Track Of The Day: Foxcunt – ‘Merry Christmas, Fuck The Patriarchy’

Ahead of their gig for us at The Finsbury on 13th December, and following their joyous and empowering debut album, DIY punk band Foxcunt (or Foxaunt for the more mild-mannered of you) have now shared a banging, anti-establishment Christmas ditty.

Filled with driving, uptempo beats, a buoyant, fist-clenching spirit and honey-sweet poppy harmonies, ‘Merry Christmas, Fuck The Patriarchy’ is a catchy, cheer-inducing blast of punk-rock fuelled by anger at a system built on structural inequality.

A perfect, energy-fuelled anthem, given all that we have to fight for next Thursday – so, feast yourself on the raging sounds of Foxcunt, raise a glass of mulled wine in the air, and get yourselves out to vote.

And then come and celebrate (we can but hope) the results on Friday 13th December at The Finsbury, with Foxcunt, Dollie Demi, Libra Libra and Screaming Toenail!

Foxcunt’s debut album A Visit From Foxcunt is out now via Bandcamp.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Micky Strickson

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Track Of The Day: MAITA – ‘Can’t Blame A Kid’

Stepping out from the shadows of a shy childhood, frontwoman Maria Maita-Keppeler works through her growing pains on ‘Can’t Blame A Kid’, the latest single from Oregon-based band MAITA. The track is lifted from the band’s debut album Best Wishes – a record so transformative that it brought Kill Rock Stars (‪Elliott Smith, ‪Sleater-Kinney, ‪Bikini Kill) label founder Slim Moon out of early retirement when he first heard it in 2018.

“She stole all the light from the room” sings Maria on the track, an apt lyric for Slim’s reaction after his wife Portia Sabin (who was running Kill Rock Stars at the time) first played it to him. Maria’s knack for tapping into feelings of introversion and uncertainty are what make ‘Blame A Kid’ such a compelling listen, so it’s easy to see why MAITA caught the attention of the intuitive label.

Maria explains the inspiration behind the song and the accompanying video: “‘Can’t Blame a Kid’ takes a stab at unpacking the insecurities that I’d built up from childhood, zeroing in on a particular relationship that bore a lot of weight on me throughout my adolescence…It really is fascinating, though unfortunate, that we are often at our most callous at the age when we are also the most fragile. The video was a lot of fun for me to make. I’d always wanted to make a finger-painting video…something that echoed the wild, colorful, cathartic nature of the song.”

Through strong vocals, indie guitar licks, and punk-tinged percussion, MAITA have created a reassuring, buoyant listen with their latest single. Watch the video for ‘Can’t Blame A Kid’ below, and follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Keep your eyes peeled for more info about the release of their debut LP, Best Wishes, in April 2020.

Photo Credit: Ingrid-Renan

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Get In Her Ears @ Notting Hill Arts Club w/ ESYA 30.11.19

Get In Her Ears returned to Notting Hill Arts Club to host another evening of alt-pop and alternative sounds, headlined by the multi-talented ESYA aka Ayse Hassan of Savages/Kite Base/180 db. South London duo Scrounge also shared the bill, along with spoken word artist & drummer Eilis Frawley.

The task of opening the night fell to Berlin-based Eilis, who delivered her unique cacophony of live drums, electronic elements and spoken-word lyrics with captivating precision. Performing singles ‘Strangers’ and ‘Illusions’ (both championed by Radio X’s John Kennedy, who was in attendance), her one woman show felt all the more powerful as many of her songs are informed by feminist beliefs that align perfectly with GIHE.

Scrounge took to the stage next to perform their raucous post-punk anthems. Lucy & Luke’s live sets are always a raw, urgent affair and we felt every bass drum beat of tracks ‘Badoom’ and ‘Purpose’ rattle through our bones. The duo released their EP Ideal, earlier this year and it’s barely left our ears since. They’re firm favourites of GIHE and their heavy guitar riffs and knockout drumming sat perfectly between Eilis & ESYA’s sets.

Headlining the night and performing her last London show of 2019, ESYA hypnotized us with her dark, brooding electronics. Filled with buzzing synth textures, direct vocals and pummelling beats, her songs flesh out the absurdities of our relationships and interactions with each other. Set highlights included ‘Nothing’, ‘Everything’ and brand new single ‘Blue Orchid’, all lifted from her recent EP, Absurdity of ATCG (II) – Emergent Form. She multi-tasked triggering synths, singing and plucking bass strings like a pro throughout her set.

Huge thanks to the sound engineer and staff at Notting Hill Arts Club.

Follow the bands on Facebook for more updates: ESYA, Scrounge, Eilis Frawley.

Photo Credit: Jon Mo

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Introducing Interview: Sun Bloom

Having originally formed at college, London trio Sun Bloom have now shared their latest single ‘Take It Away’.

Filled with jangly melodies and the luscious swooning vocals of of front woman Viv Youel, it’s a sunny slice of dream-pop perfect for warming these dark winter days.

We caught up with Viv to find out more…

Hi Sun Bloom, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about the band?
 Hello! We make upbeat, no-frills guitar music. We come as a pack of four from London. Sometimes we play as a more compact duo for the smaller gigs. We’re all about getting the crowd flailing around sticky floored venues and enjoying live shows.    

How did you initially all get together and start creating music?
 The two gals (Viv – guitar, Poppy – bass) met when we were 18 at college, and the guys (Troy – drums, Theo – guitar) met at Goldsmiths. Viv found drummer Troy after posting a Facebook advert… Essentially ordered him online!

Your new single ’Take It Away’ is out now – can you tell us what it’s all about?
It’s about what happens to love when it becomes long distance; how it survives in strange ways; how memory can take on a life of its own, and persist despite time and distance. You wouldn’t believe it, but it’s actually super upbeat and cheerful!

You’ve been compared to the likes of Alvvays and Best Coast, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
I love Anna Calvi – she is so deft with her guitar work, she’s completely in control of it and owns the instrument on stage; serious (long term) guitar goals there!! Then bands like La Luz, Surf Curse and The Drums.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
My area is mainly populated by OAPs, so not much of a scene. I see bands I love when I can though! 

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
 Drum beats to dance to, lyrics to yell along to, and hopefully some guitar parts to take you hair down for. 

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
 Gaygirl, Jelly Boy, Midnight Mouth, Lala Lala and Black Country New Road are a few of my current favourites. 

And how do you feel the music industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
 There are a lot of ways to get noticed. It’s the early stages that are hard to get past: when you are trying to build a following, so don’t have many people to bring to shows, but the promoters won’t book you unless you do… 

Finally, what does the rest of 2019 have in store for Sun Bloom?
We’re recording a vinyl of six tracks through indie label Dog Tunnel records. We’re very excited to do it analogue style, and have a really raw, energetic recording of us all playing live together in one room. Hopefully we’ll get some gigs in the bag too! 

Huge thanks to Sun Bloom for answering our questions! 

‘Take It Away’, taken from Sun Bloom’s debut EP of the same name, is out now.

 

 

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