The Kixx - Standing Where You Left Me

Since I saw The Kixx support Olly Murs on tour earlier in the summer, I've been a massive fan of Standing Where You Left Me - a real standout track from their live set, it packs a real punch with its combo of bouncy techno synths and ballsy chorus.

The perfect follow-up to electro-stomper Already Gone, the video for the track features footage from the band's recent live dates - If you haven't already seen the band, you'll have your chance next month as they play the esteemed O2 Academy Islington on the 1st September.

The single release of Standing Where You Left Me comes as a four-track EP, including We Begin At The End and There She Goes Again which we reviewed as part of their album sampler back in June. There's also new song Close To Me, a pretty little acoustic number accompanied by the tender refrain of violin strings.

These guys make it their mission to impress, and it's a job they accomplish easily - There's an undeniable grit to their songs that many of their contemporaries just don't have. A boy-band with a difference, The Kixx look set to go far.

Standing Where You Left Me is released on the 4th September with their debut album following later this year.

Britney Spears - How I Roll

Of all the tracks on the new Britney album, it's not the best track that has most gripped me, but the gloriously filthy How I Roll. There's something about it that demands I listen to it again and again, to somehow get a grip on what is surely Britney's quirkiest musical moment to date.

Its cheery, hand-claps and music-box melody style reminds me a lot of The Cure's classic Close To Me, but that's as far as the similarities go really. The rest is all about the lyrics - I mean, with lines like 'You can be my fuck tonight...' and 'Go down-town where my posse's at...' we can hardly accuse Britney of being shy at coming forwards. It's this comic, wink-and-a-grin attitude that injects this song with so much fun - it's irresistible, infectious - like those jokes we all know; utter toilet humour on the most basic of levels, but we can't help but chuckle away.

And the realt strength of the track is that, coming from Britney, this song is utterly believable. From anyone else, we'd shake our heads and go 'Huh?!' But from Britney, we can understand it. She's allowed to do this. In the wonderful, magical world of Britney Spears, this kind of track can be pushed, become the highlight on a brilliant album.

Which just leaves us all imagining what kind of dance routine will accompany the song when she comes to tour the album...