OK, so it’s actually as close to the end of the week as it is to the middle. But I’ve been on holiday, so forgive me. Excitingly, the ‘web traffic’ to ANBAD has been exactly the same during the 10 days in which I have posted nothing whatsoever, so I can either take heart that my readership is loyal and wide-reaching, or turn sullen because my contributions to the site are entirely meaningless.

The ANBAD Donkey today reflects such duality of thought.

MIXTAPE:

FIRST! Symfoniorkestern – I’m featuring so many bands from the excellent Bad Panda record label now that I ought to receive a share of the royalties. Except that they release all of their songs for free, and so no money is involved. Just my luck.

Symfoniorkestern – Vilse (Slutet remake)

Vilse is a beautiful song, beautifully remixed and deftly realised. Simple, kind and unassuming, it will lap gently against your shore and by the time you realise it’s tickling your feet, you’ll already have fallen in love with Symfoniorkestern’s dreamy charms. Truly lovely.

SECOND! Meth And Goats are a band whose name I originally mistook for Methane Goats, which I thought may be an interesting musical muse on the effect of goat flatulence on the ozone layer. They’re not any of these things. They are, however, a band who can make a bloody racket and are purveyors of the greatest guitar-noodle ‘n’ drum-clatter ‘n’ abrupt-ending songs I’ve heard for ages. Excellent and ludicrous all at once.

THIRD! Films – has there really never been a band called Films before? It seems so obvious to name your band after the predominant artistic medium of the last century in hindsight. Looking back is something that Films do too, but excellently, not lazily. Songs like Breezeblocks are rolling, soulful, folky rounds, growing from sparse and intriguing starting points to thrillingly complex and magnetically fascinating endings.

FINALLY! Not Squares were on ANBAD a while ago to much wordy and worthy acclaim, and here is their ace new single, with an equally ace new video, which was shot in a pub. More videos should be shot in a pub. Something about this song reminds me of Apocalypse Now!, but then lots of things in life remind me of Apocalypse Now!. Either way, this is an excellent song, deft, slight and bangin’ all at once.

Not Squares – Release the Bees from Bright Stem on Vimeo.

DONE! Done.