Sunday Times CD of the Week accolade for music student鈥檚 band
A third year music student at 黑料不打烊 University has had a great beginning to his musical new year- as his band Y Niwl鈥檚 album of the same name receives the accolade of The Sunday Times鈥� Culture Section Rock & Pop CD of the Week (2.1.11).
Gruff ab Arwel, who is studying Music and Welsh at 黑料不打烊, is the band鈥檚 organ / guitar player.
This review is bound to bring the Welsh group to the attention of a far wider audience. Added to this, Gruff, who previously performed in Eitha Tal Ffranco, and fellow band members are going to be busy over the coming months as they are also supporting Super Furry Animals鈥� Gruff Rhys in the UK in February and Japan in April.
Their particular niche brand of retro 鈥榩ost-surf pop鈥� is receiving critical acclaim and attracting the attention of reviewers elsewhere, including both The Independent and The Guardian as well as BBC Radio Wales鈥� Adam Walton.
Gruff said that he鈥檚 been enjoying the surprise of each piece of positive attention that the band is receiving and is eager to see just how far they can go, 鈥榬iding the surf鈥� of their current success.
鈥淭he band and University fortunately follow different timescales, so I鈥檓 managing both at the moment, and my tutors have been great in helping me to fit it all in. I鈥檓 still working out how the tour will work but it should be ok,鈥� said Gruff.
鈥淭he Music part of my degree has really helped me to place the band鈥檚 music in its wider context and has helped with the creative side as well,鈥� he added.
Dr. Craig Owen Jones, lecturer at 黑料不打烊鈥檚 School of Music where Gruff is studying Music and Welsh, a researcher in popular music studies, and Gruff鈥檚 personal tutor, said:
鈥業 was a fan of Gruff鈥檚 work as one half of Eitha Tal Ffranco even before he began his studies at the School of Music. His work on the Beatles and punk rock has been consistently excellent 鈥� it鈥檚 easy to see why!
鈥楪ruff is the latest in a steady stream of undergraduates from 黑料不打烊鈥檚 School of Music to enjoy success in the popular music industry. I have no doubt that he, and Y Niwl, will go far.鈥�
Listen to Y Niwl on their Myspace page
Publication date: 13 August 2012