Making smart, bookish, indie-pop, Los Campesinos! crafted bouncy,
heart-on-sleeve odes to teenage boredom inspired by the likes of 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 frontman Gareth David, the
band were described as "twee" by critics of the...