Exit Music

Well, this is it.

The final entry of this little experiment.

I do hope that you’ve enjoyed my daily nuggets of controlled lunacy over the past month, and that you’ve found some new music to fill your lives with.

The aim of this blog was to showcase how much good music there is available on the internet, in the past 28 days only a extremely small sample of what's available has been presented to you, now it's your job to continue! Spread wide and forage, my friends!

Highlights from this blog for myself personally have been Panda Kopanda, Melodica Melody and Me, Grammatics, and Take a Worm for a Walk Week (even if just for the name).

Let me know what you’ve liked, disliked, loved or loathed from my Myspace minings! Just leave a comment!

I have definitely enjoyed writing for this blog; it has opened my eyes to writing for an audience (your lovely selves, of course) and has allowed me to write with a different approach to the usual essay-and-assignment routine.

Any further posts will have to be in a separate blog as this URL states 28 bands in 28 days, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it eh?

So for the final time, I bid you goodnight!

Dark Captain Light Captain

All abooaaaard!

You there! Climb the rigging! Scrub the poop-deck! Get the rum! Now where's my parrot...

The reason for all this (slightly stereotypical) nautical-talk is because today’s review-blog is ‘Dark Captain Light Captain’, I know that hasn’t got a great deal to do with the beginning, but a guy’s got to have an intro, right?!

We see a smidge of electronic music creep into this blog again as HMS Myspace Music Adventure leaves port for its final voyage into the vast ocean of Myspace, to bring back one more haul of audio goodies.

Enough with the sailing metaphors already, the electronic music that I mentioned in just the last sentence rises effortlessly from the Myspace music player, skipping towards you hand in hand with guitars and percussion with such grace that at first you think it might even be the mythological mermaids of old sailor’s tales, darn it, I’ve gone and done it again!

The vocals aren’t the most characteristic thing in the mix, being just over a whisper, but without it there would definitely be something missing, showing that you don’t always need a screaming lunatic as a front man to make an impression.

For this I wholly recommend Dark Captain Light Captain, so gather your crew, raise anchor, and set sail for their profile!

URL: www.myspace.com/darkcaptain

Part Chimp

The date is the 28th of April, is it not?

I said this blog would last 28 days, did I not?

This is the 28th day, but I have only given you 26 bands, so I am stopping here?

I AM NOT.

That’s right, you lucky creatures, you have the luxury of two further band posts (including today), so that this blog fulfils its criteria set out by yours truly, because I’m such a nice guy!

‘Part Chimp’ are today’s focus, and anyone who thought I was all about gently-gently music can go and...well...do something I probably shouldn’t write on here (for those of you with more sensitive imaginations).

Fuzzy, greasy and loud are Part Chimps agenda, reminding the listener of the heavier sounds of Yourcodenameis:milo, Death From Above 1979 (remember them?) and The Abominable Iron Sloth, who just weren’t long around for long enough in my opinion.

Anyway, back to the Part Chimp boys, everything pretty much has a scuzzy layer of distortion on it, just to let you know that they mean business. Real business. As in you’d be scared what they would do to you if you admitted that you kinda liked that Cheryl Cole single...

If sonic destruction is your cuppa, go on, give Part Chimp a try!

URL: www.myspace.com/partchimp

The Holiday Plan

So far this blog has seen some new bands, and some side projects (well, one) through its short but glorious lifetime.

But today, to keep you on your toes, I am going to throw you a steaming great curveball of a post.

A band that split up a few years ago, who hardly anyone seemed to know, and have got back together! (Pretty clever eh?)

‘The Holiday Plan’ are a bit of a pet band of mine to be fair, I adored them when they were together back in the good old days (well, 2004), and I would feel a bit bad if I didn’t share them with the rest of you now that you’ve got a second chance to enjoy them!

It’s some British rock again I’m afraid (what can I say? I’m a sucker for it!), four fellas making music that doesn’t let up, the perfect remedy if you’re feeling a bit dusty and those cobwebs need blowing away! Or in my case, for a good old dose of nostalgia...

Nostalgia?!

NOSTALGIA?!

Why would I want to revisit the past when I have all the music I need here in the present? Well, you don’t usually find a band this special (in my opinion) very often, the closest thing I’ve found these days are The Maccabees, and I freakin’ love them too!

URL: www.myspace.com/theholidayplan

Elizabeth and the Catapult

La la la, la la la, la la la, la la, la.

That’s what pop’s all about isn’t it? Singing along, even if you know little or none of the words, having a dance and wearing a great big Cheshire-cat smile plastered across your mug.

I think that’s the idea anyway, I think, and it seems to work for me, so to this formula I shall so stubbornly stick!

Three people (or rather, one person and an object) who seem to agree with me are ‘Elizabeth and the Catapult’. Now I know you’re going to unleash on me a torrent of "OH THEY’VE JUST COPIED FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE & MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS", but as you’ll find out if you pay even a fleeting visit to their profile, they ain’t!

The musical result is a charming blend of sugar-pop and grown up themes, with instrumentation ranging from soaring strings to ragtime piano, every song’s a bit different from the last, but contain hooks that grab your memory and just won’t let go .

That may not seem like much of a feat, but creating songs that attach themselves to you like toilet paper to a shoe (that’s a good thing in this sense, by the way), without the use of that darn autotune business is something I believe should be treasured!

Now sing along, dance, and grin like you mean it!

URL: www.myspace.com/elizabethandthecatapult

Bread and Jam

Now I like a good sandwich as much as the next person, maybe even more than the next person, but bread and jam is possibly the way in which most of us start our love affair with the bread-and-filling snack.

As we grow, our palette starts to change, but there’s still the child inside screaming out for bread and jam each time you buy the most sophisticated sandwich you can find in Marks & Spencer.

Fear not! Now that inner voice can be appeased by the tunes of ‘Bread and Jam’ (not literally, obviously, the sound of spreading jam would grow tedious after a while).

Although the lyrics of the poppy outfit may seem to be of the same usual ‘observations’ of modern society that every band and their mates seem to be doing, but the backing music is so optimistic and smile-inducing you can’t help but nod your head like an idiot after a few bars.

Now, the music, if Jamie T and The Libertines teamed up and decided to make a pop/reggae/rock band, however ridiculous that may sound, is how I’m choosing to describe Bread and Jam.



Now in this blog we have Beans on Toast and Bread and Jam, what’s next? Jacket potato? (I spy a challenge...)

URL: www.myspace.com/breadandjammusic

Ideogram

Another soft one today guys.

‘Ideogram’ graces the prestigious wall of blogs on this fine Saturday evening, and it’s definitely music for the weekend.

When I mention ‘music for the weekend’, I don’t mean the tripe that’s forced onto us from the Top 40, or the latest Kaiser Chiefs single. (Give me SOME credit please!)

I mean relaxing music that you feel you can only take the time to appreciate on the weekend, when your mind is free from obnoxious thoughts of paperwork and deadlines.

You’ve spent a hard week working or studying, you need a treat or two, go on, you deserve it, so grab yourself a bag of sweets (or a glass of wine if we’re feeling sophisticated) and sit down for a listen to Ideogram.


Influences that I can pick from what’s on the Myspace music player are; Damien Rice, Regina Spektor and Radiohead in the louder sections. (You think they wouldn’t mix well? Have a listen!)

It’s mostly acoustic guitar/piano based music that’s produced with sweeping atmospherics that, well, sweep you away! Before you know it you’re floating away on a raft of relaxation with the water tickling at your toes and the music filling your ears.

There, I’ve done my ‘sensible’ review bit; now catch the raft before it leaves shore!

URL: www.myspace,com/franohanlon

Grammatics

I must say, I am truly impressed with today’s featured band. Properly impressed I tell thee.

Properly impressed as in I look at my CD rack and wonder if it was all really worth it!

‘Grammatics’ are today’s band; who have quite literally blown my socks off.

There are stop-start guitar lines that echo that of Oxford’s Foals, but also the panoramic instrumental sound that American indie tends to capture better than that of us moody Brits.

That’s why they’re so good! It’s the perfect mix! There are enough guitar-y bits to keep the rock snobs happy and the song writing & vocals are top notch too; no shouty-screams here folks (no matter how satisfying it is to play loudly when you’re in a bad mood).

There’s plenty of music on the Myspace player to entertain your ears; a personal highlight is ‘d.i.l.e.m.m.a’, the way which the grizzly bass snuggles up to the delayed harmonics in the verse could be looped continuously for half an hour and I would still be perched on this chair blearily smiling into the speakers.

The profile is littered with praise for the group, with nothing lower than an 8/10 ratings-wise, and quite rightly so, the album sounds like it’s a corker!

URL: www.myspace.com/grammatics

Take a Worm for a Walk Week

This has to be one of my favourite band names, ever.

‘Take a Worm for a Walk Week’ may not sound as you imagine them to, they certainly didn’t for me!

Rather than jolly pop songs about spending dreamy afternoons taking your pet worm for a walk; it sounds more like thundering around on a triceratops during rush hour.

Obviously taking influence from maniacs Dillinger Escape Plan; crossbreeding rock and world music, adding some, erm, ‘unique’ vocals while maintaining some integrity is not an easy task. But hey, if you can pull off a name like ‘Take a Worm for a Walk Week’, then you can do anything!

Coming from Glasgow...uh-oh, I’ve done it again, another Scottish band!

Anyway, coming from Glasgow, these guys sound remarkably American (not taking into account a thick Scottish accent in the beginning of one of the tracks on the player), with, as I said, Dillinger Escape Plan and Protest the Hero as obvious influences.

Take note though, TAWFAWW aren’t as extreme speed-wise, so those without a penchant for slick machine-gun riffery may be slightly let down here...

So if you like your vocals abstract, your instruments unpredictable, and your names absolutely ridiculous, Take a Worm for a Walk Week are your band.

URL: www.myspace.com/takeaworm

Hold Your Horse Is

Spunky chunky punky indie-garage fun today!

‘Hold your Horse Is’ are a brilliantly lo-fi band, with scuzzy riffs that although could sound pretty similar if listened to consecutively, in a hot, claustrophobic club and they would sound awesome.

Things can get quite heavy at times, with a vocal delivery not dissimilar to that of Frank Carter (Gallows) at times, the instruments however (when not scuzzily riffing, of course), can just go beserk without any warning, giving a hint of the Fall of Troy to proceedings.

Not bad for a three piece eh?

Embarking on a small tour across summer (which unfortunately doesn’t see them galloping into Cornwall, the closest being Exeter Caverns), they play their first date, funnily enough, with *drum roll please*...Freeze the Atlantic!

(That was not a deliberate coincidence, I genuinely didn’t know that!)

There seems to be loads of bands using the ‘horsey’ name around these days; Pulled apart by Horses, Palehorse, Foals, HORSE the band (yes, that is their actual name)...we’ll be overrun soon!

Saying that, an equine-themed festival could be held with all of these guys playing, and it could be in a huge stable! and the bands could wear saddles! and play on each other’s backs!

Ok, maybe that’s a bit of a silly idea...

URL: www.myspace.com/hyhi

Spokes

Now everybody, raise your hands if you like Arcade Fire! (If your hands aren’t raised, then you, sir or indeed madam, are making a big mistake).

The reason why I asked that question, of which all of you should have screamed ‘YES!’ at your computer, is because today’s band, ‘Spokes’, have a slice of Arcade Fire about them, not a smidge, blob or splatter, a slice.

A slice as in a professional, sparkly, diamond-cut portion from the luxury gateaux of influence, that looks almost too good to eat.

To put it bluntly, this band are brilliant, they’ve got the whole indie band-come-mini orchestra niche sorted. It’s a wondrous listen, full of energy and brimming with emotion. Just when you think it’s creeping into post-rock territory, there’s a melancholy violin line that melts your heart and folds you into the song, enveloping your consciousness and whispering that everything’s going to be all right.

Whoa, that got a bit deep didn’t it!?

Anyway, back to it, there’s only one song with lyrics on the Myspace music player, but I don’t care, I would be quite content to listen to them all day.

Spokes create an unmissable opportunity for sonic escapism, simply lay back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

URL: www.myspace.com/spokessound

Freeze the Atlantic

British alternative rock, I love it. I love it more than a fat kid loves cake.

While on Hundred Reasons’ profile, feeling the need for some nostalgia with this surprisingly-hot April, I came across ‘Freeze the Atlantic’.

Firstly I thought they might be some sort of anti-conservation group, hell-bent on freezing the dear Atlantic ocean, but then I realised that was stupid, and instead had found a new alternative band that I could immerse myself in, huzzah!

I’m not sure what it is about this type of music that makes me go all tingly, maybe it’s because British alternative bands tend to avoid becoming clichés of themselves (well most of them anyway), or join trends that change quicker than Jordan’s marital status, staying true to themselves and making the music that we all love.

(Well, I do anyway).

Despite coming across this band through the hot hot heat of the past few days, I would quite happily be in the audience in front of Freeze the Atlantic, sweating into my plastic pint glass of disgustingly priced beer and singing along, whatever the weather.

URL: www.myspace.com/freezetheatlantic

PS. There's another reason why you should love this band, they've got Hundred Reasons' bassist AND Guy & John from Reuben as members!

Panda Kopanda

There aren’t really many words that rhyme with panda, and there still aren’t, even after the discovery of ‘Panda Kopanda’.

But that’s not the point, surely?

No, it’s not.

The meaning of the name does linger in your psyche while you’re listening to their music though; the grey matter in your head working furiously to decipher what on earth ‘Kopanda’ is, the bubbling porridge of your brain aching to figure it out, the neurons going into overdrive - you get the idea.

While all of this is happening inside the ol’ breadbasket, your ears are quite content to listen to this band, despite the daft name.

Although with no mention of pandas (or, indeed, kopandas) anywhere lyrically, the tunes suffice well without the cuddly creatures; the Irish four-piece serenading you with their self-professed “alternative/indie/melodramatic popular song” from the wonders of the Myspace music player.

There are many bands of note present in their music, but I would be lying if I say I didn’t hear elements of Mogwai; especially the bass work and the way that it can go from ‘twinkly twinkly’ to oh-my-days-the-world’s-about-to-end within a single song.

That’s no bad thing though, we all need a bit of apocalyptic dread from time to time, don’t we?

URL: www.myspace.com/pandakopanda

AM

Lounge? I put LOUNGE in this blog?

Yep, lounge baby.

‘AM’ is this lounge band with which I have so tragically defaced this blog with, for those of you who are still angry with me for doing it.

Technically, their Myspace states that they’re ‘alternative/indie/lounge’, but still...lounge!

To be fair, it’s more pop than lounge, but there are a few jazzy elements in there which keeps it tasty (jazz? I put JAZZ in thi...oh grow up...), but I don’t mind, the tracks have a groove which make me want to pull on a ghastly 70's violet suit (with matching flares, of course) and dance like your 'hip' uncle at a wedding after a few too many John Smiths, get the picture?

Maybe that was a slight exaggeration; I'm not even sure people drink John Smiths at weddings, maybe warm champagne, or maybe they just drink in the atmosphere...

Now that you’ve probably been sick from that last sentence, let’s get back to it; basically anyone who enjoys good pop music will like AM, the chilled vocals, dash of psychadelia, and the occasional sax breaks that go down oh so smoothly. (We’ve gone back to drinks again haven’t we).

So for some easy listening and good quality tunes, and before this glorifies alcohol any longer, crack open a cold one and tune in to AM! (Brewed in America, enjoy responsibly).

URL: www.myspace.com/amsounds

Atomic Garden

Ah oui oui! Bonjour!

Parlez-vous Francais?

Non?

Sacre-bleu...

The reason for that extravagant introduction (showcasing my GCSE French) is because today’s band comes from across the channel! But luckily, for both you and me; they perform in English, meaning you have to endure no more of my painfully limited French vocabulary.

While the music is pretty good (which is always a good start eh?) the lyrics can be a bit cringe-worthy, using the irritating whispery-verse-thing on one of the tracks that Metro Station ever so kindly inflicted on us with ‘Shake it’. Luckily for us the choruses have a bit more ‘oomph’ to them, making the other parts a smidge easier to live with.

Influence wise, they cite the usual in terms of ‘Therapy?’ and The Foo Fighters, they also mention some ‘French older brothers’ in terms of bands, but I’m not even going to pretend to know who they are, so to prevent myself looking like a complete fool, I shan’t. So there. (Cue snooty expression).

But credit to them, they don’t seem to be trying to fit themselves into the latest must-have genre, creating strange animals like nu-rave (yes, I know that’s over, thankfully), and also bree-bree-chuggy-chuggy metal, (what? That’s not what it’s called? Oh man...).

Add some European flavour to your musical taste and go and check them out! Rapidement!

URL: www.myspace.com/atomicgarden

Melodica, Melody and Me

The melodica, such a humble instrument, but so powerful!

For those of you unsure of what a melodica actually is, here’s a quick piccy for your entertainment (and don’t say I never teach you anything!) They’re quirky little things that make a wonderful sound, and are awesome for reggae and dub (to get your body dancin’ and ting!)

Three out of four members in ‘Melodica, Melody and Me’, play the melodica (they play other instruments too; otherwise it would probably turn into a bit of a tooty mess). Two of the members also play another overlooked instrument, the charango, and one of these talented devils also plays the kora!

Having been on ‘BBC Introducing’, featured as Steve Lamacq’s unsigned band on BBC6 music, and having also played a session on BBC6, things are certainly looking good for Melodica, Melody and Me’.

Mr Tom Robinson from BBC6 Music had these lovely words to say about the quintet: "I have to say we get a lot of bands coming through here week after week but Melodica Melody and Me are one of the freshest and most original sounding groups we've had in this studio...absolutely terrific!"

On their profile they describe their music as “wholesome melodies and skanky drops”; and they’re right on the money with that one, I think I love them already, you should too.

URL: www.myspace.com/mmmelodic

Helsinki Seven

Post 14!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are now halfway through our journey! I hope I have introduced some new music for you so far, and if not, I’ll just have to try harder won’t I! (Ingrates...)

In today’s post I’ll introduce to you a band I’ve known of for a while, ‘Helsinki Seven’. For some reason I have yet to meet anyone else that has heard of them, around these rural parts anyway, but then again some people are just mastering English ‘round these parts’!

The fact that Helsinki Seven aren’t on the national radar makes me mad because they’re a darn good band (having toured with Fighting with wire and Palehorse), and conveniently fill the gap left by such bands such as now-defunct Yourcodenameis:Milo and Million Dead. I’m not saying that these chaps are merely a substitute, but for everyone who cared for those two bands now have an alternative/hardcore gap in their lives, which Helsinki Seven could fit quite nicely into!

(That said, YCNI:M’s Paul Mullen is doing a fine job at transforming ‘The Automatic’ from that nasty little band who sang about a monster coming over the hill into a machine of some credibility!)

This post may sound a bit like I’m whining about my favourite groups that have disbanded, but I urge you to check out Helsinki Seven! Pleeeeeeeeeease!

URL: www.myspace.com/helsinkiseven

Cymbals Eat Guitars

Cymbals Eat Guitars? Drummers everywhere should be rejoicing, as this name surely means that they’re getting their own back on spotlight-hogging strummers the world over, but for all you tub-thumpers out there unfortunately this isn’t the case; it’s just a name, silly.

When I clicked on the first song on the Myspace player on their profile I immediately thought I would hear another electro-y indie MGMT rip-off, but then it changed, and I thought they sounded a bit like Arcade fire, then someone else, then someone else, I didn’t know what was going on!

Quite frankly, Cymbals Eat guitars encompass everything that is good about indie/experimental music; not the ‘indie’ you see ‘ooligans shouting along to at the pub, burbling through pints of cheap lager; but as in music that hits you between the eyes, and changes direction before you’ve recovered from the initial blow.

As I write this, the tracks are playing along on the Myspace profile quite happily, and the comparison that best describes Cymbals Eats Guitars is that of Conor Oberst’s band ‘Bright Eyes’; but at the same time Cymbals Eat Guitars are almost completely different. Similar, but different, you dig?

Needless to say to find out for yourself you have to check them out, but this band seem to be so full of creativity that they might just burst at any point and leave a horrible mess everywhere, and no-one wants that, do they?

URL: www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars

Megafaun

With a name like ‘Megafaun’, you might imagine the Roman half man-half goat creature careering around a city creating untold amounts of destruction to a heavy metal soundtrack, or adversely, if ancient creatures aren’t your thing, you may not.

In fact Megafaun are more country/folk than mythological creature, complete with banjo and slide guitar. Much safer don’t you think?

The folk convention of a group of guys harmonising is in full swing here, as seen with breakthrough act ‘Fleet Foxes’ (which unfortunately, we haven’t heard much from recently).

Upon the appearance of these three (even though it sounds like more) fellows, you would think that they would be more at home felling giant redwoods than performing folk music, with their mighty mighty beards, but the rave reviews from numerous sources on their profile tell a different story, it’s obvious that they’re them there musical types!

Admittedly, if a group of bearded fellas’ singing together doesn’t float your boat, then you may find Megafaun a bit tiring after a while, because they do it a lot.

On the other hand, if that notion makes you go all giddy, then head on over to their profile!

URL: www.myspace.com/megafaun

Collections of Colonies of Bees

As I sit here on this lovely sunny Sunday afternoon, with the heat of the sun warming my back almost uncomfortably, I have the hypnotic sounds of ‘Collections of Colonies of Bees’ whirling from my laptop speakers.

‘Colonies’ fall into a slightly different camp of music making compared to others in this blog; preferring to have loops and glitches opposed to so-so solos and saccharine singalongs as presented by some. Don’t get me wrong, ‘rock’ in their genre description, but it’s a different type of rock; this group is the sandstone of the music world opposed to the straightforward granite of rock ‘n roll bands.

Anyone who has heard Keiran Hebden’s ‘Four Tet’ project, or his earlier band ‘Fridge’; (and yes, they ARE cool, for those of you expecting the pun) will enjoy ‘Collection of Colonies of Bees’, in fact anybody with a vaguely open mind will enjoy this six-piece’s tunes.

Imagine Collections of Colonies of Bees as a hive (much like our friends in the picture, which would be a fitting metaphor, don’t you think?) with all the different worker bees going out and finding all the sweetest pollen from the melody flowers, before returning to their hive hanging from the rhythm tree, as the early summer sun sets on the horizon.

A nice scene eh? There’s nice music to match, go listen!

URL: www.myspace.com/collectionsocobees

Jonsi

With this being the second blog of not-quite-a-new-artist-I-found-on-Myspace, you would be forgiven in thinking that I am freeloading Artists’ new or side-projects for this blog, but I'm seeing this as glorious opportunism, which your ears will thank me for later...

This blog instalment comes aaaaaaaaall the way from Iceland in the form of Sigur Ros front man Jonsi’s side project, called...well...'Jonsi’.

But that’s not a bad thing; at least we all know it’s him right?

Upon listening it is unmistakeably Jonsi as well (for all the disbelievers out there who thought I was having you on) with his falsetto still in fine working order, pan-pipes in hand and excellent orchestration (don’t worry, it’s not like the 99p ‘relaxation’ CDs you find in supermarkets) and the Sigur Ros ‘thump thump thump’ obviously still his ‘thump’ of choice (anyone who has heard their second album “Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust” will know what I’m talking about), Jonsi is having a crack at going it alone.

Although a little poppier (is that a word?) and more accessible to the mainstream than the goods from the Sigur Ros farm, Jonsi does a pretty good job at being his own Icelandic freeholder, possessing a fine crop of melody and dynamics, the album looks like a promising musical harvest.

(It better be, I’ve just forked out the better half of a month’s wages to see him in summer!)

URL : www.myspace.com/jonthorbirgisson

Note: With a recent five star rating in the Sunday Times for the album, now released, entitled ‘Go’, all seems to be going well!

Black Mountain

People usually steer clear from mountains; avalanches, altitude sickness, deliriousness and occasional cannibalism are a few of the trials that can befall climbers.

Luckily, when listening to psychedelic rock, none of those things tend to happen, making that last paragraph a complete waste of time. (Unless of course you’re planning to climb a mountain, then take note).

Black Mountain is today’s featured band, and are signed to ‘Jagjaguwar’, home to Bon Iver, Volcano Choir, Ladyhawke and Dinosaur Jr among others.

Among this range of artists (come on, you should be used to these jokes by now!), it would be easy for the regular listener just to skim over the list of bands and check out the ones that they have heard of...but that’s where I come in.

By combining this blog, my basic knowledge of indie record labels and my expert espionage skills (alright maybe not the last one), Black Mountain came to light, and my oh my, what a discovery!

I have to tell you that 'Black Mountain' aren’t a pop band (as you can probably tell from the pictures), they’re the band that scratches the itch that one gets every so often for good ol’ fashioned rock music, with a smidge of prog for good measure, oh, and some acoustic bits, and some organ á la Wolfmother as well, the list goes on, and on, and on...

Thankfully it’s all done quite tastefully, there’s no sense of urgency about it and it’s ultimately an enjoyable listen, you can enjoy this mountain without the help of a Sherpa.

URL: www.myspace.com/blackmountain

Beans on Toast

Beans on Toast, have you ever heard a better name for a musician?

Now as well as being a quick tasty snack for on the go, or when you’re purely feeling lazy, Beans on Toast can now bring you relief in the form of snappy little acoustic songs about the smaller things in life.

Admittedly, most of the guitar parts do sound pretty much the same in every song, but it’s the lyrics, man.

‘Beans on Toast’ is like the uncle you never had, who could play guitar, smoked a lot and seemed to have been all over the world a thousand times over. His songs are like little stories which you don’t get bored of, no matter how many times you’ve heard them.

Unfortunately, there’s only a singular track on his profile at present, but his unique raspy narrative makes ‘pulling a stripper’ and being unable to write a ‘real’ country song sound like real romance. (Awww).

Having released his debut album ‘Standing on a Chair’, consisting of something ridiculous like 50 songs (who needs 4 track EPs...), and keeping himself busy throughout summer with performances, catch Beans on Toast if you can!

URL: www.myspace.com/sexdrugspolitics

The Subjects

When I first opened the window the ‘The Subjects’ profile page and saw that they described themselves as ‘Like Nickelback but less ballsy’, I dreaded what I was about to hear.

But I needn’t have worried too much, because they don’t really sound much like Nickelback at all, thank goodness.

But what did pour from my speakers was poppy folk that ticked the right boxes for poppy folk, but unfortunately didn’t tick all the right boxes with me, I’m afraid.

I’m not saying it’s bad , I just found it a bit...bland...you know? They seem like the kind of band that you would end up watching at the pub because the pool table’s busy, or because you really went to see the main band and there’s not really much else to do.

It may just be because they’re an American band, and I’m a miserable cynic who’s heard so much of the new wave of British folk it’s become ingrained in me to reject most things from ‘across the pond.’

Or maybe,just maybe, I’ve found a band on my Myspace adventure who I don’t really enjoy that much, yep, I think that’s it.

Don’t let my dreary ramblings put you off, you might love them! See below for the link!

URL: www.myspace.com/thesubjects

Dry the River

Ok, ok, you caught me, I found out about this band before this blog started, 2008 in fact, in their previous outfit; ‘Godwits.’

Another confession is that I didn’t find them on Myspace either, whoops, I saw them at Latitude Festival in 2008, but the obsessive amount of times I have listened to Godwits on Myspace makes me feel that they qualify to be featured on this blog, so there.

Anyway, back to the CURRENT formation, the five piece ‘Dry the River’. If you like any sort of acoustic music that shies away from the mainstream, you need to hear this band, even if I have to force it upon you! (You think I'm bluffing...)

Fans of Bon Iver, Bright Eyes and Damien Rice will undoubtedly be captivated by the delicate-yet-powerful vocal which pulls you in and gives you a lovely tingly feeling (no, it's not indigestion); that's when you know you've found something special.

Adversely, it makes you wonder why you've wasted so much of your time listening to bands half as good for so long.

Don't worry, in today’s hustle-bustle society you have to give yourself time-out from the huge amount of over-processed nonsense filling your brain and enjoy the finer things on offer; consider 'Dry the River' as a fine wine, to be savoured on a quiet evening, or with friends, (fade out to music from the M&S advert).

URL: www.myspace.com/drytherivermusic

The School

Pop!

That’s the sound of popular music, pop pop poppy pop, toe-tapping music that makes want you want to boogie-woogie until blood soaks through your shoes and you slip over on the dance floor in a rhythm inspired mess.

Ok, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration...

Todays featured band today are certainly kicking it old-school, with the emphasis on school, because that’s their name, The School, right? Get it? Yeah?

Also, they’ve utilised ‘old’ as well, truly getting the mileage out of the ‘old school’ term. I must emphasise that this is not ‘old’ as in the strange smell left by some elderly people after they’ve sat in a room too long, or the way in which socks go stiff after a while, but as in classic, feel-good baroque pop of yesteryear which is happy happy happy!

Happy music? Yes you heard right, the featured tunes don’t seem to whine about lost loves* or that they’ve forgotten their packed lunch. If they are, they’re doing a damn good job at hiding it, but I don’t think so somehow.

Catch the Octet on tour from March until May around England to promote their debut album; 'Loveless Believer', dates can be found on the bands Myspace.

URL: www.myspace.com/theschoolband

*There is one track on their Myspace called 'I want you back', but one out of seven isn't bad!

The Tallest Man on Earth

Contrary to what the name suggests, this is not the tallest man in the world (cue massive groan from reader), but alas, he is a darn good listen!

The music this man creates makes you want to hang with Nick Drake and Bob Dylan (Nick Drake may be a bit harder to hang with than Dylan these days, for obvious reasons), paying a quick trip to Joni Mitchell’s house before heading out into the woods to make instruments out of sticks & ferns, singing about life and making hugely successful records, to quote Tommy Cooper: “Just like that!”

Ok, he may try to sound like Mr Dylan a bit too much at times*, but that’s not a bad thing, is it?

But who hasn’t tried to sound like someone more successful than themselves? I dare anyone to raise their hand if you haven’t stolen a joke from a comedy show to sound funnier, go on, I DARE you...

...didn’t think so.

Now that we’ve established that we’re all marauding plagiarists, check out his tunes!

URL: www.myspace.com/thetallestmanonearth

* (I must mention that it’s the acoustic Mr Dylan of old; even citing that he wears ‘Boots of Spanish Leather’ in his song 'King of Spain').

The Xcerts

Post number three brings you a nice little three-piece Scottish band (no, not Biffy Clyro, we all know how nice they are.)

'The Xcerts' utilise lush echoey reverberating guitars and unmistakeable Scottish opportunism in their vocals, characteristic of fellow Scots 'Frightened Rabbit', with such gems as: “I am a ghost, I am nowhere, I am doomed”, but this is offset by the energy elsewhere in the music, lovely!

With most of their songs available on Myspace clocking at over five minutes each shows that these guys are not quite content with banging out powerchords for a bit and calling it a song. (As few Scottish bands seem to do, must be something in the water...)

There's the occasional American twinge to the vocals, with some “Uh-oh’s” in ‘Cool Ethan’ for good measure, but it doesn’t reach a US-teenybopper level, phew!

These guys sound right at home on Xtra Mile records (being able to say that you’re label mates with Frank Turner probably has its perks too) and show emotion in their music but not in the sickly ‘I love this girl but she’s juuuust out of my league’ type of way.

I was quite surprised that I hadn’t heard of these highland fellows before, but I will surely be keeping tabs on them in the future, will you?

URL: www.myspace.com/thexcerts

Three Trapped Tigers

The genre that these three chaps have dubbed themselves in their Myspace description describes them very well indeed; ‘other’.

With the amount of textures and dynamics they hold, is this statement an ironic assault on our pigeonholing genre hungry post-modern culture? (I doubt it, I’m probably just looking far too deeply into this, maybe they just didn’t know what to put!)

But I digress, the amount of different bands and musical influences around today have produced a very entertaining and interesting listen, in the form of ‘Three Trapped Tigers’.

Imagine if post-rockers Russian Circles and the frenetic Rolo Tomassi spent a steamy night together in a respectable hotel, producing a lovechild which looked a bit like Minus the Bear, and was occasionally babysat by The Mars Volta, got you thinking how that would sound, don’t I?

Well, I have the answer, it sounds WONDERFUL.

Opting for the guitar-drums-PIANO as a main set up, some of you may worry that they might sound a bit like Keane, but thankfully this is not the case, with electronics and synths used very tastefully across the mostly instrumental (it doesn’t get boring, trust me!) tracks provided, check it out!

URL: www.myspace.com/threetrappedtigers

(Note - At the time of writing I was unaware that they are featured in NME on 27 March!)

Welcome!

Hello, bienvenue, and top of the morning to you!

Welcome to the first edition of 'Myspace music adventure', a blog in which I have set myself the challenge of bringing you 28 bands in 28 days (found on Myspace.)

This blog is part of my journalism degree, but I also think that it's a good experiment to showcase how much the internet has to offer in terms of music availability! (With none of that naughty file-sharing nonsense!)

Now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way, I'll give you a bit more detail; the bands will be a mixture of signed, unsigned, national, local, and any other geographical description you can come up with!

I aim to bring you a mixture of sonic treats over the 28 days to please your lug-holes and introduce you to some tasty new music!