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Better and better

Back to Barfly last night, the disappointment of last time luckily not repeated! This time it was to see Howling Bells plus support Indigo Moss. For once, a decent support band! Indigo Moss are a bit hard to categorise, low fi with country tinges? It worked anyway! Their sound is a mixture of original material and arrangements of traditional songs, and an equally interesting style - one of the female members had a vintage floor length dress on... but I digress. All obviously competent musicians; with the exception of the bass player and drummer, the other members kept swapping instruments. Very enthusiasic response from the crowd, at times it seemed as if they were more popular than Howling Bells!!! I purchased their EP straight after the set, & their album may find its way here too... For more info see their website or myspace.

By the time Howling Bells took to the stage, Barfly was pretty much full! Another excellent set. Howling Bells are one of the current bands du jour and their sound is very much of the moment - and very popular! I recognised current single Setting Sun from its airplay on 6 Music. Various influences, some of their stuff reminded me of tracks off Goldfrapp's Felt Mountain album, and at times they did sound as if they'd walked straight off a cult soundtrack! Selftitled album out now.

In a similar vein to the above bands, have recently discovered Oi Va Voi, courtesy of a friend and Oxfam's music shelves... another not so easy to describe band! Not exactly sure where they're from (can't see it either on website or myspace) but according to the info in Laughter Through Tears' CD sleeve, varying folk influences from across Europe. Some similarities with Sigur Ros, Goldfrapp as above; in the general vein of quieter, chill out music (not that good at this kind of thing - usually its either good, bad or don't even bother) in short: go buy!

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