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Red.Star.Line: s/t

Somehow while living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle Red.Star.Line managed to find the time to whip up a whole album.

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster: In The Garden

Orientating around Adam, Eve and the whole Garden thing they had going on way back when, The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster hit back with their new single.

Red.Star.Line: Pure / Rewards For Informers

Quite Great Publicity Presents! This present was packaged like a Spaceman's lunch, all silver foiled and important.

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster: The Royal Society

The Brighton boys of mayhem and disaster are back with their follow up to "Horse of the Dog" and they're sounding leaner, meaner and darker than ever before.

The Icarus Line: Black Lives At The Golden Coast

A few years back while at Roskilde Festival in Denmark, I had the good fortune to find myself seeing a band that weren't originally on the bill - there were 5 of them, all in red and black and with a lot of red eye shadow action.

Underoath: Define the Great Line

It's hard to know where some bands' safety zones start and end. The balance between not pushing hard enough and regurgitating the same old tired lines versus trying too many different things and attempting one giant leap for musickind, is a hard one to define.

Queen Adreena: Pretty Like Drugs

Katie Jane has long been a star, campaigning the right of the grrrl to fucking rock, her latest band replacing the awesome noisefest that was nineties band Daisy Chainsaw.

Engerica: Roadkill

It may be taking one hell of a long time but there are slight signs Engerica may actually be making a dent in British rock.

Vatican Jet: Red Demo

Starting off with an almost Blue Oyster Cult guitar line that slowly cheers up this is a bouncy little tune that will try make you skip round the room like an annoying yet endearing young niece.

Damien Rice: Cannonball

The album version of this track has been spiced up with drums, the tempo upped and tinkered with to make it more 'radio friendly' but fortunately that doesn't interfere with the heart of this song.

Grand Volume: History

Here we go, a brand new, truly exiting new act, Grand Volume, a very unbaggy threesome from Manchester, with their debut double A-side.

Japanaro: Untitled

The Japanaro line-up has changed since they recorded their four-track EP last year, boasting a new sound and a new vocalist.

Sharko: Meeuws 2

This is the second album from Belgian alt-pop outfit Sharko and yet from its 15 tracks there is a struggle to find any true stand out moments.

Naked Lounge: Crimson

Ska tinged rock without the horn sections, verging into metal at times with growling vocals and guitars to match.

Broken Dolls: Stronger

With the classic lyrics, sound, inspiration and even the look of model rock and roll bands, Broken Dolls release their new single 'Stronger'.

Various Artists: Vatican Jet / The Smokestacks - split single

Ah double A-sides, something for all the family! Actually there's not much to choose from between these two sparkling specimens.

Pale Man Made: Show Of Hands

If ever a band sounded like they were a bunch of scruffy no good students who decided to record a few songs during fresher's week then it's Pale Man Made.

Bushbaby: Tinsel Town

The first thing I notice about this track is that it has the same name as a great Feeder album track.

The Conway Story: Even when the wind blows

Whoever wrote these guys' press release must be pretty crap at making references. "Reminiscent of Keane and Coldplay" goes one line, making me fear the worst.

Zealous: Untitled

Right from the word go, you can tell that Zealous are a force to be reckoned with. They describe themselves as "Modern rock with a dynamic twist", and yes, the modern rock part of the statement statement is just about true but the "dynamic twist" I'm not too sure about though.

Borrowed Superstars: Shake

One-track demo, no biog, no info = One line review: Affable straight U2 / Simple Minds esque rock with a contemporary twist, gospel choir included.

The Calvo Contract: Untitled

This 3 song debut from York students The Calvo Contract is "grunge-metal"... so that'll be rock then.

Superelectric: E Is For Effort, A Is For Attainment

First off, I like this CD a lot, it's up there with a lot of good CD's, and I really enjoy listening to it.

Andy Clare: After Everything

This is big hearted music. "After Everything" is a 3 track CD with one very fine song and two OK tracks.

The Fencott Disaster: Ambulance Fever

Shout, scream, whine, loud, fast, stop, start, feedback, riff, rock, ravage, thrash. That's The Fencott Disaster in 12 words.

Deserves To Die: Surrender All But Our Skin

Deserves To Die are one of those rare British metal bands that manage to combine all the elements needed to succeed in the genre today, whilst never sounding derivative, or, in the case of most British metal bands, a lackluster alternative to their superior American counterparts.

Last Night's TV: Better Than That

This CD was a challenge to me as I am not used to reviewing acoustic material but I thought I would give it a go.

Maria Willson: Chooza Looza

This song is ace. It's piss funny quite frankly, the musical equivalent of Just Seventeen. Call me cynical but it smacks of some record exec deciding on finding a pretty girl, getting her a rock backing band and giving her some angst song to sing about boys.

Mommy & Daddy: Live How You Listen

I read the biog and listened to the CD; I read the biog again and listened again; I re-checked the biog and listened a couple more times; I gave it to a friend - he read the biog and listened, he also re-read the biog and listened again; We both turned to each other and shrugged!

The Bilderberg Group: Use Yer Head

Back in September 2001 I reviewed the "I Knew You'd Know I'd Know You Know" album from The Bilderberg Group.

Ludes: The Dark Art of Happiness

Mediocrity is the scourge of reviewer world. You get neither the smug superior satisfaction of first discovery, nor the cathartic expunging of self hate, trashing some other kid's dream.

Beachbuggy: Nineteen

Playfully messing around with choir-boyed Mark E. Smith vocal quirks, this is more big drum racket from Beachbuggy.

Obsessive Compulsive: Crash EP

I was looking forward to listening to this CD, because it had a female vocalist, and I just love listening to bands with female vocalists and this was no exception.

Johnny Panic: Automatic Healer

Casually walking the line between glam metal and punk, this is a promising new offering from these snotty upstarts.

Fall Out Boy: Dance, Dance

Three minutes and one second of dramatic, passionate emotional angst-ridden rock and although this sorta thing's not altogether my bag: this is great.

The Ben Siddall Band: High On You EP

Ben Siddall's music is smoothly well made. It's the kind of non-committed generalised hobbyist pop that can only really exist on demo CDs.

katywithout: Tablet EP

Ahhhh, fuck. What the hell is that? After a few seconds of silence I was tempted to increase the volume on my speakers, little did I know that this was not a wise idea; the next thirty seconds were to be taken up with some chaotic, distorted and loud effects.

They Drove Me To It: Support in the Downtime

My first impression of They Drove Me To It is one of striking familiarity, which isn't a good start. The opening salvo of 'Enemy' and 'Kill Your Martyrs' could have come from any one of today's indie-lite wannabes, albeit with female vocals and a tad more distortion.

Editors: Blood

As soon as a record like this starts you know it's going to be good. Editors are gradually, with every release, becoming somewhat of a blessing to the UK music scene.

This Et Al: Everything's irrelevant and no idea's original

The big art rock sound of This Et Al has plenty of variety and invention about it. There's a range of influences from Radiohead through Mogwai to Interpol and a vigorously accomplished approach to playing their instruments.

Hayley Hutchinson: Independently Blue

York's Hayley Hutchinson has set up her own label, HayLo Media, to release this debut album of country tinged acoustic tunes.

Oceansize: One Day All This Could Be Yours

Chris Sheldon (Feeder and so on) has done a very tidy production job on a couple of new but shapeless and over extended Oceansize tunes, with a storming live recording of "Massive Bereavement" that pushes the playing time up to over 20 minutes.

Franz Ferdinand: The Fallen

If you hadn't noticed, Franz Ferdinand have been rather successful these past couple of years. The Fallen is another Indie disco hit straight off the FF production line, stamped with their trademark optimistic upbeat swagger and containing a sure fire air-guitar moment for all the family.

Nikoli: You've Come So Far

This CD has a five star production on some uncertain material. There's a terrific sound to it, recorded as it is in a "purpose built studio" (what other sorts are there?).

POD: Sleeping Awake

When accompanied by the Matrix Reloaded from which it is taken, POD's Sleeping Awake will provide acceptable background music for you walk out of the cinema saying "wow did you see that bit when...?".

Two Legs Bad: Untitled

Funk Rock bands are a dying breed (discuss in 500 words or less). The first question then is why? Because the majority of them are not very good and they tend to be the biggest exploiters of tired and tested, slap-bass-riff-driven, meandering five-minute background music.

Bell X1: Flame

Better than Bono's receding hairline; Bell X1 are Ireland's pop rock supremos and their latest single Flame is no exception.

Operator Please: Leave It Alone

Operator. Operator. Please give me a direct line to all the people who are jizzing gratuitously and wantonly in their art school slacks over this.

Decoy: This Is Disco

Decoy proclaim 'This Is Disco', but sadly the title should perhaps be something more like 'This is a funky tea-dance'!

Franz Ferdinand: Eleanor Put Your Boots On

Enticing each listener and new fan alike with a distinctly un-Franz intro and instructions to run although it isn't 'dignified'; Kapranos et al yet again prove that they are indeed artists of integrity as they boldly go where they haven't previously.

Dive Dive: Good Show

There was a time, albeit brief, when I lived the Oxford music scene, kicked around venues such as Zodiac and claimed bands such as Dustball to be my fave.

The KBC: Trippin

Achingly current, crossing Bloc Party with The Music and The Rapture it's like an NME journalists wet dream.

Barry and the Beachcombers: Untitled

It happens. Three friends who like nerdcore decide they're going to learn to play. It doesn't quite work out..

The Primms: Do You Know The Future?

The bottom line is I'm not a big fan of this record. There's 2 tracks I have by The Primms, one "Do You Know" sounds like muse caught on a slow motion recorder and the other, well that's just "nice".

Zero 7: Throw It All Away

Zero 7 are a funny one. I absolutely loved their first album 'Simple Things' and could often be found lounging out in my garden on a hot summer's day listening to their chilled out electro beats.

Swift: Untitled

"Swift will remove your mask, whether dressed in white or dressed in black." they claim. A surreptitious war on Slipknot fans?

Black Noise Choir: Cadence

Alternative. Alternative is a term used so often today that it begins to lose all meaning, but when I came across this track it was like it had become crystal, because that's exactly what this Leeds 6-piece are.  It becomes clear that this isn't a band that just get together, knock out a few riffs and 'slap' a vocal on top.

The Scaramanga Six: Are you one of the Family?

Save for the first twenty seconds of the opening and title track "Are you one of the Family?" (On their own Trinity Records label), an opening in which The Scaramanga Six have recorded some very strange effects, including explosions, I actually like this track.

Clayhill: One Nerve

While others are off on tour supporting Beth Orton in the U.S we British Lizards are stuck here to take the heat.

Instant Species: Tax Man, Funny Man

It's been several years since I last reviewed Instant Species and one of my first direct encounters with the band was when I promoted the band at a Blue Star Music event at Joseph's Well.

The Martini Henry Rifles: And then we hit a truck...

From the onset I thought I was gonna hate this with a passion, another band from the arrogantly titled "Future of Rock and Roll " Sonic Mook Experiment toss comp.

¡Forward, Russia!: Eighteen

Eighteen, taken from the excellent recent debut "Give Me A Wall" showcases a subtly different side to ¡Forward, Russia!

The Blackout: The Blackout! The Blackout! The Blackout!

The Blackout have never claimed to be reinventing the wheel. Most of the criticism levelled at the valley boys are usually due to their lack of originality.

Andy Bodean and the Bottom Boys: Autumn Lee

One of the most dubious band names for some time coming at you all the way from the USA. This is standard 12 bar blues sung with distorted Strokes wannabe vocals.

Hot Club De Paris: My Little Haunting

A few of my friends have been raving about Hot Club De Paris for quite a while now so I thought I'd take the opportunity to get acquainted with them via this single.

The Dykeenies: Waiting For Go

The most striking thing about this single is how it takes seemingly disparate parts of guitar-based pop music from the last 25 years and turns them into a rolling, modern blast of a song.

The Darkness: Growing On Me

The coolest and at the same time most disturbing CD cover I've seen in a while contains a gem of a rock track.

The Format: Dog Problems

Not many here in the UK have probably heard of The Format, but they've been steadily building up a solid fanbase in their native US, and Dog Problems is their second album proper after 2003's Interventions and Lullabies.

The Shallow Call: s/t

The Shallow Call arrive surrounded by the type of over enthusiastic hyperbole which is usually reserved for world beaters like Radiohead, et al.

The Sleepy Jackson: Personality (One Was a Spider One Was a Bird)

The Sleepy Jackson made a critical impact with their 2003 debut Lovers and in the eyes of many this could only ever be a difficult second album by comparison.

Anechoic: Untitled

Rob Leach's three-piece Anechoic do three sweetly melancholic songs with minimal fuss. They are very agreeable, highly listenable tunes with a consistently intelligent feel.

Dogs: Selfish Ways

If debut effort 'She's Got A Reason' was anything to go by, Dogs are a great band. Rough around the edges, average British lads causing a bit of a raucous but doing so, so loud and abrasively and with so much heart as so it is impossible to resist.

Humanzi: Long Time Coming

Can anyone say stuttering poppy indie guitar music? Will that do? Do you need any more information? Is it really necessary?

Richard Hawley: Just Like the Rain

Were I an even more cynical individual than I already am, I'd say that the fact that this new countrified release from oft-overlooked former Longpigs guitarist Richard Hawley has been released very close to that Johnny Cash biopic "Walk The Line" coming out at the flicks reeks of more than coincidence.

White Denim: All You Really Have To Do

Having been in a coma for the past 6 months, I've been lucky enough to miss the hype pushing White Denim to the front of the saviours of indie rock queue.

Five O'Clock Heroes: Speak Your Language

'Speak Your Language' by Five O'Clock Heroes kicks off in the best possible form with the ear-Prozac of 'Judas.' This song will make you instantly fall in love with frontman's Antony Ellis' addictively angular voice and the band's talent for mixing awkward indie with just the right amount of pop, to create something that's original, but accessible.

Trost: Trust Me

Annika Line Trost might be best recognised for her exploits with electro pop outfit Cobra Killer, but the Berlin based artist's self-produced 2nd solo album Trust Me certainly deserves some acknowledgment.

Finka: The Whistleblower EP

If there was any evidence needed that unsigned local music is thriving in the UK then here's another example.

Ocean Colour Scene: Golden Gate Bridge

Britpop's princes, now relegated to mere footmen, once more still keep plugging away and I guess you have to admire their gusto.

Kinesis: One Way Mirror

Another chewed brick through the window. Another moshingly ripped up piece of adrenalin with amplifiers.

The Sunshine Underground: Borders

Borders is the fourth unique single (there have been a few re-releases!) to come from Leeds-based The Sunshine Underground on their indie label City Rockers.

Chapter Thirteen: Fighting Your Soul EP

"I don't need your cure for illness, This disease is keeping me from falling", reflects a poignant insight into the continued striving for deserved recognition from Chapter Thirteen.

British Beef: Without Me

Only a band that plays this level of bland emo punk would think it was cool to be described in their biog as "Blink 182 with Slash on guitar".

LaRusso: Can't Let It Go / Seven Days

A two note guitar motif grabs your attention before a stop start vocal line slowly leads you into the pogo inducing chorus of 'Can't Let It Go'.

Galactico: Untitled

No biog and no website means no information about Galactico, so it's only a guess whether the band is named after the super stars of Real Madrid.

Nylon Pylon: Pushin'

Nylon Pylon's latest effort shows a new side to the band who's electro-guitar style seems to alter more than you would've thought possible.

Sean Forde: Last Call

Little is known about Sean Forde as his accompanying biog for this home produced demo is made up of a scribbled tracklist and a one line demand that it be reviewed.

The Longshots: What Doesn't Kill Us

Recent experiments under test conditions have concluded that listening to this album whilst driving increases your chances of picking up a speeding ticket by a WHOPPING 37%.

Be: Be EP

It has to be said, I like this. A lot. The former Bingo boys have written an appealing, melody driven guitar pop CD under their new guise Be; a CD that fits nicely into a genre classification of classic indie pop with a clear dance undertone.

Air Traffic: Shooting Star

The heroes of Live At Leeds have their new single, a song which on first inspection lacks the vivacity that drenched their performance at The Cockpit last month.

Polarize: Continuous Performance

It's amazing what clues are given away by the letter/biog that accompanies a CD. In the case of Polarize it's a one line letter scrawled in biro: "Here's our first 4 track EP, completely self produced...

LaRusso: Untitled

La Russo's "fourletterword" starts with a big surge of rising chords and ringing guitar. The song itself is an open, yearning melody.

Outsider (Midlands): Through Exiles Eyes

My mum used to tell me that if you've got nothing constructive to say, then don't say anything at all.

Noise á Noise: Looking Ahead EP

Hailing from Los Angeles and yet taking influences from such UK stalwarts as the The Kinks, Buzzcocks and The Jam.

Head Automatica: Beating Heart Baby

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you the single of the year. Of course it won't win any award for being so, that will go to the next Pop Star puppet to come off Cowell's production line.

Little Barrie: Pin That Badge

Fresh on the news that they have secured an impressive support slot on the upcoming Primal Scream tour, Little Barrie release 'Pin That Badge EP' as a taster for their forthcoming album in the new year.

Stonefish: Untitled

A year on from the debut from Leeds/Bradford's Stonefish and here we have a further six straight down the line rock tracks.

Merchandise: Swallowing Curses

Welcome to my Casio hell. The programming here is not exactly inspiring and smells suspiciously like someone just hit the 'demo' button.

Viva Voce: Faster Than A Dead Horse

Viva Voce's latest single 'Faster Than A Dead Horse' is a psychedelic pop gem. Soak up the feel of the song and you'll think you're cruising through San Francisco in the mid-60's.

Joan As Police Woman: Real Life

Fourteen months on from releasing her acclaimed debut record, New Yorker Joan As Police Woman has released the album titled track Real Life.