Track Of The Day: Little Pale – ‘The Way You Used To Be’

A bittersweet reflection on life before technology took over; London-based newcomer Little Pale has shared her debut single ‘The Way You Used To Be’. It was her sultry remix of The Stone Roses’ classic track ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ first caught our attention, but her debut single is a wonderful example of her ability to write electro-pop tunes laced with melancholy.

Speaking about ‘The Way You Used To Be’, the songwriter explains: “It’s a reminiscing of the old, and comment on the new. Since the rise of tech, things have become so saturated, and while it definitely brings more opportunities, it does give me a longing for a simpler time”. Little Pale – so-called due to her stature and pallor – has overcome self doubt and feelings of anxiety to create her own sounds, and we’re excited to see what else she releases over the coming months.

Listen to ‘The Way You Used To Be’ below and follow Little Pale on Instagram for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

PLAYLIST: May 2019

Another month, another playlist to share with you all! May has been as fruitful as ever when it comes to new music, so we’re excited to share our top picks with you all. Take some time to scroll through our words and make sure you hit play on the Spotify link at the bottom of the page…

Dream Nails – ‘Vagina Police’
Our fave feminist punks Dream Nails released their EP Vagina Police last year, with all the profits donated to Abortion Support Network who are an organisation dedicated to supporting women & girl’s reproductive rights in the UK. With the news this month that the US state of Alabama has voted to outlaw abortion entirely – a law that offers no exception for rape or incest victims – it feels more important than ever to shout back. Here are some ways you may be able to help women affected by the new legislation. (Kate Crudgington)

Montauk Hotel – ‘White Billboards’
A luscious soundscape with a poignant context; Montauk Hotel released this single via Reckless Records. The Dublin-based band say their new track is a “reflection on the power of advertising in our society and how models and [industry] standards influence our choices, happiness, and feelings of adequacy”. (KC)

Julia Shapiro – ‘A Couple Highs’
“When the rest of my life felt out of control, I felt like this was my chance to be in control of everything” explains Julia Shapiro about her upcoming debut solo album Perfect Version, which is set for release on June 14th via Hardly Art. Having taken a step back from life as Chastity Belt’s vocalist & guitarist after a difficult year, Shapiro has returned with this second single from her new record and it’s a breezy, soothing drop of aural medicine. (KC)

Trash Kit – ‘Horizon’
Having wowed us at one of our first nights at The Finbsury, Trash Kit have now shared the brand new title track from their upcoming album. Inspired by how people interpret the planet, ‘Horizon’ oozes a shimmering effervescent joy and swirling sparkling energy. Interweaving twinkling hooks, jangly beats and funk-fused bass lines, its cascading sun-filled vibes build to a wonderfully life-affirming climax and rejuvenating euphoric haze.
Horizon, the upcoming new album from Trash Kit, is out 5th July via Upset The Rhythm. (Mari Lane)

Show Boy – ‘Video’
Having built a reputation over the last few years across London for his dazzling, energy-filled live shows, artist and producer Show Boy has now shared a brand new single. Taken from his upcoming Surreal EP, ‘Video’ is propelled by throbbing beats and a whirring danceable energy. An instantly catchy, sparkling alt-pop gem that demands multiple listens. (ML)

Pongo – ‘Chora’
‘Chora’ the latest single from Caroline International signing Pongo (who is an Angolan-Portuguese electronic artist) means “cry” in Portuguese. The track is taken from her debut EP Baia which documents her turbulent experiences when she fled Angola in the country’s violent civil war. Through blending Portuguese lyrics and musical references to the Angolan genre of Kuduro, which assimilates soca and samba alongside western touchstones like techno & dancehall  – it’s an absolute tune! (Tash Walker)

Lizzo (feat. Missy Elliott) – ‘Tempo’
It wouldn’t be a GIHE playlist without the inclusion of total queen, Lizzo. I cannot stop listening (and dancing!) to her critically acclaimed new album, Cuz I Love You, and this track sees a total dream of a collaboration with the utter legend that is Missy Elliott. Another hugely empowering, body positive anthem, with each listen of ‘Tempo’ I just get more and more excited about finally seeing Lizzo live later this month at Kentish Town Forum (maybe Missy will make a guest appearance….)(ML)

Pinky Pinky – ‘Do Me Dirty (Charlie)’
The new single from LA trio Pinky Pinky, ‘Do Me Dirty (Charlie)’ is an infectiously uplifting slice of garage rock. With shades of the likes of Hinds, it oozes sunny hooks and honey-sweet vocals, creating the perfect, sparkling summer-love anthem. Pinky Pinky are over in the UK next week, and I cannot wait to witness their scuzzy energy live at The Sebright Arms on 22nd May. Full info on dates here. (ML)

CLT DRP – ‘Speak To My’
The breathtakingly immense latest single from Brighton’s CLT DRP, ‘Speak To My’ is the ultimate track to put two fingers up to the patriarchy, and a perfect accompaniment to what’s happening in the world today. Blasting out a unique cacophony of intense electro-punk, ‘Speak To My’ addresses rejecting the male gaze and womxm owning their sexuality; a wonderfully riotous anthem highlighting CLT DRP as the future of feminist punk. And we cannot wait for them to headline our next night at The Finsbury on 14th June! (ML)

Ghum – ‘Get Up’
Having wowed us on numerous occasions with their immersive live performances, GIHE faves GHUM have now shared a new track from their upcoming EP. ‘Get Up’ is a hauntingly anthemic offering, perfectly showcasing GHUM’s goth-tinged, sparkling majesty and bewitching charisma. The Coldest Fire, the upcoming EP from GHUM, is out 28th June via Everything Sucks Music. Catch GHUM live at the launch party on 13th July at The Shacklewell Arms. (ML)

Bamboo Smoke – ‘Stretchmarks’
The latest single from South Londoners Bamboo Smoke who played a fantastic set for us at our first ever Notting Hill Arts Club gig. The band describe ‘Stretchmarks’ as their most vulnerable song to date. (TW)

Izzy Bizu – ‘Lights On’
Taken from the newly released EP Glita, this is the latest single from Izzy Bizu “about throwing caution to the wind and going with what you feel rather than what you think.” Free spirits listen up! (TW)

Wolf Alice – ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’
It’s my birthday on 25th May and if you’re a Wolf Alice nerd like I am, you’ll notice that’s the date on the poster of the dance competition Ellie Rowsell enters in the music video for this track. 29 years old and I’m still angst-ridden af and ready to dance to this song as soon as I hear the opening riff. HB2ME. (KC)

Get In Her EarsLeave a comment

Guest Blog: SONA

Our latest guest blog feature comes from Sona, an Armenian DIY musician based in South East London. In conjunction with the recent release of her Pity Party record, Sona writes here about her experiences living in London as a foreigner and the impact that has had on her music….

 

24th June 2016. The day Brexit was announced. Britain divided into two, with hate crimes soaring within the first few days. And, tragically, my 20th birthday. A heaviness plagued the air, infecting the otherwise sweet summery breeze and smell of various lemon-flavoured drinks. Two years later, I began to truly realise how these events, and other experiences I had since moving to London, had affected me.

There are so many layers to being Armenian or an immigrant – I don’t want to declare anything I’m about as whole or concrete, and my experience won’t be the same as someone else’s. The fact that I pass as white gave me a degree of privilege from the discriminatory crimes resulting from Brexit, but I was still subconsciously ashamed of being Armenian in public. An irrational yet rational fear of being undermined, scrutinised, and my ancient language being mocked explicitly or behind my back. I came from an unapologetic and loud Armenian household, to somewhere, where self-expression and emotions were regarded as uncomfortable or only available when intoxicated – somewhere where docility was praised.

Being foreign isn’t new to me – I grew up in Prague -, but in a cosmopolitan city like London, my otherness was pushed to new levels. London is so diverse, yet so segregated at the same time, and the narrative around culture or race is still taboo. It was hard to find people who actively wanted to engage with my culture/foreignness and weren’t uncomfortable around it, which consequently made me fixate on what it meant to me. I started writing and recording music that reflected my culture shock.

Months later, as I scrambled for ideas for a university project, I realised I could merge what I love doing, which was recording music, with academia. What attracted me to DIY recording was its availability and portability. It’s evolution over time with DAWs and modern interfaces allowed me to craft all layers from scratch and witness their progress. Digitisation meant I could delete and restart and work at any pace. I found the basis of my analysis – the effect of current DIY recording technology on songwriting. As I researched, a time obscured in my memory by fruitless trips to the library and endless bagels, I came across “The Temporary Autonomous Zone” by Hakim Bey, a piece of writing about DIY culture that resonated with me. Bey claimed that the act of creative self-expression by minorities created a temporary autonomous zone; a literal or metaphorical space “like an uprising which does not engage directly with the State, a guerrilla operation which liberates an area (of land, of time, of imagination) and then dissolves itself to re-form elsewhere/elsewhen, before the State can crush it”.

Soon, these songs became a coping mechanism against the disillusionment and isolation I felt whilst living as an immigrant in the UK. In my bedroom in Deptford, I was creating my own temporary autonomous zone, where instead of the British government and Queensbray estate agents, I was in charge. Whether consciously or subconsciously, minorities are constantly trying to create safe spaces for themselves in the virtual, in public spaces, or simply within their homes. Therefore, I chose to keep each recording imperfection – to document that space within the interstitial, to transport the listener to my most vulnerable and intimate space. I experimented with temporality, with the shortness of the songs, as a response to the fast-paced listening and recording culture of our time – our processes are non-linear, fractured, and immediate, transcending any notion of form or time. It was also an homage to the small everyday moments of my life that had their roots in my otherness. I felt strangely liberated by my self-imposed time and volume limits and it was my small rebellion of self-expression that I didn’t feel confident vocalising in real life.

In April 2018, after decades of extreme corruption and unspeakable crimes by the government, Armenia underwent a peaceful political revolution, overturning the previously authoritarian regime. Watching these events unfold from somewhere, where Armenia is either associated with the Kardashians or completely unheard of, was excruciating. I wanted to release this project to transcend us from popular discourse and contribute to my culture the best way I knew how. In a way, I regret sharing this as I feel that the beauty of music lies in our own personal connections. To say my whole project is about my cultural identity would be false – it was just the backdrop to what I was writing about. I invite personal connections, but I hope this gives my audience, whoever they are, some insight into what it represents to me.

Huge thanks to Sona for writing for us. You can check out her music via Bandcamp.

maudeandtrevorLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: LIINES – ‘On and On’

Following their 32-date tour around the UK with Sleaford Mods, GIHE faves and previous headliners for us at The Finsbury, LIINES return to the scene with their brand new single. A year after the release of their debut album Stop-Start, ‘On And On’ builds on their trademark rhythm-driven offerings with fantastically bright vocals and melodies.

Of the track, guitarist/vocalist Zoe McVeigh explains: “’On and On’ is about keeping everything down inside and driving yourself mad with the same looped thoughts.”

‘On and On’ plays on this idea with its repeating chorus structure and lyrics, completely holding its own. Prominent guitar riffs and thrashing percussion behind the breathtakingly bold vocals create LIINES’ stand-out post-punk vibe, setting them apart as wholly individual. Packing a mighty punch, it’s another truly impressive offering from the trio. 

 

‘On and On’ is out 24th May via Reckless Yes. Pre-order on Bandcamp and pre-save on Spotify now. Catch LIINES live:

30th May – Thousand Island, London (w/ fellow faves Chorusgirl, Art Trip and The Static Sound)
31st May – Bodega, Nottingham
1st June – Yes, Manchester

Bekky Smart
@bekkymays

mariangelicalane1 Comment