The Basics

This band would have to be my hot tip for this festival. They may not be the next Beatles but they sure are close. In a time when every second band seems to channelling a sound of decades gone by, it’s about time somebody channelled the best one. What’s more is they’ve pulled it off. I like the fact that they dress in grey suits, it’s a nod to their influences but at the same time signalling that they’re different. Their sound not only reminds me of the early Beatles music, but also of the artists that influenced such music, the likes of Chuck Berry and Little Richard as well just about any band that made pop music in the 60s. And despite the clear influence of such artists, it doesn’t feel like copying. The similarities lie in the fact that they all make short, sweet and instantly addictive pop music and I can’t complain about that. I really am surprised The Basics are so unknown, their music is so catchy and fun that I can’t see why anyone would turn them down. They’ve got an album coming next year but in the meantime, scour their myspace for a few more tracks.

Just Hold On – You may recognise the vocals here because it is Wally de Backer a.k.a Gotye. If he’s making pop songs as rich as this, I think he should drop the solo project because this band is going to be big!

Call It Rhythm and Blues – It was hard to pick songs because each displayed a different side of their music, but this was a side I just couldn’t resist. When it comes on, look out for me reeling, rocking, twisting, shouting, shaking, rattling, rolling and everything else they used to do back then