The whole point of this issue has been to try and get across some of the
exciting things that are happening in a part of London too often ignored by the
mainstream music press (I'm not going south of the river at this time of night
mate), and proof if proof were needed can be found in an excellent batch of
new releases hitting the shelves over the next few weeks.

First up are perhaps one of the brightest hopes for a resurrection of generation
of indie music that has become lost amongst the haircuts, blazers and
MySpace profiles. The Boyfriends make guitar music the way all of the bands
that I remember from my late teens did - soaring guitars, deadpan vocals and a
tune that you could belt out at lung bursting volume from the security of your own
bedroom. 'I Love You' (Boobytrap) is a case in point - the echo laden guitars could have been plucked from pre-shite era Mansun (the first band to ever truly have stolen my heart), while Martin's vocals stay calm and reassuring amongst the storm being whipped up around them. If there's any justice in the world, then this will be soundtracking indie discos ten years from now. B-side 'Remember' is a jauntier affair with a proper pop chorus and even an understated guitar solo thrown in for good measure. Buy this now.

The Boyfriends first came to my attention through their track on the excellent
'Rip Off Your Labels' compilation by Angular Records, and in a seamless link,
Angular's latest offering is 'Descend/Carnival' by The Violets - very much a
game of two halves this one, the first, 'Descend', is a jagged, nasty, ninety
second blast of pure punk energy driven along by a searing flash of white noise
cunningly disguising itself as a riff. The second, 'Carnival', is just as nasty but
this time relies on the snarls and yelps of Alexis' stabbing vocals, and a sparse,
reverberant guitar to convey the dark malignance that lurks within. Interested?
Check out our interview with The Violets to find out more.

Fellow Maps interviewee's 586 are set to unleash their debut single on the world though potentially fabulous new label Tigertrap (also home to the peculiarly brilliant Patty Winters Show). 'We Got Bored' is a demented pogo frenzy riddled with more cowbell than can possibly be good for you. Dual
frontpersons Deb & Steve exchange barbed couplets, nonsensical ramblings
and screams, while pangs of guitar and waves of wonky keyboard battle for
supremacy behind them. Contains approximately 173% of your recommended
daily allowance of fun, and is utterly ace.

B-side 'He's Got My Measure' is a lighthearted pisstake of groupies and
pointless rockstars, and as such features a Shed Seven riff halfway through.
Check it out for the breakneck drumming, keyboard splurges and bitchy lyrics.
Read the 586 interview here.

I first saw Ludes when they played a Music Tourist Board gig at The Paradise Bar (RIP) a few years ago and was absolutely blown away by their bizarre mix of rock & roll, funk and gypsy folk and their intriguing piratey aesthetic - kind of like a punk rock version of The Coral. Following a couple of great singles, my interest waned when they took an ill-advised ska direction and started sounding
like The Ordinary Boys. Fortunately for debut album 'The Dark Art of
Happiness' (Double Dragon) they've upped the rock & roll content and
banished the ska to the fringes of their sound.

Old favourites such as previous singles 'Luckiest Theatre' and 'Dog Don't Bark',
albeit in re-recorded form, still travel the choppy oceans of runaway rock & roll
with the wind full in their sails, and new track 'Sailor Boy' demonstrates that their
taste for debauchery stays strong. 'Are We There Yet' showcases the bands
eclectic side with stabs of honky-tonk piano and semi-whispered vocals, while
the mournful horns that open 'Song for a Friend' mask a darker heart,
introduced by a pre-chorus howl from frontman David Ashby, and it's not long before the horns are back blaring with a tempestuous fury. It's an impressive return to form from a band that I had all but written off.

If all of the above have been long(ish)-term favourites here at Maps, the curious
sounds of Theoretical Girl's new single 'It's All Too Much' (Fake Product) is
wonderfully new to my ears.

It's a fantastically spiky, off-kilter lo-fi affair, made all the better by the presence
of 'should have been A-side' B-side, 'I Am Theoretical Girl', and it's endearing
swirls of guitar. Inventive, idiosyncratic and utterly loveable, I look forward to
hearing more - just avoid the ropey remix by numbers of 'I Am...' that completes
this three track offering.

Taking a similarly lo-fi approach, Levelload give us their debut offering 'HND in RNR' (Red Idol) - it's a short, sharp punky affair that pushes all of the right buttons without sounding mechanical or contrived. The staccato
keyboard stabs are perfectly timed, the simple 2-chord riff that drives it along is
suitably infectious, and the chorus is jump up & down 'til your ankles give way
catchy.

B-side 'Palookaville' ploughs a darker, harder, faster furrow than it's punk-pop
counterpart and for my money, despite being less instantaneous, is the better of
the two - brooding bass and metallic drum machine build up to a frenzied
chorus, a mish-mash of sloganeering vocals and barely controlled guitars.

Perhaps fittingly for Levelload's mixture of old-school punk righteousness and
modern artfulness, this release is only available on 7" or as a download from
iTunes, Napster or eMusic

This week's final offering doesn't actually come from London at all, formed in Wiltshire, Archie Bronson Outfit have since made the capital their home, and so sneak into this article
through the back door. Good thing too, for 'Dart for My Sweetheart' (Domino)
is a fantastic swamp stomp of a record, pushed ever onward by a pounding
rhythm section of foot stomping proportions and a guitar line that will squirm its
way into your brain, never to leave. Add to that a singer (not, it would seem
called Archie, more's the pity) who yelps dark secrets all over the top of the
track, and some beautiful 'Na-na-na' backing vocals, and you've got yet another
reason why South London is producing some of the most vibrant and exciting
music around right now.

Reviews by Paul Madden