Hello, your default Manchester music scene correspondent here. After featuring Mr Aiden Smith on these very pages I have been inundated with an email from another Manchester band.

Nice as that makes me feel, I’m one step ahead of the very fine Keyboard Rebel. I said nice things about them a while back when I was working on DIY download site indiestore.com (to be honest, finding good stuff on indiestore was all a bit needle and haystack, so quality leapt at you like hungry hound in a sausage shop).

Has to be said though – even if I do have to say it myself – my cloth ears found a fair share of needles. I picked up on Glasvegas early doors. I did.

Anyway, Keyboard Rebel.

Turns out the Rebel have a debut long-player, ‘Pop Grenade’, heading your way on 13 October. And I can probably not exclusively reveal it’s a proper treat. Think Hot Chip as Knights of the Round Table (‘Mondeo’), Evan Dando does Robin Hood (‘Forest Song’), Wall of Sound goes Lord of the Rings (‘Northern Sherpa’)… I could go on, but the band would probably thank me not to.

Lyrically the album is a double treat. Take the opening line of ‘Justice’ – “Lower the drawbridge/and ready the horses/we’re taking a ride…”. Wonderful. Turns out considerably more barbed than its bounce lets on too. Love the “I’ve got dudes pulling 16-hour shifts because of you” line. What on earth? Without frothing too much, it’s an album that on closer inspection keeps serving up rewards, musically and lyrically.

When there’s bands out of Manchester this good, it makes you wonder how the like of the Courteeners have got so far. You listening Jo Whiley? You should be.

More hear…
- Oh you know, myspace, natch.
- A website for the album.
- Might as well check out Slick Nine site too while you’re all link clicking happy.