Bristol Live // Ghostpoet by Bristol In Stereo

BRISTOL LIVE LIVE & NEW MUSIC MAGAZINE

GHOSTPOET N o v. 1 7 | 7 0

BAD SOUNDS

RIDE

PLUS:

LIVE LISTINGS, RELEASES & TONS MORE

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Wed 1st Nov • SOLD OUT

Sun 19th Nov • £22 adv

Thu 2nd Nov • £25 adv

Tue 21st Nov • £28.50 adv

J Hus

Newton Faulkner

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Opeth

+ Enslaved

Wed 22nd Nov • SOLD OUT

Fri 3rd Nov • £7 adv

Krept & Konan Konvict Kartel w/ Akon Sun 5th Nov • SECOND DATE • £25 adv

Konvict Kartel w/ Akon Mon 6th Nov • £36.50 adv

Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul Tue 7th Nov • SOLD OUT

Oh Wonder + Sigrid

Wed 8th Nov • SOLD OUT

Wolf Alice

+ Sunflower Bean + Superfood

Thu 9th Nov • SOLD OUT

Goldfrapp

Airbourne

+ Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons + The Wild!

Sun 26th Nov • SOLD OUT

Wed 7th Mar • £27.50 adv

Mac DeMarco

Fri 1st Dec • SOLD OUT

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Tue 14th Nov • £29.50 adv

Happy Mondays

+ Jon Dasilva

Moose Blood + Therapy?

Skid Row

LANY

The Stranglers

Tue 20th Mar • £25 adv + TOSELAND

Wed 13th Dec • £27.50 adv

Thu 22nd Mar • £25 adv

Thu 14th Dec • SOLD OUT

Thu 29th Mar • £17.50 adv

Shed Seven + Cast

Purple Rain

Mon 18th Dec • £30 adv

Blue October The Fratellis

Fri 30th Mar • £20 adv

Alabama 3

Sat 7th Apr • £16 adv RESCHEDULED DATE

Extreme

MØ + Skott

Thu 21st Dec • £21.25 adv

Epica

+ Dan Reed Network

The Twang + Methods

+ Cane Hill + Ice Nine Kills

Motionless In White

Fri 17th Nov • SOLD OUT

Tue 6th Feb • £18 adv

+ Sir the Baptist

+ Soil + Local H

Eskimo Dance

Fri 9th Mar • £16 adv

Tue 5th Dec • £12.50 adv

+ Mushroomhead + Death Blooms

Sat 18th Nov • £15/£20 adv 10pm-4am • over 18s only

Feeder

Thu 15th Mar • £27.50 adv

Fri 19th Jan • £17 adv

Nelly

Cash - A Tribute to The Man In Black

Scouting For Girls

Thu 16th Nov • £22.50 adv

Insane Clown Posse

Fri 2nd Mar • £12 adv

Mon 4th Dec • £22.50 adv / £85 VIP

A Celebration of Prince

+ Darlia + July Talk

The Front Bottoms

+ Basement + Ecca Vandal

Feat. Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, Craig G, Roxanne Shante & MC Shan

Nothing But Thieves

+ A + Vex Red

+ The Smith Street Band + Brick & Mortar

Festival Of The Dead

Fri 15th Dec • £19.50 adv

Mon 13th Nov • SOLD OUT

Hell Is For Heroes Tue 27th Feb • £17 adv

Sun 12th Nov • From £20 adv

Juice Crew

+ Wintersun + Tribulation

Fri 16th Feb • £20 adv

Sat 25th Nov • SOLD OUT 10pm-3am • over 18s only

Fish

Sat 11th Nov • SOLD OUT

Arch Enemy

PVRIS

+ COIN + TYNE

Sat 4th Nov • SOLD OUT

Wed 14th Feb • £19.50 adv

Alien Ant Farm Sat 10th Feb • £26 adv

The Damned + Slim Jim Phantom

Sun 8th Apr • £19.50 adv Thu 12th Apr • £25 adv

Love From Stourbridge

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

Fri 20th Apr • £16.50 adv

The White Buffalo Fri 20th Apr • £27.50 adv

Machine Head

Fri 20th Apr • £13.50 adv

Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana

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

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2 2

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

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

o2academybristol.co.uk

Nov • 2017

Belle and Sebastian

belleandsebastian.com A

C RO S S TOW N

CO N C ERT S

P R E S EN TAT I O N

B Y

A R R A N G EM EN T W I T H

R AY

The Gallimaufry

Mondays Open Mic hosted by Mike Dennis Tuesdays 7 Nov - From the Forest presents The Desert 14 Nov - Osmoid 21 Nov - Forth & Back 28 Nov - Moshka Wednesdays Waldoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gift Thursdays Mike Deniran presents Backbeat Fridays Children of the Sun hosted by Soulworks DJs Saturdays Satta Lites DJs Sunday The Bristol Sessions hosted by Ruth Royal

thegallimaufry.co.uk

Nov

PARQUET COURTS, P12

Full swing. Bristol is back doing what it does best. There are tons of great shows on, the student invasion is reaching critical mass, and it’s all vignetted with a constant light drizzle. Home is home. This month, we’re unbelievably stoked to have two-time Mercury nominee Ghostpoet on the cover. Our Jon Kean talks to Obaro Ejimiwe about defying genre, evolving as an artist, and as a blacksmith, too. Will make sense later. Meanwhile, we catch up with Ride ahead of their Bristol date this month, and have a long-overdue chat with Bath’s Bad Sounds. Our new Release Editor, Lor Nov, has a host of new music for you this month, as does Christian with What’s New?, including a look at nascent Bristol favourite, Slonk. With all this, plus guest pieces from Gravy Train, We The Curious (prev. At-Bristol) and only the bloody PRS Foundation – we hope you have as much of a blast reading this issue as we had making it. Loki Lillistone Editor-in-Chief

Sales: loki@bristollivemagazine.com New Music Ed Christian Northwood / Live Ed Mustafa Mirreh / Release Ed Lor Nov / Plus many more in print and online.

PICKS WITH: G R AV Y T R A I N

12 16 20

W H AT ’ S N E W ?

26 28 35

BAD SOUNDS

37 40

DEAR DICK

41 58

LIVE LISTINGS

RIDE

COVER: GHOSTPOET

NEW RELEASES

BRISTOL BECAUSE: WE THE CURIOUS

I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T: N I L Ü F E R YA N YA

THOUGHTS: BUILDING MOMENTUM W / P R S F O U N D AT I O N 5

HONEYBLOOD THEKLA

Guest Picks

What our pals are into this month.

JESUITS (ADAM HASTINGS)

This month:

Gravy Train & Jesuits present: Virtue 10TH NOV, FIDDLERS Being the drummer in Jesuits, it made complete sense for Gravy Train and the band to utilise our knowledge to put together an eclectic and forward-thinking lineup with some of our favourite and most influential Bristol bands. After selling out a co-curated night earlier this year, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve stepped it up â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and what better venue to hold it at than Fiddlers, in my opinion the best-sounding venue in Bristol! EP/64 open the night; a free-form, nowave punk outfit. Next is E B U, whose 8

words by: Miles Hastings, Label/Promo Manager

set has recently transformed in ambitious ways (you may have caught her at Thorny), and which is understandably blowing people away. Our special guests emerge in the form of ubiquitous parasites, LICE. My fellow Jesuits and I have been sparking new interest since our recent Arnolfini performance, with our new sound utilising a blend of gothic-rock, trap, shoegaze and experimental electronics, creating ethereal drones and pulsing patterns. Heavy Petting (Giant Swan) will see us late into the night, plus DJ sets from acclaimed experimental artist Silver Waves and Homo Duplex (Giant Swan/The Naturals).

Weaves 20TH NOV, CROFTERS RIGHTS

I’m so excited to bring Weaves to Bristol. With the Toronto band’s exuberantly experimental pop structures and angular guitars – reminiscent of Yeah Yeah Yeahs – they’ll be sure to go down a storm here. Singer Jasmyn Burke’s syrupy tone belts and breaks like the best of them; imagine Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex in a modern American indie context. They play the Crofters Rights on Monday 20th November, with support from London/Glasgow ensemble Dama Scout. Weaves have just released their second album, Wide Open, from which the singles ‘Scream’ and ‘Walkaway’ can be regularly heard on 6Music.

Swedish Death Candy 21ST NOV, CROFTERS RIGHTS

I first came across Londoners, Swedish Death Candy when they and Jesuits both supported Wand at Exchange last year. I was absolutely blown away by their explosive energy – and phat riffs! Joining them on this month’s bill are one of Bristol’s finest rock bands, YO NO SE, and newcomers, RADIATORS, whom I’ve been excited to book for a long time. Swedish Death Candy’s self-titled debut album is out this month on Hassle Records, but check out single ‘Last Dream’ for a taste. GT’s records and shows have been staples of the DIY scene since 2016.

THUR 26TH OCT

TUE 14TH NOV - SWX 2

SAT 9TH DEC

DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

THE PIGEON DETECTIVES

MAHALIA

BEANS ON TOAST + SKINNY LISTER

+ LITTLE COMETS From £18 + BF

From £7 + BF

FRI 24TH NOV DOORS 6:30PM / CURFEW 10PM

FRI 27TH OCT DOORS 10:30PM / CURFEW 4AM

KISSTORY HALLOWEEN

ALDOUS HARDING + KATIE VON SCHLEICHER From £10 + BF

DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA + SLOTHRUST From £18 + BF

SAT 28TH OCT

NIGHTMARE ON NELSON STREET From £6 + BF

TUE 31ST OCT

FAR FETCHED HALLOWEEN PRESENTS BIG SHAQ TUE 7TH NOV DOORS 7:30PM / CURFEW 11PM

SYLVAN ESSO + BAYONNE From £15 + BF

THUR 9TH NOV DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

RIDE

+ ULRIKA SPACEK From £25 + BF

FRI 10TH NOV - SWX 2 DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

HARRY & THE GONDOLAF From £7 + BF

FRI 10TH NOV

FRI 24TH NOV

From £4 + BF

SAT 11TH NOV

JAGUAR SKILLS From £6 + BF

DOORS 7.30PM / CURFEW 11PM

2017 - 2018 EVENTS

BOYZLIFE

DOORS 11PM / CURFEW 4AM

SAT 20TH JAN

DANNY T

ESDR EVENTS:

From £4 + BF

SUN 26TH NOV DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

EVERY TIME I DIE

+ COMEBACK KID KNOCKED LOSOE & HIGHER POWER From £16 + BF

DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

SASHA VELOUR From £20 + BF

SUN 21ST JAN DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

LORD HURON From £5 + BF

WED 31ST JAN

THE MENZINGERS

THUR 30TH NOV - SWX 2 PUP & CAYETANA DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

LEWIS CAPALDI From £7 + BF

FRI 1ST DEC DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 10:30PM

HANG MASSIVE From £15 + BF

SAT 2ND DEC DOORS 10:30PM

BENNY BENASSI From £7 + BF

From £16 + BF

SAT 10TH FEB DOORS 7.30PM / CURFEW 11PM

LEGENDS OF DARTS CATCH ALL THE GREATS! ERIC BRISTOW JOHN LOWE WAYNE MARDLE KEITH DELLER COLIN LLYOD TED HANKEY + MC PAUL BOOTH From £18.50 + BF

SUN 3RD DEC

FRI 16TH MAR

WHITE COLLAR BOXING

TOM GRENNAN

WED 6TH DEC DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

SIKTH From £15 + BF

DOORS 11PM / CURFEW 4AM

AFISHAL

From £15 + BF

SUN 10TH DEC

From £28.50 + BF

From £7 + BF

SAT 28TH OCT

DOUBLE TROUBLE TOUR

FRI 8TH DEC

DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM From £13 + BF

SAT 21ST APR DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

AKALA From £16.50 + BF

SUN 22ND APR

DOORS 6:30PM / CURFEW 10:30PM DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

SAINT ETIENNE From £25 + BF

PROPAGANDHI From £18 + BF

SAT 28TH APR DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

THE SHAWHAWK DUO 11

What’s New?

Fresh tales from the BLM radar with:

Christian Northwood New Music Editor

Slonk Slonk, the brain-child of Joe Sherrin, is a project that’s evolved into something very special in the last year or so. His first EP, Pots and Pans, documented an artist recording with what he can (literally pots and pans), but his debut album Songs About Tanks fleshed out that lo-fi mentality with crashing guitars, violin layers and an emotional honesty found in few others. It’s intimate and beautiful,

combining Slonk’s mastery of lo-fi recording techniques with lyrical prowess. However, with his new EP Losing My Mind on the Outside of Everything, Slonk pushes even further into his sound. Recorded in just one weekend and with only one microphone, the EP thrives on its limitations, combining noise and intimacy, creating a record that exposes Slonk; blending the harshness of garage-rock with the lyrical deftness of bands like Los Campesinos!, he is able to create something that every listener can connect with. Joe Sherrin has become a true staple of the Bristol scene, and whatever his guise, he knows how to tap into all our feelings. We’re Both Going To...

slonk.bandcamp.com

Lazy Day

PHOTO: ROWAN ALLEN

First impressions of London four-piece, Lazy Day may leave you feeling woozy and chilled. It’s easy to understand why; vocalist Tilly Scantlebury is husky and slow, while the guitars seem to shimmer with an echoey beauty. But the deeper you dig, the sharper the band feel. Their recent EP Ribbons showcased the four-piece’s brilliant indie-pop songwriting, especially on the instrumental interludes. But when they add Tilly’s vocals into the mix, as they do brilliantly on tracks like ‘With My Mind’, they excel. ‘What’s Up’ stands out, its intimate chorus and arresting verses creating something truly special.

What’s Up

Taking experimental electronics and mixing them with beautiful vocals and pop sensibilities, Bristol’s 4th Project create something calming yet emotive. The incredible lead vocals from Kathleen Fitzpatrick-Milton soar over the minimal, pulsating electronics that fellow band members, Jack Drewry and Rowan Evans create. Their first single, the entrancing ‘Taking Me Over’, is the perfect introduction to the band. The lush layers and clicking drum beats form the perfect launch pad to catapult their sound out of Bristol. It seems only a matter of time before the trio burst forth into national, if not international, success. Taking Me Over

lazydaylazyday.bandcamp.com

4th Project

soundcloud.com/4thproject

Get more new music from Christian every Monday via Tracks of the Week at bristollivemagazine.com 13

Humans Feast 9 Nov 7 Dec

From ÂŁ7.95 6.30pm - 10pm

Registered charity number 1049954

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

Science, art, ideas. Bristol Harbourside

wethecurious.org 15

R I D E

ide have carried on where they left off with fifth album, Weather Diaries. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a record full of vitality, sounding like a band who have reformed with a real purpose. With an imminent date at SWX this month, we caught up with drummer Loz Colbert.

W. R h y s B u c h a n a n 16

A few months on from the release, he still sounds genuinely humbled by the reaction to their first new music in over twenty years. “It’s been great to see the response within the industry but also, more importantly, to see the fans connecting with new music.” It’s no surprise really as their followers jumped on the news of a reunion back in 2015. He continues, “People who have known us a long time are really digging it and holding it in their hands as a real Ride record. We’re over the moon to see people singing along to the new songs in lots of different countries.”

“We were banging songs out like a band who’d been working together forever.” Whether you latched onto the band on this second wave, or during their emergence in the nineties, their sounds on the new album should seem like a familiar friend. Loz backs up this sentiment: “We didn’t want to take a wild step into the dark and do something involving pure electronics or medieval instruments. We were going to keep it within the sphere of what Ride is good at.” The band relished being back in the studio, despite the initial tentativeness. “It felt like a great environment to be working in as everyone was contributing,” he says. This is something that reflects in the listen. “We were banging songs out like a band who’d been working together forever. We found a really positive way of working, it had momentum, focus and

energy that didn’t get too hung up on details.” If anything, ‘reunion’ felt like the wrong word to use when Ride got back together. “You can’t avoid the fact that it falls under the banner of a reunion, but we just wanted to carry on really.” He takes stock of this before continuing. “It really did feel like a new band with a new fire that reminded us of what it felt like at the start. Even though we spent 2015 playing all our old songs, in the back of our minds it was really important to make some new music because the feeling in the band was so fresh. We were interacting so well that we decided to crystallise it into some new songs.” The band did have their eyes on their reforming 90s peers, which could have played somewhat into the return. Loz says, “The first one was Pixies, then My Bloody Valentine, but one of the big ones for me was The Stone Roses. Just seeing how committed they were to making a real step forward was brilliant.” Ride were naturally excited to return themselves: “It felt important to be relevant again, just to ‘say this is us and this is the sound we make’. It’s good to allow people to connect with that again in the first hand sense that you get live.” That chance to connect comes very soon and the band couldn’t be more thrilled to be Bristol-bound. “We’re so up for bringing Weather Diaries to Bristol. These will be the first UK dates where we’ve considered it and played new songs. We’ve played the city a few times since we got back together but to come back with this new album that we’re really proud of is great. As soon as we started playing the new songs in rehearsal it felt like lights were going on. Hope you’re all ready for it.” Ride play SWX on 9th November, with Weather Diaries out now. 17

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J o n K e a n P. P h i l S h a r p

GHOSTPOET Very much a master of his craft, Obaro Ejimiwe, aka Ghostpoet, released his fourth album, Dark Days and Canapés, in August. After the foray into overt cheerfulness of 2015’s Shedding Skin, it was a case of ‘back to bleak’ for 2017’s offering.

“It’s a product of my evolution as an artist. I’m more comfortable with what I’m trying to make and I’m more confident lyrically in the kind of things I want to write about. I guess that’s just collided with the times we’re living in and what I’ve always tried to do, which is to capture the moment.” It was on Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam, in 2011, that Ghostpoet delivered the line, “As you get older, you just have to live and learn.” So what wisdom has he gleaned with age? “We haven’t got enough time to answer that question. You’re always evolving as a human. The minute you decide there’s nothing left to learn, you’re kind of lost, really.”

The recurring theme of isolation underpins Ghostpoet’s work. For him, “Isolation is a complicated thing in an increasingly complex world. We’re very simple creatures, but we seem to surround ourselves with complication.” I ask whether his recent move to Margate, on the Kent coast, might give future records a different sound, a bit more of a sense of peace or space, perhaps: “Who knows – is it nature or nurture? I’m intrigued to see what happens. We’ll see it if I, hopefully, get to make another record. The demos will certainly start off in Margate. It’s an interesting scene here right now; we’re just heading into winter, with amazing weather, the beach and the sea.”

“The minute you decide there’s nothing left to learn, you’re kind of lost, really.”

As well as his new album, he’ll very much be bringing elements of his home town around the country with him: “You have these big plans on tour to read books and catch up on various things. I’m trying to start a radio station in Margate, so that’s probably going to take up most of my time when I’m not playing. I’ll be sorting things by email, like programming and the live stuff we want to do, and contacting suppliers about finishing construction and the last bits of furniture.” He was refreshingly non-precious when I asked him about the early reception to his brand-new body of work, asserting, “My attitude is that, once it’s out, it doesn’t belong to me anymore. The live thing is a different energy. That energy can be renewed every night through playing to new audiences. There’s a reinterpretation of the songs for the live environment, the energy you get from the crowd and the energy between me and my band on stage; it’s just different from the record-making process. I guess I do retake ownership of the songs through the live performance in a way.” Despite two Mercury nominations (and a credibly possible third for his latest work), he seems happy to represent the ‘Ghost-‘ part of his name, an irresistible, haunting whisper, rather than some brash, big noise: “Success for me was just being able to make a record and put it out, so everything that’s happened since then’s just been a bonus, really. The more I’m known, the more chance I have to make music, get it out there and tour, but apart from that, I don’t think I’ve made a success of it. I’ve made a career out of it. “Way back when, I was just thinking about a name that didn’t give you an immediate idea of what the music was like behind it. I just wanted it to be a doorway to go through and, if people choose to go through it, they can discover what I’m about. I can’t complain. It’s got me this far.” 22

“Once it’s out, it doesn’t belong to me anymore.” Genre-fluid, uncategorisable, he keeps on preventing music journos, despite their determined efforts, from putting him in a stylistic stranglehold: “It comes with its own frustrations. I’ve always tried to be as original as possible and to make albums that reflect the music I listen to, which is everything. I always find it boring to try to write music in one, or a couple of genres. I think people are starting to accept me for what I am.” And whatever you say he is, you can be sure that’s what he’s not. “Last time I came to Bristol, I got the opportunity to be a blacksmith for the afternoon. I’d been on 6Music; Lauren Laverne was interviewing me and I’m always kidding with Lauren because she’s just great fun – an amazing broadcaster. She asked me what I’d want to do as a career if it wasn’t music, so I jokingly said, ‘a swordsmith’ off the top of my head. I was just about to go on tour and a lady called Jo Williams of Fire Iron Art got in touch and said to come by if I had some time when I was in Bristol. It was a really eye-opening experience.” A pity, then, that when Ghostpoet plays the Marble Factory this month, there won’t be any preparatory stonemasonry thrown in. Ghostpoet plays the Marble Factory on 14th November, with Dark Days and Canapés out now on PIAS. 23

W. Ke z i a Cochrane

We’ve never really had the chance to show people another side of us...” Pulling soulful sensibilities and hip hop beats through infectious indiepop, Bath five-piece, Bad Sounds channel a certain nostalgic tinge whilst remaining firmly fresh... Having recently released their debut EP Mixtape One, Ewan and Callum Merrett, the brothers behind Bad Sounds, enthuse about how exciting it felt to create this record. “I think it was a big thing for us, because we’ve only ever put out singles before. We’ve never really had the chance to show people another side of us that wouldn’t really work in a single capacity,” Ewan says. Going into more detail, Callum explains, “we had little skits or beats and demos that we didn’t really know what to do with. Once we’d chosen those three proper singles it was 26

just a case of weaving them together with these other little pieces of music”. On the topic of their various sonic elements, and the band’s origins: “I’d say that when it actually became Bad Sounds,” Ewan muses, “what happened was Cal tried to move to London, got really into bands and started recording and learning all about that process. At the same time I got really into hip hop and more sample-based music, and was making beats on an MPC at home. Then after we’d been doing that separately for a few years we showed each other what

BAD SOUNDS we’d learnt.” Combining these different musical experiences has been beneficial for both their diverse sound and the production side of things. Ewan mentions that “because we’re starting to release stuff properly, Callum’s recording background has come in, to re-record those breaks but make them still sound authentic.” There’s a clear autonomous attitude that shines through as they talk about all aspects of the band’s output. Discussing their distinctive aesthetic Callum, who creates the band’s artwork, says “it’s definitely something we’re conscious of, because music is 99.9% of what it’s all about but there’s also this degree of having

something that people recognise as well. I want people to know when they’re scrolling through Instagram or whatever that it’s a Bad Sounds post.” Affirming this, Ewan adds “I think it’s when we naturally just follow our own tastes and instinct, then it all comes out with a clear thing,” emphasising that “with a lot of things you have to do as a band, I feel like we’ve never wanted to put something out that we didn’t think was cool or wasn’t a good idea. For example, recently the idea seems to be putting up the album cover with the track and we were just like, ‘it’s so boring’, so we did those stupid videos of us playing jenga and stuff. We tried to do something that we thought we’d actually watch and find funny or entertaining.” Having gained great reception and an ever-growing Bad Sounds fan-base, the two of them, who’ve been playing music together since they were kids, express a really humble and genuine appreciation for this recognition. “Now we have people at shows tell us how much they love our music or they’re singing along back to us at shows,” Callum recounts. “I cannot describe that feeling at a show when people know your lyrics… It’s pretty crazy to be honest.” On their (nearly) hometown show this month, they confess-, “there are always certain shows on the tour that we put like 150% of effort into in terms of pre-production and planning interesting things that people will want to talk about after the show.” To those intrigued, be sure to catch them at Thekla this month. Bad Sounds play Thekla on 8th November, with Mixtape One out now on Insanity Records. 27

New Releases

Records cut, pressed & out this month.

Angel Olsen Phases Secretly Group | 10.11

Releasing a ‘B-sides and rarities’ compilation can often feel like a slippery slope for an artist. I mean, tracks don’t make it onto albums for a reason. Luckily, though, this isn’t the case for Angel Olsen. Phases, her latest collection of rare and previously-unreleased material, is a deep dive into the American singersongwriter’s various souls.

Capable of switching from grunge to blues, and back again, Olsen’s voice is eclectic and unique in its delivery, emotional and piercing in every note and shade. From intimate campfire songs like ‘Endless Road’ that unveil Olsen’s country heart, to the soft, electric shiver of ‘Only With You’, or even ‘Sans’ which gives power to her rockier side, Phases’ 12 tracks are a trip of discovery into the now-30-year-old musician’s multifaceted changes over time. This record serves as a true sampler as to the many ways a songwriter can create art. Guia Cortassa Only With You

angelolsen.com

STREAM CUTS FROM THESE ALBUMS AND MORE AT BRISTOLLIVEMAGAZINE.COM

SLEIGH BELLS KID KRUSCHEV Lucky Numbers | 10.11

A year after their abrasive fourth album Jessica Rabbit, the Brooklyn duo are more unpredictable than ever with mini-album Kid Kruschev. Who’d have thought they could pull off a melodic acoustic cut like ‘Florida Thunderstorms’, or to trade thunderous guitars for urgent synths? They haven’t so much stripped away the cascading riffs, as thrown them into beautiful curveballs like ‘Blue Trash Mattress Fire’ and ‘Favourite Transgressions’. While they’ve successfully served up seven tracks of fiery pop, it’s not without clear, jagged rock edges. Most bands of their ilk would get louder with every album, but Sleigh Bells always find new and surprising ways to re-style their sound. Oliver Evans

TELEMAN FÜNF EP Moshi Moshi | 17.11

Snuffing it in 1767, Georg Philipp Telemann couldn’t have known that 250 years later, his name would endure in fidgety synth-rock. Following 2016’s Brilliant Sanity, Teleman’s new EP commences with ‘Spectre’ – captivating and ominous, as if Mary Shelley’s on sinister synths and Bram Stoker’s on vocals. Early Cure mixed with OMD, it shows a life haunted by love’s absence. Krautrock drives the propulsive ‘Repeater’. ‘Bone China Face’ laments beauty without warmth. The distinctly ‘Billie Jean’ bassline in ‘Rivers in the Dark’ warms you up, even though “love is cold.” ‘Nights on Earth’ claims that “happiness can break your heart, so let’s not even start.” For bruised beauty and dynamic despair, take Fünf. Jon Kean

CONVERGE THE DUSK IN US Epitaph | 03.11

After a five-year gap between records, Converge continue to create the same emotional atmosphere of hesitation, trauma, and pain. However, as always, there’s a reconciliation – the stillness after the storm – or, in this record’s case, the space the band allow to exist between unrestrained guitars and blast beats.

The Dusk In Us is a natural progression, or rather an extension, of what the Massachusetts four-piece do best: a crushing blend of hardcore, punk and metal that’s executed in a way that intersects in its best moments. Rachel Grace Almeida

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CLOUD NOTHINGS & THE HOTELIER 31

SHAMIR REVELATIONS Father/Daughter | 03.11

On his second release of the year, and first with label Father/Daughter, Shamir confronts his own anxieties, seeking solutions both personal and universal. Written in two weeks at his Las Vegas home following psychiatric care earlier this year, Revelations explores a more rock-centred sound than the electronic wizardry of 2015 debut Ratchet, however this fails to compromise the mellifluous

vocal fluidity exhibited throughout. This is punctuated by ‘90s Kids’, a song reminiscent in its appeal of a TV theme of the era and with ‘Cloudy,’ an arresting ballad isolating the artist’s pain-soaked, self-aware assurances. Stained with ambiguity, Shamir’s return from the brink of his own emotional boundaries proves to be a triumphantly poignant voyage. Will Perkins

REWS PYRO Marshall | 03.11

Mix Royal Blood with Honeyblood, then make it slightly bloodier, and you have London/Belfast duo, Rews. Mark Radcliffe’s pick of a stellar festival lineup at this year’s Glastonbury, their debut album, Pyro, ought to propel them further from the ‘Who’s That?’ and into the ‘Who’s Who’ listings. If you want bruising indie-rock that’ll give you goosebumps and scare the 32

crap out of your pets, Shauna Tohill and Collette Williams are your ideal go-to. The album feels viscerally ‘live’, especially at noise-abatement-order-earning volume. Sing along to album highlights, ‘Violins’ or ‘Death Yawn’ – “Stay the hell away from me” – on the train and you’ll soon have a double seat to yourself. Jon Kean

ROB BRAVERY UNTIL TOMORROW, OBLIVION Self-release | Out Now

Now something of a trip-hop troubadour, Rob Bravery has returned following his 2015 album Esque. This third effort wades deeper into twitchy, sonic atmospherics, accompanied of course by his ethereal vocal. Some of the best moments come from drifting out of sync, with the album somehow all the more harmonic for it, as in abstract single ‘Homage/Vanished’. While treading into poppy territory on ‘Paralleleyes’, it’s one of few diversions, as Until Tomorrow, Oblivion personifies what we’ve now come to expect; twinkling bleeps, dramatic piano and delicate strings, all moulded together with an odd sense of drama that Rob Bravery revels in. Oliver Evans

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG REST Because Music | 17.11

Shapeshifting musician and artiste Charlotte Gainsbourg creates another record – her first since 2009’s IRM – which provokes while maintaining accessibility. Her frequent lyrical oscillation between French and English adds to the unsettling and haunting atmosphere creeping in from her raspy whispers and yet, tracks like ‘Deadly Valentine’ and ‘Sylvia Says’ are infused with synth and dance grooves, via collaborators such as Daft Punk and Owen Pallet of Arcade Fire. It’s not a huge departure from her previous releases though, feeling at times like the perfect soundtrack for a Baroque-themed Halloween party. Yet Gainsbourg’s talent for composing tracks that leave a thick residue of an evocative and nagging nostalgia for death, memory and love, is undeniable. Albert Testani

MORRISSEY LOW IN HIGH SCHOOL BMG | 17.11

Moz is back with his eleventh studio album, which means more authority bashing and more delightful statements on issues which are often omitted elsewhere, while being as dramatic and theatrical as ever. His live sound even bleeds in throughout the listen with intimidating sound effects and harsh, chunky instrumentation. This album won’t be for everyone, not least because of the divisive character he’s become, but one thing this man can never be faulted for is the fact that everyone has an opinion on him. Rhys Buchanan

ONSIND WE WILT, WE BLOOM Specialist Subject | 17.11

It’s been four years since we last heard from Durham punk duo Onsind, with both Daniel Ellis and Nathan StephensGriffin focussing their attentions on their other band, Martha, but a return to Onsind allows the pair to once again flex their political songwriting muscles. The to-the-point lyricism, especially on tracks like ‘Immature’ and ‘Loyalty Festers’, helps to deliver punchy, honest barbs that describe, and often attack, the current state of affairs. Moving away from their previous acoustic sound, crunching punk guitars add more anger to the tracks. A political manifesto in punk form, Onsind prove that they are more vital than ever. Christian Northwood

BDY_PRTS FLY INVISIBLE HERO Aggrocat | 24.11

Fly Invisible Hero has a familiar feel, even upon first listen. The texture of the album is littered with stark, digital sounds reminiscent of 80s acts like The Human League; even incorporating the compressed guitar palm mutes and flamboyant synth drums. It’s the vocal work that makes the music come to life, though. The Kate Bush-style ascents are impressive in themselves, but the harmonies they’ve constructed are implicitly beautiful and bone-chillingly eerie in equal measure. Recent single, ‘Warriors’ is perhaps the most infectious track, peaking in an immensely satisfying and grandiose chorus as it gallops through a sea of reverb. Stuart Tidy

AUTOBAHN THE MORAL CROSSING Tough Love | 3.11

There’s no limit to the speed you can drive on the German autobahn. Similarly, there’s no depth of morbidity you can’t plumb in pursuit of a damn fine tune if you’re Leeds glum rockers, Autobahn. Taking postpunk to post-apocalyptic profundity, with a hefty waft of goth, their second album, The Moral Crossing, looms with grimness. Just too late for Halloween, but bang on for some firestarting Guy Fawkes Night nihilism, you can light up your night with some dark Joy Division sounds on ‘Obituary’ or early New Order on ‘Future’, which lead singer, Craig Johnson, says takes “a leg-up” from Wham!’s ‘Club Tropicana’. Stranger things have happened. But only occasionally. Jon Kean

BRISTOL BECAUSE... City chat with our fave people.

Ginny & Aimae, presenters:

Bristol’s science and arts space. (prev. At-Bristol) When did you first move to Bristol? A: Two years ago, partly for the circus scene. With places like The Island there’s such a creative hub here. G: Six months. Moving from a tiny community was quite daunting but I’ve never felt more at home.

Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment? Can we say simply the local people? We love all the jam nights from LeftBank to The Three Tuns. There’s such a communal feel and anyone can join in.

What’s your favourite thing about the city? You can be in the countryside in the afternoon, a mad party at 5am and then on a beautiful boat for breakfast. And the people here really care for the city that makes all the difference.

And your least favourite? Bristol is too awesome for its own good, so we can get some thoughtless development. We need to make sure that hubs like Hamilton House remain for the community, as they are used and loved by so many.

What are your favourite eats around the town?

What are you most excited about with At-Bristol becoming We The Curious?

A: Definitely Flow, by the Bearpit. People don’t go just because it’s veggie, but because the food is delicious! G: The Cauldron. The food’s made with love and it’s all local, down to the furniture!

We’ve become not just a place, but a movement and a new way of thinking. With plans for an open city lab we’re blurring the lines around what a scientist actually looks like and taking people out of boxes!

Next late-night opening at We The Curious will be on Thu 9th Nov, theme: ‘Humans’. Tickets from £7.95, ages 18+. 35

Dear Dick The best bad advice for your musical problems... Dear Dick, What’s the deal with drugs and music? I’ve been trying to avoid them, but they’re everywhere! Can you give me some sound advice to avoid making a costly mistake?

Sophie, Centre. I don’t care what your mum says, drugs are cool. Imagine Cypress Hill without the copious amounts of ganja, the rave movement without smashing Gary’s, or Hendrix without choking on his own vomit. Like it or not, drugs have always played an integral role in the creation, progression and, in some cases, creative suicide of your fave genres. Most genres have a ‘drug of choice’, but who bothers sticking to the prescription these days? The fun comes when you start changing your dosage. Let’s explore a little deeper… House – everyone knows that house and pills go tablet-in-hand-in-hand. Pounding, repetitive rhythms, maybe the dulcet tones of an overweight diva. We’re just ticking boxes here. However, why not

try jacking up on anti-depressants, like Sertraline or Citalopram? Their serotonin inhibition systems make sure you don’t waste a drop, meaning you’ll get bored a lot quicker, saving you another expensive night of the same old tosh. Trap – crack is whack. No one gets high off their own supply either, so your favourite trappers certainly ain’t. Stay ahead of the curve with LSD! With any luck you’ll have a mind-altering epiphany and re-evaluate how you’re spending your time. Moombahton, that unholy DJ Dave Nada-indebted marriage of house and reggaeton? Two words: cyanide

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

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