‘V’ is for Vanity Fairy

Winter is the time of year when creatures snuggle down into hibernation. It is not the time of year when they emerge, awoken and ready to take on the world. Yet here we are, following a near two year hibernation and Daisy Victoria has stepped back into the light. She has also gone through something of a metamorphosis (if you will allow us this mixing of animal based metaphors). Now Daisy Capri, her musical persona has evolved to its new form, grown shimmering synthy wings, and stepped forth as Vanity Fairy.

Here, the sound is slinkier than before. The 80’s influences that were hinted at in “Pain of Dancers” have been fully embraced and given a subtle disco makeover as her vocals glide and twist in the breeze as one with light, gossamer melodies.

Debut track, “He Can Be Your Lady”, undulates gently, imploring you to sway as Capri’s vocals swoon and flutter. Bathed in disco ball lens flare and blessed with a Prince like synth flourish, it is delightfully catchy and bewitching. Elsewhere on the debut Vanity Fairy EP, Lust For Dust, we are treated to a soft, androgynous sultriness. It’s knowing, yet innocent at the same time.

“Milky Woe” is a late night, candle lit seduction, very soft focus and full of eye contact and fondue. “Loverman” and “Giant” similarly glisten and flicker with sensual synth lines, a heady concoction of romantic psychedelica.

Comparisons to Kate Bush are obvious but entirely fair, there is the same ethereal and otherworldly feel to each composition. Live too, there are similarities with Capri letting the Vanity Fairy persona take control. Her shows are as much about the character and the performance as they are about the music.

It’s an exhilarating and exciting transformation that Capri has undertaken to become Vanity Fairy. Her mew world is enticing and giddy and it’s one we love getting lost in.

”He Can Be Your Lady” is out now and will feature on the forthcoming debut Vanity Fairy EP, ‘Lust for Dust’, which is due for release on 7 December.

Get to know Vanity Fairy: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

2015 Review: Track of the Year

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Daisy Victoria – “Pain of Dancers”

There have been a lot of great tracks released this year. There have been cracking pop bangers, gloriously melty synth tunes, folky loveliness and funky groove-a-thons aplenty. Yet when we sat down to consider which songs really stood apart, there was only one choice. Much like our Moment of the Year, our track selection is based on very personal reasons, but that’s what music is supposed to be about right?

Like Public Service Broadcasting, Daisy Victoria is an artist we’ve supported for a while now and we have loved seeing as she has become more and more successful, and as she has grown and developed as an artist. Never was this more evident than when she released “Pain of Dancers” earlier this year.

To paraphrase what we wrote on its release…

There is a gorgeously vibrant 80s feel to it that so suits Daisy’s rich, emotive and cinematic vocals. From the second the drums kick in and the keys twinkle like a mischievous glint in the eye, you are transported to some John Hughesian world of teenage angst, coming of age, love and retribution.

“Pain Of Dancers” is a glorious sway of pop-rock that further cements Daisy’s place as an emerging artist we should all be getting very excited about.

And we are excited, excited by her progress, excited by what the future has to hold for her and excited by the quality of tracks like “Pain of Dancers”.

Listen Out For – 2015 Previews Round Up

The calendar has clicked round to December and children across the world are excited about finding small bits of chocolate behind little cardboard doors. Like many other blogs, we are getting excited about end of year list-o-mania (and small bits of chocolate behind little cardboard doors).

As is our wont we will start with previews of artists we are looking forward to hearing from more next year. But, as is also our wont, we will preface this with a look back at the tips we made last year to see how they did and by association, how well we did. In all honesty it was, outwardly, a pretty quiet year for most of our featured acts with only one album and a couple of EPs released between them (but they were all great).

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#15 – Let’s Eat Grandma

We said at the time that Rosa and Jenny are two stupefyingly imaginative and creative 15 year old girls who play a multitude of instruments in a multitude of different ways at a multitude of different times within a single song. The only thing that has changed is that they are now 16. The girls are still remarkable and their talents are being recognised by a larger audience thanks to performances at Latitude and Festival No. 6 as well as features in NME and sessions on 6Music. The album is still in the works so expect to hear a lot more them both in the coming 12-18 months.

#14 – Treasureseason

It’s been a quiet year for the Norwich-London duo but fingers crossed we hear more from them soon as we are big fans of their soft synthy loveliness.

#13 – Chløë Black

It took just one song from Chløë Black to win our hearts, minds and blog love. Since then we’ve seen her play live, been treated to a number of fantastic videos and are even more convinced that big things await.

#12 – Saint Agnes

Another act for whom 2015 was relatively quiet, at least as far as new music is concerned. There were gigs a-plenty though which further enhanced their reputation as an act to get excited about.

#11 – Waterbed

It’s almost becoming a running theme but 2015 was pretty quiet with little in the way of new tunes to get excited about for Waterbed. Here’s hoping for more next year.

#10 – Daisy Victoria

Compared to the dual EP output of the year before, 2015 was fairly quiet release wise. There was a ramping up of radio coverage though, as well as headline shows and a burgeoning reputation across the blog world. There was also the stupendous “Pain of Dancer” which for our money, is the best thing Daisy has done so far.

#9 – Jagaara

Again, beyond festivals and gigs (most recently supporting Kyla la Grange) 2015 was a quiet one for the three sisters. Mind you, we saw them live in 2014 and they were superb so gigging across the country is a good thing for us as fans, hopefully there will be some more tunes to get our ears around in the coming months as well as well some shows in the New Year.

#8 – Black Honey

At last, a band for whom 2015 certainly wasn’t quiet, especially if their incendiary rawkus performance at Norwich Sound and Vision in October was anything to go by. Black Honey released new tunes, won new fans and wowed us and thousands of others with their explosive and energetic live sets.

#7 – Osca

After a couple of tunes earlier in the year, it’s been quiet since the spring. Hopefully they have been squirreled away, busily writing and recording ready for the New Year. Right guys? Guys..?

#6 – Wooden Arms

2015 was big for Wooden Arms. Not only did they follow up 2014’s gorgeous EP with their debut album, they also played a live session for Lauren Laverne on 6 Music. The collective have also been playing bigger and bigger shows across Europe and are currently working on their next full length, and we can’t wait to hear it.

#5 – Vérité

One of the few artists on our list to put some tunes out this year, Vérité put out the fantastic Sentiment EP as well as playing many shows. Some of which were in the UK, though none were in Norwich. No doubt that’s on her list for next year.

#4 – Yumi Zouma

2015 was an interesting year for Yumi Zouma. It started with some properly fantastic videos and a second superb EP which met with deserved rave reviews. After that though there was a low key departure and replacement of Kim Pflaum (so low key in fact that some publications had no idea they weren’t talking to Kim when featuring the band) but still lots of very successful shows and plaudits. As yet there has been no proper ‘post-Kim’ tunes so we can’t speak to what comes next but we’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on developments.

#3 – Rag’N’Bone Man

One of the few on our list to put out some music this year, Rory Graham released the superb Disfigured EP, saw his music synced all over the place and produced one of the best gigs we saw all year. Seriously, if you have the chance to see him live, take it. All that and he is now curating his own gig nights as well.

#2 – Laurel

Having closed out last year with an EP release, it’s probably not a surprise that 2015 was fairly quiet. There was a slot at Radio One’s Big Weekend though and hopefully there will be more gorgeously evocative sounds from her in 2016.

#1 – Fickle Friends

They released an EP and wowed Norwich at Radio One’s Big Weekend (and a small pre-show the night before). In fact, so wowed were Norwich that they are coming back in 2016 (see you there) as part of their super huge mega UK tour (which we hope will coincide with an album release but we don’t know). They have also been playlisted on Radio One and put out some pretty rad videos so everything is looking set for them to build on a good 2015 to have a great 2016.

Daisy Victoria – “Pain Of Dancers”

Looking back over our previous posts about blog fave, Daisy Victoria, alongside a chronological indulgence of her releases thusfar, it is a truth universally acknowledged (by us at least) that she just keeps getting better and better. From the rousing, nay storming debut that was “Heart Full Of Beef”, through the Nobody Dies EP, she has evolved, matured and given more depth to her music at each turn. Now, with the upcoming release of “Pain Of Dancers”, she has raised her bar still further and created her most wonderful and perhaps most accessible track yet.

By that we mean it’s more poppy than we are used to from Daisy, which is no bad thing at all. There is a gorgeously vibrant 80s feel to it, the kind that Gabriel Bruce paid such magnificent homage to on his debut album and that so suits Daisy’s rich, emotive and cinematic vocals. From the second the drums kick in and the keys twinkle like a mischievous glint in the eye, you are transported to some John Hughesian world of teenage angst, coming of age, love and retribution. Co-written (as is the norm) with her brother Sam, and mixed by Damian Taylor (who has previously worked with Bjork and Robyn), “Pain Of Dancers” is a glorious sway of pop-rock that further cements Daisy’s place as an emerging artist we should all be getting very excited about.

”Pain Of Dancers” will be released on 25 September with a release show preceding it on the 21st at The Waiting Room, in London. Tickets are available here.

Stalk Daisy Victoria: Facebook / Twitter

2014 Tracks Of The Year – #15 – 11

Hello and welcome to part three of our countdown of the 25 tracks this year that we loved more than any other. Parts one and two (where we listed the tracks that took the number 25 – 16) are here and here, and below we reveal who made it into the Top 15 and came oh so close to breaking the Top10. Enjoy.

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#15 Daisy Victoria – “Nobody Dies”

Blog favourite Daisy Victoria was quite prolific this year, releasing two EPs. To kick off her second, she released the gorgeous title track “Nobody Dies” and we were hooked (as was Lauren Laverne who has been playing it a bunch recently). It’s less overtly dramatic than her previous offerings, showcasing a softer and altogether more swirlsome side of her musical personality. Keys peel like church bells and the rhythm tumbles as Daisy’s vocals and the melody combine in one great wispy marble of sound and colour. There was an accompanying video as well which is suitably bright and kaleidoscopic, perfectly encapsulating the cascading and swoony nature of the track.

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#14 Lyla Foy – “Feather Tongue”

Taken from her sublime debut album, Lyla Foy’s “Feather Tongue” is yet more lovely melodic and wistful gorgeousness to add to Lyla’s already impressive collection. It feels mellow and subdued but ripples and bubbles like a natural hot spring hidden and hitherto undiscovered. Meanwhile the vocal (we adore her vocal) is like the steam above the water, the light catching it in the sun and creating millions of floating lights as it hangs above the rhythm, becalming, soothing and utterly lovely.

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#13 Ocean Calling – “Desert Sky Scarlet”

All it took for us to fall completely in love with Ocean Calling’s “Desert Sky Scarlet” (aside from its roaming dreamy soundscapes) was Sophie Wilkie’s inflection whilst singing ‘snow’ in the chorus. That simplest and smallest of morsels that tipped us over the edge into head over heels mode for this utterly gorgeous tune. A pseudo Dr Who synthline kicks off this great adventure, but not into time and space, but across the globe, to majestic views, icy tundras and homely arcades, with everything in between. It is gorgeously nostalgic for the here and now, for the world around us that so many of us long to see and yet fail to do so. It has a sense of freedom, of innocence and of wonder infused throughout. It is a dreamy aural trip across the world, just close your eyes and let it take you wherever you want, especially if its somewhere covered in ‘snow’.

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#12 Osca – “Blood”

The title track from Osca’s debut EP, Blood this piano driven ballad was simultaneously divine and ridiculously catchy. Many a morning we awoke to find the chorus swirling inside our head just waiting to be sung out in the shower (sorry for the image). It built and built in waves of melody and rhythm organically coming together with the vocals to make one of the most accomplished debut tracks we’ve heard in a long time.

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#11 Taylor Swift – “Shake It Off”

Haters gonna hate but we don’t even care. Quite simply one of the best pure pop records of the year and just stupidly catchy, despite our wannabe inner cool kid shouting and calling us names, we just couldn’t help but love it.