Month: June 2010

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The Greatest Indie Love Songs of all Time (Vol 4)

Broken marriages and passing lovers

  1. Gene – Olympian
  2. Morning Runner – Hold your breath
  3. Modern English – I melt with you
  4. The Smiths – There is a light that never goes out
  5. The Cranberries – Dreams
  6. The Fat Lady Sings – Arclight
  7. James – She’s a Star
  8. Iron & Wine – Love and some verses
  9. Embrace – Gravity
  10. In Tua Nua – Don’t fear me now
  11. The Lemonheads – It’s about time
  12. The Julian Hatfield Three – For the Birds
  13. The Calling – Wherever you will go
  14. Broken Records – A Promise
  15. Pete Docherty featuring Wolfman – For Lovers
  16. Delays – You and me

Like  Vol 1 (British) and unlike Vol 3 (US/Canadian) this collection is mainly home grown. Gene burst onto the British Indie scene in 1993 led by the showmanesque Martin Rossiter who is related to the well known Britsh actor Leonard Rossiter. They formed in London after guitar player Steve Mason saw Watford-based Welshman Rossiter cross the floor of a club, Mason approached him and they began to talk. Their meeting ended with Rossiter handing out his business card (‘Martin Rossiter: Soothsayer to the Stars’) and Mason giving Rossiter a chance to sing with the band. Rossiter appeared on the Band’s earlier incarnation Spin’s last demos as “Martin T. Falls” (a nod to the Mancunian band The Fall) shortly before the decision was made to adopt the name Gene.

Gene comprised Matt James (drummer), Kevin Miles (bassist), Steve Mason (guitarist) and Martin Rossiter (vocalist, keyboards). After disbanding in 2004, the band members have all continued to work in music, in a variety of different ways. Roy Wilkinson went on to manage the band British Sea Power, while Snake Newton went on to mix an assortment of acts including Duran Duran, Sugababes, Pet Shop Boys and Snow Patrol.

With a passing similarity to the Smiths, the Band never really achieved high acclaim and their debut  ‘The Olympian’ charted at Number 8 in 1995 with the single of the same name going to Number 18. I loved their slightly jaundiced romanticism and occasional political incorrectness and when their second album – a collection of B sides and rareties – ‘To See the Lights’ came out in 1996, my affection increased. Why? Because they used Worthing Pier as a backdrop for the album photography, thus sealing for all time their association with British seaside seediness.

Formed in Colchester, Essex in 1979 by Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), and Michael Conroy (bass, vocals), Modern English were originally known as The Lepers. The group expanded to “Modern English” when Richard Brown (drums) and Stephen Walker (keyboards) were subsequently added to the line-up of the band.

After a single on their own ‘Limp’ label in 1979, the band signed to 4AD the following year, with two further singles released, and a session for John Peel recorded before the band’s debut album, ‘Mesh & Lace’, in 1981, the band in the early days showing a strong Joy Division influence. A second Peel session was recorded in October 1981. The follow-up, After The Snow (April 1982), was more keyboard-oriented and was compared to Simple Minds and Duran Duran. It was also released in the United States by Sire Records the following year, where it reached number 70 on the Billboard chart, and sold over 500,000 copies. Grey said of the album, “We used to think ‘God, we’ll never make a pop record. We’re artists!’, but things don’t always turn out as you planned and when you actually create a pop record, it’s so much more of a thrill than anything else”. The second single from the album was also a hit in the US, the jangly ‘I Melt With You’ reaching number 78. When he reviewed the album, Johnny Waller of Sounds described the track as “A dreamy, creamy celebration of love and lust, which deserves to be showcased on as 12″ single all by itself, with no b-side”, while his colleague Tony Mitchell described it as “suburban amateurism at its most unrewarding.’

The band relocated to New York and worked on a third album, ‘Ricochet Days’, which again made the top 100 in the US, after which the band left 4AD and were solely signed to Sire outside the UK and Canada. The album ‘Stop Start’ (1986) was the last record Modern English record released by Sire, with the band splitting up after its release.

The link between The Smiths and The Cranberries is of course Stephen Street who produced both bands – although Morrissey and Marr self-produced ‘There is a light’ – the other connection is Geoff Travis who was Boss of Rough Trade, the Smiths earlier label and who also managed the Cranberries. Both songs relied upon later re-releases in order to become hits.

The Irish connection continues with The Fat Lady Sings, formed in Dublin in March 1986. Fronted by singer and songwriter Nick Kelly, the initial line-up also comprised Robert Hamilton (drums), Dave Sweeney (guitars) and Finbarr O’Riordan (bass). The band decided to relocate to London almost immediately after forming, and were based there throughout their subsequent eight year career.

Perhaps more unusual still was the fact that they never recorded a demo – five months after forming their first visit to a recording studio produced ‘Fear And Favour’. This single was paid for out of the band’s own pocket and released by Terri Hooley on his Good Vibrations label. ‘Fear And Favour’ brought the band immediate critical attention from the English music press. Over the next 18 months, self-managed and self-financed, the band began building a live following in both the UK and Ireland.

In March 1988 their second independent single, ‘Be Still’ was released on Harbour Sound Records, once again to critical acclaim. By this time, following various shifts in personnel, the band’s classic line-up was firmly established, with Nick and Robert now joined by Dermot Lynch (bass) and guitar player and multi-instrumentalist Tim Bradshaw.

In October 1989, The Fat Lady Sings released their third single ‘Arclight’ on their own Fourth Base Record label. The critical and public interest in this song, and for the band’s follow-up single ‘Dronning Maud Land’ (released January 1990), together with the enormous live following that they’d build up in both Ireland and the UK (they sold out both the National Stadium in Dublin and the Town & Country Club in London, an unprecedented feat for an unsigned band) attracted major label interest.

In 1990 the band signed to East West Records in London (Atlantic in America). Their first major label single ‘Man Scared’ was released in October 1990. In May 1991, the band’s first album, ‘Twist’ was released. This album spawned 3 more singles: a re-release of ‘Arclight’ (April 1991), ‘Twist’ (May 1991) and ‘Deborah (August 1991).

Arclight is one of my personal favourites – almost unbearably romantic and irreparably doomed – definitely one of the most moving songs of the past two decades and now you can get emotional with it too.

Iron & Wine is the performing name for US Singer Songwriter Samuel Beam who released his first Iron & Wine album, ‘The Creek Drank the Cradle’, on the Sub Pop label in 2002. Beam wrote, performed, recorded and produced the album in his home studio.

Also in 2002, Beam recorded a cover of The Postal Service’s then-unreleased song ‘Such Great Heights’. Rather than being included on an Iron & Wine release, the track was initially included as a b-side of the original version by The Postal Service. He then followed up on his debut album in 2003 with ‘The Sea & The Rhythm’, an EP containing other home-recorded tracks with a similar style to the songs on the debut.

Beam’s second full-length album, ‘Our Endless Numbered Days’ (2004) which features this love ballad ‘Love and some verses’, was recorded in a professional studio with a significant increase in fidelity. Produced in Chicago by Brian Deck, the focus was still on acoustic material, but the inclusion of other band members gave rise to a slightly different sound. That same year, he recorded the song ‘The Trapeze Swinger’ for the film ‘In Good Company’, and had his version of ‘Such Great Heights’ featured in an advertisement for M&Ms and in the film and soundtrack for Garden State.

For the moment, let’s reflect on this song – ‘Love and some verses’  and its strange vulnerability. I guess love is like that.

‘Gravity’ is the lead single from ‘Out of Nothing’, the fourth album by British band Embrace. Written by Chris Martin, the song was first performed live by Coldplay in 2002. Ultimately, Martin gave the song to Embrace. ‘Gravity’ peaked at No 7 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004. It was released on CD format and red 7″ vinyl. It later became the theme song to the TV show Mike Bassett: Manager, starring Ricky Tomlinson.

The B-side, ‘Wasted’, started off as ‘Logical Love Song’ and was originally conceived during the Drawn from Memory sessions.

The song had another lease of life when it was re-recorded by Coldplay in late 2005 and included as a B-side to their single ‘Talk’. Great song with an impeccable pedigree – the Embrace version is a more poetic performance and it deserves its place in any Indie love song collection. Because of the Yorkshire origins of the Band, the song takes on almost Byronesque proportions.

Another Dublin band In Tua Nua (A New Tribe in Gaelic) was formed by Leslie Dowdall, Jack Dublin, Vinny Kilduff, Ivan O’Shea, Martin Clancy, Paul Byrne and Steve Wickham in the early 1980s.

In 1984 the band were the first to sign to U2’s Mother label and released their first single ‘Coming Thru’. Shortly afterwards Island Records signed the band. A number of singles were released and a debut album recorded. The first Island single was the critically acclaimed ‘Take My Hand’, co-written by a young Sinéad O’Connor. This was followed by a second single, a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s hit ‘Somebody To Love’.

In 1985 Steve Wickham left to join forces with The Waterboys and Island dropped the band. The album recorded for Island remains unreleased.

The album from which this song is taken – ‘The Long Acre’ was released in 1988. It spawned two radio hits ‘All I Wanted’ and ‘Don’t Fear Me Now’. A third single from the album, ‘Wheel Of Evil’, was also released.

The band went to Los Angeles, California to record a third album for Virgin. After the recording was finished the band split, and Virgin did not immediately release the finished product.

Although officially disbanded in 1990, some original members reformed in 2004 to occasionally play live together again. In 2010 MP Records, Italy released Vaudeville and The Long Acre re-mastered with bonus tracks on CD.

Singer Leslie Dowdall still performs, solo or guesting with other Irish and international singers. She released two well-received solo albums in the 1990s; ‘No Guilt, No Guile’ and ‘Out There’.

Paul Byrne and Jack Dublin still play together as the rhythm section in Rocky de Valera and The Gravediggers. Paul manages Irish band Von Shakes while Jack is the main songwriter for Dublin band Audiokiss.

‘Don’t Fear me Now’  is distinguished by a strong rock/county vocal from Leslie Dowdall and the same romantic melodicism found on early Rod Stewart solo recordings – with a very personal lyric that concludes that ‘I’m too tired, but if you wish it I will kiss you once more’. Irresistible.

Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) and Juliana Hatfield went out together in the early nineties. These two songs show how well they went together. The song ‘My Drug Buddy’ was written about her. Does anything more need to be said?

Broken Records have a genealogical link with Modern English as both were and are signed to 4AD Records. Broken English was originally a three-piece comprising Jamie Sutherland, brother Rory Sutherland (violin, guitar and accordion), and Ian Turnbull (guitar, piano and accordion). After a few performances they added Arne Kolb (cello), Dave Smith (piano, trumpet), Andrew Keeney (drums), and David Fothergill (bass).

They released their debut album ‘Until the Earth Begins to Part’ on 1 June 2009. The album has been described by frontman Jamie Sutherland as “based around all the s**t things men do.”

‘A Promise’ is taken from this album and its piano based lyricism and use of strings is reminiscent of The Blue Nile in the 80s. A beautiful track and the most recent included here. An honour for them. A treat for you.

Pete Docherty and Wolfman released ‘For Lovers’ in April 2004.

James Jam in the NME sums this track up rather well:

“Man tugs at the heartstrings. Pete takes his hands from the rudder of the good ship Albion to release this lovelorn ballad. Still, it should be glaringly obvious – even to those without a passing interest in the Libs’ never-ending soap opera – that this is brilliant. Encased within the twinkling piano arrangements of old chum Wolfman, Pete proves himself capable of weaving both hope and honesty into the lining of  his exquisite melodies. That it’s actually a bittersweet dedication to Wolfman’s broken marriage and the romantics they’d watch from a Paddington station bar matters little – it’s Pete’s choked croak that musters the shivers. Soulful, sublime.”

Delays feature Greg Gilbert’s falsetto vocals – this song ‘You and me’ is a soaring anthem to two-ness. They hail from Southampton. The City never sounded so good.

‘You and me gonna be fine’. Exit hand in hand walking into the sunset. In love? This is your soundtrack.

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?kzzmjtdmgjz

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Extinguishing the desire to smoke

Take a deep breath and go for it..

You are not a ‘smoker’, you are someone who smokes.

After four hours of coaching Miss Y was set to go, but something seemed not to be right. It was clear that she still harboured a desire to have a cigarette and that this was troubling her. The smoking habit had become a barrier to her doing anything else. If she couldn’t give up smoking how could she expect to achieve her other goals?

Nothing's too big to kick..

I asked her to light up a cigarette and smoke in front of me. She refused. I persisted. She said that she could not smoke in my house. Despite her desire to smoke she could conquer her habit in order to conform with her interpretation of the ‘rules’ of the house. The competing commitment not to offend me and my house rules was greater than her desire to smoke.

I pointed out that this meant that she and not her habit were in control of her smoking behaviour. That she could NOT smoke if she chose. This meant that she could choose not to smoke if she wished. We then made the cigarettes the villains of the piece and then focused on what she wanted more. The answer to that question was – ‘Life’. What did life consist of? Marriage, children, love, happiness, independence and a good job. These are things she wanted more. In the arena of competing commitments, these would win.

What do you want more?

I asked her again if she would like to smoke. She declined. I asked if she wanted to go outside to smoke. She again declined. I asked her to imagine a situation in the future similar to one in the past where she would be confronted by a situation that in the past would have led to her smoking. She said that she would not smoke – that the desire to smoke had gone. She left her packet of cigarettes and lighter on the table and said that she would not need these anymore.

If you would like to quit smoking try asking yourself these questions:

  1. How do you know that you are addicted to smoking?
  2. What advantages are there in calling it an addiction? If it wasn’t an addiction what would it be instead?
  3. Do you smoke when you are asleep?
  4. Do you smoke in front of children?
  5. Do you smoke indoors?
  6. How clean does the air have to be before you will consider not polluting it?
  7. Were you born with a habit? Did you have a habit before you were born?
  8. When did you first decide that this behaviour would give you what you wanted?
  9. Who are you surrendering to when you give in?
  10. Does anyone else make you behave this way?
  11. Whose rules are you living your life by?
  12. Who benefits from your repeated behaviour?
  13. Who decides when you repeat this behaviour and when you don’t?
  14. Whose hand creates this behaviour?
  15. It’s interesting that as we grow up we leave learned behaviour behind when it stops being useful – like using a potty or crossing a road with an adult – what could you leave behind?
  16. What does this behaviour that you learned much earlier in your life still give you?
  17. Assuming you don’t behave like this all the time, what do you decide when you don’t behave this way?
  18. What are the hidden advantages of continuing to do what you are doing?
  19. If the advantages are cancelling out the disadvantages leaving you in stalemate, what does this mean?
  20. If you were the rulemaker what would you change to break the stalemate?
  21. What rules are there that people can apply when they can’t decide between two equally powerful options?
  22. When might you decide that stalemate is a good place to be?
  23. What do you do when you think you can’t win?
  24. If this is a game, what game would you rather be playing?
  25. If you noticed that you have been hiding something, how is hiding helping you?
  26. What would honesty give you instead?
  27. Could honesty help you create a set of new rules?
  28. How have your goals, longings and aspirations changed since you started this behaviour?
  29. What was the difference between behaviours that lasted and those that didn’t?
  30. Supposing that you could draw upon energy any time that you needed it, what difference would that make?
  31. How do people who DON’T succumb to habitual behaviour not do it?
  32. When did you first notice that you were doing this behaviour?
  33. Who made this decision for you?
  34. What would happen if this behaviour were so unique to you that only you could control it?
  35. When you DON’T do repeated behaviour who makes that decision?
  36. If you control the decision not to do it, who controls your decision to do it?
  37. What would it be like to put out one of your fears instead?
  38. Looking back in six months time what did you decide today that changed everything?
  39. Do you want to do something better instead? What could that be?
  40. Supposing freedom meant fresh air?
  41. What would happen if you had to accept responsibility for what you do and how you do it?
  42. When would a good time be to start?
  43. What would happen if someone like you made a good decision for and about themselves?
  44. What do you want more than to just carry on as you are?
  45. Think of a situation in the future where you would have reacted as you did in the past. How are you reacting now?

Smoking is not an illness in the conventional sense. It’s a learned automatic behaviour – at Powerchange.com we call it Auto-Response Psychology. You decided to start. This may have been prompted by a trauma or even an absence of something in your life. Since then, when that original feeling has repeated itself, you reach automatically for a cigarette. The pre-conditions may be boredom, loneliness, stress, hunger, looking cool. These are the triggers – or they used to be. The questions above will have re-wired these responses. You decide when you smoke. You do not smoke continuously (certainly not when you are asleep) and so you already make choices.

Why not choose life instead?

The cigarette is not a person, not a controlling, sentient being. It does not make decisions. It is a passive object. It only lights when you light it. Other people have given up easily when they realise this. You can too.

You are not a ‘smoker’, you are a human being who used to smoke.

You are in control. How does it feel to be someone who has regained control?

Now go and do that thing you wanted to do instead.

More information on addiction and phobia release at www.powerchange.com 

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The Art of Self-Presentation

Spot the light. Then reflect it back.

Ok, you have been asked to present a training seminar. Or make a speech.
You. The You that normally chokes when asked for the time. Lost for words? More like abandoned in a huge wide open space called low self esteem.

It'll all come out in the mouthwash..

We’ll deal with the self-worth issue elsewhere – but let’s get you through that presentation and then you can ask me later about how to rewire your self-worth to 100%. It should take about 30 minutes.

So let’s assume that you have the responsibility to populate the Seminar. How do you get an audience? Simples.

Contact

How will they hear about your event in the first place?

Quality of initial contact is very important. ‘You only have one opportunity to make a first impression.’
Was it Facebook, Linked In or Meetup.com – is it your immediate circle or a little wider. Remember that they have chosen to attend.
That’s quite a compliment to little ol’ you.

Connect

Warming up is essential to any worthwhile connection. This is about demonstrating your trustworthiness in the early part of the Seminar. Create an honest, unsophisticated atmosphere, taking time to honour them, love them, honour their commitment and interest (they have chosen to come). Never overestimate their knowledge – or underestimate their intelligence.

Take time to make people feel good: laughter, looking at them easily – plenty of eye contact, so they can connect with you. Avoid using a lectern and having any furniture between you and them.  Trust yourself.
Take this time to introduce yourself and your organisation/interest/cause/department/whatever, some of the things you offer – and a comment on how being involved has changed your life (or at the very least, your week!). Be honest, without being negative or apologetic.
Thank people for being understanding about anything that goes awry. Love what you say. Say what you love.
Embrace your audience. Endorse, honour, value, praise, reassure, approve them.
Steer their attention to small gems that will change their thinking, rather than blanket knowledge that is easily ignored.
When possible, increase psychological buy-in by having participants sign a register: Name, email, phone, address, how they heard about you. This is ESSENTIAL for your future involvement with these people. Make sure EVERYTHING is perceived as to their advantage (and make sure it is!)

How to overcome the fluttery stuff..

Start this connect process at the moment of contact. This may be when someone meets you in the loo before you come into the room, or as you’re chatting with someone else. It is the peripheral information they will go with most convincingly.

Get some two-way connection. This is easily done by asking if it is too hot/cold in here, or setting some deliberately co-operative activities: Have people stand up, and/or do the Power of Pretend Exercise (Assume it, produce it – pretend you are happy, and lo and behold after five minutes of faking it you really are!). Passing round notes etc. is great. If you’re following another seminar, have them stretch and chat. Be ultra-sensitive and make space for people’s humanity.
Build unity by focusing on what the people in the room have in common. (Honour individuality too) Make notices work for you:
Where the toilets are. Phones: “It’s easy to forget to switch off your mobile phone so if you’re not sure, do feel completely free to check it now.”

Content

People have different learning styles. (You didn’t know that? Contact me if you want to know more).

Now is the time to enjoy using them! The major element of this is to start with the purpose of the seminar. Have something for each person.
Live your brand. What you are THINKING will come out. If you don’t want it to, change it.
What do you want people to absorb, pick up ‘through their skin’? Send it out through YOUR skin!
Do you really need notes? Avoid if you can.  Learn thoroughly what you have to do in the session, so it is part of you.

Continuity

What do YOU want out of this for the future?  Identify the multiple wins. There will be massive opportunities for you if you want to take them. Keep the purpose of the seminar at the front of your mind.

Remember the ‘silken thread’ of business development: most of your business comes from 20% (sometimes just 3%) of your effort – but you don’t know which 20% until later!
Offer several clearly different opportunities for participants to follow up the session. One expensive, one exclusive, one affordable.

Enjoy yourself. They will too. Promise.

The ultra-relaxed look - Roy Stannard with an audience in his pocket

This article is based on the methods used by Powerchange Ltd – the Company I am involved with – for more see www.powerchange.com