Oct 29, 2008
Suddenly it is very wintery here in Suffolk. A cold blast of arctic
air is streaming down the east coast of the UK bringing unusually
low temperatures for this time of year - it was still freezing at
lunchtime today. All a bit of a shock, I can tell you. Recording a
little early this week so that I can get down to London for the
School
of Seven Bells gig tonight.
We've an apparently all American show this week but it is not all
quite as it appears.
Intro / sig tune
Happy - Jimmie Bratcher
(Missouri, USA)
www.jimmiebratcher.com
South Roxanna Wiggle - Kentucky Knife
Fight (Edwardsville, Illinois, USA)
Kentucky Knife Fight is a hardworking, modest 5 piece hailing from
Edwardsville, Illinois that combines the influences of early 1970's
proto-punk and punk rock groups such as The Stooges, MC5, and
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers with the garage rock of late
90's and early 2000 bands such as The Murder City Devils and The
Hives. The sounds of early Van Morrison and dirty blues rock work
their way in to the fold, as does a sometimes subtle, and at other
times, not so subtle twang of blue grass.
One day, Singer Jason Holler (J-ho), guitarist Nate Jones (the
Viper), guitarist Dave Wiatrolik (White Chocolate), Bassist Jason
Koenig (Mr. Cool) and drummer "Handsome" James Baker met at a bar,
drank way too much Stag, and formed a band the likes of which
Madison County had never heard.
Their first LP The wolf crept,
the children slept is out now. Available at all Slackers
locations, Vintage Vinyl or through any member of the band. ALso on
iTunes. Dates coming up around Illinois and St Louis, Missouri.
www.myspace.com/kentuckyknifefight
Incomplete - Yaana (LA., CA,
USA)
From her album I believe in
love
Yaana Gupta is an Indian Bollywood actress-model-singer-writer,
born in Czech Republic in the city called Brno. Yaana has been
modelling since the age of 16, in the fashion cities of Europe and
Asia. In 2001 she shifted to Mumbai, India where in no time she
became one of India's most sought after supermodels and actresses.
In 2008 she recorded her first album in UK called I believe in love and soon after that
shifted to Los Angeles to pursue her music career.
www.yaanasworld.com/
www.myspace.com/yaanasworld
Later
with Jules Holland - oh dear, dear dear!
Guns or Butter - Hot Buttered
Rum (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Hot Buttered Rum's political, environmental, and social activism is
inseparable from their San Francisco acoustic rock sound. In this
election season—the most important in a generation—Hot Buttered Rum
is committed to energizing like-minded citizens to enact meaningful
change. Now, the band is playing political benefits to support
Democratic candidates—and making available free downloads of two of
their most pertinent tunes. Buy tracks through their site.
www.hotbutteredrum.net/
www.myspace.com/hotbutteredrum
Adeline - Noush Skaugen
(California, USA)
This British artist born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and a
Persian father, raised just south of London in the UK. Her time
spent in France and now the States has undeniably added a special
flavor to Noush's sound. Classically trained on flute, piano and
saxophone Noush playedu in jazz, wind, rock and funk bands as well
as the renowned London Barbican Orchestra.
Noush decided to get out of her element in LA, and record the album
in a totally new location. This turned out to be Nashville, Music
City, where she met with an amazingly talented guitar player and
producer, Ilya Toshinsky, who understood her vision for the record,
and from there Lost and
Found was born. Incredible musicians were found to play on
the record, whose credentials are ridiculous. "All the songs were
tracked in just a few takes, that's how good these guys are", She
says, "I would go into the studio and sing the songs live with the
whole band".
Noush Skaugen released Lost and
Found June 14, 2008.
www.noushskaugen.com/
I'm not keen on hip-hop. Now I know that's a gross generalisation
but it is what I thought and I was not aware of any exceptions,
until last week when I discovered Michael Lynche.
Southern Belle - Michael Lynche
(New York, USA)
Michael Lynche has been described as a hip-hop artist which,
frankly, tends to put me off a bit but listening to him is like
hearing the whole of black music in one artist but it doesn't
really sound like a mash up of different styles. Existing in the
space between soul, modern r&b, funk and hip-hop, his music
somehow ties the tradition together while placing his own unique
stamp and personality on it.
Perhaps "Dirty Blues" conveys it all.
Michael is playing the Cutting Room in New York tonight then he has
a at the Rialto Theater in Atlanta, GA in Atlanta on Sunday. Watch
out on his site for upcoming dates.
www.michaellynche.com/
www.myspace.com/mlynche
Double Standards - Patti
Rothberg (New York, USA)
Patti Rothberg is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter whose
songs have the power to take over a stadium without losing their
lyrical intimacy. Rothberg's razor sharp wit and stark honesty
trade barbs in the studio where she thrives in her creative freedom
and at last releases an album that reflects her talent as a whole.
With material that's split down the middle between hard rock and
heartfelt acoustic songs. Rothberg's an electric guitar-wielding
rock chick with a novelist's introspection, Patti is the rare
artist who can work both sides of the musical spectrum.
AT the last moment `I decided to slip a contrasting track in from
Patti to illustrate my point about her voice.
Wavelength - Patti Rothberg
www.pattirothberg.com/
www.myspace.com/pattirothbergmusic
Hurts more later - Val Emmich
(Jersey City, NJ, USA)
"Songs can be powerful tools…like weapons," muses New Jersey
singer-songwriter Val Emmich. "In the past, the weapons of choice
for warfare were swords, spears, even longbows - things that could
do damage from a distance. Knives and daggers were for more
intimate occasions." You might find this talk of weaponry
perplexing coming from an artist discussing the significance of his
new album's title. Then again, if you're familiar with Emmich and
his work, you know there's often meaning lurking beneath the
surface. "With knives and daggers," he adds, "you had to figure out
how to get close enough to use them."
On Little Daggers, Val
Emmich's sixth release, he manages to do just that, drawing
listeners close with great pop melodies and playful arrangements
while a penetrating lyrical story unfolds underneath.
"Pop music is tricky because we've been trained not to expect much
meaning in it. I love big melodies, but I also love songs with a
strong, lasting message. The truly great songs somehow marry the
two. Lennon was great at it. Marvin Gaye, Paul Westerberg, Burt
Bacharach. They all wrote super catchy songs with lyrics that
struck a nerve. Those songs make you want to dance but also make
you think."
The songs on Little
Daggers nimbly balance those two goals - they're simple yet
substantial, accessible yet challenging, introspective yet
danceable. They also fit together to form a cohesive whole.
valemmich.com/
www.myspace.com/valemmich