Tips For 2013 - Part One

The next four posts are going to be my Tips for 2013 posts, I know some people find these sort of posts pointless but I'm a geek at heart and geeks do love a list... I know many of you will feel the same, I'm limiting myself to a thirteen acts this year - well it will be 2013 -  which meant a few difficult decisions and the acts will be listed alphabetically, starting with four today and then three acts following in each of the next three posts.

As with last years posts, my tips aren't necessarily acts I'm tipping for stardom (though a few perhaps will hit / already are close to the mainstream) but are a thirteen new acts (I'm not tipping artists that have already released an album) that I believe you should follow over the year ahead, without further rambling...

Just Music That I Like's 13 for 2013 - Part One:

Alice Jemima - Facebook

I think I blogged about Alice Jemima more than any other artist in 2012 so her inclusion in my tips for next year is the logical next step, a year which has seen an increasing number of people become equally smitten with Alice and her sublime music ("By Your Side" taken from her recent, self-released EP All The Boyfriends has amassed some ten thousand plays in a couple of months), if you're not yourself, taken a listen below and you'll soon understand why...

Possessing a voice that defies beauty, Alice's calm, soft whispers will caress and charm even the hardest of souls as her intimate lyrics melt glaciers. We've been spoilt throughout the year with Alice releasing a number of tracks on her soundcloud page, tracks like the aforementioned "By Your Side", "Far From Here" and "First Love" are all as close to perfect as you can get, delivered with her trademark grace and elegance throughout, Alice's gorgeous, tender vocals and shimmering guitar patterns create the sort of music that can only become to backdrop to dozen (hundreds/thousands soon?) of people falling in love.

I'm sure 2013 will see Alice to continue to grow as an artist and performer, perhaps it's too soon to be demanding an album, she's still only nineteen, and I'll be here saying similar words this time next year in my tips for 2014 posts, still one thing I do know is that I'll be amongst those first in line to hear what Alice delivers next.

Bird - Facebook

Bird were guaranteed their place amongst my bands to watch after two recent live performances blew me away, firstly upstaging Tamaryn at the Lexington and then just a week later playing another stunning with the wonderful PINS.

The Liverpool three piece are led the celestial voice of songwriter/bassist/guitarist Adele Emmas with Sian Williams providing stunning guitarscapes and complimenting harmonies alongside Alexis Samata on the doom-laden drums. Those live sets saw the trio bring to life their recent Shadows EP with a live power and grace, equally dark and mystical with rich swirling guitar tapestries and superlative defying harmonies, it was like being transported to an otherworldly place of pure, spiritual beauty.

On record Bird offer the perfect combination of delicate ethereality and melancholy, the haunting "Shadows" will intoxicate while "Monsters" is another that hints at future greatness where intricate guitar plucks weave around repeating kick drums to create the chilly ambience in which Adele's vocals soar and entrance. Bird's music is dripped in emotion where ghostly harmonies and textured arrangement beguile in their beauty.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing more of their eerie fairy-tales in 2013.

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'. I said that just a few days ago on my review of 2012's tips. This time around I'm positive I'm right.

2012 saw Daughter sign to the mighty 4AD and sell out shows on both sides of the Atlantic while releasing just the one single (the incredible "Smother"), with an early 2013 UK tour similarly close to selling out two months in advance and various TV placements the trio are perfectly placed to make a mark as one of the acts of 2013 (this post was written prior to the announcement of the BBC Sound of 2013 poll but surely a place their beckons?).

2011's EP's The Wild Youth and His Young Heart highlighted Elena Tonra as a prodigious talent, possessing such natural beauty and grace with her breathy vocals and spellbinding songs, backed by deftly subtle instrumentation Daughter's haunting melodies, combined with some of the most intimate, remarkable lyrics of this generation that will, in my opinion,take Daughter as far as they want to go.

If Daughter aren't on the short-list for the Mercury album prize with their debut album (as yet unannounced but due in 2013), I'll eat my proverbial hat....

Embers - Facebook

Another act returning from last years choices (I did say they probably would) are Manchester's Embers, a band I've mentioned twice in the past couple of weeks so it's quite difficult not to repeat some of my words of gushing praise "a ground-breaking, a seven minute journey beyond comprehension that is truly, truly stunning". That's the sort of superlatives the quartet must have got used to after a few weeks of positive reactions to their incredible live video "Hollow Cage"...

I've read comparisons to Muse when they were good and Hope of the States time and time again, it's easy to see why but "Hollow Cage" isn't the only majestic thing these Northern boys have done. Exuding ambitions far beyond most of their peers their early demos "Days Turn Into Weeks" and "Without Fear of Favour" introduced dark aural storms capable of rendering you speechless, building and building upon unsettling atmospheres, ferocious, powerful and hugely complex. Their now sold out debut 7" Tunnel Visions added some studio polish to the terrifying soundscapes and through colossal crescendos of echoing sounds came across like the end of the world. Epic, cinematic and extraordinary.

Now "Hollow Cage" seemingly has given Embers some breakthrough from UK blogs to column inches in the sort of things that A&R guys look at and I'm pretty sure Embers have had more than a couple of availability inquiries recently. Will 2013 bring their debut album? I don't know, it may still be too soon, I do know that Embers are one of those rare bands that you need to embrace, physically moving, emotionally touching, I can't wait to sample their live show.

Blog Sound of 2013: My views

Earlier today I posted the fifteen acts who made the Blog Sound of 2013 list. It's the only time throughout the year where I post acts I don't really like, the title of this blog kind of indicates it, but, this blog aims to only post about music which ticks my boxes, it's a lot more fun to write about stuff which excites you and I don't quite see the point in spending your time purposely posting a critical blog about something that someone has recorded. Ignoring pretty much everything I just said in that paragraph, I'll now give a brief opinion piece to each of the acts that made the Blog Sound long-list.

Three of my five picks made the list, I won't reveal all now (my own personal picks are coming later this week). If you want to read all the information and stream a track from each act, check out the original Blog Sound 2013 post here.

AlunaGeorge: I'd heard of the name but haven't listened to them before, I thought they'd been around for ages now. "Your Drums, Your Love" takes my AG virginity (though as it runs for less than two minutes I'm guessing it's just a sample of the track), described as R&B/pop in the Blog Sound PR description sheet I'd agree with that, smooth female vocals which are nice but it's too poppy for me an doesn't really go anywhere, the samples are extremely annoying too. No doubt they'll do very well for themselves but it's not for me, though their inclusion here is no real shock.

Curxes: A band I've featured here on numerous occasions but one who I didn't expect to feature in this list despite picking up some pretty good UK blog press throughout the year (perhaps the nature of the polling helped that), "Spectre" sums up what the duo are all about, dark and dramatic, crazed synth beat and Roberta's incredible vocals combine for fast-paced industrial synth-pop that grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Whether the commercial success this inclusion will follow I don't know but Curxes are a band who have bold visions and powerful songs and I hope it does.

Chvrches: An act who've been posted by just about every blog in the past month so it comes as no surprise to me to see their inclusion, electro-pop by a Scottish act who I'm sure I read feature a member of Aerogramme which comes as a surprise because they were a good band and this is not, it's wishy-washy pop by numbers that will no doubt get remixed and be played in every club up and down the country. The sort of club that I fucking hate. It maybe because I'm currently experiencing a two day hangover but I'm too old for this.

Daughter: I keep telling you Daughter will be huge next and it seems fellow bloggers agree, of course they would, Elena Tonra has a voice from the heavens and a pile of songs to back it up. I'll not repeat myself too much and keep this one nice and short, Daughter are contenders for 2013 artist of the year, yes already.

Haim: Another act certain to make this list and deserving of it too, who'd of thought twelve months ago we'd never heard of the sister's Haim, their appearance in 2012 has made it all the better. Look forward to seeing and hearing more Haim here soon...

Laura Mvula: A name I'd heard and had been meaning to check out, so thanks to this list I have... "She" is nice, a very strong voice and sparse backing with gospel harmonies (though they do go on a bit at the end!), it ticks most of my boxes for sure but doesn't quite give me any 'wow' factor. Pleasant but, as yet, not exactly ground breaking. I'd investigate Laura further for sure.... I did "Like The Morning Dew" makes it a no. A lovely voice for sure, I hope she does well for herself.

MØ: I'm definitely noticing a theme of soulful female vocals backed by glitchy synth pop here, I guess UK bloggers like their electronic music! Danish act MØ add in horns and it's better than both Chvrches and AlunaGeorge that I've just heard, I'd probably investigate another song but as I've said recently, my tastes have moved away from electro-pop in recent months, probably because very few acts make it sound good live. The aforementioned Curxes are an exception, they command your attention in both formats, I've never seen MØ so I can't comment for them but a few people nodding behind a keyboard doesn't do it for me.

Palma Violets: Ah, an act I've avoided like the plague after hearing numerous unsavoury reports from friends who saw them alongside Savages earlier in the year, the NME picking up on them and heralding them as saviours of guitars (for about what, the 100th time) didn't help. It's safe to say I'd rather be eating (or listening to) their namesakes Parma Violets, they're the sort of sweet that taste like soap but are more-ish and before you know it (and understand it) you've eaten a whole packet. I've an amusing story of a friend being sick after drinking/eating a full 1.5 litre bottle of cheap mineral water / Parma Violets cocktail when I was young on a school trip to France too, but that's probably only amusing when drunk, uncannily just like "Best of Friends", which isn't actually that bad until the vocals start, sounding like your mate on karaoke at 3am, I think I'd need a few more beers (or water/Parma Violet cocktails) to press play on this one again.

Pins: See boys this is how you make guitar music sound good. Pins are edgy and fun with addictive melodies and spiky vocals, I'm being short and to the point on bands I like and have featured here before like Pins, who recently joined a select group of bands that I've seen play live in three different cities (when you live in London, there generally isn't the need to travel too far). Looking forward to hearing their debut album which will hopefully come out in 2013.

Randolph’s Leap: I'd never so much as heard of this band until I got the email with the Blog Sound long-list, apparently from Glasgow, from the press picture it looks they could be an entire army, the track "Hermit" is good, reminding me of Fanfarlo or Beirut which is no bad thing really. I went to their bandcamp but there are so many tracks to pick from it put me off. I'll investigate this lot further another time I think.

Rhye: Another one of those 'meant to listen to you' acts, the repetitive keys remind me of "La Ritournelle" by Sébastien Tellier which is no bad thing and the vocals are silky smooth, soft and beautiful just like the sort of thing that ends up featured here quite a lot. I'm sitting on the fence with Rhye though, I wonder if 2013 will change that.

Savages: Oh, hi Savages, you were an obvious choice weren't you. Yes of course, but a right one this time (in my humble opinion of course). Savages are currently recording their debut album and it's going to make them even bigger than they already are.

Seasfire: More glitches, more ambience, more smooth vocals and another hyped band, though Seasfire are all boys, I've listened to their track "Falling" and now I'm ready to fall asleep. Is that the desired effect?

The Neighbourhood: Another completely new band to me and I wish it stayed that way. This is horrid, the sort of thing you'd expect to find on a prime-time talent show and not a list drawn up by UK bloggers. Who voted for this?! I'm coming to find you and to play you something good. I joke, but in all seriousness, this is shit.

Tom Odell: Radio two are going to love Tom Odell, your Mum is going to love Tom Odell, perhaps you're going to love Tom Odell but I'm probably not. It sounds like Jaime Cullum. It gets more and more bland as you listen to it. Next years John Lewis Christmas advert anyone?

Perhaps I should have done that when I was in a better mood! Don't worry, I'm back to the positive superlatives tomorrow.

BLOG SOUND OF 2013

I try not to cut and paste emails received and pass them off as my own (you'd be surprised just how many blogs do) but on this occasion I think the accompanying fact sheet serves as a better introduction than I could possible do, so here goes. My own words will follow in a separate post.

The Blog Sound Poll was first published in 2011. The concept of the poll wasn’t to criticise the established BBC Sound of list, but simply an experiment to see if UK music bloggers could come up with its own list that was more representative of their community and give the artists that were nominated some extra publicity. 

Indeed the idea was to compliment the BBC list in many ways by providing an alternative to compare and contrast.

Last year’s final long list provided some interesting alternatives to the BBC list; most notably, it included Alt-J this year’s Mercury Prize winners, who didn’t feature on the BBC list at all.

The Blog Sound of 2013 poll has expanded with 49 UK blogs nominating their 5 favourite emerging artists. 33 blogs voted for the previous poll.

Just over 170 artists have been nominated during the voting process, which indicates the diverse nature of UK Music bloggers tastes and the amount of great new music available.

The most popular act obtained a vote from around 25% of all voting bloggers, with the second obtaining a vote from 20%.

The list contains acts signed to major labels, independent labels and unsigned artists.

The list contains artists from outside of the UK, but has a strong UK bias.

The participating Blogs who voted in the Blog Sound 2013 poll are

A New Band A Day, A Pocket Full Of Seeds, All Noise, Alphabet Bands, Both Bars On, Brapscallions, Breaking More Waves, Brighton Music Blog, Details Of My Life So Far, Don’t Watch Me Dancing, Dots And Dashes, Drunken Werewolf, Eaten By Monsters, Electronic Rumors, Faded Glamour, Folly Of Youth, Flying With Anna, God Is In The TV, Harder Blogger Faster, Howl, In Love Not Limbo, Just Music That I Like, Killing Moon, Kowalskiy,  Love Music : Love Life,  Mudkiss, Music Broke My Bones, Music Fans Mic, Music Liberation, Music Like Dirt, My Bands Better Than Your Band, Not Many Experts, Peenko, Real Horrorshow, Scottish Fiction, Skeletory,  Song By Toad, Sounds Good To Me Too, Storm’s Brewing, Sweeping The Nation, The Blue Walrus, The Electricity Club, The Mad Mackerel, The Metaphorical Boat, The Music Hoarder, The Recommender, This Must Be Pop, Von Pip Musical Express, 17 Seconds

The Nominated Artists For The Blog Sound Of 2013 (in alphabetical order):

AlunaGeorge - Infectious R&B influenced pop from London

Listen: Your Drums, Your Love

Curxes - Dark industrial-pop electronic duo from Brighton and Portsmouth

Listen: Spectre


Chvrches – Scottish electro pop trio formed from a variety of other bands

Listen: The Mother We Share


Daughter – Minimal / ambient sounding folk

Listen: Medicine


Haim – Classic rock from LA with pop sensibilities

Listen: Don’t Save Me


Laura Mvula – Jazz / soul singer hailing from Birmingham

Listen: She


MØ – Hip soulful female vocal electronic pop from Denmark

Listen: Pilgrim


Palma Violets – Raw and energetic indie rock band

Listen: Best of Friends


Pins – Edgily cool and raucous all female indie band from Manchester

Listen: Shoot You


Randolph’s Leap – Glasgow based indie folk pop with a twist of brass

Listen: Hermit


Rhye – Smooth and blissful pop duo

Listen: The Fall


Savages – Intense post-punk with female vocals

Listen: Flying To Berlin


Seasfire – Modern rock band from Bristol who mix electronic beats with guitars

Listen: We Will Wake

The Neighbourhood – Atmospheric Californian 5 piece rock / pop band

Listen: Let It Go


Tom Odell – Piano based singer songwriter originally from Chichester

Listen: Another Love

Tips for 2012 – One Year On (Part Three)

Here is the final part of three where I revisit my tips for the year. If you've missed the others you'll find them here: Parts One // Two.

Niki and the Dove - Facebook

Niki and the Dove were the only band I picked in my tips that ended up featuring in the BBC Sound of 2012, the latter inclusion meant the year started off well for the Swedish electro duo, their album Instinct followed in May and was a excitable collection of passionate electro-pop, booming percussion and Knife-esque vocal potency. It picked up some good reviews too(pitchfork gave it 7.9), but, and if you've followed this blog over the past twelve months you may have guessed, it's a sound I seem to have moved away from over the year...

I can't actually remember the last time I wanted to listen to them, so for me at least, and this blog is review my opinion in music, it seems that Niki and the Dove have passed me by, others though may think different.


Novella - Facebook

Novella have had a year of two halves, the first saw them release their self-titled EP via Italian Beach Babes in March (now close to selling out its second pressing) and play a host of London based shows. The bands sumptuous cocktail of sugary vocals buried in a see of hazy, grungy guitars and battering drums makes them one one of the best 90's influenced band in London today in my opinion, the EP highlighted Novella's live sound, part dreamy psychedelia mixed with a whole lot of sprawling noise, it's all kind of wonderful, listen to highlight "You're Not That Cool" if you don't believe me...

After which Novella were pretty quiet, seemingly spending the summer in the studio before returning in late autumn with some shows and a new single, "Mary's Gun", a ferocious cocktail of pysch ambience with moody percussion and off-kilter grungy guitar fuzz, sure to get the adrenaline pumping and (hopefully) a sure sign of more in come in 2013.

Rachel Sermanni - Facebook

Rachel Sermanni has probably done as well as anyone I tipped in 2012, with a host of gigs around the UK & Europe over the course of the year making the Highland lass a name on the lips of many, it was left to her album to turn them into putty in her hands, not a difficult job for a heavenly album (Under Mountains which came out in September) packed with to-die-for songs.

I've talked about many of Rachel's tracks here before, the exquisite and intoxicating "Waltz", the dark defiance of "The Fog" and the gorgeous, soothing tones of "Sleep" all favourites on the album, it offers a dozen finely crafted tracks in which Rachel's mesmerising voice resonates above genteel arrangements and stirring full band section on an album full of heartfelt emotion and stunning harmonies, one of the years finest, of that there is no doubt..

Stealing Sheep - Facebook

Stealing Sheep are another band who've had a fine year, a host of impressive support acts (most recently with Alt-J) and a debut album release in August (Into The Diamond Sun). Fulfilling the promise of the trio's earlier EP's it's a perfect summer's day album, mixing the gorgeous with the individualistic sounds that characterise Stealing Sheep.

I've talked about the band on numerous times in the past and I'm going to recycle some old words as they are about the best I can do to describe the album, "a delicious combination of spiralling vocal harmonies, psychedelic melodies and off-kilter drums (not to mention infectious hand clapping), impossible to pigeon-hole, Stealing Sheep deserve their own genre, one that's equally bonkers, enchanting and always fun" and beautiful, for Into the Diamond Sun is most definitely that.

The band also released one of the finest videos of the year with a live rendition of the albums highlight "Shut Eye" performed along with a host of fellow musicians who bring a whole variety of instruments to make a percussion filled wonder that's completely hypnotising. Watch it below:

2:54 - Facebook

I've done much better with bands releasing albums in this third part of my tips for 2012 and my final pick 2:54 also released their debut in 2012, another band which (in my opinion anyway) delivered upon the promise of their earlier singles, delivering an album brimmed with creeping guitar spirals and hauntingly melodic vocals, "Scarlet" oozes with eerie mood, "Creeping" has arguably the guitar solo of the year at its finale and "Sugar" is dark and driving with throbbing guitar lines and doomy atmosphere, something which can be used to describe much of the album for there's not much light here, I've seen some reviews fault that, I couldn't care less... 2:54 sounds just great to me.

When I saw the band a few weeks back at XOYO I commented afterwards that the hour long show almost felt like a greatest hit show, such is the standard of 2:54's material, not a bad feat for a band with just a single, an EP and an album to their name...

Tips for 2012 – One Year On (Part Two)

Here is part two of my annual revisit of my tips for the year. Part one has already been posted and can be found here with part three to follow tomorrow...

Embers - Facebook

When you start off a tip for 2012 with "there is every chance when I come to review these tips in 2012 I'll be saying 2013 will be their year" you know deep down that it's highly unlikely that band will have sufficient time to create sufficient material to turn themselves from a band who hadn't released a demo until December 11 to one of 2012's breakthrough acts. Manchester's Embers blew a lot of us away (quite literally) with a trio of demo tracks that led to a last minute entry into my tips of the year, a year which saw the band play a handful of dates mainly in their home-town and release their debut vinyl release in the autumn...

That release fulfilled the promise of the demo tracks with both "Tunnel Visions" and "Sins Unknown" continuing with the bands epic sized ambience, where screeching guitars and a fury of beats caused avalanche after avalanche of rushing distortion and indescribable euphoria, loud and enormous it signalled the bands intent. Yet it's with their latest release, the utterly incredible (live version of) "Hollow Cage" where the band really have set the pulse racing, a truly affecting monster, from humble serene beginnings to the cacophony of noise which follows as instruments and voices merge under the crashing of colossal drums and skyscraper sized guitars, it well and truly announces the arrival of Embers. I'm quite sure labels are lining up to sign them for the new year...

Fear of Men - Facebook

In one way I was right about Fear of Men, their two releases this year (the "Mosaic" and "Green Sea" singles) have followed up on the promise of their early demo tapes. Sparkling melodies and irresistible vocals are the Brighton/London quartet's signatures and they are on display throughout "Mosaic", a track amongst the best singles of the year in my opinion, so while 2012 hasn't seen the band deliver a debut album, the promise is there for 2013 to be the year the band truly deliver.

I don't think I've failed to post about any Fear of Men track to date, such is the affection I feel towards the bands music, bright and pure with a sense of wistful longing, there's not much of a better sound if you ask me, so yeah, expect to see Fear of Men featured here again real soon.

iamamiwhoami - Facebook

2012 was the year iamamiwhoami stopped playing with us all and got on with the serious business of music, after being drip-feed released as a series of audiovisual clips via YouTube the debut full-length Kin came out in the summer with an accompanying DVD which adds much to the albums experience. It also saw Jonna Lee and contributors (primarily Cales Björklund) put on their first London show with an autumn gig on the south bank and in all honesty, the live airing satisfied my desire somewhat more than the album (perhaps I'm underplaying that, the gig was amongst the best of the year).

The mystery and hyperbole that followed iamamiwhoami is one sure to become Internet legend and as much I enjoy listening to Kin, it's a very stimulating and aesthetically sound album, it also perhaps misses a little something that the earlier tracks had, the likes of "O" or "Y" or "John", were enigmatic and euphoric, Kin is slightly less instant and more of a combined experience. The likes of "In Due Order", "Good Worker" and "Sever" are evocative and emotional sure and showcase the boundary pushing creativity of the project but sometimes you want a killer hook too, which is something the live show had, a dramatic contrast of a white, pure opening half of glistening mood before switching to dark, black and sinister in the second.

Hopefully 2013 will bring more live shows and some more development of this extraordinary project.

Let's Buy Happiness - Facebook

Let's Buy Happiness are a band I've been following for a while, I've been smitten with the bands shimmering guitar lines and Sarah Hall's heavenly vocal purr since I first saw the band at The Great Escape in 2010. I originally picked them as one of my 'Tips for 2011', a year which saw them releases a couple singles ("Fast Fast" and "Dirty Lakes") and play a few high billing sets. I expected 2012 to be the year the band released their debut album and fulfilled all the blog praise received from people much more in the know than me. However, it hasn't quite turned out that way, besides a digital only single in June it's been pretty much silence from the North-East quartet.

The track was actually a re-working of an old Let's Buy Happiness too, "Works Better on Paper" was originally released on the debut LBH EP in 2010, this version was pared back from the original version with a gentle, languid tempo and delicate instrumentation making Sarah Hall's soft, celestial vocal the main instrument. It worked to perfection, magically complimenting sleepy drums and guitar effects, "Works Better on Better" was just overwhelmingly beautiful.

More good news is that the album looks to certainly be on the cards for next year, a series of in the studio shots on facebook confirm as much, one (more) for the 2013 list then!

Lucy Rose - Facebook

In short, Lucy Rose fulfilled the promise she'd shown during the previous couple of years in 2012. A heap of gigs (included selling out the rather massive Brixton Electric a couple of weeks back) throughout the year highlighted her soft, sensual vocals with a full touring band increasing her live dynamic from that on her (predominately) delicate record. Possessed with the type of voice that could soften even the hardest of souls, Lucy effortlessly melts hearts with her intimate songs that are often heartfelt, tender and soothing.

Her album Like I Used To came out in September and contains many of the tracks that propelled Lucy to UK blog darling status, "Middle of the Bed", "Red Face" and "Lines" all line-up alongside the likes of "Night Bus" and "First" which had both previously been fan favourites via some heavenly YouTube live videos, of the new tracks the beautiful "Shiver" impresses with fragile guitar lines and haunting emotion.

In 2012 Lucy has taken one step along her path to being a UK treasure.

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.