Tag: music

Feeling of Sollitude

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

When you need to relax, what do you do? What do you do to switch off, when you can’t escape?

I have always used music as a method to escape. It helps me because it allows me to ignore my surroundings. And that is what escapism is about. Being able to ignore the distractions which are near to you. And its crazy how much, just making yourself not have to listen to what’s going around you, makes a difference. I am sitting at the canteen at my work, and despite being surrounded in groups talking to each other, my ipod is helping me not bare them any attention. If you feel alone, listening to music can also give you company, in that it stops you from feeling so alone.

Another thing I like to do, is read novels. I love the idea of experiencing a completely different world, just from reading a few pages. If you have a good imagination, and the right story, you can escape into the story. I have always read on my own, and I describe it as being a solitary activity. Because you read at your own pace and experience this new world. I can easily spend hours being lost in a book, and its the best feeling in the world. I feel that I can actually experience the plotlines, and that the characters are people I meet and get to know.

So right now, I am reading The Crimson Petal and the White by Micheal Faber, and listening to the Broadway recording of the Lion King musical. And, honestly, I feel so happy and at peace. I don’t feel alone as I have so much things here, that gives me so much joy. Reading and listening music is something that has gone hand in hand, for me, for most of my life. And I don’t see it being a habit I will drop very easily.

Musical Tuneage: A Playlist

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

A lot of people I know use Spotify a lot. If you don’t know, Spotify is a music streaming service. It is great if you want to listen to an artist before you buy any of their work. It is also good for building playlists to share with friends.

Building playlists always reminds me of making mix-tapes, like I did when I was younger. Where you would copy a selection of your favourite music for friends, and you would swap tapes. It was great, and was always a good way to get new music. Anyway, I have spent today thinking up of a playlist to share, so here it is.

1)Tori Amos- Professional Widow

One of my favourite singer/ songwriters, this song is one that became very popular during my school days. It was the song that got me interested in Tori Amos, and it is forever known as her biggest hit. Released in 1996, the song was remixed  by Armin Van Helden and found it’s way to the clubs, and became on of the most successful dance remixes of the 90s.

2)Bad Brains- I Against I

Reggae infused hardcore. A brilliant band, one of the pioneers of hardcore punk, this band’s big success came in the late 80s.  I Against I, was the album where Bad Brains became popular, and is also the title of my favourite song by them. The influence of many current rock bands, and they are aiming to release an eagerly awaited new album in 2011.

3)Belle & Sebastian- Expectations

A Glaswegian indie band, started in the mid 90s. Expectations is mostly recognised for being on the highly praised soundtrack for the motion picture, Juno, starring Ellen Page. The music is very light in sound, but has a strong lyrical content. The lyrics are very emotive, which gives them the chance to be depressive or humorous, depending on the mood of the song. Regularly voted as one of the most influential Scottish bands in music, something well deserved.

4)Black Flag- Padded Cell

Another highly influential punk band, also noted as helping start the genre of hardcore punk. Padded Cell features on the album, Damaged, the first Black Flag album I owned. I was given it at school on cassette by some random. And at the time, I knew I loved music, but I hadn’t ventured out of the mainstream, pop market. But the tape was going to get thrown out, so I took it, as I had this funny attachment to tapes and things getting thrown out. I remember listening to it on my walkman, and it blew me away and began to open me up to more music. I wish I could remember who was throwing the tape away so I could thank them for letting that album into my life. Padded Cell has always been my favourite song of Damaged.

5)Care Bears on Fire- Barbie Eat A Sandwich

Cute pop-rock fun. Three American teenagers who write and record all their music themselves. Reminds me of early Avril Lavigne, where it has serious bounce, as well as some good technical aspects. It is very similar to a lot of the Disney singer which release cute pop rock, like Demi Lovato. Whilst I am sure many readers will squirm at the mention of the Camp Rock star, I know a lot of kids listen to her, and that is who would love Care Bears on Fire. Bright, harmless and written by teenagers for teenagers. If you like your music fun, light and very poppy, you will love singing into your hairbrush with this.

6) Moral Majority- Circle Jerks

80s hardcore punk is a bit of a soft spot for me, and here is another band who kicked it all off in the 80s. Circle Jerks’ was created by original Black Flag singer, Keith Morris. Wild in the Streets was an album I bought about 10 years ago on CD. It was in a charity shop, and cost me £1, and was never opened. Well worth the money, and helped steer me further towards punk rock, and the passion that this band have is immense. Really brilliant band.

7) The Creepshow- Rue Morgue Radio

This band is a more recent find, and I started listening to them with in the last few years ago. This Canadian band play psychobilly that packs one hell of a punch. Influence by horror movies, and a style of a bygone era, like many similar bands, they are frequently on the road, and have been reccently playing a lot of festivals in Europe.

8 ) Melanie C- Northern Star

Like many girls of a certain age, I was a Spice Girls fan. I became obsessed with the voice of, Sporty Spice, Mel C. Her voice seemed really unique, and when she started releasing solo material, it was a chance to listen to her sing, without the other 4 Spice Girls intruding. Because of her unique voice, Mel’s voice has a tendency to divide opinion. Some people love her sound, others hate it. I think people with unique sounds should be praised, which is why Northern Star is here. The song used to always make me cry when I first bought the album.

9) Dead Kennedys- Kill The Poor

Who likes heavy music and doesn’t rate the Dead Kennedys? Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is one of the best albums EVER, in my opinion. Widely accepted as being parody, on the American political shift of the 80s to the right, where the rich were looked after, and the poor were left to rot. It hit the nail on the head, and became one of DK’s most popular songs.

10)Fat Boy Slim- Gangsta Trippin

The 90s were a period where dance music had depth, and wasn’t all about girating half naked women. I was a bit of a Fat Boy Slim fan in the late 90s. It was music I could draw and paint to, and that is something that is still important to me. It’s music I remember dancing to at school discos, although I couldn’t dance at all. It has happy memories, because it was on all the compilation albums, that were on the rage. I think I had 2 or 3 compilation CDs with this song on it. Great for parties, even if it is just for the memories.

11) Lady Sovereign- Love Me or Hate Me

There is something really honest about Sov. The self-dubbed ‘biggest midget in the game’, is a rapper who sings about what she knows. A lot of her songs talk about issues facing her growing up in an East London Council estate, and it is her honesty within her songs, which has seen her get a huge following on both sides of the Atlantic. Sov is a rapper who always seems to have had a strong sense of self, and is not afraid to speak her mind. This was the first of her songs I heard on the radio, and I was not disappointed when it lead to purchasing in her albums.

12) Manic Street Preachers- A Design For Life

A Welsh band who enjoyed popularity in the late 90s/ early 2000s. I think I first saw the Manics on BBCs Top of the Pops, which was on every Friday night. It was the way I found a lot of music at the time, as I never saw MTV at all. So it was music magazines and Top of the Pops/ the Offical top 40 on Radio 1. This song became a number 2 hit in 1996, and was acknowledged for its lyrical content. It is about the time where I did start to listen to lyrics more, so it appeared to be a very deep song to me.

13) Melody Gardot- Baby I’m A Fool

A jazz singer/ songwriter. Melody turned to music after being severely hurt, after being knocked off her bicycle by a Jeep in 2003. She was bed-ridden for a year, and was left with neural problems leading to her being hypersensitive to light, which leads her to wearing sun glasses all the time. A doctor treating Melody advised that music could be a way to help aid her recovery. Humming or singing music, is thought to help repaired neural pathways, which helped Melody recovery. She frequently visits universities talking about music as therapy, and is a successful recording artist. I found her through Last.fm, and was astounded by her voice. A truly inspirational artist.

14) Nirvana- Rape Me

Nirvana is widely accepted as one of the best rock bands of all time. Kurt Cobain, the frontman for Nirvana, is a fantastic lyricist, and you can feel his pain. The lyrics are so wonderfully written, and, on their own, can  make someone feel uncomfortable. This is good writing. This honesty and emotion, is what helped Nirvana become so successful, and become the band for a generation of disaffected teenagers.

15) NOFX- Hobophobic (scared of bums)

NOFX are a band that rose to popularity in the 90s with other bands such as The Offspring, Rancid, Green Day and Blink 182. Their music always has a strong sense of humour, and they are a band who don’t take themselves too seriously. They frequently mock their peers, and seem to seek out to be as troublesome as they can be. A brilliant band, and this is them at their hilarious best.

16) Rancid- Ruby Soho

Rancid are the band responsible for my music taste. It was 1997 when I first heard …And Out Come The Wolves, and it blew my mind. It’s punk sensibilities with aspects of ska, and the lyrics. A fantastic album, and Ruby Soho is one of the many highlights. Good for a drunken sing-a-long. I do hold Rancid responsible as being the band who introduced me to punk rock, and I love them for that. Always will be a favourite song, by my favourite band.

If you would like to listen to this playlist, it is available on Spotify here

Sue goes fangirl

~ Sue ~ 3 Comments

Yeah, I doubt this has any interest of anyone other than me.

First, Good Charlotte’s new song ‘Counting the days’. Queue me squealling like a pained cat for most of yesterday.

And for the fact that I am seeing Blink 182 tonight, have a video of them live at Madison Square Gardens, New York.

Music Recomendation: Dip Dap

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Dip Dap are a punk band, which hail from Glasgow. They have played many gigs throughout the last few years, and they are a popular sight in the Glasgow/Edinburgh punk scene. Following the punk ideals, this band produce and sell their own albums and merch. They are constantly looking for gigs.

The current band line up, features Jen on guitar/vocals, Kipper-man on bass and Budgie on drums.

Dip Dap take influences from bands such as: Astrid Oto, Blatz, Tilt, Nirvana, Operation Ivy, Crimpshrine, Cleveland Bound Death Sentence, Fifteen and The Gr’ups.

visit the band at http.myspace.com/dipdappunk for more information including booking details.

I met Budgie and Jen in 2008 when we were queueing for the Eastpak Antidote Tour. I was first in line, and they came after. I have since met them at a few more gigs, including their own at Ivory Blacks in Glasgow. Very nice guys, and the amount of work they do, they really deserve this band to do well.

Free Dip Dap downloads
Dip Dap – What To Do
Dip Dap – Cheap Ass Beer
Dip Dap – Repeat
Dip Dap – Fool To Think

FREEDOM

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Freedom! What gives you that sense where you feel completely free?

For me, it’s music. It is something that moves me so much. Whether I am listening to Tchaikovsky or N Dubz or Slayer, music is just so expressive.

Me and Gemma were talking about it yesterday. Because music is written from the heart and involves emotions, it easily effects other people emotionally. So because it’s based on emotion, it should also be open to interpretation. Compared to how a person is feeling, or what they have been through, they may think differently about a song. And artists should be able to accept this.

If people expect their work to be accepted on an emotional level, then they should be aware that people may view it differently. But that’s why I love music so much. It is all open to how I feel, not what others say its about.

Throughout history music has been used to voice opinion when people feel like they have no voice. In states which people feel as if their rights have been. taken away, they often rebel through art such as music. It is a way to get their voices heard. And this sense of unity, as the music brings people together, make the opinion louder.

With the UK on the cusp of becoming depressed under Tory rule, there is great expectations that the underground music scene will become more active again. With the unlimited amount of cutbacks getting pushed forward by government, people will feel jaded.

Because you can use music to describe anything, it will always have a sense of freedom, wherever the music itself comes from.

Rebellion 2010 —A Playlist

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I have been talking to a lot of people about my experiences in Blackpool at Rebellion festival. With the type of festival that it is, other than a few bands, most people have never heard of a lot of the bands. Well, people I know, don’t know the music I listen to.

So as a way, of spreading the love for the music that I enjoy, so I have created a playlist for the bands I have been raving about seeing at the festival. It’s full of 14 of my favourite bands of the weekend.

1-Slaughter & The Dogs- Where Have All The Bootboys Gone
2-The King Blues- Save The World, Get The Girl
3-The Aggrolites- Dirty Reggae
4- Sonic Boom Six- City Of Theives
5- Radio Dead Ones- Take It On Trust
6- Stiff Little Fingers- Johnny Was
7- Big D & The Kids Table- L.A.X.
8- Goldblade- Strictly Hardcore
9- UK Subs- Stranglehold
10- GBH- Race Against Time
11- Discharge- Realities Of War
12- Bad Religion- I Want To Conquer The World
13- Subhumans- Mickey Mouse Is Dead
14- Gallows- In The Belly Of A Shark

I have built this playlist over on Spotify, so check it out:

…and the roof went off.

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Bad Religion.

That band was amazing last night. Thanks to Rebellion, I have seen many of my musical heroes in the last few years. And if that isn’t inspirational, I don’t know what is.

There was a section yesterday, where John Robb (Goldblade, The Membranes) interviewed Charlie Harper (UK Subs). Charlie Harper has been playing music since 1965, and he is still going strong. That in itself is inspirational, but when he starts talking about things such as borrowing The Rolling Stones kit for a gig, it hits you how much this guy has done. UK Subs started in 1975, and they do still pretty much continously.

Makes me sad that Charlie doesn’t get any respect from general music fans, in fact most of them don’t even know he exists. I mean Charlie has some amazing stories about a fantastic career.

Bad Religion get endless praise and most fans of rock music have at least heard of them. But Charlie and the UK Subs, don’t get all that much. I suppose it would be great if all bands got the same attention. But, hearing Charlie talk, he seems satisfied with the level he is at, as he says you either stick with your art, or you do it for money.

How can you not respect someone who has that ethic, and is still making music after so long? Mr Harper deserves the respect of music fans and the industry, alike.

I am feeling very motivated right now, thanks to Rebellion and guys like Charlie Harper, who I spoke to yesterday and he was so nice.

Punk does that, inspires you to do what you want, live life to own your rules.

You can pick up life lessons almost anywhere, it’s all about your state of mind. If you are in a bad mood, then it is often hard to find anything enlightening. But that’s where I think music is different. Songs can effect your mood, you can’t say that for a lot of things. But because music involves someone’s emotion just to create it, so I figure that is why it effects people so much. I mean, I have albums that I listen to when I’m depressed, happy or angry.

I think if the musician writes and plays from their heart, then someone will always become connected to the song. But what I love about music, is the sharing aspect. If you like a band, share it with your friend. Word by mouth is how most rock bands get more attention.

So do music a service and share your favourite bands with friends. Because without fans recommending bands, there wouldn’t be much of a music industry. If you get a copy of an album from a friend, go see that artist live and buy some merch. Get the money to the bands, and not to the suits.

Fuck the record companies, trying to force money out of someone elses art.

So before I go, check out the UK Subs, and be inspired.

What Makes A Fan

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

So, think you’re a fan?

If the answer is yes, whether it be music, sport or anything, then you would have most likely been told that you aren’t a real fan. Sucks don’t it? Who are they to decide you aren’t a fan?

Shouldn’t it be as simple as you are a fan, as long as you like a particular thing. But, things are never that simple.

I think it is another case of people liking to put themselves on a higher peg than other fans. Almost as if that makes them a bigger fan, because they say that you are not so good as them.

I can think about this in two ways, in which that happens to me.

First, is the Good Charlotte fandom. No matter how much you buy or go and see the band, someone will always try to out-do you. People seem very quick to dismiss other GC fans. We take pride in calling ourselves a big family, but some people seem to be spiteful about that. Its like, ‘I don’t visit GC.com, cause its filled with posers’. Yes, I have actually heard that. People refusing to go to the bands actual site, as if doing so gets them some kind of merit badge.

The way I look at it, the fandom (whatever the subject) is there to act like a community for the fans. So it should allow people to express themselves. And as long as you don’t say anything negative, you can express yourself. The moment you say something against what one of the band members has done, you are immediately told you are not a fan. This isn’t how a family should react. I do believe that its just people trying to heighten their self-importance.

Another area where I have felt this superiority complex, is the punk scene itself. As soon as I declare my love for the afore mentioned band, I get told I know nothing about punk. No matter what bands I have gone to see, or who I listen to, one band makes me not punk.

That’s the issue with punk, there’s too many idiot elitists, who believe the only true punk is that of the 70s and 80s, and that anyone who is under 30 and a part of the scene is a poser. I find this ignorant, I mean I doubt that punk festivals like Rebellion (where I am now) would be here, if there wasn’t young blood going into the scene. I think that a lot of the original punks, don’t want the scene to change, and just reject anything new. There is a few ignorant teenagers who feel they know all about punk, and say punk is dead. I say its ignorant, because I don’t think the mindset of punk, will never die. People are always trying to better themselves and make things happen. Maybe it’s just something I pick up from punk *shrugs* But I have talked about that before.

So. What’s the moral of the story? Like what you like, fuck everyone else!

Music taste, personality trait

~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Because, I am at a music festival this weekend, it was kind of obvious that I would be talking about music. But I have been thinking about what music says about your personality.

Everyone knows that music creates stereotypes, like listen to Oi! you are a racist thug, listen to happy hardcore dance music, you are a scummy scrounger. I suppose it all has to do with our natural instincts of classifying things. Almost as if, we feel less afraid of something if we put it in its place. This sounds very stupid, but its not like anyone thinks about it. We have to make a genuine effort to not jump to conclusions on someone. And it’s not as easy as it seems.

The best way for someone to stop jumping to conclusions on people, is to think if that’s the way you want to be treated. If you don’t like people judging you, then don’t judge them. Simples.

But because of the very nature of music, then surely it can effect the way a person acts. For instance, dip your toes into the Good Charlotte fandom for a minute, and you’ll see the most dedicated fans in the world. Why are they so dedicated? Because most of them feel that Good Charlotte has inspired them to get through another day. I’m sure that when people start bands, they don’t ever think that they will be deemed saviours of their fans.

All music has an effect on someone, which is what makes a song effective. No matter what the music, even if you don’t like it, for it to even be published, it needs to effect someone. But even ‘hating’ a band, means that said band has effected you in someway, so they are doing their job. People choose what they like because it goes in line with their mood.

It is actually a proven fact (read it somewhere) that people who listen to heavy metal and angry music, tend to be more balanced individuals, who are in tune with their feelings. Then it is also said people who listen to nothing but pop music, set unreachable goals and avoid conflict. Of course, this is all stereotyping, but it is an interesting thought.

Me? I am a big fan of punk rock. It has given me a sense of self, a place to belong. I am longer afraid to do what I want. That sense of motivation comes from being sick letting others decide what I want to do. I wouldn’t be where I am today without punk. From Blink 182, to The Sex Pistols to Discharged, punk is the soundtrack to my life, and I wouldn’t skip a single track.