Grimes + HANA - Manchester Academy 3

taken from HANA's tumblr

HANA is the opening act on Grimes' current Acid Reign tour and, as she takes to the stage of the already packed Academy, it quickly becomes clear that she's a perfect choice to fill that slot. While HANA's music is certainly in the same vein as Grimes', she's managed to take a similar set-up and make it very much her own. Thick beats and dreamy synths provide a beautiful backdrop for HANA's impressive vocals and unwavering confidence; she ends her set having definitely made an impact on the majority of the crowd.

taken from Grimes' Facebook page

After the ever-agonising wait that comes after the support act leaves the stage, Art Angel's atmospheric opener Laughing and Not Being Normal starts to play, and the crowd start screaming at full volume before Grimes has even set foot on stage - so you can imagine the reaction as she walked on and started playing Genesis, shouting the opening line along with her at top volume.

Backed by two dancers, Alison and Linda, Grimes is also joined by HANA who, depending on the song, contributes drums, guitar, backing vocals and/or just general awesome sparkliness.

Before going into Scream, Grimes explained that, unlike the tracks featured vocalist Aristophanes, she can't speak Mandarin, before going on to rap the verses herself in Russian. Her vocals switch from random metal-esque growls to soaring, high notes that, from a lesser vocalist, could easily have got lost in the complex mix of sounds.

Venus Fly was particularly electrifying to hear live, its booming bass line backed by laser fingers and strobe lighting.

Grimes' confidence in performing is in stark contrast to the nervous energy she exudes between songs, looking both grateful for and visibly uncomfortable of the cheers and applause she receives all night (which, of course, only makes people want to cheer for her more!).

Kill V Maim ends the night in a sublime mix of pounding beats, lasers and some of the best pop music you're ever likely to hear. The whole set was like a weekend trip to a magical-neon-fairy-city, and over much too fast, and proved that Grimes is one of the most exciting performers around at the moment.

Happy International Women's Day!

For International Women's Day, I've decided to do a post celebrating some of the women who have particularly inspired me over the last year (and hopefully, I'll still be blogging next year and can do the same thing again!).

1. Carrie Brownstein

I was lucky enough to see Carrie Brownstein twice last year - once with Sleater-Kinney, who were every bit as amazing live as I dreamt they'd be, and then again, as part of her book tour. I've loved Sleater-Kinney for years, and consider all three members to be among my favourite musicians, so to finally see them play live was such a great experience.
Carrie also released her memoir late last year, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, and after reading it, I admire her even more. I'd definitely recommend reading it.

2. Jessicka Addams

Jessicka is someone I've admired since I discovered Jack Off Jill when I was 15. Jack Off Jill are another band I was lucky enough to see last year, and getting to finally meet Jessicka didn't disappoint at all!
Jessicka also put together a great zine called After Grrrl, featuring contributions from so many other great women, including Allison Wolfe, Molly Soda, Camille Rose Garcia and Tara McPherson.

3. The Tuts

The Tuts are one of the most exciting bands around right now, and I've seen them live twice over the last 12 months. They always put on an amazing show, and treat every fan like a friend; the fact that they hit 100% on their PledgeMusic campaign so quickly is a testament to how much they mean to people.
They are also completely DIY in everything they do, from booking shows/tours to recording, and are always so encouraging when others ask them for advice on doing their own thing.

4. Maureen Herman

I've always admire all three members of Babes in Toyland, but I can't pretend I'm not disappointed about the way Maureen was kicked out of the band. I'm so glad I was able to see them live before any of that happened, and meet them all. I admire Maureen not only as a bassist, but also for the way she handled the circumstances around her being kicked out of Babes in Toyland, and her refusal to stop talking about sexual assault.

5. Charli XCX

Charli has been using to rising popularity to speak up about sexism, particularly in the music industry. Last month, she also launched her own record label, and has already released music from her ex-bassists solo project Cuckoolander, and female-fronted band RIVRS. She also writes for other artists behind-the-scenes too, such as Icona Pop and Selena Gomez.

6. Claire Boucher

Claire Boucher aka Grimes released her self-produced new album Art Angels late last year, and it pretty much cemented her place on my list of favourite musicians/artists ever. It's some of her most creative work to-date, featuring collaborations with Janelle Monae, and also Aristophanes, a Taiwanese rapper she disocvered on SoundCloud. Not only is every song amazing, she uploaded a piece of her own artwork to accompany each one.

7. Lauren Mayberry

The CHVRCHES vocalist has never been afraid of speaking her mind - whether it's calling out sexist audience members, responding to internet trolls on 4Chan or writing about sexism for The Guardian. She is also one of the founding members of Glasgow feminist collective TYCI.


Which women have inspired you over the past year? Let me know in the comments below!

#FreeKesha

Kesha's legal battle with Sony seems to finally be getting the attention it deserves (if you need to catch up, I wrote about the situation here). Unfortunately, it's not for the best of reasons; a New York judge has ruled that Kesha can not be released from her contract with Sony Music, a contract which keeps her tied to Dr Luke, the man she has filed a sexual assault lawsuit against.

What kind of message does it  send out when a woman is legally forced to choose between not working or working with a man who has sexually and psychologically abused her? Kesha is just another in a long line of women who have been told that their word is just not enough.

Fellow artists have been speaking out Twitter to defend Kesha, including Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Lily Allen, Kelly Clarkson, Halsey, Grimes and Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast), as well as actors Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway and Lena Dunham, using the hashtag #FreeKesha. Taylor Swift has donated $250, 000 to help towards any of Kesha's "financial needs", while Adele publicly voiced her support for Kesha in her BRIT Awards acceptance speech.

Adele's support, in particular, potentially carries a lot of weight, given that she's Sony's biggest selling artist and won every award she was nominated for.

Some have tried to defend the judge's decision, as Dr Luke's legal team have stated that Kesha does not have to work directly with him; however, she would still be contracted to his label, meaning he would essentially still be in control of her career and possible financial stability. Would you want your abuser to still have that control over you? Sadly, this is also reflective of many domestic abuse scenarios.

The judge herself declared her decision to be the "commercially reasonable thing", given how much Dr Luke has invested in Kesha's career so far. Yes, the judge really did place money and financial gain above the safety and wellbeing of a woman.

Fans and supporters of Kesha are currently planning protests outside Sony's headquarters. Hopefully this case will stay in the news, as this is about so much more than a pop star fighting for their creative freedom; it's about how the American legal system regularly hurts women by not protecting them from the men who have abused them.

Ten Cover Songs To Enhance Your Weekend

1. Violet (Hole) by Lauren Tate (Hands Off Gretel)

Not an easy song to pull off vocally, but Hands Off Gretel's Lauren Tate has a voice that can easily rival Courtney Love.
 
2. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift) by Charli XCX

Charli and her band turned Taylor's hit into a spunky pop-punk anthem for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

3. Oblivion (Grimes) by Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand did a live, unplugged version of Grimes' hugely addictive song for a French radio station.

4. Needle In The Hay (Elliott Smith) by Juliana Hatfield

Recorded for the I Saved Latin! A Tribute To Wes Anderson compilation, Juliana puts her own spin on Elliott's song, without sacrificing any of the original's intensity.

5. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths) by Dum Dum Girls

This fuzzy cover can be found of the bands' EP, He Gets Me High.

6. Lies (CHVRCHES) by Muse

Another Live Lounge gem - Muse took CHVRCHES' dark synth pop track and added in some fuzzy bass and distortion.

 

7. Falling (Haim) by CHVRCHES

I love this cover. CHVRCHES turned a song I like into a blippy, synthy song that I love.

 

8. On a Mission (Katy B) by The Skints

The Skints stripped back, toned-down version is just as catchy as Katy B's version.

 

9. The Mother We Share (CHVRCHES) by SOAK

I know, I've two CHVRCHES covers in this list... but that's how good they both are! SOAK’s acoustic version of this song adds a tenderness and fragility.

10. Stay With Me (Sam Smith) by FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs managed to take Sam Smith's boring, overrated shit-fest and turn it into a darkly, haunting, actually interesting song - wow!

Top Ten Albums of 2015

There's less than a month left of the year, which means lots of tinsel, lots of colourful lights and lots of -end-of-year lists.  So, in the interest of conformity, here are my favourite albums of this year!

1. Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love

After being on a ten-year-hiatus, Sleater-Kinney blessed us with this piece of magic. In what was possibly the stealthiest reformation ever, the band managed to record the whole album, in secret, before even letting the world know they were back together.

2. Veruca Salt - Ghost Notes

Reviewed Here!

3. The Juliana Hatfield Three - Whatever, My Love 

Let's be honest, Juliana isn't really capable of making a bad album, is she?

4. Grimes - Art Angels

Reviewed Here!

5. PINS - Wild Nights

Whereas PINS debut Girls Like Us slowly grew on me and climbed it's way onto my mental list of albums I love, Wild Nights was an album I instantly fell in love with. 

6. CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye

A bolder album than their debut, The Bones of What You Believe, without losing their knack for a catchy hook. The vocals are stronger, the music more confrontational.

7. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool

  
8. Jennie Vee - Spying

It's been an exciting year for ex-Tuuli frontwoman Jennie Vee; as well as touring with Courtney Love as her bassist, she also released her first solo album.

9. Kitten Forever - Pressure

Cramming 13 tracks in just under 23 minutes, every second counts on Kitten Forever's second album.

10. Girlpool - Before the World Was Big 

"Before the World Was Big" is the perfect title for this album, it sums up everything this record is about. Girlpool's songs take an introspective look at what it means to enter adulthood and leave the comparative simplicity of youth behind. In ten short songs, they manage to paint such vivid pictures, towing the line between nostalgia and realisation.

So, those are my picks! What albums have you enjoyed this year?

Grimes - Art Angels

The wait for Grimes' fourth album, and follow-up to 2012's Visions, is finally over - Art Angels has landed, and it's a huge step forward. While Visions was a ghostly and distanced experiment in pop, Art Angels is bright and deliberate. It's as if Grimes has somehow found a way to become more Grimes; it's louder, it's catchier, and hasn't lost any of the complicated textures that resonate throughout her previous releases.

Opening track "laughing and not being normal" is a beautiful two-minute introduction, its dramatic strings making it seem almost like the score to the coolest fantasy film yet to be made. This leads into one of the first standout tracks of the album, "California". It starts of sounding like the kind of upbeat positive track we've come to expect from tracks named after the sunshine state, but on closer inspection, there's actually a lot of pain and hurt within the lyrics.

Throughout this album, one of Grime's most powerful instruments remains her distinctive voice, and the different ways she has trained herself to use it, which is perhaps what makes "SCREAM" such an interesting track; it's the first track produced by Grimes on which she doesn't perform the lead vocals. Instead,  it features Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes, while Grimes herself can be heard screaming in the background.

The first single from this album, "Flesh Without Blood", seems like a standard break-up song, but is actually directed at the backlash she faced last year after releasing the single "Go", with fans accusing her of "going pop" and "chasing money".

"Kill V. Maim" is my personal favourite track from this album; to me, it perfectly sums up both Grimes and this album as a whole. The bratty chant-a-long chorus even had me thinking of Kathleen Hanna and Le Tigre, mixed with Sleigh Bells.

Personally, I fell in love with this album before I'd even listened to the whole thing. There's just so much going on, every track stands perfectly strong on its own. It's hard to make such a varied album without it sounding disjointed or awkward, but Grimes has managed to pull it off.

Oh, and it was definitely worth the four year wait. 

Rating: 5/5
Standout Tracks: California, Kill V. Maim, Venus Fly

Scream” is a collaboration between Claire Boucher and Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes, who delivers rapid-fire Mandarin verses alongside Boucher’s actual screams and growls. Take a listen above; the two-headed creature bearing toothbrush and axe at the bottom of the page is the single artwork and an apt visualization for how this song sounds.

Read More: Grimes Shares Blistering New Track ‘Scream’ | http://diffuser.fm/grimes-shares-blistering-new-track-scream-from-upcoming-art-angels/?trackback=tsmclip

Scream” is a collaboration between Claire Boucher and Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes, who delivers rapid-fire Mandarin verses alongside Boucher’s actual screams and growls. Take a listen above; the two-headed creature bearing toothbrush and axe at the bottom of the page is the single artwork and an apt visualization for how this song sounds.

Read More: Grimes Shares Blistering New Track ‘Scream’ | http://diffuser.fm/grimes-shares-blistering-new-track-scream-from-upcoming-art-angels/?trackback=tsmclip

Scream” is a collaboration between Claire Boucher and Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes, who delivers rapid-fire Mandarin verses alongside Boucher’s actual screams and growls. Take a listen above; the two-headed creature bearing toothbrush and axe at the bottom of the page is the single artwork and an apt visualization for how this song sounds.

Read More: Grimes Shares Blistering New Track ‘Scream’ | http://diffuser.fm/grimes-shares-blistering-new-track-scream-from-upcoming-art-angels/?trackback=tsmclip