emancipation (from a ghost) and proclamation (of what to do afterwards)

I haven't posted in over a year and I feel really bad about that, but if you're wondering what I've been up since:

• I've been soldiering on with There Goes the Fear.
• I covered Great Escape 2012 alone (boo) and Liverpool Sound City 2012 (mostly alone but with John to run our hosted stage at the Liverpool Academy of Arts with our friends the Temper Trap, Clock Opera, and Dear Prudence).
• I started Music in Notes with encouragement from a friend.
• I went to Australia to cover the inaugural ARIA Week in November 2012; it so happened that was the same week as my birthday so I got to celebrate it at the famous Oxford Art Factory, a place I had seen so many times on Australian gig listings and band routings through Oz but assumed I would never visit.
• I covered SXSW 2013 (again, alone); however, I wasn't really alone as for the final 2 days I got to pal around with the exceedingly chivalrous Crookes, who made me laugh, smile, and forget that I was lonely, including me in a Friday night out that will be memorable for years to come.
• I was on holiday in Britain for 22 days in May, an absolutely glorious time (never again, unfortunately, unless I quit my job [hardly likely]).
• I covered Liverpool Sound City 2013 (with John and Martin, TGTF crew yay!) and Great Escape 2013 (with John, TGTF tag team, yay!) again; we are likely going again next year, just not sure who is going to which.
• I'm never mentioning the word Delphic again after an incident in Liverpool that shocked and upset me at the time but now I'm like meh, fine; bridges have been burnt.
• I visited Scotland for the first time (Glasgow - thumbs up; Edinburgh - thumbs down).
• I visited Newcastle for the first time (it's beautiful!) and got to meet Martin's family (super nice good people!).
• (thanks to an entirely last minute announcement) I visited Sheffield for the first time, and now I'm in love (in multiple senses of the word); probably not a good position for me to be in, but I'll let the chips fall where they may.
• I took it upon myself to organise a two music Web site-collaboration for the purpose of promo for the Crookes in London, when they played the Scala, their biggest London show to date (I've not seen the interview or session videos yet but I have every faith they will be fine); in the process I got to meet the lovely Heartbreaks from Morecambe and were touched by the Northern boys' warmness.
• I came back home, entirely unhappy to be back in America because I started missing England *immediately* after, which is a major problem considering my boss forbids me to leave the country again until 2014.
• I was asked by a friend to assist on, with my editing skills, a new project that makes me very nervous but I hope will bring us closer together as friends (we'll see).

I think that brings you up to speed? Below is a live video I filmed at the Crookes' show at the Scala on 21 May 2013. It's of the single 'Dance in Colour', which is absolutely beautiful.

Delphic new year wishes from the recording studio

not sure what is going on in this wicked weird new Delphic video taken in a Hackney recording studio. but here is a quick run-down:

• Matt is still fiddling with his pedal effects (though sadly he is not shown playing his gorgeous new guitar, procured presumably in early 2011 b/c it made its first live appearance at the Spotify live gig in London in April)
  
• James has pushed Rick out of the way and has commandeered the piano (make of that what you will)
  
• Rick is still singing those angelic/girly backing vocals, though this time in the studio, he's gone one step further, deciding to use jazz hands (ha!)
  
• the messages on the screen at the end read "WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR: NEW SONGS SOON / THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE..."

...so we're reaching the light at the end of the tunnel, guys. I was disappointingly thwarted in my best attempts at sneaking an early listen of the new material (to which I got the exasperated response "my girlfriend has only heard 2 of the songs!) and sitting in on a session. but I have been promised a master when it is available. my fears and concerns for the new album have been communicated...hit me with your best shot, guys.

day 09 - a song that you can dance to

catch-up is the name of the game, yikes!

Two Door Cinema Club - 'What You Know'

The video makes it easy. There's a girl pounding her fists in drums covered in glitter. What more could you need? The backbeat is in your face. Just brilliant to dance to. I danced so hard to Two Door the last time I saw them, my calves hurt so bad for 3 days afterward. Not kidding.

It's funny thinking about Two Door and Delphic, my 2010 bands, b/c they are so different. While Delphic feels to me "intellectual", Two Door is more "in your face, no frills". I love them both, for entirely different reasons.

day 03 - a song that makes you happy

Delphic - 'Halcyon'

this is actually not my favourite song on Delphic's debut 'Acolyte' (that honour goes to 'Submission'.) no, I chose this one because I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking, these guys are not half bad. Matt Cocksedge's guitar solo is what sealed the deal for me: this band had seemed to get the marriage of good rock and good dance together perfectly. a couple weeks later I would see the promo video at DC9, shortly before VV Brown performed for us. the video was breathtaking: the right amount of mystery and intrigue had me hooked.

months later I would see this band perform it live in all its glory at Roskilde. it's all very surreal that I can now count these fellows not just as heroes but actual mates. I have such a crazy yet amazing life.

2011 in review, with a heavy heart

I haven't posted here since the Stone Roses reformed (no North American dates YET, those wankers), and that was a long time ago (over 2 months ago) but I've been busy.

• starting at the end of October 2011 TGTF became the Guardian Music-endorsed TGTF, showing up regularly on their "Best of the Music Blogosphere" blog roll. (at the time of this writing, my Top Gigs of 2011 is still sitting on their blog roll, which is pretty cool for Casiokids, Dutch Uncles, White Lies, the Joy Formidable and the Coronas, b/c they got attention I'm sure they weren't expecting.) in early December I was asked by two members of Delphic WHY I was still hawking TGTF badges on my holiday in Manchester and the answer was, "we are now the Guardian-endorsed TGTF, I have a reputation to protect!" this included making sure we had plenty of not just content but GOOD content for them to choose from. which meant many, many late nights for me.

• speaking of that holiday, I was away for my birthday in England for 16 days but was ill for 14 of them. so my plans to do a lot of poetry and songwriting went by the wayside of trying to stay in as physically fit as possible state for 10 gigs, hanging out and drinking with friends and colleagues, a lot of sightseeing-related walking, and travel between 3 different English cities. to say I was wiped by the time I returned is an understatement. somehow though I managed not to take a single day off work since I returned. (yes, I am such a good little employee.)

if you were wondering what those 10 gigs were, they were:

• Dutch Uncles Now Wave show (Fiction supporting) - 02.12.11 - Deaf Institute, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Example (Fenech-Soler supporting) - 01.12.11 - Apollo, Manchester, England
• Exit Ten (A Thousand Autumns, Tomorrow We Radio, and Fei Comodo supporting) - 29.11.11 - Fibbers, York, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Billie Butterfly fund 'Magic in the Air' charity show featuring Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, and Badly Drawn Boy - 28.11.11 - Comedy Store, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• City Reign EP launch (Stella Marconi and Modern Alarms supporting) - 26.11.11 - Gulliver's, Manchester, England
• Blonde Louis homecoming show (Monaco Bears and Camus the Cat supporting) - 25.11.11 - Plinston Hall, Letchworth, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Cashier No. 9 (Kowalski supporting) - 24.11.11 - XOYO, London Old Street, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Pete and the Pirates (The Catcher 9 supporting) - 22.11.11 - Buffalo Bar, London Islington, England
• City Reign (Wire Trees and Ulysses supporting) - 19.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• I Dream in Colour single launch show (Heroics and Anchor and the Dove supporting) - 18.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review

• I got to interview Marc Riley for TGTF inside the new BBC in Salford and who should walk in but Stuart Maconie?!? hugs and photos ensue. I never could have predicted that happening. I'm still amazed thinking about it. and he remembered me from my letters and me Tweeting him? what are the odds of that?


• going back to the Guardian coverage, we suddenly had a lot more interest from potential writers. I am finding this good and bad. it's great to have interest. but gee whiz, if you plan to contribute somewhere, be sure you respond to your editor's emails. I can only assume you don't care or you're too busy to respond - and therefore not a good fit - if I don't hear from you. that has been pretty frustrating: maybe because I'm a woman, some people think I'm a pushover. not in your life. but I've picked up at least one good writer who is a friend of a regular contributor, so that's good...


• but I can tell, it's a tough road ahead in 2012. I'm trying to not let this spectre of being tops in the Guardian's books hang over my head...like it already is. it is hard being me. I don't think anyone realises how much I put into the blog, how I sometimes lie awake at night thinking about how to make the site better, how to help my writers achieve their dreams, how I'm going to start a new campaign to promote a fledgling band I believe in and how exactly I plan to do that. I didn't mean for it to happen, but the blog has become my life. I'm not whinging: I'm very proud of what TGTF has become under my leadership and we still have leaps and bounds to grow and become even better. it's like when Elvis was saying he was jealous of the Beatles being a group: when you're the person running something big, you can have lots of supporting players, but no one but you knows the pressure of keeping things in tip top shape. and it is a lot of pressure.


• it's become very clear that one important thing has to happen before I can even *think* about leaving America for England. and that thing - something that could actually happen, versus something that will never happen, like me getting cured - is not going to happen anytime soon, so I think I can kiss my dream of living in England goodbye. and surprisingly, I'm okay with that. I had such a violent shock to the system on this trip that I'm not really sure when I'll return. if I do, I'm guessing it will have something to do with my dear friend Matt Abbott, whose presence I miss daily.

I'm going to work on trying to post more here in 2012, starting with one of those a "song a day" memes. I already know it's going to be tough work - not for the posting aspect, but for the choosing of the songs.

I learned something important this year, which I should have already predicted from the pain I experienced some 399 days prior. something still weighs so heavily on my heart, after the knife went in and then was twisted. it is so big it threatens my mental acuity, my health, all my future relationships. I can be in a public place, in the middle of a crowd, on an airplane, in an elevator...and I will start to cry. it's not right. everyone says I'm so strong; if only they knew. this is me, after years of fighting like my father said I would always have to. sometimes I am tired of fighting and being the strong one, I need someone to lean on. and the one person I want to lean on...I can't. he has no idea...and I have no way to tell him.

sometimes I feel like it is going to engulf me like a huge, oncoming wave with no warning: cold, painful, unrelenting. and sometimes I don't care that my life would end if it did. sometimes I just pray at night that my eyes will not open again, because then I could be sure all the pain would dissolve.

you can have all the right words prepared. but they are useless if you're never given the opportunity to say them.

Delphic - Acolyte, live in Arras (July 2010)

I've discovered that the sound quality on my video feature of my new Panasonic camera sucks. I guess I should have tested it some but oh well :( it's not like you can really test gig quality in an electronics store. the photos are a lot better than my current Sony, so I guess I have that going for me...

anyway, I have been trying to find a video that does Delphic's live performance of 'Acolyte' justice. the problem: I cannot find one that has the sound AND visual aspects equally as good. this one is the best visual wise (except no exciting light show - the colouring was better at Roskilde :( ) and pretty good sound, from a festival in Arras, France last year. I'm working on mastering the bass line for this song, I love how the song's melody is essentially played on bass, with everything else secondary. please please let them keep this in the live set, even with album #2. (still terrified about album #2....)

it's exactly what I imagine heaven would sound like.

♥♥♥

Delphic - Red Bull Academy Radio takeover

when I was trying to find the source of a photo I'd saved eons ago from Delphic's first performance in Los Angeles in June 2010 (approximately a month before I saw them live), I found this very interesting Red Bull Academy Radio takeover show via the China Shop Mag.



the tracks

Matt's picks:
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work - Kitsune (BROS!)
Thom Yorke - The Eraser - XL Recordings (not a surprise, as it's Matt. read more here from my chat with him in Boston last year.)
Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle - Record Makers
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come - RCA (yes! Motown! and I looooove Sam Cooke.)

Rick's picks:
David Bowie - Rock'n'Roll Suicide - EMI (not a surprise, as it's Rick. read more here from my chat with him at Roskilde last year.)
My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes - Creation Records (the fact that another one of my band friends adores makes this...weird. as in Twilight Zone weird.)
Outkast - Take Off Your Cool - Arista (this selection blew my mind. I'd never have guessed the Boardman liked Outkast. excellent choice.)
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill - EMI

James's picks:
Studio - Life's A Beach - Information
Jeff Buckley - Morning Theft - Sony
Deerhunter - Microcastle - 4AD
Bjork - Wanderlust - Wellheart Ltd (not a surprise at all for Delphic)

Delphic being silly in the countryside

anything I say about this will just detract from its nuttiness...so there you go.

(also, trying to "translate" the Northern accent for my mother: hilarious.)

seriously good Hurts / Delphic mash-up

just listen to this amazing mash-up of Hurts' 'Wonderful Life' and Delphic's 'Submission'. it's like they were MFEO. (if you've never seen 'Sleepless in Seattle', that means "made for each other".)

February 2011 Delphic teaser vids

when Rick Boardman told me last summer they were going shock some people ("It will still sound like Delphic I think, but I think it’ll shock some people. A lot of people really" - read more here) he wasn't kidding.

posted 03/02/2011 (featuring a very strange...er...just watch it)


posted 23/02/2011 (rumba beats, piano chords and what appears to be Boardman, not James Cook's voice...intriguing...)

Delphic - old 'blog video' 04/03/09

to this day I still have no idea why Rick Boardman does not have biceps like a gorilla's. he should be as ripped as Dan Hadley. WHAT.

watch this (drumsticks flying) and see what I mean...

and be a gymnast. see 1.09. an outdoor climbing wall? REI has never come up with anything so cool. (BTW, best wishes son...)

and Dan. ohhhh Dan. LOLZ slave to the rhythm at 3.10, completely oblivious to what's going on around him. LOVE IT ::snicker::

Delphic at London Tabernacle, 26/1/2010

this is probably the most beautifully shot amateur video I've seen of Delphic live, at what appears to be a New to Q session gig. the lighting's perfect. I actually prefer this lighter touch than what was seen at Glasto and Reading/Leeds last summer. Matt Cocksedge looks amazingly cool and collected. wow.



and in answer to one of the commenters, NO, James Cook does not look like Adam Levine. none of them do...???

below is my favourite song off 'Acolyte', 'Submission'. I had a nice chat with James before they played in Boston on 29 September 2010 and he said they were going to play it that night. I was pretty excited. but until now I hadn't seen a video of the song played live. (I was too spellbound to capture it myself at Roskilde or Boston.)

why haven't I thought of this before? best idea for a tour ever...

according to a chat I had with the exceedingly intelligent and lovely Matt Cocksedge of Delphic, Squib Swain does lighting for both them and Two Door Cinema Club.

so last night when I was driving home and listening to 'I Can Talk', I was thinking...why not have...

the AH-OH-AH-AH-OH / AH-EE-AY-OH-AH-EE-EE-AY-OH tour

the posters alone would be amazing. they could get placement on Sesame Street.

this is completely copyrighted by me, 'natch.



disclaimer: there is no such tour planned, though it's not from lack of interest on my part. I've tried my best to get the ball rolling on this!

This Momentary at Reading, and more

baby, it's cold outside. so why not think of Reading from last summer. this is my bass-playing nemesis. James Cook makes it look so easy! it's the hypnotic bass line that makes 'This Momentary' great. even if I can't suss it. grrrr...lol

interestingly, the BBC accidentally forgot to turn on the country restrictions for Reading that night and I was actually able to watch the whole thing from my computer. I couldn't have been happier :) the energy at the NME/Radio1 tent looked amazing. sometimes I cannot believe I was standing right in front of this band at tiny little DC9 last October.





below are some more vids from some guy who I guess ripped them from telly - 'Clarion Call', 'Doubt', 'Red Lights', 'Halcyon', and 'Counterpoint' . the annoying thing is that banner he's put up at the top. the least he could have done was make it smaller or less blinding. BUT if you haven't seen Delphic live, it's worth the eye strain. I think so anyway. they look nice in suits!

'this performance contains strobe lighting.' uh yeah, YA THINK? haha

"I never feel l like I'm mashed enough to watch it" (Rock am Ring 2010 interview)

I know it's not Friday - yet - but it came to my attention that today is a bank holiday in England, so watching this on your day off from work/school is perfectly acceptable.

Delphic and Two Door Cinema Club's lighting man extraordinaire Squib Swain is compared to Squidward of 'Spongebob Squarepants' fame, Rick reveals his former obsession with Melissa Joan Hart as Clarissa in 'Clarissa Explains It All' (seriously, I thought I was on the only one who watched that show religiously, haha), their race with Foals on the Formula 1 racetrack and other topics are explored in this interview at Rock am Ring, conducted interestingly by a Dane (Rock am Ring is in Germany).

2010 in review

I had a think the other night when I was lying in bed, you know, that little twilight time Macca describes right before you fall asleep and strange thoughts come into your head. (at least that is his explanation for 'Yellow Submarine'. a likely story...) and thought it might be nice to have a "best memory" of each month of this year.

January - this is a tie: 1) standing in front of Johnny Marr, jaw on the floor, as he played with the Cribs at the 9:30 on 19 January. he really is that amazing on guitar. and 2) interviewing We Are Scientists backstage at the Black Cat. they are so, so funny. and I got to enjoy the gig with my good friend Catherine, who enjoyed their show even she had no idea who they were / what they sounded like previous to the gig. score!

February - this is probably going to sound a bit strange, but the highlight of February was seeing Delphic's 'Halcyon' video in all its full colour, wide screen glory on a tv display at DC9, 19 February. I had only ever seen it on a computer screen and being able to see it in front of me, huge, brought a smile to my face. that and MB and I were singing along to it and dancing to it like loons, even though no one else there had a clue why were acting that way. (ohhhh, the ignorant!)

March - watching the xx play a sold-out gig at 6th and I Synagogue, 28 March. what a gorgeous, intimate venue to see such beautiful music being played.

April - witnessing Two Door Cinema Club's debut appearance in Washington, at Constitution Hall, 26 April 2010. they could have been scared and apprehensive playing one of the bigger stages in DC, supporting heavyweight Phoenix, but they showed no signs of worry. they were friggin' amazing. I was happy I wasn't the only one dancing along to their tunes but golly, just 5 months prior I'd received a sampler from Kitsune with 5 tracks of theirs (absolutely loving them) and now I was getting to see them live.

the best part was afterwards, when I went right up to Kev Baird and said hello, showing him I knew who he was (he was very surprised!) and when I gave him my business card, he said, "IT'S YOU! you're the woman who writes lovely things about us!" and we hugged. since then I have been sending friends to see them all over the world, and the band know this, b/c inevitably, they meet my friends after and they say, "Mary sent me!" haha

May - Laura Marling at Iota (16 May). I'd just come back from Philly seeing Two Door and was feeling ambivalent about this gig - I'm not a big fan of hers. live, she is WOW. how is it possible someone so young has so much talent?

June - meeting Conor O'Brien (Villagers) and seeing him do a solo show at DC9, 21 June. I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea going to this gig, just days before I had to leave for Denmark, but I am so, so glad I went. we had a nice chat. he wanted to know about me b/c I had said I had learned about him from Steve Lamacq (um, of course!)

July - Roskilde. professionally, this was a major coup, being the only American invited to be an official blogger for the festival. (seriously, I now get the "you went to Roskilde???" gasp from most bands when I tell them I saw them there. probably the best gasp was from Dougy Mandagi of the Temper Trap, whose mind was blown when I told him I had stood behind him as he smoked during the Kissaway Trail's set at Odeon and since he was chilling, I didn't want to bother him. this discussion went on outside the Boston House of Blues, see September.) I saw so many bands gig there that I may never get the chance to see in my lifetime, and I feel truly blessed for the opportunity. personally, I met two English musicians who I think will be friends for a very long time. if their band doesn't get too big and they forget the little people that helped them at the very beginning of their world domination, that is :)

August - I bought my first amp! it's only a practise amp but it signalled my first real foray into bass playing. I am teaching myself how to play electric bass guitar - I started the week after I got back from Roskilde - and it's become a wonderful hobby. I used to sing alto in the school choir, so it's coming pretty naturally to me to play a harmonising instrument than a lead melody one. also of note: I have learned how "sensual" an instrument the bass guitar is. (and yes, that is all I will say on that subject!)

September - travelling to see Temper Trap and Delphic in Philly (26 September) and Boston (29 September). such great shows. forget the money and traveling, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat for similar amazing experiences. probably the two best moments were 1) interviewing Matt Cocksedge of Delphic, b/c he's such a funny, intelligent, and talented guy and 2) getting hugged by Dougy Mandagi after the Boston show, he'd had such a high after meeting a large group of girls from Indonesia (where he is from) who had travelled all the way to Boston to see their show, because up to that point, they had not played in his home country. I am really glad to have seen them before they start playing stadiums, b/c I'm sure that's where they're headed next. Delphic had a good if not great reception, which is pretty good, considering not too many people know who they are on this side of the pond (hope this will be rectified soon, b/c I've tried my darnedest to promote them over here).

October - seeing the tragedy of DC9 scared the heck out of me (it took a couple weeks before I would even go back downtown again) and First Aid Kit's show was cancelled (boo), the highlight of the month was seeing Delphic there on 8 October, a week before that drunk guy got killed outside the club, is bittersweet.

it had been pretty much a perfect night, the weather was wonderful to hang out on the rooftop bar. (nearly) all my local friends had come for the show, and they were not disappointed. even weirder, one of my cousins was there celebrating a friend's birthday (I had not invited her, she just happened to be there and was surprised to hear there was a band playing that night). before the night was out, I'd introduced her to Rick Boardman - her first rock star encounter (insert proud older cousin smirk here). before the band left, we were able to have a moment with them for catch-up so I could wish them well for the second part of their campaign across our continent. there was mutual appreciation and hugs all around.

aww, now I'm getting teary-eyed! haha.

November - two things. 1) emotionally, I needed to see the Script at the 9:30 on 2 November. (don't you dare laugh.) a lot of people think they're too commercial but I like their sound and they are v. good live. I was amazed how the crowd sang along to every song. what a great night. however, 2) I also needed a good rocking out / kick in the pants this month, and that was delivered by the Joy Formidable at Black Cat Backstage (11 November). it is with some amusement that I remember almost getting hit in the head several times by Ritzy Bryan's guitar. haha.

December - interviewing Brian Briggs of Stornoway at the Black Cat and telling him how much 'Beachcomber's Windowsill' meant to me, and he was touched. before I left the venue, the whole band signed a set list for me, "to Mary, with love from Stornoway, and thanks for the praise online! Oli, Brian, Jonathan, and Rob". I feel very grateful that my "job" allows me opportunities like this.

I am now looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings - more amazing gigs, interviews, and meetings, surely, but I also wish for love. blogging as a single woman is a very, very lonely experience. you just don't know how lonely it is until you actually do it for 2 years and go to most (if not all) gigs by yourself. everyone else is at a gig with their significant other, or at least their friends.

I've travelled alone to all sorts of places for gigs and I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had in places near and far, meeting bands and seeing them gig. but most of the downtime, wandering around an unfamiliar town, is pretty lonesome. it'd be nice to find someone who loves music as much as I do and be able to share that important part of my life with him.

well. it is time to bid adieu to 2010. if you are in DC, London, Manchester, New York, LA, or further afield...I hope you have exciting plans for tonight to say goodbye to this eventful year.

roll on 2011! and happy new year!

Mary x

top gigs of 2010 - TGTF - winner: the Postelles
top albums of 2010 - TGTF - winner: 'Acolyte', Delphic
top 'lists' of 2010 - Popwreckoning - posts tomorrow, 01.01.11

Manchester slide show with 'Red Lights'

completely random slide show of another tourist's snaps of Manchester taken on holiday, set to 'Red Lights'. v. nice.

my own holiday snaps from 2006 (though not put to the music of Delphic b/c when I last visited Manchester, I did not know them and therefore I had no idea the hotel I was staying at was metres away from their flat in Castlefield...?!?!?) are here.

Two Door Cinema Club and Delphic answer Under the Radar Mag's artist survey

Kev from Two Door Cinema Club and all of Delphic answer some (admittedly American-centric) questions Under the Radar Mag sent them about their year in 2010. (FYI there are apparently more Delphic answers in the physical Under the Radar, but as I've been felled by flu I'm not exactly sure when I'll be well enough to venture out for it. and I'm only getting it if the magazine was smart enough to shoot another nice, 2-page photo of the guys for it, haha.)

Kev of Two Door Cinema Club

Top 10 Albums of 2010

Not really in any order...

Four Tet: There Is Love in You

The National: High Violet

Bad Veins: Bad Veins

Caribou: Swim

LCD Soundsystem: This is Happening

The Black Keys: Brothers

Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Blood Red Shoes: Fire Like This

Stars: The Five Ghosts

Wild Nothing: Gemini

What was the highlight of 2010 for either you personally or for the band?

We’ve been lucky enough to be part of a lot of very cool things, but I think our highlight definitely has to be releasing our debut record. It was kind of like we’d properly laid down our intent.

What was the low point of 2010 for you?

When someone threw beer over my favorite effects pedal.

What are your hopes and plans for 2011?

We’re going to be touring until about April/May. Before 2011 is over we want to have the next record finished and well on its way or finished in the studio.

What are your thoughts on President Obama’s job performance in the last year? Has your optimism, if you were an Obama supporter, waned?

After studying American Politics in school I probably should have taken more of an interest. I think from touring all over the world for the duration of his presidency I have lost a lot of touch. He seems to be doing all right yeah! Doing a better job than I could.

What are your thoughts on the Tea Party movement?

I think in essence they have a point. It’s not a new idea. I think their demands would be rather hard to achieve, though. In these kinds of circumstances I think there are more important things that people should be putting their energy into. There are contradictions in their argument. How can a state such as the United States reduce its enormous debt by lowering taxes that its citizens pay? In my opinion it’s “perfect world ideal-ology.”

With the Internet making every artist’s music potentially available to a wide audience, is it now easier to find listeners or more difficult because you have to compete with so many other musicians?

It is definitely easier. These days you can post things you’re listening to on MySpace or last.fm directly to your Facebook where all 1,000 of your friends who you don’t even know can listen to what you are listening to. You don’t have to be an established band to get fans. If you know how to work the socials to your advantage you’ll benefit.

Who would you rather listen to—a totally original musician whose compositions are groundbreaking but difficult to listen to or a musician whose songs are immediately enjoyable but derivative? Why?

The latter. Music shouldn’t be about what’s cool or not. I listen to music that I enjoy.

In the race to find new bands, are too many unworthy bands being hyped up by music blogs and websites? How are music fans supposed to filter through all these new bands being hyped?

Things have come into this new generation. People are finding the music for themselves and less and less listening to the stuff they are told to by the big institutions. It’s definitely the age of the independent blogger. There are definitely a lot of terrible bands doing reasonably well because of hype, but hype is a curse as well. Hype seems to lower the shelf life of bands, especially if it comes around before they release a record.

If your house was on fire, what would you grab as you were running out?

I unfortunately don’t have a house. I have a suitcase so if that goes on fire I’m fucked.

If you could relive one day of your life, which would it be?

The day I was born so I could start over.

What’s the strangest fan encounter you’ve ever had?

When a whole class of medical students in Paris grew moustaches because I had one.

If you had a bucket list, what would be the Top 4 things on that list?

1. Go to the carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

2. Get a platinum record.

3. Punch an A list celebrity in the face.

4. Sleep with an A list celebrity.

Who was your first love and do you still keep in touch with them?

Beer and daily.

Is there anything that most people are able to do that you can’t (such as drive a car, swim, ride a bike)?

Draw.

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Delphic extra answers

With the Internet making every artist’s music potentially available to a wide audience, is it now easier to find listeners or more difficult because you have to compete with so many other musicians?

James Cook: The Internet is a junction of avenues that help people find their way to your band. Ten years ago there were no forms of social networking and now there are dozens, all with dedicated band/artist pages. It has changed the way we consume music, although not necessarily for the better. Whereas in the past people were forced to buy a few albums and really consume them, now the listener is spoilt for choice. It’s neither easier nor more difficult, as bands have always had to be competitive, it’s just now they have to approach it in a different way.

Who would you rather listen to—a totally original musician whose compositions are groundbreaking but difficult to listen to or a musician whose songs are immediately enjoyable but derivative? Why?

Matt Cocksedge: Music is dependent on mood—sometimes you want to be comforted by what you know, sometimes you want to listen to something groundbreaking or original because you already know what you know, if that makes sense. One category is neither more valuable nor less worthy than the other. It’s a big landscape and there’s room enough for everyone to find an audience, even Barry Manilow.

In the race to find new bands, are too many unworthy bands being hyped up by music blogs and websites? How are music fans supposed to filter through all these new bands being hyped?

James: The modern music fan has become savvy to the Internet, discerning which blogs or websites they trust, but inevitably it’s like it always was. You filter by listening. It’s easy to tell at that stage which bands are hot air and which bands are of substance. The press should always be seen as a guide rather than a rule.

Who was your first love and do you still keep in touch with them?

Rick Boardman: Delphine—she is our muse, so yes.

Is there anything that most people are able to do that you can’t (such as drive a car, swim, ride a bike)?

Rick: We can do all those things. In fact, we swim and cycle quite often.

Have you ever been starstruck when meeting another musician? If so, by who?

Rick: No.

What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you in the last year?

Rick: We don’t dwell on things enough to get embarrassed by them.

What or whom do you miss most when you’re touring?

James: Delphine

What moment made you maddest in 2010?

Rick: When we realized our football club in England was £1.1bn in debt thanks to the Glazers.

What was the first movie you saw in the theater as a child and do you still enjoy it now?

James: Peter Pan—you can’t better those Disney choirs. Of course I still enjoy it, it’s timeless.

In 2010, what was the best movie you saw, book you read, comic book you read, video game you played, and/or TV show you watched?

Rick: Movie—The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher. Book—Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. TV Show—Mad Men by Matthew Weiner.

What are your thoughts on President Obama’s job performance in the last year? Has your optimism, if you were an Obama supporter, waned?

Matt: Obama has definitely changed the perception of America around the world, largely due to the symbolic nature of his initial policies (on human rights, health care, discrimination) which showed the determination and clear direction of his government. Of course there is a lot left to do, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and criticism is inevitable. However his hesitation is understandable given America’s relations with the Middle East, and the critical state the nation was in when he took the reins.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring musician, what would it be? What was the best piece of advice that you’ve ever gotten?

Rick: Everyone and anyone can be a musician these days. Bedroom studios have taken over from commercial studios. All you need is a computer and you are officially a recording artist! But, in order to rise above all the thousands of applicants, you have to make sure you are making the best music with the best songs. There is a sea of bland music out there and only a few who are really doing something special. Work harder than everyone else and write better songs.

I laugh in the face of top 10 lists!

so of my top ten albums of 2010, only three of them made it on the This is Fake DIY writers' top 50 - the Futureheads 'The Chaos' at #47, Two Door Cinema Club's 'Tourist History' at #42, and Mystery Jets 'Serotonin' at #29. pretty disappointing not to see Delphic, Hundred in the Hands, Broken Bells, or Villagers in there somewhere. I don't like Kanye, I don't like the National, and I defo don't like Sleigh Bells! bah.

what HAS been rather interesting is reading independent (personal) blogs choosing Delphic on top 10 or 20 lists. there's too many to list here but I really liked this one from Denmark (I think) called the Idioteque. here is a blurb from their #5 placing of 'Acolyte' (I've left off most of the Pitchfork slagging):

So, Delphic hasn't exactly been the critics' choice. Rock with synthesizers just isn't as hot as guys with beards playing acoustic guitars, and perhaps it never really has been the shizzle this century, at least outside of Denmark, where bands like VETO, Spleen United and Turboweekend have been among the most prominent of the country's sudden surge in independent music.

But how can you resist? When 'Clarion Call' kicks off in a massive crescendo at 1:26, how can you not be drumming your fists into thin air? How can you help nodding along to 'This Momentary''s insistent, four-on-the-floor beats and chanting, haunting vocals? How can you ignore the brilliance of the pivotal track, 'Acolyte' itself, which surges like a tsunami again and again, and clusterbombs you with swooning, rapturous synthesizers? Or when the album fades away with 'Remain', a post-crescendoic blissful nirvana?

Wearing its Haç-heritage pretty visibly on its sleeves seems to often override the fact that Acolyte really isn't exactly the floor filler it's often proclaimed to be. I see it more as a listening record, and while being sometimes slightly characterless; it cleverly manages the oft-attempted fusion of rock and electro, avoiding most of the pitfalls. So Pitchfork gave it a 5.0 grade? I bloody hell couldn't care less - this is one of the most menacingly intense and engrossing albums of 2010!

Why not swim against the tide, as the opening stanza states, we live in unconditional change anyway?

(read more here)

v. nicely said. the more I listened to 'Acolyte', the more I was convinced this was more of an intellectual record. like Jenny and Johnny's 'I'm Having Fun Now' that can be enjoyed superficially/simply as a surf pop record, 'Acolyte' can be enjoyed as a dance album. rave to it. if that's all you want from it.

but it's when you sit down with it long enough that you realise the brilliance. listen to the lyrics. they're spare but they do what they're supposed to - make you think and tug at your emotions. then consider what they do with the synths (the effects in 'Counterpoint' that sound like birds, for example) and you realise this isn't any record. the guitar riffs are awesome. they're not overbearing. they've been placed in just the right spots. just brilliant.

I have my own thoughts of what 'Acolyte' the song is supposed to represent. but I won't post it here b/c I will blush and embarrass myself, so sorry, you will have to come up with your own ideas on this one. I will say, start first by looking how the song is constructed. I got better acquainted with it, working out the bass line and figuring where the bass came in with respect to the many synths.

I often think about how the Pains of Being Pure at Heart sound is a great wave, awash of sound that you want to get swept up in, and 'Acolyte' runs similar to this, but with no lyrics. no lyrics except ethereal, heavenly sighing, as if from another world. if the music in heaven is anything like this...

Delphic compliments Two Door Cinema Club...and more...

I like this sort of thing a lot. FANDOMS COLLIDING. THUD.

and I'd never heard any of the demos of 'Submission' :O you all heard it on this blog eons ago that 'Submission' was my favourite song on 'Acolyte'. obviously labour of love, I just knew it the best song ::smug::



in the second one, they comment on Phoenix, the xx, Sub Sub and Doves (ooh).