The hottest new bands of 2009

1
 

Red Light Company. The epic rockers are an international bunch: bassist Shawn Day moved from Wyoming to London in order to join the band, while frontman Richard Frennaux spent his youth in Australia and New Zealand.

2
 

Little Boots, aka Blackpool-based singer-songwriter Victoria Hesketh, is one of many synth-pop artists poised to break big in 2009. You can download a free Little Boots mix-tape from www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk.

3
white lies

West London gloom-rockers White Lies combine the stern atmospherics of Interpol with the arena-ready hooks of The Killers. They play the NME Awards Tour alongside Glasvegas, Florence And The Machine and Friendly Fires, from January 29.

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4
La Roux

La Roux takes her name from the French for "red-haired one". The 20-year-old synth-pop artist, real name Elly Jackson, started out as a folk singer before switching tack upon meeting studio partner Ben Landmaid.

5
 

Kid Cudi. The Cleveland rapper, real name Scott Mescudi, received a boost to his profile in 2008 when he guested on Kanye West’s ‘808s And Heartbreak’ album, contributing vocals to the song ‘Welcome To Heartbreak’. He is set to release his own debut album in spring 2009.

6
The Magistrates

Influenced by Prince, Talking Heads and David Bowie, Essex foursome Magistrates claim to have "a masterplan to infect the world with a dirty groove like some out of control STD."

7
 

The Soft Pack (formerly known as The Muslims) have been compared to The Strokes and Pavement. The San Diego band decided to change their name in November 2008 to reflect the start of a "new chapter" in their lives.

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8
The Chapman Family

Intense Teeside four-piece The Chapman Family were handpicked to play Glastonbury in 2008, and claim that their influences are "anything sounding somewhere between Joy Division and Sonic Youth".

9
Dinosaur Pile Up

Dinosaur Pile-Up got their unusual name when guitarist Matt Bigland watched Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of the classic movie ‘King Kong’. They claim their influences include "old school casio watches" and "a good cup of coffee". And they rock…

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