In our first local music feature, we have two wonderful and very different acts to introduce you to. 

First up is the band Rangoon. There is something heartwarming about the fact that this band have been together for 20 years, and this warmth is reflected in their soulful rock and blues sound. They released their latest album ‘Going Back to the City’ just before lockdown, a collection of songs that bring to mind the guitar bands of the late 80s/early 90s, such as Deacon Blue, Del Amitri and Goodbye Mr Mackenzie. Their lyrics tell of love and heartache, but they go deeper than other similar acts. They released a single ‘Being Let Down’ last October, separate to the album, that takes a bleak look at the world and decides that they, as older folk, have let the kids down. And yet, they manage to do this with an all-knowing catchy chorus and chiming guitar solo. I’m a new fan, and any band with a female drummer is a hit with me. 

Do check them out on all good streaming services, and keep an eye on their local gigs at rangoonband.com  

Second up is DJ duo Late Replies, Josh and Kastro from Colindale and Whetstone. Following in the footsteps of dance music duos such as Disclosure, they imbue a very English sound with clean percussive beats and neat samples. Thankfully, nightclubs are once again open for business, and it’s easy to imagine their sound enticing people back onto the dancefloor. They have just released a remix of their track ‘Longing For’ with vocals from Jamaican artist Jah Cure, which sounds like they are set for big things. It’s definitely worth checking out ‘Hold Up’ which already has almost 5m listens on Spotify, and my personal favourite ‘Just Like Me’ which takes its hook from the Sugababes track ‘Freak like me’. Late Replies bring a really fresh sound and have a good chance of putting Barnet back on the musical map!

If you’d like your music to be mentioned in The Barnet Post, please send your tracks to Jon at [email protected]  

——

check out Jon’s band Betty Pulls a Fast One here on Spotify