The Watch: Glasvegas

James Allen (2nd from L) and Glasvegas (Credit: Columbia)

What’s their sound?
Glasvegas churn out an emotional mix that plays like the intersection of Coldplay, U2 and their forefathers, ‘80s Scot-rockers the Waterboys with a side order of girl-group classicism and a nagging Elvis Presley fascination.

What the hell does that mean?
Huge, anthemic songs rife with echoed guitars, driving rhythms and the tortured vocals of singer James Allen mark his band’s heart-wrenching songs. Allen likes to keep things topical, singing about absentee fathers (hit single “Daddy’s Gone”), violent crime and depression. “Because I’m not numb, I’m sensitive to certain things,” Allen explained to UK magazine The List in 2008. “Some of the songs are simply just expressing these ideas with simple words and a wee melody.”

Is their game tight?
While singer Allen claims that he “hated” music until the age of 17, Glasvegas found success almost instantaneously. They won the 2008 Phillip Hall Radar award for Best New Band from influential UK mag NME, which was presented to them by former Libertines/Dirty Pretty Things leader Carl Barat, who categorized the band as being “like a 50s, happy-go-lucky doo-wop band whose mum died. It’s dark but brilliant.” They’ve already been lauded by Morrisey. Releasing their self-titled debut late last year, the buzz on this band only continues to build (most dates on their upcoming American tour are already sold out).

X-factor:
Before signing their big record deal (they’re now on the roster on music giant Columbia), Glasvegas made like Johnny Cash and did a prison tour of Europe, which they claim they’d like to go again, but only on a “bigger scale.” 

See Glasvegas live at the Troubadour on Jan. 14.