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Edition 77: 28th February 2023: A blog by Neil March

Feb 28, 2023
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Edition 77: 28th February 2023:  A blog by Neil March https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQjpIS_Vsj4ApJkGAVC0JAANeQ3w7cqiEo-K9HAOHVbIi5noPe2irreDa8sZCOKU76eUQ_AUtGC-mA8/pub

Trust The Doc Media is a wide-ranging portfolio with its focus on providing support,
exposure and opportunities to grassroots music artists. It is curated and managed by
Neil March of Fresh on the Net.

CONTENTS

Part One: The Month in Brief

Vanishing Point News (Page 2)
South East Central: Update (Page 2)
Unsigned & Gifted (Page 3)
Trust The Doc Live: Women of Synth Electronica (Page 3)
The Oddfellows Arms (Page 4)
The Independent Music Tour: Update (Page 5)
Fresh on the Net Faves (Page 6)

Part Two: Reviews of New Music

Albums & EPs (Page 7)

Pop Noodles (Page 10)
Alt Rock & Indie (Page 11)
Urban Flavas (Page 15)
Soulful Sensibilities (Page 17)
Club Culture (Page 18)
Singer-Songwriters (Page 19)
Synthematic (Page 19)
Electronic & Ambient (Page 21)
Contemporary Classical & Sound Art (Page 21)
Jazz & International Journeys (Page 22)
Folk & Country Fare (Page 23)

Part Three: Other Commentaries

Promoting Independents: A New Model (Page 24)
And Finally (Page 26)

It’s always a pleasure to receive a new track from fellow Welsh Londoner Phoebe Coco.
Clear Eyes is a slow, striking track with a kind of arpeggio based melody that is
countered by a lovely descending chord figure as cinematic keyboards enter from
every corner of the mix as the track builds texturally and dynamically. All this
time Phoebe’s dexterous and beautiful voice dominates with some lush harmonies to
boot. It’s been a while but it’s been worth the wait for material of such quality.

New Yorker Aisha Badru describes Lazy River as Folk but I don’t think that tells
the full picture. This is slightly otherworldly songwriting and singing with picking
guitar, simple beat and multi-tracked harmonies. It has elements of Folk, Soul,
Country and general singer-songwriter vibes. Her voice is soft but assured like
Corinne Bailey-Rae in a mash with Hayley Bonar. The style is organic but
sophisticated and Aisha’s harmonised voice is the icing on a very
appealing cake.

South East London-based Israeli singer-songwriter Florie Namir is, of course, my
bandmate in The Music of Sound. But she is also an accomplished solo artist and
she has now teamed up with Cameroonian artist Franck Biyong on a track entitled
Silence is music. It has a lilting Jazz-tinged undercurrent with shimmering guitar
chords and Florie’s classy piano leading the instrumental backdrop along with some
distinctive percussion. But it is the quality of Florie’s and Franck’s voices that
make this track so goose-bumping. Both have highly distinctive and richly beautiful
voices that gel effortlessly as they bring a sweet song that oozes class from start
to finish.