1. Air Bag One – ‘Whatever You Want’
Sounding like the secret love-child of The Temper Trap and Phoenix, Air Bag One are a dynamic French pop band, who have previously supported The Maccabees. ‘Whatever You Want’ shows that the band know their audience, and The Temper Trap influences come through thick and fast with the high, driving vocals, as well as being peppered brilliantly with ‘ooohs’, firmly placing them on the indie radar. Coupled with the French dance styling and quick riffs that brought compatriots Phoenix fame, this three-piece could be set for great things. Their EP Summer Killed Us is available now.
2. Mozart Parties – ‘Wish My Thoughts Away’
The oddly named Mozart Parties is actually the stage name for James Bennett, a quiet lad from the Lake District. His creations thus far have fully embraced the nature of his surrounding environment as he takes time to explore the depths of shoegaze. ‘Wish My Thoughts Away’ is a lush mixture of harmonies, low-fi synths and distant vocals that creates a beautiful medley and showcases Bennett’s rising talent for production. Supporting fellow shoegaze and psychedelic inspired artists Fixers in May, Mozart Parties has the potential to get some more recognition and infuse some originality and liveliness to the genre.
3. The Heartbreaks – ‘Delay, Delay’
A tale of a summer crush on a seaside resort, ‘Delay Delay’ is the upcoming single from The Heartbreaks. Hailing from Morecambe (that’s up north, for those of you who don’t study geography), this four-piece brings young and exhilarating guitar rhythms to the caravan table, topped off by Matthew Whitehouse’s determined vocals. After touring alongside Morrissey and Hurts, the band have combined an incredible mature sound with a chorus which is remarkably infectious. If you are going to take a trip to the beach this summer, this is the track you should be playing both on your car stereo and while you’re playing in the sand. ‘Delay, Delay’ is due for release on their local label Morecambe Rock on April 30th, and is taken from their debut album Fun Times.
4. Edit/Select – ‘This Waiting Game’
A young four-piece musical group from London’s lower south east, Edit/Select are offering a fresh slice of new wave British indie. “They’re rather good” according to Xfm’s John Kennedy, and they have the shows under their belt to prove it with recent performances at IndigO2, the Scala and the Barfly. This is a group dedicated to new music, with big ideas for the future with a debut album in the pipeline later in 2012. ‘This Waiting Game’ is a raw but well refined track, reminiscent of Bloc Party with punk overtones, and also moves to capture some of Foals’ minimalism. The song presents memorable riffs with an upbeat vigour that is set to make you move!
Contributions from David Martin, Alex Rogers and Ed Brookes.
