Phony Ppl Live: A review of my loves

The best discovery of 2019 hands down: Phony Ppl.

Heyyy,

I hope you're all good. If you're not you're about to be because these musical prodigies are about to change your life.

It was a dreary day in the office, I had YouTube's autoplay on and was just getting along with the day's work when the few light keys of a piano woke me up out of my corporate slumber and made me hear colour.  Way Too Far was the song playing- a song with lyrical depth and the music video was absolutely stunning. It sounded ethereal and encouraged transportation of my mind, listening to it feels like falling but in a good way. I played it twelve more times before deciding I wanted to see what else they had. Their 2012 album 'Phonyland' brought me "I Wish I Was a Chair". Elbee on the track with a simple jazz hook, simple electric guitar and 1-beat drum fill. Simple yet effective, romantic and musical.

From that moment I knew I had to see them in concert and fate worked with me as they had their Mozaik Tour from their latest album which meant they were playing Omeara in London. Omeara is a very intimate space, with a small stage and a grungy classical look. The intimacy of the venue was like being at a barbecue with a bunch of friends who love music but also you've never met them before. But let me tell you now, it was BIG energy and BIG good vibes.

Our introduction was yelling, the Brooklyn way, "YEAAA" as the band set up, chatting with us but when the music started thats when they really came alive...

It was like the birth of pure magic and colour bouncing off the stage which felt bigger already. Their energy when performing is unmatched. First of all Bari Bass works so hard he doesn't even wear a shirt for the entire thing (not that I'm complaining) and Maffyuu on drums holds it DOWN, Elijah is a maestro on the stings and Aja on the keys. Together, the ensemble have such a friendly and hyped aura; cracking jokes and sharing champagne on stage. Even through some technical difficulties they carried the night. Their versatility is insane. To illustrate... Elbee played the solo on 'Cookie Crumble' on a KAZOO. Do you feel me? A Kazoo.

My favourite song Something About Your Love  has an infectious beat and Looorrrd knows my happiness peaked when they started to play. The whole night was dancing, singing, laughing and total psychedelia paired with the smell of burning incense. I also noticed that when we left many people were humming 'Why iii love the moon' on the way out. If that's not a sign that the music and mood remained in our hearts and best memories then I don't know what is.

This band is bout to seriously blow. If you haven't heard them yet I would do so pronto and get yourself some tickets to their next tour! You won't regret it.

To Phony Ppl,

Thank you for a memorable and serendipitous night.

Parma Violets artist review: NAO

Nao. vocal powerhouse. Emotional threat. Incredible artist.

The thing is with Nao, her music is raw, and real. Her songwriting is supreme, she words everything perfectly and honestly, plainly. There aren’t many big words or metaphors- she says it straight and no topic is too light or too niche; she covers every experience: Losing friends, feeling unwanted, feeling loved, being lost, desire, loss. She makes her world extremely penetrable and herself vulnerable to relate to us, her listeners and closest confidants. You relate to not only the lyrics but the musical composition comes in heavy, especially in ‘For All We Know’ - my favourite album from Nao. It strongly features dirty electric guitar, accompanied by impactful drums, multiple layers, light percussions and multiple harmonies.

Nao’s music mixes completely original beats with traditional themes in both her albums. Even more so in her award-winning album ‘Saturn’ featuring hits like “Make It Out Alive(ft.SiR) and “Saturn”(ft. Kwabs). Both artists you should also check out by the way.

If you are already in your feelings stay awaay, far away from NAO- you’ve been warned. This girl will crush you, she is not playing games. The purity of each song and the openness of each one places you in the thick of it being transported and transfixed in the place she wants you to be. Here’s one of the songs I love. It starts off slow and synth. The perfect song to lie on your back and watch the clouds drift by and then - three beats . . .BOOM, you’re drawn in to rhythm. The deep bass matches the switch from simple reminiscing to the theme of confrontation taken in the song and increases in intensity ( 02:50) until she hits a falsetto; tying up the memories and indicating a closure to the relationship and the song. I love the artistry behind her songs and I'm sure you will too. I'd urge you to explore her full discography.

Listen to this complete banger here:

International Parma Violets Pick: Mwuana

Hi All!

Hope you’ve enjoyed the summer. For those of you that have been on holiday and come back to wonderful dreary England, take heart- we’re one step closer to Autumn. Which means pumpkin stuff, cinnamon, and fluffy socks!

But in the meantime let’s celebrate the last days of summer with this absolute tune right here by Mwuana.

As many of you know I love international music so so much! I’m definitely going to be sharing more music from around the globe.

I strongly believe some of the best music, food, and tv dramas come from around the world. I love exploring different cultures and learning new things. I realised just because we may not understand what they are saying it doesn’t have to limit your enjoyment. The best decision I made was listening to international music as often their versions of R&B will be influenced by their traditional music yet they always in my experience take a wider and more abstract approach to form beats.

Beats are always more complex and the music tends to have more complimenting layers without sounding to messy or getting too mixed. With this particular dancefloor bop, each part of the songs from the drums, piano, simple melody and rhythm both present something exciting and pyrotechnic on their own and are lethal in combination. This song has an infectious melody and Mwuana’s rapping switching between Swedish, French, and English gives it even more life. I’ve been vibing to this song all summer.

Now let's talk about the artist himself. Mwuana = GENIUS.

He has an incredible creative scope and is Hip Hop personified in his swagger, style, and performance. A big vision for direction and production when it comes to the branding of his songs and music videos. With this particular song he was a director, producer, and editor. Props to his creative director, Hamza Sultan (romantic synergy) , as the colour scheme for the music video is not only memorable but embodies summer and zeal.

Without any further waffle. You have got to give this song a listen before the temperature gets lower than 20° !! Catch it whilst it’s still hot:

I’ll also be sharing 5 more picks of my favourite summer tracks so be sure to stay tuned in by subscribing to my blog! Lots of love y’all.

M

Parma Violets pick of the week: Tame Impala -The Less The Know The Better

You guys. You guys, you guys, you guys, you guyyysss. SIS, BRUH-  I've discovered Tame Impala and life has improved.

This band is talented but this specific song has been rinsed on repeat for about 3 months straight.

This song is ELECTRIC. Everything . From the bass to the synth and with the lyrical genius of a song that could be a ballad matched with the upbeat 80's pop rythm and structure  - *chefs kiss* This entire song and other tracks from the same album is just ... MWAH. Give it a listen if you enjoy music, guaranteed you'll love it or your money back!

Live artist review : Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges. The man, the myth,the unique dancer.

Let's unpick this artist who is so incredible he's been invited to Obama's White House on more than one occassion to perform.

As a recording artist he exudes excellence. With his first album "Coming Home" featuring so many blues, jazz and doo wop hits, he put himself on the map. As a matter of interest, both of his albums toy with the same themes, his deep Texan identity and the history of his hertitage, romance, nostalgia, the 60's and a sense of belonging. Like any great artist his voice has a unique quality which is hard to pin down as it entirely consits of oxymorons. Each note carried has a smooth hoarseness or a melancholy joy- as if through music he is desparately trying to attain something he is simultaneously re-living.

His emotion is tracked throughout each song on his albums telling the listener the story, telling them what to feel through his tone.

If you're unsure what I mean have a listen to 'Beyond' by Leon Bridges

I saw Leon perform in Brixton in November and it was an awesome experience. Most of his performances were high-energy and the intimate crowd were having an amazing time. His slow songs were less emotional as there is a level of detachment you feel when someone is too far to see your eyes. Nevertheless it was still a sincere performance. The set was simple but quite the vibe. The lighting often matched the mood of the song but everything else in terms of atmosphere was largely down to his fantastic band, who boosted his energy throughout the night and who are all vocally and musically skilled themselves. Leon is a dancer with a very unique style and rarely his vocals were strained under it. He performs well live, but at times I found myself wishing he'd extend a note a little further if it weren't for his stifled breathlessness. Even so, this was a rare occurence. I attended the concert alone but made some unspoken friendships dancing with complete strangers and just having the best time. By the end of the night I felt giddy with excitment and exhausted from dancing and laughter. All in all, Leon Bridges is a brilliant live experience and I would reccomend it. To round off this post I'll leave you with one of my best memories...

In the second to the front row the tall person who found his way in front of me was eventually made aware (by his friend that I'd been dancing with) that he had been restricting my view and they gracefully pulled me forward towards the barrier for one of Bridges' best  from his first album called 'River'. 

Right in front of me they stoood and sang, strumming the guitar and slowing down the night. I was surrounded by the warm golden brown glow of the lights and curtains and found myself at peace, completely enjoying taking in every minute of the moment:

Leon Bridges' newest album 'Good Thing' is available everywhere.

Parma Violets album review: Wolf Larsen- Quiet at the Kitchen Door

Wolf Larsen. An incredible artist and moving musician.

When I first discovered her music I was convinced they were songs from a film soundtrack of an incredible and inspirational movie. I remember where I was, an autumn afternoon staring out the window at the purple-grey clouds, with my thoughts and an empty house.

The first song I heard was "Quiet at the Kitchen Door". I have never heard such cinematography, drama, and intensity in a non-classical indie track. I especially love the short monoluge/poem at the start which transported me to another world and took me along on a journey.Wolf Larsen's voice is instantly calming and the instrumentation of every track is pacifying. What I love about this album is that it follows incredible storytelling. The whole album flows together but doesn't sound like one long track. The innocence and purity of each song and simplicity in the layering of sound is sublime. I would reccomend this album for any time you want to relax, for late evening listening and for snuggling up next to the windown with a blanket on a rainy day with a big mug of hot tea. However you're feeling I can personally gurantee this album will make you feel at peace.

Experience it here:

The evolution of Solange

Hey music lovers, instrument enthusiasts and Solange stans alike!

With the release of Solange's new album I think it's time to review the artist who is the closest to musical escapism most people will get. Now I’ve been jamming to Sol for quite some time now. Her first album I got into was Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams which was still very close to mainstream as Solange still danced on the fringes of commercialism. The album features heavy synth pop and doo wop influences in many of the tracks such as ‘Sandcastle Disco’ and ‘I Decided’. The album also features light jazz such as the hit T.O.N.Y. Although Solange has never shied  away from double meanings and metaphors in her music and many of the tracks although seeming to be about love or relationships are actually about the American election or her relationship with her son’s father. Solange herself was still quite influenced by the American Western beauty standards which I guess made her easier to digest commercially but woke sol was soon approaching. I really enjoyed this album and one of my favourites was Sandcastle Disco, listen here:

With the next emergence of her music came a more Afrocentric sound and heavy bass with a clearer jazz influence. Although quite a few years later Solange's themes hadn't changed still very bright colourshemes in her visuals and the air of nostalgia. However Solange was now  rocking with the natural hair movement and many of her songs on the EP "True" took an upbeat alternative route in terms of a less traditional rhythm. Here's another one of my favourites:

By 2016 with the release of "A Seat at the Table" Solange was now fully immersed in the world of being big, black and woke. With a majority of her songs being a commentary of society and her experiences, she paid homage to her roots in artistic declaration of unapologetic blackness. On this album she tackles difficult subjects such as white privilege, black hair, suicide, mental health, love and loss, self-discovery just to name a few. Her songs were now taking more inspiration from New Orleans blues, Neo soul as well as traditional R&B.  The album lacks the innuendo the previous two do.This album was a statement, to those who didn't know her before. 'I am Solange, not just Beyonce's sister- I am Solange and I have a hell of a lot to say'. Although this album is notably an artwork, as at some points it felt like one line song and the narrative is extremely strong. This track featuring Lil' Wayne is one of the songs that stands out for me:

3 years on and "When I Get Home" - Solange's new album almost feels like a second part to 2016's masterpiece with many of the songs keeping in the same musical genre and structure. Solange kept the monologues in preludes between tracks except this time she is at her wokest yet. The albums also taking a much less commercial route losing the bright colours for album and music video visuals and now featuring a lot of pastel and deep earthy colours perhaps to represent the reconnection to her roots. Some of the themes are clearly a nod to afrofuturism however some songs were even to deep for me to see...or imagine. Or see what Imagined....see what I imagined....what I saw...what I imagined (*repeats for 6 minutes until you find a meaning*).

But one of the lighter songs is a fun Caribbean-style bop which gives me summer vibes, although premature, completely welcome. "Binz" is a song to let your hair down to and one I'm sure will be playing at this year's BBQs in no time.

So what's next for Solange?

It would be futile for me to even try to predict what Solange's mind will produce next. Will her album really all be one track? One monologue with songs in between? An album of complete silence? Either way I'm intrigued to see what's next...

Parma Violets Pick of The Week: Camera Obscura- French Navy

Hey!

Got another oldie but a goodie. This song is from 2009, 10 years ago. Can you believe that?! 2009 was a whole TEN years ago??? ....blimey.

Now whilst this particular track may hold fond memories of the song that played on the Echo Falls advert that used to sponsor Come Dine With Me, for me it's much more.

This song and the band Camera Obscura were my beginner's introduction into indie and folk music. A genre I 100% invested myself into and dived in - whilst everyone was going through their emo phase I was a full-on sombre indie princess.

This song is reminiscent of the cold and grey autumn days of 2013. Deep obscure Facebook posts I'd edited on picmonkey because I was deep now *sweeps bangs* and walking home or by the lake wondering how far away love was. Days spent discovering what things made me unique. For a start I was a black girl into indie!

There are nothing but sweet memories attatched to this up-beat Parma Violet tune and I'm glad I found the world of indie/alternative music. I've never been the same and I love everything I've discovered. Much love to the band and also ...to Carrie, their keyboardist and singer who passed away a few years back but not before creating so many beautiful things to leave behind.

Without any further waffle, here it is:

Parma Violets Pick of the week: Mint Condition - Pretty Brown Eyes

Music lovers,

We're going a little Oldskool with this one!

Let me tell you how I love this song!! This was R&B soul at it's peak ya heard?

The 90's is one of my favourite ever eras for music and this song has it all, the runs and melisma, horns and saxophones, the lead singer sexy whisper AND the drum tempo perfect for a one- two-step.

This Saturday's song will get your shoulders shaking, your hips braking (like brekk it down braking not need a hip replacement breaking) and your love *ahem* flaking

You know you're gonna want to get down to this one so find a safe space.  Here it is:

Parma Violets Valentine's Special: Thirdstory - Still in Love

Hey all!

Happy new year and new month to you all,

It's been a minute right? Same excuses- life, work, slow laptop blaaah blah etc. but I'm back with a BEAUTY.

As we all know due to thick commercialisation we're smothered with- Valentines day is approaching and to get in the spirit of things here's a perfect post break-up song lol.

Since first hearing this song I've probably contribued to around 1k of Thirdstory'sYoutube views. I wish this was an exaggeration but on average I listen to this song between 5 and 20 times a day. Maybe I'm obsessed.

Thirdstory's "Still In Love" featuring the astounding Eryn Allen Kane is a blend of romance, heartbreak, nostalgia,soul, and general 'feels'.

The mix of their voices in harmonious chorus of the group paired with adlibs and runs from Eryn are incomparable to any other record.

Thirdstory really understand each others voices and it shows.

When I hear this song it feels like the world around me slows down to a still and inside everything slows except my heart which drifts along to the slow tempo given by the upright acoustic piano (and the deep bass of their non-acoustic version of this song which is also amazing).

After four months I am STILL IN LOVE, endlessly, helplessly and desperately with this song.

Listen to this song here:

Thirdstory AND Eryn Allen Kane's music are available to listen on all major music platform. - Would defo reccomend.

For those of you doing stuff next week have a wonderful Valentine's day I'll be back with some new music for you soon!