Ö÷²¥´óÐã

Joseph O'Keefe and Cole Stacey. Photographer: Neil Denham



In the small hours of a Monday morning from 2-3am you can hear a selection of my favourite new tunes compiled into an hour-long mixtape of nonstop music. All the audio is sourced from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own Fresh On The Net blog.

From 3am each Monday the latest mixtape is available free via the 6 Music Downloads Page - where you'll also find archived episodes from the previous 4 weeks. All the tracklists and start times for each track are published here - together with a link to each artist's website.

In addition, every Wednesday the mixtape is published on the and added to this page midweek - along with more info about each of the artists. These are the listings for Monday, 10th December 2012

MARK MARRINGTON / MADEINMIDI - Cars [starts 0:13]

A quite brilliant sampled instrumental soundscape - technically and musically outstanding. It took me about 10 seconds from hitting "play" to earmarking this as a standout track to open this week's Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing Mixtape. On the other hand it must have taken electronic music composer Mark Marrington weeks of painstaking work to create this in the first place. Based in Hebden Bridge, his current project, MadeinMIDI aims to create a series of novelty pop tracks in search of the magic formula for the legendary yet elusive One-Hit-Wonder. Needless to say, this has taken Mark down some intriguing musical avenues but meanwhile, in order to subsist, he's a lecturer in electronic music production at the University of Leeds.

RETURN TO ALJUSTREL - Miserable Wonderful Lives [starts 03:22]

Another song I adored on first listen - straight in, no messing, inviting you into a musical adventure that’s all its own. The understated vocal sort of makes you expect a ballad but then it develops with a real tough edge. There’s contrasts of light/shade, loud/soft and even a Strawberry Fields slight return at the end, all packed into 3:46 without an ounce of fat. Simply a wonderful record, end of. The band was formed in 2005 by Simon Elvin, Rory Holl, and Luke Smith who wrote and recorded a demo album before going into a three year hiatus. This ended in Autumn 2008 when the band began practicing as a live act and releasing a debut album in May 2009. Various line-up changes were followed by their current second album Time Is Closing In.

ROSIE MAY - The Water Is Wide [starts 07:12]

Eat your heart out, Alison Krauss. We normally give preference to original material here on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing, but this famous traditional song (which even has its own Wikipedia entry) is just a killer, and this rendition is simply the best I’ve ever heard. Rosie May gets top marks for an astounding slice of close-harmony acapella. "Growing up in the tranquillity of Somerset," she says, "I began making music at age 13. Then at 18 I moved to London to jump head-first into the folk music scene - but returned a few years later to the countryside where I could really focus on writing." There she formed a band who have released an aquatic-themed EP on Bandcamp called Too Far To Swim - from which this track is taken. Watch the video at

STRAW BEAR - Kitty [starts 08:33]

Straw Bear formed, they proclaim, "slowly over a number of years, like sedimentary rock or a bad habit". Taking their name from the Whittlesey Straw Bear festival, the first event in the pagan calendar, founding members Ian and Chris began tinkering around with songs in their native Cambridgeshire and over the next few years Tom, Pas and Cate were recruited. This understated gem comes from Straw Bear’s album Black Bank - recorded at an isolated studio near Ely with Chris Taylor of The Bays - and duly reflecting the eerie atmosphere of the East Anglian fenlands. The band’s unconventional approach to subject matter sees them raging at noisily oversexed urban foxes, travelling in steampunk landscapes and moaning about Those People In London. Hurrah!

COLE STACEY & JOSEPH O’KEEFE - Without Lisa [starts 11:44]

Described as "An impassioned and ambitious songwriter" by Steve Knightley from Show Of Hands (who knows about such things), Cole Stacey hails from Devon, England and his impressive CV of high profile live appearances includes a joint tour with folk legend Chris Woods of The Imagined Village fame. Joe O’Keefe is a violinist, pianist and guitarist who graduated with a Masters in mathematics from Cambridge, and holds performance diplomas in violin and piano with distinction. The duo have just played a series of headline UK shows with multi-instrumentalist Joseph O’Keefe to promote their newly released joint album On Hire which came out last month and can be purchased from their Bandcamp page. Their next series of joint live dates will be in the UK and Germany in March/April 2013.

EMPOP - The Garden [starts 14:24]

A protégée of Gareth Lloyd from Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing in Beds, Herts & Bucks, Emily Brothers aka Empop is, she says "a singer, songwriter, musician, producer and recording studio owner/manager". Having started out singing, playing, writing, recording, editing, producing and mixing everything myself herself, she recently recorded her debut album with Brit Award Winning producer Simon Ellis. "Music has got too serious" says Emma, "let's put some fun back into it with some Empop". She's been as good as her word with her new seasonal video for Santa Baby at

THE LUNAR PILOTS - High As The Stars [starts 18:12]

The Lunar Pilots are an alternative Rock/Pop band from Essex. They recently recorded their debut album Point Of No Return at Monmouth's famous Rockfield Studios with producer Steve Orchard and tell us it's "set to be launched into orbit in early 2013". This track proved highly popular with readers at my Fresh On The Net blog, where it was very favourably reviewed by our Madrid correspondent Mar De Miguel. Key question for the band at the moment is which track should be their debut single next year. They'd very much like you to listen to the contenders and share your opinion with them at

THE MINISTER’S CAT - We Built A Ship [starts 21:31]

This Leith-based duo of Steven Smith & Alison Tod are both classically trained musicians who studied at the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music in Edinburgh. However, they really bonded musically whilst running an open mic night in the city, fusing Alison's flamenco guitar inspired instrumentals, with Steven's quirky song-writing style. After sucessfully getting through to the semi-finals of Open Mic UK competition at the end of 2011, they have developed their collective sound to establish a unique place for themselves in the local music scene.

Ìý

PALMS & PELICANS - Float [starts 25:05]

Palms And Pelicans are, they tell us, a four-piece male and female fronted band, hailing from the Middle of Nowhere (known to their fellow residents as the village of Hordle in The New Forest). "No one knows quite how to label our sound and we’re not even sure ourselves...you can call us what you wish. This is their debut release Float which has already been supported by Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing in Sussex, Surrey and Solent - not to mention Amazing Radio, Pure FM, Crush Radio, Hope FM and Voice FM. The band are currently recording their debut EP with producer Nathan Thomas and you can catch them live at On The Rocks in Bournemouth a week on Wednesday: December 19th, 2012.

PORT ERIN - Hold On [starts 28:05]

Inspired by the likes of Prefab Sprout, Talking Heads, Ataxia and Elbow the West Country trio Port Erin formed in 2007 and have since played over 300 shows including Glastonbury Festival 2010 / 2011, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wiltshire Introducing live sessions - and indeed been featured on my 6 Music Introducing shows over the years. They returned to the live circuit this autumn to promote their new sophomore album Wheel Inside A Wheel - which was recorded at Real World Studios with producer Marco Migliari. Regretfully their last few live shows this year have unavoidably had to be cancelled, but we wish them all the best for 2013.

THE PAPER SHADES - Friend Or Foe [starts 31:11]

Sarah Dollar and Jon Rixon are, they tell us, a male/female duo from the South - specifically between Basingstoke & Newbury. They've known each other for ten years but only formed the band three years ago once they had started writing their own material. This track Friend Or Foe is the closing song on their selfreleased second EP Where You Lay. Since then this talented and personable duo have been busy drinking tea and working on new songs and release a new single called The Storn in just over a week's time on December 18th.

SOCIAL MANIFESTO - The Drive [starts 34:25]

Social Manifesto is the solo project of Kevin "K Rawk" Thompson and aims to provide "a voice for the voiceless - members of our society that may not normally be heard". On his Facebook page he declares: "THE PAIN THAT I HIDE INSIDE WILL NEVER LIVE AND NEVER DIE, THE HATE THAT IS IN MY HEART WILL NEVER WILT OR FALL APART, BUT SOME WHERE INSIDE I ENJOY THESE THINGS, CAUSE PAIN AND HATE TAUGHT ME TO SING, EVEN WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS WORTH NOTHING, SO IN PAIN AND HATE I DO REJOICE, I WILL ALWAYS EXPRESS THIS THROUGH MY VOICE, I BLAME MYSELF FOR IT IS MY CHOICE, MUSIC IS MY PAIN."

WEIRD NAKED INDIAN - Safe - [starts 38:00]

Weird Naked Indian are the alternative, acoustic rock trio of David Dale, Conor Doig and David Holland from the Steel City of Santo (San) Portablo in South Wales. Having formed one summer, not so many years ago, they were commissioned by Michael Sheen to write the anthem 'Ö÷²¥´óÐã Is Where The Heart Is' for his legendary production of 'The Passion' in their hometown (known to the wider world as Port Talbot). This track Safe comes from their debut EP Weird Naked Indian Summer - released in July - from which I also warmly recommend their song The Ballad Of Ron Evans.

THE PREDECIMALS - What Do You Talk About [starts 41:00]

Immaculate playing and production - plus possibly the best guitar solo you’ll hear all year.
Having started out in 2008 as a four-piece folk outfit and subsequently morphed into a one-man pop-rock-jazz studio project, The Predecimals project has changed beyond recognition since its early origins. Admittedly there's still Rob Bray's songs and voice, an emphasis on smartass lyrics and memorable melodies. And - perhaps most importantly of all - a dogged refusal to take any of it too seriously. Ron lists his Band Interests on Facebook as "Cider, bicycles, girls in flowery dresses dancing on straw, good manners, the seaside."

DAVE DARK AND THE SHARKS - Pale Blue Dot [starts 46:49]

The elusive Dave Dark is, we're told "currently studying Tantric Dentistry at Aberystwyth University". Like Dame Edna Everage, Dave usually communicates with the world through the mouth piece of his manager, in this case Rich Wilde. Like me, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio legend Rob Da Bank is a longstanding fan of DDATS and has not only featured tracks such as "I've Resigned" and "Jule Andrews!" but even played played the currently unreleased "Large Hadron Kaleidoscope" which now has a lyric and vocal kindly provided by Peter Godwin. Live gigs are a bit thin on the ground due to the existential paradox of Dave's status as a fundamentally fictitious character.

SATURDAY SUN - Peaked [starts 50:48]

Saturday Sun formed two years ago in Swanage. So what can we tell you about them from their website? Erm: "The pitches shifted, the wraps of anticipation had almost suffocated the bubbles below. The cities stood tall but in a backdrop on broken structures, the molecules of water became broken, a far cry from the crystalline structures of 14 billion years of cosmic dance. To see was to see. Nothing more. And what was seen was accounted to for what was shown upon. The unambiguous world. Slowly what was seen in the mirror knew it resided within those around, like the swaying mangroves searching for the coolest of waters. How could anybody be sure......they couldn't. So time passed for those that accounted it, a personal habbit on the planetary system, shame about no doctors being available! Then it popped and the shell broke. Of which was left stayed where it always resided." Hmmm. See How To Write A Band Biog.

THE WATERMELONS - Dance Strange Together [starts 56:04]

The Watermelons describe themselves as an "indie pop group emerging from Chichester, West Sussex: Four young lads that bring energy, diversity and distinction into their genre." Fronted by vocalist Toby Field they have a history on recording on the best equipment they can get hold of for the most affordable amount of money - which, the last time we heard from them, was an ancient Boss 8 track recording deck. We do it all ourselves" they say "…and enjoy it." Better Together comes from their 6-track EP released in May this year, and they play a pre-Christmas hometown gig at La Havana on December 22nd.