The album’s title derives from the town on the Isle of Benebecula in Scotland where vocalist Cammy MacFarlane was shipped out to live as a kid by his parents, where he was treated for “losing his mind”. Although close friends, he and his brother Raindeer (drums and vocals) count those lost years as monumental in bonding their relationship, and the band has become an extension of that bond.

Single Warning Bells is a frenzied klaxon call of an introduction into MM. Take The Tongue Out and Tiger Heartbeat are sizzling sunshine pop songs, with their own distinct British twist of lyricism, which is present throughout the whole record. This debut album is the perfect summer soundtrack.

Released 12th July 2010

By Sophie Stratford

Producer Ethan Johns was an excellent choice as his use of reels, quiet and traditional methods of production are very suited to Marling’s music. This new record reveals a new maturity and at points her voice sounds a little harder and more cultured.

Released 22nd March.

By Sophie Stratford

Released 15th March.

By Sophie Stratford

‘Go’ is now set to be released on the 5th of April 2010. The North American tour dates have been posted here and the first show is to be in Vancouver; a day after the album is released worldwide.

No dates in other continents have yet been announced but it is still being called a world tour so I expect they will be in the near future.

Goodbye Falkenburg was recorded over the space of nine months and the band took an unorthodox approach to this debut. “We felt bored with all modern music,” says singer Meilyr Jones. “We wanted to make our fifth album first, if you know what I mean.”

Cake – Race Horses

Race Horses also brought out a 4 track concept EP ‘Man In My Mind’ in December 2009. Although it was an incredibly short release at just under 9 minutes in length, it’s depth made it clear that Race Horses are a band that have the means to last.

Man In My Mind – Race Horses

Released 18th January 2010.

Plastiscines – four female school friends from Paris, who create chunky riffs, and new wave pop tunes. It’s fair to say that when the rock band started out 4 years ago, they weren’t taken seriously by their Parisian peers. Single ‘Bitch’ is a slice of pure, unadulterated aural pleasure, a protest song against people who said Plastiscines were just rich girls put together. Ironic then that the single should have its world premier on the cult, hair pulling, and boyfriend stealing hit American TV series Gossip Girl.

The foursome name the Strokes and Blondie as their biggest influences and their songs are two-minute bursts of sultry punk-pop, like the Runaways with French accents. But while they give it their best shot, the music isn’t interesting enough for your attention, it’s too imitative. Plastiscines may still be nauseatingly young, but these girls are already every bit the Parisian “riot girl” rockers of the naughties.

Released 25th January 2010.

By Sophie Stratford

Toro Y Moi, a 23 year old from South Carolina, is getting ready to release his debut album Causers of This. There’s already word of a second full length album in late 2010 with a completely different sound. This is Blessa from Causers of This, the first single of the album.

Blessa – Toro Y Moi

It’s been said that he’s of a currently unnamed genre but I don’t think we should get ahead of ourselves about how original this act is. His sound, in my opinion, can be summed up in a number of genres which is the mark of any interesting artist. There’s elements of funk, break/big big beat but I think the defining genre would have to be trip hop. It’s like The Avalanches, Shuggie Otis and Four Tet met and decided to transcend to a higher dimension for a jam.

Released 22nd February 2010.

‘Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)’ was released 14th December. First played on tour a year ago, the song is just as apt this winter with much of England currently under snow. Marling aired the track on BBC 6 Music in November along with another track Made a Maid which might also be on the upcoming album.

Goodbye England (Covered In Snow) – Laura Marling

_2 / Technology is a Dead Bird is to be released on CD and vinyl formats. Mars Argo have said they are “on the way”.

_3 / Mars Argo now have a merchandise store with districtlines. There are two rather dashing T-Shirts on there for sale at the moment.

Fusing European orchestration with pop melodies and soaring cathartic vocals, Mirror Mirror is a theatrical, playful and emotionally passionate album. From the dramatic opener My Friend Jo to the galloping rhythms of Anvil, from the yearning echoes of Forget The Past through to the intensely intimate In This Shirt, the album is a beautifully constructed exploration of McDermott’s stories of love, anger, lust and loss.

The Irrepressibles sound has been compared to early David Bowie and Kate Bush however Mirror Mirror is quite unlike anything you have heard before. As the album unfolds there is so much more to discover, enchanting musical offerings that hold surprises at every turn.

Released 11th January 2010.

By Sophie Stratford