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AUD O ADD CT
Ben Howard LUCY ROSE Rihanna Tropics
The Post Tribal Bible #13 / December 2012 / FREE
DROPKICK MURPHYS ‘As you get older it gets harder’
WELCOME Welcome to the totally new AudioAddict, rejuvenated and re-launched to celebrate the magazine’s fifth birthday. Yes, five long years in which we’ve come face to face with everyone from Funeral for a Friend to The Vaccines, and Bombay Bicycle Club to Kasabian. Five years of running with Ellie Goulding, playing pub games with The Hoosiers and hanging out with some of the coolest names on the music planet. And if that’s not enough, five years of breaking news stories including The Prodigy’s last album Invaders Must Die, which saw AudioAddict beating all comers, including NME, to the worldwide exclusive on the story. We received a million hits in two days. And have gone from strength to strength since. But, as someone once said, that was then and this is now, and to celebrate the all-new AudioAddict we’ve decided to buck the online trend and have gone back to the proverbial Caxton to create this, the first printed edition of the self-proclaimed Post Tribal Bible. So what’s inside this thing you’re holding in your hands? Well, front cover artists Dropkick Murphys open up about the road to success, DJ Cholombian gets fired up about Hip Hop today and MC’s everyday, Lucy Rose gets all passionate about a cup of tea and the Blessing Force collective invite us to embrace the boffin within. Our writers choose their top ten albums of 2012, while Ben Howard gets the proverbial thumbs up and Olly Murs gets a righteous dressing down. And Spotify tries to stream it all. Yup, all in all another fine slice of audio addiction to add to the collection. Only this time it’s real, not virtual. So you can wrap it up and put it under the tree. From all at AudioAddict hope you have the merriest of Christmases and we will see you in the New Year for AudioAddict #14, the second printed issue! You know it makes sense. If you need an audio fix in the meantime, don’t forget to check out our online action!
Editorial Team Matthew Cook - Front Section Mitch Stevens - Features Luke McFarlane - Review Mikey Rush - Design Twitter @AudioAddictMag Audio-Addict.co.uk To advertise or for press enquiries ontact us at: AudioAddictEditors@hotmail.co.uk Audio Addict magazine and blog are produced by students on the BA (Hons) Popular Music Journalism course at Southampton Solent University. The views expressed in the magazine and blog are the students’ and contributors for which the University and its staff can not be held responsible.
Contributors Adam Bouteloup // Aidan Ducker Alex Annabell //Billy Bentley // Connor Cass Coralie Pilté // Ella Mcclary // Ellis Ballard Fran Botham // George Percival Georgia Blunden // Hannah Woollven Indie Shaw // Izzy Coote // James Barlow Joe Madden // Katie Vowles // Leo Troy Louis Kerry // Louise Egan // Niamh Moore Nicole Dimitrova // Piers Le Moignan Sammy Jones // Sean Lewis // Shannon Gibson Tommy Jones // William Keenan Zoe Coxon Photography: Billy Bentley // Lightbox // Steve Hogg // Tom Griffiths
CONTENTS PAGE Six
Legendary Southampton venue The Joiners, winner of NME’s best small venue, is fighting against the current music climate. The news isn’t great.
PAGE eight
We catch up with Lucy Rose after her show in Southampton for a chat about the sweeter things in life.
PAGE twelve
Chris Ward, the man behind Tropics, has just signed to a new label in Svetlana Industries. So what’s changed?
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They may be older, but it doesn’t mean they’re any less passionate. With a new album released in January, we catch up with The Dropkick Murphys.
PAGE THIRTY
Everybody’s using Spotify these days. And with clones popping up all over the place, what is the future for streaming music.
NEWS Andrew w.k Named, then un-named ambassador The self proclaimed ‘King Of Partying’ Andrew W.K was named by the U.S Department of State as the Cultural Ambassador for the Middle East. For all of a few days at least. Mr W.K posted this statement on his website: “This is a tremendous invitation. And I feel very privileged and humbled by the chance to represent the United States of America and show the good people of Bahrain the power of positive partying. I can hardly wait for this adventure!” Then after hearing that the invitation had been rescinded W.K stated “I would’ve done a great job and represented our nation with dignity and pride.”
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Stone roses to headline Isle of wight festival Austin peralta passes away aged 22 22-year old jazz pianist and prodigy in every sense of the word Austin Peralta was found dead in Los Angeles on the 22nd November. Austin’s death was confirmed by labelmate and mentor Flying Lotus, who Tweeted: “It kills me to type that we lost a member of our family, Austin Peralta. I don’t really have the right words right now.” Flying Lotus has released some of the jazz prodigy’s music including his most recent release “Endless Planets.” The cause of death has not yet been announced.
The reunited Madchester legends have been announced as the first headliners of the Isle Of Wight Festival, 2013. This will be their only UK festival appearance of the season appearing on the main stage on Friday June 14th 2013. The date is the latest to be announced as the band continue to tour throughout 2013 after reuniting earlier this year. Tickets for the Isle Of Wight festival went on sale on Wednesday November 28 at isleofwightfestival.com. Tickets are still available. Chris Coghill, the writer of the new Stone Roses film Spike Island, has said that the band have recorded at least three or four new songs.
DAS Racist call it a day Brooklyn based rap group Das Racist have announced their break up. December 2nd live on stage at a solo show in Munich, band MC Himanshu Suri (aka Heems) announced “You guys wanna know the secret? Alright, so I’m going to do some Das Racist songs, but Das Racist is breaking up and we’re not a band anymore.” Das Racist’s other MC Victor Vazquez (aka Kool A.D.) Kool tweeted that he had quit Das Racist two months ago, but was asked not to announce the split by their manager. Das Racist were supposed to have been working on a new record that was to be finished and released by the end of the year. Both Heems and Kool A.D. have put out solo records this year already.
Casablancas’ label signs first act Julian Casablancas has signed The Virgins to Cult Records, making them the first band on the new label. They will be releasing Strike Gently March 12 2013. This is their second album, following their selftitled debut. The Virgins have already had the privilege of opening for music icons such as Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. The album was recorded at the East Village Recording Center, NYC, with producers Johnny T Yerington and Gus Oberg, Strike Gently has a lot to live up to; with the single ‘Rich Girls’ from their previous album, making it into Rolling Stone’s ‘100 Best Songs of 2008’.
Captain murphy’s identity revealed On November 15 the enigmatic animated rapper known as Captain Murphy released a 35-minute short film-as-mixtape Duality, and since the mixtape dropped there has been weeks of internet speculation as to who the genius behind the animation is. Discussions began after the mixtape featured some surprisingly big names on production and many began to hedge their bets on who the anonymous MC was. The most common rumour was Captain Murphy was a collaboration between Flying Lotus and Tyler, The Creator. However after he played his first show in LA, Captain Murphy was revealed to be the sole work of Flying Lotus.
Audio-Addict.co.uk
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The Joiners Needs You But don’t worry, you can save Britain’s best small venue There is no denying that the UK has a vibrant music culture, most cities have their own thriving music scenes centred around their respective local music venues, yet in the last three years many of the UK’s most famous venues have been threatened with closure. Southampton is blessed with many great live music venues including The Guildhall, The Talking Heads and The Cellar, but none have the expansive history of the legendary Joiners Arms. The Joiners has always been the life and soul of the Southampton music scene. Over the past sixty years the venue has held host to some of the UK’s most loved bands, from Biffy Clyro to The Libertines, so why is Southampton’s most loved venue struggling to make ends meet? The owner of the venue Pat Muldowny set the record straight in a post on The Joiners’ official Facebook page, announcing their constant struggle with dwindling ticket sales and complacent bands, whilst urging live music fans to keep buying gig tickets. The Joiners has had an admirable history of being a gateway venue for young and local bands to play, as well as music legends, being an integral part of the early careers of Oasis, Muse and Coldplay, so it would be shame for this piece of musical history to go to waste.
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Thankfully, there is still hope for The Joiners with punk-folk artist Frank Turner playing a special one off benefit gig in aid of the venue this month. The Joiners has a special place in Turner’s heart. He witnessed his first ever gig there and played several shows with his old band Million Dead, including their final show in 2005. Turner’s benefit show sold out in a matter of minutes, crippling the venue’s website due to the sheer number of people wanting to get their hands on a ticket. But for the lucky few who managed to grab a golden ticket the gig will offer a rare chance to see him play in an intimate setting. The benefit gig is on December 28th at, obviously, Southampton Joiners. by Adam Bouteloup
Each issue we ask an artist to let us know what’s grinding their gears and give them a few column inches to get it off their chest. For our first one it’s ambient R’n’B producer Cholombian
RANT
I love the current state of hip hop. Every week there seems to be new artists filtering their way into my consciousness that I’m really into. Artists such as Mykki Blanco, SpaceGhostPurrp (2.7.5 ICEE) and Kendrick Lamar have all produced some of my favourite releases of this year.
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I love to DJ, it’s one of those things, that as a producer, is expected nowadays. I’m also a massive fan of hip hop (But we’ll get to that in a minute).
What I’m not a fan of however, is MCs over the top of my sets. I understand that for a DJ perhaps playing garage, drum and bass or dubstep this is common, and that if the MC is talented, they can be a great addition to a set.
But the problem is that I like playing a large amount of vocal tracks, and a guy who is clearly not familiar with my music or even the sort of music I’m playing that night usually feels like it’s fine to overshadow the music that I’m playing. I’ve had experiences in that overly drunk MCs have tried to rewind tracks while I am mixing, and completely ruined the sync of the two songs playing. It’s an absolute nightmare situation.
Rappers such as A$AP Rocky and his A$AP Mob, as well as Danny Brown and Kitty Pryde have also come to prominence this year for flipping rap’s common aesthetic on it’s head. Producers in hip hop are becoming more recognised for their work too; this year producers such as Clams Casino and Mike Will have become household names based on their beats for other artists. On top of that, new artists coming through next year such as most of Raider Klan, Azane Music’s Gee & Brahma, and Chippy Nonstop are looking to ensure that 2013 is going to be just as crazy for hip hop as 2012. I’m excited.
rave
You can listen to Cholombian at soundcloud.com/cholombian Audio-Addict.co.uk
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ENglish rose Coralie Pilté gets a glimpse at the more intimate side to Lucy Rose’s music. Expect tea, jam and dogs by the fire 2012 has been a busy year for Lucy Rose. She recorded her debut album, signed with Columbia and hit the road with her songs. She’s been everywhere and is not ready to relax just yet. It didn’t take her long to get to where she is now. Everything started five years ago when she moved to London. ‘It all happened so quickly. At first I felt it wasn’t quick enough, I thought I was ready. Now I realise I’m far from it, there is still so much to learn,’ she confessed. Still, it didn’t stop her: with help from producer Charlie Hugall (Florence and the Machine, Ed Sheeran) she recorded her album, Like I Used To, at the beginning of the year, without a record deal. ‘We didn’t have any money nor funding to pay for studio time, so I asked my parents if we could use their family room. We moved the sofa, put the amps and computer by the window sit and we were settled. Charlie got involved without any guarantee it would work out, just hope’. Lucy had complete control over the recording process, this is definitively her album and it has a personal dimension you rarely find on other contemporary records. ‘This is the most unique album, because everybody records in a studio, we didn’t.’. The LP’s homely feel is never more apparent than when you hear her dogs on ‘Night Bus’. ‘They were asleep by the fireplace, Charlie could hear them on the tracks, they looked so peaceful and I was in the perfect mood, so I told him to leave them,’ she laughs. This wouldn’t have happened in a studio, but that’s what makes her album special. All these details bring
you into her world. It’s the same when it comes to gigs: she doesn’t compromise and does what works for her. Standing up to play? ‘I tried to, but it felt wrong. So I decided to go back to what I know best, me and my guitar, sitting.’ Non-stop touring? ‘Gig as much as you can, it’s the best way to learn!’ She’s just come back from her first European tour. ‘It was so exciting! Here [in the UK] people have an idea of what the gig is going to be like. In Europe, they don’t know what to expect, it was so much fun. The first gig we played was in Hamburg, and everything could have gone bad after this one, I wouldn’t have cared, it was special.’ Everything Lucy Rose does is her own. Even her merch stand is unique. You have the classic T-shirts, CDs, and posters but you’ll also find her own tea blend and jam. Lucy Rose loves tea, ‘it’s one of the most important things for me. No matter how down you can feel, it will always make you feel better. It’s so much more than a cup of hot water. I think it comes from my grandparents. You know when you’re a kid and you’re wide-awake at 5am? When you’re at home, you wouldn’t wake up your parents, but with your grandparents it’s different. I always knocked on their door as soon as I woke up and my grandpa would make me tea’. Talking with Lucy Rose isn’t about being a journalist or a fan. It felt like catching up with an old friend, you take your time, have a cup of tea, everything stays simple, just how it should be.
Audio-Addict.co.uk
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60 is the new 20
With bands reforming left, right and centre Hannah Woollven looks at the motives behind the return of the middle-aged rockers The idea of seeing your favourite band either splitting up or retiring is an idea not worth thinking about. The attachment we hold towards our favourite artists feels so personal that people feel as though they are lost when heartbreak strikes and they are no longer a performing band. Whether it be when John Lennon died, or this year with Westlife splitting up, fans feel something towards them. But, there is a silver lining! Imagine your dismay when you hear that devastating news and then you get told years later that they are back and in full force!
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One experience of this for me, was System of a Down, they disappeared from the metal scene for a while and when they were announced for 2010’s Download festival I was ecstatic! They certainly didn’t disappoint. The atmosphere of the live show, mixed with the idea in the back of my mind that I more than likely wouldn’t be seeing them again made me want to take in every moment of their set. This mixed with a great group of people, and possibly a little bit of cider, made for an unforgettable night. It’s this feeling that fans crave and creates a buzz around bands reforming.
This nostalgic factor contributes to the hype around reformation and it’s this hype and excitement that make fans long for their favourite bands to re-unite. Bands such as The Stone Roses reforming last year got a huge amount of press coverage as well as it being an exhilarating experience for lifelong fans, it’s also an opportunity for the band themselves to get back into the lifestyle they love and even make some more money from it. But what’s in it for the bands? Yeah, it’s a good laugh I guess but what is their true motive. Is it to re-connect with their fans and rekindle their passion for music? Or have they been sucked so far into the craziness of the music industry that they are purely in it for the money? It’s extremely difficult to accept that perhaps your favourite band haven’t got their heart and soul in it anymore and simply need to make some more money to fuel particular habits or lifestyles. Deep down I think it’s most likely a bit of both, some could argue that is a naive attitude but once you’ve spent so many years supporting and feeling part of a bands career, it’s a challenge to let go and completely accept defeat. Then of course there is always the argument on whether or not a band should come back at all and could it ruin their sound. Last year, one of the most popular teenage angst bands, Blink 182 released their latest album Neighbourhoods, and in turn, disappointed all those fans wishing they were teenagers again and this would be their gateway. Similarly this year, Green day have of course released their three albums Unos, Dos and Tres and have torn critics and fans who
are battling with this idea that some things are better left in the past at their prime. But some things can be bettered when fans are least expecting it.
There is always the argument on whether or not a band should come back at all There is this dreaded idea that perhaps the reformation of these bands could damage their reputation and ruin it for their fans. At the end of the day, who cares? Some of the most popular classic bands nowadays of our generation never got the opportunity to see live and if only we had got that chance, the music industry might pay more attention to the bands that have influenced so many people. It seems as though the classic, old and most influential bands fall off the radar and the pop princesses seem to spawn careers forever. Saying this however, both “classics” in their own right, Aerosmith and Van Halen have brought out albums this year after being on long hiatuses. All in all, band reunions are interesting and something to look forward to. As someone who listens to a mixture of old and newer music, I would love to see some of my favourite artists and musicians grace the stage again. Whether you agree or not with a bands’ decision to make music again, the prospect of an opportunity for some great music to come is exciting and should be celebrated.
Audio-Addict.co.uk
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TROPICal Paradise With a new label and EP, the future looks bright for Chris Ward aka Tropics
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You’ve just put Pop Up Cinema online, how are you feeling about releasing it to the world? It’s a lot more vocal and a bit cleaner than the stuff I’ve released before. There’s alot more space in it, and alot of these tracks bring a sense of being unfinished but I kinda like that. It just feels a bit more exposed than the last tracks, because there a bit more of a human touch. You’re working with a live band, how do you find that compared to working on your own as a recording artist? I really like it because they’re both really talented musicians. They offer more than just a ‘backing band’ because they’re my mates aswell and they’re not afraid to say opinions about what’s working and what’s not, that’s really good because it’s great to have a second and third opinion on how things are developing. I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it as fast without them, it would’ve been more trial and error. How do you think moving to Svetlana Industries has benefitted you as an artist? I’m trying to not focus on labels, its something I never did until I signed to Planet MU. I’ve had ups and downs where labels have been involved, Svetlana is very easy going, and Toby who runs it is an awesome guy, he’s not pushing anything. I made the tracks before I even signed with them, they know what they’re in for and I know what I’m releasing. Having recorded a few E.P’s as well as an album, which format do you prefer to work with? When writing my first album I got very in this whole album vibe. I read into it too much and I overthought a lot of things, stressed myself out a bit. I feel happy making the tracks asandwhen I’m influenced, what I do now is I work on a few tracks and when I’ve got some that sound like they run well in order, that’s what I’ll release. There’s some that didn’t work with Pop Up Cinema, but I think they’re gonna work with
what I’m making at the moment. I can never set on what an EP is or what an album will be, I’ll have an idea myself, but it’ll always end up changing, so I don’t try to think too much about the format.
It’s like rearranging bits of a puzzle, but in your own sort of way. I use it as almost homework Do you find remixing a completely different creative process to producing your own music? It’s like rearranging bits of a puzzle, but in your own sort of way. I use it as almost homework or a learning curve, I’ll try things out in a remix because I’m not as worried how its gonna sound, I’ll experiment with certain things. I like doing them a lot because I got a lot of recognition from them when I first started out. Where do you hope Tropics will evolve next as an entity? At the moment I’m quite happy experimenting with certain sounds and the identity of Tropics, I don’t think I’ve quite settled on it yet. I’m happy to do a few more EP’s like Pop Up Cinema; until an album is in high demand I’ll go down that route again. I like to push it until I’m 100% happy with a piece of work and take it from there. Its quite cool looking back on a year and a half to see how it started out, and there is a bit of progression there. I went into the live thing, never doing a live show or singing in front of people before. It was kinda like being thrown into the deep end, there’s been quite a lot of learning along the way about certain tricks and skills. I’m always excited to see where its gonna go.
by Connor Cass Audio-Addict.co.uk
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Top 10 albums of 2012 We asked our contributors and editors for their top albums of the year. This is the result The XX - Coexist The XX deliver another masterpiece. Heartbreak, intimacy and love never sounded so good. Coexist is just as brilliant as their debut effort.
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LMF
The Chariot - One Wing Georgian mathcore mob The Chariot relentlessly steamroll through their thirty minute sonic assault with the intensity of five homeless men fighting over fresh meat AD
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid M.a.a.d City The west coast’s new great hope radically impresses with a concept album outlining the struggles of growing up in compton. Engineered by Dre.
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MS
Dry The River - Shallow Bed Liddle’s vocals are delicately laced between a sound that manages to be both cloyingly intimate and massively vast at the same time.
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MR
Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind Salem’s hardcore veterans return with something just as destructive and visceral as their previous efforts, with unprecedented production value. MS
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Deftones - Koi No Yokan
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Koi No Yokan could possibly be one of the best Deftones outputs in years. Emotive, aggressive and devastating in equal measure. MS
Every Time I Die - Ex Lives
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Finally perfecting their sound, ETID’s latest is an assault of southern riffs and sarcasm which is bound to leave the listener sporting a majestic beard and clutching a fine bottle of bourbon. LT
The Maccabees - Given To The Wild
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A stunningly produced collection of unforgettable Indie. Euphoric crescendos and sweet harmonies characterise the bands best offering to date. CC
Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
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The enigmatic songstress unleashes her collection of lovelorn ballads on the world to powerful effect. Think Nancy Sinatra produced by Kanye. MS
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
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Winners of this year’s Mercury Prize, Alt-J’s debut was always the favourite. Even if it wasn’t to everyone’s tastes. But don’t tell me you didn’t feel that tingle at the nape of your neck the first time ‘Let’s Tesselate’ is cooly spoken or when that Indian sitar makes its presence known on ‘Taro’.
This is an album made up of spine chilling moments. Sure they’re not doing anything groundbreaking, but that doesn’t stop the album being a simply outstanding collection of songwriting
MR
Audio-Addict.co.uk
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MURPhy’s LAW The Boston boys are back in town. Definitely older but wiser? Louis Kerry talked to the Dropkick Murphys to find out. Who would bet that a celtic influenced punk band could have a top ten Billboard chart album, be featured in blockbuster films and be nominated for three Grammys? Well Dropkick Murphys did all that and a hell of a lot more. Combining in-your-face punk rock, hip shaking folk and the spirit of Ireland, Dropkick Murphys have successfully kept the party alive for over fifteen years with songs about drinking, fighting and rocking out. Having had a whirlwind summer playing all over Europe, including the UK’s own Download Festival, the band haven’t taken a moments rest and hit the US ahead of the release of their eighth studio record, Signed and Sealed in Blood. Unlike their last record Going Out In Style, which was concept based, the Murphy have gone back to basics with a record that will make you want to drink a barrel of Guiness and headbutt some football hooligans. Speaking in a stern, confident and trustworthy voice, lead singer Al Barr doesn’t waste time, he clearly loves his band, the new songs and is thankful for the privileged career that he and the rest of the Murphys have had. “We’ve always been grateful with how things are going, the slower growth has definitely been something that has lead to our success because I think when you burn when hot you can’t explain it so it goes out so much quicker. If you can’t explain why band ‘X’
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sold 0 to 100,000 records and you don’t know why it happened, then you’re going to leave just as fast as it happened. Whereas a band like Dropkick Murphys, we’ve culminated our audience, we’ve been touring, we play towns and cities. We’ve established our relationship with our audience and I think people understand that we’re a real band and not some fad. People understand and respect that so I think that’s why we have the longevity and we have the fans who come to the tour and continue to buy the records”. Formed through the underground punk scene in 1996 around Massachusetts the band have certainly seen and done a lot of things most people don’t get to experience in a lifetime. Their new album Signed and Sealed in Blood is expected to be their most successful
though, Al Remains very humble in terms of the band’s accolades: “It’s an amazing thing. I mean as shaky as it sounds we try to bring it forwards and that’s all we can do as a band. What goes around comes around and I really feel like what you put out there is going to come back. So if you put out negative stuff you’re going to get negative stuff back, but if you’re putting out positive stuff hopefully positive stuff will come back”.
In the run up to to the release of Signed and Sealed in Blood and the first single ‘Rose Tattoo’, the band decided to ask their fans to, somewhat controversially, to have the new album artwork tattooed on them. Asking someone to tattoo themselves let alone of artwork of an album they haven’t even heard yet is quite the bold move and a fair few fans voiced their disapproval of it. Al however acts very proud Audio-Addict.co.uk
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of the outcome: “We don’t have the power to make anybody do anything” he explains, “ It was just ‘hey this is our idea, and if you want to do it then go for it’ and there’s been a lot of people who’ve decided to do it. It really shows we have such loyal fans, it just speaks volumes about them and their dedication to this band. It just reinvigorates us to be the best we can for them”. However, age is always going to take its toll on the hardest of men. Having spent almost twenty years on the road Al now has a family; his wife only just giving birth to their third child. He talks about the pressures of being on the road, being a father and a husband and the inevitable sacrifices he’s had to make. “As you get older it gets harder. I’ve been on the road for the last sixteen years and after a while it’s hard to testify the time away, it’s time you’re not going to get back and you miss things. But the other side of it is when you’re home, you’re home 24/7. Not a lot of people can say that they get weeks off sometimes longer. We’re still lucky to have that”. A serious problem Al faced was his admission to giving up alcohol, which comes as quite a surprise for the singer of a band you’d imagine can drink copious amounts of tequila. “I was one of those drinkers who you didn’t want to be around after 3 or 4 drinks as I wasn’t real friendly after that and that’s why I needed to stop. I can only visit the dentist so many times. I’m just one of those guys, it just doesn’t work well for me. I’m not trying to say that’s great for everybody it just wasn’t right for me. I have 3 children and a wife I gotta think about them, their wellbeing and being the best father I can be and I knew if I was drinking then I wasn’t going to be the best.” Still, this doesn’t get in the way of the band’s world-famous live shows. What’s even better is that the new songs from Signed and Sealed in Blood have already become firm fan favourites on the setlist. “With every record we’re honing our craft more and more and with every record it’s like we’re getting closer and closer
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and that’s always been the intention. I think every band wants to put the energy that they have live. How do we harness that and bring that through the speakers? It’s not an easy task and with this record we’re definitely closer to that for sure”. It’s quite clear that Al and the rest of the band have had an amazing career with hundreds of fascinating stories to tell. And even after the trials and tribulations of touring life they clearly have no plans of putting a hault on Murphy life. Their feet remain firmly on punk rock ground. by Louis Kerry Signed and Sealed in Blood is out on January 8th. Dropkick Murphys play in the UK in January. See audio-addict.co.uk for details
BLESSING FORCE ‘Like The Young Ones meets University Challenge’. Oxford maths boffins make a splash on the scene
Based in Oxford, Blessing Force are a growing collective of artists, musicians and writers busy curating events, publishing literature and releasing records. The collective have made an indelible impact on the Oxford music scene since its beginnings in late 2010. Under the stewardship of Yannis Philippakis of Mercury Prize-nominees Foals, several new bands appeared to spring up in the city overnight. They are now alerting the continent of their presence, making regular tours out to Europe and Asia. “The point with all of the Blessing Force stuff, really, is to help each other get to wherever they need to get” explains Andrew Mears of Pet Moon. “ I think organising ourselves as Blessing Force has helped us provide support for one another more readily than if it was just a case of pulling favours from friends without being able to offer anything in return”. Often found hanging out at Foals’ stable The House of Supreme Mathematics, the collective are a bit like The Young Ones meets University Challenge. Thankfully, there are a handful of really great bands involved, particularly Jonquil and their frontman Hugo Manuel, aka Chad Valley, Trophy Wife and former Youthmovies member Andrew Mears, aka Pet Moon.
Blessing force has been noted by many as ‘a reaction against the academic focus of the city’, however Trophy Wife disagree; “there’s never been any real connection between the music scene in Oxford and academia – they’ve always been very separate worlds”. As well as a collection of musicians, Blessing Force also comprise of artists. Oxford graphic design legend, Tinhead fronts the collective, providing promotional art for the likes of Foals, Trophy Wife and Mumdance. Blessing Force seem to be at the heart of Oxford’s ever expanding music scene, continuously producing innovative and fresh new acts, they act as the face of London’s trendiest new clique – Expect to hear a lot more of them soon. The Blessing Force collective consists of: Jonquil / Neon Pulse / Pet Moon ODC Drumline / Trophy Wife / Chad Valley Solid Gold Dragons / Rhosyn / Charlotte Freeston Amy Honour / Sebastian Thomas Valeska Hykel / Tinhead / Sisterland Motherhood / Pocket house by Piers Le Moignan
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REVIEWS 20
Rihanna Unapologetic Def Jam Records Low slung and dirty, pumped up and celebratory Unapologetic delivers an orgy of masterful collaborations that ache to mainlined bass action and are catchy as a rash on a Saturday night. Loud contained arguably the best summer songs of 2010 (e.g. ‘Only Girl In The World’) but Talk That Talk disappointed as the hits were the only good songs. Latest effort Unapologetic turns that right around as Rihanna showcases some of her best work yet. ‘Phresh Out The Runway’ features a Prodigy-esque electro bass line and Rihanna has taken an explicit leaf out of Nicki Minaj’s book here as lyrics read “Walk up in this bitch like I own this hoe”. ‘Diamonds’ is a strong single that holds a catchy chorus with Rihanna’s signature soaring vocal. Though it’s nothing to rival ‘We Found Love’ or ‘Talk That Talk’, ‘Diamonds’ is definitely a step in the right direction. First collaboration, ‘Numb’, sticks right in your head with its nice little vocal hook. However, Eminem’s very brief rap doesn’t really add much to the track; in fact, it feels a little out of place. The thing about Unapologetic is that it’s not an album full of singles. It’s an album showing Rihanna’s talent and how she’s evolved as an artist.
ballads, the first being a vocal showcase over anything else, while ‘Stay’ features an impressive duet with Mikky Ekko as their vocals interweave with each other. ‘Nobody’s Business’ is a controversial duet with Chris Brown as they both declare “I wanna be your baby, you’ll always be my baby”. After their very public break up and domestic violence case, this song shows once and for all that Rihanna wants to forgive and forget. ‘Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary’ is a huge 7 minute number which sees Rihanna calling out to Mother Mary and coming to terms with her fame: “Never thought so many people would ever know my name”. Unapologetic doesn’t stand out for the first few listens, but as it becomes familiar it starts to reveal its hidden greatness. With some ultimate floor fillers, some intricate ballads and some interesting collaborations, Unapologetic is a work of art and should be appreciated as a whole. by Katie Vowles
‘Jump’ is Rihanna gone dubstep. With a dub bass to rival Skrillex the refrain of “Jump” repeated over and over is sure to make this a club favourite. ‘Right Now’ feels like a real Rihanna hit as David Guetta’s masterful production really makes the track stand out. ‘Right Now’ is without a doubt a dance anthem with an insanely catchy hook - definite No 1 material. ‘What Now’ and ‘Stay’ are both beautiful Audio-Addict.co.uk
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Olly Murs Right Place, Right Time Epic Records Cheesy pop has always been Olly Murs’ forte. Unfortunately with Right Place Right Time he pushes things too far and ends up going off the deep end. ‘Army of Two’ has an orchestral introduction which doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the album while the falsetto chorus is naff and lacking in character. Lyrics fare no better as Murs sings “Our faith is the bullet/Hope is the gun/Love is all we need” with a military outro that’ll make you cringe. This album just doesn’t have the same pizazz and spark of In Case You Didn’t Know. In most cases you just hear the intro and think: “Oh God, not another one!”. Unfortunately, Murs has lost his charm. Instead of creating an album full of catchy hits and clever hooks all put together with his signature smile, it’s a bore. From the exaggerated swell of strings to the overly emotional piano, ‘One of These Days’
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would be more at home on a tacky cover album than on Murs’ 3rd studio effort. It’s not even as if he’s created a generic dance-y album with catchy songs – it just all feels so forced. It’s like Murs hasn’t even had any input whatsoever. Notable exceptions include the collaboration with Flo Rida on ‘Troublemaker’ and the eponymous title track as these are catchy as hell and take us back to the Olly Murs we all knew and loved. On the deluxe version of the album there are 4 bonus tracks, all of which are fairly inconspicuous. With the exception of ‘Sliding Doors’ which is full of character and energy. The overall vibe of Right Place Right Time is disappointingly drab and lifeless. It looks like Olly Murs’ time is up unless he manages somehow to make his 4th album the best the world has ever seen. by Katie Volwes
Dropkick Murphys Signed and Sealed in Blood Born & Bred Records Long into their careers, Dropkick Murphys have only just slipped into their prime. In the last few years the Celtic punk band from Massachusetts have earned Grammy nominations, top ten records and even been featured in academy award winning film The Departed. Even after all their accolades the band have firmly signed and sealed their best album to date, Signed and Sealed in Blood. Blending a unique concoction of fist in the air punk rock and traditional Celtic folk music, the Murphys don’t give in to flavours of the month and perform with the same invigorated energy that they deliver in their momentous live shows. Signed and Sealed in Blood has strong resemblances to folk legends The Pogues.
Season’s Upon Us’ that even though it’s about having a damaged family, it gets you right into the holiday spirit. First single ‘Rose Tattoo’ slaps any doubters in the face with its unmerciless stomp of a chorus, whilst ‘Out on The Town’ makes you want go drink some Guinness, dance like your dad and forget everything that happened the next day. In no way do Dropkick Murphys take it slow, Signed and Sealed in Blood is a full on defining punk rock record that will no doubt continue to catapult the band into further mainstream success whilst firmly sticking to their roots. by Louis Kerry
And speaking of bands famed for Christmas hits, in what seems like perfect or slightly late timing the band have included a surprisingly fantastic alternative Christmas song ‘The Audio-Addict.co.uk
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Cheatahs Sans EP Wichita Records
as the interest in this band is all about the thundering, over-driven guitars which guide the song rhythmically as much as the drums. Title track ‘Sans’, introduces the bands heavier side with thrashing guitars, but the vocals remain subtle, which provides an interesting balance. These two songs were written by the only Englishman in the London based band, James Wignall, with the following two written by Nathan Hewitt, born and raised in Canada.
London based band Cheetahs recently signed to independent label Wichita Records which was soon followed by the release of their debut EP, Sans. The first track, ‘The Swan’, immediately throws you into the guitar driven depths of Cheetahs sound. The vocals have been faded down just enough that you can’t quite make out the lyrics, but that in this case is no problem
Bos Angeles Taking Out The Trash Mexican Summer
Bos Angeles seems like a pretty cool name, spewing visions of the hot West Coast in The States would be wrong however, this clique are actually from Boscombe, Bournemouth, putting out a collection of four unreleased EPs, wonderfully assigned onto cassette. That said, there’s a sound dripping out of this record consistent with the vibe procured by west coast hardcore in the 1980s, cue records like The Punch Line or bands like Middle Class, the low end thundering away like Dukowski is in the game.
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The vocal melodies in these two songs seem to take on a more Biffy Clyro shape, without the angry Scottish accent. The last track, entitled ‘Flake’, concludes with a smoother sounding take on a Libertines song, with a wandering guitar solo which sees out the rest of the EP nicely, if not excitingly. by Ellis Ballard
It’s unsuspectingly loud, scatterings of tricky little guitar parts gushing out everywhere, falling at the feet of young independent psychedelic rock troupes like Warpaint or Tame Impala. It’s good to hear the dirty crackle of a guitar amplifier in breaks between tracks, there’s not much of that anymore, indie rock music must be scared or something, this is indie rock right? Surf rock? Oh right, well that’s what everyone else seems to be saying. Really, it’s just a minimalist rock sound, a collection that pumps out like a lot of these small new independent rock groups, there’s something in there, a raw mould looking towards something new, a fresh something to whatever that cliché indie scene was or is, I just don’t know. Bos Angeles are at least another example of a first glance, (usually disregarded) South Coast indie group that once examined, are found fetching a delightfully intriguing record, this scenario has happened once too often. by Joe Madden
DELS Black Salad Big Dada/Ninja Tune
Some labels aren’t afraid to take risks. For Ninja Tune/Big Dada this has been a key catalyst in what has made them a legendary independent. Former graphic artist, 28-year-old resident of Ipswich Dels has found the perfect spiritual home for his wayward rhyme montages. Following his 2011 release Gob which features
Alicia Keys Girl On Fire Sony
Leather clad and sporting a new style, Alicia Keys returns to offer up her anticipated fifth studio album Girl On Fire. The musical veteran puts her 10 year experience into a new “raw” take on R’n’B pop soul. The title track on the record ‘Girl On Fire’ is Keys at her best. The soulful vocals reminiscent of Nina Simone teamed with hip-hop beats overtly similar to Keys’ and Jay-Z’s global hit ‘Empire State Of Mind’, make for a classic Alicia Keys chart topper. The album is full of
Hot Chips’ Joe Goddard, he has returned with a new EP in preparation for his forthcoming second album, next year. The EP is split into two parts. Title track ‘Black Salad’ contains purposely-repetitive lyrics that fit in with the ambience he is trying to represent in his dark electronic hip-hop sound. His personal side opens up within ‘Bird Milk’ and ‘Not Today’, which venture away from topical subjects and instead fall deeply within the context of his mind, reminiscient of Ghostpoet, backed up by heavier beats. ‘Sell By Date’ is a short skit, focusing on production, providing the transition in which DELS reverts back to his alter ego. ‘You Live In My Head’, closes the EP with strong, dark piano, minimal use of lyrics and lots of reverb. Definitely a grower. by Billy Bentley these catchy club tunes, but Keys’ gospel vocals and classically trained magic piano fingers turn mainstream R’n’B into something entirely new. Keys’ is queen of the power lyric, even more evident in her beautiful R’n’B track ‘Not Even The King’. The sickly sweet rasp of “I found the world in you” is enough to make your soul smile, the track might not be groundbreakingly different to what she already does, but why change what works so well. ‘Brand New Me’ exudes Keys’ new style, but doesn’t stray too far from what we’ve already heard. Whilst ‘New Day’ is the stand out on the album and has the potential of a Rihanna cult classic. Her style might be different but Girl On Fire is just simply Alicia Keys. No more, no less. She’s been successful for 10 years now, so she must be doing something right. by Izzy Coote Audio-Addict.co.uk
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Image is strictly copyright of Lightboxstudios.co.uk
Ben Howard – Southampton Guildhall As Willy Mason’s set comes to a close, the animated crowd offer an impressive farewell to the American folk singer who set the tone for what was to be quite an extraordinary evening. Mason has been following Ben Howard on tour since the beginning of November. Howard is welcomed on stage by a wholehearted roar of applause, with groups of women screeching their love from an audience in complete awe. An awe which is ever present throughout the first five minutes as ‘Everything’ starts the night. The crowd’s captivation was still evident as ‘Black Flies’ cuts through the atmosphere. There wasn’t a single person in the room who wasn’t fixated on the stage at this point. The recognisable mellow guitar intro of ‘Old Pine’ was warmly welcomed by the gathered throng, which proceeded to chime in with claps and their own vocal accompaniement, breaking the spell. But the clapping didn’t stop there, as what sounded like everybody continued throughout the entire intro and first verse of ‘Diamonds’. With such an intense, up-tempo finish, the bursting venue was in full voice which carried to crowd favourite ‘Only Love’.
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The Burgh Island, Howard’s new EP set the theme throughout the set with an imposing cliff face providing the background for the show. As the trembling guitar opening of ‘Oats in the Water’ kicked in, the wait for the new material was over and was hotly followed by ‘Burgh Island’. ‘The Wolves’ had an extraordinary vibe throughout the entire song, as the band built the last verse up to a chest thumping, foot stomping, powerful end. Howard and his band were on top form tonight, and the crowd repaid them in spirit. The soothing vocals and guitar of ‘Keep Your Head Up’ poured from the stage as the now vocal audience sang their hearts out. ‘The Fear’ was the last track before the encore, which culminated in Howard snapping a guitar string with his passion. Cheered back onto the stage for a two track encore, which consisted of ‘Depth Over Distance’ and ‘Promise,’ it suddenly dawned on you that the night was over. As Howard says farewell to the hospitable crowd, you can feel the entire Guildhall left wanting more! by Luke McFarlane
The Vaccines - Bournemouth O2 “My first band was from Bournemouth... My first black eye was from Bournemouth too”. These were the words from the ever charismatic front man that is Justin Young, as he took a breath from pacing around every square inch of the stage. The (already) sweat-drenched fans let out a fervent cheer at Young’s admission, whilst many members of the audience were in fact receiving their own first black eye experiences. Support acts Pale, Deap Vally and Diiv had done an impressive job at rousing the rapidly increasing swell of bodies at The O2 Academy Bournemouth, but the effect that The Vaccines had on the crowd was outstanding. The juvenile crowd swarmed amongst each other with the odd body being involuntarily pushed above or (unfortunately) below the sea of fans, as they desperately tried to sing along with every word that came out of Young’s mouth. Starting their November 2012, UK tour in Plymouth and ending here in Bournemouth, the fact that tonight’s performance was the last of their 11 date tour was unnoticeable. Whilst every member of the audience fought to hold their space, the boys on stage performed their
eighteen song set with enough ‘oomph’ to get even the old timers in the back moving. Being their last night on tour only added to the ecstasy in the room. Promoting their second album, Come Of Age along with a few all-time favourites from What Did You Expect From The Vaccines, it was clear from the crowd’s reaction that their new album has been taken in with open arms. Starting their set with a boisterous performance of ‘No Hope’ which led almost instantly into (equally lively) ‘Wrecking Bar’, Young was looking positively blue as he grinned out to the 2,500 faces filling the O2. The foursome finished their set with all-time favourite ‘If You Wanna’. The boys knew exactly what they were doing; skipping out after this song would be like stuffing a child full of sugar and then making them sit in silence. After two minutes of a bellowing encore chant from the ‘sugarhigh’ crowd, and what do you know? They’re back on stage. Through their final three songs the audience were back to their mad selves, The Vaccines were beaming, right up to the last guitar strum of ‘Norgaard’. Words and photo by Indie Shaw Audio-Addict.co.uk
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Gentleman’s Dub Club – The Joiners, Southampton Since their formation in 2006, Gentleman’s Dub Club have constantly toured the live circuit, which has seen them build a reputation for enthralling audiences. In the middle of a month-long jaunt around the UK they arrive at Southampton’s Joiners, which see’s them prove why this reputation is richly deserved. As genre styles Reggae and Ska seem rooted in the musical traditions, associated with certain overused motifs, all three bands on tonight’s bill bring the genres deep into the 21st Century in their own unique way. Dressed in matching grey suits; Gentleman’s Dub Club finally make their entrance, as a deafening roar of excitement greets them. Although the eight-piece band is compacted onto a diminutive stage, this doesn‘t put them off, as they are faultless in energy and enthusiasm. Lead vocalist Jonathan Scratchley may attempt to raise huge levels of hype for the
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band, but the crowd don’t actually need any encouragement They are receptive of anything thrown at them; any traditional Ska see’s them adopt the previous generations (some of which are present) ‘skanking’, while the Garage-style drops sees rave-like atmosphere develop. It’d be impossible to find a person in the room not enjoying themselves. As the gig reaches its climax, Jonathan offers the crowd more music; which is rapturously responded to. They give the impression that GDC, if it were possible, would continue well into the night. Sadly their limited back catalogue means they couldn’t go on much longer as ‘Emergency’ and ‘High Grade’ rounds off the night. However the finale is memorable as both band and crowd hit their euphoric peak, leaving everybody wanting more. Photo by Billy Bentley Words by Connor Cass
Bon Iver – Wembley Arena It wasn’t that long ago Justin Vernon, frontman of Bon Iver, sat writing and recording his own music in a cabin in rural Wisconsin. If one venue was perfect for Bon Iver, sadly it wasn’t Wembley Arena. It didn’t make much sense as to why a band with such harmonious vocals chose this venue. But, the show had to go on! Watford trio The Staves were the support act of the night, with voices that can only be described as angelic and graceful, they really were the perfect band to open such a show. Keeping the fans entertained with their quirky personalities, it wasn’t long until the time had finally arrived. Without further ado, Bon Iver started the show with ‘Perth’, which was undoubtedly one of their best performances of the night. To the crowd’s delight, they followed on the show by playing songs such as ‘Holocene’, ‘Blood Bank’, ‘Creature Fear’, ‘Calgary’, ‘Towers’ and so on. As the rest of the band left the stage while
Justin played ‘RE:Stacks’, The Staves joined him in singing along. The audience were intoxicated by every song and were in awe of Justin’s presence. It was obvious from the start, Vernon was a little uncomfortable but as the show progressed, his confidence grew. The back end of the show consisted of numerous tracks from the second album, with ‘Beth/Rest’ being the last song before the encore. It suddenly became reality that this was one of the folk groups’ final shows. The night was over and there were three songs left to play, ‘Skinny Love’, ‘For Emma’ and one to get the crowd involved… ‘Wolves Act 1 & 2’. As the lyrics “what might have been lost” flooded the arena, it was a special moment. Emotions ran sky high that evening, the response they had from Wembley Arena that night will hopefully prove how much they are admired by many and will be forgotten by none. Photo by Tom Griffiths Words by Fran Botham Audio-Addict.co.uk
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What is the future for: Streaming services With major artists like Coldplay, Adele and Taylor Swift holding back material, will software like Spotify and Deezer that allow legal music streaming have a future? Surely the removal of these larger names from the companies’ catalogues will put off the common music lover from paying for streaming sites? I’m not too sure. People are always looking for easier ways to complete the most mundane tasks in their lives so why would consuming music be any different? For a mere £10 a month people can get well over 18 million songs and can use social networks to show what they are listening to. In a generation where everything is news worthy and needs to be spread around like some dirty STI why wouldn’t these egotistical people want to flaunt what they are listening too? Many have their reservations about the ability to get music on demand so cheaply because it may de-value the experience. Jana Hunter of Lower Dens puts it perfectly when she wrote a blog blast about the subject. She went on record saying: “Music shouldn’t be free. It shouldn’t even be cheap. If you consume all the music you want all the time, compulsively, sweatily, you end up
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having a cheap relationship to the music you do listen to.” Streaming pays artists per play, so for artists that are in the charts and getting regular plays this system may work better due to a steady income instead of the one off payment that they receive if someone simply buys their track outright. But the fact is, it would take 140 plays on Spotify to equal the artist/ label payment for a single iTunes download. I’m sure that the steady progression of streaming software will continue. Morgan Lebus label boss Ribbon Music who put Lower Dens’ music out commented in response to Hunter’s comments, “I’m hopeful a global community of paid streaming subscribers will usher in a new economy for music. Hopefully we’ll go from two million paid subscribers paying $9.99 per month to two billion paid subscribers paying $19.99 p/month.” Unsurprisingly he wants this amount of users by 2020, I don’t think it will blow to this scale in such a short period of time but I’m sure that billions of users aren’t too far in the future. by Matt Cook
THE POST TRIBAL BIBLE
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