The New York indie scene is alive and well, laying down a vibe that is causing a stir everywhere. Bands such as The Virgins, MGMT and Vampire Weekend among others, have been living up to the attention that they received last year. These Cool New Bands, were tipped by all the majors of the printed press and created massive outpourings on the internet and blogosphere. Spin, Rolling Stone and NME all saw the potential in these young bands.

Saw Band

Now almost a year later the bands have released their début albums and have been going from strength to strength. This new wave of American talent has been lapping at our shores. The Virgins have been to Europe several times, notably playing Paris Fashion Week a while back and recently returning to the city of love. MGMT, (formally The Management) and Vampire Weekend have both been hitting the European festival circuit including here in the UK and in Iceland.

Saw Band

New York has always been a beacon in the musical world, nurturing talent that has gone on to storm the world. This latest iteration of New York cool is being led by bands such as The Virgins, MGMT and Vampire Weekend. They reflect the diversity within the US, with Vampire Weekend clearly being influenced by West and Central African music as well as Western Classical music. The Virgins on the other hand play straight indie rock and have been selling out shows in NY, and recently in Europe, at most of their gigs. Representing a certain slice of New York cool, it doesn't hurt to have two former models in the band and a host of A-list celebrity friends with which to party with. Friends with designers Agnes B and Henry Holland, and British model Agyness Deyn, the group are one of the coolest groups to emerge from the Big Apple in recent years.

MGMT have taken a slightly different path to fame. Their recent release of their début album, Oracular Spectacular, has been acclaimed by the press since it hit the shelves. Taking their brand of psychedelic electronic pop, the band have managed to create a sound that is both different yet also reassuring familiar. The album features the title track from their earlier released EP, Time to Pretend. The band are also open in their praise for their producer, David Friedman, of the Flaming Lips, who worked on the new album.

"(David) ended up running the tracks through this thing that crushed them and made them sound really gross again. They're a lot better now." They said to Rolling Stone.

These cool bands from New York are living up the expectations as trend setters and we can only look forward to their next releases. If you can't wait until then, then catch all three on tour in Europe now!

Cool New Bands

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