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Coming out of New York in the US, Aida's debut album is a very impressive collection of acoustic guitar driven songs which remind me a little of PJ Harvey's more recent work, with Aida's music certainly having an edge of sorts that seems initially at odds with the softer backing, but after hearing the first couple of songs here, there's definitely something there for a lot of people.

My favourite track here is "To Rot Like This", which has a great feel to it, with the guitar work just working incredibly well for the entire song. Other exceptional highlights include the closing number "His Descension":, which is probably the softest sounding song here, while "Stillborn" has a similar style. There's a lot to like about Aida's music & I think she has a bright future - check her music out.

For more information, write to 25-50 41st St, Astoria, NY 11103, USA or aida1973@aol.com

BEN - MARCHING

A surprisingly bizarre release from US based Ben, whose material is more in the vein of old-time vaudeville stars, though the concept actually works very well, especially if you take the whole CD in at one listening (not too hard given that there's only 5 songs here.

Almost entirely performed with just vocals & a piano, Ben moves through the songs here with great skill, grasping a few gems throughout. The zenith is released on the final track "Barnyard Hell", which is quite an amazing listening experience in itself & well worth hearing. It's not going to be everyone's style, but there genuinely is something here if you take the time to listen for it.

For more information, write to Orange Entropy Records, PO Box 1198, Hightstown, NJ 08520, USA or orangeentropy@aol.com

EQUINIBRIUM - (SELF TITLED)

A very cool hard edged sound from Equinibrium, who have already attracted the attention of quite a few people following the launch of this, apparently their second ep, which is well & truly a competent piece of hard edged metal infused rock.

The sound is not dissimilar to that of bands like 28 Days & Sunk Loto, so given the success of those bands, it's likely that we'll be seeing these guys out & about on the airwaves before too long. The opening track of 6 here, "Pingu" is a real smack in the forehead type of number & it deserves to be turned up pretty loud.

Likewise, subsequent numbers, including standouts "Glitch" & the closing number "Anything", are real stunners, deserving a place alongside any harder sounding bands that the world has to offer. I'd be interested to see how this ep sounds in comparison to their debut, but you can be sure the next will easily pull in the crowds.

For more information, write to Peter Marks, 32(a) Kelton St, Cardiff, NSW, 2285, Australia or phone 61 2 49549947

FLUID - ORANGE TRICK

While the band themselves describe their music as 'heavy groove rock', there's a lot more to it than that & they sure don;t get much cooler than this. This is an outstanding ep featuring 6 tracks & the music really does have the influence of Helmet & bands like Monster Magnet which the band cite as influences. I came across this German outfit last year when they sent me another ep for review, this one even better than the last.

The standout tracks here are "Fatburner" & the awesome grooves on "Sundog". The great bass heavy riffage of the band's sound is one of the highlights, but the vocals also stand out, with other tracks like "Big Truck" & "Touch Me" also really doing the business. Check this out, because I reckon this band will become pretty big in short order once a few people discover the joys of their music.

For more information, write to fluid@fluidizer.de

IAN ROBERTSON - WHEN YOU FIND OUT

A lot to like about this single track release forwarded by West Australian based Ian Robertson, who has obviously put quite a bit of time into this track & some of his other music has found it's way onto download sites around the traps too.

This is a great song in itself though & the softly sung vocals add to the overall effect of the song, which is largely driven by just the voice & guitar & the melody that the 2 make together. Ian is definitely working his way towards a something bigger & with more songs like this, there's every chance he will make it.

For more information, write to ianjohn@nw.com.au

IMAGINARY BAND - BEYOND THE GIFT

Back in 1999, I first came across the music of Imaginary Band (still love that name), which was impressive enough as it was. Moving on from that though, the single permanent member Duncan Wheeler, has evolved musically & we have one of the most impressive releases perhaps made in 2000 thus far.

There's a real depth style wise as well as in each individual song. The opener "I'll Have What He Had" is one of the real standouts, with a very catchy feel, while second track in "Don't Let Me Inside", as noted in the bio, has a feel not unlike some of the slower silverchair songs.

Coming in 3rd in the tracklisting is a great electronic pop track called "Faerytale Lessons" which has a Depeche Mode sort of vibe, while "Perfect Spy" also reminded me of that band, more of a softer sort of Personal Jesus vibe. Filling out the rest of the album are some other stunning numbers, such as "A.I.", which has a very cool lead in, as does the title track.

Surprising me right at the end of the album is a brilliant unlisted number which is a very well constructed pop song, though others like "You'll Never Know" & "Closer To The Moment" also need mention. This is one very good album that should get a lot more exposure than it probably will - make the effort, the music here is not imaginary.

For more information, write to Duncan Wheeler, 11 Wootten Drive, Bonnet Hill, TAS 7053, Australia or imaginaryband@iprimus.com.au

IRIE DINGO - (SELF TITLED)

A US based outfit, featuring an Australian frontman, hence the latter half of the band's name after a native Australian wild dog, which is fronted by a Jamaican word meaning 'feeling great', so I guess what it all means is that we have a great feeling wild dog.

Make of that what you will, as the sound is quite set apart from whatever that may in fact be referring to, though a little Jamaican feel comes through in the reggae feel of the bassline on the opening track "Home With Me" & to a lesser extent, "Smiling Chances".

Rounding out the ep are a couple of more straight up rocking type numbers, "Sexy Flow" & "Talking Dirty", which bring to mind for me images of mid 1980s rock sounds, though you may hear something else entirely. The songs are performed well & vocalist Wayne Galan's vocal talents really suit the material they've chosen. A great feel & a very upvibe one at that.

For more information, write to "1420 Corte Bravo, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA or Wayne@IrieDingo.com

JOHNNY VANCE - IT'S 2.30 (WHERE YOU ARE)

A little while back, Johnny forwarded a previous ep for review & I remember thinking at the time that this was an artist whose music was certainly well on the road to doing something bigger & this album is proof of that. Stylistically, this is a different sort of album with a more mature approach to the songwriting & also an even better performance.

As nearly as I can tell, this album will actually be released in early 2001, so this is a somewhat advanced copy. The music in general is a sort of softer edged rock, with some great material, one of which is a cover if a song many will remember, "Happy Together". Another great inclusion is a song I remarked on with the last ep I heard, "One Dance" (With Mia Farrow)", a fantastic track & even better than I'd remembered it.

Other cool songs here include the opener "Misery Loves Company", "In My Wildest Dreams" & the closing song "I Still Remember". With the last ep, I was impressed by the writing style & that certainly hasn't changed, perhaps getting even better on this, his debut album.

For more information, write to J.V. Productions, PO Box 158203, Nashville, TN 37215-8203, USA or greedypaw@aol.com

KIM CANNAN - INTRINSIC

I know nothing about Kim's work previous to this, but fans of instrumental music in the vein of that of Joe Satriani, will certainly get something out of this, though it's aimed at a different sort of market to Joe's music. The quality is certainly there & will attract a lot of listeners because of the great skill Kim shows in playing the guitar & some other instruments, such as the harp, though the guitar is definitely the driving force here.

Some of the tracks are definitely much more laid back than others, like "Surrender" & the closing number "The Legend", while others like the brilliant "An Hour From Somewhere" & my favourite, the opener "Panoramic" will see something here for most. Summing up, great instrumental work, which if you like that sort of thing, this is one of the better examples around & will appeal to a very wide audience.

For more information, write to aliengig@primus.com.au

LIZ PISCO - LET ME IN

A wonderful voice, accompanied by a superb selection of instruments, driven primarily by a softer guitar sound that really marks out some great territory on Liz Pisco's second release Let Me In & it's wonderful to come across such a great bunch of songs like this.

There's a certain familiarity in the songs, even on the first listen & it's excellent to come across songs that you feel comfortable with straight away. Further listens just reinforce what you already know, this is cool. Even from the opener "I Don't Hear Anything", which has wonderful lyrics as well as the instrumental section, is a standout.

Other excellent efforts include "Looking Out", the closing song "Right Behind You" & of course, the title track. Liz has already succeeded where a lot of artists fail, making their music accessible & there's just a genuine sense of knowing what's ahead that makes this such a strong collection of songs, in addition to that voice.

For more information, write to Tiger In A Tank Productions, 147 28th St #1, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA or lizpisco@lizpisco.com

PYC - SELF USAGE GUIDE

As nearly as I can remember, this is a band who come out of Yugoslavia, definitely the first band who have taken the time to send something for review & now I've heard it, it was well worth their effort, with some world standard electronic grooves which remind me a little bit of Australian band Itch-E & Scratch-E, with a slightly different feel to the music in general.

The opening track "Better Than Life" is a somewhat darker sort of feel than I'd expected, while other tracks like "Sonic Sensor" & "Looped To Infinity" grab a more disco oriented vibe, as does "Vivid Music" for me. Another short but sweet little number which sounds like it's influenced by French sounds is "Intermezzo".

While almost the entire album is instrumental, there are a couple of tracks, most notable "Gimme Some More!" & "Urban (Edit 99)" which have a smattering of vocals spread through them. In the end, I'd have to say that electronic music fans ought to take a good hard listen to what's here & make their presence known to the band who will be more than happy to sell you a copy I'm sure - check it out, you won't be disappointed.

For more information, write to info@alien-artefact.com

RUBY ZOO - DISENCHANTED MONK

Formed in 1997, US based 4 piece Ruby Zoo have been through the process of changing members, eventually arriving at the current lineup, which judging by the music on this album, is definitely a very successful teaming. The sounds emanating from this album certainly bring to mind a few bands, but their music certainly stands on it's own stylewise, the band quite rightly citing influences like Live & Counting Crows.

Opening with a short but very strong intro, before moving into the first song "We Cry", the guitar & vocal driven sound remains fairly tight throughout, with the performance of bassist Thom Harmon quite noticeable across the whole album, especially on songs like "Peaceful Genocide" & "Brotherhood".

Other outstanding numbers include my favourite "Noonday Breeze", which is probably the most aggressive number, while "Dreams" & the softer edges of "Never Alone" also grab your attention. Apparently the band are currently experiencing a growth in popularity & having listened to this album, it's not too hard to see why.

For more information, write to Thomas Harmon, 2040 Gannet Court, Bel Air, MD 21015, USA or thomasharmon@hotmail.com

VINE SWEETLAND & THE FOREFATHERS OF THE NEW MILLENIUM - LIGHT SHINING IN THE DISTANCE

A somewhat pretentious name for a band, though the project itself is more in the line of ambitious & it's certainly one of the more unique selections that have been sent for review over the years. This album is basically a single track, spread over nearly 74 minutes of music, with an astounding 40 instruments & over 20 musicians.

For those who remember the beat poets of the 1950s in the US, the styles found across here will certainly seem familiar, with poetry read over an amazing backing track & a collection of interesting musical instruments including more conventional instruments like trumpets, violins & the like, while more unusual are the inclusion of sounds from exotic instruments like the sitar, chimes & many others. While this isn't for everybody, there's a universe of music to be discovered on this CD alone.

For more information, write to Zemira, PO Box 41162, Long Beach, CA 90853, USA or info@zemira.com

THE ZUBRICKS - THE BISTRO WITCH PROJECT

One of the very interesting things about music is the vast variety of styles that can be found anywhere in the world. The Zubricks are one such band that really surprised me, coming out of my own area with a sound that a lot of people will find strangely familiar yet so original.

The sound that seems so familiar is a sort of mutated feel of The Doors, the band's CD recorded in basically a 'live' format. "Bistro Witch" opens up, with a fairly impressive use of what sounds to be the Hammond organ & is one of the more impressive tracks here.

Likewise, other highlights include "Schizophrenia Christine", the fantastic "Straight & Narrow Minded" & "Elasticman". I'm always surprised by what people are doing around the traps & this album is certainly something of a surprise.

For more information, phone Eric on 0418964232