BEST NEW BANDS FOR 2011

Its that time of year again when we put our predictions forward for the next 12 months like some musical Mystic Meg.

As always we split the categories into National Bands and our lovely hometown of Manchester so you can find out whats going on here in this city as well as some of the bands we hope will break nationally.

Read on for what we're rating at the moment and remember to post us back your opinions on the twitter / facebook links below....


NATIONAL



Brother
If any band on the list is going to divide our readership it's Brother. We first heard of the band at the back end of September through a random tweet of Ollie Russian (MyBandsBetterTHanYourBand) and knewlittle of the band apart from the name and the fact that every A&R in the country was down at the Flowerpot to see them. A frantic google search took around 4 hours to find the bands AcidLove website, at the time remember they weren't lauded over by the NME and very little was talked about the band outside inner industry circles.

So why are they at the top of our list? There's a whole generation of people waiting for rock & roll band of Oasis sized proportions of which the XX, The National et all mean fuck all. "New Years Day" and "Darling Buds Of May" take us back to the time we first heard Definitely Maybe and while we're hardly the sort of people frequenting 5th Ave wanting a return to Madchester it's exciting to hear a guitar band with anthems again. The band have been working on their debut with Stephen Street (Smiths / Blur), they're signed to monster label Geffen and they're heading out on their 2nd national tour in Feb before going on the road with The Streets the month after. Oh and they piss all over Beady Eye's musical output so far.

And why do so many people hate them? Well, shh most of the band used to be in the emo influence rock pop band Kill The Arcade / Wolf Am I which means the same people who loved sticking it to Brandon Flowers over the fact he used to be in a ska band have got the knives back out. Plus there may be some truth in the fact that if Brother get as massive as predicted, a few Northern Uproars will follow in their wake.

Check the band out at

http://www.acidlove.net


Heights

We initially checked out Heights out of amusement more than anything else when the press release was sent to us with "The Whitest Band in England are coming your way". Thankfully it wasn't some EDL community band, but an amazing progressive hardcore band of epic proportions from Welwyn Garden City. Previously the city had been known for Designer Magazine faves The Otters (well you probably wont know them but they were like a punk Mystery Jets with members aged from 17 to 50-something), The Subways and Alesha from Misteeq.

The band have been out on the road with Flood Of Red at the tail end of 2010 and a tour with Devil Sold His Soul in January. It seems however that demand internationally means that half their time is being spent outside of the UK, so when they play your town make sure you don't miss it because it may be a while before they head back

Listen here
http://www.myspace.com/weareheights


The Neat

Hull based band on a mission against everything 2010. They seem to be on the same sort of destructive mission as Mclusky, Terris and early Manics, with touches of Selfish C*nts art punk.

One of this years highlight of In The City, they're the opposite end of the scale to Brother above with a punk mentality, sloganeering and the feeling that they are definitely for real.

http://www.myspace.com/uptheneat


The Lysergic Suite

The Lysergic Suite have friends in high places. Not many can call on Tom Meighan of Kasabian to add vocals or Death in Vegas to produce the bands EP. That's merely a topping though on what is already a very fine blend of dark droney grooves, repetitive mantra's and big beats. Imagine Primal Scream at their peak or Campeq Velocet at their most lucid. The band have already been picking up friends in Manchester from their regular appearances on Shell Zenners Salford City Radio show and an appearance at the Forever Manchester Festival last month and they're due to play at the launch party of Where's Strutter's "MyFriend Henry" in January.

If 2011 is going to be all about guitar's then Lysergic Suite will add in the beats and take the party till 4am

http://www.myspace.com/thelysergicsuitemusic


Heathers

Twins. Check. Irish. Check.... no no no they're not Jedward. Normally that would be a case of tune off then cos we love those amusing Grimes Twins. Heathers are interesting in the way that they just totally strip everything down to just one guitar and the ahem, twin, vocals of the McNamara sisters Ellie and Louise. Being England we're the last one's to catch on as they're already big names in Ireland picking up fans in Paolo Nutini and Ellie Goulding, whilst touring with more underground acts such as Ghost Mice and Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches)

As long as they stick to what they know and a major label A&R doesn't persuade them to embellish their sound with a more mainstream production, Heathers, as well as being named after one of our favourite films, could become one of our favourite bands

http://www.heathersmusic.net/

 

MANCHESTER


The Heartbreaks
Realistically we could have included the Heartbreaks in our tips for 2010, after all we promoted their debut gig as the Heartbreaks in April 2009, but before this year they were known little outside their adopted home of Manchester and their hometown of Morecambe.

The past 12 months has seen them tour nationally with ex Libertine Carl Barat and open up for Darwin Deez / Everything Everything on the NME tour in Manchester.

With a trio of singles behind them "Liar My Dear", "Jealous Don't You Know" and "I Didn't Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You", all eyes are going to be on the Heartbreaks debut album next year. If past form is anything to go by it will end up being one of the all time classic debut albums.

http://www.myspace.com/heartbreaksband


Jeanie In The Radiator

Once upon a time there was a little known band League Liege who sprung out of the all ages scene in South Manchester. Except they didn't really fit in with either El Policia's angst ridden punk or The Mandigans chirpy indie pop. They stuck to their guns, received critical acclaim from the likes of Serj Tankian of System Of A Down, apparently had a brace of A&R after them according to the MEN and released the Crucimagian EP, a self produced body of work that still stands up to this day.

Jeanie In The Radiator are essentially League Liege with new singer Hollie-Jay Bowes. How they came together is unknown, but their myspace hints at a drunken night at 42s and shared love of David Lynch.

Playing their first ever gig at Fish, Chips and Rock & Roll in October 2010, the band played a rare stripped down acoustic set that brought together the best bits of Alisha's Attic and Morcheeba before theywent shit. The full band version of the band is more electro / beats based and even manages to feature a guest appearance from Bozo from Beatbullyz (recent JLS tour mates) on Devils Little Finger.

Few bands manage to be unique and experimental yet deliver such beautiful pop moments. It wont be long before Jeanie In The Radiator go from a cult concern to Manchester's most talked about

http://www.myspace.com/jeanieintheradiator


Big Sleep

Manchester loves a reinvention. Just as Dear Eskiimo became The Ting Tings, Daggers became Hurts, Headlines became Dutch Uncles and Astroboy became Airship.... now Drive Like I Do turn into Big Sleep.

Touring with One Night Only the band are lined up to be the next big teen guitar band that girls want to f*ck and its ok for guys to like. "Robbers", "Sex" and "Chocolate" are huge tunes in waiting

Its going to be pretty hard to avoid these in 2011 and you can catch them on road with Little Comets in late January

http://bigsleepband.blogspot.com/


A Me B

On the day that we write this X Factors Cher Lloyd has just signed to Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella records in a move that's going to either go stella or flop Lady Sov style. Either way it's a move that's going to signal several identikit signings of young white female rappers. Young white and female is where the similarity's end with Lloyd and A Me B who's being doing this for what seems like years and along with Envy is representing Manchester's burgeoning hip hop scene.

A Me B has recently supported the likes of Akala and Tinchy Stryder, does an amazing cover of Ian Brown's "F.E.A.R" and is working on a mixtape for release in February 2011. Recently signed to an independent Affinity Entertainment its given her the freedom to deliver the album she wants and a single and album are set for release later in the year

http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/ameb1


Slow Motion Shoes

Like Jeanie In The Radiator, Slow Motion Shoes make pop music interesting again. Recently described as "Like a lo-fi Gorillaz playing Wham b-sides" and being picked up by Amazing Radio the band have broken out of the Manchester gig circuit with gigs further a field in the North East.

There dont seem to be any forthcoming gigs on the calendar at the moment, something we're kicking ourselves over as a clusterf*ck of events out of ours and the bands control meant that a much awaited Designer Magazine Xmas gig was pulled at the last hour.

What's exciting about Slow Motion Shoes is the songs seem to be getting better with each new online snippet, their latest "Reminders" us lush heart-warming pop at its best

http://www.myspace.com/slowmotionshoes


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