All Ears: Jon & The Spectacle ‘Times Like These’

I know, I know, I know. It’s been a while. Business as usual really.

So, I’ve got this friend, Oisin, he’s Irish. I met him years ago when I started working on warchildmusic.com. He was at the agency building the site. Lovely man, nothing was too much trouble. His energy, enthusiasm and passion for the project often kept me going.

Somehow, we discovered our paths had crossed in a previous life. He was the gobsmackingly good Mood Club. Turns out I commissioned an article on him for The Maker. Anyway, we’ve kept in touch over the years, the main result of which is I get his 21st century mixtape downloads.

Loads being the operative word.

There’s no excuse Oisin won’t use to knock out a mixtape. Xmas, Easter, summer, lost summer, March, St Patrick’s Day… the list goes on. Thing is, they never come one at a time. Xmas just gone, there were five. No, six. Over the years I’ve come to recognise that if Oisin puts the time in making these things, it is always, always, worth making time to listen. He has a pair of ears.

Mix Two from Xmas 2010 is my favourite this time out. What I love about Oisin is he doesn’t follow the flock. Tell me about Jon & The Spectacle I said. A week later I get an email from a Swedish PR.

To be honest, I’m none the wiser about Jon & The Spectacle. They are Swedish and they claim to be thrilling, exciting and spectacular not to mention produced by renowend Swedish indie guru Jari Haapalainen. Which is all true, all true. But that’s it.

I was idly listening to the Oisin mix when ‘Times Like These’ popped up. Fair stopped me in my tracks. They’re one of those bands who aren’t blisteringly original, bit no mind because what they serve up is grinning from ear to ear. It’s proper pop, like pop is supposed to be. Songs. Pure and simple. They just drip quality. There’s a bit of Babybird in there, perhaps a dash of I Am Kloot, some tunemongery of The Libertines? Whatever, it’s all lovely, lovely.

I don’t much, but what I do know is one of those Radio 1 lot will be playing this lot before 2011 is out.

More hear…
… there is the MS.
… and, erm, that’s it. You heard them here first, right?