Modern Faces - Pravda Scrolls / Cynical Brother

Their YouTube page touts them as 'the resurrection of British Rock n Roll', and to give them their dues, Modern Faces play like a whistle-stop who's-who tour of the Brit-pop glory days. Their debut single Pravda Scrolls is like The Charlatans, Stone Roses and Kasabian all piled into one - a heady mix of lager-fuelled hooks and Madchester glory revitalised for the 21st century.

With Kasabian's commercial success dipping of late and numerous sites tolling the 'death of British guitar music', Modern Faces feel like a genuine shot in the arm for the genre; a group that could genuinely take up the mantel as the next great up-and-coming UK guitar group.

If the band sound like the past, that's not necassarily a bad thing - after all, with the Stone Roses' own resurrection, there's never been a time when the market was more primed for a new band owing so much to them to make a go of it. For a band so steeped in the excesses and rock mythology of Manchester, the irony is that they're actually Scottish.

Having toured with Kasabian, The Charlatans and Shed Seven, they've clearly learned their sound first-hand from their progenitors, but unlike the doomed Viva Brother - who longed so much to be Oasis re-born - Modern Faces have the tunes to back themselves up with. There's real substance in the likes of Pravda Scrolls that speaks of a band with the ability to grow, to craft an album of consistency and serious intent.

There's much to be said for 90s revivalism - just as the last ten years saw so many acts turning to the 80s for inspiration, now the decade of pre-Millenial anticipation rears its head for a second go round. With acts like Modern Faces sating themselves on a diet of British greats, it fair to say some of that original sparkle has rubbed off on them - Pravda Scrolls makes for a confident, ambitious debut.

Pravda Scrolls / Cynical Brother is released on the 9th April.

Cynic Guru - Catastrophe

Here's something interesting - An exciting new US/Icelandic rock group that sound like Brit-Pop's heydeys. Cynic Guru's new single Catastrophe is pure Charlatans and Stone Roses; good old-fashioned lad-rock at its best.

Bands like Kasabian became superstars with their fusion of rock swagger and electronic influences, and Cynic Guru look to do the same here.

Catastrophe is a sprawling, immense tracks, a thing of so many chapters and levels; a forty-story tower block of roiling energy and pent up passion.

The chorus of 'I just called to say that I love you' is pure Oasis. Sure, this is a bunch of guys singing about love, but it's no James Blunt wishy-washyness. There's no undue cheese or cringe-factor moments, just good, honest emotion.

And like the many textures of the track, the band's career holds many aspects to it too - with a Number One hit in Iceland and orchestra experience forming part of their resume. Perhaps the real irony is that despite the band hailing from the USA and Iceland, they sound so completely and utterly British. It's almost bewitching.

Either way, Catastrophe is an absolute stormer of a song, packing choruses a mile high and suitably cinematic string sections which help round off an already considerably epic track.

Catastrophe's b-side Secret is very good too, betraying more of the band's US heritage; showcasing rougher vocals and a hefty Rage Against The Machine-esque guitar riff. Excellent stuff.

Catastrophe is released on the 4th July.

Alex Metric & Steve Angello feat. Ian Brown - Open Your Eyes

After those premature Stone Roses reunion rumours, this briliant new track from dance producers Alex Metric and Steve Angello spotlights Ian Brown for all the right reasons. It's a cracking good dance track, following in the spacey, empowering feel of his My Way album.

The Rocky-montage styled video is fascinating too. Playing out like a little movie, we see a boxer training up to challenge an all conquering boxing robot. Sounds bizarre, but it's a slice of wonderful surrealism. In a cruel/amusing final twist (depending on which way you look at it), the robot comes back to life after finally being defeated and punches the guy's head clean off in a dramatic and immensely gory spray of blood.

As one of rock music's great heroes, it's often easy to remember that Ian Brown, the solo artist, has come up with some stunning pop tracks over the past decade or so. My Star, F.E.A.R., Stellify - all have at their heart an incredible knowledge of a great pop melody and catchy hooks. And open your eyes stands as a firm reminder of this - dressed up in glossy electronic production, it shoots straight for the heart.

Open Your Eyes is released on 8th May.

Hard-Fi - Good For Nothing

Hard-Fi, for me, will always represent those angsty teenage years we all go through. Tracks like Cash Machine and Living For The Weekend became anthems for the years of my youth, epic hymns to the hustle and bustle of life in the 21st century. All around them, landfill indie seemed to spring from every corner; but Hard-Fi stood tall and proud alongside a select few others - the premier league of new British rock bands with the quality to the match the hype.

After a lengthy period away following their famous 'NO COVER ART' album, 2011 sees them returning with Good For Nothing; a chunky slice of retro-tinged Brit rock. Full of swagger and charm, there's even a cheeky brass section bit halfway through. If you snipped out the choicest bits from the very best in 'lad-pop' and mixed them all together, then it would probably sound a fair bit like Good For Nothing.

A highly danceable Stone Roses-esque beat backs it all, indeed, it's bands like the Roses and Happy Monday that this track owes its greatest heritage. The guitar licks are rough and ready, laced with an edginess that sees the band embracing a looser sound than the tight, urban precision they excelled out on their debut back in 2005.

This represents an exciting new direction for Hard-Fi, but still packs all the consistency and vigour that made us such big fans of them in the first place. Hard-Fi are back and they're already soundtracking the summer with the fist-pumping tunery that is Good For Nothing. Love it.

Hard Fi - Good For Nothing by Hard Fi

Wretch 32 feat. Example - Unorthodox

When devising a future smash hit set to dominate the airwaves, it’s all about the hook.  That key element to every song, that snatch of musical magic that will stick in someone’s head and get them parting with their hard-earned cash to download a piece of that pure delight.  And in terms of brilliant hooks, you don’t get much better than the bassline from The Stone Roses’ 1989 classic Fools Gold.

Enter Wretch 32, AKA Jermaine Scott, the latest hyper-talented youngster to burst onto the UK rap scene.  Taking up that irresistible Stone Roses hook, he’s crafted it onto a classy slice of urban lyricism.  With Example helping out on vocal duties in the chorus, it’s a winning formula that would be just at home blaring out of the car speakers on a sunny day as it would pounding away in a club.  The perfect follow up to previous single Traktor, which shot straight into the UK top ten.

Growing up in Tottenham, Wretch 32 honed his marketing skills early; selling over 15,000 copies of mixtapes.  Clearly he’d make an ideal candidate on The Apprentice.  Wretch 32’s credentials come with some hefty references too; man of the moment Tinie Tempah hails him as ‘one of the best lyricists in the game’.  Strong praise, but with tracks as good as Unorthodox, Wretch 32 is definitely deserving of it.

Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip

Consistency. It’s a rare thing for an album to achieve. Even harder is maintaining that consistency while showcasing a variety of sounds. To create that truly versatile, gripping, wonderful album... well, it takes a lot of talent. Enter Ringo Deathstarr, who make a rather good go of doing just that with their album Colour Trip.

There’s touches of The Cure all over the album, that same keen balance between  jovial, light-heartedness and the melancholy. Tracks like the brilliant single So High represent the band at their most cheery, delicate nursery-rhyme-like melodies swirling over a jumble or sonic delights. There’s a swirl of energy at the heart of this song - and most of the album for that matter - that sucks you in.

Kaleidoscope is even more infected with the sound of the 80s, smeared in the sounds of grim urban streets. There’s something of The Stone Roses masterpiece of a debut in the vocals and gritty, scratchy guitar-work as well as dashes of The Chameleons. This vibe continues onto Day Dreamy, all post-punk and echoey. It’s funny as hailing from Texas, Ringo Deathstarr are as about as far from the American deep-south as you can get. If it wasn’t for the accents, they’d sound almost unmistakeably British. And if you ever feel the whimsical edges are getting too much, tracks like Chloe brings a strong rock core back to the album with big, epic guitar solos.

The album Colour Trip seems particularly apt. This is an artistic sort of album. The whole female/male vocal duo works very well and it’s something I always think we should hear more of in music. Colour Trip feels like a painting, each part carefully applied to another, building and building until the entire creation presents itself. Perhaps that’s the secret to its consistency. Either way, this is an album that will keep you coming back for more, chiefly because it offers so much. It’s an album that wants you to explore deeper and deeper into it. Taken at face value, this is an extremely strong rock album with lots of lovely retro touches. But zooming in, picking the various pieces apart, it holds so much more.

Colour Trip is available to download on iTunes now.

A very happy engagement for Sarah Harding

I’ve always loved Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding, so when I heard she had got engaged, I was over the moon for her. Sarah had been a bit quiet in the Girls Aloud stakes recently, what with all the Cheryl and Nadine news, so it was a great time to remind us all what an awesome person she is. I’ve always adored her feisty attitude, the way at times she could seem a law unto herself, and then on other occasions displaying a more subtle, emotive side. Sarah is the Girl that, come an interview, you can always count on to pop up with some genius comment or memorable quote. Her acting roles are dead cool too, especially the film Bad Day (which more people need to go and see, because it’s awesome).

Sarah’s a girl who’s unabashed love for the likes of Primal Scream and the Stone Roses might seem out of place in a traditional girl band, but then again, that’s what made Girls Aloud so amazing, that they were so much more than that. Sarah brought that indie cool to the band, attending NME award shows and hanging out with the Arctic Monkeys. There’s something defiantly British about her and the ever-changing length of her hair is always a source of fascination. Whenever I’ve been to see Girls Aloud live, Sarah and Cheryl were the always the ones you’d have the most eyes for. They just knew exactly how to work the crowd.

So here’s three cheers for Sarah and Tommy, the prospect of two Girls Aloud weddings in a year is very exciting (and who knows, we might even have three if Justin pops the question to Kimberley too...).

You can also catch Sarah on Living TV’s Dating In The Dark very soon!