11th century Japanese female authors a bit under-represented in your record collection? Fear not - Cheatahs have got that covered with the release of their second EP this year. The title track of the '紫'(Murasaki) four tracker see's the multi-national quartet identifying with the lady of the same name who wouldn't let the society of her time stand in her way of writing court life masterpieces of both prose & poetry.

On this release the band have toned down their thrashier impulses and everyone seems to have had a hand in the ideas department. Unfortunately when it comes to third track '3D Milk' they've also managed to include a track you're unlikely to feel heavily inclined to play more than once but then again there's nothing wrong with a bit of experimentation.

Whilst although less of a sonic boot in the guts than its predecessor Sunne this nonetheless (at least three times out of four) keeps the appetite whetted for what they'll get up to on album number two.

You can see the band live in the UK and Europe on the following upcoming dates:-

Sunday, 10 May 2015 - Birmingham, The Hare & Hounds ^ (Tickets)
Monday, 11 May 2015 - London, Oslo ^ (Tickets)
Wednesday, 13 May - Leeds, Brudenell Social Club ^ (Tickets)
Thursday, 14 May - York, The Fulford Arms ^ (Tickets)
Friday, 15 May - Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach (Tickets)
Saturday, 16 May - Bristol, The Louisiana ^ (Tickets)
Wednesday, 20 May - Brighton, Prince Albert ^ (Tickets)
Thursday, 21 May - Bruges, Cactus Club w/ The Hickey Underworld
Tuesday, 26 May - Bordeaux, Rock School Barbey (Tickets)
Thursday, 28 May - Barcelona, Primavera Sound (Tickets)

^ = co-headline w/ No Joy

'紫'(Murasaki) EP is available from amazon & iTunes.

Based in London, this mostly reserved quartet that is HAWK make music which supposedly falls between the bounds of “noir-rock” and “alt-folk”, so alternative noir folk-rock then, that mashed up description certainly conjures up some enticing imagery.

The band’s EP Clock Hands is five tracks and approximately twenty minutes in length, an adequate amount of time to enchant the listener and impart a lasting impression of the band. The title track begins proceedings with a careful guitar melody which is subsequently joined by vocalist Julie Hawk’s sweet tones and some marching percussion.

‘Fire In A Classroom’ is best described as “delicate”, with Hawk’s vocal once again joining gentle guitar to tell a whimsical tale. This quaint and charming nature is blown off as ‘Hush’ defies its name in cranking up the volume and attitude, veering the considered and prosaic song structures into something more energetic and rough. Closing track ‘Guardian’ finds beauty in the balances middle ground between noise and nice, encapsulating an indie-folk feel and bringing this interesting release to an end.

Clocks Hands is a strong introduction to HAWK, a band which combine both their musical and geographical differences to create an eclectic melting pot from which appealing compositions can be siphoned. A decent EP overall, HAWK could be a promising prospect in the not-so-distant future.

Clock Hands is available from iTunes.

The five track EP entitled Swell by Albany band Drug Church - a name which automatically springs abscess to mind, but may also be a sarcastic play on the feeling of being “swell” - is a well-rounded tape with a mix of different musical moods.

The band explicitly lists Nirvana as an influence, and this is very apparent in the music from the get-go. The husky, semi-shouting vocal style of the band's lead singer Patrick Kindlon sings an ode to Kurt Cobain, making a comparison difficult to avoid. This style remains quite consistent throughout, giving every song a smudge of that grungy feel.

The EP begins with ‘But Does It Work?’, a song that may as well be the orphaned love-child of Nirvana and The All-American Rejects. It continues with a series of songs that sound like they were plucked right out of the sweet pop-punk era of the early 2000s, where life is one big Jason Biggs film.

Lyrically, the EP seeps with frustration. It expresses a post-teen angst that comes with the grind of adulthood. The song ‘Work-Shy’ is a brilliant example of this with lines like:

“If you wanna see me sweat/Well you're gonna need a gun”

The singing style meanders here and there, with a slight tinge of Sid Vicious in songs like ‘MallSWAT’, where the lyrics become a little less coherent, and the focus becomes more on the feeling of aggression.

Sonically, Swell isn't doing anything groundbreakingly new, leaning more towards a nostalgic warmth that’s comforting but also angry. ‘Work-Shy’ is a brilliant mix of calming rhythm that clashes with ferocious punk-ish riffs, while ‘MallSWAT’ sounds like a perfect soundtrack candidate for the earlier Tony Hawk games that you would hear when a mate came around to play PS2. The EP closes on a resolute note with ‘Zero Zero’ - a song that's strangely uplifting but also very defeated at the same time, reminding you once again, that Drug Church is sad, even when the music is happy.

In conclusion, Swell is generally a good tape. It’s not for all the avant-garde heads looking for a new sound, but it’s certainly perfect for a purposeless summer's day spent smoking cigarettes and riding around on that skateboard you haven’t touched for months.

Swell is out now and available from amazon & iTunes.

There’s not much that puts Sittingbourne on the map particularly, but quartet Get Inuit could be about to change that. Their debut EP is a dreamy collection of songs ripe for the summer; light, melodic and full of fun - perfect for frolicking in the sunshine.

001 starts off with the Vampire Weekend-esque offering ‘Dress of Bubblewrap’, it’s a wonderful ode to someone who’s out with a broken hip (a girl, presumably), with singer Jamie Glass offering: “Drop me a line next time you slip/I will make you a dress of bubblewrap” in a rather jaunty way.

The highlight though, is ‘I Would’, the EP closer. With a killer bassline, a punchy guitar riff and a memorable melody, it’s sure to be a festival pleaser. That said, all four tracks here are anthemic and would do well performed live.

Get Inuit have produced an impressive debut. ‘Coping with Death in a Nutshell’ and ‘Cutie Pie, I’m Bloated’ make up the rest of the EP. It’s short and sweet - the whole thing totals less than fifteen minutes - but it’s the perfect introduction to the band. They’ve already garnered interest from various blogs and radio stations, and been endorsed by BBC Introducing on Radio 1 - not bad for a band who only got started in 2013 (and at present remain unsigned).

A full album is in the works, and 001 provides an excellent taster of what’s to come - big, catchy indie-pop tunes with a carefree attitude. Get Inuit are ones to watch.

001 EP is available from amazon & iTunes.