Sunflies - Coping Strategies

Today saw the release of Hertfordshire’s four piece ‘Alt.Rock’ act Sunflies’ debut EP “Coping Strategies.” This three track effort’s first offering opens with duel feedbacking guitars, which unfortunately remain the highlight for all that is to come. Read more

Gallery 47 - [breakfast at the clinic]

I’m intrigued when a hand-sewn, initially rather anonymous-looking CD-shaped package arrives in the post. Closer inspection reveals it to be EP [breakfast at the clinic] by Gallery 47, the recording moniker of one Jack Peachey from Nottingham: “I really hope it didn’t get lost because I’ve hand sewn these ones and they took me ages, especially because I don’t really know how to sew and I don’t own a thimble.” My curiosity duly aroused, I was keen to find out whether this admirable attention to detail was reflected in the music. Read more

David Gibb - A Footpath of Hope for a Town in Despair

I’ll be honest, I was never a big Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly fan. Same goes for Bright Eyes, really. Sure, I can understand why people went mad over I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, especially at a time when Death Cab for Cutie’s O.C endorsement meant that becoming a sensitive poster-boy was what the indie-community (or music community at large) wanted. But as far as millennial acoustic/folk pop’s concerned, the whole thing leaves me a bit cold. Read more

Smudge - StayFeelRegret EP

Let’s be honest, Smudge is hardly a captivating name; in fact it is rather an apt name for the household cat. Read more

The Nightjars - Towards Light

“Towards Light” is the debut EP from Manchester-based The Nightjars. Although opener “You Set Me Reeling” is a pleasant enough jangly number, the lyrics are perhaps more prescient than the band realise, as singer Ollie intones “I’m nothing special”. As the EP progresses, it’s clear that it’s all a bit indie-by-numbers. Read more

The Inspector Cluzo - EP

Opening track ‘Mad’ gives a clear definition of what The Inspector Cluzo entails: a mish mash of genres from a French duo who put the ooh la la into a fusion of rock and funk - creating a sound that is truly in a league of its own. This blend of toe tapping funk and guitar laden fury leave you intrigued to the inspiration behind this band whose name sounds like a character in the popular board game Cluedo. Read more

Blakfish - I’ll See You In Another City

Birmingham’s Big Scary Monsters signed Blakfish have been making loud noises together in some shape or form for almost 10 years now (and they’re still just in their twenties) but you’d never guess from this mini-album. Read more

The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Trading Things In EP

The Updated Cool Rule List 2008

Rule #1: Must be in a band. All the cool guys are in bands, man! Read more

Royal Vendetta - Royal Vendetta EP (Demo)

Royal Vendetta fit vaguely comfortably into the established pub-rock aesthetic of recent years; like Kasabian and The Enemy before them the Leeds foursome bring immediate guitar bangers with everyman every-bloody-day lyrics to the table, even if vocalist Jonathan Banks occasionally approaches a northern Erasure-like yelp that threatens to effeminise the whole sound. Read more

Jon Jones and the Beatnik Movement - Engine Power EP

Indie is derived from the word independent, correct? Which, when you think about it, how possibly can many ‘indie’ bands today be classed as independent from mainstream music when many of their sounds are only a slight variation from the sound previously heard? Read more

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