Swiss Lips - Danz

Now here’s something – imagine a collective of feisty northerners in the vein of Reverend & The Makers allied to edgy slabs of LCD-Soundsystem-esque electro. A potent cocktail, and one that Mancunian five-piece Swiss Lips pull off with thrilling ease on hi-energy stormer Danz. It makes for a frenetic exercise in synth power-pop, the kind of thing Duran Duran might have been making if they had kick-started their career in the 21^st century rather than the early 80s. The group’s other tracks show a great deal of promise too, U Got The Power ups the quirk considerably – mixing and matching in funky basslines and hedonistic whoops. Grow returns to the Duran-alike sounds, needling synth hooks underpinning another full-throttle up-tempo number.

The band are playing the following upcoming live dates:

16 June   LONDON, Lovebox

  6 July    ABERSOCH, Wakestock

  7 July    CANTERBURY, Lounge on the Farm

29 July    KENDALL, Kendall Calling

Talib Kweli announces exclusive UK shows

Over here, he's probably best known in the public consciousness for his 2004 duet with Mary J Blige, I Try, but Brooklyn rapper Talib Kewli is big stuff in the States, having scored four Top 30 albums since 2002.

Following swiftly on from last year's effort Gutter Rainbows, Talib is set to release new album Prisoner of Conscious later this year, a play on his past labelling as a chiefly conscious rapper; one inherently engaged with social issues within his lyrics. The album's lead single Distractions is an engaged, worldly-wise diatribe on contemporary troubles placed to an almost-baroque music-box backdrop - Talib's raps are pushed to the fore, biting in their sincerity.

Lined up to give the new material an airing at the HMV Forum in March as well as a further date in Manchester, Talib will be backed with support from MTV championed Lowkey and YouTube sensation MIC Righteous.

One thing's certainly assured - the duo of gigs collectively represent one of the most talented bringing-together of hip-hop artists you'll see this year, and as AMG rather eloquently put it 'If skills sold, Talib Kweli would have been one of the most commercially successful rappers of his time.'

Tickets for the following dates are available from http://hmvtickets.co.uk/

20th March / London HMV Forum
21st March / Manchester HMV Ritz

Diana Vickers - Boy In Paris

Third time's a hat trick, and the ever lovable Diana Vickers has turned out another winner with new track Boy In Paris. Co-written by David Gamson of Scritti Politti (them of Word Girl fame), Boy In Paris is proper 80s-induced synth-pop fun.

As she regales us with tales of dancing in the dark, the track brims with the classic cutesyness that we've come to expect from Diana. Just like Music To Make The Boys Cry, Boy In Paris is wrapped up in all the headrush of emotions that comes with young love, all delivered with a playful coquetry that recalls early Madonna.

Diana takes to the stage with a duo of live dates in February where you'll be able to catch her doing the new tracks live:

8 Feb – Ruby Lounge, Manchester
9 Feb – Cargo, London

Boy In Paris by Diana Vickers

Kids in Glass Houses to support You Me At Six

How's this for a bit of rock-based value for money - Kids in Glass Houses and You Me At Six, all in one gig. The two bands are heading out on tour together in March and April next year, so you can be sure of one pretty amazing night, whichever date you head to.

In Gold Blood and Sinners Never Sleep were two of my favourite rock albums this year, Kids in Glass Houses' effort in particular lending itself to a new gritty sound that seems crying out to be unleashed in a live environment.

The full list of dates is as follows:

March
Sat 17   Leicester          O2 Academy Leicester
Sun 18   Nottingham         Rock City    
Tue 20   Bournemouth        O2 Academy     
Wed 21   Yeovil             Westland Centre    
Fri 23   Cardiff            The Great Hall 
Sat 24   Liverpool          University 
Sun 25   Newcastle          Academy 
Tue 27   Glasgow            SECC Hall 3
Wed 28   Manchester         O2 Manchester Apollo
April
Sun 1    Birmingham         Ballroom 
Mon 2    London             O2 Academy Brixton   

Avril's back and she's heading to the Hammersmith Apollo!

Hey! Hey! The awesome Avril Lavigne will be back in the UK later this month for a series of live dates.

Wednesday 21st September – London Hammersmith Apollo
Thursday 22nd September – London Hammersmith Apollo
Friday 23rd September – Manchester O2 Apollo


Avril released her latest album Goodbye Lullaby earlier this year, earning her another Top 10 record.


The star's new single Wish You Were (not a cover of the Pink Floyd song, though that might potentially be amazing too) is released on the 26th September.


As a Max Martin penned track (him behind all those incredible Britney hits), it's obviously rather good.