Guest Post: Influence of Music on Fashion - ReeRee Rockette

ReeRee Rockette. Who is she? She desribes herself as a 'Glamorous Geek, Coffee Lover, Rockalily Head Roller' but this doesn't say enough. She is an incredible business woman, owning Rockalily Cuts and writing/speaking about owning a business to many others. She blogs, she writes, she dyes her hair awesome colours.. So what does that have to do with my music blog?

I've been a reader of ReeRee's lovely blog for some time now. She focuses a lot on alternative fashion, particularly vintage/pin up inspired and I really admire her creativity but I have to say I was surprised when I first saw her talk about her taste in music.

You know when you see someone with a particular fashion sense you assume a particular musical genre would be their cup of tea and we are pleasantly surprised when they name a band you wouldn't expect. I think this is totally daft personally, but it happens and it's hard to avoid as there is a culture attached to music and fashion sense plays heavily into this.

ReeRee has kindly agreed to share her thoughts on this.



My appearance is pretty deceiving.  I'm heavily tattooed, have multi-coloured hair, and may well be wearing vaguely alternative clothing. The most common misconception that people seem to have about me is based around what music they presume I listen to. The look of surprise that crosses people's faces when they learn I don't listen to rockabilly music used to frustrate me, but now just amuses.

My music choices aren't particularly 'alternative' in the traditional sense, but perhaps in the semantic sense they are, since very few of my peers enjoy the same tracks as I do.

I always say that we can't help which music makes our souls happy, and that's truly how I feel about it. It feels odd to me how happy certain songs can make my inner core, but they do. That deep place in your chest that aches when your favourite song is played is not unique to any of us, even if the types of songs that create that bursting feeling are!

For 15 years I've loved UK garage. In my younger days I raved to it, and although I'm no longer a regular clubber, UK garage still provides much of the soundtrack to my life. 

It isn't just dance music that speak to my soul, I'm also quite a pop fan. Britney, Justin, P!nk are all long standing favourites, along with the new addition of Ed Sheeran.

So, no. I don't jive or swing, but you may well find me bopping my head to Craig David ;-)

http://www.rockalily.com

https://twitter.com/reereerockette

I love this. Music is so personal to each of us.

Love Your Local - Watchfires

You know when you hear a song, just the once, and it gets stuck in your head all, bloomin, day..? Sometimes this is the worst thing. Ever. Walking around singing 'Hit me with your rhythm stick. HIT ME' all day is infuriating and I'd happily jam said rhythm stick in my ear to make it stop. However, when I heard 'Dream, Parisienne' by these chaps and had it in my head all day, the urge for such drastic measures wasn't there. I rather enjoy these little melodies...

The toe-curling, pretentiously named 'Watchfires' (they said it, not me!) have emerged onto the Aberdeen music scene, only in the last few months and I reckon they are here to stay. Despite drawing their name from the 'massively depressing' poem 'Darkness' by Lord Byron, Watchfires don't leave you feeling low, in fact, quite the opposite.

" I've always liked the idea of dealing with quite grim subject matter in an emphatic, energetic way, and I think we achieved that."

Their debut EP 'A Captive Still' is a short 4 track wonder - it's not the size, it's what you do with it... That's the saying right?? Well they do a lot with this record. It's an energetic and well recorded little treat you're sure to enjoy.
 When asking the band about the record, I was pleasantly surprised about how honest they are when discussing their music:

" It's four of the first six songs that we wrote together as a band and I think it's basically a pretty good representation of what to expect from us live... When you're working within the confines of four tracks on a debut release it's less about showcasing your versatility etc., and more about just putting your best foot forward and letting people make up their own minds about whether they're interested in sticking around for more. 

It's something we can look back on and know we made precisely on our own terms, and that was the most important thing. "

I like this, an 'if you don't like it then fair enough' approach to recording which is refreshing.

The first thing I was attracted to with this band was the vocalist. He has an unusual voice, slightly akin to Ian Astbury of The Cult but still quite unique. I like vocalists who have something special, and something that defines them and you know straight away who they are.
Altogether, though this band create an interesting vibe and atmosphere with their record.

Top track for me is 'Dream, Parisienne'. It definitely stands out on the record with its full, intense and heart felt chorus. The vocal melody is great, really memorable and I like the lyrics; a song that tells a bit of a story. Yes, it is your typical first person narrative sort of song, but there's definitely something interesting and poetic about this one.

To be honest though, I thoroughly enjoy the whole record. I like to be able to throw some band names at you that I could compare these guys too, but I'm struggling to think - maybe some hints of Placebo in parts? Decide for yourself on that one. They are quite a blend of a few different styles, which I thinks could make them appealling to many. 

If you want to check these guys out live, you may have to wait a few months while they regroup, as their drummer parts ways. I think it will be worth the wait though, so be sure to keep an eye out.

" Like all sensible married men in their late 20s, he's packed in his job to swan off around the globe like some kind of beardless Vasco da Gama! "

I asked them, like I ask most bands, what they think of the Aberdeen music scene at the moment..

"People like Craig Scott (Headache Music) seem to be onto a good thing: the name itself seems to have garnered a bit of a following and people seem to come to the shows with a bit of faith that the lineups will be strong and a bit more of a willingness to keep an open mind.

In terms of individual bands, I'm really into Brace, they've got one of the best live shows I've ever seen in the city. The Little Kicks' new album is great, and I was pretty taken with Akord and Semperfi at Hallodeen

I just moved back to Aberdeen recently after five years in Glasgow, and to be totally honest I was expecting it to be grim in comparison. I was wrong. There's are a lot of great people putting on great gigs. "

Would recommend a listen (and a purchase of course) of their debut EP, which can be found on their bandcamp page (watchfiresband.bandcamp.com), or on itunes and spotify, whichever method tickles you. Also be sure to like them on facebook and follow them on twitter and all that good cyber space stuff.

http://facebook.com/watchfires

http://twitter.com/watchfiresband

" I think we're all about making a racket, really. A nice racket. "

Splendid.

H x

I see hobbits.

So Ed Sheeran isn't someone I'm a fan of really.. Didn't think I would post about him, but hey ho, here we are.

He's written the song for the credits of the new Hobbit film, as suggested by Peter Jackson's daughter. I'm pretty undecided about the choice of artist for this task, I was expecting a more classic sounding voice maybe..... He's a bit of a hobbit himself.. Maybe that was the idea.

It's an OK song, I guess maybe a bit dreich but I quite like the guitar work and apparently he played the violins himself, having never played before which I will give him props for.

However, there is one thing that really bugs me about it and that's the slightly obvious choice of lyrics.. 

'I see fire inside the mountains'

 'And with that shadow upon the ground I hear my people '

'Desolation comes upon the sky'

I guess that was the idea, to keep it very much related to the movie; I was however, left waiting for the line 'And there goes Bilbo... Inside the mountain'.

I like soundtrack songs to be related but not too obvious; some sort of subtle hint of the story that doesn't give too much away and could perhaps be related to something else.

But hey, I don't mind this song but DAMN am I looking forward to the film!!

H x

If you want it, work for it...

Unless you're in a band like One Direction, in that case slap on a nice shirt and get a tattoo.

Stop it, stop it now.

Write your own words, play your own instruments, work hard, don't be afraid to be fucking terrible - just get out there and do it yourself.

I will leave you with this man right here. He, is a fucking genius.

Love Your Local - Fiona Soe Paing

Fiona Soe Paing

Tower of Babel

Release: 2012

"Skeletal, off-world electronica"  Its quite minimalist, and lots of people have said it's like the sounds from another planet!   But its also quite soulful, and sometimes a bit creepy and unsettling! '

You know why I like this? Because it's weird. I funking love weird stuff. Imagine if Bjork had an alien alter ego..... 

Fiona Soe Paing is of Burmese/Scottish origins and utilises both languages in her music along with unusual sounds - using her voice as a proper instrument blended into her electronic music. Tower of Babel is a short, 3 track EP, giving you a taster of what she is capable of. To me it sounds like a lovely blend of Bjork and Infected Mushroom. Pretty cool.

 "I never think of myself as a musician, as I am not an instrumentalist, though I can play a little guitar, and two finger keyboard. I originally  wanted to be a singer but couldn't find the right  band to sing with. After singing in lots of bands that weren't quite the right fit, I felt I had better learn to play an instrument so I could write my own material.  I learned some guitar and started a folky band, then when computers and music software became affordable, I started learning to produce on Cubase then Logic.   Its great that now music software is so intuitive, its really easy to produce your own tracks, and I dont have to use musicians or hire a studio, except for the mixing and vocals. "

She's right, it is a little out of this world and unsettling. Like in 'Signs' when they hold up the baby monitor and hear the crackling noises...This is the kind of music that they would have picked up.

'I'm influenced by so many artists, but if I had to pin it down to a few names, I would have to mention

classic jazz vocalists such as Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, innovators like Bjork, the electronica of Boards of Canada, and most recently, The Knife and Fever Ray.   I love how those vocalists use their voice as a real instrument, and how Boards of Canada create such incredible atmospheres and sense of place with their sounds, and The Knife and Fever Ray are also doing something pretty unique. '

Each track has something different to offer.. 'Daymoon Sun' has an almost tribal feel to it, with a form of chanting recurring throughout, 'Tower of Babel' is completely haunting with it's different layers of unusual sounds. 'Behrot' feels out of this world, with it's space-like sounds and quite weird and wonderful vocals.  

It's different. Different is hard to come by I feel.

'I work solely with the internal sounds  in the Logic programme, and start just by trying out sounds until I find a sound  that I like, that has a real character of its own, and that sounds unusual to me.  Then I try and use that as a basic for some drum parts, and just add layers till a nice loop comes together.  I then improvise vocals until I have a melody, then re- arrange the basic loop around the vocal, taking out parts to let the vocal cut through, or adding fills and instrumental hooks around the vocal part.  When the structure is all there, I finally go to a studio and record final vocals, then come back home and tweak the arrangement before taking it  back to a studio to mix and master.  All my basic arrangements are done on my laptop, usually in bed! '

I love how unsettling this music is. Music should evoke something inside, if it doesn't, they're doing it wrong. Good job lady. This is definitely something I would like to see live.
Fiona Soe Paing is hoping to release her album 'Alien Lullabies' by the end of the year - so keep an eye out.

www.fionasoepaing.bandcamp.com

www.fionasoepaing.co.uk

H x

One to Watch: Mountains Under Oceans

I haven't written anything here for a while. Probably because I haven't found anything worth writing about.. Until recently.

I'm going to keep this pretty brief.. I was told these guys were going to be good, and man were they good. They are currently on tour around Scotland with Akord and I managed to catch them at a couple of dates...

Mountains Under Oceans are a brand spanking new band from Glasgow and here's how I sum them up.... Intense. Definitely the right word. Their music hits you in the face like a brick.

They are an extremely talented bunch of guys who bring you a really interesting sound, blending musical genres and continually contrasting the hard and the soft. Would recommend for fans of Tesseract, Periphery and Deftones.

The lead singer has a unique and captivating intensity in his stage presence. He has that nervous, fidgeting energy that I find interesting and a look on his face that suggests he may or may not have left on the stove..

His voice is excellent, much akin to Chino Moreno. He also gives off vibes of Jónsi Birgisson due to mixing things up with some falsetto vocals.

That's about as much as I'm going to say right now.. The haven't even released their EP yet... But soon, soon.

They have a support slot with Dead Letter Circus and Monuments next week lucky buggers. Get on it.

www.facebook.com/MountainsUnderOceans

http://www.mountainsunderoceans.com/

http://www.twitter.com/muoband

http://mountainsunderoceans.bigcartel.com/

H x

Love Your Local - Sound Collider

Sound Collider - 'Characterised By Delusional Fantasies Of Wealth & Power' 

Released 2012

Look out for: 'Trip Up' and 'We'll Dance'

So, you're an angst ridden teen, got your converse and your ripped jeans, and you're living in the basement of your parent's house, in the 90's. You need some music to go along with this? Sound Collider's album 'Characterised By Delusional Fantasies Of Wealth & Power' might do the job.

"The name SOUND COLLIDER comes from some of the members interest in the Hadron Collider and what kind of comparisons could be made with a band going through this kind of process/cycle and imagining it in a sonic form. We imagine that as with everything there is a starting point and with every revolotion this band will change and evolve its sound hopefully acheiving longjevity."

Sound Collider bring quite a wee mix of genres together; you can hear traces of Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and even the Violent Femmes in parts. Grungy, bassy music with soft vocals and good harmonies - you can tell a lot of work was put into this album and I feel that it's an interesting cocktail of music that's sure to appeal to a variety of people.

"Our sounds change and collide from one song to the next we sound like rage and revenge with a little love thrown in."

The album opens up with a very industrial feeling song, much akin to Nine Inch Nails for sure. 'Meglomania Pop' sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack to The Crow. A song full of distortion and bassy goodness; a good way to start an album and maybe draw in a wee goth or too -  the inner goth in me had a little bounce anyway.

They then change direction with next song 'She Talks' and bring us a very indie sound that you would definitely hear down the pub -  pretty sure I can even hear hints of Blondie in this one. Reminds me of The Knack.... Anyone else?

"We are influenced by all kinds of music From Metal to Country as well as science , religion and the state of the world.

A song usually starts with an idea like a riff which we all glue our own parts to which eventually evolves into a song."

 I think the songs that stick out the most for me are 'Trip Up' and 'We'll Dance'. 'Trip Up' gets straight to the point, bringing you some fun bass and a catchy chorus with trippy noises thrown in every now and then and almost has a wee horror punk feel to it. Really good vocals in this song with great harmonies - you're sure to like it. Could see it in an indie film somewhere...

'We'll Dance', vocally, has a pretty cool theatrical feel to it which is why it stood out a bit more. It has a really good chorus, the sort that gets stuck in your head, which is a good sign, and is generally a pretty laid back feeling song. 

The album finishes with 'Road to Emptiness'. The reason I like this song as a finisher is purely for the random middle section which suddenly transports you into Sonic. Literally feel as though you're sitting inside your sega megadrive collecting rings... 
The song also has a nice Manic Street Preachers feel in parts.. Pretty cool.

"Hopefully people enjoy our music and it will evoke some sort of feeling or emotion but most importantly at gigs we just want people to enjoy themselves."

The album is full interesting sounds, good bass lines, nice harmonies and so much distortion you'll feel stuck inside an untuned TV. But, it works.

"Come and see us live when we start gigging our new material and in the meantime check out our website www.soundcollider.com

Our album "Characterised by delusional fantasies of wealth and power" is available for free download on soundcloud which there are links to via our website. We are currently writing our new album which has a different feel to the last which we are going to begin recording in the next few weeks."

What do the guys think of the Aberdeen music scene?

"There are alot of great and talented bands in Aberdeen but hopefully we can bring something a bit different. There are some pretty good venues as well but One up closing was a big blow to Aberdeen music."

www.soundcollider.com

H x

Love Your Local - Jaimie Wren

Jaimie Wren 'Kites' EP

Release date: June 2013
Look our for: 'Purple Flowers'

Celtic inspired singer-song writer Jaimie Wren has launched her debut EP onto the world; a short, 4 track project which she describes as 'pop based acoustic music with celtic influence'. 'Kites' is a short, sweet and sombre sounding record. It is full of soulful vocals and simplistic music, highlighted with the lovely fiddle which features heavily in her Scottish sounding debut.

There's something haunting about this record, particularly with the closing track 'Waltz Alone' (confusingly named since it's in 4/4 timing..... Literally annoying myself... I'm a pedantic moron). This song is beautiful, with an almost 80s feel to it. I could definitely hear Kate Bush singing this song. I think this song would sound great live with a huge band behind her. It's quite an emotional sounding song and when asking Jaimie how she would describe her sound, she said:

"Honest and soulful with melodies that captivate the listener. I am hoping to achieve an honesty with my song writing which in effect will move the listener"

I think she achieves this quite nicely.

'Purple Flowers' is a track I quite like. It reminds me a little of something Emma's Imagination would write; a sweet little folky number. The song brings some nice harmonies and honest lyrics and I feel that it's the kind of track that would fit well with a summer's drive.

I have been inspired by many great musicians but my main influences have been Damien Rice, Adele and Emeli Sandé. I like singer - songwriters that give a bare account of a story told through great lyrics that reach you through a powerful voice that can deliver pure emotion. A sense of honesty. I think people who inspire you will always have a footprint on your work.

'Under Seas' is vocally beautiful. Jaimie's voice is akin to Birdy in parts and you can hear her vocal influences strongly resonating through this song. Her natural vibrato and subtle inflections make her voice sound really real. Does that make sense? Raw, natural.

The title track, 'Kites', musically, really reminds me of Blue October in parts (literally one of my favourite bands on this planet. Ever). It's definitely the fiddle that makes me think this, as Blue October have the fiddle featuring very heavily  particularly in their earlier stuff. I think this instrument brings something so interesting to a song -  it brings a whole new wave of emotion to Jaimie's record. I believe when she performs live, it's just her and her guitar - would be nice to see her on stage with a backing band one day so people can fully appreciate her songs.

"When I first started writing songs I penned the lyrics first as I couldn't play an instrument then and i'd sing a melody to the words. I started tinkering on the piano and the music side of it started coming together. I have found myself sitting at the piano or playing around with my guitar and some chords or a melody just start flowing and the lyrics come after. So it really just depends which comes first."

Jaimie Wren has been playing around Aberdeen a lot, and I wanted to know what she thinks of the music scene up here:

"Aberdeen has a pretty good music scene, there are a lot of talented musicians in and from Aberdeen. I think there needs to be a bit of an injection into the arts scene in general so that there are more opportunities for artists."

I also like to ask musicians who their musical dream team would be, i.e. if they could pick any other musician in the world to form a band with, who would they choose?

I would love to pick Damien Rice, Adele and Emeli Sande just because it'd be cool to hang out with them -  I think it would be a bit of an insult to have amazing singers as backing singers though. But it would be really cool! Ok to answer your question I'd have Damien Rice on Guitar, Jools Holland on piano, Dave Grohl on Drums, Timothy B Schmidt on Bass, Vivienne Long on Cello and Natalie Brown on Fiddle with a selection of talented musicians playing various percussion. (Natalie actually played on my EP and for the launch night. She is seriously talented and I would love to work with her again) So there's my mix.

'Kites' is a pretty nice record, really easy listening and I look forward to hearing what she will bring out next.

She is now taking her music to Manchester, and I hope this EP will be the start of something good for her. You can find out more about her music by clicking the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/JaimieWren

 https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/kites-ep/id663896264

https://soundcloud.com/jaimiewren

3/5

H x

Karnivool - The New Sound

Karnivool are one of those bands that I never take off the old ipod. Why the hell would I? Definitely one of my favourite bands, they have the ability to give me goosebumps, even on the umpteenth listen. 'Themata' was the soundtrack to my entire summer around 4 years ago, and I still adore that album. They then hit me with 'Sound Awake' which is a work of art. Literally. From start to finish you are taken on this unique adventure through sound, it's chilling, exciting and something every music lover should have in their collection. 

Ian Kenny is probably one of my biggest vocal influences, his voice is soft, yet strong and full of intense emotion; a crucial quality for a vocalist, in my opinion.

There is a massive difference between the first and second album (and an even larger difference from their first musical release 'Persona') - the sound is more mature, more experimental and more technically brilliant.

The new album, 'Asymmetry' is due to be released on July 19th, and about time too, since the last album was released in 2009! All Karnivool fans have been waiting too long and finally the wait is over.

They released a download of one of the album tracks 'The Refusal' and it was given mixed reviews. I'm not going to lie, I was a little unsure to start with -  it sounded raw, even slightly unmixed and I wasn't too keen.  After the 'Sound Awake' album, which is full of loud, layered and beautifully complicated songs, I was expecting something similar I guess.. 

However, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. It's darker, both lyrically and musically. The bass is more in your face, the guitars are down-tuned and angry and the bassist (I believe) contributes some serious screaming throughout. I really like it.

A few days ago, they released the first music video from the new album, for their single 'We Are'. This track was definitely a winner from the beginning; the bass at the start drew me straight in. Vocally stunning, musically dark, and the video is quite emotional. Lyrically, so interesting, you can here sincere disdain in Ian Kenny's voice and I want to know what he's singing about, he sounds angry for sure.
So many layers in this song, just listen to the different noises created and how they impact the emotion of the song - something Karnivool always get spot on.

They seem to be moving in a different direction and definitely have something to say. The fade out at the end, leaving only vocals is chilling. Literally cannot wait to hear more and get that new album in my hands!

To me, Karnivool are pretty unique and it's hard to try and compare them to other bands (not that I should or even need to, as they sure as hell hold their own) should you be intrigued. For fans of prog rock for sure, fans of Tool, or maybe even Radiohead and Pink Floyd if that gives you an idea. But they are definitely standing out there on their own.

Beautiful.

(My other half met them at Download. Bastard.)

Akord - Carry The Sound EP - Review

Akord - Carry The Sound
Release: May 2013
Top Track: 'Light the Way' or 'This Day'

Imagine a brick. 

A brick packed full of riffs, 6 string bass, excellent drum fills, weird noises and bizarre time signatures. 

Now imagine being hit in the face with this brick.

Now you can appreciate what Akord have created with their 'Carry the Sound' EP.

On first listen, you can tell straight away that time was taken, and they really have put their blood, sweat, tears and who know's what else into making the finest record they could.

Most local EP's I've heard have really poor production quality; Akord were clever and recruited Nick Scholey to do all the dirty work here - mighty fine decision. You can tell they worked hard, every part of every song is interesting and well thought out.

The 5 Track EP is inventive, technically fascinating and really pushes the boundaries of genre definition. Which box do we slot this record into? I'll have to get back to you on that....

Opening track 'Houdini' is a mash of full heavy guitars, stomping drums and smooth vocals. Sandy sings in very laid-back manner, with effortless harmonies which completely contrasts the voluminous guitars which really fill your ears. There are so many layers to this song, and is best appreciated with a good set of headphones.

2:11 - The section hits you like a fecking tidal wave of sound and vivacity. Listen loud.

The song is a tale of sorts, it has a protagonist, whomever that may be, who we are told all about and it leaves you wanting more. Like any good story should.

 'This Day'  I. Love. The. Start. Of. This. Song. This intro sounds as though you should be listening to it whilst floating through space. Definitely Death Star elevator music. It's stompy, hard hitting and has an excellent chorus melody. I love it; they seem to manage to create pretty epic, intense thought provoking music. You can hear the Karnivool influence in this track, but they still have something wonderfully unique.
2:40 onwards has a beautiful section of vocal work followed by a wall of guitars you can't ignore. It's heavy, exciting and leaves you wanting soooo much more!

Probably my favourite track on the record, if I HAD to pick, is 'Light the Way (+Indifference)'. I was lucky enough to hear the first edit of it, and it made me well up. I don't know why, it's not something I can put my finger on, it just has an energy to it that works for me. Vocally, maybe not the strongest but has some amazing parts; listen out for the inflection in his voice right on the last word of the song - stunning. 
The start is calm, lying on a beach sort of calm, but no wait, it all kicks in and it's time to pack up the towel and stomp away. This song is a bloody journey from start to finish. Even though it's called 'Light' the Way, I feel, musically, it gets a bit darker as the song progresses; more intense. The premise of the song is relate-able  'No wrong, no right, it's just a choice of path'. A journey of a song, about the journey of life.. 

2:55 pretty epic section, including a party beat. A PARTY BEAT. I love a good one of those.
4:10 a quiet section, drums akin to a heartbeat.
Hooked onto the end of this song is a segue to the next track. A short, exciting piece of music that includes guest drumming from Robbie Mackie of Fonik and producer Nick Scholey. I'm not going to say much about it as it really speaks for itself.


'Set In Your Life' booms on next, and what a track. This was Akord's debut single, which allowed them to storm their way to the winners spot of the Kerrang! Big Audition competition.

I've already reviewed the single, so you can enjoy it by clicking here.

Rounding off this record is 'Carry The Sound'; the track that is currently allowing them to be in the finals of the Red Bull Studios competition to win a slot at Download Festival. What a way to finish the record, this song has so much bloody emotion in it it's crazy. Sandy's vocals are superb and Arran manages to make his guitar fecking cry at one point I swear to god (4:55).
This song has something for everyone, sing-along-to melodies, gang vocals, crazy time signatures, mad guitar effects. You will most likely hear something new every time.
A bit of a work of art this song. Wouldn't you agree?

In the words of Johnny Doom 'They sure know how to write an epic'

That they bloody well do.

My biggest critisism is that it wasn't long enough. Really looking forward to the next one.

5/5

H x