So Cool 8
June 2010ZANI – Dig The New Breed
You know we go a few weeks without one of these articles, then I pop up with two in a week. There has not been much to inspire me regarding young indie bands lately everything seems to sound the same. That's not to say that the scene is dead and buried, the problem I find is that one promo seems to blend into another. I find myself constantly searching for another Joy Formidable or Sweet Jane to wax lyrical about a band with that something different that gives them the edge . I know that there is good music out there, guitar driven and full of soaring guitar hooks and melodies driven along by tribal rhythms. The trouble is it's not hitting my musical g-spot, at least not in the way that Ziggy Stardust did when I was twelve or The Jam and The Clash later in my teens along with Joy Division. Where are the bands that soundscaped my early twenties, bands that fuelled the anger and made a statement or just allowed me to escape the 9-5 drudgery. All this got me wondering if maybe it has all been said and done, I mean it seems right now that every electro artist is a throwback to the 80's synth sound. Apart from the two bands I mentioned earlier, that have yet to see any commercial success, this constant battering of my ears as I trawl through album after album depresses me. In 2008 I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel with the likes of Glasvegas and White Lies who both came to the fore. I guess that's why I am finding solace in the amazingly talented singer- songwriters that just keep springing from nowhere. It's not all doom and gloom as I have found myself exploring genres that I would never have given the time of day to, like Nu Folk . Through that I have discovered a whole new world of storytelling that had passed me by, songs like 1952, Vincent Black, Lightening by Richard Thompson. If you step beyond the more ethereal sounds and the jangling bells on legs there is a whole heap of artists pushing these boundaries . Earlier this year the Communion Collective, a club night run by Ben Lovett of Mumford and Sons released a wonderful album, featuring many of the artists who had graced the stage during the monthly Sunday night gatherings at Notting Hill Art Centre. This week hopefully you will be as impressed as I have been with them.
Matthew & The Atlas
A shy retiring guy Matthew Hegarty plies his trade as a landscape gardener by day, one would suspect not for too much longer if his recent debut EP is anything to go by.
Handclaps and banjos will have you foot-tapping and head-nodding from the opening bars. Since my inception into a fully paid up member of the folk brigade I have learnt to nod my head in approval with the best of them! Seriously though, Matt has that earthy gravel growl to his voice. Backing vocals from the dulcet-toned Lindsay West are the perfect foil throughout, often softening the rough edges. I just adore the closing track on the EP "In Winter" .
Elena Tonra
Is for me one of my standout discoveries of the last couple of years, she is the Lily Allen of the folk world. Her songs, though musically fragile, are full of cutting lyrical irony. A friend of Elena's recently provided me with some background information on Elena.
"Growing up in a quiet part of north London in the 90’s, Elena Tonra spent her days listening to her parents vinyl collections and older brother’s rock CDs. She later discovered the beauty of acoustic and folk inspired music and started to create stories and poems which formed the skeletons of her songs. Wearing clothes that old people may well have died in, and a bowl-cut the Beatles would be proud of, Elena tells tales of ghosts, drowning lovers and setting fire to her insides for fun. Elena’s haunting voice and delicate guitar playing make her live performances spell-binding and often difficult to breathe. She talks about unrequited love, lost hope and death… in the prettiest way imaginable.”
Pete Roe
Hailing from Bristol a hotbed of talent for folk artists who ply their trade in the backstreet pubs, Pete Roe established a name for himself on the scene. In 2008 he upped sticks for the bright lights of London and quickly found himself playing piano for the breathtaking Laura Marling. Two years later, having become a central component of her live band, Pete has finally stepped out into the limelight. I first caught him live on the Mumford and Sons tour last year. His easy manner had both myself and the sell out crowd captivated I swear you could have heard a pin drop. Last week Pete released an EP through Communion entitled "Merry Go Round". Across the breadth of the EP, Pete's tender vocals sit atop nimble guitar lines and have drawn comparisons with Bert Jansch and John Martyn. There's also touches of American singer-songwriter Josh Rouse to his effortless storytelling style - simple, easy but beautifully poignant.
I love everything about Communion and have been proud to support them as they have grown from essentially jamming sessions with like- minded friends into a fully blown brand. I love the whole ethos especially the way Mumford & Sons have brought everyone along for the ride.
© Words – Mark Thorpe/ZANI
Communion Collective MySpace Page
Matthew & The Atlas MySpace Page
Elena Tonra MySpace Page
Pete Roe MySpace Page
