The Postal Service’s “Give Up” is one of my favourite albums ever, and from a few samples of The Good Natured’s myspace page I think she has a good chance of being 2008’s female version of them. Sounding like Kate Nash doing Postal Service, she has a heart-on-yer-sleeve approach which I love.

The press release comments:

When Sarah McIntosh rescued a keyboard her grandmother was throwing out it was unbeknown to her at the time that this chance find would be the start of The Good Natured. With ‘the best organ sound ever’ this salvaged instrument found itself a loving new owner and was soon to become the essential ingredient in a synth-pop art project to document ‘the make outs, break ups, make outs and make ups.’

Huw Stevens from Radio 1 is one of the radio-type people getting behind her, and slowly the blog buzz is building behind her.

And the best bit? Not only does she sound good, she’s from round my way. Well, Newbury in Berkshire to be precise.  Go listen to her myspace, buy the EP later this year and fall in love. Go on, you know you want to.

To make it even easier, there’s a free MP3 below:

MP3: The Good Natured - Warriors

Just when you thought young British artists had sold out to instant fame, musical gimmicks and a kooky image, Laura Marling strolls along and restores your faith.

This 18-year-old is beyond her years. She has already been compared to Joni Mitchell and her lyrics posess a worldly wisdom that you certainly wouldn’t expect from a small town Reading lass.

You’ve gotta hand it to her, the girl’s got substance.

It all began around the family fire when her Dad taught her some blues on his old guitar. Marling was three.Through school, she played piano and drums and wrote songs in her dinner hour although admittedly, these were “absolutely awful.”

When new kid on the block Jamie T spotted Laura at her second ever gig and asked her to tour with him, it was safe to say that she had made it.

Typical Marling, she did something completely unheard of for the release of her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim (Produced by Noah & The Whale frontman Charlie Fink). Fed up with the way music had been reduced to MP3’s on bad headphones, she designed a beatifully crafted Song Box, complete with her album, postcards, trinkets and a ticket to one of her concerts. Genius.

“I want people to love music,” she says. “I want people to treasure it, not just my songs, but treasure music.”

Her album earned her a nomination for a 2008 Mercury Music Prize and rightly so. Her growing reputation also meant she bagged herself a slot opening shows for Naturalismo prince of folk rock, Devendra Banhart.

Forget Joan Baez. Forget Martha Wainwright. Her music is unlike anything you have heard before. ‘She’s Changed’ is a more telling look into the mind of a teenage girl than you’d get from an entire series of Jacqueline Wilson books. ‘My Manic and I’ is a haunting song which reflects the doubt and delusion at the heart of man.

Oh, and the vocals. Sweet but daring. Always complementing, never suffocating. She is leading the way for a new folk generation.

Laura Marling, alt folk darling.

Photos are taken from Rob Sinclair’s flickr stream and R.W.W.’s flickr stream, both under the Creative Commons License.

The White Stripes did it. Sonny and Cher did it. Johnny and June, they did it too. Now Nashville based Magic Wands are the latest loved-up couple bringing music to our ears.

The fairytale began in 2007 when Chris became addicted to a song he found on MySpace. ‘Teenage Love,’ penned by Dexy, is about that kind of butterflies-in-tummy adolescent lust: “This teenage love has got me stuck / Come over now so we can fuck.”

He got in touch and soon they were on the phone ’til the early hours, writing songs for each other and sending gifts across the miles like toy lions, handwritten poems and a glowing heart lamp. Yes indeedy, they were in love.

Both had come from a punk background and wanted to start afresh with something different. ‘Kiss Me Dead’ was the first song they recorded together. Over the internet.

Seperated by 2000 miles, the lovestruck pair decided that their future was together. Chris drove to Los Angeles where they hit it off- playing guitars, visiting old churches and wearing crowns they bought at a magic shop.

The couple finally made the move to Chris’s home in Tennessee where they started recording under the name Magic Wands, taken from Dexy’s favourite gift from Chris.

But the music isn’t quite as sickly as you would expect. Think David Bowie’s Goblin King. They’re a bit dark, a bit rebellious and very sexy. They will put a spell on you and you will like it.

With Chris giving us fuzzed-up guitar riffs and Dexy playing the role of a nu-rave Blondie, you can catch the Magic Wands touring America accompanied on stage by a five foot stuffed lion.

This is a tale about love, dreams and growing up. And it has a very happy ending.

MP3: Magic Wands - Black Magic
MP3: Magic Wands - Teenage Love

Magic Wands will release an EP in the Autumn.

Dead Letter Office may be a slightly strange name for a band, but don’t be put off by it - they’re possibly one of the best rock outfits on the unsigned scene at the moment.

Having self financed the recording of their debut album late last year, they’ve now been working with Gavin Monaghan who has worked with the likes of Editors, The Twang, and the Kings Of Leon. He specifically asked to work with the band after he heard the album, and the resulting songs are easily the best the band have produced so far.

In their 3 year history they’ve supported such giants as Howling Bells, The Young Gods, Future Of The Left, 1990’s and Tiny Dancers - an impressive list for a band of such youth. Their debut album contained two of my favourite tracks of recent times, the dreamy and layered Smokescreen, and the stellastarr*-esque Paper Aeroplane Pilots, and is one of the best unsigned albums you should have in your collection. New double A side single “Chairkickers” and “The Comeback Kid” is released in two weeks time, which shows a distinct progression for the better - surely it’s only a matter of time before this innovative and exciting group get signed and go onto bigger and better things?

MP3: Dead Letter Office - Smokescreen
MP3: Dead Letter Office - Paper Aeroplane Pilots

Dead Letter Office’s new single is out on 25th August, and will be available from their website then.

From the outside, this five-piece have all the makings of your typical indie band. They reside in London and have been mates with the ultimate grunge icon Pete Doherty since they were wee nippers. But take a closer look at the Cazals and you will find a band with altogether more depth.

“Every song on the record is a true fucking story,” front man Phil tells NME. “We’re not one of those bands who just bash out a song.”

Think Bloc Party, Simian Mobile Disco and The Rakes. These guys have spiky guitars, lo-fi drum loops and gravelly sung lyrics about life, love and losing their minds.

Cazals are signed to uber-trendy French record label Kitsune, famous for their electro and dance offerings. And it shows. Their debut album What Of Our Future is packed with punchy, disco-beat tracks that open your eyes and minds.

You can catch the lads on a tour bus making their way around Europe.

Dust off your synthesizer and say hello to Cazals.

MP3: The Cazals - New Boy In Town
MP3: The Cazals - Life is Boring

Cazals’ debut album What Of Our Future is out now.

With their quiffs, red lipstick and vintage shirts, you’d be forgiven for thinking this rockabilly trio had just stepped out of the 1950’s. Meet Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, the North London siblings who count Ray Charles and Little Richard as the muse for their latest boogie woogie offerings.

They have already supported Razorlight and Mika and are set to release their second album. The twist to this Von Trapp hillbilly affair? These kids are just 15, 17 and 20.

“Since we were little we’ve always been playing music together at home as a family,” Kitty says.

“Our dad used to sing to us at bed time, songs like ‘Honolulu Rock a Roll a’ and Louis Prima’s ‘Buona Sera.’”

“It’s just the music we love because it makes you feel good. It has a good energy and a live raw sound.

“Most of all it makes you want to dance because it rocks!”

They have built a huge word-of-mouth audience through a string of gigs and festival appearances. And that’s not all. The brother and two sisters play guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, double bass, ukulele, trombone and accordion between them.

“We are definitely a musical family,” Kitty says.

“We had a double bass which my dad used to sit me on top of while he played, and we had the odd harmonica lying around that we could fiddle with.”

“Dad showed us a couple of chords on the guitar and we just picked it up from there. “

They came together almost by accident at a country and rockabilly jam seven years ago. When asked onstage, they played an impromptu version of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ with Lewis on the banjo, Kitty on drums and Daisy on accordion.

Their passion for vintage music led to their compilation ‘A to Z - Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - The Roots Of Rock n Roll’ being named one of the Guardian’s 2007 ‘Albums Of The Year – 5/5′.

Now they are set to release their second album- a mixture of the covers their Dad used to sing to them, along with new material like ‘Buggin’ Blues.’ The album leads with the new single ‘Going up the Country’ - a summertime jam with harmonica solos and handclaps galore.

Ooo Wee, make way for the coolest kids in town.

‘Kitty, Daisy & Lewis’, the album, is out now on Sunday Best Recordings.

Recently I’ve had a bit of a thing for lo-fi pop. You know, basic, raw pop tunes that sound like somebody’s scrabbled them together in about ½ an hour, but still have the power to draw vivid pictures. Fresh from supporting Los Campesinos! And Tokyo Police Club, ultCult are the latest band to catch my attention, sounding remarkably fresh and like they’re in a complete world of their own.

Radio 1’s Huw Stevens loves them, and whilst normally I’m not a huge fan of his picks, he’s on the money with ultCult. The tunes on their myspace all sound like they should be the soundtrack to a dreamy Skins episode, like the homemade demos of Patrick Wolf or Lykke Li.

Lead singer Lucille’s vocals sound remarkably fragile, like a singer who has yet to be corrupted by the remarkably vicious UK music industry. She reminds me a bit of a younger version of Lesley Feist (of 1,2,3,4, fame), particularly on Odious Emporium, which is below for free download.

Just back from Iceland where they recorded their debut single, the Yorkshire four piece look set to have a busy year ahead, based upon the already glowing response they’ve had. If you want to catch them live, they play London’s Macbeth on Friday 8th August, and Doncaster’s Vintage Rockbar on Sunday 14th September.

Free MP3: ultCult - Odious Emporium (demo)

Fresh from supporting previous “Band to watch” the Kissaway Trail and Editors at various points in the past few months, London’s Red Light Company are currently pounding the touring circuit around the UK, and hopefully will start making pretty massive waves in the UK music scene soon.

The five-piece sounds like the bastard lovechild of early Placebo and Suede bought up to date for the 00’s emo kids. Androgynous, powerful, driven and still full of emotion, Richard Frenneaux’s voice has at times the nasal whine of Brian Molko, at others the fragile-and-close-to-breaking shout of Win Butler.

Backed up by a deafening wall of guitars that you’ll either love or hate, their initial tracks up on their myspace are pretty strong for a debut, and are almost certainly the reason they were signed a couple of months ago to Lavolta Records.

Definately ones to be watching in the coming weeks and months, as they mature their sound and work on (hopefully) an album. Hopefully (from my perspective) they’ll grow to fill the void left by Placebo at the moment in the music industry.

After the jump: their halloween video, and tour dates for later this month and early May.

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