The Echoes And Dust 2009 Preview
Every year I get further away from my teens and my hair line gets further away from my face, and so it is I look at my flacid gut and think 'It's time to let go, you're not one of the kids anymore!' but then bands like Scouting For Girls, The Hoosiers and (yes you guessed it) The bloody Feeling come along and make me proud that I still won't settle for mediocrity.
They also makes me want to highlight those bands out there, who are still trying to push the boundaries rather than their bank balance.
And so it is that we come to the Echoes and Dust preview of 2009. What we have below are not necessarily the bands that are going to shift an obscene amount of units, rather they are acts that we truly believe are great and are making music that we want to listen to. So if you're wanting to read about the new U2 album, or you're wandering where news of Amy Winehouse is hidden or even if you want to read the gossip about the Klaxons new album then you're not in luck. Just to make it clear we're not against these bands, far from it they all serve a purpose (except The Feeling) it's just we want to focus on the things we truly believe in.
2008 was pretty bloody hot just look at the albums of the year, and 2009 promises to be no different. With likely return of E&D favourites such as Band Of Horses, The Shins, Future Of The Left, Radiohead (ok 50% of E&D) plus debuts from some really promising outfits, and gigs already in place by the likes of Gutter Twins, ATP, Primavera, Animal Collective and Fleet Foxes. The only thing that's currently putting a slight dampener on the penultimate year to the first naughty (sic) decade is the prospect of Bono being on every TV programme and radio channel (self righteous twiddle twoddle!). So here's a brief guide to the great and the good happening next year:
First up then what new bands are on the horizon? Cos we've got a broad range of tastes we've tried to group different styles. Somtimes this has worked but generally it hasn't!! So, the best advice we can give is to check out each bands MySpace page for a truer representation of what they're about. Also, if there's a band you think we've missed out we'd love to hear from you!
indie Schnidie
Copy Haho - Mixing everything that is good in the world of indie: A little bit of Pavement here, a soupsan of twee here maybe even a pinch of jangly shimmery stuff there
Brute Chorus - A really off-kilter prospect this. Not only does the lead singer sport a tache that King Charles would be jealous of, but they mix beefheart oddness with skiffle and much more besides. See back to myspace about 4 months ago!
Kill It Kid - A rare treat from Bristol / Bath. Grinding a raw blues sound out of the west country. These kids sound like they've been educated by necking bourbon, smoking tabs and being left by significant others
Ten Kens - Ok Ok, so they've already released their album but it came during that bloody festive season when evryone loses their mind and sense of taste but the album is incredible and deserves greater recognition! Money on it being repromoted or rereleased next year - Tenner!?
Psych
Tame Impala - Just look at some of their influences on MySpace: Cream, Baby Grandmothers, CAN, Kyuss, Blue Cheer, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Doors, Steppenwolf, Jefferson Airplane, etc - you get the picture. From Australia but don't fear they're better than Wolfmother!!
Sleepy Sun - We've already reviewed their album and it already appears to be in the running for album of the year 2009. More West Coast than any band have got the right to be, producing an album equal parts campfire and occult drone.
Crystal Antlers - Spaced out and proggy, CA have a touch of the Assembled Head In Sunburst Sound about them. Don't be surprised if you experience an acid flash back when watching them live, which you can do at the end of January!!
Punk / Noise
Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Look in the dictionary for Anglophile and you'd probably find 'An Anglophile is a person who is fond of English culture and England in general'. However, if we music journalists had our way you'd probably find a photo of POBPAH. Ride, Slowdive, Chapterhouse with a pinch of Smiths for 2009.
Women - Redefining the definition of lo-fi but with melody and harmonies. Could be too tuneful for noise fans and too noisy for guitar pop fans, but we love it here.
Pulled Apart By Horses - Maybe leaning too far towards the teenage angst path than is respectable for someone of my age, but still gets the old noggin a noddin' and foot a tappin. What's going on in Leeds by the way - is there a special school for great bands at the moment?
Dinosaur Pile Up - If 'My Rock N Roll' is any indication (taking a leave or 2 out of the Nirvana song book), this band could be a surprise success this year, however they could also end up being like Nine Black Alps and no one needs another of those! Again with the Leeds!!
Monotonix - A punk band from Israel!? No way!! Yes way! Famed for destroying venues all over the world, and the largest cymbal invoice since Terry Bozio set about constructing the worlds biggest drumkit. See them melt your face at a venue near you soon. Plus their debut album is on the cards for this year.
Folk
Phantom Band - Pigeonholed for the purposes of this article but in reality unclassifiable. More elements than the periodic table from folk to psychedelia to trad indie plus much more. From Glasgow and, whilst not yet famed for it, spotted playing with bags over their swedes - that's heads to anyone outside of Bristol!
Alessi's Ark - Another year another heart-string plucking songstress. From West London, this young upstart (18) has been writing songs since she was 14 and has a bit of the Newsom, Pina, Melanie about her. Could be a crossover success this year.
Electro / Experimental
The Invisible - All over the bloody shop this lot! From London they combine jazzy textures over singalong songwriting. A bit like a menage-a-trois with Bloc Party, TV On The Radio and Battles.
3 Trapped Tigers - Absolutely nuts! These young scallywags somehow manage to make music like the nastier end of Aphex Twin, but with real instruments! Can't wait to check them out live.
Already on sale is 3 Trapped Tigers EP.
Rafter - Already known for his studio work with Sufjan Stevens, Fiery Furnaces, Black Heart Procession plus more. With Rafter he explores the Hot Chip within himself
Old Boys Comin' Back
Band Of Horses - TBA. They're in the studio, they're sharing the sonmgwriting and they're taking their time. It could be 2010 that the new album sees the light of day but we here at E&D have our fuingers firmly crossed, hoping it will be this year.
Secret Machines - Secret Machines. After a monumental second album and a slightly underwhelming third can the self titled fourth be a return to form for the space rockers?
Out on Jan 19th - review coming soon.
Future Of The Left - Last Night I Saved Her From Vampires. If this is half as good as Curses then we'll be happy men here. Set for late January release.
Lemonheads - Varshons. Evan Dando does a covers album, including a Christina Aguilera song. Could be great but could be bloody heinous. There are arguments that he should get back to taking drugs and writing decent pop songs but previous cover versions of Buddy Holly, NKOTB and a plethora of others leave a feint beacon of hope.
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion. We've heard it. It's awesome. If you've never liked them before this may not change your (wrong) opinion, but if you're on the fence it may just push you to the right side! Also has one of the maddest sleeves we've seen for a long time!
Released 12th Jan on Domino
Grizzly Bear - Dept. of Eagles whetted our appetites last year but it wasn't a patch on the full GB line up. A new record is apparently immenent. Watch this space.
Radiohead - Will they speed out an express delivery of a new album? Or way they do another 5 years with no word?
J Tillman - Having graced the cover of every AMO music mag, albeit at the back behind the rest of Fleet Foxes, J Tillman goes it alone with 'Vacilando Territory Blues' on January 12th. Review soon.
Bon Iver - One of the surprise cross over sucesses of 2008 has another album of plaintaive odes to lost love on the way.
Bob Log III - He of Boob Whiskey fame (or relative obscurity really) returns with another set of Bar room, one man, blues.
Part Chimp - Yeeeeeharrrrrr!! Suddenly saw this on the slate for next year and couldn't clench my bladder tight enough. Prepare to be decimated!
Yeasayer - Despite loads of hype and expectation around Yeasayer they never really set the world on fire. Some of us even thought the Be Careful Little Hands (previous band) was less forced and pretentious!! Anyway, they have another out this tyear. Can it make up for what must ultimately be a disappointing 2008?
Fuck Buttons - Without doubt one of the surprise successes of the year despite that bloody awful name AND coming from the west country. Next year sees the promise of a second album from the duo.