Welcome to the new (and hopefully, improved) edition of the blog!
I thought the layout needed some adjusting and more (hilarious) quips / jokes were needed, so I have now separated music by (vague) genre and given more thought to the short descriptions of each song. Hopefully those of you who cant stand screaming in their music (booo) can now more easily avoid these recommendations. I have also now created a playlist (ingeniously titled ‘monty’s corner’) on Spotify, containing all the songs featured in the latest edition of the blog (link at end of page). I hope this makes it easier for those interested in the music to find what you like.
As far as my life goes, I had a wonderful time at home with my mum and sister over the winter break. It was nice to sit around, snooze, enjoy good food, and natter about anything and everything. I hope you also had a relaxed time, wherever and however you spent it. I arrived back in Bristol on the 28th and straight away got a train to Birmingham to finally meet my online pals for the first time who I have, somehow, known for 3 years now. Despite the depressing backdrop of a glum Brum, it was great to have a laugh and enjoy yet more peng food. I spent new years with Han and we took it easy, visiting Brandon Hill at midnight to watch the fireworks. While it was a little hectic, with kids lighting fireworks from a crowd of tightly packed people, it was more than worth it when the ball dropped and the horizon lit up with sparkles and glitter.
More recently, at the start of January, I went on a trip to London for my first ever research symposium. I brought along a poster and spoke to some pretty big names (at least in the world of membranes) about my project and my future plans. Also on the same trip, I caught up with the lads who have almost all moved to London now. Nothing like seeing someone for the first time in ages and feeling as comfortable with them as you did when you saw them every single day, definitely know you’ve met a real one by that point!
While this January has been bitterly cold, dark and gloomy, the special moments throughout have made it far more bearable. We are almost there, time to start getting excited for the spring chill and blooms. Enjoy the music, enjoy your day, enjoy life.
Peace and love,
Monty xox
so simple yet so emotive and effective. callously british vocals really tie the whole thing together.
if I did acid with sassy the sasquatch, I feel like this would be the backing track to the experience. a joyously smooth groove pebelled with perfectly twangy guitar riffs.
HighSchool is a perfect band name here. somehow evokes nostalgic memories of good times with mates in school, probably on the backdrop of a crisp summer sunset, or something.
is anyone ugly or is everything ugly. i dont think that statement even makes sense, but this slow rock indie number exemplifies the new rock sound growing out of NYCs diverse music scene.
sitting on the sill of a condensate covered window, mindlessly picking at the flaking paint coating the frame while soft rain pricks the glass. everyone hurts sometimes. take 5 minutes to breath.
time for something more upbeat, now we have had a rest. still in the feels but with some newfound optimism; this overdriven indie beat has a delectable pace. reverbed fem vocals add something magical
a classicly twangy indie choone. add a bit more pace and an octave and you got yourself some eggy punk babayy.
the latest single from the truly magic Drug Store Romeos, hailing from fleet! yes, there is more there than a services there (shock, horror). glad to see this song propelling the band further into the lime light, be sure to check out the rest of their discography, it will feature on here eventually!
what a treat. I went on a carousel a few times, the most overrated fair ground ride in existence. in any case, the build up and chorus of this one truly gets the soul flared up.
another artist finally getting the love they deserve! .com has propelled up the roster the past couple of years, honing their mums-basement type sound into smooth flows for our listening pleasure.
if there was ever a time to make an exception for something Russian, this is probably it. lovely harmonies of words I dont understand give us a delectable early spring anthem.
let me introduce you to vivienne westwood’s b-side and depressed shoegaze cousin, vivienne eastwood.
let me introduce you to vivienne westwood’s b-side and depressed shoegaze cousin, vivienne eastwood.
decidedly futuristic and aggressive. this song feels like I woke up in an 8-bit arcade racer with a copy of guitar hero loaded in the back seat.
lets finish back in the feels. sometimes its okay to say fuck off to someone hurting you. they’ll get over it, so will you.
time to kick things up a notch. this heavy hitting belter comes from an obscure little band from the depths of the UK. what a special band they are. I look forward to following their journey! head banging is compulsory, sorry.
blurring the lines of indie and rock, I think this sits better here (plus the indie list was getting a little long). the drummer really carries this, even if it isnt right in your face.
purveyours of internet ugly, this band has long been a unique force inside my playlists. seriously, go check these guys out.
this band is hella fit. I am desperate to have a moustache even a fraction of that lads appendage. anyway, this song would go heavy at a festival. lets hope they come to the UK sometime soon!
instead of blending indie and rock, now is the time to wet your appetite for the next section with a belgish song blurring the lines between rock and punk. the speed up section really gets the blood flowing.
slow hardcore punk to start us off, with a little speed section to loosen the limbs. the scratchy guitar is disgusting but got it hits the spot
is a utopia ever achievable? ‘you set me on fire, blame me for burning.’ man, if those lyrics aren’t applicable now, then will they ever be?
aborted tortoise has got to be at least top 20 for best band names of all time. fucken ‘ell 😂 .
aborted tortoise has got to be at least top 20 for best band names of all time. fucken ‘ell 😂 .
some of the best vocals in the scene. I love this band, go fuck yourself.
some of the best vocals in the scene. I love this band, go fuck yourself.
some classic punk now you are feeling a bit more warmed up. if u aint got a drug problem, thank fuck you can enjoy a debt problem instead!
who remembers logan paul and the suicide forest? haha. good times. right guys? right?
who remembers logan paul and the suicide forest? haha. good times. right guys? right?
i. love. the. tagliatelle. rap egg punk anyone? no?
i. love. the. tagliatelle. rap egg punk anyone? no?
barcelona really know how to punk. the rrr’s are just delicious.
barcelona really know how to punk. the rrr’s are just delicious.
why are we going so fucking fast? what the fucckk!? sounds like bro is about to yak he is so disgusted with the pace and im here for it.
of course it had to be a prison affair song to close us out. god this band makes me wanna go blow up a pipeline 👁️👁️ .
7 minutes of ambient electronic blends and smooth breaks. a delicious introduction.
7 minutes of ambient electronic blends and smooth breaks. a delicious introduction.
pure seizure inducing breakcore. gabber type stabs really elevate the creativity of this fast paced break.
8 more minutes of ambient synths mixed with chopped and destroyed drum patterns. a lot more energy in this one. strap in for the full journey, it’ll be worth it.
TOKYOPILL really have a knack for timing unlike any other. who else would have spotted a slight vocal timing offset can turn an already heavy track into a truly masterful breakcore flip.
breakcore meets breakbeat hardcore meets hardstyle. what the fuck is going on? help?
breakcore meets breakbeat hardcore meets hardstyle. what the fuck is going on? help?
floating through the digiscape with this one. 1/2 speed rewinds and smooth audio flips playing with microtime really make this a special track.
time for something a bit more tame. the snares in this track crack just the right amount to give a certain crunchiness to the beat which I cant get enough of.
finally, to finish us off, have a classic ambient jungle track to fly through the next god knows how long before I update this page next!
Minneapolis based shoegaze band she’s green started playing together in summer 2022 and have slowly carved and formed an emotional and ethereal sound. drawing inspiration from the classic shoegaze names as well as local talent, she’s green’s debut EP ‘Wisteria’ exemplifies the talent of this band to connect with the soul and help you drift away. FFO Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive. Fav song: Lakes
funky, intriguing and oriental psychedelic masterpiece from Maastricht based psych band Yin Yin. After discovering the sound of siam (a compilation of thai guitar music) the groups figurehead, Yves Lennertz, was compelled to form a band incorporating these exciting sounds with more classic psych and disco rhythms. The result? Their debut album, full of truly delicious twangs and funky beats from start to finish. Something in here is bound to resonate with you. Playing live in Bristol next month, dont miss it! FFO Khruangbin, fav song: Nata Ni Thlae
merry crimbo! taken 25.12.23
winter fun with the other chem eng PhDs, what jolly folk! taken 8.12.23
merry crimbo! pt.2 taken 25.12.23
YouTube culture, corporate creep and internet ugly. This deep dive into a seemingly benign topic shines a light on the crazy development of the YouTube experience since its founding in 2005. Perfectly delivered and a joy to watch.
moving into an area clearly rife with ‘the G-word’ has led me to learn more about the potential solutions to this seemingly inevitable feedback loop. Fortunately, I live in an area with a newly formed local land trust fighting to keep the identity of stokes croft alive. Many places are not so fortunate.
I have always found it interesting how our minds are so easily fooled by apparent patterns. This creative video explores the world of faces and uses in art to evoke certain emotions in the mind of the viewer.
most of us gamers never really consider what the experience may be like for those with disabilities. this eye opening video exemplifies just how exclusionary the hobby can be, and just how much ingenuity (and money) the disabled gamer must use to continue enjoying games.
this video is impossible to sum up. just go watch the whole thing, honestly.
this video is impossible to sum up. just go watch the whole thing, honestly.
what does a world without capitalism and a profit-above-all-else mindset look like? is it achievable? do we want it? this fascinating video dives deep into the flaws of the capitalist system and its inability to innately protect the plant and its inhabitants.
3D printing of polymer solutions containing a porogen (something which can leave porosity in a material when removed), for creation of a porous membrane with a novel geometry.
<aside> 🚨 progress update!
after changing the formulation, I now have a (somewhat) working resin. time for optimisation and iteration!
</aside>
DM me if you want to read a full paper!
Surrealism Website - A visual database of Surrealist art
fantastic repository of incredible surrealist art from history