Holly Listens to a New Band: The DuBarrys

Hello! I’m back again with Holly Listens to a New Band! It’s late again but I went to Vienna last weekend so I’ve been distracted trying to fit a weekend’s worth of clothes into a carry-on but I managed it and I’m back with a new band I want you all to know about. I’m continuing with the Brighton bands because Brighton will not stop throwing great music at me, so let me introduce you to The DuBarrys.

It’s hard to describe this band, mainly because they sound different with every song. Some songs sound very James Bay-esque, such as Undress Your Soul and Winter Grade, but Lilly, a personal favourite, doesn’t sound too unlike Stereophonics. This isn’t a bad thing, of course, it means that they can appeal to everyone and I don’t think there is anyone who wouldn’t like them. Something that stands out for me is that the vocals are incredible and vocals are never something I tend to judge a band on, which probably explains why my favourite bands are the Stone Roses and Blur but anyway, I digress. They just sound great, they are so easy to listen to and even the slightly heavier (which isn’t even heavy) tracks are nice to listen to.

Their new track, Catch The Rider, which they released just this month, sounds completely different to their earlier work in the way that it sounds much pop-ier, resembling the modern indie-pop bands dominating the alternative music scene, such as The 1975 and The Lumineers. Catch The Rider has a really relaxed vibe about it, and I can definitely see myself listening to it a lot as the weather starts to get warmer. By the looks of things- and by things I mean their Soundcloud page – they already have a pretty big following worldwide so there’s no doubt that there are some big things in store for these guys this year. I’m excited for them and you should seriously give them a listen.

On another note, the first band I wrote about this year, Fragile Creatures, have released their album if you want to check that out. That’s all from me for now, but no doubt with three new TLSP releases and a new Biffy song I’ll be back before you know it.

Holly Listens to a New Band: Fickle Friends

Hello! Happy St David’s Day! After two birthdays and a broken bone, I’m back to talk about my new fave band, Fickle Friends. I know I pretty much say every band is my new favourite band but I really do mean it this time.

Brighton based Fickle Friends have been making noise for a while, particularly in the blogosphere (that’s actually a word there’s no red line under it, who knew?) and they are set to make even more noise in 2016. With half the UK tour over they are continuing this month with their final few dates, including a headline show at The 100 Club (my favourite venue ever) as well as a festival appearance already announced Fickle Friends are going to be waving the Brighton flag across the UK and beyond.

It only takes a quick look at their Facebook page to not only see that they already have an incredibly loyal following, but that they also do things a little differently. Their photos and promo videos have a definite ‘Inherent Vice’ feel about them. Think old colour photographs and visuals with a serious eighties feel. When you listen to their music of course, it fits in perfectly. It was ‘Swim’ that caught the notice of the music bloggers in 2014 and to this day has gained 986K listens on Soundcloud. ‘Swim’ is upbeat, positive and everything you want from an indie band. Singer Natassja Shiner’s voice fits well with the type of music they’re producing, it’s not overpowering but it stands out as unique, there’s no doubt that her voice plays a huge part in the bands appeal. ‘For You’ followed ‘Swim’ and ‘Play’ and continues their new-wave/indie/pop sound. However, the songs melodic and carefree sound disguise the ache of unrequited love portrayed in the lyrics. For me, this is perfect because I too tend to hide my feelings under the veil of cheerfulness and the occasional sarcasm. Anyway, enough about how I deal with my emotions, back to Fickle Friends. Although this genre of song (bittersweet has to be a new genre surely?) has been done quite a lot by indie bands, there’s something about Fickle Friends that make it work better than others. They are the perfect sunny day band, the ones you can definitely see yourself dancing to at a festival, which of course, is the best type of band.

Their EP, Velvet, was released last year and shows how distinctly they’ve grown as a band, but in a way in which they haven’t lost their original sound. There’s a definite maturity to ‘Paris’ the third track on the EP, it’s slower and really gives the band a chance to show off how well the band works together in terms of harmonies. ‘Shake Her’, ‘Velvet’ and ‘Could Be Wrong’ are all as bubbly and as energetic as their earlier work. They’ve yet to put a foot wrong and I really doubt they will do so anytime soon. Fickle Friends are a great band, producing really great music so I’m excited to see where they head next. They announced on their Facebook page that they signed to Polydor records this year and will be releasing an album. Polydor have some insane acts signed to them so I have so much confidence in them to produce a killer album.So, there we have it, Fickle Friends are great and you should all listen to them straight away.

Also, I am loving the new song by The Kills aren’t you? It’s catchy, badass and way cooler than I’ll ever be. I freaking love it.

 

Holly x

Holly Listens to a New Band: Blossoms

Okay, so I didn’t keep to my resolution of updating this every week but I’ve been super busy with all sorts of exciting things. By exciting things I clearly mean binge watching Making a Murderer but that’s an excuse right? Good.

Last week (and this week) I was listening to Blossoms. Blossoms are a band from Stockport and have been causing quite a stir in Indie land. They’ve just come back from a tour with a small unknown band called The Libertines, and have already been announced for The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. The Great Escape Festival has played host to some incredible artists such as The Cribs, Albert Hammond Jr, Royal Blood, and Adele. Yes, that Adele. So Blossoms are definitely going places.

They have yet to release an album, but they have a few EPs that give quite a good idea of what the five-piece are about. They’re unapologetically indie pop and they’ve cited everyone from Arctic Monkeys to Abba as their influences and it’s actually quite a good way to describe them. Their songs are catchy, particularly Charlemagne which is the pop-iest tune they’ve done and there is definitely an Arctic Monkeys Humbug-esque vibe to Polka Dot Bones. Essentially, they are a great guitar band, which is all we need really.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see The Libertines (it’s a sore subject) so I didn’t see Blossoms but I have no doubt that they held their own against the likes of Reverend and the Makers (who released a killer album last year. I’ve never been a huge fan but Mirrors is amazing and I thoroughly recommend) and I predict that they will have their own cult following in no time. The boys are already following in their Mancuian predecessor’s footsteps by declaring that they want to be “as mainstream as Will Smith, as great as the Smiths and as uplifting as Mr Smith Goes to Washington”. They don’t want much then.

In all seriousness, Blossoms are a great guitar band. They’re fun, they sound good, the lyrics and vocals are great and they have the confidence and the skill to go far. I predict that The Great Escape will merely be the start of their festival adventures this year.

That’s it from me, next will be Fickle Friends and I promise it will be quicker than this one! Also, my full review of Leave Me Alone by Hinds is up on the F-Word and you can read it here and I really really would like you to read it.

Until next time x

Holly Listens to a New Band: Hinds

Hello! What a week it has been. I apologise for not updating with my new band sooner, I was going to do it Thursday but I was devastated by the tragic news that Alan Rickman had died. Harry Potter means a lot to me, and Alan Rickman played my favourite character of the whole series (apart from maybe Sirius) so I was heartbroken by the news that he passed away. However, life must go on, so back to my New Year’s Resolution…

Hinds are an all-female band from Spain. Formerly Deers, I listened to their debut album, Leave Me Alone, without listening to their EP and with no prior knowledge, so you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised when I realised they were definitely a band to watch this year. Their twelve track album is full of contagious pop, it’s messy, energetic and everything you want from a fantastic indie album. The cover of the album is of the four of them looking effortlessly cool in baggy t shirts you only see on cool hipsters on Tumblr, and already you want to be in their gang before you’ve even listened to them. The cover reflects their album beautifully as there is a clear rawness that resonates throughout all of the songs. Their vocals complement each other in a way that is unique to them and gives the songs an added depth. Their songs are messy and unpolished, the opening track ‘Garden’ sounds fairly punky, though as we move through the album there’s a wistfulness to a few of the songs, a haze-y sort of sound that you can imagine listening to whilst lying in the Spanish sun. The entire album is full of a raw energy only a great girl band could produce, the sort of energy that makes you want to go out and join a girl band yourself.

These women are incredible, every song on the album is brilliant and adds a new depth to this already fascinating band. I really hope that they continue to go from strength to strength this year, and don’t lose the raw, messy, unpolished sound that makes them so great. Their album is available on iTunes and if you do anything this week, you should give Hinds a listen.

I know it’s not very long but I am doing a longer review of the album for a website called The F-Word, and once that’s up there will be a link to it on here! Have a wonderful week lovelies x

Goodbye, Starman

Well, that’s that. I’ve imagined scenarios in which I wake up and find out a hero of mine has died. I’ve done it with Morrissey, Pete Doherty, Stevie Nicks, even the Gallagher brothers but I have never, at any point, thought about what would happen if David Bowie died. Because it never crossed my mind that he would die, that he would do something so human, so ordinary and mortal. I never imagined going into work and writing a tribute to him. Nor did I imagine having to hold back tears as I listened to Heroes on the bus this morning. I’ve always been a fan of Bowie, he’s always been a presence in my life, which is why I very rarely talk about him. There’s a post on Tumblr in which a user has written something along the lines of ‘I don’t blog about Harry Potter because it would be like blogging about my foot, it’s a part of me’ and I think that applies now, I don’t tend to talk about David Bowie because it would be like talking about my right arm. However, now I’m going to talk about it.

I don’t remember when I started listening to Bowie, but his music is like home to me. When I first started University I was full of social anxiety, dealing with my parents’ divorce as well as other things from the previous year so for most of my first term all I listened to was David Bowie. Firstly, it was because I thought ‘everyone loves David Bowie, so if I play this out loud in my room then people will come and talk to me about Bowie’ and secondly, when I listened to David Bowie, I felt cool. Listening to Rebel Rebel as I walked to my first lecture gave me more confidence than I had in a long time. If David Bowie could be himself and be cool, then so could I. In those few months he meant more to me than pretty much anyone else in the world.

Although he had his faults, and he did, David Bowie was revolutionary. He defied stereotypes and subverted genres in a way no one else has. There is a video of him currently doing the rounds online of him questioning MTV on their lack of coverage for black artists, and BuzzFeed has done a wonderful article compiling the tweets from members of the LGBTQA+ community in which they explain how much David Bowie meant to them. Openly admitting his bisexuality in a time when it was not socially acceptable to do so paved the way for many, as did his subversion of gender stereotypes and his ventures into androgyny, and for that he will always be respected.

Whenever I listen to David Bowie, I feel like I’m listening to a superior being. Someone not of this earth, because there is no way a mere mortal could be that good. Which is why, I think everyone was so shocked when he died, because it’s a very ordinary thing to do isn’t it? And David Bowie was anything but ordinary. There’s always the next Beatles, or the next Oasis, or the next Arctic Monkeys but there is never the next David Bowie, and there never will be. I think the reason we are so shocked by his death is because we thought he was invincible, because that’s how he made us feel.

This isn’t a tribute as such, this is closure, this is me saying goodbye to Starman. So, goodbye David Bowie, it’s been a privilege to share the earth with you and I am eternally grateful for everything you have done for me. Planet Earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do.

Holly Listens to a New Band: Fragile Creatures

I’m keeping to my resolution of not only updating my blog more often, but listening to a new band every week. Okay, I’m only in the first week but still, yay for me. I think I was super lucky this week because I had to research Brighton based bands for an article for work and I stumbled across this band that I have been listening to on repeat since. The band is called Fragile Creatures and their debut album is out in March but is currently being streamed online. This will be the first release from a new record label BrightonsFinest Presents.

Fragile Creatures describe themselves as ‘on a mission to restore Britain’s reputation for original guitar music’. Their songs are ridiculously catchy and encompass everything great about American and British rock and pop. They are one of those bands you would hear on the radio and enjoy every second they are on air. Whilst you could argue that the album is essentially a really great pop album, there is a distinctive indie rock edge that sits it firmly into the rock category. The lyrics are pretty much spot on and when, combined with the sophisticated guitar work and harmonies, can sound very Beatles-esque. They are a band that, on the surface, have existed before in many forms. Like many guitar bands before them their influences come through in their music however, Fragile Creatures don’t rely on their influences to carry them, and although they may sound a bit like The Beatles or a bit like Vampire Weekend, there’s a constant sound there that sounds like Fragile Creatures and as long as they keep that edge, there’s no doubt in my mind they will do exactly what they set out to do. You can listen to them here.

That’s it from me, have a good weekend darlings x

My 2016 Resolutions

Happy New Year! It’s been a while hasn’t it? Almost two months. I do apologise, a bout of illness, a million birthdays and Christmas got in the way of me being able to update this. But it’s 2016 and I have a really great feeling about this year! Have you got any resolutions? I have a few, and I thought that as it’s my first post of the year I would share my resolutions with you.

Listen to a new band every week: Have you noticed that a lot of the bands I listen to aren’t even from this century?! This year I am going to listen to a new band every week so if you have any suggestions, hit me up. I’m going to also try and listen to a lot of local bands because Brighton is a hot bed of new music talent and celebrating local bands is something I really want to start getting involved in.

Read more: When I graduated University I couldn’t wait to read books again yet I’ve barely read any. However, I have already taken steps to make sure that this doesn’t happen this year by joining a feminist book club. You heard. Myself, along with other bloggers, will be reading two books a month and discussing them. It sounds like fun and it will get me reading again.

Expand my blog into different areas: Though this has been primarily a music blog, I don’t have an outlet for my other interests such as politics, feminism and other social issues. I want that to change this year, though I’ve not really written about any of those things so it’ll be a learning curve!

Be more environmentally friendly: I like to think I’m fairly good at doing my bit for the environment, I get the bus and train whenever I can, I recycle, I try to bring awareness to my otherwise clueless family, but this year I’m going to try and be more conscious about how my choices effect the environment.

Donate to charity: At the end of this month I’m going to choose a few charities I will donate money to each month. Because I’ll choose two or three, they will be a variety, from women’s charities to environmental.

They aren’t huge things, just little changes to my life that hopefully will help make 2016 a great year. Most of them involve this blog which will tie in with my ultimate resolution which is to ‘blog more’! The next post is already in the works so I’m making progress already! In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful year!

The Third Coming

Four stadium shows. 640,000 people. Two albums twenty years ago, one of which was slated by critics and fans alike. So how on earth have the Stone Roses done it?

Before we start, I should say that the Stone Roses are my favourite band in the world, therefore any criticism isn’t me hating on them in any way, just to spark a discussion. When they were at their peak, the Stone Roses were the cult band. The baggy trouser-ed, bucket hat wearing foursome rattled their way onto the Madchester music scene in a way no band had done before. They sold out Alexandra Palace before even releasing a single, they became huge in a way no one could imagine. Spike Island is considered one of the biggest events in British indie music history, and the fact that music magazines, newspapers and bloggers commemorate the event twenty five years on is something special. The Stone Roses have influenced two films, several books and influenced an entire generation of music makers, predominantly our good friends the Gallagher brothers. Both claim that they wouldn’t be making music if it wasn’t for the Stone Roses. There is something incredible about the Stone Roses, something few bands have managed to achieve. In just two albums, one of which I will focus on in a minute, they have achieved something that bands only dream of doing, they are immortalised in their two albums, they have yet again become the biggest talking point for music fans. After coming back after several years of solo projects to do huge shows at Heaton Park, a few festival appearances, a stretch at Finsbury Park, and having two films centred on them being released in cinemas, the Stone Roses disappeared yet again for three years without a trace. Whispers occasionally, there was always someone who knew someone who spoke to Reni outside a pub but other than that it was like 2012 didn’t even happen. Now they’re back again, with four stadium shows in Manchester in 2016, two of the shows selling out in ten seconds (post on ticket touting to follow). They then announced two more dates because they knew that they would have that much demand, they knew that no one would be able to resist seeing the Stone Roses, to see the band that made shockwaves within the music industry with just two albums.

Something that will keep cropping up over the coming months, as the countdown to the stadium shows commence is the debate over whether they will release new material. Second Coming still to this day lingers over the band, a shadow lurking in the background of their later success. The second album was not well received at all and if it were any other band, it would have been the end of them. They had lost their momentum and they couldn’t recreate the magic they had with the previous album. However, their comeback shows proved that they had recaptured that magic, and won back the trust of fans and critics. Should there be another album? I’m open to the idea, I think they could do it. After the success of the third Libertines album I am open to the idea of another Stone Roses album, though many fans are not. Many fans think that they should keep it how it is, and that making another album might ruin their legacy, which I also understand. There’s still potential there for a new album, though there will always be that part of me that will be concerned it won’t be as good as the previous two. I liked Second Coming, and I will defend it to my last breath but I think that’s because I wasn’t around in their first run, there wasn’t any anticipation therefore there was no disappointment. Would it be the same with a third album? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be too worried if they did release new material.

So there are a few thoughts on the third coming, I’m excited to see what emerges in the coming months, maybe more shows and festival appearances and potential new material. Whatever does happen I could not be happier that my favourite band are back. What do you think of the Stone Roses comeback? Comment below so I can talk to someone about it, none of my friends care.

Responding to the call, to Camden we will crawl

The wait is over!! It’s taken the best part of my life (seriously, I was born in ’94) but finally there is a third Libertines album. I can’t help but feel like the release is bittersweet, for those who were on Twitter on Thursday night will know that Pete went missing before they were due to go on stage in Camden. With little information given by the rest of the band and management, fans began to panic for his wellbeing, the next day we got the all clear that Pete was okay and Libertines fans simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. However, no one knows quite what happened that night and whilst it isn’t our place to pry, an update would be nice guys. Anyway, I would have written a review on the Friday if I could but due to personal matters, I was unable to even listen to it until Saturday night. When I first imagined listening to Anthem for Doomed Youth, I imagined locking myself away and listening to it with nothing else on my mind apart from the miracle that is a third Libertines album. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out that way and I was listening to it for the first time while getting ready for a wild night of Frustration and ‘Where am I?’ at a friends house. Yet, I was still blown away. The reason it took me over an hour to get ready for a casual night was because I would stop halfway through applying my make up to listen to Fame and Fortune, or stop with my jeans halfway up my legs to listen to Dead for Love, and of course, had to reapply my make up because I cried at You’re My Waterloo. Critics have said that fans will find their new favourite Libertines album in Anthems for Doomed Youth and at first I didn’t believe it was possible, but they were completely right.

There’s a sophistication to the third album, it still maintains the classic Libertines charm, it’s still a bit messy, loud and is the musical equivalent of jumping around in a circle with your mates, but it’s also more polished. The vocals sound better than they have done in the previous two albums, you can actually understand a majority of the lyrics. There’s also a sense of optimism in this third album, in a way only The Libertines could carry off, for example in Barbarians ‘the world’s fucked but it won’t get me down’  and of course, in Gunga Din and Anthem for Doomed Youth, of which both hold the same sense of optimism, that everything will be fine. I suppose this makes the album release even more bittersweet given Pete’s current situation. The Libertines have always given me hope, no lyric means more to me than ‘if you’ve lost your faith in love and music, the end won’t be long’ and the reason it gave me hope was because I had faith in The Libertines, and I feel that exact same faith when listening to the third album. The songs sound more accessible, in the way that my best friend who’s favourite song at the moment is Marvin Gaye listened to Heart of the Matter and told me how much she loved it. The songs are less aggressive and messy as their older songs, not that it means they don’t sound like The Libertines, it just shows how much they have grown.

A lot of people were sceptical about the third album, they thought that The Libertines would have lost it after such a long time, and after so much has happened between Pete and Carl, yet Anthems for Doomed Youth proves even the most pessimistic of Libertines fans wrong. The inclusion of You’re My Waterloo on the album is a real highlight, and I am so pleased they put it on there. I think it really signifies how far they have come as a band, and Pete and Carl have as partners, in a completely platonic way of course (if you felt it was needless for me to mention that you clearly haven’t seen their Tumblr tag). It does reduce me to tears every time I listen to it, and I don’t think that will change for a while. There’s a lot of meaning in the lyrics to every song, as there always is with The Libertines, yet in this album it feels like the message is a lot clearer than in the other albums. You know sometimes you come across a lyric that sticks with you and will mean more than most people will know? There are lyrics just like that in every single song on this album. From ‘you can’t fumigate the demons, no matter how much you smoke’ to ‘like Tin soldiers, responding to the call, to Camden we will crawl’. I have never had more faith in Pete Doherty as a lyricist as I have in this album.

I realise I have gone on for almost a thousand words about how much I fucking love this album. I apologise for swearing but that’s the only way I can tell you how much I love it. The Libertines have taken everything great about their first two albums and turned it into an incredible third album. The Libertines have not failed us, and it was definitely worth the wait. If you ever need more evidence that The Libertines are one of the greatest bands of our generation then all you have to do is listen to this album. I don’t know how long it will be before we get a fourth album, or if we ever will. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Pete, or the fate of The Libertines after this album, but for now, we have Anthems for Doomed Youth, and that is more than enough.

What happened to the joy in the hearts of the boys?

The past few weeks have been difficult for Libertines fans. Somewhere Over the Railings was so over-hyped when it turned out to be a pub quiz and a documentary screening with limited tickets available, people were angry and upset and rightly so. However, I cannot stay mad at The Libertines, there is nothing that that band can do that will stop me loving them. But when they said they were pushing their album release back a week to make room for more events that people probably won’t get tickets to, it was difficult for me to defend them. I did, obviously, but it was tough when all I wanted was to hold the album in my arms. Waiting another week would kill me I knew it would. Though it made me feel better when I found out we would get two new tracks off the album, Anthem for Doomed Youth and Glasgow Coma Scale Blues, available for download at midnight on Friday morning. I only had a chance to listen to them last night because I had no internet and was buried under flat pack furniture from the move. I don’t know if it was because I was exhausted, or because I was on my own on a Saturday night but they got me a bit emotional. Turns out I’m not the only one who had that reaction, the general consensus is that Anthem for Doomed Youth has made people shed real Libertine tears and Glasgow Coma Scale Blues has put everyone in considerable pain. You’ll find out why when you listen to them. Anyway, I should get talking about the songs.

Yesterday, when I first wrote this, Anthem for Doomed Youth was a song to sing late at night, when the world is asleep and it’s just you and a few others awake talking about nothing and everything. Then today, I received some awful news. News I am receiving far too often at the age of twenty one. I didn’t realise at first, but whilst I was processing this information, Anthem for Doomed Youth had been playing on repeat. Hearing it in the context of this morning gave it a whole new meaning. It’s sad, yet oddly positive, with a comforting ‘it’s all gonna be okay’. There are themes similar to that of their earlier stuff such as death and glory with lyrics so beautiful it sounds like it’s a poem put to music. There is no doubt that Pete is still the lyrical genius he always has been. The vocals are brilliant, and it’s the perfect song to show people who say Pete is just ‘a waster’ or a drug addict. Anthem for Doomed Youth proves why The Libertines are so great, and why they mean so much to people. Sometimes songs can be more comforting than words from close friends or family and Anthem for Doomed Youth is one of those songs.

Glasgow Coma Scale Blues is more along the lines of Tell the King and Boys in the Band, with one line being sung exactly the same as in Boys in the Band but I’ll let you work out which one. It’s louder and messier than Anthem for Doomed Youth yet more polished than the songs I just mentioned. Something tells me that although this album will still be classic Libertines, it will be tidier and almost more grown up. The lyrics are just as amazing, dense with references to the past, and what went wrong the first time around, then the second, for example; ‘the only thing that kept us apart was your cold, unloving heart’. Ouch guys. Could this Glasgow Coma Scale Blues be this eras Can’t Stand Me Now? Most likely. There is nothing to fault with this song, it’s painfully honest, with lyrics that only Pete and Carl could get away with singing to each other, again think Can’t Stand Me Now. It highlights the troubled relationship the two have had and doesn’t once shy away from it. The verses are messier than the chorus, but as with all Libs songs it works well. It’s just a great song, I cannot find anything wrong with it.

If there’s anything I have learnt from listening to these two songs it’s that The Libertines are still The Libertines and no one will be disappointed with this album. Maybe, just maybe, it’s worth waiting the extra week.