Wolf & Cub

This Mess

Here�s one for all you dancefloor indie kids. These electro-garage rockers are one of the bands it�s going to be cool to like in 2007. The pounding bass line and tripped out wailing guitar resembles Primal Scream around the time of Vanishing Point. It�ll make you want to get your groove on and leave you more… “Wolf & Cub”

SubOpt

SubOpt are all about the funk. Something we all need in our lives. Unfortunately, SubOpt fail to bring anything new to the funk-rock genre, sounding like a very standard Incubus. The production is flawless and there are moments of brilliance, especially in Optimystic, in which Donna Maciocia provides an air of freshness to the music with her smooth voice more… “SubOpt”

The Horrors

Gloves

The Horrors are less a band and more a theatrical performance. From the image to the stage show to the songs – everything about them seems practised and performed to horror-punk perfection. However, this is not entirely a bad thing. It�s been light-years since a band had the gall to dress up and challenge their audience more… “The Horrors”

Jesse Malin

Glitter in the Gutter

I don�t know who this Jesse Malin character is, but he seems to have a lot of famous friends – Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams are just some of the rock royalty to have collaborated with Jesse on his new album more… “Jesse Malin”

My Device

Nervous System

My Device are an excitable Brighton trio, sitting uncomfortably in the space left between Maximo Park and the next faintly-melodic jerky indie band that the NME so loves to give its magazine space to more… “My Device”

Captainface

BOOM

There�s some things you certainly may need to know about Captainface. They�re named after a Boer War casualty (officer Captainface of the imperial Light Horse Regiment to you). They hail from Kinmundy (nope..us neither) and they peddle a peculiar blend of Politico-punk funk and hard rock more… “Captainface”

The 4th Parallel

Ultra-Extra

The title track from these Glaswegians� debut promo is ready to catch you from the beginning, with a bassline that can only be described as delicious, wanting to break out into a funk experimentation, only to be reigned in by spacey synths and the swaggering tones of Michael McCahill more… “The 4th Parallel”

Alexisonfire

Boiled Frogs

Not my cup of tea. But, let me finish, I actually quite like this. Aside from the generic screamo-ing and undeniable eau d�Enter Shikari, I�m inexplicably impressed by this track. Well no, not impressed, �Boiled Frogs� isn�t a big steaming bowl of genius, neither is it an epic in abstract lyricism; but what it is � or what it could be � is one of those stuck-in-your-head seasonal anthems, � la �Patience� (don�t even bother to deny that you hummed along to the pop comeback of the century at least once).

Anyway, these boys have got it right: layered �whoaaa�s, hand-clapping and some deliciously ripping guitar parts in places. Then, of course, we have rasping screams and thundering drums that are necessary criterion for any successful screamo track. But, even if that turns your stomach, don�t retreat to your Bright Eyes albums. Be the bigger person and have a go at looking past it. See if you�re not stuck with the melody in your head after the first listen.

Just to finish, I felt it necessary to admit that I played this track for someone who actually likes Alexisonfire and they told me that �Boiled Frogs� wasn�t up to much�shows what I know.

Sam Pollock