Can were arguably the leading avant-garde rock ban of the 70’s, hailing from west Germanytheir music didn’t fit in with the mainstream rock of the era. Taking their inspiration from a wide variety of genres including classical their closest contemporaries were probably Frank Zappa or possibly Velvet Underground. Experimentation with synthesizers and electronic music was at the forefront of Cans appeal with each album marking a step forward in sounds, techniques and musical experimentation.

Can’s line up was always changing but the core band members were keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, drummer Jaki, guitarist Michael Karoli and bassist Holger Czukay. Holger Czukay went on to have an extremely successful solo career playing an influential role in bridging the gap between avant-garde and pop and bringing World music into pop.

As a band Can never made it past the underground, peaking with a surprise Top 30 UK hit. The critics had a tough time with them and the band never really took off in a big way as a result.

Can’s first release was in 1969 with their album ‘Bracing Monster Movie’. The band were then involved in a collection of film music with tracks including long improvisations and sharp angular rhythms.

In 1972 their approach became more refined initiating a jazzy, minimalist edge, that set them apart from their rock routes. Sounds changed over the years from Dub, to World, to Avant Rock. When the band eventually parted in 1978 their body of work was extensive and in many ways very ground breaking.

Juana Molina was born in 1962 in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Following the military coup in the late 70’s Juana moved to Paris with her family where her tango-singing father taught her to play guitar.

Juana started her career as a comedic television actress, a household name throughout Latin America by the time she was done in the mid 1990’s! The first time she performed live as a singer more or less the whole audience left, they didn’t find her music very funny! In a way I don’t blame them, if your coming for belly laughs you will definitely be let down by a Juana Molina live set.

The fact that Juana has calved a career in Music at 40+, whilst still sounding fresh, modern and progressive, is testament to her strong personality which shines through in her music.

Juana’s music is compared to the likes of Bjork, Beth Orton, and Lisa Germano. The resemblance to Bjork is clear through her experimental use of World sounds to create something modern yet still essentially pop. I think Juana’s sound is an advancement of modern pop music through its subtle use of electronic sounds and clever looping which compliments her songs and does not drown out there purpose. Juana’s songs cut deep through their hypnotic vocals, delicate melodies, tight percussive groove, and impeccable production.

Un Dia is Juana’s latest album which she is currently touring with Feist. This short video gives further insight into Juana and what you can expect from her live set. Expect a lot basically!

Bibio’s latest release on Warp is Ambivalence Avenue.  Bibio sings for the first time on this record and uses clever guitar riffs to complement his seamless, yet organic production. His mix of electronic sounds with folk song writing gives me added faith that folk will live on, and isn’t something that has to feel challenged by advances in music technology. Embrace people, before you miss it!

Heres a video of Bibio’s playing around at home, chilled!  Check out his Myspace to see more clips like this and listen to his music.

The MPC & I

I was lucky enough to go to the Womad World music festival last weekend. For anyone that hasn’t heard of this event, it is renowned as the most musically varied festival in the World, musicians from the highlands of Northern China, to the deserts of the Sahara gather together in the English countryside and strut their stuff. The result is an electric atmosphere where music is the priority and diversity is celebrated.

This is how the organizers describe the festival:

‘The WOMAD Festival experience is not about the familiar, the tried and tested; its essence is in the discovery and enjoyment of a totally unexpected artist or a style of music which would never otherwise have been encountered. It’s a magical, musical melting pot, enriching all who experience it.’

Chilling in the woods under an umbrella listening to hypnotic Chinese chants, dancing to Nigerian Kora funk, and scoffing food I never even knew existed was definitely a good way to spend the weekend. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t got the time to do a World music trip, but wouldn’t mind soaking up some of the flavour.

Here are some of my highlights:

ROKIA TROARE – MALI

THE HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE – 9 BROTHERS FROM CHICAGO

Matt Adey is a songwriter on the London circuit that is attracting a lot of attention. His neat acoustic compositions and powerful voice have gained him a much deserved monthly residency at West London’s popular Troubadour venue. With the night growing in popularity since its inception, Matt is now looking to extend his solo performance and grow a full band.

Matt’s sound is very much derived from his America/Celtic roots which clearly come across in the flow and pattern of his melodies. Matt uses no electronics, synths, or other bells and whistles, but what he lacks in modernity he makes up with original song writing.

Currently working on a new album at prestigious recording studios, Stand Alone Productions (Muse, Natalie Imbrulia, Roger Daltrey etc) Matt’s new album is going to be well produced, hopefully drawing even more attention to this exciting new perfomer. Check out his Myspace here.

Dear Reader hail from the South African capital of Johannesburg, a city with a love of house-music and Kwaito, but not as well known for its folk. Dear Reader is changing all that and are beginning to gain quite a following in Germany and the UK putting Jo-Burg on the folk map- good work guys. Apparently being an English speaking band in S. Africa is a raw deal unless you’re producing commercial pop or Afrikaans rock music, so they have their work cut out if they want to win over the locals.

Recent gigs at the BarFly, Troubadour, and Slaughtered Lamb in London received brilliant feedback, with their simple yet heartfelt folk pulling a few heartstrings and gaining them a lot of recognition.

The band is made up of singer/songwriter Cherilyn and guitarist/producer Darryl Torr who formed the band 4 years ago.

May 4th saw the release of Dear Reader’s first album entitled ‘Replace Why With Funny’ via City Slang (Lambchop, Calexico) which follows the release of their single ‘Dear Heart’ which was released in April.

Check these guys out, they are definitely worth some air time on a relaxing sunny Sunday.