The Mahogany Sessions

It is hard to believe that our beloved youtube has only been around since 2005. I only realised the other day quite how much I rely on it; I browse it almost as much as facebook [I say almost.!]. And so, in one of my numerous sessions of late, I stumbled across a channel called 'The mahogany sessions' and feel its worth sharing.

I cannot deny that I'm a realityTVophile, there is really no point in hiding it. My clean sheet of 12 big brother series and 8 X-factors speaks for itself [yes..really]. However, thanks to the latter of these two great boasts, I am aware that a lot of modern-day music has been losing its originality. When X-factor now heralds, show after show [...after show...to the tune of Chasing Cars by Snow patrol], that it is searching for Britain's new talent, we all know that the barrel has already been scraped pretty throughly. Joe McElderry, probably the biggest fail to date, proves that in buckets. Mind you, he did go on to win another reaility TV show ('pop star to opera star', which I didn't watch...), thus recycling himself and feeding a British public who have become so lazy that they can't even be bothered to get to know another monotonous personality. [This, may I add, led to this, which ruined my Christmas a little.] And so, manufactured artist after manufactured artist are being churned out with not much to distinguish them but a highly contested race for Christmas number one, often a nail-biting push to the finish against a facebook campaign. 

I digress.

I came across the Mahogany sessions on youtube after reading for the millionth time that Michael Kiwanuka is tipped to be the big next thing in 2012 [apologies for saying it again]. After getting past the decidedly average 'Home again', I found 'Tell me a tale', filmed in a field. I figure that if someone can play a song like that in the middle of a field, then they are probably quite talented. And so I had a wee look at what else was on offer. 

 

It turns out there are some slightly more veteren artists, such as Jamie Woon, and having previously seen how he performs, he does not disappoint. One of the wierder videos I found was Marques Toliver and his violin. Once you get over the fact that Marques is pronounced 'Marquees', like the pluralised gazebo, and that it is a strange combination of things to watch, it surprisingly does kind of work. Certainly talented, even if you hate the violin abuse. And filmed in some park, even better. Neither he nor we, need a Louis Walsh telling us what's right.

Another find, although they appear to have a fairly rounded repetoire already, is Everything Everything. They make this peformance of 'Schoolin' ' look pretty easy. I also love the observation in the comments that the drummer is the happiest person on the planet - he really does have a content face.

And so, if you can bear to get over the irritating central focus that they use on every video, I would suggest a browse of what they have on offer, you can also find Ghostpoet performing in his sleepy rappish way, or Beardyman's amazing beatboxxing.

So, go and have a listen, enjoy some unadulterated talent. Go! Before Tulisa has a chance to so kindly share her wisened opinions with us, once again.