Acts to Look Out For: #19-24.

We've neglected our Bands/Acts to Look Out For section for quite some time now; which is strange considering how much music our editorial consumes recently. By way of an apology for neglecting our primary function as a new music site, Braden's decided to do a bumper post of four, stretching from acoustic acts through to some solid pop via post-rock and indie.

#19: KHUSHI

We saw Khushi for the first time at the Great Escape back in May after a tip off from Faded Glamour in March. Since then, singer songwriter Kalim Patel and his band have finally gotten around to releasing their/his debut single Magpie. It's out on a gorgeous clear 7" vinyl from the Laissez Faire Record Club and should see the Londoner rise up billings across the country very soon.

If you're a fan of anything from The National through to Ben Howard, you'll find KHUSI to be one of the most enjoyable new acts this year.
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#20: Dan Croll

First emerging almost a year ago now, Dan Croll's Vampire Weekend come Lucy Rose sound has earnt him a host of high profile support slots (Stornoway, Bastille, Imagine Dragons) as well as a Radio One Live Lounge session and an appearance on the new FIFA 14.

The Liverpudlian, backed with his own band has an array of singles now, all sounding somewhat different from one another; which we can only assume is going to lead to quite the debut album if he can pin it all down. This busy year sees him embark on a few more headline shows in the UK before he creates that all important record though, so whilst we can still call him new, we thought it best to feature the very talnted Dan Croll. Hear his new single (and our favourite to date), Home below.
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#21: Nordic Giants

We've seen Nordic Giants a few times now so you may have noticed them crop up every now and then, but it's been 18 months since they first entered our ears and they've created a host of new material since then including their new single, Violent Lights (below) which may well be their most beautiful yet.
Fans of Sigur Ros and all things of similar beauty will find Nordic Giants to be possibly the most exciting new post-rock act coming through the ranks at the moment. The Brighton duo like to shroud themselves in mystery as well as clad themselves in a selection of rather flamboyant feathered outfits to perform live, and that only adds to their already hugely visual stage setup. Their selection of videos project onto screens around them and create films to which their music triumphantly and often darkly accompanies. Few bands breaking through right now are as interesting as the Giants.
Facebook // New EP Bandcamp



#22: 1984

The Subways were accused of having their thunder stolen by Blood Red Shoes after taking too long a break between records to create their third; but in terms of keeping the scene of '07 alive, BRS may have shot themselves in the foot as well as taking the British glass from Franz Ferdinand's latest record and The Sunshine Underground's more listenable tracks by producing the 1984's latest record Influenza. Whilst on record, they sound not too dissimilar to their predecessors; live they have the shy persona of their fellow Frenchmen Phoenix but mixed with the power that rides through Alex Kapranos and Damon Albarn. They've most definitely been through the British school of what makes a grit rock band, but they've come out without the pretence or bravado so unbearable. Laura Mary Carter and Steve Ansell, give yourselves a pat on the back.
Facebook // New Album Bandcamp





#23. The IC1s

When you think about bands like Editors and The Enemy, you often get lost in references to the 90's and end up in a crowd surrounded by a bunch of self professed 'LADS' who'll spill their £4.50 pint on you and say something about their missus being somewhere infront of you as they push past. They'll later say something about 'banter' and make you wonder why you bothered listening to this music.

Rarely however, do bands come around that sound like this whilst shrugging off the stereotypes with a shed-load of passion and heart.
The persona of a Gallagher is still there, but with the kind of love for music that Noel showed, not the swagshite of Liam. They've even got the backing of Libertine's drummer Gary Powell.
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#24. Swiss Lips

Oh yes, we've finally got round to formally introducing these wonderful Mancunian gentlemen. It's looking like they're going to finally kick off in the coming few months as they'll be releasing an actual EP entitled YEAH. What we've already learnt about the band is that they're one of the most exciting new pop acts coming through the ranks, hot on the tails of tour buddies Bastille and friends with the likes of The Horrors. We know that Amazing Radio had their debut single U Got The Power at #1 in their charts and we know that they're capable of creating both a month long party on Brick Lane as well as a video game for another single.
Swiss Lips, in their own words are pop-sorcerors that make music to dance to; and we're inclined to agree. 
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So there you have it! Six acts of varying new-ness to add to your listening pile. Hopefully you made it through the whole thing and have a variety of new music to enjoy.
We'll be launching our New Music Playlist next week and will have a new Bandcamp feature coming up soon as well. New acts, prepare to get featured, providing you're smashing!

Braden Fletcher

Lorde

Signed to Universal at the very young age of 12 thanks to a video of her singing at a talent show being noticed by their A&R, 16 year old Ella Yelich-O'Connor, otherwise known as Lorde, has everything incredibly well put together. Having complete creative control over her material, writing and producing her songs herself and a debut single ('Royals') that's gone double platinum in New Zealand, it's hard to comprehend the amount of talent she possesses. The hip-hop inflected instrumentals paired with Yelich O'Connor's hazy vocals that make up Lorde's sound have predictably garnered comparison to Lana Del Rey. 

Not only are her two singles, 'Royals' and 'Tennis Court' brilliant but she's also recorded a sultry cover of Kindness' 'Swingin Party' which features on the Tennis Court EP.  In spite of everything, Yelich O'Connor seems incredibly grounded - not bothered by the perks of potential fame and having a sense of self-awareness, carefully thinking through the decisions she makes as a young artist. On 'Tennis Court', she sings "never not chasing everything I want" and that's clear as she's managing to become an overnight success, all whilst still studying at college. 



Aurora Mitchell

Magic Eye - Japan (Space Echo Version)

Edinburgh four-piece, Magic Eye, made up of band-members Alex, Bek, Roma and Francis, first wound up on our stereos this time last year in the form of 11 track EP cassette, Shreddin’ On Heaven’s Floor. The EP, released on record label Animal Image Search, introduced the world to Magic Eye’s unique guitar-based brand of dream pop with tracks such as ‘Flamin Teenage,’ and their impressively experimental cover of Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game,’ screaming psychedelic ambiance  Not unlike Fleetwood Mac’s Tango In The Night, though with added poignancy created by palpitating drums and Roma’s captivating vocals, Shreddin’ On Heaven’s Door established the band’s synth-laden, atmospheric musical direction. Taking reverb and guitar riffs to the extreme, and featuring a touching level of melancholy sentimentality across the expanse of its tracks, the EP set the foursome apart among an ever-growing crowd of repetitive and hollow dream pop artists. Somewhat quiet since then, the quartet’s recent release of the Space Echo version of their three and a half minute long oriental wonder ‘Japan’, has whole-heartedly reignited love for the band’s ethereal, indie pop, ‘aquarium rock’ style.

‘Japan (Space Echo Version)’ is an elaborate development on the original EP version of the track, which takes synth-loaded reverberation and echoed byzantine beats to another level entirely. The re-working of this track, already powerful in its chiming orientalism, encapsulates the group’s quietly enigmatic melodies and striking meaningfulness. I highly recommend this awe-inspiring track, and the others featured on Shreddin’ On Heaven’s Door, which are available to stream on SoundCloud, and are guaranteed to give you that uplifting level of transcendence that only the best tracks can. So take a listen and renew your passion for the spiritual musical-stylings of this band, or if you’re a Magic Eye virgin, kick-start your obsession now. 

Rosie Ramsden

Bands to look out for #17

Monkey Puzzle

Having written the book on sensitive indie-pop in the eighties and nineties, delivered everything from suave indie-rock to searching singer-songwriters in the noughties and given us some of the most promising electro-pop acts around in the form of Chvrches and Giant Fang, perhaps the next music scene Glasgow will come to dominate will be rap. Led by the fearsome duo Hector Bizerk (think Death Grips covering ‘Ill Manors’) and the sample-heavy collective Stanley Odd hip-hop has finally come to the banks of the Clyde.

Mixing live instrumentation with ‘mic strangler’ Conor Moore’s aggressive flow, young quartet, Monkey Puzzle announce ‘we are that punk rap shit’. Channelling Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers and their fair share of rapcore oddities they make pounding funk-metal that fits comfortably beneath their frontman’s raucous burr. This could easily have seen them turn into Scotland’s answer to effluvial musical lunkheads Limp Bizkit but live there’s an unstoppable energy that renders such comparisons null and void. New material hints at an increasing focus on melody but the young group are knocking out tracks so quickly that their recorded output struggles to keep up.

‘Let’s get Funky’ packs an irresistible party groove whilst ‘Flow With Me’s gives it the full on Rage treatment with popping bass and heavy riffing, topped off with Moore’s self-aggrandising lyrics. Whether headlining Glasgow’s underground proving ground Pivo Pivo after just three shows or winning over death-metal fans whilst supporting hard-rockers Sound Over Silence, the young quartet are proving that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, it’s where you’re at that counts.

Max Sefton

Bands to look out for #16

WALL

"Am I allowed to love you yet?" implores Lyla Foy, the swoon-worthy songstress behind Wall, a dreamy, minimalist pop band who are well on their way to capturing hearts everywhere. Amidst soft percussion and plaintive melody, Foy's vocals evoke a very real sense of vulnerability, and her masterfully vague lyrics seem to suspend reality itself, drawing the listener closer to her fantasy world; teasing, perhaps, with the promise of a withheld secret.

And Foy is almost as mysterious as her music: all that anyone seems to know about her are the basics. A London-based producer-slash-singer-song-writer, she wrote and produced her 7", titled Magazine entirely by herself. She plays all the instruments too, though when playing shows she entrusts this to members Oli Deakin and Dan Bell. And that's pretty much all there is to know about her at the moment, excepting the odd, sparse interview here and there.

That's not to say that she's completely invisible though. As the first artist to be signed to the newly-formed BCS Records, they already have two videos of her performing in their well-known back cab. As well as this, the official video for their single, Magazine, perfectly expresses Wall's close-up, super-intimate style.

With a Tumblr-friendly colour palette and a cast of kooky actors, the video creates a fragile, childlike atmosphere which perfectly complements Foy's tenderly uncertain lyrics. Soft visuals and precisely ordered props provide a further sense of immersion into a delicate world, and the ending shot - a furtive, eager peek into an unlimited night sky - is indicative of the beginning of Wall's own career.

What will Wall do next? Will wider recognition drown out their soft, earnest voice? Because at this point it seems undoubted that they can remain in obscurity for much longer, with their obvious talent and charming sound. If you like Youth Lagoon or The xx, Wall are definitely a band to look out for, and I for one am looking forward to watching them quietly dominate music discussion in months to come.

Ruthie Kennedy

Bands to look out for #15

ON AN ON

It seems nigh on impossible for a new band to sound original nowadays, with an endless stream of copy-cat guitar bands coming out of the UK, and dreamy, floaty nonsense from the US. So if you can't always be original, it's best to find another way of grabbing people's attention, which ON AN ON have done by being emotive and exciting, albeit in a way that may sound familiar. 

The first song released by the Chicago three-piece, 'Ghosts' is a striking listen. It hits quite bizarrely though, like your spine-chilling first exposure to Interpol's Turn On The Bright Lights or The National's Alligator except not as instant, and infinitely more uplifting. It's quite plodding at first, but carries a depth to its body when given repeat listens. The vocal delivery sounds pained, tired and tortuously accepting of some kind of paranormal possession "There are spirits coming to find me, they're not stopping until its done". The nonchalant vocal delivery pays off well, where other bands just sound bored ON AN ON come across as weary and heartfelt, which backed with some interesting guitar progressions makes for one of the year's most beguiling listens.

Other recently surfaced track 'The Hunter' too is an interesting listen, employing electronically distorted vocals and carrying a much heavier weight to it. Instead of the emotive trudge of 'Ghosts' however, this time ON AN ON reach for the blueprint named 'M83 style huge epic song' and appropriate accordingly. Both tracks are just hints at what's to come from ON AN ON, but if their forthcoming debut album is anywhere near as exciting as the current cuts, 2013 could be their year.

The band's debut album Give In is released on January 29th via Roll Call Records. 
http://www.itsonanon.com/

Toby McCarron

Bands to look out for #14

 MS MR

MS MR are yet another one of those bands who have purposefully shrouded themselves in a veil of anonymity to retain some mystery, which would start to become annoying if it didn’t actually make them a lot more interesting. What we do know, is that they’re a duo from New York who have previously described their music as ‘tumblr glitch pop’, a comment reinforced by a Tumblr page to make most teenage girls proud. Their first EP ‘Ghost World’ came out almost a year ago now, featuring an average Patrick Wolf cover and several tracks out of Florence Welch’s dustbin. It was certainly nothing to jump up and down about.

Pleasingly, latest single Hurricane has a bit more backbone. Utilising the home made video technique which led Lana Del Rey to worldwide success, the song holds some of that Florence + the Machine spookiness but this time around, MS MR have been able to put their own twist on it. ‘Hurricane’ is a slow burning love song, with steady strings underpinning vocals which calmly declare ‘welcome to the inner workings of my mind’.

Whether ‘Hurricane’ is a one off, or a sign of things to come, MS MR are clearly a band to keep your eye on.

Jessy Parker

Bands to look out for #13

The Manic Shine

Currently breaking the mould in London’s indie-rock scene is the electronic-rock based band, The Manic Shine. They are a four-piece who are signed to The Animal Farm Records (who have worked with the likes of like Blink 182, Alkaline Trio, At The Drive-In, The Ataris, Less Than Jake and many more) and they have been grabbing attention with their genre-merging sound. The band's music combines a traditional rock sound with a synthesised, electronic edge, which they achieve by using a lot of new technology such as synthesisers on iPads. A lot of their music starts its life on the Apple music software, Garageband. 

The Manic Shine’s latest release, ‘My Woman (I Love Nothing About You)’, shows this sound off perfectly, and has already reached Number 13 in the Beat 100 charts. The band are now celebrating the success of the video release for the ‘My Woman’ single, after it was released a few weeks ago. With the band's trademark aggressive guitar riffs and harmonies, and a catchy chorus-line, it is a track that grows on you after only a few listens. Their Blindsider album was also released just a few weeks before the single.

The band have been supported by NME and BBC Introducing’s Tim Robinson, and their live performances are filled with energy and intricate sounds that are sometimes left off of their recordings. The band recently finished a leg of their UK tour in March, and they are currently creating their line-up around the UK for summer 2012, which already includes gigs in Southampton, Brighton, Derby, Nottingham, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Doncaster, Leicester, Newport, Ipswich, Bicester, Essex and London. They have also just recently finished shooting an acoustic promo video for the reggae-style version of their classic-rock track, ‘Legs’, at The Animal Farm studios in London.

The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Ozzie Rodgers, bassist James Hutchinson, guitarist and backing singer Orren Karp, and drummer Tamir Karp, who are from a diverse range of backgrounds; Orren and Tamir are from the foot of Golan Heights in Israel, Ozzie (short for Osama Rodgers,) is of Syrian, English, Hungarian and Italian origin, and British-born James has travelled and performed with Romany gypsies. And it is this range of diversity that adds to the band’s raw sound and unique edge. With musical influences including: John Mayer, Counting Crows, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, ACDC and Rage Against the Machine.

Each of the band’s members has some kind of music degree or experience; for example the they have been on stage with The Maccabees, Tamir holds a degree in Popular Music Performance, and former LSE student Ozzie has performed with the legendary Megadeth, and ska-punk band Reel Big Fish, and it is these influences and advantages that make The Manic Shine stand out from a lot of new and emerging bands out there.

The band’s next Blindsider Tour gig is at The Empire in Leeds on Thursday 26th April 2012.
You can keep up to date with the band’s tour dates here

Leanne Sherman

Sound Inbox #4

Hello again!
This is Sound Inbox, the feature where after leafing through email and soundcloud submissions, I pick the top bunch of new artists eveyr week giving information on the artists' sound, and where you can find more information. This week features Honeycomb Bones, Madeaux and Bam Spacey!

Honeycomb Bones
 



First up this week are Hull duo Honeycomb Bones. Don't be fooled by the name, their music isn't crumbly and sweet, instead dealing with reverb-laden DIY punk and psychedelia. 'Catherine Wheel' taken off the group's new self-titled EP is a blistering introduction to what the group are about. It's noisy, rough around the edges and leans heavily on gritty guitar riffs and the kind of nonchalant vocals you might expect from Ian Curtis. The track also delves into more bluesy White Stripes sort of territory and pulls it off with astonishing ease. All in all Honeycomb Bones serve as a mildly twisted all out aural assault, delighting and impressing equally throughout.

Find them on facebook here

Madeaux

Hooray! A mysterious electronic producer who doesn't make you want to claw your own eyeballs out! Madeaux's 'song #2' is an interesting prospect, a blending of Anticon style chopped up beats, chillwave melancholy and more atmospheric beach-funk elements topped off with looped soulful vocals which could be ripped off a Weeknd track. It's wonderfully disjointed, like what you might expect from a Baths track but with a soothing quality more apparent in someone like Balam Acab's work. It's not entirely original, but definitely has its place amongst a plethora of others. 

Find Madeaux on facebook here and check out their NeuroPlastic label's bandcamp here


Bam Spacey





Bam Spacey is the project of Swedish producer Magnus Johansson, who specialises in minimal electronic sounds, the kind of spacious night-bus music with less of a dubstep inflection than artists like burial and mount kimbie. 'Vi Delar Samma Grav' or 'We share the same grave' in English, is a luscious piece of percussive electronica, capped with echoed atmospheric synths and wispy light as a cloud vocals. It's not a game-changer but acts as a pleasant piece of electronica, best enjoyed on cold winter nights. Bam Spacey's Land EP is due for release on may 22nd via Ceremony.


Check out Bam Spacey on facebook here


Fancy being featured on the next Sound Inbox? Send your tracks to tobymccarron@hotmail.com or put them in our soundcloud dropbox!


Toby McCarron

Sound Inbox #3

Welcome to the 3rd edition of our regular rundown of the best music we here at Sound Influx get submitted to us via email and our soundcloud Dropbox!

Dashius Clay

"cross Dashius Clay is like genocide" spits the rapper from Cali, Colombia. 'Who Am I' however sounds less like mass murder, rather a strong punch to the gut (fitting as his name is surely a pun of Muhammad Ali's real name Cassius Clay). With a smooth flow and impressively accomplished production (sounding not too dissimilar to Clams Casino) Dashius Clay blends often witty lyrics with genuine effort to create a veritable melting pot of what modern rap music sounds like. Sure it's not exactly going to revolutionise the game, but it's certainly not holding back rap's progress and is an impressive effort from a lesser known artist. 


For more info check out Dashius Clay's facebook here

Dead Night



If you're looking for new droning synth music, then you need Dead Night. The new york duo peddle strung out nuggets of moody synth-pop bliss, most notably on the standout from their 'Movie' EP, Flatliners. The name of their game is arpeggiated electronic trickery, with nonchalant vocal delivery which ought to be mundane as phrases like "nothing to do" are chanted again and again, but instead rub off as emotive and meaningful, sort of like fellow New Yorker Paul Banks of Interpol.


The EP is ace, and can be found at their bandcamp here

Vapor Eyes

Chicago based producer Vapor Eyes has just released a collection of 14 instrumental beats titled ‘Golden Beats Volume #1’. He says within his music you’ll find ‘a hip-hop heart that pumps blood into the arteries of downtempo, trip-hop and psychedelic territories’ and I can’t find a more fitting description than that. Incredibly chill with frequent samples, this is well produced for a bedroom project. Think Flying Lotus mixed with 60s Psychedelia and a garage drum beat.

Interested in being featured for the next edition of Sound Inbox?
Email your music to tobymccarron@hotmail.com or put them in our soundcloud dropbox!

Toby McCarron

Sound Inbox #2

Hello! And welcome to another edition of Sound Inbox. The feature where I leaf through all the music sumbitted to us via email and our soundcloud dropbox, to unearth the best new music out there. This week features two great new young British bands in Trophys and Reversal, and an interesting indie-doom proposition from across the Atlantic. Enjoy!


Their Planes Will Block Out The Sun

First this week are New Jersey band Their Planes Will Block Out The Sun. The band's free EP (available from their bandcamp) is decidedly indie, with slightly darker elements also touched upon. The influences are quite apparent over the four tracks. 'Brasil' is heavily indebted to Radiohead, while highlight 'youth and angels' could easily be mistaken for a more solemn Interpol cut. It's an impressive EP, combining gloomy lyrical tendencies with precise production and brooding sometimes Jazz-like instrumentation. Entirely listenable and largely enjoyable.

Trophys

Off the back of their debut track 'Electro Track' receiving some attention from BBC Radio and over 2000 plays on soundcloud, young Maidstone band Trophys have just put out another cracking track. 'Funeral' is clearly a response to a lot of the best and brightest of British Indie and Synth-pop of recent years. There's nods to the likes of Bloc Party, Los Campesinos and Foals certainly present, but with more of a synth gleam and added angsty lyrics about subjects such as how hard it is being alone. The drums are loud, the vocals carry meaning and the electronics are pleasant if not massively varied. Trophys are youthful, memorable and their sound is surprisingly realised and with an upcoming tour with Casiokids on the cards,  their tracks will likely find a wider more devoted audience as part of a live set up.

For more info on Trophys check out their facebook page here 

Reversal

Now THIS is more like it. A young UK band with buckets full of ambition and a fantastic EP available for only £2 may sound a bit too good to be true, but Reversal are very promising. They're versatile too, their excellently titled EP 'The Society of Portly Gentlemen' is crammed full of ideas and energy. There's plenty to get excited about here, from the Franz Ferninand like bop of 'City Life', the thrillingly frantic 'Rusty City Martyr', or even the interesting contemporary experimentation with Bhagra (yes bhangra) on 'Bhindie'. Bewilderingly unsigned, Reversal knock out thrusting energetic tracks which I imagine would also work pretty well live. Their new EP 'A Monotonous Menagerie' is also on its way, and from first impressions sounds equally as gripping.

Check them out on facebook here

Interested in being featured on Sound Inbox?
Send your tracks to tobymccarron@hotmail.com

Or visit our soundcloud dropbox (Link on the right hand side of the Sound Influx hompage)
 
Toby McCarron

Sound Inbox #1

We here at Sound Influx are big fans of all things new music. Doesn't matter what genre or style, we'll give it a listen and let you know if we like it. This new feature sets out to examine just some of the music we get submitted to us by bands via email and our soundcloud dropbox, and most importantly highlights some ace often lesser known acts for your listening pleasure.


Dropzone


Our first track this week comes from London based solo musician Louie Denniston, otherwise known under the pseudonym of Dropzone. Off the back of his first EP out late last year and covers of tracks by SBTRKT and Cults, comes new track 'Burning Questions' which to put frankly sounds pretty special. The track is centred around Louie's rich almost folky vocals, atop a swathes of twanging guitar; a sort of hybrid of WU LYF and Noah & the Whale. It's a beautifully produced and clear sounding track from a very promising artist indeed.
Check out Dropzone's soundcloud here, you won't be disappointed.



The Bedford Incident


Sheffield lot The Bedford Incident have been kicking around since 2003, and the group (seemingly named after the 1965 cold war film) have just put out a belter on their soundcloud with 'Voices on the Radio'. The influences are quite clear, It's a little bit of The Smiths, a smidgen of Pulp and a dashing of Arcade Fire, and actually very good. The track has a real fun collaborative feel to it, as they sing "we live each day like it's our last" it's hard not to get swept up in the joyousness of it all
Check out their soundcloud here or their myspace here


Heidi Klum's Bangs

Following in the footsteps of 'Gay for Johnny Depp' and 'Joanna Gruesome' comes the similarly ludicrously named New York band Heidi Klum's Bangs. So what do they sound like? Well there's a certain amount of multi-instrumental dabbling present on both tracks 'Breath in the Lamplight' and 'The Lanes' which brings to mind artists like Beirut, Sufjan Stevens and Neutral Milk Hotel with the Marimba and Xylophone twinkles and smatterings of trumpet that echo through the tracks, accompanying singer Zach Beck's nonchalant yet affecting vocal delivery. It doesn't exactly bare any resemblence to the hairstyle of the German model, but in this case that is no bad thing.
Check out their facebook page here

Send all music submissions to tobymccarron@hotmail.com or put them in our soundcloud dropbox (Link on the right hand bar on the homepage)

Toby McCarron

Bands to look out for #12

Azealia Banks

The music world is packed with solo female artists at the moment, so why not add another one into the mix? Although you might think that club friendly '212' is the first musical output from Banks, she's been building up her reputation for quite some time and been through rejection and hardship that have lead her towards the buzz that's been surrounding her music lately. Being a solo female artists nowadays seems purely about being different and eccentric to establish yourself from the rest of the pack, but Banks has stayed true to herself and despite having a spat with a certain record label, she's come on top and is ready to prove that she's here to stay. '212' is lyrically dark, shot with potent energy and Banks' spunky attitude shines as she spits each line out before you have time to digest the meaning behind the lyrics. A new generation of hip hop has arrived and Azealia Banks is the artist at the forefront of people's minds. 

By Aurora Mitchell

Bands to look out for #11

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey has the spirit of an old Hollywood star in the aftermath of their fame but with modern narcissism.  She has aptly named her music 'Hollywood sadcore' and you could argue that there's a pretentious air about her for creating yet another sub genre for blogs to go crazy about. Her debut single 'Video Games' romanticises about celebrity life but in an old fashioned way which reflects in the video, which includes many clips of events including an Oscars after party, depicting a woman stumbling around drunk which sums up the whole song. This nasally lament puts Lana Del Rey into a good position where the likes of Adele and Florence have been blocking up the charts with their whiney and over reheased voices. It's rare that you find a voice as raw and powerful that has the ability to capture your heart and spit it out in the same song. You can tell she knows she has talent so it's just as well people agree with her. This one's for the bitter women sat with a cigarette in one hand and a stale glass of gin in the other.  Debut single Video Games is out October 16 on Stranger Records
http://www.facebook.com/lanadelrey

By Aurora Mitchell

Bands to look out for #10

Outfit

It feels like it's been a long time coming but finally we reached our 10th band to look out for! Liverpool based Outfit have been talked about by the most important people regarding new bands, Guardian Band of the Day's Paul Lester and NME's New Music Editor Matt Wilkinson. Although single 'Two Islands' takes a while to kick in, simmering slowly with faint percussion and atmospheric guitars for a minute exactly, ricocheting piano jumps in and crooning vocals. They're signed to Double Denim and that comes as no surprise since they share the same label with Stay+ (formerly Christian AIDS), also seemingly playing up to their mystery as the former two and obscuring their faces (as shown in above photo, which bears similarity to Neil Krug's Skying shots for The Horrors). With a band name like 'Outfit', they're going to be almost as Google unfriendly as Girls. B side to 'Two Islands', 'Vehicles' shows a more upbeat side to the band but not in a chaotic way that many bands seem to end up doing, it's like trying to stuff your whole wardrobe into a suitcase, it just doesn't work. 'Two Islands' sounds like it could be a B Side to a Wild Beasts single and that's definitely a good thing.

Debut single Two Islands/Vehicles 7" comes out 12th September on Double Denim
www.facebook.com/outfitoutfitoutfit

By Aurora Mitchell

Band to look out for #9

Gross Magic



It's becoming more and more difficult to achieve a totally unique style in music nowadays. This has seen the development of many scenes over recent years less about looking to the future, but instead harking back to and reviving past music scenes. Gross Magic, the solo project of former ' Hocus Tocus' member Sam McGarrigle runs on nostalgia, he slots into the lo-fi glam-rock revival label quite comfortably alongside the similary hazy Ariel Pink and the recently scuzz-free Smith Westerns.

Gross Magic creates the kind of slacker-pop you'd expect from someone only recently out of adolescence. His music is lazy and woozy on the one hand, but equally it showcases an ambituous young man writing some phenomenally grandiose pop songs, channeling the spirit of Marc Bolan at his most flamboyant '20th century boy' peak. While comparing Gross Magic to the T. Rex frontman may seem a bit presumptuous, he certainly has the right framework in place, most notably with the song 'Sweetest Touch' in which Sam's slightly frail almost feminine voice recounts the tale of being desperately infatuated with a girl in the most hopeless way. "Still cant believe she knows my name" Sam wonders, over an infectious squealing glam guitar riff and crashing drums.  The rest of Gross Magic's debut EP 'Teen Jamz' is similary lovelorn and impressively accomplished, 'Cant ignore my heart' also permeates deeply, this time with added synth twiddling and yet more distinctly teenage confessional lyricisms. All in all, not bad for a kid from Brighton armed with nothing but kick-ass musical influences and a DIY laptop knowhow.

EP 'Teen Jamz' is available for purchase from thesoundsofsweetnothing.bandcamp.com

By Toby McCarron

Bands to look out for #8

                                            

     Rizzle Kicks

It feels strange to be calling Rizzle kicks a new band, as they have been kicking around for a few years now. Rizzle kicks first caught my attention with Jordan's (a.k.a. Rizzle) mostly solo, and borderline genius mixtape "Minor breaches of discipline" On it Jordan fully indulges his largely indie musical influences rapping over everything from The White Stripes, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys to sampling tracks by M.I.A. and Adele. The mixtape saw Jordan going from nostalgic and confessional ('My Hometown') to fully embracing what it means to be a teenager in the UK with all the freedoms the age carries ('I'm 17' and 'Girlfriend') And is no doubt one of the best things to come out of British Rap for years.

Fastforward roughly two years and Rizzle Kicks are now a duo, Jordan's rapping now complimented by his long-time best friend and soulfully voiced Harley (a.k.a. Sylvester). Harley's voice compliments Jordan's rapping expertly and has even seen Rizzle Kicks transform into genuine mainstream prospects. New tracks such as 'Down with the trumpets' and 'Prophet' combine Jordan's down to earth yet often witty rapping with massive choruses to rival the best of Britain's contemporary pop exports of the past few years.

With the UK rap/pop cross-over scene thriving at the moment for some of the wrong reasons (We're looking at you Devlin and Chipmunk) how refreshing to hear some genuine young talent who you wouldn't actually mind clogging up the charts. Having signed to Island, Rizzle Kicks have all the framework in place to win over many a fan, if not for the distinctly relatable social commentary in their lyrics, then for their damn catchy feel-good tunes. Long live Rizzle Kicks.

http://www.rizzlekicks.com/

By Toby McCarron

Bands to look out for #7

Funeral Suits

Is there any space for another indie guitar band who can charm us as much as Two Door Cinema Club? Apparently so. Although Funeral Suits don't have the sing-along choruses of TDCC, they've got their sound down to a T, bringing simplistic guitar chords that compliment the ever popular Irish vocal. The band formed in 2008 but hid away from the public, locking themselves away in a disused office space in North Country Dublin. Their new single Colour Fade sees angelic harmonies fit in between their minimalistic approach, similar to The XX. They have recently finished their debut album which has been produced by Stephen Street; previous producer for The Smiths and Blur. They've got prestigious music acts such as Franz Ferdinand backing them, some decent tunes and fans of Two Door Cinema Club are bound to love them. Check them out at Wireless Festival on 3rd July.
http://www.myspace.com/thefuneralsuits

Watch the official video for Colour Fade

By Aurora Mitchell

Bands to look out for #6

DZ Deathrays

Formerly DZ, Brisbane based DZ Deathrays had limited success. Debut song Gebbie St. whacks you in the face with the all too familiar bass and rhythmic drums of DFA1979. Although, this is a whole new generation. With limited possibility of Death From Above 1979 reforming regarding their reunion gig in which they requested seperate dressing rooms, there is copious amounts of room for DZ Deathrays to steal their spotlight. What's admirable about them is that they have attempted to break away from the stereotypes of Australian music by doing something different to stir things up and it has been successful. Their blend of thrash with percussive elements brings something new to a new music scene which has been overpopulated with electronic acts. You're not going to be hearing them on your radio any time soon but you can guarantee that this lively Australian duo will be coming to an obscure venue near you.
http://www.myspace.com/dzdeathrays

By Aurora Mitchell

Bands to look out for #5

Christian Aids

A good sign of a new band with a lot of potential is one that cannot be grouped into a scene with their music. Although Christian Aids are one of the least comparable new acts to come out of 2011, their music has been described as a rave revival. The way debut single 'Stay Positive' builds up into a dark euphoric rave anthem, you would expect them to slowly be making waves in the club scene. Playing for free at The Victoria in Dalston on June 30th, it's obvious that Christian Aids haven't quite established themselves but the hype is slowly building up as more music establishments/blogs start to take an interest in what they're doing. They have been labeled a 'Manchester buzz band' but unlike many others in the Manchester scene, they offer a fresh perspective unlike more stereotypical acts who often cite their adoration for Joy Division. There is an element of mystery that draws comparisons to Wu Lyf whereas Christian Aids' mystery does not orchestrate their popularity as a band. Despite the all familiar tendency to hide their faces and identities, Christian Aids are a unique listening experience and part of a very important shift in new music. Having only played live three times, it's well worth seeing them at their first headline show and there is more information on the Eat Your Own Ears website about where to get your free tickets.  

Debut single Stay Positive 7" out now on Double Denim
http://www.myspace.com/christianaids

By Aurora Mitchell