Released ahead of their forthcoming GOOD AS GOLD long player, six piece Swedish outfit Petter & The Pix give a taster with new single NEVER NEVER here.

Brother of Pontus Winnberg of Bloodshy & Avant who worked on Britney Spear's Toxic, Petter is an Icelandic based musician whose band is made up of school friends and members of Mum and Gusgus. Following debut album EASILY TRICKED in 2008, GOOD AS GOLD is Petter & The Pix latest opus.

NEVER NEVER is an infectious sounding single that straddles that oh so fine line between the annoying and the catchy with its naggingly delirious “la la la la la la la” melodies running throughout the song; echoes of the Kaiser Chiefs Na Na Na Na Naa and the Gorillaz 19-2000.

Perhaps not the kind of thing to stand up to prolonged listens, NEVER NEVER is catchy pop in a summery, throwaway kind of way, but definitely the sort of song that will soon start to grate on your nerves after one too many airings.
Still, as delirious indie pop singles go, NEVER NEVER is buoyantly infectious sounding stuff and certainly leaves you hungry to hear more from Petter & The Pix.

Taking themselves back to their roots, and grasping onto what made Turin Brakes stir up a fuss in the first place.

Outbursts is a multi-layered recipe for achievement, although obviously dwelling slightly on past successes. This being their first studio album since 2007s Dark on Fire, its fair to say this is a healthy step up.  The mellow storyteller like melodies, wrapped in blankets of anything from bongos to strings, accompanied by familiar claps and crisp double-bass lines, set this album apart. The tones are communicated so clearly, without being bare and lonely. Un-deniably uplifting pathways are laid, connecting each track, but still leaving relaxing dips to breathe it all in.

The teaser for this album that was bestowed upon us is opening track, Sea Change. A clear example of the hard work and promise still expressed by Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, the driving power behind Turin Brakes. It sets you off slowly into a world of acoustic retire, but builds up contently with stepping stones of drums and strings, into the thick rich sound that Turin should be known for. This song stands out as the catchiest, and most understandably written, which does make you question its placement in the running order, but nevertheless still plays it’s part.

A Personal peak comes in the form of Paper Heart. By not overcomplicating its communication to the listener, it pulls you onto the raft, letting you float down a sleepy river of piano keys and warm chorus’.

The voices of Olly and Gale intertwine unarguably, complimenting each other, and the music. These vocal connections amplify the build-ups that help these songs raise your spirits.

It is fair to say, that the production on Outbursts, helps to achieve the more interesting atmospheres put into the tracks. Something that could work against them in live performance, but it helps the album make sense, so all power to them.

Outbursts is an essential mood setter. Take the opportunity to enjoy this album, while the sun is very slowly starting to put its hat on, but the evening air still holds its crisp wintry breath.

As 2009 came to a close, female music artists were really making an impact on the British public. Not only by selling the most records, but by being different and original compared to their predecessors – Gaga and her outrageousness, Florence Welch and her gothic imagery, Marina Diamandis and her outspoken feminism. Another artist who turned a few heads was American songstress Kesha Sebert, or Ke$ha.  Her debut single, Tik Tok, stormed the charts worldwide in November, reaching number one in nine countries and number four in the UK. The song was a massive hit in the UK - on the radio and in the clubs - as its witty lyrics applauded the one thing we all know what to do – Party!

Ke$ha’s highly anticipated debut album, Animal, was released three months later in February 2010. Sounding like the work of Taylor Swift’s ASBO older sister, ‘Animal’ is packed full of girl power anthems for the 21st century. Dripping with attitude, this album almost acts as a how-to guide on how to be a real party ‘Animal’.
On the surface, Ke$ha might be brushed off as another preppy pop clone; a middle ground between Avril Lavigne’s harmless teenage pop and Lady Gaga’s extreme, over-sexualised lyrics. But lyrically, there is some magic here. Many critics have branded her lyrics as corny and hilarious, but the truth is, Ke$ha’s lyrics paint a brutally honest picture that young girls will relate to in ways middle-aged, male critics cannot. Hungover, for example, is a lovesong that negates itself in the chorus through Ke$ha’s confession, “Now my heart is broken/ Like the bottles on the floor/ Does it really matter/ Or am I just hungover?” The lyrics of Boots & Boys however, won’t be forgiven by even the most liberal of critics (‘Boots & Boys/ they bring me so much joy’).

It becomes apparent however, that Ke$ha’s appeal lies solely in the rebelliousness and sassiness of some of her lyrics, because the calmer, more ballad-like songs on the album – ‘Stephen’, for example – come off as boring and unappealing.
If the key to success is making edgy pop tracks that can be remixed to death and then played in nightclubs every Friday night, then the majority of Animal will cash in. A number of tracks, like ‘Your Love is my Drug’ and 3OH!3 collaboration, Blah, Blah, Blah’ imitate the catchy pop feel and super cool production that made Tik Tok a success.
Tik Tok however, set a very high standard of attitude-ridden, raunch pop that her debut album, Animal, never really manages to recreate.
To put it bluntly, you’ll probably love this album when you’re on the dancefloor and full of vodka, but up until the moment - it might prove just a little too girly, fluffy and bittersweet for you to find bearable. Imagine if someone wrote a musical based on the film, Mean Girls, and then played the soundtrack over and over again to you. That’s what reviewing this album has felt like.
A good effort from an artist that you know has it in her to make smash hits, but with all the Gagas and Marinas ravaging the charts at the moment, Ke$ha’s ‘Animal’ won’t stand a chance.

Dublin based outfit The Brothers Movement are a band who've already released a highly praised debut album in late 2009, garnering plaudits from the likes of Irish Hot Press and NME. Lifted from that record, new single the double A side, BLIND / SISTER certainly exposes what all the fuss has been about.

Unleashing a slow burning intensity that borrows from the likes of Elbow, Doves and The Verve, The Brothers Movement deal in similarly brooding yet ultimately euphoric musical territory; the melodies gently anthemic, the guitars dramatically shifting from acoustic folkism to skyrocketing arcs and the drums moving in militaristic directions throughout.

BLIND is a brooding opener here, The Brothers Movement sounding like spiritual successors to The Verve as soulful vocals scuff up against cascading guitar histrionics, the whole thing benefiting from a gradual build that ultimately culminates in an epic, anthemic climax that almost takes you by surprise. SISTER feels like a gospel take on The Beatles, timeless melodies blended with a soulful musical backdrop, The Brothers Movement sharing a certain musical comradeship with some of Primal Screams more laid back moments on the likes of Screamadelica and Give Out But Don't Give In.

An impressive and important sounding release from The Brothers Movement, BLIND / SISTER feels like the start of something truly special, this a band expertly cross weaving the brooding, soulful, uplifting and melancholic. Like all the best singles, this is one that leaves you salivating to hear more.

Taking the emotional roller-coaster that is life, and harnessing it into a masterpiece album can't be the easiest of tasks. For scottish indie rock genius' Frightened Rabbit it seems like it couldn't be easier. Offering songwriting that flows so beautifully, through the entire heart string dangler that is, The Winter of Mixed Drinks.  If you listen really, really hard, you can hear the sobs from bedrooms everywhere already.

Moving away from the relationship break-up themed power that was 2007's release, 'The Midnight Organ Fight', has left singer Scott Hutchinson venturing into a different twist of thought processes to put together 'Mixed Drinks'.

No time to mess around, instantly packing the uppercut of a prize fighter in opening track Things. Lulling you in slowly with gritty guitars, gentle keys and atmospheric vocals topped off with thumping folk-like drums, building up into a hurricane of change. “I didn't need these things...I left them on the floor and ran for dear life through the door” sings Hutchinson, suggesting that this album has become a new chapter for the band. Not a change, just a progression.

Things is followed by massively popular single Swim Until You Can't See Land, released back in October 09 as a teaser to compliment what Mixed Drinks has in store. “Swim until you can't see land...Are you a man, are you a bag of sand?” is rebounded, and seems like a personal challenge Hutchinson is setting for his metaphorical protagonist, as he walks the journey that Mixed Drinks lays out. Skip the Youth follows this, and you get the feeling of a departure into new things, maybe a growing or evolving. The theme of moving on, and facing your own demons seems so personal and thats why you can connect with it so easily.

Moving into The Loneliness & The Scream. A dark title I know, but this song flows unstoppably, as clap and chant along go hand in hand. The Wrestle is the sound of reverberating hope on the horizon, like the feeling when a weight is being lifted from your shoulders. Both songs that portray a struggle but still manage to be refreshing and uplifting. You can already picture the sea of people chanting without remorse, in fields and venues wherever Frightened Rabbit decide to grace with their presence this year.

Nothing Like You is the second single to be released from Mixed Drinks. It is catchy and upbeat, and in many ways doesn't follow suit with the rest of the album. In some ways disappointing as you get the impression that it was made out of need, and not want.

This is made up for in track Foot Shooter, as the hairs on the back of your neck one by one stand up on end. An erie and progressive little package, washing you out to sea with the driftwood.

Hutchinson's full, and experienced vocals work so well through the entire album. The musical talent that Frightened Rabbit presents is second to none and the production adds to this, setting all the right tones for the emotions portrayed. A timeless album that will be appreciated all round. Don't expect this to be the last you hear of Frightened Rabbit.

Everybody Was In the French Resistance Now is the new band from Eddie Argos, lead singer from sadly departed art rock heroes Art Brut. For those who don’t know, Art Brut are probably the coolest band ever to have emerged from the art rock scene.

Their repertoire includes such classics as: ‘Formed a band’, ‘Bang Bang Rock and Roll’, ‘Emily Kane’, and ‘Moving to LA’. According to legend, early on stage histrionics included Eddie vacuuming on stage, Eddie escaping out of a sack, and various strange liaisons between Eddie and audience members.

So it’s fair to say Eddie is a man with enough charisma to make Tom Jones sweat and a delivery sharper than Simon Cowell’s tongue, he is a genetic fusion of Kenneth Williams and Oscar Wilde. He also is not a rock and roll faker; he actually has moved to LA, and probably did date a girl called Emily Kane, and well, he did form a band.

Everybody Was In The French Resistance Now has Eddie teaming up with his girlfriend Dyan Valdes from the Blood Arm, an alternative rock band from LA. FIXING THE CHARTS is their attempt at ‘correcting the mistakes of pop songs past’, and sees them ‘responding’ to various pop classics from Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfreind’ to Kayne West’s ‘Gold Digger’, to that song all those Liverpool fans always seem to sing when they’re playing rubbish, ‘You’ll never walk alone’, which seems to be ringing out at Anfield quite a lot lately.

The general tone is far more pop than Art Brut, there are less noisy guitars here, just organ sounds, piano, brass instruments, and some lush vocal harmonies from Dyan. It’s well produced and fun, not laugh out loud funny, just witty and entertaining. The first track CREEQUE ALLIES is basically the history of the French Resistance read out to music, which is a bit odd to be honest, but you get used to it, and by the time BILLIE’S GENES unravels the story of a sibling searching for their genetic benefactor, the weirdness doesn’t seem out of place.

Musically there’s a lot going on. There are plenty of melodic guitar parts and funky choruses, using a wide range of orchestral instruments, the arrangements are often imaginative and interesting. G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N. (You Know I've Got A) is a great pop song about a deluded stalker who won’t take no for an answer, the chorus sung by Dyan is really sweet and catchy and I couldn’t quite remove it from my head after listening to it, it reminded me of Kenickie a fair amount. BILLIE’S GENES opens with 70’s style disco and has a thumping bass line and a blazing sting section. (I'm So) Waldo P. Emerson JonES has a funky Beatles like piano riff and builds up pace with more strings and a brass accompaniment. WALK ALONE sees Eddie musing about standing on his own, being a functioning adult ‘It’s  ok to walk alone, I can do this on my own, It’s First Blood: Part II and I’m Stallone’.

SUPERGLUE reminded me the most of Art Brut, using cool distorted guitars, it’s one of the shortest songs on the album, and has a really cute Dandy Warhol’s like chorus. ‘Nothing lasts forever without superglue, hold yourself together with superglue’ urges Eddie. Think Twice (It's Not Alright) has a similar cutesy vibe, and He's a "Rebel" makes great use of Dyan’s vocals and is a standout track on the album.
Dyan has a sugary, cool nonchalant vocal style, and it fits well with Eddie, who tends to just sing in one vocal range. The pair create some fun 60s and 70’s style tunes: with splashes of Beach Boys, The Beatles, Neil Diamond, mixed up with modern indie.

So this album is the only place you’re going to hear songs about stalking, the French Resistance, face book, Rambo, the Godfather, and superglue. It’s all the only place your going to hear Eddie and Dyan do their thing together, so for that reason it’s worth a listen. Because they go well together and create unique, entertaining music that manages to mix grungy indie guitar with more traditional and older styles of music. The result is an oddity, but an enthralling oddity, that will leave you in a better mood and wanting to do something a bit silly.

A disappointing debut from The Moons, fronted by Paul Weller's keyboard player Andy Crofts. Coming from a band that has so much to offer, in the way of style and originality, Crofts has difficulty injecting these traits into his new project. Opening track, 'Don't go changin'' , hosts un-impressive and honestly annoying, 'choppy' keyboards. Followed by unnecessary guitar solos and... erm... noises...

The whole package tied up with a bland and needy melody. The following tracks carry the pattern. Nothing thus far has done anything to stand out at all really.

The running theme exposed through-out the album is love- lost, and won. Having this as the theme on so many tracks, makes the album lack substance. You could expect this from any teen band, but I definitely would hope for more variation from such an established musician.

Half way through we reach track 'How long', and we have a glimmer of hope. A fantastically put together acoustic intro, moving into mellow melodies and a 'clap-a-long' beat. It works so well because you feel like the band are trying less! The melody suits Crofts voice far more than the overly testing, cheesy and pushy vocals from the preceding tracks.

It is impressive to note that Crofts wrote track, 'Wondering', when he was only a mere sixteen. Although not particularly exciting, it is well put together. Boasting lyrics that leave you 'wondering', about a thing or two. It lets itself down with a 'time filling' drone of voices, that if you try really hard, you can imagine weren't there when the song was originally written.

The album's finale, 'Last night on earth', is a culmination of everything that has come before it. It has a little bit of each element from the previous tracks. Trying to trick you into appreciating the fact that, for the most part, they have tried too hard, and in doing so ended up with a fairly stale and needy album.

SMALL TOWN EYES is the debut album from Justin Sandercoe, a man who made his name through You Tube by creating free guitar video sessions that attracted up to 50 million hits. He also taught artists such as Katie Melua and Kathy Dennis, and even toured with Katie on her European dates, quite an impressive resume then. So, in releasing a self penned album of 14 tracks, Justin has decided to turn the spotlight on himself, and become the main attraction, but can he pull it off?

The answer is: not quite. As you would expect, his guitar work is flawless and enchanting at times, but that's about the main attraction. I was a little disappointed with the singing and the variety of  songs on offer. Some are great, others are a little weak and require beefing up with steroids. The overall style is very much acoustic/folk, and no song on the album ever ventures far from that path or offers something radically different. Therefore, if you like one song you will probably like all of them, so it's worth listening to a few if you follow Justin on You Tube and are a fan. Also if you like folk music or acoustic music, artists such as Dylan, Nick Drake, Neil Young or Ryan Adams at times, then SMALL TOWN EYES will entertain.

Opening track FOREVERGREEN begins with a shimmering guitar riff that sounds like the wind rustling through autumn leaves and speaks of finding spirituality through nature, of being helpless in the face of ones fears, and the desolation that modern society brings. It's a lovely piece of songwriting; the drums rumble along gently in the background, the bass quietly keeps the pace, but the vocals are a little flat, and it almost sets the tone for the rest of the album : nice guitar, not so keen on the voice. On songs such as LOVE AND LEVITY, a killer voice could have helped raise a  decent tune into something more; as it is, the song bubbles away nicely, but just fails to take off.

What you cannot take away from this album though, is the inventiveness of guitar playing and the general uplifting, warm vibe created; there are plenty of mellow guitar moments. Highlights include
FROM KATIE'S WINDOW, a lovely finger picked ditty that reminded me of Led Zeppelin when Jimmy Page had discovered Lord of the Rings and Valium at the same time. PAGE 99 again features gorgeous finger pinking guitar work, ' If only you could say those words, and fill my heart with nouns and verbs', and some clever lyrics. INTO THE BLUE starts with more acoustic mellowness,  but gathers pace and morphs into a rousing pop song by the end. PITY THE ROSE also gently meanders until the chorus, when things break out a bit, Justin cuts loose with energetic singing and strumming and lets rip a glistening guitar solo to round things off in the style of Neil Young.

Other high points include IMPERFECT, a track that sees Justin angry and agitated about  contemporary society and the digital age, 'Strip away personality and wash off the mark that was unique, digital makes the perfect art, but zeros and ones don't break my heart.' This song actually really suits his voice and the lyrics are intelligent and honest. There's also some atmospheric harmonica towards the end, I could imagine enjoying this song crouched round a camp fire with some friends. I KNOW is a catchy tune helped along by an energetic, shuffling drum beat, and the addition of an accordion gives it a folksy polish. FALLING NEXT TO YOU starts with guitar, drums, harmonica and reveals itself in time to be a hummable pop number with a cracking chorus, Ryan Adams would have been pleased to have written this.

Songs I didn't enjoy so much were CUTTING OUT, I TURN TO TEL HER, and WASTE THIS. I found them a touch weak and like added extras rather than the main filling. However, they still fit the general ambient, relaxed mood, WASTE THIS in particular has some spacy, warped guitar effects in the background that lowered my blood pressure considerably.

All in all this is a pleasant, relaxing collection of songs performed by a technically gifted guitar player who can write some decent tunes too. If you like his voice then you will definitely like the songs and it's hard not to be charmed by the witty lyrics and honest sentiment. I didn't really get the sense that SMALL TOWN EYES was a coherent album, more a collection of songs that have been put together, but there's enough in here to please the casual listener. The general sentiment is one man with a guitar just saying what he thinks; feeling helpless in the face of comercialisation and the onslaught of technology, and coming to terms with friendships, relationships, himself even. So if you're a fan of Justin on You Tube then I'm sure you will enjoy this, if not, give him a listen, he has some good points to make, and some good tunes.

Lawrence Arabia may be a new name to some people from outside New Zealand, but James Milne has been around acting as his musical guise since 2003. His self titled debut album had success and lead him to be nominated for several Bnet awards.

The latest album from Lawrence named 'Chant Darling' is described by himself as “New old fashion pop music” which suits this album down to the last pop treble fuelled guitar riff. The opening track is a melodie driven harmonic song named 'Looking like a fool', simplisticly dramatic, telling a story of a drunken chase of a girl, which ultimately ends with him looking like a fool. 

James Milne has tried his hand in many areas of music, having been involved with the successful pop group The Brunettes, toured with Okkervil River and Feist, and composed music for the theatre and film, leaving us with Lawrence Arabia's latest outing that shows an arrangement of different musical styles and instruments.

'Apple pie bed' is a catchy happy go lucky track that'll have you tapping your foot as you dress for a night out on the town, a song about a love that has taken over, the guitar riffs are a swing back from a 60s pops song with the high pitched harmonies to match.

The humor adopted throughout the album makes it even more of a joy to listen to, he seems not to care not for his broken heart and instead decides to turn it into something worth making fun of.

'The beautiful young crew' a song that stands out as a whistle along with me track has a chorus which marches into “We love each other/but we hate each other/we're afraid of each other/because we want to screw each other” and shows what kind of album we're dealing with... a happy look on a love lost.

The album is a joy listen to, from start to finish. Capturing a new 60's pop which will undoubtedly stick around for a while yet. Lawrences musical CV is written within the album and his dramatic songs sewn with witty humor make this album a must.

Calling all indie-pop kids, check out this band, The Hush Now; they tick all the right boxes to fulfil your indie needs. CONTRAILS is their second ever single release, following on from a free download of WISHING YOU A HAPPY CHRISTMAS, which surprised us all with it’s cheeky guitar based loveliness last year. Bright, breezy, and as much fun as a game of twister whilst inebriated, this single is well worth looking at if you like your music sugar coated with a positive vibe.

The Hush Now are Noel Kelly on vocals and guitar, Barry Marino on drums, Pat Macdonald on bass, Adam Quane on lead guitar, and John Millar on keys, they come from Boston, Massachusetts. The song has a slight Beach Boys feel to it, but with a lo- fi indie twist, sounding like the Boo Radleys in their chirpier moments, the vocals also remind me a little of Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips.

All these influences mix well to create a surfy, summery, feel good blast of guitar pop, with lovely smatterings of Moog synthesiser. Distorted guitars drive the song and the vocals inject uplifting, happy energy, whilst the drums sit merrily in the background. It's just a basic verse chorus verse pop song with a happy atmosphere, the singing fits well with the mood and the other instruments neither stand out or sound out of place, it's almost child like in simplicity, and the chorus is so lovely you’d want to invite it round for tea to meet your parents.

It did take a while to grow on me, at first I didn’t totally enjoy the production and sugar levels, but after repeated listens I have definitely come round to enjoying the style of the track, and what it has to offer. There is nothing new or mind blowing here, but this is a good effort from an emerging indie band, so keep an eye out for them, and enjoy this song now, this is worth checking out if you like lo-fi indie pop.