Last year saw the rise of brothers Toby and Finn Kidd. Along with their adopted sibling Dave Javu, the group, called Hatcham Social, has rotted across the UK and Europe playing an irresistibly catchy form of indie pop that tweeters precariously between twee and shoegaze, yet still manages to find a home headlining London’s premier punk venue the 100 Club, or supporting ‘90s Brit-pop legends The Charlatans.

The belief they hold in their uplifting pop ditties laughs in the face of all the depressingly dark or US-imitation bands London is churning out these days, and has garnered them a tidy little deal with US label TBD Records, who are responsible for releasing Radiohead's music across the 50 states.

The Hatcham Social guys have a well-publicized love of literature. Although hailing from London’s New Cross, their MySpace page states they are from The Island of Dr. Moreau (an H.G. Wells novel), their self-made gig flyers feature artwork in ode to children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, and they have recorded and frequently perform a superb rendition of the Lewis Carroll poem "The Jabberwocky."

But the group’s bookishness is down-to-earth: despite their press shots being more wistful than Morrissey reading Le Petit Prince whilst daydreaming of James Dean with a daisy in his pocket, their lyrics can be sung and followed at ease by audiences of all educational backgrounds. The key to a good pop song is empathy, and Hatcham Social carries a library full of it. Their record artwork is reminiscent of the favorite books you read as a child, and their songs are full of poetic jibbles and jabbles that eat away at you, tempting you to rewind once the track has finished.

This particular Christmas, glitz, glamour, and gadgets will have to give way for less expensive ones. To that end, what better gift than a book? So we requested that Toby Kidd, lead singer of Hatcham Social, recommend his ultimate Christmas book list, below:

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Probably the best children’s book ever. Where The Wild Things Are follows the adventures of a boy named Max who is put to bed without dinner as punishment for mischief. He travels via his dreams to a world with creatures and monsters. Only ten sentences long. The perfect children’s Christmas present. Also due to be released as a film (sigh) in 2009. Note: Max has a great wolf suit that I want, if anyone is stuck for Christmas presents for me.

The Trial by Franz Kafka
Everyone knows this one, but if you have a member of the family who has not read it, they should have it. Simple as that. Pretty much my favorite book. Paranoid and surreal, perfect for reading after a huge Christmas dinner.

The Twits by Roald Dahl
Probably Britain’s greatest children’s author. The Twits tells the tale of a couple that live in a house with no windows so no one can look in. They are evil, horrible people who play nasty tricks on each other. I had this on a story tape as a young boy and it’s amazing. Perfect pre-bedtime Dahl.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
You may know this story from the film, but as with every adaptation, it’s better in book form. Early science fiction in the best possible way. It uses ideas that seem impossible for the time, and weaves a story and world of wonder that could only have existed in the eyes of Jules Verne in the 1870s. He was a very forward-thinking writer that foresaw many future inventions.

Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds
For anyone interested in music. This is written in a huge amount of depth. It’s about the post-punk movements that have shaped so much we take as ‘everyday’ now in music. Easy to read and covers everything from no-wave to the Sheffield electronic-pop scene.

And for the perfect toilet book, my friend Helena from Silhouette tells me everyone should have The Book of General Ignorance, lots of facts that will knock you flat (apparently).

- Kevin Soar