Athlete
Hurricane (Parlophone)
The problem with this track is that it sounds very much like everything else that is out at the moment. It doesn’t have much individual spark or any qualities to make it stand out. I can think of many bands which have a very similar sound one of these being Editors. However, saying this it does have hooks and melodies that will have you humming the tune for the rest of the day, which is annoying because I don’t like it! Ashley Garner
Athlete Website

Babyshambles
Delivery (Parlophone)
I’m not really into Babyshambles but I was quite impressed with this track, it still has the mischievousness that Pete Doherty has made his trademark yet with this song they managed to bring a more sensitive side to the band with a bit more structure and depth. Ashley Garner
Babyshambles Website

Jacqueline
The Coral (Deltasonic)

Staying true to The Coral’s witty, fresh, indie pop style, ‘Jacqueline' is a catchy, wholesome song that will get your foot tapping and remind you of crisp sunny mornings on the farm… as portrayed in the video. James Skelly’s smooth vocals put together with melodic acoustic guitar riffs and a catchy beat makes another great song that you won’t get out of your head for days. Tamasin Langton
The Coral Website

Patrick Watson
The Great Escape (Secret City Records)
This song has a very classy tune to it, slow and mellow. The vocals are very relaxing and soft. I recommend this song to anyone who likes relaxing songs; this is great when you want to calm down. If you are upset though, this might not be the best song to cheer you up. Maria Fafouti
Patrick Watson Website

Thief of me
Dot Allison (Cooking Vinyl/P-Vine)
The vocals are very soft and mellow, suiting the dreamy lyrics. The tracks have quite a mixed style with many different themes of music, some parts are upbeat and some others sound very sad. I recommend this E.P for people who prefer the music, to the vocals and lyrics. Maria Fafouti
Dot Allison Website

Reverend and the Makers
He Said He Loved Me (Wall of Sound)
The chorus drills into your brain, jabbing and irritating. It’s obviously been written to be the perfect pop tune, but someone’s forgotten something – it actually should be good music. This just makes you feel queasy at the repetitiveness. For all its pontificating there’s nothing new or interesting here, it’s just plain annoying. Anna Mackie
Reverend and the Makers Website

Cape Canaveral
The Way Home (Inhaler Records)
As soon as the song started I instantly loved it. Catchy rock, with influences from Jimmy Eat World. It seems though, that Cape Canveral have split up which is unfortunate, as I would have jumped at the chance to buy a new album or see them on tour. Hannah Little
Cape Canaveral Website

Josh Ritter
Right Moves (V2 Records International Limited)
The single has a good tempo and is quite an upbeat song. Josh Ritter sings with compassion and you can hear it through the song and through his voice. He sounds American and I really like that in his voice. I would compare Josh Ritter to someone like James Blunt. They have very similar techniques instrumentally and vocally. I would recommend this song for people who like an acoustic feel for songs. Tiffany Anderson
Josh Ritter Website

Cold War Kids
We Used To Vacation (V2)
The recognisable thump of Cold War Kids' make this song stand out, and yet it is fairly similar to their last single 'Hang Me Up To Dry'. A lack of inspiration perhaps? The Californian vocals shine through however and give this song flair and edge. Hannah Robbins
Cold War Kids Website

Kill The Arcade
An Imposter In The Family EP (Tree Brain Records)
Definitely not my idea of a good EP! This isn’t the type of music I’m into so I would say that it was pretty bad but I can see most of the emo population enjoying it! Non of the four songs stuck out as being really great, they all sounded the same and it was hard to remember how each song went, despite listening to them over and over again. All four of the songs were extremely repetitive and went on for to long, there is no variety between songs so I found it extremely boring to listen too! The lyrics are nothing special either, there is no emotion in any of the songs, it was more like mindless singing.
Laura Barker
Kill The Arcade Website

Phil Campbell
Cold Engines (Blacklist Publishing)
This has nice vocals with relaxing background guitar and piano. Pretty inoffensive all round, slightly irritating with its chin-stroking musing on the meaning of life, but you can’t really find anything wrong with it. Difficult to find anything that amazing with it either, but it’s nice and laid back. Anna Mackie
Phil Campbell website

David Ford
Decimate (Independiente)
The best part of this whole song is the chorus and can imagine it being featured as a theme tune to an advert or a film. It is a feel good, happy tune with a vibe and definately worth a listen. Gar Kei Ng 
David Ford Website 

Did I Say, Innocent and Memory
Pinstripe (South West Recordings)
To be honest, I was quite disappointed with Pinstripe, their music isn’t bad but it doesn’t grab my attention as music should. I felt that the tracks were repetitive, as they all seemed to have a similar tempo and style. The only one to stand out was ‘Memory’ as it is faster and the lyrics are great. If you like music from bands such as Orson, The Hoosiers etc. then you may like this, otherwise it’s not all that. Sarah Iqbal
Pinstripe Website

Passengers
Table For One (Chalkmark)
All I can say for this is that the guy singing is completely reminiscent of a squeaky James Blunt, which made listening to this track unbearable at times. The radio edit is a lot better than the album edit as it has happily lost the shoddy intro to the song. Overall, this song makes me feel like I’m sitting on a ranch with a ridiculous cowgirl outfit on, which is quite a bizarre sensation! Gar Kei Ng 
Passengers Website

The Mojo Fins
Piñata Face and Between Stations (Red Room Studios)
The Mojo Fins have a unique quality and sense of music that many bands lack. Their music is really heartfelt. The first song on the EP starts off with a slow, mellow guitar string playing and then the vocals kick in and it is the lyrics that you will relate to. The next song called ‘Between Stations' has a much quicker entrance, with a guitar and drum playing together, joined by the vocals shortly after; this single is worlds away from the first, they both have different purposes. ‘Piñata Face’ is perfect for when your feeling a little down and ‘Between Stations’ is more for when you’re in the car and perfect to have on your I pod. I’d recommend The Mojo Fins to anyone who likes bands like The Fray, Plain White T’s, Snow Patrol etc. Their great to listen to so check them out. Sarah Iqbal
The Mojo Fins Website 

The Checks
Hunting for whales (Full Time Hobby)
'Hunting For Whales' had a slow drum beat and a long guitar solo, the singing was whiney, I didn’t think this song was very impressive. The second song seemed the same the guitar riff was very repetitive and the song seemed a bit un-rehearsed. The more you listen to the songs the more you like them. I would recommend it to people who enjoy the early work of White Stripes. Ellen Hunt
The Checks Website

Noisettes
The Count Of Monte Cristo (Universal Records)
If this was the first song you had heard by the Noisettes you could be forgiven for thinking that all of their songs were slow loping acoustic tracks about bees. Unfortunately their usual stomping sound has been replaced by this lukewarm song, bring back the nastiness please! Hannah Robbins
The Noisettes Website

Tiny Dancers
Ashes And Diamonds (Parlophone)
This track by the South Yorkshire five piece is soft and lukewarm, likeable sort of song. With no real lyrics to speak of, more un-understandable whining, it strikes me as more of an album track than a single. It will most probably do its job however and make them more accessible to a younger audience. Hannah Robbins
Tiny Dancers Website

The Black Keys
Just Got To Be (V2 records)
Brilliant! This song really caught my attention, it has quite a funky feeling to it, and is one of those songs you can’t help but nod or tap your feet along to! It wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste, it’s pretty alternative but it’s definitely one for my ipod! It shows off the band well I will definitely have a listen to more of their music. Laura Barker 
The Black Keys Website 

Tick Tick Boom
The Hives (Polydor)
Like the title, 'Tick Tick Boom' is another explosive song from the Hives. With plenty of distorted guitar and wailing vocals accompanying a great beat, it makes a great song, destined to be another Hives classic. The repeated ‘Yeaahhhh’ throughout the song is really one of the best parts, along with the different parts, chords, and the explosion sound effects. Tamasin Langton
The Hives Website

The Donnas
Don’t wait up for me (Cooking Vinyl Ltd)
The Donnas new song ‘Don’t Wait Up For Me’ sounds just as good as the rest of their songs, They’re back with a new rock image and girl rock lyrics saying boys don’t slow them down. With a brilliant electric guitar solo this is a good song for anyone who likes girl rock. Georgina Booth
The Donnas Website

Two Left Feet 07
The Holloways (TVT Records)
The Holloways have a great, positive vibe about their music. ‘Two Left Feet’ gets straight into the song, it starts with a drum and guitar beat; which gives it a country, western style beginning, but only for a moment. They remind me of Jimmy Eat World, Good Charlotte and The Kooks, so if you like them I recommend this. Sarah Iqbal 
The Holloways Website

Jakobinarina
This Is An Advertisement (Chrysalis Music LTD or EMI Records)
To begin with, the single seems impressive, but as the singer is introduced to the song, he starts to shout over the half decent guitar riffs. The lyrics are not inspired as he repeats the same thing over and over again and his voice gets slightly irritating. It would probably be fair to say they are definately a, no nonsense, straight to the point, rock that rather explodes in your face. They are quite original, since I’ve never heard anything like it, perhaps because they are from Iceland. Isabel Langley
Jakobinarina Website

Toothpaste Kisses (Single Version)
The Maccabees (A Universal Music Company)
I’m a big fan of The Maccabees but I was extremely surprised and disappointed by this single. It’s boring and drags on way to long; the lyrics are tedious and are just the same sentence repeated over and over. I don’t like slating a band, especially one that I like but ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is appalling- they need to freshen up their ideas. Sarah Iqbal
The Maccabees Website

Ruarri Joseph
Blankets (Atlantic Records)
Blankets is a pleasant but very familiar mixture of acoustic folk-style guitar and strong singing. Whilst some of the added instrumentation offers some originality, it isn’t special enough to really stand out in an already heavily populated genre. Not bad, but not new. Adam Wainwright
Raurri Joseph Website

Tunng
Bullets (Full Time Hobby)
This song is the musical equivalent of a child playing with a very annoying toy. For 45 seconds, you are tricked into thinking it might be a good listen, but then an orchestra of frustrating noises barrage your ears. A disappointing song from a band with much better songs. Adam Wainwright
Tuung Website 

Fightstar
We Apologise For Nothing (Gut Records)
Brutal and melodic, this song manages to portray emotion without being tagged as ‘emo’. The vocal harmonies are incredible, contrasting well with powerful drums and clever guitar riffs. You’d struggle to find another rock song recently so well written and catchy, without being too overtly ‘mainstream’. Adam Wainwright
Fightstar Website 

The Checks
What You Heard (Full Time Hobby)
This single is very catchy, and after listening to it I couldn’t get it out my head. The Checks style reminds me of The Vines. The only negative thing I’d say about the single is that it could be classed as generic rock/pop however I believe that it is done well in this case. Alfie Penfold 
The Checks Website 

Ash
End of the World (Infectious Records LTD)
This track is mellow and is easy listening; you can’t help but bob you head to it. However after listening to it a few times it gets a bit repetitive, and seems a bit too commercial. Perhaps only a single you’d borrow off a mate instead of buy. Alfie Penfold 
Ash Website

Kingsomniac
Language of a lady (Faculty music)
Kingsomniac impress me with their use of guitar and bass. They remind me a lot of ‘The Cribs’ and ‘Supergrass’. The lead singer’s voice is amazing and fits well to the song. The lyrics could be a bit more imaginative but it wouldn’t stop me buying the album at all. The song is upbeat and rather catchy. They are apparently known to be an amazing live set, and well worth seeing. Isabel Langley
Kingsomniac Website

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