So being a ‘proper’ indie band, and being a properly successful indie band have started to seem rather mutually exclusive of late.

It feels like ages since a British guitar group came up that came from a proper independent background, really knew their indie and not only seemed to have a vision for where they wanted to go, but had the songs and style to take them onto the nether echelons of posters on walls and platinum plaques.

See, cheeky monkeys

I dunno if 4 Or 5 Magicians are that band, but their album certainly brightened up my week. A band that you look forward to putting your headphones on for their song's ebola-scale infectiousness, but don’t feel like you’re contributing to the walnut dashboard detail of some head A&R chump's Hybrid Lexus by purchasing a copy of their record.

They’d probably hate me for comparing them to The Cribs, and I’d see why, they don’t sound much like them. But they do drag early/mid 90s underground indie resistance influences (both UK and US) up from their crypts and Gok Wan them in appropriate attire for the Noughties disco, cept these guys give ‘em a cheeky pat on the bum on their way out the door too. The Cribs I assume would be too busy 'accidently' injuring themselves, or something...

Here's a teaser for their forthcoming debut, it's called 'Is This Your Ideal Man?'.