Introducing… Adam Barnes
It’s a great moment when you go to see a band play, and discover an amazing support act. Adam Barnes was just that, and I am not being over zealous when I tell you that I have been listening to his music incessantly since seeing him perform.
Previously a member of acoustic folk act Motion In Colour, and hailing from Oxford, Adam creates a joyous blend of American Style Nu Folk, but all the while retaining a beautiful innocence in his music. Poignant melodies and affecting vocals will have you absolutely mesmerised: trust me, I have experienced it. Influenced by such artists as Bon Iver, William Fitzsimmons and Joe Purdy, Adam infuses light-hearted melodies with rather bleak subject matters to great effect.
Adam has recently released an EP entitled ‘Blisters’, a six song delight that is enchanting and endearing in equal measure. With beautiful and breathtaking moments such as ‘Lighthouse’ that with its powerful a cappella intro, will send shivers down your spine. The electric filled ‘Procession’ shows a more bluesy influence to Adam’s music. My personal favourite has to be ‘Come Undone’, which, with just a simple guitar melody and Adam’s deeply moving voice, you can’t help but get completely wrapped up in what the man has to offer.
‘Blisters’ is out now and you can find it HERE we all strongly recommend you listen to it.
To find out more information on Adam, you can check out his MySpace or visit his Soundcloud site and stream the entire EP.
Dum Dum Girls & Wild Palms Live at XOYO 28/09/10
It’s the start of a new era for Shoreditch, as the brand spanking new XOYO venue opened its doors to the public. It has been well reported that the club had experienced some early difficulties – so much so that they had to cancel their opening night on that same day – but as I make my way downstairs into the basement, it’s evident that these problems are now a thing of the past.
I am here to see the much talked about band, Dum Dum Girls, but I must confess I’m equally excited to be seeing Wild Palms (in support) for the first time. I’d heard mixed reviews about their live shows, but I wasn’t going to let that put me off, and as the band made their way to the stage I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
Then the opening chords and the almighty voice of Lou Hill tore through the chatting audience and I was hooked. Their sound is a mix of 90s shoegaze and modern indie ala Wild Beasts – haunting and dripping in subdued atmospherics, effortless and sublime. As their set came to a close I was left with a feeling of euphoria and a hunch that I’d just witnessed a band on the cusp of becoming something great. A revelation!
Dum Dum Girls on the other hand, not so much. I’d heard a lot about this band as they were a storm at last year’s SXSW conference – Velvet Underground New York chic wrapped up in a goth inspired, Adams Family get up. On record, Dum Dum Girls, have this cool, breezy, scuzz influenced sound that is quite mesmerising and their album ‘I Will Be’ was an independent success and loved by many but live, the band just seemed to lack anything but good looks. The acid psychedelic edge that is present on their releases was unfortunately lost live. They became dreary, inconsistent and rather dull at times, so much so I didn’t even stick around for the encore.
As I head off I find myself disappointed with the performance of Dum Dum girls, but happy to have discovered Wild Palms who were awesome. The venue, XOYO itself was also a treat and it’s certainly great to know we have a cool new place in London to see live music against a backdrop of so many venue closures.
Introducing… Roxanne De Bastion
Sweetness in song with an angelic voice that would make the harshest of hearts swoon in her presence… I give to you the wonderful Roxanne De Bastion.
Raised in Berlin, this endearing songstress has been honing her craft since the tender age of 10. Creating beautiful melodies entwined with dreamy imagery and touching balladry that allow the listener to become lost in her world.
Roxanne recently released her single, ‘One Morning’ which captures both subtlety and innocence within its story-telling. Add in the mix, her sultry and awe-inspiring voice, with its underlying tenderness and you find yourself surrendering totally to De Bastions charm.
Since moving to London, Roxanne has played up and down the country at many famous venues, including the Cavern Club, Barfly and the 100 Club and more recently, on tour with Nik Kershaw. I had the opportunity to catch Roxanne at the 12 Bar on Denmark Street performing to a small but totally captivated audience. Playing tracks from her recently released ep Mono, she effortlessly grabbed everyone with her enchanting approach and audience participation. One of the highlights was her track, Indie Electro Pop. It’s an ode to all the uber cool London bands, with a few bars of MGMT at the end to boot.
Comparisons to Regina Spektor and early Kate Nash are evident in her performance, which for me means Roxanne De Bastion is something special. On top of all that she is one of the loveliest people you will ever meet, fact!
You can hear tracks from her EP on her MySpace page and download it at iTunes Here
