Arcade Fire getting people to dress up at gigs: a bad idea or not?

Sounds absurd doesn't it? You can kind of see that its a good idea though. A lot of people would argue that it would give the gig more of an atmosphere. That's totally true, imagine a load of fans in masks and costumes all having an awesome time to some loud music. Sounds like that bit out of Laz Buhrmann's Romeo and Juliet (1996) where there having that huge party, but without transvestites though possibly? I don't know if transvestites go to Arcade Fire gigs because I've never been to one.

"Oh hey it's cool if you don't wanna wear a costume to our shows" is what they would be saying if they weren't a picture.

You could argue that it is a bit pretentious of the band to ask people to do this. I mean the fans are already forking out money for the gig tickets so its not great that the band are asking them to shovel out even more money for a costume there probably only going to wear once. However, the band have said that's "its not mandatory" for fans to wear the costumes so it sounds like the band are actually quite laid back about the whole situation. If this is the case, it would be wrong to call the band pretentious.

Do whatever you like if you go to an Arcade Fire gig. Wear the costume or don't wear the costume. Personally, I wouldn't wear the costume because I'd look silly if I had to use public transport on the way to the gig but I can totally see why some people would want to wear the costumes and that's fair enough. I guess this is one of those situations that your either in favour of or your not.

Shangri La by Jake Bugg

Young troubadour Jake Bugg has risen through the ranks pretty quickly. His first album came out last year so to follow it up that quickly is quite unusual, especially in this day and age. The amount of hype that surrounded his first album was unbelievable seeing as "Lightning Bolt" was played on the BBC's London 2012 Olympic coverage right before Usain Bolt's legendary 100M win. This caught many people's attention and since then the 19 has enjoyed great success. 

Usually described as a mixture between Folk singer songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Britpop heroes such as Noel Gallagher, Jake Bugg's sound is one that reels you in and makes you attentive to it. Most of the time, the young singer does two kinds of songs: the fast country western type songs a la Johnny Cash and the tender quiet tunes that make you ponder about life. shangria La" has a real balance between the two, just like the first Jake Bugg album. Basically this is like the debut album but a 2.0 version. This could annoy some people seeing as they might not like the one trick pony act.

The first three songs are fast ones. “There’s a Beast and We All Feed It” has jangly acoustic guitars blended with twiddly electric guitars, it’s reminiscent of 50’s rock n roll. “Slumville Sunrise” revolves around a repetitive guitar riff that evolves into a sing along chorus. “What Doesn’t Kill You” sounds like something from Arctic Monkeys first album. Overall, a solid trio of opening songs.

“Me And You” and “Messed Up Kids” slow things down a bit. The first of the two being a “Blowing In the Wind” Bob Dylan-esque type tune and the second being an average song where Jake Bugg really has to strain his voice in the chorus. After that, the next two songs bring down the tempo even more. “A Song About Love” is a beautiful, impressive ballad and “All Your Reasons” sounds like a massive Britpop anthem.

“Kingpin” is straight up, kick ass rock n roll. “Kitchen Table” and “Pine Trees” are some extra acoustic tunes in the album’s roster that make you sit back and become observant. “Simple pleasures” is quite similar to “All Your Reasons” so if you like these kinds of songs then you’ll surely have a spring put in your step. “Storm Passes Away” is nice, charming closer to the album.

Essentially, “Shangri La” is an improved version of the first album. An impressive effort when you consider the fact that this album was made in less than a year. A solid second album.  

OVERALL RATING: 7/10

BEST SONGS: A SONG ABOUT LOVE, PINE TREES, ME AND YOU

WORST SONG: MESSED UP KIDS

Reading and Leeds festival 2014 headline predictions

So I was buying Christmas presents online the other day and I was thinking "better not splash too much cash cause I wanna save up a bit for Reading festival tickets in March". It might be ages away but weekend tickets cost almost £300 so I need to get saving! In the mean time here's some of my bets as to who might headline the iconic festivals...

The favourites to headline- Arctic Monkeys are pretty much guaranteed aren't they? Come on, the band have recently announced 2 massive Finsbury park shows in late May so they've gotta be on the summer festival circuit around Europe! Plus the band haven't played at the festivals since 2009 so therefore a 5 year wait means that they could be likely. Oh yeah and they're probably the biggest band on the planet right now following the success of "AM". The Killers also seem likely seeing as they've just released a greatest hits album. This would go hand in hand with an epic headline set and plus they've got the anthems to win over any crowd in the world.

The possible newcomers- Hot on the heels of their 4th album, Paramore seem likely to headline the festivals for the first time in 2014. It really is possible seeing as they've gone down incredibly well at the festivals in the past. A true fan favourite if there ever was one. Furthermore, they've sold out Wembley stadium a few times so they could definitely rake in a huge crowd. 30 Seconds to Mars have also sold out a stadium or 2 so they could easily pull in the masses as well. Again, they have also gone down really well at the festivals before so surely it would make sense for them to step up to the mark and take up the challenge of headlining.

Hayley Williams is one hell of a front women...

Possible veterans- The Stone Roses made their massive comeback announcement in late 2011 and headlined festivals such as Isle of Wight in 2013. A legendary act that would please the oldies as well as some younger people seeing as the band are highly influential. There are also rumours that the band are making a new album so this could be the perfect chance to show it off. Personally, I would love to see the legendary Manchester band there. However, their 1996 headline set was described as one of the worst ever so therefore they might be afraid to return. Blur are also another possibly but this is unlikely seeing as no one has any clue what they're up to. They could surprise us though. No one expected that Glastonbury set back in 2009 so who knows?

Manchester's finest thanking the crowd...

The unlikely headline act- Metallica could possibly headline the festivals seeing as they're the gods of metal. However, the band would suit Download or Sonisphere more than Reading and Leeds. The organisers might go for more of an edgy metal line up next year to shake things up but I wouldn't put my money on it personally. The dark horse out of all of the headline suggestions.

MY PERSONAL BET:

FRIDAY: PARAMORE
SATURDAY: ARCTIC MONKEYS
SUNDAY: THE STONE ROSES

Hard Out Here by Lily Allen track review

It's got everybody talking. Some people have called it a stroke of genius and some have called it moronic. Whatever your opinion is, you can't deny that Lily Allen has come back with a bang. This recent comeback single is a satirical song that basically pokes fun at recent pop artists who have released very sexualized  songs, for example: Robin Thicke, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus etc. In a way the song is sort of trying to say that you can't really be a female artist that sells lots of records unless you take your clothes off. Some people may say that this is a bit of an exaggeration, however, some people genuinely believe that this is what's going on in the music industry right now.

Lily Allen mocks Robin Thicke in this new comeback single

Lily Allen certainly is defiantly making an in your face statement on this track and this should be admired. All of the best artists have challenged society and people's opinions during their careers. Some of these artists include: John Lennon, Bob Marley and Rage Against the Machine.

Anyway now on to the track! The song starts out with some quirky off beat piano chords in the verse amongst other things such as a strong rhythm section and "Oooo ooo" backing vocals. Then suddenly, the piece goes all club dance during the pre chorus. There's a soft synth with rising electronic handclaps and then everything cuts out as Lily Allen declares "It's hard out here for a bitch". Auto tuned vocals are used to fantastic effect in the chorus, they seem to suggest that Lily Allen is further mocking recent pop artists seeing as a lot of them use enhanced vocals.

 Lyrically, the song is full of references to how women are perceived in this modern 21st century that is full of social media madness and size zero models. Examples include: "You should probably lose some weight cause we can't see your bones" and "If I told you about my sex life, you'd call me a slut". Some lines are also full of genuine hilarity (in a good way) such as "Have you thought about your butt? Who's gonna tear it in two?" and "Don't need to shake my ass for you cause I've got a brain". Satirical lyrics at there finest.

Overall this track is bold and not afraid. It's controversial, edgy and it has certainly got a lot of people debating. Satirical songs like this that cause a stir are very rare and you probably won't be able find many others. "Hard Out Here" truly is a diamond in the rough. The song being the diamond and the rough being sexualized pop stars. A very interesting track and what's even more interesting is to see where Lily Allen will go from here. Will she continue to start debates or will she take a seat at the back?

OVERALL RATING: 8/10

Why McBusted is a bad idea

No. Just no. What kind of inhumane monstrosity is this? Is this some kind of sick joke? How in the world are people jizzing their pants over a little bit of nostalgia? On Monday it was officially confirmed that McFly and Busted are teaming up to form the terribly named "McBusted". This so called "super group" is going to be touring the UK in April 2014.

There are so many things wrong with "McBusted" that I don't even know where to begin. Well firstly,
not all of the original Busted members are involved in this project. Charlie Simpson decided to save his soul by not getting involved in the band and you've gotta give him huge respect for this. Any musician that decides not to associate himself with what is clearly a money making scheme deserves a big pat on the back. May Charlie continue to do his thing for the love and not the money. Furthermore, why are people saying "OMGZ BUSTED ARE BACK TOGETHER!". Technically there not because not all 3 members are reunited (and plus McFly are involved). Busted are clearly the big appeal here seeing as they've been on hiatus for several years. Why do a tour when all 3 members aren't involved? People will be ripped off if they buy tickets to this travesty of an event.  

What on earth is up with that name as well? "McBusted" sounds like something that should be on a McDonald's food menu and not the name of a super group. The name pretty much sums up how little artistic thought has been put into this project. It's got money grabbing in big bold letters all over it. Music is all about bringing some kind of feeling out of a human: whether its a feeling of being entertained or a feeling of sadness. Sure McBusted may seem like an entertaining idea to a lot of people but haven't Busted and McFly seen better days?

This brings me nicely on to my next point: both bands enjoyed massive success during the 00's and a lot of people enjoyed their records. People who go to these gigs won't feel anywhere near as cheery compared to the first time they heard these songs. What happened in the past should be left in the past because usually, its nowhere near as enjoyable in the future. Some may argue "But it was my childhood!", don't let this deceive you. Have your child like self remain dead because their ghost won't like the fact that you've disturbed them with cheesy pop music.

Well.... this looks dumb.

So come on everyone, let's move on and look to the future. Let's discover some new artists and start a brand new musical revolution. Stop being selfish by living in the past and let new artists have a go in the spotlight. Busted and McFly had their turn several years ago so surely it's wrong for them to gain all of this mass attention. It's just greedy. New bands such as CHVRCHES and Haim have made fantastic records this year but they've gone completely under the radar thanks to bullshit such as this.

It's obvious what's going on here: Matt Willis got sick of eating kangaroo dick in the jungle, James Bourne stopped getting decent sums of royalty money from Busted and Son of Dork (one of the worst bands ever by the way) and McFly couldn't be arsed to nob about on reality TV anymore. So please people, don't give these media attention whores what they want by buying tickets to this tour. There desperation doesn't deserve your hard earned cash and the nostalgic feeling you'll be expecting won't be satisfactory. I guarantee you that anyone who goes to this tour will end up regretting it 5 years later. You have been warned.    

    

Arctic Monkeys live review

October 26th 2013 and its a Saturday night in London. Arctic Monkeys are playing to a nearly sold out crowd for their second night at Earls Court. The venue is huge and its almost as big as the 02 Arena (which is also in London). People are queuing up outside in their thousands and it isn't hard to see why given the massive success of Arctic Monkeys latest album "AM".

Support comes in the form of Irish Indie Blues band The Strypes. These four lads are very young and their ages range from 16-18 years old. Unfortunately, they fail to really get the crowd going. Interaction with the crowd is awkward as hand clapping and sing alongs are met with a half arsed reaction. Not only that but pretty much every song in their 45 minute set sounds the same. It feels like the band are just playing one long Progressive Blues Rock song with all their guitar and harmonica solos. However, this doesn't matter seeing as everyone is here to see the almighty Arctic Monkeys.

Alex Turner and co strut on confidently at half 9 and everyone is rocking to set opener "Do I Wanna Know". Everyone hums along to the bluesy guitar riff and the vibes inside the venue are electric. We are then treated to a mad flurry of "Brianstorm" which is excellently tight seeing as the song is very manic guitar and drums wise. The place is rocking so much that Alex Turner has to stop halfway through "Don't Sit Down Cause I Move Your Chair" so that he can tell the crowd to "move back" so that the people at the front don't get squished.

The setlist largely consists of the band's latest album "AM" and songs such as: "Snap Out Of It", "Number 1 Party Anthem", "Arabella" and "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" are met with a decent response. However its songs of the band's first two album that really get the crowd into a frenzy. "Fluorescent adolescence", "Dancing Shoes" and "Teddy Picker" all go down really well and everybody sings along in unison. But "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" goes down like the Titanic hitting an iceberg and this is the highlight of the evening.

Other highlights include: streams of confetti coming down from the ceiling during "I Wanna Be Yours", beautiful acoustic versions of "Cornerstone" and "Mardy Bum", Alex Turner's Elvis Presley voice when he spoke to the crowd and set closer "R U Mine?". Songs from albums "Suck It and See" and "Humbug" are hugely ignored through out the set which is disappointing. Another frustrating niggle is that the band don't even play their biggest sing along hit "When The Sun Goes Down".

Overall Arctic Monkeys put on a performance that was full of swagger and delight. Apart from a few annoyances here and there, the gig was pretty spectacular and anyone that's heard "AM" would've loved being there.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10

 

   

Christmas songs: an annoyance or not?

November: it's a time when Christmas is slowly peeping over the shoulder. Decorations aren't in full swing but there are odd mentions of the festive holiday here and there. Once it's December though everyone goes apeshit and people start churning out Christmas oddity's as if there lives depended on it. Lights and ornaments are shot onto houses, people crowd to shops to buy presents and everybody talks about the legend of everyone's favourite fat man (Santa Claus!). There is one thing that the general public seem to either love or hate though: Christmas songs.

Go to any shop mid December and a million pounds says you won't hear Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody". You literally can't get away from this 70's glam rock hit. Live under a rock, you'll still hear it. Hide in a wardrobe, you'll still here it. Heck, go and live in an igloo in Greenland and you'll still hear it (probably). There's no escaping the mega monster behemoth that is "Merry Xmas Everybody". You would've thought that people would've gotten sick of a song that's been played countless times for forty years. Nope, DJ's still assault our precious ears with this tiresome song just because "it's Christmas". Come on guys, spark a bit of originality and change the tune. Some of you are being paid 100,000 pounds a year so stop being lazy!

"Merry Xmas Everybody" isn't the only culprit though. Others that have been suspected of ear murder include: "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney and "Last Christmas" by Wham!

Others genuinely love Christmas songs because it gets them in the mood for this time of giving and receiving. Even Ebenezer Scrooge himself would probably have a glimmer of joy in his soul from hearing "Mistletoe and Wine" (the Ebenezer Scrooge after he's seen the ghosts though). You can't really blame people for having their own personal preparations, we all have them. Some people drink alcohol before they go to a party. Barrack Obama probably does vocal warm ups before a speech and Lewis Hamilton probably loves a cheeky Red Bull before a race. Overall, it can be argued that Christmas song are a natural necessity before the big day.

Personally, I think Christmas songs are fine just as long as they're not overkilled (cough "Merry Xmas Everybody" cough). I genuinely love a bit of "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes and She and Him's "A Very She and Him Christmas" Christmas album is great fun. To sum it up: Christmas songs are generally an annoyance but to some they're not.  

TOP 10 TRACKS FOR OCTOBER 2013

10. Collar Full By Panic! at the Disco http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZAIEAG6Vgk
9. Blush by Wolf Alice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpnGp7N4tfU
8. Piece By Piece by Anna Calvi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfuhrk9DAwE
7. Looking At Her by Paul McCartney
6. You Wanna Know by Don Broco http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km0Byzc4UfM
5. Glue Me by Los Campesinos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5D49y-wp_Q
4. Suddenly by Anna Calvi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exHwTli4LkQ
3. Early Days by Paul McCartney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M94mKiHAId8
2. A Portrait Of The Trequartista As A Young Man by Los Campesinos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYEIeRfLL2M
1. Avocado Baby by Los Campesinos! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrHmYvhPNAE

No Blues by Los Campesinos!

Album number 5: It's a tricky one. Your not quite veterans but your not new either. Do you stick to the sound that you used on your first few albums or do you move on? Well if your Los Campesinos then your answer would be to move on. "No Blues" is mature sounding and rather brilliant lyrically. The production is also fantastic and is a lot better compared to first album "Hold On Now, Youngster". Fourth album "Hello Sadness" was a step in the right direction for the band and "No Blues" basically builds upon said album.

What you've got here is an album that is teeming with life. It's almost as if "Hello Sadness" was the depressing death type album (which isn't a bad thing!) and "No Blues" is the resurrection. Take for example, "What Death Leaves Behind", each chord progression in the chorus feels like a flower opening up and blossoming into life. The backing vocals on this track are sublime and the drums really give it that extra punch. "For Flotsam" really makes you want to get up and do something amazing, its got a really motivational feel to it. This is probably thanks to the stream of conscious type lyrics, which clearly tell a personal story. The way that the texture starts and stops is also fascinating to listen to. A long build up in "Cemetery Gates" makes for a great listen as the repetitive synth riff builds up to a climactic verse and chorus. "Glue Me" is a slower "longing for love" type song. Evidence of this can be found in the choruses lyrics "I'll be gloomy till they glue me in the arms of she who loves me". Truly incredible lyrics that a lot of people can relate to.

Speaking of truly incredible lyrics, "Avacado Baby" is another example. "A heart of stone rind so tough its crazy, that's why they call me the avocado baby" will surely comfort listeners and make them feel like they can survive any heartbreak, big or small. It's almost as if "Avacado Baby" is a rousing anthem for people who are about to battle against heartbreak in a long, enduring war. The cheerleader backing vocals in the background spurring on as you prepare. "A Portrait Of The Trequartista As A Young Man" is another genius track lyrically. It's dark, moving and most of all the striking imagery really gets to you. "Inscribe our initials in the bark/ of every tree in every wood/ in ink red blood can you imagine?". Yes you can imagine that and its beautiful in a terrifying, psychotic kind of way. A special mention also needs to go to the closing lyrics in this song "We're a speck of dust in a bad god's eye/ he rubs us clean but love is blind/ a balloon artist kisses porcupine". Wow is all you can say to that really.

"Let is Spill" is a more cheery sounding track that almost sounds almost like 60's and 70's bubblegum pop (think "Stuck in the Middle With You"). However, the guitar effects and the quirky percussion make it sound more modern. "The Time Before The last Last Time" is an angelic interlude that is truly heavenly. "Selling Rope" is an epic 6 and a half minute close and "As Lucerne/The Low" is a fairly decent middle of the album track.

Uplifting, relatable, inspiring and lyrically genius are just a few phrases to sum up this album. There are also many more because "No Blues" is so rich musically. It's also interesting instrumentally and the production is very well done. Seriously, go and buy this album, you won't regret it and you'll have no blues at all.

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

BEST TRACKS: AVACADO BABY, A PORTRAIT OF THE TREQUARTISTA AS A YOUNG MAN, GLUE ME.

WORST TRACK: AS LUCERNE/THE LOW
 

An Article That I Went and Wrote For School

“Music performance BTEC, What’s that?” I hear you ask. This is a brand new course that was just introduced to Highcliffe 6^th form last year. Basically, students explore a variety of different music genres whether it be fifties rock n roll or modern day pop music, it’s all covered. All of the students with in the group then gather to create a band where all of this new knowledge is applied to create music.  If you are looking to have a career in the music industry as a performer then this course is perfect for you. 

The best thing about this course is that the Highcliffe school music department has given us several fantastic opportunities to perform in actual gigs. For example, we got to play at the Year 11’s prom last summer. For me personally, that was my favourite gig out of all the ones we've done because the setting was so glamorous  and the audience was huge, it really made me feel like a proper rock star at Wembley stadium! We suited up, got our soundcheck done and then played our hearts out to all of the students and teachers. After the gig, I had several people come up to me and say “Wow, great performance. Well done”. This was the most incredible feeling. It was as if a rush of ecstatic hormones had gone straight to my head.

Another opportunity we were given was the chance to open for MTV’s New Artist Winner Ebony Day (an ex Highcliffe student) in the school hall. This award has been won by many high profile artists so to be associated with her really is a once in a lifetime thing. It also makes for a great story to tell people as no else has had the same experience we’ve had.

Other experiences we've had include playing at the Summer Concert last summer and being session musicians for the BTEC acting and BTEC dance students. In the summer concert we covered three songs: I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor by Arctic Monkeys, Use Somebody by Kings of Leon and Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry. This is another positive thing about the Music Performance BTEC course: you get to play a variety of songs new and old. Then for the session musician day we slicked back our hair and put on our leather jackets (we didn't actually do this) because we were playing music from Grease. We learnt the songs instantly from sheet music and then the other students would sing and dance to our playing. Our instructor (who had performed in the West End) was wonderfully enthusiastic and this really spurred us on to play better.

I can safely say with the utmost sincerity that I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. Please, if you love performing music then take this course. If you don’t then you’ll majorly regret it and your life at 6^th form just won’t be the same.