Very groovy 4 tracks with feet in both the past and present.  Two are Velvety, rocky numbers, the other two reminiscent of Stereolab, with knowing female vocals over a keyboard playing squeaky farts.  

Reviewed by Ged

ERIC ALEXANDRAKIS Here Comes the Snow! (Y&T)

A limited edition festive offering, “Here Comes The Snow!” is a joyously grin inducing upbeat tune with folksy string arrangements over industrial sounding percussion, and another wonderful melody from Eric.  A brownie point for getting “It’s bloody cold” into the lyric, too!  The second track  “Theme from the Motion Picture Soundtrack, Stealing Christmas” starts like Halloween and dis/comforts with its alternate moods: a nightmare before Christmas dancing at the Carnival of Souls but with a happy ending.  I’ve seen the film (in my head of course).   Finally, “All I Want for Christmas is You”, is an upbeat groovey instrumental: a one man jam around a human funky drum loop, with flanged sounds, overdriven keyboards, scratchy guitar, violins? vibraphones? and god knows what, laying down riffs and melodies in an orderly chaotic fashion. With sleigh bells of course.    It’s got me dancing around the xmas tree.  This is a limited 3” CD from the US – see www.slipstreampresents.com/ericalexandrakis

Reviewed by Kev

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN I'm Waking Up to Us (Jeepster)

A rich, full, string-orchestral piece that sounds like something Burt Bacharach would have churned out between naps back in the 60s... it's that good.  It's a tale of a lad looking back on a long term love, now lost, and struggling to move on.  The words are sad but the music uplifting.  An absolute gem.  I Love My Car, the second track, is a curious Kinks/Small Faces 60s mockney style number, again with orchestra, though mainly brass this time, and is once again about changed emotions, though this time the singer is the one whose feelings have changed. The final song, Marx and Engels, is simpler and more like the Belle and Sebastian we know and love.

ASH There's a Star (Infectious)

Fifth single off the huge selling and utterly magnificent Free All Angels album.  But much as I love the track and the album there's more cheek than your local  newsagent's top shelf in releasing it.  Consolation is that, one of the B-sides, Here Comes the Music, is rather splendid, as if [pauses to mop away a tear..] the Stone Roses have been Resurrected.

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB Love Burns (Virgin)

Second UK release by hotly tipped US band, this is a moody garage track that has a hint of the Mary Chain in there too. It starts slowly, building with looping lyrics and guitar coupled with grungey backing.  Improves with listens but doesn't really go anywhere.

BRITISH SEA POWER Remember Me (Rough Trade)

A 'rock' release from a tipped Brighton based 4-piece with vocals that have a hint of that grating one-note style of Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs) but with the occasional John Lydon-esq raised intonation at the end of a verse, just to confuse. I suspect he's not really found his true style, if he has one, because by track 2, A Lovely Day Tomorrow, which is a rather pleasant Belle and Sebastian style effort, his vocals have altered again to an almost completely flat monotone.   

THE CONTRAST Perfect Disguise (Rainbow Quartz)

A useful three track single from a Peterborough band that has hints of REM, Bob Mould, late 70s / early 80s powerpop and 60s beat.  Unlikely to set the world ablaze but hey, the last thing we need right now is a crazed lunatic with a flamethrower.

HAVEN Say Something (Radiate)

A Travis-like pop ballad, very simple and radio friendly and maybe a tad dull.

STEREOPHONICS Handbags and Gladrags

A mate of mine once borrowed his flatmate's excema treatment lamp,  the Hyper Tan 5000, to give himself a healthy start before going on his hols.  Now, the thing about the Hyper Tan 5000 is that it's capable of an ultra high temperature and is not to be used at too close a range or for more than four or five minutes a day. Ahem.  After twenty minutes, his flatmate, who was in another room, could smell something, a kind of hideous smell, akin to cindered flesh.  He rushed in to find the room glowing bright neon and my mate looking like Michael Jackson, complete with ludicriously tight facial features and incapable of smiling or even blinking.   To this day, we still call him Crusty, on account of the awful scabs he had on his face for about a week afterwards.  So, why am I telling you this?  To warn you of the dangers of vanity or because I can find absolutely nothing to say about a karaoke Rod Stewart effort from an overated Welsh band?  Your call.  

ELASTICA The Bitch Don't Work (Witchita)

Final release from the far from prolific band and presumably a self-deprecating choice of title.  This is female shouty punk of the Liliput ilk and as a way to exit it's far from a wimper. 

Reviewed by Mawders

OF ARROWE HILL Gadfly Adolescence (Open Season)