Laura Mar-vellous-ling

I am making every conscious effort not to turn this review into a driveling adoration of the lady herself.
Laura Marling, ooh she's good.
And there it ends and here begins a proper review.

~

At just 20 years old the future holds great things for the folk singer-songwriter. Her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim started off as something of a cult LP but quickly gained momentum, especially with the nomination of a Mercury Music Prize barreling her along.

I Speak Because I Can is polished and yes, it's more 'mature' than her first album but none of that raw emotion has been lost. Songs like Alpha Shallows and Hope In the Air still retain a certain intensity that Marling so obviously captures. Her lyrical quality surpasses much of what can be heard on the radio today. I'll admit I did cringe a little when I heard her song being played on a national radio station if only because I don't want it to ruin her. I don't want her to be loved for one song only to be chewed up and spat out. But if it gets her name out to the masses then who am I to complain?

I take great offense to the Guardian's Kitty Empire (if that is even her real name) for writing that 'Marling remains a frustratingly polite songwriter, rather than one who really skewers you through the solar plexus.' Do we really need to be punched repeatedly in the stomach to feel like we've enjoyed an artist? No Kitty, we do not. The most polite element of Marling comes from her very 'English' pronunciation, the rest remains perfectly skewering you all over.

~SouthernHeart

Listening to: Laura Marling - Devil's Spoke

I Are Scientist

I love We Are Scientists. They're one of those wacky bands who could so easily be taken as annoying and immature. However I think they're hilarious. And more good news is that I've just found out that they're releasing a new album this year!

Barbara is due to be released 14th June. I'm not going to bother putting the track list up because if truth be told I know little about the songs apart from their first single, Rules Don't Stop

I liked their last two album so I'm hoping this new one will be good also.



Northern Soul

Listening to:

We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery - Altered Beast

February Spot-list

Recently a friend and I started exchanging playlists on spotify. This month it was my turn. I thought I would share the playlist here and explain a few choices:

http://open.spotify.com/user/marko1892/playlist/4sIvWznpaETTEN3iGecHkL

1. Sunshine Underground - Coming To Save You
2. Los Campesinos! - There Are Listed Buildings
3. The Courteeners - You Overdid it Doll
4. Bombay Bicycle Club - Open House
5. Temper Trap - Down River
6. Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down
7. The Breeders - Cannonball
8. Good Shoes - Under Control
9. The Soft Pack - More Or Less
10. Midlake - The Horn
11. Stereophonics - Could You Be The One?
12. Delphic - Halcyon
13. Nirvana - Breed
14. Lowline - Outside
15. Alice In Chains - Would?
16. The Maccabees - Bag Of Bones (Part B)

As is pretty obvious a lot of new releases are in this playlist, the likes of soft pack, Midlake, Good Shoes, Sunshine Underground etc are all new releases.

The playlist is very altern I feel and "indie" in nature but there are other diversions. After Listening to a bit of Alice In Chains and the Nirvana live at Reading CD's I decided to have a slight grunge input to the proceedings. All work well I feel and is there a much better way to end a playlist than the superb bag of bones?

Enjoy :)

Northern Soul

listening to:

Alice In Chains - Dirt - Them Bones