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It's almost December and Santa's little helpers are stacking the shelves with singles like nobody's business. Fortunately, TMF can keep up...
Dan Arborise - 'Another Side of The Sky'
When you hear the mellow tones of Dan Arborise couple with the tapped delay of his acoustic guitar it is impossible not to draw comparisons with the late great John Martyn. That the comparisons are favourable is all credit to this inspiring musician who somehow manages to capture the wild windswept spirit of whatever part of the outer reaches of the UK he’s currently holed up in. Divine. (SB)
CTRL Z - 'Ruffneck 09'
In your face mash up of the Freestylers classic with an unstoppable bassline that busts out of the speakers, smashes up your bedroom and brutally murders your pet hamster. Hardcore! Let the attack begin! (SB)
Black Soul Strangers - 'Lies'
Polished indie guitar pop from the Dublin quartet which presses all the right buttons but is in need of a couple of nights sleeping rough under a park bench with a bottle of cheap cider to roughen up the edges a bit. It’s just too damn polite and (shudder) ‘nice’. (SB)
Krystle Warren - 'Year End Issue'
The treacle thick and warm as toast vocals win the day on this laid back reflective ditty which you might remember from Krystle’s high profile Jools Holland performance a few weeks back. (SB)
The Mary Onettes - 'Puzzles'
As bad band names go that’s way up there with the worst but this taster for forthcoming album Islands has serious commercial potential. It is like Aha meets OMD which, with OMD touring again and Aha splitting up soon, isn’t a bad place to be. (SB)
Kid Sister - 'Right Hand Hi'
Salt ‘n Pepa meets early Prodigy in this unmissable rave up from forthcoming debut album Ultraviolet. Enough to give you faith in mainstream pop music again. Now, all the laydeez in da house - Get’cha hands in the air! (SB)
Johnny Flynn - 'Sweet William EP'
A fresh and interesting take on folk music which hoovers up a range of traditional styles and repackages them as something new. Lots of fingerpicking guitar and mournful cello and nary a drumbeat in sight, it gets under your skin. (SB)
Twin Atlantic - 'What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?'
As a relatively new player on the Scottish rock scene comparisons to Biffy Clyro are unavoidable. These energetic young scallywags are treading similar boards to the Biffsters but don’t really bring anything new to the table. (AM)
Rose Elinor Dougall - 'Fallen Over'
Every time I see the Sheilas' Wheels TV advert it just rubs salt into the wounds that the perfect Pipettes line up is no more. Luckily, Rose is still carrying the pop baton with this simply divine three minute song about the first steps in a new relationship. Her delightful voice makes it a pleasure to be knocked off your feet. (AM)
Gemmy - 'Johnny 5'
Without question this is what all robots listen to when their human masters are away. Sporting such immense vocoding it sounds like someone’s inhaled a kazoo and preceded to babble over some effervescent beats and synths. Time to coat yourself in tin-foil and sneak into the digital underworld. (AM)
Lou Rhodes - 'There For The Taking'
Lou has subtle grit in her voice and the guitar-picking is pretty, but this tune fails to really grab. Still, you can make up your own mind by downloading it free from her website. (JD)
Newton Faulkner - 'Over and Out'
If you (rightly) consider Faulkner to be the biggest dreadlocked menace to music since Mick Hucknall, this MOR mess will do nothing to change your opinion. (JD)
Spectrum 7 - 'Serafin'
Ironically 'Serafin', a song about being trapped inside yourself, sees Spectrum 7 breaking through the shackles of emo introversion and deliver a vibrant track with bags of commercial pop/rock potential. Not quite the finished article but worth keeping close tabs on. (SB)
Mother Of Six - 'Mother Of Six EP'
Mother of Six play a style of music invented by an old Catalan sea dog who, after witnessing their performance, staggered over and screamed aRt pUnK Art PUnK!! into their faces before collapsing into the drumkit. It’s easy to see what reeled him in, although I’d question his genre spotting ability as his definition of art punk appears to be heavily phased, bass heavy Sabbath riffs with epic, Cornell style vocals. Reminiscent in places of the groove and repetition popularized by the mighty Loop, but also factoring in some ambient, doom laden industrial clanking, this is ultra heavy without ever becoming alienating and is well worth getting your grubby mitts on.(SB)
Pyramiddd - 'Medicine'
Anybody who calls their band Starfuckers, well you've got to admire their balls haven't you? The name may have changed now but this lusciously sleek n' glitchy flash of electronica means we can all, indeed, continue admiring their balls. Hurrah! (MJ)
Taio Cruz - 'No Other One'
Taio Cruz could easily be regarded as the Brit equivalent to Ne-yo. Not a huge superstar, but he is good at what he does. 'No Other One' is a catchy hip-hop influenced pop track that will have very wide appeal and will no doubt do very well. (CP)
Katie V - 'Song From Under The Covers'
There's no doubt, on the evidence of this EP, Ms V certainly has talent. She's a multi-instrumentalist and singer and she's accomplished at both. It's just a shame that her debut has to be so mundane. Like a watered-down Ella Fitzgerald, with the right material she could shine. (CP)
Young Rebel Set - 'Walk On'
Indie Rock seven-piece, Young Rebel Set's sophomore single, 'Walk On' is a great track that sounds like a slightly more rocky version of The Kooks. Well written and infectious, this is a single from a band with a real future. (CP)
Thirty Seconds to Mars - 'Kings and Queens'
Jared Leto's band continues to build on the promise they've shown over the last few years. 'Kings and Queens' is a strong, anthemic, epic track that could see the band hit new heights. It may be a little MOR, but Leto delivers his vocals with a passion usually only seen from the likes of Bono. (CP)
Alicia Keys - 'Doesn't Mean Anything'
Following her collaboration with Jay-Z, the first track from Alicia Key's fourth studio album shows a slight change of tack but continues to showcase the singer's effortless talent. Warm, soothing vocals sit nicely over a more percussion heavy tune than we're used to, but the update of her sound works wonders. (CP)
L-Mo - 'Simple Living'
While not delivering the "upbeat adrenaline fuelled acoustic mayhem" that the press release promised, 'Simple Living' shows some early promise. However, the simple, but effective, instrumental soon begins to become repetitive and dull around the two-minute mark. The unique vocal stylings of lead singer Luke Moseley and general positive vibe of the track stop it from being a complete disaster though. (IS)
Single of the Week
No fist-fights in the office this week over which release wins the coveted title. It's...
New Rhodes - 'Quando Quando Quando'
A pretty straight cover of the cheesy Englebert Humperdink classic which comes from the Camden Heroes War Child charity album. Cheesy but actually great fun and the ‘proper’ New Rhodes tracks included are pretty special too. One of the better singles to fall into my lap this year which, in November, isn’t bad going. (SB)
Dan Arborise - 'Another Side of The Sky'
When you hear the mellow tones of Dan Arborise couple with the tapped delay of his acoustic guitar it is impossible not to draw comparisons with the late great John Martyn. That the comparisons are favourable is all credit to this inspiring musician who somehow manages to capture the wild windswept spirit of whatever part of the outer reaches of the UK he’s currently holed up in. Divine. (SB)
CTRL Z - 'Ruffneck 09'
In your face mash up of the Freestylers classic with an unstoppable bassline that busts out of the speakers, smashes up your bedroom and brutally murders your pet hamster. Hardcore! Let the attack begin! (SB)
Black Soul Strangers - 'Lies'
Polished indie guitar pop from the Dublin quartet which presses all the right buttons but is in need of a couple of nights sleeping rough under a park bench with a bottle of cheap cider to roughen up the edges a bit. It’s just too damn polite and (shudder) ‘nice’. (SB)
Krystle Warren - 'Year End Issue'
The treacle thick and warm as toast vocals win the day on this laid back reflective ditty which you might remember from Krystle’s high profile Jools Holland performance a few weeks back. (SB)
The Mary Onettes - 'Puzzles'
As bad band names go that’s way up there with the worst but this taster for forthcoming album Islands has serious commercial potential. It is like Aha meets OMD which, with OMD touring again and Aha splitting up soon, isn’t a bad place to be. (SB)
Kid Sister - 'Right Hand Hi'
Salt ‘n Pepa meets early Prodigy in this unmissable rave up from forthcoming debut album Ultraviolet. Enough to give you faith in mainstream pop music again. Now, all the laydeez in da house - Get’cha hands in the air! (SB)
Johnny Flynn - 'Sweet William EP'
A fresh and interesting take on folk music which hoovers up a range of traditional styles and repackages them as something new. Lots of fingerpicking guitar and mournful cello and nary a drumbeat in sight, it gets under your skin. (SB)
Twin Atlantic - 'What Is Light? Where Is Laughter?'
As a relatively new player on the Scottish rock scene comparisons to Biffy Clyro are unavoidable. These energetic young scallywags are treading similar boards to the Biffsters but don’t really bring anything new to the table. (AM)
Rose Elinor Dougall - 'Fallen Over'
Every time I see the Sheilas' Wheels TV advert it just rubs salt into the wounds that the perfect Pipettes line up is no more. Luckily, Rose is still carrying the pop baton with this simply divine three minute song about the first steps in a new relationship. Her delightful voice makes it a pleasure to be knocked off your feet. (AM)
Gemmy - 'Johnny 5'
Without question this is what all robots listen to when their human masters are away. Sporting such immense vocoding it sounds like someone’s inhaled a kazoo and preceded to babble over some effervescent beats and synths. Time to coat yourself in tin-foil and sneak into the digital underworld. (AM)
Lou Rhodes - 'There For The Taking'
Lou has subtle grit in her voice and the guitar-picking is pretty, but this tune fails to really grab. Still, you can make up your own mind by downloading it free from her website. (JD)
Newton Faulkner - 'Over and Out'
If you (rightly) consider Faulkner to be the biggest dreadlocked menace to music since Mick Hucknall, this MOR mess will do nothing to change your opinion. (JD)
Spectrum 7 - 'Serafin'
Ironically 'Serafin', a song about being trapped inside yourself, sees Spectrum 7 breaking through the shackles of emo introversion and deliver a vibrant track with bags of commercial pop/rock potential. Not quite the finished article but worth keeping close tabs on. (SB)
Mother Of Six - 'Mother Of Six EP'
Mother of Six play a style of music invented by an old Catalan sea dog who, after witnessing their performance, staggered over and screamed aRt pUnK Art PUnK!! into their faces before collapsing into the drumkit. It’s easy to see what reeled him in, although I’d question his genre spotting ability as his definition of art punk appears to be heavily phased, bass heavy Sabbath riffs with epic, Cornell style vocals. Reminiscent in places of the groove and repetition popularized by the mighty Loop, but also factoring in some ambient, doom laden industrial clanking, this is ultra heavy without ever becoming alienating and is well worth getting your grubby mitts on.(SB)
Pyramiddd - 'Medicine'
Anybody who calls their band Starfuckers, well you've got to admire their balls haven't you? The name may have changed now but this lusciously sleek n' glitchy flash of electronica means we can all, indeed, continue admiring their balls. Hurrah! (MJ)
Taio Cruz - 'No Other One'
Taio Cruz could easily be regarded as the Brit equivalent to Ne-yo. Not a huge superstar, but he is good at what he does. 'No Other One' is a catchy hip-hop influenced pop track that will have very wide appeal and will no doubt do very well. (CP)
Katie V - 'Song From Under The Covers'
There's no doubt, on the evidence of this EP, Ms V certainly has talent. She's a multi-instrumentalist and singer and she's accomplished at both. It's just a shame that her debut has to be so mundane. Like a watered-down Ella Fitzgerald, with the right material she could shine. (CP)
Young Rebel Set - 'Walk On'
Indie Rock seven-piece, Young Rebel Set's sophomore single, 'Walk On' is a great track that sounds like a slightly more rocky version of The Kooks. Well written and infectious, this is a single from a band with a real future. (CP)
Thirty Seconds to Mars - 'Kings and Queens'
Jared Leto's band continues to build on the promise they've shown over the last few years. 'Kings and Queens' is a strong, anthemic, epic track that could see the band hit new heights. It may be a little MOR, but Leto delivers his vocals with a passion usually only seen from the likes of Bono. (CP)
Alicia Keys - 'Doesn't Mean Anything'
Following her collaboration with Jay-Z, the first track from Alicia Key's fourth studio album shows a slight change of tack but continues to showcase the singer's effortless talent. Warm, soothing vocals sit nicely over a more percussion heavy tune than we're used to, but the update of her sound works wonders. (CP)
L-Mo - 'Simple Living'
While not delivering the "upbeat adrenaline fuelled acoustic mayhem" that the press release promised, 'Simple Living' shows some early promise. However, the simple, but effective, instrumental soon begins to become repetitive and dull around the two-minute mark. The unique vocal stylings of lead singer Luke Moseley and general positive vibe of the track stop it from being a complete disaster though. (IS)
No fist-fights in the office this week over which release wins the coveted title. It's...
New Rhodes - 'Quando Quando Quando'
A pretty straight cover of the cheesy Englebert Humperdink classic which comes from the Camden Heroes War Child charity album. Cheesy but actually great fun and the ‘proper’ New Rhodes tracks included are pretty special too. One of the better singles to fall into my lap this year which, in November, isn’t bad going. (SB)
