This week TOW speaks to Saint Saviour, the angel-voiced singer who made her name writing and fronting Groove Armada’s latest album Black Light.
Now she’s about to unleash her debut solo album on the world, Union.
Becky Jones has a voice in a million and is a fantastic song-writer. She
reckons she’s managed to please all her fans on this record, those who
like her in die-hard electroclash mode and those who prefer her voice
soaring over a piano ballad. It’s been a long road and now with a fresh
signing to AEG Live, Saint Saviour cannot wait to get her music into the public domain.
These Glaswegian punk rockers play it ear-splittingly loud. When seeing them live at a tiny venue in north London, we left with ears ringing and silly grins on our faces. This video was made by guitarist Vickie and will bend your brain, Horseheads the 7" is available from Milk Records or from the band live... and trust us you NEED to see this band play! Divorce have also announced that they'll be recording their first album next month and are putting on a fundraiser because they're broke - 11 May at The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow if you're in the neighbourhood.
The Voyeurist are a duo who make gloomy synth based pop. Yes they might
wear skinny jeans, yes, they might live in east London... however, Rusty
and Sarah Nag are also talented and make pounding infectious tunes that
you just can’t shake - makes a change from the usual! Sarah's voice
also puts these two streets ahead of their peers - she can sing, her
voice is powerful and interesting and she has a great lyrical
sensibility. Backed by Rusty on meddling melody duties and you’ve got a
sweet combination... all hail The Voyeurist as they join us on this
week’s show!
The dark and mysterious singer songwriter Nadine Shahvisits
us on The Other Woman this week, we met in a park and sat on a bench
covered in pigeon poo. This Whitburnian lass is not dark and mysterious
at all! We have a right giggle and find out more about the lady behind
our new favourite song Aching Bones.
Also on the show the brand new track from London folk outfit Mishaped Pearls who’ve
gone a bit darker on this and we like where they’re headed - Manu
Schuette’s voice is one of the best. In fact it’s a show of great voices
- we feature Brighton artist Donna Fullman, who’s track By The Fire has been on repeat since we heard it this week. There’s another track from Barcelona duo Orlando, and music and vision artist Jo Whitby otherwise known as Lawrence Made Me Cry - another new discovery.
We get loud too don’t worry, some hardcore thrash from Bitches and there’s hyperactive disco pop from Poppy Perezz too. Plus everyone’s new favourite band three Californian sisters called Haim and a new track from DIY songstress Laura Kidd aka She Makes War ahead of her album launch this week.
The blogosphere is having a love affair with this video from Manchester four piece Pins. It hit the net last week and has been posted on many a discerning blog, especially as the video's director Sing J. Lee is being heralded as the frontrunner of a new wave of young, creative and hip Mancunians.
This young Newcastle lass has already supported Ghostpoet in her hometown and launches her Rope Mirage EP at The Cluny on 30th April. You know when you get the feeling that someone's suddenly going to go stratospheric? That's the overwhelming vibe from this talented 21 year old who calls her music '21st Century Soul'. Listing her influences as Jamie XX,James Blake and Jamie Woon it's definitely a 21st Century sound alright (poststep, apparently?), oh wait, Gil Scott Heron's in there too. She's got a booking agent, press agent and with festival slots already rolling in, what could possibly go wrong? TOW loves this track, it's been on repeat all morning - turn up the bass... and watch this space!
Well, it's the end of an era.6 Music Introducingairs for the last time next weekend. I played my final set of picks on the show this morning, almost three years to the day since my first spot. Tom Robinson has always been The Other Woman's biggest advocate and fan, he's a joy to broadcast with and is the most generous presenter I've ever had the pleasure to work with.
Introducing continues on the BBC, on other networks, but it's a crying shame that 6 Music feels it isn't part of its remit anymore. Maybe they think that all the shows play new bands all the time anyway, so what's the point? But I disagree, Introducing is a unique system for bands without any cash, to put it bluntly, to get airplay.
Well, we're moving on. Fresh on the Net is Tom's website and he's handpicked a team of bloggers to share tips with you, lucky listener, join us there... it feels like the beginning of something very exciting.
This week, Tom asked me to play him one of my early tips, in a Look How Far They've Come stylee... and then a hot pick that is really doing it for me right now. So here they are:
Nedryare Londoners Chris Amblin and Matt Parker on knobs, buttons, guitars and twiddly bits and Japanese singer Ayu on vocals. They formed in 2008 and shortly afterwards joined TOW for a live session on Resonance FM, which blew the roof off. Every bit of kit was peaking into the red, the engineer and I just sat back and gave up. Since then they've released two albums, their latest on Monotreme Records, they've received airplay all over the shop, played SXSW and toured America. In short, they rock and are every bit a great example of what Introducing is all about.
