‘Muscle Memory’ Jamie Lenman Album Review

Edit: As part of an application to write for a website, I was asked to write a 500 word review about my favourite album. I enjoyed writing it, so I thought that I would share it on my blog too.

Jamie Lenman is an English musician and illustrator. He is best known for being the lead singer of alternative rock band Reuben, who split up in 2008. After focussing on his illustration work for a while, he has decided to release a two-part album, one part of the album features heavy metal songs, with the other part featuring more acoustic/folk style songs.

Opening track ‘The Six Fingered Hand’ instantly gives you an insight into how chaotic this side of the album will be: the heavy riffs and shouting vocals dominate the song from the first second. By instantly leading you into the madness, Jamie has been able to create an album which intrigues you from the word go.  ‘Fizzy Blood’ is a much shorter song, but with the extremely fast-past vibe and hectic drumming, it leaves listeners feeling almost exhausted, despite it only being the second song. It goes without saying that the energetic and chaotic vibe continues throughout the whole album, with ‘The Fuck Of It All’ being one of the most distinctive songs that he has ever created. The almost sludge-like rhythm contrasts well with the distorted guitars, allowing fans to hear something completely different from Jamie’s usual style. The angst-filled lyrics also work well with the overall sound, proving that a lot of work goes into creating music which matches the lyrics perfectly. ‘All The Things You Hate About Me, I Hate Them Too’ has a melodic opening, almost tricking listeners into thinking that it is the second part of the album, but then the heavy riffs and shouting begins again. 

Acoustic song ‘Shotgun House’ is the opening track to the second part of the album. The repetitive strumming is catchy rather than irritating, and allows listeners to fully focus on the lyrics. Jamie Lenman’s lyrics are so well-written that it feels like he is telling you a story with every song, which feels a lot more personal than the monotonous rock songs about sex and drugs that dominate the music industry.  ‘I Ain’t Your Boy’ is melodic and emotional, filled with beautiful harmonies that perfectly demonstrate how diverse Jamie’s vocal range is. Both his shouting and singing vocals sound flawless, proving how talented he really is. ‘If You Have To Ask You’ll Never Know’ has an almost country music style to it, emphasised by the fast-paced acoustic guitar and harmonies. Jamie’s wife sings the female vocals in this sound, and their voices merge seamlessly, creating one of the best songs on the album. ‘Pretty Please’ was the first single that Jamie released, and to this day it remains one of the catchiest songs that I have ever heard. 

Jamie Lenman is proof that there is still a lot of impressive song-writing and music originating in Britain. He had the courage to experiment much more than any other artists would ever dare to, creating an album with is both unique and enjoyable to listen to. ‘Muscle Memory’ is accessible to fans across all genres, and if you’re looking for something new to listen to then you should definitely give this album a try – you won’t regret it! 

Check out Jamie Lenman here: https://www.facebook.com/jamielenman
Read/listen to my interview with Jamie here: http://gigreviewsbyjulia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/jamie-lenman-interview.html 

Fort Hope ‘Courage’ Album Review (100 word review)

Fort Hope formed from the ashes of My Passion, and ‘Courage’ is their brilliant debut album, proving that they’ve matured both musically and lyrically.

Opening track ‘Rapture’ is melodic and relaxed, contrasting to any previous ventures. This sets the tone for the album, but it is anything but boring. Jon Gaskin’s vocals are harmonic yet hard-hitting, especially in rock anthem ‘New Life’.

‘Control’ is the stand-out track, with well-written lyrics and a catchy guitar riff.

With an album that isn’t too melodic or too heavy, the Bedfordshire four piece are almost impossible not to like.

Rating: 9
‘Courage’ is out now, via LAB Records.

Should cameras be allowed at concerts?

One of the signs which the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have used at their concerts.

Many concerts are all the same: the second that the lights go off and the curtain drops, many eager fans get out their digital cameras or smartphones, eager to capture the moment when their favourite band grace the stage. But many people take it too far, spending all of the concert taking shoddy pictures to show off on their Facebook page.

At a recent concert that I attended, three people stood in front of me were taking pictures and filming on their iPads. For the whole concert they were stood there, not moving, apart from to press the ‘capture’ button hundreds of times. It goes without saying that this was ridiculously annoying, not only because it was harder to see the band, but also because it has made me realise what is happening at concerts nowadays. People are more interested in showing off about where they have been than actually enjoying the music and the atmosphere. Is technology taking over our lives?

Artists such as Price, Beyoncé and Björk have all previously banned people from taking photos at concerts, saying that it is ‘distracting’ and that people should enjoy the show through their eyes, not through a screen. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are renowned for not allowing fans to take photos at their shows, but they have received a lot of support from both fans and critics about the bold move. With fans not desperately trying to capture images, they are able to be involved with the concert and forget about technology, for a couple of hours at least. Attempts to stop fans taking photos are not always successful, but many fans will happily comply with the artists’ request.

The alternative view on this is from aspiring photographers. Although professional photographers can often acquire photo-passes for concerts, many photographers aren’t able to or don’t believe that they should have to stand on the other side of the barrier to take photos. Many aspiring photographers discover their passion for music and concert photography by taking photos on their digital cameras during a concert, and then eventually move on to purchasing an SLR and taking it more seriously. By banning taking photos at all gigs, many people may not discover their talent or find the inspiration to attempt concert photography. Also, many fans enjoy just taking a few photos as a memory of the time that they saw a specific band and treat them as souvenirs from a memorable night.

They key point here is moderation: fans should be able to take photographs at concerts, but only a few and not for the whole concert. Maybe employing the three song rule that professional photographers get would be a good idea, as that way people would be able to take photos but they would not worry about taking them for the whole evening. It would be hard to enforce, but some people need to realise that concerts are for having fun, not for standing with your camera in the air for hours. 

Music festivals: are they really worth it?

Festival season is a time of joy for music fans of all genres, with so many different festivals around to cater for everyone. However, due to the dire state of the economy there is a common question that springs to mind once a festival line-up is announced: how much will it cost this time?

Festival tickets, as with many other products and items, often increase in price every year. The price increase is usually an extra £10 every year, which may not seem like a lot, but added on top of an already expensive ticket (plus booking fees, plus delivery fees) all adds up. This means that the common price for a five day camping ticket to a music festival is usually around £200. The high price often means that many music fans often substitute going on holiday for going to a music festival, meaning that once they are there they want to have the best time possible.

The ticket price isn’t all that needs to be paid for. Transport is another expense of the festival experience. Rising fuel prices mean that it is now even more expensive than ever to travel and car parking tickets at festivals often cost over £10 for the weekend. Many people car-share, meaning that it is more cost-efficient for both the driver and their friends. Many festivals also join forces with coach companies, allowing customers to get cheaper travel to the festival. Another key expense is camping equipment: tents, sleeping bags and wellies can end up costing a fortune. Food and drink inside the arena also isn’t cheap, often with a pint costing you £5! Bringing your own food and drink can help bring the costs down, but make sure that you don’t try and bring it into the arena or it will be confiscated.

Despite being expensive to attend, the main aspect of a festival is the music. With hundreds of bands playing across the weekend, you have the opportunity to watch some of the most popular bands in the world, as well as exploring the hottest new talent in the music industry. With so many stages, festivals such as Sonisphere and Download enable you to watch bands across five different stages on three different days: there is always something for everyone. With the average concert costing around £25 to see three bands, during the festival you only need to see twenty four bands/acts to get your money’s worth. For a dedicated music lover, this is an extremely possible situation.

All in all, if you embrace every aspect of a festival, rather than just paying to get drunk, you can definitely have an amazing experience at a music festival. With their popularity rising, it’s easy to see why so many people attend festivals every year. 

Smaller venues vs bigger venues

The debate on whether it’s better to see a band in a smaller venue or a larger one has been debated for many years amongst music fans, but is there actually an answer?

Many punk and hardcore fans do believe that smaller venues are better. DIY punk shows have been around for years, with bands playing in places such as basements, houses and small pubs. With no security guards or barriers, fans are able to be up-close and personal with the band, creating a more unique experience. And of course, if the band becomes popular, then years down the line you’re able to brag about how you ‘saw them before they were cool’ (but don’t be surprised if people think you’re a stuck-up hipster – you’ve been warned).

One of the negatives about smaller venues is that often the sound quality isn’t perfect, especially in a DIY punk show. Bigger venues often have a much better sound and technicians, due to their bigger budget and higher-quality technology. However, many fans don’t think the sound quality is an issue, they believe it is more about the atmosphere. At smaller venues fans are able to get involved with the show by crowd-surfing, joining the band on stage and being closer to the band.

Bigger venues have a much bigger capacity, allowing more fans to attend. This means that it is more likely for people to be able to get tickets, whereas smaller shows sell out much quicker. There is also a higher level of security, meaning that if something bad happens then there is always a security guard or member of staff to help you. Bigger venues also allow for a much more exciting stage, often with props, fire and impressive lighting. The atmosphere of a show can change how much that you enjoy the concert, and bigger shows often have much more exciting stage antics.
  

Many bigger and more popular bands often feel grateful to their hometown, often where they play their first shows and first start to gain a fan base. Once they become more successful they are able to play shows all over the world, but the shows that often feel the most emotional are hometown shows. Seeing a talented and popular musician suddenly play a show in a 200-capacity venue, with no stage theatrics to hide behind, is often a wonderful experience. Musicians who can prove that they are still in the business for the love of music rather than just money are often the ones who put on the best performances.

Both smaller and bigger venues both have their own unique charm, but all in all concerts are about how well the band performs, not about how many people attend. Personal preference plays a key part in which type of venue you prefer, but keeping an open mind will allow you to enjoy concerts in many different locations.  

Why you need to support your local music venues

It seems like almost every week that music venues are closing down across the country, regardless of how big or small they are. This is a crisis for not only music fans, but also those who work at the venues and those involved in the music industry.

Many people view concerts as something that will always happen, but once all the venues are gone there will be nowhere to see the ‘next big thing’ perform. Smaller and more intimate venues allow fresh, new and exciting talent to showcase themselves to the world, hopefully leading on towards bigger things. So many of the artists that you’re listening to started off in a tiny room, performing to people who may not have even known their name, allowing them to rise to fame due to their hard work and talent. Without local music venues, the music industry would be dominated even more by talent show wannabes who are only famous due to a television show. Hard work and persistence is something that gets taught to children from a young age, so why should the music industry be full of people that got to where they are from doing nothing?

Local music venues are also somewhere that people can go to watch concerts last-minute, allowing people to discover new artists for a small entry fee. Supporting venues and new artists is not only helpful to the music industry, but it also allows you to spend your money in a way which helps so many people. Many local concerts are charity gigs, which end up raising huge amounts of money for those who are in need. Drink prices and ticket prices are also usually a lot cheaper than bigger venues, meaning that you get much better value on a night out.

Although the economy is not in great shape and times are hard, continuing to support your local venue will not only help to save the music industry, it will help future talented bands to find a way to achieve their goals. 

Why metal elitism needs to stop – now!

As a female metal music fan, I’m often quizzed about what bands I like. Understandably it’s a harmless question, however, many people don’t just want to know who you like: they want you to prove that you actually like them by naming albums and members, as if you’re a poser wearing a band shirt from Primark. Although pretending to like bands is ridiculous, many metal fans are too sceptical of others’ music tastes and act as though what other people like affect them.

As well as being sceptical, many metal fans also don’t believe that if you like metal you should listen to other genres. Personally, as someone who listens to lots of different genres of music, I’m often criticised for listening to things that ‘aren’t metal’. This new wave of criticism is something which is giving metal fans a bad name and becoming too judgemental. If someone who listens to Slayer also listens to Rihanna will the world explode? No - which for a fact is definitely true as that someone is me. Only listening to one genre of music is fine if it is your own personal choice, but judging someone for experimenting and having an open mind is not.

Making those who listen to the so-called ‘weaker’ or ‘less heavy’ genres of metal feel insignificant is something which people should feel ashamed about. One key example of this is metalcore: many metalcore fans are insulted because of the music they listen to, which makes no sense. If someone is happy listening to something then why should it concern anyone else? They aren’t forcing you listen to it or like it, so what is the problem? Not agreeing with what people like because it’s ‘not metal’ is a ridiculous concept and should not exist.

Music is something which is meant to unite people and make them feel better, and judging people for their music taste is something that needs to stop. Bullying people in any way, shape or form is unacceptable and is part of the reason why the younger generation receives so much hate in the press. If you’re one of the few metal fans or even just music fans who insult people on the basis of what they listen to then you need to re-evaluate your priorities in life. Maybe even try turning that hate into a song… 

Metallica at Glastonbury: a triumph for metal or just desperate times?

It was recently announced that metal-giants Metallica would be one of the headliners at Glastonbury Festival. This surprising announcement has left both metal fans and Glastonbury-regulars stunned, but will this be a pinnacle moment in Metallica’s career or a festival washout?

Metallica are a heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Since forming in 1981, they have made a huge impact on the metal music scene, with ‘Master Of Puppets’ being regarded as one of the most important albums of the genre. They are part of ‘The Big Four’, which is a collective term for the four bands who are seen as the most inspirational and popular thrash metal giants of the eighties, alongside Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. The lyrical content of their songs include war, death and religion. Metallica are renowned for their impressive live shows, but will they be able to impress both critics and festival-goers?

The 175,000 capacity festival has previously hosted bands such as Coldplay, REM and The Killers, which usually caters to the pop/indie needs of the crowd. The most obscure headliners previous to Metallica are probably The Cure and The Rolling Stones, who aren’t exactly heavy metal bands. This will be the first time that a metal band has headlined, let alone played, at the Somerset-based festival. However, in 2008 the media caused a riot over the announcement of Jay-Z at Glastonbury, yet when it came to the actual performance he blew everyone away. This goes to show that people shouldn’t be so judgemental when it comes to genre or style.

Only time will tell whether Metallica impress the crowd at Glastonbury, but it’s safe to say that the festival organisers are definitely trying to keep the line-ups both fresh and unique. Maybe there will be thousands more Metallica fans after Saturday 28^th of June? Who knows? 

Don’t wear the shirt if you don’t listen to the band

Recently, many people have been choosing to wear band shirts and merchandise for artists that they don’t listen to. It’s a strange phenomenon, and it needs to stop.

Wearing a band shirt used to be something that expressed your love for a specific artist: it displayed that you enjoy a band so much that you choose to inform the world about it. Band merchandise is one of the best ways to support an artist, as most of the profit goes towards them if you purchase it from their own website or a concert. However, most of the time people are choosing to buy band shirts for bands that they don’t listen to, from shops such as Urban Outfitters and Primark.

Conforming to a specific trend or look does not make you cool, it only makes you look like a poser. Seeing so many teenage girls in Ramones shirts isn’t vintage, it’s confusing. The Ramones were not overly popular in their time as a band, but for some reason Primark is selling their shirts in every colour, and people keep buying them.

Personally, I have made lots of friends from talking to people about the bands they like from the merchandise they wear. Band shirts are a great conversation starter, and they always help people to find a common interest. It is awkward being asked about a band that you know nothing about, and pretending to like them because you like a shirt is embarrassing.

People need to be more confident with what music they like, life is too short to pretend to like something to fit in. Be true to yourself and support the bands that you personally like. 

Are covers ruining the reputation of 'classic' songs?

“Everything is a copy, of a copy, of a copy.” – Fight Club, 1999.

It is often said that the music industry is running out of fresh, new ideas to give to people. Bands are racking their brains on what songs to create, often not getting enough inspiration from the modern world. As with the film industry, there seems to be a lot more re-makes and covers being created, but are they unique or just an insult to the original band?

California-based record label Fearless Records are infamous for their contribution to cover songs. They have created many tribute albums, including ‘Punk Goes Pop’ and ‘Punk Goes Metal’, which involves bands on their label covering songs that are out of their comfort zone and usual genre. Many of the songs which are covered sound good and receive positive reviews from bands and critics alike, but some aren’t so successful. One example of this is Falling In Reverse’s cover of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’. The rap song, originally by Coolio and L.V, was a huge success, unlike the cover. Ronnie Radke’s vocals sound awkward and the screaming breakdown doesn’t work with the style of the song. Many rap and metal fans dislike the cover, making it seem as though it is a parody, rather than a cover. Asking Alexandria’s cover of ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails has received similar criticism, along with hundreds of cover songs over the years. Many fans cringe whilst hearing bad covers of their favourite songs, and many see it as the ultimate insult when someone says that they prefer a cover rather than the original song.

There are many successful cover songs which happen to do extremely well in the Top 40 music chart. Ellie Goulding’s cover of ‘Your Song’, originally recorded by Elton John, reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and it is one of Ellie’s most successful songs. Similarly, Lily Allen’s cover of ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane reached number one and was one of the most popular songs of the year. Covers seem to be used a lot in adverts around the Christmas period, and these are often the most successful. Covers are also good when used at a live show: for example, if a metal band covers a pop song fans enjoy it as it is something different and breaks away from the stereotypical set list.

The music industry is full of monotonous songs with no musical direction, and covers are often seen as being used when there are no more fresh ideas. When performed correctly, covers can be the ultimate tribute to an artist, but terrible song covers don’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon. 

Work Experience at Nuclear Blast Records, London (22nd April to 2nd May 2014)

On my first day I was extremely nervous and I was terrified that I would get lost in the middle of London! However, I managed to get to the Nuclear Blast office in plenty of time, thanks to careful route planning and Lisa’s helpful instructions. When I arrived I instantly found out that everyone was really friendly and that there was always someone to help me if I was unsure of what I was doing. As there was always music playing and people talking, it was a very relaxed yet focussed environment in which it was easy to feel comfortable in. 

Using the Nuclear Blast Tumblr page to promote
links related to bands.

One of my main tasks during the two weeks was updating the Nuclear Blast Tumblr page. I was often emailed press releases, album information, interviews and news regarding Nuclear Blast bands to post, using relevant ‘tags’ to help Tumblr users easily find the content that they were looking for. This content would either be from someone at Nuclear Blast or from other websites, such as Metal Hammer and Dead Press. Sometimes the content would be emailed to my intern email address, but other times I would have to search online using specific Google Search tools to find specific links about Nuclear Blast bands. Another part of editing the Tumblr was to embed videos, links and pictures into the posts, meaning that I had to use my knowledge of HTML and editing. With every Tumblr post a ‘tweet’ on Twitter also had to be sent out, which meant that I had to create a ‘tweet’ which would make people want to read the Tumblr link and to tag any related websites and artists into it too. I was also asked to find funny and interesting content to post on the Tumblr page to entertain the ‘followers’ of the page and to inspire others to follow the page too. With the posts I was told to either post them immediately or to schedule them for specific times or dates, with some needing to be scheduled multiple times a week or month. As Tumblr does not have a specific feature to do this is one go, I had to patiently create posts over and over to schedule. 

One of the best parts of work experience at Nuclear Blast was being able to listen to albums which had not yet been released. As someone who is a huge music fan, it was amazing to hear songs weeks or even months before the general public. As Lisa knew I enjoyed writing, she asked me to write some track-by-track album reviews of two new releases: ‘Runes’ by Bury Tomorrow (http://gigreviewsbyjulia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/track-by-track-album-review-of-runes-by.html) and the debut self-titled album by Killer Be Killed (http://gigreviewsbyjulia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/track-by-track-album-review-of-killer.html). Once I had finished writing the reviews I sent them to Lisa, who thought they were ‘awesome’. From this she has now decided to make it a regular feature for interns to write album reviews and blog posts about their time and Nuclear Blast. I was also told about Slayer signing to Nuclear Blast before it was announced to the press and public, which made me feel like I was involved in what was happening at the record label. 

Spreadsheets were another big part of my time at Nuclear Blast. On one of the days in my first week Managing Director Mark asked me to price-check specific Nuclear Blast releases on Amazon. There was a spreadsheet sent to me, with the previous prices already written in. I had to search for specific CDs, digipacks, vinyls and DVDs and insert the new price into the spreadsheet, with a specific

One of the spreadsheets was
used to record information about
when bands from Nuclear Blast
were played on the radio.

colour-code for whether the price had increased, decreased or stayed the same. Also, I had to note down how many copies of each item were available. By doing this task it allowed me to understand how quickly prices online can change and how physical media is still important in the music industry. I also had to edit a spreadsheet which had names of companies associated with specific Nuclear Blast bands, adding contact details for over eighty different websites and companies across the world. The third spreadsheet I had to use was for bands from Nuclear Blast who had recently been on the radio. Holly would send me an email that she had received from the radio presenters which listed what bands had been played, where and when, and I would insert them onto the spreadsheet. By doing this, there is an easily accessible account of what bands had been given airtime recently.

During my time at Nuclear Blast there were many new albums being released, which needed to be sent to the press to review. I was able to assist with this by putting the press release sheets and CDs into the envelopes ready to send. The albums which the record label send to the press are all watermarked, meaning that there is a specific reference on there for each person. By doing this, if the album is leaked before its release date, Nuclear Blast can instantly find out who did it. I was told that if this happens, as well as the label never working with the specific person/brand again, the band and Nuclear Blast can also sue them. With this in mind, I had to carefully ensure that the correct CD went into the correct envelope.  I was also taught how to use the franking machine and I also put the parcels into the specific post-box. 

One of the more obscure tasks I was given was to transcribe lyrics to a song. Holly needed the lyrics to the new Slayer song ‘Implode’ as national radio stations have to have the lyrics to a song before they can play it, so that it can comply with whatever restrictions they have in place (e.g. swearing or violent material). I had to listen to the song over and over to try to understand the lyrics, which I then had to type out and send over. Although this may sound easy, in many songs (especially in the metal music genre) it is often hard to completely grasp or hear the lyrics. 

Searching magazines for
content related to Nuclear
Blast.

Magazines are a key part in promoting music and bands. For once of my intern tasks I was given a variety of different magazines, including Kerrang, Rock Sound and Classic Rock, which had sticky

notes on where any Nuclear Blast band was mentioned. I then had to carefully cut out the page, scan it in using the scanner, then write on the post-it note what band it was, what magazine it was from, when the issue was published and what the feature involved. I then put the page in a plastic wallet and into the correct folder, alphabetically and chronologically ordered. By doing this, the record label has both an online and physical copy of any media which involves Nuclear Blast, meaning it is less-likely that they will lose it.

Overall, my time at Nuclear Blast has been really enjoyable and has confirmed that I definitely would like to work in the music industry once I graduate university. During my time here I was able to develop my knowledge of how the music industry works, gain new computer skills and meet new contacts for the future. There are many horror stories about work experience and internships in the journalism industry where students are only given menial tasks and ignored, but my internship at Nuclear Blast proved that they treat aspiring writers with respect and make them feel involved in what is happening around them. This experience has inspired me to work even harder at university as I now have experience of what it is really like working for a record label, which is definitely a career option for when I graduate.