these guys actually any good, anyone? or just more of the same indie-rock-dance stuff?

Contrived crap.

Utterlt utterly dire

They're painful, but students with silly hair and rubbish jackets will lap it up. Idiots. The bassist looks (and sounds) like Alan Partridge doing air-bass in his caravan.

They're good if you like shit music.

I heard this band at Leeds while I was sitting outside the tent waiting for Pretty Girls Make Graves. Sounded baaaaaad.

I happen to think they're amazing. Their singer has Mozza-esque stare and they have tunes a plenty -- think Interpol crossed with something more bouncy.

So we conclude they're either a band you love or hate. Which is good.

I can see why indie purists don't like them, but their tunes speak for themselves, I reckon. And the singer is an amazing frontman.

I'm not an indie purist and I think they're bollocks. Do I not count?

What the fuck is 'indie purist' meant to mean nowadays, anyway?!? I don't mean that harshly, i'm intrigued, i dunno - that you worship pasty-skinned boys making albums on their own in their bedrooms (woah, novel) & wank over anything Albini's ever produced (sorry "engineered") or something ...?
Whatever it is - that "contrived" comment upthread's the closest someone's got to hitting the nail on the head here imho...

glad i asked now.
love to see the insults flying :D

Look, get off your fucking high horses now. No-one cares about so-called "indie purists". Comments like "students with silly hair and rubbish jackets will lap it up" are, other than being cliche and stereotype-ridden, utterly useless and trivial generalisations. Time will tell whether they're another of these bland, non-descript bands that have been making appearances this year (stand up Razorlight et al), but give them a chance damnit.

they were shite with the Killers at Mean Fiddler and shite at Reading. sound like Spandau Ballet, but I guess that's the point...singer needs one of those pencil microphones for full effect

Oh come on, they were all in Emo bands at the start of the year. They're the most contrivbed band-wagon jumpers ever.

I spoke to the fat guitarist once and he told me he used to be in a hardcore band, so yeah that's true.

The lead singer is a cock, and the main reason they got a deal (other than all that 'style' they exude) was because he did work experience at Parlophone.

great band, tight sounding for people who havn't been together long, dirty words (B side on the single) is as close to joy division as I have heard in a long time

Hahaha use to school go with the "fat" guitarist Lee (i'm assuming you mean him or does the other guitarist have a double chin to?) and although no one in my opinion can call him pretentious he has always to my memory been very into whatever was happening in the alternative scene in America......which is why I think you can call him/bandmates/band contrived but only to a point. They've been heavily influence by the Killers and other such bands and have similar reference points to these, and while producing some good songs it seems they rely quiet heavily on these American bands for inspiration in my opinion. It would have been nice to see some of his and his bandmates earlier influences coming through a bit more for me but it just seems like its all been cast away for the new "in" sound. That disappointed me when I heard them and why I think it can be called contrived but that can only work to certain point and as "ANDY" says they've been together what? 6-7 months? Thats not long at all and if they can push from what is, at least to my mind, quiet an envious starting position - however they got it - they may start to form their own personality away from this. Chances are if they do push on all the kids in the know will be saying this was there best work. I wish them luck its just a pity I think they sound like Duran Duran.

it's odd that you say that they are influenced by the killers as when they got the support tour with the killers none of the band had even heard of them! One strong influence that I think most of the band share is U2!

I reckon they are pretty original sounding, have a lot of very strong songs and are all talented musicians - they could go a long way given the right breaks.

I think they are really good, better than the rakes