Leeds-based singer/songwriter Rupert Stroud follows up his accomplished and critically acclaimed debut album with this, his latest full length studio release, entitled Chasing the Night. Stroud sells himself as a versatile and mature artist, and the album as a mixture of rock, indie and acoustic music. He’s looking to showcase his talents in the broadest and most ambitious way possible, but it remains to be seen whether he’s been successful.

Lettie, well travelled electro-pop queen, is apparently one of the most extensively musically experienced yet new artists on the scene today. She has released two of her own albums with no promotional help, worked with Anthony Phillips (formerly of Genesis) and, in her own words, “seen the advent of many female artists and remained herself under the radar”. It’s no wonder, then, that she is starting to get noticed herself.

Picture this – Coldplay, Jean-Michel Jarre, Radiohead and Vangelis all collaborate on a project together. What would the end result be? Perhaps it’s hard to imagine how that would sound, but happily there’s a new release that gets quite close to an answer, from abstract Danish musicians Pinkunoizu, who, with a name that could easily be mistaken for a mythological creature but actually comes from the phrase for “pink noise” in Japanese, release their full length studio album Free Time! in early March.

Leeds based band The Wedding Present have had a turbulent and epic history since their inception, years ago in the mid eighties. But, the spirit seems not to have been lost, as they seem ready to shoot back on to the scene with their latest album, Valentina, an album recorded and produced by tiny label, Scopitones, set up and maintained by the band’s lead singer David Gedge.

Young artist Maz Totterdell is creating quite a stir in the music scene recently. After her initial success by getting the opportunity to feature on BBC Radio 2 and also 6 Music, her debut album Sweep is out on May 28th 2012, and it looks set to shoot the young singer/songwriter to stardom. At just 15 years old, featuring on national radio, and writing and releasing a complete album is an impressive feat for someone so young, but judging from the quality of album it seems like this is just the beginning for the young starlet.

If one was to ask the question, “Where is the strangest place a socio-political, opinionated and musically charged punk rock star can come from?” the first answer might be strange and unexpected, but it probably won’t be anything as obscure as “their own personal zoo/farmyard, located just outside Budapest, Hungary.” But, that is exactly where European punk rocker Lazlo hails from, in fact not just a farmyard, but his own personal zoo, where he writes his complex, socially-aware music for his rapidly growing fanbase.

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.

It’s easy for many to assume that Derby, being in the heart of rural Northern England, isn’t particularly famous for producing big named, famous bands. This could be about to change though, with the appearance of pop-rock creation Riptide, with their debut release This Could be the One, chock-full of energy – in the form of huge choruses, uplifting, tuneful vocals and happy, lively melodies with enough hooks to make a fisherman jealous.

Early Morning Rebel, indie quartet hailing from the glamorous location of Los Angeles, California, release their new single Lifeboat on February 20th, and already count some famous names among their fans. It seems that they’ve brought some of the glamour and glitz of LA over to the UK with them, by being set to play some very prestigious dates in Central London during London Fashion Week, between the 16th and 19th February 2012.