Freeq Magazine - Pilot Issue by Freeq Magazine

PILOT ISSUE

Join the UK’s best web resource for unsigned and independent music. Sign up for free to get your own listing with image gallery, demo uploads, fanlist, gig listings, merchandise, and access to our experts to guide you through the trials and tribulations of making a living from your music. We don’t just give you a space to promote yourself; we help you make it happen!

We’ve also got demo competitions, weekly music jobs and audition alerts and can help you with media exposure, press photographs, and publicity.

If you need us, we’ll be there to help your act develop and can even link you in to our contacts in production and management companies when you’re ready. If you’re already well established then simply get registered and enjoy using all our facilities to further enhance your fanbase today. What’s more, our revolutionary merchandising section will allow you to make money from your band’s merchandise without having to pay a single penny upfront on stock.

Go to www.themusicdirectory.co.uk and register completely free today.

CONTENTS Music

09 - Strawhouses 10 - The Wide Eyes 12 - Look See Proof 13 - Fadeout 17 - Kids in Glasshouses 24 - System K 26 - Navvy 27 - Small Time Crooks

Regulars

14 - Our Conscience 16 - Street Freeq 18 - Music Directory 22 - Q & A’s 28 - One to Watch 32 - Reviews 34 - Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Features

06 - Hope Through Music 08 - Indie: a state of mind 30 - It’s a girl thing

EDITORIAL PILOT ISSUE

I got stood up on Valentine’s Day.

I had met a girl on Match.com and we really connected over email. I let her beat me at Scrabulous on Facebook, then she poked me after I wrote on her wall. I invited her over to MySpace for the evening and Googled her all night long while we listened to scat music on my MP3 player: “Bebo bo boddo bo…” We went to MSN and back. And now, nothing. She’s apparently offline. I’m angry, but “this rage cannot be displayed”. I’ve nudged her, poked her and sent her an e-card full of smilies, all to no avail. Maybe she didn’t like my profile after all, or perhaps I went overboard with the emoticons? Either way, I waited in that cold (chat) room for hours on Valentine’s night. She’d promised me a romantic evening filled with file-sharing and downloads but now she’s completely blocking my pop-ups. Things could’ve been so different. Why didn’t I do the red roses, heart-shaped chocolates and posh meal like any normal guy? Why am I such a Freeq?

Welcome to the pilot issue of Freeq Magazine: the music mag with a conscience. “What’s the deal with the conscience?” we hear you cry. Allow me to explain. We love independent music, we love high-quality production, we love art, design and creativity. Better still, we want to support you. Not just by giving you a great read in a stunning magazine, but also by providing the inspiration and opportunity to develop your music so that you may live long and prosper. Here at Freeq we’re committed to doing this in a way that is ethically, environmentally and socially aware, but ever-soslightly irreverent. We’re here to help you make the world a better place, uncover some upcoming acts and make beautiful music. All in one unique publication. Oh, and you might just unearth some future stars in the next 32 pages, because between these sheets there lies a lot of new music, waiting to be discovered. The sociology of music; cultural, ethical and environmental issues; independent music. This is Freeq; this is what we’re about.

Enjoy.

Editor in Chief: Sam Borrett Deputy Editor: Tomi Ajayi Art Director: Mellisa Harrison Music Production Writer: Ryan Nolan Fashion Writer: Robin Hulme

Contributors: Richard Blackledge, Olivia Cellamare, Steven Cookson, Emily Davies, Jennifer Dixon, Andrew Galvin, Simon Gresswell, Martin Hewitt, Guy Little, Niall McDonald, Laura Nineham, Kimberley Ross, Lee Sentino, Liam Sheasby, Dom Smith,

Art and photography: Mimi, Desh1,Phil Robinson, Amy Bolt, Robin Hulme Cover illustration: Desh 1 d.1@mac.com Printed by: Chameleon Design and Print

Published by: The Music Directory Limited Advertising: 0115 9682168 advertise@freeqmagazine.com Offices: Freeq Magazine 3 The Triangle NG2 Business Park Nottingham NG2 1AE

www.freeqmagazine.com info@freeqmagazine.com

GET INVOLVED…

Freeq Magazine is looking for writers, photographers and illustrators to help us with our next issue. If you think you have what it takes to make our lovely magazine even better then get in touch today. You need to love one or more of the following: • Music • Art • Earth (the planet, not mud and dirt)

printed on paper from sustainable forests

Email info@freeqmagazine.com with an example of your work and if it’s great then we’ll get in touch!

SOMETHING FOR THEWEEKEND

A selection of gigs and events for you to stick in the Take That calendar you got for Christmas. For a full gig listing guide go to www.themusicdirectory.co.uk 22nd February 2008 Venue: The Metro Club, Oxford Street, W1. Call 020 7437 0964. Details: Dead Or Alive presents: Kickstart Liaison (classic rock), Luna Riot (alt rock), EDC (alt rock), W.I.T. (alt indie). 22nd February 2008 Venue: Babalou, Brixton Hill, SW2 1JF. Call 02077387875. Details: ‘Back In The Day!’ Dusting off the old 12” to take you back to a time when dance music, was just dance music! Special Guests: Deckstrous, Pete Creese, aka ‘P*rno’ and Nick Demagio. 28th February 2008 Venue: The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham. Details: Menomena.

5th March 2008 Venue: The Maze, Nottingham. Details: Nels Andrews and Jon Refern. Country-folk singer-songwriters with a twist. 7th March 2008 Venue: Nottingham Trent University. Details: The Go! Team. 14th April 2008 Venue: Nottingham Trent University. Details: The Long Blondes. Dot to Dot Festival 2008 This years Dot to Dot Festival is going to be bigger and better than ever. The festival will be held over two days in Bristol and Nottingham on May 24th and 25th. Tickets are available for both Nottingham and Bristol from 08713 100 000 and www.alt-tickets.co.uk Artist: Phil Robinson p.robinson@hotmail.co.uk

www.dottodotfestival.co.uk

HOPE THROUGH MUSIC Dubstep, breakbeat, grime, dub, drum ‘n’ bass, jungle, techno, house, tech house, electro, hip-hop… With the UK’s alternative musical reputation remaining in rude health, how important are grass roots genres to the disenfranchised population?

When house and techno got off the boat in London and Manchester after the long journey east from Chicago, New York and Detroit, it wasn’t about superstar DJs earning six-figure sums. It wasn’t about profit hungry promoters charging in excess of £20 for a ticket to an event. It was about people in studios – or rather bedrooms – with a Roland and a Casio, a drum machine and an 8-track. No musical training was required, just ideas and imagination. Similarly, years earlier, when hip-hop materialised in New York, the ‘grab some tunes, get on the turntables, get on the mic, and see what you can do’ ethic of originators such as Kool Herc and the Herculators, was a million miles away from a scene that now represents one of the largest marketplaces in the music industry. Both the aforementioned schools of music have, during their lifetimes, exploded commercially and have given deserving artists some well-earned rewards. And yet, it is important to remember what the ‘grass roots’ background of music, such as house or hip-hop, really means. The empowerment of artists, through ownership, can have huge effects on both the artists themselves and their peers. Music, often in non-traditional forms, can offer hope to people who have few options. The potential dealer is now the potential producer, the dope-head is now the DJ and the mugger the MC. Tony Moran runs The Neo Project out of his home on Lancashire Hill, Manchester. Targeting youths from some of the most deprived wards in Greater Manchester, 35-year-old Tony is clear about what he does, and why.

“Creative media is a good way out,” he explains. “Not just in music production – in graphic design, web-design. You can do anything with a PC or Mac. We get kids on Cubase and Ableton Live, but a lot of the skills are interchangeable across software. These are kids that would never have considered going to college or university, learning skills that can take them further.” Tony, originally from Adswood, Greater Manchester, believes that it is local knowledge and the credibility of not being an academic institution that is the key to The Neo Project. Production is little use without the ability to expose the work. Tony was involved in the Urban Stage at Manchester’s d:percussion 2007 and the preceding talent contest that required some 300 applicants to be whittled down to eight finalists who performed at the summer event, attended by tens of thousands of revellers. Additionally, he has established www.urbanbase.tv as an online showcase for the products of the Neo Project. From music production to video direction, it’s clear that Tony realises that being able to ‘take it further’ is often a major barrier for young artists. His goal of ‘giving disadvantaged kids access’, as Tony puts it, is arguably the contemporary answer to earlier grass roots production, albeit with the added bells and whistles of technology in 2008. One of the healthiest production areas in the electronic scene at the moment is widely regarded to be dubstep. A twisted cousin of breakbeat, drum ‘n’ bass, hip-hop, downbeat and garage. While some are sceptical as to its commercial viability, its ‘underground’ success cannot be denied.

While impacting on the club scene in cities such as London, Bristol and Manchester, dubstep has simultaneously become a required feature of many free parties, raves and warehouse events – at the grass roots. The increasing possibility of identifying technology as a huge influence in music should not be ignored. With production software and computer hardware prices at an all-time low, the level of accessibility to the instruments of electronic music has remained, and yet the quality of the tools on offer has improved dramatically. David Lewis, a 23-year-old promoter involved in Manchester club nights ‘Dubstep Gives Me Nightmares’ and the multi-venue ‘All Day Breakfasts’, is clear about the effect technology can have over music: “Production doesn’t usually change too much. When it does, it’s usually due to technology. I think that pop uses electronic music as a reference point for itself. Music in general can provide a level playing field. Dubstep proves that – you have the big cats, who are often middle class, but they’re collaborating with MCs, who are usually from different backgrounds. It helps to empower them, and leads to self respect,” he comments. Examples of the rise in popularity of dubstep can be found across the nation, with the capital remaining as centred as ever in the growing trend, maintaining the desire to keep it all ‘open’. “We have artists from across the social board, based in the UK and abroad. The only common theme is the love for music,” explains Adam Jackson, 28-year-old founder of London’s Immerse Records. “Any record we have put out has been through someone approaching me with their sound, and from there we select the track that I feel fits in with what I want to achieve with the label and what I think our sound represents… I would say artists work ‘with’ us rather than ‘for’ us.” Associations of the genres of dance and hip-hop are commonly negative. From ecstasy and cocaine, to guns and gangs, a tainted image is often perceived of the music heard in darkened rooms or illegal venues. It is important to remember that such problems do exist. However, the positive impact that these forms of music can have cannot be underestimated. Allowing people to come together to enjoy a common love is one thing, but giving people aspirations and ideas is something completely bigger – it’s hope through music. Martin Guttridge-Hewitt

WIN AN IPOD

This, as you are no doubt aware, is our pilot issue of Freeq Magazine. We hope you are enjoying it but we want to make sure we make it even better next time. If you take the time to send us your comments on the magazine, you will go into a draw to win a lovely new 8GB iPod Nano. That’s over 100 hours of listening pleasure for just 5 minutes of your time.

Log on to www.freeqmagazine.com and fill out the online feedback form. You’ll need the verification number on the back of the magazine too so hang on to your copy!

The prize is an 8GB iPod Nano. Images for illustration purposes. Only one entry per person. The winner will be drawn by an independent ajudicator on or after 31st March 2008.

INDIE: A STATE OF MIND impress or to look cool, nor something that you find to do when you’re bored. It’s not a scene, a dress sense or an attitude. Indie is a state of mind. Or so it once was.

The term originally came about in the 1980s, used to refer to independent means of record production and distribution. Of course, we’re all aware that ‘indie’ is short for ‘independent’. In was in the late 80s that it become more noticed as its own genre of music distinct from mainstream pop. Nowadays though, the music is only a small part of its scope – there is an alternative lifestyle that people are pursuing and it’s now one of Britain’s favourite subcultures. Of course, the irony is that so many people are trying so hard to be indie that once they find an independent band, others are quick to jump on the bandwagon (no pun intended) and soon this act becomes bigger and less independent. The fans then consider this ‘uncool’ and deem themselves fans no longer. They move on and discover another not-so-wellknown band which, thanks to their support, eventually makes it big. A vicious circle ensues. To be indie, you can’t like something everybody else does. This would make it ‘popular’ and as an indie person you are against anything too mainstream. In fact, the word makes you cringe and almost vomit a bit. Maybe you even do that thing where you gag and some vomit comes into your mouth and then you swallow it.

So one day you might spot someone in the corner of a shady club (but remember that most real indie devotees prefer small bars and pubs). He’ll be dressed in a white shirt (maybe a polo), with a tight tie (none of this Avril Lavigne stuff though – totally not cool), tight jeans (not emo tight – wrong scene) and Fred Perry trainers. His hair is cut short at the back but long on the sides; you know what I mean. There’s probably a blunt fringe framing the face. You think yourself lucky there’s another indie soul in there with you, but when you go over for a chat about the newest, most totally brilliant indie acts of the year (because you’re indie and only like to talk about music), he says his favourite band is The Killers. The Killers? No thank you. Your mum likes them.

It’s not just the bands you have to love and breathe and live for, it’s also the films, books and certain TV shows. If you don’t read, or watch, then don’t call yourself an indie kid. An indie kid is witty, sarcastic and has a dry sense of humour. Maybe it’s down to watching one too many episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm or Seinfeld, but they’ve integrated all the jokes into their everyday conversation. Perhaps after reading something ‘cool’ like Trainspotting or Fight Club they can enter a conversation and utter the definitive comment: “Everyone knows that the book is, like, totally better than the film.”

Indie girls and boys are geeks. They like computers and they like to read, but they don’t buy books about music, they like dark books about drugs and that. They love the internet – for researching new bands naturally – and they don’t like to go clubbing. More accurately, they despise clubbing. In fact, you will usually find an indie kid hates a lot of things. They don’t just hate, they hate with passion. They hate most popular bands, they hate most people, they hate most aspects of society, the hate the Government, they hate high-street shops and they hate Starbucks. They hate coffee (but love tea), they hate blockbuster films (usually the ones everyone else likes) and they hate big festivals like Leeds and V, because they ‘totally saw those bands like, 10 years ago’. They hate meat, they hate animal fur and they hate sports, but think it’s sometimes cool to follow one football team, for laughs. More than anything they hate other indie goers, apart from their friends. They consider everyone else but them and their social circle to be ‘pretentious indie wannabes’.

It seems the real indie nation got lost somewhere along the journey of its mainstream transformation. Gone are the days when followers were only living for the music. They didn’t care about other people’s opinions and criticisms. They didn’t care what people thought about them or the bands they were listening to. They dressed how they wanted, went where they wanted (when it wasn’t overcrowded) and danced how they wanted. So where did it all go wrong?

Jennifer Dixon

illustration: Amy Bolt

Before we start let’s get one thing clear. Indie is not a fashion statement. It is not something you do to

STRAWHOUSES “For me, music is about creating a legacy,” says Paul Donnelly, 23-yearold frontman of Liverpool-based band Strawhouses. “It’s about making something that you can look back on in the future and remember the good times.” The Strawhouses are just one of the many modern indie bands that are currently making waves in the music scene. At first glance they look just like every other student band, and with influences like Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and The Smiths, they seem to fit into this bracket very easily. However, although he describes their music as ‘intense rock with pop elements’, Paul tries to go against people’s perceptions and give them something that they’re not expecting. He is a deep admirer of the way Radiohead approach music and doesn’t like to get bogged down by genres. “Like Radiohead we just play music that we enjoy and we try not to come up with the same thing twice or stick to one style. What happens is that an idea will pop into my head and I’ll record it and show it to the guys at the next practice. We then try to work a song around that and see where it ends up. “I keep a log of thoughts in a note book which I have with me most of the time, so I always have something to write about. Mobile phones are useful for jotting down ideas on the move. Most of the songs I write are about life experiences but you probably won’t get any advice out of them if you actually read the lyrics”. he laughs. From talking to him It’s clear that Strawhouses is very much Paul’s band; he’s the driving force behind the whole thing. That’s not to say that he takes all the credit though – he constantly compliments the work of his fellow band mates who turn his ideas into soaring melodies. Although they are still relatively new in terms of gigging and gaining recognition, Strawhouses have actually existed in some form or other for about six years. The current line-up has been together for several months and consists of Paul on vocals, guitar and piano; Chris Smith, 21, on guitar; Stuart Mann, 21, on drums and Michael ‘Brad’ Bradshaw, 22, on bass. With the band members still in university, Strawhouses are currently unsigned. Although studying is important for the moment, Paul is still determined to develop the band and work on more tracks before getting the attention of any record labels.

He explains: “Labels are mostly Interested in the complete package and you have to prove to them that you would be worth it. We’re not at that stage yet but we are slowly making progress”. “It’s difficult to get the studio time to get songs together because of money and availability, but being in a studio does force us to get things done and rehearse songs properly. I think if we were offered a contract right now we would already have a solid album. Perhaps room for an EP too.” At the end of February the band will be playing an acoustic set at Liverpool’s 3345 club on Parr Street, after starting the year with a gig in Manchester. “Most of our gigs tend to be around Liverpool but we do reach out to Manchester and Sheffield sometimes. It’s hard when we move further out because club owners want to be sure on the numbers of people coming through the door, and it’s not easy to do that in a new place.”

Any fans of Strawhouses should already be aware of Paul’s daily MySpace blog, where he shares his thoughts and potential song ideas. At the turn of the New Year he presented a webcast of acoustic songs (including a Neil Young cover), which demonstrated the powerful and emotional tone to his singing voice. “To me, a webcast can end up being more intimate than a gig because it’s like the band is playing directly to you.” he adds. So, what does 2008 hold for these young hopefuls? “With a bit of luck things will be more secure this year and we can have a good go at it. The dream would be to go full-time and be able to make money doing the band, but I know any success won’t come overnight”. “We’re not really like the current scene that’s popular at the moment and it does take people a couple of listens to get into us. But when they do get us, they stay around for the long run.” www.strawhouses.org Steven Cookson

THEWIDE EYES

At first glance, the small village of Midhurst doesn’t seem to be the most likely place to find the latest hope in British music, but in a small school gym on the outskirts of the quiet Hampshire hamlet, something magical is happening. The four members of The Wide Eyes are in the middle of rehearsing. The atmosphere is relaxed – something completely at odds with their sound. The band creates music of intense emotion and lyrical power – a style that is winning over fans and receiving critical praise across Southern England. Although their music is easy enough to take at face value, their experimental edge and intelligent writing means that digging a little deeper into their songs is hugely rewarding. Before the interview the band play through two new tracks, which show a far darker edge to their music – especially the second song Piranha Water, with a lo-fi opening that slowly builds to a hypnotic climax. As we sit down, it’s clear that the band is completely at ease with who they are.

So, we’ve recently waved goodbye to 2007 and welcomed in 2008. What kind of mood are The Wide Eyes in? Alex Jones (lead guitar): We’re in New Year mood, where you can either be full of optimism and go, ‘this is our year’, or you can go, ‘where am I, what am I doing?’ This is the year we’re going to do the things we deserve to do. Kevin Osman (vocalist): This is the year that we’re going to be happy with our own music; coming away from gigs going, ‘I love this band’.

How was 2007 for you? What do you feel you achieved? AJ: We’re starting off 2008 pushing forward, where in 2007 we were always keeping our head above water in a way. We were finding our feet and finding out what we wanted to achieve, and I think this is the year to achieve it. Right now, which bands and sounds are having the biggest influence on your music? Dan Todd (drums): For Alex it’ll be the Stereophonics … (Alex denies this in his deep Welsh accent).

KO: I think it’s quite scary really cos no bands really float my boat anymore and that’s where our music’s coming from – that musical bleakness. I think before there were a couple of bands; Sigur Ros would probably have been the biggest influence in 2006. AJ: Kenny Rogers (laughs). But I agree, you listen to the radio now and with the state the music industry is in, record labels are just jumping on bandwagons. I’m not saying they’re bad bands… KO: This always happens. Before they jumped on the bandwagon the bands were quite good, and now it’s just full of rubbish. AJ: You’ve got people going, ‘Oh, well last year we decided we had crap jobs so we thought we’d start a band and make money’, and that’s why crap people start bands. You’ve gotta go through all the crappy gigs where people play pool while you’re singing and stuff. What was growing up like and has it affected your music? AJ: Mine was all about moving back and forth; not always to places I wanted to go. But if you smile and say ‘hey, it’s alright’, then you get through. KO: I have this obsession with time, which is about growing older. There’s a song called Murder Within Reason which is about the moment you realise it’s all a bit rubbish and you’re lined up like lambs to the slaughter.

Did growing up in rural areas have an effect? AJ: In the city everyone’s a tourist. KO: It’s wicked cos it gives you a chance to think about stuff and actually notice cloud formations (laughs). DT: It influenced one of our goals, which is to play a gig at our local. That wouldn’t happen in the city. AJ: The countryside kicks the arse of the city any day! KO: It gives you breathing space; you’ve got time to think out here. What music did you grow up listening to? Wayne Hood (guitar): The first band I really got was Radiohead, but before that I think my dad had some REM, before I knew what it was. But OK Computer was the start for me. AJ: Mine was Dire Straits, Eagles , Kenny Rogers and musicals. I found the Stereophonics myself. Welsh singing obviously, because when you live in Wales if you can’t sing you die. It’s not all Delilah either…

KO: The first thing I loved was The Cure, and then all my friends liked heavy metal so I listened to that for a while. Then the Charlatans brought me into the whole Britpop scene, which in turn introduced me to Radiohead. DT: I remember listening to the Police when I was little, really liking Copeland’s drums, graduating into Radiohead much later on, and that’s where we all come together with that one band. Did any of you download In Rainbows? AJ: Kev rang me and said he couldn’t download it… so he had to have my credit card over the phone…£2.49. We didn’t want to go too high or too low. KO: I think that an album with no artwork and no solid material is worth about £2.50. AJ: Can you also add that Kev downloaded it, put it on a CD and never gave me a copy of it, and I’ve still never heard it. DT: I thought it was a bit hypocritical because I read an interview with Thom Yorke and he said their music is a whole package, including the artwork and the box.

When did you decide to get together as a band? AJ: Me and Kev met in school. I was the new kid and no one really spoke to me KO: I started talking to Alex cos all the girls fancied him… AJ: I became Kev’s biggest fan. I had his tape and knew all his songs. I was learning guitar and we just started jamming. You seem to have a loyal fan base … AJ: We’ve got a very loyal core but in a way they aren’t your fan base, they’re just your friends who really like your music. KO: I think we stand for honesty and a lot of people can relate to that. We’re not putting up any kind of shield. This is us. This is what we’re feeling right now and a lot of people might go, ‘yeah, that’s what I’m feeling too’, and that’s our connection with our audience.

images: Justin Parry

Finally, what do you have planned for the rest of 2008? DT: More gigs, more promotion, more songwriting. AJ: Number one for me is a CD – get it down and push on. We need to give ourselves every chance we can. www.thewideeyes.com Andrew Galvin

Look See Proof create the kind of

sound that can only be described as indiepop in excelsis and have been a slow burning success for a while now. However 2008 is the year that the Hertfordshire tykes’ dancefloor anthems could break through into the mainstream.

Their as-yet untitled album will undoubtedly offer the soundtrack to your summer, with a scheduled June release. The singles Casualty and Local Hero have slayed nightclubs around the country so far and there’s plenty more to come. Fusing together the boundless energy of The Wombats and The Kooks, with enough substance to keep even the sternest of rock fans happy, Look See Proof are on the verge of being this year’s brightest new stars. Lee Sentino caught up with drummer Johnny Harry and guitarist Jason Slender during a recent recording session.

Your music has been described as ‘like The Futureheads throttling The Libertines’. Do you mind such comparisons? JS: Really, we don’t want to sound like anyone else, we want to be known for our own sound. It’s flattering, don’t get me wrong, but we want to be known as our own band. What can we expect from the new album then? JH: We’re looking at different sounds and styles for the album. So it should be really good. It’s going to include the singles Casualty, Local Hero and Discussions so old and new fans should be happy.

You started out in January 2006, and in such a short time you’ve supported the likes of The Fratellis, Ash and The Pigeon Detectives. You’ve also been considered promising enough to play the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury. How do you prepare yourself for a gig like that? JS: You can’t really think about it a lot because otherwise it’ll get too much. We just let the music do the talking. JH: Yeah, we’ve done some really good gigs. London Calling in Amsterdam was brilliant and we’ve also played in Austria. They just ended up with people on the stage and two of us started crowd surfing. It was mental. We’re heading out to South by Southwest as well this year; it’ll be great to play somewhere totally new to different people. How does it feel to have developed such a loyal fan base? JH: The fans are amazing. There was this one gig in York, where we have never played before. But it turned out to be one of the best gigs ever. They really stick with us. Those that have been with us at our first shows, we still see them around even now. The fans are what makes it all worthwhile.

Is it possible for a smaller band to release a pay-whatyou-like album like Radiohead and still have success? JH: I don’t really know because you have to have the fan base to do it originally. Radiohead are massive so they can do whatever they want. But not necessarily for us, we’re gonna stick with the good old CD release.

Finally, what three words would you use to describe your live set? JS: Energetic, catchy and spontaneous! Lee Sentino

FADEOUT

When James Bourne (of Busted fame) offered to sign indie band Fadeout to his label, Sicpuppy Records, they turned him down. Instead, the band has chosen to busy themselves with writing a catalogue of new material and winning over unexplored audiences. According to guitarist Rob Dawson, the record deal offer had ‘too many strings attached’. Frontman Den Muharrem agrees. “We want to get signed to a label that’s right for us – we don’t want any interference. I got a phone call from a big label and they said they liked our demo, but the label couldn’t commit to signing any bands because the industry was in recession. Maybe we would have been snapped up by now,” he says. Following the departure of their keyboardist/sax player and only female band member last year, Fadeout have now set aside time to focus on creating a new sound. The group is back to their original line-up as an all male four piece. Den explains that the temporary inclusion of different instruments was “an experiment to see what we sounded like with a sax and keyboard”. Now that the experiment has ended, the band are edging away from their old material, which includes Rock n Roll Lovers – a bluesy song about the mating rituals in indie clubs – and Red Lights, a more melodic song about Amsterdam’s seedy underworld.

Den agrees: “You play to the same people at the same places and you’re not getting anything out of it. It’s like being stuck in a time-warp, which is fine if that’s what you want to do, but not if you want to push yourself”. However, Rich points out that they’re fortunate that guitarist Rob has moved to Brighton, because they have now built up a relationship with the Barfly in Brighton. Whether they’re playing a gig in Portsmouth or writing songs, when it comes to band dynamics egos are left at the door, Den says. “Den can’t get his ego through the door!” Rob jokes. With that, Fadeout head back into their rented studio to dedicate another evening to honing their performances. Laura Nineham

Replacing these gig favourites are the catchy and younger-sounding Fiasco, and Happy Ever After, both of which are yet to be played live. The new songs feature on Fadeout’s demo and are a clear signpost for the more commercial and captivating music to be expected from the band in the future. This is a positive step forward, as the style seems to fit them more snugly than previous material, and it is a move they are clearly happy with. Rob believes that their music has evolved, saying: “We took a long time to come up with the right parts. Before we would have stopped, but now the songs just get better.” Also a fan of the new songs is drummer Steve Bull, who is confident that the band will carry on in this direction. Meanwhile Rich Davis, the bassist, believes that ‘every song they write seems to be so much better and that it sticks really easily’. “It’s never a conscious decision”, says Den of the creative process. “It is what it is. What I look forward to the most is writing new songs. Sometimes we have to let the tracks sit for a while before we reflect on them and that’s what we have tried to do with these.”

Fadeout now find themselves writing a lot more songs about everyday that people can relate to. Why? Because “it’s easy to reach people that way. British bands are better at expressing themselves than Americans. They [Americans] never overstep the line. Their songs are always about world peace.”The group has already managed to reach quite a wide audience. After impressing their fellow support band Smack La at Boy Kill Boy’s after party in Portsmouth last year, Fadeout were invited to join them for a three-date tour in France. They played to audiences in Marseille, Nice and Montpellier, before returning to their hometown to perform at a new live night at the Tiger Tiger nightclub. “We’ve never played a gig where no one knows us. It’s a lot of work,” Den says. Rob adds: “We’ve played out of town and not really followed it up. The main thing that drives us is music and the love of it and maybe we should market ourselves more.” Fadeout is keen to carry on making a mark beyond their hometown.

OUR CONSCIENCE

Want to know more about making the world a better place? John Lennon once imagined a world full of peace and free love - or somehting like that Well, we dont have to imagine anymore ; we can actually do something about it, more productive than staying in bed with a Japanese artist for days on end. Read on...

CHINA’S HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGE

As the world gears up for the Beijing Olympics, Amnesty International (AI) has launched a campaign calling on the Chinese Government to improve its human rights situation. From torture and internet repression, to religious persecution and unfair trials, the country’s human rights record is, to put it very mildly, not too good. AI UK director Kate Allen said: “When China won the bid for the Olympic Games the Chinese authorities made a commitment that the Olympics would be an opportunity to develop human rights. But, as the Olympic torch approaches China for its momentous entry into the Olympic stadium, the stage is overshadowed by grave human rights concerns.” Not sure what the situation is? Worry not. Here is a brief overview of some of the issues that desperately need sorting out. 1. Death penalty

Each year, China executes more people than the rest of the world combined. Amnesty estimates that at least 1,010 people were executed and 2,790 sentenced to death in 2006. However, the true figure is believed to be much higher. Executions are by a bullet to the back of the head and, increasingly, lethal injection. Around 65 crimes can be punishable by death, including non-violent ones such as tax evasion and smuggling.

2. Internet repression and media freedom

Hundreds of websites are blocked or banned in China. Search results are filtered, with many sites censored, including those using words like ‘freedom’, ‘human rights’ and ‘Amnesty International’. Internet users have even been imprisoned after unfair trials. Fifty are currently known to be behind bars, along with around 30 journalists, who face severe censorship. Anyone investigating ’politically sensitive’ stories risks dismissal, intimidation or arrest.

3. Persecution of people for their beliefs

The Chinese authorities are cracking down on religious observance outside officially-sanctioned channels. For instance, members of unofficial Catholic churches or underground Protestant house churches are often detained in violation of their rights. Meanwhile, in Tibet freedom of expression, religion and association continue to be severely restricted. There are dozens of prisoners of conscience, including Buddhist monks and nuns.

4. Harassment of human rights campaigners

Activists who challenge ‘politically sensitive’ policies suffer harassment. Some have been imprisoned, often on vaguely-defined charges like ‘subversion‘, while others are imprisoned in their own homes under tight police surveillance . Victims include defence lawyers, journalists, HIV/AIDS activists, workers’ rights activists and villagers protesting against land seizures.

Amnesty International is now urging Chinese authorities to:

1. Put measures in place to significantly reduce the use of the death penalty in China - a step towards abolition. 2. Ensure that all forms of detention in China are in accordance with international human rights law and standards, including measures to uphold the rights to fair trial and to prevent torture.

3. Ensure that human rights defenders are free to carry out their peaceful activities in line with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

4. End the unwarranted censorship of the internet in China.

5. Unfair trials

China’s judicial system falls far short of international fair trial standards and there is a lack of safeguards for protecting the rights of suspects and defendants. Failings include: lack of prompt access to a lawyer for detainees; the use of information extracted through torture as evidence in trials; and political interference in the judiciary.

6. Torture

While possibly on the decline in some urban areas, torture and ill-treatment remain widespread in various state institutions, including police stations and prisons. Common methods include electric shocks, suspension by the arms, kicking, beating and food and sleep deprivation. People detained for their political views, human rights activities or religious beliefs are at high risk of torture in custody - particularly if they refuse to renounce their beliefs.

7. Tiananmen Square protests

Dozens of individuals are still believed to be in prison almost two decades after the crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy movement. The Chinese government is continuing to ignore calls for a full independent investigation into the actions of the security forces on June 4, 1989, in and around Tiananmen Square, which left hundreds killed or injured. Any public discussions on the events are censored from the media.

8. Workers’ rights denied

The official All China Federation of Trade Unions often fails to protect the interests of its members, while independent trade unions remain illegal. Low wages or non-payment, mass lay-offs, poor working conditions and corrupt management practices have led to a wave of labour disputes.

Kate Allen said: “The founders of the Olympic Charter envisioned the Olympics Games as being centred firmly on the preservation of human dignity and respect for ethical principles. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights promotes dignity for every person. China, as host of the Beijing Olympics, should honour these principles.

“This is a time to be proud of the Olympic Games, but if that pride is tarnished with human rights violations, it is bad for China, it is bad for the Olympic Games and it is bad for the international community.” For more information on how to support the campaign, visit www.amnesty.org.uk Information supplied by Amnesty International.

GAS GUZZLING

It seems a long time since the petrol blockades at the beginning of the century when we hit £1 a litre. Now I find myself paying £1.05 and there’s an eerie silence in the media; our best weapon against the Government in the fight to drive down pump prices. Where’s the lobbying? The picket lines? The protests? Does the Government honestly believe they can profit from a war in the Middle East by using it to allow oil companies the luxury of inflating pump prices? I know when you drive into a petrol station it says Shell or BP, but it may as well say Labour or Gordon Brown, because 80% of every pound you spend goes to the Government in taxes. No wonder they aren’t pressurising the major oil suppliers to keep the prices low. Not only are they lapping up the 50.35 pence per litre of fuel tax and 17.5% VAT, but BP manages to make billions of pounds profit every year with the record at £11 billion in 2006.

So what can we do about it and why does it matter? Well, the Government could be honest and open about fuel tax for a start. Prices have risen from an expensive, but slightly more digestible, 80p per litre in 1998 to that ridiculous £1.05 mark, which is double the 1991 price. What is the Government doing with all the extra revenue from the petrol we buy? It appears that the large oil companies and the Government are in this one together. It sucks for me, but what about that tour you’re planning? Travelling the length and breadth of the UK to seduce our ears with your musical brilliance is going to cost you a lot more than it ever used to.

How will you recoup the added expense? Sending an invoice to Gordon Brown for 70% of your overall petrol bill might be a start, but don’t hold your breath for a cheque. There is one slightly more effective way, but it requires mass organisation on our part... We can’t stop buying petrol – that would mean walking everywhere and this isn’t the 18th century anymore. But what we can do is stop buying petrol from particular companies to put pressure on them to change their ways, and in turn pressurise the Government to reduce fuel tax. If we all went to independent stations or filled up at the supermarket instead of using BP and Shell then we could make a difference – not just to petrol prices but to the environment as well.

The Independent recently reported that BP’s plans to spend £1.5 billion destroying the Canadian wilderness, in an attempt to create the world's second-largest proven oil reserves after Saudi Arabia, were ‘the biggest environmental crime in history’. By 2012, BP will be producing as much as a fifth of the UK’s entire annual CO2 emissions every year as they decimate millions of tonnes of plant life and divert millions of litres of water from rivers in the process of extracting the Canadian oil. Put it this way: although it’s difficult to boycott fuel al together, if everyone stopped buying petrol from BP and Shell these companies would have no choice but to reassess their prices and environmentally-negligent behaviour. We do have the power to affect change, we just need to know how to use it. Sam Borrett

STREET FREEQ

Name: Paz

Name: Klara and Craig

Last Album bought: Sa-ra, Creatives,Hollywood Recordings

Last Album bought: K-Les Georges, Leningrad- Sur Le Traces Black, EskimoC-Liars- They threw us

Favourite Band: Electro 80’s, 70’s Funk, Early Hip-Hop Stonesthrow Monthly Clothes Shopping Budget: Clothes for free

Paz owns his own designer boutique as well as dj’ing and other general entrepreneurial skills. He’s wearing an all-over printed zip through hoody and designer one-off trainers customized by his graffiti mates - get your felt tips out!

ArtistProfile:Gavin Thorpe

Favourite Band: Pony Pants,Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Monthly Clothes Shopping budget: K- £50-£100, C- £10-£20

Nice bit of winter warmth from Craig in his second hand Fare Isle knitted jumper and skinny jeans. Klara masters French vogue with this beret and fur collar coat combo, both second hand. It shows you don’t have to spend a fortune if you know what to look for. Robin Hulme

Gavin Thorpe is hoping 2008 will be a great year for him. The Bristol based singersongwriter’s debut album Pictures is due for release early this year.

Recorded in Liverpool at the world renowned Parr Street Studios, the combination of his unique lyrics, cool acoustic guitar and incredibly listenable vocals should take the UK charts by storm.

His vocal style is reminiscent of David Gray and the music is somewhat in the vein of James Blunt. In the current climate neither of these is a bad thing. A little research reveals that the similarities between Gavin and Mr Gray don’t end at their vocal style.

Gavin hints that David Gray’s will to succeed and the gamble taken by self-financing his own record were an inspiration to him through tough times. So when fortune provided Gavin with some cash, he followed suit and funded his own recording sessions. This determination to prove his worth is sure to pay dividends in the long run. Gavin has a selection of songs on his website that form an interesting insight in to what to expect from the album when it is released. The production is slick, current, and exactly what you’d hear from most high profile charting acts. The combination of excellent song writing and careful production will stand the album in good stead allowing it to remain on many people’s playlists for years to come. Hear more at www.gavinthorpe.com Ryan Nolan

Kids In Glass Houses

have been on a roller coaster ride. From starting off with opening support slots, then selling out headline tours and recently signing to Roadrunner Records, the last year and a half has been quite an achievement for the five Welsh boys.

Lead vocalist Aled Phillips answers a few questions about touring, downloading and the future. You've just finished touring with Funeral For A Friend and City Sleeps. How was it for you? We got on with everyone on the tour so it just made the whole thing really easygoing and hassle free. It was great to play with FFAF every day, who we looked up to when we were starting out, and to play to receptive crowds who were up for some fun. FFAF had a snow machine at every show that smelt of sperm – that slayed it every night.

How does it feel to be close to releasing your first album? I'm very, very excited about getting the album out. We've played our EP into the ground now. We managed to squeeze like five support tours and two national headline tours out of five songs! Not that I can complain, because it's been an absolutely incredible year for us and we're still finding the whole thing bizarre and surreal. It'll be nice to finally get it out and for people to have a bulk of new material by us, and to get on the road and play all the songs. We're really proud of the record and made it exactly as we wanted. We just hope people like it as much as we do. You've toured with many different bands, from Lostprophets to the Goo Goo Dolls. Has this broadened your fan base? I can't say I notice it from show to show, but a few people have said they've latched onto us

from Goo Goo Dolls or Manics shows, which is quite nice and unexpected because we're not necessarily going to be their fanbase's cup of tea. We don't want to just appeal to people between age X and Y who like certain bands, and it's quite satisfying converting someone a little more unconventional than your usual fan.

At your shows you encouraged people to download your EP for free. Is a good way for people to access new music? It came to a point where we couldn't sell it anymore and while it's all good for people to buy shirts, the music is the most important thing. I think it's important to support bands by buying their music…I've downloaded stuff by bands when it's been the only option and when I can I'll buy their records. I'd be naive to a lot of awesome bands if it wasn't for downloading. The bottom line is that people can't get E-Pocalypse on CD anymore, so they may as well get it in whatever means it comes. There's been a bit of criticism about your band, how do you handle that? Really? I haven't heard anything. I really couldn't give a damn. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and in the age of the internet, it's a cert that everyone will make sure they exercise that right. We do this because we love it and enjoy it and if other people get it, that's awesome. If they don't, I don't care.

We all have our own opinions, so we can't exactly scorn people for having theirs.

You design your own artwork for your records. Is this because you like to add a personal touch? It's because I'm ridiculously fussy and when it comes to things like the band I subscribe to the ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’ doctrine. I've always seen the artwork on CDs as an extension of the band, so I think it’s nice that a band can present itself visually as well. Aside from that, I just love drawing and designing and this is my chance to work with something I'm familiar with and love.

Apart from other music ventures, is there anything else you'd like to get in to? This is more than enough for now. Next year is looking to be quite busy so we're staying 9,000% focused on doing this to the absolute utmost, and not letting ourselves down or anyone who's stuck with us and given us time of day. There's plenty of time for other things in the future. It's time to play band now.

Kimberley Ross

Image: Adam Gasson adamgasson.com

The Music Directory.co.uk

The Music Directory is the only online resource dedicated to supporting inpendent music. Check out the next six Music Directory pages for articles, advice and artist profiles. Don’t forget to register for the demo competition at the bottom of this page.

UNSIGNED NOT UNSUNG Now that independent music is a legitimate business, ‘unsigned’ no longer has mean ‘amateur’. These days, it’s not just function bands that have found a way to forge successful music careers without having to hunt for that ever-elusive record deal with a major label.

So the question is; why do you think you need the support of these big labels? What have they traditionally done for acts that musicians cannot now accomplish for themselves? You see, in the past a label would sign an act, loan them a decent amount of cash to pay for recording, living costs, equipment – just about everything really – and then spend a mini-fortune on advertising. The band sells some records, goes on tour and bit by bit pays back that initial loan to the generous record label behemoths. If the band manages to stay together long enough to put out a second album that also sells fairly well, it can get a second, larger tour in and start actually generating some cash for themselves. This is as long as the bass player hasn’t run off with the drummer’s girlfriend/wife/lover and the vocalist hasn’t collapsed after a drug-induced binge and been carted off to rehab. Seriously, don’t get it twisted that a major record deal equals fame and fortune. There are countless acts on the rosters of these big, faceless companies who will never see the inside of a recording studio. Often the labels focus almost all their resources on pushing acts that will make them lots of money – everyone else gets left behind. The best bet for a record deal is finding an established independent (indie) label that will love and cherish their artists like their own children. It will mean more nurturing and less money up front, but you stand a chance of carving out your own little section of the music hypermarket with plenty of hard graft and desire, playing the music you want to play and doing it your way. But then again, why bother with a deal at all? Get yourself a listing on themusicdirectory.co.uk and pimp yourself to high heaven.

Sign up for anything and everything that’s free. Enter every single competition going – no matter what you win, it makes for good local publicity at the very least. The web contains a veritable feast of options and opportunities for showcasing yourself on the virtual stage.

Gig, gig, gig, I can’t stress this enough. Play some shows, then play some more. Support the bigger regional bands until you become one yourself. Enter Battle of The Bands contests. Book a regular slot with a couple of local venues then find some support acts to play too – more bands means more music fans who might not have seen you before. Charge a couple of quid on the door: if you can get 100 people in and drinking, you should be getting a bonus from the venue, as well as pocketing your £200 of entrance fees. Not bad for doing what you love. Get your gigs listed with The Music Directory and they’ll be promoted to the national student population with live RSS feeds; it all helps in winning over some new fans. Think outside the box: places such as Dubai have great demand for very good bands and they pay well – if you can stand the heat and offset your carbon emissions! Refine your songs. This means looking at what you produce with a critical eye. And no, asking your mum to listen to your demo doesn’t count. You need independent and professional advice, so why not give The Music Directory a shout and they’ll get their in-house production team to cast an expert ear over your arrangement. You’ll then get an honest and constructive review of your track, so that you can get back into the studio (or rehearsal room) and make it sound even better. Above all, you need to decide if you want to do this as a hobby or try to make a living out of it. Doing a couple of local gigs every week is fun, but it’s a whole heap of work if you plan on supporting yourself with music-generated income. But it can be done. You’ll never know unless you try.

Music Directory SITE NEWS Need to promote your band online? Want to make money from your music? Well, you should already be registered with The Music Directory because we are the best music website for independent music in the UK. Why? Well, we don’t just give you a listing page (you do get one of those) but you have opportunities to utilise our vast music industry knowledge and wisdom to help develop your act and improve your chances of either getting a record deal, or launching a career in the independent music industry.

Yes, the independent music industry, we work with you to provide you a platform to be a fully independent band or artist, supporting yourself in the music business. It has never been easier to carve out a slice of the action; it truly is a golden era for independent music.

Latest website developments:

Fully automated gigs listings system. Simply add your upcoming gigs to your listing and they will be promoted through The Music Directory website, sent to record labels and talent scouts and advertised online to tens of thousands of students by our friends at StudentSwapShop.com – all free.

Your very own URL.

When you register you can choose a URL for your band to easily direct people to your Music Directory page. How about themd.in/myband or themusicdirectory.net/mymusic maybe even livemusicdirectory.com/listenhere? We have loads of domain names for you to choose from, this makes sure you wont be struggling to find a name that isn’t already taken.

What else is on its way?

At the time of writing we are developing the artist listings pages to incorporate all those favourite features such as photo gallery, blog, comments, videos, and more. We are building in a fanlist facility so you will be able to track the number of fans you have and keep them updated with all your news at the touch of a mouse button.

Want to gig in a different city or county?

Easy, you’ll be able to use our gig exchange request to get in touch with a local band in another part of the country to arrange reciprocal gigs in your town and theirs. This way you make sure you’re not performing to any empty room miles from home.

Need more?

March 2008 sees the launch of our merchandise section – you will be able to earn money from your band by selling your merchandise online. And the best part is you won’t have to part with a single penny to do it!

Music Directory Mark Gillespie Band

Who’s in the band? Mark Gillespie, Gerd Stein, Peter Herrmann, Markus Leukel, Oliver Jäger What do you sound like? Sting and Counting Crows with the voice of Chris Rea Top three bands ever? Beatles, Pink Floyd, Tower of Power What was the latest album you bought? Amy Winehouse - back to black. What is your favourite cheese? Green Cheddar (with sage) If you were recruiting for the job of Leader of The World, who would be on the interview panel and why? Ghandi is about as selfless as you can possibly get. The Dali Lama, could delve deep into the soul of the potential leader and look for any ‘dark horses’. Confutious would also be a good choice, and not only to keep the Chinese happy. I wanted to include a business leader to protect the interests of the industrial world, but I couldn't think of anyone ‘stately’ enough. Best ever gig you’ve been to? Portishead gig in Germany - before the smoking ban. Who’s your biggest fan? Meatloaf, he bought all my CDs after I supported two of his gigs in Germany in 2005. Although to be honest, my mum's larger. If the world is your oyster – where’s the pearl? It keeps moving and is always just outside my grasp. If I ever catch it I'll probably throw it away and die of boredom. And finally; Jaffa Cake – biscuit or cake? With a cup of tea, it's a biscuit. WARNING: NEVER DUNK A JAFFA CAKE www.themd.eu/markgillespie

PROFILES Embers Fire

Who’s in the band? Lee Brueton (Bass), Marc Powell (Drums), Harry Mitten aka ‘Jukebox’ (Lead Guitar), Tim Winstone (Rhythm Guitar / Lead Vocals) What do you sound like? Mixture of Snow Patrol, Foo Fighters, Paradise Lost Top three bands ever? Oasis, Paradise Lost, Stereophonics What was the latest album you bought? The Fray - How To Save A Life What is your favourite cheese? Extra Mature Cheddar - The stuff in Tesco’s in a black wrapper called Xtreme Cheddar! If you were recruiting for the job of Leader of The World, who would be on the interview panel and why? Ricky Gervais - for comedy value as he is a genius. Gordon Ramsey - just so I can hear him tell people to f*** off. Noel Gallagher - because he is God. Amy Winehouse - we need someone very sensible who's got her head screwed on for the panel! Best ever gig you’ve been to? Oasis - Live at Wembley in 2000. Who’s your biggest fan? Martin Tyler - the keenest Embers Fire fan, comes to all our gigs no matter what! If the world is your oyster – where’s the pearl? At the Cheesy Dog van at Alton Towers, I saw it behind the counter! And finally; Jaffa Cake – biscuit or cake? None of them, Stella all the way, eating is cheating! www.themd.eu/embersfire

Kanekoa

Who’s in the band? Kaulana Kanekoa, Travis Rice, Brett Nelson, Vince Esquire, Shawn Michael What do you sound like? Dave Mathews Band, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson. Top three bands ever? Beatles, Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Grateful Dead. What was the latest album you bought? How The Grinch Stole Christmas. What is your favourite cheese? Jarlsberg. If you were recruiting for the job of Leader of The World, who would be on the interview panel and why? Barrack Obama - because he's the only chance we have… Best ever gig you’ve been to? Prince - Madison Square Garden. Who’s your biggest fan? Peter Farrelly. If the world is your oyster – where’s the pearl? In every ukulele. And finally; Jaffa Cake – biscuit or cake? Biscuit. www.themd.eu/majorhanarecords

The JD

Who’s in the band? Chris West - Vocals / Rhythm Guitar, Martin Dale – Bass, Michael Brown Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals, James Porter - Drummer / Backing Vocals. What do you sound like? Alternative Rock...with a multi-genre edge...and a twist of lemon. Top three bands ever? Iron Maiden, Chilis, Queens of the Stone age. What was the latest album you bought? Skindred - Roots Rock Riot. What is your favourite cheese? Mexicana...spicy...it goes where other cheeses don’t dare venture. If you were recruiting for the job of Leader of The World, who would be on the interview panel and why? David Mitchell and Robert Webb Sarcasm will decide our leader! Zakk Wylde - to melt everyone’s faces off. Nelson Mandela - Just because I think I should. Best ever gig you’ve been to? The Prodigy - blinded by strobes and thoroughly beaten by bass...yummy. Who’s your biggest fan? Hopefully the reader of this...cheers man! If the world is your oyster – where’s the pearl? We've gone beyond the need for pearls... And finally; Jaffa Cake – biscuit or cake? Neither! It’s a chocolate and fruit based snackette! www.themd.eu/thejd

Alba Nova

Who’s in the band? Guy Mankowski, Hollie Martorella, Daniel Hoyes, Chris Prior and Tom Freeman. What do you sound like? A decadent, romantic English sound where epic stories of glamour and betrayal are smothered in layers of reverberating guitars and violin. Top three bands ever? REM, Sigur Ros and Radiohead. What was the latest album you bought? Patrick Wolf – Magic Position. What is your favourite cheese? Wensleydale with cranberry. If you were recruiting for the job of Leader of The World, who would be on the interview panel and why? Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, Billy Bragg...people with integrity...all of whom would be opposed to such a position anyway. Best ever gig you’ve been to? Duke Special at the ICA. Who’s your biggest fan? Whoever our respective girlfriend/boyfriends happen to be at the time. If the world is your oyster – where’s the pearl? Music. And finally; Jaffa Cake – biscuit or cake? Biscuit. www.themd.eu/albanova

Left Hand Red

Who's in the band? Daniel Scully - Vocals, Darren Cook Guitar, Barry Bloye - Bass, Russell Pilfold - Drums. What do you sound like? Dan Scully's powerful vocals and Darren Cook's raw rock riffs compliment the indie-disco bass-lines of Barry Bloye and the varied and inventive drumming of Russell Pilfold. This is dance-fuelled rock with a sharp, punk edge. You can keep your pop-rock, we like ours dirty. Top three bands ever? I hate these questions! I need at least 20 but first three that spring to mind; Rolling Stones, Oasis, White Stripes. What was the latest album you bought? Panic Prevention by Jamie T, loads of people hate him, I love him and don't care what you say, so there! What is your favourite cheese? Strong Mature Cheddar. Yum. If you were recruiting for the job of Leader of The World, who would be on the interview panel and why? Left Hand Red as we know what people want and the drummer is good at Trivial Pursuit on the IT Box so that makes him clever. George Bush to use as an example of how not to be a leader. Bono so we can fire him from the panel to take his ego down a peg or two. Best ever gig you've been to? Oasis at Watford Coliseum - tiny venue packed like sardines, nearly died at the front with the weight of everyone on my back. Who's your biggest fan? Elvis (impersonator, Brighton Pier). If the world is your oyster – where's the pearl? In the hearts and minds of everyone who loves Left Hand Red's musicusic. And finally; Jaffa Cake – biscuit or cake? It has gotta be a cake, a biscuit needs a crunch otherwise it just reminds me of them stale Bourbons I used to get at my Nan’s as a kid. www.themd.eu/lefthandred

Q&A’s

Your queries and conundrums solved with the Music Directory’s Production Guru Ryan Nolan Q: My friends and I have just started a band and were wondering if there are any tips you could give us to help with writing our own music? A: When you first think about writing songs it always seems like a mystery; is there a hidden secret that you don’t know about? The short answer is ‘no there isn’t’. Anyone can write a song but it is your musical ability, lyrical ability and your understanding of melody and harmony that will make your song good or bad.

Different artists approach song writing in different ways. For example Elton John receives a lyric sheet from Bernie Taupin and spends 15 minutes trying to put a piano part to it. If he can’t find music that fits he throws a hissy fit and the lyrics go in the bin. If he does, we all wince in pain at yet another drab ballad whilst he adds more pennies to his rather large piggybank. In contrast the Red Hot Chili Peppers take a short riff written by either Flea or John Frusciante and jam it until it turns into a piece of music. Flea, Chad and John then record this and Anthony takes it away and tries to put lyrics and melody to it.

My personal approach is that I think about the content of a song I would like to create and then give it a working title to help inspire the lyrics and music. Following this I’ll dig through my record collection to identify songs that I like the style of to match the idea I had for the new song. I’ll then analyse these songs for structue (such as intro, verse, chorus, verse) and arrangement. In my opinion, keeping a loose structure and arrangement in mind when writing is a huge help for inspiring creativity. Others may say that they find this constrictive but I believe laying some boundaries will stop you from wandering in to the realms of experimental nonsense. The next step is to write your various parts; the verse, chorus, middle eight and so on.There is no harm in writing three different verse parts and five different chorus parts and then play them in different combinations to see which works best. Remember that to write good music you need passion, enthusiasm and a dollop of patience. When I settle on a verse and chorus that work well together I’ll start singing melodies on top of the chords to try and get something like. When I have this I’ll use my loose structure from earlier and assemble the whole thing, recording it onto my phone, mp3 recorder or whatever is to hand.

It doesn’t matter about the quality at this stage so long as you can make out what you’re doing. I’ll then forget about it for a week. Listening to your recording with fresh ears is useful; if you still like it, it is worth pursuing, if not start again. Now you can begin adjusting the structure to make it more individual. Change the arrangement and improve the dynamics to make it high impact and interesting to first time listeners. After this I’ll do a rough recording on my home computer before playing it to someone whose honesty I can trust. If they suggest changes or things that they don’t like about it I’ll take it away and work on it some more. When I am totally happy that the song is just the way I want it to be and have practised so much I can nail it in my sleep, I’ll save up some cash and go to a good quality recording studio and get it recorded properly. Finally, however you go about writing your song - and really whatever you are comfortable with is the best way to do it - the important thing to do is compare it to other songs. Put it on your mp3 player on a playlist with your favourite tracks of the same genre. If you track sits nicely in this self made compilation you are on to a winner. If it doesn’t then don’t fret, just go back and try again - if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

Q2: I have a home studio and record on to PC, I am struggling to get a good vocal sound. What can I do to improve it? A: In home studios where sound proofing and room

treatment for reverb control aren’t realistically possible, recording good vocals is often problematic. Here are a couple of suggestions to assist in improving your vocal takes.

Q3: How can I make my guitar sound as big as my favourite rock band when recording? A: The key to this is simple yet complicated. Simply it is a combination of multi-tracking (laying several of the same track on top of each other) and reverb. The complexity enters when you are deciding what to multi-track and how to apply the reverb. Depending on the sound you want to create there are numerous ways to get there so I’ll just give you the simplest way to get a big sound.

If you have a POD or other DI recording device for your guitar, record one channel of this in mono. Then re-record the exactly the same part through an amp with one mike close to the speaker but off to one side of the centre of the cone and a second mic a few feet away. Record this on to one track in mono. Experiment with the distance of the second mic until you get it reinforcing the overall sound of that track. This is known as being in phase. When you have these two tracks recorded, pan one left and one right and hey presto; big guitar! You can improve the depth of the sound by applying reverb. Unfortunately you could write a book about applying reverb and so in my opinion the best way to approach it is to listen to the recording you are trying to emulate in comparison to your own and experiment with the reverb settings until you can get as close to the sound you want. Always remember that you shouldn’t sacrifice the rest of the recording by making one instrument sound great at the expense of other instruments; if you crank the bass up on the guitar amp, it might sound great in the room but will interfere with the bass guitar when you mix that in.

• Invest in a decent microphone. Rode microphones are great value for money; buy a large diaphragm condenser mic like the NT2A. It’s very versatile, will capture the vocals superbly and can be used for many other applications. • Deaden the recording space. You could go all out and buy an Auralex free-standing recording booth, but hanging heavy curtains a few inches from all the walls in your recording space will help diffuse any reverb. It’ll also cost a lot less! • Record at times when exterior noise is a minimum. Take a day off work. Make sure there are no road works scheduled that day, close all the windows and doors in your house and there should be only a tiny amount of exterior noise to contend with. • Get the vocal signal as loud as possible. When setting up to record, run the vocals through slight compression to enhance the quietest bits and to catch the loud parts without distortion. Spend time getting the input signal as loud as possible. Experiment with the singer’s distance from the mic and tell them to keep their head as still as possible when singing. When you get a recording completed, listen to it in isolation for distortion. If there is noticeable distortion bin it and start again, as it will really become apparent in the final mix.

BUCKING THE SYSTEM From out of darkness there is light and with desire and passion comes success. This passion can be found in the music of Hull’s industrial powerhouse Systemyk.

Last year, the band’s strongest year so far, saw them securing a new record deal and releasing a record, Cross Contamination. Now, with well-received live appearances and a loyal fan base, the band is set to take the industrial genre to new heights in 2008. Systemyk has been a force in the East Yorkshire metal scene since the band’s formation in 2002 – they have been gigging for around three years. The band started life as Innocuous, when three of the current line-up, Mike, Lu and Lee, came together to create a speed-metal concoction that was very distinct to their present sound. When their original singer left, they decided to keep going. This time it was under the new name Systemyk and after a year of writing they found another vocalist to help them progress.

After recording two demos, What Makes Me Human in 2004 and its 2005 follow up The Victim (produced by Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost), their second vocalist left due to musical differences. Systemyk were suddenly left with a diary full of tour dates that they had committed to doing. Once again they began another hunt for a new vocalist. After a night out in their home town they found Danny and completed their dates with a new singer and new sound. Next up, Systemyk set about recording once more. In 2006 The Truth Reclaimed was released, again produced by Mackintosh. With this, the band moved forward feeling confident that they had found a successful formula with which to succeed and make a permanent mark on the metal industry.

Late in 2006, after sending their demo recording to several independent record labels, they were eventually picked up by Casket records – the Oxford-based indie label behind the success of many metal bands of the moment, including Forever Never and Panic Cell. The band’s inspiration ranged from Depeche Mode to the aforementioned Paradise Lost. According to keyboardist Phil, industrial influences have always been a huge part of Systemyk’s work:

“The sound has progressed a lot from when I first started. Industrial Goth was the start of our roots – very Paradise Lost, slow and very moody. With the change in vocalists later, the style had changed to what we are now, more on the heavier side.” They firmly believe that signing to a label and working with professionals on the video for their debut single Fear Inside was helped a great deal. Phil continues: “The record deal definitely gave us that confidence boost we needed. It was a sense of achievement knowing all the hard work we’ve put in had paid off. It has taught us to keep pushing, keep working and [that] good things come to those who wait. The highest point up to date for me would be the video. It was just an awesome two days, working with the crew and having such a laugh.” Vocalist Danny added that, like most young bands, seeing their album on the shelves of HMV was a real honour. Although the album marked a big step up the industry ladder, the group has nevertheless experienced their share of challenging times. Danny explains: "The lowest point for myself was the bad reviews from British critics … for the demos and even the album. I read reviews that really liked us, from all over the globe, but it just tends not to be here. It grates on me.” Even so, guitarist Lee explains that band has no real regrets and plans to continue heavily promoting Cross Contamination. Their past studio sessions will give them good grounding for the future, he says, adding: “We have gained more studio experience and also it has made us look more closely at the song structure in the writing process. As a result the newest album tracks we are currently working on sound awesome.” Lee is quick to offer advice to other up and coming bands who might be label shopping. Hard work is essential, but the years spent driving around venues begging for gigs was worth it, he believes. However, he warns fellow musicians: “Don’t rely on luck. You need to work your arse off. If you can’t be bothered to put the work in why should any one be bothered to help you?” The guitarist also maintains that putting 100% into any live gig is a crucial part of a band’s musical development. “Give a show, don’t just stand there strumming away. People want to see a performance from you. Your friends might like the little in-jokes you have onstage with them, but there are other people watching as well.”

Systemyk think that the Hull music scene is genuinely under-rated and Phil is quick to point out that they are prepared to take it to the next level with their different breed of music. “I think we bring a sense of freshness and originality to the music scene. I think keyboards in any band particularly add a lot of dimension and give a lot of variation. But with our blend of metal we have a song for everyone – dance, electro, ballads – and I think that makes us different,” he says. They may never be the most mainstream of bands, and Fear Inside is certainly no poppy chart topper, but the group love what they do because their label gives them the freedom to create for themselves. “We play what we like to listen to and as a result we enjoy being onstage doing the songs. You need to like what you do. I think we would go mad if we just played what we thought people wanted,” Lee comments.

For vocalist Danny, there’s clearly nothing else he’d rather be doing right now. He says, with conviction: “It’s my life. I’d give anything to make this my career. To have such talented people to work with and make a living from been on stage doing what I love, it means to the world to me.” Phil echoes this positive outlook when he explains what the band is all about: “Systemyk, for me, is about being with your four best mates enjoying yourself and writing music. Systemyk is a virus and to us that means affecting a person as a whole. I believe we do that to our fans and people who enjoy our music.” With such a clear manifesto, the band is now organising some European tour dates and writing new material to showcase live this year. It’s all systems go!

WHAT’S INA NAME After rumours that P Diddy was to change his name (again) to Sean John were recently quashed, we got to thinking about famous name changes and the origins of band names.

Brit-pop giants, Blur, were once called Seymour, which doesn’t quite work for one of the biggest Brit acts of the 90s. Fortunately for Damon et al, their record label didn’t like it either, and asked them to pick a new name from a list compiled by the company. Meanwhile, fellow rock giants Oasis were christened after a leisure centre in Swindon. Need we say more. Prizes for effort go to UB40, who were named after the unemployment benefit form, Sum 41, who got together on the 41st day of their summer holiday and also Nickelback – legend has it that one of the band members worked at a coffee shop, where drinks cost $0.95, and when giving change to customers he would always tell them: “Here's your nickel back.”

While non-musicians may scoff at some of these choices, bands know that picking a name can be incredibly difficult. It’s got to be punchy, memorable and different. As if that wasn’t hard enough, it’s also got to reflect your sound, your tastes and your attitude – think of it as your calling card, if you will. So, getting all that into a few letters is a pretty monumental task.

Researchers claim that an act is more likely to succeed if it has more than seven letters in the name – obviously U2, The Who and Muse were excluded in this study then. Either way, it doesn’t really matter how many letters or words you’ve use, as long as it’s unique. So here are some tired and tested formulas for generating names.

Acronyms. As demonstrated by The Beastie Boys (‘Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence’), N.E.R.D ('No-One Ever Really Dies') and REM (‘Rapid Eye Movement’). Films. Duran Duran, Travis and McFly – who were christened after the legendary Back to the Future hero Marty McFly – are just some of the acts that have borrowed the names of characters from cult films.

www.Systemyk.com

Dom Smith

Books. The literary world is full of ideas. In “A Clockwork Orange”, the characters drink Moloko. Meanwhile, My Chemical Romance is adapted from Irvine Welsh's novels, “Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance”.

Historical references. Why not seize the opportunity to show off your grasp of history. This worked for the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Joy Division and Iron Maiden. Song Titles. Borrow a song, album, lyric or artist you’re fond of. Radiohead, Lightning Seeds, Judas Priest and The Kooks all went down this road. Be warned though – it’s probably best to steer clear of names like Westlife’s Greatest Hits. The dictionary. The name Ash was picked by the band after a very short session in the dictionary. Likewise, Incubus and REM were also the products of dictionary visits. Just add ‘The’. In recent decades, a proven recipe for success has been to stick a noun after a ‘the’. For example; The Clash, The Jam, The Rolling Stones, The Strokes, The Fratellis and The Killers. Oh, and we salute the acts known as “The The” and “The Band” respectively. Ingenious.

If all else fails… Just string a few random words together and see what happens. At least that way you’ll probably end up with something vaguely original. Or you could just use a regular sentence. But beware; this system has been known to backfire, as synth-pop duo I Am The World Trade Centre discovered. The group formed in 1999, but after 9/11 they were condemned by critics, who wrongly assumed that they were trying to capitalise on the terrorist attacks. And as it happens, the 11th track on their first album is called September. Very strange indeed. Still stuck? It’s okay to cheat and use online band name generators like www.namepistol.com or www.bandname.com. Who knows, you might get lucky. But make sure you register your choice afterwards, or you might end up with a lawsuit on your hands. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Tomi Ajayi

Navvy, a Sheffield band who describe themselves as a ‘skew-whiff, percussion heavy, garage-punk combo’, are soon to release their debut EP on the Angular label. Richard Blackledge chatted to singer and bassist Keith Jones about Navvy’s history, their influences and how they owe it all to the Long Blondes…

Where did it all begin? KJ: We all got together because my old group, a surf band called Texas Pete, split up. I'd never played before and when the band broke up I found myself with a bass guitar I couldn't do much with, so I began to write on it. After a year I had enough to fill a half-hour set, so I started thinking about getting a band together. First to join was Claire, who I knew from years back. She had a drum kit from her Wisconsin Death Trip days. Next to join was John who couldn't play any instruments, so we gave him a cowbell to get on with ... We really liked the clanking awkwardness of it, but we didn't think to replace him when he left – until people told us that they really missed the odd percussion parts. So Marie got involved. We got Daf via a flyer in my local Post Office. What is Navvy’s song-writing process? KJ: I guess I'm responsible for the songs. There's no real method…I'm the worst musician in the band, so it's just a case of messing about until something that sounds like the beginning of a song comes about. Luckily, I've quite a good ear for an odd rhythm, so I know intuitively if I'm on the right track. Lyrics-wise, it's just a case of making nonsense noises over my bass line until they eventually become words. I'm a bit pre-occupied by the passing of time and cause-and-effect, so songs are usually about those sorts of things. After I've got a song written, I take it to the band and we work on the arrangement together. How much would you say this has contributed to Navvy’s success so far? KJ: There is a good scene in Sheffield, but I think we exist on the very edges of it. For some reason or other we don't really rely on anyone except for ourselves – so we organise and promote our own gigs more often than not. It's not often that a promoter approaches us. Navvy have been regularly compared to post-punk acts such as Talking Heads, The Fall etc.

Does this ever get tiresome? KJ: I don't mind getting compared to those bands at all! Recently we've been compared to the Fire Engines, Swell Maps and Pere Ubu (who we robbed our name off), which I think is thrilling. You can certainly hear the influence of all of those post-punk bands in everything we do and I really admire the lo-fi DIY ethic of that era, but I don't think we actually sound like very many of those groups... So how did the deal with Angular come about? KJ: Angular are the only label that have ever shown any interest in us. I was given one of their compilations during the year that I spent inventing the songs, and I remembered them when it came to sending out demos. Also, I think the Long Blondes were still on the label at around that time and I've always suspected that one of those guys told the Angular boys to look out for us. So I guess -– providing my suspicions are correct – we owe it all to the Blondes.

What are Navvy’s plans after the upcoming EP? KJ: Whilst recording a few songs last year, we started using keyboards for the first time. Claire's a handy lass and she knows her way around a piano, so we took a borrowed MicroKorg to the recording session and ended up using it on everything. The outcome is that we want to use the synth on more of our songs, so Claire's going to take on that role. Marie's going to take over the drum kit. Claire's able to write prettier melodies than I am so the songs seem that bit more accessible, but underneath all the wonky rhythms and spikiness are still intact. It'll be a while before we're used to the new line-up, so we'll be busy in the privacy of our studio. We'll be doing the odd gig here and there, but the biggest thing coming up is a possible album release. Richard Blackledge

SMALLTIME CROOKS

Newly signed Shropshire band, Small Time Crooks enjoyed a great start to the year and their success looks set to continue through out 2008. The ‘Crooks’ are Adam Howes and Rob Quinn on vocals and guitars and Ross Lewis on bass. Sam Wainwright replaced their previous drummer last summer and Dhugal Fulton plays violin on some of the tracks. Adam explained that as Dhugal lives in London it’s pretty tricky to practice, but they meet up as often as possible. Last year’s diary was packed full of performances in their hometown of Oswestry and the surrounding towns of Shrewsbury and Wrexham, but they are gaining a wider audience after playing in Manchester last year and at the Clapham Grand in London, earlier this year. Their slightly odd sense of humour is reflected on their MySpace website, with Jeremy Kyle and the Cheeky Girls in the influences section. Rob tried to explained that they’re only ‘a lyrical influence’ although worryingly there was mention of copying the Cheeky Girls’s costumes for performances!

When it comes to their music, they describe it as an eclectic mix that has come from listening to bands such as the Counting Crows, Damien Rice and Snow Patrol. Ross explained that Adam and Rob are the main songwriters and so the influences are mainly theirs, while he and Sam add the beats and rhythm. But between the five of them it seems to be a combination that is proving popular with their audiences. All their hard work and effort finally paid off last September when they were signed by the indie label, Leaping Cat Records, although they won’t be able to record with them until the summer. They also had interest from other labels, including one in London and another in America. Adam added, ‘We’ve just got to see what happens!’ Their plans for this year are just as jam-packed as 2007, with gigs booked in London and talk of performing at Tea in the Park, along with the Workhouse Festival in North Wales. A trip to America is planned for the end of the summer that in Rob’s words ‘will hopefully pay for itself’. The band have found that people tend to become fans through the Internet and their MySpace page has helped in promoting them to an audience that they wouldn’t otherwise have reached. Rob explained ‘It just helps you to play in places where you don‘t know people and it‘s the best way to do it because you can send messages to people online and get a crowd at the gig’. He also mentioned that the contact they have with their fans through the site has also led to them producing a 10 track EP. ‘People started asking for one online, so we thought lets knock one together’. With all these plans, not to mention the rumour of one of their songs being used as a television theme tune, keep an ear out for ‘Small Time Crooks’ in 2008. Emily Davies

ONES TOWATCH

Nottingham band Dragonflies Draw Flame are, in their own words, ‘Epic like a Viking Saga’. If that’s the case then 2007 was a fairly benign chapter of the story as singer and guitarist Tom Crabb admitted when I met him to find out what 2008 has in store. How did 2007 go for the band? In terms of gigs, recording and practising it was a pretty slow year; which was a shame because I feel like we progressed massively in our song writing and playing in 2007. You say your favourite gig was at Gedling Primary School?! Without a shadow of a doubt the morning assembly we played at Gedling Primary School. We really appreciated the surrealism of playing a gig at 10am to a hall full of awestruck 10 year olds. You were recording in July, what was that like? It was interesting because we deviated from our usual approach and did the majority of the parts live, all together in one take. We had one quick session for the instruments and then one evening on the vocals. Understandably, it sounds quite raw, but I reckon that’s a good thing. We haven’t decided what to do with the four tracks yet though. You have a baritone guitarist, something not a lot of bands have… The baritone was a happy accident really. We had two people interested in our vacant bass player position and, being on good terms with them both, we decided the only option was to have two bass players – a solution which didn’t satisfy anyone particularly. Then we were just mooching in a second hand guitar shop and saw this overly long guitar, asked what it was, tried it out, phoned our 2nd bassist, suggested he buy a baritone instead and the rest is history. It did wonders for our ‘wall of sound’. When we were a 4-piece, a soundman told us that our

sound was quite empty, especially in our loudest sections – the baritone was a solution that hadn’t even crossed our minds, and it instantly filled the sound between bass and guitars. Still think the music buying public are idiots? ‘Idiots’ was a bit over the top; it’s just I see Scouting for Girls on TV and wonder what’s wrong with people. I guess a lot of people are just ignorant really about what music is out there and, like everyone else, I’m ignorant of a lot of things myself, so I just think of it like that. The Nottingham scene is subject to debate; bands don’t seem to make it big commercially from there. Why is that? Much like a large simpleton, I think Nottingham is singled out for its size; it is a relatively large city without a mainstream, flagship band. However, Nottingham’s strength lies away from the top 40 – for some examples, Pitchshifter, Six by Seven, Amusement Parks on Fire and Seachange have all received widespread acclaim, as well as national or international exposure and success.

The variety of venues and the large bands they attract, the recording studios, the small record labels, the gig collectives, the large student population – all these things actually give bands the chance to thrive in Nottingham. Do you feel the internet is the way forward for music, and do you feel the reference to scenes will soon be obsolete because of it? Well, the CD isn’t quite dead yet, but I think it’s hard to look beyond mp3s, and more widely, the internet, as the way forward for music. Control is finally shifting from the record labels to the artists and it’s an exciting thing to watch and hopefully be part of. It’s impossible to know how this will impact bands in the real world - like how they will define success or what they’ll need to do to achieve it – but I would at least hope that bands won’t tire of playing live or feeling like they’re part of a movement, so maybe scenes and cities will still have relevance. Even if the making, promoting, selling and buying of recordings is confined solely to the bedrooms. Liam Sheasby

The Old Romantic Killer Band

Hot on the music scene, the duo of Bunse (drums) and singer/guitarist Harry have recently been signed by Bad Sneakers Records. The lads from Leeds have only played thirteen shows but show the potential to continue playing for years to come. Blending folk, blues and punk, these rockers produce a fresh sound with fantastic songs Lovers Pass and Pigs. They have recently finished their first UK tour and the single You Don’t Know How To Love is out 25th February. Jennifer Dixon

LAURA MARLING 18-year-old singer/songwriter from Reading expresses wisdom beyond her years in her powerful alt folk ballads. An extraordinary talent, Laura Marling creates sweet lullabies laced with misery and pain. The singles Failure and New Romantic in particular have proved to be very successful on her path to a big career in music. Failure has been grabbing air time on Radio 1 and is definitely a sign of better things to come. Relatable and loveable, this singer describes her own sound as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a mix of old folk where there is a story to be told and some modern sounds thrown inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. She was once refused entry to her own show when just 17 years of age and instead performed on the street outside the venue. Laura has recently released UK tour dates for March 2008 exclusively for people who buy her Song Box released on February 4th. Jennifer Dixon

Visit www.lauramarling.com for more information.

IT’S A GIRL THING For years it has seemed that men have had it easy in the music world, whereas women have had to struggle a fair amount. For instance, if a male artist appears semi-naked in a music video, he is seen as some kind of ‘sex god’. However, if a female does it she risks attracting all sorts of negative labels. Still, one of the most important breakthroughs in music is the Riot Grrl [girl] movement – an indie/punk feminist movement that started back in the good old 1990s in America. Bikini Kill and Bratmobile pretty much laid the foundations of this DIY work ethic for female bands. It is evident in bands such as Gossip, Erase Errata and Mika Miko, who are still waving the flag for females today. These bands – among others – manage to keep a loyal fan base without selling out. Compare their record sales to the Spice Girls or Girls Aloud and it'll become evident as to why the latter sell more. The Spice Girls brought the idea of ‘girl power’ with them when they kicked up a fuss in the music industry back in the late 1990s. They were talking about empowering females yet were dressed quite saucily. Hypocrisy? The term ‘girl power’ actually came from Welsh band Helen Love, but it was made popular thanks to teen duo Shampoo. These three bands’ notion of ‘girl power’ seems quite different and some years later, the idea behind this buzz phrase appears to have died somewhat. Although let’s be honest – it was inevitable. Sending mixed messages, like the Spice Girls did, can only cause confusion.

Surely wearing a Union Jack excuse for a dress and holding up the peace sign while shouting "GIRL POWER!!!" is not the way to empower women. If anything, it will only cause embarrassment. Meanwhile, when it comes to rap music, some are under the misconception that women have no chance of being successful within this highly-competitive genre. Still, there have been a fair amount from the 80s to the present day, who are equally as good as the guys. The most well-known female rapper, Lil' Kim, is the only woman to ever have been awarded 5 mics for an album review in The Source Magazine. Although she wears next to nothing she has influenced a vast majority of contemporary female rappers with her message, which pretty tells the world: "Whatever the guys can do, I can do just as well". Fair play to her. The rap and hip-hop industry is heavily dominated by men, but on the business side Missy Elliott is definitely one to be respected. She has written and produced classic tracks for herself, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, and Mary J Blige to name but a few. Not only that, she is also the only female rapper to have six albums certified as platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Will there ever be another female rapper who can achieve that? Let's hope so, because there plenty out there with an insane amount of talent. The R&B world is full of successful, powerful females, from Aretha to Alicia. It seems to be the genre that is the most welcoming towards thriving women, or even just women in general. The Supremes set a high standard for female acts – a standard that was fearlessly embraced by TLC and Destiny's Child, who are the world's best-selling group of all time. Beyoncé Knowles is quite possibly one of the most respected and powerful women in the music industry today. Singer, producer, song-writer, fashion designer. You name it and she has probably done it. In 2001 she won the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award, and is only the second female ever to have done this.

Joan Marie Larkin, aka Joan Jett, is one of the most influential females in rock music, as well as an accomplished guitarist. She has shared stages with some of rock’s biggest names, and still does to this day. In 2003 Rolling Stone magazine placed her at number 87 in their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time. She was one of two females in the list, the other being Joni Mitchell at number 72. Women like Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde are two icons in this genre – not simply for the music they helped create, but for the way they delivered it.

Then, in the early 90s, Garbage came on the scene – a successful yet underrated band. There was a time when it would just be the men who would get on a stage to bare their soul and pour their heart out. Now, we have strong females such as Cat Power (words cannot express how beautiful her music is), Kaki King, India Arie, Bat For Lashes (most definitely

robbed at the Mercury Music Awards last year) and Amy Winehouse. Say whatever you wish about Amy Winehouse, but she has one of the strongest voices in the UK. As much as I just want to make her a cup of tea and tell her everything will be alright, alas, I can’t. If female musicians want to be taken seriously, then being half-naked or lip-synching all the time is not really going to gain you any respect. Most likely all you’ll gain is ridicule, while your 15 minutes of fame fades quickly away. Musicians don’t have the staying power that they used to… This, readers, is a mighty shame. Without taking gender into consideration, few of the bands/singers around now will have the impact that artists like Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson or Billy Bragg did. Maybe it's the way they are managed and promoted, but who knows.

All I know is this: there are enough female-fronted bands to compete with male-fronted bands. So, ladies, stop selling out and start speaking up – but not in the way the Spice Girls did. Mark my words: girl power was a misleading idea that turned into a marketing strategy, and the Riot Grrl Movement should have lasted longer than it did. Thank goodness we have Gossip to keep the DIY work ethic alive. When they perform live it’s just like watching a friend’s band rehearse in a garage. It's beautiful, honest and raw. I could be biased because I love that band a hell of a lot, but hey, you know it's true. Enough male-fronted bands have made history. It's about time female-led bands came forth and made their mark. Either that or we could all come together over a cup of tea and some biscuits to make sexism in the music industry history.

Olivia Cellamare illustration: MIMI

REVIEW

This month sees the release of Mirrors, the debut EP from Silence Sparks

Dialogue (ssd). These are exciting

times for the alternative acoustic band – a trio of school friends from Leeds who describe their sound as ‘the product of 10 years of friendship, coupled with a love and passion for dynamic, forwardthinking music’. After some early recordings in a lowbudget home studio, their ambient post-rock music started to gain recognition through their MySpace website, which now has 2,500 members. The group’s innovative and soulful style is very different to many current acts. The simplicity of their set up – just three guitarists, one of which is lead singer Gavin Donoghue – works very well. Think Smashing Pumpkins crossed with Explosions in the Sky. With no drummer, ssd use a laptop to generate atmospheric sounds and beats, much like Sam Duckworth of Get Cape. Wear Cape.

When I watched this ambitious young band’s first ever gig at West Street Live in Sheffield last September, they attracted the largest crowd despite being the support act, which suggests a promising future. ssd looked out of place when they first appeared on stage. The 21-year-olds did not look like your stereotypical rock pub performers. They drew the set from Mirrors and at first their ambient songs were hard to get into. However, I realised this was because I was sitting in a dingy rock club with uncompromising drinkers talking loudly throughout the gig. The performance of Our Names Below demonstrated Gavin’s lyrical abilities. His voice was absorbing and the song inspirational. By their third song Align, arguably the best of the gig, their subtle, melodic guitar riffs got me dreaming of faraway exotic locations. silence sparks dialogue, inspired by bands such as Sigur Ros and Death Cab for Cutie, produced a remarkably strong first gig and won a fair bit of applause afterwards.

Make no mistake; their music is superb but they seemed uncomfortably out of place. This reflected in their performance which at times was edgy, while the sound levels meant Gavin’s

voice was occasionally drowned out. adjust to their genre at first. As it is not the kind of music you usually see in local rock clubs, it’s hard to Ssd’s biggest problem will be making their music work live – especially in these types of venues. The new EP, however, sounds excellent and encounters no such problems. The five songs are beautiful, the levels work well and it features their highlight track Ignore the Echoes. If they can continue to produce such provocative and original songs this year, the release of Mirrors (out on Matchbox Records) could well be ssd’s catalyst for an even better 2008. www.myspace.com/silencesparksdialogue

Gas Can Ruckus

Simon Gresswell

Middletown teenagers Gas Can Ruckus brought their infectious punk sound to a crowded Arthurs in Keady, Co Armagh in Northern Ireland earlier this year. Buoyed on by their large local fan base, they banged out tune after tune in a raucous two hour, high-energy set, creatively intertwining their own material, with a selection of classic covers. They kicked off the set with the fast paced Road To Freedom, which has one hell of a guitar riff, and was quickly followed with Gonads (that’s a song, not actual gonads!). By this time Gas Can Ruckus had the crowd fully involved, and the sight of fans crowd surfing across the packed bar during the evening became a regular occurrence. Covers of I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, and Know One Knows helped maintain the intensity of the set, along with more of the bands’ evergrowing catalogue of thumping punk anthems, including the oddly named Irrational Thoughts Of An Eskimo’s Roommate, and Purple Monkey Dishwasher. It’s easy to see this band really enjoy playing live, and it comes through in the quality of their music and performance. They are a shining beacon in the untapped punk scene that is emanating from Northern Ireland and their only way is up.

Burn The Mona Lisa

Going down to the Night and Day Cafe in Manchester on a cold winter evening to watch a band that hail from Bolton didn’t fill me with the greatest of confidence; who can remember the last good thing to come out of Bolton? Expecting the worst, I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Although these boys have been praised in the local papers and have certainly made an impact in their hometown, conquering the rest of Britain may prove to be a challenge. Taking to the stage, two members sporting quirky hats doing that cool ‘we’re so kooky’ on stage act, I wasn’t persuaded. But after playing I found these guys weren’t half bad, and the unnecessary hats were soon forgotten. Competent and mostly confident with their instruments they produced a few good songs, with a fantastic chorus in the song Run Amok in which I even found myself bopping my head to the rhythm. I must admit though, it’s always good to see a band that can produce more than one lead singer. With Nick Miller and Mark Hesford swapping between songs, and instrument swapping between Hesford and Tom ‘T-Bone’ Evans (drums) it’s evident that these guys ooze talent. With a scarce crowd (probably friends and family) these guys did well to play and interact, and delivered a likeable set. They have the potential to be a great band but need a bit more work. Singer and guitarist Miller describes their music as sounding like ‘intelligent musicians with electric music tastes making pop music with guitars and anything else we can steal’. It looks like these guys are going somewhere, having recently been signed to indie record label Gazelle Records. It”s a shame really, as Hesford looked more like he’d make a better estate agent than a drummer. Check them out at www.myspace.com/burnthemonalisa.

Jennifer Dixon

www.gascanruckus.bebo.com

Niall McDonald

image below: Burn the Mona Lisa

BEST OF BRITISH

If you haven’t heard of British Sea Power yet, then you soon

will. This band are on the verge of something big in this country with their latest album; Do You Like Rock Music. Freeq shut Guy Little in a padded room with the CD on repeat and packed Jennifer Dixon off to Zavvi in Manchester to check out their live show.

THE ALBUM

If British Sea Power is posing the question, ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’ Then I answer a resounding ‘yes’. Britain is about to find out just how brilliant these Brighton based Northerners are. With two albums already under their belt, British Sea Power’s third album, Do You Like Rock Music? is a winner. This latest offering is indeed the most quintessential British Sea Power album to date with twelve tracks of typically British, infectious indie classics. Yan and his gang pack this record full of sweeping guitar hooks that leave your ears crying out for more.

The albums’ highlight is most definitely Waving Flag. This extraordinary tune is remarkably anthemic and has already been hailed as the ‘hottest record in the world’ by Zane Lowe and listening to it, you can understand why. This will be the sing-along anthem for today’s generation, a sort of contemporary Love Will Tear Us Apart. What is truly amazing about this single is how fearless it expresses its passion – singing about the things that matter to them with an explosion of choral melodies and monstrous reverb. It’s a song perfectly suited for the fields of Glastonbury, being chanted in unison by thousands. The next epic is the significantly powerful, six-minute long, Lights Out For Darker Skies. This is a perfect example of powerful, transcendent, rock music that builds up to a huge crescendo, like the climax you’d expect in a blockbusting Bond film. Do You Like Rock Music is an album embedded in the love for 80’s British indie music, taking us back to the likes of Joy Division and The Smiths. The music is etched with dynamics found only in this masterpiece; the entire album flooded with reverb hits all the right notes and lead singer Yan surely gives us the vocal performance of his career.

The majestic sound of his fascinating, erudite lyrics leaves the listener to ponder over his greatness. Listen to this album when you want great British music, when you want modern day anthems and when you want experimental indie music that only the Brits can pull off. British Sea Power are about to explode, they will be the festival band of 2008 and they will sure as hell leave a mark on today’s music industry. It’s taken the four-piece seven years to produce an album of this quality, but it was well worth the wait. It’s sure to be the smash of the year. Guy Little

THE GIG

As the most talked about band of early 2008, BSP have a lot to live up to when playing live. But the Brighton lads deliver a powerful and stunning set, making music look easy and effortless. They don’t fail to disappoint as they captivate the audience with their amazing performance. Let’s face it; a small set in the basement of Manchester music store, Zavvi, is always going to feel intimate. But these guys had a special way of interacting with the audience without even saying a word. The cool Brightonites entered the stage in the usual rock’n’roll fashion, swigging from a bottle of beer. And while the guitarist, Noble, looked a bit worse for wear, his playing was more than adequate. The defining moment saw him leaning forward to let a kid from the front row strum on his guitar. With amazing crowd pleasing ability, these guys know what they were doing on stage and looked like they had been doing it for more than just three years. Describing their influences as ‘foxes, malatonin and cider’, you know the unconventional oddballs are going to be something different right from the offset. With crashing guitars and prevailing vocals from front man Yan, supported occasionally by bassist Hamilton, a whole new unique experience evolves.

With a few sound problems, and what seemed to be Noble’s guitar busting, most of the audience were too busy having a good time to even notice. After all, the lads had confidence, solidity and talent on stage in abundance; as if it is where they belong.

This handsome four-piece have definitely got a good year to look forward to; these guys are going to be big. Jennifer Dixon

Jonny Greenwood – There Will Be Blood OST

Best known as the crazy lead guitarist and all round instrumental genius from Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood has carved himself quite a niche in the world of alternative music. Regarded as one of the masterminds behind the band, he was invited to become the BBC’s composer-in-residence and given the opportunity to work with its orchestra on several pieces. It was one of these, the award winning Popcorn Superhet Receiver, which convinced director Paul Thomas Anderson that Greenwood was the right man to compose the soundtrack for his latest film There Will Be Blood. This marks not only Greenwood’s second venture into the world of film soundtracks (the first being for Simon Dummell’s documentary Bodysong) but it’s also his second solo outing. Despite this, There Will Be Blood OST sounds like it could have been written by a seasoned film pro, such as John Williams. The soundtrack has a more cohesive structure than Bodysong and ventures towards a more traditional classical sound. It is in the same sort of territory as Polish composer Penderecki, and as a result feels like a real collection of songs, some of which are unexpectedly beautiful. Unsurprisingly it does have an experimental edge, as demonstrated on the percussive Proven Lands, and the whole album is interweaved with the more bizarre sections from his lengthy BBC piece, including Henry Plainview, which sounds more like someone trying to tune into Classic FM. The piano-led Prospectors Arrive is one of the best tracks Greenwood has ever written, with a sweeping, mesmerising string arrangement that has a strange warm glow; it’s like a Radiohead song with the rest of the band turned right down. Slight problems lie with the tiresome Eat Him by His Own Light and the high pitched squeal of Stranded in the Line, both are a little off-putting. Plus at just over 30 minutes length the experience is brief and winds down too quickly. But like all great soundtracks it does capture the essence of the film it accompanies so it can be considered nothing less than a triumph. Steven Cookson

BITS‘N’BOBS

Film Food

This is our favourite game right now. We’ve come up with 10 actors and 10 films and turned them into foods. All you have to do is work out who they’re supposed to be and then match them up to the right movie. Answers at the bottom of the page – don’t cheat! 1) Peas Witherspoon 2) John Cheese 3) Jean Claude Van Ham 4) Goldie Prawn 5) Anchovy Hopkins 6) Kurt Brussel 7) Cake Winslet 8) Quentin Carrotino 9) Nicholas Sage 10) Judy Tench

DIDYOU KNOW? Many breweries use isinglass filings (a solution of collagen prepared from fish) to filter the beer. It causes the yeast to separate from the beer and is eventually filtered out as sediment so doesn’t end up in your pint glass. However, vegetarians and vegans may well prefer to stay clear of fishy beer. Try Budweiser, carlsberg, cobra or grolsch which are among the beers confirmed as suitable for veggies. If you don’t mind chugging down the odd fish scale then stick to Guiness, Carling and Fosters.

a) Tomorrow Never Pies b) Meat Joe Black c) Pie-tanic d) The Life of Brine e) Scone in Sixty Seconds f) DesPEARado g) Leekily Blonde h) Tango and Mash i) Private BenJAMin j) Thymecop Oh no! You drank too much in the pre-party for your first gig

SIMON SAYS

and now you can’t find anyone or anything. See if you can locate the people and equipment from the list below in the grid. Words can be in any direction, forwards or backwards.

YUXEPPCUAOPJGEC BASSAMP CABLES COPY OF FREEQ CYMBALS DRUMKIT DRUMMER GROUPIES GUITAR KEYBOARD MICROPHONE MUM AND DAD PINT OF BEER PLECTRUM SETLIST SOUNDMAN TAMBOURINE

D P L R A R E MD M L D MO P U Y I R C N D R T L S O EW F C A B XD E U Z E B R R Y U X

E K S D X L P M P E L I U J E

Sudoku

C X E C N M V G X N E C K N P

T O S Y A A R S J I S U O H P

R J P S B O M Q F R S H Z K C

U T S Y U O G U U U P S C N U

M B P A V E S I B P I T O I L U F Z AW F R R C M R D O B M D M Q L A B O A T E A D A O P

S H N K R A A T M Y C D L B N T M U I E O RW S S E B A T E H U R M Y C H R Z CQ J J G E

R D R U M K I T Y Y Q C J A C

Do you struggle with those pesky addictive sudoku puzzles in every newspaper and magazine these days? Well, fret not, we’ve devised the most basic of sudoku puzzles that even your pet goldfish could handle. Fill in the boxes in the 8x8 grid with the numbers 1 to 4 so that each row, column and 4x4 box only contains one of each of the numbers 1 to 4. Film food answers 1 = G, 2 = D, 3 = J, 4 = I, 5 = B, 6 = H, 7 = C, 8 = F, 9 = E, 10 =A

artwork: Phil Robinson

HEARD IT THROUGHTHE GRAPEVINE

From the clubs, bars and cafés of Nottingham to the internet, airwaves, CDs and iPods; music is everywhere. Music moves us; where words fail music speaks. It can reduce us to tears or laughter, make us feel afraid or peaceful, lead us to reminisce about the past or inspire us toward the future. It has been used throughout history to communicate and express the language of the heart and remains central to our lives in today’s world. It is powerful, emotive, mysterious, going beyond the intellect or understanding and affecting our senses. In this sense, as Christians, we believe that it can reveal something of God that can’t be grasped intellectually.

OUT WITH THE ORGANS Our aim at Trent Vineyard has always been to have music that is current and authentic. We want people to walk into church and not feel like they’ve stepped into a time machine.

We want to sing songs with words that people understand and to be relevant to their lives. Throughout Church history songs have been of central importance from early Church liturgy to the great hymn writers, and in this sense we stand in a strong tradition. While we certainly don’t want to lose sight of all we’ve come from we do want the music we play to be relevant to the society within which we live; a real expression of the people that we are and the society that shapes us. We’re not ashamed to be followers of Jesus living in today’s world and we want our music and lyrics to reflect that.

Warning these songs could change your life

Many of our songs are home grown expressions of what God is doing in the life of our church. They are real songs about real lives and issues located in a real world. They tell of our journey through this life as individuals and as a church. U2’s Bono makes an interesting observation when he writes, “I believe that being a worship leader is the highest of all art forms”. It really is an awesome responsibility leading songs that could quite literally change a person’s life and bring them face to face with their maker.

At Trent Vineyard we hold this reality dear. Worshipping God is our highest priority and music just seems to lend itself to that purpose. It’s emotive. It moves us. It allows room for us to express our hearts and connect with God whilst sustaining a sense of mystery about the God we are seeking; the God who is beyond our understanding. Although I’ve never stood on a stage in front of 60,000 people as Bono has and heard them sing back at you, I do stand on a stage most Sundays and join with hundreds of other people all expressing their heart to God. There is nothing better!

We have five bands at Trent Vineyard who play eight services a month, we’ve written two albums - ‘Hold on’ and ‘Unfailing Love’ and have had the opportunity to travel the world singing the songs God has given us. At the moment our Sunday morning and evening gatherings start at 10.30am and 7.30pm. There’s a warm and welcoming atmosphere, free refreshments and a bar opens after the evening service for alcoholic drinks. Getting involved is easy, just come along to the big Trent Vineyard warehouse on Lenton Lane and make yourself at home!

We also have around 70 small groups and that meet through the week and across the city. We get involved with all sorts of community work from painting hospital wards to serving hot food to the homeless. We also have a huge student identity that are an integral part of what we do and who we are not only in terms of the young bands that get out and play around the city, but also with the people from all over the country who come together with a common goal to serve. Call us on 0115 988 7060 or visit the website www.trentvineyard.org for more information.

Artwork: Tracey Chapman

Win an iPod: XMD01