The Great Shakes

This could be a completely bogus comparison, but listen to London's the Great Shakes and tell me you don't hear equal parts Deerhoof and the Jam/Paul Weller.

Hear it? That nimble, jumpy guitar that tails the vocals and implies a melody through spastic accenting and sonic punctuation ... sounds straight up like John Dietrich's but with a shimmer or British post-punk. And then Dan Foden -- the singer -- totally channels Paul Weller, anyway ...

Or something. Man, these guys are good. Melodramatic and theatrical with an element of Mod rock and Motown swing. Pair the Great Shakes up with other throwback groups in the U.K. right now like Vincent Vincent & the Villains (whom they've toured with), the Rumble Strips, and Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong. The below two tracks are the quartet's only recorded demos, but judging by the strength of them, we've only good things ahead with this band. Yeah ...

the Great Shakes - Heading Nowhere

the Great Shakes - Lost You to the Radio