Shiny things to spend your hard earned cash on!
Graham Coxon – Freakin’ Out/ All Over Me (Parlophone)
Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot (B-Unique)
The Sham – Goodbye Baby
The Others – Stan Bowles (Poptones/ Vertigo)
Razorlight – Rip It Up (Mercury)
Nine Black Alps – Cosmopolitan (Melodic)
The Libertines – What Became Of The Likely Lads? (Rough Trade)
The Departure – Be My Enemy (Parlophone)
Cathy Davey – Cold Man’s Nightmare (Regal)
Sum 41 – We’re All To Blame (Mercury)
thisGirl – Masterblasting the UK (Drowned In Sound)
Hoobastank – The Reason (Mercury)
Razorlight – Golden Touch
Pete Doherty – Babyshambles
McFly - 5 Colours In Her Hair
Special Needs – Sylvia/ Tarts
The Room – Poison In Me
Dangerlust – Forget About It
Graham Coxon – Freakin’ Out
Kody – Cigarettes and Violins
The Chinatowns – Move/ Temptations
The Boxer Rebellion – In Pursuit
Divine Comedy – Billy Bird
Death Cab For Cutie – The New Year
Courtney Love – Mono
Pete Doherty and Wolfman – For Lovers
Ash – Clones
The Von Bondies - C'mon, C'mon
The Ordinary Boys – Maybe Someday
Engerica – The Smell
Razorlight – Stumble and Fall
easyworld – Til The Day
Scissor Sisters – Comfortably Numb
Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
King Adora – Drag
Razorlight – Rip It Up
easyworld – 2nd Amendment
The Strokes – 12:51
Franz Ferdinand – Darts Of Pleasure
The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love
King Adora - Kamikaze/ Born To Lose
Star Spangles - I Live For Speed
The IVs - Four Track EP
The Boxer Rebellion - Watermelon
Instruction - Great EP
Katastrophy Wife - Liberty Belle
THE*GA*GA*S - Breaking America
Withoutwalls - Outta Time
Relaxed Muscle - Billy Jack
Athlete - You Got The Style
Miss Machine - Not Another Pop Queen
As anyone who saw the Rock Profile spoof of Blur will know, nobody does geeky and endearing quite like Graham Coxon. Already up there as a single of the year contender, ‘Freakin’ Out’ is music to bounce off walls to and the standout track from ‘Happiness In Magazines’. The flip side, ‘All Over Me’ is as mellow and lush as ‘Freakin’ Out’ is explosive and spiky. A heartbreakingly beautiful track and the perfect soundtrack to candlelit winter nights.
This Leeds based band began as Parva who were responsible for ‘Good Bad Right Wrong’, one of our singles of 2002. ‘I Predict A Riot’s’ energetic and urgent sound is not only just as fantastic but also in a move of genius includes the line, ‘It’s not very pretty I tell thee’. Hurrah!
You’d think that if a band had a front man who’d won a televised national music competition, had a number one single and a successful selling album you might mention it on the press release. Wouldn’t you? Not according to The Sham, the new ‘indie’ band fronted by ex-Fame Academy winner David Sneddon. Except he’s now called Dave. And it’s not really indie. Even before discovering who the singer was, you’ve got to worry about a bloke described in the press release as being ‘a cross between Stereophonic’s Kelly Jones and Turin Brakes’ Ollie Knights with the pop/ rock sensibility of Keane and Deepest Blue’. As a song, ‘Goodbye Baby’ has pretensions to being a watered down version of Travis but in effect sounds like the type of thing Simon Cowel would release if the winner of Pop Idol wore brown cord trousers. Not even using the word ‘bitch’ in the lyrics make it any better.
Dedicated to both 70s QPR player Stan Bowles and Pete Doherty, ‘Stan Bowles’ has been described by singer Dominic as a ‘song about mavericks, and how some of the most talented and passionate people walk the line between genius and chaos’. Passionate and chaotic are indeed good descriptions of the single which makes an explosive racket but doesn’t quite capture the incendiary atmosphere of their gigs.
A second single outing for this infectious dance floor filler. After Steve Lillywhite massacred the original version it’s little wonder that Johnny and co wanted to give it a proper airing but, with five single already released from the album and the sublime ‘Dalston’ criminally ignored, it remains to be seen just how much more we can take before the ‘bored of Borrell’ backlash starts.
An absolute gem of a debut from the Manchester four piece and written by singer Sam after reading his mum’s copy of Cosmo. Reports that the follow-up will be titled ‘Take A Break’ or ‘Women’s Weekly’ remain unconfirmed.
‘Please don’t get me wrong, see I’ll forgive you in a song we’ll call the likely lads/ but if it’s left to you I know exactly what you’d do with all the dreams we had’ sings Carl Barat in the opening lines of this plea to lost friendships. As the good ship Albion lies in tatters. ‘what became of the dreams we had?’ becomes ever more heartbreakingly poignant as the song highlights the brilliance of the Doherty/ Barat partnership in all it’s tempestuous glory.
The Departure’s emergence is either a clever piece of marketing to cash in on the Franz wave or unfortunate bad timing. It can’t be denied that ‘Be My Enemy’ manages to capture the darker elements of both Franz Ferdinand and the Killers but thankfully twists it just enough to make them stand out as one of the classier British bands around at the moment.
Why on earth Cathy Davey hasn’t had the recognition she deserves escapes me – she’s not only blonde, thin and painfully pretty but extremely talented as well. ‘Cold Man’s Nightmare’ is a stunningly lo-fi affair which allows Davey’s hypnotic vocals to shimmer over the gutsy folk-tinged tune.
Look out kids, the comedy punks have arrived! Or have they? The first single from new album ‘CHUCK’ is a far darker affair than previous releases and apparently influenced by a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo with War Child Canada. Whilst their motivation may be applauded, the single can’t. They seem to have gone from Greenday wannabes to Linkin Park rejects and this sounds little different to a million other singles filed under ‘rawk’ and given heavy rotation on Kerrang. I bet they’ve gone for an ‘arty’ video too. If I’m to blame then I must have been really bad to deserve this.
The only other things to emerge from Rotherham apart from thisGirl are the Chuckle Brothers and my dad. Sadly for the band, if it was a choice between seeing them or Paul and Barrie in Dick Whittington at the Opera house, I’d choose the Chuckles every time. One...two...three...HE’S BEHIND YOU!
Whilst this song, according to the press release, ‘takes the world by storm’ and is the second most legally downloaded track, beaten only by ‘Hey Ya’, to me it’s a rather bland slice of rock ballad that washes over you but fails to leave a lasting impression.
Yes kids, it's another offering from Britain's best songwriter of his generation (copyright Johnny Borrell 2004) or, more accurately, one of Britain's best up and coming bands. Whilst Johnny's self confident proclamations have meant that Razorlight now have a lot to live up to, thankfully they're managing to consistently deliver. The final single to be released before debut album 'Up All Night' hits the shops, 'Golden Touch' is a beautifully fragile lament, allegedly written about Mariad Queens of Noize. Whilst certain claims may be hard to live up to it looks like Borrell and cohorts might just do it.
Another week, another Libertines side project. This time he's with his Babyshambles project, the band possibly, or possibly not formed when he fell out with Carl last year. Are you still following? Whilst the Babyshambles demo sessions have been doing the round on the internet for quite a while now, this is the first proper release, through label High Society, from them. 'Babyshambles' is a high energy, riotous affair but basically the same as every other Libertines track. Whilst Doherty obviously feels the need to express his brilliance as a song writer as much as possible, I just hope the second Libertines album won't suffer as a consequence as for me, that's where the real test lies.
Not only do McFly make me feel old, they also make me feel slightly wrong for fancy a couple of the members. Busted with a 60s influence combined with the guitar riff from 'Gay Bar'. Annoyingly infectious dammit!
I must confess to knowing very little about this band other than that they hail from London and reside on the Razorlight message board. Not a bad offering but, like Hoggboy (remember them?), they manage to fall just short of being something great. With a market saturated with 'cool London acts' it seems doubtful whether they'll make much impact.
www.specialneedsweb.com
You may have heard this lot on Radio One's recent 'OneMusic Unsigned' competition. Hard to pinpoint quite what they sound like, they do admit to being influenced by 70s psychedlia, including a band, 'Luv Machine', which featured drummer John and guitarist Rob's dad! Jangly guitars, hints of The Coral and a nostalgic nod to all things psychedelic.
www.theroomalive.co.uk
The blurb accompanying the Sheffield four pieces demo name checks the Wildhearts, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears as influences but then admits that they manage to sound 'absolutely nothing like any of them'. However, opening track, 'Forget About It' has a Blondie meets Kenickie vibe of fresh, spunky pop wonderfulness whilst 'Sorry, But' has the raw edge of early Elastica. Definitely ones to watch out for.
http://dangerlust.rocks.it
Damon Albarn currently has a lot of reasons to be kicking himself – a crap solo album, a crap Blur album and the guitarist he sacked has returned with the best single Blur never wrote. Whilst some of Coxon’s solo offerings have been rather hit and miss, the first release from his fifth solo album, ‘Happiness in Magazines’, is shouty, spiky and possibly the best single released so far this year. What Blur lost through his dismissal the rest of us have gained if ‘Freakin’ Out’ is any indication of how great the album will be.
Released March 7th
Kody sound like Nickelback, if Nickelback were good. Whilst even the mere mention of the hairy Canadians would send some running for the hills the comparison isn’t meant as a slur on the Isle of Wight rockers. Although the genre may not be my first choice, ‘Cigarettes and Violins’ is still a highly listenable offering but the tempo change in the middle isn’t quite pulled off.
www.kody.co.uk
The CD might not have the best sounding quality to it but I’m prepared to forgive The Chinatowns anything if they really sound as good as the two tracks on here suggest. A punky pop mix of sugary sweet girl/ boy vocals, raw guitar and songs of a blink ‘n’ you’ll miss ‘em length, even on a CD that sounds like they recorded it in a cardboard box, they still knock spots off the competition.
Released April 5th
This is the second single from four piece, following on from debut ‘Watermelon’ that was released last year. With a touch of The Cooper Temple Clause about them, The Boxer Rebellion teeter on the edge of epic sounding and perhaps with time they’ll manage to go the whole way.
Released March 22nd
Some things never change, a good example being The Divine Comedy. Stripped down to just Neil Hannon, ‘Billy Bird’ is the first single from the new album ‘Absent Friends’. Lyrically as eccentric as ever with a touch of the Noel Cowards about him, Hannon’s ability to create luxurious pop songs around the mundane is always a treat and the guest vocals provided by the ever fabulous Lauren Laverne (Kenickie) only help matters.
Released March 22nd
Containing members that also involved in The Postal Service (singer Ben Gibbard) and production duties for Hot Hot Heat (guitarist Chris Walla) it’s amazing the Seattle band found time to release not only a single but also their fourth album, ‘Transatlanticism’, that it’s taken from. Whilst ‘The New Year’ may fail to match the success the band have seen in the States, it’s still a cracking listen in the heartfelt emo/ indie stable.
Released February 16th
‘Did you miss me?’ snarls rock’s number one widow within the first 30 seconds of the track. Courtney’s back and wants you to know about it. Sticking with the more commercial sound that ‘Celebrity Skin’ possessed and collaborating with Linda Perry, Love’s solo debut has the lyrical spite and malice that still makes her an icon and force to be reckoned with.
Released March 15th
Pete Doherty has a Lazarus like ability to pull himself back from the brink as last year it looked like one of the best talents around had thrown it all away. Now, back not only with the Libertines and side project Babyshambles, he’s also found the time to collaborate with long term friend Wolfman. ‘I’m running away with you, from yesterday’s news/ Lets leave it all behind, help me back to my mind/ I paid the penalty, hear the jailer rattling the key/ but the key was mine, I keep a spare one every time’ sings Pete in voice that sounds as if it might break. ‘For Lovers’ is a beautiful, fragile, piano led ditty which will simultaneously break your heart and make you want to hug the two of them forever.
This download only single from www.ash-official.com sees the band return to a sound and style of their ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’ era. Whilst ‘Free All Angels’ may have taken the band into the more mainstream, if ‘Clones’ is anything to go by then they’re heading in a far heavier direction which ultimately may prove more exciting.
If The Von Bondies came from anywhere else then they’d certainly have bypassed the ‘2nd best band’ title. While last album ‘Lack of Communication’ may have fallen short of the mark, this, the first single from the forthcoming ‘Pawn Shoppe Heart’ proves that whilst Jason Stollsteimer et al may come off the worse in bar room brawls, musically he’s well on his way to giving Mr White a run for his money.
Not only is the Brighton band’s first single produced by Steven Street but they also have an average of 19. Makes you sick don’t it? Chastising society’s reliance on technology and with a chorus running, ‘waiting for some inspiration, but lack the human interaction’, is very rare that you hear a debut this good or with this much promise.
'Liar, cheater, bogie eater, look out everyone, here comes Peter.' Oh. Dear. God. Heavy metal rapping. While it might appeal to 12 year olds who think Nirvana are a clothing label and not a band, if it was a choice between listening to this and being stuck in a lift with Zane Lowe, I'd choose the latter.
The London quartet's third single is yet another annoyingly catchy offering that gets better with every listen. With live shows as infectious as their records, 2004 should see Johnny Borrell and his cohorts becoming some of it's brightest stars.
Another heartbreakingly beautiful love song? Must be easyworld then! While '2nd Amendment' may have fallen slightly short, 'Kill The Last Romantic's' second single confirms them as something special indeed. Epic sounding and a perfect accompaniment to the wintery weather this hopefully will be the song that gets them the recognition they rightfully deserve.
Covering a Pink Floyd track may seem like madness to some but ultimately it's where all truly great ideas a born from. Sounding so unlike anything else coming from New York at the moment their unique blend of disco, falsetto vocals and everything else bar the kitchen sink is just what's needed to banish those winter blues.
Starting the year opening the NME tour, Franz Ferdinand's sole aim is to get you dancing and it's dam hard not to after just one listen to their second single. For a band still in their infancy the praise heaped upon them may seem daunting but if the album's even half as good as this then they can't go wrong. Shoegazers take note.
It could be argued that 2003 has been the Lowestoft lovelies’ year and what better way to end it than a blatant assault on the Christmas number 1? Containing all you could need for a festive treat - sleigh bells, children’s choirs and a touch of (the) Queen, it does exactly what it says on the tin and who could deny Justin to dress up as the sugar plum fairy for TOTPs?
‘Who do love? Sex and drugs and money,’ goes the chorus to this little comeback ditty. Well, at least they’re honest. It lacks the punchiness they had two years ago and Matt Browne’s vocals are verging on the Justin Hawkins but with Mansun and Suede splitting and the Manics’ stuck in beige MOR, it’ll no doubt appeal to the leopard print brigade.
Already creating quite a buzz in music press circles, ‘Rip It Up’ is Razorlight’s second single following their Toe Rag produced debut, ‘Rock And Roll Lies’. This time they’ve got Steve Lillywhite and the result is an energetic, infectious 2 ½ of pure perfection.
The band’s first single from forthcoming second album, ‘Kill The Last Romantic’, is more of the same bouncy rock/ pop contained in previous singles. Dealing with America, gun culture, globalisation and the state of the world in general, ‘It’s good for everyone, for better television…won’t you pick up your daddy’s gun’, it’s alright but as first singles from albums go, it’s not great. Much better is dark, angry b-side ‘Other Man’ – a tale of what it’s like to be the other man of an affair; the feeling of being used and ultimately ending up alone. Worth the price of the single alone and a track that deserved a release of its own.
So they may have spent much of 2001/ 2002 being hyped to the back teeth but that doesn’t make them a bad band. 12:51 precedes the release of their much anticipated second album and while it isn’t a departure from the last, it’s still good enough to get the London mulleted brigade dancing.
Debut release from the Glaswegian ex-art students who proved to be one of the highlights of the Carling weekend. ‘Words of love, words of leisure, words are poisoned darts of pleasure’, run the sumptuous, Scottish sounding vocals and musically they’re likely to have you dancing til dawn. Bliss.
What bigger endorsement could you ask for than having one of Busted wear your band’s T-shirt on TOTP? Despite having praise heaped on them from some unlikely quarters, The Darkness possibly are the best thing since sliced bread. ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ - a re-recorded version of the group’s debut release - is big guitars, bigger hair and high pitched vocals. It may hark back to rock of yesteryear but in today's climate it’s a refreshing 3 ½ minutes of madness. As the web site address says, The Darkness rock and that’s all you need to know.
Another slice of glammy punk pop from the Brummie boys. Opening track ‘Kamikaze’ is more mellow with Matt’s vocal slightly indistinguishable except on the lines, ‘tell me am I falling apart? we’ll never be together coz it’s too hard’ and ‘you stop my heart, just like a kamikaze does when it’s all too much’ where it sounds particularly fragile. Second track, ‘Born To Lose’ used to be known as ‘Bulimic’ with it’s ‘vomiting is better than sex’ and ‘I believe in choices’ hook lines. Wicked guitar from Nelsta makes it the catchier of the two and as a limited edition single it works fine but July’s proper come back single might need more of an edge in order to appeal to the masses.
I seemed to be the only one who enjoyed them on the Idlewild supports. The third single from the New York upstarts sees more of the same bouncy pop/ rock that the debut ‘Which One Of The Two Of Us Is Gonna Burn This House Down’ had. So it’s nothing we haven’t seen before and it’s doubtful we’re gonna remember them in a year but until then, enjoy this Ramones meets the Monkeys jauntiness.
First things first. Tracks two and three of this four track EP are appalling. ‘Burning Eyed Freak’ is pure dirge and the opening quite frankly makes me wanna fall asleep. Fortunately they are sandwiched between two tracks that have the energy to make up for the others. ‘Hotwire My Soul’ has the catchy pop chorus of the title, with singer ‘Scarborough’ Steve (he now of ‘Babyshambles’) opting for the shouty approach to vocals, and giving the impression he’s still recovering from the night before.
It’s not often that promos come through that immediately appeal but The Boxer Rebellion have that quality. It’s an energy packed single with hints of The Cooper Temple Clause suggesting that this might be one of the bands to watch in the next year.
Formed from the ashes of Error Type:11. Instruction are Emo rock of a better class and intelligence than much I've heard for a while and a large proportion of that is due to front man Arty Sheperd. Still as pissed off with the world as when we first caught ET:11 supporting Hundred Reasons, they’re a band to catch now before they become huge.
Former Babe In Toyland, Kat Bjelland is back and happy to shout about it. The first single to be lifted from the new album (due in the autumn) is rocky, edgy and full of attitude. Backed by ‘Ice Cream & Cigarettes’ and a fantastic Bis remix of the title track, it pisses over certain quarters that think women in rock is a new phenomenon.
Sadly the press release sounds better than the band do. Breaking America is a promising debut but it sounds like a million other songs (notably The Foo Fighters and Feeder). Solid indie/ rock but not enough to fire the imagination.
www.thegagas.com
After the mother of all struggles trying to find a CD player in the house that will actually play it, Withoutwalls debut is well worth the trouble. Based in Liverpool, a city fast becoming the next NY for up and coming talent, it seems fitting that ‘Outta Time’ is produced by Gordon Raphael. With it’s looping guitar riff and summery indie vibe, it’s got hints of Supergrass and Embrace and comes complete with an annoying habit of being incredibly catchy.
withoutwallsonline.com
The second release from ‘the sound of young Doncaster’, Relaxed Muscle, a group fronted by Darren Spooner who is in no way at all Jarvis Cocker, oh no. Not at all. Not in a million years. Nothing to see hear, move along now...and no truer statement has been issued since the one claiming Carl Barat was a virgin. Anything that Cocker lends his voice to is always going to remind you of Pulp as it’s so distinctive but with Relaxed Muscle and ‘Billy Jack’ he’s up the electro beat into a discotastic sleazefest. I’m almost scared when he leers ‘I’ll put you in your graaaaave’. Glad he’s back, even if he has swapped South Yorkshire allegiances!
Re-release of a previous single from the Mercury nominated band who were using the lyric ‘it’s getting hot in here’ long before Nelly came along.
They always struck me as being an indie wallpaper band, always around in the background but not really very noteworthy.
For a single denouncing the shallowness of Pop Idol style wannabes this is a brilliant slice of gusty pop in the vein of Kenickie and Shampoo. Produced by Gordon Rapheal (he sure gets around...) it does sound very influenced by Elastica but apart from The Donnas there appear to be very few bands at present making this type of racket and I love them for it.