Paloma Faith - 'A Perfect Contradiction' Album Review

Having just finished listening to 'A Perfect Contradiction', the third album from Paloma Faith, I wonder to myself why the Londoner hasn't become bigger because that's what she deserves. A Perfect Contradiction is soulful, melodic & full of funk. Everything you want to hear in a record.

Lead single Can't Rely on You which is produced by current hot property Pharrell Williams, paves the way for the rest of the album with it's use of brass instruments and 1960's era vocals.

The syncopated rhythm of disco-fuelled Mouth to Mouth couldn't keep you down if you tried. With it's catchy vocals and 70's inspired production it wouldn't feel out of place in a roller-disco rink.

However Faith doesn't only do uptempo. Paloma's smooth vocals are layered delectably over the strings of Only Love Can Hurt Like This which brings things back while drawing you in.

To me, the album fits alongside Amy Winehouse's Back to Black yet gives the listener something different. Paloma's talk/singing technique works well & is truly something special.

Top Tracks: Only Love Can Hurt Like This, Other Woman, Impossible Heart. Mouth to Mouth

A Perfect Contradiction is available now on iTunes.

Lady Gaga SXSW 2014

Lady Gaga performed last night at South by Southwest 2014 and boy did she leave her mark all over that stage. Literally.

Long after the 1 hour-ish performance had finished I was still pondering about what I had just witnessed. To me, the whole thing was uncomfortable to watch. I love her don't get me wrong, but something just seemed off about the whole thing.

Opening her show with Aura while mounted upon a rotisserie was nothing out of the ordinary. Swooping over & under she sounded great as she usually does live. Her next 2 numbers, MANiCURE & Jewels N' Drugs, were much of the same but off the spit roast which was probably a relief for her back. Then shit got weird.

For one of her most rave-like songs Swine, Gaga introduced the audience to her friend Millie who she said was going to perform to us all. With Lady G donning an apron I was quite intrigued with what was about to happen. One verse in and nothing was going on. Millie was drinking and stumbling around the stage and I looked on perplexed. Then it happened. Millie finished her drink, put her fingers down her throat and vommed up the neon green liquid she had been drinking all over Gaga. I had no words. I didn't want to watch but I couldn't stop. For verse 2 they both mounted a mechanical swine as Millie downed another drink, a black one this time, and once again spewed it up. Thankfully the song ended shortly after and Millie got the boat both to my joy and to that of the audience as they didn't give her much of a cheer when she left.

Dope followed suit and once again Gaga belted out her emotional lyrics but not before she gave a speech about addiction and life. Unnecessary but sure look, this is it. Gaga loves a good spiel.

To change the pace and blend in a bit more with the Austin aesthetic, a country mix of Bad Romance was up next and to me it was a hot mess. The fiddle, which was performed by an Austin native named Ruby, just did not seem to mesh with the rest of the instruments and the whole thing sounded off; vocally and rhythmically. Gaga moved around the stage wide eyed and mouth churning. She must have popped a few blue ghosts beforehand.

Semi Precious Weapons and Lady Starlight, the 'original bad kids from the Lower East Side' joined herself on stage for an impromptu rendition of Monster for Life and honestly by this stage I didn't have a clue what was going on. Everyone looked awkward, puffing cigarettes and drinking cans. When panning the audience the camera picked up people few and far between who actually looked as though they were enjoying themselves.

Applause closed off the set but only because she was 'told' to sing it apparently. That's a great indication of how things are between herself and her team! The song was half-arsed and almost insulting to the audience with the lack of interest Gaga had in performing it while bumming cigarettes of her friends, a far cry from her MTV VMA performance of the same song only last year.

Surprisingly, Gypsy was the encore but apart from the Little Monsters who were crammed up against the barrier, I don't think the audience cared much.

The whole thing was just odd. There was a fluid grunge theme throughout and that would be good if that's who Lady Gaga was but it isn't. Or at least I didn't think it was. I'm all for artists evolving. I love the new Miley Cyrus and I am 100% behind her evolution. But this seems different. Slowly but surely Gaga's image has gotten darker and darker over the years however her music hasn't. If grunge is who she truly is then why wasn't ARTPOP that kind of record? This would have been the perfect opportunity to re-brand herself especially as she was out of the music scene for a good while. Come back with a bang and a new lease of life.

Throughout her set she blasted record labels, spoke against pop music and people who are living their lives through technology. Perhaps I'm just not artsy enough to appreciate it all. I liked her most during her Fame Monster era. Knowing her audience, dancing high-octane dance routines and singing pop music. I'm not saying I don't like her anymore, I do! I'm going to see her in October for The artRAVE Ball. I just feel as though she's lost. Her image and her musicality are completely disjointed.

I just hope she gets back to her old self again soon. Somewhere she's happy and comfortable to be and somewhere we're comfortable to watch her.

Emotional Stages When Applying For A Job

Applying for a job is no easy thing to do. Whether it be for a part-time position in your local deli or a full-time position with Goldman Sachs, the stages you go through are inevitably the same.

Big Up
You love yourself when initially applying for the job. Bigging yourself up to the best of your ability. Oh I won this award twice, I can do that with my eyes closed, I have this, these & those qualifications too. I have this in the bag. They have to hire me. Look at me, I'm amazing.

Nervousness
You then begin to get nervous as soon as you've clicked 'submit' or once you've handed in your CV. You're second-guessing your qualifications. Wondering if you answered all those questions with full gusto or if you've missed your chance. Should I have said I'm a good dancer? That is a legitimate qualification for a job in IT isn't it?!

Despair
That's it, I'm doomed. I lost it. Not a chance now. I am a mess. I knew I should have included that dancer qualification. WHY ME?! I HATE LIFE.

Logical Thinking
Well now hang on now, I mean, I actually am perfect for this job. I DO have the necessary experience required. The picture I attached is from my good side. Now that I think about this, there is a chance. Just as much of a chance as everyone else.

Pray
DEAR GOD I KNOW WE HAVEN'T SPOKE IN A WHILE BUT PLZ GIVE ME THIS JOB.

Apathetic
I actually don't care anymore. Whatever. Just applied for the job on the off chance, it wasn't all that important. I mean I don't even like the company. Going to go look for a job more suited to me.

And finally,

Ecstatic
I GOT THE JOB. I would like to thank my mother, father, boyfriend, dog, cat groomer, gardener, playschool teacher, window cleaner, bus driver & everyone else who has believed in me over the years. This one's for you.

Katy B - 'Little Red' Album Review

Katy B returns with her highly anticipated sophomore album 'Little Red '.

Following the success of her debut album, On A Mission, Little Red strives to show just how talented the BRIT School graduate truly is. While her debut was piped full of drops & dancefloor thumpers, the follow up shows a more mature side, yet stays true to her roots.

Lead single 5 AM  is pure electro, hands-in-the-air, trademark Katy B layered with smooth vocals. But she is not a one trick pony. The second single from the album, Crying For No Reason, shows off Katy's range while also showing a vulnerable side which is rarely seen. The album is full of luxurious beats, catchy melodies & even features UK hit girl Jessie Ware on the addictive Aaliyah.

While the album is not perfect, with a few incoherent tracks added in, it is impossible to deny that Little Red is a treat for the ears. Loyal fans & new listeners alike will find something to indulge themselves within the 17 numbers.

Top Tracks: Sapphire Blue, Aaliyah, Next Thing, Emotions.

Little Red is available now on iTunes

Looking Needs To Look A Bit Harder.

HBO's latest drama, Looking, had garnered so much hype before it premiered that people had high expectations. However, those expectations have been met with a lackluster performance.

Now comfortably underway, Looking aired it's third episode over the weekend titled, 'Looking at your Browser History'. Having seen the promo prior to the show, I was very excited to welcome Russell Tovey to the fold as I had loved him in the UK version of Being Human. So far, three episodes in, he is the only character who actually seems to have a personality. Main protagonist Patrick is one of the most annoying I have come across. It's hard to feel anything towards him when he comes across so whiny at times.

Unofficially dubbed the gay version of GIRLS, that is about where the comparisons die. Lena Dunham's creation is smart, emotional & witty from the get-go. It is also relatable to everybody regardless of sexual orientation. The high & lows of a 20 something year old are universal. Looking on the other hand, is just dull. The most action, excuse the pun, happened in the very first scene of the very first episode, where protagonist Patrick cruises in a park & ends up getting with a guy in a bush. Seems wild I know.

I was just hoping  for more. I know the creators want to depict a realistic image of gay life but Christ is my life going to be that boring? It's so far been all about work, work, work. Patrick working hard as a level designer, Agustín failing as an artist & Dom the waiter forevermore. Where are the night clubs & bars? This is The Castro after all! A revolutionary place for the gays. I want to see them go on a night out, pop some Molly and end up in an orgy in the basement of a decrepit apartment block. I want to see Dom serving some wealthy businessman & getting off with him in the loo. I want Agustín to paint his fella like one of his French girls.

Of course, I'll continue to watch. After all it's one of the only, if not the only, shows on TV centered around an all gay cast. I just want it to get more exciting. I cry at thinking that's all I have to look forward to in 8 years time. A dull life, living alone & centered around work.

Lost my iPhone. Lost a limb. #PrayForJohn

Well the inevitable has happened. I have lost my iPhone. #PrayForBieberJohn

After 14 months, many, many, MANY drunken nights out, ridiculously low jeans & general carelessness, I have lost it in a stupid fashion; I merely left it on the seat in a taxi. Christ above I am like a junkie going through heroin withdrawals.

After sprinting down my road to try & catch up with the the taxi I failed and was left running in the opposite direction to my humble abode. I grabbed my father's phone and rang the phone twice before it stopped ringing altogether. Now, I'm not sure if the taxi man turned it off OR if the battery died. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say the latter. I hopped onto Find My iPhone but as the phone is off it can't be located. That is such a flaw with the whole system. Surely Apple are aware most iPhones are turned off when lost/stolen so why can't they send out some signal? HELP US ALL PLZ APPLE!! I tried ringing it again for 30 minutes before calling it a night and going to bed crying tears of sorrow & despair. It really is a tough life when you are most upset about losing your phone rather than the wars in the world but alas, this is it.

Upon waking I was met with great news, MY IPHONE HAD BEEN RETURNED. No it had not, that's how it played out in my dream. I am still mourning my loss. #PrayForMe. I Googled all the nifty things you can do when one has lost their iPhone. So therefore I have enabled 'Lost Mode' & got that really annoying sound to play. When whoever has my phone turns it on they'll be met with a sweet message kindly asking them to return the phone & a contact number for which they can call me. They'll hopefully think I am some 23 year old woman & give the phone back hoping for sexual favours or a date or something. 21 year old gay here so close enough like. I'll also receive an email as soon as the phone is online so I am CREEPING on my mailbox let me tell you.

For now, Papa has lent me his phone which is as basic as having a contacts list and messaging. I suppose that's all you actually need in a phone though right? I will update you on my progress however I'm not holding out hope. If I don't hear anything by tomorrow I'll just erase the iPhone via Find My iPhone and try get another one some way. As my mother said, it takes no time to turn on a phone, see the message & call.

If you are reading this taxi man ( the chances of which being like 1000000/1 seeing as though I have about 5 views on this a day) this is for you:

He's Not A King. He's A Queen.

The dressing room is exactly as I had expected it to be. Wigs, make-up, dresses & glamorous photographs cover every inch of the room. I’m here to talk candidly with Bláthnaid McGee, a staple on the Irish drag scene.

Bláthnaid set off on her path to drag stardom at the age of 17, having set her sights on becoming Panti Bliss’ Performing Assistant. Panti had only opened her bar, aptly named ‘Pantibar’, and was searching for her right hand, emm…woman. After losing out on the top prize, the enigmatic Bláthnaid McGee was asked back to play giant Connect 4 with the audience, as it was hard not to fall in love with her bubbly personality. Ever evolving, she started performing and then DJing, eventually being noticed and being asked to perform in other venues. Now 5 years on, she’s an established performer, still here, “Still being a big, huge, Man-Woman of a Saturday night”.

Coming out can be hard enough, so coming out and then telling your parents you want to be a drag queen I can only imagine is 10 times more difficult. However Bláthnaid’s parents are beyond supportive. She tells me how her mother’s reaction was,” Oh I hope you don’t want to become a woman or anything!” which Bláthnaid immediately shot down saying that it was just a job and purely for money. It’s funny how parents always jump to that conclusion. As for her father, it was the typical fatherly, “Ok whatever you want son”.  It’s great that different generations can appreciate the art also. Bláthnaid’s mother is actually going in to see the show next week with a few of her own friends.

Asking how her day-to-day life differs from her drag life, the most accurate phrase was, “I’m more glamorous”. I’m told when as a man on the train, he looks “BLEH! With hair undone, tracksuit bottoms on and not a care in the world. Then later, “I’m going to be a big huge glamorous woman!”. I’m also told how personality wise, she is more outspoken. “I’m kind of more outspoken in drag. I can just kind of say whatever pops into my head. I suppose it’s just a different version of me. I’m louder & more out there. You can say whatever you want & you can get away with it. You’re dressed up like a woman and nobody cares”.

As I sit chatting away, watching the transformation from Ciaran to Bláthnaid, I can see the amount of time and effort that’s put into this and it’s no surprise to me when I’m told putting on make-up is her favourite part. “I LOVE doing my make-up. It’s so fun. Sometimes you’re not in the mood to come in and go to work but when you’re sitting there, doing your make up for about 2 hours you kind of get in the zone”. Ever the perfectionist, she tells me she wonders if people would notice if something went undone but that she couldn’t do it because she’d know and she’d care. A true sign that her work is important to her. She recounts a funny story to me about a show she did recently, “I was doing a show up in Belfast and I was wearing these peep toe shoes so I only painted the first three toenails and I kicked off my shoes during the song and there was a woman in the front like ‘OH MY GOD LOOK AT THAT!’, I was so annoyed I forgot about that. I was raging. Ooopsie”.

Walking around as man dressed up as a woman you would think you would get into some bad situations, however Bláthnaid hasn’t which I think is a great sign for the people of Ireland,“ I don’t think I’ve received any stigma, but you get abuse every now and again from straight boys In the street walking around in drag. But you just kind of give it back. Some people are like ‘Oh you’re a drag queen you dress up like a woman do you want to be a woman’ but I couldn’t be bothered with people like that.  Now if somebody says that I’m just like, ‘F off’. When I ask if she herself believes Ireland is accepting of drag culture she agrees. “I think so. Panti had her show in the Abbey there recently & then she went off on tour to Australia. Then the Wright Venue and the Gilbert & Wright bars, well they have Annie Balls. She works in all the different bars doing the bingo Monday to Friday. All the straight bars!  Yeah we’re all over the place these days”.

The difficulty with drag according to Bláthnaid is how small the scene is. “It’s a really small scene and there are only 4 or 5 bars up here so only so many jobs going. Only so many things you can do. So I suppose breaking out in the drag scene weekly would be a bit difficult. Learning words too. I can’t dance or anything so sometimes the spoken word thing is easier but it’s a lot more learning. It’s funny, it’s something different. It’s not just the same ‘oh look at him in a wig and dancing to a song’. You can be so easily replaced. Like because there’s so many of us out here you’ve got to keep it fresh, new and stuff like that.  Unless you buy your own bar, then you can do whatever you want!”.

My last question was where she saw herself in 10 years. “I don’t see myself here. I want to live in Edinburgh and I like the job that I’m doing at the moment so I want to work my way up there and move. I don’t know whether I’m going to do drag over there just kind of see what happens. I never planned on doing it for 5 years so I don’t know in 10 years if I’m still going to be doing it!”.

The last thing Bláthnaid said to me was probably the best way to sum her up, “I don’t really think of myself and Bláthnaid being different people. Just because I’m still the same person I’m just in a wig. I’m slightly more drunk and more glamorous than I would be”.

I think regardless of where she ends up, Bláthnaid will win everyone over with her charm and charismatic demeanour. I wish her all the luck in the world.