The Sprout

BBC Sound Of 2010: Longlist Revealed

Postiwyd gan Sam (Sub-Editor) o Caerdydd - Cyhoeddwyd ar 07/12/2009 am 17:26
1 sylwadau » - Tagiwyd fel Cerddoriaeth, Materion Cyfoes

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Earlier today, the good folks in the music department at the BBC whipped out their crystal balls once again for their annual Sound Of…list.

You know the one; it’s where they confidently predict who’ll be the brightest new star the following year. It also almost always includes acts that disappear completely. The joy is when the longlist is released and you try and guess who will fly and who will die.

And so, here are the runners and riders in the BBC Sound Of 2010 poll…

Daisy Dares You – According to the poll “Sixteen-year-old Daisy Coburn makes bubblegum punk - impatient, impudent teen pop about friendship and families and fancying boys”. According to me it sounds ruddy awful. Bound to be huge then.

Delphic – epic electro indie business from Machester that’s a bit Kitsune and bit done before.

Devlin - Expect to hear it emanating from the back of buses, all tinny and distorted. Why do people listen to bass-heavy music on phones? Why do people listen to any music on phones?

The Drums – A lot of people like The Drums, the way they mix Factory Records influences to surfy escapism. I was seduced by their single Let’s Go Surfing. People like their exuberant live shows. But all I saw when they played Swn fest was grown men prancing around. This put me off them. But a lot of people like them.

Everything Everything – “Both deliberately arty and unashamedly catchy, Manchester band Everything Everything could point to a way forward for the stale indie scene.” They sound highly punchable.

Giggs – The polar opposite to Keane, which is apt. It’s all about the thug life with Giggs, who is ‘4 Real’ and ‘well bad’. Dark, menacing UK hip-hop that’s already signed up to XL.

Gold Panda - I have a real soft spot for Gold Panda, but I’m surprised he’s on this list. His beautifully crafted tunes won’t trouble the mainstream unless it’s on a mobile phone advert or Snoop Dogg raps over it. File next to Four Tet.

Ellie Goulding - straight outta Powys and already getting airplay on Radio 1 and 6 Music, the poll suggest that “If Kate Bush, Bjork and Stevie Nicks shared a flat in Shoreditch in 2009, but were a little bit more sane, this noise would emerge.“ . This is a little bit bonkers for someone who sounds a bit like Little Boots and Lykke Li really.

Hurts - What’s that Hypey? There’s an ever-so-artful electro-pop duo with fabulous hair trapped down the well? You better not be wasting my time again Hypey!

Joy Orbison – Another fine knob twiddler exploring the outer regions of dance and electronic music while keeping the beats and bass in place, but maybe a bit too experimental for the identikit charts and radio playlists.

Marina & The Diamonds – “If a young Liza Minnelli was starring in a Broadway musical telling Tori Amos's life story, it might sound like this.” Does that appeal? Really? I know they’re kinda Welsh and stuff but really?

Owl City - already a ‘proud’ owner of a 1.0/10 review from Pitchfork (yep that's 1.0 not 10), this guy is simply an even more drippy version of The Postal Service and they were doing this yonks ago. Yet he’s already scored a massive #1 hit in the US. Go figure.

Rox - I imagine the meeting went like this “...right guys, we’ve got pop, rock, hip-hop and dance covered on this list but we need something jazzy and soul-ly. Any ideas?”

Stornoway - A bit later in said meeting “...We’re missing folk too. Yes we need folk on the list. Fleet Foxes anyone? I’ve just thought up a great term we could use ‘Bloke Folk’, what do you reckon?”

Two Door Cinema Club – Jerky, jaunty indie from Northern Ireland that could have come out at anytime over the past five years.

What do you reckon then? Who is gonna join 50 Cent, Keane, The Bravery, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mika, Adele and Little Boots in the BBC’s Sound Of… winners club? The victor is revealed in early January so let’s all have a good speculation before then, shall we?