Luckily, I arrived early to Mercury Lounge to catch Brooklyn quartet Mon Khmer‘s supporting set for Savoir Adore last month. I’d never heard of the band prior to that night so it was a great surprise to catch the band’s captivating live show. Rather than following the current  psych/electro trends of modern rock, MK have carved out an updated classic rock sound that flows organically live and on the record. Mon Khmer will surely gain a bigger following throughout their spring tour as well as their gigs during SXSW.

Keep an ear open for Mon Khmer and check out a few of my choice tracks from their EP released last year below! More pictures from their Savoir Adore supporting set can be seen below as well.

Update: The songs below were part of an unreleased demo EP I got my hands on, the band personally requested they be removed as they were unfinished. Stay tuned for their upcoming full length!

Stream: Birthplace

mp3: Mon Khmer – Change [alt]
mp3: Mon Khmer – GTS [alt]
mp3: Mon Khmer – Populist [alt]

He’s the former drummer of now-defunct indie hopefuls, Ladyfuzz. It took him a little less than a year to go from virtual unknown to a force to be reckoned with. For US readers unfamiliar with his songs, the best way to describe him would be if Buddy Holly and Prince had a love child who went on to collaborate with Hot Chip and Klaxons. And as you can see from the photo, he’s also got a healthy penchant for Fred Perry shirts (*swoon*).

Becky filled us in on Esser during her NYC visit and having done some subsequent research, I can honestly say his music is genuinely interesting and progressive.

One of TLC‘s all-time heroes, Zane Lowe, has been featuring Esser heavily on his BBC Radio 1 show. Esser’s currently gearing up for a support slot on the Kaiser Chief’s UK tour and his own headlining UK tour in the spring. Keep your ear to the ground for this dance rock pioneer to make his way across the pond. Watch the video for single, Satisfied, and download an MP3 below.

Their album, Welcome To The Jang House, is full of impossibly clever mash-ups and grimy beats that would undoubtedly have Theo Huxtable “jammin on the 1!” They’ll be opening for Santogold this Friday. Look out for our show coverage.

Plastic Little was recently featured as The Guardian’s New Band of the Day No.388.
Read the New York Times article on Cool Kids and the recent nostalgia for 1980s-90s hip hop .

When I was their age I was worried about picking a prom dress and getting into university. These kids, however, who’ve been playing together only about a year, have already been signed to influential indie label, XL, and written, recorded and released a debut LP to much critical acclaim.

The Colourful Life, released last week in the UK, was produced by Bernard Butler of Suede fame. The Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 stars. The album’s had brief mention Stateside on Pitchfork and they were titled Band To Watch by Stereogum.

Video for single, The Race:

They’ve been called a cross between The Kooks and Arcade Fire, and even though I’m not fond of these arbitrary comparisons, to me, they’re musically and vocally like The Kooks but more lyrically like The Maccabees or even Maximo Park. I think they could potentially have a similar appeal as The Kooks in the US.Cajun Dance Party will be playing London’s Bloomsbury Ballroom in July. Stateside folks can expect the album’s release in the Fall.

Following the release of their debut, and six months of grueling tour schedules with the likes of Blonde Redhead, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon and The Secret Machines, Brandon severely damaged his vocal chords. Through vocal exercises Brandon triumped and relearned to sing, an evolved electronica tinged indie-rock sound that is heard throughout Keep Your Eyes Ahead.