Marina & The Diamonds, Sam Amidon and more

Marina the Diamonds: little gem

You can tell a lot about an act from the company they keep. When a tune called Obsessions turned up on the Neon Gold label, many sat up and paid attention. Neon Gold is the boutique New York label where Passion Pit first appeared, so Marina The Diamonds, an act who had already been gathering a fine head of steam from online pundits, were in good company.

Obsessionswas a pop single in the old-fashioned sense, a tune designed to thrill with melodic drama, eccentric hooks and theatrical flourishes. It was a track on every radio and stereo in the universe. A star was born.

The star in question, a Welsh girl called Marina Diamond from a Greek family, has become used to taking such high praise and plaudits in her stride over the past few months. For a start, she’s been making music and writing songs for about four years. By the time everyone got the Obsessions bug, Diamond had her sound and style sussed.

Her ascent to the top of the next big thing line occurs at a time when that queue already features a large number of female singers making weird electronic pop. Diamond, naturally, doesn’t want to be tarred with the same brush.

“I do my thing, I write songs, I perform and I couldn’t care what other artists are doing. If we have 15 girls rise to the top this year and they’re all super-talented, then brilliant. Good music is good music; who cares if you are male or female?”

Now signed to Warner Music’s 679 label, expect her debut album to be one of the must-hear items of the season when it is released later this year.

www.myspace.com/ marinaandthediamonds

Sam Amidon: spooky folk

How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a folk-singer? Vermont-born Sam Amidon has already traipsed down many dusty highways, and people are lining up to enjoy what he’s doing.

These fans may be applauding the wonderful spooky textures which he applies to traditional folk songs on his All Is Wellalbum. They may be full of praise for that rich distinctive voice of his. Or they may be simply catching their breath after one of those live shows where Amidon spins tales, plays his banjo, wanders away from the microphone and engages in some onstage press-ups.

You'll find All Is Wellon Iceland's Bedroom Community label and it features Amidon collaborating with Valgeir Sigurösson, Nico Muhly, Eyvind Kang, Stefan Amidon, Aaron Siegel and Eyvind Kang.

The back-story is just as colourful. He used to be a folk-fiddle prodigy and appeared on five albums with Assembly before heading for the avant-folk and jazz hills to study with Leroy Jenkins and Mark Feldman. And he plays in a couple of bands. One hell of a smart cookie.

www.samamidon.com

FOUR MORE

Those Darlins

www.myspace.com/darlins

Tennessee trio whose songs about eating whole chickens mix vintage country and stomping punk rock.

Tiny Magnetic Pets

www.myspace.com/tinymagneticpets

Paula Gilmer and Sean Quinn’s new rig-out combines Krautrock grooves, 1970s electronica and oddball pop hooks.

Legion Of Two

www.myspace.com/thelegionoftwo

Swell electronica project from Decal’s Alan O’Boyle and longtime drumming accomplice David Lacey.

Magic Magic

www.myspace.com/magicmagicband

Skyscraping orchestral big music from five wide-eyed Boston dudes.