Another five events were held at the venue last week. Monday is a day for re-fuelling, re-charging and re-discovering the music that makes me smile. I’m physically exhausted from organising weddings here but this summer rush was predicted and thankfully it’s passing by at a rapid pace. Things settle down again in October but until then it’s full-on action, slog and wedding day smiles.
I walked around the high street earlier without any real purpose – initially, when I set off, I wanted to get a haircut but in the door frame I decided I couldn’t face the thirty minute conversation with the barber that we usually have, not today – not on a monday. It’s a day for the laptop – me, tranquility, a cup of tea and the laptop. Thank you very much.
Welcome to episode thirty six of the ‘Post’ Lockdown Mixtape.
Clement Froissart / La vague aux cheveux d’or
It’s been a little while since a Clement Froissart feature on this website. The Frenchman (and former Concorde frontman) has been operating on the solo side of things for a couple of years now and his music is just outstanding. I think YouTube Recommended Robot thinks the only song I ever want to listen to is Froissart’s ‘Peupleraie‘ – everytime I open the app, it’s staring at me…… and each time I end up clicking it, scramble for my earphones and settle in. The algorithm is correct – Froissart is one of my favourite artists but there’s a new song to be added to the algo rotation now. His new one, La Vague Aux Cheveux D’or
This man is the king of music videos, synths and catchy indie pop. Can’t get enough of this new single. One of the most accomplished and consistent musicians on the planet in my book.
Late Runner / Catch Your Eye
No lie, I’ve been sitting on this song for like two months, enjoying about a million and a half pre-release listens. This one popped into my submissions inbox on SubmitHub earlier this summer and I’ve been feasting on it, gorging on it’s languid style. Late Runner is yet another talented indie electronic artist from Denmark who knows how to write a tune. The delicate vocals, keys and bass lines combine here to such great effect – Catch Your Eye certainly did just that and I’ll be listening to it for a long long time.
Perhaps the YouTube Recommended Robot will repeatedly plug this one too, I wouldn’t be surprised. What a track.
Flo Perlin / Blue is the Colour
Yet another fabulous artist returning for another feature. A cultured woman with Iraqi and Belarusian heritage, folk songwriter Flo Perlin is one of the finest breakthrough artists on the London scene. She has one of the sweetest sounds in the capital. Soft tones, stunning harmonies and lush strings. I’ve been listening to Scottish singer Neev‘s forthcoming EP religiously lately and really have been in the folk zone. Blue is the Colour has come to me at the right moment and is my favourite track from Perlin’s second album Characters. There’s so much to enjoy on this record – could have picked four or five to represent it here. Class act.
Lian Ray / Mateo
A re-post – I’m actually going to repost a tune. I don’t think Lian Ray got enough love on this track last year. I’ve been playing it incessantly over the last eighteen months. Mateo is such a cool song – it deserves to live on. Lian says that his debut album Rose was ‘made in hell’. I’m actually going to copy paste the backstory of this album – it’s great and honest. I can’t write anything remotely as poignant as this description. Here goes.
” ‘Rose’ was recorded in 2012-2013, a time when Lian was drenched in a toxicating pool of lies, cheating, drugs, shame and depression. During that time, he lived in Berlin and had a short, destructive fling with a woman named Rose. Rose disappeared rather quickly, but left the broken songwriter a muse – one that took on mythical proportions, providing a pitch black, honest story of catastrophic love.
The storyline is drenched in intriguing romantic endeavors and heavy substance abuse. The album concept can been seen as a loose homage to the ultra-French sounding Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg, and captures a nightly romantic spirit.
After recording ‘Rose’, Lian hit rock bottom and his life in Berlin took even darker turns. He went off the grid for a few years, self-destructing in a spiral of drug abuse. Until, after attempts since 2016, Snowstar Records got in contact again to finally release this almost-lost record.
A beautiful album (for the listeners), a painful album (for Lian).”
Check it out.
Jorge / Dragon, Fly
Actually quite delighted that I’m not just focusing on submissions these days. Sienna is taking care of that side of things now and I’m free to discover music just like I did pre-blogging. Weird digs in the most far-reaching depths of Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud. I didn’t have to dig too deep to find this gem though. It was Samuel Nicholson’s Artist Pick on Spotify and that title holds clout with me. Low and beyond, I clicked in and yes, it was a gem alright. Dragon, Fly is the first single from Jorge and it’s feckin’ amazing. I know nothing else about this band/artist other than the fact I’ll be waiting for the follow-up single like an excited child. So good. So good.
Is this Samuel Nicholson himself teaming up with a beatmaker actually come to think of it?
About ‘The Sound Sniffer’
The Sound Sniffer is a music blog that’s still only a baby – Founded in early 2019 by Kevin Coakley, a music writer and ghostwriter. ‘The Sound Sniffer’ also runs gigs and showcases in London since Oct 2019. The showcases are picked from artists found in the blog’s submission inbox.
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