Friday Feature - Widowspeak

The first Friday Feature of 2013 is Widowspeak, an indie rock band from New York, USA. I love them for two reason a) their dreamy sound and b) Molly Hamilton's battle with stage fright. For the longest time Molly couldn't bear anyone listening to her perform (going so far as to record her song ideas for her band mates to listen to whilst she hid in another room) but without her soft croon Widowspeak wouldn't be anything. All of Widowspeak's songs gently pulse along, relying only on the odd guitar curl for embellishment, leaving space for Molly to deliver their scant but deep lyrics and let their meaning take hold:

 

 Last night I thought of you

Years ago, when bodies grew

An empty home

A vacant Hell

I knew you in the harsh realm

I thought about how it was

I thought about you because

I always think about you

Where will I have heard them before?

Single "Harsh Realm" was featured in an episode of the television series American Horror Story.

Featured Song: Harsh Realm

Where can I hear more?

No official free songs at the moment however they have two fab EPs to sample along with first album Windowspeak and second album Almanac coming out early 2013.

What is their website?

http://widowspeak.bandcamp.com/

Next week: Cults

***

I don't know about you guys but knowing that Molly had to battle with stage fright to be part of Widowspeak makes me love her, the band and their music even more. One of of my biggest heroes is Rammstein's Till Lindemann for the exact same reason! Yes - believe it or not fierce Till Lindemann gets performance jitters too! It makes me think that if he can carry off such a convincing, bold, charismatic performance in front of mega stadiums full of screaming crowds whilst scared to really look any of them in the eye that I can try and battle my confidence issues too. Do any of you guys have heroes like this? I'd love to hear about them!

Kathleen Hanna on Beyonce on Haters

The Riddler Song got its first YouTube hater today. As a delicate writer I feel the urge to take it overly personally (whilst also being astonished I survived this long without haters). Luckily there is an inspiring quotation for every occasion and here is one about haters by musician and artist Kathleen Hanna:

“Beyoncé isn’t Beyoncé because she reads comments on the Internet. Beyoncé is in Ibiza, wearing a stomach necklace, walking hand in hand with her hot boyfriend. She’s going on the yacht and having a mimosa. She’s not reading shitty comments about herself on the Internet, and we shouldn’t either. I just think, Would Beyoncé be reading this? No, she would just delete it or somebody would delete it for her. What I really need to do is close the computer and then talk back to that voice and say, Fuck you. I don’t give a shit what you think. I’m Beyoncé. I’m going to Ibiza with Jay-Z now, fuck off. Being criticized is part of the job, but seeking it out isn’t. That’s our piece to let go.”

Like most haters, my hater didn't even have a basic grasp of grammar (if they put as much effort into learning grammar as they did hating they could all get Masters in English Language I'm sure) so I take much comfort in the fact that if by some kink in space and time they did ever fall foul of Eddie they wouldn't last five minutes.

If you ever fall prey to haters remember this: they hate on you because you are better than them and they know it. You have more talent in your little finger than they do in their entire body and they know it. It's easier for them to try and bring you down than it is for them to try and reach your level and they know it. Just going out there and baring your soul makes you stronger than them so don't ever forget it.

Friday Feature 2012 Round-Up

Friday Feature Round-Up 2012 from rachel.yelding on 8tracks Radio.

 

1) Silver Zephyrs - Haley Bonar

2) Been Better - Kyla La Grange

3) Muddy Hands - Chutes

4) Echo - The Hush Sound

5) Cold Shoulders - Gold Motel

6) Things You Do To Me - Stamps

7) Static Waves (featuring Katie Herzig) - Andrew Belle

8) Marsh King's Daughter - Eisley

9) Cameras - Matt & Kim

10) That's the Trouble with Love - Frank Gorshin

11) Now a Quick Haunt - The King Left

12) Sleeping Limbs - ohnomoon

13) Angelo - EMA

14) Blue Light - Mazzy Star

 

Unfortunately I couldn't include every artist / band who has appeared as a Friday Feature this year as 8tracks doesn't support .wav or .m4a files (boo to them). Please enjoy anyway, check out all the other Friday Features and support these guys! If you don't buy their music they can't make it and I can't feature it for you.

 

See you in 2013 for more Friday Features!

Alternative Gingerbread Men

Somehow my Christmas turned alternative this year...possibly down to the construction of the Sasssquatch Wreath. As part of this alternative Christmas (please feel free to replace Christmas with whatever holiday it is you celebrate this time of the year) please allow me to introduce you to my alternative gingerbread men (plus the sacrificial gingerbread man made to stop mum's boyfriend eating the others during the night......):

Let's play a game! I'll show a picture of each gingerbread man before I show who it is supposed to be and you can see if you guessed right!

Hulk Hogan, brother!

A crime scene chalk outline

Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor Who (something weird happened to his trousers between icing him and taking his photo...I think he went back to the 80s and got them stonewashed!)

Robert Englund as a very happy Freddy Krueger (possibly went back in time with the Doctor...maybe time for Freddy v Doctor Who film?)

 

An Oompa Loompa

Pyramid Head from Silent Hill

Arkham City Riddler <3 <3 <3

Two Face

Zombie

 

This was lots of fun! I'd definitely like to make more! Maybe you guys have someone you'd like to see immortalised in gingerbread? I'd love to see your suggestions! I must say I'm quite tempted to do a whole batch of Batman gingerbread men. Let me know what you think!

 

Oh - and I'll leave you with a riddle from Gingerbread Riddler...

 

Little Cyan Wreath

I made another, smaller wreath for my mum's boyfriend (yes she has one and I don't...I'm taking applications though *hint hint wink wink nudge nudge*). If you would like to make your own wreath here is the original post.

Friday Feature - Mazzy Star

For this week's Friday Feature we're celebrating Mazzy Star, an alternative dream rock band from Santa Monica, USA who have been creating bewitching music for nearly three decades. Their music is iconic for two reasons a) Hope Sandoval's dreamy, lilting, crooning, melancholic, comforting vocals and b) their use of almost completely acoustic instrumentals (with the odd electric guitar). David Roback writes nearly all of Mazzy Star's songs and it is due to this and his decision to steer away from hopping on musical trend band waggons that their music is as enjoyable and timeless today as it was twenty years ago. If I was to be flippant I'd say it is music to get high to (in particular their first 1990 album She Hangs Brightly) however it is also music to dream to, music to drink cocoa whilst watching rain run down the window to, music to comfort a friend to and music to enjoy insomnia to.

 

Where will I have heard them before?

If you're American you're probably most familiar with their single 'Fade Into You' (from 1993 album So Tonight That I Might See) which has been in a billion films and TV shows from Batman Forever to End of Watch. UK visitors are more likely to recognise 'Into Dust' (also from So Tonight That I Might See) an album song which made it into the UK singles charts twice! First in 2009 for a Virgin Media advert and then again in 2011 after featuring in this Gears of War 3 advert.

During Mazzy Star's 1997-2009 hiatus both Hope and David explored solo careers. Along with her own music Hope performed on tracks for The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Chemical Brothers, Air, Death in Vegas and Massive Attack. Meanwhile David performed in and wrote three songs for 2004 film Clean.

Featured Song: Flowers in December

Where can I hear more?

Mazzy Star has released three albums to date (a new one coming soon apparently) and two special singles 'Common Burn' and 'Lay Myself Down' (2011) all of which are easily available to download - the cheapest place being Amazon where She Hangs Brightly (1990) and So Tonight That I Might See (1993) are only £2.49 each! DEAL! Among My Swan (1996) is a little more expensive but is actually my favourite and in my opinion the most accessible (with She Hangs Brightly being the least) however when the other two are so cheap and with So Tonight That I Might See containing their most famous songs why not get all three in one go? You'd be mad not to.

What is their website?

http://www.hopesandoval.com/home.shtml

Next week: I'll do some sort of end of year round up...I'm still thinking on it!

P.S. Don't forget to suggest your own favourite singers and bands!

Fall in love far too hard...

...with all the wrong people.

Summertime is nice and hot,
And my life is sweet like vanilla is.
Gold and silver line my heart
But burned into my brain are these stolen images,
Stolen images, baby, stolen images.
Can you picture it,
Babe, the life we could've lived?

Hello? Hello?
C-can you hear me?
I can be your china doll
If you like to see me fall.
Boy, you're so dope,
Your love is deadly.
Tell me life is beautiful,
They all think I have it all.
I've nothing without you.
All my dreams and all the lights mean
Nothing without you.