Three Movements - Electricity Wiped out Heaven (Calculated Risk ) By Steve Rudd

If you've got half an hour of your life to spare for this 6-track mini-album, then good for you - it's nigh impossible to be disappointed by the raving beauty and dynamic musicianship on offer. The atmospheric, haunting subtlety of instrumental opener Awaken is so breathtaking that one presumes that intelligent life from outer space have been at work on this music, what with its Bowie-styled brilliance, but this band is Essex-based and buoyed by the talents of six members.

No less than four of those guys play keyboards in the band, while plenty of samples and loops also make for one hell of a compelling and unique sound, especially during the magic of Metropolis that remains a tender piece of music right until the 2 minute 30 second mark when a mighty guitar riff soars in to throw its weight around in something of a breathtaking Primal Scream manner.

Their aptly-titled Ascension is equally as compelling, its austere less is more beauty being restrained to such a tasteful degree that this music does verge on being described as lo-fi, before the beat is picked up magnificently and a guitar growl claws forth for rockier impact.

The presence of vocals is largely minimal with the music doing most of the talking, although Four Movements bides no time and Matt Hughes' voice comes in straight away for all to hear, and just like the music, the voice is downright affecting and hard to forget, as Three Movements resist being overly experimental and concentrate their clear talents on producing music to genuinely still both the heart and mind of many a man. 4/5 www.myspace.com/threemovements

Album Reviews - Ernest: (Pimps, B**ches and) Superheroes By Elsie Creek
	Ernest have progressed quite steadily in the two years since they formed. Some bands make a big entrance and disappear just as fast, while others go on for years wondering why they don't get the recognition they deserve. However; for this four-piece from Hedon, the hard work is paying off, Read more...

Album Reviews - Hayley Hutchinson - Independently Blue (album/ R N R Music) By Steve Rudd
	This 12-track, 43-minute album is packed with some of the most beautiful and heart-breaking songs that I've heard in years, and singer-songwriter Hayley - now living and working from her base in York after a childhood brought up in Scotland - is only in her early twenties. Listening to these astonishing tunes, all of which Read more...

Album Reviews - The Boxer Rebellion - Code Red (single/ Mercury) By Steve Rudd
	These guys have led a lucky couple of years since Alan McGee spotted them playing their hearts out in the New Bands tent at Glastonbury. So impressed was he that he signed them up to his Poptones label, through which two severely limited edition/ scandalously sought after Read more...

Album Reviews - We Start Fires - Caught Red Handed (11 tracks/Head Girl) By Steve Rudd
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Album Reviews - Cathy Davey - Something Ilk (album/ Regal) By Steve Rudd
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Single Reviews - Still Life at the wheel By Michelle Dee
	After a promising start, a distinctive vocal, which can only be described through emotions rather than words, tells a story of a road trip gone sour. Short chords punctuate the verse and, at the wheel, gathers pace. The chorus kicks in followed by rolling guitars. One or two of the backing vocals seem superfluous but Read more...

Single Reviews - Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue (Parlophone) By Steve Rudd
	Release Date: September 6th 2004. It's been one hell of a couple of years for this American pop-punk-rock quintet, and deservedly so. This is the title track from their ever-so-popular Ocean Avenue album that was released to instant acclaim earlier this year, and - somewhat Read more...

Single Reviews - Sam Roberts Band - Brother Down By Steve Rudd
	Release Date: August 30th 2004. This guy - and his band - has long been big business in Canada from where they hail, going so far as to be awarded with Best Artist and Best Album awards at this year's Juno Awards. Now it's time for the UK to see and hear what all the amassed fuss Read more...

Single Reviews - Ricky - That Extra Mile/Beat The Best Out Of Me By Nick Quantrill
	Release date - 6th September, 2004. Following hot on the heels of acclaimed debut album, The Summer Sun Still Echoes, Portsmouth's finest, Ricky return with a double A-side that will (hopefully) accompany some long awaited summer sun. The single picks up Read more...

Single Reviews - The Hot Puppies - Green Eyeliner (single/ PURR) By Steve Rudd
	Release Date: September 27th 2004. I've got a funny feeling that this Aberystwyth quintet is about to become very well known indeed over here in England, following a prolonged spell of relative fame in Wales, courtesy of their last Dawn Of Man release Read more...

Single Reviews - The Beastie Boys, Death Cab For Cutie and The Departure By Steve Rudd
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Single Reviews - Single of Week - Cornershop Presents: Bubbley Kaur Topknot By Lee Cassanell
	Only in a world of George Bush and Sudanese Genocide could Busted be riding high in the Charts with the theme from Thunderbirds so in the spirit of such rampant insanity I've decided to make a little deal with you the good people of Kingston upon Hull. Every Saturday I'm going Read more...

CD Reviews - What Ya Cryin' For by The Landau's - By Tony Bates, Jim Hines and Leigh Lee-Roy Stancliffe (Aussie Radio)
	Every now and then a new band comes along, complete with biography promising a new sound and telling one and all that to miss this band and their release will be at their peril. I've heard it all before; haven't you?. Well this time I have to say that I have received a couple of releases from The Landau's, but without the usual hype. Read more...