Velociraptor, he's gonna find ya...

Kasabian have often been tarnished with the "lad-rock" brush by snobbish music fans and critics alike, and to be fair you have to admit that they have a point. They came at a time when Oasis were still prominent in the British music scene, swilling lager and making V-signs at every passer-by, and its safe to say that this probably helped them out a great deal in appealing to a mass audience. Singer Tom Meighan's heavily pronounced Leicestershire accent and boisterous stage presence also reinforced their image as being another band for the indie branch of England's football hooligans.

Their 2004 debut was brilliant and gave the world their electronica-infused alternative rock whilst demonstrating their ability to experiment as well as maintain a concept within the record. Now at album number four, loudly titled "Velociraptor!", the band have kept their trademark sound whilst delving a little into songs with more melody and grandeur, and less of the "in your face" attitude that earned them their laddish persona in the first place. Apart from a couple of songs, such as the no-nonsense (and not very good) title track, there seems to be an understated feel to the record. I wouldn't describe it as necessarily being calmer, but its definitely less hectic than their previous 3 efforts.

The cool opening track "Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" lays down the foundations for how the album is going to sound, and keeps the band's psychadelic essence as well as the addition of some slick mariachi flavours. The horn section takes us to the centre of a Western (similar to the setting of their "Fire" video) and then twists and turns around the verses causing the song to sound like it could easily be the next Bond theme. In my opinion it's one of the stand-out highlights of "Velociraptor!" and far better than the album's lead single, "Days Are Forgotten", which is OK until it is let down by the rather weak chorus.

The first song that was revealed a couple of months ago was "Switchblade Smiles", which I didn't really rate much upon first listening. The chant that builds up to the chorus kind of ruined it for me, as I felt that it made the band come across as a charicature of themselves with the sneer of: "Can ya feel it comin'?" But after a few more spins I grew to like the eerie atmospherics and the heavy, thudding bass that slid along under the techno-inspired track. More reason for me to come to the conclusion that parts of the album are growers.

The best things about this record are definitely the subtle touches, such as the string section on "Acid Turkish Bath" (which do well to compliment Serge Pizzorno's soothing vocals) and the drum machine samples on the minimal "I Hear Voices", which harks back to their debut which was awash with computer glitches and dubbed out bass. Despite the fact that I've always liked Kasabian, I have also been well aware that they do more than borrow from Primal Scream, blending guitar rock with dance-tinged electronics.

However, this album shows Kasabian finally making their sound their own, and trying a couple of new things whilst sticking to their roots. It's tough for mainstream British indie bands to continue producing great albums these days, and many fall flat on their faces after a good debut or if they're lucky, a satisfying sophomore effort. But along with Arctic Monkeys and a handful of others, Kasabian are holding the fort and keeping up the good work. "Velociraptor!" isn't as iconic as "Kasabian" or as explosive and memorable as "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum", but its still enjoyable and creeps up on you more and more with each listen. Fans of the band will certainly appreciate it.

A lifestyle is a terrible thing to waste...

There is only one episode of HBO's Entourage to go, and I'm gutted. My best mate Adam got me into it within a few months of me starting university, as I'd never really heard of it before except when I'd flicked past it a few times on ITV2. I presumed it was just another shitty American soap/drama type of thing, but I was sorely mistaken. It has often been decribed as "Sex & The City" for men, and I think that is probably the best comparison I have heard. The basic premise revolves around Vincent Chase, a young clean-cut actor who recieves his big break in Hollywood and begins to navigate around the opportunites and pitfalls of life in Los Angeles. He is joined by his group of best friends (hence the show's title), including his brother and less successful actor Johnny "Drama" Chase, good luck charm/driver Sal "Turtle" Assante and wise advisor Eric "E" Murphy, who not only live the high-life with Vince but also try to keep him grounded and assist him as much as they can. Throughout the show they manage, or at least try to keep their Queens, NY roots dominant in their new Californian location.

The show has done brilliantly in America and the UK, and has now reached its swansong, season 8. It's been praised for its accurate, if not slightly jumped-up representations of people working within the film industry, whether it be actors, agents, producers or directors. One of the best things about the show is the way that it mixes real stars with fictional characters through the use of frequent cameos, which are woven into the script to create a busy and seamless narrative. Therefore you often get well-known and established stars playing altered versions of themselves, which is great to watch. Particular favourites of mine are washed-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay, who is guest starring in the current season, and troubled pornstar Sasha Grey who becomes a bad influence on Vince in season 7 when he becomes a cocaine-addled mess. I'm sure many TV shows borrow this format now, but apart from Entourage and Ricky Gervais's Extras, I can't think of many more that do it so stylishly and effectively.

Not only are the actors in the show so brilliant, but the producers also ring some bells, namely in the form of Mark Wahlberg, who apparently had a large part in the conception of the show, along with the main creator Doug Ellin. One of the initial ideas for the show was to loosely base some of the events and scenarios on Wahlberg's experiences as an actor, and these are noticeable during some moments, however the term loosely cannot be stressed more (Wahlberg was a drug addict and criminal during his early teens, growing up in Boston) as Entourage was desired to be less gritty and more mainstream. However it works very well in merging the two.

There is still plenty foul language, sex, drugs and the like to keep fans of the more adult variety satisfied, and whilst the show glamourises life in Beverly Hills, it also explores the darker side and some of the murky scrapes that Hollywood's elite find themselves in. Wahlberg makes a handful of appearances in the show himself, occasionally popping up to play golf with the boys and take the piss out of Drama. According to something I read on the internet once, to acquaint the group of core actors with each other and welcome them into the Entourage's, well, Entourage, Wahlberg took the gang to Vegas to get them all fucked up and show them a good time.

The group's closeness really shows in the programme, and is one of the must believable (4-way) "buddy" relationships I've ever seen, which is incredibly important as the main themes of the show are friendship and loyalty. It is the best show to sit and watch with your mates, as you watch the four guys bounce off each other with their banter and their unbreakable unity. It is feel-good TV at its best, and its guaranteed to make me feel great every time I watch it. I keep saying four guys, but really there are five, and the last member of the gang is the outspoken, foul-mouthed and loveable Jewish chauvinist Ari Gold (played by the AMAZING Jeremy Piven), who is Vince's (and sometimes Drama's) agent. He is without a doubt the most applauded and memorable character in the whole saga, and has the best quotes, even if they do offend almost everybody, but the main recipient is Ari's gay assistant Lloyd (who also recieves digs for being half Chinese). However, despite the front, Ari reveals his soft spots on more than occasion, and equates to a very deep and interesting character, particularly in the current season. His fierce dedication and loyalty to his favourite client Vinny is admirable and plays out on the screen as 100% TV gold.

There are many enjoyable characters in the show, but none can really beat Ari to the top spot. The pretentious but passionate director Billy Walsh is probably the only one who is as strong-willed and full of self-belief as Ari, and he also makes for some brilliant viewing. Another character who is loosely based on a real person (Ari is largely based on a real agent called Ari Emanuel), Walsh draws influences largely from the controversial writer/director/actor Vincent Gallo, and again shows true loyalty to Vince despite being an egotistical car crash during certain periods. The best thing about Entourage is the characters, and they really are some of the best I've ever had the joy of watching and getting to know and love.

There are talks of a film in the works, which (if it comes to fruition) will be out in 2012/13, and will presumably wrap up the whole story. Obviously I'm praying it will make it to our cinemas. If not, there is literally one episode of Entourage left for me and the other die hard fans to indulge ourselves in. It's been a hell of a ride, and I have my fingers crossed for the season to end on a high and make me feel as good as it always has done for the past 3 years. So, if you haven't watched Entourage before, or if you have but haven't viewed every season, treat yourself and do it, preferably with your best buddies. Because just like one of the show's old taglines said about the subject of fame: it's more fun with your friends.