Dan Mangan

The old term ‘troubadour’ is one that’s begun to lose all meaning in recent years, being thrown around to describe all kinds of insincere posers who, often, don’t even write their own songs, but it’s a word that, by its original definition, perfectly encapsulates everything good about Dan Mangan. For the past few years now, he’s been steadily building a fanbase across the globe - not just in his native Canada - with his gentle, witty brand of folk rock, with his record Nice, Nice, Very Nice nominated for the Polaris Prize in his homeland in 2009 - as, indeed, was the follow-up, Oh Fortune, at the Juno Awards in 2012, where it won best alternative album. Mangan has toured extensively in the UK, too, with his introduction to British audiences coming as the opening act for Canadian indie legends Broken Social Scene back in 2010, on what would prove their final outing. Even in front of unfamiliar crowds, he wasn’t afraid of pulling out his party piece - strolling through the crowd as he performed his superb ‘Robots’ and encouraging the audience to sing along the infectious refrain with him - and the sizes of the rooms he’s been playing to on his own jaunts since has been steadily increasing; check Mangan out now before he makes a real mainstream breakthrough.

Jenn Grant makes wonderful music to drink tea to. Like good tea, her resplendent voice can be enjoyed at any time of day. My only criticism of her latest offering, Orchestra for the Moon, is therefore that it is 23 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds too short.
The chirpy ‘Morning Break’ is perfect for settling into a piping hot cup of PG Tips with the Sunday Sport and double egg and chips. ‘Unique in New York’ provides a leisurely and upbeat mid-afternoon soundtrack for a rich Rooibos to complement your cucumber on white bread and butter sandwiches. For the maximum benefit of an after dinner pot of Earl Grey, or a nightcap of camomile and salted caramel or ginger and lemongrass, try some of the more subdued numbers of the album; ‘Make it Home Tonight’, ‘In a Brown House’ and ‘Sound of Success’, to wit. A rare Canadian contribution to tea-drinking culture, Jenn Grant casts a magnificent stage-presence. Jamming on her classic red Ibanez, her energy was so infectious I almost spilled my hibiscus and rosehip before finishing it.