After her statement-of-intent music video for International Women’s Day, Delilah Bon is flexing her studio muscle even further and the time has come to unleash her debut album.
The album has 12 tracks, including the call to arms singles ‘Bad Attitude’ ‘School,’ and ‘Where My Girls At?,’ Delilah fuses head-bopping bass grooves, unapologetic feminist lyrics, fuzzed guitars and deep, real-talk rhymes, fusing the attitude of punk and swagger of hip hop to create her signature brat punk sound. Delilah has performed all of the music and produced the entire album herself, including the stunning album artwork. She also creates all of her music videos.
About her debut album Delilah says ‘The album is a celebration of female empowerment and independence. Made by a woman as a voice for women and non-binary people, I wrote about rape culture, girls uplifting girls and self-love. From my own experiences and so many other girls in my dm’s, I wrote the album wanting to speak my truth, unfiltered and raw, sarcastic and often angry, fusing rap and fuzzy nu-metal guitars as what I call Brat Punk.
‘Self-producing the album was important to me, especially as female producers are sadly rare and under-represented. I wanted to prove that I could, creating all the beats, recording all the instruments myself to truly bring my visions to life.’
The full track listing is:
Freak Of The Week
Soul Sisters
Bad Attitude
Where My Girls At?
School
Red Dress
Chiquitita
Chop Dicks
Homework
Devil
War On Women
I Get The Feelin’
After years touring and releasing multiple albums under her own name and her band Hands Off Gretel, the ever-creative and expressive lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Lauren Tate has already clocked up over a quarter of a million streams under her new guise Delilah Bon, a badass brat punk that is ready to take over the world, one fierce release at a time.
What we all need now – as least I do – is something buzzy, fun and full of infectious energy. You Filthy Dog give us this, and so much more, with this EP of poppy punky and other unexpectedly wondrous songs.
Opening track ‘Face the Wave’ does that poppy punky thing to the max. Hints of The Buzzcocks – a tune to die for, any number of New Wave bands – that guitar poppy sound. A nagging guitar intro with something of a Stiff Little Fingers thing going on. An absolutely raging guitar break. DIY backing vocals. All that and a beat that just makes you want to throw yourself around the room with abandon.
Turning up the energy ‘Loved’ sounds like, of all things, a trendy ‘youth programming’ TV theme of say the late 70s/early 80s. If this sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, I’m not, I have great memories of ‘youth TV programming’ back then. If I was forced to sum this up, and I know I kinda am, I’d say tuneful New Wave with a hefty dose of 60s pop. Great tune, great singalong words. A great slight sneer to the vocals. A fab dropout to strummed guitar. Full of bloody joy.
‘Bitter Days’ changes it up. Or should that be down. It’s a change of mood. It’s a kind of slightly psychedelic pop ballad with a lead vocal that has a kind of punk edge. A song that suddenly bursts into huge and layered psych-dom – organ, massed vocals, the sweetest guitar. Think Polyphonic Spree, think Dukes of the Stratosphere. And watch out people for there is a false ending. Fuck me sideways this is a wonderful thing.
Closing track ‘The Beach’ is something of a punk ballad. Punky vocals, tasteful vaguely folky guitar, lovely harmonised backing vocals. The twist, my friends, is that this is short and sweet. It just comes to an unexpected end, an end that leaves you wanting more, much more.
On the – superficial – face of it this is an odd collection of songs. But listen properly and what you have is a compelling set of songs that are easy to fall in love with. The thread that holds them together is that you can hear the affection for them from the band in the music. And there is a craft in the way they are put together.
Yes, there’s a retro sound but it’s not just one sound, it’s lots. Listening to them is like hearing a sonic kaleidoscope of a period of my life. It’s all the best bits of songs put together.
Look I know most of you reading this won’t have this connection. So think of this as a collection of songs that are filled with joy and glorious surprising moments. This is music that leaves you smiling.
The info
You Filthy Dog is the solo project of Liam ‘Pais’ Hill (Silverjet/Modern Day Dukes/Caroline and the Lights) who is joined by his friends Martin Roy Guy (Dangerwank/Silkworm), Hannah Smith (Footwrist/Dactylion) and Piper Dawes (Houseband Ska Collective/Carol Hodge/Chinchilla Death Cult). It is the first part in a series of vaguely holiday/exotica themed poppy punky releases with the idea of juxtaposing miserable lyrics with chipper melodies
Liam ‘Pais’ Hill – Vocals, guitar, bass, keys
Martin Roy Guy – Drums
Hannah Smith – Vocals
Piper Dawes – Guitar
Eric Molina – Saxophone
Kath & The Kicks made kick-ass (alt) rock. And while this may be loud, it also comes with finesse musically and vocally. And words that are so worth listening to.
‘I’m Alive’ is one of those tracks that starts in a misleading way before bursting into life; the quiet before the loud, the light before the shade. It has something of that swirling post-punk Goth sound – that loping bass, that off-kilter guitar. But it also has the most beautiful vocals I’ve heard in a rock song in ages; that harmony is just wonderful.
But then it bursts in heavy rock riffing guitar; the sound of a rock trio playing on all damn cylinders. But it’s alt-rock so that post-punk sound returns. And then there’s a slow burn to the heaviest rock – crashing guitar, thrashing drums – climax.
That simple description doesn’t do this song justice. For yes, while it follows that quiet/loud alt-rock template it takes it places it’s never been before. That touch of post-pink sound, those glorious harmonies. And of course, the trademark Kath & The Kicks bass sound – this is no straight ahead rock bass playing, that bass swings.
It mixes hard rock with pop sensibility, heavy rock with that Goth sound, rock vocals with ethereal pop. And the contrast, the mix of those is fantastic. This is alt-rock for people who like their rock with finesse and a dose of the unexpected, played by people who really know their stuff.
This release is so fucking good it hurts. Get on this right now, no excuses.
This release from York-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joshua Burnell is a tribute to Scottish singer-songwriter Shelagh McDonald, and the mystery of the headline-hitting Seventies folk singer who went missing for 30 years.
For me there are two things about a song in tribute to, or inspired by, a person or event; one is that I learn from the song, and two I’m inspired to seek out more information. And while Shelagh’s story wasn’t new to me this song did make me do some digging (digging which to be honest rather stopped me from actually writing this review).
I have seen Joshua play once with a fairly large backing band where what we got was a wonderful set of folk-rock. This is different. It’s a sparse folky Americana thing with some rather wonderful guitar, keyboards and drums. I can think of no other way of describing it but to say it’s a jaunty thing with the most earwormy tune. It has caught that 70s’ singer/songwriter vibe completely.
And the words; well the words tell Shelagh’s story but don’t do that in an earnest or overly complicated way. It’s a masterclass in telling a story in song. And yes, while the song is about someone: you don’t need to be interested in Shelagh’s story to appreciate it, the story is compelling in itself.
To top the music and words off we have Joshua’s voice. His voice goes from pure clear and simple folk style to throwing in a little bit of Dylan vocal styling. The vocals are a joy – simple as that.
This is a beautiful song that even with it’s sparse feel has unexpected musical depth. A wonderful tune, fabulous words sung fantastically. A jewel.
Oh and by the way it comes in two different versions; a long version and a radio edit. The long version is the one to go for my friends; nearly 5 minutes of musical joy.
The info
The song forms part of an EP entitled ‘Storm Cogs’ which will be released on July 9 when Joshua Burnell Band plays Ely Folk Festival’s main stage.
Edinburgh-born Shelagh had rocketed to folk stardom in the early 70s but following a bad LSD trip had disappeared for three decades, during which it was thought she was dead. In reality she was living a low-profile, nomadic existence.
Joshua stumbled across Shelagh’s music on a trip to the Bronte hotspot of Haworth and a visit to an old record shop where he made some folk album purchases and noted down the titles of a few others he couldn’t afford.
One of these was McDonald’s second album Stargazer (1971), priced at £80. Back at home Joshua scoured the internet for a copy of the album and found just one available at US$ 300!
“I listened to some of the tracks on YouTube and it was beautiful – I knew I had to go back to the shop and get the record.
For a brief and surreal moment I found myself standing outside the home of the Brontes, holding a rare relic of the legendary singer – it felt like I was on the trail of some kind of secret folky cult!”
Joshua listened to the recording whilst unwell. “Even without feverish dreams, it’s a very trippy album so I felt like I had been transported back to the hazy days of the late 60s and early 70s. It’s a deeply enchanting album – one of my favourites of all time.”
Hear Rod’s Song from Stargazer
Her rendition of the Scottish border ballad ‘Dowie Dens of Yarrow’ particularly caught his attention and he ended up recording it on his own ‘Songs from the Seasons’ album in 2018 as a tribute to Shelagh.
The mystery of McDonald’s disappearance was explained when she finally re-emerged in 2013. In an interview in The Guardian she said: “It wasn’t my intention to walk out of my own life and vanish, especially when things were going so well.
“I was an ambitious 24-year-old folk singer and had just started work on my third album. The second had been a critical success and had really started to get me noticed. But a bad trip was the catalyst for unexpected change. From my perspective, I was never really lost: I was just living a very different kind of life.”
Leaving London and recuperating back in Scotland she had encountered a local bookshop owner and, as recession hit, they decided to ‘jack it all in and live in a tent’ .They ended up carrying everything they owned on their backs, setting up camp in woods, making money by selling drawings or academic essays. Said McDonald: “Some days it got so cold I genuinely thought we were going to die.”
They moved between flats and homeless shelters and then one day they saw a newspaper article. Says Shelagh: “What I saw stunned me – a photo of myself in my 20s. The article talked about how I had disappeared and no-one knew if I was dead or alive. My records were being re-released; it felt like reading my own obit.”
But 40 years after making her second album, Shelagh went on to make her third and started to rekindle her career with some tentative performing.
Out of the blue, in 2017, Joshua discovered that Shelagh was performing at Dumfries’ Theatre Royal. “I watched in awe as this small, humble lady proceeded to blow us away with remarkable finger-picking and a voice just as strong and hauntingly beautiful as the one which had cut the grooves of my dusty vinyl record from 1971.”
At a second concert she gave in 2018 Joshua was able to meet her and hand her a copy of ‘Songs from the Seasons’. “She may be a legend but she’s also a very down-to-earth person.”
And so, after his chance discovery of her music and of Shelagh herself, Joshua was inspired to write a song in her name. “After all the music and inspiration Shelagh has given us I thought she deserved a song of her own.
“I’ve written Shelagh’s Song in the same style as some of her own songs on Stargazer which were about the lives of musicians she knew who had taken off on their own travels – Rod’s Song, Liz’s Song.”
The catchy, evocative, retro-sounding single encapsulates her life in savvy lyrics and an upbeat, optimistic tune. Cows moo-ing at the end underline its quirkiness! Says Joshua: “The cows are there on purpose. When Shelagh picked up a guitar after 30 years she played to fields of cows as a tester audience. If they stayed, she figured it was a good song – if they wandered off she did some more practice. She might have been on to something we are all missing!”
He was able to track her down recently and send her the single and was delighted when she wrote to say she thought it was ’sheer perfection’.
Her letter concluded: “No artist could ask for a better tribute from a fellow artist such as this gem of a song”.
As you may have realised if you’ve read my reviews of LUKA’s previous releases – and I can only hope you have – I am, to put it mildly, a fan (in truth, I have to admit, I’m that kind of fan who has a tendency to gush to anyone who’ll listen). Her songs are heartfelt, ring of the truth of personal experience and connect with your emotions and your soul. And she has a way of taking that personal experience and turning it into something universal, something that helps you understand the experience even if you’ve not lived it.
For ‘Waiting’ she has taken something that I think most, if not all, of us have experienced. Let’s let her explain ‘Waiting is a classic unrequited love song. You like someone who doesn’t feel the same way and end up waiting for things to change, hoping that if you wait
long enough, they might change their mind (they usually don’t). In the end you realise you’ve wasted too much of your life pining after this one person and it’s probably time to get over it and move on. I wrote this when I was in the middle of that sad “why don’t they like me back” stage. Happy to say that I have since moved past being sad about that to just being stressed about the general world. A definite improvement’.
Her words are simple but reach into the depths of that experience; making us feel that yearning, the hoping. I hope you get that when I say ‘simple’ I mean that they do this without resorting to torrid twisted metaphor; something that it would be all too easy to do I’m sure. She’s speaking from the heart. But this makes the song all the more effective.
The words are sung over something a little richer in sound than before; more expansive and layered. There is something of a ‘Twin Peaks’ soundtrack feel in there that reflects the feeling of being haunted by unrequited love; it’s in the guitar. And Mellotron – of all things – adds that ‘big ballad’ feel. And this is big sonically, not so big that it overwhelms the words or LUKA’s wonderfully fragile vocals. Sonically it has that big big sky feeling; it’s big but with space.
And mentioning that soundtrack feel reminds me that this has the feel of something you’d find in the soundtrack of a US arthouse movie – playing while the lead character drifts thoughtfully and internally tortured through landscapes and cityscapes while others go about their lives in the background; out of focus.
‘Waiting’ is beautiful – musically, vocally and lyrically. It’s words and music in unison, in perfect harmony.
The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation was created in 2020 by family and friends of Sarah Nulty who was the Festival Director of Tramlines until her passing in 2018. The Foundation aims to honour Sarah’s legacy by helping socially and economically disadvantaged people in Sheffield to develop musical abilities.
Initial grants were awarded to Hartley Brook Primary Academy in Shiregreen to provide free ukulele lessons, Mossbrook Primary School in Norton who bought a keyboard to support their pupils who have special educational needs and to Sheffcare Limited who funded an ‘acousmatic storytelling project’ with their care home residents.
After arriving in Sheffield as a student, Sarah worked in various iconic local bars and clubs before becoming one of the driving forces behind the creation of Tramlines in 2009. After taking the role of Festival Director in 2013, Sarah was instrumental in safeguarding the long term success of the event, overseeing many changes leading up to the move to Hillsborough Park in 2018 that has since been heralded as a huge success. Sarah received many awards posthumously including a Civic Award from the serving Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Magid Magid, an ‘Outstanding Contribution Award’ at the Independent Festival Awards and an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Festivals’ Award from the UK Festival Awards.
Julie Voisey, Chair of Trustees for The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation said ‘We are so grateful and honoured that Tramlines have chosen the Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation as an official partner. The foundation was established as a tribute to Sarah and her love of music. Tramlines is her legacy to which she dedicated years of her life to help it become the success that it is today. She wanted to throw the biggest party Sheffield had ever seen and bring the uplifting power of music to Sheffield streets.
‘With Tramlines support, the Power of Music Foundation can reach more people in need. Our aim is to spread the joy of music and to enable, encourage, and guide socially and economically disadvantaged people in Sheffield to develop their musical abilities‘.
Tramlines has also partnered with the Make Yourself at Home campaign to promote and support Sheffield’s fantastic businesses through the easing of lockdown. Tramlines is happy to support the city during the transitional phase and will be working alongside the campaign to share positive stories about everyday heroes and organisations who have been putting in extra effort to make Sheffield feel like home again. More info can be found on the Make Yourself at Home website.
Emerging artists and bands can now apply to play at Sheffield’s biggest music festival as it continues to support new and undiscovered talent.
Tramlines, Sheffield’s biggest music festival, has announced the opening of this year’s ‘Apply to Play’. The scheme offers a limited number of performance slots across various stages to emerging and undiscovered bands and artists from across the UK. Those wishing to play at the 2021 sell-out edition of Tramlines Festival can apply via the website at www.tramlines.org.uk.
Taking place at Hillsborough Park from 23rd – 25th July, Apply To Play is an annual scheme from the organisers at Tramlines Festival as it continues to support and create opportunities for grass root music talent.
Tramlines Operations Director Timm Cleasby said, “My favourite element of Tramlines has always been the discovery of my new favourite band. Our Apply To Play scheme gives bands and artists the opportunity to play on a big festival stage, and offers the next generation of talent the experience of playing a bigger stage while showcasing their music to new audiences. Since the beginning of the festival, supporting emerging talent has been at the heart of the event and continues to be a big part of it.”
No matter the genre or set-up, Apply To Play is open to anyone who thinks they have what it takes to take to the stage and entertain crowds in their tens of thousands. The deadline for applications is 27th May (direct link to application form, here), and those successful will also receive a small performance fee.
Notable bands discovered via Apply To Play in past years include Blossoms who later were nominated for a Mercury Music Prize in 2017, showing what an important, career-launching platform this can be. 2019 Apply To Play winners included the afro / RnB sounds of Sierra Leone-born artist PJ Francis, Glaswegian ‘art pop’ band Fauves, and the swing-electronic inspired collective, Electric Swing Circus.
A release from The Harriets is always something precious, something to be treasured. This EP is so immediate, so lovely that I just had to add it to my favourites playlist even as I was listening to it for the first time.
To sum up the feel of the five songs I’d say melodic to the max with lush sounds – big string sounds, piano to the fore. They seem to reach back to the classic songwriters of the late 60s and early 70s. They showcase the writing skills of the band – both musically and lyrically.
Title track ‘Little Something’ is… how can I put this… bittersweet and somewhat jaunty. Lyrically it does that The Harriets’ thing of words that take you through ‘an emotional range’ – one moment leaving you smiling, the next tugging at your heartstrings. While musically, a glorious piano melody line, simple drumming, harmony background vocals bring the joy.
‘Days Like These’ brings that piano to a ballad. Subtle string sounds, a simple but hugely effective vocal. But then it swells – huge lush string sounds – bringing a lump to your throat. A song that tells the story of a day with the person you love; simply but full of emotion, words that say much more than the actual words. Simply beautiful.
There’s a switch in style with ‘The Lie’. One part jazz, one part musical theatre. It somehow reminds me of Randy Newman; it’s that rolling piano line, the vocal that drops down to semi-spoken. Words that make you smile. A guitar that suddenly stabs in. This is a song that worms it’s way into your brain and sticks there.
‘Jessie’s Song’ is big and lush. The positively wonderful thing about this song is the vocals – at times you get two intertwining vocal lines, and then sudden glorious harmonies. A piano that evokes something of a song from a film soundtrack. And then again sometimes the sound of Simon and Garfunkel. The tune is so damn earwormy. Somehow this song makes me see it being sung on film, or on stage with choreography.
‘For You’ is a lush pop song; gently danceable, one to hum along to.Something you’d expect from the band. At least at first, for this is a song of two parts. Suddenly it becomes this big vaguely jazzy 70s’ song; pounding beats, (subtle) guitar to die for. I’m going to admit that it took me a while for this one to click fully – by this I mean I had to listen to it twice – but once it did, it did firmly.
Quite what the band have been listening to during lockdown I don’t know; I suspect it’s that part of my music collection that is made up of classic singer/songwriters of the 60s and 70s – big songs with huge tunes and with that lush and baroque sound. I also suspect some watching of films with great soundtracks as well are in the mix.
There’s a retro feel to the songs – that’s obvious isn’t it – but it’s all done with that The Harriets slant – great words that make you smile, make you weep, fill you with joy. And there’s never a ‘faithful sticking to the model’ – there are twists musically that surprise, that fill you with joy.
If this is the direction The Harriets are going, it’s one I love. But The Harriets never quite stop changing. For this EP; it’s a fabulous collection of diverse songs, wonderfully written, played and sung. Treasure this, keep it close, this will bring you joy every time you listen to it.
Do Artio ever stop, great songs seem to appear with surprising regularity. It’s hard to keep up with them, but so worth the effort. I’m really not complaining, honest.
How to describe ‘Your Name? Well they seem to be firmly on that synth based alternative rock kick, and this is no different. It does that quiet/loud building to an even louder thing. And no I’m not damning with faint praise because Artio always bring craft and feel to the party. The choice of sounds is clever, there is nuance in the loud crashing, there is a pop edge to the quiet bits that soothes the soul, a calm before the storm. And there is the most fabulous spooky intro. And of course there is Rae’s voice which seems to grow with every release, grow in strength and depth.
The other thing you expect with Artio is a song that has meaning, is about something. Your Name’ is the first track that queer front-woman Rae has written about being openly bisexual since coming out in 2020. It’s about momentarily falling in love with someone, knowing you may never see them again and just wanting to know their name. It’s something we can all relate to. It’s 2½ minutes that are full of yearning, that drag you through the emotional mill, that put you in that situation completely.
The loud crashing sections bring to mind that feeling that hits you like a hammer. The quiet, the internal thoughts that run through at your head at breakneck speed.
Simply put – Artio do it again, another huge song, another step up on their incredible journey.
I’m always keen to support bands from my hometown – Huddersfield – so reviewing the debut album from Fishing 4 Compliments was something of a no brainer.
We are promised ‘a unique indie/folk/pop sound’ and ‘songs have been described as; ‘enigmatic,’ ‘intriguing,’ ‘sunny,’ ‘happy’ and ‘making you feel like dancing in the moonlight’’. Sounds good, so let’s dig in.
Opening song ‘You’re Not The Only One’ hits that ‘happy and make you feel like dancing’ mark full on. A tune that is earwormy as anything, a beat that just doesn’t stop, words that are sing-along to the max. A folky pop song.
‘Tomorrow Who Knows’ is something else. A pulsing beat for a song that is more folky in a kind of rock way. It’s darker in sound but still has that melodic thing going on. I am reminded of Fleetwood Mac with that pulse and harmonies.
Intriguing, this is obviously a band who like to mix it up.
Another change of sound with ‘Shell’. It’s kind of folk indie-pop. Light, a way danceable beat. But with that folk tinged lead vocal.
The intriguing titled ‘Drunken Tree’ is ever changing and shifting. Folk influenced one moment, big pounding folk-rock the next, rich and many layered, then sparse and light. But listen closer and you’ll hear intriguing words, the cleverness of the arrangement. And oh boy that sudden swell to the harmony laden sections gives you a lift in your soul. This is one huge song. An album highlight.
Another song, another switch in feel; ‘Baby Blue’ has a country swing feel. It’s feel good stuff. Retro and new at the same time. It’s joyous people – feet-tapping, hum along. ‘Lost Without Your Light’ has a country feel, and continues that feel good theme. Great tune, great words, great playing.
‘Wild Bird’ combines a vocal that sears into your heart, a sparse arrangement. Beautifully placed harmony backing vocals, touches of electric guitar. This is a slow burner of a song. You are drawn into it, and suddenly you can’t help but play it again.
Back to a folk-country feel with ‘The Love You Left’. Great tune, one for bop.
‘Mystic Moonlight’ is at its heart a big folk ballad but with touches of rock there, a blues hint here. Evocation, moody, atmospheric. Lovely,
Usually I’d be describing ‘ Way Out Of My Head’ as a big pop ballad but it has both a folk and Americana edge; so out goes that simplistic description sadly. Anyway it’s a big ballad – big lead vocal, rich harmonics, clever guitar, sparse clever drumming. Another lovely track.
Closing track ‘We Got It Wrong’ is a great slab of folk indie-pop. Great beat. Lovely guitar, backing vocals that bring a joy to your heart. Rich keyboards. A touch of a Gospel feel. This is just a great song.
How to sum this album up? It’s hard because there’s such variety in the feel and sound of the songs. And yet, there’s something there that says’ yep I’m listening to the same band here’. Mainly it’s the vocals – Eileen brings the folk edge – but closer listening shows a certain common approach to the way songs are put together.
And look let’s not get hung up on the genre a song may fall into, the song is the thing and they certainly know how to write a great song. And there’s great playing. They just do their own thing and I love a band who do their own thing.
This is a fantastic album of songs that are uplifting and joyful there, moody, rich and evocation here. Songs that are written and played from the heart. Lovely.
