At the Foot of the Cross by Angela Taplin

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Margaret Graham

An evening of music, prayer and meditations for Good Friday from Radio 2

Radio 2 recently recorded an evening of music, prayer and readings for Good Friday. Tickets were free through a ballot so on a damp evening in February a friend and I went along to Methodist Central Hall, hard by the Houses of Parliament. Arriving about 5.30, we found most people heading home so we had a chance to walk round the outside of this famous landmark without benefit of surging tourists and selfie sticks. It’s such a fine building and in the twilight gap between showers it looked beautiful.

We made our way through ancient courtyards to Methodist Central Hall, another impressive and imposing building. It was the first time I’d been to a radio recording for many years (the last time was a pop quiz in the 70s, I think). The music was provided by the BBC Concert Orchestra with a chorus drawn from a number of London choirs, with three soloists – Jermaine Jackman, winner of The Voice 2014, Louise Marshall and 12 year old Helena Paish, one of the BBC Radio 2 Young Choristers of the Year.

Readings were given by Patrick Robinson, star of Casualty and Strictly whilst prayer was led by The Revd Michaela Youngson. The evening was presented by Diane Louise Jordan, well known for her appearances in Songs of Praise. We assembled in the auditorium which was dominated by the beautiful cupola and where the acoustics were perfect.

The music programme was varied: traditional English, gospel, well-known hymns, with an underlying thread of connections to the Great War. Butterworth’s The Banks of Green Willow, a pastoral piece inspired by English folk songs, was rendered particularly poignant by the knowledge that he died in 1915 during the first battle of the Somme. The second half consisted of Sir John Rutter’s Requiem in which the pure tones of Helena Paish shone clear in the Pie Jesu. It was a thoughtful and moving evening.

At the end of it all, my friend and I felt happy to have been part of it and will look forward to hearing it all again when it is broadcast at 8pm on April 3^rd, Good Friday, on Radio 2.

Worry Dolls 4-Track EP ‘The Ride’ … Released Worldwide Today

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

‘Once upon a time there was a lively bunch who were worried…

…worried that music had become bland dull and middle-class.

So they put their worries in a jar, and from their limbs they grew guitars.

Johanna’s face was made of string and Emma’s tonsils start to sing.

They collected words and whistled tunes, drunk and smoked and act like loons.

They made a record in a glass, music for the working-class.

So play it loud and dance around, its WORRY DOLLS that you’ve just found!’

Feisty, energetic, highly talented and driven to write music that compares with their heroes, the song writing trio of Emma Baldry, Martin Sloyan and Jon Kearley are the creative heartbeat of Worry Dolls.

Formed in April 2011 the band spent their subsequent years honing their craft, writing, tirelessly gigging and creating a debut album “The Man That Time Forgot” (released in 2014) that can live up to the hype surrounding the Bournemouth band.

The Album reached number 3 in the Amazon rock download chart and their single ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’, a cover of the Beatles classic, went straight in at number 4!

This year the band are kicking it hard with trips to Ireland and LA for live radio performances supporting their new 4-track EP ‘The Ride’, with tales of trials and tribulations of being in a signed band,

the EP was released today on download, ITunes etc, and a special limited edition on hard copy vinyl CD.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00U4206W6/ref=sr_1_4_rd

‘The Ride’ contains brand new recorded WORRY DOLLS music, searing vocals, crashing guitars and loads of attitude.

The EP showcases the band’s development and moves to a rawer sound and won’t disappoint.

To support the release, the band will be gigging extensively and will be doing plenty of radio/media appearances (TBC).

You can get in touch with the Worry Dolls via their facebook page www.facebook.com/worrydollsuk

twitter www.twitter.com/worrydollsuk and website www.worrydollsuk.com

The Great Escape All I Think About | Music News

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Aidan

Band/Artist: The Great Escape
Location: Los Angeles
Styles: Alternative, Pop
Similar to: Black Keys, The Heavy, Adele, The Dead Weather, Janis Joplin, American Authors, Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse
CD: Self-Titled

Members/Instruments:
Amie Miriello – Vocals
Malte Hagemeister – Guitar
Kristian Nord – Drums
Production: Produced by Kristian Nord & Malte Hagemeister for Nordmeister

Bio:
This is why they still call it the Golden State: The 49ers found it in the dirt, a century later the Dogtown kids discovered it in the shape of backyard pools, and now, some four decades further down the road, The Great Escape, a foot-stomping, genre-busting three-piece from Venice, have struck that California vein again –
with their own blend of raw energy song craft.

Inspired by everything the West Coast has come to stand for – the surf, the sun, the laid-back attitude, the proverbial Dream –, every single track, every chorus, every story they tell oozes that fun-loving, grit-digging vibe and feel. And you can just tell they had to go the extra mile to unearth what they were looking for: After all, two of them, Kristian Nord (drums, production) and Malte Hagemeister (guitars, production), are originally from Hamburg, Germany – these guys came a long way to live that Dream. Joined by powerhouse singer Amie Miriello, a Connecticut native and seasoned performer, they are about to release their debut album, a collection of songs that offers just what it says on the tin – A Great Escape.

Having first met while songwriting for other artists, the three L.A. transplants quickly realized they had a shared vision: Together, they wanted to create an update to that 60s, 70s sound when rock and pop music was still raw and unpolished. When it didn’t come attached with layers of irony or slick braggadocio. When it was nothing but a celebration of emotional storytelling, bold statements and heartfelt sentiments, poured into lavish melodies and harmonies. Hence the chorus, “this is a time to celebrate/What a beautiful escape,” as Amie sings over the pounding, surf’n’blues-heavy bliss that is “It’s Getting Better”.

Channeling the classic, timeless approach of their all-time favorites (e.g. Hendrix, Joplin, Cohen, Stones, the Beatles), but also nodding to their contemporaries (Adele, The Black Keys, The Heavy, Jack White), The Great Escape’s self-produced debut full-length has this no-holds-barred approach written all over it: “All I Think About” is all clapping, until the track breaks open into a huge chorus about longing, whereas horn-fuelled “Rebel” showcases intense dramatics and the amazingly powerful, raspy voice of Amie: “some people call me insane/they just ain’t on my level”. Elsewhere, the playful, sun-drenched “Secret Song” even flirts with gospel, soulfully majestic “I Want It All” is pure retro splendor, and even though “Let’s Go” sees them take off to higher and higher levels, they certainly know how to conjure minimalist, sweet and melancholy daydreams (“Don’t Wake Me Up”, “I Just Can’t Help Myself”) as well.

“Lots of first takes made it on the album, and most vocals were recorded right after writing the songs,” explains Malte, whose “demo guitars often stayed because they just had that right feeling.” Keeping things spontaneous and DIY, it’s “all about the performance, not about perfection,” Kristian adds. “When a take had the right kind of vibe to it, we just moved on and didn’t even second guess it.”

Album guests include old studio hands such as Stanley Behrens on blues harp (Jimmy Smith, Canned Heat, War, Willie Dixon), Kevin Dorsey on vocals (Michael Jackson’s vocal director, Ray Charles, Santana, Aretha Franklin), Zac Rae on B3, piano and keys (Lana Del Rey, Norah Jones, Santana), as well as a shape shifting horns section comprised of Katja Riekermann (Rod Stewart, Al Green) and Marco Palos (Los Lobos, Louis Prima Jr).

Trying to discover her true self, she has “traveled far and wide, but never understood,” Amie sings on “I Just Can’t Help Myself”, and yet it seems that after all this traveling and digging, they have finally struck the kind of “pay dirt” that really shines in their hearts and minds: “Don’t need a stake in the ground,” she sings elsewhere, “that’s not for me/Flow with the rhythm of the sound and the beat.” That’s more like it: A steady flow, no blinders, no rules. Music that feels more like an endless Hang Ten, pure, unfiltered playfulness on top of a wave, rather than some quick, steely-eyed Eureka moment.

With packed high-energy shows around L.A. already under their collective belt, The Great Escape have come to bring that gritty rawness they scooped out along the way.

Ohio Rock Band Dedicates New Song to Veterans Suffering With PTSD

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Frostie

Dayton, Ohio rock band, Able Danger, released a special video of their new song “Let Go,” featuring a solo vocal and key performance by lead vocalist Nikki Luttrell.

“Let Go is an emotionally charged song, and people can relate to it for a number of reasons. Nikki personally dedicated her performance in the video to American Veterans who are suffering from PTSD.

Elstow | Music Profile

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Frostie

In July 2012 Jared Shaw and Chel Browne sent a couple of low-fi demos to Peats Ridge Festival on a whim. Having played only one live show together, their obsession with music was very much a private affair up until then, and neither expected the illustrious Sydney music festival to respond at all. But respond they did, and just a few months later the duo stood together on stage in the eastern-psychedelic-themed ‘Chai Tent’ and warmed an unsuspecting audience with hazy sixties-inspired songs about love, loss and death, blending delicate vocal harmonies with somber misty tones.

Borrowing the name of the building they lived in, and guided by a deep appreciation for the folk and psychedelic pop of the sixties and seventies, the duo quickly expanded to five members as they explored their wider musical tastes. Drawing on the psychedelic sounds of bands like Jefferson Airplane, Jimmie Spheeris, and early Pink Floyd, coupled with an infatuation with nineties alt-psych idols Brian Jonestown Massacre and Mazzy Star, Elstow started work on their debut EP in 2013. Released the following year, AS THE SUN FALLS was five tracks of dreamy psychedelic landscapes fused with a moody folk sensibility. Both personal and surreal, bloggers described it as “music to lose yourself to,” and “a psychedelic romance.”

Harnessing an atmospheric and increasingly dynamic live set, the band spent 2014 playing all over their hometown of Sydney, winning over unsuspecting hearts one mind-bending show at a time. Their sound, which has been described as ‘neo-psychedelic-dream-folk,’ has been evolving slowly and surely, refusing to remain static.

In the late months of 2014, Elstow went back into the studio to record their new single, ‘Evil Dreams.’ Despite the sinister sounding name, and promises of a “very weird” video to accompany it, the new song is described by Shaw as “a little more upbeat than the EP,” and combines Elstow’s dreamlike psychedelic overtones with a breezy sunshine-laden chorus. ‘Evil Dreams’ swings between verses of doubtful self-reflection and a chorus of daydream surrender. Carefully woven vocal harmonies float amidst an abundance of tremolo guitars, delay, and crisp tambourines; ‘Evil Dreams’ is as ambitious as it is timeless.

Why Did I Take Up The Ukulele? By Sylvia Chadwick

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Life is like a road with many turnings and my musical interests have been many and varied.

It started way back as a child when I loved the weekly “Singing Together” programme broadcast on the radio for schools. At secondary school, our music teacher was inspirational, and talented enough to play every instrument in the school orchestra. I longed to emulate him. I began as hundreds of others have done by playing the recorder and moved on to the violin. My parents? Tolerant or deaf I would think. I eventually became part of the youth orchestra and finally became the leader… more about my age than ability.

I began to play an accordion because my dear old Dad thought it was a super instrument and you could always earn a bob or two in a dance band. At the time I just wanted to make music so I started to learn on a small 48 bass one and soon moved to a much larger one, which was almost as big as me… being rather a small child.

However this was not ‘cool’ as in the 60s everyone played the guitar and what teenager wants to be different than their peers. If only my dad had known that that it was the best tool I ever had for teaching young children to enjoy singing.

All this led to Chester Teachers’ Training College to study music and drama as part of my teaching course. It was here that I took up the piano. I was catching up with my secondary teacher.

It was in retirement that I joined High Wycombe and district U3A. Somehow my musical skills were discovered. A friend approached me one day saying that she knew that I played the guitar but did I play the ukulele?

Did I? Well no, but I remembered a ukulele which I had been bought as a kind of joke Christmas present a couple of years earlier. I was in business. We went to listen to an established group in Marlow to see what we thought. First impressions? It was in a pub, so bring it on. In the back room were around 40 players. We sat down to listen when someone put a ukulele in my hand, I managed a few chords and I realised that I was hooked.

So lets start a group up in the U3A we decided. We hoped that we could find a teacher but no one came forward so without more ado I was coerced into leading the group.

We have been going around 6 months now and the group is growing from an initial start of around 12 to over 20. We have a percussion section too, and that is growing well.

We meet once a month to play and we had our first ‘gig’ at our Christmas U3A coffee morning. It was great fun and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces was fantastic. Its not a difficult instrument to get the basics going but it is really good fun to play together. I am still learning and keeping enough steps ahead of the group to be able to pass on the skills. My philosophy is that you cannot be sad when you are singing a cheery song and playing a ukulele. I love it. So we just keep strumming.

Milo’s Planes Aural Palate Cleaning Exercises | Music News

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Frostie

Release date: 23 March 2015
Lead Tracks:
Lost Talent
Only Listen
Two Feet in a Crowd

Formed in Bristol in 2013, melodic hardcore/punk band Milo’s Planes began as a duo of Joe Sherrin (guitar, vocals and bass) and Harry Sherrin (drums and backing vocals). After recording their first album they were joined by Charlie Horne (bass and backing vocals) who was a natural fit, sharing a love of Wire, Fugazi, Leatherface, Lync, Rites of Spring, early Modest Mouse and Pavement.

Priding themselves on their DIY approach to their music, the trio record and produce all their tracks themselves on a sixteen track in Harry’s bedroom.
Joe’s guitar playing is influenced heavily by the nineties emo/post hardcore band Lync; he uses a off-beat tunings as a means to create interesting chords.

The band have earned support slots for Eagulls, Skaters, Traams, Electric Eel Shock and their hero Mike Watt, who made a cameo appearance in their music video for ‘Two Feet In a Crowd’.

‘Aural Palate Cleaning Exercises’ has been a labour of love with Joe spending months re-ordering track listings, carefully editing exact track lengths, dropping songs and adding piano interludes/snippets of radio samples to make it flow as one complete piece.

Of the subject matter, Joe says largely focuses on his experiences within soul destroying, bureaucratic admin jobs and the seemingly endless supply of bizarrely ordinary characters that can only be found within these roles. He explains “A large part of the fun I have writing lyrics is studying the mundane to the point where tiny details can be unearthed, exposed as real concerns and then exaggerated upon maniacally as a way for me to express the true feelings of frantic despair I feel sitting at a desk for 8 hours of my day. Being pretentious I would say a running theme of the album is using language as a means to disguise tiny, nit-picky & personal matters as universally angry subjects worth shouting about.”

In between ‘A Letter In Confidence’ and ‘Interlude 2’ is a hidden track; a shortened acoustic version of an earlier track – this was a concious effort to end the album in what Joe describes as a “dissonance of feedback which quickly resolves into something pretty & melancholy, with the album’s final words (“I have good intentions, but I never know why”) a statement intended to summarize the whole album.”

Rock Choir at Abbey Road Studios – Yeah Yeah Yeah By Katy Seath

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Margaret Graham

“Rock Choir: When I had slightly more time, I was a member of Katy Seath’s High Wycombe Rock Choir. Somehow this girl makes even ‘out of tune no pitch’ people like me hit the notes, and what’s more, enjoy doing it. But we don’t just sing, we have to remember steps. Crikey. She is such a fun girl, and so good and everyone would follow her if she asked us to do it on a tightrope. I have sung with them on the pitch at Wembly, something I thought would never happen to me. But now, heights undreamed of – wish I’d been with ‘em…” Margaret Graham

Rock Choir at Abbey Road Studios – Yeah yeah yeah By Katy Seath.

Rock Choir members from Hampstead, Chiswick, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe visited Abbey Road Studios on Sunday 1st February to record Viva La Vida, Fall At Your Feet and Time After Time. They were lead by choir leader, Katy Seath

I’ve been a choir leader for Rock Choir for almost 6 years. In that time, I have seen and done some pretty ‘Rock ‘N Roll’ things – conducting on the pitch at Wembley Stadium, performing onstage at the O2, … it has all made for an exciting musical journey. So getting the opportunity to take 240 members from my choirs to the iconic Abbey Road Studios and record 3 songs seemed just another remarkable tick on the list. Yet this particular event stands out from the rest. As well as my own sense of occasion and significance, it was the members’ reactions that showed me just how special this opportunity was.

Arriving early, I was greeted by Kevin – an exceptionally friendly security guard. He gave me a quick tour of the building as he commented, ‘That’s where they recorded Dark Side Of The Moon.’ ‘Right,’ I said. I absorbed my surroundings as Kevin continued to chat before arriving at the sound desk. As a professional singer I have seen many recording studios, ranging from makeshift set ups in bedrooms and garages to fully kitted studios. But this really was the Mecca of them all.

Looking through the window, I saw the space where the choir would sing, as well as the grand piano I would play on the recording of ‘Fall At Your Feet’. Placing my headphones on, I heard the beautiful string quintet who had recorded their part the previous day. I had to get all this done in 10 minutes before the choir members arrived. No pressure then.

I split the choirs into 2 groups across the morning and afternoon, and ran to the same schedule with each. First, we stood on the steps for Abbey Road to take the all important pictures with our photographer, Darren. We grinned through the cold with Rock Choir t shirts on show, while intrigued passers by, and tourists, stood on the other side of the gate taking their own snaps on cameras and smart phones. Feeling like Rock Stars, the excitement started to build. Next, we moved inside to the famous Studio 2 (home to The Beatles recordings) where the choir received the all important briefing from Jim Hawkins.

As the choir began to file their way into the large space, I watched them taking it all in. The team at the studios are well accustomed to Rock Choir visits, so all I had to think about was conducting the singers and striving for the best sound we could make. Extra rehearsals and small lectures from me about ‘ the recording experience’ had all lead to this point. While Darren quietly moved around us to capture the moments, we warmed up, put on our head phones and listened obediently to sound engineer Simon Rhode’s gentle but cheeky voice in our ears, as he sat at the mixing desk. The choir relaxed and the performance seemed to be captured by the third take.

Witnessing the pride, focus and joy of the choir reminded me of my good fortune to work in such a magical world. Singing each week at rehearsals brings a huge amount of satisfaction, so taking our work and immortalizing it in such a way made us feel like as though we were, and are, a tiny part of history.

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