Juan Zelada has had a colourful upbringing in Madrid a brief sojourn in Hong Kong and time in Liverpool (where he received an award from Sir Paul himself) before landing in London to make his musical name. He certainly has made an impression on the music scene with his debut solo being a beautifully sun kissed kick-your-knees up and relax - Jack Johnson/Jazon Mzax style.
Following on from the success of first single ‘Breakfast In Spitalfields’, which achieved Record of the Month at Radio 2, Spaniard Juan Zelada is set to release single ‘The Blues Remain’ on the 31st of October so put the date in your diary folks because it’s pretty damn good. Zelada might be Spanish but he oozes transatlantic pop sensation from every pore.
It takes a certain style and sense of finesse to properly merge the sound of two very different bands in to listenable music – that said, even the best culmination of Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon (a band I loathe, despite recent improvement and an outfit I’ve nothing but admiration for respectively) would be an ugly lovechild - and I can’t say with any confidence that Ice Black Birds possess that much needed air of grace about their fusion just yet; they teeter dangerously only the cusp.
A twang, and husky voiced love song. This is the closest you will get to a sweet nothing in your ear from blues stomper, Seasick Steve. Songs For Elisabeth is exactly how a collection of love songs from a past hobo-carnie-busker should sound like. A mixture of elements, culminating in the closest thing to a lovers mix tape that a man with a past like Seasick's could muster.
I happened to stumble upon Peggy Sue purely by mistake back in November and became a fan during the first few minutes of hearing them play. Playing a free gig in a tiny venue in Southampton, they were instantly bewitching with their hauntingly beautiful voices, gentle melodies and charming demeanours, the audience may have been small but it was certainly enraptured.
This Bath five-piece has received rave reviews in The Clash (where ‘Burst It’s Banks’ was single of the month), The List and even BBC Newsbeat, and now they’re getting one here.On first receiving the album through the post, I was somewhat deceived by their youth and relative fresh-faced countenance. Within seconds of opening track ‘Heaven Never Seemed So Close’ kicking in, I was sold.
Listening to Kill It Kid for the very first time conjures up images of some deep south Americana outfit, all toothless grins and whisky soaked heartbreak, you'd imagine this band to hail from some backwater town down by the Mississippi. So learning that Kill It Kid are a bunch of fresh faced youngsters from Bath comes as something of a shock, the heady mixture of Tom Waits, Seasick Steve, Allison Krauss and Robert Johnson influences at the very least giving this outfit a fresh sounding musical take in 2009.