If you haven’t heard of Lay Low, it’s not because this talented artist’s moniker matches her status within the world of music. Icelandic singer-songwriter Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir, with her unusual moniker and all, has a voice of gold. Since being discovered nearly four years ago, she has done anything but “lay low,” garnering international critical acclaim for her folk meets blues meets pop signature sound. It is simply impossible to ignore one of the most terrific female vocalists – and songwriters – to come out of Iceland in recent years.
In 2006, Lovísa was contacted by a local label that showed interest in a raw demo she had placed on her MySpace page. Just a few short months after being discovered, she had recorded and released her debut album, Please Don’t Hate Me, which topped the Icelandic charts, and became the best-selling original album in the country that year, as well as being nominated for four Icelandic Music Awards (and winning three of them) in the process. Her latest album, Farewell Good Night’s Sleep, was released last year to positive reviews, and her MySpace views have top 350,000.
“By and By” – Lay Low from Farewell Good Night’s Sleep (2009)
“I Forget It’s There” – Lay Low from Farewell Good Night’s Sleep (2009)
Los Angeles musician Noel Carlon was born in Tijuana and grew up in southern California where he played his uncle’s guitar and wore out his father’s records. As a child in a “strange land,” Carlon found himself isolated, spending countless hours in the local library reading the poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Federico Garcia Lorca, and William Shakespeare. During college, he honed his songwriting skills and formed a band called Delarosa. Today, he is continuing his work using the moniker, Noel Carlon and the Dead Poets.
With help from guest musicians, Carlon brought his compositions to life and released his debut album, Insecure, last year. His musical influences include the Beatles, the Smiths, Soda Stereo, Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Tom Waits, and Chet Baker.
“Runaway” – Noel Carlon and the Dead Poets from Insecure (2009)
“Lady Kiss Me” – Noel Carlon and the Dead Poets from Insecure (2009)