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.

Hillbilly Rock. A phrase that sounds so very wrong and yet so freakin’ RIGHT. Hayseed Dixie are back with a new banjo-tastic album, this time a mixture of original songs as well as the covers they are so well known for. Rather than focusing on covering one band like some of their previous releases (AC/DC, Kiss and Mountain Love to name but a few) they have managed to re-interpret a whole host of musical excellence, from Queen, to Black Sabbath and yes, even Mozart. 

It may all sound like a bit of silly fun but while the album provides a very entertaining listen, these guys aren’t just messing around. They are a very talented bunch and take on each massive song they are covering and perform it with believable conviction and gusto. Each track they cover is definitely worth a listen but the true highlight of the album, for myself at least, is their version of The Prodigy’s huge hit ‘Omen’. Their use of quick-paced banjo, sweeping violins and shouty vocals all make for a truly fresh-sounding take on an already great track.

While the cover songs are undoubtedly the best part of the album, the band also offers us up 7 original songs which deserve a little recognition from us. One of the highlights of the album is ‘In The Backyard’, a jaunty, up-beat tune worthy of a good old knees-up (albeit with some dark undertones in the lyrics). Special mention must also go out to ‘Underneath The Bed’ for possibly some of the greatest opening lyrics OF ALL TIME; “Who put that condom in my shoe…?” Who indeed. The album not only offers us a mix of belting cover songs and fun original tracks, the band have also given us a special treat in the form of a bonus DVD. Not only does this include music videos but we are also offered the chance to mess with the audio files and re-mix the tracks…if we are so inclined to do such things. All in all, definitely one to pick up for your next hoe-down.

In case the name 2Play (real name Wesley Johnson) doesn’t ring a bell, he is a successful record producer, has enjoyed top ten success in the UK with two hits (‘So Confused’ in 2003 followed by ‘It Can’t Be Right’ in 2004) and has even been the recipient of a MOBO award. However, he is perhaps, rather tragically, best known for his involvement in an ill-advised cover and RnB remix of George Michael classic “Careless Whisper” back in 2005.

Now, five years later, he is back with new single “That’s What The Girls Like.” ‘What has he been DOING for five years?!’ I hear you cry. Well, apart from a less than successful single in 2007 ‘Close To You’, he has been pursuing an altogether different dream of Cage Fighting, chasing after the cage fighting championship. He has now taken a step out of the ring in order to revive his musical career once again.

The single itself is harmless; mildly catchy but a bit bland, certainly repetitive and even sounding a little outdated. 2Play has teamed up with old mates Maxi Priest, Juxci D and Moni for the track, who have all been involved with his previous projects. His mix of RnB beats, smooth vocals and reggae undertones will make this tune a sure-fire bump n grind hit on certain dance floors but will more than likely struggle to make much of an impact on the UK chart

In a recent interview, I, Ludicrous describe their music in two ways, the first being “quite good”. The second being, “Smart alec observational lyrics over stolen riffs”. This sounds about right, if you add self-deprecating.

The band originally formed in Brixton in the mid-eighties as a two-piece with members John Procter and David Rippingdale (or ‘Will Hung’, as he likes to be known). It is said that their humourous and satirical lyrics originated from the two amusing each other with jokes and anecdotes to get them through the working day at Finsbury Data Services. The two enjoyed success with numerous releases, culminating in Idiots and Savants, an album released on their own record label in 1992 and thought by many to include their finest work. After a quiet period, the band returned in the noughties and added long time friend Martin Brett to the line-up in the form of bassist.

While the band have enjoyed success, they are no doubt mostly regarded as something of a novelty band. Member Will states that “We are often dismissed not as not just a novelty band, but a joke band. People think we do it as some kind of dare.” Indeed, you would be forgiven for writing off I, Ludicrous as a bit of fun, but there is no denying that they at least offer a bit of variety to the indie world.

‘We’re The Support Band’ is an undoubtedly silly and yet undeniably catchy single. The band have a suitably ‘can’t be arsed’ approach and the simple, blunt and wry lyrics make them instantly likeable. The droning, heavy sound of the track and the flat, monotone vocals not only fit perfectly with the lyrics but also sit surprisingly comfortably on the ears and the track can withstand a good few repeat listens. With lyrics like ‘the singer’s too fat, the vocals are flat, we’re the support band’, what’s not to love?

IT’S CHRIIIIIIISSSSSSTMAAAASSSSS. The time for festive cheer, good will all round and an abundance of cheese, cheese and more cheese on the radio/music channels/shopping centre play list. The appearance of these festive tunes will be greeted by some with open arms and a sloppy kiss. However, there will be some amongst you who may fly into an internal rage at the sound of Cliff, Wham and Shakin’ Stevens and think to yourself [inset side=right]...A cool Christmas song? You bet your baubles it is....[/inset]“why oh why can’t someone bring out a Christmas single that doesn’t make me want to batter myself over the head with a Sainsbury’s own Christmas Pudding?!”

If the latter sounds even vaguely familiar, you may want to have a listen to the new Christmas single from Boston based five piece The Hush Now. The band release this holiday single while working on their upcoming second album, due to be released in 2010. Wishing You A Happy Christmas has just enough ‘Fa La La’s’ and jingle bells to have you reaching for the mince pies, but still manages to inject a healthy dose of mellow indie-cool.

The track starts of subdued and even has a slight tone of sadness in the opening notes. However, it soon escalates into a pleasant verse and an up-beat and suitably sunny-sounding chorus. This is pure indie pop with an air of sophistication, you can imagine yourself sipping mulled wine in a romantic chalet with this in the background…or maybe that’s just me. While the single is unlikely to have a fighting chance against X Factor finalists and novelty songs for the number one slot it would be a welcome addition to any Yuletide playlist. A cool Christmas song? You bet your baubles it is.