"Burst its Banks" - Kill it Kid

Kill It Kid seem to be an amalgamated version of Anthony (of the Johnsons) and the Raconteurs. I'll be frank and cruel, and say that the lead singer sounds a bit like cape guy from Britain's Got Talent. Maybe that's an odd reference, but the song just doesen't seem suited to this sort of voice; the first minute, and then pre-chorus with the female backing singer could have been lifted from a Los Campesinos! song, yet it seems ruined by the presence of this totally uninspiring, unkooky vocalist.

I should be more objective about "Burst its Banks", and on the whole, it isn't terrible. There's a nice riff and the addition of strings gives it a unique, folkish sound; Kill it Kid are like a more rock & roll rendition of The Mummers.

Genius reccomends; Anthony and the Johnsons; Tom Waits; Nick Cave.

"Let's Go Surfing" - The Drums

Beach party, anyone? Following the recent trend of blending 80's revival, indie guitar beats and minimal beauty, The Drums have created a song that sounds like a DJ battle between the Beach Boys and Peter Bjorn and John. "Let's Go Surfing" is not just a joyful clichéd twirl through caspardrillo-nostalgia; the echo-ey vocals and repeted lyrics add a somewhat stolen, rogueish element to the track. With chamber-rock authenticity along the same lines as Belle & Sebastian's "The Blues Are Still Blue" evolving alongside summerside Coral-like reminiscings, "Let's Go Surfing" is a catchy yet fleeting song.

The clapping and whistling present throughout the track gives it an amalgamated sepiatone; this is the musical equivalent of watching home videos of your childhood seaside holidays. The whole song eminates this sense that it was recorded on the sand, amongst the spray and salt of a rare sunny day in June (or that there wasn't that big a recording budget). The harmonic-vocals remind the listener of Hot Club de Paris' 2007 album, Pop Till It Drops but the shadowy riffs and stripped-down melodies present on "Let's Go Surfing" hark of 2009-chic.

Genius reccomends; The Big Pink, Bombay Bicycle Club, Wild Beasts, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, The Rumble Strips

"Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons

"Sigh No More" is a focused, emotionally charged track with echoes of Arcade Fire and Bob Dylan. Simple acoustic guitar accompanied by choir-like vocals give the song a celestial, religious quality; a modern hymn for the disillusioned generation. Although the band name could be lifted straight from a Dickens novel, the musical influences are clearly vested in heart-breaking specialists Anthony & The Johnsons, and take inspiration from Larrikin Love's dalliance with acoustic joy. Minimalistic genius, as demonstrated by the ghostly, haunting, pantheon sound of The xx,is taken and applied to more familiar ground (you won't find a single chorus about love on XX)

"Sigh No More" is a pared-down, melancholy song that has a gorgeous listenability to it. Although the first half is a inwards-dwelling soliloquy, the second half lifts itself out of the darkness in much the same way that "Sweet Disposition" rang out through the speakers and spoke directly to the listener. "Love will not betray/ dismay or enslave you/ it will set you free" spurs the song on with a hair-raising crescendo, and a coat-tailed bow at the last curtain.

Genius Reccomends: Jay Jay Pistolet; Marcus Foster; Bombay Bicycle Club; Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson; Slow Club

"Too Fake" - Hockey

"Too Fake" is the opening track on Hockey's new album Mind Chaos. Following their single Learn To Lose, it sets a synthy, catchy precedent for the rest of the record. A New Wave outfit from Portland, Oregon, the band comprises of singer Benjamin Grubin's driving, signature twang, guitarist and bassist Brian White and Jeremy Reynolds (respectively), and drummer Anthony Stassi. "Too Fake" is a jumpy, Lego Technic track (imagine toys animated and playing at Glastonbury) that shares roots with eighties junkette La Roux. Synths and guitar combine to create musical volcanism; reminiscent of the soaring heights reached on Conditions, the debut album from The Temper Trap.

Aside from the comparisons to similar New Wave artists of the moment, Hockey sound most like indie-idol band Los Campesinos!, with clear similarities in the guitar riffs and cheeky basslines. At the core of "Too Fake" is a solid gold pop heart, beating and pulsating and pushing oxygen through Grubin's lungs, like Jason Mraz electricuted.

Genius reccomends; The Strokes; LCD Soundsystem; Los Campesinos; Passion Pit; The Temper Trap

"Old Man Chicago" - Alberta Cross

"Old Man Chicago" is taken from Alberta Cross' upcoming album Broken Side Of Time, and is emblematic of their bluesy, rolling sound. Acoustic and electric guitar combine to complement the gruff vocals of Swedish lead singer Petter Ericson Stakee, shot through with organ backing - creating a catchy, classic-rock song. Having suported Oasis on their 2008 tour, and The Dave Matthews Band as well as The Shins and Bat For Lashes, Alberta Cross are alike to a rock n' roll version of Peter Bjorn & John.

Stakee's soulful voice fills the track, a signature cry alike to Jet's 2004 hit Are You Gonna Be My Girl, whilst the guitar-organ-funk combo will strike a chord to those who enjoyed Oasis' final album, Dig Out Your Soul, or for the more refined music lover, The Raconteurs first album, Broken Boy Soldiers. "Old Man Chicago" is a heady mix of stadium rock, blues influence and postmodern funk, filling the void left by Oasis' modest, civilian departure earlier this year. Broken Side Of Time is slated for release this September.

Genius reccomends: Simian Mobile Disco, The Band, Neil Young, Kings of Leon and Sparkadia.

"Dominos" - The Big Pink

I heard this song first played on Radio 1, though for the life of me I can't remember where. That's pretty bad journalism, but life is hard. Either way, "Dominos" is a strong track, with a driving bassline and a catchy hook. Showing clear similarities with MIA, Massive Attack, and the fanged lyricisms of The Twang, The Big Pink have made a track that in an ideal world, would have been a summer anthem. Instead, it's September, it's cold, and the song doesen't exactly reflect the country's collective mood. But apart from releasing it at an unfortunate time of the year, it's great. Robbie Furze's vocals push the song forward, whilst multi-instrumentalist Milo Cordell's synthesizer backing to the song provides a static-thick backing to the memorable repetitions.

The band recently won the prestigious Philip Hall Radar Award at the NME Awards earlier this year, adding critical acclaim to their growing popularity in the charts. Their new album, A Brief History Of Love, was out in the shops on the 14th of September. The duo are pencilled in to supprt Muse on their European tour, along with Biffy Clyro, which is pretty darn cool.

Genius reccomends: M83, School of Seven Bells, My Bloody Valentine, Sunn O))), Spacemen 3.

"40 Day Dream" - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Sometimes quirky just ain't enough to get by. Especially when that quirkiness sounds prefabricated by a Central European-based timber construction company*. Alas, the previous statement applies all too much to "40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, who fail in emulating a sect of indie-folk long past. Here's the story; in old London town, a fellow named Edward Larrikin made an album with some of his chums; Larrikin Love's Freedom Spark was released in 2006 - part of the "Thamesbeat" genre, an offshoot of indie/bluegrass/reggae/irish folk/rock. The band didn't last long, and neither did the genre. But that one album is a fantastical, roving adventure in sound, delving into pseudo-politics, dream states and kaleidoscope visions. Put simply, it's brilliant.

Admittedly, Edward Sharpe and his band of Laurel Canyon rogues, sound more alike to Official Secrets Act or Wave Machines, but that balance of synergeticism so charicterised by Larrikin Love sneaks into the aforementioned artist's sound so much that I can't ignore how much this song reminds me of Well, Love Does Furnish A Life or Happy As Annie. Back to the matter at hand - "40 Day Dream" basically, doesen't cut the mustard. It's not sweet, it's not fun or post-modern or illusionary. It's normal, with some good post-production effects on top. It is a McDonald's song - the sort of thing given to you with your Happy Meal. If you grew up listening to this sort of pulp-music, you'd have a brain much like Morgan Spurlock's liver in Super Size Me.

*I saw that in an episode of Grand Designs once.

Genius reccomends: I'm From Barcelona, The Youngbloods, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Plants and Animals.