Bristol In Stereo // Cat Power

LIVE. MUSIC. CULTURE. OCTOBER 2018.

â„– 81 // F R EE

Bristol in Stereo: 1

facebook.com/o2academybristol twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris youtube.com/o2academytv

Mon 1st Oct

Sun 4th Nov • SOLD OUT

Thur 29th Nov

Fri 18th Jan • 6.30pm

The Magic Gang

Less Than Jake & Reel Big Fish

Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape

Enter Shikari

Mon 5th Nov • SOLD OUT

Fri 30th Nov

Skid Row

Leon Bridges

Cast

Wed 30th Jan

Tue 6th Nov • SOLD OUT

Sat 1st Dec

Shinedown

Heaven 17

Death Cab for Cutie

Thur 8th Nov

Mon 3rd Dec

Wed 6th Feb • 6.30pm

The Decemberists

Miles Kane

Fri 9th Nov

Wed 5th Dec

MC50

Young Fathers

Buckcherry & Hoobastank

Sat 10th Nov

Fri 7th Dec

Tue 2nd Oct

Glenn Hughes performs classic Deep Purple “Live” Wed 3rd Oct

Pale Waves Fri 5th Oct • SOLD OUT

Jorja Smith Sat 6th Oct • 10pm

Jungle Mania Wed 10th Oct

Beat It Fri 12th Oct • SOLD OUT

Daughtry Sun 14th Oct • SOLD OUT

Tom Grennan Tue 16th Oct

John Butler Trio Wed 17th Oct

Toots and the Maytals Fri 19th Oct

Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana Thur 25th Oct

Darius Rucker Fri 26th Oct

Sigala Sat 27th Oct

Flatbush Zombies

Killing Joke Sun 11th Nov

Fireball – Fuelling The Fire Tour

Blackberry Smoke

ft. Flogging Molly, Face To Face, Lost In Stereo

Tue 13th Nov

Sat 8th Dec • 10pm

Rat Boy

Nicky Blackmarket & Fatman D Birthday Bash - Casino 2

Wed 14th Nov

Jessie J Fri 16th Nov • 6.30pm

Kurupt FM Sat 17th Nov • SOLD OUT Sun 18th Nov • SOLD OUT

The Cat Empire Mon 19th Nov

Lil Pump: Harverd Dropout Tour Tue 20th Nov • SOLD OUT

Slaves Fri 23rd Nov • 6.30pm

Levellers Sat 24th Nov • 10pm

Mon 10th Dec

Mabel Tue 11th Dec

Christmas Queens Wed 12th Dec • SOLD OUT

Blossoms Sat 15th Dec

The London African Gospel Choir Present Graceland

Fri 25th Jan • 6pm

Fri 8th Feb • 6.30pm

Fun Lovin’ Criminals Sat 9th Feb

Gorgon City Live Sun 10th Feb

The Dead South Tue 12th Feb

White Denim Frid 22nd Feb • 5.30pm

Mayday Parade & The Wonder Years Thur 7th Mar

U.F.O. “Last Orders” 50th Anniversary Tour Fri 8th Mar • 6.30pm

Maribou State Tue 26th Mar

NAO Sat 13th Apr • 10pm

The Feeling

Foreverland Enchanted Forest

Thur 1st Nov

Tue 27th Nov • SOLD OUT

Tue 18th Dec

State Champs

Courteeners

Clutch

Party With The Greatest Showman Club Tour

Fri 2nd Nov • 6.30pm

Wed 28th Nov

Wed 19th Dec

Fri 31st May • 6.30pm

Bugzy Malone

Bowling for Soup

Bjorn Again

Cash

Tue 30th Oct

Sun 16th Dec

Orbital

O2 Academy Bristol

ticketmaster.co.uk

2

o2academybristol.co.uk

Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm

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

October • 2018

P

R

E

16| 10 | 18

S

E

N

T

S

18| 11 | 18

SEASICK STEVE

JOHN BUTLER TRIO

- MOTORPOINT ARENA, CARDIFF -

SOLD

JEALOUS OF THE BIRDS

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

16|O10 UT| 18

IDLES

20| 11 | 18

- HY-BRASIL -

- SWX -

29| 11 | 18

16| 10 | 18

GLASVEGAS

DINOSAUR PILEUP - THE FLEECE -

- THE GLOBE, CARDIFF -

01| 12 | 18

MY BABY

19| 10 | 18

ASH

- THE FLEECE -

- SWX -

04| 12 | 18

26| 10 | 18

BAD SOUNDS

BUFFALO TOM - THE FLEECE -

- SWX -

08| 12 | 18

31| 10 | 18

WILL HAVEN

RAZORLIGHT - SWX -

- THE TUNNELS -

30| 01 | 19

06| 11 | 18

FIRST AID KIT

- MOTORPOINT ARENA, CARDIFF -

12| 11 | 18

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

03| 02 | 19

GRUFF RHYS - SWX -

D

D

SOL 17|SOO 11UL|T18 & 18|11|18 OUT

THE CAT EMPIRE

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

SWEARIN’

- CROFTERS RIGHTS -

12| 02 | 19

WHITE DENIM

- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -

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

Bristol in Stereo: 3

LIVE INSTORE EVENTS CAFÉ / BAR OPEN BEFORE ALL EVENTS @ROUGHTRADE

1ST OCTOBER

GET THE BLESSING

FREE ENTRY | DOORS 6.30PM

2ND OCTOBER

VIRGINIA WING

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

3RD OCTOBER

KERO KERO BONITO SOLD OUT

4TH OCTOBER

STEREO HONEY

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.00PM

6TH OCTOBER

KILL ‘EM ALL - JOHN NIVEN IN CONVERSAITON WITH JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

7TH OCTOBER

DIDIRRI + GUESTS

FREE ENTRY | DOORS 7.30PM

9TH OCTOBER

KALEEM TAYLOR + GUESTS TBC | DOORS 7.30PM

10TH OCTOBER FAR FROM ALASKA + DOT LEGACY

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.O0PM

11TH OCTOBER

GANG + GUESTS

22ND OCTOBER

12TH OCTOBER

ANTEROS

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.00PM

13TH OCTOBER

YVES + GUESTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

15TH OCTOBER

BARNEY + GUESTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

16TH OCTOBER

FRANKIE STEW & HARVEY GUNN

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.00PM

18TH OCTOBER

KAYLA PAINTER & GUESTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

19TH OCTOBER

WILLIE J HEALEY

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

PAN AMSTERDAM

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

23RD OCTOBER

MOSS KENA

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

24TH OCTOBER

JENNY HVAL IN CONVERSATION

FREE ENTRY | DOORS 7.00PM

25TH OCTOBER

BAMBARA

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

26TH OCTOBER

MENACE BEACH

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

27TH OCTOBER

FATHERSON

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

28TH OCTOBER

MINA ROSE

20TH OCTOBER

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

21ST OCTOBER

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

SIMPLE THINGS FESTIVAL 29TH OCTOBER TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 1.00PM HATER

SWANS - SACRIFICE AND 30TH OCTOBER TRANSCENDENCE - IN BEDOUINE CONVERSATION WITH FREE ENTRY | DOORS 1.00PM AUTHOR NICK SOULSBY FREE ENTRY | DOORS 7.00PM

TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM

VISIT ROUGHTRADE.COM FOR FULL EVENTS CALENDAR ROUGH TRADE BRISTOL 3 NEW BRIDEWELL, NELSON STREET, BS1 2QD (OPPOSITE THE LANES)

After nearly seven years at it, Bristol Live Magazine has hit a new chapter, as we become: Bristol In Stereo. Our sister magazine, London In Stereo, has been making it happen in The Big Smoke for nearly as long and it’s high time we joined forces to create something bigger and better for our much-loved respective cities.

What’s changing? We’ve got a slick new layout and some brand-new features, but don’t worry – we’re still raving about Bristol and have (almost) all your old faves. Another day at the office, for the same team, now with a few more pals and wetting our collective pants with excitement for the future.

This month sees the legendary Cat Power grace our cover to talk about the deep challenges and personal evolution that went into making Wanderer. Elsewhere, we have Empress Of, listings, the best new releases and a seven-page alternative student guide to get the new arrivals feeling just as lucky as we do to live in a thriving, vibrant place like Briz.

Loki Lillistone Editor-in-Chief

STAFF ON REPEAT

the music we can’t stop listening to this month Loki: RHAIN - Time Traveller Jon: Emma Ruth Rundle – Light Song Christian: No Violet – She Goes Her Own Way Lor: Estrons – Body Beth: Mercy’s Cartel – 6 Tears MERCY’S CARTEL

Ross: The 1975 – Sincerity Is Scary Bristol in Stereo: 05 5 Bristol in Stereo:

book

0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org

P

R

E

S

E

N

T

Colston Hall loudly and proudly presents great shows in venues across the city Tue 2 Oct

Tue 16 Oct

Wed 24 Oct

Thu 8 Nov

Virginia Wing

Chatham County Line

Lisa O’Neill

Georgia Anne Muldrow

Rough Trade Bristol Sat 6 Oct

Fiddlers

The Crofters Rights Wed 24 Oct

Fiddlers

Suzanne Ciani

Wed 17 Oct

Tunng

Wed 14 Nov

Colston Hall Foyer

Baloji

Fiddlers

Seamus Fogarty

Thu 11 Oct

Fiddlers Sat 20 Oct

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Chris Ramsey

Fiddlers

Anson Rooms

Sat 13 Oct

Sun 21 Oct

Martin Simpson

Third Wheel Tour: BlackWaters / Retro Video Club / Redfaces

The Station Sat 13 Oct

YVES Rough Trade Bristol

The Louisiana

Mon 15 Oct

Tue 23 Oct

Barney Artist

Pan Amsterdam

Rough Trade Bristol Tue 16 Oct

Daniel Brandt & Eternal Something Exchange

Rough Trade Bristol Wed 24 Oct

Sophie Hunger Exchange

Fri 26 Oct

The Allergies feat. Andy Cooper (live) Colston Hall Foyer Sun 28 Oct

The Crofters Rights Wed 14 Nov

Madeline Kenney Rough Trade Bristol

Mutual Benefit

Fri 16 Nov

Exchange

Marie Davidson + Not Waving

Mon 29 Oct

The Space Lady Colston Hall Foyer Mon 29 Oct

Mt. Joy The Louisiana Sun 4 Nov

Jerron ‘Blind Boy’ Paxton The Folk House

Colston Hall Foyer Fri 16 Nov

Phoria Rough Trade Bristol Tue 20 Nov

Alela Diane St George’s Bristol

S

INTERVIEWS 14

EMPRESS OF

26

CAT POWER

WHAT’S ON 18

42

EVENTS

FULL OCTOBER LISTINGS

FEATURES 10

19

Cat Power Cover Story: Page 26

NEW SOUNDS

STUDENT GUIDE 55

IN BRISTOL

61

THOUGHTS

REVIEWS 34

ALBUM RELEASES 58

LIVE Editor-in-Chief: Loki Lillistone loki@bristolinstereo.co.uk Releases Editor: Lor Nov

New Sounds Editor: Christian Northwood News Editor: Ross Jones

Live Editor: Jon Kean

Sales: loki@bristolinstereo.co.uk

Photography: Cat Power cover story: Phil Sharp (philsharp-photo.com) Contributors: Hassan Anderson, Tim Boddy, Rhys Buchanan, Kezia Cochrane, Rhian Daly, Thomas Hannan, Charlotte Krol, Emma Madden, Nate Rockwell, Kelly Ronaldson, Harriet Taylor, Lee Wakefield, Simone Scott Warren. bristolinstereo.com

@bristolinstereo

Bristol Stereo:07 7 Bristol in in Stereo:

we the curious Planetarium Nights Weekly trips to far-flung worlds Registered charity number 1049954 Image: Helix Nebula © NASA

Tickets from £7.50 (Age 16+) Colliding galaxies, distant planets, new perspectives in the UK’s only 3D Planetarium wethecurious.org

PRESENTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK

Bristol in Stereo: 9

THE ORNSTEINS

DOE (photo: Andrew Northrop)

TOP TEN: New Sounds Zilo - Sometimes Fenne Lily - Unfucktheworld (Angel Olsen cover) The Goon Sax - We Can’t Win Doe - Labour Like I Do Rhain - Time Traveller Bodega Sisters - Our Disco Dilly Dally - Doom Harvey Causon & Gabriel Gifford - Murphy’s Hand Yves Tumor - Lifetime Skeggs - Up In The Clouds GET MORE NEW MUSIC FROM CHRISTIAN EVERY MONDAY AT BRISTOLINSTEREO.COM

by Christian Northwood The Ornsteins The Ornsteins is what happens when you take the insular, bedroom-bound thoughts of one individual and explode them out, unfiltered, in full technicolour.

Luckily, these thoughts are those of Bristol’s Joe Groves.

The project’s first proper single, ‘Bitter Gills’ was gifted to the world via Breakfast Records in August, with this and its b-side, ‘For Hendo’ already making for fascinating listening. Built on looping samples, the a-side fuses elements of psychedelia and dreampop, with its scuzzy guitars, plunging bassline and fluid, overlapping vocals.

Sparse, mechanical drums help to drive a motorik rhythm, feeling warm despite the static clicks.

SIR BABYGIRL (photo: Tonje Thilesen)

‘For Hendo’ shows a different side entirely. A beautiful ode to a friend, the choral vocals that back Groves’ tender delivery are simple yet wonderfully uplifting. While these recorded versions are astounding, watching these and equally-mesmerising songs recreated live is simply breathtaking. With a table of drum-machines, loop pedals and other electronic wizardry, Joe layers his voice and guitar, his onstage isolation the perfect counterpoint to his yearnful music. A genuinely exciting new project, The Ornsteins will run as far as Joe’s imagination will let it.

LISTEN TO: For Hendo LIVE: The Old England, October 26th @theornsteins

/theornsteins

Sir Babygirl Sir Babygirl wants a future free of genre and gender boundaries, and judging by the powerhouse that is their debut single, ‘Heels’, they’re going some way to make it happen. ‘Heels’ feels truly genreless, mixing in all kinds of influences; racing from hypnotic percussion to skittering hip-hop beats in a flash, or switching from pulsating synth stabs to sweeping chords.

All this is underpinned by Sir Babygirl’s sugar-sweet vocal. At times fragile, at times powerful, it details melancholically of dating in the modern age, over a beat that calls upon pop’s best elements. The future is sounding pretty great.

LISTEN TO: Heel @sir_babygirl

/sir_babygirl Bristol in Stereo: 11 Bristol in Stereo: 11

CLUB & LIVE EVENTS GUIDE

SUN 23RD SEPT

THURS 1ST NOV

TUES 27TH NOV

DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS From £25 + BF

THURS 27TH SEPT DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

SCARLXRD £19.50 + BF From £12.50

SAT 29TH SEPT DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

SONS OF APOLLO From £19.50 + BF

FRI 5TH OCT DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

THE STORY SO FAR From £17 + BF

SAT 6TH OCT DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

ANNA CALVI From £20 + BF

MON 8TH OCT DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

THE AMITY AFFLICTION From £17 + BF

TUE 9TH OCT DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

THE CORAL From £20 + BF

FRI 12TH OCT DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

THE ORB 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR From £25 £17 ++ BF BF

SAT 13TH OCT DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

HOOKWORMS FEAT LUKE ABBOTT From £15 + BF

SUN 14TH OCT DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 10PM

ENSLAVED From £18 + BF

MON 15TH OCT DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

SUPERORGANISM From £13.50 + BF

TUES 16TH OCT DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

IDLES SOLD OUT

THURS 18TH OCT DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

FICKLE FRIENDS From £12 + BF

For up to date listings please visit:

swxbristol.com

FRI 19TH OCT DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 10PM

ASH

From £22.50 + BF

SAT 20TH OCT DOORS 2PM/CURFEW 10PM

SIMPLE THINGS FESTIVAL

Tickets available from:

ticketweb.co.uk

From £34.50 + BF

SUN 21ST OCT

THE HOUSE OF LOVE From £25 + BF

FRI 2ND NOV DOORS 6.30PM/CURFEW 10PM

HEADIE ONE From £13.50 + BF

SAT 3RD NOV DOORS 6PM/CURFEW 10PM

DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV

From £17.50 + BF

SUN 4TH NOV DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

LEWIS CAPALDI From £13 + BF

MON 5TH NOV DOORS 5PM/CURFEW 11.45PM

IMPERICON NEVER SAY DIE! TOUR From £15 + BF

TUES 6TH NOV DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

PARCELS From £18 + BF

THURS 8TH NOV DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONALS From £25 + BF

FRI 9TH NOV DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 10PM

BAXTER DURY From £15 + BF

SAT 10TH NOV DOORS 6.30PM/CURFEW 10.30PM

PARQUET COURTS SOLD OUT

MON 12TH NOV DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

GRUFF RHYS From £18 + BF

TESSERACT From £19 + BF

THURS 29TH NOV

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

SUNFLOWER BEAN From £13.50 + BF

FRI 30TH NOV

DOORS 6.30PM/CURFEW 10PM

RALEIGH RITCHIE From £1.50 + BF

SAT 1ST DEC DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

808 STATE From £20 + BF

SUN 2ND DEC

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

INTERRUPTERS From £15 + BF

MON 3RD DEC

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

NADINE SHAH From £15 + BF

WEDS 5TH DEC

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV From £15 + BF

FRI 7TH DEC

DOORS 6.30PM/CURFEW 10PM

SEVENDUST & ALL THAT REMAINS From £23 + BF

SAT 8TH DEC DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10.30PM

RAZORLIGHT From £22.50 + BF

TUES 11TH DEC DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 11PM

BURY TOMORROW From £16 + BF

WEDS 12TH DEC DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

TUES 13TH NOV

CKY

YXNG BANE

SAT 15TH DEC

DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM From £13.50 + BF

WEDS 14TH NOV DOORS 7PM

GOGO PENGUIN From £18.50 + BF

THURS 15TH NOV DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

SHAME From £13 + BF

FRI 16TH NOV DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

DUTTY MOONSHINE From £15 + BF

SAT 17TH NOV DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

A + WHEETUS + INME From £21 + BF

From £16 + BF DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 10PM

GAZ BROOKFIELD & THE COMPANY OF THIEVES From £10 + BF

TUES 22ND JAN 2019 DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

DAN + SHAY From £17.50 + BF

SAT 26TH JAN 2019 DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

ESDR PRESENTS AQUARIA From £20 + BF

MON 28TH JAN 2019 DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

MATT CORBY From £16 + BF

TUE 20TH NOV

SAT 23RD FEB 2019

DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

DOORS 6PM / CURFEW 10PM

THERAPY? From £21 + BF

HIPPO CAMPUS From £15 + BF

DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

WEDS 21ST NOV

WEDS 27TH FEB 2019

+ THE JICKS

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

DOORS 7PM / CURFEW 11PM

STEPHEN MALKMUS From £22.50 + BF

FRI 26TH OCT DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 10PM

BAD SOUNDS From £10 + BF

WEDS 31ST OCT DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 11PM

ANTI FLAG

CANCER BATS From £16.50 + BF

PITCHSHIFTER From £21 + BF

THE RUTS DC From £19.50 + BF

THURS 22ND NOV

FRI 1ST MAR

DOORS 7PM/CURFEW 11PM

DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

HONNE

From £14 + BF

TANK AND THE BANGAS £17 + BF From £15

FRI 23RD NOV

FRI 26TH APR 2019

BASEMENT & JOYCE MANOR

DOORS 6.30PM / CURFEW 10PM

DOORS 6.30PM/CURFEW 10.30PM

From £16 + BF

SHOWHAWK DUO From £18 + BF

SAT 6TH JULY 2019 DOORS 2PM / CURFEW 11PM

@swxbristol

ASTRAL FESTIVAL From £25 + BF

Bristol in Stereo: 13

“I’ve been learning how to say what I really mean weed out the bullshit...”

Empress Of words: Gemma Samways photography: Fabian Guerrero

orely Rodriguez is done with sharing specifics. Three years ago, she poured detailed personal experiences into her first full-length set as Empress Of, and came away feeling exposed to the extent that performing the album live became exhausting. For the follow-up to the lyrically-introvert, sonicallyextrovert Me, she’s now reestablishing intimacy by operating on a more universal level. Or as she puts it during the song ‘All Or Nothing’, “I like to keep my stories untold.”

“This record is more about the stories we all share with each other,” she elaborates down the line from L.A., in typically sunny tones.

“And part of that is taking the weight off me and having it be a mutual exchange of ideas…

That’s why it’s called Us.” It’s testament to Rodriguez’s tenacity, and to her skill as a songwriter, musician and producer, that this excellent second record is every bit as personality-packed as its predecessor.

Written and recorded over the course of two and a half years in southern Californian locations including the Topanga Canyon and Ojai Valley, Us was a true labour of love. “I had to write so many bad songs first,” she laughs. “It was about having a strong musical identity, but also not wanting to make the exact same music over again. And that was a learning process, like, how do I reflect my growth as an artist?”

The answer? Firstly, by drawing on a diverse palette of musical inspirations, including This Mortal Coil, Fatima Yamaha and Ariana Grande. Secondly, by calling in favours from previous collaborators Pional, Blood Orange and L.A. production duo, DJDS. And thirdly, by finding the confidence to be forthright, both melodically and lyrically.

“I thought I was pretty emotionally vulnerable on the first album, but this record is more direct,” she reflects. “I’ve been learning how to say what I really mean - weed out the bullshit.”

That deceptively uncomplicated, filter-free approach is brilliantly illustrated on twinkling

Bristol in Stereo: 15 Bristol in Stereo: 15

single-in-waiting ‘Timberlands’, which serves up a heady hit of immaculately-layered pop, plus the impressively unapologetic lyric, “I’m my own worst enemy / I’m my favourite centrepiece / Whatever, at least I’m trying to be myself more.” Rodriguez’s productions radiate real warmth this time around too, with songs like ‘When I’m With Him’ and ‘Trust Me Baby’ exuding their own hazy glow.

As per every Empress Of record since 2013’s Systems EP, Spanish is used on Us as a vehicle to veil her most personal lyrics. And yet, in the context of Donald Trump’s discriminatory immigration policies, Rodriguez openly embracing her Honduran heritage now feels like a pointed act of defiance. Is it? “I feel very strongly about being Latinx, and growing up in southern California and seeing the cultures clash,” she replies thoughtfully. “I feel like my music reflects that… I just wanted to represent myself as a kid of an immigrant, raised in Los Angeles.”

“I’ve always embraced [my heritage],” she continues. “What I’ve noticed is the rest of the world embracing it. And to me that’s something that’s really special. It’s a snowball thing. The more you see people like you

doing things - and the more you have artists like Cuco and Kali Uchis - the more it will show the rest of the world that this is normal.

We’re just like you.”

Despite her recent support for L.A. clothing line ‘Kids Of Immigrants’ and her appearance at a local benefit for undocumented immigrants, Rodriguez modestly rejects the title of activist. “I think when there’s any type of adversity in your life, activism is just a part of your life. I’m just trying to exist as a kid of an immigrant, just trying to be seen equally by my peers. But, yeah, seeing everything unfold in America, you want to raise awareness and you want to be that voice. I just want to help…”

Ultimately, the end goal is to positively affect the audience’s mood: “What I really like about listening to other people’s music,” she explains, “Is when I listen to a song and I’m like, ‘Wow, this makes me feel so good!’ It’s like how do I make other people feel this good?”

The precise formula remains a mystery but Rodriguez’s talent for it is undeniable.

Empress Of releases her new album, Us, October 19th via Terrible Records. @EmpressOf

@EmpressOf

PRESENTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK

Bristol in Stereo: 17

PRESENTS

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK

Bristol Women in Music, see p.20

STUDENT GUIDE 2018

Welcome, new students, to one of the friendliest and most culture-per-square-inch cities in the UK: Bristol. Whether you’re here to study the arts, civil engineering or something to save me from the ever-increasing sense of dread I feel about the future of the world (probably a good mix of the above), you’re going to love your time here.

Across these seven pages, let Bristol In Stereo run you through one brief, A6 slice of the brilliance that goes on here, from the most welcoming musical communities to the tastiest eats. Learn where you might find a like-minded person or three, find creatively fertile places to lay your term-time roots, or just your new favourite place to cure a hangover.

If low-budget teen movies have taught us anything, it’s that uni is a chance to be your finest and freest self – and whoever you are, there’s a place for you here. Sweaty moshalongs, arty queer extravaganzas, wall-to-

wall club culture, safe spaces to hone a craft; there’s frankly more happening than this humble part of the Southwest can hold.

Whatever you’re here for, now is the time to fill your mind. Not just on campus, but all across your new city. Try new things, make your voice heard, take on life with a healthy mix of positivity and critical thinking. Bristol is yours now, take good care of it – and each other. Read on for more.

Loki Lillistone, Editor

Bristol in Stereo: 19

BRISTOL MICROSCENES B R E A K FA S T R E C O R D S DIY is a phrase you’ll hear a lot in Bristol. We like to do things ourselves, and Breakfast Records are one scrappy guitar label refining it to an art. One of the city’s most prolific collectives at the moment, there’s a real community feel.

Head to a show and expect to make friendships that’ll last long after your degree, when you’re unemployed and wondering what it was all for. Recent releases include Pork Pie, Kate Stapley, Langkamer and Something Anorak, plus, they have a show coming up with IDLES tourmates, JOHN, October 19th.

Kate Stapley (Simon Holliday)

Mix Nights

B R I S TO L W O M E N I N M U S I C The BWIM team have been doing much-needed work since 2015. Striving to raise awareness of the roles, issues and successes of women within the industry, they use their growing network to uplift women in all areas. Their ‘Mix Nights’, for example, curate a space where women’s participation is often undermined. DJ mentors help to build skills and confidence behind the decks, with regular ‘end of term’ shows at the Love Inn, networking events and more.

THORNY Remember when we said there was a place for everyone in Bristol?

THORNY is an artist-led platform for the underrepresented voices of this city and beyond. Everyone is welcome at their queer-leaning, multi-discipline shows, but most importantly, theirs are nights at which those who may feel out of place at a standard ‘gig’, can be themselves – and see some cuttingedge music too. Check online for dates.

Photo: Paul Samuel White

A Better Break

NOODS RADIO

FAT L I P Remember how big ‘All The Small Things’ was when it came out? These guys do. Fat Lip is a celebration of all things pop-punk, and the numberone monthly social for rock chicks and whatever male rock chicks are called. Having been bossing fun and unpretentious (funpretentious) parties on the last Saturday of the month for nearly five years, they now have their own ever-growing music festival that’s presented some of their scene’s most loved names, all across top Bristol venues. Nana, na-na, na-na, na na na na...

Noods is a Bristol-based radio station, broadcasting around the globe via the magic of the interwebs. They’ve got a ton of radio shows that run the full gauntlet of EDM, from techno to far more abstract sounds. Most residents go out once or twice a month, so find your new favourites or tune in any time to have your ears treated right. These broadcasts are on-air only, so check out the schedule and catch them while you can. The team regularly broadcast from live events, the most exciting being their upcoming third birthday on November 9th – featuring Young Marco & Jackin’ Patz.

P L U S TO N S M O R E . . .

Fenne Lily (Holly Fernando)

Dubcult cultivate a diverse community for fans of cutting-edge bass music and soundsystem culture. Label, promoter and more, Chiverin showcases some of the best leftfield bands and acts in Bristol right now, including our last live session guest, Fenne Lily, plus Cousin Kula, Rain and more.

Vegan spot, Café Kino has a long-standing inclusive community around it, where open-minded people gather to see shows, draw, work or just eat bean burgers.

Bristol in Stereo: 21

MUST-TRY FOOD B I B LO S We love Biblos so much that we had them cater our entire music festival a few years back. With locations across Stokes Croft, St Werburghs and Wapping Wharf, this Bristol institution is well-loved by us Bristolians. Expect a fast-food fusion of Middle Eastern and Caribbean favourites, the grub-derésistance being their amazing wraps.

The Stokes Croft spot is open late and situated right by some of Bristol’s most important clubs. Order one with everything and let it salve your soul. It’s even B.Y.O.B.

S T. N I C K ’ S M A R K E T St Nick’s Market was built in 1743 and somehow survived Bristol having the shit bombed out of it in the war. Now, just down from the tourist tack, its covered market is one of the last bastions of amazing-food-for-a-fiver left in the Western World. The Moroccan place or Zak’s greasy spoon will cure your hangover, Eat-a-Pitta or the kofta stall make a great lunch to-go and Royce Rolls will take you back to the 70s with its baps and yoghurt-covered raisins. No joke.

SWEET DEALS...

No. 51’s (Stokes Croft) stone-baked pizzas for £7 before 7pm, Burger Theory’s (centre) Tuesday-Friday student deals or the Lebanese, Mezze Palace, who will serve you more food than you can eat for the change found in your sofa, before 2pm. Know that food deal app, Wriggle? It’s Bristolian and they have you covered here. Magic Roll (Triangle) and Falafel Hut (Stokes Croft) both also bring bang-for-buck.

FAVE STORES ROUGH TRADE

C O. L A B Co.Lab brings makers and buyers together in a very cool way.

Established in 2011, they’ve been hand-picking creatives from in and around Bristol to showcase their products, both online and in their store, now on Gloucester Road (just up from Stokes Croft).

Expect to find artists’ prints to de-Kafka any student building, jewellery and clothing items that are very ‘where d’you get that, babes?’ and tons more. There’s even a co-making space upstairs that you can get involved in. What a glorious, important thing Co.Lab is for Bristol.

Those who’ve spent time in the capital will know Rough Trade, but it’s not all about London, or NYC either. Our store is looked after by the team behind the long-standing Rise Records and is an independent space for vinyl, books, coffee, booze and shows. Their staff eat, sleep and breathe music, many of them prominent musicians themselves, so their recommendations are top.

Touring acts even stop here for instores, where you can meet them, get things signed and generally geek out.

R E P S YC H O Bristol is seemingly full of vintage stores, some better value than others. RePsycho is a hidden gem on Gloucester Road. They’ve been going since the early 80s and, while you won’t find them all over Instagram, they do sell great clothes for fair prices. There’s even a record store in the basement, Prime Cuts, which is well worth a spelunk.

Other shops to magpie in include: LOOT, Urban Fox (both centre) and Uncle Sam’s (Park Street).

Bristol in Stereo: 23

KEY EVENTS u p c o m i n g h a p p e n i n g s t o k i c k o f f yo u r f i r s t t e r m . . .

A NEW MUSIC SMORGASBORD THING SIMPLE THINGS 2018 These last few years, Simple Things Festival have been making Bristol move and impressing with their general booking prowess. Back with a slightly different format this year, due to Colston Hall’s £50m refurb, the line-up still excites and recalls many of the acts we’ve been shouting about at In Stereo this year. Tirzah, Helena Hauff, Slowdive, Sorry and Black Midi are all on the bill, but the importance of these kinds of ‘discovery’ festivals is the acts you haven’t heard of. Bristol’s own LICE are also expected; they played our live sessions this summer and we highly recommend.

WHEN: October 20th. WHERE: Various Bristol venues. INFO: @SimpleThingsUK // simplethingsfestival.co.uk Day and night tickets are separate.

A 50 ACTS DESCENDING ON LAKOTA THING PSYCHED 5TH BIRTHDAY Psyched have been impressing ever since their 2013 debut at Blue Mountain. Now, they celebrate their fifth birthday at Lakota, bringing no fewer than 50 acts to the table, quite literally. Heading up the bill is a takeover by formidable drum’n’bass label, Jungle Cakes, seeing Ed Solo, Deekline, Serial Killaz and Benny Page all go back to back. London via Barcelona via Birmingham collective, Chopstick Dubplate send Aries and Jacky Murda Bristol-bound for their b2b set. Bristol’s own Phaelah is our gem of the bill. If you’re looking for a homegrown electronic artist to sink your fresher teeth into, here’s a good place to start. ‘Cinematic’ is the only fitting word.

WHEN October 13th. WHERE: Lakota.

INFO: fb/psychedbristol

A FUN INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING THING BRISTOL COMIC AND ZINE FAIR The Bristol Comic and Zine Fair brings together artists, writers and publishers from across the city and beyond for a one-day market. With 2018 marking their eighth year at it, the quantity and quality of makers on display is spot-on, and with it being held at The Station, just two minutes from Bristol Bus Station, you’d be mad not to drop in for a look around.

WHEN: October 6th. WHERE: The Station.

INFO: bczf.co.uk // fb/bristolcomicandzinefair

A YOU DO YOU, BOO THING EAT SLEEP DRAG REPEAT Drag has been clawing its way into mainstream culture for some time now, leaving nail marks on our televisions, nightlife and vernacular (yaaas queen!).

Eat Sleep Drag Repeat is the home of RuPaul’s Drag Race artists in Bristol – and since elsewhere – having hosted big names like Sasha Velour, Latrice Royale, Katya and more. Theirs are nights of beauty, comedy, charisma and lip-syncing, this instalment featuring Monét X Change.

WHEN: October 19th. WHERE: UoB Student Union INFO: esdrevents.co.uk // fb/ESDRevents

A FLYING THROUGH SPACE WITH A BEER THING PLANETARIUM NIGHTS Here’s your chance to get higher than you’ve ever been in your life. I’m talking, of course, about space.

Hosting two shows every Thursday throughout this month, fun science-y type place, We The Curious invites you to see the world as you’ve never seen it before, via the UK’s only 3D planetarium. Grab some pals, a drink from their well-stocked bar and get astral.

WHEN October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th WHERE: We The Curious INFO: wethecurious.org/group/planetarium-nights Bristol in Stereo: 25

words: Danny Wright photography: Phil Sharp

he front cover of Cat Power’s new record is a candid snapshot - Chan Marshall and her young son in the bedroom of their house as a guitar topples over and she catches it. It’s an image that had been stored on her phone until the record label asked for the artwork.

“I had no single concept, so I thought ‘I’ll just use this picture’. I didn’t analyse it, I just cropped it and wrote the word ‘Wanderer’ with my finger.”

It’s only now that she can see what the image represents. “It’s a symbol of strength. With my words and guitar I’ve been able to survive and travel the world and meet people who told me that I made a difference in their life, which makes me feel not alone, which gives me the fortitude to not feel fucking mixed up and crazy and alone on this planet. And my son is the greatest gift of my life, the truest love I’ve ever felt and I never knew I deserved. And then my silhouette is myself - this is my life right now and I’m fine with it.”

BristolininStereo: Stereo: 27 Bristol 27

That she’s fine is good to hear – for the six year journey that led to Wanderer has been a complicated, dramatic one. In 2012, the day after the release of last album Sun, Marshall was hospitalised. “I had so much pressure trying to make a hit record, spent my life savings trying to control the process, that my immune system collapsed.”

She was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema, an immune disorder that causes swelling of the face and throat.

Thankfully, after a year of postponed gigs, she found a homeopath who helped to stop the swelling. Life however, as it likes to do, continued and transformed, and there was soon more life-changing news. “I was dating someone for five months, then we split up and I found out I was pregnant.” She moved back to Miami and, two years after fearing that she was on the brink of dying, Marshall gave birth to her son.

Chan talks openly about everything she’s been through, her voice as rich and evocative as it is on record. She shares pictures of her little boy; she mimics the people walking past in the noisy, bustling hotel foyer. It’s clear, though, she’s been through a lot - “it definitely feels like six years”. She takes her time, making sure she picks the right words, her voice sometimes drifting off without finishing answers if she can’t find them. It’s this deliberation that inspired Wanderer and the decision to move record labels. “With Sun I wanted to hear outer space, but with this I wanted to hear the space within.”

“I was told by my ex-record label I needed a hit record and I did that with Sun. So when I gave them this record and they said they didn’t like it, it was just like, ‘Say what?’. I think having my kid gave me more of a put-my-foot-down vibration. I didn’t want to injure the songs with the idea of making a hit record, I wanted to protect whatever it is the universe wanted me to make. Because when I make music I thrive on my intuition – it becomes a meditation, the vibration resonates through your bones, it becomes part of your heartbeat.”

The cosmic way she talks of her craft is reminiscent of the American poet, Ruth Stone, who, as she worked in the fields, would feel a poem coming at her over the landscape and run to the farmhouse to write the words down before they escaped. It’s the same for Chan: “There’s a passing melody train in my head and I have to jump on it and just start singing. It’s like there’s something my subconscious needs to create and I don’t know why or for what. I have to rush to find the tape recorder with the batteries in.”

And so we have Wanderer, her tenth studio album – pure and unflinching songs that eschew the synths of Sun and revert back to guitar, piano and that voice. The journey to the record began in Miami as Chan set up her house as a recording studio. “The first thing I recorded was ‘If I had a dime for every time...’.” That’s the first line from ‘Woman’ the defiant, shimmering song you’ve probably heard that features Lana Del Rey, her recent touring partner. Yet it’s a song that nearly never saw the light of day. “I wasn’t sure it belonged sonically, so I didn’t deliver ‘Woman’ [to Matador]. But then when Domino came into the picture and they loved the record, I said ‘Er, can I add a song to the record?’.”

“I’d met Lana years ago. She’s a beautiful woman and a beautiful spirit. I knew she’d lend the song that resonating, divine feminine quality that I thought it needed. I’m very happy that song’s on the record now.”

As the album developed, the wandering continued. She spent time in a studio that Diplo had recommended in Miami (“He put ‘Free’ on a mixtape years ago”) and then moved to LA. It was here that another pop star entered the album’s story. “A few years ago an ex-lover picked me up from the airport. I opened the door and ‘Stay’ by Rihanna came on. He said ‘There’s my girl’ and I thought he was talking about me but he was talking about her,” she explains. “Then when I was about to go to LA to record I was in a cab and I heard the whole song right through for the first time and I was crying and I learned why millions of people love her.”

“When I make music I thrive on my intuition – it becomes a meditation, the vibration resonates through your bones, it becomes part of your heartbeat.”

Bristolin in Stereo: Stereo: 29 Bristol 29

The song took on deeper resonance, reminding her of a friend who had passed away. “When I was singing I could feel him there in the room, right there in my chest.”

Our conversation is punctuated by these stories of tragic goodbyes and lives lost – yet there’s a resolve that burns through. I ask if she sees it as a hopeful album. “I do. I know that there’s a lot of questioning but I think that’s part of what art does and hopefully there’s some language that people understand, that helps people heal.”

Chan certainly seems more at ease with who she is. “I used to be so ashamed of being a musician because it felt snobbish.

So I lied, told people ‘I’m just a waitress’ then, later, ‘I’m just a writer’.”

“I’m so proud of myself that I love my life now, that I didn’t turn away from hope.”

This guilt seemed to affect her during her turbulent early career. The legend grew – with some notes of truth – of an artist prone to breakdowns, stage fright, and profound insecurity. It was crystallised in early albums, like 1998’s beautiful, stark Moon Pix. This year she returned to play that album in full for an anniversary show in Australia. “That Sydney show was super-duper special for me - more potent than winning any Grammy award. I had to step into the suit of the person who wrote that stuff. I remembered a lot about that person - how she was fight or flight, and trying to maintain resilience.

I felt completely lost as many people do when they’re growing up,” she says softly, pausing. “I guess the trick to being happy is to go through it.”

“I’m so proud of myself that I love my life now, that I didn’t turn away from hope.”

Listening to Wanderer, you can hear that hard-won hope – the sound of life – pulsing through it.

Cat Power releases her new album, Wanderer, October 5th via Domino. @CATPOWER

@CatPowerSun

Bristol in Stereo: 31

MON.01.OCT.18 MON.01.OCT.18

FRI.12.OCT.18 FRI.12.OCT.18

TUE.02.OCT.18 TUE.02.OCT.18

FRI.12.OCT.18 FRI.12.OCT.18

SAT.13.OCT.18 SAT.13.OCT.18

MON.15.OCT.18 MON.15.OCT.18

SAT.13.OCT.18 SAT.13.OCT.18

TUE.16.OCT.18 TUE.16.OCT.18

SUN.14.OCT.18 SUN.14.OCT.18

WED.17.OCT.18 WED.17.OCT.18

SUN.14.OCT.18 SUN.14.OCT.18

FRI.19.OCT.18 FRI.19.OCT.18

MON.15.OCT.18 MON.15.OCT.18

SAT.20.OCT.18 SAT.20.OCT.18

MON.15.OCT.18 MON.15.OCT.18

SAT.27.OCT.18 SAT.27.OCT.18

TUE.02.OCT.18 TUE.02.OCT.18

WED.03.OCT.18 WED.03.OCT.18

WED.03.OCT.18 WED.03.OCT.18

FRI.05.OCT.18 FRI.05.OCT.18

SAT.06.OCT.18 SAT.06.OCT.18

SUN.07.OCT.18 SUN.07.OCT.18

THEKLA

LIVE LISTINGS

The Grove East Mud Dock Bristol BS1 4RB theklabristol.co.uk | thekla.club F L theklabristol | I X theklabris alttickets.com • gigantic.com • bristolticketshop.co.uk

SOLD OUT

WEDNESDAY 17TH OCTOBER

MONDAY 1ST OCTOBER

OCTAVIAN

+ BIRTHDAY GIRL

TUESDAY 2ND OCTOBER

SOLD OUT

GLASVEGAS

ROSS FROM FRIENDS WEDNESDAY 3RD OCTOBER

DARWIN DEEZ + DYLAN CARTLIDGE THURSDAY 4TH OCTOBER

OKKERVIL RIVER FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER

THE BLACK QUEEN + TENNIS SYSTEM + KANGA SATURDAY 6TH OCTOBER

OKILLY DOKILLY SUNDAY 7TH OCTOBER

HUNTER & THE BEAR

FRIDAY 19TH OCTOBER

THE INVISIBLE ORCHESTRA + UNKOWN ERA

SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER

DRAKE WHITE AND THE BIG FIRE

SOLD OUT

SUNDAY 21ST OCTOBER

SEA GIRLS MONDAY 22ND OCTOBER

YELLOW DAYS

SOLD OUT

TUESDAY 23RD OCTOBER

LUCY DACUS + FENNE LILY

TUESDAY 9TH OCTOBER

BOY AZOOGA

+ MAN OF MOON + SOCK

THURSDAY 25TH OCTOBER

PALACE WINTER

WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER

POETS OF THE FALL

FRIDAY 26TH OCTOBER

CHINA CRISIS

THURSDAY 11TH OCTOBER

MACKA B’S REGGAE RUMBLE

SATURDAY 27TH OCTOBER

BRIX & THE EXTRICATED SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER

FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER

GWENNO

+ ADWAITH

BCUC

TUESDAY 30TH OCTOBER SATURDAY 13TH OCTOBER

BLACK HONEY

GOAT GIRL

SOLD OUT

+ SNEAKS

SUNDAY 14TH OCTOBER

STICK IN THE WHEEL

WEDNESDAY 31ST OCTOBER

SNAIL MAIL

MONDAY 15TH OCTOBER

BECKY HILL

THURSDAY 1ST NOVEMBER

IAN FELICE

Bristol in Stereo: 33

photos: Sean Brackbill

RECORD OF THE MONTH “Each record I make is more of an amalgamation of who I am,” says John Grant. “The more I do this, the more I trust myself, and the closer I get to making what I imagine in my head.”

So, what does John Grant’s imagination sound like on Love is Magic? Danny Wright got Tim Boddy and Hassan Anderson together to find out.

What are your general feelings towards John Grant and his music?

Hassan: I really loved Pale Green Ghosts. He’s a unique singer and can write well. His humour is a breath of fresh air, especially considering the fact that he tackles pretty heavy subject matter too. Rant over.

Tim: Yeah, I also got into him around that time; it was the film Weekend that really hooked me into his work. I then explored Queen of Denmark; that is probably one of my fave albums of the 00s. I quite frankly think he’s a treasure that needs to be protected at all costs. (Also, rant over.)

Two very good rants. So what do you make of Love Is Magic? It's a bit of a sonic shift from Pale Green Ghosts.

Hassan: Agreed - I really like it though. It feels like he’s made the shift an authentic one. On

JOHN GRANT LOVE IS MAGIC Pale Green Ghosts there’s a combo of sort of guitar/piano-led ballads, then some disco/ electronic tracks too, and I remember being struck by how he managed to sit the two together so well. This new album obviously places him sonically in the former but it doesn’t feel like he’s done a Kid A or anything.

Tim: Yes, he’s certainly deft at sitting two sounds together - often within the same track, like the opening track. I’ll admit it was a bit of a jarring experience at first - especially as the album goes straight in with a more... chaotic sound. But after a couple of listens my brain started to catch-up with his vision and what he was doing.

Does his sense of humour come through?

Hassan: He’s mentioned that he’s into British comedy and I feel, like on the opening track and other places, his delivery has a Howard Moonlike Boosh feel. That’s meant as a compliment.

Tim: I was genuinely cackling away in public on certain tracks. It seems like he’s decided to really push the humour even more than he did before. The album is more reminiscent of Grant’s tangents at his live shows (which I’ve been blown away by) - that caustic wit and joyous yet dark surrealism, but never captured on record so well as on this one.

Are there any stand-out lines for you?

Hassan: ‘Smug Cunt’ is fucking funny.

Tim: Absolutely. ‘Diet Gum’, too.

Hassan: I think the chorus line in that is one of my favourites.

Tim: “Like I should feel grateful you are in my life / I'd rather dig out my spleen with a butter knife”, “Idaho... EVER HEARD OF IT?”. Angry John! I feel like this discussion could just be a list of Grant’s most warped and hilarious lyrics.

“Did you know that he mentions cheese on four of the tracks?

That’s my top album fact.”

- Tim Boddy

Does the album have a theme, would you say?

Tim: Like most good artists, Grant holds up a mirror to society/the world. There's a chaotic, absurdist element to the album, fused with the everyday and banal. There's a lot going on!

Hassan: To me it seems like a mish-mash of experience filtered through JG’s kitsch/ironic retro-dystopian lens.

Tim: …with cheese. Did you know that he mentions cheese on four of the tracks?

That’s my top album fact.

Hassan: That’s un-brie-lievable.

Tim: Maybe the next album will be his r‘n’brie album.

I’m glad these reviews have finally moved on to cheese puns! Aside from cheese, I thought it was interesting the way he took news headlines and put them into the songs.

Hassan: I saw that he said people read those headlines, and then just go and buy a cheese sandwich. Like, there’s an absurd montage feel to reality people just seem to go through without paying much attention. But actually it’s fucking mental.

Tim: Yeah. It’s the thought process of a (very good) stand-up comedian in some ways.

Does the political message get lost because of the humour?

Hassan: I think politics today is like a comedy show. It’s why comedians say they have such a hard time writing about Trump, etc. So I think the idea that a discussion of politics needs to be serious perhaps doesn’t apply as much. Humour just seems like a far more effective way of making a point.

Tim: Yeah. It links into that absurdist side - by using bizarre lyrics to mimic what's going on.

I think he achieves this in a smart way heightening his message, I’d argue.

And finally, if one song on the record sums it up what would you choose?

Tim: Tough question. Perhaps ‘Preppy Boy’ which showcases many of the Italo-disco/ electronic elements, while being something of a banger. Lyrically it mixes an earnest approach with the classic Grant dark wit. A middle-ground between the more ‘out there'’ tracks, and ballads.

Hassan: Ooooh, hard. I love ‘Smug Cunt’. But I’m going to be bait and say ‘Love Is Magic’ for me.

John Grant releases Love Is Magic October 12th via Bella Union.

LIVE: The Forum, Bath, October 31st @johngrantmusic

@johngrantmusic Bristol in Stereo: 35 Bristol in Stereo: 35

NENEH CHERRY

BROKEN POLITICS Smalltown Supersound October 19th

CHAI PINK

Heavenly Recordings October 12th Effervescing with urgent, frenetic rhythms, bubble-gum melodies and high-octane vocals, PINK exudes unadulterated exuberance and irresistible charm.

The debut release from Japanese four-piece CHAI, their kaleidoscopic kawaii-meets-punk attitude defies expectation at every turn with mischievous buoyancy.

Across the six tracks, CHAI embrace self-love and acceptance, reject beauty norms, tackle the world of modern dating and alight on the ‘Hello Kitty cult’ with their playful and defiant vitality. The versatility of their sound is astounding as they deliver the funkiest bass riffs on ‘Boyz Seco Men’ whilst ‘N.E.O’ offers a heady fusion of sharp, relentless dance rhythms and roaring vocals imbued with garage-rock sensibilities. An inimitable debut, CHAI are resolutely here to wrap you up in their curious, saccharine world and you won’t want to leave. Kezia Cochrane

Neneh Cherry albums don’t come around often enough. Only her fifth solo LP in a career dating back to the 80s, Broken Politics is exactly the kind of thing our ears need to encounter more regularly.

Taking a stand against the ongoing shitshow that is the world in an elegant but damning manner – she’s not mad, just, y’know, disappointed – Cherry exudes as much class and wisdom as ever, while Four Tet’s masterful production provides a tremendous backdrop of electronica, dub and jazz.

Whereas much of the album explores the current societal malaise, the allusion to the American Civil War in “Shot Gun Shack” points to how deep the problems she addresses run. That they inspire music as great as this is a small but significant silver lining. Thomas Hannan

ADRIANNE LENKER ABYSSKISS Saddle Creek October 5th Here’s a game for you; can you listen to the latest solo record from Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker, without your eyeballs leaking? Maybe buy some shares in Kleenex (other tissue brands are available), before you crack into abysskiss. Delicate opener ‘terminal paradise’ finds Lenker ruminating over her death, with vocals almost whispered over delicate acoustic guitars. It sets the tone for most of the record, but it’s not entirely single-paced; ‘out of your mind’ is a bit more up-tempo, even if it won’t set any dancefloors on fire. For the most part, a beautiful hushedvocals-over-acoustics aesthetic abounds. It’s maybe not the best choice of aural pleasure unless you have time for a ruddy good cry, but if you do; dive in, it’s beautiful.

Simone Scott Warren

MARIE DAVIDSON

WORKING CLASS WOMAN Ninja Tune October 5th Working Class Woman is a twisted, abrasive and darkly humorous take on dance music and life in Berlin. Opener ‘Your Biggest Fan’ brazenly mocks club culture: “Are you doing a DJ set tonight?” Davidson’s spoken text rings out, sneering sarcastically. With foundations laid by her last album, 2016’s Adieux Au Dancefloor, Working Class Woman builds on the dance floor blueprint. From the hi-hats and thumping groove of ‘The Psychologist’, to the haunting techno of ‘Burn Me’, to the brighter, more melodic tones of ‘So Right’, Davidson layers probing lyricism – some in English and some in French – over snarling club rhythms and textures. “I work all the fucking time,” she says in industrial cut ‘Work It’, “Work, sweat, work to be a winner.” It’s a robotic acknowledgement of the unforgiving nature of club land, a nod to hard work and a nod to appreciating your own success – “Work for yourself, love yourself.” For all the largely scathing lyrics and harsh, industrial soundscapes – exemplified in cacophonous ‘The Tunnel’ – there are moments of respite, too. Slowly chiming ‘Day Dreaming’ oozes warmth, the melodies sounding almost choral and closer ‘La chambre intérieure’ twinkles dreamily, fading out as Davidson whispers intimately in French. The fine line between playfulness and disdain blurs across the record, so has Davidson’s extensive touring made her bitter toward the industry she’s negotiating? Or, is she serving up a few home truths whilst understanding herself, laughing at the rest of us and getting on with what she does best? Katie Thomas

MOLLY BURCH

MØ

Captured Tracks October 5th

Chess Club/RCA Victor October 5th

FIRST FLOWER

More than a year on from her criticallyacclaimed debut, LA native Molly Burch returns, laying bare her soul in the intimate First Flower. As she confronts her own battles against anxiety and imperfections with an empowering lyrical twist, the singer-songwriter’s vocals take centre stage throughout the album, backed with a tranquil and harmonious blend of acoustic and orchestral instruments. Lead single, ‘Wild’ details Burch’s search for self-acceptance, finding the ideal balance between celebrating flaws and idolizing others, while title track ‘First Flower’ marks a wistful dream-pop effort in the form of a classic love song. Remarkably, where ‘Good Behaviour’ works to challenge the expectations placed upon us, it’s the confident and unapologetic nature of ‘To The Boys’ that makes a lasting impression. Kelly Ronaldson

FOREVER NEVERLAND In the four years since MØ released her debut album, No Mythologies To Follow, the Danish pop hero has become a global star via Major Lazer collab ‘Lean On’ and worked with everyone from Justin Bieber to Charli XCX (featured here on ‘If It’s Over’).

It’s the latter’s approach - pop but make it weird - that Karen Marie Ørsted deploys on Forever Neverland. Yes, the record is full of sunny electronic pop (‘Sun In Our Eyes’) and lusty bops (‘I Want You’), but its oddities are where it really shines. On ‘Nostalgia’, Ørsted guides us through the decline of a relationship in spoken-word verses and carnival rhythms. ‘Blur’, meanwhile, combines a ‘Where Is My Mind?’ acoustic strum with vocoder vocals and synthetic blares to make something strangely emotional and delightfully offbeat. Rhian Daly Bristol in Stereo: 37 Bristol in Stereo: 37

CHAOUCHE

PROGRESSION EP Night Time Stories November 2nd Sometimes the universe feels aligned. Sometimes it’s out of kilter.

Sometimes you wake up and realise that you’ve overdone it on a school night (again); you wonder what will ease your troubled mind. You scrabble through, with jam for brains, until you put on Aisha Chaouche’s EP, Progression. The fog lifts; the world becomes much brighter. This effect is no coincidence. Darkness may underlie these ambient tracks, often through sombre, imposing piano chords, but light prevails, ultimately taking the foreground. Chaouche’s voice enchants. The songs form a suite, portraying the ongoing duality of having fears, yet remaining courageous. Anyone struggling to come to terms with themselves, be it with a hangover or bigger and more permanent tribulations, should make this EP part of the healing process. Jon Kean

HELENA DELAND

FROM THE SERIES OF SONGS ‘ALTOGETHER UNACCOMPANIED' VOL. III AND VOL. IV Luminelle Recordings // October 19th Much of Helena Deland’s music is beautifully disjointed – splintered in structure, lyrically oblique, varied in genre – and concerns memory. It’s fitting for Deland to have released disparate ‘memories in song form’ this year in short volumes instead of a full record. The final installment of the Montréal artist’s Altogether Unaccompanied series is not so much a significant step up from Vol. I & Vol. II than it is a continuation of Deland’s intricate, intimate songwriting. ‘Two Queries’ is a creaking, Angel Olsen-esque song that does find some unity in its noirish counterpart, ‘A Stone is a Stone’.

But these tracks pale in comparison to the hypnotic highs of ‘Rise’ and the fibrous, synth-pop tug of anxiety anthem, ‘Claudion’. The latter two songs make Deland’s memories everlasting. Charlotte Krol

BRIDGES

ON AND ON LIKE THIS Rose Coloured Records Out Now Despite undeniable comparisons to some of the biggest names in indie rock, local quartet Bridges manage to naturally maintain their unique, small-band spark without diminishing their talents in any way.

Having been contributing to the scene here for so long, there’s something about Bridges’ music that beautifully captures the essence of underground Bristol, and their forthcoming EP is certainly no exception. The aptly-named On And On Like This flows like an embodiment of our detailed city, driving and immediate, yet with the most intricate and haunting guitar work that Bridges have ever produced. Themes of love, youth and reflection during ‘Amor’ and ‘Sunday’ find a harmonic balance between heart-wrenching and uplifting, in turn marking this the band’s most emotional work to date. Kelly Ronaldson

KURT VILE

BOTTLE IT IN Matador October 12th Hey, everyone! Death is coming! That's what Kurt Vile’s here to gently remind us and Bottle It In, his first album in three years, encourages us to sit with the certainty. It’s best listened to when the air is cooling, with a blanket wrapped around you on a deserted beach as each guitar pedal takes on a personality of its own. Reverse delay appropriately narrates second single ‘Backasswards’ — a song about coming back down to Earth after a day of daydreaming, and Mary Lattimer’s harp adds a welcome element unheard of in any previous Kurt record. But in classic Vile style, the songs sprawl with his drooling improvisations on love and death and his little lot in life. Those waiting for hooks won't get them. The riffs repeat and remind us to stay in the moment, to go with the flow, to love everything you have. Death is coming. Emma Madden

ADVANCE BASE ANIMAL COMPANIONSHIP

Run For Cover/Orindal Records October 5th Since retiring his renowned Casiotone For The Painfully Alone moniker in 2010, Owen Ashworth’s Advance Base has never sounded better than over the ten songs that comprise Animal Companionship. There’s something astutely pure in Ashworth’s approach to songwriting here that speaks utter volumes for his incomparable twenty-year career.

Though these songs are typically laden in subjects of pain, nostalgia, heartbreak, and melancholy, Animal Companionship proves to be an immensely therapeutic experience for Ashworth and his fans alike. From the delicate instrumentation on ‘Dolores & Kimberly’ that seem to trigger goosebumps on cue, to hearing Ashworth drolly imitate barking on ‘Your Dog’, it’s an album that deserves an honest listen and truly leaves the listener with a better sense of self and sensitivity. Harriet Taylor

HOW TO DRESS WELL THE ANTEROOM Domino October 19th A decade into his career as How To Dress Well, Tom Krell is gunning for something boundarybreaking with his fifth record The Anteroom. Ambition doesn’t always translate to the finished product though and opener ‘Human’s Disguised As Animals’ feels short of any inventiveness.

The thirteen lengthy tracks play as one continuous piece as he dabbles along with a personal narrative, fragile vocals and emotive synths. Krell dips in and out of different ideas but rarely commits himself to any of them.

He has however mastered the art of build and release as the intimate moments satisfyingly grow into turbulent bouts of chaos. This album is soothing and easy to lose yourself in, but the overall package comes off as something nondescript and doesn’t do enough to truly excite the senses.

Rhys Buchanan Bristol in Stereo: 39 Bristol in Stereo: 39

Bristol in Stereo: 41

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Fu l l L i ve Listings for B r i s to l

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Bristol in Stereo: 43

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Bristol in Stereo: 45

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Bristol in Stereo: 47

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Bristol in Stereo: 49

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Bristol in Stereo: 51

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

OCTOBER LISTINGS

Bristol in Stereo: 53

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

The Gallimaufry

Waldo’s Gift

Out of this world musicianship combines Hip-hop, Math, Jazz, Groove & Electronica

3 Oct ~ Feat. Pete Cunningham

Ishmael Ensemble’s saxophonist & producer fills Alun Elliot-Williams’ shoes

10 Oct ~ Sketch On Glass takeover

Improvised electronics trio with members of Waldo’s Gift, Feelgood Experiment & Snazzback

17 Oct ~ Feat. Steve Lyman (José James)

US drummer and educator joins Waldo’s Gift as part of his UK tour

24 Oct ~ Waldo’s Gift Trio

Alun Elliott-Williams – Guitar, Harry Stoneham – Bass, James Vine – Drums

31 Oct ~ Reworks: Taylor Mcferrin

Multi instrumentalist, producer. Playing ‘Early Riser’ in it’s entirity

thegallimaufry.co.uk

with

Adrian Dutt @ Rough Trade Bristol

When did you move to Bristol?

I crawled out of the Devon countryside and into the big city back in January 2011.

Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment?

Is this one of those trick click-bait questions that promoters put up to start in-fighting amongst bands? There are so many great young bands doing interesting things right now. I love Wych Elm and had a sneaky listen to their new EP recently. It is very special indeed. Spectres are doing some shows with Sans soon, they’re a flipping raucous, ferocious new prospect. Obviously I couldn't not mention Giant Swan, having seen them grow from experimental drone in a prison cell to the absolute techno beast they are today, traversing the world and staying humble and inspired still. All my friends are in bands, so I feel like I'll get ostracised for not listing an A-Z. Maybe just come and ask me in Rough Trade and I'll tell you some more.

What’s your favourite thing about the city?

Its rich vein of creative inspiration and the great five-a-side football games.

And your least favourite?

Toss up between the number one and two bus or seagulls.

What are your go-to places to eat and drink?

The problem with working in a record shop with a venue and bar, is that it feels like we never leave. When we do, we tend to head to The Crown, The Lanes, Three Brothers, Chilli Daddy, etc – and we are still mourning the loss of Katie & Kim's.

What’s the perfect way to spend a day here?

Dig for records, hunt for peregrines, find a hobby, have fun.

Any top venues?

All the good independent ones.

What’s in store for Rough Trade for the remainder of 2018?

We've got so many great shows lined up, the diary is jam-packed which is really nice. Kero Kero Bonito, Simple Things, Duds, Frigs, Kississippi along with so many more. We've got a real good set of promoters putting on events here, but we always welcome more, so if you're looking for somewhere to host a show, pop in!

Rough Trade Bristol is an exemplary record store, venue and cafĂŠ run by the long-standing team from Rise Records.

Bristol in Stereo: 55 Brisol in Stereo: 55

Bristol in Stereo: 57

End of The Road Festival LARMER TREE GARDENS, DORSET. AUGUST 3OTH - SEPTEMBER 2ND

THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THERE WOODS A lot of really great things happen on the main stage (Gruff Rhys, for one), a lot of magic happens in the Big Top (Tirzah, of course), but the real joy of EoTR lies beyond the obvious places, deep among the trees. Look: there’s Ezra Furman and John Cale having a lovely chat.

And over there: a Ferris wheel spinning at terrifying speeds. There’s a disco with a light-up floor and forest games that are actually really fun (hi, Boomerang Bowling). You’re often lost, there’s always intrigue and constantly a feeling anything can and will happen.

MAN CAN’T LIVE ON CHEESE ALONE...BUT ...we can try. EoTR’s food offerings are pretty much unchallenged by any festival other than those weird Tory ones where Michelin star chefs look sad under canvas.

The pizza’s exceptional, the pies warm our souls, there’s actually good breakfast options and the vegans seem real happy. But, really, the cheese: First, there’s the raclette stall where potatoes, sausages and more are smothered in molten heaven, but mostly there’s The Cheese Truck: a festival staple that’s done more over the last few years to keep us strong at festivals than anyone.

Bless those brave and beautiful toasters of sandwiches.

IT AIN’T ALL, Y’KNOW, MUSIC AND STUFF We’re more-or-less fine with music, but we are also cultured creatures that need more. Thankfully EoTR caters to our needy whims. Prince Charles Cinema and Gruff Rhys curate impeccable movies, Babak Ganjei sells band names (just £205 for Pervert Cat!), the beer and gin bars are stocked just so and the comedy stage counters our long-held suspicion that comedians aren’t very funny.

words: Nate Rockwell photography: Rachel Juarez-Carr, Burak Cingi, Chris Juarez

THE BIG HITTERS HIT REALLY HARD Having somehow never seen St. Vincent live before and with rumours of slightly awkward, uninviting shows, expectations were medium.

St. Vincent was so much fun.

St. Vincent is the best.

Having never seen Vampire Weekend live and believing them to be actually awful, expectations were damn low. Vampire Weekend turn out to be really fun live!

Having never seen Feist live expectations were high. She ran out of time so didn’t play ‘1234’, but Feist still ruled.

EOTR IS A-OK There are roughly a hundred million festivals in the world and you should really go to all of them but, honestly, you should always, always go to End of The Road. Regardless of line-up or the chore of sleeping in a tent, it’s a unique and lifeaffirming experience that never fails to fill us with wonder, genuine happiness and the desire for it all to just start again. C’mon 2019.

Bristolin in Stereo: Stereo: 59 Bristol 59

Behind Every Musician

@WeAreTheMU

ert.indd 1

10/05/2

More than just a rehearsal space Rehearsal Rooms | Music School | Cafe

0117 972 1830

firebirdstudios.co.uk

21-23 Emery Rd, Bristol, BS4 5PF

What I learned from Mannequin Man

by Kate Collyns Robbed of their lives’ purpose, mannequins around Bristol seem to be quickly losing their clothes.

Once a means of selling outfits, these naked ladies now seem to sell anything and everything, riding a capitalist wave that sees body parts used to shift stuff from cars to ice-cream.

When walking through a market in town the other day, I was confronted by one such lady, unclothed and tied at ankle and waist like a plastic hostage. Was this stall here promoting regular mammograms? Selling moisturiser at least? Nah, books. I decided to enquire with the bloke running the stall, to see 2017 11:10what his reasoning was here.

What followed turned into a two-hour conversation – missed yoga, I do have a life you know – and an opportunity for Mannequin Man to share his pearls of wisdom on the broader topic of feminism. According to him, for example, women having to conform to a certain body image is the result of women-on-women pressure, evidenced by an soap advert in a 50s magazine he may have been subtly trying to flog me.

Of course, 50s ad companies were notorious for being dominated by high-powered female execs, nearly all of them called Peggy (#MadMen).

He then enlightened me to the mind-blowing fact that we “all came from chimps.� Shooting down my mentions of the Civil Rights Movement, suffrage, and the legalisation of gay marriage, he asserted that society hasn’t really changed. But then maybe it hasn’t for white men, I guess? As we continued, passing lads took shifts making sexually lurid gestures toward my plastic counterpart. Sadly, he wasn’t into the connection between the normalising of this and what would happen to women on dancefloors around Bristol that same Saturday night.

It was all becoming a bit uphill. He expressed stark disinterest in the #MeToo movement, despite having two daughters. He suggested that I “go to therapy� to fix my concerns about gender relations, before recounting his childhood at a boarding school run by cruel female principles. For a guy with a lot to say, he told me more than he even realised.

Our chat ended in an amicable handshake and the potential for round two next week. Although any wins were small, it reminded this lefty that, if you’ve got the time and patience, it’s healthy to reach out to ‘the other side’. But most of all I learnt: if you see a naked mannequin tied to the corner of a book stall and you think it’s a bit creepy‌ That’s probably because it fucking is.

Bristolin inStereo: Stereo: 61 Bristol 61

YOUR

MUSIC CAREER STARTS HERE

ARTIST DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA

GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • VOCALS • SONGWRITING

FULLY FUNDED TWO-YEAR FURTHER EDUCATION DIPLOMA COURSES FOR 16-18 YEAR OLDS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES UNRIVALLED CONNECTIONS TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EUROPE’S MOST CONNECTED MUSIC COLLEGE

BIMM.CO.UK/BRISTOL

Bristol in Stereo: 63