Remember the ridiculous American sit-com, Diff’rent Strokes? The plot revolved around two African-American orphans (Arnold and Willis) from a poor Harlem neighbourhood who were adopted by their deceased mother’s wealthy white employer, Mr Drummond. It was nonsensical (and slightly questionable in hindsight) but mildly humorous if my memory serves me correctly.

So, what has Diff’rent Strokes got in common with the new Mancunian musical bandwagon that is Foilface? Well, if Mr Drummond was Foilface, Arnold and Willis would definitely be The Abodes – the gonk-pop duo spawned in the rural ghettoes of North Wales and now based and sonically swimming around the inner city beauty of Manchester.

The Abodes currently have two full-length albums full of recent music available on Last.fm for absolutely nowt (that’s ’nuffink’, for all you southerners out there). All you need to do is visit the album links on their Last.fm page and get downloading – http://www.last.fm/music/The+Abodes

If you’re wondering what they sound like, imagine a musical supermarket sweep attended by Ween and The Beta Band in a shop owned by Gruff Rhys and Beck. Or alternatively think, lo-fi gonk-pop or weird-out acoustica. All you really need to know is it’s top stuff and it’s completely and utterly FREE. All The Abodes ask is that you befriend them on the site if you’re a Last.fm member, tag up their tunes and leave them some messages n’ stuff.

35 tunes are available to listen to and download and more of their gently mental sounds will be finding their way onto to their Last.fm page very soon too – so get your very own little bit of musical Manchester magic now…

Pudgy faced lo fi culture never sounded better…