SINGLE: DUKE RAOULThe Local News (myspace.com/dukeraoul)
Helpfully including a radio friendly version of a potty-mouthed song on your demo single might seem a tad ambitious, but you can see where they’re coming from when you stick it in the player. It’s a powerful guitar blast breaking into well-crafted and produced melodies, catchy as crabs and surely destined to progress beyond a CDR in a photocopied sleeve. The sweary song sounds a bit like an old Waterboys b-side whose name we can’t recall and the usefulness of pointing out is therefore negligible. (NC)

ALBUM: BENJAMIN GOLBY I Was Sound (myspace.com/benjamingolby)
Describing himself as a musician and folk singer of sorts, Benjamin has recently returned from Australia, where this album was recorded. Backed in the main by banjo, piano and some sweet girl vocal backing, Benjamin has created a quietly beautiful collection of songs, pastoral and pure, with his understated vocal lending the set a simple, unadulterated folk feel. In the accompanying letter he self-deprecates somewhat about its potential, but we really liked it and don’t much care. (NC)

SINGLE: RIOT RIOT When Tonight Kicks (myspace.com/riotriotband)
Now these boys have some chutzpah. Describing themselves as a cross between Dead Kennedys and The Who might be a bit wide of the mark, but as a spunky four piece spitting out cheap sulphate-suffused slabs of proper rock’n’roll they’re bang on the money. Friday Night Chorus, what in the olden days would have been called the b-side, was the first song the band wrote together, but sounds like the seasoned work of battle-hardened pros. They do veer towardsthe Franz-y andFratelli-y, but let’s not muck about with convenient comparisons, Riot Riot are just a great kick-ass band. (NC)

DEMO: THE STARS DOWN TO EARTH (myspace.com/thestarsdowntoearth)
Sounding a little like Brett Anderson, (when he was cool, not the sobered bore of today), singer Alastair Gray leads a cheery indie jangle with keyboard and glockenspiel punctuation that could almost be lifted from a China Crisis time capsule. As a demo it’s obviously a little raw around the edges, but there’s sufficient savvy and charm here to definitely make this a promising prospect.

DEMO: TRANSFORMER Cinema Car (myspace.com/transformertransformer)
Live electro new wave outfit Transformer have been one of the biggest draws in both clubs and gigs over the last year or two. There hasn’t been much in the way of recorded music, but the three tracks here make up for it. Cinema Car comes close to its live energy with jerky bass riffs and cowbell, while Down is closer to the same early 80s funk LCD Soundsystem mined for their first LP. The Tenth Dan + Riscotheque mix of Cinema Car meanwhile has been a fave with DJs, all crunchy beats and fat, swooshing synths. (JK)

DEMO: UNCLE ARTHUR (www.myspace.com/unclearthurmusic)
To some of us, the name of the band will summon up memories of aLaughing Gnome-era Bowie song. To others, it might suggest a pipe, slippers and Werther’s Originals. But whatever their reasoning for their nom de plume they’re an accomplished live outfit with hooks and fills in all the right places, and each member has his own apparent trademark take on facial hair with a moustache common denominator, which is always a good thing. (NC)