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By Jess, July 10, 2010 11:34 pm

Today, I woke up at 5:20AM in order to be at work by 6.  I made coffee, packed my bag, and pedaled to work in the rain as the sun rose. And then I realized that my body thought I was going to the airport.

I didn’t need to hit snooze when my alarm went off, and I didn’t crave caffeine with the usual intensity. But why? Because my body expected to be in a white noise, airplane engine-induced coma within an hour or two. Symptoms? Well, for one thing, I craved a hamburger. Yes, at 6AM, I wanted nothing more than a Big Mac. I couldn’t quite make that happen, but luckily, the vending machine on the 7th floor sold microwaveable White Castle Burgers and man, were they delicious. My body eventually realized it wouldn’t be flying.

There’s no point to this story other than I wanted to share it and get better at blogging more frequently. If you need more, head to Autostraddle and read my latest post about Laura Marling, a folk singer I first fell in love with while in London.

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By Jess, December 15, 2008 11:07 pm

Let me clarify. These are my favorite albums of 2008, but they are probably not the best. I like a lot of them for sentimental reasons, but maybe you’ll find something you like too. Click on the links to hear a track on YouTube.

In no particular order…

1. Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim
I discovered Laura Marling’s music in London and was fortunate enough to see her perform live twice.

2. Noah and the Whale – Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Closely related to Laura Marling is Noah and the Whale. I saw them play at the ICA in London and couldn’t wait for their album to finally come out. While I was unhappy with some choices they made with demo tracks that had been floating in the blogosphere for months, I can’t help but love it.

3. Jaymay – Autumn Falling
I saw Jaymay perform at Dingwall’s in Camden Town, London. It was my first concert I ever went to all by myself. Jaymay’s songs are pleasant and sing-along friendly, and the album is solid all the way through.

4. Kaki King – Dreaming of Revenge
Kaki King is a constantly evolving musician. She’s expanded her repertoire of mostly acoustic guitar songs to include some catchier rock songs. Her voice takes some getting used to, but I’m a three concert veteran and am hooked for life.

5. The Magnetic Fields – Distortion
I was disappointed with Distortion at first, because I just couldn’t get over the distorted sound that weaves through all the tracks. But clever lyrics and catchy melodies shine through. It just needs a few tries to warm up to it.

6. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
“White Winter Hymnal” took the blogosphere by storm. When I saw them at Black Cat this year, their harmonies blew me away. It’s impossible to capture their talent on a recording, but their debut album comes close.

7. Lykke Li – Youth Novels
I was absolutely blown away by the first single “I’m Good, I’m Gone.” Her album has about four more songs that are worthy hit singles. Even better are Lykke Li’s live performances, which you can find on YouTube. This Swede will stare you down, and you won’t be able to turn away.

8. Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
Feed the Animals makes me want to dance in my underwear. I’m sure that says something. Also, in one album, it’s a rapid review session of all the rap music I wasn’t listening to all year.

9. Aimee Mann – “@#%&! Smilers
I love Aimee Mann. Literally all of her songs. “@#%&! Smilers is no different. She was amazing at the 9:30 Club this fall and even played ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry.”

10. Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
I don’t know what they’re saying, but it doesn’t really matter.

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By Jess, February 11, 2008 6:21 pm

I saw Noah and the Whale at the ICA near Trafalgar Square and I have to say, the ICA is a hidden gem of a venue. I was right up there at the stage (I took the picture to the left) and although it was sold out, it had the intimacy and electric vibe of the 9:30 Club without the crushing crowd that sometimes encroaches my personal space.

We arrived promptly at 7:30, but decided to hit the pub and wait it out for a little while. After a pint of Kronenbourg and healthy conversation at a really spacious pub near Westminster, we headed back to ICA. A trio of guitarists/singers were on stage and they put on a pretty good show, although a little lacking in full sound.

Noah and the Whale came out dressed in blues and yellows. They fit the stylistic bill for many indie acts these days, but their sound set them apart. In one song I hadn’t heard before, the fiddle came in with a riff similar to the one in “Sweet Child O Mine” and got everyone bumping and clapping. The bassist had a full-time job playing the xylophone (or something similar) and harmonium in addition to his bass. Laura Marling shook the shit out of the egg shaker but was still a little timid. With her new haircut, fresh from last Monday’s in-store, she still won me over, but I wish she’d realize how good she is and come out of her shell. They played… around seven songs including “Five Years Time,” “Jocasta,” “Rocks and Daggers,” “Mary,” “Give a Little Love,” two or three others I didn’t know, and an encore cover of The Smith’s “Girlfriend In A Coma.” All of their live versions had more energy and momentum than their recorded versions, but that’s saying a lot since their recorded stuff is great. Look for their songs on Hype Machine.

These guys deserve to get famous immediately. And also… I want a cd. So far, they’ve only released two singles on vinyl. Bah. All I know is I’ve found myself a new favorite band. Catch these guys at SXSW for anyone going.

That’s all for now. I’m finally seeing Juno tomorrow! It hit the UK on Friday. Bye, friends.

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By Jess, February 4, 2008 1:47 pm

I’m just back from an in-store performance by Laura Marling, a singer/song-writer I’ve been ranting and raving about over at the TMC blog. So while thoughts are fresh…

The in-store took place at the tiny Rough Trade West, a tiny record shop in Notting Hill off of Portobello Road to celebrate the release of her first record, Alas I Cannot Swim. Laura performed behind the counter with just a microphone and her Gibson acoustic. She did her best to talk a bit with the audience but her shyness showed through, as she sang with her eyes downcast for most of the songs. Her eyes would occasionally drift up and look above the audience at all the posters and when the guy who was front and center, arms wrapped around his girlfriend, scrambled to silence his ringing cell phone, she smiled wide. I was right up front, just behind a slightly pungent man that took too many photographs. I could even see her fingers grey from all the guitar picking. She played six songs or so and then returned to sign some cds and singles.

As I listen to her album now, I prefer her live versions, especially of “Alas I Cannot Swim,” (listen to below) a favorite that sounds a bit like its a traditional story sung in some traditional style that I can’t put my finger on. Somewhat unfortunately, it is inconveniently hidden away at the end of the last track. Some album versions are a bit more elaborate compared to her stripped down versions at the in-store. Luckily, I will get to see her live again… next Monday when she performs with Noah & the Whale at ICA and in March with my free ticket included with my purchase of her song box.

Edit: I’ve listened to her album several times through now and I think I need to give it more praise. Listening through my headphones and not my crappy laptop speakers, the loveliness of her live performance came through in her album versions. Very nice and calm to listen to as I did my morning Econometrics problem set.

I don’t really know how to write real “reviews” so I will just conclude by saying that the in-store made me feel good. A bit of tugging at heart-strings and a bit of smirking at her bashfulness. At only 18-years-old, I think Laura Marling’s song-writing is amazingly mature and intelligent. I hear her single “Ghosts” has been snatched up by a mobile phone provider so perhaps she’ll go the way of the Feist-Starbucks marriage and be propelled to international stardom, complete with Ipod commercial.

Music has been a bit of a savior for me here in London. I’m really lucky that I’m right here in the middle of it. Hopefully, I keep taking advantage of it all.

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By Jess, January 4, 2008 10:50 am

I’ve finally stumbled upon the local London music scene, particularly the anti-folk scene which is teeming with talented artists I’ve begun to obsess over. I obsess over finding mp3s, then YouTube videos, then local shows, etc. I had been beginning to feel “old,” in that I seemed to like few new bands surfacing in the past year. But hope has arrived in the form of Noah & the Whale, Laura Marling, Jeremy Warmsley, Emmy the Great, and Jaymay. They are all London-based (yet another reason London is great) and I’m already marking my calendar for their shows.

Another find that’s kept me up until dawn… the Black Cab Sessions, not to be confused with HBO’s racier Taxi Cab Confessions. Basically, musicians passing through London are filmed performing a song (usually) unplugged in the back of a cab. Check out the website for some cool performances, my favorites being The New Pornographers, The Raveonettes, Noah & the Whale/Laura Marling, St. Vincent, and the Daniel Johnston videos.

This post seemingly belongs on my other blog, Touch My Clickwheel, but it’s somewhat relevant. Hooray for music! I also love the Juno soundtrack and flaunt the fact that they used two of my favorite Belle & Sebastian songs. Alas… the actual movie doesn’t come out in London until February. Good things come to those who wait I suppose.