Remember, remember the 10th November; The Thinking Men’s EP comes out. Or, remember remember the 12th November IT WILL BE MY BIRTHDAY. 25 years old I shall be. Bloody hell. I’ve done nothing of worth in my 25 years. I can’t even swim.
Right, review.
I’ll be honest, I’m still in a daze from seeing S.C.U.M last night so this may well be all over the place. It usually is anyway. I like things to be all over the place, adds excitement doesn’t it. If it was possible for Tom Waits and The Kinks to have musical children they would create The Thinking Men. They aren’t all men, so that’s a bit misleading isn’t it. They are 3 wonderful people who by the names of Ronnie, Sarah and Johnny. They are incredible musicians, seriously; they are bloody brilliant.
I am currently having my ears blown off whilst listening to Don’t Do What I Do, Just Do What I Say. I swear I just heard Johnny growl at some point in the song. Who doesn’t love a growl in a song. Very very Tom Waits. Very very good. Personally, it’s my favourite off the EP. I will change my mind because that’s how I am. I can never stick with a favourite track off an EP/LP.
The trio come from Norwich. I know NOTHING about Norwich at all. Doesn’t Delia Smith support the football team and went a bit mental at one of their games? I could be wrong, I’m rarely right. If this is the sound that is coming from Norwich then bloody get me to Norwich. This is inspiring stuff.
If you read what I write (I’m sorry if you do) then you will know I love anything creepy and dark. This is probably why I instantly fell in love with The Thinking Men. It is creepy, dark and intense. Johnny’s voice is so menacing but it is balanced out with Sarah’s delicate tones. This is evident on the track False Alarm, which I am now starting to think is my favourite.
In short, this EP is brilliant and you need it. You know those dark, cold, English winters we have that are so dull and full of menace? This EP is the soundtrack to it. I don’t feel like I’m in 2011 when I listen to it. I feel like I’ve gone way way back in time listening to this record, it’s just stunning. I’d like to give an honourable mention to Ronnie because he plays the Kazoo. Not enough bands have that instrument involved in their music. Underrated.
Their fusion of Jazz and the Blues is just perfect. When you can mix these two genres together and do it as well as The Thinking Men do, well, you’ve got yourself an amazing sound.
When I miss home, I just play The Cure. I’ve been playing them a lot recently; mainly Wild Mood Swings and Seventeen Seconds.
A lot of second albums are labelled as difficult to make. I listen to Seventeen Seconds and it just sounds so bloody effortlessly brilliant. I remember getting into The Cure and my stepdad telling me to start with the song A Forest. I played it, and ever since nothing has come close. The bassline, the guitar, the drums- so haunting. Robert’s voice, so perfect. It was one of the first songs I remember hearing and just connecting with. There’s something about A Forest that just screams out GENIUS. I’m not sure I could trust someone who couldn’t see how amazing this song is. It’s my favourite. Always has been, always will be. Nothing will come close to how I feel about this song.
I listen to Seventeen Seconds now, and how I felt when I first heard it is exactly the same how I feel now. I am still in awe of the production and the musicianship. It pisses me off so much when people automatically think of Boys Don’t Cry or Just Like Heaven when they think of The Cure. They need to be hit over the head with a copy of Seventeen Seconds and made to listen to it over and over again. Until they see that it is the most glorious album ever. Robert’s voice is one that will always amaze me and stir up feelings that I didn’t expect a singer to do.
Seventeen Seconds has a sound, a feel to it that has evidently influenced so many bands. That sound is still floating around today in brilliant bands such as Foals and Warpaint. The dreamy vibe that makes every single part of you sway. The picturesque lyrics that make you see the Universe and life in a totally different way. This is a record to lose yourself in. Maybe lose yourself and fall for someone. I have no idea, it depends on the kind of person you are. Or maybe it makes you wish you could fall freely for someone- without something or someone getting in the way. Let’s face it, there’s always something in the way.
At Night is one of the more harsher tracks on the album, the intro (if I could type a sound I would, but if I attempt it will look mighty strange) just reels you in. Then Robert’s voice kicks in with this fucking wonderful guitar. It’s just so bloody perfect. I know that perfection doesn’t exist, but it comes so bloody close on this record. This record was the soundtrack to so many peoples lives, it still is. It is utterly timeless.
The instrumental tracks on the album are brilliant too. See, with anyone else it’d be like an album filler. That isn’t the case with The Cure. The instrumental tracks are just as vital as the others. The album flows so beautiful. You listen to this all the way through. You explore the different layers of each track with every single listen.I listen to this album pretty much every single day, and I still notice something new with every listen. It just fascinates me in so many ways. The album starts with an instrumental (A Reflection)and it does create a somewhat sombre atmosphere, but I guess that’s why I love The Cure. They make you feel okay with feeling sad sometimes. You cannot escape sadness, sometimes you just have to allow yourself to feel it. Don’t be scared.
What I love the most about this record is how Robert’s voice always sounds like an echo. If you listen to the album through headphones, you feel it go from one ear to another in such a dramatic and haunting manner. It’s out of this world. The Cure created a sound on this album that was way ahead of its time, and in the process created one of the most influential records of all time. There is so much longing on the album (M, A Forest) and you can fully see why teenagers across the world found so much peace in this band and this record. Everyone knows that being a teenager is one of the cruelest things anyone has to go through, but with bands like The Cure; it makes it easier. I spent my teenage years listening to The Smiths and The Cure, and it gave me an insight to life that nothing else could. Their music taught me things no book could ever teach me.
Alright, here’s the deal; I’ve just had my mind blown and I don’t think anything else is going to top what I have seen. Nothing or no one is going to ever make me feel like I did during the 40 minutes I spent watching S.C.U.M on stage. I mean, I welcome the challenge. Bring it. But, I don’t think it will match up.
Since I heard them in 2008 (Visions Arise just shook me) I’ve been hell bent on seeing them live. TONIGHT! My dream finally came true. In a room that had no more than 30 people. I stared at each band member, I was in utter awe. Let me tell you now, you are NOT going to find a front-man as majestic and delicate as Thomas Cohen. I’ve honestly never ever seen anyone on stage like that in my LIFE. I’m still in awe. I think my jaw is still dragging on the ground. I was in some kind of trance. My body swayed, my mind was in a trance, my eyes fixed on the stage. There was STROBES!! STROBES! And a SMOKE MACHINE! It was so fucking intense and inspiring. I cannot put into words the amazement of what I saw, I really can’t. When they left the stage, I couldn’t speak. I don’t think I can right now to be honest.
They ended their set of course with Whitechapel. It’s just a glorious, euphoric piece of art.
Tom came to the edge of the stage, lurking like a shy kitten. Unsure of whether or not to leap down. He didn’t. To be honest, if he did; he would’ve stuck to the floor.
Each band member is just exceptional. Melissa goes HARD on the drums, she fucking slays it. Huw is a beast on the guitar. He moves just like his brother Rhys (The Horrors) does on stage. Bradley and Samuel are demons on the synths and keyboards. Tom just captures you with his delicate hand jestures and angelic voice. His voice reminds you a wee bit of Brian Molko from Placebo, only a little though. Tom’s voice is softer.
S.C.U.M are the most exciting band I’ve seen live in a long long time. They left me speechless after the gig, that hasn’t happened in a long time. I honestly have no idea when this last happened.
Those who didn’t attend tonight’s gig at The Sugarmill in Stoke On Trent have well and truly missed out. Those that were there; consider yourself blessed to have seen a band like this play your town.
Okay, so I’ve just come home from seeing DZ Deathrays and S.C.U.M play to around 30 people. I’ll write about S.C.U.M in a different post because I’ve got a lot of feelings about it and it will get intense (all positive I must say.)
Most of the music I listen to is quite aggressive. I’m not an aggressive person, but I love music that just feels like it is smashing your skull in and shaking your body to the very core. I mean, I listen to more relaxed stuff too; but I am quite fond of that brutal sound.
Allow me to introduce you to a fucking amazing duo called DZ Deathrays. They were originally called DZ but have now added the Deathrays part. They remind me of Jay Reatard mixed with Test-Icicles with a hint of Death In Vegas. Three acts that I adore- merge them together and you get DZ Deathrays. They will blow your eardrums, they will disrupt your world, throw you against the wall and scream in your ears in the most pleasurable way possible. Trust me, it can happen. Musically of course.
THIS! THIS RIGHT HERE is fucking exciting. Like, I’m super excited about this band. The kind of excitement that makes you want to stand on a roof and just declare your excitement as loudly as you possibly can. And fuck if you lose your voice in the process. This is amazing, honest, brutal music right here. If you want something different. Something to shake your damn soul; get the hell involved with DZ Deathrays at once.
They hail from Australia. I feel honoured to have seen them tonight in Stoke on Trent. I just feel bad that they had such a shit crowd to play to. It felt like watching a band practice, not that they need to. If anything, this is just a warm-up. This duo are going to blow your minds in the near future for sure.
You know when you see a person so beautiful, and all you want to do is just look at them? By look at them, I mean take in their beauty; not gawp at them in a mental way. If people found that endearing, I’m pretty sure most of us would no longer get slapped and called a weirdo. This hasn’t happened to me….yet. I tend not to look, just because I don’t like being hit. Think of that person you regard as the most beautiful person in the world (I’ll do the same) and imagine them in the form of music.
How I feel about Beach House is how one would feel about a beautiful person. I just want to sit and listen to Beach House; just like someone would want to stare at a beautiful person. I know it’s a weird analogy, but it’s just how it is.
It’s one song in particluar by Beach House that makes me feel this way. Norway is such a stunning song. The harmonies at the start are just simply breathtaking. Victoria has THE most distinctive vocals around, there’s nobody else like her. The song feels like a train approaching. It has a haunting quality about it. A lot of their songs do have that feel about it, but at the same time; so comforting. I’ve fallen asleep listening to Beach House so many times. Norway is the one though. It’s the one I always seem to have on repeat.
Her vocals are always atmospheric and so tranquil. You can easily fall into a dream whilst listening to Beach House; you can fall in love whilst listening to Beach House. Norway just evokes such wonderful feelings inside of you. It could be pissing down with rain as you go for a walk listening to this song; but you’d still feel the sun on your back.
Beach House are three albums into their career and each album is just a perfect work of art. As far as duos go, Alex and Victoria are one of the best.
There are so many layers in their songs, especially in Norway. It has that dream pop feel that although many attempt to shy away from; Beach House do it well.
For the past few months I have been looking all over the internet to find some tracks by TOY so I can link them on here and write about them. There’d be no point in me writing about a band and not having a piece of music to show you. Thankfully, TOY have uploaded a couple of tracks onto Soundcloud which you can listen to HERE.
If you love bands such as The Jesus And Mary Chain and Echo & The Bunnymen, you should love TOY. Yes they sound similar to The Horrors. Clock Chime sounds like something you would hear on Skying. Basically, TOY deserve to be your new favourite band. They have tracks that last over 5 minutes (this is one my favourite things about them) and they have hypnotising melodies that will stick with you all day, every day.
Tom’s vocals are haunting and just beautiful. His voice wraps around you, you feel yourself collapse into some kind of trance. This is what makes them great. This is what makes any band great; their ability to carry you of somewhere else. Left Myself Behind has a more relaxed sound of The Jesus And Mary Chain. That feeling I first got when I heard Psychocandy has come back alive and kicking thanks to TOY.
You can download Left Myself Behind for free from HERE.
They’ve supported the likes of The Pretty Things (a band everyone needs in their collection) and The Horrors (who they are currently on tour with.)
If you like your music to take you on some kind of trip and the vocals to send chills down your spine; then TOY are the band for you.
The harp. One of the most beautiful instruments to exist. Watch anyone play the harp and they just look so peaceful and content.
Dorothy Ashby is one of the greatest musicians to have ever existed, there’s no doubt about it. Listen to her records and you will realise that this magnificent woman was way ahead of her time. She created a sound that is STILL being sampled in today’s Hip Hop records. Many associate the harp with Classical and the like. Not Dorothy, not at all. She brought an element of Soul, Funk and Jazz to it.
Her 1968 album, Afro Harping is just wonderful. My personal favourite is Life Has Its Trials, it sounds like something you would hear in a film during some outrageous shoot out (think Pam Grier in Foxy Brown.) Her music is so stunning, and I really don’t understand how her name isn’t mentioned in lists of great musicians.
Just listening to this, it is easy to see that Dorothy should be regarded as one of the ones responsible for the start of Hip Hop. She’s the Godmother of Hip Hop, there’s no doubt about that. Her music back then was way ahead of its time, nobody was making music like this. Nobody is making music as moving as this right now.
My favourite record by Dorothy Ashby is The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby. It has a less soulful feel to it than say, Afro Harping but her musicianship on this record is out of this world. Her music was essentially Jazz but she merged so many different genres together, you’d be a fool to label it with just one genre.
No idea where to start with a band like Noothgrush. They’ve been going since 1994 and have been making incredible, brutal music since.
The band currently consist of Russ Kent, Gary Niederhoff and Chiyo Nukaga. I love them for their vicious and unapologetic menacing sound. It isn’t for the faint hearted at all. There’s so much tension in Gary’s voice, it’s so fucking powerful. I don’t advise you to scream along though, you could harm yourself. Actually, fuck it; it’s worth it. Scream along. See if you can go louder than him. I bet you won’t.
Noothgrush are THE greatest band that are part of the Sludge genre. They just have everything you could possibly want in a band. Go listen to their records, you may learn something.
Everything I felt about music changed just before the summer of 2006. I heard something that just reignited my love for music that is perceived as dark and a bit creepy. I’ve always loved bands such as Bauhaus, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Count Five. I never thought I’d find a band to give me the same feeling those acts did. I never thought it would exist again. At the time it was so groundbreaking, so there was really no reason it could ever happen again. Or could it?
What drew me to The Horrors was not the same reason most were. I did not care for how they dressed or how big their hair was. I was drawn into Joshua’s guitar playing. How could someone so you make a sound like this? How could someone who was practically my age play like one of the greats? I will never know, but I will ALWAYS be in utter awe of it. Tom, Rhys, Joe and Faris are ALL extremely talented guys, you cannot deny that at all. In time, I will probably have written about each member. Trust me, it’s going to happen. With Josh, it’s something else. When you see them all play on stage you can see that they feel exactly what they are playing. Faris doesn’t move like a man possessed on stage anymore, instead he stalks the stage like a panther. He’s so majestic with his moves.
Then you have Josh. He moves around in the completely opposite way Faris does. He loses himself not just in mind; but in body. He flails around so wonderfully. You are transfixed on the way he holds the guitar and how his long hair sticks to his face and in his eyes. Anyone else would probably fall over and not be able to play. Josh, however, is one of a kind.
Josh is EASILY the most exciting guitar player around. He has a degree in Physics, and you can tell the way he plays the guitar comes from more than a musical place. There is so much science going on in the way he plays. Just look at his pedal board. It is fucking CRAZY. His approach to playing is unlike anything I have ever heard before, and I listen to some weird and wonderful music.
The way Josh plays sends you into a whirlwind. It throws you off completely. It isn’t safe for me to go for a walk and listen to The Horrors because I just lose myself and fall into a trance.
The guitar on Mirror’s Image sounds like a train approaching. When Josh plays guitar, it doesn’t sound like he’s playing the guitar. He turns it into something else, something that changes in every single song. Although he has a different sound on every single song, Josh still maintains an eerie feel to it; something which cements what is The Horrors sound.
What fascinated me about Primary Colours was that Josh BUILT the pedals himself, he actually made them. It’s fucking mind-blowing. He’s the mad scientist of music. If you listen to a lot of bands now, yes some are quite good but The Horrors have something else. That something else that they posses comes from their approach to the music.
The first thing I bought to do with The Horrors was their EP in 2006. I remember skipping my uni lecture (first year doesn’t count) and going to buy this EP. I sat in my room and played it extremely loud. I knew nobody was in. I played it and I just lost myself in what I was hearing. I did exactly the same thing when Strange House was released, skipped a lecture just to go buy a record. Personally, I feel it was worth it.
Their sound on Strange House is what I suppose you would call Garage Rock. I hate giving bands a label, I can’t do it. It’s just wrong, but it does give off a Garage Rock vibe. It smacks you in the face; the songs are short and fucking brutal.
Move forward to 2009 and we are again blessed with a new record. Primary Colours was immediately declared as that year’s best album. I agree, fully. The songs were longer, the sound was less aggressive but it still had that raw edge. It still had a sound that no other could do apart from The Horrors. The guitar still sounded vicious yet it sent you off into a trance. What I’m trying to say is, Josh’s guitar skills just hypnotise you. That’s what he does, you listen to him and you cannot do anything else. You become so enthralled in what he is doing. You watch him sway whilst he is on stage or you just drift off into another world as you lay on your bed listening to the guitar dominate your mind.
The fact that Josh built his own pedals caused The Horrors to create a sound that nobody had ever heard before. The production was big, grand and full (think Joe Meek and Phil Spector.) All three of their albums have an indescribable sound. Recently Josh stated that it was Sonic Youth that inspired him to pick up a guitar, I can only hope that the generation below me listen to The Horrors and feel inspired to pick up an instrument and create something that hasn’t been heard before. There’s so much reverb and distortion in his guitar. An obsession with a feedback sound is evident, and with a lot of guitarists it can sound quite desperate. With Josh it sounds so clear and brutal. Oh and a wee bit fuzzy.
It’s only right that I mention this year’s release, Skying. Skying was produced by the band, and what is so amazing about this is that you can feel the freedom in the album. They haven’t made an album that you or I are proud of- they have made an album that they, as a band, are proud of. As much as I adore the brutal sounds on Strange House, the sound that they have created on Skying is stunning. It’s just a shame that people who know fuck all keep comparing it to others. It does NOT sound like Simple Minds at all, the fuck you on? Skying is masterpiece, a work of art. Just like all their records. If they can create an album like this, 3 albums into their career, then it is fairly obvious that The Horrors are a bad will be the ones to constantly evolve in ways you could never imagine with every record. Josh’s guitar sound on this record is not as fuzzy as it was on Primary Colours, on Skying it has a more delicate feel; not as intense. It still grabs you in ways you never thought a record could, but not in an aggressive manner.
John Peel once said, “I just want to hear something I haven’t heard before.” Something tells me that if he was still alive, The Horrors would probably be his favourite band around.
Here we go, another contender for album of the year. I honestly didn’t think they could top Common Reaction. I didn’t want them to; I didn’t want to love this album as much as Common Reaction because when that came out it was basically my life. Now I have to feel this way about their new album. I’m joking, I honestly don’t mind. It’s a bloody brilliant album. The second album can be a bitch to make; a lot of bands just fall apart. Then they make a decent third album and call it quits after that. I doubt Uh Huh Her will do that. If they do, I’ll just write them an emotionally charged letter. I honestly never want to feel the way I did about The Long Blondes ever again. It was worse than being dumped, seriously. Fucking awful. The wound hasn’t healed; I just want them to get back together.
Right, I’ve gone off on one. Sorry, partially.
Nocturnes is fucking brilliant. I probably won’t be able to find anything else to say apart from that, but I will try. They use a lot of synths BUT, don’t let that put you off. You see, a lot of bands use synths to compensate for the fact that they are shite and have no talent. Its like, “Oh well….we can’t play an instrument so let’s faff about with some synths.” NO! Just NO. Camila and Leisha has genuine talent, they use synths with addition to other instruments. The synths don’t carry their sound at all. It doesn’t sound like a ridiculous 80s tacky pop record swimming in synths at all. This is the real deal dear reader. Nocturnes is a fantastic record, and yes it is just as brilliant as Common Reaction. I think I’m going to ramble whilst talking about this record.
What I love about Uh Huh Her is the way they compliment each other’s voice. You’ve got Leisha’s delicate voice and Camila’s powerful tone, its bloody amazing. One doesn’t overshadow the other at all. In duos, this sometimes happens. However, it isn’t the case here at all. They’ve got this beautiful chemistry in their music, and you can tell just how passionate about the music they really are. As you can really feel that passion, you are drawn further into the record.
I remember hearing Same High a while back (I sometimes exaggerate time because I have no concept of time. I hate knowing the time, the world would be better if we never had time. I am bursting to have a deep, philosophical talk about this.) Same High is a euphoric track. You’ll probably want to dance when you hear it. The whole album will make you want to dance. As someone who isn’t much of a dancer (I usually throw my limbs about and hit myself/others) to say that it makes me want to dance is a bit of a big deal. The whole record makes you want to pop it in your car CD player and just drive off. No destination in particular, just bugger off somewhere. It’s a good job I can’t drive, because the amount of songs that make me feel this way is ridiculous. I’d be constantly driving places and getting lost. That said, I can get lost on the bus or by foot anyway so.
Human Nature is easily one of the standout tracks on the album, I say this but every single song is astounding. Literally in love with this record. I honestly don’t think I could be friends with someone if they didn’t love this band. See, I say Human Nature is my favourite- I’ve immediately changed my mind. It’s all about Disdain right now (Disdain is one of my favourite words you know; my biased opinion has drawn me into this song.) I’m not going to be able to pick a favourite and stick to it, but for arguments sake, I will stick with Disdain.
I’m going to leave it here, if I continue I will just ramble and sound more mental than I already probably do. I can still say at the end of writing this, Disdain is my favourite. As soon as I publish this, I may change my mind.
Go out and buy this bloody wonderful work of art. If you’re someone who buys records based on the artwork (I’ve done this a few times) then you need this record in your life. If you’re someone who loves music that gives you that flipping of the stomach, then you need this record. Look, you just need this record in your life. Trust me on this one.
Beat In My Bones. 