Music: Behind the buzz (×3)

They all just put out their debut albums. All were quickly shown the love by PitchforkMedia.com and other hipster outlets. Now, three of this fall's buzzingest bands will land in town over a weeklong span -- and all are already sold out. Here's our preliminary take on them.

Who are they? A hazy, distorted electronica-rock duo à la MGMT with a penchant for classic Britpop melodies and vintage soft-porn artwork, formed by London mates Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell. Their album, "A Brief History of Lovers," came out in September on influential U.K. label 4AD.

Why the buzz? After winning best new act in Brit mag NME's Shockwave Awards, they opened TV on the Radio's European tour in the spring, fanned out online with the singles "Too Young to Love" and "Velvet," and are now in Current (89.3 FM) rotation with "Dominos."

What do we think? Too much of the songwriting sounds too derivative of older U.K. bands too often mimicked, from Jesus and Mary Chain to the Verve. However, the whirring wall-of-sound sonic backdrop and thumping interludes are hypnotic and could be especially powerful with the fuller band lineup onstage.

When's the gig? 9 p.m. Wed., 7th Street Entry.

Who are they? An Afropop-copping, mostly white big band from Los Angeles that started as a side project to the rock group Foreign Born.

Why the buzz? Two words: Vampire Weekend, one of the hippest breakout acts of 2008, which inevitably gets mentioned in every write-up on Fool's Gold thanks to both bands' Afrocentric music and skinny-jean genes.

What do we think? The Vampirical comparisons are a little sucky because this group's members were dabbling in Afropop for years. Fool's Gold's eponymous album is more overtly dance-oriented and subversive, too -- more Talking Heads than VW's "Graceland" styling. Songs such as "Surprise Hotel" and the horn-blaring "Nadine" are so buoyant and lovingly brandished that it's hard to begrudge these Angelenos their King Sunny Adé imitations. At least it's sunnier in L.A. than it is in Cape Cod.

When's the gig? Next Sunday with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at the Varsity.

Who are they? Another London band, this one's four under-21 members have been friends since (early) childhood, including husky voiced singer/guitarist Romy Madly-Croft. Their softly pulsating, sheepishly horny CD, "xx," landed in August via XL Recordings.

Why the buzz? The quartet's quirky sexual energy came to light in a cover of Aaliyah's "Hot Like Fire" that was a minor viral hit before its real single "Crystalised" became an iTunes U.K. single of the week and radio favorite.

What do we think? Much of the XX's debut sounds too ZZZ at first. But like a drowsy version of the boy/girl interplay in Jack White's new band the Dead Weather, Madly-Croft builds up an interesting sexual tension with her droning co-vocalist (and bassist) Oliver Sim. The real star may be keyboardist/producer Jamie Smith, whose subtly infectious arrangements in songs such as "Islands" are simple but other-worldly. Of the three bands, this one's by far the most original.

When's the gig? Nov. 30 with Friendly Fires at Triple Rock Social Club.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658