6M picks: Vague-à-bonde & Ghost in Saturn?

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

Vague-à-bonde - MV


   

This little slice of pop loveliness is from V.A.B's debut release Involution/Evolution which is out now. Nicole Brenny is a 23 year old bedroom producer from Minneapolis, she says: “It’s beat-driven bedroom pop. It’s basically Fleetwood Mac meets K-pop.” Whatever it is it's catchy as hell and we're a fan of the layered vocals, which admittedly is achingly hip and getting a bit tired these days, but with beautifully crafted pop beds like on this track she's onto a real winner. Watch this space!

The Other Woman Podcast with Amy Lamé

Photo by Tom Sheehan

Our second podcast of 2012 and we're thrilled to welcome Amy Lamé. Amy is a performer, radio and TV presenter, fellow podcaster (check out Homolab) feminist and former Mayoress of Camden.... amongst about a million other things, including co-founder of one of London's foremost gay club nights Duckie.

We talk: 20 years in London for this New Jersey girl, founding Duckie, gay politics in the media and general misogyny in gay culture PLUS fat politics and how you can support fat people without being fat! It's a state of mind, as Amy says: 'Fat people aren't going anywhere!'

We also chat about Amy's new one woman show, Unhappy Birthday, which you can see more info about here. One woman's obsession with Morrissey and having a birthday on the crappest day of the year: 3 January! Urgh!

We have a Lost Dame from journalist Jude Rogers in the shape of Kim Wilde and Stef Schadenfreude gets her teeth into the Brits and the Oscars... tasty! Ruth Barnes and Piney Gir convene in PG's wee flat in north London to string it all together. Magic! Don't forget to like us on Facebook and subscribe to us in iTunes if you will!  

   
   
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Amazing Radio feat Madam 26 February 2012

 

It’s a joyous thing to come back from holiday to an inbox full of new music. Reflected in tonight’s show of mostly first timers to Amazing Radio... Minnesota native bedroom producer Vague-A-Bonde, French electro duo Ghost in Saturn? and Brighton based one woman troubadour Bunty Looping are just some we are super excited about playing.

It’s about this time of year that bands scrimp together every last penny and try to get to the super-hyped industry showcase SXSW - that’s exactly what London based Italian shoegazers Lilies on Mars are doing... they’ve recorded this track especially for fans to buy with all the money going to their plane tickets, do the right thing and support them!

Sukie Smith aka Madam joins us for a chat about her superb and highly underrated album Gone Before Morning which she self-released last year... going from label to her own boss, how difficult has it been?

And finally we couldn’t not post the video for Nedry’s new single Violaceae - sheer electro pop genius:

6 Music picks: Margaret Glaspy & Imaginaire

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

Margaret Glaspy - Bitter Wind



A best mate of mine Corrina lives in New York, and it’s thanks to her endless quest for interesting and independent live music nights that TOW brings you California native Margaret Glaspy. Living now in Brooklyn she’s fast making a name for herself with her unique voice and original writing style. Margaret is only 23 to boot, which means many happy years of songwriting lie ahead - and we here at TOW wander once again, what have we done with our lives?!

Imaginaire - Holding Onto Hope

Imaginaire are a South East London band consisting of David, Chris and Nico and a revolving party of vocalists. On this one, young singing upstart Kimberley Anne lends her soft lilting vocals as the band explore their electro side with a bank of analog synths and some New Romantic quiffs. This single is out on New Antique Records, with a dreamy B side equally worthy of a listen, Postdrome Waltz. 

6 Music picks: Ooti Skulf/ EFTBD/ Bunty/ Jasmine Kennedy

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

Here are the picks from the last two weeks: 

13 Feb: 

Ooti Skulf - La Boite A Ooti

La Boîte à ooTi " Lili sur le Bord" from YYlabel on Vimeo.
 

The name is slightly odd, true enough, but Breton singer Ooti Skulf has that kind of sultry Francophone vocal that you can only dream of. Marry that with a strong songwriting sensibility courtesy of Ooti and her ‘musician and handyman’ John Trap and you have a sexy, clever and infectious result.

Entertainment For The Brain Dead - Roadkill

 
Julia Kotowski makes music as EFTBD - a bedroom producer who lives at home with Ma and Pa in Cologne, Germany. Studying audio-visual Media-Studies at the Academy of Media Arts there, Julia engages physically with her craft and illustrations - like the linocut for her first compilation of songs ‘Hypersomnia’. It’s Julia’s voice that weaves everything together - ‘everything’ being: her ukelele, found instruments from the kitchen like peppermills, jars and even drawers... Thanks to Aaahh Records for finding her and giving her bedroom musings life.

20 Feb: 

Bunty - Thongs and Heels

Bunty is a Brighton-based musician and visual artist and TOW LOVES this slice of looped gospel pop with a sharp edge, it’s ticking all our boxes. What a voice! Bunty says: ‘She whispers, bellows, beat boxes, claps, stamps and produces frenzied harmonies to create her music from scratch.’ Talented? Yes. Original? Yes. Like? Absolutely!

Jasmine Kennedy - Dinner For Breakfast

Batley in West Yorkshire seems an unlikely place to produce this young singer-songwriter. Maybe that’s unfair, maybe it’s a hot bed of untapped musical talent! What’s next? Later... with Jools, live from Batley! Who knows... Jasmine has had support from the BBC Local Radio station up there and we can see why. Lovely, deep, rich voice - funny lyrics and a talented guitar player to boot. What’s not to like? And please don’t mention Tracy Chapman...

6 Music picks: Rebecca Pronsky and Mausi

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

Rebecca Pronsky - Hard Times



This Brooklyn native should be a household name as far as we’re concerned. Day time play list on Radio 2 at least. Sigh, but alas, we are not in charge! ‘Viewfinder’ is a superb record by an accomplished musician - it’s obvious she’s playing music since the year dot. Studying ethnomusicology and jazz singing at Brown University has set her on track to become one of America’s foremost modern folk songstresses.

 
Mausi - Sol

We here at TOW love this slice of Italian sunshine pop via Newcastle. Sibling duo Daisy and Thomas Finetto channel their love of pop, electro and dance into Newcastle’s thriving indie music scene and this is the result. You can almost smell the suntan lotion and feel the sand between your toes - but that’s the Tyne in the background!

6 Music picks: Abi Wade & Emma Russack

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

Abi Wade - Stability



Not only a remarkable voice, also a talented multi-instrumentalist to boot. The cello being her instrument of choice on the ‘And Blood And Air EP’ which came out on great little Brighton indie Love Thy Neighbour Records. A one-woman band and production house, she’s honed her craft and stands poised to take on the industry in a rather fetching onesie...

Emma Russack - He Was My Family

 

Another stand out voice to arrive in our inbox - this time from Down Under. Melbourne to be precise - Emma’s debut album Sounds of our City is released on New Zealand indie Spunk Records in February and if this taster is anything to go by it’s a strong introduction to this singer-songwriter. Emma made her name on YouTube covering classics such as A Day In The Life, Love Will Tear Us Apart and My My Hey Hey - something that would ordinarily set our teeth on edge, but she does a jaw dropping job of making them her own. Her PR says: “Lyrically, Sounds of Our City explores letting go and severing ties, finding one’s place in the world, and wishing you were lying on a beach, cocktail in hand, instead of working at an Italian restaurant during Melbourne’s coldest winter in 50 years.” We’ve all been there honey!