My new favourite band...

... or at least one of them, is Flipron. Not just because they write witty and catchy tunes as will be proved if you listen to this:

Neither is it just because they are from the South West (although that does tend to incline my head and heart to view any band more favourably) and have songs with titles like Hanging Round The Lean-To With Grandad and Raindrops Keeps Falling On The Dead. The fact that their new album is called Firework Shoes and has a lovely, colourful, smiley cover certainly helps, but that isn't the main reason I'm so struck with Flipron either:

Nor is it because their latest single is a collaboration with Specials legend Neville Staple. Or that said single is a truly wonderful slice of Spaghetti Western Boss Reggae that would grace any Trojan compilation:

No, I think the reason I'm so struck by this band is all of the above PLUS the fact that when I ordered a couple of EP's and a 45 from their record label - Tiny Dog Records - I got an friendly, personal email from them thanking me for my order, asking how I heard of the band and telling me when I could expect my records. On a weekend! You don't get THAT with Amazon or iTunes. 

Neither do you get music of this variety, originality or quality on mainstream radio or the TV. Which, I suppose, is why I feel the need to write posts like this - it's my small attempt to redress the balance somewhat. Christmas is coming; I know there's more chance of being bitten by a daffodil than of an independent artist getting the Christmas number one in the meaningless charts, BUT... If you are thinking of buying the latest X-Factor travesty for someone; why not get them a copy of Firework Shoes instead, or in fact any album or EP from a band that exists outside the comfy, crooked, corporate world of the media machine? You'd be giving them a much better gift, supporting REAL music and you'd probably win the Christmas Lottery too.*

*I made that lottery bit up - don't blame me if you don't win. Blame God. Or Cameron. Or Dave Lee Travis. Or some other git.