Hotly tipped South African chart toppers The Parlotones are set to break onto the UK scene with their new single Beautiful. Maire Bonheim went to a gig.

Who?

On the light side of Indie rock with a slash of pop. They sound a bit like the Killers, but with a lot more love. Their influences include the likes of the Beatles, REM, Radiohead and The Cure. Some of their songs are really unique and quirky though.

Better or Worse Live?

Live, definitely. These guys are performers, especially frontman Kahn. They’re not very rock n roll, and they’re not very hardcore – some of their subject matter wouldn’t be out of place on a Christina Aguilera track. At the same time though, the Parlotones don’t need many gimics to grab your attention – they really are good, and the atmosphere at their gigs is amazing. Kahn wears trademark smudged tear eye makeup and sings with mime-esque movements, and when he sings through a megaphone on songs like Radio Controlled Robot the crowd literally goes wild.

Worth a Listen?

Yes, but weirdly none of their best songs are on their Myspace page. Anthems Louder Than Bombs and Here Comes a Man are commercial but cool, while quirky indie tracks Rock Paper Scissors and Radio Controlled Robot will definitely grab your attention. But their single Beautiful, to be released on February 11th, isn’t anything new. It’s by far their most boring song – and it would be a pity if they were written off because of it.

Visit http://www.myspace.com/theparlotones