Two very excellent new releases from two very excellent artists are out this week on the mighty Animal Farm Label.

First up are a wee trio of bonnie Scots called Make Sparks. They’re neither that wee nor that bonnie, but they make a great noise. One is reminded of modern Scottish bands like Biffy and older ones like Big Country. I’m serious. Make Sparks have the same sense of vast spaces in their sound as our 80s favourites did. Did you know that we once shared a stage with them? Not Make Sparks, but Big Country. It was in, I think, 1999, when we had the same management as them.The band had reformed and we supported them at their come back gig.

I digress. Back to new music. Make Sparks topped the Myspace Rock Chart a week or two ago. They’re being buzzed about here there and everywhere. It’s great to be involved. Make Sparks have their own festival up in the Scotland. It started out as a tent pitched in a field. Last summer it was a huge affair with two stages and a pig being barbecued. I made that last bit up. But the festival is cool.

In other news, the neverending tour in search of the last party on the last beach… as Esteban describe their journey on earth… reaches a man made destination in the form of their annual Xmas single. If you remember they did Shanty Mansion last year in support of their favoured NGO Plan UK through whom the band sponsored a boy called Orlin in Honduras. Their continuing financial assistance provides healthcare and education and other community development projects in Orlin’s village. Way cool. Put your money where your mouth is.

This year Esteban again team up with Plan UK to lend their voice to “Because I’m A Girl”, a global campaign that empowers girls in the poorest parts of the world to combat the discrimintion they face because of their lack of access to education and legal rights. To reflect this vibe, the single features a choir made up of primary school girls local to our studio.

Two fine records by two fine emerging bands. Click on the images to go to iTunes, should you want to support new emerging music, which I sincerely hope you do.