Selfie-expression and hype demolition

In a recent interview, I was asked what amateurs could bring to areas such as writing and journalism where there were already multiple professional publications churning out similar material on demand. I replied that amateurs, specifically students, whilst playing by the same rules and regulations, could express themselves using their own style and feel less of a need to conform to an archetype specifically designed to increase sales. It's all about the freedom - and expression of freedom (as opposed to freedom of expression), whilst knowing what ought to be kept private is one of the great dilemmas of our time.

The sad truth is that these days, it's rather difficult to air one's hypercritical and often hyperbolic rants without committing libel or slander online, or being the target for online trolls. Even so, many sensible people with interesting views to share find themselves restrained due to bad experiences or shock stories of online users overstepping the mark with comments and being dragged into court. Here however, is what I believe is a piece that both manages (I hope) to avoid such obstacles whilst hitting  a good but overrated band directly in the crown jewels (this metaphor is particularly relevant, as it connects the blog post to a certain fad at the moment which hopes to raise awareness for testicular cancer - whilst generally encouraging young lads to flaunt a characteristic that has been used to measure manliness since humankind got up on its two hind legs and looked down).

Of course it could be that this article created on what appears to be a text-and-basic-image-only version of blogspot that looks old enough to predate both Geocities and Bruce Forsythe is just lost in that oblivious corner of the internet nobody really cares about. If so, there's no better time to uncover the treasure trove of boundless and free expression that existed the internet before 2005 (bloody hell I feel old already) and its YouTwitFace nonsense and everyone started taking selfies (I still don't buy it unless it's ironic, which many recent  #nomakeupselfies, raising awareness for breast-cancer, undoubtedly are) and sharing their intimate details with the man on the Clapham omnibus and his dog.

Read the post, which is less than kind to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers here.

Review: Philosophy: The Basics

Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Good primer, still useful for reference for basic arguments and principles. It is also clear which philosophers should be consulted for further reading and insight. Only criticism would be a lack of information on logic and epistemology, brief introductions to these topics would suffice, as they are of course broad.



View all my reviews

My Review of Gem Club's new album "In Roses" for Cherwell Magazine

Link to original article http://www.cherwell.org/culture/music/2014/01/31/review-gem-club-in-roses

There’s something ephemeral about the rising tide of dream pop music. It hasn't taken the world by storm, but it is casting a shadow that makes its presence felt in everything from independent airwaves to emotional scenes in TV dramas. Such sounds could be dismissed as mere melancholic background music, but this trio from Boston wash away all such accusations with the mesmerising multi-faceted melodies found in their new album In Roses. Gem Club’s latest offering comes in the wake of their well-received debut album, Breakers, for which critics lauded their intimate, minimalist yet emotionally charged sound.

This album marries the symphonic and the psychedelic, as the weightless instrumental first track, ‘No Noise’, demonstrates. The band’s characteristic rhythmic loops and riffs sometimes risk descending from sonorous to soporific on instrumental tracks, but lead singer Christopher Barnes’s increased vocal range rescues the rest, culminating in the tracks ‘Idea for Strings’ and ‘Polly’, reminiscent of the likes of James Blake. Overall, In Roses manages to maintain Gem Club’s formula of haunting piano chords and melancholic vocals, whilst sounding more mature, developed and not compromising on their power to move.

Lanterns On The Lake @The Bullingdon Arms Oxford - Live Review

Having never ventured far down the Cowley road, I was naturally a little apprehensive when unable to find The Bullingdon Arms (no connection to the delightful Oxford dining society). It turns out that the Bullingdon Arms is now called “The Art Bar”, with the room at the back for intimate performances now generally referred to as “The Bully”. Quite a contrast, and that was seen in the variety of the crowd, providing healthy competition for whatever-the-Obey-clad-youths-were-queueing-up-for-at-the-O2-opposite. But, demographic studies aside an intimate setting was ideal, and brought out the best of the 2 bands that played in its cosy midst. Oxford based 3-piece Deer Chicago opened, with their set of moderately heavy reverberating rock, and light-hearted quips about the main act’s northern extraction, both of which warmed the crowd up and even got a few dancing.

Lanterns On The Lake took to the stage fresh from an appearance at the Truck Store promoting their new album Until The Colours Run, and brought with them a number of loyal fans. The dimmed blue mood lighting was an interesting touch, but it suited the mellowed piano chords and melancholic voice of lead singer Hazel Wilde perfectly. The opening song Picture Show featured a variety of instruments including an accordion, violin, and an electric guitar bowed like a double bass. If anything, it was impressive how quickly the 5 bandmembers were able to juggle those instruments. The band are described simply as indie rock, and with the tone set to a mellow folk rock one would compare to the likes of Daughter or Beirut, I along with the overly intimate 50-year-old couple embracing in front of me was taken aback by the sudden transition of this tune into a frenzy of drumming, as 4/5 of the band recreated what seemed to be a crazed rain-dance. Just as I was beginning to worry that they intended to flood the venue to better suit their name, they played Another Tale from Another English Town, a nostalgic number which one could easily see turning into a ballad for a generation, while The Ghost that Sleeps within Me picked up symphonic clashes between guitar distortions and the amplified violin. It could have been a sudden blast of the aircon, but the ballad Sapsorrow sent shivers down my spine, whilst the fade to red lights coincided with the last number I love you Sleepyhead, ending the set on a pleasantly gentle note.

It’s great to see the popularity and appreciation for this Newcastle quintet gathering momentum, and one hopes to hear more from a sound that can only be described as precious.

Review: The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Holden Caulfield, how I wish I had read about your escapades earlier on in life. Some things never seem to change no matter which era you are living in, it seems.



View all my reviews

The Mystery Jets @ New Slang - Kingston upon Thames - Live Review

Throughout the set, frontman Will Rees described The Mystery Jets' 10th gig at New Slang as 'a homecoming' whilst summing up its relationship with the reknown Indie night in the secluded London suburb as 'a love affair'. Both of those terms imply a sort of intimacy, and intimacy there indeed was - be it in the form of the small venue, or the constant moshing, pulling and face to face encounters with other sweaty red faced school leavers who had clearly had the same idea as me.

That's not to say that a spot of moshing was going to ruin the experience of seeing one of my favourite bands live, let alone seeing a live show for the first time since September. The opening number "Someone Purer" was a slightly surprising, melancholic choice of song for the occasion, but the reaction from the crowd was completely opposite in tone, with moshpits opening up like gladiatorial arenas and arms frantically reaching the ceiling at the onset of every chorus. And this was just the opening number. The guitar riffs being belted out by Blaine Harrison and Will Rees were as good as anything and added the extra edge to the live performance, while the latter's apparel  was clearly influenced by the band's Texan travels in preparation for the Radlands album. The biggest hits of Serotonin were played afterwards, injecting the already hyped crowd with yet more Serotonin (technically one of the only things you do enjoy).

The process of selecting a lineup is always a tough one for most bands, and this show was probably no exception. Getting the balance right between giving the usual crowd-pleasers a rest and giving your new stuff some limelight always carries its hazards. So it was understandable that most of the songs from Radlands, which, save the choruses, might well have been obscure to all but hardcore fans (myself not included in that contingent) received a funny, or crowd-indulging introduction. It's a shame that the endless moshing and drunken singing along drowned out some of the lyrics at this point (although the crowd's substitution for Laura Marling's part in Young Love was very helpful), as out of all of the albums, Radlands contains some of the thoughtful, witty, and downright clever song writing (must have been all that Texan air) that the band has produced, and as with most things are executed best in the hands of the masters.

For a set in such a small venue, an encore was, again, unexpected, but Will Rees's apparent ignorance at the crowd's calls for 2 Doors Down ("What's that guys? Never heard of it before! You want to hear Two Door Cinema Club?") was quickly proved groundless as they tore it up with Half In Love With Elizabeth, 2 Doors Down and Alice Springs. Let's hope that the unpretentious, down to earth attitude that the band have will continue to shape their success, and that their new material, come when it may, equals the hits and highs they have so deservedly hit on the head so far.
 

Better Blighty and Broke - Than Just Broke

When it comes to education issues, it's like any hot political topic. I sit on the fence, attempting to be out of the reach of those with passionate views, taking a swipe at my confusing beliefs on the matter.

It has to be said, given that I am a sixth form student with no current job (a list of the places I've been rejected from could easily max out any post word limit), I have turned a somewhat blind eye to the financial side of things. Nevertheless I met several US uni reps and was honestly tempted to jump over the pond by the sweet promises of a beautifully rounded liberal arts programme as well as a potentially generous bursary. In the end, my dilute patriotism, prospect of being that much further from homemade shakh rotli (yes that's an ethnic cultural reference - best ask your closest Indian mate, or the nearest Indian person if you don't have one - check tech support and corner shops), the mammoth costs had I not been eligible for a bursary, as well as the fact nothing is legal there until you're 21. I mean, seriously? 3 more years? That's almost your entire time at uni!

But an article originally in the Sunday times (quoted in this blog post) on a related matter really got my blood boiling. It recounts the work of the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity focussed on improvement through education, funded by philanthropist Sir Peter Lampl. A lot of what is being said is perfectly reasonable; underprivileged kids in this country stand to lose out in this country, and the attempted meritocracy which successive governments over the past 5 or so decades have attempted to create has hopelessly failed, with the disappearance of grammar schools, direct grant schools and assisted places as well as the conversion of polytechnics into unis. The slow, yet incomplete death of grammar schools could be considered as one of the finest examples of New Labour attempting to phase out elitism in the education system yet in the process ruining a system that worked, widening the gap between public and state school education. In some ways, University across the pond is fantastic. In addition to the aspects that tempted me like a sailor to a Siren's song, of course the top 'Ivy League' universities are wealthy beyond imagination, and will no doubt cater to your every needs, funding travel and living expenses too (if you qualify for the needs blind entry).

Yet the attitude towards the situation in Britain was ignorance in its prime. Lampl himself is quoted to be saying "I’ve brought you here because Britain is just a small island off the coast of Europe, while America is a a vast and exciting place, full of possibility." I don't wish to discredit the words of this respectable businessman who has had much experience of success on both shores, but this statement, echoed by the kids being taken around in this article, describes an outdated attitude assumed by many immigrants flocking to the United States of America in the early 20th Century - in pursuit of The American Dream. Anybody who believes such a concept still exists needs to pinch themselves, or alternatively watch George Carlin. Yes, possibility is there, but so is corporate greed, corruption and uneven welfare distribution - which could be very problematic to the dreamers in the article, hoping to go into business after 'golden college years'. Not every US based company, no matter how much venture-capital investment is poured into it, will turn out to be a Google. Delusion is not the answer.

So please. To everybody considering uni in the next couple of years. Give this small island another chance. After all, it is at the doorstep of Europe and the EU, an entity with financial problems but a growing industrial might nevertheless. I'm not hoping to crush hopes and dreams with my inherent pessimism, no, university education in the United States has some very attractive qualities; but one must be mindful of the presence of overseas quotas, and various incompatibilities involving some courses. Additionally, those hell-bent on exactly what they want to do at uni may find the liberal arts curriculum unfocussed. The Sutton trust has done wonders in helping talented youngsters achieve places at Russell group universities (including Oxbridge) and providing them with the ways means to visit the places where they might like to study - and continue doing so, instead of actively encouraging kids to go abroad in increasing numbers. That is a curse, not a cure. With Britain waking up to the current quagmire in its system of education, slowly but surely the fences between now and a meritocracy will slowly collapse, bringing down with them the social injustice they have in tow. But to stop the mass exodus which is being prophesied, it will take a few humble voices to stand up and have faith in the system.