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City cat collective

City Cat Collective is a hub where musicians from all over the world, come together and support one another in our quest to get our music heard! With members in different regions and continents, the strength of CCC is our reach. Every one of our members is an ambassador to our mission.

Our mission is simple: "Work together and to support one another. To seek out talent and find other likeminded artists" - City Cat Collective

City Cat Collective interviews Venus In Arms!!! 

When I got an early listen of “Fantasy” by Venus In Arms, I played the track over and over. Now that her new single is out everywhere, I can play it on repeat without having to refresh my Dropbox. “Fantasy” by Venus In Arms is an absolute gem of indie shoegaze. As I listened to the single, I wondered about how it came together and that's what our interview focuses on. 

We geek out with Oliva over the details of her new track. I hope you enjoy!!

Keep up and follow Venus In Arms on  Instagram, Spotify and of course venusinarms.net !!!

 

Bloggers Chronicles: GO TO THIS SHOW!!! #002  

In our second edition of our Bloggers Chronicles we are highlighting an event at Bottom Of The Hill, SF. The Hot Takes and Strange Cities are bands we've covered here on City Cat so today's focus will be Treasures from SF who will be opening up the night. Lets go over the bill.

Headlining: 

The Hot Takes - Having a successful night at headlining a bill at any venue for a local band is a big deal. The energetic Devo-ish band will certainly bring it this night just like they do every time they hit the stage. Go see them!!!

Main Support :

Strange Cities - The guys just came back from a short tour in England and have been firing on all cylinders for some time. It will be great to see them perform back at home on their home turf at BOTH. 

Opening:

Treasures - I been following this band on social media for some time. They've been on my list of bands to go check out and now comes the perfect opportunity. They describe themselves as contemporary Rock N Roll. Great rock N roll bands from the past come to mind open my first listen. I pick up hints of the song's from the 70's (The Who), 80's (Thin Lizzy) and 90's (Blind Melon) in their music. This Thursay, we'll see them perform their brand of rock as they open up the night.

The new S/T EP by Niveles strikes with tsunami level force.   

Just my luck… I had the night off work and noticed The Spyrals were playing at Bottom Of The Hill. I hadn't seen Jeff from the Spyrals in years, so I went to the show. When I arrived, the opening band was about mid set. I grabbed a beer and found a spot to watch. This three-piece band had the crowd completely hypnotized. I too fell hard into hypnosis.  Who is this band? My curiosity grew by the second. I asked the bartender who they were and she pointed to a name on a flier. The band was Niveles.


The next day I was still in awe of what I witnessed, replaying my memories of their set. What struck me the most was how every note carried so much weight, so much emotion. When I got word of their new eight song S/T EP, I wondered if it would evoke those same feelings I felt at Bottom Of The Hill. The answer is a hard yes. 


First on my list of tracks to highlight from their new EP is “Hard Bill”. This song builds and builds until we reach the heavens and beyond. A key element to this single is the guitar parts which guide us on this journey. A sparsely strummed guitar, coily greets us before revealing its true colors. Those colors are revealed at the 1:33 mark when the distortion kicks on, punctuating the one and two count. Then they dig. At the 2:18 mark, an arpeggiated guitar arrives, hovering overhead like a flying saucer. With all systems go at the 2:38 mark, the lead guitar slams the throttle, propelling our rocket past earth's gravitational pull and into outer space. Can you hear me Major Tom!!!
 

With a comparable formula but different experience is the very next track "Party At BG's Haus". A big difference is how the bassline controls the feel of the song instead of the guitars. That bass tone is everything. The guitar flutters in the wings as it awaits its moment in the spotlight. When the distorted guitars arrive, the tenor changes and the song morphs like an Altered Beast on Sega Genesis. Controlled chaos ensues, I love the mayhem.


I found the final track to be the most memorable. "House Of Mirrors" wastes no time getting down to business. Delivering a haunting mystic are the delayed guitar notes in the verses. Those delayed guitar notes bait us. They position us to the place where the band's incoming wall of sound's impact will hit us like a tsunami. Big chords rain down over the sonorous rhythm section. We're thrown around in the wash like a surfer who's spilled at Mavericks. The force is real.


Again, I'm happy to report that how Niveles performs live is on par with how they're captured on tape. Each song's weight is felt through and through. As far as tones and vibe, their sound reminds me a little bit of Tool's "Sober". Their hypnotic, dark, menacing brand of music is undeniable. The way Niveles locks into a groove over minor chords, delayed guitars and perfectly placed samples is next level.  I feel extraordinarily lucky to have stumbled upon their music and even luckier to be able to deliver this exclusive music premiere.

Keep up with and follow Niveles on Instagram and Bandcamp but for now, peep “Hard Bill”, kindly included for your listening pleasure:)
 

Bloggers Chronicles: GO TO THIS SHOW!!! #001  

I've known the name for years but for whatever reason, never took a moment to listen to Everyone Is Dirty. When I saw that my friends from Fake Your Own Death were playing at the Kilowatt with Everyone Is Dirty, I knew the time had come. As part of CCC's Bloggers Chronicles Nightcap/Recap, I wanted to use the platform to highlight shows. Today we debut Bloggers Chronicles: GO TO THIS SHOW!!! #001


I was a regular at the Kilowatt and would often look up at the Noisepop posters. I would try to imagine a live show while shooting pool. The speakers were still up, hanging from the ceiling. I always wondered if it would happen again. It's happening thanks to a new group of owners and this Friday April 8th; Everyone Is Dirty and Fake Your Own Death will bring their music to the beloved Mission bar.

Everyone Is Dirty's sound is energetic and fun. There's a pop punk vibe that leads the charge, but I also hear some of the best from the 90's in the mix. Definitely some Smashing Pumpkins and of course some Nirvana's Bleach. Their creativity is on full display and every song feels like a "stand alone single". The band seems to attack from every angle. I can't imagine during the writing process any ideas being taken off the table. Until today I hadn't heard a note from the band and now, I'm officially a fan. 

We've covered Fake Your Own Death recently here and I added my favorite song of theirs "Bombs Don't Show Up". They were on our very first edition of Boggers Chronicles #001 and now they're part of this one. Please scroll down to their write up on Bloggers Chronicles #001 to catch our take from their show at Bottom Of The Hill.

Two great local bands, no cover, a legendary SF venue brought back to life... not sure why you wouldn't attend the show. Unless of course if you got to work, because I'm too old to move back in with my mother. Have fun at the show and buy Terry a drink for me!!!


 

Achilles Tenderloin's Tincture For Trouble LP is the tincture I needed.  

I was introduced to Achilles Tenderloin via an Indiebandguru.com assignment. Soon after I began to follow him on the gram. I love the hustle, the dedication but most importantly his music. For City Cat, I have a list of songs and artists who I want to highlight. Achilles Tenderloin was on that list. With his 10-song full length release Tincture For Trouble, I knew I had to get to work.


I'll be the first to admit that I don't know Johnny Cash's music well enough to remotely suggest I'm a true fan but the style which Achilles Tenderloin plays with reminds me of Johnny Cash. In the end, along with talent and performance, it comes down to style. In a world filled with talented people, do you have a unique style that will set you apart from the pack. I believe Achilles Tenderloin does. 

"Torch Song" is a testament to that statement and the new LP's opening track. Taking us back to that early Ray Charles era with its boozy, toe tapping, head nodding ways. It's got some attitude, some spunk. The horn that plays throughout is pure gold. A great opening track.
 
The following three songs are slower paced and pensive but Achilles shifts gears with the 5th track "Don't Be Long". It's gentle swing and bright notes open the shades and let in the sun light. The string section brings the warmth one feels when those sun rays touch your skin. The guitar's "shaker's" rhythm and bright accents augment the lighthearted feel. The home run hit is the line "I would rather be kiss kiss, kiss, kiss kissing you". With that line, Achilles does the right thing and gives it to us twice in the song. That should be a rule for every songwriter, if it's good, give it to us again. Thank you, Achilles.

I highlighted as must listens the songs "Never Trust A Barber" and "Falls Thistlethwaite" and we're in luck because they play in that order.
Song 5 - Don't Be Long
Song 6 - Never Trust A Barber
Song7 - Falls Thistlewaite
What a great 1, 2, 3 punch!!!
 
Bluesy, dark and mysterious, the final track "Howlin At The Earth" does not disappoint. Fabricated images of 1930's mob crime fighting a'la Dick Tracy begin to spill from my imagination as the song plays. This single is the other side of the coin to what the LP's opening single gave us. Achilles Tenderloin's vocals ride the track like a paraglider. He swoops in and out, allowing the music to do the heavy lifting as he gracefully glides. What does it sound like? You're in luck, we've included it below for your immediate introduction.

If bluesy Americana is what you crave, look no further. From Richmond Indiana, Achilles Tenderloin rolls on, hop on board. Check out our provided single "Howling At The Earth" and follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Spotify!!!

 
 


 

Get pretty, we're going out. "Fantasy" by Venus In Arms will be arriving soon!!!  

With the final touches being placed on the music video for "Fantasy" by Venus In Arms, we patiently await its official debut. Following Venus In Arms aka Olivia Barchard on social media has told me that her new music video will have a "mini movie" feel to it. Exciting!

 

I've been privileged to an early listen, and I can tell you the song has a ballad feel. The bassline propels the track like an outboard engine pushes a skiff. The minimalist approach to the single allows the open guitar chords to truly resonate and the synth notes to land on open terrain. Olivia's vocals are the focus, but the lyrics are what it's all about. When Oliva sings the chorus line "you're just a fantasy", the emotional weight tips the scale over like a triple beam being maxed out in middle school science class. Reality hits the heart, I'm alone and you're just a fantasy. Riveting indeed.


Follow Venus In Arms aka Olivia Barchard on Instagram and Facebook!!! 
 
"Fantasy" will be debuting soon!!! Don't miss it.
 
In the meantime, check out Olivia Barchard kill it on “Blue Sun” with Everything But The Everything!!!

 


 


 

 

Dear Banshee sound off the war cry with their new single "Rehoboam"  

Dear Banshee describe their music as traditional, electronic and experimental. Their new single "Rehoboam" most definitely aligns with that statement. Things get serious right away as the opening vocal's sound off like war trumpets signaling the impending start of warfare. Hip hop edged drums with boisterously booming bass drum kicks amplify the war cry, 

Layers of sounds thicken the plot as the vocal verses commence, guiding us through the mayhem. The crest of the track is the chorus. An emotional overload to our senses is pushed to the brink as James sings "You're not alone, you're with us". At this moment the band unleashes its concentrated firepower to break us into the next level. Welcome to the other side.
 
There's something about the tone and the collective sounds of this single that remind me of "Where The Wild Things Are". As a matter of fact, each musical component I digest invokes an imaginational overexcitability. Art-deco architecture, Victorian times, NYC in the 1850's, Greek and Roman era images run through my mind like I'm flipping the pages of history. In all, a sophisticated opulence runs through the single, simultaneously exposing the scars of our personal struggles. Every day we dress up, we persevere and fight our own demons. Play this song loud as you brave through another day. You're not alone, you're with us.
 
Dear Banshee's latest single is here for your listening pleasure! Be sure to follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and listen to them on Spotify!!!

Ferguson's Daughter blazes on!!!  

I came across Ferguson's Daughter on Instagram a few months ago and immediately became a fan. Her three song EP, Blissed Out Blues made quite the impression on me. I wrote a small review on the spot. Since then, Lindsey has been busy releasing a 20-song full length album Being A Girl and most recently her new single "One Of Those Moments."

Upon diving through her new LP, it's clear she is a creative force. The melodies, the approach, the songwriting all vary from song to song and are stamped with her signature. Case in point is the single "Silk and Satin" with its Alice In Wonderland feel. The single is fun, vibrant and unlike anything I've heard recently. The word "clever" doesn't justify the song, "brilliant" would be the proper term.

The fun vibe that "Silk and Satin" bring to the table, beautifully set up the somber tone of "Bad Coffee". She sings with power. The way she harnesses the power of her vocal's and unleashes its force with total control at a moment's notice is magnificent. I was trying to think of who I could compare Lindsey to for the sake of conversation and Alaniss Morrissette with a touch of Amy Winehouse is my response.

Being A Girl just rolls, song after song, showcasing her talent. "Let's Play Pretend" is another standout single. Its flowing grace has a nostalgic feel, almost 50's like. The guitar line plucked in the back end of the song also comes across from that era. Grand piano keys play into our hearts as she sings the chorus line boldly and fearlessly.

Keeping us on our toes is the very next song “N.y.c.” where Americana borrows from the summer of love. Lindsey's marvelous songwriting knows no bounds. An acoustic guitar and a microphone are all she needs to create magic. The fact that she can add backing vocals to her creations thanks to studio production only enhance our experience. Excellent!

I could stay here all day dissecting every song, but sadly I have to end this a little early. I will add that "Eloise" is also amazing. There are too many great songs. You'll just have to follow her, tune in and become a fan.

Listen to Ferguson's Daughter on Spotify and follow her on Instagram!!!

We've included “Let's Play Pretend” for your instant listening pleasure. You're welcome!!!

 

 

To the top or bust: Weekend Youth  

For some, "pop music" is like a dirty word never uttered amongst certain company. I'm not afraid to say it, I love pop music. I bring this up because when I hear Weekend Youth, that's exactly what I hear, modern day pop music. They stack up musically to some of the giants of today. Foster The People, Real Estate, Ra Ra Riot, Electric Guest, Neon Indian and even Coldplay all check certain boxes that we as listeners expect to be checked when we hear their music. The songwriting and execution Weekend Youth lays down checks those same boxes.  

Let's go down the list...

Box 1 - Powerful vocals that contain a sense of vulnerability. A softness to their hue makes them feel familiar like slipping into your favorite pair of shoes.

Box 2 - Production is top notch. The levels, the mix, the tones, the volumes the entire package is first class.  

Box 3 - Modern songwriting and the creativity that it breeds elevate their music into the next level. By refusing to be boxed in by writing styles of yesterdays, a spontaneity charm exists in every bar, every measure of their music. 

Box 4 - It sounds incredible. Just like looking out the window to see if it's raining, when you play Weekend Youth's music, you'll hear what I'm talking about.

Go to their Spotify page, play the first song play and let it ride. Zoom in on a sound and then zoom out and listen to the track as a whole, any track and I think you'll agree, it's incredible delicatessen pop music. 

"Superman" and "Gotta Be Me" are two songs that I really enjoyed. Both are completely different stylistically from one another but that's the magic, their all good. 

Follow Weekend Youth immediately on Spotify, Instagram and Facebook !!! 

And of course, for your City Cat Collective sponsored introduction, we have "Vacation" for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.

Bloggers Chronicles: The Nightcap/Recap #001 - Fake Your Own Death show at Bottom Of The Hill, Jan 18th 2023  

It's been all work and not much time for fun these days. However, sometimes the universal forces of fun will drop an event on my lap, placed at the perfect time. Case in point came on January 18th at Bottom Of The Hill. I had seen posters on FB and Instagram for the Margaritas Podridas, April Magazine and Fake Your Own Death show but I assumed it fell on Saturday. I assumed incorrectly. 

 

When my evening surprisingly opened up, Terry texted me soon after about the show. The show I assumed fell on Saturday was suddenly in play! My plans were now set... I was going to the show! Wunderbar! A great sign when arriving early at a venue is a line forming before doors open. This was the case unfolding here. Once they let us inside a youthful buzz filled the air. I overheard people talking about the headlining band. Everyone was talking about music in one way or another.  

 

I came to Bottom Of The Hill to see Fake Your Own Death and they did not disappoint. Scott and Terry have been holding down the fort for a minute. The band's sound is uniquely theirs, and it sounds as good as ever. Their sound is unequivocally indie rock with ruffled edges. Terry's voice and delivery is the main attraction.  A key ingredient is the distorted drone reverb drenched delay ridden guitars cranked to 10. The rhythm section is always on lock and their new guitarist Shane brings more wrinkles to the soundscape. On one of the songs, Shane played synth lines with his right hand and hammered notes on his guitar with his left hand. These sounds swirled into the crowd to everyone's delight as the notes billowed from the amplifiers.  

 

I didn't stay for the rest of the show because I'm old and had to wake up early, early. I met one of the guys from the band April Magazine, and also made some new friends. Being at a music venue, checking out bands with old friends are special moments. Felt absolutely fantastic to be back out in San Francisco, enjoying the local music scene.

 

Fake Your Own Death are friends of mine and you should check them out. I included my favorite song, "Bombs Don't Show Up" for your immediate introduction:)

Be sure to follow Fake Your Own Death on Spotify and Facebook !!!

Rise Up

9 o'clock Nasty at Christmas

When we started 9 o’clock Nasty one thing we agreed over those endless conversations over beer and coffee was “Whatever the Song Needs, it Gets.” We’d all been in a ton of other bands that had a “sound” and eventually became trapped producing variations on the same theme. Not being a live band helps a lot with that, you can write and record everything differently. The other maxims we wanted the band to live by were “All Killer, No Filler” and “Don’t Bore Us, Get Us To the Chorus” which probably explain themselves.

So Rise Up was an opportunity to flex on the first rule. It was written, not around a campfire, but close. It’s a song created in a kitchen with one guitar, fists banging the beat on the table and voices raised together as you gradually find the words in the smokey air. That’s why it probably sounds at first listen, very different from what we’ve made before.

Of course it grew in production. A bassline was grafted on. A mellow organ to accentuate the gentle lilt. The vocals softened from a war-march to something more bittersweet.

It is not a song about the violence of protest. It is a song about the deep sadness of having to set aside love, kindness and a warm kitchen to go deal with crap that has gone on for too long. Think of yourself not as oppressed. Think of yourself as someone that has tolerated inequality and obscene wealth and privilege of the few for too long. You’ve been kind, you’ve been patient and it just didn’t work out. So time to get your pitchfork, go get some matches at the corner shop and head for the bright lights on the other side of town.

RISE UP is released on Saturday 10th December. 

Chat Nasty: Cathi RAE

Poet, spoken word artist, body positivity model and campaigner against ageism in the world of fashion (and also co-queen of Leicester, UK)

Cathi, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by raccoons. Let’s start big. What is wrong with fashion in 2022?

The problem is not fashion per se - it is a culture of overconsumption, of throw away clothing, of items sold so cheaply that the makers cannot be paid a human wage, of thousand of tonnes of hardly worn clothing ending up in landfill or being shipped to other countries where they become someone else's problem.

Fast fashion encourages us to feed that "want/click/get" mentality, to buy multiple versions of things we already own, to shop as a way of filling a wider emptiness inside us. 

I think the 2020 and beyond lockdown pushed many of us to move to on-line and sterile shopping experiences - it's much harder to value clothing that appears at the click of a button, that can be done 24 hrs a day and with no social interaction.

There are movements to challenge this - shopping pre-loved, buying from charity shops, wearing what you already own, clothes swaps, we can chose to ignore the siren call of the new new and replace it with the pleasure of the new to us item instead.

Q You have been known to do a poetry slam or two. How do you prepare for taking words that you’ve lovingly crafted in private and bringing them to a live performance?

There are poems i write which are very definitely designed to be read on the page - a more considered experience which allows the reader time to read slowly - some poetry really benefits from this but a lot of my work is designed to be performed. which means work that is instantly gettable and resonates with an audience. One of my editing tools is actually to perform work at an early stage, to gauge its sounds and structure and to read audience reaction. I've been doing this for a long time now and have become more comfortable at accepting that some work will be more appreciated by audiences and some not so much - it's really about doing the best you can by a poem, trusting your editing and believing in your work and accepting that sometimes a piece you are happy with may not work in front of some audiences, some events. My work is not particularly personal or confessional so it doesn't feel as if i'm ripping my skin open to an audience - i can take work not being liked - although obviously it's a wonderful feeling if a poem resonates with other people or means something to them as well.

Q A lot of the people reading this will be in bands or otherwise making something on the indie scene. How can we all make better Art in 2023?

We are in hard times - i've had gigs canceled recently due to low ticket sales and i don't see this getting better any time  soon - but, in hardship art in all its forms becomes even more important. We need to keep the faith, to keep making art, to keep creating spaces where there is light. My personal commitment is to do more benefit gigs - for striking workers, for the #enoughisenough campaign, for the #dontpay campaign

Q Where do you see signs to be optimistic about the future? Can 2023 avoid being even worse than 2022?

Oddly enough I think the current cost of living crisis has opened up conversations about poverty and austerity which are challenging the idea that poverty is simply personal failure. I'm hoping that more and more people are seeing the destructive power of global capitalism and governments that put profit before people. maybe next year will see even more grassroots revolution, more people saying enough is enough, more actions that are about community and not the individual. Sounds revolutionary - count me in.

Q Where can readers find out more about your work and support you?

I have a book - it's had excellent reviews - "Your cleaner hates you and other poems" - please DON'T buy if from amazon - contact me directly

I have a youtube channel @cathirae

I’m on instagram @cathirae   

I do gig around the UK and publicise this on all the usual social medias

I teach regularly @attenborougharts in Leicester

AND....I'm happy to discuss poetry workshops, performances and 1-2-1 mentoring with new writers cathirae62@yahoo.co.uk 

The Qwarks release 'Nothing For Something'

Behind the scenes of the new single

The Qwarks ‘Nothing for Something’ was released on the 31st October and yes, they did attempt to utilise the theme of Halloween. The single cover was designed by Smithereen Art (great artist, do have a perusal of @smithereenart84) and is entitled ‘the vulgarity of opulence’.  The image jumped out and disrupted the doom scrolling of a Qwark and said Qwark immediately recognised the power of the image and its suitability for the single cover of a song which seems to be about the penetration of the logics of the advertising industry into every nook and cranny of our existence. A video was produced by Pao Pincerna of Brighton Perfume, which is a vegan perfumery by the seaside (well worth checking out!). The video sees all kinds of zombies and creepy stuff going on and can be viewed on Youtube here.

It became apparent that the singer and guitarist of the Qwarks has strong opinions about Halloween and how an imported culture of ‘trick or treating’ was disrupting the work ethic instilled in traditional routines of ‘Guising’ in places like Scotland where he recalls having to work very hard for sweets by doing performances on doorways. He laments that sweets are now just handed out without hard labour but maybe he should just cheer up for once. A bit about the song itself: have a listen to what happens to the second and third chorus. The song modulates up a tone. Indeed, the formula of the chord progression means that you are arrive a tone above what you are playing each time the chorus ends. Yet in the first chorus it does not do this. One of the reasons why this is that it was found that if the first chorus had done this it would have meant ending up in a key that was too high to sing in for the third verse. With the formula of the chorus chord progression you could have a version of the song with many more verses that kept going until it returned to the original key but this doesn't sound an appealing prospect.

This single is part of the Qwarks second album, ‘let’s Go, Let’s Grow’ that is out on the 16th December.  The final single release from the new album is "Nice While It Lasted' which is out on the 9th December.