Lorna Irvine presents her list of acts to watch throughout the year.
1. Amazing Snakeheads Glasgow's loud, sleazy trio make bone-rattling noise for those sick of weedy nu-folk troubadors and bland pseudo R 'n' B. Dale Barclay, Jordon Hutchison and William Coombe are three dapper lads, but their cacophony of sound, with titles like Truth Serum and Flatlining, are enough to terrify the Bejesus out of your average twee indie fanboy or gal. Just what we need to see in the New Year. Their debut album, recorded at Green Door Studios, will be out soon on Domino. Got to be wonderful.
2. Courtney Barnett This smart young Aussie woman is shaping up to be truly special. She has a way with a riff, her own record label (Milk Records) and a sardonic sense of humour to boot (track title Avant Gardener is proof enough of this). Her garage-inspired songs recall the heyday of both the 90s Riot Grrrrl scene and 60s girl groups, respectively—and she sings in her own accent, which is terrifically endearing.
3. Mykki Blanco American artist Blanco is a kick in the ass to the hip-hop fraternity: an out-and-proud flamboyant gay artist who makes provocative videos, bends gender and has nasty EDM keyboard lines through his music which nag like loose teeth. Betty Rubble and Mykki Blanco and the Mutant Angels have been simmering Stateside for the last few months. Now here's hoping he can do his stuff here, as an antidote to the usual machismo of urban culture.
4. Tuneyards Okay, okay, I do realise that American artist Tuneyards, who are essentially one woman (composer/musician Merrill Garbus) has been around since 2008, with two great albums in Bird-Brains and Whokill under her belt, but this year should seal her reputation, having now produced with legendary artist The Gift of the Gab from Blackalicious. More 'Yards goodness is still to come...expect percussion-based oddness, fruity loops and sonic brilliance.
5. Bombay Royale Like a Bollywood soundtrack put through a mixer, this eccentric Australian band create sounds for the best kitsch, sprawling psychedelic western yet to be invented. Debut album You, Me, Bullets, Love sounded like nothing else out there, and they smashed all the festivals with their Ennio Morricone/Asha Bhosle/Dick Dale mash-up. 2014 should be theirs for the taking. More fun than is actually decent.
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