Warpaint-Set Your Arms Down.

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“You’ve got to try.” 

When you love something or someone with everything you have, you notice different parts and features every single time you are faced with it. I guess it keeps the love and attraction going. There are different ways of being in love. When you’re in love with a band, it goes beyond that feeling of being in love with a person. A person that you may or may not be with. Then again, if the feeling isn’t reciprocated is it even real on your behalf? You don’t have to think about it. If I were you (and let’s be glad you are not me) I wouldn’t bother wasting your thoughts on it. Direct it all towards a different thing. Go read a book, go for a nap- shut off. When I feel like I just don’t want to be bothered, I just listen to music. I listen to one specific band. It doesn’t take a genius to know it is of course, Warpaint.

My love for Warpaint is one I will openly write about here. I don’t think anyone actually understands what it means to me when I get a comment or email about Warpaint and how I write about them. I’m told I manage to get out how I feel about the band in a way the person wishes they could. Thing is, Warpaint make me feel I can be totally honest and open. Since being a fan of theirs, it is like I have allowed myself to get rid of ugly feelings and replace them with something worthy of feeling. They give you this sense of openness that doesn’t make you ashamed of who you are. We all struggle at some point with who we are. You can be so together on the outside, but inside you’re a mess. Sometimes a band is all that can put you back together again. I probably wouldn’t be so laid back and calm if it wasn’t for Warpaint.

Warpaint teach you to let go. I mean really really let go. A piece of music that sounds like a battle cry for the soul, well- that’s sometimes all you need. That’s why I’m going to attempt to write about The Fool opener, Set Your Arms Down.

Setting your arms down can be seen as dropping your weapons. Giving up to your defenses and facing up to what you are, and who you are. Not to mention all you have done. I remember hearing this record and being in awe of every single build-up in every song. Even in songs like Baby,m there is a sense of intensity in that song that is overwhelming but quickly turns into one of the most vulnerable songs I have ever heard.

Set Your Arms Down is a perfect album opener. As they tell you to set your arms down, you feel it is an instruction for the listening process of the record. You must surrender to this band. You must give it up for Emily, Theresa, Jenny and Stella. They must have every single part of you as you listen to them. Thing is, Warpaint are not a band you just play in the background. They aren’t a band you tidy the house to or play for friends. They are a band you play if you want answers. They are a band you play when you want to find the part of you that has been missing for so long. They take you on a journey that you cannot ever imagine taking with anyone else. They become, with first listen, a part of you. They become a way of life.

I guess sometimes when I write about Warpaint it is like a catharsis. Like I am cleansing myself of something by listening to them and writing it down. A lot of the time, I just throw away how I feel or how certain things make me feel. Warpaint chase away all that fear. It begins on The Fool with Set Your Arms Down. The lyrics really really mean a lot to me. It is like they are telling you to give it all up and face everything. Keep trying, because it’ll be okay. It is basically like a swift kick up the arse. The intense vibe in this song is so powerful. The instrumental towards the end makes you feel as if everything you fear in life is coming towards you- and you are stood frozen. Without your defences, facing it all. The song ends, and it is totally up to you now how you deal with the outcome. Are you going to fight off all you fear? Or are you going to remain a coward?

My favourite lyric in this beautiful song has to be:

“Walk through the fire, walk ’till it gets light.  There is no hiding to  save your life.”

I just find it to be so important, and so true. You have to walk through hell in order to get to where you want to be. You can try to hide as much as you want, but you cannot escape all that bothers you, and at times consumes you. You just can’t That’s what I take from this song. I know I probably seem borderline mental with my love for Warpaint, but everyone has a band that give them a feeling of being able to do anything. Being able to face up to all they must. I guess what I’m trying to say, is that Warpaint give me courage. I don’t know how it is for any real Warpaint fan- but I know that there are some out there who feel this way. Warpaint don’t just sum up how you feel- they also make sense of it. Sometimes it isn’t in their lyrics, sometimes it is just the way their music flows through you.

I have played Set Your Arms Down on repeat so many times whilst going for walks. Walking to nowhere in particular. Sometimes you just need to get out and clear your heard. Warpaint do that. They cleanse you and clear your head in a way that no other band comes even remotely close to doing.

There’s a change on this song. Theresa does the drumming on this song, and she plays equally as strong as Stella. The guitars sound like water flowing through, whilst the bass-line feels like the part of you that is being held together. The song doesn’t lead you astray, it holds you together. Warpaint make you feel like you can do anything, even if you’re a shy and sensitive soul like myself; they kind of bring you out of your shell a bit. Although you cannot physically share what they have given you with anyone else, as it so sacred- you keep it in your heart, nobody can take that from you. Ever.

Forloco-Foxx.

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A couple of months back, I wrote about a brilliant band from Leeds. As someone is half Yorkshire-ish (it’s probably not the right word) I will probably love you if you are from the best county in the UK. I don’t care if your music is cack, if you’re from there- I will find it in my heart to adore you. Luckily, Forloco aren’t cack. Far from it.

They’ve got a new track out, it is called Foxx. When I first played it this evening, I played the first minute over and over because it gave me that ethereal feeling you get when you listen to The xx. You know that sort of spaced out feeling that makes you feel like you are the only person in the universe to feel that specific feeling? That pretty much happened.

I’ve had the song on repeat for a while now, and I am in awe of the tension in this song. It has this incredible build-up in it that you find in The Cure and such. A 80s gothic vibe slips and slides its way throughout the track. You expect it to be utterly menacing right from the start. The song makes you feel like you have been abandoned in the woods and this song is your way out. Your salvation. I don’t want to seem like someone who uses mental images in order to make themselves sound like they are a good writer. Far from it. I don’t write this way because I’m pretentious. I’m really not. I just have a massive imagination, probably the kind an author has- but I do not have it in me to write a book. I use this blog as an outlet to convey how music makes me feel and to promote new bands that you MUST hear. I don’t think I’m good at what I do, whatever it may be. I’m just someone who loves music and wants to share this with anyone who is willing to read. I hope you download this track by Forloco (it is free, I don’t have an issue with bands doing this. I do have an issue however, with people illegally downloading music!)

I want you to download this track. I want you to go listen to it on your own. Turn your phone off. Put your headphones in. Let Forloco take you to another world. Metaphorically let your hand be held, and let every thought and every shit feeling you posses leave you. Just let go, and enjoy the moment.

It’ll be the best 5 minutes you spend today.

You can get the track from here : http://soundcloud.com/forloco/forloco-foxx-17th-may

Alpines-Empire (video.)

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If Kate Bush had a musical baby with Siouxsie Sioux, and got a bit of Depeche Mode in on it too- they would create Alpines. A few months ago I finally got to see them live. I stood still for their set. I didn’t move. I was in some kind of trance. Thing is, when I listen to them normally, I have the same reaction. You know when you hear something and it just stops you in your tracks? Everything just stuns you. You cannot wrap your head around it all because it, and I loathe the word so much, but it has this epic feel to it. Thing is, I don’t mean it in that annoying way that people use that word. They’re use the ones that use “LOL” or “FTW” when they TALK to you, and all you can do is picture several ways to leave them with a bloody lip. I’m using the word epic in its truest form.

Alpines create music that has this very grand but dark feel to it. Most of their songs have this intense build-up. You think you know when it is coming, when the final throe occurs. But they catch you off guard. Alpines are EASILY one of the best duos around. You can put them right next to Beach House with regard to creating euphoric music that hits you in the SOUL. It goes deeper than hitting you in the pit of your gut and the depths of your heart. Your soul is captured by these sounds.

The video to Empire is wonderfully dramatic, much like the song. Dark ,eerie, big and takes over every single part of you.

Crocodiles.

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“I’m a stranger in the holy land,
But I keep my strangeness close at hand.”

 

I compare most (music based) things to how I felt the first time I ever heard Garbage, The Cure, The Smiths and The Jesus And Mary Chain. If I don’t feel slightly corrupted, violated or thrown into some kind of trance- then I hold no hope of ever being a fan. I need to feel something so strange, brutal and beautiful all at once when listening to a band, especially with music. I’d say I know what this makes me, but I really don’t. Aside from being weird, that’s all I can take from this. Then again, we cannot define “normal” because it is just a social ideal that doesn’t exist. It is there to make most of us hate ourselves. If you hate yourself a bit, then it’s okay. You know why? Because there’s probably more us that carry a touch of self-hate around than there are of us that actually like, let alone love ourselves. Feel the fury, feel the frustration. Maybe one day I’ll write a book. I won’t. That’s just another thing I’ll never do. So with this stale introduction to a band that are the opposite, I’m going to try put into words as to why I am in love with Crocodiles and have been for the past 3 and a half years.

It all started with feeling low. It started with feeling so low whilst in a shop that sold albums, and stuff. I was going through anything. Everything. To find an album that could possibly get rid of this feeling. You know the feeling, the “love of your life” ends things with you for the final time and you get summoned back to your mother’s because she thinks you’ll go off the rails. Thing is, as fucked up as I felt inside- I did pretty damn well. I turned to music, and let it do the healing. I bought two records that day. One by Cold Cave, the other by Crocodiles. I’d heard of both bands before- and the artwork to both records drew me in. Simply powerful. I went home and played them. Whatever took me over that day made me feel better than anything else possibly could. They say you don’t forget your first love. I say in time, you forget certain things. Or you do the wise thing and don’t ever think about it because clinging onto the past will harm you in so many ways. I don’t understand people who cling onto the past you know? You get your heart broken, you get on with life. I managed to do that when I bought these two records. Both records allowed me to free myself from this cloud of misery I thought would stay with me forever. Basically, I grew up.

 

I found something in Crocodiles that I reckon those who were around when The Jesus And Mary Chain first started found. That feeling of, being sucked into something so dark and sinister- it gives you comfort. As person, you are told to never feel anything dark. Hell, most would rid us of emotions if they could. With Crocodiles (and TJAMC) they just sucked me into this world of all things dark. I wanted to do nothing but listen to them all the time. I’d walk to work, play Crocodiles. I’d go to the gym, play Crocodiles. Read, play Crocodiles. They weren’t just part of a healing process I had to drag myself through, but they showed me a world I could create that no one could ever touch. They opened a part of me up that was so fucking reserved and miserable They killed that part of me, and helped me become the person I probably should’ve been much sooner. Things take time.

I’m fully aware that I’ve gone disgustingly personal with this, but you’ll never meet me probably. Anyone who knows me will never read this. You’ve already made up your mind. If you think I’m an ass, you may be right. You may be wrong. We all have good days, we all have bad days. I may dress in all black and look like a moody bitch. Truth is, I laugh at most things. Mainly myself though. Pay people no mind. What’s the point. Through being a fan of Crocodiles, I learnt to stop caring what a person thinks about me. I learnt that I have to do things my way. Music sets parts of you free that people try to restrain. I’m not one for actually listening to what I’m told to do. I rarely ask for advice. If I’m going to fuck up, I’m doing it on my own. I am not taking anyone down with me.

Summer Of Hate gave me this confidence and belief to carry on. I’d just finished Uni and, I had no idea what to do with my life. I graduated 3 years ago, and I think I’m sure of what I want to do. It’s just making it happen, which is proving to be a pain in every part of me. I’m tougher than I think, so I won’t give up. Move on a year later, and Sleep Forever comes out. The exact same feelings hit me again. Creepy vibes and sinister trances. I think it was obvious by this point that Crocodiles were becoming more than just a band to me. The romanticism in their music gives me hope. They talk about life and love the way not many of us see it. Which is why I love them so much; they say everything I feel without me having to open my mouth. I only open my mouth to sing along. I remember hearing Mirrors, and even now it still gives me such a euphoric feeling. That feeling of knowing, you can amount to something. That what you’re doing is right- so fuck anything and anyone who tries to tell you no, and that you ain’t worth shit. Girl In Black is one of my favourite love songs ever. I’m going to put it right next to Lovesong by The Cure. It is THAT heartfelt and honest. The longing in Brandon’s voice is so beautiful. You also hear a wonderful sense of poetry that is greeted with so much sensitivity in the song, Sleep Forever : “I will love you til the sky above you. Shatters over you and me. And lays us down to sleep forever.” That is what REAL and unconditional love is. We should never fear feeling it or giving it out.

 

Writing this is easy, which is probably why it may not read so well. I’m putting most of what I have right now into this. I’m not sure why. Sleep Forever is much darker than Summer Of Hate. The lyrical content is quite ghoulish. The music compliments the desperation in Brandon’s voice so beautifully. You feel traumatised, you feel as if you are about to tip over the edge- and for some, this is a daunting thing to feel. The best thing you can do when you are faced with any fear, is to just kick it right in the face. Face it head on, and make it your bitch. Simple. Although, it can be easier said than done.

Real soon, their third record is going to come out- Endless Flowers. I honestly cannot tell you how excited I am for this. I am ready for what they have to offer. You see, Crocodiles are another sacred band of mine. I don’t have any friends that listen to them at all. I don’t know if I could listen to them with anyone, I’d probably be a bit hurt if they didn’t connect to them like I do. You cannot please everyone, and I stopped trying a long time ago to do so. Crocodiles are one of the very few bands that helped me toughen up a bit. I should probably feel like an idiot for being this open. Whatever. Crocodiles are worth it. Oh, and they fully fuel (and justify) my love for bands from California.

There are so many things that drew me in to Crocodiles. They have this amazing 60s girl group feel in their production. Then you have this wonderful merge of something reverby and psychedelic going. They just combine everything I love about music, and make something that blows my mind with every single listen. I’d call it soulful too. What Crocodiles mean to me is exactly what Dum Dum Girls mean to me, what The Kills mean to me and what Warpaint mean to me. All have created sounds that make you so glad to be alive. Sure the music can get dark, but through the dark you always find hope. And when you find hope, you MUST..you MUST hold onto it.

Give the people hell, and smile.

Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt.

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Hip Hop was, and still is a huge part of my life. The good rappers, the ones with something to say are poets. Some are more articulate than others. Some take you to that place they intended their music to take you. Some make you feel part of the nightmare that they are vocalising. I love words, and anyone who has a way with words will always claim a piece of my heart. I guess my love for words comes from wishing to have the ability to have a way with words. I’m one of those twerps who, getting information from- it’s like getting blood out of a stone. If you must find out how I feel about you, ask me to write you a poem or song. Some I have found the heart to actually say it to, in my own way. Hip Hop taught me how to be honest in a way that I didn’t know a person like me could. What kind of person am I? I ask myself that more than I should. So, Hip Hop became another outlet for me during secondary school.

I got into Jay-Z’s music two years after Reasonable Doubt came out. I think I was reading Vibe magazine (I had a subscription for it, I was cool!) I was just in awe of this article about him. I was drawn into everything he said. I felt connected to a person who I had never listened to- but it was enough. So, I saved up and bought Reasonable Doubt. Within the first few weeks of owning it, I ruined it. It got scratched because I played it to death. But I knew..I just knew that I was listening to one of the greatest records ever. It goes beyond being a brilliant debut record. It became the blueprint of how Hip Hop should be, at that time. I own every Jay record. He became a massive obsession, he still is. I can quote every song on Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. The Blueprint got me through hell and back. Song Cry broke my heart then, and it still does now. If I could list the people who influence me- Jay would be right up there. To make something out of nothing, I respect you with all I have. Do what you must, and stay true to your heart. To yourself.

I love Jay because regardless of race, religion, background, anything- you can relate to at least one of his songs. Reasonable Doubt just did something to me that maybe a teenager growing up on an Island in the middle of the Irish Sea wasn’t meant to relate to. But I could. It was the frustration and his way with words that just hit me right in the heart.

The samples used on this record are insane. It should be a crime to sample so good. My personal favourite sample has got to be The Look Of Love by Isaac Hayes on Can I Live, which is probably one of the stand-out tracks on the record, I mean check this out for a lyric:

“It gets tedious,
So I keep one eye open like, C-B-S.”

If you don’t know, the CBS logo is of one eye. Smart right? Of course. Jay doesn’t really jot down his lyrics, he memorisies them. He’s more than a rapper, more than a poet. The man is a bloody lyrical genius. Just when you think you’ve heard something stunning, he pulls out another line that just blows your mind. The songs on Reasonable Doubt cause you to pull a mental face and just nod your head to every single beat. You spot the samples, causing you to hear the original in a way that is different from to how you used to.

There’s so much honesty on this record. With the honesty comes life lessons (Regrets) and pain. This record can teach anyone all they need to know about life. From being slapped in the face with disappointment to how you deal with it. Foxy Brown and Biggie appear on this record. Big deal, right? Mary J Blige too. Going by this, there’s no way you can deny just how powerful this debut record was, and still is. It’s one that so many rappers still label as a huge influence. If Jay can do it, then anyone can? Well, maybe not. Has there really been anyone as big as him since? I’d put Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Common right up there as being as influential. But Jay..Jay took it to the mainstream. Showing that Hip Hop isn’t all a big show-off stunt, you know? Theres’s so much depth, so many layers to it. You cannot ignore a movement that is louder than a battle cry.

From a personal perspective, this record caused me to go way back with Hip Hop. It fueled my obsession with Eric B & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Kurtis Blow. I went back and listened to what influenced Jay, and just studied it all. When I wasn’t doing school-work, I was researching all I could about Hip Hop. I found it to just be so brutally fascinating. I was immersed in the culture of it, and what it was capable of. It was bringing people together from all walks of life- so how on earth could this genre be classed as a menace to society? It pained me to hear people disrespect this genre by saying it was all about degrading women and bragging about what you had, and how you got it. They were missing the point. The mainstream was parading Hip Hop about in a degrading way, totally missing the point and ignoring those that were being true to the genre.

I managed to sort of fix my copy of Reasonable Doubt, it still skips a few tracks at times. But it is still one of the most important records in my life. It just drove me to be obsessed with words. How they are written down and how you say them. Jay’s lyrics on Reasonable Doubt, well..I will always stand-by declaring it shows him at his best. Sure his records after have been incredible but there is something about Reasonable Doubt that just blows my mind harder than his other records. The production is out of this world, Jay’s lyrical delivery is stunning. I could praise this record until my mouth drys and I come close to running out of words.

If you’ve heard it/own a copy, then you know just how perfect it is. It is how a debut record should be: going against everything and being unlike anything you have ever heard before.

 

John Peel Creative Arts Centre: We NEED It.

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I used to always change my mind about what I wanted to do with my life when I was younger. I’m 25 now, and I sometimes have this internal battle with what I should be doing with my life. All I know is that it MUST involve music. That’s all I have ever known. My love for music hit me at an early age. I was always being sung to or music was played around the house. It became my life from very early on. From Muddy Waters to The Jesus And Mary Chain; it was constantly being played to me. From my mum, my uncle and from one person who really made me aware of what I wanted to do with my life, John Peel.

If it wasn’t for John Peel, I really wouldn’t have such a huge obsession for music. It’d just be another thing I acknowledge I suppose. My memory isn’t exactly my best quality. But I do remember listening to him for the first time. I was very young. I must have been in my first few years of Secondary School. I couldn’t sleep one night, so I hid under the covers and put the radio on. A man was talking, and the way he was talking about the records he was playing really hit me. He was so enthusiastic about it all, in his own way. He didn’t have to yell or use daft words to describe it all. The fact that he was talking to you as if you were sat next to him made you connect with not just the music he was playing, but you also connected with him on a personal level. When you hit your teenage years, you search for something. You’re lost, utterly lost and you need something or someone to show you. I do believe that night I first listened to John Peel made me realise what I wanted to do with my life. I had to be a Music Writer..somehow.

I could honestly talk about how much he meant, and still means to me to anyone who is willing to listen. As most shut me up when an outburst is about to occur, I unleash it all here. So, a rant of sorts may or may not happen. And for that, I do not offer you an apology.

The arts are fundamental to society. We live in a world where being negative and cruel to others is seen as a way to get places in life. I guess that’s why I may not amount to much. I cannot be cruel in order to get what I want. If I want something bad enough, I’ll do the right thing in order to get it. The arts provides a way of helping people- especially the young, find a home. Find something they are good at. A film could inspire someone to be a director. A song could make someone want to be a record producer. Everything has the potential to be an influence. So why oh why would we want to stop this? Why? Maybe it is because within the arts, you may never make a lot of money. Maybe I’m too laid back for my own good- but I’d much rather do something I love than be filthy rich. That’s just me. I’d change my outlook, but I don’t want to. If the passion isn’t there, if you don’t do something with all your heart-do NOT do it. That’s just how I go about my life really.

This is where I need your help. I need YOUR help to make a difference because it is the RIGHT thing to do. As music lover, this is vital.

Bradford is a place that many are willing to launch so many negative slurs and whatnot. The thing is, it has more to offer than you could possibly know. I’m not saying this because half of my family are from Yorkshire..or maybe I am. Biased few aside, this is truly a vital cause and one that has my unconditional support, and attention.

http://www.cityoffilm.co.uk/

The above link will tell you all about how important it is that we SAVE the Bradford Odeon. The cinema is a historical landmark to the city, and what makes it so special is that it was bought with public money. Labelled as the City of Film- how on earth can we let such a building with so many memories be listed as a building to knock down. Knocked down and turned into a glass office and apartment block. Because you know, we need more of them. NO. Just NO. Enough is enough. On the link above, there is a page with information on how to save this landmark.

I’m not writing this because I want to seem like a decent person. Far from it. I’m writing this from the heart because like all involved with saving this building, I see why it MUST be saved. And if by a stroke of luck it does get saved from being demolished, the idea has been brought up to turn it into the John Peel Creative Arts Centre.

http://www.johnpeelnorth.org/

This link gives you EVERYTHING you need to know about the Centre. You can also sign the petition right here : http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/john-peel-north/

The Centre would provide so much. Not just for Bradford, but all of the UK. It’d be a hub of experimental sounds, the chance to listen to Peel’s archive.  The potential of the John Peel Creative Arts Centre is insane. John Peel was well-known as being the guy who would bring you the best in new music, and also give you the best hidden gems from the past. This Centre, if it happens, would carry on his legacy in a way that will continue to influence generations to come to be found- and to find their talent and what they are passionate about.

To turn your back on something like this and to favour a pointless building being built in the place of history, and something that could change so many lives is just wrong, and disgusting.

I seriously cannot express how important this is. Please get involved in any way you can. Do it for John Peel, do it for future generations to come, so they have some hope and the chance to be part of something that can enrich their lives and the community.

Thank you.

x

The Creeping Ivies-Ghost Train EP.

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I’ve said it so many many times before- if a piece of music doesn’t scare me then I may not enjoy it. I have to find a terrifying element to it. I’m not entirely sure why. Horror films don’t scare me, I usually have a delightful laughing fit at a really bad part of the time. “OH LOOK THERE’S A LOAD OF BLOOD!!!” Cue me getting the giggles.

A few weeks ago I wrote some words about a band that, with first listen scared me and stole my heart. The Creeping Ivies come from Scotland. Yes, I class everything from Scotland (in a music sense) to be amazing. This all stems from my obsession with Garbage and The Jesus And Mary Chain. I think my logic is perfectly justified right here.

The Creeping Ivies have an EP coming out 1st June. It’s called Ghost Train. It is eerie, dark and wonderfully ghoulish. It will shake up your bones and mind-fuck you in such a glorious way. It feels like a woman who has committed a murder. It is menacing and charming. It is everything I love about music.

I have only one bad thing to say about this EP ; three tracks just aren’t enough. I’ll have this on repeat for as long as I can stay awake in order to feel like I’ve heard a full record. I don’t mind. I could listen to Duncan and Becca all day, every day. I’ll let you in on something, I do it anyway.

Alright, so..Ghost Train is coming out on Jet Black Records and was recorded in a desolate space in Glasgow (okay it may not have been, but it was recorded in Glasgow..I’m just making assumptions for dramatic effect.)

The Creeping Ivies are influenced by two bands that I adore, the Ramones and The Cramps. They have the creepy vibe of The Cramps and the short Punk driven tracks much like the Ramones. Fast, furious and fucking incredible. The fury and vibrations in Becca’s voice makes you want to dance like Debbie Harry in the video to Atomic by Blondie. Shaking on the spot, jolting your limbs in an insane manner.

If you’re looking for something to turn your world upside down, for the better. Or if you constantly think “What Would John Peel Do?” then give yourself up to The Creeping Ivies. If John Peel was still alive, and my goodness I wish he were..The Creeping Ivies probably would’ve done a Peel session by now. Sadly, they never will but it is bands like these that keep everything John Peel dedicated his life to alive.

Check them out and let yourself be freaked out to the core!

Niki And The Dove-Instinct.

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When everything seems a bit shite, play your favourite record. Or if you can’t decide on your favourite record, play something new. Just play something to drown the other sounds out. It doesn’t have to mean much, it can just cause some kind of escapism because something you cannot control is quite possibly taunting you. Fuck those niggling thoughts, and listen to something that sounds unworldly.

Niki And The Dove’s debut record is out soon. Niki And The Dove are probably going to be the ones responsible for putting out the best debut record of the year. Sure there’s some strong contenders for that title, but let’s be real here- awards and titles mean fuck all. All that matters and SHOULD matter is how many hearts a piece of music touches and fixes. All that matters is getting yourself heard.

In all honesty, I have no idea how Niki And The Dove have been labelled and whatnot in the press. I don’t know if it is spotty hipsters that dig this or if it is hermits who need an outlet. I really have no idea, nor do I care. I’ve loved them long enough to know that they are a band that you cannot look at someone and think, “They’re a fan.” That’s how music should be, I guess. Not being able to spot a fellow fan. Finding them by accident, that’s the best feeling. Maybe you overhear them blasting it out of their headphones in Asda as they peruse the pizza section or have a battle with self-service. Or maybe you lock eyes as you both wear the same band shirt. It is a form of comfort, that no matter what kind of person you or they are- you both really fucking love this band. I should probably stop with these thoughts, but the thing is I know it never happens. Knowing this stops me from feeling any disappointment.

Instinct is amazing. I want to leave it at that, but I won’t. I’ll be that annoying wanker who rambles about how amazing this record is, in the hopes you go out and buy it.

They’re from Sweden which automatically means they will put out music that just blows your mind. You honestly do not need me to list all the great bands that have emerged from Sweden. There’s such innocence but an underlying sense of hurt in this album. Part of you turns a blind eye to how dark this album gets because musically, it makes you want to fling your limbs about. Pay close attention to the lyrics, and you will hear something quite dark and menacing. I love records that give me the feeling Seventeen Seconds by The Cure and Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain do. I want it to make me feel a bit petrified. That I am surrounded by darkness in a forest, with not much hope of getting out. The kind of music that makes you feel lost, but being found isn’t really high on the priority list.

The Gentle Roar has a strong anthemic feel to it. I’d imagine joggers to enjoy this. I have no idea why, I guess because it sounds quite encouraging. Like you will get to the other side. Probably covered in sweat. The only person who looks good sweating is Alison Mosshart. Anyway.

Instinct is an album that you just lose your shit to. There’s no way this record will make you want to sit still. Play it through your headphones and go for a walk. Walk for as long as you can. Do not care for where you end up. Just keep walking. Sometimes this is all you need in life. Music and a long walk. It is honestly, a perfect record from start to finish. If you’re looking for something euphorically wonderful (like The Knife) then you’re going to find it in Niki And The Dove’s debut record. I mean, it sure is hard to accept that this is a debut record. It’s just so perfect. Mother Protect is 5 minutes of heaven. I’m not one for ever finding fault in anything, I can’t be bothered. I always look for the good, which is probably a really bad trait to have. But, if it was shit- I wouldn’t write about it.

Instinct comes out next Monday, May 14th. BUY.IT.

Night Manager.

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I love music that sounds like you are drifting through space, or some weird shit. I love music that sounds weird. That makes you pull a stupid facial expression because it is THAT good. The kind if face you pull when you taste something strange, but every part of you wants to keep going because to give up on it, then you’ll probably be missing out. We put enough things to one side, why keep ignoring it?

Okay so, Night Manager I think, are from Brooklyn. B.K. needs to stop it with all these amazing bands. I thought I could handle Friends (the band, not the show. NEVER EVER THAT FUCKING AWFUL SHOW.) They’re from Brooklyn. Home of..the brave? Wait. I don’t know. FOXY BROWN YO. She’s from there. Anyway, fuck it. Night Manager. Get to know.

They have this incredible dreaming state thing going on. Mix that with a surfer feel. Distorted lo-fi vibes. I think I’ve died and gone to musical heaven. Wherever they’ve taken me, I’m truly enjoying right now. It’s like nothing can bother me (my phone keeps going off, but its cool..it’s someone I don’t mind talking to.) Their EP, Pizza Pasta (two things I love..being Italian an’ all) has a big drum feel to it. Like a Phil Spector kind of thing, minus the murder. Can I say that? I did. If only I had the willpower to delete that sentence. Cosmonaut has that 60s girl group feel going on. Why aren’t Night Manager huge? Probably because they’re amazing.

I’ve spent the day listening to this band, and it’s been a day well spent. I find it easy to truly fall head first in love with a band then regret my decisions a few days later. However, with Night Manager I know I’ve found a band I’m going to love with all my heart for a long time. I’m too soppy for my own good, I know. But it’s just how I am.

Night Manager make you feel like you are in some kind of trance. The music is soothing and ethereal. That word isn’t used enough. More music needs to be described as that (see Warpaint and Beach House for further justification of this.) Their songs make you want to put on your best ripped jeans, favourite band shirt and just waste the day at the beach. Summer sun, come out. I’m ready. We all are.

Call it whatever you want, but honestly? You cannot deny just how talented Night Manager are.

You can listen to their dreamy lucid sounds at: http://nightmanager.bandcamp.com/

Garbage-Not Your Kind Of People.

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“I sat myself down, and shot my fear in the face.”

Good things come to those who wait. Bad things happen whilst you wait. You fall apart, but you pick yourself up by going back to the previous ones. The ones that saved you once before. But you’re looking for something else to pick you up. Not just to pick you up- but to keep you up. It’s alright to be weak, it’s alright to shake your head at all you see and want something more. It’s okay to have a breakdown every now and then. Tears do not mean defeat. Tears do not mean weakness. Waiting and waiting and waiting. You wait for everything. Anything. Just something. Cast a lifeline in the shape of a song. In the shape of a record by your favourite band.

Garbage have owned my heart since 1995. I honestly don’t know if I could give it to anyone but them. I don’t think any band have ever made me feel so okay with being who I am before. I’m going to be utterly personal with this, so if you want a standard album review- go elsewhere. I can’t remove myself from Garbage. You see, Garbage put their all into what they do- what kind of fan would I be if I didn’t put all I had into writing about this FUCKING INCREDIBLE RECORD?! I wouldn’t be a fan, really.

So here’s the thing. You probably know how much I love them. You know how Shirl read my piece on Bleed Like Me last year (if you ever want to see me smile like a mental person, bring that up.) As I write this, I’m listening to Control and I am fighting off tears. I don’t want to be crying over something so accurate. I don’t want to relate, but I do. And because I can relate, I believe again. Fucking hell Shirl, are you in my head again? Don’t ever leave. Just don’t.

I wish I could write this in a way that seemed eloquent and worthy of your time. But all I can do is just listen to this intensely and in awe of every member. I just have no idea what is going on inside, all I know is that I am hearing the songs that will mean as much to me as all previous songs have done. I feel as if my body is going to explode and my mind is heading that way too.

Okay so you’ve already heard Blood For Poppies and Battle In Me, and if you have your wits about you- you will know that they are perfect. They show Garbage at their most beautiful. I’m currently listening to Beloved Freak. It is doing to me what Run Baby Run, Right Between The Eyes, The Trick Is To Keep Breathing and So Like A Rose have all done. It is making me feel less alone with people a huge fuck up. It making me feel more human about my constant mistakes, that are dragged up. I try to bury them, well..don’t we all. Beloved Freak will probably be the new anthem for us Darklings. It is like Shirl is guiding us through hell, telling us all that it is going to be okay. She’s living proof that through all the self-destruction and self hate- you can become the person you were always meant to be. To call her my role model is an understatement. There is no word good enough to describe what her and her words have done for me.

I listen to this record, and I feel like I did when I first heard them in 1995. I was only 9 years old then, and it was at the time when my dad died. Garbage got me through. Since then they have been my constant beacon of hope. My solid way of dragging myself through life with a “Fuck you, I won’t give up” kind of outlook. But like anyone else, giving up does seem like an option. But when you hear all this fight in Shirl’s voice, it makes it impossible for you to even fathom the concept of throwing in the towel and going back into yourself.

What I love about Garbage is how aggressive and passionate they are. Their song, Special, to this day is so apt. I look at people I used to know and how they parade themselves about in such a pretentious way- what happened to you? You used to be one of the good ones. But it’s okay, at least I know Shirl has experienced that same level of disappointment. This mentality that Garbage have, and if you;re a Darkling you too have adapted this attitude, it gives you strength. For me, that’s what Not Your Kind Of People is all about. It is about developing a sense of self, overcoming, putting up a fight and never ever giving in. But surely, that’s what all their records are about? Of course. But there is something bolder about Not Your Kind Of People that makes you stand a bit taller with no doubt at all taking over. This record is going to give you everything you’ve been trying and fighting to find.

Sugar and Control I feel are going to be the songs I have on a constant loop. I used to be petrified that I could identify so much with their lyrics, but I then realised it was so far from being a bad thing. It is something I shouldn’t fear. Since falling in love with Garbage in 1995, I have played their music every single day. Even if it is just one song to make sure I get through the day, I still play their music. With their muchly anticipated album about to come out, knowing that this wait is over just means the world to me. Waiting this long for something is enough to drive a person crazy. But for Garbage, I will wait.

If I could thank Steve, Duke, Butch and Shirl for what they have done for me..not just with Not Your Kind Of People but since 1995 I truly would. I feel like their shittiest fan though, because I’m not going to see them on their tour in a few months. Not having any money is slowly pissing me off (alright it is quickly pissing me off!) I have every bit of faith that one day..one day I will get myself to a Garbage show and I will be singing until I feel like my throat is bleeding to the songs that saved my life, and give me life.