B-Town

B-Town is the name given to an indie music scene based in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, England.^[1]

Three of the scene's leading bands are Peace and Swim Deep – who'd both signed with major labels by December 2012 – and JAWS.^[2] Other bands who have been identified with the scene include Troumaca, Corelli, Wide Eyed, babypink, Breathe, These Kings, and Bombers.^[1] A Christmas show featuring the scene's leading bands at the Rainbow in Digbeth on 22 December 2012 has been described as marking its breakthrough.^[3] By February 2013 the NME was writing how "at this rate, with so many brilliant Brummie bands doing the rounds, they’re gonna need a bigger B-Town"^[4] concluding in April that "it’s a fact: 2013 is all about the bands from Birmingham".^[5]

Some local commentators have suggested the term is an invention by London based journalists to talk the wider Birmingham music scene up as a fad,^[6] pointing out that "there have been bands going strong in Birmingham for years"^[7] and highlighting the variety and strength in depth of the music being created in the city.^[8] Evil Alien – a band who have been identified with the scene – have criticised it as "just media hype and a silly name somebody has given it all", commenting that "B-Town is the worst nickname for this great city I have ever heard and it makes me cringe every time I hear it".^[9] In July 2013 Cavan McCarthy of Swim Deep claimed that the term started off as a joke, invented by himself and Harry Koisser of Peace while driving back into Birmingham from outside the city, and that "now everyone says it and we’re a bit embarrassed about it".^[10]

Critics have pointed out that many of the scene's leading bands don't sound very similar,^[8] though others have identified a common element as how the bands "all incorporate a slightly flippant attitude to their music, not concentrating on polishing their records to perfection, but playing for the joy of creating music and for entertaining their audiences."^[11] The NME has commented how "nonchalance courses through the scene’s veins like quicksilver ... some scenes come roaring out of the traps; B-Town seemed to roll out of bed, insular and uncontrived, smirking at its own in-jokes, smelling faintly of K cider and intent on nothing loftier than the pursuit of a laugh."^[12]

References