Johnny Get The Gun Mini-Album

Johnny Get The Gun is a pop punk/rock band from Grays in Essex fully focussed on putting together some fun and uplifting musical gems. The refreshing thing about this band is that despite being influenced by the likes of Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, and All Time Low, Johnny Get The Gun is not a band that tries to imitate those that inspire them. Even in opening track ‘You Will Be Mine’ where the band breaks down into a ‘Da da da’ vocal not too dissimilar to that found in Fall Out Boy’s ‘7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)’, Johnny Get The Gun is able to make this vocal sufficiently different so as not to sound like a Fall Out Boy tribute act.

Each of the six tracks on this mini-album have something different to offer, and after a few listens you find yourself singing along as the band hooks you in with its music. Johnny Get The Gun is a band that has obviously spent its three years since forming well as it’s demonstrated on this mini-album that they’re more than capable of penning some absolutely fantastic pop punk/rock tunes. Lead singer Wayne has an incredible vocal tone, the guitar work is strong here, and some pretty impressive drumbeats have also here been put down on record. These four guys from Essex really do seem to be able to play together well, something that is evidenced strongly on this debut mini-album. My only criticism of this mini-album would be that final track ‘This Night To End’ doesn’t seem to truly come alive until two minutes and forty seconds into the track; it’s by no means bad, it definitely seems to get a lot more exciting once the ‘She doesn’t love you, she doesn’t love you, love me’ vocal begins however, and whilst the other five tracks on the release are high in energy throughout, with this track you have to wait quite a while before its best moment arrives.

With this six track mini-album Johnny Get The Gun really shows that it’s a band to watch out for in the future; there are a lot of seriously strong signs here, and the band most definitely has the potential to become a big name in UK music. On the live circuit Johnny Get The Gun would no doubt go down well supporting the likes of You Me At Six and Kids In Glass Houses, and if the band continues to push on and improve then there’s really no reason why they can’t be as big as those bands in the future.

Johnny Get The Gun’s debut mini-album is not perfect, it’s certainly a release which hints at what the band is capable of however, and I for one will most definitely have an eye on what this band is getting up to in the future. Check out this mini-album if you’d like to hear an upcoming UK pop punk/rock band, and be sure to head along to one of the band’s live shows if the opportunity arises.

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Hassle Records Summer 2010 Sampler

Providing a taste of what the label has to offer; Hassle Records is currently giving away a Summer Sampler featuring nine tracks from its artists. If you weren’t already convinced of the brilliance of this UK label then this ought to be the thing to do it, with a number of artists featured here including Alkaline Trio, We Are The Ocean, Cancer Bats, and Rolo Tomassi.

With the instrumental rock of 65daysofstatic, the mellow indie pop of fun., and the full on hardcore attack of Trash Talk there is therefore plenty to sink your teeth into here, with the label offering up some of its artists’ best material, completely for free.

Cancer Bats’ fantastic cover of the Beastie Boys hits ‘Sabotage’ is featured here, as too is We Are The Ocean’s superb sing along anthem ‘Look Alive’ from the ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ album, and the incredibly upbeat pop punk fun of Fireworks’ ‘Detroit’ is included here also. Hassle Records has got some supremely talented artists on its roster right now, and as you listen to this Summer Sampler this is something that quickly becomes glaringly obvious.

There’s a great deal of variety here and it’s therefore probable that you won’t enjoy all nine tracks equally, with so much variety here however the sampler should have something to offer for everyone, and as it’s available as a free download you can’t really go far wrong in giving these nine tracks a try.

This sampler provides fantastic evidence of what a great job Hassle Records is doing as a record label right now, putting out quality music of all different genres, and backing it up with a passionate team of music lovers that help give the record label the reputation it deserves.

Give this Summer Sampler a try and it surely won’t leave you disappointed.

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The following is the full list of tracks featured on the sampler:

65daysofstatic – Crash Tactics
Alkaline Trio – This Addiction
Cancer Bats – Sabotage
FACT – Slip of the Lip
Fireworks – Detroit
fun. – At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
Rolo Tomassi – Party Wounds
Trash Talk – Explode
We Are The Ocean – Look Alive

Slam Dunk South Review

Slam Dunk South was a festival that I’d been looking forward to for some time, and as the festival hit Hertfordshire it certainly didn’t disappoint. There were some serious congestion issues in the main foyer for the latter half of the day, if you weren’t stuck queuing however then there were certainly some fun times to be had.

Every Avenue was the first band we got to see once we’d made our way to the Glamour Kills Stage, and whilst the vocals seemed to be drowned out in the mix; the band still managed to put on a pretty decent performance as it launched through its half hour set. Whilst the sound levels could have been improved that’s certainly not the band’s fault, and Every Avenue gave a good effort as they looked to warm up the Hatfield crowd.

Heading outdoors to the Jagermeister Stage, the next band we got to see was Young Guns, and with perfect sound the young Bucks band certainly put on a show to remember. Young Guns has supported Lostprophets in the past and there are definite similarities between the two bands; as vocalist Gustav Wood bounced around the stage there was definitely some strong energy in the set, and the crisp and clean sound really helped to make Young Guns’ appearance something rather special. Whilst the indoor sound quality had underwhelmed, being treated to such clarity from the outdoor stage was definitely something to treasure, and Young Guns was able to take full advantage of the strong quality of sound with its impressive display of passionate rock music.

Back to the Glamour Kills Stage and it was now the turn of Ohio pop punk band Hit the Lights to show what they had to offer. Just like Every Avenue before them, Hit the Lights was given 30 minutes to please, and used their time well as they went through a number of upbeat pop punk songs. The sound was still suffering from imperfect levels, Hit the Lights was having fun onstage though, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the performance also. As soon as Hit the Lights had finished their set, Southampton’s Not Advised began playing on the Kerrang! Introducing Stage at the back of the room, and this was another performance that was not to be missed.

Not Advised is a band that I’d not previously come across, I’m certainly glad to have seen them play at Slam Dunk though, and the band genuinely seemed to hugely appreciate the opportunity to play the festival. Not Advised vocalist Jim Thomas has an absolutely incredible voice, and this was something that stood out strongly as the band played through its set. The band had a lot of energy to offer, had the crowd singing along with its upbeat pop punk, and definitely did much to please its audience. If you get a chance to see Not Advised in the future then I would 100% recommend doing so as you’ll not be left disappointed.

Turning back towards the Glamour Kills stage and it was time to watch Set Your Goals; a band that a lot of people were clearly quite excited to see, and they played their set well with their interesting mix of pop punk and hardcore. Matt Wilson’s microphone wasn’t working at the start of the set and to begin with half of the band’s vocals were therefore inaudible, once the microphone situation was sorted though the band was really able to pack a punch with its dual vocal assault. Hoping to see some of RX Bandits set we missed the last few tracks of Set Your Goals’ set, due to congestion in the foyer however we had to forget about getting to see any of RX Bandits as we made our way back out to the Jagermeister Stage to watch We Are The Ocean.

Just like it had been for Young Guns at the Jagermeister Stage, the sound was absolutely perfect for We Are The Ocean, and the band put on the performance of the day so far as it punched through a powerful selection of songs. Covering material from its EPs as well as the ‘Cutting Our Teeth’ album, We Are The Ocean was really able to get the crowd moving, and chief screamer Dan Brown was a crowd hero as he jumped into the pit to get his screaming going from there. Dan also climbed a tree whilst out in the crowd, screamed from the branch, filmed the crowd from a video camera that was thrown up to him, and jumped back down again in slightly moss covered clothes. There was a lot to love about We Are The Ocean’s set; Liam Cromby has an absolutely sublime voice as the band’s clean singing vocalist, Tom Whittaker is a brilliant drummer, and the band always has a lot to offer with its guitars also. Add to this the passion and energy of Dan Brown and you have a live band that can never be accused of providing a dull moment. Aside from New Found Glory, We Are The Ocean was the band that stood out most at Slam Dunk Festival for me, and when the band tours in October I’ll be heading along to a few of the bands shows for more without a shadow of a doubt.

Back to the Glamour Kills Stage for one final time and it was not the turn of Four Year Strong to impress the Hatfield crowd. With four tracks from 2007s ‘Rise Or Die Trying’ and five from 2009s ‘Enemy of the World’, it was an even a split as the band possibly could have provided, and a nice selection of tracks from both of the band’s studio albums to date. Four Year Strong has never been my favourite pop punk band, they’re certainly not a bad band though and had good interaction with the crowd as they created a rather large pit and made sure that their music went down well with the fans that had shown up to see them.

When the Slam Dunk line-up was announced and I realised that New Found Glory and Capdown were going to clash, I have to say that I was bitterly disappointed. As much as I would have loved to have seen both of these bands, unfortunately a decision had to be made, and it was pop punk heroes New Found Glory that I ultimately decided to settle with, sadly meaning that I missed my favourite Milton Keynes skacore band. I’ll always have very fond memories of watching Capdown, getting into a fantastic position for New Found Glory I was not to be disappointed with my decision though, and New Found Glory for me was the ultimate headliner.

Celebrating in style a decade since the release of the ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ debut, New Found Glory launched through a set of 20 tracks, covering all six of their studio albums and even finding room for a couple of covers from the ‘From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II’ album in ‘Iris’ and ‘Kiss Me’. The performance was high in energy, packed full of fun, and there wasn’t a person in the room not having fun as the band gave its all from start to finish. The band mixed it up well as it played its way through the albums, and although the band left the stage after ‘Hit Or Miss’ having already covered a lot of ground; it was clear that the set was not yet over, and the crowd was well poised for the encore of ‘Truth of my Youth’ and ‘My Friends Over You’ as it began to chant ‘NFG’ rather loudly. For me, the only way the night could have been any better is if the band had played ‘Dig My Own Grave’ from the 2008 ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ EP released through Bridge Nine Records, sticking to the studio albums and cover album was certainly fine with me though, and not a single track of the 20 disappointed. The likes of ‘Head On Collision’, ‘Hit Or Miss’, and ‘Dressed To Kill’ were all there, as too were ‘All Downhill From Here’ and ‘Failures Not Flattering’ from the ‘Catalyst’ album, and as the band finished with ‘My Friends Over You’ I was left with a fantastic feeling of absolute satisfaction. New Found Glory put on an awesome show at Hertfordshire University, and if I’d gone along to the Leeds show the next day then I probably would have made the same decision again to finish the day with New Found Glory.

After an absolutely fantastic pop punk performance from New Found Glory it was time to head for the doors, as there was live music coming from the Jagermeister Stage it was clear that Alkaline Trio had not yet finished their set however and there was therefore time for a little more fun.

Arriving at the Jagermeister Stage we were able to catch closing tracks ‘Stupid Kid’, ’97’, and ‘Radio’, and the night therefore finished with the famous Illinois three-piece that is Alkaline Trio. There definitely wasn’t the same level of fun and excitement for Alkaline Trio that there was for New Found Glory, the band played the three tracks well however and before long Slam Dunk South 2010 was officially over.

All in all Slam Dunk South was an absolutely fantastic festival; there were a few problems with the sound on the Glamour Kills Stage, there were congestion issues with the venue, and next year there are a few things that will have to be done differently (presuming that Slam Dunk South is once again held at Hertfordshire University), a good day was still had though, and we at Alt-UK got to see a great selection of bands. Roll on Slam Dunk 2011, and here’s to hoping that some more brilliant bands will be booked for next year’s festival.

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Pennywise, Strike Anywhere, A Wilhelm Scream @ Shepherds Bush Empire, Sunday 16th May 2010

Jim Lindberg may have departed, this show at the Shepherds Bush Empire however presented powerful evidence that Pennywise is still a band that is well worth watching. Ignite’s Zoli Teglas is now on vocal duties and this is a time of great change for Pennywise, all the passion is still there though, and the band is still clearly very keen on putting on energetic and exciting punk rock shows.

Having missed first support band Project North I therefore can’t comment, next up was A Wilhelm Scream however and thankfully I wasn’t too late to catch them. Drummer Nick Angelini may have had a hangover, that didn’t hold him back though as A Wilhelm Scream put on a strong set featuring a number of top tracks. The sound quality could have been better, the music of A Wilhelm Scream went down well nonetheless though, with the band belting out a number of classics including ‘The King is Dead’ and ‘Killing It’ as well as many more. Pennywise with Zoli Teglas was always the main attraction here, A Wilhelm Scream started to get the crowd on its feet though, had a number of people singing along, and warmed the stage well ready for Strike Anywhere to take to it.

Following on from A Wilhelm Scream, Strike Anywhere seemed to take a bit of time to warm up, a few songs into the set though and the band seemed to be well and truly in its stride as it began to get the crowd moving. Strike Anywhere will be back in August for Reading and Leeds, for this evening they were concentrating on pleasing the London crowd at the Shepherds Bush Empire however, demonstrating strong onstage energy and making sure that the crowd was having a good time. Drummer Eric Kane seemed to have his head down quite a bit as he drummed so perhaps he was feeling a little worse for wear after a hard night with Nick Angelini; I’m not really sure on that one, he was definitely on top form with his beats though and all in all Strike Anywhere certainly impressed.

So three bands had now taken to the Shepherds Bush Empire stage, the crowd was ready and waiting, and Pennywise was soon to appear to belt through a fine collection of classics. There was a vibrant mood in the venue and rightly so; I think the audience knew that they were about to witness something rather special, and Pennywise put on what was without doubt one of my favourite punk rock performances for years.

‘Every Single Day’ was the track that Pennywise chose to open with, and right from the word go the band had the crowd’s full undivided attention as they tore through the track before launching into many more. Some idiot thought it was a smart idea to throw a pint of water on stage just as Pennywise was coming on and this therefore caused a few problems to start with as Zoli slipped over and towels had to be brought on to clear up the wet, the singer seemed to take it all in good heart however and it certainly didn’t stop the band from putting on a show to remember.

With tracks such as ‘Society’, ‘Fuck Authority’, and ‘Can’t Believe It’ being played, there was therefore plenty to get excited about throughout the set, and never for a second did the Pennywise sound disappoint. The band was obviously having a lot of fun on stage, and the audience also was clearly feeling it in a big way as the evening flashed by. There was even room for the band’s ‘Stand By Me’ cover in the set, a song that really did seem to suit Zoli Teglas’ vocal tone well; the track was as energy packed as the rest and fitted in supremely well in what was a very impressive set.

As well as putting on an excellent show, Zoli Teglas also used the gig as an opportunity to raise awareness of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, of which he is an active supporter. In particular, Operation Blue Rage was spoken about, a project to protect the bluefin tuna. The Sea Shepherd Society will be sending out the Steve Irwin vessel to the Mediterranean this summer in order to stand against the illegal overfishing of bluefin tuna, and if you share in Zoli Teglas’ passion for marine conservation then you can read more about it here.

Pennywise managed to get about as close to perfection as possible in this show at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and when the night was over I’m sure that the entire crowd would have happily kept watching for several hours more. Ending with the brilliant ‘Bro Hymn’ the band really did impress hugely, and there were many arms raised in the air around the venue as the band passionately played through its final song.

Work has already begun on Pennywise album number ten, and although some may be sceptical of what the band can offer in the absence of Jim Lindberg, people should not forget that Zoli Teglas has seventeen years experience behind him as the vocalist for Ignite, and I for one am extremely excited to hear what the band can offer with its next studio release. A new vocalist may now have been acquired, going forward Pennywise is still a band that is as relevant as ever however, and although the loss of a vocalist of more than 20 years is tough to come to terms with, Pennywise seems to be doing just fine without Jim Lindberg and we’ll no doubt be hearing plenty more from the band in the future.

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Owl City @ Shepherds Bush Empire, Sunday 9th May 2010

With new single ‘Umbrella Beach’ due for release here in the UK on May 17th, Owl City launched into this one first at the Shepherds Bush Empire, before then following it up with another track from the ‘Ocean Eyes’ studio album, ‘The Bird and the Worm’. It took a while for Adam Young to warm up the London crowd once taking to the stage, right from the word go his energy and passion for performing was highly apparent however and this was an excellent thing to see as he danced around the stage to his music.

With a guitarist, drummer, glockenspiel player, double bassist, violinist, and keyboardist all on this stage this therefore gave plenty of potential for an extremely full live sound, unfortunately however the levels weren’t perfect and this therefore meant that some of the instruments were unfortunately drowned out a little in the mix. Whilst there was a very crisp drum sound and the guitar and keyboards came through clearly, the glockenspiel in particular was quite hard to make out at times, and although the player very much looked to be enjoying himself; it would have been nice if his playing had been a little more audible. In addition to the inconsistent sound levels, more could also have been made of the lighting throughout the set; there was very minimal use of the lighting available at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and for the type of music that Owl City plays, a solid lighting show could definitely have been of benefit and increased the overall impact of the music.

With tracks played from 2007s ‘Of June’ EP as well as material from the albums ‘Maybe I’m Dreaming’ and ‘Ocean Eyes’, there was therefore a good mix of material both old and new, giving fans a chance to hear Owl City’s earlier sound as well as the more recent hits. The set seemed to fit together well, with the only real strange decision being that ‘Hello Seattle’ was played in the encore, with ‘Fireflies’ having been played about two thirds of the way through the set. ‘Hello Seattle’ has recently been released in the US and to a US crowd this therefore would have been a pretty reasonable choice of encore, as ‘Fireflies’ is currently the only single to have been released in the UK however, to have played ‘Fireflies’ as the final track would definitely have been a greater option. A nice touch could perhaps have been to play ‘Fireflies’ for a second time as this no doubt would have gone down a storm with the sold out London crowd.

The sound levels could have been improved and the crowd interaction could have been stronger, despite this however Owl City was still able to put on a pretty solid show in the sold out Shepherds Bush Empire and there were certain areas of the crowd that really did appear to be feeling the music. All in all it was a solid display of inoffensive electronic pop music, and even though there was room for improvement; there were a number of positives to be taken from the performance and the energy that was displayed on stage by a number of the performers.

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Boys Like Girls @ Shepherds Bush Empire, Monday 26th April 2010

Having been over for a few shows in February, Boys Like Girls returned to the UK on April 26th 2010 for a gig at Shepherds Bush Empire, with support from UK based bands Me Vs Hero and Futures.

With doors at 7:00pm we unfortunately missed out on opening act Me Vs Hero, next to the stage was London’s very own Futures however, and the unfortunate thing there was that we didn’t miss them. In a set completely devoid of any energy or passion, and with a drummer that looked like he could fall asleep at any time (and may well have done at certain points), Futures droned through a number of tracks that all sounded distinctly similar. Finishing with ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’, the band certainly seemed to appeal to some of those at the front, personally however I found little to really smile about in the band’s music, and hearing that ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ was their last track was the most excited I managed to get during the band’s performance.

With Futures’ set having finished, the Shepherds Bush Empire decided it was time to slap Maroon 5 on the stereo, and even if Futures’ performance hadn’t been a hit with some, Maroon 5’s ‘Songs About Jane’ album during the interval certainly seemed to do the trick as the majority of the young audience began to sing along and get ready for Boys Like Girls to take to the stage. After what felt like an eternity of Maroon 5, it was finally time for Boys Like Girls to take to the stage and provide the crowd with the music that they’d been waiting for.

Kicking off their show with the Black Eyed Peas’ hit ‘I Gotta Feeling’, straight away Boys Like Girls began to work the crowd as they took to the stage and the predominantly teen audience began to go wild. Jumping straight into ‘Love Drunk’ from there, Boys Like Girls continued to impress with their upbeat brand of pop punk/pop rock and launched through a number of tracks from their first two albums.

In a set that included tracks such as ‘Hero/Heroine’, ‘Five Minutes to Midnight’, ‘Heart Heart Heartbreak’, ‘She’s Got A Boyfriend Now’, and ‘Thunder’, Boys Like Girls was able to keep the energy levels high at all times before bringing numerous crowd members to the stage for closing number ‘The Great Escape’. The setlist was identical to that of February’s show at the O2 Academy, Islington, despite playing the same set however the band certainly didn’t seem tired of it and looked genuinely pleased to be playing to a London crowd for the second time in just over two months.

Before coming back to the UK for this show at Shepherds Bush Empire, Boys Like Girls was scheduled to play a number of shows over in Germany, as a result of the closed airspace the band therefore had to miss out on their German tour dates however and these shows will therefore have to be rescheduled for a later date.

For fans of pop punk/pop rock, Boys Like Girls certainly put on an impressive show at the Shepherds Bush Empire, and if you’ve yet to see this band live then doing so at a later stage is a definite must. The band may only have released two albums thus far, Boys Like Girls is still a band with much to offer however and their live show certainly recreates the supreme positivity of their records. The Boys Like Girls sound is one that is extremely upbeat and exciting, and if you’re up for a bit of pop fuelled rock/punk energy then this is a band that definitely deserves to be seen.

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OneRepublic – All the Right Moves

As a writer and producer Ryan Tedder has had great success, and even if you don’t know him by name there’s a very strong possibility that you’ve heard his work at some point or another (Leona Lewis’s hugely popular ‘Bleeding Love’ and Beyonce Knowles’ ‘Halo’ are two shining examples of tracks co-written by Tedder). In 2007 the band that Ryan Tedder has fronted since 2002 rose to fame when hip hop rapper/producer Timbaland remixed the single ‘Apologize’ and included it on his 2007 ‘Shock Value’ album; OneRepublic instantly became a household name and ‘Apologize’ was a massive hit all around the world. Following up with ‘Stop and Stare’ OneRepublic was once again able to show great strength as a band, with each additional release the band seemed to lose further popularity however, with singles ‘Say (All I Need)’ and ‘Mercy’ both failing to enter either the US Billboard Hot 100 or the Official UK Top 40. With fifth single ‘Come Home’ on which the band collaborated Sara Bareilles a return to the Billboard Hot 100 was finally in store, and a second album has now followed with the release of ‘Waking Up’ in November 2009.

‘All the Right Moves’ is the first single taken from the ‘Waking Up’ album and was released in the UK in January 2010. Featuring a fantastically catchy chorus, ‘All the Right Moves’ is an absolutely exceptional first single for OneRepublic to have released from the ‘Waking Up’ album, and with this track OneRepublic has once again shown fantastic strength and ability as a band. Ryan Tedder’s vocal lines are as sweetly sung out as ever, and combined with this there is also an absolutely phenomenal guitar sound that can here be heard. ‘All the Right Moves’ is no ‘Apologize’, and the chances are that OneRepublic never will release anything as good as that again, ‘All the Right Moves’ is certainly still a song that begs to be listened to however and once you’ve listened to the track once you’ll no doubt have the song stuck in your head for a long time to come.

‘All the Right Moves’ is undoubtedly repetitive, its simplistic composition and lyrical structure really does work well though, and despite being somewhat limited the track never seems to become tiresome. Ryan Tedder is a supremely talented singer and songwriter, and ‘All the Right Moves’ is a single that showcases this fantastically well; ‘All the Right Moves’ may not be OneRepublic’s best work, it’s still a very solid piece of music though and a track that truly is well worth listening to.

Label: Interscope
Release Date: January 11th 2010

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The BRIT Awards 2010 3CD Compilation Review

In celebration of 30 years of the BRIT Awards a 3CD compilation has this year been released, with the first two discs focusing on popular music from the last year whilst the third disc concentrates on some of the biggest BRIT hits from the past 30.

The first disc is quite pure pop focused, with artists such a Cheryl Cole, Robbie Williams, and Mika featuring here, the second disc meanwhile has more of a dance and rock edge about it with Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris, Biffy Clyro, U2, and Kasabian all included. Dependent upon your specific tastes in music you’ll probably have a favourite of these two discs; both CDs have their moments though, with both coming complete with some definite stand outs.

There’s a great deal of variety displayed on the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation, what has to be noted however is that some of these artists are not in line to win a BRIT Award this year and yet have been included on the CD, several others meanwhile are up for awards and have failed to make the cut. Whitney Houston and Jason Mraz are two prime examples of artists included on the album that have not been nominated for any Brit Awards; artists such as Eminem, Leona Lewis, and Bat for Lashes meanwhile are not included on the compilation even though they did receive BRIT Award nominations. The song selections don’t always make sense, despite this though it is still a decent compilation which does feature some of the most popular music to have been released in the last year (BRIT Award nominees or not).

Having been treated to some of the most popular tracks of 2009/early 2010 on the first two discs, this BRIT Awards compilation definitely provides a treat with the third disc as such tracks as Take That’s ‘Patience’, Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, and Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ are showcased. The CD actually kicks off with three lives tracks; Queen and 5ive’s ‘We Will Rock You’ from 2000, Seal and Adamski’s ‘Killer’ from 1991, and the Bee Gees ‘Medley’ from 1997. It’s straight after these three live classics that we’re boomed into Take That’s ‘Patience’, and from there we move on to Duffy’s ‘Warwick Avenue’ and Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’; definitely a cracking way to kick off the CD, and we certainly finish on a high with the third and final disc of the compilation.

All in all there are 60 tracks on the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation (20 on each of the three discs), and regardless of your taste in music you’re sure to find something here that impresses. It’s unlikely that you’ll enjoy all 60, with so much to choose from there’s definitely much to keep you entertained though, and even if you don’t like a few tracks here then that still leaves you with plenty of others to listen to. The inclusion of a third disc this year makes the BRIT Awards annual compilation better value than ever in 2010, and if you’re looking to get your hands on a quality compilation then the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation is most definitely one that’s worth looking into.

Label: Rhino UK
Release Date: February 8th 2010

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Lostprophets – The Betrayed

After a wait of three and a half years, Lostprophets is back and has released its fourth studio album ‘The Betrayed’. After the release of ‘Liberation Transmission’ in 2006 the band set to work on its fourth studio album in early 2007 with the hope of releasing a new album later that year, recording in LA didn’t quite go to plan however, and with the band unhappy with the material that had been produced, all was scrapped and it was time to start again. Heading back to Wales the band was able to get to work with a fresh head, with bassist Stuart Richardson at the recording desk to take care of the production and mixing duties with the help of Justin Hopfer. ‘The Betrayed’ is the album that Lostprophets has ultimately put together, with the band taken a heavier approach than with previous album ‘Liberation Transmission’.

‘The Betrayed’ kicks into action with ‘If It Wasn’t for Hate, We’d Be Dead by Now’, providing a quality start to the album as the powerful drumming hits you straight away followed by a brilliant dirty guitar sound. Straight away the album grabs you, with the band providing a supremely satisfying opener for the record. Flowing into ‘Dstryr/Dstryr’ the band continues to impress, and after this we’re treated to singles ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ and ‘Where We Belong’. ‘The Betrayed’ quickly establishes itself as a fantastic return from the band, and throughout the entirety of the album the drumming of Ilan Rubin really does impress. Sadly Ilan Rubin has moved on to join Nine Inch Nails since this album was recorded, he definitely makes a massive impression on this album though, with his incredible drumming technique always coming across to perfection throughout the album.

Aside from the questionable use of the “lalala” in ‘Streets of Nowhere’ there’s little not to like about ‘The Betrayed’, and put down on record here are eleven largely impressive rock tracks. With catchy choruses aplenty, great rock guitars, and powerful drumming throughout, ‘The Betrayed’ has everything you could possibly want from the Lostprophets, and is an album that should impress the vast majority of the bands fans. It’s not quite perfect, tracks such as ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Felon’, ‘A Better Nothing’, and ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ are sure to have you singing along though, and closing track ‘The Light That Shines Twice as Bright’ is an excellent one to finish with as the band winds things down with one of the album’s highlights.

If Lostprophets’ ‘Start Something’ sits proudly in your collection then ‘The Betrayed’ is most definitely an album that you should be investing in. There’s a lot of absolutely fantastic material here, and Lostprophets has once again pulled it out of the bag with a good solid album. Ian Watkins’ vocals are as impressive here as ever, instrumentally the music always has much to offer, and it just feels as though the band has put a lot of care into putting this album together. ‘The Betrayed’ may not have the rawness of debut album ‘Thefakesoundofprogress’, and was most definitely recorded on a bigger budget; a lot has changed since the release of the band’s debut in 2001 though, and the fact that the band had the luxury of being able to scrap its first draft and start afresh just shows how much this band has moved on since the early days. Much may have changed, Lostprophets still remains a band very capable of recording impressive rock music though, and ‘The Betrayed’ is an album that you should certainly seek to listen to.

Label: Visible Noise
Release Date: January 18th 2010

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The Standards – Out Of The Fire EP

Whilst a definite 1960s influence is apparent here, The Standards is certainly not a band that is looking to rip off its idols, but instead the influence is taken and fused with a modern spin to provide for a musical treat that is truly delicious.

There’s a lot of fun that comes through in The Standards’ sound, and all three tracks on the ‘Out Of The Fire’ EP have been strongly crafted to provide for a highly satisfying and entertaining listening experience. Title track ‘Out Of The Fire’ kicks things off well, with a highly vibrant feel right from the off, and once the band hooks you in it certainly never lets go. After a couple of listens the band is able to have you singing along, and not a single track on this EP disappoints. From ‘Out Of The Fire’ the band fires onto ’11 Dimensions’, another track with a huge amount to offer, and with closing track ‘Already There’ the band continues to impress with its style.

The Standards is a band with a clear love for its 1960s music, what’s so brilliant about this band though is the way that it’s able to use its influences so well here and put together three truly special tracks. The vocals definitely do a lot to please, instrumentally also The Standards is a band with much to offer however, and in all areas supreme strength is shown here.

The ‘Out Of The Fire’ EP is most definitely one that you should look to add to your collection, and The Standards is without doubt a band to watch out for in the future.

Label: Schnapps House
Release Date: February 8th 2010

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