We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine » Rock

Willis Earl Beal

James Davidson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:49:35 +0000

Pay attention! This is a chap’s face you’ll be seeing a lot more of. But not nearly as much as his voice. Looking like a young Mos Def, but sounding like anything from a battle-worn Delta blues veteran, to a soul-heavy gospel preacher, Willis Earl Beal is a prodigious talent with a desire to be different; “I want to be like the black Tom Waits” he recently told Pitchfork.

Until recently – he’s now signed to XL in the UK and Hot Charity in the US – Beal would sing a song, or draw pictures, for those who wrote or phoned the details on hand-drawn flyers he distributed (how’s that for an antithesis of the modern social media savvy musicians?), he lives with his grandmother, and he recorded a cassette version of his forthcoming debut album, Acousmatic Sorcery, on a $25 Radio Shack mic. Chicago-based singer-songwriter Beal is a genre-hopping, chest-beating talent of undoubted authenticity. This is no Lana Del Ray.

Lo-fi in attitude, lo-fi in sound, Willis Earl Beal’s eclectic style bears a strong resemblance to the criminally underrated Cody Chesnutt, but with tub-thumping blues in place of hip-hop. If he can keep his fast-rising feet on the ground, Willis Earl Beal could well realise his dream of being a ‘black Tom Waits’; god knows we need more stars like this…

Photography © Michael Boyd for the Chicago Reader

Three’s A Crowd Volume 2

James Davidson — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:31:18 +0000

Already missing the greatest live band of this century? A new book is packed with up close and personal images that may quell, or perhaps worsen, your heartache. After introducing himself to the Detroit duo in a Bristol bar back in 2001, Newcastle-born photographer Ewen Spencer spent an amazing 4 years documenting the rise and rise of a very special act and following last year’s Three’s A Crowd Volume 1 – that documented the early days of the photographer’s unique relationship with the last great rock and roll band – Spencer is back with the second book in the Three’s A Crowd series. Hoxton Square’s ever-brilliant KK Outlet are hosting an exhibition of the photos throughout January with a very special book launch on Thursday 12th.

You can be at the launch party, as well as bagging yourself a limited edition copy of the book, by donating $50 to the book’s IndieGoGo campaign. But be quick, there’s just 2 days left…

Introducing; 2:54

James Davidson — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:23:12 +0000

If we had a ‘cool list’ here at We Heart – which we don’t, well, they’re a little bit wanky aren’t they? – then Dalston-based sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow would be in somewhat of a ferocious scrap for first place, Hannah with her nonchalant swagger and hypnotic guitar riffs, Colette channeling Rid of Me era PJ Harvey via Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. In fact, since we caught them supporting Yuck a few weeks ago, we’ve rather struggled to get the 2:54 girls off our mind. Taking their name from the time it “kicks in” on their favourite Melvins track – yes, we said Melvins, told you they were cool – the girls are students of the sun-bleached, drug-addled sound of stoner rock and seeing their emphatically stylish blitz of woozy, treble-heavy wall of sound and effortless stage presence, you’d be forgiven for believing the sisters were 30-something stalwarts of the Palm Desert Scene, not young girls from London’s ‘hipster’ East end who’d – until a few months ago – never even played live…

2:54 – Creeping

The Third Man Rolling Record Store

James Davidson — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:44:55 +0000

There’s a shocking statistic that opens the trailer for Jack White’s latest vinyl-revival endeavor, and that’s that a recent survey found 97% of high school kids have never been to a standalone record store. Shocking perhaps for those of a certain generation – yeah we’re old – but also for what record shops used to stand for, excitement, exploration, identity, and it’s these feelings that the former White Stripes man is so keen to breathe life back into. Jack White’s Third Man Records imprint has been at the very forefront of innovations in vinyl over the last two years – from tri-colour discs to the splendid Triple Decker Record™ – and celebrating the two year anniversary of their Nashville launch party is White’s biggest stand in the fight to save record-buying traditions, and, quite possibly the coolest thing we’ll see all year, The Third Man Rolling Record Store™…

The fully-customised ‘record truck’ – designed by Jack White to reflect the look, feel, and panache of the label’s Nashville location and famous pop-up stores – is set to roll into this year’s SXSW on March 16th, bringing with it a full menu of Third Man merchandise along with performances, guest DJs, giveaways and super-limited records, entirely exclusive to the Rolling Record Store™. Innovative, intoxicating and decidedly cool, everything that you ever felt the first time you walked into a truly exciting independent record shop…

Three’s a Crowd, Ewen Spencer

James Davidson — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:08:55 +0000

From tiny 200-capacity gigs around the UK and previously unseen commissions for NME and The Face to their infamously fanatical South American tour of 2005, Newcastle-born photographer Ewen Spencer was privileged enough to document one of our favourite bands on their incredible rise to world fame. Three’s a Crowd is the first in a series of four A3 sized poster books, that celebrate Spencer’s unique relationship with the band and, being strictly limited to 500 with initial orders being signed by the photographer, this collection looks set to be somewhat of a sought after item…

Mick Rock | Rock : Music

James Davidson — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:30:17 +0000

Photocopyright Mick Rock

He was once Bowie’s official photographer, and is known as “The Man Who Shot the Seventies” but that doesn’t mean that an exhibition of Mick Rock‘s work will be your typical 70s rock retrospective, yes there’s the likes of Syd Barrett, Iggy Pop and Bryan Ferry, but with recent subjects including Karen O, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga and of course Kate Moss – the world’s most rock and roll supermodel was the subject of a recent exhibition entitled ‘Rock n Roll Kate’- the iconic photographer’s biggest UK show to date is truly a walk through 4 decades of debauchery. Celebrating the release of his new book, Exposed: Faces of Rock n’ Roll, ‘Rock : Music, in association with Zippo‘ is showing at the Idea Generation Gallery from 11th November 2010 to 16th January 2011…

Photocopyright Mick Rock

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Third Man Records’ Triple Decker Record™

James Davidson — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:41:44 +0000

Known for his passionate love for all things analogue, it’s no surprise that since it’s launch Jack White’s Third Man imprint has seen a steady stream of limited edition vinyls, in all manner of shapes and sizes. So, after glow in the dark 7″ singles, the White Stripes man has done it again, this time introducing his trademarked baby… the Triple Decker Record™. Housing an unreleased Dead Weather 7″ within a 12″ version of their latest single, the rarity can only be played by prizing apart the 12″s casing – perhaps not the most convenient of limited edition gifts, it does however display White’s ongoing reluctance to play the corporate game, and that can only be a good thing…

The Doors ‘When You’re Strange’

James Davidson — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:42:03 +0000

Coinciding with the theatrical release of the highly lauded “When you’re Strange” documentary, Shoreditch’s brilliant Idea Generation Gallery, in conjunction with Morrison Hotel Gallery, is currently playing host to a mesmerising collection of photographs – iconic shots alongside more personal reflections – by Henry Diltz, Joel Brodsky, Bobby Klein and Ken Regan, who all documented the sensationally controversial, and quite brilliant, band at the height of their popularity – and notoriety. Showing until 27th August at 11 Chance Street, this is a must for anyone with even the slightest interest in rock history…..

The Rolling Stones ‘Plundered My Soul’

James Davidson — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:32:09 +0000

Throwing up considerably more highlights than usual – a new track from Blur amongst those – this year’s ‘Record Store Day’ also saw a 7″ release of ‘Plundered My Soul’, a lost track from the Stones’ 1972 classic ‘Exile On Main St.’… If you’re a fan, as we most certainly are, of said ’72 classic, then you’ll be far from disappointed with this typically laid back, raw blues. Equally brilliant is the accompanying video, courtesy of Jonas Odell (Nexus Productions / FilmTecknarna), that uses the album’s iconic cover as a basis for a beautiful vintage footage montage… presenting the Stones at their most unnervingly cool…..

A New Decade: 2010 in Music

James Davidson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:24:44 +0000

Well, it’s this time of year again, the previous year’s retrospections are out of the way, desks are clean, as is your living… almost. Yes, January is the time to look forward to all the good that the remaining months will bring… new beginnings, new horizons! We’ve got a few posts lined up to bring you our, and others, thoughts for the new year, and first up, it’s our predictions for the sound of 2010…. We won’t be boring you to death with The Drums, Ellie Goulding or Everything Everything like everyone else, we’re even shying away from Delphic, no matter how good they are, because we’re sure you’ve heard it all before, we’ve broken it all down into five very rough movements that we think will shape alternative music in the coming 12 months…. and please, don’t take the names for said movements seriously….. it’s only a little bit of fun…..

It’s a fairly safe prediction that 2010 will belong to electronic music and thanks, in no small part, to 22 year old Peter O’ Grady, aka Joy Orbison [pictured], music is finally beginning to sound like the future. South Londoner O’Grady has an exquisitely claustrophobic style that is perfectly encapsulated in the breathtaking ‘Hyph Mngo’. The sound of heartbreak, early morning ecstasy and of dubstep imploding, O’Grady’s sensual dancefloor classic was undeniably one of 2009′s greatest underground tracks. There’s an awful lot of rather brilliant post-dubstep doing the rounds as bone-crushing bass is traded in favour of more meticulously crafted and emotional synth led music and it’s likely that this will be the sound of the underground as it’s bass-heavy predecessor moves to the mainstream, at least until some jumped up journalist coins a name for the genre. Inhabiting this field are the likes of Martyn, who has recently released the landmark Fabric 50 compilation, Raffertie, Joy Orbison label mates Mount Kimbie and the ridiculously talented Bristolian Joker, a real rising star to watch, who really can do no wrong with a series of truly mind-blowing remixes in the last 12 months.

With Chase and Status writing soundtracks, remixing Jay-Z and producing Rhianna and Rusko seemingly intent on becoming the scene’s Fatboy Slim, what next as the genre known as dubstep continues it’s progression overground? Skream‘s second album is likely to cause waves bigger than the bass from a certain La Roux remix when it drops later in the year, so expect to be hearing his name even more in 2010. In other news, messrs Benga and Artwork will join the man himself in taking their three-man experimental live act, Magnetic Man [pictured], onto much bigger things. Finally for dubstep, if you haven’t already, firmly affix Starkey and Jakwob to your radar… you’ll thank us for it.

Rather worryingly, the new decade will bring along along a host of depressing ’20th anniversaries’ for albums that shaped our youth… with each new year however, there’s always an influx of young bands ready to tread old ground for those who just can’t let go. Surfer Blood [pictured] are a particularly good sun-drenched, fuzz-pop Weezer alternative that are probably a lot better than we made that just sound. We’ve mentioned them before but Pulled Apart By Horses are surely set this year to offer an increasingly large throng of sweaty teenagers, oh, and sweaty mid-life crisis sufferers, the chance to thrash around in a sweaty pit, in a sweaty club thanks to their wonderfully noisy no-holds-barred grungefest. Another ’90s influenced act sure to trigger your radar at some point in 2010 is the fantastically chaotic Male Bonding. Not only do they ply the most authentic brand of lo-fi punk rock this side of 1994, they’re even signed to Sub Pop for added authenticity… not bad for a trio of noisy Dalston-hipsters.

If chaotic punk rock mayhem is your thing, then have no fear, 2010 should yield a fine crop of aural madness, not least in the shape of Japan raised, London residing freaks, Bo Ningen [pictured]. Incendiary live shows, imporobable song structures and incredibly long hair… and frocks(?!?), Bo Ningen follow in a long line of Japanese freak-noise outfits and are probably one of London’s most exhilarating propositions right now. Also London based and hailing from the far East is the beautiful and ridiculously cool Akiko Matusuura, drummer of The Big Pink and front-woman/drummer of noise-pop starlets Comanechi, another fine pick for 2010 if you like it shambolic and loud. Over on the other side of the pond, Brooklyn-based duo Sleigh Bells are thrashing out brutally loud electro-pop that is probably somewhere between Crystal Castles and The Ting Tings.

If you need to chill out after all that wonderful racket then you’ll probably be reaching for Yeasayer‘s beautifully psychedelic new album, Odd Blood, as the majesty of lead single Ambling Alp threatens to knock MGMT from the top of the nu-psych tree in their absence. Also hot on the heels of Brooklyn’s finest is 26 year-old Georgia (USA) resident, Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out [pictured], with his beguiling, sun-bleached psych-pop daydreams…. you only need to look at the pictures from his rather lovely personal blog to know what his music sounds like. Over on this side of the Atlantic we have the Japan obsessed lo-fi sample-freak, Gold Panda whose warm, tender electronica is the sound of a blissed out summers day, Dalston based Django Django are curious electro-folk-psych with high crossover potential. Finally it’s up North for some typically Mancunian indie-dance. Not as obvious as Delphic, Egyptian Hip Hop hark back to a rawer, more euphoric early Factory Records sound… at present unsigned, don’t expect this to last for long, these are four young kids with some serious talent.

Lives Of The Artists

James Davidson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:07:55 +0000

Renaissance artist, Giorgio Vasari, who was famous for his biographies of great artists, once wrote a book entitled ‘Lives of the Artists’. What set this book apart from the other tedious tomes of art history was it’s insight… Vasari looked further than the art, and into the personalities. Sometimes violent, sometimes egotistical and selfish… but always driven and capable of delivering something so many others could not. Fast forward a few centuries and we have a contemporary vision of the artists, delving into the personalities of one of the world’s greatest snowboarders, a duo of fearless big wave surfers, and one of the world’s most volatile punk rock bands, Gallows.

We’ve got 2 pairs of tickets to giveaway for the world premiere of this hard hitting new movie from Relentless Energy Drink, which takes place at Shoreditch Town Hall, London from 6.30pm next Tuesday, 8th December. It looks set to be a good night with music coming courtesy of Black Teeth and Filthy Dukes, and we’ll even buy you a drink too!

The giveaway will be the first as part of our new weekly email, list_ by weheart, so make sure you’re signed up and wait for further instructions in tomorrow’s first edition….

Michael Lavine x Thurston Moore: Grunge

James Davidson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:20:00 +0000

We’re gonna say this quietly, but ‘grunge’ is looking an early contender for the revival story of 2010. Electronic music, and the wonderfully dirty bass of dubstep/wonky/aquacrunk/[insert this weeks sub-genre], may be continuing it’s relentless ascendancy from underground to overground, but the outrageous uninhibitedness of ‘Pulled Apart By Horses‘ and pop-rock sensibilities of ‘Dinosaur Pile-Up‘ certainly look set to take a grip on the nation’s playlists in the coming 12 months. No better time then to reminisce one the fabulously gritty late 80s to early 90s Seattle and it’s grubby assortment of disenfranchised youths who would go on to change the face of modern rock music. Celebrated rock photographer Michael Lavine showcases his work from the time whilst Sonic Youth legend Thurston Moore writes fondly of the movement and the bands involved. Whether you’re looking to the future or just want to relive a bit of your heady youth, this beautifully presented book is a must-have.

Pulled Apart By Horses

James Davidson — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:37:43 +0000

With the release of their landmark prog-punk album ‘Grey Britain’, Gallows have this week had hordes of Shoreditch scenester electro-pop outfits running in fear of having their perfectly groomed quiffs ruffled by beer soaked, reckless mosh-kids. It’s not too uncommon a scene in fact as noisy, disjointed rock music that has more in common with record labels like Touch & Go, Blast First and Sub Pop than an East London graphic designer’s vision of uber-cool krautrock-electronica is attracting masses of sweaty, long haired teens to pokey venues around the country. Pulled Apart By Horses are Nirvana loving punks with a penchant for a catchy hook, and when not trying too hard to immitate their idols they pull off a wonderfully naive and jumbled racket that has echoes of Pavement at their most chaotic and Mudhoney at their most vibrant. Catch them in a variety of minuscule venues around the UK in the coming months before they explode bigtime.

The Dead Weather

James Davidson — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:44:34 +0000

He’s only gone and done it again. Yes, he of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs fame, and increasingly Blues-Rock’s busiest man, Mr Jack White has formed yet another band, this time featuring Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age on guitar, ‘lil Jack Lawrence from White’s other band and the man himself on drums and vocals. Sounding distinctly like White’s James Bond song with Alicia Keys, ‘Hang You From The Heavens’ is a loud, electric blues, scuzz rock, instant pop barnstormer that packs a similar punch to this suprise announcement. Playing their debut gig at Jack White’s new Third Man Records building in Nashville last night, The Dead Weather have gone from nothing to having their single available through iTunes overnight, an exciting event even in the MySpace age. An album, ‘Horehound’ is scheduled for June.

Heavy Metal In Baghdad

James Davidson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:39:45 +0000

Back in the summer of 2005, Vice Magazine co-founder, Suroosh Alvi, along with regular Vice contributer, co-founder of VBS.TV along with Spike Jonze and budding filmmaker, Eddy Moretti headed off to Lebanon to pick up a once weekly flight from Beirut to Baghdad in search of Iraqi heavy metal band (yes, we said ‘Iraqi heavy metal band’), Acrassicauda, who the pair had ran a story on in the magazine a year earlier. A car bomb meant that flights were canceled, leaving the pair to send their warzone photographer friend to cover the gig, a true indication of just how dangerous life was in Iraq. The next year they finally made it to Baghdad at a point where some 300 people a day were dying in insurgent attacks, this is where Heavy Metal In Baghdad begins to take place, a unique film that captures the chaos and claustrophobia of the country at it’s worst.

The film follows the story of a unique struggle for four young Iraqi’s to achieve something any of us can do, be free to do as you choose. The band eventually get to record their debut album in Syria. Funded by Vice, The Damascus Demos which provide most of the films soundtrack are probably the only recordings of an Iraqi heavy metal band in existence. Heavy Metal in Baghdad gives a voice to the voiceless youth that so many Westerners misunderstand and is truly unique. Screenings are around the UK over the next month, get your tickets now!