Today is the day that Preston's premier bands, musical acts, singer-songwriters can rejoice and finally be assured that their work is not going unrewarded. 'The Definitive Burn of The Big Faces, was launched last night at The 12 Bar, with five fantastic local live acts.

The CD comprises of 23 different artists and is put together by Jill Haslam and mixed by Sound Noir. The disc showcases a broad section of Preston's music writing public, from Indie through metal and punk - and every song is worthy of its place on the album. If you were not aware that your city has a music scene then this is a must buy.

The CD is limited edition and currently in short supply after selling quickly at the launch night .It is priced at £3 and anyone who is interested in obtaining a copy should contact producer Jill Haslam. There follows a track by track review of the CD.

Soundnoir - Freestyle

Experimental melancholy from one of Preston's most enigmatic duos. Freestyle sees a hypnotic drumbeat decorated with acoustic hundreds and thousands.

The doubled vocal track displays Soundnoirs' keen ear for a harmony as the chorus turns the song into a chanting, almost tribal offering.

The Clones - Wasting the Night.

Typically hectic and lively punk music from the ramshackle four-piece. As usual The Clones never shun the importance of a good melody, however aggressive their sound, and show here in abundance many of the aspects that ever made a song great; jumpy drumbeats/handclaps, sing-along lyrics and a brilliant guitar solo.

The KBC - Day of Disillusion

Not the best The KBC has to offer but still an immaculately recorded and produced track that showcases perfectly the bands' knack for writing intricate punk-funk, also employs the use of a synthesiser to provide an entrancing blanket of sound to underpin the songs' swaggering rhythm.

Frencheryk - Its All The Same

Inoffensive indie piano music, not dissimilar from the likes of Coldplay or Keane but without the desire to sound so falsely anthemic. It's All The Same is a striking, smile-inducing track that takes the simplicity of life and compiles it into a beautifully sung, four-minute pop song.

Jackpot Golden Boys - Choclate Eclair

One of the many quality novelty songs this entertaining live act have on offer, beginning as a tuneful, laid-back carnival-esque composition before quickly shooting into a bouncy ska song.

The track cycles though three or four more delightfully diverse stages including the brave 'Chocolate Eclair' chorus.

Treehouse 3 - Out Of The Water

Arguably the best current offering from this years' Battle Of The Bands victors. Powerful american soft-rock straight out of the heart of Lancashire. Out of the Water is a rigid, well written feelgood anthem with a big chorus, perfected by the immaculate singing voice.

Cheap Kojak - Lion In My Scratcher

Creeping, tiptoeing strangeness complete with an evil, white-toothed smile. Of the same ilk as The Coral and The Specials and wouldn't be out of place as Fagin's theme music in Oliver Twist. Bizarre from start to finish, with whispy, flowing vocals and lyrics that only the aurally sharp can possibly decipher.

The Vinyls - She Was My Woman

Fuzzy and electrified pop song built around a dark, deep and extremely catchy riff that seems to increase gradually with voltage as the song progresses.

Not typical of The Vinyls' sound, but a memorable guitar-fest and instantly recognisable due to Anrew Harrison's distinct vocals.

Uberdog - Dirty Pony

Eerie, mysterious intro, intensified by the soft female singing voice and irregular scratching. The song fully kicks in after a minute before morphing almost entirely into a sinister rock song showcasing just how good the beast can sound when its wail is tamed and all comes together.

Burn Machina - Equilibrium

A shrill, three-noted riff kicks off this spooky effort from Burn Machina. The song goes from lackadaisical, shadowy verses through feedback-ridden instrumentals and turns generally, into quite an uplifting piece of soft-metal music. Impeccably produced.

Deadjim - The Death Of Sandy Malone

Well worked humorous, and impressively original tune, that displays Deadjim's inclusion of a brass section. Melts from a bassy, drum-driven intro that sounds frighteningly like another track on this very compilation into madcap upbeat saxophone reggae. What do you mean that doesn't make sense? You try and explain it.

The Baker Street Irregulars - We'll never be friends

Four chirpy chappies do punk with a smile. Old-fashioned sounding song about two friends falling out. No lead solos, no complicated instrumentals just pure and simple fun in a catchy, humorous song. Give or take a few sinister undertones.

Colours Run - Beautiful Waste of Time

Not dissimilar in attitude or sound to the 'BSI' but with a brilliantly sung country chorus to dissemble the 'Queens-Of-The-Stone-Agey verses. 'I wrote the book on how to lose the plot' goes the vocals as the voice wavers between a mellow-sarcastic tone to a soft, high pitched Matt Bellamy (Muse) howl.

Star 27 - Bukowski's Secret

Beginning with the echoes of drums and basslines, this track quickly dives into the haphazard piano-punk that makes Star 27 one of the city's most exciting, unpredictable and enjoyable bands.

Scaling verses support a powerful chorus and the front man adds to the chaotic feel by seemingly struggling to reach any note, but miraculously hitting every one.

Phlegm Fatales - Half Nelson

Extreme punk is about the only way to describe this two-minute eardrum assault. Immediately the song hits you with a wall of guitar and drums with a spoken syllable for almost every beat - although many of them are completely incomprehensible - but then lyrics aren't what make a song. Are they?

The Redwings - Nothing Without You

A simple bassline that underpins a heavy guitar track. Not the usual Redwings sound, swaying more towards the commercial metal sound and dices with Cobain-ism at times. The song dances into a party-punk guitar solo and proves much more neat, tidy than what we are used to from The Redwings.

Standby Hero - Colour Run

If there was any doubt, this song proves that Preston's 'dark side' can be every bit as original and talented as the flourishing indie-punk contingent. The basis of the track is very modern Iron Maiden but far more experimental. The intro lasts nearly a minute and a half and includes everything from a dancing drumbeat and synthesisers to the unexpected presence of an acoustic guitar.

Stone Devils - Mercy

Good old fashioned heavy blues-rock from the all smiling trio, you simply can't help but nod along.

Angrily titled and throatily sung as the words 'I beg for Mercy when he comes' rattle out of your speakers, brought back down to earth only by the softer backing vocals - oh and the short, snappy and addictive lead solo.

Third World Soul - Red and White

Almost into the realms of acousticity as Third World Soul whisk you up into the clouds with this smooth, melancholic offering that bays gently back and forth, bathing us with tuneful, nasal vocals, soft bass and massaging yet distinctive guitars.

Shotgun Faeries - Glamour

The local masters of the lyrical quip arrive late on the scene but would be a welcome addition to any local compilation. The Glamour begins with a pounding, marching drumbeat and searing guitars that wail behind a blanket of cutting lyrics where singer Lomax spots how perfectly you can make 'Your obituary' include the words 'You're a bitch'. You'll have to ask him if its intentional.

Sleepercell - Forcing Ripples (Mokita intro)

Seemingly completely out of place, and doesn't tell you much about what Sleepercell are about, as this piece begins peacefully and slowly culminates into a throbbing paranoid headache. All in 40 seconds.

Ivan Campo - Chow Ming

A soft-melodic love song, with hints of the orient that take you to Avenham Park's Chinese gardens and back again. Like all Campo's songs, this track has a distinctive dream-like quality and is delightfully sung.

Dan Jeoffroy - Girl That Caught My Eye (song reviewed by Fil of The Baker Street Irregulars)

Proving you don't need a rhythm section to put your song across, Dan Jeoffroy serves up a heathly dose of acoustic action. Drawing comparisons to the solo songs Pete Doherty sticks on the net would be too easy, but the fact remains this is a wonderful song about an unnamed beauty.

Written by: Dan Jeoffroy

Photography: Dan Jeoffroy