We hope that you enjoyed the raw rock music of last month's Artist of the Month, the Black Hills (AU). The Artist of the Month May is something different. They are funky, and they got soul! We are talking about Laura Vane & the Vipertones, an eight-piece band fronted by the charming Laura Vane (UK), who is musically supported by the amazing Vipertones (NL). Since 2009, they released a couple of singles, some EPs and two full-length albums. From the beginning their music has been very well received by the public and press. Their songs are really soulful and danceable, remembering music from  the past. Laura Vane & the Vipertones magically combine this 'retro' sound with a raw and modern sound. They got a lot of attention from some big magazines and radio stations, and toured all over the world. They performed in intimate, half-lit venues as well as in front of crowds of thousands at festivals. In the first half of 2011, their second full-length 'Sugar Fix' was released. Again, the band gained more and more attention with this album. It is filled with catchy songs in a variety of styles and very personal songs with lyrics about love and life. In June, the band will release 3 EPs with remixed by the winners of a remix contest. Anyway, chances are small that you've never heard of them, but if not, listen to some songs on their profile page! http://www.labtones.com/artist/lauravane

The fourth edition of Labtones Live in 2012 took place on Saturday April 28. This time, two Labtones acts played a set.

Mica's Mess (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

Mica's Mess (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

The first act is known on Labtones as Mica's Mess, but tonight she performs alone under her real name Mieke van Veen. She became a member of the Labtones network quite recently, but immediately got attention from Labtones listeners. She accompanies herself on acoustic guitar while the audience enjoys her beautiful voice and intimate songs.

www.labtones.com/artist/micasmess

Duncan Idaho (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

Duncan Idaho (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

Duncan Idaho (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

Next up was the band Duncan Idaho. Last year, they also performed on Labtones, but Labtones had good reasons to invite them again: they released their second album, became Labtones Artist of the Month and performed as support for Manic Street Preachers. All in the course of a couple of months! And like last time, the band played an excellent set with material from their most recent full-length; catchy indie tunes with great guitar licks and vocal harmonies.

www.labtones.com/artist/duncanidaho

Our previous Artist of the Month, Duncan Idaho, came from the Netherlands. For the Artist of the Month of April we have to travel to the other side of the planet: The Black Hills. This band is based in Melbourne, Australia. It is a three-piece band, consisting of Drew Basford (bass, vocals), guitarist Steve Taylor and Aihds Benvenga on drums. It is really a DIY band: guitarist Steve produces all the demos for the band in his home studio, and they do their own promotion and also fund themselves. The band now exists for three years and claim that they are "as close to Spinal Tap as it can get", except that their amps don't go to eleven. In fact, their amps go to twelve. But, according to their bio, they have one major thing in common with this band; they often have to search for a new drummer because the previous one exploded. The black hills make indierock, of which the sound clearly reflects their DIY-philosophy. The music sounds raw and honest. The band members have a long history in the Australian music scene and with their music they want to provide an alternative to "metrosexuals playing laptops" that now dominate the Melbourne scene. They think "it is essential for those who still know the art of playing real instruments to fight the apathy of clubbers and the evil of club owners who would rather pay one guy with a USB key than a band of people with something to say". We don't know for sure how well this fight goes, but at least they are receiving airplay in a number of countries such as the UK and USA. Curious how they sound? Take a listen on their labtones profile!

www.labtones.com/artist/theblackhills

The third Labtones Live! event of 2012 took place on Saturday March 31 in Merz, Dordrecht.

This is Bridget (Photo: Jasper van Dorp)

This is Bridget (Photo: Jasper van Dorp)

The first act of the night was This is Bridget. This female singer/songwriter started out singing in rock bands, but later decided to follow the singer/songwriter route. Since half a year she performs together with Oscar Poppe on upright bass, who is also present tonight. The two musicians clearly enjoy playing together and the audience clearly enjoys the intimite folk songs of this duo.

www.labtones.com/artist/thisisbridget

Organ Tonation (Photo: Jasper van Dorp)

Organ Tonation (Photo: Jasper van Dorp)

Next on stage was another duo: Organ Tonation. This act is fronted by Frank Montis, known on Labtones with his band DelMontis. Organ Tonation mainly plays songs from the album 'Straightforward Fascination' by DelMontis, but in a different setting: Frank is playing the Hammond instead of the Rhodes, and he is only accompanied by a drummer. Together they treat the audience with jazzy versions of the DelMontis songs, played with amazing musicianship.

www.labtones.com/artist/delmontis

Desperados BFDM (Photo: Jasper van Dorp)

Desperados BFDM (Photo: Jasper van Dorp)

The night is closed by a set of the international act Desperados BFDM (Brother From Different Mothers). These guys certainly know how to start a party!  With seven (!) musicians on stage, including two percussionists, they play a mix of latin, funk, hiphop, pop and reggae. Sometimes rapper ? takes the lead and at other times they all sing together with nice harmonies. When they play their single 'Tequila con limon', the Labtones crew gives the people in the audience free shots of tequila. This was the perfect closer of a perfect night!

www.labtones.com/artist/desperadosbfdm

The next edition of Labtones Live will be held on April 28, 2012.

LogOut (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

LogOut (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

The second Labtones Live! of 2012 took place on Saturday, February 25 in Merz (Dordrecht, The Netherlands). This night the program was rather diverse, with two singer/songwriters and one rock band! The first act on stage was LogOut from Greece. He was sitting behind a collection of pedals, with which he did all sorts of creative things, like looping his voice and guitar. He even played keys on his iPod! But most of all, the music was beautiful and his voice was incredible.

http://www.labtones.com/artist/logout


Johan Borger (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

Johan Borger (Photo: Amber Zwartbol)

The second performer, Johan Borger, took a lot less equipment on stage: a guitar and a bar stool. It is all you need for the intimate americana / folk music he plays. The music often reminded of the acoustic songs of Ryan Adams, with beautiful melodies.

http://www.labtones.com/artist/johanborger



The final act was Nothing Ultra. And it was quite a different one from the other two. These guys have a history in various bands and decided to form a band together that is all about rock music. The band played steady rock songs, with lots of creativeness going on. Think Foo Fighters, but also with a unique touch to it. And singer Gerben has an amazing voice!

http://www.labtones.com/artist/nothingultra

The next Labtones Live event will be on Saturday March 31. Keep an eye on http://www.labtones.com/live for more info and the lineup!