Boards
Fav gigs of 2008(experimental/acoustic)
DEAD AIR –
www. myspace. com/deadairmusic
Electronic beats coming off a laptop, semi spoken word intros leading into melodic catchy new wave electro pop. Very original. She plays guitar for Joan as a Policewoman and Lou Reed.
MADAM – www. myspace. com/madammusic
This was my fav Madam performance. First time I’ve seen her with full band. It was a mesmerizing performance. Chilling songs of loss and longing. It was exceptional.
LEALA ADU – www. myspace. com/leilaadu
She is amazing, and a bit mental but I love it. Discordant chords, thrashing and metronomic, screaming then skulking, beautiful, then bitter, gentle then demonic. Lyrics about Joan or arc, and others about getting mugged in London. You don’t have a life, so you have to steal mine. Or words to that effect. (She smiles when she screams so watch out!!) Her new stuff is recorded by STEVE ALBINI (I’m not the greatest fan of his work except in utero)
SARA JAFFE – www. myspace. com/sjaffe
I just thought the myspace songs were excellent, so I went to check her out. Outstanding. She played with a cellist and percussionist. Just amazing songs delivered from the heart. Her EP is immaculate. I can’t stop playing it.
MARY HAMPTON – www. myspace. com/maryhampton
Very gentle kind of folksy, but brilliant delivery. Time just froze for a while around her syllables. Amazing album as well, still playing it
BOTTLE BRUNETTES – www. myspace. com/thebottlebrunettes
I go to a lot of baggage reclaim/scaledown gigs. A mix of light shows, improv, poetry, acoustic, synth, looping, and the unexpected. I did not however expect to find a really catchy, madness/ ian dury and the blockheads band. Truly great songs, very uplifting and catchy. Loved it..
ALESSI – www. myspace. com/alessisark
Great to see Alessi play again, this time at the indoor picnic. Lovely to hear her quiet cloud like songs drift over in a quiet environment. Looking forward to her album. Again just quality song writing, and sweetly delivered. Amazing..
MATT DOLPHIN – www. myspace. com/mattdolphinmusic
I think he sounds like Brendan Perry from Dead can dance. Great songs, simple in structure with an excellent use of dynamics. Slightly hypnotic. Deep dark vocal tones, and subject matter
ROSHI – www. myspace. com/roshisongs
Amazing. Half welsh, half Iranian. An interesting blend, I’d love to be invited for dinner to see what amazing cuisine is served, half. Musically it was magnificent in its gentle delivery. Her own songs blended with traditional Iranian folk songs. Kind of electronic delayed keyboards with two cellists, and a guy playing synth drums. The most amazing and well recorded EP as well. Saw her at a recluse night in old street
HER NAME IS CALLA/GLISSANDO – www. myspace. com/hernameiscalla www. myspace. com/glissando
Two bands who run their own label which I really respect. Glissando is a blend of gentle songs and what I’d call true ambience. Not trip hop or the orb, more eno ambient. The real deal. Her name is calla are a full band in redjetsun/radiohead mold that I can’t describe. Lovely songs, dark songs, fast songs. They ending up virtually smashing their equipment. Not in fake indie punkery, but pure passion and dedication to the songs. Energy dripped of the stage and onto my shoes. Worth being soiled for, well spiritually anyway.
RIO EN MEDIO -
www. myspace. com/daniellestechhomsy
She plays a baritone ukelele. Truly a great first album. I haven’t heard the new one yet. Another lovely night at electroacoustic club. She wore a white nighty…Kind of pregnancy dress. I don’t know if she was pregnant though. If she is, it wasn’t me
BETHIA BEADMAN –
www. myspace. com/bethiabeadman
I didn’t go out to see her, but she was excellent. She played with a violin player. Some of her songs, had these wonderfully repetitive chorus’ that hooked you in. Amazing. She plays keyboards for Courtney love, so if you bribe her, she’ll probably be able to really dish some dirt…
SANDRA AND THE MEMORY MACHINE - www. myspace. com/sandrathememorymachine
This I very different from all the other acts on the list. Kind of 80’s synth pop, with ukelele, electric bass, keyboards, and drums. A full band with a full sound. Just damn good songs. She is a very odd cat, she really holds the stage, and your attention. If there were any justice in the world, and Jo whiley got hit by a bus, and replaced by someone with taste. This could easily be played on Radio 1. (I’m just of for my final bus driver test, anyone know where jo whiley lives?)
ORA CORGAN – www. myspace. com/oracogan
Kind of had a Cat power vibe, but her own sound as well. She played an old Gibson style electric(hollowbody) Sounded lovely. Got her album home, and it wasn’t anything like what she played, but it was totally amazing, but in a different way. Slightly more American and acoustic sounding. Just ordered her latest album from the states. Really excited. Running down to see the postman everyday. Postman are bastards….Hurry up and deliver my CD before all go on strike or something
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND – www. myspace. com/mybrightestdiamond
This was a great night in the soho theatre. She arranges and performs with SURFJAN STEVENS .Hushed silence. She played electric guitar, with cello, viola, violin with occasional drum beats and loops. Her latest album is my fav of 2008. It has a kind of metallic percussion going on throughout. She’s really taken up the mantle of female songwriters/artists and taken it to the next level. She did however do dodgy magic tricks during the set, which were funny to begin with, but really detracted from the music after a while. They kind of broke the spell, and yes I know that’s ironic
STANTON DELAPLANE – www. myspace. com/stantondelaplane
I have come to hate loopers. A good idea is a good idea, and a good song is a good song. Most loopers are to busy quantising that they forget to write a song in the first place. Stanton is one of the first of two exceptions to this rule. He is a true talent. Stacking cole mining harmonies perfectly first time. Using a mass of FX pedal, and even a euphonium. Just a great guy as well. He does have his head on upside down, but he’s really chilled. I knocked his coffee over and he didn’t beat me up. Always a sign of a good heart
NADINE KHOURI – www. myspace. com/nadinekhouri
Another artist to successfully utilise a looping pedal. Very original songs.NOT folk, and NOT pop, yet somewhere in between. Her album is amazing, really well recorded. I really can’t describe her. Well obviously!!!!
JESS BRYANT – www. myspace. com/jkcbryant
I’m a huge fan of hers. Very gentle, beautiful folk, but not in a light saccharin way. More kind of dark chocolate with a hint of orange zest. Truly amazing voice, and very original arrangements. The sort of artist that is so good it makes you want to give up, and join a U2 tribute band as bono
KELI ALI – www. myspace. com/kelliali
Another artist I was reintroduced to via the electroacoustic club. Now solo and in a very different guise to her former project on One little Indian records. Very folk with a modern twist. When I saw her play, she had a guitarist, cellist and violin. Very smooth, wonderful. When I say folk I mean kind of wicker man folk, as in the movie. She even covered one of the tracks from the film, the wicker man. Her latest album has been recorded and produced by max Richter, who I’m a huge fan of. He makes classical/ambient albums with electronic tinges. A perfect combination with Kelli’s voice and songs
MICHELLE NICHOLS – www. myspace. com/soundsthattalk
She’s left handed(as am I) so is therefore bound to be highly talented. Amazingly talented songwriter. Very original sound and style. Her EP is out in February or march I guess. One for the future
OCELOT - www. myspace. com/ocelotuk
Again just quality song writing and all round musicianship. Multi - instrumentalists from banjo, accordian to dulcimer. And now even(shock horror) electric guitar. Also now live percussion...to slot in with bass guitar. It will be an interesting year for ocelot
I’ve also just discovered THE WEEK THAT WAS(www. myspace. com/theweekthatwas). Amazing band from sunderland. I can’t stop playing the album
SKOPJE