Well…2008 is over, and almost a week later, here I am with my first post of the year.

I find this time of year is like a musical wasteland. You’ve got the remnants of 2008’s single releases still littering up the charts, and the promise of some new music over the coming weeks. Soon, the BBC will release their predictions for the hottest acts of the year in their Sound of 2009 poll. That’ll take some of the guesswork out of who to watch this year.

As for me, what have I been listening to over Christmas? Well, a very kind publicist sent me The Black Keys’ Attack And Release album, which has been on constant rotation for me lately. I really must sit down and do a proper review of it for you, because it’s excellent. Not the most immediate album in the world, but persevere with it and you’ll be rewarded.

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The follow-up single to Kings Of Leon’s massive hit Sex On Fire will be Use Somebody.

There’s an interesting discussion about this single on Stereogum, with many people calling it a sellout and a disaster for the band.

It’s true, this is a huge stadium-rock style anthem, a complete contrast to the smouldering, intimate vibe on Sex On Fire. And only Caleb Followil’s distinctive yelp puts the Kings Of Leon signature on this single.

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Sex On Fire has been my favourite track of the last few weeks. Kings Of Leon have really pulled out all the stops with this one – smouldering guitars and wicked yelps from Caleb Followill.

So, inside my head, the words this sex is on fire have been playing almost non-stop, along with a smirk every time I imagine the lyrics to be about some kind of nasty infection…

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Just for a change, I’m gonna review the live version of Kings Of Leon’s storming new single, Fans. And I’ll be putting on my novice hat again, because somehow I’ve been blissfully unaware of Kings Of Leon until lately…

Well, until this track, to be honest. But what a track! Fans has all the hallmarks of a classic.

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