The View From Madeleine’s Couch

About Me

The View From Madeleine's Couch is an exceptional band of musicians & performers who are inspired by the music of Brazil. Over ten years, the group has recorded three cds, performed and headlined at festivals and venues all over Australia, and earlier this year played the support for Brazilian supergroup OLODUM in Brisbane.................................................... ................................ "I saw your show last night and enjoyed it as much as Olodum! it is fascinating how you incorporate our culture, sounds and soul" ............................................................ ............................................................ ........... In August 08 founding members Kym Ambrose and Anje West will return to Rio to continue music studies. They will be joined in September by their bassist Owen Newcomb & drummer Mark Henman for a month of intensive study and creative development for the next album. The group will also participate in workshops and demonstrations at the Jazz & Bossa Festival at Triboz, Lapa. The group is being assisted in this venture by funding from Arts Queensland.................................................. ..........................................Their first (self-titled) E.P. sold out in 2002, and their debut album, 'Tranquilo' (released in Feb 2005), received brilliant reviews from music writers around the world. It is still selling, and gets regular play on national, international & internet radio stations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The first three songs on this page have been released on the band's new e.p. "Sabor" (taste). Laze Away, Cancao da Sereia and Nossa Familia are featured on the band's first album 'Tranquilo' which can be ordered at www.cdbaby.com/tvfmc. 'Beijos no Sol' is receiving regular airplay on national broadcaster Triple J's Roots 'n All show ............................................................ .............................................. ............................................................ .....................................................In this most unusual genre (for an Australian band), TVFMC have continued to gig regularly, tour, headline festivals and record. Brazilian music and culture has served as a beloved inspiration throughout all of this, and the band hope to pay respect to all the friendship and encouragement they have been given by creating a cracker of an album on their return from Brazil later in the year!....................................................... .........visit our Brazil trip blog at http://madcouchbrazil08.blogspot.com. We'll be posting on there from our first week in Rio, after the 13th August.....................................

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/20/2006
Band Website: madeleinescouch.com.au
Band Members: Kym Ambrose - vibes|percussion Anje West - vocals|percussion, Mark Henman - drums, Owen Newcomb - bass|percussion, Jamie Clark, guitar. Other guests: Bruce Woodward - guitar, Jim Kelly - guitar, Shannon Marshall - trumpet
Influences: Too numerous to mention all, but for Kym, look no further than Jobim, Mancini, Donato, Gary Burton & our mentor in Brasil, Alberto Farah. All the Brasilian music we've heard over the years has been a huge influence. For Anje, hearing Joyce for the first time 12 years ago was a defining moment in her life. Music we listen to..........locally Afro Dizzi Act, Kooii, Pty Ltd, Sars, Mystery Pacific, Band of Frequencies. Brazilian faves at the moment are Lenine, Djavan, Joyce, Olodum, Timabalada, Marcos Suzano, Mulato Beat, Da Lata plus many many more of all styles and sounds. Other sounds we dig: Foo Fighters, Bob Marley, Massive Attack, Dandy Warhols, Pat Metheny, B.V.S.C., A.C.A.S., Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Aretha, David Byrne, Groove Amarda, Sergio, Beatles, Blur.....the list could go on indefintely. Suffice to say that we are inspired by, and love, Brasilian music above all things, but we still have a lot of room for pretty much any kind of music that gets our groove on.
Sounds Like: The View From Madeleine's Couch. As far as we know there isn't another band anywhere that sounds anything like us! Yay for the vibraphone! Please see our Reviews Blog for more info on the recordings and live shows.I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Record Label: Independant.
Type of Label: None

My Blog

It's About Good Manners, Really.

This is a little thing that bugs the hell out of me. Its directed at those people who simply don't know, or don't care about what it is to do business in a professional manner with artists...a...
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:37:00 PST

http://madcouchbrazil08.blogspot.com

Easier for all to access this blog we've set up for the duration of our trip: http://madcouchbrazil08.blogspot.com
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:36:00 PST

Madcouch in Brazil 2008

We are blessed! Today we recieved news that our application for funding (to Arts Queensland) was approved. This means that Mark and OJ will join us in Rio!We, (Kym and Anje), leave in a few weeks to b...
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:21:00 PST

A Valuable Lesson

It's simple really. Before we went to Brasil, we were trying to sound just like a Brasilian band. Without ever having been there, without having experienced anything of the country or culture at...
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:03:00 PST

Stacks of Reviews. Live & Album

Some reviews of the album & live shows: Jim Chapman, Lecturer in Music, Q.U.T. "Each year I pick a favorite band....and this year the View From Madeleine's Couch put on the gig of their lives&..i...
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:51:00 PST

Studies in Brazil, 2004

In April 2004, Anje & Kym left Australia to live and study music in Brazil for 3 months. They were assisted in this by a Professional Development Grant from the Australia Council for the A...
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:48:00 PST

About The Band

[email protected] &n bsp; ...
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:34:00 PST

Music is not noise.....

Builders can come and start renovating the house next door, start jack-hammering, concreting, whatever they want, at 6.30 in the morning. Its invasive, its loud, and when I've only gotten to bed at 2....
Posted by The View From Madeleine’s Couch on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 05:07:00 PST