Tags: Empire Of The Sun

Genre: Dance/Electro/Pop

Location: Perth, Australia

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/empireofthesunsound

Official Website: http://www.walkingonadream.com/

Recommended Track: Walking On A Dream

Recommended Album: Walking On A Dream

Our Rating:

If you haven’t heard of this Australian duo you’re obviously not cool enough or just not clever enough to leave your cave and take your hands off your ears. 2009 has already seen Empire of the Sun talked up as a better version of MGMT, and given more DJ plaudits than you can shake Zane Lowe’s fluffy microphone at.

Well-known with different bands Down Under, Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore’s (Pnau) collaboration was much anticipated south of the Equator, but not even Skippy could of expected such a burst of Oz brilliance. Their first single ‘Walking on the Sun’ is a scorching pop track full of dance and high tempo without breaking away from its chill-out ethos, and could well walk away with numerous awards this year.

‘Swordfish Hot Kiss Nite’ is a different kettle of fish – if you take it seriously it sounds like a parody of any recent Timbaland produced track, complete with people whispering aggressively, a sitar and a one-minute rap. If you don’t take it seriously, you’ll still find a shabby effort at alternative R&B. They may want to diversify their catalogue but it’s electro-acoustic ranges where the band excels.

From the artwork and promo, David Bowie seems to be the bands fashion icon, but when their records play you’ll hear he’s more than a mascot. On ‘We Are the People’ the strum of an acoustic guitar that could belong to Bowie is joined by a buoyant Daft Punk-like beat. It slips in and out of a harmonized chorus that’s so easy listening you’d think you’re at a summer gospel. But before you can get out the picnic hamper, you’re on the sands of Ibiza as the band take it to the next level with shorter, repeated lyric in time with quirky sounds, really capitalising on the house music feel of the song.

The ability to transport a listener to another setting or subconscious is a talent within itself, but Empire of the Sun do it so subtlety, you’ll think you’ve been sleepwalking.

Tags: Ten Bears

Genre: Alternative/Thrash/Pop

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/tenbearsmusic

Official Website: http://tenbearsmusic.com

Recommended Track: Dirt On The Radio

Our Rating:

Talk about peer pressure. As a Mancunion rock-pop band you automatically need Indie creditability. Lucky for the Ten Bears then, that their debut single ‘Dirt On The Radio’ has become Orange’s Unsigned Act theme tune. But they shouldn’t pick up the Topman vouchers just yet. No good band can be successful from just one song, well, unless you’re the Wonderstuff.

Smarter than the average, the five-piece Ten Bears do indeed have a clever first single. ‘Dirt On The Radio’ is lightly flavoured with the odd tweak of a Franz Ferdinand guitar being drummed together by a solid beat alongside fun crossover whooping from bandmates. It’s almost a shame that it’s been heard before, only from different outfits.

They can slide to different ground than other current Indie fare. The song ‘Charlie’ throws in the odd movie reference to good effect, and lead man Sam Hammond’s vocals finally come to the fore on ‘Braces’ – helped by a likeable tune his voice constantly changes pace ala Vampire Weekend to create a quirky effort. Other tracks just don’t seem as variable or original, instead sounding one-dimensional, giving a feeling that the band seems almost comfortable floating within the guitar-grating repetitions of a toned down Dead 60s.

Due to play Glastonbury in June, the Ten Bears have enough buzz to suggest 2009 could be big, but most of their playlist, though catchy, is littered with original vocal in indifferent tone. Think Little Man Tate meets Supergrass and you’ll feel alright, but nothing more.