Words From A Thousand Miles Away

Yesterday I took a trip up to London with Emily to see Katie Herzig play at The Borderline. I've been a fan for years and I was thrilled when this gig came up recently. I was due to see her play a couple of years ago but it got cancelled when the Icelandic volcano caused chaos with the planes! Butterfly Boucher played an hour-long opening set, and although I only knew a couple of her songs I really enjoyed her set. She was hilariously jet-lagged and told great stories between songs. Katie joined in with her on a few:

It was great to hear Katie's songs, which have lots of strings, drums and electronics, totally stripped down to an acoustic version. There were times of absolute quiet where you could hear a pin drop, and times when the crowd were singing along.

The Borderline is a hot and sweaty little basement club but I love the size of the place. It's an intimate venue where artists often choose to play for the first time in London, and they take the time to sell their own merchandise and have a chat with their fans. I think I got away with not acting like a super fan, but you'd have to ask Emily to confirm! (I did not however, get away with the unfortunate lighting or fuzzy hair!)

Keeping Me Sane

Last week I had an awful cold which left me feeling rather sorry for myself. There was an up side to laying vertically for so long, and that was the ability to plug in to some new music and send some happy vibes to my brain.  Here's the three albums that got me through:

I've mentioned British band Kill It Kid a few times before, I've been a fan for a couple of years now and their second album 'Feet Fall Heavy' was released last Monday.  I wasn't disappointed.  It was recorded in only 10 days and has a very live, raw feel to it; there are samples of a southern preacher throughout the album, and the guitars sound loud and gritty.  The vocals are again shared between Stephanie Ward and Chris Turpin, and go from gut-wrenching, gravelly howls to soft and melancholy.  I LOVE IT!

The next album I indulged in this week was 'Skin and Bones' from David J. Roch.  I have followed him since 2007 when I first saw him play as an unsigned act named Little Lost David.  Years later, after lots of touring, home demos and EPs, David was signed to a label and released his first album last month.  From the moment I first heard David as a support act I was hooked, his voice easily cut through the noisy crowd and commanded our attention.  He sings mostly about the darker side of life, (heartbreak, depression and the devil) but I think that is what makes it such an honest and beautiful record.  I knew most of the songs on this album from owning his earlier demos, but they sound so different now having been recorded in a studio with a producer all these years later.  It was like getting re-acquainted with an old friend!

Lastly, Katie Herzig released her new album 'The Waking Sleep' last week (it's not available in the UK to buy yet so I have to stream it on my laptop) and it is oh-so-beautiful-and-makes-me happy!  I love her quirky songs and they made me feel so much better by the end of the week.

What music do you like to listen to?  Share with me!