speed of dark

The Moths!

I first heard about The Moths! when they had won Rock Sellout's Best Unsigned Band contest. This is the U.K. band--be careful because there is a U.S. band by the same name. The U.S. Moths are good too; this just isn't about them.

The Moths started with songwriters James Fox, who writes and sings the lyrics, and Dave Lightfoot, who plays guitar and writes the music and now includes Jonny on drums, James L. on bass, and Asley on synths.. They have a bright and peppy 90's Brit-rock sound that has been compared to the Buzzcocks and Human League and is completely charming.


Those cute little moths on their logo, with their shapely legs and waists, were about the only things on their MySpace page. Now the Moths have a rip-roaring new design, a lot of news, and even a few pictures of the band members. My guess is, at the speed these guys are moving, they will not be unsigned for long.

The Moths!: Tell Me

MySpace | Bebo | Label: unsigned!
Buy at iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Sep 9, 2007 - Brick Lane Festival, 93 Feet East, London
Sep 14, 2007 - Mr Fast Lane’s Secret Rock and Roll Salon, 333, London
Sep 15, 2007 - Bloody Awful Poetry, Nambucca, London
Sep 18, 2007 - Kickers Fashion, Marylebone Library, London
Sep 26, 2007 - Islington Academy (supporting IAMX) 14+ show, London



Goldroom



I wrote previously about U.K.'s Goldroom last March, but in the context of unsigned bands, they deserve another mention. I genuinely like everything they do. I often check their MySpace page to find new examples of their deeply-nuanced and myriad-influenced compositions, which carry the sweep and grandeur of movie soundtracks.

"Brighton Rock" is a recent remix of an older song of theirs. Get more at their MySpace page.

Goldroom: Brighton Rock

MySpace | Label: Unsigned!



The King Left



The King Left have a Brit-pop sound, but they are from New York. They have made a couple of "Best Unsigned Band" lists, including the Top 30 unsigned bands in the country, according to the Daily Chorus. The martial beats and discordant, hystrionic lyrics are similar to Arctic Monkeys or Tokyo Police Club.

They'll be playing some dates in New York with Speed of Dark favorites Joseph Arthur and We Are Scientists

The King Left: The Storm In a Teacup
The King Left: I Have To Let You Win

MySpace | Website | Band blog | Label: Unsign ed!
Buy

Show Schedule:
Sep 7, 2007 - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/Joseph Arthur and The Lonely Astronauts and Sounds Under Radio, Brooklyn, NY
Sep 28, 2007 - Baruch College's Mason Hall w/ We Are Scientists and Robbers On High Street, New York, NY
Oct 3, 2007 - Bowery Ballroom w/ Nightmare Of You and Le Loup, New York, NY
Oct 26, 2007 - Maxwell's w/ Film School, Land Of Talk, and Eulogies, Hoboken, NJ
Nov 9, 2007 - Elmira College, MacKenzie’s, Elmira, NY