Accidental Nepotism

I'm told the world is a village these days, and who am I to argue with such crushing logic?

Especially in the face of overwhelming evidence. Do you remember how there was always a boy/girl most likely to at school? The sort that just oozed rock'n'roll credibility and had obvious star potential? At my school, his name was Joe, and he had the lot - the band, the hangers on, the weird name... At the time, he was just the coolest one around - you know the type, designer stubble before most of his peers were shaving.

Course, in retrospect, he's probably another of these that sits in their room playing along to Cream records by now, refusing to acknowledge anything beyond 1972 (despite being born Ten Years After). They say you should watch out for the quiet ones, and lo and behold...

I was browsing Londonist the other day. I like Londonist because I like London, it has a good spread of things, and I like the fact that it poses as almost like a newspaper whilst being hilariously opinionated - in a good way, not a Daily Mail way. Anyway, they had a New Band Interview with one This Is The Kit, whose CD they'd found on a train. They said, we first made the acquaintance of Miss Kate Stables... and my mind arrested. I know that name, I said to myself. I used to go to school with a Kate Stables, her sisters were friends with my sister. So I read on, musing that it was highly unlikely to be one and the same. I've had such moments before, and nothing but disappointment. I've rarely ever been in the presence of greatness more than when I saw Philip Franks in the N1 Centre, and was on the Really Wild Show as a child.

Who's in your band? they asked. Me (she replied)... and sometimes my twin sister Emily. This would be some coincidence I thought, double-checked the proffered MySpace link, and it was the very same. I didn't know Kate all that well, I think I was in a maths class with her sister so I knew emily a little better, but still, weird.

I listened to her music and it was actually very good. The quiet ones, remember. It's very folky, very pretty and delicate; the guitar's along those traditional English folk lines (think Nick Drake if you're not familiar) and Kate has one of those slightly posh English voices that catches you unawares to start with but can grow on you (think Gillian Welch in terms of tonal quality). This is why I recommend a few listens, as it took it's time with me as well.

This Is The Kit - Shared Out
This Is The Kit - For All That Fills

There's more songs on the website, and on the MySpace profile, which I recommend you look at/listen to.