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Fusion Family have provided me with an actual video of their single,{ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26VdND6ZKe0 } 'Smokers & Jokers' which, in itself makes for an excellent diversion for me, and any other interested parties as you can get a much better feel for a band in a video format. I would advise all upcoming bands to have a stab at it, even if it is just a 'Handycam', basic PC editing software and some of your mates in messing about in a local village hall, as seems to be the case in this video. Even basics such as these can raise your profile well above a basic demo (trust me I have personally witnessed literally hundreds of unlistened to CD's being tipped in a record company bin).

So, to the single 'Smokers & Jokers. A slightly stoned Arctic Monkeys meet The Ordinary Boys for a very non threatening, light and laddish, likeable cod-ska romp, extolling the virtues of, and supporting the legalisation of Cannabis. Now, I'm not here to theorise or point my moral compass at anyone, so I shall sit firmly on the fence on the subject matter! However what I *am* here to do is give my honest view on a bands product and prospects. I happen to know that Fusion Family are pretty decent guys and they have made a good tune, what is apparent however, is that they seem to have a little obsession going with their pet subject ('Smokers & Jokers' not being their only Ganja friendly homage). If your band are drawn together by a mutual interest, thats cool but unfortunately their tastes are not only liable to have their stated desire for record company interest as likely as interest in Jo Brand at a pole dancing audition, but it rather clearly makes their playing sound slightly 'baked' as well. Obviously, committed stoners will love the message but you have to remember, (and I have to point out) that if you want to get signed, as the band say they do, getting on your soapbox on a subject such as sponsoring grass, you will, whether you agree or not, be giving yourself an additional fence to negotiate in the great 'unsigned' steeplechase.

4Flava are a four piece 'urban/soul/R&B' female singing group (like an English Destiny's Child or Sugarbabes but with one more, obviously) Chantelle aka Karamel, Dee-Nice aka Cinnamon, Karis aka Coco, Simone aka Honey....simpers their Myspace site. That will explain it all I think - I'm not sure that I get what all the "aka's" are all about, you'll have to ask them.

Four nice looking and sweet sounding girls from London make a 'nice' and sweet sounding urban R&B style. The uber lightweight production and frothy, vanilla songs lighten the sound to the point of making Beyonce and co. sound like U2. There are spaces in their songs - like 'Cocky' - that fatter production really would help, but 4Flava just about maintains its soul roots and will definitely appeal to the 'hairbrush diva' fans (honestly, we're not talking deep and meaningful here). Four very decent singers, very deliberately packaged into a high (lip)gloss, urban-soul, club sound team. They seem to have achieved a lot of notice already and no doubt will continue to do so in their field, its sweet but very lite.

Playing to a dedicated audience last Friday, Freddie White performed
some
memorable tracks for his followers.
His singer/songwriter techniques were solid, confident and
entertaining. For
a nice touch, his chorus was lifted gently at times by his listeners'
harmonies.
Despite the hold he has over his audience, Freddie White seemed to play
quite a begrudged performance, with many cover tracks.
Nevertheless he played many encores before sending his happy crowd
home.

This grunge rock sound has some interesting, catchy and lively moments.
However, some of these tracks come through after confusing and slighly
unfinished intros, casting a kind of displaced introduction to the
sounds.
Having a very energetic feel to the recordings, the music points toward
a
more promising live performance sounds.


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