Showing posts with label indie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indie. Show all posts

Monday, 7 December 2009

BBC Sound of 2010


Once again, it's time.

Last year, Little Boots was the winner. Boy, she's done rather bloody well this year, hasn't she? It seems the bigwigs that decide the longlist for the BBC Sound of 2010 are mighty fine talent spotters. Fortunately, I'm feeling pretty musically intelligent right now for knowing (and loving) half of the bands on the list. You can see the full longlist >here<, but I'll just have a quick ramble about a few of the bands...

First up, The Drums. Well, they're probably the only band about at the moment that is truly living up to the hype. NME really shags the arse off of them. As do I. Their 'Summertime!' EP suggests that we have a 21st century Cure on our hands...

Delphic - electronic rock at it's best. Single 'Counterpoint' is really rather orgasmic. Friendly Fires-esque loveliness with high appeal.

Two Door Cinema Club - I'm a really big fan of these at the moment. Touring with The Wombats last year, they bring a new, refreshing twist to the currently dead indie-pop scene. Listen to new single 'I Can Talk'.

And now, Ellie Goulding. Whether you recognize the name or not, I can guarantee that you've heard her debut 'Under the Sheets' at some point recently - electro-pop with an unbearably catchy chorus. Precisely as my Dad said - it's as if Bjork and Kate Bush had a baby. It seems the BBC said exactly the same thing. Wise man.

Everything Everything in my eyes, are so fresh that they can't possibly fit into a genre. 'Photoshop Handsome' is lyrical nonsense, yet awfully hypnotizing. A bit of a fucking corker, I'd say.

Then there's Stornoway - close to my heart because they too are from my native Oxford. Recently appearing on Later with Jools Holland, it's clear to see that folk is coming back into fashion, with Mumford & Sons in the picture aswell...

Last but not least, Marina & the Diamonds. Marina's voicebox and face both being beautiful is rather annoying for me, yet there's no denying she and her band are gonna be big next year. Obviously, I suppose, as they've been on the NME Radar tour this year, and now their being on this list. To round off this band very quickly, Marina & the Diamonds create dreamy pop.

That's not all who is on the list. Giggs, a hurrendously flat-voiced grime artist from South London with no apparent idea as to what music is; Devlin, who is just such a bad R&B/Rapper that I can't be bothered to even waste time typing about him; Joy Orbison, a future dance producing hero; but now I do not feel obliged to comment on any of the other people on this list as I haven't yet checked them out. I should probably go do that now...

Thursday, 26 November 2009

Frankie & The Heartstrings - a revolution is coming, I can feel it in my ears.

The retro-pop revival is absolutely on the way... the movement headed by Sunderland newcomers Frankie & The Heartstrings. The fact that Pete Gofton's (guitarist) sister is a certain Lauren Laverne, (indie type who mainly presents teen music programmes on T4 for the musically under-privalidged) has probably helped them on their way to the mini-stardom they're nearly at. Having recently supported The Drums, and about to support Florence + The Machine on their tour next month, it seems that they should soon finally be getting the recognition they deserve.

F&THS are about to release their debut on December 7th via Rough Trade. The two track single contains 'Hunger', an irresistible head-bopping sing-a-long that makes you want to pull down your trousers and do a little dance, and 'Fragile', a soothing XX/Black Lips-esque beauty. Also, random tune 'Possibilities' is available to download here.

In Frankie & The Heartstrings own words, "it's about time." It really is. It's about time to bring some life and soul back into the drained indie party.