6 Music picks: The Van Allen Belt & Silvermoths

Every week we get to play two tracks for Tom Robinson on his excellent BBC 6 Music Introducing show... you can listen again here.  

*The Van Allen Belt - Out To Lunch

 
Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this band have been described as making music that's: “soaringly epiphanic and euphoric post-everything meditations on 21st century America" by none other than Julian Cope! We kinda can't compete with that can we? But we LOVE this track... the soaring chorus of backing vocals, big cymbal crashes and strong vocals from frontwoman Tamar Kamin. It's a power ballad for the indie generation. The album Superpowerfragilis: Or How I Learned To Stop Caring And Love The Drug is out now and you can buy it at the Bandcamp above.


*Silvermoths - Superhero

   

 
Then we come to this beautiful wee ditty. Silvermoths are a west London band. That's Emma Churchly on the soft whispery vocals and various instruments partnered with guitarist and songwriter Kaziu Gill... both make up the flame around which the Silvermoths fly. Sorry that's super cheesey but we couldn't help ourselves! If you can't be cheesey on your own blog then when can you be?! Either way there's something seriously magical about this band, we look forward to more.

Marissa Nadler interview: making music and performing strictly on her own terms

  

TOW met Boston guitarist and singer songwriter Marissa Nadler ahead of a show at London's Bush Hall. Armed with guitars and a weighty transistor, she plays solo and after years of struggling with stage fright, she says: 'It's worth getting over it'.

We talk about breaking out on her own with this eponymous album on her Box of Cedar Records, the joy of 'getting' finger-picking right for the first time, her unique sound and, like everyone, having ups and downs along the way.

Unsure about continuing with touring after years of traipsing the globe, Marissa Nadler said she may consider this her last. But then in a tweet after the show at Bush Hall, she says, scrap that - the audience were so lovely, she'll definitely be back. Gotta love London audiences - you guys did good!

Oh, and check out this gorgeous version and free download of Leonard Cohen's Winter Lady which popped up on her soundcloud recently:

  

Brigid Power-Ryce & Micropixie - BBC 6 Music Introducing

Brigid Power-Ryce - The Waves Were Wild
 
   


Brigid Power-Ryce is a TOW success story... back in May 2009 we played Wild Grin for Tom on the show and he loved it, we loved it and then it all went silent. Until we got an email a few months back from Brigid with new songs, a six month old son and a support slot with Tune-Yards and Beirut at Brixton Academy on September 16th - yeeeeha! The  new stuff is as captivating as what we heard before - eerie, haunting and beautiful. See you on the 16th!

*Micropixie - Testosteronica

    
  
Micropixie sent us this little disco-funk gem a few weeks ago, from her album 'The Good, The Beige & The Ugly' (An Intergalactic Feminist Spy Thriller) on One Little Alien. Micropixie has made the track with UK-based, Grammy nominee Paul Horton and it's massively groovy. Micropixie says of herself: 'Made in Bombay, born & raised in the UK, and based in SF-Oh!, Micropixie aka MPX is the extra-terrestrial alter ego of writer, fillum-maker and fulltime human being, Single Beige Female.'

The song is about Micropixie's experiences in the music industry - 'Testosteronica', ah hem, a sentiment that's right up our street! Also, 10% of the sales from Testosteronica will go to Women's Audio Mission, a San Francisco based, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of women in music production and the recording arts. Here here!

Cambodian Space Project & Mary Ocher - BBC 6Music Introducing

Every week we get to play two tracks for Tom Robinson on his excellent BBC 6 Music Introducing show... you can listen again here.

The Cambodian Space Project - Broken Flowers

Kak Channthy is the lead singer of Phnom Penh Band The Cambodian Space Project. She's been called the Rock MIA in Asia, with which we wholeheartedly take umbrage. MIA wishes she had an iota of Kak's edge. Not only is she now a rock diva in her homeland, but she's also a women's rights activist, enlisted by the UN to speak in her country. As a young woman Kak was kidnapped from her village and sold into sex slavery in Phnom Penh - but her escape and meeting with now co-pilot Australian guitarist Julien Poulsen, has turned her life around. Julien found his muse and his route into fulfilling his dream of revitalising Cambodia's psychedelic rock days, with echoes of 1960's Cambodian singing legend Ros Seretysothea. Broken Flowers is an original track, but do also check out their covers of Venus and House of the Rising Sun too, as Kak admits she sings rock music better than love songs... we say, rock on...

Mary Ocher - On The Streets Of Hard Labour

We've just spent half an hour watching Mary Ocher videos on youtube, mainly the ones from her War Songs album which is from 2008, but luckily for us who were late to catch on, she re-released in March of this year on Germany's fine Haute Areal Records. Describing her is tough. Born in Moscow and raised in Tel Aviv, now based in Berlin. Mary describes herself as a singer-songwriter, poet, and DJ, with a background in film. Excellent. You might remember her from Mary and The Baby Cheeses who were a 'highly noted band in the Israeli underground circles'. All we know is that On The Streets of Hard Labour is one of tracks of the year, we love her heavily accented singing in English, the sparseness of the music: electronic, contemporary and yet definite shades of a spooky Soviet past.

Alice & the Enemies and Rachael Dadd - BBC 6Music Introducing

After a summer break, TOW is back with Tom Robinson on his brilliant BBC 6 Music Introducing show as his Girl Music Guru, bringing him two artists every week for his (and your) listening pleasure. You can tune in and listen again here. Last week it was Tiny Ruins and Emma Heartbeat, this week:

Alice & the Enemies - Touching Boys in Supermarkets

You know Alice Gun? The singer songwriter from north London who made her fantastic debut this year with Blood & Bone on Ambiguous Records? Well, guess what, she was in a rock band and Ambiguous have decided to re-release some old stuff - yeahhh! The frankly brilliant Touching Boys In Supermarkets... listen below. This is Alice pre-poised, almost regal, as she is now - it's all a bit raucous and sweaty, we love it. You can hear Alice talking about Blood & Bone on The Other Woman Podcast here.




Rachael Dadd  - Tower Tower

Bristol's Rachael Dadd has travelled far and wide in her time, so far in fact that she made this record in Japan. Dedicees will know that she's married to Ichi - as in Ichi and the Hand, see them live on the same bill and you get a doubly awesome earful. Rachael's new album Bite The Mountain is the follow up to 2009's Moth in the Motor and, as described by Broken Sound Music on their website, she sounds 100% the wide eyed traveller and armed with banjo, uke and a multitude of other instruments she's the master of, she's created another quiet masterpiece. 

  

Albums from Olivia Louvel and Botched Fairytale

Olivia Louvel sent us a new track back in March 2009 - the spiky, moody, bass heavy Army Of Dolls... little did we know that it was just the beginning of a whole album, Doll Divider, from the French born composer and producer. We played the track for Tom Robinson on his 6 Music Introducing show, he loved it, we loved it and that was that. Or so we thought... we received a beautiful vinyl copy of Olivia's album in the post a month or so ago. Composed using synth loops and percussive rhythms on her laptop, the album is glitchy, mysterious, DIY, minimal... all those good things, if not simultaneously unnerving. You can listen and BUY at her Bandcamp here:



Botched Fairytale




Deejaying at the excellent John Peel Day at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes last year, we were approached only once during our set and it was when we played The '06 Census by Botched Fairytale. The young chap was saucer-eyed and almost frothing at the mouth about the track, which is exactly how we felt on first listen to this, their debut album. Marie O Hara and Mariel McCormack are from County Longford in Ireland and were inspired to make music back in 2008 when, they say:

"sick of sitting around complaining about the lack of lyrical content in the Irish music they heard on the radio, the duo formed because they wanted to do their bit for the situation. 

They had a vision of an album that provoked, it would be blunt and unsafe and uncomfortable, full of ideas and energy that reflected the ugliness and beauty of everyday life, an album that was universally relevant but distinctly Irish."


The album is available FOR FREE at the Bandcamp player above, thanks for giving this away free girls - it's a real gift to the music world.

New music from Ellie Rumbold/ Suburban Mousewife/ Anna-Anna

Ellie Rumbold

  Latest tracks by Ellie Rumbold

*Sigh* Ellie Rumbold is only 16. Think back to what you were doing at 16... were you playing thoughtful, sweet and finger-pickingly beautiful folk tunes? Well, we sure weren't. Time was spent mainly watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice box set, eating huge piles of peanut butter and honey on toast and wondering mournfully where our Mr Darcy was. Ellie plays the Cavendish Arms in Stockwell on the 31 August and it's free... get down there!


Suburban Mousewife - Hack Attack

  Latest tracks by Suburban Mousewife

Mums in a punk band... after having kids and now into their forties, these women decided to pick up their guitars again and rekindle their punk careers - cue some loud, thrashy noisy tunes. Also, Delia Sparrow, The Lexington booker and regular Girl About Town on The Other Woman Podcast is in this band, so thumbs up from us. Suburban Mousewife rock... songs about botox, getting hassled in the street and more... listen and download below, and check out the Woman's Hour (!) interview, which will tell you more here.
 
Anna-Anna - Last Night I Lit The Moon


Manuela Leal is from Rio de Janeiro and makes astonishingly weird and yet extraordinarily pleasing electronic music. Don't expect to be easily buoyed along by these songs tapping your footsies, you need to do some work and LISTEN. When you do you'll be delighted and also ever so slightly weirded out. In a good way. Thanks for emailing us Manuela...

New music: New Zealand's Tiny Ruins - fantastic

Tiny Ruins is New Zealand singer-songwriter Hollie Fullbrook. We've been sent her album Some Were Meant For The Sea and have been immediately captivated by her quiet, thoughtful, often sad songs. Hollie has a glorious voice too... one for when you're feeling a little sorry for yourself.



We like this video of her playing live for Balcony TV - looks like a lovely evening in Auckland...

What's tickling our earbuds in July - part 2:

Kate Daisy Grant



Don't let the 'Daisy' in her name fool you - there's a dark underbelly to Kate Daisy Grant's writing which is compelling, intriguing and makes for a great listen.


Anna Madeleine - Milk and Water





Name your price for this little beauty from Hackney one woman electronic music making machine (and more) Anna Madeleine.

Citizen Helene - Citizen Helene EP



Thanks to the also-brilliant Mary Epworth for putting us in touch... what a glorious voice, fine turn of phrase and above all catchy tunes.

Annette Berlin - Remedy (Don't Pick Me Up)

Find more Annette Berlin songs at Myspace Music

Bristol's Annette Berlin popped us over this single recently... she's also the big voiced vocalist for Big Joan. Post the birth of her twins last year she's just started gigging again - happy days for us!

What's tickling our earbuds in July - part 1

Before TOW heads off on holiday on Saturday here's a run down of the aural delights that have got us hooked this passed month. Yes, it's lazy not to do individual postings but there's just TOO much good stuff out there! So wrap your ears around this very random list of newbies who've sent us a note in recent weeks... Then we'll be shutting up shop until The Other Woman Podcast goes to The Big Chill festival 5-7 August, for our show on Big Chill FM. Can't wait!


Shonen Knife - Perfect Freedom



New from these Osaka rockers from their album Osaka Ramones. Infectious, glorious pop-punk from these girls, they never let you down!

Mary Ocher - On The Streets Of Hard Labour



Thanks to Skopjemusic for the tip off on this one... she's like a Soviet Kate Bush with splashes of the brilliant Frida Hyvonen, this punk/folk poetess used to front Mary and the Baby Cheeses but is now solo.


Micropixie - Alice in Stevie Wonderland

  

Micropixie dropped us a line about her new cover of Sinead O'Connor's Sounds So Different, which you can hear and buy here, but we liked this little mini mix of her debut album Alice In Stevie Wonderland on Soundcloud too... She says of herself: 'Made in Bombay, born & raised in the UK, and based in SF-Oh!, Micropixie aka MPX is the extra-terrestrial alter ego of writer, fillum-maker and fulltime human being, Single Beige Female.'

Tanya Auclair interview - Origami EP

Tanya Auclair is a one woman music making machine. Using body percussion techniques, looping and her own lovely voice she has now self-released two EP's; Thrum and now Origami.

Thrum she gave away for free on Bandcamp: http://tanyaauclair.bandcamp.com/ - nice lady.

Tanya grew up in west London and has worked with jazz drummer Leon Parker and producer Yult to name drop a few others who've recognised her enormous talent. Listen in to hear us try not to sound too merry whilst quaffing cider at our local...

  

Bachelorette interview on quitting and new album

  

Ha! That got your attention didn't it? Well, the New Zealander is not exactly quitting but this may be the end of the Bachelorette project... the world is Annabel Alpers' oyster!

Bachelorette is Annabel Alpers, a quiet New Zealander who has made a dreamy, other-worldy, electronic record filled with clever lyrics and melodies worthy of the pop greats. Bachelorette, her third album, is out now on Souterrain Transmissions and could be the end of the solo Bachelorette project, as she says, she may just find a band and start rocking out - who knows! We chatted backstage ahead of her show at Camp Basement in east London and - you lazy journo's who name check Bjork as her main influence - the Icelandic songstress had nothing to do with this!

Robot's In Disguise on their 4th album Happiness V Sadness

  

Sue Denim and Dee Plume are the masterminds behind electro-pop duo Robot's In Disguise. They are sheer forces of natures: funny, opinionated and very proud of their fourth record Happiness V Sadness... they bloody well should be too. Have a listen for tracks from the album and their thoughts on life, love, tabloids and how to get yourself a £2000 date with the delectable Dee.

Happiness V Sadness is out on 11 July on President Records.

New music: Vuk aka Emily Cheeger - The Archaeologist

Back in January 2010 when we kick-started this blog in a little kitchen in Clapton, east London one of the first posts absolutely had to be about Vuk. Read about it here... and then move your ears onto a brand new track!

A studio demo from the Finnish-American solo artist, called The Archaeologist, has reached our inbox... taken from the album that has a working titles of Year of the Gourd (how very Game of Thrones, we love it!). It's all written, arranged, played and sung by Vuk aka Emily Cheeger.

Vuk is also currently looking for any interested labels to release her record, and if this track is anything to go by it's going to be amazing. Last year's The Plains was one of our albums of the year.

   

Mechanical Bride interview on debut album Living with Ants out on Transgressive Records

  

The Other Woman meets Lauren Doss, she's a 25 year old singer, songwriter and pianist who goes under the moniker of Mechanical Bride. You may remember her haunting version of Rihanna's 'Umbrella' which got loads of airplay on Radio 1 a few years ago:

   Mechanical Bride - "Umbrella" (Rihanna Cover) by CoopMusicFrance

Now she's released her official debut album Living With Ants on Transgressive Records and it's a collection of simple and beautifully crafted songs showcasing gentle piano melodies and her fabulous voice.

Inbox: Newcastle's Pale Man Made & Brighton's Bella Spinks

Pale Man Made - Cabales

  

Christanne is one of two girls who make up half of Newcastle fuzzed up popsters Pale Man Made. 

Christanne's email that popped into TOW's inbox says: 'we play music driven by discordant jangles, bittersweet lyrics, and, female and male vocals - inspired by the The Shop Assistants, Comet Gain, The Pastels, The Smiths and Sleater Kinney.'

Yup, the influences are worn on their collective sleeve, but there's nothing wrong with that when this is the result!

They've just just finished recording an album with Steve Whitfield  (Cure, Pylons, Trash Can Sinatras, Buen Chico, Shed 7) and are looking to find a label to put it out... 

Bella Spinks - Words



Yes, Brighton artist Bella Spinks is 18. And yes, she's already writing songs that some seasoned old muso's could be proud of. Her Dad Patrick runs Sublime Music, and emailed TOW about Bella and on listening to this track we reckon Poppa Spinks has every right to be puffed up and proud about his young offspring. Bella has already supported some impressive artists including Ellie Goulding - watch this space!

Experimental jazz: Carla Kihlstedt & Mattias Bossi new album Still You Lay Dreaming: Tales for the Stage II

Jazz By Association is an excellent programme on French Radio London, playing a mix of leftfield and experimental jazz, with an emphasis on French artists. Presenter and contemporary jazz boffin Jason Phipps recommends this album by Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi and we couldn't agree more. Carla's voice is huge and soulful and the music she makes with Matthias is at once filmic, dark, spacious, weird and above all - original and captivating.

Letters to Fiesta and Kissing Cousins this week's new discoveries

Letters To Fiesta - Drag The Fire

This Manchester band write fresh, catchy, uplifting pop tunes with layered lo-fi vocals, synthesisers a-plenty and some serious hooks... Anna Louise Etherington is who you hear on lead vocals and she pounds away at the synths too.

  


Kissing Cousins - Unfortunate End

From the cold, mean streets of Manchester to the hot, humid and definitely meaner streets of LA - Kissing Cousins are from Silver Lake and led by songwriter Heather Bray Heywood... she pumps out stark, dark rock tunes with an autoharp put through a delay pedal making most of the noise. Nice.

Unfortunate End the EP is out now on Velvet Blue Music.

  

Hurray for the Riff Raff's Alynda Lee Segarra on new album and tour

  

Hurray for the Riff Raff are the sound of New Orleans' 'new buskers' ie. the young generation of musicians who've come to the city and absorbed the age old musical traditions and added their own modern twist. If you read up about HFTRR online there are stories of frontwoman Alynda Lee Segarra leaving New York at the tender age of 17 and 'hopping freight trains'... not believing Wikipedia on this one we put it to her and fiddle player and drummer Josi and lo and behold - that's exactly what they did. Only in America, hey? Listen in for track snippets from the album and what life could be like in New Orleans... trust us, it sounds dreamy.

Buy the superb record here.

The Other Woman interviews Berlin DJ, Mobilee Records boss and German minimal techno pioneer Anja Schneider, listen here

The Other Woman meets supersonic DJ Anja Schneider, post a three hour set in the early hours at London's Fabric and over a baconless BLT at her hotel. We cover Anja's early entry into dance music in Cologne as a young raver to her first mind-blowing night at the legendary Berlin club Tresor - and what inspires her? Working with the likes of homegrown Mobilee talent Sebo K and Pan Pot, also what to expect from her next album. This interview comes ahead of a special 6 Mix on BBC 6 Music to be broadcast on 10 April focusing on the best women beatmakers, producers, remixers and DJ's presented by TOW's Ruth Barnes - tune into that to hear a special from Anja and her top three tracks of all time.