‘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…