Ö÷²¥´óÐã

Make sure you listen to Steve Lamacq's show tonight from 9pm, as he's got a special session from Florence and the Machine. The incredible singer was in Maida Vale for an Introducing session and the videos are superb - see them HERE

Had a blast DJing last week in Aberystwyth Uni where Luke Leighfield was playing for the Indie Society! Then on to Sheffield I got to visit the Leadmill for the first time after hearing so much about it over the years. I enjoyed The Joy Formidable who were supoorting White Lies, and caught a bit of the Ting Tings doing a big gig in city centre. Then on to Sheffield Uni for dancefloor mayhem.

Now go check those Florence and the Machine videos!

I've been shaking them end of summer blues off by going out and about recently. Last week I went to see Euros Childs and the Dodos play in London, a great gig with two very special bands. I was djing at the new Matter venue last week too on the live bands launch night - Unkle and Iglu & Hartly played (the latter being the new Bloodhound Gang according to a friend, and who am I to argue?). The highlight for me in the supa-dupa new club was Late of the Pier. Last time I saw them was at the Barfly in Cardiff so to see them on a big stage was a pleasure and they filled it well witht heir wonky-synth-melodies. I was in Leeds last night djing with Hazy Dave at the Freshers Ball. With the Vengaboys on in the room next door and everyone wanting to see them (apart from the faithful who danced to the mix of MGMT/Golden Silvers/Prince - nice), it was strange to say the least. Still, got to meet the Vengaboys in a lift. Every cloud etc...I'm off to Aberystwyth Uni on Thursday and Sheffield on Friday if you;re in the area...

This week on the show expect the weekly dose of essential new sounds from way out; Flashguns are in session and after their performance at Leeds and Reading on the Introducing stage, get prepared a band to keep both eyes on in the future...

Super Tennis are this week's session band. And what a band! The nice people at told me about them a little while back and I finally got to see them play last week. Supa tight, supa fun and supa tennis-y. See them go through their favourite tennis moves and recording a track at Maida Vale here, and hear the session on this week's show. Not to mention new tunes from Golden Silvers, Cats in Paris and Sky Larkin. You beauty!

Every week on the Introducing show we celebrate a DIY Label of the Week. These are labels that might not have had a massive crossover hit and might not have budgets to work with artists and music they'd like to spend money on, but do it for the love of getting the music out there.
The buzz of getting into a band, seeing them play a gig, inviting them into the studio, pressing a cd single, ep or an album is unique. I used to co-run a label called Boobytrap in Cardiff with my mates a few years back and the amoutn of fun it was to put a release out, along with the graft, was immesurable. These days, maybe the pressing of a cd or a 7inch vinyl single isn't the most pressing matter; put it online and let the world hear it.
From to , to the and so many more asside, including the more established Moshi Moshi and Chess Club labels, they're all home to some of the most interesting music makers around today.
Maybe one of the most inspirational of all the DIY labels is the (born in Seattle with it's records scattered around the world) Sub Pop label; 20 years of releasing quality independent music is no mean feat. From Sebadoh to Nirvana, Postal Service to No Age, they're celebrating this year, as featured .
Hoorah for those who love it, live it and take a gamble!

Were you there at Bestival? If not you missed a lot of wicked new music. And a lot of not so wicked mud. We filmed some of the bands who played the Introducing Stage at Bestival 08 - here's Let's Wrestle

They're label mates with pete and the Pirates and rock the funky house wherever they play. There's live highlights from the stage on my shows tonight on Radio 1, and I played live tracks when I did Rob da Bank's show on Sunday

I'll be talking to Sofia on the show tonight too about her festival which is hapening this weekend in Dorset. Wicked line up, lots of juicy new bands and artists playing, and hopefuly no mud....

Bestival lives up to its name year after year. It's one of the most fun, most colourful, musically eclectic fests out there, and Rob da Bank with his wife and friends always puts on a brilliant show to end the summer. Even when I was ill there last year I had a brilliant time. Everyone's in fancy dress (don't let that put you off, it really is a sight to savour), the modd is always ace and there's so much music from bands to dance to cheesy stuff to everything else, it's ace. The Introducing stage is back there this year with a line-up that Rob's personally picked (like the rest of the stages too of course), with Metronomy, Black Kids, Pete and the Pirates, Lykke Li, Noah and the Whale and Late of the Pier just some of those playing....

Scenes from last year. Bet this year will be even sunnier...

You can hear live highlights on Rob's Sunday show at midnight which I'm looking after while Rob's at Bestival, and on the Introducing show next Wednesday at 9pm...

Tonight from 9pm and at Midnight it's Manchester's wonderful Beep Seals in sesison, and the best new Emerging, Under the Radar and exciting new music out there. Catch you later!