Look beneath the surface of most medium-sized towns and cities in the UK and you are likely to find some of the more left-field, sometimes bizarre and frankly more interesting music than which is immediately apparent. In the first instalment of this new monthly series, Jude Clarke gives us the lowdown on the musicians in her home town of Cambridge that she thinks you may like - or even need - to know more about.

Think ‘Cambridge’ and ‘Music’, and the chances are that most people are likely to just think of Pink Floyd, or even, lord help us, Hamfatter (yeah, thanks for that, Dragons Den…). Having lived in this fine and compact city for nigh-on twenty years, though, I am pleased to say that, with a bit of ferreting around, and a lot of devoted gig-attendance at The Best Small Venue in Town™ The Portland Arms, things here are a lot more diverse, experimental, challenging and just at times outright fun than that. Things that range from the shambolic indiepop cardicore of The Puncture Repair Kit to The Resistance’s confrontational noise-drone (with psychedelic backdrops); from the scene’s own supergroup, of sorts, in the form of Canaveral, with their high-concept Bill Drummond-isms and ever-changing line up, to the righteous (and Kerrang-endorsed) intelli-post-hardcore of Tupolev Ghost and Cathode Ray Syndrome’s Cambridge/Brighton (prog-post-) Rock; taking in some gorgeous string-flecked loveliness from Fuzzy Lights, pared-down electronics and vitriol from The Vichy Government, The Last Dinosaur’s warm acoustics, layered harmonies and ‘kitchen sink’ aesthetic, and last but not least the one-man enigma that is Um, for whom I’ve just spent the last five minutes trying to construct a snappy soundbite description, and resolutely failing so to do…

This is intended to be more a summary of those bands and artists that I rate and enjoy, then, rather than anything purporting to be an overview of the entire Cambridge music scene. I put the same set of questions to each of the bands concerned and they all answered in their own individual and often entertaining way. They’ve also each donated a track so that you can take a listen for yourself. Continue Reading

Victoria and Jacob played, as far as I’m aware, at TLOBF’s very first gig at the Portland Arms in Cambridge the other day. I wasn’t there, and listening to this EP, I wonder how they are as a live act - it’s an intriguing thought which I’m sure several TLOBF staffers could now enlighten me on.

V&J’s sound is a twinkling, light, but affecting one - “Clash” is slightly disappointing in a sense that it isn’t about a seminal punk outfit, but satisfies in every other respect. Victoria’s voice soars over a simplistic synthetic beat and a insistent drone, with glockenspiel, odd rattling sounds and acoustic guitar taking turns to add their own contributions. “It’s not about apologies”, we hear, “it’s about understanding.” It seems to be a song about inevitability and sealing yourself off from the world when things get tough, but what the hell do I know? At the end, there’s a sound which makes me think of the death throes of a toy robot, which is nice. Continue Reading

No one likes to see someone blow their own trumpet… unless it’s Prince of course, but we thought we’d bring you some photos from our very first TLOBF Gig night. Held in the wonderful premises of The Portland Arms in Cambridge, a sell-out crowd were wooed by the the line-up of The Last Dinosaur, Victoria & Jacob and Vessels. Thanks to all the bands and everyone who came - it wouldn’t have been such a success without you! Continue Reading

L: Victoria & Jacob R: The Cathode Ray Syndrome*

The Portland Arms in Cambridge is something of a local institution. This pub-with-a-back-room venue has been the scene of many a great evening of live music over the years, and with the recent demise of the short-lived Barfly just across the road, has once again become pretty much the main port of call for the discerning Cambridge gig-goer.

Last Saturday saw a four-band lineup celebrating local promoter (and friend of TLOBF) Green Mind’s birthday. Two of the four bands playing - The Cougars and Operahouse - produced workmanlike but not terribly exciting variations on your standard guitar-based modern indie, so need not really detain us any further now; whilst the other two were both, in differing ways, much more interesting. Continue Reading