Martin Carr
Encyclopedia
Martin Carr is a British
musician and writer who was the chief songwriter
and lead guitar
ist with the British
band
, The Boo Radleys
.
, Wallasey Village
, and played an early gig with The Boo Radleys at 'The Grand' nightclub
in New Brighton
.
After the breakup of the Boo Radleys, Carr launched a solo
career, taking the name bravecaptain from a song
by the U.S.
rock band
, fIREHOSE
. His solo work has largely been more electronic based than his previous work, and mainly features himself on lead vocals, whereas in The Boo Radleys he rarely sang (despite writing the lyrics
). He is known for his varied taste in music
, including loves of jazz
and hip-hop
, and an interest in electronic
experimentation, ensuring that the Boo Radleys soon moved past their shoegazing
roots.
In 2008, Carr announced that he had recorded a new album in Cardiff with producer Charlie Francis
and a few 'friends'. Martin Carr told music website The Quietus
about his plans to release the album via the Bandstocks scheme. By the start of the following year Carr had abandoned the Bandstocks project, later commenting to music industry website HitQuarters
that "it needs a lot of work and commitment to try and find investors and I couldn't offer either." Instead he released the album 'Ye Gods (and little fishes)' in July 2009 on his own new imprint Sonny Boy Records, using the company State 51 for distribution.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
musician and writer who was the chief songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, The Boo Radleys
The Boo Radleys
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Extended plays:-Singles:-External links:* * * * * * by Laurent Orseau * *...
.
Life and career
Carr is an ex-pupil of St. Mary's CollegeSt Mary's College, Wallasey
St Mary's Catholic College is a Catholic secondary school located in Wallasey, Wirral, in the Northwest of England. St Mary's is one of four Catholic secondary schools in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. The others are St Anselm's College, St John Plessington Catholic College and Upton Hall...
, Wallasey Village
Wallasey Village
Wallasey Village is a district of the town of Wallasey, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in England. Localities within this area are informally said to be in "The Village"...
, and played an early gig with The Boo Radleys at 'The Grand' nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in New Brighton
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
.
After the breakup of the Boo Radleys, Carr launched a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career, taking the name bravecaptain from a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, fIREHOSE
FIREHOSE
Firehose was an alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt , Ed Crawford , and George Hurley .-History:...
. His solo work has largely been more electronic based than his previous work, and mainly features himself on lead vocals, whereas in The Boo Radleys he rarely sang (despite writing the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
). He is known for his varied taste in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, including loves of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and an interest in electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
experimentation, ensuring that the Boo Radleys soon moved past their shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
roots.
In 2008, Carr announced that he had recorded a new album in Cardiff with producer Charlie Francis
Charlie Francis
Charles Merrick "Charlie" Francis was a sprint coach most noteworthy for being the trainer of sprinter Ben Johnson, the first competitor to be stripped of an Olympic gold medal for using banned drugs, and sprinters Angella Issajenko, Mark McKoy, and Desai Williams...
and a few 'friends'. Martin Carr told music website The Quietus
The Quietus
The Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
about his plans to release the album via the Bandstocks scheme. By the start of the following year Carr had abandoned the Bandstocks project, later commenting to music industry website HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
that "it needs a lot of work and commitment to try and find investors and I couldn't offer either." Instead he released the album 'Ye Gods (and little fishes)' in July 2009 on his own new imprint Sonny Boy Records, using the company State 51 for distribution.
Solo discography
- Fingertip Saint Sessions Vol 1 (August 2000)
- Go With Yourself: Fingertip Saint Sessions Vol 2 (October 2001)
- Advertisements For Myself (October 2002)
- Donkey Punching the Professor (with Nick Lowe) (June 2003)
- All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace (August 2004)
- allonewordsmallbee (December 2004)
- The Taste Of Lemons Made Me Fratricidal (April 2005)
- Distractions (January 2006)
- Ye Gods (and little fishes) (July 2009)
- appeared on a record with David Baker of mercury rev fame, Shady.