Jellymaid music in Portsmouth have had some good stuff out during their couple of years in existence, most recently the Autons albums which I was raving about last month.
The latest release on the label is out on March 9th from The B of the Bang, a collective led by the gentleman above, a man only known as Wit. According to their myspace, he is also assisted by Maff, JD and Jackamuss. Imagine Broken Records invading the soul of Neil Hannon out of the Divine Comedy and driving the Duke Special out. The song is called ‘Alfred Light The Fires.’
To these ears it’s rather special, with a delightfully honky-tonk piano in the background.
Their myspace is one of those delightfully worded ones that makes you wonder if they’re checking you’re paying attention. To, uh, wit:
The B of the Bang is a collective of human beings led by a multi-instrumentalist known only as Wit.
The B of the Bang is a lo-fi, electronica-tinged, anti-folk cake with a gothic, grunge icing. Topped with de-tuned fuzz cherries.
The B of the Bang is, in some instances, Wit wending his way on his lonesome journeys as a melancholy troubador with a beat-up acoustic guitar and a special box-o-tricks that makes bleeps and fuzzy noises gurgling contentedly in the background.
The B of the Bang is, in other instances, a collection of musicians with a revolving line-up (and a few splendid regulars in the form of Jackamus, JD and Maff…) propping up the musical bar.
The B of the Bang use guitars, loops, mandolins, white noise, xylophones, accordions, banjos, feedback, shouting and percussion to conjur up melodies and maladies for the 21st century.
The B of the Bang exists in an age of copyists and bandwagon-jumpers. Brigands, blaggards and ne’er do wells. It’s sole purpose is to sound unlike anything else you’ve ever heard whilst sounding exactly like everything else you’d ever want to hear.
The B of the Bang is really just the sound of one man slowly losing his grip on reality.
The B of the Bang will cure gout.
And tennis elbow.
Thankyou.’
Better believe it…hear them here
