The Long Blondes
| The Long Blondes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Long Blondes at Summer Sundae in Leicester (August 13, 2005) |
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| General information | |
| origin | Sheffield , England |
| Genre (s) | Indie rock , indie pop , post punk |
| founding | 2004 |
| resolution | 2008 |
| Website | www.thelongblondes.co.uk |
| Last occupation | |
| Kate Jackson | |
| Dorian Cox | |
| Reenie Hollis (Kathryn Hollis) | |
Rhythm guitar , keyboard, backing vocals |
Emma Chaplin |
| Screech Louder (Mark Turvey) | |
The Long Blondes were a five-piece English indie rock band from Sheffield , formed in 2003 by Dorian Cox ( lead guitar and keyboard ), Reenie Hollis (real name Kathryn Hollis) ( bass and background vocals ), Emma Chaplin ( rhythm guitar , keyboard and background vocals), Kate Jackson ( vocals ) and Screech Louder (real name Mark Turvey, drums ) was founded.
After several singles that received positive reviews, the debut album Someone to Drive You Home was released in November 2006 on Rough Trade Records . The Long Blondes released their second album, Couples , in April 2008. On October 20, 2008, the band announced on their website that they would split up due to an unexpected illness of their lead guitarist and main songwriter Dorian Cox. On the same day her last release, the compilation “Singles”, was released .
history
The band was formed in Sheffield in 2003. Its members all studied or had studied at the local university . The following quote appeared on their website to introduce the band: “ Our shared influences include The Mael Brothers , Marx Brothers and The Bewlay Brothers . We do not listen to The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , Jimi Hendrix , The Doors or Bob Dylan . We chose an instrument each and learned to play it. ”(German:“ Our common influences include the Mael Brothers, the Marx Brothers and The Bewlay Brothers. We don't listen to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors or Bob Dylan. Each of us has an instrument picked out and learned to play it. ”) The band stated that the original idea for the Long Blondes was to form a fantasy pop group:“ Nico , Nancy Sinatra , Diana Dors and Barbara Windsor . Sexy and literate, flippant and heartbreaking all at once. "(German:" Nico, Nancy Sinatra, Diana Dors and Barbara Windsor. Sexy and well-read, frivolous and heartbreaking all at once. ").
First singles
In July 2004 The Long Blondes released their debut single New Idols on the local label Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation . The singles Autonomy Boy and Giddy Stratospheres followed . Two more singles followed in 2005: Appropriation (By Any Other Name) and Separated By Motorways , the second being released by Paul Epworth on his Good & Evil label. These publications were received positively by the critics and accompanied by growing media interest.
In February 2006, the band received the NME Philip Hall Radar Award , still without a record deal , won by Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs in previous years . The Guardian and Vogue called the Long Blondes the best non-record band in the UK . Without a record deal, the band members worked in various jobs to earn money: Jackson sold vintage clothing on eBay , Cox worked in the law faculty at the University of Sheffield, Hollis in a college's media studies department , Chaplin in an art library in Leeds and Louder in Home office .
Someone to Drive You Home
On 13 April 2006, the Long Blondes of was Rough Trade Records contracted and started together with Steve Mackey, the bassist of Pulp , record their debut album. The singles Weekend Without Makeup (to be released in July) and Once and Never Again (October 23rd) were released before the album. Once and Never Again entered the UK singles chart at number 30 and was named 15th best song of the year by the NME . The album, Someone to Drive You Home , was released in November 2006. The music was composed jointly by the band, while the lyrics were mostly from Cox. Most of the criticism of the work was positive, the NME spoke of "perfectly played fantasy pop" and awarded 9 out of 10 points. Reviews referred to the predominant themes of the album: being an outsider, references to popular culture of the 1950s and 1960s, and the female view of relationships. Other reviews also mentioned the numerous influences, for example The Guardian wrote “ if talent borrows but genius steals… the Long Blondes should be taking their Mensa tests ” (German: “If talent borrows and genius steals, then the Long Blondes should take the entrance test from Mensa drop ”) and compared the style of the album with that of Franz Ferdinand and the 1980s indie pop band The Flatmates . The review in Uncut , however, was less friendly and recommended that the band needed a ruthless pop producer who could drive out the unsightly indipop that Blondie used Mike Chapman and ABC Trevor Horn . (Original quote: "They need to hook up with a ruthless pop producer, one who can coax them out of their indie-pop dowdiness - like Blondie needed Mike Chapman, like ABC needed Horn.") In the summer of 2006 the band performed at several festivals on, including the Carling Weekend. The following year they played at the Glastonbury Festival .
"Couples" and "Singles"
After an extensive European tour, the Long Blondes began work on their second album in October 2007 together with producer Erol Alkan . Alkan had worked with the Long Blondes on several B-sides like Five Ways to End It and Fulwood Babylon , whose style was based on the dance genre. The title of the new album, "Couples" , was announced in December 2007. Before the release, each band member created a video explaining their personal inspiration for “Couples” . According to the band's influences came from the revival of the Italo Disco with bands like Glass Candy and labels like Italians Do It Better and Abba . Cox said there was something very innocent about the Abba videos, kind of funny, futuristic and at the same time old-fashioned, and that's how the Long Blondes see the music on their new album. (Original quote: “… there's something really innocent about Abba videos… really kinda funny, futuristic but old fashioned at the same time and that's how we see our music on this album.”)
“Couples” was released on April 7th, 2008 after the first single, Century, was released on March 24th. The album peaked at number 48 on the UK album charts and was generally well received by critics. Click Music gave the album 4.5 out of 5 points and named it a promising candidate for Album of the Year. The Guardian gave it 4 stars, noting the style had changed and some songs resembled the glossy perfection of Kylie Minogue's Confide in Me . The criticism in the NME was mixed that the album was not terrible, but disappointing: “Where they once sang about the boredom of the suburbs, broken by the thrill of escape, today they sound like they would like to stay exactly where they are are". The next single after Century was Guilt .
On June 9, 2008, the band announced on their website that Cox had fallen ill and had been taken to hospital and that they would have to cancel all live performances by the end of July. The canceled dates included appearances as support for Duran Duran at the Birmingham NIA and the O2 Arena in London as well as at the Glastonbury Festival.
In "Couples" was followed by a compilation of early singles of the band, on 20 October 2008 under the name "Singles" was released on Angular Records. Among the twelve songs on the album, in addition to the early singles, was a new song, Peterborough and Separated by Motorways in the demo version. Artrocker magazine voted “Singles” 25th among the best albums of 2008.
The end of the band and after
On October 20, 2008, the band's website posted a message written by guitarist Dorian Cox that the band was breaking up. The reason was the stroke that Cox suffered in June 2008. That announcement came on the same day that “Singles” was released; the album cover also contained the news of the end of the band. The Guardian published an article entitled " Why music will miss the Long Blondes " (German: "Why the music will miss the Long Blondes ") to break up the band.
Dorian Cox had to learn how to use his left arm and left hand again after his stroke. For a long time it was unclear whether he would be able to play the guitar again. He later formed a new band called Unmade Bed with other musicians .
The other band members also continue to make music: Kate Jackson began to work on her own songs together with producer and former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler . The announced album has not yet been released, only individual songs on Jackson's Soundcloud page. She performs occasionally with the Kate Jackson Group, which she founded . Reesie Hollis and Screech Louder founded the band The Bon Bon Club , with which they cover other bands . The band's first single was released in June 2008. Hollis also plays on Nature Set , who released their first single in 2011 on elephant records.
style
Influences
A whole range of influences are reflected in the songs of the Long Blondes, including 1960s pop, Buzzcocks , The Fall , the Ramones , Suede, post-punk and new wave . In a 2005 interview, the individual band members named their influences and favorite bands. For Chaplin these were The Smiths , The Sweet and The Jesus and Mary Chain . Hollis listed Belle and Sebastian , the Electric Light Orchestra and the Eagles . Cox named Abba and The Fall . Louder's favorite bands were Scott Walker , The Slits, and Captain Beaky , while Jackson named The Smiths, The Fall, Nancy Sinatra, and Lee Hazlewood .
Intertextual references
The Long Blondes are known for making references to films, singers, starlets, and artists in their music. Screech Louder said that Alfred Hitchcock was a great inspiration in making references to films. He said “ the whole film noir thing is very important because it's stylish but there's depth to it as well ” (German: “this whole film noir thing is important because it is stylish, but also has depth”).
Texts
Some songs are homages to films or famous people. For example, Appropriation (By Any Other Name) pays homage to the Hitchcock film Vertigo (1958). Erin O'Connor pays homage to Erin O'Connor , an English model. Furthermore, Madame Ray was inspired by the photographer Lee Miller , who was the muse of Man Ray . Melville Farr is based on Dirk Bogarde's role in the 1961 British film Victim and Only Lovers Left Alive is named after a science fiction novel by Dave Wallis.
Pop culture characters are featured in numerous songs: British darts player Bobby George and commentator Sid Waddell in Darts , Hattie Jacques and Peter Rogers , star and producer of Carry On , in Five Ways To End It , Greta Garbo in Never To Be Repeated and Scott Walker and CC Baxter, a character from The Apartment , in You Could Have Both . A number of underground actresses such as Edie Sedgwick , Arlene Dahl and Anna Karina also appear in Lust in The Movies .
Some songs also contain quotations from various sources. During the recording of I Liked The Boys , the band found a recording of old Terry Wogan's radio programs and decided to use it. The song line “ Not the most original sentiment I've ever heard, so what's new ” comes from Wogan. The last line in "I'm Going To Hell" is from Peter Sellers . The repeated "Nag nag nag" in Lust in the Movies takes on the same text from the song Nag Nag Nag by Cabaret Voltaire . In Swallow Tattoo they quote “you fill me with inertia” from a parody band from the film Mephisto '68 and in the same song also Morrissey's song My Love Life .
Artwork
References to and contributions from numerous other artists can be found not only in the music of the Long Blondes, but also in the artwork of their publications. In her promo video for “Couples” , Jackson named Richard Hamilton , videos by Abba , Lee Miller and Le Corbusier as a source of inspiration for the album cover. Two front covers of Weekend Without Makeup are by Diana Dors , as is the cover by New Idols . The front cover of Someone To Drive You Home was painted by singer Kate Jackson herself, it shows Faye Dunaway in front of her getaway car, a Ford Cortina, in the film Bonnie and Clyde . The painting inside the album shows Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern in the film Wild At Heart . Jackson also painted two portraits for the CD single and the 7-inch plate from Appropriation (By Any Other Name) , which show Kim Novak's roles in Vertigo , namely Madeline Elster and Judy Barton.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 UK
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| 2006 | Someone to Drive You Home |
UK44 (2 weeks) UK |
First published: November 6, 2006
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| 2008 | Couples |
UK48 (1 week) UK |
First published: April 7, 2008
|
Compilations
- 2008: Singles
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
UK
|
|||
| 2005 | Appropriation (By Any Other Name) |
UK83 (1 week) UK |
First published: June 13, 2005
|
| 2006 | Weekend Without Makeup Someone to Drive You Home |
UK28 (2 weeks) UK |
First published: June 26, 2006
|
| Once and Never Again Someone to Drive You Home |
UK30 (3 weeks) UK |
First published: October 23, 2006
|
|
| 2007 | Giddy Stratospheres Someone to Drive You Home |
UK37 (2 weeks) UK |
First published: February 5, 2007
|
More singles
- 2004: New Idols
- 2004: Autonomy Boy
- 2005: Separated by Motorways
- 2008: Century
- 2008: Guilt
Awards
The Long Blondes received the Philip Hall Radar Award at the 2006 NME Awards , which is given to emerging talent and which the Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand had received in previous years , which subsequently became very successful.
swell
- ^ Drummer's year in the spotlight. Stourbridge News, December 21, 2006, accessed February 16, 2014 .
- ↑ The Long Blondes split up . In: NME . October 20, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ↑ a b c d The Long Blondes - they're so modern. The Independent, March 21, 2008, accessed February 16, 2013 .
- ↑ The Long Blondes biog. Rough Trade Records, accessed February 16, 2014 .
- ↑ Someone To Drive You Home. Rough Trade Shop USA, Retrieved February 16, 2014 .
- ↑ Single Review: The Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres . Drowned In Sound. December 10, 2004. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ↑ Single Review: The Long Blondes - Appropriation (By Any Other Name) . Drowned In Sound. June 17, 2005. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ↑ Helen Pidd: 'We want artistic freedom. And cash ' . In: The Guardian , March 3, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ David Smyth: Meet Britain's brightest band . Evening Standard . March 3, 2006. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ The Long Blondes sign record deal . In: NME . April 19, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ The Long Blondes name debut album . In: NME . September 2, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ The Long Blondes: Someone To Drive You Home . In: NME . November 6, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ Michael Hann: The Long Blondes, Someone to Drive You Home . In: The Guardian , November 3, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ^ Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home. Uncut.co.uk, accessed January 12, 2010 .
- ↑ a b Kate Jackson's promo video for the album “Couples” The Long Blondes - Century & Couples Advert . YouTube. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ↑ Letting Their Roots Grow Out: An Interview With the Long Blondes . Merry Swankster. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ The Long Blondes: I Don'T Like To Tempt Fate, You See . LA Record. June 3, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ a b God Is in the TV archive: The Long Blondes . Godisinthetvzine.co.uk. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ^ The Fiery Furnaces - Benton Harbor Blues | Downloads . Clickmusic. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ Betty Clarke: The Long Blondes, Couples . In: The Guardian , April 4, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ↑ The Long Blondes - "Couples" - Album Review . In: NME . Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ Latest Long Blonde News . Thelongblondes.co.uk. October 19, 2008. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved on February 21, 2014.
- ↑ The Long Blondes to release singles compilation in October . Noizemakesenemies.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 2, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ↑ We have decided to call it a day. . The Long Blondes homepage. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ↑ Logged in as click here to log out: Priya Elan: Why music will miss the Long Blondes . In: The Guardian , October 21, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ^ Matthew Moore, Long Blondes guitarist uses 'bionic hand' after stroke , Telegraph. November 30, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ Mada Ray (page 9, bottom right) . The-fly.co.uk. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ↑ Forged in Sheffield: Kate Jackson. (No longer available online.) Backseat Mafia, archived from the original on March 7, 2014 ; accessed on February 24, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Rennie Hollis: The Bon Bon Club, Millipedes. SoundsXP.com, accessed February 24, 2014 .
- ↑ "Enough is Enough" Single 7 "of Nature Set in New Adventures in Pop of Elefant Records . Official site of Nature Set. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ↑ James Mannion: Tracks of my years: Kate Jackson of the Long Blondes . In: Daily Mail . May 1, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ God Is In The TV Archive: The Long Blondes. (No longer available online.) Godisinthetvzine.co.uk, archived from the original on June 22, 2013 ; accessed on February 24, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Drowned in Sound - Features - 27 Minutes With ... The Long Blondes
- ↑ The Long Blondes' Kate Jackson. exclaim.ca, accessed February 27, 2014 .
- ↑ Sound Bites: SoundBites Best of 2006 . Soundbites.typepad.com. December 15, 2006. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
- ↑ Retrohump: Dreaming About Eleanor Bron… . Merry Swankster. April 8, 2008. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ↑ Ben Granger: Someone To Drive You Home: The Long Blondes . Spike Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ↑ img118.imageshack.us
- ^ Eva Wiseman: Eva Wiseman meets the Long Blondes . In: The Guardian , November 11, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
- ↑ holliy: Reviews - Single - The Long Blondes . Drowned in sound. June 17, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
- ↑ a b Chart sources: UK
Web links
- Official website
- The Long Blondes on Myspace
- Live video of the Long Blondes, Cake Shop NYC, June 22, 2005 ( RealPlayer , mp4)