We've all Got Pipe Dreams

Letters are a five piece outfit from Edinburgh, they like others are allergic to cliches and predictable lyrics and say that their sound can be blamed on ' a lack of vitamin D'.

Letters have created a slow paced, gental Indie pop tune that has a slow build up until the end where it really comes alive. The vocals float on a string section of bass and cello and the song is carried by the orginal lyrics. They are well written and show different ways to create a song about dreams not coming true. 'I'm 23 oh I'd love to see 24, knocking on anyone's door, who could ask for more? '

The chorus, 'Pipe dreams to sink around the town', is an ideal song right now, they have vocalised the youth attitude hundreds of people are experiencing at the moment. With finding work being harder than ever. Every Tom, Dick and Harry feels it their obligation to tell young people, that they feel sorry for them trying to embark upon a career now. This track is almost an anthem for a generation of lost souls. Despite them maybe just intending this to be about where they are from, it can be generalised to anywhere and let's people know that they aren't alone.

The song is narrated by both male and females vocals, with subtle Scottish accent similar to Idlewild but not as strong or brash as Glasgow mumblers the View. The song and accent gets stronger towards the end, where the song get a taste and rock and dabbles with drums. The build up of the song, like the feeling of 'Pipe Dreams' being unachievable, mirrors the frustration that people feel in that position.

At the beginning the desolate feeling of the track, sounds downtrodden and you understand what they mean when they say lacking in Vitamin D but towards the end somebody must have opened the curtains, because they more than perk up.

I am keen to see what Letters have next and how else they will speak to the masses

De Staat

De Staat - Sweatshop

Reading that De Staat, have been described as Holland's number 1 Alt Rock band, filled me with dread! Would I be listening to a bad Rammstien sounding band (I am aware they are German and these are Dutch)? Or something I could liken to Lordi (The 2006 Finnish Eurovision rockers) but luckily they were none of those things.

De Staat have a long string of accolades, of which they have acquired quickly, 'Holland's No 1 alt Rock band', their record being named as being one of the best of 2010 and on top of all of that they are critically acclaimed.

Like a lot of songs that increasingly are emerging in 2011, De Staat's stand out, not bowing to the idea that rock/indie/alt is a dying genre, but bringing something interesting back to music.

With guitar riffs, radio interference and a range of vocals this band are a lot of fun. To me this band are camp music , 'Carry On Rocking'. A song that is so full of different sounds, bizarrely deep voices and cow bells, is hard to take seriously. When you listen you aren't too sure whether it is brilliant or just very different.

The band are similar to Eagles of Death metal and particularly similar to Electric Six, in their songs subjects, band line-up and arrangements of music in the songs.

The song 'Sweatshop' opens with a riff similar to the Girls Aloud's debut single 'Sound of the Underground', before slipping into a tight drum beat and a strange cackling sound from one of the band hinting that it's a sinister song.

Although this is quite a messy sound the music is well constructed the movement of guitar notes within verses, reflect the tone of the singing, and create the sound of a struggle, adhering to the song theme.

The variety of vocals, drum up a story-telling effect, from the lead singer "I've been working all damn day in the sweatshop, It'll feel like i'm dying but I won't stop", to the member of the band with the extremely deep voice, "I've been going all the way in my tank top, I don't mind cos I be looking fine!" and then finally to the female voice ,"I've been burning in the window of the sweatshop, I've been running for some hours but I won't stop". The song moves you along with it, using each verse and a small simple story. A song with the lyrics, " Doing hard labour going to grow a lot of wheat, wheat". Shouldn't be catchy but it is.

Not only is there a quirky song and sound but a strange video that runs along side it. It opens with a thick bead of sweat running down someone's forehead, to workers in Victorian clothing excercising in a gym being watched in a big brother environment, to a muscle bound gent exploding at the end.

They can be compared to: Electric Six, Eagles of Death Metal, Queens of the Stone Age and Even Dee-Lite

The song is out on March 7th on Cool Green Recordings/ Mascot Label.

I've caught Minaj Fever

Oh-a-o oh-a-o. Oh dear it's happened I have jumped well and truly with two feet on to the band wagon.

I first saw Miss Minaj on Perez Hiltons blog, in a picture with Katy Purry, my first thought who is this Lady Gaga carbon copy who people are constnatly mentioning. Her hair

was a candy floss pink and she was accessorised with a permanent pout making kooky Katy look really quite normal standing next to her.

The next time I saw her, her white blonde locks looked as though they had been coloured in with green felt tip paint, wearing a coral bodice with bejewelled ribs, halloween chic? Again where had this Lady GaGa Katy Perry spawn come from.

After speculating judging this book by her cover, I finally listened to her sing.

While perusing the internet for celebrity gossip I saw a headline saying something along the lines of, "Chezza Features on song with Will.I.am and Nicky Minaj", despite normally steering away from Cole news curiousity killed the Cat (ha!) and I watched the video....

The fashionista sunglass clad audience screamed GaGa, the Asian introduction was Gwen and the sample of The Buggles just made me want to be able to raise an eyebrow. But then she began to rap and that was one thing I didn't see coming.

It was refreshing I hadn't seen a female quirky rap artist that had clicked with me, since Lisa Left Eye Lopez. Like Lisa she wasn't afraid to don the drag style make up, tilt her head child-like at the camera and not take herself too seriously.

The song is clever, it has the ability to appeal to both rap and pop audiences. Not only that the layered effect of the song also makes the song 3d, the base of The Buggles/Cheryl Cole, the clap of the beat, Nickis' & Wills' raps and bridges and the chorus. Audiences can chose which hooks will stick with them or be stuck with all. There's "oh-ah-o, oh-ah-o" , "I can't believe it, it's so amazing...(etc)" or "Check it out , check it out , check it out".

Will.I.am and his crusade to get Cheryl to the U.S. strikes again plunking her in the video, in a bodice, leggings and Rupunzel length hair, repeating the chorus, that's one way to get her stuck into the membrane.

Not only does Minaj have the wardrobe, wigs, make-up, rhythm and title of Will.I.am's protege but she's can sing! As she proved on 'Check it out' but on th

e album, 'Pink Friday'.

The album Pink Friday shares it's title with a mac make-up promotion, where incidentally a Minaj lipstick was selling and sold out before anyone could 'check it out', later placed on ebay selling

for over fifty pounds! The debut album has already caused a storm and that was proved when Nicki was mobbed by fans earlier this week when she flew into the UK.

The track, 'Save Me', is a change from the hardened rap or the commercial pop. This slow tempo plea, is placed on a modern track that you might hear liquid footed Neyo crooning along too. In this journey you are provided of the imagary of a lost girl aimlessly driving and singing to an absent partner.

Projecting the image of urban independent woman lyrics such as , " you gave me strength, gave me hope for a lifetime" are ones you wouldn't think would to be penned to this album.

The chorus ," This time won't you save me, baby I can feel myself giving up", and the tender verses show, that this is not just the run of the mill, soppy song but Nicki showing a vulnerability which may be unexpected.

The verses are complimented by a note that could be compared to a digital teardrop and a simple piano tune, not only are the lyrics raw but the tune as well.

Other songs on Pink Friday go in a different direction from Save Me, rapping lines that are not just punchy and dangerous but witty and current. Rhymes in the raps are clever and entertaining not just there through sake of convenience.

'Roman's Revenge' is a probably the grimiest track on the album, full of rage, and providing a window for Eminem go back to his glory days as Shady. His appearance on the album is the sort of performance that you would expect, to appear on albums such as Slim Shady LP and Marshall Mathers LP. Bringing him back to true form where he attacks your ears and places shady back on your radar.

Nicki Minaj, is not a girl to be reconed with her cocksure attitude is made more dangerous by the pace and content rhymes, and if that isn't enough this lady manages to leave Eminem in the dirt.

At the end of the track you might want to listen out for a TERRIBLE English accent. She may have been taking her English lessons from Dick Van Dyke!

Throughout the majority of the songs on Pink Friday, she sings of her life struggle,

which might be tired theme in rap, but it sells records and shows passion, letting fans know where artists have come from. Songs where this is particularly evident are 'Dear Old Nicki'. Where future Nicki sings to past Nicki about where she is now.

A existential song where she is looking at herself and whether she has gone in the right direction, without forgeting who she was and how she has helped herself get to where she wants to be.

Pink Friday is a great album, even if you aren't a rap fan it might be worth a listen with effective use of samples such as Eurythmics, and Simple Minds, creative lyrics and attitude, Nicki is just proving she is not just another rap artist that will disappear into the ether!

Dueting with names such as Kanye, Eninem, Drake (please just tell Ri-Ri her name?!) and Rihanna show that Minaj isn't scared to play with the big boys and giwls!

Two Halves Make a Whole ?

(FlickR)
I was born in the year of the dragon, some of my friends the year of the rabbit, and I think my younger brother the year of the tiger, so I think this year could be the year of the sea anenome.
Never mind what year of which irrelevant animal it is, what I'm more concerned with is, whether it's in fact the month of the split.
This month my conversations with my friends have been referring to splits particularly of the celebrity variety. Regardless of whether they were genuine star crossed lovers, or a publicists concoction, we couldn't believe how many people were residents of splitsville. Pop stars, actors, sports stars, reality TV stars but most recently a split occurred between a group of four, Paramore.

I originally discovered Paramore back in 2005, after meeting a friend at an All American Rejects concert. I stayed in contact with the avid morrisey and Panic! At the Disco fan (what a combination?) adding him on Myspace, Yahoo Messenger and Last.fm (all social networking bases covered). Meeting through love of music we carried on speaking and he sent me music to keep an eye on. He sent me; Mewithoutyou, Acceptance and Paramore. I listened to all three; Mewithoutyou, were appropriate to the sound at the time, emo and screaming about a love story, Acceptance were a generic pop rock sound and then there was Paramore a great band that spoke to me and were fronted by a girl !?

I couldn't believe how catchy and refreshing all the songs were, Franklin, Emergency and a particular favourite Pressure. This was eye opening, listening to a band who were talking about teenage angst and lost love spoke to me, without relying on rhyming stanzas.

My fandom exploded when I went to see Give It a Name in 2005, surrounded by thousands of other teens waiting to hear their favourite bands vocalise their confusion and love stories, in a way that they couldn't. It was the first day of the mini indoor festival and BRAND new comers the Blackout had just taken to the stage, I was particularly fond of this band, having been "talking" with one of them on Myspace. They screamed through their unrecognised songs, using overwhelming enthusiasm to make up for the thin crowd. We went on to look round the stalls, the merchandise and of course the boys (ha). The crowd got thicker and eventually after another lesser known band the Gym Class Heroes burst onto stage. Another Fuelled By Ramen graduate that were about to shake the music industry awake for a brief minute. Following them Paramore came on the stage, Hayley bounded on, and the band shadowed her. I was beaming my new found heroine was there in the flesh, about to rock me and my friends world. I stood there transfixed listening, jumping and shouting every single word back at the band as if my life depended on it. The one thing that surprised me though, was that no one else had seemed to have heard of them and that made them all the more important to me.

Like people do in life I drifted apart from the band, new bands came along and I wasn't keen on the direction Paramore were going so decided to stop buying the records. I started listening to Paramore again recently, really enjoying the slowly tempo of Only Exception and the bite of Playing God, but the news that two of the founding members were leaving, has made this reunion all the more bitter.

Not only is it a break-up it's a messy one. Like in relationship, mud is being flown (blogs) and people are making the break-up trendable on networks such as twitter.
It's always sad when people you know break up and in this case people you don't. A band that bonded together in their home town got thrown into the spotlight at such enormous speed that it seems to have broken them. The band who went against the crowd, rallied up a huge following are now less like a group of friends, are more like the damaged wings of the butterfly on their album cover, Brand New Eyes.