Thomas Tantrum / Juno @ The Mill, Oran Mor, 20 Aug

Juno aren't yet the finished article, and you can see it in almost every aspect of what they do: from their not-quite-right neon-ish wardrobe to their unconvincing (and unconvinced) dancing. Despite that, they're an enthusiastic and likeable mob: lyrics like "everybody on the floor, show us you're not boring!" come across as endearingly virginal, and are fairly indicative of the fun-for-the-sake-of-it approach they seem to take. Despite these reservations, though, Juno already have an ear for a tune, and have attracted the support of Glasgow indie heroine Manda Rin, who joins them onstage tonight. In fact, if they can grow up fast, they have the makings of a decent pop act, and it'll be interesting to see where they go next. Perfect booking for a new bands night, then.

Southampton's Thomas Tantrum arrive fully equipped to exploit the insatiable Zeitgeist for female lead singers. They've got their target demographic in mind and it's the same as Juno's: evident in the small congregation of neo glow onlookers, and they deliver with the same wide-eyed eagerness as their Scottish counterparts. Unfortunately effort can only take you so far. They fall awkwardly somewhere in the vast wilderness separating the infectious (or should that be infected) poppiness of the Ting Tings and the edgy art rock of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (to name two obvious points of reference) without establishing an identity of their own. Thomas Tantrum? More of a hissyfit, I'd say. [Finbarr Bermingham]