Every single time I find a band I love and discover they are from Italy, every part of me wishes I was fluent in Italian (I’m half Italian and it is shameful I can’t speak it that well) and packed up my stuff and moved there. I’m pretty sure the way of life is less rushed and annoying than that here in London. My main gripe is other people on public transport. I value my personal space a lot. I love hugs and things, but I really don’t want your smelly armpit or vile coffee breath on me at 7am, you know? 7am or anytime- just back off a bit. Which is probably why I blast Fugazi or Flesh Rag really loudly in my ears on the way to work so I can drown out my surroundings. This is all kept inside, then I get to work and I’m calm. Rage and longing to live some place else aside, I’m going to write about No Deal- a band from Italy.
No Deal are a proper Rock & Roll band with elements of Punk and Garage Rock. For anyone who thinks music in Italy is watered down nonsense, you might want to take back your words. There are SO many great bands from Italy, and it’s enough to make you question all that you listen to. No Deal are no exception. With the handful of songs I’ve heard, I’m confident that they are one of the most exciting bands in the country.
No Deal make music that’s made for live shows- the drums are furious. From watching a couple of live clips (they don’t have soundcloud etc) it is fair to say that their live shows is where you need to be. Right in the middle of it with all kinds of bodily fluids falling off you-even if they aren’t yours. Who cares! No Deal will make you want to launch your body into walls whilst clinging onto someone in the crowd as your sweat falls onto them, and vice versa. It’s nasty stuff to some, but for others- it is the ideal live setting. There is nothing more boring than seeing people stand still and rigid at a live show, especially when you can see the band putting their all into it. The videos I’ve seen of No Deal show how a crowd should be at a show. They aren’t afraid to move themselves in a questionable fashion. Who cares who sees!
Their songs are unruly, chaotic and fast. There’s no time for thinking about your next move when you listen to these guys, all you can do is throw your body about and take the music in. No Deal tap into the part of you that lays dormant around others, but when you’re around like-minded people who like this kind of music, then it comes out. Surround yourself around people like this and let No Deal take you wherever you want to go.
Last February I finally got to interview a band I had been wanting to talk to for quite some time. A band that hold a wealth of importance to me. Besides, any band that references the Melvins in their name is bound to be great, right? I’ve written about 2:54 many times. There is something about their music that just makes me want to write about it. When I listen to their music, I notice things I hadn’t previously done or certain emotions come out. They’ve always struck me as a band you listen to in the dead of night, through headphones whilst the world sleeps. If any band or singer can give you that, then you’ve found something to treasure for life. In an ideal world, I would have typed this interview straight away. I didn’t. I lost my dictaphone, moved house, and thought it was lost forever until I found it in a box under my bed whilst looking for something else. Sometimes I am a world class tool.
I started off by asking Colette and Hannah how their music should be listened to. As I mentioned above, I set the scene for myself- but is that how they want their fans to take in their music? What are the perfect surroundings to listen to their music, or just music in general?
Colette: “All my favourite music I listen to on the move. Train journeys, in the tour van. That’s what you want from a band or record you love, you want it to be transported. And I like that feeling of motion as you listen to it.”
This led onto my fixation of finding bands that are ideal to listen to at night (maybe that’s why I love going to gigs) and I asked them, what it is like to play during the day at festivals like SXSW (who put them on at 2:54 in the afternoon.)
Colette: “It is one of those things that absolutely changes the atmosphere. You can see people more and you definitely do feel more exposed. You can feel more self-conscious than you would normally but then those kind of challenges are exciting even if they are scary. It’s what being in a band is all about, it toughens you up a bit. And at festivals, not everyone is there to see you so there’s that dynamic as well.”
The first time I saw 2:54 live was at the Union Chapel, and I saw them again at St Pancras Old Church. St Pancras was more intimate and was just after The Other I came out, and I’m pretty sure they did most of the record. They came onto the stage with Tender Shoots playing out of the PA and it was so captivating as it echoed through. It felt like something was calling out to us. I’ve seen a few gigs in churches, and it is something I do enjoy. It feels sacred yet strange. What changes when you play in a church? I’m not religious, but the respectful side of me wouldn’t start yelling a string of swear words in there. Obviously 2:54 haven’t got the mouth of a sailor on stage, but you still have to be a like cautious I suppose.
Colette: “We were playing on the graves, which I found a little unnerving (St Pancras.) At the Union Chapel we had a sound monitor that we couldn’t go above.”
Hannah: “And you can’t have too much reverb! In churches, you can’t play too loud as the building can start to crumble.”
I’ve been to a fair amount of gigs in this country at various venues. I sometimes think I’ve worked out which venue is my favourite, but then I go to a gig at a new venue and I fall in love with it. I think it might be impossible for me to pick one place as my favourite venue. Is there any way a band could pick their favourite place to play? What does a venue need in order for a band to feel that they have just set foot into their favourite venue? Some may regard the sound, so may think of certain shows they have played there that gives it sentimental value. When a band based in London are asked this question, you automatically think “Bet they say Brixton Academy!” Fortunately this time, this wasn’t the case.
Colette: “For me, the Brudenell Club in Leeds. It has all my favourite kind of elements. It definitely has that social club vibe that we grew up on. It has that faded glamour, the layout and it’s so warm and welcoming.”
I guess that’s the North all over!
When I listen to a band I always seem to make a beeline for the lyrics first. Some people connect with a sound more than words (and there are some that I feel this way about also) but for the most part- it’s the lyrics. I did my dissertation at university about Punk and Poetry and it seems that sparked it all off again. Words are powerful, and when you find a band or singer that can make your mind expand on all that you see, feel and think- that’s when you know you’ve found something. I remember hearing Orion from The Other I and immediately thinking about when I first heard Siouxsie And The Banshees for the first time. It was dark, otherworldly and magical. I’ve always felt that 2:54’s lyrics are exceptionally sacred. You have to listen very closely to pick up on golden lines that will stay in your head for an age. Easy Undercover once summed up how crap I was being to someone once (more than once) and Blindfold helped me get out of a job that was making me ill. You make these connections and use it as armour. Their first record came out when I was living at home, and I used to take long walks listening to it. The darkness of the songs fit perfectly as I walked through quiet streets cloaked with fog. It fit the songs perfectly, and it killed time. So of course, I had to ask them what their favourite songs/lyrics were to The Other I.
Colette: “Blindfold and Glory Days. It was really cathartic writing Blindfold. And I love that it has a dance melody, a pop melody almost. And the lyrics are full of loads of questions, and anxiety really. I like that all of my favourite songs from the 60s have that- that melancholy.”
Prior to the tour last February, 2:54 did an interview with Rookie magazine (http://www.rookiemag.com/2015/01/theme-song-254/) and there’s a part towards the end of the interview where Colette mentions Horses by Patti Smith (she also mentions her and Hannah’s love for At The Drive-In and The Distillers which is bloody great!) Horses is probably THE most important record of all time, but that’s just my opinion. When I first heard it, I knew I had found something and someone who was going to change my life. I have my records on a few shelves in my room, and Horses is the first one I see every day. It’s a knowing nod on how to get on through life. Horses was the record that spurred on my love for music and poetry. There are moments on Horses that define greatness. Greatness that no other could compare to, greatness that will never happen again. I watched her play the record in full last November and I have never felt that way during and after a show before. It did something, something that stuck with me- much like hearing Horses for the first time. I don’t know many people who hold this amount of love for Patti, and I had to fit it in somehow after reading the Rookie interview. I asked Colette if how Patti writes is an influence.
Colette: “The poetry and the Punk elements- there’s a fearlessness about it that gets me every time. Such a strong sense of self that is completely seductive. I just find her the whole package, and when you first find out about her- it always seems to be at the right time. I first found out about her when I was supposed to be revising for my exams, and my friend had mentioned Horses to me and I just sat there. I was struck by it.”
I think anyone who has listened to Patti, or to Horses can really understand where Colette is coming from. When you listen to Patti you are in awe of what you’re hearing, and it just stays with you. Her live shows are out of this world- and whatever she sets out to do and to make the people feel, she does it. Live shows are a huge thing for me. I love going to gigs and there is nothing better than making sure I am at work well before 9am so I can bring on a panic attack whilst trying to buy tickets. This was shown in all its glory 2 weeks ago when trying to buy tickets to see The Kills. I failed. We don’t talk about it because it makes me and my friend sad. Next time, right? After the anxious feelings pass when you’ve bought tickets, the day slowly comes around where you get to see the band in question. I always want to know what bands want fans to take from their shows- do they want them to go start a band, if anything? Whenever I’ve seen 2:54 I’ve always left wishing I could drum like Alex or play the guitar like Hannah. Anyone I’ve dragged to see them has always said the same thing. There are a handful of bands that I’ve seen that always make me wish I was musically talented, 2:54 are one of them.
Hannah: “We want people to hopefully connect to the performance. We very much do feel like a tight gang on stage and we like being able to share that.”
Colette: “Growing up when we went to gigs, we always wanted to emulate that unifying feeling. I hope for connection, any potential connection is what I hope for.”
As generic as it is to ask- I asked the band who their influences were (not just settling for music based influences.) When I listen to them I can pick up on sounds from bands I love such as Garbage, Sleep and elements of Fugazi. Colette’s voice is gentle but tough when needs to be (like Shirley Manson) Alex’s drumming always takes me back to hearing Fugazi for the first time and the heaviness in Hannah’s guitar playing reminds me of Sleep and Rowland S Howard, but who influences them?
Colette: “I think it is the need to get something out of you – a release.” I think this one line sums up 2:54. The urgency in their songs- the words, the music. It all comes alive when you see them on stage and what better influence to have than that. The need to pull something out of you, and cast it into the unknown. It’s powerful, terrifying and inspiring. You don’t always need a list of bands, singers or writers to be cited as an influence- sometimes it is just the urgency to get it out there and I think that’s the most powerful influence anything can have over us.
I chose to end the interview with a question that, if I was asked would probably cause a mental block but is fine to ask others (especially if they are musicians.)
With a knowing nod, after asking what the favourite line from any song is, Colette answered with the always fitting and forever apt “Jesus died for somebodies sins but not mine.”
*At the end of the interview we shared what the first records we bought were. Colette’s was Pearl Jam which led on to a discussion about the Now compilations. There was one that had Enigma (the monk song!) and Enya. Those were the days. And if you must know, the first one I bought was Always & Forever by Eternal. From Woolworths. On cassette.
France. Home of two people I love- Serge Gainsbourg and Eric Cantona. I should say Zidane being a Juventus fan, but I can’t forgive him for headbutting Marco Materazzi. You’re an adult, not a kid in a playground. Anyway, as I’ve written about Druggy Pizza before it is fair to say that they are also a fine product of France. Their sound is destined to mess with your head, and if you don’t feel slightly nauseous and unsteady after listening to them, then you’ve done it wrong.
Their split record with Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali came out towards the end of last year, and both bands made a lot of noise on the record. It is one of the finest splits to have happened in the long time, and it can only be played loud. Obnoxiously loud, in fact. I delved deep into the world of Druggy Pizza when I wrote about them recently, and I’m happy to write about them again with the focus on the video to Like Pigs In A Slot. The video to this incredible piece of noise will have you fearing sleep and being aware of the grim reaper following you as he casts a dark shadow over you. The video is equally as rowdy as the song. The song totally messes with your head, that’s for sure. But when you sit down and watch the video- you feel uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. For me, that’s how music should be. I’ve said it many times before that I hate it when music feels too safe. I want something that teeters on the edge of madness, and Druggy Pizza do exactly that.
If you don’t feel tormented and troubled after watching the video, then I don’t know if there is any hope for you. It’s a great mind-fuck and it’s a harmless evil. The video makes you question going outside and plagues you with concern about looking over your shoulder. It is perfectly unsettling, and for some this is probably a massive turn-off but I take comfort that out there, someone must feel the same as me when listening to music like this. It isn’t for those who want something conventional or something gentle. Don’t get me wrong, gentle is fine and all- but sometimes you want something that dangles you over the edge grasping on a hint of sanity. It’s brilliant and reinforces my love for Druggy Pizza.
You can listen to more of Druggy Pizza here, and you can also buy their split record with Peace And Love Barbershop Muhammad Ali: https://druggypizza.bandcamp.com/
Prior to the show on Monday, the only solo show Thomas Cohen had done was his slot at the Village Underground last month as part of the PIAS Nights. His set was short but enough to make you believe that his debut solo record will not only blow our minds but it will also expand them. The hypnotic sounds and his magnetising voice make for an ideal combination for those who don’t mind going down the escape route from time to time. How did his first headline show work out? Pretty damn well. If you’ve ever been to the Moth Club you’ll probably have spent a lot of time gazing at the glittered and gold ceiling. The PA (a playlist chosen by Thomas) blasts out In The Navy, Dancing Queen and Freedom (George Michael.) The perfect songs to set your Monday night around.
Before his set he joined the support band (Blueprint Blue- which consist of Melissa and Hew from S.C.U.M) on stage for an exceptional cover of Beast Of Burden by the Rolling Stones. Lyrically it is one of my favourite songs by the Rolling Stones and it’s one of the first ones I remember hearing. My dad used to play Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones- I don’t have many memories of him but I’m always able to connect music to most things. Blueprint Blue and Thomas did an exceptional version of this song, and I was left convinced that THEY had written it. It didn’t feel like a cover. Thomas moved on stage like a young Mick Jagger but with more attitude. He oozed a wealth of infectious confidence that left you wishing you could dance and sing like this. The way he was singing “Am I rough enough?” and moving his body in a demanding and charming manner made you really think that the song was written by him. He made it is own, and that’s what anyone should do when covering a song.
Thomas took to the stage in a gorgeous floral print suit. I normally don’t care for what a musician wears, but on Monday night I made an exception because I really don’t get how anyone could not be in awe of such a stunning outfit. His set consisted of songs from his debut record, Bloom Forever which is out in May. By no means did it feel strange for Thomas to play his first headline show on Townes Van Zandt’s birthday, he has stated in recent interviews that he is someone he has listened to whilst making the record and taken some inspiration from. Much like Townes he gets to the core of a feeling, takes you with him and doesn’t let you do. I think for most Country Home is the song that really hits the audience. The vulnerability of love and life, and all that happens in between and after is captured perfectly in this song. It is hard to listen to, especially when you know what it is about- but Thomas does it in such a beautiful way, the sadness doesn’t hit you as hard as you would expect.
On stage and on record, Thomas makes you listen. On stage you cannot help but look at him in awe of how captivating he is. When he was in S.C.U.M, I remember seeing them play the Sugarmill in Stoke. There was no more than 20 of us there. It was an eerie show and it reinforced my love for the band. The music was otherworldly, and on his own Thomas manages to still have that about him. There is something about him and his music that just draws you in. The music delicate and the fragility in the songs is one of the many things that keep you hooked. His gentle hand gestures as he sings make you feel calm, as if he’s reassuring you that all is okay. Everything can and will be alright. The last song they play (forgive me, I’ve forgotten the name!) is possibly their loudest number in the set and as Thomas lets go as he plays his guitar, you just know that this is something truly, truly special.
After seeing both his live shows, it is fair to say that Bloom Forever is going to be a record to treasure, to love and to possibly use as a guide. His eloquent and thoughtful way with words makes you see things in a way you may never have done before. This poignant record is to be adored whilst listening on your own in your room, and to be celebrated at his live shows.
Bloom Forever is released on 6th May via Stolen Recordings, and you can pre-order a copy here: https://stolenrecordings.officialstore.co.uk/Shop/PhysicalDetails?pid=SRD_PH_55
I shouldn’t have gone out last night. I’m ill, I guess. But not in a conventional “I have a cold” kind of way but in a “no one knows what’s wrong with me, I’m in pain and I want to cry” kind of me. Apparently it’s the nerves in my neck. I’m a clumsy fucker at the best of times, but I know I’ve not done anything recently to warrant doing such damage. Although, I have a slight disregard for my general well-being so who knows! Standing for a few hours was the dumbest thing I could have done, and I’ve only just managed to get out of bed. I’ve got my own playlist sorted for my MRI scan next week/week after, and as someone who can’t sit still I’ve most definitely picked the wrong kind of songs to listen to. Moving on and pain aside. Gross Net. Girls Names. Last night.
Gross Net is Phil from Girls Names making a lot of noise and probably terrifying the crowd. In certain places, I’m sure they wouldn’t “get” it. Places like London and Manchester would and did. As Gross Net, Phil pretty much seems like a young Nick Cave circa Boys Next Door/The Birthday Party. When he’s not holding his guitar, he grips the mic and flails it around as if his life depends on it. Seeing a band or singer expose themselves like this what makes them believable and it is what makes them so easy to relate to. To make his set even better, I got a song dedication. If I was in a band, I’d probably pick people out and aim songs at them. Be fruity kids, it’s fine. With a knowing point and my name spoken through the mic, Phil rips into a song that I was pretty pleased to have dedicated to me. He closed his set with a song for those on the dole. I’m fairly sure most weren’t expecting this kind of declaration on a Friday night, but who cares. I loved every minute of it, and I was immediately back in 2010-2011 when I spent too much time on the dole and having my soul crushed by the job centre every Friday for £70 a week. I coped, just about. Time changes everything to an extent. Phil ends this song screaming into the mic in the crowd, as the end of the song draws near he places the mic around the neck of a bewildered person in the crowd and walks off. The guy had no idea what to do, gave it a few minutes and removed the mic from his neck and placed it on the ground. Far too polite.
I’ve been a fan of Girls Names for ages but this was the first time seeing them live. I was immediately drawn to bassist, Claire and how she is probably one of the best bassist I’ve ever seen. Now, if I was going to list my favourite live bands I would easily put Girls Names in the top 5. Maybe it’s because they were playing one of the best venues in the country or maybe, maybe it’s because they are just so fucking(sorry) good. I firmly believe that when you go to a gig, you should leave wanting to start a band. Girls Names did more than this. I felt like I was watching The Fall or The Jesus And Mary Chain for the first time. I felt like I had gone back in time and I was anywhere but in London. Maybe I was in the depths of Berlin or maybe I was in an alleyway in Manchester; I don’t know. But I do know that gigs like this just stick in my mind for a long, long time.
What I loved about their show last night was that each person in the band got their chance to show us all what they’re made of. I loved during the encore Phil was going into Claire’s bass as if he was telling her to get out of his space. It was in a sibling kind of way- a gentle shove and neither was going to back down. Cathal was ramming his guitar into the speaker behind him giving off this excess feedback which just made you wish the show wasn’t about to end. Gib was beating the crap out of the drums with such fury. These Belfast bruisers make enough noise for anyone to go slightly deaf, and that’s part of the charm. If a band is wonderfully and obnoxiously loud, I’ll probably love them. Girls Names last night easily cemented why they are probably one of the best bands around. I could go on for ages about how great they were and hope they just sum up everything I love about music. They have a sound that I’m always looking for. They remind me of bands I love such as Bauhaus and Cold Cave but they also sound like nothing else. They are a band to be treasured and seen at any chance one gets.
On record they are noisy but I firmly believe that Girls Names are one of those bands that you just have to see, and sometimes London crowds have a rep of being a bunch of stale dicks but in this case, they really weren’t. This was one of the best crowds I’ve seen and I’m fairly sure that’s part of what made the show last night nothing short of perfect. Their dark but entirely comforting sound may be a turn off for those who want conventional and tame sounds- don’t surround yourself with people who want that. Go find those who aren’t afraid to be engulfed by sounds so dark, creepy and loud. Let the sounds rip through you and let the lyrics make you question everything, and everyone. They’re the kind of band I wish I was in. I’ve said it loads but this is the kind of music I’d probably make if I had any musical talent.
Go see them, let them deafen you and buy one of Phil’s “reasonably priced tapes.”
“Here I go out to sea again. The sunshine fills my hair, And dreams hang in the air.”
With the painfully sad news that the singer Colin Vearncombe aka Black died this evening and with Wonderful Life turning 30 this year, I felt the need to write about the first song I remember hearing at a very young age and it leaving a lasting impression on me. I managed to find a copy of the record of the same title a few years ago for £1, and I think it’s signed. I was so happy to find it.
There were two songs that I remember always hearing when I was very young- Groove Is In The Heart and Wonderful Life. I can happily recite Q-Tip’s rap to you and copy the dance to the song, no problem (I might need the help of a Long Island Iced Tea or 4 before I do this.) However, Wonderful Life ended up being the song that I first felt an emotional and I guess spiritual connection with. The song felt like, and always will feel like a soulmate to me. Everything about the song oozes sadness and joy at once. The way Colin sings this song fills you with hope but also breaks your heart. I’ve said many times that I want this playing at my funeral, I just think the whole sentiment of the song is gorgeous and reassuring. I play this song when everything seems a bit too much and it’s got me through my own take om Hell numerous of times. It eases any kind of suffering a person may feel.
Wonderful Life opened me up to just how fragile life is and how delicate people can be. The chorus is simple but still feels like a philosophical phrase to live by. Maybe we should, we’d probably be happier with ourselves and what we have.
I’m fairly sure that on my first holiday I can remember to Italy to see my dad’s family, I subjected everyone in the car to this song constantly. Maybe I sang the wrong words, maybe I didn’t. In a way, it reminds me of my childhood and hearing it at such a young age made me realise the urgency of life and how easy it can come and go. I learnt a lot from this song, some of it I keep to myself but the rest is pretty obvious.
I’ve always wished I could write something as beautiful as this song, and I know it is so simply done. But maybe that’s why it is a stroke of genius and such a loved song. It can like I mentioned, break your heart entirely but some of the lyrics just fill you with joy and the hope that it all turns out alright, because for the most part it does.
I suppose you can create your own meaning with the song. Maybe it is a painfully sad song, maybe it’s about an invisible friend or maybe it’s a declaration of being alright with being on your own. I have no idea. My take on it changes all the time, but I’ll always be sure that this is one of my favourite and one of the greatest songs of all time.
“No need to run and hide, It’s a wonderful wonderful life.”
“I never done good things I never done bad things I never did anything out of the blue.”
Loss is something we all have to eventually deal with. It can come in different forms, but it hurts. It doesn’t matter if it is a relative, a pet or a musician you idolised. I’ve cried over musicians dying more than I can count. I cried over Aaliyah, John Peel, Amy Winehouse,Joey Ramone and Lou Rees dying. I didn’t cry when my dad died. Why? Many reasons, but the main one being that music was and is my crutch. Those mentioned have been a vital part in shaping me, helping me become whoever and whatever I am today. It can change but music is a solid.
Like anyone with ears and a heart, I’m fucking upset about David Bowie dying. Just like Lou, he was meant to outlive us all. But like Lou, he was from somewhere else that humans don’t tread. However, I feel like a fraud for being upset. I was never a big fan of Bowie’s. I don’t own any of his records but I hand on heart, regard him as a genius. I don’t know why I’m not a huge fan like everyone else. We throw around the term “genius” far too often and sometimes, we use it way out of context and in a few months time regret our choice of words. This cannot be said about David. I was never drawn to his music completely but I was fascinated with his sense of style, his face, the way he explored who he was and made it alright for us misfits to not fit in. He made it completely and utterly alright for us to be a bit odd. Why would you want to be like everyone else anyway? I’m not one for wanting children at all, that doesn’t appeal to me. Even more so now because why would you want to bring a child into the world with no Lou Reed and no David Bowie? There’s really no point.
Everyone has a record that changed their life and somehow made them who they are/showed them how to accept themselves. For me, Transformer by Lou Reed is that record. I listened to Satellite Of Love on my journey to work today. I just wanted to hear David’s voice on it because it is truly one of the greatest things to happen to music. The record is perfect from start to finish and the production is flawless. David’s voice on Satellite Of Love takes you further than Lou. He hits those high notes and you’re unsure of what is happening to you, so you keep on hitting repeat. It’s the one moment on that record where you take your attention away from Lou. Sorry Lou, I’m sure you understand. His work on The Idiot by Iggy Pop is phenomenal. I fell for the producer in him, he could do no wrong and he projected his genius onto others- especially in these two records. Two records that captured Berlin perfectly. Two records that made outcasts feel just fine with themselves.
We all have that one singer or band that become our piece of solitude, our safety net. For so many, David Bowie was understandably theirs. He had no boundaries with his words but you can tell a lot of thought and care went into them. He felt accessible but you knew that he was not human. He was made of something else. Something that no other has ever or will ever possess. He made you see the world in an almost innocent way. Child-like in a way. His honesty, his sensitivity and care in his words could comfort anybody. The world is better because of him but we’re all a little lost because he’s no longer here.
We don’t say goodbye to people like David Bowie. We simply wish them goodnight and a safe,peaceful journey as they make their way onto some place else. There’s another life for him, you, me, everyone. He’s just gone there before us.
Yesterday afternoon on my lunch break, I took a typical stroll through Camden. Normally I get annoyed by the amount of people who don’t look where they are going. The ones that stop right in front of you to take a photo of a bus. You don’t need a photo of the 253 bus, just get that off Google if you feel the need. But yesterday, I blocked it all out as I was walking past the station. I heard this sound. This heavenly sound. I felt like I was dreaming, like something had hit my soul and dragged something out. It was a strange feeling, and not one I’m used to on a lunchtime.
The sound came from a guy sat down just by Camden Town station. He had the guitar in his hands and was creating something truly gorgeous. I couldn’t stop for long as I had to do some things before I went back to work. I made a mental note of his name and made a vow to myself to find his music, and write about it. My only foolish act yesterday afternoon was not buying the CD he had with him. Joseph, if you see this- I am sorry and I promise if I see you in the streets of Camden again I will buy a CD.
JustJoseph was the guy sat outside the station making this gorgeous sound. It felt like Beach House but without the words. As calming as Boards Of Canada- I was in my idea of heaven. You can call his style ambient if you wish to label it. I wouldn’t know what to label it as, I don’t want to. All I know is that this guy is incredibly talented.
If you’re looking for music that you can escape to or to just free your mind to, then JustJoseph is the one to do it to. He makes the kind of music you would play if you can’t sleep and you’re unsure of what to do with yourself. Do you fight it or give in? If I could use one word to describe his music, I’d pick gentle. There’s a captivating delicate glow to his sound that really hits you in the heart and soul. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I am big on lyrics but with music like this-who needs words? If he or anyone sang over his music, they would take away everything you can possibly feel from his music.
His music feels like a journey you can only make on your own. This is the kind of music you play when nobody else is around. Ideally, play it through headphones and let yourself drift off some place dear to you. Create your own landscape and collapse into the perfect dream. Even the most miserable of persons could feel happiness from listening to JustJoseph.
For now, I think my favourite track is Vo. It’s just over 9 minutes long and it feels like you’re watching the sun go down, and you slowly lay down your head and fall away with the song. Where you go is all on you, keep it personal. I’d happily keep this song on a loop in my head.
At the risk of banging on about how great he is, I’ll leave it here. You can stream his sounds over on his soundcloud page:
A week or so ago I wrote about a band called Druggy Pizza. Druggy Pizza is Cédric’s other project. Where Druggy Pizza make you feel like you’ve taken something, Dusty Mush are the lead up to that. I’ll write this as if I’ve no idea that the two bands are unrelated so I don’t make any lazy comparisons.
Dusty Mush are a noisy French band. They’re the kind of band that would piss your folks off and would probably cause your neighbours to pack up and skip town. There’s slight aggression in their music but for the most part, it is really bloody loud. It’s wonderfully brutal in some parts, and for me that is part of the attraction. As a painfully shy idiot, I like to unleash it all by listening to music that is the opposite of how I am, for the most part. I like to think that if I was musically talented, I’d start a band that was weird and noisy to make up for everything I lack. Instead, I just write about it with no long term plan. Dusty Mush are perfect for you if you’re feeling a little helpless or weary. You can throw your tired limbs about to these guys without a care in the world. You can hope they come to your town so you can do this, or you’ll make do with playing them loudly in the comfort of your own home.
They’re not an easy band to get into. I mean I loved them with my first listen, but I can fully appreciate that some would listen to them and not know what the hell was going on. That’s another thing I love about music. I’m pretty sure they’re not for those who can’t handle a bit of gore in their lives. They’re a band you can only play loud in order to get into it, and I think because they are so obnoxiously loud (and I mean this is in the best way possible because it wouldn’t sound right any other way) that’s what makes them stand out. Yes there are other bands around who are loud and whatnot, but Dusty Mush are something else. Part of you feels like you’re entering a different world but another part of you feels as if you’re losing your mind. Maybe both at interchangeable moments.
Dusty Mush have this brilliant fuzzy Garage Rock sound going on, and I think that’s what makes it easy to really get lost in their music. You do feel as if something strange and beautiful is happening as you succumb to the music, but no good has ever come from fighting something like this off. I’ve said it a bunch of times before about other bands, but I reckon my hero Lester Bangs would be into these guys. Dusty Mush are one of those bands you play around this time of night, maybe a little later when everyone else has gone to bed. So you can launch yourself into whatever world you’ve created in your mind. You’ll feel like you’re in some made for TV horror film where the blood is obviously tomato sauce and the victim is being bludgeoned with again, an obviously foam hammer.
What I sincerely love about Dusty Mush is that you can’t tell where these guys are from and that’s part of the charm. They’re one of the most exciting bands I’ve heard in a long time, and I’m aware they’ve been around for some time but I get sloppy with actually writing stuff. After careful consideration and obsessive listening, I think I’ve said all I can about these guys.
“I know it’s hard for you to face the fact Max Factor failed your face And that your social life’s misshapen ‘cuz you feel so out of place.”
Many will argue what defines Punk and what is Punk. Is it still alive or did it die a quick but painful death? Everyone has their own take on it. Some think it is putting a safety pin through their ear but some may regard it being a state of mind. I’m with the latter. For me it is something that goes beyond three chords and ripped jeans. Music always goes beyond what is expected, and Punk did just that. It still does that.
I can’t remember how old I was but I’d imagine I was in my teens when I first heard of Richard Hell. I heard Marquee Moon by Television and was fully aware that I was listening to something I could never be turned off from. Of course I was born too late to experience the Punk movement when it started, but I realised quite quickly that this wasn’t something I was going to let go of nor was I going to take this music lightly. I delved into the bands that Richard Hell had been involved with, but more importantly I seemed to care about what he had to say rather than what band he was in.
Over the past few years I’ve spent a fair amount of time reading his poetry, his reviews, his essays, his thoughts, his autobiography- really anything he wrote, I would track down and read religiously. The only person I’ve had this urge to really indulge in all they do is Patti Smith. For me, they are people with great minds who make you think. I’ll take someone who makes me question everything and everyone over someone who doesn’t, easily. I’m currently nearing the end of Massive Pissed Love, it’s a collection of his work from 2000-2014. I find everything he writes to be utterly captivating and it sets my mind off. He talks about topics most would shy away from and he’s not afraid to voice his opinion. From his thoughts on art to sex, he makes you think. What most would shun as a “taboo” he just gives it to you without a second thought. That is Punk.
The best way to learn anything is to experience it, but I still regard Patti Smith, Morrissey and Joey Ramone as the best teachers I ever had. They held my attention more than any teacher ever could. Richard Hell is up there too. There have been a handful of writers that really got me into poetry and lured me into always having a notebook with me in case I felt the need to unleash pathetic words onto a page. Words no one will ever see. What Richard Hell taught me was to really go from the heart and not be too cautious with where it takes me. Having a careful tongue isn’t fun. It’s alright to cross the line at times and it’s a fucking great thing to question everything around you.
Richard Hell was (and probably still is) my vision of a rebel. The way he was on stage, his words, his look- everything about him oozed something different to everyone else. You couldn’t help but really fall in love with him. I’ve read his autobiography a few times, and with each read I find something new to love and admire about him. In the 80s he pretty much stopped making music and focused on his writing. Sure I’d love a new record by Richard but he writes so beautifully that it doesn’t seem to matter. The music he did made still sounds timeless and his words still resonate with you. He was part of the ULTIMATE super group- The Heartbreakers (featuring the greatest guitarist, Johnny Thunders) and on stage or off, he had this way of just getting under your skin in the best way imaginable.
I didn’t really go into this with any idea with what I wanted to get at, I guess I just wanted to unleash my respect for the guy somehow. I’ve spent years being in awe of his way with words. He doesn’t complicate things in order for you to see things how he does. He has this Rimbaud quality to his work that can be easy to miss but when you get right into the heart of it, you can pick up the influences. But then, you go a bit deeper and realise that there is nobody else quite like him. Sure you can pick up on who has possibly influenced him, but it slowly fades away because Richard Hell is something else. He is truly something else.
His song lyrics read like perfect poetry. The kind of poetry kids should be studying in schools to free and expand their mind. If I was an English teacher, I’d be fighting for the curriculum to have his work along with Patti Smith. Punk taught me nearly everything I know. Sure I don’t know much, but there’s always the time to learn more. I learnt very early on that I always felt like an outsider and where I was, wasn’t where I should be. I never felt part of anything, but I’ll take being part of the Blank Generation any day.
Beat In My Bones. 