This Is My Opinion Of The BBC Sound Of 2012 List

The BBC Sound Of…  list arrived in my inbox yesterday. I took a quick look at it, turned back to the TV to enjoy a Come Dine With Me contestant spoon out a mass of soupy beef mess, looked back at Sound Of… list, felt a bit tired, watched the Prime Minister fuck a pig, and then began to mentally prepare myself for a day of Twitter anxiety as every angry little industry bastard quacks on about how they feel about The Sound Of… list.

Here’s the longlist if you haven’t already seen it:

A$AP Rocky
Azealia Banks
Dot Rotten
Dry The River
Flux Pavilion
Frank Ocean
Friends
Jamie N Commons
Lianne La Havas
Michael Kiwanuka
Niki & The Dove
Ren Harvieu
Skrillex
Spector
Stooshe

Whilst I can’t admit to falling asleep to the sweet sounds of Stooshe, or having Jamie N Commons soundtrack a moment of deep contemplation as I put my hand against the rainy window pane, it’s an interesting mix of results that I can fully put my thumb up to. Approximately 100% of my vote didn’t get represented in the longlist, but there’s so much to look forward to next year that I couldn’t possibly get bogged down.

When we sat down a month ago to figure out what bands we’d feature in The Fly’s upcoming January tips issue, the names of artists I loved poured out of my gob as fast-paced and flustered as a Stacey Solomon acceptance speech. A wave of brilliant, innovative bands have appeared and I was energized by the sort of artists I’ve always felt inspired by; strange, intelligent music-makers who give the British scene an invigorating breath of life.

Spector and Dry The River aside, the longlist is notably devoid of guitar music. Or indie music, as it was once known. It’s a genre that’s now so out of favour that whenever I mentioned it in front of a band this year I was met with a snobbish grimace and a declaration of their love for hip-hop or dubstep. I’ve lost count of the number of bands I’ve spoken to who tell me that they “just want to make pop music” now, even though their music just sounds like upbeat indie to me. I can only blame all of the bed wetters (Snow Patrol) and lad rockers (The Pigeon Detectives) who’ve tarnished the genre over the past decade. But there’s a new wave of acts cropping up that I think might help push things forward. Here are a couple of artists that I’ll be supporting in the new year:

In the same way that Metronomy’s presence brightened up the somewhat drab moments of 2011, Django Django look likely to fizz up the next 12 months with their curious blend of quirky, Beta Band-inspired pop and bubbling electronics. If you asked me to sum them up in three words I’d give you: Egypt. Space. Cowboys.

I feel like I spend most of my life telling people how wonderful Outfit are, but they are. So I’ll continue to do so. There’s something about their music that sends a ripple of fear, loneliness and nervousness through my body. In a really excellent way.

King Krule is one of the most fascinating artists I’ve ever come across. Musically he scatters his insanely sophisticated influences across a sparse soundscape, his voice is full of the doom and gloom of a haggard old rock and roller, and yet he’s only 17. He has the potential to be a hugely significant artist.

Who knows what will happen in music next year, but for me personally, 2012 is an exciting musical prospect, perhaps provided that I don’t bother turning on the radio for the next 12 months.