#ThrowbackThursday: GIHE w/ The Menstrual Cramps 03.05.18

Due to the current lockdown/coronavirus situation, we’re unable to make it in to the Hoxton Radio studio to broadcast our weekly live new music show from 7-9pm. Instead, we’re sharing previous show recordings as #ThrowbackThursday sessions, so you can still enjoy 2 hours of new music & chats with some of our favourite artists each week.

Today, we’ve picked our May 2018 show with feminist punks The Menstrual Cramps. The grrrls talked to Mari & Kate about their second album, Free Bleedin, how they stand up to neo-nazis, and what originally inspired them to start making music. Kate also casually dropped into the conversation that she won Cooper’s guitar in a raffle at Loud Women‘s 2018 Galentine’s Day Ball (she still hasn’t learned how to play it.)

Listen back to the show here:

Featured Artists
Sonic Youth
LIINES
Dott
LIERS
Seraphina
Rookes
Charlotte Carpenter
Suzie Stapleton
Ay Wing
Amaroun
The Parlour
Gaptooth
Track Not Found
Sabatta
The Menstrual Cramps
Pink Kink
Amyl & The Sniffers
Witch Fever
Nova Twins
Partner
Peaches (feat. Iggy Pop)

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

LISTEN: Fran Lobo – ‘Brave’

An atmospheric ode to women who thrive in the face of adversity; Fran Lobo has shared her latest single, ‘Brave’. Lifted from her EP of the same name, which is set for release on 19th June via Slow Dance Records, Lobo blends electronic and orchestral elements together to create her stirring soundscape.

A singer, songwriter, producer, DJ, choral composer & sound artist; Lobo has extensive and impressive experience in multiple areas of the music industry. The North East London artist takes inspiration from both the club scene and the choral scene to create her own music, and ‘Brave’ is a strong example of how she seamlessly mixes these genres together.

Speaking about her new single, Lobo explains: “This was a mantra to myself, to stay brave because there is no other choice in the face of our world and diminishing relationships. The world moves on and we have no choice but to move with it. It is also a comment on the intense expectations on women; what to be and what not to be.”

Her message also applies to the current crisis we are all living through: “I wanted to dedicate this track to key workers and those working hard to keep us safe. My Dad works in a care home where there has been little PPE and going to work has felt like an everyday risk, to honour the brave people working in these conditions, I’m donating 50% of band camp revenue to Age UK.”

We’re impressed by Lobo’s kindness and positive energy during this difficult time. Listen to ‘Brave’ below and download the track from bandcamp in order to donate to Age UK.

Follow Fran Lobo on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo credit: El Hardwick

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

LISTEN: Catbear – ‘Love And War’

If you’re caught between wanting to move on from a past relationship, but you can’t stop thinking about your ex while in lockdown; Catbear‘s latest single ‘Love And War’ will lift your spirits. The track is a catchy electro-pop offering designed to distract you from thoughts of your past loves.

Formed of Zoe Konez and Sarah Smith, Catbear are a DIY duo who make danceable, 80s inspired, synth-soaked bangers. The LGBTQ proud pair record and produce all of their music from Konez’s home studio in London, and released their debut album Beast of the Night in 2018. New single ‘Love and War’ is lifted from the record, and according to the band, it’s “the soundtrack to your quarantine daydreams of the ex you love to hate.”

The duo explain the track’s premise in more detail: “’Love and War’ is a reminiscence of a doomed love affair. When you knew all along it was destined to end, but there’s something magnetic, irresistible that pulls you along through it; and even at the end you can still look back fondly at the lustful wrestle towards the inevitable implosion”.

Listen to Catbear’s new single below, and follow the band on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

EP: Stef Fi – ‘Girlhood’

A poignant reflection on grief, growth, and grappling with the repercussions of a racist world; Stef Fi has shared her debut EP, Girlhood, via Sistah Punk Records. Best known as the vocalist & guitarist of black feminist punk band Big Joanie, Stef Fi (aka Stephanie Phillips) has shared four alt-punk tracks that provide “sketches of a girl” resisting hate, and trying to find hope in the harshest of realities.

Mellow opener ‘What Remains’ broods with quiet intensity, setting the pensive, yet resistant tone of the EP. “Open wide and swallow divine” Stef directs, over steady beats and ominous guitar riffs. Her punk attitude breaks through on following track ‘Nowhere’. The quiet, uncertain lyrics of the verses contrast well with the distorted riffs and defiant words in the chorus.

“This town will be the death of me”, muses Stef on the eponymous ‘Girlhood’. The song was inspired by the footage of police attacking a young black girl at a Texas pool party in 2015. Extrapolating on what the victim may have felt, Stef delivers the line “I had spoken then I saw, I knew it was my time to fall” with calm resignation and maturity, powerfully contrasting with the violence the young girl experienced. It’s a jarring listen, but one that’s delivered with care and gentility.

‘The Garden’ closes the EP, with its rolling riffs, rumbling percussion, and more of Stef’s yearning vocals. Despite being rooted in inequality, Stef Fi’s Girlhood is a considerate, tender offering that showcases her talent as a songwriter, and as a woman who is dedicated to spotlighting the struggles of others.

Order your copy of Stef Fi’s debut EP on bandcamp. Follow her on Twitter for more updates.

Photo Credit: Nick Paulsen

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate Crudgington1 Comment