Long-time Londoner Alessi’s Ark has bagged herself the ultimate support slot touring with Laura Marling this autumn, but before she hops aboard the folk train Alessi and her ark will be paying a visit to Camden with a show at the Barfly on Wednesday. In anticipation, Camden Store-ist Tommy Madders has come up with a playlist of Sunday tunes inspired by the lady herself, packed full of pretty songs sung by pretty girls. Wrap your ears around this:
The Camden Store Team X.
If we could choose be any girl in the world it would probably be the achingly cool Lykke Li. We were hooked to her first album Youth Novels, and played her early single ‘Little Bit’ pretty much to death. We didn’t think it could get much better than that, but she certainly wasn’t of the same opinion, coming back audibly older and wiser this year with the awesome new album Wounded Rhymes. This weighty offering is packed full of delicious songs based around a failed love affair, with favourites including ‘Youth Knows No Pain’, ‘Unrequited Love’ and ‘Sadness is a Blessing’.
We’re gagging to hear these tracks performed live, and luckily we won’t have too wait long – Lykke Li will be playing at Camden’s Roundhouse on November 1st.
Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes (Hype Machine Album Exclusive) by LykkeLi
The Camden Store Team X.
The Camden Store are long-time fans of Slow Club. They were one of the first bands we went to see live when we moved up to London, and we’ve been faithful followers ever since – seeking them out at their festival shows and rocking up at the traditional Union Chapel Christmas gigs every year.
Like us, they’ve grown up (a bit) over the years, and are determined to fight off once and for all any naysayers that might describe their music as ‘cute’ or ‘twee’. With the imminent release of their self-confessed ‘difficult’ second album, Paradise, we think they’ve found the winning formula. As the first single from the record shows, Charles and Rebecca have retained their unresistable off-beat harmonies whilst adding an intensity and depth that wasn’t always present before. The addition of two new members to the band means that Rebecca’s enviable vocals have a greater chance to shine, and with the backing of big names including the likes of Lauren Laverne, we think they might just be about to hit the big time.
Camden was graced with a small secret show on Tuesday night, when the band rocked up at The Wheelbarrow to perform their latest tracks to a captive audience. Have a listen to their latest single, ‘Two Cousins’, here -
The Camden Store Team X.
Next month Brighton boys The Kooks will be releasing their third album Junk Of The Heart, launched in conjunction with an extensive tour of the UK, Europe and America.
Last night Camden was treated to an intimate one-off show at the lock’s Dingwalls with a chance to hear the band’s brand new material before anyone else.
Take a look-see at our piccies here…
Pictures: Dan Aitch
The Camden Store Team X.
This autumn Blitzen Trapper are back with American Goldwing, their third full-length release with label Subpop and the band’s sixth full-length overall.
Blitzen Trapper’s lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Earley says of the band’s new record….
“It’s us letting our loves, our early influences hang out for all to see. Entering into the sounds we grew up with, the hard guitar rock and country picking of our younger years mixes with glimmers of our usual space-aging technology and pawn shop Casio aplomb. Heavy guitar riffs and blasting drum fills live side-by-side with plucking banjos and wailing harmonicas, and muddy slide guitars that make you want to shotgun a beer in the shower while listening to the Stones or Joe Walsh. It’s also our first foray into direct, outside influence in the creation of a record. It’s me letting go in a certain way. I let Tchad Blake come in to mix this album, and my good friend Gregg Williams co-produced all these tracks.”
To accompany the record release, the band have a tour of North America in October/November. But rumour has it that these guys will be back in the UK bright and early in 2012. Watch this space.
In anticipation, you can download a couple of their latest tracks below.
Blitzen Trapper – Love The Way You Walk Away by subpop
Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing by subpop
The Camden Store Team X
