I have a friend! I have several hundred in fact. Not real buy-you-a-pint; can I borrow a tenner; yes, that is a lovely new t-shirt friends, but virtual pals scattered across the globe and according to some of their profiles beyond this globe and far off on other, no doubt far more interesting ones.

My recent new friend  is Argentinian, and it's my first from that fair country.

Approached across the ocean with the hand of musical friendship, I am inspired to travel Argentinian Myspace to find out what's rocking the pampas. I do apologize, that's an appalling cliche which simply serves to illustrate my lack of knowledge of the people, history and music of Argentina.

What do I know?

Very little as I say, ask me about Argentinian music and I will say, Tango! Then I will shut up.

I know a religious-inspired group of Welsh settlers travelled to set up a new home in Patagonia (which I believe means "Land of the Big Feet") where Cymraeg is still spoken to this day. I know the country is famous for its beef. I know Che Guevara is of Argentinian birth. I know they're very good at football and getting better and better at rugby and I had the word Junta introduced to my young vocabulary when British soldiers and sailors travelled thousands of miles for a war over what we call the Falkland Islands and Argentinians call the Malvinas.

That's a long way to go, you might think, and the conflict remains a source of controversy in British politics with some believing it was a piece of cold-blooded and bloodthirsty electioneering on the part of that still divisive figure Mrs Thatcher. Others argue the rights of the islanders needed protecting and add that the war helped bring down that very nasty Junta.

And, oh look! Our continued ownership of the Falklands is now forming the basis for a huge territorial claim for parts of Antarctica - but, far be it from me to be cynical, and this is supposed to be a music column - war can fuck off, so can Antarctica for that matter - does that continent have a thriving Myspace scene? Quite, fecking penguins. 

But it's not a great deal of knowledge - so here I am, a musical traveller to a far distant land, where I don't even speak the language. Now,  I should start with my first Argentinian pal. Surely, that's the least he, she, or they deserve, which is why it's a shame I've lost them.

While I searched my friends - and, darling, I really am just too popular - I've had a lovely time listening to the rather groovy pop-rock of Arbol, straight out of Buenos Aires, and signed to Universal.

Their four-track player is packed full of rather gentle, semi-acoustic, harmony rich and tuneful mainstream music. Do I have a clue what they're singing about? Not really - although I can guess, and find myself very charmed by the idea of their song "Trenes Camiones Y Tractores" - I can't think of a single song about tractors off the top of my head, despite the fact my brother made his rural roots perfectly clear by choosing it as his first word. Bless.