#its great that he went in the direction of electric warrior but these two albums were so special

[eddie-rifff]

listening to a beard of stars on vinyl for the first time in at least 5 years and it makes me so emotional and nostalgic for my horrible teen years. i used to listen to this album aaaall the time man. its still one of my favorites of all time but i dont listen to it ever since its not on spotify! but it evokes such a feeling of.... being an insomniac nutcase, lovesick for chris squire and marc bolan lol. this is so odd. i havent heard some of these songs in so so so long. all i can say is wow.

[doomedandstoned]

PSYCHO LAS VEGAS IV

~Festival Review~

Words by Roman Tamayo | Photos by Sally Townsend | Films by Arturo Gallegos

Psycho Las Vegas is a unique experience: more than 70 bands play for 4 days in 4 stages. This is not a regular festival; it represents the triumph of the underground scene that loves heavy, slow, and psychedelic riffs. We are living in the golden era for this kind of music: bands like Electric Wizard or High on Fire playing in a big arena, the dream has come true. This festival is opening the doors on the American continent for new bands, while consolidating the old ones -- they will probably be the next legends like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. I flew in from Mexico City for Psycho this year and hope that in the near future the festival will turn its eyes to the thriving Latin America scene.

PSYCHO SWIM

The first day of the festival, I had the chance to see bands like Primitive Man, Danava, Lucifer, and Corrosion of Conformity playing on a stage overlooking a big pool, affectionately nicknamed the "slosh pit." For such a setting, the sound was amazing, the atmosphere unique; it was the start of a big party that would continue non-stop for the next three days. You could see fans from different parts of the United States and other countries like México, Argentina, France, Canada, and so forth. The cultural exchange and the vibe of friendship were amazing.

Primitive Man

I don't have words enough to describe how loud and heavy these guys are live. I think the correct way to describe it is: a massive wall of sound melting your face. In my opinion, Primitive Man emerged as one of the heaviest bands of the festival.

Lucifer

Lucifer was one of the most anticipated bands of the event. The line to access the stage was long, with people waiting upwards of 20 minutes to get access. As for the show, I think they stole the night. Nicke Andersson and Johanna Sadonis have an incredible band. You can feel the fuzzy vibe of the ‘70s all over their songs, carried out by musicians who are quite skilled for the job.

Corrosion of Conformity

Kirk Windstein from Crowbar introduced Corrosion of Conformity in the final show of the night and the entire crowd started to party. The sound was amazing, you can see why they are living legends. They played a lot of classic songs like "Albatross," "Clean my Wounds," "Broken Man," along with plenty of surprises beneath the starlit sky.

DAY ONE

Arthur Brown

It's Friday and Psycho Las Vegas has officially begun! I saw the God of Hellfire himself, Arthur Brown, to open things up on the main stage -- a big arena with an amazing sound. The living legend was back once again to offer us one of the most magical shows of the entire festival. The godfather of the shock rock let us know that there is no age restriction to being a rocker. The mix of clothes, musicians, vibe, passion, and love were the perfect combination, and the audience warmly recognized Arthur Brown for his many years of music.

Graveyard

After Arthur Brown, it was Graveyard's turn to wow us. The arena was full for this show. The Swedish stoner-blues outfit played an incredible set with songs from all of their albums: "The Siren," "Hisingen Blues," "Please Don't," "Goliath," etc. The sound was impeccable. With wider exposure like this, these guys could very well be recognized as the next Led Zeppelin.

Godspeed You Black Emperor!

After the break, I saw Montreal experimentalists, Godspeed You Black Emperor! Without doubt, one of the most impressive acts of Psycho -- more than music, it was a breathtaking experience. The visuals coupled with the sound had me in a trance for the duration of the performance by these eight musicians. One of our favorite shows.

Yob

Next, I arrived at the Beach Stage for Yob. I was very excited about this show, but unfortunately the audio from this venue was horrible during all three days. The mixing console was next to the stage and the audio engineers did not have a clue of how the sound was outside. Yob played an incredible show, nonetheless. During the last song, Colin from Amenra sang with Mike. What a great collaboration to witness!

High on Fire

After YOB, I ran to see High on Fire on the main stage, but it was the same story -- the sound was terrible. That, however, didn't stop the crowd from getting into the spirit of the songs, and they formed big circles for the mosh pit. The new drummer suffered a little bit during some of the numbers, though Matt and Jeff tried their best to coordinate with him. Certainly not the best show from the band, I’m afraid.

Fu Manchu

On the other hand, Fu Manchu radiated with pure energy. The sound was a little better than it was for Yob's set and the Cali legends did their best to offer us a killer show even with these conditions. Fu played a lot of classic songs: "King of the Road," "Saturn III," "California Crossing," "Evil Eye," and "Laserbl'ast!" One of my favorite bands of the festival and, in my opinion, deserving of a better stage.

Electric Wizard

Finally, I arrived to Electric Wizard. Tons of people tried to access to the main stage, it was crazy. Thankfully, the sound was beautiful. EW is heavy and loud, so imagine this sound in a big arena: massive waves of sonic force crashing against your face. The new bassist Haz (ex-Hawkwind) gives a new sense of heaviness, you can feel the difference he contributes. The band looked so happy playing songs like "Return the Trip," "See You In Hell," "Black Mass," etc. An unforgettable sonic encounter to be in the first rows for.

DAY TWO

Old Man Gloom

During my second day, I spent a lot of time at the main stage. The first band that opened the stage was Old Man Gloom, one of the best acts of the festival. After the loss of Caleb, Aaron Turner and the other guys continued the project. The sound was pure and direct -- you could feel your chest vibrating with every riff. Seeing Aaron Turner play made you want to move your head like a crazy.

Triumph of Death

Triumph of Death is a tribute to Hellhammer with Tom Warrior on front -- one of the most anticipated acts of the festival. The legendary Warrior played classic songs in a new way, like "The Third of the Storms," "Massacra," "Visions of Mortality," and "Triumph of Death," -- all amazing songs. The band was brimming with enthusiasm by the end of the show.

Sumac

Sumac is one of the heaviest bands of our time. Unfortunately, the sound of the Beach Stage was abysmal. The band, however, put on an incredible performance. To see Aaron Turner play twice in the same day was simply legendary. I hope next time the festival are able to troubleshoot the nuances of outdoor acoustics and put Sumac and Yob on a proper stage.

Clutch

Clutch was a lively, unforgettable experience, the legends playing a killer show. Neil Fallon is one of the top frontman these days -- he makes you want to jump, sing, hoot, and holler. One of the best moments of the gig was when we heard "Supergrass" and "Willie Nelson" -- what a great surprise. Clutch also played standards like "Earth Rocker," "X-ray Vision," and "Firebirds."

Misfits

After Clutch, the arena was packed to the gills for the Misfits. These icons of the underground put an unforgettable set, even with the technical problems experienced by Doyle. The crowd was crazy -- I saw four circle pits emerge from the beginning and they never let up. Glenn's voice continues to be one of the best in the industry. The band played some classics: "Where Eagles Dare," "Die Die My Darling," "Hybrid Moments," "Halloween," and "Hollywood Babylon," to name a few.

Full of Hell

I visited the House of Blues following this, where Full of Hell was on fire. I was particularly shocked by the drummer, one of the craziest and fastest in the biz. Hardcore, punk, noise and power violence -- Full of Hell is an experience-and-a-half. You can feel the hate in mere moments of these absorbing songs.

The Obsessed

The last band of the night was The Obsessed, and the place was understandably full for Wino. The sound was nice and balance; the crowd was crazy. Wino appeared and played some songs like "Soden Jackal" and "The Way She Fly." It's probably just my point of view, but Wino did not look excited about the show, though perhaps he always looks this stern. Whatever the case, it was great to see this giant of doom. A great way to close the Day Two.

DAY THREE

Weedeater

The last day came all too soon, but sadly all good things need to come to an end. However, some great things did take place throughout the day, like the marriage of Matt Pike (congrats). On Sunday we saw Weedeater. They are like an urban legend, where I'm from. Dixie Dave appeared on the stage and the crowd went nuts. The sound again was not the best and the guitar player suffered some troubles with his amp toward the end of the show. Such are the perils of change, Psycho having ventured out of their three-year home of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino this year to embrace a series of new venues on the Vegas Strip.

Mogwai

Mogwai is another affair entirely. Their music makes you feel a lot of things at the same time, like happiness, hope, and sorrow. The ambience was perfect for this performance. I don't have words to describe the sensation.

Dead Meadow

I moved on to see Dead Meadow and they were a trip. The light show by Mad Alchemy gave the place a unique ambience. The band played a special set for the people of Psycho Las Vegas, Jason having worked very close with the festival organizers to plan every detail from the get-go.

Uncle Acid and the deadbeats

From there, I ran to see Uncle Acid and the deadbeats and was an amazing show. Even if, God forbid, you don't like the band, their live performance is undeniable: the visuals, the energy, and the sonority make everything moving and memorable. They played songs like "13 Candles," "Waiting For blood," "Mind Crawler" and, of course, "I’ll Cut You Down."

Truckfighters

From there I ran over to the Beach Stage to see Truckfighters. It was the same story as with Yob or Sumac, the sound engineers still hadn't figured out their shit. Nonetheless, The crowd was happy and supportive. Truckfighters offered an incredible show with the new drummer, Toro. Two words: pure energy! The band played Gravity X and that was a joy to hear live, as this is one of the great contemporary stoner rock albums.

Power Trip

I spent some time watching Integrity, a lesser known band to me, then moved back to the Beach Stage for Power Trip, the modern heroes of thrash and crossover metal. The area was packed and when the band appeared on stage, the biggest mosh pit in the pool erupted. The guards tried to stop it, but it was in vain. This was surely one of the most iconic moments of the festival: the slosh pit. What energy; what a band -- long live these guys.

Twin Temple

Twin Temple was a great surprise. Imagine a black mass in middle of House of Blues with a band that combines rock 'n' roll, country, and garage rock. To see Twin Temple is a very unique experience, like the satanic version of Amy Whinehouse. I loved how all the crowd joined in the chorus: “SATAN, SATAN, SATAN!”

Amenra

The last band of my weekend was Amenra. I don't have enough words to completely describe the experience. The heaviest and loudest riffs, sadness, pain, and anger all wrapped up in one moment. That's Amenra, and it was a truly spiritual experience. Also, the visuals offered us a lovely trip. Amenra deserve to play the main stage when they come back to Psycho, as they are the rising legends of the scene.

Despite a few technical glitches here and there, Psycho Las Vegas was amazing. All in all, it's the best party for the scene, with a ton of bands, nice people, and smooth-running logistics. I hope that the organizers of Psycho start checking out bands from Latin America to join next year's roster, for the scene here is really blowing up. Thank you to the festival organizers, Liz Ciavarella-Brenner, and the team who run the press table for making my first US festival rad!

[chelseawolfemusic]

Chelsea Wolfe Interview / Cover Story // Revolver

Full feature via REVOLVER

Chelsea Wolfe has escaped into the woods and she's not about to come back. You'll find the singer-guitarist in the mountains of Northern California, hours from her Sacramento hometown, where the closest she gets to city life is in some tiny, ancient hamlets left behind from the Gold Rush days.

It's quiet up there, which might help explain the acoustic direction of her next album, a mostly solo project she's been writing and recording in her living room, her garage, wherever there's space to dig into Wolfe's new songs that are both intimate and biting, delicate and fierce. As an artist, she was already hard to pin down, with elements of folk, goth, post-punk, industrial, metal and more woven deep into her grooves. "I move in extremes, hot or cold," she says. "I tend to combine those two things at all times."

The still-untitled album is a left turn from the explosive rock guitars that dominated 2017's acclaimed Hiss Spun, with its churning songs of white noise and epic melodies. This year, she returns to her core inspirations, and the playlist Wolfe is spinning on infinite loop are recordings by Townes Van Zandt and Neurosis, Johnny Cash and David Bowie, disparate songwriters who cut deep. That makes the new album a kind of follow-up to her smoldering 2012 release Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs, which gathered leftover folk tunes of a certain understated volume that hadn't fit on her other albums.

This one is different in that Wolfe is building this collection from the ground up, intentionally working within her own version of folk on songs written over the last year. She has longtime collaborator Ben Chisholm co-producing and engineering, and occasional guest players to add subtle layers of sound, including drummer Jess Gowrie. But she is determined to make this a solo project as raw and as cooked as the early country music and folk she heard growing up, with a modern message suited to the moment.

With Hiss Spun, her following only grew wider, and she's seeing fans with her lyrics tattooed to their skin. Wolfe is responding with new songs that both embrace and challenge, exploring the trials and triumphs of feminism, present and past, within an ever-changing world order that she's encouraged to see has a new wave of women rising to power in the U.S. Congress.

"I just follow my instincts and I follow all the strange and different voices that live inside me and I don't hold them back," says Wolfe, "especially not anymore."

photograph by John Crawford

YOUR LAST ALBUM, HISS SPUN, HAD A LOT OF EXPLOSIVE GUITAR MOMENTS. IS THIS ACOUSTIC RECORD A REACTION AWAY FROM THAT? CHELSEA WOLFE Honestly, I didn't know exactly what I was going to do next. I was so completely enveloped and focused on doing that record. And it was cathartic for me. That record felt very internal, but very explosive, as well, letting a lot of things out I hadn't thought about or talked about before. Maybe the natural reaction to that is to retreat into the wilderness and just write a really quiet album. It's introspective, but it's also about the history of women and what we've gone through over these years and how a lot has changed, a lot hasn't changed.

IS THAT INSPIRED BY RECENT EVENTS IN THE WORLD? I'm sure it is. Part of it has to do with just being a woman and getting older and understanding things more and just feeling that really visceral reaction to the way women are treated and seeing it on the daily in our society and on the news.

THIS ISN'T YOUR FIRST ACOUSTIC PROJECT. DO YOU GET A DIFFERENT FEELING ONSTAGE WHEN YOU'RE ALONE VERSUS BEING WITH A BAND AND HAVING AN ELECTRIC GUITAR IN YOUR HANDS? I haven't done shows by myself onstage in a really long time and it's not so easy for me. It's definitely more comfortable to have your band with you and to be able to lose yourself in all these sounds and things that you're creating together. But I also feel really ready and excited to do that, even though it's scary. I like to push myself into new territories musically and physically. Heavy music can be really intimate, and solo can be very intimate. So in a way it's the same thing, being up there and baring your soul for people.

HOW IS THE NEW RECORD BEING MADE? I'm recording it at home. Originally, I really wanted to do everything myself. Sometimes as a female artist, if one man is involved with one little thing on your record, they end up getting a lot more credit for it. I was being a little defensive at first. But as I started approaching it, I felt like that was actually a very lonely way of doing things and it didn't sound like much fun. So I decided to involve Ben, and he's helping engineer it so that I can just focus on recording the parts and not having to run back and forth to the board or computer.

I really wanted to play every song just with me and an acoustic guitar. That was important for me. So they all started in that way. We might add some electric guitar, or some kind of electronic beats to it.

I sat down with Ben and that really helped me finish everything — we would talk about a song and then I would run upstairs to my writing room and suddenly have all these lyrics that finished a song.

HOW ARE THE NEW SONGS RELATED TO SOME OF THE QUIETER MOMENTS ON HISS SPUN? I think it's different. I did Unknown Rooms, which was a compilation of a lot of acoustic songs I'd written over the years. They were just written with the idea of playing them as a solo artist in mind. I think every record definitely is going to have some heavy moments and some soft moments. Abyss had "Crazy Love" and Hiss Spun had "Two Spirit." It's just part of me to oscillate between the two.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT ONE OF THE SONGS? One is called "Be All Things." It's very introspective and it's very triumphant. Conceptually, it's about a Victorian-era woman who is a maiden but very much wants to be a warrior — and just thinking about nature and environmentalism and how long that has been a problem and how we're trying to make changes but still we're just destroying the earth. Just when it seems like something's changing, it just gets worse. I think my music in general represents the soft and the strong, embracing the feminine and masculine of myself. This album is very much along the theme of that dichotomy. And I think a lot of people can relate to that, as well, whether it's a man or woman, a non-gender-specific person. I think a lot of people are starting to embrace that about themselves, the soft and strong, and then really finding that empowering.

DID THAT COME AS A REACTION TO SOMETHING? It's a bit of a reaction, but it's also just something that's really been a part of me for a long time. I'm not just one thing. You can't really put me or my music into a box. Sometimes that's frustrating for me because I think maybe it holds me back in a way, but then sometimes I think that is why I've been able to do what I do and why I have any kind of success as an artist and a musician. I'm saying in the song: "I want to be all things." I don't want to be held back anymore and I don't want to feel like I need to quiet my voice. I just want to be who I am and be free.

IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT WAY. JUST LOOK AT HOW MANY WOMEN WERE RECENTLY ELECTED TO CONGRESS. Exactly. It's amazing. And I think it's very indicative of this time and more and more women and non-gender-specific people are really starting to speak up for themselves and let go of the fear of that. So that's definitely a strong theme with this new album.

HOW HAVE YOU EVOLVED AS A LYRICIST SINCE YOUR FIRST RECORDS? I'm a much better writer and I'm taking the time to really make sure I'm saying the right thing. As a younger artist, I would just write a song and then that was it. I never really went back and fixed up the lyrics or changed a word if I didn't like it. I love words and I love reading and I love thinking about language and how to make something sound the best way but also infuse a lot of meaning into even just a short phrase. On this new album, I'm using some archaic language to talk about new things.

HOW ARE YOU USING ARCHAIC LANGUAGE? I was spending some time with my great-grandmother before she died and I would often write down a word here and there that you don't hear anymore. Jess is very much like that, too. She was raised by her grandparents, so she has a lot of cute old phrases that she says that you don't hear very often. There's a moment [on the record] with the word "daylight plumed my skin." That's something I've probably read in some old poetry books. It's something sensual, and I'm always trying to bring sensuality into language and keeping that alive because I feel like sometimes that is a dying art.

ASIDE FROM YOUR OWN TOURS OVER THE LAST YEAR, YOU DID TOURS WITH MINISTRY AND A PERFECT CIRCLE. HOW DID THAT GO? I'm such a big fan of Ministry and they're really great — but I don't think their audience was as open as I thought they might be. So it was a little bit tough if I'm honest. I got really aggro on the Ministry tours because sometimes it felt like their audience was just looking at us with disgust. Not all of them. Of course, there were some really nice people that wanted to be open to it. It ended up being fun and it brings you and your band closer together, too. I just took it as another learning experience.

Al [Jourgensen] was so great and he would invite us onto his bus after the show and just talk about music and stuff for a long time. We would overhear him describing us to other people, talking about me and Jess: "They're women and they're angry and they're making good music!" It was really cute.

A Perfect Circle was very different. Their audience was a lot more accepting of us for some reason. Definitely bigger venues than I've ever played. I have a long way to go in knowing how to work a room of 8,000 people because that's totally different than what I'm used to be playing. Maynard actually invited us out to his winery. We got to experience his wine and homegrown vegetables and stuff. It was really cool.

YOUR FANS SEEM WILLING TO FOLLOW YOU THROUGH YOUR SHIFTS IN TONE. AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY LIKE UNTIL THEY SEE OR HEAR IT. That's true. And I think it makes you a better artist when you do things that people aren't expecting. It's like when I heard Black Sabbath doing the song "Changes" the first time — after hearing all their other heavy music. Them doing something so touching and intimate helped me understand the freedom to just sing whatever song is calling to you.

[suranflower]

K-pop artists you should check out (in no particular order)

EXID

Exceed in Dreaming was formed in 2012 and, though they had some line-up changes early after their debut, they have produced bops ever since. They have some of the best singers in the whole industry and, honestly, there’s no such thing as bad vocals in EXID (not to mention they are still getting better and better, just look at Junghwa’s vocals in their latest comeback). They also have arguably one of the best rappers, who also writes and composes lots of songs for the group. And their songs are all amazing and so catchy. Not only that, they are also full of visuals (from Hani’s stunning beauty to Hyelin’s incredible cuteness). They fall under the “sexy” umbrella and their concepts are always colorful and fun. The members personalities are yet another of their strong points. They’re very natural and have chemistry together so it’s always amusing to watch them onscreen. My rec for getting into them: have a listen to the songs in their first full album Street (Spotify link).

F(x)

They’re, no doubt, queens. They used to be five members, now four and, unfortunately, they haven’t had a comeback in long time. Their music genre is dance and electronic, and it has been widely praised both in Korea and by Western specialized press. They don’t fall in the “sexy” or the “cute” category, all their concepts are unique and special. Their artistry is completed with incredible imagery. They have gone from the bright colors in a dance room for Electric Shock, to the military concept in Red Light, and their latest comeback 4Walls, provides us with charming and somewhat mysterious music and MV. Their main singer, Luna, has such incredible vocals and Amber’s rap is another of its strongest points. Their visuals are no joke neither, all of them are gorgeous. The members are very nice. My rec to get into them: go through their singles MV in YouTube, starting with the oldest and moving to the newest. The members solo work is also amazing (Luna and Amber have released mini-albums and singles, Krystal has released singles as well and Victoria is about to release her first solo work).

Dreamcatcher

These girls are still rookies. They used to be MINX, a group that didn’t meet much success. Now they re-debuted adding two new members and radically changing their concept. Dreamcatcher has everything: an original concept with horror-inspired themes and MVs, with hard rock music and sweet vocals. They’re quite active on VLive and other social networks, so it’s very easy to follow them and see the latest news. These seven girls are not only making unique concepts and creating a whole world around them, they also have beautiful harmonies and some great dancing. Their dancing is no joke, seriously. Their vocals and versatility are also showcased in the covers they’ve made. These girls have worked very hard and really deserve attention for their work, and they are very sweet and humble. I recommend you: check their first single Chase Me, and also their Maroon 5 cover and their vocal practices (all links above). Note: Theyr’e about to comeback with their first ini-album, so stay tuned ^.^

Suran

Hey, this girl is amazing. Let’s start here: she debuted in a duet under the name Helena and btw, she is very cute and also very shy (as seen in interviews). Though she did not start singing until well into her twenties, her vocals are unique, and she is the main composer of all her songs. Not only does she write her lyrics and music, she also produces! She’s not only a great artist, but is considered a muse to many. Her vocals, as I said, are unique goes together with a deeply personal yet touching and relatable music. Also, her voice is quite versatile, as seen in King of Masked Singer. Her live is flawless and she never makes a song exactly the same two times. She rarely goes on TV, but she recently opened a VLive channel and she also has an Instagram account. Now, if you don’t know who she is or still don’t feel particularly interested in her, you should check her collabs, because some of your faves might be there: Hwasa of Mamamoo, Zico, Dean, Suga of BTS, Changmo, Yeeun of Wonder Grils and Bohyung of Spica…

LOONA

This is a huge girl group, or should we say project? They haven’t debuted yet and they will have 12-13 members. What’s special about them? The way they’re making music and promoting. Every month, a new member is revealed and given a solo song and another song with previously revealed members. The members cover many ages, styles and even countries. Though at first they went for a more cute-ish style, the latest two months have shown they’re taking a whole new direction, therefore expanding their artistry and the LOONA world. For the first girls, they shooted the MV all over the world. They debuted a sub unit called Loona 1/3 (they’re the cuties in the gif below), and another one is expected. Each girl shows her style, her vocals, etc. They have so much to show us yet, you shouldn’t say no to them even if you are not fond of what they have done to the moment. They also have a YouTube Channel where they keep posting new material. My rec: check every month girl single, and Loona 1/3 debut to see all different colors united in the group. [As a side note: my personal favorites are HeeJin’s ViViD, Haseul’s Let me in and Kim Lip’s Eclipse, and Sonatine for the 1/3 sub unit].

Triple H

Not exactly a group, more of a sub-unit. It’s composed by three members: Hui and E'Dawn of Pentagon and HyunA (formerly of 4Minute). They have released a mini-album so far and I honestly hope they go for more. Their sound is funky and fun, though they have adventured other styles. The MV for their first single was quite controversial, as it touches various serious and dark themes, but it’s still a great MV. Hui’s rich vocals perfectly match E'Dawn’s voice and fun rap and HyunA gives the perfect sassy vibe to it, completing the whole pack.

B.A.P

Best Absolute Perfect. The name says it all, really. The six-member group debuted in 2012 and they have had quite some problems regarding their company and the member’s health, but luckily enough, these problems will be left behind. These boys have good music, good dance, good visuals and interesting concepts. They have explored many different sounds: funcky and fun (Feel so Good, Killer), cute and sweet (Where are you?), ballads (Coffee Shop, Blind), power ballad-like songs (1004 Angel), dance electronic-ish music (Dancing in the Rain), a varied strong and somewhat  violent sound (Warrior, Young Wild and Free, One Shot), rock (Dystopia, Bang x2), more retro-influenced songs (Diamond 4 Ya) and even jazz (Le noir). And honestly, they have succeeded in all those genres. Many of their lyrics touch on social issues, as well as some of their MV. The members also know how to be funny and close to fans (just look at some of their variety shows or their SNS). Their vocal line is simply amazing and their rap line is incredibly good, not to mention their dance line is no joke. All this said, after so much, they deserve better.

SHINee

Like their company mates f(x), SHINee are true kings. With one of the best vocal lines in k-pop, amazing dancing and carefully produced songs and concepts, they really don’t need too much introduction. They’re also sweet and funny wich is always a good point. As for music, they’re concepts are also unconventional and with every comeback, they legit introduce new trends and styles into the Korean scene. My rec: check their classics (Lucifer, Ring Ding Dong, Sherlock Replay, Dream Girl, etc)  and then listen to their latest full album 1 of 1. The solo work the members have done also deserves a mention and a listen (Taemin, whose latest Japanese single just came out, and Jonghyun are the ones who have a more extense solo musical career).

Dean

Currently one of the hottest R&B artist in Korea. He has collaborated with tons of different artists, and has released a mini album and multiple singles. He is a composer, lyricist and producer (he even participated in composing EXO’s Growl and VIXX’s Vodoo Doll and composed Zico’s She’s a baby, as well as Suran’s (mentioned above) 1+1=0) and is part of a group of artists named “Club Eskimo”, who are all very good as well. He also has some English singles, including his latest one (love, with singer-songwriter Syd). He has good lyrics, catchy and mesmerizing songs with an indie influenced sound, that perfectly match his rich vocals. He’s very cute too -though not innocent at all lol. Right now he’s a producer in Show Me The Money 6. My rec: Zico’s Bermuda Triangle (with Crush), D(Half Moon) (with Gaeko), Put my Hands On You, Heize’s Shut Up and Groove, Come over (with Yerin Baek) and his cover of Just Like a Star.

Day6

Now, these boys are not your regular idol group. They are a band. They play their instruments and compose their songs. Now a 5 member band, most of them sing and guys, those are some great vocals. Their songs are all amazing, they’re good players and even better singers, not to mention their rap is also on point. As for more personal matters: they are cute, very funny and natural, they interact a lot with their fans and each of them is just so special. This year, they’ve been releasing a single every month, and last month they had their first full length album. They are ver, very talented and their pop rock sound is refreshing. They’re rising, so even if it’s just because of that, you should keep an eye on them. My rec: Colors, Hunt, Letting go, I Wait, How can I say, Dance Dance, Congratulations, Hi Hello (their latest single), some of their covers and these amazing english-version remakes of Korean songs.

[andimallouttabubblegum]

This could be the most important list you read today. Because sometimes, you just want a song with clapping in it, and here are 10 of my favourites.

  I’m kicking off a new idea here on ImAllOuttaBubblegum, every week we will bring to you a Top 10 list based around some of the most interesting, controversial, and up to the minute issues in music. You will get an in depth look into the music knowledge and preferences of your favourite Bubblegummers. This week… is not one of them. Instead, I’ve put together a list of songs that have clapping in them. Yep, it’s the big one.

I’ve discounted any songs which feature applause, this is a list of songs that feature clapping in a percussive way. And I’ve limited it to one song per band, which made a couple of choices very tricky indeed. The criteria of this list is… well, my own personal preference! I’m sure it would change if I did it again next week. There’s not really any rhyme or reason to it, it’s just 10 songs that I really like that have clapping in them!

But hey, enough of my yakkin’. What do you say? Let’s boogie!

10. “Giddy Stratospheres” by The Long Blondes

This is the song that inspired this list, so I had to include it. A band that sounded like Blondie with Yorkshire accents, singing songs loaded with film references. It’s like they were designed in a lab to appeal to me.  I recently rediscovered the original single version on The Long Blondes singles compilation album (imaginatively called Singles) thanks to a free trial of Google music. While the album version has better production values and sounds more polished, there’s a rawness to the Sheffield bands’ original that makes the lead guitar, bass, and (most importantly) hand clapping intro “pop” just that little bit more.

Fun Fact: I was in a band that had a gig moved because The Long Blondes were looking for a venue to play their second album under a pseudonym. So, on 29th February 2008, The Dead Eyed Bitches played to a packed Escobar in Hartlepool. The next night Dead Man’s Shoes played to an empty one.

9. “Angel Child (Demo)” by Oasis

Remember what I said about personal preference? I’ve recently been listening to Be Here Now for the 20th anniversary of its release and “D’You Know What I Mean?” was the first single I ever bought. Its B-sides were “Stay Young”, which was going to that album’s “Digsy’s Dinner” or “She’s Electric” before being taken off at the last minute, a Noel Gallagher sang cover of Bowie’s “Heroes”, and this. A straightforward acoustic song that goes on too long (like everything connected with Oasis in this era), this is a brief moment of quiet simplicity in what was a loud, complicated time, with a nice clapping section.

It also edges out “Half The World Away” as the single Oasis song to make the list.

8. “Space Oddity” by David Bowie

The song that launched one of musics most legendary, innovative, and decorated careers, “Space Oddity” only features 8 hand claps, but what hand claps they are.

Fun Fact: Labour MP Tony Benn’s daughter-in-law Nita Benn is the one clapping along!

7. “Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel

As a film fan, it would be a crime not to include this. One of the most memorable scenes from Reservoir Dogs was improvised from a single in line the script (Mr Blonde maniacally dances around). The light, cheery sounding song plays under Michael Madsen dancing… well… maniacally, after Mr Blonde tunes the radio to K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the Seventies to give himself a soundtrack to mutilating a man tied to a chair.

A simple acoustic guitar track backed with some good old fashioned hand clapping percussion and a splash of slide guitar, this was written as a Bob Dylan parody, but was a huge success on its initial release, before Tarantino brought it to a whole new generation.

Fun Fact: Singer Gerry Rafferty had one huge solo hit with “Baker Street” with its famous saxophone riff that definitely wasn’t played by Bob Holness.

6. “Tender” by Blur

I remember recording Steve Lamacq’s Evening Session on tape, BBC Radio 1 when had an exclusive gig with Blur just before the release of the album 13. By then I had broadened my horizons, and had listened to Parklife and especially Blur. This was the first song of the concert, was the lead single, and then the first track on the album, and what a song it is, starting with a rather thin sounding guitar before building to a glorious gospel choir sing-a-long.

The album is at times an uneasy compromise between Damon Albarn wanting to move in a more experimental direction and Graham Coxon’s punky/lo-fi stylings. Albarn had started working on the project that would become Gorillaz, and Coxon had released his first debut album The Sky Is Too High and would make The Golden D soon after (two albums well worth checking out). Tender was a very personal song for Albarn, but it is a fantastic one – and one you can clap along to!

5. “Broken Out In Love” by Mark Crozer and The Rels

This is my list, so this is number 5. With a creepy “click and clap” percussion track, this song is most well known as the entrance music for WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt. It’s an entrance that has enraptured audiences around the world, with arenas now filled with phone camera lights as he makes his way to the ring. But the song itself is brilliant, one that genuinely makes my skin crawl. Just the phrase “broken out in love”… so creepy.

4. “We Will Rock You” by Queen

The previous entry is a wrestlers theme song, but is there any song more anthemic than “We Will Rock You”? Has any song been sampled or covered more than “We Will Rock You”? And is any beat more recognisable than “We Will Rock You”?

3. “Eight Days A Week”  by The Beatles

When putting this list together, I originally had “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” in this slot, and wrote about how important the iconic hand claps are to The Beatles’ early sound. But then… there’s “Eight Days A Week”, a song I adore. With the brilliant fade-in intro (apparently the first time on a pop song) and the great bass line, it actually features hand clapping even more prominently in the mix than “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, so I’m happy to put it in the Top 3 of this prestigious and very serious list.

“Fun” Fact: There are hardly any Beatles songs on YouTube, so here’s Paul McCartney performing it.

2. “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” by T Rex

Electric Warrior is a fantastic album. If you only know T Rex from a couple of songs, check out this album, which shows Marc Bolan at his very best. And the centre piece, of course, is “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”, a glam rock song which set the template for what was to come through the 1970s. It also… “inspired” the riff from Oasis’ “Cigarettes and Alcohol”. For the purposes of this list, it is the hand clapping which accompanies the percussion throughout the song (apart from the guitar only breakdown) that places it so high.

Fun fact: Rick Wakeman (who went on to become a prog rock legend with Yes and a series of concept solo albums) plays the piano gliss at the beginning. It is the only bit of piano in the entire song.

1. “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone

Is any explanation needed? A beautiful song. A clear number 1.

  And so, that’s my list of the Top 10 songs with clapping in them. Agree? Disagree? Why not leave a comment at the bottom of the article telling me just how big of an idiot I am?

Until next time, stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold. See you soonish.

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PS As a little treat for reading all the way to the end, here are 10 more songs that you probably think I’m an idiot for not including in the Top 10. The reason they missed out? Well, I AM an idiot.

And, of course…

Top 10: Songs with clapping in them This could be the most important list you read today. Because sometimes, you just want a song with clapping in it, and here are 10 of my favourites.