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This is the first Upstarts column so a brief introduction is necessary before I really tear into this column.

The Upstarts column will feature bands and artists that haven’t quite hit the big-time yet, but are on the way. We’ll feature really good, really kick-ass music here that you can get into before everyone else does. That said, the first installment of this column features…

Does It Offend You, Yeah?

These fine young lads from the UK (Reading to be exact) have produced one of the best albums of the year with You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into.

The bands sound is that of an 80’s synth-pop band on a shitload of Meth. It’s crazy, spastic, groovy, thunderous, and at times even mellow. The band’s beats and rhythms are akin to the Chemical Brothers and dance Justice, but underneath all the bounce and pop is a really great foundation of solid song-writing that reminds me of Bloc Party and 1980’s bands like The Fixx.

Check out this video for the best song on You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into, “We Are Rockstars.”

Not your thing? Well, this band has the amazing ability to pull of standard pop and make it not only interesting, but damn good. The song “Dawn of the Dead” sounds like it’s straight off a The Fixx album from 1985 but there is a completely unique energy to it that nothing in the 80s can match.

I highly recommend checking out Does It Offend You, Yeah? If you like any of the bands I’ve listed here and/or enjoyed these songs. But here’s one last one before I go… and it’s one of the most disturbing videos I’ve ever seen.