My Bloody Valentine

My Bloody Valentine have unexpectedly materialized from the shadows, shattering expectations and eardrums alike with their follow-up to Loveless, mbv. Fresh from the new record’s release, the band will violate noise laws in England, Japan, and Australia during March and April, but they’ve yet to travel across the Atlantic to perform the gut-wrenching wails of tremolo guitars and windpipe-shattering drums. Any love for us, Kevin? -Paula Mejia

Ed. While we’d still like to see My Bloody Valentine play the U.S., we would like to point out that they in fact hail from Ireland, a country 100% not part of the United Kingdom.

The History of Apple Pie

On their 2011 self-titled entrance, Yuck redefined how nostalgic a band could get for early 90s indie rock. Two years later, The History of Apple Pie has taken the crown of all things fuzzed with a sound that reflects the sunnier side of feedback-drenched bliss. Their debut Out of View is as sweet and satisfying as, well, pie — recalling the likes of My Bloody Valentine, The Breeders, and Lush at their poppiest. Apple pie may be a symbol of American culture, but the band has yet to appear on this side of the Atlantic. -Frank Mojica

Burial

Remaining anonymous during his slow climb to recognition, London’s Burial, aka William Bevan, has been a shadowy, rumbling force in the development of pure unadulterated dubstep from the U.K’s ever-bustling underground electronic scene. Dipping on and off the radar for years, the artist spent most of the past year releasing singles and an EP, though he’s yet to show his face in the United States. -Paula Mejia

Slowdive

Money talks. Not to say that bands simply reunite for a big payday, which admittedly does happen, but gear, rehearsals, and time all have expenses, and we’ve been blessed with ongoing returns from shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Whatever the case may be for Slowdive, frontman Neil Halstead recently revealed that everyone is still in good terms and he would get the band back together for “shitloads of money.” Hopefully the powers that be at Coachella and/or Fun Fun Fun Fest can make this comeback a reality, and it would go a long way towards redeeming the bafflingly poor judgment exhibited with a prospective Lush comeback. -Frank Mojica

Stereolab

Although Stereolab announced their indefinite hiatus years ago, we’re still on pins and needles for their reunion a la The Stone Roses. The last we heard from the provocative band, famed for their penchant for ulterior recording methods, was 2010’s Not Music, recorded simultaneously with 2008’s Chemical Chords. In the meantime, Laetitia Sadier has gone solo, and last summer saw the release of her second album, Silencio, with a tiny tour in support of the album. So, it’s not like she’s against the road or anything. -Paula Mejia

The Prodigy

Dance music is more popular than ever these days, with electronic acts packing both dance tents and main stages with the most massive of festival crowds, but where’s the edge? There’s certainly none to be found within the excess of bass drops or anthems like “One” and “Levels”. Blending style and substance with their unique brand of ferocity, The Prodigy is a visceral force of mayhem, and smashes such as “Firestarter” and “Smack My Bitch Up” would serve as some overdue schooling for the current generation of rave. Although they just toured these shores in 2011, it was in support of Linkin Park, and let’s be real here: The Prodigy deserves better. -Frank Mojica

The Verve

Following the status of The Verve is like watching a tumultuous couple on the fritz: breaking up, getting back together, and breaking up again repeatedly. Although the question is always “are they or aren’t they?” the fact remains that The Verve should tour extensively. They were one of the very few UK outfits with heady psychedelic and shoegaze sensibilities that managed to break through to mainstream fame with their hit “Bittersweet Symphony”. Known for detached musings that sprawl into a territory that’s both extraterrestrial and very much rooted in humanity, The Verve successfully led a string of sold-out tour dates in 2008 in support of their last studio release, Forth. How about a follow up, guys? -Paula Mejia

Primal Scream

This decade has been the golden age of bands that are massively popular in the UK but not so much in the States. Over the past 30 years, Primal Scream has endured countless lineup changes, but they have always remained a band. However, their touring history in the States has been infrequent at best, so a return to the colonies would generate excitement among musical Anglophiles generally reserved for Britpop and shoegaze reunions, especially if they revived 2011′s “Screamadelica Tour.” It’s not like they won’t have a reason anytime soon. -Frank Mojica

Aphex Twin

Often demented and always brilliant, Richard James’ Aphex Twin moniker has been synonymous with arguably some of the most formative and intelligent electronica of the past two decades. James has long teased of a follow up to 2001’s Drukqs, but in the meantime, he’s stayed relevant by composing alongside Jonny Greenwood, conducting a 48-piece orchestra by remote control, and performing alongside members of Portishead and Television. Save for a meager appearance at 2011’s Pitchfork Paris Music Festival, James still has yet to tour in the states — or release those alleged six albums in his arsenal. -Paula Mejia

Emmy the Great

The tales of Emma-Lee Moss on her two albums as Emmy the Great are revealing to an extent that would be uncomfortable for all parties involved if they were penned by someone else. Yet, thanks to her charm and ability to universalize the personal, listening to Emmy the Great conjures a sensation of knowing the artist intimately as well as one’s self. Moss is currently working with Pulp’s Leo Abrahams on her third album and recently soundtracked two upcoming films: Austenland, along with composer Ilan Eshkeri, and The Wanderers with Ash frontman Tim Wheeler and Blur’s Graham Coxon. Hopefully a long-overdue American introduction and publicity push will come with one of these projects, because her stateside appearances have been infrequent and almost exclusively in New York. -Frank Mojica

Lush

Lush is like one of those birds you catch in your peripheral vision — beautiful and fleeting, and gone when you blink. The hypnotic foursome had a brief but illustrious career, releasing progressively beautiful albums from 1992′s Spooky to 1996’s Lovelife. Following the tragic suicide of drummer Chris Acland, the band went into an indefinite period of mourning and ultimately a hiatus. Philip King is currently working with The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Miki Berenyi produces a magazine — but a Lush reunion isn’t totally out of the question. As Emma Anderson told us last year, there’s a possibility of the band reuniting if a pretty penny were to be in hand. -Paula Mejia

The Libertines

The Libertines were a true game-changer for British rock at the turn of the 21st century, with their legacy still prevalent today. Eventually the band disbanded in 2004 following a tour without perpetually troubled co-frontman Pete Doherty, but briefly reunited for the Reading and Leeds festivals in 2010. That notoriety is admittedly part of the attraction, but it’s also what’s destroying any chance of a return to America. The last time Doherty attempted to enter the States, he never even made it out of the airport before being forced to fly home. -Frank Mojica

Suede (AKA The London Suede)

Pulp’s U.S. reunion tour last year was one of brevity, with just New York, San Francisco, Pomona, and Coachella getting appearances before the band returned for the inaugural S.S. Coachella. But Suede? They dispelled the adage that “everyone plays New York” by giving just one performance in Coachella’s Mojave tent back in 2011. Like Pulp, Suede and their glammed-out style exudes an ageless quality that evades most of the acts traditionally associated with the Britpop scene. With Bloodsports, their first album in 11 years, arriving soon, it’s now or never for a proper club tour. -Frank Mojica