We've listed singles/EPs/demos in order of star rating. Best first.
PAALMER Old School EP (FM)
www.myspace.com/paalmer
At last a band billed as punk rock who actually are. None of this Green Day
watered down pseudo guitar pop rubbish. And it's taken a French band to show us
how it's done.
Opening track 'Punkrocker' is blistering, while 'Sleep With U' is sleazy punk
meets rock'n'roll.
'Ramones Fever' says it all really. ****
Review by Joe
Geesin
EYE 2 Hearts
www.eyeofficial.info.se
Swedish melodic rockers who aim to replicate the recent success of bands like
H.E.A.T. Always a good sign when a band member sports a Journey t-shirt in a
band photo and Eye do use the Journey approved harmony vocals to good effect.
‘Hearts (Lovers Apart)’ is a great song, led by a catchy keyboard/guitar riff
this is an instant hit on the listener. ‘Restless Dreams’ is another cracking up
tempo melodic rocker and again good use of keys/guitar throughout. Vocalist Oz
Osukara certainly hits the high notes on this one. ‘Without You’ sounds better
in acoustic mode with the piano taking the instrumental lead.
A very decent EP and one worth checking out if you enjoy H.E.A.T. Bad Habit and
the Poodles. ****
Review by Jason Ritchie
THE VERONICAS 4 Ever
The biggest current name in Aussie pop, and now based in LA, 24 year old
sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso (aka The Veronicas) are now looking for
American/European success.
And 4 Ever looks almost certain to achieve that goal. Produced and written by
Max Martin and Lukasz 'Dr. Luke) Gottwald (Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Pink)
it's got 'X Factor' written all over it.
It may be formulated, and could so easily be Pink, but that makes for perfect
radio friendly pop. On this form, their album Hook Me Up - which has had massive
success back at home and is due for imminent release - looks set to achieve
global domination. ***½
Review by Pete Whalley
PRIMITAI The Craft (Green China Records)
www.myspace.com/primitaiofficial
This South East rock band
play trad metal with a Celtic edge to the guitar and extreme metal growl to the
vocals. Shred and riffs aplenty, a speeded up Iron Maiden feel, and a nod of
cement mixer metal in as a bonus.
Definitely one of the best singles I've had through in a long time. ***½
Review by Joe Geesin
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Hard To See/Bad Company
Formed in LA in 2005, and named after the leathal blow from Kill Bill Vol.2,
5FDP, or FFDP are a harder and heavier Nickelback.
Taken from the band's second album War Is The Answer produced by Kevin Churko (Ozzy
Osbourne's Black Rain), Hard to See is heavily influenced by the likes of
Metallica. Bludgeoning melodic metal with monster anthemic vocals, but at the
same time infuriatingly tuneful.
But the surprise package here is the B-side a cover of the classic Bad Company
track. It's easy to come unstuck, trying to cover Paul Rodger's & co. But 5FDP
pull it off with aplomb. Ivan Moody's vocals do the track more than justice, and
the song is given a contemporary and modern feel. It's an excellent version that
brings a classic properly up to date. ***1/2
Review by Pete Whalley
BELLADONNA Till Death Do Us Part
There's very little that isn't truly global these days. And rock is becoming
increasingly so. Belladonna are an Italian band formed in Rome, Italy 2005. But
to listen to them, your first guess would be most likely American.
Spawning their own brand of rock; rock noir (something technical to do with
minor keys, arpeggios and theatrical storytelling), the band developed a huge
Myspace following culminating in Grammy nominations and support spots for the
likes of Loaded (Guns n Roses / Velvet Revolver Duff McKagan's side project).
Till Death Do Us Part is taken off the band's 2nd album The Noir Album released
March 2009. And it's easy to see the attraction - heavily distorted guitar work,
a hypnotic beat, edgy post punk female vocals, a tubular bells piano line, and
Gregorian chanting. What more could you want?
While none of the parts might be original, the combination almost certainly is.
***
Review by Pete Whalley
SHABBY ROGUE My Life As A Secret Agent
Interesting name. Interesting title. Built around a vaguely 007-ish riff
written by guitarist Johnny Famous (any relation to Johnny English?) My Life As
A Secret Agent is a three minute blast of B-52's style new wave pop rock.
Perhaps out of character from the band's normal early Dylan style and taken from
their second album - By Hook And By Crook - set for release in 2010, the track
has a wonderfully raw, almost punk (Shabby Pogues?) feel. While it might not
make the band famous, it's undeniable fun and strangely addictive. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
ALLEGRO City Lights
I'm not sure Allegro is a wise choice for a band name. It brings the
legendary British Leyland family saloon to mind. Which is, with hindsight, much
derided as a piece of automotive history. But of course in musical terms it
means quick, lively, or cheerful.
Which is was you get from these cheeky cockney 'diamond geezers'. City Lights is
a big slice of suitably chaotic modern pop / rock. Perfect for a knees up down
the boozer. Modern day Small Faces, if you like.
And what's the lead singer's name? Yes, you guessed it - Austin! Cor Blimey
Gov'nor, I nearly wet me strides. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
DR SLAGGLEBERRY The Slagg Factory (Crash Records)
www.myspace.com/drslaggleberry
This instrumental mini album
is meant (so it says) to blend math metal (wtf?) with progressive rock (only
just) and jazzcore (omg!). Three masked men who come over like an extreme metal
band trying to experiment with vindaloo, music and sandcastles all at once.
Think King Crimson in death metal mode.
It's different, it's interesting, and at times technically adept. But equally
it's noisy, different, at times jangly, and if you're not in the right mood it's
very annoying. ***
Review by Joe Geesin
LE RENO AMPS The Stand Off EP
Glasgow based four piece Le Reno Amps mix deep fried Scottish Indie with
Pogue-ish hell-raising folk country. A Scottish version of The Coral, if you
will. And here at GRTR! we found the band's Tear It Up album (from which The
Stand Off is taken) to be as compelling as deep-fried Mars Bars.
One of the highlights from the album, The Stand Off boasts three new
recordings - Golden Futures - a Johnny Cash tribute, and Liars -a gentle folky
number full of vocal harmonies. The closing track is a cover of Beck's Rowboat,
which in turn was covered by Johnny Cash. So very much a case of what goes
around comes around.
And as usual, completely bonkers. ***
Review by Pete
Whalley
YOU ME AT SIX Kiss And Tell
Having missed out (twice) to Bullet For My Valentine as Best British Band at
the 2008 and 2009 Kerrang Awards, You Me At Six must be wondering just what they
have to do.
And they've decided that re-releasing their 2008 Take Off Your Colours debut
album with a second disc of five new songs - including Kiss And Tell - is the
way to go.
And they could be right. Kiss And Tell is a big indie pop number with a great
beat, full of catchy hooks and is perfect radio material. The only problem with
the tactic is that it could alienate fans who already own the album. Otherwise,
onwards and upwards. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
HEY NEGRITA One Mississippi
Inspired by the reception to a series of acoustic BBC sessions,
transatlantic country blues exponents Hey Negrita took time out from their 2008
tour to cut as many tracks as they could within 5 hours without any overdubs or
edits.
The result, their forthcoming Burn The Whole Place Down album. And this lead
single One Mississippi. The single contains both the original, and the acoustic
version - stripped of electric guitars. And having heard neither before - or for
that matter Hey Negrita - I'm pleased to report that that both are excellent,
and the band a modern day CS&N. But of the two versions it's the unplugged that
has the most vibrancy. Nice. ***
Ereview by Pete
Whalley
THE ECHO SESSION Tell Me
Latest Scottish indie hopefuls The Echo Session serve up a folky bluegrass
take on the credit crunch.
The question is Tell Me where the money's at? A melodic sideswipe at fat cats,
greedy bankers, and expenses fiddling MPs. No arguing it's topical. And it's
indie of the acoustic brand associated with the likes of The Coral. But it could
equally be a Kinks or Beatles ditty. Which is no bad thing.
Whether there's more to The Echo Session, only time will tell. It's hard to tell
from just one track. But Tell Me is as good a starting point as any. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
KIZZY STAR The Last Time
More Scottish rock. This time from Kizzy Star who recently supported
Sharleen Spiteri on her solo tour.
And Texas are probably a pretty good reference point. Latter day Texas, that is,
when the big pomp pop songs had all but had but diluted the band's original
blues rock beginnings.
The Last Time is typical of the genre - melodic, big hooks and anthemic vocals
from front man Tony McGovern. It's easy to see how this would translate well to
an arena.
The question is whether Kizzy Star can elevate themselves to headliners. And
that's a tricky one, because many of the founders of this genre are hanging on
by the fingertips to their former glories. But it does at least suggest there's
going to be plenty of support act opportunities. ***
Review by Pete Whalley
CAPTAIN DANGEROUS I Miss You Cos
It's Monday
You get the idea from the name that this may not be an entirely serious
piece of work. But perhaps that's disingenuous. Captain Dangerous - a four piece
rock art outfit from Nottingham - serve up 'off kilter pop'.
But I Miss You Cos It's Monday sounds to me like a Christmas sing-a-long in the
back room of the local pub. About 3 hours after the lock-in began.
It's a bluesy, boozy, slurry affair. And hard to tell whether it's good or bad.
The B-sides Shoot Deserters and Terry Steele do however show that the band have
a more serious - and tuneful - folk rooted troubadour side. **½
Review by Pete Whalley
GUNNER SGT Why Are We Turning Back (single)
www.myspace.com/GunnerSGTBand
This is a lot less rock 'n'
roll than I remember from previous releases. The 3 piece play a stripped down
rough and chunky alternative rock, with grunge influences. All three tracks are
pretty similar, slightly sleazy, but it's the alternative grunge in the main.
Would have been huge in 1991, young fans still might go for it. I personally
found it a little samey and dull. **½
Review by Joe Geesin
NOTANUMBER The Great Storm Upon Us EP
www.myspace.com/notanumber
When the press release says metalcore, I brace myself for noise. The Great
Scream Upon Us! Get Ready To Sound Like A Werewolf In A Lot Of Pain.
This four track EP from this Italian band kicks off fast and furious with 'Road
To Enlightenment', some intricate and excellent guitar work, but is almost
grunge like in the mix of coherent and screamed vocals and the odd light patch.
The title track kicks off with guitars like a brace of machine guns in each ear,
the roar sounding like a black hole tearing space/time apart right before you.
If they got rid of the screams/growls and the grunge-like pace changes there'd
be hope. Some good extreme metal but it's too intense, too loud, and at times a
little too messy. And before you say anything, I'm not too old, granddad.
**½
Review by Joe Geesin
THE LIGHTS January Blues
I've been pretty impressed with the previous output of Birmingham based
5-piece, The Lights.
But January Blues misses the mark. It's pleasant enough retro pop ditty produced
by Gavin Monoghan (Travis, Editors, Kings Of Leon) and features the band's
trademark boy/girl harmony vocals. But it lacks the big hook that lifted
previous singles The Score and Low Hundreds out of the ordinary.
But all is not lost. The B-side Start Again is a gentle folky, bluesy ballad,
with some excellent lead vocals from Liz Sheils. **½
Review by Pete Whalley
AVIV GEFFEN It's Alright
The second single to be lifted from Aviv's eponymous English spoken debut
album and produced by 'Tricky' Trevor Horn.
Massive at home in Israel with over 2.5 million sales under his belt, Aviv is
looking to break into the lucrative European / American markets. But It's
Alright is unlikely to further that aim. It is just what it says on can -
'alright', that is. Nothing more and nothing less. Easy listening, easy on the
ear Radio 2 fodder.
Back at home the man sells out 40,000 seaters. This wouldn't sell out the top
deck of a London tour bus. **½
Review by Pete
Whalley
KICK TO KILL Cut Me
www.myspace.com/kicktokill
Electronic pad drums, crunchy
guitars, cheesy keyboards, very new wave. As Captain Sensible describes them, 'A
Gothed up version of Joy Division', there's Killing Joke and Bauhouse in there
too.
'Come on and cut me, come on and watch me bleed'. Quite Simply - NO. **
Review by Joe Geesin
DINOSAUR JR Pieces
Another single from the new Farm album, and given I wasn't quite enamoured with
the previous single (or its presentation) or the style of music in general,
we're off to a bad start.
With a hint of 70s (but not quite the guitar epic the sticker tells us), this
jangly alternative rock set is a touch melodic, but 'Honey Rich melodies' is not
something alternative rock generally offers you.
Soaring and distorted guitar that is soaring straight out of my CD player before
it distorts my day any further. **
Review by Joe
Geesin
DAN EDELSTYN Germans In Space
With a full moniker of Dan Edelstyn and The Orchestra Of Cardboard, and with
a B-side titled Psycho Town, you begin to fear for Dan's sanity before the
needle hits the groove.
The Orchestra Of Cardboard are his backing band - life side cardboard cut-out
musicians. And Germans In Space is a pop ditty reminiscent, sort of, of Sparks
or The Beta Band - a a sci-fi fantasy where German scientists escape the
Holocaust.
Actually Dan is a lot more engaging than you might imagine and no doubt goes
down a storm on the fringe stages on the festival circuit. The Aliens, Flipron
and Bonzo style madness. **
Review by Pete Whalley
SANCHEZ Nightride www.myspace.com/sanchezrocks
How this lot earned their rave reviews on the press release
is beyond me as they are sadly average at best. This is the band’s second EP and
‘eagerly awaited’ if you believe the PR blurb.
Sadly they sound
like an also ran from the 80’s hair metal boom with a very average vocalist and
no killer songs or riffs. I have tried to find some redeeming features about the
music but alas once you hear this CD you would not be rushing back to hear it
again. **
Review by Jason Ritchie
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