The ever expanding world of music genres can be, to the uninitiated, a baffling experience. Over recent years, the trend amongst journalists seems to be to create increasingly ridiculous genres (and sub genres) for new artists, rather than attempt to define them within the existing musical spectrum. Is it simply lazy journalism? Well no, not necessarily.
Read MoreNostalgia is a part of life. And so is music, especially if you are an arts and music lover like myself. Have you ever thought back to a time when one specific album changed your life in ways you never would have expected?
Read MoreI sometimes find myself at a gig thinking...jeez, who told them they sounded good!? And this is why I wouldn’t make a very good critic. The trouble is, I have too many opinions and not all of them are kind. I think to be a critic it’s good to be neutral to a degree, take an overview and be objective. But I love music so much; so I’m passionate, opinionated and subjective.
Read MoreWhat is the point of spending £50 on a limited edition vinyl when that artist will only be charging £12.99 for that same album in MP3 format? Is it just trendy to reject the mainstream? Is Vinyl a fad, or is this the second coming of The Record?
Read MoreA night at the theatre, a recorded live album from one of America’s best-loved soul bands, a dive into cultural surroundings and musical differences, and some plastic tapes. For one person, they all add up to a musical awakening.
Read MoreTrigger Warning - this article openly discusses suicide and suicidial ideation
Suicidal ideation isn’t really openly discussed in any social setting that I’m aware of. I’ve talked about it briefly with my mental health friends, but it rarely gets past the point of acknowledging that we both aren’t that adverse to dying, and then swiftly moving on. Let’s face it, talking about suicide and suicidal ideation is rarely an enjoyable or comfortable conversation, so why bring it up (outside of therapy) at all?
Read MoreAttacking an independent store merely because they want to target a wider demographic is unjustified. If Demi truly wanted to attack diet culture, she should have called out the large corporations who produce these items rather than small local businesses who have had enough economic losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read MoreCringe itself is a clash of two things: self perception and the perception of others. There is more than one type of this clash though. Melissa Dahl talks about this duality in Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, where she explores compassionate cringe and contemptuous cringe.
Read MoreBut festival sets are another thing. They are not just the music, they are everything else in between. Conjuring up memories of the whole weekend and where it fits into the story of your life - who you were with, the weather, the sets you missed, the people you met, the journey there and the journey home, the comedown.
Read MoreFestivals aren’t always just about the music. Your make-shift campsite, the people you camp with, the people you meet and the things you share are all part of the experience too. However, watching live music and discovering new bands are definitely what makes a festival memorable.
Read MoreI was trying to cook and needed something to listen to but for all the marvels of the modern world, with every song ever written at my fingertips, I could not choose. Did I want something sad, or would that make it worse? Happy, or would that feel false? Could I cope with new music, or would that exhaust me? The answer was simple: radio.
Read MoreMusic allows me a special kind of freedom, it unlocks a deep corner of my imagination and gives me physical symptoms for just how much I love it - I’m talking goosebumps, shivers and smiling ear to ear. The kind of things that if you did them on a public bus people would move very far away. A lot further than two metres I’m telling you. (Not that I know from experience or anything.)
Read MoreWhen I say to think of a drummer, I guarantee you that the image of them will be a white male. Your inner feminist will fight it but you’re not to blame, we can blame the patriarchal society we all live in.
Read MoreTom Cox sums this aspect of guilty pleasures up perfectly in his tweet: ‘What people mean by the term “guilty pleasure” 99.5% of the time is “something genuinely joyous pretentious dickheads told me not to like’’.
Read MoreSo, it seems that the idea that politics has a place in music is pretty undeniable. However, where the debate about the place of politics in music has become particularly controversial and difficult to navigate is with regards to cultural appropriation.
Read MoreSince the 60s, when Beatlemania infected the world with sold-out stadiums and screaming young girls, we have put boybands on a particularly high pedestal – actually more like a poster-painted shrine covered in hand-drawn hearts.
Read MoreThere’s just something about hearing a womxn making strange, boundary-breaking, eerie sounds that made me want to sob deeply and simultaneously screech in excitement without explanation. And it still does.
Read MoreOn a chilly February evening, I went to see Big Thief at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith and had no idea how momentous that night would later become. Gigs have been a consistent source of joy throughout my life, and I never imagined I’d go a whole year without one.
Read MoreOn deeper inspection, Drake’s actions and artistry paint a problematic career. Manipulation and deceit run deep through his history, and in inspecting these factors, it is clear to see Canada’s musical crown jewel must answer for his gross misdemeanours.
Read MoreIt’s about dancing and finding your tribe. I found mine in the 90’s when I moved to Bristol, a mixed bunch of travellers, hippy/punk ravers and techno mad nutters. I spent a fair amount of time at Lakota on the weekends (not sure you’d get away with calling a club that now).
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