Coin Laundry Video

As is probably obvious to anyone who regularly follows this blog, I really love good video clips. Why can't I just enjoy the music? I could psychoanalyse my need for a visual companion for hours. But at the end of the day I think I'm just part of the MTV generation (from when they still played music, obviously). Pure and simple. Anyway, this is the new Lisa Mitchell video. Feels a little bit odd that the video is being released about 4 months after the single, but I suppose this can only boost her recognition. The footage is stunning, and was directed by Vanessa Caswill who also shot Mitchell's previous clip for Neopolitan Dreams. This was no surprise, as both capture the mysterious, feminine and off beat personality of Mitchell completely.

Lisa Mitchell-Coin Laundry (zshare)

Lisa Mitchell-Neopolitan Dreams (zshare)

Meanwhile, the clip also utilises the talent of London folk singer Johnny Flynn. And my what talent that is. I first heard his name from Laura Marling when she covered his track The Wrote and The Writ for Triple J's Like a Version. She gave him big props and from what I gather this is one very underrated artist. And very gorgeous. Check out this duet with Marling herself:

Johnny Flynn-Leftovers (zshare)

Lisa Mitchell on Washing

Apparently this is the first single off Lisa Mitchell's debut album The Attic Space, though in that case Im not so sure where Stevie comes in.

Regardless, a very cute song-which is exactly what we would expect from Mitchell. Has she finally shakes the Australian Idol tag?

Lisa Mitchell-Coin Laundry (zshare)

Lisa Mitchell

I have a terrible confession. It's pretty bad...brace yourselves...I watch Australian Idol. When questioned I blame my mother (as I do with most things) and say that I only watch it because she does. But this simply is not true as I actually quite enjoy it and have watched almost every series. Why is it that I am made to feel ashamed to admit that I enjoy watching people of varying skill enjoy an evening of karaoke? Need I say more...

But in the same way that I can enjoy watching trashy T.V on E! as well as Oscar winning films, I take Idol as pure entertainment with any presence of talent only as a bonus. And so because of this, when a beautiful and original voice does come along it can easily be detected. Unfortunately, or probably quite fortunately, the shows tween and house wife target market doesn't really share my love for interesting sounds and would rather stick to the cookie-cutter mould of the diva-whether boy or girl. The result is that occasionally a star slips through the scarily lit Idol stage, and several years later bounces into the charts.

Introducing Lisa Mitchell. She came sixth on the 2006 Australia Idol and since then she has been gigging around in support of artists like Old Man River and Evermore. Mitchell is one of a string of girls who has been compared to Joanna Newsom in recent years, and although such a comparison is warranted, I feel that Mitchell's sound is much more approachable and easier to listen to. After two EP's, Lisa Mitchell is releasing her first full length album The Attic Space on November 15th. With input from Clare Bowditch, Ben Lee and Kevin Mitchell aka Bob Evans this debut is sure to make a significant impact on the Australian music scene.

I recently caught an interview with Mitchell on the radio and was sadly a little unimpressed. Understandably she is still only a baby at 17. But one of the joys of a singer-songwriter is their gift of musically communicating a story or theme that is important and meaningful to them. However, when she was asked what Neapolitan Dreams was about she had next to nothing to say. Even a little joke about Neapolitan ice cream didn't receive much of a laugh. Lisa Mitchell is an immensely talented artist but will definitely need to work on selling herself if she wants to go up in lights.

Lisa Mitchell-Neapolitan Dreams (mp3)

Lisa Mitchell-Myspace