I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
I keep arguing with a friend of mine as to exactly where I'm From Barcelona are from. My argument is that the sun-soaked, beach-played, siesta vibe of the group's single is far too Mediterranean to be Norse and, well, the first line is I'm gonna sing this song with all of my friends and we're all from Barcelona. Plus they're called I'm From Barcelona. And the song's called We're From Barcelona. My friend's argument is that they're from Sweden. All I ask is, why let facts get in the way of infinitely charming if deeply unchallanging pop optimism? If they want to be from Barcelona than by jimminy, in my eyes that's where they're from.

Review by Aidienn Ellison
www.imfrombarcelona.com

The Blackout - Hard Slammin'
The indiest of all indie labels – Fierce Panda lurches unexpectedly into Screamo territory – in the form of young Welsh 6-piece The Blackout. This, their debut single, follows on from the kind of “hyperactive MySpace messaging which can make rock gods of smalltown kids”. Their fanbase swelled even further when they recently toured with fellow countrymen LostProphets. Anyway – ‘Hard Slammin’’ is sure to have Funeral For A Friend looking over their shoulders in trepidation. Impressive, blistering stuff with a soft, acoustic underbelly of a B-side. Nice work. 7/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.myspace.com/theblackout

Hot Club de Paris - Everyeveryeverything
Nothing will ever has as good a name as sometimesitsbetternottostickbitsofeachotherineachotherforeachother, ever. However with everyeveryeverything Hot Club prove they've got more than enough in the locker to make sure they didn't peaking too early. The single itself isn't our favourite of their offerings but still keeps the anglepop standard high. B-side I Quit My Job on the other hand is the sort of wry, intricate slice of sarcastic Scouse songsmithery that keeps us coming back to the Club time and again.

Review by Aidienn Ellison
www.hotclubdeparis.com

The Situationists - This City Holds Us All
This City Holds Us All" begins with the line: "You were wrong". You are right, Situationists. We heard you, and we didn't like what we heard. Something jarred in amongst your speed freak drumming, technical guitar work and not-really-arsed vocals. But something you have done has broken all of that away. The more we listen, the better you sound. We love your poppy, rolling drums and licky, spinning high guitar. We like the handclaps, the hi-hat, the snicky symbols, your wooping. We like your vocals, the way you sound like you could be chatting and then breaking out into a yelp; the harmonies and melodies. Sometimes we concede that your stops and starts must be pretty hard to pull

off, and your tightness in most key moments is pretty outstanding. It's not music that is shaking up parts of us that haven't been pulled around a dance floor before, but If we saw you we'd happily twirl and shuffle, and probably sing along to the "ba-bas" that appear in nearly every track. And admit we might be, partly, wrong.

Review by Lindsey Kent
www.myspace.com/situationists

Fury of the Headteachers - Goodbye Comrade
Welcoming in the much anticipated second wave of Grace singles (blink and you'll miss 'em) is the second single from Sheffield sextet Fury Of The Headteachers. Those in the know will be expecting twisting lines of sharp post punk influenced charged rock with strained vocals and infectiously fractured guitaring and deep pounding basslines. Those not in the know really had better catch up because at this speed they'll be left far behind before they realise they've missed out.

Review by Aidienn Ellison
www.myspace.com/furyoftheheadteachers

The Silent Parade - Undercurrents
Majestic slow-burning epic rock debut from a Mancunian quartet who combine the sounds of Muse and Doves with bruising intensity. They view themselves as a brooding hybrid of Nick Drake and The Mars Volta … and while that’s pushing it a bit, they’ve certainly got a knack for soaring rock drama. A great example of the kind of thing that Manchester bands do so effortlessly well. One to watch. 7/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.thesilentparade.com

we are THE PHYSICS - Less Than Three
This Glaswegian three piece may take a laissez faire approach to how you capitalise their name but you'd better believe they're strict when it comes to throwing sharp shapes in their music. Their debut single comes in the form of two stabby, blistering assaults of art punk pop genius that will have you twitching like a room of dead interpretive dance studence with chronic rigor mortis. Jerky, senseless fun of the highest order.

Review by Aidienn Ellison
www.wearethephysics.com

Tiny Masters of Today - Big Noise EP
You automatically feel bad telling a brother and sister pair with a combined age of twenty two that their music isn't great. It seems to miss the point. Indeed, the tracks here are loud and direct and virtually the dictionary definition of lo-fi and DIY garage rock. The fact that they're exceptionally basic harks back to the early days of punk and they're enjoyable enough. It's just that, well, if they didn't exist we wouldn't have missed out on a huge amount. I'm sure their parents are very proud, though.

Review by Aidienn Ellison
http://tinymasters.net

Bodixa - The Way Back Home
Pleasant, if slightly hollow EP from veteran Leeds strum-along types. Over the years the band have racked up support slots with the likes of KT Tunstall, Tom McCrae and even Moby. They were even hand-picked by Michael Eavis to open Glastonbury’s acoustic stage in 2004. Yet, for all their undoubted song-writing nous the EP leaves me feeling slightly blank. If I was being kind I would liken them to artists like Belly, The Cardigans and Kathryn Williams – but, for me their bittersweet jangles lack the requisite bruised dreaminess – which leaves them gently languishing in casual Radio 2 territory. A bit too nice for their own good. 6/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.bodixa.com

Last Gang - Beat of Blue
Fresh from supporting hotly-tipped rock prospects TheView on their UK tour, Last Gang drop their debut single – a very ‘now’-sounding slice of heavily-accented urban indie. The A-Side cries out to be described by lazy journalists as Arctic Monkeys-meets-The Buzzcocks, but, unfortunately, the weak vocals also manage to offer up an unwelcome whiff of Northern Uproar. For my money, the best track on offer is the B-Side which offers a breathless forage right through prime Buzzcocks/Clash territory. 6/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.lastgang.co.uk

The New Shapes - There's No Escaping You
A middling slice of jangle-pop underachievement that plods away like some kind of hopelessly charisma-free Beatles knock-off. They’re throwing shapes, but not new ones. This is so rudimentary it’d make a busker (or one of Jet) blush. Still – it’s not all doom and gloom – they’re being featured in the next Bacardi ad campaign. Make mine a large one… 5/10

Review by Tom Leins
www.thenewshapes.com