The Angle Daily- Issue 36 by Angle Magazine

november 26th 2015 Issue thirty-six

MUSIC FROm liemba

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Contents

ŒŒ ABOUT US 5 ŒŒ on the cover

ŒŒ balcony sessions

ŒŒ rising MUSIC NEWS

ŒŒ rising music REVIEWS

ŒŒ angle radar playlist

ŒŒ major music news

ŒŒ Movie news

ŒŒ Film reviews

ŒŒ comment articles

ŒŒ MIXTAPE HIGHLIGHTS

Today's cover is a photograph of Mishkin Fitzgerald taken at Printers Playhouse by Lee Edwards.

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ABOUT US

This magazine, as the name probably made quite obvious, will be released everyday - Monday to Friday. Its purpose will be to relay to you the highlights of the days’ news in music and in film. We will endeavour to publish an issue every evening. The Angle Daily is an interactive magazine. That means that unlike a lot of other publications that just talk about music and video, we can actually show them to you and include them on the page itself. The majority of the images inside are clickable- doing so could allow you to play a video, listen to a song or just visit a website. The article will probably tell you what to expect. We’re currently looking for unsigned bands and artists to feature in this magazine. To have a news piece written about something you have coming up- be it a new record, a massive tour, something you’ve released that you want streamed, whatever- or to have something reviewed, just send an email.

sessions@angle-magazine.co.uk Reviews:

info@angle-magazine.co.uk Advertise:

advertise@angle-magazine.co.uk EDITORS: Martha-Jane Smith, Andrew Nicholls / VIDEO/PHOTOS: Josh Paine-Lewis, Lee Edwards / DESIGN: Tori Olson / ILLUSTRATIONS: Millie Watson, Zoe Jackson, Eve Yarnton, Lydia Howell / WRITERS: Hannah Aston, Cleary Mallard, Lorelle Tilbury, Carina Lawrence, Jodie Allan.

on the cover mishkin fitzgerald

photo by lee edwards who is she? Mishkin Fitzgerald is best known for her role as lead singer and pianist in the British ‘orchestral punk-rock’ band, Birdeatsbaby. However, as a solo performer she plays darkly tinged pianos ballads and melancholic alt-pop tunes.

what influences her?

www.facebook.com/mishkinfitzgerald @mishkinbird

Daughter of a church minister and a maths teacher, the young singer was influenced heavily by classical piano music and opera, and then later alternative artists such as Nick Cave, Patti Smith and Kate Bush. She has created a sound that is distinctive, fragile and unapologetic. Her debut album Present Company was produced by multi-instrumentalist Forbes Coleman (Stereophonics, Claire Maguire), has been played on BBC Introducing London/Sussex and hailed by Simon Price (Independent, Guardian, Q) as ‘stunning... frighteningly talented’.

click to watch and hear

see her live: More recently she has been running her own independent music events under the banner of “Indie Noir Presents” in London, Brighton & Oxford. These nights offer indie musicians, artists, film makers and fashion designers a chance to showcase their work at well-known venues and become part of a growing community of alternative types.

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BALCONY SESSIONS liemba

You can watch the video via WHAT ARE THE BALCONY SESSIONS? the image above. We work from an office with a balcony surrounded by stunning views of the cityscape around it. As the sun sets that view is absolutely fantastic, with beautiful architecture in every direction. We couldn’t waste that. Every week we take performers outside for a professionally filmed and recorded acoustic session with great sound and visuals. Above is just one of those videos, you’ll find more on our website.

FUTURE SESSIONS: www.facebook.com/AngleMagazineBrighton www.angle-magazine.co.uk

@anglemaguk

Harry Whitburn

Logan Wilson

Zakk Haydon

GET INVOLVED: If you think you’ve got what it takes to be featured in a future Balcony Session just send an email with links and info to balconysessions@angle-magazine.co.uk

jamie rush- COMING SOON

BEN EAKINS- COMING SOON

see more at www.angle-magazine.co.uk

SIMON JONES- coming soon

SEAN FENNESSEY- coming soon

PHOTOS BY ANDREW NICHOLLS

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RISING MUSIC N E WS

NEWS: so pitted stream track and sign to record label Sub Pop have signed the punk trio, So Pitted. The band have a forthcoming release – Neo, their debut album – set for February 19th and have decided to stream their leading track, Rot In Hell. “I see us as another spinoff of new wave music,” Liam Downey explains. “I don’t think any of us are into one style, we all have our conventions, we’re all really snobby artists but at the same time we’re normal people who listen to Backstreet Boys because it’s what we heard growing up. We just want to be genuine and admit what we like and don’t like. The band is the people, and we’re always changing so much.” “It’s everyone’s band,” says Nathan Rodriguez, “and we have the same role of support and voice for each other.” Stream the track via the image above. CM

NEWS: black peaks announce lp Black Peaks, a progressive post-hardcore act from Brighton, have announced the release of their hottly-anticipated debut album, Statues. They recently released their first single and video from this upcoming release, Saviour. Statues is available to pre-order now and is to be released on February 26th 2016. Check out the video for Saviour via image above. CL

NEWS: smokey bastard drop animated music video Folk-punk sextet Smokey Bastard have shared their new animated video stream for Baba Yaga. The single of the same name tells the tale from Russian/Slavic folklore of the figure of the same name. The track was taken from the band’s album, Back to The Drawing Room, which was released on November 23rd via Bomber Records. Baba Yaga can be listened to via the image above, and the band’s album can be purchased through iTunes. HA

NEWS: idols of apathy release music video for bi-polar Six-piece Essex Metallers Idols Of Apathy have released the new video for their single, Bi-Polar. The single is very personal for vocalist, Jack Dervish who explains the meaning behind the new song, “The track was written and fuelled on my bipolar disorder. Its something that during the writing process of this track, before it was named, had me writing things that I haven’t said for a long time. I was hurting people I didn’t want to hurt and I was having the full effect of bad luck, bad timing with bad thoughts, all at once. The music itself contains our most angriest and positive parts of the EP and in all honesty when writing it I didn’t notice but everything in this track is purely me at my best and worst.” Check out the video for Bi-Polar via the image above. CL

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NEWS: teenage wrist release ep on vinyl Teenage Wrist, the collaborative side-project of Marshall Gallagher (Swing Hero), Kamtin Maohager (Chain Gang of 1974) and Anthony Salazar, have announced their EP Dazed will be released on vinyl, via Srcvinyl. Aiming to leave listeners ‘dreaming of the 90’s’ and promising ‘psych-tinged guitars and spacious production that will undoubtedly reflect the success of its band members solo projects.’ the pressing will be on 180-gram vinyl with a limited run of 1,000 copies and will be mastered for wax. Dazed is available for preorder, and the EP can be listened to below. HA.

NEWS: picturesque stream ep monstrous things Kentucky-based quintet Picturesque have made their latest EP, Monstrous Things, available to stream online in full. You can do that via the image above. The EP became available on the November 20th and is the band’s first release since they signed with the record label Equal Vision Records. Praised by Alternative Press for having ‘plenty to take in, with post-hardcore guitars tirelessly filling the space and vocalist Kyle Hollis just crushing northern notes that would have EVR alums Anthony Green and Claudio Sanchez patting him on the back,” Picturesque’s EP Monstrous Things is the culmination of years of hard work. Monstrous Things can be streamed in full now, and physical copies are available from MerchNow. HA.

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RISING

ep review: the harkes

reviews

A while back Eastbourne’s The Harkes released their EP. To mark the occasion we let four of our writers have a listen to it. Here’s what they thought. With slick, fast playing guitars that are full of excitement, and strong, edgy vocals that all work together to produce that punk rock sound the lads create. With a lot of energy and song that just throws you into the emotion by the vocals and lyrics, you’ll be listening to the song on repeat for hours. It is definitely one of the stand out songs from the lads. SW This one is definitely the shining single contender from this release. It’s certainly more measured than the track following it and above all it has hooks for days. As the catchy as all hell guitar lead emerges out from over the dependable percussive beginning, it’s more than easy to imagine this getting radio airplay or something of the like. Still recognisably a tune birthed from the rock realm but almost entirely lacking aggression or raw ballsy might, instead Love Song is simply rather pleasant and laid back. And frankly, that’s ok; it is called “Love Song” after all. The production really shines here, whether it be in the satisfying meaty thud of the drums supplying that never faltering advance, the clearly audible bass or the twangy warmth of the guitars, and up front the vocals aren’t without grit but certainly more than melodic enough to lie in tandem with the songs pop sensibilities, passionate and to his credit never monotone. Space is key, the moments the band don’t play as crucial as those they do, allowing the song to breathe and connect in just the right spots. The track sticks to a fairly standard verse chorus format but with this The Harkes really prove that they understand how to make the most of those tried and tested tools to create something with the strength to keep listeners coming back for more. PH Eastbourne punk-rockers The Harkes deliver a raucous anthem with their new track Found A Way. The driving riffs and percussion section throughout the verses lead into a massive chorus that will have any live audience chanting along and raising their fists in unison. The song details the struggle and perseverance required on the road to success while marrying the stark angst of a punk-pop song with the striking influence of British classic rock. The lyrics read like cultivated prose with lines like “We cut our teeth together on the sharpest points of life we can find”. The Harkes always manage to deliver something new and different with every new song they release, honing their craft as musicians and songwriters. Found A Way is no exception - this track is a strong showcase of the direction The Harkes are headed. TO Something needs to be said for simple, straightforward songs. Those that deliver their message clearly, without hiding behind grand metaphors or overly-complex arrangements. For The Harkes, ‘Lean On Me’ is a perfect example. Vocalist Stu sings “if it gets too heavy... you can lean on me” in the chorus, but it’s good to note that every word throughout the track further eschews this promise of unconditional support no matter what, and it’s refreshing to listen to such direct lyrics coming with such coarse, honest vocals. The track’s low-key arrangement also accentuates the lyrics, with a rolling drum beat and steady guitar-work, which brings the vocals to the forefront for the listeners, save for the climatic guitar solo in the later moments of the song. Overall, ‘Lean On Me’ is more than a song. It’s a declaration - one that’s easy to listen and relate to, and certainly one that gets its message across the first time, though you could just as easily put it on repeat. KL

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the angle

radar stranded mermai d a smalland saga

woof. hear me breathing

land of the giants see me as a god

the dead ships canyon

castaway-hexes

wildcat apollo high and low

hid eo us su n demo n moan fo r jesu s

see more at www.angle-magazine.co.uk Here are a few highlights from The Angle Radar, a regular mixtape, compiled by us,of unsigned and rising bands from around the world.

major MUSIC N E WS

news: bob's burgers' voice actor to release jazz album “In hindsight I don’t think it’s the best idea in the world.” H. Jon Benjamin, the voice of Bob of Bob’s Burgers, is releasing a surprise jazz album this Friday. In a mini-documentary called Jon Benjamin: Jazz Daredevil, which you can watch via the image above, the comedian reveals the reasoning behind this terrifically weird idea. “I don’t play piano at all and I’m not a huge fan of jazz, never was. That’s why I thought it would be funny to make a jazz album.” “Maybe he’s a visionary, I don’t know, but it was, it was thoroughly horrible.” The LP also features Aziz Ansari, Bob’s Burgers co-star Kristen Schaal and various professional jazz musicians. AN

news: escape the fate reveal tour support Escape The Fate have revealed the three support acts for the upcoming UK tour. The band have confirmed that Fearless Vampire Killers, New Years Day and Like A Storm will join them when they hit our shores for four dates early next year. The band are headlining the following dates in January and February: 28th- Manchester, Club Academy 30th- Nottingham, Rescue Rooms

29th- Glasgow, Cathouse 16th- London, Electric Ballroom

news: while she sleeps confirm uk tour While She Sleeps have confirmed an intimate UK tour playing some of the country’s smallest music venues. Tickets go on sale Friday for the ten date tour, called the Brainwash Tour, which will see the band playing what we can only expect to be some pretty gnarly and destructive shows. While She Sleeps are playing the following dates next March: 16th- Mansfield, Intake 19th- Bolton, Alma 23rd- Brighton, Haunt 26th- Doncaster, Vintage

17th- Hull, Adelphi 20th- Corby, Hut 24th- Plymouth, Junction

18th- Huddersfield, Parish 22nd- Gravesend, Red Lion 25th- Oxford, Bullingdon

news: gwyneth paltrow wrote lyrics for the new coldplay album Bad news for a lot of music fans, Coldplay have another album coming out, and actress and former Mrs Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, wrote lyrics for it. It was also confirmed some time ago that she would provide backing vocals for a track called Everglow. Martin recently spoke about how Paltrow inspired the lyric “How come things move on / How come cars don’t slow,” telling Q Magazine, “She came up with the idea so I said, ‘Is there any chance you’d sing that line cos it’s your idea’ Like any human, she was like, ‘I can’t do that! I’m not a professional!’” Gwyneth Paltrow previously collaborated with Huey Lewis for a cover Cruisin’ in the film Duets and performed a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide in Glee. Chris Martin previously hinted that the album might be the band’s last, “It’s our seventh thing, and the way we look at it, it’s like the last Harry Potter book or something like that. Not to say that there might not be another thing one day, but this is the completion of something… I have to think of it as the final thing we’re doing. Otherwise we wouldn’t put everything into it.” Fingers crossed. Coldplay’s forthcoming album, A Head Full Of Dreams, will be released December 4th. AN

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news: david bowie lp's inspirations explained David Bowie collaborator Donny McCaslin has explained how the star’s new album has been inspired both by electronic outfit Boards Of Canada and experimental rap group Death Grips. “I was so inspired by how much music and literature David’s checked out; he is constantly looking for new things, to listen to and to read,” McCaslin said. “For instance, when describing on eof the first songs we recorded, ‘Somewhere’, David referenced the Boards Of Canada song ‘Alpha And Omega’ [which McCaslin recorded] as an approach. We’d talk about Death Grips, this band in California [too]”. Bowie’s producer also reported that the record was partly inspired by Kendrick Lamar. “We were listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar,” Visconti said. “We wound up with nothing like that, but we loved the fact Kendrick was so open-minded and he didn’t do a straight-up hip-hop record. He threw everything on there, and that’s exactly what we wanted to do. The goal, in many, many ways, was to avoid rock’n’roll.” AN

news: the killers to release christmas single The Killers are to release a Christmas single, apparently titled Dirty Sledding. The band’s touyr manager, Ryan Pardey, recently described the track;’s accompanying video to LA Weekly, “A deranged Santa walks up to the camera in the middle of the desert, pulls a tomahawk out of his bag and lights it on fire. The crazed man in red throws the ax at his target, a stuffed teddy bear with a picture of Killers frontman Brandon Flowers taped to its head. It’s a bull’s-eye.” According to the band’s Twitter, Jaws actor Richard Dreyfuss may be making a cameo in the video. Reports say that the song will likely be premiered on next Tuesday’s Jimmy Kimmel. AN

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movie NEWS

news: elimination gets director

The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm has beenis confirmed to sit in the chair news: a tetris movie coming for Elimination. There’s plenty of puns we could make here. Rush Hour director Brett Ratner is There’s no sign of plot details yet, screen. but we do know that Zak Olkewicz is on script bringing a Tetris movie to the big details, with Shawn Levy producing the movie for Fox Searchlight via his company, Laps. No release date has been announced yet, but it’sLarry safe to assume At first21 thought, especially following Threshold Entertainment’s Kasanoff’s that Elimination hit cinema screens next year. ANa “epic, imaginative” scicomments aboutwill wanting to give the plotless game fi story, it would seem likely that the adaptation would be something akin to the recent Adam Sandler movie, Pixels. But sadly that isn’t the case as the film Ratner is working on will in fact be more along the lines of the Social Network, following the struggle that designer Alexey Pajitnov encountered in trying to get the game recognition. How thrilling. AN.

news: the hateful eight gets limited 70mm screenings

news: philippa write A featurette, which you can view viaboyens the image above, to has been released giving film fans the info they need to make sure they manage to secure a seat at a 70mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. young merlin film The director’s latest outing set about a decade the Boyens end of the American Lord Of The Rings and The is Hobbit veteran writer after Philippa is to take on Civil War and sees a group lawBarron’s keepers, outlaws, an adaptation for Disney of of T.A. young adultmercenaries, book series,bounty Merlin:huntThe ers and fugitives hold up at a stagecoach waypoint when an enormous snow Lost Years. storm rolls through the area. It’s not a nice situation to be in, and soon two of the men,which who to aredate supporting a female prisoner across theenchanted country, start to The series, spans twelve books, begins on the island wonder if they’ll it out alive. of Fincayra, wheremake a teenage Merlin embarks on adventures with female companion Rhia and jester Bumbelwy. The young wizard finds an antagonist in the The film’s 70mm Roadshow Cut will allowThe fansbooks to enjoy of form of Rhita Gawr, a spirit world warlord. are twelve said to more fit intominutes the same footage than the theatrical version. Samuel Jackson, Kurt sort of mould as Jregular K Rowling’s Harry Potter,Co-starring which should meanL.that this news Russell,the Jennifer JasonofLeigh, Waltonbe Goggins, Demiánsuccessful Bichir, Michael Maden, heralds beginning what should an effortlessly new franchise James ParkAN and Zoe Bell, The Hateful Eight os out January 8th 2016. AN for Disney.

NEWS: men in black 4 will feature a central female character Tommy Lee Jones and his partner Will Smith have a couple of times found themselves going up against female adversaries, and they’ve shared their department with a few female co-workers, but there’s never been a central female character in the franchise. Well, it’s reported that the fourth instalment will see a woman join the Men In Black. It was producer Laurie McDonald that let the information slip while speaking to BBC’s Newsbeat. “There will be a prominent woman in black in the fourth [MIB film].” Those who watched the second film will remember how it completely glazed over the fact that J received a female partner, played by Linda Fiorentino, at the end of the original film. There’s scarcely a scrap of info available four this forthcoming movie, but we do know a couple of important things; it wont star Will Smith who isn’t interested in returning to the role, and it will be the first in a planned trilogy. AN

NEWS: ben affleck talks batman v superman Ben Affleck, star of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, has spoken about the upcoming movie, admitting that there’s “at ton of pressure” for the film to be a success. “I mean I would be bulls***ting you to say there isn’t.” he told Variety. “You’ll see next year they are going to have a great year,” Affleck insists. “They are now developing... probably the single greatest under-exploited IP asset in the entertainment business, the DC comic world. And now they have started to exploit that and you are going to see that blossom. And, when it does, it’s going to be massive.” Directed by Zach Synder and co-starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Gal Godot and Jesse Eisenberg, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice hits UK cinemas March 25th 2016. AN

NEWS: jennifer lawrence to make debut as director Now that the Hunger Games are finally all wrapped up, Jennifer Lawrence can finally turn her attention to making her mark in other big ways. She’s already co-written a comedy with Amy Schumer, who we can never tell if we actually like, and has since expressed an interest in sitting in the director’s chair. “I’ve signed on to direct something called Project Delirium,” she told Entertainment Weekly, “it’s based on this article about mental warfare in the ’60s, like an acid experiment gone terribly wrong.” The original article published in the New Yorker in 2012 revolved around experiments conducted on soldiers during the Cold War. “It’s funny, I’ve wanted to direct since I was 16 and always thought I should start making steps towards that,” she added. “If I had tried to do it earlier, I wouldn’t have been ready. Now I actually feel ready.” AN

NEWS: the revenant called a sonic painting We’ve already heard about how upcoming movie The Revenant saw Leo DiCaprio go to extraordinary lengths for his role, with him and Tom Hardy battling inhospitable locations and bitter temperatures. Well, now its director, Birdman’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, has revealed a little more about that. The director rejected artificial light and filmmaking luxuries in favour of shooting only in the magic hour, a period between the first and last hours of sunlight in the day that would allow only ninety minutes of shoot-time a day. He told Total Film that “it was worth it”, saying “I had to create the narrative where the film starts in Autumn and goes to full winter, so it took years to get all the pieces together. I wanted this to be a sonic painting that you can get lost in.” The Revenant is the true story of a 19th century frontiersman, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), who was left for dead by his companion, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), after being mauled by a bear. The film follows his struggle to trek to seek revenge and, quite simply, survive, during which he encountered Native Americans and life-threatening situations. “The bear attack is one of the maddest things I’ve ever seen! I saw it in a screening room by myself and I was shouting; ‘AARGH! JESUS!’” said Domnall Gleeson, who plays a fur trapper. The Revenant opens in the UK January 15th 2016. AN

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REVIEWS FILM

film review: the hunger gamesmockingjay part 2 After seeing this teen-drama meets apocalyptic-civil-war tale finale, I feel alone in my joy to watch it end. No more will the inexplicable albeit very vocal excitement surrounding the mighty Mocking Jay plague my existence. If you like this series, then please know I’m going to spoil it for you. You have been warned. The overall plot had its twists and turns, most of which were anticipated, but some of which weren’t. The main thing pulling me through was the beautiful, high budget cinematography and tension-building soundtrack. These two aspects made the bridges between brief moments of intensity relatively enjoyable. The final ending however was like placing a huge block of cliche cheese in front of me, just so I can watch it stink. The characters that surround the Mocking Jay are in no way unique and neither are the sets. If you’ve seen Alien: Resurrection, then you know what happens when people try to climb ladders in order to escape scary monsters. They even wade through a series of watery tunnels before this re-used scene happens, where Jennifer Lawrence looks down, helplessly watching the carnage below, like Ripley. Not to mention that the series itself is just Battle Royale for pussies. What happens to new members of a squad in action films? Well, there needs to be some fodder for a city filled with motion-sensor triggered weapons. You might think that the ‘game-makers’, on their final outing, would get a little more creative in the deadly traps they prepare. Really it’s just sharp stuff, bullets and explosions. It’s almost like if Pop-Up Pirate were a city, and the pirate was two mini-guns emptying its clips at you. The group only encounter a total of five traps throughout the film. The trailer and build-up of the film suggested there would be a little more. Four potential endings later and I sat there wondering if it really was ever going to end. How many times can you fade to black and fade in again before the audience get tired and want to watch the credits roll? The first time it happens, they cut over the most climactic part of the film and Jennifer Lawrence wakes up in bed, safe and sound after the battle has ended. It shows us one way to reduce the entire plot of two films to nothing, letting us know the main character’s actions were fruitless in the greater scheme of war. CM

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COMMENT:

Cold-Reading: Scratching the Surface of the Most Exploitative Lie

Cold-reading is the art of profiting the bereaved, Martin Ellis takes a sceptical glance at the world of psychics. “I’m getting a ‘P’ coming through, and I think it’s a man. Yes, definitely a man. Does that mean anything to you? A ‘P’, is it Patrick or maybe Peter? No, wait, it’s clearer now - Paul? Yes, that’s right he says his name is Paul, is he your grandfather or maybe your uncle? Yes? That’s right, your grandad. He used to be in the army, I’m sensing, or maybe the Navy? No? Well the sea was important to him, that’s for sure. Are you sure there’s no connection here? What’s that? He loved fishing? Yes, that’s what he’s telling me now! He’s laughing, says he was always trying to land the big one! Does that sound like him? Yes, well, as I said, water was very significant to him in life. OK, so we have your grandad Paul who was a fisherman with us right now. He passed quite suddenly he says, something to do with his chest. A heart attack, you say? Yes that’s right, his heart, very sudden and very sad. He says never got the chance to say good-

bye properly, but he wants you to know that he’s sorry about that and that. He’s telling me that he doesn’t want you to be sad, though …” We’ve probably all seen or heard a psychic at some time, maybe on TV or at a show. Perhaps you’ve been impressed with their uncanny ability to somehow produce information about you or your loved ones that they couldn’t possibly have know in any other way. But are they really doing what they claim to be doing – contacting the dead? Many people swear that they are doing just that, but as a sceptic, I can’t simply accept this extraordinary claim without question. After all, the idea that we can speak to the dead runs counter to everything we know about death from a scientific point of view, not to mention the fact that the history of apparent psychic communication is riddled with fakery and fraud! So how could we tell if the ‘psychic’ we’re speaking to is the real deal and not just

another deluded soul or, worse, an out and out charlatan who’s happy to exploit your grief for their own financial gain? Well, you could start by asking yourself a few simple questions as you listen to your psychic of choice giving a reading: • Is the psychic providing accurate and detailed information or just vague and general statements? There is no obvious reason why the dead should not be able to provide clear unambiguous information such as full names, dates of birth, addresses that they lived at, and so on. If the psychic just gives partial info, such as ‘the letter P’, or ‘a city in the north’ ask yourself why is that? Are they just hoping someone in the audience will fill in the details for them by calling out “that’s my grandad Paul”? Or is it that the dearly departed love nothing more than a good tease? • How many times is the psychic wrong? If a psychic is on a direct line to your relative, shouldn’t everything they tell you be correct? Why would they get basic facts wrong, such as the job the deceased used to have or the names of their grandchildren? Count the number of times they get something wrong, even if they then ‘correct’ it with a little help (“Sarah, no? Well, it’s something with an S … Susan? Ah, Sophie is it?”) and compare it to how often they get things right without help. • Is the psychic asking you to provide information? If so, why? They’re the ones speaking to the dead, right? How much information does the psychic actually provide and how much comes from you? If you’re providing most of the info, what exactly is the psychic doing other than prompting you? Come to think of it, if they are

talking to your uncle or whoever, why do they even need to ask you to confirm what they’re saying at all? Is uncle telling fibs? The truth is that there are many ways that a skilled illusionist can duplicate what supposed psychics do, and with very similar levels of success. In blind tests (where the audience doesn’t know that the performer isn’t a ‘real’ psychic), people will still swear that the readings given were amazingly accurate, even though they were achieved using well-established non-psychic techniques. And sadly, people who are grieving are often very open to the idea that their loved one still lives on in some way. They may grasp on to any hope, no matter how flimsy, and in their heightened emotional state they might miss the tricks and artistry that the purported psychic uses to achieve their goal. Being taken in by a psychic is nothing to be ashamed of, of course, they’re often very good at what they do. But if they’re a genuine psychic, they will be able to give you clear, accurate information without asking for your input. If they can’t do this, ask yourself why not?

"The Idea that we can contact the dead runs counter to everything we know about death from a scientific point of view "

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MIXTAPE

HIGHLIGHTS fraser a gormanshiny gun

Artwork by Carl Carzana

A Beautifully composed track about pushing through times of hardship, and inevitably drinking your way through your pain. The Musicianship on display in Shiny Gun is of the highest order; Shiny Gun gives us everything that we desire from country music, the authentic twang of the guitar that lets you know what you’re listening to, and the classic guitar solo before the final chorus. RH

META-STASISWELCOME TO MY ASYLUM

the big moon-nothing without you Lyrics filled with Irony about social beliefs and your standard song about love, loss, romance and all things in between. Think Kate Nash or KT Tunstall with some distortion on the guitar and some foot stomping drum beats that Mumford and Sons would be proud of. However, this fails to distinguish itself outside the realms of ordinary Indie Rock. Having just come back from New York and now off on tour, Expect big things from these girls. RH

SUBMIT YOUR TRACK:

Welcome To My Asylum is a bombardment and overload of awesome insane metal, executed to precise and sublime standards. It has everything and more you could hope for, for an extreme metal track; its infectiously melodic, dark, with hard hitting rhythms, tech sounds and beats, not to mention, lots of varied crazy vocals that are compelling, making you feel like you are at the ‘asylum’ – a true welcome to their mad house! Once you enter, I don’t think you will want to leave! CL

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