Category Archives: Influential Women In Music.

DUM DUM GIRLS-Trees And Flowers.

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“Dawn cracks the dark,
And it breaks the silence.
Of my waking hours,
And  my heartbeat’s license.”

I was walking home earlier, and for most of the journey I had one song on repeat. I do this a lot; find a song to love and just play it until my ears no longer wish to hear it. Of course when it comes to Dum Dum Girls (and others) there are songs of theirs I will never grow tired of. As I was walking, I had a thought; and this is where it gets dangerous. Stop reading.

I was listening to DDG’s cover of Trees And Flowers on repeat as I was walking home. I felt, even though Dee Dee didn’t write the song, she summed up every little thought floating around me- in head and heart. I walked and carried every single word. You see, I have this fear (you could call it me being stupid if you want) that I’m going to be one of these people who die having done nothing of worth. I know we create our own self-worth and shouldn’t let others define it, but there comes a time where people’s views on you just drains you. Their expectations crush you, and you want to remove yourself from them. 26 being treated like a 6-year-old. You build up resentment towards people. But you cannot express it, so you turn it into self-resentment. It’s easier to dislike yourself and beat yourself up than it is to let someone else do it. Thing is, people are cruel. To each other and to themselves. Not everyone is gentle and kind. Not everyone wants to be. I try, and one day I’ll grow tired of trying.

“For I hate the trees,
And I hate the flowers.
And I hate the buildings.
And the way they tower over me.
Can’t you see.
I get so frightened,
No one  else seems frightened.
Only me.”

I wish I could write as beautifully as this, but I just write honest nonsense that holds no worth. Or I just need to find something I’m good at. One day, one day. And typically so, it will be too late.

Trees And Flowers is a guide and a safety net. I have unspoken fear within me, and I’ll keep it unmentioned for I don’t think we should discuss our fears because people will use them against you. Sometimes they will be obvious with it, sometimes they will be subtle. Regardless of how they do it, they sure will. DDG’s version of this song adds a lot more loneliness and vulnerability to it compared to the original by Strawberry Switchblade. Dee Dee’s voice has never sounded so pure and vulnerable. If you’re going to cover a song, you should make it your own. Dee Dee goes beyond this. She makes you feel as if she wrote it, and she wanted to share this frightening feeling with whoever hears it, so they felt less alone with what they carry around with them.

Of course, I could be entirely wrong with all of this. Maybe I am. I don’t strive to ever be right and it doesn’t bother me admitting when I’m wrong. I worry when I’m right or if anyone should agree with me. A worrying thought for sure. I do constantly worry that my own (lack of) self-worth is going to do a lot more harm than it should, the only solution to it is out of my hands. In the space of 7 days I have sent out 50 job applications. I’m constantly being told I’m not trying hard enough or whatever. If I was violent, I’d probably punch them. But I cannot waste my strength on people who are a bit toss can I? No. I can’t. They just add to it. As do I. I’d go mental if I didn’t write, or go to the gym. It’s an outlet to frustrations out of my hands.

Trees And Flowers, as sad as some of the lyrics are, is a piece of hope. I’ll cling onto it, it’s all I can do.

THE LONG WIVES-The Hollow Fin.

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“Tender words unspoken, turn so cruel on their vine.”

Brandy St.John is probably one of my favourite singers ever. She isn’t as big as most, but she has the same captivating and gentle power that is found in the adored Patti Smith. Brandy St.John’s lyrics expose the darkness that everyone seems to run from. I don’t just listen to her music; I study her words. I study her words as if I am reading poetry. Her lyrics are sheer poetry. In poetry you get Poe. Hidden messages in everything isn’t there. Sometimes. It’s not hidden for I’ve just written it down, and you can see it (if you read this.)

This morning before I went to the gym, I saw that Brandy had put up a new song. She’s a machine. A music making machine that I hope never ever stops. So, I put in my headphones and listened delicately to The Hollow Fin. I stopped what I was doing, and gazed outside as I listened to her beautiful voice. I wish there was a word that was more powerful than the word “beautiful” to describe her voice. Her voice is so hypnotic. I gazed outside and watched the snow fall (I say snow.but it’s trying. Lord knows is it trying.) Every flake that fell to the ground fell with purpose but no destination in particular. The flakes may have wanted to fall straight down, but the swayed with the cold breeze and just flurried about. My thoughts remained fixed.

I took in everything I heard whilst listening to The Hollow Fin. I glanced at the lyrics from time to time, and I thought of every fuck up I have ever done. Every wrong I’ve ever done. I struggled to think of the good. It is so easy to beat ourselves up over things we have no control over. I don’t want to control others, and my self-control is alright. I listened to The Hollow Fin, and my head was at a place calm. My heart however, knew I was stuck. A constant battle that is just eased by musicians like this. Musicians that are not afraid to go so deep and dark. My notebooks are full of poetry like this (with the occasional cheerful poem) but I’d rather point someone in the direction of The Long Wives or whoever than let anyone read what I write down in my tattered notebooks. Spare yourself.

All that The Hollow Fin is, is just Brandy and a guitar. To me it is obviously much more. As her music is so stripped, you become a bit obsessed with her voice and lyrics. I will always be massively in love with her song, Judas Hex and I do believe that The Hollow Fin is going to head the same way. I play Judas Hex a few times a day. I don’t think I could really define why, it’s just something I simply must do. The Hollow Fin has hints of regret and wonder. I’m not familiar with regrets. If I allowed myself to regret I’d be a mess. You have to just let things and people go at times. We’ve all caused hurt and we’ve all been hurt. There are musicians out there that can nurse our hurt and soothe our souls.

My favourite line from the song has to be this: “But love is vicious when it dies.” Anyone who has lost a love may know just how true this is. It doesn’t have to be a romantic kind of love. It can be friendship too. Like I said before, you just have to let some things in life go. You can cling, but you cannot have a firm grip forever.

I do hope The Long Wives comes to the UK soon, I really do. These are songs that you need to see on dimly lit stage. A purely intimate setting.

You can listen to The Hollow Fin here:https://soundcloud.com/#thelongwives/the-hollow-fin-the-long-wives

Let her gentle voice and honest words claim a piece of your heart.

DALLAS FRASCA.

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I didn’t find Dallas Frasca on my own. No no, instead a good friend from the other side of the world just pointed them out to me (Mark, he’s in a band called Royal Chant and they’re the best people I have yet to meet but we are friends regardless.) I always listen to suggestions, and when I do I seem to take my time in writing about them because I can be quite lazy. Yet there are instances where I listen to something and I simply just HAVE to write about them.

Dallas Frasca are another wonderful band from Australia, but they sound like they are from the murky depths of Nashville. The kind of band Jack White would love to get his hands on, and make them collaborate with Seasick Steve. In my head, this is going to happen. It has to happen. I’ve got a bit excited over this. Dallas’ vocals are so powerful, even if you don’t have the volume turned up loud; her vocals will still blow your mind and tear your eardrums in the most beautiful way possible.

Their song, All My Love is the good side of catchy (doesn’t take a genius to work out the bad things that are catchy really does it.) Her vocals on this are so empowering and glorious. I cannot help but wonder how people go on about their daily lives without hearing such a band like this. There are hints of Blues and the true essence of Country in their music. It is like, Townes Van Zandt meets Muddy Waters. My kind of music.

I feel a bit silly writing about Dallas Frasca because they are a band that simply require no words. All you need to do is listen to them, maybe with someone next to you and you both nod in agreement (and in awe) of how fantastic they are. Nothing about them makes you feel like you are in this era; you feel as if you are in a past life where music was actually of worth and had some meaning. Of course there are bands around that give music some bloody meaning, but a lot just prance about for money. There’s no passion there. I’m going by record here, and I can truly hear the passion in the way Dallas, Samuel and Jeff play. There’s so much strength in their music that just makes you believe in them.

Loaded Silence is 5 minutes of making you feel like you are invincible. A feeling that I am not entirely familiar with; but will enjoy when felt. Burnt Toast is ridiculous. Dallas’ voice on this posses that delicate growl that’s only ever been heard in one other: Janis Joplin. Everything about Dallas Frasca just blows my mind. I don’t know if I could look at someone in the eye who didn’t fall even slightly in love with them.

I think most have heard people say that the true essence of Rock & Roll is dead, or that guitar music is bland. These are the people who probably buy into reality shows. Thing is, that’s not reality. It doesn’t take a modern-day Einstein to realise that those programmes are rigged to high heaven, utterly disgusting and disrespectful to those making music for the RIGHT  reasons. That’s a completely different subject, and will end up with me being called various names. I don’t fancy that right now. Dallas Frasca are pure Rock & Roll. They are on a different level to most things out there, and the thing that makes them so accessible and easy to love is that every word sung by Dallas is true.

The Blues influence here is something that immediately lured me in, and I doubt I’ll be crawling out anytime soon.

You can listen to their music here:https://soundcloud.com/#dallasfrasca

They are also playing some dates in London over the next week or so. Go see them, and have your mind blown.

Colleen Green.

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I’m going into this knowing nothing about Colleen Green. All I know is that I love her music. That is more than enough isn’t it. Don’t expect too much, or anything from anyone because you’ll fall face first into disappointment.

Today I cleared out my bedroom. Gave away a guitar to someone as I never got round to learning. Threw out my decks because although I can DJ, it was something I never wanted to take further than my bedroom. I’ve placed a handful of filled notebooks on my desk; that’s my passion. Writing. I don’t do it well, but I do it anyway. I’ve written a song/poem a day since I was 13. I’m 26 now. I have boxes and suitcases and drawers full of notebooks and scrappy bits of paper with words on. You don’t need a lot to get by. This is where Colleen Green comes in.

It’s just her and her guitar. Her words. Her voice. And a drum machine.

All the greats started on their own. By greats I mean Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Townes Van Zandt. The ones that tell the stories of your life. Sometimes in a way that goes above your head; but in a way that no other has done either way. I am not comparing Colleen to any of those mentioned. Comparing someone to someone else is never fair, even if you are being kind. She’s just got a brilliant way of telling stories, that make you think that she’s somehow got into your head. Maybe she has.

Her new song, Time In The World is a delicate ode to love. It isn’t overbearing with rhyming couplets and pretentious imagery. It’s the opposite of that, it’s simple. Simple in the best way possible and immediately makes you think of the one you love. It’s up to you if you want to play it to them, but if you want to here’s the link to it: http://soundcloud.com/adhocfm/colleen-green-time-in-the

She makes the kind of music that just makes you want to be entirely lazy and just shrugging everything/everyone off. One of her early releases, Milo Goes To Compton has the insane I Wanna Be Degraded and the Ramones fanatic in me instantly took a shine to this song. I just love her voice, that’s all there is to it really.

You’ve got solo artists like Dirty Beaches who just blow your mind with the way he uses samples and makes you think you are in a time no one really was aware of. Then you have ones like Colleen Green who bring you back to reality (possibly reluctantly) and her easy to relate to lyrics make you feel alright with how difficult/awkward you are at times.

If like me you are sick of everyone going on about the weather (there’s other things to talk about you know) and you want something that takes you away from what you see outside, then listen to Colleen Green. She’ll take you back to that part of your life that many try to distract you from. They try to distract you because they cannot get there themselves. Fools.

Anyway, you can listen to her sounds right here: http://colleengreen.bandcamp.com/releases

It is Los Angeles as its best. DIG.

Erykah Badu.

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“I guess nobody ever told you
All you must hold on to
Is you, is you, is you.”

Many singers nowadays sadly do not last. They are given what they need, they take it and no one hears from them ever again. Reality shows give us talentless beings who too, will not last. It is saddening and disheartening. We need singers and bands to believe in. If we cannot believe in the music, the true art of it; then what hope do we have?

So we go back. We go back to one of the strongest voices ever. A voice that oozes the pain that was once felt in the greats such as Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. A voice that is so pure, so divine. You try to imagine music without this one voice, and it makes no sense. You cannot wrap your head around that idea. I’d love to write this, and make it the best thing I have ever written- just because I love this singer a hell of a lot. Since 1996, the love has been there. I was 10 years old, and by then my obsession for music had already taken over. This was just another singer who I’d carry their words on my shoulder, and in my mind. As a reminder that struggle is needed, and you can be tough; without being mean. You can be oh so vulnerable with your words. But you can also show the world you have a strong side that comes out when needed.

The woman I am attempting to big up here really doesn’t need my words, but I need to get them out.

Erykah Badu.

I remember hearing On & On and being totally immersed in her voice. I didn’t pay attention to the melody until later on. I listened to Baduizm, and thinking I was hearing something so sacred. I was only in primary school, and I knew nobody else at my school knew of this fantastic singer. I’ve always kept my love for Erykah Badu strongly close to my heart. It’s love and admiration above all. I’ve read her lyrics like you would read poetry. I’ve watched and read interviews with her, and it has reinforced my love for her. Some singers you just know you will always love, for life. For always.

I don’t think you should trust anyone who doesn’t regard Baduizm as one of the finest debut records of all time. There is such beauty and wisdom in her words. I’m not a religious person, I’d always choose a spiritual path. Nobody but me has influenced that decision. Erykah’s music feels like a spiritual cleansing of the soul. Her music is soulful and spiritual to the core.

In 2003, my mum went to Edinburgh on holiday. She came back with Danger on vinyl for me. I’ve not played it many times because no part of me wants it to get ruined. To this day it remains one of my most prized possessions. I only own books and records. I have no attachment to technology. Give me a good music, and pure music; that’s all I need.

Do you remember the first time hearing You Got Me, the song she featured on with The Roots. I swear that was one of the best moments in music ever. Two greats making heartbreaking music; it was just divine. Her voice sends shivers down your spine and just make you feel so so alive. Not many can do that, not many have done that.

There are many things I adore about Erykah, of course I do not know her personally- but her lyrics, they give the impression that she is a very free person. A person who is careful with feelings but free (at times) with her own. The freedom she has within her comes across in her music, which makes the words so easy to relate to. Her song with Common, Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop) is such a stunning work of art dedicated to another kind of art. To love Hip Hop is to constantly feel it around. It isn’t just a genre of music, it’s a lifestyle. Throughout my teens I was obsessed with Hip Hop. I used to listen to Don’t Sweat The Technique by Eric B & Rakim (on tape) whilst walking through school. I was painfully shy, and I used music as a safety net. I still do. Shyness is something I need to cling onto but also let go of; music makes it easier. The love both Common and Erykah Badu portray for Hip Hop in this song is so genuine and rare. You can try express your love for something, but you always feel as if you’ve fallen short doing so because you can’t quite get your point across. This song conveys it all, it does it so effortlessly and so gloriously. It moves you; even if you aren’t a fan of Hip Hop. You still relate to the love that is there.

For me personally, Erykah Badu is not just a singer. She never was destined for that I don’t think. I believe her words will serve more purpose than any of us could ever fathom. For romance, loss, lust, direction and love; she’s got a song for it all, and then some. Her words don’t just touch your heart. They stay there forever more. I do believe she is one of the rare ones. When you hear one song, you want to hear them all. That’s what happened the day I heard On & On. I just knew that this woman was going to sing songs for the soul. Regardless of your race, religion, sexuality, whatever; Erykah’s words and music just has the ability to reach out to you, and keep you.

Her wisdom knows no end. Her music is some form of light, and a relief for those wanting and needing more just to get by. You can watch everything around you float on as you slip into a trance whilst listening to her dreamy and captivating voice. The hazy sounds of Didn’t Cha Know ALWAYS get me. Right in the gut. That intro is something else. Of course it uses a sample of Dreamflower by Tarika Blue in the most exquisite way. It is just a divine song.

Erykah Badu is a just a rare soul. A soul so pure and easy to relate to. There’s no reason for me writing this, but I just simply had to.

“Hopefully my music is medicine, some type of antidote for something. Or some kind of explanation or just to feel good.” Oh Erykah, it does all that and so much more. Thank you.

Patti Smith : Open Letter.

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I’ve got seven ways of going, seven wheres to be.”

Of course she will never see this. No one will. I don’t write to be known, I write because it is all I know. Five people gave me a love of words and music. One of them has a birthday today. 66 years old today. This is my open letter to Patti Smith.

Dear Patti,

I have read Just Kids more times than I have read any other book. To me, it isn’t a book. It is a guide for life. It teaches you how to love freely but with caution. How to follow your heart, but keep the one who owns firmly next to you. How to never let go of them, but become the person you want to become. The person you need to become. Your music taught me how to write from the heart and to not let anyone ever sway me. It’s easy to do what others expect of you; but you feel much better when you do what you want to do. The sense of freedom that comes over you is beyond words.

The outcast eventually gets what they want. You taught me that struggling for your art isn’t a bad thing. I know I may never have anything I write published in a book. I know the goals I set for myself in my mind may never ever happen; but the courage to try is there. It is there because of your art. Your words. Your music. You. Self-belief is a thing I may never grasp, but self-doubt keeps me going because when the one thing I want to happen, happens- I will know not to abandon it. I will know how to keep hold of it and let no one take it from me. People are keen to take so much from others because they no longer know how to work for their own and make something for themselves. Society is becoming more closed off and the art of conversation and the intimacy of eye contact is slowly fading. This breaks my heart.

People like you are rare. Rare people like you influence others greatly to follow their heart. It’s all well and good listening to your head, but where does that get you? Nothing good comes from taking the safe option. I’ve fucked up many a time from following my heart, but I don’t believe in regrets. Everything toughens you up, eventually. Words. Words hold more power than anything else in the world. You can say “I love you” so many times, but it only has meaning when you say it with feeling. The actions help too. Art creates love. Through love comes tenderness. I admire you because of your gentle words and your attitude on stage. When you can merge the two so well, you become a person that another can believe in. Don’t stand in their shadows, just use it as a way to carry on.

There is a line from Dancing Barefoot that sums up the first time I heard your music, “Some strange music draws me in.” Truth be told, it wasn’t strange. It was like finding a home. I was young when  first heard your words, very young. Your music just stuck with me. I’d see videos of you acting tough on stage wishing I could be as tough as that. I was the opposite. I was gentle and sensitive, like your words. That’s how I’ll always be. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that being as strong as most just isn’t my thing. If I was, I’d never write again. I love words and the feelings they create too much to ever give up on them. To ever not be who I am. For to stop that, I’d be going against all I believe in.

I made an enemy out of myself in my own reflection. Then I listen to your record, Wave and all makes sense again. Frederick is the best love song ever written. I love the innocence within it. The devotion and love within that song is exactly how I feel about the one I love; it’s good to know that she feels the same. These things are rare. Rare things are easier to adore. I will hold onto her.

Guidance is found in strange and familiar places. What we know fades, and we replace it with other things to lead the way. I’ll always stay true to the power of music and words. Rapture takes over when you find something to connect with. For me, Punk was the only genre of music that ever captured my heart. It unleashed the frustrations and any form of love inside me. Who wrote of love better than you, Patti? Nobody. You. Just you, for always. There is no such thing as fear when I listen to your music or read your poetry.

I must go back to Just Kids one more time. I read Just Kids when I feel at a loss, or just need something I cannot put into words. I read it, and hope takes over. I’ve laughed and cried whilst reading Just Kids. I’ve cried from the sadness and from the love within. Everything about this book is everything I want from literature. I’ve watched Dream Of Life more times than I can can recall. I’ve seen fear ruin people, and I’ve seen love make people. I’ll always back the latter. Your words and music; your art have always projected such purity. A way of creation that is lacking now, but it is obvious it is still in some. Face the sins we have apparently made. Make them again and again. And just say you lived.

If I ever get tough, I’ll hold you responsible. If I ever lose my way, I have your art.

Every word you have written, spoken and sung has influenced this 26-year-old from the middle of nowhere- heading nowhere, aiming for somewhere with no possessions. Dream of life in the hope the dreams become life. Real life.

I wish to thank you for all you’ve done for music and literature. I wish to thank you for creating something that this lost soul found a home in.

All the love in the world.

Happy Birthday Patti.

Oliva xx

“What is it that calls to us?
Why must we pray screaming?
Why must not death be redefined?
We shut our eyes we stretch out our arms
And whirl on a pane of glass
An afixiation a fix on anything the line of life the limb of a tree.”

The Long Wives- The Violence of Man.

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“The answer lies in your eyes,it lies in our wounds.”

My favourite singer is someone who deserves to be as big as Patti Smith. She has the heart and passion like my idol (I know that you shouldn’t have idols but sometimes, you must make an exception.) I love Brandy’s voice because, she has the power to break and mend the heart at the same time. When I saw she’d put a new song up, I just knew it’d be something truly special. I just knew I’d have to write about it. She’s one of the very few singers that make me do this. My love for music is there, but my motivation to write comes and goes. It’s a fading dream.

The Violence of Man is again, pure and ethereal. Sadness shines brightly in Brandy’s voice; but not in a way that leaves you crying on the floor in a ball wishing the end would come. She makes you feel less alone. She makes you feel less ashamed and tormented. Her words and her voice are one of the most sincere forms of comfort I have ever known. I know we seek refuge in the arms of the one we love; but sometimes we need a sound. A sound from someone who doesn’t know us, and someone we don’t know. Strangers create a world for us that becomes familiar and less daunting than what we face on a daily basis.

I simply cannot review a song in a simple way, especially when you can tell instantly that so much has gone into the song. I could easily sit here and just throw out words in a clichéd way to describe The Violence of Man, but that is no use to anyone. And I believe if you are a Music Writer, you should put the same amount of passion into your writing that the singer puts into their song. I don’t know if I’m successfully putting this across, so all I can do is hope you listen to The Long Wives and listen to her with intense and welcoming ears. That’s the only way.

Her voice echoes over the haunting strumming of the guitar. You feel the insecurities fall out of you. If you cannot be open with your love (as in the one you love) then you will be closed off forever more. Her voice and her lyrics are truly gorgeous. I know I have said this every single time I have written about The Long Wives; but I am truly in awe of her. The way she conveys religious images and such in her lyrics I believe to have only ever been found in one other; Nick Cave. I’d say she is the female Nick Cave, but really she is just her. Unique and mind-blowing. There is no other singer around, regardless of gender, like her. That alone makes you treasure her even more.

I think the line, “Did you learn to make a fist before you learned to speak?” sums up society perfectly. We are becoming more and more violent by the day. We channel our hate into things that do not matter and we create monsters out of ourselves. The Violence of Man makes you feel sorry for humanity because we are no longer accepting. Instead we just fight. We fight for nothing, we just harm others for no reason at all.

As I listen to her voice caress my eardrums, I can only hope you allow it to do the same. Brandy St.John easily has the best voice I’ve heard since Patti Smith. I simply cannot understand why songs like this aren’t taking over our airwaves. Then again, when you find something so precious of it, you think no one else will get it. But I truly hope you listen, and fully understand.

Please listen here : https://soundcloud.com/#thelongwives/the-violence-of-man-the-long

L.A. Witch.

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Sometimes you find a band/song that just takes over you. This year, the person who did that for me was The Long Wives; I play her music every day. It becomes like a ritual. I have to hear Judas Hex a few times a day, for no reason other than it being one of the best songs ever written.

Most probably regard bands from the West Coast of America as being some kind of lo-fi/surfer-pop thing. Making you feel as if you’re going to go to the beach and just stay there for the rest of time. There’s a darker side. A side that doesn’t get as much love and recognition as it deserves. It is a side that is dark and haunting. A side that for some reason, is more uplifting that some jaunty lo-fi band. Not that I don’t enjoy that, but I have a place reserved mainly for the darker side of music. The Long Wives stirred all this up for me earlier this year, and now a band from Los Angeles called L.A. Witch have gone and done the same.

L.A.Witch are brilliant. I know duos own my heart, but this three-piece band are just out of this world. If a band can make you feel this way by only having one song out, then you know you have found something truly remarkable and sacred. I love them for many reasons. One being that they remind me of a darker version of Warpaint. It doesn’t take a genius to realise how much I love Warpaint (I have a tattoo, pretty sure that explains it..for no.) Warpaint make you feel as if you are drifting in and out of sleep. L.A.Witch are that feeling right before you fall asleep. A few times you feel your head drop as you nod off, then you just go. You go so far down; nothing and no one can disturb you. L.A. Witch take you on a journey that you don’t ever want to come back from. Why would you want to?! The places a song can create for you in your mind are much better than the world you see outside with your own eyes. Live in your head, because no one can bother you that way.

I know when you find new bands you automatically try to find a way to label them as something or just throw them into some disastrous sub-genre that appeals to the pretentious kind. I despise that. Music is music. Some you may like, some you may enjoy; regardless of what it is. Whatever you want to listen to, go with it. When you seek out bands that are from one genre, you miss out on so much. But when you cannot sleep at 3am, you find a lot. That’s how I find most of the music I listen to. That and putting off what I should be doing in order to find new music instead. Music is much more appealing.

Sorrow fills you as you hear the last-minute of Your Ways. As the guitar spirals down, you fall with it. They remind me of a slowed-down version of The Kills. They have the same road-trip vibe going on like The Kills do. You get some real Blues influence coming through also. I have no idea if they are influenced by the Blues or not (but aren’t we all to an extent.) This is the kind of band Jack White would love to get his hands on and make the world pay attention. Not that they can’t do it on their own, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is, you listen to them and you think that this is a band you know he would love. Everyone should love them because they sound different and honest.

Not all music lacks passion and heart. You’ve got to keep searching, but when you find it; do you stop? No, you don’t. You can’t. You can never stop. Neither will bands such as L.A. Witch because we truly need them.

You can listen to L.A.Witch here : http://lawitches.bandcamp.com/ and just fall freely into another world.

Katherine Crowe-Smile.

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We glorify those who do not need it. From footballers that are paid too much money for running up and down for 90 minutes to someone standing in a kitchen on telly for half an hour telling us how to cook the perfect roast potato. Nothing is perfect, so it is wasted watching. We fall for it because it is constantly rammed down our necks. Then we have things such as X-Factor which again, glorifies rubbish. Chances (and money) are wasted on those no one will care about in 12 months time, and that is being kind. Or they become another gimmick that we can do without. Where is the raw talent? Where is the drive? Where is the passion? I’m about to tell you.

Start of 2010 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, if you’ve read anything I’ve written before then you know. It doesn’t need talking about in detail again. She did a fashion show in aid of cancer charities in October last year. I flew over to see her as a surprise, and was greeted with a “OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!??” I watched her and the others, in awe of their strength and determination to not let some bastarding wanker of a disease ruin them and stop them from living their lives.

I remember going home that evening and my mum telling me about one person in particular that was there. A singer by the name of Kath. I remember her walking up and down the catwalk and mouthing the words to the songs with her daughter by her side. This would have melted the hardest of hearts; it was a beacon of hope and a symbol of courage and also, determination.

I have seen Kath sing a few times with my mum, and every single time I am reduced to a bawling mess. A voice like hers, a personality like hers deserves to be heard and seen by all. This lady goes beyond being inspiring. She’s on a different level altogether. People like her are so so rare, and their fight is something that you cannot help but admire.

When she covers songs, she does what only the best do; she makes it her own. She makes you believe that she wrote the song. One song in particular is her version of Smile. As I’m far too sensitive for my own liking, it does the opposite- it makes me cry. Like a baby. However, it is truly one of the most ethereal things I have ever heard. She makes you believe that she wrote the song, or maybe the song was written for Kath. Maybe she was destined to find this song and just make it her own. Her angelic voice makes you connect with the lyrics more than you could ever imagine connecting to a song.

Recently she went to Abbey Road Studios and recorded a stunning version of the song with the London Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. It is stripped so bare that, as clichéd as it sounds- all you can do when you listen to it is just smile. Smile because someone so wonderful lived out a dream. Smile because although this person is going through hell, they have created something so beautiful. It goes beyond words. I know I dislike the Isle Of Man, but seeing everyone come together for such a brilliant cause is just, well, it leaves you in awe basically. That’s all there is to it.

You can download the song(s) here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/smile/id586584142?i=586584570

And here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smile/dp/B00AMVZDRM

If you have Facebook, you can join the event page here also: https://www.facebook.com/events/517206194971048/

As of Wednesday, I’ve been told HMV on the Isle Of Man will be selling the single. As I have a Christmas job there, I will be forcing as many people as I can to buy it. If they don’t? Well, what kind of person would they be to refuse.

I don’t download music at all, but I urge you to download this song from the above links and bombard everyone you can think of to do the same. It is for a cause that sadly too many of us can relate to. Besides, it’s about time a Christmas Number 1 had meaning.

Be selfless, be kind. Smile.

HUNK.

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GOD BLESS SOFT POWER RECORDS.

That’s all there is to it really. That label are responsible for a lot of great music this year, so here’s another band that are nothing short of brilliant.

HUNK are another fine Irish band. They are three wonderful souls from Dublin that make a lot of noise. Except the noise creeps up on you. You see one of their songs, Hold Out starts quite tame. Then suddenly, not even halfway through, it just smashes you in the face. It takes you by surprise. So what you have to do is go back to the start again just to appreciate it- shock free of course. You wait for that drop to kick in just before it gets you right in the chops. It’s bloody wonderful, and from then on..well, that’s it really. Everything you knew before is suitably wank and this is all you need. Basically. I know I should be more “polite” with my words or whatever, but I had no idea. I just didn’t. And the word “wank” is a strong word to use to describe things isn’t it? I’ll stop before this goes somewhere I don’t want it to.

Dupe is another song by them that makes you want to dance. Now, excuse me, but when I say “dance” I do mean flail your gorgeous limbs about and just hope for the best. Be careful who you hit in the face. You may end up just hitting yourself. I’ve done that a few times. I don’t really dance. I like to sit and listen. I’m good at sitting and listening.

Their debut cassette is out on the 17th December through of course, the wonderful Soft Power Records.

You can listen to it here along with some other wonderful gems : http://softpowerrecords.bandcamp.com/