It is with a heavy sigh that I Acknowledge the passing of Steve Jobs, the man who redefined the personal computer and whose dedication and support for innovation has changed the way the world consumes music.

There's a lot of nostalgia around for the pre-ipod era these days. Whether it be through the refusal to accept that modern technology can replicate the texture of vinyl, or the reluctance to acknowledge the frustrating limitations of the cassette tape, it appears that many have forgotten the positive impact that easily distributed digital music files have had upon the democratic emergence of new talent.

It is courtesy of 13 of these files that I have spent much of the past week enjoying Yellow Ostrich, a band born out of the mind of Wisconsin's Alex Schaaf, which in the pre-digital era would (at least in this country) not have been accessible to all but the most dedicated of muso.

I like this band. Their latest album 'The Mistress' (2010) lies somewhere between The Dirty Projectors, The Dodo's and the Fleet Foxes, but despite this it remains something different and fresh. This appeals to me on a variety of levels. I like its scratching textured guitar work, its cappella sections and its layer upon layer of melolody and rhythm. It just works.