Music is everywhere and can take any form. The idea behind [glocalscene.com] is to get away from conventional techniques of distributing and broadcasting music. We physically travel to local music scenes around the world meeting those in the communities themselves. The music we find is down to chance and the people we meet.
In the age of MySpace, YouTube, Satellite TV and Digital Radio music from anyone and anywhere should be embraced. Yet it mostly isn't. It has become a more marketable sphere of art:
- The mainstream music industry is biased towards geographical position; cities become 'hot pockets' of new music, irrelevant of talent.
- The mainstream music press concentrates on similar-genre artists, whilst the link between tunes and fashion grows more and more.
- The new bands you will get to hear about in widespread magazines will be those who pay publicists to get them press.
Our world community know no genres or geographical boundaries. The music within these pages can be described as world music in its most general sense (music from across the world, whether it be popular music, Chinese music or sounds from a man eating a shoe in Greenland).
We have all met artists from our local scene with incredible talent, [glocalscene.com] wants to try and bring them together and find out about the surroundings of where such music orginates.
There will be a film documenting the local music scenes visited so far, set for release in September 2008 [glocalmovie.com].
Our label sells music of some of the artists in our community. All proceeds go straight to the owner. We didn't make the music, so we won't take any of ze money.
Our gig booking uses the vast community that we have at our fingertips (bands, venues, bookers...) to make it easier for artists in need of advice and support for touring.
None of us have any money. We do art as an extension of who we are. That extension does not need to be manipulated or streamlined in anyway. Those we have met project a side of them that we would love to share with the anyone who cares to listen. If you would like to share any music/art/writings from your local scene then please do. By reading this page you are as much a part of the community as anyone. We want to grow. We want to encompass all areas of art. We want information, stories and music from far and wide.
[Sept 07] Jamie Williams of Leeds band Tigers That Talked can be described as a poet, musician, genius and a lover of Haribo. However, what can his favourite recent tunes be decribed as?
There is so much stuff on myspace now that finding something that actually touches or inspires you is quite a rare treat. Myspace is great for getting music out to people without having to go through the usual channels but this does take away quite a lot of quality control. Everyday we get a lot of requests from very pub rockish bands called things like 'The Fusion' or 'Ripcage' (apologies if those are real bands)which generally involves a picture of four guys looking very temperamental in a carpark accompanied by some badly recorded oasis covers, except with slightly different lyrics….
However here are some really nice things I've discovered on myspace:
I really love this track, I remember when I came across it I had to play it constantly for a while. The keyboards are very simple but beautiful and the vocal line is memorable. Milk is kind of a mix of Postal Service and Kid A (Radiohead). They're from the same city as us but I never saw them and they broke up before I even knew about them. A real shame as there aren't very many bands doing this kind of stuff here…
This is another track that instantly made me want to listen to it over and over. The singer's voice is one of the strangest I've ever heard, kind of reminiscent of Edith Piaf and Kate Bush but male. The lyrics are a bit indecipherable but really interesting to read with some nice literary references scattered around. The song would be a great tune if sang by a more traditional singer, it reminds me of the kind of Motown songs that Ronnie Spector used to produce but the vocals transform it into a very unique experience.
I can't remember how or why I found this song but it's definitely one of my favourites. Its intelligently written indie rock except there are no guitars; instead two cellos, standup bass and drums. The cellos create the riffs, interweaving with each other to create a very arresting and unusual sound. The vocal melodies are really cool with two girls singing. The lyrics to this song are something I quite identify with, not New York city as I've only been once and it was nice, but generally the negative aspects of living in a city and how a nihilism becomes harboured in you when faced with the repetition and frustrating endlessness of city dwelling. I don't know anything about this Colorado band really, other than their name is very easy to forget and I spent literally minutes trying to find them again for this blog…
This is Edward Larrikin, the singer from Larrikin Love, in his new solo project. There are only 2 minute clips of the new stuff up but it sounds promising, I particularly like this one. I quite liked Larrikin Love and thought that they would develop into a very special band as they went on. I don't know the reason behind them splitting up but whilst this is really different to that I like this. There are touches of Patrick Wolf in there but nothing too similar. I'd like to hear the whole songs as the track 'Lillian Looks Beyond' sounds like it could turn into something pretty crazy but it cut out. If you don't know Larrikin Love then check out www.myspace.com/larrikinlove... There is a nice cover of 'On Sussex Downs' by Partick Wolf to found here as well as Guillemots cover of 'Well, Love does Furnish A Life'….
[aug 07] Lions, Tigers, Crows, Squirrels, Seagulls, Fish, Tamborines and a man called Chaz are all loved in this new music blog. Although no animals were hurt in the making of this feature, 26 music journalists lost their lives. Phil Heron of Chestnut Productions didnt though. As he wrote it.
Sometimes I like to wonder what music would be like if there was no money involved, or if guitars had just been invented in the year 2000. I reckon the music out there would be experimental, chaotic, uncomfortable, varied, hazardous and genius. A bit like Ray Weiss's recent incarnation, Le Rug.
If you like clean, crisp tunes that have polished guitars and well thought through lyrics, maybe Lions is not for you. The words here are a spontaneous shower from a drug induced cloud which, to Ray's admittance, he can't really remember. Saying that, i think he done a pretty good job. I particularly like the last line "you are everything to me, read me stories wont you please", as I like stories also.
This tune can boast at being triumphantly rustic and joyously chaotic and leaves me once again thinking excitedly about Year Zero non-profit music. At 19, Ray has already forgotten about conforming to a major label, and has released two albums in 2007 alone. That total is on par with The Killers output this decade.
So... chaotic, uncomfortable, varied, hazardous, experimental and genius. Have a look at www.myspace.com/lerug to see for yourself.
Ever had beers in a Church? Dwindling numbers for prayer time has meant hundreds of holy houses of worship are being converted into bars across the UK. There is one in my home town but I've never been in, mainly because I think it would be a bit weird. I've often walked past late at night to have the senses overloaded with the usual evening action set in an unusual backdrop: you see the lines of taxis ready to take revellers bed wards, smell the greasy takeaway food wafting from the burger van and hear the rattle of the stained glass windows from the beat of the bass inside. "Holy Saturday/Gloomy Sunday" is a great commentary on this side of English culture ("Faith only comes served in a glass here") and explores a range of styles sewn seamlessly into a 4 minute melting pot of music. Lyrically poignant and structurally splendid, Tigers That Talked have made a tune to be blessed. "Holy Saturday/Gloomy Sunday" was the closing number from the band last time I saw them live… check it out and you will see why.
I met Levi in Seattle at the start of February 2007. Our friend Josh from DIY label Beep Repaired had set up some gigs for Chestnut Productions and invited some of the North West's interesting music types along for a beer and a banter. Levi is editor of The Ball of Wax Audio Quarterly which is in its 10th volume of music that has, by some way or another, landed in his lap. Mr Fuller felt that there is so much good music out there, why not bundle it together and release as a compilation.
I like Levi. I like his Ball of Wax compilations too. Yet I waited 6 months to check out his own music. I was scared that I may detest Levi Fuller the artist. His music, like his presence, is awesome. I feel a bit silly for leaving it so long to hear.
'Bread' takes its time to rise, allowing for personal thought as the song and story develops. The first time I heard this tune, I missed the lyrics entirely. The handiwork of the layering lushly took the emphasis away from the words. It was my fifth listen when they finally registered, making me proclaim this deep meaning:
Levis lyrics in 'Bread' are a projection on our modern instant gratification society, inevitably doomed to produce unaccomplished, unhealthy and imbalanced individuals.
I may be wrong though. I haven't asked him, but I am sure Levi would probably tell you that it is a song about a crow, a squirrel and a hunk of bread.
For those who don't know Ollie as personally as I (and 38,999 others), he is not scared to post his direct thoughts and musings onto the web. Especially if he comes across a song he thinks is ace. Over the years he has informed me on many a band that have become permanent features in my album collection.
I am now the preverbial seagull following Mr Byrds trauler waiting for which fish (song) he will next throw into the sea (MySpace bulletin post).
In 2006 Ollie chucked Toro Y Moi and his 'Miss Ya' for his friends to enjoy. For 10 months now I have been playing this song in different countries/cities/airports/seaports around the world. It just does not get old. I've never met Chaz, the man behind the Toro Y Moi, but I have decided his live show would be excellent. The closing bars of this tune would be a cacophony of joy mixed with torn emotion.
In Toro Y Moi I have been informed of a excellent musician by an excellent musician, so it feels warm and fuzzy in a pure and exciting way. When you obtain great music from unconventional sources it feels like what a religious experience would. I think anyway, as I haven't had a religious experience in a spiritual sense. This is probably becuase I am not religious.
I used to think I was meant to have lived in the 60s. The music, the clothes and the revolutionary ideas all appealed to me. Recently though, I've been glad that I was born 20 years down the line in an age where international music (and second hand clothes shops) is much more accessible. If it were 1967 now, I probably wouldn't be able to listen to such artists as San Francisco's The Dilettantes because of their distance away from me. Hailing from the birthplace of free love, the San Francsican 5 piece evoke the essence of psychedelia. The bands debut '101 Tamborines' serves up 'Don't You Ever Fall' as an offering to those pioneers who have went before; producing solid riffs, golden vocals and melodies tighter knit than a woollen jumper.
Watch out for the guitar solo at around 2 minutes, it will knock your shades off.
[aug 07] Whitney Wulf and housemate Bailey set up their own venue to get musicians to stop in Laramie, Wyoming. Offering the bands the door take, beer, a place to crash and a fully belly of pancakes the next morning are reasons why Whitney and Bailey are music pioneers and Laramie Legends. Check out Miss Wulfs current favourite tunes.
I find that a lot of my taste in music is influenced by the people that make it, how approachable and friendly they are, and how close of a connection I have with them as individuals. I highly admire Anthony Green (lead singer of Circa Survive), and I will always love and support my friends in their local Denver band, The Photo Atlas.
Lately, I've noticed that I have been listening to a lot of bands signed to Tooth & Nail Records, like:
It's strange because all three of those bands (and literally the label itself) are religion driven in their music. Maybe I am trying to find some sort of faith through music, who knows, but the compassion and love in their songs have really touched me.
I just recently went to Warped Tour in Denver, CO so I have been re-playing a lot of the tracks I heard performed there. My absolute favorites would have to be Circa Survive (who just released a new album "On Letting Go"), Paramore (who just released their sophomore album "Riot!"), and as I mentioned earlier, The Almost and Anberlin.
Cute Is What We Aim For, although poisoned by a self-obsessed lead singer, is always a great listen and sing along due to his infectious and catchy lyrics (at least he got something right...).
I recently found myself lucky enough to attend a secret show for one of my long time favorite bands, The Academy Is. I have known them for years and although I was wary about their recent cd release "Santi", I have grown to adore their new style of old rock and roll revisited.
Forgive Durden, one of the most inspiring bands to come out of Seattle, has recently released a music video for their song "Ants". It is one of the most unique videos I have seen in a long time and it captures them so completely (and it's easy to figure out why since they directed the whole thing themselves)
Finally, I was able to catch a certain lovable band from Scotland, The Cinematics, on a trip out to Minneapolis, MN. I thought they were rather smooth and seductive, which is always great if a band can pull it off successfully.
Seattle, Washington, USA. There lives a man named Levi. He used to live in Boston. Now he does not. He is a musician, a radio dj and devoted to new music. Here is his blog on the current tunes circulating his North West ears....
Four times a year, going into the third year now, I have seen to the release of a new volume of Ball of Wax Audio Quarterly, the compilation series I started in the summer of 2005. As we are coming up on the release of Volume 9, and as for this volume I had a hand in the mastering for the very first time, I have listened to these 17 songs more than anything else by far over the last several weeks, and you know what? I still haven't listened to them enough. Here are some highlights:
"Early Asking" by Yonderlow (www.myspace.com/yonderlow) I chose to start off this volume with Nathan Ellis-Brown's far too unknown solo project. I've been bugging Nate to give me a song since I first heard this music, such a far cry from the full-throttle rock of his band Lake of Falcons (http://www.lakeoffalcons.com/). I've never been much of one for lyrical analysis or comprehension, but musically and vocally, this song just strikes a perfect note of resignation, sadness and heartbreak without swirling into a morass of corny despair. Nate is far too busy to give this project the effort it deserves at this point, but I still cross my fingers for a Yonderlow full-length at some point.
"Don't Ask Don't Tell" by Heatwarmer (www.myspace.com/heatwarmer) I don't really know Luke Bergman, although I've met him a couple times. This song is the kind of intricate, thoroughly composed, dynamic piece - with seismic changes in sound, texture, time signature and just about everything else throughout its course - that, while I can totally appreciate the finished product, and sing along with every bizarre twist and turn as if I wrote the damn thing, I just can't imagine the type of brain that comes up with this stuff. Luke is currently in the middle of a month-long solo trip into the middle of the woods, if that tells you anything about his brain. Suffice it to say, he must indeed be a remarkable individual.
"Big M" by Ken Cormier (www.myspace.com/measuringcup) I don't even know how Ken found me; out of the blue I had this incredible song in my inbox from some guy I'd never heard of from Connecticut (this is why I love doing this). It just rolls along with this inevitable, joyous feeling I can't quite put my finger on. I'm always a sucker for the "ba-ba-ba" chorus, too. And he uses the word "masticater" in the first line; what's not to love?
"Dangerous Thursdays" by Matt Sheehy (www.myspace.com/sheehymusic) Matt is a friend of a friend, and lives in Portland. I received his CD in the midst of planning for Volume 8, so it took me quite some time to get around to listening to it. When I did, I cursed myself for being such a slacker. Yet again - and this is, indeed, why I do this - a beautiful piece of music from someone I'd never heard of before this point. No idea what he's singing about, but his voice is gorgeous, and his arrangements perfect (ah, that part where everything kicks in around 1:26? Amazing!). And again with the "ba-ba-ba" chorus! What did I say? And that's just the first song! There's a whole killer album, but I really couldn't get past this one, it's just so good. I am expecting big things of Mr. Sheehy, and whenever this album actually gets released, y'all should buy the hell out of it.
"Mastodon March, Smilodon Smile" by Beast, Please Be Still (www.myspace.com/beastpleasebestill) I first met this seven-piece instrumental orchestral post-whatever exercise in musical insanity when our bands played a show together at the Sunset. They barely fit on the stage, and their enthusiasm and intensity overflowed off of it. This song perfectly captures what's so great about them: dynamics, subtlety, and then the occasional burst of huge, bombastic, bludgeoning riffs (delivered with horns, glockenspiel and accordion, along with the requisite guitar/drums/bass). I'm so happy these guys got to record with Scott Colburn (Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Sun City Girls, etc., etc.), whose engineering prowess is a perfect match for their creative zeal. Definitely keep an eye out for this album whenever it hits the streets.
From the depths of the Aussie winter comes a Voice to hark music through the early morning dew. Our Sydney Solider Johnny Vance gives a run down of his top tunes at the moment. Read, listen, enjoy.
Children Collide – Cannibal
I am absolutely going nuts over this band at the moment, and I cant find their second EP, Glass Mountain Liars, anywhere. This song harkens Nirvana at the rawest, when they still sounded urgent, and places Children Collide as one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Melbourne in recent years. The band have cut their teeth with excessive touring around the World, including well received sets at SXSW in Austin, as well as building up a following throughout the UK.
Dead Letter Chorus are a Sydney collective who have just released their debut EP, an alt.country gem with rollicking bar room rockers, aided by the gravely roar of Cameron Potts, and the tender ballads, sung beautifully by Gabrielle Huber, recalling the voice of Martha Wainwright and Emiliana Torrini. With a great debut release, Dead Letter Chorus are a band with their star on the rise.
I'll be honest. I listened to Cloud Control wasn't grabbed at first. Then I saw them live, and they were simply lovable. They looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves, and were having genuine fun, a refreshing contrast to those bands who are for too interested in looking cool and nonchalant. Against that backdrop, I went back and listened to the demos on their myspace and fell in love with Buffalo Country, an indie pop tune which bubbles along like The Shins being sung by Alec from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! (Remember them?? Shame about their last album…)
Head to http://www.myspace.com/cloudcontrol for more tunes. They also have a wonderful song called Mexico which I recall liking when I saw it played live.
The Small Hours – Allison
Another slice of fine indie pop from Old Sydney Town. A budding band (all are yet to be corrupted by the terrible twenties) who could easily sit along side like-minded Sydneysiders Dappled Cities Fly and Youth Group, this new recording is aided by a solid mix, highlighting the keyboards, and a quirky vocal melody. Having played shows with Dappled, Belles Will Ring, The Seabellies and *cough cough*, The Revolutionary Kind, the band are gaining great amounts of live experience which they seem to be transforming into their newer demos.
This is the best analogy I have heard about Brian Campeau, and it came from Craig from The Small Hours.
Me: "If he only plays solo live, how does he pull this off?" Craig: "He sings like Thom Yorke and plays guitar like a God amongst men".
Quite simply, Brian is the best guitarist I have ever seen play, and sings in the most beautiful, incredible voice one could possibly imagine. It is an indictment on the Sydney music scene that Brian is not playing to thousands. Part of me thinks that he may be too good, and Australians don't like that.
The Seabellies are the most exciting group to come out of Sunny Newcastle since that group who fucked up Straight Lines on the Jay Leno show the other night. Having won the Garage to V competition earlier this year, earning themselves a spot on the main stage of the V Festival, the band continue their rise, with their intriguing blend of brooding indie rock, somewhat reminiscent of fellow Australians Something For Kate.
Words cannot describe the potential that this band has. A group of teenage Sydney folk who sound like they have spent a lot of time listening to The Dirty Three, PJ Harvey and Sonic Youth, they are simply a sight to behold. St Francine is a perfect reflection of their eclectic song structure and instrumentation, including violin and saxophone. If their songs continue to improve with their age, this band could be the heir to Nick Cave's throne.
In addition to these Australian treats, the following three songs round out my top 10 at the moment.
The Fratellis – Whistle For the Choir (about to start a US tour with Chestnut friends Dappled Cities Fly) Low – California Fionn Regan – Be Good or Be Gone
Johnny Vance is the frontman for Sydney outfit The Revolutionary Kind (www.myspace.com/therevolutionarykind) and can be found most days starting revolutions of some kind. Read a Johnny Vance interview in our Atlas of World Music.
Watching a documentary about Oasis last night got my mind racing about the current local scenes. Oasis made success look easy and enjoyable. Get some cans in, get your mates on guitar, get pissed, and get some women. Rock and roll.
What no one ever sees is the year of intense touring the band did. The lack of MySpace meant any recognition came from people turning out to see live shows. I look at a lot of 'Rock and Roll' bands in my local area and they seem to misunderstand the art that Oasis had. The mancunians were working class lads with nothing else other than music. They gave it there all, as what else was there? The university educated, middle class kids who are the Rock and Roll band in your town feel that there art means drugs, booze and women. That's all well and good, I don't knock it. It's just that I feel art is not a lifestyle. It is who you are.
MySpace at the moment is in decline. 40% of all sites are now spam. Most people have multiple sites for 'mini projects', or 'second sites' or 'pets'. The physical amount of people on MySpace to hear new music is dwindling, mainly because there are too many bands and too much information being put out. If you have a hundred friends, I guarantee that you will receive 15 bulletins a day. 200 friends, 30 a day. No one has time to read them. As our friend Saby from Who Needs Critics says, "it is a case of too many people projecting, and not enough people listening". It is this fact that will collapse many of the MySpace sites as recognition dries up. The only way to get recognition is to send out Friend Requests all day. People have already started switching to Facebook, what will take the bands away from MySpace?
My only hope is that MySpace remains useable and not as corrupt as the marketed mainstream media. It would be interesting to see if the standard of bands at your local venue has dropped since the MySpace revolution, whether the Rock and Roll bands have retreated to the Internet for recognition and stardom. Maybe, the MySpace hits have helped prolong their Rock and Roll antics in their hometown.
Check out these artists on the road this month, and look out for Le Rug's new album C.R.E.E.P.
The quailty of the music we have seen and the incredible nature of the artists we met on the road has made our ideas into some form of reality!
As promised we will be showcasing all of you on our website (www.chestnutproductions.co.uk), with most of you featuring in our documentary. We have had so much fun creating a Global Local Music Scene and already have achieved everything we set out to do... except get the film finished! Thats still to come!
In the next week we will be unveiling the website in it first 'teaser' form. The artists featured are only from the first 3 countries we visited. The remaining 4 countries and 40 bands will be unveiling over the coming month... we haven't forgotten about anyone... it is just things take time when you live off breadsticks and luckwarm water.
Love to everyone... all those who took us in... all those who fed us... all those who pointed us in the directions of fantastic music... all those who put us on the air and let us play our global music....
and especially all those who took the time to chat with 4 random English folk and a crap camera...
You are all ace and we will try to prove it.
Phil Heron
Nick Shane
Robert Harrison
Stephen Hedley
Chestnut Productions Road Team 2006/2007
PS - another tour is planned soon.... once the film is complete.
If you wish to advertise on Chestnut Productions, or wish to sponsor the next trip email
info@chestnutproductions.co.uk with the subject header 'Adverts'.
If you are an employer and needs any writers/musicians/comedians/A&R people/DJ's/Radio Presenters/Graphic Designers also email info@chestnutproductions.co.uk for the CV of our team.
In the age of MySpace, YouTube and Chestnut Productions there is no reason why we shouldn't embrace world music more wholeheartedly. Here are some reasons why you should:
The mainstream music industry is bias towards geographical position; cities become 'hot pockets' of new music, irrelevant of talent.
The mainstream music press concentrates on similar genre artists and the link between tunes and fashion more and more.
The new bands you will get to hear about will be those who pay publicists to get them press.
There are so many bands in the world… everywhere is saturated with talent. This is a good thing and also a bad thing… too many bands too little time. We turn up in towns and cities and see what live shows are on that day/week, or we sniff out talent in the back end of beyond and turn up at their homes ready to hear them play.
There are no geographical boundaries in our Global Local Music Scene and no genre bias. Chestnut Productions is about real people, real towns, real opinions, real struggles and real interesting music. We are the bible in world music as we have TRAVELLED TO THE PLACES THE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEVER GOES TO.
Here are some questions and answers for those with open minds and bright eyes ready to welcome music in a vibrant and creative way…
Q: What is in our Global Local Music Scene?
A: Well, interviews from local bands about their scene and live mp3's and footage of them in action.
Q: What do you mean by local? My hometown?
A: Maybe Billy Inquisitive, if you are local to Australia, South Africa, England, France, Canada, America and Mexico then your hometown may be in there!
Q: But what if my hometown is not in there? Will I not be lost in a sea of useless information?
A: Fear not, introducing every country/city/town/sea there are articles of Chestnut Productions' experience of that part of the world. So you will be able to call Johannesburg, South Africa your local music scene.
Currently
listening
:
Pipedream
By
Alan Hull
Release date: 27 October, 2005
