I now spend so much time speaking to other (much more capable) writers about new music, that I'm left with pretty much no time to actually keep up with my own writing. It's a small price to pay though, as this little playlist will show.
So here is a selection of a few of my favourite tracks that I've worked on from the past year. (Note: I've picked solely from my freelance roster rather than including the [PIAS] Cooperative stuff too, simply because otherwise it would go on for HOURS and HOURS. Expect that little round-up to appear online soon.) It was also strange to realise that I'd already written about so many of the bands long before I got the chance to work with them. Seems being a massive fangirl does pay off sometimes, who'd have thought?!
After being stuck in an office all week, the flagrent sunshine that shamelessly paraded itself through the window every day got too much to ignore, so I booked a last minute trip to Brighton to escape to the beach for the weekend.
Friday night was spent at new venue The Green Door Store, at Sex Is Disgusting’s NODZZZ show. Support came from Brighton scene freshers Fear Of Men, broaching their wind-swept indie love songs with wide eyes and a gentle manner. I think it was only their second gig (?) and their presence onstage was a lot softer than I was expecting, but they put on an intriguing performance and will be interesting to follow. SID also put out their debut cassette which is now sold out, but check it out anyway just in case a second batch pops up.
San Francisco’s The Mantles have been a regular name on my favourite playlist composer Andrea’s mixtape page for a while, and after earning their stripes as my long-time bus ride companion, being given the opportunity to catch them in person didn’t disappoint. Saving up some of the week’s rays for this brick-walled almost-basement, the floppy haired four-piece ran through their psyched out, rattling set with an energy suggesting this was the first (rather than the last) night of their UK tour; the swell of ‘Don’t Lie’ getting more than a few heads swaying in its breezy wake.
The Mantles performing Don't Lie
And NODZZZ serenading the beer-soaked smiling crowd was the ultimate finale, their songs over in the blink of an eye, but whipped out so fast you barely have time to mourn the ending of the last. I’d managed to miss two of their recent London shows (both roughly a ten minute bus ride from my house. Shame on me) so singing along to 'Good Times Crowd' surrounded by old friends made it all worth the wait. An encore with their home turf buddies The Mantles closed the show, with whoops and howls ringing long after the last chord was struck.
