Exaggeration? Well, surely a little. The New Rivals don't really have a road vehicle that contains extra-dimensional space. But over the past three years, they have been bringing the party wherever they go. The Sayville, New York combo has gigged relentlessly, tearing up small clubs across the East Coast with their high-energy set; this November, they'll be sharing stages indie rock legends The Lemonheads, and also with punk progenitors Stiff Little Fingers. Even the notoriously hard-to-please Rafer Guzman of New York Newsday has given the group his nod of approval ("disc to look for," . . . "fans of NOFX, Blink-182, and Green Day won't be disappointed"). Fire For Effect, their debut EP, was a four-song rush of adrenaline that left listeners asking if the Rivals could sustain that sort of intensity over a full-length. Wonder no longer: the band's first full-length for Sobe Entertainment is a non-stop rollercoaster ride. Even the "Love Song" turns out to be formal satire. "Ready for a ballad?", asks the band, before replying to their own facetious question, "yeah, neither are The New Rivals".

But make no mistake: these two-fisted rockers are no lunkheads. On the contrary, singer and lyricist Toby Bevis is brash and witty, and favors a succinct, economical address reminiscent of Fat Mike or Billy Joe. We're sure NOFX would love "Mudslinging", a smart, literate get-up-and-go charger that breaks out of the gate like a runaway colt and never slows down. The clip perfectly captures the vibe of a party gone berserk: the van screeches through the streets of Brooklyn, seemingly fueled by the force of the rock within. The New Rivals are ruthless screeners - four scantily-clad car-washer girls make the cut, as does a legit skater, but ugly old dudes are left on the outside, forced to chase the van. Bevis and his bandmates don't mind being homewreckers, either, as they pluck good-looking women from the arms of dweeby (or geriatric) boyfriends, load them in the van, and drive on. At the end, they all hit the open road, Empire State Building in the background, adventure dead ahead.

The Zutons formed in Liverpool in 2001, taking their name from The Magic Band guitarist Bill Harkleroad, better known as Zoot Horn (or "Zuton") Rollo. Dave McCabe had previously been in Tramp Attack, and Russ and Sean were in The Big Kids (with Howie Payne of The Stands). Originally a four-piece, Sean's girlfriend Abi Harding began joining The Zutons on stage for a couple of songs mid-set, playing simple saxophone lines. She was very popular with the crowd. The other band members liked the way her saxophone enhanced their sound. Abi became a full member, contributing vocals and sax. At first, the band had to battle comparisons to The Coral. Both bands were Merseyside bands prominent members of the Liverpool music scene, on the same record label, and they shared the same producer, Ian Broudie. The band's music has proved difficult to categorize, being described as "psychedelic cartoon punk" [1]. McCabe, who is also the lead songwriter, includes amongst his influences Talking Heads, Devo, Sly & the Family Stone, Dexys Midnight Runners and Madness. The first record the band put out was the 3-track CD Devil's Deal, released in September 2002. The following spring they released Creepin' An' A Crawlin', and then the download-only single Haunts Me in November 2003. The band's "Z" logo was changed early in 2004 to avoid confusion with the Zenith logo. The Zutons' debut album, Who Killed...... The Zutons? was released in April 2004, and initially reached #13 in the UK album chart. However, after nearly a year later, it managed to move up to #9 in early 2005. The LP had a specially printed 3-D cover and came with Zutons 3-D viewing glasses, which many fans then wore to their concerts. Early copies of the album also included a bonus 4-track CD of alternative versions of their songs. The album was critically acclaimed and was a nominee for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. The band themselves were nominated for the British Breakthrough Act award at the 2005 BRIT Awards. The album was later re-issued following the single Don't Ever Think Too Much, with that song being added as track 13. The track "Confusion" was used in an advert for Peugeots 307 car advert in the UK during 2004-2005. The new album Tired of Hanging Around was released on April 17, 2006 and reached #2 in the UK album charts. The first single from the album "Why won't you give me your love" and the second single "Valerie" both peaked at 9 in the charts, a fair achievement considering their highest place previously had been with the single "Don't ever think too much" at 15. The band toured the UK in May 2006 following the release of this album. They played at the Jersey Live Festival on September 2, 2006 before their second UK tour which began in November 2006. In October 2006, they performed at the The Secret Policeman's Ball. On New Year's Eve 2006, the Zutons appeared on Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny on BBC television on which they performed their songs Valerie, Why Don't You Give Me Your Love? and It's The Little Things We Do. As the November tour began, the band gave an interview to STV discussing songwriting, making videos and their American dates with The Killers. In a separate interview, Payne complained about the tendency of music writers and magazines to generalise a particular city as the breeding ground of new 'movements', "A lot of bands get lumped in when they're in the same neck of the woods and journalists-especially in England-like to make a big deal out of that and make it into a scene, as if the individual bands aren't good enough to write about."[1] The Zutons recorded a live session for Live from Abbey Road on 25th August 2006. Their performance was shown on Channel 4 in the UK and the Sundance Channel in the USA on an episode shared with Shawn Colvin, Nerina Pallot and Ray LaMontagne. The band announced on July 13, 2007 that guitarist Boyan Chowdury has left The Zutons, citing "musical differences".[2] The band will release their third album You Can Do Anything on June 2, 2008. The first single was "Always Right Behind You" which will be released on May 26, 2008. The album was recorded earlier in the year in Los Angeles, California

Willy Mason first came to international attention with "Oxygen", a plainspoken statement of faith and purpose, and a Dylanesque critique of contemporary culture. "Oxygen" was a highlight of Where The Humans Eat, Mason's critically-lauded debut, and even broke into the British Top 30 - a remarkable feat for a bare-bones acoustic track. Now, Mason is back with his followup - and we'll be damned if it doesn't completely deliver on the promise of "Oxygen". If The Ocean Gets Rough features eleven songs just as emotionally direct, honest, and searching; better still, Mason's singing and playing are more confident, and his lyrics have achieved a new maturity and resonance.

The emphasis remains, however, on Willy Mason's powerful, philosophical lyrics. "Save Myself" is self-affirming and empowering, but there's a substantial amount of disgust here, too. Shawn Kim's pretty clip for "Save Myself" finds Mason alone in a wide and well-lit room. Barefoot and dressed in white, he sits in a chair, strums, and addresses his challenge to the camera. Before long, streams of clear liquid are trickling over his hands and legs (and guitar, too), and plastering his hair to his scalp. All at once, a straitjacketed Mason is plunged into a tank of deep water. Baptized and cleansed in the most dramatic fashion possible, he struggles to break free of his restraints. After a fight, he succeeds, and kicks for the surface. Back in the white room, the streams reverse themselves, flowing backward across his limbs; in the indoor sea, his hand breaks the surface of the water from beneath, followed by his head, gasping for air, but cleansed and very much alive.