New For 09

Another year, another list of brand new bands for you to wrap yer lugholes around. You’ll note that we’ve left off the likes of Dananananaykroyd, Mumford & Sons, Empire Of The Sun, Magistrates, School Of Seven Bells and White Lies. Seeing as how they’re all in our January issue (which you can read online here) we decided not to include them. Besides, 2009 is so overflowing with promising new talent that we can afford to ignore ‘em. Here’s 20 more fantastic new noises from around the world. Listed alphabetically and without favouritism, natch. Enjoy!

AMAZING BABY

Brooklyn quintet Amazing Baby will be the cosmic stargazers of ’09. Their infectious concoction of folked-up retro-rock might not avoid the inevitable musical and aesthetic comparisons with fellow New Yorkers MGMT (who coincidentally hark from the same liberal arts college in Connecticut), but Amazing Baby are the perfect package of dreamy melodies and spaced-out psychedelic twang wrapped in fringed waistcoats with long hair and neon coloured wife-beaters. The effortlessly cool five-piece got together in January ’08, and their 80s-influenced, reverb-drenched debut, ‘Infinite Fucking Cross EP’, is available for free from their website. Believe the hype, Amazing Baby are going to be big.
Kira Agass

APES AND ANDROIDS

Apes And Androids fuse futuristic layers of synthetic sounds with delectable pop hooks, and classical rock riffs to create a sound that wouldn’t seem out of place in the basement of Jabba The Hutt’s bar on the desert planet Tatooine, uniting the slaves, droids, and alien beings that inhabit his pit of darkness. With a flamboyant style and stuttering staccato, these New Yorkers have created a soundtrack apt for a Studio 54 disco, with the bizarre androgynous mystery of Prince, the surreal versatility of Beck, and a sprinkling of INXS sexuality. Like a meeting of Freddie Mercury’s and David Bowie’s musical minds, their cosmic sound and vocals that swirl like a 60s opiate haze, A&A are a ridiculous, extravagant and mightily enthralling beast of an act.

DAN BLACK

It’s a risky business propelling yourself into the mainstream with a cover. Just ask Alien Ant Farm. Thankfully Dan Black’s genius cover of Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘HPNTZ’, followed by his mash up of Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’ pressed the button on the ejector seat and shot him into stardom with a colossal bang. Black’s self penned single, ‘Yours’, is a tremendously radio friendly track, with the suave disco structure of Sam Sparro, some crisply tampered-with boy band vocals and the smart, sharp production of Calvin Harris which will have discos goers all over triumphantly crying, “Don’t want to be yours no more!”
Harriet Gibsone

BOY CRISIS

Usually need a drink or three to be able to strut your stuff on the dancefloor? Well, in the spirit of new year detox, why don’t you ditch the voddy and pick up a bit of Boy Crisis instead. This Brooklyn fivesome are hotly tipped as 2009’s answer to MGMT, and it’s all down to their sublimely funky electronic offerings; ‘Dressed To Digress’ and ‘L’Homme’, in particular, get us as hot under the collar as when we first heard ‘Time To Pretend’ or ‘Kids’. Kylie Minogue, Tijuana Brass and The Beach Boys apparently kicked the Boy Crisis sound into action – a killer combo, we’re sure you’ll agree – oh, and they’re hella pretty too, which always helps…
Camilla Pia

CHEW LIPS

Fresh, catchy and cleverly-named three-piece Chew Lips are a tense, soulful prospect, coupling techno beats with smart-mouthed edgy vocals, dishing up a new take on minimal dance-pop. The female-fronted London-based trio are gearing up to unleash debut ‘Solo’ on Kitsune in March and, looking the part and hinting at influence from Lykke Li and Little Boots, it’s clear that Chew Lips are set to be forerunners in ‘09 with their urgent and unpredictable commotion of electro-pop.
Kira Agass

DINOSAUR PILE-UP

The name Dinosaur Pile-Up existed before there was even a band. Matt Bigland was still in Mother Vulpine when he started this side-project. It was just him and his songs. Now, half a year on from storming the new bands stage at Leeds Festival with a full line-up, the project’s evolved. “I hate the word rock because it always sounds really clichéd,” Matt told us in December – but, as ‘My Rock N’ Roll’ proves, the music itself doesn’t have to. Imagine Rivers Cuomo dressed up as Dave Grohl and jamming through Nirvana’s ‘Bleach’ album with Black Francis. Yes, it’s that good. Proper guitar music is back and Dinosaur Pile-Up are leading the renaissance.
Johnny K

THE DO

Parisian duo The Do haven’t exactly rushed in releasing their debut album in the UK; ‘A Mouthful’ has been finished since ’07, sitting dormant throughout 2008 and will finally reach eager ears – the ones belonging to those who witnessed their enthralling live show on their mini-visit here over a year ago – later this year. Thankfully, its impact isn’t lessened by the wait – ‘A Mouthful’ is a pouting seductress of a record that never once threatens to abandon its ice-cool demeanour, taking the dancefloor-dwelling, hip-swivelling svelte of The Long Blondes’ debut and placing it in a haze of cigarette smoke outside a coffee shop in Paris. Expect big things – but not in a hurry.
Niall Doherty

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

Everything Everything, are Mike, Jonathan, Jeremy and Alex – a Manchester-based quartet who make an idiosyncratic synthesis of multi-faceted falsettos and intangible time signatures. With a remarkable synergy unparallel to any other alternative bands around at the moment and surreal lyrics like “Who’s going to sit on your face when I’m gone?” sung with a melancholy, almost profound, punch, it’s hard to pinpoint where this band lie other than in the excellently absurd category. Imagine a raw UK punk but with a sprinkling of R&B to throw you off the scent a little.
Harriet Gibsone

FRANKMUSIK

Frankmusik’s elaborate blend of ear-piercing electro-pop will set dancefloors alight this year. 21 year-old Vincent Frank, the Croydon-based mastermind behind the 70s-edged magic, transports the listener to a strobelight-filled wonder-world and ‘Complete Me’, his debut album, is due out in June. Each song is armed with grand production and tinged with eccentricity, reminiscent of Sam Sparro and Mika (don’t pretend you don’t know who that is). Deliciously camp, this is catchy powerhouse-pop at its best. Try to resist throwing some shapes, we dare you.
Kira Agass

GOLDEN SILVERS

“We don’t like to compare ourselves to anyone” says Golden Silvers’ Gwil, who won’t enjoy the following sentence: As anyone who heard last year’s brilliant single ‘Arrows Of Eros’ will have immediately surmised, it was a slice of Orange Juice-esque pop genius, showing off their Mystery Jets-like ear for melody, and a bassline bordering on the Talking Heads levels of whiteboy funkness. How’s that amazing debut album coming along Gwil? “it’s hard because you don’t want to say ‘Ah, yeah, it’s amazing!’, because you don’t want to blow your own trumpet. But, hopefully, I think, everyone’s really excited, and it’s gonna come out really well.” Gah! Give over! It’s gonna be ace!
JJ Dunning

HOCKEY

Smooth grooves from the most un-American city, anyone? Then look no further than Portland, Oregon’s, Hockey, who sound a little bit like a more mature Maroon 5 – meaning that their singer’s voice has actually broken. They have been touted, somewhat bizarrely, to appeal to Dylan, Springsteen and The Hold Steady fans, but they don’t sound much like any of those, though ‘Song Away’ comes closest. Really, though, it sounds more like Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’ updated slightly for the post-modern, uber-ironic, nu-dance generation. They’ve just signed a deal with Capitol, so expect hear them a lot more from them. Don’t expect Born To Run.
Mischa Pearlman

LA ROUX

If La Roux doesn’t get huge this year, we’ll eat our ears. Promise. Since the release of insanely infectious debut ‘Quicksand’ on hip French label Kitsune, there’s been blog frenzies a-plenty about this elfin star-in-waiting, and rightly so. She touts the type of quick-witted, electro sass-pop that will give Lily Allen a run for her money, so it will be interesting to sit back and watch the sparks fly when she supports her on tour in March. Influences include everything from Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell and Tears For Fears to Hot Chip, SebastiAn and Blancmange – think pop diversity personified. La Roux rules.
Camilla Pia

LITTLE COMETS

Little Comets have success slapped all over their tracks. Their debut single ‘One Night In October’ is a buoyant, bouncing pop jangle-fest with a chorus designed for festivals. They’ve even crow-barred in some tropical yelping that’d be more at home in an Umbongo advertisement. Equipped with the naïve buoyancy of Bombay Bicycle Club, the melodious intelligence of Futureheads and the jovialness of the Wombats without all the wackiness, this band deserve your undivided attention.

MICACHU

Chuck any musical challenge at Mica Levi aka Micachu and she’ll probably do it. At the tender age of 21, this prodigious talent has already made music with Matthew Herbert, MCd in grime collectives, penned a piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, DJed all over the shop and made waves as one of East London’s finest purveyors of wonky pop, performing with her band the Shapes. Added to this, her days are spent at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she’s studying composition. Does Micachu ever sleep? We seriously doubt it. More though, and soon, please.
Camilla Pia

PASSION PIT

The rhythmic, blissful stylings of Massachusetts-based five-piece Passion Pit are poised to takeover all things retro-indie this year. Subliminal beats and quirky lyrics are all part of the squeaky, synth-soaked experience with this geeky cool fivesome. The creation of Michael Angelakos, who wrote and recorded an EP worth of songs for his girlfriend as a belated (tut, tut) Valentine’s Day gift, Passion Pit’s joyful and idyllic sound is sure to catapult the poptastic, techno-inspired group into the colourful spotlight.
Kira Agass

PULLED APART BY HORSES

Sporting riff-packed songs called silly things like ‘I Punched A Lion In The Throat’ and ‘High Five Swan Dive Nose Dive’, PABH burst into 2009 screaming senseless maxims like “Awesome! Bodacious!” (‘Meat Balloon’) and yelling about long forgotten arcade games (‘Super Hang On’). Like a less frenetic Gallows, a less hate-fuelled Rage or a rawer iForward Russia!, expect them to cut a Pixies-like path across the new-grunge landscape this year, helping it reclaim the dreamy psychedelic coastlines from the dying embers of 2008’s LSD-fuelled excess. I.e. They’re gonna fucking kick it. Rock on.
JJ Dunning

THE SOFT PACK

Having changed their name from The Muslims (to dodge being branded “racists”, apparently), California’s The Soft Pack are another of 2009’s great garage rock hopefuls. They pilfer from their muddy-noised forefathers Pavement and The Strokes with a reassuring nonchalance, mixing east and west coast Americanisms as they go, and loll along with an endearingly cock-eyed slacker insouciance that explains why they ditched that sensationalist moniker: they can’t be arsed with the burden of it. What’s left is a tiny-jumpered band with terrible hair, to whom the words ‘spit and polish’ mean a posh wash. Oh, and a batch of ludicrously brilliant tunes.
JJ Dunning

THE TEMPER TRAP

Theirs is a slightly misleading name. They don’t sound like anger or rage or bottled frustration waiting to explode in paroxysms of discombobulated outrage. They don’t sound like pain or revenge or anything associated with tempers or short fuses. On the contrary, this four-piece sound like fluttering hearts the moment you think you see, across the road, the one you love who left you years ago and you’re not sure what do to. It’s like swimming in dreams, flying in real life. Lo-fi yet celestial, catchy yet unusual, ethereal and beautiful. If 2009 delivers any pop justice, these guys should reap the rewards.
Mischa Pearlman

TITUS ANDRONICUS

Titus Andronicus’ name is a reference to Shakespeare, and their debut album, ‘The Airing Of Grievances’ is a nod to an obscure moment of Seinfeld. However, there’s nothing tragic or funny about the Glen Rock, New Jersey fivesome’s abrasively ear-damaging brand of lo-fi punk. Jam-packed with spunky ideas, they bounce noisily back and forth from shoegaze to throat-shredding shouting, with ‘…Grievances” tracklisting even seeing two minute pop-clatters sit side by side with 7 minute pseudo-prog noisescapes. Brilliant, boisterous, and always inventive. How can we relate them to the Bard? Um… poetry in commotion? That’ll do…
JJ Dunning

VIOLENS

A conflict of sounds and emotions, New York’s Violens are equal shades of dark and light. Part shoegaze, part psychedelia, they make synth-based pop that can’t quite decide if it’s happy or sad, ominous or airy, so they combine these polar opposites and wrap them tightly together in a ball of jaunty melancholy. They flit from sinister, portentous organ lines to breezy, summery 60s-esque songs that you can imagine hippies practiced free love to – confusingly enough, their song ‘Doomed’ slots much more into the latter category than the former. If you want a slice of summer this year – no matter when – Violens will happily bring it. Just maybe with a bit of rain.
Mischa Pearlman