Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
A Sunday afternoon chat with Lee Newell of Brother
So how are things at the moment? Anything exciting going down this coming week?
Well we’re playing Glasgow tonight as part of our headline tour, Dublin on Monday, and then we fly to the States again to do a West Coast tour and perform on David Letterman in New York. So yeah, we’re really really busy! I won’t be going home until I get one day off in like 6 weeks time I think, so that will be nice, I’ll do some washing.
You’ve described yourselves as a ‘gritpop band’. Does this imply that your style is a revival of the rawer, tougher end of the 90s brit-pop spectrum, or are you offering the music scene anything new?
I’d say if anything we came up with that as a sort of comeback to people who were calling us kind of brit-pop revivalists. Cos we’re not you know, we bonded over these bands and that’s where our first love was but this brit-pop or whatever you call it is what we’ve created and it’s a modern take on that. It’s original but it’s certainly got its influences from 90s music.
Who would you say is your favourite band around at the moment? And who can't you stand?
There’s a lot I can’t stand! There’s a band I’m listening to at the moment, I dunno if you’ve heard of them, they’re a sort of folky band called Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It’s a bit of a mouthful but they’re fucking amazing. I really like Everything Everything, their album’s amazing. That’s all I can think of at the moment, those two, that’s all you’re getting!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but a cheeky bit of research tells me that Brother evolved from two previous bands: Kill the Arcade and Wolf Am I. Is this proof that there is more depth to the history of Brother than your seemingly over-night success gives you credit for?
We came from virtually nothing to doing everything in a really short space of time, but we’ve got the songs to back it up and we believe that. We’ve created a really good album, that’s all we can do. Those bands were just a product of us growing up, but yeah we do listen to a lot of music whereas I think people think we’re a little closed-minded. We’re smart, we know what we’re doing and we’re just having fun at the end of the day. We’re not hurting anyone!
As a band you are openly ambitious and confidently so, an attitude which many would praise as refreshing and inspiring. How do you respond to critics and other artists who deem you pretentious and overly-cocky? Does it bother you at all or simply make you even more determined to achieve your goals?
Well that’s very well put! I don’t respond to it, they are what they are. We really are not fussed about what anyone says about us, positive or negative. We’re just here for ourselves, our friends and our family, making something from living in the most terrible place on earth which is called Slough! So yeah we don’t care, we’re all for it. We’re just playing the game and having fun!
With all the media hype it must be difficult to keep your feet on the ground. How important do you consider the old cliché of ‘remembering your roots’ to be?
Well yeah of course it’s important, but we’re not really getting carried away with it. We’ve had such a struggle for the last six or seven years as individuals that anything positive is a revelation and so yeah, I mean it’s important to talk to your friends but really we didn’t have many! This band are our only friends, we’re in this little bubble together so we just live in our own weird world!
Evolution is unlike typical mud and wellies festivals due to its urban quayside setting. Some would say it’s rather like playing in a big carpark. How do you plan to bring some of the more traditional festival spirit to your performance?
Our songs lend themselves to playing big festivals I think. When we wrote them we put up pictures on the wall of festivals and loads of people just so we got in that mindset. We’re a traditional band in that sense, there’s no gimmicks, we’re not trying to innovate music. We’re just simply celebrating everything that’s good about classic music. Really, we’re just gonna go and do what we do: play loud. It’s a big show, you’re gonna have to see it to believe it I guess!
Before you hit the stage do you undertake any pre-performance rituals? Any diva-style dressing room requests?
Yeah we do. . .but I think we’d prefer to keep it secret! Sorry! We do have a couple of beers though, that always helps. We have a LOT of booze in our rider, to the point where we keep accumulating more and more so we’ve just got a big pile in the bus of all this fucking booze. But that’s good, that’s all you want! Sometimes we ask for a signed picture of Holly Willoughby just for a laugh but we’ve never got it. One day maybe we’ll get it!
Do you prefer playing smaller, more intimate gigs or larger festivals? Your big choruses are surely well-suited to the latter?
It depends what mood I’m in that day really! I love both. We’ve never played a huge venue but we’ve done Brixton Academy which is about five thousand, and a lot of the other academies. But nothing over sort of five to ten thousand so this is going to be new to us. We’re really excited about doing it. I think Evolution is actually the first festival we do this summer so it’s gonna be amazing.
Your current tour is taking you all over the world. Do you enjoy the travelling element to life in Brother?
I love it when I get there, I love looking at all these new places, places I’d never ever have got the chance to see. But I hate the actual travelling itself, the long drives and all the flights and everything. I’ve started getting really scared of flying. I used to be completely fine with it but since the band’s started doing more things and flying more places I’ve sort of gained this irrational fear of flying so that’s no good!
How did the American crowds compare to those back here last time you played over the other side of the pond?
Well they’re a lot older because I think all the shows we did were 21s and over, but it was really good, they were really receptive and found us funny and enjoyed it. They were really nice and talkative, really appreciative that we were there. I mean it’s not too different there, I’d say it’s fairly similar. They’re just a bit more... American!
At your dream festival, what bands would headline?
Well the headliners would have to be The Smiths, The Stone Roses and then The Clash maybe. Who else. . . Blur! They’re a massive influence on us, and me in particular. Then let’s just say Rolf Harris, wheel him out. He can play his weird wobble-board dubstep.
Is it true that you will be supporting Morrissey this summer? As you have previously cited him as one of your biggest musical influences, you must be pretty psyched?
Well yeah, I’ve had posters of him on my wall since I was a kid and I woke up every morning looking at him. I know everything about him; I probably know more about him than he does! So to be asked to support him and to play Hop Farm Festival with him as well was ridiculous, it blew my head off. I’ve just about collected my head!
Your forthcoming debut album, Famous First Words, is due this summer. Some of your own famous first words were that you will headline Glastonbury. Are you hoping that the title of your debut will one day strongly resonate amongst those who have doubted and criticised you?
Well yeah the name of it was exactly what you said, a commentary on how we’ve been quoted as saying these ridiculous things even before people have heard our music. In some of the interviews I’ve done they’re all like, why are you calling it that then? What were your first words? I’m like, well I dunno, 'Mama'?! What do you want me to say?! You hit it on the head. Maybe one day we’ll call it Funeral or something cos we’ll be dead.
Where do you see your band in five years time? Do you think you have the all-important longevity factor and if so, why?
I think we do and I can say that truthfully. I really do think we are the sort of band who can last a long time. I dunno how long it will take us to do the albums, whether we’ll do another one next year or whether it will take us like 5 years. We’ll do it when we’re ready and when we want to do it but we want to do this for a long time. I think we’re going to have to do it. There are no new bands around at the moment that are scaring me or rivalling us, as big-headed as that sounds! It’s just how ambitious we are I guess.
Describe Brother in three words?
Really quite extraordinary.
Link to Palatinate: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/?p=13182
Well we’re playing Glasgow tonight as part of our headline tour, Dublin on Monday, and then we fly to the States again to do a West Coast tour and perform on David Letterman in New York. So yeah, we’re really really busy! I won’t be going home until I get one day off in like 6 weeks time I think, so that will be nice, I’ll do some washing.
You’ve described yourselves as a ‘gritpop band’. Does this imply that your style is a revival of the rawer, tougher end of the 90s brit-pop spectrum, or are you offering the music scene anything new?
I’d say if anything we came up with that as a sort of comeback to people who were calling us kind of brit-pop revivalists. Cos we’re not you know, we bonded over these bands and that’s where our first love was but this brit-pop or whatever you call it is what we’ve created and it’s a modern take on that. It’s original but it’s certainly got its influences from 90s music.
Who would you say is your favourite band around at the moment? And who can't you stand?
There’s a lot I can’t stand! There’s a band I’m listening to at the moment, I dunno if you’ve heard of them, they’re a sort of folky band called Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It’s a bit of a mouthful but they’re fucking amazing. I really like Everything Everything, their album’s amazing. That’s all I can think of at the moment, those two, that’s all you’re getting!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but a cheeky bit of research tells me that Brother evolved from two previous bands: Kill the Arcade and Wolf Am I. Is this proof that there is more depth to the history of Brother than your seemingly over-night success gives you credit for?
We came from virtually nothing to doing everything in a really short space of time, but we’ve got the songs to back it up and we believe that. We’ve created a really good album, that’s all we can do. Those bands were just a product of us growing up, but yeah we do listen to a lot of music whereas I think people think we’re a little closed-minded. We’re smart, we know what we’re doing and we’re just having fun at the end of the day. We’re not hurting anyone!
As a band you are openly ambitious and confidently so, an attitude which many would praise as refreshing and inspiring. How do you respond to critics and other artists who deem you pretentious and overly-cocky? Does it bother you at all or simply make you even more determined to achieve your goals?
Well that’s very well put! I don’t respond to it, they are what they are. We really are not fussed about what anyone says about us, positive or negative. We’re just here for ourselves, our friends and our family, making something from living in the most terrible place on earth which is called Slough! So yeah we don’t care, we’re all for it. We’re just playing the game and having fun!
With all the media hype it must be difficult to keep your feet on the ground. How important do you consider the old cliché of ‘remembering your roots’ to be?
Well yeah of course it’s important, but we’re not really getting carried away with it. We’ve had such a struggle for the last six or seven years as individuals that anything positive is a revelation and so yeah, I mean it’s important to talk to your friends but really we didn’t have many! This band are our only friends, we’re in this little bubble together so we just live in our own weird world!
Evolution is unlike typical mud and wellies festivals due to its urban quayside setting. Some would say it’s rather like playing in a big carpark. How do you plan to bring some of the more traditional festival spirit to your performance?
Our songs lend themselves to playing big festivals I think. When we wrote them we put up pictures on the wall of festivals and loads of people just so we got in that mindset. We’re a traditional band in that sense, there’s no gimmicks, we’re not trying to innovate music. We’re just simply celebrating everything that’s good about classic music. Really, we’re just gonna go and do what we do: play loud. It’s a big show, you’re gonna have to see it to believe it I guess!
Before you hit the stage do you undertake any pre-performance rituals? Any diva-style dressing room requests?
Yeah we do. . .but I think we’d prefer to keep it secret! Sorry! We do have a couple of beers though, that always helps. We have a LOT of booze in our rider, to the point where we keep accumulating more and more so we’ve just got a big pile in the bus of all this fucking booze. But that’s good, that’s all you want! Sometimes we ask for a signed picture of Holly Willoughby just for a laugh but we’ve never got it. One day maybe we’ll get it!
Do you prefer playing smaller, more intimate gigs or larger festivals? Your big choruses are surely well-suited to the latter?
It depends what mood I’m in that day really! I love both. We’ve never played a huge venue but we’ve done Brixton Academy which is about five thousand, and a lot of the other academies. But nothing over sort of five to ten thousand so this is going to be new to us. We’re really excited about doing it. I think Evolution is actually the first festival we do this summer so it’s gonna be amazing.
Your current tour is taking you all over the world. Do you enjoy the travelling element to life in Brother?
I love it when I get there, I love looking at all these new places, places I’d never ever have got the chance to see. But I hate the actual travelling itself, the long drives and all the flights and everything. I’ve started getting really scared of flying. I used to be completely fine with it but since the band’s started doing more things and flying more places I’ve sort of gained this irrational fear of flying so that’s no good!
How did the American crowds compare to those back here last time you played over the other side of the pond?
Well they’re a lot older because I think all the shows we did were 21s and over, but it was really good, they were really receptive and found us funny and enjoyed it. They were really nice and talkative, really appreciative that we were there. I mean it’s not too different there, I’d say it’s fairly similar. They’re just a bit more... American!
At your dream festival, what bands would headline?
Well the headliners would have to be The Smiths, The Stone Roses and then The Clash maybe. Who else. . . Blur! They’re a massive influence on us, and me in particular. Then let’s just say Rolf Harris, wheel him out. He can play his weird wobble-board dubstep.
Is it true that you will be supporting Morrissey this summer? As you have previously cited him as one of your biggest musical influences, you must be pretty psyched?
Well yeah, I’ve had posters of him on my wall since I was a kid and I woke up every morning looking at him. I know everything about him; I probably know more about him than he does! So to be asked to support him and to play Hop Farm Festival with him as well was ridiculous, it blew my head off. I’ve just about collected my head!
Your forthcoming debut album, Famous First Words, is due this summer. Some of your own famous first words were that you will headline Glastonbury. Are you hoping that the title of your debut will one day strongly resonate amongst those who have doubted and criticised you?
Well yeah the name of it was exactly what you said, a commentary on how we’ve been quoted as saying these ridiculous things even before people have heard our music. In some of the interviews I’ve done they’re all like, why are you calling it that then? What were your first words? I’m like, well I dunno, 'Mama'?! What do you want me to say?! You hit it on the head. Maybe one day we’ll call it Funeral or something cos we’ll be dead.
Where do you see your band in five years time? Do you think you have the all-important longevity factor and if so, why?
I think we do and I can say that truthfully. I really do think we are the sort of band who can last a long time. I dunno how long it will take us to do the albums, whether we’ll do another one next year or whether it will take us like 5 years. We’ll do it when we’re ready and when we want to do it but we want to do this for a long time. I think we’re going to have to do it. There are no new bands around at the moment that are scaring me or rivalling us, as big-headed as that sounds! It’s just how ambitious we are I guess.
Describe Brother in three words?
Really quite extraordinary.
Link to Palatinate: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/?p=13182
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Bands Set For 2011 Success
JESSIE J
Urban-styled and sassy, 22 year old Essex girl Jessie J recently shot into the mainstream with ‘Do It Like A Dude’, a commercial hip-hop track with a British reggae twist. Dubbed the ‘best singer in the world right now’ by Justin Timberlake she is also a proficient songwriter, having penned hits for Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus. Winner of the 2011 BRITS Critics’ Choice award, Jessie claims to have written ‘Do It Like A Dude’ for Rihanna to record, before deciding that she’d damn well do it herself. With a powerful voice and attitude to match, Jessie is essentially everything that Cher Lloyd wishes she could be.
Recommended track: ‘Nobody’s Perfect’
MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS
Despite being hotly tipped to follow in the folksy footsteps of Mumford & Sons (they are signed to ‘son’ Ben Lovett’s Communion label), Matthew and the Atlas recent 'Kingdom of Your Own' EP is far from a mere copycat effort. Matt Hegarty’s honest, earthy vocals combine with female harmonies, hand-clapping and banjos to create a captivatingly original sound. As hearty and warming as a bowl of homemade soup.
Recommended track: ‘I Will Remain’
JAMES BLAKE
With his debut self-titled album due at the beginning of February, Londoner James Blake’s fusion of moody dubstep and soulful electronica creates an intriguing vibe not dissimilar to the icy cool of The xx. A classical pianist since his early teenage years, Blake recently graduated from Goldsmiths College in London where he studied Popular Music. His edgy and experimental cover of Feist’s ‘Limit To Your Love’ demonstrates a refreshing confidence in the power of ‘less is more’. What Blake cleverly chooses to leave out renders his music all the more hauntingly futuristic and bewitching.
Recommended Track: ‘CMYK’
JONSI
Best known for fronting the band of Icelandic angels more commonly recognised as Sigur Rós, Jónsi released his first solo album ‘Go’ last April. Ethereal synths and resonating guitars combine with delicate Icelandic and English vocals to create an auditory potion of elegiac musical loveliness that is simply impossible to imitate. The music world’s meditative tonic of choice.
Recommended Track: ‘Boy Lilikoi’
MONA
Ambitious four-piece Mona hail from Nashville, Tennessee (home to Kings of Leon) and are intent upon raising hell with their aggressively energetic brand of youthful rock’n’roll. Having already incited a tangible buzz amongst critics, the boys are unrelenting in their quest for stardom. Recently named Record of the Week by Fearne Cotton on Radio One, latest release ‘Trouble On The Way’ is a driving hurricane of grandiose passion and sexy, grinding rhythms.
Recommended Track: ‘Trouble On The Way’
THE VACCINES
Arguably generic indie in many ways, you can still have a good old drunken dance to these four London boys and their guitars. Debut album ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’, out in March, promises to be a short but sweet woozy retro-pop delight with eleven songs that last under thirty-five minutes in total. ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ is one track that is guaranteed to make you, in their own words, ‘forget your ex’. They’ll undoubtedly be a firm favourite with festival organisers next summer.
Recommended Track: ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ (Ra Ra Ra)
CLARE MAGUIRE
Fresh from opening for Plan B and Hurts, the gothic and empowered Clare Maguire has been the record industry’s best kept secret for the past two years. Her seemingly effortless talent and vampy style suggest that she wouldn’t be out of place in Phantom of the Opera, with a theatrical voice that will enchant and enthral. Shades of Annie Lennox and Stevie Nicks permeate her gorgeously controlled yet mystically emotive vocals on ‘Ain’t Nobody’. Album ‘Light After Dark’ will be available to download from February.
Recommended Track: ‘Ain’t Nobody’
Urban-styled and sassy, 22 year old Essex girl Jessie J recently shot into the mainstream with ‘Do It Like A Dude’, a commercial hip-hop track with a British reggae twist. Dubbed the ‘best singer in the world right now’ by Justin Timberlake she is also a proficient songwriter, having penned hits for Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus. Winner of the 2011 BRITS Critics’ Choice award, Jessie claims to have written ‘Do It Like A Dude’ for Rihanna to record, before deciding that she’d damn well do it herself. With a powerful voice and attitude to match, Jessie is essentially everything that Cher Lloyd wishes she could be.
Recommended track: ‘Nobody’s Perfect’
MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS
Despite being hotly tipped to follow in the folksy footsteps of Mumford & Sons (they are signed to ‘son’ Ben Lovett’s Communion label), Matthew and the Atlas recent 'Kingdom of Your Own' EP is far from a mere copycat effort. Matt Hegarty’s honest, earthy vocals combine with female harmonies, hand-clapping and banjos to create a captivatingly original sound. As hearty and warming as a bowl of homemade soup.
Recommended track: ‘I Will Remain’
JAMES BLAKE
With his debut self-titled album due at the beginning of February, Londoner James Blake’s fusion of moody dubstep and soulful electronica creates an intriguing vibe not dissimilar to the icy cool of The xx. A classical pianist since his early teenage years, Blake recently graduated from Goldsmiths College in London where he studied Popular Music. His edgy and experimental cover of Feist’s ‘Limit To Your Love’ demonstrates a refreshing confidence in the power of ‘less is more’. What Blake cleverly chooses to leave out renders his music all the more hauntingly futuristic and bewitching.
Recommended Track: ‘CMYK’
JONSI
Best known for fronting the band of Icelandic angels more commonly recognised as Sigur Rós, Jónsi released his first solo album ‘Go’ last April. Ethereal synths and resonating guitars combine with delicate Icelandic and English vocals to create an auditory potion of elegiac musical loveliness that is simply impossible to imitate. The music world’s meditative tonic of choice.
Recommended Track: ‘Boy Lilikoi’
MONA
Ambitious four-piece Mona hail from Nashville, Tennessee (home to Kings of Leon) and are intent upon raising hell with their aggressively energetic brand of youthful rock’n’roll. Having already incited a tangible buzz amongst critics, the boys are unrelenting in their quest for stardom. Recently named Record of the Week by Fearne Cotton on Radio One, latest release ‘Trouble On The Way’ is a driving hurricane of grandiose passion and sexy, grinding rhythms.
Recommended Track: ‘Trouble On The Way’
THE VACCINES
Arguably generic indie in many ways, you can still have a good old drunken dance to these four London boys and their guitars. Debut album ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’, out in March, promises to be a short but sweet woozy retro-pop delight with eleven songs that last under thirty-five minutes in total. ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ is one track that is guaranteed to make you, in their own words, ‘forget your ex’. They’ll undoubtedly be a firm favourite with festival organisers next summer.
Recommended Track: ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ (Ra Ra Ra)
CLARE MAGUIRE
Fresh from opening for Plan B and Hurts, the gothic and empowered Clare Maguire has been the record industry’s best kept secret for the past two years. Her seemingly effortless talent and vampy style suggest that she wouldn’t be out of place in Phantom of the Opera, with a theatrical voice that will enchant and enthral. Shades of Annie Lennox and Stevie Nicks permeate her gorgeously controlled yet mystically emotive vocals on ‘Ain’t Nobody’. Album ‘Light After Dark’ will be available to download from February.
Recommended Track: ‘Ain’t Nobody’
Friday, 24 December 2010
The Bucket List: What Would Be On Yours?
If you could know in advance, would you want to know the exact day of your death? You may say yes as it would inspire you to live for the moment, or you may say no, because you would simply rather not think about it. In the case of Edward and Carter, choice is a luxury they do not have.
Directed by Rob Reiner and released in 2007, The Bucket List will stay with you long after the end credits have rolled. Oscar-winning Hollywood icons Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman portray two terminally ill lung cancer patients, Edward and Carter respectively, who find themselves forming an unlikely friendship in their shared hospital room. The pair could not be more different, yet as both are forced to accept the devastating news that they have less than a year to live, a strong camaraderie develops between them. Billionaire Edward encourages Carter to embark with him upon the adventure of a lifetime in order to complete their mutual ‘bucket list’, a list of things they want to do before they ‘kick the bucket’. In a whirlwind of spontaneity, Edward and Carter skydive, muse about love and life whilst watching the sunset over the Pyramids, race their dream cars, dine like royalty at a top class French restaurant, fly over the North Pole, witness the beauty of the Taj Mahal, motorcycle across the Great Wall of China and spot lions on safari in Africa. Through sharing their suffering, Edward and Carter grow to understand the common affinities that exist between all humans.
Dazzling performances are to be expected from the highly acclaimed Nicholson and Freeman, and they do not disappoint, complementing one another with a refreshing chemistry whilst managing to maintain their own unique styles. Nicholson’s trademark devious grin is out in force, as is Freeman’s screen-transcending aura of worldly wisdom. Nicholson has now well and truly established himself as the archetypal loveable rogue, and as for Morgan Freeman, who else could Tom Shadyac have chosen to play God in Bruce Almighty? The very reason I picked up The Bucket List in the first place was because I saw their names on the cover.
Edward and Carter's admirable struggle to both accept and defy the inevitability of their mortality is naturally moving to watch, yet the intended comic, light-hearted moments in the film fail to convince as cancer, quite simply, isn’t funny. Personally however, I found the tentative brushstrokes of humour all the more poignant given the canvas of unimaginable personal tragedy upon which they are painted. The DVD case may guarantee ‘lashings of comedy’ but, unsurprisingly given the subject matter, that proves an empty promise. That said, whilst you may not laugh until you cry, you will undoubtedly be left inspired by the courage of two men determined to make the best of the cards life has dealt them.
I suppose the question that the film leaves you with is what would be on your bucket list? For in the words of The Shawshank Redemption's Andy Dufresne, you can 'get busy living, or get busy dying'.
Trailer for The Bucket List, released in 2007.
Directed by Rob Reiner and released in 2007, The Bucket List will stay with you long after the end credits have rolled. Oscar-winning Hollywood icons Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman portray two terminally ill lung cancer patients, Edward and Carter respectively, who find themselves forming an unlikely friendship in their shared hospital room. The pair could not be more different, yet as both are forced to accept the devastating news that they have less than a year to live, a strong camaraderie develops between them. Billionaire Edward encourages Carter to embark with him upon the adventure of a lifetime in order to complete their mutual ‘bucket list’, a list of things they want to do before they ‘kick the bucket’. In a whirlwind of spontaneity, Edward and Carter skydive, muse about love and life whilst watching the sunset over the Pyramids, race their dream cars, dine like royalty at a top class French restaurant, fly over the North Pole, witness the beauty of the Taj Mahal, motorcycle across the Great Wall of China and spot lions on safari in Africa. Through sharing their suffering, Edward and Carter grow to understand the common affinities that exist between all humans.
Dazzling performances are to be expected from the highly acclaimed Nicholson and Freeman, and they do not disappoint, complementing one another with a refreshing chemistry whilst managing to maintain their own unique styles. Nicholson’s trademark devious grin is out in force, as is Freeman’s screen-transcending aura of worldly wisdom. Nicholson has now well and truly established himself as the archetypal loveable rogue, and as for Morgan Freeman, who else could Tom Shadyac have chosen to play God in Bruce Almighty? The very reason I picked up The Bucket List in the first place was because I saw their names on the cover.
Edward and Carter's admirable struggle to both accept and defy the inevitability of their mortality is naturally moving to watch, yet the intended comic, light-hearted moments in the film fail to convince as cancer, quite simply, isn’t funny. Personally however, I found the tentative brushstrokes of humour all the more poignant given the canvas of unimaginable personal tragedy upon which they are painted. The DVD case may guarantee ‘lashings of comedy’ but, unsurprisingly given the subject matter, that proves an empty promise. That said, whilst you may not laugh until you cry, you will undoubtedly be left inspired by the courage of two men determined to make the best of the cards life has dealt them.
I suppose the question that the film leaves you with is what would be on your bucket list? For in the words of The Shawshank Redemption's Andy Dufresne, you can 'get busy living, or get busy dying'.
Trailer for The Bucket List, released in 2007.
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
What Makes A Great Live Act?
So you discover an awesome new band on Spotify, check out their musical goods and perhaps, if it really is true love (and in the age of the illegal download it will have to be), you even buy their album. Before you know it the time has come to take this budding romance to the next level. You somehow beat the touts and find yourself the proud owner of tickets to see said band live. Sadly it is at this stage that so many live musicians ruin what could have been the start of something beautiful.
Musical talent is, of course, arguably the most crucial aspect of a gig, but who really wants a live music experience akin to plugging in your iPod whilst cooking dinner? Surely it is the raw imperfections of live performances that make them real, memorable, and exciting? The band that focuses solely upon playing a flawless show that sounds identical to their record risks a lack of passion and stage dynamic, yet when an artist truly engages with their audience it can result in an unforgettable, transcendental experience.
I vividly remember, with a stupid grin on my face, being in the midst of a highly-charged festival crowd aged seventeen as Foo Fighters blasted out ‘Times Like These’. Looking back, I think it was then that I realised just how incredibly powerful live music could be. There I was surrounded by thousands of like-minded people all screaming the words ‘it’s times like these you learn to live again’, in a muddy field without a care in the world. For a music lover, little can compare to watching a band bring the songs that have meant so much to you to life. To quote Billy Bragg, ‘you can experience the download but you can’t download the experience’.
Below are a few of my all-time favourite live music performances:
1. Queen play ‘Radio Ga Ga’ at Live Aid 1985
With 75,000 fans well and truly in the palm of his hand, flamboyantly fabulous Freddie Mercury takes the crown at Wembley Stadium.
2. Radiohead play ‘Paranoid Android’ at Glastonbury 2003
Thom Yorke appears to have been taken over by supernatural forces as Radiohead unleash their trippy epic upon the muddied masses.
3. Pulp play ‘Common People’ at Glastonbury 1995
‘If you want something to happen enough then it actually will happen, ok? I believe that.’ Jarvis Cocker inspires the crowd before launching into Pulp’s iconic anthem for the people.
Musical talent is, of course, arguably the most crucial aspect of a gig, but who really wants a live music experience akin to plugging in your iPod whilst cooking dinner? Surely it is the raw imperfections of live performances that make them real, memorable, and exciting? The band that focuses solely upon playing a flawless show that sounds identical to their record risks a lack of passion and stage dynamic, yet when an artist truly engages with their audience it can result in an unforgettable, transcendental experience.
I vividly remember, with a stupid grin on my face, being in the midst of a highly-charged festival crowd aged seventeen as Foo Fighters blasted out ‘Times Like These’. Looking back, I think it was then that I realised just how incredibly powerful live music could be. There I was surrounded by thousands of like-minded people all screaming the words ‘it’s times like these you learn to live again’, in a muddy field without a care in the world. For a music lover, little can compare to watching a band bring the songs that have meant so much to you to life. To quote Billy Bragg, ‘you can experience the download but you can’t download the experience’.
Below are a few of my all-time favourite live music performances:
1. Queen play ‘Radio Ga Ga’ at Live Aid 1985
With 75,000 fans well and truly in the palm of his hand, flamboyantly fabulous Freddie Mercury takes the crown at Wembley Stadium.
2. Radiohead play ‘Paranoid Android’ at Glastonbury 2003
Thom Yorke appears to have been taken over by supernatural forces as Radiohead unleash their trippy epic upon the muddied masses.
3. Pulp play ‘Common People’ at Glastonbury 1995
‘If you want something to happen enough then it actually will happen, ok? I believe that.’ Jarvis Cocker inspires the crowd before launching into Pulp’s iconic anthem for the people.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Solomon Burke: The Soul King is Dead
On 10th October 2010 the world lost yet another legend when Solomon Burke was discovered dead by shocked air stewards on a flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam. He had been on route to play a sold-out show and is reported to have died from natural causes.
When debating the greatest soul singers in history, Solomon Burke is often overshadowed by the fame of artists such as Otis Redding, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Whilst the aforementioned are all undeniable contenders for the soul throne, it is Burke’s understated genius that in my view made his music all the more intensely powerful on a personal level. The singer himself once said, ‘If the message is meaningful in the beginning, it will reach across the waters and come back across time. If only one person is reached and touched by my songs, then the message through me is being heard, received and believed’.
Burke, who never relied on a set list during live performances, preferring instead to respond to requests and vibes from his fans, often described the thrill of sharing his music as a deeply spiritual experience. Philadelphia born Solomon explosively broke onto the music scene back in 1961 when his gospel roots led him to experiment with soul and blues. He was in fact creating a genre of his own when rock’n’roll had only just begun to erode the mainstream.
Burke reigned the 60s with velvety yet emotionally raw hymns to the soul that included ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’, famously covered by The Rolling Stones, and ‘Cry To Me’. The latter is well-known for featuring in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing (it plays during the sex scene in Patrick Swayze’s bedroom, naturally). Having racked up seventeen million record sales worldwide, Burke was awarded a place in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001 and later went on to win a Grammy award in 2002 which helped re-introduce his music to our generation.
Having taken the meaning of ‘go forth and multiply’ a little too literally, 70 year old Solomon leaves behind a family of twenty one children, ninety grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren. His legacy has had an astounding influence upon songwriters throughout the decades so if you’ve never given the big guy with an even bigger voice a chance, do yourself a favour and look him up. At the very least, watch that Dirty Dancing scene.
'Cry To Me' plays in Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray
When debating the greatest soul singers in history, Solomon Burke is often overshadowed by the fame of artists such as Otis Redding, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Whilst the aforementioned are all undeniable contenders for the soul throne, it is Burke’s understated genius that in my view made his music all the more intensely powerful on a personal level. The singer himself once said, ‘If the message is meaningful in the beginning, it will reach across the waters and come back across time. If only one person is reached and touched by my songs, then the message through me is being heard, received and believed’.
Burke, who never relied on a set list during live performances, preferring instead to respond to requests and vibes from his fans, often described the thrill of sharing his music as a deeply spiritual experience. Philadelphia born Solomon explosively broke onto the music scene back in 1961 when his gospel roots led him to experiment with soul and blues. He was in fact creating a genre of his own when rock’n’roll had only just begun to erode the mainstream.
Burke reigned the 60s with velvety yet emotionally raw hymns to the soul that included ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’, famously covered by The Rolling Stones, and ‘Cry To Me’. The latter is well-known for featuring in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing (it plays during the sex scene in Patrick Swayze’s bedroom, naturally). Having racked up seventeen million record sales worldwide, Burke was awarded a place in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001 and later went on to win a Grammy award in 2002 which helped re-introduce his music to our generation.
Having taken the meaning of ‘go forth and multiply’ a little too literally, 70 year old Solomon leaves behind a family of twenty one children, ninety grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren. His legacy has had an astounding influence upon songwriters throughout the decades so if you’ve never given the big guy with an even bigger voice a chance, do yourself a favour and look him up. At the very least, watch that Dirty Dancing scene.
'Cry To Me' plays in Dirty Dancing with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray
Saturday, 23 October 2010
The Catcher in the Rye: Questioning the Notion of 'Cool'
"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it." As is Holden Caulfield’s theory on what makes a successful novel and The Catcher in the Rye by the late J D Salinger seems to fit it perfectly. Shrouded in both controversy and admiration, many teenagers will see themselves reflected in Holden, his disenchanted young protagonist.
Failing at school whilst struggling with the journey from childhood to maturity, the turmoils of youth are brilliantly portrayed through Holden’s experiences whilst Salinger’s effortless style and unapologetic humour are easy to relate to, inspiring young people to discover more about their individuality. Following his exploits in New York and psychologically affected by the death of his younger brother Allie, Holden reveals that he longs to become ‘the catcher in the rye’, preventing children from falling off ‘some crazy cliff’. His poignant desperation to protect innocence will strike a chord with anyone who has ever felt disillusioned with life.
Far from a comforting read, Salinger’s novel provides a disturbingly enlightening portrayal of an individual in conflict with the ‘phony’ world of adulthood from which he feels alienated. Readers will find themselves questioning society as Holden does, in a time when we are very much victims of modern culture, technology and all that is considered ‘cool’.
Link to Palatinate: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/indigo/books/palatinate-book-club-the-catcher-in-the-rye/
Failing at school whilst struggling with the journey from childhood to maturity, the turmoils of youth are brilliantly portrayed through Holden’s experiences whilst Salinger’s effortless style and unapologetic humour are easy to relate to, inspiring young people to discover more about their individuality. Following his exploits in New York and psychologically affected by the death of his younger brother Allie, Holden reveals that he longs to become ‘the catcher in the rye’, preventing children from falling off ‘some crazy cliff’. His poignant desperation to protect innocence will strike a chord with anyone who has ever felt disillusioned with life.
Far from a comforting read, Salinger’s novel provides a disturbingly enlightening portrayal of an individual in conflict with the ‘phony’ world of adulthood from which he feels alienated. Readers will find themselves questioning society as Holden does, in a time when we are very much victims of modern culture, technology and all that is considered ‘cool’.
Link to Palatinate: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/indigo/books/palatinate-book-club-the-catcher-in-the-rye/
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Fun, Fantasy and Fireworks at Bestival 2010
Splashing its colourful craziness all over the Isle of Wight, September’s Bestival sent the festival season out in a blaze of fancy dress glory. The usually peaceful island became a mind-popping candy shop of musical goodies as 50,000 happy campers piled onto ferries to begin their escape from reality.
The first day of the weekend extravaganza saw Example and Delphic transform the masses into high on blue smarties kids, whilst Californian songstress Lissie sparkled with that unmistakable ‘let’s skip through cornfields with flowers in our hair’ vibe. Meanwhile, over in the Big Top, an expectant crowd burst the tent’s seams to hear what Mercury Prize winners The xx had to offer. Later that night Dizzee ‘Dance Wiv Me’ Rascal drove his hyperactive audience bonkers for his energetic set, the highlight being his own dirtee version of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
Saturday’s fancy dress parade (for which the theme was ‘fantasy’) sadly suffered from a typical English downpour yet many loyal fans still gathered to support Oxford quartet Stornoway. Fortunately reggae band The Wailers (of Bob Marley fame) soon cast their Caribbean spell and the sun magically shone to the tune of ‘Three Little Birds’, whilst The Correspondents whirled up a fantastically eccentric storm with their electro-swing remix of The Jungle Book’s ‘I Wanna Be Like You’. Brilliantly extroverted with the use of an on-stage trampoline and treadmill, they pulled some outrageous shapes as their oh-so-Soho style enthralled the crowd.
Fiesty little Ellie Goulding surprised everyone yet again with her powerful vocals as she refused to let herself be lost on the main stage. However, the crowd seemed reluctant to show as much enthusiasm for her set as they had done at Newcastle’s Evolution back in May, perhaps due to the rife and rather impatient anticipation for Radio One’s Festival Band of the Year, Mumford and Sons. The bass and banjo yielding foursome drove the crowd to a palpably high level of triumphant folk-induced ecstasy, satisfying their audience’s ravenous musical appetite with all the rousing hits from ‘Sigh No More’. Stunning new song 'Lover of the Light’, previously tried and tested at their Newcastle Union gig back in March, was well received amongst a set that could easily have been mistaken for a greatest hits album. Dressed as a musketeer, Marcus, an infectious post- ‘Little Lion Man’ grin on his face, yelled ‘I’ve never seen so many superheroes singing ‘fuck’ at the same time!’ to a great many face-painted cheers. If these lovely London lads aren’t headlining soon then I’ll stick my head down a festival portaloo.....maybe.
As the evening drew in the hotly tipped Roxy Music made the error of saving all the classics until the end of their set and dapper frontman Bryan Ferry instantly gained bore points for wearing a suit. Luckily Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips showed them how it’s done with glitter explosions and strobe lighting as he crowd-surfed in a giant zorbing ball to the psychedelic beat of his band.
Sunday saw French hip-hoppers Wax Tailor throw some European flair into the line-up and a variety of previously unknown performers promote themselves in the environmentally-friendly Tomorrow’s World. Following a DJ set from Bestival creator and Radio One legend Rob da Bank, Chase and Status ignited the main stage coals for closing headliners and original rave kings The Prodigy. Even the most tired and hung-over of the latter’s 'Voodoo People' were worked into a frenzy with riotous anthems ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Omen’. As the fantasy castle bonfire was lit and fireworks exploded across the sky, it was clear that this was one party nobody ever wanted to end.
Link to Palatinate: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/indigo/music/bestival-2010/
The first day of the weekend extravaganza saw Example and Delphic transform the masses into high on blue smarties kids, whilst Californian songstress Lissie sparkled with that unmistakable ‘let’s skip through cornfields with flowers in our hair’ vibe. Meanwhile, over in the Big Top, an expectant crowd burst the tent’s seams to hear what Mercury Prize winners The xx had to offer. Later that night Dizzee ‘Dance Wiv Me’ Rascal drove his hyperactive audience bonkers for his energetic set, the highlight being his own dirtee version of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
Saturday’s fancy dress parade (for which the theme was ‘fantasy’) sadly suffered from a typical English downpour yet many loyal fans still gathered to support Oxford quartet Stornoway. Fortunately reggae band The Wailers (of Bob Marley fame) soon cast their Caribbean spell and the sun magically shone to the tune of ‘Three Little Birds’, whilst The Correspondents whirled up a fantastically eccentric storm with their electro-swing remix of The Jungle Book’s ‘I Wanna Be Like You’. Brilliantly extroverted with the use of an on-stage trampoline and treadmill, they pulled some outrageous shapes as their oh-so-Soho style enthralled the crowd.
Fiesty little Ellie Goulding surprised everyone yet again with her powerful vocals as she refused to let herself be lost on the main stage. However, the crowd seemed reluctant to show as much enthusiasm for her set as they had done at Newcastle’s Evolution back in May, perhaps due to the rife and rather impatient anticipation for Radio One’s Festival Band of the Year, Mumford and Sons. The bass and banjo yielding foursome drove the crowd to a palpably high level of triumphant folk-induced ecstasy, satisfying their audience’s ravenous musical appetite with all the rousing hits from ‘Sigh No More’. Stunning new song 'Lover of the Light’, previously tried and tested at their Newcastle Union gig back in March, was well received amongst a set that could easily have been mistaken for a greatest hits album. Dressed as a musketeer, Marcus, an infectious post- ‘Little Lion Man’ grin on his face, yelled ‘I’ve never seen so many superheroes singing ‘fuck’ at the same time!’ to a great many face-painted cheers. If these lovely London lads aren’t headlining soon then I’ll stick my head down a festival portaloo.....maybe.
As the evening drew in the hotly tipped Roxy Music made the error of saving all the classics until the end of their set and dapper frontman Bryan Ferry instantly gained bore points for wearing a suit. Luckily Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips showed them how it’s done with glitter explosions and strobe lighting as he crowd-surfed in a giant zorbing ball to the psychedelic beat of his band.
Sunday saw French hip-hoppers Wax Tailor throw some European flair into the line-up and a variety of previously unknown performers promote themselves in the environmentally-friendly Tomorrow’s World. Following a DJ set from Bestival creator and Radio One legend Rob da Bank, Chase and Status ignited the main stage coals for closing headliners and original rave kings The Prodigy. Even the most tired and hung-over of the latter’s 'Voodoo People' were worked into a frenzy with riotous anthems ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Omen’. As the fantasy castle bonfire was lit and fireworks exploded across the sky, it was clear that this was one party nobody ever wanted to end.
Link to Palatinate: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/indigo/music/bestival-2010/
Friday, 24 September 2010
Irish indie film Once proves that it doesn't take a monster budget to make a marvel
Once was shot in only seventeen days back in 2006 and, in my humble opinion, the film world is a great deal better off for it. This Irish gem, written and directed independently with a tiny budget, was highly revered amongst critics upon its release, with the hauntingly emotive ‘Falling Slowly’ winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The storyline may sound cheesy and clichéd but the reality could not be more delighfully different. An unnamed busker nervous about performing his own songs meets a Czech immigrant girl who is selling roses on the same Dublin street. They form an unlikely bond through their passion for music, as both attempt to express their feelings and experiences of loss and love to one another through their songwriting. Musicians primarily, lead actors second, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová composed and performed the soundtrack together. A little bit of research tells me that folk royalty Bob Dylan was such an avid fan that he invited the pair to support him during some of his world tour shows. The duo also covered ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ for the 2007 film about his life, I'm Not There.
Once is charmingly unpretentious and believable, with an intimate integrity far deeper than so many overstated romantic blockbusters. The honest portrayal of two strangers struggling with inherently human turmoils restores faith in the importance of music and friendship. A rough diamond of a film, its unpolished nature is what ultimately, and somewhat ironically, allows it to sparkle.
Trailer for Once, released in 2006.
The storyline may sound cheesy and clichéd but the reality could not be more delighfully different. An unnamed busker nervous about performing his own songs meets a Czech immigrant girl who is selling roses on the same Dublin street. They form an unlikely bond through their passion for music, as both attempt to express their feelings and experiences of loss and love to one another through their songwriting. Musicians primarily, lead actors second, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová composed and performed the soundtrack together. A little bit of research tells me that folk royalty Bob Dylan was such an avid fan that he invited the pair to support him during some of his world tour shows. The duo also covered ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’ for the 2007 film about his life, I'm Not There.
Once is charmingly unpretentious and believable, with an intimate integrity far deeper than so many overstated romantic blockbusters. The honest portrayal of two strangers struggling with inherently human turmoils restores faith in the importance of music and friendship. A rough diamond of a film, its unpolished nature is what ultimately, and somewhat ironically, allows it to sparkle.
Trailer for Once, released in 2006.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Hitting up Guardian HQ!
The video shown below for 'I Heart NY' may feature Samuel riding on the back of a garbage truck, but in real life the 22-year-old found his way into the more glamourous environs of Kanye West's blog with his recent cover of Drake's 'Find Your Love'. 'I Heart NY' could be considered a lyrically downbeat antidote to 'Empire State of Mind', with Samuel paying tribute to the backstreets of the flashy metropolis, where so many are "made to grow up and be famous". Insanely (and almost irritatingly) catchy.
Link to my post on The Guardian's new music blog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/aug/19/samuel-i-heart-ny
Link to my post on The Guardian's new music blog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/aug/19/samuel-i-heart-ny
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)