A place that's built on noise and needs

Bombay Bicycle Club played their first show in Chicago last week at the Subterranean, in front of a very enthusiastic packed house. Let's hope they come back again really soon.

I don't know how I forgot to post about these guys earlier, but in case you completely missed the boat last May, Friendly Fires dropped their sophomore album Pala, and it is so excellent that I decided to blog it late just in case. This trio of English boys from St. Albans sure knows how to jam, and their powerful brand of indie dance defies you not to tap your toe. If you're into Cut Copy or M83, you will go nutty over the driving synthpop of this album, and you will definitely want to catch them the next time they do a U.S. tour. Unfortunately, their record label is notoriously meticulous in keeping their tracks off the web, so I had to resort to these user uploads. They are definitely worth your time all the same:

We’re quite not a raging winter

Gardens & Villa rocked the Empty Bottle last Friday, exceeding my expectations for such a young band. Known for always playing live (even in studio), these guys have a natural talent for getting the crowd moving and they will definitely continue to gain notoriety, so catch them while they are still playing small venues.

As a Los Angeles expatriate, I generally don't have much taste for the glitzy glam rock that seems to emanate from Southern California, but occasionally there is a unique group that breaks that mold and deserves some attention. Fool's Gold is one such band, and their sound is definitely unique enough to qualify. The blend of Caribbean/Afrobeats and indie dance riffs provides a solid rhythmic framework for Luke Top's crooning vocals, and the combination is simultaneously catchy and deep enough to fill a stadium (or your best circumaural headphones). After their self-titled debut LP release in 2009, which employed mainly Hebrew lyrics, they tightened up their sound and moved on to a more accessible style and primarily English vocalization (with just an occasional verse or two in a Hebrew) for this August's release of their stellar sophomore album, Leave No Trace. I dare you not to tap your toes and nod your head to these:

Fool's Gold - Street Clothes by iamsoundrecords

Fool's Gold - Wild Window by iamsoundrecords

Hands of silver, hands of gold

Today's group is hardly "emerging," but I felt that their latest album Zonoscope released this past February deserves to be raved about again.

Cut Copy is a four-piece outfit from Melbourne, Australia, who have achieved widespread popularity amongst the indie dance scene for their infectiously catchy beats and hooks since their formation in 2001. Headed by former DJ Dan Whitford, Cut Copy maintains their signature synthpop style on this third album, but the new melodies and instrumentation demonstrate the maturity and development of their sound. Try these on for size:

Cut Copy - Pharaohs and Pyramids by modularpeople

Cut Copy - Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution by modularpeople

You can catch them coming through Chicago on September 20 at the Riviera Theatre with Washed Out and Midnight Magic. You'll want to get your tickets NOW, because this show will sell out for sure.