I love music. I go to as many gigs as I can and listen to as much music as I can. And one of the great things about having satellite TV is the huge selection of music channels to watch. As my girlfriend will testify, I spend a lot of time doing “music sweeps” (channel hopping to her). It’s a great way to hear new music and occasionally I’ll hear something that really makes my ears prick up. (And that doesn’t include my girlfriend nagging me to leave one channel on).

A month or two ago I flicked onto one channel about halfway through a song that definitely made me sit up. Some songs just catch me on a level I’m not expecting and “Made Up Love Song #43” by a band called Guillemots did just that. I made a mental note to check them out on the web and did so later on. I couldn’t find anywhere to get their EP from and was a bit disappointed. Still, I’m patient so I waited…

On a whim I went to their site again and noticed that their EP (called “I Saw Such Things In My Sleep”) was available on the iTunes music store and went there in a flash – I had spotted it going for £20 on Amazon which seemed a little steep to me. Anyway, having listened to it a few times now I’m really impressed. They don’t remind me of any band in particular and I can’t really come up with a way to describe their music other than that I really like it! There’s something raw, emotional and personal about them in a non-manufactured way. Well worth a listen. And the best new band I’ve heard in quite a while.

Now if they could just do a gig in Leeds I’d be the first to buy tickets…

Update (26/10/05): My brother saw them in Edinburgh and was very impressed – the singer has an excellent voice live. Now, where’s that Leeds gig?