Secret Rivals - Make Do and Mend EP

(Kittiwake, 2011)

Secret Rivals are likely to divide opinion if you’ve never heard them before. A painfully ‘indie’ band, the guys have their influences emblazoned on their foreheads and dance excitedly back and forth over the line between being inspired by and being derivative of their influences. For example, “These Are Only Obstacles” pretty much IS an early Idlewild song mixed with some Blink-182 guitar melodies and vocal interplay while “Blisters” could be an Interpol song if you took away the boy/girl dynamic. On the plus side the songs are chirpy, upbeat and full of energy which makes Secret Rivals a welcome change from the droller indie bands that the city has to offer. On the downside the affected, mockney vocals become tiresome after the first two songs. If you like twee, earnest indie pop in the new-millennial mould then Make Do and Mend will surely melt your heart.

[Originally published in Oxford Music Scene magazine, issue 15]
http://www.oxfordmusicscene.co.uk/images/oms_issue15.pdf

Various Artists - Spires: A Collection of Music From Oxford Bands

(Free Download, 2011)

When NME recently ran an article on the ‘mysterious’ Blessing Force scene, it gave the nation the impression that those bands were running the Oxford music scene when in fact a lot of regular punters and hard working Oxford bands had hardly heard of most of them. Here, Aaron from Phantom Theory has taken this as an opportunity to compile a collection of those Oxford bands which are really out there, gigging, making music and working hard. If you follow the local scene then you’ll recognise the bands spotlighted here; Black Hats, Dead Jerichos, Dial F, TROT, Ute, Spring Offensive et al. This isn’t a surprising compilation by any means, and the songs collected here are among the respective bands’ most well known. It’s a simple idea - just as Jon Spira’s upcoming documentary Anyone Can Play Guitar will attempt to give a history lesson on Oxford music, Spires catalogues some of the city’s best current bands. Don’t lament the bands which have been left off this compilation, the idea behind Spires is admirable and it’s free, so go direct those who have been misinformed by NME to go download it.

http://spirescompilation.wordpress.com/

[Originally printed in Oxfordshire Music Scene magazine, issue 12, February 2011]

http://www.oxfordmusicscene.co.uk/images/oms_issue12.pdf