A late response to Charis Bury and Leanne's ?s about my 'gutted pleasures' selection...sorry Charis not very eloquent but I think AHA Shake is a bit weak and pedestrian they pretty much lost it (for me) after Youth and Manhood (which wasn't my most favourite in the first place) its the worst type of santised blues meets blue grass via a rock translator. Leanne I love REM and I'll stand by it for all to see but even REM hate Shiny Happy People...I'm sure it was their devil at the crossroads moment. Peace, love and musicals X

Musical hate crimes cont...

Mika's come back, that stupid little pop puppet. This is another instalment to the Leanne Adams musical hate crime list, an on going project/list of my worst crimes to the ear drums. So Mika's back, that colourful clown of a man with the singing voice of a ten year old boy with un-descended tessers. He's so camp that he makes Freddie Mercury look like Dirty ol' Bastard. It sounds like High School Musical and IT'S SO BLOODY CATCHY. That's the bit I'm most angry about, how bastard catchy it is. I'm sure it's some kind of sinister ploy to subdue the masses through subliminal messages sent by Mika because when ever I hear it I'm paralysed to the spot, my jaw goes slack, I start to hum and sway uncontrollably and I forget that I'm supposed to be scornful of it. Like a musical Parkinsons and Alzheimer's all rolled into one. So it's only a matter of time before the Scissor Sisters star jump back onto the scene and then you'll all be sorry you didn't just nip it in the bud now, with Mika.

Leanne xx

my guilty pleasures...

In response to Nana's list of those guitty, guilty bedroom dancing songs, here are five of my own...

1. Kula Shaker - 303 (There was no going back from the 'flaming swastika' NME comments of 1997 but this song is STILL awesome when driving down the A303 on a balmy summers day, safe in the knowlege you're heading back home.)

2. Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore (Cliff. Always. And forever xx)

3. Sweet - Wig Wam Bam (Errrr two words, 'dancefloor immediately')

4. Kiss - Rock n Roll All Night (Gene Simmons, you make me sick, but my GOD I wanna rock n roll all night & party every day...)

5. Barry Manilow - Can't Smile Without You (I'm a sucker for the tear jerker...)

Leanne xx

Musical hate crimes...

Picture it, there you are on the 29 bus after a long day at work, you're quietly reading the London Lite, but then your quiet end of day reverie is broken by some sort of massive shitcunt who's got on the bus and thinks their ipod play list is so phenomenal that they should share it with the whole of London. Armies of these little pricks roam the streets of the UK, enlightening the masses, shouting the good news from the rooftops if you will. And the good news is that apparently that it's okay to listen to insipid, boring, same old same old R&B. Some dappy talent less cow singing airily and lifelessly in many octaves about her man being no good. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE SHARED WITH THE GOOD HONEST WORKING PEOPLE OF THE 29 BUS? I happen to think my play list is the most edifying, wonderful slice of pop too but I'm not going to treat the other people on my bus to it's pleasures. No, I'm not going to share the Television Personalities with them, selfish I know, but maybe JUST maybe they don't want to hear Dan Treacy warbling on about not having a girlfriend, especially after a long day at their desks. So listening to your ipods out loud on public transport is number one on my ongoing list of musical crimes. The bastards.

Leanne

Pic 'n' Mixx, Buffalo Bar 30/10/09

There's this amazing new band I've been getting into recently, it's the first new band that's genuinely interested me in months. So tonight The Lovely Eggs are playing at Buffalo Bar along with four other bands. I've never been to this monthly night before but I already love it , the organizers tell you to make a compilation CD in advance, which you leave at the door, and when you leave you get somebody else's back. Cute idea huh? Making CDs/enforcing my tastes on others is one of my favourite pastimes anyway so I am enamoured with the night before we even set foot through the door.

The first band up are The Peryls, a three piece band joined tonight by a cellist. All three members, bass, lead and rhythm guitarists, share vocal duties. There are beautiful, shimmery harmonies and haunting lyrics whispered over the swooning strings. They are like a creepy Victorian version of Fleet Foxes with a generous helping of Nick Cave thrown in for good measure. If you've ever read 'The Gashlycrumb Tinies' by Edward Gorey then the best way to describe The Peryls is if they put music to that book. Lyrics about bygone times, tales of unfortunate characters and sinister endings. A little boy who swallowed an ember which never ceased burning inside him.

Second band on are The Grave Architects. Their latest single 'The Bike Song' is available to download for free now here Tonight they play the full version of the song which tell the story of his first true love, his boyhood bike. The full version of the song goes on for about 10 minutes and spans various musical genres, from ska to indie pop to rap. They're a really fun, crowd participation band and have all the bounce and enthusiasm of Pulp, Art Brut and Half Man Half Biscuit. It's impossible to watch this band without a huge grin spreading across your face. Oh and did I mention, they end their set with a cover of 'Red Right Hand' by Nick Cave.

Next up is MJ Hibbett, a one man folk rant. His comical take on life is accompanied by a 'Billy Bragg if Billy Bragg grew a sense of humour' style of singing and acoustic guitar. One song tells the story of how our protagonist had always hated The Smiths because all the arsehole popular kids at school liked them. Begrudgingly he has to admit that they are actually good. Ha. It's the small things in life, that we all experience, given a spotlight & stage. And another great cover, ending with 'Boom Shake the Room' by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

The School are a great little band from Cardiff who channel all the fabulous sounds of 60's girl group. They are in the same vein as Camera Obscura, with great string sections and beautiful, sweet as honey female vocals but they are a little more frivolous than Camera Obscura, more pop and fun. They obviously have loads of fun on stage, giggling throughout and sharing little in jokes together. Delightfully twee twinklings from the xylophone are wholly welcomed too.

Ending the show are The Lovely Eggs, a band who I have been unable to spend twenty four hours without uttering the name of for some months now. You may recognise lead singer Holly Ross, she used to be in 90's girl pop punk band Angelica and has now formed The Lovely Eggs with husband David Blackwell. They have just released their debut album 'If You Were Fruit' which is a real shouty/cutesy/feedback/fuzzy lo-fi classic. Magnificently ramshackle on record, live they are even more so. The standout track for me this evening is Halloween single 'Haunt Me Out' . It starts out a bit 50's but quickly descends into a delirious, whirring cacophony.

So a good night was had, and the CD comp I picked on the way out included tracks from Arab Strap and Pulp. Happy days.

Leanne

Tunes that I know are ridiculous, poor excuses for music but for some reason can't get away from them... Discuss.

So this is a category that everybody can relate no matter where you sit in the musical spectrum. Some might call them gulity pleasures but there is nothing pleasureable about any of this…its nothing but pure pain totally love hate. Dirty, grinding, grabbing and ridiculous so I’m going to start off the list…..things I really actually hate but can’t get out their grip please join in

1. DMX - whats my name

2. i’ll Nana- Foxy Brown

3. Shiny happy people- REM

4. Aha Shake- The Kings of Leon

5. Mo money mo problems- Notorious BIG

Nana

Covers that we prefer to the original….

#1. The wonderfully mental Petula Clark covering The Beatles ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.

Leanne xx

Cafe Oto hosted Blank Canvas featuring Schlomo, The Camberwell Composers Collective and vocal outfit Juice

Established in late 2007, and presented by Chimera Productions, Blank Canvas is a bi-monthly ‘club’ night reputed for its eclectic contemporary classical and experimental music programming.

Set in trendy Dalston I have to admit that I had already made my mind up that being stiffened up ready for a night fringed with irritation because I have a contradictory relationship with the super trendy ghetto of east London; love for its alternative leanings but I get extremely annoyed that it appears to be practiced much the same as some organised religions. However, neither, Cafe Oto- the host- or Blank Canvas- the guest- disappointed, they both appealed to my love.

So along with a trusted companion we set out for a night of beatbox meets classical- although side note it’s been done before reaching critical and commercial acclaim see ‘Medulla’ for Bjork’s (still) stunning collaboration with Rhazel on ‘Who is it’.

So we get to Cafe Oto and I am taken with the space, the crowd and the excellent range of beverages and cakes which included a cider that literally made my smile inside so within the space of ten minutes all my defences were broken down and I was pretty much a new lamb on fresh ground. The first act of the night was a female vocal three piece called Juice – not the most of inspiring of names but a decent act with some interesting experiments in vocal deconstruction, some original pieces and covers pieces from Africa, Alaska (Innuit groups) and a Cornish number; diversity in action. To be honest I found most of it quite polite nothing totally extraordinary but nonetheless lovely and watchable- also although I keep mentioning this but the last few Bjork albums set the bar pretty high and if you are going to do that kind of thing I felt like you have to be able to make those sounds whilst swallowing razors to make me feel like they were trying to push any real boundaries.

Next up the seemingly unassuming but talk about a heavy weight Rabbi Schlomo himself. For all those who might not yet have heard of him- seriously under a rock? Is that where you have been living? So briefly I first came across the human noise maker via a UK Hip Hop outfit called Foreign Beggars who I continually express love for that it’s almost shameful. Foreign Beggars are made up of a collective of music heads who pretty much span every musical genre. What continues to keep me hooked is their continued ability to distil all that love and discipline into one of the most musically creative Hip Hop acts for me EVER EVER EVER really EVER. So its 2005 and I ‘m listening to ‘Asylum Speakers’ (Foreign Beggars debut album) and at the end the Rabbi steps up and takes control of the congregation- not only that but he is an amazing drummer and I often wonder who would win in a drum off between him and Amir “Quest Love” Thompson one definitely to be considered- and I was pretty much hooked.

His set itself was mostly crowd pleaser rather than let’s rip their hearts out with the sound of this bass vocal but he threw in a few elements namely a reverb looping machine that created layers of sound creating a vocal pastiche that pretty much made me smile along with the cider. His style is mixture of humour, experiment, fever and homage: the Rabbi is clearly a music fan alongside being an accomplished musician. The audience, my compadre and I lapped up every minute of it. After his set he was accompanied by Juice on a combination piece- again I apologise for sounding like a broken snobbish stuck record but please please see Medulla for real instruction- I enjoyed it all very beautiful in terms of the arrangement and appeared to be a purely improvised piece so top marks but for me the bottom fell out a bit.

The Camberwell Composers Collective – could only stay for three out of the five numbers as I’m not a native Dalstonite- were nothing short of phenomenal which made me realise that I know nothing about modern classical music and its composers (although to be totally frank my knowledge of traditional classical music short of Rachmaninoff is pretty poor but alas I have always found most of it hard to swallow). The set up consisted of a group of composers whose original pieces are performed by a few musicians which included a cellist, violinist, a lady who was in charge of the drum pattern machine (along with comparing) and a drifting flute player. So based solely on what I was listening to I can only really describe it as layers of sound, distortion all tied up by a melody and all navigated by technology- the compare/composer pressed a button on what looked like a drum pattern machine. They epitomised the word experimental, really interesting and thought provoking and although I enjoyed Schlomo and will continue to follow him wherever he goes (if I can afford it) I think the show was pretty much owned by The Camberwell Composers Collective.

So now begs the question, where is modern classical music living and who wants to show me around?

Nana