Nu Rave Brain Wave

 Nu Rave Brain Wave Top 10 Albums, Top 5 EPs, and Top 5 7″s of 2011:

Top 5 7″ of 2011:
05 Bitch Prefect – 7″ (RIP Society Records)

This is really breezy and effortless pop songs done in the best kind of way from Aussie upstarts Bitch Prefect.

04 The Growlers – Gay Thoughts 7″ (Everloving Records)

It wouldn’t be a NRBW list without a mention of the Growlers, but despite having the mp3s of this record for months before the Record Store Day exclusive release, I still waited for over an hour at Origami Vinyl to buy a copy. So, I guess it’s pretty good.

03 Brown Brogues – Don’t Touch My Hair 7″ (Suffering Jukebox)

Brown Brogues are undoubtably one of my favorite discoveries of this year and this is probably like the best anthem written this year that I’m aware of.

02 Catholic Spray/Assassins88//TV Colours – Split 7″ (XVIII Records)

I would’ve bought this record for Catholic Spray’s sinister, weird garage punk rippers, but the collaboration of hands down two of the best bands in the world the Australian super fuzzed out, stunningly catchy team of Assassins 88 and Dream Damage label mates TV Colours is absolutely astounding.

01 TV Colours / Assassins 88 – Split 7″ (Dream Damage Records)

That’s right, Dream Damage’s split between these two Aussie bands is the greatest piece of wax I bought this year. Both TV Colours jams have been replayed over and over to the billionth power, they’re both sonic fuzz bombs that are so ridiculously catchy and perfect for the gym (this is a compliment, btw). The exact same goes for Assassins 88 side. I just find it hard to fault a single thing either band does.

top 10 EPs of 2011:

05 Bummer High – Lost Highway (Green Burrito Records)

I fell immediately in love with Bummer High‘s Lost Highway, and it’s not all due to the fact that it was released on a label called Green Burrito. Their whimsical, twangin’, psych-country-garage is absolutely wonderful and if you like fellow Canadian brethren Demon’s Claws, Dead Ghosts, or Indian Wars, this is for you.

04 Toto & The Bad Eggs – Wallet Droppin’ (PNKSLM Recordings)

The closest thing to a garage-punk supergroup that the UK is going to see for probably quite some time, Toto & The Bad Eggs contains members of Sex Beet, Jerry Tropicano and Brown Brogues who each take my personal favorite parts of the music they make in their original bands and bring it to this EP. Obviously, it’s pretty special.

03 Ghost Outfit – Young Ghosts EP (Self Released)

Haven’t been able to stop listening to this Ghost Outfit EP since it’s been given to me, which I think was 2010, but fuck it, it’s so good it deserves a place on my 2011 list as well. Not only do they make weird and haunting noisy songs, but they also make expert pop songs.

02 The Bell Peppers – Cooking With The Bell Peppers (Self Released)

This fine Manchester duo put out the best self-released EP that showcases their slicked-back, cry-baby garage-blues-r’n'b in the most effortless and just straight up fucking cool way ever. I would buy at least three copies if this was released on any format.

01 The Growlers/Thee Ludds 12″ Split (Palmist Records)

Although the Growlers songs were technically not new in 2011, I think it’s a testament that they hold up so strongly to even a fan as well versed in their catalogue as I am — their beach goth, drip-drop-drip, swamp stomps have always sounded incredibly fresh and illuminating and the UK should feel lucky to have this released for them. Thee Ludds frenzied astral-psych-punk pulls strongly from the same 60s references as the Growlers but makes it new like a bucket of water to the face. In a good way.

Honorable Mentions:
Die Jungen – $
Carnivores – Chandelier EP
Ty Segall – Ty Rex
Cosmonauts – New Psychic Denim EP
Thee Oh Sees/Total Control Split EP

Top 10 LPs of 2011

10 Kanye West & Jay Z – Watch The Throne

I’m not angry when people talk about wealth, but maybe that’s because the best advice I ever received is surround yourself with wealth.

09 Royal Headache – S/T (XVIII Records)

This record literally came out of nowhere and really hit me hard. I hope I always have a soft spot for succinct, groovy power pop with soulful vocals. The buzzwords I had to use to describe Australia’s Royal Headache are grotesque, but this album is incredible.

08 Mind Spiders – The Mind Spiders (Dirtnap Records)

Denton, TX’s salvation, Mind Spiders, put this record out in the early portion of the year, but their brand of fast and loose garage rock filled with quick hits, the catchiest song you’ve ever heard (Don’t Let Her Go) and a ballad. This is a whip-smart garage punk record.

07 Cosmonauts – S/T (Permanent Records)

Cosmonauts are one of the most underrated bands to come out of the Burger scene, and this LP is filled with buzzing psychedelic, ramshackle punk punk, and rhythm ‘n 12 bar blues jams all jumbled together and vomited back up into the form of this excellent, excellent record.

06 The Castillians – Show Your Teeth (Cold Rice Records)

A long-awaited debut collection of 100% hits from the UK’s most underrated garage band, The Castillians,  as strong as any I’ve heard this year.

05 Shannon & The Clams – Sleep Talk (1-2-3-4 Go! Records)

I have the biggest love for Shannon of Shannon & the Clams, and this album is a beautiful dose of weird, wild 50s doo-wop garage-pop that while awesome, always seems (for me at least) to take the back seat to Shannon’s incredible voice. But then again, I could listen to hear sing the Wikipedia for Grizzly Bear and it would actually make it worth listening to.

04 School Knights – All Dawgz Go 2 Heaven (Dracula Horse)

I have fallen in love with everything that School Knights have ever done, and I’m not ashamed of that. Although half of these songs had already been released on Rush SK EP, they sound as fresh as ever and the new jams (previously heard by my ears only live) prove that they’re one of the best bands that I’m aware of. Their balls-to-the-wall attitude live, their use of absolutely infectuous riffs, drum slammage and heavy use of reverb is flat out perfect on this album.

03 Mellowhype – BlackenedWhite (Fat Possum)

The best rap album that was released (or, um, reissued) was hands down MellowHype. I’ve always found Hodgy Beats to be the most fascinating member and best rapper in OF, his work with LeftBrain is engaging, thoughtful and most importantly catchy as balls.

02 Bass Drum of Death – GB City (Fat Possum)

This album is an undeniable ass-slaying ripper from start to finish. If it’s not tailor made to be played as loud as possible, with heads banging, I don’t know what it’s for. I do know that each jam could be a stand-alone single. It’s effortless, catchy, and punk as fuck.

01 The Babies – The Babies (Shrimper Records)

It’s hard to write a sentence about why this Babies record is my favorite, but it’s a collection of horrendously underrated treasure pop gems that jangle, fuzz and snap with fervent wildness and a little bit of Americana seen through a garage rock kaleidoscope. It’s not certainly not a faultless record but it’s gotten better with a year of listening behind me.

Honorable Mentions
The Beets – Stay Home
Black Lips – Arabia Mountain
Pangea – Living Dummy
The Strange Boys – Live Music
Diarrhea Planet – Loose Jewels
TRMRS – Sea Change
Cumstain – Why Don’t You Kill Yourself Scumbag Your Mother Wont Miss U
Monster Rally – Coral
Dirty Beaches – Badlands
Hunx & His Punx – Too Young To Be In Love

I always find it really hard to do song of the year posts, so I just put all the music I got in 2011 and picked 25 of my most played and most favorite tracks, some from my favorite albums, some demos and some singles, in no particular order. Enjoy:

Nu Rave Brain Wave Top 25 Songs of 2k11:

The Babies – Sunset (from The Babies LP)
The Babies – Sunset by nuravebrainwave

The Mind Spiders – Don’t Let Her Go (from The Mind Spiders LP)
Mind Spiders – Don’t Let Her Go by nuravebrainwave

MellowHype – Right Here (from BLACKENEDWHITE LP)
Right Here – Mellowhype by NellyDaBeaner

Bobby Chiz – Brooklyn Mouth (Cats Purring Download)
Brooklyn Mouth by BOBBY CHIZ

Kanye West – Mama’s Boyfriend (Unreleased/Leaked)
Kanye West – Mama’s Boyfriend by Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes

Gross Magic – Sweetest Touch (from Teen Jamz EP)
Gross Magic – Sweetest Touch by TheSoundsOfSweetNothing

Black Lips – New Direction (From Arabia Mountain LP)
Black Lips – New Direction by Biz 3 Publicity

Chill Black Guys – CBG (From CBG Mixtape)
Young Hawaii Slim & Jay Ugh (GBGs) – Chill Black Guy by nuravebrainwave

King Lollipop – Cheeseburger & Fries (from King Lollipop LP)
King Lollipop – Cheesburger and Fries by nuravebrainwave

School Knights – You Read Books (from All Dawgz Go 2 Heaven LP)
School Knights – You Read Books by nuravebrainwave

Brown Brogues – Don’t Touch My Hair (from 7″)
Brown Brogues – Don’t Touch My Hair by nuravebrainwave

The Fabulous St. Knicholas Cage – Bloody Beach Blanket (Unreleased Demo)
Bloody Beach Blanket by St. Knicholas Cage

Monster Rally – The New Optimism (from Deep Sea 7″)
Monster Rally – The New Optimism by nuravebrainwave

Danger Beach – Lakes (feat. TV Colours) (from Dream Damage Records)
Danger Beach – Lakes (feat. TV Colours) by nuravebrainwave

Sonny & The Sunsets – I Wanna Do It (from Hit After Hit LP)
Sonny And The Sunsets – “I Wanna Do It” by forcefieldpr

High Pop – Drip From The Sea (from Hippie Speed Ball EP)
High Pop – Drip from the Sea by yvynyl

Milk Maid – Such Fun (from Yucca LP)
Milk Maid – Such Fun by nuravebrainwave

Dead Gaze – Fishing With Robert (from Atelier Ciseaux 7″)
DEAD GAZE - Fishing With Robert by atelier ciseaux

Ketamines – Line by Line (from Mammoth Cave Recordings)
Line by Line – Ketamines by NewtownRadio

Royal Headache – Down The Lane (from Royal Headache LP)
Royal Headache – Down The Lane by nuravebrainwave

Bloodshot Bill – Dark Lonely Street (from Thunder & Lightning LP)
Bloodshot Bill – Dark Lonely Street by nuravebrainwave

Fidlar – Oh (from DIYDUI EP)
FIDLAR – Oh by nuravebrainwave

Colleen Green – Green One (from Green One EP)
Colleen Green – Green One by nuravebrainwave

Assassins 88/TV Colours – Lethal (from Assassins 88/TV Colours/Catholic Spray split 7″)
Lethal (with TV Colours) by ASSASSINS 88

Bazooka – I Wanna Fuck All The Girls In My School (from XVIII Records 7″)
Bazooka – I Want to Fuck All the Girls in My School by nuravebrainwave

As a part of our year-end 2k11 coverage, I just wanted to remind everyone of the awesome bands that I’ve written about this year. These are all the Introducing pieces that I did throughout 2k11 about amazing new up-and-comers etc, in descending order:

introducing: mr elevator & the brain hotel
introducing: toto & the bad eggs (feat jerry tropicano, brown brogues & sex beet members)
introducing: hypocrite in a hippy crypt
introducing: high pop
introducing: bummer high
introducing: the teen velvettes
introducing: salsa chips
introducing: something men
introducing: best friends
introducing: omi palome
introducing: allah-las
introducing: the fabulous st. knicholas cage
introducing: the high drops
introducing: peach kelli pop
introducing: bobby chiz
introducing: khanwood clarke
introducing: the migs
introducing: guadalupe plata
introducing: theme park
introduing: teenage moonlight borderliners
introducing: hank haint
introducing: zyklon beach
introducing: tomorrows tulips
introducing: dune rats
introducing: the bell peppers
introducing: catholic spray
introducing: trmrs
introducing: lab coast
introducing: milk maid
introducing: king lollipop
introducing: tandoori knights
introducing: tv colours
introducing: hanni el khatib
introducing: personal & the pizzas
introducing: thee ludds
introducing: bitch prefect
introducing: swimsuit
introducing: eagulls
introducing: childish gambino
introducing: estrogen highs

In the UK, people go really apeshit over this thing called the BBC Sound of 2012. Whether they agree or not, my googlereader and twitter feed have been clogged up with shit about this poll done by the popular UK clique of bloggers and music industry people. I, however, was involved with the Blog Sound of 2012, which quite frankly, is also ridiculous but I submitted by picks on the off-chance that one of them might make a sneak appearance in the long-list. Today the long-list was announced, and I only had to laugh because 0 of my picks got on the list. I wonder how many other bloggers were completely shut out of this blog-sound of 2012 thing? Probably none. What follows, is the list of the Blog Sound of 2012 and then my list and why each one of those bands should be on the list, but isn’t…

Houdini Dax
Lianne La Havas
Theme Park 
French Wives
The Good Natured
Alt J
The Jezabels
Lucy Rose
Bastille
Rachel Sermanni
Friends
Meursault
Daughter
Beth Jeans Houghton
Outfit

I mean, one of these bands was described as “Mumford & Son approved folk”. I don’t think I need to make any other comment.

Nu Rave Brain Wave Blog Sound of 2012 picks: (not to be confused with my tips for 2012, coming later)

The Bell Peppers – An unbelievable Manchester trio (or duo, now, not sure) that makes ridiculously smooth, effortless, fresh 50s/60s doo-wop-pop and an album of Nirvana covers that ruled. If they don’t release something in 2012, I’ll just have to go back up to Manchester and harass them (consider this done once already).

mp3: The Bell Peppers – Cry Baby

Fidlar – Straight up the best punk band in LA. If FIDLAR don’t make an impact in 2012, I will eat my foot.

mp3: Fidlar – Oh

Pangea – Straight up the second best punk band in LA. If Pangea don’t go somewhere in 2012, I’ll eat my other foot and install prosthetic feet with roller skates attached to them.

mp3: Pangea – Shitty

Ghost Outfit – Another Manchester pick, wrote one of my favorite songs of 2011 and just released a sick 7″. They’re definitely going somewhere with their deft command of noisy pop songs.

mp3: Ghost Outfit – I Was Good When I Was Young

Royal Headache – This Aussie band released an album in 2011 (one of my favorites of the year) and were mostly overlooked which is why 2012 will probably see them make some sort of definite name for themselves.

mp3: Royal Headache – Down The Lane

Blogs involved in the Blog Sound of 2012:Breaking More Waves, God Is In the TV, Sweeping The Nation, The Von Pip Musical Express, The Recommender, Faded Glamour, Drunken Werewolf, Flying With Anna, Not Many Experts,Underclassed Idle Ideas, Sonic Masala, Mudkiss, The Pop Cop, The Ring Master, Both Bars On, Music From A Green Window, Dots And Dashes, The Daily Growl, And Everyone’s A DJ, Kowolskiy, Just Music That I Like,Cruel Rhythm, The Blue Walrus, Music Fans Mic, Seventeen Seconds, Eaten By Monsters, Seven Sevens,Unpeeled, New Rave Brain Wave (LOL), Peenko, Music Liberation and Song By Toad.

Been religiously compiling my list of stuff I’ve really enjoyed this year, and here’s the best of albums, EPs, and 7″that I’ve enjoyed during the first half of 2011.

LPs
Monster Rally – Coral
The Beets – Stay Home
Mind Spiders – The Mind Spiders
The Babies – The Babies
Chain & The Gang – Music’s Not For Everyone
Bass Drum of Death – GB City
Shannon & The Clams – Sleep Talk
Sonny & The Sunsets – Hit After Hit
Hunx & His Punx – Too Young To Be In Love
Dirty Beaches – Badlands
Mellowhype – BlackenedWhite
Goblin – Tyler the Creator
Cosmonauts – S/T
TRMRS – Sea Change
Black Lips – Arabia Mountain

EPs
Thee Ludds – Fez Bowl
Ghost Outfit – Young Ghosts EP
Die Jungen – $
Carnivores – Chandelier EP
The Bell Peppers – Cooking With The Bell Peppers
Ty Segall – Ty Rex
Toto & The Bad Eggs – Wallet Droppin’
The High Drops – EP

7″
Man The Hunter – 7″
Bitch Prefect – 7″
The Growlers – Gay Thoughts 7″
TV Colours / Assassins 88 – Split 7″
Women / Cold Pumas / Fair Ohs / Friendo – Split 7″
Sex Beet / Human Eye – Split Scion 7″
The Beets – Time Brought Age 7″
Catholic Spray/Assassins88//TV Colours – Split 7″

Shea Stadium in Brooklyn has been recording everyone who passes through their doors to play for a while now, and the website they promised to let us all hear that stuff is now live, holla! Since they’ve hosted NRBW favorites like The Babies, Beach Fossils, Eternal Summers, Ducktails etc, I thought I would just point any interested parties towards http://www.liveatsheastadium.com/.

I went to Shea Stadium once. I had the fucking hardest time getting there and it was hot as balls inside but I had a blast. Check out the band I went to see below:

Sex Beet – Live @ Shea Stadium 9.25.10 by LiveatSheaStadium

Okay, I LOVE Twitter. I think it’s the greatest thing and will talk about it to anyone who will listen. I also fancy myself to be an extremely hilarious tweeter. I get told that all the time. I am the best. So in a fit of self-indulgence, I picked out 10 of my best tweets of the year. They are:

01 so I’m about to wear Uggs out of the house. You can all unfollow now as I’m sure I’ll be getting Crocs in the mail and grow a FUPA overnight

02 “I am gonna run this by you, but, I think I pushed her.” #howimakefriends

03 “Local bdsm club owner” #futureresumeadditions

04 i would definitely feel safe buying tickets from a website called ticketbiscuit #fersure

05 people keep unfollowing me. is that because i’m totally as cute and charming as i think i am? #probablyso #imsarcastic

06 ALSO, i am from the blogging school of mary shelley rather than that ostentatiously vocabularied percey shelley. #literaturetweets

07 “I think they are a perfect fit with nuravebrainwave.com. If you like early Smashing Pumpkins, Snow Patrol and Plain White T’s” #excuseme

08 Saw a commercial for “my strange addiction”, went to put it in the tivo immediately, then cousin says its already in there!!! #family

09 why did i get a documentary about Howard Zinn? He wrote a book too boring to read, so I’m sure a documentary will be fascinating.

10 i used to make end of year awards specifically to give to cole alexander. like best experimental facial hair. #socool

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Pitchfork recently put out a list of a bunch of upcoming 7″ and LPs to keep your eyes peeled for in the coming months. And I thought I’d help my fair readers to know what to actually look out for. Some of this looks really great, I’m so excited for The Beets, The Babies and Chain & The Gang!

JANUARY
01-10
Ducktails: Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics [Woodsist]
White Fence: …Is Growing Faith [Woodsist]

01-11
Beach Fossils: “Calyer” 7” [Captured Tracks]
The Beets: Stay Home [Captured Tracks]
The Beets: “Time Brought Age” 7” [Captured Tracks]
Minks: By the Hedge [Captured Tracks]

01-18
Fergus & Geronimo: Unlearn [Hardly Art]
Smith Westerns: Dye It Blonde [Fat Possum]
Tennis: Cape Dory [Fat Possum]

01-24
Cloud Nothings: Cloud Nothings [Wichita] [UK release]

01-25
Chain and the Gang: “Cry, Cry, Cry Over You” b/w “Snakes on a Plane” 7” [K Records]
Cloud Nothings: Cloud Nothings [Carpark]
Sic Alps: Napa Asylum [Drag City]
Sonny Smith: 100 Records Volume 2: I Miss the Jams [Turn Up Records]
Wanda Jackson: The Party Ain’t Over [Third Man/Nonesuch]

FEBRUARY
02-01
Catwalk: “One By Words” 7” [Captured Tracks]
The New Original Sonic Sound: The New Original Sonic Sound [Jackpot] [members of Mudhoney, R.E.M., Gas Huffer doing Sonics covers]

02-08
The Babies: The Babies [Shrimper]

02-22
Chain and the Gang: Music’s Not for Everyone [K]
Puro Instinct: Headbangers in Ecstasy [Mexican Summer]
Bass Drum of Death: GB City [Inflated Records]

MARCH
03-01
Dignan Porch: TBA 12” EP [Captured Tracks]
Dum Dum Girls: He Gets Me High EP [Sub Pop]

03-08
Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring for My Halo [Matador]

Also to be released:

Beach Fossils: TBA [Captured Tracks]
Catwalk: TBA [Captured Tracks]
Hunx & His Punx: TBA [Hardly Art]
Lady Gaga: Born This Way [Interscope]

Having written my top 10 list quite a while back (I’m not one of those who listens to a million albums I didn’t get to or like, actually remembers the ones I liked throughout the year) it was inevitable that I missed out on approx. 10 great records that should have made my list, and one in particular could’ve probably been like number two. All of the following records are great and I just wanted to say that since I didn’t get to write one setence blurbs about why they’re amazing.

Black Mekon | Broke Into Always On | Cold Rice
mp3 | Black Mekon - Drag

Demon’s Claws | The Defrosting Of… | In The Red
mp3 | Demon\'s Claws - Fucked on K

Sonny & The Sunsets | Tomorrow Is Alright | Soft Abuse
mp3 | Sonny & the Sunsets - Too Young To Burn

Woods | At Echo Lake | Woodsist
mp3 | Woods - Pick Up

Cum Stain | Cum Stain | Burger Records
mp3 | Cum Stain - Bachelor\'s Life

Thee Oh Sees | Warm Slime | In The Red
mp3 | Thee Oh Sees - Mega-feast

The Mantles | The Mantles | Siltbreeze
mp3 | The Mantles - Disappearing Act

Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | Roc-A-Fella
mp3 | Kanye West (feat. Beyonce, Big Sean & Charlie Wilson) – See Me Now

Tijuana Panthers | Max Baker | Burger Records
mp3 | Tijuana Panthers - Crew Cut

Moonhearts | S/T | Tic Tac Totally
mp3 | The Moonhearts - I Hate Myself

I can’t believe it’s time again for me to say who I think is going to blow up next year. I’d like to clarify that nobody has asked for my input on this, but I feel that these bands are going to either blow up or achieve mild success that to me is the equivalent of superstardom. There’s been a lot of great new bands to come up this year and I couldn’t feature all of them so in lieu of having a list of like 20, I’m listing my top 10 bands that you’ll likely see on the pages of this blog, and maybe some other places and here’s a few that I got obsessed with too late or forgot about: School Knights, Ghost Outfit, Brown Brogues, Bleeding Knees Club, Straight Arrows, Cum Stain, The Franks, Friends, Wicked Fag, Tijuana Panthers, Sauna Youth, Moonhearts, Family Trees and Son of Rams. There’s too many to list, but check these out:

10 Audacity | Fullerton, CA | Myspace

Youthful punk rippers that go balls out every time, the fuzz doesn’t seem to mask the undercurrent of straight up great songs, best to see live and jump around to, nowhere to go but up.

mp3 | Audacity - Dicks Hate Police

09 Shimmering Stars | Vancouver, BC | Myspace

Very new, but very good. More of the tender, half-sweet half-hidden-dark side 50s/60s pop with more than a tinge of the Everly Brothers, but serious lyric potential here. Basically, rules.

mp3 | Shimmering Stars - I\'m Gonna Try

08 The Vaccines | London, UK | Myspace

Teetering on the edge of being swept up into the British Hype Machine notwithstanding, these are great pop songs filtered through a very watery veil of 60s surf, but end up with something big, echoing and catchy as fuck.

mp3 | The Vaccines - Blow It Up

07 Spectrals | Wakefield, UK | Myspace

Northern England’s favorite ginger man doing stunning 50s doowop mixed with perfect, swooning 60s pop. Making it new with serious songwriting chops.

mp3 | Spectrals - Leave Me Be

06 Sex Beet | London/Leicester, UK | Myspace

UK’s best answer to anything that is happening in the US garage scene; makers of grimy, fuzzy, incredibly infectious noisy garage rippers. Bonus points for excellence in keyboard, being as great live as on record, weed smoking jams.

mp3 | Sex Beet - Sugar Water

05 Heavy Hawaii | San Diego, CA | Myspace

Beach born, Spector raised ridiculously catchy, tender, floating sentimental jams that err on the side of excellence rather than annoyingness. Bonus points for weed smoking jams.

mp3 | Heavy Hawaii - Teen Angel

04 Sweaters | Los Angeles, CA | Myspace

Los Angeles’ heir to the crown of boisterous, timeless, wickedly humorous, anthemic pop songs of positivity, joy and awesomeness. Only band who puts a smile on my face in person and on record. Bonus points for being published authors.

mp3 | Sweaters - Sky Mall

03 The Babies | New York, NY | Myspace

Exercise in mastering simplicity in song writing, then adding fuzz, a little bit of shambles and the best male/female shared vocals. This blurb doing them absolutely no justice as they’re incredible.Minus points for not knowing how great they are, as they’re still not a full-time band.

mp3 | The Babies - Meet Me In The City

02 King Charles | London, UK | Myspace

Forward thinking, experimental pop guitar shredder with more talent than songs going to a major label. Could be great.

mp3 | King Charles - Love Lust

01 The Growlers | Costa Mesa, CA | Myspace

The kings of surf, garage, psychedelic swamp stomps with undeniable PhDs in ridiculously infectious melodies; dark, insanely intelligent lyrics and making you dance (even if you don’t wanna). Also, wearers of ridiculous clothing.

mp3 | The Growlers - Average Man