Patti Smith : Open Letter.

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I’ve got seven ways of going, seven wheres to be.”

Of course she will never see this. No one will. I don’t write to be known, I write because it is all I know. Five people gave me a love of words and music. One of them has a birthday today. 66 years old today. This is my open letter to Patti Smith.

Dear Patti,

I have read Just Kids more times than I have read any other book. To me, it isn’t a book. It is a guide for life. It teaches you how to love freely but with caution. How to follow your heart, but keep the one who owns firmly next to you. How to never let go of them, but become the person you want to become. The person you need to become. Your music taught me how to write from the heart and to not let anyone ever sway me. It’s easy to do what others expect of you; but you feel much better when you do what you want to do. The sense of freedom that comes over you is beyond words.

The outcast eventually gets what they want. You taught me that struggling for your art isn’t a bad thing. I know I may never have anything I write published in a book. I know the goals I set for myself in my mind may never ever happen; but the courage to try is there. It is there because of your art. Your words. Your music. You. Self-belief is a thing I may never grasp, but self-doubt keeps me going because when the one thing I want to happen, happens- I will know not to abandon it. I will know how to keep hold of it and let no one take it from me. People are keen to take so much from others because they no longer know how to work for their own and make something for themselves. Society is becoming more closed off and the art of conversation and the intimacy of eye contact is slowly fading. This breaks my heart.

People like you are rare. Rare people like you influence others greatly to follow their heart. It’s all well and good listening to your head, but where does that get you? Nothing good comes from taking the safe option. I’ve fucked up many a time from following my heart, but I don’t believe in regrets. Everything toughens you up, eventually. Words. Words hold more power than anything else in the world. You can say “I love you” so many times, but it only has meaning when you say it with feeling. The actions help too. Art creates love. Through love comes tenderness. I admire you because of your gentle words and your attitude on stage. When you can merge the two so well, you become a person that another can believe in. Don’t stand in their shadows, just use it as a way to carry on.

There is a line from Dancing Barefoot that sums up the first time I heard your music, “Some strange music draws me in.” Truth be told, it wasn’t strange. It was like finding a home. I was young when  first heard your words, very young. Your music just stuck with me. I’d see videos of you acting tough on stage wishing I could be as tough as that. I was the opposite. I was gentle and sensitive, like your words. That’s how I’ll always be. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that being as strong as most just isn’t my thing. If I was, I’d never write again. I love words and the feelings they create too much to ever give up on them. To ever not be who I am. For to stop that, I’d be going against all I believe in.

I made an enemy out of myself in my own reflection. Then I listen to your record, Wave and all makes sense again. Frederick is the best love song ever written. I love the innocence within it. The devotion and love within that song is exactly how I feel about the one I love; it’s good to know that she feels the same. These things are rare. Rare things are easier to adore. I will hold onto her.

Guidance is found in strange and familiar places. What we know fades, and we replace it with other things to lead the way. I’ll always stay true to the power of music and words. Rapture takes over when you find something to connect with. For me, Punk was the only genre of music that ever captured my heart. It unleashed the frustrations and any form of love inside me. Who wrote of love better than you, Patti? Nobody. You. Just you, for always. There is no such thing as fear when I listen to your music or read your poetry.

I must go back to Just Kids one more time. I read Just Kids when I feel at a loss, or just need something I cannot put into words. I read it, and hope takes over. I’ve laughed and cried whilst reading Just Kids. I’ve cried from the sadness and from the love within. Everything about this book is everything I want from literature. I’ve watched Dream Of Life more times than I can can recall. I’ve seen fear ruin people, and I’ve seen love make people. I’ll always back the latter. Your words and music; your art have always projected such purity. A way of creation that is lacking now, but it is obvious it is still in some. Face the sins we have apparently made. Make them again and again. And just say you lived.

If I ever get tough, I’ll hold you responsible. If I ever lose my way, I have your art.

Every word you have written, spoken and sung has influenced this 26-year-old from the middle of nowhere- heading nowhere, aiming for somewhere with no possessions. Dream of life in the hope the dreams become life. Real life.

I wish to thank you for all you’ve done for music and literature. I wish to thank you for creating something that this lost soul found a home in.

All the love in the world.

Happy Birthday Patti.

Oliva xx

“What is it that calls to us?
Why must we pray screaming?
Why must not death be redefined?
We shut our eyes we stretch out our arms
And whirl on a pane of glass
An afixiation a fix on anything the line of life the limb of a tree.”

The Bedroom Hour.

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When all is exhausting, and borderline dull we must find something to ease it all. Something to give us something that nothing else can. You can find it in a person, you can find it in a sound. Anywhere, everywhere. You just need to put effort into it; it isn’t hard.

The Bedroom Hour by rights, should be one of your favourite new bands. If you buy into hype from certain radio stations and publications, then this will cause you to miss out on them. So, ignore it. Ignore it all. The Bedroom Hour make music that is evidently from the heart. When I first heard their song, Submarine I thought I was listening to a mellowed out version of Spiritualized. The hazy intro to Submarine reminds me of one of the best songs ever written, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star. Trust no one who doesn’t hear the beauty in that song. After I’ve written this, I’ll probably spend the rest of the evening listening to it on repeat. It happens a lot.

The Bedroom Hour are from Hillingdon. I’ve tried to find interesting folk from there, but nobody notable stands out- aside from The Bedroom Hour. One thing that really stuck out for me when reading their bio was this, “with every end is a new beginning.” If more people took notice of that, then I think we’d get along better. We’d be more acceptable and loving. It’s such a brilliant way to look at life and all around you. When one thing fucks up, another thing works out. That’s just how it is, and clinging onto that will always work in your favour.

They make music that is good for the soul. Music that just makes you feel like there is more to you than your beating heart. That all those cells you are made up of are actually of worth. These five talented musicians really  the capability to make new music less mundane and manufactured. They have songs that ooze sheer devotion (X Marks The Spot- play this one to the one you adore, everything will be fine forever.) The Bedroom Hour are the kind of band that you’ve been longing for, they’ve been longing for you too.

Their songs are delicate and utterly vulnerable. Stuart’s voice makes you relate to every single word; there’s something deeply passionate about this band that goes beyond what you have ever heard before. This is why they remind me of Spiritualized. Their songs are big but gentle. Heal yourself, and comfort the ones you love. The Bedroom Hour are a band you simply must treasure because bands like this do not come around often.

They are currently writing an EP in their own studio which should be out the start of 2013. For now, you can listen to their music here : https://soundcloud.com/#thebedroomhour Play it through headphones, as loud as you like and pay attention to the lyrics.

The Long Wives- The Violence of Man.

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“The answer lies in your eyes,it lies in our wounds.”

My favourite singer is someone who deserves to be as big as Patti Smith. She has the heart and passion like my idol (I know that you shouldn’t have idols but sometimes, you must make an exception.) I love Brandy’s voice because, she has the power to break and mend the heart at the same time. When I saw she’d put a new song up, I just knew it’d be something truly special. I just knew I’d have to write about it. She’s one of the very few singers that make me do this. My love for music is there, but my motivation to write comes and goes. It’s a fading dream.

The Violence of Man is again, pure and ethereal. Sadness shines brightly in Brandy’s voice; but not in a way that leaves you crying on the floor in a ball wishing the end would come. She makes you feel less alone. She makes you feel less ashamed and tormented. Her words and her voice are one of the most sincere forms of comfort I have ever known. I know we seek refuge in the arms of the one we love; but sometimes we need a sound. A sound from someone who doesn’t know us, and someone we don’t know. Strangers create a world for us that becomes familiar and less daunting than what we face on a daily basis.

I simply cannot review a song in a simple way, especially when you can tell instantly that so much has gone into the song. I could easily sit here and just throw out words in a clichéd way to describe The Violence of Man, but that is no use to anyone. And I believe if you are a Music Writer, you should put the same amount of passion into your writing that the singer puts into their song. I don’t know if I’m successfully putting this across, so all I can do is hope you listen to The Long Wives and listen to her with intense and welcoming ears. That’s the only way.

Her voice echoes over the haunting strumming of the guitar. You feel the insecurities fall out of you. If you cannot be open with your love (as in the one you love) then you will be closed off forever more. Her voice and her lyrics are truly gorgeous. I know I have said this every single time I have written about The Long Wives; but I am truly in awe of her. The way she conveys religious images and such in her lyrics I believe to have only ever been found in one other; Nick Cave. I’d say she is the female Nick Cave, but really she is just her. Unique and mind-blowing. There is no other singer around, regardless of gender, like her. That alone makes you treasure her even more.

I think the line, “Did you learn to make a fist before you learned to speak?” sums up society perfectly. We are becoming more and more violent by the day. We channel our hate into things that do not matter and we create monsters out of ourselves. The Violence of Man makes you feel sorry for humanity because we are no longer accepting. Instead we just fight. We fight for nothing, we just harm others for no reason at all.

As I listen to her voice caress my eardrums, I can only hope you allow it to do the same. Brandy St.John easily has the best voice I’ve heard since Patti Smith. I simply cannot understand why songs like this aren’t taking over our airwaves. Then again, when you find something so precious of it, you think no one else will get it. But I truly hope you listen, and fully understand.

Please listen here : https://soundcloud.com/#thelongwives/the-violence-of-man-the-long

L.A. Witch.

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Sometimes you find a band/song that just takes over you. This year, the person who did that for me was The Long Wives; I play her music every day. It becomes like a ritual. I have to hear Judas Hex a few times a day, for no reason other than it being one of the best songs ever written.

Most probably regard bands from the West Coast of America as being some kind of lo-fi/surfer-pop thing. Making you feel as if you’re going to go to the beach and just stay there for the rest of time. There’s a darker side. A side that doesn’t get as much love and recognition as it deserves. It is a side that is dark and haunting. A side that for some reason, is more uplifting that some jaunty lo-fi band. Not that I don’t enjoy that, but I have a place reserved mainly for the darker side of music. The Long Wives stirred all this up for me earlier this year, and now a band from Los Angeles called L.A. Witch have gone and done the same.

L.A.Witch are brilliant. I know duos own my heart, but this three-piece band are just out of this world. If a band can make you feel this way by only having one song out, then you know you have found something truly remarkable and sacred. I love them for many reasons. One being that they remind me of a darker version of Warpaint. It doesn’t take a genius to realise how much I love Warpaint (I have a tattoo, pretty sure that explains it..for no.) Warpaint make you feel as if you are drifting in and out of sleep. L.A.Witch are that feeling right before you fall asleep. A few times you feel your head drop as you nod off, then you just go. You go so far down; nothing and no one can disturb you. L.A. Witch take you on a journey that you don’t ever want to come back from. Why would you want to?! The places a song can create for you in your mind are much better than the world you see outside with your own eyes. Live in your head, because no one can bother you that way.

I know when you find new bands you automatically try to find a way to label them as something or just throw them into some disastrous sub-genre that appeals to the pretentious kind. I despise that. Music is music. Some you may like, some you may enjoy; regardless of what it is. Whatever you want to listen to, go with it. When you seek out bands that are from one genre, you miss out on so much. But when you cannot sleep at 3am, you find a lot. That’s how I find most of the music I listen to. That and putting off what I should be doing in order to find new music instead. Music is much more appealing.

Sorrow fills you as you hear the last-minute of Your Ways. As the guitar spirals down, you fall with it. They remind me of a slowed-down version of The Kills. They have the same road-trip vibe going on like The Kills do. You get some real Blues influence coming through also. I have no idea if they are influenced by the Blues or not (but aren’t we all to an extent.) This is the kind of band Jack White would love to get his hands on and make the world pay attention. Not that they can’t do it on their own, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is, you listen to them and you think that this is a band you know he would love. Everyone should love them because they sound different and honest.

Not all music lacks passion and heart. You’ve got to keep searching, but when you find it; do you stop? No, you don’t. You can’t. You can never stop. Neither will bands such as L.A. Witch because we truly need them.

You can listen to L.A.Witch here : http://lawitches.bandcamp.com/ and just fall freely into another world.

Arousing Sounds: Albums Of 2012.

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As if thinking of my favourite songs of the year didn’t hurt my head enough, I’m going through albums. This year I listened to less new music, mainly because my obsession for certain bands (that are either dead or split up) just came back. I may have missed out, I may not have. Who knows, why should you care. I do stand-by that EPs were better than full length records this year, but again; just my opinion. I found some obscure bands at 2am due to not being able to sleep, I also couldn’t get enough of Girls Aloud’s greatest hits (Something New is the best pop song of the year easily.) Some amazing debut albums came out this year from Emeli Sande to 2:54 to Willis Earl Beal. This year, in every sense has been alright. For me personally it picked up in July. Oh and when I saw Crocodiles FINALLY in September. Anyway. I’ve given myself a headache trying to think of my favourite albums of the year. My top 5 is a solid decision, but those before? I cannot put them in order. So what I’m going to do is be a boring twit and list the first 5 in no order. Then the 5 after will be in order. I’m making life hard for myself again, I know. It’s what I do. It is the only way I know how to function it seems.

Ellie Goulding-Halcyon.

The XX-Coexist.

Beach House-Bloom.

Cat Power-Sun.

Garbage-Not Your Kind Of People.

Spiritualized-Sweet Heart Sweet Light.

Willis Earl Beal-Acousmatic Sorcery.

Toy-Toy.

The Creeping Ivies-Stay Wild.

Bowl Cut-Anti-Everything EP.

Okay, I’ll stop listing records and write about my top 5.

5. Pop.1280- The Horror. Probably the most intense record released this year. It is dark, it is creepy and best of all; it is sinister. Everything cryptic you could feel is conjured up in this record. It’s not a record you play in the background whilst doing mundane tasks. No way. This is a record you play when you are alone. Do not listen to this when surrounded by anyone because they will just distract you from the music. The basslines and aggressive drums blow-up your eardrums and just freak you out. If this doesn’t move you in a menacing manner, then you’ve listened to it wrong. Simple as. I love The Horror because for me, it just has everything I love about music. I’m not a morbid person, I probably give off that vibe because I am prone to being grumpy (people need to stop being arses, that’s why. But I’m a bit shit so it all works out I guess) but this record takes you to a dark place in such a poetic manner. It’ll haunt you, but you don’t want it to leave you alone. Go with it.

4. Tamaryn-Tender New Signs.Every year a record comes out that makes you feel like you are living in a dream. It grabs your soul, and sways you. It is the much-needed hug at 3am when you cannot sleep and you miss the one you love because of distance. It is the comfort that you need when you feel hopeless. It is music for the soul, and it warms your bones. It owns a piece of your heart, and the ethereal vocals do something that just soothes you like no other. Tender New Signs was that record, for me. It is much like what The Fool by Warpaint was to me in 2010. It is on that level. So pure, and so divine. Tender New Signs is a dream that you cannot bring yourself to wake up from. Not many things in life are perfect, but this record is.

3. 2:54-2:54.The next three records are as follows: debut record of the year, EP of the year, favourite record of the year. 2:54 put out the best debut record of the year. Everything about it had that mind-blowing eerie vibe to it. Like you are being hunted down in a forest. Let’s be honest, you wouldn’t mind Colette or Hannah hunting you down would you. No, you wouldn’t. I just think they’re the best UK band around because they have something different to other bands. You can tell they are serious about the music, and play with such passion. I remember hearing the demo to Creeping in 2010 and just being hooked. I wanted more, but there wasn’t much around. I played it to death, and I’ve pretty much done the same with their record. Every song sends you into a trance that you never want to be shaken out of. I know I compare everything to Seventeen Seconds by The Cure, but I truly felt the same way listening to 2:54’s debut as I did when I first heard Seventeen Seconds years ago. Some people get excited about Christmas and such, I get excited over bands that make raw music like 2:54. If Sugar didn’t make you jolt your body, then something was up with you.

2. Dum Dum Girls-End Of Daze. EP OF THE YEAR. Anything DDG do just amazes me. Dee Dee’s songwriting on this EP just left me in awe. Season In Hell gave me hope, Mine Tonight broke my heart, I Got Nothing made me feel less alone and Lord Knows made me feel less shit about the bad in me. The cover of Trees And Flowers reduced me to tears (doesn’t take much, shut up.) End Of Daze feels like starting over. When you listen to End Of Daze, you feel as if you are being cleansed of all the bad that has gone on. Any bad you have done or any bad you have had done to you; it all fades as you listen to the glorious EP. I’ve taken walks listening to Dum Dum Girls, I’ve nearly broken gym equipment listening to them. I’ve found peace listening to them, in Dee Dee’s words. It is like finding a safety net, a cure for all. If you want hope and love, you will find it in a Dum Dum Girls song. Season In Hell is one of my favourite songs of the year because it just makes you feel like everything is worth it. When she sings, “Doesn’t the dawn look divine” it just lifts you up. End Of Daze is the purest healing process you will ever be exposed to. Be vulnerable, and take the words in.

1. Crocodiles-Endless Flowers.To hell with what anyone thinks, this is the best record of the year. You shouldn’t need telling why, but whatever. Maybe you do. Everything about Endless Flowers is wonderful. Summer Of Hate and Sleep Forever were quite brutal and raw. Endless Flowers is a gentle caress. No Black Clouds For Dee Dee is a gorgeous ode to Brandon’s wife (Dee Dee from Dum Dum Girls) and I think anyone who is in love will fully relate to the song. Everything about it is innocent and beautiful. Dark Alleys is my favourite. It’s over 5 minutes of euphoria. Seeing some of the songs from Endless Flowers, Summer Of Hate and Sleep Forever was truly one of the best things I experienced this year. Maybe it was because I had waited over 3 years for it. I guess I could class 2012 as just waiting things out, because the good finally happened. My girlfriend gave me a copy of Endless Flowers on vinyl as a Christmas present, and part of me doesn’t want to ever play it because I want it to stay as perfect as it is. Then the other part of me wants to hear it in all its fuzzy glory. I obviously will play it. Maybe I love the record even more now she bought me that, and it just reminds me of her. But it is truly my favourite record of the year because well, I just love Crocodiles. They’ve been a crutch over the past 3 and a bit years; Endless Flowers just reinforced my love for them. Not that it needed doing, but you get my point. I could go on forever about this record, but I’ve said enough. It’s my favourite, simple as.

“From dreams you wake to shock.”

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Friday evening I left my friends to go to my girlfriends. Before I even get to the core of this, I think I deserve some form of gift for being able to use the tube all by myself and not losing my Oyster card (yet!) I think this is one of my greatest achievements of this year. Anyway, as my friends and I parted at the station (I don’t want to name any of the stations out of respect, and such) one of the women that worked at this station came up to use and asked where we were going. As I told her where I was going, she told me that I couldn’t go as there had been a disruption to the service. As she said this, a man behind her was putting an information board up informing those travelling that someone had taken their life, thus causing a disruption to certain routes. Now, I’ve travelled on trains before where this has happened. Usually an hour or so when everything has been dealt with but with minor delays. But this time, it had just happened. For some reason, it just really got to me.

As I made my way to my girlfriend’s, all I could think about was this person. I don’t know who they were, their gender, name; nothing. I don’t know if things like this are reported. But the unknown just really saddened me. What if this is someone who no one ever knew, and they died  unhappy and alone? What if they had a really shitty day, and all they wanted was for someone to listen? What if normally, they are alright but something awful happened and the thought of carrying on just was too much?

What if it was someone you knew? A loved one? A neighbour? You just have no idea what a person is going through; what is going on in their head. The biggest killer (aside from the media) is the mind. Your mind can sometimes overrule the heart, and you act out of character. We try to act tough, but I think most of us are just vulnerable. I have no problems with admitting I’m sensitive. I will cry at adverts on TV about animals needing help or certain songs causing me to have a mini breakdown. It doesn’t bother me at all. I’d rather be this way than have no emotions at all. I’m not saying I’m unstable; I just know how I feel, simple as really.

Yet some don’t. Some are overwhelmed by certain events or things being said to them that they just cannot carry on no more. The world can be loving, but it can also be the most cruel place. It can welcome you and shun you within a matter of seconds. For every beautiful moment, there’s a nightmare right around the corner.

No one should ever feel like they aren’t good enough or that their problems are insignificant. I don’t see how you can turn your back on someone who just needs someone to listen. You may not be able to cure all, but sometimes a person just wants another person to listen. Free of judgement, full of time.

Of course life is precious, and time can be a drag. But a person’s well-being and their heart are so delicate and need protecting at time. Yes we are all going to face some harsh times in life, but there is good also. I’ve been thinking about this unknown person since Friday, and I don’t know why. Maybe it is because of the time of year, I have no idea. I know how tough and how awful Christmas can be. I hate Christmas for many personal reasons. I understand to some degree.

One thing that bothered me a lot was, as were about to pass through the station where this sad sad event took place, the train driver told us to not look out of the window as we may see something upsetting. I kept my headphones in and looked at the floor. I looked up for a second, and I saw people look out of the window. At this point I started to dislike humanity. Out of respect, they should have just carried on with reading their books or looking at their phones. Anything but look outside. I have no idea if anything was there, nor did I want to know. My thoughts have been with this unknown person ever since this happened.

People do not need a lot to get by. Just a hug with a reassuring gaze can stop someone from feeling worthless and taking their own life. Things take time.

I truly hope that this person is at peace, wherever they may be now. Normally I’d just end this with a few songs but with this, I’ll settle with just the one.

The Graftham Water Sailing Club-Kappa Kappa.

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Any band that use Arsenal’s finest, Dennis Bergkamp on their Soundcloud page are heroes in my mind. He was clearly one of the best football players in English football during the 90s, along with Colin Hendry (Blackburn Rovers finest, always.) Anyway, my love for football when I was very young was borderline obsessive. Something else took over; for the best I reckon.

The Graftham Water Sailing Club are back with an eerie song that is obviously brilliant, because if it was toss; I wouldn’t write about it. Truly one of the best bands that are in the West Midlands for sure. Kappa Kappa is like their other tracks- haunting and powerful. That’s their thing. Hypnotic and utterly creepy vocals. Think of The Cure circa Seventeen Seconds. I compare most things in life to two records. That one and Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain. If a band or song makes me feel like either/both those records do, then I know I have found something to blissfully and carelessly love.

Also, the enthralling bass-line is captive much like Krimson by Warpaint or say, Lost A Girl by New Young Pony Club. Mix this with the chant like drums, and you have something remarkable.

Kappa Kappa is one of those songs that will take you over in a sinister way; but don’t let that put you off. Some of the best songs ever written have this feel to it, so don’t hide from it. With Christmas approaching (I know, it is shit) ignore those songs with bells jingling and go for the songs that are going to be a menace to your ears, steadily luring you into the unknown.

So go forth and be lured. Devour yourself in something so eerie and divine : https://soundcloud.com/xtxgxwxsxcx/kappa-kappa

Katherine Crowe-Smile.

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We glorify those who do not need it. From footballers that are paid too much money for running up and down for 90 minutes to someone standing in a kitchen on telly for half an hour telling us how to cook the perfect roast potato. Nothing is perfect, so it is wasted watching. We fall for it because it is constantly rammed down our necks. Then we have things such as X-Factor which again, glorifies rubbish. Chances (and money) are wasted on those no one will care about in 12 months time, and that is being kind. Or they become another gimmick that we can do without. Where is the raw talent? Where is the drive? Where is the passion? I’m about to tell you.

Start of 2010 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, if you’ve read anything I’ve written before then you know. It doesn’t need talking about in detail again. She did a fashion show in aid of cancer charities in October last year. I flew over to see her as a surprise, and was greeted with a “OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!??” I watched her and the others, in awe of their strength and determination to not let some bastarding wanker of a disease ruin them and stop them from living their lives.

I remember going home that evening and my mum telling me about one person in particular that was there. A singer by the name of Kath. I remember her walking up and down the catwalk and mouthing the words to the songs with her daughter by her side. This would have melted the hardest of hearts; it was a beacon of hope and a symbol of courage and also, determination.

I have seen Kath sing a few times with my mum, and every single time I am reduced to a bawling mess. A voice like hers, a personality like hers deserves to be heard and seen by all. This lady goes beyond being inspiring. She’s on a different level altogether. People like her are so so rare, and their fight is something that you cannot help but admire.

When she covers songs, she does what only the best do; she makes it her own. She makes you believe that she wrote the song. One song in particular is her version of Smile. As I’m far too sensitive for my own liking, it does the opposite- it makes me cry. Like a baby. However, it is truly one of the most ethereal things I have ever heard. She makes you believe that she wrote the song, or maybe the song was written for Kath. Maybe she was destined to find this song and just make it her own. Her angelic voice makes you connect with the lyrics more than you could ever imagine connecting to a song.

Recently she went to Abbey Road Studios and recorded a stunning version of the song with the London Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. It is stripped so bare that, as clichéd as it sounds- all you can do when you listen to it is just smile. Smile because someone so wonderful lived out a dream. Smile because although this person is going through hell, they have created something so beautiful. It goes beyond words. I know I dislike the Isle Of Man, but seeing everyone come together for such a brilliant cause is just, well, it leaves you in awe basically. That’s all there is to it.

You can download the song(s) here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/smile/id586584142?i=586584570

And here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smile/dp/B00AMVZDRM

If you have Facebook, you can join the event page here also: https://www.facebook.com/events/517206194971048/

As of Wednesday, I’ve been told HMV on the Isle Of Man will be selling the single. As I have a Christmas job there, I will be forcing as many people as I can to buy it. If they don’t? Well, what kind of person would they be to refuse.

I don’t download music at all, but I urge you to download this song from the above links and bombard everyone you can think of to do the same. It is for a cause that sadly too many of us can relate to. Besides, it’s about time a Christmas Number 1 had meaning.

Be selfless, be kind. Smile.

Lunatics On Pogosticks.

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Why do the things you ought to when you can be distracted by something else. Something much more pleasurable, it’s just finding it I guess. Naps are good. I went to my room to read earlier, turned out I needed to sleep much more than I needed to nap. There’s no point to this, I’m just rambling on. Because I can; so I do.

Do you dislike modern life? Modern music? Is everything dragging you down? It is a chore isn’t it. I understand, I really do. I’ll make it a tad easier. Here’s a new band that make you feel like you are watching The Gruesomes and Count Five back in 60-something. You okay with that? Good.

Lunatics On Pogosticks not only have an awesome name, but the music they make is going to blow your mind. If you don’t understand or dig garage rock, then you’re missing out. There’s a chunk of you missing out on something just brilliant.

These ruffians from Australia make pure garage rock with this obscure lo-fi feel to it. Yeah yeah, you’ve heard it all before. I know. Except, this time you haven’t. This is different. Yeah, and I know you’ve heard words like this before; but I only back bands I believe in (I’m no John Peel or Lester Bangs, but I wouldn’t sit here and write about something I hated would I.) Lunatics On Pogosticks make music that sends your mind wild and your body into a convulsion like no other. You don’t recover from this, you just go deeper into it by the day. It’s like a sickening form of romance. But this is good for you, and won’t make you throw up. Not like romance does. That’s a different subject matter.

Maggie Cassidy is a gentle ode that you simply must hear. It’s so innocent and pure. Not a typical love song, which is why it is enjoyable. So far I think my favourite is Grief and Noise. Both tracks are taken from their most recent release, Medicine For Da ‘illin which was released 20th October.

Their self-titled EP is louder. More brutal than their latest release, which is probably why I’ve taken to it instantly. It’s much more fuzzy, whereas Medicine is bit more blissed out. Medicine is the longing for the summertime surrounded by friends. The self titled EP is the seclusion and desire to hibernate. I like the summer, but I like hiding out for a while. Both have instantly earned a firm place in my heart.

Bands like this make me excited about music. And as a grumpy bugger, this is something I always search for. Songs like You’re Only A Rebel From The Waist Downwards are just so fucking GOOD. A real, raw basement band that deserve your time. Or maybe you deserve their time. You’ve earned it; you’ve been waiting long enough.

Here, enjoy : http://lunatics-on-pogosticks.bandcamp.com

Morrissey: “In my own sick way, I’ll always stay true to you.”

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Morrissey-with-cat-007

“It’s my life, to wreck my own way.”

Well into adulthood, you’d think by now I’d understand more and just be more certain. I’m indecisive and I don’t care. I’d rather sit in silence with a book than anything else. I really like the quiet. However there are some sounds that please me. One being the voice of Morrissey. I know I bang on about my love for him, but it’s a love that is ever-growing. A love that goes beyond being love. It is based on an understanding. An understanding that only Morrissey fans can understand. I know a fan is a fan regardless, but I mean the fans that have saved up to see him in the middle of nowhere or have cried in the foetal position whilst listening to I’ll Never Be Anybody’s Hero Now. Or have used Bona Drag as a crutch. Or trust in every word written on Viva Hate.

When I have my daily dose of “I hate my reflection” I think of a Morrissey song to drag me through the day. My thoughts consist of things such as “If I was a dog, what kind of bark would I have?” or a Morrissey lyric. My vacant stares are due to me being preoccupied with daft thoughts, but I am harming no one. I am troubling no one. I have these strange bouts where I just have to write about Morrissey. Of course I listen to him everyday, I just have to. I cannot explain why, but I just have to.

You are born to be some things. You are born into some things. I was born into being a Morrissey fan. I remember hearing the haunting sounds of Johnny Marr’s guitar at an extremely young age, but not really caring for it. I was more interested in the man flailing about on stage with some flowers in his back pocket. Obviously The Smiths split up before I was born, sort of. But I remember seeing an old clip on TV once, and hearing John Peel play a session that The Smiths did for him. Yet, when I heard his solo stuff that was it. I think it was November Spawned A Monster (apt I know) and seeing him thrust about and using a bar of chocolate as a musical instrument just left me in awe. Since that day, I have been in awe of him. Like I said, it goes beyond being love.

I don’t know how I feel about the concept of role models, I really don’t. I believe you should be the one who guides you. Yet we all need help don’t we. Morrissey’s words to me are like what a religious person uses their chosen religious book for; guidance. I have wept to Ringleaders Of The Tormentors more times than I can count. Everyday Is Like Sunday sums up where I sadly live. Suedehead oozes the disdain I feel towards some. To Me You Are A Work Of Art makes me think of the one I am most fond of. Basically, he’s the root connection to most things.

I first saw him live in 2009. First heartbreak, endured a 5 hour train journey to Stirling in Scotland with my mum to see him. The curtain fell and he walked on stage. Tears fell. Proper tears as if someone had told me the worst news possible. They were tears of joy. They were tears of finally seeing the person who saved my life right before me. I’ve seen him four times, and every single time I have seen him the tears started at the same time. Butterflies erupt in my tummy and tears begin to fall as David Johansen (New York Dolls) on the projector screen appears as I know as soon as he finishes, my hero is about to walk onto the stage and save my life once more. There’s consistency, then there’s Morrissey.

Of course I get defensive when someone slags him off, it’s like protecting a family member isn’t it. You don’t take too kindly when someone says ill words about someone who is your true beacon of hope. Yet, if everyone loved him I’d probably be annoyed (as would he I imagine!) When I hear “Oh he is so dull.” It does make me  annoyed because if you want dull, I suggest you play Radio 1. That’ll present you with enough dullness to make you sick and shudder at the thought of ever turning your faithful wireless on again.

I Have Forgiven Jesus is a song I frequently turn to. I’m not religious, it is just the words. “Why did you stick me in self-deprecating bones and skin?” If I was ever asked what lyric sums me up, that’d be the one I’d quote. Easily. So true, after all these years and all the songs I have ever heard and will ever hear; this is the line that is etched upon my heart and lodged into my mind more than others. Then again, most of Speedway sums up everything. I guess it depends on the day. Maybe I’d shrug it off and just quote something by Girls Aloud.

I’ve been asked many times, “What would you do if you met Morrissey?” I have no idea. Of course I’d like to think I’d be okay and not cry. Truth be told, I’d probably bawl and just ask for a hug. I’d simply say his songs are my life and just thank him. He’s done so much that words just do not offer enough. Then of course, he’d shyly smile and it’d be awkward in the most delicate way possible.

The world is full of things and people who will test you and push you. The world is made to cause issues and to solve them. People will tell you that you are wrong. Based on life choices and way of living. A swift middle finger salute to them is more than they deserve. Then quote Alma Matters at them; that’ll shut them up.

For those snow filled days or wasted summer days, there is a Morrissey song to sum it up. The love, lust, losses and gains; he’s got a song for it all and then some.

I have written so many words about him and I will never feel they are enough. This is just another outburst of love for the one person who saved me. I’m not sure what he saved me from. Or maybe I am and just don’t feel the need to get THAT personal. I’m not sure. All I know is that he reinforced my love for words. I may never ever get paid to write. And maybe if I was to get paid, it’d ruin my love for it. I’d rather have nothing than be unhappy. It’s better to be without the things that can ruin us. Music saves. Music is everything. As is Morrissey to me (and to others of course.)

This won’t make sense to anyone that isn’t a Morrissey fan, but that’s okay. It was just an outburst of love, as ever.