Hyped on: Trashbag Kids; Allan's World; Get Weird Turn Pro
Official site
MySpace
Who: This Reading, England foursome with the odd name—it’s a line taken from the U.K. version of “The Office”—has made its mark both as a must-see live band and as an ace remix crew (Muse, the Raconteurs). Currently on tour with Yo Majesty, the group will also hit the U.S. later this year with Nine Inch Nails and Bloc Party.
What: Rave-rock! DIOYY is the first band since the Prodigy to successfully mix electronic beats with straight-up rock; although the band has endured numerous comparisons (Justice, Daft Punk, even Rage Against the Machine—though we point more toward the late great Urban Dance Squad), the band’s anything-goes mentality and generally upbeat outlook make them somewhat hard to classify. “Dawn of the Dead” is soul-inflected New Wave, while “Let’s Make Out” is a simple, rock-infused sing-along. And if you like vocodors and cowbells, well, they’re here aplenty.
Made for: Hardcore kids who want to dance. Dance kids who want to mosh. Anyone who bought both the recent Klaxons or Enter Shikari albums. “Office” fanatics.
X-Factor: Not everyone’s a fan: the band’s album received a 2.3 on Pitchfork. Reviewer Tom Ewing complained of the band’s “tired ideas and terminal complacency.” – KM
Dark Meat, "Universal Indians" (Vice)
Hyped on: Brooklyn Vegan; Tiny Mix Tapes; Gimme Tinnitus
MySpace
Who: A very large (in both band members and sound) Athens, Ga., collective known for riding from town to town in a beat-to-hell school bus. The collective includes singer Jim McHugh as bandleader, with a brass section and a three-person vocal ensemble known as the Subtweeters. If you couldn’t guess, most of the recordings and epic live shows are improvisational.
What: Southern rock may be the anchor, particularly on the stomping “Deadman” and twangy “Angels of Meth,” but the coolest moments are when the brass hits the gas, whether it’s challenging freaky free jazz (“Universal Indians”; “Three Eyes Open”) or the festive Mardi Gras party “One More Trip.”
Made for: Fans of bluegrass punkers O’Death. People who think the Polyphonic Spree is boring. Fans of mixed drinks made with moonshine.
X-Factor: In the past the band has gone by the name Vomit Lasers, Family Band and Galaxy. – MR
Christine Fellows, "Nevertheless" (Six Shooter)
Hyped on: Brooklyn Heathen; Paper Sailboat; A Million Watts of Sound
Official site
MySpace
Who: A Canadian singer-songwriter who draws lots of (mostly well-deserved) comparisons to Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor and other distaff eccentrics. “Nevertheless” is her fourth solo album.
What: Much of Fellows’ inspiration on “Nevertheless” came from the life and work of poet Marianne Moore, and although the resulting songs are just as literary as you’d expect, very rarely are they precious or ponderous. Much like the Decemberists’ Colin Meloy, Fellows has a gift for rendering old-timey characters and subjects with a sense of humor and a light touch. An early highlight is “The Spinster’s Almanac,” a sprightly tune about an old maid who learned to drive when she was 65 and reads poetry to her chickens (“they like the Yeats the best and frankly, so do I”). Cello, glockenspiel and Fellows’ own plunky piano keep the music suitably timeless, but it’s not all restrained chamber pop; on the title track, Fellows rocks a very Supertramp-like organ as she sings a surprisingly upbeat tune from the point of view of an unrepentant recluse (“You’ll know me from the curtain’s twitch”).
Made for: Girls who wear granny glasses and the introverted, weird-beard boys who love them. Winter afternoons with a cup of Earl Grey and an overstuffed armchair. Your next English lit study group.
X-Factor: Despite her obsession with spinster poets and old maids, Fellows herself is happily married—to John K. Samson of the Weakerthans, who sings backup on “The Spinster’s Almanac” and “Poor Robin.” – AH
Osborne, "Osborne" (Ghostly International)
Hyped on: Music for Robots; KinoSport; 33/45
Official site
MySpace
Who: While most technophiles fawning over the stellar Ghostly International label name-check stable stars like Tadd Millinix (a.k.a. Dabrye) and Matthew Dear, Todd Osborn has been quietly developing into one of their marquee acts. From his brilliant early releases on the Throw label to the monstrous acid track “’Bout Ready to Jak” on Ghostly subsidiary Spectral Sound, Osborn’s panoramic sounds can kick-start any self-respecting dance floor with a quickness.
What: On his full-length debut, Osborn (there’s no “E” in his given name—go figure) celebrates the rich history of Detroit techno with a collection of sleek, metallic tracks that move from hypnotic minimalism (“Downtown,” “Fresh”) to quirky, ‘80s dance beats (“Outta Sight”) and the hilarious spoken-word beat workout “Our Definition of a Breakdown,” featuring Ed DMX. While it can sit alongside your favorite Richie Hawtin and Kompakt releases, Osborne’s boundless vision and Detroit pedigree give him a decided advantage.
Made for: Fans of Swedish artist the Field that have worn a hole in their copy of “From Here We Go Sublime.” The new generation of party people eager to get their rave on without having to always resort to the “classics.” Bloggers that can’t wait to champion the next big thing in electronic music heroes.
X-Factor: Osborn opened the first drum ‘n’ bass record store in his college town of Ann Arbor, Mich., in the mid-‘90s, going on to create his bass-bin-rattling jungle alias, Soundmurderer. – STS
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