Charley Marlowe - Limo Piers Faccini and Francesca Beard

Based around the songs/guitar of Piers Faccini and the words of Francesca Beard, the band was characterised by the interplay between their alternating voices augmentated by the soundscapes, textures and rhythms of guitarist Lucas Suarez and the percussion/electronics of Frank Byng. Together Charley Marlowe produce an imaginative mix of soulful lyrics, humorous pop and sensual world beat sounds. Their music was once described as a beautiful mutant, fusing folk to hop, avant to pop, sung to spoken word. "Quirky performance poet Francesca Beard fronts this bluesy, rootsy band, contributing lyrics that linger and shivering vocals which melt into guitarist Piers Faccini's deeper tones. The group's heroes are Serge Gainsbourg, Nick Drake and Leadbelly, but their sound is their own and utterly magical at that." --Evening Standard, 5th May 2000 They played regular gigs around London, and became favorites on the acoustic/spoken word scene, winning over audiences with their fluid sound and skill at conjuring an intimate and spellbinding atmosphere. Charley Marlowe are one of the most refreshing and captivating live acts I have ever experienced. A perfect fusion of compelling poetry, infectious melodies and bizarre noises, all delivered with perfect taste and sensitivity. It started in 1997, with Francesca Beard and Piers Faccini putting poems to songs. At their first gig, a woman came up to them and asked if it was their own original material. Yes- they replied. Her face darkened and her voice became thick with hatred and fear. It's shit- she said, passionately. It was then they knew they had something very special. After an early gig at the 12 Bar, they were invited by director Jeremy Lovering to do the sound-track for his Channel 4 docu-drama Fatal Embrace. They asked percussionist Frank Byng to put down some percussion on several tracks. Soon after, he joined Charley Marlowe and brought along young magician and shredder Lucas Suarez, from Snorkel. Their credo was: The first rule of Charley Marlowe is we don't talk about Charley Marlowe. Their unique sound and commitment to secrecy attracted a loyal grassroots following in London and Paris at venues such as Cithea, the 12 Bar, the Scala, Subterrania, the Jazz Cafe, the Kashmir and Cargo. They worked with producer Saul Freeman of Mandalay to produce a number of tracks, including Circus and Sorry, which were once rumoured to be available for download on peoplesound.com and Kevin Armstrong, of Laylow Studios also produced a number of stunning tracks, not available anywhere. They are perhaps most remarkable for being the world's worst marketed band, the music industry equivalent of the giant sloth, rarely seen, not really looked for. Piers Faccini singer/songwriter who left C.M to pursue a solo career, releasing his first album Leave No Trace in France on Label Bleu in 2004 to great critical acclaim. He released the follow up Tearing Sky on Everloving Records in the USA produced by JP Plunier (Ben Harper/Jack Johnson). He has also written music for a number of documentaries, including the South Bank Show. Francesca Beard is a spine tingling and narcotic poet (The Independent), performing spoken word in venues from the ICA (London) to Roskilde rock festival, Torino International Festival of Culture and NuYorican Cafe (New York), with work published in anthologies such as Hodder and Stoughton's Oral and Dazed and Confused's Annual. Links http://www.myspace.com/slowfootrecords Piers Faccini http://www.piersfaccini.com Francesca Beard http://www.francescabeard.com Kategorie: Musik Tags: Piers Faccini Francesca Beard