Italian Londoner Alessio Natalizia makes noisy, searching chamber pop with a heart. Using only first takes for his layered and looped recordings, we get to hear a fragile intimacy that might have been ironed out by the fourth take. Read his blog here.

Q&A
What's…
… your description of your sound?
Sounds you can drive to. Noisy but quite pop and you could dance to it.

… so special about you, then?
I approach music with a punk rock attitude but I try not to pretend to be a punk band in 2009.

… your tip for 2009?
Dirty Projectors are gonna be the new Animal Collective or close to it.

… the story behind your name?
A band I saw ages ago in Italy came back on stage for an encore and one of them asked the really excited crowd, "So you guys want banjo or freakout?" I thought it sounded good as a name for a band.

… your worst vice?
Being too straightforward.

… your dream musical collaboration?
Robert Wyatt, Arthur Russell, These Heat, Burial, Kayne West, Antony, Brian Wilson, the Congos, the Ramones.
 
… on your stereo?
Right now, DOOM.

… the best piece of advice you've heard?
Study hard, finish university, graduate and get a good job.

… your secret?
Take it seriously all the time.

… the one thing you’d kill for?
World peace – or otherwise a new guitar, my sampler and mango juice.

Banjo or Freakout will be supporting HEALTH for part of their UK on April 21 and 22.