Phonofiction apparently talk endlessly about how to define their music. Mixtape rock? Eclectica? Musical Cannibalism? Beck wrestling with Bambaataa? None of those descriptions sprang to mind on first listening to this 2 track demo, the last one is frankly hilarious.

First track ‘After The Adrenaline’ is the stronger of the two, and is definitely a grower. The second song ‘Therapeutic Indication’ meanders along without really going anywhere and I lose interest long before the surprise change in tempo near the end when they decide to cover ‘I Am The Resurrection’.

So uncomplicated…’ sings the singer of the *Ga*Ga*s on the new single – left of centre. The irony is that this release from the *Ga*Ga*s is far from being uncomplicated. Layered and anxiety ridden, left of centre contains an ample amount of angst essential to any future rock anthem, and it’s catchy enough to appeal to the pop market.

Speaking of being catchy, Leaving the Exits Clear – the b-side on this single – is an energy filled song that has all the key ingredients to be strong enough as an a side. Definitely NOT an album filler. Sounding on occasion like Foo Fighters in the ‘There is Nothing Left to Lose’ era, you can see how this track could easily fit on any American teenage high school movie soundtrack.

Review by Jessie Brickley
www.thegagas.com
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This is the first track I've heard from the irish four piece 'Hal' who's third single is released this april on Rough Trade. On the first play I found myself slightly excited by the Boomtown Rats (at their very poppiest) sounding intro (note 'the Allens' pronunciation of "radio" and "television show"), but as the song went on I soon realised this was the best part of the track. The boys sung on for another 3 minutes about pretty girls shakin' there hips etc. harmonizing with 'oooo's', 'aaaah's' and a strange high pitched vocal. They are good at what they do, it's harmonious, catchy and family-friendly.

Not an ideal first encounter with Dave (vocals/guitar), Paul (vocals/bass), Steve (drums) and Stephen (keyboards) however. But I didnt give the first two singles a listen. Maybe 'Play The Hits' is the Beach Boys-esque ballad follow-up to their blood + sweat rock n roll debut to woo-the-girls, but I doubt it.

Review by Thomas Highstreet
www.halmusic.com
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Magic 8 are Polly Brannan, Tom Morris and brothers Adrian and Christian Bannister. They took their name from a cult fortune-telling toy. That’s the extent of my research but on the evidence of this 3 track EP, I’d definitely be interested in hearing more from them.

The first song ‘2 of 1’ is the standout, with echoes of Blondie at their catchiest. The other tracks ‘Beautiful Smile’ and ‘Midnight To Morning’ do come across a bit like a low budget Duke Spirit – not necessarily a bad thing – but there’s definite promise here.

The general conscientious of late seems to be that dance music is dead, and guitars are back to stay. Someone should have told the Bodyrockers this, then no one would have to listen to 'I Like the Way', and the world would be a better place.

Basically, this song sounds like someone reciting a heavy-breathing phone call over some lost outtake from the period of late nineties music marked 'bad indie-dance destined to soundtrack Match of Day clips'. Maybe I'm being too harsh. The music is vaguely dark and crunchy and, probably in an effort to capture the zeitgeist, features an out-of-place sounding guitar riff. It's just that the vocal is so lascivious and pointless that it makes the whole thing sound ridiculously naff. "I like the way you stare so much, I like the way you like to touch" sings the excitable but unidentified vocalist, as if he's one step away from asking his subject what colour pants they're wearing, and if they're tight or not.

I'm basing my judgement on the 'original radio edit', but the quality of this alone begs the question, is life long enough too sit through three remixes of a track you don't really like? I decided, 'no'.

Review by Ian Viggars
www.bodyrockers.co.uk
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So Razorlight are back then, and despite the recent on stage incidents which left fans at a loss, musically the foursome seem to be stronger than ever. They return to our radios and music channels with ‘Somewhere Else’ – a sing along, chart friendly, soon-to-be floor filler. Catchy as hell, the first single off the album planned for release later this year emulates the thoughts of thousands as Johnny Borrell sings ‘I just can’t help myself – I really really wish I could be somewhere else’. Now that’s a teen anthem in the making if ever I heard one. This single’s definitely going to be scoring quite high in the charts when it’s released on April 11th.

Review by Jessie Brickley
www.razorlight.co.uk
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This promo contains 4 download singles from Dog Box Records which has been set up by Lisa and Katie Miller in “response to the decline of the great pop record”. The influences that are cited on their website like Art Brut through to St Etienne make me excited as to what they have to offer.

First up is The Bridge Gang who have only been together for a matter of months. The two songs played are average garage rock and it seems to me that they need a huge dose of inspiration for them to get noticed. But since they are a very new band the chances are high.

Next up is Mitten, which I had trouble listening to the end. This is like Joanna Newson but far more experimental and far more annoying (if that is possible). Very strange indeed.

Review by Sonia Pagliari
www.dogbox.co.uk
www.thebridgegang.com
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Agent Blue were always one of those bands I’d cast aside after hearing a 10 second clip and deciding they were nothing more than new rock bullshit. ‘Children’s Children’ for a start is a terrible title and the song isn’t any better. New rock bullshit is exactly what they are. They’ve been around for some years without any noticeable success and I can see it continuing that way if this is a marker of their progress.

Review by Barry Bennett
www.agent-blue.co.uk
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Yo, searching for some new shit to listen to on itunes I come across the new Clor single, "Love + Pain". I didn't think it was out till end of April, but it's there on itunes, and if you google, it appears to be on Woolworth's site as well (at 59p as opposed to 79p on itunes).

Anyway - fuck the 20p difference - this is vital, whatever you pay.

"I was in love, but that was yesterday, now I'm in pain, now it's to stay"

and something about the birds and the bees and stealing honey

"Wide eyed and open mouthed, you look a little lost and found. You look a little, you look a little..."

Yo, if I was female and in my teens, I'd be all wide eyed and open-mouthed and wanting my honey stolen for this awesome noise. Pure sexy audio probiotic goodness. This is some funky shit, y'all. Forget Maximo Park. Forget the Engineers. Forget it all. Get Clor. Turn it up. Sing it on the way to work. More notes than you thought could exist in a song without being Frank Zappa. This is the future. This is the only reason to get excited in 2005 so far. This is Clor. You heard it here first. My name is Rashied Garrison. Wanna play drums for me????

Best

Rashied Garrison
www.clor.co.uk
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Mando Diao appear to have come out of nowhere. In fact they’ve come out of Sweden! I had never heard of them when I went to see them play at the Buffalo Bar late last year. It turns out that I wasn’t going to see them at all as they had cancelled the show.

They did, however, come back to London to play 3 shows for Artrocker in January. I queued for one of these shows for over half an hour before deciding that my desire to get out of the cold and have a drink outweighed my desire to see the band, so I gave up and never saw them play.

As I have never queued to get into the Buffalo Bar before, I assumed that Mando Diao were a band worth queuing for. Maybe they are, live anyway, but their single ‘You Can’t Steal My Love’ is nothing to shout about. It’s not a bad song and after a few listens it does grow on you but there’s nothing particularly different or special about it and it’s certainly not memorable.
It does, however, have a raw and slightly under-produced sound to it and the vocals are, for want of a better word, interesting.
At just over 3 minutes, the song seems to drag and becomes tedious.

To sum up, it’s a bit of a let down and certainly not worth the hype.

Review by Rona Duthie
www.mando-diao.com
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Basement Jaxx have always flown in the face of so much po-faced dance music with their characteristic playfulness, inventiveness and accomplished musicianship. They've also never really fallen out of fashion or favour as many of their contemporaries have. While the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim have both made themselves largely redundant by sticking too rigidly to their own limiting blueprints, the Jaxx have always sounded like the most fun to hang out with. Again they still know how to throw a party with this remarkably pop little oddity.

This new single manages to be so of the moment - featuring a wealth of young British underground urban talent - and yet manages at the same time to bring to mind such crazy eighties deities as Five Star and a pre-titty tassel Janet Jackson. As ever it has a little of everything - sassy vocals that actually make you laugh, a rap from a sweating, stuttering mc, far too many synths and even one of their trademark acoustic breakdowns that you know you're going to be loving so much more when the sun is shining and the volume goes up.

A puzzling single, this takes a while to get in your head but once it does it's there for the long haul. It is catchy though and let's face it when the charts are brimming over with the grandiose boredom of Keane and their miserable ilk, it does make you eternally grateful that someone is still having a ball.

Review by Andrew Knight
www.basementjaxx.co.uk
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After such a promising EP (‘Here Comes A Close Up’), the Glitterati’s follow up single ‘You Got Nothing On Me’ seems a bit of a disappointment.

Admittedly, it’s nice to hear a new release that has a bit of a kick to it but it feels ever so slightly cliché.

The song starts with a pounding beat and powerful guitar riff but this remains the highlight of the song.
The guitar solo and harmonies seem to be a parody of heavy metal poodle haired bands of the 80s we love so much!!
However, the lead vocal is powerful and brilliant.

This band should stop concentrating so much on image and go back to producing better songs. They’re capable of much more.

p.s. on a lighter note, check out the video for ‘Here Comes A Close Up’ on www.theglitterati.com it's interesting…

Review by Rona Duthie
www.theglitterati.com
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