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New Video: Mabel - Thinking Of You

21 year old London girl Mabel’s latest single Thinking Of You and accompanying music video serve as evidence that confessional heartbreak R&B teamed with footage of longing, pensive gazes out windows, will always be an undoubted match made in heaven. 

Directed by Joe Alexander, the  video sees Mabel travelling down the West Way, with Trellick Tower in sight, and perched on the marshmallow staircase of Peckham’s Bold Tendencies. London serves as an apt background for the single, which is simultaneously about missing people as well as home, of which Mabel describes:  “relationships with cities are similar to relationships with people...being away from both can really make you appreciate what you have”.

Mabel’s homage to 90s R&B, from her gold hoops to her *fire* vocal gymnastics, is captured and invigorated with the help of solid production, making for her most accomplished single yet. And yes, she may hail from a musical holy bloodline, but with a collaboration with SBTRKT earlier this year and a Glastonbury debut under her belt having only just left teendom, such achievements, to name a few, are a testament to her unique talent.

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Not Shellfish Alternative Festival Guide: #4 Citadel

For our fourth and final instalment of the Not Shellfish Alternative Festival Guide that its not too late to get tickets for, we’re letting you in on the guilty pleasure of the London day festival, looking at Citadel. 

Where: LONDON! More precisely, Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets.

When: 17th of July from 12pm to curfew at 10.30pm. 

Who: Headlining the all day extravaganza are Sigur Ros and Caribou, as well as the ultimate dream girl Lianne La Havas and Submotion Orchestra.  Record label Communion (set up by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons) have collaborated a stage with DIY to bring some of their fave new acts so you can expect acoustic goodness from Rukhsana Merrise, Matt Corby and Billie Marten, to name a few...

Photo credit: The Express

Why: As much as we all love to throw ourselves into the festival experience, sometimes, sometimes it’s secretly quite nice not to have to shlep across the UK to bathe in mud for 4 days. Welcome to the delicious joy of a London music festival.

Aside from this Citadel also has tons of non-musical offerings for you, be it chilling out at the Sunday Papers Live tent, doing some fitness classes or Disco Dodgeball (!!!) or even getting some cultural learnings from speakers such as Eddie ‘The Eagle” Edwards (really) - basically, Citadel has you covered.  

So come with your friends/family/little cousins/WHOEVER and dance, stuff your face, explore - all in the knowledge you can always get an uber home later.

Katie Jackson

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Not Shellfish Alternative Festival Guide: #3 Farr Festival

Forget Glasto - it’s pissing down with rain and you didn’t get a ticket anyway. So take a deep breath and carry on with our Alternative Festival Guide, this time taking you to Farr Festival. Buckle up kids.

#3 Farr Festival

Where: Nestled deep in the woods of Hertfordshire and illuminated by twinkling lights for a Midsummer Night’s Dream vibe (nearest station Baldock).  

When: 14th-17th July 2016 

Who:  An electronic festival with the likes of Jungle, John Talabot Joy Orbison and Ben UFO with a smattering of reggae and dnb through the day. 

photo credit: hypnotik.com

Why: It’s a forest dream world less than an hour from London where you can dance in wild abandon under the canopy of woodland trees and a sea of bucket hats without judgement from an insanely friendly festival crowd. Unlike at bigger festivals where it can take hours to wade through the mud just to see a band (still definitely not bitter) Farr is intimate and welcoming. It centres around the shack where you can dance in dappled sunlight to chilled reggae vibes and lose yourself to electronic beats at night. But despite the small size the attention to detail is amazing with beautiful stages, fairground rides and even an outdoor cinema to while away hungover afternoons.

Francesca Kentish

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Not Shellfish Alternative Festival Guide: #2 The Palace

The 2nd instalment of the Not Shellfish Alternative Festival Guide for some, in light of today’s events, may come as a welcomed getaway to other climes. Set in the grounds of a restored palace in Southern Poland, The Palace promises a spirit of collaboration and community for the festival goer for whom “the party’s not enough anymore, we want it to give us something back”. It’s also actually SUMMER there, real actual SUN - no wellies required.

#2 The Palace

Where: A 700 year old palace in Southern Poland. I shit you not, an actual palace; dungeons, ball rooms et al

When: 11th - 18th July: there will be an initial 5 day artists residency consisting of classes and workshops, followed by a showcase weekend inviting a further 150 Palace attendees to party, and a final day of the communal clean up.

Who: It isn’t so much ‘who’ - The Palace invites all guests to contribute in some capacity (even if its cooking one of the communal daily meals) - but there is musical support from Banoffee Pies djs, Berlin based Big In Itaca and Sanctuary.

Why: Putting its insane venue to one side, its encouraging to come across a festival that promotes an open platform for artists, musicians and creatives alike - a mantra Not Shellfish can’t help but get behind. A refreshing antidote, if you will, to some of the power festivals (not a Bitter Betty at all). Each day promises activities, such as yoga and life drawing, as well as talks from actors to award winning screen writers and Leipzig club owners. And after a week of palacin’, the closing weekend promises partying, music and worn out shoes aplenty. Even though its their debut, The Palace hope to leave a glittery taste in all it’s goers mouths.

Show some support via their indiegogo campaign here, fund an artist, or potentially pick up your very own piece of art created at the festival.

Lucy Bradley

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Not Shellfish Alternative Festival Guide: #1 End Of The Road

After a stint of hair ripping attempts at bagging a ticket online and the realisation that that guy who knows that girl who knows a someone won’t be pulling through, its finally time to accept with heal slamming reluctance - you won’t be making it to Glastonbury 2016. And if you are anything like us, on one hand you’ll be secretly impressed with your weather hexing abilities but really, you’d give your right t*t to be rolling around in those alleged feet of mud with New Order soundtracking the partially submerged bedlam. 

Over the next four days, Not Shellfish will be bringing you our alternative last minute festival guide - because there’s nothing more bleak than watching a festival from your sofa. From the weird to the wonderful and unique, these guys are bound to arm you with enough “you had to be there” conclusions to rival any Worthy Farm attendee.

#1 End Of The Road 2016:

Where: Larmer Tree Gardens (probably one of the most beautiful settings for a festival EVER) in Dorset. (Nearest train station is Salisbury)

When: 1st – 4th September, 2016

Who:  As usual, End Of The Road has an absolutely incredible line-up, but highlights include: Joanna Newsom, The Big Moon, Local Natives, Ezra Furman, Devendra Banhart, MONEY, Whitney, Meilyr Jones and Frankie Cosmos.

Why: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is no other festival quite like End Of The Road. Its size makes for the perfect intimate musical experience and the whole ethos of the festival is unlike any other that I’ve been too. Everyone there is at the festival out of a genuine love of music and by the end of the weekend it feels like you’re all united in some secret that the rest of the world is missing out on. Also, you get to hang out with a load of self-governed peacocks that are strolling around the festival at their leisure – what more could you want?  

Words: Lucy Bradley & Jelly Denniston

Artwork: Rafi Spangenthal

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New Music: Kenji - Surplus

I’m not one to dismiss music genres, I’m up for anything (anything good), but I have to admit, there is nothing that quite gets me like a smooth, slow jam.

Today’s new music comes from across the pond, and to be more specific, from the intimate confines of a teenager’s bedroom in Philly, Pennsylvania.  At just 18 years old, Kenji is someone to get excited about.  The lead track Surplus, taken from his EP I’ll Think of Something Better, is deliciously satisfying.  I’m talking sexy hip-hop beats, infectious pop sounds and rich, muted vocals. Don’t even get me started on those high notes.  If you were missing Frank Ocean, look no further.  There is a new kid on the block.

Written just before his 18th birthday, Surplus tackles the challenges Kenji faces as adulthood raises its unforgiving head. The track is familiar, sexy and sad (like all the best things), as Kenji sings about the frustrations of not achieving anything he said he wanted to be doing.  The line ‘I must be stupid for trying this hard, but also not trying at all’ is so organic and poignant, it will send shivers down your spine – its all too real, in the best way.

If you had an RnB void in your life, these sultry bedroom beats will mesmerize you. Paired with a hazy summers evening and you are on to a winner. Honestly, I want to spread this this song on toast.  Mmmmm.

The EP is due for release this Friday via Sports Day Records, but can be pre-ordered here if that’s you just can't wait: https://kenjimusic.bandcamp.com/releases

Kate Anderson

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Introducing... LISS

Liss are, put simply, a band so good I saw them live three times in one week. 

Perhaps this says more about my lack of social commitments, but I like to think it's a testament to the band: they were just as exciting the third time around. 

Signed to XL Recordings, Liss are a Danish four-piece who first started garnering attention around the release of their first single Try. Now, with their debut EP First and a sold out show at Moth Club under their belts, they’re shaping up to be the band to beat. 

First is four slices of infectious, experimental, alt-R&B that is impossible not dance to (even third time round). Led by the commanding vocal of front man Søren Holm, which often tips into a spine-tingling falsetto, each track is a mixture of busy electronic beats and murmurs which drip into moments of pure and heart-felt serenity, resulting in an extremely impressive debut EP.

Jelly Denniston

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About Last Night... Shura

With a good friend in tow I rocked up to KoKo with no idea what to expect at the Shura gig on Wednesday night.

(Photo by: KOKO London)

I'll confess, I only know about two of her songs and had got the tickets for the good friend’s birthday after she introduced me to Shura’s beautifully bittersweet performance of Touch on Jools Holland. 

We arrived just in time to catch the last song from warm up act Pumarosa who I'd seen at the Old Blue Last a few months ago. Singer Isabel Munoz-Newsome captured my interest then with the wild abandon of her dancing and the psychedelic momentum of the song Priestess (check out the music video choreographed by her sister to see what I mean, girl’s got moves). They hadn't quite grown in to themselves back at the Old Blue Last, but they've tightened up a lot since then and felt at home on the massive stage at KoKo. 

Fast forward half an hour and the crowd, comprised of the achingly cool kids you might expect with a surprisingly large smattering of middle-aged men, hollered approval as Shura walked on stage to launch us into a hazy dream world of 80s pop. 

At moments the happy synth and lullaby lyrics lures you into complacency, but just as your attention is about to slip away Shura subverts your expectations. One pop tune ends on almost a metal note, while a sleepy rendition of ‘Kids N Stuff’ moves into a danceable beat followed by ‘Indecision’, a song that owes a lot to Madonna’s Holiday and gets the crowd moving again.

That’s the wonderful thing about Shura… you just don’t know what to expect.

Francesca Kentish

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New Music: Rationale - Palms

Rationale, the London based sing songwriter best known for his anthemic track Something for Nothing, has now released his fourth single, Palms.

Even though the rich sound that carries through other tracks is prominent in Palms, Rationale is lyrically approaching a different, thought-provoking topic. As Rationale explains himself, “Palms is a song inspired by my slight fascination with the mental and physical effects of time. This song focuses on the life stories we could all tell with our hands, lyrically toying with the idea of them being like traceable maps to in life’s events”.

The production value is Palms is captivating, especially as he releases into the chorus. The song has an inspiring sound, with guitar stylings and lyrics that hypnotize you even further. With this being another brilliant example of what he can produce, write and sing, it's no surprise he has received an incredible reception from his UK audience.

Check out and enjoy the single below:

Although his sold out tour in UK has ended, he is now touring for the first time in the US in preparation for his album launch later on this year.  He has evidently made a big impression on the UK audience, and with his unique baritone vocals, he is bound to do the same in America. If you’re heading over there in early June, be sure to check him out ;)

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New Music: Ivy Mairi - All Around Me

With its swell of epic synth electronica and layered croons to choral effect,  All Around Me is every part the formula for a hazy pop anthem.

All Around Me is a welcomed step in to new territory for songstress Ivy Mairi. In previous material, Mairi’s vocals are known to usually lend themselves to more delicate folk melodies – but with heavy production from DIANA’s Kieran Adams, her voice is transformed in to that of an electronica siren, without a glimmer of contradiction.  Her vulnerability and beautifully intimate lyrics shine through, never to be overwhelmed by the weight of the pop beat, instead guiding each bridge, eruption and silence.

Check out the single below, definitely gaurunteed to enhance sunshine basking.

[notshellfish]

New Music: Ofelia K - Bad Boys

After the success of her debut EP Plastic Flower last year, Ofelia K is back with another gorgeous single that’s sure to rip your soul in two.

Bad Boys is a heart-wrenching exploration of what it’s like to love someone that’s totally wrong for you. As someone who’s dated a few ‘bad boys’ myself, I can totally understand where Ofelia’s coming from. Boys can really suck, and what better way to let out all those feels then with a stunning track?

The verses ache with longing and vulnerability, taking the listener on an emotional journey that builds and builds until they’re aching along with her. While the lyrics and production may seem simple, that subtlety is what makes the track an absolute stand-out. Her breathy voice, which is packed with raw emotion, glides over the atmospheric beats with ease, creating a magical moment at the second chorus when it all effortlessly comes together.

While it’s a left-turn from the quirky Cinco — which she released last month  — it’s still a beautiful take on heartbreak and toxic relationships that’s equal parts relatable and harrowing. You can’t help but think of that one person when you listen, and let’s just say that it makes this cold-hearted girl feel things. Bring on the tissues.

Be on the lookout for Ofelia K’s upcoming LP, which hopefully drops this summer via South by Sea Music! If Bad Boys is any indication of what she has in store, then we’re sure to be blown away.

Bri Wink

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New Music: Kllo - Bolide

Bolide is taken from  Australian duo Kllo’s second EP, Well Worn, a stylish collection of rhythms and pure as hell vocals that sites none other than UK garage as its heavy influence. I mean, any track that brings to mind Artful Dodger’s Movin’ Too Fast already has me hooked. 

But beyond those nostalgic, glitchy beats, its the beautiful combining of front girl Chloe’s honey voice and Simon’s production that sets this one above the rest. Vocals become immersed and morph in to the supporting electro melody, whilst a heavy bass swells in and out of verses, mimicking harmony, to intoxicating effect. The two become symbiotic; their music is in every sense a necessary partnership, something garage was so great at achieving - the marriage of a pretty chorus with hard, heavy beats.

If Bolide takes your fancy, definitely check out the full EP, but their previous work is also not to be missed. Check it out below:

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About Last Night... Meilyr Jones

Being fairly new to the world that is Meilyr Jones, his sold out show at Moth Club last week came as a quite the wonderful surprise. Not because it wasn’t anticipated to be a success but because it so far surpassed any kind of expectation one might have had. Live, Jones is accompanied by a five–piece band (including live trumpet and violin) who are integral to mapping his first solo venture 2013 from record to live performance.

2013 tracks a particularly intense (it seems) year of Jones’ life – a compilation of ideas so honest and varied it can’t help but be a inspiring listen. Opening with the first track on 2013, How To Recognise A Work Of Art, Jones and his band plunged into a furious, boot-stomping question over the nature of authenticity and the way we apportion value. It’s not until Olivia, the fourth or so track in, that Jones picks up his first instrument; he is a captivating front-man, having so much fun it can’t help but to bleed into the audience, who truly are there one hundred percent there for him - no phones, no talking and who watched in unaffected, understated reverie. In Refugees, Jones and his piano urge us to ‘switch off your television’, a rhetoric not unfamiliar in modern times, but without any of the pomposity sometimes displayed in its contemporaries.

Finishing with a track even seasoned fans hadn’t heard before - Watchers - that Jones confessed to be a bit rough round the edges (“I shouldn’t say though should I, of course it’s all very professional”), helped to confirm that Jones is an artist quite unlike any other. His ‘rough round the edges’ was, to us, a masterpiece. Every word of his set felt like it meant the world to him, a personal adventure that he genuinely couldn’t seem happier to share.

Jelly Denniston

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New Music: BabeHeaven (Makeness Edit)

There’s always a risk attached when one artist, no matter who they might be, does an edit, remix or bootleg of another’s track. Let’s be honest, a lot of the time it’s a nightmare, and the original should have been left well alone. 

You might think that London five-piece BabeHeaven are one of those artists, whose debut single Heaven holds itself with such beauty and poise it’s hard to see why you’d want to change it. Then, an artist like Makeness rides in to falsify everything I’ve just said. 

Moniker of Scottish producer Kyle Molleson, Makeness first arrived in our lives in 2015 with his debut EP Rogue, which drew comparisons to the likes Jon Hopkins and Four Tet, yet carves a unique path through the electronic soundscape. His edit of Heaven feels lighter than some of his previous work, lifted by the inimitable vocal of the bands front-woman Nancy Anderson but accompanied by an intricate backdrop of intense electronica. It’s a triumph. 

Jelly Denniston