I’ve said it so many many times before- if a piece of music doesn’t scare me then I may not enjoy it. I have to find a terrifying element to it. I’m not entirely sure why. Horror films don’t scare me, I usually have a delightful laughing fit at a really bad part of the time. “OH LOOK THERE’S A LOAD OF BLOOD!!!” Cue me getting the giggles.
A few weeks ago I wrote some words about a band that, with first listen scared me and stole my heart. The Creeping Ivies come from Scotland. Yes, I class everything from Scotland (in a music sense) to be amazing. This all stems from my obsession with Garbage and The Jesus And Mary Chain. I think my logic is perfectly justified right here.
The Creeping Ivies have an EP coming out 1st June. It’s called Ghost Train. It is eerie, dark and wonderfully ghoulish. It will shake up your bones and mind-fuck you in such a glorious way. It feels like a woman who has committed a murder. It is menacing and charming. It is everything I love about music.
I have only one bad thing to say about this EP ; three tracks just aren’t enough. I’ll have this on repeat for as long as I can stay awake in order to feel like I’ve heard a full record. I don’t mind. I could listen to Duncan and Becca all day, every day. I’ll let you in on something, I do it anyway.
Alright, so..Ghost Train is coming out on Jet Black Records and was recorded in a desolate space in Glasgow (okay it may not have been, but it was recorded in Glasgow..I’m just making assumptions for dramatic effect.)
The Creeping Ivies are influenced by two bands that I adore, the Ramones and The Cramps. They have the creepy vibe of The Cramps and the short Punk driven tracks much like the Ramones. Fast, furious and fucking incredible. The fury and vibrations in Becca’s voice makes you want to dance like Debbie Harry in the video to Atomic by Blondie. Shaking on the spot, jolting your limbs in an insane manner.
If you’re looking for something to turn your world upside down, for the better. Or if you constantly think “What Would John Peel Do?” then give yourself up to The Creeping Ivies. If John Peel was still alive, and my goodness I wish he were..The Creeping Ivies probably would’ve done a Peel session by now. Sadly, they never will but it is bands like these that keep everything John Peel dedicated his life to alive.
Check them out and let yourself be freaked out to the core!
When everything seems a bit shite, play your favourite record. Or if you can’t decide on your favourite record, play something new. Just play something to drown the other sounds out. It doesn’t have to mean much, it can just cause some kind of escapism because something you cannot control is quite possibly taunting you. Fuck those niggling thoughts, and listen to something that sounds unworldly.
Niki And The Dove’s debut record is out soon. Niki And The Dove are probably going to be the ones responsible for putting out the best debut record of the year. Sure there’s some strong contenders for that title, but let’s be real here- awards and titles mean fuck all. All that matters and SHOULD matter is how many hearts a piece of music touches and fixes. All that matters is getting yourself heard.
In all honesty, I have no idea how Niki And The Dove have been labelled and whatnot in the press. I don’t know if it is spotty hipsters that dig this or if it is hermits who need an outlet. I really have no idea, nor do I care. I’ve loved them long enough to know that they are a band that you cannot look at someone and think, “They’re a fan.” That’s how music should be, I guess. Not being able to spot a fellow fan. Finding them by accident, that’s the best feeling. Maybe you overhear them blasting it out of their headphones in Asda as they peruse the pizza section or have a battle with self-service. Or maybe you lock eyes as you both wear the same band shirt. It is a form of comfort, that no matter what kind of person you or they are- you both really fucking love this band. I should probably stop with these thoughts, but the thing is I know it never happens. Knowing this stops me from feeling any disappointment.
Instinct is amazing. I want to leave it at that, but I won’t. I’ll be that annoying wanker who rambles about how amazing this record is, in the hopes you go out and buy it.
They’re from Sweden which automatically means they will put out music that just blows your mind. You honestly do not need me to list all the great bands that have emerged from Sweden. There’s such innocence but an underlying sense of hurt in this album. Part of you turns a blind eye to how dark this album gets because musically, it makes you want to fling your limbs about. Pay close attention to the lyrics, and you will hear something quite dark and menacing. I love records that give me the feeling Seventeen Seconds by The Cure and Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain do. I want it to make me feel a bit petrified. That I am surrounded by darkness in a forest, with not much hope of getting out. The kind of music that makes you feel lost, but being found isn’t really high on the priority list.
The Gentle Roar has a strong anthemic feel to it. I’d imagine joggers to enjoy this. I have no idea why, I guess because it sounds quite encouraging. Like you will get to the other side. Probably covered in sweat. The only person who looks good sweating is Alison Mosshart. Anyway.
Instinct is an album that you just lose your shit to. There’s no way this record will make you want to sit still. Play it through your headphones and go for a walk. Walk for as long as you can. Do not care for where you end up. Just keep walking. Sometimes this is all you need in life. Music and a long walk. It is honestly, a perfect record from start to finish. If you’re looking for something euphorically wonderful (like The Knife) then you’re going to find it in Niki And The Dove’s debut record. I mean, it sure is hard to accept that this is a debut record. It’s just so perfect. Mother Protect is 5 minutes of heaven. I’m not one for ever finding fault in anything, I can’t be bothered. I always look for the good, which is probably a really bad trait to have. But, if it was shit- I wouldn’t write about it.
I love music that sounds like you are drifting through space, or some weird shit. I love music that sounds weird. That makes you pull a stupid facial expression because it is THAT good. The kind if face you pull when you taste something strange, but every part of you wants to keep going because to give up on it, then you’ll probably be missing out. We put enough things to one side, why keep ignoring it?
Okay so, Night Manager I think, are from Brooklyn. B.K. needs to stop it with all these amazing bands. I thought I could handle Friends (the band, not the show. NEVER EVER THAT FUCKING AWFUL SHOW.) They’re from Brooklyn. Home of..the brave? Wait. I don’t know. FOXY BROWN YO. She’s from there. Anyway, fuck it. Night Manager. Get to know.
They have this incredible dreaming state thing going on. Mix that with a surfer feel. Distorted lo-fi vibes. I think I’ve died and gone to musical heaven. Wherever they’ve taken me, I’m truly enjoying right now. It’s like nothing can bother me (my phone keeps going off, but its cool..it’s someone I don’t mind talking to.) Their EP, Pizza Pasta (two things I love..being Italian an’ all) has a big drum feel to it. Like a Phil Spector kind of thing, minus the murder. Can I say that? I did. If only I had the willpower to delete that sentence. Cosmonaut has that 60s girl group feel going on. Why aren’t Night Manager huge? Probably because they’re amazing.
I’ve spent the day listening to this band, and it’s been a day well spent. I find it easy to truly fall head first in love with a band then regret my decisions a few days later. However, with Night Manager I know I’ve found a band I’m going to love with all my heart for a long time. I’m too soppy for my own good, I know. But it’s just how I am.
Night Manager make you feel like you are in some kind of trance. The music is soothing and ethereal. That word isn’t used enough. More music needs to be described as that (see Warpaint and Beach House for further justification of this.) Their songs make you want to put on your best ripped jeans, favourite band shirt and just waste the day at the beach. Summer sun, come out. I’m ready. We all are.
Call it whatever you want, but honestly? You cannot deny just how talented Night Manager are.
“I sat myself down, and shot my fear in the face.”
Good things come to those who wait. Bad things happen whilst you wait. You fall apart, but you pick yourself up by going back to the previous ones. The ones that saved you once before. But you’re looking for something else to pick you up. Not just to pick you up- but to keep you up. It’s alright to be weak, it’s alright to shake your head at all you see and want something more. It’s okay to have a breakdown every now and then. Tears do not mean defeat. Tears do not mean weakness. Waiting and waiting and waiting. You wait for everything. Anything. Just something. Cast a lifeline in the shape of a song. In the shape of a record by your favourite band.
Garbage have owned my heart since 1995. I honestly don’t know if I could give it to anyone but them. I don’t think any band have ever made me feel so okay with being who I am before. I’m going to be utterly personal with this, so if you want a standard album review- go elsewhere. I can’t remove myself from Garbage. You see, Garbage put their all into what they do- what kind of fan would I be if I didn’t put all I had into writing about this FUCKING INCREDIBLE RECORD?! I wouldn’t be a fan, really.
So here’s the thing. You probably know how much I love them. You know how Shirl read my piece on Bleed Like Me last year (if you ever want to see me smile like a mental person, bring that up.) As I write this, I’m listening to Control and I am fighting off tears. I don’t want to be crying over something so accurate. I don’t want to relate, but I do. And because I can relate, I believe again. Fucking hell Shirl, are you in my head again? Don’t ever leave. Just don’t.
I wish I could write this in a way that seemed eloquent and worthy of your time. But all I can do is just listen to this intensely and in awe of every member. I just have no idea what is going on inside, all I know is that I am hearing the songs that will mean as much to me as all previous songs have done. I feel as if my body is going to explode and my mind is heading that way too.
Okay so you’ve already heard Blood For Poppies and Battle In Me, and if you have your wits about you- you will know that they are perfect. They show Garbage at their most beautiful. I’m currently listening to Beloved Freak. It is doing to me what Run Baby Run, Right Between The Eyes, The Trick Is To Keep Breathing and So Like A Rose have all done. It is making me feel less alone with people a huge fuck up. It making me feel more human about my constant mistakes, that are dragged up. I try to bury them, well..don’t we all. Beloved Freak will probably be the new anthem for us Darklings. It is like Shirl is guiding us through hell, telling us all that it is going to be okay. She’s living proof that through all the self-destruction and self hate- you can become the person you were always meant to be. To call her my role model is an understatement. There is no word good enough to describe what her and her words have done for me.
I listen to this record, and I feel like I did when I first heard them in 1995. I was only 9 years old then, and it was at the time when my dad died. Garbage got me through. Since then they have been my constant beacon of hope. My solid way of dragging myself through life with a “Fuck you, I won’t give up” kind of outlook. But like anyone else, giving up does seem like an option. But when you hear all this fight in Shirl’s voice, it makes it impossible for you to even fathom the concept of throwing in the towel and going back into yourself.
What I love about Garbage is how aggressive and passionate they are. Their song, Special, to this day is so apt. I look at people I used to know and how they parade themselves about in such a pretentious way- what happened to you? You used to be one of the good ones. But it’s okay, at least I know Shirl has experienced that same level of disappointment. This mentality that Garbage have, and if you;re a Darkling you too have adapted this attitude, it gives you strength. For me, that’s what Not Your Kind Of People is all about. It is about developing a sense of self, overcoming, putting up a fight and never ever giving in. But surely, that’s what all their records are about? Of course. But there is something bolder about Not Your Kind Of People that makes you stand a bit taller with no doubt at all taking over. This record is going to give you everything you’ve been trying and fighting to find.
Sugar and Control I feel are going to be the songs I have on a constant loop. I used to be petrified that I could identify so much with their lyrics, but I then realised it was so far from being a bad thing. It is something I shouldn’t fear. Since falling in love with Garbage in 1995, I have played their music every single day. Even if it is just one song to make sure I get through the day, I still play their music. With their muchly anticipated album about to come out, knowing that this wait is over just means the world to me. Waiting this long for something is enough to drive a person crazy. But for Garbage, I will wait.
If I could thank Steve, Duke, Butch and Shirl for what they have done for me..not just with Not Your Kind Of People but since 1995 I truly would. I feel like their shittiest fan though, because I’m not going to see them on their tour in a few months. Not having any money is slowly pissing me off (alright it is quickly pissing me off!) I have every bit of faith that one day..one day I will get myself to a Garbage show and I will be singing until I feel like my throat is bleeding to the songs that saved my life, and give me life.
I was very young when I first heard The Cure. I was terrified but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I still do that now. If something scares me, I am more likely to keep at it. I don’t know why, I guess I just want to know what happens. That video by Shakespears Sister- Stay. It used to scare me shitless when Marcella Detroit appeared looking all creepy and menacing. But I couldn’t tear my eyes from the tv. I was only 5 years old, but I was drawn in to how dark and eerie it all was. This very feeling came over me when I used to watch the video to Lullaby by The Cure.
I love The Cure, that’s as simple as I can put it. But my love for Robert and the boys goes way deeper than this. If someone asked me what my favourite song by The Cure was, I couldn’t answer straight away. They’d have to sit me down for an hour or so with 3 cups of tea so I could gather my thoughts. Make a list, and try to come up with a firm favourite. Right now, I’d easily say The Perfect Girl is the one I’d choose. Ask me tomorrow and I may say M is my favourite. One thing that has never (and will never) change is my favourite record by The Cure. Always and forever I will declare Seventeen Seconds as being my ultimate favourite record by The Cure.
Giving yourself over to a band is a better feeling than giving yourself completely to a person. I’m probably only saying this because I’ve never given myself to a person before. A band is easier to do so, but I could be wrong. Straight up, The Cure saved my life. Robert’s lyrics summed up every horrific feeling I ever had go through my head during secondary school. Certain songs summed up how shite I’d feel when I’d hurt someone by being careless and an all round wanker. I’ve improved with age. The Cure taught me how to be careful and gentle. That there is no harm in being sensitive and cautious- but I feel it trying to be changed by some people, sometimes.
I always remember being sat on the floor in the living room going through some old CDs. One of them was a record by The Cure. It had a song on it that changed everything for me. It changed how I viewed music, it changed how I listened to it. It drew me in so intensely, I just couldn’t stop playing it. So, I was looking at these old CDs and I remember my Stepdad telling me, “Listen to A Forest.” I was really young, only 10 years old. So I went up to my room and played it. I had it on repeat for hours and hours. The song is just under 6 minutes long. I didn’t want to do anything but listen to it. The echoes of Robert crying out, “The girl was never there.”It’s always stayed with me. I stand-by the bass in this song to be the best I’ve ever ever heard. I listen to A Forest everyday still, and it still leaves me in awe. I can’t move a muscle when I listen to it. The world stops when I listen to it, it just has all my attention. All of Seventeen Seconds has this grip over me. Like a lover that you cannot shake off, that’s how I regard Seventeen Seconds. It is vital to my life, and nothing in this world can rip its meaning away from me.
I’ve always wanted to write down what The Cure meant to me. I would’ve done this years or months ago- but I guess the words weren’t there. I’m not even sure they are there right now to be honest. Trying to explain my love for them is like me trying to tell you how much I love Morrissey or Metric or No Doubt or Garbage or The Jesus And Mary Chain. Each band has played such an important role in my life. Each band has drawn me closer to certain people. Each band has driven me away from one thing and into another. Each band has played a huge part in saving my life when I was a teenager. For instance, take Return Of Saturn by No Doubt and Version 2.0 by Garbage. Both records got me through secondary school. If I didn’t play these records every day when I was there, I probably would’ve been another statistic. Music gets you through. Every part of you wishes that you could thank the band that saved your life. Yet all you can do it play the music loudly and sing equally loud, if not louder. The songs were written for you. Cling onto them as hard as you can.
Sometimes you find a band, sometimes a band finds you. My relationship with The Cure is a combination of the two. At the time, I was too young to be a lost soul. That hit me later in life. As I listen to them now with older ears, I fully get what they mean to me. I’ve got 6 months left of being 25 and I’ve done nothing of worth with my life. I listen to The Cure, and I think..maybe I have. Maybe I’ve done a couple of things right. There’s always that fucking uncertainty niggling in the back of your head, and it sometimes likes to push its way to the front so you don’t forget its there. You learn to control yourself as you get older. The Cure make all these feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty okay. If it wasn’t for Robert Smith’s words I just don’t know what I would’ve done. You get some people who think being miserable is vital to them. That they have to be sad. Let me tell you now, it really isn’t. There is nothing good about being sad. There is however, something good about knowing you are not the only one.
But you cannot be sad forever.
There was a time where I associated The Cure with a really dark part of my life. I hated myself more than a person should, and all I could do was listen to music that summed up all this despair. I guess it threw me into a darker place quicker than I anticipated. Now? Now I listen to The Cure and I just hear how influential they truly are. The bass in their songs is a signature sound that you can hear in so many bands that are around right now. The bass is so hypnotising and causes you to jolt your body in a way that you didn’t think it could. I get this now from listening to Warpaint. It’s still there, it will always be there. The Cure will always be influencing bands. They just have this legacy that goes beyond saving lives.
I’ve been a fan of The Cure for most of my life. They’ve been there through pretty much everything-good and bad. I guess it is why I get super pissed off when someone says, “I love The Cure. My favourite song is Friday I’m In Love.” Then they say the only record they own is their greatest hits. Man. NO! You need to hear EVERY album they have ever done. You need to hear every single record they have ever done in order to see how influential and important they are. Where do you start? From the start, of course. I recommend playing A Forest through headphones in the dark, alone. It becomes like a ritualistic sort of thing.
The Cure always leave you in a euphoric state when you listen to them. I’ve been listening to them properly since I was 10 years old, I doubt I will ever snap out of this trance they have put me in.
Fun fact: When I wake up in the morning I look like Robert Smith. It’s probably a sign that I need a haircut.
My mum bought me a copy of Teen Dream, and I guess that is why that record holds more meaning for me than I can actually wrap my head around. I remember walking home in the cold last February after I found out she was ill, and I had Take Care on repeat. I listen to it, and I immediately think of her. Sometimes I wish I was a Superhero so I could switch it round. It’s like Kate Bush sang, “If I only could I’d make a deal with God and get him to swap our places.” If you ever want to see me bawl like a baby, play that song. I cannot listen to it. Back to Beach House. So, Take Care hold so much for me. Victoria’s voice breaks me heart every single time. If I could sing, I’d want a voice like hers. Instead I sound like Captain Beefheart meets Bob Dylan..if I try hard enough.
Bloom is magical. Bloom is hopeful. Bloom is everything you want from a Beach House record.
Beach House have this stunning way of just making you feel like you are in love, even if you are without. They make you feel like your heart is in the palm of another’s as you listen to their music. They heal you, they break you too- but they provide so much comfort that you do not mind any hurt that comes your way. Beach House are like Warpaint, I cannot listen to them with anyone else. I just can’t. I think it’s because when I listen to them I must have my eyes shut, be utterly still and take it all in. I guess it’d be nice to share this with someone, but I’d worry they wouldn’t feel the same. Then I’d be sad and my faith in humanity would fade away some more.
When they released Myth a month or so ago, it felt like some kind of religious take over. I’m not a religious person. I’m stupidly spiritual but I keep my beliefs to myself. Listening to Myth was so euphoric. I felt like something had clicked in my brain. I always get that when I listen to Beach House. Their music is so beautiful, I fail to find the words to write down. I feel that whatever I write about Beach House just doesn’t do them any justice at all. For me, I think Myth is going to be one of those songs I go to when everything seems wrong. The lyrics are shaped like life advice. I rarely turn to people for advice, I’d rather fuck up on my own accord and be the only person who sinks down with the consequences. I listen to Myth, and it just feels like well, a sense of security. That whatever I do, just makes sure it is the best thing for me I guess. I learnt a lot about growing up by listening to Beach House.
“If you build yourself a myth know just what to give. What comes after this momentary bliss. Consequence of what you do to me.”
“Would you rather go unwilling. The heart is full and now its spilling. Barreling down the steps. Only a moment left.”
This line from On The Sea is one of the most accurate and honest lines from the record. Something so simple that just makes you feel as if you can do anything. And maybe, just maybe- you can. You’ve just got to believe I guess. If you don’t believe, then you’ve only got yourself to blame. But we like to shift the blame don’t we. Beach House, on the other hand, just make you accept everything for what it is and let go. That’s all you can do.
Being a fan of Beach House has taught me something valuable. Something I thought only tough people could do. They taught me how to let something go, and to just carry on. These are things you are supposed to find out the hard way. Maybe I did, but Beach House made the grip less strong and the desire to go forward stronger. I owe them a lot.
Listening to Bloom makes you feel weightless. You feel as if you are letting go. I know I’m banging on about it, but they truly make you feel like everything around you no longer matters. Maybe developing strength in what makes you weak causes this. I have no idea. Beach House give you all these unnamed feelings that no other could ever give you. No other will give you.
Victoria Legrand has THE most distinctive voice around. The way she sings is so delicate; it makes you trust in every single word she sings. The music that she and Alex Scally create cause your lonely feelings to be cut wide open, then they leave you. They leave you as you slowly sink into their music. This is extremely evident in Bloom. I hope with all I have, that people wake up to Beach House. They’ve gone unnoticed for long enough now.
Bloom holds the same amount of beauty as Teen Dream, Devotion and their self-titled record all have. They just create beautiful music that fills your bones with hope and love. There are twinges of fragility in this record, and that alone makes it something you must believe in. Music is extremely powerful. Victoria and Alex create music that you, thankfully, cannot define. The only word that can sum it all up is beautiful, but even that isn’t good enough. Bloom is for the lost, the found, lovers, loveless, lonely, confused, sad, vulnerable it is for everyone. You cannot spot a Beach House fan. Beach House make you gentle and careful. And in a world where being an utter bastard is glorified, they are much-needed. I’ll take being a sensitive soul over being a careless tough person any day. “You watch the shape these things are taking ’till you cry out in your sleep. Does it become you when you’re under? Your heart is racing. You’re taking everything to heart.”
The second record. The dreaded second record. Make or break a band. Or so they say. Personally, I just think it is some kind of superstition or whatever to shit up a band. Don’t buy into it. Don’t believe what anyone ever tells you. The only place you’ll find truth is in a Spiderman comic. But does that mean you have to believe me? You can if you want.
I’ve been hopelessly and stupidly in love with Best Coast for the past 2 years or so. I heard Boyfriend and I felt like I had heard the song that’d change everything for me. Obviously I substituted Girl for Boy, the song always holds so much for me. The debut record just reminds me of Summer. Every day since I bought it 2 years ago, I’ve played it. I’ve played it to death, and I’m not entirely sure if I am ready to let it go and open myself up to the new record. I mean, can I really love The Only Place as much as I love Crazy For You? Well, as someone who foolishly has a lot of love to give; I can. I can truly love this record with all I have.
Alright so some naughty so and so has uploaded it to YouTube, but I need cheering up so I decided to listen to it. I WILL be buying The Only Place when it comes out, so its okay. I don’t illegally (or legally) download music. It’s pointless. I need to have the record in my hands. The Only Place is so fucking different from Crazy For You. Those who want that same ol’ lo-fi vibe, go back and listen to Crazy For You and refuse to open yourself up to something new (you boring sods!) The Only Place is more 60s girl groups than anything else. Tales of heartbreak with big drums, it’s the perfect merge of topics and sounds. Maybe I am just utterly biased towards Best Coast. I just think Bethany has one of the best voices around. So it isn’t as big/bold as..whoever- that’s why I love her. You can pick up on every tremble, crackle and sense of vulnerability in her voice. You cannot pick up on lonely feelings in something that is overproduced. If you are seeking Crazy For You all over again, then well, I guess the only thing these two records have in common is that Bethany allows you to truly connect with her, and relate to every word she is singing.
There is so much heartbreak on this record, and at times a sense of not feeling good enough. The feelings that we all feel at some point. The feelings that make us human. You should never be ashamed of that. It is totally okay to feel that way, I guess it keeps you going. Sometimes the worst feeling you can possibly imagine keeps you going. This is why I just love Best Coast. The way in which Bethany touches on these topics makes it totally okay for you to be eating cold pizza at 3am in ripped jeans, watching really bad tv shows and crying at animal rescue adverts. The alternative is sleep, but not all of us get to experience that. What I’m trying to get across is that, Best Coast make it okay for you to hit rock bottom. They make it okay for you to feel low and to currently be worthless. They give you hope. Enough hope to get through the Summer. Enough hope to go through Hell and back.
I should probably mention certain songs, right?
How They Want Me To Be is on there. I’m so fucking happy about that, because that song came out at a really vital time for me. Like, it is okay to be who you truly are although others want you to be a certain way. Never ever do that. Never give in to what people want and expect from you. Dreaming My Life Away makes you want to just lie on a bed of water and float away some place without any way of being contacted or bothered. You will find utter peace in this record. I’m pretty sure Dreaming My Life Away could be my favourite, for now.
I adore Better Girl. I think most of us want to improve who we are, and what we are. Songs like this make it easier to accept this. Changing is difficult especially when others call you out on it. Bollocks to it all! Do what makes you happy, and be honest with yourself. I’ve got a lot of love reserved for the song, Last Year. I’ll call that one out as a favourite too.
From listening to this record, I seem to have learnt a lot. Maybe I knew it all along, and I needed Best Coast to drag it out. Sure you can sense some of that lo-fi vibe, but it is NOTHING like Crazy For You and that’s not a bad thing. I say this a lot, but you truly cannot expect a band to keep making the same record over and over. This is why certain bands last because they keep changing with every record. You can find this in the works of The Kills, Placebo, IAMX and of course, Best Coast. To constantly sound the same over and over shows you haven’t grown. We are always changing whether we like to admit it or not. When one of your favourite bands changes their sound on every record, you feel at ease with the concept of changing. It makes it easier.
The Only Place is not just the perfect album for the Summer. It is one of the most perfect records I’ve heard this year, and I spend every day listening to Music. It isn’t easy to make a second record that competes with the first, but Best Coast have done it. I’ll probably end up playing this every single day much like I did with Crazy For You..for 2 years solid. I think that justifies just how brilliant Best Coast are. We need them.
Oh and also, pretty much backs up my theory on duos being the best!
There is something comforting about hearing a loud piece of music tear open your eardrums and makes you feel like your face has melted. Then you also can find this kind of comfort in music that just zones you out; like you cannot be touched. You are so relaxed, nothing in the world can touch you. So what happens when both happen at the same time? It’s happening right now, it’s ALL happening.
Obviously to create such a feeling it’d have to be a band, right? It’d have to be at least three people, correct? Wrong. Entirely wrong.
The Rag N Bone Man is just one chap from the mean and murky depths of Scotland. Do you get that from listening to his music? Nah. I thought I was listening to the offspring of Seasick Steve for a second. The Rag N Bone Man is just fucking incredible. The Rag N Bone Man is also known as Lew Palgrave. Just one person is making this noise. This noise that makes you want to throw glass bottles at wall and affectionately punch your best friend in the arm. Then hug them out of sheer joy, and jump up and down. All these mixed feelings are created through thrashing guitars, dominating drums and highly crude lyrics that are just mind-blowing. It’s dirt, utter dirt but so passionate- you cannot afford to be a prudish soul whilst listening to The Rag N Bone Man.
This is the kind of music that your folks probably tell you to stay away from, that it will corrupt you. Thing is, there’s something really cool about having your brain taken over by musicians. My thoughts are part song lyrics, part desire to be a Superhero. The Rag N Bone Man is like the aggressive Bob Dylan of our time. He’s on a different level to anything else around.
He’s a one-man riot that has to be heard. You’ve turned your back on music because there’s no heart or soul? Pretty sure TRNBM can change that filthy mind of yours.
You feel violated and dirty after listening to this. But no part of you wants to change it, it’s a unamed feeling he gives you and to do anything about it would be highly foolish.
Alright. I love Metric. I love Metric more than I love cereal. This is a lot of love. I became a fan of Metric when Live It Out came out. I felt like I had heard something truly life changing and inspiring. I was right, I’m rarely right. But sometimes, I get it right. Metric have been a huge part of my life since then. I love them as much as I love Garbage, The Kills, The Cure and Morrissey. That’s how big my love is.
And now? Now we FINALLY have a new song.
Emily Haines’ voice is like a cuddle. It comforts you when you are full of despair and uncertainty. Right now, I need this song. Right now, this band are saving my soul. Once again. I fucking owe Metric BIG TIME. Their lyrics have always made me feel like, “you know what..it’ll be okay.” Maybe it will be, maybe it won’t be. I don’t know. Nobody does. All I know is right now, I have an amazing song on a constant loop. I can’t turn it off. I don’t want to turn it off.
Now, you see what always happens when a band that have been away for a while is that you get some idiots going on about “OH THEY TOTALLY SOLD OUT.” Bitch, please. Metric haven’t sold out at all. It’s called EXPERIMENTING. Would you really want a band to keep making the same record over and over? Hell no. That’s boring. Metric constantly give you something you have never heard before with each record (EPs included too.)
If I could put everything I feel into words, I would. But I truly can’t. Metric leave me speechless. Metric make me proud to have certain traits. Traits I am told I need to get rid off. Fuck it, I won’t. I’m keeping them. Metric voice vulnerability in a way no one else does. Metric voice all those empty feelings that are unclear. They say what you can’t. But make you feel like you can do all the things you thought you couldn’t do.
I’m going to bring back to the band’s quote on the new record :
“SYNTHETICA is about insomnia, fucking up, fashion, all the devices and gadgets attached to our brains, getting wasted, watching people die in other countries, watching people die in your own country, dancing your ass off, questioning the cops, poetic justice, standing up for yourself, sex, the apocalypse, doing some stupid shit and totally regretting it but then telling everyone it made you stronger, leaving town as a solution to unsolvable problems, owning your actions and owning your time.”
Synthetica is the record that you will have as a crutch to carry you through. Much like all their records before.
Let’s be honest, nothing good ever happens on a Monday night does it? I know you can have a good/bad time any day of the week. I think I have a point to make..but I’m tired and I have no idea. So I’ll just get to the point.
You know when you hear a voice and every part of you just falls hopelessly in love with what you are hearing? It takes a hell of a lot for me to do that, mainly because I’m probably far too cautious for my own good. I’d say I allowed myself to feel like this after seeing Miri last night because I drank a lot of wine beforehand. True I did drink wine, but it played no part. I was fully aware of what I was witnessing.
Lyrics are a big thing for me. If I can’t believe in what I am listening to, I won’t enjoy it. It is always about connecting with a singer on a personal level. When you feel like, “Oh shit..they are telling my life story” that’s when you know you’ve found something truly special. It’s a bit like falling in love really. You feel a bit sick because you feel something quite intense, but at the same time-it is something that makes so much sense. You’re not entirely sure if you can wrap your head around it all.
As I said, lyrics are huge for me. Miri’s lyrics are like someone has torn your heart out and written down all that has been engraved upon it. Some of the things, you wish to forget. Some of the things, just get you through the day. Take her song Blue Skies. Keep in mind that the gig was acoustic. It was heartbreaking. I honestly felt someone had gone into my head and written down everything that was floating around. It is such a beautiful song. If you have a constant feeling of longing and wanting burning inside you- this song will be everything to you. I cannot stop listening to it.
I should probably write about the actual gig, but I’m sure I spent most of it just staring in awe attempting to take it all in. It was a truly beautiful moment. She even made a really shit song by a really shit person good (she covered Cheryl Cole, but it’s okay. She did it really well so you forgot it was a cover.)
You know when you watch a person sing, and you can tell that it means everything to them? We need more artists like that. We need more honesty and passion in music. You think you’ll find the next best thing on a reality show? Hell NO. She was playing in Candy Bar last night, and you missed out if you weren’t there. Candy Bar was the perfect place to see her. An intimate setting that really allowed her to show off just how perfect her voice truly is.
I could honestly write a thousand more words about last night but it’d just seem like some kind of mental rant and I think I need to stop doing that.
Beat In My Bones. 