“Glaswegians who think they should have grown up in the American South”

“Heartache and Jack Daniels. Good sex, bad sex, guitars. Sweet love songs and dirty, chugging country tunes. The occasional bubble of self-pity blitzed by a nasty riff, and the odd spot of (justified) lechery…”

Those are a few of the visceral associations that Glasgow-born / London-based band The New York Fund use in connection with their melodic music. In their previous band incarnation of Cherryfalls from 2003-05, they played shows alongside Feeder and for a short (and ultimately unfruitful) time were signed to Island Records. In 2005 they changed personnel slightly, and inspired by the country/rock balancing act walked by artists like Ryan Adams, they formed The New York Fund.

BBC Radio 2 DJ Dermot O’Leary was an early champion of their music, and he included their ace alt-country romp “Nobody Home” on his Saturday Sessions comp CD. In February 2007 they released their six-song Guns EP which is a top-notch collection from front to back. Recently they have played with folks like the Hold Steady and Ash, which gives you a good idea of the range their music sweeps across — from the rollicking shuffle-your-feet bar rock (“Guns of Camden Town”) to the soaringly sweet melancholy of tunes like “Man Overboard,” and everything in between.

I hear a very impressive buzz about their live shows — this post is the result of a strong recommendation from a Brighton reader Caz who just saw them open for the Hold Steady, and was amazed that they are not currently signed. Also for my London readers, NYF is going to be playing along with Ash at the Ben & Jerry’s Sundae event on July 27th. I love ice cream and would count Ben and Jerry amongst my good friends. So really, you cannot fail here from any angle. Check this stuff out.

The Guns Of Camden Town – The New York Fund
Man Overboard – The New York Fund (defeated heartbreak!!)

Buy their excellent Guns EP – strongly recommended for fans of folks like The Felice Brothers, Ryan Adams, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Jake Troth. Currently unsigned, they also have some new 2008 tracks up on their MySpace.