Released 210506 - £5 CD - 23 songs

New X's finest musical moment to date! 23 superb tracks from artists and bands based and connected to the area. After the success of the acoustic Raw and Unplugged in New Cross which finished No.6 in Rough Trade's Best Compilations of 2005 this remarkable follow up CD looks set to conquer the charts in 2006. Just watch! New Cross may not be the most glamorous place in London but it's produced some great music over the last 40 years particularly since 2000 and continues to do so today. This record covers many genres songwriters, agit pop, electro, rock, artrock, acoustic, rap/disco, powerpop, New wave, industrial, gothic, experimental and more.

Artrocker review:

This is 23 tracks of New Crosses finest Mark II. Jacknife Kid kick off with the grunge-like 'Days', short, sharp and comes on almost like early Foo Fighters as the sings belts out "we hope that you've had the time of your life", with melodic pop hooks but dipped in a steaming bucket of rock.

Shock Defeat's 'Terrified' is a vaudeville comedy; spiralling riffs are accompanied by the most theatrical vocals since Guy McKnight and his band of rock-a-billy monsters. Grooving along nicely you can't help but get your feet moving. Alice Renouf 'Rainbows' is glorious soulful vocals over 70s blues licks. Ceri James's 'Mr Songwriter' proves he could well be the UK's Brendan Benson; poppy, foot-tapping and infectiously catchy. The album is also littered with the boisterous punk of; Honeycube 'Song For Neil' and Metro Riots 'Thee Small Faces', sing-a-long pop rock of The Venus Kicks 'Broken' and 23 Frames 'Hermes' and 80s synth pop Unconscious Collective (Not The) 'C.O.K.E.' which is like Parliament meets the Human League

The Moon 'Dead Eyes' starts like Nirvana's 'Come As You Are', but the singer's moody and dramatic voice and distorted guitar lines makes it far more sinister, like a sedated Cramps. One of the most instant songs on the album is Chet 'Higher Guarana' - A gentle keyboard eases you in before the bass rumbles along and then instantly picks up and pogo's along with crunching riffs and piercing guitar solos.

Indigo Moss 'Suicide' has haunting dual vocals and features a violin and spoons and feels refreshingly new. The Cherry Reds 'State-Sponsored Condition' is a cross between The Jam and The Specials featuring social commentary vocals and bouncy riffs that'll please the mod crowd.

Shy Of Silence 'Seven Days' is a far more heavier affair than the rest of the album and has a broody hard rock feel, the bass dominated track erupts with the singer's menacing voice as the drumming thunders along before the screaming backing vocals are met with a solo straight from Beelzebub's rectum.

Mark Sampson's 'The New Cross Symphony' is very cheesy (and a little retch worthy) but perhaps an apt way to end a collection of this type with a song about the 'wonders' of the area.

Lee Puddefoot