“I’m a darkened soul.. my streets all pop music and gold.. our lives are on TV.. You switch off and try to sleep…” Blur – Sweet Song

IS IT STILL F*CKING JANUARY!!!?? Unfortunately so. I’m sorry. And yes it really is bitterly cold. And now…..the rain has started too. But there is a way to get through this. We’ve gotta get through this

Firstly something that is going to help your mood is the music on your playlist.

This morning.. I was walking down the road listening to ‘Sweet Song’ by Blur…..

(Photo – Decycle in Dusselldorf - visit streetartutopia.com for more)

And decided.. there had to be a cull in the depressive tunes from my IPod. Well. At this time of year anyway!

So below are some springy…pumping.. *serotonin inducing tunes I’m enjoying!

*serotonin is popularly thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness.

Wolfette: Together in Electric Dreams (cover of the electro classic well-known Giorgio Moroder and Phil Oakey track)

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

This is also a nice positive, imaginative tune from Jack Robert Hardman….

called Famous.. taken from his debut album and released on the 6th February. Yes…YEEEEESSS JACK. We’re all going to get our five minutes of fame. Love it.

Cute video here:

The Cast of Cheers release their debut single on the 20th February. Made up of 5000 photographs this is a quirky upbeat video…

They are currently touring the UK for more details visit their site HERE

And new from Belleruche – Stormbird due for release on the 26th March..

Belleruche have a gig on the 27th May at Scala-London. Book HERE

And finally Camden Crawl have just released their line up – booking for the 4th – 6th May this summer starter have confirmed Death in Vegas headlining.. more info on the Camden Crawl website HERE.

Phew. Feeling better yet? Only six days left of January.

I can’t help it. I’m a darkened soul.

Becki Bx

Christmas can be a stressful time of year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Stick your headphones on and forget about the sellotape for a minute because I have to introduce you to a young, talented four piece who call themselves the Bear Cavalry. Formed on the south coast in a small town called Gosport they’ve just recently released their EP Maple Trails through Hot Wax Records. And I think it’s brilliant…! Listen to it here:

So Dan tell me about your Maple Trails EP that you’ve just released…
We recorded Maple Trails a while back at Giant Wafer Studios with Tom Woodhead. It’s the first thing we’ve ever recorded ‘properly’, before that we just recorded demos in our own place which we still do when we write something new. The four tracks all bring out a different element of what we’re kind of about, we don’t like to stick too closely to one genre or sound, mainly because we have very short attention spans.

Does anything good happen in Gosport? Tell me a fact about it. I know nothing about the place.
There’s Gosport Festival every year, Michael Jackson played last year. A little known fact is that it’s the largest town in Britain without an operational railway station. It does have a ferry though.

Who else are you listening to?
Nirvana at the moment. I’ve never really tried them but reading about them, especially Nevermind, has grabbed my interest lately. I do find that knowing about an artist and what their influences and inspirations are, really adds to my enjoyment of their music.

What are your inspirations?
People who have done what we want to do from the same beginnings.

Do you have any inspirational quotes for me?
My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.

Love interests. Is this just a way of pulling the ladies? (Or men dependent on which way you swing).
I have a girlfriend, you’d have to ask her if you want to know whether the band thing helped me reel her in. To be honest though no, it’s a wonder any of us has ever even managed to engage a woman in conversation. We’re pretty awkward.

Describe your creative process how do you get from A to Z in the production process?
We have a pretty mixed up way of doing things which might be why we end up steering clear of any kind of popular structure a lot of the time. Usually there will be a bunch of ideas floating around and we just do our best to organise them into some sort of song form, adding things as we go. Sometimes it takes absolutely ages, sometimes hardly any time at all, we don’t really have a consistent process that we always find ourselves sticking to. The end is often finished before the start though, that’s definitely a pattern that’s emerged.

What do you want for xmas?
There aren’t really any items I’m particularly keen on getting my hands on at the moment so I’m going to say loads and loads of money to burn a hole in my pocket with.

Check out Bear Cavalry at:
6th Jan, Barfly, Camden, London
22nd Feb Death Disco, Notting Hill Arts Club, London

Join their facebook page here

This week I went to see The Horrors perform at The Garage in Islington as part of the Fred Perry Sub-Sonic Live show. It was my second time seeing this band live. The first was at Wireless Festival in the summer. A festival where everywhere you glance you are hit by an advertisement. Standing in the middle I could listen to The Horrors on my right and Cut Copy on my left. I believe it’s fair to say that the festival doesn’t really do the art of music any justice. Unless you’re headlining (I suppose..). It was great to experience the band perform at what one might call a ‘proper gig’. Or a more ‘intimate affair’. To experience what it is about The Horrors the critics love so much. On stage Faris Badwan emanates a chilly disposition…the epitome of ‘cool’ his icy exterior simply ignites an excitable (and seemingly dedicated) audience. An excellent venue sporting some great bands make sure you keep up with Subsonic Live here to experience a diverse and eclectic range of new music from around the world with some subtle marketing from Fred Perry. (Wireless Festival take note!).

In other news I’ve just WON a prize with Company magazine to attend….. THE BRITS 2012!!!!!!! I am so excited… mainly because my favourite band Blur are also there performing. The best Christmas present ever!!!

Read more on the Company magazine website HERE

Ok now back to fighting with the tape…
Happy Christmas! Becki Bx

It’s a britpop summer. Blur last week. This week – Oasis. At Wembley. Admittedly my first time inside Wembley Stadium. I have stood outside it interviewing people about football.. however, this time I was going in!! OH F*CKING YEAHHHH. Because Oasis were on. I was always a closet Oasis fan when I was 15 but I was (DON’T FUCKING SHOOT ME) a die hard Blur fan. It’s true. And I’ve survived. Funnily enough. Both sets have been intensely amazing this summer. The bands are different and credible in their own rights so let’s not go on about it too much – its boring and should stay in the past. One thing I will say however: Wembley Stadium sucks. It’s claustrophobic and oppressive.. I was talking to a lovely lady in the toilet queue and her words were ‘it feels like a prison around these parts’ I mean come the f*ck on – if you’re paying 90 quid for a ticket and 4 pound a beer then you want to at least be able to go to the loo!! Hyde Park has the same problem. And in the time of a recession when 90 quid is on the way to a full price festival ticket where you can see many a band (at least 50) then why are you going to pay that much for one? Ok they’re living legends. But I want to see these money making venues sorting their act out and delivering the public more for their money. I am a lady don’t you know. Who needs to powder her nose from time to time.

Here’s a little video I made.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6juR_Z_G4M]

Other things Becki Burrows has been getting up to this week -
I went to see Chk Chk Chk or !!! at the Electric Ballroom. I love this band – but I was a little disappointed. Last time I saw Nic Offer he was far more sexual on stage and I have great memories about him gyrating onstage to the speakers. Yes. Sex can be a very amusing addition to a live show. I wanted more of that – but Nic Offer (lead singer) didn’t seem as keen as I did. *Devastation*. But bloody hell* – I hardly recognised him when he came on stage – he’s cut his hair, lost a load of weight. The crowd boo’ed when the band didn’t do an encore. But hey, they are still good.. I just think this is a band you should see at a festival. In the spirit of things. I also went to see Autokratz at Hoxton Bar and Grill. Really good. Really really good. I just wish it hadn’t been a Tuesday night with work on the next day. Scowl. That’s when you feel like you’re surrounded by students and the jealous factor hits you as you’re friend asks if you want another drink and danger signals bleep in your mind and you become fully aware of the 9 – 5 shift.

*I never (hardly ever) swear but I have just come back from an Oasis concert and I feel it is only appropriate to fuck fuckity fuck it when you’re delivering a blog about britpop music. Oh sh*t there go the sponsors..

I am listening to White Denim. Chew Lips. David Bowie. Blur. And Oasis. And my myspace band of the month are http://www.myspace.com/therumbleband. Their myspace pic sucked me in. Live and learn…
This is the video

I went to see Blur last night at Hyde Park. I f’ing love Blur. I stole my brothers Parklife CD when I was fifteen and developed a mild obsession (ie I wasn’t a nutcase). I have to say the gig last night was probably one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. In my life. And I’ve been to a lot. The last time I saw this band I was 15 – at the NEC – back row – with binoculars. Very different to the festival experience of being a fully fledged adult. The atmosphere reminded me of what it was like to go to gigs back in the day. When you fell down the crowd picked you up. The crowd were there as one last night.. not like the atmosphere you get now at festivals such as V-Festival – where many members of the crowd fill their water bottles up with urine and chuck it about. For me – last night re-established the rules of what a gig is supposed to be about.

Dave Rowntree kicked arse on the drums. Best fifty quid I’ve ever spent!! I captured a few of the best moments on video below and quickly put them together –

[vimeo 5450586]

Enjoy!! Becki B x