We have new jingles

It’s hardly the most exciting news in the world, but we’ve just uploaded a bunch of new jingles that you’ll be hearing on Shed FM over the next few days. Farah on the Breakfast show has got her own, and you’ll hear loads more new music as we’re adding to the playlist heavily…

That includes the likes of I Am Not Lefthanded, Jim Guittard, Eleni Mandell, The East Down and Morning Light, among others. As always, if you’re in a band and you think we should be playing your music – write to us at dj@shed.fm!

Shed likes: Eleni Mandell

Eleni Mandell has just joined the Shed playlist and we’re listening to her latest album, Artificial Fire, non-stop here in the Shed. You’ll see why…

A veteran of the LA rock scene, Eleni can be found in a number of musical guises, but it is here in her solo project that she really has developed. In fact, Artificial Fire is her most mature project yet. Gone is the angst and the anguish, and in its place is a much more well-adjusted album. In fact, Eleni Mandell is probably the artist Liz Phair could have become if she hadn’t got caught up in the hype.

She’s on V2 records over here in Europe, and you can get her latest album here: buy album

Watch Artificial Fire here:

Featured this week: Marmaduke Dando

There’s one artist on the Shed playlist who deserves his very own page and that’s London-based showman Marmaduke Dando. This week, two Marmaduke songs have gone on to the Shed.fm Internet Radio playlist: Who Would Have Thought, and All of Me – two songs that encapsulate the music of Marmaduke Dando and his eclectic band. So where does it all come from?

There’s hints of early Scott Walker, yes, hints of Brel and hints of Bowie, with a bit of Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon in there, too… with a strong baritone. Among his influences, he lists Portsmouth and Prefab Sprout, but we sense a little more than that.

So, hats off to Marmaduke Dando – playing live at the following venues on the following dates:

3 Sep 2009 20:00	The Enterprise – Turning Worm presents w/ Andrew Clarke	London, London and South East
6 Sep 2009 15:00	The Treehouse Galleries – Power Down	Regents Park, London and South East
17 Sep 2009 20:00	Windmill – Shot by Both Sides	Brixton, London and South East
12 Oct 2009 20:00	Poetry Cafe w/ Monooka	London

On the Shed this week: Tricity Vogue & Francis Powell

Tricity Vogue

Here in the Shed, we like to think that we give you something different to listen to. Something that you wouldn’t hear on your other, less interesting radio stations. And that’s why we’re bringing you the brilliant Tricity Vogue, a woman who describes her own music as “cheeky jazz”. Backed up by a seven-piece “slinktet” (her word, not ours), Tricity’s unique jazz/pop reminds us of nothing else on the Shed playlist, blending swing, jazz, latin and well – anything else. Sometimes she just pops up on stage with a ukulele, and sometimes she’s backed by the full band – whichever you get, you’ll always get that cheeky voice.

Tricity is otherwise known as Heather Tyrrell, and you’re bound to find her in London doing the cabaret circuit.

Francis Powell

We go back into the Paris Shed for a relatively short, but nonetheless fascinating conversation with Mr Francis Powell – otherwise known as DJ Wise, otherwise known as Ashram Oberoi, otherwise known as… well, you get the picture. Paris’ very own renaissance man, Francis Powell is an artist who never sets limits for himself.

Whether it be the written word, the paintbrush or the techno beat and sample, Francis has always been at the forefront of the Paris underground scene (if an underground scene could have a forefront), and tries to hide the fact that he once appeared as a gorilla on Top of the Pops.

Listen to Francis himself as well as some of his music, with Jonny Sly and Gareth Cartman in the Shed.

Three new artists on the playlist: Delays, The Hand & Michael Macri

Delays

Delays, who hail from Southampton, are somehow unsigned, but not for long as there is no doubt a long line of record labels queuing up to sign the hottest thing to come out of Southampton since Matt Le Tissier. Sounding like a cross between the Stone Roses and Fleetwood Mac (if you can imagine that), they’ve already caught the attention of the NME and The Guardian.

New album “Everything’s The Rush” is out now, and it’s bloody good, if you like proper soaring Indie music that’s a cut above the average. We do. That’s why we’ve added “Nearer Than Heaven” and “Valentine” to the Shed FM playlist.

The Hand

Bristol-based The Hand are the latest ukulele-inspired group to have wowed the Shed. Here’s what they say about themselves:

We met a couple of years ago, down Bristol harbour working on the ferry-boats, where we would sing songs on sunny days, and then suddenly it occured to us we should make some new songs and started to write together from scratch using banjo, kora, ukelele, piano, harmonium, autoharp and clarinet.

A lot of what we do is instrumental, and when we sing it is usually together and usually in harmony.

We spent two rainy weeks this summer recording in the Self-Build-Project (where our friends have built their own house) and our new album ‘Berries From The Rubble’ is now ready and available to buy.

We think they’re awesome – a mixture of ukulele, banjo, kora, harmonium, clarinet and whatever else they’ve learnt to play, it’s something completely unique on the Shed FM playlist. Go to the myspace site to hear more from them, and their album, Berries From The Rubble is available to buy there.

Michael Macri

If his website is a trip back to the 1990s, his music is a welcome trip back to the 70s and the down and dirty blues that us Shed types reminisce about. We can just imagine this one playing in this blues bar in Brussels – the type that has straw on the floor and unshaven types drinking cheap beer at the bar, looking at you as if you won’t leave the bar alive. Great stuff. Can’t wait to go back.

Anyway, we digress… we’ve added “I Can’t Drink With You” (great title) to the Shed FM playlist, and we didn’t hesitate a split second. It’s a buzzing, heady blues-filled anthem about the Melbourne Gang Wars (we didn’t even know…), and the video to go with it is just bloody brilliant.

Michael doesn’t stop with the 70s blues, he hits glam, 80s new wave, heavy metal and pop – but all with that voice (check out White Bearded Man). So Michael – welcome to the playlist, where you belong.

On the playlist this week: Cathleen & Sonic Ahmed

Cathleen

Cathleen

Here at Shed FM, we’re rather ashamed to admit that although we took A-level German, we don’t really understand much when it comes down to it.

We can ask the way to the Krankhaus and order a currywurst, but we get rather embarassed when asked to formulate more complicated sentences, or understand anything, really.

Which is why we’re rather embarassed to say that we don’t know much about Leipzig-based singer/songwriter Cathleen. We wish we did know more, and we don’t like to trust those automatic translators such as Babelfish because they just spew out nonsense. We think Cathleen is the next big thing in Germany, and you’ll find out why by listening to Shed FM, as she’s just joined the playlist.

We’re playing the brilliant “Hold Me” as much as we can, because we think Cathleen deserves to be heard by a wider audience. It’s rather unfair that every female singer, though, tends to be compared to the same voices – from Liz Phair to Heather Nova, Beth Orton and Patti Smith… it rather limits them, and Patti Smith sounds nothing like the other three, so it’s throwaway journalism of the worst kind. Cathleen reminds us of a female Nick Drake. Which is great stuff. Go visit her website, Deep Blue Voices.

Sonic Ahmed

Once more, we are ashamed to know very little about a German artists due to the fact that we just plain didn’t listen in German A-level classes. However, we gleaned this from his myspace page:

Since 1996 “Sonic Ahmed” ist the Solo-Project of Achim Rinderle (”A Glezele Vayn” and various other projects). He just moved to Berlin, looking for new inspiration (sticking to the harmonic-minor side of live). His main instruments are tenor-/bariton-/alto- sax and (bass-) clarinet. Apart from that he likes to blow into everything that sounds good but believes to be a drummer that has mischosen the right reincarnation last time. He also does radio drama and cooking. Past time projects: famous-freaky “!mahw” (the same song all night long in 14 versions), most weired “Kopffüßlerunion”, and died too young “Boogie Bollente” among other small nameless little tiny sonic-happenings

And you know what, we really like this fella. We went straight for his Balkan-tinged album, Balkenbraz, and picked out Mashkenka, which is now on rotation here on Shed FM Internet Radio. It’s one of the brightest, perkiest records we’ve heard in a long time and you can download it here:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/sonic-ahmed

So – two artists from Germany, and no Fantastischen Vier. Even better!

Karel Beer in the Comedy Chatcast

You may well be wondering who Karel Beer is – but for anyone in Paris, Karel is the lifeline to British comedy, and has been for many years.

This Paris Link podcast for Shed FM was recorded just over two years ago in the Paris Shed with Jonny Sly and Gareth Cartman, and is the second part of the Sunchase programme we featured last week. Karel joined us in the Shed to talk about his career, his life, his comedy, and how French and English attitudes to comedy differ.

It made for one of the most entertaining shows we ever made in the Paris Shed, thanks largely to Karel’s larger than life personality.

Listen to the Comedy Chatcast on Shed Fm at these times this week (BST):

Tuesday 21st: 6pm
Thursday 23rd: 7:55pm
Friday 24th: 7pm
Saturday 25th: 5:20pm

Sweet Soubrette LIVE at the Sidewalk Cafe, NYC

We got very excited here at Shed FM when we got these live tracks to play you. Ellia Bisker, otherwise known as Sweet Soubrette, is one of our favourite ukelele artists, in fact she’s one of our favourite artists full stop, on the Shed FM playlist, so these songs have been on the virtual turntable since they landed.

Don’t let the ukelele tag distract you, Ellia reminds us very much of Regina Spektor with an added dose of wit and charm, and is backed by a bunch of classically trained musicians.

Bittersweet and romantic, yet not in a sickly way, Ellia has received critical acclaim from the likes of Time Out New York, and has even toured France – something of a ukelele heartland, believe it or not.

This week, then, we go to NYC for four live songs with Sweet Soubrette at the Sidewalk Cafe, and then a handful of songs from her excellent album, Siren Song. She is currently working on a second album, and keep an ear out for her in October when the Shed relocates for a couple of days to NYC itself!

Hear Sweet Soubrette LIVE at the Sidewalk Cafe, NYC at these times (BST):

Monday 19th: 7pm
Tuesday 20th: 1pm
Wednesday 21st: 11:10pm
Friday 23rd: 9am
Saturday 24th: 3pm
Sunday 25th: 6pm

Rosemary & Clementine Gallot in the Shed

This week, we feature one of Shed FM’s favourite groups, Rosemary, who came into the Paris Shed for a live session replete with Cello. If at times the interview veers into French every now and again, do stick with it – the music is amazing, and lead singer Carol Dabin’s voice is one of the reasons for Rosemary’s rapid rise to fame in Paris.

Carol, who used to sing for Klub and Guinea Pigs, has finally found her true sound with Rosemary, whose music blends shades of dark and light, echoing Dolly and K’s Choice. In fact, of all the groups Carol has been a part of, this one reflects her more than any other, and is the most mature of all.

Rosemary are on myspace here, where you can stream their latest music and find interviews with the band (in French, this time).

In the second half of this episode, we talk to Clementine Gallot. This interview is a few years old now, just before she moved to New York, where Clementine has gone from strength to strength, writing for national newspapers in the UK and in New York.

You can follow Clementine on Twitter, and view her latest photos on Flickr.

Listen to Rosemary and Clementine at these times throughout the week (times are all BST):

Monday 11:55am, 7:00pm, Wednesday 10:00am, Friday 9:00am, 7:00pm, Saturday 4:00pm,  Sunday 12:50pm

The Sunchase Live in the Shed

This week we feature the brilliant Gregg M from Paris-based group The Sunchase, who came into the Paris Shed for one of the most revealing interviews and live sessions we’ve ever had.

He plays some of The Sunchase’s top songs in the company of your host Jonny Sly and co-host Gareth Cartman, and if you’re interested in hearing more from the group, download their albums from www.jamendo.com or visit their myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/thesunchase for streaming music.

Next week, this podcast will continue with an hour-long interview with Karel Beer, who is also in the Shed talking with Gregg M during this episode. Karel is one of Paris’ leading figures, and will tell us all about running an English-speaking comedy club in France, as well as some more about his early years.

Catch The Sunchase live throughout the week:

Tuesday 6pm, Wednesday 7:55pm, Friday 10:15am, Saturday 10:50am, Sunday 2:10pm

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