As many of you probably know, I write for a music ‘site called GoldFlakePaint. Today is their 3rd birthday.

There’s an unlimited amount of music blogs/websites out there and finding a consistently decent, reliable, and enjoyable one can be a challenge. Luckily, GoldFlakePaint are there to tell us all what’s new, exciting and worth spending our precious pennies on. You might consider me bias, as obviously I write for them, but I couldn’t be prouder to be involved in what they do, because it’s genuinely brilliant.

On top of that, they’re now also hosting events, like a recent film night with a set from Scott Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit (Kissing In Cubicles).

In an age where music writing is done by so many, quality is no longer a guarantee, but the fact a webzine like GoldFlakePaint can last this long shows that there’s hope yet.

Long may it continue.

Some of my contributions to GoldFlakePaint

REVIEW:
FIREBURG’S FIRST FILM NIGHT
HIGH FIDELITY VS EMPIRE RECORDS
Firebug Bar
28 Feb 2013

REVIEW BY MEL REEVE:

Firebug is Leicester’s cosiest and hippest pub-come-venue, always providing a wealth of interesting and exciting gigs as well as a variety of other events, such as their infamous pub quiz.

In the next few weeks and months alone this delightful place has got live music from bands including Tall Ships (Wednesday 6th March), Ace Bushy Stripteas, Evans The Death (23rd March as part of their Indie Alldayer Festival) and Bats (12th April) . Not content with this busy schedule, Firebug kicked off a brand new monthly Film Club evening on Wednesday, with a cracking double bill; Empire Records and High Fidelity, two brilliant films.

It’s pretty empty when we first arrive upstairs, but it’s worth bearing in mind that it’s only the first time they’ve done this (and we can only hope it doesn’t put them off doing awesome things like this more often), and it just means there’s even more free popcorn to go around, as well as a wider choice of seats. A couple of the people I’d invited to join me decided to go to the cinema in Highcross and take advantage of Orange Wednesdays, but when faced with a choice between supporting a truly unique and wonderful bar in a new and exciting venture (as well as a more niche selection of films), there really is no contest for me.

It’s also nice to see all the posters in Firebug for Handmade Festival, another brand new event coming to Leicester, which genuinely has one of the best line-ups of any festival I’ve ever seen (Dutch Uncles, Sky Larkin, Johnny Foreigner, We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Twilight Sad, Katie Malco, plus loads of other awesome artists!) and promises to be a fantastic weekend of music.

Coming up on 26th March at 7:00pm there’s a Mean Girls and Clueless double-bill, which is sure to get everyone excited - two truly brilliant films in one sitting. Sadly, that’s slightly after the end of term for most of us Uni of Leicester students, but if you’re intending to stick around for a bit, then make sure you attend as you’re sure to have a great time. Also, make sure you put the Evil Dead 2 vs Shaun of the Dead evening on your calendar too, on 24th April.

Read on The Ripple’s website

I’m on LUSH Radio until 12pm, with music from Girls, Liars, Kenickie, EMA and more. I’ll also be talking about stuff.

CLICK HERE to listen in online.

Requests: @melreeve

feminismandstuff:

One of the hardest things that discovering feminism meant for me was the way I became unable to switch off the voice inside my brain that told me “this is problematic”. It’s a fact well documented on Tumblr in a variety of articles and in art, that feminist media criticism is addictive. You find yourself sitting in a cinema thinking “this doesn’t even nearly past the Bechdel test…” and “this doesn’t even have any people that aren’t white in it….”, which can be pretty exhausting. In my last article I discussed this a bit more in relation to Pitch Perfect, but it’s something that effects all the media I consume. (I’ve written before about how to learn to enjoy things that are problematic, so you might want to give that a read as well.)

With that in mind, you might imagine that kid’s television is something of a respite from such sexism and ridiculousness, even if it isn’t something you want to watch. But from what I can see that isn’t a guarantee, admittedly I don’t actively watch kid’s TV (Adventure Time being the exception but as I’ll go into in a minute, I’d hesitate to call this a kid’s television programme, much as you might with The Simpsons), but it seems that finding a show for adults you can watch without that little twinge of embarrassment and anger.

Adventure Time is set, in what we eventually discover to be a post-apocalyptic version of our planet. The characters have dark, even upsetting back stories that gradually unfold in each ten minute episode. That’s not to say it isn’t light hearted and funny, but a lot of the humour comes from a darker place than you might at first think.

Read more …

Read on Goldflakepaint

Atmospheric and dreamy, like something off the Twin Peaks soundtrack, Pure X mix beautiful reverb and equally beautiful guitar melodies on this is a gentle, psychedelic indie pop waltz. Painfully personal lyrics are hissed, the vocals that dodge between are delicate yet soulful, and powerful but raw (with a tonal quality and range reminiscent of Christopher Owens from the now-deceased Girls, and a touch of that particular charm Girls brought to guitar music).

This track more than stands up to repeat listening, in fact it’s of such a quality that it’s almost impossible not to keep on clicking that play button. The track is taken from the Austin three-piece’s second album ‘Crawling Up The Stairs‘, which will be released May 13th on Merok Records, and you can grab it as a free download here.

Read on Goldflakepaint

Being signed to Alcopop Records is pretty much a guarantee of quality; their roster boasts an incredible blend of artists. Manchester four-piece Doctrines are no exception to this rule, they make a delicious blend of violent guitars and vibrant indie-pop melodies. Daydream is the first single from their forthcoming album and it’s available as a free download below.

The album release is accompanied by a small tour covering most of England, and judging by their sound on record, their live shows are likely to be a messy, joyous and fun affair.

Friday 10th – Travelling Man Comic Store – ANX Release Show – Manchester

Saturday 11th – The Fox And Newt – Leeds

Sunday 12th – Venue TBC (Sheffield)

Monday 13th – Venue TBC (Nottingham)

Wednesday 15th – Urban Bar Whitechapel – London

Thursday 16th – Bullingdon w/ Fight Like Apes – Oxford

Friday 17th – Pav Tav – The Great Escape, Brighton

*

https://www.facebook.com/doctrinesband

Formed in 2009, London-based  Fiction have made their way pretty well despite this being their first album. They’ve supported bands like Warpaint and Everything Everything, and while these artists may not seem to share an especially similar sound on paper, they certainly have the same fresh, vibrant approach and execution that’s led them to fame – and it may well do the same for Fiction. It dives straight in to their distinctive melodic, poly-rhythmic and exciting sound with opener ‘Parting Gesture’ – immediately recognisable as solid single material with hooks that just aren’t going to let go; and the rest of the album is of a similar quality.

It’s an album with a summery feel certainly, but it never feels so tropical it becomes comical (something that bands like Friendly Fires lean towards). Instead there’s an element of darkness underpinning the upbeat melodies that gives it real bite. Lyrically, album can occasionally falter somewhat; ‘Vertigo In Bed’ is at first a fun listen, with hints of 80s nostalgia, but the repetitive use of the title in the track becomes a little grating and the vocals are simultaneously enchanting and a little alienating, with such a strong individuality that reminds of the Dead Science.

Closing track ‘The Apple’ is mentioned in every review or biography of this band out there, dealing as it does with such a sensitive and sad subject (the persecution of Alan Turing for his homosexuality). Rather than being something of a party piece to show their sensitive side, this just shows that Fiction are a band determined to make their sound something worth listening to; something interesting, fun, and perhaps even challenging.

Read on Goldflakepaint

I’m live on LUSH Radio until 12pm, with music from Desaparecidos, Pixies, Bat For Lashes, Sparky Deathcap and more: I’m live on LUSH Radio until 12pm, with music from Desaparecidos, Pixies, Bat For Lashes, Sparky Deathcap and more: LISTEN IN