It is always good to support your local music scene, and we’re lucky to have Oxford as ours – for its size, it is one of the most vibrant and diverse in the UK.

Recently, we’ve had three or four ‘breakthroughs’ hoping to follow in the footsteps of recent successes like Foals and Stornoway.

First up is Moshi Moshi’s latest signing Trophy Wife. The Oxford trio are releasing their debut single Microlite on Nov 8th on 7” and as digital download, which is incidentally their last day of tour support to Foals in the UK (alongside Toro Y Moi and Crystal Fighters). There’s a big buzz building about the band already, stream the single below.

Likewise Jonquil share a Foals connection having once all shared a house together in the city. From their bedroom beginnings (early release Sunny Casinos being tagged a late night listening album of creeped-out dusty attic music) via their folk-pop adolescence (second album Lions seeing out the drones and seeing in the songs) the band now emerge as a fully realized proposition with their One Hundred Suns EP via Dovecote Records (out November 16th). Think an evil Vampire Weekend playing Beach House.

Download Jonquil – Fighting Smiles mp3 (from One Hundred Suns EP)

Lastly, we have The Epstein, playing their own blend of Alt-Country / Americana and picking up plaudit after plaudit on the way. The band will release the EP Held You Once on October 16th and will be playing shows all over the UK to promote the new release. Their critically acclaimed debut album Last Of The Charanguistas has won widespread praise internationally, including ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Rolling Stone Magazine and BBC Radio 1’s ‘Introducing Album Of The Week.’ The Epstein’s rich and spaced out cinematic soundscapes have lured many a musical wanderer on an enchanting journey through dustbowl blues, pastoral folk and alternative roots music.

Download The Epstein – Just The Wind mp3

Download The Epstein – Leave Your Light On mp3