The Cotswolds

Returned earlier from a walk in the Cotswolds with Mark and Christine, who put us up on Friday night at their place in Cheltenham.

Photographic evidence here

Another Scottish place name band

As noted in the last post, Aberfeldy formed in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh but named their band after the small town in Perthshire.

Oxford's Stornoway aren't from Scotland and claim that none of their members have ever been to the town on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

Anyhow, Brian Stornoway was introduced to me by Gerard, my neighbour and cycling buddy.

I took these vids with my Minolta at a small music festival near Oxford a few weeks back, as captured on Flickr here.

Below, their song Mysteries are Good for You



Below, a song that I don't know the name of

Patronising the arts on a Monday night

A while back I got an email from my friend Marcel which included the line " Good to hear from you and how unreal that your (sic) still patronising the arts!"

Kate and I were joined by James M. for a foray to The Zodiac to patronise some bands last night.

Named after a small town in Scotland, Edinburgh's Aberfeldy were great and catchy. Nice boy/girl/girl harmonies, safari suit and lead vocals that remind me of Andy from The Fauves. It felt like they held back a bit and only really got going towards the end of their set but it was still enjoyable.
Their website

Below, live version of their song Hypnotised


Catherine Feeny. Displaced American singing lady played an earnest acoustic set. Joined during one number (called Mr Blue, I think) by Sarah Aberfeldy.
Her website

Below, the video for her song Hurricane Glass


Foxes! are an Oxford band who I'd heard of but never heard. They have a "not quite out of the bedroom" sound in the twee indie-schmindie style (although you wouldn't know it from the video below). Like something out of my 1994 (music) bibliography, it was OK but once you've seen one Stinky Fire Engine/Pencil Tin/Cat's Miaow, you've seen em all. A song title like Art Girl almost says it all.
That said I won't not go and see them again. I liked the lady vocalist/drummer and at least they didn't play a mediocre cover version of Teenage Kicks, twice...like another unamed Oxford band I saw a few weeks back.
Their Myspace page

Below, a live video For Anyone Arriving Late