This week’s free downloadable BBC Introducing Mixtape features tunes from GELATO, WONDER VILLAINS, SAM BROOKES, JOSEPHINE AND THE ARTIZANS, FELT TIP, MIDDLEMAN, MATT STALKER AND FABLES, TRAMPOLENE, MYLITTLEBROTHER, ELDER ISLAND, THE MOJO FINS, KATY LIED, WORKING CLASS, PERCY, SWALLOW AND THE WOLF, GLASS ANIMALS and MATT MEREPORT.
The BBC Introducing Mixtape is a 60 minute radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music from 2-3am every Sunday night/Monday morning. Each programme is then downloadable in podcast form at the BBC 6 Music downloads page for the next 30 days. Full tracklists and start times for each track are published here at Fresh On The Net together with biog information supplied by the artists. Previous tracklists can be found via the MIXTAPE tab above or on the BBC website.
All tracks are sourced from the BBC Introducing Uploader. Some are recommended by BBC friends and colleagues while the rest are tunes I’ve discovered here via our Fresh On The Net inbox. For more about how the process works see this post. These are the listings for the episode broadcast overnight on Sunday 22nd June (technically 2am on Monday, 23rd June 2014…)
GELATO – Get My Way [starts 00:17]
http://gelatomusic.tumblr.com
“The head-hitting high energy pace of GELATO brings a solid rock sound with pop undertones, reminiscent of Foo Fighters or Queens of the Stone Age, and more! After months of throat-shreddin’, string-snappin’, stick-sheddin’ and recording their first tracks with Tobin Jones (Bo Ningen, Twilight Sad, Cold Specks), Drew (vocals/guitar) Phil (bass) and Ben (drums) are now impatient and very willing to smash their jams in your pretty face. Having completed a mini tour of Cornwall and a few London gigs so far (supporting Fake Club), GELATO will be releasing two more singles this summer and are headed back in the studio very soon to record the next bunch of songs.”
WONDER VILLAINS – Zola [starts 03:58]
http://wondervillains.com
“Formed at a high school in Derry, N.Ireland, fun foursome Wonder Villains bring a sprightly mix of pop, guitars and electro music to the table. The band – brother and sister Kieran and Eimear Coyle, Cheylene Murphy and Ryan McGroarty – have toured the UK and played in the USA & Morocco. Previous singles were played nationally on BBC Radio and they already have a NIMA award under their belts. The brilliant thing about this band is that they sing about what they know. Some songs talk about school, football and TV and others mention moving away from home, being hungover and dying your hair. As they put it: ‘It’s the story of the last five years of our lives’. Their debut album Rocky is due for release June 23rd 2014.”
SAM BROOKES – This Is The Place [starts 06:39]
http://www.sambrookes.com/
“Not your stereotypical folk bard, Sam Brookes‘s love of singing and performing has been evolving since his days as a chorister. His debut self-titled release was produced by Chris Hughes (Tears for Fears, Robert Plant, Paul McCartney)and bought him recognition in the form of high profile support slots with Joan Armatrading, Ray Davies and Newton Faulkner.Thoughtful lyrics add poetry to his tracks, something that sets his work apart in an increasingly saturated area of music.
Sam’s crowdfunded album Kairos was released in March 2014.”
JOSEPHINE & THE ARTIZANS – Dies Irae [starts 10:19]
http://josephineandtheartizans.com
“Josephine and The Artizans‘ signature ‘hip-hopera’ style consists of classical strings, operatic vocals, heavy beats and energetic rap. Classically trained Josephine was growing increasingly tired of the cultural gap between the pop-scene and classical world, so she decided to create something which is neither classical or commercial, but a blend of both. Each member of the band comes from a very different musical background, bringing something unique to the mix by adapting and merging their skills. They have a flurry of tour dates around the UK this summer including playing with Tom Jones, Happy Mondays, Buzzcocks and Toploader.”
FELT TIP – Simple Things [starts 13:18]
https://www.facebook.com/felttipband
Felt Tip make what they describe as “classy British guitar pop. The band played a handful of gigs last year before releasing debut single Love or Pity on Label Fandango in November. Follow up Milk & Honey was released in February 2014. Steve Lamacq has been an early champion of the band, playing them regularly on his BBC6 show. Drawing comparisons with Pulp and Television, the London 4-piece are known for their intense live shows. They appeared at the Great Escape in May and released debut Simple Things EP on Fierce Panda in June. They go on to play the Camden Crawl and London Scala, with the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, on 3 July.”
MIDDLEMAN – When I Close My Eyes [starts 17:04]
http://middlemanband.co.uk
“From guerilla gigs in local bars to support slots with the likes of Ghostpoet and The Streets, Middleman have toured relentlessly, appearing at SxSW, Reading & Leeds, Latitude, Secret Garden Party and Kendal Calling, as well as a whole host of European festivals. The crowds at Middleman shows are notorious for stage invasions, crowd surfing, relentless dancing and mosh pits. But there’s more to them than just bone-rattling bass and shout-along choruses. With layered lyrics and catchy choruses these are songs you can dance or cry to. Or cry/dance if you like. ‘Cryancing’, they call it. It’s a thing.The guys recently had armed police crash through their door after the old-lady across the road drastically misunderstood a photo shoot where the guys posed with toy guns and robbed the old post office van they use for touring. Given SO19’s trigger-happy reputation, Middleman are happy to be alive. Every day is a gift, that kind of thing.”
MATT STALKER & FABLES – Wildfire Smiles [starts 20:54]
http://facebook.com/mattstalkerandfables
“Matt Stalker & Fables have just released their second LP, Knots. The Newcastle-based five-piece don’t quite fit the mold of the archetypal modern folk band. The titular frontman was once a forensic psychologist and the cellist, Jenny, is involved in a study into Bipolar Disorder. Songs on their début LP reference medical procedures and lament the misuse of the humble apostrophe, and their new record – inspired the work of the 1960s psychiatrist, R.D. Laing (Knots) – was recorded in a Victorian primary school room in Britain’s highest village, Allenheads. ”
TRAMPOLENE – Alcohol Kiss [starts 25:03]
http://trampolene.co.uk
We first came across Jack Jones (guitar/lead vocals) Wayne Thomas (bass/backing vocals) and Mr. Williams (drums/backing vocals) as members of the Swansea band Frame 3-13, whose single Will You Sort Me Out we played back in early 2009. Now far better known to the world as Trampolene, their career has since taken a decided upward curve. Now based in Hornsey, North London and signed to Mi7 Records, they selfproduced their debut single You Do Nothing For Me at Ray Davies’s Konk Studios and we featured it in the BBC Introducing Mixtape in August 2013. Alcohol Kiss is taken from their debut full-length release Pocket Album #1 which came out on April 28th this year, and the followup Pocket Album #2 is due in August. They’re playing live UK dates throughout the summer.
MYLITTLEBROTHER – Nose Dive [starts 27:56]
https://www.facebook.com/mylittlebrothermusic
“Mylittlebrother are an 8 piece, harmony-laden indie-pop band from Cumbria.The debut album If We Never Came Down was released in April this year to rave reviews and it has been supported by sold-out gigs over the North of England. Festival dates and a full UK tour are to follow this year. You can watch the video for NoseDive on YouTube – no gorillas were harmed making it.”
ELDER ISLAND – What It’s Worth [starts 30:44]
http://Facebook.com/ElderIsland
“Bristol trio Elder Island is the hatchling brainchild of Katy Sargent, David Havard and Luke Thornton. Their sound comprises cello and female vocals enwreathed in a multi-layered chorus of guitar, keys, bass and beats. The band met whilst studying in Bristol and has been intermittently producing and playing music together ever since. Elder Island’s self titled debut EP is forthcoming on new independent label Four Thieves Records.”
THE MOJO FINS – Longwave Reach [starts 34:42]
http://themojofins.com
“Longwave Reach is the new single by Brighton band The Mojo Fins. It’s taken from their new album Circa, produced and mixed by Dave Eringa. It’s the band’s third album released on Amazon Records and recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios, with cover photography shot in the Antelope Valley Utah. The Mojo Fins are currently taking time out from playing live as lead vocalist and main writer Stephen Brett has just become a father for the first time – the new album is dedicated to his son. The Mojo Fins plan to return with a UK tour in October/November 2014 and a video for the new single is planned for mid July. Instrumental versions of two tracks from the new album will be featured on two forthcoming commercials and major corporate videos scheduled for release later in the year.”
KATY LIED – Black [starts 37:53]
http://katyliedmusic.com
“Katy Lied are a songwriting partnership/band that formed in early summer 2013, consisting of 19-yr-old singer/songwriter Jas Homer and established guitarist Julian Hutson-Saxby. Black is a song about how people wear a front due to being hurt and just to get along or fit in, put on a face and try to act like nothing is wrong, but inside they are broken and about to fall apart. The song is very personal: it was recorded live in the studio very quickly and we feel it has captured the emotion of what this track means to us. ”
WORKING CLASS – Creepin [starts 40:40]
https://www.facebook.com/WorkingClassUK
“Hi we are Working Class, a four piece funk/rock fusion band from across the north east of England. All members of the band come from very different musical backgrounds, which reflects in our unique sound. We have been writing music and performing across England for the past three years and our debut album is due to be released in August this year, which includes all fourteen of our currently recorded tracks. We have gigs coming up in County Durham and Greater Manchester, check out our Facebook for more details.”
PERCY – King Of California [starts 44:24]
http://www.facebook.com/percyWYSH
“Percy are Colin Howard, Dan Whiting and Andy Wiles. This track King Of California is from their new 10 track recording A Selection of Salted Snacks. A diverse selection of spiky narrative gems that roar along like a 60s sports car but with a wobbly wheel that might, or just might not come off: overflowing with eclectic, postmodern wit. It’s available for download at our own site: http://tenfootrecords.bandcamp.com – thanks for listening!
SWALLOW & THE WOLF – SOS [starts 46:50]
http://swallowandthewolf.com
“Suffolk guitarist Russell Swallow and Australian pianist Jess Kennedy met in London in 2011, playing in a 9-piece band of strings and brass. Finding a natural chemistry, they soon started songwriting together as Swallow & The Wolf, partnering driven and picked acoustic guitar with bass heavy, mercurial piano, layered with strings, lo-fi drums, and vocal harmonies.”
GLASS ANIMALS – Flip [starts 50:43]
http://facebook.com/glassanimals
Flip comes from ZABA – the debut LP by Oxford’s Glass Animals – which was produced by frontman Dave Bayley. Released on Paul Epworth’s Wolf Tone label it recently featured as 6 Music’s Album Of The Day. Their Facebook and official home pages contain no factual, historical, biographical or contextural information about the band whatsoever, but they do have a news page when tells us “We’ve decided to do a special show in Oxford at the Jericho Tavern (where we played our first ever show) on the 26th of June to celebrate the release of ZABA.” So now you know.
MATT MEREPORT – Timing Is Everything [starts 54:43]
https://soundcloud.com/matt-mereport
Matt Mereport‘s Twitter profile describes him as a “Music Monkey from Warrington-shire. Master of the shaker.” His BBC Introducing profile describes his music as “random ramshackle found sound classical folk electronic ramblings of a buffoon.” That’s all he’s told us. Or anybody else for that matter.
ARTISTS: A Word Of Warning…
At least one PR company sends out an identical email to every single artist who appears on The BBC Introducing Mixtape. It says that the company heard your track on our show, they thought it “sounded fantastic”, and are wondering if you’re looking for promotion for your releases.
Before responding, please check out The Pros And Cons Of Pluggers. We strongly urge you to be wary of unsolicited email from anyone who claims to like your music and then suggests that YOU should pay THEM for services of any kind.
