previous review pages

THE GO! TEAM - BOTTLE ROCKET new single out 26 Sept
This is without doubt one of the best records of the year, uplifting, invigorating, exciting, unpredictable, fun, beaty, catchy ... three great tracks 'Bottle Rocket' and 'We Just Won't Be Defeated' from The Mercury Award nominated album 'Thunder, Lightning, Strike' and 'Huddle Formation' from a Zane Lowe Session - Lightning, Strike' - it's brilliant. XXXXX www.thegoteam.co.uk (Posted 21 August)

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS -
LOVE KRAFT new album 22 August
An excellent new album from The Furries features the usual mysterious and atmospheric approach from Gruff and his chums. Lazer Beam is top notch as a single and the full six min album track. Other choice offerings include OhioHeat, Zoom and Atomik Lust. Some Furry loyalists may be disappointed but this is kool and growing nicely XXXX www.superfurry.com (Posted 21 August)

FOO FIGHTERS - DOA new single out 5 Sept
The D.O.A Vid features a gravity-defying concept pitched to The Foos by Mike Palmieri, the mastermind behind the Bravery's chock-full-o'-dominoes "An Honest Mistake" vid. They're strapped inside a room that rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise, a stationary camera capturing the action. As D.O.A progresses, the room begins a 360-degree rotation while the Foos perform the song. "The idea, Palmieri said, is to create the illusion that during the course of the song, the room completes one full rotation." Gut wrenching though it was, the Foos stuck with it! Forced to endure take after take in the rotating room, Dave Grohl dubbed it "The Barf Ball." The Foos are back in the UK for Reading and Leeds XXXX www.foofighters.com (Posted 7 August)

TIGER FORCE -
GLASS HOUSE / TEEETH
new single 30 August
"The factory spits out a gang of puppets, they glow in the dark, they poke my eyes out, it's us against them, are you with me, It's not about this stupid pop shit" I suspect John Peel would have f**kin loved this, two tracks 1'37 and 1'54 - the punk ethos fully intact. Tiger Force are a two piece launching this single at Artrocker @ The Buffalo Bar, Highbury Corner, London on 30 August. You can request your own individually made sleeve if you pre-order through www.puregroove.co.uk Fearsome, that's the way to do it! XXXX www.tigerforce.co.uk (Posted 12 August)

MEEKY ROSIE - FOREVER
new single 3 October
This is very different and I like it a lot. Very airy and spacious guitar, with an underlying tension, almost Pink Floyd like on times, dreamy harmonizing vocals - these guys are going their own way. Meeky Rosie's forthcoming album to be produced by Doves and Primal Scream man Max Heyes, 'Forever' has trademark technique from Producer Chris Potter of Verve and U2 credits. One to watch ... XXXX www.meekyrosie.com (Posted 12 August)

JOHN CALE -
TURN THE LIGHTS ON
new download single 1 August
Whatever happened to John Cale? He made 22 Albums, worked with The Velvets, Patti Smith, Nico, Squeeze, The Stooges, Happy Mondays .. made a movie. Not bad for a boy from Wales ... His new album 'blackAcetate' out on 3rd October includes 13 new songs, the taster single available now features a Cale falsetto that wouldn't be out of place on U2's Elevation ... in fact. Anyway this is pretty gruesome, well produced stuff - as you'd expect! XXx
www.john-cale.com (Posted 12 August)

AUDIOSLAVE -
DOESN'T REMIND ME new single 10 October
Audioslave further consolidate their mainstream success with a fairly pleasant statement of karma. A reflective Chris Cornell elocuting reasons for liking particular pass times "because it doesn't remind me of anything". The second single from their us Number One album 'Out Of Exile' is mellow and a measured aggression as you'd expect. Good stuff, nice sentiment ... XXXx
www.audioslave.com (Posted 13 August)

ALL AMERICAN REJECTS -
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET new single 12 Sept
All American Rejects follow up their platinum selling 2003 self titled debut album with 'Move Along'. Dirty Little Secret is catchy and has obvious commercial appeal "I'll keep you my dirty little secret, who has to know?". Although we have to say our fave track is 'Stab My Back'. There's an air of undeniable confidence about this band and surf onto their web-site at the link below to check how many of near fifty dirty little secrets may be close to your home ... Good stuff! XXXx www.allamericanrejects.com (Posted 13 August)

DEAD 60's - RIOT RADIO (remake)
new single 12 September
I've grown to like the Dead 60s quiute a bit, the last two singles were cracking efforts thoroughly deserving Top 30. However sensible it might seem to re-record the first single, this is a fairly disastrous attempt. Faster and somehow lackibng in the punch of it's earlier mix, still there on the crest of a wave so maybe ... XXx www.thedead60s.com
(Posted 7 Aug)

LADYTRON - DESTROY
single out 19 September
THE WITCHING HOUR new album 3 October
Ladytron are making some really great sounds, there's a distant female tone some blokes will recognise immediately! International Dateline, Destroy, All The Way and the brilliant single Sugar are an exciting taster for this album which has yet to be given a release date. In the meantime Destroy looks set to go Top 20 when it's released as a single for September. XXXX
www.ladytron.com (Posted 6 August)

THE DUKE SPIRIT -
CUTS ACROSS THE LAND
new single 5 September
There's a bit of a buzz about this band at the moment and this could be the single to crank them up a bit more. Coldplay associate Michael Brauer has remixed Cuts, the band's signature track, you can see them supporting The Tears at Somerset House on the 7th Aug, at Leicester's Summer Sundae and at the Reading and Leeds Festivals'. XXXx www.dukespirit.com (Posted 6 Aug)

MEW - SPECIAL new single out 12 September
Signed to Sony BMG, "Denmark's Greatest Export" as NME described them have a sound somewhat akin to mid 70's Yes. It is rather bizarre, soft airy vocals, well produced music tracks, clever guitar riffing - a thoroughly pleasant wall of sound. Not bland, rather more as The Guardian put it "Probably the best Danish Prog band in the world ...?" Prog being the operative word. 'Special' is not quite as special as their previous single 'Apocalypso' ... not sure if they're relevant but they sound nice... see them on UK Tour in September. XXX www.mewsite.com (Posted 11 August)

MOHAIR - STRANDED new single out 5 Sept
"A Cockney Belle & Sebastian swigging whiskey with Ryan Adams" - NME again and not a bad description. Lifelong chums Mohair have come up with their first album Small Talk, due for release in October, The first single 'Stranded' is a clever little piano based chune with a jaunty little lyric "You can't reap what you sow if you don't know where to go" I can see and hear this on Jools Holand's show and Mohair have got a lot of potential to catch on, maybe there's also a touch of Chas & Dave in evidence. XXX www.mohairmusic.com (Posted 11 August)

COHEED & CAMBRIA -
WELCOME HOME download only single 29 August
A very ambitious project this, a high concept with movie potential. Signed to Sony's Columbia Records, these New Yorkers play three UK dates in Oxford Zodiac on 22 Aug, Camden Barfly on 23rd and Brighton Concorde on 24th August. Showcasing this "the first half of the third instalment of the tale of Claudio Kilgannon - set to avenge the death of his Brother" .... Freddie Mercury must have been instrumental in their thinking, this is a six minute Bohemian Rhapsody, on the same lines as The Mars Volta - I wonder who will get to movie stage first ... XXx www.coheedandcambria.com (Posted 11 August)

UB40 - REASONS
new single 29 August
Followup to their cover of blah blah, this is not what I call an improvement - it's got a reggae beat and a twee vocal ... "Reasons that i love you 1,2,3 ..." Sorry Xx www.ub40.co.uk
(Posted 11 August)

THE BLACK VELVETS -
ONCE IN A WHILE
new single 5 September
Another buzz band from Liverpool, four piece The Black Velvets strike their best shot to date. Once In A While is pretty standard indie/rock fayre - it'll be at home in all the right places and could break them into the main stream. Not bad really XXX www.theblackvelvets.tv (Posted 11 August)

EVERY TIME I DIE
TWELVE TRIBES
A LIFE ONCE LOST
MADBALL -
UNDER THE GUN TOUR SAMPLER
Bring on the heavy sh*t! Every Time I Die just stormed Cardiff Barfly with their label mates and follow UK dates with The Pukklepop Festival on 18 August as part of their European dates in France, Belgium and Germany. Look out for ETID's new album Gutter Phenomenon. XXX www.ferretstyle.com (Posted 11 August)