±«Óãtv

TFI Friday was the TV equivalent of Loaded magazine: a mid to late '90s celebration of boozy, lad 'culture' fronted by Chris Evans when he was most in thrall to his own ego. At least his ego was entertaining. So despite wanting to not like it, I watched every Friday evening.

Well I did until the same bands and guests started showing up week-in-week-out. Evans was probably singularly responsible for the resurrection of Ocean Colour Scene. I hope he can sleep at night. I imagine he can. There's something very comforting, no doubt, about getting your head down in your own sprawling mansion.

But that ever decreasing circle of Evans' showbiz mates strutting the stage in a predictable loop - Kula Shaker, Black Grape, Ocean Colour Scene, Fun Lovin' Criminals - served as a salient lesson. TFI wasn't a music show, it was entertainment: but I learnt that it's important to do what you can to try and keep things fresh, to seek music from beyond your own comfort zone or circle of mates.

To that end, I've set myself the rather Herculean task of finding 30 new Welsh bands or artists (including elsewhere artists on Welsh labels) to play on this coming Sunday night's show who I have never played before. I'm looking for music bristling with fresh ideas and passion that will make radios (and their new world equivalents) spontaneously combust because of the sheer imaginative force of the sonics vibrating through them.

So, if you've recorded something ACE, or heard something ACE, or seen something ACE, or you have a friend who makes ACE or bangs on about such and such being an ACE band, then share the ACE with me and I'll share it with the show's audience, and together we will make Wales an ACER PLACE.

Which has nothing to do with insidiously promoting a particular brand of laptops.

I'm not desperate here. There's already a lot of great music about in Wales. But I want more. The audience wants more. So long as it's good and fresh. Think of your music as you would fish. If it has the whiff of yesterday about it, or it's been badly cooked, you wouldn't dream of offering it to someone else. But if it has clear eyes and bright scales, it's a great gift to share with the nation. Well, at least the small proportion of it who suffer insomnia on Sunday nights.

.mp3s and tips to themysterytour@gmail.com

I will share anything I hear that is good with my colleagues at ±«Óãtv Introducing, Radio Wales and C2.

I'm very excited to hear what turns up. Thank you/diolch yn fawr iawn.