Drowned UFO

A collaboration between Elliot P Smoke and Stephen D Fall of the excellent Ice Cream For Quo magazine.  Ennio Morricone meets that appalling noise you used to get loading Horace Goes Skiing on to the ZX80.  Drowned UFO's debut release, Mr Gickity (2009), was a strange, pithy racket, while their second effort, Meets Honda Dealer (2010) bought together some very strange moments.

For more information about this curious ensemble, gather at their webpage.

Arndales

Again, there's no whiff of 'art' about this 3CR ensemble, whose influences include the radio show Treasure Hunt.  They make excellent music (evidence here) and are incredibly easy on the eye.  They are all called 'Alan' and take influence, not only from the more recreational side of High Town,  but also local colour (Wendover) and performance management.  Arndales next/recent gigs?  See below.

        

Thrilled Skinny

Criminally ignored by the rest of the Luton scene, who, and which, they ignored in their 1987-1991 existence.  Thrilled Skinny only ever set foot inside High Town for the odd pint of "Old Bottler" at The Bricklayers Arms, when DJ Crazy Fish was spinning his vinyl, the Jesus Army were kidnapping Branston and scores of gals sipped halves of tap water on the stairs between bars.  That said, TS were a proper band, who toured with notables and had a Peel session and top 30 Indie Pop Chart smash hit.

Thrilled Skinny have a small chapter in John Robb's Death to Trad Rock.  Also, there's some SPECULATION in the Luton free press that there may have been a Thrilled Skinny/Yardbirds connection (source; Luton News letters page, 19.8.09):

Hell Smartie

Infamous hardcore/twee indie cross over duo Rape Oilseed and Paul Dogsmuck, whose Cardigan Scar was a cross between Napalm Death and Talullah Gosh!, and who later went on, with the slap-bassed crazziness of Tarquin Thrust, to record an astonishing version of Oi! Mr Tambourine Man.  Oilseed works one of the petrol stations; Dogsmuck died.

The Chicago Brothers

Low heeled brothers Doug, Bud and Jimmy used to run The Molecule Club as a front.  They bought profanity to Sinatra tunes and WOWED the late 80s High Town with their filthy language, fast wimmin and speed drinkin'.  No remnant or record of the Brothers remains.