Mike's Mad4these
Choice new music - w/c 14 Feb 11
1 - LADY GAGA Born This Way new single 11 February 2011
2 1 COSMO JARVIS Gay Pirates new single March 2011
3 2 ELBOW Neat Little Rows new single 7 March 2011
4 - PANIC! AT THE DISCO The Ballad Of Mona Lisa new single 21 March 2011
5 4 NAKED & FAMOUS Young Blood new single 7 March 2011
6 5 SKREAM & EXAMPLE Shot Yourself In The Foot Again new single to be confirmed
7 6 JAPANESE POP STARS Song For Lisa new single
8 3 DUTCH UNCLES Face In new single 28 February 2011
9 7 BROTHER Darling Buds Of May new single 24 February 2011
10 8 ROGER SANCHEZ & FAR EAST MOVEMENT 2Gether new single 24 February 2011
10 - THE VIEW Grace new single 7 March 2011
10 10 YOU ME AT SIX & CHIDDY Rescue Me new single 13 February 2011

This week's post ...

The Agitator
Say No new single
The Agitator's no bollox approach, thunderous vocals and drums underline his determined political point... I'm not sure I agree with his politics but I'd fight for his right to keep on saying saying it, similarly mine to disagree. Let's all say no together... to what? Ridiculously expensive unnecessary roadhumps, Sir Fred's RBS £13 million pay-off, tuition fees, mass immigration... what exactly. Any dis-respectful assuming behaviour, yes I'd say 'No' to that while agreeing with the right to continue being disrespectful. But that's Britain isn't it? Confusing?? No not really, that's the left wing idea confuse us with social justice bull that flies in the face of justice itself. Are we seriously supposed to believe there's an army of Mandelson's out there who give a shit about any one of us who is not useful in some way. Anyway, good record. PR..
Release Date: 21st February 2011
'Woody Guthrie gone digital hardcore.' NME
'Fantastically impassioned stuff, full of a scattershot kind of dissent.' The Guardian
'Full of rock 'n' roll that grabs you by the throat.' Artrocker
February 2011 sees the release of 'Say NO!', the third single from political and musical activist The Agitator. As we brace ourselves for a year of inevitable unrest, discontent and protest at the extreme government cuts that will affect us all, there could not be a more appropriate soundtrack from a more relevant and timely artist. There?s been a lot written recently about the marches, riots and the lack of any musical voices to accompany this turbulent new era. Well, The Agitator is definitely emerging as the chief contender for this crucial role.
'Say NO!' is a politically charged call to arms set against an equally radical new musical style. Not a guitar in sight, just front man Derek Meins' force-of-nature voice accompanied by Robert Dylan Thomas and T-Train on thunderous double drums. Pared down and primal, this startling voice-rhythm combinationchallenges and questions in equal measure. Meins says, 'I wanted a new kind of music, nothing more than banging, stamping, clapping and voices. Something anyone could do anywhere, on a march, at a protest, on the barricades...' Indeed The Agitator played for the students at the UCL occupation in December and went down a storm.
The Agitator is one of the most exciting live acts to emerge in recent times with a storming set and a irrepressibly infectious energy that has to be experienced. It's like nothing else you?ll see this year.
Check out his next London gig - 3rd February ? The Barfly, Camden
Last summer The Agitator launched a campaign based on a simple idea: NO!-ism. Say NO! to all that?s gone viciously wrong with the present political and economic system. They believe the present disastrous policies can be reversed if it is made plain how many of us are angry and ready to voice their discontent loudly, scrawling the simple exclamation, NO!, across the nation?s walls and consciousness. The Agitator certainly wouldn?t take all the credit, but there's no doubt the word has been increasingly filling the nation?s media over the past few months. Something big is definitely starting to happen out there.

Blacklight Pioneer
Lucille / No Excuse new single 28 February 2011
Liking Kettering boys Blacklight Pioneer. An instantly distinctive riff, keyboard line, vocals.. "She's a real rough diamond..., Lucille look what you've done to me".
CD Track 2 'No Excuse' has another anthemic intro, strong well thought out arrangements, production and vocals and intriguing story-line lyrics. Good debut, should pick up plenty of interest. Here's the pr....
British rock band Blacklight Pioneer formed with one simple aim. "We wanted to sound big."
That means big rock songs with big melodies. In the words of guitarist Jamie Thompson: "A sound that would fill huge venues."
This much is evident in the song the band has chosen as its debut single, Lucille. Yet this is not an orthodox love song. As singer Adam Fowkes says, "It's about being buried alive by a woman".
Blacklight Pioneer was formed in 2009 in the very heart of England, in the market town of Kettering. All six members of the band have history in hardcore and metal: Jamie Thompson and his brother Dave, the band?s drummer, previously played in Raging Speedhorn.
However, as Jamie explains: 'Even though we've all been in heavy metal and hardcore bands, that kind of music isn?t what we listened to most of the time. I've always loved pop and electro as well as metal and rock. The range of influences in Blacklight Pioneer is just huge.'
Jamie lists Bruce Springsteen and Led Zeppelin among his key influences. Adam cites The Smiths and Jeff Buckley. Both are fans of the brooding sounds such as Joy Division, Television and Interpol, although Adam states: ?I don?t think we sound similar to any of them.? More accurately, Blacklight Pioneer have been compared to alternative rock bands Mansun and Talk Talk. "We never had a preconceived sound we wanted to go for," Jamie says. "The sound has come pretty much by accident. We're a rock band with big hooks, but even the poppy songs aren't 'happy poppy'. We're a darker sounding band."
Adam admits, "My sense of humour is quite black and that comes out in the lyrics." Lucille, he says, "is a bit of a joke, like those old Alice Cooper songs." Equally dark is the grimly ironic title of The Girl Who Stopped Traffic, Adam's eulogy for a young woman killed in a road accident.
Says Jamie: "The name Blacklight Pioneer fits the band perfectly. Sometimes they lyrics can be fairly miserable, but at the same time we have these big pop tunes. That's our vibe."
Most important of all, says Adam Fowkes, "We're doing something we love. And I think you can hear that."
live dates -
February -
11th Southampton - Hamptons
12th Leicester - The Looking Glass
14th Lincoln - The Cloud
15th Hull - Linnet and Lark
17th London - 93feet East
18th Kettering - Rehab
W/The Whigs
22 Feb - Oxford - Jericho
23 Feb - London - Dingwalls
24 Feb - Sheffield - The Plug
25 Feb - Birmingham - Academy 3
26 Feb - Manchester - Deaf Institute
27 Feb - Nottingham - The Bodega
28 Feb - Bristol - Thekla

Kassidy
I Don't Know Why new single
Another fine recording from a band who should follow in the footsteps of Mumford and Noah, tasty!

Parade
Louder new single 7 March 2011
Superb pop tune... "Turn it up loader..." Rimmi London have good taste don't they!
Well worthy and a possible top twenty hit!! Here's the pr...
Prepare for some much needed excitement and glamour in the charts. Pop superstars in waiting, Parade will release their debut single 'Louder' on March 7th through Asylum Records. PARADE are also set to team up with Rimmel London, the UK?s number one mass cosmetics brand, who will use the band's debut single 'Louder' as the soundtrack for their latest television advertising campaign. Coming together from around the country with an unashamed love of pop music, these five go-getting girls make up a girl band with a difference. Mixing killer pop tunes with iconic streetdance-inspired moves to take your breath away, they ooze style and attitude and are simply unforgettable. 'Louder' is the first single to be taken from their as yet untitled debut album, which will follow in the spring. The track was written for the band by a collaboration of the hot new British producers The Fairground (Jay Sean, Alesha Dixon) and 2010 Grammy Award Song of the Year winner Thaddis 'Kuk' Harrell ('Single Ladies', 'Umbrella'). The accompanying video is also set to turn heads, featuring a raucous house party reminiscent of the Spice Girls renowned 'Wannabe' video, packed with girl power and plenty of Parade?s infectious energy. It was shot by Emil Nava, director of Jessie J's 'Do It Like A Dude' video (9 million views), and brother of acclaimed director Jake Nava who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to Kate Moss.
Despite having yet to release their single, Parade are already building a devoted following thanks to their sassy spirited live performances packed with jaw-dropping dance routines. They recently supported Shakira on the UK leg of her tour and they will support Alexandra Burke on her 28-date UK tour that kicks off at the end of January. One thing's for sure: you're gonna hear a lot more from Parade in 2011. So what are you waiting for? Join the Parade.

Spark
Crave new single 14 March 2011
Spark sounds distinctive and different straight away... effecty intro into a big beaty sound... chanty vocals "Addicted to attention that I crave..." Good tune, cheeky pop lyrics, chart chance. Here's the pr..
Hotly-tipped Spark set for major breakthrough with the release of ?Crave?, her first single for 679 / Warner Bros. Records, on March 14th
'One of the most talked about newcomers of 2011' NME
'Sublime, sharp-elbowed electro pop' Sunday Times Culture
'An inspired hybrid of Debbie Harry and Kate Bush' The Independent
If Kate Nash, Lily Allen and Adele got together, they'd sound like Spark? ? Glamour
Hotly tipped for a breakthrough in 2011, Spark's ascension continues to build momentum as the release of the single 'Crave' approaches on March 14th. The
single represents Spark's first release as part of a new deal with 679 / Warner Bros. Records.
Produced by Amir Amor (who NME recently named as one of the twenty hottest producers in music right now), 'Crave' demonstrates Spark's undeniable ability to fuse influences from legendary artists into a zeitgeist defining sound. It follows the excitement that greeted her single 'Revolving' which heralded her undoubted potential when it was released on Neon Gold towards the end of 2010. Among those who fell under Spark?s spell was The Streets' Mike Skinner, who subsequently delivered his own remix of 'Revolving.'
Since then, Spark's profile has flourished exponentially. She's been highlighted as a hot new talent from all angles of the press, and has also earned substantial radio support at Radio 1 with plays from Greg James, Nick Grimshaw, Kissy Sell Out, Rob Da Bank, Fearne Cotton and Bethan Elfyn, and at XFM. Spark has also made compelling progress in the live arena since her debut tour with Marina and the Diamonds. She subsequently supported Janelle Monae and Pete Wentz's Black Cards, and also played at NME?s In The City show. February and March will see Spark reaching a bigger audience than ever when she plays HMV Next Big Thing and NME Awards shows, as well as the Get It Loud In Libraries tour. She will also play her first major headline show at Hoxton Bar & Grill on March 15th:
February
9th London, Relentless Garage ? HMV Next Big Thing show (supported by Ed Drewett and Heart Kill Giant)
15th London, Heaven ? Shockwaves NME Awards show (support to The Naked and The Famous)
March Get It Loud In Libraries tour with The Good Natured
4th Edinburgh, Library
5th Lancaster, Library
6th Worksop, Library
7th Wooton Fields, Library
8th Rugby, Library
10th Bodmin, Library
15th London, Hoxton Bar & Grill (headline show)
Spark, also known as Jess Morgan, has an enchanting mix of youthful innocence of a girl making her own music in her own way and the savvy, headstrong maturity of an artist who knows exactly who she is and where she is headed. Having started writing songs at the age of twelve, a serendipitous chain of events' including a school performance of Kate Bush's 'Wuthering Heights' and meeting Marina? have taken Spark on a journey in which she?s become one of the hottest tips for 2011.
www.myspace.com/sparkthemusic

new trax
our weekly a to z of new cd review's is listed below

this week
The Agitator
Blacklight Pioneer 28/2/11
Kassidy 14/3/11
Parade 7/3/11
Spark 14/3/11

7 Feb
Kid Carpet 14/3/11
Lady Gaga 11/2/11
Miles Kane
Mirrors 14/2/11
Panic! At The Disco 21/3/11
The Vaccines
The View 7/3/11
Wretch 32 & Example
Wolf Gang 21/3/11

31 Jan
Naked & Famous 7/3/11
Kassidy 21/3/11
Lonely Island & Akon
Patrick Wolf 14/3/11
PJ Harvey 7/2/11
Wolf Gang 21/3/11

24 Jan
Dutch Uncles 28/2/11

17 Jan
Alex Clare
Elbow 28/2/11
Eric Prydz
Japanese Pop Stars 28/2/11
Joy Formidable 17/1/11
Lykki Li
Metronomy 31/1/11
My Chemical Romance 10/1/11
Skream & Example tbc
The View
Willow & Tinie Tempah
You Me At Six & Chiddy 13/2/11

10 Jan
Brother 28/2/11
Nelly Furtado

3 Jan
Katy Perry
Mona

27 Dec
Mad4these 2010

20 Dec
Chase & Status 24/1/11
CockNBullKid single
Mona single
Neon 6/2/11
Noah & The Whale 28/2/11
PJ Harvey 14/2/11
The Streets single
The Vaccines single
Villagers single

13 Dec
Emma's Imagination single
Lykke Li single tbc
Miles Kane tbc
MT Desolation single
Roger Sanchez & Far East 2Movement 21/2/11
Willow 21/11/10
Wombats 24/1/11

6 Dec
B.o.B. 31/1/11