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Four By Four More | Release date: 24.03.08 | Broken Tail Records / Josaka Music

It's been quite a year at Broken Tail Records, starting with their first steps into the record-releasing world from their humble base in Caversham, Reading.

Soon the label - a project by members of Reading band Heartwear Process and singer/songwriter Ben Marwood - was conquering national and international radio in three-minute slices over the summer, subsequently ending up as a 'DIY Label of the Week' on Huw Stephens' Radio 1 show.

Ben Marwood

Nine months on from the inaugural Four By Four EP comes the release of Four By Four More - due out on Easter Monday.

Four By Four More plucks four more grapes from the vine of excellence and stomps them onto one CD, or mp3.

The entertainment is provided by four of what Broken Tail believe to be the finest 'small' alternative acts in the country.

Tripwires

Previously known as The Enigma Project, the lads have known each other since school and their highlights include being played by Huw Stephens on his Introducing show for Radio 1.

Kings And Queens is probably their most accessible pop effort yet - raucous indie-rock with four-to-the-floor disco hi-hats and a chorus which should only be yelled at full volume.

Ben Marwood

Present on every Broken Tail release thus far, and possibly familiar to listeners of Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6Music, Marwood was approached by the thinking man's electronica whizz - Mr Fogg, also from Reading.听

Rich from To The Barricades on The Session

Mr Fogg had written some full-band parts to Marwood's original Question Marks. Impressed at the rough mix, the two met up to finish the job properly with Fogg in the producer's chair, creating an uplifting pop song from the original's downtrodden anti-folk stance, adding a question mark for good measure.

Projekt A-KO

If Projekt A-KO's sound seems strangely familiar, it might have something to do with them being formed from the ashes of cult 90s Scottish lo-fi outfit Urusei Yatsura.

Their music retains the same slanted charm as ever, and Here Comes New Challenger! is a prime example: quietly addictive, stacked up with harsh guitars and a ramshackle mess of a finale, it recalls Sonic Youth, a kooky hint of Pavement, a dash of The Pixies and perhaps a dash of Velvet Underground to boot. The the song itself another nice taster for the forthcoming debut album due later in the year.

To The Barricades

A departure from To The Barricade's usual piano-led offerings, Say Who You Are is layered to the hilt with atmospheric guitar work, marinated in reverb and served with a burgeoning chorus.

They count Steve Lamacq amongst their fans, leading to slots on both his 6Music and In New Music We Trust (Radio 1) shows.

Taking influence from Explosions In The Sky, Bloc Party, The Smiths and Joy Division, let's just call it 鈥済reat鈥�.