THE TEENAGERS
This pervy, pop trio of Parisian hipsters made this list last year, and after 365 days of playing footsie and looking deep into the eyes of mainstream success, these fresh-faced indie swingers are preparing to pony up and do the deed big time. Combining electro synths and drum sounds with tried-and-true, semi-ironic pop-rock riffage, the Teenagers resist a conventional label, although they tend to tour with the likes of Crystal Castles, Klaxons, and These New Puritans. Propelled in equal parts by their catchy tongue-in-cheek lyrics (these tend to either graphically recount drunken sexcapades or reference hilarious pop-culture “icons” like poor Jared Leto and Shannen Doherty) and by their signature remixes for buzz bands GoodBooks, Lo-fi FNK, and Black Ghosts, the Teenagers seem poised for big things. While 2007 saw Michael, Dorion, and Quentin drop a few tracks on limited-edition import 7” vinyls, 2008 will see the Teens’ first North American single, “Fuck Nicole,” land Jan. 18 courtesy of Montreal’s Summer Lovers Unlimited label. Following in March will be the climactic release of their first full-length LP, Reality Check, which will catalogue glossier versions of staple singles “Homecoming,” “Starlett Johansson,” and “Sunset Beach,” alongside brand new hits-in-waiting “Streets of Paris,” “Love No,” and “French Kiss.” An exclusive North American EP, The World’s Not Fair, will also be available in March on Summer Lovers. Watch for the Teenagers to make their Toronto debut as part of their first North American tour Jan. 27 at The Social. —JORDAN BIMM
THE COAST
If The Coast’s rising fortunes are any indication, 2008 should be a breakout year for this brit-influenced Toronto quartet. (OK, full disclosure: singer Ben Spurr is also one of The Varsity’s comment editors, but read on and you’ll understand how we just wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t tell you about these dudes!) After having their twinkling tune “All Farewells” featured in an episode of MTV’s Newport Harbor, the Coast have recently inked record deals in the U.S. and the U.K. and will soon be on tour with Tokyo Police Club. In March they’ll be releasing their debut LP and playing multiple engagements at Austin, Texas’s South by Southwest music festival. Catch up with The Coast at their next Toronto show Jan. 26 at the El Mocambo opening for New York’s Ra Ra Riot.—JB
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
The New York City hype machine has set its sights firmly upon Vampire Weekend, whose combination of Afrobeat and classical influences produces a breezy type of indie rock (playfully dubbed “Yacht Rock” by some scribes) that has gotten the blogs buzzing and left ears perfectly intact. They’ve already begun an extensive touring schedule, and 2008 promises more of the same, with a spring North American tour already mapped out. Their self-titled debut is set for release Jan. 29 on the red-hot XL Recordings, allowing critics everywhere to prepare four-star ratings for rapid deployment.—ROB DUFFY
www.myspace.com/vampireweekend
FOALS
While landing the cover spot on NME’s New Noise 2008 issue doesn’t necessarily guarantee fame or fortune, it’s certainly a good sign. A five-piece out of Oxford, Foals combine math rock with electro-pop to form a catchy, reverb-washed wall of sound. With their debut full-length Antidotes, due sometime in March, Foals are set to become the flag-bearers for the next wave of dance rock to hit North American shores. Their recent MySpace blog claims: “We’re going to take all them motherfuckers down and we’re going to destroy everything and everyone including probably ourselves.” It’s a cheeky assertion, of course, but it remains a distinct possibility.—RD
