Van She - Cat & Eye

Van She have been all over the Hype Machine like that token drunk that always features at every house party. They come in, trash the place like they own it, try to lure anyone in the near vicinity with a few lewd clichés, and all you want is for them to leave as soon as possible with all their possessions preferably into exile. The exact same applies to new single Cat & Eye, which sounds like Embrace dressed up in the badly smeared slap of a few whooshes to make it “dance-crossover”. Seriously guys, just admit you come from the same school of thought as Alphabeat, and we may well like you. If you continue to take yourselves seriously, you’ll just end up a laughing stock.

Review by Gordon Bruce

Deborah Shaw – The Big Bang

While it might be easier to distribute music and get into the public domain now that MySpace has become an integral part of any act’s promotional push and the internet’s allowed for the (theoretical) democratisation of music, it has, in its way, made it harder to stand out from the crowd.
This is the problem that Newcastle based singer-songwriter Deborah Shaw faces like may others, and it’s readily apparent that her first EP ‘The Big Bang’ is very much an attempt to stand out from the crowd. Certainly, the influences that abound these five tracks – a hint of Regina Spektor here, a touch of Tori Amos there – are a welcome relief from the stifling rock canon of the Beatles, the Stones and Dylan, and her determination to try and avoid the obvious is a true relief. However, she is guilty of relying on her idols a little too much, with first track I Didn’t Catch Your Name, while catchy enough, sounding just a little too close to Spektor’s “Fidelity” for comfort. When she leans a little less heavily on such sounds though, the results are rather impressive: the melancholy, reflective ballad Fly in particular is very promising, showcasing her emotive vocals and suggesting at a much more singular creative vision. While it’s not without its faults, ‘The Big Bang’ is an intriguing and diverse debut release that’s dramatic and forceful enough to make Deborah Shaw a name to look out for.

Review by Mark Corcoran-Lettice

Fables Last Stand - A New Breed EP

Coming to you from Newcastle, this 5 piece bands delivers a 5 star Ep, A New Breed. The Ep opens up with a catchy tune, New Breed, which will have your air guitars standing ready to rock. Head bang your life away with hardcore guitar riffs and energetic drums beats. Their next song, Stray Dog, takes things a lot slower than their first track but still keeping up with first class standards, with powerful, sing-a-long lyrics this is bound to be an end of night song in every rock bar near you. Shooting Star, their third track brings back good old rock ‘n’ roll which will be a major interest for those classical rock lovers out there, get your lighters ready. Ending the Ep with another chill back tune, Don’t Come Down (hard), will remind you why you love rock music with its mesmerising guitar and drum structure and its loveable lyrics. This Ep as a whole is a gift from the power of rock ’n’ roll to us all, so shift the pictures of Led Zeppelin to the left a little and hang this band on the wall of fame.

Review by Aron Riordan

Julian Velard

The man with the Tiny piano will be releasing an album in mid September, featuring some very melodic music. The song ‘Jimmy Dean and Steve McQueen’ is marked by a beautiful piano track. Mr. Velard knows how to make quiet music that can accompany a fancy dinner.

Review by Solveig Werner

Innerpartysystem – Don’t Stop

The newest single by the Pennsylvania band Innerpartysystem is ‘Don’t Stop’ and the only thing there is to say about it is that it is a real mint tune. The band truly emphasizes the electro rock style, by making this a dance song that seems to be not just a lot of repetition but also some musical depth. It is only a matter of time before it will be played on the dance floors and not just on a few radio stations. Innerpartysystem could be the next big band in electro music that is not from France or Germany.

Review by Solveig Werner

Lightspeed Champion - Galaxy of the Lost

‘Galaxy of the Lost’ is the name of the newest single by Light Speed Champion, and it is quite a good one. The lyrics clearly reflect the feeling of being lost at certain times. One thing that makes this song particular is that it is not a song that you can listen to all the time. It is one of those that you have to be in the mood for, when you feel a bit sad that’s when it could fit well, not making you any worse. Being very melodic it has a bit the appeal of a song that could be played in a nice cozy coffee shop.

Review by Solveig Werner

Razmataz Lorry Exitement! - The Biggest Waste Of 33 Minutes

If you like electro rock then Razmataz Lorry Exitement is the artist for you. His new single ‘The Biggest Waste Of 33 Minutes’ reflects influences such along the lines of Daft Punk. If you like artists such as Thieves Like Us, Digitalism and Hot Chip then you won’t be deceived by this new song, it is not a waste of time, I’d rather say it is a lot better than a lot of things that are out on the market in the electro and dance genres today.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kenna - Out Of Control

Kenna is finally releasing his debut album in the UK, the first single of it is ‘Out of Control (State of Emotion)’. This song is very particular it sounds a lot like a dance tune hip hop sort of tune, that seems to appeal to a lot of people that like alternative rock music. It is very very catch and addictive at once.

Review by Solveig Werner

Tokyo Police Club - Tessellate

“Tessellate” is the first UK single of “Elephant Shell” the debut album by the Canadian band Tokyo Police Club. This song is even more energetic than what was released prior to it like their overwhelming EP “A Lesson In Crime” or their various other tracks that were released such as “Your English Is Good”. The sounds are getting more and more sophisticated as the band evolves. The sound of “Tessellate” makes the listener wants to get up and dance, but if you listen a bit closer to the lyrics there is a certain sadness in them, the sadness that marks everything by Tokyo Police Club, but there is nothing to worry about they are some of the happiest people around. “Tessellate” is marked by Graham’s keyboard skills and Dave’s really really good singing voice, of course the skills of Greg and Josh can’t be neglected. Like in some of the other songs the drums are important as is the clapping when only Graham’s synchs and David’s voice are in action.

They are about to announce their tour dates for the summer for the UK and the rest of Europe, and Tokyo Police Club is a great live act so definitely worth checking out.

Review by Solveig Werner

The Black Kids - I Am Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You

The Florida Band known under the name Black Kids is finally officially releasing their single “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” in the UK. Before this song was available as a free download which propelled them to the top of the musical world. This song is amazing it tells the story of a childhood love and deep sitting jealousy. The lyrics are bizarre at times, which makes the whole song even more fun. It is a dancy tune that can definitely rock the dance floors, remixes of it are already out there. Black Kids are a band that should be listened to, they are most likely going to be bigger than we expect them to be.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kill Hanna - Lips Like Morphine

The best Kill Hanna song, in my opinion, is finally getting released in the UK. It is “Lips Like Morphine” which describes a deep desire to find an overpowering girl. The lyrics describe that this girl that is longed for is meant to have lips that are strong enough to knock one out when they kiss, they have the same effects as morphine upon the person on the receiving end. The music has a dark sound to it which makes the whole idea of a Morphine lipped girl see, even more dangerous.

Review by Solveig Werner