Tracks in the Field: NAO - Fool To Love
Annie Mac’s new Hottest Record in the World is the only compliment that can befit NAO’s glitch hop inspired pop nugget, Fool To Love.The would be darling of pop music has struck again in this follow up to last year’s EP, ‘February 15’.That sweet lullaby voice has taken a fierce turn in NAO’s newest single, as she reflects on all the mistakes she made in a relationship she is proudly walking out on.
Finding New Band Members: the Audition
It’s important that when you’re looking for new band members that you do not choose someone solely on the basis of their musical talent. Indeed, there are an array of largely speculative considerations to mull over when selecting new bandmates.
Drake signs with Boy Better Know: A new era in British hip-hop?
After months of speculation surrounding a tattoo and a surprise London appearance, Skepta has confirmed Drake is ‘the first Canadian signed to Boy Better Know (BBK)’.The British underground grime collective and label, headed up by the Adenuga brothers, Skepta and JME is finally peering out of the dark clubs of London from the shadow of Police form 696.
Band Merchandise: Weird and Wonderful Examples of Unconventional Music Memorabilia - Part 1
While bands typically elect for a range of t-shirts, badges, stickers, wristbands and physical copies of their discography to flog at shows, others groups choose to go very much against the grain of this established musical protocol. From the outlandish to the downright practical, we look at the latest range of unconventional band merchandise that truly breaks the mould.
LIVE REVIEW: Youth Club - Bodega, Nottingham
TROPICAL Pop quartet Youth Club kicked off their first UK headline tour in style, shimmering in the purple hue of Nottingham’s Bodega lights. The energy of their performance pulsated from the stage as if every pound of each member’s foot had shaken the audience into living.
Digital Technology – An Analogue Among Other Things
Since its arrival, digital technology has had a profound effect on the way audiences and artists alike feel about music.It has given rise to downloads, inexpensive home set ups and thus a vast plethora of new artists grasping - with ease, emulation technology mimicking hardware only found in a spacious gulf of few-and-far-between studios across the globe, comparative to how accessible it is to so many people nowadays, which although convenient, is definitely lacking in the ambience and warmth of analogue.
Illegally Downloading The Life of Pablo – Yeezy Made Me Do It
BEING possibly the most hotly anticipated album of the decade by certainly the most controversial artist of the millennium, I just couldn’t wait for The Life of Pablo by Kanye West to be available to buy in stores. But it seems that day is still a long time away, so I have had no choice to but to download it illegally. Mr. West, sue me.
Guide to Touring for DIY Musicians and Bands - Part 1
It’s no secret that touring can be one of the main highlights of being a musician. However, DIY touring is fraught with a number of potential difficulties - many of which are avoidable when taking the right precautions. There is little in life that can truly compare to the excitement you feel when pulling into a new city, knowing you have a show to play there that evening. Should this be your first venture into life on the road, you’re likely to have a number of questions about how it all works. Touring is what YOU make of it, and should not be something you approach tepidly.
Tracks in the Field: Courts - Wanna Be High
After ‘Part of’ was Zane Lowe’s last hype track before leaving Radio One, COURTS spat out another ballsy gem called ‘Wanna Be High’. This is a song with a big ol’ heavy beat and some more delicate guitar work that really does make you want to walk forever through a kaleidoscopic roach. The Jamie-T-esque vocals are full of honesty and nostalgia, and with lines like THC taught me more than GCSEs, the Basildon boys tell a story that lives up to the expectations of the song’s title.
What Music Means to Me
To me and quite a few others who make it tend to feel it is an other language. Sounds that resonate in basically the same way with our emotions, if not more intensely, than that of just regular chit chat. Music tends to inspire thoughts, emotions and dancing, even if people aren’t too sure where some of the ridiculous moves come from. That undeniable urge to dance comes from those phat beats, thumping bass and/or face melting riffage. This language takes over those who enjoy it, it immerses us, awakens us and satisfies our mental AND physical health.