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Lady Gaga, Passion Pit, The Temper Trap, White Lies, Florence and The Machine and Little Boots - without wanting to blow our trumpets too much, some of our predictions for great things this year came good. With the decade racing towards its climax, now it's time to unveil Gigwise's 10 tips for 2010
Drake
With Kanye in exile and Chris Brown struggling to rebuild his career following his run-in with the law, hip-hop has been calling for a saviour – and in Drake it's found one. After finding fame as an TV actor, Drake - rather sensibly - turned his attention to rap in 2006. Since then he's released three mixtapes, the finest of which, 'So Far Gone', proved so popular on the underground it burst onto US radio in 2009. Now, after a long wait, 2010 will finally see the release of Drake's studio debut 'Thank Me Later', which features guest spots from none other than Jay-Z, Kanye West and his Young Money mentor Lil' Wayne.
Drake @ Myspace
Drake @ Twitter
Washed Out
The blogosphere calls it 'chillwave' but to us Washed Out, Toro Y Moi, and Neon Indian make music which manages to put pictures in your head of water, sun rays and harmony. Washed Out thrives on it with beautiful artwork, suitably-located videos, etc. It's a very visual sound, and Ernest Greene has already proven himself a master of it on cassette-only 'High Times' and most recently with his 'Life Of Leisure'. Expect huge growth when this laptop-hugging super-producer releases his full album.
Washed Out @ Myspace
Official blog
The Drums
The task of creating "the perfect pop song" will always suffer a few setbacks, but Florida's The Drums are yet to encounter any. Their 'Summertime!' EP won the hearts of many a youngster and has bagged the band the opening slot on the upcoming NME awards tour (last year it was Florence and The Machine, year before the Ting Tings). The unoriginal but irresistibly charming combo of jangly guitars and upbeat synths seems to have arrived at the right time. If there's one band ready for stardom, it's The Drums
The Drums @ Myspace
Official website
Ellie Goulding
Likely to be lumped in at least once with 2009's crop of just-so-happen-to-all-be-female pop successes is Ellie Goulding. Those in The Know, however, are fully aware she has something unique going for her. Most recent single, the Starsmith produced 'Under The Sheets' suggested synth-roots, but Goulding's voice likes to flutter between more folky melodies, all bound to appear on her forthcoming debut album. This makes her immune to any synth pop backlash that's on the cards. Just wait till you hear her knock out punch and future anthem 'Starry Eyed'.
Ellie Goulding @ Myspace
Ellie Goulding @ Twitter
Official website
Everything Everything
Pop is edging towards its finest hour, with more and more alternative acts flocking to having a go at becoming experts in the genre. Manchester's Everything Everything perfectly balance catchy with clever, living up to their name by overwhelming the listener with an endless amount of sound-bites and ridiculous vocal acrobatics. 'My Keys, Your Boyfriend' and the Elbow-esque b-side 'Nasa Is On Your Side' set the standard for a diverse act capable of moving in many a direction, stunning results guaranteed.
Everything Everything @ Myspace
Surfer Blood
Surfer Blood have quite the surprise in store with 'Astro Coast'; a mature yet suitably excitable debut album. Sporting pop-punk choruses akin to Weezer but far less tongue-in-cheek, these guys are bound to be leapt upon like Great Whites upon the scent of blood by the American press what follows can only be good news for a band well-prepared for anything 2010 throws at them.
Surfer Blood @ Myspace
Surfer Blood @ Twitter
Hurts
Re-creation of "the 80's sound" rarely comes off as anything other than irritating. Be aware, Hurts will wind up a vast amount of lookers on, but their adaptation of a three decades old form of pop is so uncanny and genuine, it's difficult not to blush and be lured in by a nostalgic rush. This is a band signed to a major, with a weight of expectation on their shoulders, and pulling off an ice cool personawith some style on debut single 'Wonderful Life'. Expect a full-bodied debut album cohesive in rich, well-tailored pop.
Hurts @ Myspace
Official website
Ke$ha
The video for Ke$ha's breakthrough single 'Tik Tok' portrays the popstar as a reckless, careless fun-going, larger than life character. For someone that broke into the house of the one and only Prince to give him one of her demos, that doesn't quite match up to the imagined entity in the video. The real Ke$ha sounds ambitious and gutsy, one willing to work at matching-up to the glorious achievements of Lady GaGa in 2009. She's certainly capable of such a feat, with 'Tik Tok' already proving to be an almighty winner in the charts.
Ke$ha @ Myspace
Ke$ha @ Twitter
Official website
Delphic
From performances on Jools Holland to stamps of approval from the major press; everything points to Delphic being able to muster up a thick slab of success in 2010. Debut 'Acolyte' is just whiskers away from release, coming coincidentally at a similar time to White Lies' first unveiling. Expect to see a similar pattern of compliments and sales figures between the two, especially on the festival circuit where Delphic can thrive under the momentum their debut album will no doubt gather.
Delphic @ Myspace
Delphic @ Twitter
Official website
Marina and the Diamonds
Marina Diamandis is fairly kooky. Not so much in a poke fun at way but more a just enough to get noticed way. With a Dizzee Rascal-ish display of tongue-in-cheek on display in 'Hollywood' and a cacophonous, dizzy companion in debut single 'Mowgli's Road', she portrays herself as an intelligent, far from safe pop substance. Here lies an assured, confident star-in-the-making, with a team of hot-stuff producers backing her, all with the same idea on how to make Diamandis a leading name.
Marina and the Diamonds @ Myspace
Marina and the Diamonds @ Twitter
Official website
Honourable mentions: Frankie and The Heartstrings, Joy Orbison, Pulled Apart By Horses, Chew Lips, Giggs, Two Door Cinema Club, Owl City, Free Energy, Freelance Whales, Egyptian Hip-Hop, The Depreciation Guild.
The top 10 in photos:
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