Since the White Stripes disbanded last February, Jack White has been writing new material for a solo record due for release this year. The first single to be aired online is Love Interruption, a beautiful acoustic duet with wonderful harmonizing from his backing singer. White's debut album Blunderbuss (Third Man Records / Columbia) is out on 24th April.
According to the former Stripes frontman, the songs from the new record were "written from scratch", describing the album as "nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colours on my own canvas" Jack White is prepared to let loose his solo material. Both recorded and produced by White at his own label's Third Man Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, the LP is set to be an exciting one.
Third Man Records will release the single on 7" also featuring non-album B side Machine Gun Silhouette on 7th February. It's available for pre-order here.
Listen to Love Interruption here, exclusively and for free!
Howler's stunning debut album. Raw rock'n'roll. Listen to it right here, for free.
Q – ‘Irresistible’ 4/5 NME – ‘An effortlessly brilliant debut from one of the best new guitar bands on the planet’ 8/10 The Observer – ‘Desperate for a real rock band? Howler are just the thing’ (Album of the week) The Fly – ‘America’s next great guitar group’ 4/5
London five piece The Maccabees released their third album entitled Given To The Wild on Monday. A wonderland of guitar pop with echo effects. Joining the dots between second full length Wall Of Arms, Foals' Total Life Forever and Bombay Bicycle Club's A Different Kind Of Fix; Given To The Wild is certain to be one of the albums that define 2012.
2. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Beautiful sophomore LP from everybody's favourite American indie folk icons. The follow up to Fleet Foxes' eponymous debut record, the melodies keep on coming from songwriter Robin Pecknold. The way that the band harmonize is astounding, easy listening all round.
1. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
Britain's biggest rock'n'roll hopefuls since The Libertines
If it's 'tunes' you're after, look no further. London quartet The Vaccines burst onto the scene in August of 2010, with their demo of If You Wanna surfacing on You Tube.Within days, Zane Lowe made the song his 'Hottest Record In The World' and the band was soon signed to Columbia Records. The Vaccines' iconic debut is full of the short and sharp indie anthems that we have been longing for since the days of The Strokes and Justin Young's emphatic vocal style tears through the album. Freddie Cowan's ingenuity in the lead guitar department never fails to amaze, with fast paced chord sequences in songs such as Norgaard and a guitar sound that defines the band, nothing compares.
Album opener Wreckin' Bar is one minute and twenty-eight seconds of adrenaline powered indie rock. Catchy as hell and magnificently written, it's an awesome start to the LP, setting the pace for what's to come. Lead single from What Did You Expect... is Post Break-Up Sex, like many of the songs on the record it's about relationships and as NME so wisely put it, 'mildly creepy', but that's why people like it. The raw, energetic atmosphere that surrounds the band is inevitable. Both lyrically and musically, The Vaccines have got it, whatever 'it' may be.
The Vaccines are here to remind us that Great British rock'n'roll has still got it. The Vaccines are here to stay.
2. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones
Everybody's favourite singer / songwriter's patriotic album about his grandmother, the English Channel and Winchester. Marvellous.
3. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Beautiful second full length from Bon Iver, Justin Vernon's voice is an instrument in itself.
4. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See
High Green's lads fourth LP. With awesome guitar licks and Alex Turner's lyrics, Arctic Monkeys are laughing.
5. Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix
North London sweetheart's third release, prepare for a new BBC.
6. Frankie & The Heartstrings - Hunger
Sunderland band fronted by Frankie Francis, catchy guitar pop and an ace singer.
7. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
The Oasis songwriter's superlative debut effort. A step away from the old band, but still rock'n'roll.
8. Miles Kane - Colour Of The Trap
60's inspired garage rock, guitar riffs that will make your hair curl.
9. City And Colour - Little Hell
Alexisonfire's Dallas Green continues to feed the need for acoustic ballads (successfully).
10. Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
An LP that will blow you mind, Smith Westerns take you on a journey to the future of American guitar rock.
11. Metronomy - The English Riviera
A wonderful long player from Devon's greatest offering since Ambrosia custard.
12. Noah And The Whale - Last Night On Earth
Charlie Fink writes another classic album, upbeat and up-tempo ditching the ukuleles for electric guitars.
13. Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm
22 year old Yorkshireman Leftwich's stunning debut, folk songs for the fans of Elliot Smith
14. Little Comets - In Search Of Elusive Little Comets
The saviours have arrived. Camden four-piece Tribes, a brand spanking new indie rock outfit formed in 2010 are Island Records' latest offering. With Libertine-esque hype surrounding the band with XFM, NME and even Zane Lowe singing their praises in recent months, it's time to see what it's all about - the songs, the image, the band.
Set to rock the country and even the world with songs of childhood and adolescence and looking like they've walked straight out of Kurt Cobain's wardrobe, these guys are the true cool kids in town. Although influenced by a period of American 80's and 90's indie, the likes of Pavement, REM and Pixies, Tribes are still a "very British band" according to lead vocalist Johnny Lloyd. They know what to do. Let's put it this way: the future of rock'n'roll is in safe hands.
April saw the release of Tribes' first EP, We Were Children, which proved a huge success, provoking huge crowds and spine tingling singalongs at Reading festival this year. We Were Children is a melody that will really hit home, a tune that is bound to make you want to sing out loud as soon as you hear the opening guitar riff. The lyric "These things happen / we were children in the mid nineties" just oozes a devil may care attitude, the effortless songwriting ability of Lloyd is undeniable.
Even indie icons the Mystery Jets have christened them "the future of rock'n'roll". Let's hope they deliver eh? Debut LP Baby is released on 16 January.
