Monday, June 28, 2010

Aqualung 'Strange & Beautiful'

Writing a blog should also be therapeutic! I've had this lovely song by Aqualung in my head for the past few days, nagging me...so maybe it just wanted an inclusion on this blog.
I remember hearing this 'Strange and Beautiful' track for the first time in 2002, quite eerie and pretty, and sad and...well everything a longing love song should be.



Aqualung is actually just one guy Matthew Hales and he has released 6 albums so far. The last one was out in April this year and...I haven't heard a single note. Not sure it's even been released over here.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Nic Dawson Kelly 'The Musician'

In my pile of CDs to listen to, there was a single by Nic Dawson Kelly. Looking at the artwork I thought ' oh no, not another one who wants to sound like Mike Skinner'
Imagine my surprise when I played the track and heard this:



Yup more antony Hegarty than The Streets, huh?

This young Sheffield-born musician released a first album "Old Valentine" in the UK last october but I think it will be out in Mainland Europe probably about now.

He has a very distinctive sound and voice and I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.

If you're curious too, you can jump to his MySpace

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Alessi's Ark: "The Asteroids Collide"

Hello and welcome back to this blog. After 2 weeks of well deserved holiday I came back to a flat without internet...it has its ups and downs and is not fully fixed yet but let's try and share some music once more.

Summer is never a good time for new music what with festivals taking all the headlines. It gives us time to check out some bands that pass off our radar during the year.

As you all know I may be biaised a little bit when it comes to Laura Marling. She's been raving about this English singer-songwriter called Alessi Laurent-Marke. She plays her music hidden behind the Alessi's Ark moniker.I HAD to check her out!
She'll be 20 at the end of the month and, like Marling and a few others, knows a thing or two about writing songs and performing them.

She left school at 16 to pursue a music career ( promising her supportive parents to go back to educations if nothing came of it after a year) and released a first auto produced EP 'Bedroom Bound'
A deal with Virgin followed and a first full album Notes From The Treehouse ensued.
Here's the single taken from that album



Since then she parted ways with the major label to join the ranks at indie label Bella Union. In 2010 she has release an EP 'Soul Proprietor' and is working on her next full album.

More on Alessi's Ark on her MySpace.