At the Northern end of the double-edged festival experience that is the Reading/Leeds weekend, 85,000 people flooded into Bramham Park, milling between any of five different stages and a multitude of non-musical entertainment.

Apart from a few short showers, the weather held up, and the sun even came out on occasion, though not enough to stop it being really cold by nightfall. Still, no one seemed to mind. Music-wise 'eclectic' was the word. Ranging from avant-garde techno-pop to heavy hardcore metal, there really weren't many genres left untouched, and even the headliners covered a number of bases, from the indie sensibilities of Arcade Fire to the fun pop-punk of Blink 182 to one the greatest bands of rock history - Guns N Roses.

With this in mind, I tried to keep my weekend pretty eclectic also, starting off with something electric. Well, electro, with 3OH!3 and Hadouken!, both of whom secured an amazing crowd response on the NME/Radio 1 stage - with seas of waving hands and unison chants - setting the scene nicely for this stage's headliners Pendulum, who performed impressively.

Over on the Main Stage, Modest Mouse played a criminally short but solid set, paving the way for The Maccabees and The Cribs, who in turn made way for an entertaining and massive set from Dizzee Rascal, who brought on an impressive entourage with him, complete with backing vocalists, a full band and even a brass-section to top it all off.

Canadian upstarts The Cancer Bats followed for me, assaulting the Lock-Up Stage with their visceral blend of metal and punk, and performing their brilliant cover of the Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage'. Then it was back to the Main Stage for The Libertines.

A huge crowd had gathered to see how this reunion would turn out, presumably anticipating a drug-fuelled Pete Doherty doing what he does best. They were disappointed. I don't know what was missing (maybe the prerequisite drugs), but the reunited Libertines lacked nearly all the qualities that made them popular back in the day. Not good. So much so, the crowd had dwindled significantly by the time headliners Arcade Fire came to the stage. Still, they managed to whip up a storm anyway.

Saturday's more alternative line-up brought All Time Low and You Me At Six to the Main Stage, providing crowd-pleasing performances that whetted the majority of the appetites present for an awesome set from nu-metal rockers Limp Bizkit. Fred Durst was looking aged and portly, but that didn't affect his voice and they played a strong set chock-full of classic tracks that had thousands of people singing along.

Latino hip hop purveyors Cypress Hill followed, inviting the crowd to light up and get high with them before playing 'I Want To Get High' and 'Dr Greenthumb' - clearly a group driven by life's herbal remedies. Weezer played well, including a competent mash-up of MGMT and Lady Gaga, as well as many of their own classic songs. Paramore were also good, but by that point everyone was too busy anticipating headliners Blink 182.

And they, I'm pleased to say, were positively fantastic. Fresh from a five year hiatus that included a near-death plane crash for drummer Travis Barker, Blink are living proof that being over 40 and still massively immature can pay off. Their set consisted of all the classic songs that we fell in love with as teenagers, executed perfectly.

Following such an epic Saturday night, Sunday had a lot to live up too. The Lock-Up Stage offered a series of heavy punk and hardcore acts including a punishing, breakneck set from Hatebreed and an emotive yet upbeat slot from Alkaline Trio.

The Main Stage, meanwhile, played host to Billy Talent, Lostprophets and NOFX, who all played phenomenally, instigating great crowd participation and getting everyone in just the right mood to listen to a well-rounded set from Queens Of The Stone Age. Josh Homme's band of stoner-rockers played well, including crowd pleasers 'No One Knows' and 'Go With The Flow' in the mix.

Headliners Guns N Roses came out half an hour late (of course), played a poor set, and then Axl proceeded to insult the crowd that had tolerated their tardiness. The 'arrogant thing' worked well for William Bruce Rose back at his band's height, but now he just comes across as a pompous, overweight and obnoxious middle aged man. I don't suppose he'll ever accept that his band just aren't as good sans Slash, but live it really really shows.

Still, these days you mainly go to see GnR for a shambles, and in that respect Axl delivered. Either way, his set couldn't dampen our spirits, this had been another awesome Leeds Festival, with a huge range of quality music to cater to all tastes. I look forward to seeing if it can be topped in 2011. Maybe if they booked a band rather than an ego for Sunday night, they might just manage it. TC

Given the last few years' electronic pop resurgence, it's feels right that one of that genre's pioneers should resurface for their first album in 14 years. In fact, it's also their first featuring the original line up of Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey since 1986's 'The Pacific Age', although sonically 'HOM' has much in common with the fizzy synth pop of McCluskey's early 90s OMD output, whilst under-rated single 'If You Want It' bears more than a passing resemblance to 1996's 'Walking On The Milky Way', though it's arguably an even better song.

Some of these tracks have been dug out of the OMD vaults, whilst newer creations tap into the group's history of wistful melancholia and toytown futurism. And so, the brutally insistent Simon Cowell-baiting opener 'New Babies: New Toys' has nods to 'The New Stone Age' (and it could teach The Killers a thing or two about compelling, pulsating synth rock). Ludicrously catchy 'Sister Marie Says' is a close relative of 'Enola Gay' (hardly surprising since both tracks were written 30 years ago), whilst the lush waltz 'Bondage Of Fate' recalls the dreamy desolation of 'International'. Meanwhile, the two title tracks (that's 'Parts 1' and '2' if you're confused) are genuinely up there (no, really) with the duo's early 80s classics - the affecting vocals, interesting lyrics and devastatingly simple but wonderfully pretty synth riffs harking back to 'Souvenir', 'Electricity', 'Tesla Girls' et al.

It's not a faultless collection (the Kraftwerk tribute 'RFWK' is well-intentioned but just sounds clunky and laboured, whilst listening to 'Pulse' is like phoning a sex line to be greeted with Andy McCluskey with bad cold), and purists will moan at the lack of a Humphreys vocal or the absence of the experimental side of the group that gave us the inexplicably brilliant 'Dazzle Ships', but OMD don't really need to prove anything. Simply put, this is a collection of memorable electro-pop (with a few heavenly moments) that ranks as one of their best albums. MS  

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Summer Sundae sits quite comfortably in its city shell, hidden behind the buildings of Regent College and De Monfort Hall. Unsurprisingly then, the clientele of this Leicester festival are mainly made up of the middle class, urban families ready for a weekend of soothing music with the children. It seems to bypass many in their adventurous early twenties who seek the thrills of the countryside festivals with their anything-goes atmosphere and psychoactive drugs. At Summer Sundae we get young daughters, drunk in their floral design dresses, old cooing mothers knocking back (plastic) bottles of red wine and middle-aged men in sun caps, reliving their youth. However, for all the safety of the family atmosphere it still holds its secrets, and it still continues to keep the line-up fresh and exciting year on year.

Arriving late on Friday evening, we got there just as the sun was beginning to set. A perfect time then to catch Steve Mason play his quirky brand of idiosyncratic pop. The Beta Band star performed songs from his latest album 'Boys Outside', including the singles 'Am I Just A Man' and 'Lost And Found'. 'Lost And Found' resonated particularly well with the Friday crowd who were only just beginning to loosen up. However, his final words, "bomb the parliament", did fall somewhat flat on the more conservative crowd.

Roots Manuva played at the top of the bill in the indoor arena. Making the De Monfort Hall stage his home for the night, Roots played a storming set, cutting up the floor with his home-spun dancehall-influenced hip hop. 'Awfully Deep' was a highlight and boomed from the speakers producing a monolithic sound. Equally his infectious character held the crowd and left us all remembering why his was at the top of the pile.

On Saturday, the rain dropped down sporadically covering the festival site in cool showers that would break up the intermittent sunshine. I got to the main arena early to see the bizarre and cultish Gaggle - a twenty-piece female choir. I was slightly disappointed that they weren't quite as far out there as they were purported to be. Each song appeared slightly more formulaic than the last, simply droning, mindless chants.

Liam Frost proved to be a remarkable find in a mid-afternoon slot in the indoor arena. The whole hall felt the weight of every word uttered by Frost as he carefully seduced all with his soft, aching tones, played longingly over an electric guitar. For me electric guitars have always produced a fond, sentimental feeling when accompanied simply by vocals, and Liam Frost managed to find the sweet spot that afternoon. I hadn't heard of him before his set so it came as a real surprise to find him so enjoyably heart-wrenching.

Tunng performed later that afternoon, also in the indoor arena, and again I was greeted with an incredibly high standard of performance. Tunng play the kind of experimental folk that works well in indoor intimate environments. With such a vast array of voices and the curious way in which Mike Lindsay and his bandmates moved around the stage the show they put on found a loving reception within these four walls. Tunng finished on 'Bullets' which gave us a resounding end to their set, they were of course applauded rapturously for their efforts.

After Tunng came Caribou, once more on the indoor arena. Their latest album 'Swim' has been one of my favourite releases this year and so accordingly my review might contain slight bias. Lining up two drum kits bass drum to bass drum, Dan Snaith and his band played mostly from their newest album relenting only at the beginning with a couple of tracks from their previous work. Highlights for me included the confusion-inducing 'Found Out', which includes a poly-rhythmic 3/4 guitar riff over a jangly 4/4 dance beat, and their first single from 'Swim', 'Odessa'. The interplay between the two drummers created an added theatrical element to the show and flaunted Snaith's multi-instrumental abilities. The audience danced and moved along with every rhythm, it was obvious that the indoor arena was the place to be that afternoon.

The Fall headlined the indoor arena that evening, bringing out of the crowd and that darkly lit room a certain atmosphere all of its own. Starting with 'OFYC Showcase' each band member came on one by one, starting of course with the drums. Six or seven minutes in with the opening riff rolling round and round on came Mark E Smith, the conjurer extraordinaire, whipping up the crowd into a frenzy with every twist off his tongue and flick of his wrist. Naturally, as is Mark E Smith's wont, The Fall only played tracks from their latest album, ceding their vast back catalogue to the annals of time, however 'Your Future, Our Clutter' provided an excellent evenings performance and they worked the crowd easily into their favour.

Sunday was another damp day but the sun pushed through towards the evening leaving us with a warm and enjoyable night. The morning's entertainment was a mixed affair, starting with These Furrows and Red Shoe Diaries, two bands who exist on opposite ends of the sonic spectrum. However, both are small, local bands with only a slightly noticeable difference in crowd size leaning towards These Furrows. Both were fitting starts to the morning and while These Furrows' sound might seem a little alt-rock/emo from the early-2000s they are great representatives of the local scene.

Glasgow's Errors played indoors at around 5pm. Perfect time then for an electronica/dance heavy experimental rock set. Inside the indoor arena the dark lighting and the intense shine of the stage lights gave off of an incredibly intimate atmosphere, and although the arena wasn't full the floor was vibrating with the movement of the audience. They played through both their previous albums and treated us to loud and abrasive versions of 'A Rumour In Africa', 'Pump' and 'Supertribe'.

Later that evening we moved to the main stage and waited in anticipation for Mumford & Sons. They appeared and the multiple-thousand strong crowd responded, singing back every hit to them in chorus. It's amazing to see the transformation the band have made and how far they have come over the last year. Their headline show does not disappoint and they play through the big hitters - 'The Cave', 'Little Lion Man', 'Winter Winds' - as if they've played them for an eternity. The crowd gave them a fantastic reception as they wrapped things up and they appeared genuinely humbled by the moment.

Honest affection is what this festival has in spades; what it lacks in size or visibility it makes up for in the affection given up from every artist to their responding audience, and in this, Summer Sundae's tenth year, the organisers have done incredibly well to collect such giving artists for the very welcoming audience. SJS

Dave Jones was once a rare groove DJ. Then he became Zed Bias and was a garage pioneer back in the 90s. Now, under his Maddslinky moniker, he has moved into dubstep, and this is the second album under this name.

There are some interesting collaborations on this album. Mr Scruff guests on the off kilter 'Dub Is For Real', Skream helps out on '50 Shades Of Peng', and the previously reviewed single featuring lyrics from soul singer Omar also appears. Tawaih's lush vocals can be found on 'Further Away', while Jenna G sings over the rumbling bass of 'Fly'. But the stand out track for me is 'Peru', where Jones is working alone. A benchmark dubstep cut, it's simply awesome.

There are some less good tracks to counter-balance this peak - 'Hiding Place' is disjointed and 'Cognitive Behaviour' darks out a bit too far - but overall this is a great album, suitably diverse and really rather thoughtful. Tru Thoughts have signed a real winner, and the Brighton label goes from strength to strength with output like this. PV

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Akabu is yet another moniker for Dave Lee, aka Joey Negro or Sessamato or Raven Maize or Jakatta or Doug Willis, amongst others. This UK-based producer's music output is as prolific as his range of names, and he was arguably responsible for giving us the genre of disco house. I've seen him perform live with his Sunburst Band and take to the decks to DJ, and in both guises he impresses.

So, needless to say, I had high expectations for this album. To be honest, on first listen they really weren't met. And while it has improved with repeat listening - some of these tracks are definitely growers - this album is still a bit of a mixed bag.

It's at its best when Lee is taking us into the old school. In that vein, 'Crystalised' is awesome, with its nasty acid tweaks, thumping beat and moody vocals. The nice and spacious 'Little Bit Of Kaos' is also a great track, even if the intro is rather long, while the beatsy, minimal 'Hi Jaxx' is definitely worth checking out. Elsewhere, 'Another World' is classy, with its John Barry-esque sweeping vibe, and 'Another Generation' is ubercool - with plenty of little acid tweaks and beats that make this the stand out track for me.

But in amongst that lot there's some more average stuff. 'You Want It All' falls into this category. 'Behind Whe Mask' is a little tad drab, while 'Heatwave On Mars' is a touch bland. So, enough good stuff to ensure the Dave Lee brand - in all its incarnations - is capable of still impressing, though not enough good stuff to make this long player stand out. PV

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Lionni has been a player in the world of electronic music ever since his time immersed in Manchester's Hacienda club scene back in the late 80s, but this album proves that he is still as fresh as ever.

The influence of the early Detroit scene is there from opener 'Distant Memories', but 'As One' still sounds very much like a 21st century album. There is some proper epic house in the form of 'Precious', with Marvin Belton on vocals, then some hard staccato beats on 'Out of Sight', before a more poppy and Euro feel with 'Found Another Place' and 'The More You Give' respectively.

'Harmony's Song' provides the compulsory chill out, while 'Waiting For You' takes us more techy with some swirling spacious keys and synths. The stand out track, meanwhile, is 'Deep Fried', some brilliant deep house.

An extremely likeable and well crafted debut LP, this is a great signing for Jimpster's east London label. PV

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This was my first time at the Big Chill fest, and I'd only heard great things about it - amazing setting, cool music, and a nice atmosphere - so I went with high expectations. Arriving late on Thursday evening we were greeted by a massive queue to get into the festival car park, which was frustrating to say the least after a three hour drive to get there. Once we'd got in and set up our tents though excitement kicked in and I was more than happy to see that it was a relatively tiny festival, with our tents being pitched pretty much right next to the arena - Yay!

Waking up on the Friday, the weather wasn't what I'd hoped it was going to be, but the scenery more than made up for it - we were literally surrounded by big green hills. The first band I got to see were actually my favourite of the whole weekend. Despite stupidly missing the beginning of the set, I arrived to see the majority of Mike Patton's Mondo Cane And The Heritage Orchestra. After seeing Faith No More at Download 2009, I was already aware of Patton's greatness, but this put him in a whole new light for me - which I guess is part of said greatness; that he can touch on such a range of genres and still be magic.

Later that evening it was time to watch main stage headliners Massive Attack. Not really knowing what to expect and not having the greatest knowledge of the band's catalogue, I was totally blown away by their performance. I was completely captured by their set which was filled with classics like 'Teardrops', 'Inertia Creeps' and 'Unfinished Sympathy' and a spectacular light show.

On Saturday, the first band I stumbled across were Husky Rescue. A band I'd heard of but had no idea what they sounded like, and I was pleasantly surprised, if not completely overwhelmed, by them. Next up I headed over to the main stage to catch the amazing Patrick Wolf. I'd actually forgotten he was playing so was a bit overexcited that I caught his performance.

Wearing a black and white jumpsuit, Patrick's performance was typically full of energy and really showed off just how talented he is, although I definitely think he deserved a larger crowd.

Later that evening were headliners Roots Manuva and MIA. For me, Roots Manuva was fun but more of a warm up for what was coming next; I've been a fan of MIA from the start although not a huge fan of her most recent work. However, I completely loved her performance and was reminded why I liked her so much. Unfortunately, her set got cut short after she invited a 'few' people up to dance on stage which in no time at all turned into a full on stage invasion of about 200 people, but for it's entertainment value I really didn't mind. Ending the night in one of the dance tents, my fellow festivalers and I danced solidly for about three hours to Mr Scruff's DJ set, proving that it wasn't just his tea that was good.

On the final day, I was faced with the decision of going to see Natty or Morcheeba. Choosing Natty, I'm sure I made the right decision. Playing a mainly chilled out set with a few upbeat tracks here and there, Natty put across his message of the importance of music.

Later that afternoon I caught Villagers' set on the Clash stage. Having missed them earlier in the year I couldn't wait to see them live. It was a perfect chilled out set for a Sunday afternoon, which was suitably followed by Fionn Regan and Newton Faulkner and rounded off with Bonobo.
 
Despite the atmosphere being a little more on the rowdy side than I had anticipated, the festival as a whole was a lot of fun - an amazing line-up, cool little touches like the cinema tent and outside DJ area, it ranged from chilled out to one big party. GS

Ben Petitt, aka DJ Zinc, rose to fame with DJ Hype and the gang in the mid-nineties, and created the monstrous jump up jungle anthem 'Super Sharp Shooter'. With his benchmark track '138 Trek' he showed that drum n bass, house and garage were only a few beats apart, and this drew him across the divide. Nowadays Zinc only DJs his take on house music, and in that vein he's back with his second 'Crackhouse' EP.

Of the seven tracks here, early Prodigy-styled 'Old Flame' is definitely the stand out, it really rocks. Also worth a listen are 'Gtac', which starts with a Euro-house feel before going into a Zinc standard bassline, and 'Let's Go' and 'Love To Feel', which feature guest appearances from grime rapper JME and Jamie George respectively.

Less good is 'Gimme The Camera', which is just a bit annoying, while 'Mouthful' is also rather weak. Things improve a little with the trippy drippy ambient cut 'Huh?' which wraps things up, but it's not on the same level as 'Old Flame'. If you download the digital version of the EP you'll also get a bonus track in the form of a DJ Marky remix of 'Wile Out', which is a nice little roller but nothing to write home about.

All in all, there are a couple of interesting moves and grooves on 'Crackhouse Volume 2', and it documents where Zinc is on the map today, but sadly several misses are included. PV

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So, the 2010 Hevy Festival has left lots of people talking, mostly in a positive fashion, though some not so. But, being a festival very much in its infancy, and having had its line up criticised a little last year, it felt that this time Hevy's organisers really picked up their game, not least with the coup of having a headline set from Glassjaw. An extra special coup given that this festival is TINY. 

So tiny was it that the campsite had to be extended several times to accommodate everyone and at one point I was contemplating going tentless due to there being literally no space to put one up!

Upon arrival all bags were thoroughly searched and there was a strict no re-entry policy, not even to collect the rest of your beer(!), which left many people struggling with massive loads in the August heat. Despite this hindrance, and once a tent space was finally located, a quick wander round revealed the stages were well laid out and the campsite handily right next to the main arena. Little things like awesome calzone pizzas and being situated next to a wildlife park (which the full price tickets including entry to) all added up to many smiling faces, a very friendly atmosphere and an all overall great weekend.

I'll have to interject here, before my recall of the Saturday, by letting you in on the fact that  Saturday went by far too quickly in a slightly tipsy haze. Don't tell mum. But it did leave me with memories of enjoyable sets from eaststrikewest, Blitz Kids, and Twin Atlantic. March Of The Raptors are a very promising band, but this wasn't their best performance, and Deaf Havana's show is visibly suffering since the departure of screamer Ryan. Whilst lead vocalist James has a fantastic voice, the songs just don't feel the same now and the lack of the second vocals throws the timing out now and again. 

Sucioperro have come a long way since the release of 2009's 'Pain Agency', and the Scots will walk away from Hevy safe in the knowledge they've just made a lot more fans further down south. Sure the parallels to Biffy Clyro are a little much at times, but it seems hard for Scottish bands not to be compared to them these days, especially if JP Reid - lead singer of the band in question - is the other half of Marma Duke Duke, alongside Biffy's Simon Neil, but these are easy enough to see past and through to a band that offer a lot of excitement in fairly stale indie-rock scene of late.

Lesson one: if you're near the front while watching Trash Talk and vocalist Lee Spielman comes down to the barrier, be on your toes. Lesson two: if he starts swinging the microphone in wide circles over the crowd, duck and cover. One unlucky fan learned them both in one swift crack to the head. Trash Talk are a true hardcore band and aren't here to fuck about.

And thus, day one of Hevy was closed by Watford hardcore merchants Gallows. Maybe I've been spoiled by them, having been witness to their explosive live shows in excess of ten times in the last couple of years. Because although energetic and frenetic as always, it seemed a little something was missing from this closing set. The cover of The Clash's 'I Fought The Law' was a treat, though.

Sunday started with sore heads, rasping voices, a bacon sandwich and high expectations. It's easy to see why comparisons to American bands like Four Year Strong and New Found Glory tend to follow Me Vs Hero around. But it's also easy to see that these boys are going to go far, kicking off the Sunday with a set filled with the kind of massively catchy hooks and singalong choruses of which bands twice their age would be envious. With two singles currently hitting screens regularly on channels like Kerrang!, Scuzz and Lava, as well as their debut album on the way, Me Vs Hero are a band you can expect to see much higher up on festival bills this time next year.

UK metal merchants Bury Tomorrow are another up and coming band who already sound very accomplished and are sure to draw comparisons to US counterparts like Killswitch Engage or Atreyu. But they play songs from their debut album 'Portraits' near perfectly and the audience laps up every second.

I checked out Napalm Death with no real knowledge of their material, but a much deserved respect for what modern music owes to them and an intense curiosity to witness frontman Barney storm through their performance in his own distinctive way. I found it so entertaining that I managed to miss the start of Polar Bear Club, arriving just in time to see 'Living Saints' setting bodies flying all over the packed tent. It was a set full of passion (from both the band and the fans) and one that leaves noses bloodied and ankles injured (and that's just one friend of mine), but purely out of over excitement, rather than any aggression in the pit. It's doubtful that PBC would ever be main stage material at any UK festival, but they sure know how to handle headlining a smaller tent.

Speaking to many people beforehand, the majority said they were choosing to leave Polar Bear Club early so as not to miss the start of Glassjaw's set. Luckily I had the benefit of knowing better than to follow suit for two reasons - the likelihood of the Long Island boys starting their main stage headline set bang on time being rather low and the fact that Polar Bear Club are a much more entertaining live prospect.

Don't get me wrong - I'm a big Glassjaw fan and Daryl Palumbo is still one of the most captivating frontmen on the scene - but for a few reasons their sets as of late have failed to deliver quite what you expect from the band. Perhaps it's the lack of mid-set banter, or the fact that they play so many new songs that the crowd have never heard, which tends to dull the buzz that fan favourites like 'Pink Roses' or 'Tip Your Bartender' stir up in the pit.  Whilst sounding fantastic, it's hard for the audience to really get into music that they've never heard before and this is easily visible in the near stationary crowd at times.

Just as their Hevy set really gained momentum towards the end, the band left the stage. Vain cries for "one more song" were met after a few minutes by Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' blasting through the PA. That's right Hevy fest - Glassjaw are a band who do what the fuck they want and you just got Rick Rolled, as I believe the kids say.

Still, it was a very tight, huge sounding set that left a slightly bitter taste in the mouths of most casual fans, but at the same time set tongues wagging as bodies trundled back to the campsite. 

And you can't help but get the feeling that that's exactly what the quartet intended... SK

Maddslinky is the alter ego of Dave Jones, who is also Zed Bias, a garage pioneer from the early 90s. Jones has secured the vocal talents of UK soul star Omar for this track, out on Brighton's Tru Thoughts, and which comes with ten mixes.

First things first, I can report that the original mix of the track is definitely a goodie. Omar's lyrics are very finely placed on top of a rather upbeat back drop of beats and keys. It's nicely done and well produced. And after that good start, things only get better. The Toddla T rerub takes us to a darker place with a warped bass line, while Martin Iveson (aka Atjazz) adds his touch of sun and some mellow beats and MJ Cole takes the track into the world where he shot to fame, making a very high quality back-in-the-day two-step track.

And then, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Simbad steps up. A French electronic DJ/artist now resident in London, this guy hits us with what could well be my tune of the year - the 4x4 remix - spacious broken beats with some reverb effects. It's a touch abstract, but punchy, and it runs well with Omar's lyrics. What follows struggles to compete, but is still well worth checking out.

Jones's second album as Maddslinky will be released next month and I can't wait to hear it. PV

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DFA Records has always existed in a retro-futurist bubble. The label's releases tend to combine the essence of decades old material with a contemporary bent. Shit Robot's debut album is no exception, taking its inspiration largely from Chicago/acid house and disco. The results are a continuation of the classic DFA sound: relentlessly jacking, molasses thick basslines seep through each of the album's nine songs mix with the reassuringly ever present doof-doof-doof of house's 4/4 heartbeat.

But is this enough? Put it this way, in years to come we're not going to be hailing 'From The Cradle To The Rave' in the same way we salivate over Luomo's 2000 masterpiece 'Vocalcity'. That's not to say that it's without its charms, however. The tracks with the guest vocalists, including Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip and The Juan Maclean's Nancy Whang, are near-brilliant exercises in dancefloor efficiency, and previous single 'Simple Things (Work It Out)' featuring former Nation Of Ulysses frontman Ian Svenonius is, in turns, a paranoid, jittery jack-track and a hands-in-the-air piano house classic.

It's the tracks where Shit Robot's Marcus Lambkin provides the vocals that cause the interest levels to drop: his pitched-down incantations ("Are you ready?" intones the opening track 'Tuff Enough' over and over again) and occasionally less than inspiring backing tracks result in an uneven record. The good stuff, however, just about outweighs the bad. JAB

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I like Canada quite a lot. It's the land of maple syrup, broomball and indie that generally isn't tedious or unremarkable. Must be all of the mapley air.

Canada is also the home of Wintersleep, a melodic, stringsy collective of five, who have been around for almost a decade now. 'New Inheritors' is the band's fourth full-length release, and is a harmless, pleasant little record that, while admittedly less exciting than it probably should be, is an easy listen and should please fans and new listeners alike.

With nods to the likes of Wolf Parade and Broken Social Scene, 'New Inheritors' is quietly clever. The catchy 'Tracey Decay' and beautiful, string-rich 'Experience The Jewel' are definite standouts, but it's the hazy vocal-less tones of the almost Codes In The Clouds-esque 'Echolocation' that really draws interest, a melancholic song for the spaces between seasons, and a direction Wintersleep should flourish in if embraced fully. TW

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The second ever UK leg of the Sonisphere European festival tour was highly anticipated by the 55,000 strong crowd. Disappointment had been evident as two of the Big Four of 80s thrash, Metallica and Megadeth, who had headlined the festival in other countries, were missing from the line-up of the UK finale, though Slayer and Anthrax did play. However, filling the two holes were British heavy metal legends Iron Maiden and German industrial showmen Rammstein, so the festival-goers could hardly complain.

In what seemed to be a progression from a two-day event towards a three-day event (fingers crossed for next year), the organisers offered music on all but the main Apollo stage on Friday night. These acts included fist-pumping battle-metal from Turisas, a one hit wonder from Europe, and a fantastic headline slot from Alice Cooper who faked his own death four times during the performance and played his timeless classic 'School's Out' both as an opener and a finale. The Bohemia tent presented an evening of alternative stage shows and smaller musical acts, many of whom had played at High Voltage festival the previous weekend. 

Saturday's line-up was kick started by Swedish power-metallers Sabaton who saluted the hangover-ridden audience before launching a powerful assault on the morning crowd's ears. The rest of the day was divided between metal from the likes of Anthrax and Fear Factory, and pop-punk/emo presented by the seemingly out of place Papa Roach and Good Charlotte.

Placebo added a post-punk tinge to the afternoon, followed by an acoustic set from Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, whose relaxing un-distorted set made for a pleasant break before the evening's heaviness.

Mötley Crüe played a brilliant show chock-full of classic songs from their 80s heyday, none of them seemed too addled by age or substance-abuse and so were able to put on a crowd-pleasing performance.

Saturday headliners Rammstein came out swinging with their furious industrial metal. The reaction from the crowd was massive, fuelled by one of the most intense stage shows in the world. Arriving with six lorries of pyrotechnic equipment, Rammstein set about using all of it, from flame throwing guitars to fire-breathing masks and pyro-jets shooting from the floor, not to mention the fireworks shooting up from behind the backdrop. Cynics might say that Rammstein use this extravagant display to distract the crowd from less talented musicianship, but this was not so. The band played very well together and really gave the following day's line-up something to think about.

Sunday started with post-grunge rockers CKY who were almost perfect for the half-awake crowd as their trundling stoner-influenced set fell on attentive yet somewhat muffled ears. Madina Lake followed on the Apollo stage but didn't go down very well - vocalist Nathan Leone sounded quite off-key and the more metal-inclined audience had witnessed enough pop-punk the previous day. Skindred, however, managed to get the entire crowd bouncing with their potent combination of metal and reggae, followed by what can only be described as an interesting set from the Japanese band Dir En Grey who enthralled the crowd with a dark and sinister set comprised of super-progressive doom metal.

Ageing thrash titans Slayer followed the Japanese youngsters, pulling out all the stops with a classics-filled set including 'Angel Of Death' and 'Raining Blood', which they executed with incredible accuracy considering the blistering speeds.

Sheffield deathcore upstarts Bring Me The Horizon and grunge legends Alice In Chains paved the way for a heavy electronic and visually inspiring slot from Pendulum who had the majority of the crowd jumping up and down in time with their pounding bass lines.

Bohemia tent headliners on Sunday night were Welsh screamo pioneers Funeral For A Friend whose well-established sound and fanbase led to impressive crowd-participation with epic singalongs to 'Streetcar,' 'Rage' and 'The Art Of American Football.'

Iron Maiden completed the weekend with a well-rounded set that included a lot of material from their latest three albums. The more old-school Maiden fans were disappointed not to see more of the classics from the 80s, but a flamboyant set and impeccable musicianship had the crowd's full attention for their two hour slot.

All in all it was a successful weekend with a strong eclectic mix of performers: I look forward to seeing what next year will produce. TC

'After Dark' is, as all great pop songs are, about boys, girls, dancing, tortured hearts and after hours. The track is a collaboration between indie purveyors of oddness, Mystery Jets, and  UK club duo The Count (aka Hervé) & Sinden. The pair of bongo-hedonists' sorcery has worked wonders: the alluring vocals of William Rees of Mystery Jets are set against an Afrobeat backdrop that transforms the subject of late night telephone calls into something truly magical.

William claims: "Whether you love it or hate it, this beat will be tearing the cubicle out of the loo before you've managed to get your trousers down. BE AFRAID!" We're not sure about that (it sounds illegal, no?) but behind these lavatorial musings he may well have a point.  There's no fighting the loopily catchy beats of this track: its vibrant, twinkling, tempo-shifting glory is a serotonin shot to the jugular.

The summer is well and truly here - and you could do a helluva lot worse than making this your soundtrack to it. EG

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London's most eclectic one day music festival returned to the expansive Victoria Park in Hackney, boasting five stages and some seriously eye-catching acts. Field Day has had a reputation in the past for being beset by organisational and technical problems but the good news this year was that the organisers had appeared to make genuine strides to make things better. Facilities had improved and the age-old issue of managing sound in a residential area seemed to have been addressed.

And now on to the bands. Faced with a schedule that spanned several stages and several hours, your humble critic had to choose wisely and make some bold decisions. It would have been simple to assume the headline acts were those to focus on but arriving punctually and checking out the lesser known bands turned out to be a wise choice.

Second on the bill at the Bugged Out tent (the most dance-orientated at the festival) was Golden Filter, a New York based electro duo that cite Saint Etienne and Pink Floyd as influences. Although the tent was only half-full, those who were there were treated to a band quietly creating a buzz for themselves (debut single, 'Solid Gold' is especially impressive).

On the same stage a short while later was Memory Tapes, who I saw at The Luminaire earlier this year. Obvious reference points are New Order but there are also hints of a more blissed-out shoegaze sound. 'Bicycle' remains one of the best tracks of recent years.

If I then said I skipped the great Mancunian indie survivors, The Fall, to check out These New Puritans and No Age on the Adventures In The Beetroot Field stage, I'd expect a few raised eyebrows. However, it was a decision that was vindicated. The former are an Essex-based art-rock outfit whose sound is influenced by myriad diverse genres. The latter, on the other hand, are a Los Angeles-based indie rock band that look to the DIY, underground American bands of the 1980s.

Then followed a quick diversion into the so-small-it's-claustrophobic XOYO Lock Tavern where Toro Y Moi were performing. Their Afro-pop sound immediately marks them in the mind as Vampire Weekend wannabes, but they're impressive in their own right. Certainly the audience jostled for space in a rush to watch them in action. Then finally to the main stage where two of the marquee acts (certainly those I most looked forward to) played back to back.

First, Canadian electro boffin Dan Snaith, aka Caribou, performed the bulk of his most recent album, the wonderful 'Swim', with a more fleshed out band than the record was originally recorded with.

Then came the headliners, Phoenix. It's been a wonderful last twelve months for the French band. Their stunning 2009 album, 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' was the record they'd always threatened to make, effortlessly combining the more dancefloor-orientated sound the experimented with at the start of their career, with the more Strokes-influenced guitar-rock they developed on 2006's 'It's Never Been Like That'.

'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' was the band's commercial breakthrough in the US, winning a Grammy this year for Best Alternative Album. Naturally the set was derived mostly from this record, with a couple of nods to previous glories - 'Consolation Prizes', 'Long Distance Call' and 'If I Ever Feel Better'.

I last saw Phoenix in 2005 when they toured the brilliant 'Alphabetical' album. They're clearly a much more confident band now, adept at performing live to thousands (the band even claimed it was possibly the largest audience they'd ever played to) and hearing and watching the likes of 'Lisztomania' and '1901' keeping an audience thoroughly entranced was a great sight indeed. It was a perfect end to what had been a very impressive festival.

We're oversaturated by festivals these days. There's almost one every weekend throughout the summer but few, if any, will rival Field Day in pulling together such a diverse, exciting line-up. KW

I arrived at Kendal Calling on Saturday afternoon, annoyingly missing Friday because of some perfectly redundant course that I was required to attend explaining to me the importance of confidence during a job interviews, thank you the Job Centre. This obviously meant missing Calvin Harris and the previous day's festivities but, as it turns out, Kendal has a much limited line-up on the Friday, so it made only a little difference to my overview of the festival. Arriving on Saturday was also fortunate because it meant less traffic, less hassle and none of that waiting around in queues, which is so redolent in music festivals. So maybe I should retract my sarcasm from that earlier thank you to the Job Centre.

My mood temporarily soured by the discovery that no alcohol is allowed to be brought into the arena, meaning that a great portion of the money I thought I'd saved buying alcohol before arriving was now allocated to the expensive bars inside. Rest assured though that inner-peace was restored and after a brief trip back to the tent we made it through arena security and were greeted with a lovely, homely scene, comparable to home of the Hobbits, The Shire, or some quaint village green, decked out with bunting and shaded underneath ancient Oak trees. The sun was shining as we made a swoop of the arena before settling down to see a Howard Marks talk.

Unfortunately, Marks was late and so the first artist we saw was Mancunian singer-songwriter Danny Mahon. It was clear on the day that Mahon obviously has a large following and, even though he wasn't billed to play at that time, a crowd of people turned up and sang nearly every word to his every song. For me though, his music did not elicit any positive feelings and I felt that it was an awful repetition of everything that has come out of Manchester since The Smiths. His songs do carry a visceral scent through strong body language but the lyrical tone he mostly falls into is a kind of jocular ribaldry, mixing his natural emotions of displeasure (of drug dealers/crack mostly) with an indelicate choice of words.

Although we waited through Mahon's set for Howard, it was made apparent to us that he would not be talking that day and so we left to take our place under an Oak tree before the main stage and watch some acts. OK Go appeared shortly after that and they stormed through a hit heavy set, featuring 'A Million Ways', 'Get Over It', 'This Too Shall Pass' and many more.

In all honesty, OK Go aren't a band I rate highly but their honest enthusiasm for the crowd and the enjoyable nature of their performance filled the hole that was carved out so brutally by Mahon only half an hour previous.

Next up, The Futureheads. Having seen them numerous times and with a full understanding of what to expect I rejoiced in their intoxicating harmonies and let their positive blast of post-punk wash over me. The band fell short of my expectations slightly with a blisteringly paced 'Skip To The End' that distorted the natural melody of the song, but I suspect that pacing problem was purposeful and was more of a corollary slide to fit in with the rest of their lively set, which concluded with their biggest hit to date, 'Hounds Of Love', much to the enjoyment of the crowd.

Following on from them was a band who I've longed to see for sometime and originate from Kendal itself, Wild Beasts. They had the home support and are currently a critical hit, having been selected from the multitude by the enormous and powerful finger of the Mercury Prize. So we all stood expectant of great things. Rather understandably they put on a fantastic show and were the real highlight of the day. The effortless way both Tom Fleming and Hayden Thorpe bounce off of each other's own unique vocal style is captivating to watch and made all the more impressive as we see both of them darting around the stage switching instruments with ease.

Strangely it was their latest single 'We Still Got The Taste Dancin On Our Tongues' which provided one of the most absurd reactions that day as the pacing formed a frothy sea deep inside me. For some reason they took to playing the verses at speed and dropped down some 10bpm for the choruses resulting in a disorientating effect on me, it was quite unsettling but made me rejoice more as if somehow they had complete control over me.

Doves were next and were the perfect act to restore me to normality. They were luminous and lustrous and shining and all the other adjectives that centrally locate their brand of dance infused epic indie within a certain sphere of sounds. Having recently released a best of, they appear to be performing as a prestige act, sitting resplendent among the top acts within the country and enjoying their time there. They certainly gained much applause for their evening's effort and were rapturously received; ending the night with 'Spaceface' was a great reminder of why the band have been around for so long and why they have experienced so much critical and public support.

Sunday started with a hangover, it crushed and bruised my battered brain and left me scrabbling around for change, desperate to get enough for a juice or a water to cool my head down. The sun was up but that would soon change as the weather kept transforming the rolling clouds, bringing with them the covering darkness, anticipating rain. As our hangovers subsided we moved into the main arena and checked out a series of small tents and activities, each showing us how diverse and creative this festival is. With all the arts and crafts going on it seems like an excellent festival to bring a family to and they really seem to cater for that type of audience. There are enough street artists, cabaret acts, jugglers, escape artists and comedians to keep everyone entertained and it finds such a suitable home here in Kendal Calling, much less psychedelic than similar acts at Glastonbury and instead much more homely and child-friendly.

The first act we saw that day was British Sea Power, another band who find their origins in Kendal. They decked out their stage in marvellous plumes of vegetation. They performed a typically quirky set appealing to fans of British Sea Power from 'The Decline Of...' days all the way through to 2008's 'Do You Like Rock Music?', starting with the sparkling 'A Wooden Horse' and ending with crowd-pleaser 'Spirit Of St Louis'. They were perfectly befitting of the surroundings, with their maudlin tone and approach suggestive of the darkening clouds that seemed to want to burst but never really could. Likewise the luscious foliage that surrounded them on stage seemed to look up to sky asking to be soaked, fitting into some underlying sense of ambience; that really the music played out to the atmosphere of festival and that the festival was not just for music.

After British Sea Power, I made my way over to the Calling Out stage to see These New Puritans. As I stood before the stage I was left wondering how they would manage to play some of those excellent loop and sample filled songs from 'Hidden' without either making them too unrecognisable nor too polished. Most of the songs managed to fit this bill, tracks like 'We Want War', 'Holograms' and 'Attack Music' settling in nicely. But then with the live sound/recorded sound differing so much between first and second albums it was always going to be difficult to bridge the gap between the two. 'Elvis' sounded slightly tired as a result, no doubt because the songwriting in 'Hidden' has so much more clarity in it than the art-rock pose of the 'Beat Pyramid' era. It was, however, a captivating set with Jack Barnett becoming a focal point as he swung and danced about the stage to the discordant rhythms.

And with that I met back up with my friends and we sped into the night, and in particular to the dance tent to catch the last remaining DJs before the end of the festival. Kendal Calling is a small festival but it is vibrant and has lots to see and do as well as boasting a warm and friendly atmosphere. Unfortunately, the closed off arena made it expensive and the result was a rather clunky festival where one would often find themselves returning to the tent during the afternoon when all you really wanted to do was soak in the bands.

Overall though, it was a great festival with a lot of experiences to have and a lot of music to enjoy. SJS

It's very, very tempting to hate Sunday Girl. Apparently, the moniker stuck when young Jade Williams was working in a pet shop when she was fourteen, and customers couldn't remember her name; it's the kind of sickening pap you'd find Katie Price's ghost-writer dreaming up. Aside from her nauseating back story, she's also covering Raf's 'Self Control'. Most famously recorded by Laura Branigan in 1984, it's a track that has been recorded time and time again - even by our favourite 'surprise' homosexual Ricky Martin back in 1993. 

The conclusion to this meandering introduction, however, is that Sunday Girl's version is really rather good. Her languishing, wistful voice carries the time-honoured lyrics perfectly, adding a doe-eyed innocence to the track. Clearly reading from the Sally Shapiro hymn sheet of contemporary chanteuses; SG returns 'Self Control' to its Italo disco roots through glistening soundscapes and soporific iterations. The luxuriant delivery adds gorgeous atmosphere, ensuring her version makes its mark.

The release includes a plethora of great remixes, including the glitching throbs of Fenech-Soler's take on the track; and the intense, bass-heavy remix by Toronto producers Azari & III. A more than welcome addition to the 'Self Control' formidable timeline. EG

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Drum n bass maestro Tom Withers (aka Klute) presents his sixth album, on his own label, some fifteen years on since his first releases on the seminal jungle imprint Certificate 18. And it really is a game of two halves, with the first disc firmly based in the here and now, while the second takes influence from the early 90s.

From the spacious disc one intro of the drum n bass steppa 'Knowing How to Get There' we can see this producer's skill has remained as good as it ever was. 'Will You Still Love Me' and 'Strange Dinner' lean heavily on Rob Haigh's Omni Trio soundscapes, and 'Media' plucks inspiration of Photek's housey 'Solaris LP', while 'Autumn Stone' takes us into harder breaks. The flavour these days is to have a form of world music influenced track, which Kulte does with 'Ashram', which takes influence from the subcontinent in a pleasant little roller, with songstress Lata sampled in.

heading over to the second disc, we fly into the lush old school breakbeat rhythms of 'Hypocrite', then house sensibilities show in 'Give a Little Love' and 'No Mistake'. Chill out comes in the form of the average 'Melt', while 'Pancake', ironically, is a little flat. 'Son Of Sam', though, is menacing.

All in all an average package, though with two such diverse CDs Withers shows he's still doing his own thing. And long may he continue. PV

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Dropping out of college never proved so lucrative. In the summer of 2009, Best Coast vocalist Bethany Cosentino moved back from New York (where she left college) to Los Angeles and began sending songs to her now musical partner, Bobb Bruno. After some initial bedroom recordings the duo released a number of seven-inch singles on a few small American labels, receiving an incredible amount of praise from fans and blogs alike. With debut album 'Crazy For You', Cosentino wanted to record entirely new tracks (though some were penned even before the start of Best Coast), meaning, of course, that it leaves off previous 'hits', such as 'When I'm With You' and 'Each And Every Day'.

The result is a dreamy affair, fleshed out by Cosentino's sun-drenched vocals which, though treated with heavy amounts of reverb, still allow her vibrant personality to soak through. Coupled with this is the now standard reverb rich guitar tone that throws it all into a distant haze, perfect then for creating a nostalgia driven album that not only harks back to the days of The Beach Boys surf-pop but also to her childhood and the shoegaze/grunge-era of the early nineties.

The songwriting on display is remarkable and for those of us who have been following the duo from their early days, it's not a surprise to see the album work so effectively. The songs aren't challenging and there are few, if any, real tempo or rhythm changes, yet somehow the quality of the songwriting wrestles the listener (or rather languidly taps the listener's shoulder) to take full stock of them and listen attentively.

While this is overall a nostalgic surf-pop summer album, it will be interesting to see where Best Coast go next, as songs like 'Honey' and 'I Want You' express something much darker and much more Nirvana-esque. SJS

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I did it. I finally found the holy grail of the festival trail. You know, the elusive one where you can bring your own food and drink into the arena, without having to hide it in your wellies. Impressed? Well ladies and gentlemen, this particular gift from the gods can be found in rural Oxfordshire on a real life working farm that annually houses Truck Festival.
 
Ironically, Truck is also one of the few festivals where it wouldn't actually be the end of the world if you did have to pay the arena prices for food and drink - with Jager bombs and fresh pasta selling for a comparatively measly £3 a piece and the usual beer and burger fare at very reasonable prices. Taking this into consideration, it wouldn't break the bank to take the whole family for the weekend - nor would you feel out of place as Truck comes across as very much a family-orientated event, complete with a kids tent, relaxed friendly atmosphere and tiny layout.

Once I got over the shock/excitement of the food and drink revelation, I kicked off my festival with something of a local hero for me, Kingston favourite Dave House, who played a crowd pleasing acoustic set of honest and uplifting indie/punk to an eager audience at the Market Stage. Other treats of the day included indie-rock four piece Tellison who played in the appropriately named Barn, certainly an advocate for authenticity (and my nostrils can testify to that) as the shed is literally home to bovine for the rest of the year. Boat To Row also impressed in the Village Pub venue with their likable twiddly folk.

The only disappointment of the day came from the queues outside the Barn which lead to missing the much anticipated 65daysofstatic. Much confusion surrounded this, as seemingly there was lots of room inside but, due to health and safety regulations, a lot of people had to miss out.
 
Day two, another searingly warm day created the perfect scene for the sunny Los Campesinos!, who set the main stage alight (metaphorically speaking, of course). This is also where I witnessed Surreal Moment #1: the most bizarre attempt at a mosh pit, made up of a handful of sweaty and confused teenagers and overseen by even more confused security guards.

Taking a break from the music to peruse the stalls which offered the usual hippyish attire and faux body art, what really caught my eye was the old-fashioned ice cream stand which, sadly, and as testimony to the sweltering weather, had been completely ransacked by the time I got there.

Sunday was the heavier day music wise, especially in the Barn, with notable performances from Future Of The Left, who I can only describe as alternative noise sparring with melodic rock. Their music combined with comedic banter made them a real joy to watch.

Headlining the by now almost oppressively fragrant Barn were Canada's hardcore sextet Fucked Up. And never has a name been more befitting. Charismatic (read: delightfully insane) frontman Pink Eyes stormed the stage, and the floor, in a blur of circle pits, leading to Surreal Moment #2 (and admittedly a personal highlight for me) when the Fucked Up leader stopped in front of me and demanded a high five whilst bleeding profusely from the forehead...

Everyone left the show with a satisfied smile, which I think sums up the festival justifiably - friendly, still somehow niche and with a great range of acts. Just not enough ice cream! SK