Smoke Fairies live - listen again here!

Thanks again to the brilliant Smoke Fairies for playing live, and playing us a brand new song...

Kaf and Jess have been singing together since they were 11, they've travelled the world - well mainly all the blues-spots in the States, and caught the sharp eye of Mr Jack White, who plays on their latest single Gas Town. 

Listen again here for more:

   TOW Smoke Fairies 270110  by  ruthbarnes
Playlist: 
*Ghost You Echo - Blood Lines - http://www.myspace.com/ghostsyouecho

*Francis - I Was Never Bored At All - http://www.myspace.com/francisishere

*Nedry - Condors - Condors (Monotreme)

*Vivian Girls - Survival - Everything Goes Wrong (In The Red)

SMOKE FAIRIES LIVE - Gas Town

*Angus & Julie Stone - And The Boys - Down The Way (Flock)

SMOKE FAIRIES LIVE - When You Grow Old

*Jenny Bjorkqvist - To Heal Your Wounds - http://www.myspace.com/jennybjorkqvist

*SMOKE FAIRIES LIVE - Untitled

*Beach House - Zebra - Teen Dream (Bella Union)

*Trash Kit - New Face - http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vdHJhc2hraXRydWxlcy5ibG9nc3BvdC5jb20v

Interview: Cassie from Vivian Girls - listen here!

Cassie Ramone plays guitar and is one of the three harmonious vocalists from lo-fi punks via The Shangri-la's - Vivian Girls. 

Photo by Laurie Scavo

The Brooklyn band have just toured the UK in support of their second album Everything Goes Wrong, out now on In The Red Records. 


In 2007 VG's released their self-titled debut album to much hub-hub in the bizniz, and to a loud cheer from fans who felt like they'd been waiting for this band for their whole lives. 


TOW caught up with Cassie about touring, the buzz and, yes, being one of three girls in a punk band:


  Cassie from Vivian Girls  by  ruthbarnes


Check out the fabulous The Girls Are blog for a full review of tonight's performance at Hoxton Bar And Grill.

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.

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!

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.