Tag Archives: Los Angeles

WARPAINT-WARPAINT

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Lazy hipsters are wetting themselves over the new Warpaint record; how could they not. One of the most exciting bands to have come out in a long time, so if you’ll lacking excitement for their new record then well…you can’t please everyone can you? That’s why I love Warpaint. They don’t make music for everyone to be pleased about, they make music for themselves THEIR own way. The Fool was a brilliant debut that of course reduced me to tears when I heard it. Their EP beforehand, Exquisite Corpse composed over several ethereal gems that could melt the coldest of hearts. Burgundy and Stars are my go to songs. What do I go to them for? That’s easy. For what I can’t get out of anything else. But I don’t seek much.

How can they top The Fool? I mean that was one of the best things to happen in 2010. I can’t recall much from 2010, but I know that Warpaint played a huge part in it not being spectacularly shit. They make a lot of things less shit, easily. An interview with them 4 years ago, they day before their record came out was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ve not done many great things in my life, I’ve not made a difference in others lives but why should it ever be about that? You cannot live through other people trying to please them as you slowly feel the life being sucked out of you.

This is meant to be a review isn’t it? Thing is, you’ll have read all of them by now about this record and you’ll all have seen that everyone pretty much loves it. People are fawning over it like a cute puppy. I don’t blame them. I listened to it yesterday at work whilst trying to concentrate. As I listen to it now, I have no hints of being focused about me. Warpaint do that to me. Everyone has one (or maybe more..I’ve got more) band that just makes them lose their shit. Music is freedom. Warpaint’s second record is like a declaration of that.

The Fool consisted of hypnotic grooves and chants (does anyone else still struggle to work out what is said at the start of Composure?!) Their second release has a cult feel about it. You’d imagine outcasts (don’t waste your time trying to fit in) in forests huddled round singing these songs in unison grateful to be alive. Of course you can just experience this by going to a Warpaint show. I finally saw them live last year and I felt like something had been lifted out of my body. I have no idea. It was out of this world and beyond words. You need bands to have a tight grip on you to make you aware of all you feel, but you don’t need to questions why you feel it.

The best way to listen to this record is how you should have hopefully have listened to their previous releases; with your eyes shut in the dark swaying your body in a gentle fashion and truly feeling certain parts of certain songs. If the bass-line to Biggy doesn’t make you want to just flail your limbs about in a carefree fashion then I have no idea what you are listening to.

When listening to the record it is so important you don’t go with the intent of finding this record’s version of Lissie’s Heart Murmur or Shadows etc. There’s no point because it is obvious that Warpaint are a band that do not have set sound. Why would they want to make the same record again? Bands that do that are bands that do not last. Bands that don’t do that make you feel something that words can never justify. It doesn’t matter what kind of music it is at all, when a band can get you really excited for what they are going to do next, that’s when you know something good is happening. It doesn’t matter if it was the likes of My Chemical Romance giving hope to hopeless kids or pre-pubescent kids getting psyched for a One Direction record. Music should make you excited and glad to be alive.

For me I feel Warpaint’s second release is a lot more gentle (who knew!?) in some ways. Take the song Teese; it’s just like some kind of mantra for the soul. But then you have the likes of Disco/Very which makes you want to dance. I’d get up and dance now if I wasn’t so tired. I adore both songs, I can’t pick a favourite. I can’t even try to pick a favourite off this record. I’d be foolish to even try. I’m fully aware that this is a ramble about nothing but I hate writing conventional reviews. If you want that, go read something like Pitchfork. I have no idea. Warpaint just make words spew out of me and the words just make no sense.

All I know is that their live shows are just going to get more and more intense and glorious with songs like this. I really hope they play Disco/Very when I see them next month in London. I just think it’d be the strangest yet brilliant moments in their set. I know I said you shouldn’t compare their records but I must say this- The Fool was the monster rising out of the water. Their second record is the monster mellowing out. That’s the only way I can put it. As I head into a thousand words, I realise that what I just wrote may have just been enough. I’ve had this build-up for this record for so long; all Warpaint fans have. Now it is time, you sort of can’t believe something as beautiful as this record has been released. I know when records come out at the start of the year they seem to have been forgotten about before the summer hits. The thing is, this one is probably going to top all lists in November/December. The same will go for Dum Dum Girls record, Too True when it comes out at the end of the month. I have more sentimental value attached to Dum Dum Girls, but Warpaint have easily put out a record that others aren’t going to stop playing. I still listen to Exquisite Corpse and The Fool; it doesn’t feel right if I don’t listen to them.

If you’re looking to alter your mind state or to have lucid dreams, buy this record. If you need a reason to start your own band, buy this record. Just buy this record. I know I’ve missed out certain things ranging from how Stella KILLS the drums on Feeling Alright to how angelic Theresa’s voice sounds to how Jenny makes me wish I could play the bass because the way she plays is as if she is taking me on some weird trip and how haunting Emily’s voice is- but these are the things I already know. They are the reasons as to why I love them and why I wear my Warpaint tattoo with complete and utter respect and love for them. If anything, their second record just reinforces my love for them.

Warpaint are the band you want to sing you to sleep and to wake you gently in the morning when your eyes sting from the sun’s rays creeping through the curtains.

LA WITCH -EP.

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Last year I completely and utterly fell for a band from Los Angeles that had only one song. It wasn’t a full song; it was just a demo. This is a frequent pattern I launch myself into. I don’t mind though. It is better than missing out on incredible talent.

This band I fell madly for is called LA Witch. Three exquisite female musicians from LA making stunning noise to shock the nervous system in ways you never thought were possible.  I’ve not written anything in some time; I’m not sure why. I think it is because any time I’ve tried to, I’ve thought “No Olivia..just stop.” Then I was sent LA Witch’s debut EP by the band and it all changed. Something clicked as I hit play and listened to LA Witch’s debut EP. They ignited something the first time around, so it is no surprise that they’ve done it again.

 

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Before I tell you about the songs, you should know who they’ve worked with on this exceptional EP. On the EP, the band have worked with Joel Jerome (from Dios Malos and Babies On Acid) and Lucy Miyaki (Tashaki Miyaki and Stone Darling.) Working with greatness means it is no surprise that they have created something truly remarkable, and I can only hope that are hugely proud of themselves. Without delving into “proud parent” mode; I am massively proud of how far they have come from having just one song (Your Way) to an EP with so much fight and determination. This is why I love them.

You Love Nothing is a hazy state of bliss that makes you want to do nothing but listen on repeat. I’d quite happily spend the summer listening to just this record, just this song. LA Witch are the feral cats of the West Coast music scene. They’ll stir something inside of you, and when they do- just know, nothing will be the same ever again. All that was once dull will no longer matter.

Get Lost has a haunting 80s vibe to it. Sort of like The Jesus And Mary Chain meets Noothgrush; but a lot calmer. The fuzzy tones and distorted vocals really justify my love for LA Witch. Then you’ve got the relaxed bluesy feel of Heart Of Darkness. This is like The Long Wives meets Cat Power and they go on a road trip with The Kills. Basically, it’s an astounding EP that deserves to be heard. It needs to be heard.

Tonight is their last show as part of a residency at the Silverlake Lounge. Anyone who’s caught the band live will know just how brilliant their live sets are. I’ve yet to witness it, but I firmly believe it is nothing short of perfect. Silverlake Lounge is one of the many homes on the West Coast that backs new music, and to have LA Witch have a residency there is something truly special.

Their debut EP is available from Friday and will be on their bandcamp page: http://lawitches.bandcamp.com/

LA Witch give you what you need. Whether you want something dreamy or eerie- they’ve got it, and it is all over their debut EP. Make sure you check it out.

ROSES.

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Some places in the world make really good music, some places are the hub of music that isn’t all that. It is all personal taste therefore this is just my opinion. I’ll choose The Jesus And Mary Chain over The Beatles any day. I’ll choose Morrissey over David Bowie. Again and again. People look at you as if you have two heads when you say things like to them. As if you you’re supposed to listen to and love The Beatles or Bowie. B is for bullshit kids.

Los Angeles is the home to a LOT of bands a love. Part of the reason I’d like to visit there, but I know I wouldn’t leave. I’d set up camp in a sweaty basement bar watching bands thrash about. Leaving covered in whisky and sweat from anyone/everyone. Small, intimate venues own my heart. They are the home to purity and unity within music. I struggle to think how you can connect with a band playing an arena. It isn’t for me, but it is for others. That’s fine.

So yes, L.A. Home to a lot of bands I love and such. As is New Yorks (but please don’t mention the Knicks to me at the moment..panic sets is when I check the league standings.) One band that I’ve recently familiarised myself with and fallen in love with is Roses. Three guys who make a lot of noise. I love The Fall, and they sound like how Mark E Smith would sound if he sung in a more conventional way. I guess what I am trying to say is that Roses sound like a band from Manchester in the 80s. Some would be insulted, but this is a big thing. It’s a great thing. Two amazing bands came from Manchester; The Fall and The Smiths. They have the thrashing quality that made me fall for The Jesus And Mary Chain when I was very young. You can just hear the fury in the guitarist; you can imagine his fingers bleeding as he plays like a feral beast.

As always when I find a new band; they don’t have much to go on. Personally this is okay with me because it means I can pay more attention to two songs rather than a demo collection enough to throw me off. They have a song that’s just listed as Untitled. It is stunning, it is beautiful and innocent. The singer’s voice really does sound as if he is truly reaching out to one person in particular. It feels entirely personal, and your heart just goes out to him. It may just be a demo for now, but I hope they don’t change too much. It is perfect as it is.

A lot of the West coast bands I love do have a certain vibe to their music, like you just know they are from there. It isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes you want more. If you want those who go against a typical West coast sound you have the likes of Crocodiles, L.A. Witch, The Long Wives and of course, Roses. Play them loud. So loud. I think I’m annoying my neighbour by playing them loudly, and on repeat. But the thing is, We Hate Our Friends HAS to be played quite loud and on repeat. I’m just doing what I should.

Sometimes you just hear a band and you try to fathom why you love them. What lured you in and why. Thing is, when you give yourself a headache over that, you don’t enjoy the music as much. So just listen to whatever you want. Don’t call someone out for being a fan of a band you dislike or for not liking a band you don’t like. If we all liked the same thing, then all music would be boring. And trust me, there’s some really exciting stuff out there. You’ve just got to look for it if you want it badly enough, and with that….VIVA ROSES!!

https://soundcloud.com/#rosesla DIG.

The Long Wives-Break You In.

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“Marks on your back, speak of sin.”

I’ve resigned myself to the fact (and it isn’t a bad thing at all) that the only solid source of comfort I have is probably found in a song by The Long Wives. I’ve honestly never found a singer who releases so much music as frequently as she does, and I am so thankful for that. It seems she releases something when I am in need of feeling something other than I do; her dark and vulnerable words do something that nothing else has done.

With its glorious religious imagery and vengeful words, Break You In is enough to shatter a tough heart and weaken the strongest of minds. When she sings, “I’ve served my time” I can feel all my frustrations pour out into this song, Maybe 9.30am is far too early to have these deep feelings, but they are there. And maybe some of them have to come out.

What I love about Brandy’s music is that I do not relate it to anyone but myself. I’m not a selfish person, but this is as selfish as I get to be honest. I can relate to every single word she has sung and written down; they remind me of nobody but myself. No other band or singer has ever done that. I usually listen to a song and I can associate it with something or someone. Thankfully with Brandy’s music, I just direct it to myself. Maybe it’s self-indulgent, or maybe it is much-needed. I’m going with the latter.

Her voice always does something overwhelming and incredible to me, as if it is some kind of catharsis. It is a release of sorts, and quite frankly, a much-needed one. Break You In shows just how strong Brandy’s voice is. They was she sings certain words just posses such strength and determination, there’s no way you couldn’t relate to her words. The fury and passion in her words and music just shows she is more than a singer. She’s a poet, a storyteller with words that come strictly from the heart. As awfully clichéd as it is, she is real. She has a raw talent and posses delicate words that make you feel at ease. I’ve never felt at home anywhere, ever. But her words are like home. Comforting and safe yet brutally honest.

To compare this song or any of her music to someone else would be a foolish mistake, and maybe I’ve done that before but songs like this just cement how rare Brandy is. I’d say we need more singers/bands like her, but I don’t want that. I’m just happy one person is making music as honest and as ethereal as this.

You can listen to Break You In here: https://soundcloud.com/thelongwives/break-you-in-the-long-wives