Los Campesinos!

Making smart, bookish, indie pop, Los Campesinos! crafted bouncy, heart-on-sleeve odes to teenage boredom inspired by the likes of the The Cure and Belle And Sebastian. Formed at Cardiff University in 2006, the seven-piece took their name from the Spanish for The Peasants and started out playing at local student club nights. They received support from Huw Stevens on BBC Radio Cymru and were soon signed to Wichita Records for their debut album Sticking Fingers Into Sockets (2007). Led by the vibrant energy of front man Gareth David, the band were described as "twee" by critics of their whimsical lyrics and jangly guitars but steadily built a cult following with the albums We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (2008) and Romance Is Boring (2010). The band took a darker turn on Hello Sadness (2011) with songs focusing on Gareth's break-up with his girlfriend, but remained loyal to a sound built around bitter-sweet indie pop.

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