One of our New Year’s Resolutions here at the AllMusic Blog is to help you, the loyal readers, stay on top of today’s exciting and dynamic music scene. We pledge to scour the airwaves, trade journals, blogs and the world wide web seeking out only the hottest, freshest young talent and delivering it with no delay and no fancy packaging to distract you from what really matters. The music! Count on getting the Hot Damn Jamz every week - maybe you’ll discover your new favorite band. Read on for the first installment…

Memory Cassette
Hissy, lo-fi disco with robotic female vocals (discogaze?) is all the rage these days, and Memory Cassette do it as well as anyone (Italians included).

Betty and the Werewolves
Three cute as a button girls (plus hirsute drummer) bash out post-punk indie-disco floor-fillers in the style of a cuddly Comet Gain.

Let’s Wrestle
Creating knuckleheaded and hilarious indie rock with little regard for frivolous things like singing in tune or playing more than three chords, Let’s Wrestle hits the jerkpot with “Tanks” and the soon-to-be-classic “I Wish I Was in Hüsker Dü”.

Young Fathers
After hearing “Straight Back On It,” all doubts about whether or not an Edinburgh-based hip-hop group can deliver are blown away — no wonder Young Fathers were named one of NME’s acts to watch in ‘09.

La Roux
“The Red-Haired One,” as her name means in French, looks like Tilda Swinton’s kid sister and gives edgy pop divas like Robyn and Lily Allen (with whom she’ll be touring) a run for their money with the sweet-but-sharp “Quicksand” and “Reflections Are Protection.”

Japanese Cartoon
Whether or not it’s true that Japanese Cartoon’s Cockney chimney sweep-accented singer Percival Fats is in fact rapper Lupe Fiasco, this mix of hip-hop and post-punk — which kind of sounds like Bloc Party collaborating with N.E.R.D. — is pretty infectious.

Spider and the Flies
The Horrors’ Spider Webb and Tomethy Furse step out on their own, wreaking the kind of analogue synth havoc that hasn’t been heard since the heyday of Add N to (X) (whose Barry 7 helps run the band’s label, Mute Irregulars).

Chico Mann
Taking a cue from analog revivalists Money Mark and Victor Axelrod, multi-instrumentalist Chico Mann is succeeding in his efforts to recreate Dusty Groove’s afro-beat section from scratch.

Team Robespierre
Brooklynite post-punk/dance-rock groups with synths might be a dime a dozen, but these guys sound like Japanther fused with The Faint and they name Crass and Cluster as influences, so they get some extra cred.

Playdoe
Stylish, electro-rap for new school hip(ster)-hoppers and planet rockers who appreciate tasty beats (“It’s That Beat) and tasty meats (“Meat Shack.”)