Tag Archives: Goth

BODY MAINTENANCE: Far From Here.

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If a band can give you a doom and gloom feeling on a sunny day, then you’ve found musical bliss. I know some may want the cheery type of music, and that’s nice for them. But I want something that emotionally makes me feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I want music to make me think and feel a type of way that I may not always get. I think it was John Peel that once said, “I just want to hear something I haven’t heard before.” And that’s probably a really strong way to approach listening to music and trying to find something that speaks to you.

I wrote about Body Maintenance a few years ago. I think I was taken aback that they are a band from Melbourne and thought they were from a dark alleyway in Berlin from the 1980s. They sound like every band I’ve ever loved and adored but also have something very new about them. That new sound is smack right in their new record, Far From Here. Some have likened the band to Joy Division (I may have too) but when you listen to this record, you hear something else. I’ve played the record a few times now, and I’m still trying to work out what that “something else” may be. But I guess, I’ve done a John Peel and found something I haven’t heard before.

Far From Here is a remarkable record and is of course, the band at their absolute best. This is the kind of record that would cause you to go down a rabbit hole of trying to find bands like this, and I’ve done this many times before and in turn, ended up finding bands who I’ve become obsessed with. The record opens with the stunning The Surface but for me, it’s all about track number 3- The Face That I Stood Behind. This live would be next level. The whole record feels like an outer body experience, and I reckon seeing this band live would be exactly the same. This song is over 5 minutes of music heaven, and I want to hear it at every single opportunity I can. We then go smack into The Boundaries which reminds me a little bit of The Cure, and that is only ever a good thing.

We’re always looking for something different- not better, just different. Better is a question of taste, so leave that out. This record is different. It’ll get you in the mind, body, and soul. It’ll make you wish you could spend the rest of your days listening to. To be honest, that’s how you should feel when you listen to the band. Everything they do and have done is just a joy to listen to, and their new record really highlights how great a band they are.

Slates is one of the tamer moments on the record, and it goes beautifully into Broken Sculptures which again is another favourite. I’m likely to change my mind on which song I love the most by the time this is written and posted but believe me- this is a record you need to listen to and own. It’s really worth going back and listening to their previous records after immersing yourself in this one too- you may end up appreciating the band even more so because they really are exceptional musicians. I just bloody love them.

In just 8 songs, Body Maintenance have firmly proven why they are one of the best bands around. Australia knows how to put out exceptional music- from my beloved Silverchair to Royal Chant to Amyl And The Sniffers, and to Body Maintenance. There’s something in the water, and we can’t get enough of it. This is such a remarkable record; the drums on Days In Arcadia is another strong moment on the record, and the way it slides right into Golden Fire is divine. Needs to be studied! Golden Fire is a gorgeous way to end the record, and it of course leaves you wanting more- how could you not? The vocals on this remind me a little of the band White Lies (I loved them when I was at Uni.) It’s an atmospheric number that will get you right in the gut, and honestly- that’s the record all over. It was made to be utterly felt with all you have and for it to consume every ounce of you. It’s just a flawless record that deserves your attention, time, and love.

You can stream the record on their Bandcamp now, and it will be released near the end of the month. It will be out in the UK via Drunken Sailor Records on the 27th June.

BODY MAINTENANCE: Beside You.

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I think I may have found one of Australia’s most exciting bands around right now. Before I get into why I’ve fallen in love with them, I just want to let you know that the band are currently on tour in Europe and will be in the UK from this Friday- starting in Bristol.

Body Maintenance are one of those bands that make you feel like you’ve discovered The Cure, Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy- all that good stuff, for the first time. Honestly, if I could do the band justice with my words I absolutely would but all I can do is reiterate just how brilliant they are. I haven’t been to a gig in a long time, and I hope I can make the Manchester show next week because I feel they are a band that you just HAVE to see live. There’s so much to love about their music, but I’m going to focus on their debut full length record, Beside You. It’s what Post Punk dreams are made of. I’m besotted. Nothing and no one is going to come even remotely close. My god what a dream they are.

This is the kind of record you put on as the nights draw in. When daylight fades away quicker. A crisp Autumn day, stick this record on and go for a walk to wherever makes you happy and free. However, Summer seems to have passed the UK by so you’ll probably get the same feeling if you do this now! Why wait hey!

These 9 songs are perfect from start to finish- no filler here. Just pure Post Punk joy. Songs that’ll make you feel like a grey mist has cast itself over you, and you wander off into the night. Into the deep unknown. You remain a mystery, like everything and everyone around you. For me, the band remind me a little of Cold Cave- especially more recent Cold Cave sounds. That comforting Goth/Synth sound- it’s just out of this world. I cannot pick one song on this record to single out as my favourite. Every single song is a pleasure to listen to; and I think the best way to listen to this record to start with, is in order but then just let shuffle do it’s thing and let it throw at you these dreamy songs and let it take you up and away.

It’s Theatre is one of the most hypnotising songs on the record, especially the last minute or so- that instrumental ending is something else. Truly. You know when you hear a record for the first time, and you just want it to utterly consume you? That’s how this record will get to you. It’ll get under your skin, into your bones, your blood. Wherever it can go- it will. Let it. It’s one of the most exciting records I’ve heard so far this year, and it just perfectly combines everything I love about music. The production is something else too.

In just 9 songs, Body Maintenance show us exactly why they are one of the most thrilling bands around, and why you need to pay close attention to them. They have a rare sound, and that sound is one that will totally possess you, and you probably won’t mind. Their music would be perfect in a creepy Horror/Thriller where you are constantly on edge, but at that same time there’s this adrenaline that kicks in. The whole record is made up of moments in songs where you’re just taken aback in what you are hearing. I know I compare everything I listen to Seventeen Seconds by The Cure, and honestly to compare this record to the debut record by The Cure- I think it’s a fair comparison and compliment. Both records are so atmospheric, ethereal, creepy in the most beautiful way possible and gripping. There is something about this record that will stick with you for days on end, and I think again, that’s how you can tell that a band have created something so special and huge.

Body Maintenance just have this sound that you cannot get enough of; you feel like you’ve truly found something special when you listen to them. For me, it’s all I could want from a band. There’s this kick to their sound that just makes you feel like you’ve not heard anything like this before. Unreal, divine and perfect.

COLD CAVE: Fate In Seven Lessons.

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Here’s some good news for you- after having five applications to go home rejected because of this virus and border restrictions- I am finally home. My flight on Thursday was cancelled (the universe must have had its reasons which I’m fine with) but I arrived yesterday and after nearly 2 years from not seeing family and friends- I am home. Finally.

The sheer thrill you get from a band you adore and cherish so much releasing a new record is beyond comprehension. Sometimes a record comes out when you need it the most. Sometimes it comes when you least expect it, and you end up needing it more than you thought. One band in particular that evoke this is Cold Cave. My love for Cold Cave goes beyond the decade or so that they’ve been around. It all stemmed from my obsession with Wes Eisold’s way with words and his music with American Nightmare. You can’t compare American Nightmare to Cold Cave, but what you can relate is the sheer passion in his words and music.

Yesterday Cold Cave released their new record, Fate In Seven Lessons. These seven songs are guides for life, love and all that falls in between. The record is gorgeous, as ever. Cold Cave are incapable of making a bad record, and they just always seem to give us fans what we want and need. The words are poetic electric shocks to the soul and Wesley’s vocals are a safety net for us all. Night Light is for me, their most soothing song they’ve ever made. It just has something about it that gets you right in the gut, and all is okay with whatever is going on.

These seven songs are a guide for life. They are your companion when all seems strange; it is a sheer joy to listen to, and they just make you so proud to be a fan. I love the darkness and hope in the songs. I love how every song feels like it was made for YOU. Of course, these songs would sound heavenly live, but we have to wait for that. I don’t know how long we will have to wait here in the UK, but for now- the record is ours to treasure.

The melancholy gives you a strong sense of hope, lust, love and longing. Psalm 23 has this heaviness to it that just makes you lose it. That instrumental part (you know when it kicks in) just feels like it has brought you back to life. The whole record has a romantic and eerie mood, and I think that’s part of why I adore the record. This is what I love about Cold Cave- the unconventional romanticism. I love that every song was written by Wes and his partner, Amy Lee. Every song on this record is a love song and to make it even more beautiful, their song Rainer features on some songs. A beautiful family making beautiful music- what more could you want? There is so much joy on this record, and so much love. Love Is All is one of the most perfect love songs I’ve ever heard. It just gets to the core of love, and it is done in such an open way.

The last full-length record by Cold Cave was a decade ago. Cherish The Light Years was a masterpiece then, and is still a masterpiece. It still sounds so brand new and that’s part of the charm with Cold Cave. Everything you hear by them just feels like a sound explosion that you’ve never experienced before- no matter how many times you listen to it. There have been several EPs released over the last ten years since Cherish The Light Years, and everything Cold Cave has released feels like a step to creating the sound on this brand new record. Sure, it’s their heaviest in a way, but it’s probably one of the best things I will hear all year. My love for Cold Cave is permanently tattooed on my skin, and it is a tattoo that carries a lot of meaning and sentiment for me. This band have been a huge part of my life, and always will be.  To hear this new batch of songs, and to really soak up this sound is just divine. Not much is certain in life, but I am certain that Cold Cave will never ever release a bad record.

It’s hard to pick a favourite, and I probably shouldn’t feel like I need to but for me Honey Flower may just creep up there as my favourite for now. But I reckon this will be a record that you never settle on having a favourite song on. There’s so much to love about this record; from the production to the lyrics. Everything on this record makes you feel like you are floating yet heading into a different world. I want to go where they are and stay.

Fate In Seven Lessons isn’t an EP nor is it a full length record, but we can just agree that this is a remarkable record and is easily one of the best things we will hear all year.

Viva love. Viva Cold Cave.

THE LONG WIVES: Feel It All Wrong.

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“Someday we’ll be brand new again
Someday we’ll be reborn.”

 

If there’s one person I vow to always write about, it will always be The Long Wives aka Brandy St.John. Her music means the world to me. Beyond the world. I remember when I first discovered her music many years ago, and I get that same feeling every time I listen to her. She seems to release a song just when I need it, and right now I do.

This time of year has now become a time of year I loathe. With the loss of my Grandma 4 months ago, everything and anything has felt wrong. I’ve been in a whirlwind of feelings I’m not sure of what to do with, but I have them so there’s that. Brandy St.John recently released the gorgeous and haunting Feel It All Wrong, and I can honestly say it is one of her most moving songs to date. She has this way with words that just makes you feel a little less alone, and a little less ashamed of what you carry on your shoulders.

The power she has in her has always left me in awe, and on this song it’s the combination of lyrics that hit you in the soul and her voice combined that really hit you. Brandy has this way with words that would make most envious, she has this gorgeous way of just putting you in these scenarios and really testing your strength by accepting your weaknesses. For me, that’s the sign of someone who goes above and beyond a musician. She is truly something else; I think she’s a superhero.

 

 

There are many parts to this song that I cherish, but this section of lyrics will break and mend your heart:

“I am the child again
and I feel it all wrong
Don’t spend your nights
Lost in the years it was all wrong
All that you’ve known is broken will, broken bone
Don’t give your nights to those who will steal it all before you go on.”

There is something about the above that you just connect to. I hope one day she puts her lyrics into a book because they truly read like poetry. I’d probably buy every copy to be honest. Whilst I’ve resigned myself to the fact that she may never tour the UK, we’ve got songs like this to carry us through.

For me, there is quite simply no one else like her and there never will be. Artists like Brandy are rare and so vital. Her music has been and continues to be such a huge part of my life because there is such beauty and hope in her words. I have no idea if anyone has tried to label her music but to be honest, I highly doubt you could. It’s out of this world- just like Patti Smith, Nick Cave and Townes Van Zandt.

Once you’ve listened to Feel It All Wrong, I encourage you to go and listen to her previous work. The darkness in the sound and the beauty in all she creates on this song, and the rest of her work stays with you and personally- it’s artists like Brandy that reinforce my love for music and writing about it. She is truly one of a kind.

DRAB MAJESTY: Modern Mirror.

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One of the most exciting duos around, Drab Majesty are releasing a new record in July. A record that will reinforce our love for them, and get us excited over their UK tour in September. Deb Demure and Mona D make exquisite music together, and I’m going to explore that with my take on Modern Mirror.

The record opens with the haunting yet angelic A Dialogue. The song is highly atmospheric, and I cannot help but feel this could be a song that they open their sets with. It’s got something about it that is stoic and something that just grabs you. It starts with these strong vocals, then it all comes together and it is this huge sound. The kind of sound that you’d probably hear at the end of the night in a dingy, dark club as you make your way outside. There is something euphoric yet final about it. It’s the perfect song to start the record with.

 

 

 

Drab Majesty have been a band I have leant on for some time, like Cold Cave. There is something about the lyrics and the way the music eases any ugly feelings, and lord knows I’ve been at my worst recently. Music is powerful, and music can heal. It can be that thing that just holds you together, and I hold Drab Majesty so highly- purely because of what they mean to me. It goes beyond being a band that evoke escapism; they have something about them that just makes me fall in love with them every single time I listen to them.

The Other Side is 6 minutes of sheer heaven, and it makes you wish you were wandering the streets of L.A. taking this song in, and ignoring the world for a while. There’s a lot of Garage Rock bands I love that come from L.A. but Drab Majesty are on the other spectrum of the music I love, and it’s this dark and intense sound. Some may call it “Goth” or “Darkwave” but I really don’t have a name for it. All I know is that their lyrics, and songs are so powerful and so wonderful to get lost in.

Only a couple of songs on this record are under 5 minutes long, which I adore. I love songs that last over the 5 minute mark and have intense and euphoric build-ups. Drab Majesty are pros at this, and knowing that they will be playing my favourite venue in Manchester (Soup Kitchen) in a few months, just makes me super happy. It’s the perfect venue for them and I cannot wait to hear the new record here.

There’s this devotion and passion in these new songs that shows how they aren’t afraid of experimenting with new sounds and pushing their sound further. Careless and The Demonstration are two perfect records, and with their third they do something beyond what they’ve done before. The best way to experience this record is to listen to Careless, then The Demonstration; then allow yourself to immerse yourself in all that Modern Mirror is. You’ll hear this subtle growth, but the beautiful darkness is there. Ellipsis and Dolls in The Dark are for me, their biggest sounding songs on the record. They take you somewhere new on these songs, somewhere no other record or song ever has. If you’ve never listened to Drab Majesty before, please invest in their previous two records in time for the release of this gorgeous record that is, Modern Mirror.

Modern Mirror may only be 8 songs long (as a massive fan, I could quite happily listen to triple the amount!) but it is a record to truly cherish and keep close. It’s the kind of record that’ll keep nightmares at bay, and allow you to soak up the darkness in order to be less afraid. I needed this record more than I thought I did. There’s something about it that is so soothing, and I think a huge part of this is Deb’s voice. It is so comforting and easy to just fall in love with. The songs tell a story, and that just makes you connect even more so with this stunning record.

Modern Mirror shows us exactly why Drab Majesty are one of the best bands around. Their sound is heavy, eerie and sublime. There’s no denying just how phenomenal the new record is. Buy the record when it comes out in July, and please come see them on tour.

 

 

Modern Mirror will be released on 12th July via Dais Records.

Tour dates are:

18th Sept – Dingwalls, LONDON

19th Sept – Soup Kitchen, MANCHESTER

21st Sept – Wharf Chambers, LEEDS

22nd Sept – Clwb Ilfor Bach, CARDIFF

They will be joined by the equally beautiful, SRSQ.