It’s 2010, and Cul de sac is back in session. We decided to kick it old school by starting off with our nouveau classique series, Musician Mondays. Marina Diamandis is a 24-year-old Greek-Welsh singer based in London who plugs into sounds ranging from ’80s new wave to modern pop, dance and synth-rock. Her surname literally translates as “Diamonds” and is used as a stage moniker to denote her fans, not her backing band. Marina and the Diamonds‘ debut album, The Family Jewels, will be released on February 22 in the US.

Marina’s voice recalls strong female alt-musicians from Kate Nash and Lily Allen to Kate Bush and Imogen Heap, and her lyrics touch on identity-formation, commercialization and female sexuality. She is currently touring her native UK, heading across the pond for a few dates in New York this March. The first single from the album, “Hollywood” is set to be officially released on February 1 (our editor-in-chief’s date of birth!), but you can watch the video below: