On The Record

  • In 2008, you will be seeing and hearing a lot of….

    January 8, 2008 @ 8:48 am | by Jim Carroll

    It’s that time of the year when music pundits gets a crick in their neck from all the looking backwards and forwards. Here’s a round-up of the round-ups. As you would expect, some names come up again and again and again

    At The Ticket, we’re gambling our lunch money on such acts as Adele, The Ting Tings, Santogold, JayMay and Foals.

    At The Guardian, their panel of experts think 2008 will be “the year of odd band names” such as Black Kids, Dead Kids and The Whitest Boy Alive.

    Reuters are also in on the act with 10 fresh faces they think will make a splash in ‘08 including Kate Voegele, Blitzen Trapper, Lady Antebellum and Esperanza Spalding.

    Rolling Stone compiled their 10 to Watch list back in November which gave shouts out to Santogold, Cool Kids (we heart the Cool Kids so much), Black Kids and OneRepublic.

    The Sun’s Something for the Weekend Class of 08 includes Vampire Weekend, The Ting Tings, The Courteneers, Ebony Bones and Glasvegas.

    Q magazine’s list includes such predictable Q fodder as Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, Nick Harrison and The Troubadours, while Mojo go a little left-of-centre bigging up Hercules & Love Affair (we’re smitten with Andrew Butler and friends after a couple of listens to their album due soon on DFA), Pete Molinari, Howlin’ Rain and Lightspeed Champion.

    The daddy of them all is the BBC Sound of 2008 poll which rounds up the views of over 150 pop-pickers. Like all these polls, it has featured some duds over the years (we’re still waiting for Kubb, Marcos Hernandez and Air Traffic to set the world alight) so, as with all these lists, caution is advised. Their Number 1 tip is Adele and the Top 10 also featured Duffy, Santogold, Vampire Weekend and The Ting Tings.

    And, lastly, welcome proof that not everyone thinks the same way. The Cleveland Free Times are predicting that 2008 will be the year of such acts as Afternoon Naps, To Be A High Powered Executive and Unsparing Sea.

    • 33 Comments »

    1.
    January 8, 2008
    11:05 am

    Glad to see no one is mentioning MGMT, not so hot on Oracular Spectacular, bit too 80’s.

    Someone recently turned me on to Man Man, they’ve got a new (third, so they’re not really “new”) album out in April with I think could get some people talking.

    Comment by Ian
    2.
    January 8, 2008
    11:08 am

    I heard Tom Dunne mentioning MGMT last night.

    I’ll check out Man Man if you check out Hercules & Love Affair!

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    3.
    January 8, 2008
    11:57 am

    I heard Tom Dunne mentioning MGMT last night.

    Hens love roosters, geese love ganders;
    everyone else loves Ned Flanders!
    Not me!
    Everyone who counts love’s Ned Flanders

    I’ll check out Man Man if you check out Hercules & Love Affair!

    Fair ’nuff.

    Comment by Ian
    4.
    January 8, 2008
    1:03 pm

    I’ve heard the JayMay album. Pretty average, a 6 out of 10 at best (or a 3 out of 5 if you will). A nice enough voice but pretty much middle-of-the-road, coffee-table stuff.

    Comment by Neill
    5.
    January 8, 2008
    1:03 pm

    What do you actually think about all of those suggestions, Jim?

    Comment by Kim Fowley
    6.
    January 8, 2008
    1:22 pm

    *Begins picking at scab.*

    Jim, what about that band who released an album around New Years and went to #1 in Ireland and the UK?

    Comment by Ian
    7.
    January 8, 2008
    1:57 pm

    neill - with you on that. Nice but… Check out Dawn Landes instead.

    Kim - It’s part of the game. Every December, we music hacks spend the month looking backwards. Every January, we spend the month looking forward. Normality returns in Feb

    Like everyone else, I have a so-so record in the tipping game Put it this way, my bank manager is probably glad I dont run a label given some of the tips I’ve put my name to.

    Of this year’s lot, I really really like The Ting Tings, Santogold, Adele, These New Puritans and Hercules & Love Affair. But what I’m really looking fwd to is an act that NO-ONE has tipped coming to the fore. That’s always fun

    Ian - I made a new year’s resolution…..

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    8.
    January 8, 2008
    2:26 pm

    What’s the worst tip you ever made Jim? Go on, we won’t laugh.

    Comment by Neill
    9.
    January 8, 2008
    2:38 pm

    I thought 2007 was a great year for new music but I would have reservations about a lot of those names (purely on a first listen basis, mind). Are they being tipped for chart success, revered indie credibility or critical praise? Because they don’t all necessarily go together.

    I guess it will take a while to separate hype from quality but I would be interested to know how a lot of these tips floated their way to the top.

    Jaymay has been knocking about for a few years now. I bought her EP a good while ago on the strength of a live version of ‘You Are the Only One I Love’ - it wasn’t on there but now her recent album has the same tracks from the EP along with a bland, slower studio take of the aforementioned song. I can certainly see what Neil is saying.

    I’ve been listening to Cass McCombs’ new one since before Christmas and, while he’s not a new artist, after hearing a track surprisingly early on Today FM recently, I can see him doing well in ‘08.

    Vampire Weekend and Foals seem a certainty and I think we’ll be hearing a whole lot more about Yeasayer, Tapes ‘n Tapes and Foreign Born.

    Comment by Kim Fowley
    10.
    January 8, 2008
    2:53 pm

    neill - i tend to only remember the successful tips :-) I’ll have a think and get back to you

    Kim - I agree 100 percent with how you’ve broken this down. My tips are made on the basis that these are acts I really want to hear more music from in 2008 and, at the same time, acts I think other people will like. I rarely tip acts on the basis of “they’re going to be huge” (though Adele seems like a banker bet in this regard - and she’s a lovely person to boot).

    I guess it will take a while to separate hype from quality but I would be interested to know how a lot of these tips floated their way to the top

    There was a meeting in a hotel in Ballybunion in November and this was all decided then. Didn’t you get the memo?

    Seriously, though, it’s more about how the industry works. Everyone talks to everyone else and tips stuff all the time. When enough people tip the same acts, you get these situations, especially as we’re all hyperactive about spotting the Next Big Thing and moving onto the next band before the last band have even had a proper chance to develop.

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    11.
    January 8, 2008
    3:25 pm

    Vampire Weekend aren’t doing it for me. Same goes for The Teenagers. Just hype reallly.
    My hat is being tipped toward Ter Haar and Our Brother the Native.

    But the biggest album for me will be from Glassjaw. They’ve returned from their hiatus as a 4-piece.

    Comment by Pedro
    12.
    January 8, 2008
    3:29 pm

    That Our Brother The Native album is savage. Making better Sigur Ros music than Sigur Ros themselves.

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    13.
    January 8, 2008
    3:32 pm

    Kim - Tapes n’ Tapes have finished their follow up to The Loon in November. Should be hitting the shops soon (fingers crossed)

    Comment by Le Catch
    14.
    January 8, 2008
    3:35 pm

    Slightly straying away from the point here but will Wolf Parade have a new album this year does anyone know?

    Comment by Pedro
    15.
    January 8, 2008
    4:01 pm

    Per Ian the album is out in June

    http://thrillpier.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-wolf-parade-album-out-in-june.html

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    16.
    January 8, 2008
    5:17 pm

    Jim, didn’t you once write an article headlined “My Mea Maximo Park Culpa”, or something, when you decided that all of 2005’s (I think) tipped acts, including Tapes ‘n’ Tapes weren’t much cop after all?

    Comment by dealga
    17.
    January 8, 2008
    5:21 pm

    Dealga - God bless your memory

    http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2006/1124/1164236471372.html

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    18.
    January 8, 2008
    5:39 pm

    Good stuff. Long overdue, although Spencer’s projects have kept me going along nicely.
    The Ting Tings are another who seem vastly overrated. Foals & Black Kids are brilliant though. I like Transgressive, good label.

    Comment by Pedro
    19.
    January 8, 2008
    6:53 pm

    adele, late of the pier, dan la sac and the Scroobius Pip,Bodies Of Water,The Courteeners, friendly fires, benga

    Comment by petee
    20.
    January 8, 2008
    7:10 pm

    Pedro, good chance that Spencer will be bringing Sunset Rubdown over in May. They’re playing ATP.

    Comment by Ian
    21.
    January 8, 2008
    7:34 pm

    “Are they being tipped for chart success, revered indie credibility or critical praise? Because they don’t all necessarily go together.”

    on the money! personally i’m nominating edinburgh’s broken records for two out of those three, and timothy dick and david stith for at least one each.

    Comment by shane
    22.
    January 8, 2008
    8:00 pm

    Absolutely love The Whitest Boy Alive, would be great to see Erlend Oye get some widespread recognition. Anyone know if there’s a follow up due out this year? I suspect people are just talking about ‘Dreams’, which only got it’s UK release recently

    Comment by Eoin
    23.
    January 8, 2008
    8:12 pm

    I’m really hoping for A Place To Bury Strangers to do something extremely loud and revitalizing this year. Their indie debut last year was up there with the YYYs’ one for untamed rambunctious noise New York-style.

    Plus I’m listening to waaaay too much indie pop, singer/songwriters, keyboards-for-guitars bands these days! Salad may come in many interesting varieties, but a balanced diet needs more than that! :-D

    Comment by Jim Dubh
    24.
    January 9, 2008
    7:05 am

    blah blah blah whats hot whats not WHEN WILL PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN MINDS UP???? anyway who needs new music sure isn’t there loads of great old music

    Comment by Maebh
    25.
    January 9, 2008
    10:28 am

    blah blah blah whats hot whats not WHEN WILL PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN MINDS UP???? anyway who needs new music sure isn’t there loads of great old music

    Well I was going to talk up this cool hip-hop duo from Waterford I saw a couple of times towards the end of last year but I guess I needn’t bother now. :P

    Comment by Ian
    26.
    January 9, 2008
    12:30 pm

    Any Irish acts in those lists?

    Comment by Hot Lunch
    27.
    January 9, 2008
    12:33 pm

    Any Irish acts in those lists?

    The Ticket listed a few but no-one else looked to Ireland for hot music in 2008.

    Comment by Jim Carroll
    28.
    January 9, 2008
    12:42 pm

    What’s the opposite of a hotbed?

    Comment by Hot Lunch
    29.
    January 9, 2008
    2:13 pm

    What’s the opposite of a hotbed?

    A barren Burren perhaps?

    Comment by Jim Dubh
    30.
    January 9, 2008
    6:04 pm

    “Well I was going to talk up this cool hip-hop duo from Waterford I saw a couple of times towards the end of last year but I guess I needn’t bother now.”

    Whoooops! Guess I shouldnt drink and blog! However although I like to consider myself pretty “hip” and “with it” sometimes these end of year lists make me feel like there is such a surplus of music that says or does very little and it will make us all corpulent and dull, and I just want to hibernate for winter with my dad’s old records.
    Santi White is pretty great though I was sad Stiffed seemed to call it a day and glad santogold are happening now.

    Comment by Maebh
    31.
    January 9, 2008
    8:01 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPoYwkx0LY

    Comment by Maebh
    32.
    January 14, 2008
    8:57 pm

    the Dead Kids link isn’t working - so here it is. They’re ace btw. www.myspace.com/youaredeadkids and check Jape and Friendly Fires for 2008.

    Comment by monsta
    33.
    February 13, 2008
    10:25 pm

    hello pals- leia, from Afternoon Naps, here. thanks so much for mentioning us. I couldnt help but take part in your musical banter- I had the pleasure of opening for Man Man two years ago with another band that I was in… their live performance completely outshines their recordings. I highly recommend checking them out live (if you can).

    cheers from Cleveland!

    Comment by leia

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