Ones to watch 2013

Ones To Watch 2013

One of the few things guaranteed to pull us through the post-Christmas slump is checking out the up-and-coming musical talent set to make a splash in the next 12 months, and looking forward to big new albums from established acts.

Below you’ll find our top tips for 2013, plus a selection of the best pre-orders.

Best new artists

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    Haim - Forever EP
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    Release Name
    Forever EP
    Release Date
    (2012)
    Artist Name
    by Haim
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    $2.99
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    Review

    Indie-rock and 90s R&B don’t sound the most natural of bedfellows, but California’s Haim sisters succeed in synthesising their eclectic influences into melodic, vocal harmony-heavy pop. This summer’s single "Don’t Save Me" sounded how Stevie Nicks might, had she been raised on a diet of TLC and Destiny’s Child, so we have high hopes for the album.

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    Atoms For Peace - Default
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    Default
    Release Date
    (2012)
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    by Atoms For Peace
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    Review

    Probably the world’s first glitch-pop supergroup, Atoms For Peace features Thom Yorke, Flea, Nigel “OK Computer” Godrich and Beck/R.E.M.-collaborator Joey Waronker. Their debut album, Amok, is out at the tail-end of February. We’re excited.

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    Local Natives - Breakers - Single
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    Release Name
    Breakers - Single
    Release Date
    (2012)
    Artist Name
    by Local Natives
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    Three years on the road can take its toll on any band, but LA’s Local Natives had to contend with bereavement as well as in-band friction in the period following their debut album. Against the odds, they’ve weathered the storm, returning with a slightly reshuffled line-up and a sophomore album that not only draws on those difficult times, but transmutes them into a message of hope. The beatific whirl of "Breakers" provide a great route in to one of the first great records of 2013.

  • Cover Art
    Indians - Somewhere Else
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    Release Name
    Somewhere Else
    Release Date
    (2013)
    Artist Name
    by Indians
    Price
    $9.90
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    Review

    Indians is the nom de plume of Søren Løkke Juul, the latest singer-songwriter to be signed to illustrious indie imprint 4AD. Like label-mates Efterklang, Juul hails from Copenhagen, and his forte is atmospheric indie-folk, constructed from a mixture of analogue and synthetic sounds. His debut album, Somewhere Else, drops on 29th January 2013.

  • Cover Art
    Angel Haze - New York EP
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    Release Name
    New York EP
    Release Date
    (2012)
    Artist Name
    by Angel Haze
    Price
    $3.99
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    Review

    Believe the hype: Michigan-born, Brooklyn-raised rapper Angel Haze was one of the most exciting things to happen to hip hop in 2012. On recent mixtapes Reservation and Classick, she used uncompromising rhymes to tackle her troubled past head-on, making for music that was brave, brutal and brilliant. As a route in, check out "New York", which sees her unleash her rapid-fire flow over the syncopated handclaps of Gil Scott Heron’s "NYC Is Killing Me".

Who to follow in 2013