The Lipster

It's rarely done well, but when the arch and the danceable meet in music, it can be a killer combination. Haunts are the latest to attempt to fuse the two, and although they're only two singles into their career, they've already distinguished themselves from the eyeliner-lashed pack with some pretty lofty ambitions.

Claiming to be sick of their peers' inability to impress in a live setting, the brooding London-based quartet look to legendary pop performers such as Prince to inspire them, because with this lot it's as much about the visual impact as it is about the cleverly constructed songs. Add their onstage theatrics to trendily bespectacled singer Banks' distinctively deep and growling vocals and the band's attacking riffs and rhythms and irresistible melodies, and you have one of 2008's most thrilling musical propositions.

See the slightly unnerving video for Underground here:

And find out about forthcoming gigs at the band's MySpace.