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Do any of you sometimes go on appearances..? I did this one time, 'cos I love this girl's glasses...
Sarah Jaffe is an outstanding 22 year old from Texas. Her music is lingering and leaves you deeply affected. Jaffe manages to create unique material that hosts her distinctive vocal ability brilliantly.
She recently made a little escapade to Wireless Festival, and in between the rain and an Emma Watson sighting, Sarah played a wonderful set.
Personally, what most struck me about Sarah was how human she seems. The songs incorporate alot of mixed emotion and differ immensely in some cases, some drift along beautifully and there are others that bear their teeth and pound the pavement 'til it breaks.
Her debut EP Even Born Again has just been released through Summer Break, receiving praise from many a listener, which isn't suprising.
The title track to the EP, Even Born Again progresses with a determined air that powers through the instruments and forces the listener into thinking of better times ahead, as if your conciousness and outlook on life is indeed being "born again".
Second track, Black Hoax Lie is a slow, heartbreaking song, with lyrics that I'm sure anyone could relate to, "Wherever you left me/That's where my heart still lies". However, it's a song that has a hint of hope to it "When you're on your way to the bottom/At least you know where you're going", which is an all too true truth in my opinion.
One of Sarah's most defensive songs Under also features as track numero four. It fires up, all strings blazing, as Jaffe sings "Ain't nobody's girl/Ain't nobody's man", and eventually picks up the tumbling plucks of violin strings with a no nonsense atmosphere. Boys, watch out...
You can buy the EP from here.
And listen to Under here.
I got my AS level results back recently (I got ABBB for the more curious kids out there). I am unfortunately returning to education in early September to complete the second leg of college before I up and out to some far away city...probably. Part of me can't wait to go, but the other is rooting itself firmly in Manchester's pavements and tarmac. I'll always know where my home is, eh? Education is something we'd associate with the human race. But what if we educated animals...? One band seem to have a delightfully melodic answer...
Educated Animals are a charming four piece from Brighton who are, it's said, are at their best live. This is hard to believe seeing as their recorded material is already astounding enough by itself. I last listened to EA at some point in 2007, when they were at a point where it was all about atmospheric soundscapes and soaring vocals. Now as I return to listen, a new song Time Bomb opens with a striking "Oh my god/I'm sitting on top of" before launching into an attack of every instrument in reach. There's a fire engine esque guitar riff, then pound of drums, which is all accompanied by buzzing synths, packed in harmoniously amongst Jon Purchase's yelping vocals.
Ever So Close is, err, closer to EA as I know them, big choruses, echoing guitars and tumbling drums. It's all so passionately heartfelt, with a big hint of gusto.
When they played a recent Birds Need Trees gig in Manchester, they were said to have "some ridiculously good tunes...boosting the energy levels of everyone present". I am yet to have the pleasure of seeing them, but I cannot wait for the oppurtunity to show itself!
The aforementioned Tme Bomb was also played on the opening titles of Channel 4's soap Hollyoaks who seem to have some whizz kid in charge of their music department.
Listen to Time Bomb here.
So as September draws closer, so does the ominous certainty of there being a Nationwide Mercury Music Prize barfathon. I have to say it is one of those ceremonies that I love to bitch about. The judges, the presenters and the eventual winners are 9 times out of 10 complete and utter ?@!!. I will leave you without my opinions...for now. Who knows, maybe this year will prove different. They've certainly managed to pick a good "virtually unknown" artist this year.
Portico Quartet are a brilliant instrumental quartet, as their name would suggest. As seems to be the way, they are from London, and play a beautifully sombre form of music with certain instruments as mysterious as their name. The Hang, as it has been christened, is a very recent instrument only developed in 2000 in Switzerland. Think of an inverted steel pan and you'll sort of be there.
PQ's mixture of the hang, a saxophone, a double bass, a glockenspiel, a marimba and drums gives their songs a very unique sound, and as you'd probably assume this gives them aeons of room to explore their vast boundaries (if there are any...). In tracks like News From Verona the saxophone dominates the track for the majority but then it also wanes into silence in parts, letting the double bass and hang strengthen, later returning to build the track up to a climax.
Their album Knee Deep In The North Sea is worth its weight and more in gold and is a beacon for the more contemporary side of Jazz, it certainly is a sad thing when any genre of music is thought of as a guilty pleasure.
Another strong song on the album is Monsoon: Top To Bottom. It begins delicately as if describing leaves falling in autumn and then snaps back into a hand clapping, squeaky speeder. It also gets you wondering if the sax player (Jack Wyllie) could possibly play with any more agility without hurting himself.
My definite favourite on the record Cittagazze reaches weaving and writhing highs and then slams down on the pedal, powering forward into a rich and vibrant atmosphere of vitality that really separates these boys from the rabble.
Only time will tell if those judges will be able to see past their hard-ons for Radiohead and recognise Portico Quartet's undeniable genius. They really are something else and everything inbetween.
Listen to News From Verona here.
So, I've just put the kettle on in anticipation of droopy eyelids (I'm making the most of an empty house y'see). And as always I've got some massif, kick-ass beats happenin' on my pumpin' woofers*.
This evening...or morning, it's a fabulous new discovery Chew Lips, a lo-fi tech trio from London with a myspace page still under the year benchmark.
Tigs, Will and James create illustrious synth soundscapes, audible in songs such as Eight, which has Tigs crooning away equally beautiful lyrics ("A highspeed chase on a wedding day/Give and take are all the same") which magically conjure wizard imagery in your mind as the song progresses to a stadium-esque guitar riff that the greats would envy.
The appeal of the band hasn't been missed by the ever ahead of the game Steve Lamacq, who was recently heard championing Solo on his Radio One show (listen from here), and rightly so. Tigs' voice sounds golden in the 3 minute slice of blippy bleepy glory, echoing Karen O's vocal stylings in some areas.
The threesome are kicking about London this September so take my word and go have a looksee.
Listen to my personal favourite Eight here.
* I don't really have woofers...
Wow it's been a while. You probably think I've been trotting the globe off, eh?
Well in that case you're wrong. wrong. wrong. This far in my summer I have been sat on my arse watching some of the best athletes in the world fulfilling their dreams whilst my 12 year old sister shouts at the TV, "Run faster!". Those coaches don't know what they're up against.
I've really been hankering to spread my wings and get off to the coast, or to a buzzing city that isn't Manchester, preferably abroad.
This idea takes me to Sweden. Home to Wildbirds And Peacedrums, a stonking girl/boy, two-piece that are gonna blow all other minimalists out of the water.
The members Andreas Wallentin and Mariam Wallentin are a married couple who met at Gothenburg's Academy of Music and Drama in 2004. They share a love for that stripped down sound that they seem to master so easily.
Mariam's vocal power and capacity gives them a razor-sharp edge that can vary from songs such as The Way Things Go, which just pound through your eardrums at a cataclismic speed, to the softer side of the blade in songs like, personal favourite, The Battle In Water.
Their debut album Heartcore has already received glittering reviews in The Guardian and Pitchfork Magazine, surefire proof that they've got what it takes to send it up to the bigtime.
The duet rely on the combination of silence left by simple rhythms and Mariam's revved-up singing to support the songs, and boy do they ever. Andreas also believes there's a certain element of imagination that can be used in those silences. Hear what you like basically.
This becomes evident in songs like I Can't Tell In His Eyes, a shattering love song that arches up to a brilliant, opera-esque climax with a fantastic, wholesome atmosphere.
The two components of Andreas and Mariam go together like a horse and carriage. They both benefit equally from each other. Some of the cacophanies that come from Andreas' percussion could be shunted straight into the dreaded "experimental" file, and Mariam could easily tumble into the ever-increasing abyss of female singer-songwriters.
They're on tour in the UK in September, Manchester's the 8th of September at The Deaf Institute.
Listen to I Can't Tell In His Eyes here.
Ahh money.
Money, money, money. Money brings me some serious joy and some real distresses. One of the distresses of late is that I have about £30 to get me through to September.
Thus not letting me see the sublime Jose Vanders in Leeds. I was supremely annoyed. Not only because I have cabin fever like nothing else but also because she has to be one of my favourite discoveries of 2007.
Jose Vanders has a vast fanbase as I write this and certainly doesn't need a leg up (she's just reached the 1m play mark on myspace!).
She has the musical stylings of someone ten years older than her and can play the piano like a pro, a quality than shines through in her songs.
One of the things I love about Jose is her modesty, besides her mind blowing talent, she is an ordinary young lady and is one of those artists who could just stop at home recordings and they'd be golden. But Jose goes that extra step further and makes "proper" studio EPs, and yet there are no great claims with her.
Her debut EP Transactional Language was, and is, a seven track beaut of a CD, brimming with carefully crafted songs that speak of love, painters and "sitting on the M25". I'd say it was simple, but that's unjust, as are the comparisons to Kate Nash. The truth is Transactional Language is flawless, it's observational, it's a classic in miniature. A Little Love Song is exactly what it says on the tin, it's delicious and uplifting and makes you pine for someone to call your own (if you haven't snagged them already).
The next installment in Jose's discography, Red Black Blue & The Tortoise, has just been unleashed onto the tinternet and has already received warmly by her fans (buy it now from her shop!). The second EP includes one of my favourite songs by Jose, Madame Lenormand, which is about a fortune teller, sounds brilliant already, eh? On her first demo of the song, there was some very humble talk of a Comet mic ruining certain parts of the song, which is more than made up for in Jose's lyrics "You'll find love/Underneath a stone/Pick it up and keep it in your pocket/You'll see bars/The finest bars of steel/Encircle you on one December morning" and the gorgeous piano melodies that wrap themselves around your mind and reel you into listening it again and again. The freshly recorded version is even more beautiful, if that's even possible!
Her demos are gems in their own right, Fin's Song and Hitchin is Bitchin are personal favourites of mine and are as warm as cocoa and bright as a 100 watt bulb, despite their sometimes heart-breaking lyrics.
To conclude: Jose Vanders is a girl choc a bloc with promise. She's already delivered high quality songs and seems to be set to carry on the path of musical success.
Listen to a fantastic demo of Madame Lenormand here.
Just a quick question: Does anyone know where to buy melodicas? Besides the net..?
Melodica, Melody & Me are the latest band to make me wish my socks off that I owned a melodica...Only this time I'm wishing a bagazillion times more. Yes, a bagazillion.
I first got wind of them from seeing them about on other artists' top myspace friends and then getting a friend request later on (don't judge). I didn't pay attention if I'm honest and I later paid the high price when I actually heard them live.
Melodica, Melody & Me are addictive. Live, they are charming and down to earth and with some members still tied down by University, they're obviously driven to getting their "sound" out there. The whole band get in the swing of things when they play live. The unique dancing that takes place has been described as "pikey". Hope that helps paint the picture...
The six London dwellers are currently awaiting a handful of British festival appearances (Bestival, Solfest) and have already performed at Camp Bestival, earlier this year in July.
They've also made a massive impact on audiences and the press, with appearances in Volume Magazine (read here), Clash Magazine's blog and on Tuckshop podcast.And rightly so, they are loveable and remind of lazy, bbq summers spent with friends.
All members of the band are vital to the songs (although Anna was a late, but intelligent addition to the squad), which are romantic, fun and rootsy. Their freshest song Plunge, has lyrics that tumble out of singer Huw's mouth, accompanied with a two steps forward, one step back (just a sound association thing, not a technical term!) melodica tune and piano melodies that arrive at the last minute to bring a wholesome vibe to the track. And, it has to be noted that MM&M are another band whose music benefits from a handy doubling over of vocals.Remember When has been described as slightly melancholy, its lyrics certainly aren't the most hearty in the world, "Such happy times/Wish I was back there again". But it is definitely a brilliantly catchy song!
The more cheery Piece Me Back Together is a surefire riverside singalong equipped with call and response lines that'll get you reflecting along to those trundly drumbeats no end.
If you're up North like me, they've got a date in Leeds on the 3rd of October which I'm definitely looking to make.
Listen to Piece Me Back Together here.
