Das Wanderlust Christmas Single!

It is December! I have genuinely been waiting for this month since approximately April. Over indulgence, time with loved ones, tacky tinsel and pretty lights, late night mad-dashed shopping, lots and lots of amazing food, giving gifts to those you love the most and possibly getting a nice little gift from Santa yourself too! It is far too easy to 'hate' Christmas. It is just bloody ridiculous. Put on a paper hat, keep your opinion to yourself, eat some pigs-in-blankets and get over yourself! Ahem. I do love Christmas. However there can be a darker side. It is during this season that there is the tendency to become quite narcissistic, ego-centric, self-centered. It can be fairly ugly.

That is why I implore you to think about the donkey's. That is right. Donkey's. Das Wanderlust have! At this special time of year my favourite power-pop band have gone and done a bloody Christmas charity single! It for The Brooke Donkey Hospital, which does fantastic work in some of the world's poorest communities to work with people to teach them how to care for and really look after their donkey's as best they can. It is a charity to which I have already given money in the past. But unfortunately I am poor until the end of the week. So I have barred myself from downloading the single -- which is free in the hope that your conscience will force you to donate to The Brooke -- until I get paid.

So here is the link:

Das Wanderlust - Someone To Pull Crackers With

And I do hope you enjoy it. I am very excited. But, alas, I shall abstain until Friday.

Das Wanderlust and indie-pop

Whilst reading up on indie pop and twee pop I came across this:

"Cuddlecore, a more punk-influenced North American variant of twee pop, emerged in the 1990s. Bands in this subgenre included cub, Bunnygrunt and Maow. Cuddlecore bands generally combined a punk rock attitude with pop melodies and female-led harmony vocals." (Wikipedia)

Cuddlecore! That is absolutely awesome.

Moreover, the stuff mentioned also contains quite a few bands I already like. So I think I may have to have a proper delve into indie-pop, twee pop and 'cuddlecore' as I know its always been a bit of an obscure genre. Certainly not chart-topping (one of its most seductive qualities then, I feel).

So be prepared for something a bit different. Leave your mainstream-Kaiser-Ferdinand-indie on the shelve, you Scenester! And you there! Yes, you! Stop listening to those fuck-cool French-electro remixes of dogs barking. Just stop! And open your minds.

Das Wanderlust are a band who are from Middlesbrough, where I call home. I've been somewhat out of touch with the local scene but these kids seem to have taken off far beyond the likes of Stockton's KU Bar or the Dickens Inn near Teesside Uni. And with such clear vocal talent its not suprising. Plus, they dress exactly how I'd imagine and they are very nice to look at. A good, pretty band goes a long way. Go to their MySpace page and give their tracks a listen. I think they are quite accessible, so enjoy.

They will be playing at what looks like an awesome little festival that is definately inkeeping with the ideals of 'twee'. Indie Tracks is taking place in Ripley in Derbyshire and not only has a whole host of bands to see but also will give you access to the Midland Railway Butterley attraction. Bands and cute, rural jollities.