After brief thought, I think I know exactly where my love for anything that people may regard as “odd” may come from. They call it odd, I call it genius. I’m right; they are wrong.
It all comes from one artist, specifically one artist. Captain Beefheart. The guy was an absolute genius. Everything he did was a work of art. Offbeat, out of sync- who cares? The guy created one of the most distinctive sounds EVER. He also released one of the greatest debut albums ever in 1967. If I was around when this first came out, I reckon nothing in my world would have ever been the same. Nothing would mean anything.
I listen to it now as often as I can (yeah, I listen to it a lot) and I wish I was around back then. Those times seem much better for music. It had true substance then. Now? Well, there’s a severe lack of it. You have to look much harder for it, not that I mind spending my days finding music that blows my mind. It’s the best feeling ever.
Safe As Milk was released in 1967. It mixes blues with a highly psychedelic feel. It’s got this brutal tone to it that I have only ever found in one other band since. It’s no surprise that this band is influenced by Captain Beefheart. Of course, it is The Kills. The brutal beats and vicious vocals that Captain aka Don Van Vliet posses stay with you forever. You listen to Safe As Milk and damn near nothing will be the same again. I don’t care if this kind of music isn’t your thing, with one listen; your world will change. It’s always best to be an outsider because nobody ever expects us underdogs to do anything of worth. Oh how wrong you are Society, how very wrong you are. You see, if you leave someone to their own devices and they are highly creative- they will make something you fear. Fear is good in music; it’s a very good thing. If a band can scare you shitless or provoke ugly feelings then it is a job well done.
Safe As Milk is on the same level as the Velvet Underground’s debut album- extremely bluesy and just takes you off elsewhere. It’s beautiful, it’s poetic and best of all; Safe As Milk is scattered. It’s everywhere. Those that don’t get Music will just say it’s a mess. Those who can see the genius within it know it is a masterpiece. Don wasn’t exactly known for being the sanest man in the world. But they knew he was a genius. His vocals stay with you and his words are instantly etched upon your heart. Some of the frustrations that fall out of his songs jus tug at your heartstrings. This is what it is like to have your mind well and truly blown. Safe As Milk takes you on an unforgettable journey when you first listen to it. When you come to listen to it again and again (REPEAT!) you will be taken to that place straight away. It must be highly acknowledged that the album features THE greatest slide-guitarists of all time, Ry Cooder. He was only 20 years old when the album was recorded.
The arrangement on the album and the sharp yet strange lyrics on the album became Captain Beefheart’s sound; this is what he was known for. Now, a lot that knew of him probably listened. They probably just saw him as some oddball and didn’t pay him any attention. Oh I hope you feel foolish for your errors. Safe As Milk is a dirty, raw record. Typically, when it was released hardly anyone gave a damn about it. I don’t understand how an album like this could not be greeted with welcoming ears. It’s everything you want. You rant blues? This record has it. You want obscurity? This album oozes it. You want something that bamboozles you? Safe As Milk will do that to you, with every single listen.
Grown So Ugly, Call On Me, Dropout Boogie; seriously, these are tracks you need in your life. Safe As Milk is an album you need oh so urgently in your life. You know how life can be tedious and mundane? People like Captain Beefheart existed so we could escape all of that. He’s given us music that fucks with our heads (in a good way) and sends us off into a lucid dream. That’s needed, it really is.
The album opens with Sure ‘Nuff ‘n Yes I Do which is heavily influenced by the Delta blues sound. Gradually the album becomes more and more strange; but it doesn’t deter you at all. It keeps you locked in. that’s what happens with every record by Captain Beefheart. Starts quite bluesy then just mashes up your head, you wouldn’t have it any other way. Why settle for something sane and boring when you can have this. The psychotic sound here is something that cannot be replicated, just admired.
It takes a lot for me to be truly moved by a piece of music, for me to fully love an artist. Nobody wants to hear the same thing they have heard a billion times before. Some do, but I guess they are the ones who think that BBC Radio 1 is the truth and is different. Maybe 20 years ago, not now.
I love Hip Hop, it’s just an honest genre of music that for stupid reasons is slapped with a load of negativity constantly. I think the saviour is here. No trust me on this, please. I believe in this guy because he’s a fan of My Bloody Valentine- one of the best bands ever. Honestly, most that love this band create stunning music. Oh it’s unheard of for a hip hop artist to love a band like My Bloody Valentine? Fuck off, please. Go take your small-minded thoughts elsewhere.
Cities Aviv is THE ONE. Trust me. This guy is the truth, he’s everything. He’s mind-blowing. When I first listened to him, I stopped what I was doing. I had to give him my full attention. It’d be highly rude if I didn’t. I don’t give all my attention to much, but for Cities Aviv; I gave him all my attention. There’s something about him that I’ve, hand on heart, never ever heard before- regardless of the genres of music. He has SOMETHING and I’m probably going to spend months trying to work out what it is.
His sound makes you feel like you are stuck in that Summer mood with tracks such as Float On and Coastin’. Seriously, Coastin’ is just a killer track. You fall in love with it instantly. He’s extremely gifted. When I listened to Dev Hynes’ new project, Blood Orange I felt like I was in the 80s. Specifically New York in the 80s. I listen to Cities Aviv and I get exactly the same feeling. When a current artist can transport you back in time, like they can create that kind offeeling in their music- you know that you’ve quite frankly, found a genius.
His album Digital Lows is incredible. It well and truly is. I remember that feeling I got when I first heard The Weeknd. I couldn’t believe something like this could exist. I get that EXACT same feeling when I listen to Cities Aviv. He’s talent is crazy. Will the UK catch on? I have no idea, all I know is that I’m glad I found his music- please give him a listen. You will not be disappointed.
It’s no secret that I love Warpaint, it goes beyond love. Its admiration and respect. It’s being in constant awe of 4 people who have created a sound that owns a large chunk of my heart. I’ve got a big heart, but I think it’s reserved mainly for music. It’s good and bad thing, maybe. I doubt it’s a bad thing to be honest.
As sleep is a foreign concept to me, I’m going to write about a song by Warpaint that is easily the most beautiful acoustic ensemble I have heard in a very long time. I compare anything that can be deemed as beautiful to this song.
I cannot pick a favourite song by Warpaint, that’s ridiculous. Even if a gun was pointed to my head- I couldn’t choose. I’d spend hours, and I’d change my mind 20 times. So I guess an awful, bloody end would actually cause me less trauma. That’s wrong, I know. Fuck it, I’d choose Lissie’s Heart Murmur. NO! I’d choose Krimson. No! Fuck…shit! I can’t. This is going to give me a migraine if I continue with this.
Right, so there’s a song by Warpaint that breaks a fraction of my heart because it is so beautiful. Majesty hurt to listen to because of how honest it was, and I heard it at a time where it was frightfully apt. This isn’t about Majesty, this is about Baby.
When I first heard Baby, I’m pretty sure I cried. Let’s be honest, I probably cried listening to The Fool in full because of how perfect it was. Baby just broke my heart a bit. It is quite sad, but it is so bare. So stripped and vulnerable. It’s just Emily Kokal and a guitar. Her voice is extremely delicate, even if she was to scream it’d sound so pure and innocent. She has this tone to it that just makes you feel so tranquil.
If there came a time where Baby was apt, I’d be utterly petrified. Imagine letting someone mean that much to you? Bloody hell, that’s powerful. However, I’ve made a vow to myself to never let anyone be associated with a Warpaint song. I couldn’t cope if someone ruined them for me. I’d probably shut the world off and never listen to music again. My love for Warpaint is that deep. You know how Lester Bangs was with Lou Reed? Pretty much me with Warpaint. Except, I’ve met them and they weren’t arseholes to me.
The lyrics to Baby, you cannot deny how stunning they are. It gives the same feeling as Billie Holiday does- the clarity in the vocals and simple sounds. The fact that it is so stripped down makes it that much fragile. You’ve basically got someone throwing their feelings out there saying, “Don’t you call anybody else baby, ‘cause I’m your baby still.” When I heard that line, I wanted to know what being in complete and utter love was like. The proper kind, not the kind that makes you stupid and unaware y’know? When I listen to it now, that feeling has gone. Instead I just take in the vulnerability of it and a wave of respect for the band comes through. I mean, I already respect them so much, but Baby just does something. Its like, how can you allow yourself to be that open? It’s scary but gorgeous.
“It took a long time to make it, but I never changed my mind.” Some things take time don’t they? The things you want, the person you want- it takes a while to get there. If you stick to it, and remain dedicated; you’ll get there. You have to; fate is sometimes on your side. Is it fate? Who knows? The way Emily sings this line isn’t in a pleading or in a desperate manner. It’s just owning up to that she stuck with it. It’s so beautiful. When I hear it, I just want to hug her and say thank you. Thank her for singing such a fragile song that many would be afraid to touch.
With most of their songs, they send you off into a different world. With this song, you stay exactly where you are, you face everything. It’s very up close and extremely personal. It’s intrusive but in a gentle way. Maybe when you listen to this, you think of someone you don’t want to think of. Maybe you think of nothing or no one in particular; you can just hear how pure this song is. That’s what I take from it. I think of nobody when I hear it; I just fall in love with what I am hearing. Its 5 minutes of perfection.
“You speak your fears. Thinking in circles and checking what mirrors don’t see. You live your life like a page from the book of my fantasy.” I wish I could write something as beautiful as that. There is really no other word but beautiful that one could use to describe this song. To me, this part of the song just sums up exactly what love is. Its noticing things about the one you love that they try to hide- but you don’t judge them for it. You don’t judge them for trying to hide what they fear another to find out. They tell you their fears, but make sure nobody else finds out. That’s how it should be. You love them and even their faults are perfect to you. You look at them and you think it’s a dream, a fantasy that you have created; but it’s real. So very real and all yours. Even someone like me would appreciate that! The way Emily sings this, you just feel it. You feel it in every part of you. It moves you from your soul outwards.
When she sings, “How I love you” you can feel this admiration and loyalty just trickles out from her voice, it’s so haunting and perfect. When I can’t sleep, I usually play Warpaint. Mainly because their sound makes me feel like I am floating on water and it’s just the most relaxing atmosphere a piece of music can create for the listener.
How I’ve managed to write over 1000 on one song at ten past one in the morning is just weird. I just love this song so much, and I guess I just had to let this out. I know, I’m strange and the only ones who will get what I’m on about are those who truly love Warpaint as much as I do. They are the ones that GET them. They see past that they are 4 beautiful females. They see the talent, they feel the depths to the music and they get lost in it.
In their live shows, Emily plays this on her own. I’d probably stand and weep if I witnessed this and my life would never be the same again. You just have certain songs that if you saw live, your life would change forever. Nothing would or could ever compare to that moment. It’d complete you; you’d be in awe of what you were witnessing.
For me, Baby is more than a love song. It’s a dedication. It shows how one person is dedicated to another, unconditionally. It’s innocent and undemanding. It’s perfect and everything you wish to feel. It makes you cry because it is so honest and real. It’s not raw or brutal. It’s gentle. You feel like you are being swayed and loved in a simple way. You are theirs, and they are yours; simple as. No complications. You can take what you want from it. If you want it to be about the one you are in love with; go for it. It can be about anything, but it stems from love. This song rips my heart out, but in a good way. Yes, that is possible. It’s easily one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard. It’s a lullaby, it’s comforting. Just like Warpaint, it is everything.
I’ve never really been a fan of Feist. When I first heard 1,2,3,4 I disliked it greatly. I didn’t want to hear anything else because I couldn’t handle it. There was something about it that just annoyed me.
Fast forward a few years, and she’s back with a newlbum called Metals. There’s a song that’s been floating about called How Come You Never Go There. I take back all my dislike for Feist. This track is pretty damn good. It’s even made me go listen to her older stuff. Well, we all make mistakes don’t we? I’m mature enough to admit when I’m wrong (which is often) and I was totally wrong about Feist. I like her, and I’ll probably buy Metals when it comes out.
Ten years ago, Nas put out the album Stillmatic. Is it his best work? Well, that’s a personal call. Does it posses the greatest song he’s ever written? Of course. There’s a song on this album, that when I first heard it- I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I didn’t think anything this raw could exist. It has evoked so much imagery and feelings, even someone who hates hip hop would love this song.
One Mic, in my mind, is the best track Nas has ever recorded. I know a lot of rappers get a lot of shit for being accused of being like this, and like that. Listen to One Mic and you’ll get what Nas is about. His way with words on this track is just stunning. The way the track builds and builds grips you so tightly, you feel your frustration and eagerness boil over with him. The tension is so great, you feel it too. You feel every single word. There’s no way you actually couldn’t- unless you are made of stone and uneducated.
This isn’t a comparison because you cannot compare the two, but like Tupac; Nas is a true poet. There aren’t many of them about in Hip Hop anymore.
One Mic is a work of art. It’s a film in song form, there is so much going on. It is a whirlwind of sheer intensity. There’s anger, love, tension, violence within the song. The song empowers you in a way that no other can. So many turn to break-up songs for empowerment, why? Why would you do that? It’s shallow. You don’t need a song to tell you that you are better off without another. You should know that instinctively. With One Mic, you feel like you can take on the world, that you are unstoppable. That feeling is far greater than realising you are better off without another person. Sadly, not many see this. Oh well.
My favourite piece of imagery in the song comes in the first verse, “One knee I ducked, could it be my time is up. But my luck, I got up, the cop shot again. Bus stop glass bursts, a fiend drops his Heineken. Ricocheting between the spots that I’m hidin’ in. Blackin’ out as I shoot back, fuck getting’ hit!” This dear reader is utterly powerful. You can picture all of this in your mind. You can picture Nas or whoever ducking down as shots are being fired. You can sense the panic he is feeling- then the relief comes when you know he’s alright. You can see the bullets hitting the glass pane on a bus stop, and a drunkard dropping their beer on the ground in shock. It’s such fantastic imagery but sadly- happens every single day. But does anyone raise awareness and report on it? No, they don’t. They ignore it. Well done Society, I hope you’re fucking proud.
The second verse is full of religious imagery, and as someone who isn’t religious it isn’t my place to say anything on it. If you’re religious, you’ll feel what Nas is saying in your gut. If you’re not religious, you can somewhat understand how much it means to Nas and how powerful it is.
The last verse, for me, is the greatest. It’s just the best thing Nas has written. Certain lines means a lot to, certain lines just make you feel so much. I don’t get how anyone could hear this and not be moved in any way at all; it’s just so bloody powerful.
“What I stand for speaks for itself.” Something so simple is just so powerful. He doesn’t need to justify himself, all he says and does sums that up. That’s how it should be, always. One should never ever feel the need to justify themselves. Go against what is expected of you. Fuck what anyone tells you to do, be your own person and grow a backbone. You have to; it’s the only way to survive. I love that line so much. It’s so dominating.
“What you call an infinite brawl, eternal souls clashing. War gets deep, some beef is everlasting. Complete with thick scars, brothers knifing each other up in prison yards, drama, where does it start?” Favourite part of the song, no doubt. I love “eternal souls clashing” there’s something about those three words that have some hold over you like nothing else in the song.
It’s quite simply one of the greatest Hip Hop songs ever written. Now, Hip Hop has been around for quite some time and yes there have been some amazing tracks- but there is nothing of this calibre. Obviously I’d always favour a Tupac or Eric B & Rakim track, but One Mic is on a completely different level. The way it builds and builds, the sound effects, the Phil Collins sample- everything about this track is mind-blowing. The video captures every single detail in a way that you may not get in the song. It’s total brilliance and I’m not entirely sure if anything has been as inspiring since.
I love finding new music. I distract myself from what I should be doing all the time by looking for new music. There is so much out there, and if you think about how much is out there it will probably blow your mind and you’ll fall to the floor. Collapse into some kind of trance because you cannot handle the concept of how much is out there. Is there enough time to hear it all? Well that depends doesn’t it. I want to hear as much as possible, I want to find new bands to write about and fall in love with. This is why I don’t sleep, this is why I go to bed at 3am. I know it isn’t healthy or wise, but I do fit in a nap in the afternoon so it’s fine.
Apart from finding new music on my own, I love it when a band gets in touch with me and asks me to check their music out. This happened a few days with Automatic Writing.
I love anything that sounds brutal and menacing. I love music that can frighten you but at the same time, grips you in a way that makes you never ever want to let go. I felt all of this within first listen on Continuous by Automatic Writing. I don’t feel like I am listening to a band from 2011 when I listen to them. I feel like I’ve raided my stepdad’s New Romantic/80’s Goth synth based music collection again. So for me, this is perfect. Everything about what I am hearing here from Automatic Writing just oozes nostalgia, something most fear. I welcome it. I love the deep vocals and the dark synths.
If you want music that is going to mess with your mind and break your heart, then you need Automatic Writing in your collection. Crystal Visions and Control throttle you within secinds with its dark and romantic sound. Don’t believe me? Check out their Souncloud page.
I love Depeche Mode and Cold Cave, mix them together and what do you have? Automatic Writing. Whilst everyone fell in love with the supposed darkness of Hurts- the brothers in Automatic Writing were digging a hell of a lot deeper and creating something bigger and better.
So if you love music that is sort of pop but quite dark and mysterious, then get to know the handsome brothers that make up Automatic Writing.
My love for Zola Jesus is on the same level as my love for Morrissey and Velvet Underground. It’s that grand. You know when you hear an album and you think, “There’s no way they can actually make anything as beautiful as this.” I thought that about Zola Jesus. Could she make anything as moving and ethereal as Stridulum II? Could it take over your soul in such a way? The answer is, thankfully, YES. She’s gone and bloody done it.
When I first heard The Spoils and her work with LA Vampires, I knew I had found a singer that I would just adore forever (if forever was to exist) and that I could relate to every word sung. Then I heard Stridulum II and nearly gave myself third degree burns. I bought the album and played it whilst cooking. Not a wise move. All my attention was on the music, and as a result- I nearly burnt my arm. It’s actually typical behaviour from me- music gets all my attention, not else much does.
So, let’s get into Conatus shall we?
The album opens up with an instrumental track. It has a clanking sound which makes you think of all the cogs turning in your mind just waiting for something to happen. It is going to happen; it’s going to happen as you listen to this record.
When I heard Vessel, I had to keep playing it over and over. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted her album straight away, but hey- good things come to those who wait. The wait is over, and this glorious work of art is finally here.
One song that I immediately grew attached to within first listen is Ixode. Ixodes are a genus of ticks- no idea if this is what Nika had in mind when she made this track, but hey. I love the song because it is virtually an instrumental that has this grand build up to it that just shoots through your soul, you feel so untouchable. That’s why I love her music so much. Regardless how good or bad you feel; Nika makes music that makes you feel untouchable, and sometimes as people, we need that feeling.
Seekir is about doing something wrong, and you know it is wrong- but you do it anyway. Seems like a fitting song for me. It’s just so perfect. Listen, if you feel like life is being unkind to you recently and that the Universe is not dealing you a fair hand, please listen to this album. I know we all go through some bad stuff, and we use different things to just get by- but please, listen to this record. It’ll do something to your mind, body and soul which will cause you to carry on.
In Your Nature is wondrous, I listen to it and just feel like nothing matters. In the grand scheme of things, I guess nothing does. “If it’s in your nature, you will never win.” I constantly feel like this, that I’ll never win/get what I want, and to hear this just makes me realise you know what, maybe this is how it has to be, you know? Try to change, but what for? No one is going to pat you on the back for being good.
Lick The Palm Of The Burning Handshake is probably the least tense track on the album, it is entirely stripped back and this adds an essence of vulnerability to it. I know you get that feeling a lot from her music, but this track just oozes it. I have no idea if that’s what Nika intended but that’s what I take from this track. It is powerful and beautiful.
Shivers makes me want to pack all my stuff up and leave everything here behind. I feel that a lot, so obviously I don’t need a song to make me feel like that, but this song just adds something to it. It leaves you feeling less alone. This album does have quite a desolate feel to it, but at the same time it really does comfort you. A lot label her music as Gothic, that’s fine and all- but it is so much more than that. It is so pure and tranquil. You must remember that she is only 21 years old. Skin amazes me; I love how she makes you want to escape who you are and become all you want to be- rather than what people make you out to be. People do that a lot don’t they, they make you out to be something you’re not all the time. Sometimes you just want to yell at them that, who they think you are, is not who you are. You are so much more, but you cannot show them because they don’t believe in you. I get that a lot. Skin is a comfort blanket, the way she sings “I’ve had enough.” Well it just proves that these are the most powerful three words one could ever hear. Skin is most definitely going on repeat for a while. It makes you want to close your eyes and shut off the world. We all need to do that sometimes, just let something take you some place else.
The album ends with Collapse which will more than likely leave you feeling the same way Skin did. A fragile lump of bones just waiting to go towards something better. It has such innocence and honesty to it, “It hurts to let you in.” Nika has this genius way of wording these feelings in such a simple way, but at the same time just leaves you in utter awe of how she does it. She does it without using grand words or creating unnecessary pretentious imagery. The way she makes the music sound as delicate as her words is so wonderful, and not many can do it in the way she does- and thankfully so. It makes you treasure her even more than you already did.
What I love about Nika is what she makes me feel when I listen to her music. I love the bands I love for certain reasons. My reasons for loving Nika’s music are that it takes me to a place in my mind I probably try to shut off most of the time. It exposes my mind and soul to all I should fear, but when I hear her music- I feel it, and I am immediately rid of this fear. That is how powerful it is. I write personally, and I know it isn’t what you want to hear. You want to hear if this album is any good or not, well the fact that it can move me and make me write like this proves that it is undoubtedly a masterpiece and one of the best albums to have come out this year. Her music is just stunning and perfect. Her voice is so distinctive and enthralling. Something takes over you when you listen to her music, don’t fight it. Go with it, always. Just go with it.
I’ve had some of my favourite artists contact me about my blog and hat I write about them such as Summer Camp and Big Deal. A few months ago, I wrote about a band called Sensual Harassment; Todd from the band emailed me a few weeks ago thanking me for writing about his band. Normally, I’d just reply with a thank you and leave it at that. Mainly because I don’t want to seem like a massive creeper. However, I have been hugely in awe of Sensual Harassment and I didn’t want to just leave it with a thank you.
See, ideally I would’ve done this interview with the band in some underground bar in New York at 2am surrounded by hopeless drunks and unknown musicians. I guess that’s the tragic romantic in me. Instead, this was done over email which allowed the band to take their time with answering the questions. I haven’t shortened/edited any of the answers as it would just take everything away from this article, besides- the answers are brilliant and I don’t want to deny you of that.
What I love about Sensual Harassment is that they have created this wonderful, euphoric electro sound. I know, you probably are wondering how these guys are different. I mean, there are so many electro artists around; how could you possibly be able to tell the difference? Quite simply really. Their songs last over 5 minutes and it just sends you into this amazing whirlwind of a trance. If you go for a walk whilst listening to them, I can guarantee you will feel like you are elsewhere; and for the most part that is entirely needed.
One of the things I really wanted to know about the band is what they want a new fan to take from their music, and also if they were conscious about the fact that their music does give you this lucid/trippy feeling.
“The word that comes to mind is visceral. When I listen to music, I want to be moved – both emotionally and physically. I wouldn’t say we’re a ‘drug band’, but music should take you to different/strange places the way that drugs do – I think that’s why historically music and drugs have always seemed to go hand in hand.”
He’s totally right, music SHOULD move you in every single way. Why create something or listen to something that has no depth or substance to it? Sensual Harassment’s music does take you to a different place, a place that just completely frees you; mind, body and soul.
When you have artists that have had this hard work ethic about them, it is easy to want to aspire to be like that. To just put your all into it. For example, when I write here; I always have to put my all into it. I don’t care if I have to stay up until 3am to make a sentence flow the way I want or searching for hours for a specific word- I just have to put my all into it, if you love something that’s exactly what one should do.
“I think as an artist your goal is to make people feel something. When you’re really being yourself as an artist and you’re challenging yourself and being revealing, you’re much more likely to win over an audience. I think we’ve always had a philosophy that comes from the school of Bruce Springsteen or Fugazi in that you have to really throw all of yourself into your music, even bleed for it – and their lives shows make that abundantly clear. People look to artists to be the most free and the most revealing and brave.”
Those that show this raw, revealing side are the easiest to relate to, however I can imagine if an artist does this every night on stage it must become quite draining. We all have limits.
At the moment, the guys are in the studio recording new material. As a massive Music obsessive, I always love hearing about how a band records, how they come up with ideas and what influences them; whether it be a place, book or piece of music. I just find the whole process to be entirely fascinating. There’s something truly wonderful about knowing the background to one of your favourite records and what they go through to get there. As they’re currently in the studio, I asked them how it was going and what is influencing them at present:
“Recording is going great. It’s always a slower process than you would like it to be, but you know in the end it’s worth it to take your time and nail it. I think on the last record we experimented a lot with distorted kicks, distorted vocals and over the top mixes. I think we’re putting a real focus now on very ‘clean and open’ mixes with room for instruments to breathe. I think we’re still reeling from parts of Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours record, which was just a great dance pop record that moved a lot of people. We’ve also been really obsessed with Phil Spector’s girl groups The Ronettes and The Crystals. Everyone talks about the vocals and reverb on those records which are fantastic, but I think a lot of people miss the amazing percussion that’s happening there too. You wonder why those records are so infectious and when we began looking at it, to us it was very clear that the percussion was a huge driving factor in those songs. I think you’ll hear all those influences on the new stuff.”
Knowing that Sensual Harassment are being influenced by one of the greatest (albeit mental but a genius nonetheless) producers of all time, I am seriously excited about their next release. Big percussion sounds, infectious beats- this record should quite rightfully, be huge. I’ll have to make it my mission to get the UK on board with it.
When I interviewed Warpaint, I was really interested in what process they went through whilst recording. When you watch them live or their interviews, you can see how close they are. It’s like a sisterhood. Ever since then, I’ve just been really in awe of the processes a band goes through to create music. Do they fight? Is one in more control than the other? Do ideas just happen? I love how every band has such a different approach to music, if they all approached it the same way well, it’d be dull. Trust me, Sensual Harassment are not dull. Check who they are working with too:
“Everyone comes to the table with ideas, and when you hear someone else’s idea that is inspiring, you hop on it and try and contribute. We all do demos by ourselves and a lot of the initial process is done separately. Sometimes it’s done all together in a band room, but a lot of the time people are coming up with songs that are 70% finished before anyone else touches it. We actually enjoy doing it that way because the song ends up with a real focused sound because the primary spark came from one vision with small contributors. We do a large part of our own tracking/mixing and then when we’re all done we take it to Jesse Cannon (our very good friend and brilliant engineer who’s worked with some really cool bands like The Cure, The Misfits). Jesse gives our songs the last bit of polish that they need and is also a great unbiased voice in solving band arguments about mixes.”
Working with Jesse Cannon?! It cannot get any better than that dear reader.
Aside from how bands create their music, I am also interested in where they are from and if the place they reside in have any kind of effect on their music. Does place drive them to have a certain sound? Does a specific building leave them in awe and move them, causing them to be influenced in such a grand way?
The band is currently based in New York, but that isn’t where they were formed:
“We are all from North Carolina originally and moved up to NYC to take our music to the next level… We lived in a small enough town (Wilmington, NC) where everyone pretty much knows who all the musicians are, so in the end, if you’re looking for people to play in your band, you have a handful of the usual suspects to choose from. We also gravitated to each other because we were the most Stalinist about being organized and getting things done musically. There’s no shortage of good musicians out there, just a shortage of people who will put in the lifelong dedication to it.”
I was only ever aware of one artist from North Carolina and that’s Petey Pablo. That beat to Raise Up is insane. As the State has given us a band as stunning as Sensual Harassment, I feel inclined to check out more bands from the area; and so should you!
New York, New York- so much to answer for you rascal of a city. You’ve given us Punk, a genre that owns my heart. You’ve given us The Strokes, a band whose debut album title is tattooed upon me. Now? Now you’ve got hold of Sensual Harassment. When a band moves from one place to settle in another, can the city they settle in give them a whole new sound? Can it provide a love/hate relationship? Has the move changed Sensual Harassment in any way at all?:
“When I moved to the city, I had a painter friend already here and told me: “The city changes you man. It changes who you are and it changes your art”. I wanted to believe he was wrong, but he was 100% correct. I think our core hasn’t changed, but New York in particular forces you to grow and forces you into strange experiences. Lyrically, the city and my experiences in it are all over our music – no doubt that NYC life has played a huge influence on that. I don’t know if the city forces a sound on you. I feel like more than anything it challenges you to be MORE of yourself because you’ve got some great bands around you bringing it every single night and becoming hugely successful. It’s certainly a temptation to drift towards a ‘NY Sound’ or current trend but that never made any sense for us. We’re usually much more concerned about discovering strange and interesting music no matter its origin.”
I’ve heard people say that about London, when you move there it just changes everything about your art and who you are. Sometimes this change can be awful, sometimes (and in this case no doubt) it works extremely well; it allows the artist to grow and evolve in their sound.
However, when moving to a city such as New York, the home of the greats such as New York Dolls and the Velvet Underground; is there any pressure for the band to change or to go along with certain trends? Let’s be honest here, you do get tired of seeing an artist stand on the stage with just an acoustic guitar with a “woe is me” all over their face or meaningless pop music that holds no value. Yes electro is a popular sound, and everything seems to have a synth smothered all over, but a lot of amazing electro bands are well and truly overlooked. Music critics tell you about what they want you to listen to, they don’t give you the bands that could probably change your life and record collection. This is why I found Sensual Harassment at 3am and was utterly grateful for having an atrocious sleep pattern.
So, with all this, do they feel they have something to live up to that has been forced down their necks by ego-ridden critics? :
“I think being from NYC helps and hurts. On one hand bloggers and critics will occasionally listen to you because you’re from an area (Williamsburg Brooklyn) where there is a huge scene. On the other hand, there are haters and huge expectations for New Yorkers. We usually just ignore it all. It’s funny because our sound is not really common in New York and we initially had a tough time winning over New York audiences – or at least tougher than elsewhere. New York people are often on the cutting edge of what some people term ‘the scene’ but people here can also be quite self-conscious. Sometimes it takes them longer to stand up and say ‘hey, I don’t care what you think, this music is great’. So it’s taken a few brave people to say ‘hey, this band doesn’t sound like indie rock, or whatever is the trend right now, but they’re doing something different and that’s cool’.”
This is why I adore Sensual Harassment, they are different, but you can tell it isn’t forced. This is a natural sound they posses; they don’t do this to impress anyone or to be one some redundant “cool” list. So all you lazy hipsters out there who listen to certain bands to just be cool- you’re wrong. Open your ears, and stop thinking its vintage because there are a few holes in it. You’re missing out and depriving yourself of something mind-blowing and ethereal.
I’m going to wrap it up here. In over 2000 words I hope I have managed to make you want to check out Sensual Harassment’s music. A lot of bands call themselves “artists” but have nothing to back it up, Sensual Harassment see right through:
“If you’re going to call yourself something somewhat pretentious like ‘an artist’, you damn well better be pushing your own boundaries and not just posturing. Music is a craft most anyone can learn. There’s a general structure you can follow and sounds you can quickly dial up and create a ‘song’. But we want to find the spaces in-between. We want to put the intangibles in there and really make people feel that we’ve put our own unique DNA into these songs.”
Sensual Harassment well and truly pushes boundaries- their own and the “ideals” that are foolishly set by those who claim to be experts. Go against what is expected of you, always. It’s a sure fire way to create something honest, beautiful and your own.
One of the few albums I have been so excited about this year is the debut album by Trevor Powers aka Youth Lagoon.
If you’re a lazy being, you will be quick to label Youth Lagoon as Chillwave and not pay his music any attention. Shame on you really, you’d be missing out on something truly beautiful.
The Year Of Hibernation is released next week, and is probably the most heartbreaking yet relaxing album you will hear all year. It has a calming feel to it, but at the same time; just rips you apart.
Youth Lagoon’s debut album is the true essence of vulnerability and worry. Most tracks have that fear of losing someone about them. The uncertainty of if you are going to see the one you love again. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. Most of the time you just have to let it all go and give it all over to fate. If something can be controlled, it is not worth having.
This is an album to completely lose yourself in. You know how sometimes you look at a person and you forget everything because their presence is so beautiful and powerful? This is what I get from this album. It is like falling freely and staring at something beautiful whilst doing so. It is so honest, so painful and emotional.
Afternoon is probably my favourite off the album, I love the way it just lifts you up. Although the album is fragile and gentle, songs like Afternoon just lift you up and away. Youth Lagoon’s music is a more relaxed version of Spiritualized. I can say this because Spiritualized are in my top 5 favourite bands ever. What I’m getting at is, Youth Lagoon has the same innocence, uncertainty and hurt as Jason Pierce- but it isn’t as tense. Both are equally gorgeous. I’ve probably lost my point along the way here, I’m not sorry. This album is truly wonderful.
Most of the time we are taught to not say how we feel, because no one ever cares enough. It’s true, no one ever does. This is why Youth Lagoon is so necessary; he is saying everything you are told not to say. He feels all you are told not to feel. If you’re seen to be vulnerable and a bit fragile- you are immediately cast off as weak, and no one wants to know. Thing is, when you feel like that, you have the power to create something like this. The Year Of Hibernation is everything you are afraid to feel. The Year Of Hibernation says everything you wish you could say. My advice? Buy this album and tell those you wish you could tell certain things to, to listen to this album from start to finish. If they don’t get it, leave it alone. At least they’ve listened to something decent, right?
I know I’ve looked forward to a few albums this year, but this is one that has truly done something to my soul. It’s all well and good when an album steals your heart away, but when it takes your soul; you have truly found something special. Maybe the UK won’t love this album as much as they should. I won’t fill myself up with false hope that they will. Instead, I’m going to treasure this exquisite work of art with all I have. The only way I can describe how I feel about this album is how I feel towards The Fool by Warpaint. It is THAT amazing. In fact, amazing isn’t good enough. I cannot find the words. I’m just grateful that this album exists, that Youth Lagoon exists. My words cannot praise this wonderful creation enough; I’m just musically in love with it. Youth Lagoon, you are a credit to the music industry. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. You honestly have NO idea how much this album means to me right now.
Apart from having a pretty cool name- that’s all I know about Sex Cult. No idea how many are in the band, their names, influences-NADA! But you know what? WHO CARES. All that matters is that this song, Errand Boy is proof that PUNK IS NOT DEAD. It’s got that heavy guitar, distorted and aggressive vocals; it has EVERYTHING Punk was and should be remembered. Something tells me that Sex Cult don’t wear safety pins in their ear. How was that even Punk? Well it wasn’t, was it? Good job The Clash were decent.
Sex Cult have that agressive guitar, unapologetic drums and distorted vocals that Punk had. It’s brutal, it’s a smack between the eyes. It is so perfect, it’s unreal. It’s under 2 minutes long, wihch means the only thing you can do is hit repeat at least 6 times. It’s going to fuck up your world and you are going to LOVE it.
Oh, I must say; looking up the band will give you some questionable results. Maybe next time I’ll put the safety feature on when I search for a band with a name such as Sex Cult.
Beat In My Bones. 