Our favourite new bands hit London

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Music Go Music at ICA, for nme 22/09/09

Last week saw the annual tradition we like to call ‘buzz week’ hit London once again, an influx of the most exciting new bands playing gigs after the festival season. These are the acts that will own 2010, including LA’s Music Go Music. Pic: Emilie Bailey

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Music Go Music at ICA, for nme 22/09/09

This week’s NME has a feature on the September phenomenon known as ‘buzz week’ featuring Music Go Music, who wowed the capital’s ICA venue with their razor-sharp fantasy disco carnage. Pic: Emilie Bailey

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Music Go Music at ICA, for nme 22/09/09

Music Go Music backstage at the ICA. They covered the stage in huge icons, including a massive sand timer and a golden Phantom Of The Opera-style mask. Pic: Emilie Bailey

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Music Go Music at ICA, for nme 22/09/09

Music Go Music play to a few hundred hardcore fans and industry insiders. The fans you can see at the front here; the industry lot were tweeting and BlackBerrying at the back. Pic: Emilie Bailey

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Music Go Music at ICA, for nme 22/09/09

Music Go Music’s live show saw about 10 people take to the stage at the ICA, including two girls seemingly transported from 1967. Get this week’s NME for the full lowdown. Pic: Emilie Bailey

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Girls Play Live at the Lexington, 21.09.09

Lo-fi indie darlings Girls were the second act to storm the capital during ‘buzz week’, playing The Lexington on September 21. They recently signed to XL. Pic: Richard Johnson

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Girls Play Live at the Lexington, 21.09.09

Girls are described in this week’s NME as “the road-trip soundtrack band of 2010”. Grab a copy of the mag for the full feature on London’s annual ‘buzz week’. Pic: Richard Johnson

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Girls Play Live at the Lexington, 21.09.09

Girls’ equipment backstage at London’s Lexington. “People say being a ‘buzz band’ can work against you,” frontman Christopher Owens told NME this week, “but for us it’s just a total joy to actually have people turn up to our gigs.” Pic: Richard Johnson

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Girls Play Live at the Lexington, 21.09.09

Girls bring their lo-fi thrills to London’s Lexington on September 21. Pic: Richard Johnson

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Girls Play Live at the Lexington, 21.09.09

Girls play tracks from their debut album, handily titled ‘Album’ and rated 9/10 in NME. Find out why they deserve the mark by reading the review. Pic: Richard Johnson

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The Drums Play the Flowerpot pub 19.09.09

The third band to feature in ‘buzz week’ were The Drums, who garnered so much hype they even pulled in Boy George to their show at the Flowerpot in Kentish Town on September 19. Pic: Richard Johnson

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The Drums Play the Flowerpot pub 19.09.09

The Drums’ debut EP ‘Summertime!’ is a masterpiece of surf-pop, but their stage show demonstrated their more melodramatic ’80s pop side. Pic: Richard Johnson

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The Drums Play the Flowerpot pub 19.09.09

The Drums have only performed about 20 gigs to date and declared their night at north London’s Flowerpot as “the best show of our entire lives”. Pic: Richard Johnson

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The Drums Play the Flowerpot pub 19.09.09

The shoes and jeans of a member of The Drums. The naked member was never found. Pic: Richard Johnson

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The Drums Play the Flowerpot pub 19.09.09

The Drums prep some last minute artwork for their London show on September 19. Boy George, who watched the gig, described them as “rent boys”, which the band took as a compliment. Pic: Richard Johnson

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Girls Play Live at the Lexington, 21.09.09

Fans at The Drums’ London gig, squeezed in between what NME’s New Music Editor Jaimie Hodgson describes as an “industry brigade guarding the exits like the weediest bouncers you’ve ever seen”. Pic: Richard Johnson

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The Drums Play the Flowerpot pub 19.09.09

The Drums backstage at their much-hyped London show. For video footage from the night, including a chat with their latest fan Boy George, head to the Radar blog. Pic: Richard Johnson

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