the crossfire, there’s a story,” Beck offers, “how it ends, we do not know.” With lyrical nods to Bob Dylan‘s “I’ll Keep It With Mine” and the crossfi rehurricane birth in the Stones‘ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” the song is in effect about how musical storytelling helps us push through terrible times. Morning Phase aspires to no less” – Rolling Stone

Standout Cut: Waking Light                     

Download/Stream: Heart Is a Drum/Blue Moon/Wave

Azealia Banks – Broke with Expensive Taste

Release Date: 7th November, 2014

Labels: Azealia Banks/Prospect Park/Caroline

Producers: Various

Review:

“Now she has shock-released Broke With Expensive Taste, her much delayed debut, herself, without label support, and it’s better than anyone might have reasonably expected. It’s an avant-garde hip-hop album that shows Banks has more in common with indie musicians such as fellow eccentric Ariel Pink, whose Sixties surf rock-style Nude Beach A Go-Go she covers, than with her fellow rappers.

Tales of New York life such as Gimme a Chance and BBD combine heavily rhythmic rapping with insouciance and sonic invention, while Miss Camaraderieis an eerily beautiful blend of house beats and synthesiser chords that’s imbued with a pervading sense of ennui. There are flutes, xylophones and tribal drums on Wallace, and reflections on Banks’s favourite soft drinks interlaced with soulfully related words of heartbreak on Soda. There are weak moments too, like the dated club track Heavy Metal and Reflective, but in the main this is a clever, far-reaching record, which proves Banks to be a far more thoughtful artist than her brattish persona suggests” – The Times

Standout Cut: Yung Rapunxel                                        

Download/Stream: Heavy Metal and Reflective/Ice Princess/Chasing Time

Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots

Release Date: 25th April, 2014 

Labels: Parlophone/Warner Bros.

Producers: Damon Albarn/Richard Russell/Brian Eno

Review:

“On Lonely Press Play there’s a sedative quality to the musical repetitions as Albarn addresses “Arrhythmia/ Accepting that you live with uncertainty”. There’s a rare moment of domestic vulnerability on The Selfish Giant as Albarn sighs: “It’s hard to be a lover when the TV’s on.” Meantime, Photographs (You are Taking Now) directly addresses the tension in our need to experience and document our lives simultaneously.

But it’s not all bittersweet blues. The final song, Heavy Seas of Love (co-written with Albarn’s gym buddy Brian Eno), has him shake off the isolation to fall into the arms of the Leytonstone Pentecostal Mission Church Choir for the musical equivalent of a group hug” – The Telegraph

Standout Cut: Everyday Robots                                    

Download/Stream: Lonely Press Play/Hollow Ponds/Photographs (You Are Taking Now)

alt-J – This Is All Yours

Release Date: 22nd September, 2014 

Label: Infectious

Producer: Charlie Andrew

Review:

“After all, this is a band that proved with its debut that it can go from icy, distant, and often excruciatingly beautiful to downright feral at the crack of a snare drum (or pots and pans, as the group's humble, dorm room beginnings often required), and This Is All Yours does little to tarnish their reputation as choirboys with dark passengers. That penchant for edgy refinement, along with frontman Joe Newman's elastic voice, remains the band's most effective weapon, but it's hard to pinpoint where and when that magic occurs, as it's so effortlessly woven into the group's sound. It's somewhere in between the autumnal and apocalyptic, Miley Cyrus-sampling "Hunger of the Pine," the bucolic, recorder-led "Garden of England," and the oddly soulful, midnight-black posturing of "The Gospel of John Hurt," and it gets under your skin, where it somehow manages to both hurt and heal” – AllMusic  

Standout Cut: Left Hand Free                  

Download/Stream: Nara/Every Other Freckle/Hunger of the Pine

La Roux – Trouble in Paradise

Release Date: 18th July, 2014 

Label: Polydor

Producers: Elly Jackson/Ian Sherwin/Al Shux

Review:

“Conjuring up that weird, false sense of instant familiarity is one of the most potent and difficult tricks in pop music. It's what lies behind the mammoth success of both Daft Punk's Get Lucky and Pharrell Williams's Happy, and it happens over and over again on Trouble in Paradise, most arrestingly on the opening trio of songs: the single Uptight Downtown, the Abbaesque Kiss and Not Tell and Cruel Sexuality, which it seems fairly safe to say, is the most sublimely euphoric exploration in recent pop history of the pressures placed by society on the individual who declines to define themselves as either straight or gay.

In truth, the songwriting quality never really dips. Almost sickeningly overburdened with fantastic tunes, Trouble in Paradise may well be not just a triumph against the odds, but the best pop album we'll hear this year. Listening to it, it's hard not to feel that whatever agonies went into its creation were worth it” – The Guardian

Standout Cut: Kiss and Not Tell 

Download/Stream: Uptight Downtown/Paradise Is You/Tropical Chancer

FEATURE: Stuck in the Middle: Content or Context? Albums That Improve with Age and Were Overlooked Upon Initial Release

FEATURE:

 

 

Stuck in the Middle: Content or Context?

IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images 

Albums That Improve with Age and Were Overlooked Upon Initial Release

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IT might seem odd to some that I have this particular album...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Natalie Imbruglia (date unknown)/PHOTO CREDIT: Pinterest

at the top and centre - I have been listening a lot to records that were given a bit of a mixed review when they came out. The reason I have started with Natalie Imbruglia’s Left of the Middle is because at the time, in 1997, it was subject to some mixed reviews. Her single, Torn, had been a massive success but many felt the remainder of the album did not have the same sort of power and memorability. I think some of the issue might have been with the artists around at the time and how Imbruglia fitted into the scene. I recall getting the album because I loved Torn and tracks like Big Mistake. Here was someone who was a bit different to what I was listening to in 1997 – the likes of Blur and Radiohead – and that might have been a consideration. The scene in 1997 was very much about these very different bands who were producing their own thing. It was a year when some epic albums were unleashed and I think Left of the Middle got overlooked. This retrospective review by AllMusic is positive:

“Admittedly, some of the material will be seen as pop fluff by certain listeners, but fans of popular latter-day female artists like Paula Cole, Sheryl Crow, and Meredith Brooks will find Imbruglia's debut most enjoyable. What separates Imbruglia from the aforementioned artists is her willingness to experiment with electronic sounds, no doubt courtesy of mixer Nigel Godrich (of Radiohead fame), which can be heard on such tracks as "Smoke."

 

“Torn" proves to be the best song on the album, with its bouncy acoustic feel, but the pop/rocker "Big Mistake" is almost as good. Not all of the material on Left of the Middle fares as well, however, such as the Alanis Morissette sound-alike "Intuition," but Imbruglia need not worry about being lumped into the copycat category; for the most part, she has a style all her own”.

At the time, artists like Alanis Morissette were hitting it big – Jagged Little Pill came out in 1995 – and there were a few female singers who had that rather intense-sounding voice. Maybe it was common in 1997 to hear someone like Natalie Imbruglia. A lot of the songs on her debut are written off because there is a familiarity regarding the vocal. Turn the clock forward nearly twenty-two years and the songs actually stand up pretty well. There are some tracks that are a bit light but how many Pop artists do we have now like her?! Critics need to judge records on how the view them at the time and what is around them but I feel many of us overlook perfectly fine albums because of how we viewed them at the time. If there are singers like Paula Cole and Meredith Brooks around in 1997 – and that means there is little breathing room – then should we ignore the album years down the line?! I am not suggesting everyone listen to Left of the Middle now (although it is pretty good) but I feel a lot of dismissal and underwhelming reviews are based more on the flavour of the times and not indicative of the nuance and true quality of the material.  

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

There are many albums that get stick or are not completely adored when they are released and they sort of improve and find their place down the line. I have raised this subject before but there were some really big albums brought out in the 1980s and 1990s that critics hated and, since then, they have been proved wrong. Maybe the situation is different to that of Imbruglia and her experience but I feel there is this sense of not giving records chance; judging them against what is ‘normal’ or, if there are a few artists that sound the same, maybe writing someone off and assuming they are exactly the same. It happened a lot with Pop albums but there were some big Rock/Blues albums, like Led Zeppelin’s debut, that were written off by some. Rolling Stone felt the playing was proficient but the songwriting weak and the material too close to the Jeff Beck Group. Again, there was a sense that here was an artist a little too similar to someone else; why bother listening hard and realising there is personal depth and originality? John Mendelsohn, of Rolling Stone, tore apart Neil Young’s Harvest when it came out in 1972 and felt it offered nothing to set it apart from the pretty singer-songwriters at the time. One feels he might have been talking about singers like Joni Mitchell and not truly listening to the music. Even at the time the record was astonishing but, yeah, perhaps the fact a certain scene has died and the legends have passed, it makes albums like Harvest even stronger.

Think of the slightly cold reviews Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique received in 1989 and the comparison a few years later. Not many were prepared for a sample-heavy masterpiece back then and felt, because it was unusual, it was no good. 1989 was a great year for music – and Hip-Hop was hitting its peak – but there was not a lot around that had the same ambition and sounds as Paul’s Boutique.  Some reviewers not only compare albums in a contextual sense – whether they are too similar or inferior to what is already around – but they unfairly compare them to an artist’s previous work. Weezer’s Pinkerton is a classic case of reviewers looking for the U.S. group to repeat what we are used to and not accepting their 1996 gem. Rolling Stone readers ranked the album as the worst of 1996 and many critics hated the lyrics. Maybe it was not what we were used to from Weezer and confused by the sexual nature of the lyrics. Pinkerton was not a complete failure at the time – although Weezer’s lead, Rivers Cuomo sort of dismissed it – but I feel a lot of people were ranking it against what/who was popular in 1996 (Fugees, Beck and Manic Street Preachers included) and sort of being a bit myopic.

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

If reviews for Pinkerton were a little mixed at the time, retrospective reviews, like this one, have redressed the balance:

“Loosely structured as a concept album based on Madame Butterfly, each song works as an individual entity, driven by powerful, melodic hooks, a self-deprecating sense of humor ("Pink Triangle" is about a crush on a lesbian), and a touching vulnerability ("Across the Sea," "Why Bother?"). Weezer can still turn out catchy, offbeat singles -- "The Good Life" has a chorus that is more memorable than "Buddy Holly," "El Scorcho" twists Pavement's junk-culture references in on itself, "Falling for You" is the most propulsive thing they've yet recorded -- but the band's endearing geekiness isn't as cutesy as before, which means the album wasn't as successful on the charts. But it's the better album, full of crunching power pop with a surprisingly strong emotional undercurrent that becomes all the more resonant with each play”.

The one and only album from Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, was attacked because of its anarchic and rebellious spirit. I feel a lot of critics were not really listening the songs and the fact they conveyed huge potency and quality. Maybe many did not like the band’s anti-royalist stance but now, in 2019, an album like this sounds completely right and fresh. I am not saying all critics would rave but we are more used to albums like Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. If critics were not aware of the Sex Pistols’ place in Punk in 1977 then many felt the same the same about The Rolling Stones and their impact on Rock in 1972 – Exile on Main St. was initially seen as quite ragged and unfocused. Maybe critics were used to a slightly cleaner and more focused style of music but, given the fact it was The Rolling Stones, I am shocked to see any negative reviews for such a great album! Many might see this pattern and think that it is mainly Rock and Punk bands who were ahead of their time. Ramones were subject to doubts when they unveiled masterpieces and the same is true of Black Sabbath and Nirvana. Look at some Pop diamonds and it is not a certain style of music critics misunderstand. I will return to Natalie Imbruglia in a bit but there have been some great Pop records that have been written off and only revaluated further down the line.

Michael Jackson’s Bad arrived in 1987 and, compared to 1982’s Thriller, many felt it was a pale imitation and an album that did not scale the same heights. This is a case of critics comparing artists to what they perceive is their ‘golden days’ and, in 1987, huge albums like Appetite for Destruction (Guns N’ Roses) and The Joshua Tree (U2) were out. Even though this was Jacko, was it the case there was not a lot of Bad-sounding albums around – were critics judging it against what was trending at the time and not given the material a fair shout?! When the Spice Girls released their 1996 debut, Spice, they were perceived by some as another bubblegum band that were not adding anything with depth and quality. Again, look at the year 1996 and the fact albums by Rage Against the Machine (Evil Empire), DJ Shadow (Entroducing.....); Beck (Odelay) and Tupac Shakur (All Eyez on Me) were receiving a lot of praise. Look back now and the Spice Girls’ debut is a solid and memorable set of songs. It actually stands out more now because there is a surfeit of like-minded artists. Girl bands are somewhat redundant and Pop is becoming less anthemic, fun and interesting. 1996 was a hard year to pitch a Pop tent because we had passed through the best of Britpop and a new dynamic was taking shape. Critics were keen to emphasise this and not too concerned with listening to the songs in their own right and not being concerned with how Spice ‘fitted in’.

Perhaps a lot of these once-maligned albums become bigger and more relevant because of how they change music. I do wonder what some critics were listening to when they give albums from Michael Jackson, Spice Girls; Led Zeppelin and Neil Young bad press. Another Pop act that were overlooked because they were outside of current convention was No Doubt. They introduced their eponymous album out in 1992 and it has Ska and Pop mixing together. This was the time when Grunge was ruling and critics were drooling over something a little meatier, masculine and familiar. This is an album many critics are unsure of because it differs to the more radio-friendly Pop they would become known for. One of the most famous cases of an album being judged based on past standards and expectations is The Beatles’ Let It Be. In 1970, many were embracing bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and there was less attention for The Beatles. The band was gaining headlines because of tensions and the fact they were nearing the end but many critics in 1970 were not too keen on Let It Be. A lot of contemporaries felt Let It Be was a sorry addition to the band’s output and not a fitting epitaph. Retrospective reviews were kinder and saw true quality. This review from Pitchfork in 2009 highlights issues around the album and how we should view Let It Be:

“And when they finished, no one really liked what they'd laid down on tape. So not surprisingly, the essential nature of Let It Be is that it feels incomplete and fragmented; it's a difficult album to peg because the Beatles were never sure themselves what they wanted it to be. So the best way to approach it is as a collection of songs by guys who still were churning out classics with some regularity. It may not succeed on the level of the Beatles' previous albums, but there's enough good material to make it a worthy entry in their canon”.

There are many cases of albums being judged against what is popular then rather than the quality on display. We can all name other albums that were sort of given short shrift because they did not conform with what was popular back then; maybe it was not what we expected from an established artist but, in many cases, albums have grown and found new room because of changes in terms of sounds and genres. There are bigger albums than Natalie Imbruglia’s Left of the Middle that deserve new ears and bigger reviews but I was particular stirred by her debut. It was a case of there being similar-sounding female artists being around and I think many were too eager to compare Imbruglia to them. Urban Hymns by The Verve came out in 1997; The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land came out then as did The Chemical Brothers’ Did Your Own Hole and Oasis’ Be Here Now – an album, ironically, that got great reviews back then but, upon closer listen, did not fare too well. I do like Natalie Imbruglia’s debut and think the songs, on their own, stand up and warrant more appreciation. I look at other albums I have mentioned and feel like critics need to judge them fairly and not compare them to the current scene or what they deem is ‘cool’ and ‘original’. The more you think about it and research, you will be shocked by some now-respected albums that, back when they were released, were given...

A beating by critics.

FEATURE: The Not-So-Awkward Teens: A Dozen Brilliant Albums Turning Fifteen in 2019

FEATURE:

 

 

The Not-So-Awkward Teens

IN THIS PHOTO: Björk captured in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones 

A Dozen Brilliant Albums Turning Fifteen in 2019

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I will do another couple of pieces that look at albums...

 IN THIS PHOTO: The Libertines in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Dean Chalkley/NME

celebrating big anniversaries – I am keen to look at those released in 1984 and 1974 – but, for now, I will at the albums turning fifteen this year. It is that stage in life (fifteen) when you are still at school and learning so much; maybe nervous regarding the future but on the way to becoming an album. In musical terms, it is quite a long time but it is good to have a look at these twelve albums below and see how they have aged and the impact they made. I was in university (just) in 2004 and it was a great year when it came to discovering new music. I left that September but I remember a lot of the best records that year and I still have many in my collection. I think it is worth marking any album that has a big anniversary and these L.P.s are no exception. Maybe you are experiencing them for the first time or heard them when they came out – amazed that it was that long ago! I will go back and investigate great records from 1974 and 1984 but, right now, here are twelve exceptional albums that wowed the music world...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Arcade Fire photoed in 2004/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

BACK in 2004.

ALL ALBUM COVERS: Spotify

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The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free

Release Date: 17th May, 2004

Labels: Locked On/679

Producer: Mike Skinner

Review:

“By stressing his paranoia and doubts ("It's hard enough to remember my opinions, never mind the reasons for them," he blubbers as he loses a domestic dispute), he deftly avoids the melodrama of today's network reality TV. Instead, his approach echoes the faux reality of The Office (which shares a non-ending ending with A Grand) and the me-first neediness of its "star" David Brent (whose final-episode self-actualization echoes Skinner's). Like The Office, Skinner's anthropological humanism typically focuses on either the mundane or disappointing-- and, let's face it, life is most often one or the other--- but he does so with such endearing intimacy and bare honesty that it's easy to give yourself over to the album's narrative on first listen and, perhaps just as importantly, to want to revisit it over and over again” – Pitchfork

Standout Cut: Dry Your Eyes

Stream/Download: It Was Supposed to Be So Easy/Blinded by the Lights/Fit But You Know It

Kanye West – The College Dropout

Release Date: 10th February, 2004

Labels: Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella

Producers: Various

Review:

“Even though those with their ears to the street knew West could excel as an MC, he has used this album as an opportunity to prove his less-known skills to a wider audience. One of the most poignant moments is on "All Falls Down," where the self-effacing West examines self-consciousness in the context of his community: "Rollies and Pashas done drive me crazy/I can't even pronounce nothing, yo pass the Versacey/Then I spent 400 bucks on this just to be like 'N*gga you ain't up on this'." If the notion that the album runs much deeper than the singles isn't enough, there's something of a surprising bonus: rather puzzlingly, a slightly adjusted mix of "Slow Jamz" -- a side-splitting ode to legends of baby-making soul that originally appeared on Twista's Kamikaze, just before that MC received his own Roc-a-Fella chain -- also appears. Prior to this album, we were more than aware that West's stature as a producer was undeniable; now we know that he's also a remarkably versatile lyricist and a valuable MC” – AllMusic

Standout Cut: All Falls Down                         

Stream/Download: Jesus Walks/The New Workout Plan/Slow Jamz

Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing in the Hands

Release Date: 24th April, 2004

Label: Young God

Producers: Devendra Banhart/Michael Gira

Review:

“Rejoicing in the Hands establishes Banhart as a major voice in new folk music. Not only does it improve on the promise of his earlier releases; it effortlessly removes the listener from the context of the recording. That is, it doesn't seem like an album so much as a collection of road hymns and journals, and small tributes to smaller pleasures. If some people miss the appeal of this stuff in an attempt to digest it as any other product, all the better knowing Banhart will probably keep on rejoicing until forever” – Pitchfork  

Standout Cut: This is the Way                       

Stream/Download: The Body Breaks/Will Is My Friend/See Saw

Green Day – American Idiot

Release Date: 20th September, 2004

Label: Reprise

Producers: Rob Cavallo/Green Day

Review:

“...All of which should make anyone want to hole up with an Ramones album. But Green Day — namely, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong — make the journey entertaining enough. At various times, American Idiot evokes football-game chants, ’50s greaser rock, military marches, classic rock (hints of ”Strawberry Fields Forever” and ”All the Young Dudes”), and the band’s own past (”Wake Me Up When September Ends,” an elegiac bookend to their own ”Good Riddance [Time of Your Life]”). As often happens with concept albums, the disc tends to rely on lyrics over music, so some of the songs are forgettable. But Green Day are now slinging mud not at their audience but at America’s pumped-up militaryindustrial complex — where ”a flag [is] wrapped around a score of men” and war rages ”from Anaheim to the Middle East” — without losing their bratty humor or power chords” – Entertainment Weekly   

Standout Cut: American Idiot                       

Stream/Download: Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Give Me Novocaine/She’s a Rebel; Wake Me Up When September Ends

Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose

Release Date: 27th April, 2004 (U.S.)

Label: Interscope

Producer: Jack White

Review:

“Each song is sung by Lynn's untarnished voice. She has somehow managed to maintain her gorgeous vocal cords through the years, sounding as youthful as ever.

The musical accompaniment here really pushes the songs to great heights. Whether it's the slight airiness around one of Jack's guitar riffs, a crisp crack of a snare, or the sudden emergence of slide guitar, the additional instruments provide a complimentary boost. Jack's production techniques sound both aged and modern; a fine balancing act that does Loretta's solid songs much justice. Without White's assistance, these immaculate tunes may have not gotten the exposure they certainly deserve. Van Lear Rose owes its greatness to timing and well-bred songwriting” – Tiny Mix Tapes

Standout Cut: Family Tree                              

Stream/Download: Portland, Oregon/Have Mercy/This Old House

Arcade Fire – Funeral

Release Date: 14th September, 2004

Label: Merge

Producer: Arcade Fire

Review:

““Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” captures 24-year-old Butler’s obsession with innocence and his fantastical way of exploring it. A blizzard covers the suburbs, burying the parents, and two young lovers meet to start the world over again. Snow is a symbol for death and renewal. Blackouts play a similar role in the gentle, New Wave–tinged “Une année sans lumière.” Chassagne — who sings one of the album’s best songs, the nostalgic “Haiti,” and its worst, the precious “In the Backseat” — shares his preoccupations.

As the parentheses and French title suggest, this youth movement is more pretentious than, say, blink-182’s. But while Butler’s lyrics can feel overwrought, his desperate yelp and cracked croon add patina and grit to the purple. And the music — whether danceable, bittersweet, stately or avalanching — reveals added nuance with every listen. Which is to say, it ages gracefully” – Blender

Standout Cut: Rebellion (Lies)                       

Stream/Download: Neighborhood #2 (Laika)/Haiti/In the Backseat

The Libertines – The Libertines

Release Date: 30th August, 2004

Label: Rough Trade

Producer: Mick Jones

Review:

“Despite conflict being writ large over the album, the only actual fight occurred during the recording of'Music When The Lights Go Out', a beautiful acoustic strum. Elsewhere, the songs not explicitly dealing with Pete'n' Carl's relationship are even better.'Campaign Of Hate', 'The Ha Ha Wall' and 'Narcissist' are La's-inspired Libland anthems superior to anything on the debut. Meanwhile 'What Katie Did' and 'Don't Be Shy' display a new-found tenderness.

But it's 'The Man Who Would Be King' that's perhaps the album's greatest achievement. Displaying the best "la la la"s since [a][/a] first flexed his larynx for'This Charming Man', it then dissolves through a haze of trumpets into a waltz as deliciously hazy as [a][/a]''Golden Brown'.

'The Libertines' even manages a little social commentary. The 73-second punk thrash 'Arbeit Macht Frei' (translation: 'Work Liberates') takes its title from the sign above the gates of the Auschwitz camp where millions of Jews were gassed. Ladling it on thickly, its payoff comes from a British soldier who fought the Nazis but doesn't like "blacks or queers".

Finally, there's'France', a fragile lament sung by a weezing Carl to a former French girlfriend. After the fighting, it's a moment of beauty, like sunshine after a storm: a reminder of what Libertines are. And what they could still be.

Whatever happens, this an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime album, proving Libertines are both the stuff of revolution and aesthetic princelings among the (very) lumpen indie proletariat. We won't see their like again” – NME

Standout Cut: Can’t Stand Me Now          

Stream/Download: Last Post on the Bugle/Music When the Lights Go Out/What Katie Did

Björk – Medúlla 

Release Date: 30th August, 2004

Labels: One Little Indian/Elektra

Producers: Björk/Mark Bell

Review:

“Björk began recording the album with those darned old instruments before her au naturel epiphany, but only a couple of tracks belie their origins as conventional pop songs. Most easily digestible is the peppy, nearly hip-hop-flavored ”Triumph of a Heart” tucked away at disc’s end, as if a reward for making it through the more challenging passages. Leading up to that, you get a few sinister-sounding examinations of human behavior whose growling, gulping, or moaning will alienate some ears. ”Submarine” has guest Robert Wyatt warbling for help in queasy falsetto, sounding like Carl Wilson trapped under ice. Her strikingly beautiful Olympics song, ”Oceania,” is more rapturously aquatic, the computer-enhanced choir behind Björk suggesting a cosmic harem of pleased dolphins. Here she imagines herself as the sea itself, proud of all the belegged creatures she’s spit out onto land over the last hundred million years. It’s the nearest evolutionists have come to having their own gospel tune.

Björk has said a guiding rule for the album was ”not to sound like the Manhattan Transfer or Bobby McFerrin.” Well, duh — but if that was hardly a danger, there was every likelihood that the album’s synths-for-larynxes quid pro quo would be remembered as a stunt, at best, instead of one of her best efforts. To anyone approaching Medúlla with that apprehension, we offer these four words: Don’t worry, be happy” – Entertainment Weekly

Standout Cut: Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right)  

Stream/Download: Pleasure Is All Mine/Oceania/Triumph of a Heart

Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand 

Release Date: 9th February, 2004

Label: Domino

Producers: Franz Ferdinand/Tore Johansson

Review:

“On the rare occasions that an alt-rock artist dabbles with sexual ambiguity in their lyrics, they either start carrying on as if they personally invented the concept of homosexuality and deserve some sort of medal - see electro-rapper Peaches - or else, like Suede, they overdo the mincing and end up sounding ridiculous, like John Inman visiting an indie disco. Michael does neither, settling for an intriguing combination of sly humour and bug-eyed lust, as if the song's central character started camping it up for a laugh and ended up in rather deeper water than he had anticipated.

You simply don't get songs like Michael very often in current rock music. It's symptomatic of the originality that makes Franz Ferdinand so intriguing. Their debut album pulls off a fine balancing act: clever without sounding pretentious, idiosyncratic but easy to get along with, a shift away from post-Britpop traditionalism that still recognises the importance of writing great pop songs. You can only hope their success continues long after the madness of the January charts has subsided. Listening to their debut album, that seems a fairly safe bet” – The Guardian

Standout Cut: Take Me Out

Stream/Download: Tell Her Tonight/The Dark of the Matinée/Michael

Elliott Smith – From a Basement on the Hill 

Release Date: 18th October, 2004

Labels: ANTI-/Domino (U.K. and Europe)

Producers: Elliott Smith/Rob Schnapf/Joanna Bolme

Review:

“Perhaps it's not "the next White Album," which is what McConnell claims it could have been, but it has a similarly freewheeling spirit, bouncing from sweet pop to fingerpicked acoustic guitars to fuzzy neo-psychedelic washes of sound. It's not far removed from Smith's previous work, but it feels like a step forward from the fussy Figure 8 and more intimate than XO. The most surprising twist is that despite the occasional lyrics that seem to telegraph his death (particularly on "A Fond Farewell"), it's not a crushingly heavy album. Like the best of his music, From a Basement on the Hill is comforting in its sadness; it's empathetic, not alienating. Given Smith's tragic fate, it also sadly seems like a summation of his work. All of his trademarks are here -- his soft, sad voice, a fixation on '60s pop, a warm sense of melancholy -- delivered in a strong set of songs that stands among his best. It may or may not be exactly what Elliott Smith intended these recording sessions to be, but as it stands, From a Basement on the Hill is a fond farewell to a singer/songwriter who many indie rockers of the '90s considered a friend” – AllMusic

Standout Cut: Pretty (Ugly Before)

Stream/Download: Don’t Go Down/Twilight/Shooting Star

Brian Wilson – Brian Wilson Presents Smile 

Release Date: 28th September, 2004

Label: Nonesuch

Producer: Brian Wilson

Review:

“Here, then, is a faithfully remade version of that celestial undertaking, minus the Beach Boys, of course, and no longer clothed in the warm glow of analogue recording technology, but mind-blowing all the same. From the opening a capella harmonies of 'Our Prayer/Gee' to the closing chords of 'Good Vibrations', it unfolds in its original, and never before complete, sequence as a thing of rare beauty and cumulative power.

Like 'Surf's Up', the song that ends the album's second movement, the seldom heard 'Roll Plymouth Rock' is another of Parks's elliptical lyrics, though more instantly recognisable as a signature Beach Boys song than almost anything else here. 'Mrs O'Leary's Cow', originally titled 'Mrs O'Leary's Fire', may well be the 'scary orchestra piece' that Wilson alluded to, still looking disturbed by the memory, when I interviewed him a few years back. It is uneasy listening in every sense, and the only segment that suggests the fragility of his mind back then, and the abyss he fell into thereafter.

The rest is as wondrous and as complex as the claims made on its behalf for all those years, though strangely disconcerting in a kind of Brian Wilson heritage industry way. (Imagine, by way of comparison, McCartney re-recording 'Sgt. Pepper' with George Martin and the best Beatles' tribute band in the world.)

For all that, it raises one of pop's great unanswerable questions: had Brian kept it together back then, where would he have gone from here? God only knows” – The Observer

Standout Cut: Heroes and Villains

Stream/Download: Roll Plymouth Rock/Wonderful/Surf’s Up

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus 

Release Date: 20th September, 2004

Label: Mute

Producer: Nick Launay

Review:

“Cave also has a sense of humour (he once penned an open letter insisting that he would not "harness my muse to this tumbrel, this bloody cart of severed heads and glittering prizes", certainly an original way to decline an MTV award), a fact that emerged in No More Shall We Part and becomes even more evident here. Repeatedly, the lyrics make you laugh out loud. His retelling of the myth of Orpheus ends with everyone concerned profoundly unmoved by his lamentations: God ("a major player in Heaven") throws a hammer at him, while Eurydice emerges from the underworld and threatens to shove his lyre up his arse.

There She Goes My Beautiful World picks at the subject of writer's block, snapping disconsolately at other artists' means of finding inspiration: "Gauguin, he buggered off man, and went all tropical." Abattoir Blues is packed with standard apocalyptic Cave imagery, but he sounds most horrified about a visit to Starbucks: "The sky is on fire, the dead are heaped across the land," he moans. "I woke up this morning with a Frappucino in my hand."

You can't really imagine anyone else in rock writing lyrics like that, but then, you really can't imagine anyone else making an album like this. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is an entirely unique return to form” – The Guardian

Standout Cut: Nature Boy                              

Stream/Download: Get Ready for Love/Messiah Ward/Breathless

FEATURE: One Love: The Ultimate Playlist: Remembering Bob Marley at Seventy-Four

FEATURE:

 

 

One Love: The Ultimate Playlist

IN THIS IMAGE: Bob Marley/ART CREDIT: Naydene Gonnella  

Remembering Bob Marley at Seventy-Four

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THE iconic Bob Marley would have been seventy-four today...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Marley captured in 1980/PHOTO CREDIT: © Lynn Goldsmith

and, whilst he died tragically young (only thirty-six), his impact on music is obvious. There have been few artists able to make such an impression in such a short life – I can only think of John Lennon off the top of my head! Marley’s distinct and powerful sound helped bring Reggae to the masses and his voice is eternal. You only need hear a few seconds of a Bob Marley song and know you will be seduced, amazed and educated. Whether solo or playing with his Wailers, there is a huge catalogue of material out there. I only discovered Bob Marley when I was in middle school and, whilst that may sound young, there are those who were exposed to his music even earlier. I think the first track of his that sticks in the mind is Iron Lion Zion. I love its energy and how catchy it is but, years later, I went back and explored its messages and symbolism. Marley was not an artist who wrote songs and simply wanted them to be chart hits that people could bop to: his words were like political and religious sermons; a chance to unite people and raise awareness. Not only were there political intents but religious and spiritual ones. Whilst I am not an aficionado when it comes to Reggae and aware of a lot of the racial tensions that Marley speaks of; I could easily emphasise and attach myself to his music.

1977’s Exodus is one of my favourite albums and songs such as Jamming, Waiting in Vain and Three Little Birds are classics. That album was the ninth from Bob Marley and the Wailers and followed an association attempt. Marley fled Jamaica and arrived in London; the album was recorded after one of the most stressful and frightening experiences of Marley’s life yet there is so much peace, love and togetherness. This album especially resonated with the critics. If Marley had strayed more away from specific political messages and a focused vision; more towards a more general vibe of love and togetherness, that did not make the music any less spectacular – as AllMusic state in this review:

“Thematically, Exodus represented a subtle but significant shift for Marley; while he continued to speak out against political corruption and for freedom and equality for Third World people, his lyrics dealt less with specifics and more with generalities and the need for peace and love (though "So Much Things to Say," "Guiltiness," and "The Heathen" demonstrate the bullets had taken only so much sting out of Marley's lyrics). And while songs like "Exodus" and "One Love/People Get Ready" were anthemic, they also had less to say than the more pointed material from Marley's earlier albums...

IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify 

However, if Marley had become more wary in his point of view (and not without good cause), his skill as a songwriter was as strong as ever, and Exodus boasted more than a few classics, including the title song, "Three Little Birds," "Waiting in Vain," and "Turn Your Lights Down Low," tunes that defined Marley's gift for sounding laid-back and incisive at once. His gifts as a vocalist were near their peak on these sessions, bringing a broad range of emotional color to his performances, and this lineup of the Wailers -- anchored by bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett, drummer Carlton Barrett, and guitarist Julian "Junior" Murvin -- is superb, effortlessly in the pocket throughout. Exodus was recorded at a time when Bob Marley was learning about the unexpected costs of international stardom, but it hadn't yet sapped his creative strengths, and this is one of the finest albums in his stellar catalog”.

The music and legacy of Bob Marley means a lot of different things to different people. It is clear Marley made a huge impact on the world and certainly changed it for the better. As I said earlier, we often jump to Bob Marley when defining what Reggae is and the power it holds. This article from The Conversation explains in more detail:

“If there is anything that is to be associated with reggae music, the Afrocentric religion of Rastafari, or the Caribbean island of Jamaica, the first name that comes to mind is Bob Marley. Despite this, the reality that the world often tends to associate Marley with is far different from the one he grew up in more than 70 years ago...

 

Marley lived in a Jamaica that had experienced more than 200 years of slavery and colonialism. This would have a great impact on him, considering that he was born from a white father and a black mother. The key to understanding Marley was not merely the music but the life experiences that played a part in shaping the individual and, ultimately, the music that the world would come to know”.

The article explores his background but also makes a good point regarding the depth of the music. Marley was not merely about getting the sound right and making a song chime on one level. His music was a way of conveying vital messages and he helped fight for causes, speak of religion and the need to come together. The Conversation article touches on this:

“Marley’s influence was not limited to simply making music for the sake of entertainment. He was most noted for using his music to spread the message of Rastafari. Rastafari is a phenomenon that began in the 1930s in response to a message given by Jamaican nationalist Marcus Garvey, who proclaimed that African people in the diaspora should look to Africa, where a black king would be crowned. It was here that they would find their redemption.

There are very few musicians in this present day that may claim to use their music to fight for causes that Marley may have fought for. Marley did not only speak about love and unity among all mankind as seen in his 1977 song One Love. He also spoke about the sufferings of the world in his songs. These include So Much Trouble in the World, Burnin’ and Lootin’, Johnny Was and War. This is what has made Marley not just relevant to his time but to ours as well”.

We all have our list of favourite Bob Marley/Wailers tracks and I have ended with a playlist – I hope I have covered the bases! Whilst Marley did die young, he made this enormous impression on music and, throughout his career, he was making music that reflected the violence and division around him. This piece talks about the legendary One Love Peace Concert in 1978:

“On April 22 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, the One Love Peace Concert, or 'Third World Woodstock' as it was known, took place in front of 32,000 spectators.

The violence was so out-of-control in Kingston at the time that there was a ban on the sale of oranges at the festival. Authorities feared they'd be used as weapons.

During the concert, under a full moon, Marley improvised while performing his song Jammin' and spontaneously summoned the Prime Minister, Manley, and the opposing leader, Seaga, to join him on stage.

"I'm not so good at talking but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

"Well, I'm trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands and show the people that we're gonna make it right, we're gonna unite, we're gonna make it right, we've got to unite.

"The moon is right over my head, and I give my love instead. The moon was right above my head, and I give my love instead," Marley said”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

I can’t think of that many artists who have done so much to progress music and advance certain genres/spiritual movements. I wonder what Marley would make of the modern world and whether he would still be making music. I’d like to think the man would be, in his seventies, jamming away and putting the world to rights! He would be attacking Donald Trump and the hate in the world and I wonder whether Trump would have even been elected had Marley lived longer and written more! We need a figure like Bob Marley now more than ever and, whilst there are some potent songwriters who can unite us, nobody was able to project the same power as Marley! His songs are timeless and his themes of peace, love and acceptance will never die. We need to hold onto his music and use it to help inform the world and make it a better place. That may sound sappy but that is all Marley wanted; he wanted to highlight tensions and discrimination but help bring about change and understanding through peaceful means. Bob Marley was a political leader and god-like icon; a true hero that made us all smile and feel better. As we remember him on his seventy-fourth birthday, have a listen to the playlist below and realise what a hugely important figure...

BOB Marley is.  

INTERVIEW: Ed Poole

INTERVIEW:

Ed Poole

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I have really enjoyed getting to know Ed Poole...

and discovering how his new song, Knives, started life. He discusses the song’s awesome video and reveals the music that captivates him – Poole selects a few albums that mean a lot to him and highlights some rising artists worth exploring.

I ask when there might be some tour dates and whether he gets chance to chill away from music; what we will get from his upcoming album, Envelop/Erase; how important it is being on the stage and whether Poole has a favourite memory from his time in music – he ends the interview by selecting a great song.

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

My week has been great, thanks. Busy but great!

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

Hi! I’m Ed Poole. I’m a singer/songwriter based in Liverpool, U.K. - although I’m originally from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. I’ve been writing, releasing and performing music on my own since 2012. I’ve released two E.P.s called Winters and in the Company of Old Friends.

I recently signed to a new indie label in Liverpool called Doing Life Records who have helped me put out a split-E.P. (with my friend Seven Years Behind) and two standalone singles since 2016. I’ve played all over the U.K. and I’ve been lucky enough to open for some of my favourite artists, such as Kevin Devine, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly; The Xcerts and Vinnie Caruana.

I like movies, coffee; sport (some of it) and food (all of it)!

The music video for Knives has been released. What is the tale behind the song?

I wanted to write something that sounded really catchy and fun but also a bit more personal, lyrically, than I had done before. I demoed it a few times and, during that time, it went through loads of different versions. I eventually hit upon the dry 808 beat that drives it along which was something I hadn’t really tried before and it really excited me.

It’s about my own personal experiences of feeling a bit helpless and overwhelmed. Sometimes, I feel like you aren’t able to chase the demons away by yourself and you’re scrambling around in the dark.

Ultimately, however, the only way to find your way out is to learn to trust the inner-voice that comes from a place of self-confidence, rather than self-doubt.

The video was filmed in Liverpool. Was it a great video to shoot?

Yeah, it was a lot of fun. We filmed it one Saturday afternoon in my bedroom! I wanted to do something that was relatively quick and easy to shoot as well as being fun and representative of the song. I think we achieved that! We put a camera on top of a foot stool, a stack of books and a biscuit tin and just let it roll.

The hands you see popping into shot throughout belong to Simon (from Doing Life Records) and my wife, Nic. The hardest part was not bursting into laughter during takes because all of us had the giggles, throughout. It’s safe to say they enjoyed throwing sponge balls at my head.

Envelop/Erase is your upcoming album. Do you think there are common themes and ideas that unite the songs?

Certainly. The idea that there are certain societal pressures - that have grown stronger over the last decade or so and have been exacerbated by social media - that can lead a person to feel as though they must outwardly project an idealised version of themselves as opposed to the ‘real’ version. I wanted the album to explore the idea that, when these ‘idealised versions’ are placed on such a pedestal, they can consume a person’s true identity and ultimately lead to loneliness and dissociation: kind of a long-winded way of saying “Oi! There’s nothing wrong with being boring, sometimes. Enjoy it!”

Also, I thought longer and harder about lyrics - something I usually struggle with - than before and made a conscious effort to be more open and honest about my personal feelings and experiences than I’d perhaps been before. I think this has resulted in the most honest set of songs that I’ve ever written. Hopefully, this comes across when people listen to it!

Is there a song from the album that you count as a favourite?

I keep changing from one to the other but I would have to say Knives. I think it best encapsulates what I wanted the whole album to be about, both musically and lyrically.

What do you think of the modern scene? Do you listen to a lot of new artists?

I think it’s much harder to build and maintain a strong music scene in the modern day. We are losing venues at a faster rate than in the past and there are, of course, more methods of entertainment available which may contribute to fewer people going out to check out local gigs. That being said, new venues still spring up all the time and there are so many incredible artists out there making music, right now. We just need to support and look after them (venues and artists alike).

Personally, I try to keep up to speed with new music as much as possible and I’m always open to new recommendations. Where I am, in Liverpool, we have a really exciting scene at the moment.

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

I’d have to say my first experience of playing 2000trees Festival which was back in 2013. I was due to play an unplugged set (after hours) and was absolutely bricking it. Probably the most nervous I’ve ever been before going on stage. It was in the area which is now the Forest stage and it was packed with drunk festival goers. I was convinced I’d have empty tins of Strongbow bouncing off my head. As it turned out, they were all incredibly quiet and listened intently throughout the set. The buzz I felt afterwards was phenomenal! 

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

By the Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers

This is such a nostalgic album for me. When I listen to this record, I can literally close my eyes and remember almost everything I did in the summer of 2002, just after I left secondary school, being soundtracked by this album. Growing up, I was a huge Chilis fan and, whilst some of their output hasn’t aged all that well, this one seems to get better the older it becomes.

The '59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem

This album was the first time my wife ever recommended any music to me, just after we had started dating. It had just come out and has been a favourite that we have shared ever since.

Sprained Ankle - Julien Baker

I can’t think of another artist that has had a more significant and immediate impact on me than the first time I heard Julien Baker. Everything about this album punches me right in the guts (in a good way). I love how minimal it is yet it sounds so huge at the same time. How she can tear you to pieces and then pick you back up all within the same song never fails to astound me.

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

I’d support Bruce Springsteen and my rider would contain a signed photo of Bruce, three cans of Beavertown Neck Oil IPA and a packet of Imodium Instants.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Practice hard, gig as much as you can and be polite and kind to everyone you meet on the road!

How important is it being on the stage and performing to people?

To me, it’s incredibly important. The best feeling I get from music is from playing gigs. As much fun as it is to write and record, there’s no feeling like performing live. I’m convinced I’ll be doing it forever, in one capacity or another. I couldn’t give it up.

Do you think there are going to be any tour dates coming up?

There certainly are! I’ll be heading out for a few shows with my friend, B-Sydes, in February. B-Sydes and I have known each other for a while and I’m hugely excited to be able to get out on the road and play some shows with him.

16th February - Cambridge, Relevant Records Café

19th February - Worcester, Paradiddle’s Café Music Bar

22nd February - Manchester, Gulliver’s (supporting Andy Oliveri)

23rd February - Album Launch Show @ Liverpool, Outpost

 IN THIS PHOTO: SPQR

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

In terms of Liverpool-based artists, I would strongly recommend checking out SPQR, A Burial At Sea and COLOUR. From elsewhere in the U.K., there is an amazing band called PEAKES (from Leeds) who I highly recommend. I think Lizzy Farrall is cool, too.

 IN THIS PHOTO: PEAKES

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

I am a huge fan of sitting and doing nothing - literally, just sitting. I cannot stress enough how relaxing a good sit can be. You can dress it up by adding a beer, glass of wine; cup of tea or whatever but the act of deciding you are done for the day and having a sit down is just the best.

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).

Barbados by Lizzy Farrall, please!

___________

Follow Ed Poole

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/edpoolemusic

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/edpoolemusic/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ed_poole/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0jD8aMifFsmcC3sW2H1DFu?si=nc8V4lGHRWq6-OwSByUiyw

Bandcamp:

https://edpoole.bandcamp.com/

FEATURE: Spotlight: Lizzo

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael  Prior for NME

Lizzo

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THIS is where I highlight an artist who warrants...

 

more attention…or they might be on the cusp of explosion. In the case of Lizzo, she has been making some big moves and one feels she is close to headlining festivals! There is a general void when it comes to new headliners who can bring sass, party and a sense of confidence. We are seeing the same names being given a platform and, of the ones who have not headlined before, there is not a lot in the way of genuine pump and energy. I feel Lizzo has been around long enough and is perfectly capable of owning any headline stage. Let’s hope that comes next year because, right now, she is on fire! Lizzo grew up in Houston, Texas and moved to Minnesota by 2011. She perfumed with Indie groups whilst in Minnesota and also helped form a female three-piece Rap/R&B group. Lizzobangers came along in 2013 and, with a few years’ of musical experience behind her, many were amazed by the confidence and command throughout. Lizzo had been performing before 2011 but one feels her time in Minnesota was the most influential and productive period for her. Her debut seemed to come out of nowhere because, before 2013, there was nobody quite like Lizzo on the scene. The production from Lazerbreak and Ryan Olson helped lift the songs and bring all sorts of elements into the mix but it is Lizzo’s extraordinary confidence and energy that makes every song pop and fizz.

 IMAGE CREDIT: Spotify

The Guardian , when reviewing the album, had this to say:

 “In this super-charged debut, which harks back to early-90s hip-hop, she delights in speeding it up, be it to dazzle male counterparts, as on Pants vs Dress, or simply as a release. At times joyfully nonsensical, Lizzo's stream-of-consciousness rhymes can also be lethally pointed. When she declares herself "the only rapper with a womb/ That'll spit that 16 bars to send you rappers to the tomb", it doesn't sound like an idle warning’”.

It was a stunning and ultra-cool introduction and it only took a couple of years for her to follow that with the amazing Big GRRRL Small World. There were a few more producers in the mix but, once more, it was Lizzo’s personality and talent that drove the record. From the start of her career, her voice has always been natural and completely different to anything around. You get some heat and humour alongside vivid images and some incredible choruses. The music has many different labels and the voice is that driving force. It is hugely evocative but has seduction and tender edges. It was clear, with songs like Betcha and Ride in its order, Lizzo’s second album was not going to be a disappointment. Perhaps a little stronger and more varied than her debut, Big GRRRL Small World was Lizzo armed with even more confident and sense of place.

The songs are incredibly fresh and still reveal new elements some four years after its release. DIY, when reviewing the record, was full of praise and keen observation:

“Her deft wordplay and knowing winks haven’t gone completely – the lines “I swear there should be support groups for men without Lizzo / Meet once a week and deal with y’all issues / Google me and jack off into tissues” in ‘Ride’ can’t help but cause a quiet smile, for example - but ‘Big Grrrl Small World’ is an intentionally intense listen – Lizzo’s physical presence (a black woman,“statuesque and big as hell”) is placed meticulously front and centre.

“I woke up in this / in my skin” she sings in ‘My Skin’, with a wry nod to Beyoncé, “I can’t wash it away / So you can’t take it away from me / Brown skin.” “All my big beautiful big black booty girls”, ‘En Love’ shouts, “light skin, curly hair, afro in the air, love yourself like nobody can”.

It has been four years since her last album and, whilst some might say that is a long while to wait for new material, it seems Lizzo has not been idle. Recent singles Boys and Juice show she has retained her core sound but is addressing new subjects and adding even more into her music.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Pari Dukovic for The Cut

It is the way Lizzo fails to compromise and continues to evolve that amazes me. Cuz I Love You is out on 19th April and will be one of the most anticipated records of the year. Lizzo’s recent material is, in my view, her finest work and most addictive. I guess touring and time elapsed has helped create this quality but it seems Lizzo is growing stronger and more adventurous with each album. In this detailed and extensive interview with The Cut, Lizzo talked about her hobbies and past. Many might not know Lizzo played the flute – she is pretty decent actually!

“The junior-high punks might have called her corny, but like most hobbies people mock you for in adolescence, it’s now one of her greatest assets. The flute is earning her Shade Room–blessed viral fame, especially after one particularly notable moment from a performance at the University of Iowa’s homecoming. As she tells it, that video was born out of a direct challenge to her ability to play the flute — or to perform at all. During sound check, a professor threatened to report her to campus police unless she showed permits. “The privilege that you have to have to walk up to young women, brown women, black women, and yell, ‘Do you have a permit to be here?’ While we’re clearly onstage with microphones singing and dancing,” says Lizzo, shaking off phantom pangs of annoyance.

It was not an easy start for Lizzo and one feels her rather humble upbringing is the reason she is such a determined and confident artist. Music, it seems, was one of very few companions for a young Lizzo:

Lizzo’s family moved to Houston from Detroit when she was 9. Her parents worked long hours building a succession of businesses, and her two older siblings were often doing their own thing, so music was an early babysitter. In sixth grade, “the flute chose her,” when her school’s band director asked Lizzo if she wanted to learn the instrument. At 14, she formed her first rap group, the Cornrow Clique, with two of her classmates and got her nickname, Lizzo. (She was originally Lissa, but Jay-Z’s “Izzo” was a popular song at the time.) She could rap — which should have made her popular — but she was in marching band, so she wasn’t. Also she smiled too much and laughed too loud. Sometimes she wore hippie clothes, like flowing shirts and bell-bottom jeans. She listened to Radiohead and Death Cab for Cutie because her older sister did. She wore Uggs, the tipping point. Her classmates said she was “too white.” “But like, Lil Wayne also wore Uggs,” she points out.

Lizzo’s notoriously upbeat attitude has not come easily. She works hard to maintain that outward optimism and, as a person, she is always trying to make improvements and take care of herself.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Pari Dukovic for The Cut

When speaking with The Cut, she revealed how she managed to maintain so spirited and defiant:

Lizzo has always been open about the amount of work she does to maintain her stubbornly upbeat attitude. She goes to therapy. She’s improved her relationship with her mother. She’s canceled shows when she realized she wasn’t taking care of herself. She quotes her own lyrics to herself for motivation. Onstage that night at Kings Theatre, Williams and Robinson will ask her to give advice about self-care. She proudly owns, to the enthusiastic delight of the audience, being thick, being single, being black, being a woman, loving anime. “I started really doing work on like deep crevices of myself,” she explains. “I was like, Girl, do you love your back fat? Yeah, you do. Girl, you have a good ass, don’t think you have a bad ass!”

It is fascinating to see where Lizzo has come from and how she has grown. Her early life was not always easy and happy but her bond to music has seen her come so far. Not only is she a wonderful musician and singer but her sense of the eclectic and varied is amazing. In this interview with The Guardian last year, Lizzo talked about her eclectic nature:

 “I make all different types of music,” Lizzo explains, gesturing expansively to a buffet laid before us. “You see here, we got pineapples, we got croissants, we got sausages – which one you like? I feel like when you’re good at doing a lot of different styles, it hard to stick with one.” After working on the album for three years, this summer she finally laid down the songs that will make the cut. “I hit my stride. It was about embracing my singing voice.”

Not only is Lizzo’s confidence and multifarious nature impressive but she helps give a voice to plus-size people. She is a plus-size artist and, in an industry that is judgmental and promotes those skinny and beautiful, it is refreshing to see Lizzo strike out and show her curves. Lizzo is an artist who has succeeded in an industry that does concentrate on looks an ideal. She has some very clear views regarding body image:

“As a plus-size woman of colour, Lizzo’s success is a respite in an often grimly misogynistic music industry. Her message is straightforward: love your body, have faith in your abilities, don’t let people treat you like shit. “I don’t need a crown to know that I’m a queen,” she croons on Scuse Me, her ode to masturbation – a topic she returns to on Ride. “I swear there should be support groups for men without Lizzo,” she raps. “Meet once a week and deal with y’all issues. Google me and jack off in a tissue!”

There are a load of great interviews with Lizzo and I would recommend people check them out. Lizzo is open and revealing and keen to let people into her world. There are so many sides to her music and, as a woman, she is inspirational and fascinating. There is much to love about her but the way she speaks and how unforced her words are is refreshing to hear.

I think modern music is full of very cautious and uninteresting artists: Lizzo is the opposite and you always get something unique, funny and impressive. The final interview I want to bring in is the one she gave to NME last year. Lizzo talked about her fans’ feedback and which fans are most important to her – finishing off by talking about her upcoming album and its process:

“I get messages from fans all the time,” she says. “I love them all equally, but the ones that really get me are from black women. I guess it’s because my music was indie-leaning for so long and I was in Minnesota, so my fanbase was white. I’m really grateful for that fanbase – they’ve supported me from the start and they continue to support me. But I’m a fat black woman from Detroit who grew up in Houston, and I make music from my experience for my experience. That includes everyone, you’re all welcome to my experience, but what I’m saying is my music is very personal. So when women from my kind of background reach out to me and say, ‘Where have you been all my life? You’re my mood, you’re helping me feel myself!’, that makes me feel like I’m finally getting into my purpose. And I think my purpose is bringing change to the people who need it the most.”

At the moment, Lizzo’s purpose is also working on her new album, but she says she’s in no rush to get it out. “Missy gave me the best advice,” she explains. “She told me to take my time. And honey, you’re not gonna see an album from me until it’s ready because of that!” 

Anyone who has not experienced the power of Lizzo should check her out. Read as many interviews as you can and familiarise yourself with her back catalogue. It is a fascinating picture of an artist who has no real equals. Lizzo’s music is extraordinary and so eclectic but it fascinating reading about her and what she has to say. She is a natural leader and voice that is raising awareness and fighting against prejudice; providing this incredible sense of passion and energy. I cannot wait to hear her upcoming album, Cuz I Love You, and what it has to offer. If the songs she has released in the past few months is any indication it looks likely to be her strongest and most varied. I love how she can add so much colour and vibrancy to every track. Her lyrics are incredible and packed with so many memorable lines. Lizzo’s firepower brings the songs to life and I can only imagine how amazing her live performances are. If you get a chance to see her live – check out her social media pages – then make sure you catch her. Everything combined leads to this amazing and titanic artist that is among the most impressive and rounded in music. You always get something different and memorable from Lizzo and, at a time when there are few artists who genuinely stand out, I think she is a true...

 IN THIS PHOTO: Lizzo/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

FORCE of nature!

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Follow Lizzo

Official:

https://lizzomusic.com/cuziloveyou/?ref=Typed/Bookmarked

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LizzoMusic/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lizzo

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lizzobeeating/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXVMHu5xDH1oOfUGvaLyjGg

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/56oDRnqbIiwx4mymNEv7dS

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/lizzomusic

INTERVIEW: Ferera Swan

INTERVIEW:

Ferera Swan

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WITH Second Time out in the world...

Ferera Swan has been telling me about the track and how it came together. She reveals how she got started in music and what her favourite memory is; what she thinks of the modern scene and how she has evolved as an artist.

Swan reveals whether more music is coming later this year and how she relaxes when she has time; which artist she would support on tour if she had the chance and the advice she’d give to any musicians coming through right now.

____________

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

It’s been going pretty well! Thank you for asking (smiles).

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

I am a singer-songwriter and a composer. I’ve released two albums in the past (an R&B one and a Pop album) and rebranded last year. As an artist, I’ve found my voice by sharing my journey through music. As an adoptee, I’ve found my purpose through using my voice to serve others. I’ll be releasing my new single, Second Time, on February 1st!

Second Time is new. What was the inspiration behind the song?

Second Time was written for my birth mother over ten years ago after our reunion where we ultimately experienced the loss of each other all over again after a very complex relationship filled with grief, pain and (what I've now come to realize) love.

Might we see some more material later in the year?

I'll be releasing my new single, Second Time, this Friday, February 1st!  I'll be working on a lot more writing and recording this year, so I'll have some more music for everyone following the release of this single. Stay tuned! (Smiles).

Can you recall the exact moment music struck you? Did you grow up in a musical family?

I started piano lessons when I was three years old and felt instantly connected to the music...it felt familiar, like it had already been a part of me all along.  

Looking back at last year, do you think you evolved as an artist? What are your impressions of 2018?

2018 was filled with a lot of personal growth, discovery; reflection, redefinition and transition…I think growth directly affects the music we create and what we’re able to share through our art. When we evolve as people, I think the music naturally does, too.

What do you think of the modern scene? Do you listen to a lot of new artists?

There are a few I like but I find myself craving more vulnerability in not just the content but also the production.

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

I’ve got two so far. In high-school, I won a district composition contest for writing my piece for orchestra and piano titled Serenity and it was premiered by four orchestras and a pianist. I really struggled as a teenager adoptee navigating through emotions, etc. and I remember feeling proud, along with a sense of worth, when I won. I think that’s when I realized that we can turn our pain into beautiful things like music that can truly make a difference.

The second favorite was my last C.D. release party - so much fun in one night!

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

This one is really, really hard...I don’t think I can answer that in one answer!

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

Sara Bareilles. All I need is a piano and I’m good to go!

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Be authentically you and people will be able to feel it; the honesty will reflect in all you do.

Do you think there are going to any tour dates coming up?

Yes! I’ve got a handful of cities in mind. (Smiles).

How important is it being on the stage and performing to people?

If being on stage and performing is the way you know that you reach the hearts of others in need the most powerfully, then that’s where you need to be.

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

No one comes to mind at the moment!

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

I love the outdoors and being in nature. I also enjoy cooking and working out (not at the same time) and spending time with my fur babies!

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).

Misery Chain - Chris Cornell (he’s my fave!)

___________

Follow Ferera Swan

Official:

https://www.fereraswan.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FereraSwan

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/fereraswan/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/fereraswan/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/56f6Z6mdpYeKHngp6wCHBM?si=4YK-m5BlSa6CuUgNeolr5Q

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDO76f1-MJR1Sc88zwGFQxQ

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/fereraswan

INTERVIEW: Georgia Meek

INTERVIEW:

Georgia Meek

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THE excellent Georgia Meek...

has been telling me about her new single, Pray, and what it is all about; what we can expect from her upcoming E.P., Pop Culture, and how 2018 was for her – Meek recommends a new artist to watch and tells me what she has planned regarding touring.

I was eager to know which albums and artists are important to Meek and how her studio sound differs to that we hear on the stage; the advice she would give to artists coming through – she ends the interview by selecting a pretty cool track.

____________

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

Manic! I’m currently sitting at my laptop on the Monday of release week, which feels daunting to say the least. Haha.

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

I’m a singer/songwriter/producer based between Surrey and London. I make Electro/Indie-Pop with a feminist punch.

Pray is your new track. Can you reveal how the song came together?

It was summer...I was working from a shed somewhere west of London. I remember the day I wrote it because it was one of those days last year where the heat was nearly unbearable. We had to keep turning the fan on and off to record.

It was around the time when my boyfriend (now ex-) had been putting me down a lot for going out. He didn’t like the fact that I liked to party and used to get super-jealous and paranoid every time I had a drink without him. It had got to the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ point, where I’d started drinking more to avoid tackling my relationship issues.

I’ll let the song tell you the rest...

I know the track is from your upcoming E.P., Pop Culture. Are there particular themes addressed throughout?

Being the deep thinker that I am, the birth of Pray was the beginning of a multitude of questions and protests within my internal conversations. I started to ask myself, ‘Why am I avoiding all of these issues in my life? I write about overcoming things like sexism and abuse in my past, yet I still can’t seem to get past basic problems like managing relationships, money and my health’.

It then struck me, that, everyone I know my age is in the same predicament. We put so much pressure on ourselves in our twenties to set ourselves up for the perfect life, whether that be finding a partner, getting that dream job or climbing a social ladder.

The reality is, all this pressure is setting us up for failure. We are creating a generation of alcohol-dependant, mental-health sufferers.

Did you know that anxiety and depression in twenty-somethings is literally at an epidemic? In the U.K. in a year there are an average of 360,000 new diagnoses of cancer. Can you guess what the number is for anxiety diagnosis? 8.2 million.

Is there a song from the E.P. that struck you especially hard? Which was the most interesting to record?

Definitely. And it’s a song that directly addresses the route of all my anxiety issues - an uncontrollable and deeply disturbing fear of death. The song is called Bones:

“Cold, like the fragments of my bones

Disintegrating on their own, into the depths of the unknown

Dark, can’t hear the beating of my heart

I beg the lord I’ve left my mark

And disappear into the dark”

How was 2018 for you? Looking back, how important a year was it?

Unbelievable, I’m still pinching myself. The support on Bare was so uplifting, especially from fellow D.V. victims.

I feel like I really found my voice in the industry and have since signed with a label, manager and booking agent – so, if you’re reading this and are someone who streamed/downloaded or followed me in 2018, sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Do you remember the first moment music came into your life? Can you recall the first artist you became aware of?

When I was in reception class at school, there were some cubicle toilets round the corner in the classroom. I sat down for a wee and started singing Away in a Manger because we’d been getting ready for a Christmas nativity. When I finished singing and stood up to flush, I heard everyone round the corner in the classroom start clapping. Can you imagine how embarrassed I was as a five-year-old. Haha.

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

Now! Signing my first deal! That and waking up one morning to 200,000 streams on my Spotify.

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

Not a lot of albums on a whole do, but I definitely have three tracks…

Groove Armada - At the River. Because it reminds me of happier, simpler days.

The Jam - English Rose. I lost my dad when I was sixteen and he always used to pick up my acoustic guitar and noodle the riff.

Primal Scream – Loaded. Because it is literally impossible for me to be sad when I listen to it - in fact, I may just put it on now and dance around my kitchen for a bit.

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

I’m officially Billie EIlish-obsessed, like most other people in the world right now. I really want to give you a cool, alternative answer but this is the honest one. Haha.

And can I put a studio set up on a rider…?

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

HAVE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT. Be organised. But also I’m going to quote myself because I still mean every word of it:

“Trust your own sound and don't let any idiots tell you that you need to change or 'define' it. I was confused for a long time because people would say things like: “I don't really get what genre you are writing in” or: “Who is this music for?” Let your answer always be: “For me and anyone else who fuc*ing well likes it”. Individuality is dying - remember that the next time someone questions who you are”.

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

I’m at The Slaughtered Lamb in London on 15th February and tickets for my headline show in Guildford go on sale on 4th Feb 4th - that’s on 27th April at The Star Inn.

I’ll also be a headliner at Dart Festival in Plymouth, plus lots more exciting things in the summer that I can’t reveal just yet.

How does your music differ on stage compared to how it is laid down in the studio?

We try to keep the sounds as close to the tracks as possible but there is undoubtedly an added punch that comes with my passion for performing live.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Your Smith

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

I’ve been raving about a girl called Your Smith recently. I think she’s a great writer, super-catchy.

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

Nope! Hahaha. I think the last time we spoke, I said I listen to other people’s music a lot when I’m not making my own - that’s still true but 95% of my time is spent working on myself.

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).

As I’m now listening to Loaded by Primal Scream, I think we should just leave it here…I dare you to hit play and not feel a little bit more positive

___________

Follow Georgia Meek

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/iamgeorgiameek

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaMeekOfficial/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/iamgeorgiameek/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2SdZ3VbhjVRXo11kPxVCTS?si=obM1TS-ETs-TXm8f8SObZw

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu8T7mglb0vBxdBTsQsXy2Q

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/georgiameekofficial

FEATURE: Free Fallin’ How Long Will We Have a Sustainable Music Press and Media Scene?

FEATURE:

 

 

Free Fallin’

PHOTO CREDIT: @juliusdrost/Unsplash

How Long Will We Have a Sustainable Music Press and Media Scene?

__________

GOING hand in hand with the closure of music venues...

 IN THIS PHOTO: The former Cosmopolitan editor Sam Baker (left) and Lauren Laverne (right) co-founded The Pool/PHOTO CREDIT: David Levene/The Guardian

seems to be the struggle of parts of the music media. Although music is only a small part of what they do, I read that The Pool was set to close. It was set up by (or co-founded) by Lauren Laverne and has been running for years. It is a female-run website that looks at fashion, music; opinion, entertainment and all sorts of things. It is a great platform but, as this report documents, they have not been given a fighting chance:

“The editor of online women's magazine The Pool has said she is "absolutely gutted" the venture is to fold after almost four years.

Cate Sevilla said she was "heartbroken" more than 20 members of staff faced redundancy from the firm, which was co-founded by broadcaster Lauren Laverne.

Staff were not paid in January and some freelancers are owed sizeable payments.

The collapse of the firm raises questions about whether women-focused journalism can thrive online.

One industry expert said The Pool was caught in a "deadly vortex" of declining advertising revenues.

The site, styled as a "platform for women too busy to browse", went live in 2015 and signed up a collection of prominent female writers and contributors.

The Pool's editor Cate Sevilla said in a series of Twitter posts: "I don't really know what to say. I'm absolutely gutted...

I haven't had an official role at @thepooluk for a while, but I co-founded it and I am extremely sad to hear about its closure. However I am also very proud of what we achieved. It was an honour to work alongside such an inspiring and creative team, on something people loved.

— Lauren Laverne (@laurenlaverne) February 1, 2019

"This has been an extremely frustrating situation, and I'm heartbroken for my team. For our freelancers. For our readers.

"I always wanted to work at The Pool, and I can't quite believe what's happened."

A GoFundMe page to help pay The Pool's staff and freelancers had raised more than £8,000 of a £24,000 target by Friday evening.

Eleanor Mills, chairwoman of Women in Journalism, which supports female workers in the industry, said online news websites were suffering because Google and Facebook were so dominant and took such a large share of all digital revenue, which she estimated at 95%”.

There is a lot to take from those quotes and this article. It seems there is a decline in advertising revenues which is threatening a lot of great sites and journalists. It costs a lot of money to support any website or music magazine and many people forget that. Even if you are getting free tickets for gigs or a lot of free products, you need to pay for the website uptake and there will be members of staff. A lot of music sites have free contributors but, like The Pool, there are expenses that need to be considered. If there is an office then that adds a lot of financial pressure and there are events that require money. In fact, when you do a list of all the costs associated with bringing quality journalism to the people then it is quite galling.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @mikeack/Unsplash

The printed press, to a degree, can charge and relies on that revenue but so many outlets do not have that option. One of the reasons The Pool was such a success was the variation and the fact there were real voices providing this very useful service. Rather than charge people to read, The Pool relied on advertising revues for the most part. The wages are not steep but there has been a struggle maintaining the site. It is part of a modern culture that, more and more, expects things to be free. This is pronounced when you look at music and realise that many do not want to pay to hear music, let alone read about it. Spotify allows a free service and sites such as YouTube do not charge subscription fees. A lot of times these giants need advertisers to keep them afloat but, really, they are not as solid as you’d hope. There are so many websites and new people coming through, it means the money from advertisers is less stable and assured. The music media used to be lucrative when there were fewer options and the only way you could read a magazine was to pay for it. Pre-Internet, there was this (strange today) culture of purchase and, because of that, there was less need for advertising. It is true that music media has evolved and the sheer choice we have now is a definite step forward.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

I love the fact there is a website for every taste and you can get your fix of music news at the click of a mouse. I also like the dedication and passion you can see from every corner. It is wonderful seeing so many committed journalists ensuring we are aware of the happenings in the music industry. There is still an active music press but there are fewer magazines than there used to be. Big names like NME have not survived and, whilst there are some new options in the market, I wonder how long this will be the case. These magazines have a dedicated following but I feel, as more websites come out, that might threaten the future and stability. Many of the bigger websites and players – such as CLASH and The Line of Best Fit - have built a name and they have a fairly healthy revenue stream. I am guessing this but I think their attractiveness in terms of advertising means they are not in immediate trouble. Vice is another big name that is experiencing an uncertain future and it seems very few are safe. This article from The Guardian last year suggested the security of the music press was assured:

“And yet, to walk into any major newsagent in 2018 is to be greeted by a dizzying array of titles – far more than there were when Melody Maker, NME and Sounds shipped hundreds of thousands of copies. Today’s circulations are lower, but there are magazines for every niche or genre, from Classic Rock to Blues & Soul to avant garde title The Wire...

PHOTO CREDIT: MOJO/Getty Images

“I’ve read thousands of words about the so-called ‘crisis in music journalism’, but your average punter would be hard-pressed to understand that,” says John Mulvey, who edits the 63,000-selling monthly Mojo, which celebrated its 300th issue last month. He argues that the ill-fated free NME was “a last attempt to court a general audience, as titles have realised that they are no longer mainstream but specialist publications”.

Following what Mulvey calls a “recalibration”, today’s music titles are adapting to smaller circulations and more competitive markets by lowering overheads, using smaller teams and refining their core specialisms, emphasising quality, longform journalism in the face of an avalanche of disposable free content. Mulvey – an ex-NME staffer who edited Uncut until last January – wants to develop an ageing readership gently by covering new artists alongside the “evolving stories” of veteran Mojo favourites – so Paul McCartney can be on the cover and Malian star Fatoumata Diawara inside. Uncut’s current editor Bonner wants the 44,000-selling monthly to “celebrate the best of old and new” – so David Bowie retrospectives mix with passionate pieces on Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever or Moses Sumney”.

I agree there are some names in the market that look safe but, as many commentators reflected on the comments section under the article, there isn’t the same appetite for printed magazines. A lot of the younger generation are unwilling to step away from their phones and it seems a loyal core is keeping these magazines safe. I am pleased there is clear visibility regarding physical press but I feel, the more sites that come in, it will not be long before we see many disappearing from the shelf.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

A lot of these magazines rely on advertising and, with more websites taking business, can we really say that, in a few years, the newsagent shelves will be as broad and well-stocked?! Each week produces some new music website but they often do not charge a subscription fee and, again, are at the mercy of advertising. The market is so eclectic and growing so it can be hard creating that U.S.P. Even if your website or magazine seems unique and caters to an audience that has been deprived, before long you get mimics coming through who make survival harder. There are those who pay to read about music but we live in a time when anyone can listen to music without having to pay. We can all access a world of music media without leaving the house and do so without payment. Retailers like HMV are struggling and I do wonder whether we are losing sight of the importance of funding music. Artists and great sites/magazines cannot continue to work for free and, the more we continue to digest without considering the results, the less certain the future is. I am part of the problem when it comes to my music ingestion. I pay for Spotify but do not for YouTube. I do not pay for any online music sites but, then again, they do not ask – and I would love to contribute. I think there is that fear people will balk if money is asked for but what are the options?!

 PHOTO CREDIT: @timmossholder/Unsplash

Things are pretty tough right now and I wonder whether there is a way out. I would love to think the music magazines we have on the shelf will be there years from now; all the great websites are safe but, as we see closures happening, do we need to address how music media is funded?! I do worry we take everything for granted and expect it all to be free. I know it is impossible and unfeasible for us to pay every website we visit. It is unfortunate that demand a packed music industry leads to more websites and magazines being created but, before too long, the strain associated with maintaining a free-to-view option becomes too much. What are the solutions to this enigma? So much advertising revenue is being taken by companies like Google and I do not think there is an easy way to increase advertising revenues. Many websites do offer this free trial where you can look at a few articles but then need to pay. I think people who are loyal and use a site a lot should pay a little bit. The costs are not too high and it means that site can continue to provide content. Maybe if it was only a couple of quid for each user, that would make a big impact and not bankrupt anyone! The problem is a little harder to fix when it comes to the printed press.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Kerrang!/Getty Images

There is a loyal customer base for these magazines but I wonder, as the core demographic ages and these publications rely on the younger generation, will they still be able to trade? I think it is a case of asking people to pay. Music has only come this far because people bought it and it is not fair to ask websites and magazines to produce excellent content without reward. They do a job and it is not fair to consume everything for free. It is sad to see websites like The Pool struggling and I do know for a fact there are smaller music magazines and websites that are facing the same realisation. We need to reverse this rather pampered culture where we can access what we want for free. It is hard to get advertisers involved and should they alone be responsible for financing something like a music website? I do think the consumer has to face some of the cost and, even if it was a small subscription fee, it would help create a more solid future. Every time a venue closes, it is like a punch to the stomach for musicians and the public. The same can be said of the music media: artists rely on these sources to spread their music and give them a platform. The more we take for granted and the more closures we see, the less clear the future is.

 PHOTO CREDIT: @clemono2/Unsplash

There will never be an extinction of the music media but we are incurring too many losses and there are so many people working for free right now. That is fine if they want to but many sites and magazines cannot afford to pay people. The music press and media has been a central part of the industry for decades and many assume filtering it online means it will continue to grow and be a lot more secure – that is not the case at all. The solution to this problem is not clear but it is clear that we need to do something and try to avoid any more closures in the market. So many talented journalists put their hearts into the work they do and it is a crying shame we have to see them out of a job. Things can change but I think we need to be pragmatic regarding financing and how we consume content! I feel it is wrong to use Spotify for free and I do not feel that comfortable browsing websites for nothing. It would be a bit much to ask a big amount from everyone to view content but some sort of compromise needs to be realised. The music press cannot survive for free and, day after day, it is becoming harder for websites and magazines to keep running how they would like. Maybe that is the burden of competition and the changing nature of the press/media today...we do take too much for granted and are very causal when it comes to the plight and sustainability of music sites. I hope there are relatively few issues this year for websites and magazines I love as it would be a tragedy to see them go. If we all clubbed together, financially and intellectually, I do think a solution can be affected. It may not be a quick turnaround but, in order for the brilliant music press and media to continue to give us the news, reviews and articles from the comfort of our homes, we all need to...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @rawpixel/Unsplash

DO as much as we can.

INTERVIEW: LEISURE

INTERVIEW:

LEISURE

___________

I start the week by finding out about the New Zealand band...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ravi Chand

LEISURE and their latest single, Easy Way Out. Jaden from the band takes up the questions and tells me about the track; what the music scene is like in New Zealand and how they got together – he reveals what we can expect from the band’s approaching album.

I ask if there is an album that means a lot to him; whether there are gigs coming up for the band; if there are any rising artists we need to get behind – he ends the interview by selecting a pretty cool track.

____________

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

Very well, thank you - though sorry it is only I, Jaden. N.Z. has a heatwave, so we're taking it easy.

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

We're LEISURE, a five-piece sensual, relax-o band from New Zealand.

Easy Way Out is your new single. What is the story behind it?

We wrote it on a writing trip in Huia, New Zealand. We hired a place on Airbnb and had two makeshift studios going. The song is about pushing through the muck with a Cod-Reggae soundtrack.

I believe there is an album due later this year. Can you reveal the stories/ideas behind it?

Yes. We have just finished the record and the idea was to expand on where we've been but stay true to ourselves and enjoy the ride. 

How did LEISURE find one another? Was it an instant chemistry?

I had met all the guys over my years working in the N.Z. music industry. Once we all got together and made music it all happened pretty easily. Our first single, Got It Bad, was one of the first songs we wrote.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ravi Chand

I cannot imagine there is a huge music scene in Auckland. Would that be a misconception?

Yep, totally: we have a very good music scene.

When you were growing up, what sort of music inspired you?

We all have different influences, which come through in our LEISURE tunes, but we all appreciate honest music with good songwriting and no B.S.

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

I think, for me, it would be our very first writing trip, where the band formed. But, we also recently performed at the Auckland Town Hall back by the seventy-two--piece, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Connor Nestor

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

It's hard to have just one, though I'd say Carole King - Tapestry. It never gets old and always puts a smile on my dial.

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

Not sure how to answer that...

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

Do what makes you happy and focus on your craft.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Ravi Chand

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

Yes. We're heading to Australia and have U.K. dates to be announced soon.

As you are all men of LEISURE; what leisure activity would you select as your favourite?

Somewhere at an isolated beach house, hanging out and making music.

 IN THIS PHOTO: HIGH HØØPS

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Our guy Jordan from LEISURE, a.k.a. HIGH HØØPS, has a solo record out. A couple of the boys are working with a young kiwi artist called BENE; also Lord Echo from Wellington.

 IN THIS PHOTO: BENE

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

Yes. Personally, I spend time at my house working on the garden.

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).

Personally, I've been enjoying Phoebe Bridgers’ Funeral

___________

Follow LEISURE

Official:

http://www.theleisurecollective.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LE_ISURE

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theleisurecollective/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/theleisurecollective/

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7b04D0yLktCUpvxQBhmG7R?si=NkxiA6yETFSoyQRWGcnHoA

SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/theleisurecollective

FEATURE: Musicians Without Borders: Is It Wrong for Artists to Boycott Gigs for Political and Social Reasons?

FEATURE:

 

 

Musicians Without Borders

IN THIS PHOTO: Mariah Carey has been criticised by some for agreeing to play in Saudi Arabia (a nation with a poor record when it comes to women’s rights)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

Is It Wrong for Artists to Boycott Gigs for Political and Social Reasons?

__________

OVER the past few years...

 PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

I have seen examples where artists have performed gigs in nations where there is turmoil. Maybe there is a reputation regarding human rights violations or, if an artist played in a nation like Israel, they are seen to be supporting a certain political ideology. I have written on this subject before but, with each year, a big artist defies barriers and plays a gig because they want to bring their music to the people of the world. Mariah Carey is the latest big name who has divided opinion regarding her choice of nation/gig. I will raise an issue when it comes to comparing the U.K. and U.S. to nations in the Middle East and other parts of the globe but Carey’s agreement to play in Saudi Arabia has been met with condemnation. The Guardian , in this news piece, explains the situation in more detail:

“The singer Mariah Carey has been criticised by women’s rights campaigners, who have accused her of helping to airbrush Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record by agreeing to perform there.

Carey appeared with DJ Tiesto, Sean Paul and the Yemen-born singer Balqees Fathi on Thursday in what she has claimed was an opportunity to work towards gender desegregation in the kingdom.

Activists, however, have rejected that. “The Saudi government is using entertainment to distract the people from human rights abuses because it can sense the anger among the public,” said Omaima al-Najjar, a Saudi woman who sought political refuge abroad and co-founded Women for Rights in Saudi Arabia (WARSA).

 

Carey’s publicists told the Associated Press that, when “presented with the offer to perform for an international and mixed gender audience in Saudi Arabia, Mariah accepted the opportunity as a positive step towards the dissolution of gender segregation”.

They added: “As the first female international artist to perform in Saudi Arabia, Mariah recognises the cultural significance of this event and will continue to support global efforts towards equality for all.” The statement said that Carey “looks forward to bringing inspiration and encouragement to all audiences”.

There is that divided argument that states that, on the one hand, Carey is breaking barriers and highlighting women and, on the other, is she aiding and abetting the plight of human rights in Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabia has been judged regarding their human rights violations and their really shocking record. Some think Mariah Carey is whitewasing the issues and ignoring the violence and atrocity. I feel one should define what constitutes ‘supporting’ a regime and being ignorant. Mariah Carey is not coming to the country and ignoring the plight of women and how imbalanced society is. She is not supporting anyone who puts women down. She is, like many artists who have drawn criticism, playing her music and just playing in another country. There is a lot to be said for the argument that claims Mariah Carey is creating something rare. How many popular musicians have played in Saudi Arabia? She might have to make concessions regarding her attire and content but I hope that does not create any issues. For those who criticise Mariah Carey and feel she is making the human rights situation worse in Saudi Arabia, I wonder what artists are meant to do?

 IN THIS PHOTO: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/PHOTO CREDIT: @stijntestrake

If they talk about it in their lyrics then that seems a lot more confrontational than playing in a country and not addressing the subject. Is it better to document issues like poor human rights rather than playing a concert in a country with a poor reputation? Can Mariah Carey play a gig in Saudi Arabia and highlight how women are treated there? It is a sticky issue but one cannot say any artist that plays in a nation like Saudi Arabia is backing the government or blind to the problems there. If they boycotted and nobody plays then that, to me, seems more ignorant and destruction. Unless you explicitly say something through music, artists are not taking a political stance by merely performing at a gig. I feel Mariah Carey is actually pretty brave and doing something that will inspire other artists. This is not the first time a big artist has faced conflicts when playing in a country making news for the wrong reasons. Last year, Lorde cancelled gigs in Israel because of the controversy and political ramifications. This, as this report shows caused problems of its own:

“Two New Zealand women who were ordered to pay damages by an Israeli court for their role in Lorde cancelling a Tel Aviv concert have raised the sum through donations – but plan to give the money to the Gaza Mental Health Foundation instead.

IN THIS PHOTO: Lorde/PHOTO CREDIT: Dean Chalkley 

Last week an Israeli court ruled Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab of New Zealand must pay damages to Israeli teenagers Shoshana Steinbach, Ayelet Wertzel and Ahuva Frogel totalling more than NZ$18,000 ($11,700) for writing a letter urging Lorde to cancel her gig, which she did.

The court found the two New Zealand women damaged the “artistic welfare” of the three Israeli teenagers, and perpetrated “damage to their good name as Israelis and Jews”.

In the case of Lorde, she was put between a rock and a hard place and decided to cancel her gigs. The situation in Israel is a little more complex than that in Saudi Arabia but I wonder whether she bowed too easily to social media pressure and ill-advised voices. I will look at a band who actually did play in Israel – and cause some issues – but I wonder whether Lorde was put in an impossible situation. Again, like Mariah Carey, she is not backing a political party or religion by performing a gig there. Music is a beautiful platform that is not meant to divide: it brings people together and creates this rare harmony. I do wonder what would have happened if Lorde played Israeli gigs and brought her music to the masses. Maybe there would have been some angry people but that rage is completely unjustified and needless. Is Lorde bringing together divided factions and making the political situation worse? If she was to talk about the politics and divisions in Israel then it might be a bit too far but that was never going to be the case – she was simply going to bring her hits to her fans.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Radiohead/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Whilst artists boycotting nations might placate the radical, enflamed and easily offended, I think it is the fans who suffer the most. How hard is it for music fans in nations like Israel and Saudi Arabia to see big artists they love? Many might not be able to travel to the U.S. and U.K. to see gigs so artists coming their way is a rare treat. Having that pleasure denied seems much crueller and ignorant than the alternative. It seems like there are double standards and people are making far too much of things. Lorde was forced to cancel gigs in Israel last year but, back in 2017, Radiohead made no such decision. Here, as is reported, the iconic band felt it natural to go to Israel and play their songs:

“Radiohead have performed their much-anticipated gig in Israel, after calls from protesters to cancel the show.

The sold-out concert went ahead as planned at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, despite urgings from activists and campaigners who have said the show is an insult to Palestinian people facing oppression in the country.

According to Richard Ferrer, editor of the London-based Jewish News newspaper, the audience of thousands represented a “melting pot” of fans.

It comes a week after Yorke defended the band’s decision to play in the country, following criticism by award-winning British filmmaker, Ken Loach.

Loach wrote to the singer on Twitter that “Radiohead need to decide if they stand with the oppressed or the oppressor. The choice is simple.”

Yorke responded in a statement: “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government”.

That last line from Thom Yorke makes a good point: artists are not making a stand and being offensive when they play: simply, they are doing their jobs and not taking sides. One wonders how many other artists have turned down performing in the Middle East and Africa because of possible dissent and protest! I think it is unfair to deny a nation’s music fans because there are social rights issues and political divides. Artists like Radiohead and Mariah Carey are not concerned with spreading hate but, when there is a lot of backlash on social media and the possible protest, I can understand why some are reticent. How can we say there is any difference between artists playing in nations abroad suffering political clashes and artists playing here and the U.S.?! When it comes to civil rights, racism and turmoil; are Britain and America any better than Israel? We might not have the same level of violence and religious clash but our leaders are responsible for fuelling division and tension. What if an artist were to come from Europe and play here – knowing we are leaving the E.U.?! That would not be sniffed at and, instead, be seen as a positive and natural step. Would it be wrong for a band/act who was against racism and division to play in America...a nation ruled by Trump and going in the wrong direction? I think there would not be the same strife and anger regarding artists from here and the U.S. (and New Zealand) doing a similar thing.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Tel Aviv-Yafo/PHOTO CREDIT: @adamjang

I know the debate is more complex than I have suggested but we are not talking about commentators, comedians or anyone who is likely to address the issues happening in nations like Saudi Arabia. I think, if a comedian did a set about human rights, it could cause a divide but isn’t that what they are supposed to do?! Music, for the most part, is politically-neutral and not concerned (in a bad way) with what is happening in that nation. They want to entertain and unite people and, by facing pressure and scorn, that is being taken away – it seems almost ironic. I don’t think it is right for musicians to be panned and judged if they want to play a gig, regardless of the nation involved. I am impressed Mariah Carey has taken a stand but I fear this will not be the end of things. I wonder whether more artists this year will be subject to scrutiny if they gig in the Middle East or parts of the world where there is a tense and complex political landscape. If an artist takes a stand and pulls out of a gig for personal reason then that is down to them. I think too many are being backed into an impossible situation. Music is a wonderful and for-the-masses-and-not-for-the-few arena that should not be subject to restriction. In a time when there is so much hatred and needless division, we should not be urging artists to boycott; instead, we need music to act as a powerful and unifying...

FORCE for good.

FEATURE: Vote for Us: The Artists Going Deeper When It Comes to Inspiration

FEATURE:

 

 

Vote for Us

IN THIS PHOTO: The Specials released their first album in eighteen years recently with Encore/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images 

The Artists Going Deeper When It Comes to Inspiration

__________

THERE is some definition needed here...

 PHOTO CREDIT: @marcooriolesi

because, for the most part, artists have not really pushed against the conventional for many years. There is, mind, something coming out that shows more depth and political motivation than recent years. I think certain genres have always put social awareness and politics first but, in terms of the mainstream and the artists at the forefront, it has been a long time coming. I wonder whether our Government and their rather slipshod handling of Brexit negotiations means that, finally, artists have had enough. It is not everyone who is making this shift but I am pleased to see politics, harder-hitting subjects and something more aware coming through. Most of the mainstream still deals in love tropes and the usual fare; a lot of bands are still hooked on themselves but I do love the artists who look out and are actually talking about the world. One might argue the fact artists have been talking about the state of the world for decades! This is true but I would argue (the fact that) this is one of the most intense and unbalanced times in recent history. I have campaigned for musicians to stray away from the bedrooms and the inner realms of their own minds and actually address what is happening around them. There were many reasons why the return of The Specials delighted me and many. The fact that their last single, Ghost Town, was released thirty-five years ago left many nervous and a bit unsure.

How would the legendary Ska band come back? Would it be a soft affair and would they still have that magic? The fact that their single, Vote for Me, sort of continued where Ghost Town left off meant that it was a pleasant and easy transition. I was worried the band, as they are a bit older now, would swap politics and the crumble around us for something more comfortable and safe. Maybe Vote for Me is not as sharp and anthemic as Ghost Town but it definitely is a relevant and of-the-moment track. One can see veiled disappointment and the dissatisfaction with our leaders. On their new album, Encore, there are frank tales of mental-health issues – their lead, Terry Hall has bipolar affective disorder – and one hears stories and lyrics that are actually quite intense. I think there has been a hesitation regarding discussing mental-health and issues like politics. It has been sprinkled through music through the years but there seems to be more of a concentration among today’s artists. I think most know the leaders we elect are going to de-prioritise important issues that will impact us and, instead, are clearing up the mess they have made. In a social media age, how easy is it to talk frankly about stuff like mental illness and politics without incurring judgement and harsh opposition?

 IN THIS PHOTO: Ariane Grande (who is one of few Pop artists unafraid to talk about politics)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

I think a lot of people actually do want to discuss these things but the always-capricious nature of social media means only one person ranting and attacking you can do a lot of harm. I do like what is in the mainstream but I think there is a perfect opportunity for the biggest artists to, with slight risk, go somewhere a bit darker. It is all well and good talking about heartbreak and commercial avenues but, given the fact so many teen listeners experience mental-health issues, should they not be more conscious? Some Pop artists like Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande have talked about that sort of thing in their song but how often does politics and the larger world infuse their sounds? Maybe it is a gamble to do that sort of thing but there are artists willing to break from the conventional. The Special are doing it and Foals, on their new track, Exits, talk about political departures, mental-health and thought-provoking matters. Look at IDLES and how their 2018 album, Joy as an Act of Resistance, really struck a chord. There are many other artists tackling deeper subjects in music and it is good to see. I think there is a danger, if everyone did it, it could be oversaturating and a little heavy. I look around genres away from Hip-Hop and Rap and I do wonder whether what is being said is actually attuned to the modern age. Sure, talking about social media and its affects is impressive but what about the divisions in the world and the rise in mental-health problems?

Not only is this sort of approach to music brave and new but there is an educational aspect. We can all bond with artists who talk about their pains and heartaches – many can empathise and it is good to have that common bond. I actually think there is a lot of anger regarding modern politics and this culminates in personal stress, confusion and a real sense of dislocation. In the same way fun and upbeat music can be an escape and release, so too can songs that take our pains and observations and make sense of them. In an interview with The Guardian, various personalities asked The Specials questions and one of them related to depression and airing it out. A lot of depression and anxiety, for musicians, can arise from deciphering what defines ‘success’. Getting to the top of the charts is not as important as, say, releasing a song that carries a real message. I think that is a message that needs to be put out more: you are worth a lot more than chart positions and streaming figures. In the same interview, the reporter looked at The Specials’ lyrics and how they have retained their sense of observation and attack at a time when it is really needed:

“Lyrics take on the personal and the political, the US and the UK, though more ambiguously than the Specials’ original precision attacks. On BLM (Black Lives Matter), Golding talks us through three racist experiences from his past. And then there’s Vote for Me. Golding points out that the Specials’ (as opposed to the Special AKA) last release was Ghost Town, so it seems right that the next release, 38 years later, is Vote for Me. Hall agrees: “With Ghost Town we didn’t say, ‘This is the right way, this is the wrong way’, we just said, ‘Things are pretty shit, really’. And we’re saying the same with Vote for Me. I find it difficult to vote on anything, really. Whereas before, we were staunch Labour. Now, I feel like I don’t trust you, I don’t like your face. On a personal thing with Corbyn, I definitely can’t do it any more. But what are the alternatives?”

PHOTO CREDIT: @sharonmccutcheon  

It must be strange to make a comeback now, to return in your middle age at a time when Britain itself appears to be determined to return to the more depressing parts of the early 80s.

“Well,” says Hall, “if we’d released a record at any point in the last eight years it would have been relevant. Because not a great deal has changed. There’s different names for it, like Brexit, which sounds nuanced, but isn’t far from the one called ‘unemployment’ and the one called ‘racism’. Look, we didn’t plan it. We didn’t say: ‘Let’s get a mix done quick, because Brexit’s out at the end of January’”.

Maybe I am getting side-tracked but I feel one of the reasons music has not made a particular huge impact or affected real change is the fact artists are still unwilling to get involved. Bands like IDLES and The Specials are just the tip of a growing iceberg. Whether discussing racism or global warming...I feel musicians have a role and a chance to really make an impact. I think back as recently as a few years and was not aware of that many albums that has a political edge or artists taking that stand. The likes of PJ Harvey could definitely please that desire but there was this mainstream of rather bland and aimless music. Now, I am seeing more mobility and consistency. I look back at 2016 and 2017 when we got big political statements from Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Neil Young but that was an exception.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé (her 2016 album, Lemonade, was lauded for its documentation of social issues and political mindset)/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

I think a lot of artists without huge label and commercial pressure are more mobile and willing to explore subjects that are becoming less taboo. It is hard to ignore issues as huge as mental illness, racial attacks and political disintegration. If we ignore it and just use music as this rather shallow if fun medium, is that a chance missed? Do we get leadership and awareness from our leaders? I think the arts world is much more influential and important when it comes to discussing and highlighting problems and divisions. Not only does that provide oxygen to the subject but it opens up conversation in a way less controversial and more unified than social media. In many way, people are looking back and fondly remembering music how it used to be – rather than move forward and adding something new. Perhaps, decades ago, artists were bolder and the fact movements like Britpop resonated was because there was truth and a common spirit. I feel, the bigger the music industry gets, the more we are scattershot and divided. I am pleased to see bands and artists opening up in music and, at a very tense time, unafraid to create a little sense of unease and discomfort. I think it brave to witness music that opens its soul and, when needed, provides a boot to the bottoms of the politicians who continue to deceive and obfuscate. So long as we do have something more escapist and fun to balance out the more serious and ‘relevant’ music then it can only be a good thing. Some artists might be reticent regarding being confessional and political but, at a time when all of us need some guidance and voice, going off piste is actually...

 IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES are a band who always put deeper, less commercial subjects are the forefront/PHOTO CREDIT: IDLES/Getty Images

A very good thing.