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!