Record Label: Unsigned

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Clock Opera is the bastard child of Guy Connelly of The Corrections and The Fallout Trust fame. In what started as a solo project, Connelly has slowly started to build a band around his initial game plan, if only for live performances. This, his latest musical vehicle harnesses a collage of flagrant carnival synths akin Fenech-Soler and Everything Everything buffered by Connelly’s hauntingly sombre vocals. It may not be completely groundbreaking stuff right now but ‘A Piece Of String’s subsonic burr falls between a worthy skatterbomb ready for the dancefloor and an after party mellower. What is obvious though is that Connelly’s ever developing sound will no doubt be ready for a full length LP soon and that is an intruiging proposition all together.

Record Label: Moda Music

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The third single from dance-pop hopefuls Fenech-Soler, ‘Stop And Stare’ is no doubt set to be a festival fave this year. Like those other dance/pop/indie acts to have broken through to the mainstream of late, such as Friendly Fires, Fenech-Soler are hardly limited to one genre. Rather, they look to engross a handful, incorporating a ‘90s rave vibe with a splash of indie. Luckily, their decision to combine a nu-rave sound with indie-pop sensibilities is a good one, one genre fitting the other like a warm glove, and the song benefits as a result. Featuring choppy synths and simplistic clubland vocals, there’s nothing over-reaching or pretentious here, with the band concentrating on creating a single that does what singles are meant to: catch the attention, make people dance and make them happy. This is a record that has one eye on the charts—and why not? With its easy melodies and energetic club vibe, ‘Stop And Stare’ is a bright and breezy summer anthem that while not complex in its nature or intentions, does a good job at what it sets out to do.

Record Label: Moda

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Buzz band of the moment, Fenech-Soler undeniably seemed destined for great things. They have created/captured a sound that is becoming ever present within the world of popular music, one that picks up where nu-rave left off. Electro-pop/synth-pop/techno pop – whatever you want to call it (watch this space – I’m sure the genre will be given an atrocious name very soon) – is everywhere at the moment and these guys have got it on lock down. Not bad for a few lads who are still in their teens and hail from a part of England where you would expect to find a wealth of chavs, not a wealth of musical talent. Their second release ‘Lies’ is a catchy little number that has the perfect mix of indie and electro to make it a very current pop hit. The verses are vocal lead and backed up by old school funky house-style filtered synths, which bursts into a chorus of electro synth leads, rasping bass and 4×4 beats which are both catchy and anthemic. This is a big song from a band whose popularity seems set to explode in 2010. If Fenech-Soler don’t get big – I’ll eat my hat.

Genre: Glam/Psychedelic/Zouk

Location: Kings Cliffe, United Kingdom

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/fenechsoler

Recommended Track: The Cult Of Romance

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With La Roux breaking into the UK top 10 with “In For The Kill”, and Little Boots hotly tipped by the BBC’s Sound of 2009 among others, there’s no better time for new retro music. Riding on the wave of the current 80’s electro-pop trend come Fenech-Soler, a four-piece band from Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire, who’ll have the adults reminiscing of Duran Duran and the kids in mind of Grand Theft Auto Vice City.

Their first single ‘The Cult Of Romance’ is funky kookiness in the vein of Ali Love – a track you will instantly love after your first listen. Released on May 11th under French remixer Alan Braxe’s independent label Vulture, it will undoubtedly be snapped up thereafter by any top record label with an eye on the current chart market.

However, unlike their indie contemporaries, such as La Roux and White Lies, Fenech-Soler have an air of exuberance about them. Their songs sound naturally confident, as though they were written in the interests of the band, (which consists of brothers Ben and Ross Duffy, Andrew Lindsay and Dan Francis), rather than at the whim of their managers. Though they have been floating close to the surface of success for many months, whether a record deal will take away from the authenticity of this perky upcoming group remains to be seen.

So, for now I’d grab their debut single whilst the band is still fresh, and more importantly underground.