From Across The Pond 04.08.08: The 10 Best New Acts Coming out of Europe This Year
Posted by Sean Reid on 04.08.2008
In his debut column for 411mania, Irish man Seán Reid examines 10 new bands to come out of Europe this year that deserve your time and ears. With rock, punk, dance, hip-hop and pop acts mentioned, Europe is providing something for everyone
Hey everyone, welcome to the first edition of ‘From across the Pond', bringing you the finest reports on the music scene here in Europe. Let me introduce myself, my name is Seán Reid. I live here in Ireland and am a hardcore music junkie, loving every kind of music possible, from the hard hitting bass of a good dance track to the screams from a savage trash-metal band. My personal favorite bands are Sigur Rós, Tool, The Knife, Massive Attack and Radiohead. And no, I may be Irish, but I'm not a fan on U2 and yes, we are sorry for Bono. But enough about me, let's get cracking with this column!
So as you have most likely guessed by now, this column shall be focusing on all the goings on here in the European music scene. My aim is that you will discover a lot of new acts that you may otherwise may never have heard of and thus broaden your music taste. This will have a little something for everyone, but you'll find that a lot of the focus will be on alternative rock, dance and music you might find a bit "out-there". So, with that, let's get going with this weeks column!
New Kids on the Block
This year looks to be an exciting one for new music. The amount of debut albums that have been coming out to great previews and reviews across the board is massive, and shows no signs of slowing down. But where do you start if you're on a quest for some new tunes? This week, I'm going to do the job for you and give you 10 new bands who I think you should go out of your way to check out.
Foals
Think of them as a British version of Battles. Their debut album ‘Antidotes' is causing a storm here in Europe, with the band topping everyones early album of the year list. The band blend together the minimalist nature of other indie-rock bands while over-dubbing it with layers upon layers of noise usually associated with a techno act. But make no mistake about it, this isn't a dance-indie (Or "Nu-Rave" as much as I hate that term), this is plain old, balls to the wall math-rock. Their recorded material is both a joy and a challenge to listen to, and their live shows have to be experienced in person, few words can do them justice. Are they a band to watch this year? Of course. A band that'll own the dance floor for years to come? Count on it.
Stand out track: ‘Hummer'
Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Daft Punk with guitars. If we think of a time-line of the nu-wave movement hitting Europe for the past while, we can think of it like this: First you had Test Icicles setting out the blue prints for the music. Next, you had Klaxons making a main-stream audience aware of it. Now we have Does It Offend You, Yeah? perfecting it, or coming as close as you can. While it is unfair to compare them to Klaxons, the comparison is present, but don't let it turn you away from the band. These guys know how to blend the catchy nature of a Daft Punk song together with the dirty, fuck-you nature of punk rock. On a personal level, I have not been this excited about a new band since Interpol first hit these shores. If you want something new, do yourself a favour and download their debut ‘You Have No Idea What You Are Getting Yourself Into' this very second!
Stand out track: ‘Lets Make Out'
Late of the Pier
The greatest acid trip you never had. England is known for producing a lot of music that makes you scratch your head and just think "…the fuck?" But these four lads are truly pushing a lot of random buttons, taking influences from every corner of the music world, then tossing it out the window, letting the car run over it, then working with the mangled mess that's left over. But make no mistake about it, despite all the weirdness coming out of the speakers, these guys make great pop music, pure and simple. Their debut is destined to become a favourite this summer, even if it will take a little while for mainstream audiences to take a liking to them. But it's clear that this is a band that doesn't mind what the outside world thinks, because they are happiest living in their own little bubble.
Stand out track: ‘The Bears Are Coming'
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
Old school hip-hop, but with sideburns instead of guns and periodic tables instead of bitches. I know, with that kind of introduction I'm making these two seem like the nerdy kid you bullied in school. But if life has taught us anything, it's these guys we end up loving when we get into the real world. The duo stick out like a sore thumb on a masochists body in the British hip-hop scene, and have been embraced more by the rock crowd that anyone else. With songs about elegance, realising that musicians are just people and God explaining some things to mankind, 50 Cent this is not. If you like your hip hop to be about how many hoes you smoked after you played with your new gun then you'll either be confused by Scroobius Pips' grasp of the English dictionary or you'll suddenly realise that hip hop can be so much more than what it is presented to be. The spirit of old school Public Enemy is alive and well, in two hairy British white guys.
Stand out track: ‘Thou Shall Always Kill'
The Ting Tings
When your fourth gig is Glastonbury, you know you must be doing something right. The girl-boy combo is a tried and tested one and has proved hard to fuck up on record. When it comes to most live shows though, most bands fall flat on their faces. The Tings Tings thankfully deliver both live and on record. It's very simple pop music here folks, nothing to technical or deep, just simple songs about heading out for a night on the town. With The Ting Tings you are getting exactly what it says on the tin, fun tunes that you can dance around too. I can see the reasons for the popularity of these two, but on a personal level, I like my two pieces to be a little more unique, which is where the next act step in.
Stand out track: ‘Great DJ'
Blood Red Shoes
Now let's take the exact formula as above, but give it more balls. Blood Red Shoes keep the spirit of Giant Drag alive and turn the amps up even more. I have never in my 21 years on this earth, heard two people create so much noise. This is what rock and roll is meant to be, something that kicks you straight in the balls, steals your whiskey and stubs its cigarette in your eye. The sad thing is, Blood Red Shoes are so rock and roll in their sound that they will probably never get the success that they deserve. Not that it would bother them though. These guys are the kind of band that should be heard in those small venues that smell funky, where when your kids ask you what rock and roll is, you can think back to the moment you saw Blood Red Shoes.
Get the Artic Monkeys drunk, make them Irish and add a violin. Band on an Island, who have just returned from their first trip to the United States, are a band that can be seen as cliché rebel Irish, without having to sing about the IRA. With tunes about sticking it to the Guardí (Irish police force) and having a drink with the lads, it's hard not to connect with these guys lyrics, no matter what country you come from. If you want your punk rock hard and fast, then Band on an Island are the ones for you.
Stand out track: ‘The Burning Shoulder'
The Ghost Frequency
The Misfits, with synthesizers! Yes! Someone has finally taken the horror-movie like nature of The Misfits and updated it for a new generation. Long over-due I say, and I for one welcome it with open arms. It's been awhile since a band has written songs about the living dead without sounding like bored arts students. The Ghost Frequency are gutsy, know how to pull off a good tune and judging by the reception their first two singles have received, 2008 is going to be a good year for them. Of all the bands on this list though, I think that The Ghost Frequency are the ones most suited for an American audience. Sure, they'll have their fans in Europe, but if these guys break the States then they'll be set for life. Perfect band for America, and judging by some of the stuff I'm hearing on podcasts, you guys need to get The Ghost Frequency over to your shores ASAP!
Stand out track: ‘Nightmare'
Hadouken!
What happens when you stick a lot of sub-genres together into one jar, but don't do a Late of the Pier job with it? You getting Hadouken, and while these guys are enjoying mainstream attention on this side of the world, you sometimes get the feeling it won't last. See, Hadouken are the kind of band that want to please EVERYONE, and have set their ambitions with music so high they seem to forget to stick to the ground roots of their music and develop it. Twice in the past year they have announced that they are changing their sound, and my God it's frustrating as hell as a critic, and as a small fan, to read that. Original the band where apart of the nu-rave scene and where actually excellent. Debut single ‘That Boy, That Girl' was a brilliant dance tune. Follow up ‘Liquid Lives' was just as exciting. But then they decided to change their sound, and there were talks that those two songs wouldn't make the record. The band became what can best be described as, and I hope to God I haven't created a new sub-genre with this term, ‘Nu-Metal Rave' (Copyright Seán Reid 2008). And yes, it was God awful. Then, they changed their sound AGAIN, with something that tried to sound more epic, but kept the synth sound of the first two singles. Needless to say, it was just as woeful. So why have I even bothered to mention them in this list? Well, it turns out the band are going to put those first two singles on the record, so hopefully the rest of the album is in the same style. We can only hope so, because it would be a shame to see such a talented band die before they got a chance to fly.
Stand out track: ‘That Boy, That Girl'
Lightspeed Champion
Ever notice that it is always the strange ones who seem to write the lyrics you connect with most? Carrying on in the style of Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and Bright Eyes, Lightspeed Champion has become the unlikely voice for indie kids across Britain. I'm not a big fan of his music, but I adore his lyrics. He is witty, intelligent and can make you laugh and think at the same time. Think of him as Bill Hicks with a guitar but a lot less vulgar. Very original stuff and it's great to see so many people warming to something towards him.
Stand out track: ‘Tell Me What It's Worth'
And with that I leave you for this week. I have one thing to ask of you though. One thing you are going to learn about me, I love finding new bands. I don't give a damn about style they are; I'll give anything a chance. So now that I have given you ten new European bands, leave me a comment with some American bands I might find interesting. I don't even mind if it's your own band, I'll give it a listen. Who knows, you might see me mention them in a future column!
Phew, I managed to go the whole column without mentioning my own band Bazuki…ah God damnit!
