Not Many Experts

When I was initially asked to take part in the Blog Sound of 2012, which was being presented not as a criticism of the BBC Sound of 2012, but as an alternative, I had my reservations. Was it really necessary? In light of the unveiling of the BBC list today, I would have to say that, yes, it probably was. Just to calm down and put things in perspective quickly; the world is still revolving. The “BBC Sound of” is not, despite the claims of George Ergatoudis, “the definitive annual list of exciting new artists to look out for”, it is just the opinion of the 184 fallible humans that they asked, and is clearly not the end of the careers for all of the thousands of artists not mentioned. However… despite all of these things, it is still such a missed opportunity for exposing good new music to a wider audience, and the unbelievable shunning of independent music in comparison with earlier years is more criminal than even the torching of the PIAS warehouse. Probably.

It reflects the opinions and tastes of those people who they chose to ask, but I have enough faith left to believe that it’s not an absolutely accurate representation of the music industry’s favourite new artists. In exactly the same way, the Blog Sound of 2012 simply reflects the opinions of the selection of blogs they chose to ask, and is therefore also imperfect. At the very least, it is emphatically not a formalisation of those acts that major labels will be spending amounts of money on next year. The hopefully fleeting success of some of those artists is as inevitable as the list itself; a self-fulfilling prophecy influenced by those who hope to gain the most from it.

I’m glad it exists, I just wish it existed in a different way. Ultimately, it’s all a question of taste, and who is anybody to denounce the tastes of anybody else? Admittedly, the pleasing presence of Niki & The Dove, Friends, and even Azealia Banks or Spector can’t be ignored. But it’s still the case that independent music has been horrendously under-represented, which isn’t the end of the world, just pretty bloody depressing. Yet it would be an effort to stay depressed for long, for the truth is that there is a wealth of compelling new music around at the moment. Some of it you’ll find on the BBC’s list, some on the bloggers’ list; but the most of it is found elsewhere, behind these lists that attract so much attention. At the very least, the Blog Sound of 2012 longlist which follows is a good, convenient, and honestly-voted place to start.

Theme Park. Theme Park – A Mountain We Love by Radar Maker

Alt J. Breezeblocks (demo) by alt-j

Houdini Dax. Houdini Dax – The Trend by See Monkey Do Monkey

French Wives. Numbers by French Wives

The Good Natured. The Good Natured – Wolves by The Good Natured

Lianne La Havas. Lianne La Havas – Forget (Live in LA) by Lianne La Havas

The Jezabels. Mace Spray by thejezabels

Lucy Rose. Lucy Rose – Middle Of The Bed by Lucy Rose

Bastille. FLAWS by BASTILLE

Beth Jeans Houghton. Beth Jeans Houghton – Dodecahedron by Mute UK

Friends. Friends – I’m His Girl by LuckyNumberMusic

Washington. Washington – Holy Moses by The Recommender

Meursault. Meursault – Flittin’ (Demo) by Song, by Toad

Daughter. Daughter – ‘Medicine’ (Taken from ‘The Wild Youth’ EP) by ohDaughter

Outfit. Vehicles by OUTFIT

I should probably mention that the views expressed above are in no way the view of The Blog Sound of 2012, and are probably opposed in part by many of the blogs which took part. But seeing as this is my blog, that should go without saying. The blogs which took part were:

A Tidal Wave Of Indifference, Breaking More Waves, God Is In the TV, Sweeping The Nation, The Von Pip Musical Express, The Recommender, Faded Glamour, Drunken Werewolf, Flying With Anna, Not Many Experts, Underclassed Idle Ideas, Sonic Masala, Mudkiss, The Ring Master, Both Bars On, Music From A Green Window, Dots And Dashes, The Daily Growl, And Everyone’s A DJ, Kowolskiy, Just Music That I Like, Cruel Rhythm, The Blue Walrus, Music Fans Mic, Seventeen Seconds, Eaten By Monsters, Seven Sevens, Unpeeled, New Rave Brain Wave, Peenko, Music Liberation, My Bands Better Than Your Band and Song By Toad.

I’m not a musician of any significance, or even a musician at all come to think of it, but from my untrained perspective it seems like flirting with a maudlin mood is a very dangerous idea. Of course, for those who it comes naturally to, like the National, it can be the source of all their success, but that’s only because they really mean it. Miss the intended level of sincerity even slightly and you end up sounding dull, contrite, calculated, uninspired and many many other depressing adjectives that are not positive at all.

And so when I heard Monument Valley’s debut EP, “Tongues”, I couldn’t help but get more than a little bit excited. More than anything, and especially on “Round and Round”, London-born Ned Younger just sounds so sincere. It’s that sincerity that makes each slightly melancholic note just more affecting, and combined with his heartfelt honesty, restraint and mastery of the understated melody, the entire EP becomes wonderfully maudlin. Like it should, it just sounds so satisfying, and to have pulled that off on a first EP is undoubtedly special. We’ll be keeping our two eyes on Monument Valley, not least because he’s just got wrapped up with those chaps at Transgressive, which can only suggest he’s got even more to offer.

Monument Valley – Round and Round by Partisan PR

Ignoring a number of violent revolutions across the Arab world, and the flirtation of the Eurozone with collapse, 2011 can be defined as a year in which a ridiculous amount of words were written about James Blake. That’s something that’s hard to complain about, because his music is so left-field and interesting that it still makes absolutely no sense to me that he has been so “successful”.

But, and I don’t mind upsetting his many fans by saying this, in the spectrum of eccentric electronic music that pushes closer and closer to true originality, without losing its soulful and affecting heart, Nicolas Jaar is king. Fact. A couple of weeks ago he dropped his “Don’t Break My Love” EP, for free, on soundcloud. If that’s not the perfect way of distributing music then I don’t know what is. And as the soundcloud player below will tell you, if “Why Didn’t You Save Me”’s 4 minutes of teasing followed by a short release isn’t the perfect representation of frustration, then I don’t know what is either.

Nicolas Jaar / Why Didn’t You Save Me by Clown & Sunset