New Artist Alert: Bad Wolf - Stay With Me

 Photo by Raiya Corsiglia

Happy New Year! I'm opening my account this year with some female-fronted rock in the form of Bad Wolf, an LA-based quartet who are making serious inroads in the music industry and taking advantage of YouTube with a video that's had over 11,000 views and counting since it was published just days ago.

The band bring "sci-fi, fantasy and steampunk to life within the backdrop of rock music" and their fairytale-inspired video for Stay With Me is certainly no exception to this rule. Of the video, the band say it "pays homage to several different fairytales" which certainly take on a sinister edge with their 'backdrop' of rock music; think the aesthetics and storyline of a Rammstein video meets the looks and sound of an Evanescence song.

Musically, it's a steady rock track which will sit well on the Scuzz music-video playlist whilst visually it features both beautiful people and beautiful wolves; what's not to love?! There's a big feel behind the scenes to the music, a wall of noise that is quite the constant but broken, in contrast, by the haunting lead-female vocals. It's nice the band features of a good mix vocally, and the harmonies especially work well in supporting the lead vocals though, and this is purely a post-production point rather than a song-writing one, the male vocals stand out a little too sharply for my liking. The bridge section really lifts the song and makes all the difference in taking it too the next level; a really strong touch.

The band look great, they sound great, and Bad Wolf will be sure to fit in comfortably with the rest of the pack.

You can watch the video for Stay With Me for yourself below, and be sure to check out the band on Facebook to keep up to date. Enjoy :)

Guest Post - Jim Mackney: The Marshall Mathers LP

They tried to make him a social pariah, they tried to banish him from the airwaves but every missile lobbed at him he caught, rewired it and threw it back so hard it decimated every argument. 


It was the year 2000 and Eminem had just released The Marshall Mathers LP. A scathing, brutal, brilliant rap album that became the fastest-selling solo album in US history. It contained some of the greatest hip-hop songs ever seen on record and Eminem, at this point, was untouchable and his critics hated him for it. 


It is thirteen years later and Eminem is in somewhat of a rut. He is no longer the social barometer for offensive lyrics, his raps have been said to be lacking and he has released three underwhelming albums in a row. ‘Encore’ was patchy to say the least, ‘Relapse’ was a tired attempt to reconnect to his alter-ego Slim Shady and ‘Recovery’ which despite showing a much more consistent flow was shallow lyrically. 


The album opens with ‘Bad Guy’, a seven minute follow-up to ‘Stan’ and it is easily the most astonishing song has released in over a decade. Eminem introduces Matthew (“that’s my little brother man, he’s only six years old") and chronicles Matthew’s long awaited revenge. The song is, weirdly, a way for Eminem to take a shot at himself, as Matthew mimics (“I’m the bad guy who makes fun of people that die/And hey, here’s a sequel to my Mathers LP just to try and get people to buy”) - mimicking and attacking his critics in the opening two verses. A classic Eminem quick punch to the jugular. The song contains deeper self analysis, and knowingly references the double standards he has of being a horrible misogynist in his lyrics and then in the same breath defends his daughters. He understands his own hypocrisies and it makes for wonderful listening. 


The Marshall Mathers LP2 is Eminem’s best album in over a decade. Its links to MMLP1 are explicit, with its rock-rap production and furiously fast flow. Many lines on the album are carefully chosen echoes of the past that both subvert his old lyrics and delightfully play with our expectations. On ‘Asshole’, it’s the altered line “Soul’s escaping through this asshole that is gaping", whilst ‘So Far’ has him again “spittin’ on your onion rings” and the ‘Rap God’s dizzying flow hides references to ‘Kill You’ and ‘My Dad’s Gone Crazy’. 


But the greatest example of messing with our expectations is on Bad Guy where Eminem raps (“It’s just you and the music now, Slim, I hope you hear it; we’re in the car right now – wait, hear comes my favourite lyric!”). Eminem knows exactly what he is doing when he busts out this reference, he is manipulating words he knows are chiseled into the brains of millions of listeners around the world and the effect is as jaw dropping as it is great. 


Apart from the occasional freestyle in the last few years listening to Eminem has felt like chore. Bogged down in average beats, underwhelming lyrics and no genuine surprises. MMLP2 takes this and throws it out the window. He is genuinely funny (‘So Far…’ in particular) and throws everything into making this album a success, even including an unexpected apology to his most hated sparring partner, his mother, on ‘Headlights’, (“I love you Debbie Mathers, oh what a tangled web we have”). Elsewhere ‘Stronger Than I Was’, a five minute ballad that is the first moment on the album where you question Eminem’s judgment. This quickly passes however as he settles into the song and you realise it is an inspired move and those initial reservations are forgotten. The Beastie Boys-inspired ‘Berzerk’ is a particular highlight and the huge Rihanna chorus of ‘The Monster’ proves once again that fusing rap and pop is something Eminem can do better than any other rapper in the game
.

MMLP2 contains so many raps that another rapper could probably fill three albums. His machine gun-like delivery is exemplary throughout, consistently making the listener wonder where he will take them next and only at one point, during Survival, did I question his judgment. It is not that Survival is a bad song it is just obviously the weakest, feeling like an unused Recovery track. The only guest spot Eminem offers up on the album is to Kendrick Lamar. After hearing Kendrick’s verse on ‘Control’ it would be interesting to see who comes out on top but MMLP2 itself proves this irrelevant. Kendrick has a long way to go to touch Eminem. 


When I first heard Eminem thirteen years ago, it felt like a whole new world had opened up to me. This world was scary but words themselves had a new meaning and my perception of what you could do with them had changed. Eminem was the biggest rapper in the world at that point and he cemented his success with the brilliant ‘The Eminem Show’ two years later. It may have taken him just over a decade to scale those heights again but with MMLP2 Eminem has once again proved himself as a brilliant, demented genius. MMLP2 is one of the most impressive, enjoyable, and addictive hip-hop albums of the year. 


9/10.

New Artist Alert: Oliver Daldry

It's really refreshing when an artist comes along with a real passion for not just music, but songwriting; not making music for music's sake, but as an outlet for themselves and to inspire others. When Oliver Daldry's email landed in my inbox, he painted the picture of a very humble indie artist, yet a few clicks later his personal website paints a very different picture of professionalism and somebody geared up for the long haul in this industry.

Daldry is a 19 year old singer/songwriter from East Anglia, UK and his debut album, The Boy Who Fell, has just been released on iTunes. Already picking up connotations of 'the new Paul Simon' and with references to Ed Sheeran, Daldry is a skilled classical guitar player who has honed his craft in his tender years and plays wherever and whenever he can. The package is almost complete, save for the music itself...

The Boy Who Fell, the title track from the album is, according to Daldry, about a close friend who saw life deal them an unfortunate set of circumstances as it often does and tells the tale of somebody unfortunately in this instance not able to face their demons. The upbeat, picky folk-style guitar intro leads us quickly to a fantastic lead vocal; immediately it's current yet similarly could have been plucked from a familiar television advert. Daldry's gentle, breathy tones, with a hint of reverb to add a little more colour, compliment the underlying arpeggio before opening up as the track builds, revealing a great vocal range that glides effortlessly into its falsetto. Production-wise it's spot-on, as it takes a left turn both feel and tempo-wise, pulsating with a little more passion atop choral backing vocals; it sounds like two separate songs but they fit perfectly together as we return at the end to the feel and fragility of the opening section. This is a really strong folk-pop song that is sure to fill back-rooms in pubs as easily as it could arenas.

Faded tells a sad tale of dementia as strings pick out the mood of the piece, sliding through the chord progression as the classic-Daldry sound of picky acoustic guitar and minimalistic rhythms compliment the simple yet effective vocal melody. Concrete throws the spotlight on Daldry's talent for guitar playing which amalgamates a Newton Faulkner style with a Paulo Nutini-sounding feel to the vocals as distant hints of slide guitar support this upbeat-feeling track, of which the arrangement is excellent.

I get the feeling that Daldry is on the cusp of something quite exciting and, if he plays his cards right, could see himself in a very different place in a very short time. A real talent combined with passion and humble roots will go a long way and I hope to be able to say I heard him when...

'The Boy Who Fell' is available for download from iTunes now for a mere £3.99 whilst you can keep up to date with Oliver Daldry on his website. Check out the album-taster video below, and be sure to grab yourself a copy. Enjoy :)

XSARA - Are There Dragons in Your Heart?

You may remember way back in February of XSARA's debut feature on the blog sharing her EP and news of her album on the way... well, said album Are There Dragons in Your Heart? is available now and I've been invited to take a listen...

In typical XSARA style, it's rich in sultry tones and jazz-influenced feels which suit her mature voice perfectly. Kicking off with She's a Monster, a rocking, upbeat circus-sideshow of a track that is sure to sound even better live, the album takes a step back on Moving On, a heartfelt piano-ballad. It runs around a simple chord progression and is led by the lead vocals, providing a real showcase early on in the album. Strange Love hints at the first full-band jazz feel with smokey, stabby piano chords and a classic ride line, the vocals with a real Paloma Faith-esque tone whilst Sticks and Stones once again dips down slightly with another, slower, piano-led track which soon picks up with a real Nina Simone backdrop to the music.

Sitting pretty in the middle is Business of Bodies, a pick-me-up if ever there was one with great live-sounding drums and sax, vocals and the lower register of the piano picking up the ostinato at the start of each bar. The vocals remain as interesting, with a nod to Anthony Keidis' spoken-word/singing style at times, before It's Not Me drops, dimming the lights on its way past. It's another piano-ballad but there's a certain fragility that isn't present in its predecessors, a certain vulnerability that really sparkles. I'm Your Animal has a nice feel and pace whilst maintaining the classic XSARA sound.

Leading us into the final stages is the frantic One Eyed Man that would be at home on one of the smaller Glastonbury Festival stages in the obscure outer fields in the small hours of Saturday morning, whilst the great-sounding drums pick up where they started, leading the charge in the final track You Got a Problem? It's the perfect summary of the album with breezy sax, sexy vocals and lazy jazz bass.

Are There Dragons in Your Heart is XSARA at her best and is, I'm sure, exactly what her fan base are both hoping for and expect. If you're intrigued, you can preview and purchase a copy for yourself from her Bandcamp page, and be sure to keep up to date with XSARA on Facebook. Enjoy :)

New Artist Alert: Los Waves

When We Were Beautiful is proud to announce the feature of London-based psychedelic pop duo Los Waves whose debut single, Got A Feeling, was recently released last month. The band describe their music as an 'intricate and harmonious meltdown of their [the members'] experiences from months living in tents on deserted beaches in South America'. It's certainly a colourful background and one that is sure to influence the musical output of any artist, and Los Waves seem to be no exception.

Got A Feeling has been released under indie label Summer Filth Records and features 'sunshine fuzzy guitars' of which I'm very excited to hear. I've had a listen to the single, for which the video is available to watch below.

Kicking off with a hazy fuzz of electric guitars and lo-fi sounding drums, a glockenspiel picks up a simple melody on top of the mix throughout the intro before the main guitar riff continues into the first verse. The drums remain lively throughout as a synth takes over the spotlight in a brief interlude between the first two verses in what seems to be a radio-friendly pop track with a life of its own. The glockenspiel returns with a little momentary restbite as the video remains as psychedelic as the music; both vocally and musically the track is rather repetetive though this is complimented by the eclectic mix of sounds and instruments. It could be just at home on a TV advert as on the radio as on stage and promises a lot of potential from the London-based duo.

You can keep up to date with Los Waves on Facebook, and also purchase your own copy of the single via iTunes. Enjoy :)

Afterlife Parade - Breakaway

I can't believe it's been over two years since Afterlife Parade were featured on the blog but it's been a busy time for Nashville's Quinn Erwin who has since been named a local lightening artist by Lightening 100, his local independent radio station. The break has also seen the recent release of latest single 'Breakaway' last month which I've had a chance to listen to myself.

Of the track, Erwin says: “We hope this song lays the ground work for what we’re planning for the future. We have a bigger vision than just the music that we’re starting to communicate about although the music is the integral part of what we do...we’re looking forward to sharing that with our fans and further cultivating community with them.” 

The track eases gently into life before quickly establishing an upbeat feel and showcasing the reverb-laden lead vocals. A nice feature is made of harmonising Erwin's vocals before the chorus stirs into life briefly, and then the track takes a slight left-turn as it dips into the second verse, the texture ever-thickening. Both the message and arrangement are simple yet effective with the key spotlight shining on Erwin's vocals throughout. There's a tense bridge section which pulsates below the surface, again building as it heads for the final chorus. An effective electro-pop track which fans of Afterlife Parade are sure to enjoy.

With a plan to tour in support of the track focussed on smaller intimate settings, you might be hard-pushed to see Afterlife Parade live however be sure to keep up to date with the band on Facebook. You can both listen to, and purchase your own copy of, the Breakaway EP from the Afterlife Parade Bandcamp page which also features an instrumental version of the track and a live offering.

A. Jude - 'Plush' soundtrack

It's been a long time since Julian Shah Taylor has featured on the blog but, under his new alias A. Jude, Tayler has written and recorded three tracks, which are soon to feature in the sets of his live band The Singularity, for a the hit-motion picture Plush which stars Emily Browning (Suckerpunch) and Xavier Samuel (Twilight). The erotic thriller is set for release this month, and A. Jude had a hand in the initial recording phase for the soundtrack to the film.

Jude is no stranger to working with big names, having collaborated in the past with Joaquin Phoenix and Courtney Love and is excited to add Browning and Samuel to this list. Speaking of the project, Jude tapped into the unique side of his writing and recording techqniues that features the electronic/rock 'hybridisation' of bands such as Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode, flavours of which are both evident in the new tracks.

This is an excellent opportunity added to the repertoire of a very talented artist who gives a lot back. Tayler is also directing the LA-based charity 'Art Angeles' that provides musical intsruments and education for inner-city children which sounds like a wonderful initiative. Somehow he also manages to find time to place his music in up-coming Australian film 'The Messenger' and is the musical director and composer for web series 'The Mysfits' for which he has written the theme.

You can listen to samples of the new album from The Singularity here, and watch the official trailer for Plush below.