Connolly’s Corner

Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 – 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧, 𝘼𝙞𝙢𝙚́𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙖

Charles listens wherever egos…

Well, THAT was quite a week, wasn’t it! Phew. That big little article I wrote about Fair Play for Independent Artists garnered rather a lot of attention. Ya see, these things take time to put together. That article was not just cobbled together in half an hour with masking tape temporarily stopping it from falling to bits. It took me hours. And days in the planning. I say planning: it was mildly swimming around my mind for a bit beforehand. I needed to gather together all the information that might have been necessary, and then I knew it had to have some sort of structure. So I proceeded to ignore most of that information and just go by what I knew. This was pure laziness, but I wanted this to feel real. To be from the heart; not just a list of statistics and a rant. Tone was vital. It was all rather daunting if I’m honest. Which I am. Honest, not daunting. I mean, yes, I am used to writing weekly articles. But this was different. I am naturally silly. I like doing the humour thing. With humour. I like to pull facial expressions with words. I like to be light but not pointless. No, I like to think there is weight in what I write, but not deep, dark, depressing weight. No, no. Like Queen. I try to write like the music of Queen. Proper and unexpected, but fun and poppy on the surface. Yeah, that’ll do. This article last week was to be something new. Something different. Something to really stretch me. Lord knows, I need a stretch. It got to the point where I was having dreams about it. Not very healthy, but there you go. This is because it was and is important.

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄 𝙂𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙄 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙔𝙤𝙪 – 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣

Captivated, Charles stops staring at the screen, looks up and discovers a true shining star – in his most in-depth review yet.

The telephone. The humble ring-ring telephone. A simple, everyday tool we have used for many decades, well, every day. Of late, however, you might have noticed that they are somewhat different and more habitual these days than of those. In fact, rarely is the thing to leave one’s hands for more than a few moments, before being swiftly whipped up again. Or swiped to ground with the aim of a clumsy child – thank goodness for cases and carpets! What exactly are we staring at this entire time? What are we actually doing? Does that thumb of yours get tired? Do you ever wonder if in years to come, one thumb will be horrifically disfigured when compared to the other? Should we be frequently swapping hands to avoid this concern? Maybe using the little pinky from time to time…? Phones have in many cases taken the place of a laptop. Hell, in a lot of cases they have taken the place of LIFE! They are capable of just about anything you can think of. We have come a long way from texting. Keyboards have disappeared entirely (R.I.P. Blackberry). The blower has moved on from being a handy tool to being a way of life. It is all about consumption. Not meaning the phone will give you tuberculosis…! It forgoes conversation and closeness and replaces with content. One can also take beautiful (or inane) photos and videos in breathtaking resolution. One can use A.I. to pretend one has a puppy – I’m not that lonely yet. One can beam one’s location to another on the other side of the world – should one wish to. Even 3D graphics can be cast and rendered on these tiny little devices. They are how most people watch and listen to anything and everything all over the world. Tens of millions of songs at your fingertips. Hundreds of billions of videos to go blind to. And then there’s gaming – God help us. One of the most handy things for me is the Voice Memos app – what with coming up with some sort of musical idea every few hours… What is your most used app? What do you use your phone for the most? I’ll bet isn’t making a phone call… Let me know in the comments below!

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 (𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣) – 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙗

Charles travels the world (musically speaking), and ends up back in Europe.

I have seen very few places in the world. I have always wanted to go to America – New York, Arizona, Chicago – but have never quite managed it. I have never travelled to the opposite side of the world where the large island of Australia resides. I certainly have never immersed myself in deeply foreign cultures, found in places such as India or Africa. Through music however, I have been on a lifelong journey, giving me the feeling of having travelled the entire planet. Music gives me the thoughts, observations, dreams, imagination and cravings that I need to survive. Music has educated me to an extent and shown me the various cultures of the world. Black soul, blues and funk artists have allowed me aboard their ship on which to groove. Latin elements have made me understand the importance of rhythm, and given me the ability to not only count differently but almost think differently. Eastern music has brought me new sounds in instruments with which I had not previously been familiar, and has shown me there is far more to harmony than I had initially realised. My soul however seems to lie in Europe, with its many micro-cultures that exist clustered together in a relatively small chunk of the world. Eastern Europe has shown me its own take on classical and folk music. It fascinates and haunts me, yet I cannot help but smile in wonder. TRUE Europe though – ‘classic’ Europe is what makes my heart sit in its right place. The amalgamation of just a few countries’ music is enough to make me spark. France, with its kookiness and pride. Germany, with its boldness and strength. Italy, with its fondness and warmth. And Spain, with its rhythm and fun.

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 – 𝙅.𝙃.𝙈

Charles quotes the Bard: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears”.

Let’s think back to the time and place of Ancient Rome. I know this was a while ago, so your memory might be a little hazy. Let me therefore help you. I, of course, am the town jester – or balatrone, as it was called back then – (I would be, wouldn’t I…!). The great erections (no tittering, please) are high and mighty. Their magnificent columns support the ever-perfect balance of the Classical pediment. The sun blazes down on the scene, just as it does to this day. Statues line the streets and avenues – the Roman roads. A new democratic way of thinking is underway. The great Caesar is lauded and hailed as a mighty general. He eventually went power mad, became a dictator – never a good thing in a democratic republic – and was swiftly murdered “by his own people”. What a way to go! His good old friend, Mark Antony, tried to set Rome to rights and seek revenge on the culprits. He in turn, went slightly mad and fell into the hands of love, eventually murdering himself. What a way to go! In my eyes, I think anyone who ever does anything, is foolish. Best to stay out of trouble. These Romans were seemingly rather queer folk. However, we deify these unusual cats, much like we do in more modern times. Caesar is a heavyweight of his day, like Charlie Chaplin and The Beatles are of theirs. These “gods” are and will be immortalised for centuries and maybe even millennia. These are the great pillars supporting our perfectly imbalanced yet vital history.

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡 – 𝙑𝙞𝙭 20

Charles goes wireless…

I am speaking to you through a website. I am not with you in person. Or AM I…? No. I am not – your paranoia can rest easy for now. My words are not printed in a newspaper or magazine. You cannot see me, you cannot hear me. If you’ve got this far, your literacy skills are probably beyond the average these days. If it were not for a humble internet connection, I could not be with you now. So I AM with you…? No, not in person. I saw you looking over your shoulder… The internet has brought us rather a lot of good things. It has also brought us a rather large chunk of bad things. But we won’t be going into those, because, well, why sully the tone? We always look back on “the good old days” with such fondness and many of us resent the newer eras that stomp their loud shoes with increasing frequency, but for the most part modernity has done a lot of good. It has mainly brought choice to the fore. We used to watch television. Many still do, but maybe as a sideline to the many YouTube videos and Netflix shows that see us through life. We can now choose what we want to watch, and when we want to watch it. In terms of YouTube, we can go into detail like never before. It almost feels tailored towards each of us, because various clever “algorithms” make it so. Before the internet we had newspapers and magazines. We had television. But what was before television? Well, something that truly brought the world together. In a way, the earliest version of the internet. Something that gave us news, “talk shows”, interviews, plays, music and more. Most of this was live, and if one’s reception was good enough, one could “tune in” to many different areas of the world. You’ve probably guessed by now: radio. SO simple compared to what we have these days, but in a way, very similar.

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩 – 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙖

Charles sees the relevance in longevity…

The fun and games are over. Well, the games are over. The Olympics is done for another 4 years. The fun continues however, for we are still alive. Who were YOU rooting for? No doubt your own country. The only bit of the tournament I actually watched was the volleyball. Because Great Britain was playing? Nope. Because Poland was playing. My girlfriend is Polish and she wanted to see it. I suffered the ordeal for a minute or two, before realising that I was actually really enjoying it! Poland ended up with a shiny silver medal, by the way. Not bad at all! The pesky French got the gold. Huh! Zut. But you know what was missing in the Olympics? Cricket. Cricket, which hasn’t been part of the Olympics since 1900. In fact, 1900 was the only year it was ever included! Why? Apparently lack of participation… Bit weird, but okay. The good news is, it is due to make a grand comeback in the 2028 L.A. Olympics! Which is perfect timing because this week I scored a double century! The problem being, it’s just not cricket!

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧 (𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙖) – 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚

Charles waxes lyrical…

Tact is a funny one, isn’t it. It’s a tricky bugger. Some people have it, and some people don’t. It involves quick decision making. It involves empathy. A “put yourself in their shoes” moment. Say for example, if someone has gone through a traumatic experience (and continues to do so), what do you say? What words do you use? Do you say the usual politician/celebrity line: “My deepest condolences to the family and friends of…”? Do you ignore them all together, with the excuse of “I just wanted to give you space”, but in fact you were simply stuck for what to say? Do you speak to them as though nothing has happened, in the hope that this will cheer them up and take their mind off things? Do you stay deadly serious? Do you joke? I personally probably do a mixture of all of these things. But the one thing I definitely DON’T do, is imagine that everyone is the same, and that every saddening experience is carbon copy of the last one you heard about. Each instance needs to be addressed uniquely and personally. If you don’t really know the person well at all, it’s probably best to say nothing. Cold, empty sympathy from a relative stranger can do little for the person involved. But this is the thing. These days with half our world conducted over the internet, who is to say the true meaning of “friend” or “stranger”…? With the written word, one has to try harder in order to portray what one really means or feels. In real life, just one look of “I got you” (eurghh) and a hug can suffice. But in messages, things can look so cold and automatic. I think this must be why I write the way I write. Some might try to emulate who they are by the way they string words together in text. But because I write so much these days, I think I am becoming more like I write. Rather than the words portraying the personality, the personality is becoming the words! And I don’t mind a bit. I’ve become a better person for it. I think more. I am kinder. I am calmer. I give things a chance to sink in before blurting out an ill-judged response.

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙅𝙚𝙠𝙮𝙡𝙡 & 𝙃𝙮𝙙𝙚 – 𝙏𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙

Charles is two in one…

Time for another lovely review of a pretty little ditty. For that is what CC likes to listen to. Perfect, pleasing pop. Rounded, retro relevance. Sombre, soothing strings. That’s my peach in a nutshell, no? Well, I do like all these things, it can’t be denied. But my musical tastes are rather more varied than you probably realise. The difficulty arises in quality and in mood. Some other genres I rarely talk about here are often not of the highest quality, when they simply NEED to be. But the main reason is mood. I am rarely in the mood for a lot of genres. Take electronic music, for example. These days it is very seldom that I feel the pang for electronic music. But when I get that craving, there is nothing like sticking on a bit of Disclosure to sate my needs. Nothing else wires my brain the way it wishes to be wired. I’d say it gets me moving, but it’s more of an embarrassing head jolt if someone’s around. And if no one’s around, it’s like my whole body is a mercury spasm. Floppy erraticism. Like David Byrne on opium. Probably. I have reviewed a few electronic pieces over the years, but it’s not that common because I’m rarely in the mood, or it’s not been made that well. The big shame about my musical taste is that I will probably never review hard rock or metal…

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 (𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩. 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙖) – 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚

Judge Connolly listens to the jury…

First impressions. Good thing? Bad thing? Are you a cynical, judgemental old fart who has guessed a “type” based on very little? Or are you perhaps a sensitive, observant soul who feels you can tell more about a person based on just a couple of initial moments? These two “definers” could perhaps be construed as much the same, considering the thought process is basically the total of educated guess and assumption. I think I am a despicable blend of the two. I am often right. And you’ll be pleased to hear that I am also often wrong. My belief is that so few of us are honest with ourselves. We like to think of ourselves as good, honest, kind people. Yet when we meet someone, be it in person or online, are most of us not instantly judging? Summing up? Wanting to define and categorise said person? I think it’s human nature. A sort basic instinct. Do I instantly take a dislike to this person? Could this person be a friend for life? Do I trust this person? I think this is the main reason most of us naturally do this: trust. Pretty much everything is based on trust, and so we must not let our guard down. Just because someone said something in a peculiarly undesired tone, or just because they smiled with THAT look in their eyes, should that mean they are instantly in the red cross pile, rather than the green tick pile? Most of us (consciously or not) are guilty of this reckoning, let’s face it. Bear in mind that just as you are busy judging, you too are being judged. Bet you hadn’t thought of THAT one. “But, but… I’m completely infallible and perfect in every way!! How could anyone POSSIBLY think negatively of ME??” – probably because that very thought of yours is written all over your face – and people don’t like that. Now, I am aware I may get a lot of hate in the comments for this, but so be it. Things are more fun with a bit of contention. Anything to set the rusty cogs in motion and kickstart the heart into a healthy upbeat rhythm. But “be nice”.

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Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙆𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙂𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 – 𝙆𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙎

Charles quotes Jimi (Hendrix, you fool): “Are You Experienced”?

I have been doing what I do for many years, now. Not these reviews, but making songs. Writing, playing, singing, producing and mixing songs. When I started, I was, shall we say, less good. This is altogether rather unsurprising. And yet, So many people seem to think they can simply dabble from the get-go and be brilliant from day one. One can get caught up in the thrill and excitement of the idea of creating something oneself and releasing it to the masses, and then to be shrouded with praise and applause for one’s efforts. This is rarely the case, however. I think it is not so much arrogance as blindness. Or, should I say deafness. The inability to step back and be self-critical. This isn’t really the fault of the artist, because by this point they frankly don’t know what to listen for. They have no experience. Talent or a ‘gift’ is an excellent start, but it is not by a long way the be-all and end-all. Experience can and will come from much time, effort and determination – and raw talent. One needs to have drive and a willingness to push harder and further. It usually needs to border on obsession, or even go deeper into compulsion…! I am writing this, not to deter artists who have recently started their musical journey, but more to make them realise the work often involved, and that it is worth battling on with it all, as long as you are honest with yourself, and that you don’t start hating what you are doing.

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