A few new and fairly good bands that aren’t receiving much press/blogger hype:
Envelopes
Envelopes are a Swedish five-piece that have been heavily compared to Architecture in Helsinki, but where AiH uses a toy chest full of instruments, Envelopes sound is based through the electric guitar, and some of the most memorable moments on their debut album Demon are when the instrument is allowed to shine (the outro of “Glue”, the solo on “Massmouvment”). But what I love most about Envelopes is their wide-eyed and instantaneous look at the world around them. Their writing is peppered with things that any average Joe might blurt out to a friend in every day situations (“You’re the greatest thing I’ve ever seen!” or “If I were you… I would watch out for that guy over there”). That matched with the couldn’t-be-more-perfect voices of vocalists Audrey Pic and Henrik Orrling make for one of the most refreshing albums of the year.
Tokyo Police Club
So it turns out that the best new UK post-punk band is actually from Toronto. TPC’s debut EP A Lesson in Crime has post-punk hallmarks (simple guitar play, literary politics, interjecting keyboards) but blows a number of bands with that same recipe out of the water with a relentless energy that makes their songs stampede out of speakers. Expect major hype surrounding these guys as they embark on a tour of the US and properly release A Lesson in Crime stateside.
The Young Knives
The Young Knives operate in the vein of a majority of post-punk bands, but what separates YK from every other NME Band of the Century is that upon first listen it is obvious that this band is having fun. So while haters will throw out “It’s the Futureheads Take Two” insults when their debut The Voices of Animals and Men hits, the Young Knives are a lot more Art Brut then they are Kaiser Chiefs. Their latest single “Weekends and Bleakdays (Hot Summer)” is instantly grabbing and features the least pretentious refrain of the year (“This! Is! The! End! Of! The! Summer!). Finally, a post-punk band that even Eddie Argos can like.