We may have missed a week - a mix of no wifi at DRAB towers, and celebrating one of our editor's birthday - but we're back again with everything you've come to expect! Easy to read, well curated, and current looks into what's happening in the world of music and art! Check it out below x
FEATURED ARTIST
This week we want to shine a spotlight on the exhibition currently on at Hyde Park Book Club - 'Look! No Hands'
Featured artists in order of left to right:
Charlie Freer, Adda Bergrun Pals, Jasmine Lewis-Henman, Beth Ashley, Ali Simmons and Clare Saunders
"We are a thriving collective showcasing the works of Leeds Arts University Illustration graduates, 2020.
Once lockdown locked us all down, four illustrators relaunched ‘Look, No Hands’ to champion the extraordinary work from this cohort of creative practitioners. We wanted to establish a platform to keep this groovy gang of grads together, by upholding our studio of individuals and their diverse creative pursuits.
We invite you to take a peek at our very first collaborative showcase. Hosted by Hyde Park Book Club, our debut exhibition celebrates the sizzling talent of a selection of Look No Hands illustrators, and aims to bring our community back together as safely as possible. All prints are for sale so go on, gander at our goods, peruse our prints, and enthuse in our endeavours."
You can find more featured pieces and keep updated at @look.nohands on Instagram.
EDITORS PICKS
Three quick recommendations for the man on the go:
Luc's pick:
"Venus" by Legss
"Whilst the most recent EP from Legss, "Doomswayers" is a fantastic instalment to the London-born post-punk quadruplet's portfolio, I thought it best to highlight my personal favourite from the collection. "Venus" is appropriately named after the Greek goddess of love, beauty and desire perhaps drawing influence from Joni Mitchell's "Case of You" as sung in the hook of the cacophonous choruses. There's twang, there's jank and there's a nice kick of oomph to compliment it... tuck in!"
For fans of: Dry Cleaning, PVA, The Pleasure Dome
Summer's pick:
"Murdered Out" by Kim Gordon
"As a song I've been absolutely obsessed with since the moment I first heard it, it comes as no surprise to me that this is Kim Gordon's most popular solo track. Gordon's wailing voice full of passion, paired with the funkiest bass-line, creates a song I just cannot get enough of. So much so that I've taught myself the drums for it (with the help of the lovely and talented Luc Gibbons of course)! If a rush of dopamine is what you're after, I urge you to stick this on repeat."
For fans of: Sonic Youth, Thank, IDLES
Varun's pick:
"Stupid Luck" by Talkboy
"I think it's fair to say that by now Talkboy are the face of Leeds indie bands. Their warm, nostalgic yet glossy and modern sound just does not fail, and with every single they seem to get better and better. A band with so much depth and beauty, but also simplistic accessibility, Talkboy are perhaps one of the clearest examples of what a smart, finely tuned indie band should sound like. Their latest single, "Stupid Luck," with its warm synth swells, chemistry-laden harmonies, and the energy of a full band of talented musicians simply keeps up with the trend of must-listen tracks by Talkboy."
For fans of: Marsicans, The Magic Gang, Pulp
THE BI-WEEKLY PLAYLIST
Every fortnight each of our lovely editors pick five tracks each, shove them onto a playlist, and then send it out to our loyal readers to consume. We win because we get to show off our awesome music taste, you win because you get a great, diverse selection of tracks, and all the bands win because they get to say DRAB noticed them! Our latest playlist features deep tan, Soft Jocks, PVA, Lynks, and a lot more. Listen here
Hopefully, the quality of this digest made up for us missing last week. Even if it didn't, though, we're pretty confident you'll all find something new and exciting in our writing and will stay tuned to all things DRAB. So, on that note, till next time
Stay ugly,
DRAB x