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The Skinny: Special Report – SIX Great, Unsigned, British Bands

what’s The Skinny? here’s the deal. There are SO many sick bands out there that just don’t get enough love. Well, with The Skinny, that’s all going to change. We have taken it upon ourselves to get together and bust out a list once a month where we tell you about a handful of sick-ass bands that we feel NEED to be heard.

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what’s The Skinny? here’s the deal. There are SO many sick bands out there that just don’t get enough love. Well, with The Skinny, that’s all going to change. We have taken it upon ourselves to get together and bust out a list once a month where we tell you about a handful of sick-ass bands that we feel NEED to be heard. Signed or unsigned, new or old, these are just bands that deserve some additional attention. We challenge you to take the time to check each one out; they are amazing, they are loved, and now they have been Skinned.

01. Atom Gang (Rock)
the skinny: Atom Gang are a 3 piece from London fronted by talented singer/songwriter Ellis Slater. It’s refreshing to hear a band who don’t immediately conjure up likenesses to other bands; they really do sound original. This is honest indie rock at its best, featuring catchy melodies and fantastic arrangements. Their debut album I See, Said the Blind Man was rated 5/5 by Punktastic, and rightly so. Truly excellent.
links: MySpace | Last.FM

02. The Story So Far (Powerpop, Pop Punk, Pop Rock)
the skinny: The phrase “pop punk” has a lot of negative connotations to many rock music purists. To others, it incites images of whiny Californian teenagers in baggy shorts. The Story So Far couldn’t be further from this. In fact, they’re well dressed, pleasantly cheerful guys from South Wales. Since forming they’ve developed a solid fan base and will be branching out into a full UK tour in summer. Hopefully these boys will get the nationwide recognition they deserve.
links: MySpace | Last.FM

03. Summerlin (Pop Punk, Punk, Rock)
the skinny: There isn’t much to say about Summerlin. It’s difficult to explain what’s so good about a band that sounds quite so similar to many others, but somehow they manage to set themselves apart. Sure enough, if what you like in music is technical excellence or deeply profound lyrics then Summerlin, like many of their peers, may not be what you’re looking for. But what they do bring is high energy, catchy tunes that will probably make you wish you wish you’re a 17 year old girl.
links: MySpace | Last.FM

04. Vallenbrosa (Metal, Southern Rock, Rock)
the skinny: There’s a lot of metal bands around that seem to think that being able to play fast and growl into the microphone is all it takes to be great. Sometimes they pull it off, more often than not they don’t. Which is why it’s so refreshing to hear a band who seem to be pushing the boundaries, bringing a sound that feels familiar and yet new at the same time. Having toured extensively, including a support slot with Sepultura, Vallenbrosa have gained legions of fans already and look set to continue on to only great things.
links: MySpace | Last.FM

05. The Boxer Rebellion (Indie, Rock, Alternative Rock)
the skinny: A spacey sounding synth-y rock band that doesn’t try too hard to be epic. The Boxer Rebellion are a fairly unknown four-piece from London. Well, fairly unknown in comparison to the mammoth achievement they realised in January – their self-released album Union made its way to the top of the US iTunes chart, outselling even the Kings of Leon and Coldplay. Impressive, no? So do they live up to the hype? Yeah, pretty much. They have some interesting arrangements going on, some cool sounds. Some songs do take a couple of listens to “click”, but these guys are definitely worth checking out.
links: MySpace | Last.FM

06. Kid Ego (Sleaze, Metal, Rock)
the skinny: This is a kind of posthumous recommendation as Kid Ego have recently disbanded, but it’s a shame to let good music go unheard, and their album Ignite the Tide is still good listening. It’s true, classic rock had it’s reign, but there’s always room for a little more, right? Many would say it’s better to quit while you’re ahead than to endure a downward spiral, and that may be true, I guess we’ll never find out. Which is definitely a shame, but we can still be thankful for a few decent tunes they’ve given us.
links: MySpace | Last.FM

we want YOUR input! so do you think we suck at skinning bands? Do you have a group that you want to see posted here? Well then take two minutes and send us an email to mail[at]puregrainaudio.com with your thoughts. We’ll take each letter seriously and with any luck you’ll see your nomination live in one of our future installments of The Skinny!

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