SOUP OF THE DAY
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
FROM: New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
GENRE: Rock/Punk/Alternative
SOUNDS LIKE: Brandon Flowers fronting the Hold Steady, covering Bruce Springsteen. Check shirts a-plenty then.
ESSENTIAL TRACKS: "The '59 Sound", "Great Expectations" "High Lonesome", "Here's Looking At You, Kid"
YOU'LL LOVE THEM IF YOU LIKE...: Bruce obviously, Green Day (at a push), Kings Of Leon (similar passionate, tuneful, wholly American approach), The National, The Hold Steady.
CHECK OUT: Their second album "The '59 Sound" is out now
MORE INFO?: Official site, MySpace

JAMIE T - FIRE FIRE


















The Thamesbeat bard has returned, and it appears he's decided to show his love of hardcore and punk this time round, rather than ska. But this is only a preview track, and won't be on the new album apparently. Confusing eh? It certainly begins with a bang of a chorus, sounding like a riot between Gallows and the Beastie Boys. Don't even try to decipher the lyrics, it's nigh on impossible. The verses are a bit more typical of Jamie T, funky bass, rapid fire vocals and a bit of ska guitar. Make of it what you will, I reckon it's pretty great, takes a while to get into but it's an interesting insight into where the next album will be headed

7.8/10

Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls

Imagine a female Cribs or Ramones or even an all girl early Green Day (Red Week? Sorry, gross joke if you get it, but had to make it). Now imagine them with a hell of a lotta feedback over the top. That's the pretty much what Brooklyn's Vivian Girls are all about. Lo-fi punk rock with heavenly harmonies chucked into the wall of sound. What sets them apart from the rest of the "girl power" bands (basically any band with a female member that's a bit "fiesty"), apart from having only two songs over the 3 minute mark on the entire album, is that they don't to be too bothered by anything, apart from making some good old punk rock. And I believe for that they should be applauded for that alone.

But that's not the only reason to praise the band. They squeeze more pure punk rock into 22 minutes than most bands fit into double albums. And hit a lot of reference points along the way. The albums sounds like one big jam session between The Ramones, My Bloody Valentine, The Shangri-Las, The Long Blondes, No Age, The Breeders and even The Smiths (on "Going Insane") and is all the better for it. The varied mix of influences adds up to some of the best punk songs and best melodies of the last few years from the alternative side of the world.

7/10