Soft, harmony-led rock championed by the likes of Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, etc. will continue to spread in 2009. Dubstep is too niche but watch Martyn, who might pull off a surprise Dance hit this year. My money is on a bunch of unpolished acts with ideas and attitude.
I can listen to Shackleton and Peverelist all day, but truth is that even the most amazing Dubstep geezers will still only appeal to a minority. So is there anything less niche out there that has the spark that might ignite something bigger in 2009?
Some people will try and sell you artist X ‘who just sounds like Y or Z’, but I think that’s a bit lame.
Others will try and talk up the 50’s/Rockabilly revival thing which is going on at the moment. Been there, done that and truth is that these revivals rear their head every couple of years, deliver a few decent bands (in this case Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Imelda May, etc.) and usually stay pretty niche.
Stick with the oddballs, I say. Any act that’s unpolished and a bit too edgy for the ‘big time’ now will still have something to say when more eyes and ears turn their way. Below you find a selection of likely candidates
Tuneraker.com’s Tips For 2009
Yacht - Endearingly strange or plain barkers, the duo is loosely affiliated with the LCD Soundsystem camp. Yacht’s music is choc full of pop hooks, catchy choruses and melodies lurking in between the quirky rhythms and trashy electronics. Their tunes have a certain DIY roughness that makes up for the lack of editing. Check out ‘Summer Song’, a song Yacht wrote for LCD Soundsystem. The band liked it enough to put the original Yacht version out on their own DFA label.
Sad Little Stars - Like a grungier, updated version of Blondie, the Sad Little Stars play Pop with a street edge and an ear for melodies. Abrasive keyboards and scratchy guitars keep it edgy while the sharp rhythm section pins it down and the male/female vocals carry the melody. Catch them live and tell me that singer Rachel is not a born performer who can lead a crowd. Lots of talent in this band, just needs a catalyst to make the big jump.
Florence & The Machine - Tipped by us last summer as an On The Radar act, Florence is picking up media support in the UK. A rock band with a strong front woman and a taste for prickly arrangements. On your average Florence track you get blood curdling shouted choruses, thinly veiled aggression, adventurous harmonies and plenty of tension. If Florence can keep that edge in the face of increasing popularity then 2009 will be her year. I hate those new year’s predictions that say ‘x is good because they sound like y’, but in this case I just have to say that if you like the idea of a singer with the attitude of Chrissie Hynde and the challenging edge of Patty Smith, check this out.
Free Blood - Bring on the hits! ‘Royal Family’ showed you can do it. Like Yacht, another underground duo picked up by the good people at DFA. Free Blood play super tight Punk Funk you can dance and sing along to. As a ‘band’ maybe a bit on the volatile side, let’s hope Free Blood don’t self-implode before they get the attention they deserve…
Gang Gang Dance - Will need to pull themselves together after their debut album ‘Saint Dymphna’. The album showcased the band’s unique, ethnographic take on pop music but lacked vocals and rambled on a bit. Gang Gang Dance have the disconcerting knack of treating contemporary pop styles from hip hop to electronica like some 19th century scientist might have catalogued the folk songs of New Guinea. GGD songs quote styles and rhythms so out of context that they put an element of surprise back into the music. That’s sure one thing that’s much needed these days. Just tighten up a bit and give us more vocals by singer LZA, aka Liz Bougatsos.
These New Puritans - A band brimming with nervous energy, disconcertingly disjointed lyrics and a seriously tight rhythm section. These New Puritans are difficult to pinpoint. Is it Rock or is it not? Whatever, their stripped down sound doesn’t get boring. There’s something here, like a younger, more insistent version of The Foals… one to watch.
Jape - …not strictly a newcomer, but the material on his 2008 album ‘Ritual’ was so good that he could break through on the back of a string of high profile gigs. Jape live is the best sales pitch for his music.
I’ll probably look back at this list in a few months and laugh out loud, but hey, at this stage the artists above all have a fair chance to churn out some above average music this year.
Any list of acts to watch can only be a work in progress. So feel free to add your tips in the Comments section below.
