The Ruse
The Ruse’s melodic, soothing, cultivated sound will leave you in no doubt of who their influences are; U2, Coldplay, and Travis. The frontman, John Dauer has a voice like a good dram of whisky; smooth, mellow, and rich combined with his moviestar good looks you know he was born to be a heart-throb. The Ruse’s sound is so overwhelmingly Brit Rock that you will be sure they are from London, Glasgow, or even Dublin. But you’ll be surprised to find out that they are actually from New York, Atlanta, and L.A. With two fabulous, accomplished albums, numerous EPs, an appearance on MTV’s The Hills, 
a stint as the house band at The Viper Room club in L.A., and much critical acclaim behind them, they have recently released a third album entitled, Midnight in the City. Until now The Ruse have just been waiting for the right offer from a major label but with this third album it is unlikely they will remain unsigned for long. Being this good now means they must, eventually, become rock gods. If you're this talented, you really have no choice in the matter. You can hear examples of their rock godliness at their MySpace space.
The Flaws
This Irish band’s sound is an updated mixture of '80s bands like The Smiths, The Cure, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Frontman and primary lyricist Paul Finn has the enviable ability to strip away the everyday mundanities of life and articulate the longing and desire for more. Strong melodies enveloped in synth, glittering, jangly guitars, Finn's rich, fervid vocals and intelligent witty lyrics make for a spellbinding experience. All of this is evident on their radiant, lush, nearly flawless - come on, I had to - debut album Achieving Vagueness released in the autumn of 2007. It was even nominated for the Irish Album of the Year 2007 by the Choice Music Prize (the Irish Mercury Prize). Currently The Flaws are working on a new album that is due out late 2009. If you’re interested, check-out The Flaws MySpace space.
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