—The Thrill Of Thirty Seconds

The Thrill Of Thirty Seconds is an encouraging track from Wakefield and Sheffield based, Skint & Demoralised. There is an intriguing and exciting mix of spoken word, poetic lyrics and soulful, jaunty, upbeat music that last long in the memory, far longer than thirty seconds you could say. The single is doubled edged almost; it provides easy listening and if ‘sold’ right, probable chart success, but there are parts that just scream critical acclaim. If this balance can be solidified on future releases, then Skint & Demoralised may be onto something big.

Released: 17th November 2008

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Forever The Sickest Kids

—Whoa Oh! (Me vs Everyone)

Now, algebra isn’t my forte, but I calculate that (Sum 41+Fallout Boy)² multiplied by Blink 182 = Forever The Sickest Kids. Don’t take this as a criticism though – their fresh college-boy sounds take me back to year eight school discos, when everyone wore black hoodies and ill-fitting jeans.  Their single Whoa Oh! (Me vs Everyone) is an interesting mix of grungy guitars and vocals that will have your foot tapping, or your head banging, for the whole three minutes and twenty-six seconds.

Robert Henderson

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—Silver Spoons and Broken Bones

This, the debut album from the Darkness-spawned hard rockers, bears much of that band’s retro charm, replacing the Van Halen/Queen influences of yore with a sound that hews closely to Bon Scott-era AC/DC and Thin Lizzy. Sure, the quality control slips on the album’s later tracks, and singer/guitarist Richie Edwards is more of a work-in-progress than fully-fledged Rock God, but there’s a lot to like here, and there’s no denying that in places this rocks as hard as anything made this side of 1977.

James Tyler

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Mogwai

—The Hawk Is Howling

To understand the music of Mogwai, you have to listen with a casual ear – only because with a busy mind you’ll miss a myriad of moods, all intricately woven into their latest instrumental composition. The ascent into I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead sets a gentle pace for the album, melting from one track to the other. Darting synths in The Sun Smells Too Loud breaks this pattern, but not regretfully. These guys know how to do chill-out. Even with drums.

Alice Winters

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Glasvegas

—Glasvegas

The gritty underside of Glasgow is laid bare in the ironically titled debut album Glasvegas. James Allan and co’s tales of crime and loss are sung with a vocal style similar to the Reid brothers of, wait for it, The Proclaimers. But this is uniquely complemented by edgy, charged guitars and pulsing drums reminiscent of New York punk bands like The Velvet Underground and revivalists Interpol. The hype the band has received is paid back through anthems like Flowers and Football Tops and Daddy’s Gone and prove that it is well deserved.

Richard Kelly

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New Kids on the Block

—The Block

The songs are catchy, the harmonies are perfect, a new boyband? No, it’s a revamped Man-band. The Block should be cheesy but it’s surprisingly up-to-date, littered with chart-topping artists like The Pussycat Dolls and Ne-Yo. The forthcoming single Summertime is not the strongest song on the album but is sure to do well. Personal favourites include Close To You, and Grown Man definitely has my favourite lyric, the un-euphemistic “I’m gonna give you some grown man” forces home the point – the kids are gone and here come the men!

Cathy Fisher

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Julian Verlard

—Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen

Julian Velard combines addictive piano melodies with smooth lyrics to create a unique combination of relaxing music, yet at the same time incorporating a light pop sound which is especially evident in his first single, Jimmy Dean and Steve McQueen. Velard’s tracks are sure to put a smile on even the most cynical of faces and make them sway and tap their foot to his songs.

Tom Lewis

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