Author Archives: Olivia

AUTUMNS-Das Nichts.

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A few years ago I wrote about Autumns. I wrote about how much I loved them and how Christian is the Northern Ireland equivalent of Alex Zhang Huntai (Dirty Beaches/Last Lizard.) I think I mentioned how brilliant it is to have one person make a load of noise with such urgency and passion. A few years have passed, and now I get to write about Christian’s new EP, Das Nichts.

Christian is currently in America where in the next few weeks, he will be playing his first set of live shows out there. I couldn’t be more proud of him. He makes the kind of music I wish I could, the TV static sound and the distorted vocals aren’t to everyone’s taste but for me it’s exactly what I look for in music. I sincerely hope the American audiences fall in love with him and hear what I hear. I’ll post the dates towards the end, but for now- Das Nichts.

https://soundcloud.com/autumns/the-fall

Das Nichts is the kind of record you play late at night when you should probably be asleep. My sleep pattern at the moment is semi-questionable but I can still function. I think life would be easier/better if we all took more naps. Anyway. With this EP Christian has definitely delved into the Electronic side of music more. For some they associate this with really bad 80s music, to an extent they could be right but what they don’t seem to acknowledge is the darker side. Das Nichts sounds like Suicide meets My Bloody Valentine with the fury of Rowland S Howard. The songs are going to torment your mind and you won’t want to sit down with a cup of tea whilst listening to this. With one listen, I loved it but I feel because it is the kind of record that puts you on edge, I feel that’s what makes it Christian’s best work to date. When I hear music like this I always seem to want to know what goes on in the head of the person making it. But recently I’ve started thinking what goes on in my brain and how it would sound if I translated it to music. It would sound a bit like this record. Maybe slightly more tame as I’m annoyingly shy. I try to get better at it, but what can you do. Das Nichts is a remarkable EP that is made for night time/very early morning listening when the world is asleep.

This EP is intensely dark and would sound perfect in some Danish Thriller that messed with your mind. If this is how Christian’s debut record is going to sound, then we are most definitely in for a treat. It’s the right kind of loud, the right level of noise and creepy. I can only imagine how brilliant this is going to sound live. The first track on the EP, Motel Lover is 19 minutes and 45 seconds long. It’s a solid way to start the EP and I think it straight away indicates to the listener where the EP is going. It’s going somewhere no one and nothing else can take you. You feel like you’re on a motorbike at 2am heading deep into the unknown. The night air sends chills over you and the dark mist keeps you on edge. It’s beautifully terrifying and is under 20 minutes of straight up noise. The static guitar sound mixed with the repetitive kick drum keeps your attention locked. There are swift changes in the song here and there but it’s the torment of the kick drum that remains your focus throughout. When it comes to an end, you find yourself looking around to check who was there and who took you to wherever this song may have taken you to.

I really can’t praise Christian enough for what he’s done with Das Nichts. It’s a captivating listen that will scare you a little but you won’t want to turn it off. Something about this EP will make you feel a little uneasy and unsure of what is around you- it will heighten all you feel as you listen to it, and that for me is what makes this the best thing he has done to date. The suspense in the EP makes you feel like it is the soundtrack to something. I’m 100% sure that Christian could easily create a soundtrack for some dark and unsettling Thriller film going by this EP. He would be perfect for it. Das Nichts isn’t a kick in the gut kind of listen, it is more like someone messing with your head in a way you didn’t know was possible. This kind of exposure of the mind is what makes this one of the best things I’ve heard this year. Sure there’s still many months to go, but this is truly something else.

Das Nichts is out on 15th March via Clan Destine Records and you can pre-order a tape here: http://clandestinerecords.bandcamp.com/album/das-nichts

As mentioned previously, here are his US dates for this month:

3/09 New York @ Nothing Changes + (with Nite Fields)
3/12 Lafayette @ The Spot + (with Nite Fields)
3/13 Indianapolis @ State Street Pub + (with Nite Fields)
3/20 San Francisco @ Rickshaw Stop * (with Lust For Youth)
3/21 Frenso @ Dynamite Vinyl + (with Nite Fields)
3/23 Long Beach @ 4th Street Vine – (with Gold Class)
3/24 San Diego @ The Whistle Stop
3/26 Los Angeles @ Non Plus Ultra # (with SEXTILE)

Christian will also be drumming for Nite Fields on all of their dates.

 

 

KRISTIN KONTROL- X-Communicate

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Photo by Jimmy Fontaine

 

This week a band I love and a singer I love unleashed some new music. The Kills and Kate Jackson. If bad things come in threes, then maybe good things do too. The third is Kristin Kontrol. I’ll get it out the way-Kristin is Dee Dee from Dum Dum Girls. Still the same person, don’t let rip pointless comparisons or longing for something new from Dum Dum Girls. Go with this, it’s brilliant. Trust me.

There have been times where bands or singers have gone in a different direction from what we know, and sometimes it ends up being terrible. Of course this is all down to person taste. When I read that Kristin was doing this, no part of me doubted how great it was going to be. I felt like all DDG records told something important at the time they were released, and although a new DDG record would be great- why not go some place different? I don’t like it when a band makes the same record over and over. I don’t like rigid routines or order. It’s bullshit. This is why Kristin has totally blown our minds with lead single, X-Communicate. I’ve already read the poorly researched reviews on it. It seems like it has come from “music journalists” who can’t get their heads around something different. Free your mind, chump!

X-Communicate makes me feel like I am in several places at once. I could be in a dodgy Berlin nightclub. I could be in some basement bar in New York. I could be in 2016. I could be in 1986 (the year I was born.) I could be anywhere. This is part futuristic, part something from years ago that wasn’t exposed as much as it could be. I feel like if Depeche Mode had a female vocalist circa Enjoy The Silence era- this is what they may have sounded like. As you listen to X-Communicate you become instantly familiar with Kristin’s delicate voice and something I’ve always adored about her voice is the way her pronunciation is so clear. The clarity is what makes you pay close attention to the lyrics. I’ve been vocal about my love for her way with words, and X-Communicate has a gorgeous depth to the lyrics. What I love about 90s dance music was how upbeat the music was yet the lyrics were heartbreaking. I’m getting that same kind of feel from this song, and it’s just so so good. If I was a DJ I’d be playing this at the start and end of the night. And about 50 times in between.

Going by this song, I think it is evident that the record will not sound like this song constantly. There are so many standout moments in this song- from the production to the end solo of the song. All these elements and more  just make it into such a wonderful song. The lyrics are so so good. Some of them take me back a few times and certain people cross over in my mind. These fleeting moments are just fine, but the line “I am so tired of this life” gets me right in the gut. I don’t care who you are, you’ve been able to relate to that line more times than you wish. The sadness of that line mixed with the sound of the song goes back to my nod to 90s dance above.

I have no idea how the record is going to sound but what I do know is that it will be great. There’s no denying just how talented Kristin is. I wish I had the words to fully describe this song and how brilliant it is, but I’ve had it on repeat since I got home from work over and hour and a half ago. As someone with a shit attention span- I think that sums up how bloody great this song is. I remember the day I first heard Dum Dum Girls and that feeling has hit me again as I listen to X-Communicate. When you know, you truly know.

The record, X-Communicate will be released on 27th May via Sub Pop. You can pre-order a copy here: https://megamart.subpop.com/releases/kristin_kontrol/x_communicate

 

KATE JACKSON-Metropolis.

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“This is our song.”

If like me, you’re a sentimental fool who finds it hard to let go of bands that end up splitting up then you’re probably dubious of what happens to the band members. Radio silence is deafening especially when you’re left knowing that the band members are great and a world without them making music is just utterly pointless. The Long Blondes were my ultimate band when I was at uni. I adapted to a new life easier than I would have if it wasn’t for them, I got over having my heart metaphorically broken, I played their 2 records religiously. I made trips to the North of England with Someone To Drive You Home on a loop. I’d meet my mum in Yorkshire playing the songs. In my ears, on my mind. The words firmly etched upon my heart. The band split, but I clung onto what the band meant to me. Heaven Help The New Girl to Guilt- the words just always seemed relevant. Time passes, and you grow up as best as you can.

I am so so happy to FINALLY write about Kate Jackson’s new song Metropolis. I listened to it at lunchtime at work today and all I’ve done since is, seemingly, wait to get home so I can rant about how marvelous this song is. The song features Bernard Butler. Jackson and Butler. My generation’s Morrissey and Marr. Bernard is probably one of the best guitarists this country has ever produced. Him and Brett had me lusting after Suede. Him and McAlmont made the greatest “F-You” of all time. I learnt the words to Yes immediately aged 9 years old- I should have been trying to get my head around mental arithmetic in school. I didn’t care for numbers then, and I don’t care for them now. Give me lyrics. Give me the lyrics that will make me feel less alone. Give me the lyrics that say what I’ve yet to have the guts to say. Give me words in all their power, pain and passion. Give me the lyrics of Kate Jackson and the astounding riffs of Bernard Butler.

Everything about Metropolis sums up what I missed about hearing Kate Jackson’s voice. She’s still got the captivating and delicate tone. Her clear pronunciation of words makes you feel as if you’re about to be taken some place higher than you’ve been before. For me this is a massive contender for song of the year. It’s the best song I’ve heard so far, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have it on repeat still come November as I turn 30 wondering what the hell I’ve done- in general. For me, there’s one line in the song that is just so heartbreakingly honest and a line I can relate to. A line I can associate with any place I have ever lived. “This city pulls me to pieces.” My God. A line so simple but so powerful. You don’t need to make something pretentious in order for it to be relatable and vital. I’ve made my own impressions of the song, I’ve made my own meaning up. It’ll be different to the next person, and that’s what I love about this song and music in general. The line starts to ring through in the last verse, then carries on. The more you hear it, coupled with Bernard’s guitar, makes it one of the most glorious and stunning moments in music of the year.

As my favourite lyric from the song echoes in my head, I start thinking about the things I wish to and wish not to associate the song with. The sheer beauty and honesty in this song can transport you to the places you thought you were afraid of, but when you get there it really isn’t so bad. I’ve said it many times, but there are just some bands/singers that make me just want to write about music constantly. This song is easily one of them.

I remember an old interview of The Long Blondes and Kate mentioning her fondness of service stations. I think I annoy anyone I’m in a car with because I ALWAYS want to stop at service stations. They are fascinating places, and I don’t get tired of watching people pass through. The Long Blondes, and now Kate remind me of just going somewhere. The title of Kate’s debut record is British Road Movies and I can sense just by the title and Metropolis that this is going to be a record that you drive to (in my case, sit in the passenger seat or get the train) and stop off at service stations making up stories in your head about the people you see. Watching the couples fight because they’ve got lost, eyeing up people trying to work out what they want from Greggs, people napping in their cars. I’m possibly reading too much into it but it’s alright.

It’s been announced that Kate Jackson (and The Wrong Moves) will be playing The Great Escape Festival (19th May)this year and a free show at Rough Trade on 20th May which is the release date of the debut record. Having Kate back and making music is like putting on your favourite piece of clothing and feeling like you can take on the world. Not many things in the world are perfect. Everybody has their own idea of perfection, for me perfection is when a singer you adore comes back after years and puts a single out on an otherwise dull Monday afternoon.

British Road Movies is released 20th May via Hoo Ha Records.

GARAGE ROCK: ITALIAN STYLE.

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I have two main loves- music and pizza. I can’t make music, but I can make pizza. Come round, and I’ll make you one. Or maybe two so you can have it for lunch the next day. I guess in a way Garage Rock might not be deemed as a “proper” genre of music, and even though labeling music is bullshit- I’m allowing myself to contradict myself for the god knows how many time just to talk about a certain kind of noise that I absolutely love. There’s correlation between Punk and Garage Rock, well for me there is. And that’s probably why I love both a hell of a lot. My record collection doesn’t hold much weight compared to some but my most prized possession is my copy of The Gruesomes’ first record. Nobody will ever understand how much me owning that record means. The Gruesomes are Canadian-not Italian, and this is about Italian Garage Rock bands. Turns out there’s a wealth of them and for the past few nights, it’s what I’ve been listening to. I’ve dragged myself through today on 3 hours sleep. If I’m falling into a pattern I had 5/6 years ago, then so be it. I’ll use my time wisely finding music to write about. If I was going to take the easy route I’d probably mention a few songs and make life easy for myself. I don’t know how to make life easy and if there isn’t a wave of chaos about to hit me, I won’t know what to do. This is unplanned, for my own benefit- the result of having an internet connection. I’ll educate myself, and maybe you’ll find something you like. If not, then at least I got this out of my system. ANDIAMO!

To start off, I’m going with my favourite and one of the hardest bands to find ANYTHING out about. This song is 50 years old. It probably sounded perfect back then, and it sounds perfect 50 years on. It’s got a typical Garage Rock sound going on. What I love about a lot of Garage Rock songs is how they seem to be about pining for someone who is a bit of a dickhead. We’ve all been there, it’s completely fine. Songs like this are the ones that get you through it. Cupidation reminds me slightly of I Never Loved Her by The Gruesomes- I think it’s all in the vocals and that alone makes it one of my favourites.

 

See what I mean? Italians know how to do to this. The Rippers have a sound that’s off the wall and unlike anything else. I Wanna Put A Tiger In Your Tank is hopefully a euphemism for something- if it isn’t, I’ll be pretty sad about that because it’s a pretty great euphemism. Imagine using that line on someone. Hey if it works, then go for it. The Rippers have a brilliant style that comes across in how  they look and how they sound. Sometimes bands get it twisted and pay more attention to how they look rather than how they sound, and that can be a sure waste of talent. Thankfully The Rippers didn’t fall victim to that.

I found out about The Hangee V last year when in Camden looking through some old records. I was on my lunch break, and I felt the need to buy some music. I was sifting through the records, and the cover of one of The HangeeV’s records caught my eye. I loved their menacing look, and how they looked like a bunch of undertakers who would probably dig a grave for you-even if you were still alive. They’re easily one of my favourite bands, and I love the mystery about them. They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, that’s fine and all- but buy records based on the artwork, chances are it will be just fine.

I got a little sidetracked finding these bands, and quite possibly have ended up with more recent bands than not. That’s alright-if anything it just shows how great the music scene is in Italy. The Mighties are from Perugia. I remember visiting there when I was about 12 years old and just falling in love. I’ve been to only a handful of places that felt like “home” to me, and Perugia was one of them. It’s a beautiful city, and is home to one of Italy’s finest bands. I’m not sure how well known The Mighties are but they sound like a band who have taken on board what bands before them have done and made their own scene, on their own terms.

Gli Sciacalli may have been around in the 90s but they captured that typical 60s Garage Rock sound like no other. This is a song I would definitely place in my favourites of all time-regardless of genre. It sounds slightly like the Beach Boys mixed with some Mersey Beat. It’s the perfect Garage Rock sound, and Mai is a song I really can’t get enough of. Much like The Bumpers who have a few decades on this band, they still capture that raw Garage Rock sound.

There are many many more bands I could mention, and I’m probably a tool for missing some out. Maybe I’ll do a part 2 some day. Special mention needs to go to Go!Zilla who are one of the best new(ish) bands around and will get a deserving piece written about them soon. I think condensing it down to 5 for now was a semi-wise move. I could have kept going, but maybe on another trip to buy records I’ll find something else to write about. I know I should have mentioned The Kartoons. Next time. Next time.

DEATH INDEX.

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Today I was treated to a wonderful MRI scan on my spine/back. Like the letter stated, I took a CD with me to listen to, when I got there I was told due to the kind of scan I was having I wouldn’t be able to use the headphones. I thought, “Okay I’ll just take a nap.” That happened briefly. Of course leading up to today I was panicking internally-turns out it wasn’t that bad but I am rubbish with keeping still. As I lay there, all I could think was how much the scan sounded like a My Bloody Valentine/The Jesus And Mary Chain record. It was noisy and it sounded like someone letting loose with a load of reverb. I think I managed to drown it out and pretend it was a song. I don’t know. Whatever gets you through, right? Maybe Kevin Shields also went for a MRI scan and thought “This could work on a record.” I’m going with that. Anyway, from one noise to another-Death Index.

Created in the belly of Berlin via bands members from Italy (ciao bella!) and America, the Death Index record is brutal. It’s uncomfortable, it’s noisy and it is dark. Put it down as one of the loudest records of the year. Some regard the likes of Sinatra as easy listening. Bands like Death Index are my kind of easy listening. Or maybe, uneasy listening. I don’t want music to make me feel comfortable. As someone who never has, and will never settle, Death Index are the perfect band for me. Again, like most bands I go on about they are one to really invest in seeing live. I’m pretty sure you’d leave with some kind of injury. Anything less than a bloody nose is poor.

Not many people know this but Italy does have an incredible music scene. I used to think it was just Litfiba but it really goes beyond that. A lot of Garage Rock bands have come from the most beautiful country in the world (yes I’m being biased but it’s still true) and there’s some excellent Punk bands from there also. Marco’s old band La Piovra were one of Italy’s finest, and it’s pretty obvious that Death Index are going to be equally as great, right? Of course, especially when it also involves the frontman of the brilliant Merchandise; Carson Cox.

Please don’t assume that this a straight-up Punk record. It really isn’t. It oozes destruction and it confronts the end of time/the ruin of human beings in such an unconventional manner that you cannot help but want to stick two fingers up to the world. By world, I probably mean Government because they’re the problem and they can’t find a solution. Their debut record holds a wealth of angst. When you mention angst to most they immediately think stroppy 13 year olds. Not with this record. This is for adults who have had enough and can see through all the corruption and bullshit in the world.

There are brilliant moments on the record where you feel like you’re watching a Thriller, and you imagine someone lurking in a dingy alleyway in Berlin on a damp and cold night, tossing their cigarette end onto the ground as they head into the night finding someone or something to hunt down. Maybe I’ve got it wrong or maybe my mind has ran off with the music again. All I know is that the lyrics, the music and the general atmosphere on this record is nothing short of perfect. I have no idea what anyone else thinks, but I know for me that this record has everything I want from music. It has lyrics that make you think, the music makes you want to throw your body into walls and flail limbs about beating off the sweat of others and it’s a moody record.

There are many things that make me proud to be Italian, and musicians like Marco fully justify it. Carson’s’ vocals have this soothing but real brutal tone to it. You get the urgency of the words straight away and you aren’t floating off to the beach in your mind. Far from it. You see the world in all its darkness, you see through people but you get on. If you fixate on the things that fuck you up and piss you off, you’ll never get out of your mind. Music frees you. Music like Death Index frees you.

I’ve been listening to the record a few times this evening, and I wish I could give you my favourite track but that’s impossible. Each song is a body of something truly marvellous, and I’m really excited to go see these guys in May here in London. As an extra special treat for us, King of the Guitar- Charlie from Crocodiles is joining them. It’s definitely going to be worth travelling south of the river for. I’m really into Patto Con Dio, and I think it’s because it’s just over 7 minutes and I’m a sucker for long songs especially when they’re as important as this one.

Some could regard this as downer of a record because of the topics it touches on but I don’t always want something that makes me feel like I’m escaping the world. This is a record to face the world and to face daily life. It’s a brutally honest record, and you can tell it comes from a place that most want to shy away from. Many have possibly tried to make something as honest and as raw as this, but the way in which Carson and Marco have done it makes you disregard previous efforts. Death Index is where it is at. For me I don’t see this regard as a downer at all. I want music that sparks something in my brain. I want to see different sides and I want to see how others view the world. I adore the frustration and urgency in this record. It has that raw sentiment to it that captures the essence of Punk. Punk means different things to different people, and Death Index expose it all in a way that cannot be shunned.

Play this loud. Deafen yourself. Take note of the lyrics and go to one of their shows.

Their self-titled debut is out this Friday via Deathwish.

BROKEN SOUNDTRACKS

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Everyone has a type that they favour. Music, attraction, film-whatever. Sometimes it’s pointed out by others, but for the most part I guess we’re aware. I favour certain kinds of music above others. If it’s noisy and sounds like someone forgot to knock down the feedback- I’ll probably be into it. The more distorted something sounds, the more I’ll probably like it. It comes from a very early obsession with The Cure and The Jesus And Mary Chain which has stayed with me well into adulthood. Some bands however, do sound like a blatant rip-off, but others do it in a more subtle way. Some even sound like they were around when Psychocandy first came out. As time drags on, because it does, bands get louder.

Broken Soundtracks are loud. I could probably play them louder than I am but I’m a caring housemate and a decent neighbour- I don’t want to annoy anybody. Broken Soundtracks are a bloody great band based in London who fit every ideal I have of a band. They’re loud, probably influenced by bands that own pieces of my heart and they sound like they should be heard in a dirty basement bar. The best ones have this feeling about them, and Broken Soundtracks are nothing short of great.

https://soundcloud.com/broken-soundtracks/turn-your-face-to-the-wire

There’s something quite decadent and sleazey about their sound. Think New York Dolls mixed with Richard Hell, and you’ve got it. Some of their songs do have a heavy reverb sound but others have 70s New York glam about them- the fact that they can mess around with different styles and be one of the most unique bands around is what,for me, makes them so easy to love.

Without sounding like a cliched fool, the music that Broken Soundtracks make is entirely experimental. They take different elements and have made (and make) their own noise. This is a band that really don’t need to worry about who does and who doesn’t like their sound. You can tell that they make music for THEM. Those are the kind of musicians that I enjoy. The true rebels who will make it their way, on their own terms. That’s pretty much how we all should be, but very few have the guts to go along and do it. Time isn’t always your friend.

Quite a number of bands I listen to are the kind that need to be seen live to really get the sound, and I’m fairly sure that Broken Soundtracks are one of those bands. I think the sheer loudness in their sound becomes greater when you see them in a live setting.Maybe this is the kind of band Johnny Thunders would be into if he was still around. I’m not the only one who wishes he was still here, but that’s a different story.

I always have a hard time trying to work out what kind of music is typical of its genre. What is typically Pop? Or Rock? Who is to judge? We’re all guilty of it. I’m sure some would love to try work out what Broken Soundtracks are. I personally can’t, but that’s because I hate labeling whatever I listen to. I’ve got two categories- what I like and what I don’t like. It’s fairly easy. Sure I have a lot of time on my hands, but I’d never try break it down to a genre. But at the very heart of it, it will always be Punk. Broken Soundtracks have the makings of a great Rock and Roll band- sorry for the genre, but it keeps some people happy to have a label I guess. They’ve picked up where some of the greats left off. Just listen to their cover of Waiting For My Man, and you’ll know. They may be a relatively new band, but nothing about them sounds like 2016. They sound like they’ve been back in time, lived through it and created something of their own. Perhaps that’s how it should be. I don’t know. All I know is that I’m a fan. I think that’s enough, right?

You can listen to most of their music here:

And here: http://charliesundown.bandcamp.com/album/born-to-be-cruel

The band are playing the Roadkill Records launch party at the Lock Tavern on 5th March. The lineup is fantastic and I’m fairly sure it is free entry to the show. You know what to do.

GROSS NET/GIRLS NAMES. The Lexington. 19th February 2016.

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I shouldn’t have gone out last night. I’m ill, I guess. But not in a conventional “I have a cold” kind of way but in a “no one knows what’s wrong with me, I’m in pain and I want to cry” kind of me. Apparently it’s the nerves in my neck. I’m a clumsy fucker at the best of times, but I know I’ve not done anything recently to warrant doing such damage. Although, I have a slight disregard for my general well-being so who knows! Standing for a few hours was the dumbest thing I could have done, and I’ve only just managed to get out of bed. I’ve got my own playlist sorted for my MRI scan next week/week after, and as someone who can’t sit still I’ve most definitely picked the wrong kind of songs to listen to. Moving on and pain aside. Gross Net. Girls Names. Last night.

Gross Net is Phil from Girls Names making a lot of noise and probably terrifying the crowd. In certain places, I’m sure they wouldn’t “get” it. Places like London and Manchester would and did. As Gross Net, Phil pretty much seems like a young Nick Cave circa Boys Next Door/The Birthday Party. When he’s not holding his guitar, he grips the mic and flails it around as if his life depends on it. Seeing a band or singer expose themselves like this what makes them believable and it is what makes them so easy to relate to. To make his set even better, I got a song dedication. If I was in a band, I’d probably pick people out and aim songs at them. Be fruity kids, it’s fine. With a knowing point and my name spoken through the mic, Phil rips into a song that I was pretty pleased to have dedicated to me. He closed his set with a song for those on the dole. I’m fairly sure most weren’t expecting this kind of declaration on a Friday night, but who cares. I loved every minute of it, and I was immediately back in 2010-2011 when I spent too much time on the dole and having my soul crushed by the job centre every Friday for £70 a week. I coped, just about. Time changes everything to an extent. Phil ends this song screaming into the mic in the crowd, as the end of the song draws near he places the mic around the neck of a bewildered person in the crowd and walks off. The guy had no idea what to do, gave it a few minutes and removed the mic from his neck and placed it on the ground. Far too polite.

I’ve been a fan of Girls Names for ages but this was the first time seeing them live. I was immediately drawn to bassist, Claire and how she is probably one of the best bassist I’ve ever seen. Now, if I was going to list my favourite live bands I would easily put Girls Names in the top 5. Maybe it’s because they were playing one of the best venues in the country or maybe, maybe it’s because they are just so fucking(sorry) good. I firmly believe that when you go to a gig, you should leave wanting to start a band. Girls Names did more than this. I felt like I was watching The Fall or The Jesus And Mary Chain for the first time. I felt like I had gone back in time and I was anywhere but in London. Maybe I was in the depths of Berlin or maybe I was in an alleyway in Manchester; I don’t know. But I do know that gigs like this just stick in my mind for a long, long time.

What I loved about their show last night was that each person in the band got their chance to show us all what they’re made of. I loved during the encore Phil was going into Claire’s bass as if he was telling her to get out of his space. It was in a sibling kind of way- a gentle shove and neither was going to back down. Cathal was ramming his guitar into the speaker behind him giving off this excess feedback which just made you wish the show wasn’t about to end. Gib was beating the crap out of the drums with such fury. These Belfast bruisers make enough noise for anyone to go slightly deaf, and that’s part of the charm. If a band is wonderfully and obnoxiously loud, I’ll probably love them. Girls Names last night easily cemented why they are probably one of the best bands around. I could go on for ages about how great they were and hope they just sum up everything I love about music. They have a sound that I’m always looking for. They remind me of bands I love such as Bauhaus and Cold Cave but they also sound like nothing else. They are a band to be treasured and seen at any chance one gets.

On record they are noisy but I firmly believe that Girls Names are one of those bands that you just have to see, and sometimes London crowds have a rep of being a bunch of stale dicks but in this case, they really weren’t. This was one of the best crowds I’ve seen and I’m fairly sure that’s part of what made the show last night nothing short of perfect. Their dark but entirely comforting sound may be a turn off for those who want conventional and tame sounds- don’t surround yourself with people who want that. Go find those who aren’t afraid to be engulfed by sounds so dark, creepy and loud. Let the sounds rip through you and let the lyrics make you question everything, and everyone. They’re the kind of band I wish I was in. I’ve said it loads but this is the kind of music I’d probably make if I had any musical talent.

Go see them, let them deafen you and buy one of Phil’s “reasonably priced tapes.”

LITTLE DEATH MACHINE-Dreaming In Monochrome

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Music should be one of those things that takes the listener and musician out of their comfort zone. Sure we’d all like to stick to what we know, but sometimes we don’t. Owning a record that could make for uncomfortable but necessary listening is something I look for more often than not. I like loud/dark music because it’s the opposite of whatever I am. For the most part. It doesn’t have to be angry music, but it must have point to it. I want music that can be terrifying and vital at the same time. I’m pretty sure that’s what drew me to Little Death Machine ages ago. I was immediately hooked on Daniels’ powerful and raging voice. It’s loud, dark and of course, partially terrifying.

On 7th March, Little Death Machine will be releasing their debut EP, Dreaming In Monochrome. Finally, it is happening. An EP will undoubtedly make me want a full length record, but as I listen to the EP right now, I can tell that whenever they put out a full length record it will still have that subtle Little Death Machine sound that drew me in ages ago. When I listen to them I think of bands I love such as Cold Cave, Bauhaus and Nine Inch Nails. There’s hints of very early Bjork in this EP, and that alone is good enough. It’s got a wonderful creepy edge to it. Night After Night After Night would sound perfect in a really sinister Thriller film- it would be played when tensions are high and something terrible is about to happen. If this EP doesn’t give you the creeps (in the right way) then you’ve been listening to it wrong.

The lead single off the EP, Healthy is a perfect taster for what is to come from this remarkable EP. All too often I bang on about bands I listen to that make me wish I could play an instrument and make my own noise. Are Little Death Machine one of those bands? Of course they are. They bring out something that is missing in people in general and in music. They’re like a kick in the teeth and a way of self-realisation. Some bands you just listen to, and immediately get. There are some bands that, although I’m a fan of them- it took a while for me to get them. With LDM, it is instant. It was instant the first time and I knew I had to write about them. There are a handful of bands that when I listen to, I just have to write about them. It’s a good job that this is my outlet because if I had to speak to a friend about music, I’d be left alone to talk to a wall. I’m sorry for rambling, but this EP is one of the finest things we will hear all year.

Aside from every song being extremely passionate and beautifully put together, I want to talk about how the EP is going to be released. A lot of care, time and thought has evidently gone into the music but it has also gone into how it is to be presented to us fans. As mentioned, the EP is out on 7th March via Glasstone Records. Limited to only 100, the package consists of: a USB containing the songs with live videos, a screenprint which has been printed by the band and also a tote bag. I think as it comes with live videos, which were filmed at the hugely missed Power Lunches, of the songs, it will make the listener feel the songs in a different way. A live performance can change everything, and can make you hear things differently. Perhaps how it is meant to sound, and I think putting the EP out like this has to be massively respected.

Little Death Machine have played with bands such as Psychic TV and God Damn, and in the midst of all this have created a sound that is so out of this world and so courageously out there, you can’t fault it. They merge all kinds of weird and wonderful sounds together, and as a result have created one of the most impressive EPs I’ve heard in a while.

You can pre-order Dreaming In Monochrome here: http://littledeathmachine.com/product/dreaming-in-monochrome-e-p-deluxe-package/

OH,THE GUILT.

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Sometimes you hear something by a band, and you immediately want to go to the place where it was created in order to feel the music on a different level and to understands what it was born from. Bristol is home to several bands I’m obsessed with (Spectres, Candy Darling and 2:54 are originally from there also.) These 3 bands in their own right create creepy music and have a handful of songs that could terrify the meek. Bristol has always in some respects been ahead of bands in other places. The eerie sound comes naturally, and as someone who seems to only really fall for music like this- Oh,The Guilt are ideal.

Oh, The Guilt are described as “Post-Punk.” I’ve never been sure of what that means, where it came from or why it exists, but in this instance I’ll go with it. Much against my hatred of labeling things. I can forgo it here. Oh, The Guilt have a real heavy and somber feel to their music and that’s probably why I instantly loved their sound. The guitar sounds like something Rowland S Howard would be proud of. There’s something quite menacing about their music, and I hope (and believe) it comes across in their live shows. I’ve yet to see them, but if anyone wants to pay for my train fare to Bristol next month so I can see them and Candy Darling then, I’d be really grateful and I’ll make you pizza. Desire to see this band live aside, on record they sound like a band that have been around for ages. When a band can have such a perfected sound instantly, it makes you believe in them more than most. Besides, any band that supports Chelsea Wolfe is going to be nothing short of great anyway.

I like music that isn’t afraid to test the listener and to take them out of their comfort zone. There’s nothing worse than listening to something that makes you feel totally safe. I want to hear something that will probably give me nightmares and make me question everything around me. That’s what is part of the charm with Oh,the Guilt. They don’t make you feel reassured or that you aren’t being chased round a desolate building. I always go back to it, but if something can make me feel like the Seventeen Seconds record by The Cure then I know I’ve found something I’m going to love for a long, long time. Oh, The Guilt have that hypnotic and chilling sound that would make anyone want to start their own band. It’s a grand sound without being overpowering. The drums remind me of the heaviness of Sleep and the first 2:54 record. It’s full of doom and I love it. This is the kind of music you listen to when it is cold, grey and murky outside. This won’t make you feel like the summer is here, far from it. This is what you blast through your headphones and imagine yourself in some frightening forest as someone chases you around the towering trees and as branches claim parts of your clothing, you’re unsure if you are going to get out. It’s all in your mind, so that one is all on you.

I could quite happily write thousands of words about this wonderful 3-piece, but I’ll save it for when their EP comes out on 19th March.

You can pre-order it here: https://ohtheguilt.bandcamp.com/track/watch-yrself-2 and you will receive the decadent and wonderful Watch Yrself straight away. If you’re lucky enough to live in Bristol, they are doing an EP launch show on the same date with Candy Darling  and The Plainviews playing also at The Stag And Hounds. Tickets are only £5.50.

BLACK-Wonderful Life.

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“Here I go out to sea again.
The sunshine fills my hair,
And dreams hang in the air.”

With the painfully sad news that the singer Colin Vearncombe aka Black died this evening and with Wonderful Life turning 30 this year, I felt the need to write about the first song I remember hearing at a very young age and it leaving a lasting impression on me. I managed to find a copy of the record of the same title a few years ago for £1, and I think it’s signed. I was so happy to find it.

There were two songs that I remember always hearing when I was very young- Groove Is In The Heart and Wonderful Life. I can happily recite Q-Tip’s rap to you and copy the dance to the song, no problem (I might need the help of a Long Island Iced Tea or 4 before I do this.) However, Wonderful Life ended up being the song that I first felt an emotional and I guess spiritual connection with. The song felt like, and always will feel like a soulmate to me. Everything about the song oozes sadness and joy at once. The way Colin sings this song fills you with hope but also breaks your heart. I’ve said many times that I want this playing at my funeral, I just think the whole sentiment of the song is gorgeous and reassuring. I play this song when everything seems a bit too much and it’s got me through my own take om Hell numerous of times. It eases any kind of suffering a person may feel.

Wonderful Life opened me up to just how fragile life is and how delicate people can be. The chorus is simple but still feels like a philosophical phrase to live by. Maybe we should, we’d probably be happier with ourselves and what we have.

I’m fairly sure that on my first holiday I can remember to Italy to see my dad’s family, I subjected everyone in the car to this song constantly. Maybe I sang the wrong words, maybe I didn’t. In a way, it reminds me of my childhood and hearing it at such a young age made me realise the urgency of life and how easy it can come and go. I learnt a lot from this song, some of it I keep to myself but the rest is pretty obvious.

I’ve always wished I could write something as beautiful as this song, and I know it is so simply done. But maybe that’s why it is a stroke of genius and such a loved song. It can like I mentioned, break your heart entirely but some of the lyrics just fill you with joy and the hope that it all turns out alright, because for the most part it does.

I suppose you can create your own meaning with the song. Maybe it is a painfully sad song, maybe it’s about an invisible friend or maybe it’s a declaration of being alright with being on your own. I have no idea. My take on it changes all the time, but I’ll always be sure that this is one of my favourite and one of the greatest songs of all time.

“No need to run and hide,
It’s a wonderful wonderful life.”