Songs Survive

When I began to take an interest in unsigned bands I quickly realised that if I liked them, listen to them, as most new bands fail doggy-paddle class and give up within two years! Even the ones that want it and make it down to Poundland for the deep-sea diving bargain-set often flounder. Thankfully, in this digital age the songs survive, as it‘s likely they’ll have recorded a couple of demo downloads or videos and maybe even an EP.

Songs Survive is devoted to the unsigned and small label bands I thought were great that didn’t quite make it in the deep end. Check back for updates on more great bands.

The Lurios

Cracking song, this is Pistols at Dawn

What a great sound and tunes The Lurios had, although they weren’t strictly speaking unsigned, as this Stockton band were with Japanese label Fabtone. If you dared to want to buy their 2008 album A Way Out From The Boredom you had to send all the way to HMV Japan! Couldn’t even get it on import.

Their spiky guitar pop songs had stomping tunes and imagery we all recognise from our childhood and youth, but it was the storm-stopping energy that I enthused about in songs like Pistols at Dawn and Where we Used to Play.

The Goldilocks Effect

Such a great name for this indie rock band from Swansea although disappointingly I never spotted the three bears and they didn’t eat porridge except in secret behind the drum kit.

They made some great music, songs and live performances and left us with an excellent album This Side of Me which they put out themselves in 2009. The album appears to be still available at a bargainous price via Juno.co.uk, where you can also hear song clips.

Sadly, about a year later they dropped off the radar before their time. The tracks I preferred were the rockier ones including This Side of Me, Hope and War Cries, but they mixed it up with some quieter, more acoustic-sounding tracks as well. MORE: Music and video from the band →

Rule of 40

It might look like this pre-dates the Ark, but it’s actually from 2006. No Fortune (live)

York band Rule of 40, aka Ro40, called it a day on 26 July 2008. They’re one of my favourite new bands from a time when ‘guitar’ wasn’t a dirty word.

Listen to their demo of energy-filled Where I’m Coming From – just how good is that chorus? Sadly, as with many of the small bands from that era, they never released any music for me to buy.