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Ö÷²¥´óÐã Oxford Introducing has today launched an ambitious project to showcase the region's new and established musical talent in celebration of their fifth birthday as Oxford's local music radio show.

The team has decided to recreate The Bends – the seminal album by Oxford's finest, Radiohead.

Called Round The Bends, the album is a loving reinterpretation of the classic record which also celebrates its own anniversary this month.

And fans of the show will get the chance to hear some of the Round The Bends tracks live at a special Introducing birthday gig at Oxford's O2 Academy on Saturday 6 March.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Oxford Introducing presenter Tim Bearder explained the thinking behind the celebration: "It has been 15 years since Oxford's most influential band secured its place at the forefront of the international music stage. Ever since 1995 Radiohead have been a resident inspiration to many of the new groups that have formed here in their home county.

"Our local music scene is now one of the UK's best kept secrets. It's a thriving and innovative environment for new bands and we wanted to celebrate that, marking both the past and future.

"This project really shows what Ö÷²¥´óÐã Introducing is all about and is our way of showing off the exciting artistic vein that we tap into on the show.

"Putting the album together has been a fantastic experience. Each of the album tracks has been completely reinterpreted and we hope everyone will agree that it is a phenomenal homage to the original."

The team brought together their favourite local acts to work their magic on the 12 Radiohead songs.

Local band Stornoway kick off the album with their version of Planet Telex. Stornoway are arguably one of the most successful local groups of late, having played at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 1's Big Weekend, Glastonbury and on Jools Holland's show. They started the New Year in The Ö÷²¥´óÐã's Sound Of 2010 list.

Richard Walters and Little Fish have secured record deals since their first play on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Oxford Introducing and also play tracks on the album.

It includes The Family Machine's version of Black Star, perhaps even more heart-wrenching than the original, while The Evenings have taken one of Radiohead's saddest songs in Street Spirit (Fade Out) and by reproducing it in a major key have created a piece of work that is life-affirming and joyful.

Round The Bends also features various new exciting discoveries from the last 12 months, such as The Scholars, Spring Offensive and Ute.

The Ö÷²¥´óÐã Oxford Introducing gig takes place on Saturday 6 March at the O2 Academy and will feature Little Fish, The Winchell Riots, Ute and Spring Offensive. For information on how to get tickets visit www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/introducing.

The album is due to be released on 4 March 2010 on iTunes – 49p from every individual track downloaded and £4.90 from every album downloaded will benefit the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Children in Need Appeal, a company limited by guarantee. Ö÷²¥´óÐã Children in Need Appeal is a charity registered in England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557).

Notes to Editors

The full tracklisting for Round The Bends is:
Stornoway – Planet Telex
Ute – The Bends
Jessie Grace – High and Dry
We Aeronauts – Fake Plastic Trees
Spring Offensive – Bones
The Winchell Riots – Nice Dream
Little Fish – Just
The Scholars – My Iron Lung
Richard Walters – Bulletproof… I Wish I Was
The Family Machine – Black Star
Alphabet Backwards – Sulk
The Evenings – Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Lee Christian – Talk Show Host

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Oxford Introducing (Ö÷²¥´óÐãOI) is live on 95.2 FM every Saturday from 6.00 to 7.00pm and then on Ö÷²¥´óÐã iPlayer for the following seven days. The show also has a popular podcast which is the most downloaded local Introducing show in the country.

Ö÷²¥´óÐãOI secured Glastonbury showcases for local bands A Silent Film and Jonquil. Little Fish played a session at the world-famous Maida Vale studios. Stornoway took to the stage at Radio 1's Big Weekend and then went on to play on Jools Holland alongside acts like Sting and Jay Z through recommendations by the show.

Ö÷²¥´óÐãOI has released two previous charity albums. 'The Download Sessions featured performances played live on the show in 2006, whilst 2008's Quantum Of Covers showcased local bands trying their hand at James Bond theme songs.

HB