Video Premiere: Meggie Brown – ‘Angel Like You’

Having been named as one of The Guardian’s ‘Artists For 2020’, and being championed by the likes of Iggy Pop and Alex Kapranos, North London based artist Meggie Brown has previously charmed our ears with the scuzzy energy of ‘Dusty Smells‘. Now, with their new EP set for release next month, they have shared a brand new video to accompany their stirring single, ‘Angel Like You’.

Propelled by twinkling hooks and a lilting energy, ‘Angel Like You’ offers an exquisite reflection on the beauty of intimacy. With its poignant lyricism, it oozes a captivating allure as it ripples with an effervescent emotion and chiming musicality. Maintaining Brown’s deadpan-yet-poetic ruminations, with shades of the likes of Aussie favourite Courtney Barnett, it flows with a dreamy, majestic haze.

Of the beautiful accompanying video, director Sim Gray explains:

“A psychedelic cult, fairytale, astral projection, daydream – a queer, shapeshifting collaboration with Sim Gray, Bianca Scout, The Creature Fleur, Shivani Thussu, Sokora Xilber and Lucy Marie. Wildflowers on the horizon, dancing through each season, whatever the weather. Softness gets crushed into dust, or lost, guided away from the crossroads. A zone of flowers flattened down, the pathway into a shadowed forest.”


‘Angel Like You’ is taken from Meggie Brown’s upcoming EP Home. Written and recorded with Sunny Robertson at Float Rock Home Studio, with backing band Forrest Flowers and long time music companion and drummer Kayleigh Cheer, it explores themes of gender identity and reflects on Brown’s feelings surrounding recently coming out as Transgender.

Home is set for release on 24th September.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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WATCH: Taraka – ‘PSYCHOCASTLE’

Set to release her first solo album in October, former Prince Rama front-woman Taraka has now shared the advance single from her debut. ‘Psychocastle‘ was released last week and, if it’s any indication of things to come, the upcoming album – Welcome to Paradise Lost – promises a grunge laden, visceral departure from the psych-dance stylings of Prince Rama.

Welcome to Paradise Lost was conceived by Taraka whilst she was attempting a return to a pre-internet Eden by living in solitary confinement in a hot Texas gallery with a live serpent. ‘Psychocastle’ certainly sounds like someone struggling with their own company in an overheated space. Lyrics swing from love to hate in the same breath, moaning guitar hooks wail over a distorted vocal. The overall effect is deliciously uncomfortable, a sort of Courtney Love/Hole for the post-pandemic generation – those same grunge sensibilities, but with less earwig chorus hooks and more sprinkles of inertia, confusion, distress and stasis.

An accompanying music video (directed by Matthew Hoffman and Taraka and shot on 8mm) juxtaposes brutalist tumbledown city apartment blocks with salubrious, bucolic scenery. Taraka is pictured against both landscapes predominantly attached to a bed that she seems doomed to take everywhere with her. The aesthetics hark back to the old saying “you made your, bed you lie in it” (used memorably by Love as part of ‘Miss World’), and perhaps allude to feminist politics – in particular Emma Sulkowicz’ performance art piece ‘Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)’. Taraka plays with ideas of reality and escape with a colourful, quirky charisma as she is filmed in a leotard depicting internal organs, muscles and skeletal structure whilst a bloodied tampon swings joyfully between her legs – a powerfully arresting image. 

To quote from the artist directly: “Ever try to consult your inner self, but inside your skin is merely a rotting corpse? Ever feel like every path you take is just another mobius strip leading you back to where you first began? Congratulations, welcome to the Psychocastle.”

‘Psychocastle’ is out now, and is taken from Taraka’s debut album Welcome to Paradise Lost – due out 8th October via her label Rage Peace.

Kate Sullivan
@katesullo

Photo Credit: Matthew Hoffman

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Track Of The Day: Salad – ‘Things In Heaven’

Having previously wowed us with the sparkling energy of their live set playing for us at The Finsbury back in late 2019 following the release of their most recent album The Salad Way, reformed ’90s legends Salad have now returned to our ears. As expected, the band have had to cancel many plans over the last couple of years, postponing tour dates and taking a pandemic-enforced hiatus; with changes to line-up, the band now spread across the country and personal bereavements and struggles taking hold, a bit of ‘Salad Mojo’ was lost. However, now – after an 18 month band hibernation – gigs have been rescheduled, and the band felt it was time to record something epic; a song worthy of this much-welcome come back. And so Salad returned to a song they’d started rehearsing at the end of 2019 – the poignant ‘Things In Heaven’.

Described by the band as “a somewhat derailed singer hauntingly persuading her loved one that there is beauty in this broken world“, ‘Things In Heaven’ offers an eerily majestic atmosphere. As the soaring, bewitching vocals of front woman Marjine van der Vlugt’s vocals flow, a sweeping, cinematic splendour shimmers alongside a whirring, ethereal soundscape. As its scuzzy effervescent hooks are propelled by an immense dramatic energy, it’s impossible not to become utterly immersed in its hauntingly captivating, celestial allure. ‘Things In Heaven’ will cast a spell over you; taking hold with its exquisite, other-worldly grace.

Of the meaning behind the track, songwriter Paul Kennedy explains more:

“Tom and Felicity live in Santa Maria, California. They’ve got a great relationship but Tom is prone to depression. One day, when they had planned to deal with various problems in their life, it was too much for Tom so they decided: hang that – let’s get in the car, get down to the beach, and go surfing. By the majesty of the open sea, Felicity opens Tom’s eyes to the wonders of the natural world.“

‘Things In Heaven’ is accompanied by a video, filmed and directed by friend of the band Nic Tuft. Depicting Marjine as a naked, tenacious mermaid emerging from the sea whilst battling crashing waves, it conveys the song’s theme of “the beauty that you can see in brokenness” perfectly.

‘Things In Heaven’ is out now via Three Bean Records. Download from the band’s website now. And you can catch Salad live on their upcoming tour:

10th September – Arts Centre, Colchester (supported by Piney Gir)
19th September – Bodega, Nottingham
26th September – Twickenham Festival
12th October – Komedia, Brighton (supported by Piney Gir)
24th October – The Lexington, London (supported by Piney Gir)

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Keira-Anee Photography / @keiraanee

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Video Premiere: Tribes Of Europe & Barbara Stretch – ‘Rosalind’

Having previously garnered support from the likes of BBC 6Music, BBC Wales and Amazing Radio for previous singles ‘Let The Big Beat Save Your Southern Soul’, ‘The House You Built For Us‘ and ‘It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow‘, Tribes Of Europe are back with an uplifting new offering. The alter-ego of Fenland-based Martin Elsey, for this current project he is joined by musicians Andy Gangadeen (Massive Attack, Chase & Status, Jeff Beck) and Chris Taylor (Poison Girls), with the distinctive vocals of jazz-punk icon Barbara Stretch (The Vernons), as well as additional input from the Ely Fallen Angels Choir.

Immersed in a swirling, psychedelic haze, ‘Rosalind’ is partly inspired by innovative DNA chemist Rosalind Franklin, whilst reflecting on feelings of not fitting into society’s prescribed norms. As sweeping, synth-driven hooks are propelled by an uplifting ’60s-inspired rockabilly energy and a sizzling soul-infused groove, Stretch’s glistening heartfelt vocals soar. As the shimmering allure of ‘Rosalind’s cinematic musicality builds, blissful harmonies flow with a euphoric splendour to create a perfectly sunny slice of neo-soul; a rapturous soundtrack exuding a much-needed vibrant joy.

Explaining the inspiration behind the track, Elsey explains:

“It’s about a girl whose hero is Rosalind Franklin. She also has a secret crush on a popular girl at school. It’s very intense, as these things tend to be when you want something really badly but can’t seem to find a way of getting it. The song is her imaginary conversation with Rosalind and the girl. Somewhere along the line I started thinking about Joe Meek as well, and he crept into the general vibe of the song … All these innovators who didn’t quite fit in with the norms of the day; maybe their sexuality or gender just didn’t quite click.”

Watch the wonderfully trippy new video for ‘Rosalind’, for the first time, now and prepare to lose yourself in its fizzing, colourful visuals:

‘Rosalind’ is out tomorrow, 20th August, via Integrity Records.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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