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The past twelve months in music has sometimes felt like Jurassic Park come to life with long in the tooth rock legends stealing the headlines with their stadium sized comebacks and scaly, over tanned skin. But, amongst the zimmer frames and bald spots new music has still managed to flourish. The likes of Kate Nash, Klaxons, The Enemy, Jack Penate, The Maccabees, Jamie T, Hadouken!, The Wombats and The View all managed to break through with critical acclaim and some level of chart success while Yeasayer, Justice, and Maps became cult hits. Once again we have reached the first week of a new year, this time 2008, so Gigwise is hear to unveil what we see as the top new acts for the 365 days ahead.
We’re not going to pretend to Mystic Meg, we can’t actually predict the future, but what we can say at the start of the year is that 2008 feels slightly different to the past few years. Yes there is some exciting new talent around - bands that make the hair stand up on the back of necks and solo artists that send a shiver down our spine - but at this moment in time it doesn’t feel like there is a megastar on the horizon. Obviously we’re hoping to be drastically proved wrong and at least one of the following acts will no doubt do that in a big way.
You may notice that we haven't included Foals, Los Campesinos!, Blood Red Shoes, I Was A Cub Scout, Friendly Fires, Does It Offend You, Yeah? or Light Speed Champion in the list. This is because they were named last year - obviously we're just so good we were on them early!
Here are our top ten tips for 2008:
An easy call, despite all the hype that might have already put some people off the Jacksonville quintet, Black Kids are the form horse. They travelled to London is December with a lot to live up to and quite frankly hit the ball out of the park. Their music is a whole class of influences from the obvious indie-electro tag to the epic guitar solos of 80s soft rock through to the do-whop vocals of 60s soul girl groups which allows them to be the perfect party band for 2008 while still being heartfelt at the same time. If you haven’t got their self release EP ‘Wizard Of Ahhhs’ get it now!
Glasvegas [listen]
For the last few year’s when Alan McGee has tipped a band Gigwise has generally ran in the other direction but with Glaswegians Glasvegas his Midas touch seemingly returned. One listen to 2007 single ‘Daddy’s Gone’ and we were convinced that this band were set to be the next big thing in Scottish music. They’re are like the antidote to the virus that has been angular guitars with their wall of sound rockabilly framing James Allan’s heartbreaking vocals that even had Lisa Marie Pressley calling them up. Still unsigned, somehow we expect they’ll be ditching that tag in the very near future.
Late Of The Pier [listen] INTERVIEW
It feels like Late Of The Pier’s year after a couple spent steadily gathering attention and playing second fiddle to others. The Castle Donington four piece head out on their biggest UK tour to date in February and a debut album is due later in 2008, both should cement their place as one of the countries most interesting bands and hopefully thrust them further into the limelight. Alongside the likes of Hadouken! they’re also one of the darlings of the under-age circuit which has flourished in recent years and looks set to take off even further in the next twelve months.
MGMT [listen]
New York based duo MGMT may just be the luckiest musicians alive, it’s a long story but the crux of it is that they were basically signed after they’d split up by Columbia Records who’d heard several of their tracks online. With the UK release of their superb debut album ‘Oracular Spectacular’ in the first half of 2008 you’ll be hearing plenty about them, including an interview with Gigwise next week, and their eccentric electro noodling that sounds like The Flaming Lips on even more acid than usual. Listen to ‘Time To Pretend’ and try and disagree with us, we dare you.
Ebony Bones [listen]
Looking for the next M.I.A? Then look no further than Ebony Bones! She spent 2007 playing a million shows in London that were more like a carnival than a gig and is now ready to take the rest of the world by storm. Her white label ‘We Know All About You’ sounds like nothing else being produced at this moment is time, all minimalist demonic beats that needle their way into your mind and percussion that sounds like its being played with kitchen utensils. With a wardrobe as eclectic as her influences she has the potential to be a huge star.
Vampire Weekend [listen] INTERVIEW
Following in the footsteps of fellow New Yorkers Yeasayer, Vampire Weekend head the pack ploughing the current Big Apple sound of exploring world music with an American indie-rock sensibility. The thing that sets Vampire Weejkend apart is the crispness and clean lines of everything they do including their preppy look and Columbia backgrounds. Their debut album is out on February 25 with much of it already having been gushed over by the ever influential community of internet music bloggers. Jack Penate is a massive fan, so are we and so should you.
Elle S’appelle [listen] INTERVIEW
Having only formed last June the Liverpool based trio Elle S’appelle haven’t wasted any time in getting the ears of music world twitching. Already signed to Moshi Moshi (home to fellow liverpudlian’s Hot Club de Paris) and with ace debut single ‘Little Flame’ under their belts the first few months of 2008 look set to be a busy time for Andy, Lucy and Owen. They make the kind of swirling indie-pop that dreams are made of, full of duelling male/female vocals and vintage organ sounds tha’ll have you dancing and swooning at the same time.
Adele [listen] REVIEW / Laura Marling [listen] INTERVIEW
One is supposedly the next Amy Winehouse, the other the next Lily Allen/Kate Nash but both these comparisons would be cheapening the considerable talents of Adele and Laura Marling. While the former is yet to realise her true potential with a stop-you-in-your-tracks type single there is no doubt that her voice is one that the masses will adore. Marling on the other hand has already won us over with the brilliant ‘New Romantic’ and her EP ‘My Manic & I’. Both are ridiculously young and either could be THE British female artist of 2008.
The Cool Kids [listen]
The so-hot-right-now duo of Chuck and Mikey aka The Cool Kids are two BMX loving MCs from Chicago who are already being hailed as the “black Beastie Boys” thanks to their bass heavy, 80s referencing take on Hip Hop. For rap aficionados they were the act to see at last year’s CMJ mainly thanks to their BMX anthem ‘Black Mags’. At the end of January they will cross the Atlantic for a series of dates in Europe that’ll run till mid February before going down under to Australia – we can tell you now that those shows are gonna be hot y’all.
The Courteeners [listen] INTERVIEW
There are a lot of contenders for which band will take on the mantle of The Enemy and Arctic Monkeys and become the mass appeal indie-rock act of 2008 but The Courteeners seem the most likely. They may not be the most original new band on the block but when has the music buying public ever worried about that? In Liam Fray they have a front man who has the ability to garner love and hate in equal measure, never a bad thing if you want to make it big! And they have anthems too that’ll no doubt be sung word for word by the crowds on their upcoming UK tour ala the embryonic Monkeys.
Other names to look out for: The Ting Tings, One Night Only, Like Vultures, Muscles, Errors, Gossamer Albatross, Narration, Santogold, Alphabeat, This City, Arcadian, Invisibles, Exit Calm, White Denim, Ice. Sea. Dead People
If you have any bands which you think will make it big in 2008 why not leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
