Tag Archives: Music

DEAD BOYS.

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I started to write this and managed to delete everything I had written. Maybe it was a sign. Or maybe I’m just clumsy with my fingers. Probably both. I’ll start it again. Unfortunately I have a really bad memory (sometimes it’s a good thing) so I can’t remember what I originally wrote. Hopefully I won’t mess up this time.

Punk is alive and well in certain bands. It’s alive in most of the bands I listen to, other bands have basically pissed all over what Punk is and created something truly horrendous called “Pop-Punk.” Awful. Really awful. Punk had this bite to it that made you listen. It was, in all its glory obnoxious and brutal. It was snotty and portrayed angst in a way that caused parents in the 70s to wash their kids ears out at bedtime religiously in the hopes they wouldn’t go to the “dark side.” Punk is the one kind of music that really made me pay attention fully to what I was listening to. I was aware there was a message coming through, and the message was my own to decipher. Punk was for those and is for those who aren’t happy with how things are. Those who are bored and tired of routine. Those who know there is something more and would rather kick the door down than knock politely.

Dead Boys were fronted by one of the greatest frontmen of all time, Stiv Bators. Stiv and wiry body leaped and flailed across the stage in a way that would leave you thinking his body could snap at any moment. He got his point across by being snotty on stage. A proper obnoxious brat who when you listen to him, made you as pissed off as him. What or who rattled your cage? Doesn’t even matter. All that matters is letting it out.

What I absolutely adore about Dead Boys was their ability to really capture the essence of Punk and make it so brutal to the point of being sinister. Some songs like Ain’t It Fun and All This And More have something really terrifying about them. Bands like the Ramones portrayed the frustrations of daily life better than most but Dead Boys took it some place dark. Dead Boys weren’t and aren’t for the faint hearted I guess. Thing is, I can’t stand loud people at all but I love loud music. I don’t like obnoxious and arrogant people, but I love music that has that about it. I don’t know why, but it’s just something that holds my attention longer than most. Dead Boys were as bold as they came. Stiv sometimes tearing up his stomach with a mic stand- he was as outrageous as Iggy. Except I don’t think Stiv ever covered himself in peanut butter. His wiry frame and distinctive voice made him and Dead Boys stand out amongst the Punk scene. I believe they are one of the most underrated bands of all time. Cheetah is one of the finest guitar players ever. Him and Johnny Thunders just made you wish you could make noise like that. Trashy, loud and so perfect. It made you want to play as loud as them and without a care in the world.

At best their songs were sordid, depraved and smutty. All the best songs are. They took you to a world where conventional means wouldn’t. They unleashed this world upon on you with their close to creepy songs. No other band could get away with it, no other band could do it like Dead Boys. There was something so special and rare about these guys. They went beyond being “just another Punk band.” They started something that is still in the belly, burning in some of the bands I listen to.

Known for their lewd live shows, no other band has come close to how they were on stage. They aren’t a band that you can say “oh they could have been great.” Shit. They INSTANTLY became great the second people started paying attention. In all their obnoxious glory, they were one of the best bands ever. Their unconventional and so far from romantic songs about girls were brilliant. I guess now “feminists” would be all whiny about how they objectify women or whatever. As a female, I don’t really care. I love the music and the content. It’s a different world to what I know and I love it. They take you to some underground and unsafe place covered in darkness. You can’t help but play it loud and try to move around like Stiv.

Sadly Stiv died in 1990 after being hit by a car. If he was still around know he probably would be teaching us all how its done still. Dead Boys may be no more, but what they did for Punk and many who were against “typical” will never be forgotten or undone. They were before my time, but when I listen to them I feel like I am in the moment from when it all began. Timeless, forever influential and nothing short of greatness.

Stay snotty!

CROCODILES-Boys.

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There are some bands that repeat themselves with every record they make. Their blandness is what some may be drawn to and keeps them “loyal” but there are some bands who not only exceed any expectations one may have of them, but they also manage to come out with something hugely different to what they’ve done before. There are a few bands I love that fall into this category, and they’re ones that I’ll continue to write about because it’s just bloody wonderful to hear what they’re going to do next.

12th May is the release date for my pals new record. Crocodiles are finally releasing their fifth record Boys. Everything I am going to write about this record is just my biased opinion, and if I were you I’d just buy the record and sack off anything I may say because it’ll just be an enthusiastic ramble. But if you’re into that kind of thing, let’s be friends and go into this together.

I did want to do this as a track-by-track review but I don’t really like doing them because it’s so structured, and I don’t like any form of organisation.

For me, the record sounds like it has stemmed from the roots of depravity in the back streets of New York in the 70s when Punk was slowly but surely getting some attention. In all the right places, Crocodiles have picked up on the smuttiness and wit in the likes of Transformer and Sally Can’t Dance. They’ve also got something Iggy Pop-esque flowing around Kool TV. Last year when they played Hackney Wonderland, I remember them performing some new tracks and Foolin’ Around was one that really stood out. The bassline is slick as the one on Groove Is In The Heart. This record is sordid and brilliant. If this record was a place, it would be a camp dive bar in the underbelly of Mexico city. It makes the uneasy feel alright in their skin. Crybaby Demon sounds like something that The Stone Roses could have easily put out. It’s got something really special about it that just cements the idea that Crocodiles are probably the best around.

There’s a song that I need to do a special mention on. Blue is probably the best song that they’ve done to date. Every record they’ve put out has one song on it that towers a little over the rest. It’s just over 3 and a half minutes long, but it feels like a lengthy and satisfying daydream. It’s the perfect song to drift away to as the sun sets, you just gaze into nothing in particular and Brandon’s hazy voice sends you on this gorgeous trip. Charlie enhances the dream with the whirling guitar sounds that flow in and out of your ears. It is my personal favourite from Boys, and easily in my top 3 songs by Crocodiles. I would happily write a massive essay on the song, and when you listen to it next month you’ll see exactly why. A gorgeous song that you just have to keep going back to. You zone out properly to this one.

Although the record was done in Mexico, it feels like something from Iggy, Bowie and Lou’s take on Berlin. It’s got that something about it that just feels really familiar and comforting, but then there are songs that just feel like something you’ve never experienced before. There are many bands that are doing weird and wonderful things, but Crocodiles take it some place else. More than anything, I wish these guys were credited more for their lyrics. Their lyrics are bouts of depraved prose and thoughts to expand the mind.

Boys consists of songs you would hear in an underground drag bar in the depths of New York, Mexico, London…anywhere and everywhere. They are songs to lure in a lover at 2am when everyone is being spilled out into the street or to just throw your limbs about to (go nuts to Foolin’ Around, Hard and Do The Void.)

Writing about a band like Crocodiles is easy because they make every release as interesting as the last. Each record feels like hearing them for the first time. The first time I heard their music was back in 2009. I moved back home after being dumped, wandered into HMV and saw the cover of Summer Of Hate staring at me. I didn’t know anything about them, but I picked it up along with Love Comes Close by Cold Cave. I turned one of the worst feelings possible into something I could handle. I found two bands who have since become the world to me. The thing about Crocodiles that I love the most is that they make me feel like I am anywhere but where I am. I don’t feel like I’m in 2015; I feel like I’m in the 70s watching Punk win over hearts and guiding those who are fed up. Crocs are a mix of all the stuff I love and things I’ve never heard before. They bring all these insane sounds together and make something that is worth treasuring.

I’ll say it’s their best record until number 6 comes out, you know how it is. If you’ve yet to experience the world of Crocs, then let Boys be the one that seduces you, let it be the one that you cheat on other bands with. And in time, it will go from being your bit on the side to the love of your life.

Crocodiles start their US tour in 3 days time, and will be coming over to Europe in June. Personally, I’m massively excited to see them in Manchester as part of the Manchester Psych Fest along with July (this is fucking HUGE.) I’ve always wanted to see them in Manchester, and with July also?! Oh man who needs Christmas!

Boys is out via Zoo Music on the 12th May and is produced by the incredible Martin Thulin. And yes, it is my record of the year.

CHICK QUEST- Vs Galore

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“Wear those clothes, break your back, give me looks.
Bite your tongue, buy new face, all better now.
Bin ich Frau? Bin ich Tier? Bin ich Biest?”

Labelled as “Spaghetti Western Rock & Roll” Chick Quest are one of the most exciting and brilliantly different bands to be making glorious noise in Austria. This Vienna based band are every part punk as they are “Spaghetti Western.” Imagine the Ramones playing in the background of one of Leone’s films, that’s pretty much Chick Quest.

Their debut record, Vs Galore is released on the 20th April, and it contains several noisy numbers. Some with vocals, some are just instrumental. The lyrics are from a female point of view but there isn’t a standard theme to the record. Don’t worry about the songs having a female point of view, they’re not done in a modern day feminist way which is bloody good because they are an annoying bunch. But that’s for a different setting altogether isn’t it.

The songs on Vs Galore really do feel like drunken brawls in a Spaghetti Western film, even instrumental tracks such as Sounds Like Bruce feels like two guys falling out of a saloon bar in a heap, rolling about trying to grab their gun before the other. Vs Galore at times sounds like a proper 60s undiscovered Garage rock classic. Everything about their debut record (and it’s hard to accept that this is their debut) sounds like something a band of *insert a certain amount of years that make a band established I guess* would make. It doesn’t feel like a debut, and I suppose it is because the record sounds like a band who know EXACTLY how they want to sound. No songs feel out of place or disorganised. This is the kind of record a band 5 years+ into their career would be making. What’s exciting about bands who make music like this is that they amaze you with every release, and I feel like that is going to happen with Chick Quest. I’ve found this in bands like The Kills, Crocodiles, The Horrors, Dum Dum Girls….I could go on, but I won’t. My point is, although it is a debut, don’t be fooled by it. There’s a secure sound here and with their future releases I have every faith you’ll feel like you’re listening to something different each time. I’ve gone round the houses with that one, but you know what I mean.

Vs Galore is a hyperactive record that just exploits the passion that the band have for making music. With an urgency, they need to be heard.

For me, my favourite track off the record has to be Fashion Fascist. I love Ryan’s vocals on this one, there’s something about it that towers over the rest of the record. I think the song perfectly sums up how narcissistic most people have become with their ridiculous pouting and taking photos of themselves constantly. If you’re having such a great time, why are you spending it taking photos of your face? It’s just getting stupid now, and people are becoming more and more dumb. Their zombie like stares as they look at their phones, oblivious to everything around them. Nobody can hold a conversation any more can they. Fuckers.

Anyway, that was a little rant but I shan’t apologise for it.

Vs Galore has immediately made Chick Quest one of the bands I am in urgent need of seeing live. I think, and this is just going by the record, that they are a band that HAVE to be seen live in order to really get their sound. They have this Gogol Bordello feel to their sound, meaning they sound like excited kids who are bouncing around after having too much lemonade. It’s absolutely brilliant and it needs to be played so loud.

Out on the 20th April (21st if you’re in America), Vs Galore is a mighty fine record that must be purchased and played pleasantly loud. It’s a record to dance to (probably better on your own so nobody can ruin your moves) and to constantly have on repeat. It was produced by the band’s singer, Ryan and is quite frankly just a taste of what is to come from this exciting new band.

KINGSLEY CHAPMAN AND THE MURDER- Poison Tongues.

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If a song scares you shitless, then you’ve probably found something you’ll cling onto for years to come. Whether you’re a proper “goff” or you lob your limbs about to Dead Boys and all in between, you will find a handful of songs that fill you with fear and the utmost pleasure when you subject your ears to them.

I wrote about Kingsley’s new band about a month ago. I banged on about how Olympians was one of the best unconventional love songs I’ve ever heard. I don’t want nauseating love songs that go on about how someone’s tummy is filled with butterflies when they see them. I want the brutality and the annoyance, because that’s pure, real and raw. And I fucking hate butterflies.

Poison Tongues is Kingsley Chapman And The Murder haunting your dreams and documenting your night out. Poison Tongues is based on an incident that Kingsley saw in Middlesbrough town centre. Blood, sweat and guts were flying everywhere. A bloody mess that is portrayed brutally and beautiful in Poison Tongues. The build-up in this captivating witness account is glorious. It is proper atmospheric, it feels like a bunch of mad school kids being unleashed in a school music room, and creating something that shocks them in a good way. Poison Tongues is a masterpiece. It is a grand (I mean big) and theatrical song that HAS to be played loud. I’ve got it on dead loud and it just sounds that much better when you feel like that walls are shaking.

http://soundcloud.com/kingsleychapman/poison-tongues

Kingsley’s vocals portray the bitterness and rage so perfectly. He’s got the storytelling qualities of Lou Reed and the darkness of Nick Cave. From a personal point of view, Kingsley just brings everything I love about music together and creates these huge songs. As a friend, I am so proud of him. As a fan, I’m in awe of how bloody fantastic he is. Poison Tongues is massively sinister and if you want to creep yourself out, play it around 11pm and you’ll probably think there’s a Crimewatch segment in this song waiting to happen.

You can picture blokes being bundled out in a bloody mess out of a rough establishment, and as they spill out into the street you fear your own safety. You want to hurry off home but the way Kingsley tells this tale makes you want to stay and watch the outcome. Voyeuristic but bloody brilliant. You feel as if Kingsley’s is sat at the end of your bed at bedtime telling you this tale as you drift off to sleep. It’ll catch up with you in your dreams, leaving you in the morning turning to the first person you see, “You won’t believe what happened last night….”

For me I want a song to make me feel like I’m experiencing everything that’s being said- Poison Tongues is easily one of those songs. It is terrifying, honest and brutal. It’s got the bitterness of Stagger Lee. If only Kingsley yelled “motherfucker” at some point in the song, that would top it all off.

This four and a half-minute tale is an accurate portrayal of what happens in most clubs most weekends, so I guess if you want to see it with your own eyes go loiter around an Oceana at 3am and pull up a chair.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the North, you can catch Kingsley Chapman And The Murder on the following dates:

1st May – The Georgian Theatre, Stockton-on-Tees
16th May – Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough w/ Frankie & The Heartstrings

BAD WEED.

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I know nothing about music from Austria, but there’s a band called Bad Weed (careful when looking them up) from Vienna who could possibly be one of Austria’s finest bands around.

Their jangly unconventional songs are perfect for lazing about to. They make the kind of music that makes you want to sit outside doing nothing, staring at nothing, saying nothing. A load of nothing. They’ve got that lazy (I mean it in the best way possible) sound in their music that is found in the likes of Wavves. They don’t make you want to do a thing. As I listen to them, I’m dreading having to go to work tomorrow (travelling to South London is shite but thankfully I have 4 days left of doing so…HALLELUJAH!) They just make you want to sit around and waste your days in ways that make you happy, not being bothered and not being a burden.

They’ve got a proper garage rock/punk thing going on that I really love. Their sound is like a punk band coming for your blood and wallet. They’re after your ears and will spit out your hearts. Their sound is fast, noisy and brilliant. They’re obnoxious and snotty in all the right places. They’re a cross between The Damned and Dead Boys. Can’t Stand is probably my favourite because it really does have something about Dead Boys in it.

Bad Weed are the band you eat pizza and guzzle beer to. You have a real good time listening to these guys. They sound like a typical New York punk band, but they’re not. They’ve studied the greats and made something of their own. If you’re dreading work tomorrow then listen to these guys on your way there, whilst at work and the journey home. They’ll make everything less painful. Then you can go home and do a load of nothing.

With the mundane affairs of modern life, it is sometimes hard to find a band that really speaks to you and can drag you out of any rut you may end up in. Sometimes we need a kind of band that realises how shitty it all can be, sometimes we need a band to come along and declare that they don’t care. We can relate to that, I can relate to that. What’s the point in caring about shit that doesn’t matter anyway?! Listen to Bad Weed and it’ll sort itself out.

Their short and punchy songs pounce into your lugholes and stay there. They’ve got everything you would want from a punk band. They make you feel like you’re stomping outside CBGBs waiting for something to happen. Pacing up and down in your battered boots/shoes/Converse/whatever waiting for something to happen, for a familiar face to emerge.

Play their music as loud as possible and let them infect you.

You can listen to their sounds, and buy them here: https://badweed.bandcamp.com/

JUDY, YOU’RE NOT YOURSELF TONIGHT.

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With it becoming a little warmer, I thought it would be best if I seek out some bands that don’t give off a warm feeling in their music. I thought I’d find a band that are suitable for foggy and stormy weather. The kind of weather that Jack The Ripper probably enjoyed.

Aside from having a pretty damn good band name Judy, You’re Not Yourself Tonight are yet again, another band that back fuel my love for duos. This gruesome twosome (they look pretty clean actually) have only two songs on their bandcamp page. That’s enough for me to go on, but obviously I want more.

JYNYT come from Berlin. A city I have yet to visit, but I am 100% sure that when I visit I won’t want to leave and will probably throw a really good tantrum in order to stay there. The Ramones museum will be like a religious trip for me, and I’ll probably beg the staff to give me a job there. That would more than likely be one of the best jobs in the world for me. Talking about the Ramones all day and staring at Joey’s clothes. Bliss.

JYNYT are loud and wonderful. These two things are destined to go together. Loud music is one of the best, I just love noise. Not a fan of loud people though. Silence from people is nice. They make proper noise, the kind you want to hear in creepy basement bars in an unfamiliar place. I know nothing about the band, but I know that their music is pretty special. They’ve got this way of sounding huge with only two of them being in the band. They release that dormant beast inside of you with their eerie sounds.

By obsessively listening to JYNYT for the past half hour or so, I’ve reached some kind of conclusion that they are a band that really come to life when you see them live. You can imagine La La beating the shit out of the drums and Ant Car flailing the guitar around with sweat falling from everyone around them and onto whoever. Their rowdy sound is ideal for cramped venues that smell of spilt beer and decades of bodily fluids.

I have no idea what they’re up to (I don’t know anything about them, and for the most part that makes it easier to write about them) but I know this, they are an exciting band to listen to and really, two songs just isn’t enough.

You can buy/stream their music on their bandcamp page: http://jynyt.bandcamp.com/

CANDY DARLING- Going Straight

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I remember when I first heard The Birthday Party; I wasn’t immediately taken in by Nick Cave’s vocals. It was Rowland S Howard’s guitar that lured me in. He could make it sound abusive and sad. At once and separately. His solo records do exactly the same. How does this link in with Candy Darling? Easily. Singer, Emily Breeze reminds me so much of Jonnine Standish who sang with Rowland on the haunting (I Know) A Girl Called Jonny.

Going Straight is a to the point and hugely fragile song. The drums make the song sound dark and create a massively tense build up throughout this song. Emily’s voice is so pure and delicate, yet powerful in all the right places. She has the strength in her voice that is found in the likes of Shirley Manson to Patti Smith. She can be as tough as you like but isn’t afraid to be vulnerable with her words. For me, that’s what makes a band/singer easy to relate to. You pick up on the pain and hope in this song, it comes through so clearly and beautifully in Emily’s voice. It’s a cross between a 4am chant with your best friend as you stumble home and falling apart on your own at unholy o’clock when nobody it around. Going Straight will break your heart and will probably make you take an overdue look at yourself. Maybe you’ll hate what you see, but there’s something about this song that pulls you back in. As you’re teetering on the edge, something about this song just slaps you in the face and you’re as alright as you can be. Have your tomorrow to start again.

Candy Darling released the wonderfully trashy Money last July, and now they’re about to show you a different side with their latest single, Going Straight. This song has the power to really mean a lot to whoever hears it. It can be their crutch, and goodness knows we all need one from time to time.

You can stream the single here, along with the b-side Waves:

http://soundcloud.com/candydarling1/going-straight

Going Straight is to Candy Darling as to what Heroin was to the Velvet Underground. Listen to the tracks back to back, and you’ll get what I mean. Their sound can be brutal but on Going Straight they show a side that is slightly tame but with ferociousness to Emily’s voice. Basically, I adore this band.

When you cling onto nothingness, you start to feel as if you’re nothing and have nothing at all left. Then songs like this come around and you don’t feel like scum. You feel alright with the bad, and you’ll take the good whenever it comes back around. Thank goodness for Candy Darling.

COKE WEED.

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Personally, I love music that makes you feel like you are anywhere but where you are. Daily life can be a drag, a real chore. Doing the same things ever day, having the same dull and lifeless conversations constantly. Why do we put ourselves through such mundane monstrosities. You can change it. Change your job (never stay somewhere that makes you miserable), change your friends, move out, move on etc. All that stuff. Find a soundtrack. Make yourself a playlist and go. When you do this, I urge you to put one band in particular on this list.

Coke Weed are a band I had intended to write about some time ago, but my memory isn’t too great. I’ll make up for lost time.

Coke Weed have this gorgeous relaxed feel to their sound- think along the lines of Beach House, Wye Oak. They really take you to some place magical.  Back To Soft was one of 2013’s most underrated records. It was overlooked and that’s borderline criminal. I was recently sent their demo version of their new record, and although it is a rough copy it is nothing short of perfect. They’ll hear things I don’t that need tweaking, but I’m no musician so maybe the obvious needs doing to the record. I have no idea, but I do know that it is a sublime record and it sounds nothing like previous releases. It’s got a real Roxy Music feel to it. Less dreamy, more dancing. There’s a strong disco feel to Dead Man Walking. So far, that’s my favourite. Their new record takes you on a journey through the ages whilst still sounding now, it takes guts to do that and Coke Weed do it so well.

There are many influences floating through the new record, ones that maybe skipped their previous records but they’ve dug up for their new one. It feels right on this record. Back To Soft was the daydream and their new record is the reality. As a massive fan of this band, I believe their new record explores and enhances the reasons as to why I really do love this band. Everything from the hazy guitars to Nina’s soothing vocals to the gentle crashing of the drums. You take in every single detail of all the songs and treasure them.

For me, I regard Coke Weed as highly as bands like the Raveonettes. The Raveonettes have a lot of sentimental value tied to them. Maybe I’ll cling or maybe I’ll let go, but with Coke Weed I just want to listen and be transported somewhere without a care in the world. It’s a magical experience that’s a pleasure to be part of.

With summer approaching slowly, it is vital you find something to be your soundtrack. Coke Weed are a band to laze about to. Do nothing and let your mind go. I’m fairly sure that when you see these guys live you just shut your eyes for the duration and allow yourself to drift away with the music and into the unknown.

Coke Weed’s music is moments of joy, explosions of happiness in the midst of dreaming. They are an absolute pleasure to listen to and to get lost in, like the eyes of your lover. I would happily write a huge essay on my love this band, but I’m saving it for my review of the record.

As they approach the release of their fourth record, I can only hope it places these guys where they belong- in your hearts and in your record collection.

SAY LOU LOU-Luicd Dreaming

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I feel as if I’ve been waiting decades to finally write about Say Lou Lou’s debut record. I’ve been a fan from when they were called Saint Lou Lou and I probably annoyed everyone to high heaven by banging on about their song Maybe You. I had no idea what their sound would turn into from hearing Maybe You and Julian. They have this wonderful way of being a pop band but with non conventional means. They are dark, atmospheric, open and easy to relate to. I’ve spent my time listening to Lucid Dreaming by making notes, I’ve never really done this before but they evoke so much it was hard to keep track. It’s a record you instantly fall in love with, and I’m happy that the world can finally hear what Elektra and Miranda have been creating, in full.

The record starts with Everything We Touch, the perfect way to starter.  That song is a gentle dance tune that makes you feel good. Lucid Dreaming is a heartbreaker of a record, it is for those who have hurt, who will hurt (either get hurt or cause it) and are hurt. It’s painful but there are moments that are full of hope, love and free of pain. You cling to it all, in the hopes of it one day being your safety net.

Glitter feels like it should be a single, and to hear it live will be a truly magical part of the set. It’s got a camp 80s feel to it, sometimes I don’t want that but Say Lou Lou have made this glamorous and fabulous song that takes all the best elements of pop music, and make it their own. Can we start an online petition to make this a single? It’s got proper attitude to it, and would come alive at night-time in sordid night clubs as you make your way home on a damp and lonely Saturday night. Where Glitter sounds like an 80s pop tune, Games For Girls sounds like a 90s pop gem. It doesn’t sound like the others, it doesn’t have that dark feel to it but it fits so perfectly on the record.

When Julian appears it is like putting on your favourite item of clothing. It is safe and familiar, and I think for anyone just getting into the band this may be the song they latch onto. I still do and I’ve been a fan for some time. In some ways I’m glad Maybe You isn’t on here because I wouldn’t be able to let that song go and love the rest. But at the same time, I really miss the song. It should be on there, but that’s because I’ve got way too much sentimental value attached to it. And maybe I should learn to let it go. I’m learning.

Angels (Above Me) is one I’ll probably keep coming back to when it feels like something is missing from general life. It is the most “human” song on the record. I wish I could explain what I mean, but I really can’t. All I know is there is something really fragile about that song, Miranda and Elektra aren’t afraid to expose all those ugly yet passionate feelings we have. They do it in a way that makes you feel less ashamed and able to pull through whatever it may be. For me it is one of the most atmospheric songs on the record and their vocals truly shine on this song.

Peppermint and Beloved are THE most heartbreaking songs on the record, and they make you wish it never happens to you. Of course it will, you cannot escape that. Beloved posses one of the most honest lines I’ve heard, “Love is a facade for hate.” It just stays with you, it’ll haunt you and you’ll question yourself should you fall in love, or lust even. Peppermint is a break-up song that makes you wish the bad will pass. It’s that first stage of a break-up where you try to process it, and you will. Eventually. And when you do, you’ll find another song on Lucid Dreaming to connect with which I’ll mention shortly.

Hard For A Man is possibly my favourite. The whole record makes me thing of a time I’ve done well so far with ignoring/forgetting, and I can remember it all now with none of it touching me thankfully ha. Hard For A Man is so easy to relate to, and I don’t mean from the singer’s perspective. For me, I can relate to the person they are singing about. That kind of trouble stays with you but you can hide it so it doesn’t rub off on anyone else. We cling to the bad because we never expect good things to happen or last, but they do. They really really do, and it’s best thing when you stop being awkward about it. It is such a vulnerable song, and it encourages you to let go, to stop holding onto whatever it is that’s making you a monster or whatever is scaring you. I love the line, “I’ll be as gentle as I can.” It’s a real unconventional love song, and they are the best kind.

Wilder Than The Wind is the one song that takes you to a time of year rather than a place or moment. It makes you feel as if you’re in the depths of winter. Cold and alone, and this song is your safety net. It fits in perfectly and easily with the underlying romantic tone of the record. It gives you the guts to escape all that’s making you miserable- whether it be a city, a job, a person, a situation. It just gives you that kick you need.

Nothing But A Heartbeat is the aftermath of Peppermint. It’s that realisation that you’ll be alright and you don’t need much, if anything to get by. You can have nothing left of your former self but you’ll rebuild what another destroyed with no problem at all. If you want to escape that “Why me?!” feeling, head straight for Nothing But A Heartbeat and you’ll be fine.

The record ends with Skylights. I’m fairly sure they played this when I saw them at Concrete in 2013 I think?! It’s the perfect song to end this gorgeous record on. The drums are big on this. So bold and loud, the song fills you with hope and the urge to just carry on. Because with all the fuck-ups we cause and fall into, you just have to. Some part of you that died comes back to life, and this is what Skylights does. It just has to be in their live set, and should be what they end on.

As Say Lou Lou are a band I’ve loved from the start, I am so so proud of the song they have created and so proud of what they’ve done on their debut. Lucid Dreaming feels like the soundtrack to a black and white foreign film. Foreign films have way more class and elegance about them, and in some parts Lucid Dreaming feels like the broken woman falling for the troubled man who is unattainable, and she realises this when he doesn’t walk her home after they go for dinner. No weekends away, just brief moments that aren’t long enough but are still meaningful.

Lucid Dreaming is the best pop record you’ll hear this year, and what makes it stand out is that it goes against that overproduced and too sweet pop you hear on the radio right now. They grab and squash the idea of what mainstream pop should sound like. Lucid Dreaming is dark, tormented, romantic and hopeful. The best people are and the best records are too.

Say Lou Lou are playing Heaven (London) on 8th April and Lucid Dreaming is out next Monday.

 

DUM DUM GIRLS: Covers.

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When a band/singer covers a song and it sounds exactly like the original, it’s pretty dull. When they take the song and make it their own, that’s when you know you’ve found something rather special. Cat Power’s covers usually sound better than the original because she seems to put a lot more into it. She’s someone who makes it easy to pick up on every feeling imaginable when you hear her sing, whether it be her own song or a cover.

Dum Dum Girls have covered a number of songs and I probably should just list them all to make it easier (for myself) but I’ve managed to narrow it down to a solid 5. I’ve looked over it a few times and so far, I don’t think I want to change it but there’s still time.

Sorrow (The McCoys)- Aside from being known for their massive hit, Hang On Sloopy, The McCoys sang the gorgeous Sorrow which has been covered by many mod bands in the 60s. Dee Dee’s take on the song is stripped back and her voice adds vulnerability to it which is slightly missing from any other version I’ve heard. All this song does is show you how delicate Dee Dee’s voice is and how she makes you feel she wrote this song for you to really REALLY feel in your gut. With all songs Dum Dum Girls have covered, they manage to make you feel like the song was never created by another, and it is such a hard thing to do. It’s a hard thing to do well,and they truly exceed any expectations someone may have from a cover song.

Sight Of You (Pale Saints)- Their cover of this makes me want to take a long walk through New York City in the bitter cold during a blizzard. They make this shoegaze classic into a psychedelic whirl, you feel as if you’ve dropped acid and are in the late 80s/early 90s at some kind of Mancunian party with The Stone Roses. It is a stunning cover, it’s one of my favourite covers ever because like with The McCoys cover, you really do feel as if Dee Dee sat down one day and poured her heart and soul into this timeless song. Sight Of You is one of those songs (for better and worse) that makes you think of someone your brain shouldn’t. It happens to us all, it doesn’t matter who you are. There’s less pain in their version but more sadness. Sure the two are linked, but pain and sadness can be so different at times which is why I love their version of this song. It’s a euphoric gem, DDG style.

Be My Baby (The Ronettes)- Maybe I shouldn’t mention this one because the quality of the video online isn’t too great, but Be My Baby is easily one of the greatest songs ever written and many who have covered it have really not done it justice at all. What caused me to become a fan and fall freely in love with Dum Dum Girls music was their ability to sound like a 60s girl band, mixing wall of sound with a strong Punk DIY ethic. I adore that so much, and a lot of bands I love manage to capture that feel in their music. Personally, I feel Dee Dee’s vocals are wonderful to listen to because she reminds me so much of singers I love such as Ronnie Spector, Shirley Manson and Patti Smith. When you see DDG live, you can see the attitude and strength of those singers when she performs. If anyone can do this song justice, it is Dum Dum Girls.

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)- For me, covering a song by The Smiths or Morrissey is sacrilege. But, I can make exceptions when the cover is equally as great as the original. The Smiths version makes you feel alright with feeling lost, vulnerable and alone. Dum Dum Girls cover is a breath of life. It isn’t as sullen as The Smiths, but there is something equally fragile about it. There is no other band that I can think of that could make this song feel right as a cover. This song is one I hold dear to me, like most fans of The Smiths/Morrissey do. If they were to cover another song by them I would definitely love to hear them take on Please,Please,Please Let Me Get What I Want. There’s no doubt in my mind that Dee Dee could hammer home the vulnerability and sacredness of that song. They could probably cause you to breakdown if they covered I Know It’s Over.

Zombie (The Cranberries)- I found this clip on YouTube by accident, and sometimes accidents are wonderful things. This live clip is bloody brilliant. Dee Dee gets the pain across in this song, Zombie is full of pain and rage. Dee Dee unleashes this so beautiful with Andrew, Sandy, Jules and Malia adding fuel to the fire. This is definitely my favourite cover they’ve done so far. You can tell they’ve played this song over and over, and have paid close attention to every tiny little detail in the song and created their own version which doesn’t shy away too much from the original. I would love them to put this in their live shows as it really shows how strong they are as a band. Dee Dee has a delicate voice, and is so clear. With this cover of Zombie, even a non fan of the band would fall in love. Although it doesn’t take much from the original, they all manage to convey the message of the song and make it still as powerful and relevant more than before.

Of course it is worth mentioning that their version of Oh Those Eyes (The Vagrants) and Baby Don’t Go (Sonny Bono) are nothing short of stunning, and there are so many songs I’d love to hear them take on. In particular I’d love to hear them do a version of I Think I’m Paranoid and/or The Trick Is To Keep Breathing, and probably You Look So Fine by Garbage. That would be perfect. Ask The Angels by Patti Smith, I Wanna Be Adored by The Stone Roses and Who Loves The Sun by Velvet Underground, maybe something by Nick Cave for sure. I could go on and on, but you get my point. They just take songs and make you forget they are covers. Not only does it make them stand out as a band but it just makes me love their music even more.