The latest collective, this time cider swigging artisans from The South rising to their feet as if a Mill Wall football fan had rediscovered Lynx (sorry guys) paints a wonderful picture. The trio are brother, sister and Terran Tremewan who has found himself in a loosely fruity conundrum, but I’m sure he’s pleased as punch positioned behind the Keyboards either. However, the fact that the siblings have resolved to call themselves Zoe and Toby White Peters has probably treated Terran to a guilt-free swig of mead from the pig’s bladder.

Deep in rural Hertfordshire, there’s something interesting afoot. Scholars, the Hemel Hempstead-based four-piece indie-rock band release their new, crunchy, single entitled Bad for Business under their own, unsigned steam. This is an impressive feat for any band that are just starting out, but is it actually any good?

London-based but Australian-born rockers Capelle look set to shoot straight to stardom following the release of their full length studio album Crooked Deluxe on March 5th 2012. It’s being released in conjunction with a documentary film about their recent exploits in a rented RV, travelling from Las Vegas to New York, set to be screened at several international Film Festivals.

Montreal-based trio Trips and Falls’ new album is somewhat of a disappointment. In fact – it could even be said that their band name is reflective of their music – it kind of meanders along through the album and never truly achieves momentum.

Little Fish have had an unbelievable 18 months. The Oxford three-piece headlined the BBC Introducing Stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals 2010, supported Blondie upon Debbie Harry’s personal request and all this before releasing their debut album ‘Baffled and Beat’ in September 2010.

It was always expected that once the dust had settled on Oasis’ disbandment, floods of new rock n’ roll stars would rise up from the ashes like wannabe rehashes of the legendary Manchester band.

As hyperbolic as it sounds, Glasgow 4-piece Annie Stevenson seem to have all the capabilities to fill that hole in the music scene. From the opening chords of ‘Get Off the Street’ you realise that this band are the Kasabian-esque lad rock that 2010 has been waiting for.

Infused with that Glaswegian edge that has worked so well for their hometown’s rock heritage, you will find Annie Stevenson’s mix of slurring Pistols vocals and cheeky Fratellis pop absolutely irresistible.

‘Country Killer’ veers away from heaviness and more towards a softer indie sound much like The Coral.
‘TV took My Soul’ is a whirling mass of grunge, incorporated with the sort of riffs that wipe out any chance of this band being labelled amateur.
Final track ‘I’m the One you Hold’ is a heart-achingly good indie love song, set to make the girls swoon and the boys burn with envy. The production is weak but absurdly, the muffled, garage band feel actually adds to the authenticity of sound.

Therefore it seems it is time to throw Mumford & Sons out the window and burn your Dubstep CDs. Concrete British indie rock n roll has returned in the form of Annie Stevenson. This band is set to storm the music charts much like those four Manchester lads who came before them.

It takes a certain style and sense of finesse to properly merge the sound of two very different bands in to listenable music – that said, even the best culmination of Vampire Weekend and Kings of Leon (a band I loathe, despite recent improvement and an outfit I’ve nothing but admiration for respectively) would be an ugly lovechild - and I can’t say with any confidence that Ice Black Birds possess that much needed air of grace about their fusion just yet; they teeter dangerously only the cusp.

I’d never heard of Durham’s Ambershift before this morning and, having only their press material to go on, on first listen of the bands debut single I had no particular feeling, or reason to think, that I was about to be offered anything even slightly new or interesting. I was pleasantly surprised.