Category Archives: Influential Women In Music.

The Long Wives-Dark Horse.

Posted on by

“He rides a dark horse. Crosses burned in its sides. He rides hooded in the dead of night.”

My love for Brandy’s voice is on a scale that not even I can comprehend. I seem to listen to a few of her songs a day. There is something about her voice and her dark lyrics that bring comfort. Her voice is just utterly perfect. You always find a singer don’t you, that just does something to your soul. Something that you cannot explain. Yet when you try to explain, words fail you. I guess all you can do is share the music in the hopes someone else understands and falls for the music too. In an ideal world, this would happen. Maybe it still can.

Brandy’s been working with Yeah Yeah Yeahs on her debut single, Dark Horse. It is produced by Nick Zinner and Karen O. Brian Chase plays drums, and Nick unleashes his guitar (slide and acoustic) and keyboard skills on this haunting song. You do get a Yeah Yeah Yeahs feel throughout the song, mainly songs such as Warrior and Sweets; the darker songs by Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Dark Horse is pure and open. It is the kind of song that you simply must have on repeat (I’ve done so over the past hour, I can’t listen to anything else just yet.) Brandy’s voice sounds as eerie and as divine as ever. It really does annoy me that someone with this amount of talent, how someone so gifted isn’t huge you know? We give out free passes to those who make arses of themselves on reality shows, yet those with such talent are overlooked. It’s wrong. So bloody wrong. This could turn into a rant, so I’ll stop.

Brandy’s words are poems of the soul. Her words are like a cleansing of the soul. When you listen to her, you feel purer. You feel as if you have erased all past sins and you can live again. Her songs feel like you are being redeemed. That although you feel like a terrible person stuck in a dark place, you are probably more alive than most. To be in touch with the side of life that most shun takes strength and courage. You’ll find strength and courage in a song by The Long Wives.

Brandy makes music that gives you hope that out there, someone is still making music with heart and soul. This is music for the soul. This is music that acts like a confession. A step towards a cure for what troubles you.

You can listen to the single here : http://thelongwives.bandcamp.com/album/dark-horse-la-vengenista-single and is available to download and ALL sales of the single go towards Hurricane Sandy Relief. Get yourself a copy. Make a mix CD for someone, and stick this song on it. Tell everyone and anyone about The Long Wives, they just need to know.

I could quite happily sit here and write an essay on Dark Horse, but it’s one of those songs that requires nothing but your attention because words aren’t good enough; they quite simply won’t do it justice.

September Girls- Wanting More EP.

Posted on by

Next month, my favourite Irish garage rock band are releasing their debut US release. September Girls are easily one of the best female groups around at the moment. Any band that makes cassettes is a gem in my eyes. Well, providing they aren’t crap and I like them.

September Girls are exciting and wonderful, that is obvious. They make you go back in time. Say the 60s when girl groups truly had talent. The songs were about heart ache and the hair was big. Now the songs are painful to listen to, and you’d much rather you were deaf. Girl groups; where did it all go wrong?! Can I blame the Spice Girls? I can? I can’t? I’m going to. September Girls remind me of a tame version of The Black Belles. I bloody love The Black Belles. If you mix The Girlfriends with Dum Dum Girls and the Wall Of Sound era; you basically have the ideal band don’t you. That ideal band is called September Girls (DDG also, but this is about September Girls.)

Their 7″ EP consists are 3 beautiful songs that leave you typically wanting more. So all you can do is hit repeat over and over. 3 songs that leave you in a state of bliss and also leaves you unsure where you are. Are you in the present or have you gone back? Maybe you took a trip to the future and this is what it sounds like. If that’s the case, then to hell with all that’s happening now and catapult me to the future.

There is a glorious video to the song, Hells Bells which you can watch here :

Hells Bells makes you think you are at a cheap disco surrounded by good people. You just have to move you limbs about in a way that basically states, “I don’t care, this song makes me happy. Move out of my way.”

Wanting More takes you back to the blissful state that the summer left you in. You want to go back because for the most part, you had a pretty damn good summer. Give or take a few shit days; you still had a good time. Man Chats is just divine and is the perfect ending to this wonderful EP.

As this is their first US release (through Matinee Recordings) I hope with all I have they become huge in America and win over their hearts like they have won over mine.

September Girls make the kind of music that makes me love writing about music. Music is basically all I know and care enough to write about. The band fuel my love for this, and give me hope that out there, there are bands making music that is pure and honest. They merge all the genres I love into one. I just adore them a hell of a lot.

The EP is out next month, and you can purchase it here, along with some other cool stuff : http://matineerecordings.com/

Tamaryn-Tender New Signs.

Posted on by

“Deep inside a fever sleep, the dead air curls. And begs to be  breathed. She’s a fool, but time is a thief.”

Music should be peaceful and gentle. I know at times we seek out music that is a bit bold and brutal to unleash our own furies that we cannot do unless pushed/instructed to do so. You can drift through the day listening to the relaxing sounds of Youth Lagoon but at some point, a part of you is going to want to listen to something with a bit more bite such as say, Slipknot, so you can get out what you suppress. There’s nothing wrong with it, if anything it should be encouraged.

This is my third attempt trying to write about Tamaryn’s second record, Tender New Signs. I’ve no idea how many times I have played it since its release. All I know is that it is a massive distraction. Not that I see any fault in that. There are a lot worse things I can be distracted by. It usually is. As you listen to Tender New Signs, you feel every bad emotion in you pour out and a wave of love just takes over. It is like a glimpse into someone elses dream. You watch over them and try to pick up on the pieces that make them stir in their slumber. I’ve heard a lot of beautiful records recently. Some old, some new; but none have captured me like this. Tender New Signs is truly something else.

The vocals make your heart beat double time, and the music is so blissed-out, you cannot focus. Everything about Tender New Signs is just so pure and full of devotion. This is the kind of record you present to your love and say, “this sums up how I feel better than anything.” Then they listen, and they understand. They’re yours forever. If you can make your love a fan of Tamaryn, then they’re a keeper. Much like if they are able to sort out ways for you to cut down how much your phone-bill is every month! It all links in.

I could quite happily write about every song in detail and every image they conjure up, but I’d probably bore you to death. I must say that The Garden is one of the most magical and blissful songs I have heard in a long time, I think it is my favourite (so far.) Transcendent Blue has a gorgeous build-up to it that makes you feel as if you are drifting in and out of sleep. The whole record is just so divine and honest.

Everyday life is a bore at times, that’s why records such as Tender New Signs are so important. They are important because they create such a beautiful way to escape, and they also give you a beautiful place to escape to. The harshness of everyday life can leave us cold and unsure. Tamaryn’s voice soothes you and holds your hand into another world.

If you’re looking for a record that eases the mind and sways the soul, then you simply must buy Tender New Signs at once. If you’re not moved by it, then something must be wrong. Once again, this is another record I simply cannot put into a genre as there’s no word for it other than “beautiful.” It goes beyond being beautiful, but you get my point.

Bird.

Posted on by

I have a problem. Okay, so it isn’t a problem for me but maybe for others. I really cannot bring myself to listen to anything other than music that makes me feel like I am about to be chased through a forest and probably come to a bloody and brutal end. Music that instills fear in me, but at the same time is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever heard. The darker it is, the more I’ll enjoy it. I truly have no boundaries when it comes to stuff like this, and maybe I should. The thing is, if I did I’d be missing out on some incredible music. I must add that I do not sit here and type “DARK MORBID MUSIC” into YouTube or whatever, it just happens. I somehow find it. Or maybe it finds me. Wait, that sounds pretentious. I do actually spend hours looking for new music in the hopes I find something that freaks me out and also makes me feel like I’m being hugged by a friendly bear.

Liverpool is a wonderful city. I can make my way from Lime Street to my friend’s flat now without making her meet me and drag me there, suitcase in tow. Knocking into the locals and tripping up over myself. I’m so clumsy. I’m not tall, but fuck me I am clumsy. I just don’t like to pay attention. My eyes like to wander. There’s a lot to see. Anyway, Liverpool’s music scene is pretty damn good. Well, now it is. I’ve never been a fan of The Beatles. I don’t get it. Never have, never will. I tried and I tried. But I came to the conclusion that they were just boring. I know I’m in the minority but WHO CARES. They’re just a band, big deal. Let’s move on.

So Liverpool is the home of two bands I love a lot. Both are massively different. One is Beach Skulls and the other is a delightful trio called Bird.

Bird make music that scare you oh so delicately. They share a joined love for the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Warpaint and Leonard Cohen. This is enough to make you realise just how wonderful they are. Personally, anyone who loves these bands is a good one in my eyes. Obviously I shouldn’t be so naive but whatever. Anyway.

Bird has a sound that is so different to any band in the UK right now, In fact, the only artist I could say they share a likeness with is The Long Wives, now you know you about my love for this LA based singer so I don’t need to tell you again just now. There is a wonderful sense of darkness in the lyrics and the music compliments the mood in such a romantic way. The drums sound like a battle cry, the guitar causes you to sway and the vocals tug at your soul. You overlook the dark atmosphere and you realise just how beautiful it all truly is.

Adele, Lex and Sian create a magical universe with their music that you cannot help but be moved by. With only one listen you know you have given yourself over to something you cannot bring yourself to be removed from. Find a desolate place to go when you listen to Bird, and let them set you free. They remove you from the bad and take you away. Let all the rage and hostility burn out, and find something pure yet haunting in their music.

They recently supported Tamaryn and did a bloody mind-blowing cover of one of my favourite bands EVER, Bela Lugosi’s Dead by the genius, Bauhaus.

Like with most of the music I listen to, I really cannot put Bird in any genre at all. I wouldn’t know where to start. All I know is that they are a band you must keep a close watch on. Utterly exciting and a joyous experience. An absolute pleasure to listen to.

http://soundcloud.com/BIRDOFFICIAL

SISU.

Posted on by

If I had any ounce of normality or even sense left in me, I’d go to bed. But no, I’d much rather write. After I’ve done this I’m going to head to my room and write some songs. Maybe read. Then maybe sleep. I’ve got the perfect band to create a calming atmosphere. Are you ready?

SISU is Sandra from Dum Dum Girls other band. She thrashes the drums in Dum Dum Girls, but with SISU she calms you with her utterly divine vocals. She kind of makes you want to make your own music. I’m not musically talented at all. I can only write about it, but even my “talent” with that is bloody questionable.

What is it about SISU that grips you? Well to start with, EVERYTHING. As you delve deeper and deeper into their music, you cannot help but get a wonderfully New Romantic feel from it with hints of Siouxsie. Light Eyes is a prime example of this. If you’re getting into SISU on your own accord without knowing one of them is a Dum Dum Girl then you’re going to just fall in love. If you’re listening as a fan of Dum Dum Girls, you will also fall utterly in love with SISU.

Songs such as Infinity Net feel like a lucid dream. The best kind. It feels comforting yet quite haunting. The best songs make you feel this way. You conjure up images in your mind of desolate woods and total darkness. The things that stir you in your sleep, but at the same time inspire you to make something of your own. To make something of yourself.

The vocals on Sharp Teeth are INCREDIBLE. Enough to make you lose your mind and kiss the next person who walks past you. Providing it isn’t someone you dislike; but even then you may find enough tenderness in yourself to cast your dislike aside for a brief moment of kindness. Everything about Sharp Teeth is beautiful. You want to sing along; so do it. However, I must advise you be careful of your surroundings when doing so. Yesterday morning I was singing along loudly to Crocodiles and the postman knocked at the door. He heard me sing my little heart out. These things happen, they have to happen.

If you’re looking for a band that are going to give you delightful feelings that you may not be able to describe in words only noises or something, then SISU are for you. They are utterly for you. So just give yourself over to them.

Their music is dark and good for the soul. I know I haven’t done them justice with what I have written, so what I want you to do is go listen to them. Shut your eyes and open your mind to something truly out of this world. SISU are like falling in love with something/someone amazing for the first time, and with every listen you find something else to love about them. It is so pure.

SISU are delicate and stunning. You can listen to them right here : http://music.sisuband.com

Enjoy!

Myla Smith-Drugs.

Posted on by

 

Our vices and habits can sometimes be the things that destroy us, or are sometimes the only things we have. And what do we have? Do we ever own anything? I own nothing of worth. The most expensive thing I own are my Docs, they were £50. Material things mean nothing, but I really did need a pair of shoes at that time. They’re close to being ruined now; but they’re all I have. The more money you have; the more you want. I have no money. I panic when I find change in my pocket because I don’t know if it is mine. Like Bob Dylan sang, “When you got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.” Bobby provides the soundtrack to my life, always has. Always will. Pour out what makes you vulnerable, and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong.

When you listen to Myla Smith’s EP, Drugs you cannot help but think about all the things that make you weak. The things that make you a mess inside and you can only unleash them when you’re alone. A person could be your weakness, I think for most that is the case. One of mine is animal programmes. Watched a programme about a zoo yesterday and pretty much cried all through it. I may look like I’d mug you or something; but I’m too sensitive for my own good. My (fake) leather jacket is my shield. The song, Chemistry shows how a person can sometimes take over our minds and god knows what else with one look or one word. Sometimes this is a good thing; sometimes this is a bad thing. I don’t think I’ve ever let anyone get that close in order to fully relate to that though. But I know what it is like to have someone in the front of your mind. Always. That isn’t a bad thing.

This Time I Mean It is almost like letting go. You realise you need to let go of all the bad surrounding you. We’ve all got things in our lives that make us weak and make us think we’re dependent on them. Truth is, letting go is one of the strongest things a person can do. When you can turn your back on something or someone who is no good for you, it’s like you become a different person. You can become all you want to be. All you know you can be. Walking away is not always a bad thing.

As someone who is massively into lyrics; I simply cannot find any fault in Drugs (the album, actually substances? I do have an issue with. HUGS NOT DRUGS.) Not that I listen to anything to find fault in them. I’m not that kind of person. I’m too kind, I always must see the good in things and people. It’s a vice of mine, or maybe I’m just stupid. It’s alright.

What I’ve noticed this year is that a lot of strong EPs have been more evident than LPs. You can sure put Drugs up there in one of the most honest and beautiful EPs you’ll hear all year.

Drugs is released on the 16th October. Memphis is the home of many inspiring artists from Aretha Franklin to Otis Redding to Howlin’ Wolf, It is just the home of great music, and great musicians. Myla is easily one of them.

http://www.mylasmith.com/

Dum Dum Girls-Lord Knows (video.)

Posted on by

“Together but all alone.”

Have you got End Of Daze yet? You should. It’s the best EP you will hear all year. Okay, so after what seems like an eternity the video to Lord Knows is finally here.

Before I declare it as VIDEO OF THE YEAR (which it is) you must watch it with a clear mind. Maybe feeling a bit week and lost; because when the video has ended, you will feel complete again. This basically is what happens when you listen to Dum Dum Girls anyway. They give you everything you need, and much more in order for you to carry on. I know it is hard at times; I know more than I should. Lest we try to forget. Fight to forget it, and you end up wearing everyone else’s scars. What a bastard it is. But anyway, Lord Knows is like a call to change. To stop the hurt; to just be better. If this song was around a few years ago, I may not have been such a horrible person to a few. Maybe that all had to happen. I am without them, and I feel much better. Dum Dum Girls make it okay for you to have vulnerable and unsure feelings. The way Dee Dee writes is nothing short of great poetry. I’m talking the genius of Rimbaud. Mixed with the heart of Patti Smith and the soul of Lou Reed. She’s the Patti of my generation for sure. Don’t turn a blind eye, you’ll be missing out. You don’t want to miss out.

Lord Knows is dark and will ease you into self-discovery. If it doesn’t make you emotional then you are watching it wrong. The fragility of the video and song just hits you right in the gut. Christin Turner ( http://www.christinturner.com) has truly directed the best video of the year for sure. It is just 4 minutes and 19 seconds of pureness and honesty. The song and the video are nothing short of beautiful.

End the daze kids, end the daze xx

Dum Dum Girls-End Of Daze (EP.)

Posted on by

“I get so frightened. No one else seems frightened, only me.”

I have typed this over and over, hoping I could start it and go into something that makes sense. It didn’t work, so I downed some Jameson whiskey and I feel human again. Before I really get into this, if you aren’t aware of my love/admiration/respect for Dum Dum Girls then you may not understand anything I am about to write. Thing is, I don’t understand half of what I write. Out of sheer love for Dee Dee, Sandy, Jules and Malia- I am going to do my best get this to make sense. I make no promises.

There are so many things right about this EP. I have one problem- it’s an EP, not a full record. I want more and more. That’s just me being a greedy fan. I’ve got past that though, I can fully see how much we need End Of Daze, as an EP- not a record.

My love for Dum Dum Girls started a few years ago. Catholicked was the song I heard. “These sins are my own.” I heard that line and knew immediately I had found a band that would just mean more to me than anything else. Songs such as Rest Of Our Lives to Coming Down mean more to me than I can put into words. I stand by that their cover of Oh Those Eyes by The Vagrants is the best cover ever. I’m meddling in the past here aren’t I. I should tell you about End Of Daze.

You’ve heard Lord Knows already, right? Waiting for the video? Me too, but it will be worth the wait. Anything DDG do has always proven to be worth the wait. When a band can grip your attention and leave you always wanting more- that’s when you know you have found a band that are going to be your lifeline. What I adore about End Of Daze, is that from the very start you know it is going to be one of the most pure and beautiful things you will hear all year. I said before I heard it that End Of Daze would be the best EP of the year. Now, I am rarely right- but I am right with this. I can just feel it.

I cannot help but listen to the EP with a massive smile on my face. I don’t want to be THAT person, but a couple of months ago I put on Twitter something like “Wouldn’t it be cool if Dum Dum Girls covered Just Like Honey.” Dee Dee asked me to email her..who has their VERY own cover of Just Like Honey? I DO. I could reel off my favourite things that have happened this year, and that would be my number 1, for sure. It is something that I cannot put into words. Honestly one of the best and beautiful things anyone has ever done..I’ll never understand why Dee Dee did it, but I’m forever grateful.

The EP opens with Mine Tonight. If you’re like me and you pay very close attention to lyrics, you will probably see yourself in the lyrics. This pretty much goes for every song on the EP. There’s hurt, pain, death, love and loss surrounding End Of Daze. Yet the last track on the EP, Season In Hell feels like Dee Dee is telling you everything bad that has gone on, all those ugly feelings you posses so well- let it go, let it all go. It is over. End Of Daze feels like a healing process and is vulnerable. It is truly perfect and a joy to listen to.

Trees And Flowers is a stunning cover. I’m talking, “stops you in your tracks” kind of stunning you know? The lyrics seem much more  frail and open when Dee Dee sings them. For those who feel like their mind is a prison, you may enjoy this one more than most. I get it, I truly do. We all find our own way out in the end. It is okay to be scared. I guess you’re never alone, even if you feel like you are.

Something I truly adore about Dee Dee is how honest she is with her lyrics. When your art is your life, you can’t afford to be someone else can you? Sure a good writer puts themselves in other people’s shoes. But to allow yourself to be so open and exposed- that takes guts, heart and strength. A trait that I fully support, and wish more did.

One of my favourite lines from the whole EP comes from Season In Hell, “A confession’s not a cure. There’s always darkness to endure, on a path to be redeemed.” You truly pick up life lessons from a Dum Dum Girls song, End Of Daze is full of them.

I could quite happily sit here and right a thousand more words as to why I think it is the most beautiful thing I have heard all year. However, you can stream it here, a week before it is released : http://stereogum.com/1154362/stream-dum-dum-girls-end-of-daze-ep-stereogum-premiere/album-stream/

It is dark, it is comforting, it is pure and it is accurate. It is everything you want from a band that you love and more. I knew my mind was going to be blown, I just didn’t expect it to be as wonderful as this. Dee Dee, Sandy, Malia, Jules- Thank you xx

Cat Power-Cherokee (video.)

Posted on by

“Feels like time is on my time. Bury me upside down.”

Chan Marshall isn’t just a singer. The woman is a beautiful voice who makes art that just, well, it is good for the soul. She pours out every emotion you’re probably afraid to feel. She exposes vulnerability in a way that you wish you could. I remember hearing Metal Heart (original version) and just sobbing. I sobbed as if someone had told me someone I loved had died. My heart broke, but pieces were mended because finally- someone got it. Finally someone was unleashing all these ugly feelings for me. Her music isn’t something you play in the background, it is something you feel. You truly connect with her. She breaks your heart and makes you believe in every single word. Much like Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith. She is on that level.

Her new record, Sun is on a par with You Are Free. You Are Free is my favourite record by her. The artwork alone is just stunning. The video to Cherokee is nothing short of wonderful, and was directed by Cat. I hope this brings her new fans who truly appreciate the genius and beauty that is, Cat Power.

Happy 29th Birthday AJW.

Posted on by

“Mr Destiny 9 and 14….”

Some things, no matter how often you are faced with them. No matter how much time passes, no matter how often you talk about it or hear about it; it just doesn’t seem right. It feels like your heart broke over someone you never even met or knew, and you feel silly for feeling so sad. You’ve cried over the death of a person who you never met, and you don’t understand what kind of person you are. Are you silly or just in touch with your feelings? There’s no right or wrong. There’s no shame in feeling, ever.

You remember certain moments. Certain dates stick in your mind. Music does more than what we think it does. It heals, it hurts, it brings smiles, it causes tears. It is everything, and more. How do you go on without it? How do you go on when the one who told your story, and so many others, is no longer around? Maybe you learn to adjust to it, but that piece of your heart that broke; maybe it doesn’t heal.

Today, 14th September 2012, would have been Amy Winehouse’s 29th birthday. Some things just do not seem real. Regardless of how many times you read about it or hear others mention it. No part of you can get your head around any of this. So senseless and too much to take in.

The other day, for the first time since Amy died I tried to listen to her music. I got about 10 seconds in, and hearing her voice was too much to deal with. I turned it off. I hate that this is how it is now. I hate it. Maybe one day I’ll stop being such a wuss and get a grip. Until then, I will constantly believe that she should still be here. I could write thousands of words about all of this, but it has been said so many times before.

With all I have, I do hope that Amy is at peace and at ease. I hope she has healed and is safe.

Happy Birthday, Amy. You are dearly missed.

xx