Banjo or Freakout - Banjo or Freakout

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3...according to our Brian on Wed 02 Mar, 2011.

Who the hell are these guys? I always liked the name in a weird way. I know a couple of banjo players and I'd pay good money to see them "freak out" instead of plucking away with dazed gormless expressions on their face. Let's have some wild, unabated anarchy from those strings please!! These guys are actually one chap, an Italian called Allesio, who also records with a pal as Walls. He veers from hazy Deerhunter-esque dream pop to plodding Animal Collective-lite atmospherics whilst a penchant for widescreen 60s-flecked pop is also apparent. It all sounds like good quality stuff, if stylistically a little derivative of recent pioneers & underground trailblazers. As a solo artist he's definitely got some songwriting nous but I really feel he has got a search on his hands to find his own niche.

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Banjo Or Freakout are all set to release their self titled debut album on Memphis Industries. The record is a heady collection of introspective beats and carefully constructed moments forged across borders and genre.

Italian born Londoner Alessio makes heartfelt stargaze pop, following in the sonic footprints left by artists like Kevin Shields, Can, Arthur Russell and contemporaries Wilco, Caribou and Deerhunter.

Produced in New York by Nicolas Vernhes (sometime producer of Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Bjork and Spoon).

Alessio is also one half of venerated electronica duo Walls.

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