DiS' Class Of 2009 #6: The Joy Formidable

DiS' Class Of 2009 is comprised of bands our core contributors really think you should be listening to. Simple as. We're not necessarily saying they'll 'blow up' or 'cross over' or any of that industry nonsense, but we are saying we think they're great and have a hunch at least some of you will agree...

The Joy Formidable

Great British indie bands are further and fewer between these days than they used to be. And that's a pity. London-based, Wales-bred trio The Joy Formidable - formed from the ashes of the similarly tipped Sidecar Kisses - are shaping up to be one of 2009's best. Based around guitarist/bassist couple Ritzy Bryan and Rhydian Dafydd (as every article about them seems to be too), TJF make often ominous, always melodic guitar music that's fast becoming a hyphenating fanatic's wet-dream: "epic-pop", "dream-indie" and, um, "hand-shandy pop" (thanks Mark Beaumont) are all descriptors we've seen applied to their oeuvre but, to these ears, it just sounds like good music. Sure, there are traces here of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'fuck-you' attitude, echoes of Kim Deal's sensuous vocal delivery, hints of Belly - hell, 'Cradle' even recalls prime My Vitriol, in the best possible way - but there's also that special something here that elevates debut release A Balloon Called Moaning , a collection available in Japan since Christmas and out soon over here via Pure Groove, far beyond being just an interesting melting pot of pop influences. And in brooding five-minute opener 'The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade' - a phrase that itself encapsulates their sultry appeal - there's a suggestion that we're barely scraping the surface of what they might have in store for their debut album proper. Though it'd certainly be jumping the gun to call them a great British indie band at this January juncture, the signs are already pretty damn good.

• The limited edition eight track collection A Balloon Called Moaning is released on February 16th via Pure Groove. The band tour extensively in the meantime:

January
21 London Wilmington Arms
22 Sheffield Fuzz Club
24 Manchester Jabez Clegg

February
2 Aberdeen Drummonds
3 Inverness Madhatters
4 Dundee Dexters
6 Liverpool Magnet
7 Southampton We Are Rockstars
11 Carlisle Brickyard
12 York Duchess
14 Leeds Cockpit
15 Nottingham Bodega
16 London Islington Academy (NME Awards show w/Secret Machines)
17 London Puregroove (A Balloon Called Moaning launch @ 6pm)
19 Newcastle Academy
20 Preston Hed (Free show)
21 Cambridge Portland Arms
22 Birmingham Bar Academy

Myspace.com/TheJoyFormidable