The Optimist finds New Young Pony Club at their poppiest with this melodic sexy record. The album is self produced and more importantly self funded and self released, it is the sound of a band taking full control of their present and future. Opening with incredibly catchy Lost A Girl, it provides an excellent anticipation for the rest of the album. It combines cutting disco vibes, dance ethic with pop ethic, all set in a dark, mysterious tone. Stone and The Architect Of Love are stripped back, post punk indebted break-up records that heighten to an explosion of synth. NYPC are definitely on top.

Released 15th March.

By Sophie Stratford

Music video to ‘Come Home’ from Children and Corpse Playing in the Street’s debut album ‘Honey I’m Home!’. Directed and animated by David Mahler.

From Vinyl and Vodka:

“We have finally finished the 2nd issue of Vinyl and Vodka Magazine. I’m so happy because the 2 months seemed like forever! I didn’t get much sleep at all and finishing the magazine in time was always on my mind. I intended to get the issue out by the beginning of February before Valentines day (if you click through the magazine you’ll see why) but that didn’t happen, so oh well.

This issue features an interview with HEALTH and articles like The Internet and its Effect on the Music Industry, along with reviews of Tim Burton’s art gallery at MOMA. We also featured 500 Days of Summer and A Single Man. 5 bloggers (We All Want Someone, The Culture Of Me, Pigeons and Planes, We Listen For You, Both Eyes Closed) also participated in creating a cool feature.

There are 2 editorials that are in this issue, and thank you SO SO SO SO much to Shaun Scade from Scade Photography for fighting the cold and dealing with us for two days straight, shooting our models.

P.S. Be sure to download the Vodkast here and stream it while you’re reading the magazine because it will make the experience so much better!”

Mumford & Sons have begun this decade much as they ended the last, with word-of-mouth recommendations and a fearsome live reputation helping them to become one of the most significant British success stories in recent years.  The band has already received enormous radio airplay, even including a place on the Radio 1 A-list.

Single The Cave is a pounding tale of hope and defiance, starting with gently picked acoustic and this gradually escalates into a huge wall of sound with a myriad of strange and traditional instruments. 2010 is definitely shaping up to be Mumford & Sons year.

Released 1^st March 2010.

By Sophie Stratford

I chanced upon Rapskallion this morning in one of Melbourne’s laneways and I was drawn in instantly. They gave a five person performance of mandolin, melodica, megaphone; double bass, violin and accordion times two as well as a whimsical array of percussive utensils and surfaces; the seemingly preferred of which being the face of Harry Connick Jr on nearby posters that littered their cave.

A modern take on the Parisian-Gypsy sound of the early 20th century, they sing tales of Brunswick (the bohemian enclave of Melbourne’s suburbs) with the improvised charm of a true street performance and enough character to fill a Dickens novel.

Never Turn Your Back On Tha Sea – Rapskallion

I made a purchase of their album ‘One Up For The Little Man’, an enthralling 11 track piece. You can visit their myspace here or get the album from iTunes.

One thing I can say for definite is that the busking in Melbourne is better. The lighting and acoustics of the London Underground don’t do anyone any justice.

By Charlie O’Shea