Thanks for all the lovely comments about the pilot episode of my new podcast, Good Vibrations, everyone, and thank you for tuning in! You can find it here if you haven't had a listen yet. Congratulations to my first guest, Bastille's Dan Smith, who's on track for a Top 5 album with his new release, & (Ampersand). I've been told that The Independent's First Fifty / The Great Escape event on 13 November is almost completely sold out, which is AMAZING – there are a few tickets left if you fancy a night of excellent music at the Shacklewell Arms in London. We'll be hosting performances by Irish rapper Curtisy, queer femme band Queen Cult, and Falkirk folk-punk champions Brògeal. We've also had a great week of features, including our exclusive interview with Scissor Sisters on their just-announced reunion tour – a fabulous read by Louis Chilton. Mark Beaumont did a deep-dive into the turbulent journey to The Cure's first album in 16 years, Songs of a Lost World, while Helen Brown wrote a glowing five-star review of the record. Apparently it was worth the wait! Meanwhile, Michael Hann explored the bizarre history of the "final gig", from Pink Floyd to Oasis and Crowded House. Amy Key, author of the wonderful Joni Mitchell-inspired Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Love and Making a Life, wrote a moving personal essay about the legendary artist herself. We're getting to that time of year where we're starting to think about our favourite music of 2024, from albums and songs to the rising stars we're excited to see more of over the next 12 months. For now, you can still find all the best tracks of the week on our Apple Music playlist. I'm enjoying the scuzzy Seventies-influenced number from Inhaler, "Your House", and "Tijuana" from bilingual rapper French the Kid. Newcomer Luvcat (keep an eye on her) has a new one, "Dinner @ Brasserie Zedel", as does Pa Salieu with "Round & Round". Another rap fave, the brilliant Avelino has teamed up with Aitch for "Scary Movie". I really, really love "One of Us" by Mexico City's Rey Pila, it's very squelchy and odd in the best way, with some great guitar tones to boot. Have a marvellous weekend! x |
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| | Written by Roisin O'Connor |
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It's been a Brat 2024, as the term coined by British pop star Charli XCX has been crowned the Collins Word of the Year. The artist born Charlotte Aitchison reached a new level of fame upon the release of her critically adored sixth album, Brat, which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and sparked an online trend thanks to the album's cover font and striking neon-green background. Collins dictionary said that "Brat" had been redefined to be characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude" that rapidly became the aesthetic movement of the summer. It was widely agreed to be a rejection of the preceding "clean girl" trend that promoted a lifestyle of lengthy skincare routines, yoga, early nights and slicked-back hair. Brat, by contrast, encouraged sultry style choices and a form of self-love that made room for mistakes. Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary put "brat" at the top of the list after looking at media sources, including social media, because the term has been "embraced so widely". |
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Subscribe to the official Now Hear This playlist on Apple Music and stay up to date with all the best new releases 1. "Dinner @ Brasserie Zedel" - Luvcat 2. "One of Us" - Rey Pila 3. "Tijuana" - French the Kid |
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I'm always a big dreamer, and I still dream big |
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Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears The Independent, October 2024 |
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Hejira is a strange record of land and air, the musical arrangements, the fuzz and looping rhythms of the bass and guitar, remind us we are earthbound and will kick up psychic dust as we travel; elsewhere they layer with Joni's supple voice, which swoops and soars in flight. She wavers between earth and the sky, always in motion. It remains the standout for me among these four records, forever in my personal canon of art that interrogates and valorises the experience of a woman being alone. |
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Amy Keys for The Independent, October 2024 |
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It's a knife when you're finally on top |
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Charli XCX, "Sympathy is a Knife", October 2024 |
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| Spotlight on... Nieve Ella |
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Q. Hello! Tell me about yourself |
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| A. I'm a 21-year-old girl who writes about the chaos that happens in her life. I grew up in the West Midlands but adventured out into London to focus on my music in 2021. |
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Q. What are your inspirations and influences? |
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A. Anything that I'm listening to at the point in time... recently I've been listening to a lot of Wunderhorse, Sam Fender, Lizzy McAlpine. For my most recent EP, 'Watch It Ache and Bleed', we spent hours and hours in a house just jamming -- I was actually really inspired by Harry Styles's first album. |
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Q. What do you have lined up for 2024 and beyond? |
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A. I've just released my new EP, 'Watch It Ache And Bleed', and I'll be heading out on tour next February. Before then, I'll be diving back into writing and sleeping off a very busy year! |
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