The Laurel Collective release their debut single Vuitton Blues in April.

Hailing from Wales, England, Nigeria and Italy, The Laurel Collective play a schizophrenic range of pop as diverse as their backgrounds. Fronted by the twin attack of two front men and their contrasting vocals, with the band bashing out a grooving, percussive racket - music for the short attention span, but music with depth too.

Several line up changes and many gigs later, their experimental wall of sound has been trimmed to a slick, wayward pop outfit, flicking between the Juno vs Moog synth battle of songs 'International Love Affair' and the explosive samba punk of 'Gunmouth'.

Franz Ferdinand make music for girls to dance to, The Laurel Collective make music for girls to eat cake to. So come to a show. And let them eat cake.

www.myspace.com/thelaurelcollective

 

Kíla’s new album Gamblers’ Ballet was paid another tribute from the music industry with its nomination for Ireland’s Choice Music Prize. The shortlist, nominated by a panel of 12 music journalists, lists the top ten albums released by Irish artists during the year.

‘The Choice Music Prize was established to highlight those albums which deserve some extra time in the spotlight and, ultimately, to select the album which best sums up the year in Irish music. Instead of using sales or airplay as criteria, the Choice Music Prize judges focus, simply and solely, on the music’

2008 promises to be a good year for the Dublin band with an Irish tour planned for March finishing with a big St Patrick’s Day show in Dublin’s Olympia Theatre, as well as a St Patrick’s day show in Barcelona on the 15th March.

www.kila.ie

New London band The Indigo Road will release their debut single Simple in June.

Featuring guest vocals from Heidi Jo Hines, daughter of former Wings guitarist Denny Laine, it is a double A side of stark contrasts. “Simple” is an acoustic guitar-based song suffused with the sweet tone of reconciliation and forgiveness, while “Goodbye to You” recounts the dark aftermath of a love gone sour.

The band is completing new material at the moment with a view to releasing more singles over the summer ahead of a debut album planned for early in 2009. The involvement of Heidi Jo Hines will be typical of the band’s approach. Band founder and chief writer Mark Herbert has developed a plan for The Indigo Road which will see him invite different vocalists and musicians in as each track requires in order to provide a distinctive feel to every release and a press approach to the recording process and to gigging around the UK.

www.theindigoroad.co.uk

Chris Townsend releases his debut album Copenhagen (Folly Records) in June.

Chris Townsend has just finished recording his debut album with top producer Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Mel C, Super Furry Animals, Catatonia).

'...nods towards Coldplay and has lovely a string-heavy outro'
Whisperin & Hollerin



Back Again / Copenhagen is the double A side single taken from the forthcoming album also titled Copenhagen which is scheduled for release in late May 2008, a 10-track collection blending rhythmic guitars, catchy melodies, heartfelt lyrics and driving pianos revealing a mature, diverse and extremely promising young singer/songwriter, who has already been ear-marked as one of the brightest new talents in 2008.

www.myspace.com/
christownsendmusic