Bordeauxxx have gone from strength to strength in the past year, going from having very rough and ready recordings to producing something that could be a commercial release. Their blend of summery twee-Pop and Indie is hugely catchy, and there are some really imaginative parts to their tracks.

The EP opens up with the title track, a superb opening to things, with a hint of Arcade Fire about it and a rhythm that will certainly have your head bobbing along. The first thing you’ll notice is the great contrast with the vocal harmonies, going from a soft male and female working in pairs really well. The break down in the middle with spoken word is a really nice addition, something that often just sounds a bit cheesy, but its content is meaningful, before crashing back into the chorus, filled with awesome 4 part harmonies.

Plus, this video is pretty sweet.

Bursts of Static is a hugely upbeat number, with well crafted lyrics with even better rhyming couplets. They’ve even thrown in bits that crowds could get involved with, and the odd sneaky synth line coming through in the background. Heartstrings is a Bordeauxxx original, and it’s great to hear it recorded really well.

Simple and effective lyrics, with phrases that you’d recognise (sun sun sun sun go away / save it for a rainy day). The ending to the track is so effective live, and something everyone get’s involved with. There’s even a SAND remix of it on the end of things, which has a very minimal feel to it, but fits the aesthetic of things nicely but with a bit of House about it.

This is an EP that is sure to get people dancing, and it is even better live, so check these guys out if you can.

Oh yeah, and it’s also available as a FREE download!! Get the EP here!

Boris Smile hail from Long Beach, CA, and bring with them a menagerie of moving, filmatic Pop with them. I’m going to assume it’s a concept album, as all the songs are about space and rockets. The album opens with a sparse and distant number; with a glockenspiel, radio noises and other weird and wonderful sounds.

Don’t be fooled though, this is just the opener, and soon they kick in with Adventures With Rockets (revisited), which is an upbeat Pop number, about, yes, rockets and space travel, filled with trumpet, with an air of bands like Arcade Fire to it.

The next track, Apollo is a heart-felt number, with soft, subtle harmonies and lyrics abouts an astronaut jetting off into space, which seem to work perfectly. Boris Smile is sure to pull at your heart strings, with his soft and clear voice pairing perfectly with the acoustic guitar and other instruments that show their heads.

Their mix of Folk and Pop blends nicely, with some really catchy grooves, such as at the end of Aurora, which is sure to have you tapping your feet.

The thing I noticed was the simplicity of each number, with Are We Alone and 8.24.06 really showing how you can write music without going over the top, and there are even a few ‘hidden’ tracks on the end, with the last one being particularly cool, with a touch of autotune thrown in there for good measure.

Words by Mark Allen, TNC Music Editor, and for more information on these West Coast marvels have a look at their Myspace Page Here.

Sleeping Robots are a trio of musicians based at the University of Surrey. They have been playing together since last year, but it was only January of this year that they started to writing and getting the band going full swing. They try not to take themselves too seriously, which is something some bands seem to forget.

Adam, Ross & Tim have some pretty funny videos on Facebook, often ridiculing their fellow department musicians (Marcel Legane for one). This is their debut EP, and with another one on the way, hopefully you’ll be hearing these guys on a radio near you soon. Oh, and it’s a free download too.

Pigion-holing genres is something reviewers like to do, but I struggled with these guys. It’s a mix of pop-rock really, but you can make your own mind up. Powerful vocals and catchy tracks are the order of the day with these guys, and the first track ‘Short Term Fix’ even has the customary guitar solo in it.

‘Warning’ starts with a great guitar riff in it, with an epic chorus that will be sure to have you have a little sing along. They even throw in some chromatic ‘Aaahs’ which work really well to bring the last chorus in with a bang.

‘Unstable’ is a slowed down number, one which I file under ‘baby-making music’ in my iTunes, and it has resonants of bands like Nizlopi to me. Warm guitar tones with slow brush drums work really well as it builds towards the end, and it’s a nice way to finish off the EP which you can download HERE.

Motion Picture Soundtrack Departure EP September 7th on End Game

Based in Canterbury, at the heart of the garden of England, Motion Picture Soundtrack deftly weave engaging lyrics and powerful moving melodies into their deep dark rock tapestry. At times gentle, at others fiercely driven, the result is uplifting, yet realistic, euphoric and beautiful.

Presented here on this short 3 track EP is the perfect introduction to a band that haven’t rushed themselves into putting out release after release. Instead, they’ve spent 18 months with Hugh Jones (Echo and the Bunnymen, I am Kloot) and Dan Austin (Doves, Massive Attack, Oceansize) perfecting their forthcoming debut album, ‘The Shapes We Fear Are Of Our Own’. Recorded in Copenhagen, London & the U.S, with Paul Schroeder (The Stone Roses, The Verve), Cenzo Townshend (Editors, Bloc Party, Klaxons) & Bob Ludwig (RATM, Radiohead, Tool…) the band’s sonic theatrics have been perfectly committed to record.

Lead single Departure conjures thoughts of a band pursuing an engaging, modern take on the 80s shoegaze of such luminaries My Bloody Valentine, with just enough soaring melody to compliment any distorted guitars. As the track’s brasher chorus erupts in the wake of tumbling piano keys, Motion Picture Soundtrack assert themselves as not only masters of the crescendo but excellent at uniting thoughtful tender moments with out and out crushing rock. The manifesto is to create music that is big enough to move mountains but that can equally speak with a hushed intimacy. It’s intricate, but under the band’s complete control, and made to seem effortless.

2009 sees the band fulfilling the promise of that first XFM review. The sonic swirling of their sound draws a definitive line between the patient, brooding and stylistic MPS, a band with real staying power, and the countless fly by night acts that clog up much of the community. With people across the UK taking a deeper interest in their work and an ever-increasing number of fans discovering the power of the live show, they are truly a band to connect with. The coming year could well be theirs.

‘One to watch out for’ XFM

‘Utterly glorious throughout…Listen to it. Wallow in it. Bathe in it. This is gorgeous stuff’ BBC Introducing

‘A band that should definitely be heard’ Kerrang! Radio

} Facebook { Myspace } Website {