Wednesday, October 20

BLESSING FORCE

. Wednesday, October 20

Now, I don't like to brag but I first wrote about Trophy Wife waaay before the blogs blew up over his new single 'Microlite' last month. Anyone would think I just followed Foals on Twitter and wrote about their recommendations but I like to think of myself as more like an indie Inspector Morse, snooping out the finest Oxford has to offer.

I also wrote about Pet Moon too and whilst I'm loathe to make this post about some sort of Oxford scene (I'm sure that's been cooked up in a magazine office as we speak) it certainly seems that there are a lot of bands emerging from the sleepy, academic city.

Loosely grouped under the collective name of Blessing Force, these bands are based in Oxford and often writing and recording in the basement/ studio where Foals wrote this years 'Total Life Forever'.

Many of these Blessing Force associated bands, including Chad Valley come from the fall out from mid-noughties bands like Youthmovies and Jonquil. Hugo Manuel is a member of the latter and is also the man behind the samplers and is crafting a very English take on the sepia tinted sounds of Toro Y Moi and Washed Out. Have a listen to his track 'Portugese Solid Summer' below:



Then there is Fixers who combine the floaty, ephemeral qualities of Animal Collective with a broad and epic scope that could see them break out and become a properly big deal. Or sell four albums and play a few Barfly shows, whatever. They're great.



Also tied up in this big collective, creative free for all are Solid Gold Dragons, Neon Pulse and Rhosyn who are all well worth checking out.

Finally, this is the new Trophy Wife track mentioned earlier. Released via Moshi Moshi in November the track got its official video this week which looks like this:



Img: Maran Celeste
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Claiming to "find" a band earlier than other music fans/bloggers is just kinda lame. Even if it were true, so what?

David said...

It was quite clearly a joke. I couldn't care less who writes about music or when they do it.

Anonymous said...

"I couldn't care less who writes about music or when they do it"

Why fu*king bother then?

David said...

You seem confused. My point is that I don't care for the blog world's endless race to be first. If I find something early then great but it doesn't feel any better than if I discover them way after everyone else.

In answer to your question though, I bother because I care.

MaxwellSilva said...

In this insouciant world that we live in these days, its great to know that someone at least tries to show it's humanistic beauty. you care and quite of us respect you. thank for presenting bands and songwriters that now fill my days with the utmost bright light. hope you have a nice day, have fun take care

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