Andrew Oxley

My England

It's a tricky thing to conceive of that in a world so densely populated with super-trendy lad bands, just one bloke and his guitar might be able to make himself heard above the radio-friendly din. That bloke is Sheffield's Andrew Oxley and he appears to be carving himself a cosy little niche somewhere along the folk route. Fusing powerful vocals with pared-down acoustic melodies, 'My England' heavily recalls the protest song tradition whilst simultaneously maintaining enough energy and heart to keep even the most apathetic of us interested. And the result? Folk for people who don't like folk.

Gemma Winks

Stinky Munchkins

Release The Lions/Bad Timing

Sharing a label in common with The Duloks, Stinky Munchkins are Glaswegians Dino Bardot and Darryl Doll plus three; they cut their musical milk teeth on remixing rubbish records. Now they write their own electro-prog-punk-disco grooves, hoping that David Cassidy hasn't tainted them forever. Opening barrage 'Release The Lions' is a lively number. From its 8-bit synth and kitchen-sink percussion intro, angular beats fly in and out, dodging vulgar guitars and camp-disco vocals from Dino. Every toy is taken out of the musical box and played with, including a cheeky house piano; the cowbell barely manages to keep it together. Frankenstein's disco, for sure, and an electro taste explosion, but ambitious and groovily undanceable. 'Bad Timing' has more of a standard beat to it, but still comes on like a viagra'd up Prince on platforms introducing the Buggles to 'lil Prince.' Disco tack, but this comes in a sequined cape.

Rob Wright

The Rossman Frister Project

Time

I kept waiting for this to take off and blast into some fabulous wash of noisy chorus, but I guess the Rossman Frister Project don't do choruses, as this song maintains its simmering madman in a post office vibe without ever fully achieving cathartic release. Some might see that as a positive, and so be it, as it's kind of cool. This is atmospheric music, and I could see its electronic glitches and gloom soundtracking some post-apocalyptic movie, probably about robots who develop human emotions and bodily functions.

Dion Curry

Islands Lost At Sea vs. Soft Priest

Way We Played It Yesterday / Study Bunk Breakout

Akoustik Anarkhy often chew on some quality recordings, this being one, reminding me slightly of Mint Royale and Lemon Jelly. Islands Lost At Sea actually slipped into the music scene in 1958, which may help to explain as to why the rock n' roll slash early electronica is so pleasingly original. Now back in touch with the music and the times and bizarrely with 3 new members to modernise the sound which has been done skilfully, turning American rock n' roll into electric acoustic blues, touched with southern folk ad a mish mash of quirky vocals. For the other half of this split record, Soft Priest came into play with 'Study Bunk Breakout' with similar electronic beats and origins, varied and peculiar with bizarre twists on common sound, a multitude of random instruments all entwined and submerged, dancing drunkenly with an energy making it unlike anything of now, and more ahead of itself than ever before.

Katie Swindley

Sergeant Buzfuz

Here Come the Popes

This is just what all you fans of Pope Gregory the Dwarf and Pope Urban the Second have been waiting for. Finally their story has been told in song. 'Here Come the Popes' is a triumph of quintestentially English, anti-folk sentiment. Sergeant Buzfuz are from that oddball corner of the music world, filed away at the back under quirky, which gave us Robyn Hitchcock, Jarvis Cocker, XTC and Morrissey. And as you might expect, they don't sound like any of them. There are indeed other chapters to this Pope obsessed magnum opus, sadly not included here, and as if that weren't enough, the second track, 'Dentist to the Stars' tells the sobering tale of the anaesthetist who dreams of killing celebrity patients as they slumber, all done to the sound of a dulcimer. Marvellous, totally weird stuff; I love it.

Vivian Bonzo

Laura Groves

I Am Leaving

Having already supported James Yorkston and Jeremy Warmsley this year, Shipley's Laura Groves continues her acoustic campaign unabated with the release of her first single, 'I Am Leaving'. Not that she wasn't busy enough already. 'I Am Leaving' opens with a mix of traditional and less traditional sounds. The rolling sound of acoustic finger-picking and lonesome wail of a harmonica juxtaposes the unmistakable drone of a synthesiser, whilst glockenspiels tinkle purposefully beneath a triple-layered harmony. Though Laura's voice has a high-pitched breathy naivety, the sentiment is mature and pragmatic: “I'm wasting my time worrying about you,” she sings without spite; it is simply time to move on. This theme is echoed in 'Bridges' in the telling line “sometimes bridges burn themselves down”. Hence, the message of these chaste and beautiful songs is clear: Laura Groves is going places, and she's not so wide-eyed as she sounds. Songs of innocent experience.

Rob Wright

The Magic Arm

Widths and Heights

The Magic Arm's latest is an exultant release, firmly rooted in the modern folk world and still bursting with energy. Multi-instrumentalist Marc Rigelsford (AKA Magic Arm) manages to carefully balance pop urgency with sweetened vocals. The intro to 'Widths and Depths' subtly belies Marc's inspiration from the likes of LCD Soundsystem and similarly attired electronic outfits as his electro fuzz melds into the song proper, which has more in common with the sunny dispositions of the Beach Boys and Madness, the latter specifically in the opening keyboard refrain. 'Widths and Depths' is a bold and striking release that instantly impresses with it's simple charm and layered bleeping backdrop, which competes against a drum and brass accompaniment without feeling overloaded at any point. With a thumbs up from Iron and Wine's Sam Beam along with a plethora of new music aficionado's the fate of the Magic Arm seems charmed indeed.

Paul Walters

The Deodates

Before the Bench

After listening to new single 'Before The Bench' by Salford band The Deodates it's difficult to believe that this band is actually a duo as the song has the sound of a big band. They are obviously a talented pair and this release is excellently produced and very impressive, however, if the band hope to become more successful they'll have to spend time developing their own sound as at the moment these tracks would happily sit on the b-side of the next Razorlight single. The track has a soul feel, but in the way Johnny Borrell might bring along a gospel quire to his next charity show and the vocals of singer Gary L. Hope would be barely distinguishable from Borrell's if it wasn't for his occasional ventures into falsetto territory.

Lauren Evett

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