Familiar Faces for 2009

Scared by the new eclectic, electric sounds coming from your radio at the moment? Fear not as here's a belated guide to some more familiar names who are due to release material this year.

When the second best storey-telling songwriter in South Yorkshire, Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers announced in the “summer” of 2008 that he would quit music after his band's second album because, “I don’t want anything to do with this industry, it absolutely stinks”, it was good to see someone stick up for what they believe in. Six months down the road and McClure has backtracked on his words, set up a new band and is yet to set a release date for the second Makers album.

Having been so straight talking, but ultimately full of bullshit, it will be interesting to see what the hell they come up with. Still, if the tunes are there, all will be forgotten.

Also talking with no end product a while back were bands only favourites Ash. Promising that Twilight’s of the Innocents would be their last traditional album, the hope and expectation was that they’d release a steady stream of singles as and when they were written. Instead they’ve re-milked the cash cow they perceive their debut 1977 to be. Lads, let have some new stuff this year, eh?

Confirmed and ready to go are Green Day and their eagerly anticipated follow-up to American Idiot. Titled, 21st Century Breakdown, it’s been revealed that the album will be split into three “acts”, therefore probably following the storytelling nature of their last album.

Also back this year are the band who caused the country to go synth crazy, the Klaxons who are likely to be pushing their sound further into, well, wherever they push their sound.

Jumping on the electro bandwagon, as you've probably already heard, are Franz Ferdinand whilst Queens of the Stone Age, the mighty Muse and a small band you may have heard of, the Arctic Monkeys are also due to release albums this year, though nothing has been confirmed.

One of my personal favourite bands, Metric, release and album this spring whilst also back are the likes of Doves and U2...ah yeah, and Starsailor, for those of you who require a nappy for sleeping.