Are you ready for something a little sultry? Maybe even a little sassy? Then let me introduce you to Amanda Mabro.
A Montrealer with Egyptian, Greek, and Austrian roots, Amanda “fuses the smooth and sultry vocal stylings of jazz legends, the raw energy of indie-rock and blues, and the mysterious theatrical flare of German and French Cabaret.” Listening to her music makes me want to be in a smoky bar sipping a glass of red wine with a dark and handsome companion.
Amanda’s memorable songs are included on her second EP Wine Flows which you can sample on her websites www.amandamabro.com and www.myspace.com/amandamabro

You can also check her out at her upcoming show at Centre St-Ambroise in Montreal on September 19^th.

Good Monday morning everyone, and welcome to this week’s installment of Link Love!  Today I’d like to introduce you to a blog I like to check often:  North by East West.  This is my favourite place to go on the web to catch up on whatever is happening in the world of Canadian music.  At NxEW you’ll find news, reviews, concerts, shows and festivals,  authored by an awesome (and large) group of folks from one side of the country to the other.  If it’s happening here, you’ll find it there!  You’ll also find a fantastic assortment of podcasts, which I just love.  Go check them out…whether you’re looking to get the scoop on old favourites, or you want to discover someone new, you’ll find all the info you need at NxEW.ca!

Hi everyone!

My name is Desirée Ossandon (although some of you might also know me as Desirée O or D. Cole Ossandon). Whatever I happen to be called at the moment, I’m now going to be writing music posts for IndieNorth.

I’m really excited about this and want to say thanks to the always awesome Beth!

For my first post, I’d like to introduce you to the wonderful Darrelle London.

Darrelle’s debut full-length album Edible Word Parade is a collection of nine songs that you can’t help but sing along to …and yes, I am singing along to them right now as I’m writing this

With a voice that is lilting and lovely, you might expect equally sweet lyrics from this classically trained singer-songwriter. But Darrelle uses each word to take listeners to places that are more complex than first expected.

With lines like, “It takes me pretty long to trust you, not you, just anyone” and “I’m jealous too, how couldn’t I be”, Darrelle shows a maturity that contradicts and plays off her sweet and youthful sound. Or my favourite, “It’s not my preference to play these games, but I can’t help that I’m good at them.” Yeah, that’s right!

And if you were wondering if Darrelle is in fact a truly Canadian girl – straight from her website:

“Edible Word Parade is the product of a girl who was raised on a farm in Ontario but now lives in Toronto and loves Canadian arts and culture, from the east-coast folk of Joel Plaskett to the Toronto-based television series Degrassi.”

You can find Darrelle’s music as well as news and upcoming shows on her website www.darrellelondon.com or her myspace at www.myspace.com/darrellelondon. And make sure to check out Edible Word Parade, now available online and in-stores.