Drowners Review (Rough Trade East, 22/2/14)

Photo by Avalon Hale-Thomson

It's not often that you are placed into a room (out of choice, obviously) with a bunch of people you recognise from the internet, who all happen to be asking the same question: 'Now, what's her @ again?'. Well, last Saturday, I experienced exactly that. Rough Trade was (not quite) full to the brim of denim jacket wearing, Doc Marten owning, iPhone clutching teenage girls (and a few boys), all waiting in anticipation to see Matt Hitt's actual, real life face. Admittedly, I was one of those girls too, but it didn't really occur to me at the time and if it did, I don't think I would be particularly bothered.

By Mia Fox

Drowners started off with 'Ways to Phrase a Rejection', which didn't make much of an impact on the quite-tired-already crowd, but you could hear the small squeals when Matt Hitt smiled or when Jack Ridley pointed his guitar higher in the air and that definitely got the crowd moving. Next (correct me if I'm wrong) was 'Unzip Your Harrington'. More people knew the words to this one so it made it more enjoyable automatically. Matt dedicated the song to a girl obviously wearing a harrington, who panicked and squealed even more. I still need to find out who that girl was. Both 'Luv, Hold Me Down' and 'Long Hair', were definitely the most enjoyable songs, as everyone knew the words and no one cared about looking stupid whilst dancing, especially me.

 The 'gig' (not too sure if it can be classed as a gig) was at 1pm, so was a lot less hassle than it being at night, and the crowd were not extremely rough, which I think was perfect for Drowners, and enabled me to actually pay attention to them, which is always a bonus.

By Mia Fox

One of the many great things about Rough Trade instores, is that you get to meet the band/artist afterwards. Matt Hitt had his own small section in the extremely unorganised queue and being quite drunk, he just said whatever came to his mind first. I don't know how many selfies he was forced to be in but however many there were, he looked damn good in every single one of them.

Although sometimes forgotten, the other members of Drowners that were willing to meet many, slightly breathless teenage girls, Jack Ridley and Erik Lee Snyder, were indeed, very nice and had the most beautiful New York accents ever. I wish they sang on the album, just so they could show off their accents. All members were very chilled about the whole situation, which surprised me, but then I remembered that band members are real people.

If you live in London and haven't been to an instore of any kind, then, what are you doing? They are genuinely the best alternative to normal gigs and provide that intimacy between the band and audience that everyone seems to moan about now because it 'never happens anymore'. And if you, unfortunately, don't live in London, make sure that the next time you come down is for a Rough Trade instore. You won't regret it.

- Amy

La Shark live review (Southampton Joiners, 19/2/2014)

Perhaps just as famous for their t-shirts that are splattered across tumblr, zany Londoners La Shark seem to be shrouded hype and nothing more. La Shark’s 2013 debut EP Limousine Mmmm, despite being a solid release, failed to blow anybody away, as was the case too with recent single Prison Palace. But despite this, the band have developed a “much better live” label, so the announcement that they were to play a one-off headline show at Southampton’s Joiners was met gleefully by anyone and everyone within a reasonable distance of the venue.

La Shark were to be supported by three local(ish) bands; Half Cut Roses, Confuser and London’s MT, all with something unique to offer the show. Basingstoke’s Half Cut Roses kicked off proceedings with their Nirvana inspired garage rock, whilst Confuser followed suite with their indie-rock, tainted slightly by the fecklessly unfunny on stage ‘banter’ offered by the frontman. Both bands had the Joiners crowd dancing and the both of them were worthy support acts, and both of them poised the night to be a great one.

Whilst the first two bands’ sets got the gig off to a flying start, MT’s set decided the tone for the rest of the night, as the four piece's vibrant set saw the crowd go wild. MT had the crowd prancing, dancing, and even sat on the floor cross legged through the slow bouncy songs, as their joyous frontman leaped around the stage as if he were the messiah. Maybe he is. He could’ve fooled me.

As the clock neared ten, La Shark took to the stage just as eccentrically dressed as ever. From the offset it was apparent that enigmatic frontman Samuel Deschamps would be the ringleader to the proceedings, as he clambered on stage holding an almost finished bottle of JD in only pinstriped trousers and an unbuttoned baseball jacket emblazoned with a La Shark logo.

Deschamps' elaborate stage moves saw the man upside down a little too often 

Before La Shark could kick off proceedings, the ever charismatic Deschamps launched himself into the first of many somersaults. Throughout the show Deschamps's elaborate stage moves involved somersaults, cartwheels, humping the ground, humping the synth player, and even the odd backflip. The stage presence of Deschamps was incredible, and whilst he regularly broke the fourth wall, the only word you could use to describe the Londoner was ‘enigmatic’. He was truly the ringleader to the La Shark circus.

The band’s sound was fantastically crisp, as everyone has come to expect from the Joiners, and the crowd sang avidly along to the La Shark’s better known songs. The atmosphere too, was one that sits hand in glove with the ever welcoming Joiners; everyone was on their feet and dancing as if the La Shark show were some sort of Siesta.

Whilst the crowd spent as much time on stage (“this is my stage, that is your stage” as Deschamps put it) the frontman’s acrobatic stage antics quickly spread into the crowd. The highlight of these was a cartwheel down an aisle of free space, created by the crowd forging a channel for Deschamps elegant acrobatics.

The sound of the band almost drowned out the frontman, but the party atmosphere and the togetherness of the four instrumentalists more than made up for it. And quite obviously, this was not a problem through Magazine Cover, as the audience’s sound was a bit louder than that of the band.

The set drew to a close at around eleven o’clock, in the way that we’ve come to expect from La Shark. Of the 100-strong crowd, a quarter were on Deschamps stage grooving away to the band’s unique electro-funk. La Shark had come to the Joiners, and conquered in what was an almost unforgettable manner. They may not be the most musically gifted, or brilliant, but London’s La Shark know all too well what it is to put on a great show.

Deschamps stripped down (photos all courtesy of Shannon Piper)

(Written by Calum Cashin)

Mixtape Monday #16

Laura: Little Comets // Jennifer

Calum: The Velvet Underground // New Age

Holly: Fat White Family // Auto Neutron

Nina: Lana Del Rey // Once Upon A Dream

Rohanie: Foals // Miami

Charlotte: Grimes // Be A Body

Avalon: Teen Suicide // Salvia Plath

Charlie: The La's // There She Goes

Connor: The Only Ones // Another Girl Another Planet

Molly: The Rolling Stones // You Can't Always Get What You Want

Eve: Radiohead // Life In A Glass House

Amelia: Mystery Jets // Radlands

Georgie: The Horrors // Monica Gems

Amy: Drowners // Watch You Change
Paige: The Velvet Underground // Heroin

not cool to be too cool

I spend a fair amount of time on the internet. A substantial chunk of that time is spent on twitter- a website where you can share all your thoughts and opinions faster than you can fall down the stairs, even if your thoughts and opinions are a bit naff and you shoulda probably just stayed at the top of the stairs. 

One thing is circulating which really grinds my gears: apparently, fans of pop artists like One Direction are 'not allowed' to be fans of (what the Cool Indie Internet community thinks are) more musically credible bands. So what do you have? A bunch of people who think they are far far superior to the likes of one direction fans (pause to let cool kid readers shed a tear at the very thought of what makes you beautiful), but also begrudge these fans liking the sort of music they like. God FORBID anyone with a Justin Bieber song on their iPod gets whiff of a musical deity like Alex Turner. Hilarious when people like to constantly remind you how diverse their own taste is, but see no problems with saying the equivalent of "Hasn't anyone told these directioners you can only listen to one genre??!!"

...Either I'm losing it or that doesn't make a single ounce of sense.*

Now, I don't wanna be too harsh on twitter because after all, it did have to experience that veritably blasphemous moment when Miley Cyrus tweeted about... the smiths. Cue gasps from the audience. I know, I know- when Louis Tomlinson stepped out in a Stone Roses t shirt, I didn't think it could get any worse either. But here we are. We're all in this together.

Is it really so heart wrenchingly painful that someone who likes Little Mix just posted a link to Love Will Tear Us Apart on Facebook? Don't say yes or you'd have completely ruined my hard hitting closing line and that'd be rude.


*to be fair, I did dream i'd posted this two weeks ago then believe it was real and not post it till now, so it is quite likely I'm losing it. 


(hello im eve! this is my first post, apologies it took so long)

New: The Horrors - I See You

As they have done before and will undoubtedly do again, The Horrors have unveiled a song that has left an entire fanbase quaking in its boots and reeling from the magnificence oozing from it's transcendent structure.

Evident within the track  is the evolution of The Horrors themselves. From Strange House to Primary Colours, from Primary Colours to Skying and now from Skying to Luminous, The Horrors have always been about tweaking their sound to give the best that they possibly can to their listeners. 'I See You' does just that.

The hauntingly ethereal construction of this impressive 7 minute song feels like it owes its existence to a mixture of artists and their works, including Mike Oldfield and his 'Tubular Bells', Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark's 'Enola Gay', Joy Division's 'Decades' and The Doors' 'Light My Fire'. The Horrors, by their nature, are an engaged band that reflect their musical interests and thus it comes as no shock to hear this coming through so strongly in 'I See You'. The musical arrangements within this feel like what an out of body experience may sound like thus the seven minutes do not fly by nor do they take forever to complete but they take you with them with every single note and chord played.

Whilst the music takes centre stage in this piece, Faris Badwan's heavily emotional voice cannot be ignored. It feels like the words are simply bleeding through onto your mind and the entire human spectrum of emotion flows through his tone. 'Through the summer you will soon forget/Days get longer but the sun still sets' ponders Faris as the two minute thirty mark hits. Often overlooked, Faris's lyrical ability is a binding force within the band and although this song may not be his strongest lyrical work yet it still reads like poetry off the page and his musings on the fragility of life and the quick passage of time should not be forgotten.

'I See You' is a strong, musically driven piece that echoes the work The Horrors put into 'Skying' whilst also turning towards a new and possibly more experimental direction. With this in mind and 'Luminous' appearing closer over the horizon, one cannot help but feel some level of excitement for what interesting musical pieces they are bringing to the table.

9/10

- Connor

 The Horrors - I See You can be found here:

The Horrors - I See You

THE HORRORS REVEAL NEW ALBUM DETAILS

After what feels like a life time of waiting, The Horrors are finally back. 

A series of countdown posts across social media sites sparked interest among dedicated fans, the build up summarised perfectly by Tom Cowan himself: "Nail-biting, isn't it?" 

What could they possibly be counting down to? A new album? A new single? 

Today (Monday 24th February 2014), all questions were finally answered. The Horrors revealed details of their new album: Luminous, set to be released on the 5th of May. According to Rhys Webb, full album details and also information about pre ordering "Luminous" will become available on the bands website later today. As if that wasn't enough, debut track "I Can See You" will be premiered tonight at 7pm on Radio 1, and we will definitely be listening. 

 

Please visit The Horrors' personal website for more details www.thehorrors.com 

Interview: Frankie Francis of Frankie & The Heartstrings

Frankie & The Heartstrings are most likely to be found in their record store Pop Recs Ltd. One of two record stores in Sunderland, it is at the heart of the city, just a few minutes walk from the train station and on one of the main streets. The shop itself isn't just any old record store, it's an art space, a place to perform and coffee house all in one. There's one thing you'll notice when you arrive in the shop is that you'll be greeted with smiles and hellos and good music playing. So I sat down with lead singer Frankie Francis for a quick interview.

Frankie & The Heartstrings

First of all hi and thanks for letting me interview you guys on behalf of the FIBLAR Team.

Hello FIBLAR!

Who are your musical influences?

I have many musical influences, musically I reckon I've got a lot of 80s music influence, stuff like Orange Juice, The Smiths, Dexy's, Prefab Sprout, Lloyd Cole and there's also a band called Hurrah! And also like personally I like electronic music so I enjoy house music, disco music and soul music.

What are you listening to at the minute?

At the minute I am listening to Hurrah! I've been listening to John Martin and Martyn Sprout and I've also been listening to a guy called Omar Souleman.

So which of the local bands are you guys loving at the minute?

There's a cool new band called In Vibes, I think they've got a bit of potential. I like Lilliput - we put out their EP - I also like Rivals and there's a band called Silk who have got something but I think they need a lot of work. 

Who are your favourite new bands?

There's a band called Young Husband and I like Cheatahs.

If you could choose any band to play an in store here who would you choose and why?

I would choose Franz Ferdinand because we look up to them a lot and they're one of the big indie bands still around. 

Frankie shows me how he feels by putting his head in the till

When you write music do you make time to do so or when you’re just like out somewhere do things inspire you and you have to scribble down an idea?

When I'm writing music myself I tend to just write a verse and go back to it and write a bridge, then a chorus. Often I'll just record them into my phone and go back and edit them and then introduce to them to the others in the band. 

What made you want to release your album and singles on vinyl?

It's the best way to release music, it's very romantic and I think the proper approach to making music is to make a vinyl. I think there's nothing better than something to have and to hold, a collection, you can wear it with pride and put it in your collection, we take a lot of pride in how we make our records because a record is a very precious thing which is why we take a lot of time over the artwork and stuff like that. Vinyl is the best way to listen to music, it's the purest way if you're a music fan. 

Do you prefer running the shop or touring, why?

Touring because nothing beats the feeling of playing songs to people who appreciate you being there. 

Which venue do you enjoy playing in the most?

I really enjoy playing the Deaf Insitute in Manchester but any venue is good if the crowd are up for it, small or large. 

What’s your favourite song to play live?

Whatever the newest song is. 

What would you say is your biggest achievement as a band?

I guess our first album going in the top 40 and making two records that I'm proud of. 

So, what’s coming up for you guys as a band?

We're working hard on new material, we're having to adapt the line up which will be exciting for the third album.

FIBLAR writer Rohanie wants to know whether you think politics should have a roll in music?

I think it's important, well it is relevant if you draw influence from your surroundings, it's only relevant if you do that. I think sometimes, especially if you're from the North East, the things that go on in Westminster affect people a lot up here, if you look at the 1980s and the bedroom tax and stuff.

Also FIBLAR write Calum wants to know what your favourite Bowie song is.

Young Americans. 

After many attempts Frankie and I manage to take a decent selfie 

And finally FIBLAR writer Amy asks would you rather be trampled on by one horse size duck or ten duck size horses? Don’t worry, Amy isn’t mad, it’s an ongoing question that she asks band members.

One horse sized duck... oh actually I think I have more of a chance against 10 duck sized horses 'cause I can just kick their faces off! But of course the way of getting away from one horse sized duck would be throwing some bread and running in the opposite direction. 

-Laura (@FloatForev3r) 

celebrating angsty raw teenage-ness

Much of the music produced nowadays is so totally over-manufactured, auto tuned, airbrushed, and basically made into a glossy representation of what a song should be. There's nothing wrong with some factory made pop music once in a while, but sometimes you need to just drift away, lie in your room for days on end and do nothing. You don't want Taylor Swift screaming 'I'M FEELING TWENTY-TWOOOO' in your face whilst you're trying to zone out, so this post is about dreamy yet distorted and raw tracks that will lead you by the hand to humid summers overflowing with hormones and still air.

teen suicide

1. Salvia Plath by Teen Suicide - a love ballad in it's own form. fuzzed out, dreary vocal lines over bleached riffs and a simple drum loop. Elements of the song don't really line up but still manage to fit together as though they were meant to be.
2. Inside You by Elvis Depressedly - A scuzzy guitar track with beautifully layered vocals.
3. Maybe by The Aquadolls - The aquadolls are a favourite of mine, and 'maybe' is one of their more downtoned, rough-around-the-edges songs.
4. Young Daisy by Boy Crush - echoing, quiet vocals accompany a single electric guitar. More poem-like and eerie than the other songs featured on this playlist.
5. Foreign Films by Mesita - a song that celebrates the high school rejects - the people who weren't born to be prom kings and queens.
6. When'd You Find Me by Arrange (Ricky Eat Acid Remix) - listen to this one surrounded by incense and fairy lights, or in a dark room at two in the morning. trust me.

An Ode to the Laser Light

This is in part a review of the Foals gig in Birmingham on Tuesday and in part of tribute to lighting in live music, or rather a chance at attempting to articulate the swirl of euphoric bliss I can remember from the cold Tuesday night. Ending college at 5:00pm, and trudging home in the cold and dark knowing you'll be leaving the house again in less than an hour for a gig is always a bleak thought - enough to tempt you to forget about your plans and stay in, watch celebrity come dine with me on catch up and forget about the outside world. The initial energy involved in getting yourself out of the house and into the cold, with nothing more than a denim jacket as a shield is pretty exhausting - redeemed only once you're inside the venue and surrounded by fellow denim jackets.

It is always a difficult ask when deciding what is the "best" gig you've been to, there are many determining factors for different people, getting to the barrier, not getting trampled to death, being completely trampled to death. For me, the inclusion of a good laser is always a high point of a gig. Seeing The Wombats in October 2011 (shut up) was perhaps the first gig wherein I truly experienced the gig, complete with the whole kit and caboodle of lights, lasers and coloured strobes, it was more than my excitable 15 year old self could handle (it was also the first - and so far the only - gig in which I fell victim to mortifying shoe lift from a stranger at the other end of the room, with only a sock protecting my left foot from the alcohol covered floor).

Foals were a whole different ball game, and at risk of sounding like one of those dickheads, Spanish Sahara - and the visual accompaniment - was almost enough to drive me to the highly cringey task of linking arms with the stranger next to me in a "totally, like, beautiful moment". The room went silent (and blue) with Yannis' angelic vocals, and the crowd were doused in a sheet of blue laser, smoke swimming across the air like the rainbow shine on the surface of a bubble. Spanish Sahara was an out of body experience (ignoring the decision of 2/3 of the room to sit on the floor to "totally appreciate the moment", which to my mentally 83 year old self seemed entirely impractical), and a pretty spectacular memory.

What makes lights so attractive and appealing at gigs is the overall sense of feeling like being a part of something. Being trapped in a room full of sweaty-indie-point-winning-teenagers is a daunting idea, but with the inclusion of a well crafted light display, you find yourself being consumed in the moment, "I Wanna be Yours" in November was a perfect example of this.

Although nothing does quite beat the DIY spontaneity of seeing a band in a pub or a warehouse, or some other sort of tiny venue with no apparent sound system, having on average a square inch of space and being effectively stood on by everyone around you - once in a while it is rather nice to be immersed in lasers and colours and an almost euphoric sense of togetherness (sorry), that and it does makes for a highly instagramable gig.

Celebration of 30 years of The Smiths' debut

Nothing I ever write can express my love for the four seemingly normal boys from Manchester. The meeting of 22 year old Steven Patrick Morrissey and 18 year old Johnny Marr at Kings Road, Stretford in the May of '82 is one of the most iconic encounters in rock history. Releasing their self titled debut 20th February 1984, it only seems fair to celebrate the 30th birthday of what has to be one of the best Smiths albums.

Their similar tastes and ultimately, their influences, were so similar it would've seemed impossible for the two to not be so in sync. Marr has given respect to his mum for allowing him to "Analyse music properly. See how it worked" in a 2009 interview with him here. Morrissey's love for artists such as The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, The Velvet Underground and Iggy and The Stooges contrasted perfectly with Marr's love for the likes of T.Rex, Bowie and The rolling Stones, meaning they were a pretty perfect pairing, each of them being brought up on a selective diet of 60's singles.

Johnny brought in bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, and the four-piece unit is assembled. In Morrissey's "Autobiography" he talks of their long touring stint, when "a Smiths coterie forms in every British city" - a far cry from the come-and-go synth-pop of the decade.

Signing to Rough trade, they released three oh-so famous singles - "Hand In Glove" "This Charming Man" and "What Difference Does It Make?". Many consider that their performance of the latter two tracks on Top Of The Pops in November of 1983 helped them rise to the glory they rode on for most of the 80's, as it gave bored teenagers everywhere something to be inspired by everywhere; in a rather similar fashion to Bowie's performance of "Starman" in 1972 on the same programme, where other bored teenagers thought "Bloody hell. he's good." Only this time, 'The Smiths' would be the buzz word for not only that decade, but for the future generations to lap up.

I often think of a world without The Smiths, and my instant reaction is "Oh god no." While I find it near impossible to deliver a distinct reason as to why living without their constant comfort in the form of 4 beautiful albums and the unforgettable "Hatful Of Hollow" which by rights should be classified as an album of its accord - a total entity of well crafted production, powerful vocals and enough emotion to make anyone feel as though they've got at least 4 Manchester lads on their side. Arguably, a love of The Smiths has to be earned, with their total wealth of lyrical and sonic material, often hidden with initially, quite lighthearted imagery, (tracks like "This Charming Man" and "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" must be noted here). It seems easy to pick up a best of album and utter in a wholly non-committal fashion "I quite like them", but delve deeper into the twinkling rhythm section, glorious guitars and of course, the brooding lyrics, and you are effectively hooked for life on the eternally flowering world of Smithdom.

Their debut closer "Suffer Little Children" is one that shows Morrissey's pure vocal power and his unadulterated skill at harnessing someone's emotion and making everyone with a brain larger than that of a fly to feel some form of psychological torment, with his capacity to suddenly change tone and emotionally and make it sound unbelievably ethereal. Personally, my favourite track from this album has to be "Hand In Glove". Oooooh mama, as soon as that grand sprinkling of harmonica begins, my legs turn to jelly and my brain becomes a load of romantic mush. For all those that say The Smiths are an entirely unromantic, depressive 'movement' well... bugger off, I don't care for people like you. Personally, Hand In Glove is an ode to not just the people you love, but the emotion of love itself; how every little thing someone can do consumes all your time and desire and basically your body as a 'thing-that-feels-stuff'.

What strikes me as downright fascinating about this album is it's ability to change tone very quickly, while keeping a sense of seamlessness throughout all of the tracks. Most notably, third-on-the-album track "Miserable Lie" begins very slowly with a meandering quality, with a seemingly limited amount of space to move anywhere else, but BOY does it move, without sounding in any way messy, through the use of snarling guitars and increasingly strengthening vocals that build and build. Also, how could I forget about "Pretty Girls Make Graves". The music takes on a steady feel while Morrissey's vocals build to the background of Mike and Andy's rhythm section, both merging perfectly to create a perfectly formed track.

Fellow Smiths fans will hopefully all wear some form of memorabilia on the day of the 30th anniversary, as a sign of the immutable bond between all those who sit in their bedrooms and devote their lives to these four lads from Manchester. These four lads who managed to sum up a veritable catalogue of emotions and events in such a beautiful way that it seems nearby impossible to ever forget the first moment you heard them. For me, the first Smiths song I genuinely became infatuated with was "This Charming Man". I am under the view that up until this point in my life, I had never experienced something that sounded so magical but at the same time felt very real. I quickly developed a fixation on all of their work, lives and of course, their tragic demise in '87 (*sigh*). To sound incredibly cliché, The Smiths have got me through much of my teenage years, yes. They marked some of my favourite ever moments and of course, the unalloyed crap-ness of the other 70%.

Fellow FIBLAR writer Molly also speaks fondly of the first album...

"I got The Smiths' debut on vinyl for Christmas last year from my brother, despite the shameful fact that as far as I know, I'm the only one in my family who likes them. Although it's not my favourite Smiths album, and Morrissey himself doesn't like the way it was produced, it is most certainly a piece of art in the form of a beautifully crafted record, and the success born from it was completely deserved. Happy 30th."

Admittedly, the production wasn't as crisp as their subsequent albums; the likes of "The Queen Is Dead" became so famous and well loved for that reason. However, the wondrous thing about Smithdom is that all of their albums stir up such a multitude of sensations in the listeners mind that it is more or less impossible to choose a favourite album. Nonetheless, "The Smiths" will always be one of my favourites, because it's them as a strong unit, showcasing some of their most coveted songs and overall, has such a beautiful raw sound aided by the sprinkling guitars and Morrissey's syrupy vocals that deems it virtually other-worldly.

Long live The Smiths. Happy 30th anniversary to one of the most beautiful albums of all time.

"Stay Handsome Forever"
Paige x x x
PS. The good life is out there somewhere so stay on my arm you little charmer
 

Happy Valentines Day!

Forget Lionel Richie and Celine Dion, here are my picks of the best luuurrrrvvvee songs in music

Down by the Water - The Drums
I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem
Suicide Policeman - Yuck
Duet - Everything Everything
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Baby - Warpaint
I Need My Girl - The National
Lover of Mine - Beach House
No One Like You - Best Coast
Pale Blue Eyes - Velvet Underground
Blue Blood - Foals
Fall In Love With Me - Iggy Pop
Heart Swells - Pacific Daylight Time - Los Campesinos!

Rohanie x 

Introducing: Luna Webster

 I'm not sure if 'home grown' could even be a phrase to describe a certain type of music but it sounds nice anyway. Even if it doesn't exist, I would describe Luna Webster as a 'home grown' artist. Based somewhere in Scotland, her live music has stayed there, but her music online been spread throughout the UK, thanks to the magical world of social media. A lover of many interesting things, including Quentin Tarantino, Arcade Fire, feminism and Breaking Bad, you could say Luna is 'relatable' to many teenagers today. She's very interesting even before we get onto talking about her music! Her debut EP was recorded over a year ago and although she apologises for the lack of recording going on and states 'I'M NOT DEAD', she is always, reassuringly, writing songs and producing wonderful stuff.

Her EP is so lovely, I really do adore it. So haunting yet inviting at the same time. Even Jim from Tribes has a copy of her EP! 'Hollywood May be Dead but Let's Dance on the Gravestones' is the title, and I'm sure it has some secret, personal meaning behind it but I'm not going to bother guessing for you, you can figure it out yourself. As I said earlier, Luna's popularity has really increased through social media. A well known face on twitter, Luna and her small, yet strong, fanbase are always there to promote Luna's music and work. I remember when I first heard my favourite song by Luna, Liquor and Lipstick , I tweeted Luna saying how much I loved it and she thanked me, genuinely. I can't imagine what it's like being told that your music or work or whatever is truly loved by someone you may have not even met anymore. I'm sure it's a wonderful feeling.

You can buy Luna's EP here (I strongly suggest that you do)
Check out Luna's Facebook here, her Soundcloud here and Twitter here.




I guess by 'home grown', I meant someone who has managed to do a lot of their work themselves, and is really proud of it, even if it is not as widely appreciated as they'd like it to be. These 'home grown' artists could one day take off and be HUGE and have a HUGE fanbase but of course, it would be pretty hard to forget the people who were there 'from the start' (to put that phrase in the least cringey way possible) and the people who helped them. There are many artists like this, just like Luna Webster, and long may they continue.

- Amy

Best Covers

The internet's a great place, for many reasons. A hugely obvious benefit is the vast amount of music online; many a hidden gem can be found nestled in the suggestions on YouTube or Soundcloud, and often these gems are not original tracks, but covers. Search for '[insert band name here] cover' and I can almost guarantee that someone will have uploaded a video or soundclip of that band doing a cover of something (mostly thanks to BBC Radio 1's live lounge). To demonstrate this, and also celebrate it, I have compiled a list (in no particular order) of some of the best covers out there, hopefully most of which you won't have heard before.

Jamie T - If I Were A Boy (Beyonce cover)



I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: this version is approximately 5000000x better than the original (which I do quite like). Although devoid of his usual rapping, Jamie's husky voice and gentle guitar melodies make this track one hundred percent listen-able. It's not widely celebrated, but I'd certainly say this is one of the best Live Lounge covers there is.

David Bowie - Waterloo Sunset (The Kinks cover)



Not so long ago, I was listening to the original of this on YouTube and miraculously stumbled across this absolutely brilliant version. The added synths and Bowie's trademark vocals make it almost as good as the original, but not quite. (While we're on the subject, skip to 5:52 here)

The Maccabees - Lonely Boy (The Black Keys cover)



The beautiful Given To The Wild aura runs all over this cover, so much so that I could imagine it being a track on the album itself. With none of the rawness of The Black Keys but all of the elegance and magic of The Maccabees, this version certainly does the original justice (and then some).

Deap Vally - Lightning Bolt (Jake Bugg cover)



With harmonica a-plenty and frontwoman Lindsey's fantastic, authentic Californian vocals, Deap Vally successfully turn this mod favourite into a country classic. I imagine that much line-dancing would ensue if this cover were to be played at any party.

Ben Howard - Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen cover)



With this cover, Ben Howard and his somewhat giggly team of musicians have managed to make the thoroughly annoying Call Me Maybe not only tolerable, but massively enjoyable. There's no bouncy girl-pop involved here; it's all depth and darkness and drama. Would definitely recommend, 100%.

JAWS - Everlong (Foo Fighters cover)



Brummie band JAWS released this entirely different version of the classic Foo Fighters song not so long ago as a free download for fans. Whereas when listening to the original you'd be inclined to let out your inner mosher, this cover just makes you want to sway and ponder about the little things in life.

Foster the People - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Tame Impala cover)




Foster the People frontman Mark Foster's vocals on this cover sound entirely more mature than those on their debut album; in my humble opinion, his new, deeper voice suits this song down to a tee. The psychedelic element is much less obvious than in the original, but there's no doubt that this is a great cover.

San Cisco - Get Lucky (Daft Punk cover)



This awesome cover of huge Daft Punk hit Get Lucky by Australian four-piece San Cisco features slap bass, a wonderful guitar solo and bongos - need I say more? This is a definite must listen.

I hope this post has enlightened you with some excellent covers that you may not have been aware of before, and reminded you of some which have graced your life previously. If you have any suggestions of other covers, please do comment them in the comment section below. We'd love to hear them!

Written by Molly McGrath 

Mixtape Monday #15

Some cheerful tunes to keep you happy during this valentines week:

Amy: I'll Show Up // Puzzle

Avalon: Luv, Hold me Down // Drowners

Nina: Vada Vada // The Garden

Amelia: Love Letters // Metronomy

Connor: Half Full Glass of Wine // Tame Impala (Canyons Remix)

Georgie: What Remains // Foals

Paige: Ode to Viceroy // Mac DeMarco

James: By Your Side // Beachwood Sparks

Rohanie: Pure // Lightning Seeds

Molly: Holocene // Bon Iver

Laura: Decade Of Decay // Spector

Eve: Everything Flows // Teenage Fanclub

Collage by Amy 

FIBLAR x 

Maximo Park Newcastle instore gigs 8/2/13

Over the past couple of weeks, various free instores were announced by Maximo Park for three of my favourite places in Newcastle - RPM music (@RPMMusic), Reflex Records (@REFLEX_CD_VINYL ) and HMV (@hmvNewcastle). So, equipped with only an alpen bar and a cluth of their records, myself and a good friend Katie venture into the city centre for a good spell of stalking and being cold.


First of all was Reflex records, a treasure trove of all things vinyl. The band set up behind the counter, so bearing in mind this shop isn't the biggest, it was certainly an 'intimate' gig! Considering that they had only had three hours sleep (they had been on German television the night before) the audience got a great performance of "Leave This Island" from their new "Too Much Information" album which was released last Monday. A synth driven track which was performed with equal pacy vigour live, Smith delivered strong vocals, only made better by the connection with the audience that grew quickly through only one song; there was no non-committal vague eye contact with the audience, much unlike many gigs in certainly larger venues.

After the performance, the band offered to sign their records. When I stated "there isn't a lot of room for your names on the CD" Paul took it upon himself to draw round the random ink fingerprints that had appeared ("little footprints"), to which I thought "I could just tell everyone this is a special edition version" (Antiques Roadshow in 50 years here I come).

Next up was their gig at RPM, performing two songs from their new album - "Lydia, The Ink Will Never Dry" and "Her Name Was Audre" the latter of which; despite it obviously being different on the album, kept the raw and speed-driven feeling due to the impromptu nature of the performance (the band only decided to play it last minute). Once again, the performance was only enhanced by how close we are and the banter between the band and the crowd - most memorably, the (no-so) terrifying notion of being locked in when the door stopped opening and Smith's comments on a record with a somewhat questionable graphics team (Who would decide to put a fly on the front of a record sleeve?) After getting another CD signed (they were lovely), it was off to HMV for the final instore of the day...

Performing a longer set at HMV, the band also acquired a larger crowd than the other two performances. However, the banter remained as they played a rip roaring set of 6 tracks, from old favourites of "Signal And Sign" and "By The Monument" to new track like "Midnight On The Hill" and "Brain Cells".

Sipping a hot chocolate along the way ("Rock and roll") Smith claimed that if everyone bought the album, we could push Beyoncé "off her perch... Hopefully she'll have a soft landing." Cheeky swine.

After all that general rambling (makes a vast amount of difference from the norm doesn't it!?!?!) I better go and get some horrendous history essay of some description finished...

Lots of love, Paige x x x

Don't Forget The Bands That Used To Make You Happy

It's 2am and you're lying in the dark thinking about past memories, that assignment that's due in or in my case my favourite band. I know what you're all thinking - "here we go Laura's going to go and write a big essay on how much she loves Peace" - well no, I'm not and probably won't do that in my time writing for this blog. Lets all time travel...

Peace

It's February 2013 and fellow FIBLAR writer Molly is telling me about the NME Awards and has told me to listen to Peace. I, of course, say yes, listen to Follow Baby and make my way through the music Peace had out at this time: EP Delicious, Wraith, Bloodshake and the original version of Follow Baby. I'd fallen in love and it was too late to get a ticket to the NME Awards to see them. Most of you know the story about getting guest list to the In Love tour and maybe a few of you know of the day I spent with them during their December tour. And yes here we go, this band makes me quite (very) happy. Now as some of you know there's a group of us up here in the Newcastle, Sunderland, Teeside, North Yorkshire and Durham areas who all go to gigs together and we've all became quite close friends and without getting into Peace I wouldn't have met any of them.

Coldplay

If you go back a few years to 2011-2012 you'll land at the Coldplay phase - a band I'm still happy enough to listen to. My dad managed to get me and a close friend tickets to see them at the Stadium of Light literally three days before the show. The band, to me and Jess, were one of the best things in life. We'd spent weeks planning to get tickets but never had enough money for them. On the morning of the show we left my house at around half 7 to queue at a Stadium I live around 20 minutes away from. The day was spent getting soaked in the torrential rain and talking about how excited we were. 

Coldplay were the band that made me much happier at school. My friends weren't very mature and didn't seem to like me and my musical ways very much but yes Coldplay were a way to cheer myself up when these friends were being pissy and annoying, just slipping my headphones in slyly when they were around was the best feeling. Of course through this band I met a lot of new friends, fellow FIBLAR writer Molly and her best friend Louisa.

Take That

And heading back to 2010-2011 a Robbie Williams phase was going on. The man himself still makes me very happy, last year I travelled to Manchester to see him play the Etihad Stadium.This phase had started when I was 12 so after two, maybe three years of loving him it was going to be the best thing to see him perform live. Take That had just reformed to their original line up which included Robbie. After being asked numerous times by my parents whether I wanted to go and see them I of course said yes and my http://fiblar.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/how-peculiar-story-of-being-teenage.html
dad battled through the ticket site crashed to get two tickets to see them in Sunderland for me and my mother. Sadly around this time I was listening to a lot of gothic metal and it didn't really make me happy at all but Take That sort of made me realise I shouldn't listen to the depressing shit I had been. After taking to Twitter about how much I loved Take That a lot of their teenage fans started follow

Me and Mark Owen

ing me and I made five very close friends from this, one of them being Jess who I mentioned in the Coldplay section earlier... Finally last year I met Mark Owen, my favourite member of the band, his solo music is probably some of the best I've heard and I got more starstruck meeting his guitarist than I did him. For those of you interested you can read about my life as a teenage Robbie Williams fan here: 

What I'm trying to get at is although there are bands who make you happy now, the ones that cheer you up when you're feeling a bit down and the ones that you'll travel to see and do anything you can to meet you can look back, put your headphones in and listen to those that used to make you happy (and probably still do), the one that used to put the biggest smile on your face and the ones who maybe helps pick you up when you were down or got you through the hard times. This morning I found myself listening to Coldplay's Live 2012 album and remembering the time. I saw them live and how happy I was when I was there so I advise you all no matter how embarrassed you are to have liked or still like them, listen to your old favourite bands and remenicse.

Peace out - Laura (@FloatForev3r)

Review: So Long, See You Tomorrow - Bombay Bicycle Club

9/10

It had been three years since A Different Kind of Fix and fans were starting to become restless. The creators of the album had kept a low profile for most of these three years, until, one day, a new album was announced. Those fans were restless no more. 

Bombay Bicycle Club's fourth album came out earlier this week and being a die-hard Bombay fan, I found it quite hard to fault. I have to admit, I did feel quite impatient during the three year gap between Bombay's third and fourth albums. This may come across as biased, seeing as I am a huge BBC fan, but, So Long, See You Tomorrow, was 100% worth the wait and one of the best albums of 2014 (so far). It is absolutely stunning, sounds very different to the previous Bombay sound but makes me feel so special, as if the band were holding a private gig in my front room. 
I'd heard that the whole album was inspired by Jack Steadman's travels, so I was unsure of what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. 

The first track, Overdone, feels like a song that you would wake up to, to then find yourself in a heaven-like paradise. There are violins, clarinets, and many other orchestral instruments which would be amazing to see live. It flows so well into It's Alright Now, a song that you can imagine slightly drunk hippies dancing away to in the middle of a field (in the best way possible of course). Carry Me is next which really doesn't need explaining. IT'S SUCH A GOOD SONG. I found myself singing the riff on the tube the other day and someone opposite acknowledged the song and we smiled for one short moment. Home by Now is the song where Jack Steadman could have reached a traditional town in Sweden during his travels. It's so happy and carefree. You could say that Luna is the United States of the album. It sounds hopeful, powerful and inspiring and has a good walking pace, so could be quite encouraging.  Come To is one of my favourites on the album. Like many second-before-last tracks, it's the calming down song, a preparation for the last final phenomenon. The final song does sadly, eventually arrive and what a way to end a fantastic album! So Long, See You Tomorrow is a six minute extravaganza of every sound on the album (and perhaps even their previous albums) put together. Obviously, it is a great extravaganza and by the time it is all finished, it shall make you realise how good Bombay Bicycle Club actually are. I hope you had realised that before. 

-Amy

A Tribute to William S. Burroughs

The year I was born, William S. Burroughs quite sadly passed away. Although I wasn’t aware of Burroughs or his work until somewhat recently, but Burroughs’ legacy, and impact is something which is apparent throughout the music world. If, miraculously, Burroughs would have been alive today, he would be celebrating his hundredth birthday today.

Although probably best known for his 1959 novel The Naked Lunch, Burroughs is a figure who made a huge amount of cultural impact since his first novel, Junky. A beat pioneer, novelist and poet, Burroughs is not only cited by people within the realms of literature as an influence, but many musicians also took inspiration from the work of William Burroughs.

Burroughs tackled almost taboo subjects in his work, as a homosexual heroin addict writing autobiographically inevitably would in the fifties. The Naked Lunch particularly made a real splash upon release. The book was released in France in mid-1959, but US laws prevented it from being released another three years.

But how has William S. Burroughs affected the music world…?

Perhaps most notoriously, jazz-rockers Steely Dan took their name from the dildo in The Naked Lunch, as the group were renowned fans of the beat generation.

A number of other fairly renowned artists have taken their name from the works of Burroughs. The Mugwumps, the Insect Trust and Thin White Rope all take their name from Burroughs and his work.

Joy Division’s Ian Curtis is very well known for being well-read- in fact the band takes their name from Yehiel De-Nur’s book The House of Dolls, which describes Auschwitz’s “joy division”. So it should be of no surprise that Curtis was a fan of Burroughs and his work. In fact, the electrifying penultimate track on Unknown Pleasures borrows its name from a Burroughs novel. Interzone, the Hook-Curtis duet at the close of side two, is named after the dreamlike state between consciousnesses that William Lee describes in The Naked Lunch.

Ian Curtis also used the cut-up technique popularised by Burroughs when writing Shadowplay, which was also on Unknown Pleasures. This technique was more famously used by David Bowie for Moonage Daydream in 1973, where Burroughs’ method spawned the infamous first verse I’m an alligator/I’m a momma-papa coming for you/I’m a space invader/I’ll be a rocking-rolling bitch for you. The cut-up technique dates back to T.S Elliot and his 1922 poem The Waste Land. Thom Yorke and Kurt Cobain have also been known to use this technique.

In 1992, Burroughs collaborated with Kurt Cobain for a musical recording of The Priest, They Called Him, one of his poems. It was released on a 10” picture disc of the cover art, and features Cobain playing a dark, gothic composition whilst Burroughs recites The Priest, They Called Him.

In short, Burroughs’ impact on music and the wider culture is almost unparalleled. Old Bull Lee’s (as Jack Kerouac refers to him) legacy regarding music is just the tip of the iceberg, as Burroughs was a huge influence on much of the art, music and literature that followed his long, wonderful career.

R.I.P William S. Burroughs

Vivian girls break up

Seeing as Vivian girls announced their last few shows ever a few weeks, I decided to write a post in tribute to their time together.

The band consists of (I will continue to use the present tense until they're gone for good) Katy Goodman on bass/vocals, Cassie Ramone on guitar/vocals and Ali Koehler on drums. While only being a band since 2007, they've had three drummers and three albums. I don't think their break-up came as a surprise for many people, seeing as recently they hadn't done much at all.
I got into them probably a bit late; first thing I heard was their latest album 'Share the Joy' earlier last year. I remember it surprising me because I don't think I've heard a band quite like them. While there are more and more all-girl bands surfacing, none of them sound quite as moany and noisy as Vivian Girls.
On their website there's a little goodbye and thank you message for everyone. Which means yes, it's real:

Hi friends, 

Brooklyn, New York, March 2007: we started making music together 

and became what we know as Vivian Girls. It's been a long and crazy 

journey in the seven years since, and we feel as though the time has 

finally come to let our band rest in peace. It's been an experience that 

we'll look back on and cherish and we'd like to thank you for sharing it 

with us. We have had such an amazing time being a band, touring the 

world, releasing records and meeting all of you. 

...

Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way, everyone 

who has come to our shows, bought our records and supported us, and 

everyone we will meet in the future.

     XOXO 

   Vivian Girls 

A brief introduction to their albums:

Tell the World is a track off Vivian Girls' self-titled debut album, released in 2008. This album was the start of everything to come. Most of the songs on there are short but harmonious. I like their lo-fi sounding vocals that they keep to throughout all their albums. 'Vivian Girls' is an easy listen and very laid back; the chords sound almost as though no effect is being put into playing them at times.

The End is surprisingly not the last track on their second album 'Everything Goes Wrong'; it's smack bang in the middle. This album came a year after their first and sounds more vibrant. This album is summed up by it's title, but isn't as dismal as it sounds. If it wasn't for the faded vocals and disheartening lyrics, it would seem like such happy and 'I don't care much' music. It's raw and echoing, all round brilliant.

Dance (If you wanna) is on their last album. This one's happier and a more positive side to life; like they've flipped over the tables. Even though this one didn't score very high on Pitchfork's review, I still love it. Whilst it might not amount musically to their previous records, it's just an all round good album. It's like a sweet advice page for teenage girls in love. 

Whilst in their prime, Vivian Girls have inspired a few bands including The Aquadolls. It's a shame I'll never see them together live, but I wish them all the best on pursuing their other interests.

Katie moved to LA to continue with her band La Sera, Cassie formed a friendship with Woods bassist Kevin Morby and started The Babies, and since re-joining Vivian Girls when they had become mainly in-active, Ali's gone back to fronting Upset (I love this band, ex-Hole member Patty Schemel's their drummer).

Goodbye Vivian Girls and thank you. x

(By HOLLY)