From The Vaults: Cyndi in Sydney

It is an arresting image. Sydney harbour is bathed in a crystalline light, and the water, as though mirroring the sky, is a perfect shade of light blue. Ferries move with ease as the Harbour Bridge and Opera House stand like silent strongholds book-ending this iconic scene. Inside a comfortable hotel room sitting in front of this classic Australian panorama is Cyndi Lauper. With her blond hair groomed into a rock-chic bee-hive and her eyes dark with make-up she is the picture of a pop-diva, a striking contrast to the placid scene behind her. It is the meeting of two icons, Cyndi Lauper and Sydney Harbour, an image that marries night with day.

As a pop icon, Cyndi Lauper first achieved superstardom with her debut album She's So Unusual in 1983. Not only did this album feature hits like ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’, it also made Lauper the first female to score four top-five singles from one album. Now 55, with her 80’s anthems still echoing across decades and dance-floors, Lauper is back with a new release, Bring Ya to The Brink.

No longer clad in colourful 80’s outfits, she looks, and sounds a little different with an updated dance vibe to her seventh studio album, but she’s still Cyndi Lauper. As she chats away in her unmistakable Brooklyn drawl, you can’t help but notice that in person she has the same just-want-to-have-fun quality that echoes through her music. She’s a living breathing 80’s poster girl sitting in front of a post-card view of Sydney.

Profile: Pop Goes Madonna

As the undisputed Mother of pop, Madonna has well and truly lived up to her name. Ever since she was thrust into the public eye in 1983 in a flurry of teased hair, dangling pendants and black accessories Madonna has commanded attention. Despite her obvious success, she is often criticised as being more memorable for her controversial personal antics than she is for her music. Nay saying aside, Madonna is an example of how image can be harnessed to create a lasting impression. But to say that she has had a lasting impression is an understatement; her Madgesty’s music and the outlandish fashion that often accompanied it have become iconic moments in pop music history.

Born in 1958 in Bay City, Michigan in the United States, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone originally had aspirations of becoming a professional dancer. A talented young performer, Madonna was awarded a dance scholarship in 1976 to attend the University of Michigan. Anxious to achieve her dream of becoming the most formidable female performer in the world, in 1978 she left Michigan and her degree behind in place of chasing the dream in New York City. As legend has it she left with little more than a one way ticket to New York and $35 dollars in her pocket - an uncertain start to a career that would later be characterised by fame and fortune. Several years, various bands, and many casual jobs later, Madonna had a record deal with Sire Records. In 1982, her eponymous debut was released, giving birth to the hit singles ‘Lucky Star’, ‘Borderline’ and ‘Holiday’.

Madonna’s decision to move to New York may have seemed like a risk, but it was her confident nature, which helped ensure her success. Throughout her impressive career she has constantly re-invented her image and her sound, striving to cover new ground and to push new boundaries with each of her 11 studio albums. And although she constantly changed her sound, her popularity never wavered.

Madonna helped anticipate new trends in music and helped shape the tastes of audiences with each new release. For example, in 2006 Madonna released the dance ready Confessions on a Dance Floor, inspiring a resurgence in electronic music in America. Having sold in excess of 200 million records worldwide Madonna remains one of the most successful solo acts of all time. Madonna may not have invented pop itself, but she will always remain the Mother of re-invention.

She sings, because she can

Laura Marling's music is as rich as the soil from which her rootsy sound grew. A childhood spent lapping up Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell has nourished this young musician, helping her to grow into an observant and ripe folk musician in her own right.

Laura Marling sings with a strength and maturity that belies her age. A modern day Joni Mitchell, Marling released her debut album when she was just 18 years old. Hitting shelves in early 2008, Alas, I Cannot Swim went on to be nominated for the UK coveted Mercury Prize the same year. Now, two years on she’s back with her second album I Speak Because I Can (2010).

Effortlessly avoiding the sophomore slump, Marling has delivered a poignant, engaging and remarkably mature release. At only 20, she is arguably the most promising singer/songwriter to emerge in the past few years. Big things are expected from this misleadingly dainty talent.
Ever since she was thrust into the spotlight as a shy 18 year old, Laura Marling has borne the burden of expectation with surprising poise. This incredibly mature bearing however, is something that characterises all things about Marling, including, most obviously, her music. She sings in a voice husky with experience and writes lyrics weighed down with the knowledge of age.

At the same time, particularly on her second album, her music manages to sound youthful and fresh. I Speak Because I Can simultaneously combines a coming-of-age exuberance with the world-weariness of an old soul. Deceptively simple lyrics like “I tried to be a girl who likes to be used/I'm too good for that/There's a mind under this hat” capture this dichotomy at play. Here, Marling applies the frank and timeless style of folk lyricism to illustrate the foibles of life as a modern young woman.

Another beautifully simplistic element of Marling’s new album is its honesty. The record is steeped in sincerity, the hallmark of a true folk artist. But there’s restraint here too, and complexity. Whilst resoundingly melancholy I Speak Because I Can betrays Marling’s strength. Her sadness, anger and nostalgia are beautifully cloaked in melody and metaphor and delivered with whole-hearted conviction. True talent is clearly an ageless thing.

Real Good

12 years ago Blur’s Damon Albarn established a virtual band called Gorillaz. Now three albums in, what at first seemed like a quirky and ambitious side-project has eclipsed the success of his brit-pop days. This is particularly pertinent in the U.S., where the first two Gorillaz albums have outsold the entire Blur catalog. Read on to find out more…

Gorillaz may be a virtual band, but the music they make is more real than a lot of bands these days. Based on a concept cooked up by Damon Albarn, former front man of Britpop band Blur, the members of Gorillaz are four humanoid cartoon characters – 2D, Noodle, Russel and Murdoc. These cartoons, originally brought to life by English comic book artist Jamie Hewlett, are the front for a rotating cast of musicians and collaborators. Although this idea may seem like pure gimmick, there’s method to Albarn’s madness.

By distancing himself from the music he makes Albarn is ensuring audience attention is placed firmly on the music. Albarn, it would seem, believes the celebrity aspect of the business should take a back seat to the music. And although Gorillaz was formed 12 years ago in 1998, this issue of celebrity saturation has never been more pertinent. In a business consumed by image and ruled by the just-add-water pop stars of the Idol franchise (and similar spin-off shows) Gorillaz’s refreshing anti-image approach is laudable. By drawing attention away from the kind of stuff that keeps gossip columns afloat, Albarn has been able to concentrate on what he does best: making great music.

Aside from being the brains behind the Gorillaz concept, Albarn writes, produces, sings and plays most of the tunes. He’s also the one who lines up the cameo appearances. For the third and latest Gorillaz’s album Plastic Beach (2010) he assembled an impressive and eclectic mix of music heavy-weights. With artists as diverse as Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Lou Reed, the Clash's Mick Jones and soul great Bobby Womack all making impressive appearances on the new record.

All these names are massive in the music industry – they’re celebrities – which, if you follow the logic behind Gorillaz should pose a threat to the band’s anti-image campaign. However, these artists were chosen for their talent, not their status, which is the premier concern of the Gorillaz aesthetic. It is important to clarify that Albarn does not reject celebrities. He’s simply critiquing the culture surrounding pop stars, where a greater emphasis tends to be placed on a band’s image rather than their music. Gorillaz is Albarn’s attempt to make music more about, well, music.

In short by hiding behind the Gorillaz façade, Albarn has been able to create daring, innovative and impressive music. The first Gorillaz release, a self-title affair, cleverly fused Brit-pop and hip-hop. At the time, the freedom of Gorillaz meant Albarn was no longer constrained by his Brit-pop image; he was now able to explore edgier forms of music like electronica and hip-hop. The album itself was a critical and commercial success having sold over 7 million copies worldwide and receiving praise from fans and critics alike.

Gorillaz sophomore release helped to further cement this virtual band’s very real credibility. Another Top Ten hit, Demon Days arrived in 2005. The album went double platinum in America and enjoyed even more success in the U.K.; it also received a host of Grammy nominations. That the latest Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach, isn’t as pop as the first two is testament to the fact that the band is still committed to credibility and innovation. In short, Damon Albarn is keeping it real.