There's something a' brewin' in South London at the moment, with bands like Bloc Party, The Rocks, Special Needs and Art Brut emerging from the area's vibrantly creative music scene; and following on from Rockland's excellent Alternative Rock Idol shows, New Cross label Angular Records has picked up the baton and run with it.

To kick things off, they released the sublime New Cross compilation and tonight's gig showcases two of the brightest talents from that CD.

First up, garage rockers THE VIOLETS feature Angular Records boss Joe on guitar. Their boy/girl frontline and

what it is that draws you into The Violets' rock n roll scrawl. Perhaps it's the unorthodox style of Joe's guitar wrangling, spitting out stream of consciousness spurts of riffage, like the more innocent alterego of Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster's demonic, chaotic rage; or maybe it's the rich, clean vocals, only matched by the mighty tonsils of M.A.S.S.'s Justine in world of garage rock. Whatever it is, it's damned effective.

This is only The Violet's third gig, and at times it shows - audience interaction is kept to a minimum, and the show gets off to a nervous start, with the singer clinging to the mic stand for dear life. But as the band hit their stride musically, their confidence grows - the mic stand is relinquinshed, and we even get a few rock guitar shapes from Joe.

They close with 'Laxteen', a jerkier, but at the same time more regimented number than the rest of the set, allowing the vocals to come to the fore before hitting you with a mangled chorus. It's a wonderful set, and with a bit more practice and confidence, they're only going to get better.

THE SWEAR are another band that I compared to Sleater Kinney on the Angular Records compilation (maybe, I'd listened to 'You're No Rock n Roll Fun' one too many times that day), and again they blow this comparison out of the water tonight.

The Swear offer a more straightforward indie punk experience, with songs like 'On Your Own' glimmering with the same spit and sparkle pop punch that Kenickie made a career out of (the singer even looks a bit like Lauren Laverne if you tilt your head to the right angle and squint a bit), but beneath the spangly exterior, a darker heart lies in the lyrics, dealing with teenage pregnancies and life in

London's high rises and council estates.

The Swear's greatest strength comes from the use of three vocalists, a laid back female vocal with just the right amount of wobble in it to give it expression and a gravely rock roar giving them a versatility sorely lacking in

many of their contemporaries, and adding extra punch to choruses. They play with a confident matey swagger, with all the youthful energy we've come to demand from our indie pop, and it all adds up to make a band that sound like The Donnas might do if you removed the nagging doubt that they might just be pop puppets thrown together to make a quick buck.

Tonight's show is further evidence that there's something exciting happening south of the river, make sure you don't miss out.

Click here for pictures from tonight's gig.

For more info on The Swear, visit their official site

Visit Angular records at www.angularrecords.co.uk