Each week, there are 10 great acts in our playlist, all with a connection to Reading or Wokingham. As always, we have a wide variety of musical styles, but we think they’re all worth a listen, and we think you will find something new to enjoy as well as maybe getting out to experience the thrill of live music. We have three new entries this week, all with a local connection of one sort or another.
1. That Joe Payne – Love (not the Same) –
We had another road trip, down to The 1865 in Southampton, to see the start of That Joe Payne’s latest tour, and what a show it was, catch it if you can! Joe has performed at Wokingham Festival a couple of times now, most recently with a full band, as he has on this tour, which includes Graham Brown on keys – Graham may hold the record for the most appearances with different bands at Wokingham Festival! The band also includes Sarah Bayley on vocals, and the show included this duet, which they segued into a version of James Brown’s It’s A Man’s World, which was every bit as good as when they did the same at Wokingham Festival last year. https://www.facebook.com/ ThatJoePayne
2. Lydia Shute – White Flag –
Lydia Shute is from Wokingham, and we caught her set at The Oakford for Alex West’s monthly Closer To Home residency. Her inspirations are artists like Billie Eilish Gracie Abrams and Renee Rapp, and if her emotionally charged lyrics make you cry, then she’s done what she’s set out to do! https://www.instagram.com/lydiashute/
3. Bone-Idle – If I Could Live Twice –
We featured Reading-based Bone-Idle back in July, and we were looking forward to seeing how they would do on the second stage at Wokingham Festival. In the event, they were rescheduled to the main stage, and more than justified their promotion with a top-notch set showing how much they’ve developed. They are a last-minute addition to the Readipop Fiesta event this Saturday (13th September), filling in for Jopy (another playlist favourite) who are sadly unable to appear. This is a slower, more contemplative number that complements their more upbeat repertoire. https:// www.facebook.com/boneidleband
4. Kepler Ten – Fracture –
Kepler Ten are a trio based in Southampton, and they’ve graced the main stage at Wokingham Festival a couple of times in the past, as well as shooting one of their videos in Simon’s Wood on Wellingtonia Avenue in Crowthorne! This is the brand new single from their forthcoming, and long awaited, album; the album is called Random Number Generator: Episode 1 (RNG1), and will be out on 26th September. After a period of comparative quiet, they look set for a busy time as the album is positioned as the first in a series of concept albums, and they aim to be touring in 2026. https://www.keplerten.com/
5. The Colour Tree – The Grand Marquee –
The Colour Tree are a five-piece band from Reading who specialise in thoughtful melodic music about life’s vicissitudes. They’ve played at a few festivals over the Summer (Marvellous, Maidenhead, and Windsor & Eton Pride), and have a gig in London at the Mascara Bar on the 20th of September. This is their latest single, about the reality of celebrity. https:// www.instagram.com/thecolourtreeband/
6. Baby Said – Take Everything –
Baby Said is a four-piece band from Portsmouth fronted by Italian/ Punjabi sisters Veronica and Jess Pal, and they’ve been making waves after establishing themselves through extensive touring in the UK. They were at Glastonbury and are appearing at the Readipop Fiesta hosted at Reading University this weekend (13th September, The Amazons are headlining!), and this single is from their debut album, and is about the frustration of feeling unrecognised for the efforts you’re making. https://www.facebook.com/groups/babysaidofficial
7. Kindred Spirit Band – The Track –
Kindred Spirit Band are based in Twickenham, but have played many times in Reading and surrounding areas. They are at the Face Bar on November 2nd, as part of a great prog line-up for 4 Play Prog Fest IV , and before that, on October 10th, they are launching their album in Richmond-on-Thames, and raising money for Richmond Mind, a very worthy cause. This is the first single from that album, an uplifting optimistic song about finding your destiny. https://www.facebook.com/ KindredSpiritBand
8. Only The Poets- Guess She’s Cool –
Reading’s Only The Poets have been touring the world, but returned to their roots last month with a gig at Reading FC and another at The Purple Turtle, launching their debut album. This is their latest single, about regrets and misgivings, finding yourself comparing a new partner to the one you really loved. https://www.facebook.com/onlythepoets
9. Hoopy Frood- The River –
Hoopy Frood are based in Reading, and formed as a live band in 2004 after an offer to open for Ozric Tentacles (who happened to headline at Wokingham Festival last year) followed the release of a studio project. This track is the first single from their recently-released fourth album, and we absolutely love the groove, though we don’t have the vocabulary to adequately describe the styles of music involved; psychedelic rock and reggae are both involved somewhere! https://www.facebook.com/ hoopyfroodmusic
10. The Dynatronics- My Eyes are Turned Inside –
Based in Maidenhead, The Dynatronics are a trio of chums who used to be in a band together a long time ago, and have got back together to record the sort of music they love, which has a lot of influences from 60s beat groups such as The Who, The Move and Cream, and later bands influenced in turn by them. Dan Taylor is one of the three and we’ve featured some of his work with The Veras on the playlist before, and the group played a set on the Windsor bandstand last weekend as part of the WIndsor Festival fringe. This is The Dynatronics debut single and has a magnificent sound, in part due to a sprinkling of Hammond organ magic from Morgan Nicholls. https:// thedynatronics.bandcamp.com/
You can listen to all the songs featured in our Spotify playlist at https://bit.ly/rawsoundstoday
