Karina Vismara is singer-songwriter based locally via Argentina. She’s already won some accolades – picking up the ACM Songwriting Competition award last year – and there’s plenty on her recent EP to enjoy. We’ve picked out You’re Not Tied Up Tight, a gorgeous song that really shows of her abilities as a vocalist and a guitarist. You can catch Karina play live at the Boileroom this Thursday as she supports Phantom Limb.
Karina Vismara – EP:
Bella Padley is a local singer-songwriter who has the makings of a really captivating musician. There’s only one song available on her Soundcloud page at the moment, Beating Hearts, but it shows a healthy amount of confidence in her vocal delivery and hints at a really ambitious method of songwriting. One to watch – literally, because she supports Guildford favourites Hipslinky on Thursday (16th Feb).
Bella Padley – Beating Hearts:
About ten minutes away from Guildford is Woking and residing in that part of the world is youthful-looking quartet The Elations. If you liked bands such as The Coral then the chances are you might fall head over heels in love with these guys. She Sings the Winter, which you’ll find below, features an irresistible guitar hook that, whilst slightly tinged with retro-ness, is immensely enjoyable to hear. They have a new EP coming out in the next couple of months called For What It’s Worth, not to be confused with the Buffalo Springfield song nor the Placebo song.
It’s kind of refreshing when the only thing a very new band has to show so far are six of their own music videos to their own songs. It also helps a lot more if those songs are, which in the case of Eastern Walls they are. It’s indie rock but with synths and, whilst that might be a basic way of describing them, they evoke drama in a way that isn’t pretentious nor over-the-top. The official release of their debut record is coming soon so keep your eyes peeled.
Carousels, aka Nick Benton and Lucy Wilson, will be the opening band at this Saturday’s Empire Rock Lounge night at the Boileroom – the first of 2012 – and there’s plenty of reasons to be excited by this duo who are based in Guildford (though originally from Cambridge). There’s not music of theirs on the net but what has surfaced have made blogs like Stereogum very excited. Here To Me is like a grungier version of a School of Seven Bells cuts from Alpinisms. That’s a very good thing indeed.