The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

“One track mind, one track heart
If I fail, I’ll fall apart
Maybe it is all a test
Cause I feel like I’m the worst
So I always act like I’m the best

If you are not very careful
Your possessions will possess you
TV taught me how to feel
Now real life has no appeal
It has no appeal”

Yes. Marina has stolen my heart once again. How? With another brilliant and insanely clever promotional film for the new single (and my personal favourite from The Family Jewels), Oh No. Quite possibly the most obvious single-worthy track on the record, Oh No is a perfect pop anthem. Easy to dance to. It’s incredibly accessible and the lyric is both insightful in its social and personal commentary. A combination that shows time and time again why I do believe Marina’s got quite a career ahead of her. If only the US would bother to wake up from its cultural hibernation to notice the perfection that Marina Diamandis, it would be a much better place but I digress…

For now, we’ll simply continue to enjoy the ascent of a true artist whether America likes it or not…

Well well well! What do we have here? I get an interesting submission in my inbox this morning (Yes, I do accept submissions!) from an up and coming rapper straight out of Strong Island named Hoodie Allen. (Note: Strong Island = Long Island, New York. The natives of said locale tend to pronounce it LAWNGUYLAND.) Hoodie is a 21 year old rapper who has a brand new mini-mixtape coming out called The Diamond Cuts featuring a very catchy song called You Are Not A Robot. The track samples you guessed it…I Am Not A Robot from the one and only Marina and The Diamonds. Hmmm… potential up and comer from Long Island where so many rap legends honed their craft dropping verses over a Marina sample. How is it? You know what? I’m digging it.

Hoodie’s delivery reminds me a bit of a Lupe Fiasco or even a more playful B.O.B. and he definitely has the skills to go somewhere with his project. I’m personally interested in hearing a lot more from him. If you’re into the underground hip-hop scene, you’d be remiss not to give Mr. Allen a chance. A clever take on a Marina favourite makes Hoodie Allen an artist to keep an eye on.

“You Are Not A Robot” by Hoodie Allen

“You’ve been acting awful tough lately
Smoking a lot of cigarettes lately
But inside, you’re just a little baby
It’s okay to say you’ve got a weak spot
You don’t always have to be on top
Better to be hated than love, love, loved for what you’re not”

Now that The Family Jewels is just about everywhere else but not quite yet in the States, it’s time for a new video from Miss Diamandis! It’s a new version of an “old” favourite I Am Not A Robot. This one was done on Hollywood Boulevard and features our heroine looking every bit the star that she is. Truth be told…I can’t help but wonder what was so wrong with the original video that necessitated a new version. That’s always been a pet peeve of mine but whatchagonnado? What do you think, friends? The new version or the original?

“I Am Not A Robot” by Marina & The Diamonds, taken from the 679/Chop Shop/Atlantic release, “The Family Jewels”

I was in a room full of diamonds last night. Le Poisson Rouge, one of my favourite venues located on the famed Bleecker Street, was simply electric last night. Marina & The Diamonds performed on the second night of a back to back NYC stop as she puts the US on alert of her immaculate presence. The reports from Sunday night’s show at the Bell House were promising so I must say that my heart skipped a couple of beats as I hopped off the 6 train and down Bleecker Street until I arrived. Unfortunately for me the show was already underway but once I walked through the doors, I found myself floating towards the performance space with my eyes closed being serenaded by the dulcet tones before landing in the back amongst the throng of the devoted.

It’s one thing to say that Marina Diamandis is a wonderful singer but she also commanded the stage with style and grace. With every turn, every smile, she converted the uninitiated and to  those of us who were swooning to her every breath, we found ourselves falling in love all over again. Her backing band, consisting of a bassist, a drummer and two keyboard players, were on point and looked like they were enjoying every minute on stage. Marina simply had the crowd eating at her hand. We knew every word. We marvelled at her charm and she gave it right back.

Marina performed the majority of her debut record The Family Jewels and threw in a personal fave in Seventeen from her The Crown Jewels EP. The show lasted for roughly for 75 or so minutes but it could have been 175 and still we would have wanted more. For her first go-round through the US, Marina handled the attention with aplomb. Perhaps she really is obsessed with the mess that’s America? If so, that’s okay with me and I’m sure those in attendance would concur. With a little bit of luck, it won’t be long before the rest of the country falls in line as well.

N.B. I apologise for the lack of photos to document my experience. Mine turned to be pretty craptacular give my position in the back. For some really good shots, check out The Music Slut for she always delivers…

The set list was…

Girls.
Seventeen.
The Outsider.
I Am Not A Robot.
Oh No.
Numb.
Obsessions.
Rootless.
Hollywood.
Shampain.
Guilty.
-
Mowgli’s Road.

“Seventeen” by Marina & The Diamonds, taken form the Neon Gold release, “The Crown Jewels EP”

Oh happy day…

Marina’s coming to New York! It’s about time too! With The Family Jewels due to finally see the light of day later this month, it’s time for Ms. Diamandis & co. to begin her assault on American soil. I really don’t think I need to tell these shows are NOT to be missed!

14.03.2010 – The Bell House – BK

15.03.2010 – Le Poisson Rouge – Manhattan

Fist pump to the Big Matt On Campus from The Music Slut for the hookup.

“Mowgli’s Road” by Marina And The Diamonds, taken from the forthcoming 679/Atlantic release, “The Family Jewels”

To quote the immortal, Stevie Wonder…Isn’t she lovely. There it is hot off the presses straight from the lady’s mouth (@MarinasDiamonds). Let her know what you think. It shouldn’t be too much longer now…

“Hollywood infected your brain
You wanna kiss it in the rain
Oh oh, I’ve been living in a movie scene
Thinking American dreams
Oh oh, I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America”

I’d say it’s becoming quite evident that Marina Diamandis aka Marina & The Diamonds is quickly proving that she is not the woman to take lightly. If her first official single taken from her forthcoming debut record The Family Jewels, Mowgli’s Road displayed her penchant for whimsy, the followup Hollywood shows her cojones pretty boldly. She’s got something to say, not afraid to say it and this time the good ol’ US of A is in her crosshairs.

Now I’m very aware that dissing the States is a well-worn path to generating applause in the rest of the world, scorn Stateside all the while ensuring plenty of publicity throughout. There will also be many haters, armchair patriots and defenders of Old Glory who will chastise the concept of a silly pop artist, a pop artist who isn’t American no less, who has the audacity to drag America and everything she stands for through the mud. To those people, I say, give it a rest before you even start. Is Marina being an attention-whore ensuring she is on the mouths of the music buying public in America and the UK a month before the album drops? Perhaps… Is it a move doomed to fail? Possibly? Is it gutsy above all else? Heck yes! Is the song any good? Without question.

Hollywood takes our disposition to idolise our pop culture heroes and throws it back in our faces with the help of a very funny video. The video, as camp as it may be, delivers the point quite clearly. This is what good pop music does. A lesson bands like the Bravery could learn is that pop music when done right not only has the ability to whip the listener into an emotional frenzy but also gives the listener a purpose. It makes us think. About love. About ourselves. How we feel at this present moment. About the world around us and our place in it. This is the first pop song in a while by a new artist who had the gumption to buck the trend and not be satisfied with a simple pop hook or two to get the word out in hopes of making her the nest pop icon. This isn’t Lady Gaga. Marina’s brand of pop is something more sinister, more genuine. If the USA can’t handle it, we’re in worse shape than we ever imagined.

Marina & The Diamonds on MySpace
Marina & The Diamonds on Facebook
Marina & The Diamonds on Twitter

“Hollywood” by Marina & The Diamonds, taken from the forthcoming 678/Atlantic release, “The Family Jewels”

“Oh Lord,
I have been told
I must take the unforsaken road
There’s a fork in the road
I’ll do as as I am told
I don’t know
Who I want to be”

I have a confession to make.  It’s true I have a new crush. I’ve kept her quiet and under wraps for a while now but it appears I’m about to burst if I don’t make this known to the world. I have a major crush on a gal named Marina Diamandis. She’s a Welsh lass who’s now based in London. We’ve never met but that’s okay. She doesn’t need to know that I’m alive for me to extol her virtues as I see them to the blogosphere.  She’s quite a singer, you know? A whimsical style that evokes thoughts of another grand dame in British new wave lore in one Kate Bush. Although it must be said that Marina is a bit more playful and dare I say, mischievous in her vocal performances. You may have heard of Marina by now. Her name has been mentioned an awful lot lately in various blogs and indie magazines. It’s for good reason as you can tell from the BBC video above. She’s got quite a sound to offer and it’s only a matter of time before we are treated to her debut record entitled Family Jewels due out in 2010 via Neon Gold/679.

In the meantime, this lovely little ditty Mowgli’s Road is her debut single initially released earlier this year via Neon Gold in the States but is about to receive a major push in the UK as it will be released in November via 679. Listen, Love it, buy it. Friends…Welcome to the wonderful world of Marina and the Diamonds…

Marina and the Diamonds on MySpace
Marina and the Diamonds on Facebook
Marina and the Diamonds on Twitter

“Mowgli’s Road” by Marina and the Diamonds, taken from the forthcoming Neon Gold/679 release, “Family Jewels”