Portsmouth group ‘The Visitors’ have released their second album ‘”Daylight Breaking” and it is an excellent follow-up to their debut  “Travelling”. The songwriters Ross Murphy and James Dyer have evolved their sound with a slightly heavier feel and seems like a natural progression.

www.the-visitors.co.uk

It is always nice to have your finger on the pulse and Dorset based ‘Moontown‘ seem to have placed theirs on the jugular.

The video for their latest release  ‘Step Aside‘ gives a humorous, yet poignant vision of the night life experience in virtually every UK city and town.

On the south coast it seems most prevalent in Southampton with the Daily Echo posting the story ‘On-spot fines for boozed-up ‘ladettes’ in Hampshire’ (14th August 2010). They report that…

“according to Inspector Phil Bates said: “I have been a police officer for 28 years and the number of women being out in public getting drunk has increased.

“The problem has grown. It’s not what I would consider epidemic or something that causes me huge alarm, but the fact it is increasing is something we need to address.”

The woman in this instance is singer Emma Friendship-Kilburn who’s drunken escapades are interupted by the straight faced Lyrical Agent who plays the sober side of everyone’s night out.

If this video stops people getting plastered any night of the week I’ll be surprised but, as a observation of a modern ‘good night out’ Moontown are spot on.

Next summer Simon Morice is shooting a documentary about a polar expedition involving some brave men from Lymington who hope to break the record for the: “fastest, unsupported, unassisted crossing from edge of continent to South Pole”.

The above promo has music scored by Southampton’s Mike Torr.

See also: South pole soundtrack for Mike Torr

This is a great video from Archive, an act that many in Europe know about but few in the UK are up-to-speed on.

They are one of the new breed of bands using their fan base to raise funds for projects and new releases.

It will be the subject of my next column.