The Garden

By Rachelyn Remz

Obsessions are strange things and can sometimes become uncontrollable, hard to explain (like The Strokes song) heartbreaking and annoyingly enjoyable. It doesn't matter what it is about or when you'll have one, but everyone is GUARANTEED an obsession.

My latest obsession are the Shears twins, also known as The Garden, who have been floating around the media for quite some time. They're long-legged, black-indulged, floppy-haired and have the 'I don't care' attitude, which is the best way to go about things in our confusing world.
The band 'The Garden' is made up by the two twins, Wyatt (bass and vocals) and Fletcher (drums) Shears, who are signed to Burger Records and both have side projects. Wyatt's is 'Enjoy' which sounds quite different to The Garden sound and could be classed as '80's funky music', or something like that, but Wyatt says that he has no influence from the 80's WHAT-SO-EVER. Fletcher's is 'Puzzle', which again, sounds very different to The Garden and you could say that it sounds much like his brother's side project, but I don't know if I have the right to say that.
Their debut album 'The Life and Times of a Paperclip' was released mid - 2013 and even though they are still a relatively un-heard of band, it did boost their popularity. You could describe The Garden's music as 'punk rock' but as the twins have explained in various interviews, they didn't feel as though they had to be categorised into a genre that already existed, so they created their own. Vada Vada, which is them in their own world. They even have their own dance. The song, Vada Vada, is very very fast paced and seeing it live online looks quite intense as you never know what speed it's going to be played at. It consists of the lyrics 'I want to do the vada vada vada vada. Let's do the vada vada vada vada. Vada-vada, vada vada vada vada vada. Vada-vada, vada vada vada vada vada vada.' Brilliant.
All of their songs are only about a minute long, the longest on their album being 1 minute 36. I think it's great that they're quite short because it keeps you excited, eager to hear more. All songs are played really really fast which is something that has been influenced by their father's music.

I sometimes imagine what it would be like to see them live. I've watched clips online of their gigs and have seen the mentality of it all and how exciting it looks. All the jumping around probably wouldn't be ideal for a 5ft 2 fourteen year old but that wouldn't matter - the thrill of it all would almost distract everyone from everything else that would be going on around them, hopefully that excludes the music. The Garden are actually setting off to Europe tomorrow to play some shows. Unfortunately, many are 18+ which restricts a lot of people (including me) but hopefully they will be back soon with some all ages gigs (the constant wish for fans of various bands).  


Another unsurprising fact is that both Shears twins are also models. Long, skinny legs seem to get you everywhere these days. They explain in an interview with 'The Fashion Law' (read here) that 'a guy named Patrick' spotted them during a gig and 'emailed some people'. These people happened to be the managers at Yves Saint Laurent and soon enough, both twins were walking down the catwalk for the Men's Fall/Winter 2013 collection. Wyatt opened the show and Fletcher closed it. The best decision Hedi Slimane has ever made. You can relive the whole show here. As always, there is a campaign for every season at YSL and the Winter/Fall '13 was done by The Garden. It showcases various shots and drawings of Wyatt and Fletcher, with the band's 'What We Are' playing in the background. You can watch that here. 

A short documentary was recently made about the twins, who share the influence of their father's music, being in their own universe and how they were forced to play roller hockey. It's a wonderful short video which makes me like the band even more. 
It must be terrifying to have long flowy hair, long skinny legs, an intriguing personality, a twin AND be the dream of many teenage girls. I don't know how The Garden do it.

Links:                        

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-Amy 

Quick Chat with The Aquadolls

The Aquadolls Interview

The Aquadolls were formed in early 2012 by lead vocalist/guitarist Melissa Brooks, then later that year were signed onto Burger Records' label. From their formation in January 2012, they have released many little EPs and demos on their bandcamp. 

This band doesn't sound like they should still be alive and making music; they sound like a surf rock band from the late 20th century (still sounding great though). 
Despite their lyrics and vocals being dominated by females, there is only one girl member  Melissa. She is joined by Ryan Frailich on vocals/guitar, Josh Crawford on bass, and Colin Moore on drums. Recently, they released their 15 track album 'Stoked for you' on their bandcamp, promising a 'full length LP out this summer'. That's something to look forward to. I talked to Melissa about the Vivian Girls, girl power and her hatred for school.

• Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions. When I think of The Aquadolls, words such as summer and quirky really come to mind. How would you guys describe your sound?
Rolling out of bed at noon, racing to the garage to plug in my guitar and jam, turning up the fuzz all the way.

• You guys recently embarked on a tour with Kate Nash. What did you think of the reception from the crowd?
It was such an honor to share the stage with Kate Nash! She is incredible and so empowering. Her fans were very welcoming towards us and it seems like the crowd reacted well to the shows. I saw lots of dancing. It was good times for sure.

• What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you guys while you’ve been performing?
Someone came up on stage in the middle of the song and kissed me on the cheek and then dove off the stage. That was pretty cool.

• What are your feelings towards the recent sad news of the Vivian Girls break up?
I must admit that I am not surprised due to their lack of shows in the past year, however, they have left behind so many good songs that inspired many people, including myself. I remember the first time I listened to Vivian Girls. I was 15 and coming out of a bad phase where all I listened to was terrible screamo bands and shopped extensively at Hot Topic. I heard their song "Tell The World" and instantly loved it! I would watch countless interviews and music videos and live performances. They really inspired me to create my own version of the Vivian Girls. If I hadn't of discovered them, The Aquadolls would sound really different. I am also huge fans of their other projects (The Babies, La Sera, Cassie Ramone, 
Upset) and am excited to hear the new stuff they come up with. It's such an honor to be able to play with them at their final show in Los Angeles!

• What would you hope someone would feel after listening to your music?
I can't really say. I suppose it depends on the listener. I would just hope that people enjoy it.

• You’re the soundtrack to many teenagers’ summers but what songs remind you of vivid memories from 2013?
Looking back to last summer, I remember listening to Bleached "Ride Your Heart" album a lot. San Francisco by Foxygen, Royals by Lorde, and a lot of Charli XCX as well.

• I love the feel of girl power to the band. What are your views on sexism within the music industry?
The music scene we're in is generally male dominated. I know that some people don't take this band seriously due to the fact that it is female fronted. It seems like I make a lot of people uncomfortable for some reason, and I don't understand why, but apparently I tend to "steal the show" and be "self-centered". If performing my ass off and rocking harder than you could ever do in your dreams makes me self-centered, hah, okay. If a guy was doing it, no one would say anything. Just because I have boobs doesn't mean I shouldn't be taken seriously. I think it's about time for girls to come to the front. We shouldn't be afraid to express ourselves. We shouldn't fear judgment. Let us be who we are, and only God can judge us. Plus, girls rule.


• Finally, your song ‘I hate school’ is very relatable to a majority of our audience, so is there any advice to our teenage readers to get them through school ?
I have always disliked school. Back in high school, I was the "weird girl". I would hang out in the band room a lot and go in practice rooms to play piano and work on songs I was writing. I would always try to escape everyone. School dances were a joke. The teachers seemed as if they would rather be on vacation. It just feels like a waste of time to me. For the teens out there who hate school as much as me, I know school sucks, but it goes by fast. Learn to escape from the things that make you uncomfortable. Find something positive within it.


- Nina , @s0ultrippin
(Thanks to Holly for writing the fabulous intro x)

Mixtape Monday #13

This week's mixtape of our current favourites:

Calum - Happy Head // The Mighty Lemon Drops
Amelia - Drive // Warpaint
Molly - Country House // Blur
Paige - Hard to Explain // The Strokes
Laura - TV // Superfood
Avalon - Awwwkwaarrrddd // FIDLAR feat. Kate Nash
Georgie - Btstu // Jai Paul
Holly - Death // Vivian Girls
Nina - Long Hair // Drowners
Amy - Loving the Alien // David Bowie
James - London // Benjamin Clementine
Connor - The Mercy Seat // Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Laura - I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl // Smash
Eve - Trying to be Cool // Phoenix
Rohanie - Y Control // Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Collage by Rohanie 

FIBLAR x 

THE POWER OF A FEMALE BASSIST

Recently, I found myself in an in-depth conversation with a friend about what life is like in a band. She told me that although she’s a drummer, whenever she turns up to sound check at a gig she’s always told to “put her bass over there”. It's no secret that a  female bass player has always been a popular feature of any band, but why is this? Why has bass become such a stereotypical instrument for women to play? I wanted to find out more.

In true lazy student needing research form, I at first simply googled my question. Why are female bass players so popular. The results were unsurprisingly disappointing, a host of sexist, "hilarious" comments- a few of which I will share with you now. 

From the "Drowned In Sound" community message boards:

Why are there so many female bassists?

Zapsta74 replies 16:35, 28 July '08

Is it because bass is really easy to play?

Yep.

That's also why women can't park. Too busy playing bass.

bamos | 28 Jul '08, 16:39 | ^ This | Reply

And it gets worse. I'll leave the link here so you can explore for yourselves. http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/3738084



Sensing that Google would not be of any help to me, I decided to focus on what made the prominent female bass players in music so great. Amazing women like Gracie Vee (Laced), Melissa Auf der Maur (formerly of Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins), Vicki Blue (formerly of The Runaways), Gail Ann Dorsey (session bassist for David Bowie and many other artists), Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Katy Goodman (Vivian Girls, La Sera), Este Haim (Haim), Zia McCabe (The Dandy Warhols)... the list could go on forever.
Of course a few of these stand out amongst the rest for their lifetime services to bass. Let's start with the obvious example- Kim Gordon. Kim is an obvious choice for all the right reasons, an icon in the world of music and one of the more prominent female bass players. Gordon was born in Rochester, New York but was raised in California. After graduating from art school, Gordon moved to New York and became fascinated by music. 

"When I came to New York, I’d go and see bands downtown playing no-wave music. It was expressionistic and it was also nihilistic. Punk rock was tongue-in-cheek, saying, ‘Yeah, we’re destroying rock.’ No-wave music is more like, ‘NO, we’re really destroying rock.’ It was very dissonant. I just felt like, Wow, this is really free. I could do that."

Kim is the epitome of everything a female bass player should be- strong, powerful and, above all, talented. Which brings me on to a next prime example of female bass badass-ness.

Life can be hard when you're defined by your bass-face. However when the aforementioned bass face is as brilliant as Este Haim's, it's fame comes as no surprise.
What I love about Este and the bass face is that it shows how much she loves what she's doing. It shows that she's in her own world and is focusing entirely on the music. The eldest of the three Haim sisters, Este commands the stage via both her presence on stage and her skill. 
  
Fantastic musical ability aside, one thing really seems to stand out for me about these women- the power they have on stage. Female bass players dominate the stage. They hold such a power over the audience that doesn't stem, as it is commonly said, from their appearance. Female bass players are not merely an object within a band to make said band look hot. The fact they have a vagina and breasts doesn't stop them being as talented as the rest of the band and this is something that should be said more often.  "It shows that women can be a big part of the music a band makes, rather than just being backing singers or faces on album covers" fellow Fiblar writer Paige Henderson says. Music journalist and proud feminist Molly McGrath also adds "The recent rise in female bassists gives me hope that in the future, all-girl bands such as Haim will no longer be such a phenomenon simply due to their gender" And what do the other FIBLAR girls think?
Rohanie: If the drummer is the heartbeat of the band, and the vocalist is the brain, the bass is the blood flowing through the band's veins. There's no doubting that the sound of a good bass line is the sexiest sound in music, and somehow has a more beautiful impact when executed by a woman. There are the obvious choices (the 2 kims for example) but it's odd to think that there aren't that many, considering how many women there are in music. Este Haim relaunched the power of the female bassist into the popularest of popular cultures, with bassface being everywhere you turn. It's the combination of the soft humming of their instrument, and the fact that people find any female in band to be automatically beautiful that has seemed to make female bassists the pinnacle of musical goddesses. This helped by the general rise of the girl band, Savages, Warpaint, Deap Vally, Haim, The Staves, Stealing Sheep - and the dominating role that women have played in music increasing with every new demo appearing on the internet. I think the female bassist is the diamond of the band, From the superwoman that is Tish Ciravolo to slightly newer musicians like Ayse Hassan of savages, and I hope the female domination of the bass lasts forever.

Amy: I'd like to see the day that female bass players become uncool and lame and people will be saying stuff like 'Urgh a female bass player! Wow she's a bit late.....'. I hope that this doesn't happen because the female bass players of the music industry all seem to be very interesting. Take Jenny lee Lindberg, bass player of Warpaint, she was hugely appreciated even before Swim Deep put her in a song. Jenny isn't just a great bass player, she's also an EXTREMELY cool person. And not just a cool person like 'Oh yeah nice socks they're really cool' but a GENUINELY really cool person. She looks good doing everything. Also, Gail Ann Dorsey who has played bass for Bowie and Tears for Fears, Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, Debbie Googe from My Bloody Valentine, Kim Deal, Melissa Auf Der Maur, D'arcy Wretzky, Este Haim, Joan Jett *breathe* the list is SO LONG, and hopefully one day endless. As this post has gone on I realise that I have not answered my initial question at all. My research has become little more than a tribute to my favourite bass players and a page of writing about how awesome the rise of the female bass player is. As someone who is (slowly) learning bass themselves, I find this all girl domination nothing short of inspiring and I hope it continues. I hope that girls everywhere continue to pick up bass guitars, drum sticks, guitars... anything to continue showing this "pussy power" that is so evident and so beautiful and so amazing right now. So, in short? Female bass players: I salute you.

In Defense of One Direction

NB: I wrote this on a very grey, cold and rainy motorway at 11:38pm on a sunday night, it may not make entirely make sense.

It seems that everything is about acceptance these days, the spontaneity and do it yourself features of subcultures and genres from the past were intrinsic to their development. Although it could be argued that acceptance has always played a key part in the role that youth play in popular culture – when looking at movements like punk, the form of acceptance they adopted was about a sense of comfort, about finding a group of similar people and having a good time. Now, however, acceptance is treated more as a security blanket, a cloak to hide under, a way to avoid persecution by anyone as you have no unique qualities to be criticised. Whether you fit into the godforsaken “generic” tag (by which it means you buy your clothes first hand and you didn’t inherit your dad’s music collection) or you are the opposite, living the wildly individual lifestyle, spending any and all money you obtain on only vinyl, buying “merch” and scrutinizing people for listening to music only released in the past 3 years. Regardless of what anybody tells you, your music taste does not make you inferior or superior in any way, the charts play as much a role in the progression of music as any of your obscure bands signed to a totally funky and hip east London record label. The main issue with the self importance seen in some music fans is the assumption that because a song includes a repetitive bassline produced from a laptop, and lyrics set in a club, then it has no emotional impact and does not succeed as a song. The very notion that said song is not available on a 7inch record and is possibly heard from the back of a bus blaring through tinny mobile phone speakers is enough to drive these music fans into a sense of franticness, adopting such phrases as “real music” and “not a proper band”. To these people I say GET OVER YOURSELF.
On a slightly annoying note i’m going to quote my religious studies a level textbook, in Abrahamic religion there is a concept called “epistemic distance", basically that the gap of knowledge between ourselves and god is only a good thing as it strengthens our faith. (Sorry) in other words, having a connection with god is an entirely subjective experience. Subjective. Sound familiar? This idea, that there’s no such thing as a wrong opinion is exhausted in primary school, topping endless lists on how to be a good friend.
Here is where I’d insert the Google definition of “musician”  except 1) i’m currently in the un-beautifully  not at all scenic or multicultural countryside of Luton and so have no internet access, but more significantly, 2) I think I’ve already proven facetious enough in my inclusion of the words “Abrahamic religion” on the internet.
How many times have your parents commented on how your favourite musicians have lifted certain sound from musicians of their heyday? Music provides an escape for many people, a chance to ignore their surroundings and immerse themselves in their own mind. Whether this sense of isolated euphoria is gained through listening to your favourite Smiths vinyl, or through a One Direction YouTube video, no one can and nobody should dictate the emotive impact that their music has. One direction are not particularly to my taste (get me started on “What Makes You Beautiful” and I will drive you into a coma), but the demonised role that they have had thrust upon them by endless over-sized denim jacket clad teenagers is enough to jump to the boys' defence. Singing songs about dancing is not a worthy reason to despise a person, wearing chinos and deep V t-shirts is not a worthy reason to despise someone and using a platform like the X Factor, although not as lengthy a process as one might deem to be the correct way (like gigging and busking) it is still a creative platform to gain exposure and potentially produce as competent musicians as any indie label underground enough to sell their own tote bags donning their logo. Either that or you could just not listen to the radio.



My not at all guilty pleasures:
- Miley Cyrus_Wrecking Ball
- Kanye West_Bound 2
- Frank Ocean_Thinkin Bout You
- JLS_Everybody in Love
- Iggy Azalea_Murda Bizness
- Drake_Hold On We’re Going Home
- Pharell Williams_Happy
-Jason Derulo_Talk Dirty

The times we wish we were in a band

When the going gets tough, the tough decide to join a band, according to erm.... many tough people?? Anyway, let me introduce this post - an ode to all things 'band-y'. Recently, the only form of escapism I had was coming downstairs to watch Pointless during a gruelling week of revising for subjects I intensely dislike and have no intention of taking any further after a grim period of compulsory education ("Geography" *cough*). In the middle of a rather dreadful history exam, during a particularly difficult question, the thought of "I should just join a band, I know quite a lot about them" seemed very appealing to a frantically-scribbling-with-hair-scraped-back Paige.

Ultimately, you can't just "join a band" instantly, unless you go on a soul crushing talent show where you're deemed "not skilled enough" to sing on your own and then virtually forced by the so-called powers that be to join forces with three other less-skilled people and take over the world with branded duvets, calendars and dubious lipglosses made of what can only be described as some form of snake venom. However, I do know quite a few more-than-talented people with really nice hair (the only requirement of a superstar according to moi). Therefore, with my mediocre piano skills ("I can become Ben Goldwasser synth extraordinaire in next to no time, trust me") and I know a few people who can actually play guitar and all the necessary instruments. Does it seem simple? Not really. A band is a lot more than a few pretty faces doing the odd wig-out. To the anonymous passer-by, they're simply a commodity, which is why a less well known band is often seen as a nuisance by the chart-music buying public *sad face*

It is probable that the life of a band is romanticised heavily; all the you see is photos of them having the time of their life in music magazines and them at gigs, where they show a 50 minute snippet of their time together. There are only rumours of band bust-ups and the odd bit of tension (which are most likely going to be either far less or far more extreme than the events reported), which means the life of a rockstar to the unseeing eye looks like a right laugh. There's only the small problem of touring for years until you're noticed by a shitty blog like the one I'm writing on, creating good enough music for a boring record label to say "aye yer alright we'll give you a three year deal, slave."

Despite my worries about the proposed rockstar life, it still seems very dramatic to me, which is what I like best in small yet regular amounts. So while I was sitting in this frankly absurd history exam, I just thought how appealing it would be to put my Ray Ban wayfarer sunnies on ("Where did the sunglasses come from?" HINT: The examiner gave them to me instead of a new pen) then slink out of the hall like a cool French person who knows stuff about interesting stuff, not boring school stuff (lol #education). However, I didn't do this as I finally worked out how to answer the question. Maybe my career as a rockstar will begin at a later date....

Lots of love, Paige x x x

Songs To Get You Through That Rainy Commute To College

A lot of you guys out there are students and know exactly how it feels to be on the way to college in the wind and rain, with your hair and clothes soaked through, knowing your first lesson is shit and realizing you've left a very important folder at home. It's a painful experience to go through, so, as I deal with this on an almost weekly basis I've created a playlist to pick you all up from the gloom that is bad weather and the usual student problems you face.

Chvrches - Gun
You can't beat a good bit of perky synth pop to improve your mood, can you?




Troumaca - Gold, Women & Wine
Nothing like some tropical beats from one of the coolest 'West Madlands' bands.




Superfood - TV
It's hard to have a shit morning when you're listening to a groovy Superfood song.



Take That - Shine
Judge me all you like, this is the ultimate feel good song




Smash - I Never Met A Wolf Who Didn't Love To Howl
Why not dance about in puddles and kick water at the teens giving you weird looks to this jazzy show style song?




Crystal Castles - Alice Practice
Listen to this and pretend you don't care that you dropped all of you assignment in the puddle you've just been dancing in and pick all the sheets up with your head held high.




Foals - Prelude
And finally, this one's for when you speed walk the rest of the way to college with your ruined assignment and drenched clothes.



Laura (@FloatForev3r)

Review: Warpaint's self titled album

8.5/10

Everything Warpaint do always turns me into a meaningful, trying-to-be-interesting teenager and honestly, I love it. I love that they're a girl band and they haven't turned out crap because lets face it, most do. Warpaint make me feel important to the world and make me want to go out and do everything I've ever wanted to do. Their latest album is no different.

Warpaint's self titled, second album is not a huge change from their usual sound but feels a lot more complex than anything that they have done before. It's been three (and a bit) years since their debut and an extraordinary ten years since they formed. They have certainly come a long way, and it has all been worth it.

'Intro' is obviously, an introduction to the album. It starts off with a steady, repetitive drum beat and a calming guitar riff, along with a few intentional "Sorry, I came in at the wrong time" type lines. Keeping it raw. 'Keep it Healthy' comes next, staying very close to Warpaint's routes. Echoey vocals, a short yet VERY catchy riff and a drum beat that you find yourself nodding along to. Next is the single 'Love is to Die', which is definitely one of my favourites. When first hearing it, it kept me hopeful, knowing that 'Warpaint' would not disappoint. A few tracks go by, then my personal favourite comes along. 'Disco//very' feels quite different to the rest of album. It makes me want go out and be really cool, in a hoody, and go round and cause trouble. It's not surprising with the lyrics 'She'll eat you alive'. For such a short and simple name, 'CC' is a very interesting song. It's third to last on the whole album and feels like it's preparing you for the end, sort of like a calming down song until we do, unfortunately, end up at the last song, 'Son'. Just from the name, the meaning on the song could be interpreted in various ways. Although it is the last song and the song which finishes a fabulous album, it does feel like Warpaint have gone right back to their first songs, which is definitely not a bad thing! Perhaps it is a reminder that they are still the Warpaint they were when they first started, seeing as both 'Exquisite Corpse' and 'The Fool' got some very good reviews. And who could blame them?

-Amy

why remixes rule (sometimes)

Remixes can be rough, generic and downright awful;  they can either completely fuck up your favourite song, or make you see it from an entirely different dynamic. Granted, the tumblr-esque images that form the still videos of thousands of youtube remixes do put me off, and often for good purpose (many of them just sound totally unoriginal). There are however, some gems hidden in the sea of grey, and I have picked out my top three (in no particular order).

1. HONEY // SWIM DEEP (OCEAAN REMIX)

Oceaan has the beautiful touch of a stoned angel - he adds a dreamy, light twist to what was a tacky (but loveable) boy band pop song. The remix resonates with oozing, enhanced vocals and reverb, with minimalistic hair-swishing beats laid underneath. Perfect for lazing languidly on your bed after a hard day at school.

2. OBLIVION // GRIMES (RYAN HEMSWORTH REMIX)

Another genius track - Hemsworth manages to weave in a rap song, ticking electronic drums, and crazy synths to grimes' haunting single in under four minutes twenty seconds.

3. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN // DIIV (MOONS 美愛 REMIX)

I have saved the best till last. Despite sounding nothing at all like the original Diiv song and the fact I have no idea what the bits in Japanese mean, I think that this is probably one of my favourite remixes that I've ever found. It has elements of both the Ryan Hemsworth and Cceaan remixes, but combines them with a song completely unlike the other two. The result? A strange, whiney oriental sounding mess. And I mean that in the best way possible. Promise.

-written by avalon x x

Mixtape Monday #12

Introducing a brand new mixtape for you all:

Calum - Flying Low // Mazzy Star

Molly - Communist Daughter // Neutral Milk Hotel

Avalon - Crimewave // Crystal Castles vs. Health

Paige - Apply Some Pressure // Maximo Park

Laura - Caribbean Moon // Kevin Ayers 

Georgie - Backstreet Kissers // Only Real

Amy - Burgundy // Warpaint

Rohanie - Knee Deep at ATP // Los Campesinos!

Charlie - Miss Teen Massachusetts // Skaters

Amelia - Afterglow // Foals

Holly - Video Games // Lana Del Rey

Nina - Waterloo Sunset // The Kinks

Connor - Loaded // Primal Scream

Eve - Lucifer Sam // Pink Floyd

James - The Milkman of Human Kindness // Billy Bragg

Collage by Molly

FIBLAR x

ABOUT: MONEY

The Money shot, as it were.

Shadow of Heaven album art.

Hailing from Manchester, MONEY are a four-piece band consisting of frontman Jamie Lee, guitarist/keyboardist Charlie Cocksedge, bassist/keyboardist Scott Beaman and drummer Billy Byron. Lee's poetic nature is his music personified; with Wu Lyf style euphoria coated in pained vocals that sound like they want to sing to the entire world, their album Shadow of Heaven is a masterpiece. Just looking at the artwork (my personal favourite album art ever) gives you a rough idea of their sound - an oxymoron in itself, melancholic happiness runs through the record - so much so that if you went to one of their gigs, you'd expect to walk into the room and be immediately transformed into black and white. 

Single Hold Me Forever is their most played song on Spotify by quite a way. It consists of layers of carefully chosen sighs of sound on top of twinkling guitar and incredibly emotion-soaked vocals exclaiming "and it's true that I love everybody, as it's true I love no-one". The song finishes with cries of "heaven is real", an example of the continuous religious motif throughout the album (see tracks entitled So Long (God is Dead) and Cruelty of Godliness for proof). 

If there was ever a band you'd want to listen to in the event of being stood atop a high building, wearing denim and outstretching your arms to the world (like Lee on the album artwork), then MONEY is it. Before listening to them, I had never heard so much emotion being put into not only the vocals, but every inch of every song they've created. They are wonderful, and frankly deserve more attention than they currently get. 

Listen for yourself, and see:



Written by Molly McGrath

Super cool people what I like

This post is more a form of unadulterated self indulgence than a legitimate excuse for a Sunday post, but let me explain. I have several eye watering inducing exams coming up and as music is the true hero at getting you to forget about all your problems (!) I thought I'd write a little bit about what bangin' chooons I'm loving at the moment...

Happy Anniversary by Best Friends
The Sheffield 4 piece have been recommended to me on several occasions and I'm glad I took the initiative to listen to then because they're wonderful. "Happy Anniversary" provides aprox. 3-and-a-half minutes of blissful wanderings and a nice spattering of rowdy guitars and drums that provide enough of an edge to make you think the style could completely and very suddenly change, while retaining the swirling, head-bobbing-along feel that I have grown to love them for.

Holy By Frightened Rabbit
Scottish rockers got my heart a-racing with this track off their early-2013 album "Pedestrian Verse". This track begins with a feeling it's going to be relaxed, until the music builds up with the aid of a wonderful bass and drum arrangement, which allows it to have a raw feel without feeling in any way unrefined. The amount of accolades they've received, there really isn't much of a point in trying to tell you why I love them, but I do, so I will tell you (so there).

Nightmare by Guards
I discovered New York three piece Guards when they were supporting MGMT on their recent UK 2013 tour. After hearing two songs, I went and bought their album  straightaway from the merch stand and continued to wave my arms at them like a nutter. The track begins with a strong opening of rich bass and swirling vocals. It develops into a Tame Impala-esque stomp with a sway and melody that is perfect for getting your groove down.

What tracks are you loving at the moment? (Let me know if you can be bothered).
Lots of Love, Paige x x x

Phases Of A Teenager

I'm sure we've all gone through phases in our teen years and I'm sure we all suffer embarrassment when we remember our old music taste. I'm here to talk about mine and make you all feel slightly more comfortable.

Chav phase:
Aged between 11 to 13, tucking tracksuit bottoms into socks, wearing white shirts and walking around the streets thinking I was hard. Of course my favourite artists at the time were Scooter, Special D, those dodgy DJs with the high pitched voiced songs (especially DJ Madden) and Italo Brothers. I even managed to pull of the dance to Scooter's 'Jumping All Over The World' in a green and black checked dress, unusual clothing for a chavvy pre-teen, at the year 7 Christmas disco. It was all really cool at the time, now I look back I hang my head in shame at my first real experiences with music.



Goth phase:
Oh the goth phase. I was 14, obsessed with dying my hair purple, tried to rock fishnet gloves and long black coats and couldn't survive a shopping trip without a visit to goth shop Doc Black. My favourite artists at the time were Evanescence, My Chemical Romance and Paramore. My one aim was to be Amy Lee, or at least be as alike her as I could. I planned to wear a black goth dress to my prom and walked around school on non-uniform day wearing a trilby hat with my head down and telling my friends how amazing all these metal bands I'd been listening to were. I'd like to kill my goth phase self.



Take That phase:
I was between 15 and 16, yes, the Take That obsession was a phase in itself and I'm not really afraid to admit that I'm looking forward to their next album being released this year even though I'm not obsessed and swing more towards the Robbie side of things (I always have done I guess). This phase included finding out every single thing about every single member, being madly in love with Mark Owen and hunting down the band members solo work (excluding Robbie, I already loved his) from their 10 year split - Mark Owen's being the best I'd found. I'd tell my school friends what each of the members were up to, they didn't really care and told me that they all loved Justin Bieber more than anyone in the world.



Now:
And here I am as you all know me, aged 17 and seeming to have a lot of love for every band coming out of the 'West Madlands' scene, I still love Robbie Williams as much as I always have and well, most of you guys follow me and know the rest.


Peace out! - Laura (@FloatForev3r)

Top 10 Live albums

Any band considered great, or something similar will always sound much greater live than on record, that is a fact. But with many great bands no more, or worse; charging extortionate prices for tickets to stadium shows, there is nothing you can do to improve on owning the record. Well… there’s one thing; meet halfway, and buy a live album. Although live albums receive a lot of bad press, an excellent live album will increase your listening experience tenfold, and some (only some) are a must buy. Here’s countdown of our top ten live albums you shouldn't be without.

10. Glitter and doom; Live – Tom Waits

Tom Waits’ Glitter and doom is a compilation of songs from his 2008 world tour of the same name. Sonically, Waits’ voice is without flaw throughout despite his age, as he showcases more new material than old in what, despite being a compilation of different performances, sounds like one evening’s performance. Being Tom Waits, the new songs are inevitably without flaw, as Waits discography grows only stronger with age. From the opener to the closer, Glitter and doom is spectacular and worth a listen for any Tom Waits fans.

9. Santa Monica ’72 – David Bowie

What is now a fully remastered EMI live album was once an illegally recorded bootleg of which only 250 copies were made. The album is a recording of Ziggy Stardust playing the earlier material to the Santa Monica civic hall. As with any live Bowie album, Ronson’s Width of a circle is a highlight, as is Bowie’s cover of I’m waiting for the man and the live version of Queen bitch. On top of this, of course, is the version of Rock 'n' Roll Suicide to close the set, which it does flawlessly, as you would expect.

8. MTV Unplugged – Nirvana

Released posthumously, Nirvana’s legendary MTV set is often regarded as one of the three-piece’s greatest albums. The LP is done entirely acoustically and is notorious for the various cover versions; mainly the band’s version of Bowie’s 1970 song The man who sold the world and Leadbelly’s Where did you sleep last night? The band also play some of the 'hits', like Come as you are, Pennyroyal tea and Dumb. It is also notorious for the version of Bleach's About a girl, which famously appears on Guitar Hero.

7. Live at Max’s, Kansas City – The Velvet Underground

In 1970, Lou Reed (along with Doug Yule, Billy Yule and Sterling Morrison) hit Max’s, a small café in the US’ deep south, to play a thundering 10-song set. It was recorded just before the band released their final album with Lou Reed, and showcases material from throughout the Velvets’ delightful discography. The record is notable for the frenzied guitarwork on I’m waiting for the man and Reed’s vocal on I’ll be your mirror and Femme Fatale in place of the sacked Nico.

6. Sound of impact – Big Black

Another compilation of live recordings, Sound of impact is the zenith of Steve Albini-fronted industrial-rock pioneers Big Black’s fantastic discography. The album showcases live versions of Big Black’s greatest songs, including a stunning rendition of the band’s flagship song Kerosene and a extra-frightening rendition of Jordan, Minnesota. It encapsulates the aggressive, unparalleled synchronicity of the band perfectly, without being a standard run-of-the-mill live album that documents just one gig. Sound of Impact captures the snarling thunder of a Big Black live show much better than any of the band's other live releases can.

5. Johnny Cash at San Quentin - Johnny Cash

Following his incredibly successful Live at Folsom Prison album, Cash played a concert exclusively for the inmates of San Quentin State Prison. It was released in the June of '69 and went gold little over two months later. Live at San Quentin is notable for the first live performance of San Quentin, one of Cash's greatest tracks, and then three minutes later, the second ever performance of the same song. The prison setting was very apparent, especially through Cash's choice of setlist; on top of San Quentin, the man in black played The Folsom Prison blues, Starkville City Jail and Wanted man- making for one of the greatest live albums ever released.

4. Live at Reading 1992 – Ride

Recorded at the height of their power, Live at Reading sees Ride showcase the highlights of what was their new (in 1992) sophomore album Going Blank Again, as well as perform some of their game changing earlier material to what was almost a home crowd. Live at Reading begins in the same way Going Blank Again begins; with 8 minute (top ten single) Leave them all behind, and from there the band never look back as they delivered what was almost flawless set. In fact, it was the best set of Reading 1992; apart from maybe…

3. Live at Reading – Nirvana

Nirvana’s second consecutive Reading festival appearance in 1992 is often renowned as one of the high points in the band's illustrious history; the band rattled through everything in their discography in a stunning headline performance. They opened with Breed from best-selling album Nevermind, before taking us on a journey through their debut album’s better songs; Negative creep and About a girl, as well as showcasing upcoming album In Utero’s All Apologies and Dumb. The band’s energy fuelled 80 minute set shows the world just why Cobain’s three piece were arguably the best band on the planet at the time of recording, and is especially memorable for Cobain’s unusual choice of clothing; I’d probably call it a toga, but it might be a dressing gown. Who knows? But one thing not up for debate is just how amazing the legendary Reading performance is.

2. Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars’ soundtrack – David Bowie

Essential for any Bowie fan, the “Ziggy live” album is nothing short of essential. With this album, Bowie, Ronson and co. build on their already stunning studio sound at the Hammersmith Apollo in London with what is a recording of the Spiders' most important show. The show is, of course, tainted by the fact that it was the night “Ziggy died”, but aside from the heart-ripping version of Rock ‘n’ roll suicide, the album is riddled with performances that significantly better their studio counterparts. The albums’ highlights include Bowie’s “mash-up” of The wild eyed boy from Freecloud, All the young dudes and Oh! You pretty things, Ronson’s 15 minute rendition of Width of a circle and Velvets cover, White light/white heat. Ziggy live illustrates so beautifully why Bowie was, and still is the best in the business.

And finally, Number One... 

1. Loom (live in Vancouver) – My Bloody Valentine

The year after the mighty MBV finally released their seminal sophomore record Loveless, they embarked on a long tour of Canada and the US. That is where the four-piece recorded Loom, a soundboard recording which perfectly accentuates just why the shoegazing Irish four-piece are quite comfortably one of the greatest bands ever to grace the face of the earth. Until the recent reunion, Loom was easily the best quality MBV bootleg, and although recent recordings have surpassed it in sheer sound quality and bit rate, Loom is still the most rugged sounding, raw live release of the band’s whole discography. Loom is full of alternative tunings, faster riffs, and pulsing basslines that are almost ironed out by the production Loveless, and although the songs are mainly Loveless-era, they are ridden with the energetic punch of the songs from Isn’t It Anything. As if produced by Albini, the vocals are incredibly low on the mix, which highlights the band’s instrumental prowess and Shield's incredible guitar tones. In particular, feedback-soaked opener When you sleep (Loveless’ lead single) sounds almost punk-rock, with its roaring bassline and it’s boomed-Bilinda Butcher vocals. Loom’s other highlights include a version of Only shallow in which Shields almost sounds as if he is at war with the guitar, and a flawless version of my personal favourite, Honey power. More memorably, Loom captures the entire holocaust section at the end of ear-splitting closer, You made me realise, which Shields and co. drag out for just over fourteen minutes. All these factors, and more ensure that this live album is not only, at least in my opinion alone, the greatest live album of all time, but the zenith of My Bloody Valentine's incredible discography.

(WRITTEN BY CALUM CASHIN)