Bristol Live // Fenne Lily by Bristol In Stereo

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ACTS 20

FENNE LILY Jan. 18 | 72

+ TONS MORE EXCITING ACTS

PLUS ALBUMS OF THE YEAR AND MORE 1

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Fri 5th Jan • £21 adv

The Hunna

Fri 19th Jan • £17 adv

Motionless In White Thu 25th Jan • From £12 adv 8pm-1am • over 18s only

Chinese Man

Youthstar + ASM, Baja Frequencia, Mophono

Sat 27th Jan • SOLD OUT

Steel Panther

Mon 5th Feb • £16.50 adv

While She Sleeps Tue 6th Feb • £18 adv

Tue 6th Mar • SOLD OUT

Tom Misch Wed 7th Mar • £27.50 adv

Feeder Fri 9th Mar • £16 adv

Moose Blood Sat 10th Mar • £20 adv

Arch Enemy

Thu 15th Feb • £22.50 adv

The Used

Fri 16th Feb • £20 adv

Hell Is For Heroes Wed 21st Feb • £27.50 adv

Franz Ferdinand Thu 22nd Feb • £15 adv

The Temperance Movement Sat 24th Feb• From £10 adv 11pm-4am • over 18s only

Mon 9th Apr • £18 adv

Walk The Moon The Wonder Stuff + Ned’s Atomic Dustbin + Graham Crabb DJ set (P.W.E.I.)

Mist Wed 14th Mar • £23.50 adv

The Wailers The Stranglers + Therapy?

Wed 14th Feb • £19.50 adv

Epica + Myrkur + Oceans Of Slumber

Thu 12th Apr • £25 adv

Fri 9th Feb • £20 adv

The Damned

Sun 8th Apr • £19.50 adv

Sun 11th Mar • £16.50 adv

Thu 15th Mar • £27.50 adv

Sat 10th Feb • £26 adv

MØ + Skott

Stiff Little Fingers + RUTS DC

Alien Ant Farm + Soil + Local H Don Broco + Man On A Mission

Sat 7th Apr • £16 adv RESCHEDULED DATE

Tue 20th Mar • £25 adv

Skid Row Thu 22nd Mar • £25 adv

Blue October Fri 23rd Feb • £18 adv

Dodie Sat 24th Mar • £12.50 adv

Vance Joy Wed 28th Mar • SOLD OUT

The Wombats Thu 29th Mar • £17.50 adv

The Fratellis

Love From Stourbridge Fri 13th Apr • SOLD OUT

Tokio Myers

Mon 16th Apr • £24 adv / £75 VIP

Trivium

Fri 20th Apr • £16.50 adv

The White Buffalo Mon 23rd Apr • £16 adv / £50 VIP

Calum Scott

Wed 25th Apr • £21.50 adv

Skindred + CKY

Wed 2nd May • SOLD OUT

Gomez

Mon 7th May • £19 adv

Brothers Osbourne Tue 15th May • £27.50 adv

Machine Head

Sat 19th May • £29.50 adv

Fri 30th Mar • £20 adv

Rita Ora

Alabama 3

Fri 21st Sep • £13 adv

Tue 3rd Apr • £22.50 adv

The Smyths

Stamina

The Vaccines

Sun 23rd Sep • £30 adv

Tue 27th Feb • £17 adv

Fri 6th Apr • £14 adv

Fri 2nd Mar • £12 adv

The Amy Winehouse Experience ...A.K.A Lioness

The Front Bottoms Cash - A Tribute to The Man In Black

Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory Fri 19th Oct• £13.50 adv

Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana

O2 Academy Bristol Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated

ticketmaster.co.uk

2 2

Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm

ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com

o2academybristol.co.uk

Jan • 2018

01 | 12 | 17

SLEEP TALKING - CROFTERS RIGHTS -

29 | 03 | 18

THE WOMBATS - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

09| 02 | 18

31 | 03 | 18

HAUS

GOAN DOGS

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21| 02 | 18

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03 | 04 | 18

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

06| 03 | 18

BELLE & SEBASTIAN

THE VACCINES

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

06 | 05 | 18

- HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO -

20| 03 | 18

DREAM WIFE - EXCHANGE -

23| 03 | 18

ROZELLE - CROFTERS RIGHTS -

NOEL GALLAGHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - MOTORPOINT ARENA, CARDIFF -

A L L T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M

SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM

T h ursday Waldo’s Gift presents Ruth Royall

The Gallimaufry

Out of this All-star liveworld Soul, musicianship R&B and Rarecombines Groove Hip-hop, Math, Jazz, Groove & Electronica

4 Jan ~ Denny Ilet & Nick Robinson

Ruth Royall presents her first show with a laid back jazz inspired set to sooth any leftover hangovers. Expect songs from her earlier jazz material plus special guests Denny (Guitar) and Nick Robinson (Saxophone). 6 Dec ~ Waldo’s GiftIlet Trio

11 Jan ~ Bronte Shande KirkbyHarry Stoneham - Bass Alun Elliott-Williams - Guitar,

Special guest Bronte Shande Kirkby who’s exquisite tone captivates plus Ben Dowcra (Prudent Primate) deputises for James Vine audiences teams up with host Ruth Royall to perform tracks from Erykah 13 Dec Reworks: Burial Badu, Jill ~ Scott as well as some of Bronte’s original material.

Paying to an artist, 18 Jan ~tribute The Tribute Series producer, do Michaelcomposer Jackson or label

Bristol’s vocal talent joinfeat. Ruth Ruyall the full house band to pay 20 Decbest ~ Waldo’s Gift Roband Pemberton homage to the great MJ.

Talented drummer from progressive folk band Low Chimes

25 Jan ~ The Duval Project

27 Dec ~ Waldo’s Gift feat. Migs Andrews One of Ruth’s all time favourite Bristol bands perform their original set of Neo soul, R&B and Rare Groove Solid groove drummer andmaterial. rising star

thegallimaufry.co.uk thegallimaufry.co.uk

PARQUET COURTS, P12

Time moves relentlessly on... This magazine usually tends to live in the present, collecting together reviews, live shows and interviews that are current and topical. This issue, however, is different – focussing entirely on what is to come, and what has come before. Yes, via that grand pseudo-philosophical introduction, I would like to introduce to you the first Bristol Live Magazine of 2018, an edition which looks back on our favourite releases of the last year, but also forward to the acts that we reckon will get you excited about the year ahead. As New Music Editor, this is an issue I’m particularly proud of, and I’ve done my best to provide a selection of artists that represent both Bristol and the world beyond. At the bare minimum, I hope it’s a more entertaining start to the new year than Jools Holland. Enjoy! Christian Northwood New Music Editor

Sales: loki@bristollivemagazine.com Ed-in-Chief Loki Lillistone / New Music Ed Christian Northwood / Live Ed Jon Kean / Release Ed Lor Nov / Plus many more.

GUEST PICKS:

ACTS 2018:

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

BRISTOL BECAUSE:

DEAR DICK

I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T:

LIVE LISTINGS

THOUGHTS:

INDEPENDENT VENUE WEEK F E N N E L I LY NEW ACT RUNDOWN L A Z Y D AY

HOWLING OWL

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M E N TA L H E A LT H & MUSIC 5

DHP PRESENTS

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HOT SNAKES THEKLA SAT.03.FEB.18

SAT.24.MAR.18

RAE MORRIS

THE MARBLE FACTORY ALT TICKETS.COM â&#x20AC;&#x201D; FACEBOOK.COM/ALT TICKETS

Guest Picks

What our pals are into this month.

OSH

This month: 29th Jan to 4th Feb Chiverin Showcase:

Fenne Lily, Oro Swimming Hour & more The Louisiana, 3rd Feb Music community and record label, Chiverin, grew from the bowels of The Louisiana, one of the city’s prime breeding grounds for cutting-edge music. It’s there that they’ve put on shows with the likes of Blossoms, Sinkane, Phaeleh, Champs and many more, but it’s IVW that’s been the opportunity for both us and them to showcase local talent and invite people 8

Chloe Ward, UK Director.

into our home-from-home for a mini festival once a year. Four years ago, Fenne Lily opened the first ever IVW showcase in the cellar (that same year Bad Sounds played in the bar) and it seems more fitting than ever that she should headline this year’s event – on the eve of her highly-anticipated debut album. The show will see an array of acts across three stages, with the fantastic Oro Swimming Hour (one half of which is Bristol fave Oliver Wilde), Scalping and the never-disappointing Gnarwhals all announced so far.

Big Jeff / IVW present:

Jesuits & more Exchange, 31st Jan Big Jeff returns to the Exchange for a second year, with a speciallycurated show in collaboration with IVW. Jesuits headline, blurring genres to utilise a blend of gothic rock, trap, shoegaze and experimental electronics. Joining them are The Iceman Furness Quartet. Centred around cornet player Harry Furniss, he forges ahead with some of the most interesting musicians in Bristol to produce fully-improvised, uncompromising and soulful punk-artjazz. Described as powerful, personal and profound, Emily Isherwood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; also known as Nugget and Ema Sierra â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rounds off the live lineup. Her debut tape, out on Breakfast Records, holds four acoustic folk offerings best experienced live.

We Broke Free on Tour

Leeches, San. Marlo & more Hy-Brasil, 1st Feb South Coast-based promoters We Broke Free are taking four bands from Bournemouth on tour during IVW. Leeches bring infectious pop hooks to fuzzed-out rock, while San. Marlo have quickly made their mark with their UN EP, upon which inspiration from both the chilled out seaside and its darker, watery depths can be heard. Next, Lyra blend distressing sounds with relaxed riffs, in songs indebted as much to the The Cure as they are 90s shoegaze. Sad Love complete the tour lineup. IVW celebrates small music venues and those who own, run and work in them.

NEW W.

M e g a n I n d i a M c G u r k P. A d a m G a s s o n

ACTS

FENNE LILY

In her own words, the “sad girl” who nailed Spotify success, singersongwriter Fenne Lily is far from a lonely online sensation. As we settle into a cosy café to discuss her upcoming release, the community around it and how her sound is changing, the self-deprecating, ironic sense of humour we know on-track is still her defining feature. Having written ‘Top to Toe’ when she was 15, Fenne hit 30 million Spotify plays after it saw release in 2016. Lily is, at best, indifferent to the speed of this success: “It started getting playlisted after a couple of months, and then people were texting me saying they’d just heard me on Radio 1. I wasn’t really following it because it doesn’t really bother me, that kind of stuff, until it got to the point where I was like, ‘this is abnormally getting played a lot’. In some ways I wish it didn’t happen so quickly because then people were like ‘ooh, how many plays is the next song going to get’ and it shouldn’t be about that.” Championed by Bristol label, Chiverin, owner Aled Chivers was booking for Lily at The Louisiana from day one. “I only had two songs at this 12

point, so I quickly wrote two more and started coming up to play every couple of weeks from Dorset with my Dad. Aled started booking me really good support slots and, after about a year, on the way back from supporting Marika Hackman, he said ‘I really want to be your manager’ and I said ‘I don’t know what that means, but sure.’ He didn’t just pop up when I was doing well and say ‘let me have a slice’, ‘cause a lot of people are like that... Especially if you’re a girl on your own.” The Chiverin community has been a big contributor to Lily’s success. I ask her about the importance of collaboration, particularly her recent collaborative tour with Paul Thomas Saunders, Siv Jakobsen and Sivu. “It’s really nice to tour and perform

“People were texting me saying they’d just heard me on Radio 1... It doesn’t really bother me, that kind of stuff.” 13

my material with different people. Especially for singer-songwriters, it’s quite easy to get pigeonholed. If you want to keep everything to yourself all the time, be a girl with a guitar and look cute on stage, that doesn’t really have a lot of longevity. This tour was great because we helped each other out, but we were still doing our thing. It makes me think about different ways of doing stuff whilst still keeping my integrity. It’s pretty easy to get trodden on if you’re with, like, a big writer or you’re put with a popular producer. So yeah, there’s definitely a community I benefit from, but I don’t think I’m ready yet to do straight collaborations, because it’s mine, and I’m still honing it.” Aside from work with close friends, she jokes, “I was the kid at school who cloaked their spelling tests. I’m a natural secret worker.” With Lily having developed so much as an artist in a few young years, I ask if it’s weird playing her original songs from such a different time in her life. “It’s actually quite frightening how much my life problems haven’t changed. I listen back and I realise I still pick the wrong people. I still feel lonely a lot of the time. The core of most of the songs is sentimentally the same because I’m just kind of... Sad, as a person.” None of this is without a laugh, and I’d say the drive of her latest single ‘Three Oh Nine’ begs to differ. “I realised that everyone was responding to the first three singles like ‘oh another sad song from

Fenne Lily, Fenne Lily’s so sad, blah blah’. I sort of got to the, like... ‘Fuck you’ stage. I’m more angry than sad. I needed sonically to say that.” Recruiting a band in time for The Louisiana’s Independent Venue Week mini-fest, Lily is ready to deliver a grittier performance. Although tempted to have a polished sound reliant on backing tracks, she prefers to “trigger things with my feet and be really selfsufficient,” she explains. “To move the new songs away from being a singer-songwriter, they needed a bit of crunch. I want to be able to interact with the band onstage and not feel like I’m pinned to a click or a track. I want it to be a band thing, not like ‘oh, sad girl plus friends’.” The friends in question are drummer Maya Indelicato [prev. Scarlet Rascal] and bassist Joe Sherrin [aka SLONK], while her album sees Tamu Massif continue on production, as well as James Thorpe and John Parish [PJ Harvey and Aldous Harding]. With such great people behind her, a debut album lined-up and a brand new live band, it seems Fenne Lily is anything but just a sad girl.

The as-yet-untitled debut is due in April, with her appearance at The Louisiana for Independent Venue Week set for 3rd February.

“I want it to be a band thing... Not like ‘oh, sad girl plus friends’.”

YOUR

MUSIC CAREER STARTS HERE

COURSES

GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • VOCALS • SONGWRITING MUSIC PRODUCTION • MUSIC BUSINESS • EVENT MANAGEMENT MUSIC JOURNALISM

STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES UNRIVALLED CONNECTIONS TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EUROPE’S MOST CONNECTED MUSIC COLLEGE

BIMM.CO.UK/BRISTOL

NEW

ACTS 20

The BLM New Music Rundown for the coming year. Christian Northwood New Music Editor

Swimming Girls

“[Working with Aidan Zamiri] will make a change from filming in our bedrooms!”

FFO: THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, CYNDI LAUPER, BLEACH BLONDE HAIRDOS TASTES LIKE MONEY

NEW B R IS T OL ACT

Pop doesn’t need to be shiny. Pop music – or at least music with pop sensibilities at its core – can be gritty and dark. Swimming Girls thoroughly subscribe to this way of thinking, mixing squalling, reverb-heavy guitars with bright synths, while combining unbelievably catchy hooks with dark, raw vocals to create loud and beautiful guitar pop. The handful of singles that we’ve heard from the band so far shows a band with a clear idea of what they want to do, mixing influences from all over the 70s and 80s, chewing them up and spitting them out with their own glittery sheen on them. Live, the band are just as enthralling, with lead singer Vanessa Giménez providing a commanding yet vulnerable centre-point, while the rest of the fourpiece create lush layers of sounds. 2017 was a good year for them, with the band’s highlights including having their first ever singles out on Flying Vinyl, and moving into a house with a bathtub. But 2018 looks to be even better, with Swimming Girls hinting that they’ll be releasing a third single soon and working with Aidan Zamiri [Wonderland Magazine] on the ensuing visuals, which will “make a change from filming in our bedrooms!” soundcloud.com/swimminggirls / facebook.com/swimminggirls

Sœur

NEW B R IS T

Princess Nokia

ACT

Do you really need a bass guitar? Bristol three-piece – and dual guitar wielders – Sœur don’t think so. The band have been intriguing Bristolians for a while now, but having embarked on a UK tour this year, followed by a Maida Vale session, the rest of the world will finally be able to be treated to their infectious mix of heavy guitars, shifting tempos and hypnotic vocals. Sœur’s strength lies in their ability to shift gears from slow, intricate harmonies, to crunching, snarling, heavy rock. The band are fronted by both Anya Pulver and Tina Maynard, who trade vocals in songs with an almost telepathic precision. Combine this with drummer James Collins keeping tight check on the shifting, math-rock-infused rhythms, and Soeur are unlike anything you will have heard before. Brash yet intricate, aggressive yet mesmerising, Sœur have everything in their toolbox to make 2018 theirs. FFO: TIGERCUB / MILK TEETH / BULLY

NO FIRE

facebook.com/soeursoeursoeur / soeursoeursoeur.bandcamp.com

New York native Princess Nokia is hardly an artist that’s been under the radar, but 2018 will be the year that the rapper makes it big. Her mixtape was reissued and expanded as 1992 Deluxe this year by Rough Trade, and it shows a versatile artist that flits between different rap styles, energies and flows. Exciting and chaotic, but with increasingly more focus, Princess Nokia will put her stamp onto the rap mainstream. FFO: ANGEL HAZE / MYKKI BLANCO / WIKI TOMBOY princessnokia.org

ShitKid Sweden’s ShitKid has already released an album this year, so you may have already been blessed by her weird garage-rock stylings. The music hasn’t stopped coming, however, and it’s for this reason that I think her 2018 is going to be even better.

Scalping NEW B R IS T OL ACT

Take latest single ‘Oh Me I’m Never’ for example; confidently pushing garage-rock aside, yet managing to remain gritty in a piece of simple but thoroughly unique pop. FFO: DREAM WIFE / TY SEGALL,

OH ME I’M NEVER

facebook.com/shitkidmusic / shitkid.bandcamp.com

Heavy Lungs

NEW B R IS T OL ACT

Bristol’s Heavy Lungs have only a smattering of raucous live shows and one enthralling single under their belts, but they may just be the band that take over your 2018. Pulling on dark, throbbing postpunk sounds from the likes of Iceage and Eagulls, the band mesh noise, passion and snarling guitars together into an irresistibly visceral concoction. I guarantee you’ll find yourself sweating in the pit of one of their shows this year. FFO: ICEAGE / EAGULLS / ABATTOIR BLUES

Mysterious Bristol fivepiece, Scalping, are like nothing we’ve seen or heard before. They’re a band – that much is for sure – but the music they make doesn’t sound like it’s coming from the set-up they perform with. Guitars sound like metal scraping and the bass rattles your guts in a way you wouldn’t think possible, while pulsating electronics slot into every possible space. A crushing mix of techno and noise-rock, accompanied by mindbending visuals, Scalping want to challenge you on every level. FFO: HOLY FUCK / GIANT SWAN / BLOOD SPORT

POSTER BOY

facebook.com/heavylungsband

TUNNELVISION

facebook.com/scalpingband

Leeches “In the next year I think we just want to hit it harder... Like Daft Punk said, be ‘harder, better, weirder, better’.”

Leeches spent 2017 blowing audiences away with their winning combination of slacker-rock, heavy riffs and infectious fun, but it’s 2018 that will cement the Bournemouth trio as one of the most exciting UK bands around. For guitarist and co-vocalist Ben Lowe, the key turning point of 2017 was meeting drummer Frank Waloszek. “After rehearsing a few times with him, we were able to play so many great shows and meet loads of great people. That’s what made the year so crazy,” Ben explains. Frank’s wildman drumming style, combined with the groove-heavy basslines of Jack Pearce, means that Leeches now share as many similarities with early Black Sabbath as they do with the other surf-guitar bands, the likes of which they shared space with on debut EP Strange Bonds.

Ben is excited about what 2018 has in store for the band: “In the next year I think we just want to hit it harder, get another EP out, go on longer tours, make another record, meet more of the lovely people and, like Daft Punk said, be ‘harder, better, weirder, better’.” FFO: CLOUD NOTHINGS Although Ben may need to check that Daft Punk record again, if what he says is true, you’d better buckle up for WAVVES / SABBATH Leeches in 2018. BOB ROSS (LIVE) leechesleeches.bandcamp.com / facebook.com/leisurerecs

Yaeji

Table Scraps

New York’s Yaeji has thrown together minimal R&B, house and spacey electronics into a melting pot, emerging with a sound completely her own. One minute she’s lending her breathy, whispered vocal to a bouncy house-tinged floor-filler like ‘Raingurl’, the next she’s creating eerie, spacious soundscapes as on ‘Feelings Change’. Oh, and she re-worked Drake’s ‘Passionfruit’ into a tender, glitching piece of R&B. Supremely talented, 2018 looks like it’s Yaeji’s for the taking. FFO: KELLY LEE OWENS / ABRA / PC MUSIC

RAINGURL

soundcloud.com/kraejiyaeji / @kraeji

Arthur Pennsylvania native Arthur lives in his own little world. We’ve had but a taste of what happens in the singer-songwriter’s head so far via his Challenger EP, and what we’ve heard is intoxicating. It’s weird bedroom pop at its finest, a mixture of bubbling guitars and pitched vocals. But through the brilliant layers of production, his pop prowess shines through; there’s a reason that Frank Ocean collaborator Vegyn signed him to his label. FFO: REX ORANGE COUNTY / WEEN / HOMESHAKE

Fans of intense, garage-punk with hints of the psychedelic, take note: Here is your new favourite band. Birmingham threepiece, Table Scraps, mix crunching riffs with 60s pop sensibilities, and this year have released a slew of fantastic singles, as well as even a debut album back in 2015. But after finishing 2017 by supporting the legendary Black Lips around the UK, Table Scraps are ready to step it up a level. FFO: BLACK LIPS / OH SEES / WYTCHES

plzmakeitruins.bandcamp.com / plzmakeitruins.com

SICK OF ME

table-scraps.bandcamp.com

From ÂŁ7.95 6.30pm - 10pm Science, art, ideas. Bristol Harbourside

wethecurious.org 24

Love 8 Feb

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we the curious After Hours 18+ Out of the ordinary nights out

Sound 15 Mar

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NEW

ACTS 20

Wi l l Pe rk i n s W.

’ve caught Tilly Scantlebury at a good moment: Walking her dogs through Camden and riding upon the success of her band’s recent tour and splendid debut EP, Ribbons. Discussing their journey so far and plans for the future, it’s clear that there’s as much for Lazy Day to look forward to in 2018 as there has been to celebrate these last twelve months. Tilly’s pride in both the outcome of and the process behind a release that’s been over five years in the making is evident: “These things spend so much time in your head that when you finally 26

get to play it for someone it’s really cool to hear their reaction to it,” before gleefully adding that “it’s been very nice so far!” An integral part of her life for so long, she never allowed it to escape her control, retaining its sonically humble and vital beauty while ensuring it was representative of her emotions, acknowledging that: “I wanted it to be personal, rich and warm, and retain the earlier feeling of me starting alone in my bedroom.” This description perfectly captures the essence of Ribbons. The four main tracks, led by the hauntingly ethereal

LAZY DAY “I wanted it to be personal, rich and warm, and retain the earlier feeling of me starting alone in my bedroom.”

‘With my Mind’ are punctuated by the alertness of three “ribbon tracks” each around a minute in length. “They’re the private, weird moments,” Tilly explains. “We initially had the four main songs and were really happy with the EP, but it felt like a bigger thing to put out into the world this way.” Through this, the band have captured a harmonious relationship between the epic and the intimate, with the interludes not merely tying the release together, but acting as passages between sensations. Love has proven to be a key influence in Tilly’s writing, something noticeable from

the intriguing playlist of her favourite love songs currently on the band’s website. Consisting only of songs by female artists, she details that “making the playlist, I realised how much I love female voices. To hear women talk about different forms of love has inspired me to talk about these things.” Often the hardest emotion to truly define, she sees her experiences of love from life thus far as being underlined by music, acting as “a soundtrack embedded within experiences.” As we get into the group’s immediate plans, Tilly responds coyly, teasing: “We’re in the studio next week to mix two new singles, but I can’t really say much about that because we’ve been working in a different way than before.” Whilst this remains excitingly mysterious, one thing that we do know for certain about Lazy Day is that they’re returning to Bristol to play The Louisiana on 10th March, having already sold out The Crofters Rights in September, delighting (and being delighted by) those in attendance: “Our merch table was totally swarmed at the end; Big Jeff bought all our records.” Before the end of our conversation, I float the idea to Tilly of Bristol becoming like a second home to the London-based band. “I don’t want to speak too soon, but I really hope so,” she replies with a nervous eagerness, before adding: “It certainly greeted us with open arms when we played before!” Such is the charm of Tilly’s personality and her band’s music, it is impossible to see why we wouldn’t embrace them. Lazy Day are ones to watch this year, with their Ribbons EP out now and tickets for the Bristol date now available. Louisiana, 10th March. 27

Albums of the Year

t’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not that one – we’re talking of course about Albums of the Year. Nothing is more life-affirming as a music journalist, than looking over your shoulder to see a collection of albums so great that you’re filled with fresh determination for the year to come. This year saw the return of some seminal artists, long-awaited debuts from BLM favourites and some complete surprises, so without further ado – here’s our Top 20. Contributions from Loki Lillistone, Christian Northwood, Jon Kean, Mustafa Mirreh and Lor Nov.

FATHER JOHN MISTY PURE COMEDY

SPECTRES CONDITION

Condition scrapes away some of the grime from Spectres’ sound, revealing something that feels clearer without compromising their trademark sonic assault. The crushing mix of post-punk, shoegaze and post-rock is still present, but moments of beauty and calm make it truly special. CN

DIET CIG SWEAR I’M GOOD AT THIS Channelling misgivings from relationships, life and the female experience in an authentic and impassioned way, New York duo Diet Cig captured many hearts this year with their unique bundle of instant yet three-dimensional songs. A fantastic full-length instalment. MM

Watching America willingly buy itself a one-way ticket to Palookaville recently must just have reinforced to Josh Tillman that life is Pure Comedy. His 2017 meisterwerk examines existence from birth to death, largely observing that most modern lifestyles involve not being dead, and that’s about it. Fools are not suffered gladly. Arch, sardonic, witty and insightful, Father John Misty is the drollest troll in this great, big global unfairy tale. He’s definitely the daddy. JK

THE BLACK ANGELS

DEATH SONG These masters of psych-rock have proven they can still do great things with help from this year’s Death Song. More hypnotic than their previous Indigo Meadow, they dive to deeper depths and with greater variety – something all psych bands could use a touch of. Fifty minutes of quicksand-style, comfort zone-sidestepping bangers confirm that The Black Angels are here to stay. Death Song is a welcome surprise for jaded ears. LN

PERFUME GENIUS NO SHAPE

If 2014 saw Mike Hadreas transcend sombre bedroom plonking in favour of switchedon pop, this year saw him turn that into, well, ‘genius’. Rarely has a collection of perfectly-crafted melodies maintained such a vibey swagger or otherworldly presence, at once cathartic and transformative, inviting you to stow away between its many layers. Forays back to sparser times remain, such as on the gorgeous ‘Die 4 You’, but with a pulsating new energy, one only garnered from years of graft. LL

THU.04.JAN.18

JUNIOR

THE LOUISIANA

MON.29.JAN.18

A. SAVAGE

THE LOUISIANA

SUN.18.FEB.18

HUSKY LOOPS CROFTERS RIGHTS

MON.08.JAN.18

TUE.30.JAN.18

MON.19.FEB.18

IN HER OWN WORDS

SPRING KING

INDOOR PETS

SUN.04.FEB.18

TUE.20.FEB.18

THE LOUISIANA

MON.15.JAN.18

DAVID RAMIREZ THE LOUISIANA

SUN.21.JAN.18

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GUS DAPPERTON THE LOUISIANA

MON.05.FEB.18

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THU.08.FEB.18

WED.24.JAN.18

DAVEY SUICIDE THE LOUISIANA

FRI.26.JAN.18

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THU.08.FEB.18

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WED.21.FEB.18

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MARLON WILLIAMS THE LOUISIANA

FRI.23.FEB.18

PUMA BLUE

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SAT.24.FEB.18

JAKE BUGG COLSTON HALL

TUE.06.MAR.18

MAHALIA THEKLA

THEKLA

LIVE LISTINGS The Grove East Mud Dock Bristol BS1 4RB theklabristol.co.uk | thekla.club F L theklabristol | I X theklabris

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FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY

BATUSHKA

+ SCHAMMASCH + TREPANERINGSRITUALEN

SOLD OUT

SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY

DERMOT KENNEDY FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY

WILL HOGE

SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY

STARCRAWLER

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MONDAY 22ND JANUARY

ESCAPE THE FATE + SET TO STUN

THE STYLE COUNCILLORS SUNDAY 25TH FEBRUARY

THE BOXER REBELLION

TUESDAY 23RD JANUARY

TO KILL A KING + FOURS + JOSH SAVAGE

TUESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY

HIGH TYDE

SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY

ELDER ISLAND

WENESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY

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THE OH HELLOS

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THURSDAY 1ST MARCH

FRIDAY 2ND FEBRUARY

THE TEXAS GENTLEMAN

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KING 810 SATURDAY 17TH FEBRUARY

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FRIDAY 9TH MARCH

INSECURE MEN SATURDAY 10TH MARCH

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ZAK ABEL

WOLF ALICE VISIONS OF A LIFE

The most anticipated album of the year, which delivered on all fronts. Wolf Alice capitalised on 2015’s My Love Is Cool with the even more vibrant Visions Of A Life – both refining their sound and exploring untapped avenues. From spiralling grunge to dreamy pop amid touches of punk rock, singer-guitarist Ellie Rowsell commands the waves from her centrepoint to double down on the band’s seemingly limitless potential. MM

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING

EVERY VALLEY Popular music tends to present you with lyrics about love, hate, rampant materialism or casual misogyny. Public Service Broadcasting give you the demise of the South Wales coal mining industry. They may look like four supply teachers, but far from feeling like we’re in the schoolroom, hearing a tweedy dinosaur regurgitate a textbook, Every Valley should give you similar ‘lump in the throat’ moments as delivered by Pete Postlethwaite in Brassed Off – compassionate and accomplished. JK

WAXAHATCHEE OUT IN THE STROM

Out in the Storm hits you like an old friend singing you songs by the fire. The fourth album from one of the most celebrated underground singersongwriters of our time, it’s the work of a fully-grown woman with a mended heart. Mesmerising. LN

BIG THIEF BROCKHAMPTON

CAPACITY

SATURATION 1 & 2 The Cali-based “boy-band” stepped their game up immeasurably in 2017 with both Saturation albums (at time of writing Saturation 3 is unreleased). Emerging within months of each other, both records perfectly balance the personalities of every distinct rapper and producer, creating electrifying hip-hop with hooks, chemistry and a lyrical deftness that most artists can only dream of, all while tackling issues like queerness, rape culture and racism. Hip hop has a new, unstoppable force. CN 32

Timid yet powerful, raw yet soaring; Big Thief couldn’t sound more honest on breathtaking sophomore album, Capacity. Adrianne Lenker’s unique storytelling conveys a lifetime of sentiment in one hour of striking beauty, as the band use their shape-shifting indie-folk to create new, cherishable memories. MM

LOS CAMPESINOS! SICK SCENES

CHELSEA WOLFE HISS SPUN There may come a day when Chelsea Wolfe will disappoint, but it hasn’t just yet. The Californian seems to dig a bit deeper into the depths of her musical psyche on every release, here delivering sludge and discomfort in a way that only makes you want more of it. LN

THE BIG MOON LOVE IN THE 4TH DIMENSION When the Mercury shortlist contained The Big Moon’s debut album, there were cries of “Who?” and “What?” followed swiftly by “Ah! I get it,” once people gave it a spin and maxed out blissfully on Love in the 4th Dimension. JK

As their peers have fallen by the wayside, Los Campesinos! have never looked like they were letting up, and Sick Scenes is a testament to the band’s enduring passion, relevancy, and – let’s be honest – ability to write great music. The band’s usual mix of love, loss, politics and football, with a healthy dose of wit and self-deprecation, again works perfectly, but it’s the band’s return to their energetic, punk-flecked sound that makes this album stand out. CN

ST VINCENT MASSEDUCTION Sounding her most vulnerable since the recent transformation into dystopian diva, Annie Clark’s return filled a hole that only she could. MASSEDUCTION does well to balance St Vincent new and old, throwing out twisted riffs, dada-isms and wry romanticism in equal measure. Hell, it’s even got a ballad – but don’t be fooled into thinking she’s gone soft. Jabs at modern life abound, typified best on the rather gruff ‘Pills’. St Vincent is a leader among musicians. LL

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX SELF-TITLED

I’ve never really been one for sex music. Even Air’s Moon Safari has its moments and Marvin Gaye just makes me feel weird. Enter Cigarettes After Sex and their appropriatelyframed debut of the same name. Greg Gonzalez’s songwriting manages to deftly walk the line between seminal arthouse goodbye and teenage makeout sesh, with great help from less-is-more indie production and his own unique delivery – with a result that makes us all want to be more quiet, more often. LL

CHARLY BLISS GUPPY

SLØTFACE TRY NOT TO FREAK OUT As far as punk rock albums go, Sløtface’s debut Try Not To Freak Out is up there with the best. True to this spirit, while throwing vital punches to the modern world, the Norwegian group overcome the odds to create something new and relevant. MM

In the singles age, the art of the album can easily fall by the wayside. So when a debut as consistent and confident as Charly Bliss’ falls in your lap, spraying coffee all over your computer as I did is quite understandable, really. Eva Hendricks and co throw out both aggression and femininity without compromising on either, through honest, visceral rock songs that dodge triteness – despite the fact that they could easily ghost-write for Weezer. LL

CHERRY GLAZERR

APOCALIPSTICK Take some kids with more talent than you could ever dream of having, funnel it through the deft, modern production of Joe Chiccarelli and the result is Cherry Glazerr’s shining second offering, Apocalipstick. Holding within it an ebb and flow of finely-crafted rock songs, it’s as appropriate a gift for you as it is your once-rebellious mum or slightly-shy little sister, as tracks ‘Told You I’d Be with the Guys’, ‘Trash People’ or ‘Nuclear Bomb’ will all attest to. LN

IDLES BRUTALISM Brutalism, the architectural movement of the 1950s, filled the world with crap concrete constructions. Brutalism, the debut album of Bristol’s own debunking punks, IDLES, provides expert demolition of complacent pomposity, offering a design for life that esteems beauty and compassion. JK 34

KENDRICK LAMAR DAMN.

I’m not sure anyone doubted that DAMN. would be anything less than brilliant, but the fact that Kendrick yet again raised his game on it is astounding. He weaves his most complex narratives yet over his most sparse beats, firing salvos at those who doubted him on tracks like ‘HUMBLE.’, while exploring both race and his own religion with the skill and intelligence only he could. Another instant classic from Compton’s finest. CN

With: Joe Hatt & Adrian Dutt of

HOWLING OWL RECORDS BRISTOL BECAUSE... City chat with our fave people.

When did you first move to Bristol? We migrated here on 2nd January 2011, from a scenically beautiful but creatively vapid town.

Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment? We could never pick a favourite, there are too many inspiring and humble artists in this city. There’s never been a dull moment at a Giant Swan show though; it’s rare we let loose together, but those cygnus get us hot under the feathers.

What are your favourite eats around town? We hold most of our illicit meetings at The Mayflower in the Bear Pit, even though we definitely can’t afford it, but we also have hankerings for Wangs on Wells Road.

What’s your favourite thing about the city? Bristol is a hive of creative activity producing some of the most important

output across all the arts. It feels like home and it sounds like the blood in our veins.

And your least favourite? The no. 2 bus has plagued our lives for far too long.

How are you feeling going into the last ever NYNN this month? A complete mix of emotions. New Year New Noise has always been the baby / brainchild of, or noose for, J-Owl, so even though we feel sad it is coming to an end, we’re proud we’ve managed to place ourselves in a world where it seemed we didn’t belong – and that was down to Joe’s never-ending ideas and drive. A trojan horse filled with acerbic music and intent which we exploded once a year in a dying space. They’ve been four shows we will never forget, and this final weekend is set to top the lot.

Howling Owl have been a prominent creative force in the city for the last seven years, with the fifth and final New Year New Noise taking place at the Brunswick Club on 12th January. 35

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Dear Dick The best bad advice for your musical problems... Dear Dick, Sue in the office keeps asking me what my New Year’s resolutions are, but like most millennials, I stand for everything yet also nothing... Some cookie-cutter NYR inspo would go a long way.

Gareth, Bedminster

The end of an awful year is upon us. Ahead, a worse one. Well, what better way to salve the soul than by making half-arsed promises to abstain from things that nourish it? I don’t need to tell you I’ve compiled a list. It’s always a list.

it you know. Plus, the guy was a legit rapist according to, er, his wife. Not irie. I spent many years despising reggae, all because of Bob and his saccharin lies. I quite like it now though. Hey, do as I say, not as I do.

1. Get rid of your Spotify account. See how long you can stay ‘off-grid’ for. Dust off your iTunes, break out the nowvintage iPod and get back to 128kbps basics. Think about how liberated you’ll feel, completely disconnected from your current passions and interests, alone, untethered, slowly floating to your inevitable demise, just like the rest of us.

3. End David Guetta’s career. In times of great struggle, the collective conscious can coalesce to form radical paradigm shifts. If we can all muster just a little squirt of apathy toward him, then maybe he’ll just go away. Like a ghost who has been appeased and thus stops haunting. The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man of music, he’s fluffy, bloated and hell-bent on the destruction of New York / humankind.

2. Stop pretending you like reggae to be Bristol-y and cool. Bob Marley wasn’t Che Guevara. Also, he probably smoked the same amount of weed as your average rasta, he didn’t invent

Do you have a question? Email dick@bristollivemagazine.com 37

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