New for 2012: Under the Radar

Hype can be a funny thing. 2011 was a banner year for unreal acceleration of the usual cycle, propelling artists from both extremes of the credibility spectrum (Tyler, The Creator on the left, Rebecca Black on the right and Lana Del Rey somewhere in the middle) into the public conscious with alarming speed. The glare of the spotlight, intensified in recent years by the ever-present hum of social media, proved detrimental for some, bringing forward unfinished articles that in most cases roundly failed to deliver on expectations and ended up incurring backlash. Remember Salem? Try not to.

With that in mind, I decided to pick some of my favourite new artists that have, as of yet, avoided the infamy of becoming ‘buzz bands’ and, as such, have been afforded the opportunity to fully develop their ideas and find their sound. These five acts are all very different, but are bound by a common lack of urgency and pressure in delivering their music. Coverage has been limited in some cases, but I feel it’s important to look forward to 2012 by focusing on some different acts for a change – one less article about how awesome Azealia Banks is (she is pretty awesome though).

Let’s get it out the way quick: SST. The label behind the release of classic alternative rock records as Meat Puppets II, Sister and Double Nickels on the Dime is a very clear influence on the sound that Olympia band Milk Music make – their earlier recordings have a trashy hardcore punk aesthetic, which has been reigned in and married with strong, melodic vocals and soaring, over-driven riffs for their fantastic Beyond Living 12”. Many acts nowadays shroud themselves in a layer of distortion to obscure a lack of quality material, but the tracks on display – paradoxically bursting with energy but also models of restraint – throw weight behind the idea that charismatic frontman Alex Coxen has the songwriting nous to pull off the trick of mining the past without foregoing authenticity. The band are notoriously tricky to hunt down, which raises the question of whether deliberately avoiding the internet is a form of promotion in itself, but it appears that Coxen and his cohorts are legitimately unfussed by the whole process; a refreshing angle to adopt in the midst of today’s perpetual media overspill. On the eponymous lead single from Beyond Living, unquestionably their calling card, he howls repeatedly about going “down to my room” – you wouldn’t bet against the band breaking out of those narrow confines before too long.

The perception of unoriginality, as with hype and notoriety, can be a burden for upcoming acts to shoulder; well, if that is the case, DOM are walking slumped. Frontman Dom – see what they did there? – has gained a hefty amount of press off the back of his copious substance intake and this has afforded the band a level of infamy that they have yet to fully shake off. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing at all as their music is a reflection of that party spirit: unpolished, exuberant and brimming with a devil-may-care attitude without ever coming off as amateur. The approach of twinning kitsch Casio keyboards and shimmery, slippery guitar lines may appear done-to-death on paper, but the band truly have a knack for knocking out A-grade lo-fi pop. Their debut EP, Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, was a personal highlight of 2010, covering seemingly daft lyrical touchstones that ranged from Dom’s cat (Bochicha) to Republican pseudo-anthems (Living In America) with a ramshackle charm. The follow-up EP, Family Of Love, was a welcome continuation of the format, but with richer production and stronger hooks. Racing out of the traps like Girls before the heartbreak and the hangover, DOM are great proof that sometimes the sweetest things in life can be the simplest.

While there’s no shortage of interesting and often fantastic dance music coming out of the UK, 22-year-old Jack Latham – better known as Jam City – is one of the standout young producers in the country at the moment. He has been quietly furrowing his own path through the knotty undergrowth of the tediously monikered ‘post-dubstep’ scene, variously amalgamating grime, Chicago house, 80s electronica and kwaito in his music, but with a distinctly sci-fi feel. Eschewing the sparse production of some of his peers, his synths are luminous and queasy, creeping over bouncy rhythms with a sense of dread; a perfect soundtrack for a futuristic industrial nightmare, or the Ufopia level of Timesplitters 2 (‘sup, nerds?). But this isn’t solely atmospheric music designed for home consumption – some of his tracks are evidently made with an ear for the club. Magic Drops from 2010’s EP of the same name deploys synths that rise and fall over booming bass and a dripping-water effect Latham is fond of, while his reworking of Endgames’ disco number Ecstasy maps a frantic drum pattern against the original that defies all conventional logic to remain eminently danceable. His debut album, slated for late Spring, should see release on the impeccable Night Slugs label, and could well end up – as was the case with Rustie last year – being one of the most exciting and enjoyable dance records of 2012. Watch this (outer) space.

I once won an argument with a friend who didn’t believe that you could ascribe seasons to bands by playing him Real Life by Tanlines. An absolute tour-de-force in punchy, tropical, dancefloor-ready indie pop, it’s the best song Yeasayer never wrote; moreover, it is the perfect encapsulation of summer. Settings, the parent EP, has remained on heavy rotation ever since release in March 2010, and has soundtracked more sunny days than I care to think of. Peculiarly, the guitarist/vocalist for the Brooklyn outfit, Eric Emm, cut his teeth on bass for math-rock innovators Don Caballero, but little of that has carried over beyond a great ear for rhythm. Drawing upon club sounds from across the globe, their clean, hook-laden and overwhelmingly fun sound is not a million miles from the glut of Swedish electronic acts that emerged mid-00s such as jj and The Tough Alliance. A very quiet 2011 and the diminishing returns of the blog-orientated chillwave movement with which they are occasionally affiliated has muted interest in the duo somewhat, but their debut album should see release on True Panther in the next few months. If they can capitalise on their potential, the LP could wind up a real treat, and one that will keep upbeat vibes flowing long after the sun has gone in.

The fifth and final artist likely needs the least introduction. Following on from a spate of mixtapes, the most high-profile of which are 2010’s K.R.I.T. Wuz Here and last year’s Return of 4eva, Justin Scott is riding on a high. Forthcoming debut proper Live From The Underground is one of the most feverishly anticipated rap albums of the year, and not without good reason. His output has shown versatility, excelling at both laid-back socially conscious rap (Free My Soul) and Southern bangers (Sookie Now). K.R.I.T. carries with him a world-weariness that belies his 25 years of age, neatly sidestepping the clichés that abound modern rap; he boasts a relaxed flow and cool, thick drawl that compliments his productions perfectly. The aforementioned Return of 4eva, one of the absolute best hip-hop releases of 2011, is entirely self-produced and sounds gorgeous; warmly endearing, soulful and deeply evocative, at its best, of early Outkast. There is always a danger with aspiring rappers that some of the hunger seen in ascendancy will be lost once the bridge is crossed from free mixtape to retail but K.R.I.T. has been toiling in the underground too long to make this mistake, something he addresses at length on standout hit Dreamin’. He appears to have his head firmly screwed on, and is a real breath of fresh air in hip-hop. Live From The Underground was pushed back from a September 2011 release due to sample clearance issues, but when it drops it would take an almighty fumble for it to be anything less than brilliant.

Let us know of any acts that you love who are bubbling under for 2012 by using the Disqus form below.