主播大秀

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 主播大秀 Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own 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. These are the listings for Monday, 29th April 2013.

WEIRD SHAPES

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 主播大秀 Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own 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. These are the listings for Monday, 22nd April 2013.

WEIRD SHAPES - We Need This [Start 00:13]

"All we've done for the last 12 months is bang our metaphorical brains against every literal piece of studio equipment that we've amassed during numerous recent ebay scouting missions" say Weird Shapes (above). The first product of this technological rampage is this track We Need This. As always its a self assessment, against the backdrop of an escapist eulogy written in the confines of British heavy industry.听 We Need This is the first in a long line of tracks that we're going to be releasing on different blogs over the coming months. It got its first play on KYEO/Narc and is available to download for free from our Soundloud page (sounclound.com/weirdshapes). So if there are any bloggers out there who might want to feature some exclusive Weird Shapes material, plus an interview with the band, please get in touch dan@weirdshapes.co.uk."

JESS HARVEY - Don't You Wonder [Start 03:35]

A new discovery - whose music forwarded to us by Kelly Betts from 主播大秀 Introducing in Beds, Herts and Bucks - Jess Harvey is an 18 year old songwriter who plays keyboard and guitar.听 Her debut studio EP, "Heard if not Seen" can be heard and downloaded online, along with various live recordings and her latest original tracks.听 Experimenting with genres such as pop, jazz and acoustic,听 her aim is to blend "mellow jazz vocals, intricate piano parts and layered vocal harmonies". She can regularly be found performing around Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, and you can catch up with her听 on Facebook, Bandcamp, Youtube and Soundcloud by googling "Jess Harvey Music".

BIGGER THAN SEATTLE - When We're Apart [Start 07:03]

This track was recommended to us by Louise Brierley who co-hosts 主播大秀听 West Midlands Introducing. Bigger than Seattle are, we're told, "an Indie Rock band who started out in early 2012 as a quartet of musicians from different Stourbridge based bands: four blokes out to blow your mind with natural grooves and vibes."听 Within a few months they had recorded their debut EP Cherish This - and by the end of the year were "playing great venues in cities around the UK. 2013 promises a host of new songs, recordings and further UK gigging. See our twitter for more updates".

CURXES - Further Still [Start 10:37]

Brighton's Curxes (pronounced "Curses") consist of the impossibly glamorous Roberta Fidora and Macaulay Hopwood - who describe themselves as "a decorative set of bones, channelling the ghosts of discotheques past" - and for many of our readers will, I'm sure need no Introducing at all. Their Wordpress-based website is not only visually rich but warm and entertaining in style - and clearly written by the band themselves. (A wonderful contrast to the many other fast-rising artists whose idea of interactivity is a form saying "subscribe to our mailing list" and the email address of their management office.) For example: "Among otter things this month (yes, that was deliberate, we鈥檙e sorry), we鈥檝e been cooking up some clatterbang with our special brand of 鈥渘arcissistic flutes鈥� for Scotlandia鈥檚 own Chvrches, in a special 1996-style affair: Chvrches vs Curxes. The song is called Recover and you can listen/taste the difference between the original and our remix below. It was released digitally on March 25th and will be out vinylly for Record Store Day (20th April 2013). Yum." This track Further Still听 premi猫red on The 405 before making an appearance on Electronic Rumors, Hand Clap Movement, Wonky Sensitive and Faded Glamour. The song is available not only in this week's Mixtape but as a free download from their website. As Curxes themselves say, "help yourself pop pickers鈥�"

FLUTES - Kilburn [Start 14:10]

"Hello there, we are genuinely honoured, very excited and admittedly a little surprised that you have a desire to learn more about our band. The roots of Flutes started over ten years ago, when Godfrey met Andy at university on the windswept coast of Fife. Add in Rob and Alex, and for the past 8 years we鈥檝e been concocting a musical story together which contains the following elements: a church hall in Oxford, corporate espionage, recording in sheds, recording on industrial estates, the M6, an old white minibus, too many London gigs circa 2007/08, grizzly old men, a 主播大秀 sound technician with a fetish for vintage microphones, big belly laughs, and a Scottish football stadium. More recently, we decamped to a static caravan in Craigenmuir on the outskirts of Glasgow. This put us within striking distance of the recording studio Chem19 to finally document the songs which provided the soundtrack to this chunk of our life. Guided by Jamie 鈥楾he Tornado鈥� Savage, we鈥檙e happy to report that we have a record that we鈥檙e dead chuffed with. To top it off, my old primary school friend Mark Buchanan has directed a couple of fantastic videos to accompany the album. We鈥檝e got lots planned for 2013 so please do visit our website for updates, new releases and live dates."

THE LAKE POETS - April [Start 17:59]

Sunderland musician Martin Longstaff sometimes makes noisy brasss electro music with eccentric local听 supergroup B>E>A>K. Since April 2010 he has also been writing and performing delicate emotional acoustic music under the name of The Lake Poets - sometimes alone with his guitar and sometimes with a band of kindred spirits. His live shows to date have included appearances in Durham Cathedral, Sunderland Minster and London鈥檚 Roundhouse Theatre. On record, The Lake Poets' music is released by the local label he co-founded, Tiny Lights Recordings - which is also home to Natasha Haws, Blank Maps, The Railway Club - and O'Messy Life whose music also appears at the end of this week's mixtape. launch show for d茅but single, 鈥楥ity By The Sea鈥�, at The Sage sold out 3 months in advance. The launch shows for all three of his singles have sold out months in advance. This one - produced by Mick Ross & James Mottershead - comes out next Monday (April 29th) and he next plays live at at Newcastle's Evolution festival on May 26th.

MOUNT FABRIC - Heuristic Fits [Start 21:33]

Mount Fabric are nothing to do with fabric, or how to mount it: they are in fact falsetto, reverb, toms, distortion, effects, shattering highs and abusers of all things classic. They plan to release a series of singles throughout 2013 that focus on the meaning of life, of which Heueristic Fits is the first. Last year they opened for the likes of Alt-J, Dum Dum Girls and Exitmusic, toured California and headlined the new music stage at BT's London Live in Hyde Park last year - before retreating to their Manchester studio to record new material.听 Their passion lies, they tell us "in creating interesting music; from their avoidance of chords, choruses, and lyrical clich茅s, to their ultra-cheap D.I.Y. recording set-up, they try whenever possible to avoid the obvious and pursue the slightly unusual.听 Heuristic Fits will be followed by a second single in June, accompanied by a launch night at Manchester's Ruby Lounge on June 5th."听

DARK BLUE - The False Idol [Start 25:27]

"Dark Blue descended from the planet Jupiter three weeks ago, landing on the top of a mountain in New Zealand. Despite the lush scenery, he didn't much like it (due to the many biting insects) so opted instead, to live in Bingley, West Yorkshire. Since then Dark Blue has become fascinated with the local architecture and discovered many books about music at the local Library, which has inspired him to create his own sounds. In June he will be releasing an EP of the music he has created - from which The False Idol is a taster."

THE RAMISCO MAKI MAKI ROCKING HORSE - Danger Danger [Start 30:09]

The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse is an alternative indie folk artist from the Scottish Highlands. "Armed with his acoustic guitar and fuzz box the Horse throws forth wherever his hooves land, a guerrilla rocker of sorts with a history of pop-up shows that span parts of the UK, Europe and North America. Previous to becoming The Horse, Ray McCartney was a founding member, songwriter, performer and producer of The Kazoo Funk Orchestra. He performed as Little Beard before leaving the collective for brain surgery late in 2008. Ray was also the founding member / songwriter and frontman of El Jugador until the band split in 2005. A recent session Ramisco did for 主播大秀 Scotland with his backing band The Wat Wat Kings will be aired by 主播大秀 Alba's RAPAL Tbh on April 25th at 10pm. His latest EP, Squawk!, is out now."

NB: 主播大秀 Alba is a Scottish Gaelic language digital TV channel jointly owned by the 主播大秀 and MG Alba, launched in 2008: the name Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It's the first multi-genre channel to come entirely from Scotland with almost all of its programmes made domestically.

OH SO QUIET - Rain At Night [Start 32:49]

Oh So Quiet consists of the core duo of Lucas and Malena Zavala plus a live band. Originally from Argentina, they grew up in the creative environment of a family packed with architects, fine artists and musicians. When our protagonists reached the respective ages of 7 and 3, their parents decided to move to England. By early 2011 they had gathered together musicians from other parts of the world to form a live band, combining indigenous Latin-American music with Western World indie and folk. The full lineup includes Spanish-American Axel Mart铆nez on bass, Lithuanian Silvija Vil on violin and Belgian Martin Gregoire on drums. Their debut release - the Oh So Quiet EP -听 is released next Monday April 29th.

COUNCIL TAX BAND - A Salty Grave [Start 36:32]

"Andy, James, Charlie and Laura have unremarkable haircuts and lack an interesting backstory: the best they can hope for is to have a good time before being consigned to the dustbin of art rock obscurity. However, Council Tax Band are happy for you to invent any old guff if it helps them fulfil their ultimate goal of selling their music to be used on adverts flogging cardigans and mobile phones to The Great Unwashed. Their EP Three Songs was recorded in a room full of cardboard boxes in around a day, using a combination of borrowed gear, and gear they bought themselves by slogging their guts out in a variety of shit jobs. It鈥檚 the first thing they鈥檝e done that they consider fit for public consumption. Prospective 'fans' can download Three Songs for as much or as little cash as they like on our Bandcamp page. Council Tax Band also have Facebook and Twitter accounts exactly where you'd expect to find them, should you feel an overwhelming need to track their bowel movements. Gigs:
April 26th - Bedford, Esquires
May 3rd - London, Cakey Muto
May 21st - St Albans, The Horn
May 24th - Middlesbrough, The Westgarth"

There, you see readers - far and away the most entertaining and informative band biog of the week.

SILENT CITIES - Beating Heart [Start 39:31]

Silent Cities is the "blissfully obscure" music project of singer,songwriter, and fingerstyle guitarist, S. Maddison. Last year on this blog I wrote about Silent Cities saying "It's not a question of chords, lyrics, melody or recording quality it's simply that sometimes you can tell within seconds that you're listening to The Real Deal. And - take it from me - this artist, my friends, is The Real Deal." This track Beating Heart is alas not included on Mr Maddison's forthcoming debut EP which is is now streaming at his "new and very official website". Its physical & digital release will take place at Leaf on Bold Street, Liverpool on the 18th May in collaboration with Mellowtone and Rebel Soul.

PETE BEAT - Borderline [Start 42:46]

Pete Beat is, he says, "an adventurer in the space of all possible sounds, seeking out sweet harmonies and funky beats wherever they may be found, regardless of danger to his person. Pete Beat released his Doctor Doctor EP (which includes the track Borderline) in March, this being his first release in over two years. A departure from the house and breakbeat styles of his previous released, the new EP has been described as "80s tinged electro pop". Following this, he is back in the studio working on new material. Look out for new tunes, and at some point in the future, a live band being formed (if he ever gets round to it and can find some like minded members to join)."

THE MAY BIRDS - Leah's Song [Start 46:53]

The May Birds are a 4 piece Female band based in London who have spent the last two years playing out in London, Brighton and Bristol.听 "Our basic setup is guitars, cello, piano and four vocals" they say "but the more time we spend writing and playing the more we're experimenting with bass, percussion and banjo amongst other things. So it's an interesting time and our live shows are developing in a way that feels really exciting. We played Live and Unsigned last year and have since had brilliant support from Annie Nightingale who was judging. She helped get us played on Radio one's Introducing show with Ally McCrae.听 We're about to start hosting our own music night - called Dusk - at The Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch. The first one will be on May 28th and we have some wonderful acts on the bill.听 Leah's Song is set to be our next single: we made a video for it on the boat Ella lives on and it will be out soon! "

PJP BAND - Vicious Luck [Start 50:45]

When Plymouth's Patrick James Pearson Band (now known simpljy as PJP Band) played Glastonbury鈥檚 主播大秀 Introducing Stage two years ago, one bystander commented:听 "Astonishing for a keyboard driven outfit, real grit and power"... oh, hold on - that was me. Last year they recorded their debut album with producer Pete Miles. Last November the first single from the record I Am A Racer won the public vote on Radio 1鈥檚 Review Show - and the video subsequently clocked up 10,000+ views on YouTube. Their self-financed followup album And So It Goes will be released on their own OUF Record label on June 3rd. They play a series of dates to promote it during May including an appearance at Brighton's Great Escape Festival on May 15th. Vinyl copies of the album are already available through the band鈥檚 website.

O MESSY LIFE - Challenger [Start 54:39]

"O'Messy Life is a band of hacks from Newcastle that make a kind of grunge-cum-pop punk racket with doom-fuzz riffs, actual guitar solos, heartland-rock pianos and a lyrical preference for delivering otherwise unsavoury levels of self pity through the prism of character narrative" they tell us. "We were once described by DJ legend Steve Lamacq as a band that 'listened to their parent's The Damned records'. We actually listen to a lot of Bruce Springsteen, Dinosaur Jr and The Weakerthans and read a lot of Ray Carver. We released three EPs and two singles in the last couple of years and are currently writing a two-EP set of Doom Ballads, based on the the NASA Constellation programme. This track Challenger comes from the first of these EPs - a five track release due out in July on Tiny Lights Recordings. We also play occasionally as backing band to Withered Hand and our current collaborators are also members of Bridie Jackson & The Arbour."

John Smith - Great Lakes album cover - click to zoom image in new window

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 主播大秀 Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own 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. These are the listings for Monday, 15th April 2013.

BODY IN THE THAMES - Disconnect Yourself [Start 00:13]

Body in the Thames is a single human male making musical type noises with analogue synthesizers and drum machines, sometimes 'singing' and making occasional use of guitar. He reserves the right to stumble blindly from one subgenre to another along a broad path that might be described as dance music. The limitations of being a solo artist - along with the sheer lack of portability of analogue musical equipment - means that he very, very, very rarely plays live. Though it has been known.

GEORGIA RUTH - Week Of Pines [Start 04:43]

Raised bilingually in Aberystwyth, Wales, Georgia Ruth says her harp playing is inspired more by the guitar styles of Bert Jansch, Meic Stevens and old folk revivalist records than by the classical instruction she received as a child. This Spring she releases her debut album on Gwymon Records, entitled Week of Pines and featuring various musicians including members of Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. Georgia plays with ex-Gorky鈥檚 member Richard James in his new project Pen Pastwn and also presents a weekly music show on 主播大秀 Radio Cymru.

INJA - Pepper Sauce - 2:31 [Start 08:28]

Inja's been spitting bars as a solo artist since he could sneak into clubs. Hip Hop, D'n'B, Dubstep, Grime. He now hosts the legendary DMCs, resident at d'n'b Warning, dubstep Stink like Sock delegatesand runs Soundclash, his own UK hiphop and grime club night...He was a founding member of the Delegates taskforce of Culture, hip hop crew from Cambridge...Now touring the UK and Europe solo, with The Skuff and Inja Show and Taskforce heavyweights...and a string of releases under his belt with much more to come...

THE RUCKUS - You Only Like Me Coz I'm In A Band [Start 11:04]

This track by West Yorkshire 5 piece The Ruckus is taken from their forthcoming debut EP - due out this Spring - and was recommended to us by Darren Williams at 主播大秀 Introducing In Leeds. Another of the tracks, Help a Brother, features Reverend Sound System and Northern Alliance MC Matic Mouth. The band's stated aim is to "take you on a musical journey with our modern, poetic lyrics that tell truthful narratives of the lives and times of the youth of today" and they play the legendary Lomax venue in Liverpool this Saturday, April 20th.

FLAMING JUNE - Rumpelstiltskin [Start 14:11]

This is the title track of Rumpelstiltskin & The Perils and Promises of Womanhood - Flaming June's newly released seventh EP on Anchoress Records. The video for it can be found . Built around the vocals of songwriter Louise Hamilton, this five track EP features several songs that spring from Louise's dedication to raising awareness of domestic abuse - and celebrating the strengths and victories of her female protagonists. The Launch night for the release is this Wednesday 24th April at The Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds.

SPOTLIGHT KID - Budge Up [Start 17:56]

Spotlight Kid, we're told "continue their assault against sonic mediocrity with an assuredness and an emotional depth so many guitar bands are currently lacking. This is the sound of a band rising to the top of their game, while wearing their hearts on their sleeves and performing live shows like their next meal depends on it. Influences from the likes of The Cure, Swervedriver and My Bloody Valentine have allowed Spotlight Kid to produce a heady mix that runs through the entire gamut of emotions."听 In the last year Spotlight Kid have supported The Joy Formidable on their sold-out UK tour, been chosen by 主播大秀 Introducing to play at this year鈥檚 Glastonbury and have been playlisted on Radio 1.

SAM THOMAS - I鈥檓 Gonna Be A Witch [Start 22:13]

Sam Thomas grew up as the son of a former Opera singer and took percussion lesons from the age of four, which inevitably led him on to playing a full drum kit. "That was more fun as a kid" he remembers. By the time he was a teenager, Sam had learned to play guitar, piano and bass and was performing in his school鈥檚 swing band, orchestra and choir. A music course at the University of Westminster was followed by work experience, internships and a chance meeting with Just Music's John Benedict who signed him to the label and hooked him up with producer Mark Sutherland. Two years later Sam's debut album Blind Theatre is ready for release - and this is the first single - taking influence from 1930鈥檚 Disney cartoon soundtracks.

PROFESSOR YAFFLE - Sometimes [Start 25:41]

Professor Yaffle is the alter ego of longstanding Introducing favourite Lee Rogers - and also the name of his band. "I'll finally be bringing out my album Hermitically Sealed on the new liverpool indie label Nowhere Music, this Summer." he tells us. "We're in the studio putting the last couple of tracks together at the moment but we'll be taking a break to record an acoustic session and interview for Dave Monks' show on 主播大秀 Radio Merseyside in May." About this song he says "I wrote the tune and we let our percussionist Michael Holcroft produce it - as he had the most faith in the song. He became a bit obsessed with it, but that said, he did a superb job... "

FLASH PAN HUNTER - Quiz Show [Start 31:12]

"I love repetition, syncopation, discordance and experimenting with odd structures." says Brighton artist Clark Gregg - aka Flash Pan Hunter. "It鈥檚 not like I鈥檓 clever at it, I just enjoy accidentally stumbling across something strange and interesting and then expanding it". Recorded with folk producer Tim Bidwell, this single comes out next Monday, April 22nd. It's taken from his forthcoming debut album Quick Way to Enemy - an instruction manual ("or destruction manual" says Clark) on "how to make enemies of yourself and your friends quickly" - which will be released on July 30th.

TRWBADOR - Safe [Start 35:05]

Trwabdor describe themselves as "an acoustic/electronic duo from West Wales" - yet half-Welsh, half-Dutch singer Angharad Van Rijswijk and all-Welsh multi-instrumentalist Owain Gwilym are so much more than that. In 2011 their superb own-label compilation Owlet Music Vol.1 featured "A collection of songs from around the place....A celebration of beauty, DIY ethics and forward thinking" and is still available . Safe听 comes from Owlet Music's latest release - their own long-awaited and self-titled debut album which came out this month. They play both Focus Wales in Wrexham on April 27th and the legendary Green Man festival on August 18th.

LOW DUO - Keep Your Sparkle In The Pain [Start 37:56]

First, the official blurb: "Fiercely minimalist, Low Duo are brothers Adam and Leigh Greenwood from Sheffield who write songs with just two layers - one voice and one musical instrument. They have been described as 'stereo Nick Drakes' by The Guardian. Following three critically acclaimed EP's, their self-released first album proper, Dive and Slide into the Blue, is now available via听 their website." Unofficially: I've been a huge fan of Leigh and Adam's work ever since clapping ears on their supremely melancholy It Was You and Me in January 2011. They've been session guests on 6 Music Introducing and if the lean, atmospheric and understated stylings of this new song appeal to you half as much as they do to me, don't hesitate: nip along to and buy the album. Now.

LUCY ZIRINS - Morning Light [Start 41:01]

Songwriter Lucy Zirins hails from Burnley, Lancashire and three years ago won the accolade of being named as one of PRS For Music's "Class of 2010" songwriters. Having recorded her first E.P at age 16, and another soon after, Lucy has just released her 12-track debut album Chasing Clocks, from which this song is taken. The album was produced by Michael Messer at London's famous Toe Rag Studios and her website includes a video of behind-the-scenes footage of its making. Currently unsigned and self-releasing, Lucy continues to gig and can next be seen live at the Chop Chop Monthly Music Night in Colne, Lancashire a week on on Saturday - April 27th.

PECULIAR DISCO MOVES - Automatic Choice [Start 44:36]

"From humble beginnings rehearsing in a Glue Factory, a dentist surgery, and a studio once used by The Lighthouse Family, North-East quintet Peculiar Disco Moves have evolved into a band who glorify the trials and tribulations of raw British life within the boundaries of their own unique brand of feelgood, fun, inspiring, progressive-pop narratives. They have just followed up their 2011 debut EP with a three-track extravaganza called The Domino Effect, released at the end of last week. The band hope to take their sound further afield and are planning a tour for later in 2013"

JOHN SMITH - Salty & Sweet [Start 48:19]

Devon-born guitarist and songwriter John Smith (pictured above) released his fourth album Great Lakes at the end of last month, marking the occasion with a sold-out show at London鈥檚 Purcell Room the same night.听 It's been the culmination of relentless touring as both headliner and as a support act, opening the likes of Iron and Wine, James Yorkston, Jools Holland, Gil Scott-Heron and (most recently) Richard Hawley. In this slow-but-sure way, he has built up a loyal international following. He's currently on tour in Ireland before heading across the channel to Paris - and is set to achieve a lifetime's ambition this Autumn when he plays a headline show at The Union Chapel on Novermber 14th.

BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY - Satisfactory Man [Start 51:24]

Beautiful Country is a Brighton based rock band made up of brothers Ryan and Vernon plus close friend Anthony on drums, all of whom originally hail from Stoke-on-Trent. They suggest you "think of Bruce Springsteen and The East Street Band distilled into a 3-piece, a little rougher round the edges and with a chip on its shoulder."听 They recorded their debut EP with Nick Tauber and Jack Ruston at Paul Weller's Black Barn Studio and are currently on the lookout for suitable management.听 You can catch them live next Tuesday (April 23rd) at The Prince Albert in Brighton.

NINETAILS - Mama Aniseed [Start 56:06]

This track comes from the superb debut EP Slept And Did Not Sleep by Liverpool outfit Ninetails who are now represented by former Talk Talk manager Keith Aspden. Never a band to stand still their music has - we learn - been evolving rapidly since this recording was made. If you're lucky enough to live within striking distance of Merseyside, they play a double headline show with The Physics House Band this Friday April 19th, at Mello Mello in Liverpool. "This will be your last opportunity to hear us play Mama Aniseed and Rawdon Fever" they warn "before we cocoon ourselves in the new material."

听

Blackbeard's Tea Party

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 主播大秀 Introducing Uploader - some of it recommended by friends and colleagues and some discovered via Twitter and my own 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. These are the listings for Monday, 8th April 2013.

NATALIE MCCOOL - Black Sun [START 0:11]

Well connected Natalie McCool definitely is - with fans ranging from Mark Radcliffe and Chris Martin to Paul McCartney, Nile Rodgers and 眉ber producer Steve Levine - who was impressed enough to sign her to his label Hubris Records whilst she was still studying at LIPA. While there, she recruited her current band and her latest batch of songs has been taken up and championed by a tastemaker I trust more than all of the above rolled together - namely Fresh On The Net's Girl Music Guru the mighty - who featured Natalie as one of her featured artists last year. Her debut album is released a week today, Monday April 15th.

BAD GRAMMAR - Tie Or Die [START 3:56]

Bad Grammar describe themselves as听 a "Girl/Boy Noise Duo From Manchester. They don't have a biog on their Facebook page and didn't send us any info about themselves but their next live dates are Thursday 25th April - DAda, Sheffield // w/ Nai Harvest, Playlounge, Yrrs. Monday 29th April - Wahlbar, Fallowfield, Manchester // w/ Fat Goth. Thursday 16th May - Dulcimer Bar, Chorlton, Manchester // w/ Those Rotten Thieves.

FRANK'S DAUGHTER - Fall Fully Backwards [START 6:44]

Fall Fully Backwards鈥� is the debut single from Deptford-based duo Frank鈥檚 Daughter: Frank (vocals, guitar, keys) and Arthur (guitar, bass, programming), two British musicians who found themselves working in New York in the late noughties. The idea for the band was born in a Brooklyn bar over several bottles of red wine and many, many whiskies. The duo returned to London, but finding the urban environment uninspiring, they relocated to an out of season alpine hotel, taking a van full of recording equipment. There, they spent two months in total isolation, returning with a stack of songs that were finished in their Deptford studio. These songs form The Sound Of A Heart Unravelling, their debut album to be released on 3rd June. Their manager is no mean musician himself: Malcolm Carson from Tape The Radio.

HOPE & SOCIAL - Saints Alive [START 10:22]

Hope and Social are touring their two (yes TWO) new albums this April and May. The "All Our Dancing Days" tour begins in Bristol on the 23rd April with a show with dystopian gloom pop artist "She Makes War" and closes with Leeds/Manchester double headline shows with the awesome Louis Barabbas and the Bedlam Six. For more info, head over to hopeandsocial.com/gigs. "Bring The Happy" is a collaboration between Hope and Social and interactive arts collective Invisible Flock. A project that seeks to map the happiness of cities across the UK, Bring The Happy Live is touring the UK throughout 2013/14. has all the performance and mapping deets. Come say hi, and leave a happy memory on theire website where all Hope and Social's music is available on a pay what you want basis.

THE ADAMSKI KID - Je Veux Une Cassette De Bowie [START 14:01]

The musical incarnation of East London songwriter / producer Adam Karayiannis. Citing some of his musical influences as Kate Bush, Crystal Castles, Bloc Party and Joni Mitchell, his debut single release, 鈥楳owgli鈥�, demonstrated his ambitious intent to merge a wide range of musical styles. Adam launched his live show last year at The Great Escape Festival. His YouTube video for this single (on Lo Recordings) has already had over 6,000 views and the track was a Headphone Moment for Lauren Laverne recently on 6 Music.

BLACKBEARD'S TEA PARTY - The Valiant Turpin [START 16:47]

Blackbeard's Tea Party (pictured above) aim to create "funky folk tunes, saucy songs and an infectious stage energy, mixing fiddles & squeezeboxes, guitar noise & synth bass, and a feast of international hand percussion to bring you an unforgettable folk-rock extravaganza". The band have built up a following around the country with performances at national folk festivals including Cambridge, Sidmouth, and Shrewsbury among others. This month they release their second album: Whip Jamboree, following previous recordings Heavens to Betsy (EP, 2009) and Tomorrow We鈥檒l Be Sober鈥�(LP, 2011). They are currently on their first UK headline tour of the UK:
Mon 8th Apr - LAMP, Leamington Spa
Tue 9th Apr - The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
Thu 11th Apr - The Junction, Cambridge
Fri 12th Apr - The Croft, Bristol
Sat 13th Apr - Green Note, Camden
Sun 14th Apr - The Talking Heads, Southampton
Thu 18th Apr - Victoria Hall, Settle
Fri 19th Apr - The Greystones, Sheffield
Sun 21st Apr - Raven Folk Club, Chester

MOUSE DEER - I Can't Do Anything Else [START 20:24]

Mouse Deer is the alter-ego of Holly McIntosh, a Bristol - based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Since releasing her debut EP, 'The Mouse Deer EP', in December 2011, she has been playing around Bristol with a small band. 2013 promises a new release with a clutch of brand new tunes.

THE ANDROID ANGEL - Distant Star [START 24:07]

The Android Angel is Paul Coltofeanu, a half-English, half-Romanian multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter from Surrey, whose fourth album Lie Back and Think of England is released today. Written during summer 2011 while volunteering on a farm in the Romanian mountains, on a Water Buffalo reserve in the Ukraine, sat on the banks of Varosliget Lake in Budapest and in the squares and parks of Berlin, Paul spent the following year recording the album in the downtime between writing and touring his first four EPs in his other incarnation as Free Swim. He self-releases all his music through his own label, Sex Farm Records and between the two projects has received airplay on 主播大秀 Radio 1, 主播大秀 Radio 2, 主播大秀 6Music and XFM in the UK, and has performed shows in England, Scotland, France, Germany and the United States.

ADAM WEDD - Monster Park [START 27:58]

2013 will finally see the release of Adam's long-awaited debut EP: People, Places, Things. It was recently recorded with producer Dave Lynch at Batbox Studios in Lewes and features JP of Nizlopi on Double Bass. Adams songs grapple, he tells us, "with matters of the heart and soul" and have apparently been dubbed as "Pensive Pop". His music has been used in TV adverts, short films and played on radio.. When Adam is not writing lyrics and performing his songs he works as Youth Worker in Kent, managing a buzzing Youth Cafe.

JAMES KELLY - Punch Drunk Loving [START 31:37]

Described as a "mild mannered maestro" James Kelly will, we're told, "astonish you when he picks up that acoustic guitar". Hailing from the North of England, James Kelly delivers his songs in a voice "as powerful as any Mississippi blues man, backed by alternating walls of musical noise and a delicate picking style that brings a lump to the throat." According to his biog his songs are "as fragile as they are aggressive; fans of Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley and Otis Taylor will be hypnotised by James鈥檚 absolute possession of his music and performance." But why not download the mixtape and be the judge of all this yourself...

THE BLUE GIANT ZETA PUPPIES - Martians Don't Surf! [START 35:14]

Taking their DIY recording philosophy from Joe Meek and musical influences from the likes of Screaming Lord Sutch, Roky Erickson, The Flaming Lips, The Moontrekkers and The Bonzos, The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies began peddling their chaotic brand of Psychedelia tinged, Echo smothered, Alt-Surf-Rock in early 2010. Brainchild of songwriter/producer BG, the 'Puppies were planned as a band with a variable line up, with members depending on whoever "...Happened to be passing...". Last year, listeners of Dandelion Radio voted their instrumental "The Wild Ride of Ichabod Crane" into the "Festive 50" at number 22. So far, The 'Zeta Puppies have selfreleased an album, two EPs and two singles, all of which can be found on their Bandcamp page. They are currently recording new material with a single due in the summer and a crowd funded vinyl album planned for later in the year.

SOFTBALL - Clark Kent [START 38:17]

Softball is a new electronic indie-pop project from London-based singer-songwriter Paddy Johnston, of Paddy Johnston & The Love Explosion and Palomino Club. Everything on record is played by Paddy and produced in his home studio. Currently Paddy is recording more tracks, listening intently to early Mates of State and Dntel, and collecting Casiotone keyboards in preparation for launching the debut Softball EP in May, and getting together a live band for their first shows, which will also be in May. These will be announced on their Facebook page.

TAMARA WOESTENBURG feat. BENJAMIN HERMAN - How I Miss You [START 42:51]

Tamara Woestenburg sings and writes songs. She is, we're told "expressive, original and raw", presenting "different spheres and genres; from small and intimate, till ambitiously big; From folk through jazz to raw rock." Her biog continues: "Tamara's moving and exciting voice, her intense performance and personal songs, are supported by imaginative instrumentation and arrangements." This song comes from her EP (simply titled EP) is released in February 2012.

ECHOPARK - Teleportation [START 47:13]

Echopark is the new project from London-based Italian musician Antonio Elia Forte, with his debut album 'Trees' set for release on 15th April through Enclaves. It was Born and almost entirely recorded with just a handful of microphones in a tiny rented room in Whitechapel. For Antonio it is something that "fights to be imperfect". It's a work full of errors, raw sounds and millions of voices overlapping, produced during days off and weekends. His goal was - he tells us poetically - "to capture and freeze the emotions that fill the air at the precise instant when a song comes to light." Teleportation is the first track to be taken from Trees, and is currently available to stream and download for free. Echopark will make the transition from bedroom to concert venue this spring; with a full band assembled.

PETER AND THE KIBBUTZNIK - Be Over [START 50:26]

Newly formed oddball duo Peter and the Kibbutznik have already picked up plays on 主播大秀 Radio 1 from Huw Stephens - who dubbed their debut release Wolf it All as "two minutes of noisy, bonkers brilliance" and featured the band as his 主播大秀 Introducing Discovery. We've also enjoyed their music here on 6 Music's Introducing Mixtape. This lo-fi electro offering is their latest release, and like all of their music is available free from their Bandcamp page.

SPACESHIPS ARE COOL - Jupiter Jelly [START 53:20]

Spaceships Are Cool are - according to founding member Rob Spaceman - purveyors of Sci-fi Sunshine Pop and cheeky Folktronica, who use a quirky combination of analogue synths, acoustic guitars and glockenspiels to create an off-world Playground Of Sound. The band were created in 2007 by Lo-Fi producer and musician Rob Maddison (of Yunioshi fame) as a by-product of watching way too many Sci-Fi films and reading way too many children's fairy tales. Spaceships Are Cool have landed at locations all over the planet including Icelandic Airwaves, Glastonbury, NxNE, CMJ in New York, CMW in Toronto, Truck, Dot to Dot, cafes in Sweden, beaches in Latvia, medieval theatres in Sardinia - and for The Paralympics in Trafalgar Square. This track Jupiter Jelly is from their brand new Music for Space Cadets collection - available from all reputable online stores now.

BENJAMIN JOHN PENFOLD - Something in the Water [START 56:20]

Highly recommended to us by Michelle Hussey at 主播大秀 Introducing in Manchester, Benjamin John Penfold tells us he's a drummer who grew up in the North Wales countryside, and is currently studying on a Popular Music course at The University of Salford. "Now 20, I've been writing electronic and funk influenced compositions since I was 16. I'm currently finishing material for an EP which I will be releasing later this year.