Glaswegian alt-rockers Twin Atlantic have had quite a meteoric rise since forming in 2007, having in the space of just a few years gone from practicing in drummer Craig Kneale’s dining room to supporting bands like Biffy Clyro, the Subways and the Smashing Pumpkins. Their fans are so dedicated, they’ve even been known to get tattoos of the band’s lyrics and logo. When you listen to their new single, ‘Lightspeed,’ their continued success and their fans’ adoration seems completely natural.

The song throbs with energy and there’s so much passion behind singer Sam McTrusty’s vocals that it gives the song a defiant edge. What really strikes me about this song is how authentic it feels, due in large part to the “vocals dripping with gorgeous Scottish vowels.” McTrusty says on their website that the song is about “a kind of togetherness, and us being determined not to give up.”  The way each of the parts, from the drums to the vocals to the guitar, is so powerful while at the same time perfectly in balance really adds to this sense of togetherness. It almost feels like a rallying cry for the band. If they were a football club, this is the song they’d blast before heading out onto the pitch. “Together [they] might just move as fast as light,” so consider yourself lucky that you heard of them before they became massive.

Check out the video for ‘Lightspeed’ below:

‘Vivarium,’ the mini-album from which ‘Lightspeed’ is taken, is available now. The ‘Lightspeed’ single will be released on 1st March 2010. Twin Atlantic will be playing a series of dates in the UK (see their website) before embarking on a North American tour in March and April 2010.

I’ve been growing up with the latest Sugababes tracks since I was a little lad but a lot has changed since then with only one original member remaining (Keisha Buchanan).  Now not everyone is going to agree with me but I think the newest member, Amelle Berrabah, is the weak link in the current trio and previous singles have seen her flop a little.

However, the new track sounds a bit more like a classic Suugababes song and Amelle starts the track off in outstanding fashion displaying her great voice which has remianed hidden up until now.

The single is accompanied by a video that is purely an excuse to show lots of man flesh for the ladies but not even I can understand the bit where the men go around with lampshades on their heads!

The track has been widley linked with Jackson 5 due to its similarity in sound but “No Can Do” seems a bit bland. It is nothing compared to “Denial” and “About You Now” however it is a different style of track.

It would go well on an early album but it does not seem to have the passion that recent releases from the group have had.  It is not the best Sugababe track but it is not a flop and it is very welcome after the annoying cover of “Girls”.

I’ve been meaning to review this track for a wile now becasue it is simply awesome and to be honest that seems to come as standard from Paramore. Decode is the featured soundtrack for the film Twilight which has been grabbing plenty of attention and the song has an epic atmosphere worthy of the cinematic world.

Twilight’s publishers have said  that “The movie is about the intense connection between an immortal vampire and a teenage human girl, and this bold, romantic song deals with the confusion in that relationship”. Erm what? It is certantly a heavy way of describing the song but yet it is quite ironic seeing as the tune seems to take Paramore in a heavier direction in sound – almost metal.

Frontwoman Hayley Williams is capable of the most epic, heart-wrenching vocals and she definitely doesn’t hold anything back on this track. The singing blends so well with the crunching guitar tones which drive the track along and make for a really engaging listen.

Now emo music seems to get a lot of stick and there is no denying that Decode has hints of gothic emo ingredients but it is easily one of the best tracks to listen to if you want to hear a band give there all. It is yet another astonishing performance from the band and their third album is just around the corner. If the tracks are all going to be this good then we may just have one of the best albums of 2009 heading our way.

If you have been lucky enough to hear Karima Francis then you are probably dead excited about her potential especially after her debut single “Chasing the Morning Light” which came out earlier this month. If you haven’t heard of her then you are in for a great little treat.   Her album “The Author ” is yet to be released so until then we can only really get excited about her fantastic new single.

As soon as you hear Karima’s voice start on the track you know you are in the wake of a superstar in the making. Her vocals are full of feeling and emotion while the style has strong similarities to Adele.  The range of busted octaves and nailed notes that Karima seems to shrug off with ease is hard to believe but as well as that she is not bad with the guitar.

If I am honest, I would admit that the guitar work could have a bit more flare and style but the chords are full of emotion by themselves and the playing lays a brilliant foundation for her voice.  The song is not the catchiest song ever but it sounds professional, mature and grows with every listen.  The drums give the track a bit of beef and the tune just sounds well smoothened off with gentle bass lines. The chorus has a great climax and epic atmosphere and as long as Karima keeps tracks like this coming, she is destined for instant success.

Tomorrow (Dec 1st) sees the release of Oasis‘ latest single from current album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul’. Considering it took Liam Gallagher 9 years to complete, one would hope that ‘I’m Outta Time’ is a track worth waiting for. Judging by the fact that many critics have labelled it the best tune to appear on the current album, it would appear it might just be.

Written as a tribute to an Oasis hero, John Lennon, ‘I’m Outta Time’ even includes a muffled voice clip of the legend towards the end of the song. Even though the track is a blatant rip-off (well, it is Oasis we’re talking about here!) of Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’, ‘I’m Outta Time’ fails to possess the genuine, heart wrenching emotion of the famous 70s ballad.

Still, everyone knows the Gallagher brothers are not ones to mince their words – so ‘I’m Outta Time’ proves that even Liam has a softer, more sensitive side to show through his music. The tinkling piano and haunting vocals make it the perfect tune to follow up previous rocking single, ‘The Shock of the Lightning’. While ‘I’m Outta Time’ may be a little unmemorable – it’s catchy and it’s cute and will undoubtedly do well this week in the charts following it’s release on Monday.

Pre-order the CD from Amazon.

With every album release Nickelback manage to produce a host of chart filling singles but the new track from the Canadian rockers seems extra special. “Gotta Be Somebody” has already been filling the top ten from the album “Dark Horse” (set to be released on the 18^th November) and it did well to not disappoint fans after the anthem Rockstar set the bar for future hits very high.

I’ve always been frustrated with Nickelback though. With each album they firstly release the most poppy and commercial sounding track which is fair enough but they never seem brave enough to allow the second single to be the fast paced rock track that always features on the albums track listing.

This time though, they’ve nailed it with “Something in Your Mouth” which I think is one of the most complete Nickelback songs ever. It sounds like a blend of Animals and Side of a bullet from the previous CD “All the Right Reasons”.

The tune starts with ear perplexing guitar riffs and catchy vocals that are almost impossible to not sing along with while the drummer, Daniel Adair, makes brilliant use of the bass drum to produce a thumping beat that drives the track along.

I have to say that Nickelback amaze me. With every fresh song I am certain that they have peaked and now I am getting used to being proven wrong. Personally, I can’t wait for Dark Horse to come out. I’ve seen the band get better with each album so I am forced to wonder what will the next one be like?

Rock your socks off by visiting their MySpace and be sure to listen to Something In Your Mouth.

And so the honeymoon continues for Alex Turner and Miles Kane’s orchestral side-project, The Last Shadow Puppets. Now blossoming into a fully-fledged super-group, the boys have recently released their third single ‘My Mistakes Were Made For You’ which keeps the bombastic bandwagon rolling along marvellously.

These boys clearly know their pop history, but if there wasn’t more to their sound than mere homage the gimmick would have worn thin by now. Turner’s lyrics are as sharp as any he’s penned for the Arctics, only here they are complemented by epic arrangements and lush orchestration.

Opening with a guitar chord twangy enough to grace a David Lynch film, My Mistakes Were Made for You is very much more restrained than ‘Age of the Understatement’ or ‘Standing Next To Me’ yet still it sounds good enough to be on a James Bond soundtrack.The mix is woozy and cavernous with Turner’s broad Northern tones sounding like they’re being sucked into a void. And the lyrics are similarly disquieting; all this talk of tumbling rocks and being “smashed into smithereens” is a world away from ‘Mardy Bum’.

I’ve enjoyed everything The Last Shadow Puppets have thrown our way and it’s hard to believe that this is a side project but what about the other bands that these chaps front? I’ve heard lots of people anxious about the attention Alex Turner and Miles Kane give to their own bands but from what I can see the future is bright for both. Arctic Monkeys are set to work with Queens of the stone ages’ Josh Homme and The Rascals seem to have really grown their sound since Miles started his “side project”.

Don’t take my word for it, visit their MySpace and see what you think.

Living in self-imposed exile in Paris, Dan Black meshes sounds and genres with the same fluidity, ease and cultural nous as his heroes David Bowie and The Neptunes to create his own blue-eyed culture clash of soul, hip hop, rock and electronica and the result is utterly beguiling.

We were first introduced to Dan, in major terms, when he released an astonishing cover of HYPNTZ by Notorious B.I.G. which fused the beat from Rihanna’s “Umbrella” with heavily chopped-up samples from the film soundtrack of John Carpenter’s “Starman”.

Now signed to A&M records, Dan Black is finally set to release his debut single. ‘Yours’ is a propulsive, electro anti-love song (“I don’t want to be yours no more”). Its amazing accompanying video showcases Black’s hyper-coloured modernity even more brightly. The single is likely to set the charts on fire with its catchy riff in the background and the massive drum beat.

The track has been highly rated by Zane Lowe on national Radio 1 and the tune is certainly radio friendly. It’s easy to predict that this tune is going to be overplayed but at the moment it grows with every listen. The single will be released on December 1^st and should be the first milestone of many for this young Frenchman. Black is currently at work on his debut album, which is set for release in early 2009.

For a quick sample of Dan Black, take, devour and enjoy the two MP3s below:

MP3: Dan Black – HYPNTZ

MP3: Dan Black – These Things Take Time

Attack and Release sees The Black Keys produce their fourth studio album and it is full of classic bluesy riffs and inventive rhythms. “Same Old Thing” is the fourth single released from the album and the track gives your ears a nice work out but, for me, there were other tracks that have been released such as “I got mine” which were more typical Black Keys songs. The bands tone and sound has changed a little which will make it interesting to see how the new tunes are accepted. Anyway what do we think of the single?

The new track starts off with a couple of random noises but it soon kicks into a satisfyingly fuzzy, lo-fi guitar riff. This is retro bliss, just smoking, bluesy rock goodness. It’s not often you think of rock music and involve it with flutes but this track gets a nice quirky injection from a few sublime flute melodies.It’s important to remember that this band is made of just two people! I’ve been lucky enough to catch The Black Keys doing a few live shows and the raw power created by the couple is mind boggling.

The track lacks an explosive climax which you’re sure will come when you listen to it and don’t get me wrong, the tune is not disappointing, it is still a top quality tune but it is not The Black Keys at their best.

If you do want to hear The Black Keys at their best, check out their MySpace!