Author Archives: Olivia

CROCODILES: Dreamless.

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“If you want somewhere to run to, and if you want someone to tell you the truth- go look out your window, baby.”

I’ve got a handful of things in life that make me truly happy. The obvious one being music. However, getting to write about a band who I adore (they’re not just a band, I’m lucky enough to class them as friends.) Writing about a band you love when they’re about to release something truly beautiful, well, that’s another great feeling entirely. I’ve had a copy of Dreamless by Crocodiles since May. I was given it at a point where I needed something, and I got it instantly from Dreamless. Hopefully when you hear it, you’ll get what I mean. I know I like to take apart each song when writing about a record, but I’m getting by on not much sleep at the moment so it probably won’t start or end well.

It’s so obvious how much I love Crocodiles music. From the moment I picked up their first record based on the artwork to fast forwarding to now, writing about Dreamless. Summer Of Hate and Sleep Forever had this amazing aggressive sound. Effortlessly menacing that left you wanting more. Endless Flowers took this menacing sound and mixed it with something so delicate which fully bloomed (pardon the pun) on Crimes Of Passion. Boys flirted with all their previous records- so what is left for them to do with Dreamless? Oh dear reader, they are just getting started.

I’ve looked through the records I own and also the music I haver stored on my laptop, and I can easily reel off the names of bands who much like Crocodiles change with every record. These are the kinds of bands that make you want to make your own, the kind that keep your attention constantly. Bands like The Kills and back to the likes of Captain Beefheart, Ramones, Patti, Morrissey- I could go on. And on. These are the ones who are gloriously fearless and can make each record sound as if they are a brand new band but still maintain a style that makes them tower above others. Crocodiles do it with every record. Dreamless is no exception. Although record in Mexico City, it sounds like it was born out a damp ridden apartment in Berlin circa early 70s. They’ve always given me that feeling, and for me- that’s how I want something to sound. I want it to take me somewhere I have physically yet to go, but mentally I am always there.

The record opens with Telepathic Lover, which consists of my favourite lyrics to any song I’ve heard all year. When I played it for the first time, it blew my mind. I felt this, massive connection to the lyrics, and they have been the backbone to a lot of thoughts I’ve had this year and god knows what else I’ve carried. “Telepathic Lover, please don’t look into my mind. Telepathic lover, you won’t like what you find.” Hands down my favourite lyrics of the year and probably my favourite by them, ever. There are so many songs by them I could list as being my favourite or what have you, but this one has something that just leaves me in awe of them. This is the one I keep going back to. It’s like meeting someone who really gets you.

Time To Kill has some gorgeous words to, and is beautifully sung. Brandon’s voice sounds like a gentle whisper on this one, and it makes the words echo more in your ears, and brain. It’s got a haunting sound to it, and this eerie tone lures you in. You feel secure but slightly scared all at once. Aside from the whole damn record being a work of glorious art and me obsessing over Telepathic Lover- you should know that Jumping On Angels is also one of the finest moments on the record. If this makes their live shows (I can only hope it does) then I’m pretty sure it’ll make the song sound greater than it already is. What I love about this record, is that the lyrics really make you think. I’ve spent a lot of time going back and forth over songs I love and finding lyrics that I love, and lyrics that mean something. With this record, Crocodiles have again made something that just makes you think and see things differently. They challenge themselves and the listener with every record, and that alone is a reason to completely love and respect them. Produced once again by Martin Thulin, it’s really no surprise that this is probably the best record you’ll hear all year.

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Welcome To Hell has this groove to it that makes you want to dance, but when you delve into the lyrics- you’ll again, see just how brilliant they are at writing songs that just make you take your mind elsewhere. Welcome To Hell makes you feel like you’ve wound up in a fight in the middle of some dodgy bar, and as you stumble home, the trouble just doesn’t leave you be. You just need to get yourself home and shut off.Welcome To Hell also has the brilliant line, “I never should have been a Peeping Tom.” Wonderfully perverse, in the best way. I’m Sick has this way of making you feel less alone with burden of self you can carry around at times. An easy song to relate to- listen to it and don’t be too tough on yourself.

I guess it shows at times I never re-read anything I’ve written, and I know I’ve probably missed out so much. I know I could have said so much more about Dreamless and how stunning it is. But, if you’re already a fan of Crocodiles then you’ll already know what to expect. You’ll already know that with every record, they blow your mind and do something to just make you love them even more. Songs like Go Now are perfect to play when you need some quiet time to get it together.

Crocodiles are currently on tour in Europe and will be coming over to the UK within the next few days. I’m skipping the London date and going to Manchester instead. You can’t miss seeing your favourite band at one of your favourite places, can you?!

Come out and see them at any of the following dates. Dreamless will be released on 21st October on Zoo Music.

1th October 2016 – Leeds Headrow House
13th October 2016 – Glasgow Broadcast
14th October 2016 – Manchester Night and Day
15th October 2016 – London Hackney Wonderland

THE KILLS: Albert Hall, Manchester. 29th September 2016.

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I’ve had next to no sleep so what you are about to read is the ramblings of someone who has trouble sleeping at the best of times, but this time it is coming from a better place. 
In 2003 I remember vividly sitting in my room with my ears pressed again my stereo. Not too loud because I had school the next day and of course, I didn’t want my mum to know I was still awake. I was listening to a John Peel show and he had a band called The Kills doing a session. They did Gypsy Death & You, and I was hooked. A few years later I would name this blog after that. And over the years, that song became my crutch. It still is. I saw them live in 2008 at The Sugarmill in Stoke. I was right at the front and my mind was blown and I was in a daze as I looked up at the two people I absolutely idolise. Move forward 8 years and after missing out in the years between due to circumstances out of my hands, I saw them last night in Manchester.
The setlist was perfect. They are perfect and this was easily one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It’s the way they look at each other, it’s the way Alison bends herself in a way that makes you think she’s going to snap, it’s the way Jamie holds his guitar like a machine gun and aims at us. It’s the way that they put everything into it and you cannot help but stare at them in awe. You just don’t know who to watch.


There’s so much importance within their songs for me and it’s the songs that you can probably say, saved a life a few times. Their music has been keeping me sane for well over a decade and from them, I’ve learnt that you just need one person on your side and all is alright.
There’s a moment in the set where Jamie stands at the front with his guitar and at the end, Alison lovingly kisses his shoulder and it’s moments like this that make you see just how beautiful their friendship is. He walks up to her as she sings, strutting with his guitar in a way that looks like a big brother endearingly winding up their little sister. They look at each other with an emotion that not everyone gets to experience, and when you do- you just know.
The setlist is perfect, it truly is. In an ideal world they would play each record from start to finish and I’d just stand all day watching them, ha. Their is a brilliant mix of all 5 records, and hearing Dead Road 7 live is something that leaves you with goosebumps all over. 
For the encore, Alison takes to the stage on her own and does That Love. I remember when I got my copy of the new record, Ash & Ice and before I played it, I read the lyrics. I had the record next to me to place on my record player, and I sat and studied the lyrics first. I always do this. I read the lyrics to That Love and instead of playing it all in order, I went straight for that song. The words meant something at the time and gave me something I needed. This can be said for a lot of their songs. To hear it stripped back like this was truly gorgeous and we got to see just how strong her voice is. 

There is something special about the way they perform Siberian Nights and Fried My Little Brains. It just leaves you again, with goosebumps all over and the inability to speak afterwards. They are truly mind-blowing to watch, for so many reasons. Songs like Tape Song and Black Balloon give you courage and the beauty in Baby Says just leaves you frozen. 


As I watched Alison stalk the stage like a lioness waiting on their prey, and how she moves across the stage looking at the crowd-how she performs reminds me so much of the greats such as Iggy Pop, Patti Smith. The ones who are fearless and captivating. I looked at Jamie and all I could think was, “you make it look so easy.” And again, I just wished I could play the guitar. His machine gun stance and her prowling are just the perfect combination. It goes beyond music, it always has. Their shows are made up of moments that the person watching will take with them forever. Moments that become so sacred to them. At times you also feel you are looking in on something private yet exposed at their shows, and I think that it part of what lures you in and makes you unsure of where to look. They don’t need to engage with small talk to the crowd, they really don’t. Their music and the looks on their faces do it all. That for me, makes them tower over most. That for me just explains everything I love about them. The music says it all. Always has, always will. It’s just so powerful and enthralling.

At 1am this morning, after waiting in the rain since the show ended and after waiting 13 years- I met Alison Mosshart. I didn’t by no means get to tell her what I wanted/needed to, and maybe one day in the future our paths will cross again and I can tell her. But I met her. I met the person I have looked up to for so long, and when this happens something inside of you changes. The same feeling I got when I met Patti Smith hit me-but without the ugly crying. For me, this show had so much sentimental value for reasons you, dear reader, you don’t need to know. Maybe you already know why. I could write so much more about last night, but I’ll save it up for the next show.

Meet your heroes. Go watch them play. I’m seeing The Kills again a week today in London. The first and last show. My brain will be fried once more.

*photos of the show taken by me. 

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: The Velvet Underground

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“If I could make the world as pure and strange as what I see,
I’d put you in the mirror,
I put in front of me.”

When I first started writing about music, I seemed to have one band on my mind all the time- The Velvet Underground, and it’s pretty obvious. They’ve been a band I have always fallen back on. A band that I listen to pretty much every single day. And if I’m not listening to them, I’m listening to Lou Reed. I think one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done was not go see him when he played back home, on the Isle of Man. Add that to a list of my poor decisions. I’ve made some good ones. I’ve made more good than bad. The Velvet Underground have always felt like a band that I couldn’t believe existed. What I mean by this is, I find it hard to believe a band so great could ever have been around. What on earth did we ever do to deserve such a perfect band?

I like to go through old records and write about them, there’s no reason behind it and sometimes I find it easier to do this than write about a current band. A few years ago I went and wrote about every single record by The Cure. Every single one. It was partly down to me not being able to sleep/scared to go to sleep and having nothing to do, but also because I love The Cure. I’ve covered The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed a lot, but I’ve never written about their 1969 self-titled release. It’s a Saturday night, I have a migraine that’s slowly fading- what else is there to do?

This record is my favourite by them. It always has been and if I ever sat down and listed my favourite records of all time, I am fairly sure that this would be in my top 5, probably top 3. I remember for a long time I was obsessed with playing Pale Blue Eyes. The person that it reminded me of didn’t have pale blue eyes. She’s got beautiful green eyes. But you find meaning wherever you can. It was a song I couldn’t listen to for a time, but then it all fixed and I was back to being obsessed with the song again. If I could sing and I was in a band, I’d cover this at every show. The lyrics are the kind I wish I could write, but nothing I or anyone else does can come close to it. It’s sad. Utterly sad but so beautiful.

Candy Says is another that holds a wealth of sadness, but the sadness it mixed with vulnerability. It’s a song that no matter what, I’ve always been able to relate to.  Regardless of how I am feeling, it’s just been a song that I’ve always gone back to and found a home in. it just says everything I probably don’t have the guts to say. I’ve always had a place reserved for this line, “What do you think I’d see if I could walk away from me?”  Nothing really matters when you listen to this song, or the whole record really.

This is a record that I have always played in order. What I usually do is play something in order the first few times, then after that it’s in whatever order I feel like. With this record I’ve always had to play it in the exact order from start to finish. There’s no reason behind it, but it doesn’t feel right I suppose, to play it any other way. It doesn’t just sum up my ideas of New York, but it sums up how I feel about music and what I look for in a record. I want something that has sort of smutty yet clever lyrics, something that’ll make me think, something that will be some form of escape and encouragement. A record that just takes me up and away. There’s no comedown from this record, and that’s why it is easily one of the greatest records of all time. It’s got this thing about it that I mentioned about The Velvet Underground in general, like you can’t believe something like this actually exists and you can hold this piece of perfection in your hands and have it echoing in your ears whenever you wish.

I don’t think there will ever come a time where Lou’s words aren’t important to me, and with this record I fell more in love with his song writing and his captivating way with words. I have no idea how much thought he ever put into how he put words together, but he always made it seem so effortless. They’re the ones that tower about the rest like Nick Cave, Patti Smith, and Morrissey. They’re the ones I’ve always gone to and will always go to. I don’t know how well this record was received when it came out and I’ve never really paid any attention to what anyone thinks of it now, but I just know that for me, it’s my favourite record by the band. I love how gentle it is and how tender the lyrics are. I’m Set Free is one of those songs you play when everything seems a bit uneasy and you have no idea what you’re supposed to do. It has this instant ethereal build up to it, and you can feel your heart race as it builds and builds. It’s a song that will make everything make more sense. It’s a solution to any problem. I’ll always advocate listening to The Velvet Underground as a solution to all problems.

Some records just stay with you. You may not remember when you first heard it, but the feeling you first got is always there. Every single time you go back to it is like hearing the band for the first time. I’ve always felt that way about The Velvet Underground. It’s a feeling that hits you in the stomach, takes over your mind and owns your heart.

MERCHANDISE: A Corpse Wired For Sound.

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“Now pour your body open,
Tear me apart slowly limb by limb.”

We all have it in our head what makes a band great, what makes a band mean something to us. It can be all down to the singer and the way they are. It can be down the way the drummer makes you wish you could unleash your fury like they do. It can anything, everything- all at once. It hits you like an overnight freight train going a little faster than it normally would. Maybe this band you absolutely adore and idolise bring everything together you love about music and make something of their own. They have parts of bands you love and parts of things you’ve never heard of.

A Corpse Wired For Sound by Merchandise came out today. First listen, it is lust. Not halfway through my second listen, and I would probably marry it if it was a person. Or something similar. It’s easily one of the best records of this year. Hell, it’s one of the best records I’ve heard in a long, long time. When I listen to it, I immediately feel like I am wandering round the streets of Manchester on a rainy and grey day. Utterly bleak- there’s no other place I’d want to be transported to in my mind other than there. Maybe it’s the depths of my conscience telling me it’s time to leave one awfully big city for one my brain can actually handle. I’ve got time, right?

Merchandise take you somewhere really desolate yet sacred with this record. They always do, but there’s something more fragile about this record. As delicate as it is, it’s the kind of records that holds a person together even when the person in question is probably struggling more than they allow their brain to let on. There is so much comfort is the dark and tormenting sound of Merchandise, and A Corpse Wired For Sound is no exception. It’s done differently this time. Every song feels like you need to yell the words out with such urgency. The thing is, when a band means this much to you- you do cling on to every single word.

Nine songs in under 45 minutes. Nine songs to have on a constant loop to help with focusing on whatever you need to do, whatever words you need to get out. They accelerate the motors of your mind with each song, and for me it is Shadow Of The Truth and opener, Flower Of Sex that really do this. I can’t wait for the weather to turn bad so I can wander round listening to this record and truly explore it for what it is. You can only imagine so much within four walls.

For me, I think Shadow Of The Truth is possibly my favourite. Of course I’ll change my mind because I know that this isn’t a record you play a few times and in a few months, you’re done with it. Far from it. Merchandise are not a throwaway band. They’re a band you (collectively) go back to. Each record has something for you to fall back in love with. What you thought was your favourite song slips away, and you fall for another. Maybe it depends on your mood or state of mind but Merchandise, I don’t think, are a background band. They’re not a band you just play and carry on about your business. I’ve had to play A Corpse Wired For Sound a few times before I was ready to concentrate on writing about it. I recommend sitting in the dark and playing Silence a few times. Over and over.

I Will Not Sleep Here is one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve heard in a long time, and only someone like Carson can sing it in this way. It wouldn’t work if someone else did. It really shows his voice in a different way. Again, it’s another highlight and the lyrics are beautiful.

Beginning to end, Merchandise yet again unleash this world upon you that makes you forget how terrible the world can be. The lyrics, the music, everything about this record just sums up everything I love about music and everything I look for in a band. With each record to date, Merchandise have constantly blown my mind and always gone a step further than before.

They’re touring the UK in November. As my birthday is in November, I’ve always claimed it as birthday month and gone to as many gigs as possible. This year is no exception, and I need to block out turning 30 as much as possible even if I still get asked for ID when buying paracetamol.

Play this record as loud as your ears can stand and come out and see them on tour.

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS: Skeleton Tree.

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“I called out, I called out
Right across the sea
But the echo comes back in, dear
And nothing is for free.”

To write about something knowing the circumstance, even if you are a huge fan, proceeds to give you an unsettling feeling inside. If you’ve listened to Skeleton Tree, you may have felt uneasy and as if you’re experience grief and loss. If anything, this record, teaches you how to feel or how to be aware of how you feel. For me, that’s something I have always taken from Nick Cave’s music. But this time around, something isn’t sitting right. It isn’t sitting right because we know the circumstance. There’s comfort in this record but there’s a wealth of pain that is striking.

I grew up on Nick Cave’s music. Boys Next Door to his sixteenth record with The Bad Seeds, every record has had some impact on me. It’s been there when a person has, and hasn’t been there. It’s a safety net and a handbook for life because I just never seem to know what I’m doing. Writing about Skeleton Tree is tough. I’ve never written about a record I didn’t love. This is a record I love, that’s obvious. I just find it hard to allow myself to have any solid opinion because of the heart of it. The lyrics are gorgeous, and the lyrics justify once more, why Nick Cave is my favourite song-writer of all time. He doesn’t write songs, let’s be honest. They aren’t songs. They go beyond that, they go beyond being bodies of art. Beyond being 4 minute symphonies and 6 minute wonders. Genius. It’s the only word to describe him.

Jesus Alone was the first song we heard from Skeleton Tree. When I heard it, I knew in the pit of my stomach that on 9th September 2016 I would not be listening to a record that sits easy and fits perfectly amongst my collection. This is one that falls into sacred listening. I’ll gladly talk about this record with anyone, but by no means would I want to listen to with anyone around me. It’s a record you need to be alone with. You need to be completely and utterly alone.

Girl In Amber has lines that are just nothing short of painful but absolutely beautiful. It’s not always what Nick says but how he does so. The pain in “Don’t touch me” is so raw. We’ve all felt something so terrible, and the thought of being comforted hurts more. You don’t want any form of physical contact, but you give in to it because sometimes that is all there is. That’s all that can fix it.

I’ve listened to Skeleton Tree enough times now to say that Magneto possess my favourite lyrics.  My heart broke when I heard this, “Oh, the urge to kill somebody was basically overwhelming. I had such hard blues down there in the supermarket queues. And I had a sudden urge to become someone, someone like you.” This song is one of the heaviest on the records and is so gripping and heart-breaking. The more I listen to it, the more I find certain parts to relate to. It does not make for easy listening, and it isn’t a record you play in the background to kill some time. The complete opposite.

I’ve always been drawn to the way Nick writes about love and religion. I’m not a religious person, but I love the way in which he writes about God and what might be above and below us. I love the way he writes about love in a beautiful way that shows its good and ugly side. I Need You shows this exceptionally fragile side of his words that makes it one of the best moments on the record. Take the song however you want. I’ve not made my mind up. The words will break the toughest of hearts, and part of you squirms when you listen to it because of how painful it is. It is nearly 6 minutes of desperation and pleading of the heart. His voice has this different tone to it, a tone I’ve not heard from him before. You can sense the grief, and part of me doesn’t want this to be my favourite off Skeleton Tree because of how open and vulnerable it is. But when your hero can make something like this, you feel less alone. However, I may say it is my favourite but I still can’t listen to the whole song. There’s a part that just ruins me, and I have to move on to the next song.

In a way, Skeleton Tree feels like the stages of grief. Distant Sky gives you hope. Else Torp’s vocals add something quite haunting to the song, and it works so well. Her voice and Nick’s- it is a perfect match that adds comfort and reassurance.

In under 40 minutes, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds take us on a journey through emotions we all wish to never feel. But, it’s inevitable. We will all experience a loss of some kind, and if you are one of the lucky ones who haven’t- this record will easily make you feel as if you have. I think if I had watched the film before listening to the record, maybe I’d say more of worth. I never really wanted to write about Skeleton Tree. It doesn’t feel right in me doing so, but there was something at the back of my mind that needed to get this out at length. I messaged my uncle earlier about the record, and we both agreed that Nick Cave can do no wrong. Irrespective of the circumstance, it’s their sixteenth record and it’s brilliant. It is painful to listen to, but the way Nick does it makes you feel like he is stood next to you as the words fall into your ear.

The title track closes the record, and ends with echoes of “And it’s alright now.” Music is a solid source of security and a way of coping. Both for the person creating it, and the person listening to it. Skeleton Tree evokes this to the very core. I could go on and on about how much I love the record and how much I love him, but every single song reinforces my love for Nick Cave and his words. They’ve got me through hell and back. I can only hope that this record has done

THE KILLS: Kissy Kissy

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For the past few days I’ve constantly had Kissy Kissy in my head by The Kills. Maybe it’s because my mind has slowly caught up with the fact that I’m seeing them in a couple of weeks. First stop will be Manchester- the first night of their UK tour, followed by their London date which is the last date of the tour. I am more than happy for someone to fund me doing the whole tour. My ultimate dream has always been to follow a band on tour and write about it. But I’m not William Miller. This isn’t Almost Famous. It’s just a 29 year old with a wasted dream. Get in line. So, with Kissy Kissy firmly placed in my head I thought I would write about why it’s in my Top 10 songs by The Kills. I don’t have a solid list, but I know for sure that Kissy Kissy is right up there.

For me, part of my love for Jamie and Alison is the aggression in their sound. The way Jamie can make his guitar sound like a machine gun and Alison can snarl her way through some of their most rowdy songs has always left my mind blown and my heart firmly out of my body, flailing on the floor whilst taking its last few beats. Their music means THAT much to me. From hearing their first record around 13/14 years ago to now getting stupidly excited when I hear Impossible Tracks. It goes beyond being just a love for a band. It’s most definitely a crutch, and one I am not ashamed to lean on. I probably go to music before a person. Then I go to a person, and listen to some music. I like to get different opinions. With The Kills I’ve always felt like I’ve found some form of home there. I like things to be unorganised and a bit rough. That’s how I like my music- a complete opposite of me. I want the aggression, the fury and the rage. I want it all blasting in my ears. Kissy Kissy sums up all of that, and really for me, sums up the sound of The Kills. The guitar and the drum machine ricochet like a gun. The verses are repeated like bullets being reloaded. It’s the perfect song to unleash any frustration to. Getting out that anger that someone causes you is sometimes a good thing. Me? I don’t. I won’t ever raise my voice and I’ll avoid confrontation. I’ll just go home and play The Damned. Kissy Kissy.

The intro sounds like a snake winding it’s way towards you, the drum machine has this gripping tick tock sound. It feels like Jamie and Alison are coming for you, and everything is closing in on you. Tick tock, goes that irritating clock on the wall. You’re so sure it is moving too fast. Tick tock. Tick..fucking tock.

Some may regard the lyrics as being too repetitive or having no depth. Don’t listen to them. The Kills have never ever needed to fall in line with pretentious words to conjure up anything in the mind. They go beyond you seeing things in your mind, they make you feel it in your body. You feel as if you’re living the songs. If you walk down the street listening to Future Starts Slow or Fuck The People you feel instantly cooler than you are. You feel something quite powerful. Do it.

The way they sing “It’s been a long time coming” that sounds so beautifully sinister. A lot of their earlier songs have this sinister feel to them, as if they are coming for you. Just lurking in the corners until you slip up- then they pounce upon you. As if there could be anything better than that. A lot of their songs do hold a sentimental value to me, and I can easily relate them to a time or place. But with Kissy Kissy, it just seems to be always in my head on a loop. The way the guitars and drum machines sound ferocious and their vocals match this in a way I’ve not really heard before, it just makes me feel like I’m hearing the song for the first time every single time I play it.

I love that they still have it in their setlist, I can’t imagine a show by them without this song being played. The live version of Kissy Kissy is incredible and taints how you hear it on record. They let themselves go completely and the way the words are snarled and the way the guitar unleashes this beautiful burning rage leaves you wishing you could compose something like that. It is songs like Kissy Kissy that just reinforce my love for Jamie and Alison, over and over again. Certain songs by them I go back to just to reinforce my love for them, and Kissy Kissy is easily one of them.

From looking at recent setlists, I’ve got a handful of songs that I cannot wait to witness live and I’m pretty sure that Kissy Kissy is going to be one of the ones I’ll remember until my memory fails me. There’s something so powerful and so raw about it. So typically Alison. So typically Jamie. The way they look at each other when they sing it, the way Jamie struts with his guitar as if it is a weapon. The way Alison throws herself around with her guitar and spews out the words. The way they sing the song together. Everything, just everything about it- I cannot get enough. The song whirls around my head most days and I’m more than happy with it staying there. It feels like it could be in a blood bath scene in a violent film or it can be equally at home in my head. It was one of the first songs I ever remember hearing by them, and it is one of the great moments on their debut, Keep On Your Mean Side. Just under 6 minutes long, Kissy Kissy is a timeless and rebellious anthem for us outcasts. Stay on the outside and play it loud.

SHADY AND THE VAMP.

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Do you ever hear a band and just wish you were either friends with them, or in the band because they sound so good? Does it leave you feeling shameful of your own musical misgivings? You’re not alone. I feel this way about most of the bands I write about, some more than others. This evening I am projecting this feeling onto a band called Shady And The Vamp. Not only is their name pretty cool, they also sound it. Effortlessly brilliant and they combine my love for Garage Rock and Punk in such a way that leaves me wishing I was in the band. Yeah, this happens a fair amount but basically- Shady And The Vamp are great.

I know virtually next to nothing about the band other than there is three of them, they’re based in Switzerland and I love them. That’s all you need to know, right? They are wonderfully loud and have this angst in their sound that doesn’t come across like a stroppy teenager. More like an adult who is tired of your shit and just wants you to be quiet. We can all relate to this. They’re the ideal band to listen to whilst on your journey to work so you can block out everything and everyone around you. Play as loud as your ears can stand, let everyone enjoy the band through you. At least it isn’t Techno.

Shady And The Vamp play the kind of music that is perfect for either a house party or a dive bar. Do they make you feel as if you’re listening to a band from Switzerland? I can’t make that call as I’m not familiar with many Swiss bands, but if they all sound like this then please send me there now and take me to the next show. Their sounds are playful, rowdy and just an absolute pleasure to listen to. There’s something about them that makes you feel as if you’ve encountered a band like The Damned for the first time. It sounds a bit strange, a weird feeling hits you but you know you’ve found something pretty damn neat and nothing is going to compare to it.

I know a lot of people take comfort in music, I’m one of them. I’ve never felt at ease listening to something gentle. I have to have something quite rowdy in my ear in order to help me settle. The complete opposite of how I am- that’s the music I go for. I love their take on Piangi Con Mi (originally done by Italian greats- The Rokes.) As We Told You Earlier by Shady And The Vamp is such a great record, and it’s just full of songs that could excite the most boring of souls. I’m pretty sure that’s why I instantly fell in love with them, and wished I was in a band like theirs.

My love for Garage Rock and Punk is pretty obvious. I like how some bands can sound aggressive and gentle at once. I like the way vocals are distorted and how the music can send a body into a deep frenzy. How it all sounds like it was meant to be heard in a basement bar- that’s what I want to hear. Bands like Shady And The Vamp are perfect to listen to, and to just zone out. I’d imagine their live shows leave the crowd wanting to destroy the place. Tearing down the walls, but being kind to each other. That’s how it should be.

Shady And The Vamp have been going for a few years, and they do sound like a band who could easily have been around with The Vagrants or The Gruesomes. They’ve got an old soul burning in their sound and that’s part of the appeal, and part of their beautiful charm. They’re currently on tour in Europe, and if they ever make it to the UK I will feel like a kid at Christmas that finally got a puppy. To soften the blow for those who are yet to see their live shows, their new record The Holy Teachings Of Rock n Roll is out in October via my favourite label Bachelor Records.

Until then, check out their previous releases here: https://shadyandthevamp.bandcamp.com

GIRL TEARS: Uneasy/Sedated.

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Some bands make you feel like you are anywhere but where you are when you listen to them. I’ve always had that feeling with Girl Tears. They make me constantly feel like I’m in a sweaty dive bar in ’76- not sat on my bed in 2016. They have this exhilarating and anarchic sound that makes you want to throttle the closest person to you whilst flailing about in an unsettling manner. Think the Ramones and Fugazi coming together head first. I think it’s been 2 years since I first wrote about Girl Tears, and every time I listen to them I am left in awe of how great they sound. But also frustrated as they are one of those bands that I HAVE to see live one day.

On the 28th October Sal, Tristan and Kam will be releasing Woke Against The Tide which is obviously going to be as brilliant as 2014’s Tension. They have showed no signs of ever quietening down, which is partially why I bloody love them. The main reason? They are 3 genuinely great guys who make exceptional music. How could anyone not love them?

Uneasy smacks you in the face for one minute and 11 seconds. All of their songs feel like a smack in the face, and by no means is this a bad thing. Sometimes you need to hear something that just brutally grabs you and thrusts you into the unknown. Uneasy should make any new listeners of Girl Tears feel just that- and unsettled. For me, they are the perfect band but I know for some they would put them on edge with how bold their sound is and how aggressively loud they are. By no means is this a bad thing, and as someone who loves music that sounds like this, I consider Girl Tears to be nothing short of perfect.

Sedated is one minute and 41 seconds of unrefined noise that will do anything but put you to sleep.This is the kind of song you learn every word to and chant it right back at a Girl Tears live show, or in the comfort of your own home if you can’t make it to a show. There is something quite beautifully sinister about this song, and I think that’s why I want to have it on constant repeat. You want something that gives that unsettling feeling in your stomach to truly move you, and with Sedated and also Uneasy- Girl Tears do it perfectly. They always do.

I think when you hear certain bands you can instantly pick up on the settings in which you should be listening to them. With Girl Tears I’ve always said that the ideal setting for their music is in a live setting. In a real run down basement bar that has bodies crammed in, all throwing themselves around covered in sweat and whatever else. If we all started our day by having a Girl Tears song as our alarm in the morning, we’d probably be more alert.

Sinderlyn Records will be putting out Woke Against The Tide on the 28th October.

THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN: Honey’s Dead.

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“I can’t get enough of you
God gave me strength and I gave it to you
I’ve got sticks in my spine but what can I do
I can never never never get enough of you.”

 

I’m probably a rubbish fan of The Jesus And Mary Chain because for as long as I can remember, Darklands and Psychocandy have been the two records I have constantly played and always related to. The amount of sentimental value I hold towards those two records is beyond an explanation. There’s one person who understands it, and will only ever understand it. I don’t know what I would do without those two records, and them. However, there is obviously more to TJAMC than just these two records- I own them, I just never gave them as much attention as I should. I’m going to start with Honey’s Dead.

Honey’s Dead opens with Reverence, a song that held a wealth of controversy in it due to its lyrics. If you’re searching to be offended, you’ll be offended. Sure the lyrics are dark but you’re not going to get sunshine and rainbows with TJAMC are you? I wouldn’t want to ever hear that, from anyone. Their songs like Nick Cave, touched on themes of lust and love in a way I want to hear and can relate to regardless of how brooding and heavy it may sound. The title of the record references the end of the sound they were known for previously, but I’ve learnt from each record is that they all sound completely different. I always toy with what my favourite record by them is, and right now I’m in favour of Darklands. Tomorrow it could easily be Honey’s Dead. I love the artwork to Honey’s Dead and how beautifully morose the front cover is. Even if I wasn’t aware of TJAMC the cover alone would lure me in.

I love the way Jim conveys such desperation and pleading in his voice in a lot of the songs. It’s done in a way that not many can do without sounding so clingy and overbearing. He does it in a way that releases this sense of pain that smacks you right in the gut. At times it overwhelms you because of how strong and intense it is, but nothing else can come close to it. I picked this up especially on Reverence and Teenage Lust.

There are a couple of songs on Honey’s Dead that have the same sentimental value to me as the likes of You Trip Me Up and April Skies have. Good For My Soul and I Can’t Get Enough are the kind of love songs I can relate to, and fully appreciate. The lyrics to both are extremely open and show this vulnerable side to the band that I have always adored, and I think that’s what drew my to them in the first place. Honey’s Dead is not that much of heavy record, but the weight is in the vocals and to an extent maybe that could be said for their previous records. It’s not what you say, but how you say it. Or so they say.  Besides, I just find this from Good For Soul to be one of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever heard: “She can take the world on another journey into her soul.” When you adore someone greatly, you’ll see yourself in this song.

Sundown is one of those songs you play when everything seems a bit wrong and tormented. The sorrow in William’s voice is heavy and easy to empathise with, and it will make you want to leave where you are in the search of something better for your soul. Sooner or later, we are pushed to do so. Maybe it isn’t so much about having guts but enough patience to see it through. It’s the longest song on Honey’s Dead and I find it to be the one I like to hit repeat on before I carry on with the remainder of the record.

There’s a handful of bands I love that I thought I always had a solid favourite song and record by, and I always thought that The Jesus And Mary Chain were one of them. But after delving into Honey’s Dead more, I’ve realised it isn’t the case/ Maybe I’ll never be able to choose, maybe I don’t even need to. I’m content with them being one of the most important bands to me and a band that have been a massive lifeline for me.

TALL JUAN: The Shacklewell Arms. 27th July 2016.

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When a singer you adore plays a venue you absolutely love for free, it doesn’t matter that you have to be up at stupid o’clock the next day to go to work. Nothing matters when you’re completely immersed in music and your surroundings.

A few months ago I saw Juan play The Lock Tavern and Shacklewell Arms the night after, both shows were insane and with a full band. This time, it was just Juan and his guitar. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I knew it would be something that would stay on my mind for some time. If you’ve ever seen one of Tall Juan’s shows, you’ll see just how much he puts into it and how everything that watches him just ends up being besotted with him. He’s got this beautiful and endearing personality that just draws you in, and makes you love his music even more. His music is Rockabilly clashing with the Ramones.

His set is fast, brutally fast. His songs are played with such urgency and a passion that is highly addictive. He takes you back to when Punk first emerged, and you can’t help but think Joey Ramones soul is buried inside of Juan. Somehow. He makes his acoustic guitar sound like a ferocious weapon but at the same time makes you want to dance, or just through your body round in an unconventional manner.

He played a couple of covers in his set, and ended with his brilliant cover of I Wanna Be Your Dog. He nails the opening to the song in a way that The Stooges didn’t, and makes you question if you still like the original or not (you do, of course you do but this is something else.) He blasts his way through Commando by the Ramones but from a personal view there’s one cover he does that just made my night. Last year when I first wrote about Juan, I mentioned my love for his take on Chinese Rock by the Ramones and any chance I get to talk about Juan or to Juan, I always mention it. So on Wednesday evening, just before he ripped into his perfect version of Chinese Rock, he dedicated it to me. Sure I felt like I won the lottery but I was also super proud of my friend on stage making all these people feel good and getting them to move about. His love for the Ramones is obvious, it’s obvious in everyone who loves that band. And just like Juan, I first heard them when I was 7/8 years ago- it stays with you and their music influences you in so many ways. To see someone like Juan emulate in a way, all that Joey Ramone was is such a lovely thing to see- he makes you believe in music again. There’s no one else that’s quite like Juan, and this passion he has for making music and playing shows is nothing short of admirable.

I always feel much better after I’ve been to one of his shows, it’s like a kickstart to the gut. I’d highly recommend seeing him wherever and whenever you can. His music is for those who like to put on some headphones and zone out from the world for a while. I like to listen to him on my way to work because I can’t deal with how rude some people are in London at the moment, it’s the ideal way to block it all out. I’m just not cut out for a busy place and Juan’s music is that perfect escape. His shows are exactly the same.

I’ve said it many times before about Juan- he’s the Punk hero we need. Punk isn’t dead, far from it. It’s in people like Juan. It’s still there, and always will be.

Once you’ve listened to his music, shall we all just pack up our stuff and run off to Far Rockaway?