By: James Hay
1-Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir; S.A.P. Recordings
As wonderful & curiously obscure as the name suggests, AMGC are the last staunch advocates of a musical tradition quickly disappearing. Whereas many supposed ‘Americana’ outfits are indulging in ‘countrified’ pop, AMGC are delving into America’s musical roots taking Americana to a whole new, highly antiquated, level. Each song is a cataclysmically clear observation of the human condition, as raw and dusty as the Mid-America itself.
2-Blood Red Shoes; V2
Blood Red Shoes consist of the song-writing partnership forged between the bands only two members; Laura-Mary Carter & Steven Ansell. Emphasised by their inclination towards relatively linear musical narratives, the main distinction being between ‘Noise’ & ‘Noisier’, Blood Red Shoes are oddly reminiscent of a stripped-down Velvet Underground. With a follow-up to 2008’s ‘Box of Secrets’ rumoured to be coming to light this year, Blood Red Shoes should be overwhelming a major festival stage near you!
3-School of Language; Memphis Industries
School of Language is strangely hypnotic, oddly effervescent invention from the creative powerhouse behind Field Music, David Brewis. Like a slow running locomotive, Brewis’ creations grow from the smallest musical fragment, gaining immense momentum, until reaching invigorating height then relinquishing again, back into the mist of Brewis’ inventiveness from whence they came. With a small UK tour scheduled School of Language could prove to be one of the most reclusively electrifying live acts of the year.
4-Anthony & The Johnsons; Secretly Canadian/Rough Trade
Despite a Mercury Music Prize and infinite critical acclaim, Anthony & The Johnsons are still one of the most unjustifiably commercially underrated acts in recent memory. With the 2009 release of ‘The Crying Light’ we see The Johnsons strike an altogether more upbeat chord. The trademark melancholy is still present, yet there are moments of undeniable warmth & tenderness, far more consumer friendly than the unrepentant despondency of The Johnsons previous offerings.
5-Lisa Hannigan; Lisa Hannigan
You might recognise Hannigan as the sultry songstress whose presence edified Damien Rice’s otherwise relatively insipid debut. Since her untimely departure from Rice’s backing band, Hannigan has begun to flourish as an artist in her own right, and seems all the better for it. Hannigan’s innocuous refrains instantly lift you from the unsympathetic monotony of Winter, her gentile aura enveloping you wholly. Hannigan’s latest LP, ‘Sea Sew’, will be an album to warm to during the coldest Sundays of February, while all around is frostbitten.
6-Brakes; FatCat Records
Brakes are one of those delightfully abrasive bands who can effortlessly interweave soothing melodies with crashing upheaval to create a burgeoning, unstoppable monolith that one doesn’t know whether to dance to, or run away from. Currently on tour promoting their latest full-length, ‘Touchdown’, Brakes’ quirky pop idealism will undoubtedly warrant a definably brief blast in which all hearing ability will be lost, all pop sensibilities will be questioned & all non-believers will be converted.
7-Ant3lop3; DISCHORD
One could argue that Ant3lop3 fit the DISCHORD paradigm perfectly; the progressive time signatures, the tortuous repetitive guitar lines & oblique world outlook, and I suppose such arguments would be right, but where Ant3lop3 really come into there own is in the live setting. Each song becomes an event, swirling masterfully between Ant3lop3’s three, Mike Andre gestating uncomfortably as the lyrics pour from him with such intensity it almost looks as if such action is actually proving harmful. It may be some time before we see Ant3lop3 on our shores again, but it will unquestionably be worth the wait.
8-The Last Republic; Unsigned
As a perfect example of the Indie ethic, The Last Republic have been honing their own brand of ambient dissonance for what seems like a lifetime. With several name changes, a van wistfully named ‘Thunderchild’ and an impressive array of gigs up and down the country, it finally seems The Last Republic have grown out of youthful pomposity, into fully fledged artistic maturity. The bands rigorous attention to detail ensures a highly polished live show which will hopefully come to national precedence through 2009.
9-Jeff Finlin; Yep!
Jeff Finlin is the constant purveyor of American road-worn minimalism, his songs as deeply etched as the lines upon his face. With his sixth release ‘Ballad of a Plain Man’, Finlin cements his place among the undergrowth of American literary greats. Jeff is one of the best songwriters never heard of. Immediately accessible, so many off ‘Ballad of a Plain Man’ are identifiably multi-layered and worthy of countless listens, yet never overly intrusive, it’s easy to see why Bruce Springsteen sites Finlin as one of his favourite songwriters.
10-Hem; Waveland Records
The dreamy soundscapes created by Hem are equally as beautiful as they are fragile. Centred on Sally Ellyson’s dulcet vocals are often reminiscent of pre-WWII jazz recordings, whilst the background musicality slips between genres, delicately finding something which is problematic to define. Every vignette is steeped in a dense summer mist, the perfect soundtrack to those long, dry summer afternoons.
