# Break-Through Bands of 2010 Reader’s Poll, No. 4: Weekend, Beach Fossils, Small Black, Titus Andronicus, Tennis, Sun Airway - Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2010/12/break-through-bands-2010-poll-4/ - Published: 2010-12-03T06:43:15-05:00 - Author: Max Hammer It’s been a while since we published the last **Break-Through Bands of 2010**. So, now it’s time to play catch up. Employing a similar concept as IRC’s Top Ten Songs lists, it is in fact the readers – all of you – who are deciding the top new, or‘ break-through’,  bands and artists of 2010. For this, the fourth poll in this series, we’ve put together another playlist mix for the latest round of nominees. Each nominee has earned their place among the top new bands of 2010 due to critical and fan approval following the release of new or debut releases, relentless touring, and music festival appearances. Cast your vote for the best new band in the poll shown below.  Also, there is a complete overview of the previous poll winners. Note: The sequence of bands presented in this playlist mix is completely random. #### Bikini – New York City **Nigel Diamond** and **Olivier Olivier** met at **Canada**’s Glen-Lyon Norfolk School of music, and began to collaborate as **Bikini**. Just a couple of week’s ago, we were unable to find a MySpace page for **New York **experimental indie band, Bikini. But a lot has happened in just the short period of time. Last week, right before the Thanksgiving holiday, **Bikini** released their debut EP, _RIPJDS_, which includes the awesome singles featured here, “American Mourning” and “ACheerleader.” “American Mourning” – **Bikini** from _EP RIPJDS_ “ACheerleader” – **Bikini** from _EP RIPJDS _ #### Braids – Montreal, Quebec, Canada This **Montreal** indie pop band shed their old skin as the **Calgary** band **The Neighborhood Council** and headed east to **Quebec **in 2008. They honed their skills, tweaked their sound, re-defined their image, and to complete the transition, changed their name to **Braids**. After a summer of touring, **Kanine Records **signed the band this past September, right before their premiere at the all-important **CMJ** in **New York**. Kanine has announced that Braids’ debut album, _Native Speaker_, will be released in January.  Their big sound, sculpted from pianos and synthesizers, glimmering guitars and ambient intermissions, is evidenced on the track featured here, “Lemonade.” Tonight the band kicks off yet another tour, this time with **Sweden**‘s hugely popular indie pop band, **The Radio Dept.** “Lemonade” – **Braids** from _Native Speaker_ (or TBA) – Jan. 12th 2011 #### Weekend – San Francisco, California **San Francisco**’s rising indie band, [**Weekend**](https://indierockcafe.com/2010/12/break-through-bands-2010-poll-4/../2010/11/best-new-indie-rock-albums-2010-nov9/), released their debut album,_ Sports_, this month to wide acclaim, and now they are on the rip, increasing their profile across the country with touring and winning big endorsements for their debut. The LP’s lead single, “Coma Summer,” was by far, the top song of the week for the second week in November. Related Post:  Grand Ole Party Touring With Rogue Wave Throughout US in April “Coma Summer”_ _ – **Weekend** from_ Sports_ #### Beach Fossils – Brooklyn, New York Last May, the **Brooklyn** buzz band **Beach Fossils **released their self-titled, debut LP to the open arms of adoring critics and admiring bloggers. The band had been building momentum in late 2009, but with their multiple, packed appearances during **South by Southwest** 2010, and the release of their acclaimed debut – one which has already made a number of top albums of 2010 lists – the band are on a roll.  Check out these tracks if you somehow haven’t heard of Beach Fossils yet. “Face It” – **Beach Fossils** from _Face It/Distance_ 7″ _ _ “Youth”_ –_ **Beach Fossils **from _Beach Fossils_ ![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Titus+Andronicus+-+The+Monitor1. jpg) #### Titus Andronicus – New Jersey One of our favorite shoegaze bands, Titus Andronicus, released the follow up album to their widely acclaimed debut, The Airing of Grievances, earlier this year at about the same time that they were blowing away fans and bloggers and mainstream music press at shows and festivals, like **SXSW,** including some good ‘ole jamming rock and roll that has a clear theme related to American history, which make their songs all the more interesting. “Four Score and Seven (Part One)” – Titus Andronicus from The Monitor “Four Score and Seven (Part Two)” – Titus Andronicus from The Monitor #### Sun Airway – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Like so many others, when we first starting hearing songs from the **Philadelphia** indie band **Sun Airway**, we thought we were hearing an **Animal Collective** unreleased track, even though we knew it wasn’t. Isn’t that weird? But Sun Airway do pour on the synth heavy hooks and pop psychedelics quite richly indeed. Plus, it’s only been little more than a month (Oct. 26th) since they dropped their oddly titled debut LP, _Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier_, and Sun Airway are already known coast to coast for the delicious singles that came over in recent months ahead of the official street date. [“Put the Days Away”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/putthedaysaway1.mp3)–** Sun Airway** from _Nocturne Of Exploded Crystal Chandelier_ Sun Airway is **Jon Barthmus** and **Patrick Marsceill**, both ex-members of the defunct emo band the A-Sides. They started work on _Nocturne_ during the summer of 2008. “Infinity” – **Sun Airway** from _Nocturne Of Exploded Crystal Chandelier_ ![womentheband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Public_Strain-Women_480. jpg "womentheband") #### Women – Calgary, Alberta, Canada While** Calgary**‘s art rock/no wave band **Women** are hardly a new band, it’s fair to say that the band didn’t really start to break out until late 2009 and for much of 2010. The band’s 2008 self-titled debut LP received great reviews from _Pitchfork_ and _All Music_, among other influential publications. But it was after some heavy touring and advanced singles from their recently releases sophomore album, _Public Strain_, that catapulted the band into a whole other ball game, and made our [Best New Releases ](https://indierockcafe.com/2010/09/releases-age-deerhunter-neil-young-abe-vigoda-owen-pallett-pete-yorn-omd-women-posies/)( one of our fav BNR mixes of 2010) post for the last week of September. Related Post:  Best Indie Folk Albums Ever, Vol. II - Gregory Alan Isakov's 'This Empty Northern Hemisphere' “Narrow with the Hall” – **Women** from _Public Strain_ But the band, and their fans, suffered a major blow in October, when Women band members  ironically lived out the title of their latest album by getting into a  fight on stage in **Victoria,** Canada. While rumors swirled that the band was going to break up, but those rumors where squashed. However, the actual result was not much better. Women canceled the remainder of their tour. Although it is a setback for the band, we don’t think it should adversely affect anyone’s perception of Women as a break-through band in 2010. [“Eyesore” ](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/eyesore1.mp3)– **Women** from _Public Strain_ [Yours Truly Presents: Tennis “Pigeon”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/16972110) from [Yours Truly](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/yourstruly) ![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/0622_tennis.jpg) #### Tennis – Denver, Colorado Everyone likes a good love story. But this love story is a unique one that found husband and wife team  **Patrick Riley** and **Alaina Moore **sailing the eastern seaboard of the U.S. for seven months. During that time, the college sweathearts began writing songs that eventually evolved into a full album worth of songs, and officially made them, **Tennis**, the band (helps with Google searches). The couple’s debut LP, _Cape Dory_, will be released on January 18th via **Fat Possum Records**. [“Marathon” ](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/4964249.03.mp3)–** Tennis** from _Cape Dory_ “Take Me Somewhere” – **Tennis** from _Cape Dory_ A letter from Patrick to Alaina while he was in Florida preparing for their seven- month excursion _ _“South Carolina” – **Tennis** from _Cape Dory_ _Look for Cape Dory, set to drop Jan. 18th ![smallblackband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/l_e557473b915e4ae8a69eea713abf4244. jpg "smallblackband") #### Small Black – Brooklyn, New York The easiest bands to like are those that connect with you within the first 20 seconds of a song, and then keep luring you in as the song progresses, so that before it even ends, you’ve already made up your mind to play it again, and again. And then you listen to a second track from the same artist, and it’s the same, if not more, intense experience.  And the third single, and so on.  That’s been our experience with **Brooklyn** band **Small Black**.  The band’s debut single, “Photojournalist”, is joyously mellow and layered with synths, masterful vocals, and rich percussions holding it all together. Repeat. “Photojournalist” – **Small Black** from s/t 7″ single Thanks to that first ‘hit’ single, Small Black have been gaining ground and growing a fan base across the U.S. and Canada, and parts of Europe as well. Subsequent singles– like the addictive “Despicable Dogs” and the dreamy “Pleasant Experience – were released throughout the summer to wide approval. And for good reason, they’re just so damn good, easily one of the top bands in the wildly popular ‘chillwave’ movement that is revolutionizing alternative music. Related Post:  Neil Young Loses Home in California Wildfires “Despicable Dogs” – **Small Black** from 12″ ![cultstheband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/game_show_cults.jpg" thecultsband") #### Cults – New York City When we went to see **The Morning Benders** in **Santa Cruz**, Calif. a couple of months ago, we noted afterwards that the crowd seemed more interested in the evening’s first two openers – **Cults** and **Twin Sister** – than in the headlining band. Cults is a boy/girl duo and students at a **New York **film school.  They quickly spread on the web with the release of their debut 7 inch single, “Go Outside”, which became a favorite for plenty of summer mixtapes. Ther are a few more songs from the [Cults’ BandCamp](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/cults.bandcamp.com) page. “Go Outside” – **Cults** from s/t 7-inch “Most Wanted” – **Cults** from s/t 7-inch Pick Your Favorite Among These Ten Bands [Of These Ten, Who’s the ‘Break-Through Band’ of 2010? – Poll 4](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/3899695) #### Previous Polls Reveal Other Top Break-Through Bands of 2010 Now that you’ve taken the poll, here’s the low-down on the previous polls. Click through to the article of the poll results for more details and to stream or download songs from most of the bands in each poll. * **[Poll One](https://indierockcafe.com/2010/06/local-natives-voted-break-out-band-2010-so-far/)**– In the first poll, IRC readers picked the **Local Natives** and **Surfer Blood** as the top two break-out of 10 presented. [Click here](https://indierockcafe.com/2010/06/local-natives-voted-break-out-band-2010-so-far/) to see the poll, and listen to or download songs from each of the bands featured in Poll One, including **Delorean**, **Real Estate, Sleigh Bells, Free Energy,** and **Crystal Castles**. * **Poll Two** – In the second poll, readers overwhelmingly selected **The Drums**, followed far behind in second place by the **Freelance Whales**. Click here to listen to and download tracks from each of the bands in Poll Two, including ** Wild Nothing, Ganglians, Warpaint, Cymbals Eat Guitars, **and** Washed Out**. * **[Poll Three](https://indierockcafe.com/2010/07/irc-readers-visitors-pick-broken-bells-door-cinema-club-latest-break-through-band-2010-poll/)**– In the third poll, the new supergroup **Broken Bells **and Ireland’s **Two Door Cinema Club **took the top spots. [Click here](https://indierockcafe.com/2010/07/irc-readers-visitors-pick-broken-bells-door-cinema-club-latest-break-through-band-2010-poll/) to view the article and playlist mix that includes 2010 songs from **Tame Impala, The Middle East, Fang Island, Film School,** and **Suckers**, among others. In case you wanted to vote for any of the bands or artists presented in the first three polls, you will have a chance to at the end of the year. At that time, the top two winners from each poll (poll five will be published in a couple of weeks) will be included in one final poll where thousands of people from around the world will choose ‘the’ Top Break-Through Bands of 2010. **Nigel Diamond** and **Olivier Olivier** met at **Canada**’s Glen-Lyon Norfolk School of music. The band have become well-known for their electro-pop dance music