The Given Motion - Human Dictionary

The Given Motion are a band clearly well aware of the importance of a great hook in amongst the midst of all the guitars, a voice to speak up out of the bleak city streets of their New York home turf. They’re a group with plainly-manifested youthful ambition, a work-man like appeal. What we’ve heard of them gives us a good impression of well-rehearsed, tuneful rock – with a real brooding back-current to it. Sing To Me feels agile and light, nicely underproduced, allowing the vocal harmonies to come to the fore, where they belong. Don’t Blink follows nicely along the same lines, but tipping things up into a sunnier kind of optimism. It’s, Human Dictionary, the title track of their extended seven track EP that stands out most though; a brawling stormer of a track whose sharp riffs recall a meatier incarnation of fellow New Yorkers, The Strokes. ‘She’s a bitch and I don’t think you’re ready for it,’ they warn the listener, but when it comes for The Given Motion’s music, we’re definitely ready.

Snow Patrol - New York

If anything, Snow Patrol's pertaining success story has to be celebrated. Where so many of their formative era have dropped off into that ghastly musical limbo of the unknown, Snow Patrol - while perhaps not always casting themselves as the Hollywood-scale rock maestros they were when they were soundtracking the likes of Spiderman - have settled themselves into a very attractive corner of the market. But their most recent studio effort - Fallen Empires - felt like more than that; it felt like a band still eager to prove themselves in so many ways. It was a band with a resonance and ability that was very much still burning in its prime - and New York, for all that it eschews the more radio-friendly mould we know Snow Patrol can do so well, is properly impressive.

New York sees Snow Patrol at their most moody and introspective and takes an almost tortuously long time to get going - but when it does, oh my is it worth the wait. Touching on the bands roots, it ranges from minimal acoustic strokes, beautifully poetic lyrics, to rousing stadium-splitting blasts of horn. It's an anthem of achievement, an affirmation of life, a calling on everything that Snow Patrol's existence has always been building towards. And just like the album itself, New York states plainly, 'We're Snow Patrol, we're still here, and we're still relevant.'

New York is released on the 30th April.

Introducing... Jack Skuller

We're liking the sound of New York lad Jack Skuller this week - already making lots of waves over in the US and appearing in the likes of Teen Vogue, his cover of Quarrymen classic In Spite of All the Danger is a delightful step back into the past, capturing an unerring essence of cute 50s skiffle pop.

With his slick, smartly dressed looks on his side too, Skuller is undoubtedly the kind of young star who could set young girls' hearts alight at the drop of a hate here in the UK too - but most importantly, he's got the musical chops too. A throwback to the past, but a real potential star for the future.

His track Love Is A Drum is available as a free download from his Facebook page.

Nadine Coyle - Nadine 2.0 (What we know so far...)

Just when you least expect it, just what you expected least... Today is Nadine Coyle's birthday, and while us Girls Aloud fans were all getting excited over the fact Nicola and Nadine had tweeted each-other for the first time, some other very exciting news was getting ready to make an appearance.

Yes, that's right - Nadine Coyle is releasing a second album. Just a year after Insatiable, her new record Nadine 2.0 is already in the works (we think that's what it's going to be called anyway, going by the noir-styled teaser website...).

With that futuristic font, black & white photo of the lovely Miss Coyle and currently a countdown till we get to hopefully hear one of the new tracks - entitled Sweetest High - we literally cannot wait.

Written and produced with New York DJ's Vito Fun and Damian Major, judging by the date on Nadine's website - it looks like the track could even be released as early as the 22nd of June.

What's Pixie Lott been up to lately...

She's been in America, that's what! There's been lots of lovely pics of Pixie looking super-hot in New York over the past few weeks working on material for her second album. Between her work for Lipsy and filming her part in new movie Sweet Baby Jesus, she's scarcely had a moment to sit back and chill, but in terms of Nice Ways To Spend Your Day, living it up in NYC ranks pretty highly. Judging by her smile she seems to be having a great time of it too!

She's also been hanging out with new US boyband Big Time Rush, and definitely seems to have left an impression on the lads; band member Kendall saying "Pixie is so hot."

Pixie's debut album Turn It Up is set for an American release later this year with a new track-listing featuring collaborations with Jason Derulo and Joe Jonas.