And so concludes our brief foray into "tastemaking" for the forthcoming months. Will any of the twelve bands/artists we've chosen actually manage to become commercially, or even critically, successful? We're not so sure. But the reason we've chosen them is that we want to support them. The idea is that perhaps you'd like (at least some of) them to do well too.
Spector
What can I say about Spector that’s not already been said? They make music that reminds me of my favourite time in indie music, and claim 'Room On Fire' is the best Strokes album (I almost agree). They’re not anything unique or innovative, but they don’t claim to be. Upcoming single 'Chevy Thunder' with its whirling guitars and thunderous drums sits as one of my favourite songs of the year already, and its insanely sing-along nature will have it stuck in your head for days, and surely that’s the best thing about good music? (Emily Solan)
The Staves
Not much hype has surrounded The Staves yet, which is probably a good thing, giving us time to appreciate them with the time that needs to be spent listening to them. Granted, they’ve had plenty of attention, and all for the right reasons - their exquisite music. They’ve been asked to provide vocals for albums by Fionn Regan and Tom Jones, and have been on tour with the like of James Vincent McMorrow (amongst plenty of others).
However, girl bands (The Staves are all sisters, too) are ever rising - see Tegan And Sara, The Pierces, Stealing Sheep etc so what makes this trio so special? Well, their acoustic delicacy seems to ensnare you from the get-go, described as ‘a melding of still, bright English folk and sublime West Coast pop’ perfectly encapsulates their sound. They’ve been known to stun crowds into silence and if 2012 is their year, it should be an extremely quiet one. (Emily Arc)
Team Me
This Norwegian band mix folk, orchestral indie and electronica so supremely that I am very hopeful that they will manage to become one of Scandanavia's bigger exports. They've even won a Norwegian Grammy. One of my favourite bands at last year's Great Escape festival, at the very least, their thrilling live shows are likely to wow UK audiences. (Saam Das)
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