Ikara Colt

London, England's Ikara Colt are the UK's best offering in the nu-rock revolution. They are a unique punk band unlike the usual skater-friendly, political bands on Epitaph Records. They offer up a slice of edgy, spastic, art-school rock, high on the attitude and the snappiest fashions. Their debut album, Chat And Business, is rich in the band's nationality, though it covers more ground like London Calling than say, Parklife. Using influences like Wire, the Fall and the most obvious, Sonic Youth, the band's radio unfriendly sound has many traces of melody hidden within, like those influences. Singer Paul Resende often adopts a Mark E. Smith approach to his vocals, yet it all gets very kosher because he has more range and control than Smith. The vibe on the record is rather cantankerous, and the mood rarely gets any warmer than the typical Joy Division track. The tight post-punk sound of theirs packs a real punch, and on songs like "Sink Venice" and "Bishop's Son," they take the intensity level up to the max. Ikara Colt are a band with their own style, in their own class, and with an album of this calibre as their debut, it's guaranteed that they will only get better and better.