The xx — new from across the pond

The XX came across my radar after filtering through the MBV blog crew (Fluxblog, Catbirdseat, Chromewaves, Said the Gramophone, Large Hearted Boy). This site almost makes me wonder why I even have a blog.

But I guess if it were up to The XX and for the whole new age of musical acts, if smaller blogs like mine on the outer ring of the giant blogosphere don’t pick these things up and share then it puts a crack in their momentum. So, I guess I’ll continue to do my part.

The XX are young high school friends, as told by Mike over at Obscure Sound. They’re not afraid to admit their admiration for the pop world (Rhianna, Aaliyah, etc.) and aren’t afraid to inject those pop influences into their music.

“Crystalized” stands out as a key track. It starts out slow and quite with a feeling that it could explode at any minute. When this particular song does explode, it’s still just a simple guitar riff that doesn’t over power the vocals or the foundation instruments (drums / bass). It stays subtle and mellow throughout, keeping the explosion to a minor threat to the ears of the listener.

Their first full length album, 2.0, is due out on October 20th on XL Records but it’s currently available through Young Turks in the U.K.

Download & Listen to “Crystalized”

Purchase 2.0 (U.K. Only on emusic)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pib8eYDSFEI[/youtube]