Category Archives: Influential Women In Music.

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/

The Long Wives-Dark Horse.

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“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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.)

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“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