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!

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.

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

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!