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.

𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙨 – 𝙂𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙣

Charles is none the wiser…

To know or not to know… Is this the question? As our favourite Spanish waiter once said, “I know nutting” (nothing). Sometimes I really do empathise with those people who know very little. But at the same, I sort of envy them. You’ve all heard the phrase “ignorance is bliss”… Well it does seem to be that the happiest, most contented people are often the most unknowledgeable. Probably because of the thoughts of a “great” philosopher. Aristotle once said (can’t remember when exactly), “The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know”. Do you feel these “great” philosophers are somewhat over-immortalised…? I mean, I have said and thought similar things without having read their “stupendously brilliant” thoughts. Am I therefore also a great philosopher…? Nope, I’m just a bloke what finks. As are many of you (blokes and lady-persons). I would however alter his words to read “The more you know, the more you are depressed and crushed by doubt and perhaps fear”. Yet these less knowledgeable people skip through life seemingly without a care in the world. Ignorant to everything around them. Pure envy, I tell you! So this question of whether to know or not… It’s a difficult one.

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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.

𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 – 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡

Charles reinvents the family…

My family is small. Absolutely tiny. No “Family of Two” jokes, please. I mean my full extended family. My father is an only child. My mother is an only child. My “aunt and uncle” are not my aunt and uncle, but cousins of a kind. They too are only children. Ah, it just occurred to me that some non-native speakers (foreigners, as we used to say) might not know the term. An only child is someone who has no brothers or sisters. It doesn’t mean they are merely a child. Anyway, so that least young generation is small. My parents had two children. My aunt and uncle had two children. Those two “children” also had two children each. Not together, of course. And then there’s me and my sister. She has around 14 children, give or take (or so it seems). Actually, she has four. I have zero (so far). So that balances the books nicely. But that’s basically my entire family, save the odd third cousin, twice removed (whom I’ve never met). Most people say they like their huge family. I like my small family. It seems we like what we have. While we have it, anyway…

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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.

𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 – 𝙎𝙚́𝙖 𝘽𝙮𝙧𝙣𝙚

Charles travels faintly North and vaguely West, to the only Caribbean island in Eire…

I had forgotten what it was like to be on the open sea. Which makes sense, as I’ve never been on the open sea. Admittedly it is not a long trip from Liverpool’s docks to the the Irish coast, but nevertheless it can be rather exciting when you envision the paradise at the other end. Land ahoy! Although technically Ireland, this small island just off the coast of the mainland has its own extraordinary microclimate, its own people and its own way of life. Paddìsyaŕn is truly like a slice of Tahiti in the most unlikely place. Although popular, it is not widely known because of an international government agreement to keep the world’s prying eyes away from it – I am maybe breaking some sort of rule in even mentioning it here, but if we all agree to keep it a secret, mum’s the word.

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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.

𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙙 – 𝙆𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙠𝙞

Charles is sick of regurgitation…

You’d probably think I would be far too exhausted to write an article this week, what with having been crowned (or “coronated”, if you wish) just a few days ago. But I have commitments, and they must be fulfilled. I am not however going to be talking about my Coronation or anything to do with the extended celebration weekend. A glorious time was had by (almost) all, but we must now get back to work – if reluctantly. God Save the King!

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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.

𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘿𝙖𝙮 – 𝘿𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧

Charles walks like an…

Egypt is a funny place, much like no other. Until recently, much of its famed land lay barren and dry. In fact, this land is STILL pretty desolate. Of course, Egypt is not only desert. I think many don’t realise its bustling cities and modern way of life. What do we imagine when we think of Egypt? What’s the absolute number one thing that springs to mind? Well I’ll tell you. It’s Toblerone. A stone version. Thousands of years ago the Egyptians took a bite of the delectable Western chocolate treat and loved it so much, they decided to build a huge shrine in its honour. Quite fascinating, really! I mean, just how on earth did they get their hands on a bar of Toblerone in the middle of Egypt? And wouldn’t it melt in the burning heat of the sun? The answers to these questions will forever remain unknown. There are other such peculiarities as how they built these trianguloid structures… A system of ramps, rollers and pulleys? Simply very strong men? Very strong women? And what about layers that aren’t on the “ground floor”…? They just threw them? Lobbed them up in the air and hoped for the best? These stone slabs weigh roughly 2.5 tonnes each!! For you Europeans, that’s 2,267,960 grams. I could probably just about manage the 960, if I remember to take my vitamin pills. So what’s it all for? Just for the sake of a bar of chocolate? Well, yes. And that is why Toblerone is so popular to this day. Their stone equivalent is now more famous than the chocolate bar itself, so people buy the bars to show their affection and appreciation for the gargantuan feats of engineering. Swings and roundabouts!

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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.

𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩 – 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙡

Charles reeds allowed…

Do you remember when you were 20 or so? I mean, I know some of you are maybe not yet 20, and others of you might be thinking “well, of course I remember; it was only a few years ago”. But let’s face it, for most people who read these articles of mine, age 20 was a while ago. I think I can safely say that. So, DO you remember it? Do you remember the feeling? Do you remember what you were thinking? Do you remember what your big, bold plans were? Did you have plans to change the world? Were you instead rolling around on the floor in a stupor, wondering what all the fuss was about…? Maybe Plan A with a side portion of Plan B? I think a lot of us were ready and poised for great things, no? As if it was all a matter of course. That things would simply fall into place. I personally had my entire early life mapped out. I was going to break out. Not in hives, but by the age of 23 I was going to be a rockstar/popstar. Obviously. I was going to be married at the age of 27, and the rest would simply just happen. At the age of 21 I already had my music degree from a tiny music college in a cruddy part of London (which has since moved to an equally cruddy part of London), and I sort of assumed I would simply “be discovered”. HA!! My naivety was slightly astounding when I look back on it. Worryingly so. These days I am a realist to the point of pessimism. But only because the reality is not so hot. I mean, just look around. I don’t see the vibrant smiles of 1996. The carefree attitude that once ruled London. Things seemed genuinely to fall into place. Breakout was obvious and inevitable…

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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.

𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜 – 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣

Charles celebrates 5 years of Connolly’s Corner…

Well…!! Here we are again, with another instalment of the CC machine. But this one is a little special. It’s one that I never really thought I would reach. I have been writing these things every single week for five years. Five bloody years, can you believe?! That’s the age of the New Artist Spotlight. Half a decade! You all know this as Tuesday Review Day, but for me it’s Monday. I always write these on Mondays. To me, Monday means writing day. It’s my weekly dose of creativity, where my mind goes wherever it wishes. Monday is never free, for I am busy doing this. Just this. Yes, it takes most of the day. It may seem like a half-hour dash, but it’s really not. Hence why I’m stunned to have reached this milestone. What milestone…? Well, my 250th review, of course!!! What a lotta woyds.

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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.

𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉-𝙊𝙐𝙏 – 𝙅.𝙃.𝙈

Charles strikes a match and waits…

The life of an artist can be an arduous one. But then again, so can any life. Let’s focus on the artist side of things, since that’s what we all are. Artists, right? Being an artist used to mean just that. The arty type who is brilliant (or so they think) at arting, and not very much else. It was always forgiven that they could barely brush their teeth and dress themselves, because “oh, just LOOK at what they create”… Correction: artists could do these things, but would very often not bother (in the same way that they would forget to eat), because it was just not important to them. Art ran in their veins. It was their raison d’être. It plagued them. It excited them. It sedated them. Once they had created their latest masterpiece, it would be handed over to the man who knew nothing about art, but who was good at business. It was his job to advertise it and eventually flog it. There could even be a whole team involved. The artist was left to do what the artist was intended to do. Art. This way, everyone was happy and everyone stuck to what they did best. If said artist wanted to celebrate the completion of another piece by drinking himself into oblivion, then so be it. Little would suffer as a result, except maybe his liver.

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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.

𝘾𝘼𝙂𝙀 – 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙤 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙨 & 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙣

Charles is content in his cage…

Europe in the Summertime. A song I wrote years ago. Europe is fun in summer. We think of Roman piazzas. We think of English coasts. We think of Spanish villas. Sun, sun, sun, as it relentlessly beats down upon our already scorched arms. Summer is the time to get away. Americans call it vacation. We, in England, call it holiday. A break from the norm. A time to eat ice cream without feeling it has to be squeezed into a swift lunch break. But is it simply a break from the norm, or is it more than that? Is it wanted or is it needed?

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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.

𝘾𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 – 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙨

Charles is back…

Did ya miss me…? Yes? Not particularly? Well, either way, I’m back. I have been not hither, but thither. Not only was I taking a break from this here Corner (it can get a tad claustrophobic at times), but I was busy being elsewhere. Not London, not England, and not even Britain. Europe in the Summertime – THAT’S what’s been happening! Yes, I know Britain is in Europe, but, ya know… It is but it isn’t. It’s a different kind of Europe. Britain is just not very “European”. I needed to feel that European thang. Sometimes I do Italy, but this time I did not. This time, my girlfriend and I went up into the sky and landed in her original turf of Poland. Thankfully, the aeroplane did not burst into flames or do anything it shouldn’t have done. I don’t think I have ever had such an absurdly packed schedule while on holiday. Aside from buses, trams, tubes and cars, we were taking trains almost every single day. Not to mention a ridiculous amount of walking. Doesn’t sound much like a holiday, does it! The thing is, I have never been one for lying on a beach for a week. Even the idea bores the hell out of me, as the sun burns the pale out of me. This constant movement is the very momentum that keeps things bubbling. Then and now, I just can’t stop feeling! There was modern urban city. There was beautiful old city. There was countryside. There was beach. There was river and sea; food and sun. Museums and memories; nature and manners. We covered so much yet really very little of this vast land of Po. I live for feelings, and feeling was basically all I did for those ten days.

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