Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong: 'Lonely Buoy'

A couple of years ago, Noel Gallagher bet Jo Whiley £50 that no band with the name Arctic Monkeys could ever win a Brit Award. Several years down the line, with Mr. Gallagher's wallet looking a little lighter, it would appear that anything goes when it comes to band names. The Ting Tings, !!!, Test Icicles, Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds, and, perhaps most ridiculously of them all, Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong... they're all out to destroy the myth that you can't be a credible rock outfit without a 'The' at the beginning of your moniker.

In the case of Joe Lean, the name is rather misleading. If you were expecting uber-trendy art rockers from Hoxton, you'd be wrong. If you thought they might sound like twee, studenty Belle and Sebastian clones, well, you'd be even more wrong. JLATJJJ make jingly-jangly indie-pop of the most conventional kind – the sort of fare that should be twisting the tongues of Radio 1 DJs for a good few years to come. Joe Lean has an infectious vocal style and, with lyrics as effortlessly cool as: "My jacket wasn't meant to be touched, so don't touch it", it's hard not to fall in love. It also helps that he's picked up a few tips from his former group, The Pipettes, filling 'Lonely Buoy' with enough pop harmonies, melodic swoons and intricate guitar work to keep our ears entertained for two minutes 40 seconds. If the world can get past their name, JLATJJJ could end up making '08 their own.


> Click here to watch the 'Lonely Buoy' video