please see below for all our tips from the end of 2005 onwards ... of which the majority have since broken through!

2007 - Nieuwe bands...

Kijk hieronder voor al onze tips sinds eind 2005 ... de meeste zijn ook intussen doorgebroken!

December 2007

THE TING TINGS are an exciting 2-piece indie band from Salford (Greater Manchester) consisting of Katie White and Jules de Martino who have been influenced by the likes of Talking Heads, The Police and Björk. So far they have released 'Fruit Machine' and 'That`s Not My Name' as independent singles, their songs having been described as lush pop melodies and loops that stay in your head longer than the best advertising jingles. They recently toured the UK with New Young Pony Club, are due to appear live on the "Later ... With Jools Holland" music show (on BBC2, Friday 14th December), and are set for an expanded UK tour early next year. See also our previous feature from October 2007 following their appearance at this years IN THE CITY - More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/thetingtings

November 2007

VAMPIRE WEEKEND are a 4-piece upbeat indie pop band from NYC, who could easily be described as Buddy Holly meeting Talking Heads! In July 2007 they released the double A-sided 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' & 'A-Punk' on 7" vinyl, got signed by XL Recordings and released their first single on their new label - 'Mansard Roof' - in November, and did a brief 6 date UK tour to coincide. Their self titled debut album is due out on 29th January 2008 in North America and is expected to get a European release on 25th February. This is definitely a band to watch out for as 2008 gets under way. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www. myspace.com/vampireweekend

A review of new bands at this years IN THE CITY can be found - > HERE

EFFI BRIEST are a 6-piece all-girl band from Brooklyn, NYC who are named after a novel which deals with the subordinate role of women in late 19th century Germany. In August they released 'Mirror Rim' in as a single on vinyl over in the UK through Loog Records (which is run by NME`s editor James Oldham) and they made a good impression earlier this month (November) when they played at a festival in Paris along with Blood Red Shoes, Reverend & The Makers and Cold War Kids. They are described as a mix of The Slits, The Raincoats and early Siouxsie & The Banshees. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/effibriest





THE ADS are a 4-piece indie rock band from Glasgow who have been receiving a lot of praise (especially in Scotland) since they released their 7" vinyl single ’Autopilot’ in August, and are best described as a mix of Talking Heads, The Buzzcocks and The Small Faces. They have a brand new single - ’Maybe Tonight’ - out as download and on 7" vinyl in early December on the indie label King Tut`s Records which will also coincide with a 15 date tour of the UK. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/theads

Remember, the AAPA Monthly PLAY LIST usually gives you the best new music tips first!

October 2007

LOOK SEE PROOF are an upcoming powerpop indie band from Bedford (UK), who this year have already supported The Fratellis and The Rifles and who also made an impression at the annual IN THE CITY international music convention in Manchester earlier this month. Their critically acclaimed single 'Casualty' was released in September on Weekender Records, and they are due to play at the next London Calling event in Amsterdam in November. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/lookseeproof






Another Manchester band who are making all the right noises with brilliant tunes and blinding hooks that make you feel good are INTERNATIONAL ONE who have their much talked about debut single ‘Moonshine & Roses’ (Modern English label) out later this month and it was produced by Phil Vinall (Radiohead & Placebo). The six piece have been described as The Stone Roses meets Simon and Garfunkel, and are currently playing various gigs in the UK. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/ionetheband

September 2007

The band Joe Lean and The Jing Jang Jong formed in 2006 at a time when Joe Lean was drumming with The Pipettes and he wanted to find an outlet for the pop symphonies that he had been writing. The band, influenced by pop and 60's garage punk, played their first gig earlier this year and after only a handful more gigs the buzz on London's music scene was such that they were offered a record deal. Their debut single 'Lucio Starts Fires' (Mercury / Young & Lost Club Records) is currently being played on MTV2 and is out on 8th October.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/joeleanandthejingjangjong





THE COURTEENERS are a(nother) new band from Manchester who have been receiving fantastic live reviews over in the UK, and who have recently been selling out venues holding almost a thousand people! They came to our attention during the summer with their single ‘Cavorting’, while new single ‘Acrylic’ is due out next month. They have already been described as being the post-Libertines, post-Arctic Monkeys, new millennium Manchester band the world has been waiting for. Time will tell, but one thing is for sure that after all the recent music press concentrating on bands from Leeds, Glasgow or Sheffield, the arrival of The Courteeners will ensure that it won't be long before everyone heads back over to Manchester again.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/thecourteeners





Devonte Hynes (Dev from Test Icicles) has reinvented himself and is now performing as LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION and has been described as indie rock meets folk. His first single 'Galaxy of the Lost' which was released during the summer received positive reviews and his next single 'Midnight Surprise' will be released in October through Domino Records. As a live band, Lightspeed Champion will be touring the UK this autumn and with Alex Hardee (Scissor Sisters, iLiKETRAiNS, Infadels) as his agent he should be making inroads sooner rather than later.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/lightspeedchampion

Remember, the AAPA Monthly PLAY LIST usually gives you the best new music tips first!

August 2007

THE RUMBLE STRIPS are another new band from the UK who have been described as delivering a set of songs steeped with huge, life-affirming choruses all awash with the optimism of youth. Their album "Girls & Weather" (Island Records) will be out on 17th September and includes the single 'Girls And Boys In Love', which has also been included on the soundtrack to the film ‘ Run Fat Boy Run’ which should get a European cinema release next month (September). 'Girls And Boys In Love' will be released as a single on 3rd September and will be available on CD, 7" & 12" vinyl and includes a re-mix by HOT CHIP
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/rumblestripsuk





THE TIGERPICKS are a 3-piece indie band from Manchester who are influenced by the likes of The B52`s, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Tori Amos in equal measures, sound a bit like a mix of CSS, The Rapture and The Gossip, and describe themselves as sounding like a crystal goblet filled with glitter and purple fire! They were discovered and quickly signed up by Deltasonic Records during the annual In The City music convention last year. Earlier this year they released the single 'Disco Punk Electro Funk' (photo), and are expected to release their debut album soon. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/thetigerpicks





MAPS (aka James Chapman) hails from Northampton, England and can best be described as creating epic electronic sounds. He released his debut album "We Can Create" (Mute) on 14th May 2007, and recently released the single "You Don't Know Her Name". He is set to play various European dates from September, including 2 concerts (with full band) in the Benelux region (see our Gig Listings section for more details) - He should appeal to fans of AIR, SIGUR ROS, MOBY & BOARDS OF CANADA and was recently nominated for the Mercury Music Prize (the prestigious award for best album of the year) and is definitely one to watch out for.
More info can be found on the MAPS MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/mapsmusic

May - July 2007

ANNUALS are an upcoming American band (from North Carolina) who have already been showing some similarities with their Canadian neighbours Arcade Fire, in that by using a mixture of instrumentation they have created sprawling, hypnotic tracks with a sophisticated sound. They give us a mix of rock, pop and even hip-hop, and have been described by some as The Flaming Lips with Beach Boys harmonies. In Europe they are set to release their debut album "Be He Me" through Virgin / EMI on 18th June 2007.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/annuals





THE ENEMY are a 3-piece from Coventry and so far this year they have released 2 impressive singles ('It's Not Ok' on 12-2-2007 which entered the UK`s Top 10 & 'Away From Here' on 16-4-2007), with a brand new single 'Had Enough' out on 25-6-2007. They are gritty and raw yet provide catchy and melodic songs and are ones to watch out for. They were one of the highlights earlier this year when they appeared at the London Calling event in Amsterdam. Their debut album "We'll Live And Die In These Towns" (Warners) is out next month (july 2007).
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/theenemycoventry





GALLOWS are a hardcore punk band from Watford, England who have been building up a great reputation on the gig circuit.
Kerrang! magazine have called them "the future of punk rock". They are currently touring America and have been receiving a lot of critical acclaim. They initially released their debut album "Orchestra Of Wolves" on the indie label In At The Deep Records while over in the States it was distributed by Epitaph Records, but they have since signed to Warners and their album is to be re-released on 18th June 2007. The band are also due to play a couple of gigs in the Benelux region in November (see our Benelux Gig Listings section for more info).
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/gallows





NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB are a five piece indie/electronica band from London who have taken influences from the 80`s New Wave scene and added dance rhythms and should appeal to fans of LCD Soundsystem. Describing themselves they say “We marry the dance ethic with the pop ethic, and make something that you can dance to and sing along to.” They released the limited edition single ‘Ice Cream’ last year, had a recent UK indie chart hit with "The Bomb", while their debut album "Fantastic Playroom" (Island Records) is expected to be released this summer. NYPC are definitely ones to watch out for. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/newyoungponyclub

Remember, the AAPA Monthly PLAY LIST usually gives you the best new music tips first!

March - May 2007

Another upcoming band to watch out for are PULL TIGER TAIL, described recently by UK newspaper The Guardian as "The Smiths, Fugazi, Ride and Big Star mashed together in one breathless whole" and some are already predicting that they will be filling indie dance floors by the end of the year. They had a single (Let's Lightning) out in March, while their new single 'Hurricanes' (B-Unique) will be out on Monday 18th June. In the space of one short year, Pull Tiger Tail have emerged to stride ahead of the indie pack: since last Autumn's limited edition debut single 'Animator', they have made their way up the support slot food chain - from supporting Pigeon Detectives and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly through to stadium shows with the likes of Razorlight. Their debut album is due out in August.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/pulltigertail





THE BLIZZARDS are a ska-pop band from Ireland with a good live reputation who after releasing their debut single ‘First Girl to Leave Town’, which reached number 11 in the Irish charts were signed to Universal (Ireland) in 2006 and they have since released their debut album, "A Public Display of Affection" (photo) which was produced by Michael Beinhorn (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn, Soundgarden) which came out in October 2006, and various singles (incl. ‘Trouble’, ‘Miss Fantasia Preaches’ & ‘War of Words’). This year they have released ‘Fantasy’ as a single and are due to tour other parts of Europe in the near future and one to watch out for.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/theblizzards





THE ORANGE LIGHTS are an upcoming band from Newcastle, who recorded a ten-song album with Coldplay producer Ken Nelson in 2005 before they'd played a gig or even had a record deal. The band have since provoked a rush of record label, publishing and media interest from both the UK and US, but preferring to go it alone they set up their own Blackbird Records which will release their debut single 'Let The Love Back In' on 21st May, with their album "Life Is Still Beautiful" to follow in June and is being tipped to cross into the mainstream later this year (2007). Their sound is described as atmospheric and cinematic like Doves and Radiohead. The Orange Lights are: Jason Hart (formerly lead guitarist with Spirtualized) - Lead vocals/Guitar, Paul Tucker (ex-Lighthouse Family) - Piano, Ed Warden - Guitar, Chris Gittens - Bass and Alex Lucas - Drums. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/theorangelights





PARIS MOTEL are fronted by the classically trained Amy May and probably best described as Billie Holiday meeting Talking Heads, although it is fair to say that there is also an element of Nick Drake there. They received favourable press when they played at the beginning of last year (March 2006) at SXSW in Texas, went on to record their critically acclaimed debut album "In The Salpêtrière" for indie label Hotel Records, followed by excellent reviews when they appeared in October 2006 at IN THE CITY in Manchester when the NME reported "Eerie, filmic and lush: London sextet Paris Motel's string-powered mini movies have been making audiences all over the UK fall in love with them." - Singer/Songwriter Amy May previously expanded on the title of their debut album: "The Salpetriere is a hospital in Paris where they used to keep 'undesirable' women in the 18th and 19th century - madwomen, prostitutes, epileptics, paupers and unmarried mothers ended up there. I'm using the idea of the hospital as a metaphor for the collection of songs about extraordinary, interesting women (who may or may not have been mad, depending on your point of view). PARIS MOTEL had the title track from their EP "071" included in our monthly play list for January 2007 and they should appeal to both indie and even folk fans, but commercial radio stations today may sadly not provide them with the audience and subsequent appreciation they deserve. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/parismotel





THE HUSSY`s are a quirky, punky, power pop sextet from Glasgow, and include James McColl (Supernaturals) in their line up only this time the lead vocals are supplied by a female named Fili - They have toured with LITTLE MAN TATE and are due to support INSPIRAL CARPETS in March at their sold out gig in Glasgow while their "Tiger" EP is out now on Fat Cheerleader Records.
More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/thehussys

February 2007

Hailing from Liverpool, singer CANDIE PAYNE delivers 60's influenced pop, taking in Film soundtracks, Serge Gainsbourg, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone along her musical journey, and brought out some promising sounding singles towards the end of 2006. Her debut album "I Wish I Could Have Loved You More" (Columbia) is scheduled for release on 11th June. In March 2007 she will be appearing as part of a showcase event for the best of Liverpool’s current musical talent at this years South by Southwest (SXSW) * in Austin, Texas. More info can be found on her MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/candiepayne

* - South by Southwest (SXSW) is an interactive, film and music festival and conference that takes place every spring in Austin, Texas. The festival, which began in 1987, is one of the largest in the United States, with over a thousand performers playing in dozens of venues over a week.

January 2007

THE HOURS - recently appeared on "Later With Jools Holland" (BBC2), they have a new single coming out on 22nd January and it's the second to be taken from their highly anticipated debut album, "Narcissus Road" (A&M Records). The single "Back When You Were Good" will be available as a CD and 7". They then release their album 2 weeks later on 5th February. The Hours are Antony Genn and Martin Slattery - Genn was previously a member of ELASTICA and PULP in the 90`s, while Slattery was the keyboardist in Shaun Ryder's BLACK GRAPE. They are managed by former Pulp bassist Steve Mackey. More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/TheHours





ENTER SHIKARI have gone for what can best be described as a mix of rock and trance, where unlike bands like The Prodigy who combined the two and put the emphasis on dance, they have put rock first. Towards the end of 2006 ENTER SHIKARI were selling out gigs across the UK and were pursued by a lot of the major record companies. However, the band decided to remain independent, and signed a distribution deal with Vital instead so that they were able to keep hold of their artistic freedom and will continue to release records on their own label (Ambush Reality). In March, they will be releasing the single "Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour" and you can already have a listen on their MySpace site. They are on tour in Germany and France during February. Hopefully they will also be making a visit to the Benelux region some time soon? More info can be found on their MySpace site at: http://www.myspace.com/entershikari





© AAPA – 2007