Before I was Interrupted

I was closing the gap I mentioned, so let's continue.

CLAIRE PORTMAN is a singer songwriter from South London. I'm sorry to say that I find "All Yours Now" rather humdrum. The guitar playing is somewhat pedestrian and her voice is average.

HARRY HARRIS is also a singer songwriter, from Builth Wells this time. His guitar playing is much more interesting, sounding almost like a banjo picking style, though I guess it's probably not. His voice is good and the song "Rings" is better than many. Good though, but not great.

FADED CADENCE play melodic sort-of folkish music with an indie, maybe even an emo feel. "Valediction" is a gem, well crafted, voice, guitars and violin working together with the piano to make something a bit special. Sadly though, not special enough to make my top twenty.

DEAD CLOWN SOCIETY play experimental acoustic music. I can't see what's experimental about "Lost at Sea" though. It's a saccharine-sweet little folk ditty, with nice guitar work, sweet voices and I think a Melodeon?. It's brilliant and beautiful but it's not as good as the Ruby duValls, so it's not top twenty material.


THE AUTUMNKIND have offered us a rather dull acoustic number called "Half Cut". Like so many songs I've been hearing, it's not so much bad as lacking in anything wonderful to make me scream and shout. That's five minutes of my life I'll never have again. I wish I'd smoked another cigarette before I gave up seventeen years ago.


ELECTRO SHEENA have been listening to Peaches and perhaps Lady Gaga. "The Climax" is an exciting electronic piece and could be a big club hit. I'll enjoy it when I hear it then, but I can't imagine buying it.

MOTHERS AUXILIARY have entered a real experimental-acoustic piece called "Duke". The singers in the chorus sound really strange, beautifully strange. It's number eighteen in my top twenty, so I'm shocked to have to say goodbye to the Ruby du Valls. Given the excellence of some of the tracks I've heard, I'm beginning to think this will really work.

DARKROOM PROJECT are a rock band. "Shot Down" is a great rock song. It reminds me of... oh I don't know who it reminds me of, wasted youth, cider and spliffs at the vicarage tea party, the whole panoply of youthful indiscretion. It's my new number 11, we say goodbye to Knew Jerus'lem and Ten City Nation are the new number 20.

The LOVEDAYS offering, "House of Cards" is a well produced pearl of perfect pop. It'll go far but great as it is, there are many many great bands in this campaign.

THE STORM SOCIETY have a nice looking myspace page. Sadly, I found the song "Miles Away" disappointing. I've heard a lot of good and great songs over the past couple of weeks. This one however, is mediocre.

The LAYNES are from Scotland. If "Tuesday" is anything to go by, they're also from 1962.

PLEASURE MOB are another cup of bovril. "Where's My Money" had me nodding along right from the start. This is excellent. It's funy, how I'll listen to so many tracks and try to convince myself there good because of this or that aspect. Then along comes something like this to remind me what 'great' is all about. This is my new number five and Mother's Auxiliary move down to number 20.

THE Q are most definitely a mod band in the finest tradition of Roger Daltrey's merry band of troubadours (The Who? exactly). On "through your eyes" they sound like a cross between the Who and the Tom Robinson Band. Interesting combination. Carry on lads. Well done.

HEYPENNY sound like an arty K-pop version of Buggles. "Cop Car" is my new number four. It's idiosyncratic, rhythmic, exciting and just plain far out. 'Nuff said.