Single Reviews - Hey Negrita - Devil In My Shoes (Fat Fox) By Steve Rudd

Coming on like vintage Chris Rea baring his soul in an Wild West saloon bar, Hey Negrita is the brainchild of singer Felix, who - over the past few years - has fought some tough times as a result of drug addiction, and other emotional crises in the face of the deaths of some close friends of his, including Paula Yates.. Fortunately, Felix has pulled through such a dark and desperate period of his life and, hanging onto the age-old what doesn't kill us makes us stronger ethos, he's produced a riveting collection of songs that - for him - represent the light at the end of the tunnel.

To rehabilitate himself, Felix fled London for the USA where he 'recovered.' Now's he's back in the UK, and injecting Country-music influences aplenty into his work, to such a degree that Johnny Cash would surely love Devil In My Shoes, a magnificent song that goes all upbeat come the chirpy chorus. B-side One Mississippi is a far more haunting number: an acoustic-rooted gem that oozes atmosphere. We Are The Catfish is the title of the album from which the title track is taken, just so you know. And if the quality of these couple of songs is anything to go by, such a long-player will surely be dearly treasured by all those lucky souls that have the good fortune to hear the beauty. 8/10 www.heynegrita.com

Single Reviews - Beach - Burning Up (Sliding Vinyl) By Steve Rudd
	Truly a mighty tune to help you breathe more easily, the anthemic vibes therein are born out of a monstrously angular guitar riff being creatively pinned up against a wicked dance beat. The resulting high octane energy levels more than mean business, and there isn't one dull second of Read more...

Singles Reviews - Chart Review 30th May 2005 with DJ Chris Plant
	My American friend emailed me on Sunday afternoon with an air of deep concern. Is it true that a ringtone has topped the singles chart over there? Well of course if you are a newspaper hack the answer is Yes, a ten second ringtone is indeed the Number One single in the UK and it is the end of the music Read more...

Album Reviews - Back To Base featuring Benjamin Zephaniah - Heading For The Door By Suzanne Hicks
	A fabulous blend of chilled, haunting guitars, gentle hip-hop and reggae drum beats with Benjamin Zephaniahs' soothing voice reciting his poetry. This album has something for every mood. Mostly relaxing with some fantastic funky house beats as well as African tribal rhythms and eastern influences Read more...

Album Reviews - The Vultures Rebel Yelp EP By Michelle Dee
	The Vultures still play hard, fast, punky rock n roll. However they appear to have changed since last year which apart from seeing them recently at Ringside with Break Even and Soulflame, I'm sad to say is when I saw them last. The days of playing a twenty song set in ten minutes are behind them, okay slight Read more...

Music News - Silence in the Streets Northern Stroll Charity Walk from Hull to London
	On Sunday 22nd May, 20-30 people (I'm not quite sure of the numbers) started walking to London from the Humber Bridge, Hull. The walk is for charity with each member of the party choosing a charity to raise sponsorship money for. This whole initiative has been started by Silence in the Streets. Through this and our monthly nights Read more...

Album/CD Reviews New CD's available from Joesolo By Nick Quantrill
	Following the acclaimed release of his debut solo CD An Exile in Suburbia in 2004, ex Lithium Joe front-man Paul Thompson returns with ten new brand recordings. The Man Who Dreamed Of Fairyland tackles some of the major issues that touch on all our lives. Lyrically it considers the paradoxes Read more...

Single Reviews - Hal - Play The Hits (Rough Trade) By Steve Rudd
	Following up their chirpy What A Lovely Dance hit, Play The Hits' is quite frankly a fabulous tune from this refreshing Irish four-piece. These fellows go all out to hit upon classic melodies and harmonies that burrow their way into the hearts and minds of their listeners - and that Brian Wilson would die for. This song has been written by band front man David Allen Read more...

Music, Album Reviews - Oasis: Don't Believe The Truth By Nick Boldock
	There was a time when it would sound faintly ridiculous to suggest that Oasis would ever again record a great album. Their last effort - 2002's Heathen Chemistry - suggested a renaissance, and despite mediocre media interest did contain some brilliance, most notably the Noel-sung numbers Little By Little and Force Of Nature. Certainly it was a sign of Read more...

Single Reviews - Hood - The Negatives (Domino) By Steve Rudd
	Well, there's nothing quite like being positive - even if they're Hood and they're playing The Negatives. For starters, this band's music is certainly intriguing and thoroughly fascinating, not least because they refuse to conform when it comes to writing conventionally structured songs. The two b-sides that are tagged on the back of this single release, just Read more...

Music News - Leeds Festival - Calling all unsigned bands from the North of England!
	This years' Leeds Festival will be providing a new stage for unsigned bands. The Mean Fiddler, organisers of the festival have teamed up with local BBC Radio show, Raw Talent, Sandman Magazine and The Cockpit in Leeds to select 20 bands who will perform on the new stage this August. It's an incredible opportunity Read more...

Single Reviews - Bodyrockers - I Like The Way (Mercury) By Steve Rudd
	The type of tune that you either love or loathe, this latest anthem from this troupe of Dance-dazed musicians is taking the nation by storm regardless, and the Top 40 really cannot resist a tune of this calibre. This release heaves with some epic remixes of the song, but rarely do remixes compare Read more...

Single Reviews - Wherewithal - Sixth Form Poetry (Foolproof) By Steve Rudd
	This fem-fronted quintet sure isn't taking any prisoners, ballsily bursting out of the Farnborough area with gusto. Stacy Hart is the singer, and what a singer she is. Holding the rest of the band in check with her fantastic vocal musings, Stacy possesses a strong and distinctive voice that dominates the music, with such music Read more...

Album Reviews - Rumpus - EP By Michelle Dee
	This offering from Sheffield band Rumpus - features seven varied tracks of atmospheric unusual electro death rock. They have managed to mix up the genres of Indie rock with a shade of electronica and a hefty slab of death metal vocals. This ambitious approach stands up well to scrutiny and has Read more...

Single Reviews - Ryan Adams - Let it Ride (Lost Highway) By Steve Rudd
	American Country-rocker Ryan is back on the scene, and is being backed by a new band of friends called The Cardinals. Let It Ride is their new single, and - true to form for Ryan - lush elements of both Country music and rock 'n' roll are fashionably entwined in the most sublime manner. Read more...

Single Reviews - Razorlight - Somewhere Else (Vertigo) By Steve Rudd
	Face it - Razorlight front man Johnny Borrell is a total star in his own right, even without the other three lads that make up this tantalisingly talented band... especially when he's armed and potentially infamous with his trusted acoustic guitar. Still, the full band sound is hard to beat, and this tune Read more...

CD Reviews - Miss Machete - EP - Wanted For Murder By Steve Rudd
	For a good old all-round intense and wholly invigorating rock experience, then you ought to make friends with Little Miss Machete, because when they cut you with their music, it doesn't so much hurt as it simply stuns. This fresh and frantic quartet is a fast-rising phenomenon in the Yorkshire Read more...