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Artist Spotlight: Swallow Cave

At a time when live concerts still seem like a distant reality, it’s easy to forget that certain shows exist for the sole purpose of escaping that reality. For Swallow Cave, the Bristol-based quartet consisting of vocalist Polly Jessett, guitarist Florrie Adamson-Leggett, bassist Sarah Currie, and drummer Isobel Waite, a dream gig would take place inside an episode of Twin Peaks – which is to say, it would feel a lot like an actual dream. It’s no surprise, then, that their brand of dream pop evokes that Lynchian vibe: new single ‘Cold Moon’ swirls around bluesy guitars and languid vocal melodies, before Polly’s poignant voice cuts through that ethereal soundscape in the chorus to inject a sense of humanity into the track’s shoegazey mix. Delving into themes of mental illness, it’s the band’s strongest release so far, following the similarly pensive early 2020 single ‘Nostalgia’, as well as their cavernous 2018 EP The Shoe Demos. For a group whose music aims to capture the dark, elusive corners of the mind, Swallow Cave never fade into the background – Sarah’s bass lines are steady and hypnotic, Florrie will often rip through a hazy guitar solo – a subtle reminder that, even when stuck in a liminal state, the smallest things can still feel inescapably present.

We caught up with Polly of Swallow Cave for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk about their music.

How did you form Swallow Cave?

The first seeds of Swallow Cave were sown when Sarah (bass) and I were travelling in Australia, we had both been heavily into music during our teens and kind of lost touch with it for a while but at this point in time we were both really finding our passion for music again. We visited ‘Swallow Cave’ and joked about starting a band of that name and discussed at length how we would sound etc. Neither of us had played our instruments for a few years and I’d always assumed through lack of trying that I could not sing or write songs. Fast forward a couple of years and we were back in England, I’d started writing some songs (following the advice of an Aussie pal who adamantly insisted that everyone can sing) and took them to Sarah who then roped in Izzi (drums) and we went from there.

Without using any genre terms, how would you describe the band’s sound?

We have always hated trying to describe our music to people even when using genre terms so this is a difficult one haha but words that we hear used to describe us a lot are cinematic and dreamy, there’s also been mention of David Lynch and cowboy hats when trying to describe us.

How do your musical influences vary across the group?

As a group we have a pretty big crossover area of music that we all love and that influences the band which is quite broad and hard to define from Beach House to Elvis and loads in between. I would say Sarah brings a lot of influence from 60’s rock n roll and french ye-ye music. Florrie has a lot of 90’s alternative influences like Yo La Tengo and Stereolab whilst Izzi is a big fan of Talking Heads, The Beatles and disco stuff.

You released The Shoe Demos EP back in 2018. In what ways has your approach to songwriting evolved since then?

So the songs on The Shoe Demos were the first songs I’d ever written and our first experiences of trying to be a band, we rehearsed as a 3-piece every week for a few months with essentially no idea of what we were doing but just enjoying figuring it out together. We put those songs online with no real expectations other than hoping to find a lead guitarist and get some gigs out of it. Since Florrie joined us on guitar and we started playing regular shows we started to feel more like a real band and that has definitely given us more confidence in our songwriting abilities and our collaborative creativity.

I read that ‘Cold Moon’ was written after a walk one morning and feeling everything around you intensify. Could you talk more about the experience that inspired the track, and the process of channelling it for the song?

I can’t remember why but I had been feeling particularly low one evening, sitting in my room late at night and going to those darker places in the mind. The following morning I got up early and went for a walk around Bristol Harbour, it was just one of those moments where you feel everything very intensely and I was wondering how my mind could have gotten so low the night before. I guess I just started questioning myself on all of it and essentially started writing the lyrics in my head, I rushed the end of the walk to get home and grab my guitar and that was it really.

What was it like recording the song? What do you feel producer Ali Chant brought to the track?

We recorded as a live take all spaced around Ali’s studio and then worked into it afterwards adding vocals and layers. Working with Ali was really great, we had a few ideas and so did he so we just tried things out to see what worked but ultimately he gave us the platform to record our song the way we wanted it. There were lots of bits and pieces to play with in the studio, we wanted to build layers and add depth but were also aware of not wanting to overcrowd it so the process was really about striking a balance, adding and taking away certain elements until we felt it was right.

What’s next for Swallow Cave? Anything else you’re excited to share in the near future?

We are just laying low at the moment due to obvious reasons, but we’re really excited to work on new music together and hopefully have an EP to release in 2021. When we start playing live shows again we want to be playing pretty much a whole new set which will be exciting.

‘Moonlight’ Director Barry Jenkins Remixes Wilco’s ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’: Listen

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Barry Jenkins has remixed the entirety of Wilco’s classic 2001 record Yankee Hotel Foxtrot with the help of Houston-based collective The Chopstars. “Some Americana for the timeline given recent events,” he tweeted when sharing the project on Monday. “#YeehawAgenda is alive and well.” The Moonlight director’s reworking is titled Yankee Purple Foxtrot – listen to it below.

The filmmaker has put out a number of remix collections in collaboration with The Chopstars, including reworked versions of Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest and Painted, the Moonlight soundtrack, as well as the OST for Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk.

In related news, it was recently announced that Jenkins will be directing The Lion King prequel. Last month, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy released new solo album called Love Is the King.

Rico Nasty Reveals Release Date for New Album ‘Nightmare Vacation’

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Rico Nasty has revealed the release date for her upcoming debut album Nightmare Vacation. It comes out December 4. Check out her announcement below.

Earlier this year, the rapper released the song ‘iPhone’, a collaboration with 100 gecs that was billed as the lead single for the new record. The album’s second single, ‘Own It’, followed in September. More recently, she shared the track ‘Don’t Like Me’ featuring Don Tolliver and Gucci Mane.

Nightmare Vacation follows her 2019 collaborative LP with Kenny Beats, Anger Management. 

Vessel Announces New EP ‘Passion’, Releases New Song

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Vessel has announced a new EP: Passion comes out on November 18 via Paplu, their new label with violinist Rakhi Singi. The EP includes the newly unveiled track ‘Movement III (if the telephone rings i’ll be saved)’, which arrives with a video directed by Pedro Maia. Check it out below, and scroll down for the EP’s cover artwork and tracklist.

The 3-track project is inspired by Brazilian writer Claire Lispector and her book The Passion According to G.H. Proceeds from the sale of the EP will be donated to mental health charity Mind. “Given the nature of the piece and what it draws from, it felt right to offer something back to people that are there for others when things turn bad,” Vessel, real name Sebastian Gainsborough, explained in a statement. “Mind have helped me a lot in the past. We live in difficult times, and services like theirs need support.”

Speaking about the EP itself, Vessel added: “The music came from, or was a response to my long-term, on-again off-again relationship with depression and anxiety. It’s not intended to be a conclusive or literal statement about mental health, but a personal expression of the messiness of the mind.”

Passion will mark the follow-up to Vessel’s 2018 album  Queen of Golden Dogs. The new project was originally commissioned by Somerset House and co-produced with Rakhi Singh.

Passion EP Cover Artwork:

Passion EP Tracklist:

1. Movement I (love is before love)
2. Movement II (trust)
3. Movement III (if the telephone rings i’ll be saved)

Billie Eilish Announces New Song ‘Therefore I Am’

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Billie Eilish has announced a new song called ‘Therefore I Am’. The follow-up to ‘my future’ comes out this Thursday, November 12 (1 p.m ET/ 7 p.m. BST). Check out the announcement below.

“I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE,” Eilish wrote on social media. Her brother and collaborator FINNEAS added, “You are not ready.”

‘Therefore I Am’ will mark the pop singer’s third single of 2020. She released the James Bond theme song ‘No Time to Die’ in February, followed by ‘my future’ in July. Shortly after its release, Eilish and FINNEAS performed ‘my future’ at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. A music video for ‘No Time to Die’ arrived in early October, as well as a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. More recently, Eilish held a virtual concert titled WHERE DO WE GO? THE LIVESTREAM.

How to Write a Literature Review for a Research Paper

When we talk about a literature review we are talking about a review related to scholarly sources around a certain topic. As any Essay Hub expert would explain it, a literature review provides an overview of any gaps in research that already exist, it outlines any methods and it also provides information related to current knowledge.

If you need to write a literature review for a research paper you could contact someone from CustomWritings who will write a research paper for you in accordance with your guidelines. You will need to be able to collect, analyze and evaluate publications i.e. journals and books which relate to your topic.

Below are some steps that you will need to follow to complete a research paper related to the literature review.

Search For literature which is relevant

Before you begin to look for literature, you need to make sure you look for literature that relates to your research question and objective. If the literature review you are writing is part of an assignment, you need to make sure you create a central question that will help with your search.  Alternatively, this research question can also be answered without the need to collect any original data as it can be answered based on reviewing all existing publications. 

Begin by making a list of keywords that link to your research topic. You will also need to list any terms or synonyms which link to your topic. For example, if your topic is on social media your keywords could be Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. 

The second step that you will need to follow is to look for relevant sources and for this,  you can use your keywords to do this. Begin by searching for articles and journals online or head to your university library instead. Start by reading the abstract to see if had any connections to your topic and see if it relates to your question. If you’re using a book, it may be worth checking in the bibliography to see if it can supply you with any other relevant sources.

Evaluate  your sources

It will probably be impossible to read everything that’s ever been written on the topic you have chosen, so you will need to work out which sources are the best for you. When looking at each publication you can ask the following:

  • Which problem or question does the author answer?
  • What are the conclusions of the study?
  • Locate the key concepts and how they have been defined. 
  • How does this publication help you to understand the topic?
  • Highlight any strengths or weaknesses.

It is vital to use sources that are credible. For instance, it is possible to see how many times a particular article has been cited on Google Scholar. If it has been cited a lot, this probably means that the article is credible and influential and therefore you should use it in your research paper.

As you go along make sure you take notes and note down any sources that you plan to use. It is very important to do this in order to ensure that you also avoid plagiarism.

Identify gaps and themes

You need to look out for any themes and identify any gaps when looking at sources. Try and look out for the below:

  • Are there any themes or sources that seem to recur across the sources?
  • Are there any gaps in knowledge that need to be dealt with?
  • Can you see patterns, for example, do any approaches become less or even more popular with time?
  • What makes different sources disagree?

By completing the above you’ll be able to decide on how to structure your literature review and if possible, highlight how your research may contribute to previous knowledge.

Outline your structure

When it comes to organizing the body of your literature review there are different approaches that you could take. Before you begin any writing, you need to have some idea of what strategy you will follow. It is possible to combine different strategies if the length of your review can take this.

  • Thematic – If you have discovered some themes that recur then you could organize your review into subsections that look at the different aspects related to this topic.
  • Chronological – The easiest option is to track how a topic has developed with time. However, make sure you don’t just summarize and list sources in order. You will need to look at patterns and important debates that have shaped the topic. Make sure you provide your interpretation of why and how specific developments have taken place. 
  • Methodological – If you plan to use sources from a variety of fields that may use different research methods, you could look at comparing any conclusions or results that have come out from the different approaches. 

Write your literature review for the research paper

Like any other academic writing, a literature review needs to have an introduction and main body, and a conclusion.

Introduction. Your introduction needs to identify the purpose and focus of your literature review.

The main body. If your literature review is long enough, you could consider dividing it into subsections and use a relevant subheading for each approach or theme. When you start to write, keep the below in mind:

  • Interpret and analyze: Make sure you don’t just paraphrase someone else’s work as you need to add your own interpretation and talk about the significance of any findings and how they relate as a whole.
  • Write in paragraphs that are well-structured: Use topic sentences to help you draw contrasts and comparisons as well as connections.
  • Summarize: Make sure you provide an overview that relates to the main points of each source that you use and then combine all of this together.
  • Critically evaluate: When you critically evaluate, you need to make sure you mention any strengths and weaknesses that you have found in your sources.
  • Double-Check with an AI Detector: If you have used AI to do research for the literature review, run your content through an AI Detector to make sure you rewrite whatever comes up as a potential flag

The conclusion

In your conclusion, you need to summarize what your key findings are and highlight the significance of these findings. While writing a literature review for your research paper, please avoid common mistakes a lot of students make.

The Best Places in the World for Live Music

The live music industry has taken a huge hit in the wake of Covid-19, with some suggesting that this sector could take up to three years to recover from the socio-economic impact of the virus.

This has particularly hit entertainment-led cities such as Las Vegas, where the stages are filled with stars from across the globe and have forged (or in some cases, rebuilt) the careers of legends such as Elvis Presley.

In this post, we’ll look at the world’s best cities for live music and ask how they’ve built their reputations over the years.

1. London

While Liverpool and Manchester may have delivered live music legends such as The Beatles and Oasis respectively, it’s London that’s thought to be the birthplace of the real-time music scene.

Synonymous with the aforementioned bands and legendary live groups such as The Clash and The Rolling Stones, the UK capital has a lucrative and non-stop live music sector that’s dominated by regions such as Camden, Brixton and Soho.

A wide range of music genres are well-represented here too, from jazz and latin to punk rock and even dubstep.

2. Nashville

In the US, Nashville is renowned as the home of country music, in the same way that Memphis has its cultural roots in the blues movement.

This location is defined by legendary venues such as the Bluebird Cafe and the Grand Old Opry, where some of the world’s most famous country music stars launched their careers.

Nashville is also home to theCountry Music Hall of Fame and Museum, making it a popular hotspot for history enthusiasts and anyone with a penchant for nostalgia.

3. Austin (Texas)

Interestingly, the Texas city of Austin has proclaimed itself the ‘World’s Live Music Capital’, with this breathtaking example of self-promotion reflective of the region’s unique swagger.

Austin is chock-full of clubs, bars and live music arenas, which are dedicated to a range of genres including (most prominently) biker rock, country and blues.

Austin is also known for its outdoor festivals, where events and fringe shows take place city-wide and throughout the typical year!

4. Havana

Havana is a city that’s delightfully still in time, while it also serves as the undisputed epicentre of Cuba’s rich cultural heritage.

It’s also a popular live music hub, and one that dominates both busy indoor arenas and the city’s cobbled streets and grand old piazzas.

Musical influences come from as far afield as Africa and Spain, with the rumba rhythm often pulsating long into those hot, sultry summer nights.

5. Tokyo

Next up is the Japanese capital of Tokyo, which was once the presence of only puppet theatres and operettas (from an entertainment perspective, at least).

Now, however, Tokyo has a bustling and thriving music scene, and one that boasts an array of superb venues from downtown ‘live houses’ to state-of-the-art arenas.

The hip neighbourhoods of Yogi, Shimokitazawa and Koenji drive the live music industry in Tokyo, and here you’ll find a number of global influences well-represented.

6. Berlin

Like London, Berlin is regarded as one of Europe’s finest music capitals, with the city awash with underground electro clubs, cool jazz cafes and raves that make the English capital appear tame in comparison.

However, the live music scene in Berlin is relatively niche, as House and Techno genres (which are dominant in Europe) remain most popular here.

Indie rock and alternative punk is also well-represented in the German capital, while listen carefully and you can even hear Northern Soul echoing throughout the city at nightime.

7. Ibiza

No list of this type should be complete without referencing Ibiza, especially when you consider its enviable array of beach bars, live music venues and iconic open-air clubs.

There’s also a combination of high-octane venues and ambient tunes, so you’re sure to find something to suit your tastes while traversing the party capital of Europe.

In recent times, the island has also shifted towards non-dance related music and festivals, so Ibiza continues to diversify with every passing year.

8. Memphis

We’ve already touched on Memphis, which is home to the blue music movement and still a hotbed for live music and entertainment to this day.

Make no mistake; this iconic city is regarded as the home of soul and rock & roll, while Memphis in Tennessee has had more than its fair share of successful artists and accolades.

Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash all launched their incredible careers here, while the city’s contemporary music scene continues to introduce new stars to the wider world.

9. Seattle

Seattle is one of the more subtle live music capitals in the world, but this shouldn’t distract from the fact that Pearl Jam, Nirvana and the Sound Garden all ruled the airwaves from this city.

Seattle is still home to various jazz cafes and rock arenas to this day, while we’ve also seen a dramatic rise in the number of classical orchestras in the region in recent times.

Districts such as Ballard, Capitol Hill and Belltown are the most popular amongst music fans in Seattle, so we’d recommend that you check these out whilst on your travels.

10. New York

We close with New York, which is the world’s  most populous city and one that has a diverse live music scene that continues to grow with every passing year.

From jazz cafes to blues bars, New York is one of the coolest places in the world for live music, while the city’s underground clubs are typical for a location that’s known for never sleeping.

Interestingly, New York is often considered as being responsible for laying the roots for disco music, while house and hip-hop are also well-represented citywide.

 

Tori Amos Announces New EP ‘Christmastide’

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Tori Amos has announced a new EP: Christmastide is set for release on December 4 via Decca. The four-track project features drummer Matt Chamberlain and bassist Jon Evans. Check out the EP’s cover artwork and tracklist below.

“With Christmastide it was important to be positive and to try and lift people’s spirits. It’s a time of year that should be joyful with family and friends but also can sadly be a very lonely place for some,” Tori Amos said in a statement. “Many families will be unable to be together this year because of the Pandemic as well as many that are also dealing with the aftermath of a long and bitter U.S. Election. I hope these songs contained in this beautiful package can be a small treat to help along the way. We will get through these tough times together with strength in unity and hope.”

Earlier this year, Tori Amos released a memoir titled Resistance. Her most recent album was 2017’s Native Invader.

Christmastide EP Cover Artwork:

Christmastide EP Tracklist:

1. Christmastide
2. Circle of Seasons
3. Holly
4. Better Angels

Video Premiere: Neuhaus ‘Solun’

Neuhaus is an exciting solo loop projected by the talented artist Yves Neuhaus. Last week on Friday, Neuhaus published his latest melancholy filled ‘Solun.’ Luckily for us, we are privileged to premiere the music video for this filmic and memorable six-minute piece.

‘Solun’ is arguably one of the more emotional, thrilling pieces by Neuhaus, who has also impressed us with more electronic experimental works such as ‘Little Nemo,’ and ‘Maze’ – both of which embrace the prominent strings Neuhaus brings throughout his discography.

Talking about the piece, Neuhaus said “In these troubled times, take a deep breath. Take 6 minutes 19 seconds for my new track ‘Solun.’ The piece is part of Neuhaus’ new album Scapes & Spaces, Volume 2 which is due to be released on Friday the 20th of November, 2020.

‘Solun’ can be streamed via Spotify.

This Week’s Best New Songs: BENEE, Sophie Jamieson, Rosie Carney, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.

This week, Rosie Carney put lie to the notion that acoustic Radiohead covers should be illegal with her beautiful rendition of ‘Black Star’ from 1995’s The Bends, while BENEE channeled a different Radiohead song, ‘Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi’, on her candid new single ‘Happen to Me’. Sophie Jamieson offered the latest preview from her upcoming EP with the ethereal ‘Concrete’, while The Dawdler’s latest, ‘Sign of Growth’, lives up to its title as it builds on expansive, meditative synth melodies. WOOM, a London-based four-piece concept-choir, announced their debut EP with the hauntingly somber ‘Walk’, while ELIO served up an infectious pop tune with her latest single ‘hurts 2 hate somebody’.

Best New Songs: November 9th, 2020

Song of the Week: Sophie Jamieson, ‘Concrete’

WOOM, ‘Walk’

BENEE, ‘Happen to Me’

Rosie Carney, ‘Black Star’ (Radiohead Cover)

The Dawdler, ‘Sign of Growth’

ELIO, ‘hurts 2 hate somebody’