6 Music: Electronic special - Cherry Chan & Loan

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am. Here are our picks for this week:

Pick 1: Cherry Chan & Kiat - Samurai Waltz

TOW met Singapore's Cherry Chan at the Red Bull Music Academy in London a few weeks ago. The Academy brings together young musicians and producers from around the globe to hang out, play music and hear some of their heroes speak - this year they were treated to the likes of Flying Lotus, Jazzie B and Roots Manuva. 

Cherry Chan runs a women's electronic music collective back in Singapore, where she says it's very hard for anything remotely leftfield to get any attention. However, Cherry and her collective are keeping Singapore's electronic music scene firmly alive. She blends cultural references, like the 'shhhtzzing' sound of a Samurai sword, with some great big beats. We love it.

Pick 2: Loan - Self-Exorcism

Loan emailed TOW a few weeks ago offering to send over her album Grigri Breakers which is out now on France's I.O.T. Records. Whilst living and working as a grime/dubstep producer in France, Loan travels regularly to West Africa and specifically Senegal using local hip hop MC's to lay vocals over her beats. The result is Grigri Breakers which came out in June last year and is fresh, original and BAD.

6 Music: Boston Folk! Caroline Herring and Kris Delmhorst

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am.

This week it's all about the Boston folk scene. Both these artists are on a sterling label called Signature Sounds, which celebrates the best of the 'heart of New England singer/songwriters.'

Caroline Herring is originally from Mississippi and her slight Southern twang takes her music into the country-folk sphere, whereas Kris Delmhorst hits a darker, more sombre note.

Here are two videos TOW found on youtube, the one of Kris doing Blue Adeline live we think we prefer to the version on the album! 

Pick 1: Caroline Herring - Tales of the Islander

Pick 2: Kris Delmhorst - Blue Adeline

6 Music New Zealand special: Bachelorette and The Brunettes

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am.

Pick 1 - Bachelorette - Donkey

Often when writing this blog, TOW stops and has a meltdown about not having enough time to listen to all the great new music out there in the world. Sometimes, we just type a random country into Myspace Music and see where it leads us - away from the UK and US can more often than not be a very refreshing experience.

Hence, a New Zealand special for Tom's show this week. Bachelorette was recommended by our buddy Sean who works for Radio New Zealand and Annabel Alpers - a one-woman beats making machine - has blown us away.

Hailing from Christchurch, she's been described (by Sean) as a 'shy, bedroom electronica girl' whose first album, featuring a band, My Electric Family, is out now on cool Chicago-based indie Drag City. Bachelorette has toured recently with label mates Will Oldham and Bill Callahan, and will soon hit the road with 'her idols' Norwegian melancholy popsters and TOW faves Beach House.

The track TOW played for Tom this week is Donkey, a whirling indie-disco of a track that is bound to get stuck in your head - but the video above is for Her Rotating Head, which has some of the best feminist lyrics we've heard in a while.


Pick 2 - The Brunettes - Thank You

photo by Brad Fafejta

The Brunettes are Heather Mansfield and Jonathan Bree and TOW feels a bit silly for only coming across them now. When Tom Ravenscroft came on the show at the end of last year he played a track for us from their new album Paper Dolls which is out now on NZ-based indie Lil' Chief Records. We had to hear more!

The album is sheer 'twee-pop' bliss. And this track Thank You is an homage to all those who have helped the band out over their career which now spans over a decade. Thanks if you put them up on your sofa, gave them a lift, came to a gig... similar in intention to Neil Young's One Of These Days, lest we forget to give thanks, we'll put them in a song now.

The band have been going for ages - their first album released in 2002 and their US records have been released on uber-trendy Sub Pop. That's led to tours supporting The Shins and other truly awesome indie-pop bands, right where they belong!

6 Music: Timberlee and Victoria Falls

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am.


Pick 1 - Timberlee - Fashionista
 

TOW has been meaning to play some dancehall for Tom for ages. We've brought in Polish dubstep, twee American folk, Japanese electro and much more, we figured it was about time.

Timberlee is getting close to giving current 'First Lady of Dancehall' Lady Saw a run for her money. Although I don't think either of them would get very far in the mega heels they trot around in. In fact one of Timberlee's big hits from the last few years is a homage to those very 'Heels' that will give her varicose veins from hell in later life. But who cares! All in the name of a good record.

Produced by the mega-team of young dancehall warriors at Ward 21 in Kingston, Jamaica, she can't go wrong - Fashionista is our favourite, listen to it here on her myspace.

Pick 2 - Veronica Falls - Stephen

                                                                              

This band are such that makes TOW feel like we really don't know what we're talking about at all. They've come together from a number of other wee indie bands we've never come across *sigh* so much good music out there, so little time. You're probably more plugged in than we are - Sexy Kids, The Royal We and Your Twenties ring any bells?

Anyway, Patrick, Roxanne, James and Marion have come together to make some of the finest indie pop-rock we've heard in ages. It sounds like they grew up listening to the best of the shoe-gazers and The Smiths and are now giving us their own very fine take on it all.

Stephen is the B side to Found Love In A Graveyard which is out on Trouble Records on 1 March.

You'll have to listen again to Tom's show to hear it as it's not on their myspace page.

Listen again to the brilliant Trash Kit in session and this week's playlist

Thanks to our live guests Trash Kit - their debut album is out next month on Upset The Rhythm.

And to our guest Professor Justin Spear who played us some tracks that are freaking him out right now.

Trash Kit are Rachel, Rachel and Ros. The Rachel's have been playing together in folky bands for a while now, they met Ros (from Electrelane) at a gig and shyly asked her to be in their band, the result it LOUD and fantastic.

  TOW Trash Kit 030210  by  ruthbarnes

*Wanda Jackson - Shakin' All Over - Third Man Records

*Liliput - Hitch Hike - Kill Rock Stars

*Slapp Happy - The Secret - Virgin

*Family Fodder - Film Music - Fresh Records

*She Trinity - Climb That Tree - President

*Je Suis Animal - Hotel Electric - Angular

*The Liggers - Death Wish - Hyped To Death

*TRASH KIT LIVE - Skin & Phone

*Barbara Moore - Work Out - Celeste (Japan)

*TRASH KIT LIVE - Filipino Woman

*TRASH KIT LIVE - Cadets

*Y Triban - Night In The City - Delay 68 Records

*Clothilde - Fallait Pas Ecraser La Queue Du Chat - Vogue

6 Music: Jenny Bjorkqvist and Twin Sister

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am.

Pick 1 - Jenny Bjorkqvist - To Heal Your Wounds

Jenny Bjorkqvist is from Sweden. If, like me, you are constantly astounded at the quality of pop music that comes out of that country then have a listen to To Heal Your Wounds, it's simply stunning. 


Jenny only has two friends in her 'top friends' on myspace, Nick Drake and Bjork - I'll say no more. There's very little around online about this Swede with the glorious voice, but many thanks to brilliant new music uber-blogger Swedesplease for putting me onto her.

Pick 2: Twin Sister - I Want A House

Twin Sister are a five piece from Brooklyn, who've given me a track for my best songs of 2010 round up already. 


Andrea Estella provides the vocals and I wonder where she's from, as there's an accent which I can't place. The band's blog is full of great stuff, and most of all FREE music. 


Everything they've done so far, including noodlings and experiments are posted to be downloaded by you for free.


The band invite their fans to witness the growth of their songs, watch and hear them go from musings to full blown ideas. 


This track is from their EP Vampires with Dreaming Kids, it's been around for a while. Thanks to Wears The Trousers (again) for pointing me in the direction of this band just in time to be first on the list for their first official release, Color Your Life, which is out soon on Infinite Best Recordings. 


Hunter Giles, who runs this indie label based in Brooklyn, has told me to 'get excited', oh I am Hunter, I am!

Mira Calix on The Other Woman - listen again!

Listen again to Mira Calix - her playlist with her inspirational tracks is below. Except Twin Sister, that's ours...

  TOW Mira Calix 200110  by  ruthbarnes

*Twin Sister - I Want A House - Vampire With Dreaming Kids (Twin Sister)

*Clifford & Calix - In Her Room - Lost Foundling (Aperture)

*E.S.G. - You're No Good - Come Away With Me (99 Records)

*Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Feeling Of Gaze - Bavarian Fruit Bread (Nettwerk Productions)

*PJ Harvey - My Beautiful Leah - Is This Desire (Island)

*Pram - The Mermaid Hotel - The Museum Of Imaginary Animals (Merge)

*Clifford & Calix - Myrie - Lost Foundling (Aperture)

6 Music: Trash Kit and White Hinterland

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am.


Pick 1: Trash Kit - Cadets

Pet hate: Music journalists using the phrase 'spikey guitar'. Why? Because it's usually referring to some two-bit indie skinny jeans boy band who are desperately trying to channel their inner Franz Ferdinand. Listen to Cadets here... aaargh! I've tried in vain to come up with something more creative and thoughtful but 'spikey guitar' is rattling round my head along with that oh-so-damn-catchy riff. 


I had to blog about this band because they are poised to be the 'it' band of the not so distant future. Ros Murray from Electrelane/Lesbo Pig is joined by Rachel A and Rachel H - who were massive fans of Ros's and one thing led to another. Rachel A and Rachel H also play in The Madrigals and Columbus and Crusoe and with Ros in Ray Rumours and the No-Eyed Deers. Keep up!


Tonight they play with MEN in Soho, featuring the awesome JD Samson from Le Tigre... and in a couple of weeks catch them at the east end's Cargo with Tune Yards, with whom TOW is obsessed. So many great 'DIY' bands out there and so little time.


When the thoroughly LOUD queer-punk duo Drunk Granny came and played live on TOW they couldn't stop raving about TK, and TK are name-checking them in interviews too. It's a very loyal scene. You can see DG play live at our myspace page.


Trash Kit are live in session on TOW on February 3rd - yippee!


Pick 2: White Hinterland - Bow & Arrow

TOW can't take any credit for coming across Casey Dienel, or White Hinterland as she is now known. The Portland, Oregon-based singer was brought to our attention by Alan Pedder who runs the excellent Wears The Trousers magazine. 


Alan's been onto her since she was making less psychey and more folky music as just Casey Dienel. All we can say is this track Bow & Arrow, which you can only hear if you listen back to Tom's show, really blew us away. Otherwise check out Icarus on her myspace page, Stereogum are giving it away free.

6 Music: Lucius and Standard Fare

Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am.


Pick 1: Lucius

Lucius are two women making music in an old music school in Brooklyn. The story on their myspace reads as every young wannabe musician in New York's wet dream. Jess Wolfe & Holly Laessig found the place on Craigslist - Bromley House in Brooklyn, had been a music school and recording studio for 60 years, now THAT'S positive karma. 

Their debut album Lucius is really very gorgeous, full of beautiful melodies and their voices go together like peanut butter and honey (on toast). Check out TOW's favourite Dear Tom on their myspace page. 

Pick 2: Standard Fare 

Andy, Emma and Danny hail from Sheffield and play some of the purest indie-pop TOW has ever heard. The words to 'Fifteen' are so utterly cheeky and brilliant, set over the quirkiest and happiest of guitar riffs, "Your'e only 15... what was I thiiiiin-kiiiiing...", you know it's only going to get better. 

Released on legendary label Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation it really is independent. 'Indie' gets thrown around so much these days, it's nice to hear a real 'indie' band - doing what indie bands should do in the true, cosy Belle & Sebastian sense of the word.

'Fifteen' is taken from their debut album The Noyelle Beat, which is due out in March.