They’re a talented bunch our Joyzine writers, photographers and podcasters, and not just for their impeccable musical taste, their way with words or their keen eye for a well-framed shot, plenty have their own musical and artistic endeavours outside of the confines of these pages, and today’s free musical download treat comes from one such individual.
Regular listeners of The Joyzine Podcast Alliance‘s output will be familiar with Andrew Wolfman from his wonderfully meandering, medically-themed West Midlands Hospital Radio show. He’s also the cricket bat toting frontman of West Midlands whose track ‘Give Me The Music’ quite literally explains what we are doing over the course of the first 24 days of December. We’ll let Andrew introduce it to you in his own words:
“As anyone with ears will tell you, West Midlands are a high-concept, low budget indie rock band whose songs document the descent of a rapidly decaying musician, dropped by his label, forgotten by fans and forced to return to his childhood home in the Black Country to confront his demons – some of which, it turns out, are actual demons.
The band draw on fifty years of West Midlands music for their inspiration: the Hammer horror heaviness of Black Sabbath, the chaotic clatter of The Swell Maps, that weird six month period in the nineties where Stourbridge was the new Seattle.
‘The Music’ adds a touch of Duran Duran’s New Street Brummies on a yacht swagger, and a dash of The Streets’ plate-eyed rave evangelism to the mix, and features not one, but two guitar solos. You know, like Judas Priest would do. It’s taken from the band’s soon to come second record West Midlands II – Rock Music (featuring the smash hit single – ‘Shit Business At The LA Fitness’) coming next February on Grave Tapes Records.”
Download ‘Give Me The Music’ (right click to download)
All of the tracks on The Joyzine Advent Calendar are completely free to download without any need to sign up, and if that fills you with the spirit of giving, why not make a donation to our chosen charity Crisis to help with the excellent work they do supporting homeless people in Britain.
Check back every day until Christmas Eve for more free festive musical gifts or check the links below to catch up on what you may have missed so far.
Day One: Oh! Gunquit
Day Two: Vodun
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