FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS [link]

"The verses are jerky but effective, contributing to a catchy as hell three minutes"

"A band who'll be worth keeping an eye on in the coming months" - Artrocker

DEXY & THE HAND ME DOWNS [link]

Dexy is a singer/songwriter with a difference; rather than get bogged down in charmless platitudes and bland coffee-table balladry, he actually has a point, an individual style and a deep-rooted understanding of what tugs the heartstrings and stirs the soul.

His cracked-crystal vocal melodies wend their way along paths of drunken loss, sepia-tinted hope and ragged glory, almost always pausing at the bar for another whiskey and coke, no ice.

As you can hear on the triumphal hootenanny of ‘Zero’ Dexy has a certain mastery over the kind of shambolic bar-room blues once made legend by the likes of The Replacements; a definite grasp of the smoke-filled intensity currently touted by the likes of Lucero and The Hold Steady.

The tenderly plucked strains of ‘Back in The Cage’ and ‘Broken Fixtures’pay tribute to those masters of atmosphere Elliott Smith and Will Oldham – country-tinged tastes of sweet and sour augmented with shuffling beats and beautifully intricate guitar work.

Dexy’s heart, however can be found on the instantly iconic ‘The Dying Breed’, sounding like it could have been taken from Johnny Cash’s American Recordings but delivered in a breathless whisper, this is a brand new stand-out song from an artist who deals only in stand-out songs.

‘(Pretty Soon) Your Lover’s Coming Home’ is an example of a different type of journey altogether; refusing to pay off in expected ways, it’s late-night philosophising cuts to the quick and, as is often the case with Dexy, you can never be sure whether the repeated cry of the eponymous chorus line is one of anguish, triumph or sly humour.

His shows, often augmented by the carousel of musicians known as The Hand Me Downs, are known for their intensity, fragility and that priceless feeling that anything could happen – as often does with unpredictable detours into covers of anything from the Pet Shop Boys to Morrissey, Bruce Springsteen to Heatmiser.

Dexy has shared bills with Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, The Buzzcocks, The Spinto Band, The Wedding Present and Mark Morriss. He lives in London. He writes beautiful songs, plays them with vigour, passion and desire, and, we believe, has invented a peculiarly British take on a genre called Country-Punk.

THIS LIFE SCANDAL [link]

We write tunes to consume you whole; to make you stand up; and the walls crumble... Born from a love of great songs This Life Scandal merged as one in a West London studio in 2008 and have strived from the beginning to bring venues crashing down with towering melodies. We want to create beautiful music with influences ranging from Ryan Adams and Elbow, through to Incubus and Metallica plus a whole host of others. Chris, a phenomenal singer/songwriter, searched for a band to give his songs the epic sound they deserve. Perfectionist through and through Chris almost breathes out melodies. Sam got involved with his guitar - sculpting soundscapes under the influence of 1 or 2 effects. David came next with his thunderous bass and cockney fury. And finally Neil, the drumming Scotsman who brings huge energy and drive. Together the band create an enticing and formidable wall of sound.

KIT RICHARDSON [link]

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