>Who doesn’t like to see themselves as an idealist? I’d like to think that A New Band A Day features a wide, measured, variety of bands; a bit of Hip-Hop here, some Bassline there, the odd Atmospheric Sludge Metal group now and then. In fact, a quick pootle through the annals of ANBAD reveals that I’ve mainly featured indie guitar bands.

These bands are my hard-wired staring point. The first gig I went to see was Suede, the first single I bought as a pimply teen was Kung Fu by Ash, and the first album I illegally copied onto a TDK C90 was Elastica’s debut disc. It’s probably ingrained that ANBAD will often lean towards bands of that ilk, as I search for that same teenage rush of naive joy.

Here’s a promise then: more ‘diversity’ on ANBAD from now on. Well, after just one more guitar band, maybe. But as a sop to the notion of change, Today’s New Band is not jangly at all. In fact, they have a refreshing connection with early 90’s rock than The Smiths.

They’re The Letmedowns, are from Athens (in Georgia), and are a band with confidence, tunes and something approaching a fuck-you attitude which sometimes becomes an actually-you’re-not-all-that-bad attitude. And, let’s face it, thy have a great name for a suitably grouchy punky band. Down In Flames is a a weighty pile of crunchy power chords, rushing around, grumpy and aggressive.

Don’t Need This shows that they have a melodic loveliness that you might not expect, and listening to Hanging On makes you realise that they have a knack for finding their own route around a well-worn rock template. The Letmedowns like the connection with the simplicity of rock’s inherent thrills, whilst disliking convention.

So, the first step into the brave new ANBAD world was a lot like the previous ones, and there’ll be no 3D House Of Beef-style bands just yet. But in The Letmedowns is a band that want to dive of the Rock Diving Board and to see what happens on the way down. It’s an old and noble aim, and they do it with aplomb. Catch up with them, mid-plummet, here!