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Songs of October

9/10/24 - Troxi

LAST EDITED: n/a

I think as a part of this blog, I really want to do a monthly breakdown on 3-5 songs, their impact, why I chose them and why you should listen! So here comes the first 5. And hey - I promise I'll try my hardest not to include LC! every single month. (Though god knows it'll be hard..!)

• Songs of October Playlist

1. Jupiter Pluvius - ME REX

I discovered ME REX just a week or two ago, opening for Los Campesinos! on the Mortal Joy tour and I have to say without a doubt I've been missing out on their music beforehand. Jupiter Pluvius is their most popular track - and for good reason!
JP blends a simple melodic line with complex lyrical content and classic punk-rock shouty vocals, the thin texture bringing all attention to the singer's words. The shouted vocals blended with the calmer chorus makes for a great song to shout along to, and I really enjoy the references to the outer space and galaxy. The lyrics in this song are difficult to understand in a way that's profound but still fun, and despite its simplistic style melodically the main hook on keys is incredibly catchy, mixed on top of the rest of the instruments. The mastering of this track really elevates it, the keys on top rather than hidden in the mix really brings the otherwise slightly messy symphony together, and again, HOW is it so catchy?!

Favourite lyric: Cassiopeia, Ursa Major. Your face appears in cracked brick formations.

2. Girl Clout - Fresh

Ironically, this track is another I discovered through Los Campesinos. Fresh opened for LC! on their American tour, though I actually found this through the Mortal Joy tour pre-show playlist! I immediately had to find it, and it's been stuck in my head all week.
Fresh's lyricism is alot more simplistic than what I'm used to, but I think it works well in their favour. The vocal style is more punk-rock style shouted lyrics, and the band lineup seems to inhabit this a lot. This song mostly revolves the struggles of being a smaller band in a bigger space and people using you for brownie points. I really enjoy the idea behind this song, and although fairly simplistic melodically and lyrically, it establishes itself well and has some really nice cases of dissonance mostly with the guitar throughout the piece. I really enjoy the theme throughout this song of an underlying sexism/misogyny problem in the indie scene and I can really feel the singer's anger through her powerful voice.

Favourite lyric: Played shows with us for "GIRL CLOUT", tell me you're "one of the good guys!"

3. Adult Acne Stigmata - Los Campesinos!

Okay don't flame me. I wouldn't be me without at least ONE LC hit...
AAS is a beautiful ending to a beautiful album, with callbacks to previous LC series, being the unofficial sequel to the Heart Swells songs. I think in this day and age we really are lacking in well produced, meaningful acoustic hits and AAS really fixes this. The song divulges into insecurities and youth, with a fitting end to the album talking about how life really is "All Hell." The song explores the duality of hopefulness and despair and the feeling of life; whether that be in terms of self-consciousness or the people around you.
AAS is definitely one of those sleeper hits that you don't really expect to land in your favourites, but it definetely does. It's hard to say a lot about this song; I feel like it speaks for itself.

Favourite lyric: My eyes shine like two pound coins I found upon the pool table rail, Heart swells, You're so beautiful, the sky is blue, But we both know too well. It's all hell.

4. Clown Blood; or, Orpheus' Bobbing Head

Hey, I said at LEAST one.
Clown Blood is easily the best track on All Hell for me, it's upbeat, it's shouty, it's everything LC excel at!
With a swinging intro straight into the hook and bridge, it captivates in a measily 4 minutes, I'd argue it could easily be longer. The lyrical content in Clown Blood is definetely one of my favourites on All Hell, it's such an angry hit and it's gotta have one of the best indirects on All Hell. 4 short lines - 97 characters - is apparently all it takes to write a slashing takedown. The best part? If you have no idea who, or what I'm talking about, the song is still made for you. LC do a perfect job at throwing shade in such a way that it serves as a highlight to the people that would recognise it, but be undetectable by the rest. Despite this, I don't want to only give Clown Blood credit for this. Clown Blood, and Holy Smoke (though this isn't my focus) are both the funnest songs to scream on All Hell, capturing some of LC's original charm whilst both having intense and opinionated lyrical content, a catchy hook and melody, and a whole lot of love.

Favourite lyric: My voice moved hades so he extinguished the fire, I'm who they mean when they proclaim "THE BOY'S A LYREEEEE"

5. neon glow - glass beach

I discovered glass beach a few years ago, from their hit "bedroom community" and since then haven't dabbled much in their music, but this song really resonates with me. I think glass beach really excels at their melodic counterparts and mixing rather than their lyrics, though they definingly aren't bad! And hey, any band that covers carseatheadrest is interesting to me! I'd recommend glass beach to anyone that likes a huge mix of synths and distorted guitar, this song is super fast and catchy, with a beautiful slowed down section towards the end. glass beach aren't afraid of experimenting, and that's one of my favourite things in music. If you like this track, I'd really reccomend "bedroom community" and "cold weather," two hits from the same album. I can't comment much on the rest of the album as I haven't listened much, but definitely want to in the future!

Favourite lyric: You reach out to grab my hand to hold me close, while we float away from everything we loved

Los Campesinos! and ME REX, Brighton

8/10/24 - Troxi

LAST EDITED: 10/10/24

I don't think I'll ever find a band as culturally and mentally impactful to me as Los Campesinos.LC have had an interesting last few years in the industry; from COVID making touring undeniably abysmal to a certain strange public figure endorsement skyrocketing the band into small internet-stardom, the band has definitely had a lot to adapt to. The first time I saw LC, I was a starstruck 14 year old, wandering around the streets of Shoreditch trying to find the entrance to Village Underground. I had gotten the tickets a day before, hidden under a cloth by my best friend in a maths class I never honestly really ever paid attention to, frantically texting a random middle-aged man on Twitter my PayPal information asking to hold the tickets to as soon as I got out of the class. Really, I definitely shouldn't of been allowed in, and at the very least I was incredibly lucky to find such a kind stranger to give me the resale to this gig. It was an over 16s event (Village Underground's policy, at the time) and I had no way of assuring I could get in. Luckily for me, I had yet to make an NHS Covid pass that I needed to get in anyway, so I just forged my age on that. Maybe not the smartest idea.Basically, this gig shouldn't of happened for me in any conceivable way.But it did; and it shaped my life.LC were my first "small" gig, before, I had gone to twentyonepilots at Wembley, and P!ATD at the O2 (before Brendon Urie decided to ruin his image..) and I can unequivocally say nothing will ever compare to the night I had that day in 2021.
The LC atmosphere of the fanbase at that time was truly at its peak; a small amount of newer fans - such as myself - surrounded by hundreds of burly, yet kind 30 year old men. I'd never felt so safe around a bunch of balding men, but LC was different. And as much as it meant to me then, screaming my favourite song for the first time, it meant to me last week, screaming the same song, albeit 3 years older, and absolutely none the wiser.
There's truly something special about recognising a song to be so dear to yourself to the point you claim it as your own; crying comparing the lyricism to your life experiences, only for the band to dedicate it to yourself and your community that you were so scared to admit to your 14 year old self.Los Campesinos! new release, "All Hell" was the focus on this small England tour, titled aptly the "Mortal Joy tour" in reference to the even more amazingly named track "To Hell In a Handjob." The setlist consisted of a staggering 9/15 songs of All Hell, along with LC classic sleeper hits for weeping dipshits. "Banger after banger," Gareth claimed, and I feel that's the best way to describe how the setlist felt. Every song's distinctive intro elicited an "OHH!" or "YES!" from the crowd (Okay, maybe from me at least..) and even the bar staff at the venue could be seen scrapping along, dancing around to the unique melodies and existential lyrics. The speakers seemed more of a suggestion, the band tearing up the stage with as much energy as a band so old now could possibly muster, impressively so. Hurling drinks around, breaking microphone cables, and feet clung to the security barrier, Gareth and co's energies were something to be marveled, a smile plastered over their faces at all times. You can honestly tell this band love what they're doing, love their fans, and love their songs and that genuinely adds so much sincerity to their performances, something many bands these days are lacking.LC are unequivocally pioneers in leading the indie emo scene to make a change, politically and socially. Since Troxy, LC's biggest ever headline show, earlier this year, they have displayed 2 beautiful custom made banners draped off their Clavia Nord Wave and drinks table (that is never actually used, by the way) with 2 telling messages-
Freedom to Palestine, and free healthcare and safety for all trans people.
As well as this, these aren't just words; these are actions too. LC have donated upwards of £5000 to both of these causes, only play at independent venues, and only play at venues with gender neutral facilities. Even in tickets, LC reserve around 10% of all of their tickets to cost £5 only for low income locals that wish to see them, and although you may wonder how that goes, these tickets are often the last to sell out, people preferring to head to resale rather than snap up tickets from those who need them. LC are one of the few bands, rare these days to stand up to society and try to make a change, embodying the old ideology of the punk movement and putting it to good use. It's incredibly admirable, and a trait I hope more bands adopt.Another in the long list of LC's good deeds, is ME REX. ME REX opened for the Mortal Joy tour, and LC never disappoint with their opener choices. A small band based in Brighton and London, close to the seafront with only 3000 monthly listeners on Spotify as of writing. ME REX's lyricism is rival to Gareth's, as said by himself, and is a small band to 100% look out for in the future. Their song "Jupiter Pluvius" is a beautiful song lyrically and melodically, the shouted vocals stripped back, imperfect but meaningful are beautifully executed, and the small keyboard riff is not only stupidly catchy for how simplistic it is, but a perfect topper for such a simple thin texture. As per usual, I'm absolutely kicking myself for not listening to them before entering the gig, they're easily in my top 5 bands now that I've given them a closer look and I'd easily advise you to give them a listen, especially the aforementioned song.
Brighton, and even CHALK itself as a venue was a perfect quaint place for this tour. With a highest capacity of around 800, it's easily the smallest venue I've seen LC! in, which is pretty impressive. Even funnier, the venue doubled as a nightclub only an hour after we were shuffled out into the seaside breeze.There's something truly satisfying about having such a personal connection with a band, starstruck looking up to see them for the first time, alone hopelessly in love with your best friend in the worst depressive period of your life, and years later coming to terms with your past and your present, arms around your current partner with not a care in the entire building, jumping along to You! Me! Dancing! - screaming in eachother's faces hand in hand. These moments, generally, are the ones that make you grateful for the life you've lived, even just for a moment, before you go back to reality.Thank you to ME REX, and especially to Los Campesinos! for such a beautiful night as always, and I hope to continue my gig streak at Troxy for Febuary (Hey, Troxy? but I'm Troxi... Wonder where that came from ;))10/10/24 - Double header tickets secured.. ;)