OxfordBands.com

News on a new festival: Out To Graze is a collaboration between Simple and Slide, Bassmentality and Skylarkin’ Soundsystem run over Friday 13 and Saturday 14 June at Rookery Farm, Shabbington Bucks, and features a mixture of live bands and DJs. On the bill are established Oxford acts including punk-popsters Baby Gravy, indie big-hitters International Jetsetters and Tunisian reggae outfit Raggasaurus. Tickets are £30 and available from Ryouki, St Ebbes and Baby Simple on the Cowley Road. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased from wegottickets.com. Proceeds go to the Oxford Wheels project, which aims to bring a new skate park to Oxford.

Preparations for the annual Cowley Road carnival are under way, with a series of warmup shows due to take place over the next five months to help raise much-needed funds for the preparations of Oxfordshire’s largest free event. Details on how local bands can perform at the festival will be published soon, so watch this space. In the meantime, the latest information, details on the first public meeting, what you can expect from the carnival this year and a public vote to choose the theme for 2008 will all appear on the official website. The first fundraiser is at the Jericho on Saturday 9 February, featuring local dub reggae troupe Raggasaurus, rising hip hop star Mr Shaodow and delicate musings from Joe Allen and Angharad Jenkins.