The Valkarys - Candy Girl (Single)

Diffusion Records - Out November 24th 2008     

Now The Valkarys are claiming to be from Edinburgh but if this is true then surely they got there via the wild west with a quick detour through 60's Liverpool because judging by this tune i would have to say that is the conclusion I've come to.

It's easy to listen to songs and associate them with other bands you've heard and i guess this helps us all make a decision on if it's our cup of Orangina or whatever and so I'm gonna stick a label on this song just to give y'all an idea of where it's coming from so here's the tag line



There that should do it.

There is this nagging thing in my head that tells me I've heard this before by a hundred different bands and eventually it gets harder to tell one from the next with lyrics about trying to escape a girl and yet never quite being able to leave her behind, it's just gotta be something special to transcend all those before it, and despite a valiant effort this just isn't the song to make it.   

  Copeland - You Are My Sunshine [CD]

Tooth & Nail     

Florida based pop band Copeland are back with their newest release You Are My Sunshine having collaborated with a host of brilliant producers to create a beautiful soundscape that can’t help but chill you out.

My first thought upon hearing opening track ‘Should You Return’is that the vocals have a very Imogen Heap quality, with the quirky, ‘is it or isn’t it’ electronic feel to the mass of harmonies that begin this song. Not necessarily a bad thing, as it sounds very beautiful and compliments many of the songs, but it is no new thing. In fact much of this album has a strong electronic feel to it, with what sounds like a drum machine and synth bass in songs such as ‘The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song)’ and ‘Not Allowed’

The slick production of this album certainly helps it aurally. The stunning orchestral arrangements that pad out certain areas give Copeland an epic sound you can imagine seeing in arenas. They have experimented with a whole range of sounds a   

  Gringo Star - All Y'all [Album]

My Anxious Mouth Records     

Previously known as A Fir-Ju Well, not much information can be found about this obscure four-piece from Atlanta, other than their summer gigs being well received. Their latest offering All Y'all however seems to have fallen short of the mark, barely able to supply listeners with the energy they appear to offer their live audiences.

Halfway through the first listen to the album and it already feels as though it should have been turned off, in fact it would have been turned off if it hadn't been for Transmission. The band relies heavily on their Motown beats mixed with their raw garage rock guitar tones that the music doesn't really get the chance to diversify. The lyrics stay simple throughout the whole album, and while this isn't always a bad thing, when mixed with repetition in nearly every song it begins to feel as though your mind is slowly melting.

The only two stand out tracks on this album are in fact Transmission and I Will Not Follow, and possibly the reason for only the   

  Ironik - No Point in Wasting Tears [Album Sampler]

Asylum     

In anticipation of his debut album 'No Point In Wasting Tears', twenty year old London rapper and DJ Ironik has previewed his songs with a six track album sampler. After winning Best Newcomer at the 2008 MOBO awards, we expect great things from this young UK rapper. Sadly, it is a truly annoying and frustrating listen. Maybe 2008 was a bad year for MOBO newcomers. Or maybe Ironik (if you excuse the lame spelling) is living up to his name and has everyone fooled.

When RnB and hip-hop is good, it is really good. It can be uplifting and challenging but also inspired and original. With a DJ at the helm, a wealth of songs and samples are fused into the mix to create unique textures and sounds. Ironik has done none of these things and to make matters even worse, his rapping is as hopeless as his song writing. Every song, with the exception of 'Broken' (sung by Digga) is plagued by his weak voice and some of the worse lyrics heard this year. A series of attempts at the same love so   

  

  Pint Shot Riot - Holes [Single]

Life In The Big City Records     

To be really honest, the very first time I heard this song, I hated the entire three minutes and thirteen seconds of it.

The vocals are loose and lack in emotion and the lyrics aren’t the best. “We know where you’ve dug those holes,” for example. The more I listened to it to gain some sort of an idea why it had even been brought to the production table, my opinion altered somewhat.

It is catchy if nothing else. It would certainly appeal to a niche audience. However, I tried to listen to the song several times, remaining optimistic, but, once you’ve heard this song you’ve basically heard Pint Shot Riot. I doubt that they will be the pillars of originality in the future either.

They are a stereotypical modern-day ‘indie’ band, which has lost all meaning to the genre and instead have been allowed to record terrible songs like Holes. The song was featured on Soccer AM however and Tim Lovejoy has sung the band’s praises, which will probably boost their popularity a little.

F   

  

  Revival Dear - Revival Dear [Album]

U Spin records     

I did my best to give this album a fair go, I honestly did. Having listened and looked at their Myspace before receiving the album, I thought it would be a nice, pleasant listen.

The first time I listened to the album I had it on in the background, while I was busy doing other stuff. It was OK, started off more upbeat than I was expecting. I remember thinking that they probably sound better live, but nothing particularly stood out; however it was just on in the background. The second time I put the album on, again, in the background, I noticed how long it was. So long that I was getting antsy (and bored) and couldn't wait for it to finish; I stopped it half way through and put something else on. I tried listening to it a couple more times, each time not managing to reach it's end. It appeared the more I Iistened to it the less I liked it. Which is the complete opposite of what should happen, surely? Eventually I decided to give it one final last go. I put it on, with the lyr   

  

  Kids in Glass Houses - Smart Casual [Album]

Roadrunner Records     

Ok, so not exactly a new release but I noticed no one had reviewed it as yet and felt that was a bit of an injustice to such a good, good album. I honestly hadn't expected to like smart casual half as much as I do, when I received it as a promo from a kind friend who represents them, I happily took it thinking it'd be nice cheesy songs to listen to while getting ready for a night out, maybe a handful of really catchy ones from start to finish, and the rest forgetful fillers. Boy, how I was wrong.

From the moments it opens with the intense rage (I know!) fuelled guitars of Fisticuffs, it felt like a breath of fresh air. The band pull off skillfull musicianship that belies their age, and lead singer Aled Phillips' unashamedly and often brutal lyrics are very perceptive for a young man of that maturity. But maybe that's just me not giving these younguns enough credit in the first place, Anyways, if you've been following Kids in Glass Houses then you're probably aware a good few singl   

  

  Mystery Jets - Twenty One [ALBUM]

679 Records     

I was terrified when news got around that Mystery Jets were ready to release their second album. Perhaps petrified further when it arose that mash-up queen Erol Alkan was in line to part produce this next record, especially after lending my ears to his uninspiring rework of the Jets’ initially amazing earlier single “Zootime”. In fact, debut LP release “Making Dens” was so compellingly flawless that I almost wished the Twickenham-based four-piece would never even attempt that notoriously difficult second coming, and leave me able to soak up their glorious first-offering with no ‘buts’ in my mind for evermore. Thank God I am not in charge of such things – for “Twenty One” is, thankfully, all I’d hoped for and more.

Despite the cheesy intro of what sounds like looped air-raid siren samples, the quirky quality I’d expect from the new-wave progsters runs right from opening track “Hideaway”. Even though the band’s trademark improv-inspired no-frills sound prevails throughout it   

  

  Plies feat. Ne-Yo - Bust It Baby Part 2

Atlantic     

Now I’m not a great lover of R&B, but this single isn’t half bad. I’ll be honest and say I’ve never heard of Plies, and I think he sounds a lot like Busta Rhymes. I’m not a complete ‘noob’ in this genre though, as I haven’t lived under a rock for the past few years, so I have heard of Ne-Yo. As Plies is signed to Atlantic records, a label which has a pretty good reputation of producing platinum selling artists such as Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg, I expected a good tune. And a good tune I got.

Musically ‘Bust It Baby’ isn’t great as they use the standard R&B backing track as all other R&B artists do, but the name drop of Ne-Yo in ‘Bust It Baby’ is a great selling point. Ne-Yo does too much in this song to just be ‘featured’ as he sings every chorus and one of the verses! Plies raps all but one of the verses and says ‘Bust it’ in the most annoying tone possible in the intro and chorus.

‘Bust It Baby Part 2’ has great potential to sell well as it’s a decent track. It has also been nominat   

  Levellers - Burn America Burn [Single]

When you are going to have such a political, ballsy and brash title as "Burn America Burn" I would personally suggest that you have a great song, with great lyrical content that will ensure that you as a band don't get "burned" yourself.

Granted over the last 8 years of King Bush's reign the American society hasn't looked that favourable from a worldwide stance due to terrible leadership and awful political choices. However, is that any reason to will that country and their people to burn away? Not really no. That would be like me writing a song about burning down Levellers hometown of Bournemouth because I didn't agree with the lyrical content choices of this song. How rubbish would that song be? About as rubbish as this one.

As the most powerful country in the world gets a lot of shit when it comes to songwriting. Some of it is great and meaningful with good research, background and valid points others are just complete garbage. Unfortunately for Levellers theirs si   

  

  Flo Rida (Feat. Will.I.Am) - In The Ayer [Single]

Atlantic     

This is the type of record that makes me wish that my Ford Fiesta was a Low-rider and that I was a P.L.A.Y.A instead of a red haired guy in skinny jeans! 'In The Ayer' embraces all of the stereotypes that people have about hip hop. True fans of this genre should probably stay well away from this track, as it is likely to offend the music that you love, but for the rest of us, we can always crank it up on our car stereos and do 50 Cent influenced hand motions and say 'Ahhhhh yayah'.

I don't mean to sound too negative, because this is actually a really catchy, bass heavy track. It's just that I can only take what can only be described as a modern day Mr T only so seriously - the man has the heftiest bling and meanest sideburns in the music business today. That's right, I put it out there. Will.I.Am's contribution to the track is somewhat needless, yet is hilariously pronounced (which is wittily reflected in the title) so more than redeems it's presence. This track is surely o   

  Paul Weller - Sea Spray / 22 Dreams [Single]

Island Records     

The double A-Side release of 'Sea Spray' and new album title track '22 Dreams' is the best fresh example of The Modfather's work that the world has seen for years. The persistent momentum of Sea Spray's thudding drums nicely carries the listener through the song, and provides a sturdy backbone for Weller's now signature vocal style. This track is upbeat, short and very sweet but offers the listener nothing that they haven't heard before. This is perhaps because it doesn't need to; as Paul Weller has more than established himself as a successful and highly influential artist and doesn't need to answer to the likes of me. He has already seemingly made the swift manoeuvre from being in the thick of new music to settling into the steadier, less turbulent harbour of the fairly new genre of 'Dad Rock' and has an army of fans that will buy his records no matter what; in fact, more so if they are classic old,Weller with no fancy stuff added.

The second track on this release, 22 Dreams, is   

  Essay for the Ordinary - Cool Cats

End of The Trail Records     

If they get a good video, you may see Essay for the Ordinary on some small-time music channel. Scuzz or something. Maybe even on Kerrang. But it will be on one of those shows that I will invariably abandon the music channels for and see if Dave is showing QI in the hope that I can recover the few IQ points I have just lost by accidentally exposing my ears to the angst less attempts of adherence to punk in its suffixed position to pop or ska. Here is a ska-punk band at its most ordinary.

I find that the brass section in a ska-punk band are usually the more accomplished musicians, even when they’re still not that good. Essay for the Ordinary maintain this form, and the horns are good. The guitar sounds lifeless, playing dull and predictable and yet still more dull ideas; the drums are timid and the timing is loose; everything else is just poor. And the vocals? Still holding firm to what you would expect from an English ska-punk band, is delivered in a Californian accent and does th