Kid in a sweet shop

I've been digging. Not that far, but digging around a bit to find some new stuff to excite the old earboxes. And I've come up with some goodies that really need sharing.


I'm off to see the mighty and wonderful Oceansize at the end of this week, so I thought I ought to check out the support band/s.

And what joys I've unearthed. 


First up is yndi halda 
(Enjoy Eternal Bliss in Norse doncha know!). Anyway, they are a splendid post rock/ classical/ambient crossover hybrid mash up of loveliness from Canterbury. Easy comparisons to some of their tunes would be Sigur Ros, but i won't cop out, I'll try and go a bit further. They seriously meld elements of modern classical and even jazz (heavy nods towards The Portico Quartet - without marimbas) with sweeping soundscapes of sumptuous melancholy and evocative ambience. Hell, even a violin. In fact, a lot of violin. Wonderful.


In this, the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, this lot are the perfect soundtrack.


Have a listen to these two beauties for starters. 

How does one follow that? 
Well, how about the fantastic
This Town Needs Guns?


Another slice of living proof that real music is out there. Real, beautiful, technically gorgeous and fabulous music. 


Impossible to pigeon-hole, this Oxford-based quartet meld a myriad of influences all tied together with stunning guitar-work which appears to be umbilically linked to the drums. Complex signatures and technical, but not over-bearing finger-style clean guitar with Spanish cadences, spiralling arpeggios and thoughtfully augmented runs and riffs all lay behind a fresh vocal delivering thoughtful but never over-pretentious lyrics. 


Man, this lot are good. Very good.

The album animals is their latest offering and is a definite must purchase from iTunes.


I truly hope the wider public picks up on these hidden gems. After watching dancing wannabee buffoons, cretins and exploited soylent green-eating turds on X Factor, bands like this offer us all hope. And provide us with wonderful diversions from commercially-driven  contrived autotune shite (and I'm not just talking about Linkin Park's new long player!)


Check out just some of their fabulous offerings on the musicy gadgety widgety thing on the right. And enjoy. Oh, and have a look at this:




Finally, and in no order of preference, here's a complete wildcard. Adebisi Shank.

Awesome awesomeness. Nutty, electronic, mind-bending, clever and totally bewildering tuneage from Oirland. Guitars, energy, beats craziness. Totally amazing. 


Their second album (wittily entitled This is The Second Album of A Band Called Adebisi Shank)  is just out and at the risk of being a bully, bloody well buy it. It's like nothing else you'll have heard and will get you smiling, foot-tapping, moshing, screaming and scratching your cranium.






That's enough for now. Plenty to listen to. Plenty to love.


I'll report back after the Oceansize gig. Am I looking forward to that? 


Bwoooar!