They’ve been around since 2001 and I’ve never heard of them. They’re Australian. They make electronic music. They’ve won awards. They’ve supported Jamiroquai, Robbie Williams, and the Scissor Sisters on tour. They were recommended to me by my brother. They are Sneaky Sound System.

The three-piece from Sydney have been well-known in their native land for over seven years, but only now has the time seemed right to bring their bright and infectious pop to the UK and the rest of the world. Signed to 14th Floor Records, their first UK groove, Pictures, was released here on 21 July.

Radio 1, by no means a barometer of the UK’s music tastes (and record-buying public), hit on Pictures in the early summer, and the track was also added to many of London’s commercial stations’ playlists, too. Good? Well, the power of London radio saw the single shoot into the charts at number… 94.

Bright and breezy electronic funk pop is probably the best way to describe the music; undeniably cool the group behind it. An album featuring the best of their debut long-player Sneaky Sound System, and their 2008 project 2, hits the shops on 22 September. From what I’ve heard so far, it will be well worth a listen.

It puzzles me why UK listeners have been kept in the dark for so long. Back home, the pop clubbers are music industry multi-award winners. The dance pop with the funky edge and the cool image should have gone down a storm with UK music lovers. Had she needed a support act, they would even have been just the tickets to support Kylie on her KylieX2008 tour.

So, thanks for the sneaky tip, Ean. It crept up on me, but proves that little brothers can be more than useful sometimes…