This week’s free downloadable BBC Introducing Mixtape features handpicked tunes from the BBC Introducing Uploader by IDLES, HEAVY HEART, LOUIS BARABBAS, THISISDA, THE BLOOD CHOIR, CHERRY HEAD CHERRY HEART, YIPIOK, JIM PEARSON, BRAND NEW FRIEND, TOM RABIN, LUCY CLAIRE feat. YURI KONO, SUDDENLY WOW, GAPTOOTH, THE PEOPLE THE POET, WOAHNOWS, KETO and BROKEN BY ROCK.

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 downloadable in podcast form at the BBC 6 Music downloads page for the next 30 days. Full tracklists and track start times are published here at Fresh On The Net – together with info about the music provided by the artists.

All tracks are sourced from the BBC Introducing Uploader – some recommended to me by BBC colleagues while the rest are chosen from submissions to our Fresh On The Net inbox. Click here for more info – artists please also see the request at the bottom of this page. These are the listings for the episode broadcast in the early morning of Monday, 21st March at 2am.

IDLES – Romantic Gestures [starts 00:18]
http://www.idlesband.com/
“After taking a year and a half hiatus from the live scene since the success of their debut EP release Welcome which included BBC Introducing in the Southwest Band of The Year, IDLES have been perfecting their writing process to ‘bleed out a sh*t tonne of songs that we’re truly proud of’. 2015 finally saw the release of their much anticipated second EP MEAT, shortly followed by META, an EP of remixes by Alt J, SLINT, The Vaccines and Sly-One. Idles are often a five piece post-punk band from BristolLondonNewportBelfast just south of Scotland. They’re really really really really really really good. Some say they re-invented being good live as well. Keywords: Heavy. Tight. Chubbs. Guitary. Drum/Bass. Visceral. Amiable? Deaf. Fisty.
Shows: 26th March Bath, Moles; 29th March The Great Escape Presents at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen London; 20th May BBC Introducing at The Great Escape Brighton”

HEAVY HEART – What Became Of Laura R [starts 03:34]
http://www.heavyheart.co.uk/
“Heavy Heart are a five-piece band from south east London. Their sound has been described as ‘dreamy, guitar-led indie rock with lush melodies’ and their first EP was noted by NME as ‘a graceful and rewarding listen’.  Since forming in 2014 they have played gigs and festivals around the UK, Europe, and recently in New York City for CMJ Music Marathon.  They will release a new song each month in 2016, with Time Will Stand Still (January) and What Became of Laura R? (February) already out and Yellowbird to follow on 28th March.  They play The Borderline in London on 21st April.”

LOUIS BARABBAS – Faith In Myths [starts 07:20]
https://louisbarabbas.com/
“Louis Barabbas is a writer, performer and label director, best known for caustic love songs and energetic stage shows. Over the years he has performed all over the world, from Mexico and the USA to mainland Europe and Australia, sharing stages with such disparate acts as Motorhead, Supergrass, Sun Ra’s Arkestra and The Blockheads. He is also a committee member at the Musicians’ Union, on the advisory board for Un-Convention, presenter on Fab Radio International and an occasional spoons player. He has released four albums and two EPs with band The Bedlam Six and has just released his debut solo album Gentle Songs Of Ceaseless Horror (which features guest appearances from Liz Green and Kirsty McGee.)”

THISISDA – Electric18 [starts 11:54]
http://ITSTHISISDA.com
“ThisisDA is a Bristol based rapper who really caught the attention local and national media in 2015 with his debut EP, Based Off Black. ‘ThisisDA is bringing us a throwback to that classic soulful rap we all miss’ said the MOBO Awards Group of his debut, while Complex UK says he is ‘a lyricist exhibiting a conscious mind and technical proficiency to great effect.’ Upcoming gigs: http://bit.ly/1XFRiTq”

THE BLOOD CHOIR – Switching Off The Perfume Garden [starts 15:06]
https://www.facebook.com/thebloodchoir
“The Blood Choir are an alternative rock band from Bristol, England. Currently based between the UK and Denmark, the band consists of Robin Maddicott (vocals) and Joe Mountain (guitar). In 2009 they began recording material for what would become the Dartmoor EP. Whilst never officially released, the EP was widely circulated and brought critical attention to the band. In 2012 The Blood Choir released their debut album, No Windows To The Old World, on IRL, an independent record label that had released albums by Tinariwen and Justin Adams. The album was co-produced by Tim Oliver (Robert Plant, New Order) and was simultaneously released through his own label Top Cat Music. That year the band toured the UK with Arbouretum, and opened for The Magic Band, Dylan Carlson and Silver Apples. The Blood Choir returned to the studio in early 2013 with producers Tom Dalgety (Opeth, Royal Blood) & Jon Walker (Arcane Roots, The Heavy) to begin work on the follow up to No Windows. Their second album, Houses Of The Sun, is due for release in 2016. The band will be touring the UK and Denmark later this year to support the album’s release.”

CHERRY HEAD, CHERRY HEART – Road To Rome [starts 18:59]
https://www.facebook.com/cherryheadcherryheart
“Rustlin’ and a ramblin’ across the Tees Delta for a couple of years now, the slowly growing posse that makes up Cherry Head, Cherry Heart are led by Andy Johnson and Naomi Lowe who gleefully and irreverently plunder the history of melodic pop and rock to create brand new frontiers for themselves to explore. In other words they are influenced by artists as diverse as The Beautiful South, Ennio Morricone, Taylor Swift, The Streets and The Cardigans to produce modern pop with a nod to the past. Currently working on their first album proper – Tarred and Feathered – a nod to their outsider status in the Teesside music scene, they are also planning on continuing to expand what was, originally, an acoustic duo to a full band to present their grand, quixotic ideas to an unexpecting public.”

YIPIOK – Gutterbug [starts 23:07]
http://yipiok.com/
“YipiOK are Kissy Smallwood and Johnny Levett. Their new EP Swords! is out 1st April on vinyl-style compact disc. So far this year they’ve released two music videos and played a fun show with !!! (Chk Chk Chk).”

JIM PEARSON – This Is How We Have Fun [starts 26:23]
https://www.facebook.com/jimpearsonmusic
“Jim Pearson‘s songs range from the whimsical to some of the most bitter and somber themes, yet always with a paradoxical childlike spirit that meets them head-on – wide-eyed and full of hopeful energy.”

BRAND NEW FRIEND – I Was An Astronaut [starts 29:33]
https://www.facebook.com/brandnewfriendmusic
“Formed only this year, Brand New Friend are a young indie-pop band from the North Coast of Northern Ireland. Consisting of brother-sister vocalists Taylor and Lauren Johnson, bassist Darren Hill and drummer Fionn Crossan, the band’s fast paced melodies and energetic sad songs are inspired by the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel, Aztec Camera and The Front Bottoms to name just a few. They recently beat off competition from 90 other bands to be crowned chordblossom.com‘s Kickstart competition winners for 2016, with the final of the competition marking only their third ever live performance together. The band are also the first name announced for this years Stendhal Festival, which will coincide with the release of their increasingly anticipated debut EP this Summer. I Was An Astronaut is their debut single.”

TOM RABIN – Flesh & Bone [starts 32:18]
https://www.facebook.com/tomrabinmusic
Tom Rabin in his own words: “I am a musician and producer based in SE London. I try not to tie myself down to one genre and like to live between styles, however, as a guitarist at heart this tends to shape a lot of my songs.”

LUCY CLAIRE feat YURI KONO – Kawaita Tsuki [starts 35:56]
https://www.facebook.com/lucyclairemusic
“Lucy Claire met Yuri Kono at a Chaos Theory gig back in 2014, where Kono was filling the shoes of an artist Claire had originally wanted to see and was very disappointed had pulled out. Her disappointment was quickly replaced with wonder as Yuri took to the stage and performed her unique and quirky piano based songs to a stunned audience. Claire immediately knew she wanted Kono’s vocals on one of her pieces that was in the early stages of development. This piece went on to become Kawaita Tsuki/The Barren Moon and the first track of Claire’s next Collaborations EP, which was released on the 11th of March. Also on the EP are tracks co-written with Turkish/German singer Alev Lenz and violinist Marie Schreer, as well as remixes by Tom Adams, Will Samson, Alma and Worriedaboutsatan. Claire, Lenz and Schreer are celebrating their release on the 28th March at a special Piano Day show at One Good Deed A Day in Hoxton.”

SUDDENLY WOW – I Will Never Forget You [starts 41:19]
https://pluralbabymusic.bandcamp.com/track/i-will-never-forget-you
“Suddenly Wow are Otti Albietz & Darren Morris. Two writing, producing musicians who got together through mutual love of each others’ work, and are probably going to make a whole lot more music together, maybe an album yes?”

GAPTOOTH – Stay Away From Me [starts 44:36]
http://www.gaptoothmusic.co.uk/
“Hannah Lucy has been recording and performing as Gaptooth since 2005, producing lyrically sharp, politically charged electro-pop inspired by everything from Le Tigre to Little Dragon, Portishead to P!nk and Belle and Sebastian to Bikini Kill. While studying politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) at Oxford she worked for now-defunct indie label Truck Records [Truck Festival continues the legacy however], as well as running the indie/electro club night Chicks With Decks with two other friends. She began gigging as Gaptooth after moving to Bristol, where she also ran Ladyfest Bristol 2007. Now based in East London, Gaptooth released her debut album Connections/Departures in 2013. Her latest release, Pillow Fort EP (4 March 2016), explores the politics of the every day from a feminist perspective.”

THE PEOPLE THE POET – Club 27 [starts 48:09]
http://www.thepeoplethepoet.com/
“The People The Poet are a 4 piece rock band from Pontypridd, Wales. Their new single Club 27 which is available digitally from April 1st, from the EP Paradise Closed, is a tribute to the tragically coined Club 27. The band have previously gone out on tour with Deaf Havana & Charlie Simpson and have had radio plays by Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1, Dermot O Leary on BBC Radio 2 and Planet Rock Radio. 2015 saw the band at SXSW and whilst there recorded a live acoustic session with Dermot O Leary on BBC Radio 2. In 2016 the band is invited back to SXSW for a second year. The band will be flying across the Atlantic once more in May for Canadian Music Week in Toronto.”

WOAHNOWS – Mess [starts 52:17]
https://www.facebook.com/WOAHNOWS
“New double A side single from Woahnows! Self produced by the band at Livewire in Saltash, Cornwall (a youth music charity where singer/guitarist Tim Rowing-Parker works). The songs follow in a similar vein to last year’s full length, Understanding and Everything Else (on Big Scary Monsters). But with extra soulful and power pop elements building on Woahnows’ already dynamic indie/pop/punk sound. The songs were premiered on Upset Magazine and Noisey last week. We head off on tour next week around the UK and Mainland Europe, followed by a tour supporting The Smith Street Band in July. Upcoming tour includes: 25th March Roll for the Soul, Bristol; 26th March Shacklewell Arms, London; 27th March Brighton Electric, Brighton; 8th April Cheltenham, Frog and Fiddle, 9th April 2Q Festival, Derby” [For summer dates, follow FB link above, Ed.]

KETO – Waiting On Dreams [starts 54:32]
https://www.facebook.com/ketomusicuk
“Keto, the brainchild of Nottingham based singer, songwriter and musician Leah Sanderson, bring their own style of lo-fi folk, likened to Cat Power and Elliot Smith, with audience members describing it as hypnotic. They normally perform as a 3 piece, sometimes solo, bringing in other musicians to expand Keto’s blossoming sound. Playing shows alongside Lower Dens, Eaves and Bob Mould, and getting the chance to sing with Sun Kil Moon in Hackney. Keto has now gained support from 6music, Drowned in Sound, Clash Mag, and John Kennedy, with Drowned in Sound naming her ‘a must see act’ in a write up for Dot to Dot festival. May 2016 sees Keto release her debut self-recorded 4 track EP, featuring the track Waiting on Dreams which put Keto through to this year’s Glastonbury Emerging Talent long list. Upcoming shows: 2nd April, Threshold Fest, Liverpool; 8th April Malt cross caves, Nottingham; 17th April Rough Trade Nottingham, BBC Intro/ YNOT Festival presents; 25th April Gaslight Club, Leeds; 29th April Picture House, Sheffield; 13th August – Melodica fest, Rough Trade, Nottingham.”

BROKEN BY ROCK – Ya Do It [58:56]
https://www.facebook.com/brokenbyrock/
“Broken By Rock is a new project for Glasgow-based Alan Clarke. Having previously played & written songs for DIY fuzz-popsters East Coast Defector, Broken By Rock is a new electronic direction for Alan in a universe where Daft Punk were born in West Fife, Gallic cool replaced by Irn Bru and the Moroder influence replaced by The Skids. Ya Do It is an instrumental jam & an early DIY release alongside Brittle which has featured on the fantastic Fresh On The Net Listening Post. After an initial solo outing in December supporting Universal Thee, Alan has been joined by guitarist (and professional photographer) Kevin McCollum in preparation for a gig in April at Glasgow’s Nice N Sleazy alongside Dumb Instrument & Mildred’s Dairy. The guys are also working on an initial release, hopefully an EP or longer player in the summer. Fast Fact Number One: Ya Do It’s title was inspired by the song Do Ya performed by Jad Fair on a Glasgow tribute to the writing/genius of Brian Wilson & the beach boys. Alan & Kevin like this album very much. Fast Fact Number Two: performing made-up karate moves in the mirror or pretending you’re in a remake of Starsky & Hutch while listening to Ya Do It is actively encouraged by the band” [Can’t wait to try this! Ed.]

ARTISTS…
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