With Nine Inch Nails effectively on hold (with the exception of their great cover of U2's Zoo Station as part of Q Magazine's Achtung Baby project), us eager fans have been left hanging on to Trent Reznor's every word with baited breath.
Thankfully, the Nine Inch Nails hiatus has certainly not slaked Reznor's appetite for producing great music - with the Social Networks soundtrack claiming a heap of awards and the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo look set to follow in its footsteps, times look good for Reznor.
It is How To Destroy Angels that remains the most tantalisingly mystic and promising element in this equation though. Their taster EP, released a fair while back now, was great. Sleek and in firm possession of all the best parts of Nine Inch Nails - A Drowning in particular easily ranked up there with NIN's best recent work. Prospects of a full album are understandably to be greeted with much cause for occasion then, speaking to Rolling Stone mag, Reznor revealed:
[We are] finishing our full-length record, which has fully matured our sound into something that is very unique. I can’t wait for that record to come out, actually probably [in the] first quarter of next year.
Parade's self-titled LP is one of our most eagerly awaited records of 2011 and the girls have treated us to a preview clip of one of the tracks - Shoes!
What's more, remember the super-cool animated video for the Parade album mini-mix earlier this year? Well they've done another one for Shoes, featuring, appropriately enough... lots of shoes!
Shoes goes for a smooth R&B vibe in line with Parade's hit single Perfume, we think it's great!
If anyone's in any doubt of how good girl-group Parade are as dancers, point them in the direction of this video.
Here, the feisty fivesome work through the complete routine for fan-favourite Rollercoaster, which I'm very pleased to see has been given a place on their album's tracklisting.
Those of you who remember the girls performing the track on tour will know how incredible it is - full on dance-pop brilliance. Personally, we can't wait to hear the full version on the album! Bring it on!
It's been a good day for pop videos. First The Saturdays with their Icelandic-based romp in My Heart Takes Over, and now Sunday Girl's effortlessly stylish Love U More. Oh, and speaking of The Saturdays, it looks like Jade might have borrowed their luminously bright pink lipstick for her video too.
Listening to Love U More is like stepping into the TARDIS, instantly you're back in some heaving late 90s discotheque raving away to some blisteringly amazing trance anthem - and Sunday Girl's recapturing of this has to be applauded.
Her album is set for release in early 2012, which excites us a lot - previous single Stop Hey was equally fantastic.
What's going on in the world of One Direction? Well, they've just announced their new single: It's called Got To Be You and comes out on the 13th November, a week before their debut album.
If it's anything as catchy as What Makes You Beautiful then it'll be a guaranteed smash - more lines about flipping hair please, guys!
The video for the track was recorded in New York and apparently the lads got told off while filming it - typical boys eh!
The morning is traditionally a time of beginnings - the start to the new day, the hope of exciting new prospects to come. As the first single from Red Sky July's debut album, those hopes seem particularly relevant.
Channelling the most delicate of country melodies and folk whimsy, Morning Song started life as a track called Pretty Thing, an apt name for something so inherently beautiful in its simplicity. It's also an alluring introduction to the band's self titled debut that expands and develops the tenderness of Morning Song into a truly absorbing experience.
The members of Red Sky July have an esteemed heritage too, comprised as they are of Shelly Poole (Alisha's Attic), Ally McErlaine (Texas) and Charity Hair (The Ailerons).
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.
It's the Number One single in the UK, and now hot new girlband Parade have done a cover of it!
I'm a big fan of the acapella versions the girls in the past; everyone will know their take on Born This Way that they frequently perform at live shows, and their Chris Brown cover is spot-on too.
What I like best about their version of Cher Lloyd's hit is that it really shows off their vocals - proper harmonies, transforming the track into a chilled out, soulful little number with real charm to it.
The girls are lining up for the release of their debut album in October and going by top pop tunes Louder and Perfume, it looks set to be a mega-success.
(There's a brilliant little style feature with the Parade girls in today's Sunday Mirror too - like The Saturdays before them, the tabloids and glossy mags have totally taken to the girls' street-smart glamour, a win-win situation for everyone!)
Parade's debut album (check out the cover shot above!) can be pre-ordered here.
Is there anyone who's got it so continuously right as Katy B this year? Probably not. Witches Brew is the sixth single from her debut album yet feels like it could just as easily lead a whole campaign - it's that good.
Like its predecessor Easy Please Me, Witches Brew again sees Katy at the more poppy end of the spectrum - the enticing, seductive 'Come with me, I'll make you feel so good...' chorus is simply irresistible, a promise of untold pleasure and excitement.
As her recent Mercury nomination proves, this year arguably belongs to Katy B. Both critically and commercially loved - she strides that delicate fine line between musical worlds, latching on to brilliant pop hooks and club-ready dance beats with equal ease.
She is the chameleon of her art, morphing and redefining herself constantly; even within songs themselves. With its bleepy, GameBoy synths and barrels of punchy attitude to rival the likes of Jessie J and Cher Lloyd, Katy B is the ultimate promising young star for the future.
If there's anyone that deserves that Mercury prize, it's her.
OK, time to get really excited. I've been following hot new girl band Parade for a while now, and was overjoyed to hear them get their second Top 40 with Perfume a couple of weeks back.
Earlier in the day I caught up with the girls after an exciting exclusive performance at a flash bar under Chelsea's Stamford Bridge and they were all really thrilled with how well everything is going so far for them.
And now, with the release of their debut album on the horizon, they've released a new mega-mix of tracks from the album which you can download from their website now! How nice is that!
The mix features 'Perfume', 'Stars', 'Knock On My Door', 'Yes You Are', 'Just A Girl' and 'Like You' - All are brilliant, exactly the kind of fresh, modern pop I love and the band carries it really well. Seeing them increasingly frequently in the women's mags, they look stylish, trendy and every inch proper popstars.
Out of this crop though, I have to gush about Stars though because it's absolutely amazing - easily one of my favourite tracks the Parade girls have put out so far. It's something a little different for them, taking on a far more dancey angle, rocketing at you on a wave of trancey synths and feisty raps. Oh, and what's quite possibly my favourite lyric of the month: 'I've even got my own theme song!'
Soundgirl are nothing if not versatile - their free download taster track I'm The Fool was a bit of urban-pop brilliance, a fitting testament to a group that in many ways present the future of legendary hitmakers Xenomania (Miranda Cooper is the brains behind the Soundgirl tracks).
Follow-up Don't Know Why, while just missing out on the Top 40, was just as catchy and irresistible as its predecessor - and with the cool credibility to bag a playlist spot on the likes of 1 Xtra.
Between the two tracks, Soundgirl cemented themselves as an exciting, feisty new force in the world of pop, and next single Hero helps show yet another side to them. Perhaps the most 'traditional' track they've released to date, it's a classy slice of mid-tempo R&B full of lines like 'don't need no hero... don't need no superman to call on' - basically, they're Independent Ladies and don't need a man, etc.
Sound-wise, the track is an eclectic mix, coming on as if the synths are by Erasure and the vocals courtesy of Girlfriend-era Avril Lavigne. Yes, those Soundgirl raps are back, and they sound great - if the band can claim anything as their individual quirk, it's that undeniable Britishness and boy do the raps help bring that to the fore.
Soundgirl have the tunes, there's no doubt about that - surely it can only be a matter of time until the public cottons on to how good they are?
Hero is released on the 12th September, with the band's debut album Something To Dream About following a week later on the 19th.
What does a wonderland mean to you? A personal world of fantasy and dreams, a place where your every desire is made real. Sounds nice, doesn't it? And while the powers of glamorous new girl band Wonderland may not stretch that far, they do make some very good music.
How to describe their sound? Many have referred to Taylor Swift and The Corrs, and depending on how old you are, Wonderland's album would fit nicely next to either of these on your CD shelves. But for the five members of Wonderland - Kasey, Leigh, Sharon, Jodi and Corrina - this isn't so much about fitting in alongside anyone, more about making those all important first impressions any new band needs to establish.
Their self titled debut might come as a surprise to many 'traditional' pop fans - those in search of hectic dance beats and an overload of synths will be left wanting - and to be fair, Wonderland won't be everyone's cup of tea. But the quality of the songs here is undeniable, as are the girls' vocal talents - and it is these attributes that shine through on every track here.
Not A Love Song and Starlight glide and soar with a freedom that seems so often lacking in the technical over-complexity of the charts these days. As an opening to the album, they're perfect. In Your Eyes is like Abba with keyboard supplied by Keane - harmonies take centre-stage with the various ad-libs proving particularly impressive.
For Wonderland, they take every inch of the freedom and fantasy their name entails to craft a record that sounds 100% 'them' - No part of the album ever sounds forced or tired, this is clearly a sound they are passionate about, it that passion pays dividends in the natural, organic tone of every song here.
And for them to then cover such endearingly popular tracks as Adele's Rolling In The Deep and Lady Antebellum's Need You Now takes real confidence - an attribute these girls thankfully aren't lacking. They bring their own angle to both the songs, while remaining on the whole pretty faithful to the originals.
It's on the sublime When The Stars Go Blue that the album reaches highest - a wonderful mid-tempo track with a maturity to it that exceeds the expectations anyone might have for a new girl group just starting out. Yes, it's another cover - but the band lend it such tenderness that it feels so much their own song.
A couple of years ago I feel in love with Bad Lieutenant's Never Cry Another Tear album - and while Wonderland couldn't be further from a band formed of what used to be New Order, both albums are masterful examples of contemporary pop-rock laced with country influences. Indeed, take that album's lead single Sink Or Swim, put some female vocals on it, and it could easily be a Wonderland track.
They are cases in point that a record can successfully stand that uneasy middle ground between genres without shame or prejudice - that a good dose of pop sensibility is never a bad thing. And for Wonderland, it's on When The Stars Go Blue that we hear that best.
The whole concept of boybands adding guitars to their sound and going 'rock' is old news these days - it's been done so many times, with varying degrees of success, that it no longer surprises us. Yet it remains comparatively untouched in popular girl band terms. There's Una from The Saturdays of course, and the delightful Pierces, whose latest album came out only the week before...
And now we can add Wonderland to that list too. Indeed, in many ways, Wonderland's album feels like a cousin to The Pierces' record - both share an impressively keen ear for melody and pair it with dreamy, beautiful harmonies. Both find their roots in the sounds of years long gone by, but carry it with a youthful energy that is positively radiant. Looking to late album highlight Get Your Boots On, Wonderland already sound like stars - and it's a sound that fits them well.
Looking at the album as a whole, Wonderland have it all - the songs, the glossy, glamorous looks, and most importantly; the consistency that marks this debut out as the confident, assured beginning of a pop career that deserves to really shine.
When you come to a band like The Skuzzies, your instant impression is to go down the good old 'does what it says on the tin' route. Skuzzies? File under grungy, distorted, low-fi indie rock... yup, right next to those ripped skinny jeans and vintage leather jacket you got off your dad.
The band's logo, scrawled into their self titled debut album's cover only serves to add to that image; it wouldn't look out of place hastily carved into a school desk - a defiant act of anarchy against the masses. Hey, there's even a track featuring the prince of riotious youth, Peter Doherty himself, on here.
Yes, there's the rebellion of that logo - but it's found next to a quirky manga rendering of the band, hinting at an ethic that, for all its grittyness, isn't afraid to shy away from pop culture either. Strokes producer Gordon Raphael, speaking of the band, hailed them as ‘one of the best new groups in London'. A bold claim, and one that stresses even more the importance that this debut is up to scratch.
The Skuzzies' music is dirty, rough, and oh so full of the essence of London. It's as if someone's dug deep into the heart of the city's backstreets and dingy bars and found the band's sound, ready-made to rock.
The tracks are remarkably varied to be honest, the continual foundation running throughout being the meaty basslines and stabs of spiky guitar. Hungry as a Hound is a suitably snappy intro to the record; coming in at just over two and a half minutes long it wastes no times in showing you exactly what The Skuzzies are about.
Then there's Brompton Cocktail, which while sounding like something you'd mix up on a Saturday night, is also pure Clash - a London Calling for the 21st century. It's lad rock at its most angsty - overflowing with testosterone.
On The Corner, the LP's final track, AKA 'the one with Peter Doherty on it', works so well because it genuinely sounds like a long lost Libertines classic; serving to remind us that while so may bands have tried to recreate that sound, so few get it right. Thankfully, The Skuzzies are one of the select few who nail the sound and the result is one of the best tracks on the album.
When I saw Twenty Twenty supporting The Saturdays on their recent UK tour, one of the first things that struck me was the professionalism and inherent charisma. And it's something they carry onto their debut mini-album Small Talk. Eight tracks long, it's a remarkably consistent record that packs a real sense of youthful energy and passion.
The band might draw obvious comparisons to groups like McFly and Busted, but in realty Twenty Twenty represent a harder, more anthemic sound. It's a diferent creature entirely, going forth into a vastly diferent musical landscape than when these two bands launched themselves last decade.
The album is chock-full of fun, upbeat pop-rock - these are songs ready made for a live audience, full of catchy choruses and singalong chants. This is music for the heart, really rousing stuff - lead single Love To Life being the epitome of this. That innate charm and charisma surfaces again and again, the band really carrying an essence of themselves in these tracks.
Girl Next Door sees them showcasing their more gentle side - the song feels genuinely touching, for the everyman feel of it all, if anything. There's an open-ness to all the songs that invites you in, to share in the emotion of each and every track here. Jamie's Girl resounds to a chorus of 'she turns me on, she really rocks my world.' These are songs about simple youthful passions, but they're messages that speak to us all.
In an age where My Chemical Romance headline the most popular of festivals and dominate the Radio 1 playlist, its testament that a harder brand of rock is what the public want, and Twenty Twenty diffuse that into a teen-friendly outlet. They place a strong pop stamp on the record, tracks like Burning Up glossed over with little touches of synths that give Small Talk a thoroughly modern sheen.
One of the things I like most about Twenty Twenty is that it feels as if they've made this album without boundaries. It's not music tied into any particular time or scene - you feel their music could slide effortlessly into the pop charts of any country in the world. There's a simplicity to the songs, defined by a very clean production sound, taking you back to a more carefree time.
There’s a danger when so much hype is placed upon you, that you are never quite able to live up to it. But that’s not something London singer-songwriter James Blake has to worry about, because his self-titled debut is sensational – and in all the right ways.
Most of you will have heard his inspired cover of Feist’s Limit To Your Love on the radio, but placed in the context of the album, it sounds even better. The bass throbs away when you least expect it, and if you’re listening on good quality speakers, it really is something else. This isn’t just music you hear, it’s music you feel.
James’s vocals lie at the heart of this; they’re soulful, packed with emotion, and the way he multi-tracks them throughout the album, laying one layer on top of another presents a unique and attention-grabbing experience for the listener. The layers slide in and out of each-other, coming forward then falling back like waves, the sound of a distant idyllic shore.
Tracks like To Care (Like You) are classic chill-out, and those looking for a simple categorisation of this album will find it there. Despite all the singer-songwriter stuff being bandied around, this is a laid back electronic album at its core – tripped out beats and bleepy synths painting minimalistic soundscapes. The important thing though is that James’s personality and soul is what takes this album to the next level; that gives it that personal element, reaching out beyond the CD player and into the air itself. The top 10 UK chart placing the album has already achieved is testament to that personal connection being made.
This is an unpredictable album – it will never do what you expect it to do. See Why Don’t You Call Me? as a prime example. It starts off as a simple, piano led ballad. Even the name seems steeped in classic love overtures. But then halfway through, the techno-wizardry kicks in, the James Blake magic as it were, and the tracks skips and jumps away with itself, chilling altered vocals breathing out over stabs of icy static.
In its most outré moments, like the almost entirely acapella Lindisfarne I, vocoder is thrown into the mix – threatening to make the album seem almost too cold, too mechanical. But it never does. Instead the robotic touches only add to the charm; they are part of the mystique, part of the wonder and awe that James Blake casts on the listener. His debut is without doubt an intensely beautiful album, instilled with a distinct sense of identity. And it lives up to every single inch of the hype.
We've been hearing some rather exciting news on Twitter that the debut solo album from lovable pop starlet Nicola Roberts might be coming out as early as April this year and that it's already all recorded and ready to go! Could this mean that we'll be hearing the first single from Miss Roberts on the airwaves very soon indeed? We've already heard how she's been working with trendy band Metronomy on the album and judging by Girls Aloud tracks like It's Magic, Nicola's album could very well be one of the best albums of 2011. We can't wait!
Let's have a look at the cover of Cheryl Lloyd's debut album shall we? I have to say, personally, I think this is perfect. When we first saw Cher on X Factor, fronting up her own unique brand of rap-laced pop, this is the kind of album visuals I envisioned. It's dainty, but hard too. Cutesy, but credible too.
We're loving the vamped up look, it's almost gothic. And nice hand positioning too, it's almost as if she's resting her head on her hands because she's tired after the frenzy of recording the album. And then there's the hoodie, giving the picture that definitive urban vibe.
All that said though, Cher looks very beautiful on the album cover, and we can't wait to hear what the record itself sounds like!
