Hull To Be

It's not everyday that you get offered a chance of touring America but for mainstream outfit GST Cardinals that is exactly what has happened. The band are popular out of town and are already popular out-of-town. If you want your music incendiary and in your face then you should check them out. GST Cardinals dropped under our radar similar to The Landaus, who have been recently inactive due to their drummers injured hand. Hull is currently full of rumours that following their enforced break they have taken a new direction and there could be a name change to compliment their new outlook. GST Cardinals and The Landaus may be the two leading lights in ripping up gig venues with their rock 'n' roll attitude but newbies The Liberty Stands have been tipped to push them hard.

A couple of bands Hanna has championed over the years, who have been busy with releasing singles and gigs are The Talks and The Favours. The kindred spirits have been on a couple of co-headline tours, wowing crowds across the country. The Talks released 'Picture This' in the middle of last month to much acclaim after a show at Glastonbury. The Favours hark back to the days of Echobelly and released singles 'Islands' and 'Sick Of It' with the latest effort 'Left' hitting stores on the 25th August.

Whilst we are talking about some of Hanna's hot tips, who can forget Last People On Earth signing to 'Tea House Records' and the release of the ambitious rock-opera 'Electric Angel'. The band will, by the time you have read this, have played the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds festival alongside Cherry Cobb Cartel. CCC with hyped new recordings and the opportunity the BBC Introducing stage will afford them, they could be the next Hull band to sign on the dotted line with a label.

The Rocky Nest are taking a different direction with an independent approach, building their reputation on the DIY-indie-pop underground and their song 'Lenny Does A Good Deed' has just found its way on to Series Two Record Compilation Volume 8 (see myspace.com/seriestworecords for more information). More releases are promised soon.

A band who have just had a low-key local EP release, 'Songs For Squares' are James Dead Syndrome, and are building a following with their beatnik attitude and alternative sixties sound including sitar on stage.

The Cliques and Jody McKenna are two artists who have substantially benefited from the Hull Urban Collective. The project organisers were set aback by the talent they uncovered in the city, in particular these two. Three piece, The Cliques, have quickly matured whilst retaining the sharp ear for a melody that raised their early gigs above the chaotic. Before being spotted singer-songwriter Jody McKenna had been playing Working Mens' Clubs and the word on the street is that he even makes Damien Rice covers sound good.

Alison Angus are often mistaken for a singer songwriter but this visceral duo are far removed from the likes of Jody McKenna. Having recently been out around the north on the Transit Tour, drummer Josh and guitarist Jonathan have finally refined their sound but lost none of their noisy vitriol.

When I heard that members of Red Night Strip and Shindigg had formed a band together I could have been forgiven for cutting out my ears but early impressions seem to be that Jesus Stole My Girlfriend, with a new found love of electro-indie and some impressive vocal harmonies, could be Hull's best new band. Although, teenagers We Don`t Dance To Love Songs may have something to say about that. The youthful four-piece have come at us with something a bit more 'current' with their emo-tinged power pop.

A pair of bands taking a lusher approach to song-writing are The Notebook and Awash with AntleR. When Adelphi owner Paul Jackson calls a band 'the best in Hull' you know you have to take note; Jacko's description of crazee folksters Awash with AntleR is pretty accurate. The Notebook, after two years of painstaking recording and set-planning, are finally about to unleash the live show and they promise great things.

Last and by no means least in the list of recommendations are The Holy Orders. Like all great bands you are unable to do them justice with words (at least I seem incapable of managing it in my many reviews). The recordings don't truly represent their all-conquering live shows but it is with great regret that the Sandman print version passes without me having a chance to demand a cover for them.

Mike Reynolds