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As the UK grinds to a freezing halt, the idea of escaping to warmer non European climes to take advantage of a slowly strengthening pound is more appealing than ever, if that is you can safely navigate icy pavements, under-gritted roads and reduced rail services and actually make it to the airport in one piece and fracture free. And providing the plane can be de-iced, the pilot is sober, the cabin crew aren’t on strike and your undies don’t present a terror threat, nipping across the not so frozen pond to the good old U S of A is a cinch and the American dream yours for the taking.

The only dilemma you might face is what to buy there that you can’t buy here and I’m not talking cheap jeans, electrical goods or novelty items, I’m talking physical “I picked this up in the states” tastemaker kudos. One suggestion would be to seek out LA based four-piece Princeton and their debut album ‘Cocoon Of Love’ released back in September on Kanine Records. With a late 2009 debut in mind, as new bands go, they’re not that new, but unavailable to us, their transatlantic cousins, they’re new enough and good enough to prick the ears of Gigwise.

Filling the shimmering, albeit in places thin gap between Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend, Princeton are uncompromising purveyors of uncomplicated nostalgic indie pop, with fragmented memories that nod suspiciously towards folk, subtly court electro and surrender to big orchestration while ambling through a glorious collection of clumsy lovelorn poetry.

And fear not, if you cant afford the airfare you can always brave the domestic elements to pick up their forthcoming single ‘Calypso Gold’ released through Jodie and Victor from either Rough Trade or Pure Groove.