Tag Archives: New Music 2016

BANKS: The Altar.

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“And I’m chugging along in a train.
And I’m heading the wrong way, and I’m a trainwreck”

 

Since it came out, I have religiously, ritualistically and obsessively listened to The Altar by Banks every single day. I listen at work- her voice can sometimes tame my panic attacks. Not always. But after I’ve had one, her voice provides this level of security that I guess, I need. Her lyrics have always been a massive thing for me. She has this brutal honesty that is so fragile- it can break the person listening. Goddess came out in 2014, prior to that a couple of EPs. Everything she’s released has been nothing short of ahead of its time. She’s ahead of us all. There’s no one quite like her. She’s my kind of strange. The kind that delves into what others want to distant themselves from. Her words are gut wrenching, heart breaking and truthful. It is okay to have these feelings, it is okay to explore and expose how you feel. Music is a safety net. Goddess was my safety net when it came out. The Altar is exactly the same. There’s something about her that draws you in. I don’t have the words for it, but my god she’s out of this world.

I try to avoid doing track by track reviews, but some records bring it out of you. Sorry!

Gemini Feed: I’m sorry now for going on about how important the lyrics are and how with this record she takes it darker. I love the attitude she has on the chorus, “And to think you’d get me to the altar.”  She finally sees what a piece of work this asshat is and lets them know they have no chance. As if she’d want that kind of forever, that commitment with them. I love the line, “If you would have let me grow, you could have kept my love.” When someone hides you away or doesn’t let you be the person you are, they lose you and rightfully so. If they saw you for what you could be, maybe they’d still have you. Tough luck, right?!

Fuck With Myself: The song is equally as strange and as brave as the video. This shows Banks really go for it with respect to her exploring her sound. This is the sound of someone really pushing themselves but still holding onto what they are known for- their honest lyrics. She’s not going to let someone fuck her over again, she knows her worth and if you can’t see it, then you don’t deserve her.

Lovesick: One of her most pure songs of love and adoration. The way she expresses how much she loves, wants and adores this person is so beautiful. This has this beautiful and gentle feel to it like Fuck ‘Em Only We Know has. I think the line, “I knew your love before I kissed you” is one of the most unconditional declarations of desire and love I’ve ever heard. I could quite happily write an essay on this song and probably that one line, but I think the song explains itself. It’s so exposed in a way that just leaves you in awe.

Mind Games: Mind Games is brutal. It’s exceptionally harsh to the core. You can sense the hurt and betrayal in her voice. It possess a wealth of hurt that makes you flinch slightly at certain lines. The way she sings, “Do you see me now?” I think we can all relate to where we leave something, and someone else realises what they are losing (maybe) and you wonder if they ever noticed the times you tried and the times that were trying. This used to be such a hard song to listen to, but lyrically it’s one of her finest.

Trainwreck: Today she released the video to it. I really thought she couldn’t push herself further than she did with the Fuck With Myself video, but Trainwreck is on a different level. It’s easily my favourite off The Altar. I can’t count how many times I play it a day and how many times I’ve played it since September. I can’t pick out specific lines, I really can’t. It just perfectly expresses the demises of something that’s beyond repair and a person that’s beyond fucked up. The music and the lyrics fit so perfectly together. It’s a brilliantly produced record, and this song in particular shows how great the production is. This is the one I am most looking forward to seeing live in March.

This Is Not About Us: It wasn’t until recently that I paid this song the attention that it really deserves. I changed my mind on it because I read the lyrics before going back and listening to it. It picks up perfectly on relationship issues some have and that sometimes the issues aren’t you and the person, it’s something entirely differently and Banks goes into it in a way that some would rather shy away from than confront.

Weaker Girl: The way in which she sings the word “motherfucker” is one of my favourite moments on the record. This is easily one of the strongest songs on the record, obviously I love every song but this one is so tough and you know that although she exposes this vulnerable side- she’s tough too, and that side isn’t to be messed with. It’s the kind of song that’ll be nothing short of euphoric when she plays it live (I hope she does.)

Mother Earth: She released The Altar the day after I saw The Kills in Manchester. I remember listening to this song first, and the high I was on from seeing them and meeting Alison ended as soon as I listened to this. I don’t think I even played it in full. This is one of the most open songs on the record. Songs like Someone New and Under The Table from her first record are painful but beautiful. Mother Earth is exactly the same.  This song shows how strong her voice is, how brilliant a writer she is. Her voice cracks at the right parts- the parts that need emphasising. It’s such a haunting song, and at times it is tough, really tough to listen to but the words are just wonderful.

Judas: This is one of the harsher songs on the record and you can really hear the disappointment in her voice, it’s like she’s singing it through gritted teeth in some parts. The way she projects hurt and betrayal is so beautifully executed. For me it’s all in this line, “Reminiscing all the backwards ways you made me stay. Begging me for thread, I think you need to change your brain.” I love how she references to exceptional songs from Goddess, and maybe these three songs are about one person in particular. That’s how you’re left thinking.

Haunt: This is another really open song, lyrically. The words are so full of hurt and such heavy sadness but she writes about it in a way that’s reassuring. I think it’s because she freely and easily calls the person out for hurting her. She’s openly saying it would have been better if the person cheated because that kind of hurt is easier to get her head around. Instead, this person is just a shitfest and they repeatedly haunt her, as she knows waiting for them just isn’t worth it anymore.

Poltergeist: Banks manages to really portray her hurt and anger in a way that is done purely through her voice. It’s not what she says, but how she says it. She effortlessly let’s her hurt out in her songs that makes you connect in all ways possible. She does it so well on Poltergeist and it is one of her most cleverly written songs, especially in the way she calls this person out. I think with this one she’s exposing Industry type idiots. The ones who just want something and don’t know how to deal with being challenged. Banks isn’t someone to mess with, and she expresses that so elegantly on this one. I love the line, “You mistaking all my mistakes for my crooked nature.”

To The Hilt: This one is on the same level as Under The Table and Someone New. It’s got this wealth of sadness to it that just breaks you. The sense of loss in this song is overwhelming. It’s an overwhelming song. When you listen to this through headphones, you can really pick up on her voice and she makes you feel as if you’re the one that she’s lost. There’s nothing worse than losing the one person that no matter what, believes in you. Trust me. But sometimes, years have to pass before you get them back and you get them back in a better way. Personally speaking. To The Hilt is one of the best songs Banks has written so far. It’s the ones that are the toughest to listen to that are the best because she really hits you in the gut with her words, and her vocals on this are so brave and so powerful. It’s truly one of the best things she’s done so far. It slowly builds and builds, and when it gets there- she gets you. She has you gripped.

27 Hours: There are three songs on this record that I play more than others- Lovesick, Trainwreck and this one, 27 Hours. This is perfect to end the record on because it has you playing it all over again. Maybe that was her intention, but this song again is another that shows how strong her voice is and how far she’s come since her EPs and probably Goddess was just a hint of what she’s about. It shows how destructive a person is, and the other person isn’t budging and she can’t work out why; “How can you not walk away after everything I’ve done?” It feels like she’s stuck in destroying things and can’t get out of the vicious cycle of doing so and is unsure how another person can stick with her for doing so. By no means does it feel like a love song, but maybe it is. Banks isn’t conventional and her kind of love songs are dark. Very dark and they’re the best ones. They are the ones that are easier to connect with.

The Altar is a body of unfiltered confessions, declarations and a comfort blanket. Her voice has gotten stronger, her writing cuts even deeper and is braver. She’s not afraid to be so open and vulnerable. She allows us to be fragile with her on the songs; this is a powerful connection and is truly a phenomenal record.

SHADY AND THE VAMP: The Holy Teachings Of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

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A few months ago I wrote about Shady And The Vamp. They’re not a new band, but they were new to me. One song, and I was in love. That’s how it is with me. I instantly know if I’m going to love a band or not. I need all the distractions I can get, which is why I’m choosing to write about their new record, The Holy Teachings Of Rock ‘n’ Roll now rather than putting it off.

The record came out last month and I foolishly forgot to write about it. I’m not into writing, or even reading reviews of records. This isn’t a review, I guess. It’s just going to be me going on and on about why I love the record. I’m not going to pick out weak songs and pull it apart. Instead, I’ll just go on about why they are one of the best bands around and why this is one of the finest records of the year.

The Holy Teachings sounds like an extra smutty version of the first New York Dolls record. I’m fairly sure Johnny Thunders can hear this record wherever he is now, and is probably impressed by what he hears. The Holy Teachings is the perfect level of rowdiness and has a beautiful obnoxious sound. It’s effortlessly Punk sounding and it feels like a kick to the gut. The kind of kick that sets you back and leaves you in awe of what you’re hearing. It might even leave you wishing you were in a band so you could make this kind of noise.

Every song is so powerfully loud and sinfully short. Selfishly I want the songs to last longer than 2 and a half minutes but it just means I’m playing it more than 3 times in an hour- and I’m cool with that. Shady And The Vamp are everything I want from a band, everything I want from music. They’ve got this brilliant Punk/Garage Rock sound that is probably in virtually everything I listen to. Maybe that makes me a bore (I just know what moves me, and it isn’t just one style of music.) We all have a preference, and this is mine. They execute this sound so well. All you can do is play it loud and by the fourth listen, you’ve memorised every word and you are shouting along with them.

Shady And The Vamp’s debut record sounds like something that caused a whirlwind decades and decades before- they’ve captured the raw essence of Punk and Rock ‘n’ Roll. They’ve truly created something wonderful with their debut record, and it just leaves you begging for more and more from them. We’ll have to wait. They’ve got a little Psychobilly sound flowing through which makes me love them even more.

They’re not from this planet. Nothing from this planet can make something like this. The fury and passion in their sound is so powerful and so genuine. This isn’t a forced sound, this isn’t a sound that feels like they’ve cottoned onto something fashionable for the hell of it. They sound like a band who truly need to make music. They sound like a band that will hopefully be around for a long time. Creating this exceptionally weird and brilliant sound that just shoves the middle finger in the face of those who buy into the crap they are constantly forced to listen to. You need to escape the inside and embrace what’s on the outside because it just sounds much better- it sounds like Shady And The Vamp.

I refuse to pick a favourite song off the record, all I can say it is one of the best records of the year and is criminally underrated. The Holy Teachings Of Rock ‘n’ Roll is out now on the consistently brilliant, Bachelor Records.

Shady And The Vamp sound like the kind of band you must see live in order to appreciate just how loud they can get. I hope next year they find themselves in the UK playing as many dark, dingy basement bars as possible

THE VACANT LOTS: Berlin EP.

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On Sunday I finally saw The Vacant Lots live and I’m still in some sort of daze from amazing it was. I reckon anyone who has seen them live or just loves their music will know exactly what I mean. I sometimes find after going to a show, listening to the band afterwards doesn’t always feel right, as if something was missing. Fortunately this did not happen on Sunday and I’ve been constantly listening to The Vacant Lots.

This  Friday their Berlin EP will be released. The record is produced (and mixed) by Anton Newcombe. To have a band I love work with someone I hugely admire is, as a fan, a bloody brilliant thing. It’s perfect, just utterly perfect. Many years ago when I was doing a work placement at a music magazine, I was in the same room as the editor as he interviewed Anton on the phone. We both bonded over our love for him and afterwards were both just in awe of what happened. Fortunately I am shy enough to keep my gob shut and didn’t not chime in with some questions of my own.

The Berlin EP perfectly picks up from where Departure left us. They remain loyal to the sound that I fell in love with a few years ago. The EP is made up of 4 songs that send the listener (regardless of how big a fan they are) into a daze, into a trance. You can shut the world off when you play this record. It takes you to the belly of an underworld that is yet to be found by others. Maybe it truly sums up the sound of Berlin, maybe it sums up the sound and images in your mind. Whatever it sums up, just let it take you there.

The psychedelic artwork is ideal to gaze at as you listen to the songs, especially on Promise Me. The sound that they have created is projected beautifully from Anton’s production. As I listen back to the songs, I can’t help but feel that nobody else but Anton could get this sound. I know people say that perfection doesn’t exist, but they’ve clearly never listened to The Vacant Lots.

The Vacant Lots have a few more shows left in Europe but unfortunately copies of the Berlin EP have sold out. I say unfortunately but I’m proud of them and really happy for them. The Berlin EP is a body of work that oozes dedication, blood, sweat, hours, fears and tears. The songs may torment you but they may also soothe you- just like Departure did. I’ve never been to Berlin, I sometimes feel like the only person in the world who hasn’t, but this record makes me feel like I have and that it is home. Home can be whatever you create in your mind and heart. It can also be wherever a band or record takes you. It’s a feeling, and you can feel it as many times as you want.

Some bands sound better in certain settings, and I think The Vacant Lots are a band that you can carry with you anywhere you go. They are perfect to listen to at 7:30am on the way to work or at 4am when you cannot sleep. They let you dream in your own way. They thrash the insides of your mind with their hypnotic sound. I’ve said it before, but they are one of those bands that make you wish you were in band. They leave you with this feeling as if you just have to do something. But take your time to figure it out.

As mentioned, the Berlin EP is sold out on tour but you might be able to get some copies from Cargo Records if you live in Europe/UK and Forced Exposure if you’re in the states. In my mind they are one of the greatest bands since Suicide. They tear down walls of what is deemed as “normal” or “typical.” On the Berlin EP, Land is the track that really evokes this and is probably one of my favourite songs I’ve heard this year. Not just lyrically do I adore it but the music is so moving. They have this wonderfully ability to tap into your mind, and they do it so beautifully on Land.

Go see them the next time they play near you and allow every part of you to be moved.

SHITKID.

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Sometimes you need to listen to something that others may deem as uncomfortable. Mainly because they are far too uptight and conservative. Don’t surround yourself with those people, they’ll only try ruin you to make you like them. Before you know it, bland sounds will echo in your ear. Stick your middle finger up to them, and go about your day. A band that are perfect to do this to are Gothenburg based ShitKid.

The support band for The Vacant Lots on Sunday were ShitKid. They had the tough task of playing to only a handful of us, but I was hooked. They claimed to be hungover but that did not stop them from putting on a great show. Their sound reminds you of a band who are having fun making a wealth of noise in their cramped bedroom waiting for the world to listen. The world will listen, it just takes time for some to catch up.

https://soundcloud.com/sa-s-derquist/whyte-1?in=sa-s-derquist/sets/shitkid-1

What I adore about ShitKid is that they have this slumped sound. It is effortlessly woeful and the three of them just have this excellent Punk approach. Some bands are evidently trying too hard to capture a certain sound, but Shit Kid make it look so easy. They make you want to make your own noise and that for me, is enough. If you can get that feeling across then I reckon it is a job well done.

From their set on Sunday, I really loved their performance of Whyte and Poobrain.  I think they are one of those bands that you’ve really got to see live to get it. You get the attitude and meaning when you see them perform the songs live. I am that irritating person who has to always see the support band but I went to the show on my own on Sunday so it was fine. In this case I think I proved my idea right that you should always check out the support. I enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed The Vacant Lots.

It is really no surprise that ShitKid are on the highly influential label, PNKSLM Recordings. They are home to a lot of bands I love and Shit Kid is most definitely the perfect home for them. Their songs make you want to stay home, gaze out the window and do a whole load of nothing. It’s totally fine to have those days where you just want to waste them away. I feel like it all the time, but the doctor has told me it’s depression. Don’t go down my route, kids.

The EP was all done by  Åsa, and ShitKid is pretty much just her bar her live shows where she has 2 equally talented friends with her. You really pick up on the shyness in her voice and lyrics on the EP, and I think that makes the music so endearing and so easy to get into. I think this is the EP that was recorded on a semi broken computer and this DIY mind-set is so evident on the recordings. For me having that kind of approach to music makes a band more accessible and easy to just love.

https://soundcloud.com/sa-s-derquist/poobrain-1?in=sa-s-derquist/sets/shitkid-1

They’re playing The Old Blue Last tomorrow night (23rd) and tickets are only £5.

GIRL TEARS: Woke Against The Tide.

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Over a week ago, the doctor explained to me why my brain hasn’t been working like it should. Why I’m losing interest in things I love, why leaving the house physically hurts and is exhausting, why everything seems too much and too loud. If you’ve got a physical ailment, you do your best to take care of yourself. But when it is a mental one, the thought of trying to do anything for yourself is overwhelming. Writing about music is the one thing I have as some form of outlet. I go through stages of wanting to carry on with it. Then other days, I really don’t care. Today I care. Today I want to write about the new Girl Tears record because it’s so bloody great. Even if I didn’t want to write about it, I would force myself. It seems that’s the only way. Anyway, enough of that. The music. That is what’s important.

I fell in love with Girl Tears a few years ago and I immediately knew that they would be one of those bands I would forever obsess over. They are loud. So loud. Brutally loud. Their songs last long enough for them to grab you by the neck and yell in your ear. For me though, I want the songs to last longer because I just love them. Everything about them is just a reminder of why I love music. If I was a wealthy person, I’d fly them over here and get them to play as many shows as possible. For now, I’ll create images of their live shows in my head.

Woke Against The Tide is their new record that came out on 28th October, and although it has 18 tracks on it- it only lasts just over 20 minutes. I can play it once in full on my journey to work but it still doesn’t feel like it is enough. It’s one of those records that I am happy to have on a loop in my ear. Everything about their new record sounds tougher and braver than their first release, Tension. Tension was a kick in the teeth. Woke Against The Tide feels like you’re annihilating your soul. There’s nothing wrong with this, sometimes it just has to be done.

Trying to pick my favourite song off the record is too tough, and my current inability to make a decision without working myself into a panic attack just isn’t worth the trouble. Every song is wonderfully aggressive and to be honest, if the songs lasted longer than 2 minutes I really don’t think it would feel the song. The songs are like punches to the face. The songs are polar opposites to how Kam, Tristan and Sal are. The fury and the sheer loudness in the songs makes you want to start your own band, and make your own noise. Do it. There’s no right or wrong noise.

Girl Tears are like that cool relative that lead you gently by the arm and guide you to a world of music you may not have found on your own. Their music takes you to a world that is so decadent yet sacred. They don’t sound like any band that I know of- past or present. Sure there’s slight influences of certain bands, but all they do is entirely their own and that is even more prominent on this record than on Tension. Tension was a beautiful introduction to an equally beautiful band. But with Woke Against The Tide, what you hear is 3 people sure of their sound. 3 people sure of how they want to deafen and amaze the listener. And trust me, they do exactly that. It’s a pure Punk record from start to finish.

Kam’s vocals on Lost Love are my favourite. I love the desperation in his voice and how he makes you cling on to every single word he screams. Sal and Tristan both make me wish I could play the drums or bass. Kam is also a menace on the guitar. I am so proud of what they have done with this record and how they’ve created a gorgeous atmosphere on it. It leads wonderfully from Tension, and regardless of how many times a day I listen to it, I keep finding different parts of the record to love. It’s so easy to go back and listen to it over and over again. When you do this, you notice different things and your favourite song or your favourite moment on the record changes. Like I mentioned, I cannot pick a favourite and I’m okay with that- it just means I can keep on listening. Over and over, and finding new things to love. You notice more when you approach a record like this rather than being dead set on trying to find one song to obsess over.

Woke Against The Tide is a real tense listen, but nothing good comes from being settled and easy. Every song is a shockwave through the body. Made up of parts that will leave you feeling bruised but satisfied.

AUTUMNS: A Product of 30 Years of Violence.

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All music should have an element of fear within in. It should scare you a little bit, it should mess with your head. Anything to escape routine and things that are familiar. Sure you can sleep it off, but sometimes you need to hear something to let it all out. I’ve been writing about Autumns (Christian Donaghey) for some time now, and everything he puts out is as mind blowing as the last, truly. He has this sound that captures the coldness and the lack of fulfillment from having a typical routine. You need something to kick in the walls of your mind and to give you something you’re not getting from whatever you’re putting yourself through. As someone who is dealing with panic attacks and migraines on an almost daily basis now, this is the kind of music I need to hear.

Christian’s new EP, A Product of 30 Years of Violence is out 15th November (3 days after my birthday, so you know) and will be released via the ever excellent Clan Destine Records. The mood is cold, the atmosphere is tense. Its part The Fall, part industrial town on a dark December day and it is every part brilliant. The tormenting sounds would fit perfectly in some film noir or a shocking horror film. These are not songs for those who only see sunshine and rainbows. They are for those who want, who need more- and they know it.

https://soundcloud.com/autumns/crime-of-passion

So far, I’m tipping World Hates as my favourite off the EP. Of course I am likely to change my mind because every track on this EP is nothing short of punch to the gut and a shake to the soul. You’ll feel the world in your head crumble and something else within you rebuild itself. Every song has a tense build up, and regardless of how many times you listen to the songs, you’re just never ready for it to happen. I go through stages of where I don’t know if I even want to write about music anymore, but then I’m sent things like this and it all makes sense.

I have the coldest room in my house. I think this is probably the best setting to listen to A Product of 30 Years of Violence. You won’t gain anything from listening to it on a warm beach somewhere. You need a cold setting. Go for a walk and play it. Play it as loud as you can handle. Take in every note, take in how dark, intense and grand the sound is. Let it boldly consume you and go into the unknown. Let the songs throttle and maim you. Let the songs take you where you daren’t go before. Let yourself escape but feel uncomfortable. Be constantly on edge as you let the sounds drip into your ears and swirl in your brain.

The EP closes on Crime of Passion. My idea of love and romance seeps through this song. There is nothing conventional or tame about this song. Crime of Passion sums up the feel of the EP, and when it ends you cannot help but return to the start. Over and over again. This EP feels like it is ahead of what is around now, maybe it could have fit in with what came before but it has something very special about it that has hold of you within the first listen. It is one of those records I’ll keep playing and finding something else to write about or it’ll evoke another feeling. It stirs something within the listener. I can’t define what exactly, maybe it is too personal. Or maybe words aren’t enough. My words and anyone else’s words about A Product of 30 Years of Violence aren’t enough.

Of course I’m a huge fan of what Christian does, and I’m confident enough to say that so far- this is the best thing he’s done. It steps away from all he has done prior to this, and the sound he has created here is something to truly love and to be proud of.

You can pre-order the tape here: https://clandestinerecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-product-of-30-years-of-violence

CROCODILES: Dreamless.

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“If you want somewhere to run to, and if you want someone to tell you the truth- go look out your window, baby.”

I’ve got a handful of things in life that make me truly happy. The obvious one being music. However, getting to write about a band who I adore (they’re not just a band, I’m lucky enough to class them as friends.) Writing about a band you love when they’re about to release something truly beautiful, well, that’s another great feeling entirely. I’ve had a copy of Dreamless by Crocodiles since May. I was given it at a point where I needed something, and I got it instantly from Dreamless. Hopefully when you hear it, you’ll get what I mean. I know I like to take apart each song when writing about a record, but I’m getting by on not much sleep at the moment so it probably won’t start or end well.

It’s so obvious how much I love Crocodiles music. From the moment I picked up their first record based on the artwork to fast forwarding to now, writing about Dreamless. Summer Of Hate and Sleep Forever had this amazing aggressive sound. Effortlessly menacing that left you wanting more. Endless Flowers took this menacing sound and mixed it with something so delicate which fully bloomed (pardon the pun) on Crimes Of Passion. Boys flirted with all their previous records- so what is left for them to do with Dreamless? Oh dear reader, they are just getting started.

I’ve looked through the records I own and also the music I haver stored on my laptop, and I can easily reel off the names of bands who much like Crocodiles change with every record. These are the kinds of bands that make you want to make your own, the kind that keep your attention constantly. Bands like The Kills and back to the likes of Captain Beefheart, Ramones, Patti, Morrissey- I could go on. And on. These are the ones who are gloriously fearless and can make each record sound as if they are a brand new band but still maintain a style that makes them tower above others. Crocodiles do it with every record. Dreamless is no exception. Although record in Mexico City, it sounds like it was born out a damp ridden apartment in Berlin circa early 70s. They’ve always given me that feeling, and for me- that’s how I want something to sound. I want it to take me somewhere I have physically yet to go, but mentally I am always there.

The record opens with Telepathic Lover, which consists of my favourite lyrics to any song I’ve heard all year. When I played it for the first time, it blew my mind. I felt this, massive connection to the lyrics, and they have been the backbone to a lot of thoughts I’ve had this year and god knows what else I’ve carried. “Telepathic Lover, please don’t look into my mind. Telepathic lover, you won’t like what you find.” Hands down my favourite lyrics of the year and probably my favourite by them, ever. There are so many songs by them I could list as being my favourite or what have you, but this one has something that just leaves me in awe of them. This is the one I keep going back to. It’s like meeting someone who really gets you.

Time To Kill has some gorgeous words to, and is beautifully sung. Brandon’s voice sounds like a gentle whisper on this one, and it makes the words echo more in your ears, and brain. It’s got a haunting sound to it, and this eerie tone lures you in. You feel secure but slightly scared all at once. Aside from the whole damn record being a work of glorious art and me obsessing over Telepathic Lover- you should know that Jumping On Angels is also one of the finest moments on the record. If this makes their live shows (I can only hope it does) then I’m pretty sure it’ll make the song sound greater than it already is. What I love about this record, is that the lyrics really make you think. I’ve spent a lot of time going back and forth over songs I love and finding lyrics that I love, and lyrics that mean something. With this record, Crocodiles have again made something that just makes you think and see things differently. They challenge themselves and the listener with every record, and that alone is a reason to completely love and respect them. Produced once again by Martin Thulin, it’s really no surprise that this is probably the best record you’ll hear all year.

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Welcome To Hell has this groove to it that makes you want to dance, but when you delve into the lyrics- you’ll again, see just how brilliant they are at writing songs that just make you take your mind elsewhere. Welcome To Hell makes you feel like you’ve wound up in a fight in the middle of some dodgy bar, and as you stumble home, the trouble just doesn’t leave you be. You just need to get yourself home and shut off.Welcome To Hell also has the brilliant line, “I never should have been a Peeping Tom.” Wonderfully perverse, in the best way. I’m Sick has this way of making you feel less alone with burden of self you can carry around at times. An easy song to relate to- listen to it and don’t be too tough on yourself.

I guess it shows at times I never re-read anything I’ve written, and I know I’ve probably missed out so much. I know I could have said so much more about Dreamless and how stunning it is. But, if you’re already a fan of Crocodiles then you’ll already know what to expect. You’ll already know that with every record, they blow your mind and do something to just make you love them even more. Songs like Go Now are perfect to play when you need some quiet time to get it together.

Crocodiles are currently on tour in Europe and will be coming over to the UK within the next few days. I’m skipping the London date and going to Manchester instead. You can’t miss seeing your favourite band at one of your favourite places, can you?!

Come out and see them at any of the following dates. Dreamless will be released on 21st October on Zoo Music.

1th October 2016 – Leeds Headrow House
13th October 2016 – Glasgow Broadcast
14th October 2016 – Manchester Night and Day
15th October 2016 – London Hackney Wonderland

MERCHANDISE: A Corpse Wired For Sound.

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“Now pour your body open,
Tear me apart slowly limb by limb.”

We all have it in our head what makes a band great, what makes a band mean something to us. It can be all down to the singer and the way they are. It can be down the way the drummer makes you wish you could unleash your fury like they do. It can anything, everything- all at once. It hits you like an overnight freight train going a little faster than it normally would. Maybe this band you absolutely adore and idolise bring everything together you love about music and make something of their own. They have parts of bands you love and parts of things you’ve never heard of.

A Corpse Wired For Sound by Merchandise came out today. First listen, it is lust. Not halfway through my second listen, and I would probably marry it if it was a person. Or something similar. It’s easily one of the best records of this year. Hell, it’s one of the best records I’ve heard in a long, long time. When I listen to it, I immediately feel like I am wandering round the streets of Manchester on a rainy and grey day. Utterly bleak- there’s no other place I’d want to be transported to in my mind other than there. Maybe it’s the depths of my conscience telling me it’s time to leave one awfully big city for one my brain can actually handle. I’ve got time, right?

Merchandise take you somewhere really desolate yet sacred with this record. They always do, but there’s something more fragile about this record. As delicate as it is, it’s the kind of records that holds a person together even when the person in question is probably struggling more than they allow their brain to let on. There is so much comfort is the dark and tormenting sound of Merchandise, and A Corpse Wired For Sound is no exception. It’s done differently this time. Every song feels like you need to yell the words out with such urgency. The thing is, when a band means this much to you- you do cling on to every single word.

Nine songs in under 45 minutes. Nine songs to have on a constant loop to help with focusing on whatever you need to do, whatever words you need to get out. They accelerate the motors of your mind with each song, and for me it is Shadow Of The Truth and opener, Flower Of Sex that really do this. I can’t wait for the weather to turn bad so I can wander round listening to this record and truly explore it for what it is. You can only imagine so much within four walls.

For me, I think Shadow Of The Truth is possibly my favourite. Of course I’ll change my mind because I know that this isn’t a record you play a few times and in a few months, you’re done with it. Far from it. Merchandise are not a throwaway band. They’re a band you (collectively) go back to. Each record has something for you to fall back in love with. What you thought was your favourite song slips away, and you fall for another. Maybe it depends on your mood or state of mind but Merchandise, I don’t think, are a background band. They’re not a band you just play and carry on about your business. I’ve had to play A Corpse Wired For Sound a few times before I was ready to concentrate on writing about it. I recommend sitting in the dark and playing Silence a few times. Over and over.

I Will Not Sleep Here is one of the most gorgeous songs I’ve heard in a long time, and only someone like Carson can sing it in this way. It wouldn’t work if someone else did. It really shows his voice in a different way. Again, it’s another highlight and the lyrics are beautiful.

Beginning to end, Merchandise yet again unleash this world upon you that makes you forget how terrible the world can be. The lyrics, the music, everything about this record just sums up everything I love about music and everything I look for in a band. With each record to date, Merchandise have constantly blown my mind and always gone a step further than before.

They’re touring the UK in November. As my birthday is in November, I’ve always claimed it as birthday month and gone to as many gigs as possible. This year is no exception, and I need to block out turning 30 as much as possible even if I still get asked for ID when buying paracetamol.

Play this record as loud as your ears can stand and come out and see them on tour.

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS: Skeleton Tree.

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“I called out, I called out
Right across the sea
But the echo comes back in, dear
And nothing is for free.”

To write about something knowing the circumstance, even if you are a huge fan, proceeds to give you an unsettling feeling inside. If you’ve listened to Skeleton Tree, you may have felt uneasy and as if you’re experience grief and loss. If anything, this record, teaches you how to feel or how to be aware of how you feel. For me, that’s something I have always taken from Nick Cave’s music. But this time around, something isn’t sitting right. It isn’t sitting right because we know the circumstance. There’s comfort in this record but there’s a wealth of pain that is striking.

I grew up on Nick Cave’s music. Boys Next Door to his sixteenth record with The Bad Seeds, every record has had some impact on me. It’s been there when a person has, and hasn’t been there. It’s a safety net and a handbook for life because I just never seem to know what I’m doing. Writing about Skeleton Tree is tough. I’ve never written about a record I didn’t love. This is a record I love, that’s obvious. I just find it hard to allow myself to have any solid opinion because of the heart of it. The lyrics are gorgeous, and the lyrics justify once more, why Nick Cave is my favourite song-writer of all time. He doesn’t write songs, let’s be honest. They aren’t songs. They go beyond that, they go beyond being bodies of art. Beyond being 4 minute symphonies and 6 minute wonders. Genius. It’s the only word to describe him.

Jesus Alone was the first song we heard from Skeleton Tree. When I heard it, I knew in the pit of my stomach that on 9th September 2016 I would not be listening to a record that sits easy and fits perfectly amongst my collection. This is one that falls into sacred listening. I’ll gladly talk about this record with anyone, but by no means would I want to listen to with anyone around me. It’s a record you need to be alone with. You need to be completely and utterly alone.

Girl In Amber has lines that are just nothing short of painful but absolutely beautiful. It’s not always what Nick says but how he does so. The pain in “Don’t touch me” is so raw. We’ve all felt something so terrible, and the thought of being comforted hurts more. You don’t want any form of physical contact, but you give in to it because sometimes that is all there is. That’s all that can fix it.

I’ve listened to Skeleton Tree enough times now to say that Magneto possess my favourite lyrics.  My heart broke when I heard this, “Oh, the urge to kill somebody was basically overwhelming. I had such hard blues down there in the supermarket queues. And I had a sudden urge to become someone, someone like you.” This song is one of the heaviest on the records and is so gripping and heart-breaking. The more I listen to it, the more I find certain parts to relate to. It does not make for easy listening, and it isn’t a record you play in the background to kill some time. The complete opposite.

I’ve always been drawn to the way Nick writes about love and religion. I’m not a religious person, but I love the way in which he writes about God and what might be above and below us. I love the way he writes about love in a beautiful way that shows its good and ugly side. I Need You shows this exceptionally fragile side of his words that makes it one of the best moments on the record. Take the song however you want. I’ve not made my mind up. The words will break the toughest of hearts, and part of you squirms when you listen to it because of how painful it is. It is nearly 6 minutes of desperation and pleading of the heart. His voice has this different tone to it, a tone I’ve not heard from him before. You can sense the grief, and part of me doesn’t want this to be my favourite off Skeleton Tree because of how open and vulnerable it is. But when your hero can make something like this, you feel less alone. However, I may say it is my favourite but I still can’t listen to the whole song. There’s a part that just ruins me, and I have to move on to the next song.

In a way, Skeleton Tree feels like the stages of grief. Distant Sky gives you hope. Else Torp’s vocals add something quite haunting to the song, and it works so well. Her voice and Nick’s- it is a perfect match that adds comfort and reassurance.

In under 40 minutes, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds take us on a journey through emotions we all wish to never feel. But, it’s inevitable. We will all experience a loss of some kind, and if you are one of the lucky ones who haven’t- this record will easily make you feel as if you have. I think if I had watched the film before listening to the record, maybe I’d say more of worth. I never really wanted to write about Skeleton Tree. It doesn’t feel right in me doing so, but there was something at the back of my mind that needed to get this out at length. I messaged my uncle earlier about the record, and we both agreed that Nick Cave can do no wrong. Irrespective of the circumstance, it’s their sixteenth record and it’s brilliant. It is painful to listen to, but the way Nick does it makes you feel like he is stood next to you as the words fall into your ear.

The title track closes the record, and ends with echoes of “And it’s alright now.” Music is a solid source of security and a way of coping. Both for the person creating it, and the person listening to it. Skeleton Tree evokes this to the very core. I could go on and on about how much I love the record and how much I love him, but every single song reinforces my love for Nick Cave and his words. They’ve got me through hell and back. I can only hope that this record has done

SHADY AND THE VAMP.

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Do you ever hear a band and just wish you were either friends with them, or in the band because they sound so good? Does it leave you feeling shameful of your own musical misgivings? You’re not alone. I feel this way about most of the bands I write about, some more than others. This evening I am projecting this feeling onto a band called Shady And The Vamp. Not only is their name pretty cool, they also sound it. Effortlessly brilliant and they combine my love for Garage Rock and Punk in such a way that leaves me wishing I was in the band. Yeah, this happens a fair amount but basically- Shady And The Vamp are great.

I know virtually next to nothing about the band other than there is three of them, they’re based in Switzerland and I love them. That’s all you need to know, right? They are wonderfully loud and have this angst in their sound that doesn’t come across like a stroppy teenager. More like an adult who is tired of your shit and just wants you to be quiet. We can all relate to this. They’re the ideal band to listen to whilst on your journey to work so you can block out everything and everyone around you. Play as loud as your ears can stand, let everyone enjoy the band through you. At least it isn’t Techno.

Shady And The Vamp play the kind of music that is perfect for either a house party or a dive bar. Do they make you feel as if you’re listening to a band from Switzerland? I can’t make that call as I’m not familiar with many Swiss bands, but if they all sound like this then please send me there now and take me to the next show. Their sounds are playful, rowdy and just an absolute pleasure to listen to. There’s something about them that makes you feel as if you’ve encountered a band like The Damned for the first time. It sounds a bit strange, a weird feeling hits you but you know you’ve found something pretty damn neat and nothing is going to compare to it.

I know a lot of people take comfort in music, I’m one of them. I’ve never felt at ease listening to something gentle. I have to have something quite rowdy in my ear in order to help me settle. The complete opposite of how I am- that’s the music I go for. I love their take on Piangi Con Mi (originally done by Italian greats- The Rokes.) As We Told You Earlier by Shady And The Vamp is such a great record, and it’s just full of songs that could excite the most boring of souls. I’m pretty sure that’s why I instantly fell in love with them, and wished I was in a band like theirs.

My love for Garage Rock and Punk is pretty obvious. I like how some bands can sound aggressive and gentle at once. I like the way vocals are distorted and how the music can send a body into a deep frenzy. How it all sounds like it was meant to be heard in a basement bar- that’s what I want to hear. Bands like Shady And The Vamp are perfect to listen to, and to just zone out. I’d imagine their live shows leave the crowd wanting to destroy the place. Tearing down the walls, but being kind to each other. That’s how it should be.

Shady And The Vamp have been going for a few years, and they do sound like a band who could easily have been around with The Vagrants or The Gruesomes. They’ve got an old soul burning in their sound and that’s part of the appeal, and part of their beautiful charm. They’re currently on tour in Europe, and if they ever make it to the UK I will feel like a kid at Christmas that finally got a puppy. To soften the blow for those who are yet to see their live shows, their new record The Holy Teachings Of Rock n Roll is out in October via my favourite label Bachelor Records.

Until then, check out their previous releases here: https://shadyandthevamp.bandcamp.com