New Music Monday

For Gigwise.com

Any new band worth their keep has been in Austin, Texas this last week trying to stir up the suits interest, excite the blogs and avoid sunburn. The annual Texan industry scrum always propels a few select bands forwards and this weeks NMM pick Girls are one of the hottest names to drop in Austin right now. By the time you read this however the festival will be over and the bands flying home with bloated BBQ stomachs, read on to see what they are up to this week.

Girls

They might look a bit like Hanson but don't let the flowing blonde locks fool you- Girls are a special band. The San Francisco foursome are one of a host of great Californian groups around at the moment (The Oh Sees, Magic Bullets, Wavves) and arguably the pick of the crop. Their sweet acoustic pop is augmented by lead singer Christopher Owens jerky Elvis Costello-esque vocals and their laid back pop is perfect for the coming Summer months. 'Lust For Life' sounds like a lost classic, a sort of upbeat Elliott Smith or Bon Iver if he got a surf board and had recorded his album on a beach instead of a log cabin. As a bizarre juxtaposition Girls also deal a fine line in feedback heavy noisepop as shown on last years single 'Hellhole Ratrace' and 'Morning Light'. Whether this more aggressive edge comes to full fruition on their debut album due soon we'll have to wait and see.

Girls Myspace

Two Door Cinema Club

Not to be confused with Birmigham's Sunset Cinema Club are Northern Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club (honestly, it's getting ridiculous). I'll let them off however as Two Door are making the most joyous racket in the world right now. There is something so unashamedly pop and sugary sweet to what they craft that it would be futile to even try and resist their charms. Their debut EP 'Four Words To Stand On' Promptly sold out as soon as it was released in March of last year and the band have since released another single, the similarly infectious 'Undercover Martyn'. As and when the press clamber onto Two Door much will be made of the fact they don't have a drummer (shock, horror) but the drum machine element of their sound is minimal. They don't have the cold sounds synonymous with electro because they smother them with huge choruses and melodies. The feeling they could be the new Wombats niggles slightly but you hope fluffy mascots, wacky behaviour and Bridget Jones are not on their minds. Two Door Cinema Club release their next single 'Something Good Can Work' on the peerless Kitsune on March 30th and is available to download now.

Two Door Cinema Club Myspace

5 to Download

1. Little Boots- New In Town (Fred Falke Remix) Taking the hype Queen's oddly maudlin new single Falke turns it into a relentless disco stomp. This will slay dance floors in a few months time.
2. The Dead Weather-Hang You From The Heavens Jack White side project #257 sees him hook up with The Kills Alison Mosshart for a garage and blues blast. Unsurprising but irresistible all the same.
3. Dum Dum Girls- Jail La La Another C86 revivalist to add to the list. This tale of hard labour is based on real life events and erases all the pop meets prison memories Akon left us with on 'Locked Up'. Almost.
4. Hatcham Social- Murder In The Dark This four piece released their debut album last week, this, the lead single from the album is a swaggering piece of pop noir.
5. Copy Haho- Pulling Push Ups This Scottish four piece are pariahs against Daily Express journalists in their spare time but when on band duty make upbeat indie pop of the highest order. Taken from their 'Bred For Skills & Magic' EP.

Debut albums out this week

Leeds quartet Grammatics release their self titled album. Ambitious, emotive and free from restriction it's a required purchase. Elsewhere Manchester based folk chanteuse Karima Francis lets her album 'The Author' out into the world.

On tour this week

Florence and The Machine play the Royal Albert Hall for Cancer Research (Monday), Official Secrets Act play in London, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds and Hull, Dananananaykroyd play in Hull, Coventry, Oxford and Cardiff with Calories and Me My Head, Kid Cudi is in London, Glasgow and Manchester (The hip-hop trinity) and Pulled Apart By Horses begin their first headline tour with dates in York, Middlesborough, Oxford, London, Guilford and Brighton. Playing one off London shows are Chew Lips, Your Twenties, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump and Lissy Trullie play one-off London shows.

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New Music Monday