1. Cold War Kids - I've Seen Enough - sounding just a little bit like INXS at their best the Californian-based Cold War Kids sit somewhere between Kings Of Leon, The Raconteurs and Louis XIV which is obviously a very good thing. Top tune, top vocal, lovely guitars....
2. Band Of Horses - Our Swords - signed to the legendary Sub Pop label, this Seattle band swagger at a lovely gait with this vibrant pop tune underpinned by reverbed snare and cowboy gat.
3. Catfish Haven - Set In Stone - Imagine Van Morrison or Joe Cocker vocalising over Tears For Fears covering a Talking Heads song and you have Set In Stone by Catfish Haven. The Chicago band released this single from their Devastator album last month
4. Shout Out Louds - South America - What is it about Swedish bands that makes them sound so hopeful, so up, so unihibited in their happiness? The ABBA factor perhaps...anyway who cares, Scandanavian indie has been surging from good to great for years and this tune is no exception. Uplifting, a dancefloor hit.
5. The Rapture - No Sex For Ben - The Rapture are back and better than ever. It sounds a little like they've pulled out their old Beastie Boys records and mashed them with Big Audio Dynamite but No Sex For Ben signals a new era of Rapture ahead and we like it. Cheif baker, cheif, chief baker, cooking like a whore man, Arthur Baker!
