The harp. One of the most beautiful instruments to exist. Watch anyone play the harp and they just look so peaceful and content.
Dorothy Ashby is one of the greatest musicians to have ever existed, there’s no doubt about it. Listen to her records and you will realise that this magnificent woman was way ahead of her time. She created a sound that is STILL being sampled in today’s Hip Hop records. Many associate the harp with Classical and the like. Not Dorothy, not at all. She brought an element of Soul, Funk and Jazz to it.
Her 1968 album, Afro Harping is just wonderful. My personal favourite is Life Has Its Trials, it sounds like something you would hear in a film during some outrageous shoot out (think Pam Grier in Foxy Brown.) Her music is so stunning, and I really don’t understand how her name isn’t mentioned in lists of great musicians.
Just listening to this, it is easy to see that Dorothy should be regarded as one of the ones responsible for the start of Hip Hop. She’s the Godmother of Hip Hop, there’s no doubt about that. Her music back then was way ahead of its time, nobody was making music like this. Nobody is making music as moving as this right now.
My favourite record by Dorothy Ashby is The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby. It has a less soulful feel to it than say, Afro Harping but her musicianship on this record is out of this world. Her music was essentially Jazz but she merged so many different genres together, you’d be a fool to label it with just one genre.
No idea where to start with a band like Noothgrush. They’ve been going since 1994 and have been making incredible, brutal music since.
The band currently consist of Russ Kent, Gary Niederhoff and Chiyo Nukaga. I love them for their vicious and unapologetic menacing sound. It isn’t for the faint hearted at all. There’s so much tension in Gary’s voice, it’s so fucking powerful. I don’t advise you to scream along though, you could harm yourself. Actually, fuck it; it’s worth it. Scream along. See if you can go louder than him. I bet you won’t.
Noothgrush are THE greatest band that are part of the Sludge genre. They just have everything you could possibly want in a band. Go listen to their records, you may learn something.
Everything I felt about music changed just before the summer of 2006. I heard something that just reignited my love for music that is perceived as dark and a bit creepy. I’ve always loved bands such as Bauhaus, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Count Five. I never thought I’d find a band to give me the same feeling those acts did. I never thought it would exist again. At the time it was so groundbreaking, so there was really no reason it could ever happen again. Or could it?
What drew me to The Horrors was not the same reason most were. I did not care for how they dressed or how big their hair was. I was drawn into Joshua’s guitar playing. How could someone so you make a sound like this? How could someone who was practically my age play like one of the greats? I will never know, but I will ALWAYS be in utter awe of it. Tom, Rhys, Joe and Faris are ALL extremely talented guys, you cannot deny that at all. In time, I will probably have written about each member. Trust me, it’s going to happen. With Josh, it’s something else. When you see them all play on stage you can see that they feel exactly what they are playing. Faris doesn’t move like a man possessed on stage anymore, instead he stalks the stage like a panther. He’s so majestic with his moves.
Then you have Josh. He moves around in the completely opposite way Faris does. He loses himself not just in mind; but in body. He flails around so wonderfully. You are transfixed on the way he holds the guitar and how his long hair sticks to his face and in his eyes. Anyone else would probably fall over and not be able to play. Josh, however, is one of a kind.
Josh is EASILY the most exciting guitar player around. He has a degree in Physics, and you can tell the way he plays the guitar comes from more than a musical place. There is so much science going on in the way he plays. Just look at his pedal board. It is fucking CRAZY. His approach to playing is unlike anything I have ever heard before, and I listen to some weird and wonderful music.
The way Josh plays sends you into a whirlwind. It throws you off completely. It isn’t safe for me to go for a walk and listen to The Horrors because I just lose myself and fall into a trance.
The guitar on Mirror’s Image sounds like a train approaching. When Josh plays guitar, it doesn’t sound like he’s playing the guitar. He turns it into something else, something that changes in every single song. Although he has a different sound on every single song, Josh still maintains an eerie feel to it; something which cements what is The Horrors sound.
What fascinated me about Primary Colours was that Josh BUILT the pedals himself, he actually made them. It’s fucking mind-blowing. He’s the mad scientist of music. If you listen to a lot of bands now, yes some are quite good but The Horrors have something else. That something else that they posses comes from their approach to the music.
The first thing I bought to do with The Horrors was their EP in 2006. I remember skipping my uni lecture (first year doesn’t count) and going to buy this EP. I sat in my room and played it extremely loud. I knew nobody was in. I played it and I just lost myself in what I was hearing. I did exactly the same thing when Strange House was released, skipped a lecture just to go buy a record. Personally, I feel it was worth it.
Their sound on Strange House is what I suppose you would call Garage Rock. I hate giving bands a label, I can’t do it. It’s just wrong, but it does give off a Garage Rock vibe. It smacks you in the face; the songs are short and fucking brutal.
Move forward to 2009 and we are again blessed with a new record. Primary Colours was immediately declared as that year’s best album. I agree, fully. The songs were longer, the sound was less aggressive but it still had that raw edge. It still had a sound that no other could do apart from The Horrors. The guitar still sounded vicious yet it sent you off into a trance. What I’m trying to say is, Josh’s guitar skills just hypnotise you. That’s what he does, you listen to him and you cannot do anything else. You become so enthralled in what he is doing. You watch him sway whilst he is on stage or you just drift off into another world as you lay on your bed listening to the guitar dominate your mind.
The fact that Josh built his own pedals caused The Horrors to create a sound that nobody had ever heard before. The production was big, grand and full (think Joe Meek and Phil Spector.) All three of their albums have an indescribable sound. Recently Josh stated that it was Sonic Youth that inspired him to pick up a guitar, I can only hope that the generation below me listen to The Horrors and feel inspired to pick up an instrument and create something that hasn’t been heard before. There’s so much reverb and distortion in his guitar. An obsession with a feedback sound is evident, and with a lot of guitarists it can sound quite desperate. With Josh it sounds so clear and brutal. Oh and a wee bit fuzzy.
It’s only right that I mention this year’s release, Skying. Skying was produced by the band, and what is so amazing about this is that you can feel the freedom in the album. They haven’t made an album that you or I are proud of- they have made an album that they, as a band, are proud of. As much as I adore the brutal sounds on Strange House, the sound that they have created on Skying is stunning. It’s just a shame that people who know fuck all keep comparing it to others. It does NOT sound like Simple Minds at all, the fuck you on? Skying is masterpiece, a work of art. Just like all their records. If they can create an album like this, 3 albums into their career, then it is fairly obvious that The Horrors are a bad will be the ones to constantly evolve in ways you could never imagine with every record. Josh’s guitar sound on this record is not as fuzzy as it was on Primary Colours, on Skying it has a more delicate feel; not as intense. It still grabs you in ways you never thought a record could, but not in an aggressive manner.
John Peel once said, “I just want to hear something I haven’t heard before.” Something tells me that if he was still alive, The Horrors would probably be his favourite band around.
Here we go, another contender for album of the year. I honestly didn’t think they could top Common Reaction. I didn’t want them to; I didn’t want to love this album as much as Common Reaction because when that came out it was basically my life. Now I have to feel this way about their new album. I’m joking, I honestly don’t mind. It’s a bloody brilliant album. The second album can be a bitch to make; a lot of bands just fall apart. Then they make a decent third album and call it quits after that. I doubt Uh Huh Her will do that. If they do, I’ll just write them an emotionally charged letter. I honestly never want to feel the way I did about The Long Blondes ever again. It was worse than being dumped, seriously. Fucking awful. The wound hasn’t healed; I just want them to get back together.
Right, I’ve gone off on one. Sorry, partially.
Nocturnes is fucking brilliant. I probably won’t be able to find anything else to say apart from that, but I will try. They use a lot of synths BUT, don’t let that put you off. You see, a lot of bands use synths to compensate for the fact that they are shite and have no talent. Its like, “Oh well….we can’t play an instrument so let’s faff about with some synths.” NO! Just NO. Camila and Leisha has genuine talent, they use synths with addition to other instruments. The synths don’t carry their sound at all. It doesn’t sound like a ridiculous 80s tacky pop record swimming in synths at all. This is the real deal dear reader. Nocturnes is a fantastic record, and yes it is just as brilliant as Common Reaction. I think I’m going to ramble whilst talking about this record.
What I love about Uh Huh Her is the way they compliment each other’s voice. You’ve got Leisha’s delicate voice and Camila’s powerful tone, its bloody amazing. One doesn’t overshadow the other at all. In duos, this sometimes happens. However, it isn’t the case here at all. They’ve got this beautiful chemistry in their music, and you can tell just how passionate about the music they really are. As you can really feel that passion, you are drawn further into the record.
I remember hearing Same High a while back (I sometimes exaggerate time because I have no concept of time. I hate knowing the time, the world would be better if we never had time. I am bursting to have a deep, philosophical talk about this.) Same High is a euphoric track. You’ll probably want to dance when you hear it. The whole album will make you want to dance. As someone who isn’t much of a dancer (I usually throw my limbs about and hit myself/others) to say that it makes me want to dance is a bit of a big deal. The whole record makes you want to pop it in your car CD player and just drive off. No destination in particular, just bugger off somewhere. It’s a good job I can’t drive, because the amount of songs that make me feel this way is ridiculous. I’d be constantly driving places and getting lost. That said, I can get lost on the bus or by foot anyway so.
Human Nature is easily one of the standout tracks on the album, I say this but every single song is astounding. Literally in love with this record. I honestly don’t think I could be friends with someone if they didn’t love this band. See, I say Human Nature is my favourite- I’ve immediately changed my mind. It’s all about Disdain right now (Disdain is one of my favourite words you know; my biased opinion has drawn me into this song.) I’m not going to be able to pick a favourite and stick to it, but for arguments sake, I will stick with Disdain.
I’m going to leave it here, if I continue I will just ramble and sound more mental than I already probably do. I can still say at the end of writing this, Disdain is my favourite. As soon as I publish this, I may change my mind.
Go out and buy this bloody wonderful work of art. If you’re someone who buys records based on the artwork (I’ve done this a few times) then you need this record in your life. If you’re someone who loves music that gives you that flipping of the stomach, then you need this record. Look, you just need this record in your life. Trust me on this one.
Los Angeles, I think you’re slowly taking over my heart with all this wonderful music you are pouring out.
If it makes me feel like I am being punched in the face or if it scares me- I will more than likely fall in love with it. Only music based though, I think. I wouldn’t like to be punched in the face again. That shit hurts.
Fidlar are mind-blowing. If you like your music to sound brutal, then you need Fidlar in your life. They have a lo-fi mixed with Ramones feel to their music. It’s amazing. They’ve got the true essence of garage rock in their music. It’s something to believe in, something to just put your all in. Why? Because you can tell they put their all into their music. The utter passion in their music steals your heart away. I don’t care if you don’t want to have your heart stolen, sometimes it just happens. Don’t be a fucking coward.
Dear any bands I have declared my love for over the years, you are seriously going to have to compete for my affections starting….NOW! 2:54 are a band I’ve had a LOT of love and admiration for over the past year and a bit. Creeping blew my mind last, and they’ve gone and done it again with their new one Scarlet.
If you love The Cure (I want to be your friend), Beach House, Warpaint- then you SHOULD fall in love with 2:54. If you don’t, then hey- can’t like everything can we.
The video to Scarlet fits the song perfectly. It is dark, intense and creepy. I love anything that is dark, intense and creepy. I’ve never claimed to be normal, mainly because normal does not exist. If it seems a bit odd, I’ll probably enjoy it. 2:54 are EASILY the UK’s best band right now (along with some others. I know, I know.)
I can safely say that this is my favourite video of the year. It’s just brilliant. I love how it is shot, it’s just perfect.
Beautiful isn’t it? A hint of strange with a touch of sheer beauty.
I’ve not listened to enough of Skrillex to form a proper opinion of his music, but going by his collaboration with Korn- he’s not bad at all.
Is it actually Dubstep? That depends on who you ask. Everyone has an opinion on this genre. Some will say it is, some will say it isn’t. I guess it comes down to personal opinion. Do I think it is? I’m not entirely sure. I’m a stupidly HUGE fan of Korn, and I will never say a bad word about them at all. Ever. Would this track be shit if it wasn’t Korn? Ahh…well, that’s a completely different matter.
I know a lot of these folk/acoustic acts are mainly bland and a bit cack, but once in a while you find one that is actually decent.
I love music that has some kind of passion in it. Something that makes you feel something. Music that just conjures up weird and wonderful images in your mind. Music that goes beyond what it is, what it is meant to be. Allow me to introduce you to a lovely fellow named Ethan Ash.
His self-titled debut album was released last year, and since then he’s supported an artist I respect a hell of a lot; Seth Lakeman. He has also played a headline show at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This summer Ethan has played at festivals such as Secret Garden Party and Bestival.
His music tells wonderful stories, basically the guy is a poet. He’s more than just a typical singer/song-writer. He’s not typical. He’s got a wonderful way with words. As someone who is slowly starting to dislike all this acoustic stuff, I can safely say Ethan Ash is one artist worth giving your time and attention to. He offers something else, something grander. He’s been labelled as soul/folk, and you know what; it is a pretty damn good description.
You can grab a free download of his new single All I Need HERE.
I hate covers, but every so often I hear a cover and my hate fades away. Hate is a bit harsh isn’t it. I don’t hate many things. But I really don’t understand why you’d want to take another song and possibly ruin it. However, sometimes a cover is better than the original. In short, I have mixed feelings about cover versions. I get a bit upset when a song I love is covered and just destroyed. There’s no need for it. But, there are some covers that I have grown fond of. I am partial to making an exception sometimes. I’ve attempted to pick 5 covers that I adore a hell of a lot. I will probably want to change my mind as soon as I’ve posted this.
Lykke Li has easily put out one of the best albums this year, and I’d say it’s been highly underrated. Her voice always breaks your heart. However, when she goes acoustic you really really feel her words. They hit you right in the gut. Many have covered Unchained Melody, but none have captured the pain within as much as Lykke Li does. A cover should mean the artist puts their own personal touch on it, she really does. When she holds the note around 2 minutes in, it just covers your body in goose bumps and you tremble. It’s such a gorgeous cover but at the same time, causes you to ache.
Apart from The Smiths, The Walker Brothers are my favourite band of all time. With one listen of this cover, it’s pretty much easy to see why. Scott Walker is like a god to me. His music is pretty much everything to me. A stunning singer who should be regarded as the greats. Let’s be honest, he’s probably the greatest. The Walker Brothers are one of the many that have covered this song originally by Jerry Butler (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.) The Walker Brothers add huge drums to this giving it a Wall Of Sound feel to this cover. Of all the break-up songs in the world, this is probably my favourite. It’s just a beautiful that, although it may pain you to listen to it- it comforts you too.
Cat Power is a strong vocalist. Her music always moves my soul, it goes beyond the heart. Her music has got me through some times I hope I never ever have to go near again. Her music is a lifeline. Seeing her live was one of the best gigs that I have ever been to. I’d waited years to see her, and I was right at the front. It was just perfect. Cat Power has covered a lot of songs in her career. She’s even released a covers record. I could’ve picked the obvious such as Sea Of Love or I Found A Reason, but I had to go with one of her Bob Dylan covers. I fully understand Cat Power’s love for Bob Dylan, I feel exactly the same. I hate it when Bob Dylan’ssongs are covered, I firmly believe the only person who should sing a Bob Dylan song is Bob Dylan- that was until I heard Cat Power’s version of Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again. My mind was blown, my heart beat double time. I fell in love with her music and Bob Dylan all over again. It’s a truly wonderful cover, quite possibly her best cover she has done.
I love Wicked Game. I used to be obsessed with this song when Iwas younger, I had a bit of a fascination with Chris Isaak, I loved his music. What I love about this song is that it just oozes the need to fight how you feel. As someone who does that more times than they should (I’m starting to get a bit better) this song is just perfect. I’ve always loved the line, “This world is only going to break your heart.” It just sums up the whole feel of the song. Don’t bother, you’re just going to get your heart broken. However, getting your heart broken will always happen. There’s no point trying to avoid it. Shit happens, you’ll be fine-carry on. I love the way she sings, “I never dreamed that I’d meet someone like you.” We’ve all felt that way. You meet someone you thought you’d never in a million years meet. I don’t wish to make my take on this any more personal than I have, so I will now move onto my final cover…..
I love The Kills as much as I love the Velvet Underground which is probably close to an obsession. I don’t call it that, I just call it a passion for excellent music. Pale Blue Eyes is my favourite Velvet Underground song (closely followed by Run,Run,Run.) The Kills are influenced by Velvet Underground, and have covered a few other songs by them; but this is my ultimate favourite. It’s my favourite cover EVER. I love Jamie’s guitar on this, it’s just so emotional and powerful. Then you have Alison’s voice. Her voice ALWAYS sends me off some place else. Don’t ever try to have a conversation with me if The Kills are playing near us- my attention will be elsewhere. And I’ll probably start singing and be in some kind of trance for about an hour. Pale Blue Eyes has some of the most wonderful lyrics ever. The opening verse is so haunting, “Sometimes I feel so happy. Sometimes I feel so sad….baby you just make me mad.” We’ve all got someone we care about, but they just make us mad. You can’t say why, but they just do. I love this song so much, and there was a time when this song was too much to listen to due to it being so bloody apt. But, that’s been and gone now; and I can safely say this is my favourite cover of all time and I can listen to it being, and just be in awe of Alison and Jamie’s talent. I did want to choose their cover of I Put A Spell On You by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins but I’d just rant forever.
I know I’ve missed out some brilliant covers, and as I’m a decent person (depends who you ask I suppose!) I’ll link you to some others:
My biggest musical obsession this year has been mainly directed at The Weeknd. I’ve tried to work out why I love his music so much, but to be honest you don’t always need to explain it do you? You like what you like. You hate what you hate. You don’t always need to justify it.
When I heard his first mixtake this year, House Of Balloons, I was instantly blown away. I remember hearing Timbaland’s music in 1996 and the production was so good. So fucking good. The music he made with Aaliyah was instantly timeless. One In A Million will ALWAYS be one of the greatest albums ever, on so many levels. The Weeknd has created a sound that makes me feel the way Timbaland did in ’96. The futuristic feel in his music is unlike anything else around right now. His sample of Siouxsie & The Banshees Happy House is easily one of the best samples I’ve heard in a long time.
His new track, Initiation has a chopped up sound to it. Normally I’m not a fan of the chopped up sound, but this is RIDICULOUS. It is amazing. It fucks with your head and you just zone out. That’s pretty much what you get from The Weeknd’s music. His last mixtape, Thursday is astounding. I just can’t get enough of his music. It’s perfect to listen to when you’re on a bus or train late at night and just need to go some place else in your mind.
