Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me

Released: August 2011

Label: Universal Island Records

Genre: Pop

TL;DR: Just read the damn thing. 7/10

Florence + The Machine are certainly a band that has risen into insane amounts of popularity within a short period of time. Debut album Lungs saw the release of a ridiculous amount of hits in Dog Days Are Over, Kiss With A Fist, Drumming Song, and most definitely You’ve Got The Love. It’s the drive and force of frontwoman Florence Walsh’s voice that has certainly been a contributing factor in the public’s adoration of them.

2.A.M. - The End. The Start.

Released: 24^rd October 2011

Label: Isaac Gravity Records

Genre: Alternative/Britpop

TL;DR: Decent 7/10

‘It’s a nice EP, that’s all.’

The End. The Start is the debut EP from duo Andrea Maraschi and Andrea Marcellini, otherwise known as 2.A.M. The EP boasts seven tracks which sound straight from the British scene of 90s Britpop, with bands such as Blur, Oasis, Supergrass and others directing a big move in the music industry.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic

Released: 23^rd August 2011

Label: Matador Records

Genre: Indie

TL;DR: Alright 6/10

Mirror Traffic is the fifth solo album by former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, and is the first with backing band The Jicks. Malkmus is responsible for creating many of the sounds that influenced many of today’s musicians, from his great work with Pavement to his solo efforts.

This record was produced with the help of Beck, which should bring ideas of music with a very intimate atmosphere, with fantastic production on the instrumentation, which was the case of a certain Mr. Thurston Moore’s second solo album. Instead we are granted with instrumentation which is nothing but pleasant, lyrics about blowjobs, and song titles like ‘Spazz’.

Wavves - I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl

Released: 29^th August 2011

Label: Ghost Ramp

Genre: Lo-fi

TL;DR: Read the review. 6/10

Wavves is certainly a band that has taken the independent scene by storm. The (now) band fronted by Nathan Williams causing a few waves in 2009 with sophomore effort Wavvves, a record full of lo-fi and distortion which gripped the balls of the blogosphere and pulled them over their heads. The sudden rush of popularity became too much for Williams as he went into a meltdown during a live performance, ultimately tarnishing their reputation as ‘the next big thing’.

But these days, Wavves is now comprised of Stephen Pope and drummer Jacob Cooper, and as a result a much cleaner and controlled sound has protruded from the surf pop group. New single I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl is the first track to drop from Wavves’ upcoming EP, Life Sux, but there has also been speculation as to whether or not it will also feature on upcoming LP, Wavvvves.  

Dead Man Winter - Bright Lights

Released: 16^th August 2011

Label: Banjodad Records

Genre: Country-Blues

TL;DR: Dance around the campfire 7/10

Dead Man Winter is the country-style side project of Minnesota Bluegrass band, Trampled By Turtles. The majority of the band, Dave Simonett, Ryan Young and Tim Saxhaug are joined by drummer Noah Levy and blues guitarist Erik Koskinen to produce a set of tracks which display any manner of etiquette around the campfire, from dancing like silly boys and girls to huddling up together in one blanket waiting for marshmallows to roast.

Bright Lights is the side project’s debut and is the means for the band to escape into a world where electric and acoustic guitars alike lay around the fire with amps stood up about the place. A deep, secluded place where the band can not be disturbed and just play some rockin’ tunes, which is certainly the end result of this album.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

Released: 27^th August 2011

Label: EMI

Genre: Funk/Rock

TL;DR: Safe. 7/10

‘‘You know I’m almost dead, you know I’m almost gone.’ Croons Anthony Kiedis on ballad Brendan’s Death Song, but with further listens of tenth studio album I’m With You, Anthony and co. are anything but.’

‘You know I’m almost dead, you know I’m almost gone.’ Croons Anthony Kiedis on ballad Brendan’s Death Song, but with further listens of tenth studio album I’m With You, Anthony and co. are anything but. The new record is the result of post-Frusciante for Red Hot Chili Peppers, and is also the first of the Klinghoffer Era.

RHCP is certainly a band that can release whatever it wants, having already reached multi-platinum and legendary status. But even as the core members of Kiedis, Flea and Chad Smith are pushing fifty, the inclusion of young Klinghoffer have set a fire alight in their stomachs, because I’m With You displays the RHCP sound at its most immature of the century. Klinghoffer’s independent guitar sound allows the band to sound much tighter and perform much better, and while there is a noticeable decline in solos, it’s gained a lot in rhythm.

Tom Waits - Bad As Me

Released: 26^th August 2011

Label: Anti, Inc.

Genre: Blues-ish

TL;DR: Fence. 5/10

Bad As Me is the new single from long time musician Tom Waits, and is the first piece of new material to be released since Real Gone, seven years ago. It is the title track for Waits’ new album Bad As Me, due for release on the 24^th of October.

Bad As Me sees Waits at his most insane, belting out unnerving lines such as ‘You’re the same kind of bad as me’ and ‘they told me you were no good’ which seems to suggest that he is currently testifying to a mental asylum. The crazed vocals sit on to of jagged guitar rhythms and clattering drums which bash against your skull with an immense amount of force.

I’m kind of on the fence with Bad As Me, while the track is solid and reasonably original, there’s nothing that has me excited for the album. While the vocals are different to most music today, it’s quick to grow accustomed to them which diminish their effect. The instrumentation is again solid, but only seen as the backing band as Waits’ vocals take the spotlight.

7 Day Conspiracy/Sak-Less Jack - Fishcocks

Released: 2011

Label: from Kill Your Own Zine

Genre: Punk

TL;DR: Alright 6/10

‘Fishcocks is a fun split which everybody should enjoy listening to, but it rarely offers anything new to the genre of punk.’

Fishcocks is the split release from punk bands 7 Day Conspiracy and Sak-Less Jack. It boasts a fun approach to fast punk tracks, complete with The Offspring-style guitars and relatively accessible vocals. 7DC offer some inviting riffs with Sum 41 could be proud of and some good basslines here and there. Whereas SLJ some punk elements which delve into hardcore roots too, the drums in particular appear to be rocking a massive fishcock right now.

Hot Head Show - The Lemon LP

Released: 22^nd August 2011

Label: Tentacle Entertainments

Genre: Indie/Loud + Proud

TL;DR: Love. 8/10

‘From the second you hear ‘I wasn’t hungry til I saw your sandwich.’ On opening track Bummer then you should really be already in love with the entire thing.’

                     

The Lemon LP is the debut full length by three piece Hot Head Show, a band in which originality is key. The band comprised of Beatamax on drums, guitarist Jordan Copeland and bassist Vaughn Stokes look set to bring back a sense of fun and eccentricity to the music industry and with Lauren Laverne of 6Music currently in love with recent single Payload, many more people should expect a chaotic one night stand pretty soon.

This is a record that should never ever be taken seriously. It flits between numerous genres and discusses the most mundane of topics in a heartbeat, making it completely bonkers. From the second you hear ‘I wasn’t hungry til I saw your sandwich.’ On opening track Bummer then you should really be already in love with the entire thing.

Crash Of Rhinos - Distal

Released: 1^st April 2011

Genre: Post-Hardcore

Label: Triste Records

TL;DR: 9/10

‘While today’s emo kids will probably be pretending to be depressed and get inspired by the tosh of mainstream moaners, we can count ourselves lucky that we have Crash Of Rhinos.’

Crash Of Rhinos is a band who certainly live up to their name. The group comprised from other bands such as The Jesus Years, Little Explorer and more have come together to perform and record a sound which is essentially a crash of rhinos (ohhhh...) breaking the glass barrier between you and them. With two bassists, guitarists and a drummer who seemingly is an Octopus, Crash Of Rhinos is certainly a band to be feared by many, and adored by many, through the release of their debut album, Distal.

Baxter Dury - Happy Soup

Released: 25^th August 2011

Label: EMI

Genre: Electronic

TL;DR: 8/10

‘a fantastic session of slight shoulder bopping.’

Happy Soup is the third album by Baxter Dury, son of late-seventies hero Ian Dury and a cover model on his father’s classic album ‘New Boots & Panties’ when he was aged just five years ago. The record captures all of the deadpan vocal delivery and dark-yet-funny lyricism which propelled Dury Snr to the skies, but is instead backed behind an intentionally cheesy-disco setting, baring a much more reflective approach on life.

The Kits - Lead Us Into Temptation

Released: 13^th June 2011

Label: Pop Crime Records

Genre: Rock

TL;DR: Repetitive but good. 6/10

‘However, the tracks themselves are solid and would be better suited if they were listened individually rather than as a full album stream.’

A band comprising of three Australians and a Spaniard must surely be a recipe for some rather ‘out there’ and zany music, right? Well, The Kits are infact a pretty serious sounding rock group with a very British-esque swagger about them.

So, rather than questioning the band’s cultural differences, they have fortunately drop second album Lead Us In Temptation. An album which is full of solid rock and roll songs with good riffs and accessible nature which makes it difficult for anybody to dislike.

Slow Down, Molasses - Walk Into The Sea

Released: 5^th September 2011

Label: Little Pictures Records

Genre: Alt/Drone/Folk

TL;DR: Brilliant 8/10

‘The album bares a wide variety of soft acoustic ballads and huge thick wall of noise anthems, using an array of instruments which flow seamlessly in and out of the main foundation to create a very pleasant yet exciting record.’

If there was ever an award for smartest band today, SDM would certainly be in contention. Slow Down, Molasses is a project which sees a very talented set of individuals gather to take time out of their jobs as geological engineer, a journalist, a CAD Engineering student, a touring sound tech, a city planner, a college professor, and a university administrator, to create records.

Walk Into The Sea is the sophomore effort by the Canadian band, and while the guys over the pond have already heard it, it is being released in the UK on the 5^th of September to coincide with their upcoming UK tour. The album bares a wide variety of soft acoustic ballads and huge thick wall of noise anthems, using an array of instruments which flow seamlessly in and out of the main foundation to create a very pleasant yet exciting record.

Hot Head Show - PAYLOAD

Released: 10^th June 2011

Label: Tentacle Entertainments

Genre: Indie/Loud + Proud

TL;DR: 7/10

‘The single is essentially the most chaotic one night stand ever.’

Payload is the single from forthcoming debut The Lemon LP by London-based trio Hot Head Show, and it was released yesterday infact. The band have certainly gained a few anecdotes in their short career, having supported Primus on their recent reunion tour, and allowing long time fan Vaughn Stokes to pick up bass duties after flying over to England and learning all of the bass parts for their songs already.

Cher Lloyd - Swagger Jagger

Released: Who Cares? 2011

Label: The Depths Of Hell

Genre: Crap

TL;DR: RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN/10

‘If you like Swagger Jagger, or wish to listen to it, shoot yourself.’

After completely failing to grab the hearts of the British public in the X Factor, Cheryl Cole-lite Cher Lloyd is infact shoved down our throats once again with ‘her’ effort, the worst song in the entire world Swagger Jagger.

Selena Gomez & The Scene - Love You Like A Love Song

Released: 22^nd August 2011

Label: Hollywood Records

Genre: Pop

TL;DR: No. 2/10

‘Pretty uninspired instrumentation and her vocals make her sound like she’s being forced to say this to Charles Manson, and oddly enough, the song sounds nothing like a love song either.’

Selena Gomez is once again extending her career paths with the release of Love You Like A Love Song, a track in which Ms. Gomez announces that she loves you like a love song, which is lovely. It features a pretty uninspired instrumentation and her vocals make her sound like she’s being forced to say this to Charles Manson, and oddly enough, the song sounds nothing like a love song either.

David Guetta - Night Of Your Life (Feat. Jennifer Hudson)

Released: 22^nd August 2011

Label: EMI

Genre: Pop

TL;DR: No. 2/10

‘I’m not going to be losing clothes on the dancefloor simply because of THIS SONG.’

David Guetta is back with Night Of Your Life, a track which features a lot of what the pop scene has already heard and Jennifer Hudson, who should be congratulated for adding a bit of variety to her discography. If you’re a fan of Guetta’s work, then you will definitely like this, it’s essentially a rinse and repeat of everything else he’s done.

Schnapps - Nasty Buffet

Released: 6^th June 2011

Label: El Rancho Records

Genre: Grunge/pop

TL;DR: Be more mature 3/10

‘It’s not an album to go ‘Oh Schnapps!’ for, but more ‘Oh…Craps.’

To be fair, having a donut on top of a nipple is definitely considered a nasty buffet, which makes everything in this circle of context dripping with common sense. Nasty Buffet is the debut full length by Glaswegian four-piece Schnapps. The band have taken everything silly from the 90s and incorporated it in their sound in a barely modern direction, complete with laid back guitars, LADdish vocals and killer solos, to make this a reasonably fun record.

Soft Metals - Soft Metals

Released: 19^th July 2011

Label: Captured Tracks

Genre: Electronica

TL;DR: Good 7/10

‘…could see being performed on Top of the Pops, as girls and guys in their entire perm glories get down and dirty to it.’

Soft Metals is an electronica duo from Portland, Oregon, comprising of Patricia Hall on vocal duties and Ian Hicks on everything else. Their debut full length Soft Metals leaves little information to the minds of fans. But what we have here is an 80s revival record that could have easily been recorded during its focused decade, the airy vocals from Hall simply breathe upon the Soft Cell and Duran Duran-esque keyboards.

The Magic Lantern - A World In A Grain Of Sand

Released: 6^th June 2011

Label: Hectic Eclectic Records

Genre: Experimental Folk

TL;DR: Pretty 6/10

‘Think of it as the soundtrack to the soundtrack to Fantasia.’

The Magic Lantern has decided not only to release new album, but also perform a new style of music too. A World In A Grain Of Sand sees the band attempt to perform what they describe as ‘experimental folk’, while the folk elements take the spotlight, it is nice to see what would typically be a pleasant sing-a-long by the campfire record be enhanced by the results of some jazz and the occasional avantgarde jig too.

The New Mastersounds - Breaks From The Border

Released: 9^th August 2011

Label: Tallest Man Records

Genre: Funk

TL;DR: Not too shabby 6/10

‘…the result is a record full of the charm and sensuality that came with funk in the 70s, and shows that white guys do have rhythm.’

Funk and soul are two genres that have slightly declined in popularity since its past heydecades of the 60s and 70s, but it has remained in the smallest scenes of the UK music biz through groups in the such as Jamie Liddell, Alice Russell, The Brand New Heavies and until recently, the late Amy Winehouse.

However, another source of funk revival is The New Mastersounds, a Manchester-based fourpiece which has been releasing solid funk and soul records since live album Live At La Cova in 2000. New album Breaks From The Border sees the band travel to America to record and enhance their American-funk roots a little bit better, and the result is a record full of the charm and sensuality that came with funk in the 70s, and shows that white guys do have rhythm.

Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt - Tweaker In The Park

Released: 7^th June 2011

Label: Gulcher Records

Genre: Lo-fi Acoustic

TL;DR: Well good. 8/10

'...creates a very asphyxiating listen full of emotions performed with a rather greener grass approach.'

Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt is the project of a mystery nineteen year old man. The Bloomington, Indiana singer/songwriter has produced over three hundred songs in his bedroom, all spawned from a collection of late nights, pick me ups and craziness.

As well as possessing one of the greatest and ‘out there’ names, the band have also released debut album Tweaker In The Park, eleven songs which talk about the topics of crazy people, oceans, and murder. With influences ranging from Weezer to Elliott Smith to Beach Boys, mixed with a slightly lo-fi take on acoustic folk music, creates a very asphyxiating listen full of emotions performed with a rather greener grass approach.

Juffage - Semicircle

Released: 6^th June 2011

Label: Function Records

Genre: Post-rock/Ambient/Pretty

TL;DR: Fantastic 9/10

‘…it’s beautiful, it’s pretty, it’s jagged, it’s emotional, it’s atmospheric, it’s human.’

Juffage creator and musical genius Jeff T. Smith is certainly an individual with a history worth reading. The Leeds artist has had his fair share of achievements, from gaining a degree in Computer Music, to collaborating with the likes of Brian Deck and Steve Albini in Chicago, which is why Smith is often subtitled with the line ‘from Leeds, via Chicago, Illinois’.

As a result of these great feats, and spending over six years in twenty two different locations to create, we are treated with Semicircle, a debut record that sees the unbelievably high expectations, and goes far beyond. The mixture of clean instruments and layers upon layers of simple melodies produces an album which can only be seen as a work of art, it’s beautiful, it’s pretty, it’s jagged, it’s emotional, it’s atmospheric, it’s human.

Pepper Rabbit - Red Velvet Snow Ball

Released: August 9^th, 2011

Label: Kanine Records

Genre: Avantgarde-y

TL;DR: Decent. 6/10

‘…much like that stick of candy floss, it’s tempting as hell to digest, but you know you’re going to be sick afterwards.’

Pepper Rabbit are a LA duo comprising of Xander Singh and Luc Laurent, and Red Velvet Snow Ball is the second album to be released on this new project, following on from 2010’s Beauregard. The new record looks to expand on the psychedelic nature of the duo’s songwriting skills and narrow it down into a much more driven and accessible path. It essentially is the red velvet snowball, gradually filling and adding more and more of the eclectic taste of the sound of Pepper Rabbit as it progresses.

New Town Kings - M.O.J.O

Released: July 18^th 2011

Label: Bomber Music

Genre: Reggae/Ska

TL;DR: Well Good 8/10

With strong releases from The Skints and Random Hand in recent times, record label Bomber Music looks set to make the genre of reggae/ska much brighter with the release of M.O.J.O, the second album from UK band New Town Kings. Featuring optimism and infectious grooves of horns and drums alike, M.O.J.O is simply a very happy record. The strong musicianship of the band and their incredible songwriting skills allow for one of the most accessible listens of 2011 and easily one of the best.

Wing - Safe Computer

If you haven’t heard of Wing, then you are missing out on the answer to life. Wing is a New Zealand singer of Hong Kong origin, and has provided us with her angelic and simply divine covers on such hits (which pale in comparison) like Single Ladies, Mamma Mia, Back In Black and my favourite, My Heart Will Go On.

Safe Computer is the newest set of wonderful Wing material, featuring her collaborations from all over the world, which proves that she is accepting of any culture different from hers and should be hailed as a saint, and to be fair, I think she’s even better than Mother Teresa.

Boots Electric (Jesse Hughes) - Complexity

Complexity is the second track to be released from upcoming debut solo record Honkey Kong by Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes; it follows on from Boots Electric Theme, a track which was pretty simple to understand but perhaps a little too simple for fans of EODM and the man himself.

The track only extends the electronic route of Honkey Kong, keeping it further away from the well loved sound of Jesse’s main band. Overall, it is a little easier on the ears with the instrumentation a lot less dancefloor intended than Boots Electric Theme, and the vocals of Hughes are actually rather catchy.

Marc Carroll - In Silence

If there was ever an award for most incidents in a career, Marc Carroll would certainly be a contender for it. In a career spanning ten years, the Irish singer-songwriter has had his unlucky share of folded labels, collapsed deals, money-grabbing marketers and just a bunch of mongs.

And yet, despite these confidence-denting setbacks, Marc has produced four albums worth of material that is full of heart, and act as a physical tribute to his single-minded determination and talent. Each of which has received critical acclaim which begs the question, why is Marc Carroll not yet in the charts? Fortunately through the release of new album In Silence on stable label One Little Indian, the answer is in sight.

Astrid Williamson - Pour

Pour is the lead single of upcoming album Pulse by singer-songwriter Astrid Williamson. Released on 8^th August, it is the first slice of material to arrive since the big development in Astrid’s career, having witnessed guitarist/ambient man Leo Abrahams perform as part of Brian Eno's Pure Scenius project at 2010 Brighton Festival. Feeling inspired, she sent a dozen’s worth of demos to Abrahams, which fortunately was liked by the mogul, prompting him willing enough to have Astrid working in an unknown atmosphere: “Pretty much the condition under which I like to work with an artist.”

The result is Pour, a single which sees Williamson talk about every emotion with the heart, adding a sense of realism to the track. This is entwined in watery, mysterious piano which is both elegant and intriguing, but not as intriguing as the electronic and techno beats which lay the foundation of a very emotional set of three minutes. This unusual instrumentation looks to feature on the entire album, says Astrid of the sound of Pulse. “I wanted this time to make something different, an album where my voice was central to proceedings, in a lot of space – something more ambient. I also needed someone else to work with, to not be holding the reins for once. I wanted to be challenged again.”

Abolition - Abolition

Abolition has been keeping hidden within the UK hardcore scene for the last few years. Releasing their own 7” EP and splits with bands of the same nature such as Hang The Bastard and Ark Of The Covenant, projecting their straight edge morals to a wider audience and generally gathering together a decent fanbase.

The time to burst out from the shadows comes in the form of Abolition, the band’s self titled full length debut. Produced by possibly the most experienced hardcore producer in recent times Jamie Frye (Last Witness, Wayfarer, and many more…) the band have found themselves with a sound that could be considered as classic, as its mix of harsh vocals, chaotic drums and very precise, solid guitar riffs fuse together a great contender of classic hardcore sounds of the 90s. But the band have taken this nostalgic sound and driven it straight into the 21^st century, making it relevant for hardcore fans new and old to enjoy.

Pitbull - Planet Pit

Ever since seeing him appear as a special guest on America’s greatest export My Super Sweet 16 years ago, it was only a matter of time when Pitbull would get noticed by the mainstream media. Planet Pit is the big dog’s sixth studio album, and first since becoming a huge star because of his collaborations with Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Usher, T-Pain, and a million more.

Planet Pit is essentially the source of music charts today, as it is full of hits that has notably been embedded in the skulls of unfortunate people through the millions upon millions of facebook status’ demanding strangers to ‘grab somebody sexy, tell them hey’ followed by a winky face to quickly diminish any hint of said person suggesting the idea to perform an attempted rape.

Milk Maid - Yucca

Yucca is the debut full length by one-man project Milk Maid. Started by former Nine Black Alps bassist Martin Cohen, he looks to display his talents as a songwriter as well as find a way to fill up time as a result of the band’s indefinite hiatus.

Featuring a perfect contrast of the most morbid topics delivered in the most nonchalant fashion ever, accompanied gently by sweet sun-drenched riffs that any 60s girl group would be proud of. Yucca looks to be the needle in the haystack in terms of Cohen’s potential, his song writing skills are juvenile at this point but is ultimately impressive, sonically declaring a strong future from the flat of Martin Cohen.

Kalli - Last Train Home

Kalli is the solo project of Karl Henry, an Icelandic singer and former frontman of band Without Gravity. Last Train Home is the second album to be released under this moniker and sees Kalli expand on his take on traditional country sounds and twisted them into darker folk tunes, enhancing his comparisons to similar artists such as Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley and Neil Young.

“I had thought about going to Nashville to record an album for years,” says Kalli. “Although the songs I wrote for Last Train Home are far from being traditional country songs I really wanted to mix them up with certain country music elements and I also wanted to record most of it live in a studio with a session band. Nashville, TN was just the perfect place for me to record.” May 2010 saw Henry travel to Nashville and team up with producer Kurt Storey, achieving his goal. Together they recorded Kalli's second solo album "Last Train Home" in the Burns Station Sound Studio accompanied by a cast of some of Nashville's A list session men and women - Bob Moore, Lloyd Green, JD Blair, Hargus "Pig"Robbins, Guthrie Trapp, Nathan Thomas, Jeff Taylor, Chris Henry, Buddy Spicher, Jonell Mosser all play on the record - along with Kalli's former Without Gravity's bandmate Hallgrímur Hallgrímsson. The vast amount of guest contributions result in a record that performs a great alternative to what is typically considered country, and retains a lot of the emotion and easy listening elements of it with the lightest of touch.

The Amends - The Amends

The Amends is a Colorado based rock band from the U S of A. They have a number of influences ranging from The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughan to White Stripes, Radiohead and Blind Melon, and a sound which implements crunchy guitar riffs alongside perfectly harmonised vocals with the occasional energy driven by the piano. Their new self titled album sees the band expand on the impact and sound they introduced on their debut, and with more of the same formula, it’s a wonder why these guys remain unsigned.

Depraved begins the album with a Jack White-esque gritty guitar riff that similar to something Kill It Kid would feature on their new album Feet Fall Heavy. The structure of guitar-stop-guitar-stop creates a great sense of urgency in the track that keeps attention on high because of these abrupt endings, this is until the point is reached that the guitar is allowed to make as much noise as possible and is fronted by a very slick guitar solo that Andrew Weikart should be proud of. It’s a strong opening track that raises the bar for what’s to follow. You can stream it for free and buy it here.

Mazes - A Thousand Heys

It appears that the UK is responsible for the return of alternative rock kickass enough for us to remember the 90s. Yuck is leading the army of revivalist music with their brilliant debut, but if you grow tired of their lax instrumentation and slacking of vocal effort, or if you simply want more of the same, then I direct your attention to Mazes.

Having loved the single Summer Hits and blah blah blah’d about it already; A Thousand Heys is surely a record to check out. Summer Hits was full of the freshest and happiest emotions with a drumbeat that could have been inspired from a toy monkey bashing his cymbals together in pant-wetting excitement, all bundled up into a ball of sunshine. A Thousand Heys is the first Mazes album to be released on FatCat Records, and is full of the youthful enthusiasm that made their single so appetising. It also makes me proud that I can compare these guys to Hard-Ons, one of my favourite bands who I never thought would make it on this blog.

Underground Railroad - White Night Stand

Having achieved their American sound in debut Sticks And Stones, Underground Railroad have used their foreign mindset to focus on London to produce their most ‘London’ sounding record to date. "The American sound is on [our last album] 'Sticks And Stones'", frontman Raphael Mura outlines, "This time we just felt like we were a London band, so we wanted to do it in London. This record, it sounds more UK."

White Night Stand is the result of the band’s capitalisation of the capital, which sounds more London based than anybody living here could have produced. Their detached insight on an outer-world setting allows them to detail every nook and cranny of the home of the tourist attraction, as stated by Mura: "I was writing about all these dark bars in London, the weirdness of meeting new people and not understanding someone, or how they function. It's a night-time album, definitely."

Mazes - Summer Hits

With a smattering amount of LPs, singles and mixtapes floating around their room of discography, Mazes are back with Summer Hits, the first track to be released in light of new album A Thousand Heys. It says goodbye to everything complicated in music today, and instead embraces the simplicity is key mindset for a 1:56 (or 1:55 if you’re listening to the radio edit, huh.) track that is indeed a hit of the summer.

Also, briefly taking you away from the review, frontman Jack Cooper has launched a new project, Jack Cooper Will Write You A Song For A Tenner, a completely mysterious title that should be pretty difficult to decipher. To be in with a shot of getting a song written about you, go onto their Facebook page or email the band your name, song name and address, and they will get in touch.