Found - Spotlight Kid

Back before the brothers from Burnage brawled and brass-necked their way to the heart of the nineties - and a lifetime prior to Bobby G championing Hezbollah live on Radio One - Creation Records positioned itself as an enclave for the creative minds of the burgeoning shoegaze movement. Had SPOTLIGHT KID bowled up and knocked on the label door you suspect they would have been welcomed in, if not with open arms, then at least a knowing upward glance from behind the ample fringes in the room.

The Nottingham natives are set to release their second album next month, five years on from putting out debut record 'Departure'. Rather than dwindling away half a decade, they've put the free time to good use, pinning down a settled line up and progressing their sound, both live (in support of The Joy Formidable) and on 2009's Crystal Dreams EP. Last years limited edition double a-side April/All Is Real buzzed with the ear drum splitting blitzkrieg that famously makes My Bloody Valentine gigs so exhilarating, while fresh tracks Haunting Me and Plan Comes Apart combine the vivacity of Dinosaur Jr  with the supernal splendour of Slowdive. Coming off the back of a blistering headline performance for the BBC Introducing Stage at this years Glastonbury, Spotlight Kid could be the next to tread the path of the The Big Pink and Yuck in bringing the alternative rock of twenty years past on to to the I.Pod's of this new generation.

Warning: This video contains flashing images.

Haunting Me (Album version) - Spotlight Kid by robmccleary

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Want to throw the spotlight on my selection? Comment below or you can send me an e-mail, foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Found - Sleepy Panda Club

On days when the remote control went walkabout, The Really Wild Show and those irritating Blue Peter appeals had bored British kids believe that Panda's were rare and ever dwindling in numbers - yet here they are turning up in this blog twice in a matter of months, explain that one away if you can BBC! Disconcerting as it may be to remember how the CBBC schedulers tried to spoil our afternoons, SLEEPY PANDA CLUB are readdressing the balance by writing tunes that will make you feel like you're running out for playtime all over again. That they've chosen a name that summarises primary school afternoons - a quick snooze during a game of heads down thumps up, followed by a bottle of Panda Cola and an Orange Club biscuit on the walk home - only adds to the thrill.

Still very much in their formative stage, this septet from the welsh hills appear to have the happy knack of creating rousing pop that comes with an ingrained spirit of adventure and excitement. 'Black Rose Foundation' begins with a mariachi meets wild west gunslinger intro, before giving way to Motown hand claps, T-Rex glam rock and 60's girl group posturing. 'Light Up The Blue' appears chart ready, sporting the pop sensibilities of Alphabeat and a healthy respect for the 80's, working in a bit of The Bangles and the chorus from '99 Red Balloons'. If you're not sold already you will be as soon as 'Medicated' arrives with bells on, crashing in and desperate to show off it's glittering chorus. That behind the sweetness and light sit some dark and troubled lyrics simply makes the package all the better. The band describe themselves as 'Wales answer to broken hearted snow ball fights and marshmallows', an image as expressive as the music they create. Don't slumber too long please Panda's we all want to be part of your club.

Medicated - Sleepy Panda Club by Sleepy Panda Club

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Want to share your thoughts? foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk or comment below.

Found - Prince Ea

'PRINCE EA - He's In The Game!'

err just in case you didn't read that in the correct voice, that was supposed to be a play on the classic 'EA Sports' intro.... emm which you may have to YouTube if you haven't heard it .....only in this case 'game' refers to the street vernacular for the hip hop industry, it's best to explain that...oh and also the A in Mr Prince's name is silent so don't say that bit... *sigh*...this intro has gone badly wrong hasn't it.

A 22 year old MC from St Louis, Missouri, Prince Ea seized his opportunity to shine by entering, and winning, a competition run by respected Hip-Hop publication 'VIBE magazine'. Now with a foot in the door, the self confessed nerd is embarking on a quest to 'Make SMART* Cool' and bring intelligence, insight and integrity back to the mainstream rap world. A series of YouTube promotional videos have demonstrated the aspiring rapper is certainly equipped with the skills to help make his goal a reality, with Prince proving adept at mixing flows ('2011 MC Showcase'), showing staggering lyrical dexterity (The Brain) and carrying it all off with a welcome blend of humour and self confidence (2009 Flashback). Gaining the backing of established voices such as Black Thought (The Roots) and Immortal Technique, the buzz behind the young artist is growing quickly and with a couple of mixtapes already to his name, Prince Ea is now back to the notepad drafting new material to put towards his debut album - if you're one of the smart ones you'll be looking out for it.

*SMART is an acronym for 'Sophisticating Minds And Revolutionising Thought'

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Contact me at foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk. Feel free to leave a comment below about what you've heard.

Found - Tiger Choir

Tigers That Talked; Three Trapped Tigers; Pull Tiger Tale; Miniauture Tigers; Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2011; the white Bengal tiger at the zoo; Lost Land of the Tiger on BBC 4; ASDA tiger bread; Tony the Tiger from Frosties; Flying Brian Pilman's tiger print trunks - they all get a tick from me and now so do TIGER CHOIR

These groovy cats - woeful hippy slang intended - do their prowling and recording in Hobart, Tasmania, the antipoedean outpost famous for a cricket captain who's mastered the art of losing The Ashes and a cartoon devil that spins around ferociously and communicates with a 'bleeeeuggggherr'. Credible as those tourist attractions may be, perhaps it's time something else put 'Tassie' on the map, and with their debut album, 'Unicycles', Tiger Choir could be just the men for the job. Released in April, the LP is a ten track psychotropic blend of dreampop and electro that does justice to it's birth place's nickname as 'the inspiration island' 'Dancer' has the lackadaisical, tripped out shrug of Tame Impala, 'Ghosties' is every bit as tuneful and doe eyed as The Radio Dept at their best, while 'Vultures' makes a play for the status of album high point with five minutes of tumbling drums, shimmering piano and a sky kissing, sanguine chorus. In the home of untainted flora and fauna, Tiger Choir have taken the sound of their initial 2009 EP and nurtured and matured it - now in blossom, they shouldn't be left in the wilderness.

Tiger Choir - Vultures by Tiger Choir

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Have I earned my stripes? Let me know with a comment below or e-mail Foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk