Tips for 2012 – One Year On (Part One)

In 2011 I had a fantastic year with a number of my "tips" producing albums which ended up amongst my favourites of the year (as well as a couple that split up and a few that were "tipped" too soon and albums that didn't materialise). I think it was safe to say I was going to struggle to match those results this time around, so now twelve months on from my picks for 2012, I'll revisit the year of my picks and find out if my Mystic Meg career has come to an end before it's even started... Below is part one, with parts two and three following over the weekend. My 13 "Tips for 2013" will start on Monday (and my favourite releases of 2012 posts the week after for any of your curious).

Battlekat - Facebook

Battlekat, perhaps still known to a few of you as Just A Number 05272011 (the date they announced their real name), failed to immediately build on a strong EP and stunning London live debut in 2011 which led to their inclusion in my Tips post, in fact, it's been as good as silent from the Danish quartet until just a few weeks ago when a new track entitled "Rituals That Make The Rain Fall" was released...

After a 2012 spent predominately recording new material "Rituals..." hints at bigger things for Battlekat in 2013, the track, a seven minute tour-de-force of all things electronic music combining hypnotic, tribal beats with warbling synths and distorted vocal yowls. To date no future releases have been announced. So whilst 2012 hasn't exactly fulfilled any prophecies of Battlekat taking The Knife's crown, it's definitely too soon to write that of, 2013 might just be the year. What this space...

Carousels - Facebook

On my review/post of the Carousels EP a few weeks back I half mentioned the way this post was heading (in it's fact very similar to Battlekat above). When Carousels started they were a duo of Nick Benton and Lucy Wilson, after amassing an incredible amount of buzz in late summer 2011 with two demos "Here to Me" & "Sleep" and playing a few shows in the autumn (which combined to result in my "tipping" nod), it was a brave move to discard almost everything they'd done over their initial six months and form a 'real' band with new material.

After a six month period of recording and road testing while playing the odd gig Carousels released the exhilarating "Stay With Me" to much acclaim from shoegaze poppers around the world, I said it "instantly penetrating your brain with a huge wall of sound from swathes of droning, spiralling guitars and a punishing drum beat, which fully intoxicates when interwoven with Nick and Lucy's dual, melodic vocals", then came an autumn tour with Peace and an EP perfectly titled POP released just a couple of weeks back, highlight "Sweet Honey" the perfect juxtaposition of fuzzy carnage and dreamy, drifting vocals wrapped up within three minutes of pop bliss, Carousels have well and truly announced themselves as a band to play loud and see live. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2013 brings.

Cold Specks - Facebook

Cold Specks (aka Al Spx) debut I Predict A Graceful Expulsion came out in May via Mute and delivered on the promise of its earlier tracks and a spine-tingling Jolls Holland performance, difficult to accurately pigeon-hole, a combination of gospel, folk and 'doom-soul' combine with Al's unique vocals to deliver a powerful, thought provoking full-length that deserved the praise it received upon release (8/10 from DiS, 7.7 Pitchfork, 4 stars The Independent)

The only minor quibbles could be that it's so emotive it's hard to swallow in one go and the tracks we already knew are arguably the best on the album, previews "Holland" and "Winter Solstice" remain as powerful and poignant now as they did a year ago, the former gathers weight slowly around guitar plucks, sweeping strings and a repetitive drum beat to a raw, empowering finale while the latter "Winter Solstice" deeply haunting, spiritual and beautiful. Those endless adjectives are the least Cold Specks deserve, as atmospheric and poetic release as any this year, I'm interested to see where this project turns next.

Daughter - Facebook

I almost picked Daughter in my 2011 tips, I did include them in my tips for 2012 list, when in-so-fact it's going to be 2013 when Daughter becomes a household name. Sure 2012 hasn't been exactly quiet for Elena Tonra and co (they've just finished their debut US headlining tour and playing in Europe too) but with just one single to their name (the incredible "Smother", their first for new label 4AD) 2013 appears to be the year when we'll finally hear the first Daughter LP and see the trio build upon two incredible EP releases.

With "Smother" you realise it's just a matter of time, Elena's intimate lyrics are arguably amongst the finest of this generation and amongst swelling instrumentation her ethereal tones are as heart-felt and beautiful as anything you'll hear this year and next. Daughter's debut is definitely on the (premature) short-list for the top albums of 2013. Are you watching those on the Mercury Prize panel...

Echo Lake - Facebook

Echo Lake have had a year of ups and downs, the tragic news of the death of their drummer Pete Hayes overshadowed everything else but the subsequent empowerment of the band, including fundraisers and emotional tributes only highlighted the togetherness and closeness of the group who earlier in the year released their delightful debut full length Wild Peace.

As beautiful a listen as any album this year, Wild Peace seamlessly fizzes with immersive, shimmering bliss. Track after track of intoxicating, beyond-luscious melodies in which we find Linda Jarvis' reverberating vocals floating around, highlights are aplenty, from the re-imagining of earlier single "Another Day", the only pure pop tune on display with chiming chords to the rockier "Young Silence" and swirling "In Dreams" (both again reworked from their 2011 EP appearances. "Even the Blind" starts with a soft tapestry of sounds before rising in intensity to an explosive finale while the gorgeous "Swimmers" is the hazy, dreamy come-down.

Though that's a paragraph that fails to mention the closing track "Just Kids", a seven minute course on how to generate the perfect atmospheric of slowly building wonder or the title track, equally worthy of praise.

I had to miss the re-scheduled album launch show last month, to make amends I'll be trying my utmost to attend a Christmas Show which Echo Lake headline alongside to other acts featured here before, Novella and SPC ECO - Thursday December 20th at the Water Rats - full details.

Twenty Five of the Best Songs of 2011 - Part One

I almost didn't post this (there is an obvious element of repetition between this and my favourite albums of the year) but as it was half finished decided to see it through, posting the first half now and the second half a little later today... the following are twenty five of (let's face it there were a lot more than 25 great songs this year) my favourite tracks of the year, not specifically displayed in order, impossible task!

25. Wild Flag - Future Crimes
Posted 7th September: "A guitar heavy, spunky track with infectious riffs, dancing drums, playful organ and catchy lyrics"


24. Dark Dark Dark - Daydreaming
Posted 20th January: "...the lead track "Daydreaming" is a really treat, vivid landscapes created by the beautifuly complex yet delicate and well-crafted instrumentation, soulful vocals and soaring melodies."


23. Battlekat - All The Useless Things
Posted 18th October: "All The Useless Things" continues along a similar vein to the earlier tracks we've heard, combining radio-friendly electronica and experimental mysticism, its relentless, thumping beat might just be the best thing I've heard from them so far"


22. The National - Think You Can Wait
Posted 16th March: "A slow-burning ballad with some achingly beautiful orchestration and an intoxicating backing vocal from Sharon Van Etten. You may guess I'm a bit of a sucker for female vocals but Matt Berninger's is arguable one of the most striking and impressive of his generation, especially with such heart-wrenching emotional songs as this."


21. Fever Ray - The Wolf
Posted 8th March: "Karin has contributed a track to Catherine Hardwicke’s (Twilight) new film Red Riding Hood, as much as it pains me to say it with the Fever Ray / Gary Oldman presence the film looks horrendous... "The Wolf" however is anything but horrendous, it's a sinister and frankly insane track. I'm sure it fit's in well on the dark adaptation of the classic Grimm fairy tale, if this doesn't make you want to run naked through a wood then nothing will, be a bit chilly though..."


20. Cold Cave - The Great Pan Is Dead
Posted 8th February: " The song, “The Great Pan Is Dead” is fucking great, generating an almost indistinguishable explosive wall of noise, a pummelling beat accompanies fuzzy guitars all washed around with mind blowing synths. A massive statement for the new album, can't wait." Shame, for me at least the album turned to be slightly disappointing.


19. Help Stamp Out Loneliness - Record Shop
Posted 30th August: "The themes are not in your ordinary indie-pop territory, playful melodies often hiding bitter-sweet lyrics such as rock star stalking on "Record Shop" and the romances of Nico on opener "Cottonopolis And Promises" but it's just as accessible and alluring all the same. Vocalist D. Lucille's cool, nonchalant vocals sound in contrast to the instrumentation but it works perfectly, HSOL are simply glorious."


18. Softspot - Holy Father
Posted September 7th: ""Holy Father" is an absolute monster. It starts peaceful enough, Sarah's hauntingly beautiful voice hits you straight away, it's unique, stunning. Accompanied by the rat-a-tat of drum sticks, slowly increasing in intensity as Brian's textured guitars glisten on the edge simmering until finally it explodes, cumulating in a euphoric cataclysm of aural pleasure, heavy-hitting drums, guitar buzz and hard bass-line riffs"


17. Veronica Falls - Come on Over
Posted 11th July: "The outstanding and hopeful closure "Come on Over" is certainly one of the highlights of the album and contains just about everything I love about Veronica Falls, urgent pacing where cleverly constructed male/female vocal harmonies deliciously combine whilst infectious, head-nodding melodies which embed themselves around your brain"


16. Clytem Scanning - Massue
Posted 26th January: "it's propulsive industrial beat is intense, addictive, brilliant. Marianne's vocal pierces through and then there are the crunching, dirty, sludge-like guitar riffs. It's one of the best electro tracks I've heard this year"


15. iamamwhoiam - John
Posted 19th May: "iamamiwhoami is certainly no gimmick, her Knife-esque electro soundscapes push every known boundary with their overall presentation and artistic creativity. It's definitely ambitious and it's unbelievably stunning, take her come back track "; John" with a long sprawling and frankly creepily weird video (that's one hell of a lot of toilet roll!) it's just outstanding, perhaps surpassing her own highs heard on "O" and "Y" the additively melodic electro dance track is simply one of the best tracks you'll hear this year, iamamiwhoami have raised the bar again, I hope it's the start of a new series of clips from her."


14. Lykke Li - Sadness is a Blessing
Posted 1st March: "Wrapped around her intimate, vulnerable lyrics are amongst the most beautiful songs I've hard this year combining sumptuous melodies, Lykke's gorgeous voice and pounding, tribal percussion, lots of percussion... On the starkly arranged "Sadness is a Blessing" we hear a heartbroken Lykke sing with sincere emotional tenderness of a victim of unrequited love."


13. Planningtorock - Living It Out
Posted 17th September : "this invigorating single version features some frenetic strings and convoluting beats to improve an already stunning track. The video sees Janine mystical and menacing, prancing around the streets of Berlin in a hazy, funky stomp - sensational."

Tips for 2012 - Part One

Following from my review of my 'Tips for 2011', the next five posts are going to be my '15 Tips for 2012' listed alphabetically. As with last years posts, my tips aren't necessarily fifteen acts I'm tipping for stardom (though a few perhaps will hit the mainstream) but are fifteen of (I could have picked more) the new acts (my only criteria to be in this list is that the artist cannot have released an LP previously) that I believe will offer some of the best releases of the forthcoming year, without further rambling, straight on to part one;

Just Music That I Like's Tips for 2012 - Part One.

Previous parts can be found here: One // Two // Three // Four // Five

Battlekat  

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Battlekat, the band formerly known as Just A Number 05272011 released one of the best EP's of 2011, though their '05272011–10242011' went mainly unnoticed (especially considering the incredible buzz their initial tracks "The Pain" / "He Didn't Want A Love Song" created in the blogging world), nevertheless, the Danish four-piece delivered a fantastic six track extended play that combined the powerful, hypnotic beats of The Knife with a mainstream crossover potential of Robyn.

The tracks in their arsenal are already outstanding, the confident "All The Useless Things" sees crunching electro beats, rushing percussion and icy cool synths combine with vocalist Matilde's wonderfully distinctive high-pitched vocals in faultless manner. The highly charged "Business" continues with their twisted, rapid beats was could easily be remixed (and have) to make either a techno club anthem or dance-floor filler while "Mother Nature" is an altogether edgier affair, a darker ambience, abrasive and metallic with electronic glitches, warped distorted vocals and pulsating beats.

I caught one of their London shows at Madame Jo Jo's and for a band that had were less than six months old it was an incredible performance, polished, confident and aggressive. Battlekat can do brooding, they can do infectiously catchy and they can do warped mysticism all with apparent ease. I'm looking forward to their return to London and, of course, new material (hopefully in 2012).

ALL THE USELESS THINGS - RADIO EDIT by Battlekat



Carousels

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You know when you hear two or three songs from a band and think "wow, this is just fantastic" and then you realise that those songs are the very first songs released by a band that haven't even played live, so you rush to see their second ever (I couldn't make the first) live show and you leave even more impressed and are itching to hear more (coincidently that show was the same bill as the previous tip, Battlekat), well that's what happened with Carousels (Lucy Wilson and Nick Benton), I'm still itching to hear more now.

What we have (so fare) are three stunning tracks, I'm still pretty happy with what I wrote back in July so here it is again; ""Here to Me" is arguably my favourite, buzzing chain-saw guitar riffs, layers of feedback and a gorgeous flowing melody, there is even room for some hand-claps, what isn't there to like?!. "Sleep" is a stomping, droney shoegaze wonder that sounds like it was made in the 90's, walls of energetic guitar noise, hard-hitting drum-loops and Lucy's soft butter wouldn't melt vocals. Fantastic".

Nothing official for me to point you in the way to buy yet, just fall in love with their music like I have and hope that 2012 brings more, much more.

HERE TO ME by Carousels



Cold Specks

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Is seeing someone perform for fifteen minutes long enough time to categorically say that they are 100% deserving of a place in a 'tips for 2012' thread? I think so, I'd previous featured Cold Specks back in July and had this to say...

"One listen and it's easy to see why the hyperbole is in overdrive, her voice is extraordinary. Her soulful, smoky purr will hit you like a freight train and "Holland" uses its strength and beauty perfectly. A dark, gospel track, it starts melancholic and graceful as it develops around her voice whilst delicate guitar plucks, sweeping strings and a repetitive drum beat build up to reach an empowering finale. Haunting, spiritual, beautiful"

...Yet until she blew me away with a short (stripped back) set supporting Josh T. Pearson at Barbican Hall a week or so back I hadn't completely decided on this post, five minutes into the set I had. The rest of the crowd sensed it too, for a support act there was complete silence and an overwhelming applause at the end of the set, a crowd that perhaps hadn't heard of Cold Specks (the moniker of Al Spx) left knowing it alright.

Trophy hunters should seek out her debut 7” ‘Holland’ now, limited to just 250 copies and available here. Check out the video for one of the tracks she played at the Barbican “Lay Me Down", her incredible voice, the intimate nature of it all, simply stunning. Watch this space.

Battlekat #2 - Debut EP Release

Facebook / battlekat.eu/

It's been a while since I brought an update on Just a Number 052711, since, the cryptic name which they originally went by turned out to be the date when they officially announced themselves as Battlekat and confirmed rumours that they were from Scandinavia (it wasn't too hard to predict they weren't from Isle of Man - though the rumours of Karin Dreijer Andersson's involvement appear unfounded). Denmark, Copenhagen to be precise.

They are about to release their first EP, '0527201110242011', unsurprisingly given its title on October 24th via Good Tape Records. You can listen to two of the tracks below, both are incredible, "All The Useless Things" continues along a similar vein to the earlier tracks we've heard, combining radio-friendly electronica and experimental mysticism, its relentless, thumping beat might just be the best thing I've heard from them so far. Mother Nature" is edgier and atmospheric, a sonic assault of throbbing synth glitches, tropical beats and Matilde's eerie, filtered yowls. If you were sitting on the fence waiting for more tracks to judge them on then prepare to be blown away.

Battlekat play their first UK shows next week, they are:

23/10 SWN Festival, Wales
25/10 White Heat @ Madame Jo Jo, London - http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=461136
27/10 JaJaJa @ Lexington, London - http://www.wegottickets.com/event/137241
29/10 The Nest, London

ALL THE USELESS THINGS - RADIO EDIT by Battlekat
MOTHER NATURE by Battlekat

Watch a live version of "Mother Nature" below, think it sounds even better. I'm pretty excited about the White Heat gig and it will also be my first time seeing Carousels who'll definitely be on my short-list for acts to watch in 2012.