It seems to be a requisite that the new musical year is looked forward to with anticipation of it approaching ‘seminal’, as though we are always teetering on the edge of another ’67, ’73 or ’94.  Human nature dictates that we like to think we are about to live and listen our way through another golden period, a period that in twenty years time will be looked back on with misty-eyed relish and special Commemorative Issues of Uncut.


After reading the wealth of Ones To Watch/Best of 2010 lists that have been doing the rounds over the last few weeks, it seems that we quite categorically are not about to see such a year in 2010.  I know these lists are by no means all inclusive but, from what I can gather 2010 is going to be rather a dull plodding year, certainly for new music.   Examples, you say?  Okay, well first off, The Drums who have been featured everywhere.  All and sundry seem to have been going crazy for this well meaning bunch from a beach somewhere in the U.S.A but it appears to these ears that they are little more than a poor imitation of The Beach Boys.  They are what The Beach Boys’ sons would sound like if they decided to get together and form a band, but had all the natural musical ability of a kettle.  The whistling on ‘I Feel Surfing’ is quite nice and might get them a few ad spots a la Peter, Bjorn and John, but other than that they are a fad band that in 5 years time people will refer to as ‘uhm, urgh, shit, what was their name again?’


We all know that the ladies are ruling the pop airwaves at the moment; fair play I say.  The nineties were defined by terrible boy bands and male singers that all owe a debt to society for the aural afflictions they bestowed upon us so we should embrace the Florence’s, Bat's Lily’s, Amy’s and La Roux’s of this world.  But this year the bottom really seems to have fallen out.  Two female names dominate the hype-o-sphere at the moment; Ellie Goulding and Marina and the Diamonds.  Ellie has also been named the Brit Awards Critics Choice of 2010 award (following Adele and Florence and the Machine) and would appear destined for the top with Guardian and a million other interviews already under her belt.  Problem is, she’s shit!  Pitching in somewhere between Emiliana Torrini and Little Boots but retaining none of the quirky appeal of the former of the catchiness of the latter, the flurry of execrable buzz around her is unexplainable.  This is only rendered more infuriating by the fact you know she will be huge by the summer festy’s.  As for Marina and those Diamonds (who seems to have had a fair bit of positive coverage on here), yes there is a big pair of lungs there, but her music reeks of a big label trying to corner the quirky, kooky pop market, but having too much money behind her to genuinely give her a  chance to do this.  A listen through her old tunes reveals some nice enough little ditties, especially ‘Obsessions’, but stuff like ‘Mowgli’s Road’ and upcoming single ‘Hollywood’ suggest they are going for ‘big’ rather than ‘sweet’ which seems to have made her  into little more than a bland pop monster.  Shame.


Going back to the indie scene, Frankie And The Heartstrings are another getting bashed to death, yet appear to adding nothing to an already packed skinny jeans n’ cardigans pool with their moody Smiths influenced gloomery.  Speaking of pools, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool make some of the most awful  pop-electronica know to man, yet seem to be getting all sorts of scenesters knickers in a twist.  Why?  Is it irony?  Or is it just because they are c*nts?’ Because, and quite seriously, this is terrible music of the lowest order.


So there’s been a lot of moaning here- is there anyone I am looking forward to?  Well, and this is a sad indictment of the times, its established bands who are getting this heart racing.  Arcade Fire’s third album, Vampire Weekend’s imminent second.  Of the new artists, Two Door Cinema Club’s mix of Foals glitchiness and Editors chorus’s deserves the audience it will probably get, and Joy Orbison looks a good bet to get us all shaking our stuff down the discotheque.  Of course, I’m hoping something will come along and blow all these preconceptions out of the water or even justify the hype like Miss Florence, but hope isn’t exactly springing eternal that this will occur.


Happy New Year.

Posted In Comment, Jan 04 2010. Words - Jimbo