Sydney, Australia
As a card-carrying word nerd, I tend to exhibit a little prejudice towards certain specimens, based purely on how they "look", or sound as they roll off the tongue. I love the word "fuck" purely because of the way it feels as it leaves your mouth - complete and potent, like a compact but attitude-laden little car rolling off a production line. (Say it slowly - under your breath if you're in public - or not, whatever - and you'll feel it.) I love "glorious" because it makes me feel like a character in an Oscar Wilde play, and when I'm talking about a particularly mental night out, saying that I had a glorious time sounds infinitely glamorous, and makes me feel like less of a trashbag for the few seconds before I go back to trying to work out where those weird-shaped door stamps came from, and why they're on the back of my leg. Even though I was wearing jeans.

By the same token, when scanning through lists of band names on a computer screen I tend to leap for the prettier or more interesting-sounding monikers, and avoid the ones with less pleasant evocations like The Plague. (I'm in no hurry to hit up their MySpace, I can tell you.) So when I spotted Ruby Love Rocks, I was grabbed by the combination of "pretty red shiny thing" with "dark filthy sweaty insanity" and "love", which I like to think of as a combination of the other two. Their dark-red electro-pop, wrapped up in Kristen's seductively hazy vocals, recall Lamb, Wicked Beat Sound System and Ladytron by turns, and you've gotta love such an unabashedly skankin' cover of a Paul Simon song. I'll say it again: skankin'. Now there's a word to relish...

Ruby Love Rocks - Little House.mp3
MySpace ~ website ~ Unearthed

Glasgow, Scotland
Summer festivalgoers in the UK went nuts over The Fratellis. These guys rock with a swagger, dance with a tic, harmonise with a snarl, and they'll make the most serious-faced indie-don't-dance cynic swing their hips and join in the handclaps. Beware though - acute catchiness may result in repeatedly growling "gotmanuts fromma hippyan igottemona saturdaynight" under your breath, which makes people look at you funny.

The Fratellis - Got Ma Nuts From A Hippy.mp3

(Does the bass remind any Coral fans of "Dreaming Of You"?) (And by the way, is there anyone else who immediately thought "GOONIES!" when they read the band name?... But I digress.)

Plus check out this video for "Chelsea Dagger". I feel inspired - next week at Candy's, keep an eye out for me. I'll be the one rocking out in red heels, frilly knickers and suspender stockings.