TOW on 6 Music Introducing - Tifa and Picastro

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 the this week: 

Pick 1 - Tifa - Rock Me So (Fyah Wyah Riddim 2010)

Tifa hails from Kingston, Jamaica and is part of the ever-expanding, ever-impressive Ward 21 crew. They are a label and collective of musicians, producers and general hip 'n happening dancehall types who are most definitely in charge. Influenced by all the right kinds of artists including Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti Labelle and Aretha Franklin - Tifa now spits, sings, huffs and puffs and TOW loves the way she pants her way through the 'fyah, fyah, fyah' riff in this tune. All power to Tifa, the latest in a long list of dancehall talent, see our earlier entry about Timberlee.

Pick 2 - Picastro - Twilight Parting

Picastro call themselves a 'sleep rock' band, whatever that is we love it. They're from Toronto and have been around for over ten years now. The perfect antithesis to loud, abrassive rock music - this band, led by vocalist Liz Hysen, have released a gorgeous album in 2010, Become Secret, and we can't get enough of it. Mr Arcade Fire, Owen Pallett, himself has been a previous member of the band - but it all hangs together around Liz's sad, sad vocals. Not to make it sound too depressing or anything, but a great record for a red wine-soaked rainy afternoon of navel-gazing.

TOW on 6 Music Introducing - Warpaint and Kellarissa

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 the this week: 


Pick 1 - Warpaint - Billie Holliday  

TOW loves a band that spells out words in songs, especially when the word is 'Billie Holliday', who the band call the most 'bad ass singer who ever existed'. Warpaint are four girls who make experimental art rock - the Los Angeles natives call it psychedelic, mellow dramatic, popular song and oddly - ghettotech. But actually yes we agree! Jenny, Emily, Theresa and Stella have got some celeb friends too, like Heath Ledger (RIP), Billy Zane (what a legend!), Josh Klinghoffer (new RHCP's guitarist) and John Frusciante (former RHCP guitarist). Frusciante also mixed their fantastic Exquisite Corpse EP for Manimal Vinyl. They're signed to Rough Trade now and play the Great Escape Festival in Brighton next weekend, get to it! 


Pick 2 - Kellarissa - Tiny things



Ok so you can't SEE much in this video but you get the jist of Kellarissa's rather smashingly unique sound and gorgeous voice. Head to her myspace and listen to Tiny Things, that's our favourite. You may remember we blogged about Fanshaw a few weeks back, well Kellarissa is from the same stable - Mint Records in Vancouver. Larissa Loyva does everything herself usually using a synthesiser and vocal loops, LOTS of reverb and says she 'asks eternal questions' disguised as pop songs. If only this stuff would make it to the charts! It would boggle their tiny minds (evil cackle...) Flamingo is Kellarissa's debut album, head to Mint Records to buy it.                                                                           

TOW on 6 Music Introducing - Lady Chann and Lady Leshurr

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 the this week: 

Lady Chann - Sticky Situation

This week it's all about the fantastic female talent that's coming through in UK dancehall. TOW is not an authority on the genre at all, but we sure know a good tune when we hear one. It's all about Lady Chann - real name Channelle Williams, from North London. She raps like nothing we've ever wrapped our ears around before, short sharp staccatto bursts of energy and vitality. At the same time we're not sure what she's on about half the time too, but we trust it's all good. Sticky Situation is out on Girls Music, Toddla T's label and he's remixed it too, which you can download at RCRDLBL.com for free. If the upcoming album sounds anything like this speeding bullet of a tune then we predict massive things for this Lady - already being called the UK's Queen of Dancehall. Lady Chann also features in the Youtube video below, for more on that keep reading.

Lady Leshurr - Forever Female

Why do we love Tim Westwood so much? The man is a total dude, and we love this video of his 'Ladies Night' featuring the brilliant Lady Chann in session and Lady Leshurr. She's a young MC from Birmingham whose baby-ish rapping style is underpinned by some clever lyrics and rhymes. Leshurr's mixtape is available to download for free at her MySpace and we love Forever Female, anyone who raps about Peri chicken from Nandos can't go wrong in our books. She cites Eminem as her biggest influence, but also listens to classical and jazz - she dances and is super cute. Follow her on Twitter too if you like, she Tweets ALL the time, and it's usually pretty entertaining. Look out world, here comes Lady Leshurr, a small but VERY impressive lady with some serious attitude.

TOW on 6 Music Introducing: Emily Arin, Fanshaw, Maika Makovski, Mursego

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 the past two weeks:
Pick 1 - Emily Arin - Hidden Flame

When I contacted Emily Arin online, she fired a quick email back to me straight away with some MP3's attached and said, 'I'm off to tend bar now, will be in touch soon!'. Considering that she lives in the small village of Montour Falls in Schuyler County, New York (she's originally from LA) I so badly wanted to be in that little bar in that little village. Imagining it's dark wood panelling and red chequered table cloths, the hockey on the TV, like something out of one of my favourite 90's tv series Northern Exposure. 


Emily is currently recording her debut album with Espers’ Greg Weeks and she is giving away her Slipstream EP free now. Infact sign up to her mailing list at emilyarin.com and you get a free download. It's all about the giveaways! She says her influences range from Hank Williams and Memphis Minnie to Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Caetano Veloso, Tom Waits, Sybille Baier and Gillian Welch. 


Pick 2 - Fanshaw - Diana





Fanshaw is the musical persona of Olivia Fetherstonhaugh *you say it 'Fanshaw' I didn't know this, you'll hear Tom breaking the news to me as I tried to get my mouth around her surname.* Olivia resides in British Columbia and her album Dark Eyes is out now on Mint Records, a fine independent record label based in Vancouver.


This, her debut, has *only* taken 5 years to complete and is really quite breath-taking. Apparently she can take up to a year to write one song, easily done agrees Tom R - wadda I know?!


'Diana' is captivating - we especially love the *ha ha ha* Laurie Anderson-esque breathiness.


Pick 3 - Maika Makovski - Game of Doses


                                             


Andalucian/ Macedonian Maika Makovski played live for TOW a few week's ago - and we had a ball. Such a lovely, warm and funny person - with a blues rockers voice on her that'll send shivers up your spine. Her third album Maika Makovski caught the attention of super-producer John Parish (PJ Harvey) is set to launch her into the stratosphere (she's HUGE in her homeland, Spain). After playing for us she headed out to SXSW, where according to her Facebook updates she had a fine time. Scroll down this blog and listen again to her playing live - FAB.


Pick 4 - Mursego - Subir Arriba Baixar Abaixo





Mursego is Maite Arroitajauregi and this track will blow you away. Have you heard anyone attack a cello like this? Really very awesome. Mursego means 'bat' in Portuguese and she's told me she makes music with "a hoop, pedal loop station, chiflo, Chinese subjects of gossip, flute of piston, pandereta, ukelele, keyboard with lights of colors, autoharpa, rhymes, palms, improvisation and voice." Thanks Google translator!


She says she is preparing her new album which will include subjects of "speech of Finland, red blood cells, the beach in summer, a war of vampires in old Europe and of a stroll by the snow." Lovely! We can't wait.

Listen again to Upset The Rhythm special!

This week we were joined by Chris Tipton from the brilliant Upset The Rhythm. A label and tour promoter extraordinaire, keeping the DIY spirit alive and playing some fantastic 'femme-tastic' tunes.

   The Other Woman 24th March 2010  by  ruthbarnes

Playlist:

*Nina Nastasia - Cry, Cry, Baby (Fat Cat Records)

*Lady Chann - Sticky Situation (Toddla T remix)

*Sharon Van Etten - It's Not You (Language of Stone/ Infinite Best)

*White Hinterland - My Love (Dead Oceans)

*Trash Kit - Natascha (Upset The Rhythm)

                    Me with trash Kit's debut album - their album launch is on 24th April.

*Kit - Golden (UTR)

*Softboiled Eggies - Glassy Eyes (UTR)

*Grass Widow - Celebrate the Mundane (Make A Mess)

*Former Ghosts - The Bull and The Ram (UTR)

*Foot Village - TAKE (UTR)

*Plug - Fresh Pleasures (UTR)

*Peggy Sue - Clockwork (Wichita)

*Laura Victoria - Your Song Is Sweeter (Cherry Red)

International Women's Day - some great new acts

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 from the last two weeks:

Francis - I Was Never Bored At All

               Photo by Johan Stolpe

TOW is pleased to say that this little gem is from a forthcoming album, which we can't wait to hear. The band are over in Texas soon playing industry showcase SXSW - good to luck to them there. We love a bit of Swedish pop, and this band have taken their booze-soaked sound to another level with this track. 

La La Vasquez - Don't Rush Me

This band are from Brighton and make fuzzed out lo-fi punk rock that pushes all our buttons. Freya, Rachael and Merida make garagey surf rock with markedly feminine overtones. Lovely stuff.

You Are Wolf - All Things Are Quite Silent

  

            Photo by Danny Price

TOW first came across Kerry Andrew as part of vocal ensemble Juice. Now she's spread her wings and created this little gem of a solo project. The EP Hunting Little Songs is out now and you can buy it at her myspace page. Go on, do it - you won't have heard anything like it. Recording in her Bethnal Green ex-council flat, with whistling kettles and traffic noises making an appearance, along with her husband on the occassional guitar. It's really blown our hair back - inventive, creepy, gorgeous.

Glasser - Apply

                 Photo by Timothy Murray

LA-based one woman music making machine Cameron Mesirow has made wonders with Garageband. It's atmospheric electro stylings with a lovely voice to boot, she's got nothing to lose. Glasser was also included on Rough Trade's Counter Culture compilation for 2009 so she's impressing the right people for sure. Her Apply EP is out now.

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

TUNE-YARDS!! aka Merrill Garbus - an interview in three parts

Merrill Garbus aka Tune-Yards knocked the crowd at London's Cargo last night to the floor with one of the best gigs TOW has seen in yonks. Look out 2010 here she comes!

 Part 1:

   Tune-Yards 1  by  ruthbarnes

*On signing with 4AD, how things have changed so fundamentally in the past year, headlining Cargo, life since graduating ten years ago, African influences

Please excuse the drum sound check which is going on in the background! It goes away eventually...

Part 2:

   Tune-Yards 2  by  ruthbarnes

*More about Africa and questions surrounding how as a Westerner you can use 'World Music' (so called) without exploiting it, on Bird Brains being essentially a pop record

Part 3:

   Tune-Yards 3  by  ruthbarnes

*On not overusing the loop pedal, the DIY work ethic, on producing other people's music, on women producers, the future...

Listen again to the beautiful session from This Is The Kit here

Thanks again to the wonderful Kate Stables for coming on the show to play live, she is This Is The Kit and one half of Whalebone Polly too.


TOW has been dying to get her into the studio since hearing her John Parish produced album Krulle Bol last year, she did, and even played us a new song...

Thanks to Mark for making us Twitter-tastic too, check our tweets for pics from tonight's session - Otherwomanradio.


  TOW This Is The Kit 100210  by  ruthbarnes


Playlist:

*Caitlin Rose - Gorilla Man (Names)

*Lone Lady - Immaterial (Warp)

*Vuk -  The Plains (Pyramid)

*Green Blossoms - Hana Akari (Black Petal)

*Fists - Endlessly Dreaming (Hello Thor)

*Hila Baggio - Gush Forth My Tears (EnT-T)

THIS IS THE KIT LIVE SESSION

*Birchwood Beaker

*Turnip Turned

*Moon

*Veronica Falls - Found Love In A Graveyard (Trouble)

*Cate Le Bon - Shoeing The Bones (Irony Bored)

*BeaTricks - Contravention (Wagon Repair)

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.

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)

Reasons to be Cheerful in 2010 pt 2: Madam

Madam - aka Sukie Smith (I am never 100 % sure which way to put that round... her name is Sukie Smith, she sings and plays as Madam) is working on a new album.

Photo by John Lee BIrd

Hoorah!

Last night I met Sukie for a 'coffee' which turned into two pints on an empty stomach, for us two lightweights that means we were ranting on about something of which I can't really remember much... by around 7:30pm. Good work.

Madam released her debut album In Case Of Emergency in 2008, and followed it up swiftly with Fall On Your Knees, an EP in the summer of the same year. Both gorgeous, spooky, slightly weird and utterly fabulous records. The reviews flooded in, and phrases like: 'The fragile-voiced chateuse' were thrown around left, right and centre.

Since then she's recorded film soundtracks, made an album in Peter Gabriel's Real World studios and played live all over the shop. Sukie's not feeling very 'fragile-voiced' anymore. Listen to her version of Odetta's Waterboy, which she recorded for Wears The Trousers brilliant tribute album and you'll get the picture.

I've had a sneak preview of a new song. To prove just how finely tuned my musical ear is, I pointed out just how much I liked the recorders. Erm, those would be flutes, Ruth, flutes...

Madam's turning the vocals UP and singing out LOUD on this new material, we can't wait to hear it.

Watch this space for news and TOW will cajole her into the Resonance studios as soon as we can!

Reasons to be cheerful in 2010 pt 1: Nina Nastasia

   
Click on the player and you will hear Nina Nastasia's new single 'You Can Take Your Time'.

I first met Nina Nastasia in 2006. She was over from New York playing some shows in London supporting her then new album On Leaving - her first for Fat Cat Records.

John Peel was a massive Nina fan and champion, she played no less than 6 sessions for his Radio 1 show and became firm friends with the broadcaster and his wife Sheila in the years before his untimely death in 2004.


My friend Louise Kattenhorn was John's producer at the Beeb and so had also become good friends with Nina. That's how I met Nina and her partner (and musical organiser) and Rasputin-look-a-like Kennan Gudjonsson.  

Nina played one of my earliest sessions for The Other Woman, I was still nervous and finding my feet as an interviewer (yup, still am) so when Nina explicitly said she didn't like being asked the question, 'So... how do you write your music?' - creasing my brow into a 'thoughtful and insightful' expression I went right ahead and asked just that. 

It's a lazy question and I am amazed she didn't freak out and yell, 'I just told you that's a ridiculous question and I hate being asked it you total numpty!'. She answered patiently and quietly about how she doesn't really think too much about it, the songs just come. Luckily, I've seen Nina and Kennan over the years since for Vietnamese food in Dalston and to hang out at Lou's place and she hasn't written me off, to my surprise and utter relief.


Nina is the artist's artist. Ask any respectable singer songwriter about her and they will tell you that without doubt the New York-based musician is one of the greatest songwriters of a generation. 

Nina should be one of the most talked about and over-played artists, however I am still appalled at the amount of people who have never heard of her. She attracts some fanatical fans alright, who'll follow her around Europe to every tiny gig in every tiny bar talking to her intensely after each one - but when will she be in London selling out the Shepherd's Bush Empire, or headlining the Park Stage at Glastonbury...? 


Pixies/Nirvana producer and general big-man-on-campus Steve Albini has produced the major chunk of Nina's output and has raved about her in interviews. So why hasn't the mainstream music press bitten? Even the good people at Volvo saw the light, using the whimsical 'Our Day Trip' in one of their ads. 



Nina's last album You Follow Me was recorded with Dirty Three drummer (and regular Nina band member) Jim White and was a staple on The Other Woman's playlists in 2007.


I can't wait for her imminent return in 2010 with a new album on Fat Cat Records.