First sight: Passion Pit

Who are they? A five-piece from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who play synthy, spacey pop that's not a million miles removed from MGMT, though nowhere near as wilfully proggy as the Brooklyn duo. In fact, if you were a fan of initials, you could say they are the MOR MGMT. The band's stated ambition is to meld the songwriting of Randy Newman and Stevie Wonder with experimental dance pop. Cambridge, Massachusetts? Are they some sort of Harvard boffin band? Actually, they're an experiment in romance. Their debut EP, Chunk of Change, was put together by singer-songwriter Michael Angelakos so he could give it to his then girlfriend as a Valentine's Day gift. The results were so good that he decided to put together a proper group and follow his muse. Does huge commercial success await? Who knows? Chunk of Change was released in the US on the indie label French Kiss, which usually offers quality, but doesn't tend to create superstars. However, the Sony imprint Columbia has signed the band for the UK, ... (link)