Already online are interviews with Young Knives, Newton Faulkner and Blood Red Shoes. Alongside this Monograph.TV showcases local starlets in the shape of Charlie and the Martyrs, Joel Owen and the Antoine Band and SuperEvolver. Also available is a back catalogue of exclusive video sessions for your viewing pleasure from Dutch Uncles, Mama Rosin, The Heartbreaks and Gallery47 to name a few.

In addition to hosting its own programmes, Monograph.TV is a platform to broadcast music videos from bands and artists based in the city. For more information about Monograph.TV and to start watching today, log on to www.themonograph.co.uk/tv

A group who emerged at the tale end of a period when anything purely-instrumental and guitar-based became lazily tagged “post-rock,” Errors have now distanced themselves from that loose genre so much that any fleeting comparison to it is now completely redundant. ‘Have Some Faith In Magic’ is an LP of sprawling pop, with delicious hooks applied liberally across post-electro scatterings; a complete turn away from previously lauded albums ‘It’s Not Something But It Is Like Whatever,’ and last year’s ‘Come Down With Me’ – not least with vocals now being included prominently for the first time. “It was just something that naturally happened,” comments the group’s Steev Livingstone, “We had the idea to put vocals in the music a while ago but we always intended that they should be treated as another instrument. We’ve used them in a way that sits really naturally so the music and the vocals don’t feel like separate entities.”

Fresh from supporting label mates (and bosses) Mogwai in both the USA and at their recent Glasgow Barrowlands show Errors will play their own UK & Irish headline tour in February 2012 (special guests on all dates will be Remember Remember)

FEBRUARY

9             Newcastle, The Cluny

10           Manchester, Islington Mill

11           Liverpool, Kazimer

12           Birmingham, The Rainbow

13           Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach

14           Bristol, The Fleece

15           Brighton, The Haunt

16           London, XOYO

17           Leeds, Cockpit 2

18           Dublin, Grand Social

24           Dundee, Doghouse

25           Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree

Tickets to all shows available via www.havesomefaithinmagic.com (and usual agents).

Errors fans have long had their faith rewarded by the band; their third album only looks set to continue that trend…  www.weareerrors.com

Photo Credit: Michael Kent

The beat down in ‘We Eat Our Own’ provides some welcome open space, and ‘Your Fault’ is as much a slab of glorious scream-along chorus as you’re likely to get within the genre. ‘Our Glorious Self Destruction’ is built entirely of sludgy, held chords and is something of a brief respite from the unstoppable momentum of the proceeding four minutes, before ‘Graves of Lust’ – the last 54 seconds of Meatpackers contribution, is where impressive becomes genuinely brilliant – blast beats and technically astonishing guitars beat you about the face before the remains of the sample that opens the record wraps things up. “Of course, they slaughter steers a lot differently these days…” After such intensity its bleak subject matter is almost hilarious, but there is a point being made here.

Leicester is renowned for it’s grind and hardcore scene, and this relative newcomer is yet another string to an already impressive bow. Mangle obey more comprehensible & familiar song structures, demolishing their side of the vinyl with five and half minutes split over two tracks.’Iboga Dosage’ is purposefully sludgy hardcore akin to fellow Leicesterites Diet Pills, with bursts of blast beats to break up the raw punishment being dished out, whilst ‘Purpose’ is it’s exact inverse; intense and slightly terrifying, but at the same time life affirming. Having existed for just over a year, they’re already displaying a mature and solid contribution to a thriving scene.

This is where Surrender the Coast walk in. With the drive, pace and organisational skills of a small administrative team at an advertising company, Surrender The Coast have not only graced nearly every prominent hardcore bill in the last few months, they’ve recorded a new EP, the follow-up to 2010’s Avert Your Eyes which is due for release in February. designed countless flyers & album covers for themselves & other local bands (one being the aforementioned Before We Start To Walk) and have just released the most professional-looking music video to come out of Leicester in recent months.

With the graininess and blur of an old horror film ‘Open Minds & Empty Bottles’ begins with an anxious sense of subdue, police sirens in the distance racking the nerves of our fearful protagonist. The ominous out-of-focus car creeping in to the multi-story car park, the gritty setting for the video, signals the literal crash of guitars that kick-start the song. With chase scenes, narrow stairwell descents and frantic running it becomes apparent that for all of those hours sat watching Jack Bauer run from various bad guys should have been accompanied by metal music. They also should have left you as eager to jump out of your chair and run as you become when when you watch this video.

At times you expect the film reel on the projector to burn up, leaving you unintentionally privy to some information leading to an unseen murder, or something equally as horrific/Hollywoodesque. Luckily this is avoided. The feelings of unease, however, remain.

In terms of talent & aspiration Surrender The Coast are consistently surging upwards, gaining momentum with each new release and every new gig, making them one to expect big things from. Their new EP, Breaking Morals & Losing Morale, is due out on the 3rd of February at the EP Release Show at the Sumo! Support comes from Speaking In Italics, Amherst, Some May Run & Glory For A Dead Man with tickets available here!

It’s been a good few years since we first came across Grace Petrie, when she was playing glorious folk love songs and covers of Basement Jaxx in venues around the city whilst working behind the bar at Firebug, but she fell in to music from a young age: “Growing up in my house there was always music on. I started playing the piano, and then in my teens I kind of drifted into the guitar without really planning to. I stated writing songs and when I was about 15 I realised that it was the only thing I could ever imagine doing for a living.”

Having departed our fair city for university in Sheffield, she’s now back in the city she calls home, full of the same hope and passion for music, but brandishing a political energy and a fist full of protest songs.

“I will say this, unashamedly and unreservedly, that I love Leicester. I’ve lived in a few other places and they’ve all had their own charm but I can’t imagine ever really feeling like anywhere else will be home. The further I go the more I realise that I love the culture of Leicester, and I think it’s one that should be celebrated and defended. I love living somewhere where the Diwali lights and celebrations are as widespread as the Christmas ones. I love living in a place where LGBT people have a community centre, something which is very rare in the UK. These are things that you take for granted when you’ve grown up with them.”

She’s quietly released three full length albums in her musical career, the most of recent of which ‘Tell Me A Story’ emerged in December 2010, having been written over the course of three years. “I had this crazy period when I couldn’t write anything, and then something just clicked and I wrote pretty much the whole thing in about nine months.”

The record spans a sea change in her writing, from the quirky love songs of old to the more socially and politically aware material that now fills her set lists: “The two political songs on the record were the last ones I wrote. I’ve gotten a lot more political and a lot more involved with the activism side of things, and with that has come a lot of new material. I sometimes feel like the album has aged quite quickly in that it doesn’t necessarily reflect me as a whole, but then I’ll always, I hope, write love songs too.”

Over the last year her writing has been directed at the government, covering a broad spectrum from the deplorable personal views of Therasa May, then home secretary, to the protests and cuts. We asked her whether that change of focus was directly related to the inbound coalition? “Yes and No. Obviously I am massively opposed to Conservatism and I think the cuts are quite simply going to ruin an entire generation, but I’ve been involved personally in politics for a long time and been heavily influenced by protest singers. There’s so much to criticize with the the system, and it’s so ingrained, so impenetrable that even trying to challenge it as a song writer seems intimidating.”

“I guess for me the big turning point was Nick Clegg. I was living in Sheffield when the phenomenon they called ‘Cleaggmania’ happened. I was there when he greeted crowds of students outside the city hall. I watched the TV debates and thought “he’s different, he really wants to do positive things that matter to people, that will make a difference”. Then he went on to not just break those promises, but to actually facilitate the opposite things happening. But the really amazing thing, the thing that inspired me, was the complete reaction to that from so many people, and how resigned people were to the idea of being lied to. I had arguments with people and they would say “Yeah, he lied, but it’s your fault for believing him” and that was such a revelation to me. I realised how big the problem is, That our political system is THAT broken, that people had come to expect, and even worse accept the idea that politicians will just lie to you. That once they have your vote they’ll do whatever the hell they want, because they don’t have to worry about getting another one for five years. That was the first big light bulb in my head, was that we have to start again, with politicians attitude to voters and definitely vice-versa, and that the first step on that ladder is getting people to realistically expect better. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.”

Since the end of Thatcher’s term in office, through New Labour and the global financial crisis, It’s increasingly common to be criticised for daring to express a political opinion, especially when it’s through your music. Protest songs seem to have fallen from grace with the public as much as the music industry, becoming a cliché that few dare to approach. Grace is part of a new generation that are putting the message back in to music; “I think it is important for music to have a message of some sort, whether that’s about society or about love or whatever, so long as its something that was important enough to somebody to write. I suppose the protest song isn’t an easy sell, but at the same time I like to think that I’m writing lyrics that people can identify with in their everyday lives. Political singers have been trying for decades to write songs that the masses can enjoy, and not just the politicised few. I think the key to that is finding a way to express the dissatisfaction people are experiencing, and writing something which helps to link that to the wider context. That’s the way to engage non-politicised people in politics, to give voice to the feelings of disenfranchised people. I just wish I could do it as well as Paul Weller!”

The broken music industry and pop culture itself doesn’t escape her either: “I can’t stand how the music industry has been utterly savaged by consumerism and a lot of the music in the chart isn’t just solely there to make money, but often that’s what they’re singing about. The fame and money elements of being a musician have completely overridden the desire to make something important, to write a song that won’t just get you a lot of money in the short-term but that will still stand in 20 years as a powerful piece of art.”

Her songs and incredible passion have earned her the respect and admiration not just of listeners but of her peers and her influences too. Having emailed him in a moment of desperation Grace was invited to play Glastonbury by Billy Bragg, and has been back again since; “The whole thing was a blur, and it was very surreal. I was sitting on this stage with Billy, Frank Turner, The Agitator and Beans on Toast, and the tent was full to the brim and I had this moment where I was like ‘I’m the only unsigned person here – these are professionals, what the hell am I doing here?’ but then I managed to put that out of my head and just close my eyes and play. By the time I got there this year, I think I felt a bit more comfortable. I’d done a lot more festivals, I’d toured with Emmy the Great – I was starting to feel like I deserved my place just a little bit more.”

It’s interesting that when we ask Grace whether she finds it difficult to get her opinions across to audiences – whether she gets challenged on them, she feels pressure from the Left as well as the Right; “I think a lot of hardcore protesters and activists on the left find me too naive and idealistic, and that’s fine. I’m fairly new at all this, I’ll concede that – but I’m also part of a generation that’s waking up to political activism. Some of them are taking part in demonstrations for the first time in their lives. I guess I’d rather be idealistic and naive if that means trying to affect positive change than I would want to be resigned to failure, and think there’s no point in trying”.

As we conducting this interview, Grace feels she has to apologise for the length of her answers “Sorry for the delay, once I got started I found I liked the sound of my own voice, apparently.”

Grace’s new album ‘Marm My Words’ is out now and available here. For more inforation on Grace visit her official website at www.gracepetrie.com

You’ll have seen WWTL in issue #2 of our paper (you have got one, right?) where Jon Dodd, Reagan Oates & I gave you a look at our current listening habits, ranging from Otis Redding to Metronomy, and whilst these might have changed (We do literally all listen to music constantly!) the love remains. In this lovely extended pixel-perfect edition of WWLT some of your wonderful contributors have also had their say.

Holly Benfield

Ghost Outfit – Tuesday/ I Want Someone Else 7”

Signed to experimental Manchester-based label, SWAYS, Ghost Outfit are a lo-fi duo of garageland bliss.
Gritty layered samples and distant vocals wrapped around an echo of collapsed drum and rapt guitar,
similar to LA two piece No Age.
Although seemingly eerie as a live band, attired with sheets over their heads,
the band’s lyricism is second to none.
The single is available is a special edition pack complete with white vinyl, cassette, plush toy ghost and download code.

Ghostoutfit.bandcamp.com  

Hayden Brotherton

Algiers – Four Priests EP

This EP presents 5 energetic and melodic songs, which should come as no surprise seeing as
the two gents who make up this bearded northern super-group were each members of Dartz! and The Maple State.
Rich, rhythmic arrangements outstrip any limitations of only having guitar, drums and vocals at their disposal.
A very strong first release, my ears look forward to more from Algiers.

Jon Dodd

Arcade Fire – Wake Up

I listened to a lot of stuff while on the road in America
but what sticks in my mind is driving down through the great mountain range into Death Valley with ‘Wake Up’ by Arcade Fire,
a truly stunning song to soundtrack our first glimpse into the valley of death!”

Reagan Oates

Otis Redding - A Change is Gonna Come

Originally written by Sam Cooke, this song exemplifies the sixties civil rights movement.
Listening to Otis Redding’s cover you have one of the most soulful and evocative R & B singers of the time,
singing with emotive, raw and unpolished power.

Jack Richardson

Metronomy – The English Riviera

It’s the being at the beach…but listening to it from a distance!
It’s catchy, chirpy, ‘lovey dovey,’ jumpy, dreamy, electronicy, Pop-y, synthy; a near infinite amount of words ending in -y.
(yes I might have made some of those words up..)
Corinne & The Look are particularly awesome.
Love Underlined also brings a nice Dubstep inspired sound.
If it doesn’t shower you in summery goodness you should check your speakers.

Near to death, famed front-man Phil Lynott entrusted around 150 tapes to someone for safe keeping. Imprinted on the tape were the scorching signals of out-takes, unheard versions of previous songs and some completely recorded but unreleased songs that hadn’t managed to make the cut on any of Thin Lizzy’s 12 studio albums!

Now this might seem like exciting but somewhat irrelevant news, or you might be at this point be in a daydreaming stupor, reliving memories of listening to Thin Lizzy fastidiously in your younger days, but this is where this discovery ties in with a rather large gig occurring at De Montfort Hall on the 23rd of January.Thin Lizzy, unfortunately lacking Phil Lynott but gaining a few classic-rock veterans in the form of Whitesnake’s Marco Mendoza, Gun’s N’ Roses‘ Richard Fortus & The Almighty’s Ricky Warwick, will be taking the stage and, if they’re music is anything to go by, destroying it to a series of massively anthemic dual-guitar riffs. And, not being one’s to miss out on the euphoric jostling of 2000-odd fans watching a band they love, we will be there to review the entire gig!

Tickets are available here, now! Support comes from TriggerFinger & Clutch. Doors @ 6.30

It might not seem like it, but it’s been not much more than a year since brand spanking new Leicester live music venues The O2 Academy, Sub 91 and Auditorium all opened their doors to the public. A short twelve months later and two of those venues have already closed (Sub 91 and The Auditorium), and the listings for The Academy are scarcely averaging three shows a month in to the new year.

Sub 91 was a genuinely interesting prospect as a venue, but compromising to the (clearly very profitable) Highlight and Walkabout elements of the buildings business would lead to poor ticket sales and a string of cancelled shows. The Auditorium also seemed to have found it’s niche in the city’s music scene. All credit to the team there for their efforts, but the project was unbelievably ambitious and it was no surprise to anyone that it eventually closed. Thankfully they’ve moved on to smaller premises and can keep serving that community of music fans in a more appropriate space.

The Academy will survive as a glorified Students Union, safe in the knowledge that they’ve transformed what was once a unique and interesting alternative to the city centre chain clubs in to a homogenised, wipe clean venue complete with all the advertising and corporate tie ins that that entails. Live music is an afterthought to the club nights that are clearly one of the last profitable parts of entertainment in this city, which is reflected as much in the design and management of the venue as in it’s listings. For a chain which promised so much it’s failing to deliver on 90% of that potential in the city.

Importantly it provides little to no support for local music. They have no need to offer support slots on their larger shows and hire costs in the Academies 2 and 3 are prohibitively expensive for independent promoters to take on. They don’t need to do it, and why should they? Booking Professor Green three times a year clearly proves the city is in rude health.

I truly hope that the shouts that no bands ever come to this city have been silenced. Of course they don’t. The state of the city’s venues right now prove that there is little real demand for live music, and those of us that do care, care enough to travel elsewhere for our fix. Leicester has always struggled but now that the touring circuit nationally is going to the wall (for everything below arena shows it seems) we are in no position to be demanding anything more. Aside from The Donkey and The Musician (which serve their particular niches very well) and Firebug (which doesn’t rely on live music and sits at the centre of an excellent ‘scene’), Live Music doesn’t seem to have a place in Leicester. Just take a look at the listings for Sumo, The Soundhouse, The Shed, Lock 42 or The Academies for proof – Sure it’s a quiet time of year for live music, but some of them don’t even HAVE listings! It’s not that any of those venues aren’t trying, it’s just that it’s really. Fucking. Hard.

I’m aware that this is a pretty fucking miserable column for the festive season, but the only solution as i see it is to do our own thing. Keep plugging away putting on genuinely interesting shows for limited audiences and trying to make more people aware of what’s going on. Demanding an arena sized venue (as one local music website tried to do) is as pointless as the clamour for an academy was, and expecting national promoters to invest in the city is laughable when we can’t support the venues we already have.

Merry Fucking Christmas
(Thanks to Jamie Ward for the title of this piece)

In a statement on the RNH website, they comment “Exports03 is a little special. We’ve been involved with the organisation of Leicester’s White Noise Festival since it’s inception, and so this time the compilation is available for a nominal charge with EVERY LAST PENNY being donated to the festival’s chosen charity, the LOROS hospice.”

Unlike the former releases in the Exports series, this one will cost you the (small) amount of two quid, but with all proceeds going towards White Noise Christmas festival, I think we can all agree it is worth it. In addition to helping a great local music organisation, you can hear the likes of Grace Petrie perform Fairytale of New York, Herra Hidro do Rock Around the Christmas Tree and a wealth of others. The full track list is…

1. GRACE PETRIE & CAITLIN FIELD – Fairytale of New York
2. THESE FURROWS – Last Christmas
3. ELIZABETH CORNISH – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4. FRANCIS WALSH & JOHN HELPS – Wonderful Christmas Time
5. HERRA HIDRO – Rocking Around The Christmas Tree
6. ROSIE DOYLE & BY THE RIVERS – Santa Baby
7. BUENOS AIRES - All I Want For Christmas Is You
8. WEIKIE – O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
9. HER NAME IS CALLA – Mary In Doubt
10. PETER WYETH – Silent Night

Released by Blessing Force, an Oxford based collective comprised of members of Foals, Youthmovies & Jonquil, these retro beauties house 4 songs: Dirty White, Bunny Ears, Bunny Ears (Reprise) and Milk & Honey.

Sisterland, consisting of 3 members from the much-missed Tired Irie, have a unique mix of noisy Low-Fi pop, lying somewhere between Waaves & My Bloody Valentine, that is as enthralling as it is loud. Leading on from their first single Too Pure released in 2010, Dirty White (originally demo’s whilst still called Dysneyland, at least until Mickey had an problem…) brings massive reverb, distant echoes, driving bass lines & ethereal vocals into one fuzzing whole, something Sisterland are very good at.

So dust off your Walkman or plug in that awkward, old Hi-Fi and crank the volume to cranial-crushing levels: only then can the true beauty of Sisterland’s music shine though, both before and after the migraine sets in.

Find the video for Dirty White here!