We've listed singles/EPs/demos in order of star rating. Best first.
WIRED DESIRE Barely Illegal EP
Wired Desire are an impressive addition to the growing ranks of young bands
ploughing the furrow of classic rock n roll. The Scottish quintet, aged between
just 20 and 22, have recently supported Nazareth and seem already to have
attracted endorsements from the industry.
On this, their debut EP, opener No One Sleeps fairly explodes into life with a
brash sound rarely heard since Appetite for Destruction, while a cover of George
Thorogood's The Hard Stuff shows the band's bluesier nature with vocalist Kieran
Daly sounding a little like Bon Scott. Damn Hard and Ride, featuring some
blistering riffs and solos from guitarists Jam and Eddy ensure the pace is
maintained right to the end. The production is crisp and brings out the band's
youthful swagger.
The press biography cites such influences as the Stones and ZZ Top, but for me
their sound is prime time eighties sleaze and glam rock - Daly's raspy vocals
calling to mind blasts from the past like Faster Pussycat and D*A*D. For some
they will be an acquired taste but this EP shows a fresh band with real
promise.****
Review by Andy Nathan
GLYDER Weather The Storm EP
www.glydermusic.com
Glyder have been touring relentlessly supporting amongst others Thunder, Fish
and coming up this autumn Y&T plus a few rock festivals as well. This EP is
released to keep the fans happy with some new material and all songs on here are
ones the band feel don’t fit on either of the two albums released so far by the
band. The cover artwork is top draw as well being created by Mark Wilkinson
(Fish/Marillion).
The band have John ‘Fist’ Mulrooney adding keyboards on the EP and it works a
treat especially on the title track which starts of like a Police song before
going all Pink Floyd in the mid-section with some lovely keys/guitar interplay.
A really stunning piece of music that sees the band stretch themselves musically
coupled with discovering new musical avenues.
The EP opens with a cover of fellow Irish band the Stunning’s ‘Brewin’ Up A
Storm’ which is more like the Glyder sound along with ‘Love Never Dies’, a song
inspired by Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’. Not so keen on ‘Fill Your Head With Rock’
which the band recorded for the Sweden Rocks festival, along with other bands
who all had to record a new song with this same song title.
Luckily the EP finishes on a real high note with the blues meets rock ‘n’ roll
of ‘Lay Down’. Again not your typical Glyder tune but certainly worth getting a
full release and the guitar solos are again top notch.
EP releases by bands can be very hit and miss, often only appealing to the hard
core of fans but luckily this EP will please existing fans and hopefully draw in
some new ones. The title track alone makes this a ‘must have’ CD.
Having followed this band since their early days it is great to see them a) try
new musical ideas and more importantly b) getting the critical acclaim they so
justly deserve. Along with the Answer, Jaded Sun and Rose Hill Drive, Glyder are
one of the best of the newer breed of rock bands out there. Grab this EP and go
see ‘em live… ****
Review by Jason Ritchie
ROYWORLD Brakes (Virgin)
Power pop and perfect for the radio. Royworld neatly bridge that tricky Radio 1
or 2 playlist elephant trap, which is no easy trick. Cool, but at the same time
melodic and steeped in insanely catchy rock melodies.
Lets face it, Coldplay have seen better days, there's no sign of anything fresh
from Snow Patrol, The Verve are trading on past glories and it’s about time some
young pretenders stepped up to the mark.
So do yourself a favour, check this out and also Royworld's
debut album Man In The Machine. They could well be the future, and it's
difficult to see how they aren’t simply going to take America by storm. Quality
pop/rock. ****
Review by Pete Whalley
THE LIGHTS - The Fair Weather Travelling Companion
I was rather taken with The Light's last single - The Score with its sub-Pat
Benatar vocals and intoxicating harmonies, and with this new ep the band have
evolved in a direction I perhaps wouldn't have expected. Moving away from the
pop rock sound of The Score to something more folk orientated. In particular
Film Within A Film and The Leaving Song evoke memories of Poppies In A Field Of
Corn period River City People (a much loved and much missed band). Elsewhere
Kellio shares lead vocals with Lizzy Keys, the acoustic duet Stop Carrying On
being particularly poignant. ****
Review by Pete Whalley
THE VERVE Love Is Noise (Parlophone)
Fresh from Glasto and with a V appearance in August. This is typically Verve, an
underpinning infectious guitar/synth vibe and - frankly - it reminds me of
Simple Minds. The band don't fail to deliver the big chorus either. This is a
summer radio hit in the making and hopefully a portent of good things to come,
via the album out on August 18. ***½
Review by David Randall
THEA GILMORE Come Up With Me
Written in the dressing room and 'tested out' on her recent Liejacker tour,
Come Up With Me is being released as a single after a deluge of requests from
the fans that heard it.
Its easy to see why - a jaunty folk / pop / rock song perfectly fitting with the
Liejacker material, featuring a 'sing along' chorus, and Thea's gorgeous vocals.
What's not to like?
And if you missed out on seeing Thea last time round, don't worry - she'll be
doing a headline tour in November. ***½
Review by Peter Whalley
QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS C-Lebrity EMI
This new single precedes the new album ‘The Cosmos Rocks’ due in September,
marking the first Queen album to feature Paul Rodgers on vocals and the band’s
first new album since the mid-90’s. Written by Roger Taylor the lyrics take a
swipe at the C-list celebrities out there and the media/public obsession with
these nonentities.
Rodgers gives his usual assured vocal performance with Brian May and Roger
Taylor adding the classic Queen choir backing vocals, who are joined by Foo
Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on this song. It’s not a bad song but certainly
not a classic Queen single – it just lacks any real clout in the chorus and the
Brian May guitar solo is very short indeed!
Worth a listen, doubt it will win over any new fans to the band being brutally
honest but can’t wait for the new album! ***
Review by Jason Ritchie
ELENA Pink Punk
Elena continues to serve up her retro sound with her new single Pink Punk.
The early punk period Blondie (or perhaps Lena Lovich) remains a valid
comparison in terms of overall song structure and sound, but it's Elena's
sultry, addictive vocals (falling somewhere between Cerys Mathews, Marianne
Faithful, and Hazel O'Connor) that are the unique selling point. Catchy. ***
Review by Peter Whalley
PSYCHO BABY sampler
Hard, heavy and hot female fronted rock 'n' roll from Bristol. I like it. Raw,
both in the band's sound (a garage version of Hydrogyn with undertones of the
likes of Lizzy and Motley Crue) and in vocalist Laura's throaty delivery. Even
the band's name is great.
All the ingredients for success are here on this 5-track sampler, with perhaps
the only absence that of a guiding hand in the production chair to polish the
band's sound into something more overtly commercial. The vocal potential is
there, as are the licks and hooks, but it needs honing and a sprinkling of magic
production dust if the band are to break big. In the meantime, definitely one to
watch. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
JASON MRAZ Make it Mine
The second single to be lifted from Jason's We Sing, We Dance, We Steal
Things album and released in advance of his one off show at The Royal Albert
Hall on September 23rd.
Fresh from his Hyde Park performance in June alongside Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow
and John Mayer, this is clean-cut soft pop rock with Earth Wind And Fire style
horns. It most likely ain't gonna appeal to your average Guns 'n' Roses fan but
it's easy listening at its best - immaculately sung, played and recorded.
And Jason looks remarkably like Hugh Grant on the sleeve, so one for the girls,
me thinks. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
THE HUSTLE Promo
A five piece from South Wales, The Hustle serve up 'American indie melded
with British rock'. And this promo is a taster for their forthcoming debut album
Things I Wish Were Mine that is set for autumn release.
The band's modus operandi are big choruses, staccato rhythms, and a strong sense
of melody and I don't know about the American indie, but These Days brings to
mind images of Elvis Costello and Squeeze. There's a neat balance between pop
and rock, the lead single Wish I Had the Time again bringing to mind the
strengths of the Difford/Tillbrook school of songwriting. But Good intentions
shows that they are equally capable of rocking out sounding like Squeeze jamming
with ZZ Top. ***
Review by Peter Whalley
i CONCUR Oblige
Part of the growing Leeds scene, Oblige is i Concur's 2nd single following
hot on the heels of the double A side Lucky Jack / Build Around Me.
Described in their PR as mid-west indie driving to a delayed post -rock
crescendo, the band share a similar song structure and guitar sound to their
fellow Leeds and lower cased i contemporaries iLiKETRAiNs. That is, a slow burn
leading to fever pitch. Only i Concur have a far more commercial sound, with the
B side Captors delivering a potent post punk rock that bodes well for their
debut album due next year. One to watch. ***
Review by Peter Whalley
EXLOVERS The Ruins / S.O.F / Weightless
This is a sampler of 3 recently recorded tracks by Exlovers - an indie / pop
/ alternative band formed last/this year who serve up a dreamy pop laced with
boy-girl vocals that has a laid back 1960's San Francisco retro flower power
feel. Pleasant fare that can be listened to free of charge on their myspace
page. ***
Review by Peter Whalley
TINY SPARK Alaska EP
The debut EP from South London and Portsmouth band Tiny Spark, who
remarkably have an endorsement from Ben Sherman clothing and are set to preview
the single at the flagship Carnaby Street store, followed by an in-store tour
across the UK. As good a way to get exposure (and free shirts?) as any
Melodic pop/rock with an alt country twist rooted firmly in the sixties, with
Never Met That Girl the pick of the bunch with its film score backdrop and hook.
You can here snippets, but not the full tracks (unusual for an unsigned band) on
their myspace page. ***
Review by Peter Whalley
ANN SCOTT Imelda
One of Ireland's best kept secrets, Ann Scott was nominated in the best
female category for the 2005 and 2007 Irish Meteor Awards and with 2 critically
acclaimed albums already under her belt is fast establishing a reputation as an
intense performer and firebrand songwriter.
But Ann prefers to come from left field, with unusual melodies, newfangled
synths , detuned mandolas and quirky ideas. So 'orthodox' is not a word in her
dictionary. With breathy vocals, a trance like rhythm, and a big hook, Imelda is
a slow burner falling somewhere between Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan territory.
***
Review by Peter Whalley
FLIPRON Book Of Lies/Mess It Up (Tiny Dog)
It's only Englishmen who can be mad as wasps yet brilliant at the same time.
And, fresh from six performances at Glastonbury, Fliptron are pushing out this
double A side single in advance of their third album - Gravity Calling, which is
due to land on Earth sometime in October. And for added value (and incentive) a
bonus none album track - The Uses Of Superstition is included for good measure.
If you know anything about Fliptron - an act who draw on musical influences as
wide as 1920' Hawaiian Steel guitar rags, 30s Klezmer stomps, Chicago Blues,
classic French Chanson, laid-back Western Swing, old time Folk ballads,
Bollywood torch songs and 60's British pyschedelia as well as pop eccentrics
such as Ray Davies, Syd Barrett, Alex Harvey, Ian Dury, and The Specials -
you'll know never to know what to expect.
And to add an extra sprinkle of madness to the mix, that well-known Looney Tune
Rat Scabies is lounging comfortably in the production seat.
Unique and measured madness. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
JACK JOHNSON Sleep Through The Static (Brushfire)
There's no denying Jack Johnson is one cool dude. And there's no denying he's
the sound of summer. Or would be if it would stop pissing down for 5 minutes.
His Sleep Through The Static album has already been #1 in the UK, the States and
six other countries and now the title track is being released as a single - just
to maintain Jack's profile past his recent hugely successful UK dates, and
presumably to finance his return airfare.
It's everything you would expect of JJ - laid back, acoustic and warming.
Nothing more or nothing less. Perfect for snoozing in a deck chair by the sea.
***
Review by Pete Whalley
GIANT JR Vs EARTHA KITT I Want To Be Evil
This disco/electronic reworking of Eartha Kitt's 1953 track I Want To Be
Evil has already featured on three movies soundtracks and picked up airplay. In
truth it's something of a novelty record that wouldn't be out of place in an
Austin Power's movie.
But it works best as an audiovisual experience, and I recommend you check out
the YouTube video - you'll never think of Barbie the same way again. And if that
tickles your fancy, check out Nancy Farmer's
www.fetishdollies.co.uk
website for some hardcore Barbie action. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
SMUDGE Stay Feel Regret EP
Smudge are 5 young lads from Wigan who decided after a Blink 182 gig that
rock n roll was the life for them. With a diverse range of influences within the
band they serve up their anthemic punk/indie/dance/altrock sound. Flat Line
could so easily be Biffy Clyro, Stay Feel Regret is more straight pop rock,
while Lock + Load simply rocks out. Promising. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
DEAD YOUNG CLUB, Volume 1
Dead Young Records are committed to vinyl. Limited edition, poster dressed
10 inchers. And if that isn’t enticing enough, they’re dressed in art with hand
pressed logos on the labels, Polaroid shots of the bands slipped into the
sleeves sealed by hand with candle wax. That’s love and dedication.
So the packaging is spot on – what of the grooves? The Dead Young Club features
what you would expect – up and coming acts.
Volume 1 showcases The Cucibal from Liverpool whose track Edward The Confessor
owes a debt to Beefart, A Love Supreme from Wallasey who serve up a healthy dose
of British Sea Power style Brit pop/rock in the form of I Know You Got Soul,
Carlisle’s The Lucid Dream’s space rock number I Got The Devil, and Un Clyfe
from Yucatan – a lengthy Sigur Ros style piece inspired by homeland of Wales.
A neat idea, but whether buyers are going to appreciate the diverse range of
talents on offer enough to shell out is an open question. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
SMITH 6079 Ghosts
www.myspace.com/smith6079
New single from a band who have already won a few awards. Well written rock with
guitar pop and indie leanings. Think Kasabian with a bit more meat. Mean and
moody and a little bit spaced with it.
For a new band releasing singles you could do a lot worse than check these guys
out. ***
Review by Joe Geesin
COLIN MACINTYRE Famous For Being Famous
Taken from his current album The Water produced by Nick Fanglen (Lemon
Jelly), Famous For Being Famous is a big slice of up-tempo pop taking a
satirical look at celebrity culture. With three self produced and critically
acclaimed albums under his belt under the name of Mull Historical Society, the
question is will Famous For Being Famous make this Scottish, singer songwriter,
multi instrumentalist and producer, famous? Sorry Colin, I suspect not. **½
Review by Peter Whalley
JACK JOHNSON PRESENTS (Bushfire Records)
Not content with the revenues form his own prolific output, JJ is using his
name (and a couple of his own tracks to attract buyers in) to introduce us to
other artists of the genre promoted on his own label Bushfire Records. Who does
the man think he is? Levi Roots?
The 2 JJ tracks - Adrift, and Let it be Sung (with Zach Gill and Matt Costa from
the Brokedown Melody soundtrack) are just what you would expect - low key,
gentle and soothing grooves. And while I like some JJ, I wouldn't say either
were representative of the best he can deliver.
Matt Costa and Zach Gill both get tracks of their own. Matt's track Miss
Magnolia sounds uncannily like Mungo Gerry's In The Summertime and is at least
up tempo, while Leo Sayer tribute, while Zach's is a breathy soulful workout
with echoes of Moby.
Elswehere you're unlikely to know the artists (which is the idea of this
showcase) - G Love & Special Sauce (calypso soul), Neil Halstead (a JJ style
vocal, with a hint of folk), Mason Jennings (calypso piano and drums), Rogue
Wave (off key Simon & Garfunkle), Alo (Caribbean soul) and Money Mark
(experimental soul).
If you're a JJ fan, thre may be something her to light your fire. But for me,
not so much as a spark. **½
Review by Peter Whalley
DOLIUM El Vampiro Attack! (EP) (Parlour 9 / Cargo)
DIY Rock'n'Roll, with the duo of drums and bass angle. Manic, indie,
furious. The dark and gothic end of what would sit neatly between Kerrang! and
NME. "You've Got Holes!" will knock your brains out.
"(She Can't) Stake My Heart!" is from the album 'Hellhounds On The Prowl'. Metal
vocals and operatic screams aplenty.
Interesting, some good melodies, but just a bit too homemade for my liking.
**½
Review by Joe Geesin
YOUNG HOLLYWOOD Asleep At The Switch EP
www.myspace.com/younghollywooduk
Uptempo punk metal from this young band, kicking off with the odd but good "We
Disco You Ain't". There's a punk intro before the more extreme metal direction
takes over, it's punchy and noisy.
Some good moments, but the tracks are a little samey, and the EP does suffer
from thin production. Things can only get better for them. **½
Review by Joe Geesin
SERGEANT BUZFUZ Here Comes The Popes Part 3/Dentist To The Stars (Blang
Records)
A very odd mixture of pop, rock and psychedelia, there's a strong element of 60s
garage with strings. There's a touch of folk to the psychedelia on the b-side,
maybe a nod at Syd Barrett.
Not cheesy catchy, but somehow catchy and rather dire at the same time. **
Review by Joe Geesin
LAUREL COLLECTIVE International Love Affair
A multi cultural six piece (hailing form Wales, England, Nigeria and Italy)
Laurel Collective serve up a meaty slice of Brit? pop that owes it’s roots deep
in the 1980’s when Dinosaurs like Duran Duran and The Thompson Twins trod the
boards.
An up tempo number with a driving techno beat, nice vocals, a catchy chorus and
even hints of funk, it most falls neatly into the niche that The Wombats have
carved out and made their own. This doesn’t challenge the best that the likes of
The Wombats have to offer, but it’s not without appeal. **½
Review by Pete Whalley
GUNNER SGT The End Of The Line
www.myspace.com/gunnersgtband
Dirty sleazy rock'n'roll with a sludgy indie rock feel. Opening track "Dirty
Gunners" has all the finesse of a NWoBHM bootleg or an Oasis demo, mixed with
some AC/DC et al.
Passable, it has its moments, worth a listen but not sure if I'd buy it.
**½
Review by Joe Geesin
THE SCRATCH Girls World/Sweet Surprise
Fresh from supporting The Holloways, The Scratch release a double A side
single. Girls World has a semi catchy chorus and falls somewhere between Bowie's
Laughing Gnome period and Squeeze. But it has no spark and is frankly
uninspired, while Sweet Surprise what The Sweet might have sounded like if they
tried to cover The Pistols. As a package, it just leaves you with a single
though - ‘why'? **
Review by Pete Whalley
ANNE WEST Missed It Again (DB Charm)
Blonde, perfect teeth and a former model. That works for me.
Anne West has had a varied (non musical) career to date and her debut album
Confidante - due in autumn - has been a long time coming. Her PR blurb hints at
contemporary Carly Simon pop with Celtic melodies and Nashville craftsmanship.
That sounds a heady and intoxicating mix. The reality is unfortunately somewhat
different - pop yes, a hint of Nashville, yes, pleasant yes. But it's the sort
of material Emma Bunton may well deliver. In a word, lightweight. Sorry. **
Review by Pete Whalley
KIERONONONON Brutaltechnopunk (mini album) Roxxor
Certainly not off the peg, as I don't think they'd fit anyone. Music crazier
and more incomprehensible than the name. Very DIY, this is alt / indie metal
with an extreme garage (or is that garden shed?) feel.
Bursts of everything, from noise, drums, guitars, screams, processed indie
vocals, to lighter even jangly edges.
This 5 track EP / mini album is about as much as anyone could take of this band.
The press release calls them unpredictable. They are in fact un-everything
except noisy, messy and experimental. Distinctly lo-fi.
There are some good ideas, the odd melody that stands out, but it's so... I
don't know what.
Relevant only by their irrelevance. *½
Review by Joe Geesin
LANGUAGE Macadamia / We Are Here Little Power Records
From the opening the bars of "Macadamia" I am thinking "What The F**K"
throughout the song. I almost have to go back to see if I can believe my ears.
Basically, I can't. Crappily catchy indie rock'n'roll. And the disco styled
electronic 'shots' may have worked for Kiss in 1979 but they are vomit inducing
here.
Beyond that, it's hard to pinpoint what's wrong with the track as the
musicianship is OK. This makes you realise that the only thing worse than the
wrong direction is indecision on which direction. Indie with too much else in
it.
The second track is less annoying but still not working in any way.
Maybe welcome at NME but not with me in anyway whatsoever. *½
Review by Joe Geesin
DRUG HONKEY Death Dub
Ambient and atmospheric doom metal. Yes, really.
Opening track "My Sins", with all the subtlety of Geoff Capes using you as a
shot-put, redefines Tank's brand of cement mixer metal to the extreme. Put
someone in a cement mixer with a tonne of gravel, some pins and sulphuric acid,
and imagine that as background music. This band make Napalm Death sound like
Mozart.
The second track continues in a similar fashion, with less variety than a Status
Quo medley and less tune than a deaf person trying to sing tunelessly. Some
weird electronic effects don't so much break things up as have you wondering
what the hell is going on.
Track three is slower, sludgier, more spaced out. I think someone just threw
Hawkwind into the cement mixer.
I had to stop there, my bowels gave up.
Defecation Difficulties Guaranteed. *
Review by Joe Geesin
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