Nine Black Alps

Say it with me, in your best Jerry Seinfeld: Could there be more buzz bands coming out of the UK right now? England is almost as much of a next-big-thing factory as Brooklyn was last year, what with the Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, the Magic Numbers, the Subways, the Cribs and the Go! Team seducing critics and fans with those sexy accents. One of the more hyped exports is Manchester's Nine Black Alps, a baby-faced quartet of kids who might be a little too young to rip off the Cure and Joy Division but who found inspiration in a later genre: grunge. If Kurt Cobain could hear their just-released-in-the-States album Everything Is, he'd be rolling in his grave – if it weren't so good. It's not mind-blowingly original – some riffs could've been lifted right off Nevermind – but musically, these Mancs are tight and, more important, high-energy. Live, in person and flannel-clad is the best way to experience these Coachella-bound boys.