“…real music sounds like”

In the probably soon to become immortal words of Koopa “This is what real music sounds like”. The band from Essex look set to become the first unsigned band to enter the UK Top 40 after chart rules changed on 1 January.

The band are a sort of American style EMO/Punk group playing an up beat punk rock style - bit Green Day but with a British accent. Sometimes the lead singer sounds like a high pitched and slightly softer Billy Bragg.

The change to chart rules at the start of January mean that all digital single sales count, even if there isn’t a CD version is released. This means older songs, unsigned bands and even just album tracks could make it into the chart.

Koopa’s manager Gary Raymon told the BBC “It’s fantastic that a band like us can have an opportunity to put ourselves into the top 30 with Razorlight and U2.”

Apparently record labels have already been in touch with the band but they’re in two minds as to whether they need to sign a contract or not.

Bassist Joe Murphy told BBC News “If someone comes along and gives us an offer, we’ll talk to them. But it depends whether we need it.

“If we can get enough exposure and get in the top 40 by the end of the week, do we necessarily need a large label? Probably nowadays, no you don’t. We’ll get the exposure ourselves just from being in the charts.”

They have a very good point and if I were Apple I’d be looking hard at the bands getting the most exposure on iTunes right now and thinking seriously about profiling them on the iTunes store.

This could be the turning point (in the UK at least) for Apple to start to cut ties with the big labels and help bands sell their music directly. Bands make more money and fans get tracks quicker without the crap the labels impose on us.

The only downside is we could end up seeing Apple increase their monopoly in digital downloads.

I’m going to suggest you spend 79p and head over to the iTunes store and download Blag, Steal and Borrow. It’s a pretty good track and if we can get it into at least the top 20 it might just see a real turning point in the British music industry.

Lets give bands a boost and see some “real music” in the charts for a change (not just the bands and artists the A&R men like).

They’re nice guys as well. They got in touch with me first time a couple of years ago, I remember playing one of their tracks on BBC Radio Jersey (I think). They even released a world cup song last year.

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