Music Review: Prefontaine

Hi Peeps! Sorry I'm late posting this, had a rather busy day :)

So this is my first ever review on my blog! *woop woop* It's a music review (hence the title), but if you're looking for the chart stuff, then you're in the wrong place - although the band I'm about to introduce to you I reckon has a huge chance of getting in the charts! So guys, I'm gonna give it my best shot!

Prefontaine is a 4-piece (sometimes five if you count the practise sessions) band from Nottingham, first formed in 2006. The main band members are Gary Barwell, Craig Barwell, Jamie Varley and Nick Blagden.

Their songs are an exciting mix of indie, rock and pop music which are excellently displayed in their songs, all of which are hand-written, save for the covers (though even they sound like the originals). They've played 3 gigs of note, the last of which was in 2009 at The Running Horse (in Nottingham), supporting The Saboteurs. More recently, however, they've begun to perform some practise sessions together - and even better, they're available to listen to on soundcloud (all links will be at the bottom of the review)!

The originality of their hand-written songs is clearly evident in their music, writing about past experiences and basing some of their songs around their home turf. The catchy choruses are sneakily designed to stay in your head - fans of the increasingly popular chain game "Sound Grenade" will surely revel in these tunes!
I have to say, I do have a few favourites of the hand-written kind. I'll be providing loads of links at the bottom of the review to some of their stuff, but four particular songs you need to look out for are Panic Attack, Someone Else's Shoes, Chips and Batterbits & Runaround Girl. These particular songs really stand out for me - while the others are wonderfully original as well, these have a particular flair, not only that they are based on real events, but because they are so easy to listen to. Step aside, dubstep! There are things in this world which suit our ears better, thanks!

Now, as this band are really good (and very modest), you would imagine that their music would be available for download. Not yet, peeps - one of the members told me they may need to finesse their tunes a little more and professionally record the music. I personally don't think they need finessing to be honest, but studio recording may help - so we'll have to wait a little longer for the green light to download.

If you've just come fresh from the mad world of chart music, pop, r'n'b and the like, this style may take a little getting used to. But once you've listened to their takes on The Beatles (Lady Madonna), Coldplay (Yellow), Chris Isaac (Wicked Game) and Bryan Adams (When You're Gone), not forgetting the aforementioned countless songs they themselves have produced, you'll soon realise that you're addicted to their superbly Nottingham style!

A couple of well-known bands and musicians have come out of Nottingham, such as Dog Is Dead and Jake Bugg. I believe that Prefontaine has a fighting chance of getting up there with these artists, and I'm looking forward to hearing when I can get hold of any gig tickets!

So, here's the first stats:

Band: Prefontaine
Current Status: Active
Rating: 4/5 (5/5 once the studio recordings are finished!)

Don't forget to have a look at some of their stuff too!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Prefontainetheband
Twitter: @PrefontaineUK
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/prefontainetheband
Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/PrefontaineMusic/featured
Soundcloud feed: http://soundcloud.com/prefontaine-uk

And don't forget to like/comment/share/retweet on facebook/twitter/blogger too - let me know what you think!

Hope I did ok, guys! Happy Listening!