We've listed singles/EPs/demos in order of star rating. Best first.
Reviewed by Pete Whalley
MY LUMINARIES Parasol
Who are they: East London alt rockers and winners of the Glastonbury
Emerging Talent Competition.
What's It Like: In the mould of bands like Keane and Starsailor -
delicate piano opening lines over a gentle backbeat, building to crescendo
choruses, with a glorious melodies. The B-side Clementine has subtle hints of
Bowie circa 1969.
Should I Buy: Absolutely no reason why not. If they can maintain this
level of quality control, then Coldplay are yesterday's men. ***½
PROJEKT The Compass
Who are they: London based 4 piece rock n roll unit.
What's It Like: Well, they sound like they come from Madchester - The
Compass could pass muster for an Oasis number, the acoustic version of Heroes
And Villains a Noel Gallagher busk, and the unmastered demo of Desert Storm is a
dead ringer for classic Stone Roses.
Should I Buy: Perhaps not yet, but with a little sprinkling of magic
production dust, Projekt could be a force to reckoned with. ***
BROKEN LINKS The Fine Line Between Choice / Decay
Who are they: An alt three piece from Southampton
What's It Like: Wearing their 80s influences proudly, powerful industrial
pop techno rock somewhere between Ultravox / OMD and Muse. And despite being an
EP, you get more minutes of music than on some albums - 6 tracks running out at
41minutes!
Should I Buy: Personally, I think Muse are massively overrated. On that
basis, Broken Links will probably be huge. ***
VOLCANOES Sugar and Snarls
Who are they: Sheffield / Leeds based indie act, formed in 2005.
What's It Like: Arctic Monkeys meet The Stranglers.
Should I Buy: With the Arctic Monkeys having moved from their roots closer
to a more mainstream sound with Humbug, there's a definite gap in the market.
And Volcanoes could be the band to fill it. **½
SERGEANT BUZFUZ Popes For Cops 1
Here Come The Popes Part
1 was the highlight of Sergeant Buzfuz's third album The Jewelled Carriageway.
This remix is an edit of the continuing tale - Here Come The Popes Part 4 which
appeared on last year's High Slang album.
And on the same theme,
it's supplemented here by an instrumental inspired by the recent Vatican scandal
where a priest led police on a high speed car chase after being stopped in
Rome's red light district
Unfortunately both have a techno
crossover vibe that falls a long way short of the Part I which remains a prime
example of new British folk at its very best. **½
KILL THE CAPTAINS Rummy
Who are they: Sheffield
wonky-pop albinos (according to their PR)
What's It Like: skittish lo-fi indie pop, moulded in the image of off
beat band's like The Coral.
Should I Buy: depends if you're into indie. I'm not. **½
WE'LL ALL BE HEROES Everything Must Go
Who are they: Post-hardcore tunesters. To you and me, a high energy three
piece.
What's It Like: While not a zillion miles away from the NME indie/
post-Busted scene i.e. constantly up-tempo songs with shouty choruses, We'll All
Be Heroes add a loose sleazy rock feel that gives their sound an edge and
credibility that most of their counterparts lack.
Should I Buy: Bursting with energy, with an authentic rock swagger
**½
THE GOOD THE BAD From 005 to 008
Who are they: The
new school of surf and flamenco - a band of two guitars and drums from Denmark,
and if the artwork is anything to go by, a band with a keen interest in female
genitalia.
What's It Like: Four imaginatively named tracks - 005, 006, 007 and 008 -
all instrumentals that are a throwback to the sound of the Shadows, on 004 like
Hank and the boys covering a John Barry number. 006 - 008 add a slightly more
contemporary edge to the sound.
Should I Buy: Difficult to see there's a career to be
made here, aside from as a festival or backstage novelty act. **½
PETTER AND THE PIX Never Never
Taken from the second album by the six piece Swedish shape shifters Petter and
The Pix Never Never is an unusual amalgam of lo-fi indie pop and the classic
song writing style of, Souxsie and The Banshees.
Melodic, uptempo and at the same time, utterly barking, the album has an
innocent, endearing multi layered quality despite being recorded 'live'.
More likely to find favour with NME readers as opposed to rock audiences,
although the band offer more depth and intrigue than most of their
contemporaries. **½
FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS The Weekend: Friday
Who are they: Dallas based 6 piece formed in 2006.
What's It Like: The first of 3 'mini' albums, following on from their
Underdog Alma Mater debut - an album which broke into the US top 50 in 2009. An
emo power pop, bubble gum band who add a hint of electronica to their clean cut
act.
Should I Buy: If Disney created a boy band, got Avril Lavigne to write a few
songs, and got the Busted boys to oversee the project, Forever The Sickest Kids
would be the result. Formulated in the extreme, but insanely commercial. Lock up
your daughters if they ever make it as far as these shores. **
SHARP PRACTICE Sound Of Rock
Who are they:
Aussies. Formed in 1999.
What's It Like: Rudimentary lyrics, rudimentary playing, r and
rudimentary production. Not unpleasant, but cheesy in the way that only Paul
McCartney is capable of exceeding.
Should I Buy: In a word, 'no'. *
STARS & SONS It's Good For Me
Who are they:
Brighton's rising Stars & Sons have garnered support from Jonathan Woss, Zane
Lowe as well as being feted by the likes of Q and The Guardian as 'the next big
thing'. To GRTR! that can only mean one thing - the kiss of death.
What's It Like: Hot Chip. And frankly, we'd rather have colonic
irrigation with an ultra hot chilli sauce.
Should I Buy: Aaghhh!!!!!! Aaghhh!!!!!! Nurse, more ice!!!!!! *
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