Do you remember the glory of 2005?

Facebook was but a twinkle in Mark Zuckerman’s eye, Myspace was cool and music festivals were dirty places where grungy people went. And then – in short - a group of lads called Arctic Monkeys started making music together and the entire British music scene changed forever.

There were obviously other smaller events that contributed, but when we nostalgically look back at the noughties in 2050, we will undoubtedly blame the Arctic Monkeys for single-handedly MAKING INDIE COOL. The five boys from Sheffield who rose to mainstream fame simply by having their music passed between fans on the internet (most notably, via Myspace) will forever be remembered as THE band who revolutionised the music industry and the way it promotes new bands.

This is all old news. Arctic Monkey’s debut, ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ came and went, slaying the music charts, wiping garage music off the map and putting Indie music at the top of its game. Chavvy, skinhead types started rubbing shoulders with the ‘alternative’ crowd at Brixton Academy, music festivals were suddenly the new lads-holiday and The Great Divide that separated so many colonies of music lovers blurred to the point on non-existance.

The most obvious thing for the boys to do following the success of their debut was to sit back and enjoy it. Not the Arctic Monkeys. Not from an act who, it soon became clear, were full of surprises.
In the space of a year, the band found the time to write and record second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, while simultaneously riding the hype wave of their first album. What was expected was a rushed imitation of ‘Whatever People Say…’.

What actually surfaced in April 2007 was the complete opposite. It’s easy now – three years down the line - to say that every track is a hit. All 12 tracks have had a chance to permeate our lives; attach themselves to past events and memories and most of us have heard the record live. But I’ll say it anyway because it’s glaringly true – Favourite Worst Nightmare is jam-packed full of hits, each song capable of standing alone as a single and storming the charts.

Taking off with all the fervour and entrapment characteristic of the louder moments on their debut (‘A View from The Afternoon’, ‘A Certain Romance), opener song, Brianstorm - Inspired by a rendezvous with a PR mogul of the same name - is a force to be reckoned with. The first single from the album, Brianstorm shot straight into the Top Ten, proving that FWN was capable of winning the hearts and minds of Great Britain from the moment Turner snarled: “Briiiian”.
The bouncy, guitar hooks reminiscent of the band’s biggest hit, ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’, return on Teddy Picker and D is for Dangerous sounds like it was made for the fans to shout back at the band (“I think you should know/ You’re his favourite worst nightmare!”). Balaclava echoes the rascal rock of the band’s earlier tracks, accompanied by the garage guitar hooks that we’re all too familiar with. Second single, Fluorescent Adolescent is as poppy as ever and its July 2007 release meant it swamped the summertime radio playlists and soundtracked all the festivals. Turner is back on top form lyrically here, making quick-witted observations on modern society: “You used to get it in your fishnets/ Now you only get it in your nightdress” and “That Bloody Mary’s lacking a Tabasco/ Remember when you used to be a rascal?”
The rowdy brilliance of Fluorescent Adolescent is followed by its antithesis; the mellow Only One Who Knows. There’s something about that usually cheeky Yorkshire accent and the melancholy honesty of lyrics, “They made it far too easy to believe/ That true romance cant be achieved these days” that offers some beauty in amidst all that pop chaos.
Do Me a Favour and This House is a Circus are both pretty epic rock tunes that squash any fears the band have wandered into mainstream, indie pop territory. As the album nears its end, tracks like If You Were There, Beware and Old Yellow Bricks are hauntingly darker, while Do The Bad Thing offers some quick pop relief.
Like that moment when the lights come on at the end of a party, 505 starts off slow, hinting at a quieter ender. And then, albeit two minutes and 30 seconds in, 505 takes off; that trademark northern voice that we’ve all fallen for sings desperately and passionately to end the Arctic Monkey’s much-anticipated debut on an astounding, victorious note.

As previously mentioned, in hindsight of Favourite Worst Nightmare’s success and after many, many listens since its release, this review could be considered slightly biased. But ultimately, the simple mention of those ‘many, many listens’ could conclude this review; if it were a bad album, it would be long-forgotten, not even worthy of a re-listen. It’s not often that highly-anticipated albums deliver, but Arctic Monkeys didn’t just deliver on this one, they exceeded anything anyone expected of them.

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.

Hot Chip have never been an in-your-face band. Successful, yes; but they never embody the raucous, attention grabbing nature of their contemporaries, simply because they don’t have to. They are one of few revolutionary, genre-crossover bands who have managed to stay relevant and interesting seven years after their 2003 debut, ‘Coming on Strong’.  The British 5-piece seem to effortlessly make music for themselves with no real focus for the mainstream.  Lucky for them then, they get there anyway through the sheer brilliance of their music.
Hot Chip’s unique mix of disco beats, acoustic guitars and piano dips into so many different genres that it is impossible to pigeonhole them, and latest offering ‘One Life Stand’ is no exception to that. Released on February 1, the album was preceded by the single of the same name; a track that some critics heralded Song of the Year before 2010 even had the chance to take off.

But did the album live up to expectations?
First track, ‘Thieves in the Night’ doesn’t hesitate to show what Hot Chip are capable of. Embodying all the catchiness of the band’s popular singles, it is the perfect introduction to exactly what we were hoping for – addictive yet unadulterated disco pop.
Hand Me Down Your Love adds strings to Alexis Taylor’s high-pitched croon and a funky beat. “I’ve known for a long time, you were my love life”, Taylor wails. If it wasn’t for the drum machine, this would be the stuff of emo-folk bands like Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver.
‘I Feel Better’ sounds like the sister track to ‘One Life…’. Auto tune comes into play in the verses, sounding more Calvin Harris than Mumford & Sons, but then Taylor’s heart-wrenching vocals (“I only want one night/ Together in our arms”) come in for the chorus and Hot Chip’s brilliance is undeniable.
In context of the album, lead single One Life Stand sounds as glorious here as it does nestled in the charts. The best sort of love song is one you can dance to, and Hot Chip manage to deliver this over and over again on this record.
Brothers and Slush are a pair of digitalised ballads that might be a little hard to stomach for even the most weathered Hot Chip fans. Brothers is a very soppy ode to male friendship and Slush sounds like Alexis Taylor’s answer to Unchained Melody. On Alley Cats, Joe Goddard takes the vocal reign and his low, near-rasp vocal style is the perfect compliment to Taylor’s vocals.

The last few songs on the album seem to shy away from mainstream appeal, devoid of memorable hooks or beats, which probably explains why this album has fallen shy of full marks in other reviews.
The secret to Hot Chip’s success is making records that suit the 5am comedown as much as the dance floor. Their songs combine the adrenaline of piano power ballads and the fervour of house anthems to create a truly unique, unrivalled sound. Hot Chip’s genre-crossing allows them to be dispensable to a whole assortment of tastes, which results in the fans at their gigs rubbing shoulders with folk they wouldn’t normally have anything in common with musically.

Although some of the album tracks can sometimes miss the hit factor, One Life Stand proves Hot Chip to be revolutionary music-makers who’s latest offering is a strong contender for the best album of 2010.

With Oasis gone, it is only apt that fellow Rock veterans Ocean Colour Scene use this opportunity to release their 9th studio album, Saturday. While new and upcoming bands rely on image to get them noticed, OCS’s longevity and experience in the business allows them to sit back and let the music do the talking.

Remember that ‘Know Your Limits’ advert where the floppy-haired indie boy rips his earring out and pees on his own shoes?  
If you answered yes, then you know of Eight Legs already.

Not because they’re shoe-pissing indie boys, but because it was their single ‘These Grey Days’ that was sound tracked the advert we all secretly loved watching.

Along with sound tracking Friday night reconstructions, the band are already doing quite well for themselves supporting The Cribs on tour and sound tracking the glamorous Dior Homme show way back in 2006.

New single, ‘Best of Me’ is from the band’s third album, ‘The Electric Kool-Aid Cuckoo Nest’, due on February 22.
Darker than their previous releases, ‘Best of Me’ is a song about paranoia, tinged with a feel of impending doom; the sort felt by listening to a lot of Kaiser Chiefs material, ‘I Predict a Riot’ especially.

The vocals are unbelievably Jam-like; a cliché comparison that most reviewers like to avoid but after the mother of this reviewer asked if I was, in fact, listening to The Jam, I felt I should make a point of it. Eight Legs’ sound is neater than Weller and co. however; less rough and ready, more chart-friendly and a little lighter on the ears.

When you take ‘Best of Me’ out of context, it’s a good track, but in comparison to the band’s earlier stuff, it doesn’t quite hit the same spot. If the boys really want to get noticed in 2010, they need to return to their poppy, lighter sound, the sort thoroughly enjoyed by shoe-pissing indie boys across the country.