Apple Rabbits

This is a record you will want to have in your collection. Jay Fisher aka Apple Rabbits latest 12 track release is called King Of Anglia and is a wondrous affair indeed. You will find it on the independent Kilburn State label.  Fisher is a native of London and has been recording through many different projects since 1994, creating music that doesn't sit easily into particular genres due to its blatant expansiveness.

Having once supported John Martyn on tour during the 1990's, English folk music is certainly an influence in Fisher's work but there is a much more complex mix of sounds running through his songs. Experimental electronica runs deep on tracks like 'Wrong Again' and 'One rolls Over' reminiscent of  recent synthesising work by bands like Radiohead for instance. However the album overall never fully abandons its folk rock roots.

This is the opening track called 'Sing To Me', Americana UK magazine recently described this song as... 'like stumbling across a rare orchid in a meadow', quite an apt observation in my opinion.

'King Of Anglia' is as satisfying as it is complex, surreal as it is adventurous but overall it is altogether ambitious. For those of you who enjoy discovering new music that pushes the boundaries I cannot  recommend this album enough.

Jape

Jape is the brainchild of Dublin man Richie Egan, who is also the bassist with instrumental group The Redneck Manifesto. Their music could be best described as electronica rock with the emphases being mostly on keyboards and guitar. Jape have released 3 studio albums so far 'Cosmosphere' (2003),  'The Monkeys In The Zoo Have More Fun Than Me', (2004) and their best in my opinion  'Ritual' (2008).

I saw them play live on 2 occasions and I was really impressed with the dance energy they create, surely influenced by bands like New Order but adding their own style of originality.Here is the excellent single ' I Was A Man' from the 'Ritual' album. This was filmed live in Galway in 2009 and gives a good idea of what to expect from them onstage..

The song 'Graveyard' is also on the 'Ritual' album. I just had to post this video, because I think it;s the coolest thing I've seen in a long while. Its filmed in a graveyard of course, maybe it's a first .I would highly recommend this band's live shows, you will be in for a treat..