Temposhark

Not unlike the aforementioned Ting Tings (two posts below), London's Temposhark can comfortably be called "retro-future." Their bridging of underground electro beats with soaring pop production and arrangements make them sound unlike anyone currently making the rounds, but curiously would have fit right in your box of 120 Minutes-era alt-pop cassettes (Erasure, Information Society, and The Pet Shop Boys spring to mind) without raising an eyebrow. Wholeheartedly embracing the synth sound in this day and age without using it as a crutch or sounding like a hack takes true talent and focus, which is abundant on their new disc The Invisible Line, (available now) a collection of their already famous underground singles and some new full-band work. As far as modern peers, they might remind you of some of BT's artist albums, and at moments, as odd as it might seem against the keyboard backdrop, the vocal stylings of Elliot Smith occasionally swirl around...and this is a good thing. You're not bound to hear many records like this one in 2008.
Temposhark "Crime"