From the Margins

  • Cpt. Smith iconCPT. SMITH SINGLE : I HATE NIGHTS OUT
    West Wales alt. punk band Cpt. Smith are set to release their new single I Hate Nights Out on 20 October 2017 (I KA CHING). Following on from last year's well received debut EP, Propeller, the single is a dense two minutes and forty second rush of guitar and channelled angst, with an irrepressible wired energy that places them at a roughly similar point on the spectrum to the compulsive 'fuzzed up shed skronk' of Llanelli's Oblong. As noted on the site before, Cpt. Smith's front man and bassist Ioan Hazell also has another productive project with his contrasting duo 'Names', which released its debut single in May and has a second imminent. [ More : Facebook I SoundCloud I Twitter ]
  • Mei Emrys iconMEI EMRYS : LLWCH REVIEW
    Mei Emrys has released a debut album that BBC Radio Wales' Adam Walton has already compared to the 'confident swagger' of Oasis and Kasabian. Formed around Emrys' strong songwriting skills, abetted by the production and multi-instrumental contribution of Rich Roberts, Llwch is an irresistible and remarkably good first release. Read more.

  • Moon GooseMOON GOOSE : SPACE PROBE SHUT DOWN EP
    Moon Goose are an 'Avian Psychedelic Spaced Out' band from Hay on Wye - Space Probe Shut Down, their debut EP, was released in May. It comprises three instrumentals, each exceptional psychedelic space rock. Another EP is already in the pipeline, until then there is the twenty minutes of this release to be absorbed by - read the full review.

  • NamesNAMES : NEW SINGLE & EUROS CHILDS SUPPORT DATE
    Pembrokeshire duo Names have crafted a second single, Limb by Limb, that confirms their debut was not an isolated sliver of brilliance. To mark the occasion they also have an early December Aberystwyth support slot with Euros Childs. More details here.

  • Band Pres LlareggubBAND PRES LLAREGGUB : CYMYLAU (Feat. ALYS WILLIAMS)
    Mentally mix the cool brass swing of Band Pres Llareggub with Alys Williams' sublime, soaring vocals, and this is what you might dream the result could be - newly released track Cymylau (Clouds) is just short of four minutes of musical rapture. An album, the follow up to last year's Kurn, is out on 4th December, and features further collaborations with Lisa Jên (9Bach), MC Skunkadelic (Afro Cluster), Mr Phormula, Osian Huw Williams (Candelas) & Gwyllt.

  • Hermon ChapelLIVE REVIEW : MERRY HELL
    Two dates in North Wales this autumn - Ruthin All Styles Music Club (Nov 16) & Conwy Folk Club (Dec 11) - drew our eye back to Merry Hell, allegedly one of the UK's most exciting live folk groups. A reconnaissance trip to the arts centre at Hermon Chapel, Oswestry proved the praise they have been given to be true. Read the interview & review.
  • Phalcons : Idle WaysPHALCONS DEBUT SINGLE : IDLE WAYS
    Featuring Ben Ellis and Alex Morrison (both formerly found in Sen Segur with George Amor), Phalcons already have a heritage to live up to. The band line up is completed by Naomi Saunders and Tomos Williams, and they have a debut single, Idle Ways, due for release on 15th November (Libertino Records). The single showcases an enchanting sound from the boundary between dream pop and psychedelic-folk; Idle Ways has a lyric that describes 'love found, love lost and love squandered' and a spirit that spans the distance between the musical innocence of the late sixties (see by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Byrds) and the band's home ground in the North Wales mountains. Phalcons have found their way onto the bill of this year's Sŵn Discovery Day; there is sufficient poise in this elegant single to suggest they could become a significant presence in Welsh music. [ More : Facebook I SoundCloud I Twitter ]

  • Adrian MooreSPARKS IN THE DARK : AN EVENING OF SONIC FIREWORKS : THU 02 NOV [Bangor]
    Perhaps the most intriguing date in the autumn musical calendar is on Thursday 2nd November, when to mark bonfire night Pontio's Theatr Bryn Terfel hosts immersive sound from a leading figure in UK acousmatic music, Adrian Moore. The evening will feature a 'breath-taking array of invisible sonic fireworks', and the best of recent Welsh acousmatic music - including Huw McGregor's Metronic. Details from the Pontio website.
  • Neuadd OgwenNEUADD OGWEN DECEMBER DATES : 9BACH & BAND PRES LLAREGGUB TO PLAY BETHESDA
    Bethesda venue Neuadd Ogwen has a superb run of gigs in November and December - two really catch the eye. First, 9Bach (with Yucatan and poet Martin Daws as support) appear on Saturday 9th December - early bird tickets are £12 before 21.10, £14 after. Then, on Wednesday 27th December, Band Pres Llareggub host a post Christmas party, again early bird tickets are £12 before 21.10, then £14. Both dates should sell out.
  • Band Pres LlareggubNEW YEAR'S EVE AT NANT GWRTHEYRN
    Potentially more of an all inclusive package than we would normally recommend as a gig - but New Year's Eve 2017 at Nant Gwrtheyrn is hosted by the exuberant Band Pres Llareggub, and also features the folk-roots of the Llŷn Peninsula's outstanding Patrobas. A preview and full details are here.
  • YesCyrmuAN INTRODUCTION TO YESCYMRU : A VIABLE PATH TO WELSH INDEPENDENCE?
    Over the autumn and into the winter, the site will carry two strands of interviews to explore two seemingly separate issues: the politics of nationalism and the NHS in North Wales. Very much focused on the former, YesCymru are a new, non-partisan movement campaigning for a Welsh independence referendum. With a positive approach they already have real impetus, and evidence of broader than expected sympathy for their aim. We spoke to the organisation's Vice Chair, Rhydian Hughes, to find out more.
  • Bob DelynBOB DELYN A'R EBILLION : DAL I 'REDIG DIPYN BACH
    Fourteen years after Dore, Bob Delyn a'r Ebillion have released a new album, Dal i 'Redig Dipyn Bach (Still ploughing on a little bit). From a band credited with putting fire into the 90's Welsh folk revival, the new album does their heritage justice - it is a hypnotic triumph. Full review.

  • Community Music WalesCOMMUNITY MUSIC WALES TUTOR TRAINING
    Community Music Wales train musicians to be tutors on a Community Music Tutor Training programme. If then taken on, they work on a paid, freelance basis. There are spaces on their forthcoming introductory training course in Llanrwst (November 28/29). For more information ring 02920 838060 or email.
  • Colorama : Some Things Just Take TimeOCTOBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH : COLORAMA : SOME THINGS JUST TAKE TIME
     The latest Colorama album shows Carwyn Ellis' vital force as a songwriter, arranger and performer is undimmed. Some Things Just Take Time is a burst of elegant retro-pop, folk and blues - a worthy follow up to last year's award winning collaborative Bendith project. Read more & listen.


  • The Goat Roper Rodeo BandOCTOBER GIG OF THE MONTH : THE GOAT ROPER RODEO BAND & MICHELE STODART : THU 12 OCTOBER
    Last year's Goat Roper Rodeo Band date at the Blue Sky, Bangor was superb, finishing with an unlikely acoustic wall of sound. This year, as they visit the same venue again, they are paired with a solo set from Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers, for an unmissable double bill. Read the preview.
  • ScapegoatsSCAPEGOATS : HÉLÈNE
    Led by Anglesey based Andy Bob Beaumont, The Scapegoats are live circuit stalwarts who deliver unashamed blues-rock. This EP has six tracks that showcase their sound - including a cover of a Sonny Boy Williamson II song that will prompt flashbacks of Eric Clapton playing imperiously in a church pulpit for anyone who has ever watched the film of the Who's rock opera Tommy. More.

    • Archived Posts

    2017

New Articles & Interviews

  • AdwaithFtM 2017 WATCHLIST
    Monico Blonde and Adwaith feature in the set of 13 pre-debut album bands we think will make exactly the right noise in 2017.
    See the full list.