#musicmonday: Summer Camp- Ghost Train

Summer Camp are Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey.

For a time their identity was an intriguing mystery but they have just played their first headline gig at The Lexington and I've already been lucky enough to see them at Owl Parliament and Communion in London.

Summer Camp's music sounds to me like it's from the soundtrack to a really cool film that no one saw in the cinema but that picks up momentum as it moves through the bedrooms and houses of students, dreamers, those people who seem like they are drifting but aren't really. The film would be about American kids having a seminal summer in their lives where not very much actually happened but it all seemed very important to the characters.

The film would be lo-fi and slightly drained of it's colour with sun- like an old beach boys record cover; a bit like if Sofia Coppolla did an all American summer movie. When you saw it you'd love it and tell all your friends and then you'd be sad when it became well known and it was no longer your little secret.

Summer Camp's first release 'Ghost Train' is available from the Moshi Moshi Singles Club from today.

#musicmonday: Alan Pownall

If you want some new music with a touching but not sentimental melody and interesting lyrics that are mood enhancing, without being overly sickly or only looking at the bright side of life, my recommendation would be Alan Pownall. On top of his music being at once timeless and very now he has a really distinctive voice- and yes there is an edge of a David Bowie sound in that voice sometimes- so perhaps the girl who told him he was like David Bowie was onto something.

Alan has been a one to watch for a while now and has been highlighted by The Times and Radio 1 amongst others but if you haven't come across his songs yet do give them a try on his myspace where you can download a couple for free at the moment.

He has also recently started getting out on the road with a band. If you have seen Alan playing acoustically, quietly, but beautifully standing almost completely still, you are very lucky- but seeing him with the full band at the Hoxton bar and kitchen a couple of weeks ago was fantastic too and felt like someone starting on a new journey, which made me smile. I think there is a lot more to come in much bigger halls so if you can catch him somewhere small now do.

Picture courtesy of the NME.