101 West Midlands Bands
The other day, because of the woeful lack of updates on The Autumn Store blog and the fact that January is the month of lists, I set the challenge of naming as many good West Midlands bands as I could. I got to about 101 when I stopped which is good as 101 is a round number when compiling lists and the next list round number is 250.
There were two criteria to this, firstly, they must have a myspace page and secondly, they must have spent most of their musical lives inside the West Midlands Bus Network.
And here they are for your amusement -
Ace Bushy Striptease
Adventure Club
An Alphabet
Arc Vel
Avrocar
Barlo
Bavarian Country Singers and Comrades
The Bee Men
Beestung Lips
Ben Calvert
Betty and the Id
Blakfish
Bom and his Magic Drumstick
Broadcast
Captain Polaroid
Calories
Cast and Crew
Cat Green Bark
Chinook
The Courtesy Group
Cribbler
Das Taxi
Denim
The Destroyers
Distophia
Dreams of Tall Buildings
Einstellung
Elliot Jack
The Empty Set
Epic45
Falling and Laughing
Felt
The Flowers of Despair
Fox
Friends of the Stars
Gemma Quarterman
Go Kart Mozart
Grandscope
Gurdan Thomas
Honeytrap
The Hubble Constant
Io
James Roberts
James Sumerfield
Jesmond Villas and the Quids
Johnny Foreigner
July Days
July Skies
KateGoes
Kid Captain
Knives
Krafla
Kramer vs Kramer vs Godzilla
L’Augmentation
Lazarus Clamp
The Lilac Time
Lime Chalks
Little Dipper
Magnetic Four
Magnetophone
Mellow Peaches
Mighty Mighty
Mike In Mono
Mills & Boon
Miss Halliwell
Misty’s Big Adventure
Mitch and Murray
Modified Toy Orchestra
Mothertrucker
Mr Bones and the Dreamers
My Name Is Legion
The Nightingales
Panda Love Unit
Papa November
Paul Busst and the Euphemisms
The People’s Republic of Mercia
Pictures of You
Plone
Poppy and the Jezebels
Pram
Rich Batsford
Richard Burke
The Rrrrs
San Lorenzo
The Sea Urchins
Seeland
The Sequins
Shady Bard
Shana Tova
The Sleuths
The Starries
Sunset Cinema Club
Theatre of the Absurd
This Happy Breed
Tom Peel
Uffmoor Woods Music Club
The University of the King
Untitled Musical Project
The Vanessas
Voluntary Butler Scheme
The Will To Rally
Windscale
Yellow 6 (I think are from Birmingham anyway)
I’m certain that I haven’t mentioned loads of good bands, there’s a clear Birmingham bias as I must admit to not having much of a clue what’s happening musicall in Walsall at the moment, and I’m a bit hazy about Stourbridge and Coventry.
It’s best to see it as a talking point rather than any kind of definitive guide to West Midlands music. It’s not. It’s just scratching the surface and there’s so much more that goes on not included in here.
There are a few bands in here who are from music past but fit the criteria so I kept them in. There’s a few repetitions too where members have changed bands.
The myspace thing really meant I shot myself in the foot as I didn’t get to include such fine bands as Jameson, Novak, Twist, Og’s Bunkadoo Band and The Regulars.
I know I’ll have missed out at least one band I really like. I’m sorry if that’s you!
January 7th, 2009 at 11:43 am
http://www.myspace.com/calvadosbeamtrio
January 7th, 2009 at 11:46 am
http://www.myspace.com/solwayfifth
January 7th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Yes! Two great bands there. I’ve got a Calvados Beam Trio 7″ on clear vinyl which is especially good!
There must be plenty more who have released stuff on Bearos compilations that I’ve missed.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
i’ve got that one too! eee those were the days
January 7th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
http://www.myspace.com/roguestatesmusic
http://www.roguestates.net
Great band from Walsall - going to be releasing an EP on Razorlight drummer Andy Burrow’s new indie label later this year!
January 7th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Hello, hope you don’t mind, on a similar theme but looking at Birmingham’s music heritage (bands, managers, venues, record shops et al) I’m launching a site called http://www.birminghammusicarchive.co.uk in partnership with Birmingham City University. The aim is simple - to celebrate all of Birmingham’s rich musical heritage and to have the people who created this heritage - US- to tell their stories. We are currently looking for people to help us test the site, what they like, don’t like what etc and to start helping us add content to the site - tell us what you know.
Please take a look and if you want more information contact Jez Collins on 0121 331 7280 or jez.collins@bcu.ac.uk or get on the site http://www.birminghammusicarchive.co.uk Help us to get some civic pride in the fabulous music we have, and are, producing!
January 8th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
THE PRIMITIVES!!!!!!!!
January 8th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Oopsy, that’s a glaring omission and a half isn’t it. Especially on a pop blog.
January 10th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
[...] Click here to see the list. [...]
January 12th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Waldo Jeffers! I forgot Waldo Jeffers - http://www.myspace.com/lovelywaldojeffers
January 12th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
hi Dunc
many thanks for the mention and for the useful resource
lots of names I recognise there and lots I dont - will do some listening
best
Rich
Xx
January 19th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
[...] Fancy hunting through 101 myspace pages, hold on to your eyes and sanity: "There were two criteria to this, firstly, they must have a myspace page and secondly, they must have spent most of their musical lives inside the West Midlands Bus Network." [link] [...]
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Rightyho, lets not forget The Winter League shall we - http://www.myspace.com/thewinterleague
February 19th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
[...] Update: If you’re putting on an event in the West Midlands, check out The Autumn Store’s list of 101 West Midlands Bands. [...]
October 11th, 2009 at 2:17 am
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December 20th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I wanted to add your feed to my sidebar in Vista, but it keeps coming up with errors. Any idea what I am doing wrong?