Saint Saviour - Suukei EP Review

This post was originally written for Eclectically Challenged

The hugely gifted and totally underestimated lady who has been described previously as having “incredible precision” in her vocal talents is set to release her new EP Suukei tomorrow (3rd October).

Saint Saviour is the wondrous silky smooth, soul warming, heart tickling vocal of Becky Jones. The lady behind SS was formally linked to (now laid to rest) electro outfit the RGBs and most recently held harmonies with Groove Armada (post ‘Shaking That Ass). Lending her pitch perfect presence to their grammy-nominated 2011 album Black Light.

Now out on her own, she’s created her second EP Suukei which boasts four glimmeringly gorgeous tracks, each so fantastically unique in their content. Crafted in a golden thread, so tightly spun further enforcing her ability to bring precision in spades. Her journey from Anatomy EP has clearly been a vast one of brilliance. She seems some what more refined. A bit like a fine wine.

Red Sun dazzles as the opener. With a heavily middle eastern inspired sound to it, it eases you in quite peacefully. Until we’re awoken by the bright beaming vocal. This track is worlds apart from previous works including Women Scorned.

Stand out track Here In Me is a twisty turny type song, mellow and delightful. With a masterpiece of a video to boot. Her wistful voice whispers right into the tiniest, darkest part of your soul, sending tingles up and down the spine. Just splendid.

Some Things Change is hauntingly ethereal, and thought provoking. On the first listen, I found myself contemplating and wondering into my hear and now, my past and future still yet to come. Now that’s a real skill to encompass so effortlessly into a piece of music.

Covers are a challenge, some fall at the first hurdle. When I hear the Live Lounge on Radio 1 I often cringe and squirm at the sound of those limping to the finish line. We all know how amazingly well Ellie Goulding covered Your Song and did wonders for John Lewis and their romantic ad campaign. And we all know Skinny Love for Birdy’s cover, although Bon Iver’s original is still stands as one of my all time favourites. SS has put her pitch perfect and creative spin on Kate Bush’s Army Dreamers. Due to my own ignorance I wasn’t aware of this track. Becky has provided a non-intrusive, masterful rendition of a song that could and possibly should be hers.

MS MR - Ash Tree Lane

This post was originally written for Eclectically Challenged.

I’ve found Florence Welch with an American twang. It’s true I’ve found a new Flo, residing in New York city. I would like to overwhelm you with information on MS MR but unfortunately little in known about this coupling. Possibly because they are still fairly young fry in this ocean we call the music industry. Or, the business-savvy side of me screams “PR stunt”.

Either way they’ve proven that a need for visual identity stems from the wealth of the greedy and it’s not altogether necessary when you have vocals as delightfully delicious as the Ms in this partnership. In the grandiose Ash Tree Lane we are struck almost instantly by female, yet not overly feminine vocal. Like a witches cauldron, there is something persistently bubbling under the surface. The drop comes with frantic piano keys built up with incredible intensity, this teamed with the elongated ooing gives us something almost cinematic.

Of course the video more than emphasises this. We are greeted with old cinema reels, Alice wondering into that mysterious land, an unknown which is indicative of the American Dream, highlighted through other film clips. A video with poignancy. An artist trying to do much more than talk about bringing swagger back. For this reason alone I’m in.

Ghost Eye - Phantom Mountain

This post was originally written for Eclectically Challenged

The ultimate key to an artist’s initial success, I feel is mystique. A guise which is perfectly planted so that intrigue is built and engulfs them like a veil when eventually it comes to a thirst quenching head. When second, third and (hopefully) more releases come do we then turn our backs because the anticipation is no more?

This next band are all about the mystery with Myspace profile pictures of characterless female body parts and videos with moody enigmatic types giving us all but a glimpse of possible band members. They are all either hideously unattractive or trying to say “open your ears and go shut you eyes”.

Ghost Eyes deliver the type of warm, middle eastern hip hop that requires a certain amount of eye closure, stimulating concentration but not enough to stop you from moving, typing, talking or what- have-you. In parts they have a Massive Attack element to their style with the dark cultural fusion of hip hop beats, haunting Asian chimes and a sitar guitar thrown in for good measure. Mix that all together with some kids chanting or possibly singing and you get debut single Phantom Mountain. With vocals similar to that of Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow, there’s a total range of elements to this track which need a great deal of attention from the ears. In form Ghost Eyes frolic in a rare and precise detail which is often hard to emulate

Rocking The Casbah in 2010

As I have been asked by Double Dance to put together my personal top picks from 2010, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share them on here. After all, I am right as it's totally my opinion - you're probably right about your top artists/albums too. But for now, here are my stars of 2010....

Arcade Fire, Suburbs. This band always do it for me, I've been a devoted fan since Funeral was released in 2004. I think Suburbs shows how they've evolved and really found a popular sound (well definitely in the UK anyway). Seeing this album live in December was perfect, they manage to turn a huge venues into intimate experiences. Everyone can relate to this album, it's about where you grew up, the fields and parks you'd play in and reminiscing about the feelings that are so hard to recreate as you you grow up and move away.

Foals, Total Life Forever. Another band that has really developed and honed their sound. This UK band used to be a 'singles band', I say that as they would have a couple of notable tracks that would be played to death in indie clubs around the country but Total Life Forever shows more of a story, a compelling journey - of which no tracks are skip worthy. Spanish Sahara took UK radio by storm this year, which is interesting to hear as it's such a moody, atmospheric track.

Tinie Tempah, Disc-overy. I think if you asked any British citizen who's name they've heard constantly throughout the last 12 months it would be this guy! Tinie is a hard grafter, he knows what it is to put in 100% and I highly doubt he has a day off - he was plugging his next single Invincible ft. Kelly Rowland via twitter on Christmas day! He's going to break America next year, I think if he doesn't then the American public are genuinely missing something.

Ellie Goulding, Bright Lights. She started 2010 by being named the 'Sound of 2010' by the BBC. An accolade that gives the singer-songwriter a sure fire glittery road to success not to mention endless bragging rights.

Not that she would, Ellie is so humble and would rather go for a run round Hyde Park then stand on a red carpet. Lights was re-released towards the back-end of 2010 as Bright Lights with some additional tracks, personal favourite 'Lights' just encompasses her feelings about stardom and escaping back home, where she feels content and at one with the world.

Tame Impala, Innerspeaker. This Psychedelic foursome from Perth, Australia have proven popular with the British public. Possibly because of their familiar 60's vibe that the UK pop scene delivered so well. Key single 'Solitiude is Bliss' is just romantic and dreamy in its delivery. The band is over in the UK next year supporting the Foo Fighters, and I can only imagine that they've been booked up for festival after festival - perfect summer band and driving through the country ammunition.

Passing Clouds with The Worm

On Saturday night I was lucky enough to shimmy on down to Passing Clouds, in an icy Dalston, London to watch spectacularly sunny band, The Worm. The event was in celebration of the band's latest album release 'Fine Girls', out now on Wormfood Records.

As soon as I entered the Marrakeshi-style venue my chills had wriggled right out and the West African vibes had me all in a toasty tingle. The four-piece have a unique sound to say the least, the instruments were a mix between big band blowers, classical strings, ethnic drums and something you'd find in your Great Uncle Bill's shed under a hundred layers of dust - all being laced together with some big tasty beats. The set-up was special and inspired, but then the vocals began, and this early bird was really having a juicy brekkie dangled in front of her face. It was a delight to see a band with not just one strong vocal, but three. Niccie Simpson brought smooth soulful delight to the picnic whilst Max and Andre brought clever solid vocal covered in lashings of rap reminding us that this genre is hard to recreate, especially live!

The carnival atmosphere I had found myself in with hundreds of happy, like minded folk, gave us all a taste of some fresh tracks including title track 'All You Fine Girls'. I dare you not to dance, it's impossible. The Worm know all too well about not wanting the party to end, and threw in previous release and favourite 'Don't Stop' to a rapture of applause. In between came some sumptuous and bouncy tunes, including an almost unrecognisable Blackstreet cover.

A true festival band, they are laid back and living for the moment. With previous appearances at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party and Bestival and Saturday's more than successful album launch, I can only hope they keep pushing up at the earth and get the sediment shaking some more next year.

Hallelujah for Saint Saviour

With a musical CV comparable in length to the Old Testament, it would be a sin to think that Saint Saviour is making her mark anywhere but in the present.

The lady behind SS, Becky Jones was formally linked to (now laid to rest) electro outfit the RGBs and most recently held harmonies with Groove Armada (post 'Shaking That Ass). Lending her pitch perfect presence to such creditable tracks as 'Paper Romance'.

She has now decided to brave the rafters alone and rise again as Saint Saviour, bringing together soulful southern sounding electronica and blissful blues to create an empowering and wholly captivating sound otherwise described as "Phenomenal" by BBC Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman.

I stumbled across SS last year as a huge Joy Division fan, she covered the brilliant but ridiculously overplayed 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'. And did she cover it alright, she wrapped it in a warm blanket, handed it a marshmallow and sat it next to a camp fire, completely melting my heart when I heard her rendition. I was joyed to discover that her portfolio was vast and original, whilst still paying homage to the powerful woman who have preceded her, such as Kate Bush and Tori Amos.

'Woman Scorned' is her uplifting official release, it's out now in the UK on Euphonios and available on iTunes. If you've ever been snubbed, or discouraged you can take something from the velvety yet venomous lyrics. Ladies everywhere, it's time to rip off your bra and throw it to the flames. Maybe not, but instead watch this beautiful video for Woman Scorned.

Saint Saviour is performing a handful of intimate gigs around the UK and no doubt will be a festival favourite in 2011, I urge you to witness her rising for yourselves.

Louellen Breakout for the Maldives

Find my original article on Double Dance here

In a sticky Islington, bright new stars Louellen prepare to weave their twinkly, indie magic over an intimate, well turned out crowd.

The night aimed to showcase exciting new UK talent at the O2 Academy, the reward for one lucky band is a place in the final to headline at a Moldavian gig and a single released in Asia - not too shabby by any means.


Our Southern lads were on second, and with a small amount of gigs under their proverbial belt, they were ready to prove that new doesn't mean inexperienced but instead, compellingly fresh and exciting.

After a few technical hitches (through no fault of their own) the boys picked up pace and treated us to some well-executed, enigmatic tracks. Looking around, fellow skinny jean wearing boys and girls tapped toes in time and seemed fully immersed in Louellen's sound. Often being taken by surprise with the sudden burst of energy that appeared to come like shots from the dark, then pulling back on the reigns to display their full musical spectrum. An obvious favourite, and one which I'm sure will stylishly adorn the radio in the not so distant future was 'Bright Paint on a White Wall', emphasising frontman Christian's delicately fierce vocal.