SLUG

Not to be confused with the Ohio hardcore metal band with the same name, Sunderland musician Ian Black (aka SLUG) makes fun, joyous, audacious hard rock, glam, and pop that ranges from arena to art school.

With influences including The Cardiacs, Prince and The Residents, and less indie audience friendly artists such as Toto, Sweet, Wings, Def Leppard and ZZ Top.

Despite the playful nods to some of the more grandiose, theatrical and overblown elements of the classic rock genre, he's also an artist with a contemporary pop edge, slick production and a tangible connection to a deft mix of indie, rock and art pop.

And just as much as the music deliberately avoids following convention by embracing styles many would deem to be deeply unfavourable in modern music, the lyrics are also something of a revolt against current trends, injecting a bit of acidic dark humour into the mix, influenced by Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and the 1981 musical film Shock Treatment, the often-despised sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with its fantastic songs, garish aesthetic and  mean-spirited camp sense of humour.