Down the Rabbit Hole - Issue 3 - MAR

Down the Rabbit Hole

Issue 3 1st September

Feat: Rachel Croft Lakuta lakuta Love love Zombies

COntents: Contents: Editors Notes: This month’s issue is packed with interviews, reviews and a gig guide! We’ve also added in a film review to go and read and ponder over as well as some interactive pages filled with YouTube videos and Instagram pictures that will keep you entertained for hours! We hope you enjoy these latest editions to the E-Magazine.

Why not tell us what you think on our social media on Facebook and Twitter? We’d love to hear you thoughts about this E-Magazine. We all hope that you enjoy this edition and that, like us, you can’t wait to get your hands on issue 4 in October.

Happy Reading, Editor, Rachel Colley.

Mad Alice Records.

Contents: Production: Guitar Mic’ing - 6-8 Interview: Rachel Croft- 3-5 Love Zombies - 11-13 Reviews: Garden’s Gate - 9-10 Lakuta - 14-15 Suicide Squad - 21-23 Playlists: Spotify Playlists - 25-26 In Review: Fort Myers - 19 Sugar Candy Mountain - 19 Renegade Nation - 20 Jherek Bischoff - 20 Top 5: Top 5 of the month - 16-17 Gig Guide: September Gigs - 27

Rachel Croft:

Rachel Croft: This month we got to interview you the lovely Rachel Croft. Croft is a singer-songwriter who plays around the York area and is currently in the process of creating her new live covers album. Read on to find out more about Croft’s beginnings as a musician, her influences and some more information about the new live album.

When did your music career start? Was it a career that you’d always wanted to have?

Well I began singing when I was 9 or 10 years old, but never really did that much with it outside music lessons and dabbling in musical theatre groups. I would say it properly started the summer between my second and third year at University of York- over the holidays my dad would insist on taking me to really run down little open mic nights in the local town just to get me in front of an audience (even if it was just a handful of people who weren't really listening). I remember being so nervous because I was still getting used to playing guitar and singing at the same time! Then when term started I made my way to a couple of open mic nights and it grew from there really. I've always loved singing, but as a kid I imagined being on stage, being just like Julie Andrews or Lea Salonga. I kind of fell into what I'm doing now because it was the easiest way of getting to sing in front of people. No one to audition to, you can play what you like, and you accompany yourself.

What appeals to you about busking? Do you enjoy engaging with the public?

Busking is so great because it's the perfect way of monitoring how well you're performing. If I have a new song I've written, I'll start playing it, and see whether people react well with their change or comments.

You can choose your working hours and days to a degree, and it's the most brilliant promotion. How better to spread your music then sitting in town playing to thousands of passers by? It's a really satisfying job, especially when people come up, or email after, saying how you brightened their day. It makes it very worth while, especially on cold miserable January days when proper jobs indoors start to look quite appealing.

Who/what are your musical influences? Do these show in your original songs?

All sorts. For my folky solo stuff of course I'd have to say Eva Cassidy. Her control was so good, I try to mimic her softly softly approach. Then there's Joni, I love her crazy vocal riffs and storytelling- Scott Matthews, Ray LaMontagne, Dougie Maclean, Mary Black, Fleetwood Mac, Birdy etc etc. Then there's the other side of my music career (I play in the Croft and Mullen band with my unbelievably good pianist friend Karl) which is all about Ella, Etta, Nina, Fats Waller, the Ink spots, Billie, Dinah, Bing, Al Green, the list goes on.

Yes sometimes. I find it really difficult to write so I like to pretend that I'm writing a song for someone I admire. My newest song "never going to be" was written for Joni Mitchell and Laura Marling. It really helps take the pressure off so it's less obviously personal to me. That or I write at 4am and come out with something all mine, like "Rainier Day".

What’s your favourite song to perform?

I enjoy playing my originals, but not telling anyone I wrote them so if they don't like them I can pretend it's someone else's song! It does feel really great when people react well to something so so personal as a song you've written though. Cover wise, it would be "Fields of Athenry". I took a leaf out of Eva's book and stripped back a song which is usually belted out by burly men according to most versions on YouTube.

You can hear it on my new cover album, Live at Paper Plane Records! *shameless plug!

Rachel Croft: Which do you favour the most? Creating cover songs or creating original songs and why?

Both have their place in my repertoire for certain, but I suppose song writing shows an extra level of skill.

Lots of people can copy a song, but less people can actually write one. I noticed such a positive difference in people's reactions to my music and me when I performed my own songs, especially from other local musicians I admire.

Since you do busk a lot around York is there any other places you’d like to play nationally? And internationally and why?

I have to say, I love busking in York. It's safe, I know how it works, I know most of the other buskers, I have a good relationship with some of the local shops and cafes, and generally everyone watches out for each other. I haven't busked anywhere else before and the thought does make me feel a bit nervous. I suppose I'd like to play in any historic town- Bath, Norwich, Edinburgh, Cambridge- places with parts of the city where people can just sit and soak in an atmosphere. London sounds like a nightmare! I need calm spots to busk successfully, packed thoroughfares are a big no no. Internationally, wherever would have me! I'd love to travel more through my music- I'd focus more on getting into festivals though.

You’ve currently been working with local musician Dan Webster to create a covers album. What have you learnt from this process of creating the album?

"Live at Paper Plane Records" is what it says- live (and pretty minimally edited). Mainly this was because of money. Busking has no guarantees of how much you'll earn, so you're always a bit nervous until rent has been made for that month. It feels like a long time ago since I recorded those songs, but I'm pretty sure we just sat down and I played each one twice through and we picked the best take for Dan to tweak the mic levels on. Another good thing about busking and performing live almost every day- you get good at not screwing up so often. Fewer takes mean less hours in the studio- Dan has done a fantastic job, hence it is named after his studio. I'm really proud it.

What are you planning on doing next? Any upcoming gigs, releases, tours?

My actual EP is next on the agenda. I've been meaning to get around to it and I've been putting it off because I want it to be perfect, but you're never going to be 100% happy with your own songs so I think it's time. I've also been sorting out slots at next year's festivals in the UK and abroad, which I'll be posting about once confirmed, along with all my public gigs, on my Facebook page (Rachel Croft Music).

We hope that you enjoyed this interview with Rachel Croft. This is a musician that definitely deserves more attention so go ahead over to her social media and give her a follow. We’re sure that you won’t be disappointed with what you hear.

Production:

Mic’ing: Mic’ing When it comes to recording Acoustic guitars, again there is really no right or wrong way of doing so, it’s generally whatever sounds good or, whatever sound you are aiming for. Before we get to recording techniques I thought I would point out where certain sounds can be heard and how the acoustic guitar is built.

The acoustic guitar is mainly different from its electronic counterpart due to its hollow body, which is used to amplify the sound it creates, unlike its electric, which uses pickups to amplify itself. By having a hollow body it allows the guitar to be louder than the electric when there is no electricity. Electro acoustics have the best of both, with a hollow body and electronic pickups. The bad point about these is the amount of feedback caused by the air within the body of the guitar, which limits the sound it can create.

From an acoustic guitar, as stated above the sound mainly resonates from the sound hole. Most of the sound from this area is the deep and more bass-like parts of the sound, and the higher pitch sounds resonate from the neck of the guitar. Placing the microphone in the correct place really makes a difference as to what sound it captures.

When really looking for a certain sound, the wood that the guitar is made of really makes a difference, as the sound resonates differently through different wood densities, for instance. Is you used Mahogany on an acoustic guitar it would being out more of the mid tones from the guitar while Maple and Koa brings out the higher notes used in finger picking, so it all depends on what style of playing you are looking for.

The same goes for electric guitars as the wood can decide on the bright, or harshness of the sound you have. The sound is mainly a combination of what wood the body and the neck is.

Guitars:: Guitars: The first microphone position is simply one microphone in front of the guitar, facing somewhere between the body and the neck of the guitar. Preferably use a condenser microphone as you can pick up a lot more clarity without it being right on the guitar, which may impact on the player. This technique can be adjusted depending on if you need more bass or more treble sounds from it by simply moving it towards the sound hole, or moving it further up the neck. I would also suggest the guitar to be around 6 inches away from the guitar, but still facing it as it will pick up a decent sound from there without getting in the way of the player. Good microphone choices for this would be the NT2a if your on a tight budget as this isn’t too expensive. My personal preference is the sE Titan. This is a beautiful microphone, which really brings out the sounds of an acoustic guitar.

The second one can be changed around a little to make it a little better for the sound. It involves two microphones, for this one I prefer to use NT55s as it allows precise points and when paired together can sounds really nice. It’s essentially a spaced pair with one near the sound hole, and the other pointing toward the neck. This allows you to get a nice amount of bass and treble and the second microphone can also be used to pick up clarity on the frets as the player moves around on them. This is similar to the above technique because you can move the microphone to a better place if need be so that you get more bass or more treble.

There as other ways of recording acoustic guitar but these two are the most commonly used as they are two of the most effective. If you find a better way to record acoustic guitar let us know, as we’d love to hear your techniques!

Garden’s Gate:

Garden’s Gate: Garden Gate’s ‘Dark Harvest’ follows the story of a gothic heroine discovering a portal within a mansion.

The ‘Technician’ behind the album, Meskers is supported by members of Brown Recluse and White candles – both of which Meskers has had previous involvement with. The combination of these two projects has fused electronica and pop, and the result is unique. Based on tarot readings, inspired by Italian Horror film soundtracks and elements of the mythological, Dark Harvest’s arrangements can be pretty spooky.

The first track, ‘Spiral Staircase’ starts off with low, gentle, and drawn out vocals. The track is pretty eerie, and (in the least nerdy way possible) reminded me of the slow electronic build-ups in Bowser’s castle levels in Super Mario.

‘Moonchild’ is a complete tone change, with jazzy piano backing, the song builds towards mellowness whilst retaining livelier vocals. ‘Hidden Place’ sounds like a combination of The Pixies and The Beatles – the lyrics, ‘I just wanna take you to that hidden land’, simultaneously explore childhood innocence and dark adult desires. This track sounds like it could perfectly soundtrack the animated gothic film Coraline.

It would also fit perfectly with the eerie, childlike horror game, ‘Ib’. The song is also (unintentionally, I presume) a dead ringer for Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box, creating an interesting comparison between grunge thrash and fantastical electronic/pop/gothic.

‘The Ten of Swords’ is a very theatrical track. This can be explained by Meskers himself, who has stated that ‘The Ten of Swords is the Tarot’s card of bottoming out. […] Indicating that you have reached bottom, there is nowhere to go but up when your Tarot reader draws the Ten of Swords’. Drawing an uplifting message from such a negative sign is a real indicator of Mesker’s unique outlook, one that is applied in his music to create mystical storytelling.

‘Secret Passage’ is a string heavy interlude, leading beautifully into ‘Pest House’, a slow arrangement which combines sci-fi sound effects with elements of trance. ‘Ghost Train’, oddly enough, seemed to contain some underlying folk influences. Rapid guitar is dramatically slowed towards a chilled out chorus before the track picks up its pace once again to delve straight back into goth and electronic.

‘Water Witching’ has sounds similar to The Special’s Halloween classic ‘Ghost Town’, a strong, underlying layer of bass gives more texture to this track than others. ‘Lunar Barque’ shows some influence from Pink Floyd and Bowie, and ‘House of Learning’ takes on a fun, colloquial tone. These tracks are a clever mix of old classics and new electronica – it’s something that works very effectively to create unique music.

The title track, ‘Dark Harvest’ is so trance-like it almost feels like a pocket watch is being swung in front of your eyes. Once my pupils returned to their normal size, I was able to rate Garden Gate’s new album with 8.5/10. The combination of 60’s psychedelic pop and theatrical horror soundtracks creates something pretty new. The story of this album is fascinating, and I suggest you give it a listen to find out what Garden Gate’s gothic heroine finds within the portal!

Love Zombies:

Love Zombies: We have another interview for you to read! This time it’s from the London based band Love Zombies. Hollis Mahady and Davey Fitzsimon have taken the time to answer some questions about their influences, the experiences of tour life and the future for Love Zombies. If this interests you and you want to learn more about the band then read on: Hello Hollis and Davey. First off, thank you for taking the time in answering these questions. For the lovely readers who may not know who you are do you want to introduce yourselves and the band and give a little background information for them?

Hi Rachel. No problem! We are happy to talk! Love Zombies is a band that was formed in London England in 2014 when I was over from America visiting and met songwriter Davey Fitzsimon. It all just magically fell together. We immediately connected and started writing songs. We started Love Zombies and started playing shows and festivals all over England and haven’t looked back since.

Why did you choose to be a duo band? Did you like the change from being in a band with multi members Hollis, when it came to Hey! Hello!, or did you just believe that it helped with the sound that you were hoping to create? Or are there any other reasons that I may not have noted down as to the reason as to why you are a duo band?

I wouldn’t exactly label us as a “duo band”. Love Zombies is a band…and what we do is best represented when there is a full band to do that.. but Davey and I , who are the nucleus of the band can go out and perform as a duo now and play anytime if we want to. When I was living in England full time, though I tried, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep a full band together due to financial and visa restrictions.

Does this make it harder to create songs because there are so little of you in a band or does it make it easier to manage as a whole?

Davey and I found a formula that works for us and we stick to it. I love having a full band, it has its advantages for sure and can be a lot more fun sometimes. The major drawback for me about a band though is that if one person in the band isn’t on the same page it can stop the whole show and slow everyone down. I experienced that feeling for so many years by different situations and I felt it really held me back.

It took a long time for me to find a partner like Davey and for us to develop a system that works for us and people who understand the way we do things and want to be part of it. The way I operate these days is that if a musician wants to play with us, can do the job the right way, is a cool person and wants to go on the Love Zombies ride…then we will do the best we can to look after them and make their experience playing with Love Zombies as fun and enriching as possible.

Looking back at your band’s history it is known that there were two bands that Hollis was in for a period of time. What was the reason for Hollis to decide between Love Zombies and Hey! Hello!

Was it personal reasons or a change of direction that the other Hey! Hello! band members were experiencing at that time?

Hey Hello was a great experience for Hollis and she was grateful to be part of it for a short time. As many people may or may not know, she started her own band Love Zombies and spent 2 years prior in London building it from the ground up with Davey..this is after over 8 years of playing the scene in New York and Los Angeles with her own band “Hollis”. Love Zombies was slowly moving it’s way up when Hollis caught the attention of Ginger after he produced 2 tracks from their EP and she sang at his Birthday Bash. When Ginger asked her to do some shows with Hey Hello, be their singer and record an album with them she thought it would be a great opportunity. Ultimately though she knew the kind of commitment Hey Hello deserved and what would be required from her as a full time member. Although she tried to make it work while living in England and though it could, after having to move back to the USA and deciding to permanently relocate home, for financial and visa restrictions along with other personal reasons, she knew it wouldn’t be feasible to remain in both bands long term. She was forced to make a decision and while she loved her bandmates in Hey Hello along with the music-- her heart was ultimately with the band she

Love Zombies: created and she was not prepared to leave Davey high and dry, after he stood by her, made sacrifices along side her and was the one who helped her develop Love Zombies-- the band that gave her the platform to catch everyone’s attention to begin with.

What are you most looking forward to with your tour in September with The Amorettes? Are there any aspects of this tour that are going to be challenging for the band? Are you nervous about certain aspects of the tour?

We are most looking forward to coming to the UK and playing our new album for our fans that bought it through our pledge campaign. I am really excited to get back on stage and to be doing our first Co Headline tour with The Amorettes- a group of chicks I really admire! We were always opening for other bands and playing festivals…which was cool…but this will be great in a new way because it is the first time people are coming out to specifically see us . The Blackheart gig in London is SOLD OUT now! It’s a true homecoming as this was the first place I ever played with Love zombies. I’m not nervous about the tour…just excited..I hope everything goes well…and all the equipment and the Tour bus works! I guess that’s the only thing sometimes I worry about.

What would you say your musical influences range from? What genres influence you the most and which artists have had the biggest impact on you as a band?

We definitely have a lot of punk roots like Blondie, The Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, The Buzzock etc. … the artists who had a big impact on us as well are a lot of the bands from the 60’s/70’s power pop. . Hollis’s favorite type of music is 60’s and 70’s folk rock and power pop. Hollis and Davey both love John Lennon and The Beatles. So I think our music is really a cross between punk and power pop.

You just released the ‘Age of Aqaurius’ cover song. Is there any new music being made in the studio or are you just collecting ideas for future releases at the moment?

Well we just finished out brand new debut album Passionfruit in the studio ( you can still go pledge and pre order it at www.pledgemusic.com/lovezombies) ! We recorded that with Alain Johannes ( Queens of Stone Age, PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys, Jimmy Eat World) and Joey Castillo ( Danzig, QOSA, Eagles of Death Metal). We pretty much have our second album already written but have been recording demos and some new songs for our pledgers.

Finally, what does the future look like for Love Zombies? Apart from the tour, what other plans do you have in store for fans to look forward to?

We plan to record some videos for some of the tracks off the album. We plan to start playing full band live shows back in California and tour the states.

We plan to go to Australia/ New Zealand and Japan. I am busy working on a Love Zombies Merchandise Line and teaming up with children’s author and cartoonist Chris White ( go check him out! at http://veggievampire.com ) to work on some Love Zombies children’s books.

I hope to be back in the UK for Festival season next summer. And the fans definitely have a second album to look forward to!!

Thank you to both Hollis and Davey for taking the time to answer these questions. We hope you enjoyed the interview and will enjoy the rest of this E-Magazine.

Lakuta:

Lakuta: This group hailing from Brighton describes their music on their Facebook page as a mixture of Afro, Jazz, Soul and Funk. I would also argue there are other genres hidden among the tracks in the album too. This debut 10 track album is jam packed with gems and intriguing instrumentals. Along with the previous genres mentioned in this review it has been also stated that the band have a tropical album with said album and I have to incline to agree with this. This album sounds like it was recorded somewhere in the Mediterranean. These particular sounds have been inspired from their roots which range from Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Malaysia and Europe and this definitely shows throughout the album.

Throughout the album we have an onslaught of sounds to listen to and be intrigued by. In some parts of the album, especially the second half of the album, it can be argued that there are some perhaps Latin American influences seeping through into the music as well. This creates a varied style throughout the album and will definitely hold the listener’s attention. It’s not just the instrumentals that will hold the listener’s attention though. The lyrics themselves have been carefully crafted to flow well with the music but have been used to create bold statements in regards to politically and socially important questions. It seems that the band themselves are more interested with social issues and this can be shown in tracks such as ‘Bata Boy’, ‘Rice & Peace’ and ‘Mr Serious’. Other topics that are discussed in this album is the form of art itself and how it can be viewed as a profitable scheme by others and a way of life by others in the song ‘So Sue Us’. Even though these tracks are dealing with some complicated issues they explore the issues well through each track and the music compliments each one.

Overall, this album allows the listener to delve into many different genres and topics that will both inform and interest the listener to go out and do their own research on the individual topics that the album brings up. Personally, I am extremely impressed with the album throughout. I enjoyed the extreme variety of music the band was able to pack into it and how it flowed well together. The musicians in this group are ones that know how to meld together creative music with bold, political and socially conscious lyrics. This is what I would love to see in new music more often; the chance for artists to pick out on important topical issues and speak freely about them in their music and I believe that this album is one of the albums that is leading the way to that state of mind in the music industry. This is definitely one of my favourite albums of the year; make sure it becomes one of yours by going and checking it out on Bandcamp!

Top TOp 5:

Top 5: Video Game: No Man’s Sky No Man’s Sky is possibly the largest game ever created with an extraordinary amount of universes and planets to visit, making everyone’s experience of the game completely different. Although many people have taken a disliking to the game, I feel the game is full of surprising places, animals and aliens which makes for a fun experience. Plus the soundtrack is amazing!

Tv Show: Orphan Black II’ve never really been into Sci-Fi that much but when I decided to start watching Orphan Black it made me interested in the genre. This show has crazy plot lines, great character development and amazing acting from Tatiana Maslany. Even though the last season is next year you’d be crazy not to start binge watching this on Netflix!

Album: AJJ - The Bible 2 The latest album from AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad) could be described as both their weirdest and best yet. Highlights include Goodbye, Oh Goodbye (complete with bizarre music video parodying Ok Go) Junkie Church and White Worms, where AJJ criticise Journey as "some dumb dick" who "says 'don't stop believing"

Track: ‘Hold It In’ by Jukebox The Ghost is an uplifting indie-pop track, which disguises cynicism within cheery choruses which actually refer to hiding emotions – the narrator describes life as an anxious spiral of ‘oh-my-god-if-i-tell-him-he’ll-tell-her-and-then-she-will-know-i-like-her!’. Much like a tweet which dismisses genuine sadness with a light-hearted meme, Jukebox The Ghost casually comes to the revelation that suppression isn’t the best thing in the world.

Instagram: Vic Firth (@aricimprota) Drummers are not only one of the hardest members to find for a band, but finding a good one is even harder. Vic Firth (Commonly known for its sticks) helps to showcase some of the best from time to time, support artist from around the world. Check out this video and their Instagram as well.

In review:

In Review:: review: Fort Myers This group from Warrington in the UK provide the listener with extremely catchy guitar riffs and a very talented female singer. Their style could be deemed under ‘indie’ but I believe that they’re able to create the sounds as their own. The lyrics do border on to the ‘emo’ genre with lyrics such as ‘And nothing matters cos I’m not okay/Nothing else matters cos I’ll run away’.

However, there’s no specific one genre that I would catogarise this band. I think they’ve pulled a lot of their influences together and been able to use them in an effective way that will keep listeners both entertained and interested with their sound. They’ve also been able to use their influences to create a new sound that has no pin point influence in it.

Even though the EP only spans three songs the band are able to show their talents effectively throughout.

The vocals, the are supplied by Elizabeth Yarwood, are pristine throughout the EP and meld well with the music. The fact that this is the group’s first EP definitely puts a high level of expectation for their upcoming releases. We will be interested in knowing the future releases of this band.

Sugar Candy Mountain Sugar Candy Mountain are an astro-pop bad from California, who describe their sound as “Brian Wilson dropping acid on a beach”. They’re currently preparing to tour starting in October so if you happen to live in California or Nevada be on the look out for that.

Their latest album, released earlier in July, has a bizarre title for such a twee-named group but they play it perfectly, and this contrast lends itself well to the contrast that can be seen in their music between powerful guitar riffs and the softly sung vocals of frontwoman Ash Reiter. For me, the stand out track from this record is Eye On You. This song sounds a lot clearer than the other songs, which seem to have a thin layer of fuzz on the top (a la Neutral Milk Hotel). That’s not to say that I don’t love the fuzz, but the indiepop sounding Eye On You resonates with me the most, sounding more Belle & Sebastian than NMH. Free from the psychedelic reverd of other tracks, Reiter’s vocals really shine here. The title track also departs from the heavier riffs, providing an overall more soft song, where Reiter almost whispers the key number, providing the kind of incongruity that can only come from an album whose title is way more heavy metal than its astro-pop contents would want to be. Then again, since when did metal have a monopoly on cool? This album certainly is that, with banging tunes and all the indie cred you need. It’s no wonder the limited edition pink vinyl press has sold out just a month later: who could ask for a better format from a band with such a delicious sounding name who make hot jams?

It’s quite clear that the Sugar Candy Mountain have really got this group cohesion thing on lock, so much so that it’s impossible to say what the sound would be like in a smaller unit. The band name is amazing, the album title is a mystery, and the songs are magnificent. If SCM aren’t already in your music collection, you should add them to it immediately, before they get so famous you lose your indie street cred.

In Review:: review: ‘Renegade Nation’, the brainchild of Daniel Kouble, is a source of self-produced independent music which ranges from retrofuturist, steampunk and virtually every other punk subgenre to theatrical tracks and even a soundtrack for Kouble’s own graphic novel, ‘The Chronos Agency’. ‘Renegade Nation’ displays a chameleon’s ability to blend into any pre-established genre, and a genuine edge, which is rarely found in mass produced music.

The music videos and songs themselves vary widely in theme, for example ‘Council of XIII’ is packed to the rim with illuminati symbols and conspiracy theories overlaying Daniel happily playing fast riffs in a steampunk top hat, the track shows some influence from Bowie and The Pet Shop Boys.

The video for ‘Lightspeed to Centauri’ on the other hand takes on an intergalactic theme – the song itself sounds like something straight out of ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’ soundtrack, accompanied by sci-fi sound effects for emphasis. This ability to take on genres whilst keeping them fresh is further demonstrated in the western themed ‘The Bible and The Gun’, which takes elements from blues music. This song showcases a skill for storytelling and atmosphere creation, with Daniel singing his character’s way ‘through badlands and desert sun’.

The final track, ‘The Chronos Agency’ is a lyric-less piece which accompanies Daniel’s self-produced Graphic Novel of the same title. To get the best of this affect I suggest you watch the video yourself – the story mixes gothic, steampunk and post-apocalyptic elements and combine with Daniels skill for electronic and alternative music creates a distinctively otherworldly atmosphere.

The effort put into each of these tracks and videos is personal and undeniable –Kouble never sticks to one clear theme, and this diversity keeps ‘Renegade Nations’ original songs fresh.

Jherek Bischoff – Cistern An early album to this month, that may have been a little forgotten by now, but this is one to dig back out and give a second round of listening to non-stop. Bischoff creates beautiful textures with a range of instruments, utilising everything, strings at the core and then adding guitars and a plethora of other instruments. This is an unconventional album, as it seems more of a composed album rather than a band, which we’re used to. Swapping riffs of melodies and motifs to create an album fit for the screen, although it is grand wash through our studio setup. Definitely an artist to keep an eye on for his next body of work.

Suicide Squad:

Suicide Squad: squad: I tried to go into Suicide Squad open-minded, ignoring some awful reviews and stories surrounding the film’s production. Regardless, Suicide Squad still felt like a bad mash up of ‘Guardians of The Galaxy’, ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Batman Forever’. But at least ‘Batman Forever’ was bright and silly, a pinch of what 2016’s superhero films seem to be dropping in favour of a Bruce Wayne in desperate need of cough medicine. The vibrancy in Suicide Squad comes in the form of unsubtle character building, I.E: Showing The Joker’s evil by surrounding him in a circle of knives and baby clothes. The worst case of trying to lighten the mood is the casual romanticism of Harley Quinn and The Joker’s relationship – well known as abusive, now marketed as ‘relationship goals’.

Suicide Squad opens with a brief introduction to Deadshot (Will Smith), punching a bag, being fed some weird loaf with toenails in it and beating up a lot of guards – not phenomenal stuff. Then, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) dangles alluringly from her prison cell bars, wearing an awful lot of Nothing. Out of absolutely nowhere, awkwardly timed and clunky, ‘You Don’t Own Me’ starts playing. The song is such an unsubtle, and if I’m honest, a pretty f**king lazy attempt to characterise without actually doing any legwork.

I’m not quite sure what business Eminem, War and a Panic! At The Disco cover of Bohemian Rhapsody have doing on the same soundtrack in the first place. Comparing Suicide Squad to its first trailer accompanied by the opera-style ‘I Started A Joke’, it is clear that ‘fun’ pop songs, combined with only six weeks of writing and millions spent on reshooting to be ‘funnier’ have been a ditch attempt to quickly sell this film to the wrong kind of audience.

We are introduced to Amanda Waller, arguably the strongest character performed beautifully by Viola Davis, who narrates the badly edited introductions to Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killercroc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), El Diablo (Jay Henandez), Katana (Karen Fukuhara) and Dr. Moon/Enchantress (Cara Delevigne). These characters, mostly minor, are asked to deal with the kind of shit they usually cause. Did I say usually? I meant always, since Cara Delevigne’s Enchantress causes the ‘terrorist event’ the squad must defeat – warping the plot into an unfortunate Mobius strip.

As far as villains go, Enchantress falls flat. Her main skills involve waving her arms, begging for her brother’s help, kissing men to turn them into bubbleheaded soldiers and gradually evolving, like a sad pokemon, losing a layer of clothing each time.

Suicide Squad: squad:

An enlightening feature of Suicide Squad is Fukuhara’s performance as Katana. It is a sin that () has so few lines – her character is strong, vengeful, and apparently conforms for very little reason. This young actress delivers a stunning first ever film performance that could be easily place her in Kill Bill or Sin City.

The film does improve halfway through, once all separate storylines are brought together into one action fuelled journey. There are some fantastic shots, one in particular involves a rolling helicopter and the entire squad being thrown around inside. The friendship between our favoured protagonists Deadshot and Harley is healthy and heartwarming. Harley decides to give up a chance of saving the Joker from assumed death in favour of her squad and saves the day – a feminine victory which was really necessary in a film burdened with sexism (Especially on behalf of Captain Boomerang). This victory is short-lived, when the joker (wearing a bullet proof vest with his name printed across it in huge lettering – because who needs surprises) bursts back in.

The saving grace of this film is without a doubt Robbie’s performance. One scene in which she is perched atop of a car sobbing, before turning around pretending everything is fine for the sake of her squad, bears a striking emotional resemblance to () thompson’s (-winning) act in ‘Love Actually’. Her character is acted out with such clear nods to her comic book origins, it is a shame that her flashbacks with the Joker were mostly cut from the film – by providing only two scenes in which she is shown as Dr Harleen Quinzel, a lot of Harley’s wisdom is ignored in favour of a quirky, arse-shot, ‘I sleep with who I want, when I want’ shell.

This film had potential. Potential for a lot of great characters to be gradually introduced and developed fully. But all these characters achieve is stopping what they created, and return to the exact same state, or cell, they were in at the start of the film. No character arcs are present in this film, a pretty basic requirement of cinema. The film covers action pretty well, with some great combat scenes in which each squad member gets a pop, even shy El Diablo eventually gets fired up. We can only hope that the next time Suicide Squad is picked up by executives, it’s with some fine surgical equipment, to pull back its muddled up skin and find the heart beneath.

Playlists:

Playlists: Alex Reading and Leeds was only last month, so we thought we would make a playlist that may just help you reminisce in who was there. With all the headliners and co-headliners included and a few little surprises such as The King Blues, Good Charlotte and Skindred to help remember the band that weren’t headlining.

Scott My ‘relaxing tunez’ playlist is a carefully curated mix of indie, folk, and little bit of alternative r&b to chill out to at any time. Although originally intended as a hangover mix, I’ve found it useful for relaxing in all situations. Featuring The Mountain Goats, Rilo Kiley, and Childish Gambino, this is a bit of a mixed bag but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it

Gig Guide: 1st September 2016 - Fibbers, York, Holy + The Crackers, Buffalo Skinners (Coheadliner!), £8, 7.30pm.

1st September 2016 – Black Swan, York, Greg Russell + Ciaran Algar, £11/ Concs. £10.

3rd September 2016 – The Basement, York, Open Mic Night, Free, 7.30pm.

8th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, The Jam Movement (Ex-The Jam), King Mojo, £7, 7.30pm.

8th September 2016 – Black Swan, York, Hungrytown, £9/ Concs. £8.

8th September 2016 – The Basement, York, Tunes in Two Cities, £5 ADV/£6 OTD, 8pm.

9th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, Celestial Fire, £12, 7.30pm.

9th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, The Craig Charles Funk + Soul Club, £14, 11pm.

9th – 11th September 2016 – New Inn, Eccup, Leeds, The Leeds Custom + Classic Bike show (Live music included), Tickets from £5 - £20.

10th September 2016 – Wakefield, Redemption Festival 2016, Tickets from £10 to £20 OTD. 10th September 2016 – The Garage, Swansea, Multistory, £6.50.

15th September 2016 – Black Swan, York, Singers + Musicians Night, £ OTD/ Concs. £2/ Performers £1.

16th Septemeber 2016 – The Crescent, York, The Damien O’Kane Band, £15/ OTD £17.

17th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, Richard Hawley, Boss Caine, £25, 7.30pm.

17th September 2016 – The Basement, York, The Lucid Dream + Special Guests, £7 ADV, 8pm.

17th September 2016 – Elger Studios, Leeds, Glass Caves + Delamere, £6 ADV/ £8 OTD, 7pm.

20th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, The English Beat, Page 45, The Magnificent 7, £16, 7.30pm.

20th September 2016 – The Basement, York, Nothern Radar Presents Jordan MacKampa + Special Guests, £5 ADV, 8pm.

21st September 2016 – Fibbers, York, The Headhunters, £17.50, 7.30pm.

21st September 2016 – York Barbican, York, Ronan Keating, £39.20, 7pm.

22nd September 2016 – Black Swan, York, Hannah Sanders + Ben Savage.

23rd September 2016 – Fibbers, York, King No-One, Special Guests, £6/£12 VIP, 7.30pm.

24th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, A Joker’s Rage, Rusted Hero, As Sirens Fall, £5, 7.30pm.

24th September 2016 – Rotherman Town Centre, Clifton Park 12, Rotherman Carnival, 12pm.

28th September 2016 – Fibbers, York, Gaye Bykers on Acid, £15, 7.30pm.

29th September 2016 – Black Swan, York, David Francey + Mark Westberg, £10/ Concs. £9.

30th September 2016 – Plough Inn, Marfield, Open Mic/Jam Night, 8pm.

30th September 2016 – New ROOTS club, Headingly, Leeds, Skinner + Twitch + Vicky Whelan, £6, 9pm.

Follow us: FB/TW/Insta:MadAliceRecords WWW.MadAliceRecords.co.uk