So, I did some more stitching this weekend as its great to do whilst watching the Olympics, I can't often just sit and watch TV without doing something else at the same time. I am keen to finish this first page as page two has a head in it!! and page three is brown again! :(
But here is my progress..
Before
After...
And here are a few photographs and a clips of the Olympic opening ceremony dress rehearsal that I attended on Monday.
and a little clip too! These drummers were not just here but came down the aisles and were all around the whole stadium, sadly my clip doesn't do it justice.
I have been quite busy lately writing music reviews, I have been getting great pleasure out of it as it combines two of my favourite things: music and writing. The writing needs practice but listening to music is something I enjoy doing.
It has meant that I have neglected my stitching for a while, and I don’t like to blog here unless its about stitching and the occasional rant. I have a massive rant brewing which I will write tomorrow.
Anyway, the stitching I have been doing has been on the IHSW weekends. Last time I was not inspired by my existing projects and purchased a new kit! Its of a Spanish lady. It is very similar to a HAED in that every part of the picture is stitched, and I am using it as practice for when I eventually get around to doing one. I can already see their appeal.
So during the last IHSW I started the kit. I started in the top left corner on page 1 (of 9) and the colour was brown. This month is the second month of stitching it and I added some more brown and even got to change the shade of brown. Brown, brown and more brown.
So here is the before photo:
And here is the after photo:
Its hard to see how much I have done, but the left-hand side in the after photo is 10 (10x10) squares long and in the before photo is 4 (10x10) squares long. So before I had stitched about 1200 stitches and now I have 2900, so I stitched about 1700 stitches. Which is ok, but I know I was lazy with it and could have done a lot more – so next IHSW the plan is to try and finish the page.
I hope you were more successful this weekend with your stitching and had a lot less brown!
I am off to the London 2012 Olympic dress rehearsal today and have been blessed with glorious sunshine
Update will be combined with rant, so if you like nothing better than listening to a moany old brit then stop by later this week.
Can you believe that this is the 8th band I have
reviewed? No? Me neither. So far I have really been enjoying doing it, not only
do I listen to the band being reviewed but I also have a listen to some of
their influences. There are never many comments but I hope you are enjoying reading them and discovering new bands with me.
This is where the review begins…
When I first saw the name Gaolers Daughter, my first thought
was that it was a heavy metal band of some sort. I kind of expected that. Then
when I went to their website (which has now changed) it was all black and white
and the style of the text was all Megadeth-esque. So, I clicked on the play button and was
surprised! It wasn’t heavy metal at all. I have since learnt that the band name
is a reference to ‘Wind in the Willows’ – I am sure all you literary types knew
that (oh! the shame L ).
A few weeks ago, I saw that the band were looking for people to review their
latest EP and offering a chance to go on their guest list at a gig they were
doing in London.
At the time I had just started writing these reviews (its only been about 3
weeks) and I thought well why not? after all, the whole point had been about
listening to new music and bands that I might not normally try. Unfortunately,
the gig coincided with the Natwest banking debacle and my plans were well and
truly scuppered. So I missed that gig and am now waiting for their next London appearance (which could be quite a while (see interview).)
As usual, I scrolled those first 10 pages of Google to see
what they had to offer. A pretty cool bio on Pledge Music says
this about the band:
“Born out of the ashes
of several London-based bands (including Larrikin Love and Littl’ans), each
member brings something fresh to the table. John Sterry’s melodic vocals and
surreal, biting lyrics, contrast with Mahoody’s reverb-washed guitar jangle.
Ben’s dance-tinged grooves mix with Alfie’s cutting bass, weaving solid,
hypnotizing counter melodies.”
Nothing I can say will compare to this description but John
Sterry does have a strong natural voice and it is well worth listening to the
acoustic clips that can be found in the links below.
Who do they sound like?
The band don’t like to categorise themselves into falling
under any particular influence and I guess they feel that this allows them more
room to experiment with their sound. But I did come across something that said
something about them possibly sounding something like or being influenced by: Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band, Can, The
Smiths, The La’s, Echo & The Bunnymen, and Neil Young. So I listened to all
these bands and then hand picked the track that I felt sounded a bit like a
track they have:
Abba Zabba – Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band
This sounds like Rhyme & Treason – if only for a similar
guitar riff.
Who are they?
Photo by Samuel Stanley Allen
They are Gaoler’s Daughter, a four piece band from London, consisting of John Sterry (vocals), Alfie Ambrose (bass), Alex Mahood (guitar) and Ben Hutchinson (drums).
Lets check out their music…
The Only Way to
Travel – released in 2009
Consisting of 4 tracks – Jumbo Jet, From Russia With Love,
Clown and Out Blues, & Sister on the Stairs. Interestingly, at least I
think so, this EP has a real indie sound which is very popular at the moment.
My favourite from the EP is Sister on the stairs but more recently I have fallen in love with Jumbo Jet;
Sister On the Stairs
Alchemy – released in
2010
Consisting of 4 tracks – Boomerang Boy, Meet You On the
Other Side of the World, Sun Coming Up, & Bad News.
This is the second EP, I found the first track to be more
rockier that the first EP due to the heavier guitar influence, but the track
that follows after is more of inspired country and seems evident by the long
title, and the story style song. Great line in the song;
‘Perhaps I’m clever
enough to know how stupid I am’
Meet You On the Other Side of the World
A return to indie with the third track Sun Coming Up, I like
it, it’s bouncy and definitely likely tobe a popular track especially
when played live.
Sun Coming Up
Rhyme & Treason -
2011
The third EP and what do they have to offer? Four more tracks; Shark in a Sink, Angry Eyes,
Anyone, Famous Green Dress.
'Anyone' was my favourite track on this EP, probably because
the music doesn’t overtake the vocals but has its own moments.
Anyone
I also think that Rhyme and Treason hasn’t shown as much
growth as the earlier EPs seemed to, but the bands latest singles 'St Peter', 'Magazines' and ‘How do you know’ are definitely the best and I really
can’t get enough of them at the moment. The sound they have on these singles is
one that I hope they will experiment more with. My favourite!
Magazines
It wouldn’t be a review from me if I didn’t get some
questions answered from the band. So, what did I ask them?
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Which track are you most proud of? Alex- probably st peter, its got a good groove, nice guitar line, and mark who mixed it made it sound MASSIVE Alfie - Difficult question as when we write new songs they become the favourites to play and older ones go neglected until you remember them. I'm really looking forward to the new single When We Were Young as although it was written a while ago it never ceases to be fun to play. Mahoody came in with an idea and I remembered a bass line that my dad used to play to me as a kid, we tried it out, and with a few adjustments it fit perfectly, the song pretty much wrote itself after that Ben – I love ‘3 Days Rain’ at the moment and ‘Cuddling A Cigarette’ is beautiful too. John - '3 Day's Rain' for me What is your favourite song to perform live? Alex- probably 'cordelia' its not recorded yet... Alfie - At the moment I have a couple obviously When We Were Young but I also enjoy a newer song called Cordelia. Ben – ‘7th Wave’ is fun for me because I get to use soft mallets for the first half. Then, rock out for the second half. John - 3 Day's Rain again, it's the hardest one to play live as I play a riff over the vocal melody, but when I don't mess it up it feels great. What is your most memorable fan encounter? Alfie - It wasn't with Gaolers it was with a previous band called Larrikin Love and we did a small promotional tour in Japan and although we weren't a very big band we had about twenty girls waiting for us at the airport in Osaka, they all presents for us like pictures they had drawn, sweeties and love letters, not quite beatlemania but i've always wanted to go back, the whole trip was a riot. Ben – When we played a gig to record the ‘Angry Eyes’ video I had a Japanese fan bring me lots of presents. They were mostly ‘SpongeBob’ themed. She remembered I had tweeted that I love SpongeBob. She gave them to me just as I was a bout to go on stage. So, I ran on stage still holding lots of SpongeBob merch which I then placed all over my drum kit. John - Probably the other day at camden barfly when a fan cried midway through the last song. I think they were tears of happiness but you can never be sure If you could work with any musician dead/alive who would it be/have been? Alex- i would have liked to have been one of the many members of THE FALL, i suppose thats still a possibility Alfie - I really like the the Soca stars Bunji Garlin and Patrice Roberts at the moment but I have always wanted to work with Snoop. Ben – My dream was always to play with Frank Zappa but he died when I was still at school. So, I guess it would be him. Although, he’s a hard taskmaster the results would justify the work. John - Elvis What was the first album you bought yourself? Alfie - Jungle is Massive Vol.2 Ben – Don’t laugh…Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet. I was young and foolish. As a very young boy I loved a but of shit rock! I didn’t know any better. I did buy the 12” of Stand By Me by Ben E King in the same week. Does that redeem me? John - My nan bought me What's The Story Morning Glory by Oasis for christmas. That was the first one I got, but the first one I bought I don't remember. Or don't want to remember... When I hear Nina Simone's 'I wish I knew how it would feel to be free', I can literally feel my heartache - what song has this kind of affect on you? Alfie – More than a number in my little red book by the drifters Ben – There’s 3 ballads on Captain Beefheart’s album ‘Clear Spot’ that always get me. ‘Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles’, ‘Too Much Time’ and ‘In My Head Is My Only House (Unless It Rains)’. Also, if I really want to hurt my heart I listen to ‘Broken Heart’ by Spiritualized’. John - 'If I can Dream' by Elvis, he sings this line ' if I can dream of a better land, where all my brothers walk hand in hand' and it gets me every time. He sort of growls it and cries it at the same time. it's deep. I am always curious as to which song bands would cover if they went on the radio show 'Live Lounge'...so, which song would you like to cover in that situation? Alfie - Don't get us started it'll only end up in a argument, we all have eclectic music taste and between us we can't seem to decide, if it was a solo project though I would probably do Give me just a little more time by Chairman of the Board Ben – Yeah, we do discuss doing a cover on almost a weekly basis but we can never agree on which song to do. Although, last night we did break out into a spontaneous version of ‘Hey Joe’ by Hendrix. I think we were all shocked and delighted in equal parts and none of us knew exactly how it had started. Maybe we are all just Hendrix’s muses? Finally, What is coming up for you guys for the rest of this year? Ben – We’re starting recording our album next week. We can’t wait! Then, we’re off to play a bunch of festivals around Europe. As soon as the album is mixed we’ll start touting it around to see which of the labels and management companies that’s been courting us for the past few months will put their money where their mouth is. It’s going to be a busy end to the year whether we get the album signed or whether we end up releasing it ourselves. John - hopefully loads as I just quit my job...
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The eagle eyed amongst you may notice that some of the tracks they mention above I haven't mentioned in the review and I suggest you check them out. These guys surprised me, maybe they will surprise you too! Show your support and follow them on any of the social media outlets that exist. I hope to get to see these guys live so keep an eye out for the gig review.
You can also help them record their album by donating on
their site. £10 or more gets you
a signed copy when it's done!
I have never been to this venue before and was surprised to find it located between Ann Summers & a GAME shop. There's a joke in there somewhere!
As soon as you enter the building you walk down a corridor and then there are some stairs down into the venue. The first thing I noticed was that it was much smaller than I had imagined. It was probably about the same size as the Cavern Club in Liverpool (if you have ever been there) or a 25 metre swimming pool. There was a bar at each end (only one was open) and the stage was in the centre along one of the long walls. All the walls were adorned with photographs of musicians who have played there and some of them were signed. There was a small stacks of chairs (bright orange plastic circa 1970 if you're interested) and about 4 small tables. It was pretty well lit in that it wasn't too dark and it wasn't too bright either. Most of the lighting was red though (again there is a strange theme).
Time: 7.30pm
They came on the stage about 7.45pm possibly slightly later but to be honest I didn't check. On before them was an acoustic duo called Stewart Mac. Narrow Plains performed 6 songs and were probably on stage for about 25-30 minutes.
I also watched the band who was on after them but I didn't quite catch their name. They were an extreme contrast to the acoustic bands we had been listening to up until then, but they did sort of grow on you.
Set List:
1.There she goes*
2.Dreams
3.Somewhere in between
4.Seventeen
5.Take me back*
6.Running to your door
*new songs*
I was surprised that they started with a new song and to be honest I can't remember it, I am sure this has something to do with trying to find a good spot to stand where I could take a photo. As you can see I failed on that front and ended up having my view obscured by a pillar. I could hear Charlie I just couldn't see him!
Once they played 'Dreams' then I was happily miming along to the songs that I knew. 'Seventeen', if you have read my review then you will know, is my favourite and I was pleased that they performed that one. The second new song that they played was 'Take me back'. When it started I was surprised because of how different the intro was to the tracks they have recorded already. It was a much faster tempo and the drumming (about a minute in) reminded me of a marching band type of rhythm. I really liked it and was pleased to see them make these subtle changes. For the final song 'Running to your door' the audience were invited to sing along if they knew it, Charlie sang a couple of lines of the chorus, and I think people did join in.
The only negative of the whole thing was the sound, the drums were overpowering the vocals, especially on the first number but fortunately it didn't ruin it. I have a pet hate about sound and oddly enough I was surprised earlier in the evening when I arrived to collect my ticket and was told to come back in 5 minutes as security were just doing the soundcheck?!
If you get the chance to go and see them then I would recommend that you do. Also watch out for a new video of a recording that they have done that will be out (possibly on YouTube or their website) in the next few weeks. All the links are on the review here.
I have never been to a gig where I have reviewed the band and it was quite a weird experience. But I managed to get over it and go and say 'hi' to them and get a photograph. I hope you didn't expect me to be in it!
This band only appeared as a twitter follower of mine on 10th July but after listening to a few tracks I knew that I wanted to review their latest album. As much as I like music that is different, that challenges my opinions and opens me up to a whole new genre, I was happy to hear this more traditional indie rock band.
The Chase are a five-piece band from Portsmouth made up of:
1. Michael Turvey - Guitar, Lead Vocals, Piano
2. Luke Jerome - Bass
3. Ralph Humby - Drums
4. Harry Street - Guitars
5. Ben Riley - Keyboards, Saxophone, Backing Vocals
They have been compared to The Jam, Stereophonics, White Stripes, & Oasis. The lead singers voice is very much like that of Liam Gallagher in style and I have struggled to find someone else who he sounds more like. So I scrolled their Twitter feed and someone on Twitter said they reminded them of the Bluetones! Lets see...
the Bluetones - Bluetonic
Undecided? Lets take a look at the first EP. The EP called 'Ever, Never or Now?' was released in 2010 and consists of six tracks. Lets listen to a couple, first up the track that screams Oasis...
'Walking With You'
The song that has may not be as polished as the other tracks on the EP but has a great message in is 'Headlines' with;
With every step you're finding a way,
to move past the things that stand in your way
you hold the key to all of your dreams
open he door to find what it means
But my favourite from the EP is One More Time, check it out on Spotify or better still buy it from iTunes! lol
'Slings & Arrows', their album released in January 2012 for me shows some musical growth and them establishing their own sound away from Oasis but keeping that strong influence. I don't know if they are there yet but I do have high expectations for the third album and I am looking forward to seeing them develop as a band. Listening to a podcast the band were involved with they seem to agree that they are finally establishing their own sound from their amalgamated influences.
Highlights of the album are;
You
Home & Tea
Others that get a mention are Tonight, Touchpaper and A Different Place but my absolute favourite is On My Way and unavailable on YouTube or SoundCloud, but trust me it's good. As a consolation here is;
A Different Place
The podcast that I mentioned earlier is an hour long interview and covers everything you need to know about the band. It is well worth a listen if you want to know what the guys are like.
Interesting points covered in the podcast if you are strapped for time were;
During the interview, they discuss their drummer and their expectations of surprises from him on the third album. Yes, they are talking already about the third album, no resting on their laurels.
They feel that their current tour has been a real learning curve for them as a band, they have got to know each other much better as this lineup (since 2010) and are more aware of each others strengths and weaknesses musically.
They consider the third album to almost be like the first, as they feel that the first two (self-produced and recorded in people's homes), which were promoted via social media, to some extent are unlikely to have been heard by many, but they think this third one will be.
It also covered the bands history, who writes the lyrics and the music, what and who they are inspired by, what they feel about their music, how social media has figured in their band publicity, performing live & getting gigs, self-promotion, the current tour and really, what's left to ask them?
So I had to dig deep on the interview front...and opt for the random question route, would they answer them? Of course! and unlike the interviews so far more than one band member took the time to answer. Thanks guys.
*********
1. Which track are you most proud of?
Mike: My choice is 'Home & Tea' from our second album 'Slings & Arrows'. It's just one of those songs that came really easily and everything seems to fit. The melody, the piano, the strings, the big drums on the chorus. I'm really happy with the lyrics on that one as well. It sounds a lot different to any of our other songs. Quite a Kinks-y, 60s feel.
Harry: 'Touchpaper' for me. I love the immediacy of that track.
Luke: Would have to say 'Losing Control', it's got everything you could ever want in under 3 minutes
Ralph: 'The Decline of Mr. Top' - I love playing this one live. Great drums. Always gets the crowd going.
2. You write a song and it would be perfect with some female vocals on it, which female singer would you collaborate with?
Luke: Well I think Nico's voice is beautiful but she's not with us anymore so probably Alison Goldfrapp.
Mike: I'd say PP Arnold.
3. You have been touring together for a while now, who has the most annoying habits?
Definitely Harry Street. You've got to be on your toes around that one. We won't go into any more detail!
4. What is your most memorable fan encounter?
Ralph: Being asked if we play any drum and bass by a coked up girl in Westbourne.
5. If you were to co-ordinate a flash mob, where would it be and what would everybody dance to?
Luke: Waterloo station and everybody would have to dance to 'Comfortably Numb' as I think it would be briliant to see anyone try and dance to that.
Mike: Wembley stadium and they would dance to The Chase.
6. In the film of ‘The Chase’, a biography of the band – which actor would play each of you and why?
Luke: I'd be played by Benicio Del Toro because if I went to las Vegas I think I'd act like him so I think it would work vice versa. Morgan Freeman can play the other roles.
7. Finally, what;s coming up for you guys for the rest of the year?
We're working on a few new tracks at the moment. The plan is to get some new music released before the end of the year, maybe an EP, and get a new album done for next summer. After this tour we'll do a few big gigs before Christmas.
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I will definitely try and catch them later in the year, so keep an eye out for a gig review. If you like what you hear check out some of the links below and share this blog post.
Now for something a little different! I have probably been aware of this band since around the same time as Monsters Calling Home, which is a fair long while before the bands that I have blogged about so far. It was way back, when I reviewed the Mutineers, that I mentioned how I liked a singer with a distinctive and memorable voice. This bands singer’s voice is very deep and to me it sounds as though he has a bubble in his throat and that intrigued me. The band are originally from Croatia (now living in NYC) and the vocals are also affected by the fact that English is the singers second language. From the very first listen I immediately knew that they would be listened to a lot. It’s just a shame they only have one EP out.
The band is made up of;
Frane Paic - vocal/guitar
Allen Jurisic - guitar
Tico Jay - keyboards
Nikolai Lush - drums.
Sadly there isn't much online about them even though they have been around for 10 years and were very successful in Croatia (as Indigo), they even supported Robert Plant and the Arctic Monkeys when they played in Croatia.
Who do they sound like?
At first I was stumped, and still am, because the vocals are that distinctive it is difficult to say immediately that they sound like such and such. Musically however, they remind me of Interpol, in particular this track:
Interpol - Barricade
So who am I talking about?
Say Hi to In-The-Go
Their EP has six tracks, and the first one up is the title track, it is the longest track on the EP at 5m 43s and the singing doesnt start till 1m 40s. Now I don’t know what exactly the song is about, and I have asked Frane to tell us although he omitted to ;), but surely one of the most unexpected lyrics to date has to be ‘I want to be invited, by that supersonic mouth’ - I think it is probably open to your own interpretation. Have a listen on Spotify if you can as its not on YouTube.
The first track on the EP is 'Weekend At December', when it starts it sounds very dancey to me, reminiscent of the Prodigy, but then the indie guitar comes in. Interestingly, the techno effect remains throughout the song (albeit in the background) and it is well matched to the vibration in the singers voice.
Weekend At December
One of my favourite’s and the last clip available is Skeleton Party Nose. Never heard a song title like it, but love the song.
The lead singer Frane was also kind enough to agree to an interview, so lets get to know them better...
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Can you give me a brief history of the band to date?
We started as a group in 1997 and from that time guitar, keyboard (Tico) and myself (now on vocal and guitar use to play bass at that time) are still members of the group. We wanted to write as a band in English, but it was hard to find someone here to sing in English because many of musicians in Croatia at that time were influenced by local music, so we recorded two albums in Croatian with one other member on vocals. This band always wanted to progress and in 2009 we reach that point when our music didn't make any sense for us to sing it in Croatian and former singer have to leave so I became songwriter of the band. I took that role and replaced a bass with guitar and vocal...so that was the new beginning of this group which is later filled with a new drummer Nick Lush in 2011. This is also the year we meet our manager from New York Benny Doro the guy who recognized this band and doing great job for us along side our US PR team! we are also please to say that part of this team is Mr.Mike Branvold, he is in "top ten must follow" on twitter and other social networks, by all relative music and marketing media...
The name of your band is In The Go where does that come from?
In that Croatian period we were named Indigo, so we just turned it into "In-The-Go" which actually really describe the vibe of the band...since we started we have not stopped for a second we are always on the move ...we truly are In The Go.
Who or what do you think has been the biggest influence on your music?
All 4 of the band members have their own music taste and influences and of course we have the same influences as well. There is a lot of amazing music out there, but what we grew up with is The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, David Bowie, Radiohead...etc. Today we listen lots of different genres from indie rock, electronic, rock n roll , lots of underground bands too...we love to hear new and in a way different approach to music no matter what genre it is!
What was your first gig like?
Well if we talk about In The Go era (and we should :)) it was the big one right at the beginning. We decided to apply for Arctic Monkeys show in Croatia and they chose us among other bands here (There were over 5000 people at that show). We didn't even have a contract yet, but a friend of ours informed us that we are on their web as a support group, that was cool and a bit scary too because we just started as a new line up in the group and for me that was my first gig as a vocal and it was really great!
So far, what has been the most memorable gig/event that you have performed at and why?
I think the I just answered this :)
Croatian is your first language, do you write your songs in English or in Croatian and then translate?
We write in English, or better to say we try LOL, English is more fluid and gives you a chance to write in a different way, even to write it in a way that is not common and still can sound interesting! To write in Croatian and then translate it that would be something to laugh about...Croatian language is very beautiful, but very hard and complicated.
What is the song writing process for you?
Me personally, wouldn't play at all if I didn't write. Writing and recording sometimes is more fun to me then play live! Even writing and playing live is two different worlds of music. Basically what we do and how we write is that I come up to the guys with idea on acoustic guitar and then we as a band work on it together . I think there is always a few version for one song until we are pleased with it. Some songs just come out at very first moment like "Weekend At December."
What is your favourite track off of the EP? and what is the track that fans always tell you is their favourite?
We always love our latest songs :) Even our EP "Silent Part Of Talking Loud" is out just few months ago, we already recording new songs...so from that EP probably Weekend At December...just next to Silent Part... that's what fans also like the most. Recently people come to us with songs "Momentary" and "To Be Is To Move" as some of their favorites. I think this Ep is one that needs few spins before the songs start to grow on you.
What is your most memorable fan encounter?
Yes, the one from Arctic Monkeys show when few people from England asked us " Hey guys your sound is awesome from which part of UK are you from"... that somehow confirmed us that we are heading in right direction!
I am always curious as to which song bands would cover if they went on the radio show 'Live Lounge'...so, which song would you like to cover in that situation?
We did few covers in our history and always try to play them as our song (Like Van Halen does when then cover a song). We covered Bowie , The Cure, Depeche Mode...Recently we played Joy Division...now....probably Joy Division - Love Will Tear us Apart, but only in In The Go version!
Finally, What is coming up for you guys for the rest of this year?
We just come back home from Serbia, played Exit festival which is one of top 10 in europe. We have a week of preparation as we are heading for New York at the end of the July for meetings, interviews ...US tour after the summer etc.,so more info on that soon!
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If you aren’t following these guys on Twitter/Facebook or in some form then you should be! Check out the links below and give them a follow.
All this new music has me feeling guilty about the oldies. What with me being an oldie too, I would hate to get overlooked, and also new music is influenced by the old stuff. So, this Friday is the start of Flashback Fridays - every Friday I will review a band who were big back in the day or still are or are making (made) a comeback. This first Friday I want to share with you the music of Garbage.
Why?
They have just released a new album, one which I am champing at the bit to buy – tomorrow is the big day! - they’re by no means a new band. They released their first album in 1994/5 simply called Garbage. Formed in Wisconsin, US with a leader singer from Scotland they made a splash with their first release.
I was in my teens at the time and was desperate for some contrast to the Spice Girls (who were just far too cheesy pop for me – ok, I admit it, I may have sang along to ziga zig ah on occasion). The indie bands that came out at that time such as; Oasis & Blur were very much male dominated. Here at last, was a band fronted by a woman and best of all it was great indie rock. I appreciated this woman who expressed angst and rebellion alongside confusion and vulnerability. I didn’t look to the Spice Girls for my Girl Power but to women like Shirley Manson. She was independent, defiant and creative, had her own look and embraced it. These were all things that I hoped to one day be able to do. Still hoping.
Who exactly?
The current members of Garbage are; 1. Shirley Manson – vocals, guitar 2. Steve Marker – guitar, keyboards 3. Duke Erikson – bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, percussion 4. Butch Vig – drums, percussions
For those of you who missed out the first time round lets have a look at some of the highlights of their early work...
Garbage
Their first album simply named Garbage had two classic tracks on it; ‘Only Happy When It Rains’ and ‘Stupid Girl’ which most people can remember or will recognise if you try to hum, da di da or la la la along to it. A less obvious, but a favourite from the album is:
Queer
'the queerest of the queer, the strangest of the strange, the coldest of the cold'
I think I was the perfect age at the time that the album was released, as was anyone who was unsure about things in their life or the direction in which it was heading, as the gloomy introspection with punchy noisy chorus was perfect fodder.
Version 2.0
The second album Version 2.0 has 12 tracks, less heavy overtones with a little bit of sixties kick but still has the same kind of lyrics, showing her paranoia and vulnerability but making a stand against being treated like a doormat. I love the battle that she is having with herself, check out the lyrics to 'You Look So Fine' ;
You look so fine
I want to break your heart
And give you mine
You're taking me over
It's so insane
You've got me tethered and chained
I hear your name
And I'm falling over
I'm not like all the other girls
I can't take it like the other girls
I won't share it like the other girls
That you used to know
You look so fine
Knocked down
Cried out
Been down just to find out
I'm through
Bleeding for you
I'm open wide
I want to take you home
We'll waste some time
You're the only one for me
You look so fine
I'm like the desert tonight
Leave her behind
If you want to show me
I'm not like all the other girls
I won't take it like the other girls
I won't fake it like the other girls
That you used to know
You're taking me over
Over and over
I'm falling over
Over and over
You're taking me over
Drown in me one more time
Hide inside me tonight
Do what you want to do
Just pretend happy end
Let me know let it show
I think the most well known from this album is probably 'I think I'm Paranoid' and deservedly so - how many times a day do we question our own perception of a situation or feel that our own paranoia actually makes us weak? Oh! Is that just me? P.S The chorus totally rocks! haha. More great lyrics can be heard in the track 'When I Grow Up'; 'when I grow up, I'll be stable'...I'm still waiting for that day to come!
This album really shows how they had grown from the first album and developed and established their sound as a band; most of the tracks are great whereas the first album had a few misses on it. It’s great to hear how they experiment with combining electro-synth sounds with indie rock. Don't miss Special, Push It, Dumb & Sleep Together.
Beautiful garbage
Their third album beautiful garbage was released in 2001 just three weeks after the September 11th attacks. It didn't fare as earlier ones and their was plenty of in-house conflict with the record label. Poorly promoted too and I am pretty sure that I don't remember this one. To be fair, any music or TV or film that was released between 2000 and 2002, I pretty much missed because I was living and totally immersed in Ghana. Only music for me was Hip & High Life, no TV and the occasional Nigerian movie.
Ironically for me, the elctro sound that was making an appearance in the earlier album which I liked, I didn’t enjoy in this one. For me this is their weakest album, or at least for me as a fan, they still won loads of awards, and greater recognition as well as topping the electronic charts. What puts me off is that they have tried to incorporate several different sounds in one track, and I often found myself thinking…What?!, they didn’t need to do that. Plenty may disagree, but I think this disjointed flow through the tracks was caused in no small part by the record label conflict and over production. Many a time I just thought ‘Step away from the synthesizer!
I really don’t think that it is lyrically as good as any of the others, almost as if they just wrote anything to get it done and out there. Picking a highlight from the album was hard but the last track ‘Drive You Home’ is a gentleness that you don’t often get with this band...
Bleed Like Me
The 4th album Bleed Like Me starts with 'Bad Boyfriend' and is reminiscent of the second album. More guitar and drums based and a move away from the electronic influence on the beautiful garbage album and sounding to me more like the original Garbage that I loved.
'Run Baby Run' is pure indie rock, none of the usual light verses and heavy chorus' but much more Garbage. Highlights of this album are - Right Between The Eyes, Bleed Like Me, & Happy Home.
Absolute Garbage
The 5th album Absolute Garbage was released in July 2007, a compilation of previously released tracks all re-mastered. 'Tell Me Where It Hurts' is new and was the albums lead single.
Not Your Kind Of People
Their latest album 'Not Your Kind Of People' was released earlier this year (2012) and I have it on my list of must buys! And like I said tomorrow it will be mine, all mine..mwahhahaha. I have been listening to it on Spotify and when I brought the playlist on Spotify I can see that I have already starred Man On A Wire and Beloved Freak. I believe that this was the sound they were trying to produce on the third album but failed (for my liking anyway) and with their band mate now a grammy winning producer it comes as no surprise that is as good as it is. This album combines good traditional indie rock, repentant lyrics and better manipulation of the synthesizer. Picking the best tracks is difficult, they are all great - no seriously - any garbage fans out there should enjoy it and new listeners won’t be able to deny it has it all. Here is the title track:
If you don't have their latest album then what are you doing sitting reading this?! Go buy it and have a listen and then if you live in the US, buy your tickets today and go and see them LIVE! I will be sooooo jealous but tell me all about it :)
And Finally!
If you have anything to add, please do so in the comments :)
The sweat dripped off of her forehead, onto her lap, her
panting began to slow and the shaking had eased, her legs were throbbing still
and who knew how they would feel in the morning.
She caught her breath, and
started to remove her cardigan, she was hot and she couldn’t remember the last
time that she had walked at such a pace, she had been practically running, her
arms swinging, feet pounding the footpath and all in time to the thoughts
racing through her mind.
When she had left her house, she was angry, upset,
frustrated, disappointed and repentant, now after 45 minutes of walking like
her life depended on it, her thoughts had slowed, she was less angry, more
disappointed, reflective and had a brighter outlook.
But it was still there,
all that pain, confusion, hurt, it was still there, just pushed to the back,
right at the back to join all those other times.
The only evidence left was
another brick in the wall that she was slowly building, the wall that kept her
safe from all this pain, the wall she could hide behind, the wall she put up
for all to see, a wall that was strong, solid and unrelenting, a wall that
could withstand any weather.
Five Sentence Fiction is hosted weekly by Lillie McFerrin. She provides a one word prompt and participants use it to create a story in five sentences! Read more about it or join up here!
EDIT: I feel compelled to add a comment here, after having just read the other five sentence fiction pieces, I really just jumped in gung ho style. I should have checked out the other links first! Now I am intimidated and want to retreat back into my fictional closet..but..this is a year with no fear and no regrets, so I will aptly resume my composure and promise to do better next time. And Welcome :)
I have posted reviews on bands from Manchester and London so far and I thought I should write one about a local band from Milton Keynes - but my (unwritten) rules are that they must follow me on Twitter to get my attention and sadly none from MK have.
But...
...there is a band called Catching Rockets from a town about 30 minutes away from here (Nothampton) So I decided to check out what they have to offer. **EDIT: ust discovered that they rehears in MK, so I am gonna claim them as my local band :P - hope they don't mine!**
Firstly, what I found out about them...
Originally a 2 piece, they are now a 3 piece stomp acoustic band made up of Steve Marshall, Jack Frankland and Sam Richardson. Their debut EP was released in April 2012 and its called 'for then, now and future reference'. If like me, you just read 'stomp acoustic' and thought, huh?! Well, there is no simple definition but I am interpreting it as acoustic music with a constant heavy beat throughout, as if you were stomping. If you want to give stomping a try yourself then you can make your own stomp box! If its good enough for John Lee Hooker then its good enough for me.
But back to the review, the band have also said that their influences are:
-
Frank Turner
-
The Clash
-
Mumford & Sons
- Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Who do they remind me of? hmmm...
This is actually trickier than you would think, and maybe that's why the reviews I found didn't compare them to anyone but described their EP as as 'a heart warming collection of "ye olde" fiddles and acoustic harmonies' by Bedge and by Sean at New Music Release as 'A bit of a tradition English ditty feel, and a whole lot of acoustic passion'. No-one springs to my mind at this moment, but I will keep an ear out. So lets check out a some tracks by their inspirations listed above. I have picked the ones that I think remind me of Catching Rockets.
I thought Frank Turners' 'Sally' was a pretty obvious influence but could I find it online anywhere?! So I have gone with my second choice of The Road.
Frank Turner - The Road
The Clash - Career Opportunities
Mumford and Sons - The Cave
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - War of the Worlds
These are great inspirations to have especially as I already love The Clash and Frank Turner, a combination of the bands mentioned above has got to be a good thing right? It is in the form of...
Catching Rockets!
**no band photo available - wait for the gig review!**
The first track on the EP and perfectly placed, it should definitely be the first you hear, if not least because of the stomp acoustic description. This very much helps you to understand what they mean. although I didn't find it too stompy. The intro has them laughing (which I always like, I can't help it, I'm a laugher!.)
Did she trip?
Dark, Dark, Sons is one of my favourite tracks from the EP, if not for the phrases 'get us to the motorway' and 'don't follow people, just follow words', with a gentle start and soft vocals it goes into an echo-like segment, then it comes back with the lyrics and they harmonize with echo backing vocals. It reminds me of singing in a round, do you remember ging gang gooly? Where you sang in a round and then one of you would sing push bike, push bike, push bike repeatedly whilst it was sang again. You do? Well, this is 10 times better than that :) It is also similar to The Futureheads 'Beeswing'.
Dark, Dark, Sons
The third track on the EP, I Ran Miles, reminds me of that time when you have left school and the world seems so much bigger and you are a very small fish in a very large ocean. A common theme I think for a lot of people is leaving the town where they grew up, as they somehow feel betrayed by it and held back. This is a question that I am going to ask the band about so be sure to check out the interview below.
I Ran Miles
The Uke Song is ingeniously named...well, someone is playing a Uke on it :) Another favourite as I do enjoy the faster tempo songs and the chatter at the end and YES more laughing :).
Uke Song
On the bands MySpace page it shows the music genres that they have said they fall into, indie rock, acoustic and punk. This is most likely taken from their inspirations but I haven't really felt like I have heard much punk yet from them. The last track on the EP 'Home for Halloween' is one that I was expecting to be more punky - based purely on the name - but it is the slowest of the songs. It is (I think) the closest thing to a love song that you will find on this EP. I really enjoyed the vocals on this song, strong and emotive. The singer has a very rock/punk sound to his voice and you can hear that in this track, the only thing I would say is that it is pretty long at 5mins5sec and the intro does seem to drag, but have a listen for yourself and see if you agree.
Home for Halloween
I look forward to hearing what else they have to offer as I think this band have a lot more to come. They also kindly agreed to answer some questions for me!
**********
Ok, so my first question is pretty obvious - How did you all
get together? I read somewhere that you were originally a 2-piece when did that
all change? We all met at school and bonded over our love of punk rock really,after a stint of being a punk band we then went our separate ways until I (Steve Marshall) and Jack (Frankland) decided on writing and home recording more songs together just for our own amusement, of course it wasnt long till we wondered if others liked our music, so we put it out and received a great and unexpected responce from it. We decided Catching Rockets was well worth taking further and having fun with, so our old friend Sam (Richardson) joined us and now what was once a meer project has grown into Catching Rockets. Our band.
Where did the name Catching Rockets come from? I am currently serving with the British army and the name Catching Rockets came from a night spent in Iraq being shelled by mortar rounds, to us it is also a nice metaphor for achieving the impossible. We like that.
One of my favourite tracks off the EP is 'I Ran Miles', can
you tell me what this song is about?
"I ran miles" is basically about having the guts to leave your home town and start experiencing new and better things, saying no to becoming stuck in a rut and yes to being spontaneous. It also has a message of no matter how bad things get there is always that genuine option of leaving and starting anew.
What is your favourite song to perform live?
"Did she trip" is a fun song as its fun to play for all of us, but also its got a very stompy and shout along feel, so the guys watching us can get involved with our music straight away. When the crowd start shouting the chorus with us "take me up somewhere significant" it feels special.
What has been the worst gig you have played so far?
Every gig we play we play with all emotion and love for what we do on show, we always enjoy our gigs even if its playing to ourselves so its hard to pick a worst gig....... gigs where the crowd are cut off from us sucks,we like being close and getting everyone involved.
Who are your musical heroes? Too many to list but Justin Vernon from Bon Iver is a huge inspiration to us, showing so much passion for each song he plays really is something to be admired. The Clash also as music simply would not be the way it is today without them.
I am always curious as to which song bands would cover if
they went on the radio show 'Live Lounge'...so,
which song would you like to cover in that situation? We have recently done a cover of Jamie T's If you got the money, so i would say that would be the one at the moment, weve added our own feel to the song, we also just respect what Jamie T is all about and think hes a bloody nice bloke. Also keep an eye our youtube channel for our version of it. "Barbie girl" by aqua a close second as sam looks just like ken the doll anyway.
Finally, What is next for you for the rest of the year?
Promoting ourselves to get the word out about what we do really, lots of shows,lots more new material and hopefully a lot more fun times for us and for the people who come and watch our gigs. We may also be lucky enough to start work with a independent record label soon so fingers crossed for that. But mainly putting more of our noise into peoples ears.
**********
As with most bands, you get a better idea when you see them live - as they are relatively local I will be going to see them next time they play. Keep an eye out for the gig review. If you like what you hear check out some of the links below and share this blog post.
![IMG_0791[1]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-B9ELI_liDhA/UA0CTM92h8I/AAAAAAAADeo/IPnhC0HmKL8/s1600-h/IMG_0791%25255B1%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "IMG_0791[1]")
The only negative of the whole thing was the sound, the drums were overpowering the vocals, especially on the first number but fortunately it didn't ruin it. I have a pet hate about sound and oddly enough I was surprised earlier in the evening when I arrived to collect my ticket and was told to come back in 5 minutes as security were just doing the soundcheck?!
