Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life

Five years since Celebration Rock and there’s murmurings in the Japandroids camp. If you think about it though, this is a band that have been on tour for years, then they go into the studio, lay some tracks down, maybe have a few months off to let the ringing in their ears die down a bit, then BANG! Here’s the new record. So, it’s really not that long – we all need a rest, don’t we?

And So I Watch You From Afar – Heirs

And So I Watch You From Afar are all about the good times and channelling that zealous joy through their instruments and into your awaiting ears. Heirs is in every single way a record that will make your heart swell; from the blistering frenzy of opening track Run Home to the pummelling air-drumming you’ll be doing to A Beacon, A Compass, An Anchor

Bare Bones – Cut Throat Living

I’d put money on Bare Bones enjoying the occasional drink or 17. Hailing from Sydney, this is a five-piece ultimate party train, hammering at your door, brandishing several kegs of beer, wondering why the fuck has someone not put Motley Crue on the stereo yet. What hits you about Cut Throat Living is how abrasive and breathless these six songs are.

Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else

This is bound to divide opinions and at the risk of pigeon-holing; Cloud Nothings really are nailing pop-punk to the floor and jumped up and down on it, with sweaty, furious abandon. Here and Nowhere Else is a brief and brash affair, clocking in at just over 32 minutes and is a pithy eight tracks long and is an absolute riot of blistering energy, wild joy and scuzzy delight from start to finish.

Hornets – No Faith EP

I thought it was supposed to be getting lighter? Hornets certainly don’t think so; tapping into the realms of darkness and despair on No Faith, an EP that’s littered with bad feelings, ugly, chewed-up riffs and a sense of foreboding doom. Just what you need now that summer is around the corner! Hailing from Belfast, Hornets have been kicking around for a few years…

The Computers – Love Triangles, Hate Squares

Almost every review of Love Triangles, Hate Squares by The Computers has probably started off pointing out the differences between this and their debut, This Is The Computers. It’s glaringly obvious mind you, so there does seem reason to mention it. Gone are the screams, almost whittled away to nothing. Gone is the frantic shredding, with the hardcore-punk tendencies thrown from the train. Instead, hello soul – hello 60s organ-sounds – hello rock ‘n roll – hello Chuck Berry!

Arms And The Man – Blood Junkie (Debut Video)

Hertfordshire-based Every Time I Die-loving, popular beat-combo Arms And The Man have gone and recorded a video! Blood Junkie depicts a little girl traveling to the band’s show and commencing to have a one-man (girl) mosh pit – all flailing limbs, swinging hair and seems to be copying every move made my madcap frontman, Ben Davies.

Metz – Metz

Safe to say, Metz possibly only have one volume control and it’s louder than whatever you’re currently thinking. Well, in the case of their drummer, it’s louder than everything that exists in our universe.