This week’s free downloadable BBC Introducing Mixtape features handpicked tunes from the BBC Introducing Uploader by THE MOBBS, THE WEALDEN, HEIDI BROWNE, SOUL URBAN POET FEAT ELLIE ANTONINI, CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM, PRETTY VICIOUS, CARL FINLAY, THE PORTRAITS, K ANDERSON, JONNY JACK, QUIET AS A MOUSE, WARMDUSCHER, INGRID FROSLAND, TOBY HAY, MATTIE GINSBERG, TE YATES, ROMAN SCOTT and KETE BOWERS.

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 information about the music provided by the artists themselves. 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 – and if your music is in thie week’s mixtape please see the important warning at the bottom of this page. These are the listings for the episode broadcast overnight on Sunday 30th Nov (technically 2am on Monday, 1st Dec 2014…)

THE MOBBS – Get Your Hair Cut [starts 0:17]
https://www.facebook.com/THEMOBBSuk
“From the heart of England, The Mobbs play garage punk with an infectious ferocity second to none” they tell us. “With an arsenal of influences from the mono-tones of 1960s British Beat to a full-on undertone of funked up rhythm & blues, The Mobbs play a Wilko Johnson infused Billy Childish explosion, with a rocket full of ideas inspired by contemporary cult English bands such as The Masonics, and a massive dose of live energy derived from the likes of King Salami & The Cumberland 3.” In the past few years The Mobbs have released four albums, two 7″ singles and have been played on BBC 6Music, XFM and Absolute Radio. Get Your Hair Cut comes from their latest album Garage Punk For Boys which they are promoting with shows in the UK, France and Spain in early 2015.

THE WEALDEN – Lifeline [starts 02:40]
http://www.thewealdenband.com
The Wealden are Tim Dickinson & Justin Quinn. Tim sings with Glyndebourne Chorus and The London Sinfonietta. Justin is an acclaimed guitarist awarded Jazz Album Of The Year by MOJO magazine in 2005. Featuring Brad Webb on drums, Lifeline is a first taster from their forthcoming debut EP Rushes.

HEIDI BROWNE – Lost In Grey [starts 06:36]
http://www.heidibrowne.co.uk
This is the title track from Heidi Browne‘s second album Lost In Grey, whch (she tells us) is about maintaining optimism against adversity, reminding us that up above the clouds, “the sun’s still shining” and validates the daydreamer: “better head stuck in the clouds than stuck in the mud”. She’s about to start a season of secret gigs on her Winter Living room tour. Next Spring she will be touring Germany and The Netherlands with Canadian singer-songwriter David Blair. Catch her live at Chetton Hall near Bridgnorth, Shropshire a week on Sat (Dec 13 )

SOUL URBAN POET feat ELLIE ANTONINI – Stronger [starts 09:47]
http://www.soulurbanpoet.com
Soul Urban Poet is a poet who fell in love with Hip-Hop and created his own style of Urban Poetry. He incorporates rap and spoken-word pieces and has performed live up and down the country at various venues, events and festivals whilst supporting such artists as UK Hip-Hop heavyweight “Skinnyman”, Tim Westwood, and Radio 1xtra’s Charlie Sloth. Soul Urban poet defines the new generation of UK hip-hop artists who seek to do away the lazy lyrical clichés that have plagued the genre for years, by providing uplifting, emotive, thought provoking and ambition filled lyrics. Levi Henson’s Project Stronger was written for one of my best friends’ 13 year old son who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (Bone and soft tissues cancer). I have just released my third single I Love It!, taken off my soon-to-be released second album A Soul New Chapter, along with a supporting music video that can be found on YouTube. The album launch will be held at The Stables (Milton Keynes) on Feb 28 2015. I will also be releasing 4 more music videos throughout next year for other tracks taken off the album.

CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM – Lights Off [starts 13:46]
https://www.facebook.com/charliecunninghammusic
“Originally from Bedfordshire but currently a resident of Oxford, Charlie Cunningham only emerged towards the end of last year playing a show for Sofar in Oxford. Using a nylon stringed guitar, his rhythmic and percussive style seems to create a bigger sound than one man with a simple instrument could rightfully claim. It’s a skill that he honed during two years studying guitar in Seville, the birthplace of Flamenco, and it is this time that has afforded him a remarkable understanding of his instrument.”

PRETTY VICIOUS (UK) – Cave Song [starts 17:34]
https://www.facebook.com/Prettyviciousuk
“Pretty Vicious are a Welsh Indie Rock band formed 2014 in Merthyr Tydfil South Wales.” See: How To Write An Artist Biog. NB: not to be confused with the Californian rapper of the same name). 

CARL FINLAY – So Hard To Be Happy [starts 19:52]
http://www.carlfinlay.com
Released today this single So Hard To Be Happy is one of the more compelling tunes to burst out of the speakers in recent weeks and – for once – actually lives up to its own PR hype. “Guaranteed to be the one of the most unique and infectious things you are likely to hear this year: an unusual and fresh blend of folk, rock and reggae delivered with a beautiful Irish accent” pretty much hits the nail on the head. “His vocal delivery blends influence of modern Jamaican Dancehall MCs with echoes of the great Irish folk singers, while the Zimbabwean Mbira instrument brings a haunting, earthy and unique flavour to the song.” Correctamundo. Born in County Meath, Carl Finlay has lived in Mexico and Slovakia, recently returned from the Caribbean and is an artist I hope to hear a lot more from in the coming year.

THE PORTRAITS – The Rest Of Time [starts 22:55]
http://www.theportraitsmusic.com
It’s always gratifying when musicians you meet and like turn out to make excellent music – as in the case of Irish singer Lorraine Reilly and Bristolian pianist Jeremy Millington (known collectively as The Portraits) whom I met at Glastonbury this year. The lovely township vibe of this single The Rest Of Time comes from a project to create what they call a “Band Aid Of The Common People”: hundreds of real people singing their hearts out with the aim of saving the life of a six-year-old called Emma Whittaker who urgently needs a blood stem cell transplant. The duo recorded each of their 2014 audiences singing a different harmony for this song, then recruited Ethemia and Minnie Birch to join them on The Rest Of Time – which will raise funds for the charity Delete Blood Cancer UK. Next live appearance is at Bristol’s Downend Folk Club with Kelly Oliver (Jan 15), with Glastonbury & Cambridge Folk Festival to follow later in 2015.

K ANDERSON – New Year [starts 25:53]
http://www.kandersonmusic.com
“K Anderson comes from the too-much-information school of songwriting. Frank and forthright, his songs are like conversations with an old friend.” This year he has produced four zines to accompany single releases. Leapfrogging the issue of Christmas singles entirely, this single New Year looks ahead to 2015 and its accompanying zine features festive horror stories submitted by friends and fans.

JONNY JACK – Be Mine [starts 30:18]
http://www.facebook.com/JonnyJackMusic
“Scottish singer songwriter Jonny Jack writes and performs music which bristles with soul, youthful vigour and big tent pop hooks. Creating meaningful, mainstream music and relentlessly touring the UK with a backing band which includes big brothers Paul, Michael and good friend Douglas I’Anson is what he loves best. After the success from debut single Wide Open and the self released Skin To The Bone EP, Jonny has built up a buzz in Scotland, playing a string of sold out shows throughout 2014. Future plans include a new EP release in early 2015 with music videos, radio sessions and a full UK tour.”

QUIET AS A MOUSE – Cristina, Its Christmas Time [starts 33:05]
http://www.quietasamouseofficial.com/
Edinburgh songwriter Alex Moran formed Quiet as a Mouse in 2012 and are no strangers to the BBC Introducing Mixtape. We featured their free download track An Accident Waiting To Happen (Awoo Woo Woo) in February and the single Casketcase in June. Despite alarm bells ringing from the word “Christmas” in the title, this track comes from their splendid debut EP British Flag which was actually released in August. In any case, the groove and performance on this track are simply irresistible – the band’s strongest work to date. Roll on 2015.

WARMDUSCHER – Uncle Sleepover [starts 36:17]
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warmduscher/1497370903865441
Who the hell are this new bunch Warmduscher? They turn out to consist of The Saulcano (aka Saul Adamczewski from Fat White Family), Lightnin’ Jack Everett and… Clams “Grief Bacon” Baker – aka Craig Louis Higgins Jr – aka reprobate of this parish Mutado Pintado. Live and direct from everywhere and anywhere, they are glad to present all the good things life has to offer: grease walks, digital tickles and hard riffs on all the pink parts. They have an album coming out next year and meanwhile appear on the Trashmouth Records compiliation Thinking About Moving To Hastings. “Do The Salamander” they advise “and always remember to love your neighbors.”

INGRID FROSLAND – Dare To Believe [starts 39:44]
http://www.facebook.com/ingridfrosland
“Ingrid Frosland brings you music that walks from acoustic folk to upbeat Scandinavian pop. Whether it’s being lead by fragile fingerpicking, an electric guitar with a volume pedal or a banjo groove, her music works to captivate your attention with honest and real words that travels down your spine and moves into your heart. Ingrid is currently dividing her time between Liverpool and Norway, and her ambivalent relationship with where her home is, is a recurring theme in her songwriting. Over the last year, Ingrid  has played festivals from Liverpool Sound City to Musikkfest Oslo and played gigs in both countries. Up next, she’s going on a tour of icy roads and snowy towns in Norway in January.” Assuming she survives the experience the music video for this track Dare To Believe will be unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

TOBY HAY – Dance Of The Mayfly [starts 43:39]
http://www.tobyhay.com
“Toby Hay is a guitarist and composer from Mid Wales. This track is taken from his latest release on Cambrian Records, Marteg EP: a collection of pieces inspired by a river near to his home. Using 6 and 12 string guitars he writes music that captures some of the unique beauty of the landscape, the history and the people of this special part of the country.”

MATTIE GINSBERG – Headache [starts 45:37]
https://soundcloud.com/mattieginsberg
Mattie Ginsberg‘s family home in rural North Wales has already brought us outstanding leftfield guitar rock tunes from his brothers’ bands WE//ARE//ANIMAL and Fennel Seeds. But, as I’ve commented before, Mattie’s own work is a different beast entirely: his musical tastes are wideranging and I’ve been following the progress of his sonic adventures with keen interest over the years. His work is always uncompromising and restless, and never less than interesting. The loose arachy of Headache couldn’t be more different from the affectingly beautiful Promised Land which we heard on the Mixtape back in March. https://freshonthenet.co.uk/mixtape20140331
“I’m not really going to do anything grandiose,” he says. “I have no plans for any Gigs Of Note or to release an album of any kind.” His plans are simply to carry on making my music and posting it up on his Soundcloud page “as if it were some kind of weird diary. It’s not that I don’t want to be in a band – I just can’t find one. I have to do some work to get some studio gear now however so I probably will be off the boil for a bit.” Feat not, readers: Mattie vows to return “better, stronger, faster – more haggard”.

TE YATES – That You Knew [starts 47:42]
http://www.teyates.com
Most musicians boast of exploding onto their local scene in a glittering blaze of media hype and spontaneous applause. TE Yates, however, snuck in through an open window. He’s performed in front of huge crowds but always as a hired hand or supporting player, a multi-instrumentalist in the shadows – mandolin, banjo, harmonica, even musical saw – you may have heard him on the tracks of other artists without even knowing it. But now TE Yates has stepped out of the shadows, taking centre-stage with a formidable backing band comprising members of Victorian Dad, The Bedlam Six, Ottersgear, Gorilla Riot and Honeyfeet. Even when performing solo the man doesn’t travel light, his weird and wonderful drawings regularly making an appearance between songs, baffling and delighting audiences in equal measures. Unassuming, unusual and enigmatic, TE Yates is a multi-disciplinary artist of rare and disarming qualities that must be seen and heard to be believed. A music video for That You Knew has been recently released.

ROMAN SCOTT – Heart Of Hibiscus [starts 51:14]
https://facebook.com/RomanScottMuzik
“I’m 21, my name’s Roman Scott, I live in England. I beatbox, play synth, sing & produce all my own music.” See: How To Write An Artist Biog.

KETE BOWERS – Chained To You [starts 55:06]
http://ketebowers.net
“Kete Bowers started writing his own songs in 2008, recorded his debut album Road in 2010, and in April 2013 he released two songs, White River Road and Ghosts. He played The Latitude Festival in 2014 and is now working on songs for his second album…His latest release is Chained To You.” The classic structure, simple arrangement and intimate delivery of Chained To You all go to make this the strongest and most affecting work we’ve heard from Kete to date.

ARTISTS: Important Warning…
At least one PR company sends out an identical email to every single artist who appears on The BBC Introducing Mixtape. Typically it says:

“Heard YOURNAMEHERE on BANDCAMP/SOUNDCLOUD/YOUTUBE and thought THEIR/HER/YOUR tracks sounded great. If you have any Album or Single releases coming up that you need Press / Radio / Online promotion for please let us know, and we will be happy to submit a promotional proposal. We have an eclectic team and work with INDIE / ALTERNATIVE / ELECTRONIC / LEFTFIELD / POP & URBAN releases.”

Please be aware you’re NOT receiving this proposal because the company think you in particular “sound great”: everyone else on the mixtape gets an identical proposal, every week. The usual email goes on to state that “PREVIOUS CLIENTS HAVE INCLUDED…” and list a lot of big international names from the late 90s and mid-noughties. The Radio Plugging section of that particular company’s website has the cheek to list BBC 6 Music and Radio 1 as “proud associates”. The BBC is emphatically not the “associate” of any promotion company – proud or otherwise.