Kick Box Riot formed in March of 2007 in Pontypool/Cardiff. Voted best newcomer band of 2007 by listeners of BBC Radio 1 Wales, they've built up a fanbase nationwide through incessant gigging and energetic live performances. They play a brand of edgy indie-rock that's extremely easy to like. Wales has produced a good crop of rock bands over the past decade and a half, and it looks like Kick Box Riot will be joining the likes of Lost Prophets and Manic Street Preachers in the nations conciousness sooner rather than later. The title track here has plenty of hooks and a special word for the drummer, he brings a lot of dynamics to Kick Box Riot helping to elevate them above other pretenders. Good stuff and 'Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal' is just as good, loads of energy yet keeping in the hooks. A reccomendation? Sure, and check them out when they play at a venue near you, it'll be worth it.( reviewed 4.05.2008 )

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The new Coldplay single has been produced by Brian Eno, yet still sounds like Coldplay. Well, stupid thing to say perhaps, yet we're soon to be four albums in and Coldplay perhaps need a new dynamic. There is evidence of Eno's sonics here, deep and booming bass and drums, for a start. Chris Martin's voice has been mixed a little back in the sound compared to how they usually sound, which works, actually. So, subtle changes rather than revolution and 'Violet Hill' is another of those Coldplay songs that seems initially forgettable, yet ends up winding its way into the repeat play section of your brain anyway. ( reviewed 4.05.2008 )

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First impressions disappointingly reveal a bubblegum Green Day which is upsetting. Second impressions reveal a bubblegum Green Day with female backing vocals, which actually is great! Defiantly lo-fi, second track 'Lonely Boy' also reveals something of a Ramones influence. I can imagine these guys would go down a storm in a smallish club but at the moment i'm struggling to picture them releasing an LP masterpiece. In any event, two tracks running to four minutes, thirty six seconds isn't that bad a way to spend your time provided you don't take these guys seriously. Released on the Damaged Goods label, I'm Out Of Order is also available on rather lovely green vinyl, which definitely is worth purchasing. ( reviewed 19.04.2008 )

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A tidy three piece release this promo for their 'What You Want' EP. Nothing here is particularly innovative, yet we don't mind that too much. Both songs have plenty of hooks, 'Blame' the more likely to receive airplay although 'Settle' displays an impressive depth compositionally. They sound vaguely punky, the bass is kinda funky and the lead guitar should find favour with fans Snow Patrol, Elbow, etc. Where Personal Space Invaders score points over those two bands is the fact they haven't yet been overproduced. Let's hope it stays that way for them, become there is promise here, particularly all through the impressive 'Blame'. ( reviewed 19.04.2008 )

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Released on the 14th of April, 2008 - Karen David's 'Live Sessions EP' captures her bewitching, multi-cultural sound brilliantly. She's recently appeared in Sky One's Terry Pratchett adaptation alongside actor David Jason and has had coverage for her music on the BBC's 'Asian Network'. Well, those two snippets are just scratching the surface, visit her myspace page for a full list of acheivements for this gorgeous Canadian born actress/singer-songwriter. 'The Live Sessions' EP was recorded organically using age old valve equipment. It lends all five tracks and twenty two minutes an absolutely lovely, distinctive sound. Her voice is a versatile instrument, at times sounding like a proper soul-singer, at other times a version of a sultry Kylie Minogue and at other times she hints at the diva vocal style of Mariah, Whitney, etc. The music combines tablas, acoustic guitar, and strings - amidst other things. 'Carry Me Home' has to be the pick of a strong, consistent bunch, the strings perfectly enhancing her vocals. It's an emotional song and this is an EP that has this music fan salivating in anticipation for a full-length debut LP. ( reviewed 19.04.2008 )

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This really doesn't deserve a five out of five, does it? A six out of five is the real score, but I have to comply by my own set limitations. This five song EP is like the music I was born to listen to. Everything has been merely leading upto this very point in time, the time i'd stumble upon 'Fleet Foxes'. A debut LP is due in June/July and you know what? It doesn't contain a single track from this five track EP. That spells out good things to me. People are falling over themselves when hearing this utterly beautiful, yet proper, music. This isn't classical, this isn't anything to do with The Beatles. Yet, harmonies pop up, accomplished harmonies, the kind The Beach Boys used to do, only imagine The Beach Boys in a monastry. Yes indeed, 'Fleet Foxes' have that church style echo and also seem to be singing in your bathroom. The songs are songs to utterly loose yourself in. Infact, if this EP were twice as long and the other tracks as good as the ones here, this would be the first 10/10 i'd have given to a new album release since 2002, or so. That's six years! Music so good here, that any kind of emotional person is likely to cry out tears of sheer happiness. 'Mykonos, 'English House' and 'Drops In The River' are all 10 out of 10 in our house. Imagine obscure 90s indie act Arnold and imagine an Arnold twice as good. Wonder if David Crosby has heard Fleet Foxes - he'd adore them. ( reviewed 6.04.2008 )

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I really like this single. They may well be listed on myspace as being 'pop/psycehdelic/soul', although in reality, they don't place any of those words into my mind. The Beat? Yes. The Specials and No Doubt? Yes. They have a list of influences including The Smiths and The Cure, and lyrically, you can place them there. These aren't your usual soppy and ineffectual pop lyrics. The jazzy side of Van Morrison? Yeah, I can hear that. The lead track here takes a couple of listens but when it sinks in, you realise how clever this bands combination of influences actually is. Cross Morrissey with Madness and no, you don't get 'Kill Uncle', you get an energetic, literate and hooky pop song that's almost old fashioned in its desire to get you moving and humming at the same time. The b-side, 'Calling All Dilemas' goes off into jazzy territory, keeps in ska territory as well as again, providing a mighty tune. I like this band. ( reviewed 6.04.2008 )

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Timberland guests on a Madonna single, or vice-versa? It's a strange thing, yet this impeccably modern production places Madonna bang on in the middle of the 2008 sound, if such a thing exists. If this were a new Michael Jackson single, his fans would be dancing in the streets, waving flags of jubilation. Because it's Madonna and she seems to merely have jumped onto a bandwagon, there are murmurings of discontent. Still, i've heard worse singles by major artists this year. ( reviewed 6.04.2008 )

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What a great band name. There, i've said it. 'Men Without Pants' are of course Russell Simms and Dan the Automator. Quite a combination, I think you'll find. Jack White should be doing stuff like this, not messing around with his safety blanket that is The Raconteurs. Anyhoo, 'And The Girls Go' is absolutely storming with distorted, er, sounds... processed by Dan The Automator and a suitably impassion vocal from the Blues Explosion man. This has to be one of the most enjoyable, if very noisy, things to come from the blues explosion man in recent years. Highly reccomended!( reviewed 26.03.2008 )

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Making a great second album only managed to earn The Futureheads the big drop from their record label. Relaunching themselves on their own label, they've come back nosier than ever before without forgetting to insert those friendly XTC style early eighties angular melodies. Thumping drums ( well, mostly cymbals for some strange reason ) and a very twisted tune, appropriately enough. This isn't likely to win back fans of their cover of Kate Bush's 'Hounds Of Love' but does demonstrate these boys mean business. This is initially unapproachable and fairly ordinary sounding, yet repeated plays gets this booming angry little thing into your mind. The type of song that should go down a storm live. ( reviewed 26.03.2008 )

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So many people are getting in on the swing thing, mostly with disastrous results. Look, Mr Sinatra, Sir to you, did it better than anybody else is ever going to. Got it? Good. As for Victoria Hart, at least she takes a slightly different approach. She covers the Hendrix number 'Little Wing' for instance, turning it into a very sexy sounding number as her voice gets your heart pumping and your, er, parts 'swaying'. I was less pleased to find a cover of a Robert Palmer tune, 'Addicted To Love', because I don't like Robert Palmer, dead or not. Is he dead? No matter. Victoria Hart thankfully improves on the original with a full sound, a less funky sound, but again her voice does it. An interesting, value for money twenty minute, six track EP release this. You may like it. Oh, this gets a 'three' for the music and a 'four' for the sexiness, but I don't do half stars, unfortunately. Check her out! ( reviewed 26.03.2008 )

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Quite a noisy racket, this one. Pendulum are currently beavering away on their second LP and it may well be worth checking out by the sounds of this. Electronic aggression matches distorted guitars for four and a half minutes of somewhat demented noise and barely audible vocals. They have some interesting ideas here but can they gell it into a cohesive, slay allcommers kind of sound? Well, we shall see. This is kind of Nine Inch Nails meets 808 State meets Punk Rock. Sounds good? Well, it's more interesting than good, but if a loud, exhilarating, distorted blast was ever needed, Pendulum can surely provide. ( reviewed 09.03.2008 )

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Salford’s Ting Tings consist of singer Katie White and drummer Jules De Martino. They have a bouncy, lo-fi sound which is half cheeky girls, half indie-guitar and one half glam disco. That of course makes one and a half, and according to the press rantings ( you know, the usual publications in the UK ) Ting Tings are going to be ones to watch in 2008. I can't help but finding 'Great DJ' charming either, it's plainly amateurish, all the melody lines are simplistic, but..... it's layers of simple notes and simple lines married to distorted dance genius that nobody who likes dance music will like, but people who thought early Franz Ferdinand were danceable will adore. Not to be taken seriously, so I god hope nobody does but a huge dollop of indie-dance-pop fun, all the same. ( reviewed 09.03.2008 )

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A pianist and singer/songwriter, Jason Soudah is currently based in Cardiff, England. He's been touring around such places as Ireland, Spain, Sweden and the US, his passionate vocal delivery and talent on the keys winning him fans wherever he's gone. He may not technically be the finest singer ever, but his delivery is certainly strong. His real talent lays with his piano playing and piano patters, always fascinating, beautiful and intriguing. This release is a five track EP lasting just under fifteen minutes. 'Dive With Me' and 'Six Hours' itself kick off the EP and both sound radio-friendly. Jason Soudah is not likely to get coverage in NME yet has already got airplay on BBC Radio 2. Whichever way his career goes, at the very least he could be a songwriter/session player. Here's hoping however that this batch of strong material ( with an album to follow ) gains him the size of audience he undoubtedly deserves. With songs of the quality of standout cut 'Roses', he deserves to make it as an artist in his own right. ( reviewed 13.02.2008 )

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A second single from the hotly tipped Johnny Foreigner. They've got some distinctive cartoon sleevework going on, following from the similarly styled artwork their debut boasted. This time around, well. The lead track is messy, noisy yet reminds me plesantly of mid-nineties act Prolapse. We've got that same mix of dischordant guitars and alternating male/female vocals. I welcome Johnny Foreigner you know, because they have all these delightful rough edges to their sound. They clearly aren't The Klaxons or Kaisier Chiefs, you know, all polished and smooth and aiming to please would-be cool graduates. 'The Houseparty Scene Is Killing Us' is a clear artistic step, a mid-tempo piece with broken melodies crashing on the floor of your flat whilst the drummer auditions for Captain Beefheart. It's great stuff, it truly is. ( reviewed 2.02.2008 )

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Not returning as I expected with a second Grinderman LP, 'Dig Lazarus Dig' is both the new Nick Cave single and the title of his forthcoming solo album. It's built around an organ groove, musically has quite a linear structure and doesn't have the punch or aggression of Grinderman. Instead, such punch and/or aggression has been replaced by a classic set of Cave vocals and lyrics offering genuine menace. The song is a vamp essentially, with Cave offering up hilarious lyrics along the way to keep you listening. A good thing is, this is the kind of song that sounds better the more you listen to it, that addictive vampy organ riff just gets under your skin and the guitar parts are appropriately squally when they do appear. ( reviewed 2.02.2008 )

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Two original Queen members join Paul Rodgers for a free download and the first new Queen song since the immediate aftermarth of Freddie Mercury dying. This is a Rodger Taylor penned ballad and doesn't resemble the classic sound of Queen whatsoever, well, until post the two minute mark when the drums and guitars explode and....... well, it sounds like Queen. Not much to say about this tune really, it's not the best song on earth but as a taster for further new Queen material? Well, why not. Better than no new Queen material. The morals of doing this without two vital founding members is another matter, however. ( reviewed 2.02.2008 )

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Echo-laden guitars chime in stadium fashion. A bass line announces that Disco is still here, contrary to popular belief. The Klaxxons pop their heads round the door, but the mess in the room where The Pistolas have been playing is a bit of a blur, much like their songs. Well, The Pistolas have an exciting, energy packed sound, that much is for sure. Yet, they will need something akin to Franz Ferdinand's 'Take Me Out' to breakthrough, something to appeal beyond the narrow margins of the average NME reader. 'Hey Hey Hey' is certainly a blast though and B-Side 'The Wrong Stuff' continues in a squelchy, disco/rock/punk style, both modern and old-fashioned at the same time. ( reviewed 13.02.2008 )

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