The Drums cometh from Elkland

Who: The Drums

Hail From: Brooklyn, NY

Label: Twentyseven

Active from: 2008 to current


Ok, right now the The Drums are getting lots of Buzz on the Blogosphere. And I get it, so far what I've heard is fun. Sorta a gayish indie rock take on the Beach Boys, but I could be saying that cuz the song is Called "Let's Go Surfin." As I watched the video, I thought I recognized something about the singer.....Other then he looks like Johnny Lawrence of Karate Kid. Then it hit me....This is the freaky side to side dance guy from Elkland who I saw open for Erasure three years ago. Check out the video for The Drums and then check out Johnathan Pierce in his previous band Elkland. Ah, the interwebs, how I love thee. When checking out Elkland make sure to take note of his oh so masculine dance. You get a real good view around 1:46 to 1:56:

The Drums - Let's Go Srufin


Elkland - Apart

Amanda Blank

Who: Amanda Blank

Hail From: Philadelphia, PA

Label: Downtown Records

Active from: 2005 to current

Sounds like: Minimal Dance Rap (sometimes reminiscent of Princess Superstar and Peaches, but not always)

Amanda Blank began her career collaborating with aritst such as Spank Rock, MIA, Santogold, Diplo and N.A.S.A. She gained notoriety on Spank Rock’s “Blow” and on the track “I’m a Lady” that is featured on Diplo’s 75 minute mixtape “Top Ranking.” This song was a collaboration with Diplo and Santogold. It is a reworked partial cover of LL Cool J's "I Need Love." It gained such popularity over the internet that they put together a full track from it titled “A Love Song” on her freshly released LP, “I Love You.” She opened for Santogold recently and I caught her show here at Stubb’s. She puts on a great show, she has a great stage presence, is very charismatic and energetic.

Amanda Blank - A Love Song

Might Like You Better - Amanda Blank

Miike Snow

Who: Miike Snow

Hail From: Stockholm, Sweden

Label: Downtown Records

Active from: 2007 to current

Sounds like: TV on the Radio meets Passion Pit

Consisting of one singer and two producers, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, Miike Snow is bound to sound very polished. Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg are better know as Swedish production team Bloodshy & Avant. They've worked with tons of big pop stars such as Britney Spears and Madonna. Surprisingly this album does not sound mainstream at all. It is still pop, but chilled down a degree and still retains a more independent mentality. Probably due to Andrew Wyatt’s, formally of The A.M., song writing. The name was taken from Japanese film director Takashi Miike. This and the fact that their album cover makes me think of Jagermeister is reason enough to check them out.

Miike Snow - A Horse Is Not A Home

The Ruling Class

Who: The Ruling Class

Hail From: London, England

Label: Shelflife Records

Active from: 2005ish to current

Sounds like: Straight up The Stone Roses

We all feel a little cheated with the fact that The Stone Roses only released 2 albums between a 5 year label battle. Well, reincarnation through inspiration. Swedish guitarist Tomas Kubowicz loved the whole Manchester Brit Pop movement and set out writing and singing what he loved. Evolving as all projects do he now leaves the vocals to Jonathan Sutcliffe and concentrates on guitars and writing. Take yourself back to 1989 and listen up.

The Ruling Class - Flowers

The Ruling Class - Sleeping Beauty

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Who: We Were Promised Jetpacks

Hail From: Eidenburgh, Scotland

Label: Fat Cat Records

Active from: 2003 to current

Sounds like: Indie guitar pop, sorta like label mates Frightened Rabbit (but to be that is prob cuz they both have Scottish accents)


Like most I was 1st drawn to check out this band just because of the band name. Very catchy (but not cheesy) fun indie guitar pop with accents (and lets face it, we Americans are suckers for singers with accents). The story goes that they were discovered by their label through label mates Frightend Rabbiet's Myspace page.


We Were Promised Jetpacks - It's Thunder And It's Lightning


We Were Promised Jetpacks - Ships with Holes Will Sink

Polly Scattergood

Who: Polly Scattergood

Hail From: Essex, England

Active from: 2005 to current

Sounds like: Tori Amos or Kate Bush but more depressing, self-deprecating and quirky

Polly Scattergood and a great voice and her music is slightly haunting. Listening to the album you may think sister needs to see a therapist. She spends the whole album beating herself up for her shortcomings and failures. However, many of us have then in that place in our lives. She doesn’t come off whiny and in some very odd way she is slightly empowering at times. It is hard to explain, but it is definitely worth checking out. On a side note: Her album cover reminds me of Mary Hopkins for some reason.

Polly Scattergood – I Hate the way (had to go the youtube route, couldn’t find any mp3s on line. Just audio and sill picture of album cover



Polly Scattergood – Please Don’t Touch

God Help The Girl

Who: God Help The Girl

Hail From: Glasgow, Scotland

Label: Rough Trade, Matador

Active from: 2008 to current

Sounds like: 60’s Female pop folk with underlying bits of show tune

God Help the Girl is a Side Project of Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian. His plan was to write the sound track to a coming of age story of a young woman, record the album and then film the movie. I could go on, but Paste Magazine has a good story on the whole shebang here.

Check it out!

God Help The Girl - Funny Little Frog

God Help The Girl - If You Could Speak