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Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

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In 2003 something amazing happened. A sound emerged that made you think, “BLOODY HELL I’M BACK IN THE 70s WITH THE STOOGES AND RAMONES!” Well, I don’t know how you felt but its how I felt. I felt like my generation had its turn to experience something so raw and unapologetic. A sound that just sparked you up inside. This sound is labelled as awfully as “indie” to the disgustingly pretentious “art-rock.” Shove your labels, they are not needed here. Its music not food product.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs blew me away with the first listen. I remember when I first heard Date With The Night, and it had this mental pogo feel to it. It felt like you could just lose your mind to this band. Just give up and give in to the trio. Brian, Nick and Karen have this presence that lures you in.

When I saw the video to Maps, I couldn’t move. I was just stuck staring at Karen O, she cried and I cried too. Quite possibly Spike Jonze’s finest work? Possibly so. Maps is fragile and beyond vulnerable. It is a heart-breaking love song at best; there has never been a song like it. I’m sure we all have someone we think of when listening to it. It is so powerful, you don’t want to listen to it because it tears you up inside. Yet deep down, you know you cannot deny how amazing the song is. Only a fool would. Only a fool would fail to see how remarkable this New York trio are.

Fever To Tell is regarded by so many to be one of the great albums of the past decade and one of the best debut albums ever, must be something in the New York City water I reckon. Fever To Tell is made up of short, powerful songs- just like the Ramones. Yeah Yeah Yeahs have this brutal sound. Karen O sings like she is smiling through every word, even if it is as hurtful as Maps.

Songs like Pin and Black Tongue are highly energetic and just wild. That is the sound of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but then you have songs like Maps and Modern Romance that just haunt you in a gentle kind of way. The way Karen sings, “Don’t hold on. Go, get strong.” just stays with you. She sings it in a way that just steals your heart forever.

Initially I wanted to write about how important Fever To Tell is, but the thing is dear reader, every album they’ve put out is important. Each album is highly influential in different ways compared to the previous release.

Show Your Bones wasn’t as lively as Fever To Tell, but it still had that Punk feel to it. As does It’s Blitz! It just must be a New York thing.

The way the Nick’s guitar grips you on Gold Lion is exactly how he gripped you on Maps. His guitar playing takes you to places you didn’t imagine you could go. Brian’s drumming excites you to the bones. As for Karen’s voice, well it’s as dominant as ever.

My favourite track off Show Your Bones is The Sweets. I love how sad it is. Some may regard it as the newer version of Maps, I entirely disagree. There’s only one Maps. They’ve never made a replica of any of their songs. Yes, The Sweets is equally as heart-breaking as Maps, but it just takes you to a different place. To be honest, I think The Sweets is my favourite song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Everything about is so innocent and raw- the pain in Karen’s voice is so raw. The disappointment that comes through just shatters you. How can someone feel like this? It’s hurtful but comforting.

I could write thousands of words as to why I love The Sweets, but I honestly don’t think I’d get my point across the way I want to.

When Zero (first track to be released off It’s Blitz!) I got that feeling that I had when I first heard the band in 2003. That hyperactive and energetic feel was back. Again, no song is a replica of what they had done before. Each album they’ve put out has had a 3 year break in between; will they put something out in next if this is how they work? I don’t know, I can only hope.

Karen’s voice on the album is as erotic as ever. I don’t mean it in a seedy strip-club or free before midnight Freeview porn kind of way. I mean it in a classy, euphoric way. I’m fully aware me describing her voice like this is very weird, but anyone who’s properly listened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs knows exactly what I mean. I’ll stop before I make myself out to be even more odd than usual. Let’s digress shall we?

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are one of the most important bands to have existed and without them- we’d probably be lost. Their sound is something that nobody has ever done before and nobody has ever seemed to have tried to emulate. You cannot mess with perfection now, can you? The energy that the band has is enough to inspire you to go out and start your own movement.

Karen O is quite simply one the most enigmatic and hypnotising front-women since Siouxsie Sioux. The way she moves on stage to how she sounds on record just enthrals you, you cannot deny how captivating she is.

She’s more than just a fascinating front-woman, but she is easily a fashion icon. Her clothes (that leather jacket in Zero is beyond stylish) and her hair styles have influenced the way the average woman dresses to what designers create.

This group are influential in so many ways. They provide the soundtrack to your heartbreak and to your nights out. They’re just everything to me, and then some. They justify my love for most music that comes from New York City. A new album is much needed, but if we have to wait a bit longer then so be it. As always, it will be worth the wait.

Nico.

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So if we’re going to talk distinctive voices there’s quite frankly only one that is more superior than most. Now, my opinion on this is more than likely going to be biased due to the fact that this goddess of a woman was once part of my second favourite band ever in the history of bands. She was part of a movement that, at the time was truly wonderful. But now? Most under the age of 20 that listen to this band are culturally starved and self absorbed fools who take photos of themselves with their camera phone in shot. Oh and whilst they do this they complain of how fat they are when they weigh about 4 stone.

This isn’t going the way it should, but I don’t want to delete that paragraph because it is true. These woe-is-me hipster kids don’t know much, they’ve not lived. I mean I’m nearly 25, but I don’t claim to have lived much. I exist, and when life improves- I’ll go from existing to living.

I should really make my point rather than going on. I guess I’ve just got a lot to say.

Christa Päffgen quite simply had the most distinctive voices, ever. Seriously, ever. Okay so you may know her as Nico. The model, actress, singer, mother, daughter- regardless. She had talent. More than you have and more than I have. She had SUCH powerful voice. Husky at times and seductively deep. The way she sang on The Velvet Underground’s debut album just gripped me. It’s my favourite debut album ever; Nico’s vocals are a huge reason as to why I love it so much.

It’s not just her work with Velvet Underground that gripped me so; her solo work is equally as gorgeous.

My mum always seemed to play singers around the house that had strong voices. Voices that sounded like no other from Bob Dylan to Billie Holiday, I was blessed to hear them all. Joan Baez to Grace Slick, I had a healthy consumption of stunning music whilst growing up. I like to think I’ve honoured all my mum taught me about music by continuing to listen to music that can be held up against its predecessors.

Nico’s deep voice evidently inspired so many. Her sound wasn’t Punk, soul, pop, rock, folk or funk. It was her own. At best, I suppose if you want to label it- it was highly experimental. At the time, no other singer had this kind of voice. The way her voice complimented Lou Reed’s was just utterly stunning.

Before she met Lou and the rest of The Velvet Underground, she was a solo artist and before that she was a model. Now, as I’m no expert in the modelling department, I’m going to focus on her music. Not that I’m an expert in music, but you know what I mean.

Nico’s first solo single was the insanely wonderful, I’m Not Sayin’. I adore this song so much, for so many reasons. It’s just highly captivating and so moving. It’s such a beautiful, honest and heartbreaking song. Read the lyrics, you’re not human if you cannot relate to the lyrics at all. Oh, and Morrissey digs this song a whole lot too. Anyone that has seen him live with has been exposed to the glorious videos he plays before he comes on stage, and this is one of them.

Her first album, Chelsea Girl was released in 1967, which is the same name of the Warhol film Nico appeared in.

Before she released her debut solo album, she recorded one album with The Velvet Underground- yes the one with the banana on. Quite simply the best debut album ever.

Her voice on Femme Fatale always amazes me, it doesn’t matter how many times I listen to it. Each time feels like I am listening to it for the first time. That’s when you know a band have something truly special.

Hard to believe that at the time, this album was basically ignored.

You’d think that when an artist puts out a solo album they are free to do what they want. Say if they are in a heavy metal band, then can release an opera solo album if they wish. Why? Because they have no one to answer to and they can do whatever they wish.

Sadly, this wasn’t the case for Nico. She wanted more drums and guitars on her solo albums. What did she get? Flutes. Lots and lots of FLUTES! It broke her heart.

Her next two albums, Desertshore and The End had less flutes and more synths. Drama of Exile was the first album she recorded without John Cale (The Velvet Underground.) Her final album, Camera Obscura, however did feature John Cale on the album’s title track and he also produced the album.

Her take on My Funny Valentine is easily one of the darkest versions of the song recorded. There was so much pain in Nico’s voice on this song.

With such a distinctive voice and a catalogue of remarkable albums, it is no wonder that Nico has influenced so many artists. She never had an act; she was just true to herself and her art. The best kind never make compromises, they do what feels right to them. That’s how it should always be, no matter whom you are and what you do.

She’s influenced the likes of Bat For Lashes, Siouxsie Sioux, Bauhaus, Patti Smith and Morrissey. All of which have always stayed true to their art. Her delicate but powerful performances have influenced so many, more recently- Florence Welch.

A talent like Nico’s is extremely rare, voices as powerful as hers do not come around often, it’s just a shame it took her death for people to actually see how talented she truly was. She wasn’t just another girl in a Warhol film nor was she just another model. She had a gift, a rare talent. Something we hope and dream of having. Her voice had so much in it, and the pain you could feel in certain songs just made you connect with her in a way you’ll probably never feel again. You’ve probably only felt it when listening to Billie Holiday or Janis Joplin.

“I find it hard to believe you don’t know, the beauty you are. But if you don’t let me be your eyes, a hand in your darkness, so you won’t be afraid.”

Song Association.

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The thing about music that always amazes me is the ability it has to change a person’s mood so quickly to how it can bring people together- just by bonding over song. It is probably one of the most powerful forces, in an entertainment sense.

A piece of music can send you back to a certain time, sometimes a time that you wish you could forget. Or sometimes, it just takes you to that place where nothing and no one can touch you. A certain song can make you feel so unbelievably invincible, that you can take on anything.

If I hear White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane I am immediately taken back to being a baby in my mum’s arms being rocked to sleep. Me and sleep have always had a bad relationship. Bad because most of the time, I find it impossible to sleep. When I hear White Rabbit I don’t hear Grace Slick’s haunting voice, I hear my mum mimicking creepy voices to get me to sleep. Now, for most that wouldn’t send them to sleep- with me, it did. Go figure. Ever the oddball I suppose.

Most probably use this song to get stoned to, as someone who’s never gone near drugs- White Rabbit is associated with my childhood. A precious memory that nobody can ever take from me.

However there are songs and artists that I can associate with shit times. Times that I wish never happened, but they did. They had to happen in order to make me who I am now. Some don’t like who I am now, but I do- and that’s what counts. If I listen to certain songs by Ladyhawke I am instantly think of a person who used to make me happy a few years ago, there was a time where I just couldn’t listen to certain songs by her. Now I can, because they are just memories and it is just a song.

Sometimes you hear a song that you and a friend or whatever, change the words to, and make it your own. You change the words to provide a comical take on it, it becomes your song.

I’ve heard couples go on about “this is our song!” and usually, it’s the wankiest song ever. They pick the stereotypical songs. If it was me, I’d probably pick something by Zola Jesus or The Jesus And Mary Chain. A darker take on it, I don’t know why- it’s just more intense and means more. Maybe I’d choose Billie Holiday by Warpaint. Actually no, I don’t think I could. Warpaint are my lifeline, and if it was to go tits up- the song would be ruined.

See, you have to be extremely careful with choosing what song you associate with someone you are close to. There will come a time where you cannot stand that person anymore, I think it’s called marriage? If you pick a song that you love to associate with them- what happens when it goes wrong? You dislike a person AND a song. It’s not worth it. Or is it?

The flipside is, when you hear that certain song you think of the person you love/like straight away. Every single part of you just lights up, you feel alive and superhuman. You have to take the good with the bad. Sometimes a song can sum up how you feel better than you can. Personally, I’m a bit shit with telling someone how I feel about anything or anyone. I can easily write things like this, that I have no issue with. I can pour out my heart and soul into an article and leave myself vulnerable or whatever- but make me tell someone how I feel about them? No thanks, I’ll just tell you to listen to a certain song- much easier. I’d say less effort on my part, but that’s not the case. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find that one song that just says it all? Bloody difficult!

I’ve always said I will never ever associate anything by Morrissey or Florence & The Machine with anyone, in a romantic sense. When I hear Everyday Is Like Sunday by Moz, I think of being at home straight away or I’m in York with my mum watching him sing it- good memories, of course. If I hear Between Two Lungs by Florence, I’m at a Florence gig with my best friend singing as if our lives depend on it. These memories don’t hurt. They just make me want them all the time.

Music can trigger off anything in your brain and cause your heart to instantly jolt, that’s how powerful it is.

There’s one song that no matter what will always make me stop everything and probably cry. The Smiths- Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want is my life, always has been, always will be. I’ve cried to this song and I’ve loathed life and myself to this song. There’s something about Morrissey’s voice that just breaks you in this song, as does Marr’s guitar. It just breaks you. I Know It’s Over comes close to this to. When I saw it live, I’m pretty sure I cried like a baby. When you hear the songs that saved your life live, it does that to you.

There’s a difference between associating a song with a person and a situation. When a song is associated with a person, you can carry bad vibes towards the person and song. When it’s towards a situation, it is easier to let it go. You cannot help a situation but you can be entirely cautious of who you get close to.

When I hear The Model by Kraftwerk, I remember being a baby in the living room dancing to this. The same applies to Groove Is In The Heart by Dee-Lite.

When I hear anything by Aaliyah I have a ridiculous amount of mixed feelings that I just cannot put into words, I just can’t.

Certain songs remind me of train trips and road trips. When I hear anything by The Long Blondes, Gossip or The Horrors’ first album- I’m back at my first year of university. The Long Blondes first album was played to death by me during my first year of university.

We create so many memories in our lifetime, some are hard to remember and some re hard to let go of- that’s why music is such a fascinating and overwhelming force.

Whenever I hear Now That We’ve Found Love by Heavy D & The Boys, I instantly remember being in a car with my family driving to Italy for the first time (that I can remember.) I loved that song SO much; pretty sure I used to rap along to it and dance like they did in the video. My mum and I used to sing it to each other in car, probably pissing everyone else off. I must have destroyed the tape of it during that trip. I was about 4 or 5; I was obsessed with that song so badly. If I hear that song now, I have to text my mum to tell her.

I’ve not really had a point with writing any of this, I never really do. I suppose I just had to write it down. However, my conclusion is this- I’d rather have a person break my heart than them ruin a song or band I love for me. I can handle having my heart broken, just don’t ruin a song I love- that I cannot deal with.

Ariel Pink.

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If Soul music collided with chill-wave, would it work? Would it sound horrendous or would it just be the most stunning and relaxing thing you’ve ever exposed your ears too? Well, I’ve found something that combines the two and it works. You’re obviously free to make your own mind up, but trust me- if you combine the two it goes extremely well together.

Ariel Pink (aka Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti) isn’t really chill-wave to be honest. His sound is part psychedelic, part dream-pop with a hint of folk. It’s chilled out music at its best. I know that summer has been and gone. Well let’s be honest, did it ever really arrive? It depends where you live. In England, as ever, it passed us all by. There was this weekend in July though….

Anyway, I’m not a weather reporter. I’m just some fool who adores who music, so I’ll carry on with that.

Last year’s release, Before Today was so underrated. I know a lot of spectacular albums came out last year. Yes, I am going to mention it- Warpaint’s album was THE album of last year. Thing is, there is a link with Warpaint, well Emily Kokal and Ariel Pink.

This afternoon I was looking for a Warpaint interview, and I found an interview Emily did with Ariel. I’m not jus saying this because I absolutely love Warpaint with all I have, but it was truly one of the best interviews I have ever read. I think to have been in the same room as Emily and Ariel as the interview was being conducted, it just would’ve been a glorious experience. It went beyond music; it was just a brilliant read.

Before Today is such a floaty kind of album. It makes you feel weightless and that nothing matters- just like Warpaint’s album. It must be that beautiful LA feel, right?

It’s just the perfect summer sound, and I suppose with the dark evenings looming in- a sound like this is needed more than ever.

Can’t Feel My Eyes is my favourite off the album. I’m guilty of not giving this album the attention that it well and truly deserves. I think it’s because I was so into a certain band’s album that came out in October I just ignored everything (see, didn’t mention their name this time!) But it is a wonderful piece of art.

It’s an album to sit and watch the wave’s crash to, maybe hug someone whilst sitting on the beach. Or just sit on your own with your thoughts- either option works.

I know I say it a lot, but I firmly believe that music is about escapism. If a piece of music can get you to escape reality and place you in a different frame of mind, and to even put you in a better place- then you’re onto something truly remarkable. I listen to a lot of music that makes me feel this way, it’s sometimes an issue when I’m listening to a piece of music and I’m about to cross a road- I look both ways, but I take nothing but the music in. I guess I am well and truly obsessed with music. There are worse things I could care this much about.

Ariel Pink makes you feel so fucking alive. I’m not sorry for swearing, but it’s needed for once. It just does something to your soul. His voice and sound are euphorically soulful. That’s the only way to describe it. I’d love it if he collaborated with Adam Green, it’d be the strangest sound EVER. It’d work though. I’ve never done drugs, nor do I want to- but if they did a song together I imagine it’d feel like some spacey acid trip? Who knows?

Ariel Pink posses a sound that I’ve not heard before yet at the same time has that LA vibe to it. So many may dismiss it and wish to part themselves from it. I fully understand. However with Ariel Pink, you hope he doesn’t leave it behind because he’s taken a familiar sound and made it his own. There’s not many that can do that and do it well. He’s a true artist, in ever sense of the word.

Metric.

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There’s always a band that you can just go back to for anything. You can use them as an emotional crutch or you can just play them when life decides to go your way. The singer’s voice is so angelic; you cannot believe such a voice exists. When you saw them live, you remember how mental the guitarist went and you could see the sheer passion in each band member’s faces as they were on stage. They’re not just a band, they are more than that. They say everything others won’t say, they make music others are scared to play. They are quite possibly still the underdog, but the singer once said, “Even the underdog gets to have its day.” You cling onto her saying that because you can relate to it. You’re still waiting to have that day, but as each day passes and you get older- you realise something. You realise that this band have been a huge part of your life. You’ve adored them since the very start. You’re proud to call yourself a fan. When you saw them live, it was at such a shut part of your life- but their show slowly but surely dragged you out of the rut you were stuck in. You’re still not sure what the cause was, you can’t go back for answers. Move forward and move to your favourite band. That’s exactly what you did. You screamed every single word back. Am I boring you? I probably am. It’s 1.30am and I’m rambling before I start again.

Everything above is how I feel about Metric.

What Metric are to me is hard to put into words, and with that lengthy introduction I have metaphorically shot myself in the foot. What I dislike is that I can pour all these feelings into describing my love for a band; I can do that- no problem.  Yet I struggle a stupid amount to tell someone how I feel about anything. Not in a “woe is me” kind of way. I guess I just get nervous and frustrated when I have to talk about myself, I guess with writing like this I can do it in a different way. I can be me when I write about a band. I guess it’s my way of saying to certain people, “You got me wrong, I’m not a twat.” But hey, their loss is my gain. It just allows me to write like this. Maybe it is personal, but I want whoever reads what I write to feel it the way I do. I want them to think about the band they love when I write this way. I cannot write without putting my feelings into it. Maybe it makes me a bad writer, maybe it makes me sound like some obsessive fool. Maybe I am. I just love music; it’s the only thing that can make me feel like this. It makes me feel alive when nothing else does. It’s my life.

The way a song can make you feel 10 feet tall but then just break your heart has always fascinated me. How a song can just describe your life in one short sentence is mind-blowing beyond belief. How a certain key change can cause this spark to light up inside you throws you into a whirlwind. Again, this is how I feel about Metric.

Dead Disco was the first song I ever heard by Metric, “Everything has been done.” That line just stuck with me instantly, it still does. Years have passed since I first heard Metric, and that line is still relevant- possibly more now than ever. Old World Underground, Where Are You Now has so much going on. The aggressive riffs, the harsh drums, the raw bass and the angelic vocals. All of this is what makes Metric so appealing to me. Emily Haines is quite frankly highly underrated as a front-woman. She can hold a crowd just as well as anyone else- male or female. She goes wild on stage, she just grips you. I remember when I saw them live, and she held my hand for like 2 seconds, it was just amazing. I also had the honour of doing a phone interview with Jimmy and Emily in 2009.

What I loved about the interview is how personal it was. I didn’t feel like I was talking to members of my favourite band, I felt like I was just talking to two people I sort of knew about music. It was such a relaxed vibe; it was one of the best interviews I’ve ever done. As it was personal, I’ve never wanted to type up the interview. It was just before Fantasies was released and I had a promo copy. I talked to Emily about a song off the album that at that point in my life, just described it. To be able to tell the person who created a song that means the world to you what it means to you is such a euphoric feeling. It is truly remarkable, it always stays with you.

Even if you’ve never seen Metric live, you can easily sense how much they love the music they create on record. The passion just oozes out, it’s just bloody marvellous.

Live It Out is easily my favourite record by the band. I love every single song on the album, especially the title track. The lyrics are, well they just mean a lot. The whole album is just perfect from beginning to end. The album starts with Empty; the build-up in this song just makes you stop still. You cannot do a thing, “There is no way out, the only way out is to give in.” The way Emily sings this is stunning, then the guitar, drums and bass kick in and smack you pleasurably in the face- followed by Emily’s voice echoing, “Shake your head it’s empty.” This live is just out of this world, for 10 minutes they played so brutally. I’ll always hold this gig so dear to me. I’d waited years to see them, and I was front row amongst around 300 people. It was pure bliss.

Poster Of Girl is perfect. Emily singing in French, how could you not lose your mind to it?! Too Little Too Late is probably my favourite off the album, as soon as I publish this entry I may have switched it to Handshakes or something.

Metric’s music just means the world to me, it owns my heart. When I can’t sleep, I usually play some of Emily Haines solo work. It’s just gorgeous. Her delicate voice over a piano is so comforting; it just sends you off into a dream-world.

Acoustic Metric is stunning too, as is their cover of The Strokes song, The End Has No End. Everything about Metric just appeals to me. They posses the Punk ethic and hints of Riot Grrrl- I think it’s because they came out just as the Riot Grrrl movement was fast falling into the unknown, of course it still exists- but it’s underground, I guess that’s what makes it still highly important.

In over a thousand words I have tried to convey my love for Metric into words, instead I think I’ve just ranted like a tired idiot. I am tired; I’ll go to sleep as soon as I’ve posted this.

I just love Metric and I firmly believe they do not get the credit that they are rightfully owned. However, part of me loves this because they feel like “my” band. Nobody really knows of my unconditional love for this band and all they mean to me. I hold them as highly as Morrissey and Bob Dylan (they’ve also covered Dylan brilliantly.) They just mean everything to me, nothing in life is perfect- but I think Metric are close to it.

They are what true musicianship should be. They’ve never changed their sound to fit in, they’ve never stopped doing what they love to adapt to certain trends. They have always been honest and true to themselves.

When I listen to them, they just reignite this fire in me that is all too often being put out, when a band can do that to you- it’s fair to say that they are your life/a huge part of it.

“There’s no glitter in the gutter. There’s no twilight galaxy.”

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.

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I’m constantly drawn towards music and things that can be seen as “odd” to others. However, like Morrissey once sang; “There is no such in life as normal.” So I guess the stuff that I am into, isn’t really odd. It’s all personal taste. I’m not into calling myself things such as a freak, weirdo or odd to define myself. Nor do I like things that are strange to be different from anyone else. I like what I like, there’s no need to justify it. If you have to justify it, then it doesn’t move you. I believe if you have to explain why you love something or someone- you don’t mean it. The things that mean the most just can’t be explained. That’s why they are beautiful and important to you.

This does lead me onto something, trust me. I just like to ramble a bit before I make my point. You’ve probably clicked onto a different site now, but still- I’ll continue on.

I’ve always admired female singers with strong voices. The kind of voice that causes your jaw to drop, cover you in goose-bumps and just leave you in awe. Singers such as Billie Holiday, Grace Jones, Patti Smith, Grace Slick, Edith Piaf, Anna Calvi, Amy Winehouse, Florence Welch. The power in their voices is just inspiring.

However, there’s one person whose voice is stronger than all of these put together. This person isn’t female, but his song was covered by one of the greats, Nina Simone.

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is one of the best male singers ever. He had one of the strongest voices I have ever heard from a male singer, such power- such strength. Although he was famous for one song (I Put A Spell On You.) His live shows and the way he performed have easily influenced those who are drawn to the more dramatic and flamboyant way of performing. It’s just a shame they do not mention him to give the man the credit he is long overdue.

Some of his stage props could easily be seen as a shock tactic- he performed with a smoking skull named Henry. Some say it was to do with voodoo, others said he was just messing around. Art is art, the freedom to express oneself however they wish. You can call that art, but singers now have to yell out for attention by wearing next to nothing or a meat dress. That’s not going to make me take you seriously. Having a voice like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, will.

His bluesy and soulful voice is like no other. I Put A Spell On You just changed everything about music and how it was performed. He had guts and he had heart. The way he sings that song is how it should be sung. If you read the lyrics it mixes vengeance with pure longing. Some that have covered this song sing it so delicately, so you do not get the full effect of the song. I’m not saying this because I adore the band more than anything, but because they are the only ones to have covered the song and just conveyed everything Screamin’ Jay Hawkins did. Of course I’m on about The Kills. Jamie’s aggressive guitar with Alison’s angry and extremely passionate voice takes you to the same place as the original version of the song. I know with covers the whole point is to make it your own, but with songs such as I Put A Spell On You, to take anything away from it and make it different is just sacrilege. It has to stay mean, powerful, frustrated and obsessive. The sheer passion in the song has to stay, that is why I feel The Kills are the only ones to have truly captured this in the song (aside from SJH of course.)

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was a raw performer, everything about the way he sang and moved on stage just gripped you. There was no way on Earth you could possibly tear yourself from listening to and watching him. Some singers just have that “thing.” You cannot describe it; you just know what it is. It’s an understanding of what they are about. You dig it and you understand it. Something so deep yet so simple. You get it, but it’s too much to put into words.

During the early 1990s, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins toured with two great acts- Nick Cave and The Clash. See, the early 90s wasn’t all about dodgy dance music and acid house! He had also opened for acts such as The Rolling Stones and Fats Domino.

His whole demeanour has evidently influenced those such as The Cramps, Screaming Lord Sutch and more recently, The Horrors. The way he carried himself on stage was how a true performer should be. Such raw and aggressive vibes, but such a powerful voice.

Hard to believe that someone with such a gritty and gnarly voice studied classical piano and wanted to be an opera singer, right? Well, that’ll teach you to judge won’t it dear reader.

The Drums- Portamento.

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I remember first hearing Let’s Go Surfing by The Drums in 2009, and I think I felt how anyone must have felt when they first heard The Beach Boys for the very first time. I love The Drums because the mix the sounds of two bands that I adore in their music- The Beach Boys and The Smiths. They have a surfer feel to their music mixed with desperate, lonely, vulnerable and loving lyrics. They are one of the few bands that have perfected the art of misery and joy- sad lyrics, happy sounds. There are not many that can do this.

I saw The Drums live when they supported Florence And The Machine in May 2010, and I was just mesmerised by Jonny’s stage presence. He moved like Ian Curtis and Morrissey. I also remember my eyes wandering around the stage and I saw Florence watching the band from the side of the stage. Suddenly my attention just was lost; I didn’t know where to look. I was captivated by The Drums and Florence, it was a beautiful gig.

The Drums first album was a fantastic debut. As someone who highly adores the first album and was a bit pissed/upset with them losing a band member, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to the band. Would they call it quits? Would they take a different direction and just sound awful? Or would they carry on and sound stronger than ever? Of course, the latter is what happened. Portamento has instantly blown my mind. With first listen I am utterly captivated by the sounds and Jonny’s angelic voice.

What I love about The Drums is they constantly have this summer vibe to their music. I’ll be listening to this album in the cold, cruel British winter and I know it will feel like I am on a beach watching the sun set. If you’ve never felt lonely (admit it, you have- you’re human after all) or never had your heartbroken, you will feel like you have when you listen to Portamento. There’s more hurt and betrayal on this album compared to the debut. Maybe it’s to do with Adam leaving the band, maybe it isn’t. Whatever it is that makes Jonny write these gorgeous words down and sing them with such fragility, well there are no words.

I love that they didn’t take their time with releasing a second album, a lot of bands take a few years between the debut and “dreaded second album.” The Drums took a year- and in that year they’ve done so much and been through so much.

Portamento has synths- for someone who really isn’t a massive fan of synths. I think this is because for the past 2 years or so most bands have seemed to have OD on using synths and neglected raw sounds. At first I wasn’t so sure if a band such as The Drums could pull off using synths- but seeing as they are a true band and are technical with how they create music, they use synths in a brilliant way. They don’t overuse them nor do they let them overrule The Drums sound that their fans adore.

I’m not one for picking fault in music, I don’t enjoy writing anything negative about an artist’s work- mainly because I’m in no place to do so. This is why I love The Drums; they create music that is instantly easy to love. They make it so easy to praise them and just enjoy the music they have created.

Book Of Revelation is beautiful, “And I believe that when we die- we die.” As someone who questions the existence of anything and everything, I find this song to be extremely intriguing. I could probably just listen to this over and over, just to get answers to all I question. Maybe I’m of that age where I just doubt and question anything/everything. To be honest though, I’ve done it my whole life and more than likely- always will.

Hard To Love (“I would never leave you, but you’re hard to love.”) and I Don’t Know How To Love standout for me. I just love the way Jonny vocalises the desire to love and to do anything for love. The Drums are a highly charming band; I think that is why it is easy to see why they are influenced by The Smiths.

Although I love the band and I think that Portamento is such a stunning album (yes it’s one of my favourite of the year, easily) it I hard to put into words as to why it is so bloody good. Their sound is a lot tighter than their EP (Summertime) and debut album, but it still has that wonderful daydream feel to it. You can just listen to the album and fall into a daydream that is 12 songs long. It’s just beautiful. I know summer is well and truly over, did it ever start? But The Drums constantly keep it going with their music. They provide the warmth and comfort you should get from the summer. It’s just a wonderful album from start to finish. You can tell that they have experimented a lot more with this album, for some it doesn’t always work- but for Jonny, Connor and Jacob it well and truly does work.

Big Deal-Lights On.

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This year hasn’t been all too bad for music, that’s if you can let your rage go towards manufactured shite and reality “stars” being played everywhere. If you can get past that, and listen to something with substance- you’ll have realised that this year, some amazing debut albums were released. Such as Cults, Dirty Beaches, Anna Calvi and Washed Out. Now it’s the turn of one of my favourite duos and new bands of this year to release their album.

Big Deal don’t use drums. As someone who is consantly in awe of anyone who can play the drums and this euphoric, big sound they create- how could I possibly love Big Deal? Quite easily really. I remember hearing Locked Up lasy year, and I was so enthralled by what I was hearing. I loved how their voices flowed, it was juts perfect. A few months later I heard Talk and it was so stunning and so heartbreaking. The way they sing, “All I wanna do is talk, but seeing you fucks me up.” It’s so simple, but I know that so many can relate to it. Although the band aren’t a couple, you can’t help but think they mean it about each other. They have that chemistry in their lyrics, it’s quite overpowering- just like The Kills.

Big Deal’s sound is simple, it’s just them and their guitars. However lyrically, it’s so much more than that. There is such depth and twinges of hurt  in their lyrics that really comes across in their vocals, which at times sound so haunting and vulnerable. With a lot of bands, they can sing the sad songs but with no feeling. There is so much feeling in Big Deal’s music, I can’t possibly pick out which songs evoke the most feeling- they all do. The opener, Distant Neighborhood is probably one of my favourites. With first listen I can safely say that this is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve heard this year. In a way, they remind me of The Moldy Peaches- mainly because of how their voices go together. It’s just beautiful.

As far as debut albums go, this one is gorgeous. It oozes such fragility from start to finish, if you cannot find something to love in that- then I guess you don’t have a heart.

 

The Organ.

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As I was on the train, followed by the bus full of drunken wankers yesterday- I was listening to one of my favourite bands ever- The Organ. The split up a year after I got into their music. It broke my heart, I don’t talk about it. It’s like when The Long Blondes split up- the wound is still open and it hurts a lot to mention it. They are two bands that never should’ve split up. Purely selfish reasons as I adored their music and just wanted so much more. However, there’s solo projects and past releases to ease the pain.

The Organ was in a way, the female version of The Smiths. How so? Listen to the lyrics. Katie Sketch, aside from having one of the most distinctive and gorgeous voices ever- was and still is a bloody brilliant lyricist.

Their music in some parts is sheer loneliness and desperation; I suppose that’s what can make them appealing to some. Even the vulnerable need something to lean on even if they don’t wish to admit it. I love The Organ because they came at a time where there was nothing like them. They came at a time where the Riot Grrrl movement was starting to fade out (I firmly believe it exists, it’s just underground) and something else was needed. However, after The Organ called it quits in 2006 nothing else really emerged. I suppose now you can say that Warpaint are the band to inspire females to get into music and start a band. Of course there are other female bands, but Warpaint are the ones doing it RIGHT at the moment.

The Organ had some amazing lyrics and their songs were divine and highly heartbreaking.

I suppose I adored The Organ so much because of the lyrics. Love, Love, Love is probably one of my favourites. I have no idea what Katie Sketch intended with it, but my take on it is- wanting to find love, find love and your/their stupidity causes it to be destroyed. It’s an easy song to relate to-like all of their songs. That’s the beauty of music; you can create your own meaning. Make it your own.

My favourite lyric penned by Katie Sketch has to be, “Our hearts didn’t come together, but I saw the two collide.” I’m not entirely sure what it is about this specific line, but it just captured my heart the very first time I heard it. Grab That Gun is such a glorious album; there are no bad songs on it at all. I believe it should be included in those lists of albums you need in your life that various publications like to annually create. It was the only full length album the band ever released, and it’s such a shame because it was just a blueprint of what the band could’ve truly become.

As they only released one album, it is so easy to want more from them. That’s what happens when you become emotionally attached to a band that then split up. Yes, I am also aiming that at The Long Blondes.

The Organ, I feel, will always be the underdogs- so highly underrated; it’s just ever so unfair that a band with such talent was just overlooked.

Steven Smith is a song that I adore, and probably because it is a tribute to the genius that is- Morrissey. Certain lines in the song, if you’re a Morrissey fan make you grin slightly because you feel it too. I really love the last part of the song, “When everything is quiet, the ringing in our ears will be awfully violent. And then there will be silence.”  It is quite a sullen line, but I just love the feel I get from hearing it. You can imagine driving around with just the city lights bouncing off the pavements, it just creates a desolate feeling- but that isn’t always a bad thing. As they give off such feelings of loneliness in their songs, it makes the actual feeling less painful and daunting.

The Organ could’ve been as big as The Smiths- who knows. All I know is that they are one of the most important bands to have ever existed.

I didn’t want to touch on this specific fact due to it not being anything to do with the music. However, with the amount of “out” lesbians in music being close to scarce, bands like The Organ just made it slightly easier. Of course homophobia exists in music as does sexism- but put The Organ against any band regardless of gender and sexual orientation- and they are just as good, probably better. They had something, they had this spark in their music that just got to you in ways that you thought were unknown and thought you couldn’t feel.

The power in Katie Sketch’s lyrics still overwhelm me, even though I’ve listened to them so many times- I still get that same feeling. Their song, Brother has such a euphoric build-up in it, it just takes you over. You have to just shut your eyes and allow yourself to feel so vulnerable and weightless to truly feel the real essence of the song.

Bands such as The Organ made me feel slightly more comfortable with who I am. I’ll always have a twinge of uncertainty with regard to who I am, but it keeps me going- as does music by the likes of The Organ.

The Kills.

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I love bands that play with everything they have. I adore it when you can tell a band is doing it for the music and not to seek approval of others. Every word sung and every note played is done with such importance- it is as if their life depends on it. The connection band members have on stage is one of the greatest things you can witness. To see a band just bounce off each other’s vibe is incredible. You can sense their love for each other and the music they play.

One band in particular that do all this, and so much more are The Kills. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to see them live knows exactly what I mean. Alison and Jamie do not even have to interact with the crowd much, how they are with each other is more than enough.

I saw them live just after Midnight Boom was released, I had an (un)healthy obsession with them as soon as I heard the album Keep On Your Mean Side, and to see them live was like watching something you shouldn’t be watching. They have this connection on stage that I have never ever seen before. I have never seen two people have that bond before- whether famous or not, it is so rare. I think in our lives, you do find someone like that. You will probably argue with them and want to throttle them- but at the same time, if anyone ever hurts them- you feel it too. It is the most important relationship you have (not in a coupley/sexual way). It’s your lifeline. That’s just my take on it.

You can easily see how much they adore each other. From the way Jamie grins at Alison during certain songs to how Alison just looks at him in awe when he pretty much goes mental on the guitar. The look of love and understanding they have for each other is so precious and so beautiful.

I can’t remember exactly where I was when I first heard The Kills; all I know is what just after Keep On Your Mean Side was released. I fell in complete love with what I was hearing. I wanted to know everything about their sound. How it was created and what influenced them. They kick-started my obsession with The Velvet Underground and the blues all over again. I was just so happy that a band combined everything I loved about music and made their own sound. It was so different, it still is. There is no band around that are doing what The Kills do, and have done. They make this harsh, brutal music that just constantly has you in a chokehold and you don’t want it to ever let you go. If it does, what are you left with?

When I listen to The Kills I feel like nothing can touch me. It becomes like a protective shield. I urge anyone to go for a walk listening to Fried My Little Brains or Cat Claw and not feel fucking invincible. Songs such as Kissy Kissy just ooze vengeance and rage, I love it. That’s why I love The Kills so much. All this frustration just pours out of their songs, but they do not do it in a self-pitying way. None of their songs are self-pitying, that’s why I love them. Yes they touch on heartbreaking subjects (see Black Balloon, The Last Goodbye) but none of it is “woe is me” at all. They do it in a way that just breaks your heart yet you feel fine because Alison is singing the things you wish your heart could channel your mouth to say. I guess, this just proves other people’s words can mean more than your own at times. Or maybe, you trick yourself into believing that because you cannot find the words to say. Call it whatever you want, it’s just beautiful.

In their interviews the intelligence and passion they have is so breathtaking and so calming but as soon as they hit the stage, it is totally different. Alison stalks the stage like a lioness and Jamie is in his own world- with Alison. You can truly see that they live for music and playing live is everything to them. That’s why you can easily believe in everything that The Kills are.

Each of their albums instantly threw me. Although each albums sound different from the last, they have always maintained that raw, unapologetic, aggressive sound. They are one of the few (or possibly the only bands) contemporary bands to carry the true Punk ethic in their music. It is so inspiring.

A lot of bands, to create a sound so distinctive need layers and layers to their music. They need to have certain producers to have a specific sound or they need a gimmick. The Kills quite simply, don’t. They are two best friends making music that is beyond. It is beyond words, beyond emotions. Sometimes it is hard to get your head around the fact that it is just two people making this sound. Something I find highly inspirational about the band is that Alison just left everything in America to come to London to start The Kills with Jamie. There is something so utterly inspiring about this, it makes you want to leave everything and achieve your goals.

From a personal perspective- this is why The Kills mean so much to me. They sacrificed so much and invested so much to be where they are now. There is no doubt that they are one of hardest working bands around. They give you hope that if you cast everything aside in order to get what you want- you can get it.

An image that is constantly evoked for me when I listen to The Kills is two outlaws on the run, on a neglected, dusty road in America. The fierce sound just conjures up some fantastic images in your find. The words they sing just blow me away. Lines such as “Elevator straight into my skull. An escalator rises as it falls.” from Black Balloon and “She covers one eye ‘cause she can see into your mind, and she no longer wants to.” from Gypsy Death & You are lines that just always always leave me in awe.

When I heard Blood Pressures, I was just taken aback with what I was hearing. The waltz feel on The Last Goodbye really hits you in the gut, and I firmly standby “How can I rely on my heart if I break it, with my own two hands.” being the best line I have heard in a song this year, it’s quite painful how much I can relate to it- but it gets you through the day doesn’t it.

The Kills own a large chunk of my heart. Their lyrics, the way they are on stage and in interviews, the chemistry they have with each other, their music- everything about them. It just means more than the world to me. They just blow my mind every single time I listen to them. Every time I play their music it is like I am discovering them for the first time. They are timeless and influential. If a band can make you feel like this with every listen, then hold onto them. Something tells me The Kills are a band that won’t let go. The fight and drive in them is inspiring. It’s important to find something to fight for and believe in, music is mine- especially with bands such as The Kills. They also prove that all you need is two people to make some of the greatest music ever, and sometimes all you need is just the one person to believe in you- and to see the good in you when no one else does.