THEY ARE
Norwegian pop sensation that popped out from outta nowhere in colourful attire and went on to top the Norwegian charts for an impressive 12 weeks with their debut single Ambitions, which only recently was tipped from the top by their own follow-up single.
SOUNDS LIKE
Like Danish popsters Alphabeat, they resemble quite a few guilty pleasures from the merry eighties. Like Boy Meets Girl's Waiting for a Star to Fall.
RELEASE
Sometimes (digital single) Sep 12  
Caught in a Life Oct 18
TRIVIA
They are supporting a-ha on their UK dates in November.

THEY ARE
Indie quartet from Canterbury, Kent with a bandname that make them virtually un-searchable on all music services.
SOUNDS LIKE
a slightly more uplifting take of the anthemic gloom of Editors, The Cinematics and (inevitably) The Departure.
RELEASE
Departure EP Sep 07
The Shapes We Fear Are Our Own TBD

THEY ARE
Oasis-approved Swedish/English five-piece that looks like The Black Crowes did in 1992.
SOUNDS LIKE
Band of Horses setting (a few more) words to Pink Floyd's One of These Days - or Kings of Leon if they were any good and had a vocalist that didn't sound like Anastacia.
RELEASE
Broken Side of Time Sep 21

UPDATED NOV 30: NOW WITH VIDEO!
HE IS
Constantly heartbroken Sheffield crooner with a past in 90's britpop bands Longpigs and Pulp.
SOUNDS LIKE
His own The Ocean, actually. Doesn't matter, it's beautiful all the same.
RELEASE
Truelove's Gutter Sep 21
TRIVIA
Like all his previous album titles, this also refers to an old Sheffield street or landmark.

THEY ARE
LA noise-poppers who appearantly enjoy a good old game of musical chairs.
SOUNDS LIKE
Angsty lyrics? Slightly whiny vocals? Big Muff pedal? Melancholy and (infinite) sadness? OK, the Smashing Pumpkins references might not be too far off, then.
RELEASE
Swoon Apr 14
CLEVER MOMENT
The angsty desperation after the bridge at 3:25-3:35.

THEY ARE
Birmingham quartet forever imprisoned by Joy Division and/or Interpol comparisons.
SOUNDS LIKE
They're trying to escape by replacing guitars with Soft Cell/Eurythmics synths.
RELEASE
In This Light and on This Evening Oct 10
TRIVIA
The song takes its name from Henri Charrière's memoirs from doing time (and finally escaping) for a murder he didn't commit.

THEY ARE
Brooklyn quintet best known for haunting sounds on a Mazda commercial (left).
SOUNDS LIKE
they've gone for a straighter anthemic sound on their second album. They may reach more listeners, but it probably won't sell as many cars.
RELEASE
Sunshower Sep 17
TRIVIA
They're named after the spaceship in Lost in Space.

THEY ARE
Much-hyped quartet from Portland with one of the the ugliest homepages on the web.
SOUNDS LIKE
Bob Dylan fronting The Cars.
RELEASE
Mind Chaos Sep 28

THEY ARE
Nuclear power trio specialicing in tales about space travels and supercontinental power balance.
SOUNDS LIKE
The villain theme from a Lloyd Webber MUSEical (ahem), with Robert Miles on piano.
RELEASE
The Resistance Sep 14

THEY ARE
London-based foursome responsible for one this year's most beautiful albums.
SOUNDS LIKE
Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees mixed with Interpol's NYC with a dash of Arcade Fire.
RELEASE
Union Jan 11 (digitally) Sep 14 (physically)
TRIVIA
They're rather bookishly named after an early 20th century Chinese uprising.

THEY ARE
Actually a one-man-band; Seattle multi-instrumentalist Michael Lerner.
SOUNDS LIKE
Naïve US indie pop like The Little Ones, The Shins and Death Cab for Cutie in their merrier moments. The latter perhaps not so strange, as the album is produced by DCfC guitarist Chris Walla.
RELEASE
Telekinesis! Apr 07 (US), Aug 14 (EU)
TRIVIA
Lerner and Walla recorded the album one song a day.

THEY ARE
Norwegian pop ensemble responsible for the most played song on domestic radio in 2007.
SOUNDS LIKE
Stadium-sized synth anthems in the style of Talk Talk, a-ha and Simple Minds.
RELEASE
Guns Tonight Aug 31
TRIVIA
The group consists of seven men, of which two are background singers with specially coreographed dance routines to every song.

THEY ARE
Crowded House-frontman Neil Finn and an all-star crew of family and friends, reconvening seven years after the first 7WC event to record a double album's worth of songs written specifically for the project. The line-up include KT Tunstall, Johnny Marr, members of Radiohead and Wilco, as well as Finn's brother, wife and two sons.
SOUNDS LIKE
The album opener, the Neil Finn-sung Too Blue, is co-written by Jeff Tweedy and Johnny Marr and is a piece of classic soulful pop that easily could have featured on the latest Crowded House-album.
Other highlights includes Tunstall's Hazel Black and Don McGlashan's Long Time Gone.
RELEASE
The Sun Came Out Aug 31
TRIVIA
The album's proceeds go to Oxfam.