If you keep staring at your feet you will walk in to something

Fiction
http://www.myspace.com/fictionlondon

The first time I came across this band I knew we were on to something. As soon as you hear the opening casio-esque chimes of 'Big Things' through their Myspace player you will become instantly hooked with its playful yet complex jaunty sound. It would be too easy to describe this band as simply 'angular' and would not do them as a band justice who are striving to make faultless edgy fuzz infused teflon pop. The absence of a full time drummer allows the rhythm to stand at the forefront of their sound where other bands loose or suffer from a complete lack of which also allows the soft and eary vocals to be remain a key part of this bands make-up. Don't miss them during 2010!

Fiction - Curiosity

Egyptian Hip Hop
http://www.myspace.com/egyptianhiphop

This Manchester quartet have received a lot of justified hype during the back end of 2009 and early parts of 2010. A musical cocktail of a hint of Madchester with a splash of the Cure and a pinch of the shambolicness of the Fall would be a description most bands can only strive to effortlessly achieve but it's fair to say that Egyptian Hip Hop are an exciting prospect still finding direction with their innovative and exciting sounds that can be heard through songs 'Rad Pitt' and 'Heavenly'. This band may just be one of the ground breaking acts the music industry needs in 2010.

Egyptian Hip Hop - Heavenly

Wonderswan
http://www.myspace.com/wonderswanband

'Hey Nature' released through Dance to the Radio remains a permanent fixture on my 'you have to listen to this' list. Delicatley thrashing drums and melodical lo-fi guitars provide a fuzzy bordering on grunge-esque throw back to 1990 and Pavement. The vocals and lyrics are a resplendent addition to the music being produced. 'You say that I don't care?' Well I do!

Wonderswan - Hey Nature

Crocodiles
http://www.myspace.com/crocodilescrocodilescrocodiles

Lo-fi, droning and distorted you can take your pick but somehow San Diegos Crocodiles manage to churn out catchy numbers no more evident than in ' I Wanna Kill'. Look to fellow Americans such as Wavves and Crystal Stilts for reference points. I just wish they would take their sunglasses off.

Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill

The Return of Pop Music

Pop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs. While these basic elements of the genre have remained fairly constant, pop music has absorbed influences from most other forms of popular music, particularly borrowing from the development of rock music, and utilizing key technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.

Does this sound like it describes 99% of the 'music' that your ears are subject to these days on the radio?

Well this all might be about to change thanks to a small up rising of bands who truly are 'pop' and are doing the term and genre justice.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart

Hailing from New York, this outfit are 'pop' but remain raw with the hook of each song differing showcasing each band members musical talents whether it is Peggy Wang-East's keyboard and complimentary harmonising vocals behind Kip Bermans vocals and shoe gaze-esque guitar riffs that are none more so evident than on 'Young Adult Friction'. Some choruses even boldly touch the mildly anthemic sound and feel totally comfortable doing so notably on 'Come Saturday'. Pains bring glistening melodies with an undercurrent of despairing and sometimes sombre tones.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Come Saturday

exlovers
http://www.myspace.com/weareexlovers

Perhaps Britains closest counterpart to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart having released singles through Chess Club records and Young & Lost, exlovers might just be the finest the British shores have to offer in terms of 'pop' music. Dreamy vocals and snappy hooks all contribute to the brilliant innocent, shy and coy indie sound that is exlovers.

exlovers - Just a Silhouette

The Drums
http://www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever

Back over to New York for what is the unexpected welcome return of a yester year mid 90's genre of surf pop. A genre that wasn't really ever due for a come back for understandable reasons has been done excellently by The Drums. Contagious and energetic pop numbers such as 'I Felt Stupid' have secured this band a slot on the forthcoming NME tour for 2010. It's easy to see why this band are bound for a blitzkrieg on the pop charts over the next 12 months.

The Drums - I Felt Stupid

Help Stamp Out Loneliness
http://www.myspace.com/helpstampoutloneliness

Rising from the ashes of the twee outfit 'Language of Flowers', think The Passions - In Love with a German Film Star meets Au Pairs - It's Obvious and you have the excellent Help Stamp Out Loneliness. Their modern day unique sound is a delightful and most welcome addition to music. You would be hard to pushed to find better vocals than this.

Help Stamp Out Loneliness - I'm on Fire

Standard Fare
http://www.myspace.com/standardfare

This Sheffield trio are all about honest pop music with jangly guitars under Emma Kupa’s unusual, gorgeous and simultaneously sad but danceable vocals. This is best heard on single 'Dancing' released on Thee SPC records earlier in the year. Citing a range of influences from Blondie to Fleetwood Mac and in modern day reference could be likened to Sky Larkin, the arrival of there album penned for early in 2010 is a very exciting prospect.

Standard Fare - Dancing

The Graveyard Shift

It took White Lies to bring a turning point in the dark atmospheric garage rock rejuvenation by crossing into the mainstream music charts that resulted in a heightened focus on the bands of this scene like the Horrors. White Lies had great and deserved success with single releases and debut album 'To Lose My Life'. The Horrors finally got the recognition they so deserved by being nominated for this years Mercurys but were then robbed of victory.

Recently, whisperings of a new band who have the ability to once again put the wider more concentrated focus on this genre are emerging.

Chapel Club are a band with an exciting future ahead of them. Following a recent performance at the Shackwell Arms in East London they were the victims of an A&R frenzy and for once this seems just. The atmospheric and encapsulating vocals grab your attention from the offset with their additional bleak and almost enchanting sound. The two songs available to hear on their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/chapelclub consist of a unique borrowing of lyrics from Ella Fitzgeralds 'Dream A Little Dream of Me' in the form of track 'Surfacing' which delivers deep, dark vocals over screeching guitars and heavy drums . The second offering is the dark and mesmeric sound of 'Machine Music'. Chapel Club are sure to be more than just a passing trend and will hopefully emerge from the A&R frenzy that is following them unscathed and unchanged. Catch them if you can before they disappear into a recording studio.

Chapel Club - After the Flood

Some other great bands causing a stir at the moment are....

A Grave with No Name http://www.myspace.com/agravewithnoname. Heavy guitars underpinned with lo-fi vocals deliver an exciting recorded and live sound. Also very excited about the forthcoming album entitled 'Mountain Debris' out on 30th November through No Pain In Pop.

A Grave with No Name - Sofia

Wild Palms http://www.myspace.com/wearewildpalms produce stretching but exciting vocals backed by rolling drums and squalling guitars. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Wild Palms - Deep Dive

Veronica Falls http://www.myspace.com/veronicafallshard. Haunting but sentimentally sweet lead vocals on both 'Beachy Head' and with slightly darker elements on 'Found Love in A Graveyard'. Veronica Falls bring a unique sound with dark lyrics delivered over a 50's sweetheart backing track.

Veronica Falls - Found Love in a Graveyard