RECENTLY ADDED: Andy Burrows - Hometown

The newest addition to my iTunes library this week is Andy Burrow’s ‘Hometown.’

You may recognize the slouchy-haired southerner bustin’ out beats with Johnny Borrell & co as well as later joining We Are Scientists. Now it looks as though Burrows has packed away his drum kit, swapped it for a guitar, a microphone and a spotlight; all set for solo stardom. He always hinted at his ability to string a harmony together, backing the vocals of Razorlight;but now, he’s taking centre stage with this beautiful track. 

Recently performing on The Sunday Brunch, Burrows shows he doesn’t need to strut around shirtless on stage to be a genuine artist. All that is required are melancholic melodies and enlightening lyrics.

Come see for yourself…

My Top Three Tracks of the Week – 21/1/13

** NEW MUSIC **

Destiny’s Child – Nuclear

The tenacious trio are back! Rumours of their return began to circulate this month and it wasn’t long till their new release was gathering the attention of millions on the web. It’s been eight years since Knowles, Rowland and Williams have dominated the charts and ‘Nuclear’ is a clear indicator of how badly we needed them back on our i-Pods. It shows listeners worldwide that, yes; mainstream music is evolving, (unfortunately towards more ear-numbing, naff auto-tuning and cochlea-crunching corny chorals), but it doesn’t mean originality has to go out the window. Destiny’s Child are veterans of R ‘n’ B and this track shows this through their ability to adapt to the electronic enthusiasm which featured in the music scene a lot more in 2012, as well as providing us with what we’d missed about them most.

‘Nuclear,’ taken from the up and coming album Love Songs flaunts the girl group’s beautiful harmonies alongside a more synth-sounding background to prove they’re not stuck in the “noughties.” Their first performance of the reunion takes place at this year’s Superbowl half-time show. I’ll certainly be staying up for that; work will just have to be a sleepy blur…

                     Bloc Party - Truth                         

Taken from the album Four, ‘Truth’ finally re-introduces us to those guitar hooks that made me fall in love with Bloc Party all those years back. I completely understand a band’s thirst to musically mature but a part of me always held a torch for Silent Alarm, despite my love for ‘Kreuzberg’ and ‘Signs’ from later albums. I was more than pleased to hear ‘Truth,’ contained the layering of a guitar riff not too dissimilar from ‘So Here We Are’ along with a wash of low-toned vocals which tied together the sonorous sounds of Silent Alarm from the past. The track evokes nostalgia; Okereke and his band mates searching for what was previously overlooked by ‘Flux’ and ‘One More Chance’, which promoted a dance dimension to their music, causing their split.

 ‘Truth’ reminded me of a sweaty, incredible, air tight Alexandra Palace gig I went to in 2007, illustrating that this could all be within my grasp again this year and I can hardly wait.

Disclosure – White Noise ft. AlunaGeorge 

A wave of excitement spread across the social networking spectrum last night when Zane Lowe unleashed the highly anticipated newest release ofDisclosure.  After recent success with ‘Latch ft. Sam Smith’ and up and coming tours selling out, it was no surprise there would’ve been an eager wait to find out what this dynamic duo could produce next. EPs were their calling but it finally looks as though Disclosure are polishing up their debut album, set for release in March this year.

On this track, two became four as they teamed up with AlunaGeorge who were recently nominated for the Sound of 2013 poll. Surely this only meant one thing: electronic excellence. ‘White Noise’ combines sounds from a 90’s rave as well as UK garage, so don’t be completely surprised if you see a lot of Bez dance-a-likes in the crowd. Deep house hooks burstin’ in the background, you’ll stop dancing before your feet do.

The Times They Are A-Changin’

When watching the 6 o’ clock news, I was most disappointed to find that HMV was the next business to go under administration. It brought me to the horrible realisation that this will now be the start of my nightmare; the “experience” of music is no more. All of the music in the world can be found at the click of a mouse… but where’s the fun in that?

The record store is rapidly transforming into a concept, losing its tangibility. That image created in Empire Records where its quirky employees who are more than happy to drown you in potential purchases, after you lock yourself away to sit in a booth for hours, listening to a CD which will sure to be life changing, is all just a memory now. Hours spent scouring through the alphabetically assembled music world, fingers flying, minds boggling, trying to find that record your friend was telling you about…all gone. ‘Cos let’s face it, why spend hours in a shop when you can sit in bed and buy your whole music library in a matter of minutes? I think that’s the point… the internet is taking over from everything; retailers are suffering as the general public are finding that doing their shopping online is much more convenient. But whatever happened to the ‘Try before you buy’ policy?

We are now faced with the inevitable outcome that the record store can’t quite compete with the iTunes store. We may not be able to feel the CD sleeves between our fingers and admire the artwork but the internet provides endless musical needs for anyone: Spotify and Youtube to name but a few music sites (even my blog may be seen as unhelpful to the music retailer!) It won’t be long till I’ll be finding myself scurrying through survivor stores in Brighton Laines and other niche markets, stocking up on vinyls and CDs, not just for hibernation, but for the rest of my life… How long will it be before these businesses crumble under the high technological pressure?

My little nephew, at the age of 2 can already begin to master the iPad… He, like the majority of us, is a member of the digital age. (Just so you know, I’m not included in the ‘us’) I’m a 21 year old, born in the 90’s with an 80’s film star trapped inside of me. The decade where vinyls were slightly redundant but still celebrated, CDs were the new, up and coming invention and cassettes were the norm is somewhere I want to be and crave for it the more I watch The Breakfast Club…

So where’s that DeLorean, Doctor Emmett Brown?

DAMN THE MAN. SAVE THE EMPIRE [HMV]

Empire Records… Saving a record store by having a rooftop gig; If only it was that simple. XO

TOP THREE TRACKS OF THE WEEK:

‘Sisters are doin’ it for themselves,’ this week:

Lana Del Rey – Ride

After a short break, Lana is finally filling our ears again with her dark and sultry drones with her first release from her new EP, Paradise. Released on November 11th, Lana’s ‘Ride’ is one of nine tracks, along with ‘Blue Velvet,’ which can already be heard in recent H&M adverts this winter. ‘Ride,’ shines a light on what Lana is known and loved for; her haunting, highly emotive pop ballad.  With monotoned verses, largely resembling those of Johnny Cash, Lana yet again proves how musically diverse she can be if we compare it to the likes of ‘Diet Mountain Dew’ from her debut album. She is constantly creating sub-genres within her own genre. We are continually sent through a journey of different tempos in ‘Ride.’ We start in a slow, mysterious anguish which eventually builds into a harmonious, dream-like chorus.

Let’s hope Rey finds herself in her own paradise of critical acclaim this winter…

Daughter - Smother

It was earlier this year that I first came across Daughter and Elena repeatedly amazed me with every song, however, with this track I hate to admit it, but it was a bit of a slow burner. I’m now pleased to announce, however, that I am completely convinced this is by far the best release from Daughter. ‘Smother,’ shows how musically advanced and developed the three-piece have become, particularly from the days of Ellen’s acoustic sessions on Youtube; still proving  tracks like ‘Peter,’ are great but nothing which steps out of the generic female acoustic artist. ‘Smother’ jumps right in front of the queue of girls with guitars seeking stardom, with its multi-musical dimensions. The haunting vocals acts as a musical canvas for the poetical lyrics which speak out to any young lover who has ever been accused of smothering their other half (metaphorically of course). Daughter’s target listeners are the bitter, obsessive youth who fantasise about being loved or being a loved-up masochist…either way, its powerful stuff.

            ‘Smother,’ proves to be a highly anticipated taster of what is to come in the lead up to their UK tour in 2013, proving that it will be year the wild youth make their mark.

Haim - Don’t Save Me

My friend recommended Haim to me and I stupidly found myself brushing them aside after a couple of listens. (In my defence, I was caught up in a blurry dissertation haze at this point, ya know… wasn’t really thinking straight). Anyway, the Californian trio have now grabbed my attention with their most recent single, ‘Don’t Save Me.’ In interviews, they claim they are combining two genres: Rock and R&B, which can mainly be distinguished through their heavy use of percussion. I later read that the Haim sisters are all drummers… which would explain why I always want to dance whenever I hear the chorus: Baby, don’t save me, nooooow, with a hairbrush at the ready. It’s been a while since I’ve heard an alternative pop girl group. Don’t get me wrong, I have no qualms in admitting I am a sucker for the old-skool Sugababes and how extremely excited I am for the Girls Aloud reunion, but it’s so refreshing  to hear three girls sing their own music, inspired by the heavily musical background they’ve been brought up in.

They’re quirky and they’re bringing nu-folk to the music industry: I’m on board.

            Sisters are really doin’ it for themselves this week eh… 

Lucy Rose - Red Face

What I love most about gigs is coming home and listening to a song differently to how you did before. Lucy Rose’s ‘Red Face’  is currently my new favourite from the album. Scroll down for an almost running commentary of the gig. It’ll feel like you were actually there… xo

LIVE REVIEW: Lucy Rose @ Brighton’s Coalition – 12/11/12

Set List:

First

Red Face

Lines

All I’ve Got

Shiver

Night Bus

Place Scar

*NEW SONG*

Middle Of The Bed

Watch Over

Bikes

ENCORE:

Don’t You Worry

Be Alright

Now, I’d never been to Brighton’s Coalition before. I didn’t even know it was a music venue. I’d always assumed it was mainly a club on Brighton’s seafront so didn’t know what to expect, apart from the generic sticky floor and bar. My assumptions were correct. I couldn’t decide whether it was the fact I could barely see the stage or whether my lack of change for the cloakroom meant I was stood in amongst the crowd with my winter warmers on, sweltering… but something just wasn’t right. I always believe a venue can make or break a gig and to be honest I had my doubts. I think  it was ‘cos I had been waiting so long for a chance to see Lucy Rose, I had already envisioned this really small, intimate gig but I forgot how much her fan base had expanded over the last year… Fighting for a good view in a gig is never my strong point especially if a very tall, stocky man is standing square in front of you, armed with a pint along with his three pals. Luckily, I managed to maintain a spot where I could just about see Lucy Rose’s full set.  It was a gap between two people’s heads. Perfect. That’ll do. ..

My concerns with the venue instantly vanished when Lucy Rose came on stage and performed her enchanting ‘First.’ I realised there was even more to her voice that recordings on her CD and various videos online weren’t showing us. There was something classical   about it. Now, I’m not talking about opera or anything Mozart, I mean that original, husky, dusty, soft base to her vocals that I would now always associate with her. A distinguishable voice is hard to come by nowadays (listen to me preaching away again), but Rose proves that raw and original talent still exists in amongst a field where ‘dirty bit’ and ‘gangnam style’ are the hype. Moving straight into her second song of the night, ‘Red Face,’ the singer looked so at ease on stage and she looked as though she was relishing every second of it.  I found her even more charming than I thought I would as she interacted with the crowd, especially when she performed a new song she had been working on, mentioning how nervous she had been as she still couldn’t quite get it right. Opening up to your audience is something a crowd at a gig are really eager for. Trust your fans and your fans will trust you and will show this through their confidence to sing back the artist’s lyrics right back to them. Lucy had her crowd laughing, singing, bopping, shouting out ‘We love you Lucy’ throughout.

‘Middle of the bed,’ created an excitable wave through the audience, as well as ‘Bikes’ where the crowd simultaneously cheered as Rose sang ‘Listen up, Listen hear, everybody scream out loud!’ A smile was permanently pressed on Lucy’s face as she demanded the crowd to shout scream and be merry. I’ve always loved two kinds of performers 1) who commands the stage and 2) who continually reminds their fans of how grateful they are for their support. The best part is that Lucy oozes both. She exudes stage presence but without the gimmicks or the strutting, just the music.

There was an atmospheric awe which stayed from the moment Lucy Rose walked onto the stage right through to the encore where the crowd yelled ‘ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!’ in unison, causing a rapturous ripple of applause until she came back to perform her final two songs of the night with her fellow band mates. She jokes about crowd surfing, before sailing straight into ‘Don’t you Worry.’ The gig was just a sixty-minute taster of what’s to come. The crowd were using every vocal cord they had to keep her from leaving the stage and ending yet another successful night of her UK tour.

This year has sped right past us, especially for Lucy Rose who started out strumming away in a local park hoping to release an album which is now spread on billboards across the UK’s capital.

Lucy once sang:

And you said, “Everything will be the same”

But look here, everything is gonna change

And you said, “It’s what I needed”

I don’t believe it

… But she better, ‘cos 2013 is going to be even more unbelievable. 

Nothing Ever Lasts Forever...

Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever

I still remember my first day of Primary school. The journey there appeared to be the most traumatising for me; for my parents, as they practically had to drag me along the street as I screamed, and threw up out of sheer determination not to go. I did, of course and loved it, as we all do…

I’ve been feeling very nostalgic recently after moving out from my home of twenty-one years. I had already left three years ago to go to University, however, my parents have decided to embrace the next chapter in their lives as well so there will no longer be that home that I’ve known and loved, my safety net, that same street where I strained and struggled to get myself out of going to school…

I have never experienced such a grief before in my life. I have lost loved ones before but never would I have believed that there is such a thing as bereavement for a house, an inanimate object. After the initial tear shedding, conjuring up plans of which household item to tie myself to, I began to realise why my parents and I had to go through such a heart wrenching experience. It was to move forward, to move away from habit, from fear, and towards uncertainty which brings excitement and a new lease of life. I’m also not planning to live with my parents forever, but graduating has led me back into their lives again. I felt selfish for being so distraught as it can only mean a much more fruitful future for us all.

My near future involves a call centre job, blogging and continual saving to succeed my life plan which includes the permanent removal from “the nest.” Well, the new “nest.” This time next year, I will have one (notice I’m not saying ‘I would like to have?’ Positivity is the key. Or is it arrogance? I’m never too sure… Maybe that’s where I go wrong…), if not a couple of internships safely tucked away in my Curriculum Vitae and a new lavish pad (maybe remove the “lavish” part, ‘cos that’s a bit unrealistic), a roof over my head in the country’s capital.

It suddenly hit me the other day that this is normally the time that I return to Nottingham to continue my under-graduate studies and drown myself in the student life, drown myself in the prolonging of “real life.” Now, “real life” is all I have to look forward to, or to endure. I can no longer hide myself away from the inevitable.

Secondary school gave me a complex, good GCSE’s and a sheltered view that up to University was as far as I had to plan ‘cos it would see me through for a while and then I wouldn’t have to worry about it. Now, having been on the other side of that thought, panic is surely to ensue. Nothing does last forever, and as much as I would have liked my student life to continue, it couldn’t. It can’t and now I’m left with brainstorming my new and (hopefully) improved life plans. There will be no more eating out of Baked Bean tins, no frequent visits to Dominos and certainly no weekly (3-4) nights out…

All I can do now is concentrate on my next chapter, just like my parents are, and now even my two year old nephew, who is now starting Nursery. Life is constantly rushing us towards the ‘career’ part of our lives; my childhood seems to have flickered past me. It was so easy back then (now I know why my Papa used to say that to me, he does have a point ya know); I wanted to be a vet one week, a fashion designer the next and now its music journalist.

Music journalist… Yeah, I’ll stick with that for now I think.