Band Of The Week: Standard Fare

No-one can deny that 2009 has essentially been the year of the 'kooky female' in music. Sparkly face make-up, exotics hairdos, half-finished outfits and wacky knickers are the order of the day at the moment and if you haven’t got any of these, well – you’d better get some quick!

Which is probably why, when I first heard Standard Fare's Emma Kupa’s unusual, strident voice, I sort of imagined as her a Kate Bush-style character, with clothes to match. In fact, seeing them at a gig a few weeks later, they looked pretty much like your average indie band. Having said that, I’ve got no idea why they’ve given themselves such a self-effacing name – ‘standard fare’ they certainly aren’t.

Standard Fare's recently released Dancing single, on Thee SPC records, is an absolute humdinger of a track, and had a sort of female Wave Pictures sound with twice the inventiveness.

Even better is the jaunty Philadelphia, available to stream on their MySpace page which, like all the best records, manages to be simultaneously sad and danceable. Citing a range of influences from Blondie and Fleetwood Mac, to 80s ska and electronic, the band are currently gigging around the country over the next month or so.

Again, Standard Fare's live performances are anything but standard; not only have they played a host of weird and wonderful venues, including a former cotton mill and air-raid shelter, yet their drummer apparently only drums in flip-flops! 

With plans for an album in early 2010, this is one band you can’t afford to miss. Already BBC 6Music faves, catch them while they’re still playing smaller venues. And if you can’t make it to a gig, check them out at www.myspace.com/standardfare