Released just before the first UK lockdown, this uncharacteristically political slice of brooding reggae and jazz infused anthemic pop has definite staying power. It was inspired by the continuing gentrification of London and depicts the demolishing of a community of high rise flats in Peng's neighbourhood. This isn't about progress she is saying, this is about homes and communities. And the destruction of those communities for the sake of profit. Like it's Specials namesake, it's a thought provoking piece that will endure long after the end of this year. As she says in the spoken word section of the piece, this isn't just about London. It's about all of us.
Showing posts with label Greentea Peng. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greentea Peng. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 December 2020
Tuesday, 1 September 2020
Greentea Peng - Mr. Sun (miss da sun) / Sun Is Shining (6 Music Festival...
The BBC 6Music Festival in Camden, London, was one of the very few UK festivals to sneak in just before the UK lockdown began on 23rd March. Which is why we have this excellent clip of Greentea Peng. You can watch her full live set for Boiler Room Festival late last year here.
Sunday, 30 August 2020
Fantasy Festival number 16: The Lineup
Patricia Lalor: Fourteen year old Patricia Lalor is a singer/songwriter from Wexford, Ireland. She first came to the public's attention as a pre teen when her YouTube cover of Hozier's 'Cherry Wine' was praised by the singer as one of the best covers he'd ever heard. Since then, she's begun writing her own material and her work as been likened to SOAK and Billie Eilish. You can read an interview with Patricia here and her YouTube channel is here.
Mallrat: Grace Shaw is a musician, rapper, singer and producer from Brisbane, Australia. She released my favourite single of last year ('Charlie'), has toured with Maggie Rogers, and is on course to be a massive star. You can find out more here.
Arlo Parks: Arlo Parks is an 18 year old poet and singer/songwriter from London. She has been much championed by the BBC, particularly 6Music over the past year, especially for her single 'Black Dog' and her understated and elegant cover of Radiohead's 'Creep'. You can find out more here
Greentea Peng: Neo-Soul and self described 'psychedelic R&B' (thank you Wiki) singer Aria Wells is from South East London. Her most recent single, the uncharacteristically political 'Ghost Town', spoke out against gentrification and social cleansing in London, but she's more known for her mellow soul flavoured EP's. A debut album is awaited with considerable interest. You can find her on Soundcloud.
Self Esteem: Sheffield's Rebecca Lucy Taylor, formerly of Slow Club, has been having a lot of fun with her new slyly subversive pop and R&B orientated project, Self Esteem. You really haven't lived until you've been on the dance floor at a gig full of women screaming 'YOU DON'T OWE THEM ANYTHING!' back at her during 'Girl Crush', as my review of her set last year at Band on the Wall in Manchester will attest. Rebecca has supported Florence + The Machine in real life, specifically last year in Scotland, and Rebecca and Florence were, memorably, the stars of the first YourShelf podcast, which you can hear here. You can find Rebecca on Insta.
Kelsey Lu: US singer and cellist Kelsey Lu first came to my attention when she opened the Florence + The Machine headlined British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park, back in 2016. I was struck by the power and beauty of her voice, as well as the way her songs felt as much like soundscapes as regular songs. At that point she'd just toured the US with Florence and Grimes, had released a couple of EP's, and had been taken under the wing of Blood Orange's Dev Hynes. Her debut album Blood was released last year and included the beautiful single 'Due West' as well as an atmospheric and understated take on 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love'. You can find out more here.
Maggie Rogers: Even if you don't think you know the music of Maggie Rogers, you will know her song 'Alaska', and probably its story of how Pharrell Williams came to hear it, and love it, back in 2016. A prodigious songwriter, she released her first album in 2012 and, while her career up until 'Alaska' could be considered a bit of a slow burner, her most recent album, last year's Heard it in a past life, a fabulously catchy dance pop album fuelled by sophisticated songwriting and irresistible hooks, was something of a breakthrough. You can find out more here.
Florence + The Machine: South Londoner and BBC Introducing alumni Florence Welch has been making complex, idiosyncratic baroque flavoured pop and indie rock as Florence + The Machine since 2007. She has risen from playing the tea tent at Glastonbury as an unsigned artist in 2007 to headlining the Pyramid stage in 2015, and now sells out stadiums and headlines festival bills around the world. Since 2007, Florence + The Machine have expanded from being simply Florence and whoever she could get to play guitar for her to a full band, and most of the main nucleus of musicians from the 2008 period remain. The lineup currently stands at about eight people. You can find out more here.
Mallrat: Grace Shaw is a musician, rapper, singer and producer from Brisbane, Australia. She released my favourite single of last year ('Charlie'), has toured with Maggie Rogers, and is on course to be a massive star. You can find out more here.
Arlo Parks: Arlo Parks is an 18 year old poet and singer/songwriter from London. She has been much championed by the BBC, particularly 6Music over the past year, especially for her single 'Black Dog' and her understated and elegant cover of Radiohead's 'Creep'. You can find out more here
Greentea Peng: Neo-Soul and self described 'psychedelic R&B' (thank you Wiki) singer Aria Wells is from South East London. Her most recent single, the uncharacteristically political 'Ghost Town', spoke out against gentrification and social cleansing in London, but she's more known for her mellow soul flavoured EP's. A debut album is awaited with considerable interest. You can find her on Soundcloud.
Self Esteem: Sheffield's Rebecca Lucy Taylor, formerly of Slow Club, has been having a lot of fun with her new slyly subversive pop and R&B orientated project, Self Esteem. You really haven't lived until you've been on the dance floor at a gig full of women screaming 'YOU DON'T OWE THEM ANYTHING!' back at her during 'Girl Crush', as my review of her set last year at Band on the Wall in Manchester will attest. Rebecca has supported Florence + The Machine in real life, specifically last year in Scotland, and Rebecca and Florence were, memorably, the stars of the first YourShelf podcast, which you can hear here. You can find Rebecca on Insta.
Kelsey Lu: US singer and cellist Kelsey Lu first came to my attention when she opened the Florence + The Machine headlined British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park, back in 2016. I was struck by the power and beauty of her voice, as well as the way her songs felt as much like soundscapes as regular songs. At that point she'd just toured the US with Florence and Grimes, had released a couple of EP's, and had been taken under the wing of Blood Orange's Dev Hynes. Her debut album Blood was released last year and included the beautiful single 'Due West' as well as an atmospheric and understated take on 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love'. You can find out more here.
Maggie Rogers: Even if you don't think you know the music of Maggie Rogers, you will know her song 'Alaska', and probably its story of how Pharrell Williams came to hear it, and love it, back in 2016. A prodigious songwriter, she released her first album in 2012 and, while her career up until 'Alaska' could be considered a bit of a slow burner, her most recent album, last year's Heard it in a past life, a fabulously catchy dance pop album fuelled by sophisticated songwriting and irresistible hooks, was something of a breakthrough. You can find out more here.
Florence + The Machine: South Londoner and BBC Introducing alumni Florence Welch has been making complex, idiosyncratic baroque flavoured pop and indie rock as Florence + The Machine since 2007. She has risen from playing the tea tent at Glastonbury as an unsigned artist in 2007 to headlining the Pyramid stage in 2015, and now sells out stadiums and headlines festival bills around the world. Since 2007, Florence + The Machine have expanded from being simply Florence and whoever she could get to play guitar for her to a full band, and most of the main nucleus of musicians from the 2008 period remain. The lineup currently stands at about eight people. You can find out more here.
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Greentea Peng – Ghost Town
An uncharacteristicly political song from rising talent Greentea Peng, 'Ghost Town', the video to the song was filmed on the Aylesbury Estate in South London. At risk of demolition in 2016, the estate is now part of a regeneration area.
Regeneration in London is always a political subject and there is a sense, echoed very strongly by Peng here, that it is not the communities whose houses are being regenerated who gain the benefits. "You won't take my city from me" vows Peng as the high rises disappear to be replaced by unaffordable 'affordable' housing and communities are displaced.
When she performed the song live at the recent 6Music festival in Camden, she segued it smoothly into a high octane take on The Specials 1981 hit 'Ghost Town', which was number 1 in the UK Top 40 at the time of the 1981 riots.
Food for thought in both cases.
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