Ones to watch for 2009
Florence and the Machine are ones to watch in 2009
Also In The News
| England and India played out a draw in the second Test match in Mohali after the tourists reached the close of play on 64-1, chasing a victory target of 403. |  |
Wednesday, 24, Dec 2008 10:01 inthenews.co.uk looks at ten musical acts to look out for in the next 12 months.
White Lies
Having begun life as Fear of Flying at their west London school, the young trio of Harry McVeigh (vocals), Charles Cave (bass) and Jack Lawrence-Brown (drums) sparked an A&R bidding war when their gloomy, theatrical indie sound was revealed in February 2008. With echoes of Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, and modern pretenders like Interpol and the Killers, expect to hear a lot more from a band whose sound is as a big as their talent.
|
|
Frankmusik
Real name Vincent Frank, this 21-year-old producer/singer/songwriter extraordinaire makes remarkably sad electronica that feels like a collision between Flock of Seagulls, dial-up internet connections and the sounds of Philip K Dick future dystopias. Having worked on remixes for the likes of CSS and Radiohead, his debut album Complete Me has been produced in conjunction with Stuart Price (Madonna, Killers, Keane). Like Imogen Heap? You'll love Frankmusik.
|
|
Florence and the Machine
She's already followed in the footsteps of Adele by winning the Brits Critics' Choice award before the release of her debut album and her cracking single Dog Days Are Over (video below) was named the second best song of 2008 by music industry bible CMU Daily, despite only being released on December 1st. Sufficed to say, art-school dropout Florence Welch's languid, otherworldly folk-pop will be everywhere in 2009.
|
|
Lady GaGa
A Grammy nominee with her thumping single Just Dance and supporting the Pussycat Dolls on their 2009 UK jaunt, this ludicrously-cool New York party queen makes synth-laden, hilariously-catchy hip-pop. Real name Stefani Joanne Germanotta, she went to the same school as Paris Hilton and earned her Queen-influences stage name from producer Rob Fusari, who said she was "so theatrical and dramatic, so Freddie Mercury, so Radio GaGa". The new Madonna? Hopefully with less leotard exposure.
| |
La Roux
If there's one act who can challenge Lady GaGa for the electropop crown in 2009, it's La Roux. Singer Elly Jackson and synth maestro Ben Langmaid fashion uplifting tunes that sit astride the boundary between dance and pop, with influences ranging from Prince, the Knife, Michael Jackson, David Bowie and Talk Talk mixed into a chart and dancefloor-friendly smoothie. Which, judging by the below video, would be pineapple-flavoured.
| |
Golden Silvers
The joint-winners of the Glastonbury New Talent competition, the north London threesome fuse new wave, punk, psychedelia and folk to create something continually surprising. Three-part harmonies, tweed, lyrical imagery that flies off in a billion directions and a lead singer called Gwilym means this trio will surely shine on the charts and stages in the next 12 months.
| |
Slow Club
If you haven't had enough of nu-folk with the rise of Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale and Johnny Flynn this year, then this Sheffield duo will be the next folklets to charm their way into your heart. Quirky, wry and sweet without being twee - their good-hearted YouTube videos will eat up hours of your life. And their bouncy tunes are far more life-affirming than whiling away Sundays in front of Facebook or the Come Dine With Me marathon.
| |
I Blame Coco
Only signed recently, there's probably something about Coco that seems familiar to you. Yes, she's like a combination between Mr Hudson, Camille and Kate Nash and you've almost certainly read her name in connection with Pete Doherty in the tabloids. But have a listen to her vowels on her criminally-underplayed debut below and it might just click into place. Oh, and her surname's Sumner. Yep, as Sting's daughter, she's almost certainly got a leg-up in the industry, but the promise shown by her party-gone-wrong single reveals this Alexa Chung lookalike's inherited more than just he father's connections.
| |
VV Brown
Ignore the chorus stolen from The Monster Mash and the fringe that resembles a flat cap and note the finely-crafted pop produced by this big-voiced 24-year-old. Having bounced back from major label desertion three years ago, and with her vocals honed by backing vocal spots with the likes of Madonna, Pussycat Dolls, Vanessa Brown brings doo-wop to the 21st century. And having made her major TV debut on Jools Holland alongside Metallica, Kings of Leon and Carla Bruni, the spotlight shouldn't be too hard to cope with.
| |
Animal Collective
Avant-garde stylings, a name that includes the word "collective" and thus implies 'wackiness', and band members known as Geologist and Panda Bear. Not great ingredients to have in your recipe book when attempting to recommend a band, I'll admit. But having signed to Domino Records in 2007, their ninth - yes, ninth - album Merriweather Post Pavilion could be the one to bring their bizarre, entrancing melding of folk, psychdelia and noisecore to mainstream audiences. Don't mess with hallucinogens - take the plunge with the equally mind-melting offerings of Animal Collective instead.
| |
Honourable mentions
The Big Pink
Little Boots
Emmy the Great
Team Waterpolo
Passion Pit
Lewis Bazley
|
| There are going to be forty Grand National Runners this Saturday all lining up at Aintree and picking the Grand National winner is always a difficult thing to do. |
|
| The latest Gold Cup Odds are not only important because they represent how much you can win on the race. |
|
| Fourteen runners have been declared for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2011 and the question on many people's lips will be. |  |
|
| The Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners have now been confirmed. As long as there are no late withdrawals there will be 14 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners. |  |
|
| The Cheltenham Festival 2011 gets underway next week and one of the most popular methods of picking Cheltenham Festival winners is not only to follow tips, but also to take notice of important Cheltenham Festival Stats. |  |
|
| At long last The Cheltenham Festival 2011 is here and whether punters are going to the course or watching it on TV, everyone will be looking for winning tips for Cheltenham. |  |
|
| The Cheltenham Festival 2011 gets underway on Tuesday. The highlight of Cheltenham Races on the opening day will be the Champion Hurdle and three days of brilliant racing will follow Tuesday's action. |  |
|
|
We're mobile!
Get news, sport and entertainment on your mobile. Text inthenews to 84010 or go to http://m.inthenews.co.uk. There is no charge for this service but the SMS will be charged at your standard operator rate.
|