This is 2013
Trawling through the many websites featuring the new artists and bands to look out for in 2013. There seemed to be a heavy majority vote towards female singer songwriters and female fronted bands, especially with Haim winning the annual BBC Sound of showcase As I already highlighted a couple of these including Haim and Savages and Jessie Ware in a previous post last year see http://j-u-i-c-e-d.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/girls-do-it-better.html. I thought I would focus on four bands and one artist.
With the exception of Chvrches which no doubt you would have heard quite a bit about if you have been attuned to the new music radar who of course are a female-fronted band and a top one of that, there are four more new music hopefuls to whet your appetite for this year with two bands from the north one from Birmingham and one from overseas.
All of these acts are reasons to get excited for 2013!
so lets begin..
Chvrches
Just when you thought the only music that was coming from Scotland was folk and heavy rock along come this glasgow three to dispel that myth. Chvrches - yes that is spelt correctly are an electro pop band who combine a synth heavy sound with a dominating stirring female vocal to create an urgent electro sound which is capable of blowing all those folk bands well out of the water.’Lies’ which came out last year is a perfect example of their talent of creating a throbbing electro anthem but they also have a softer side as showcased by ‘The Mother we share’ which tones down their sound using layered vocals and keyboard led pop to create something heartbreakingly beautiful. Their recent ‘Recover’ single also showcases their intelligent pop songwriting with a heavy synth backing and Frontwoman Lauren’s dark lyrics, perfect break up song. They have an EP by the same name coming out and have just announced another Manchester date for May,better be quick as could be another sellout for the spiritual masses.For a taster check out https://soundcloud.com/chvrches
The 1975
They might have a retro name but Manchester's The 1975 have programmed their controls straight for the future with their funky pop and ambient soundscapes . Just check out the anthemic ‘Chocolate’ with its funky guitar, quirky vocals and infectious melody and try to stop dancing to their rhythm. On the flip-side they also showcase an ambient pop side to their sound with Me and ‘Anobrain’ You can check out a taster of their brand new EP Music for Cars at Rolling Stone. They are playing most of the major festivals this year and are set to be huuuuge.
You can check out the video for 'Chocolate' below.
Peace
Whoever stated that Guitar Music is Dead obviously didn’t tell this Birmingham foursome. Still unclassifiable as to what type of music they create they combine swirling guitars and vocal harmonies as on 'Follow Baby' to create something loud urgent and soul stirring, perfect to follow on from that much talked about MBV release.They have just been on a whirlwind NME awards tour and are featuring on all the music festivals and should be hot property for the rest of 2013. For more info check out http://peaceforeverever.co.uk/
Embers
Manchester has always had a fondness for slowbuilding windswept epics so its no surprise that Manchester band Embers use this as their template.However with the exception the power and abundance of energy that the band exert which pushes them into post rock territory not unlike Godspeed You Black Emperor! 'Parts of the Echoes' is an absolute mammoth of a track with its building wall of sound Embers might be from Manchester but they are producing cinematic sounds their way.
You can check out their sounds here https://soundcloud.com/embersembers
Woodkid
You probably don’t know who Woodkid is but there is no doubt that you know his work. He is the creative force behind some of the best music videos directing Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream and Dark songstress Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die and also provides the musical backdrop for one of the top video games ‘ Assassins’. Not content with being a credit on both of these masterpieces. He is now venturing out as a musician and combines a gospel like vocal with a filmic backing ‘Run Boy Run’ is a case in point with its tribal drumming intro and spoken verse along with its big production combining to epic effect. The same trick is repeated with Iron with its brass backing and vocals. This makes Woodkid one of the artists to watch in 2013. 'The Golden Age' is set to be released in March 2013.
See below for the ace video for ' Run Boy Run'
Of course there are so many more acts who are tipped to make it big in 2013 but these are my ones to watch for this year. Who are your big tips for this year?
