**FREE MUSIC**

For the amount of words I devote to Kill Rock Stars artists you would think I had some kind of back door deal with them. Maybe one that involved lifelong free entry to every show by a Kill Rock Stars artist. Obviously I don't have that but I wouldn't say no if it was offered you know what I mean hint hint nudge nudge.

The latest Kill Rock Stars band to grab my attention are Thao and Mirah a duo who came together to write their quirky, uplifting collaboration after both enjoying successful solo careers.

T&M released an album in April 2011 (I'm a bit late to the party but better late than never eh) and after falling in love with Thao with the Get Down Stay Down (really who came up with that band name) I quite promptly fell head over heels with T&M. 

They make the kind of music that could make my cold heart turn warm enough to fall in love so I could then cycle along a summer lane with the wind in my weave and their songs in my heart. I suggest you buy the album, listen to it, take your lover by the hand and smile 'cause everything's going to be alright.

Download: Eleven
Download: How Dare You

For more information: thaoandmirah.com

**SONG OF THE MONTH**

This long neglected feature is making it's come back today folks and I've got a great song that's been going around in my head for a while. The song that has tickled my fancy for the last couple of months is 'I'm Not Stupid' by Cat's Eyes. 

Cat's Eyes are a boy girl duo consisting of unlikely musical allies Canadian classically trained soprano Rachel Zeffira and The Horror's frontman Faris Badwan. 

Now I can't say have always been a fan Faris' band The Horrors. The first time I heard of them I was a fresher at university who didn't take kindly to poseur-pseudo goths which is what I thought The Horrors were when I saw them live at Koko. They walked on, made a god awful racket and then left after 20 minutes. Not impressed.

After listening to less than 30 seconds of Cat's Eyes it is fair to say that Faris is completely forgiven for all his wrongdoing. Anyone that can recreate the orchestral brilliance of Spector's glory days is good in my books.

'I'm Not Stupid' is the theme tune for every frumpy, awkward girl who wishes life could be like the movies where the boy sees past the braces and prescription glasses and kisses the girl but knows it will never happen. 

The angst ridden song is complimented by Zeffira's vocals which are are as soft as marshmallow fluff. They sound like she is reading her diary aloud under her covers in her room quietly so her parents don't hear.

Hopefully we'll see more from the strikingly talented duo very soon but for now here's 'I'm Not Stupid'.

**MIXTAPE ALERT** Girls Names

50s Musicians

There are exactly 200,153 songs about girls names and that's a fact I mean don't research it, don't look it up, you can't find it on wikipedia but it's true...ish. Whatever the actual statistic is I know it's pretty high.

Call me a feminazi but I find that many songs about women written by men tend to fall into two camps. Women are either portrayed as either the temptress seducing a guy or the angel who can do no wrong. This can be a little tiresome for this blogger who just wants to get through listening to one song without being told she's a wanton woman.

It becomes more interesting when women write songs about other women as it allows a more honest depiction of femininity and womanhood.

The Raincoats cover of Lola brings the song into a whole new territory that The Kinks probably never even thought it could go and Patti Smith's classic Gloria becomes a moving declaration of womanhood every time she repeats those famous letters "G-L-O-R-I-A".

Feminist analysis aside these are all bloody good songs so enjoy and everyone sing in unison "GLORIA....".

Tracklisting:
1. Gloria- Patti Smith
2. Lucille- She Keeps Bees
3. Clara Bow- 50 Foot Wave
4. Valerie- Amy Winehouse
5. Angelene- PJ Harvey
6. Oh Marie- Ladyfuzz
7. Samantha- Hole
8. Lola- The Raincoats
9. Prescilla- Bat For Lashes
10. Anne- Santigold
11. Mary Ann- Regina Spektor
12. Oh Serena- The Distilllers
13. Headache For Michelle- Au Pairs
14. Erica Kane- Aaliyah
15. Hedi's Head- Kleenex
16. Polly- Long Blondes
17. Jenny- Sleater-Kinney

**UNDER COVER** ...I Wanna Be Yr Dog

spit. presents ENVY and BELLATRIX

spit. presents ENVY and BELLATRIX

Friday 15 July 2011, 5:15pm
The Front Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall


spit. launches its inaugural show on 15 July at the Southbank Centre, with performances from Envy and Bellatrix.

As part of the Southbank Centre's Intelligent Movement festival (in association with Channel 4's Street Summer), spit. presents a free event showcasing some of the most exciting women on the hip-hop, grime and dub scenes.

At just 24, Manchester MC Envy (www.myspace.com/envy06) is a force to be reckoned with. Since releasing her début album in 2010 to critical acclaim, she's gained a reputation for being one of the fastest, most formidable live MCs on the circuit - her bold lyrics matched by her unrivalled on-stage charisma.

Bellatrix (www.myspace.com/bellatrixb​eatbox) is now the UK's leading female beatbox artist, and one of few performing beatbox women worldwide, who works with instrumentalists as well as live looping and playing bass whilst beatboxing. In 2007 she founded the UK's first all-girl beatbox crew The Boxettes (http://www.theboxettes.co.​uk/), who have caused quite a stir on the London scene.

Joining these performances will be guest DJs, and spit.'s own inimitable host, CONNIE BELL.

CONNIE BELL is a Jamaican born songstress and poetess who fuses raw, roots reggae with echoes of dub poetry and classic soul harmonies.

An official member of ROOTS MANUVA’S BANANAKLAN, Connie’s resume reads like a who’s who of the international storytelling and reggae scenes: sessions with LEE PERRY, TOOTS HIBBERT, CONGO NATTY, NATTY and MAD PROFESSOR sit alongside gigs with Britain’s leading poetry company Apples and Snakes.

As well as fronting her own outfit DI MAN DEM Connie is also a regular host at spoken word events across the capital.





The Intelligent Movement festival is taking place at the Southbank Centre between 14 and 17 July 2011.

The spit. showcase will be taking place in Queen Elizabeth Hall from 5.15pm - 7pm. For more info visit here.
Entry to the showcase is free.

www.spit-music.com

**ONES TO WATCH**

Along with listening to amazing artists, meeting other like minded bloggers and sitting around eating bonbons all day getting requests from PRs is one of the nicer things about running a small music blog mainly because it makes you feel like you're one of the big boys (or perhaps big girls).

Now a blogger's relationship with PRs is a tricky one. You can get sent the worst music made by the most deluded, self-involved artists in the world but you can also be introduced to some true gems that you wish you had found earlier.

My example of a PR gem is American folk singer songwriter Lauren Shera. Inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, Shera weaves an extraordinary tale that evokes a plethora of intense, emotive stories of days gone by.

Shera clearly has friends in high places as both 90s rock goddess Kristin Hersh and Abigail Washburn stepped in as guest performers on her new album Once I Was A Bird.

Grasping tight to her acoustic guitar Shera bares her soul and her past in a strikingly honest way rarely seen by many performers these days who prefer to shock and disgust their audience rather than focus on talent and it is talent that Shera has by the bucket load.

Catch her before she gets big, you won't regret it I promise.

Download: Storyteller
Download: Endless Sea


Lauren Shera's new album Once I Was A Bird is out now.
For more information: www.laurenshera.com