Foundations: Kate Nash at London Calling

I spent Friday afternoon finally giving Kate Nash's much buzzed about Made of Bricks a fair listen. Too often, initial lazy comparisons will distort my conception of an artist. When Kate was dismissed as a Joanna Newsom knock-off in some forgotten comment form (perhaps I confused her with Kate Bush), I backed off. The more common Lily Allen or Regina Spektor tags gave me a reason to investigate, and you'll probably find something to like in Made of Bricks if you're a fan of either. But these comparisons are useful only to a certain degree. Generally, my enjoyment of music is based on a solely on immediate content, instead of ranking it with similar voices. With that in mind, the album's breakout single is "Foundations," and I love it. The catchy chorus is one big reason, and it's refreshing how she approaches the same old love song lyrically. There may or may not be a full review treatment coming up, but suffice to say it's recommended.

Here's Kate at the London Calling Festival at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, recorded on March 30th, 2007. There's also a profile of her in the New York Times. Enjoy.

1. The Sh*t Song
2. Stiching Leggings
3. Caroline's a Victim
4. Birds
5. We Get On
6. Merry Happy
7. The Nicest Thing
8. Foundations

Entire set: Mediafire
MySpace: Kate Nash
Official Site: Kate Nash