Los Campesinos

Originally based at Cardiff University in Wales, this Welsh indie pop band was formed in 2006 by students Neil (guitar), Ellen (bass), Ollie (drums), Tom (guitar), Gareth (vocals, glockenspiel), Harriet (violin, keyboards), and Aleksandra (vocals, keyboards). In a typically youthful gesture, the seven band members all adopted the surname Campesinos. Their demo CD gained them airplay on national radio and led to a support slot with Canadian band Broken Social Scene at the end of the year. They also signed a contract with the London-based label Wichita Recordings, releasing the double a-side "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives"/"Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)" in January 2007. Further single releases followed during the year, with the EP Sticking Fingers Into Sockets collecting all the material plus a cover version of Pavement's "Frontwards". The septet's growing cult following included a healthy North American fanbase, testament to their preference for the quirky indie pop mannerisms of US and Canadian bands past and present, notably the aforementioned Broken Social Scene and Pavement. Released at the start of 2008, Hold On Now, Youngster " failed to translate the charm of the shorter EP into the album format, with too many of the tracks sounding just plain messy.