Each week we like to champion the music scene with ten songs in our playlist that all have a connection to the RaW (Reading and Wokingham) area and sometimes beyond. This week we have three new tracks for you from acts with connections to Reading and Wokingham. As always, we have a wide variety of musical styles, but we think they’re all worth a listen and we hope you find something new to enjoy as well as maybe getting out to experience the thrill of live music.
1. Panic Shack – Girl Band Starter Kit –
Are You Listening? Festival was another great success this year, with over 40 acts performing in six venues around Reading; we managed to catch about half of them! As always, the Festival was well organised, with a range of styles of music and blessed with great weather. One of the highlights were Sub89 headliners Panic Shack, with a joyously energetic performance in front of a packed house, delivering upbeat songs with a feminist message. This is the lead track from their debut album. https://www.panicshack.com/
2. Palindrones – Brightling Star (Strange Futures Remix) –
Beat Cancer is a charity that releases music and hosts events to raise money to fund research to help fight cancer. They have two gigs at the Face Bar on 29th and 30th May, the first with EBM, Industrial, Synthpop & Techno, the second with live bands featuring Deviant, TIRS, The Go Go Cult and Palindrones. We’ve chosen this, the latest single from Palindrones. https://beatcancer.info/
3. Grace Pounds – So Long –
Are You Listening? features local artists as well as those from further afield, and one of the former we were please to see was Grace Pounds whose music we have featured in the playlist before. This is her latest single, and, as we mentioned back in January, Grace has released videos to accompany her recent songs, including this dreamy one about finding a place you can be secure even when beset by doubts. https://www.facebook.com/GracePoundsMusic
4. Eddie Roxy and the Adjacent Kings – Billy Porter –
Back in 1980, the band Department S had a hit with the song Is Vic There? 45 years on, Eddy Roxy, the vocalist from Department S, is fronting his own band, the Adjacent Kings, with a mix of Department S and new songs. We saw them recently supporting The Vapors at the Face Bar, another great evening courtesy of Future Transmissions, and before that a couple of years ago with local legends, The Members, in Bracknell. This is his latest single, released earlier this year. https://www.instagram.com/eddieroxyandtheadajcentkings/
5. Selina and the Howlin Dogs – Black Dog –
Opening with appropriate howling, and a classic blues guitar riff (reminiscent of La Grange by ZZ Top, who in turn half-inched it from John Lee Hooker) this track from Reading’s blues purveyors Selina and the Howlin Dogs shares a title with a Led Zeppelin classic, but the subject is the black dog of depression, though the upbeat music gives hope that it can be overcome. Look out for the accompanying video and upcoming album, Third Time Lucky, and next month they’re supporting Brave Rival at Arlington Arts in Newbury. https://www.facebook.com/SelinaandtheHowlinDogs
6. Cephid – Promises Prelude –
As we hope you gather from this playlist, the Reading area has a lively music scene. One part of it is Reading Electronic Music Open Mic, run by the Readipop charity, which provides a platform for aficionados of vintage synths to perform their compositions. The next one is on 14th May at South Street Arts Centre, and one of the participants is Moray Macdonald, who performs as Cephid (we’ve also loved his work as part of That Joe Payne’s band), and this is his latest single. https:// www.facebook.com/cephid.world
7. Jack Foz – Can’t Be Easy to Love –
Jack Foz is based in London, but popped along to the Purple Turtle to headline the party celebrating 10 years of Dean Nelson’s Generation Studio. We’re glad he did, because his set was excellent, with great songs and a fantastic sound from his five-piece band; hear for yourself with his latest single! (Dean is a busy chap, as well as running the studio and doing sound engineering for bands, he’s also in charge of Wokingham Festival!) https://www.facebook.com/jackfozmusic
8. Cheap Suits – Half A Heart –
April 18th was Record Store Day, when various special vinyl editions are released, and independent record stores are celebrated. Pop Classics in Caversham had a very busy day, and the many customers were entertained by in-store performances from a couple of local bands, including
Cheap Suits, who will have the honour of being the first band performing at this year’s Wokingham Festival! This is their latest single, which bodes well for the future. https://www.instagram.com/cheapsuits.band/
9. Adult DVD – Real Tree Lee –
Last weekend was Are You Listening? Festival in various venues around Reading. As we hoped, Adult DVD put on a great show in a packed St Laurence Church. Hear for yourself with their latest single. https://www.facebook.com/Adltdvd
10. Spriggan Mist – Faery Wood –
If you’ve been outside recently, you’ll have noticed that it’s bluebell season, with the woods around displaying a carpet of violet-blue. You’ll also be aware that wildflowers are protected and you should avoid damaging them; if that wasn’t enough, however, Spriggan Mist bring an additional warning that you should keep off the flowers otherwise you might find yourself trapped by the Queen of the Fae for a thousand years or more! Spriggan Mist completed their current UK tour of The Glare album with a gig at The Butler on last Saturday. https://www.sprigganmist.com/
You can listen to all the songs featured in our Spotify playlist at https://bit.ly/rawsoundstoday
