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		<title>Address to a Meteor: A Halloween Mixtape from The Noisy</title>
		<link>https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2025/10/22/halloween-mixtape-the-noisy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Doyle]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:06:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Features]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Audio Antihero]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chappell Roan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Sohn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Halloween]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hop Along]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Magana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mitski]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Noisy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trace Mountains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tuft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twin Princess]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[usa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wax Jaw]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/?p=46746</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve introduced The Secret Ingredient Is Even More Meat by The Noisy gradually over recent weeks, each new single expanding the scope and personality of a record committed to concepts of experimentation, personal freedom and fluidity. A deluxe edition of the project&#8217;s debut album The Secret Ingredient is More Meat, the record casts a wide net for its inspiration, drawing on a whole range of cinematic and literary influences as well as the ideas which underpin and support the drag and [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2025/10/22/halloween-mixtape-the-noisy/">Address to a Meteor: A Halloween Mixtape from The Noisy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;ve introduced <em>The Secret Ingredient Is Even More Meat</em> by <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/the-noisy/">The Noisy</a> gradually over recent weeks, each new single expanding the scope and personality of a record committed to concepts of experimentation, personal freedom and fluidity. A deluxe edition of the project&#8217;s debut album <em>The Secret Ingredient is More Meat</em>, the record casts a wide net for its inspiration, drawing on a whole range of cinematic and literary influences as well as the ideas which underpin and support the drag and queer communities.</p>
<p>The result is inherently personal yet larger than any one life, lead Sara Mae Henke evoking the true dimensions of their interior with songs that can be televisually glitzy (&#8216;<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2025/06/24/weekly-listening-june-2025-4/">Twos</a>&#8216;) or as intimate as a home movie (&#8216;<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2025/08/26/the-noisy-grenadine/">Grenadine</a>&#8216;), and moreover songs unafraid to delve into the most individual of subjects in order to locate more universal truths (as with &#8216;<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2025/09/30/weekly-listening-september-2025-5/">Nightshade</a>&#8216; and its examination of difficult relationships). The superstitious &#8216;Ballerino&#8217; and its <em>Suspiria</em>-inspired video by Ewan Hill collect all of these ideas together into under two minutes, celebrating all sides of an identity while working through memories and learning to love the past while focusing on what is to come.</p>
<p><iframe title="The Noisy - &quot;Ballerino&quot; (Official Music Video)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TfiXwm-sSxc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2472480255/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=700334527/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://thenoisy.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-ingredient-is-even-more-meat">The Secret Ingredient Is Even More Meat by The Noisy</a></iframe></p>
<p>With a focus on costume, bodies and performance, not to mention a clear taste for horror movies, we thought The Noisy would make for the ideal people to create a digital mixtape of songs to soundtrack your Halloween. Sara Mae kindly obliged, so read on below to get your fill of everything camp and creepy.</p>
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Picture You&#8217; by Chappell Roan</h4>
<p>“Draw the blinds / light every candle…” Okay we’re getting ready for the blood ritual… “It’s ritualistic / counting lipstick stains where you should be…” Chappell has said this is a peek into her alternate life as an indie rock singer. I think it’s so hot and also scary!!! I love the idea of getting to see so many different sides of an artist you love, that this is sort of her Jekyll / Hyde song…</p>
<p>I got to go see Chappell this week for the Damsels &amp; Other Dangerous Things tour, and it was a good reminder of why I make the music I make. Japanese Breakfast was opening for her, and those two divas are quite literally my two favorite artists of all time. It was so emotional for me seeing them so happy, and for all of my time I spend emulating their work, it was also really cool at this moment in my life as a musician to see them enjoying what they do.</p>
<p><iframe title="Chappell Roan - Picture You (Official Audio)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EqUHnojFH5Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Friend&#8217; by Trace Mountains</h4>
<p>Speaking of Japanese Breakfast, this record was produced by Jbrekkie drummer, and Philly icon, Craig Hendricks. I love the practical effects in the music video, and the production throughout has a real kinship with Jubilee–less guitar-driven and more airy and synthy. Enjoy this wolfy music video <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></p>
<p><iframe title="Trace Mountains - Friend (Official Music Video)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gLkg201HiiI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Happy&#8217; by Mitski</h4>
<p>Besides this song being emotionally gutting and so musically beautiful, it is incredible horror writing. I love how she personifies Happy as an ominous, eerie he/him. A masterclass in lyric writing and storytelling and translating music to a surprising narrative in a music video. There is so much real true dread in the production, that by the time the brass comes in, it’s jarring and sort of out-of-place in its brightness. Brilliant.</p>
<p><iframe title="Mitski - Happy (Official Video)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EJ0O2vDT0VE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Half to Death&#8217; by Magana</h4>
<p>Mitski’s bassist Magana is my labelmate! This song is somewhere between dread and whimsy, and the production reminds me of “Happy” but also of New York band The Cradle, who I think of as cold weather music. It’s smart and wistful and you can listen to it while you look up at the gray sky and see your breath leave you, just when it’s getting dark enough for the trick or treaters to come out. They sing “I hear you sleep; I’m still drowning in dread.” We’re studying all the affects of scary-ness on this playlist!! We’ve got horror, dread, camp, and…</p>
<p><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=439790510/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=917077404/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/album/bad-news">Bad News by Magana</a></iframe></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Incinerator&#8217; by Daniel Sohn</h4>
<p>“It&#8217;s an embarrassment I&#8217;m taking care of it it&#8217;s my favorite technique for rainy days and losing sleep just take the lighter off the shelf and set a fire to yourself incinerator” Embarrassment! Terror! Daniel is my bandmate and I’m always humbled when I listen to his music. I got to sing backup for him this year and this was my favorite one to learn. Some really fun parts on piano and I always appreciate how seriously he takes harmonies. I learn so much from him!</p>
<p>(In lieu of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” which to me is an autumn necessity, listen to Daniel’s “Alkali Moon.”)</p>
<p><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=604625897/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=930170571/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://danielsohn.bandcamp.com/album/soft-surroundings-802">Soft Surroundings 802 by Daniel Sohn</a></iframe></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Allston&#8217; by Twin Princess</h4>
<p>I feel like this is a missing song from the Knife + Heart soundtrack. Twin Princess frontperson Pauli is also a Philly musician and she’s got such a beautiful and haunting voice. She’s also a stunning frontperson and with her white blonde hair could absolutely be a compelling Bride of Frankenstein. As a sidebar in my personal music history, Allston is a neighborhood in Boston where all the DIY happens, and where I saw a lot of my own early punk shows!!</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Louise&#8217; by Tuft</h4>
<p>I knew the singer when I lived in Boston, (we worked next door to each other in Porter Square!) and my friend Zenaida and I became obsessed with this EP they put out. I inevitably visit Zenaida every fall when the leaves are changing, and this remains our road trip music across Massachusetts. “Guide me through the dimlit alley / cracked glass and crystal honey” They’re singing to the late poet Louise Glück. What’s more, sit in a graveyard reading Poe, type of Halloween than that?</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Get Disowned&#8217; by Hop Along</h4>
<p>I fell in love with this album in the fall of my senior year of high school so it’s a lot of good nostalgia for me, and I associate it with the seasons changing and getting colder. I think some of the wishing on hurtling stars and genuine dysphoria of this song, “Meteor, make me young, make me young” brings another affect of scary-ness to the playlist!</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Lace Up&#8217; by Wax Jaw</h4>
<p>I got to model for this album art <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/1f642.png" alt="🙂" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Something to listen to as you put your costume on and get ready to get out to the big party at the old haunted manor!</p>
<p><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=283628257/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=3086079411/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://wax-jaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-takes-guts">It Takes Guts! by Wax Jaw</a></iframe></p>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Honorable Mentions</h4>
<p style="text-align: center;">&#8216;Love That Burns&#8217; by Fleetwood Mac<br />
&#8216;Unholy&#8217; by Kim Petras<br />
&#8216;Our Way to Fall&#8217; Yo La Tengo<br />
&#8216;Unexpected Guest&#8217; by Gia Greene<br />
&#8216;Make You Smile&#8217; by Dear Nora<br />
&#8216;Adeline&#8217; by Dr. Dog<br />
&#8216;Dead of Night&#8217; by Orville Peck<br />
&#8216;Not Your Prey&#8217; Squirrel Flower<br />
&#8216;Baby Don’t Believe&#8217; by Tennis<br />
&#8216;My Name is Carnival&#8217; by Jackson C. Frank<br />
&#8216;Mayonnaise&#8217; by Smashing Pumpkins</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Twos-Video-Still-7-Director-Sam-Cush.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Twos-Video-Still-7-Director-Sam-Cush.jpg?resize=1170%2C658&#038;ssl=1" alt="A still from the video from Twos by The Noisy featuring a person dressed as a vampire in black and white" width="1170" height="658" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p>So there you have it. A veritable bounty of spooky tracks to soundtrack any festivities over the coming weeks. Though we do have one more song to mention. Because while Sara Mae might be too polite and humble to include one of their own tracks among this digital mix, no Halloween playlist can be complete this year without The Noisy&#8217;s &#8216;Twos&#8217;. A narrative driven number which adds glamourous pop and sludgy rock into its cauldron and stirs everything up. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/s.cush/">Sam Cush</a> further brings the story to life with a fantastic video. What Henke describes as &#8220;<em>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</em> meets <em>Grey Gardens</em> meets two dates to the prom.”</p>
<p><iframe title="The Noisy - &quot;Twos&quot; (Official Music Video)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/48HePHcTr-w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2681486861/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://thenoisy.bandcamp.com/track/twos-2">Twos by The Noisy</a></iframe></p>
<p><em>The Secret Ingredient Is Even More Meat</em> will be released on the 24th October via Audio Antihero and you can pre-order it now from The Noisy <a href="https://thenoisy.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-ingredient-is-even-more-meat">Bandcamp page</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-Noisy-Twos-BTS-4-Credit-Morgan-Kelley.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-Noisy-Twos-BTS-4-Credit-Morgan-Kelley.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1" alt="A still from the video from Twos by The Noisy featuring a person dressed as a vampire in black and white" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Black and white photography taken from the video for &#8216;Twos&#8217; by Sam Cush</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2025/10/22/halloween-mixtape-the-noisy/">Address to a Meteor: A Halloween Mixtape from The Noisy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">46746</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>May 2018 Roundup</title>
		<link>https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/06/04/may-2018-roundup/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Doyle]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jun 2018 09:40:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Mixtapes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monthly Roundups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Allison's Gate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Badlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foundlings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fresh Kill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gillian Frances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hop Along]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[I'm Kingfisher]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lung cycles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Luton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mess]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael nau]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nap eyes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[naps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pearl Crush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plant Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Remember Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[runner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Squirrel Flower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Duke or Norfolk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valley Queen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wished bone]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://varioussmallflames.co.uk/?p=15127</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;re creatures of habit here at Various Small Flames, so as usual, here is a mixtape featuring all the bands we covered last month. We think you&#8217;ll agree May 2018 was a kind one, musically. Hit play on Playmoss or Spotify and then follow the links to read reviews and buy your favourites. Tracklisting: Hop Along &#8211; How Simple Remember Sports &#8211; Pull Through Fresh Kill &#8211; San Diego Badlands &#8211; Slow it Down Foundlings &#8211; Misery Squirrel Flower &#8211; [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/06/04/may-2018-roundup/">May 2018 Roundup</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We&#8217;re creatures of habit here at Various Small Flames, so as usual, here is a mixtape featuring all the bands we covered last month. We think you&#8217;ll agree May 2018 was a kind one, musically. Hit play on Playmoss or Spotify and then follow the links to read reviews and buy your favourites.</p>
<p>Tracklisting:</p>
<p><a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Hop Along</a> &#8211; How Simple<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/18/remember-sports-slow-buzz/">Remember Sports</a> &#8211; Pull Through<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/31/premiere-fresh-kill-announce-debut-album-release-single-san-diego/">Fresh Kill</a> &#8211; San Diego<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/08/badlands-slow-growth/">Badlands</a> &#8211; Slow it Down<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Foundlings</a> &#8211; Misery<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Squirrel Flower</a> &#8211; Conditions<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Valley Queen</a> &#8211; Chasing the Muse<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/23/nap-eyes-im-bad-now/">Nap Eyes</a> &#8211; Every Time the Feeling<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/25/wished-bone-cellar-belly/">wished bone</a> &#8211; reasons<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/06/01/song-premiere-pearl-crush-true-blue/">Pearl Crush</a> &#8211; True Blue<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Samia</a> &#8211; 21<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/03/plant-food-koalas-hug-trees-to-keep-cool/">plant food</a> &#8211; baked beans<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/22/gillian-frances-born-yesterday/">Gillian Frances</a> &#8211; Blue Shit<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/09/luton-black-box-animals/">Luton</a> &#8211; Ice Museum<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/15/naps-lung-cycles-s-t/">naps</a> &#8211; ninth<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/29/allisons-gate-waves-bona-fide/">Allison&#8217;s Gate</a> &#8211; Traces<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Mess</a> &#8211; Cave<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/17/video-premiere-runner-awash/">runner</a> &#8211; awash<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/31/video-premiere-im-kingfisher-sarajevo/">I&#8217;m Kingfisher</a> &#8211; Sarajevo<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/02/sam-moss-unveils-video-snap/">Sam Moss</a> &#8211; Snap<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">The Duke of Norfolk</a> &#8211; Dylan Thomas / Bitter Bitter<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Michael Nau &amp; The Mighty Thread</a> &#8211; Less Than Positive<br />
<a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/15/naps-lung-cycles-s-t/">lung cycles</a> &#8211; dcs</p>
<p><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/y82edd0nooz9iypak8dzimm08/playlist/3zaNr1XicJep0VPNJO4pse" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe src="//playmoss.com/embed/wakethedeaf/may-2018-roundup?cover=1" width="100%" height="468" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<hr />
<p>You can check out all of our past monthly roundup mixes <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/category/mixtapes/roundup-mixtapes/">here</a>, and be sure to follow us on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/y82edd0nooz9iypak8dzimm08?si=Isp6cUavSmOU8IXo_DgM5A">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://playmoss.com/en/wakethedeaf">Playmoss</a> for all our future playlists.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/06/04/may-2018-roundup/">May 2018 Roundup</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">15127</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bright Sparks: Vol. 12</title>
		<link>https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Doyle]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2018 18:59:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Previews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bright Sparks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foundlings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Full Time Hobby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grand Jury Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hop Along]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[london]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mess]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Squirrel Flower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Duke of Norfolk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[usa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valley Queen]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://varioussmallflames.co.uk/?p=14922</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Bright Sparks is posted every few weeks and offers a collection of really great songs that we’re determined not to let slip past our radar. Mess &#8211; Cave Mess are a quartet from Kansas City who are gearing up to release their debut album Learning How to Talk later this year. In the meantime, the band have released a new single &#8216;Cave&#8217; as something of a taster to keep your appetites whetted over the summer. &#8220;&#8216;Cave&#8217; is a snapshot of a toxic [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Bright Sparks: Vol. 12</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="cb-itemprop"><a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/bright-sparks/">Bright Sparks</a> is posted every few weeks and offers a collection of really great songs that we’re determined not to let slip past our radar.</span></p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Mess &#8211; Cave</strong></h3>
<p>Mess are a quartet from Kansas City who are gearing up to release their debut album <em>Learning How to Talk</em> later this year. In the meantime, the band have released a new single &#8216;Cave&#8217; as something of a taster to keep your appetites whetted over the summer.</p>
<p>&#8220;&#8216;Cave&#8217; is a snapshot of a toxic relationship,&#8221; explains songwriter Allison Gliesman. &#8220;It was written in a tense head-space, characterised by the helpless feelings paired with watching someone you love be controlled.&#8221; Which goes some way to explaining the dichotomous nature of the track, the tender-yet-fierce sound portraying two levels of a relationship—the old, true affection driving a desperate plea for change. However, through the tumultuous crescendos, Gliesman&#8217;s vocals remain steady and bright, a lighthouse in the storm hoping to aid navigation, and welcome their dear person to safety on the other side.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/435824988&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p><em>Learning How to Talk</em> is due out this autumn, so be sure to keep an eye on Mess&#8217; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heartswithholes/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/heartswithholes/cave-1">Soundcloud</a> pages for more news.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Foundlings &#8211; Misery / Your Sister<br />
</strong></h3>
<p>Foundlings are a new four-piece out of London who released their debut single this spring. Put together at Marketstall Recording in Bermondsey, the tracks have an insistent, guitar-driven energy across which the vocals are lifted, setting the tone somewhere between urban style and sweet nostalgia. &#8216;Misery&#8217; places itself firmly within the later category, the frenetic guitars and drums creating a semi-dangerous swagger, while &#8216;Your Sister&#8217; is altogether brighter, a time viewed in retrospect—the edges softened and rounded, the primary emotion that of fondness.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="120" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="//bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=32816076/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<iframe width="100%" height="120" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="//bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=3155794890/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p>Head to the Foundlings <a href="https://foundlings.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp page</a> to buy both tracks.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Squirrel Flower &#8211; Conditions</h3>
<p>We&#8217;ve featured Squirrel Flower, the project of  Ellä Williams, several times here at VSF, covering both <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2016/10/17/squirrel-flower-first-single-not-prey/">&#8216;Not Your Prey&#8217;</a> and <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2017/06/12/squirrel-flower-daylight-savings/">&#8216;Daylight Savings&#8217;</a> from their debut EP, <em>Contact Sports</em>. This summer sees the re-release of that EP on vinyl, complete with shiny new artwork and two previously unreleased tracks.</p>
<p>In order to celebrate the release, Squirrel Flower have put out a video for the track &#8216;Conditions&#8217; by Williams and Helena Gruensteidl, which serves as a great introduction to the style and sound for those who might have missed it the first time around. Straddling a brooding sense of emotion with an earnest openness, Williams&#8217;s vocals soar through the moody guitars with a calm conviction, though as the track progresses a vague sense of threat comes to the fore, as though the track is trying to persuade and warn simultaneously.</p>
<p><iframe title="Squirrel Flower - &quot;CONDITIONS&quot; (Official music video)" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fg7UPNf6MTU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Contact Sports</em> is set for re-release on the 20th July and you can pre-order it now via <a href="https://squirrelflower.bandcamp.com/album/contact-sports">Bandcamp</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Michael Nau &amp; The Mighty Thread &#8211; Less Than Positive</h3>
<p>After time fronting Page France and Cotton Jones, Michael Nau set out solo in 2017, releasing the well-received album <a href="https://michaelnau.bandcamp.com/album/some-twist-2"><em>Some Twist</em></a> and <a href="https://michaelnau.bandcamp.com/album/the-load-ep"><em>The Load EP</em></a>. Forming a band of the same name, this summer sees Nau put out a brand new record, <em>Michael Nau &amp; The Mighty Thread</em>, building upon his previous work to form a layered, sprawling record of poetic folk rock.</p>
<p>The lead track from the self-titled album, &#8216;Less than Positive&#8217; finds Nau tucked into the space between carefree cheer and suffocating gloom, as though these opposite poles depend on one another for existence, and to fall into one completely would be to fall into nothing. Better then, to toe the line right the way down the track, to try to figure out the big picture while embracing the rhythm of life.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/422336769&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p><em>Michael Nau &amp; The Mighty Thread</em> is set for release on the 3rd August via <a href="https://michaelnaufth.bandcamp.com/album/michael-nau-the-mighty-thread">Full Time Hobby</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Samia &#8211; 21</h3>
<p>New York-based songwriter Samia makes music pitched somewhere between ironic and sincere, or perhaps embracing both poles simultaneously. Her brand new single &#8217;21&#8217; is no different, combining an intense sense of feeling with wry humour that makes the overall tone hard to pin down. At times her vocals have a carefree swagger, though this can shift just as quickly into a keen desperation, as though certain lines are dragged from within her chest by some external force. The result could be described as adolescent, where moods swing in an attempt to best frame an insistent rage, though the self-conscious lyrics hint at an over-arching intelligence operating behind all this too.</p>
<blockquote>
<h5>&#8220;I weigh a hundred and fucking something pounds,<br />
That makes me almost good.<br />
It is nice to be a hero,<br />
but it&#8217;s better to be anything<br />
that anyone could want in a woman.&#8221;</h5>
</blockquote>
<p><iframe title="Samia - 21" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h0SxMPnJs0M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Samia is on Grand Jury Music and you can find her on <a href="https://samia.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Hop Along &#8211; How Simple</h3>
<p>Hop Along&#8217;s 2015 album <em>Painted Shut </em>cemented their place amongst the very best in the indie rock genre, with the songwriting and vocal delivery of Frances Quinlan and distinctive and captivating as any in the field. This spring saw the release of <em>Bark Your Head Off, Dog</em>, the long-awaited follow-up album that retains all of the immediacy and spirit of previous records, and pushes the boundaries of the Hop Along sound with new, varied sources of inspiration.</p>
<p>While we hope to get a full review up at some point, for now let us point you toward lead single &#8216;How Simple&#8217; as the perfect demonstration of what make Quinlan and co. so noteworthy. Complete with a video by Derrick Belcham, the song marries every aspect of the holy trinity of music—a keen sense of energy, emotional immediacy and clever lyricism. As such, the song disproves any theory that aiming for a sense of movement and catchy chorus means sacrificing any complexity or depth in terms of writing or feeling.</p>
<p><iframe title="Hop Along - How Simple [Official Music Video]" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QOZx5T1zDf0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Bark Your Head Off, Dog</em> is out now via Saddle Creek and you can get it from <a href="https://hopalong.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Duke of Norfolk &#8211; Dylan Thomas / Bitter Bitter</strong></h3>
<p>“I’ve long been fascinated by Dumas’s idea that there’s neither happiness nor misery,&#8221; says Adam Howard of The Duke of Norfolk. &#8220;There is only the comparison of one state to another.” Such nuance and thought is intrinsic to Howard&#8217;s sound, as new single &#8216;Dylan Thomas / Bitter Bitter&#8217; attests. Blending the intimacy of folk with a grand orchestral sound, The Duke of Norfolk follow the likes of <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/typhoon/">Typhoon</a> in building a kind of &#8216;sublime folk&#8217;—songs that seem to coalesce from the surrounding landscape, channelling energies far older than the music communicating them.</p>
<p>Inspired by &#8216;Do not go gentle into that good night&#8217;, the poem Dylan Thomas wrote after the death of his father, Howard&#8217;s single alters Thomas&#8217; call for rage into one of mournful sadness to create a requiem for his own terminally ill father. However, that is not to say the track comes off morose, with the instrumentation swelling around the profoundly personal lyrics to creating a soaring, transcendental response to loss and grief.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/427210353&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%" height="166" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>The Duke of Norfolk are releasing a new full-length, Attendre et Espérer, on the 15th June and you can pre-order it now from <a href="http://music.thedukeofnorfolk.com/">Bandcamp</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Valley Queen &#8211; Chasing the Muse</strong></h3>
<p>LA-based Valley Queen are readying their debt full-length, set for release in the summer, and have released the first single, &#8216;Chasing the Muse&#8217; in anticipation. Continuing the throwback folk-rock of their EP <em>Destroyer</em>, the song sees lead Natalie Carol deal with the aftermath of a break up in a way that&#8217;s at once reflective and swaggeringly defiant.</p>
<blockquote>
<h5>&#8220;One part anger , two parts heartbreak<br />
Three parts relief<br />
I&#8217;m escaping this reality we made<br />
Four parts fear<br />
I&#8217;ve made a terrible mistake but<br />
only a fool would stay&#8221;</h5>
</blockquote>
<iframe width="100%" height="120" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="//bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=2388902842/album=1280254121/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p>The album is going to be released on Roll Call Records, and you can pre-order it now from the Valley Queen <a href="https://valleyqueen.bandcamp.com/album/supergiant">Bandcamp page</a>.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"></h3>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2018/05/11/bright-sparks-vol-12/">Bright Sparks: Vol. 12</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">14922</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Interview: Beat Radio, Part II.</title>
		<link>https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2016/02/22/interview-beat-radio-part-ii/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Doyle]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2016 19:43:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Interviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beat radio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brian Sendrowitz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creative process]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hop Along]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indie rock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joanna Newsom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nap eyes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steve toltz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[take it forever]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the diggs]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wakethedeaf.co.uk/?p=8104</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>We first spoke to Brian Sendrowitz of Beat Radio back in 2013, where we asked our usual collection of musically naive questions about song-writing and the creative process. The beady-eyed amongst you will have seen that Beat Radio recently put out a new LP, Take it Forever, which we got rather excited about. An ode to art-making and human connection, the album felt like a triumphant summation of the philosophies Sendrowitz has been writing about since the band&#8217;s inception, exploring his [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2016/02/22/interview-beat-radio-part-ii/">Interview: Beat Radio, Part II.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We first spoke to Brian Sendrowitz of Beat Radio <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/2013/02/19/interview-beat-radio/">back in 2013</a>, where we asked our usual collection of musically naive questions about song-writing and the creative process. The beady-eyed amongst you will have seen that Beat Radio recently put out a new LP, <em>Take it Forever</em>, which we got rather excited about. An ode to art-making and human connection, the album felt like a triumphant summation of the philosophies Sendrowitz has been writing about since the band&#8217;s inception, exploring his position as an artist in a society where money and exposure rules, and as a husband/father/friend in a world both linked and fractured by technology. <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/2016/02/12/beat-radio-take-it-forever/">As we wrote in our review</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Take It Forever </em>plays like the manifesto of someone who doesn’t know all the answers but finds meaning in asking the questions, the words not of a revolutionary or prophet but an ordinary man striving to make life extraordinary, just as it should be.</p></blockquote>
<p>Since Sendrowitz has continued to make great music, we endeavoured to come up with some new questions and pick his brains all over again. I think you&#8217;ll agree he did a marvellous job of answering them.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-7183"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="7183" data-permalink="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/12/01/song-premiere-beat-radio-lost-in-the-world/a1168046563_10/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1200,1200" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}" data-image-title="Beat Radio – Take It Forever" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7183" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=1170%2C1170" alt="a1168046563_10" width="1170" height="1170" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=120%2C120&amp;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=240%2C240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=360%2C360&amp;ssl=1 360w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=540%2C540&amp;ssl=1 540w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=720%2C720&amp;ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=770%2C770&amp;ssl=1 770w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/a1168046563_10.jpg?resize=125%2C125&amp;ssl=1 125w" sizes="(max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px" /></a></p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Hello Brian, thanks for speaking with us again! How does it feel to have released Take It Forever? Is it a milestone you are proud of? </strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;s my pleasure! I really appreciate the work you guys do with Wake the Deaf. As someone who puts a lot into songwriting and lyrics in particular, I&#8217;m grateful that there are people who take to time to listen, dig into themes, and approach our music with a depth of thought and understanding. This record definitely feels like some sort of milestone, and maybe more than usual. I think you mentioned in your review that it felt like a culmination of ideas, and for me it was in the sense that I wanted to address very specific themes, articulate ideas as directly as possible, and then move on from them. My resolution for 2016 is &#8220;no more songs about the internet.&#8221; I had started writing about the subject way back with our song &#8220;Teenage Anthem for the Drunken Boat&#8221;, and have revisited it frequently. There’s been such a massive shift in our culture and the way we communicate. It feels generation-defining and to not address it in my art would have felt inauthentic to me. With <em>Take It Forever</em> I wanted to make an entire record dealing with the sort of questions I&#8217;m always asking myself: where does art fit into our culture now? What place does music have in my life, as both an artist and a fan? In a way it&#8217;s sort of a break-up album, in the sense that it chronicles my coming to terms with letting go of my own careerist ambitions, and also with the concept of music careerism in general. But it also tells the story of me finding my way back to a purely creative motivation, which is how this whole thing started anyway.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="120" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="//bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=3751277246/album=1605333666/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<p><strong>You have been making music as Beat Radio for over ten years now. How has your music changed since the early days? And are your reasons for making it still the same?</strong></p>
<p>Looking back on the 5 records we&#8217;ve made with Beat Radio, I feel like each one was its own unique adventure with different motivations, goals, and perspective. It usually involves some sort of self-imposed set of rules. For this one I knew I wanted to create a more traditional “band” sounding record, guitar-driven and using primarily organic sounds. I think the earlier albums were more escapist in nature, lyrically. Songs were always a sort of fantasy world I could create and control, and exist in. The last record dealt with more personal subject matter but still mainly in an impressionistic way. <em>Take It Forever</em> is our most direct and autobiographical album. It’s also the first time since our first album that I had a band to rehearse and develop the songs prior to recording them, which changes the feel quite a bit and was a lot of fun. To answer the last part of your question, I think my reason for making records on a fundamental level has always been the same. I have ideas I want to express, and the process of writing songs and ushering them into existence is joyful for me. It gets me out of bed in the morning.</p>
<p><strong>Point three of your Advice For Artists list suggests making your ‘peace with the capitalist yardsticks that you thought would signify creative success’. The idea is echoed in the opening song too, taking stories from television, being haunted by the resulting ambition etc., basically being a prisoner to dreams of greatness. So, assuming you have vaulted the problem (or are at least in the process of jumping), do you attempt to measure your success in any other way? Are there any goals (no matter how small/ludicrous) which drive you on?</strong></p>
<p>Ha, I think to say I&#8217;m &#8220;in the process of jumping&#8221; is probably most accurate, if I&#8217;m totally honest. I read somewhere recently that when you’re giving advice, you&#8217;re really talking to your former self. I&#8217;m including that advice for artists list in the artwork for the new record because I sort of consider it a part of the same body of work. Looking back, I think I kind of believed it was too late to achieve a traditional version of music industry “success” before this band even started. The second song I wrote for Beat Radio was “Mexico” which contained the lyric &#8220;the dream I had was beautiful, but I let it get away from me.&#8221; For a long time though, I secretly believed that there was some mystical equation or weird alchemy that could bring me to that dream of success – touring, quitting my day job, acclaim and recognition, etc. Like, if I could reach a certain level of honesty in myself, and openness, I could magically overcome all the obstacles in my path. Who knows, maybe that’s still true. It’s strange to admit that now though, because it’s in contrast to so many things I believe on a rational level. We all know that you can&#8217;t equate commercial success with artistic success, but on some level we all seem to do it anyway. Like, the Bruno Mars song “Uptown Funk” just won the Grammy for record of the year. Do we know anyone who really believes that is the best record of 2015? I know a lot of musicians and we’re all generally conflicted about this stuff in one way or another. And I know so many brilliant musicians who exist almost entirely outside of the dimension of not only the Grammys but also Pitchfork, Stereogum, Noisey, and everything else.</p>
<p>I guess part of the manifesto of this album is to communicate that it’s okay, and it doesn’t mean the songs are any less meaningful, important, and valuable. It’s just a different dimension. In its own way, maybe a creative life outside of that world can be more authentic and valuable because it’s not compromised by the pressure of capitalism. Either way, the creative process is its own reward, and individuality needs to be celebrated. I believe our culture depends on that. Humanity depends on that. So I measure success by the way a record makes me feel when I hear it, and the degree to which I was able to express the idea or emotion that I set out to express. I&#8217;m motivated by a desire to make something beautiful, and feel blessed every day that I have the opportunity to create and share things that may inspire others in some small way. I want to build a great body of work and a legacy. I want my sons to know a father who stayed true to a creative vision, and worked at it. I want them to know what that means.</p>
<p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/beat-radio-press-jan-16-BW.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-8272"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8272" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/beat-radio-press-jan-16-BW.jpg?resize=1170%2C1482" alt="beat radio press jan 16 BW" width="1170" height="1482" /></a><strong>I’ve recently read <em>Quicksand</em> by Steve Toltz, a rather hyperactive novel in which a teacher has written a book to help creative people. There are lots of quotable one-liners, but one really stuck out. “We make art because being alive is a hostage situation in which our abductors are silent and we cannot even intuit their demands”. Do you identify with this? Would you say your creative process exists in such a desperate, awfully alive situation?</strong></p>
<p>That’s a really powerful image. I think that it gets down to the heart of faith – the question of whether or not we can intuit our abductor’s demands. I’d like to believe that we can intuit their demands, and art is one of the ways we are able to do so. And maybe that’s what the author is implying? Or at least, maybe the implication is that we should ask the question? Art doesn’t feel like a stab in the dark for me. It feels like a healing, or a transcendence of the pain of that uncertainty.</p>
<p><strong>You have a job and a family so this question will probably make you laugh, but I’m interested distractions from working creatively and was wondering if you find a particular thing gets in the way of making music? Like, besides general life stuff? I’ve purposefully not signed up to the internet at the library because I’m genuinely 5x more productive without it. David Foster Wallace lived without a TV in his home. Are there any specific things you have to avoid or deny yourself in order to make musical progress? </strong></p>
<p>The internet is a big thing. It’s always there and it’s irresistible. Netflix is a big thing. Being married too – I love spending time with my wife, and it’s very easy to crash on the couch with her at the end of the day. I find that to stay on task the only thing that works for me is to give myself projects, set goals and a timeline for myself, and commit to a schedule. I write it down in my notebook and do my best to commit to it. I used to be much more manic about it, I’ve gotten better at finding the balance. Also – involving collaborators in the process is always helpful for me, because I feel a sense of responsibility to do my part and send them mixes to listen to, review, give feedback on, etc. The keeps momentum and drives a project forward.</p>
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<p><strong>Right, I don’t want to get too deep here but there’s something I often wonder and although it’s vague to the point of rhetorical I want to ask you because the album pokes at similar themes. Is the dissatisfaction and emptiness you battle right across Take It Forever a modern thing? Or is it just the by-product of being aware of our own mortality? I mean, do you think our parents/grandparents felt the same way we do?</strong></p>
<p>I think there is something about the sort of dissatisfaction we experience that is unique to our time. I tried to describe that in the title track, with the lines: “Everyone is casting spells, and building myths around themselves. All we want is everything, and all we find is suffering.” It’s funny we have all these great tools to allow us communicate more easily than ever before, but people are probably more self-absorbed in general than ever before. I&#8217;m not religious in any dogmatic sense, but I have embraced and incorporated Buddhist philosophy into my life over the last few years, and that has changed my perspective a lot. I&#8217;ve become more aware of my own need for validation. I think every artist has that. Most people in general do. Part of that is the human condition but it’s also exaggerated by a modern need for instant gratification, and a feeling of lack. I think about my grandfather, who for the sake of brevity I will describe as a man who basically had the personality of Gene Hackman’s character in <em>The Royal Tenenbaums</em>. I can’t imagine him checking his Instagram to see how many likes his selfie got. I can’t imagine him giving a damn about any of that. I admire that, but then here I am, carefully curating my personal brand. It’s sort of hilarious. I guess the key is to keep a sense of humor about it, and not take anything too seriously. Nothing matters, everything matters. “How strange it is to be anything at all.”</p>
<p><strong>I asked this last time but it was long enough ago to ask again. Could you name 4-5 bands you are enjoying at the moment? Who do you find yourself turning to?</strong></p>
<p>I was really taken with Hop Along’s <em>Painted Shut</em> LP, and also Sufjan’s <em>Carrie and Lowell</em>. I was a little late getting to listen to Joanna Newsom’s <em>Divers</em>, but got that recently and it’s really something to behold. I dig that Nap Eyes record that everyone is talking about also. They remind me of a band my friend and old guitar player/producer Phil Jimenez produced called The Piltones, back in 2002 or so. I&#8217;m also co-producing a new record right now for my friend Tim Lannen, formerly of The Diggs, so I&#8217;m pretty engrossed in that. It&#8217;s turning out to be amazing.</p>
<hr />
<p>You can <a href="https://beatradio.bandcamp.com/album/take-it-forever">buy <em>Take It Forever</em> now via Beat Radio&#8217;s Bandcamp page</a>. Read our review <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/2016/02/12/beat-radio-take-it-forever/">here</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2016/02/22/interview-beat-radio-part-ii/">Interview: Beat Radio, Part II.</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8104</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Alexandra Kleeman &#8211; You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine</title>
		<link>https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/11/19/alexandra-kleeman-you-too-can-have-a-body-like-mine/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Doyle]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2015 20:15:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mixtapes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quiet Constant Friends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adult Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alanna McArdle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alanna McCardle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alexandra Kleeman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[casiotone for the painfully alone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Foster Wallace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Don DeLillo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[double double whammy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[father/daughter records]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Florist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frankie Cosmos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free cake for every creature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Saunders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harper Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HarperCollins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hop Along]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lit Links]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mommy Long Legs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oh rose]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PWR BTTM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sawtooth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SPORTS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Pynchon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[titus andronicus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trace Mountains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wolf Parade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[young jesus]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wakethedeaf.co.uk/?p=6943</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; It&#8217;s up for debate whether Alexandra Kleeman&#8217;s début novel You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine is dystopian. I mean, it&#8217;s too familiar and life-like to be truly dystopian, although that&#8217;s exactly what makes it so terrifying. The world seems to be functioning pretty much as normal, as people go about their days with the aimless sense of duty we are all accustomed to, a far cry from the visions of Orwell or Burgess or Dick. But the definition of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/11/19/alexandra-kleeman-you-too-can-have-a-body-like-mine/">Alexandra Kleeman &#8211; You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It&#8217;s up for debate whether Alexandra Kleeman&#8217;s début novel <em>You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine </em>is dystopian. I mean, it&#8217;s too familiar and life-like to be truly dystopian, although that&#8217;s exactly what makes it so terrifying. The world seems to be functioning pretty much as normal, as people go about their days with the aimless sense of duty we are all accustomed to, a far cry from the visions of Orwell or Burgess or Dick. But the definition of dystopia is &#8220;a community or society that is undesirable or frightening&#8221;, so who&#8217;s to say &#8220;normal&#8221; can&#8217;t also be dystopic?</p>
<p>Kleeman&#8217;s narrator &#8216;A&#8217; is blank, mostly faceless with few discernible personality traits. Her job feels temporary and is barely mentioned. Many of her scenes involve her doing very little inside her apartment. Instead she is fleshed out through her exposure to-/interaction with her room-mate (&#8216;B&#8217;), boyfriend (&#8216;C&#8217;) and the vivid stream of entertainment and advertising (or entertaining advertisement) which seems part of the world&#8217;s very fabric. Obvious comparisons are Pynchon and Foster Wallace, plus George Saunders in his being-clever mode (as opposed to his sentimental one), although the focus is very much away from the large-scale political/societal systems in favour of personal, A-centric explorations. All background occurrences (the mystery of disappearing dads, an anti-veal activist who ends up marketing it, even B and C) are filtered through A&#8217;s experience.</p>
<p>As the story is told in first person this might seem obvious, but (to me at least) it goes much deeper than that. In most postmodern books the main character is subject to/lost amongst a world of disinformation, whereas in <em>You Too&#8230;</em> it&#8217;s A herself who feels like the disinformation. The question here isn&#8217;t &#8220;is the world as the media says it is?&#8221; but rather &#8220;am I who the media says I am? Who I think I am?&#8221; Whether this is an emerging trend in post-postmodern millennial literature, a natural reaction to a world in which identity is unsettled and fluctuating, or just a new, gender-based perspective on things traditionally written about by men is unclear. One thing is for certain, Kleeman is a name to watch among the new generation of writers building upon the work of the aforementioned greats.Here&#8217;s a collection of songs that I think are relevant or related to the novel. If you like a particular band, just click the artist name in the tracklisting to be whisked away for more information. Enjoy:</p>
<p>Tracklisting:</p>
<ol>
<li>Too Dark &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/frankie-cosmos/">Frankie Cosmos</a></li>
<li>Sucks Hanging Out With You (It Sucks Even More When You Leave) &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/free-cake-for-every-creature/">Free Cake For Every Creature</a></li>
<li>Slumber Party &#8211; <a href="https://mommylonglegs.bandcamp.com/album/life-rips">Mommy Long Legs</a></li>
<li>What&#8217;s Another Lipstick Mark &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/adult-mom/">Adult Mom</a></li>
<li>Unholy Faces &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/florist/">Florist</a></li>
<li>Bedroom &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/alanna-mcardle/">Alanna McArdle</a></li>
<li>TV &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/oh-rose/">Oh, Rose &amp; Sawtooth</a></li>
<li>Death Cult Paradise &#8211; <a href="https://tracemountains.bandcamp.com/album/buttery-sprouts">Trace Mountains</a></li>
<li>I Saw My Twin &#8211; <a href="https://hopalong.bandcamp.com/">Hop Along</a></li>
<li>Nashville Parthenon &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/casiotone-for-the-painfully-alone/">Casiotone For The Painfully Alone</a></li>
<li>Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/wolf-parade/">Wolf Parade</a></li>
<li>Oranges &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/young-jesus/">Young Jesus</a></li>
<li>1994 &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/09/04/new-music-from-pwr-bttm/">PWR BTTM</a></li>
<li>Washing Machine &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/08/04/a-new-album-from-sports/">SPORTS</a></li>
<li>Lookalike / I Lost My Mind &#8211; <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/08/12/titus-andronicus-the-most-lamentable-tragedy/">Titus Andronicus</a></li>
</ol>
<p><center><iframe class="minilogs-player" src="//minilogs.com/e/cpm8zk0?bar=F58F27" width="500" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe></center></p>
<hr />
<p><em>You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine</em> is out now on <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062388698/you-too-can-have-a-body-like-mine">HarperCollins</a>. <em>Quiet, Constant Friends</em> is still available as a download or on cassette via the <a href="https://wakethedeaf.bandcamp.com/album/quiet-constant-friends">Wake The Deaf Bandcamp page</a>. You can read the other Lit Links posts <a href="http://www.varioussmallflames.co.uk/tag/lit-links/">here</a>. If you have a book in mind and fancy a go yourself, just get in touch!</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk/2015/11/19/alexandra-kleeman-you-too-can-have-a-body-like-mine/">Alexandra Kleeman &#8211; You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine</a> appeared first on <a href="https://varioussmallflames.co.uk">Various Small Flames</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6943</post-id>	</item>
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