Tag Archives: Music

SAVAGE SISTER-Savage Sister.

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My neigbour has his TV on loud. Not even my Grandma has her TV on this loud and she doesn’t have fantastic hearing. Whatever. I’ve found something to play loud enough to not just drown him out, but the world too.

I wrote about a band called Savage Sister this year. I likened their style to a band called Tamaryn. You don’t have to know me on a personal level to know that this is the kind of music which I generally swayed towards. Savage Sister have a menacing name, but their sound is anything but that. Their music soothes and relaxes you. Even if you have a dickish neighbour and a car alarm across the street that keeps going off. It’s nothing because I’m listening to a blissed out and hazy masterpiece.

Savage Sister have created a record that is made for sacred listening. Don’t play it at parties because there will always be that obnoxious ass who will slate it and not understand it. Play it when you are alone, as the sun sinks down. Which is what I’m doing now. I’m playing it louder than I normally would because of the twit downstairs; regardless of the volume you play it at- it is so easy to hear just how beautiful this record it, and you can tell it was carefully crafted.

The best kind of music is made out of love and with no fear to go beyond what is familiar, and also what is expected. To make something that is typical may make you a bore. To make something that lacks passion doesn’t make you believable. You cannot connect to things that mean nothing to you. It’s why we fall in love with the right person, eventually. Everything has been wrong, and the right thing just appears. Music works like this also. I was going to try link it in, but I’ve missed a trick there.

Bands like Savage Sister make you want to create music. I have no musical talent, the only thing I can do is write about music that I love. But they make me wish I had some talent. I love the way that, on their record they manage to mix tranquility with the dark sounds found in Shoegaze. They’ve taken everything I love about music and made it into their own. It is inspiring and it is so beautiful.

The way you feel when you hear certain bands for the first time just stays with you forever, it becomes a memory that you find yourself going back to over and over when you listen to new music- just waiting for that feeling. When it doesn’t come it is so disappointing, but when you experience that feeling then it is truly one of the most moving things ever.

I cannot help but write with such passion and admiration for Savage Sister. To put it simply I do it because I know they make music that comes from a place not many go to and they make music with such passion. To write about them with anything but wouldn’t make any sense.

I cannot compare the songs off the self-titled record to anything, but I can compare the feeling I get when I listen to it to a record that means the world to me. I nearly set my kitchen on fire when I played Stridulum II by Zola Jesus a few years ago when it came out; my attention was anywhere but where I was. I was being exposed to something truly beautiful, and it wasn’t as harsh (but still amazing) as The Spoils. It was dark and heavenly. I found something I knew that would last in her music; the same has happened with Savage Sister. But I’m sat down watching the sunset (and writing this of course) as I listen to Savage Sister. This is my definition of bliss.

Normally I would mention certain songs and talk about how stunning they are. I can’t do that with this record as each song just flows perfectly into the other. Everything feels in place and as if it should be there. There is nothing worse than listening to a record that is 60% filler. Savage Sister’s record is a story to the soul. Each song links perfectly into the other. They make you feel like you are on a spiritual journey. It doesn’t matter where you are going and sometimes it doesn’t even matter how you get there. All you need to know is that you will get there.

The dark sound that breezes through the record and the haunting vocals are just magnificent and they just make you feel as if you are in a trance. The daze they place you in is one that you hope you don’t snap out of any time soon. They have this force in their music that is so delicate yet it is strong enough to lure you in, and to just keep you there.

If you feel you are missing something in your life, chances are it could be Savage Sister. If it isn’t, well you’re missing out. All I know is that they are the kind of band I wouldn’t just listen to at 4am when no one is awake and slumber missed me out again. I could (and do) listen to them at any time. They are the perfect soundtrack to everyday life, but to just have them on in the background would be senseless as sooner or later- they will stop you in your tracks and you’ll be left in awe of what you are hearing.

I think I have listened to more new music this year so far than I did last year, and Savage Sister will be one of the few bands I keep close to my heart this year. They offer more than is expected from a band in their music, which is why they are perfect to turn to for guidance or just to feel a sense of comfort. Last year it was Tamaryn that did it. I didn’t just listen to their music- I read their lyrics and used it as some kind of guidance. If a band can’t guide you, then who can.

You can listen to and purchase Savage Sister’s record from their bandcamp page: http://savagesister.bandcamp.com/

The sun’s gone down now, and the record has finished. A perfect ending to a perfect record. And they say perfection doesn’t exist! Fools.

HANA PIRANHA- Thin Air.

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My love for Hana Piranha is over a year old, but it feels like I have been playing her music for years and years. Maybe it is because she reminds me of singers I’ve loved for so long. She has a big voice, in a non obnoxious way. She doesn’t warble like most singers with a big voice. You can hear every word. She sings with power and clarity. Do not fuck with Hana Piranha.

I remember watching her covers on her YouTube channel. Her take on Closer by Nine Inch Nails was much more creepy than the original. She made it much more sinister. She made Rock & Roll Queen by The Subways go from an Indie kid anthem (I love The Subways so I’m not being disrespectful. They remind me of being at University. Their live shows are mental) to a heartbreaking ode to a love you can never seem to get. Work at it, you’ll get there.

Hana is the meanest (I mean that in a brutally gorgeous way) violinist around. She plays with a fury like no other. As someone who isn’t a fan of the violin, she’s swayed my view. Or maybe I’m only okay with her. Who knows; either way, I know a raw talent when I hear it.

The stranger the voice, the better. Why settle for conventional and bland when you can have something that is out of this world. We lack the power of Siouxsie now, the dominance of Poly Styrene. Or maybe we don’t. It lives on in the likes of Hana. She can make the loneliest of fools feel okay in the skin they are in with her words. There is something about her that just makes you glad you exposed your ears to her beautifully weird music. She absolutely slays the violin; like I said above, you really don’t fuck with Hana Piranha.

I’ve not really mentioned the new song at all. About that….

Thin Air shows her dominance in a way unlike before. She doesn’t flail about like a wounded creature with her violin. Oh no. She plays it with such fury. The heart and passion she plays with is found in the likes of the greats such as Patti Smith. She has this captivating stance that just makes you want to listen to her voice and over. Next week, you won’t be able to take your eyes off her music video to Thin Air. The teaser to the video below just shows the power she has, and is just a bloody treasure.

She resembles to musicians I love, Patti Smith and Kate Jackson (from The Long Blondes.) Her voice is a raw and rare beauty. I can’t wait for the video to Thin Air. It’s going to be fucking insane, and really? Wouldn’t have it any other way.

WHISTLEJACKET.

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Last night I claimed to have found one of the best new bands. This evening I was sent another band which I can equally describe as that.

Whistlejacket are enthralling. They have a dream-like sound which is found in the likes of Savage Sister and Tamaryn. One listen isn’t enough, you’ve just got to keep playing. They have a haunting feel that cemented The Cure’s sound. They are on that level of brilliance.

They don’t have many songs on their Soundcloud page, but what they do have is enough to know that they deserve to be one of the biggest new bands around. Much like Bare Pale who I wrote about last night, they have a sound that is nothing like the “typical” London scene. It’s like they’ve acknowledge it in their own way, and shun it. There’s nothing wrong with this. Bands like The Horrors I feel were one of the few that encouraged bands to make music that sounded like nothing else. It didn’t have a futuristic glow nor did it fill you will nostalgia. It just went somewhere else, and keeps you in a solid state of mind.

I cannot tell you the best way to listen to Whistlejack, but if you’re looking for a way to truly get what they are about-play it through headphones with your eyes shut. Let the music fall from one ear into the other. The sounds swirl around in your brain. Leaving you speechless after every song, and just wanting more. For a new band to immediately do this is something truly rare and remarkable. Will this band get the recognition they deserve? I have no idea, but I truly hope they do.

Some really exciting news about them is that they are supporting Loom when they take up a 4 date residency at The Black Heart in Camden. I urge you to go, stand at the front and feel your brain implode from standing too close to the speakers.

They make music that will appeal to those who long for music of substance and for those wanting to re-live a time where music had something of worth. Of course it does now, you’ve just got to ignore certain outlets. Whistlejacket are the band that John Peel would have fallen off his seat listening to out of sheer joy and been in awe of their talent if he got them to do a Peel Session. They’d go down as putting on one of the greatest sessions, but sadly….sadly that will never happen. But I am confident that he would have loved Whistlejacket.

Whistlejacket play with the fresh enthusiasm that is missing in a lot of bands. They make music because they love it, not because some overweight CEO is dangling a carrot in front of their eyes like a tormentor would do to a rabbit. There’s a movement happening in the fair city of London, and it’s not the kind that is getting the exposure it deserves. So play them as loud as you can; people need to pay attention to this.

You can listen to their captivating sounds right here: https://soundcloud.com/whistlejacket

And hey, if you’ve got an annoying neighbour who plays drum & bass or something equally as vile as that, then play Whistlejacket as loud as you can. Not just to show your neighbour you’re pissed off, but because it just sounds so good loud.

Make sure you catch them with Loom from September. The noise, the sweat, the bruises and possibly blood will probably be one of the best gigs you’ll go to all year.

BARE PALE.

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Since working, staying up until 4am to find new music wouldn’t really go well in my favour. Functioning on 3 hours sleep would turn me into a hormonal teenager. Being a functioning adult is hard, but it could easily be worse. Everyone works in different ways. Some ways are obviously questionable but no one should ever judge. I used to live off custard creams and cheap squash because I had nothing. All I could was stay up late. I seemed to be waiting for something. I realised I was waiting in the wrong place. A place where nothing (good happens). I grew up and left. I found things along the way. Some things I’ve already forgotten, but maybe they weren’t worth remembering. It’s a normal hour and I’ve found a new band to fall in love with.

Bare Pale are a three-piece from London. They posses an eerie Shoegaze sound. Haunting and brilliantly chilling (I don’t mean in a relaxed way.) It’s the kind of music that used to keep me up at 4am. Now it’s the kind of music I just listen to at any time.

Bare Pale are three guys who make music that doesn’t sound like the “typical” London scene. There’s probably only one other band that aren’t falling under that trap and that’s Loom. Both bands are making their own kind of noise in their own kind of way that is accessible to anyone but found only by those who truly want to be moved. Moved in a way that shakes everything bad out of your brain and pours some goodness into your soul.

They only have a handful of songs, but it is enough for me personally, to know that they’re pretty much above anything else I’m listening to right now. They make music that is perfect for these intensely hot days. I could listen to these guys on the tube into work and not really care for the obnoxious stench of sweat that pours out of some passengers. Makes the commute a little easier.

Rub It In is so far my favorite song by Bare Pare. They have a West Coast mood to their music that amounts to them creating a brilliant lo-fi vibe. They make music that makes you glad to be young and in love. If you can get to old and in love with the same person, then you’ve both done something right. Bare Pale are a band that you can kill time to but also create beautiful moments to. You can laze about to them or you can go create your own fun. I just think they are one of the most exciting bands I’ve heard in a long time.

If those pretentious Music Journalists get hold of Bare Pale they will no doubt compare them to the first band they can think of. It’s lazy and insulting to the band. I really can’t think of a band they sound like, which is why I love them. If I wanted a band that sounded like whoever-I’d go listen directly to that band. It’s easy to throw about pointless comparisons, but ever so silly. I just love Bare Pale’s fuzzy sound. It takes you to a place that is calm; I guess they just give you a hint of peace in a world that’s full of rage. As relaxed as their sound is, if you listen real close you can hear hints of frustration coming through.

I can only hope they get heard by millions but you know what people are like, they listen when it is too late. But, whatever. I love them. Maybe someone who reads this will love them too. You can listen to their intense yet beautiful sounds right here: http://barepale.bandcamp.com/

London should be proud to have produced a band like Bare Pale. VIVA MUSIC! Or something….

AJW.

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Time can give hope, it can also continue to make matters worse. It does a lot of things. From healing to despair. It’s everything and nothing; all at once. I should be getting ready for work, but I’ll only annoy myself if I don’t write this down now.

Two years have passed. You remember exactly where you were and who you were with when you found out. I was crossing the road in a place I loath with a very good friend. We got home and put the news on.

For me, Amy’s death changed everything I feel towards music. It changed how I listened to music. It’s been two years since I listened to her music; I simply cannot listen to her voice without wanting to cry. I feel ridiculous feeling this way, but her music was as important to me as is Morrissey’s music. It is on that level.

When I went to see Patti Smith in April she performed her song, This Is The Girl. Her tribute to Amy. Of course I cried. But I cried because someone who I have looked up to since I was very young was singing a song dedicated to a person who was also an inspiration to many.

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding of her death and the demons she faced; she was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister. She will always be loved and always remembered. Seeing her being labelled as part of the “27 Club” is just disrespectful. I don’t agree with it, I never have.

Maybe one day I’ll listen to her music again and not want to cry like a baby, but until that day….

Her music comforted us in our own heartbreaks and also showed a side of love we may never know. Her music captured everything we wanted to say and if you have never cried to at least one of her songs; then your heart is made of stone. She got to the very core of a feeling and no matter how ugly it was, she made it into something beautiful. Her music was a source of comfort, and was that friend at 4am when your heart and thoughts got too heavy.

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST.

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1990. I’m a baby; in my mother’s eyes I always will be. I’m only 4 years old in 1990 but I already had a love for music that was evidently going to stay with me forever. I saw a video on MTV that was bright and had something about it that I instantly realised- this band would be in a line of those I quite simply, couldn’t do without.

I Left My Wallet In El Segundo was the first song I remember hearing by A Tribe Called Quest. They had an approach to Hip Hop that, at the time I didn’t really get. I was too young. Move on 10 years and I get it. I hear sounds and words that made a world of sense to me. Words and sounds that eased the soul and freed the mind. Their relaxed vibe made me feel like an alien to where I was growing up. Where your heart is, that is home. My heart was in Hip Hop and I know it always will be. Hip Hop and Punk. Both entirely different but the same in some respects. Both allowed you to be free. A Tribe Called Quest were a ticket to a different world. It all started with leaving a wallet in El Segundo.

Stressed Out which featured the beautiful Faith Evans will always be one of my favourite A Tribe Called Quest songs. It’s like a comfort blanket and a release in one. Again, they just soothed the soul and take you to a spiritual place.

The way Phife and Q-Tip went back and forth with their lyrics was insane. It felt like they never wrote anything down; that they just brought it out of each other. This laced with Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s production skills just made them stand out from everything else that was going on in Hip Hop. They didn’t project anger; they oozed this brightness to their sound that is found in the likes of De La Soul. They were, as lame as it sounds, fun. Fun is such a shit word, I’m sorry. But they made you feel as if you were part of something worthy of being proud of. They were the first Hip Hop group that made people consciously aware, maybe. Of course there were some before but I feel they brought it to the mainstream for others to see. If I started a Hip Hop group, I’d use all their records as a blueprint to what I would want to create.

Even in their solo projects they still managed to keep that Quest vibe to their music. They went in different directions, but still carried that sense of unity with them wherever they went and with whoever they worked with.

Scenario turned many on to the insane sounds of Busta Rhymes. There’s a live performance of the song where Busta turns his hat inside out and raps as if it was nothing. He quickly became one to watch; he had this way of creeping up on you on Scenario, I think that style stuck with him. Especially early on in his career. He had a wild style that caused many to fall for. Just like how A Tribe Called Quest had that calm vibe about them that lured you in; it stayed with them.

I have no idea what the world thinks of A Tribe Called Quest or what caused people to fall for them. I can only speak for myself. I just know that they’ve always been and always will be a massive part of my life. If not from a musical perspective, but from a spiritual way too. They offered more than music and they offered more than most.

They was Phife and Tip confidently bounced off each other whilst Ali Shaheed Muhammad stayed cool behind them was something that just set them apart and above the others. They sounded like none before and none after sounded like them. They had a unified sound and a family vibe. They created a world where everyone belonged. It didn’t matter where you were from or what you were- they made you feel alright with the skin you were in. There aren’t many bands that do that now. Maybe no one else ever will. It’s alright, because what A Tribe Called Quest gave us was priceless.

Every member was (and still is) distinctive in their own right. When you recite their songs you don’t know if to be Phife or Tip- so you recite both parts. You become A Tribe Called Quest and that is exactly why their music is not only important, it also improves that they will always be there.

THE VERY MOST-Just A Pup (EP)

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With so much hate surrounding us in daily life (you just need to pick up a newspaper to see it) it is hard to believe that there is any good around. Everything is so cruel and vicious. You might as well leave your TVs off, deactivate any of those social media accounts you have and stay in your bedroom until your time is up.

Or you can find something that makes you forget all the cruelness for a brief amount of time; causing you to create your own world. There are certain bands and singers that just make everything feel right again. From the relaxed tones of Warpaint to the unified chants of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. You listen, and everything seems alright even if it clearly isn’t. You can’t expect to take on the world’s problems if you cannot face up to your own. But we still try.

I listened to The Very Most’s new EP and was yet again in awe of just how gentle the music they make is. For the most part I really love music that is a bit rowdy and slightly brutal. Nothing like the person I am; which is why I love it. I probably like music like that to get away from how I am. Too deep for a late Saturday night. Some are asleep, some are vomiting in bus stops. I’m doing this. Sorry.

Just A Pup is a lovely title for the EP. It sums up the innocence of the band. There aren’t many bands around that have a quality like that. A lot think they know it all already, but they end up being forgotten. Sort of happens to regular folk too. Nobody knows everything, thankfully. Some think they do, but we don’t care for them.

The Very Most have been constantly releasing EPs; and it makes you think why don’t they just put a full length record out. I’ve thought about this for some time, but I think they are one of those bands that sound better with a string of strong EPs rather than meaningless full length releases. They leave you wanting more; anticipating in a blissed out state. This is why I really love music.

The EP features an excellent guitar solo on the title track by Danny from Seapony. I advise anyone to listen to them; truly beautiful. I’m not a Tom Jones fan at all, so obviously I think their cover of It’s Not Unusual  is better than the original. It features vocals from Liz who is in a gorgeous band from Cardiff called The School. Check them out too.

Just A Pup is made up of four songs that just lift your spirits; and looking at the state of the world right now, we really need this. A perfect band to listen to as the sun goes down or even as it rises.

You can listen to and buy the EP  here: http://theverymost.bandcamp.com/releases

FRANK’S DAUGHTER- The Sound Of A Heart Unravelling.

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Formed over wine and whiskey in one of the best places I’ve never been to (Brooklyn) Frank’s Daughter make music that is made to be enjoyed alone; in the midst of an emotional breakdown. Purely because they will pull you through. Not much can lure you out when your mind decides to go askew, but they are perfect enough to assist with bettering you. Each song is an insight to how sometimes, when it feels insanely dark- it is sometimes when you are at your best.

They’ve recorded some of their songs in a closed season Alpine hotel when London got too much, or maybe it didn’t provide enough. I fully understand how this city can break and lift one’s spirits at once. Oxford Street is grey hell hole. Soho is a thriving den of the weird and wonderful. You find bliss after a stint in hell.

The Sound Of A Heart Unravelling is one of the best titles for a record I’ve heard in a while; mainly because it fits the mood of the record. Frank’s Daughter posses the darkness that is found in the likes of Placebo; they make you flail about in angst and despair. In a way that doesn’t seem self-pitying but feels like an anticipated catharsis. They manage to provoke all your troubles in a way that, if anyone else did it- you’d be massively pissed off. Frank’s Daughter caress your internal wounds and make you feel as if nothing else even matters. Maybe it is what you need; maybe it’s what we all need.

Song For The Witches is a delicate piece of art; the whole record in general is a gentle rocking of the soul. I’m not a massive fan (or really a small fan) of Radiohead, and I feel quite reluctant to state that Frank’s vocals are similar to Thom Yorke. He’ll probably get it a fair amount because the vast majority of Music “Journalists” are lazy and pretentious. Personally, I feel he has the vulnerability in his vocals that is found in the likes of Antony Hegarty. Vocally they don’t sound the same- but both make you connect to the music in such a heartbreaking way. This is music that just bares complete and utter soul. Soul music. Song For The Witches and Ugly Water are beautifully frail songs with a haunting atmosphere that is set to melt many hearts.

In the piece I wrote about Frank’s Daughter for Music Broke My Bones (here, have some shameful plugging: http://www.musicbrokemybones.co.uk/?p=8836 ) I likened the atmosphere they create to similar bands I really adore such as Deptford Goth and Wife. The kind of music you play late at night when you know the world is asleep, but slumber misses you out.

This debut record is one that as horrifically clichéd as it sounds, should not be ignored. It will heal souls, it will open minds and it will free those who feel trapped in the mundane aspects of their daily lives. And although many have said it about many records in the past (and those to come) The Sound Of A Heart Unravelling sounds like it was created from a band who are well into their career. It just proves that time means nothing; it is in the moment. It is truly beautiful. A perfect duo making perfect music to get you through; and to get through to you.

The Sound Of A Heart Unravelling is made up of soul-filled symphonies with dark moods and heartfelt lyrics. Every moment in all of the songs is rare and to be treasured. What you feel the first time you listen to it will be different to how you feel times after. Moments are created as old ones fade. Frank’s Daughter aren’t for certain kinds of people. They are just for those who want something more, and know it is out there; using music as a means to get there.

You can stream the record here: http://franks-daughter.tumblr.com/ and you can purchase it here: http://www.franks-daughter.com/shop.php

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.

DESIGNER MUTTS.

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“Picking off what’s left of the rest of us,
 And selling it off to the wolves.”

 

As I started listening to Designer Mutts, I was distracted by something utterly hateful and vile. There’s small-minded pricks out there who have made a page on Facebook called “Ban Islam.” It is a pity you cannot ban small-minded and disgusting people; such as those who made the page and also those who agree with it. It just made me dislike people even more than I wish to. It was heart breaking to see photos of a young Muslim man praying and vile creatures taking it upon themselves to make vicious comments. What hope do we have? Maybe we truly have none left. I don’t think I can put into words how angry this has made me feel. Thing is, people will always have these warped views. For now there is nothing we can do. For now.

Moving on to something a lot less harmful; Designer Mutts are two lads from my favourite Australian band, Royal Chant. The lyrics to their songs are perfect. I’m obviously going to say this because I have massive love for lyrics. I read the lyrics to the songs before I hit play. The thing is, it isn’t the words they write but the way Mark sings them. He sings them in a way that causes you to immediately connect and feel as if it is YOUR life he’s singing about. Maybe he is. I feel that way whenever I listen to Royal Chant, and also Designer Mutts. There’s a wealth of frustration in the songs that is infectious in the most pleasing way imaginable. These songs were made for you to scream along to in your room, without caring if anyone hears. Maybe you want them to hear your frustrations also; get them to join in. Designer Mutts aren’t made for sacred listening. They are made for you to play as loudly as possible.

The essence of hopelessness is something I really love in the songs. To some that may sound morbid, but when you’re from a place that lacks culture and ambition- these are the kind of songs that save you. Fortunately, some of us are able to leave. The best part of leaving a place that has drained you behind is knowing that you never have to look back. When something or someone destroys you, all you can do it rebuild. Nothing nor no one is worth being a wreck over. Music heals, music is the truth.

dm

 

My favourite track off their debut release, A Day At The Wauchope Races is a song called Unrecognizable Blues. I adore the pissed off sound in Mark’s vocals. The lyrics alone stand tall, but his voice just seriously makes it. Designer Mutts play with such fury and fight. You cannot help but feel they are in the midst of leading you into a revolution (or maybe a resolution) and you stand in front of them echoing their thoughts and words. This is how powerful they are. This is how powerful music can be, and should be.

I find it easy to write about them because to me, they’re more than a band. They’re friends. Friends I’ve yet to meet (distance is a pain!) but I’ve read some of the things Mark has written. As a lyricist and just on his blog, and it is like someone has ripped my thoughts out and put them down in an eloquent manner with a touch of rebellion.

Designer Mutts doesn’t deserve to be compared to Royal Chant. Some of the same members are in the band, but that’s it. Completely different otherwise. I guess though, one other thing they have in common in this honesty in the songs. An honesty that is rare. These guys aren’t afraid to bare their soul and let every feeling; regardless of how ugly it is, be known. Their debut release is something I hope they are deeply proud of, I know I am.

You can listen to A Day At The Wauchope Races here: http://dirtymabrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-day-at-the-wauchope-races