Imagine sitting in a club, minding your own business, when the most beautiful girl in the room comes over and sits next to you. You can’t quite believe this is happening; is it a dream? Could this be too good to be true?
That is how it feels listening to The Volitains for the first time.

Not since The Kills have there been such a frighteningly good female fronted band like The Volitains. Hole owned the nineties and The Distillers lit up the first half of the noughties, but now the new decade is here and we are still waiting for Rock’s next beauty queen.

Camden-born 4-piece The Volitains – complete with blonde vixen-like front woman Candice Ayery – might just be capable of filling the big shoes of the grrl  rock outfits that came before them.
The story of their conception alone is like a modern day love story. In a nutshell, Candice Ayery was wandering drunkenly down the platform at Camden Town tube station, when she nearly ended up on the tracks and guitarist Nick D’Amico saved her.
Movie script conversation about shared heroes ensued (Karen O, Patti Smith and Kurt Cobain, if you were interested) and that drunk blonde girl is now the lead singer of Nick’s band. If a Mills & Boon was ever based in Camden, it would probably sound a little something like that.

New single ‘Underground’ sees unavoidable sex appeal drip from every guitar chord, bass lines that are smooth and seductive and ferociously spectacular drum moments that cascade into the sort of brilliance that would make even Grohl and Homme take notice.
The best thing about The Volitains is that they have managed to produce a fresh, modern female-fronted sound without sounding like a tribute band to their influences.
It is impossible to review The Volitains without constantly coming back to the blonde haired, kohl eyed enigma that is Candice Ayery; sprawling across the stage during the band’s live performances, she is the reincarnation of Karen O, Courtney Love and Debbie Harry for all the rebellious teenage girls of 2010.

‘Underground’ is an impeccable single from a band that are seemingly unafraid, uncompromising and ready to make a very big impression on the rock music scene of 2010 and beyond.

It takes a certain style and sense of finesse to properly merge the sound of two very different bands in to listenable music – that said, even the best culmination of Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon (a band I loathe, despite recent improvement and an outfit I’ve nothing but admiration for respectively) would be an ugly lovechild - and I can’t say with any confidence that Ice Black Birds possess that much needed air of grace about their fusion just yet; they teeter dangerously only the cusp.

The Brighton outfit’s new single ‘As Birds We’d Be Fine’, a two-track 7” and download only release (available from the 13th of June), is a bit like a bad haircut – it takes a while to get used to and, even when you do, you’re never truly satisfied with it.
The opening title track is homage to full on indie rock, strongly reminiscent of Kings of Leon’s ‘The Bucket’ & Vampire Weekend’s ‘A-Punk’ but without the pizzazz that sets either of those two bands apart from the crowd and though it doesn’t seem to matter so much in contemporary music, for me, vocals – if a band has them – are still a make or break factor. With that in mind, despite some excellent backing vocals and harmonies, Ice Black Birds verge on break with theirs being muddy, unrefined and just on the cusp of tuneful.

Against all odds, this works for some bands; but the key to success is diversity of texture. If you’re going to have (what I’m sure are intended to be) rough, bluesy, vocals then you need a good crisp tone on your instruments – and that’s the one area that I think this band show an occasional spark of potential genius that, sadly, just evens the odds on the negatives where it should be a shining light.
The layering on ‘As Birds We’d Be Fine’ is, on occasion, quite exquisite: the simple riff – played at the top end of the guitar – is bright and clean and shines through the dirty (but creditably inspired, though again, very Kings of Leon) bass riffs.

Doors (the second, and final, track of the single) has a much dancier ambience about it. Proudly exuding considerably more of the faux-classic rock riffs and ambience of Wolfmother and smacking of Mick Jagger it still, sadly, maintains the easy comparison to Kings of Leon being very comparable to the quartets own Four Kicks.

All that said, I get the impression from this CD that Ice Black Birds would make a fantastic live band and, if Club NME are to be trusted (a dubious statement in itself), then that’s certainly the case. There’s an energy about this second track that’s missing from the first that, akin to the rolling stones, I imagine could fill the dance floor quickly with skinny young things. And yet it lacks the artistry of structure they exhibited on ‘As Birds We’d Be Fine’ and to me this shows a blip in consistency – there’s no stability about their songs.  A bit of variety in terms of style and structure can add a third dimension or even a sense of danger to a band, but in those cases it’s ‘considered disarray’ – it’s meticulous – and it’s not about sacrificing quality.

I’ve no doubt that if Ice Black Birds can get a reign on their vocals and a grip on their style (emphasis on their) then they are capable of doing great things on the UK music scene. But, as it stands, they’re drowned out by their own sound-a-like quality and eclipsed by the bands that inspire them as well as the myriad of similar acts.

In the words of the immortal Roy Walker: It’s good, but it’s not right.

A twang, and husky voiced love song. This is the closest you will get to a sweet nothing in your ear from blues stomper, Seasick Steve. Songs For Elisabeth is exactly how a collection of love songs from a past hobo-carnie-busker should sound like. A mixture of elements, culminating in the closest thing to a lovers mix tape that a man with a past like Seasick's could muster.

Making his UK television debut back in 2006, on Jools Holland's 'Annual Hootenanny'. Going on to play more UK festivals in 2007 than any other artist, following this by extensive touring in 2008. With his 2009 release, Man From Another Time, reaching number five in the UK charts. Seasick is an artist that has truly earned his place on the UK music scene.

Although this is a fantastic 7-track collection of Seasick's work, the fact that the only new song you are actually getting is middle weight closing tune, Ready for Love, is definitely a turn off. All the other songs seem to have just been picked from his previous releases because of their 'romantic' relevance. The cover art includes a: 'To' and 'From' section on the inside sleeve, which is a cute idea but at the same time disappointingly cheesy.

An honest, heartfelt description of how a man can feel about a woman comes in the form of tracks Walkin' Man and My Home. The honesty is shown through the mellow tone and simplicity of the lyrics: 'You say jump, I say how high, Exactly you want me to jump to, And you say walk, I will walk, To the end of the line and back to you'.

A duet from Nick Cave is welcomed on track, Just like a King. Slowly tapping into a dark, seductive twang of bent strings and straining vocals. You are left with no question to which area of romance is being described.
A personal favourite track definitely has to be third tune, My Donny. This track is taken from Seasick's Dog House Music long-player. Two minutes and twenty seconds he introduces that something is about to happen; you are not prepared for how dark it gets, sometimes even aggressive. I am not saying this to put you off in the slightest, it is still amazing, a really passionate example of the true grit and energy Seasick Steve puts into his work.

Possibly only a collectors item for a long-time fan, but this EP is a great example of Seasick's work for any first time listener.

I happened to stumble upon Peggy Sue purely by mistake back in November and became a fan during the first few minutes of hearing them play. Playing a free gig in a tiny venue in Southampton, they were instantly bewitching with their hauntingly beautiful voices, gentle melodies and charming demeanours, the audience may have been small but it was certainly enraptured. It was hard to believe that these two girls hadn’t made the big time yet. It was on this chilly November eve that, at the end of their set, they thanked us all for coming and asked us to raise a glass to the news that they had been signed by Wichita Recordings and were set to make an album. Fast forward only five months later and the album is set for release in April.

Peggy Sue, formerly Peggy Sue And The Pirates, seem to be the newest act to come out of the recent influx of folk-inspired acts, following in the footsteps of Laura Marling, Noah And The Whale and Mumford And Sons. Initially made up of only two members, Rosa and Katy, both on guitar and vocals (and occasionally accordion), they added drummer Olly Joyce to the line-up. The band’s not so secret weapon is undoubtedly the effortless, husky vocals that both girls posses, their ability to blend and overlap their different sounds adds texture to their tracks without ever sounding over-bearing. Katy has a particularly impressive set of lungs, a beautiful voice that has a warmth and tone beyond her years.

The album itself is a triumph. It opens with the sultry and mellow tale of woe, ‘Long Division Blues’ which sets up the album perfectly, slowly building to a crescendo and falling back into a steady rhythmic pace. First single from the album, ‘Watchman’ is also a highlight, a more powerful, slightly angry sounding track. As the album progresses it becomes clear that the band are talented songwriters, they describe the album as being “about endings in one way or another”, this is apparent in most tracks where there is often an underlying scent of sadness and even bitterness. Other gems of the album include the frankly stunning ‘She Called’ and ‘Matilda’, which begins subdued and moody, but then crashes into an almighty rock out towards the end. This is a subtle and polished album, showcasing Peggy Sue’s awesome talent and potential. All in all, a perfect debut.

Listening to Kill It Kid for the very first time conjures up images of some deep south Americana outfit, all toothless grins and whisky soaked heartbreak, you'd imagine this band to hail from some backwater town down by the Mississippi. So learning that Kill It Kid are a bunch of fresh faced youngsters from Bath comes as something of a shock, the heady mixture of Tom Waits, Seasick Steve, Allison Krauss and Robert Johnson influences at the very least giving this outfit a fresh sounding musical take in 2009.

Closest comparisons are perhaps Gomez, Kill It Kid indulging in similar sounding Americana tropes and gravel throated melodicism, vocalist Chris Turpin sounding for all intents and purposes like the grizzled offspring of Tom Waits, Ben Ottewell and Seasick Steve.

New single HEAVEN NEVER SEEMED SO CLOSE is a bluesy bluster of slide guitar licks, flailing riffs, heady strings and frantic drum stomps. Turpin growls and hollers his way through proceedings, wringing forceful melodies from the ether as the rest of the band grinds its way through proceedings, part Grinderman, part Tom Waits backing band. The acoustic flips side MY LIPS WON'T BE KEPT CLEAN, sees Turpin duetting with Stephanie Ward, another vocalist whose style suggests a definite Americana influence; the duo sparking off each other in fine style amidst delta blues string surges and roughly strewn guitar chords.

HEAVEN NEVER SEEMED SO CLOSE introduces Kill It Kid as a band certainly doing there own thing, a breath of fresh air these days; and as such this is highly recommended stuff.

This Bath five-piece has received rave reviews in The Clash (where ‘Burst It’s Banks’ was single of the month), The List and even BBC Newsbeat, and now they’re getting one here.On first receiving the album through the post, I was somewhat deceived by their youth and relative fresh-faced countenance.  Within seconds of opening track ‘Heaven Never Seemed So Close’ kicking in, I was sold. 

The album begins with a dirty, bluesy stomp that made me think of the ‘white boy blues’ explosion of the mid to late 60s.  ‘Heaven Never Seemed So Close’ was raucous enough to put me in mind of the two Rod Stewart/Jeff Beck albums with its raunchy blues playing and raw vocals. Vocalist Chris Turpin may look like butter wouldn’t melt, but he nearly landed the band with a dry cleaning bill when I almost dropped my coffee in surprise at the power of his voice in opening seconds of the album.  Like so much about this band and what they do, you really have to struggle to remind yourself that Kill It Kid hail from Bath and not the Bayou.

It isn’t all Turpin’s show though.  Steph Ward is a subtle, affecting vocalist whose contribution is to provide the velvet glove to Turpin’s iron fist delivery.  When she takes centre stage on tracks like ‘Private Idaho’ and ‘Fool For Loving You’, the mood changes and the album exudes a different kind of power.  Steph’s style is, to me, Laura Cantrell with a dash of Julie Driscoll thrown in.  Together, she and Chris cook up a storm, notably on the playful country honk of ‘My Lips Won’t Be Kept Clean’.

So there you have it: this album is 100% ‘carpet-burn-to-the-chin-from-your-jaw-dropping’ brilliance.  This album is a million miles away from the current musical ‘plat du jour’, yet possesses the sort of magnetism and energy that would make even the most die-hard 80s acolyte cock an ear.  This is down to virtuoso musicianship from a band that knows their influences and has mastery over their staple ingredients to create something fresh and ambitious whilst ticking every box of the genres they stand astride.  Just forget whatever else it was you were planning to buy or see this weekend, Kill It Kid are here and you cannot resist them.