Monday, November 30, 2009

Lisa Mitchell "Clean White Love"

At only 19, Australian Lisa Mitchell has already managed to get noticed thanks to the Australian Idol TV show. She didn't win and therefore was able to do the sort of music she wanted to make once she left the show.
So the music then, it's that kind of fresh pop with a few drops of sweet and sour sauce, similar to Emiliana Torrini or Regina Spektor.

Her first album "Wonder" was released last July. Here is her latest single "Clean White Love"

Friday, November 27, 2009

Catherine Feeny 'Beltloops & Blue Jeans"

If you're in London on Dec 1st do yourself a favour and head straight to The Luminaire in Kilburn to see the wonderful Catherine Feeny live.
There is so much warmth and texture in her voice and so much sweetness too, musically she does the sad ballads amazingly well but then switches on her poppier persona for more uptempo tracks.

In 2003 she released a self titled debut, more stripped down than Hurricane Glass her second output, on that first album the opening track is "Beltloops and Blue Jeans" as performed live here for Sun Studio:



She has a new album in the pipeline too.

her myspace is here

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Isbells ''Dreamer"

My friend Geert has a label [www.zealrecords.com] on which he signs bands and artists that really seduce him. On october 23rd Zeal released the first album by Gaetan Vandewoude under his Isbells moniker.
It is an album that was written at nighttime and in solitude and it feels: it's lovely, sweet, dark, melancolie and soft all at the same time. If you like Bon Iver and Neil Young you can't not love Isbells

Here's an excerpt from that self titled debut: "Dreamer"



The whole album is on streaming on youtube
and you can also check his myspace

Monday, November 23, 2009

the aftermath of a MOF concert....

triple WAOW, last night I saw Monsters Of Folk and was truely blown away. They all had a such a ball playing together! The show lasted for 3 hours, they played MOF material as well as music from My Morning Jacket, Bright Eyes and M Ward. Fantastic!

Just to celebrate here's one of my favourite Bright Eyes songs " Something Vague" from their 2000 album "Fevers and Mirrors"



And now to mister M.Ward. in 2003 he released his 3rd album "Transfigurations of Vincent", on which we find this little pearl of a song " Sad, Sad Song"

Friday, November 20, 2009

Samuel & The Dragon: "Diamonds On A Boat"

I don't know anything about this duo apart from the fact that they're signed on the Moshi Moshi singles club.
This makes their brand new single "Diamond On a Boat" all the more surprising.
It's dark and brooding with touches of flamboyance that hints a little at Goldfrapp.

Just listen, it's well worth it!

Diamonds On A Boat from Nicholas Audsley on Vimeo.




Thursday, November 19, 2009

Jesca Hoop " Enemy"

Jesca Hoop had a weird upbringing in southern california, she was a mormon until the age of 16 and she sang in choirs at church. When she left, she lived in woods in Wyoming then in the mountains of Arizona and ended up being a nanny to Tom Waits' children. What a life!

On Nov 30th this year she'll release her first album in Europe "Hunting My Dress". I'll be honest I don't always like singers who play it kooky but this girl does have a fab voice and she write good songs so I'll overlook the "look at me I'm crazy" part to focus on the music...

Here's an accoustic version of "Enemy" and a short interview



for more info, try her webiste

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Mark Kozelek 3 for the price of 1

Last night I went to see Andrew Bird live, it was a lovely show and the man is very talented. During some songs I kept thinking that the tone of his voice reminded me of a familiar voice and suddenly it all became clear, I was thinking of Mark Kozelek.

In 1989 he started the band Red House Painters whose track "Mistress" has become a classic.Problems with their label 4AD finally meant that the band dismembered and Kozelek started some peculiar solo projects, amongst them one very fine album titled "What's Next To The Moon" a CD filled only with AC/DC covers reworked to sound like this




Kozelek has since been mixing original materials alongside stripped down covers, another favourite is The Doors "Indian Summer"



Since 2002, Kozelek formed Sun Kil Moon with a couple of ex RHP members. On their third album " April" Will Oldham and Ben Gibbard both lend their voices.
"Lost Verses" is a long song and takes its time to get going but once you let it seduce you, there is no going back!


to know everything there is to know about Kozelek and his various projects, try his website

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Gil Scott-Heron " Where Did The Night Go"

Gil Scott-Heron is a 60-year old American poet, musician and author. His spoken word albums in the 70s were close to rapping and have influenced countless of hip hop artists.
In February 2010 he'll release a new album via XL recordings " I'm New Here" , his first in 13 years.

Here's a first excerpt:



This reminded me a bit of one of my favourite track by Recoil, Alan Wilder's parralel project. in 2000 on their album Liquid, they colaborated with New York poet Nicole Blackman on 3 songs. The mood is dark, veering into S&M, her deliery is cold yet warm, sexy and dangerous.
One of them is the brilliant Breath Control:

Monday, November 16, 2009

Magnet " Hold On"

I'll be honest, I had never heard of Even Johansen aka Magnet before he released his "The Tourniquet" album back in 2005.
He's from Bergen in Norway and now has 4 albums to his name, his style borrows from pop, electronica and folk so deservedly has a place in this blog.

Accoring to his myspace a new albym should be out before the end of 2009

"hold on" is the song that opened the doors of his universe for me:



more on Magnet here
His discography:

Friday, November 13, 2009

Pearl & The Puppets : "Because I do"

If you like Regina Spektor, Emiliana Torrini or Feist, you will enjoy scottish band Pearl & The Puppets.
Pearl is Katie Sutherland and the Puppets are her backing band.

They don't have an album yet but their single "Because I do" was chosen for a big ad campaign by cell phone giants Vodaphone down under.
Here is the track:



If you want to keep track of them here's their myspace

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Antlers: "Kettering"

In 2006, Peter Silberman moved to New-York and isolated himself to write and record an album on his own. The result was In The Attic Of The Universe. Afterwards, 2 musiciens joined him and The Antlers became a collaborative band. Their second album Hospice was released in August to great acclaim.

Here's a video suggested by mister Darren Taffinder [ Thanks Darren!] The track is Kettering:



They'll be part of that great fetsival Crossing Borders in A'pen on Nov 22nd.
here is the festival's website

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Jonsi & Alex "All The Big Trees"

Jonsi is the lead singer of dream pop band Sigur Ros, Alex is his boyfriend. Together they create a very poetic ambiant music complete with visual art.

Their debut album Riceboy Sleeps was released this summer. It's kinda comfort blanket music, quite pure and etheral . Here's their first single

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Cass McCombs "Dreams Come True Girl"

he's a slippery fish, Cass Mc Combs, one artist that's quite hard to describe. Since his first album in 2002 he has changed form, moved from one citu to the next without much explaination about his work. It can be a bit tough to enter his world but once you get it, it's a great universe to be in.

His two most known albums are 'A' and 'Dropping the Wit'. His latest effort 'Catacombs' is filled with songs about his wife and it's his most stripped down work to this day. Probably the most accessible too.

"Dreams Come True Girl" is on that last album:



If you want to get to know him further here's his discography released via Domino Rec. [ One of my favourite track ever is his "Full Moon or Integrity" on Dropping The Wit]

and, of course, his myspace

Belgian Friends, please note that Cass will be at the Botanique in Bxl on Dec 7th. See you there!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Spain "Untitled 1"

Mazzy Star made me think of Spain, the band not the country. How much I've listened to their first album 'Blue Moods of Spain" [1995] it's one of my most listened to album so I had to add on of their tracks here:



Josh Hendon has now reformed Spain [ they first split in 2003 after 3 albums and a best of] with new musicians and they've uploaded new music on their myspace.
A new album should be released soon, which is really exciting!

If you like that minimal, bluesey track, you should definitively pay a closer attention to Spain

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions " Blanchard"

how much I loved Mazzy Star in the 90s, the sound, the atmosphere and then there was Hope Sandoval's voice...oh boy! [ how disappointing was it when I met her and realised what a little madam she was...]

So in 2009, Hope Sandoval and her new band, the Warm Inventions are back with a album that lingers in Mazzy Star's shadows but in a current form. All good!
The album is called Through The Devil Softly and here's the first single "Blanchard"



I'm going to see her play at Le Botanique on Saturday.

More info here

Monday, November 2, 2009

Emily Jane White ' Dark Undercoat'

Let's keep to the sad autumn atmosphere with Emily Janes White. She's a dark folk singer songwriter with roots in blues so I can't help but like her!

She has spent time in France which is probably why she has a strongh following over here. She now lives in san Fransicsco where she has released first album Dark Undercoat in 2007.

Here's the title track:




She has a new album out 'Victorian America' and she's currently touring the world to present it live to her fans. She will stop by Brussels on December 2nd at Le Botanique.
learn more about her via her
website