Garage2V State Finals are now over and winners are blazing their way to Oxford Arts Factory for one last stab at victory, and the chance to share the stage with Mr Corgan, QOTSA, Air, Modest Mouse and local heroes Cut Copy.

Those in the know are familiar with the hive of activity in the Sydney music community. Never ceasing to cultivate new collaborations and artistic endeavors, NSW Garage2V finals is no exception, bringing four bright young bands ever closer to basking in festival glory.

A night of cool kids with cool names, Man Ray, Lions At Your Door, Tennis and Cassette Kids kept the buzz alive with punchy four song sets. Load-ins and sound checks took longer than play time (bar Tennis, who had some tuning issues) although what was short was sweet. Any jitters they may have had gave way to adrenalin once they hit the stage.

All bands delivered the goods, making it increasingly difficult to identify a clear winner. Similarly all four bands had the ‘look’ of what a V Festival band should, well, look like. Fashionably attired, youthful, good looking and big on stage presence.

Man Ray opened and were notably the most introspective band of the eve. Which doesn’t say much of a band with a man with a rose on his chest and a drummer “drumming for his life” (sorry, too much TV). Perhaps running first was a slight disadvantage, but I and the crowd appreciated their brand of indie-shoegaze pop.

Lions at Your Door impressed with their professionalism. For a band that hasn’t been playing too long, they worked as a tight-knit unit with some catchy tunes and a killer singer.

Tennis were up next – five young lads introduced as having “some hype surrounding them – good or bad”. They brought their prog rock straight out of the garage. I’ve seen them now a couple of times, and they just keep getting better. Not the winner of the night, but definitely on the verge of good things.

Cassette Kids polished off the NSW finals with crunching electro beats and matching silver jackets. If you haven’t seen them yet they’ve been playing a hell of a lot and have garnered some triple J airplay. Their vocalist has really honed in on her “ahhhh-aaaahs”, which helped win them their golden ticket to next Thursday’s final.

One thing lacking was some musical diversity. As with the current climate, a lot fresh bands are teetering on the edge of post/punk, new wave, electro-inspired ‘show tunes’.

Cordial mention to The Brunettes who balanced this perfectly. It’s always a staunch reminder that experience makes the band. The Brunettes glowed with relaxed maturity. Heather Mansfield stole the show – a fascinating multi-instrumental figure to watch with an ethereal, demure quality. Playing B-A-B-Y and Her Hairagami Set amongst others, The Brunettes finished their set and the winner was finally announced.

It was great to see everyone hanging around to see all the bands – and even better to see the bands cheer on their competition. Here’s to camaraderie.