The Answering Machine ‘Oh Christina’

Maybe it’s just me, I don’t think it is, but what is it about Manchester? I did seem to spend an inordinate amount of time there or there abouts in the olden days, so maybe it got into my blood, dunno, but as my regular reader will know, I am strangely drawn, virtually at least, more often than not to Manc music.

Poking around as usual tonight, and the Manchester correspondent in me kicked in once more while playing the friends of friends of friends of game on MySpace.

The Answering Machine are one of those bands that make me wish, like a lot of bands do these days, that Melody Maker was still around. We’d have been all over this lot like a rash. Rattling along, and with the kind of licks that could do a 99 in mere seconds, The Answering Machine have a hint of The Undertones about them or maybe it’s a little bit Wedding Present-y. There’s the mereist glimpse of early Blur in there too. But not only do they sound corking, they look pretty natty too. The complete package if you will.

Anyway, once again my research has proved incisive – by looking at their picture I know there is four of them and one of them is a lady, who plays bass. I suspect the other people in the picture do things like singing and playing other instruments that aren’t the bass. I know Lamacq has given them a run out and there’s a Riley session in the bag too. I should pay much more attention, but you know, I’m kind of glad I don’t, I’m glad I can dip in and out and find gems like this.

Note to self – Keep up the good work.

More hear…
- The MS, natch
- And rather nicely, they provide a handy blog for reference
- They’re on tour right now, dates on the MS
- Buy their new single, ‘Cliffer’, right here
- Finally, but not leastly, their record label, Heist or Hit, has a site. Nice.