Alternative Rock

Braddigan many know him from the popular band Dispatch released this CD with a stellar live performance. It features songs from Dispatch such as Prince of Spades and Past the Falls. Many of you might not know who Braddigan is, but if your the type likes Bob Marley or Jack Johnson you will fall in love with Braddigan.

Coldplay has just released possibly there best album. It was long awaited and is not a let down from song one to song eleven. Each song is sensational. Each is packed with rhythm, amazing acoustics, and a vivid amount of instruments. Viva la Vida and Violet Hill are the two that stick out the most. If your a Coldplay fan this is a must buy.

I'm not going to pretend I'm one of those hardcore Death Cab for Cutie fans. I started out on "Transatlanticism" and the Postal Service's "Give Up", two efforts I can't see Ben Gibbards being able to top. That said, I think this album is a good sign. "Plans" was their foray onto a major record, and though I've heard people rave about the production, but I don't buy it- it was an album lacking the urgency of previous efforts, despite having some of the strongest lyrics in the entire Death Cab catalog. Overall, it was a bit consumed by "I Will Follow You into the Dark". This album, however, does not suffer from the same problems. It has several strong songs with the power to immediately grip the listener. In that regard, it's a regression. Musically though, Death Cab is still evolving.

Weezer's 6th album (3rd self titled) does not disappoint. I personally think it's their best album since "Pinkerton" (though the slick "Make Believe" did have it's moments). This album sounds closer to "The Blue Album" than it does to its immediate predecessor. "Dreamin'" and "Heart Songs" for instance would fit right on that album. Though their first single, "Pork & Beans", has a quirky guitar line very reminiscent of "El Scorcho". I've heard criticism about giving each member a chance to sing, and though it's gimmicky I don't see that as a bad thing. That said, the first half of the album is much stronger than the second half.

Weezer is here to stay!!! The quirky foursome are back and still making quite a lot of noise. I must admit after the absolute disaster that was "Beverly Hills" i had very low hopes for their 6th effort. HOWEVER... i've been proven wrong. That Rivers guy has just written a Weezer album that actually harks back to the days of blue, and the emotion of pinkerton. Too many are quick to write off Weezer as a band that only produced two worthy albums (their first two) but they are now proving they have something that every rock and roll band strives for and few ever achieve... Staying Power. Let's begin.

Wilco’s recently released “Sky Blue Sky” is another solid effort that will surely be appreciated by fans of their previous work. The most significant difference between this and Wilco’s best known previous albums, 2002’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” and 2004’s “A Ghost Is Born,” is that the prevalent “sonic experimentation” is much more subdued here.

Avril Lavigne fans cannot be without the triple-disc My World (BMG). The two VCDs take you to the front seat of her concert in New York, gives you a behind-the-scenes peek into her life and five music videos just in case you want more.

It’s difficult to know where to start with Los Campesinos. This is a band who, among other things, have been mentioned in NME as a band to watch in 2007, and have a list as long as your arm of various online reviews, all of which sing their praises as if they were Jesus Christ with a glockenspiel. In the local area they are seen as THE band, and a support slot is something to be mentioned on an aspiring bands CV. Their recent signing to Wichita records, home to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Bronx, The Cribs and indie superstars Bloc Party after they have only played a handful of gigs is yet another testament to the expectations placed on Los Campesinos. Can they live up to all this hype? The answer is a resounding and happy yes, they can.

Whether or not you know it, you’re probably a Barenaked Ladies fan. They fly just below the radar of popular music, occasionally breaching the charts and appearing in teen comedies. Certainly, most people reading will have heard they’re first major hit, One Week, which was featured in American Pie. More assertive listeners will recognise Its All Been Done, which featured in an advert for a popular retail chain store. They are a band with a cult following as huge and diverse as they come. Stephen Page and Ed Robertson wrote their first song when they were just teenagers, and this song is still a mainstay of their gigs, and a solid crowd favourite. After mainly playing the USA and Canada, they graced the UK with their presence, and I was lucky enough to get tickets for their show at The Carling Academy in Bristol, a gig which rates highly in my opinion, and one crafted with care and attention that is rarely seen in jaded, cynical bands of today.

Hailing from Crouch in London, these boys are not to be taken lightly. Since winning ‘Road to V’ and opening V Festival last year, the indie scenester circuit has been awash with whisperings that this is THE band to know about at the moment.