Injection of Jazz?

Album of the moment.

Caro Emerald: DELETED SCENES FROM THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR.

As i have already mentioned my love for jazz, it will come as no surprise that i introduce this artist to you.
I'm not going to harp on about how her success has reached from 27weeks at the top of the record list in Denmark, or the impact she is making on the rest of the world; Quite simply, this album is what happens when contemporary Jazz music is brought up to date. It's Squirrel Nut Zippers meets Duffy. It's classic meets pop culture. It has everything that makes jazz so good; the swing beat, the brassy trumpets, coolness emanating from each line- but with the catchiness and upbeat tempo of a pop song.

I dare you to listen to the first 20 seconds of his song without tapping your foot to the beat. It's sultry, it's vintage, it even has scatting; then all of a sudden the track cuts into record scratching- reeling you back to the present. The background squeeks of the decks cut through the smooth velvet feel of the rest of the song to bring a touch of modernisation to an otherwise conventional jazz theme. She takes the smoke-filled-room feel of jazz and throws in her femme-fetale influence- a touch that does not go unnoticed. As the opening song of the album, it gives a fantastic taster of what is to come. 

Gig review of the month

Band: Theory Of The Fallen

Venue: The Asylum. (Birmingham)

18.6.11

Do NOT make the mistake of thinking front (wo)man Amie Paxton is just another "rock cliché"; True, far too many bands use the ploy of propping an attractive but talentless female in front of the band for appearance’s sake only.

NOT the case with Theory Of The Fallen; from early on in the gig, it becomes clear that Paxton is the driving force behind this band. She completely stood out. Her voice seems reminiscent of Hayley Williams and/or Amy Lee, and there is something in her confidence that invites the audience into the illusion that this could be a gig of a much larger scale; it certainly has all the atmosphere and electricity one would expect from an arena gig. Their blunt punkism and skillful playing quickly won over a crowd that, let’s face it, comprised almost totally of musicians, some of whom had played moments earlier. Their approval was audible as TOTF picked up the competitive gauntlet and raised the bar of musical performance.

"We can watch the sun rise"

That haunting, wistful lyric hung in the air expectantly, until the stage convulsed, with each band-member playing flawlessly and encouraging every person in the room to join their crusade. 

They could well have the future of British unsigned rock in the palm of their hands, and in this reviewer, TOTF have found a new fan. 

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