Belle Mare

I came across a truly haunting piece of dreampop today, meet Belle Mare.

Belle Mare are Amelia Bushell and Thomas Servidone. She from London, England and he from Hartford, CT.

They met when Amelia was performing on an open mic night in Brooklyn, NY.

And the rest as they say is history.

Brooklyn duo Belle Mare describes its music as dream-pop, which is more than fair enough: Singer Amelia Bushell and guitarist Thomas Servidone (of Hartford band Heirlooms) certainly evoke a dreamy sensibility on “The Boat Of The Fragile Mind EP,” their debut [EP]. She sings in quiet, murmuring tones, accompanied by muted piano arpeggios, strummed acoustic guitar and lush, subdued bubbles of electric guitar.

This has to be one of the most haunting songs I've heard in a long long while.

The Boat Of The Fragile Mind

If you want to find out more about Belle Mare, check out this interview with them and also get a live version of this beautiful song.

The Boat Of The Fragile Mind


Matt FX spends some more time with the beautifully haunting Belle Mare and discusses their musical style. We also get a fantastic live performance of their song The Boat Of The Fragile Mind

Check out the rest of the EP right here.

The Boat Of The Fragile Mind EP

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Samantha Crain

Being in the mood for some great American music today, I went on the search for the finest purveyor of same.  And that's when I came across Samantha Crain.

Samantha Crain who hails from Shawnee, Oklahoma, came to San Francisco recently to record her third album.

And what a sublime collection of music it is.

Samantha possesses a voice to die for, an example of pure beauty.

Kid Face, the third full-length album from Samantha Crain (Ramseur Records, February 13, 2013), is a revelatory song cycle as expansive as the wide-open spaces of the 26-year-old artist’s native Oklahoma, and as intimate as a conspiratorial whisper. Recorded and mixed in just nine days in the San Francisco studio of producer John Vanderslice (the Mountain Goats, Spoon), this wildly original album stands as the definitive statement thus far from an uncommonly insightful, fearlessly honest young singer/songwriter.

Here is one of the great tracks from the amazing new album, Kid Face.

Never Going Back

Filmed on a white backdrop, edited, then printed out. All 3,800+ frames of video were hand cut and animated. Frames were then set in a row, filmed in one single take/shot, and later sped up to match the song.
Official Promo for "Never Going Back" by Samantha Crain

ALBUM: Kid Face
LABEL: Ramseur Records
CREATED BY: Jesse Lamar High, Nik Harper, and Spenser Sakurai
DIRECTED BY: LAMAR+NIK
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Spenser Sakurai
COMMISSIONER: James Abbott
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: Emily Matthews, Clint Walker, Micah Neighbors, Jonathan Shahan, and Scott Sullivan

Another song from Kid Face, this filmed at a Charlotte, NC House Party 1-27-13

Churchill

Here is Samantha performing the title track from the album at Music City Roots live from the Loveless Cafe just last week.

Kid Face

Here's a couple of songs from last year. I love this song which was shot and recorded live at Magic Mark's in Tulsa on January 23rd, 2012.


The Last Stanchion Goes Belly Up

Here's another great song from that same shoot.

It's Simple

For a limited time you can get a free download

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Ginny Blackmore

Today we get to meet another talented singer songwriter from down under, who is following her muse and residing in Los Angeles.

Ginny Blackmore is a singer who writes songs so searing they hit your soul instantly. Her debut single, "Bones," written in a painful moment of her love life, drastically altered Blackmore's journey, transforming a 27-year old struggling singer and songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand, into one of Epic Records' most captivating pop newcomers. "The music is as honest as I could make it," she says. "It's my perspective on life. I really hope people can hear themselves in it somewhere. That¹s what I care about."

Ginny's songwriting skills include being a co-writer on the song "Sing For Me" with Christina Aguilera and Aeon "Step" Manahan. It was included on Xtina's album Lotus. She was also co-writer on “Tell You” by Pixie Lott and “By the Rules” by Adam Lambert.

Then of course there are all her own songs, some of which you will hear here.

Check out the aforementioned "Bones", this has no video just audio, but that is more than enough. Great song, great vocals.

Bones
(C) 2013 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment 

Another just audio tune from Ginny. Wow she is certainly prolific with the good songs.

Louder Than The Rain

Ginny was recently signed by L.A. Reid, good move L.A.
He must have heard all three of these songs, and then some.

Lay Your Head

Apart from Bones, this is one of my favorites by Ginny.  Not that the other songs are dross, just picking favorites.  I'm actually looking forward to the album release, then I can put it on repeat play.

Hello World

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The Who

This is another of an occasional series of "notable" interviews.

This is from 1973, forty years ago.  Damn, where does the time go?

The Who on the Russell Harty Plus Show maybe better described as The Who destroy Russell Harty.

Mind you it didn't take much to discombobulate Russell.

This appears to have been heavily cut, I don't recall commercial breaks being that prolific.
And I seem to recall that Keith Moon's strip got a lot further than it does here.

    

Dumbo Gets Mad

Here's another album where the cover art drags you in, and then you find out you just found a gem.

The art reminds me of something from the late sixties, very nostalgic.

'Dumbo Gets Mad' is a psych-rock duo project from Italy. The project started out when the duo moved to Los Angeles in 2010. The band's debut, Elephants at the Door, has received several positive reviews and reached over 100K digital downloads.

Dumbo Gets Mad's new album, Quantum Leap, has been released, check it out.

It has everything you want to hear from the strange to the sublime, very different.

I think you will enjoy it.

This is an un-official video for one of my favorite tracks.

Radical Leap

Video: monochromatia

This one is for my brother and his recent ghost(ly) experience.

Indian Food

So now you want more? Well here's the album, enjoy.


 

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Melody Pool

Hailing from the Hunter Valley in NSW, Australia, Melody Pool’s music is equal parts country and folk and she has one of those voices you just want to listen to for hours.

Melody Pool is a folk/country songstress writing with a maturity well beyond her tender 20 years. 

Melody is now embarking on a career of performance, picking up support slots and acoustic gigs, where she can showcase her talent.

She has also just recorded an upcoming debut album, 'The Hurting Scene', recently released.

Her previous CD, entitled "Awake You're All Around Me" is an assortment of 6 original songs, weaved into a beautifully crafted EP.

Be prepared to be blown away by her voice. Bloody Amazing!!

Here she is on the ever profesional and exciting Balcony TV series.

Herding Scene

Produced & Presented by: Justine Moyle
Assistant Producer: Liam Flanagan
Camera: Jose Andrade
Recorded and Mixed by Sam Salerno Production
Assistant: Rachel Sibley

Here she is on the Telstra Road to Discovery winning the 2012 Songwriter award.

Henry
Dunno who Henry is, but he's a lucky guy.

Melody at home? With a great original song.

Somebody you've never met before

Melody Pool performing one of her songs, 'Substitute', with Harry Hookey and Jack Hookey at The Lambton Park Hotel.

Substitute

And finally today we meet Melody in Nashville with her EPK for her new album.

Behind "The Hurting Scene"
 

A Matt Blair Production. 
In conjunction with: Haywood Group Productions and Weston Boys Entertainment

We might have mentioned the EP before, so I'm sure you would like to hear it.

Awake, You're All Around Me

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Cat Martino

Cat Martino is a young lady who fits right in with the kind of music we like here.

Good Music!

Blessed with a beautiful voice and instrumental skills Cat is destined to make a mark on the music world.

Rumor has it her birth father was a guitar player from Texas; She was mouthing melodies before words. Truth is Cat Martino is a voice emerging that draws you in by its natural strength and intimacy. Cat calls her original style “Some kind of Soul”. It’s a little bit indie-folk-rock-experimental, born from influences diverse as Laura Nyro, The Beatles, and Bjork… Cat played her guitar, piano, and looped her voice and instruments to create layers that dream a sound all her own.

So to kick of this voyage through some of the wonderful sounds of Cat Martino enjoy this wonderful Take Away Show, yet another classic from LaBlogotheque.


Filmed by Derrick Belcham
Produced for La Blogothèque

Here is Cat performing @ Pianos last year.

We Belong

Check out this really cool mixing on the fly at Klubi, Tampere in Finland, with The Cure Cover.

Lovesong

At that gig Cat also did an amazing duet with Marissa Nadler.

The Sun Always Reminds Me Of You

One more from that same gig in Finland.

And finally today here she is with Sufjan Stevens and Chris Powell for the Shaking Through series.

I Promise

ONE SONG IN TWO DAYS - Letting go of the past, Cat Martino immerses herself in the moment with "I Promise." With help from Sufjan Stevens and Man Man's Chris Powell, the song takes on a dark electronic feel unlike any of Martino's past work.
Shaking Through is a documentary series about the Birth of a Song. Each year we give 10 awesome independent musicians a challenge: Record one song in two days. First take to final mix. No extensions. No safety net.

Well not quite finally, check out this tune Cat just released with her friend Sven.

Red

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Nadia Nair

photographer : Sandra Myhrberg

Here is another Scandinavian songbird, with a truly distinctive sound.

Nadia Nair is just 24 and she hails from Göteborg, although nowadays she is a resident of Stockholm.

Currently, she is in the studio 24/7 just finishing the last morsels on her forthcoming EP.

Personally I'm waiting on that with bated breath, I've heard a couple of demo tracks that may well be from that EP and they are pretty awesome especially "Walk With The Queens".

Keep an eye open for it.

Once you hear the single you'll understand where I'm coming from.

This is one unique sounding young lady. Did I mention she is cute?

Check out her new single release, and the beautiful video, this is terrific.

Bon Voyage
Directed and filmed by: Majaq Julén
Edit: Majaq Julén and Adam Salomon

Song credits: Nadia Nair and Victor Rådström

photographer : Teitur Ardal

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Haerts

Now here is a band to lookout for.

With the amazing voice of Nini Fabi to enjoy.

We've mentioned bands before who we thought could be the next big thing, but this band has to be at the top of that list.

I can't wait to get my hands on that new album.

Haerts is a band from New York hailing from Germany, England, and the United States.

The group consists of Nini Fabi, Ben Gebert, Garrett Ienner, Derek McWilliams, and Jonathan Schmidt.

The band's first single, Wings, was produced in collaboration with Jean-Philip Grobler (aka St. Lucia). 

Haerts' debut album is due in 2013.

This is their first single, amazing, awesome, beautiful, cool, rad, terrific, brilliant, there I've run out of superlatives.  Starts of with a touch of the eighties and then the chills come on with the beautiful voice of Nini Fabi.  WoW!!

Wings

That was so good you have to hear the live version.

Wings (live @ Santos Party House 1/10/13)


Big thanks to the uploader iwaseasymeat

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