I rarely consider a band’s influences. In all honesty, I doubt that good bands worry too much about them either, and instead concentrate on making their own sound.

But people are always interested, and so bands always list them: although simply put, a band that sounds a bit like the B-52‘s in all likelihood have just listened to a whole bundle of B-52‘s albums at some point.

So what of the similarly enciphered T54? A quick Google search tells us that the T54 was a Russian tank, and a quick listen to HK-T-G Rules! tells us that My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Sonic Youth have all spent time spinning on their turntables.

T54 – HK-T-G Rules!

A driving garage riff, hollow-eyed drumming, tinny guitars, distant and droning vocals: this is a band carefully picking from their favourite bands’ gene pool and breeding an altogether new beast. HK-T-G Rules! is relentless, shimmering and free – the sound of a really new band setting loose all those new ideas and experiencing the joyful rush.

I might be wrong, but I’m not sure that T54 have spent a huge amount of time playing out their hometown of Christchurch in New Zealand – they may not have spent much time playing outside of their bedrooms. Perfect. Listen while they’re still forming.