The Scaramanga Six "Walking Through Houses"

Myspace // "Baggage" [mp3]

I met Steven Morricone from The Scaramanga Six at this year's SXSW, but little did I know that he was in a band that I had worked with, Kava Kava, or that he was in yet another band, Eureka Machines. The guy keeps himself busy! And speaking of the Eureka Machines, when I was in England last month, I caught the band in Hull. It wasn't my choice of places to visit, but Steven and his brother Paul offered me a ride, so I thought it would be worth the trip. And it was. It was a great night; lots of beer, billiards and a bit of getting locked in the loo, but we won't go into that.

But onto the Scaramanga Six, which features the Morricone brothers and the lead singer of the Eureka Machines, a band that embraces the over-dramatic epic English rock sound that I love. If I had to give you similar bands, I'd say Muse, JJ72 or Ultrasound. The best thing about these guys is that they exist in a world without the NME -- there is no rollercoaster ride of hype here, it's just music made in the way they think is right, and everything they drop on the world is utterly and brilliantly memorable. And if you blink, you'll miss their sly sense of humor.

The band's latest opus, A Pound of Flesh, will be out later this year, but for now, you can enjoy the lead single, "Walking Through Houses," whose video I can't get enough of right now. It's creepy, but in a good way.