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Pond Hoppers: Seven British breakout acts primed for an American uprising

Rat Boy Press

It’s no secret that our cousins across the pond have an impressively long record of taking America by storm, especially in the game of music. When the first wave of Brits broke into the US charts in the '60s, the floodgates had opened: The Beatles. The Rolling Stones. Dusty Springfield. The Kinks. The Animals. It was a wake-up call, a sudden realization of all the good tunes American airwaves had been missing out on. Since then, a stream of British artists have shown their creative and musical prowess by leaving their stamp on American popular music.

In the '90s, the Britpop movement furthered the appeal, longevity, and dominance of British culture. It showcased the diversity and individuality that UK artists had to offer the world of music. But before many of these acts ever really broke on American soil, they grew their audience back home, crafting their art and finding their footing in clubs and concert halls across Britain. Pretty soon another wave of the British Invasion will return in full force, and here are just a few of the acts folks should be on the look-out for.

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Circa Waves

With springy upbeat guitar riffs and swelling melodic choruses, Circa Waves burst onto the indie rock scene in a fit of pulsing energy and infectious spirit. Their eponymous debut album in 2014 was littered with catchy hooks, slightly-fuzzy vocals, and an intentionally low-fi garage quality that only added to its charm. Formed in Liverpool four years ago, Circa Waves consists of lead singer/rhythm guitarist Kieran Shudall, bass guitarist Sam Rourke, drummer Colin Jones, and lead guitarist Joe Falconer. A crowd favorite on the Euro festival circuit, the band has conquered the main stage at festivals like Glastonbury, Bestival, Best Kept Secret, Reading, and Leeds. Their sophomore album Different Creatures was released in March, a jolting return that’s both musically and lyrically much heavier, but somehow retains the same sense of underlying optimism.

Listen to “Stuck In My Teeth” below…

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