It’s been another great year for music in Gloucestershire. Recordings have been recorded and gigs have been gigged. The result has been a fantastic array of singer/songwriters, grungy bands and electronic pioneering.

Bizarrely a large number of the most interesting acts rarely (if ever) step outside of their bedrooms/studios. Sadly, the internet and CDs are the nearest you’ll ever get to a gig from the likes of Mark Saunders, Alone and Project Twinkle. Let’s hope 2005 makes Gloucestershire’s musicians a little less shy.

In the meantime, put aside your Christmas cracker and mince pies as we have a look at who made this year’s Festive Fifteen.

15 - Mark Saunders

Now living in the Forest of Dean, following a life of music in the Big Smoke, Mark Saunders has produced some astonishingly good songs. It may just be him, his guitar and his computer but you’d be sure you were listening to a full band.

Stand out track: California Rain.

14 - 8 Ball Groove

These fine, funky Foresters are full of fierce, fiesty attitude. Their performance at the Gloucester Music Festival back in the summer guaranteed them more fans. Enough with the Fs, just enjoy the music.

Stand out track: Kid.

13- JC’s Revenge

We’ve had two offerings from JC’s Revenge this year, both of them excellent. The band have evolved from crush-fixated adolescents (albeit crush fixated adolescents with a decent set of songs) to jaded, warped young men. Lock up your daughters - before they do.

Stand out track: Daphne Blake.

12- Alone

If you want Several Quiet Moments, you could do worse that tuning into James Reichelt. Together, he and his computer form Alone. The music is perfect for a long soak in the bath. And with an album’s worth of tracks now available in the form of Nothing Totally Changes, you can take an even longer soak.

Stand out track: When My Headlights Meet Yours (if only for the title!)

11- The Trauma

Soon after my review of their first EP, The Trauma posted a message on their web site complaining that a couple of reviewers had misunderstood them. But what would you expect from a group of nihilistic, Silvia Plath-reading teenagers? What I certainly didn’t expect was the glorious Tear off that Mask and Kiss Me EP. It’s a much better affair, aided by the new line-up which adds a sense of order to the bleak lyrics.

Stand out track: Doors Close Slowly.

10 - Colourful Fan

A two piece who sound positively symphonic. There’s something of the Sixties about this act. So put a flower in your hair, drop out and enjoy.

Stand out track: The Truth Hurts.

9 - Matthew Macaulay-Lowe

A solo singer/songwriter who, if the story is to be believed, stumbled across a studio filled with musicians longing to play his songs. The tracks may sound like they were carefully constructed in a lonely bedsit, but they were actually written during a trip round Australia in a camper van. With influences including Damian Rice and David Grat, Macaulay-Lowe’s are sure to pick you up when you’re feeling down.

Stand out track: Juxtaposed.

8 - Inkubus Sukkubus

Happy Goths may seem few and far between but you’ll find three of them in Inkubus Sukkubus. If you caught them at the Glofysh/Shelter benefit earlier this year, you will know what I mean. If not, shame on you. The songs gallop along at a furious, infectious speed that you have to love.

Stand out moment: Kylie’s Can’t Get You Out of my Head cover.

7 - Demob

Gloucester’s original punks sound as fresh as ever on their latest album If it Ain’t Punk, It Don’t Rock. Full of gritty, but tongue in cheek lyrics, it’s fun with a sharp edge.

Stand out track: My Big Brother.

6 - Project Twinkle

Those of you who thought that this was the code name for a new BBC kids’ show would have been sadly mistaken. Project Twinkle take their name from a song by Bunnyman Will Sergeant. But don’t expect too many echoes of Scouse indie in this outfit. It’s electronic music with imagination, flair and a couple of surprises. If you haven’t heard them before, do so. NOW.

Stand out track: Capaldi.

5 - Dan Pierce/Ghosting

Be he on his own or teamed up with fellow musician/producer, George Moorey, Dan Pierce of Ghosting is responsible for some of the best music to come out of Gloucestershire this year. The songs are sensitively written tracks that will make you think and cry in equal measure.

Stand out track: Shut Us Down.

4 - Sam Holmes

While we’re in a quiet mood, let’s talk about Sam Holmes. Her songs are full of observations and advice directed at everyone, including herself. The music has a deceptively simple style that many would spend hours trying to replicate. Sit in a dimly lit room, lie down on the settee and absorb the music.

Stand out track: Falling Down.

3 - Chris Davidson

Completing our triptych of singer/songwriters comes Chris Davidson, whose album Letting Go is a gentle triumph. Pianos, strings and percussion meld together around Davidson’s husky tone to produce a collection of songs so passionately formed, so lovingly sung and so expertly produced that I could happily listen to this album forever.

Stand out track: Love is a Waste of Time.

2 - Earnest Cox

A regular staple on the Gloucestershire music scene, Earnest Cox continue to outshine their peers. Things look set to get even better for the band next year with a single coming out on a local label in the none too distant future. Look out for an amazing performance in January in the Guildhall. With the Cox, you are guaranteed to see something special.

Stand out track: S**t off my Shoe.

1 - Sundae Club

Teeny-boppers and dirty old men may be rather disappointed to discover that clicking on s-club.co.uk does not lead you to a site full of pictures of Rachel Stevens et al. Instead, fortunately for the mellotron loving community of Great Britain, it is the home site of Sundae Club. Consisting of the pseudonymous Hamstal Ridware (named after a small village in Staffordshire[?]) and Dr C D Mille, Sundae Club use old electronic organs and long forgotten gadgetry to produce highly innovative tracks full of wit, imagination and a distinctive style.

Stand out track: In Love With Sundae (well, aren’t we all).

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