Sunday, 31 October 2010

One to watch??



Already toured with the likes such as The xx is this the new sound we are going to be hearing in 2011? Her name is Glasser... well Cameron Mesirow from America who is currently signed to True Panther Sounds. I have been a bit of a skeptical fan of hers since I read about her in JUNE! Christ a long time ago, only when she had two songs that I could catch on YouTube; Apply and Tremel.

Her album Ring is available and I have been playing it religiously and have been captivated by its arty melody, haunting vocals and electro vibe. It sounds similar to Bat for Lashes, in the way it doesn’t need to shout to be heard; a subtle siren is how I would describe the sound. She has set herself apart from all other female artists on the market at the moment and absolutely fits into this ‘new generation’ of artists Simon Cowell keeps mentioning. Although I think this change in attitude from Simon could be due to his young Afghanistan FiancĂ©. She has found this niche in the massively popular female music industry, and the album is completely abstract and deep. She is up against performers like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in the charts but somehow I don’t think that’s her game. She doesn’t need to make headlines and stir up controversy with her attire... although she is a quirky girl. Her music speaks volumes about how unusual she is and listening to her music alone connotes freedom and liberation. So... sorry Gaga, I think Glasser’s more of a spokesperson for the abstract and arts.

I have just convinced myself of her greatness, and I hope her powerful mellow music hits 2011 with a bang. I can see why The xx wanted her to support them on tour, her name needs to be out there alongside theirs. We will see if the market can appreciate music like this especially in a very pop/dance dominated industry. Watch out for songs like: Apply, Tremel, Mirrorage and test her album for yourself on Spotify.

Saturday, 23 October 2010

Waiting...


Throughout life it seems humanity has worn this idea of waiting... waiting for the next thing, be it good or bad. This idea came to me when I was looking at a medieval play called Mankind and its underlying context that we are all waiting to be judged by god. Mercy’s speech in the play captures this attitude, “Do truly your labour, and be never idle!” The meaning of the word idle is slightly different now compared to the 15th century. Idle meant being weak and giving into temptation and folly. Alertness comes from defending yourself from these sins and waiting for God to be your judgement.

That Catholic belief seems odd today but in fact it can be put to practice in today’s society. Even though large parts of society have stepped away from religion as a dominant discourse we still have this idea of waiting... This could be applied to all of us who sit in a room, sit staring out to space wondering what the fuck is the meaning of all this. If you are one of those then, snap, join the club and I have found myself saying, “I just want something big and great happen to me”. That’s it, that’s what we are all waiting for; we are still playing this waiting game with life. This age old belief has great importance over us even if we have never considered it for a second... everything is passed down and we are all results of influences and discourses imposed onto us. This belief of waiting is shaped differently now but you can see it everywhere. Take Big Brother for example, these contestants who enter the house are there simply to wait it out, waiting for the next big thing in their life to happen when they walk out of those doors.

This raises the question whether it is just enough to sit back and wait for our life to kick start? Or should we make the most of it now while we are here and use every opportunity to our advantage? It’s easier said than done and this idea that something will just happen if we wait it out is nonsense. We need to pave our own way in life and enjoy the present, we know too well that it doesn’t last long.