![](http://web.archive.org./web/20231124091838im_/https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oWD_LxjCOBE/Te_JmW2aqkI/AAAAAAAABjA/pCGtdZNiGb0/s320/demo-tape-top.jpg)
I remember a documentary about John Peel where at one point he opened the boot of his car, stuffed full of demo tapes from hopefuls, many of whom maybe had no ambition other than to be played on the great man's radio show. He looked crestfallen when admitting he wanted to listen to them all but could never do it. Bagging Area obviously doesn't get anything like the same number of demo tapes (mp3s really) or submissions but I still feel guilty at not having the time to listen to them all, even though I didn't start this with the intention of doing this sort of thing. Here's a couple of recent ones that might be worth your time.
First up, some dance music from 2K Subs (Martin Whiteman and Max Quirk), who have a single out in July called Haunted. They've given me a short version of the nine minute B-side, a track called Out There. The label, Corsair Records, call it 'impressionistic electronic sounds'. House music I reckon and good it is too.
Second, 17 Pygmies from Los Angeles, a band who formed in 1982 and appear to have tried everything under the sun from surf-a-delic covers of the theme from Lawrence Of Arabia to Brazilian samba to electro-pop and techno, and have pursued the road to obscurity ever since. In 2007 they released a psychedelic rock tribute to art nouveau and bill themselves today as, deep breath, 'partly symphonic, partly sci-fi, partly indie rock, partly space rock, partly electro acoustic.. whatever it takes to get the job done.' I don't know how much, if any, of this is true, but you can find their music here. I haven't listened to it all but some of it sounds pretty good. Listen or download.
Thirdly, a Belgian folk-rock band- Ceili Moss. A bit like The Pogues but with a bloke singing in Flemish. Or Walloon. French most likely. There's a whole album of it here.
Apologies to other people and bands who've sent stuff in but at the moment this is as much as time and space allow.