Music In Time

Monday, 1 February 2016

Feature: Blaue Blume (01/02/16)

Blaue Blume are a Danish four-piece, comprised of Jonas Smith (vocals), Søren Buhl (drums), Robert Buhl (guitar) and Peter Bøgvad (bass). They released their debut EP, 'Beau and Lorette' in June 2014, which received great reviews and a lot of radio airplay in Denmark, Germany, the UK and France. The single 'On New Years Eve' was named best debut track by Fake DIY and featured in The Line Of Best Fit's Top 50. They've also played several festivals and sold out shows across Europe. We caught up with Jonas for a Q&A about the band, their latest release and of course other things music...

General Questions:

1. How old were you when you started getting involved in music and how?

Music has always been a huge part of our individual lives. We all come from families engaged with music, so growing up without it was inevitable. As a band we've existed for approximately six to seven years.

2. What is the most inspiring musical performance you've ever seen?

We have all seen a Danish performer called Nils Grondahl, several times. He is really something to witness. Very loud, very dark and very beautiful. A lot of artistic performances whether they are musical or not, can be musically inspiring.

3. Who have you been listening to lately?

I listen to Brian Eno a lot these days, especially one record called 'The Pearl' which is a collaboration with a guy called Harold Budd. Ambient music in general is a very interesting and undiscovered genre for me.

3 Qs for Blaue Blume:

1. Why / how did you choose your name 'Blaue Blume'?

It sounded beautiful and ugly at the same time which is the contrast we would like our music to represent or express in some way. We were very drawn by the fact that it was in another language than English or our own. It seems foreign and therefore very much alive every time we pronounce it. Also no other band had taken it... That might be the primary reason why we chose it.

2. Which track from your debut album 'Syzygy' are you most excited for people to hear?

That's pretty hard to say. It's like choosing between your kids. I guess I would really like for people to hear the record from beginning to end maybe even read the lyrics simultaneously. It is really, from our perspective, thought of as a whole.

3. What process did you go through creating 'Sky', was it a collaborative effort or did you all have specific roles within the band?

Well we all have different roles in the band but I guess we try to find the same thought when making music. Everything we've created together so far, including 'Sky', is an attempt of expressing the same idea. More practically, and less analysing, we were having fun jamming.

Random Q:

If you could play a show anywhere, where would it be and why?

We have this insane dream of playing Carnegie Hall one day. Some of our absolute favourite live recordings were made there. Check out 'Nina Simone Live at Carnegie Hall'! We often put that on before going on stage ourselves.

'Sky' Review:

'Sky' is an atmospheric and haunting track; with beautifully chilling vocals from Jonas leading the way and the steady drums and bass lines rising and falling with the track, as well as the intricacy of each instrumental, specifically guitar throughout too. Continuously contrasting, with light and floaty sections and rising into a dark and intense second half of the track. Powerful and poetic, an all-round beautifully crafted song, a fantastic start to their debut album 'Syzygy'.

Sky - Blaue Blume (link)

Blaue Blume's Links:

'Syzygy' (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/syzygy/id1062570619

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blaueblumemusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlaueBlumeMusic

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/blaueblumedk/videos

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/blaueblumedk

Thanks for reading!

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Enquiries: musicintimeblog@gmail.com

Friday, 29 January 2016

Feature: Evawolf (29/01/16)

Evawolf formed in London last year (2015) and consists of Joey (guitar), James (drums) and Natalie (violin). These East London newcomers create music combining rock, pop, soul and folk; their debut offering showcases this well, their first taster of music 'When The Truth Is Out'. We caught up with the trio for a Q&A...

General Questions:

1. How old were you when you started getting involved in music and how?

Joey: I saw my first guitar in a charity shop window when I was eight years old, and was deeply envious that my Dad was able to play 'Smoke On The Water' on it. I vowed to learn, and I played along to old records until it made sense to start playing in bands. Learning that song is still on my to-do list, however...

James: I was actually seven when I received my first drum kit. But didn't start getting into playing properly until I was around 12. My Dad is a drummer, so I would just watch him and try and recreate it on my own kit.

Natalie: I've played piano and sung since I was super little but first picked up a violin when I was 7. I started playing in jazz band and orchestras and bluegrass festivals, so my sound is sort of a hybrid of the three.

2. What is the most inspiring musical performance you've ever seen?

Joey: Roy Orbison's Black and White Night is pretty special. His performance is both uplifting and melancholy, and he is accompanied by an all-star backing band, which features Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello, to name but a few.

3. Who have you been listening to lately?

Natalie: Father John Misty, Ryan Adam's 1989, Christine and the Queens, and Rhodes.

3 Qs for Evawolf:

1. Why / how did you choose 'Evawolf' as your band name?

Joey: I saw Evawolf written in graffiti inside a WW2 bunker in Normandy, France. I was on a school trip at the time, and I don't know if that's exactly what it said, but it sounded really cool, and I always knew it would make a great folk rock band name.

2. If you could invite three people, dead or alive, to a gig; who would you ask and why?

James: John Bonham, John Lennon and Noel Gallagher. All three have a great quality separate from their musicianship, which is the ability to see the humour in most things. Lennon and Gallagher would be a laugh on a night out and Bonham was a drinking machine who I could get drunk with and talk drums.

3. What process did you go through creating 'When The Truth Is Out' and did it differ to other tracks from your debut EP?

Joey: 'When The Truth Is Out' is all about escapism; it's about dropping everything, getting away from the busy streets of the city, and pursuing a simpler life with the one you love. Our upcoming EP deals with similar themes; heartbreak, our accomplishments and regrets, and the way we perceive ourselves and others.

Random Q:

Major or minor chords?

Definitely minor.

'When The Truth Is Out' Review:
As the first track to be released from their debut EP, 'When The Truth Is Out' offers a fantastic taster of what's to come! It's a steady folk track with influences of rock and pop seeping through the gaps, it would be great to singalong to live - and just as great on your own at home at the top of your lungs. Harmonies, steady guitar, a detailed drum line and violin laying in between is simply stunning. Whilst slightly reminiscent of Noah and the Whale, we enjoyed this track as a unique sound and are looking forward to their next release already!

When The Truth Is Out - Evawolf (link)

Evawolf's Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evawolfmusic

Twitter: https://twitter.com/evawolfmusic

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/evawolfmusic

Wednesday, 27 January 2016

What I'm Listening To... (27/01/16)

The past couple of months I've been listening to a lot more chilled music, and that is definitely reflected in this month's 'What I'm Listening To...' I've also been revisiting some of my favourites from a while back, you'll pick up which those are, but I guess without further ado, here's some brilliant chilled tracks I want to share with you!

1. Army - Ellie Goulding
I'm not the biggest fan of Ellie's new album, there's some good ones on there and I'm not disputing that she's a great artist, 'Delirious' just hasn't stuck out to me as much as her previous two did. However, the first time I heard this particular version of 'Army' I fell in love with it, it's just a beautiful song about friendship.

Army - Ellie Goulding (link)

2. Talk - Eliza and the Bear
Monday night (25th January), I went to these guys at The Boileroom and was not disappointed. We posted a spotlight on them and their latest single 'It Gets Cold' a couple of Fridays ago, and although that is a great track, I've had this one on repeat for quite some time. There's an acoustic version floating around, which is great too...

Talk - Eliza and the Bear (link)

3. Keeping Your Head Up - Birdy
As regular readers of Music In Time Blog may have realised near the end of last year, I had 'Let It All Go' by Rhodes and Birdy on repeat constantly. Now Birdy is back again, this time with 'Keeping Your Head Up', a subtly powerful and upbeat track, showing a different side to the lullabies and calming folk we've heard in the past... I'm excited for the next album!

Keeping Your Head Up - Birdy (link)

4. Years Years Bears - Dodie Clark & Tom Rosenthal
A musical dream team, Dodie Clark (doddleoddle) and Tom Rosenthal joined forces recently and their harmonies and lyrics fuse together to create this wonderful masterpiece (that has been played a few too many times at our desk in the past few weeks, but it really is a great song - enjoy!

Years Years Bears - Dodie Clark & Tom Rosenthal (link)

5. Numbers - Daughter
So, Daughter released their second album 'Not To Disappear' on 15th January, so it hasn't been out in the world for long, but I have definitely listened to it at least twice a day since then. If you like their previous stuff, you won't be let down by this release either, although I feel there's more of a beat running through this one, which is definitely not a bad thing in my books!

Numbers - Daughter (link)

6. Forgive Me - MAASAI
We featured MAASAI earlier this month and I really enjoyed listening to their album, 'Feeling Blue, Seeing Orange' so I've listened to it a few more times since then. I think 'Forgive Me' is my current favourite from the release, just some really good music.

Forgive Me - MAASAI (link)

7. Weak - Wet
Wet were another (very) recent spotlighted band, after being sent their latest single I delved a little bit deeper back into some of their previous releases. I've lost count of the amount of times I've played the 'Live @ Electric Lady Studios' videos of 'Weak', 'Deadwater' and 'You're The Best', but this just beats the rest at the minute... (Their debut album is out on Friday - so if you like the sound of this be sure to go order it)

Weak - Wet (link)

8. Wrote It Down and Burned It - John Hiatt
Boxing Day (how was that over a month ago?) I went to our local pub and saw someone cover this and I'm not sure why but I came home and listened to the original and haven't really stopped listening since.

Wrote It Down and Burned It - John Hiatt (link)

9. Closer - Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon have been one of my favourite bands for quite some time, and I'm sure that will continue long into the future. I've been revisiting their older releases like 'Closer', 'Revelry', 'Radioactive' and 'Pyro' recently and slowly rekindling my love for their music.

Closer - Kings Of Leon (link)

10. I Miss You - blink-182
Does this need an explanation? This gets played very loud in my car, with me singing along and people driving past giving me funny looks. :)

I Miss You - blink-182 (link)

Monday, 25 January 2016

Spotlight: Wet (25/01/16)

American trio, Wet, comprised of Kelly Zutrau, and multi-instrumentalists, Joe Valle and Marty Sulkow. They met through mutual friends as college students in New York City in 2007, after a few years of informal collaborations, they didn't declare their official music intentions until the summer of 2012.

Their self-titled debut EP garnered industry-wide attention, their track 'It's All In Vain' soared to #1 on Hype Machine and gained a place in Spotify's Viral 50 chart. 'Weak' and 'Deadwater' made it into many 'Best / Favourite Songs of 2015' lists and after a hugely successful tour supporting Canadian singer / songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. they've announced their own Europe headline tour, which will follow the release of their eagerly anticipated debut album 'Don't You', set for release this Friday (29th January 2016). Wet are a trio to watch and listen out for this year...

'All The Ways' Single Review:
This latest single to come from Wet's debut album is 'All The Ways', a light and ambient track. The synth pads and guitar works perfectly against, as well as alongside Zutrau's beautiful vocals. Holding an emotional and honest tone throughout the track lyrically and melodically. 'Deadwater' and 'Weak' are both stunning songs too, which have graced many playlists recently at Music In Time's desk. What I've heard so far from the album has been fantastic and beautifully crafted, so I'm super excited to hear more and fill in the gaps of the album...

All The Ways - Wet (link)

See Wet Live:

11th March: Paradiso Grote Zaal, Amsterdam

12th March: Studio 672, Studtgarten, Cologne

14th March: Kantine am Berghain, Berlin

16th March: Le Pop-Up du Label, Paris

18th March: Patterns, Brighton

19th March: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

21st March: Broadcast, Glasgow

22nd March: The Deaf Institute, Manchester

23rd March: Scala, London

Wet's Links:

'Don't You' (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dont-you

'Don't You' (Signed CD): https://www.newburycomics.com/products/wet-dont_you_with_autographed_cd_booklet

'Don't You' (Vinyl): http://wet.shop.musictoday.com/store/

Website: http://kanyewet.biz/dontyou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wet

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/allwetmusicVEVO/videos

Friday, 22 January 2016

Feature: Kieran Leonard (22/01/16)

Singer/songwriter Kieran Leonard has recently returned with the release of his latest single 'The Greatest Show On Earth'; it began as an improvised idea and became a 15 minute, one take live recording. Previous releases have garnered a huge amount of support, his debut album 'Out Of Work Astronaut' was voted one of BBC's Albums of the Year in 2012, and the first single from his last album 'Underwood Milk', was picked as one of their 'Hottest Tracks'. He's since gone on to compose songs for 'Get Him To The Greek', the blockbuster starring Russel Brand, Kieran's shared stages with Bob Dylan, The Strokes and Beck and has toured with The Libertines and Ryan Adams. We caught up with him for one of our most creatively inspiring Q&As yet...

General Questions:

1. How old were you when you started getting involved in music and how?

Music was always present peripherally in my life, some of my earliest memories are sitting in the back of my Mum's car listening to The Beatles and Barry Manilow on the cassette player. I went on to become obsessed by one of those artists...

2. What is the most inspiring musical performance you've ever seen?

Timely given the sad news recently, but it was when I was 13 my Mum sat me down and made me watch Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Palais, the Pennebaker film. From that point everything pretty much changed, there was a new element on my periodic table, it recontextualised what I thought music was or could be. And it was cool and scary, two attributes I continue to aspire to.

3. Who have you been listening to lately?

As usual I am listening to lots of old stuff really, Scott Walker has been on a bit, Iggy Pop (the Idiot record), Patti Smith is never far from my record player, with Bowie's latest release, I have been re-visiting the Berlin years and trying to de-code 'Blackstar', which is a beautiful and now very poignant record.

3 Qs for Kieran:

1. Why do you think it's important to link the connection between art and music and how do you think that affected your decision to perform 'Greatest Show On Earth' the way you did at Newspeak House art gallery?

To me they are a synergy, one and the same. Essentially the same practise in a different medium, all good music is art, and all good art is at heart informed by the same values as good music. Message, integrity, craft and vision. The gallery show at Newspeak House just seemed the perfect way to frame and explain the array of ideas in the song. It gave the a good space to exist in and allowed us to create a truly immersive and subversive experience. It was something I have always wanted to do in my music and 'The Greatest Show On Earth' seemed to be the perfect fit for attempting something like this.

2. If you could write a theme for any TV show/film, which would you choose and why?

Columbo, or Luther, any of the really good detective shows, they are the only actual TV I watch, I am fascinated by the genre, the curious stories and odd personalities.

3. What creative process did you go through writing 'Greatest Show On Earth' musically?

That was quite a strange process and almost entirely unconscious, I pretty much made the song up on the spot the last night in the studio when we were cutting the new record. I had this simple verse chorus turn around, that the band just starting vamping on it. It was the final night of a very intense two weeks recording at the Kubrick estate... at around 10pm it suddenly started snowing outside and all these ideas started to come. They were things we had been talking about and considering over dinners and in-between takes all week and one just seemed to flow into the next, with the band just letting it happen musically. Thank goodness Nick the producer had had the foresight to switch the mics and hit record, as it only happened once and I am not sure it could ever have bee repeated in quite the same way.

Random Q:

Most played song on your iPod?

Currently 'Heroes D.Bowie.

'Greatest Show On Earth' Review:
'The Greatest Show On Earth' is 14 and a bit minutes of pure art. Lyrically, it is incredibly thought-provoking and inspiring; a stream of consciousness and insightful commentary on society and how that affects our lives now. This wonderful combination of genres to create a fantastic sound, with stunning layers of blues / jazz fused energetic piano, bold guitar and a steady drum rhythm tie together brilliantly. Alongside this track is a perfectly timed music video, focusing on the words that Kieran speaks and sings with a slight humour but sincerity just pushes it together as his own masterpiece.

The Greatest Show On Earth - Kieran Leonard (link)

Kieran's Links:

'Greatest Show On Earth' (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-greatest-show-on-earth-ep

Website: http://www.kieranleonardmusic.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kieranleonardmusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KieranLeonard

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kieranleonard66/videos

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kieran-leonard-3/tracks

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

Feature: The Wild Wild (20/01/16)

The Wild Wild is a one man band; the brain child of Benjamin Dunn, who writes, plays and records all of the music on his own. After escaping Illinois and living freely along the beaches of California whilst searching for something more meaningful in his existence, which he found somewhere along the Californian coast where the calling for music awoke in him and hasn't left since. 'Sing' and 'Caspian' are the tracks that have been shared ahead of his debut LP 'Into The Sea, Into The Stars', set for release on 22nd January (2016)...

General Questions:

1. How old were you when you started getting involved in music and how?

I come from a musical family. All our get-togethers always had live music and PBR, so I learned to play here and there growing up. It wasn't until I was about 15 that I got serious about writing and making music.

2. What is the most inspiring musical performance you've ever seen?

Hands down Arcade Fire. I've seen them many times and every time I leave wanting to either quit music or get better. I usually choose the latter.

3. Who have you been listening to lately?

Adele. All day.

3 Qs for The Wild Wild:

1. If you could collaborate with anyone, who would you choose and why?

Max Martin.

2. Where do you hope to be with your music in three years time?

I hope to be lucky enough to keep doing what I'm doing, to keep writing stuff that I and everyone else dig. In the meantime, I'm stoked for everyone to hear all the music I've been creating for years that's slowly popping out.

3. What track are you most excited for people to hear from your forthcoming debut LP and why?

I feel like 'When We Were Young' is a song that kinda just has the magic. Stoked for people to hear it.

Random Q:

Three songs for a road trip?

Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simmons

Keep The Car Running - Arcade Fire

Anything by The Cars.

'Sing' Review:
The skipping guitar riffs and equally upbeat drum line together offer a sun kissed song; this is a brilliant indie / electro pop track that screams fun. A perfect combination of Friendly Fire, Walk The Moon and The Wild Wild's own unique addition to the genre. If this single is anything to go by, the rest of the album is set to be pretty good, and one you're definitely going to want to sing-a-long and dance to...

Sing - The Wild Wild (link)

The Wild Wild's Links:

'Into The Sea, Into The Stars' (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/into-the-sea-into-the-stars

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearethewildwild

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewildwild

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/thewildwild

Monday, 18 January 2016

Feature: Jamie Beau (18/01/16)

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Jamie Beau released his alt-folk debut album, 'Tales of the Earth, Tales of the Sea...' early last month (December '15). The album is a creation of a two year journey that saw him share stages with The Magic Numbers, Dan Reed and Amy Wadge (co-writer for Ed Sheeran); as well as being featured by BBC Introducing and appearances at several festivals. He's got a show at Kontra Roots Club (Kettering) on 22nd January (2016) and is definitely one to watch for this year...

General Questions:

1. How old were you when you started getting involved in music and how?
I was around seven, I started learning classical / flamenco guitar with my Dad, then I stopped for a little while and restarted in my early teens. That's where I started taking it more seriously anyway and ended up in some alt / grunge / indie bands at the time.

2. What is the most inspiring musical performance you've ever seen?
I'd have to say Thomas Leeb playing at the London Acoustic Guitar Show in 2012. It was that performance that reignited my interest in music and gave the epiphany moment that started me on my current musical journey.

3. Who have you been listening to lately?
Guy Garvey's album is really good. I've been listening to a lot of Ed Harcourts back cat of late too. Philip Henry and Hannah Martin's Mynd is a brilliant folk album. The more heavy stuff like Lower Than Atlantis, Marmosets & Royal Blood.

3 Qs for Jamie:

1. Which three countries would you like to tour most and why?
Japan - I'd love to experience the culture and see the country, I think they've got an incredible music scene that gets completely bypassed by Western music listeners.
Iceland - I simply love that country, my wife and I went there a year ago and it felt like I was home. The landscape is incredible, but the thing I dig the most are the people we met! Great sense of humour. Oh and they've got a ridiculously good music scene for such a small nation.
Brazil - My Dad was a merchant sailor and he speaks so highly of South America so I'd love to go there and tour one day. Again, there's some fantastic music coming out of Brazil at the moment.

2. What inspires your lyrics and who influences your sound?
Lyrically it's always about personal reflection - I got told once that "you should always write of what you know" and that has stuck with me.
My sound influence comes from all sorts of places. I got told that it sounds like Guy Garvey and Jeffy Buckley's DNA got mixed. Which was obviously an incredible compliment as they're huge influences on me. The John Butler trio are probably the closest thing I draw influence from, but probably a bit more British and miserable haha! Definitely Ben Howard too.

3. Which track on your album 'Tales of the Earth, Tales of the Sea...' stands out to you as your favourite and why?
My favourite track changes from listen to listen, overall though it is probably 'Prayer of the Drunk'. It's about a pep talk that a friend of mine gave me when I was going through a really very crappy time. My friend Steve turned up to my house, looked and me and without me saying a word he said "Get your coat, we're going out and until the sun is up we're drinking whiskey, until the bar is running dry we're drinking whiskey and until we both throw up we're drinking whiskey." And that was exactly what was needed, he just knew. So really, the song is as much a drinking song as it is about true friendship, and that's why I love that track.

Random Q:

If you could open a venue anywhere, where would it be, what would it be called and what would the opening night entail?
Blimey... It'd be called 'Whiskey n Tunes' in Reykjavik, Iceland. Surprise surprise, it'd be a whiskey and live music bar with as many nice malts as I could get my hands on, and the opening night rule is for each song the band plays everyone in the venue has to drink a whiskey, band, staff and customers included... That'd be a messy bar but awesome.

'Tales of the Earth, Tales of the Sea' Album Review:
This album is a fantastic collection of tracks, for listeners of Newton Faulkner, Ben Howard, Mumford & Sons and more...
'Pope' opens the release with stripped back percussion, growing with guitars and a brilliant contrast of grit to heartfelt vocals. 'Prayer Of The Drunk' is very much a drinking song, upbeat and easy to pick up and sing-a-long to... The alternative rock infused sound of 'Had Enough (Little Sentinels)' offers a true rough and gritty rock edge to the album. 'Nightlight & Hindsight (The Fugitive)' follows as an incredibly honest and beautifully emotive song, reflected in guitar and growing with drums throughout into a brilliant instrumental and harmonised section to end the track.
'Glue' is another emotive track, with keys and harmonies added to the layers. Jamie's percussive guitar playing in - my favourite track from the album - 'Risen From The Sea' and 'Back Home' is reminiscent of John Smith and the adopted style of Ben Howard. Both honest tracks and alternative folk at its best.
'Raise The Dead' has a rock infused sound, a longer track but has so much to offer and doesn't get boring like some can. 'Catherine, John and Michael' is a darker, more atmospheric track with stunning melodic vocals over the top. 'The Cycle' is a funk infused folk track, with gritty guitars and rock elements, I can imagine it being incredible live, allowing the audience to really get involved. The album closes with 'Of The Cruel', headed by classical guitar, a beautiful, powerful and equally haunting track to close this wonderful release with.