Parades are one of those bands that excite you. The bands that make you really appreciate music and in some cases, want to go home and write it yourself. It sounds lame, but if you've ever gone to see a band and spent the whole time with a big grin on your face, you'll know what I mean. What makes this even more special is the fact that Parades have managed to induce this feeling in me so early in...

I have been looking forward to this gig for quite a while now. However, my excitement was somewhat dimmed yesterday when I discovered that there had been a change to the lineup. Instead of Parades, Des Miller would be playing on the night. This is rather disappointing considering I was gearing up to write about each of these bands, culminating with a declaration that Parades were the next big thing...

Fleet Foxes have been getting plenty of hype of late. They've had Pitchfork reviews, a widely featured album and just about every type of positive press a band could hope for. Well it's taken me a while to work out why. As I played through their self-titled album, I certainly heard potential, but nothing that would incite such universal loving. That was, of course, until I sat down with the song be...

Once upon a time there lived a band called The Unicorns. They made strange and beautiful music. But like so many good things, they died far too young. Music lovers across the world mourned their death until one day, out of the ashes, a new band was born. That band was called Islands, and while they were different in many ways, they kept alive the spark that made The Unicorns so special.OK, enough o...

Today sees the release of Youth Group's fourth album, The Night Is Ours. You can hear the entire thing over at their myspace page, but get in quick because it probably won't last. The first single taken from it, Two Sides, is a brilliant track and a great way to kick off the new album. After a few spins, I'd say the rest isn't quite at that same high standard, but it certainly comes together to for...