The Struts Put Your Money On Me
We could have picked several songs from The Struts’ album Everybody Wants, but this one just takes the biscuit – the so-sweet-you-could-actually-eat-it biscuit. We’ve been revisiting it repeatedly for ages and still aren’t sick of it.
Cheap Trick When I Wake Up Tomorrow
When I Wake Up Tomorrow is the work of pop-rock kings in their 60s and sounds absolutely gorgeous. Deliciously brooding yet infectious stuff.
Royal Republic When I See You Dance With Another
If The Hives took on some of the hard-grooving oomph of Clutch, without losing an ounce of sass, it might sound like this – ie brilliant. If more music was as much fun as this, the world would be a happier place.
Avantasia Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose
It sounds so like Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell you’ll wonder if these theatrical Germans have actually nicked one of Meat’s lesser-known gems. They haven’t. But even if it suddenly turned out they had we wouldn’t care, because it’s brilliant.
Blackberry Smoke Let It Burn
Building on the foundations of Six Ways To Sunday and the like, Let It Burn is a beautiful shot of upbeat Smoke warmth; like a big southern-rock hug and a perfect party soundtrack in one. Still smokin’ after 16 or so years.
Tax The Heat Animals
Sharp suits, sharp hairdos and an even sharper sound, Tax The Heat are the fiercest thing to come out of the West Country since The Wurzels decided to go hardcore [They didn’t – Fact Ed.]. This hard-as-nails cut from the album Fed To The Lions is one of their catchiest hits and an absolute treat live.
