Artist to Watch: Black Kids

WHO When you call your band Black Kids, fans remember your name. "We like that 'Black Kids' seems subversive," says Reggie Youngblood, the Jacksonville, Florida, group's lead singer and one of its two black members. (His younger sister, Ali, is the other.) But Youngblood admits the name is trickier for the quintet's white kids. "For a while, when a stranger asked about the band, they'd just say, 'Oh, you haven't heard of us.'"

SOUND That excuse no longer works, since Black Kids have gathered so much blog buzz over the past few months that they're already playing sold-out gigs for fans such as the Beastie Boys' Mike D. That acclaim is due mostly to the freewheeling indie-rock songs they posted on MySpace, earning them comparisons to Arcade Fire and the Cure. But with coed harmonies and snatches of R&B, Black Kids have a more classic pop sound than your typical indie-rock band — and they're more humble. Songs like "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" come from times Youngblood has had to keep his ego in check. "I've often had great chemistry with a girl on the dance floor," he says. "And then she'd leave with her flat-footed boyfriend."

KEY TRACK "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" This danceable tune mixes arch lyrics with Cure-like vocals and a megacatchy chorus that exudes warmth.

Next: Liam Finn

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