this week's post ...

The Answer
On & On new single 22 February
The Answer are a four piece from Northern Ireland who played our fine Cardiff Barfly venue for Mad4it a couple of years back ... hey, they've moved up a few gears since then. If you've been to see AC/DC in the US this year or if you're a Letterman addict you'll have seen this band. This is rock from the top drawer, hard hitting, superb riffing and brilliantly constructed. The 168bpm 'On & On' se4ts the tone at just 3'30" ideal for radio, then there's the steady 3'30" 100bpm throttle of 'Highwater Or Hell' with it's "I could kill a man" referencing and track three, the 82bpm 'Never Too Late'. Hot rockin' - Check the pics from The Answer @ Mad4it here

Cage The Elephant
Back Against The Wall new single 26 January
A great year showing steady progress for Kentuckey combo Cage The Elephant, a Top 40 single in 'Ain't No Rest For The Wicked' bigger gigs and their debut album receiving much aclaim. 'Back Against The Wall' is another great track from their album now reworked for single release in the new year and again it's top notch so hopefully top thirty will beckon again

Fifty Phantoms
Last Night new single 26 January
Well this is quite brilliant, two completely different versions of the same song, both are amazing. First the slinky, meandering, funky syncopated 94bpm three minute track bound for Fifty Phantoms debut album 'Revolutionism' due on 9 February ... and then .. Soul Seekers Retro Radio Remix powers along at 136bpm but with added something ... a weird kind of phasing effect on the speede vocals which sounds bizarre and breathtaking at the same time. Watch out for these guys, Sam, Mustafa and Leo who've drawn on influences as diverse as Kanye, Dylan, Chillis and Daft Punk to create indie / r&b. A superb listen

Franz Ferdinand Singles
Ulyses new single 19 January
'Take Me Home' is five years old ... ah it can't be but it is. Five years since I was playing a heavily muttilated version on Red Dragon FM, for some reason Capital (nee GCap now Global management) cut the brilliant intro. (obviously the powers that be didn't understand - still look where greed's led them!). Anyway this promo collection is a timely reminder of FF's success prone tunes like 'Michael', 'The Fallen', 'Outsiders', 'Do You Want To' and should help give their brilliant new tune 'Ulyses' a push into the top ten

Gold Teeth
Everybody new single 23 February
Yeh man this is cool, in fact it's "Tropical, Afro-beat, Electronica" and that is an apt description of a slinky stripped back 116bpm rhythm track. 'Everybody' "you don't even laugh at me". Gold Teeth led by Jonny Tams - Bleeps & Construction and featuring Nick Rowson - Electric Twang, Will Ritson - Boom & Bap, Joe DaCosta - Mouth, George Longworth - Low Electric Twang are pushing hard for Morden and South Wimbledon on 2009's musical map! A great tune

Kaiser Chiefs - Calvin Harris Mix
Good Days Bad Days new single 15 December
Mr Harris has slowed this track down a little and at 111bpm for six minutes there's plenty of in cues and out cues. Vocals more back in the mix, Calvin's distinctive ear for a thudding dance beat is in evidence a plenty. Perfect for a cut to Dizzee's 'Dance Wiv Me', I think though the original three minute single is pretty hard to beat. V good

Kid Crudi Vs Crookers
Day 'N' Nite new single 12 January
'Day N Nite' is a fine tune from Cleveland, Ohio rapper and singer Kid Cudi "lyrically angst filled and insomnia inspired" ... Eight superb mizes by production duo Crookers, Bimbo Jones, DONS, Mobin Master, Agent X and Greenmoney. Made for floorfilling excellence

Lady Gaga & Colby Odonis
Just Dance new single 5 January
An American top tenner at 119bpm which should see big action here also, yeah this is a fine dance track with plenty of alternative mixes, ideal for sequing to Kardinal Offishal's 'Dangerous' and infact the Kardinal has his fingered on mixing duty here also. A great pop / r&b crossover hit

Lily Allen
The Fear new single 26 January
"I don't know what's right and what's real anymore, and I don't know what to feel anymore" ... this new Lily Allen song 'The Fear' is a bit of a psychologist's dream, she seems to be in a bit of a muddle. Two and a half million debut albums sold, pop star drama school, followed her dad and her bruv and now here she is in plop star city. One track on her new album 'Guess Who Batman' features Lily singing: “F*ck you, f*ck you very very much, cos we hate you and we hate your whole crew, so please don’t stay in touch.” Lils’ uploaded half of the track to her Myspace and explained: “This song is not a direct attack at anyone, it was originally written about the BNP in the UK but then I felt this issue has become relevant pretty much everywhere, we are the youth, we can make coolness for our future, it's up to us, go green and hate hate". At the same time our Lil seems to fail to see the perplexing nature of her apparent dislike/hatred for y'ole former fan Perez Hilton, among many others - who she regularly 'hates' attacking her for partying too hard and her drunken behaviour. She hit back saying: “If I'm so irrelevant, stop subscribing to my blog and let me get back to work.” Lily's not irrelevant, but her behaviour does often resemble drunk, err confused even, and these songs are very much like a page from her diary. There you go, having got that off my chest ... top five

Little Comets
One Night In October new single 19 January
"This is a tale of a man, of a boy, of a girl, of a wife. for putting your hands into trousers and knickers can destroy a life" enter Newcastle's The Little Comets with the lyrics to their song 'Adultery' as a greeting on their myspace. It's just like Madonna says we're booze, bare tits and sex mad! These Geordie boys have given us two very unusual trax here, the 110bpm 'One Night In October' with it's sad end to a night line "and I'll sleep in my car" and then there's the forlorn 'Her Black Eyes'. This is good material, with a bit of polish and keep up the pressure big chances

Madcon
Liar new single Jan 09
Madcon follow their top five Four Seasons cover 'Beggin' with an original tune, the similarly paced 127bpm 'Liar'. It's almost spot the difference made for seguing with it's predecessor. Will lightening strike twice for these Euro's, quite possibly - top forty at least

Metro Station
Control new single
From Hollywood, California come Metro Station "we won't be seventeen forever.. " I'm tempted to think they must have somewhere come across The Courteeners hmmm ... there the similarity ends. 'Watch Seventeen Forever' greets you on their myspace along with the 190bpm 'Control' their new UK single, this is very slick up-tempo off-beat indie electro dance d'you get the picture? Yes we see. Good coz Metro Station could easily go big time

Noisettes
Wild Young Hearts new single 29 December
The welcome return of Ther Noisettes with a 2' 40", 180bpm opus for youth. 'Wild Young Hearts' fair pounds along and should put them back in the top forty

Opera House Remixes
Change In Nature Remixes new EP
A fine tune from Opera House which further demonstrates Filthy Dukes prowess. At 119bpm they've created another electro masterpiece perfect radio and dancefloor fodder

Prodigy
Invaders Must Die new one week only single 26 November
I really like this with it's "we are The Prodigy" intro and pulsating 140bpm. It's a little like they've been listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Doctor Spin and 'Tetris' and they've concocted another 'Charlie' like link to childhood thangs, this time space invaders seems a likely inspiration. It's technically ace and shows dem nasty boys are intent on continuing

Red Light Company
Arts & Crafts new single 2 March
Red Light Company are a hard working band, currently on tour with The Pigeon Detectives, previously with The Kaisers and they've played a couple of our nights in the past few months and I really hope this great new single cracks it for them. "Your testimony shakes and all you wanted breaks I will never leave you found somebody new is it true" the 130bpm 'Arts & Crafts' is a grand piece of spine-tingling pop running at 3'40" with a softly spoken piano intro which sets the atmosphere for power drums into the pounding beef of the tune. A great record, nee a masterpiece - it wouldn't be out of place at number one

Snow Patrol - Haunts Remix
Catch The Shutters new single 15 December
A quite superb 127bpm electro punding remix of a very mellow tune from 'A Million Suns' and with Leona further demonstrating what a great song 'Run' is this should again help Snow Patrol to another top ten hit. Excellent

The View
Shock Horror new single 2 February 2009
Well here we are with the follow-up to '5Rebeccas' and the 160bpm 'Shock Horror' continues the high powered theme. It's intriguing that they seem to have dropped the more melodic material like 'The Don' and 'Same Jeans'. In fact '5R's' and now 'Shock Horror' are both more like the wild end section of 'Same Jeans' so who knows ... with concerted airplay top thirty