Music, Style & Culture

Class Of 2012: Tips From Elsewhere

We asked a few of our friends to recommend us a new act or three for 2012.

Here at DIY, we're always keen to have a listen to acts other people are tipping. So, we asked a few of our friends - labels, promoters, writers, editors, radio presenters (some of whom you may well find on DIY Radio) - to recommend us a new act or three for 2012. Here's what they had to say.

Rob Jarvis, Holy StateWooderson are a band from Sheffield. They play noisy post-punk akin to all those great Dischord artists such as Fugazi, Warmers and other bands like Mission of Burma. Their actually playing a ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’ concert, as Mission of Burma. We once played a show with them at this place called The Stockroom and made a miniature wall of sound. Anyway, they’re working on their first album which should hopefully see light of day early next year. Go check them out!



John Brainlove, Brainlove RecordsThere are loads of great bands pouring into the UK from Scandinavia right now, and two in particular have caught my ear in the last couple of months. The first is Dad Rocks!, an Icelander living in Denmark, who makes the most beautiful, simple but symphonic songs - seeing the world from the perspective of his two young children. It really wins hearts. The second is Zebra and Snake from Finland, who make electronic pop on a grand scale, and seem destined to fill arenas somehow.



Dave Pichilingi, Sound CityOutfit are the tip for 2012 from Sound City. A band that has defied the recent traditional Liverpool band breeding by drafting in elements of L.A sunshine and New York New Wave. A truly exciting and emerging band that have been championed by us from their second ever gig we gave them with Clinic in May 2011. Recently announced for SxSW on their 2012 list amongst 100 bands from all over the world, we expect huge things from this band once the American art-rock scene get a hold. Signed to Double Denim with the likes of Christian Aids they are in great company already'.



Krista Schmidt, Souterrain TransmissionsBoy Friend (ex-members of Sleep Over) from Austin, TX. New record, Egyptian Wrinkle, is coming out at beginning of 2012 on the awesome Italian label Hell, Yes!. For fans of dreamy, lovesick lyrics, layered harmonies, ambiance and thick atmospheric backdrops. Has a bit of a Cocteau Twins vibe, but in the best way possible. Put out a self released EP in 2011 and a killer 7" on Hell, Yes!.



Anton Lockwood, Dot to Dot Festival DirectorWell, I would go for Dog is Dead, but I have to declare a managerial interest there... So who else is going to be stellar in 2012? Rae Morris is an amazing young new talent and so is Jake Bugg, but for both of those I think 2013 might be the breakthrough year – they have time on their sides. ThePetebox’s album and video collection is going to surprise many, and Ronika’s NYC pop will make everyone swoon, Swimming will no doubt thrill too. But overall I’m going to go for Jake Morley. His album rerelease will take him overground, and while some might have dismissed his folk pop as unassuming he has an arsenal of new songs which give him new found strength and depth, and his celebratory live shows are second to none. Jake for the prize in 2012!



Lisa Paulon, Camden Crawl Festival DirectorThis is an exciting time of the year for us as we prepare for 2012 Camden Crawl and spend most of our time looking at acts for next year’s festival. There is literally too little space here for us to mention everything we are loving, watching and predicting, but a good start would be True Tiger, Gross Magic, Big Deal, Spector, Sway’s long-awaited new album, Funeral Suits (fab, under acknowledged Dublin artist) and the continued meteoric rise of SBTRKT and lets not forget the fabulous Tom Wait-esque newcomer Jamie N Commons.



Simon Stevens, Constellations FestivalDog Is Dead, not exactly the world’s best kept secret but they look set to improve the quality of daytime radio in 2012. Leeds’ Eagulls are a raw, thrashy hardcore band but on current form also heirs apparent to the Dinosaur Junior throne, very much looking forward to an album next year. Howler do pretty simple American alt-rock but they do it amazingly well, and sometimes it’s the simple things that have the biggest impact. I Break Horses released their debut album in 2011 but I really hope it’s a slow build gets the recognition it deserves in 2012. Stalking Hors era simultaneously ethereal and precise, minimalistic and richly orchestrated, a clever trick. Zulu Winter make graceful and euphoric intelligent pop music that could take over the world in 2012.



Sandra Croft, CascineFor 2012, we predict great things for Grimes and D'eon from Montreal. Grimes is a lil elfin princess making blissful K-pop influenced electronic music and "Vanessa" (from hers and D'eon's split EP Darkbloom from early 2011) brought us endless waves of pleasure. D'eon's sultry sext-y voice takes him head & shoulders above the current R n' B / pop gaggle, moulded into shape by his longtime interest in Tibetan music. He wrote a song about the uneventful sex lives of ghosts. Finally, this would be incomplete if we didn't mention Jensen Sportag in some way - 2012 is shaping up to be a big year for them, and we'll stand proudly in the wings cheering them on.



Hector Barley, The 405, New Music Ed.Orlando five piece Saskatchewan have crafted an irresistible dream-pop world. Composed of wistful, haunting organs and soaring, hazy vocals, it is a world showered in reverb, melody and lush soundscapes. Dream-pop is one of those genres that seems flooded with similar sounding bands and, despite their claim of being ‘just another boyband from Orlando’, Saskatchewan have created a unique sound injected with equal parts eeriness and beauty. The band are soon to release their debut LP and if their recently released single ‘Skinny Dipping’ is anything to go by, it should be fantastic. It’s no secret that Scandinavia has an almost unrivalled capacity to produce some of the best indie-pop bands and Copenhagen duo The Attic Sleepers are a perfect example of this. Bursting with classic Danish soaring melodies, jangly guitars and sweet, harmonious vocals, The Attic Sleepers are everything you could ever want from an indie-pop band. The band are set to release their debut album early next year and if it reflects their current EP, it should once again reinforce Scandinavian indie-pop mastery.



Mike Diver, BBC Album ReviewsJessie Ware's debut single 'Strangest Feeling' has been on heavy rotation of late. Keener-eared sorts will know her from vocal contributions to SBTRKT and Joker offerings, but this is something else - spooked soul, beamed in from a digitized future. Dave Okumu of The Invisible is working with Jessie on her debut album (you can hear his backing vocals on 'Strangest Feeling') - personally, I can't wait for it. Could be 2012's Katy B, albeit with a darker edge.
I actually tipped this Oxford trio for bigger things during 2011's up-and-comer campaign, but Trophy Wife warrant attention for a second year having wisely taken their time over things. With a solid body of work now behind them - the Bruxism EP is just the latest piece of the puzzle to form some impressive foundations - 2012 should see them deliver a debut album that proves they're more than capable of stepping out from the shadow of Foals, to whom they've attracted inevitable comparisons.



Tim Dickinson, The Blue Walrus music blog∆ (Alt-J) manage to produce both soft and beautiful lullabies that tug at the heartstrings in Matilda, and others mesmerising with a contagious groove as on Breezeblocks. They've been getting a lot of blog love over the past six months or so, and with support from Huw Stevens and Steve Lamacq - 2012 looks to be ∆'s for the taking.
Once you see Clock Opera's breathtaking love performances, you can't help but start evangelising for the band. They have been gettin almost universal praise, and yet have stayed just off the mainstream radar - but 2012 will see the release of their debut album on Moshi Moshi and hopefully their unique "chop shop" blend of indie electronica gets the recognition they have long deserved.



Ned Hodge, Sounds Of Sweet NothingI'd have to say Hookworms from Leeds, they make really fantastic psychedelic earth-moving rock and are one of the best live bands I saw this year. I like what they stand for and it would be good to see a resurgence in their style of music. I hear their working on their debut album for 2012.
Yoofs is another band that makes me swoon, they've just emerged from the slacker scene that seems to be forming around Bournemouth and I think they make really great songs, I hope they'll record something with more fidelity as their current recordings remind me of the "tin can" sound of the first Smith Westerns album. No one should expect these bands to set the world on fire but they should expect to have a good time listening to their music loudly.



Mike Bradford, The Recommender Zulu Winter: This London five piece seem to have mastered the difficult trick of writing singles. Not only has it ensured lots of column inches and kicked off excited singalongs at their live shows, but the mainstream radio will be all over them. They’ve played all the buzz venues and signed up with one of 2011’s hottest labels, Double Denim, ensuring that all the right buttons are being pressed. Their music perfectly balances euphoric indie with commercial appeal, leading to tips as ‘the new Friendly Fires’. After just one listen to their debut single, Never Leave, you too will be singing along.
Sunless '97: This London trio have been riding the waves of blog attention like a veteran surfer over the last few weeks, but it’s now the airwaves they’re bound for as Radio One have recently picked them up. They design music that has a genetic heritage in the glo-fi genre that was so prominent over recent years, but unlike so many of their ancestors they’ve not forgotten the melody, as they stir in plenty of beautiful pop magic. They release their debut EP, Making Waves, through the excellent blog/label Abeano in November, setting them up for what should be an exciting 2012.



Jarri Van der Haegen, disco naivetéLana Del Rey: Pretty sure this rising star will be included in every single "next big thing"-list, and deservedly so (despite all the backlash). 'Video Games' was an instant hit, but this vintage pop brunette has got a lot more up her sleeves.
Cold Specks: Discovered whilst singing in her backyard, Al Spx is set for stardom. She sings about death and other sad and dark things and describes her own sound as “doom soul”. Her smokey, eerie voice is one-in-a-million.
Young Hunting: One of LA's best kept secrets. This four-piece produce dreamy indie pop à la Beach House and Grizzly Bear, with a touch of Warpaint.
Geoff Muncey (Fabric) Hundreds, Visionquest, Hot Natured, Shackleton, Balam Acab, Logreybeam, Muhr, Earnet Endeavours Putting all the industry malaise aside, 2011 proved to be another year of rich musical talent and there is no reason to suggest 2012 will be any different. Hundreds will continue to showcase the beauty of the female voice. Hundreds explores all the strangeness and humanity that makes the world spin and could be the band of the year Visionquest and Hot Natured will continue to keep dancefloors grooving. Shackleton, Balam Acab, Logreybeam and Muhr will continue to make, elegant, enchanting and challenging sounds of the future. Earnest Endeavours will ensure the funk stays funky. And hopefully Warpaint will deliver us a new album…



Josh Hall, The Line Of Best Fit, New Music Ed.London’s Pictures Music have very quickly built their position as a go-to label for exciting, intelligent music-for-dancing – a position they have well and truly secured with Dauwd. The London producer’s debut single for the label features the incorrigible ‘Ikopol’ - simultaneously hazy and hyperactive, like a party for one at the bottom of the sea. Meanwhile early track ‘Shimmer’, a Gilles Peterson favourite, is five minutes of nostalgic, coming-down-gently melancholia – truly amongst the best things released in 2011. ‘Ikopol’ is out now on Pictures – with, hopefully, more to come in the new year.
Remember when it used to be cool to experiment with time signatures? Some time back in 2008? Well thankfully, rhythmic invention in guitar music seems to be staging some sort of resurgence (see also the phenomenal Brontide), and Burning Buildings are near the front of the scuzzy vanguard. The Manchester band fit somewhere in the tiny sliver of Venn diagram that connects Slayer and The Delgados; one minute it’s mournful, geeky melodicism, the next it’s bombastic, geeky power chords. Check out the excellent Sleep Tapes – a gradually evolving collection of tracks available for free on Bandcamp.



Matthew Britton, Lost, Lost, Lost & The Pigeon Post YRRS: Popped up out of nowhere and seemed to even take themselves by surprise with how good they actually are. A couple of early demos got bloggers hyped, and their recent EP managed to repeat the trick whilst padding out their noise with a kind of No Age depth. Coming from the same scene as Bos Angeles, mainstream media has been slow on the uptake so far, but once they do, it should be plain sailing for the two piece.
Fear Of Men: Pitch perfect from the very off, London/Brighton foursome Fear of Men have yet to put a foot wrong. Debut tape 'The Hannah scygulla demos' sold out before they'd even been printed - surprising, given they were only made to accompany an art project. Since then, pretty much everyone else who has chanced upon their pop has fallen swiftly and deeply in love. 2012 should be huge for them.



Billy Clark, DIY RadioI first came across Crushed Beaks late October of last year and after a first listen of their debut single “Sun Dogs” I instantly made them my band to watch on DIY Radio. The duo Alex Morris and Matthew Poille are from London and are already making them self’s a name to look out for this year, after playing shows with the likes of DZ Deathrays and FOE.Their single Sun Dogs has misty vocals of a colorful summers evening with tight snare drums beating were it creates a world of psychedelic pop. The colossal sound that the duo are creating, I find is incredible and I cannot wait to see what 2012 brings for Crushed Beaks.



Lucy Dearlove, DIY Radio It's often hard to talk about singer-songwriters without using the F word, but Monument Valley is no mere folk singer. His varied influences are audible without being derivative; listening to the likes of lo-fi pop masters Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and brainy hip hop outfit Why? has given him a penchant for sparse instrumentation and a deftness with rhyming couplets to form clever, wordy narratives without sounding contrived. Skillfully finger-picked guitar forms the backbone of his songs - his preference of electric over acoustic lends a sharpness to his delivery. Sophomore EP Tongues, released 28th November on Tritone/PIAS consists of four beautifully constructed pop songs that read like modern anti-fairytales.



Robin Allport, ClubAC30 RecordsMy tip for 2012 would be a new band from Sussex called You Walk Through Walls - a three piece headed up by Matt Bartram and James Harrison formerly of Air Formation, joined by Harry Irving on bass. They sound exactly like the kinda thing that flicks my switch - massive walls of noise, buried vocals, loads of reverb and face melting live shows. Lovely stuff. No releases yet, but they plan to record their debut in the Spring.

soundcloud.com/youwalkthroughwalls

David Boyd, Flock Music1. Sissy & The Blisters: A true rock n roll band for 2012, loud and dangerous, please dont run away its what you need!
2. The Chakras Ireland's Alt rock band The Chakras continue to impress with their debut album "Build Me A Swan" and live shows.
3. Ulrich Schnauss Returns with his 4th album of electric bliss.
4. The Plea With big epic Dylan-esque songs set in a Oasis meets Springsteen soup, really.
5. The Carousel's EP due is early 2012. My Bloody Valentine with melody but moved on.



Seth Hubbard, Polyvinyl RecordsI'd like to recommend Melted Toys. Melted Toys are one of the coolest bands coming out of SF as of late. I saw them open for our band Starfucker over the summer and that sealed the deal for me. They are signed to True Panther and the word on the street is they are recording with one of the guys from Girls for their album. Keep an eye on them.



Mathais Modica, GommaWe suggest to check out what is happening in Italy, not only for the politics... The music scene is once again alive... after having slept for around 25 years. The biggest names are BANJO OR FREAKOUT a multitalented guy who has just released an album under the name WALLS on Kompakt. Also a very talented producer called SEVERINO who is part of the London DJ collective Horse Meat Disco. He is set to release remixes for anybody who is anybody on the new house scene. Apart of that there are new groups mixing up futuristic pop with dance and rock elements. DUMBO GETS MAD is one to watch out. ESPERANZA is a new group coming with an album in december that is the Italian answer to Caribou. House/ Disco producer MAMMARELLA just did remixes for DFA records and the genius multi-intrumentalist RODION from Rome is coming up with some amazing12" Eskimo records. Crazy Venetian producer BOTTIN is already huge in England with his several releases on Londons's Bear Fun recordings and we expect great things from him over the course of the next year.



Tim Love Lee, Tummy Touch Records#1 Beekeeping - the world needs more bees, and you're much less likely to be stung doing this than releasing records.
#2 Phenomenal Handclap Band - putting aside #1 for the moment their new album sounds like the long lost ""Abba / Conny Plank"" sessions.
#3 Brewing Your Own Real Ale - an absolute necessity for an Englishman living in NYC. The world also needs more real ale.
#4 Krunk Pony - she's my favourite DJ in New York and a truly unstoppable force!