We've been talking up our hot tips for '09 for a minute now, but we decided it was high time we took action and threw together a proper list. Here are some bands you're going to give a fuck about over the next 12 months.
We've said it once, we'll say it again:
Clare Maguire will reign supreme in 2009. Anyone uncertain look no further than her
Primary 1-produced demo of "Strangest Thing" and hear the voice that will be dropping jaws all year long.
MP3: "Strangest Thing" (Demo) - Clare Maguire
It's hard to know where to begin with
Miss Marina Diamond. She's easily the loveliest person we've come across in our music industry travels, not to mention one of the most promising songwriting talents we've ever heard. Marina's beautiful, charismatic and one of the most brilliant performers we've ever had the pleasure of seeing live, and we've genuinely never met someone so driven and determined to succeed - having turned away countless management offers over the last year, she's managing herself and doing everything on her own terms. Earlier this month she dropped by Radio 1 to perform a four song live session for
Huw Stephens and then followed it up with a two song solo performance for
Dermot O'Leary on Radio 2 a few weeks back, in which she treated listeners to a stripped down version of "Obsessions" and a special cover of Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For". Also be sure to keep an eye out for her in this month's issues of Dazed & Confused and Arena Magazine.
2009's a bit of a crapshoot what with the sheer number of talented girl singers who've secured major label deals in the last six to ten months, but our money's on Marina to rise to the top on the strength of some of the most wonderfully unique pop songs we've ever heard. Sure we're biased, given her debut single "Obsessions" dropped on Neon Gold earlier this month (
buy. that. shit.), so we'll just let the songs speak for themselves. To celebrate we're hitting you with a special double drop in the form of the best B-side you'll hear all year (that'd be "Mowgli's Road") and an unreal remix of "Obsessions" courtesy of up-and-coming electro maestro
The Aspirins For My Children.
MP3: "Mowgli's Road" - Marina & The Diamonds
MP3: "Obsessions" (The Aspirins For My Children Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds
Your Twenties like the Beatles and care about backing vocals. This is all they choose to make known about themselves on their myspace page, but further digging reveals frontman Gabriel Stebbing's previous endeavors as lead guitarist and backing vocalist in
Metronomy. Stebbing has since left Metronomy to focus on Your Twenties full time, and the results have been nothing short of amazing. Debut single "Caught Wheel" dropped last November and wasted no time flying off the shelves, and has just been
re-pressed for those who arrived a little too late to the party. "Caught Wheel" comes off as a timeless slice of breezy indie pop fun, recalling The Shins and the Beach Boys in equal parts, and if demos like "Billionaires" and "Gold" on the
myspace are any indication, it's only the tip of the iceberg for this bunch. Expect huge things this year.
MP3: "Caught Wheel" - Your Twenties
The cyclical nature of musical styles and trends is no secret in this day and age, and we're pretty sure grunge is just about due to make a comeback. Only time will tell, but
Dinosaur Pile Up are doing their best to lead the resurgence, as the demo of "Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking" ably demonstrates. We could be wrong about this whole grunge renaissance, but we stocked up on plaid and stopped bathing weeks ago just in case.
MP3: "Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking" (Demo) - Dinosaur Pile Up
We've been pushing their wares since last autumn, and Little Comets have since wrangled a nice little major label deal for themselves after putting out debut single "One Night In October" with our friends at
Lucky Number Music last month. Bursting at the seams with fresh-faced vitality, "October" bounces along on a buoyant rhythm section and clattering percussion, shouty
Wombats vocals and sunny guitars converging to make the four-piece out to be something of limey
Vampire Weekend. With the lone exception of
Pete & The Pirates, UK indie had a bit off an off year in 2008, but with on-the-rise acts like
Little Comets and
Two Door Cinema Club leading the charge in '09, expect to hear a lot more noise from the long-haired, skinny-jeaned crowd this year.
MP3: "One Night In October" - Little Comets
Previously: Reasons Not To End It All In 2009 Pt. I and
Pt. II
Thief (formerly known as Thief Urban) is a new Australian producer slash songwriter you're about to get real familiar with. After arriving on the scene with a lights-out debut offering in "Closer" earlier this year, he returns today with an updated name and his debut single proper, "Broken Boy". Soul-stuffed with sinister hooks and dark, ominous synths, "Broken" channels the most addictive parts of Clock Opera and Metronomy like their long lost brother from Down Under. "Broken Boy" is out worldwide September 6th, enjoy the exclusive premiere below.
So our mega Popshop birthday weekend is upon us, as we celebrate the fourth anniversary of Neon Gold with a two night event Thursday and Saturday with a day off in between to recharge your batteries. Kicking it all off Thursday night at Santos will be Philadelphia's 
