Inukshuk

Paint

Singular track here, entitled 'Paint' is a mixture of two colours. One being a dark and sombre hue of, let's say, beige, the other being the immature-schoolboy's-shirt shade of grey. The depressive vocal arrangement and later piano sections represent the beige section, and go from resembling Creed; who's corpse should never be re-lifted, and later in the song, Muse; who are too unique to be ripped off so blatantly. The schoolboy grey side of the paint mix reflects the juvenile, nu-metallic guitars and drums that grate as much as they strangely make your head nod in the most sarcastic manor. So that's grey and beige then. Result: aesthetic mediocrity... nice cover pic though.

Allan Judkins

Jake Flowers

Small World

Jake Flowers certainly knows how to turn a simple blend of an acoustic guitar and kick drum into beautiful folksy-pop music and gentle melodies. His fairly wide vocal range and songwriting abilities means he has the world at his feet when it comes to writing a good song and 'Small World' is a great example of this. His quirky sound keeps you interested all the way through without you thinking 'This is a bit bland'. On the recording he has a little bit of help from Ed Gauden on drums, and Gavin Monaghan on shaker and the single will be out on digital download on 23rd February (7" vinyl on 30th March). So go and have a listen... It's finger-picking good!!

Amy Baker

The Courteeners

No You Didn't, No You Don't

The Courteeners sound like a combination between The Smiths and Vampire Weekend. The voice is clear, masculine, passionate, and pays a homage to Morrissey, but the chipper instrumental beats create a laid back beachy vibe. In fact, if there ever was such a genre, The Courteeners' new single can simply be described as “easy listening punk.” There's something simple and carefree about the song, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. It's a perfect tune to add in a party playlist because it's both fun and mellow.

Claudia Vilato

Calvin Party

8 Days

Ok ok, so The Fall comparisons have probably been flogged to death where Calvin Party are concerned, and with '8 Days' it's particularly tempting to layer your own imaginary Mark E. Smith growling belligerence over the top of what is essentially a near perfect example of classic Northern post-punk attitude. Crashing in at just over two minutes long, the truth is that '8 Days' is so much more than Fall-by-numbers. Simultaneously abrasive yet accessibly pop enough to make a dent in today's audio sensibilities, '8 Days' paves the way for the new wave splendour of 'Just Keep Falling' and proves that the best treasures are definitely to be found underground. You'd best start digging before somebody beats you to it.

Gemma Winks

International Trust

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is the current single from Leeds based International Trust, and achieves the dubious honour of making the music of Blink 182 appear to have gravitas. Leaping out of the stereo in blissful ignorance of anything more important than the proximity of the nearest social gathering, the three tracks on offer make no apologies for their desire to make you pogo to the nearest off licence to grab a few cans in preparation for a night on the town. 'There's no I in International Trust' kicks off with a Ramones-style shout along before a festival-sized hook affirms the band's desire to entertain on as large a stage as possible, and 'Bruce Lee' delivers exactly what you would expect of a song written by 'party punks' about someone who made a living from being hard. If Terrorvision had ever asked themselves the question, 'What if, just for a joke, we added some really cheesy synths to 'Oblivion'?', then the feeling that we'd heard this all before would be even stronger, but as it is we must hand it to IT and congratulate them on making infuriatingly catchy tunes.

Jon Cooper

Eugene McGuinness

Fonz

This is a great song, and has an energy and lyrical swing to it which is hard to resist. His delivery is a bit like Morrissey on Prozac, and is so stupidly catchy it's guaranteed to have you singing it before the end. A five star cracker of a single from a one-man pop sensation. Eugene created a bit of a stir with his debut EP in 2007, and his follow up full length album last year, and is currently trekking round the UK and Europe; even finding time to call in at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Put him on your list of acts to catch as soon as you can.

Jennifer Taylor

Guns On The Roof

Shattered Feeling

Having built a reputation on the live circuit supporting Rancid and The Misfits, the task now facing this Leeds quartet is whether they can cut it on record. This, a 3-minute taster from album 'New Frustration' showcases the band's take on both classic and contemporary punk, leaning more to the latter. A cheerful melody and catchy chorus may leave punk purists denouncing 'Shattered Feeling' as too poppy, but then again The Clash were a band never afraid to throw in few pop sensibilities from time to time. Like it or not, this will lodge itself firmly in your head.

Tom Bailey

Laura Critchlow

Extraordinary

It has to be said that Laura Critchlow provides nothing at all original with her music. After some research on the eighteen year old, however, it becomes apparent her lyrics relate to her faith, so it is difficult to fault her intentions. On debut single 'Extraordinary', she mimics superficial contemporaries such as Ashlee Simpson, and hides her Yorkshire roots in doing so, which is a shame, but this will no doubt assist in getting her message across to fellow believers. 'Less Than Useless' uses the same tried and tested formula, with lyrics concerning self doubt rejuvenated by love, only with a more personal sub-text. Both tracks opt for a sweetened punk sound which covers overly familiar ground, but whilst it does lack imagination, it is sure to have the desired effect on her target audience.

Stuart Holmes

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