Ever since the release of her self-titled debut EP in November 2009, Madjo‘s star has been shining brighter and brighter and she might well turn out to be one of this year’s major breakthrough artists in France. With her warm voice and delicate melodies, the young singer songwriter has been mesmerizing audiences night after night in concert halls all around the country. Constantly on the road, Madjo sees her songs as moving pieces that evolve with time and she takes advantage of her concerts to touch them up, improve them and let them live.
Influenced by contemporary artists such as Beck, Calexico, The Shins, Beirut, Anja Garbarek or Sufjan Stevens, but also music legends such as Johnny Cash, Billie Hollyday or The Beatles, Madjo is a classically-trained violinist but she decided to switch to guitar a few years ago when she started composing. But the instrument that stands out in her compositions is her voice. Reminiscent of the great female voices in jazz music, Madjo’s warm and honest voice delivers heartfelt lyrics that always hit home.
Madjo is currently working on her debut album, Trapdoor, which will be out in September. In the meantime, get her tour dates her official site and listen to more of her tracks on MySpace (check out the amazing “Leaving My Heart”). Buy her debut EP on
Discovered by British producer Kyle Lynd (music director on English TV series “Skins”), Odorico Leal is the man behind The Amazing Broken Man. Still a relative newcomer on the indie folk scene, Leal is a 27-year-old singer songwriter based in São Paulo. He makes simple, straightforward folk songs with minimal arrangements, focusing mainly on melodies and lyrics.
His work under the moniker The Amazing Broken Man is only a side project on which he has been working intermittently for the past couple of years. With a little help from his friends, he has recorded a few songs and released his first EP: Lullabies For Western Children. Here are two songs taken off his debut EP…
Beside his work as The Amazing Broken Man, Odorico Leal also plays guitar in Brazilian band October Leaves. The band is a collaboration with fellow musicians Gustavo Vidal and Ciro Figueredo, two friends from Fortaleza where Odorico lived for two years. At the moment the band is hard at work on their album, Postmodern Bullshit, which should be out soon.
Christophe Musset, Ambroise Willaume and Jérémie Arcache are Revolver. Their unusual blend of pop music is built around two guitars, a cello and, last but not least, voice! The three parisian youngsters mention Elliott Smith, Neil Young, The Beatles, but also the greatest composers in classical music, as their influences.
Their first album, Music ForA While, is out now on Delabel/EMI. It’s a surprisingly mature and polished album for such young musicians. Christophe, Ambroise and Jérémie effortlessly build catchy pop songs, carried by their breezy vocals and perfect harmonies. Definitely anchored in the 60s, Music For A While is nonetheless a very contemporary album, made by inspired and promising young talents.
Tracey Thorn‘s new album Love And Its Opposite will be released on May 17. There will be a single with remixes out in April, but to keep you going until then you can download the album’s opening track, “Oh, The Divorces!” for free HERE. Granted leave of absence from Virgin/EMI, Tracey will see the album released on partner Ben Watt‘s Strange Feeling Records, where she joins labelmates such as The Unbending Trees and Copenhagen’s Figurines.
With Love And Its Opposite Tracey Thorn departs from the electrofolk sound that infused her 2007 release Out Of The Woods. The latter was her first strictly solo album since 1982′s indie classic A Distant Shore and it received rave reviews. Ranging from subdued electronica to downright glittering disco, the songs on Out Of The Woods really enhance Thorn’s lyrics and magical voice.
Let’s not forget that Tracey Thorn was also one half of Everything But The Girl with partner Ben Watt. The band left behind them a large collection of hits, one of the most memorable being “Missing”, here remixed by Todd Terry. Oh, the 90s…
Manchester-based singer songwriter Liz Green started out playing acoustic nights in cafés and pubs in early 2005. Night after night, she built a loyal following which lead to a record deal with burgeoning local label, Humble Soul. The style she has developed is somewhere between country and blues, but the overriding impression Liz leaves is one of a unique, natural performer with a remarkable, rich voice. But while many commentators only talk about her bluesy voice, which sounds like it could come from a 30s American Deep South diva, they tend to overlook her skills as an inspired songwriter. Indeed, through her timeless, unique voice, she delivers powerful yet subtle lyrics that would break the heart of even the most empty individual.
She has released two critically lauded singles on Humble Soul with sessions and airplay on BBC Radio 1,2,3 and 6 Music, alongside online, local and regional shows. Show her some love on MySpace and buy her music on
Berlin-based indie pop act The Whitest Boy Alive is one of Erlend Øye‘s many side projects. Besides being one half of indie folk duo Kings of Convenience, Øye has also collaborated with many artists and released a solo album a few years ago (listen to it HERE). In The Whitest Boy Alive, Erlend Øye is on guitars and vocals and is joined by Marcin Öz on bass, Sebastian Maschat on drums and Daniel Nentwig on keyboards.
They started as an electronic dance music project in 2003 in Berlin, but have since slowly developed into a band with no programmed elements. Their debut album, Dreams, was released on June 21, 2006 in Germany. The following year, in July 2007, Modular Records signed them to their UK imprint and re-released the album in the UK with the single “Burning” in November 2007.
The Band released their second album, Rules, in March 2009 to mixed reviews. Even though the album moves smoothly from one track to the next, it sometimes feels a little too formulaic, a little too rational. But the catchiest songs on Rules (“1517″ is one of them), do make up for the bits that fall flat…
The Devoted Few are Ben Fletcher, Skye Knight, Barry Adamson, Dave Hunt, Adam ‘Wesley’ Gregorace & Sam Miller. Their new album Baby, You’re a Vampire (Laughing Outlaw Records/Inertia)just came out.
Ane Brun, real name AneBrunvoll, is a Norwegian singer/songwriter, born and raised in Molde, Norway. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden. She co-runs a record company, DetErMine Records (“It is my” in Norwegian), alongside Ellekari Larsson of The Tiny.
After a few years of numerous live stints in Sweden and Norway and several non-official EP releases her first official album, Spending Time with Morgan, was released at the end of May 2003 in Scandinavia, and in various European countries in the autumn of 2003.
Yael Naim was born in Paris in 1978 but only spent the first four years of her life there. At age four she moved to Ramat Hacharon, a small town not far from Jerusalem, with her parents, of Tunisian origin.
Singer-songwriter and pianist, Yael met percussionist David Donatien, a musician and percussion player, with whom she recorded, arranged, and produced the songs that make up her first studio release. During the 2 years they spent in a home studio in Yael’s own appartment, they created an album full of finely crafted songs sung in Hebrew, English and French. The songs mix folk and pop with delicate arrangements and a very intimate and personal sound.
Ever since the release of her self-titled debut EP in November 2009, Madjo‘s star has been shining brighter and brighter and she might well turn out to be one of this year’s major breakthrough artists in France. With her warm voice and delicate melodies, the young singer songwriter has been mesmerizing audiences night after night in concert halls all around the country. Constantly on the road, Madjo sees her songs as moving pieces that evolve with time and she takes advantage of her concerts to touch them up, improve them and let them live.
