We may have been away enjoying the Christmas festivities by drowning ourselves in alcohol and consuming our own body weight in chocolate, but we've also been working harder than St Nicholas on Christmas eve to bring you our fantastic next instalment. This time it's all about girl power, more specifically we're focusing on five female fronted artists that you should be tuning your ears into, whilst you're gettin' your chops around those leftover turkey butties.
By keeping our geographic routes close to our Northern hearts, we originally aimed to cater only for artists in the North West of England, but we couldn't resist, so we've chucked in one from the Scottish Highlands just for good measure.
Findlay
First up it's the fascinating, yet fearless 'Findlay', who at the age of just 21, has already witnessed a wave of attention in and around the cobbled streets of Mancunia with her debut single "Your Sister". From the first strike of the sleazy blues drenched guitar riff, this song is comparable to pornography, with Findlay's vocals being grittier and hornier than a pent up 'Karen O'. The percussion is energetically pummelled into the heart of the track too, ultimately developing a raw-garage tone to Findlay's craft, which is so powerful it even looks 'Black Rebel Motorcycle Club' dead in the eye.
The other offering that Findlay serves up, "You Gave Me Grace", although much less rip-roaring and knee trembling than "Your Sister", still features impressive waves of blues-tinged momentum that highlights Findlay's expansive vocal capability. Currently signed to Joyeux Anniversaire Records, we'll defiantly be keeping our beady eye on Findlay. Having already supported Jake Bugg and The Courteeners, she's destined for great things.
'Findlay - Your Sister'
Bird
Hailing from Liverpool, 'Bird' are a female fronted three piece, that create such haunting melancholy it's earth shatteringly beautiful. With the swirling harmonies eerily swooping down onto each track, it feels as if you've just stumbled into the forest of a Gothic novel, however this is heavily juxtaposed with flashes of tribal drumming brilliance.
Their first release being the EP "Phantoms" after the band had only been formed a year, and as you've guessed, features all the hallmarks of their atmospheric doom influences such as 'Leonard Cohen' and 'Tasseomancy', all of which results in a hugely organic feel. "Shadows" is latest Bird effort in which the gloom factor soars above the tree line, leading to a captivating, engrossing and slightly hypnotic EP. The mythical theme continues within their lyrics too, 'my soul will float on this riverboat', which creates so much dramatic imagery it subsequently refers 'Kate Bush' an obvious Bird influence.
Having already developed a strong fan base through the release of their two acclaimed EP's, it's evident that the sky is the limit for Bird, as their sound is growing in tandem with the burgeoning Liverpool music scene . . . So give yourself time to soak your soul in the terrific folk-doom sonics of Bird and you're guaranteed to become a fan.
'Bird - Phantoms'
Stealing Sheep
There must something in the Mersey. Firstly Bird and now fellow Liverpudlian's 'Stealing Sheep', who also flirt with tribal folk, but this time dress it up with a flare of DIY hallucinogenic pagan pop.
The all female trio, who are signed to the legendary Heavenly Records, have already been plunged into the spotlight with their album "Into The Diamond Sun" which features a blended mirage of musical genres that is similar to a Woolworth's pick 'n' mix and virtually impossible to pigeon hole. The songwriting and musical experimentation is simply impeccable, which ultimately creates an innovating, colourful and very much intriguing debut LP. Stand out tracks are defiantly, and coincidentally, the singles "Shut Eye", "Rearrange" and "Genevieve", which perfectly captures the slightly chaotic, wonderfully vibrant and unashamedly intoxicating sound of Stealing Sheep.
Although lazily cattle branded by many as the English 'Warpaint', there is so much apparent depth to their craft, with a 'Fleetwood Mac', 'Jefferson Airplane' and 'Bat For Lashes' vibe being prevalent on their debut release. If you enjoy the taste of Folk-pop but are currently looking to broaden you're palette, then we recommend tucking into the pagan pop bites of Stealing Sheep.
PINS
Emerging from Manchester, 'PINS' are an all female quartet, who have already witnessed the obligatory mountain of expectation than any young group of musicians receive these days. However there is good reason for all this hype, as PINS are probably one of the most exciting, refreshing and palpable bands in Manchester right now, regardless of their feminine qualities.
Heavily influenced by the work of 'Beach House', PINS effortlessly create a thunderous and relentless guitar drive with each song that resembles the fuzz of 'Jesus and the Mary Chain' as well as 'My Bloody Valentine'. Better still, they do it with such brilliance and intelligence that a pop song is still harnessed into the roots of each track, evidently becoming a record label's wet dream.
Their monochrome symmetry, is not only captured throughout the band's atmospheric film noir artwork, but is also represented within the simplicity of Lara's drum work, which provides an industrial, locked in a basement eeriness to their craft. With a sound that resembles Berlin or Brooklyn far better than Manchester, tracks such as "LUVU4LYF", "Eleventh Hour" and "Say To Me" express the explosive, penetrating and sweeping howl of PINS.
"Girls will want to be them, boys will fancy them. In fact, girls will fancy them too and boys will also probably want to be them, so deadly is their concoction" - The Recommender.
Rachel Sermanni
Although not even English, never mind from the North West, 'Rachel Sermanni' is still as bloody brilliant as the rest of the female artists we've already unearthed. The 21 year old solo folk musician, hails from the Scottish Highlands and defiantly puts her unique, and often mystical, stamp on the ever saturated 'indie-folk' category.
Her songwriting is a visual masterpiece leading you from non-fictional images of the sea and the mountains into a magical fairytale world of marshmallow unicorns and monsters. Rachel's vocals whisper through the verses then strike down like a biblical storm during the climatic chorus, all of which is added to some emotive, yet restrained guitar arrangements and harmonies. Her debut release "Under Mountains" will draw up obvious similarities to acoustic-folk veteran 'Laura Marling', but peering through the foundations of darker tracks "Bones" and "The Fog", which incidentally are two of her stronger songs, lurks the style of 'Tom Waits' and 'Nick Drake'.
Her music is a daydreamers delight that's etched in beautiful poetry as well as marvellous melodies, and having already caught the eye of 'Mumford and Son's' who even took her under their musical wing, we can guarantee that Rachel Sermanni is destined for a prosperous career if she continues to produce such astonishing songs.
And there we have it. Five of the most freshest, exciting and innovating female artists in the North West of England (and the Scottish Highlands too). So we're not looking to put the weight of the world on their shoulders, but instead aming to share the musical fruits of their labour with our readers . . . . So go on then type them into the Spotify search bar and enjoy!
Over and out,
BF x
The all female trio, who are signed to the legendary Heavenly Records, have already been plunged into the spotlight with their album "Into The Diamond Sun" which features a blended mirage of musical genres that is similar to a Woolworth's pick 'n' mix and virtually impossible to pigeon hole. The songwriting and musical experimentation is simply impeccable, which ultimately creates an innovating, colourful and very much intriguing debut LP. Stand out tracks are defiantly, and coincidentally, the singles "Shut Eye", "Rearrange" and "Genevieve", which perfectly captures the slightly chaotic, wonderfully vibrant and unashamedly intoxicating sound of Stealing Sheep.
Although lazily cattle branded by many as the English 'Warpaint', there is so much apparent depth to their craft, with a 'Fleetwood Mac', 'Jefferson Airplane' and 'Bat For Lashes' vibe being prevalent on their debut release. If you enjoy the taste of Folk-pop but are currently looking to broaden you're palette, then we recommend tucking into the pagan pop bites of Stealing Sheep.
'Stealing Sheep - Shut Eye'
PINS
Emerging from Manchester, 'PINS' are an all female quartet, who have already witnessed the obligatory mountain of expectation than any young group of musicians receive these days. However there is good reason for all this hype, as PINS are probably one of the most exciting, refreshing and palpable bands in Manchester right now, regardless of their feminine qualities.
Heavily influenced by the work of 'Beach House', PINS effortlessly create a thunderous and relentless guitar drive with each song that resembles the fuzz of 'Jesus and the Mary Chain' as well as 'My Bloody Valentine'. Better still, they do it with such brilliance and intelligence that a pop song is still harnessed into the roots of each track, evidently becoming a record label's wet dream.
Their monochrome symmetry, is not only captured throughout the band's atmospheric film noir artwork, but is also represented within the simplicity of Lara's drum work, which provides an industrial, locked in a basement eeriness to their craft. With a sound that resembles Berlin or Brooklyn far better than Manchester, tracks such as "LUVU4LYF", "Eleventh Hour" and "Say To Me" express the explosive, penetrating and sweeping howl of PINS.
"Girls will want to be them, boys will fancy them. In fact, girls will fancy them too and boys will also probably want to be them, so deadly is their concoction" - The Recommender.
'PINS - Say To Me'
Rachel Sermanni
Although not even English, never mind from the North West, 'Rachel Sermanni' is still as bloody brilliant as the rest of the female artists we've already unearthed. The 21 year old solo folk musician, hails from the Scottish Highlands and defiantly puts her unique, and often mystical, stamp on the ever saturated 'indie-folk' category.
Her songwriting is a visual masterpiece leading you from non-fictional images of the sea and the mountains into a magical fairytale world of marshmallow unicorns and monsters. Rachel's vocals whisper through the verses then strike down like a biblical storm during the climatic chorus, all of which is added to some emotive, yet restrained guitar arrangements and harmonies. Her debut release "Under Mountains" will draw up obvious similarities to acoustic-folk veteran 'Laura Marling', but peering through the foundations of darker tracks "Bones" and "The Fog", which incidentally are two of her stronger songs, lurks the style of 'Tom Waits' and 'Nick Drake'.
Her music is a daydreamers delight that's etched in beautiful poetry as well as marvellous melodies, and having already caught the eye of 'Mumford and Son's' who even took her under their musical wing, we can guarantee that Rachel Sermanni is destined for a prosperous career if she continues to produce such astonishing songs.
'Rachel Sermanni - The Fog'
And there we have it. Five of the most freshest, exciting and innovating female artists in the North West of England (and the Scottish Highlands too). So we're not looking to put the weight of the world on their shoulders, but instead aming to share the musical fruits of their labour with our readers . . . . So go on then type them into the Spotify search bar and enjoy!
Over and out,
BF x
No comments:
Post a Comment