10 for 2010

For the past few years I've been compiling a list of acts that I tipped for big things in the following 12 months. The thing with lists like this is that, however you twist them, failure doesn't come into it. If my chosen acts haven't gone on to sell bucketloads of records and headline Wembley Stadium, it's not because I picked the wrong bands, but because others failed to follow my lead. Their loss I say.

Seriously though, the bands I pick are ones that have the potential to go far. If they don't move on to the next level, it could well be down to themselves… or indeed others. I've listed my suggestions for the past 3 years below. Some of those faded without trace, others simply split up and moved on, while a handful are still raring to burst out of the starting traps. The fact that I tipped Flood Of Red, The Law and Sergeant in 2007, yet they've all released debut albums in the past year, goes someway to proving that perhaps I'm just a bit ahead of the times!

Jim's 10 for 2007: Drive-By Argument / Flood Of Red / ElectricBoyShock / Ghosts / The Law / The Envy Corps / Sixpeopleaway / Low Vs Diamond / Sergeant / Crash My Model Car

Jim's 10 for 2008: The Fire And I / Broken Records / Urbnri / Fangs / Glasvegas / Big Face / Kizzy Star / The Vivians / Twin Atlantic / Attic Lights

Jim's 10 for 2009: Alto Elite / Healthy Minds Collapse / Mr Kil / Paper Planes / Pearl And The Puppets / The Phantom Band / Punch & The Apostles / Sugar Crisis / The Velcro Quartet / We See Lights

Jim's 10 for 2010:

Considering I've only been doing the one radio show a week for the past year, I seem to have been to less gigs. That's partly down to finances, coupled with having a young family. Where previously much of my list might be compiled from watching bands perform, I've only actually seen four of these acts in the flesh. What follows is pretty much an accompaniment to my "10 For 2010" podcast (episode 64 of Jim Gellatly's New Music)… so let's pause a sec for the podcast links:

Subscribe at iTunes

Stream/download at radiomagnetic.com

Okay… onto my 10 for 2010. Feel free to leave any comments here, or on the podcast's page at radiomagnetic.com. I'd love to know your thoughts, and indeed your own top 10s… might even compile a further list from suggestions should there be more than a handful!

Anyway, in alphabetical order:

Ambulances - I must admit I thought their Kramer-produced debut album a bit lo-fi at first, preferring the later reworkings with Steve Mason. I'm not so sure now, and I've grown to love the Fife band's output as a whole. The next stage of their evolution is going to be rather interesting, and I for one can't wait. www.myspace.com/neenawambulances

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun - Originally from the Isle Of Lewis, Colin Macleod AKA The Boy Who Trapped The Sun is destined to become big news. He's already grabbed himself a record deal with Geffen, and with a couple of low-key releases already under his belt, he's on the verge of a major breakthrough.
www.myspace.com/theboywhotrappedthesun



Erland & The Carnival - A band I know very little about, but I was truly captivated by the single 'Trouble In Mind'. Having now heard the album, I'm far from disappointed. Erland Cooper himself hails from Orkney, but the band are based in London, and also feature Simon Tong, formally of The Verve & The Good The Bad & The Queen. www.myspace.com/carnival

French Wives - There does seem to be a folky vibe to my selection this year, but if the truth be told I've never been adverse to a bit of fiddle. When I first started regularly going to gigs in the mid-eighties, I'd be checking out bands like We Free Kings, Swamptrash and Deaf Heights Cajun Aces. French Wives follow that tradition, mixed with the sort of art school cool you find in bands like Franz Ferdinand. A very tasty prospect indeed. www.myspace.com/thefrenchwives

Alex Gardner - I'd heard lots about Alex before finally seeing him play the Homecoming Live gig that I was hosting at the SECC. The Edinburgh lad comes across as a natural raw talent, so I just hope working with the Xenomania team doesn't lead to production line R&B. www.myspace.com/alexgardnermusic



GoGoBot - It was actually a while back that I was first introduced to the wonders of GoGoBot, but in the past few months they really have become serious contenders. My Pet Shop Boys meet Nine Inch Nails comparison perhaps doesn't do them justice, but I've still to work out whether they are "rock" or "dance". www.myspace.com/gogobot

Grum - Leeds based Scot Graeme Shepherd AKA Grum has done some cracking reworkings of Passion Pit and Friendly Fires… and more recently a remix of Lady GaGa's Bad Romance. It won't be long until everyone is hailing him as the "new Calvin Harris", much in the same way that Calvin was once the "new Mylo" (whatever happened to Mylo btw?). www.myspace.com/grummmusic

Kassidy - I first came across these guys at a Dykeenies single launch, and it seemed like I was the only industry person in the room who'd yet to discover them. It felt like I'd emerged from a time capsule, and missed the whole buzz. Either way, I was an immediate convert, and the next time I saw them they were playing to just about every A&R in the country. Plying some acoustic folk rock with wonderful harmonies, it was Mercury Records that finally secured the band. www.myspace.com/kassidyuk

Kid Adrift - Led by a former BBC Scotland colleague Iain Campbell, Kid Adrift recently joined the Big Life management stable, home to The Verve, La Roux and Klaxons. They've already been featured on daytime Radio One with a Maida Vale session as part of the BBC Electric Proms, and I'll not be the last person to describe the sound as "epic". www.myspace.com/kidadrift



Kitty The Lion - I'd been chasing some material from Anna Meldrum ever since introducing her at a One Creative Scotland event. It was worth the wait to hear a full band though, and I was instantly absorbed by the debut single 'Lion In Bed'. www.myspace.com/kittythelion