On a wet and rather miserable afternoon, something to continue the darkness!

The Drones - Gala Mill
On their second, but first internationally available, album Australia’s The Drones lived up to their name - sharp, garage rock drones that flushed out Blues-inspired songs of loss and loneliness. Whilst it had one of the best album titles of last year with Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By, their music lacked a certain something on record that stood them out from the crowd. What refreshed my interest in them was a fantastic set at ATP earlier this year. They’d removed their rock-by-numbers approach and developed their sound into something more grandiose whilst discovering a more story-telling approach to their songs. Full review.

And some support for a local artist.

Darren Michelangelo Smith - Same Old Story
Being a Cambridge resident and living in the shadow of the University and all that’s associated to it, it tends to make the people who actually live there (i.e. not the students) stick together. So when you find a local artist you generally what to big them up or at least add them as your “friend” in MySpace before you’ve even heard them. However, listening to Darren Michelangelo Smith (DMS) made me realise you can be loyal but also support a serious talent as well. The songs that DMS writes might be currently in vogue with his east-end drawl bringing to mind Jamie T, Plan B and Lilly Allen but where this rises above the rest is with the original sounding musical arrangements and his honest and open lyrics. The boy may only be 19, but he’s got a way with words. Full review.