Without wishing to set alarm bells ringing, Missiles of October couldn’t have arrived at a more appropriate time considering the political turmoil that is escalating in a number of countries right now. Judging by the raging intensity of their debut album ‘Don’t Panic’, one can surmise that there are a few issues this three-piece band wish to get off their chest. While such matters may not be of a political nature, the topics on offer are equally sensitive and concern problems associated with addiction, loss and general dissatisfaction with everyday living. Plying a scuzzy slab of punk rock fused with elements of metal and hardcore, Missiles of October project forth an intense racket that is best served by the likes of ‘Wannabe’ with its skewered guitars and the abrasive surface of the white-hot ‘Cheerleader’. Such examples are complemented by ‘Two Feet In Sludge’, which gives a rather fine impression of wading through a quagmire with its guitars deep in the mire and lead vocal struggling to remain above the surface, topped off by the tight rhythm and murky tone of ‘Dance With Me’. Missiles of October is certainly raging at the various inequalities felt and struggles associated with such disparities, but there is also a sense of biding their time in order to transmit their frustrations in the most effective manner as suggested by the overall title of this body of work.

Tom DeLonge’s Angels & Airwaves is clear for launch with a fresh album and accompanying promotional extras. More than just a side project as new album ‘The Dream Walker’ is part of a multimedia package, with the previously mentioned promotional extras incorporating an animated film and graphic novel; with the former media source having already scooped the award for ‘Best Animation’ at the Toronto Film Festival. Such deep personal involvement also extends itself to a few of the songs’ narratives, with ‘Tunnels’ being one of the most significant due to paying reference to DeLonge’s father who passed away. Another personal aspect which has attached itself to this latest album release is DeLonge’s passion for music as the songs making up ‘The Dream Walker’ consist of a number of finely pulled strands from a variety of sources that only reveal themselves fleetingly, such is the experience at hand here. Bound up tightly and moving along at a rapid rate with its combination of guitars, drums and electronics is the ball of angst that is ‘Teenagers and Rituals’. It would appear that somebody has clearly done their homework as next song in line ‘Paralyzed’ gives the impression of being the aftershock from what has gone before, with its cold chamber guitars intro and grinding rhythm that remains persistent throughout despite opening up in to a more melodic beast. A further sense of detachment is given by the electronic 80’s pulses of ‘Kiss With A Spell’, which really does shine way beyond the emotional gaping void suggested here. There is an epic feel to ‘Tremors’ heightened by its Edge-esque guitars ringing melodically, only to have its sweetness curdled by the more abrasive, yet utterly compelling force that is ‘Mercenaries’. As already mentioned, Angels & Airwaves is far from being a mere side project until the other full-time occupation readies itself for action because ‘The Dream Walker’ is a consistently engaging piece of work and one that is deserved of a successor if, and when the time comes.

Back with a new EP, and his first release since 2013’s ‘Or Maybe Yesterday…’, MOLITOR unveils ‘#lonelypeople_Music’. Consisting of a blend of indie rock with elements of hip-hop, dance and electronic music, MOLITOR continues his experimentation with a variety of genres. Most notable of these forays is the audacious melding of the Dr. Dre beats and indie guitar rock of ‘Bite Down’ that really is big on sound in one instance, and then more quietly reflective elsewhere. There is a sense of self-loathing about this former track; a feeling of looking in the mirror and not liking what you see, which is reflected in the caustic tone of ‘Ca$h’ that ends up butting heads with Trent Reznor by its conclusion. Turning heads further, however, is the addictive rhythm of ‘lonelypeople_Music’ that is described as ‘upbeat disco-rock’, which is an apt description but one that helps to conceal the sombre mood at its centre. Ending with the rather superb ‘Stand For’, that is full of deep contemplation regarding a matter of the heart and played to a measured tempo that eventually builds to a grand finale before all instruments come crashing down. ‘#lonelypeople_Music’ EP is reaching out to a broad range of people with its bold attempts at fusing together various musical genres and lyrics reflecting universal themes concerning relationships and social interactions. It looks like MOLITOR won’t be lonely for too much longer.

Arriving on the doorstep under the guise of Audiofinger / Spartacus and therefore tossing another spanner in the works as far as one’s true identity goes, (Frank) Benjamin Finger makes a swift return after the soundscape collage that was ‘The Bet’. Follow up ‘Mood Chasers’ is more of the same, only this time out the instrumental passages of sound stick around a while longer emitting a notably heavier presence of electronic noises that adds a sizable filling. Such observations are noticeable from the off with the initial clunking beats parading ‘Dwarf Palms’ before giving way to a wavering frequency of electronic noises that accumulates additional instrumentation just as quickly as it sheds the very same extras. Where ‘The Bet’ was sometimes waiflike in its expressions, ‘Mood Chaser’ is not afraid to spike its sounds with sterner stuff as indicated by the aggressive buzzing infiltrating ‘Saguaro Cactus’ and the incessant swelling and popping of electronic bleeps throughout ‘Moonlight Coma’. The intriguing title given to ‘Nicotine Weather’ provides an altogether different interpretation musically, as its vision is crystal clear as detailed by its lighter ambient tones. Proving that shrewd song titles are not consigned to one alone, the mischievously named ‘Elfin Geezer’ (quite possibly a reference to its creator) transmits its electronic pulses that ricochet back and forth while receiving bouts of tinkering where you can sense Benjamin Finger probing deep beneath the mechanical workings and fiddling with various wires considering the intermittent beeps and noise distortions. Compared to its predecessor, ‘Mood Chaser’ is an album that is more complete in terms of its overall structure yet remains unpredictable in segments due to its restless nature and need for experimentation, which, more often than not, sounds improvised. Keep chasing those moods of inspiration you ‘Elfin Geezer’ as you remain in a minority of a dying breed of mavericks that the world of music could truly do with more.

If this is the sound of mere frivolous fun, then please serve up some more in double quick time! The timing for Great Sale Day and their ‘Wild and Chunky’ first long player finds itself competing for customers’ attentions with America’s Black Friday looming round the corner; the only difference being that the level of seriousness when it comes to maximising full exposure of one’s commercial goods is of a fairly low-key nature when it comes to the former. Hailing from Brighton and therefore signalling another difference to their US counterparts in terms of geographical location, Great Sale Day is the result of a group of friends of former bands, or those still in existence, coming together to create merriment rather than anything overly serious according to guitarist Andrew Fisher: “The band is just something fun that we decided to do while we were out for food one night.” Eleven songs later that form a reunion with a 90s alt-rock sound that is definitely a Stateside influence than anything British, Great Sale Day induce memories of Weezer and Nada Surf with coarse guitars that churn out melodic tunes to the beat of ‘Up In The Clouds’, ‘Best Friends’ and the rather frantic rhythm of ‘Calm Down, Slow Down’.  There are frustrations of the heart during the strolling pace of ‘True (Why Can’t You Be)’, which adds variation to the set; ditto the slow climb from its slumber before slamming on the brakes in throat clearing fashion of ‘Wake Up’ which is definitely not sensing the aforementioned fun but remains one of the frontrunners for strongest track. By giving the impression that ‘Wild and Chunky’ is something of a light-hearted get-together and nothing but a side project until the real work begins, the reality is that Great Sale Day has actually crafted an album’s worth of material that deserves nothing but serious respect.

After a lengthy bout of tour dates throughout 2014, Imperial Leisure show no sign of winding down their schedule as step forth new four-track EP ‘Razzle Dazzle’. Causing reason to celebrate by rejuvenating the classic ska sound of the early eighties, but at the same time dusting this influence down and intertwining it with other components consisting of indie rock and postpunk, Imperial Leisure remain a flailing mass of anxious energy that is underpinned by their frantic sounds and barked vocals. First example fitting this description is the EP’s title track blazing fast on a wave of brass instrumentation and guitars, with a fidgety lead vocal to match the sensitive subject matter at the centre of this song. ‘Festival’ is more concerned with a leisurely pace in order to get its message across as musically it’s less troubled, starting out with simple drums and singular guitar and then supported by some brass and backing vocals before eventually picking its feet up and finding a faster rhythm.  If only all songs could flow with the same brass backing as evidenced throughout ‘Lucky People’, with its midway punctuation via a trumpet that simply enthrals, then the world would truly be a more harmonious place. With recent single ‘Nasty Boy’ applying the final touches with a bitter aftertaste in its mouth and appropriately reflected by a return to the frantic tempo of before, Imperial Leisure is closing the door on 2014 in magnificent style!