From the gig at Modern Art Oxford, Feb 08.
With commentary from Winston Echo.

Now don’t say I don’t give you guys anything...



Incidentally, we had an amazing time.

Harriet

This should be up in the next week on:
www.tastyfanzine.org.uk

The Kabeedies The Madrigals
Sunday Sermons – Brighton – 3rd Feb

"Sunday Sermons" hailed by Everett True in Plan B magazine as the UK's finest Anti-folk night is having a birthday party tonight…. The party starts of with a little accousic set from The Bobby McGee's, complete with twee fireworks (a 21 Party Popper salute from the audience, mid walts) and the usual torrent of sweary words from Jimmy, only slightly toned down because his parents are in the audience "I'd like to see that c* Paolo Nutini try n sing this dad!" as he launches into a song with the catchy chorus of "Fuck you all everything you stand for"…. You either love the bobby mcgees or you are an idiot. It's often embarassing to watch a band have to perform after them, but tonight the bobby mcgees have hand picked the bands playing with them.

The first are the very wonderful Madrigals ( www.myspace.com/themadrigals ) They are beautiful and fey, very English, modern, pastoral sounding folk without the irritating laptops, comedy instruments or passe loop pedals. To me they are The Famous Five dancing with Belle Sebastian …every song is a new and exciting adventure with banjos being swapped for violins, guitars for xylophones and accordians and it is all very exciting. The Madrigals have some of the best melodies since that "Young Folks" tune except, well, 1. They can pull it off live 2. Their melodies don't get iritating after a third listen (check out "What Goes Around Comes Around on their MYSPACE…it's almost, dare I say, advertastic!) 3. They have more than one great melody!
With a few more gigs they are going to be fantastic and I believe very popular.

The Kabeedies ( www. myspace. com/thekabeedies ) come on like a bunch of BIS fans who stopped listening after kandypop. Coming all the way from Norwich for tonight, they are friendly with other Norwich tweepopnutters Bearsuit and they have the tunes and energy to match but while Bearsuit always seem to have something missing on each of the several times I have seen them live, The Kabeedies have it nailed. "Petitt Filous" was easily my Indie Pop Hit of 2007 (and by that I mean "BEST SONG of 2007") but that's not all they have; "Dark hair, dark eyes, I'm going to get her. Failed 1st time but this time I'll do better... In reference to a song by Roxy Music; Love is the Drug I'm going to use it!" ("Paddling", but hey, listen to everything on their myspace)
This is utterly perfect pop…they are beautiful, clever and only fucking 16!

Jimmy Jazz
www. myspace. com/jimmythehomeless

Seasons Tidings

A Very Cherry Christmas Vol.3 has been reviewed, and here's the snippet about The Madrigals...

"...From a Scandinavian Christmas to a London one… you can't get too much more romantic than that, and you can't get much more romantic than The Madrigals. Though their track on A Very Cherry Christmas 3, 'The Only Night of the Year', is the only thing I've heard from the band so far, it's testament enough. I've been listening to a lot of ancient Italian music lately, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Montiverdi of coarse (aptly, these of coarse being The Madrigals), and this track rings the same kind of bells (sorry) in modern indiepop splendour, subtly and sacredly buzzing with seasonal emotion and melody. In fact both A Smile and a Ribbon and The Madrigals in this track are bands who evoke a rare kind of lyrical sacredness within songs that stop you in your tracks and fill you with wonder, and at this time of year that's just especially to die for."

To read the album review go to this address:
http://www.miwsig.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=155&Itemid=243

Merry Christmas, love The Madrigals

Hello!

Just to let you all know that we have a song on A Very Cherry Christmas Volume 3!
We wrote the song last Christmas time for a university radio show, and recorded it at our old house in Harrow. It's called The Only Night of the Year.

You can buy the album for a fiver HERE: http://www.cherryademusic.co.uk/buyavcc3.html
You know it's a good investment.

Harriet

Half of the Madrigals went to the Apple Store at Regent St today. They tested out some of the new Macs with the massive screens and had fun with the inbuilt cameras. The store was very busy and so Harriet and Rachel began to scheme: they noticed that there were easily a hundred phones coming up on the bluetooth radar. So they attempted to send their photos to everyone!




Unfortunately, it didn't seem to let them send to multiple phone names (those bastard Apple-munching/working killjoys!) It had to be done individually, and the Madrigals didn't get very far doing it that way. They pressed the top name on the bluetooth recipient list: 'Kieran X.' (X?!!!) Suddenly, the sound of a phone buzzed behind them, and a young, handsome, metrosexual black guy reached into his man-bag/satchel. He pressed 'deny'. They left. Foiled.

Hello,

For some time The Madrigals have wanted their own website. Before the summer The Madrigals had placed the responsibility in numerous geeky boys hands... who were supposed to be working away at the job. Over time, these boys seemed to neglect all emails asking about the website(s) progress. You know what we think? The nerds had been taking us for a ride and there was blatantly no Madrigals website in the first place... but this is where YOU could help....

Do you know the technical side of webdesign? Like putting sound files, videos and photo galleries on a webpage (etc.) 

The Madrigals have a clear idea of what the page should look like, but just really need someone more technically inclinded to get us started... and maybe show us how to maintain it after the initial month or two of its running. If you think you could help us, email us at themadrigals@gmail.com or send us a myspace message.

Lots of love,

The Madrigals

PS. We will pay you £££££££££££

I was being egotistical and looking up The Madrigals on the Myspace search page and not only is there a Madrigal playing band and some shitty girl bands called the MadriGALs and Madrigirls (whom we already knew about) but there's also an new 'alternative' band called The Madrigals. This worried me slightly.


The Madrigirls, one of our many adversaries.



The other day when the Rachels and I were assessing our future stardom the subject came up as to what we'd change our name to, if the record company insisted. Rachel A came up with Harriet and The Jumbo Jets which, although is flattering for me, a) isn't as good as the Madrigals and b) is completely the antithesis of what our band is about: i.e. I am not the most important member of the band and should therefore not be singled out among my musical jumbo jetting bandmates; and lastly, c) we had the name first!

THIS group of Madrigals will NOT be changing their name anytime soon. The other Madrigals are the ones who will have to renounce their title.

Thanks,

Harriet, Protector of the Madrigalian Alias

(and the others, wherever they are.)

A few weeks ago we played at an Islington venue called Lark in the Park. You can tell we're going to be famous because Pete Doherty and Katie Melua (vomit) played there.
The pub had a nice ambience and the stage bit, albeit small, fit the four of us and had nice wooden panelling... sort of mock ski chalet. When we were walking on the way there there was also a massive wooden children's playground which looked incredible. But there didn't seem to be an entrance. I think the children get locked in there overnight?

Anyway, here was their review of us:

With tinsel in their hair, Christmas spirit was in the air as The Madrigals took to the stage at Lark in the Park in London's Islington, an intimate venue well suited to the evening's acoustic line up.

"The Madrigals, a young, pretty female trio, backed up by their male drummer, begin the evening with their folksy, easy listening music. An eclectic mix of mandolin, violin, and banjo gives them a distinctly different style to your average acoustic performer.

Set opener 'Bucket', a flute and mandolin style number sets an almost whimsical tone for the set. The upbeat follow up, 'In My Town', written by the band's guitarist, is a catchy number and was well received by the crowd despite their amusing inability to whistle mid-song.

A change of pace was made on 'In My Hands', a haunting slow song defined by the excellent violin melody with beautiful vocals. The group then took flawlessly to the banjo for 'Third Wheel', which proved to be a welcome change in direction as the lively crowd joined in the festive fun.

The resounding 'What Goes Around' saw a change of vocals resulting in the best song of the set, an acoustic performance played with both passion and emotion. Songs of this calibre will certainly bring success to this hitherto little known London band. They then impressed with their very own Christmas song 'The Only Night Of the Year' which nicely rounded up their fun, festive and folksy performance.

LJM, MOA LIVE"



I especially like the bit about us being pretty, and the way they've called my recorder a flute. They took some photos, which i've put in our photos section.

"London based The Madrigals are a four piece creating quirky, folk-pop miniatures imbued with a winningly wide eyed sense of innocence. Musically they utilise a range of traditional instruments including mandolin, banjo, violin and assorted wind instruments. At the heart of what they do though are crystal clear melodies which give all their songs a thoroughly likeable simplicity.

Firstly you should know that 'The Only Night of the Year' is a Christmas song. I know some people will recoil in horror at the very thought, however, due to their aforementioned 'less is more' ethic, The Madrigals manage to pull it off without ever sounding overly twee. It works because it's approached from an almost childlike perspective, capturing the delightful sense of anticipation that Christmas Eve brings. Musically traditional Christmas sleigh bells are combined unusually- but to nice effect- with banjo and woodwinds.

'What Goes Around Comes Around' utilises some improbably pretty bells and whistles which add a melodic grace to the songs earthy ambience of strummed guitars, drums and violin. It would be a hard heart that fails to be charmed by this songs rustic intimacy.

The same goes for the The Madrigals other two equally appealing songs, 'My Impending Death' and 'The Ballad of Tammet'. 'My Impending Death' is a purely instrumental affair with spine tingling keys and recorders which add a medieval mood to its gentle acoustic canter. 'The Ballad of Tammet' is an affectionate tribute to David Tammet, an autistic maths genius who sees numbers as an 'aesthetic experience'. The jauntiest of all the songs, it's almost sea shanty like with barrelling accordion.

If you get tired of hearing 'Mistletoe and Wine' for the hundredth time in one day, take a listen to The Madrigals slightly more whimsical take on Christmas, 'The Only Night of the Year' and their other tracks at http://www.myspace.com/themadrigals."

http://www.myspace.com/uncarvedblocks