Monday 21 October 2013
"Take up my heartstrings, play me what love brings"
"WILD LOVE" - Gossling
Melbourne singer-songwriter Helen Croome is "Gossling", who hasn't really reached us here in the UK yet but is a increasingly successful back in Australia - her new album is released over there on the first of November, and single "Wild Love" was the eighteenth most played song on Triple J last year.
Croome's prim and very distinctive vocals are the most remarkable thing about her music; she sounds very similar to Julia Stone and maybe even Lauren Mayberry. Until the album's released, I guess it's hard to get a good idea of what Gossling's sound is really like, and it's definitely too early to make sweeping genre generalisations, but I'm really excited to watch her grow.
Tuesday 8 October 2013
Recommendations: September 2013
Fortunately, September ended up being a month of way more gigs than I expected including the ever-improving Catfish and the Bottlemen at Manchester's Night/Day Cafe, vibrant, French singer-songwriter Melanie Pain at the Deaf Institute and a beautiful Laura Marling show at the Lowry - solo, and acoustic, she's different to how I've ever seen her before.
Nick Mulvey
There's so many folky singer-song writer types around nowadays, but Nick Mulvey, who supported Laura Marling on her UK tour last month, is truly something to do it. He's an exceptional guitarist, his lyrics are pure poetry and he puts on a great live show. "Cucurucu" my favourite of his, and he's definitely one to watch.
"Tiderays" - Volcano Choir
"Reprave", the second album from Justin Vernon's new project is completely beautiful, it's a lot more accessible and little less ambient and abstract than the first album (personally, I think this the new album is a lot more Bon Iver than the last). "Tiderays", the opening track, swells from the softest opening of dainty guitar riffs to a refrain bouncing with heart pounding percussion and piano. Utterly serene and perfect.
"The Artist Is Present"
A documentary about Marina Abramovic, one of the most famous performance artists in the world - I don't exactly know what I thought of this, and whether it inspired or upset me, but I know that it made me think a lot about human interaction and communication. "The Artist Is Present" is the name of one of Abramovic's most famous projects, during which she took a seat in the Museum of Modern Art in New York every day for several months, inviting visitors to sit across a table from her, for however long they wanted, and look into her eyes.
"Home Again" - Michael Kiwanuka
I finally picked up a physical copy of this 2012 album, and it's been one of my favourites for long train journeys recently, I think Michael Kiwanuka's one of the best R&B artists to emerge in a long time.
"Nothing Compares 2 U" (cover) - Capital Cities
I'm not even sure I really like this but it's a really interesting cover and definitely demands a listen, the use of horns is really interesting. Their track "Hair" is so much fun, as well.
Nick Mulvey
There's so many folky singer-song writer types around nowadays, but Nick Mulvey, who supported Laura Marling on her UK tour last month, is truly something to do it. He's an exceptional guitarist, his lyrics are pure poetry and he puts on a great live show. "Cucurucu" my favourite of his, and he's definitely one to watch.
"Tiderays" - Volcano Choir
"Reprave", the second album from Justin Vernon's new project is completely beautiful, it's a lot more accessible and little less ambient and abstract than the first album (personally, I think this the new album is a lot more Bon Iver than the last). "Tiderays", the opening track, swells from the softest opening of dainty guitar riffs to a refrain bouncing with heart pounding percussion and piano. Utterly serene and perfect.
"The Artist Is Present"
A documentary about Marina Abramovic, one of the most famous performance artists in the world - I don't exactly know what I thought of this, and whether it inspired or upset me, but I know that it made me think a lot about human interaction and communication. "The Artist Is Present" is the name of one of Abramovic's most famous projects, during which she took a seat in the Museum of Modern Art in New York every day for several months, inviting visitors to sit across a table from her, for however long they wanted, and look into her eyes.
"Home Again" - Michael Kiwanuka
I finally picked up a physical copy of this 2012 album, and it's been one of my favourites for long train journeys recently, I think Michael Kiwanuka's one of the best R&B artists to emerge in a long time.
"Nothing Compares 2 U" (cover) - Capital Cities
I'm not even sure I really like this but it's a really interesting cover and definitely demands a listen, the use of horns is really interesting. Their track "Hair" is so much fun, as well.
Thursday 3 October 2013
Sinead O'Connor's Letter to Miley Cyrus
This is written very much in a rush and something I really value your opinions on - if you've been anywhere near Twitter today, you'll probably have read Sinead O'Connor's open letter to Miley Cyrus today - which you can see here. Read that first.
It was when she compared her to being "made into a prostitute", that got me.
And if you've been hiding in a box for weeks, the video in question:
"WRECKING BALL" - Miley Cyrus
I've been actively avoiding blogging about Miley Cyrus to be honest, for two basic reasons - the first, is that lots of other people are much better articulating all these important points about slut-shaming and women in the media but I'm pretty fucking sick of being quiet about it at this point.
A friend of mine wrote this piece about Cherie Bebe's Burlesque Revue in Manchester recently, which I saw, and it really got me thinking about burlesque, and displays of sexuality - the thing that the music industry sees as so cheap and desperate as, in fact, an art in itself.
My take on it is pretty much this:
When someone makes bad (normally pop) music, we'll be quick to call them out on it. Rebecca Black's "Friday" is a prime example of it: an international laughing stock. But the object of attack wasn't music, was it? We weren't demonising and criticising the act of making music, it was the fact that it was an awful song.
But with Miley Cyrus' displays of sexuality, it's how dare a woman display her sexuality, and how dare she take her clothes off. I don't know if this is to do with our association that a naked woman is shameful, or an object, and that that's wrong. Because sexuality can totally be art, that's something we can embrace and be okay with - what's problematic isn't the way Miley Cyrus uses it, but the oversimplification and objectification of women in "Blurred Lines". It's almost like "don't hate the sin, hate the sinner". Except... not. Don't hate displays of sexuality. Hate demoralising ones, hate ones that objectify. And try to understand them. And try to think about why they're wrong.
The only problem I really have with what Miley Cyrus is doing is that, I hope it isn't out of fear. Or an effort to be controversial. Or, as Sinead O'Connor very explicitly assumes in her letter that she is vulnerable or nervous about exposing her body. And as long as that isn't valid, and she's comfortable as an artist expressing herself in that way, the problem isn't Miley's but belongs to us - as the media, as an audience.
It was when she compared her to being "made into a prostitute", that got me.
And if you've been hiding in a box for weeks, the video in question:
"WRECKING BALL" - Miley Cyrus
I've been actively avoiding blogging about Miley Cyrus to be honest, for two basic reasons - the first, is that lots of other people are much better articulating all these important points about slut-shaming and women in the media but I'm pretty fucking sick of being quiet about it at this point.
A friend of mine wrote this piece about Cherie Bebe's Burlesque Revue in Manchester recently, which I saw, and it really got me thinking about burlesque, and displays of sexuality - the thing that the music industry sees as so cheap and desperate as, in fact, an art in itself.
My take on it is pretty much this:
When someone makes bad (normally pop) music, we'll be quick to call them out on it. Rebecca Black's "Friday" is a prime example of it: an international laughing stock. But the object of attack wasn't music, was it? We weren't demonising and criticising the act of making music, it was the fact that it was an awful song.
But with Miley Cyrus' displays of sexuality, it's how dare a woman display her sexuality, and how dare she take her clothes off. I don't know if this is to do with our association that a naked woman is shameful, or an object, and that that's wrong. Because sexuality can totally be art, that's something we can embrace and be okay with - what's problematic isn't the way Miley Cyrus uses it, but the oversimplification and objectification of women in "Blurred Lines". It's almost like "don't hate the sin, hate the sinner". Except... not. Don't hate displays of sexuality. Hate demoralising ones, hate ones that objectify. And try to understand them. And try to think about why they're wrong.
The only problem I really have with what Miley Cyrus is doing is that, I hope it isn't out of fear. Or an effort to be controversial. Or, as Sinead O'Connor very explicitly assumes in her letter that she is vulnerable or nervous about exposing her body. And as long as that isn't valid, and she's comfortable as an artist expressing herself in that way, the problem isn't Miley's but belongs to us - as the media, as an audience.
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