(Ellen and the Escapades)
(JJ)

Ones to watch……

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been engrossed in the sounds of three bands in particular, they’ve given rise to the accolade of WATCH OUT! They are….

Warpaint –

Imagine if Kevin Shields had met these 4 young upstarts from the US had given them some tips, the best reverb pedal and an extended tremolo and told them to unleash something that The xx are trying to spark here in the UK. But with this quartet, I feel that they are about to embark on a contrasted journey, not just through music but through the pop mainstream that’ll make the lamest of radio DJ’s sit up and take notice.

Having only released Exquisite Corpse, a self-funded EP with 6 songs that sit on the verge of beautiful stillness, a vague dream that you try to remember but the voices transcend into nothing more than elegant murmurs that racks your brain for an extended period, that’s what Warpaint bring with such songs as Burgundy, Stars and the superb Billie Holiday, its simple well constructed art is much like The xx but lifts the mood more frequently.

Having only just been signed by Rough Trade here in the UK, a big thanks to Geoff Travis who has a uncanny ability to pluck these gems from thin air and much like the artists at Rough Trade will not be subjected to mainstream mediocrity that often dents the original ideas behind making such beautiful music, if you like Au Revoir Simone but with a bit more attached feeling then Warpaint need to be listened to.

If I had the funds then I would most certainly be checking them out when they hit the UK shores in the next couple of months at :-

12th May – London, Luminaire
13th May – Tunbridge Wells, Forum
14th May – Brighton, Great Escape Festival

JJ –

It appears that I’m on a reverb junkie fix, but honestly I’m not, its just the bands that are appealing to me at the moment, currently on tour in the US with surprise surprise The xx, the band currently signed to Secret Canadian caught my eye when they released ‘Ecstasy’ an ode to swallowing a little pill and your vision and train of thought being more blurred than the decision to axe 6 Music.

But look past the some would say cheap attempt to gain some notoriety but just slowing down a Lil Wayne record and you’ll see a band full of versatility that will shatter a Chupa Chup, listening to tracks from JJ n° 3 such as Let Go and My Life, you can feel a reverb renaissance coming to the forefront in 2010 to an audience that eat up The xx’ debut album and want to come back to the music dinner table to digest some more, with JJ you get that little extra that sits perfectly well, currently touring the US lets hope that they hit the UK shores in the very near future.



Ellen and the Escapades –

Sowing kits, hair bands, 5 members from Leeds and a folksy charm that will sing even to those who obtuse natures denies them ever getting behind bands that do not fit into idolised culture, Ellen and the Escapades are the latest of the folk stalwarts who are set to make a big impact in 2010 much like the way Laura Marling at present and the shit in the field band (meaning their everywhere to me and you) Mumford and Sons.

The sowing kit mentioning is in line with the way they packaged their debut single, independently released ‘Without You’ a beautiful melodic single about the usual ‘relationship complications’ but it strikes a chord with me unlike many songs that cast a stereotype about being fucked over in a relationship, on that basis you would probably be 50/50 on the listen front but if you give Run and Yours to Keep a chance, a more serious well brought together package of music, then you’ll understand why they’ve been chosen as one of the emerging acts to play this years Glastonbury festival.

Having already been hyped by such well known entities like BBC Introducing and having performed at Reading and Leeds last year as part of the BBC’s attempt to champion new artists, it appears 2010 may be the year that Ellen Smith and co make a strong impact on the alternative scene, with help from acts already breaking through the stench of debris that regularly graces us on a regular cycle, catch them as they tour around the country namely, Live at Leeds, The Bedford in London, Fuel Café Bar in Manchester and as aforementioned a main stage slot at Glastonbury.

6 Music - A necessity in the role of British Music.

"Less is more" "To focus on quality programming" "We want to do less better". The frequent buzz sentences I have heard on the T.V and the Internet this week from the lovable Director General Mark Thompson. First off let me introduce 6 Music, in a world where people crave the £££ hence why you dont find this kind of station on commercial giants such as Global and Bauer, 6 Music provides insightful broadcasting by its DJ's and identifiable music that wouldnt be played elsewhere because its not "popular".

Where else can I join the Black Squadron as I wake up on a Saturday morning (not for the meantime COME BACK ADAM and JOE!), hear such funny piss takes out of skins, great music sessions, insightful musical musings by Laverne during the week, Craig Charles bringing us Funk and Soul, Nemone's voice that gets me everytime and yes although everybody hates the man (and i do understand why with what 6 Music stands for) listening to George Lamb and Marc Hughes
bantering away but at the same time playing great music that in my eyes is very unique.

BUT! hold the phone a niche BOMBSHELL has struck at the BBC, to be more economically efficient it seems that the big wigs at the BBC want to get rid of such a station that serves as a great memory to a man who dedicated his life to music John Peel.

Now having studied Business at University (lord I wish I hadn't) from a commercial prospective although still wrong I can understand a need to lose a station with a niche market, what with advertising etc (sorry people thats just the way business is sometimes), but what I can't get my head around is that the BBC is a PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTER and with such programmes doesnt need to focus on ratings and listeners numbers nearly as much as a commercial broadcaster and i've had this answer come from Mark Thompson on Newsnight and Helen Boaden who came to Lincoln to give a talk (when i questioned her about it), IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE.

Another scenario which strikes me as odd is the cost of 6 Music compared to other stations at the BBC. In 2009 the BBC spent £9 million on 6 Music, this compared to £115 million on BBC Three which although at times can be entertaining surely the Beeb could cut costs on such pointless programmes like Date my Daughter, Snog? Marry? Avoid? Young Butcher of the year or the ever magnificent I believe in UFO's by Danny Dyer, is this really what people want to see, I call this a social experiment in humiliation by all acounts.

£3.4 Billion and 6 Music costs £9 million to run (thats a tenth of Mark Thompsons enourmous salary), its not exactly an economic nightmare having 6 Music which brings new music to the masses and brings hope to new bands/artists who's music would never see the light of day on Radio 1 or even 'slippers on' Radio 2, can we honestly say that music broadcasters on the more 'popular' stations would give La Roux, Florence and the Machine and Ellie Goulding (although she has been sucked into the machine) the light of day without 6 Music pushing it right from the start.

Lets hope the many protests which have developed (much praise to the Morters) spark a change with the directors which leads them to reverse this appauling decision. On a final note Beeb dont fear the absolute biscuits that are the Murdochs or a potential new government, maybe look into presenter salaries especially those who's shows are now pre-recorded aka watered down for harassing old men, or presenters who create such art like Car Park Catchphrase, have a good look BBC have a good long look.

P.S Listened to a song by Caribou today called Odessa on Lauren Laverne's mid morning show, I wonder if Scott Mills would play that inbetween pranking a Scottish pizza parlour, hmmmmm quality broadcasting.