Radio 4 - Packing Things Up on the Scene
The Radio 4 boys return with more of their bass heavy pop politics. Somewhere on the dial between Talking Heads giving it raw at CBGB's and U2 sized arena pomp, these guys sure know how to give a song a solid backbeat. The dubby bass and the Clash guitar sound manages to sound nothing like reggae at all. The whole track bounces along quite merrily at a reasonable pace and could have been released any time after 1978, only the hint of dance music gives it away as being modern. An instrumental version and a remix with extra dub and more hints of dance music are included as B-Sides on the various formats available.

Radio 4 are one of those bands that people get into slowly and could easily be glossed over if they aren't given time to grow on you. With four albums under their belt already this band deserves a little more recognition. This single will not launch Radio 4's career into space, nor will it change the history of music forever but it will sound great on your I-Pod when you are waiting at the bus stop. Recommened.

Review by Andy Jesse
www.r4ny.com

There is very little more you could ask of a band such as this and this EP, 'X's and O's' (noughts and crosses? Not a bloody clue) is more of the same. This is a good thing.

The title track idles along, doused in casual relationship problem musings from

Simon Love, while Jenna Love's female accompaniment provides the perfect backing vocals. 'She'll Break Your Heart. Again' is as pure as 60's surf-pop gets these days, and is a friendly warning to - yes indeed - not get back with your ex-girlfriend.

There is no bullshit, no flab, no hidden meanings or metaphors with this lot; and I love them for that. 'My Sweet Drunken Blues (For You)' sounds like a b-side from the coolest 70's band you never heard and is, naturally, about love. Nao Vs Se Perder Poi Ai would have possibly contradicted everything I just said about hidden meanings (it being in Portuguese and all, although that hardly warrants 'hidden meaning', rather just 'a different language') until I found out it's a cover of psychedelic Brazilian's Os Mutante. PLUS, the riff is so darn cool it makes me want to cry.

"Love is all you need" sang Mcartney and crew. This is probably not true, but getting into The Loves will certainly provide much sustenance for those with bedraggled, heart-broken bodies and brains tired from working out what the fuck Joanna Newsom is going on about on her new record.

Review by Tom Howard
www.myspace.com/lovetheloves

Juliette & The Licks - Sticky Honey
Highly-likable mall-rock return from Juliette Lewis and her trusty Licks! This isn’t exactly life-changing stuff, but I think that’s what makes it so easy to enjoy. Essentially a fine pop/rock knock-off with a nice line in dumb post-pop Stooges/Hives-esque riffage. Infectious – in a good way. This sticks in your head like, erm, honey! 7/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.julietteandthelicks.com

Luxembourg - Sick of DIY
Arriving as a taster for their October released LP debut, Sick of DIY is pop dandy wannabe’s Luxembourg latest sexual pestering of the real life music charts. Cross breeding Suede, Pet Shop Boys and (somewhat worryingly) solo Morrissey and serving the resulting brew of trebly fervour up with some classic self deprecation (“I’ve seldom been mistaken for being good with my hands.”) and 9 to 5 angst (“I’m going off this day job come to think of it, that’s nothing new.”), the band seem intent on taking us all the way to Jarvis Cocker’s fantasy winter bedsit. As a bonus, you get the absurdly Duran Fingers, and overwrought piano ballad Changing Trains, complete with all that doomed British romanticism that I’m sure I’ve heard elsewhere. Plus they have a comic on their website, which is pretty cool.

Review by Andrew Valentine
www.luxembourgband.com

The guitaring in the tune flits from delicate finger picking to well-timed power chords, and is refreshingly irrelevant compared to the synths and vocals that are the stars of the shows. "Well I need you, just as much as they do/And if you fail we all do." A love affair? A friendship? The ins and outs are not made clear

but Nick Peill's tuneful voice certainly seems to capture the feelings of pressure or desperation that go with either such intimate human interaction.

In parts it could almost, unfortunately, be The Bravery; but it could also, more fortunately, be Battle. There is a crucial depth that separates Fields from the aforementioned of these and although the extensively synthetic feel to the song took me a bit of getting used too (it really does dominate) the epic ending of the 'Original Version' (there is a Radio Edit also) is marvellous.

This is all I've heard of Fields but I predict this to be the beginning of a more than fleeting career, fitting as they do into the post-Coldplay humdrum. If you like Battle, buy this. If you like The Bravery, this'll teach you a thing or two.

Review by Tom Howard
www.fieldsband.com

Stuffy/The Fuses + The Aprons - Split Single
Off-kilter double-header from cult rising stars Stuffy/The Fuses and The Aprons. Stuffy/The Fuses make an engaging enough indie-racket – strangely-enough produced by veteran noisenik-in-chief Steve Albini. Unfortunately, any thunder that Stuffy/The Fuses might have had has been stolen by the Young Knives whose own razor-sharp eccentric post-Britpop has Stuffy beaten hands down. Even worse, for me - the grating B52s-style vocals manage to irritate rather than entertain.

On the flip-side, The Aprons – who describe their music as “a pretty little nosebleed” - also have Stuffy confidently beaten. Imagine, if you will, a brisk,

odd slice of posh lady-rap – reciting what sounds like an Enid Blyton rewrite of Lolita set in the musical wastelands of 1979. Weird! (Treat with caution!)

Review by Tom Leins
http://stuffyandthefuses.net
www.myspace.com/wearetheapronfamily

Shock Defeat! - How Did We Make It So Angry?
An ace little single from an ace little band on an ace little record label, Shock Defeat's ‘How did we make it so angry’ combines the best bits of the past decade of indie rock and gives it a 2006 makeover. This is Franz Ferdinand or Talking Heads being covered by Sebadoh, a subtle mix of British indie grit and American Lo-fi charm that lots of bands do, but few do well. My only criticism is that the singer’s voice has that David Byrne yelping vibe that is not particularly to my taste and they could do with Sony records giving them about ten grand to spend on studio time, but overall these are minor gripes. Very promising indeed.

Review by Andrew Moran
www.myspace.com/shockdefeatband

Grand Volume - History / Fire Come Soon
Hectic, jerky alt.rock from Mancunian Nick Olivieri/Amplifier tour-buddies Grand Volume. A-Side History is a brisk, controlled noise-attack that sounds like The Futureheads having a panic attack. A short, sharp shock, it has frazzled and gone before you’ve possibly had chance to get bored of it. The B-Side flips things on their head with a heavier subatomic kind of grind. All-in-all – pretty damn good. 7/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.fatnortherner.com

Tunng - It's Because... We've Got Hair
Charming, gently woozy folktronica from East London types - recently seen headlining the Twisted Folk tour (ably supported by Jill Barber and Brightblack Morninglight). Like so many of their peers, Tunng cite as influences the (un)holy trinity of: Beta Band, Four Tet and The Wicker Man OST. Happily they’re more than equal to the sum of their parts. Whilst some kind of folktronica back-lash is surely imminent, it won’t be triggered off by these hairy, beguiling Londoners. 7/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.tunng.co.uk

Hafdis Huld - Ski Jumper
Hmmm, I feel bad. On the Surface ‘Ski Jumper’ is a nice little softy softy folk number with cute girl vocals. However, as a paid up member of the indie snobs of New Cross society (I.S.O.N.C.S) it is indeed this inoffensive-ness that offends me so much. By the end of the track I couldn’t decide whether this suited a cheesy Heinz beans advert or the end credits of a Hugh Grant ‘romantic comedy’ more. If I had a car I would probably play this on the stereo on a Sunday morning while I cleaned it, and reminisce about when I was a young punk and I use to take the bus to go and watch The Bronx. This is thoroughly nice, but as someone once said, ‘Nice guys finish last’.

Review by Andrew Moran
www.hafdishuld.com

Ray - Here Is the Night
Here Is The Night – taken from Ray’s recent album ‘Daylight In The Dark-room’ is a moody slow-burn rock treat. Elsewhere the band have cited themselves as ‘the missing link between Tindersticks and Echo & The Bunnymen’ – which seems spot on to me – especially on this single. Brand new B-side ‘This Is A Wave’ is similarly-great – chiming and cryptic in equal measure. Furthermore, additional track ‘Killing Time’ makes a welcome re-appearance after initially appearing on the band’s Rough Trade-released debut in 2001. Haunting, epic stuff. 7/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.raytheband.com