Salutations everybody. It's Sunday afternoon again and I'm sat in my den, surrounded by the contents of two sacks of mail which I'm working my way through, but I thought  should mention a couple of special shows coming up on Radio 1.

            Provisionally titled Blitzkrieg Pop, they'll both feature 30 songs in an hour. It's my attempt to make sense of all the new singles and demos which have been arriving over the past month. And rather than just pick eight or nine, we're going to be playing two minutes of each, so can get a taste of what's out there at the moment.

            The first show airs at 9pm on Wednesday November 5^th (and will feature music from, among others Fight Like Apes, Zombie Zombie, Skint & Demoralised, Pulled Apart By Horses, Chew Lips, Tape The Radio, Florence & The Machine and Abe Vigoda). The second part, which I'm wotking on now, will be on November 10^th, also at 9pm. Let us know what you think. They'll also be an abbreviated podcast version as well which you can subscribe to at bbc.co.uk/radio1/innewmusicwetrust/stevelamacq.

            Cheers

            Steve

Manchester trio, already endorsed by 6Music's Marc Riley who featured them live in session. They're a sort of next-wave electro-rock proposition, bleeding the radiators of New Order and 80s pop, while banging away at great awkward drum rhythms. 'Doubt' which is the lead track on their page brings to mind a northern Hot Chip, with flashes of the Klaxons first album. Go to myspace.com/delphic

There seems to be a feeling in some circles that MySpace has lost its chutzpah when it comes to discovering bands, but oddly enough it was a MySpace message which originally led me to the band GENERAL FIASCO from Belfast. This was about six months ago. But since playing the group on Radio 1, there's been quite a rush of interest in the group over the past two months, leading to them securing decent (co)management and planning ahead for the future. Belfast seems to be alive again with new bands from what I can make out but before we get carried away, have a listen to GF. Still very young, the (power) trio obviously have an ear for a Big Tune, delivered with what I call 'the Belfast passion'. It's a sort of earnest, but committed sound. Worth a go.

Elizabeth Darling used to go by the name The Darlings, until another band of the same name apparently 'advised' her not to. She now – with whatever line-up of band she has with her – goes by the moniker ALLO DARLIN'.

            She has these beautifully understated, lilting, and funny songs which are both acerbic and tongue in cheek and she doesn't mince her words, which is one of the things I like about her. If you missed her on my 6Music show, you can find her at elizabethdarling.com or myspace.com/allodarlin.  

Long time, no post, but I think I've found a way round updating this site on a more regular basis. Expect some random posts – probably about bands or artists I've come across in the past week. And some new music soon.

            In the meantime, there's also a new (weekly) blog for the BBC which you can find at bbc.co.uk/stevelamacq. Hope all's good with everyone. Speak soon. Steve.

In case you missed it on the Radio 1 programme a couple of weeks back, I've posted up a track from the FOX CUBS demo. On the strength of this we booked them to support Forward Russia last week in London and they were very good: a little angular, but with strong hooks, a very dry-witted, engaging singer and a lot of potential. Their own site is (inevitably) myspace.com/foxcubs.

Just to show how quickly things can move in the music industry these days, we're ecstatic to learn that SKINTANDDEMORALISED are to release a single on the Stiff label in March next year.

            It'll be a rerecorded version of 'Red Lipstick' – the original demo of which you can hear above. Skint's Matt seems like a really nice bloke as well (who I met for the first time a couple of weeks ago in a pub near Hillsborough just before Colchester United's visit to Sheffield Wednesday). Very grounded, a good storyteller, a bit shy but a lovely chap to share a drink with.

            According to him, things went a little crazy after we played the demo on Radio 1 and he had to hide from talent scouts and people bombarding him with phone calls. Good work though chap. More details when I have some, or better still have a look at his page; it's got lots of songs on it so you can see what else lurks in his set.

            What else? Oh, while you're here, have a listen to the JOY FORMIDABLE track which is new too. And finally, I will be trying to update this page much more regularly in 2008. I know I always say this, but really it's time to up the ante. Thanks for now.

Just a few brief updates, while I wage war on the demo mountain behind me…

1)      If you haven't come across it already, my BBC 6Music colleague Tom Robinson has a brand new two-hour show featuring his favourite unsigned bands every Saturday night on 6Music at Midnight (or listen again via the website bbc.co.uk/6music)

2)      LOOKER are in the country! The American band we've featured on the front page for a while are doing some dates here – and recording a session for my Radio 1 In New Music We Trust show which will air on November 12.

3)      Also, if you get a chance have a listen to SKINTANDDEMORALISED. Lattereday Northern Soul meets zeitgeist poetry from a Yorkshire teenager who shows ace potential.

4)      THE AUTHOR release their debut single – a version of the recently featured 'Taxi' – on November 5. Myspace.com/theauthormusic for the latest on them (they've been busy acquiring new management and gigging in London)

5)      Erm, that's it.

If you're in London, THE AUTHOR are playing this Thursday night (July 26) at The Borderline. Also on the bill are Mercury nominees Maps and York band ONE NIGHT ONLY who recently signed to Mercury Records. THE AUTHOR also make their live debut with a session on my In New Music We Trust show the following Monday on Radio 1…….Other signings of late include THE TING TINGS who have been snapped up by major label Columbia. The Manchester duo's debut indie single 'Greatest DJ' also led to an appearance at Glastonbury on the BBC's new Introducing Stage…..Talking of Manchester if you like jerky-angular-female-led pop have a listen to VILE VILE CREATURES. Or I'm quite liking YOU REMIND ME OF RASPUTIN….Also worth checking, for fans of post Strokes guitar pop THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT  are a new-ish lyrically interesting and edgy-sounding trio who featured on the 6Music show the other week…….and this one just in (ie I heard it this morning while I was trawling through the post) the ONE TRICK BAND. They remind me a little of CAJUN DANCE PARTY who we featured on this site before they were signed (and who, by the way, have their own excellent second single out next month called 'Amylase' produced by Bernard Butler). OTB are cut from a similar cloth. They're all 15-year-old students from Muswell Hill so imagine we'll be seeing more of them during the Summer holidays...

JESS MORGAN is busy "trying to be a student" at York University while also being a very engaging songwriter. 'Chips And Tongues' got a great response when we played it on the new Radio 2 show on a Wednesday night. She has an official site at jessmorgan.co.uk