GUEST POST:Zoe runs the adorable new lifestyle blog This Little Home in Peckham, which is full of wonderful craft ideas and recipes. Trust me, this girl knows baking. She also has a musical side, singing as well as keep a steady beat on drums! Here she shares her latest favourite.
First Aid Kit- The Lion’s Roar
First Aid Kit – Can I join your band please?
When Alanah asked me if I would like to write a guest post about my favourite female artist for this blog, I was faced with a bit of a dilemma. As someone who is ridiculously bad at making even the simplest of decisions, I had no idea who to choose. There are so many amazing female front women and artists who, as Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin would say, are ‘doin’ it for themselves’. Of late I have loved the recent offerings from Tilly and the Wall, The Staves, Beach House and Poliça, but despite these discoveries, the band I keep on returning to is the divine First Aid Kit.
Johanna and Klara Söderberg create beautiful, folky melodies that make me wish I was halfway up a woody mountain in a long, flowy dress, singing about a long lost love before jumping on a unicorn and galloping into the sunset (yes…it’s THAT whimsical). But, as unicorns don’t exist and I live in South East London, rather than a woodland valley, I guess I will have to make do with listening to their current album, The Lion’s Roar, and writing them many a letter asking to join their band. The last bit is a joke…honest.
They’re a four piece from L.A. and I came across them while reading a list of badass female drummers and I immediately became obsessed. Their music is fast/fun punk, and I really hope people start to take notice of them soon because they really know their shit.
GUEST POST:Kayla is a photographer, writer and grad student studying sociomusicology. Check out her material at her website here.
Austra - Beat and The Pulse
When I saw this video, I really wanted to hate Austra.
And, admittedly, I still kind of do. I mean - look at this video. I am pretty sure Katie Stelmanis and her friends from the acting program at Ryerson University got together and decided to have a minimalist synth-sex dance party and film it in the name of art. In the name of art and for someone’s final project for Interpretive Dance 101.
I digress. I digress because as much as this video is pretentious, American Apparel, art school fodder, the entire Feel It Break album is fantastic. Austra’s classical training is evident throughout the album, but never in an inaccessible, ostentatious way. I saw her perform on a live taping of Q last night and during the interview she said that the transition from classical opera to synthpop allowed her to abandon the lofty goal of reaching a level of perfectionism that is sought by opera singers. By performing as Austra she could be a bit messy and make mistakes and that it all came down to connecting with her audience. By combining two very distinct sounds, electronica and opera, Austra manages to stand out from the other electro-pop acts that have surfaced in the last year by creating music that is both ethereal and fun to dance to.
Feel It Break is currently nominated for a Juno, a Canadian music award, for Electronic Album of the Year. Fingers crossed, everyone. Fingers crossed.
GUEST POST:Tegan from The Ethical Debating Society, London’s most fun live band around right now. They’re definitely going to pop up at some point later on here, so do yourself a favour and get acquainted early. Their next show is at Riots Not Diets in Brighton on March 24th.
LungLeg- Theme Park
Short lived band from Glasgow, from around the same time as Bis.
It’s the perfect balance of pop and riot grrrl. Still an earworm, but easy enough to play, sing and listen to that every teenage girl who bedroom dances to this could believe that they too could be in a band like this. It’s certainly had an effect on my life!
GUEST POST:Rosy is a film student and part-time comedy writer.
Watusi | Heavy Cream
Heavy Cream are a four piece band from Nashville with three girls and a guy on bass (!). They’re signed to Infinity Cat who also handles the music of JEFF the Brotherhood so you know you’re in good hands. Watusi is the first single off their debut album ‘Danny’ and it’s all I’ve ever wanted from a gritty-dancy punk song (that’s how I’m attempting to describe how good it is). I heard this song two days ago for the first time because I’ll be seeing them open for Hunx and his Punx later this month and it’s been on repeat ever since. It’s safe to say I’m obsessed.
GUEST POST: Rayne runs the online multi-collaborative zine, Colours Fade. Issue #2 is up now. Contributions are being welcomed for the third installment.
Christina Hun (also called Christina The Hun) is a musician from Fort Collins, Colorado. I was introduced to her music during punk rock choir rehearsal, when the instructor brought a copy of Hun’s CD for us to hear. I was completely mesmerized by the music and her unique sound. Her music is made up of only two instruments: loud, crashing drums, and her rough vocal chords. Her songs are short, aggressive, and the combination between her often-off-key voice and pounding drums creates a beautiful cacophony perfect for fans of noise rock and riot grrl music. Christina Hun’s music can be found on MySpace.
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