The Megaphonic Thrift are a Norwegian ‘supergroup’ of sorts, consisting of members from Casiokids, The Low Frequency In Stereo and Stereo21.  They hail from idyllic Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, that music-wise is probably one of the best known cities in Scandinavia for having given birth to bands like Røyksopp, Datarock, Casiokids, Kings Of Convenience and Ida Maria.

Exemplary of production, but tired of lyric

Sorry, I'm confused: is this the same The Like that 'burst' upon the scene a couple of years ago with a folksy, elfin look that borrowed extensively from Joanna Newsom? Now they come replete with polka dots, produced by Mark ‘Amy Winehouse’ Ronson with a handful of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings in their backing band, sounding for all the world like an over-pampered version of Brighton’s own Pipettes Mk I? Whoa. Even for a bunch of rich kids with from LA, the opportunism is shameless.

Live recordings from Cohen’s acclaimed 2008-09 world tour

The nigh-universally rapturous acclaim that attended Leonard Cohen’s 84-date world tour of 2008-09 was motivated by two things. One was an entirely laudable desire to make some offering of thanks, in the twilight of Cohen’s career, for the work of one of the most intelligent and literate songwriters of any era. The other was a straightforward acknowledgement that Cohen, sauntering assuredly through his mid-70s, appeared to be in the form of his life.

The best, most versatile pop star currently at work

That five years passed between Robyn’s last album  and 2010’s Body Talk trilogy shouldn’t surprise anyone: Robin Carlsson’s career has always been wayward. By 18 she'd scored a Max Martin-produced international smash hit (accidentally inventing Britney Spears as a by-product), before a period of artistic experimentation which alienated her major label bosses. She promptly dumped them, set up her own label and unleashed an extraordinary, eclectic eponymous LP on the world. As she sings on Body Talk, Part 2’s standout track: "the whole industry knows not to f*** with me".

Old fashioned.... but far from past it

The Charlatans have been described as survivors since a remarkably early stage, the adjective applied in relation to both their bounce back after a flop second album and also their continued success in the wake of the sad death of original keyboardist Rob Collins.

A good solid debut, with confident guitar riffs and bass lines

Today see's the physical release of the debut album 'Mater I am' from Emerald. You could digitally download it earlier this month.

Emerald are a 5-piece melodic rock band with an international pedigree formed at the end of 2006 by Irish drummer/song-writer Thomas Maher. He claims Thin Lizzie as an influence and I wonder if the band took their name from the track on the classic Jailbreak album?

Holkham Drones transcends genre limitations entirely

Even the crudest dance music, when broken down to its base elements, is capable of moving an individual in utilitarian terms. Beats drop, limbs bop. But it’s rare that music primarily composed on a computer screen can also move a listener emotionally, striking between intentions – the invitation to dance, the opportunity to deliberate – without diluting either approach’s effect.

It might take time to grasp, but this is one of 2010’s finest LPs

Artful Canadian quartet Women’s self-titled 2008 debut showed much promise, but for many ears was probably a little too heavy-handed in its marriage of melody and abrasion. It bristled with nervous energy; a touch overzealous in its use of noise, distortion and fuzz, and often shy of delivering a chorus.

It's hard to believe that The Frank and Walters are not doing Arena tours. They have been gigging now for 20 years and their music is often fun, sometimes eccentric, occasionally dark and sinister but always musically excellent. They have built up a loyal following and sell out venues across the world but have never yet managed to get the commercial break to propel them to super-stardom. Perhaps that's how their fans prefer it.