NOTS – Cosmetic (Goner): The Analytic Approach
“No novelty”, shouts Natalie Hoffman, lead singer and guitarist of Memphis punk band Nots, on their sophomore record Cosmetic. It’s one of the last tracks on the record, but it’s the one to reference in case someone wants to point out that this gang of four is “an all-girl band”. Carrie Brownstein has often stressed […]
A knot in my heart: The Raincoats at the Feminist Library Summer Benefit, London, 2 July 2016
Photo by Amber Bateup. It’s hard to talk about The Raincoats. I’m writing this from a teahouse in London, trying to figure out why that is. I can’t find the right phrase to describe the knot in my heart that tightens when I think about them. It’s the kind of knot that holds you together. […]
The Julie Ruin – Hit Reset (Hardly Art)
By Alexis Late Sometimes I don’t feel like being challenged by music. I want to escape into the wistful longing of Frankie Cosmos, or swim in the gentle heartbreak of Waxahatchee. I close my eyes and wallow in the miserable beauty that infuses in me like a mellowing tea. Each song is a sliver of […]
Ardent Mythology: Following The Libertines
By Alexis Late A lot of well-worshipped musicians tend to have a web of mythology encompassing them. Sometimes it’s created by scandal loving press and is, not surprisingly, flawed or exaggerated; sometimes it’s unearthed by fans through intimate obsession, or woven by the artists themselves, as they make their manifestos public. The Libertines were a […]
'A confusing unrestful world' | an encounter with Slum of Legs
By Alexis Late Photo by David McNamee A good friend who keeps her finger on the pulse on all things Riot Grrrl related, its various incarnations since its initial explosion in the early 90s, alerted me to the online presence of a label called Tuff Enuff records, based in Brighton and the spawn of, in […]
‘Not afraid to be vulnerable, and all the stronger for it’ | a review of the new Courtney Love single
Every now and then, Collapse Board knocks one out of the park. Last night I responded to a friend request on Facebook and received a sweet thank-you note. So having already checked out my respondent’s Facebook feed and noting she is interested in the new Courtney Love song, I ask her if she would care to […]