New Music Monday

As another week begins all us to introduce you to another steaming hot batch of fresh talent snapping at the heel of well worn cliches.

Lost Knives.

Too soon? Possibly but it's been a long while since Gigwise heard a band as promising as this Manchester four-piece so the fact they have only been together a month (?!) seems somewhat irrelevant. Rarely do new acts sound as confident, ready and primed for bigger things than Lost Knives. The idea that songs like 'Cold Morning' will initially find their home in toilet venues seems absurd when they should by rights be soundtracking apocolyptic wars amidst body strewn fields. With just a handful of demos the band have already secured some big name support slots including a date tonight (March 30th) with Edinburgh bombasts Broken Records at Manchester's Ruby Lounge. Think Hope Of The States, think Sonic Youth, think big because Lost Knives are a band for whom broken ceilings were invented for. You can download the Lost Knives track 'Out Of Touch Now' by following the link below.

Out Of Touch- MP3
Lost Knives Myspace

Telekinesis.

Maybe it's because main man Michael Lerner bears a resemblance to Ben Gibbard or the fact that he makes emotionally wrought hook heavy alt.pop songs but there is a distinct Death Cab For Cutie vibe about Telekinesis. 'Coast Of Carolina' throws you off the scent initially, begining with a scratchy lo-fi intro but that wrong scent soon gives way to crashing great waves of FM friendly chorus and sunshine rays. The subsequent 3 minutes takes in the best parts of The Shins with a healthy dose of Weezer and Beck to create a thoroughly charming pop song. Telekinesis were one of the (many) buzz bands of SXSW and it's not hard to see why. You can stream the bands self titled album through the Merge Records website now.

Telekinesis Myspace

5 To Download

Fol Chen- 'Cable TV' A Liars side project on Asthmatic Kitty Records gives this an indie zeitgeist rating off the scale. A sitar and beat heavy combination with overt pop sensibilities make this an essential listen.

Passion Pit- 'The Reeling' Ahead of their debut full length album 'Manners' comes this euphoric blast of brass bands, childrens choirs and heavily processed electronic backdrop. Big things are coming.

The XX- 'Crystalised' Dubbed 'The new sound of London' alongside Gigwise favourites The Big Pink and Micachu this hauntingly soulful new single is an insight into a deep and enigmatic band destined for intriguing things.

Bang Bang Eche- '4 To The Floor' There is something wonderfully trashy and disposable about this New Zealand band. They do nothing new but their frantic riffs and bludgeoning synths combine to create a helter skelter of fizzy explosions that are somehow irresistable.

Suckers- 'Easy Chairs' More post MGMT/Animal Collective/Chairlift etc psychadelic pop from Brooklyn, New York. It might be reaching overkill but it's still hard not to get lost in the swirling technicolour of the hypnotic chanting showcased here.

Debut albums out this week.

Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife finally sees her side project Fever Ray get a physical release this week. This self titled album is a melancholic, brittle and sparse piece of work so beautiful and dark it puts all the competition to shame- no doubt about it, this is destined to be one of the albums of the year. Perhaps not as essential but reccomended nonetheless is Official Secrets Act with 'Understanding Electricity'. A thoroughly enjoyable blast of indie pop gems and Kinks-esque off kilter song writing it's a decidedly British treat.

Gigs

Little Boots begins to clock up the first of no doubt thousands of miles on the touring clock in Wycombe, Bristol and Southampton. Micachu and The Shapes are in Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool Brighton and Southampton from today with special guests The XX in Manchester and Liverpool. Post War Years play London's Madame Jojo's tonight. A Place To Bury Strangers start in Dublin on Tuesday and finish in Birmingham on Sunday taking in Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Oxford along the way. Broken Records are in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Leeds. The Pan I Am (Ex-Larrikin Love) plays the Hoxton Bar & Grill on Wednesday. Southend's Baddies play in Lincoln, Newcastle, Glasgow and Hull. Finally Mumford and Sons bring their harmonious folk to Northampton, Edinburgh, Leeds, Bristol and London in support of The Maccabees.

New Music Monday