Track Of The Day: Alice Bag – ‘Spark’

Having wowed us a couple of years back with her all-star anthem about the gender pay gap – ’77’, prolific punk legend Alice Bag is back with the announcement of a brand new album, and we could not be more excited.

Ahead of the album’s release, she has now shared lead single ‘Spark’. A song about acceptance and self-love, it’s propelled by gritty hooks and a punk-fuelled frenzied energy as the raw power of Bag’s vocals rage with a passion. Asserting “Hell no, I’m not dimming my spark!”, she oozes an uplifting burst of empowering strength in the face of adversity; a wonderfully vibrant and super catchy celebration of queer culture and the joy that comes with being able to express your true self.

Of the new video for ‘Spark’, which stars winner of Dragula Season 1 – Vander Von Odd, Bag explains:

“I reached out to director Rudy Bleu Garcia, who along with Hex Ray Sanchez run Club SCUM, a favorite nightclub/performance space for queer punks in East LA. In the early days of SCUM, Rudy invited me to do a DJ set with Allison Wolfe. The turntables were in a tiny backstage area which also served as the queens’ dressing room. I literally bumped into Vander Von Odd in that little space and was immediately smitten by this beautiful, charming queen. I’m honored that Vander agreed to star in this music video. The queerest of the queer, Dragula season 1 winner, Vander truly embodies the message of the song. Except for the mouth breathing part, that’s just about me.”

Sister Dynamite, the upcoming new album from Alice Bag, is set for release 8th May via In The Red Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Denée Segall

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Illustrator In Residence: Natasha Natarajan – ‘Women That Changed My World’ (Part 2)

Natasha Natarajan is a British-Indian visual artist funding her autobiographical comic strip ‘FML Comics’ and zine habit through Graphic/Web Design, Illustration, Arts Administration, Education and a career that basically makes no sense on a CV. Natasha holds a BA in Indian History and has worked in the arts in Copenhagen and Scotland. She has recently moved home to London where she is whole-heartedly winging it. 

In the second of this new two-part series, Natasha shares some more of the women in music who have changed her world; telling us what they mean to her, and sharing a unique original illustration.

Women That Changed My World

When I love something it generates a lot of energy in me. In the past I’ve unhelpfully unleashed this energy on various people in my life. But drawing has become a wholesome and productive way for me to deal with it; it feels like a labour of love when I draw someone that’s important to me. I started drawing musicians in 2017 – I listen to their music and draw. As much as possible I try to find a photograph of them playing, rather than a press shot, because I think it’s important to me they’re doing what I love them for. I am so inspired and encouraged by the work of other artists. I hope you enjoy these renditions of the women I have loved!

Erykah Badu
We are all living in a cognitive-dissonance reality. We want to live a certain way or do a certain thing, and we don’t because we are emotionally attached to how the group thinks. The hive mentality takes over. But you know what’s right in your mind and your heart, and if you’re strong enough to detach from the hive then sometimes, just sometimes, you may be able to do the right thing.
– Speaking in thevulture.com, 2018

Natasha says:
I just love this sound. I love the way it feels in my body. I will forever be thankful that this music exists and that I have been made aware of it. The combination of heavy bass and a soulful female voice makes me weak at the knees. Under the spell of this music I momentarily forget about my problems. All I want is candlelight and a hug from my speakers.

Find out more: Instagram / Spotify

Sara Tavares
“Be sure you love the art more than you love your ego and start working yesterday. Always be humble, speak less and listen more. Please don’t be vain and proud, it slows your evolution.”
– Speaking in meusemba.com. 2018

Natasha says:
Sara Tavares is a strong embrace on a sunny beach. She makes me want to get up and sway side to side in someone’s arms. I love the atmosphere her music creates. I was obsessed with the lyrics of the song ‘Coisas Bunitas‘ – “Say beautiful things to me… Tell me that my curly woollen hair reminds you of a queen’s crown…” They’re delivered in such a sexy way. The melody completely seduces me. It’s as if someone is flirting with me.

Find out more: Instagram / Spotify

 

Amy Winehouse
“I write songs because I’m fucked in the head and need to get something good out of something bad… There were things I couldn’t say to [Blake], but I never thought, ‘This would be a great song. Who’s going to hear this?’ I thought, ‘Fuck, I’m going to die if I don’t write down the way I feel. I’m going to fucking do myself in.’ It’s nothing spectacular.”
– Speaking in www.spin.com, 2007

Natasha says:
I have an Amy Winehouse poster on my bedroom wall – that’s the kind of fan I am. She gives me the confidence to have feelings and be crassly honest about them. I became fully and proudly female under her guidance. Her lyrical honesty and unpolished voice touch me deeply. She will always be my favourite jazz singer. I love the way she talks about music in the song ‘Half Time‘, it reminds me to be viscerally connected to my art form and helps me recognise the great privilege of having music in my life.

Huge thanks to Natasha for her inspiring words and truly beautiful illustrations! If you missed it, you can also check out Part 1 of her ‘Women That Changed My World’ feature here.

 Find out more about Natasha Natarajan at her website and Instagram page (and her comic Instagram page too). 

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ALBUM: Harkin – ‘Harkin’

Armed with experiences from a life of touring and collaborations, Harkin has taken her first steps towards a solo journey with her eponymous LP. The album is set for release on 24th April via Hand Mirror, a new label set up by Harkin and her partner, poet & live arts organiser, Kate Leah Hewett.

Well known for being a touring member of Sleater-Kinney, Wild Beasts, and Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett; Harkin has teamed up with Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) and Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak & Bon Iver) to help record her debut album – but this doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s all Harkin, through and through.

Opening with the booming guitar of ‘Mist on Glass’, Harkin is off to a powerful start as bold, sharp vocals carry through from one track to the next. The swagger of ‘Nothing the Night Can’t Change’ gives way to the softer sonics of ‘Decade’, before the first highlight of the 10-track production comes in the form of thumping beats and husky vocals of ‘Up To Speed’. Next track ‘Bristling’ follows the same path, with a soundscape of drums and guitar.

At the halfway point, ‘Dial It In’ passes by, followed by interlude ‘Red Virginia Creeper’ before the undeniable stand out track of the album breaks through. The foreboding, looming and brilliant ‘Sun Stay With Me’ is the beginning of an eerie mood that travels through the remaining tracks of the album. Penultimate offering ‘New France’ is soaked in reverb-ridden sonics, and spoken word-esque delivery, vibrating with a presence that’s felt even after the last notes fade.

Harkin closes with the ringing acoustic stylings of ‘Charm and Tedium’, with a razor sharp focus on Harkin’s raw vocals. Completed over 16 days dotted between Harkin’s gruelling tour schedule, Harkin is a collection of gritty but smooth songs that showcase a unique trajectory; combining the warmth of nostalgia, with the glitchy pace of the modern world.

Pre-order your copy of Harkin’s debut album here.
Follow Harkin on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Tomm Roeschlein

Malvika Padin
@malvika_padin26

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Track Of The Day: GodNo! – ‘Hulk’

You don’t hear the words ‘Derby supergroup’ very often – but then, most bands don’t incorporate exclamation marks in their name, either. And, if the fourpiece known as GodNo! are trying to make themselves notable with their punctuation, they’re keeping the side up, sonically, as well. Formed as a side project by members of various bands from the local scene – Cable (guitarist Peter Darrington), Grawl!x/Mighty Kids/Sex Jokes (Shelley Jane Newman, bass and vocals), Merrick’s Tusk (guitarist James Stewart), and Pet Crow (drummer Dan  Barradell) – GodNo!’s origins also lie in the Reckless Yes label, co-founded by Peter, and his desire to emulate some of the bands that it supports.

Following on from ‘Unholy Water’, ‘Hulk’ is GodNo!’s second single from forthcoming EP, Too Much Future. And whereas their debut was heavy on bass and a creepy kind of post-rock, ‘Hulk’ flares out with spikey riffs and a rattle of drums. With Shelley’s vocals on lead here, there’s a delightful contrast between her voice and the backing – reminiscent of both Sonic Youth (who the band cite as an inspiration), but also more recent alt-indie such as Joanna Gruesome. Chrous-wise, it storms away, with over-driven guitar exploding over a rhythm section that flicks the power-switch as Shelley warns: “Being nice won’t save you… My strength is growing all the time”. In its middle-eight, meanwhile, she confirms: “I could be nice / This is a choice”, her voice growing ever more erratic, before a chorus reprise rounds out the song with a pleasingly off-kilter pop flourish.

Described by the band’s label as “a scream and a sigh at the patriarchy”, ‘Hulk’ shows a band with plenty of ideas and the wherewithal to put them together. They say that their songwriting and performing approach is collaborative – creating the perfect crucible for their distillation of fury in sound and meaning. The incredible GodNo!: you’ll like them when they’re angry.

 

John McGovern
@etinsuburbiaego

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