Amit

MySpace URL:

 www.myspace.com/amitspace

Label: Beat Champion

 

If Amit doesn’t get big I will eat my own face. This enigmatic character is churning out some top quality tunes that make the hairs on your neck stand up. Using an electronic back-drop and pumping beats, Amit drops in sounds from all genres, ranging from the psychadelic-sounding Indian strings in Skyrockets, to the french horn that could cheer up manic depressives in You and Me and Love. A mix of sixties optimism and experimentation, combined with cutting edge electronica, gives Amit’s music a really feel-good vibe that demands respect.

As for the man himself, he is shrouded in mystery. The only pictures I’ve found are him as a child or him wearing huge shades and standing in the shadows. Having lived in a long list of places (check out his myspace for a full list), he is a true cosmopolitan, and this shines through in his music.

His album ‘Hello World’ is due out this year, and should have critics singing his praises. Definitely one to watch.

 

Listen to: You and Me and Love, One Day, Skyrockets

Sounds Like: The best bits of Beck, The Shins, the 60s and contemporary electronica.

The Saturdays

MySpace URL:

www.myspace.com/thesaturdays

Label: Facsination

 

OK, first things first, I don’t like girl bands. Apart from to look at. That said however, this is a blog about the next big things in music, no matter what genre. So I bring you The Saturdays - probably the next big thing in British pop. Their band members include Frankie Sandford and Rochelle Wiseman, who were once in S Club 8, so they are already familiar with the workings of the industry to some extent. The fact that they are already signed to a major labl and are the current support act for Girls Aloud will undoubtedly help them march towards chart domination this summer, when their single ‘If This is Love’ is released on July 28th.

How do they sound you ask? Well, a lot like a British five-piece girl group to be honest. You know what I mean, a psuedo-dance beat with a repetative lyrical hook. Its not exactly going to be hailed as revolutionary, but it shifts units, and that’s enough for the labels.

 

Listen to: If This is Love

Sounds Like: Every other girl group of the moment: Girls Aloud, Sugababes… etc.

Chipmunk

MySpace URL:

http://www.myspace.com/chipmunkartist

Chipmunk is a member of the ‘Circular Movements’ collective of grime artists which consists of Chpimunk, Shalo and Hits. He is one of the hottest properties within the current grime scene, and not without reason. Earlier this year he showcased his impressive freestyling on BBC Radio 1Extra, leaving other MCs in awe at such a young (he is only 16) and obviously rich talent. His music is classic grime: 2-step beats with dark basslines and influences from hip-hop, raggae, garage and dancehall. His lyrics are fast paced raps relating to his experiences of growing up in north london, but are of a calibre rarely seen.

Having taken the music scene by surprise, it remains to be seen whether Chipmunk can continue developing and become a major name in 2008. All the signs, however, point to a bright future for the new-comer.

 

Listen to: Muhammad Ali, My Life, Radio 1Extra Freestyle session

Sounds Like: A young Dizzie Rascal carving out sounds of the future.

Scarlett Johansson

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/scarlettalbum

Label: Atco/Rhino Records

Apologies for the length of this post, but i’ve included some interesting facts (well they interest me at least) that relate to this artist and the music we can expect from her.

Scarlett Johansson (yes, that Scarlett from the films) is set to release her debut album ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’ later this year. Now, Hollywood A-listers churning out songs is usually a sad attempt at increased fame via dismal sounds. Scarlett, however, has a a fairly decent musical track-record; she was considered for the part of Maria in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage-musical ‘The Sound of Music’, but the role eventually fell to the winner of the BBC talent-show ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?’ and sung ‘Summertime’ for a charity album ‘Songs From the Stars’.

Her album is backed not only by her acclaimed voice. It is produced by Dave Sitek, current godfather of the Brooklyn music scene, who has worked with The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Foals and is a member of TV on the Radio. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist, Nick Zinner, features on Scarlett’s album, and David Bowie(!!!) provides vocals for two of the songs. The tracks are all Tom Waits covers, except for ‘Song for Jo’, which is an original by the actress.

Here’s the bit where i try to relay how the music sounds… erm… well, she has a voice that is similar to Sinead O’Connor, the instrumentals are hypnotic, with ample reverb, chillingly light piano that sounds like an old music box and echoing percussion similar to Sigur Ros’s famous Hoppipolla. ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’ might not be a huge mainstream success, but at the very least looks set to have a solid underground/cult following, and (if I may be so bold as to say) could become one of 2008’s greatest albums. It is scheduled for release on 20th May.

Listen to: Falling Down, Song for Jo, I Don’t Want to Grow Up

Sounds Like: A gravelly-toned Sinead O’Connor with an experimental sound akin to Sigur Ros. But at the same time featuring drums reminiscent of New Order.

The Long Blondes

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/thelongblondes

Label: Rough Trade Records

The Long Blondes are already making a name for themselves in the music industry, so if you’ve not yet heard of them… well its about time! A pop/new wave band with a female singer, the band produces music that is incredibly diverse. There are snappy tunes such as ‘Once and Never Again’ that have the kind of energy once associated with The Libertines; 80s sounding numbers such as ‘Century’; and dark contemporary electronica that is present in ‘Round the Hairpin’. Showing off such versatility usually compromises the quality of the music, but The Long Blondes seem to be at home in a number of genres.

Listen to: Once and Never Again, Too Clever by Half

Sound Like: Kate Bush gets together with Pete Doherty and does a musical decathlon.

Lykke Li

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/lykkeli

Label: LL Recordings

I’ve liked this Swedish singer for a while now and it appears she’s almost ready to break into the mainstream. Being a Swedish female solo artist she’s bound to be constantly compared to Robyn. Lykke Li, however, produces music that is far more chilled out. She certainly has a similar voice to Robyn, but her songs aren’t money-making pop hits; there seems to be a real depth and intellect in her music.

Listen to: I’m Good I’m Gone, Everybody But Me, Tonight

Sounds Like: Robyn (sorry) with a higher purpose and greater integrity.

The XX

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/thexx

Label: None

The XX are a pop group with a disco edge. I suppose modern parlance would place within the bracket of ‘New Wave’. Whatever pigeon-hole you choose, they have a deeply moving sense of rhythm and timing that maximises the despondency of their laid back lyrics and smooth vocals (as can be heard in their brilliant cover version of Womack & Womack’s 1988 hit ‘Teardrops’).

Listen to: Blood Red Moon, Teardrops, VCR

Sounds Like: Hard to say, but here’s a vague attempt: the instrumentals of Bran Van 3000’s ‘Drinking in LA’ with vocals in the region of Feist and Damien Rice

thecocknbullkid

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/thecocknbullkid

Label: None

Anita Blay (a.k.a. thecocknbullkid) is a Londoner falling into a genre of music that was once ruled by M.I.A. but has recently seen Santogold enter the fray. Where Santogold provided British hip-hop that was readily prepared for the masses to digest and accept, thecocknbullkid will rely on a growing cult following. This, potentially, could see the development of a more credible and widely respected artist; following in the footsteps of M.I.A. herself. A British female rapping over hip-hop beats infused with electro is not a totally new concept, but the timing seems right for thecocknbullkid and her brand of music is undeniably top-draw stuff.

Listen to: There’s a Mother in Our Bed, On My Own

Sounds Like: M.I.A. and Santogold, but with an underlying edgyness

Pete and the Pirates

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/peteandthepirates

Label: Stolen Recordings

Pete and the Pirates are a brilliant from Reading in the south of England. Signed to Brighton-based Stolen Recordings, they are seemingly being pushed forward as something to behold, and not without reason. Their songs are pacey and at the same time melancholy, with glowing choruses that ooze quality. Refreshingly, this edgy punk/pop band don’t rely on band members with ‘issues’ and ‘attitudes’; why bother when the music speaks volumes?

Listen to: Bright Lights

Sounds Like: The Arctic Monkeys without the ‘too cool’ attitude.

Soko

MySpace URL:
http://www.myspace.com/mysoko

Label: None

Soko is the owner of a beautifully innocent voice, which is completely juxtaposed to her almost comically dark and bitter lyrics. Her songs are clearly an expression of her personal life, but are easy to relate to and get stuck in your head; if not because of their poignant message, then because of their catchy tunes. The music is firmly rooted in French-folk and provides a great backdrop for the childish voice that spits bullets of opinionated aggression and irony.

Listen to: I’ll Kill Her, Ali Gator, I Think I’m Pregnant

Sounds Like: France’s calmer, yet somehow more venomous, answer to the likes of Lily Allen and Kate Nash.