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Post by emilykate on Mar 22, 2010 19:07:22 GMT -5
Hello all,
Just a quick post on a number of female artists who you may or may not have encountered!
First up, Melbourne-based Sarah Eida is quirky, sometimes dark and always fantastic! She plays live at various venues, and in my humble opinion her gigs at Healesville Music Bar the Grind'n'Groove are never to be missed! To listen to her music, click to www.myspace.com/gardenofeida
Next, the absolutely divine Eva Cassidy. Where to start? I'll just say she was an amazing singer with one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard - and I'll let her music speak for itself.
Björk. If you've heard about her eccentricity, but never given her music a go, then I recommend you listen to her song 'Human Behaviour' (which I haven't been able to get out of my head for some time now!). Although her music has an experimental edge, it's still very easy to listen to - whilst driving, cooking, typing up documents... but a warning, she can be dangerously catchy!!
Rachel Portman. Who? Well, remember that delicious movie, Chocolat (yes, the one with Johnny Depp)? Well, whilst soundtracks are often written by male artists (think John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Yann Tiersen...) Rachel Portman's wonderful soundtracks are of at least equal merit!
Cristina Scabbia, originally intended as a backup singer to Milan rock/metal group Lacuna Coil became lead singer pretty quickly - and it's easy to see [hear] why! She teamed up with Finnish metal 'cellist group Apocalyptica, with the resulting song "SOS (Anything But Love)" which, I warn, is about an abusive relationship and can be potentially triggering. The clip can be found on Youtube quite easily.
Well, that's it for this sitting! I'd love to hear what others think and who you recommend we lend our ears to.
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Post by emilykate on May 19, 2010 0:09:50 GMT -5
Recommendation: click to www.myspace.com/gardenofeida and listen to 'The Secret Garden' by Sarah Eida - written in my very favourite time signature!
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Post by emilykate on May 21, 2010 2:36:01 GMT -5
Time for more? Yes, I think so too!
I'm currently in the mood to challenge the attitude that 'ladies' are naturally quiet, demure creatues and the 'weaker' sex. This time, two woman-driven bands from Australia with a harder, edgier sound than your average radio group.
Let's start with Melbourne-based Voltera. Is this four piece industrial rock, atmospheric metal, cybergoth or what? However you classify it, it is interesting and frontwoman Jessica is particularly memorable, from her deathgrowl-esque to delicatly ethereal vocals and truly remarkable stage presence, oft comprising quirky dress, break-neck high heels, eccentric punk hairstyles and devil may care attitude. A quick Yoube trip will confirm that Voltera have quite a following outside Melboure, with posts by Portuguese, Germain and Spanish speakers. Voltera are on MySpace and their official site www.voltera.net is quite original in it's layout and design! Make sure you have a listen to the following tunes: My Time, Saints Ladders, Do What Your Daddy Say, all of which can be found at www.myspace.com/volteramusic the Voltera Myspace profile. CDs/EPs may be hard to come by in record stores, so make www.voltera.net/store/ your first-stop shop instead - with nothing over $20 and their five-track Exorsister EP only $9.95, it's worth it! (Sorry if that came out sounding like a commercial - I shall try to curb my enthusiasm!) Course language alert: ON.
Next up, NitOCriS! Named for Nitocris (sometimes called 'Nitocret') thought to be the last Pharoah-Quen of the Sixth Dynasty. Those sharing my enthusiasm for ancient Egypt may be interested to know that legend has it she killed the assasins of her brother the pharoah by inviting them to a banquet, allowing her to get them in a sealed room and drown them by flooding it with water. Imagine, then, the sort of music a band of the same name must create - certainly not your stereotypical '90's girl band!! This Sydney-based five-piece all girl 'heavy' metal/punk rock band (comprising Morgana/Gana, Jess, Kira, Sara and Andi) were active from the very early nineties until 2001. Although NitOCriS are no longer recording or performing, their official site www.nitocris.com remains operational, and having played afew reunion gigs (including at Sydney's Annadale Hotel) in late 2009 there remains little undercurrants and rumours here and there that there may be another, more lasting resurrection to come - I for one hope to see these whispers confrmed, at full volume! Back in the day, NitOCriS played in afew BDOs (Big Day Out), including 1994 and 2001, as well as at such gigs as the Newtown Festival. Tracks to tune into include: Sycophant, Dark Side, Butter plus the ARIA award nominated final single Spouse Killer, featured on the Love is a Four Letter Wordseries soundtrack (great soundtrack, that - I do reccommend it!!). Sadly, NitOCriS CDs/EPs are extremely hard to come by now days; however, you can listen to a couple of songs for free at www.nitocris.com/merch.cfm on the official website. It has been suggested to me that, basically, this is what the opposite to the Spice Girls sounds like - again, course language alert: ON.
Feel free to add to this post - the more artists introduced, the happier I'll be!
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Post by arathis on May 23, 2010 1:55:26 GMT -5
They sound lovely, especially Sarah Eida!
I've also found 'Within Temptation' a really nice 'gothic metal' band. The lead singer's vocals are superb.
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Post by emilykate on Jun 28, 2010 20:10:49 GMT -5
Hello again,
Here's another female artist of note, again from Victoria.
I will mention, I did go to primary school with her, so when I saw her CD on the counter of my favourite grocery shop in McAdams Square, Croydon - I bought it right away.
I've listened to her album only twice, but what has struck me is the difficulty anyone would have in placing it in a genre (her myspace describes the sound as 'Indie') and her very clear voice.
Many of the songs have a strong sense of sorrow, but it is also a very beautiful colletion, and I'm very impressed with the quality of the recording and production (the production was done by Angie and her mother Shelley).
So far they are not uploaded on her myspace, so if you're interested, drop by my office and I'll put it on the Women's Room CD player.
I may be biased, but I think she is an artist worth keeping an eye on.
Angela/"Angie" Moon: www.myspace.com/angiemoonmusic
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Post by emilykate on Jul 8, 2010 22:36:48 GMT -5
Hey all just an update - Angela has added the first three tracks of here EP to her Facebook page - www.facebook.com/pages/Angie-Moon/198506140190?ref=search - make sure you listen to title track "The Night Bird", it's beautiful!!
Copies available from two shops in McAdams Square, Croydon - The Persimmon Tree and Health Food Time - plus by mail.
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Post by emilykate on Aug 29, 2010 20:34:41 GMT -5
Time to lend our ears to some women in the so-called 'world music' sphere!
First up, two separate, although overlapping, artists: Silvia Entcheva and Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares...
Originally from Bulgaria, Silvia Entcheva now resides in NSW - and her voice is amazing!
She has toured various places, including Italy and Greece, and at a young age she started winning competitions.
Notably, she sang with the female vocal ensemble Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, (an all-female choir which is also worth tuning in to!), a group that caught the 'world music' spotlight in the late '80's, with tours of America.
Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares combine various 'traditional'/'folk' styles and songs - selecting singers from various country towns for entensive training - to create this national choir (originally the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir, before the took on the French title to appeal to World audiences).
This female vocal ensemble dates back to 1952, with recordings dating back to 1957 and are still active (the latest recording from Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, so far as I know, is the 2008 release Music From Alone in the Dark). Their style has altered somewhat over the years, responding - in terms of music, repertoire and staging/costume - both to new performers and importantly, new audiences outside of Bulgaria, plus record companies and the rest of the music industry, winning a Grammy in 1990. (Perhaps I was subconsciously contrasting the former postings on 'indie' artists with 'world music' artists, given that the genre is often very industry driven?).
Returning to Silvia Entcheva, she now resides in Australia and is much more independent in her performances and recordings - you can listen to some of her track at silviaentcheva.com/newcd.php and silviaentcheva.com/cd.php, and I highly recommend her second independent CD, If I Were A Bird. Sadly, I have never seen her recordings in stores, so your best bet is to get a copy of her CD directly from the artist - which isn't a bad thing!
Silvia Entcheva is not highly represented on YouTube - Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, on the other hand, are, and you can still find their recordings in alternative record stores from time to time, as well as at JB Hi-Fi.
I'd love to know what others think, particularly about Entcheva's voice - it isn't what we're used to hearing from women on the radio, but I think it's beautiful!
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