My Thoughts... And Not Much Else!

A brief overview of life through my eyes

[altmusicreview]

Appendices

Transcription of Interview with Curtis Lee

1.     How important do you feel it is to write your own music? For me, very. I feel that when performing, I have more emotion that people can connect to. People connect to your connection, but they can also have their own relationship to the song. That’s the art.

2.     What do you think the biggest threat facing the music industry today is? How a certain genre is the only thing is the charts. Unless you’re huge and headed straight for the charts it all seems to be the same stuff. That’s why I don’t listen to the radio. Its good, but not my cup of tea. I prefer discovering people on Spotify playlists. My 'discover weekly' is king.

3.     Who inspired you to pick up the guitar? My brother. He used to be a proper metalhead, not very passionate but I thought I’m doing nothing lets give it a go. I was about 12 and it was a hobby, then it just progressed, as I was self-taught. Then I took some theory lessons and started writing as a progression. When I first heard Ed Sheeran I started signing and that’s when I really got into writing music.

4.     I know you come from a jazz background. Do you think that carries into the music you currently do? Not really no. Paolo Nutini. His third album is the best ting ever, check it out. It’s described as perfect, its fantastic! His way of writing is so sophisticated, that’s what I want! No 4-chords and rhymes.

5.     We’re putting on a Curtis-Lee world tour. You can pick any 3 cities in the world to perform in. Where do you choose and why? Cardiff as it’s my hometown. Ireland because it’s my Dads’ hometown. LA – just cause beach weather. I want to try and break through the uni circuit. My friends are all over the UK currently at uni so I’m gonna try and get about that way.

6.     You can choose one artist, alive or dead, to write with for your next track. Who do you choose and why? Paolo Nutini. I think he’d bring incredible lyrics. With I’m, every word is amazing. Mine are okay; some are extra good, but not all of it. He’s so musically dynamic and thought out too.

7.     As an unsigned act, what value do you place on record labels in the modern music industry? I’m aiming for Indies because I think they can help artists more. They believe more. I’m looking at Communion, I love their roster and I think they’d be helpful. You’d get much more focused attention.

8.     What were you listening to whilst writing and recording your new single? Ed Sheeran’s new album. We were recording an EP but we ended up just going with the single. We started a session with the full new album. And James Bay. Me and the producer both loved him so… We met the producer on the train out of pure chance. We were on a train with our instruments and he came over to us, asked if we wanted to be recorded for his uni assignments. Turns out he’s a great producer with an amazing studio. He loved Butterfly and we worked together to just add the right production. There will be an EP, a concept EP, all about the same situation but chronologically, I like the storytelling thing. Its hopefully gonna be with you summer 2018.

9.     What are your thoughts on the scarcity of female songwriters in history? Maybe that’s coincidence? I met Amy Wadge who co-wrote Think oUt loud with Sheeran and she’s so nice and a great songwriter, her songs are incredible. There’s no difference between male and female songwriters, if you’re creative, you’re creative.

 And some quick-fire bits…

 1.     Favourite Album Paolo Nutini – Caustic Love

2.     Favourite Pizza Topping Chicken

3.     Best gig you’ve been to Lone Bellow – Bristol Thekla, folk band harmonies are great and really friendly after show

4.     Best gig you’ve played Probably my first show when I moved to London… A few of my friends from back home came and surprised me, which was lovely! That was at St Moritz… I just wish I had the set I have now for that show.

5.     Artist you’d most like to perform with Paolo Nutini.

[altmusicreview]

Media Plan/PR Strategy

The Life and Death of the 4x12 cab

Dear Will Groves,

You may not know this, but every day literally tens of 4x12 cabs are disowned by guitarists embracing the modern world. The modern world means that a cab the size of a small car is no longer practical, and people are moving to smaller setups or modelling to do away with it altogether; what was once a staple of every stage will soon be a museum-piece.

I’m certain your readership would embrace a feature detailing The Life and Death of the 4x12 cab which would look in-depth at its origin with Jim Marshall, the many various forms, guises and offshoots it saw and its now inevitable demise.

I’m the right man for this job too. I’ve been an avid reader of your publication for several years and I know your house style. My tongue-in-cheek writing nature would be a good fit, but the level of factual accuracy will be high as well.

If given the opportunity, the piece could even delve into the future and what the current trend for modelling amps and silent solutions mean for the guitar to make a noise at all!

I look forward to your response.

Warm Regards,

Sam Cross

Biography

Guitarist. Songwriter. Storyteller. Journalist.

As a lover of language and an alternative musician, getting my voice heard has always been part of me. Since starting blogging at the start of the year, journalism has been my preferred method.

Currently, I am Co-Editor of Cold Turkey Music, having set up the venture with my colleagues in Autumn 2017. My role was focused upon communication, leasing with PR representatives to secure material for my writing team to review. I have also used this blog to showcase some of my other work, with a focus on the alternative material I love.

Having been born and raised on ‘77 punk, I have a love for anything that speaks its mind with no censorship. The 1975, Enter Shikari, Sex Pistols and Beans On Toast are four artists that come to mind. I also love writing about Pop Punk music, having reviewed Seaway, Neck Deep and The Gospel Youth amongst others on this blog. 

I have a few ideas for new journals for various publications.

The Guardian: Why Grime is the new Rock ‘n’ Roll - an account of the similarities between historic rock movements and grime, focusing on the beliefs upheld and on championing new acts.

Alternative Press: Pop Punk Sex Scandal - an honest account of the wealth of accusations against bands in the scene, and why they were allowed to take place.

Noisey: 5 Times Josh Homme Missed the Mark - an account of 5 worst mishaps by the easily-angered frontman.

Music Business Worldwide: Why tech companies are killing the music industry - a semi-historical account of how tech companies have devalued music, starting from iTunes and coming through to Facebook in the modern day, and looking to predict future trends.

The Guardian: Mental Health in Music - a look into the rigours of touring, the body-image issues that come with a constant spotlight and how we can change the stigma’s that persist in the music industry.

The contacts for the relevant editors are below:

The Guardian - Tim Jonze (Music Editor) Alternative Press - Jason Pettigrew (Editor-in-Chief) Noisey - Sam Wolfson (Editor-in-Chief [VICE, parent company]) Music Business Worldwide - Tim Ingham (Founder)

[altmusicreview]

Feature Article: Curtis Lee

Hometown: Cardiff, UK The Buzz: Authentic pop with sophistication The Truth: Emotional songwriting and engaging performance For Fans Of: Paolo Nutini, Ed Sheeran, Passenger

Mother, won't you tell me why you’re crying?

Heartfelt words pour from a voice of Welsh innocence. The tale of a young boy lost in the wake of a passed love one is wrought with emotion. You can hear Butterfly the debut single from Curtis Lee here.

In a world of Sheeran-a-likes, standing out from the crowd can be tough. In fact, on any given night you can head into an open mic and be swamped with guitar-toting young males with a loop pedal and “bars” on par with your nan. God, we need an appeal for them.

Fortunately, Curtis leaves that stereotype behind, opting for a far softer dynamic. Think gospel with pop singalong’s and your in the right area.

And when it comes to influence, he’s much more Nutini than Sheeran. “His way of writing is so sophisticated, that’s what I want!” 

For I’m too young and I’m too blind

Since performing his first show at St Moritz in March, Curtis has undergone a massive revision of work and a chance meeting on a train, all leading to the release of his debut single. “It remains my favourite shows. Some friends came and surprised me from back home. It felt so good, although I wish I had the material I have now to do it again.”

When joined by a full live band of lead guitar, bass, drums and backing vocalist, the sonic soundscape is wondrous. Haunting harmonies and classy blues guitar duelling are the order of the day and are exceptionally executed.

On meeting his producer:  “We were on a train with our instruments and he came over to us, asked if we wanted to be recorded. He loved Butterfly and we worked together to add just the right production.” I guess you could say he took the track to another station...

To see past those tearful eyes

When it comes to songwriting, Curtis is pretty set on his foundations. “Writing my own songs is really important. If I connect to it that bit more, everyone else will know. I love that everyone can connect in their own way too.” That is felt when you see him live and tracks like Another Man [as yet unreleased] and Butterfly have to be seen in that extra-personal environment. 

And on the topic of the music industry itself, Curtis shows himself as an old head on young shoulders. “It seems like everything is the same in the charts these days. I don’t really listen to the radio. I prefer to use Spotify and find new music that way. There’s so much out there beneath the surface.” 

Sold? You should be. Tickets for the Butterfly single launch can be found here. And what does the future hold? Summer 2018 should see an EP from Curtis: “There will be an EP, a concept EP, all about the same situation but chronologically, I like the storytelling thing.” 

Be sure to keep up to date with all things Curtis Lee here.

[altmusicreview]

Album Review: Guess Who’s Back? Revival

Short Review: Ignore the last album. Em is back on old-school form.

Marginally Longer Review: You can expect Trump disses, old-school sample based hip hop and a who’s who of the current music industry guest featuring on the best Eminem album since Recovery. Marshall is back with a vengeance.

Full Review: At 45, you’d be forgiven for thinking Em is too out of touch to still be putting out work of any substance. You’d be wrong, but forgiven.

Make no mistake, there’s poor work here too. Eminem falls to what I call “Foo Fighters syndrome” in that there is gold on every album, but it gets surrounded by various levels of shit to get through first. A good album is one with a lower ratio of shit to gold.

Walk on Water features Beyonce and is as close as Em will ever get to a ballad. Lyrically astute and informed, Em’s delivery is syncopated and minimalist. Its a stab at a radio hit, but authentic enough to not incur wrath.

Untouchable is underwhelming and seems to fall short of what this song topic could have delivered. Still, even a track on the not side of hot is lyrically better than most could aspire to, and the characteristic dictionary mouth is out in force.

Popping Ed Sheeran on a track is the musical equivalent of a Middle Eastern Sheikh buying your football team. River is perhaps the biggest stand-out track from Revival thus-far, sitting at number 2 in the UK charts as this is written. I’d anticipated a duet from these two way back when Ed first burst onto the scene and the results are proving monumental, achieving the position without being released as a single.

Remind Me is the track old Eminem fans need to listen to. Evoking his early 00′s heyday, the Joan Jett sample is artfully crafted, revealing Rubin’s production value in jigsawing together different pieces.

Revival’s star trio is rounded out with Like Home. Most-any credible album released this year includes a Trump diss, and this is Em’s scathing attempt. Highly awaited following his diss at the BET Hip Hop Awards, Em is classy in delivery. “Can’t denounce the Klan cause they play golf wit’ ya” is a personal favourite, although the wordplay between “Nazi” and “Not see” is characteristic Eminem, at his finest.

The rest of the album feels disjointed, sadly. A mish-mash of different influences will undoubtedly reach out to as many as possible, but it feels like spreading himself too thin. Heat is something genuinely different, following Remind Me’s rap over rock theme. An album of this would have been fucking cool. But followed by Offended’s jazz sample and monotone rap feels like someone’s pressed shuffle. In Your Head features a sample of the Cranberries’ classic Zombie and, again feels like Em is searching backwards for his new sound, echoing his peak with flying colours. Castle could be taken straight off of The Eminem Show and deserves the album closer spot over anything else.

Revival? If you can read between the lines, yes.

[altmusicreview]

Opinon Piece: Rock n Roll/Faker Than A Barbie Doll

Why Josh Homme is a colossal bag of dicks.

Homme has a record that reads similarly to Donald Trump’s

Is it David Beckham? Lionel Messi? No, it’s Josh Homme, and he’s just booted a photographer into Christendom.

Now, it’s accepted by all but the biggest of arse-licking morons that this was the move of a dick. Call it rock n roll. Call it too much snow in the nose. Or, call it assault and a night in the ER for a respected young photographer. 

On Saturday evening at a KROQ Radio event in Los Angeles, Homme kicked at a camera in use by Chelsea Lauren. The kick left her with minor injuries, stating “my neck is sore, my eyebrow bruised and I’m a bit nauseous”. 

What’s most astounding, however, is finding out that this is far from the first instance of unnaceptable behaviour from Homme. To put it simply, Homme has a record that reads similarly to Donald Trump’s. 

This kind of antic is not rock ‘n’ roll

There was an appearance at Norwegian Wood festival in 2008, where he verbally assaulted a member of the audience homophobically, before bottling him. This kid looks 14 or 15 at most, but Homme sees fit to cause potentially serious harm infront of the entire audience. WHAT A GUY!

Then there’s the footage of him throwing a stage-invader head first off stage, exclaiming “This is my fucking stage!”. Incase you weren’t aware, the amount of debris in those pits mean that that guy had a fairly good risk of serious injury/death going down like that. WHAT A GUY!

If none of those floated your boat, I’ll link a few more below:

Josh loses his fucking mind at a shoe Josh gets triggered by an autograph request Josh gets triggered by a finger

And now, Josh Homme boots a young woman in the face. I think I speak for everyone when I say: rehab.

The saddest part of this whole thing is the minority of fans still sticking up for this (to quote the man himself) chicken-fuck asshole. Their numbers drop everyday but you can still find them dwelling in the dark corners of the internet, babbling incoherently about rockstars, cocaine and women. 

These mindless buffoons will tell you how this is just “rockstar behaviour” and how “that girl [well-regarded professional photographer] shouldn’t have gotten so close to King Josh [so close as to be in the media pit...]” and generally shift the blame anywhere that isn’t on their beloved.

This kind of antic is not rock ‘n’ roll. Sorry to burst your bubble. If you have to break the law or insult children to prove you’re “cool”... you are not.

The apology video is worth a watch, if only to see the bellends crocodile tears. With any luck, this will be the end of the QOTSA bandwagon for a while. I’m sure there’s a wealth of other dad-rock bands just dying to take their place in ripping off the 60s over and over again.

Oh, and if you’re suitably disgusted, or perhaps a Stone Age fan that is done with fake news rock ‘n’ roll, check out this playlist for 10 things more authentic than QOTSA.

[altmusicreview]

Live Review: Double Trouble Tour - Koko 10/12/17

Open bet: nights that start with a tampon thrust into one of your smaller face-holes, rarely end this well.

Despite blood-loss that left me halfway between euphoria and mental absence, I found my way to Camden’s fair town before the opening act started.

All manner of the odd and colourful are present and correct; tye-dye is the uniform of choice and beer and crystalline substance flows through most of the audience. Average age: 40 plus.

Enter Beans On Toast, a beer in each hand (balanced diet?) and a guitar slung low around his neck. Open Door Policy is first to greet our ears, its political bombardment turning the old-man audience into teenagers once more. Everyone is zoned and carefree, set to the Barney-purple mood lighting.

Band members come and go freely, a balance between full instrumentation and intimate solo acoustic guiding the capacity crowd through eight years of material. MDMAmazing is sung back like a traditional choral tune, before Beans takes to the speaker stack to play sermon on the mount.

The Ignorant Englishman proved another chorus; “those fucking politicians are a right bunch of cunts”, clearly echoing with those in attendance. These singalong moments were few and far between, however, with the wealth of the set performing tracks from new album Cushty leaving most audience members without adequate time to learn lines.

A verse of The Price of Rice is cut short to deliver a heartfelt ode to in-house wife, Lizzie. A303 was one of the tracks that best accentuated Beans’ coming-of-age on the album, and Koko fell silent as he serenaded his partner.

An interval sprint (’sprint’ may not be factually correct...) to the roof terrace and the bar sets us up for act two. Skinny Lister are new to me. Led by femme-fatale Lorna Thomas clad in trademark vintage dress, red shoes and flagon of rum (or three), the folk-punk six-piece led an audience to bounce as a collective, the like of which I’ve never seen before.

Make no mistake, this was the business. There was moshing. There was rum shared amongst the punters. There was a weirdo somewhere between epileptic fit and ecstasy trip on the balcony looking like Honey-Boo-Boo’s long lost husband.

The energy was intense. In fact, all that was letting the experience down was the lead guitarist’s choice of footwear. Far be it from me to comment on fashion, but obnoxiously red Nike’s to set off a trad-folk outfit? It was all a bit too Stormzy for me.

Polishing off the set with off-the-cuff appearances from Beans and Frank Turner, Lister had one final ace to draw from the pack. With the Xtra Mile Recordings Christmas party seemingly taking place in the wings, cast and crew were invited on stage to rendition Six Whiskies.

Will Varley and Frank Turner are notable entrants to affairs, with father of two band members George Thomas and his wife also part of the onstage ensemble. 

“It’s throwing out time” starts the band, the inevitable end is nigh.  “The drunks and their antics/The hopeless romantics”; surely they can't mean us!? More choral singalong. It’s becoming weirdly like church in here, but just before we all take oath, the lights are up, doors open and the chill of London’s mid-December air is upon us.

Not bad for a tampon start!

[altmusicreview]

You’re On In 5: Blue Deep Ruby - St Moritz 25/11/17

You’re in an underground bunker. The decor is a halfway home between a country pub and that scene from Ghostbusters where the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man explodes and the loos have a sulphuric smell that surely takes years off of your life expectancy. Why, it could only be a London live music venue.

So, what of Blue Deep Ruby? Opening with a solo guitar and vocal number shows off lead singer Gianfra Chimienti’s whiskey soaked vocal. Once the band join, however, all ties to Billy Bragg and Bob Dylan are dissipated. The four piece (normally five) sound like a hybrid of classic rock and modern indie which is just a little too pretty for a Nirvana comparison.

Vocals are still the centrepoint, with a raunch that evokes Lemmy just as much as the modern indie scene that the band are more suited to. Sadly, and I suspect due to the dodgy sound system coupled with the language barrier, a lot of the lyrics themselves are lost in translation.

But, in a room filled with a smorgasbord of people, all left cheerily. And in a Central London bar, I promise it wasn't cause the beer was cheap!

[altmusicreview]

Poets do get shagged, but poets with Telecasters get shagged more

Billy Bragg, Isle of Noises

[altmusicreview]

A Brief Word On... YUNGBLUD: Tin Pan Boy

Its currently 4pm in South London. The sun is setting, theres a helicopter buzzing overhead and an anarchic racket pouring out of the computer behind me, courtesy of Yungblud. Echoing the interlacing of London’s glass-walled skyscrapers and industrial brickwork, Yungblud, for those who have stayed in the dark, have artfully fused late Seventies punk with modern commerciality. And they’ve done it really fucking well.

Tin Pan Boy is a song written in anger over the plans to part demolish Denmark Street, an area of central London with a rich musical heritage. It’s also one well known to Yungblud, with various members of the band working on the street before their explosion into public consciousness.

With that in mind, you can understand the anger on show here. Sticking true to his roots, there is nothing here to detract from the Yungblud you already love. Snarly, angered vocals with the characteristic Yorkshire twang couple with alt-punk guitars and a hefty dose of synth action all add up to something that is unequivocally Yungblud. There’s no let up on the politically activated lyrics too; some may have been left wanting from previous release I love you, will you marry me? for that reason.

So, with nothing all that new to report, the question you may well have is: why  listen to Yungblud? And the answer is remarkably simple.

In a world of false-fronted pop stars and rock acts devoid of substance beyond the end of their nostrils, Yungblud thrives on genuine, old school authenticity. There’s no elitism here; you’d probably find this lad in a bar with a pint rather than in an exclusive a-list party.

Tin Pan Boy continues the lineage of Yungblud’s modern classics. Check it out here and keep your eyes peeled for his UK tour next year.

[altmusicreview]

A Brief Word On... Beans On Toast: Jamie And Lilly

Incase you hadn’t realised, the world is a bit shitty of late. Nuclear weapons are being set off across the Far East, the UK has severed ties with the EU like a rejected scene from 127 Hours and the USA have elected a wotsit-coloured monkey in a wig to handle their affairs. Seemingly, everything is going down the pan.

Musically, there are very few mainstream artists who are willing to commentate on these events. But if you look beyond, it shouldn't take you too long to stumble upon Beans On Toast. For anyone unaware let me give you a little background; born Jay McAllister, Beans On Toast is a folk artist like perhaps no other. Unashamedly commenting on subjects that other would consider far too taboo, he found fame with his track MDMAmazing on debut album Standing On A Chair. Since then, the Braintree-boy has released an album each year on the 1st of December (his birthday), leading us nicely to the present day, with another pre-release track.

Jamie And Lilly the latest track released, and tells the story of a nurse and teacher couple struggling with everyday life but finding beauty in the seemingly trivial. “Dancing ‘round the kitchen, time is standing still” sings McAllister, raw and emotional but with a softness that feels like a coming-of-age. I’m going to promise you just one thing; this is the most wholesome track you’ll hear for a long time.

Seriously. A warm, fuzzy feeling of content isn't something I’ve ever particularly looked for in a song, but by god does Beans achieve it here. Effortlessly offering commentary on the state of public service jobs, whilst evoking pure happiness in a three-minute song, Beans showcases his characteristic simple writing style.

I really do hope that this is Beans’ year; having liked his stuff for a long time, I feel like the direct narrative would attach itself to a lot of young people today. Stay pinned for the 1st of December for his new album Cushty and in the meantime, give Jamie and Lilly a listen here!

You won't regret it!

[altmusicreview]

A Brief Word On... YUNGBLUD: I Love You, Will You Marry Me

What would a Frankenstein-esque combination The Clash, Jamie T and Arctic Monkeys yield? Well, probably Yungblud.

The signature Yorkshire drawl will never escape connection to Alex Turner, but thankfully, this isn't another mindless indie-hipster copycat. Indeed, having spent a beer or two with the band in their formative months, there was never an intention of imitation. In fact, the ethos was simple: "in a world where young people have their voices quelled, I'm giving it back to them".

Given the last couple of years, a resurgence of anti-political punk was almost as predictable as rain under a black cloud, and if this guy isn't leading the charge for years to come, I will happily eat my proverbial hat.

Currently on tour in the USA, Yungblud recently signed to Geffen/Interscope Records. You'd be forgiven for not having heard of them in the UK - the bulk of their early fan base seemed to exist in mainland Europe. With that being said, don't rest on seeing them before the venues get too big.

'A version of Romeo and Juliet/This time with Addidas sneakers and cigarettes' he sings, like a metaphor for the band: a bit tongue in cheek, a bit working class but definitely ready to be remembered. If you heard debut single 'King Charles' then you already know the drill, with ILYWYMM following the theme of bouncing, rhythmic lyrics, beautifully simple riffs from the band and a lot of attitude.

I remain in awe of the songwriting on show here. Effortlessly narrating the everyday life of Joe Bloggs is nowhere near as easy as it sounds, but the boys here manage it like no-one else. Indeed, there are no real molds being broken, no barriers pushed even, yet they maintain relevance and push out a signature sound. Believe me, you know if you're listening to Yungblud.

Negatives? Well I don't really know what that bridge section is all about. But that doesn't even feel like a fly in the ointment here.

A Clash-esque band that could amass a One Direction like following? Yeah, colour me interested.

[altmusicreview]

Industry Spotlight... Sign Of The Times

Boy, being Harry Styles must be some hard work. I mean, aside from the A-list parties, celeb friends and shagging Taylor Swift, there’s a lot of adverse pressure.

For the vast majority of us 1,000 friends on Facebook proves a difficult and time-consuming undertaking, so a fandom on the scale of One Direction scares appropriately. There are millions of fans around the world, all of whom are looking to you as their public representation and figurehead. Comparing it to a religion or cult is not inappropriate - these people are dedicated and determined.

And I’m sure this has it’s upsides. But Styles must sure see the downside of it too. On Saturday the 29th of October, he played the first of two nights at London’s Eventim Apollo. FYI, that tour sold out entirely in under 2 minutes.

Unbeknownst to the hordes of Twitter fandomites (and I suspect, Styles himself) lucky enough to score one of those tickets, Harry was about to cause a storm. And not in a way anyone would have expected.

Whilst onstage, a fan handed him a rainbow-flag intended to support the Pride movement (supporting LGBTQ+) and Harry took it and draped it around his shoulders. Taking a moment out of your sold out show to support a current, relevant movement to fight oppression against groups of people is surely not going to offend anyone, right?

Wrong! Lest we forget, this is 2017 and absolutely everything can and will be offensive. Yes folks, it would seem that Harry’s impromptu dress-up has offended supporters of another such group, Black Lives Matter (supporting the rights of Black people), who took to Twitter in their droves to detest him for his actions, claiming that he should be standing up for the rights of all of his fans.

Now, I wasn't there. I don’t have first hand experience and i don't know Harry personally. But I would say with a reasonable degree of confidence that he’s not a raging, closet racist. I would also presume that he doesn't go around hoping to offend sizeable portions of his fanbase on a whim. I do, however, wholeheartedly believe that in the spirit and heat of his opening night in London, he jumped on the colourful object thrown onto the stage, threw it around his shoulders and created a moment that only existed for those lucky ticket holders. It’s called showmanship, and frankly he’s bringing it back to the mainstream like no other.

Styles making the decision to hold a Pride flag has absolutely no bearing on his focus on any other lobbying group.

We, as a societal collective, need to stop putting so much onto musicians. And we definitely need to stop berating them on Twitter for doing literally nothing wrong.

Please... stop your crying, its a sign of the times.

Written by Everett False

[altmusicreview]

Industry Spotlight... It’s All About To Change

For those of you that want the short version: rock music will come back strongly into public consciousness and mainstream appreciation within the next ten years. Allow me to explain.

First, lets look objectively. Rock music, in its broadest sense, is growing. Slowly, but surely, mainstream influenced alternative music has been creeping back into widespread view. From bands like Five Seconds Of Summer who, although purists may argue, offered a viable entrance for younger audiences into rock music. Follow on with bands like The Hunna, go back a few years to when Arctic Monkeys were still relevant or even further to the wave of indie rock bands that had hits. The summation of this recently has been the primetime airplay for Neck Deep of In Bloom, which has leant new listening ground to a breed of alternative music very heavily rooted in being against the grain. Add to that the infiltration of rock music in the UK festival scene, with three of the five biggest festivals in the UK dedicated to rock and alternative music (Reading and Leeds, Download, half of Glastonbury).

Secondly, lets look backwards. 

“There are only patterns, patterns on top of patterns, patterns that affect other patterns. Patterns hidden by patterns. Patterns within patterns. If you watch close, history does nothing but repeat itself.” - Chuck Palahniuk

And if we follow the pattern set by the past, we see rock music making great strides in each decade. The 60s saw rock music form, the 70s had punk, for the 80s there was rock and hair metal before the 90s had grunge and nu-metal and the 00s had a brief flit with early pop-punk. The 2010s? Well.. nothing really. Aside from an all-loving relationship with Foo Fighters, this decade has been far the most neglected in terms of alternative music in the mainstream.

Thirdly, we need to anticipate the sociopolitacal climate. For reference here, I’m only going to talk about the UK (US politics isn't even understood by their president so I have no hope). Newsflash 1: People aren't too chuffed with the governmental situation. Newsflash 2: The government that has held power for a long time is out of touch with young people. They fail to share similar views and ideals and, as the electorate moves to take this group as a larger and larger percentage of its whole, will undoubtedly lose their grip within five to ten years. Newsflash 3: People who are being misrepresented, ripped off and undermined tend to not be best pleased about it.

All of this suggests a potential political reform/revolution. And with such revolution comes the music to represent it. Grime? Probably. But a reformation of Punk and bands unafraid to state their mind regarding politics? Almost certainly. 

But beyond all of these reasons that I think could trigger it, there is a much more logistical reason for my early statement. Newsflash 4: recorded music doesn't make big money anymore. Sorry if thats a revelation. No-one buys CDs, vinyls and fighting the good fight but fighting a losing battle. Streams pay fractions of pennies for each listen and tend to favour the beauty pageant of disposable pop artists for their heavy promotion. In the wake of this, and to make ends meet, artists have turned various ways and tried focusing on different things to boost earnings. Whilst those same pop artists may turn to TV presenting or other entertainment forms, the vast majority of alternative artists have focused on getting asses in seats. Bands are going to bigger venues and selling them out with vigour. Bring Me The Horizon sold out Wembley. Architects sold out Brixton Academy. Neck Deep sold out Brixton just a few days after Jessie J sold out Koko - a venue four times smaller! The draw and attraction with alternative music goes beyond aural perception: going to shows, getting in mosh pits, buying merch, the personalised connection to artists that aren't inflated personalities. And all of that, makes for a much more viable and stable long-term strategy for making music.

So thats my theory, really. And of course, I’m not saying we’ll see no more bubblegum pop. The business entities involved really do hold a lions share of power and money. But beneath the top layer, I wouldn't be surprised to see the whole dynamic shift, in line with a new generation. And that, will be a great day for alternative music.

[altmusicreview]

You’re On In Five... Vez Maxwell - The Bedford 19/10/17

If you haven't read my review of Vez Maxwell’s double single drop on Tuesday, I’m going to suggest you give that a read here. Furthering my iterations from that review, if pop music was supposed to be all bubblegum, sweetness and disposability, Maxwell definitely didn't get that memo.

Elegance is the key here (yes, even in a bright, multi-pink jumpsuit, we’re talking elegance!) and Vez spills it from every pore, diffusing into a songwriting approach and sonic fingerprint with a great deal of uniqueness. And in bubblegum-land, thats a big deal.

The band came right into full swing, with some of the older tracks in Maxwell’s catalogue, and the crowd were swift to swarm the four-piece. Great dancers, we were not; enthusiastic, in spades. Hide My Name was the first jaw-drop moment of the evening. Hearing the hundred-ish people singing along with that impeccable, descending chorus entrance line stood up hairs on the back of my neck. A mention also for the delivery here: whilst the whole band we’re tighter than a nun’s undies, it was the vocal delivery that wowed here, elevating an already good recorded sound to incredible new heights.

Losing the band for an acoustic track brought intimacy to the affair, before being joined by keys player Manu Hasan, for a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Joni Mitchell’s A Case Of You. My hat goes off to Hasan, whose playing was of the highest order I’ve seen in a long, long time, combining consummately with a soft, eerie vocal character, that heartily juxtaposed Maxwell’s characteristic strong voice.

After a characteristic boo for the announcement of the last song, the band returned to the stage and fought off the emphatic wall of cheering by crashing into Every Time. A case in point: this song had been out for two days, and the crowd knew every word. Visibly overwhelmed by the response, Vez had a grin from ear-to-ear as the crowd chanted like football hooligans for One More Song (even suggesting Won-der-wall when she claimed to have exhausted her work). It was unbelievable to stop and realise the size of the crowd - around a hundred people had made a noise more akin to a thousand!

Vez Maxwell. Remember the name, remember the face and listen to the songs. I guarantee you, there a big things to come from her.

Listen to Vez’s new double single here.

[altmusicreview]

A Brief Word On... The Front Bottoms: Going Grey

The formula was simple: take an acoustic guitar, stick it at the front of a pop punk band and sing about life like your talking over a beer. The Front Bottoms’ Talon Of The Hawk was a defining album for the band some four years ago now, and it would seem that the formula has changed a bit since.

Opening track You Used To Say (Holy Fuck) pays heavy debt to the use of synthesisers. A good sound? Yes, albeit somewhat 1975-ey. By Bae and, more so, Vacation Town, that TOTH sound is back with a vengeance. There’s something so satisfying hearing just-about-in-tune vocals, with Brian Sella’s characteristic New Jersey twang, over pounding drums, heavy acoustic guitar and whatever else the band decide to throw at it.

And the rest of the album? Well its good. I maintain that it seems to have crossed a The 1975 barrier somewhat, but for the most part it has that man-in-a-corner-of-a-pub-with-a-guitar feel that caused me to fall in love with them first off. Tracks like Trampoline are on the outer edge and definitely make more sense in the context of the full album, bridging The Front Bottoms over to a more mainstream audience.

But that, for a track or two, I’ll forgive. I love the straight up acoustic tracks, just like I loved Talon.... I love the lyrics and beautiful use of language. I actually quite like the synth bits too, in certain cases, and I will always respect a band looking to progress their sound. Definitely a solid listen-worthy album. Even if i still prefer Talon... a bit.

[altmusicreview]

A Brief Word On... Knuckle Puck: Shapeshifter

It was always going to be an uphill battle for Knuckle Puck, whose last album, Copacetic, was a stand out for the Chicago five-piece. The pressure of following up many peoples favourite album for years is monumental, and sure to present struggles.

Shapeshifter is about as good an effort as any could have produced. The album follows the general theme of Copacetic and retains the bands signature sound, something of a rarity to have these days. Sadly, there’s not much in the way of surprises, and that attributes to why I think this album won't be remembered in years to come.

Dont get me mistaken, it’s not a bad album by any stretch. The production is perfectly executed: raw, but collected. The songs themselves practically beg to be played in a live setting, and I can't wait to see them announce a tour. And ultimately, there are one or two tracks that will probably stand out after a few more listens.

And that is about all I’ve got on this one. A good album for sure, but one that I just struggle to see getting out of the shadow of its big brother. Although, for once, I’d be very happy to be proven wrong.

[altmusicreview]

A Brief Word On: ROAM: Great Heights And Nosedives

I was never a fan of ROAM. They were that band that I just couldn’t get my head around, and seeing them live really didn't help (the singer fighting off a bout of manflu and seemingly more concerned with the house party they were playing that night...).

With that in mind, you can imagine how dubious I was walking into an album of mixed reviews. Thankfully, I’m pleasantly surprised. GH&N is a masterpiece. Let me explain... In the last few years, pop punk has started to stagnate somewhat. Not in terms of audience growth, which has been exponential, but in terms of the diversity of music. Step forward ROAM; who seemingly aren't afraid of challenging the status quo.

That not to say every track is an avant-garde, experimental wankfest; in fact, much of the album will appeal heartily to those grounded in the modern scene. But tracks like Flatline subtly hint at the wider breadth of music and delicately place themselves in that, spilling out of the confines set by convention. Guilty Melody is the best kept secret; it’s sudden jump from acoustic to electric an ear-catching arrangement choice, coupled with the beautiful semi-tonal movement in the harmony to pull itself well away from the four-chord structure of old.

I’m sold. Perhaps I need to relisten to their old album. A modern pop-punk romp with just enough individuality to make it special. Album of the Year? Potentially. And that is far more than I would have ever given it before listening.