Monday, 11th February 2008 at 8:15 pm GMT

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Bands to watch #19: Kyte

KyteI’ve always been a fan of the quieter, more chilled bands that come and go, gaining themselves cult status whilst not many hard-core fans. One of my most recent finds is the rather marvellous Kyte, a quintet from Leicestershire who specialise in a unique brand of shoe-gaze, dreamy and haunting and beautiful all at once.

Perfect for just about any time of day or night, I found they sound amazing when listened to on the double decker back from London to Oxford late at night, a soundtrack to the lights and hubbub of the capital. Already the obvious comparisons have been made to Sigur Ros and the Radio Dept, they remind me of a British Tresspassers William, perfect for that winter evening in with a loved one, or a moment of introspection.

Unlike Sigur Ros however you don’t get the armageddon-is-nigh feeling that they do so well, instead a feeling of “mission completed”, a happiness that the world is a bit better, or at least a new day is dawning. Their tracks vary between instrumentals and quietly-hushed vocals, all of which mould together perfectly.

They’re currently touring heavily ahead of their debut mini album’s release next Monday, February 18th (available from Amazon and co, but also from We Are Down With the Kids at £6). I’ve ordered two already, and expect a review next week once it’s popped through my front door. They’re touring throughout April with the rather marvellous iLiKETRAiNS (at any of these dates), so be sure to catch them then.

Can you tell I love these guys?

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Wednesday, 2nd January 2008 at 9:36 pm GMT

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iLiKETRAiNS / UK and Ireland Spring Tour

iLiKETRAiNSLeeds based geeks iLiKETRAiNS have announced a string of dates at smaller venues around the UK and Ireland in April and early May.

Tickets are on sale now for the below dates, though are going fast. Catch them at the below 12 dates:

Monday 21st April - Brighton Barfly
Tuesday 22nd April - London Bush Hall
Wednesday 23rd April – Colchester Arts Centre
Thursday 24th April – Oxford Academy 2
Friday 25th April – Nottingham Bodega
Monday 28th April – Lancaster Library
Tuesday 29th April – York Fibbers
Wednesday 30th April – Manchester Roadhouse
Thursday 1st May – Leeds Brudenell Social club
Thursday 8th May – Galway Roisin Dudh
Friday 9th May – Cork Cypress Avenue
Saturday 10th May – Dublin Crawdaddy

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