Was lucky enough to see Arcade FIre tonight in London at St Johns Church, in the shadow of Big Ben. What a venue - perfect for the band, it was like a religious experience. The new songs are massive - bigger than the first album on first listen, I can't wait to hear the album. A few tracks from the first record were played too and the whole experience was brilliant. Here's to seeing them again at summer festivals.

Down in the Radio 1 studio now getting the show together. It's Pop Up in session tonight, another ace Glasgow guitar band. Got loads of new demos and releases to play you tonight too, with loads of Scottish treats! Hoorah!

Today has been about driving in my car. Or at least my driving tutors car, going round and round and round and loving it. If only there weren't any corners to turn, roads to turn in and cars to parallel park behind. And traffic lights. Still, musn't grumble and all that. I'll be zooming round everywhere befoee you know it to gigs, studios, north Wales, West Wales, bits of the uk I haven't been to yet and down the shops. Those lazy days are round the corner:)

Today has also been about pre recording a Radio Cymru show with a techno mix by PSI which soudned ace, and ladies.

Lady 1 - Mary Hopkin. She was well classy.

Lady 2. Marissa Nadler. She is well spooky.

Lady 3. Sarabeth Tucek. She is well good.

and now, after listening to the mighty Bloc Party on Zane's show, I'm packin my bags for tomorows show.

beep beep

h

Last week on thew show I opened up with a track by Los Campesinos, It Started with a Mixx, and managed to forget the name of the ace compilation it was off. Now I can tell you, it was We're Stupid, But We're Happy. It's put together by the Manchester fanzine people - Popular Culture zine and has tracks by Shut Your Eyes and You'll burst into Flames, Answering Machine and Sky Larkin too. It's well good.

This week on the Wednesday night show it's a Scottish special with Pop Up in session, and Creeping Bent is the diy label of the week. Looking forward to it.

h

The gig drought was partially nouriched last night, when a trip into downtown

Cardiff was in order after the Beth ans Huw show. The Future of the Left session

was really good - catch them at the 100 club London on Jan 30th and Clwb Cardiff

on Feb 10th. Last night it was Blood Brothers who rocked it. Theirs is a kind of

psychedelic-emotional rollercoaster of noise, and it sounded brilliant. I'd

never seen them before, it was well good. And downtairs in Clwb it was Kruger

magazines' night with the electro-b boy Evils, the disturbing and flinching Gin

Drinker, and the new band from former Martini Henry Rifles members, Space in the

50's. New songs sound sharp, focused and very promising.

Right, got another driving lesson now!

H

The gig drought was partially nouriched last night, when a trip into downtown

Cardiff was in order after the Beth ans Huw show. The Future of the Left session

was really good - catch them at the 100 club London on Jan 30th and Clwb Cardiff

on Feb 10th. Last night it was Blood Brothers who rocked it. Theirs is a kind of

psychedelic-emotional rollercoaster of noise, and it sounded brilliant. I'd

never seen them before, it was well good. And downtairs in Clwb it was Kruger

magazines' night with the electro-b boy Evils, the disturbing and flinching Gin

Drinker, and the new band from former Martini Henry Rifles members, Space in the

50's. New songs sound sharp, focused and very promising.

Right, got another driving lesson now!

H

The gig drought was partially nouriched last night, when a trip into downtown

Cardiff was in order after the Beth ans Huw show. The Future of the Left session

was really good - catch them at the 100 club London on Jan 30th and Clwb Cardiff

on Feb 10th. Last night it was Blood Brothers who rocked it. Theirs is a kind of

psychedelic-emotional rollercoaster of noise, and it sounded brilliant. I'd

never seen them before, it was well good. And downtairs in Clwb it was Krugermagazines' night with the electro-b boy Evils, the disturbing and flinching Gin

Drinker, and the new band from former Martini Henry Rifles members, Space in the

50's. New songs sound sharp, focused and very promising.

Right, got another driving lesson now!

H

Demo of the day - Pappy's new one, full of wonderful electronic and tkaign you on a journey to the other side of the dancefloor. Gonna try and play it tonight for sure. Next week is a Scottish special, we've got Pop Up in sesison, who im dead excited about. Just been for a group pizza before tonights show. and soem minestrone soup. Nice.

This weeks show is a Shifty Disco special, bigging up one of the finest and truly independent labels int he world. They continue to release ace new music, so we've got The Race and Paperlung live from Maida Vale on the show, and a host of ace new demos from the demo postbags that arrive by their hundreds at Radio 1. And thats not even counting the mp3's and myspace tracks I get sent. And thats not even counting the cds and mp3s Lousie the producer gets sent ! But, I digress. Shifty Disco inspired me and my mate Baz to start our own label back in the day - Boobytrap Singles Club. That morphed into Boobytrap records, and has now sadly come to an end. Bt the music lives on!

So hope you can tune in for the Shifty Disco special.

Demo of the day - Monkey Swallows the Universe new tracks. Niiiiiiiiiiice...

Hey,

If you missed the Eurosonic special...don't fret...you can hear loads of free live music from the festival online herehttps://3voor12.vpro.nl/3voor12/festivals/media/index.jsp?portal=2534202&event=32507925

and while you're at it have a looky at the Das Wanderlust pictureshttps://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j138/nat_andy/Holland/

they had muchos fun

bye

I'm sure Huw will post a nice long Blog about Groningen..but just incase you can't wait ...and you want to find Dan Le Sac then here's the link https://www.myspace.com/lesacvspip

byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

This week on the show, its the Jane Bradfords in sesison, they recorded it in Maida Vale over xmas, and i cant wait to hear it. They make ace indie music, all grotty and life affirming and they come from Belfast, So we thought we should do a special on Northern Irish music, and thats why the label of the week is No Dancing Records, which has released some corking records over the years, including the recent Robyn G Shiels album (he was in sesison last year) and the new Desert HEarts album. And there'll be new unsigned music from Northern Ireland on the show too, as well as more ae new tracks to make you cry, and maybe even laugh

The Shins album is amazing!

h

Hello and Happy New Year to you...hope 2007 is treating you well so far

What are your New Years Resolutions then? Any of you thinking of setting up a DIY label this year?

We awarded Cherryade our 'DIY Label Of The Year' https://www.cherryademusic.co.uk/

cos we think they are fab! Keep a look out for their releases in 2007

Other labels to keep an eye on are:

Belfast based No Dancing https://www.nodancing.co.uk/

Dutch Label Transformed Dreams https://www.transformeddreams.com/

And we'll be saying Happy 10th Birthday to Oxford's Shifty Disco at the end of this month

https://www.shiftydisco.co.uk/

Let us know if you run a DIY label and we'll check you out!

Bye for now

Louise

I hope you had a lovely time. Mine was quiet and chilled, gearing up for the new year.

Tonight on the show we're opening the doors for a new year party of sorts, with tipsters coming atcha from left and right. Jen From Cardiff Katherine from Cambridge, Emily from Glasgow, Rory McConell from Radio 1 in Northern Ireland, VIc Galloway from R1 Scotland, Sam Get Cape and Monster Bobby will all be dropping by and letting us know wh they're keeping their eyes on in 2007. And there's loads of my tips too, from George Pringle to The Special Relationship, Middleman to, of course, Los Campesinos. Their debut single is in the show tonight, and I do hope you can come and say hello from midnight.

:)

h