It's Jen Long here from BBC Introducing in Wales. I sat in for Huw this week, but don't worry, I've still got a little Label Of Love for you.

Since I live in Wales and Huw sure ain't shy of championing the odd Welsh band, this week I've gone for Cardiff label Barely Regal.

Run by Matt Fidler and Isaac Jones, Barely Regal isn't even a year old yet but has already helped reignite the local scene. Their first release was a compilation of sixteen odd bands from the city, spanning every genre from hardcore to delicate instrumental.

Their second release was the Homes EP by their own band, the brilliant Among Brothers. This month sees the release of Barely Regal 003; a split 7" from Samoans and Strange News From Another Star, and pretty awesome it is too.

Links

http://barelyregalrecords.com/

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Hello, I’m Jen Long. I look a bit like a mini Joey Ramone and am currently trying to recover from a crushing addiction to sandwiches.

From Sunday I will be presenting BBC Introducing in Wales, taking over from the brilliant Bethan Elfyn who you can now find on your wireless if you turn the dial towards Radio Wales. It feels strange, to say the least. I’ve been working on Bethan’s show for the last three years making notes, tea, and suggesting hilarious features - Beth From Above, Beth Becomes Her - that strangely never made it to fruition. I was pretty chuffed when I first got that job; I used to listen to Bethan and Huw back in the old days, dancing around my tiny student bedroom.

I went to University in Cardiff where I forged a frontline in the science of teleportation, once managing to transport a teaspoon from Newport to New York. Not really. I studied Journalism.

I managed the student radio station, Xpress Radio and graduated in 2006. Thereafter I had a run of both awful and amazing jobs including HMV sales assistant, managing rehearsal rooms, and driving a band across Europe.

Nowadays you can usually find me in the corner of Clwb Ifor Bach necking an orange squash. I write for a few different websites and magazines; I have an MP3 blog at waitfortheclick.co.uk, I promote gigs under the name FLUX=RAD, and I DJ here and there too.

Over Christmas I’ve been down the pub exercising phenomenal bicep curls and pounding my ears with some of the freshest, most exciting music around. I am ready and excited for Sunday. Bring it on.

Over the next month we have sessions from some immense bands including Cut Ribbons, The Joy Formidable and even a trip to Eurosonic with the electric Islet.

Quick fire time…

Which Welsh acts are you most excited about playing in 2011?

Cut Ribbons - www.myspace.com/cutribbons
Koreless - www.myspace.com/koreless
The Joy Formidable - www.thejoyformidable.com
Darkhouse Family - www.myspace.com/darkhousefam
Masters In France - www.myspace.com/mastersinfrance

What were your top 5 gigs of 2010?

1. Demolished Thoughts; Ecstatic Peace Showcase, SXSW.
I am a massive Sonic Youth fan so just the chance to spend five hours in a venue with Thurston Moore was mind-blowing enough. Demolished Thoughts are a hardcore covers band comprised of Thurston on vocals, J Mascis and Don Fleming on guitar, Alison Awesome on drums, and Andrew WK on bass (although Andrew never showed up so Jonah from F***ed Up took the call). They were so vicious and violent, it was immense and I was in complete awe for most of the set. So much so, I didn’t notice the stage-diver flying fist first at my face. Spent the next day nursing a right shiner of a black eye. I looked badass.

2. HEALTH; Primavera, Barcelona.
Everything about this band is exciting. Live they’re so threatening, in a purely audio sense, you just never know where the set is going to take you. Health played at 4am on the Saturday at Primavera last year. Any gig that starts with you telling your friend, "Hold my bag, I’m going for a mosh" has to be a good one.

3. Tiger Please, Cut Ribbons, Drains, The Muscle Club, Hyener and I Am Hope; in my kitchen, Cardiff.
My housemates hate me.

4. Pavement; Primavera/All Tomorrows Parties.
This was a bit special. At Primavera, I was in a line for the toilet when Stereo dropped and I just remember grabbing my friend and us running through the crowd right as the chorus kicked in. I know everyone’s doing reunions now but last summer was so great. I can’t wait for Pulp this year.

5. The National; Latitude Festival, Suffolk.
I would like to take this moment to apologise to anyone who was standing near my friend Annette and I during this show and had to hear us sing every line at twice the volume of the PA. I do not regret my actions.

Do you have an all-time favourite gig venue?

I grew up just outside London so a lot of my gig memories are of going to ‘sleep round a friend’s house’ and jumping on a train instead. I went to a lot of shows at The Astoria and I’m really sad that it’s gone. I love Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, The Fleece in Bristol, Union Chapel in London, Pianos in New York. But that said, sometimes it really doesn’t matter where you put on a gig; it’s the band and crowd that can make a show.

First ever gig?

Everclear at The Astoria in October 2000. The next day I pretended to be sick so I could get sent home from school and listen to them on Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge.

First ever album you bought?

I don’t remember. I remember trying to buy Take That and Party but it was £8 on cassette in Woolworths and my mum said it was too much and I wasn’t allowed. I suppose my entire career is just an effort to recover from that particular childhood atrocity.

Don't miss Jen's first show this Sunday night at midnight on Radio 1 in Wales.

Listen to advice about the music industry from established Welsh acts in Jen's series of features, cunningly titled The Long Report.

For our final report, we're looking at the massive and massively confusing world that is music publishing. What, actually, is it? And is it really possible for a band to make MONEY from their music?!

We spoke with Mark Gale from Universal Music Publishing and Dan and Marion from The Sync Agency about what their companies do, and heard how ace bands like Los Campesinos!, Funeral For A Friend and Bright Light Bright Light go about getting their music published.

To learn more about publishing, visit the BBC Introducing advice section, where we have in-depth text articles and video advice clips on the topic from the likes of Marina and the Diamonds and publisher Mike McCormack.

Previously:

The Long Report - Part 1: Managers

The Long Report - Part 2: Booking Agents

The Long Report - Part 3: Press

Jen Long is Broadcast Assistant for BBC Introducing in Wales with Bethan Elfyn.

First we talked to Nita from the Independent PR company Gold Star. She tells us exactly what her job entails and gives you some advice on how to contact different publications. Plus, you'll hear her take on a few of the different ways new artists can grab their first piece of publicity.

Then we spoke to James Penycate who runs Brilliantly Different; a company which helps set up and manage the entire online presence of new act. We also get some sage advice from old schoolers Funeral For A Friend and The Blackout.

In terms of getting started, this is probably the report you're going to most want to listen to. It deals with your very first move - something which at a time when MP3 blogs and social networking are as influential as ever, is pretty important. Is it ever OK to send MySpace spam? How many tweets is too many tweets? What's the right bit-rate for your demo?

As always though, this is just a very brief guide and if you want to know more do check out the advice section of this site.

And don't forget, if you're trying to get played on the radio, there's a very simple solution. Send us your music via the BBC Introducing Uploader today.

Jen Long is Broadcast Assistant for BBC Introducing in Wales with Bethan Elfyn.

Previously:

The Long Report - Part 1: Managers

The Long Report - Part 2: Booking Agents

Instead, let's get into this week's report. We're talking about booking agents: what is a booking agent? How do bands find one? That sort of thing. We spoke to Chris Myhill from The Agency Group and got loads of stellar advice from the likes of The Blackout, Bright Light Bright Light, Kids in Glass Houses and Pulled Apart By Horses.

Plus, we'll give you some advice on booking your own shows - for instance, don't drive from London to Glasgow and back for a £30 fee, don't believe a promoter who offers to post you a cheque; the regular stuff.

One thing I will reiterate is that these reports are just a very brief look at a very big subject, so do check out the advice section of this website for more wise words from agents Naomi Palmer (Toddla T) and Emma Banks (Creative Artists Agency).

Jen Long is Broadcast Assistant for BBC Introducing in Wales with Bethan Elfyn.

Previously: The Long Report - Part 1: Managers

Over the next four weeks, Ill be giving you an insight into a variety of different parts of the music industry which might affect you as a new act. We'll be looking at publishing, booking agents and PR/plugging, but this week we're starting with management.

I spoke to Alex Bean, former manager of Marina and The Diamonds and gathered advice from UK bands like Pulled Apart By Horses, Kids in Glass Houses, Los Campesinos! and many more.

Bear in mind while you listen that this is just a very brief guide. There's a lot more to finding and working with a manger than we can fit into fifteen minutes but hopefully this will give you a good place to start. If you want to know more, check out the videos and articles in the BBC Introducing advice pages.

Jen Long is Broadcast Assistant for BBC Introducing in Wales with Bethan Elfyn.