FOLLOW THE LION – The Candy & Gravity Motel EP

1780922_897680126940691_178983292228021750_nFollow The Lion are a five piece indie-rock band from Leeds whose debut EP is comprised of three finely crafted indie-rock tunes; each of these three numbers bring out the best in most of the band members – particularly vocalist Daniel Francis and lead guitarist Richard Swann.  Prior to ‘The Candy & Gravity Motel’s release, the band found an early champion in the legendary Tom Robinson, who gave exposure to the title cut on his BBC Radio 6 show…and it’s very easy to see why, since these three songs are absolutely tailor-made for rock-based radio.  That’s “tailor-made”, as opposed to manufactured, since FTL have a very natural style – there’s nothing here to ever make you think they’d been moulded by the media in any way.

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THE SOFT SPOTS – Gently Down The Stream EP

soft spotsOn their debut EP, the self-released ‘Gently Down The Stream’, Philadelphia’s The Soft Spots blend various indie/alt-pop oriented sounds creating what sounds and feels like a very accomplished release in terms of production, especially for a band so inexperienced at the time of its release.  They waste no time in making sure this surprisingly professional sound greets the ears of the prospective listener.

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MEGAGIANT – Today (and every day)

megigiantHailing from the unlikely locale of Billings, Montana, Megagiant aren’t exactly at the heart of a rock ‘n’ roll metropolis.  Maybe their fore fathers moved there to raise themselves a lowly crop of dental floss…who knows?  Whatever, in association with DIY label Minor Bird Records, their 2014 release brings seven slices of garage pop/indie rock with a definite 90s persuasion.  There’s not necessarily a sharp sense of originality within its seven tracks, but the style and influences gathered by this band still holds up on a couple of tracks, even though this release is far from perfect.

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FOR THE GIRL – Kick It EP

KICK ITFor The Girl are a five piece indie-rock band from Nottinghamshire.  As part of the promotion for their self-released EP ‘Kick It’ (their second of 2014), the band received good exposure supporting UK pop-punk/emo act Orchard Hill on a short tour of academy venues.  Since each night of the tour was free entry, the four night stint showed a rare generosity, most welcome in the times of hardship facing chunks of the UK during the end of the year.

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