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Freecycling – The Second-Hand Swap-Shop That’s Kind To The Environment

(Little Green Women, March 17, 2010)

 
Anyone who grew up in the 70s will 
doubtless remember the car boot 
sale of old – loading up on all that 
gaudy household junk so you can 
stand by your car in a field until 
you’ve made some cash off it – only 
to realise you’d bought almost as 
much to bring home with you again.
With the advent of Ebay, there are 
those who believe selling their used goods online is the way to cash 
in car boot-style in the 21st century, but the market has long since 
been flooded.
Enter the tenet behind the 2003 American set-up of Freecycle – ‘one 
person’s trash can truly be another’s treasure’. The UK network works 
under the assurance that it’s ‘changing the world one gift at a time’ 
and it’s certainly making waves amongst the online community.
So it goes that Freecycle is a grassroots, non-profit movement who 
give and get stuff for free – in their own towns. It’s all about reuse 
and keeping good stuff out of landfill. Local Freecycle groups are 
moderated by a local volunteer, and the array of loot available may 
astonish even the most cynical of users.
Local Freecyclers are proud of the service, and feel lucky to have 
such a great system in place.
Freecycler Frances Roche can’t speak highly enough of it.
“Over the last three years I have received no end of things, and I 
know they would have cost me a lot of money if I had gone out and 
bought them,” she says. “Being a single mother, I know I wouldn’t 
have been able to buy a lot of the things I have been kindly given.”
Freecycle works in much the same spirit as Ebay, in that trust is 
implied in your compliance with the group, and anything from bags 
of clothes and old Beanos to teapots and tumbledryers is fair game.

Another Freecycle member Stella told Little Green Women, “I have 
recently had the sad job of clearing a relative’s house. It’s a 
heartbreaking job because everything in the house has a history 
which we may or may not know. However, it’s heartening to know 
that what we didn’t need is going to be useful to others. I would 
love to know whether the person who collected the wooden 
wardrobe doors managed to turn them into a sideboard…!”
A story behind every handover has made for the best of times – 
and even some lasting friendships. 
Negatives are thin on the ground, although there is a general feeling 
that there are those who may be labelled ‘timewasters’ in any transaction.
June says, “My experiences have been varied. I have found homes for 
some unwanted items and received some very useful ones. I have had 
polite transactions, and some people who never showed up when 
collection was arranged.”
Joining Freecycle has doubtless given lots to the many and seems like 
a one-stop shop for value, but for Little Green Women, the biggest boon 
has to be finding new uses for waste. Sign up today!
How to beat the pack
There are numerous Freecycle updates every day – you can sign up for 
those to be emailed directly to you or just log in and peruse what’s available 
in your group at your leisure. Keen Freecyclers will probably subscribe 
to updates, but the quicker the draw, the less disappointed you will be, 
so keep an eye on your inbox!
Edinburgh Freecycle has 5383 members. 
Go to www.freecycle.org to find out more

Girlyman - Everything's Easy

(Morning Star, March 7, 2010)

Album review

This title's a bit of a misnomer here.

There's no end of heartache, heartbreak and loss in US four-piece Girlyman's fifth release.

Opener Tell Me There's A Reason has more than a little folk country accent to its harmonies.

From there on in the whole record makes a virtue of its innate quaintness.

This is not to knock the music. The silken harmonies are exemplary, with a depth and imagination in the lyrical imagery which cause heart palpitations.

Other stand-out tracks include House Song, a tragically sad diary entry by female vocalist Ty Greenstein while True Enough boasts a soft and sweet vocal intro and a languid line courtesy of male vocalist Nate Borofsky.

Lovely.

Cirkus - Medicine

(Morning Star, February 28, 2010)

Album review

There was a distinct slice of the 1990s pop scene that Neneh Cherry owned - her recognisable sultry vocals smouldered their way through her early solo career and memorable collaborations.

So CirKus is lucky indeed to boast her among its ranks, but then it was a concept dreamed up by her husband Burt Ford.

A world of trip-hoppy weirdness, where regular sounds are distorted in their hall-of-mirrors production, CirKus are nothing if not experimental.

On Hardly Breathing, the relentless rhythm punches through the vocal, while on '80s-style Johnny iCon there's La Roux-style pop with a truly luxurious voice.

The high point has to be the title track, a mature and inspired European trip-hop track with warmth and heart, in which the "the sun comes shining through/the sun for me and you."

Definitely the star of the show.

Emily Breeze - The Penny Arcade

(Morning Star, February 7, 2010)
Album review

Bristol-based Emily Breeze's PJ Harvey-flavoured vocal ushers in a new age of wonder from the off.

Like a skiffle band stacked to the rafters with double bass and slick percussion, Monday's Right Hook opens the record.

It is barnstorming stuff.

And it has all the pugilistic force of the dreaded start of the working week.

But in this case, Emily being Emily, it only gets better.

And how.

The fighting talk of the opener mellows on Badlands, which is all acoustic guitar and smokey singing which brings to mind Tanita Tikaram.

But through torch song Lost Highway and the title track, Emily brings a depth to the slower tune that bruises and burns the heart.

With courage in her near-growl and an all-round great set of tunes, The Penny Arcade is set for definite success.

A big thumbs up to this one

Bryan Minus - Forage

(AU magazine, February 2010)

Album review

Slinking out of the speakers like an Anglophile US teen, 'Never Says A Thing' opens Bryan Minus' debut EP with all of the androgyny of Bowie and the staccato guitar spikes of Talking Heads. The Portland, Oregon lad heading up a four-piece obviously has a well-thumbed 1970s record collection, and wears his best colours on his sleeve here.

The opener has some verve, but on 'Looking', the chutzpah is replaced with sixth form shoegazing. 'I Am A Ghost' speaks of the 'Stray Cat Strut', while 'Confess' seems to lack a musical centre. Forage gets an A minus - excellent Bowie aping, but a tendency to sound a little too much like The Cure.

Ocean Colour Scene - Saturday

(Morning Star, January 31, 2010)

Album review

Ocean Colour Scene try their best to disprove Darwinian theory. They have spent decades refusing to evolve from their Dadrock inception, steadfastly swimming against the modernity of the chart tide, and yet here they still stand.

Saturday kicks off like a slice of The Who circa 1968 - stacked with catchy hooks and Simon Fowler's unmistakable bluesy roar - but there's no resonant sound of a fantastic leap ahead from What Once Was.

Opener 100 Floors Of Perception starts: "100 Mile High City falling to the floor," perhaps intended to signify a farewell to the old by demolishing one of OCS's big hits, but there's no ruination of the old guard here.

From the Seahorse-esque Mrs Maylie to the lyrically Kinks-inspired Village Life, OCS are forever flogging the rotten corpse of Dadrock in the hope that they'll live on. Nothing lasts forever, guys.

Icons of Elegance - Dancing is Easy

(Morning Star, January 31 2010)

Album review

The third album from this tuneful Finnish familial duo is not entirely original, so neophiles should steer clear. But for the rest of us - those who can appreciate that a good tune doesn't have to reinvent the riff - there's some lovely music on show here that will enrich the winter for your tired old stereo.

The opening title track is melodious guitar-powered pop with a distinct lack of guile. The delightful Sigh, My Heart says more about these two brothers - that they're not afraid of sharing their feelings to a quite unusual degree.

The retro Norwegian Girl and the touching, erm, Touching make this a well-rounded, delicate record. It's not unusual, but it's wonderful all the same.

Chris Bradley - At The Outpost

(Morning Star, January 17 2010)

Heavy on the acousto-pop, Chris Bradley's second solo record takes him a further step from work with his bandmates in Aberfeldy.

The maturity in his singing is bewitching from opener The Man I Love, underpinned by folk instrumentals and lyrics which speak of a wider world.

Bradley has clearly built on the elements which succeeded in his 2008 debut Voices, and has carved here the self-aware work of a folky Nick Lowe.

Golden Girl has all the accomplishment and intellect of Carrack-era Squeeze, while the biting Your Close Friend offers an emotional window on betrayal.

Paul Vickers and The Leg - Itchy Grumble

(Morning Star, January 17 2010)

If you have time to spare for the inventive and incongruous, welcome Paul Vickers And The Leg.

Throwing out the musical rule book, this is a - whisper it - concept record.

Like 2008's Tropical Favourites, it does make itself unwelcome at times, telling the story of the immortal Itchy Grumble and his travels and travails.

Opener Overture is a series of atonal beeps, giving way to the frankly haywire Vial, which brings to mind Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica.

The descent of Itchy offers a rich lyrical seam of the uneasy, but frankly, it's all a little bit much in parts for a pop record. Proceed with caution.

Sounds of 2010

(Morning Star, 3 January 2010)

Kurran and the Wolfnotes

With soothing melodies straight outta San Fran in '67, London-based Kurran and his four-strong band are taking the Crosby, Stills and Nash express to the dizzy heights of hippy songsmithery with their harmony-soaked sound.

Your Four Limbs is all beseeching lyrics and plaintive folky vocals.

Debut single Whatabitch may send the feminists baying, but in truth, the chirpiness of the alt folkers will disarm any heart.

Live, their fragility switches for a raw rocky sound that ignites the stage and is getting folk fans in quite a lather.

Why not join them?

Delphic

Taking the clear chiming notes of New Order and mixing them up with dancey beats, our friends in the north Delphic are flying the Manchester flag with aplomb.

Already off the starting block with last August's single This Momentary, these thoroughly modern musicians are now putting their defining moment Doubt into the hands of the fans, hosting a remix contest online via their website.

As they've also already launched their own iPhone application, when it comes to the future, they're really breaking down the walls - and the beats. Delphic's debut album Acolyte will be released on January 11.

A Christmas Carol, Sherman Cymru Theatre

(Morning Star, 28 December 2009)

With the sonorous chimes of Big Ben, director Amy Hodge's A Christmas Carol slinks on to the stage of Sherman Cymru.

Looking the part with a set of frankly oversized machinery, the extraordinarily well-known tale enjoys a low-key introduction with ghostly Jacob Marley - in chains of course - expounding nicely.

More unexpected is Mark Frost's boyish Ebenezer Scrooge, but shaving off a few years from the old chap just adds extra vim to the show.

The Ghost of Christmas Past paints Scrooge's life to date perfectly with highlight song The System Works - "the system that made me," as Scrooge has it.

The arrival of a camp, gaudy and rather bawdy Ghost of Christmas Present is a shock to the senses, but clearly makes the event more pantomime, to the delight of the children in attendance.

Regardless, the quiet epiphany of Scrooge and the requisite festive ending brings it all reassuringly home.

Runs until January 9. Box office: (029) 2064-6900.

Pic: Farrows Creative

Plum (And Me, Will!), Sherman Cymru Theatre

(Morning Star, 19 December 2009)

A musical quartet bedecked in stripes and every colour of the rainbow greets the audience of Plum (And me, Will!) - the perfect first step in a show which both enchants and entertains. Louise Osborn, responsible for last year's successful Cinders, has once again created a magical world for young imaginations. The protagonist, Katy Owen's Will, is a boy with a 'tiger temper' - causing him to break his mother Hannah McPake's prized traditional Christmas decorations. With only a night to get the elf, soldier and fairy Plum mended before his father gets back from 'across the sea', Will goes on the adventure of a lifetime, battling pirates and tigers to right his wrongs.

Delightful and exuberant, the children watching were spellbound by the original story and audience interaction, and the themes of family and responsibility for one's actions are well integrated into the tale. A touch of modernity does cloud the timeless production, however, when the reason for Will's father's absence becomes clear.

Plum (And Me, Will!) runs until 2 January 2010. Visit www.shermancymru.co.uk for more information.

Emmy The Great - First Love

(Morning Star, Albums of 2009 round up)

Rammed with the sort of DIY production that makes indie fans swoon; Emma Lee Moss’ debut longform record is one of 2009's classics. Pop culture offers many lyrical touchstones, but there's a timelessness to Emmy's greatness, from namechecking Leonard Cohen to 'aah aah aahs' aping 60s girl groups, all shot through with delicious melancholy. The lovely 'MIA' is the high point of both heartfelt wonder and quirk overload, but really, all of Emmy The Great's songs are bewitching stories - we are merely blessed with the ability to listen to her in wonder.

Allo, Darlin’ - The Polaroid Song

(Muso's Guide, December 3, 2009)

Single review

There’s a special place in every girl’s heart for twee pop. The Cardigans doing ‘Carnival’, Belle and Sebastian doing, well, any of their songs - it’s enough to make any red-blooded chick wear Hello Kitty slides in their fringe, get a uke and wear their boyfriend’s ratty brown cardigan.

Incidentally, making this sort of music have ‘Allo Darlin’ veer the same way - kooky, uke-y, and, on ‘The Polaroid Song’, very Lenka.

Elizabeth and Bill are from Australia, Mike and Paul are from Kent, but they’ve come together here in the UK to make the sort of fey indie pop that we should all demand more of. ‘The Polaroid Song’ is an upbeat, uptempo pop classic with its feet firmly in the past, telling tales of camera film of old.

The backing vocals add a richness to Elizabeth’s sweet vocal, and the whole thing is the aural equivalent of a hot chocolate packed with marshmallows - sweet, comforting and repeated consumption is never enough.

What would have been, in days of yore, the ‘B-side’ is the seasonally appropriate ‘Would You Please Spend New Year’s Eve With Me?’.

Steeped in some of that lovely ukelele tunefulness, Elizabeth’s breathy voice is both sweet and sultry, as she suggests we “hide in my bedroom and watch cartoons all night”. There’s a special place in every girl’s heart for that, too.

Jesca Hoop - Hunting My Dress

(AU magazine, December 2009)
Album review

It would take a brave man to suggest that Californian kook Jesca Hoop is anything other than the next big thing. Having received notable endorsements from Tom Waits - who she used to nanny for - and Guy Garvey, she is on her way to success, whether you like it or not. And you might like it - gentle and feminine, she hits the high notes with aplomb and regularity, before plunging to the long, low ones with surprising skill. So, vocal range, interesting celebrity friends and a lot of moxie - a pretty good package if you throw in insistent radio-friendly hits like 'Whispering Light' and soulful reveries like 'Murder of Birds'. Off the wall and on her way.

Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse

(AU, December 2009)
Album review

Despite inexplicably naming their debut - and themselves - for some sort of death metal alter egos, LA female trio Warpaint have started on an excellent footing - an album mixed by RHCP guru John Frusciante and opening for The Slits. This dreamy, hazy excursion smells like teen spirit with My Bloody Valentine's album tucked under its arm. The driving drumbeats push the songs on relentlessly, but instead of sounding harsh and rocky, there's a hypnotic beauty to the music here, a real creation of soundscapes. With song lengths ranging between four and seven minutes, it's clear these chicks love to play, but it's haunting ephemera at its very best. Opener 'Stars' kicks into something rather special, while mournful 'Billie Holiday' (sic) is an acoustic meander through an elusive wonderland of pain and pulchritude. If you met Exquisite Corpse at a party, it would smell of dead roses and chain smoke, and you would be mesmerised.

Mr Hudson- Straight No Chaser

(AU magazine, November 2009)

One of the great pop humourists, Mr Ben Hudson is back - sans Library - to offer more amusing takes on musical styles. He has enlisted label boss Kanye West to perfect his satirical swipe on humourless hiphop and makes sport of the tired old clichés that blight the charts. From the Hoff-style Europop of 'White Lies' to the 80s synth pap of 'Knew We Were Trouble' to the vocoder-drenched title track, Mr H is an accomplished mimic - even doing an uncanny monotone Akon on 'There Will Be Tears'. It's an hilarious excursion, and one for which he should be lauded. Unless it's not actually a joke...?

Steven Wilson - Nsrgnts Rmxs

(AU magazine, November 2009)

From the frontman of Porcupine Tree comes an album which bears the hallmarks of a vanity release. The mini-album is made up of six songs which are remixes of tracks released earlier this year on the album Insurgentes. Equal parts Massive Attack and Thom Yorke (solo), there is a haunting darkness that slices through the Wilson remixes which makes it worth at least a listen, but it's not one to get under the skin of the casual observer. One of the remixes, 'Abandoner (Danse Macabre mix)' was selected through a competition on Wilson's website. So at least that guy will be buying this record.

Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary

(AU magazine, November 2009)

If you have a wonky fringe and tell everyone black is your favourite colour, Sunny Day Real Estate are your patron saints. 'Emo' before everyone knew that's what it's called, this reissue of their critically-acclaimed debut coincides with yet another rematch in their 'will they/won't they' recording history. It's easy to hear Diary and see how various members fitted in so well with the likes of the Foo Fighters. It's American college rock as was, all 'quiet bit/loud bit' and some really rather touching harmonies, especially on 'In Circles' and the mellower 'Shadows'. From the Slint school of 'way back cool', buy it and use the tracks on mix tapes to woo similarly emo members of your preferred gender.