Avenue61 is a leading indie music site that specialises in album and gig reviews, breaking new bands, publicising events, and exclusive interviews with the leading cutting edge acts in the alternative music scene. Avenue61 covers a wide range of artists – some you would have heard of, some you won’t. Artists the site has reviewed recently include the Fleet Foxes, MGMT, Noisettes and Ladyhawke. The site is updated regularly so come back to catch up the latest news and reviews from the bleeding edge of the alternative music scene.

Ok, so first off I must iterate the fact that this particular run down is in no particular order, nor is it a definitive list of the best British record labels of all time (as if such a breakdown could ever be truly quantified). It is simply a list of some personal favourites within the British...MORE>>

So, how many of you would like to own a miniature schnauzer?  Live in New York? Have your fingers in multiple musical pies, playing gigs relentlessly? Be label-mates with MGMT?

Well, lucky contestants Paul and Deirdre have won all these wonderful prizes! Well okay, maybe ‘win’ isn’t the right word, but they’ve still got every one. They’ve put their heart and soul into their music, always with astounding enthusiasm and drive, and have come out the other end with a deal on Cantora Records label and a debut album in the pipeline.

One of the aforementioned musical pies of the pair is Savoir Adore. A band that lives and thrives in the in-between world of musical contradiction, co-inhabited with phrases like ‘fantasy rock’, ‘heart-shaped bombs’ and ‘light-hearted grunge’. With great use of soothing bass and melodic interaction between boy/girl vocals, Savoir Adore are definitely one to watch in the super-duper-near future.

“Our forming a band was a bit of an experiment”, says the pair. Over a 3-day weekend they decided to make a concept album (which now, by the way, is their incredibly catchy and widely known EP “The Adventures of Mr Pumpernickel and the

Girl with Animals in her Throat”). “After the weekend and passing the record around our friends, we were encouraged to keep going and take it even further, so that’s what we’re doing now”. Who knew what a bit of peer pressure could achieve.

When quizzed on their influences, the reply was definitely not the one expected. “The three B’s”, they start. “Bach, Beethoven and…The Beatles. Bach for the counterpoint, Beethoven for the romanticism and The Beatles for melody”. However they do like to listen to more modern tunes, such as Jack White and Cocteau Twins.

They’ve been gigging like nobody’s business lately, especially around New York. Most of the crowds have been incredibly into the band and have sung along, but there are still some unresponsive people who don’t know what they’re missing.  “It takes a lot to get people out in New York because there's just so much to do here.  The best responses we've had have been during nights that make sense with the venue, other bands, etc”. Whilst on the topic of gigs, they do have their band superstitions and routines to do before going onstage, as most would when participating in such tasks. And, well, let’s just say that Mr Pumpernickel likes to use the little boy’s room before performing.

As a duo, the two connect brilliantly. They make a perfect match with harmonising vocals and synchronised music. Deirdre’s singing is at the perfect pitch and speed – despite apparently having animals in her throat. In general terms, “there's no definite front person in the band, so the two of us share that role.  We've both done our share of performing live solo and in bands, so we've learned the best thing you can do is relax, be yourself and have a good time. Also, Paul's quite the comedian after a few beers.”

In the aims and objectives column, they put “make a living from making music.  Anything beyond that is a treat - touring the world (and getting to travel), playing with lots of other bands and getting to keep making this music would be wonderful.”

As Savoir Adore are thrown into the big bad world of music-making, I think they’ll land on their feet. Maybe even their toes. The tunes they’ve created from their collective brain are something of masterpieces and with their outgoing, all-in attitude, Savoir Adore are to be Savoir Adored within the year.