(The) Gossip

One of the more mainstream feminist acts of the 2000s, the Arkansas trio have their roots in the garage rock and riot grrrl genres, but after the success of 2006's Standing In The Way Of Control, they are now a more dance-orientated group (best evidenced by 2009's Music For Men). The original version of Listen Up! is below.

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Good Shoes

Characterised best by their fast paced tracks, the London four-piece's debut album, Think Before You Speak, is a near-100% positive and upbeat album that contains light-hearted tunes that won't bring you down. Follow up album No Hope, No Future is a more serious effort, sounding like Favourite Worst Nightmare-era Arctic Monkeys at times. Morden, from the former album, is below.

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Gogol Bordello

Possibly one of the maddest bands in recent musical history, Ukrainian-born Eugene Hütz has combined Eastern European gypsy musicians with musicians from the Americas to create folk rock with a very punk-flavoured feel; the punk part reinforced by their signing to Los Angeles' punk-based Side One Records in 2005. The first single, Not A Crime, off their first Side One album, Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, is below.

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The Go! Team

Never has there been a been a musical project whose studio and live outputs are polar opposites. Ian Parton's group, however, fit this perfectly. While most of the studio work is done by Parton himself, the live show features two drummers and the mad raps from lyricist Ninja. Their work is immensely fun and positive (save for their cover of Paul Giovanni's Willow's Song) and a real pick-me-up for any negative feelings you may have. Ms. Pac-Man features in their video for Junior Kickstart, which is below.

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The Ghost Frequency

For a band that was around for four years, this London quintet didn't release their first material until 2 years into their run, on their Buddhist Punk imprint of the City Rockers label. However, their two singles of Nightmare and the ridiculously long titled Never Before Have I Seen A Man Alive That Looks So Exactly Like A Skeleton demonstrated the group's accelerated dance punk sound, before a change in band members in early 2008 spelled the end of a what would have been great career for the group. Nightmare is below.

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The Futureheads

The Sunderland quartet, named after one of The Flaming Lips' albums, are most recognised for their fast-paced tracks (more noticeable in the early part of their career) and non-serious attitude to the music industry. Their brand of quick post-punk revival from their self-titled debut was developed for their future releases, where they moved away from songs under two minutes. Decent Days And Nights, from their first album, is below.

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Fujiya & Miyagi

The Brighton fourpiece, named after a record player brand and The Karate Kid's teacher, are most noticeably categorised by the dark, depressed vocals of lead guitarist David Best; the group are a prime example of an English revival of the krautrock genre. Knickerbocker, the lead single from latest album Lightbulbs, is below.

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Friendly Fires

Although categorised as an alternative dance or dance-punk group, the St. Albans trio are actually a highly diverse group. Within their debut self-titled, there's elements of shoegaze and alternative rock, along with their categorised genres; there's most likely something for everyone on the album. One of their more alt. rock tracks, On Board, can be viewed below.

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The Fratellis

The Glaswegian three piece are best recognised for their powerful sound, best summed up in their sporting anthem Chelsea Dagger and Henrietta, which is below. However, on tracks such as Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes and Whistle For The Choir, they are more melodic and softer. A nice debut, if somewhat very "samey" at times.

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Franz Ferdinand

Hailed as one of the more recent influential acts in the alternative rock and post-punk revival genres, the Glaswegian four-piece have become best recognised for their direct delivery, especially from lead vocalist and guitarist Alex Kapranos. A sometimes fun band, their most recent effort Tonight: Franz Ferdinand strays away from the standard alt. rock sounds of their first two albums and delves into more electronic territory. Their debut single, Darts Of Pleasure, is below.

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Foals

The Oxford quintet's music can be described as intricate math rock, although their most recent album Total Life Forever has attempted to stray away from a math sound to a post-rock sound. Nevertheless, their first album is both chaotic (examples are Cassius and Two Steps Twice) and melodic (Heavy Water and Electric Bloom), and is also a math rock essential. Their second non-album single, the cunningly titled Mathletics, is below.

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