fourty nine:

Hello, time for my month's obsessions...so far...

Blue Roses. Once again Laura Groves makes a big impression, even with some demos.

I received a 5 track promo type thingymajig, which includes previous "I am Machin" infatuations "Doubtful Comforts" and "Does Anyone...", two spruced up tracks from the Laura Groves days, "I Am Leaving" and "I Wish I..." and a newbie, "Rebecca".

I'll eat my hat if Blue Roses isn't the name on everyone's lips by the end of Festival season. Catch Laura at Bestival and Camp Bestival with Bat For Lashes, Peggy Sue and Fleet Foxes etc.

Listen to "I Wish I..." here.

Telekinesis. Michael Lerner of Seattle who creates fun, loved up music for a living. The songs are individual and creative, and brilliant variants of the American "indie" you get around parts, reminding of Modest Mouse. Stream his album from here.

And listen to "Coast of Carolina" here.

Gaoler's Daughter. A london four piece consisting of Alfie, Ben, Alex and John. Together they create jumpy, upstarting music, bound to get you in the mood for a fight on the tiles. Self described as New wave/Indie/Jazz, your hear the members bringing in ther respective influences amongst the melodies of the tracks.

John Sterry for example, has a hint of Paddingtons to his voice, straining it in a rebellious fashion on songs such as "In A While Crocodile". There's also hints of old Reggae roots scattered here and there, contrasted with contemporary lyrics.Listen to "Without Rhyme or Treason" here.

Alan Pownall. That's right, it's another ka-pow from Pownall. Alan brought 4 sublime songs to listeners ears recently, that span from sleepy slumberers to summer shiners. It's hard to pick a favourite, so be sure to check out all the songs (and a K.West cover) through the above link to his myspace.

I was thoroughly excited about seeing Mr Pownall again next Monday, but the tour's been re-scheduled to May. See you there!

Listen to "You Know" here.


Bat For Lashes. Natasha Khan is officially back with a megabite or two with her new album, "Two Suns". Crafted around the concept of relationships and double personas, Khan's second album soars to dizzying heights and swoops within grazing distance to the Earth's surface. I can't describe how essential this record is, and will be, to the impending year.

Listen to the one of the album's sombre moments, "Good Love" here.

fourty one: Alan Pownall

There's no denying that Alan Pownall is extremely good-looking, but let's just take a break from all that tireseome swooning and consider the oh so wonderful music he makes!

Although on the face of it, Alan may seem to fit into the fashionable, gentile male singer/songwriter persona, he seems to have come out of his shell in months of late.
Earlier this year tracks such as Colourful Day and Heart of Hearts graced his page. Colourful Day was quiet and shy but at the same time had something to say. Lyrics such as "It's rude to point/But attention's what I want/And she told me that I look like David Bowie" really caught the attention and moved you, the listener, with an ease that I still personally find completely addictive.

Heart of Hearts ran in the same vein, Pownall's lyrics retaining a simplistic memorability that seems to be unique to him and him alone. The content seems to be about not quite knowing what's happening around you, there are several questions raised throughout the duration, that act as witticisms, bound to play a smile across your face ("Do you wear those big boots to keep your feet on the ground?"). There's also a certain rhythm to the track that makes it a shoe in for any slow dance you'd like to introduce to a party.

A fair few months ago however, Alan introduced a couple of new songs to listeners. Slide Through The Walls stuck out like a very bolshy, very different thumb. It had an edge to be reckoned with and certainly stands out in any context. Danger and intrigue shine out as Pownall plays and this sustains throughout the whole track. The 'breakdown' towards the end is very effective in raising the song out of its, already high, grounding. Once again the lyrics are strong, but this time calculating and snarling "I was cold, you were shy/You were never one to turn it on".
The second of the more recent songs, The Others, is more comparable to the earlier material. With added violins and what sounds like a record on a turntable, The Others has a crooning, wistful likeability to it that is delicious and relaxing all at the same time.

Listen to Slide Through The Walls here.