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In this regular column I’ll hip you to my favorite new bands. Save time surfing the web for the latest up & coming talents with this one-stop shop for tomorrow’s sounds today. No money back guarantee, but a seal of approval that should instill you with the trust to take a chance on some new tunes. Impress your friends, wow your boss, and stun your kids with your newfound hipster cred.

Los Campesinos! (Hold On Now, Youngster)
This Welsh septet plays fun, bratty rock music that’s positively giddy. Boy/girl vocals, singing violins, jumpy guitars, bouncy keyboards, and glockenspiels collide to create the year’s best party record. Even the song titles are a hoot: “This Is How You Spell HAHAHA, We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics,” “… And We Exhale And Roll Our Eyes In Unison,” and “You! Me! Dancing!” Forty-three minutes of pure abandon.

For fans of: Broken Social Scene, Pixies, Stars, Art Brut, Rilo Kiley

Frightened Rabbit (Midnight Organ Fight)
I can’t say enough good things about this Scottish quartet. Their 2007 debut, “Sing the Greys” was a solid collection of lo-fi sloppy punk pop. Their 2008 follow-up, “Midnight Organ Fight” is a giant leap forward; a confident powerhouse of clever hooks and theatrical lyrics. “You won’t find love in a hole / It takes more than fucking someone you don’t know to keep warm,” Scott Hutchison sings on “Keeping Yourself Warm,” an admonishment to an ex –girlfriend. The song builds on a steady keyboard and guitar riff to a fist-pumping climax with Hutchison exhibiting a vocal range that would make Chris Martin jealous.

The pinnacle of this stunning record is “Floating on the Forth,” a rousing ballad whose somber lyrics come wrapped in the potential for redemption and healing. “I closed my eyes for a second and when they opened you weren’t there / And the door slammed shut and I was vacuum packed, shrink wrapped, out of air / And the spine collapsed and the eyes rolled back to stare at my starving brain / And fully clothed, I’ll float away / Down the forth and to the sea / I think I’ll save suicide for another day.”

In a fair world, Frightened Rabbit will enjoy the widespread success they deserve. Look out Coldplay, there’s a rabbit on your tail!

For fans of: Coldplay, Radiohead, Idlewild, Travis

Grand Archives (s/t)
Led by former Band of Horses guitarist, Mat Brooke, Grand Archives’ debut harks back to the heyday of ’80s and’ 90s British alternative rock when bands such as House of Love and Prefab Sprout roamed the indie charts. Heavy on reverb and sunny harmonies, Grand Archives resemble a poppier version of the Band of Horses. Considering Band of Horses released one of the best records of the year, that’s not such a bad thing.

For fans of: Bright Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie, Lilac Time, Okkervil River

Alexi Murdoch (Time Without Consequence)
I hear the lonely ghost of Nick Drake in the softly sung, finger-picked songs of Alexi Murdoch. That comparison alone should suffice in convincing you to make a b-line to your local record shop or computer console to buy this album. It’s that good. The highlight is the opening song, “All of My Days,” a breathtaking ballad that sounds so much like an outtake from Drake’s “Five Leaves Left” it’s almost scary. “Orange Sky,” the final track on the release can be heard in a number of television and movie productions, including Garden State, The OC, House, Prison Break, Ugly Betty, and Ladder 49. This six-minute ode to family features Murdoch’s plaintive vocals over a simple bed of piano, guitar and percussion as he sings “My salvation lies in your love.”
A soon-to-be classic.

For fans of: David Gray, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Nick Drake

Shearwater (Rook)
While not quite new (having released their debut in 2002), Shearwater is poised for a breakthrough with Rook. Built around the otherworldly voice of leader Jonathan Meiburg, Rook is a beautiful record that evokes the lush, classically rooted music of Brian Eno and Talk Talk with just enough aggressive outbursts to keep things interesting. Strings, woodwinds, guitar, percussion, and brass combine with Meiburg’s haunting vocals to create a suite of lush, richly textured mini-epics. Fans of Jeff Buckley, take notice: Shearwater has picked up the mantle.

For fans of: Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Talk Talk, Rufus Wainwright, Richard Thompson

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