THEY ARE
Britpop veterans kicking off their third decade as a band with their ninth album.
SOUNDS LIKE
the Northern Soul version of fellow Brummies Dodgy's blissful Good Enough.
RELEASE
Magic Carpet Days (single) Jan 25
Saturday Feb 1 (that's actually a Monday)

THEY ARE
Danish pop quartet, whose debut single (yes, this one) came out last summer.
SOUNDS LIKE
the very definition of the often cited, yet somewhat curious MySpace genre "Melodramatic Popular Song".
RELEASE
The Looking Glass Jan 25
TRIVIA
Their record label, Crunchy Frog, took their name from an all-too-literally named chocolate in a Monty Python sketch.

HE IS
the magnificently-named honey-voiced frontman of Guillemots.
SOUNDS LIKE
one of the epic pop symphonies from Guillemots' beautiful debut album Through the Windowpane, rather than their annoyingly noisy follow-up Red.
RELEASE
Fly Yellow Moon Jan 18

THEY ARE
Swedish electro-pop duo (or "pop noir" as they call it themselves) making it big in Eastern Europe.
SOUNDS LIKE
The Mission on a night train to, well, Berlin.
RELEASE
Kino International [EU] Nov 27
TRIVIA
They may be tired of Depeche Mode comparisons, but the fact is that when they played Istanbul the same night this spring, DM were the ones to cancel.

THEY ARE
Welsh trad rockers about to release what will almost certainly be their sixth consecutive UK #1 album.
SOUNDS LIKE
Toploader's monster hit Dancing in the Moonlight. That might not be a good thing.
RELEASE
Keep Calm and Carry On Nov 16
TRIVIA
The album title is taken from A British World War II poster giving good advice.

THEY ARE
Sweden's biggest rock band, having ditched the plans of world conquering, now singing exclusively in their mother tongue.
SOUNDS LIKE
they have ditched the guitars completely in favour of a hard electronic sound.
RELEASE
Röd Nov 6  
TRIVIA
The song title is of course the famous Beatles tune Swedified, it does NOT mean "The Dachshund Man", as some cheeky Wikipedia writer will have the world believe.

THEY ARE
Swedish synth pop quartet signed to the credible Labrador label.
SOUNDS LIKE
a-ha meets New Order. Obviously as eighties-coloured as a Rubik's Cube, but a bit lighter and softer than, say, Assemblage 23.
RELEASE
Islands Oct 4

THEY ARE
Liverpudlian legends still going quite strong, allthough they're down to only the two key members, Ian MacCulloch and Will Seargant.
SOUNDS LIKE
they're doing just fine on their own.
RELEASE
The Fountain Oct 12
TRIVIA
"Echo" was actually the band's drum machine, but judging from their latest album, he's out of the band, as well.

THEY ARE
The new project of Bernard Sumner and Phil Cunningham from disbanded legends New Order. New Order-drummer Stephen Morris is also contributing, as is Blur-bassist Alex James.
SOUNDS LIKE
the last few New Order-albums, without the electronics and Peter Hook-basslines. The song is decent enough, though, allthough it's worringly reminiscent of Mel C/Bryan Adams duet When You're Gone played on a 12-string.
RELEASE
Sink or Swim (single) Sep 28
Never Cry Another Tear Oct 12

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.