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.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 – 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥

Charles hunts for the missing info…

I am a thin man. I used to be slim, but now I am decidedly thin. To the point where I lack the strength to lift even so much as a pencil case. Okay, it’s not quite that bad, but I am pretty bloody useless at the moment. My usual wandering mind wonders about whether there is any purpose in us measuring our BMI (body mass index), because a man of fat will probably weigh about the same as a man of muscle… I am neither. I wondered then if it might be mood based (!), but it’s not. Obviously. I sit. All day long. Doing magical musical things. Which is nice, but I just sit. Hence why I am finally starting to do something about it. Starting to. Bit by bit, I will not sit, in order to be somewhat fit. Noyce. I have one concern though. Being fit means changing shape. So while in time I might be fit, my clothes might not fit. So I must make sure I don’t become Schwarzenegger too soon. Admittedly, this is unlikely. But I don’t want to have to get an entire new wardrobe. There is a limit to altering clothes. Although I must say, my alteration chap is rather fast, so if he were able to succeed, I don’t think I’d have to wait too long. What I mean to say is, my tailor’s swift.

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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.

𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣 (𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣) – 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖, 𝙏𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚

Charles cooks up a hot mess…

Panic at the disco. Panic on the dancefloor. Panic in the streets. Panic. It’s such an urgent word. It conjures wide eyes, flailing arms and a general overtone of chaos. Not to mention a great deal of high-pitched squealing. So what better place for it than a room that frequently breathes fire. Yup, the kitchen. Let me start by telling you that I am not a cook. I cannot really cook. Let me rephrase that. I DON’T really cook. My lovely girlfriend handles that side of things so effortlessly, thank the lord. I realise this is rather old fashioned these days, but it doesn’t harm anyone and it’s just the way it is. All natural like. I’ve been told I would probably be a good cook; this is based on absolutely nothing. And yet, I am inclined to agree. It very well could be the case. But I don’t do it. I might, in time. But not yet. Mañana, mañana. Occasionally I will make the odd omelette or butter the odd piece of toast, but I am basically a culinary novice. A culinary mute. Let me give you an example of the other week…

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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.

𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 – 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙗𝙚𝙣, 𝙇𝙤𝙜𝙖𝙣, 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙆𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨

Charles holds back…

I should probably keep this brief. I probably won’t, but I probably should. The world is a loud place these days. In the words of Harry Nilsson, “Everybody’s Talkin’”. All the time. People have learnt to speak their mind. All the bloody time. Sometimes this is wise, sometimes very much not. And rarely ever are they asked to be so forthcoming with their thoughts, views and ponderings. But sometimes we do genuinely ask people to open up. In the words of Coldplay, “Let’s talk”. In the words of C. Duncan, “Talk Talk Talk”. They might, they might not. All depends, really. On whether they trust you, and whether they actually want to talk. But as I said, modern people are wired a different way. Wired to speak their mind. To open up and say what’s really on their mind. As if we are all dying to know. Typically though, the talkative types tend to have the least to say, while the quieter ones are usually far more interesting. Which I suppose must make me dull as dishwater. I think I am probably known for saying rather a lot. For opening up and being truthful. But while I don’t ever lie, it might not have occurred to you that I don’t (and won’t) speak about EVERYthing. Some things are best kept to oneself. I would give you an example, but of course that would rather oppose my point.

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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.

𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 (𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙭) – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨

Charles resolves the new with egotism (of a kind)…

A fresh start to a fresh year. It is unsealed and the vacuum is broken. Decaying as we speak. But let us not think of decay with a ticking clock. The year is long, and – in the words of The Carpenters – “We’ve only just begun”. It seems so out of fashion these days to make new year resolutions, partly because we are so well trained at thinking in this way throughout the year, that a brand new year suggests we simply continue as we have been. We are simply infallible and frankly a bit perfect these days. Well, aren’t we? Not really, no. But take for example, health. Health seems to be such a major point of interest (and obsession) these days. Gone are the days of “giving up smoking” for new year. This particular resolution used to continue for at least a decade until you would eventually just stop with these broken promises; give up giving up. You knew it would never happen. But nowadays it’s all so different. The majority of us doesn’t smoke and has a balanced diet – or is at least somewhat conscious of what one consumes, and the “cancer sticks” stopped long ago. We are oh-so aware of our mental state and general wellbeing throughout the year, that a new year has little goodness to bring. Could you GET any gooder? If one were to habitually achieve 100% on a regular test, how could one improve? 101% is impossible. Maybe improve your handwriting? It’s thin pickings, really… The problem is that we’re all just so bloody perfect these days!! We’re all so kind and caring. All so helpful. All so humble. All so self-effacing. Could THIS be the problem…? It very much COULD be. Is this not maybe the opportunity to try to be a little more selfish? Maybe not selfish, but to be proud of oneself? To show the world how good YOU are, rather than to praise others? Just for a change, how about a bit of “me-time”? I think it’s wise. You’ve spent the entire year making others feel good, being helpful, kind and considerate. Do NOT stop this! But don’t forget about yourself. Sometimes being selfish can be a good thing.

(more…)

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.

𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚 – 𝘾𝙃𝙑𝙍𝙇𝙄 𝘽𝙇𝙑𝘾𝙆

Charles wastes your time out of vengeance…

Would you like some amusement? Would you like to laugh at me and my stupid life? Then let’s begin. I think perhaps a lot of people think I have an idyllic life, free from responsibilities (like children – or blobs), mortgage payments, debt, drug addiction, alcoholism, danger, natural disasters, war and pets. But this “idyllic life” of mine is more an idyllic lie. Correction, all of the above is true, but it is not tantamount to paradise. Sure, my job is pretty much my dream job. Sure, I live on the top floor of a lovely house built in 1890, in a lovely leafy area of London. Sure, I live with my girlfriend, and our relationship is just peachy, to say the least. But there are things that make life simply exhausting. The kind of things that would make a stronger, braver (stupider?) man punch a hole in the wall. The kind of things that MOST of us have to deal with.

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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.

𝙍𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 – 𝘽𝙧𝙮𝙘𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙬𝙮𝙣

Charles is in the pink.

Here we are, bang in the middle of the month of June. Happy June, everyone! Another word for ‘happy’ that my parents or even grandparents might have used is ‘gay’ – another meaning entirely, these days. But this time around I wish to blend both definitions, for we are now in the centre of LGBTQ+ Month! A time to celebrate our differences, come together (if you will) and enjoy this sparklingly garish and wonderfully camp festivity! It’s time to whoop, get the flags out – a sprinkling of rain makes the skin glisten, and a rainbow sets the scene. Coloured streamers fill the air. Many have dyed their hair the colour of cotton candy. The energy is high. This is not the time for reservedness, nor is it the time to be stuffy or old-fashioned. Free hot-pants for everyone!! This really is the spirit the 60s tried to be, but it was just too early, and most people were just not ready for it – everything was still rather conformist. Times have changed, and I couldn’t be happier! It is time to be proud of Pride.

(more…)

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.

¿𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙧 𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙧? – 𝘼𝙙𝙖́𝙣 𝙍𝙖𝙢𝙞́𝙧𝙚𝙯

Charles is tuned to perfection…

The humble piano has been around even longer than I. More than 300 years, to be roughly precise. It is an instrument with which we are ALL most familiar. We know its sound intimately. Even if YOU have never tinkled a single ivory in your life, YOU will know that sound. Which is more than most can say about the oboe – an instrument not much older. The period of an instrument’s existence has little to do with its popularity. The Ondioline was invented as recently as 1939, and have you heard of it? Is it in countless records you know and love? It is not. And yet, our ancient humble piano continues to attract just about every genre – even electronic. Why is this? Well, I still stand strong in my belief that it is the greatest instrument because of one factor. Its versatility. Would you prefer to impersonate Debussy or Rachmaninov, or would you rather don the silly glasses and do an impersonation of Elton John? Either way, you will need a piano. I call it humble, but have you ever actually SEEN what goes on inside a piano? It is so complicated that it’s quite amazing they ever bothered with its completion. Why would such a heavy, immovable, complex and expensive thing attract such a wide audience? Let us travel to Camden Town in London to find out…

(more…)

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.

𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙞𝙡 – 𝙇𝙞𝙡𝙖 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛

Charles sculpts another…

Freshness is everything. In all ways. No one likes stale. No one likes a mundane song, or a sandwich that curls at the edges. That’s right, I’m not just talking about music, I’m talking about food, just like I did briefly last week. And why not? We eat it every few hours… All of us. It’s one of the few things we all have in common. Lately I have found it increasingly difficult to keep food fresh. It could be the warming of the weather right now in London. It could be that I am simply eating less and therefore allowing the food to go off. It could be that my fridge is dying. It could be that my cling film has been moth-eaten, though probably unlikely. If you don’t know what cling film is, you will probably know what Saran wrap is. I never liked using cling film, though I must admit it works, and works well. Foil is just SO much more satisfying, and frankly easier. The problem is, it doesn’t work in the same way as cling film. It just doesn’t cling.

(more…)

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.

𝙎𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 – 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝘿𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖́𝙣𝙙

Charles introduces with an introduction that is completely unnecessary.

You know that feeling when you find out that your favourite artist is playing in your hometown? The excitement and anticipation that you will soon be in the same room. That personal touch, where they will be playing for YOU. So much more than streaming on Spotify. It just means so much. The thrill of it all. You rush to buy tickets. You sweat slightly as they are running out fast. Seats or standing? Doesn’t matter. You will be there, if you manage to get tickets of ANY kind. You succeed! You have spent rather a lot of money but you don’t care. Then comes the day. You get there early, because that’s what people do. Far too early because you’re so eager. You buy overpriced lager in a plastic cup. You buy a hot dog that you don’t really want. You take your seat (or stand). It is all about YOU. After a while, the support act comes on stage. This is what I am getting at – the support act. You tap your foot and nod your head a bit, while still chatting with your guest about the act you came to see. You also chat impatiently and pointlessly about the size of the vast venue and how many people there are. You wonder if now is a good time to go to the loo – ‘John’ is a man’s name, a ‘bathroom’ contains a bath, I am not exhausted enough for a ‘restroom’, and ‘toilet’ is simply a vile word. And so, what is this ‘support act’ actually for? A time to ponder on the capacity of one’s bladder? An introduction to the real reason you arrived? Something to put you in the mood? “And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for: a man who needs no introduction” – why do they always introduce the act by saying they need no introduction? The lights are low, and it is time for everything you ever wanted. I am the support act. My time is up. Please welcome Mats Dernánd.

(more…)

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.

𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 (𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙨) – 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣

Charles presses play…

No words.

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