January 2014 Mixtape

As someone with a memory full of blackholes and a waning attention span, Songdrop has been my saviour this month, neatly adding a virtual post-it note to all those tracks that pass by during report-writing, emailing and glancing longingly through the window...

Although it's not the end of the month quite yet, my next update could be some time so here's a rundown of songs that have caught my ear so far in 2014. Special mentions go to Seeds of Doubt, Primitive Parts, As Ondas, Ravioli Me Away, Lady Neptune and Blueprint Blue, simply for reminding me that despite mice, damp, horrible train journeys and extortionate rent prices, living in London can be worth it when bands like this are locals too.

Here goes...

Keel Her - Riot Grrrl

Usually any song referencing riot grrrl sets me a little on edge (remember this atrocity anyone?) BUT all is well when placed in the hands of the wonderful Keel Her.

While the lyrics might be a little hard to make out at times, the chorus hook of 'F*ck me, in the backseat...' is a smash - think Bratmobile jamming with Jay Reatard, just crazy fun and under three minutes, so you're going to find yourself skipping back again and again and again until your throat's sore.

 

The song will be released on 7" via Critical Heights soon

https://www.facebook.com/KEELHER

Blog: Sasquatch Nation

I have a confession, and I'm not proud to share it. Until recently, I found the world of guitar gear to be an overwhelming and intimidating one. It's certainly not a honourable thing to admit to, but I relied heavily on the Sniffin' Glue school of power chords and just plugging straight in, and any attempt to talk pedals in a music shop always left me feeling like even more of an amateur than I already feared. I had the ill-advised belief that this was a realm that belonged to my Dad and (sometimes slightly patronising) ex-boyfriends, and that after playing guitar (questionably) for ten years, it was too late to start joining in now.

But the past few months, something changed. I found myself staying up late watching YouTube videos of pedal demonstrations, researching on message boards and having long phone calls home to discuss the benefits of loop pedals. The fog started to lift and my nerding out began to takeover. And I really, really enjoyed it.

So, when my friend Jen told me about this new blog, Sasquatch Nation, I was intrigued. The blog is a self-defined "Internet place about gear and bands, but mostly gear", where musicians are encouraged to completely nerd out and to talk about nothing but their set-up for as long as they wish. No overt plugging of records or shows, or discussing 'influences' for the zillionth time, but unabashed geekery, detailing equipment must-haves and throwing around names like 'Moogerfooger' and 'Holy Stain'.

The interviews (with the likes of  James from Keel Her / Bhurgeist, Oli from Cold Pumas & Lindsay from Sauna Youth) are light-hearted  and informative, and never get all serious and insular and self-involved, which is something these conversations can sometimes lead to if you're asking the wrong kind of person. Even if you know sod-all about gear it doesn't really matter as each interview is a great read.

I imagine for those fully informed it's a chance to nod knowingly/theatrically disagree with choices, but for newcomers into this techy realm it's a total goldmine of information that can usually only be gleaned from plucking up the courage to ask directly in person, which is sometimes hard to do.

Go and have a ganders, and don't blame me when your Paypal account takes a beating and this becomes your future:

http://sasquatch-nation.tumblr.com/