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Mercury Prize - The Nominees

So I woke up and I am supposed to go and check out the nominees for the Mercury Prize, at The Hospital Club, at 11am..do music industry people even wake up before 11am?

Kasabian played live right in front of me, while I was still trying to have my morning dose of caffeine, then comes Lisa Hannigan with her beautiful voice….Superb.

Then you enter the press room (and this is me with my blackberry) and there are ALL the nominees plus all the media you can think of.

There was my favourite album of 2009 - Speech Debelle’s “Speech Therapy” (here’s a piccie of me with Speech!)…a band whose members had the worst hairdos I’ve ever seen in my life…The Horrors (really? Could never guess), Florence & The Machine (Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - best video clip ever) she didn’t know how to handle the actual prize for the photo hence the strange position she held it in…Bat for Lashes´ Natasha Khan is the kind of girl I wanna be, cuuute…La Roux wasn´t there ( I believe she is in the US, good for you)…The Invisible band were there, and man they’re not Invisible whatsoever, and as you’ll see from the photos one of them is most definitely NOT INVISIBLE at all. You can check out all my photos from the Mercury launch here

And this years nominees are:

Florence + the Machine ‘Lungs’
Kasabian ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’
Speech Debelle ‘Speech Therapy’
Friendly Fires ‘Friendly Fires’
La Roux ‘La Roux’
Bat for Lashes ‘Two Suns’
The Horrors ‘Primary Colours’
Glasvegas ‘Glasvegas’
Led Bib ‘Sensible Shoes’
Sweet Billy Pilgrim ‘Twice Born Men’
The Invisible ‘The Invisible’
Lisa Hannigan ‘Sea Sew’



Posted in Uncategorized on Jul 21, 2009 by mariana duarte silvawith 1 Comment →

Vem Bailar!

or… join us at the ball, in English.

O Baile represents the best of underground Portuguese music happening in London right now.

From Bands to Djs and spanning many other art forms, O Baile is a new platform to explore exciting cultural manifestations. Although mainly showcasing emerging talent from Portugal it will also incorporate diverse multi-national artists. Portuguese Fado and the success of more traditional artists like Marisa and Madredeus have exported Portuguese musical traditions with a contemporary twist.

The breakthrough across the world of Buraka Som Sistema (one of citizens´favorites bands) has given us a glimpse of what other talent is hiding in the underground scene in Lisbon and across the country.

O Baile will provide a platform to present talent from Portugal to a London audience. Live Music and Djs from Kuduro, Hip Hop, Fado, Electronica, House, Dubstep, Deconstructed Fado, Rock, Pop and anything else they fancy.  Mixed with Food, Fashion, Art, Design, Grafitti and all things Portuguese.

O Baile his brought to you by Mariana (one citizen) and Joana Seguro and if you missed the first one, you don´t want to miss the second. Friday, 3rd April, at Bar Music Hall, free entry and spectacular line up with more beats, fun and dancing.

This time: Octa Push, two brothers from Lisboa. Their style takes influence from all over - Grime, Bashment, Dub, Techno, Portuguese, African, Dubstep, Cut and Glitch..  the list goes on..

For those that didn’t make it, here is the video (filmed and edited by Giorgia Polizzi, soundtrack by Buraka Som Sistema and Stereo Addiction)


Posted in The kind of stuff citizensound does: on Feb 20, 2009 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

Dear agencies, before you read the brief…

Go on… put that marketing brief down for a moment and close your eyes… What can you hear?

What can consumers hear when they come into contact with that brand that is written on the top of that brief on your desk?

Click below and have a look and listen to what we get up to.

Let us know what you think…and what you heard in your office!

This is what Katherine Jones at Albion thought about the lunch we had with her team - I just wanted to say thanks again to you all for coming in yesterday. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the session. 

If you want to know a bit more about how we can help you define the sound of your brands drop us as line.

Posted in Advertising:, Sonic Branding: on Feb 03, 2009 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

Music I recommend: Emma Raven at W+K

Emma has worked at wieden +kennedy for almost 5 years and is very excited about her upcoming sabbatical- 6 weeks off paid whoo! Going from aussie backpacker to temp receptionist to TV producer has been an exciting ride. She is happy TV advertisement have been featuring better music of late than they have in the past.
She especially loves rock music and feels she may have been born in the wrong era as most of the tunes on her ipod are from the 80s and early 90s. She loves to sing the Don’t Go Breaking My Heart Elton & Kiki duet with anyone who will join her.

Favourite album at the moment? For chilling: Bon Iver, for dancing: Eagles of Death Metal or Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
A song that always makes you smile? The Shins: New Slang
Favourite recent gig? MGMT, Vampire Weekend
Greatest party record of all time? AC/DC: Shook Me All Night Long
Song you couldn’t resist singing or humming along to loudly, even though you’re wearing your headphones? Go Your Own Way: Fleetwood Mac

Posted in Music I Recommend:, Sync Music: on Jan 26, 2009 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

Music I recommend: Tim Bateman at Albion London

Last week citizensound met Albion. We did (well, Paul did with our support..,) a presentation on music and how does that influence our daily life. It was a very pleasant gathering at Albion, we were invited for lunch. Upon our arrival there were already 15 people gathered round the table sipping their tea and having a bite in what could have been a perfect Sunday family lunch. We loved it!

Tim Bateman is a senior creative at Albion.

For Tim, music and design have always gone hand in hand so it was no surprise that he works with a bunch of musicaholics. They spent most time listening to music, talking about music and making compilations for each other, “they could have been inspired by a story we had read in the paper or made as a birthday present or to share our favourite tracks of the year. And, as designers, we’d always want to package them in a way that we thought represented the quality of the music” .

Can we have more of these kind of agencies? Please..

We asked Tim some questions about his favourites.

Favourite album at the moment? White Denim - Workout Holiday/Exposion. The UK and US releases had a slightly different tracklisting (and name) but either way this is an incredibly good debut and definitely the best album of 2008 and Pavement - Brighten The Corners. The original was awesome enough but the recent two disc reissue has got another 34 tracks including Grave Architecture, my favourite track from Wowee Zowee. Definitely the best reissue of 2008.

A song that always makes you smile? I think it’s the lyrics that make me smile in these two tracks from the Lemonheads: The Outdoor Type and Being Around . Evan Dando is a complete lyrical genius and The Outdoor Type contains my favourite line ever: “Never learnt to swim, can’t grow a beard or even fight, I lied about being the outdoor type”. Being Around is just good all the way through with lyrics like “If I was a booger, would you blow your nose? Where would you keep it? Would you eat it? I’m just trying to give myself a reason, for being around”. Lovely.

Favorite recent gig? Another twosome: In October, my girlfriend and I did an eight hour road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway, getting to Berkeley just in time to see Sigur Ros play an epic, rain soaked, crowd-stampingly good set at the open-air Greek Theatre. Then did the eight hour drive back down to dance our asses (american for arse. Not donkey) off to Cut Copy at another open air gig in downtown LA.

Greatest party record of all time? Again this one works in twos. And these two tracks have never failed to get parties going: First, put on the Headman mix of Seelenluft’s Manila. It’s impossible not to tap or nod a part of your body to this track, that bassline is just too damn funky (and the lyrics are all about starting to dance). Then, just before people realise how much fun they’re having, stick on House Of Jealous lovers by the Rapture and watch grown men (and women) dance around on tables screaming the chorus at the top of their voice like a bunch of air guitar-wielding girls.

Song you couldn’t resist singing or humming along to loudly? Even though you’re wearing your headphones? I could’ve just picked one for this question but I didn’t want it to feel left out. So, the ultimate singing, humming, tapping or screeching like a guitar riff along to song for me is Set You Free by The Black Keys. A friend of mine used to refer to it as knicker-elastic-snapping but I’m sure I’ve snapped a fair amount of people’s patience while I’m listening to it on headphones. And coming a close second is To The East by Electrelane. It sounds like the soundtrack to the coolest indie flick ever. I doubt I sound quite as cool while I’m squealing along to its addictive chorus.

This is the cover for Tim´s Two Thousand and Eight album.

Posted in Music I Recommend: on Jan 26, 2009 by mariana duarte silvawith 1 Comment →

This is how we do it - NOTWORK video


You saw the pictures before but now you can hear it! It is our first notwork party, last December at The Social.

It gives you an idea of EJ´s power on stage and a Old Romantic Killer Band´s fanstatic performance. If you don´t want to lose the next one. Stay tuned to this blog.

More to come..

Posted in Uncategorized, notwork on Jan 14, 2009 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

NOTWORK at The Social: Well that was fun!

A big thanks to all of you that managed to come to the first ever NOTWORK last Tuesday. We hope you had a great time and will come again!

For those of you who sadly couldn’t make it you missed two stunning acts - EJ will be a huge star (and amazingly signed a record deal this week and is flying out to LA today to work on her first record), and the Old Romantic’s who blew away the cobwebs like no other band…Lead singer Harry has the best blues howl I’ve heard in years. Fantastic. And also a big up to Jean-Claude for spinning some great music.

Also a big big thanks to last.fm for keeping the free drinks running all night.

We will be back with another NOTWORK in January, so keep in touch.

In the meanwhile we’ve got some more photos of the night… Head for the sidebar (Look right on the screen and scroll down!).

Nick, Paul, Paul and Mariana

citizenbay’ favourite band: Old Romantic Killer Band

citizens Watt, Duarte Silva and Martin enjoying the first notwork night

EJ proving why Sony snapped her up!

Posted in notwork on Dec 11, 2008 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

Music I Recommend: nuno barão

We are very proud of our business cards. We not only print them with the highest ethical and environmental standards but we also always chose an image that reflects our passion for music. This one is from nuno barão, a portuguese artist now living in London. We thought this photo could one day become a beautiful album sleeve. Each time Nuno presents his showreel on the computer, he choses a different soundtrack on itunes to go with it. It depends on the day, the person seeing it and his mood. An artist that is inspired mostly by music. And Portuguese? Yes, please.

1. Favourite album at the moment? Naked -Talking Heads, Knowle West Boy -Tricky and What´s The Time Mr. Wolf? - The Noisettes. Oops, that´s three… sorry… one is not enough…

2. A song that always makes you smile? Nothing But Flowers… again… Talking Heads.

3. Favourite recent gig? Tim Exile at the opening of club Matter.

4. Greatest party record of all time? Last Night The Dj Saved My Life - Indeep.

5. Song you couldn’t resist singing or humming along to loudly, even though you’re wearing your headphones? By Your Side by CocoRosie

Posted in Music I Recommend: on Oct 01, 2008 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

M.I.A sings loud…

…. “Sound of kuduro knocking at your door” in Buraka´s forthcoming album - Black Diamond.

The music and video of the single - “Sound of Kuduro” features M.I.A. as a guest vocal, Puto Prata, Saborosa e Dj Znobia.

Hold your breath, what you are about see is on its way! Buraka Som Sistema are coming to London, Live at Cargo on the 21st October and we have tickets for you to join us. Be fast or they may run out! Write to mariana@citizensound.net


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Black Diamond is released on the 29th September in Portugal and in November in the rest of Europe.

Posted in Music Events:, The kind of stuff citizensound does: on Sep 25, 2008 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →

Can you wegué?

The citizens are loving the new single from Lisbon´s Buraka Som Sistema - “Kalemba” - or as we like to say “Wegué Wegué”, it just makes us dance like crazy. If you see 4 people dancing around The Hospital club in the middle of a meeting, that´s us, trying to concentrate.

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BSS is a band comprised of beat makers Lil´John, Dj Riot , Conductor and the MC Kalaf who have become notorious for their innovative sound that mixes an electronic music rhythm – Kuduro - with house, techno, grime and dubstep.

They brought to Portugal a new way of understanding Kuduro that means “hardass” , a type of music born in Angola, where basically you move your “ass” like if there was no tomorrow..

They have been spreading this new music and dancing moves all over the world on stages from Lisbon to London, to NY, San Francisco, LA and many more.

Buraka are nominated for Best Portuguese Act in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.

Posted in Music Events:, The kind of stuff citizensound does: on Sep 25, 2008 by mariana duarte silvawith No Comments →