Rachel Sermanni, Katie Sutherland and Laura Marling

Laura Marling

Rachel Sermanni

Katie Sutherland

 

Folk vs Pop? – the different routes into the business.

I first saw Rachel Sermanni at a Celtic Connections Open Mic at the Concert hall a couple of years back and noticed then her lovely voice and songs. That year she won the open mic at the festival.http://www.rachelsermanni.net/

Also here in Glasgow I went to gigs by Katie Sutherland in 2009, another 22 year old Scottish singer with a lovely vocals and catchy songs who also looked good. Katie, who was then calling herself ‘Pearl and the Puppets’, had put her songs up on myspace where they drew the attention of record labels. Katie has a mesmerising honey toned voice live. http://www.katiesutherland.co.uk/

I know of several other young people given major record label deals a few years back – the thing is they are little more than an advance and young people should be warned of the pitfalls here.

This year Katie has been recording an album and using Pledge Music to fund this and Rachel is playing several UK festivals this summer. I can’t help wondering comparing the two that going via the folk route can bring more ‘respect’ generally in the industry but can also mean less attention sometimes. It’s a very strange thing music. At the end of the day it should be all about the talent.  

Then there is also the very young Laura Marling – who sings slightly folk influenced songs. She has a distinctive image and sound which is also key and her father runs a studio. She is also Neil Young influenced and her voice has edge and depth in it. She has managed that valued cross over between being respected and also having commercial successes. Laura is from Hampshire and drew attention on the London folk circuit and it seems to be easier for younger artists in London to get the right label deals into the industry. Marling is playing at the London Albert Hall this weekend. http://www.lauramarling.com/

Even more worrying is the lack of many young male singer songwriters with much depth or much to say- where are they? Marling became prominent with the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2008 and 2010 respectively. She won Best Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards.

Scottish Bands Oran Mor final night Westend festival

Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells – whose 2011 album “Everything's Getting Older” recently won the first “Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award 2012. 

For the final night if the Glasgow Westend Festival 2012 The Oran Mor staged an event featuring several new bands and artists across their 3 venues.
The event featured headliners We Were Promised Jetpacks and more…in the Auditorium. Also in this Auditorium were – Monoganon (surely shades of the Low Anthem here), Miaoux Miaoux (one man electronic band recently album of the week on Radio Scotland’s Tom Morton show), Three Blind Wolves and Remember Remember.
Performing in the Whisky Bar were The Dirty Beggars, a bluegrass band who performed also at Celtic this year; plus Apples of Energy and Wounded Knee.
In the basement Venue were Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells whose 2011 album “Everything's Getting Older” recently won the “Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award 2012". Moffat’s sound has a rough edged voice with a deep oak timbre and he surely is a fan of Dundee’s treasure - humorous and quirky singer songwriter Michael Marra!  While Well’s piano provided the perfect backdrop. Also in the Venue - Gav Prentice, Olympic Swimmers, John Knox Sex Club, guitarist R M Hubbert and singer songwriter Withered Hand.

There were strong folk and singer songwriter elements to the event with many of the artists on the line-up and with WWPJ providing more of a rock band finale to the evening. 

Worth checking out Withered Hand, Dirty Beggars, Monoganon and Aiden Moffat and Bill Wells. Sorry no photos for this event. I have covered many events at the Oran Mor over the past years with the venue being my closest and probably my favourite Glasgow music venue.  I always thoroughly review the musicians I shoot and take a lot of care over the reviews I post. 

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat's “Everything's Getting Older” has been named the “Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award 2012. The duo won £20,000 for their work, which was eight years in the making, beating acts such as Mogwai and Conquering Animal Sound. The Scottish Album of the Year (Say) prize is a new award billed as the equivalent of the Mercury Music Prize. The winning album was awarded by the Scottish Music Industry Association at a ceremony in Glasgow Film City.

Festivals 2012

Summer festival season started this weekend with heavy rain making a mud wash out for those travelling.  Lets hope the UK weather picks up. 

Sadly I am very busy this year with other commitments while I would wish to be attending more live gigs and festivals. I hope at least to make Edinburgh in August for a short while anyway. I have weddings and more in the middle of it all.    

Glasgow Westend Festival 1^st – 24^th June

http://www.westendfestival.co.uk/

*Isle of Wight 22^{nd – 24th} June,

 Bruce Springsteen, Biffy Clyro, Elbow, Pearl Jam,

http://www.isleofwightfestival.com/

*T in The Park 7^th July 2012, Belado, Scotland,

Snowpatrol, Kasabian, The Stone Roses,

http://www.tinthepark.com/content/default.asp

*Latitude  13^th – 15^th July, Suffolk

Bon Iver, Elbow, Paul weller,

http://www.latitudefestival.co.uk/

*V festival 18^th August, Chelmsford, Essex

The Stone Ross, The Killers, Snowpatrol,

http://www.vfestival.com/

Doune the Rabbit Hole 24^{th August}  , north Kilsyth Carron Valley, Scotland -  Phantom Band, King Creoste, Aidan Moffat, http://dounetherabbithole.co.uk/

Other festivals Scotland - Wickerman 20^th August - http://www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk  
Belladrum 3^rd August Inverness - http://www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk/

Lana Del Rey 'National Anthem' Video

Lana has released artwork for her forthcoming video for her single National Anthem. She has a very unique style and she likes her music to be about the images too. The video is set to see Lana taking on the role of Jackie O with rapper A$AP Rocky playing John F. Kennedy. Del Rey cited the video as "definitely the most beautiful thing" she's ever done. As of June 29, 2012, it has garnered over one and a half million views.

REVIEW What Culture -http://whatculture.com/music/lana-del-rey-national-anthem-music-video-review.php - It’s actually really really sad and a truly stunning video (especially the end monologue) – it is all about nostalgia, memories, life, love and loss. I preferred the more upbeat demo version of National Anthem originally but I think this video makes the most of the new more forlorn version and bolsters it upwards. Will it set the charts alight…if it does provide a breakthrough then it is much deserved. Get ready for the Summertime Sadness video soon but in the meantime, rejoice in a national anthem that everyone can actually remember the words to.  Stars, stripes and serenading the President are all in a day’s work for the 2012′s First Lady of Pop as she delivers another note-worthy all-American visual.

Born to Die has sold more than 1.4 million copies worldwide. It peaked at number one in Greece, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Del Rey's music has been noted for its cinematic sound and its references to various aspects of pop culture, particularly that of 1950s and '60s Americana. The singer has been described as a "self-styled gangsta Nancy Sinatra" and cites many contemporary artists such as Elvis Presley,Britney Spears, Nina Simone, Nirvana, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, and Antony and the Johnsons amongst her musical influences.

Del Rey possesses a wide contralto vocal range, which has been described as unique, captivating and highly emotive, being able to transcend from sounding high and girlish in her timbre, down to a low and jazzy sound with great ease, although both these areas of the voice can be conflicting in their sound and polarise opinion. 
http://youtu.be/60cvtxwlJr8